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BBC says it will block people who believe biological men should not compete in female sports events, threatens to report cases to authorities

OpIndia Staff
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BBC says it will block people who believe biological men should not compete in female sports events, threatens to report cases to authorities

The official Twitter account of the British media BBC recently posted a tweet, warning users that it will block and report people to authorities who took objection to biological men competing in female sports.

The official BBC Sports Twitter account said in a post: “At BBC Sport, we want our platforms to be a respectful place for discussion, constructive criticism, debate and opinion. We know the vast majority of our followers want that too. So here’s our stance.”

“We will block people bringing hate to our comments sections. We will report the most serious cases to the relevant authorities. We will work to make our accounts kind and respectful places. We will keep growing our coverage of all sports, and keep covering issues and discussions around equality in sport,” the message said.

BBC also sought help from other Twitter users in identifying what it claimed “expressions of hate based on race, colour, gender, nationality, ethnicity, disability, religion, sexuality, sex, age or class” and urged them to flag the URL to the post in question by emailing [email protected].

“Together we will strive to make our social media accounts a safe space for everyone,” the message concluded.

BBC’s Sports Twitter account was at the receiving end of criticism online after it published an adulatory article on Laurel Hubbard, the first transgender woman, a biological male, to compete at the Olympics. In its article, besides showering praise on the athlete, the BBC also sought to make a case for allowing transgender to compete in various sports.

Following the criticism, the BBC posted the threat in reply to the initial tweet. While the BBC did not explicitly state what the threat was about, that it was posted below a tweet on Laurel Habbard makes reasons abundantly clear.

Laurel Hubbard’s participation at Olympics triggers debate about gender classification in sports

The article sparked a debate about gender classification in sport, with a legion of social media users terming it unjust on the part of women athletes to compete with Laurel Hubbard, the self-avowed female athlete who was born as a male.

One social media user said Hubbard was a cheat, who failed to qualify in men’s competition, and was now “shattering” records in female sports.

Another Twitter shared a GIF to claim Hubbard was a man, not a woman.

Yet another user quipped Hubbard will be the first man to compete against women.

A Twitter user said Hubbard made history by hacking Olympics weight classes. “As a male weightlifter in the 109kg+ class, you’re barred from competing w/ males in the 96-109kg and 81-96kg classes. To drop 2 weight classes, just ID as a woman and they’ll let you compete w/ 87kg females,” the user said.

Several others too criticised BBC for rationalising the participation of a biological man in women’s sports.

Laurel Hubbard becomes the first transgender woman to compete at an Olympics

Laurel Hubbard became the first openly transgender woman to compete at an Olympics on Monday. The weightlifter from New Zealand competed in the women’s 87kg-plus final but failed all three of her attempts in the “snatch”, ending her medal hopes.

Earlier in 2001, Hubbard was the national record holder and was lifting a total of 300kg in domestic men’s competitions. But, she abruptly quit her career at the age of 23 in 2001. For three decades of her life, Hubbard lived as a man before coming out as a transgender woman aged 33 in 2012, resuming her sports career.

Before the Tokyo Games commenced, a panel of scientists convened by the International Olympic Committee failed to agree on rules for when trans athletes were eligible to compete in female sports categories, leaving the organisations that govern individual sporting events to determine their own regulations.

Hubbard’s participation in Tokyo Olympics, however, was enabled by the IOC guidelines released in November 2015, which suggested that athletes who transitioned from male to female could compete in women’s categories without requiring surgery to remove their testes if their testosterone levels were kept below a certain level — 10 nanomoles per litre — for at least 12 months. The International Weightlifting Federation, the sport’s world governing body, abides by the IOC’s guidelines and based on this criterion, Hubbard qualified for competing in women’s sport at the Tokyo Olympics.

Nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar says media agency offered her ‘award’ for money, turns out the practice is not too uncommon

Jinit Jain
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Nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar says media agency offered her ‘award’ for money, turns out the practice is not too uncommon

Nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar recently took to Twitter to share that she has been approached by a media agency with an ‘offer’ to give her an award for being an inspiring woman. But there was a caveat to this magnanimity: a form to be filled and Rs 2.5 lakhs to be paid.

