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Top Naxal leader Prashant Bose, accused of plotting to kill PM Modi in Bhima Koregaon case, arrested in Jharkhand

OpIndia Staff
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Top Naxal leader Prashant Bose, accused of plotting to kill PM Modi in Bhima Koregaon case, arrested in Jharkhand

Jharkhand Police in a joint operation with Intelligence Bureau (IB) arrested top CPI (Maoist) leader Prashant Bose (75) alias Kishan Da, who is wanted in over 100 cases of Naxal violence including the Elgaar Parishad – Bhima Koregaon case related to an alleged conspiracy to eliminate Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He was arrested on the basis of the intelligence inputs of IB. There was a bounty of Rs 1 crore on his head.

Other than Bose, police arrested his wife Sheela Marandi (60) and their two associates on November 12 at Kandra toll plaza in Saraikela-Kharsawan district of Jharkhand. “We arrested them in the morning when they were travelling from Parasnath in Giridih district to Saranda forest area in West Singhbhum to hold the meeting of CPI (Maoist). They were travelling in an SUV. This is an important catch for security agencies as the Bose carrying a cash prize of Rs one crore on his head was the biggest leader of the organization. He was wanted by several state police and investigative agencies,” a senior IB official told OpIndia.

Bose wanted by NIA in the Elgaar Parishad case

Maoist Bose is known by different aliases like Manish Da, Kishan Da, Budha, Nirbhay, and he is currently holding the post of secretary of the Eastern Regional Bureau (ERB) of CPI-Maoist. He is wanted by the National Investigation Agency in the Elgaar Parishad case.

He is accused of plotting to kill PM Modi on the basis of a ‘Maoist communication’ recovered from arrested accused Rona Wilson, he was booked by Pune police as accused number 15. The alleged Maoist communication mentioned a plot to kill the Prime Minister. Pune police had investigated it till the case was handed over to the NIA for a deep probe.

“Com Kisan and few other senior comrades have proposed concrete steps to end Modi Raj. We are thinking along the lines of another Rajiv Gandhi-type incident. It sounds suicidal and there is a good chance that we might fail, but we feel that the party PB/CC must deliberate over our proposal. Targeting his road shows could be an effective strategy. We collectively believe that survival of the party is supreme to all sacrifices,” the letter read.

Pune Police had claimed that ‘Com Kisan’ mentioned in the letter was Prashant Bose and subsequently in the charge sheet filed by Pune Police in 2018 he was named among the accused.

“Kishan alias Prashant Bose, secretary of ERB of CPI-Maoist, and other underground operatives hatched a conspiracy to kill the Prime Minister of India and also participated in the process of procurement of huge arms and ammunition as part of the larger conspiracy of waging a war against the democratic system and Indian citizens,” the charge sheet reads.

Elgar Parishad-Bhima Koregaon case

The Elgar Parishad-Bhima Koregaon case pertains to an event organised at Shaniwar Wada by Kabir Kala Manch called Elgar Parishad on December 31, 2017. On the next day (January 1, 2018), violence took place at Bhima Koregaon, where lakhs of Dalits had gathered to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Bhima Koregaon, won by the British Army—comprising mostly soldiers from Dalit community—against the Peshwas in 1818. On January 8 Pune Police lodged an FIR and the probe revealed that the event was organised by urban Naxals. A number of Naxal ideologues and urban Naxals were arrested including Stan Swamy, Hany Babu, Sudha Bharadwaj, Rona Wilson, Surendra Gadling, Mahesh Raut, Shoma Sen, Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves, Varavara Rao and Gautam Navlakha.

Who is Prashant Bose

A native of Jadavpur of Bengal, Bose is a former student of Jadavpur University in Bengal. He joined the ultra left-wing outfit in 1996 and quickly rose in the organisational hierarchy. Besides being ERB secretary, he is the Polit Bureau member of CPI (Maoist) and overall in-charge of Jharkhand-Bihar Special Area Committee, Chhatisgadh Special Area Committee and Assam State Special Area Committee. After Polit Bureau member Kishanji Mahto was gunned down by CRPF in Burisole forest in West Midnapore district in Novermber 2011, Bose took over the control of the organisation. Over 100 armed squad of CPI (Maoist) used to protect him. Parasnath and Saranda were his operational area.

