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Sagarika Ghose blames Hindus for doing Chhat Puja instead of questioning Delhi CM over poisonous froth in Yamuna River

OpIndia Staff
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Sagarika Ghose blames Hindus for doing Chhat Puja instead of questioning Delhi CM over poisonous froth in Yamuna River

On November 11, journalist Sagarika Ghose blamed devotees celebrating Chhath for going into the polluted river without consideration for ‘public health’. She called it ‘blind faith over public health’. Ghose wrote, “Blind faith over public health. Is there anything ‘holy’ about a river submerged in poisonous froth?” Ghose had quoted ANI’s video in which a woman was seen taking a dip in the polluted Yamuna river in Delhi, followed by several other devotees doing the same.

Journalist Sagarika Ghose blamed devotees and called them followers of blind faith but did not mention Delhi govt. Source: Twitter

Interestingly, Ghose did not mention the Kejriwal-led Delhi government that had promised over and over to clean the Yamuna but did not do so apparently to keep it alive as a ‘promise’ that they can give during elections. The journalist, who often peddles fake news, also seems to not comprehend that just because a politician failed to clean the river, as he had promised, it does not stop being holy for Hindus.

Sagarika Ghose was also quick to denigrate Hinduism by calling Chhat Puja, celebrated by millions, “blind faith”. From the tweet, it was apparent that Ghose had no intention to raise awareness for public health or even question the AAP government for not fulfilling its promise. Her intention seemed to be to take potshots at Hindu festivals celebrated with great piety and fervour.

Ghose’s tweet attracted sharp criticism across sections on social media for two reasons. First, she called the helpless devotees followers of ‘blind faith’ and second, she completely ignored the incompetence of the Delhi government to clean the river.

Supreme Court Advocate and Goa Chronicle editor Shashank Shekhar Jha said, “Instead of questioning the Delhi government, you’re villainizing the devotees and calling the celebration of Chhath as “Blind faith”?! Shameful!”

Instead of replying to him, Ghose decided to quietly block Shashank.

Twitter user Vishal Kulshrestha said Ghose’s tweet shows she has blind faith in Aam Aadmi Party. He said, “Sagarika Ghose this shows your blind faith in Aam Aadmi Party, rather than making the government accountable to clean the river you are blaming people.”

Advocate Shubhendu wrote, “Shame on Sagarika Ghose! Instead of questioning and blaming Arvind Kejriwal & his government for destroying Yamuna, she is blaming the helpless (because they have no other place to go and observe Chhath Puja) devotees and calling their faith ‘blind faith’.”

Twitter user Singh Surya Dev Ajit said, “Raise questions on faith but don’t question the ones sitting in the government. Especially Delhi AAP government. Arrangements should have been done by govt. Where they failed and citizens were bound to get into the toxic waters. Sad state of 4th pillar Of democracy.”

Twitter user NagpurKiRani questioned her why she hates Hindus so much. She said, “Hello Sagarika Ghose, Why you hate Hindus and Hinduism so much?”

Twitter user Rajeev Dubey said, “Bigotry needs no introduction. Sagarika Ghose demeans Hindus rather than questioning her favorite Arvind Kejriwal. The writer, really (?), of something called ‘Why I’m a Liberal…’, then blocks a SC lawyer when questioned! How scarcely liberal, rather cheaply illiberal.”

Sagarika Ghose’s previous stunts

This is not the first time Ghose tried to play ‘genius patrakar’ but failed miserably. In January 2021, while Delhi was facing the violent mob of so-called farmers on Republic Day, Ghose was busy celebrating the violence. In the same month, she had quoted a handle named Hindutva Watch and shared fake news that Right Wing Hindus were involved in the Capitol Hill incident. In December 2020, she shared her views on issues like Love Jihad and expressed that Hindus should be okay with it just because she liked a Turkish show she was ‘binge watching’ at that time.

Kejriwal’s scientific ways to control pollution in Yanmuna

Amidst backlash over pollution in the Yamuna river, the Delhi Jal Board, which comes under the supreme leadership of Aam Aadmi Party’s founder and Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, came up with amazing “scientific” solutions to provide some relief from the toxin pollutants in the river. They lodged bamboo brigades to stop the toxic foam and also dispersed water on the river to control the toxic foam. Both the methods were mocked on social media. Notably, Kejriwal has promised the people of Delhi to clean the Yamuna several times and crores of rupees were allotted for the same but no groundwork is visible since Kejriwal became CM for the first time in 2013.

