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Several temples and RSS office in Lucknow on high alert after letter from terrorists threaten to blow them up on 15th August

OpIndia Staff
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Several temples and RSS office in Lucknow on high alert after letter from terrorists threaten to blow them up on 15th August

The security at the famous Mankameshwar Temple in Lucknow have been beefed up after the temple trust received a letter threatening to blow up the city’s prominent temples and the office of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Earlier on Friday, the Aliganj Hanuman temple staff had also received a similar letter. Security has been tightened in and around the temple in view of the threat.

In the letter, written in a highly defamatory and abusive language, the jihadists demanded that their accomplices, recently arrested by the ATS, be released by the evening of August 14. The letter warned that if their demand is not met, they would unleash havoc in Lucknow on August 15. The sender warned that every prominent temple in Lucknow and the RSS office are on their target. It also read that 10 prominent Hindus, including some senior RSS functionaries are on their hit list.

According to a media report, the letter received by the temple authorities bore the stamp of Lucknow’s Triveni Nagar Sub Post Office.

ATS arrests 5 terrorists linked with Al Qaeda’s Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind from Lucknow

For the uninitiated, on July 11, the ATS first arrested two suspected terrorists Minhaj Ahmed and Maseeruddin alias Musheer, linked with Al Qaeda’s Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, from Lucknow. Arms, explosive materials had been recovered from their possession. The two arrested men reportedly planned suicide bombings and other such terrorist attacks in the crowded areas of Lucknow and other cities in the state.

The Police had said that the arrested terrorists were planning to “unleash terror activities on August 15 in different cities of the state.

Based on information provided by these terrorists during interrogation, ATS had further arrested their aides Mohammed Mustakim, Mohammad Mueed and Shakeel from Lucknow. The ATS had grilled all the five accused by taking them on remand. At present, all the five accused are in jail.

Letter threatened of giving authorities time till the Independence Day eve

Meanwhile, Lucknow police Commissioner DK Thakur said the police were investigating the letter. “Security arrangements have been beefed up in view of the threat. Police teams are working with agencies having expertise in such crimes. Our teams are also scanning the mobile number of some suspects. I have spoken to the head of the temple and other staff members and apprised them about the police preparedness,” he said.

“In the letter, in which the content has been typed, the writer mentioned his name as ‘Intezar’ and threatened that he was giving the authorities time till the Independence Day eve,” said a senior police official.

Last year, ahead of Independence Day, several media persons in Lucknow had received an audio message from numbers originating from Malaysia, Canada and different parts of the United States of America. The message was about protests on Independence Day to raise voice against the construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. It also demanded a separate nation-Urdustan, for the minority Indian Muslims in the country.

Andhra Pradesh: Three pastors booked for duping people using pictures of fake orphans, collected lakhs in donations

OpIndia Staff
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Andhra Pradesh: Three pastors booked for duping people using pictures of fake orphans, collected lakhs in donations

On Saturday, the Andhra Pradesh police registered a case against three pastors for posting photographs of children from families in a village on social media platforms to collect funds by claiming that they were orphans. One pastor has been arrested while the rest two are on the run.

According to the reports, the villagers of Thukkulur in Krishna district unearthed the racket on Friday during the visit of three pastors. The three pastors had visited the village to distribute fruits to children on Friday.

The incident came to light when the villagers noticed pastors taking photographs of some of their children after giving them fruits. After that, the three pastors had posted those photographs on their Facebook accounts. They had captioned the pictures with the name of an NGO while claiming that they were providing food and education to more than 50 orphans. The captions on the photographs mentioned the name and age of the children, and they claimed someone from their family, like the mother’s father, has died and the child is in a miserable condition now. The captions further claimed that the children are staying in their charity, and sought donations for the same.

Image Source: Webdunia

One of the villagers accidentally noticed one such Facebook post and informed the villagers. As villagers realised that it was all a setup to lure people into donating more money to them, the villagers confronted the pastors. Fearing consequences, two of the three pastors managed to flee from the village, Boddu Srinivas Rao, who runs Mother Teresa Children Seva Trust, was caught and thrashed by angry villagers. The villagers later handed over the pastor to the police.