An official said that no weapon was recovered either from him or from his wife and associates. “He did not resist or tired to run away. Since 2017 he has been facing physical disability. But depsite this he was actively involved in planning and execution of Naxal activities. A few years ago the CRPF and Jharkhand Police had surrounded around 100 Naxals including him. He was carried away by armed Naxals on a palaquin,” the official told OpIndia.  

Manipur: Assam Rifles convoy ambushed near Myanmar border, seven persons including commanding officer, his wife and son killed

OpIndia Staff
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Manipur: Assam Rifles convoy ambushed near Myanmar border, seven persons including commanding officer, his wife and son killed

A convoy of an Assam Rifles unit was ambushed by terrorists in Churachandpur district in Manipur today. Seven persons have died in the attack, including 5 soldiers and 2 civilians. The casualties included a Commanding Officer, his wife, their 6-year-old son, and 4 other soldiers of 46 Assam Rifles.

The commanding officer has been Colonel Viplav Tripathi, who was returning from one of his command posts on the Myanmar border when the attack took place. The four soldiers died in the ambush were from the Quick Response Team. The Indian Army colonel was serving as the commanding officer of 46 Assam Rifles unit on deputation.

While terrorists regularly target armed forces, it is rare for them to attack their families. According to initial reports, Manipur-based People’s Liberation Army is behind the attack. However, no insurgent group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.

Reportedly, the convoy was first attacked by an IED blast, after there was gunfire attack by the terrorists. The incident happened in a remote village between S Sehken and Behiang near the Indo-Myanmar border. Security forces have started combing operations in the area after the incident.

Reacting to the incident, Manipur CM Biren Singh said that the perpetrators will be brought to justice. He informed on Twitter that the State forces and Para military are already on their job to track down the militants.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh tweeted that the attack on an Assam Rifles convoy in Churachandpur in Manipur is extremely painful & condemnable. “The perpetrators will be brought to justice soon,” he added.

PIL filed in Kerala HC against movie Kurup to protect the privacy of a man accused of murder and embezzlement of insurance money

OpIndia Staff
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PIL filed in Kerala HC against movie Kurup to protect the privacy of a man accused of murder and embezzlement of insurance money

A PIL has been filed before the Kerala High Court against Dulquer Salmaan’s film Kurup, which was released in movie theatres on Friday, November 12. The film is based on the life of proclaimed offender Sukumara Kurup.

The petitioner argued that the movie would infringe upon the privacy of Kurup and sought a stay on the release of the movie.

Justices S. Manikumar and Shaji P. Charly were presiding over the bench that admitted the plea on Tuesday this week and issued notice to the respondents in the case. It has, however, refused to stay the screening of the movie.

Sebin Thomas, the petitioner, a lawyer based out of Kochi, has asked the Kerala High Court to put a stay on the movie’s release to protect the privacy of the proclaimed offender.

The lawyer said in his petition that he came to know about the movie from an article published in The Hindu where it was mentioned that the movie is inspired by the life of one of the State’s most wanted criminals, Sukumara Kurup.

The main premise of the PIL is that the movie exploits Kurup’s right to privacy, particularly because as a proclaimed offender he is not allowed to approach the court to safeguard his own rights. The petitioner emphasised that privacy is a fundamental right recognised by many international and regional treaties as well as by the Supreme Court of India. He cited that as a citizen of India, the Government of India is duty-bound to protect Kurup’s rights as an accused under Article 20 and 21 of the Constitution.

Thomas reasoned that proclaimed offenders are deprived of freedom of movement, of association or assembly and therefore, it is incumbent upon the State to protect their rights.

Sukumara Kurup accused of faking his death to claim insurance money

Sukumara Kurup is accused of faking his own murder to claim insurance money. Kurup had allegedly murdered a film’s representative, Chako, who was waiting for a late-night bus at Karuvatta in Alapuzzha district, after giving him a lift in his car. After allegedly killing Chako, the car was later doused with petrol and set ablaze. Chako’s body was burnt in the fire. As per the police, Kurup tried to fake his death and embezzle insurance money to the tune of Rs 8 lakhs. Chako’s family had earlier sent a notice to the movie’s producers, but later his son said he had seen the movie and did not find any scene where Kurup was glorified.