‘Reading Quran every day’: Mathew Hayden reveals Muhammad Rizwan gifted him an English translation of the Islamic holy book

OpIndia Staff
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‘Reading Quran every day’: Mathew Hayden reveals Muhammad Rizwan gifted him an English translation of the Islamic holy book

Former Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden, who has been appointed as the Batting Coach of the Pakistan cricket team for the 2021 T20 World Cup, has revealed that he was gifted a copy of the Quran by Pakistani cricketer Muhammad Rizwan. In an interview given to News Corp Australia, Hayden said that Rizwan gave him an English version of the Islamic Holy Book.

Matthew Hayden said that he was curious about Islam, and knowing this, Rizwan gifted him an English translation of the Holy Quran. He informed that the duo also talked about Islam and its beliefs, and he is reading Quran a bit daily. Talking about the moment when he was given the book, Hayden said, “It was Rizzy (Mohammad Rizwan) and I have to say it was a beautiful moment I will never forget. I am curious about Islam even though I am a Christian. One follows Christ and the other Muhammad and in a sense never shall meet but he presented me with an English version of the Quran. We sat on the floor for half an hour and talked through it. I am reading a bit of it each day. Rizzy is one of my favourite individuals, a champion human being.”

Hayden also praised the Pakistani cricket team for the spirituality of the cricketers. “I was taken aback by how neutral and humble these guys are. How everything is just meant to be. It has been great fun. They are really coachable athletes as well. It stems from a deep sense of spirituality. As a westerner, you don’t realize the implications of having that commitment and faith. Even their salat – their five different prayer sessions a day. You can be outside a lift or even in a lift and if it is time for salat that is what happens. These guys connect at a higher level. It’s not like ‘how ya going, today mate?’” he said.

Earlier also Matthew Hayden had talked about the spirituality of Pakistani cricketers. He had said that the current unit of the Pakistan Cricket Team is united and focused on their ultimate goal. He said he has witnessed remarkable spirituality that bonds the team which he has not seen in any other team, and the team has spectacular discipline. Hayden had informed that the whole team prays together and this is the incredible experience of his life.

“Every day there is this unbelievable discipline. You can be walking to the lift, and there will be prayer time and at the base of the lift, there will be the whole of the team praying in unison. It’s a phenomenal cultural experience for me personally,” Hayden had stated.

While Hayden is all praise for the spirituality of the Pakistani cricketers, some Twitter users saw this from a different angle. Many Twitter users, mainly from India, said that Muhammad Rizwan is trying to convert Matthew Hayden to Islam by gifting the copy of Quran.

Some people even ‘warned’ other cricketers that they may be the next target of this ‘conversion attempt’.

It is notable in this regard that several Pakistani cricketers are known for their communal bigotry against non-Muslims. Several cricketers like Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akhtar, Saeed Anwar, Muhammad Yusuf etc have made communal remarks against non-Muslims. Moreover, it was revealed that ex-cricketer Danish Kaneria was mistreated by the team and the administration for being Hindu.

Besides UNICEF India and CBFC, NCPCR pulls up West Bengal Govt over screening of films on same-sex relations in schools

OpIndia Staff
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Besides UNICEF India and CBFC, NCPCR pulls up West Bengal Govt over screening of films on same-sex relations in schools

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) wrote a letter to the West Bengal government on November 10, Wednesday, in addition to shooting off letters to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and UNICEF India, seeking information about eight short films on same-sex relationships scheduled to be screened at schools in West Bengal.

In the letter addressed to Hari Krishna Dwivedi, the Chief Secretary for the Government of West Bengal, the apex child rights body sought the state government’s comments on the matter. NCPCR posed identical questions to the West Bengal government that it had asked CBFC and UNICEF India to answer within 10 days of receiving the letter signed by NCPCR chairperson Priyank Kanungo.

SS of the letter by NCPCR to the Govt of West Bengal

It asked the Mamata Banerjee government whether the films have obtained certification for screening in the state or not. NCPCR also wanted to know what category of certification has been provided to the selected movies, if they obtained certification.

NCPCR further asked under which mandate the movies have been selected to be screened for minor children in West Bengal in collaboration with UNICEF, and what factors were taken into consideration for screening the films on same-sex relationships.

Like the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and UNICEF India, the government of West Bengal has also been asked to provide this information within 10 days of receiving the letter.

NCPCR wrote to the two organisations and to the WB state government on the basis of a complaint submitted with it, based on a Times of India report published on November 9 which said that 8 short films based on same-sex relationships will be screened in schools of Kolkata to promote ‘inclusive education’. The films are to be screened after the schools are reopened.

The child rights body also wrote to UNICEF India regarding the matter, as the films are being screened in collaboration with UNICEF.