During the interrogation, the accused revealed that the other two pastors from Hyderabad started the organisation a few months ago and collected funds by putting out fake images on social media. Some of the fake images include pictures of kids with wealthy backgrounds being depicted as “mentally unsound” to attract donors and philanthropists.

The accused would then lure the donors into donating money through bank account details or UPI. According to the police, the three pastors may have been duped innocent people to the tune of several lakhs. The cops said that a cheating case has been booked against three pastors, and they have formed two teams to search for the other two accused.

Watch: Fight breaks out in Kasaragod, Kerala over vaccination after Muslim League members create ruckus

OpIndia Staff
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Watch: Fight breaks out in Kasaragod, Kerala over vaccination after Muslim League members create ruckus

A video has surfaced on social media wherein several people are seen blowing punches and hitting each other. The video is of an incident that took place on Friday outside a vaccination camp in Kasaragod, Kerala. According to a local newspaper, the fight broke out after members of the All-India Muslim League created a ruckus claiming that people from other wards had reached the vaccination camp organised for vaccinating two wards of a panchayat in Kerela’s Kasaragod district.

The members of the Muslim League reportedly insisted on checking the identities of the people who had reached there to get vaccinated. This led to an argument between the two sides followed by a violent skirmish. The Muslim League activists exchanged physical blows with the people standing outside the vaccination centre, leaving several injured.

As can be seen in the video, many people are seen beating up each other while a police officer, in a futile attempt, tries to stop the brawl and pacify the enraged crowd. The mob, ignoring all Covid protocols, are seen pushing, pulling and beating up each other.

According to reports, the situation here turned so ugly that an extra police force had to be called in to control the mob. The police then took control of the situation and thereafter the vaccination procedures resumed under their vigilance.

The officials of the health department said that the scuffle ensued since people from other wards intruded into the vaccination camp organised specifically for the people of two wards of a panchayat in Kerela’s Kasaragod district.

It is pertinent to note here that the communist government in Kerala has received widespread criticism for the handling of the pandemic.

Easing of restrictions during Barkid proves disastrous for Kerala making it the Covid-19 epicentre in the country

Due to the easing of Covid-19 restrictions during Barkid celebrations, Kerala has become the Covid-19 epicentre in the country as fresh infections have soared since the last two weeks, hitting a peak last week. As restrictions were removed ahead of the Eid celebrations, Kerala recorded the highest number of fresh cases surpassing the two-month average. The Muslim-majority in the areas, especially in North Kerala, reported the maximum number of cases in the state.

For the fifth consecutive day, Kerala has recorded more than 20,000 fresh Covid-19 cases on Saturday, accounting for more than 50 per cent of the fresh infections in the country.

Centre intervenes as COVID pandemic in the state goes out of control

Seeing the COVID pandemic in Kerala going out of control, the central government had to intervene. Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya took to Twitter to inform that the central government is sending a 6-member team to Kerala, headed by the director of the National Centre for Disease Control. As per reports, the team will review the situation and aid the civil administration in managing the infection surge.

China: Over 170 Uyghur Muslims detained for offering Eid prayers in violation of orders in Xinjiang

OpIndia Staff
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China: Over 170 Uyghur Muslims detained for offering Eid prayers in violation of orders in Xinjiang

The Chinese authorities had detained more than 170 Uyghur Muslims for questioning after they offered prayers without permission during the occasion of Eid-al-Adha (Qurban Heyt), reported Radio Free Asia (RFA). The incident took place in Aksu city in Aykol township in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR).

Between July 20-23, the authorities had permitted only those above the age of 50 years to take part in prayer services during Eid. In a bid to avoid questions of human rights abuses, the Chinese government opened a few shuttered mosques and allowed the elderly to pray to present a staged scenario of ‘normalcy’ in the region. According to a senior police officer, about 170 Uyghurs under the age of 50 years also offered prayers violating orders. As a result, they were held in custody for flouting the Eid guidelines. He did not reveal whether they were detained in re-education camps/ detention centres.