Kurup had allegedly committed murder with the help of his two accomplices, his driver Ponnappan and brother-in-law Bhaskar Pillai, both of whom were caught and served life terms. However, Kurup was never caught and has been on the run since 1984.

Varanasi: Home Minister Amit Shah highlights importance of ‘Swabhasha’, asks guardians to speak to children in native tongue

OpIndia Staff
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Varanasi: Home Minister Amit Shah highlights importance of ‘Swabhasha’, asks guardians to speak to children in native tongue

Home Minister Amit Shah while speaking at the  ‘Akhil Bhartiya Rajbhasha Sammelan’ in Varanasi has highlighted the focus of the government on ‘Swabhasha’ and the emphasis on the the use of native language or the mother tongue for original thinking.

He said, ‘Today I want to put my appeal to all the guardians of this country through this convention, that I have come here to request them to talk to their children in their own native language. It does not matter in which medium they are studying, please talk to the children in native language in your home in order to increase their confidence levels, so that they have no hesitation in speaking their own mother tongue.’

Home Minister Shah then said that speaking in the native language would not only benefit the language but also benefit the children because original thinking could only result from native language. He said, ‘Original thinking can only come from native or the mother tongue (Swabhasa), other languages can provide routine knowledge but the path of attaining new knowledge and moving forward in the journey can only be realized by original thought process, and original thinking can only come from Swabhasa (native language).

Amit Shah further noted in his address, ‘There used to be a time when we were afraid, I am telling you now that a new era has started when we would be proud. This transformation of fear to feel pride and honor has been a huge achievement of Narendra Modi’s administration.’

The Home Minister said, “One of the main points of the new education policy of the country is the protection and promotion of languages and also the protection and promotion of the official language. In the new education policy, emphasis has been laid on the official language and mother tongue. The new change that the Prime Minister has made will change the future of India.”

Uttar Pradesh is set to go to polls early next years, with Yogi Adityanath seeking reelection as the Chief Minister of the most populous state in the country.

Pakistan: Lady police officer forces female detainee to strip and dance naked in front of inmates, compulsorily retired

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan: Lady police officer forces female detainee to strip and dance naked in front of inmates, compulsorily retired

A Pakistani lady police officer has been dismissed from duty after she was found guilty of coercing a female detainee to strips and dance nude in front of jail inmates in the country’s southwestern Balochistan province. The police inquiry committee in Pakistan looking into the matter discharged Inspector Shabana Irshad from her duties for misusing her authorities.

After the matter had come to notice, Deputy Inspector General Mohammad Azhar Akram had ordered an inquiry against inspector Shabana Irshad and ASP Pari Gul Tareen was appointed to investigate the matter. During the inquiry, ASP Pari Gul found the inspector guilty. In her report, she said that during the investigation in the murder case, the inspector was found guilty of negligence, misconduct, misuse of authority and immoral and non-professional behaviour towards her duty.

The probe found that the inspector forced the accused to remove her dress and to dance to a song. A video of the act was also recorded. The report added that Inspector Shabana Irshad formed her team as per her own choice without any written orders. The inquiry report had recommended major punishment for the officer. The incident happened at the Jinnah Town police station in Que­tta.

Accordingly, Inspector Shabana Irshad has been awarded ‘compulsory retirement from police service’ as punishment.

Reacting to the incident, the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Quetta, Muhammad Azhar Akram said: “The inquiry found that the lady inspector had arrested and brought a woman to the police station for questioning in connection with the murder of a child in the Jinnah township of Quetta.”

“When the woman was in police remand, lady inspector Shabana not only stripped her naked but also forced her to dance naked in front of others in jail,” he said. “The lady inspector had nothing to say in her defence and she has been retired forcibly from service and dismissed,” Akram said, adding that the victim has now been sent to jail custody by the court.

This cannot be permitted when a female inspector treats another female in this manner and abuses her authority. To protect women detainees even in jail, we have made it essential for them to be questioned only by female inspectors, the DIG added.

Reportedly, earlier five female cops were sacked from jobs in the same case. Bushra Afzal, Huma Faisal, Uzma Nasreen, Farah Khalil and Samina Manzoor were sacked for meting out inhumane treatment to the female accused during custody.

In the month of July, Pakistan’s parliament passed a bill criminalising torture and preventing custodial killings by police or other government officials. The Bill stated that if a public servant, whose duty it is to prevent custodial death and custodial sexual violence either intentionally or negligently fails to do so, he/she will be punished with at least seven years imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs. 1 million.