SS of NCPCR’s letters written to UNICEF India and the Censor Board

The eight short films scheduled to be screened before minors in schools in Kolkata are made by young filmmakers and have been shortlisted for the Bad and Beautiful World Film Festival organised by Prayasam, a Kolkata based NGO. Prayasam is a UNICEF partner organisation, and the filmmakers are students of Prasayam Visual Basics, a grassroots film studio supported by Adobe.

The eight films are made by four filmmakers, ‘Dwitiyo Purush’, ‘Dekha’ and ‘Dakkhina’ by Salim Sheikh; ‘Dhora Pore Gechi Aami‘, ‘Dutto‘ and ‘Deya Neya‘ by Manish Chowdhury; ‘Durbin‘ by Saptarshi Ray and ‘DumbBell’ by Avijit Marjit. The films deal with subjects like homosexuality, live-in same-sex relationship, male escort etc. There are concerns that the movies may not be appropriate for children, due to which a complaint was filed with NCPCR and it prompted NCPCR to take cognizance of the same.

Man who allegedly threatened Virat Kohli’s daughter with rape arrested even as Kohli fans who targeted a kid online face no consequences

OpIndia Staff
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Man who allegedly threatened Virat Kohli’s daughter with rape arrested even as Kohli fans who targeted a kid online face no consequences

The Mumbai police have arrested a 23-year-old man from Hyderabad for giving rape threat to Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma’s daughter on social media. As per reports, the man has been identified as one Ramnaesh Srinivas Akuvathini. Ramnagesh was taken into custody on Wednesday, November 10 by the cyber cell of Mumbai Police.

As per reports, the accused is an Engineering graduate from IIT Hyderabad who had worked in the software section of a food delivery platform. He had allegedly made rape threats to Indian Men’s cricket team captain Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma’s infant daughter.

After the massive trolling against the Indian team captain turned ugly owing to repeated match loss in the T20 World Cup, the Delhi Women’s Commission had taken cognisance of some vile, violent social media posts and had asked the Delhi Police to look into it.

The DCW headed by AAP’s Swati Maliwal had sent a letter to the Delhi Police seeking a response over rape threats made to the celebrity couple’s daughter.

Ramnagesh’ arrest has been made by the cybercrime cell of the Mumbai Police. The Mumbai Police has brought him to Mumbai where he will be presented before a court, as per reports. The Mumbai Police has been tracking the abusive posts against Kohli and his family as the cricketer and his actress wife Anushka are both residents of Mumbai.

As per NDTV’s report, Ramnagesh had changed his Twitter handle soon after posting the threats and had pretended to be a Pakistani cricket fan (@criccrazygirl). He also has another Twitter handle identifying as a Telugu speaking girl. However, the Mumbai Police had reportedly been tracking his online activities. Ramnagesh had reportedly left his job and has been preparing to go to the USA for higher studies.

Kohli fans had shared abusive tweets against a social media user’s minor son

While the threats against Kohli and Anushka’s daughter saw prompt action by police personnel owing to their celebrity status, some social media users who had shared abusive, vile tweets against a common man’s minor child have apparently escaped without facing any consequences for their actions.

A Twitter user named Gappistan Radio had criticised Virat Kohli for some of his statements and activities over the Shami controversy after the India-Pakistan match. Though it was documented by many platforms that the abusive comments against Md Shami had originated from Pakistani accounts and were wrongly highlighted in the media as ‘Indian Hindus abusing Shami for match loss’, Kohli had made statements condemning the trolling of Shami. Gappistan Radio had shared some tweets criticising Kohli for defaming India and for his general antics against Hindu festivals.

However, Kohli’s fans descended on Gappistan Radio’s timeline and started sending vile abuses to him and even his child. Gappistan Radio shared a screenshot of comments made on Instagram on the photo of his 7-year-old son. The comments contained unspeakable abuses from a fan of Virat Kohli, directed at the child himself.

Virat Kohli fans abuse Twitter user Gappistan Radio
The abuse hurled at a photo of Gappistan Radio’s son

Gappistan Radio also said that a fan of Kohli was also sending him photos of his son, which came across as a not-so-subtle threat. The Twitter user said that he had to disable his account on Instagram due to the abuses he was receiving from fans of Virat Kohli. He even said he would deactivate his Twitter account because of the threats he was getting against his child from Virat Kohli fans.

However, prompt police action and DCW cognisance over online trolling seem to be more sensitive towards celebrities and people of high status. The vile threats directed towards a commoner and his child have got nobody arrested.