The assertion made by Rujuta shocked many people on Twitter, with a large number of folks expressing disbelief at the audacity with which media agencies approach people and demand a hefty amount in return for conferring awards on them.

However, there were many who were not surprised by Rujuta’s tweet. Cyber Safety Expert Akancha Srivastava, founder of Akancha Against Harassment, one of the country’s largest social impact foundations against cyber harassment, said she, too, had received a similar offer a few days ago.

On 28 July 2021, Akancha had tweeted that a large media organization had offered her an award and favorable coverage in TV and Print for what she claimed to be a “nominal” fee.

While the revelations made by Rujuta and Akancha have scandalized a host of people on the internet, not only because of the sheer brazenness of the media houses in accosting people and demanding money in lieu of awards but also because of their willingness to barter their integrity and honesty for money. However, as it turns, selling awards and recognition in exchange for money is not entirely a new phenomenon or a rare practice. And the responses to the tweet posted by Akancha only reaffirm the ubiquity of the sale of awards.

Several people responded that they had witnessed similar incidents of awards and recognition being put on sale by media organizations.

The rampancy of using money and prejudiced jury to fix awards

The rigging of awards goes unabated even in the news media industry. Besides money, other means are also employed to ensure that recognition is accorded to only certain news organizations that adhere to a particular narrative. Parameters to declare a channel as a winner are also nebulously changed so as to arrive at a predetermined conclusion. Individual bias is also used to fix such awards.

For instance, NDTV won the best English News Channel award in 2018, but the jury members that bestowed the award on the channel included Raghav Chadha, National Treasurer, Aam Aadmi Party who likes to give defamatory statements in his free time, and Sanjay Jha, a Congress loyalist.

Then in August 2019, an unknown company named NDTV the most trusted company. The ‘award’ was signed by one Hemant Kaushik, Chairman and CEO of USA TV News Channel, and the award was given by one ‘International Brand Consulting Corporation, USA’. But the obscurity of the company was not lost on social media users, who were quick to point out that the organization might be as shady as NDTV’s tax dealings.

Mamata Banerjee and her fans pride on an appreciation letter issued by a dubious organisation

Not just news organizations, but even politicians have relied on fake awards and dubious recognition to burnish their credentials. In August 2020, months before the West Bengal assembly elections, chief minister Mamata Banerjee and her fans on social media shared a letter of appreciation by one ‘UN-linked NGO’ UNWPA for the state government’s COVID-19 work. OpIndia later found out that the organization which sang paeans to Mamata Banerjee was not related to the International Organisation in any way. The name of the organization had mentioned ‘United Nation’ and not the United Nations.

In addition to discrepancies in its name, even the logo used by the organization was different from the UN’s actual logo. The website of the organization did not have any link, registration number, affiliation number, or certification that may prove that it is associated with the United Nations.

The prevalence of rigged award shows in Bollywood

The corrosive practice of ‘awarding’ those who agree to pay a predetermined fee is also rampant in Bollywood, with award shows being nothing more than pageantries of nepotism, where popular actors and their children are awarded to reinforce their stardom or grant them legitimacy in the industry. In many cases, awards are granted to artists who are associated with the organisations that sponsor the shows.

An element of coercion also forms a part of tactics used to influence awards in Bollywood. There have been reports about Bollywood actors and musicians boycotting award shows just because they or their proteges were denied awards. Even prominent industry stalwarts, including Ajay Devgn and Aamir Khan, have admitted to award shows being rigged.

Rahul Gandhi violates POCSO Act in Delhi minor rape case, NCPCR asks Twitter India to remove contentious tweet

OpIndia Staff
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Rahul Gandhi violates POCSO Act in Delhi minor rape case, NCPCR asks Twitter India to remove contentious tweet

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has issued a notice to Twitter India, calling for action against senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for violating POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act by posting pictures of the parents of a nine-year-old girl who was allegedly raped and murdered in Delhi.

In a letter to micro-blogging site Twitter, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) chairperson Priyank Kanoongo has stated that he has received a complaint stating that the Gandhi-scion Rahul Gandhi had tweeted a photo of a minor girl victim’s family with a caption stating that they were the father and the mother of the victim child, thus disclosing the details of the minor victim.