Senator Rehman after approval of the Bill said Pakistan was “finally on [the] way to criminalising torture”.

Supreme Court raps Kejriwal Govt, suggests lockdown to curb pollution in Delhi caused majorly by stubble burning in other states

OpIndia Staff
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Supreme Court raps Kejriwal Govt, suggests lockdown to curb pollution in Delhi caused majorly by stubble burning in other states

On Saturday (November 13), the Supreme Court of India asked the Union government whether lockdown could be imposed for a few days to improve the Air Quality Index (AQI) in the National Capital. A petition was filed before the apex court to control the air pollution levels in Delhi.

The matter came up before a Bench compromising of the Chief Justice of India (CJI) NV Ramana. He remarked, “Tell us how we can reduce AQI from 500 at least by 200 points. Take some urgent measures. Can you think of two days lockdown or something? How can people live? Air quality in Delhi is in the ‘severe’ category and in another 2 to 3 days it will dip further. Take an emergency decision. We will look at a long term solution later.”

The Supreme Court noted that that the air quality in the National Capital had deteriorated to an extent that people are now wearing masks at home. While defending the farmers over stubble burning, the court inquired, “Central government says 2 lakh machines are available for stubble burning and in the market, there are 2-3 kinds of machines available but farmers can’t afford to buy them. Why can’t the Centre/State govt provide these machines to farmers or take away the stubble?”

The apex court stated that it had become a fashion to bash farmers. The Court directed the Centre to take urgent steps within a span of 2-3 days so that the air pollution levels decrease in the National capital. “Little children have to go to school in this weather, we are exposing them to this. Dr Guleria (AIIMS) said we are exposing them to pollution, pandemic and dengue,” the Bench headed by the CJI concluded.

The court also pulled up the Arvind Kejriwal-led-Delhi government over the non-installation of smog towers and emission control projects. “You have opened all schools in the national capital and now children are exposed to pollutants. This is not the Centre’s but your jurisdiction. What is happening on that front?”

Stubble burning is the major contributor of fog in Delhi

According to the Fire Information for Resource Management System of NASA, the incident of fires in Punjab and Haryana have gone up significantly in the month of October, with it reaching its peak in the last week. Social media users also have pointed out how the farmers burning their stubble are responsible for the pollution, not firecrackers.

NASA uses red dots to indicate incidents of fire caught by satellites, and the maps for 31st October and 5th November show that almost the entire state is covered with red dots, which means that crop residues are being burnt at almost all the farmland in the state to clear the land for the next cultivation. Similarly, a large portion of Haryana is also covered with such red dots indicating fire.

In November last year, contribution of stubble burning to the pollution in Delhi had reached 40%. And there is nothing to suggest that circumstances this year will be drastically different.

NASA fire maps for north India on different dates in the October

There is also an indication that the farmers time stubble burning with Diwali, so that the pollution caused by them is blamed on firecrackers. When Swarajya Magazine editor Arihant Pawariya asked a farmer why they were burning stubble during Diwali, the farmer had replied that nobody will catch them as it is the time of the festivals.

Therefore, even if there was no bursting of firecrackers due to Diwali, Delhi’s air quality would not have been any better. Due to wind direction, the smoke from the stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana move towards Delhi, where it remains stationary due to the lack of wind movement in the region. Fog caused by lower temperate captures the pollutants in the air and keep them suspended in the air for a longer time, which creates toxic smog.

American radio show defends “Gender Queer”, a book that was banned across schools in the US for pornographic content involving children

OpIndia Staff
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American radio show defends “Gender Queer”, a book that was banned across schools in the US for pornographic content involving children

1A, an American radio talk show produced by WAMU in Washington, D.C. and distributed nationally by NPR (National Public Radio), recently organised a show wherein it got authors to discuss how and why schools ban books. The discussion came hot on the heels of a controversy triggered by a graphic novel called ‘Gender Queer’ after school districts across the United States alleged that the book, an illustrated memoir, contained explicit illustrations of sexual encounters involving children.