Man accused of kidnapping minor girl dies in custody by suspected suicide, family admits he knew the girl: All we know about death of Altaf in Kasganj police station

OpIndia Staff
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Man accused of kidnapping minor girl dies in custody by suspected suicide, family admits he knew the girl: All we know about death of Altaf in Kasganj police station

The Kasganj police in Uttar Pradesh has issued a statement, revealing that Altaf, the 22-year-old youth accused of kidnapping a minor Hindu girl, strangulated himself with a drawstring attached to the hood of his jacket in the washroom of the police lock-up. The youth was found dead at the Sadar Kotwali of Kasganj in Uttar Pradesh on November 9, Tuesday. 

Altaf, a resident of Ahroli village in Kasganj district, was working as a tile fixer. He was accused of abduction and eloping with a minor girl and a complaint in this regard had been filed by the girl’s family.

ADG Zone Agra, Rajeev Krishna in a sound byte, informed that accused Altaf was picked up on November 8, Monday, for questioning on a complaint filed by one Vinod Bhardwaj, a resident of Kasganj, who accused Altaf of kidnapping their 16-year-old daughter. When Altaf was being interrogated the next day (Tuesday, November 9), at around 2:30 pm, he went to the toilet, where he tried to strangulate himself by tying the drawstring of his hoodie to the tap in the washroom.

He was breathing when the police rushed him to the nearest medical centre. He was alive for the next 10-15 minutes at the hospital before passing away, said IPS Rajeev Krishna.

Altaf’s body was handed over to his kin, who performed his last rites and buried him according to the Muslim customs on November 10, Wednesday.

Rajeev Krishna further added that five police officers including SHO Virendra Singh, two sub-inspectors and two constables have been suspended for negligence and a magisterial inquiry has been ordered.

The Kasganj police reiterated that five police personnel were suspended for their negligence in the custodial death case. A judicial inquiry will be conducted into the incident and further course of action will be decided based on the findings.

Kasganj Police had on November 9, Tuesday, the day the incident transpired, also shared a sound byte where SP Botre Rohan Pramod was heard narrating the exact sequence of events. He had revealed that “one Altaf (of Nagla Syed locality) was called for questioning in Kasganj police station in a case related to IPC section 363 (kidnapping) and 366 (kidnapping, abducting or inducing a woman to compel her marriage) on Tuesday morning.

During interrogation, he requested the policemen to go to the washroom and was allowed to use the washroom inside the lockup.

He was wearing a black colour jacket. He tried to strangulate himself with a string on the (jacket) hood that he tied to the tap of the toilet. When he did not return for some time, the policemen went inside and found him unconscious. He was rushed to the community health centre, Ashok Nagar in Kasganj, where he died,” the SP said.

“Postmortem of the victim is being conducted”, the SP had then said, adding that the lax policemen will be punished. “We have suspended five policemen in this connection,” he added.

Autopsy report of Altaf confirms death by hanging: Kasganj police

The Kasganj police also said that the autopsy reports of Altaf confirmed death by hanging.

According to ASP AK Singh, the accused’s body was sent for a post-mortem examination which was conducted by a panel of three doctors. “Asphyxia because of hanging has been cited as the cause of death in the post-mortem report. The body was handed over to family members who conducted the last rites on Wednesday,” added the ASP.

The Kasganj police also confirmed that they also had a written statement by Altaf’s family saying he was suffering from depression.

Altaf’s father says he is satisfied with the police action

On Tuesday night, Altaf’s father, Chand Mian, accused the police of killing his son. However, he later admitted in a video that he was upset at the moment and didn’t intend what he said. “I spoke to doctors, police, and came to know Altaf died by suicide. Police took him to the hospital as well. I am satisfied with the police action,” said Chand Mian.

The accused knew the minor girl who went missing, Kasganj police and accused’s family confirms

The police had revealed that during the interrogation Altaf had confessed that he knew the minor girl. Kasganj SP Botre Rohan Pramod said that they had found that Altaf and the girl had an affair, but had fallen out.

“Altaf told us that they had been in a relationship,” the SP said, adding that they had evidence to back up their claim. According to sources, the minor’s relatives has shared a video of Altaf with the authorities. Altaf was recruited as a labourer by the girl’s family when they were getting some construction work done at their house five months ago, revealed to police.

Altaf’s uncle Shakir Ali also attested to Kasganj police’s statement, confirming that Altaf knew the girl. He, however, said that Altaf had “nothing to do” with the minor’s disappearance. 

The girl’s family, however, denied that she knew the accused.

On Tuesday, following Altaf’s custodial death, Chand Mian had demanded that police answer how Altaf had died. “Police told me they suspected my son in the case and wanted to question him. I handed my son to the police, who came to my house. When I went to the station, they turned me back. After 24 hours, police say my son hanged himself. It was the police that hanged my son.”