While speaking to RFA, the officer emphasised, “I believe there are more than 170 people. We told older people they could pray and young people they could not — those under 50.” He added that the police conducted raids, street patrols, and home searches to control the actions of Uyghur Muslims. The cops checked the identification cards of those who attended Eid prayers to ensure that they were over 50 years old. Anyone with discrepancies in their date of birth on IDs or found lying was made to wear black hoods or held in the police station for interrogation.

Chinese authorities use ‘neighbourhood spies’ against Uyghur Muslims

Radio Free Asia reported that the cops did not storm into mosques to verify the age of those attending religious prayers but instead employed ‘neighbourhood spies’ to check if someone secretly prayed at their residence. The spies are responsible for providing information about 10 households that fall within their jurisdiction. RFA earlier found that only those Uyghurs, who were above the age of 60, were permitted to pray in the Atush city in Xinjiang province since 2017.

While confirming the development, a security officer from Atushi city said, “We say that people who are very old can pray, older men — people who are older than 60. They don’t even allow young people to go into the mosques. If people break the law we turn them over to the village brigade. The village brigade takes them for re-education. Then we notify the family over the telephone.” RFA highlighted that the restrictions were aimed at preventing chaos and political instability owing to protests during such religious events.

1.8 million Uyghurs remain in detention camps

Although XUAR is home to about 12 million Muslims, it is believed that about 1.8 million of them are held in detention camps since 2017. Often dubbed as ‘vocational centres’, the Chinese authorities claim to use such camps to prevent religious extremism in XUAR. Reportedly, at least one person from every Uyghur family is under some kind of detention, thus giving their relatives and family members little incentive to celebrate holidays. Meanwhile, the Chinese government has permitted local townships to impose their own regulations during the annual Islamic festival.

Uyghur detention camps run by China

The Xinjiang autonomous region in China is facing the worst kind of cultural and ethnic genocide. There is a long history of dissonance between the indigenous ethnic Uyghur and Chinese authorities. Chinese authorities have been running ‘re-education’ camps where millions of Uyghurs are made to denounce their ways of life, religious beliefs and practices. China is facing criticism and worldwide condemnation over its unkind and harsh treatment of the Uyghur Muslims. However, China has aggressively refuted allegations made by the Western countries on its daunting persecution of the Muslim minority and claim it to be a conspiracy against the nation. 

Clubhouse promotes ‘social media star’ involved in Sanghi hate sex scandal, Manoj Bajpayee to participate in announced talk

OpIndia Staff
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Clubhouse promotes ‘social media star’ involved in Sanghi hate sex scandal, Manoj Bajpayee to participate in announced talk

Popular Bollywood actor Manoj Bajpayee will participate in a Clubhouse discussion on Sunday with Janice Sequeira, a ‘social media star’ who was involved in the Sanghi hate sex scandal only weeks ago. The social media platform promoted the event on their official Twitter handle.

Source: Twitter

The event is slated to occur at 8 pm on Sunday. Janice Sequeira was one of the moderators of the infamous room.

The Sanghi hate sex scandal

In the undated Clubhouse conversation that had gone viral, participants in a room titled “sex with your ex” discussed the topic “Do you only date hot people”. One speaker identified as Neeraj Kadamboor (Instagram ID kadamboorneeraj) made a derogatory remark on Sanghi women in the process.

Janice Sequeira was one of the moderators of the room. She had asked Neeraj if he only dates hot people. He said, “I do all kind of people, but on dating apps, I do sometimes thirst for these very hot Sanghi types. Just for fun.” Many people laughed at his statement.

Another speaker responded, “Sanghis are not hot,” to which Neeraj replied, “They look hot but…” He was again interrupted by another speaker and a moderator identified as Aishwarya who sarcastically said, “It’s Sanghis, so you know Neeraj…”

Neeraj continued to justify his “thirst for hot Sanghi women” on dating apps and said, “You know just for like the opposite of paper bag sex if I could cover the…” and he was interrupted again. Another speaker in the room said, “It is like hate sex,” and everyone laughed.

Women expressed outrage

The discussion was interpreted widely as a normalisation of violence and manipulation of women. It was also condemned for what was a very plain dehumanization of Sanghis and women. One former India Today journalist attempted to justify the rhetoric saying that Kadamboor is gay.