1A got the author of the book ‘Gender Queer’, Maia Kebab, who likes to use e/em/eir pronouns to refer himself, defended the book on the show, stating that the book was written by him as a letter to his loved ones. The NPR’s American Radio Show 1A then went on to show pictures from his graphic novel to justify how the book did not contain any sexual content and was meant for children to understand what androgynous feelings are and how to embrace them.

The pictures that were shared on the website showed individuals of same sex being attracted to each other. The author and the proponents of the book argue that it provides a guide for vulnerable children who develop queer characteristics and have no content to refer to.

However, social media users and listeners of the radio show were not pleased with the brazen defence of the book that they alleged of being sexually explicit and promoting “pornography”.

Social media users slam NPR for being disingenuous and promoting books that contained pornographic content

One of the social media users said NPR and 1A have not been entirely honest with their viewers and listeners as they withheld controversial images and shared only vanilla images to rail against the ban faced by the book.

The user went on to share other pictures from the graphic novel that contained illustrations of individuals of same gender indulging in sexual activities. “Why didn’t 1A show this image from “Gender Queer”?” the user asked while sharing pictures of two men engaged in oral sex.

Another social media user also highlighted how NPR had omitted a picture of a fourth-grade student involved in an oral sexual act.

Yet another social media user said that he usually doesn’t believe that mainstream liberal media likes to groom minors for sexual abuse but after 1A’s show, he is inclined to believe otherwise.

School systems across the US face parents’ wrath over inclusion of sexually explicit books such as “Gender Queer” in their libraries

A controversy swept across various school districts in the United States after parents and guardians expressed strong disapproval to the graphic novel Gender Queer being available in school libraries. Recently, some schools in South Carolina pulled the book off the shelves after parents objected to explicit drawings in the book.

South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster has also ordered an investigation into how “Gender Queer: A Memoir,” by Maia Kobabe, which has explicit drawings of sexual acts, was found in the Fort Mill School District.

“These things are dangerous, they’re destructive, they’re harmful and they are against the law in South Carolina,” McMaster said at a press conference on Thursday.

Earlier last month, the book had stirred a controversy after it was found at the Wissahickon High School library. Parents of students studying in the school protested against the school for allowing their pupil access to the mortifying content of books such as “Gender Queer”.

Similarly, in September 2021, school systems in north Virginia had to pull some books, including “Gender Queer” from libraries on the grounds that the book contained explicit illustrations of sexual encounters involving children. The school board came increasingly under the attack of the parents who accused them of wielding a deleterious impact on children by the dint of providing them with books that contained sexually explicit content.

‘Trinamool Congress Govt linked to terrorists, smugglers’: BJP MLA hits out at Mamata Banerjee for opposing extension of BSF jurisdiction

OpIndia Staff
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‘Trinamool Congress Govt linked to terrorists, smugglers’: BJP MLA hits out at Mamata Banerjee for opposing extension of BSF jurisdiction

West Bengal BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul has slammed the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal for opposing the Centre’s decision to extend the jurisdiction of BSF. Hitting out at the state government, the designer-turned-politician said that West Bengal has become a terrorist hub. Further castigating the Mamata Banerjee led TMC govt in the state of WB, Paul alleged that the Trinamool Congress has links with smugglers and criminals.

“What’s the point of bringing resolution? Doesn’t CM Mamata Banerjee want our international borders to be strong like the Central government does?” Agnimitra Paul said lambasting the WB government.

BJP leader Agnimitra Paul further questioned why the Mamata Banerjee government has not given 631 km of land for fencing and said that all BJP MLAs will oppose the resolution on November 17, that the state govt plans to move to oppose the extension of the jurisdiction of BSF in the state.

It may be noted that the Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla on Friday met the Mamata Banerjee government and directed the state officials to expedite the fencing of the India-Bangladesh border in the state.

The discussion took place against the backdrop of sharp disagreements between Mamata Banerjee’s state government and the Centre over the extension of BSF’s jurisdiction issue.

Mamata Banerjee ups her antes against BJP govt for BSF order

Deepening its feud with the Centre, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee had decided to move a resolution in the state Assembly on November 17 opposing the central government’s decision to extend the Border Security Force jurisdiction from 15 km to 50 km. The CM had criticised the Centre’s move alleging that it was an attempt to interfere with the federal structure of the country.

The BJP, meanwhile, maintained it would oppose the WB resolution, stating it to be against national interest.