Image Source: Twitter

The NCPCR informed Twitter that Section 74 of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 prohibits the disclosure of the identity of a child in any form of media and Section 23 of the POCSO Act, 2012 also stated that no information or photo of a child should be published in any form of media that revealed the identity of the child.

According to the complaint, the tweets put out by Rahul Gandhi had shared certain personal details about the victim violating Section 23 of the POCSO Act, 2012, and Section 74 of Juvenile Justice Act,2015. Hence, the NCPCR asked Twitter to remove the tweets put out by Rahul Gandhi as it was deprivation and violation of child rights.

Earlier, Rahul Gandhi had visited the minor girl’s family on Wednesday and had tweeted a picture of the parents of the deceased minor girl. The victim, a nine-year-old Dalit girl, was allegedly raped, murdered and then allegedly cremated by the alleged perpetrators, who are now in police custody. 

Rahul Gandhi’s tweet

The four accused have been booked under sections related to rape, murder and threats, and under provisions of the POCSO Act and the SC/ST Act.

Meanwhile, BJP has accused the Congress leader of revealing the details of the minor victim and violating the POCSO Act and the Juvenile Justice Care and Protection of Children Act that prohibits revealing a minor’s identity. The saffron party had said they would urge the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights to take cognisance of the tweet.

Ram Mandir to open for devotees by December 2023, ground floor will be ready and Ram Lalla will be shifted to garbhagriha by then

OpIndia Staff
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Ram Mandir to open for devotees by December 2023, ground floor will be ready and Ram Lalla will be shifted to garbhagriha by then

According to reports, the Ram Mandir at Ayodhya will be ready for devotees by the end of the year 2023. According to sources in the Ram Mandir trust, the devotees will get the opportunity of a Darshan of Lord Ram by December 2023. However, it will take two more years for the completion of the entire temple complex.

The ground floor of the main temple, including the five mandapas and the garbhagriha, is targeted to be completed by the end of 2023. The laying of stone on the first floor of the temple will also be completed by then. Once the garbhagriha is ready, the idols Ram Lalla deity, which stayed under a tent for decades, will be shifted to the main temple from its current temporary location.

After the establishment of the idol, the temple is expected to be opened for devotees for darshan. However, the construction activities will continue, like carving on the stones and construction of the rest of the temple complex. “There is a difference in the completion of the temple and Darshan and we plan to open the area for visit of devotees by end of 2023,” an official of the trust said informing that the temple will open for devotees before it is completed.

The trust has said that the construction work of Ram Mandir is progressing according to the plan. In June it was reported that the foundation of the temple will be ready by October 2021. Construction work is going on in full swing, in two shifts of 12 hours each. The foundation will be made out of around 50 layers of compacted concrete, each around a foot thick. Around 50% of the work of filling the foundation with Roller Compacted Concrete had been completed by now.

After the foundation is ready, the construction of the temple will gain speed, as most of the stones are already ready. Around 4 lakh cubic feet of stone will be used in the Ram Mandir.

The construction of the entire temple campus will be fully completed by the end of 2025, according to office-bearers of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. The temple complex is expected to cover an area of 110 acres, much larger than the original area of around 67 acres, as the Trust is acquiring more land in the vicinity of the existing complex.

The entire project could cost around Rs 1000 crore by the time it is ready by 2025. The trust has already received much more amount in donations than that, as it has received around Rs 3000 crore so far.

UP CM to visit Ayodhya

As per reports, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will be visiting Ayodhya on August 05 to mark the first anniversary of the bhoomi pujan of the Ram temple. 

Yogi Adityanath along with taking stock of the progress, will also offer prayers and distribute food grains to beneficiaries there.

To commemorate this iconic day, Hindu saints have called upon the locals of Ayodhya and everyone across the county to light a diya (lamp) at their homes. Acharya Satyendra Das- a chief priest suggested that this historic day should be celebrated like a festival. 

Reports suggest that a grand aarti will be performed at the ghats of Sarayu and Shri Ram will be adorned with a new dress tomorrow. 

Delhi Dalit girl case: In their desperation to paint ‘upper-caste Brahmin priest’ as villain, they forgot Salim

Akshita Bhadauria
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Delhi Dalit girl case: In their desperation to paint ‘upper-caste Brahmin priest’ as villain, they forgot Salim

Crime, confusion and clashes. There has been absolutely no change in the left ecosystem’s template to give a communal colour to heinous crimes. 