The police, in turn, had said that Altaf’s family had given them in writing that he was suffering from depression. Acting SHO of Kotwali Police Station Ramesh Prasad said the autopsy report stated death due to hanging. 

On allegations of police torture, SP Pramod said: “The (Kotwali) Police Station is situated virtually in the middle of the city. It is a busy thana frequented by people. It is not possible Altaf was beaten up without there being eyewitnesses.”

Opposition parties attack UP govenment over the custodial death

After the incident came to the fore, oppositions parties have been using it to attack the state government led by Yogi Adityanath in Uttar Pradesh. Despite being confirmed that the youth died by suicide, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav Tweeted: “The death of a young person in police custody appears to be suspicious.” Suspension of a few cops on the grounds of negligence is a cover-up.”

“There needs to be a judicial probe so that family members of the deceased can get justice and trust could be re-established in police under the BJP regime,” he added.

Using the opportunity to launch a blistering attack at the BJP government in the state ahead of the upcoming state Assembly elections, Samajwadi Party said that under BJP rule, Uttar Pradesh ranks first in terms of custodial deaths. The party announced that it would be providing compensation of Rs 5 lakhs to the bereaved family of Altaf.

The AIMIM of Asaduddin Owaisi was quick to capitalise on the situation by playing the Muslim victim card. A press statement by the AIMIM read: “Custodial death must be viewed as an extension of the rampant police killings of innocent Muslims, Dalits and tribals in the name of police encounters.”

“Making a mockery of constitutional procedures and police code of conducts, chief minister Yogi Adityanath gives calls for ‘thok denge’, thereby giving a free hand to the police to kill. Our national president Asaduddin Owaisi said in his speech in Balrampur – of all the people encountered by the UP Police, 37% were Muslims,” added the press statement.

Fresh case filed against Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui arrested in conversion racket case, converted man says he was forced to eat beef

OpIndia Staff
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Fresh case filed against Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui arrested in conversion racket case, converted man says he was forced to eat beef

The UP Police has filed a fresh case against Maulana Kaleen Siddiqui of Phulat Madarsa based on a complaint by one Amit Prajapati from Charthawal, district Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh. In his complaint, the man accused Siddiqui and six others. Prajapati has claimed that Siddiqui not only converted him to Islam but also forced him to eat beef. He also said that he was offered Rs. 4 lakh for conversion. The Police have initiated a probe in the case under Conversion Act.

Prajapati said that in the year 2014, he met Haji Salim in a furniture showroom. Salim took him to Phulat Madarsa in May 2014. Maulana Kalim Siddiqui got him to recite Kalma and converted to Islam. He lured him with Rs. 4 lakh and a promise to marry him with the girl of his choice and converted him to Islam. Prajapati was given the Islamic name Abdullah after the conversion.

After the conversions, Prajapati said he was taken to Jamaat in Maharashtra. He stayed there for 40 days. He was taught to read Namaz and Kalma. He was later sent to Madarsa Deoband, where he learnt Urdu and Arabic languages. After that, he was asked to lure other young men and women into converting to Islam. He was given Rs. 4 lakh, which he used to buy a plot in Charthaval.

In his complaint, Prajapati said that Haji Salim, Dilshad, Zahid Mulla, Naushad Chhota, Yameen and Israr Pradhan came to meet him on October 25. They brought beef in a tiffin box and asked him to eat. When refused, the accused started abusing and beating him. They threatened they would kill him.

He further said in the complaint that Siddiqui and other accused also made a video of him in which he was forced to say objectionable thongs against other religions. According to Prajapati, the video is still there on Siddiqui’s YouTube channel Alkalam.

Police allegedly delayed action

According to a statement given to Amar Ujala, the victim has claimed that the Police delayed taking action against the accused despite the fact that Siddiqui has already been caught by ATS in the case linked to mass conversion in Uttar Pradesh. The victim said that the Charthwal Police Station kept the complaint suppressed for two days. It was after Hindu Jagran Manch raised voice against the delay that the Police came into action and assured a quick investigation.

Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui and his connection to mass conversion racket

In September this year, Islamic scholar Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui, who is one of the biggest clerics from western UP, was detained on charges of religious conversions. The 64-year-old Islamic scholar runs Jamia Imam Waliullah trust that funds several madrassas for which he received huge foreign funding, the police said.

His name appeared during the investigation that UP ATS has initiated after the arrest of one Umar Gautam and his aide accused of mass conversions. Reportedly, the duo ran an organisation named Islamic Dawah Centre(IDC), along with their other associates, to mass convert people into Islam through inducements such as marriage, job and money and mental pressure.