Centre extends BSF’s operational area in Punjab, West Bengal and Assam

It may be noted that the Union Ministry of Home & Affairs has amended its July 3, 2014 notification to extend the jurisdiction of Border Security Forces (BSF) from existing 15 km to 50 km inside the international border in Assam, West Bengal and Punjab which share borders with Bangladesh and Pakistan respectively.

Moreover, the jurisdiction of BSF in Gujarat has been reduced from 80 km to 50 km and no change has been made in Rajasthan where BSF continues to guard 50 km from the border.  

The basic idea was to bring uniformity in the area of operation in states sharing international borders.

The BSF was raised in December 1965 as a specialized force to guard India’s international border.

The decision was taken in the wake of an increasing number of cases of cattle and drug smuggling and Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) racket alongside the international borders. Drug and arms smuggling has emerged as a new challenge in Punjab whereas Assam and West Bengal are the hotbeds of cattle smuggling, FICN, and illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya migration.

But as usual, Punjab and West Bengal ruled by the Congress and Trinamool Congress (TMC) have started protesting the decision as an attack on federalism and interference through Central agencies.

Centre’s decision to extend the  jurisdiction of BSF an insult to state police: Punjab

Prior to the Mamata Banerjee government, the Congress government in Punjab had also rejected the Centre’s notification extending the BSF’s jurisdiction. On Thursday, CM Charanjit Channi led Punjab Government unanimously passed a resolution against the centre saying that since law and order is a state subject, the Centre cannot impose its decision on Punjab without taking them into confidence.

Captain Amarinder Singh, the former Punjab chief minister, had, however, expressed his support for the notification, stating that the BSF’s operational jurisdiction involves national security and should not be politicised. Singh tweeted, “Unfortunately people playing up the issue are unable to make out the difference between law & order and national security. BSF like Punjab Police is our own force and not an external or foreign army coming to occupy our land.”

Maharashtra: Muslim mobs resort to violence to protest violence in Tripura, pelt stones at cops and shops in three cities

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra: Muslim mobs resort to violence to protest violence in Tripura, pelt stones at cops and shops in three cities

Three cities in Maharashtra namely Malegaon, Amravati and Nanded were marred with communal violence with incidents of stone-pelting being reported on Friday. According to reports, Muslim groups had taken out rallies in Nanded, Malegaon, Amaravati and some other places which turned violent with the mob resorting to stone-pelting. According to reports, the mob was protesting the communal disturbance that was reported in Tripura last month.

Following the incidents, State Home Minister Dilip Walse-Patil appealed to the people to maintain peace.

“Muslims across the state had taken out a protest march today against the violence in Tripura. During this, stone pelting was done in Nanded, Malegaon, Amaravati and some other places. I appeal to all Hindus and Muslims to maintain peace,” Maharashtra home minister Dilip Walse Patil was quoted by ANI as saying.

Muslim mob of 8000 pelt-stones outside the district collector’s office in Amravati, Maharashtra

According to a police official, more than eight thousand people gathered outside the district collector’s office in Amravati to present a memorandum “seeking an end to atrocities against the minority community”. According to the officer, stone-pelting occurred at three locations between Chitra Chowk and Cotton Market while people were leaving after submitting the memorandum.

The police further added that in Nanded, the irate mob pelted stones at police vans, injuring 7-8 police officers in the ensuing violence.

The situation has been brought under control at all these places and FIRs were being registered, he added.

Vikram Sali, DCP Amaravati informed that no police permission was taken for the protest march. He added that on the basis of complaints, strict action will be taken against those involved.

Raza Academy members pelt-stones at police vans, injure 7-8 police officers

The Nanded wing of the radical Islamist organisation, Raza Academy had organised a sit-in protest. Some youth were walking towards mixed-residential areas when they were halted by the police, following which the youths pelted stones at the police. The Islamists also pelted stones when they saw some shops open. The police used force to disperse the mob. The incident happened at 3-4 locations in the city, said Pramod Kumar Shewale, Superintendent of Police, Nanded.

According to a report by TOI, the riot control police reached the spot to quell the mob, which in turn started targeting the police officers by throwing stones at them. In retaliation, the police resorted to a mild lathi charge.

“We are registering offences that took place, currently, the situation is peaceful in Nanded. I request people to not believe in rumours. 7-8 police officials have been injured,” Shewale added.