Approximately 8,000 people were listening to a conversation where one Neeraj Kadamboor was flaunting how he sometimes fantasises about ‘Sanghis’ and would like to have ‘hate sex’ with them.

If you participate in PoK League, you cannot play in India: BCCI puts its foot down, draws a clear line

OpIndia Staff
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If you participate in PoK League, you cannot play in India: BCCI puts its foot down, draws a clear line

A day after former South African cricketer Herschelle Gibbs accused the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) of preventing his participation in the Kashmir Premier League (KPL), the Indian cricketing body has clarified its position on the controversy. Gibbs had alleged that BCCI had threatened him that he will not be permitted to enter India for any cricket-related work in the future if he participated in the cricket league in Pakistan occupied Kashmir.

While speaking about the matter to Indian Express, a BCCI official emphasised, “While asking the boards not to allow their players to take part in the Kashmir league, we have informed them that in case they do, they can’t be part of any cricketing activity in India. We have done this keeping national interest in mind…We have no problems with those playing the Pakistan Super League (PSL) but this is a league in PoK. We are toeing our government’s line.”

Following the controversy, the Pakistani Cricket Board (PCB) accused the Indian cricketing Board of bringing disrepute to the ‘gentleman’s game.’ While threatening to take the matter up with the International Cricket Council (ICC), it said, “The PCB considers that the BCCI has brought the game into disrepute by issuing warnings to multiple ICC Members to stop their retired cricketers from featuring in the Kashmir Premier League, further threatening they will not be allowed entry into India for cricket-related work.”

BCCI’s stance is an extension of Indian government’s policy

It added, “Such conduct from the BCCI is completely unacceptable, against the preamble of the Spirit of Cricket, and sets a dangerous precedent, which can neither be tolerated nor ignored.” While responding to the allegations by PCB, a BCCI official clarified that the Indian cricketing board is not concerned about the Pakistan Cricket Board’s statement. “We are not bothered about what statement PCB is putting out. We are mindful of Indian cricket and India.”

It must be mentioned that PoK is an integral part of India. Given that the Pakistani government had decided to host a cricketing League in India’s territory, the BCCI has informally communicated to all cricket Boards about the consequence of participating in KPL. It emphasised that its stance is an extension of the policy of the Indian government. The faceoff between the two cricketing Boards comes just before the International T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to commence from October 17 this year.

Pakistani cricketers, politicians cry foul over BCCI’s stand for India

In a tweet, Pakistan cricketer Shahid Afridi said, “Really disappointing that BCCI is once again mixing cricket and politics! KPL is a league for Kashmir, Pakistan, and cricket fans around the world. We will put up a wonderful show and won’t be deterred with such behaviour!!”

Pakistan’s Information and Broadcasting Minister Fawad Chaudhry tweeted in Urdu, “This is not the first time that Modi’s government has sacrificed cricket for its nefarious politics. The pressure on Herschelle Gibbs not to participate in the Kashmir League is a continuation of this old practice. We strongly condemn these measures. There will be no harm, only benefit.”

Screengrab of the Twitter post by Fawad Chowdhury

Earlier, Rashid Latif, a former Pakistani cricketer, had made similar allegations. He said on Friday that the BCCI had warned that if former cricketers participate in the cricket league in Pakistan, then they will not be permitted to work in India in any capacity. The Kashmir Premier League was conceived by Pakistani politician Shehryar Khan Afridi. It will have six teams, Overseas Warriors, Muzaffarabad Tigers, Rawalakot Hawks, Bagh Stallions, Mirpur Royals and Kotli Lions. The teams will have five players from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir each. The matches are to be played in Muzaffarabad Cricket Stadium from August 6 onwards. Wasim Akram is KPL’s Vice- President while Shahid Afridi has been appointed as the event’s brand ambassador.

Taliban lays siege over three cities in Afghanistan

OpIndia Staff
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Taliban lays siege over three cities in Afghanistan

On July 31, it was reported that the Taliban had laid siege over three major cities in Western and Southern Afghanistan. The terrorists are raging around the three main cities, and according to BBC, they have entered some parts of Lashkar Gah, Herat and Kandahar. Taliban has increased its attack on the rural areas since President Biden announced that the American troops would leave Afghanistan completely by September.