Later in October, Siddiqui’s properties were raided by ATS. The investigation agency seized incriminating evidence from desktops, tablets and documents during the raids conducted at several locations across the national capital. Siddiqui’s residence as well as his organizations Global Peace Center and World Peace Organization located in Shaheen Bagh area of New Delhi were raided along with the residence of one Abdul Rahman.

Punjab Deputy CM’s son-in-law appointed as AAG, senior adv tells govt not to ridicule HC lawyers: Details

OpIndia Staff
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Punjab Deputy CM’s son-in-law appointed as AAG, senior adv tells govt not to ridicule HC lawyers: Details

Appointed only two days back as an additional advocate general of Punjab, the senior lawyer Mukesh Berry has submitted his resignation. As per reports, his letter says the state government should not ridicule and diminish the status of senior advocates of the High Court”.

His resignation letter dated November 10 sent to Anurag Verma, principal secretary of Home Affairs of Punjab, is self-explanatory as to why he resigned and whom he asked not to ridicule and diminish the status of senior advocates. Berry and Tarun Vir Singh Lehal (son-in-law of Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa), were appointed as additional advocate general on Monday.

“Without commenting upon the decision of the Punjab government in accepting the resignation of APS Deol, advocate general of Punjab, a senior lawyer of the High Court, I hereby submit my resignation from the post of the additional advocate general, Punjab which would be deemed to be accepted from the date of its submission,” Berry reflected feelings of advocates. 

Berry said that he remained elected representative of advocates as a member of the Bar Council of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh for 27 years and also served as the chairman of the same. He was in continuous service as the law officer of Punjab.

Copy of resignation letter of Mukesh Berry

Punjab CM buckled under the pressure of Navjot Singh Sidhu?

The Punjab Cabinet on Tuesday had accepted the resignation of APS Deol from the post of Advocate General. He was appointed a month ago. Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi had also made the announcement about his resignation. Channi bent before Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu who wanted the exit of Deol at any cost.

Sidhu wanted Deol’s ouster on the pretext that he was a counsel for former Punjab DGP Sumedh Singh Saini and represented him in 2015 Kotkapura police firing incident cases related to Sikhs protesting against blasphemy incidents. Saini along with IG Paramraj Singh Umranangal is accused of causing the death of two people in the violence at Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura in Faridkot district when he was the DGP in the police firing case.

However, as per media reports, Sidhu wanted DS Patwalia as the Advocate General, but Channi appointing Deol as AG had reportedly angered Sidhu as he had wanted to be consulted before major decisions.

As per a report in Tribune, the office of the Advocate General became the most vulnerable after Capt Amarinder Singh was forced to resign as Chief Minister. Following the ouster of Amarinder Singh, Atul Nanda stepped down as Advocate General. The new government took about eight days to appoint the next AG. It initially finalized three names. It is said that the post was initially ‘promised’ to DS Patwalia.

Sidhu is also reportedly upset over the appointment of Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota as the new DGP of Punjab since Channi did not consult him.

Manish Tiwari criticizes the removal of Deol

“Berry’s resignation has very eloquently summed up the disgust that a lot of us Lawyers across the country feel at repeated subversion of Constitutional offices by some members of the political class,” tweeted Congress leader Manish Tiwari.

In the string of tweets, Tiwari without naming Sidhu said that targeting lawyers based upon clients they represented is a new nadir. He praised Channi “who is being magnanimous & statesmanlike trying to carry everyone along.” He said that “such politicians (Sidhu) who perceive apolitical constitutional functionaries as ‘soft targets’ to wage their proxy warfare find a better way to do their politics.”

The Congress government of Punjab appointing Chief Minister Sukhjinder Randhawa’s son-in-law Tarun Vir Singh Lehal as the Additional Advocate General has also caused an uproar among opposition leaders. This has been criticised as blatant nepotism.

After over 100 years, stolen murti of Maa Annapurna returns to UP from Canada, to be installed at Kashi Vishwanath Mandir in Varanasi: Details

OpIndia Staff
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After over 100 years, stolen murti of Maa Annapurna returns to UP from Canada, to be installed at Kashi Vishwanath Mandir in Varanasi: Details

An 18th-century idol of Maa Annapurna, which was stolen from Varanasi more than 100 years ago and later found in a museum in Canada, will be installed at the Kashi Vishwanath Mandir in Varanasi on November 15. The idol was handed over to India recently, and today the Uttar Pradesh government started a four-day Mata Annapurna Devi Yatra from Delhi to take the rare idol to Varanasi.