BJP MLA Nitesh Rane slammed Raza academy calling it a ‘terrorist organisation’ for disrupting law and order in Maharashtra.

Rane said, “This terrorist organisation Raza academy is behind all the violence and riots in different parts of Maharashtra!” “Every time they disrupt and break all the rules and the government sits and watches. Either the government bans them or we have to finish them in the interest of Maharashtra!,” he further tweeted.

Meanwhile, Nashik Collector Suraj Mandhare said that the situation in Malegaon is completely under control now. Senior government and police officials are camping there, he said, further appealing to people not to fall for any rumours.

The Nanded police have so far arrested five people and booked 25 people in connection with the stone-pelting incident in Maharashtra on Friday. The search for the other suspects is still ongoing. The cases have been registered under Nanded’s Shivaji Nagar police station limits.

According to reports, the Islamist Raza Academy had also called for a bandh in several Muslim pockets and suburbs of Mumbai including Bhendi Bazar, Mohammad Ali Road, Kurla as well as Mumbra and Bhiwandi in Thane.

Some Muslim elements in Maharashtra trying to capitalize on Tripura violence: BJP

Responding to the incident, BJP leader and former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the State government should act immediately to bring the situation under control, claiming that some people were trying to “capitalize on the purported violence in Tripura”.

State BJP president Chandrakant Patil also said: “It was unnecessary for the Muslim community here to react to an incident in Tripura and purported violence.” “There are some elements among them which defame the entire community. The Muslim community should teach a lesson to such elements,” he said.

OpIndia tried to get in touch with the police of the three cities where incidents of stone-pelting were reported. While calls to Nanded and Amravati police went unanswered, Malegaon police refused to talk saying they have no information yet.

Protests in Tripura against targetting of Hindus in Bangladesh

Tripura witnessed communal disturbances following clashes in Dharmanagar of North Tripura. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) had organized a march demanding the protection of minority Hindus in Bangladesh. The march was led by VHP leader Purna Chandra Mandal. According to some media reports, violence took place when the procession reached Rowa village of Dharmanagar. The situation turned worse following stone-pelting.

Some of the media reports claimed that protesters targeted a mosque and vandalized the properties of the minority community, however, the police had clarified that there was no attack on any mosque.

After the October 26 incident, the Tripura government claimed on October 29 that an outside group with vested interests plotted against the administration to cause unrest in the state and tarnish its image by posting fake photos of a burning mosque on social media.

Earlier, OpIndia had reported that although some shops belonging to Muslims were vandalised during the protests against attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh, there was no attack on any mosque in Tripura.

King Kong vs Godzilla at Samajwadi party meet ahead of elections, workers throw blows at each other on stage

OpIndia Staff
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King Kong vs Godzilla at Samajwadi party meet ahead of elections, workers throw blows at each other on stage

On Friday (November 12), a ruckus broke out between the workers of the Akhilesh Yadav-led-Samajwadi party during a meeting held in Mirzapur Chauhari in Raniganj tehsil of Uttar Pradesh. The development comes ahead of the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha elections.

As per reports, a former Samajwadi party MLA named Syed Ali was conducting a meeting with his supporters at around 3 pm on Friday. While speaking from the stage, Ali had accused former Samajwadi party Minister Shivakant Ojha of not letting him work. This was opposed by the supporters of Ojha, who were also present in the meeting. It led to a heated argument between the supporters on both sides.

Soon, the two factions climbed the stage and began throwing blows at each other. Ticket contender Brijesh Yadav was dragged to the stage and thrashed. Syed Ali managed to escape and reached the Raniganj police station to complain about the assault. He was followed by his supporters, who demanded the arrest of the supporters of Ojha. Several SP leaders also reached the police station to pacify the situation and convince Ali from registering his complaint with the police.

Former Cabinet Minister RK Choudhary, who was invited as a Chief Guest in the meeting, tried to pacify the situation but to no avail. Amar Ujala reported that a case was registered against Shivakant Ojha, son Purnanshu Ojha, and 53 supporters. Following the ruckus, the police reached the spot to gather information about the incident. The cops had confiscated a licensed revolver from the nephew of ex-MLA Syed Ali. The police have initiated action against Ali for giving his licensed gun to his nephew. A report has also been sent to the District Magistrate to cancel his license.

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