Unclear fate causing unrest among citizens

The citizens of the three cities are under distress as their fate is unclear, and the country is on the verge of a humanitarian crisis. No one is sure for how long the Afghan government forces would be able to hold out against the Taliban. Reportedly, the radical organization has already taken control of around half of Afghanistan, including border sites across Iran and Pakistan.

As per reports, the insurgents had entered Lashkar Gah and reached a point that was only a few hundred metres from the governor’s office. The Afghan forces, however, pushed them back. This was the second such attempt in recent times. Commander of Afghan forces told BBC that they had inflicted significant casualties on the terrorists on July 29.

Citizens fear militants would soon enter Herat

As per a report published in Al Jazeera, the battle between the Afghan forces and Taliban continued for a third day on July 30 near Herat that houses hundreds of thousands of people. The residents fear that the Taliban could enter Herat, the third-largest city of Afghanistan, any day. The two sides were reportedly battling against each other merely 10.5 KM from the city on the road leading to Khwaja Abdullah Ansari International Airport on July 30. Taliban was finally pushed away on July 31, but the citizens remain fearful. Vehicles full of women and children were seen heading the provincial capital from Pol-e Pashto and Pol-e Malan regions.

Anti-Taliban sentiment on the rise

The Defence Ministry of Afghanistan claimed that security forces had killed dozens of terrorists in the last two days. However, Musa, a member of a local fighting group supporting the government, said that Taliban terrorists are like ants. “As soon as you kill them, more appear,” he said.

Notably, anti-Taliban sentiment is on the rise among the Afghan people. Many believe that what the Taliban is doing to the country by attempting to take control of the largest cities negates its claims that they are in favour of a political settlement for the conflict that has been on for the last 20 years.

Locals are unable to move from one city to another. Al Jazeera quoted a local businessman Shoaib Khan who had left Herat for Kabul for Eid celebrations in July. Since then, he has been unable to go back to Herat to check on his business. He said, “When we wanted to go and check on our business, we couldn’t because the airport was closed.” The journey from Kabul to Herat is 14-hours long, and there was fear to get stopped by the Taliban on the way to the Herat.

Taliban entering houses making the situation difficult

According to the Afghan forces’ members, Taliban terrorists have entered houses of civilians in some locations, which has made the situation more difficult. “The Taliban entering the house of people makes it much more difficult for us, we have to be so much more careful,” he said.

‘Lashkar Gah is the most vulnerable city’

According to Secunder Kermani, a reporter at BBC, Lashkar Gah is the most vulnerable city. Pro-Taliban social media accounts are full of videos of terrorists in the centre of the city. In Lashkar Gah as well, the Taliban has taken refuge in the houses of civilians, making it difficult for the Afghan forces to push them out of the city.

Gul Ahmad Kamin, MP, Kandahar, was quoted by BBC saying that tens of thousands of people have already left Lashkar Gah fearing humanitarian disaster. He added that the situation was getting worse every hour, and the battle among Afghan forces and the Taliban had never been so intense in the last 20 years. He further said the Taliban now see Kandahar as a major focal point as they want to make it their temporary capital. If they succeed to take control of Kandahar, 5-6 more provinces in the region will go under their command.

Taliban is trying to gain control over Afghanistan

In the last few weeks, the terrorist organization Taliban is using heavy forces to gain control of the major portion of Afghanistan. The intense fight between Afghan Forces and the Taliban has created unrest in the Indian subcontinent. While the US has announced they would leave the nation by September, the future of the war-hit country hangs in mid-air as terrorists are gaining control over the city after city. The brutal killing of comedian Nazar Mohammad and Indian journalist Danish Siddiqui in the hands of the Taliban also made it to headlines recently.

Himachal Pradesh: FIR registered against Khalistani terrorist and SFJ founder Gurpakhwant Pannu for threatening CM Jai Ram Thakur

OpIndia Staff
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Himachal Pradesh: FIR registered against Khalistani terrorist and SFJ founder Gurpakhwant Pannu for threatening CM Jai Ram Thakur

The Himachal Pradesh Police has filed a case against Khalistani terrorist Gurpakhwant Singh Pannun, the founder of pro-Khalistani terror outfit – Sikhs for Justice, for issuing a threat to Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur.