The Idol was handed over to the Uttar Pradesh Government on Thursday at the national capital at a colourful event amid a cheering crowd of devotees. Union Minister for Culture and Tourism G Kishan Reddy presented the idol to Suresh Rana, minister in the Yogi Adityanath government. Minister of Women and Child Development Smriti Irani and Minister of State for External Affairs Meenakshi in the union cabinet were also present at the event.

After the handing over ceremony, the grand procession (shobhayatra) carrying the idol of Goddess Annapurna started, with brief stopovers at Mohan Mandir in Ghaziabad and at Dadrinagar Shiv Mandir in Gautam Buddha Nagar. After that, it proceeded to Bulandshahar from where it will go to Aligarh, Hathras and Kasganj where it will have an overnight stay.

On Friday (November 12), the shobhayatra will have stopovers in Eta, Mainpuri, Kannauj and Kanpur where it will stay for the night. On Saturday, (November 13), the shobhaytra will travel to Unnao, Lucknow, Barabanki and Ayodhya where it will have an overnight stay. reach

Finally, it will reach Varanasi on November 14 via Sultanpur, Pratapgarh and Jaunpur. The idol will be installed at the Kashi Vishwanath temple amid chanting of Vedic hymns at a formal ceremony on the occasion of Devotthan Ekadashi on November 15. The idol will be consecrated by Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on November 15 in the Kashi Vishwanath Mandir.

The return of the Maa Annaourna idol from Canada to India was announced by Prime Minister Modi in his weekly Mann Ki Baat radio address last year on November 29. PM Modi had informed that Canada will be returning a very ancient idol of Devi Annapurna, which was stolen from a temple of Varanasi and smuggled out of the country about 100 years ago.

“Mata Annapurna has a very special bond with Kashi [Varanasi]. And the return of the idol is very pleasant for all of us. Like the statue of Mata Annapurna, much of our heritage has been a victim of international gangs,” the PM had said.

Annapurna, also spelt Annapoorna, is the goddess of food, and also the deity of the city of Varanasi. The idol found in Canada is 17 cm in height, 9 cm in breadth and 4 cm in thickness. It was discovered by Artist Divya Mehra at the University of Regina’s collection at the MacKenzie Art Gallery in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. She was invited to stage an exhibition at the gallery, when she started researching the collection on the university, and spotted the idol which was thought to be Lord Vishnu. She noticed that the sculpture appears to be female, and it was holding a bowl of rice.

Searching the records, she found that the idol was stolen from an active temple in India in 1913 and it was acquired by MacKenzie. Siddhartha V Shah, Curator of Indian and South Asian Art at Peabody Essex Museum, US, later confirmed that the sculpture is indeed of Goddess Annapurna, and she has a bowl of kheer on one hand and a spoon in the other hand, items associated with the Goddess of food.

Divya Mehra’s research showed that the idol was given to Canadian art patron Norman MacKenzie by a stranger after stealing it from a temple in Varanasi. It was part of the private collections of MacKenzie, which he had donated to Regina College (later university), and the Norman MacKenzie Art Gallery was established by the college to showcase this collection.

After confirming the identity of the idol, Mehra talked to the CEO of the Gallery and requested its repatriation. After learning about the discovery of the stolen statue, the Indian High Commission in Ottawa and the Department of Canadian Heritage also came forward and offered to assist with the repatriation.

While handing over the sculpture to India, University of Regina’s Vice-Chancellor Thomas Chase had said, “As a university, we have a responsibility to right historical wrongs and help overcome the damaging legacy of colonialism wherever possible.” He had further added, “Repatriating this statue does not atone for the wrong that was done a century ago, but it is an appropriate and important act today.”

The Union Minister for Culture and Tourism G. Kishan Reddy had recently said that as many as 42 rare idols and antiquities have been returned to the country by different countries during the tenure of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whereas from 1976 to 2013, only 13 rare works of art could be brought back.

Yogi Adityanath Govt to rehabilitate 63 Bengali Hindu refugee families displaced from East Pakistan in 1970: Details

OpIndia Staff
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Yogi Adityanath Govt to rehabilitate 63 Bengali Hindu refugee families displaced from East Pakistan in 1970: Details

The Yogi Adityanath government announced on Wednesday that it will rehabilitate 63 Hindu Bengali families who migrated to Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh after being displaced from East Pakistan in the year 1970.

Each family, according to the state government’s decision taken during a cabinet meeting held on November 9, Wednesday, will be given two acres of land for farming and 200 square meters of land to build houses. The state government has made 121.41 hectares of land available in the name of the Rehabilitation Department in village Bhainsaya, Tehsil Rasulabad, and District Kanpur Dehat.