Once again, in their desperation to turn a gruesome act of rape into a communal and casteist crime, the left has conveniently blacked out the name of an accused belonging to a “favourable minority”.

The alleged rape-murder of a 9-year-old Dalit girl

A 9-year-old Dalit girl of Southwest Delhi’s Old Nangal Village allegedly died under mysterious circumstances on Sunday evening. Reports suggest that the girl who lived opposite a crematorium had gone to get cold water from the crematorium’s water cooler at 5:30 pm. About half an hour later, the crematorium’s priest Radhey Shyam (55) and three workers Kuldeep Kumar (63), Laxmi Narain (48) and Mohd Salim (49), known to the family rushed to her home. 

They informed the girl’s parents that the minor got electrocuted while taking water from the cooler and lost her life. The girl’s mother who rushed to the spot claimed that the four (now accused and arrested) dissuaded her from filing a police complaint and urged her to complete the cremation. 

The mother, however, cried foul and gathered around 200 villagers for forcefully cremating her daughter. The Delhi Police arrived at the location at 10:30 pm on Sunday and took the accused into custody.

ANI on Tuesday quoted DCP Ingit Pratap Singh as saying that basis the mother’s complaint, a case of rape had been registered. He also informed the POCSO Act, SC/ST Act & other relevant sections were added after the deceased’s mother alleged that her daughter was raped and casteist slurs were hurled at them.

While the accused are under arrest and an investigation is on, the cause of death has not yet been determined.

The toolkit of villainization 

On Wednesday, the entire opposition created an uproar demanding justice. From Rahul Gandhi rushing to meet the parents of the deceased to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal demanding capital punishment for the rape-accused, the case details have been missed completely. 

However, as ‘old habits die hard’, the left ecosystem once again pontified selectivity while talking of the accused. One of the accused- a Brahmin priest has been singled out by the left to give a crime under investigation a communal colour, thereby, creating disharmony. 

Leading the communal propaganda from the front is “award-winning” journalist Arfa Khanum Sherwani. 

Sherwani took to Twitter to assert that the only accused in the case is a Brahmin while missing out on the names of three others. “9 year old Dalit girl allegedly gang-raped, murdered and forcibly cremated at Delhi Cantt crematorium. The accused is said to be an upper caste Pujari. The sheer absence of outrage on my timeline gives away the story. Now tell me again we aren’t a Casteist society?” selectively Tweeted Arfa. 

Screenshot of Arfa’s Tweet

However, here’s the thing. Arfa has not only forgotten that there are four accused, she also skipped the detail that while one of them is indeed an upper caste pujari, another is one Mohammad Salim, who is one of her coreligionists.

The buck doesn’t stop there. Here is her own tweet from November 2019, soon after the brutal murder and rape of a Hyderabad girl wherein one of the accused was also one Muhammad Ali who allegedly suffocated the girl to her death.

Arfa’s tweet from November 2019

What is good for the goose should be good for the gander, but not when it comes to The Wire journalist. ‘Upper caste Pujari’ must be singled out (even if other accused is one Salim), but Mohammad Ali should not be. In her own words, she is not friend, but enemy of women.

Similarly, self-declared transparency activist and Congress fan Saket Gokhale Tweeted, “Shameful to see how Noida media is utterly silent on the rape & murder of the 9-year-old Dalit child in Delhi. Of course, not surprising because the Delhi Police comes under Amit Shah & his boi Rakesh Asthana. And then of course – the main accused is allegedly a Hindoo priest.”

Screenshot of Saket Gokhale’s Tweet

Embarrassing how a ‘transparency activist’ has blurred out facts to suit his narrative. Fortunately (or unfortunately) Gokhale’s false statement has not yet invited any official complaint against him.

Leftist propaganda outlet Newslaundry employee too made sure to highlight ‘priest’ in his Tweet while sharing an article. “9 yo Dalit girl was gang-raped, murdered and forcibly cremated in Delhi Cantt area. 4 men, including a priest, have been arrested for this horrible crime,” his Tweet read.