According to the reports, the Himachal Pradesh police have booked Gurpakhwant Singh Pannun after a recorded audio clip had surfaced in which he was heard making a threat to Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur.

The FIR has been registered at Cyber Crime police station in Shimla under IPC Sections 124 (sedition), 153-A (act prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), 506 (intimidation), and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and other sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, besides Section 66 of IT Act 2000.

“This case has been registered against one Gurpakhwant Singh Pannu based on a recorded audio clip received by many journalists and citizens of Himachal Pradesh on their phones,” Himachal police said in a press statement.

The Himachal Pradesh Police said that the initial investigation has revealed that the audio clips retrieved from the phones of journalists were sent through international numbers or VOIP.

In its statement, the Himachal Pradesh police said, “Voice spectrography of the alleged audio clip will be conducted in due course of time to fix criminality of accused”. They added that the investigation has national and international ramifications, therefore, Himachal Pradesh Police is seeking cooperation from various central agencies to crack down the case and bring the accused to justice.

Khalistanis threaten Himachal Pradesh CM

On Friday, as many as 20 journalists from Himachal Pradesh journalist had received threatening pre-recorded calls from pro-Khalistan group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ).

The caller identifying himself as Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, had warned that Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur should not be allowed to hoist the tricolour on Independence Day. The recorded message to several journalists talked about a separatist movement in Himachal Pradesh.

“Himachal Pradesh was part of Punjab, and we are seeking a referendum in Punjab. Once we liberate Punjab, we will make sure that we take over areas of Himachal Pradesh which were part of Punjab,” said the recording. 

The Khalistani terrorist had also provoked farmers and pro-Khalistan Sikhs to come on tractors and disallow Jai Ram Thakur from hoisting the tricolour. Some locals in Himachal Pradesh had also claimed to have received similar phone calls.

The Himachal Pradesh police had taken the matter into cognisance and had assured that they are fully capable of securing the state and preventing anti-national elements from thwarting peace and security in the state. Following the threat, the Himachal Pradesh police had also beefed up security for Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, BJP national president JP Nadda and Union Minister Anurag Thakur. 

Khalistani posters in Himachal Pradesh

Earlier this week, we reported how now slogans supporting the terror outfit and its ideologue Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale were found scribbled on the road milestones in the Sri Naina Devi-Kolanwala Toba road in Himachal Pradesh. Besides, posters bearing pro-Khalistani slogans were also seen on the roads leading to the town.

One of the messages on the road milestones in Himachal Pradesh said it was the start of the Khalistani territory. Another message said, “You are to Khalistan”. Similarly, other messages included slogans hailing Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and Khalistan.

Slogans of “Khalistan Zindabad”, “Join Khalistan”, “Referendum 2021”, and “Join SFJ” were written in the Punjabi language. In some places, it was written with paint, while in other places, it was scribbled with a marker pen.

The defacing of milestones and the recorded threats come at a time when thousands of devotees are travelling from Kolan Wala Toba to celebrate Shravan Ashtami in Shri Naina Devi and when the state readies to celebrate Independence Day. 

Allahabad High Court observes religious conversion of majority population weakens the country

OpIndia Staff
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Allahabad High Court observes religious conversion of majority population weakens the country

On July 31, Allahabad High Court rejected the bail plea of one Javed alias Jabid Ansari and raised strong objection to the conversion of the majority (Hindu) population in the country. The court said, “If a person from majority converts his/her religion after getting insulted, then the Country becomes weak, and the destructive powers benefit from it.”

Judge Shekhar Kumar Yadav further added that a person leaves his/her house if he/she is neglected or insulted. Similarly, if someone is getting insulted in his/her religion, they have the right to convert.

Excerpt from the orders passed by Allahabad High Court. Source: Allahabad High Court/LiveLaw

However, he raised strong objections to conversion done only for the purpose of marriage.