These Bengali families will also be provided Rs 1.20 lakh each, to build their houses under the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Awas Yojana scheme (rural). Besides, land improvement and irrigation facilities will be implemented as per requirement under the MNREGA scheme.

Manoj Kumar Singh, the Additional Chief Secretary for Revenue, would visit the area soon to inspect it and gather information on the rehabilitation process.

It may be noted that last year, Uttar Pradesh had become the first state to implement the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). It had identified about 40,000 non-Muslim immigrants residing in the 19 districts of the state.

Yogi Adityanath approves implementation of the ‘Mathrubhumi Yojana

The Uttar Pradesh cabinet here on Wednesday also approved the plan to implement the ‘Mathrubhumi Yojana,’ which will allow people or private institutions to contribute to the development of any village in the state.

A press release issued post the cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that if any individual or private institution wants to help with development projects or in enhancing infrastructure facilities in any Gram Panchayat and is prepared to cover 60% of the cost, the state government will cover the remaining 40% under its scheme.

Uttar Pradesh govt to provide free ration

Another significant move was the cabinet’s approval of a proposal to provide free iodized salt, whole gram pulses, edible oil (such as mustard oil/refined oil), and food grains to Antyodaya and qualifying household cardholders in the state.

Antyodaya and eligible household cardholders will receive Iodized salt (one kg per card); dal or whole gram (one kg per card); edible oils such as mustard oil and refined oil (one litre per card); and free distribution of food grains from December 2021 to March 2022 through the Public Distribution System.

Married daughters eligible for Govt jobs under deceased dependent quota in UP: Yogi Adityanath

Taking another important decision in the interest of women, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday said that the married daughter will now be entitled to government jobs under the deceased dependent quota in Uttar Pradesh. Currently, married daughters are not eligible for government jobs on compassionate grounds if the father or mother die while in service.

Major decision taken in favour of lawyers in UP

Besides, the proposal to offer a lump sum of Rs 1.50 lakh to Rs 5 lakh to roughly 5,848 advocates who have been enrolled with the UP Advocates Welfare Fund Trustee Committee for 30 years was also accepted by the state government.

Centre refutes Telangana Agriculture Minister claims over paddy procurement, says procurement increased 3 times in 3 years: Full details

OpIndia Staff
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Centre refutes Telangana Agriculture Minister claims over paddy procurement, says procurement increased 3 times in 3 years: Full details

On the 10th of November, the Agriculture Minister of Telangana made certain allegations against the central government. Targeting Union Minister G Kishan Reddy, Niranjan Reddy asked if the central government was going to procure paddy, insinuating that there was no plan of the govt to do so.

On November 11, the Government of India refuted the claims of S Niranjan Reddy, Agriculture Minister, Telangana. It said that the paddy procurement under the Central pool had increased nearly three times in the past three years. As per the stats provided by the government, in the 2017-18 season, the Centre procured 36 LMT of paddy that was increased to 52 LMT in 2018-19, 75 LMT in 2019-20 and 95 LMT in 2020-21.

Procurement of paddy increased by 3-times in last three years in Telangana, said GOI

The Centre said that during the Rabi crop of KMS in 2020-21, 62.80 LMT rice was procured by the State. 24.75 LMT rice was deposited by the government in the form of parboiled rice, while the rest was deposited as raw. The state government had requested to increase the parboiled rice target to 50.75 LMT from 24-75 LMT as surplus stock under Centra Pool.

However, the central govt already has 3-years worth of stock of parboiled rice with FCI. Still, the central government approved additional procurement of 20 LMT of parboiled rice to FCI for KMS 2020-21 and the rest as surplus in raw.

The government further added that the State of Telangana has set a procurement target of 40 LMT for KMS 2021-22, which is 26.78% more than the previous Kharif season of 2019-20. The State has further asked the Centre to enhance the target during KMS 2021-22, which is under consideration as there were discrepancies in the estimated production by State Govt. and Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Ministry of Agriculture, GOI.

Telangana Agri Minister had alleged Centre was delaying paddy procurement

On November 10, S Niranjan Reddy had asked Union Minister G Kishan Reddy to clear the air if the Centre would procure paddy for the upcoming Rabi season or not. Reddy had targeted the union minister and said that if rice were milled after March, 40-50 per cent would become broken rice.

He further added that the State government would not send any more parboiled rice according to the conditions laid down by the Centre from last Rabi season. The minister said the commitment that the State had made was a result of a desperate situation and not a voluntary commitment.

He also alleged that the Centre was not clearing dues of the phased procurement by 5-6 months and failed to pay the interest on debt that the State had to pay to the banks from where it arranged funds to pay the farmers on time.

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