Screenshot of Meghnad’s Tweet

Andolanjeevi Kavita Krishnan was not far behind. “#Hathras now repeated in #Delhi. Support the ongoing struggle for justice for this child, raped and killed by a priest who then burnt her body in a crematorium to destroy evidence,” she Tweeted with no piece of evidence to support her claim. 

Screenshot of Kavita’s Tweet

Columnist and author Tavleen Singh too shared her two cents. “A 55-year-old priest participates in the gang rape and murder of a nine-year-old Dalit girl in Delhi. Does it not make headlines because of her caste or because we have become immune?” Tavleen Tweeted oblivious to the media coverage and case proceedings. 

Screenshot of Tavleen’s Tweet

Tavleen was claiming that the news did not make headlines even as all opposition politicians had made a beeline to meet the victim’s families and everything was being telecast live on television screens.

Name dictates narratives

The state of Rajasthan is topping the charts when it comes to crime against women. As per a report, a 30% increase in rape cases has been reported in the last 6 months in the state. What is surprising is neither Congress nor the left cabal thought of raising their voice or visiting the victims from these states.

However, what is not surprising is their selective outrage after vetting the name of the accused. Showing no sympathy or empathy towards the victim, the entire ecosystem has pinned down one of the accused because of his caste.

Deja vu? In a similar deplorable instance, the very same elite club discarded the ill-fate of the Kathua rape victim while harping upon crime being committed in a ‘devisthan‘. When the little girl in Kathua was raped and murdered, everyone suddenly felt ashamed as a Hindu because the heinous crime allegedly took place inside a temple.

If a crime takes place in name of Allah (example: Terrorist chants Allahu Akbar before blowing himself up), then terrorism has no religion. But if a man raping or murdering a child happens to be an ‘upper caste priest’, it is suddenly all about the caste and religious identity of the accused.

This just shows that these ‘concerned citizens’ and politicians are not really concerned about the crime. Not that a little girl lost her life, but they just want to further a narrative that paints a ‘Hindu priest’ in bad light probably because ‘Salims’ are already bad, eh?

INS Vikrant reincarnated: India’s first indigenously built aircraft carrier begins sea trials. Details

OpIndia Staff
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INS Vikrant reincarnated: India’s first indigenously built aircraft carrier begins sea trials. Details

On August 4, the much-awaited sea trials of Made-in-India aircraft carrier (IAC) started. The carrier would be reincarnated as INS Vikrant. The Indian Navy said that India had joined a selected group of countries with the capability to indigenously design, build and integrate a state-of-the-art aircraft carrier.

Indian Navy’s Spokesperson said in a tweet, “Proud & historic day for India as the reincarnated #Vikrant sails for her maiden sea trials today, in the 50th year of her illustrious predecessor’s key role in victory in the #1971war. Largest & most complex warship ever to be designed & built in India. Many more will follow.”

ANI quoted Navy officials saying, “With the building of Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC), India joins a select group of nations having niche capability to indigenously design, build & integrate a state of art Aircraft Carrier.”

IAC-1 was built at the Cochin Shipyard with a total cost of around Rs.23,000 crores. It would become fully operational after flight trials of MH-60R multi-role helicopters, MiG-29K supersonic fighter and indigenously built Advanced Light helicopters (ALHs) by mid-2023.

The IAC-1 was first sanctioned by the government of India in January 2003. The basin trials of the carrier were completed in 2020, which are necessary to be done before the sea trials. At the moment, India has only one aircraft carrier, i.e. INS Vikramaditya. It was inducted into the Indian Navy in 2013 from Russia at the cost of $2.33 billion. 45 MiG 29Ks were bought at the cost of $2 billion to operate from the carrier.

During sea trials, INS Vikrant will undergo a series of rigorous tests to ensure its hull, mechanical parts and electrical equipment work perfectly under different circumstances.

The old INS Vikrant and its role in the 1971 war

INS Vikrant was the first aircraft carrier of India. It was acquired from the United Kingdom in 1961. The carrier was decommissioned in 1997. During its long and glorious service to the nation, INS Vikrant played an important role in the 1971 war.