‘There is no place for greed, fear or religious fanaticism’

While rejecting the bail plea, Justice Yadav observed that religion is a way of living. India believes in multiple religions, and “there is no place for religious fanaticism, greed or fear in the country. The constitution of India does not allow conversions based on any of these factors.” He cited a case of one Anjali alias Noorjahan Begham where Allahabad Court denied to recognize conversion for the sake of marriage. In the current case, he said it is clear that the conversion took place for the sake of marriage that too against the wish of the victim. Notably, while rejecting the bail plea, the court also observed that Javed was already married.

Excerpt from the orders passed by Allahabad High Court. Source: Allahabad High Court/LiveLaw

Indian constitution does not allow such forced religious conversion, the court observed.

The arguments over Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act

The defence argued that the alleged crime took place before the Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act was enacted in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Thus, a case against Javed cannot be made under the said law. However, the court rejected the argument stating that while the conversion happened on November 18, 2020, the Nikahnama was read on November 28, 2020. “All the circumstances point towards the fact that the conversion took place for the sake of marriage. Thus, the bail plea of the accused is rejected. In case the bail is granted, it will give more power to the religious fanatics who convert poor and women by threatening or luring them.”

The court cited the recent mass conversion that was unearthed in UP where Divyang, poor and women were converted.

Excerpt from the orders passed by Allahabad High Court. Source: Allahabad High Court/LiveLaw

The court said, “We come across news of conversions of poor, women, and deaf after brainwashing them. The worst thing is they receive funds from outside the country to force people to convert to other religions to weaken the country.”

The case of abduction and conversion of 21-year-old

On November 17, 2020, a 20-year-old woman was abducted from Jalesar Market, Etah, Uttar Pradesh. She had gone for shopping at the market but did not come back. The family tried finding her but failed. They filed a complaint with the police on November 25, 2020.

Later it was found that she was seen with Javed and his associates at around 7 AM on November 17. In the complaint, the father of the victim stated that his daughter was lured by Javed into conversion. However, Javed had denied the allegations and said the woman converted to Islam on her own.

The victim, in her statement in front of the magistrate, stated that she was drugged and abducted from the market. The next day she was taken to Karkarduma court, where only lawyers were present. She was forced to sign some documents that were written in Urdu. She did not know where they took them as she was kept in a drugged state. The documents that were in Urdu were Nikahnama, and she could not understand what she was signing. The Police recovered the woman on December 22, 2020.

‘Gujarat model’ leads the way in fighting coronavirus pandemic, over half the eligible population inoculated

OpIndia Staff
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‘Gujarat model’ leads the way in fighting coronavirus pandemic, over half the eligible population inoculated

While most of the states in the country are ramping up the Covid vaccination drives to tackle the pandemic, Gujarat has pulled off a remarkable feat by bagging the top position in per capita vaccination. According to government data, Gujarat has successfully managed to vaccinate 5.17 lakh people per 10 lakh eligible population, thus becoming the top performer in terms of people vaccinated per million population.

Administering over 3.53 lakh doses of the Covid-19 vaccines, as of July 30 (Friday) Gujarat has now administered a total of 3,29,89,766 doses. According to a state government’s press release, by administering over 2.51 crore first doses as of July 30, 2021, Gujarat has successfully covered a little over half of its 4.93 crores vaccine-eligible population with the first dose.

Moreover, by administering 78,49,472 second doses of the Covid vaccine almost 16% of the state eligible population are fully vaccinated with both the doses so far.

Screengrab from MyGov.in

Gujarat has total 4,93,20,000 eligible population (above 18 years of age) for vaccination. Based on the data, 50.97 per cent received the first dose, while 15.92 per cent received both doses as of July 30, 2021.

Notably, from July 23 to July 30, Gujarat had administered a total of 19.56 lakh doses, with a daily average of 2.79 lakh doses. 

Those receiving the first dose include 19.66 lakh health and frontline workers, 1.71 crores of those who are above 45 years of age and 1.08 crore belonging to the 18-44 age group.

Screengrab from MyGov.in

According to data released by the state government, Gujarat reported 37 new cases on July 30 (Friday). The positivity rate stands at 0.03 per cent. The State has 260 active cases and 10,076 deaths as of July 30. Total 8,24,850 cases were reported in the State so far with 8,14,514 people discharged.

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