When the 1971 war started knocking on the door, the Indian forces started to mobilize their resources to face a potential war. Initially, it was believed that INS Vikrant would not be able to join the action as the ship and aircraft were in bad shape. However, in July 1971, the squadron was ordered to move to madras with six aircraft. Vikrant had already been sailed to the east coast to avoid attack by the enemies.

Soon it was conveyed to the officers on the ship that though there were limitations in operating, INS Vikrant would form a nucleus of the Eastern Fleet. By mid-October, there were 18 Sea-Hawks on board going through intense training for the potential war.

When hostilities were declared in December, Vikrant sailed in the midnight of December 3. The Sea-Hawks provided strike force during the day. During the 1971 war, the Sea-Hawks destroyed enemy fighters, gunboats and river crafts. They also destroyed Chittagong harbour that had a warehouse and merchant ships.

Sea-Hawks also destroyed several buildings in Chittagong, including a large building close to a civil hospital that housed several Pakistani military personnel. The hospital was not harmed during the attack.

How PNS Ghazi was fooled during the 1971 war

During the 1971 Indo-Pak war, Pakistani submarine PNS Ghazi was sunk with 90 men aboard. The sinking of Ghazi played a significant role to alter the course of the war. INS Vikrant had created a Naval blockage causing the isolation of East Pakistan. Frustrated, Pakistan sent its best submarine in the inventory PNS Ghazi to “handle” Vikrant. The aim was to destroy INS Vikrant and lay mines on India’s Eastern seaboard. However, Ghazi was an ageing submarine that was facing regular equipment failures. Though there were objections against sending Ghazi, it was sailed out in November 1971.

To fool Ghazi, India had a plan. They sent INS Rajput, an aging WWII destroyer, to pretend to be INS Vikrant. It was supposed to be sent to Vishakapatnam for decommissioning but was diverted out of the Vizag port for another mission. To lure Ghazi, the Indian Navy intentionally breached security and sent a private Telegram from an alleged sailor who asked for the welfare of his seriously ill mother. The Pakistanis took the bait and started towards Vizag coast, unaware of the fact that they were late by over ten days.

On December 2, INS Rajput sailed on and returned to Vishakapatnam on December 3. It again sailed out with a pilot on board before midnight of December 3 and proceeded along a narrow entrance channel. During its journey, the Captain realized the Pakistani submarine might have to wait for them outside the harbour. He immediately ordered to stop the engines and disembarked the pilot.

As the navigational aids of Rajput were switched off, it was difficult for Ghazi to locate the carrier. As soon as it came to periscope depth to establish Rajput’s position, the carrier started to increase its speed to maximum. By the time Ghazi realized a destroyer was approaching at high speed, it was too late and had to go into a steep dive.

Though Pakistan maintains Ghazi was destroyed because of miscalculation in determining the mines they had laid down at seabed, the Indian version tells a whole other story. The Captain of Destroyer Rajput saw the disturbance of water that was caused by the sudden dive and launched two depth charges. As a result, the Ghazi was struck, leading to its hard-hit at the seabed.

The storage where mines and torpedoes were kept caught fire, and the submarine blew up. There is also a possibility that the detonation of the charges in the submarine triggered a nearby torpedo tube that led to the destruction of the submarine.

Delhi: Cop bullies residents for protesting against mazar built on Azadpur flyover, cleric claims it was built even before the flyover existed

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi: Cop bullies residents for protesting against mazar built on Azadpur flyover, cleric claims it was built even before the flyover existed

On August 2, O News published a video from the Azadpur flyover in Delhi where SHO Adarsh Nagar was seen bullying a Hindu man for raising his voice against a mazar on the flyover. When he was questioned on his authority, the police officer also threatened the man with legal action. The Hindu man was later grabbed by the Police and taken away in a van.

The reporter of O News had gone to check on a mazar on a flyover in Delhi. Recently, photographs on this mazar have gone viral on social media, alleging this mazar was encroaching the road. Sikandar, who manages the mazar, claims that this mazar was built before 1950, and his grandfather and father also managed the mazar. He added that there is a mazar under the flyover with the grave of a Pir baba, and the one that is above the flyover was built later around 1982-83. When that reporter told him that the flyover didn’t exist in 1982, he said that it was built when the construction of the flyover had started, which according to him had started in 1982. He further claimed that no construction had taken place since 2009.

It may be noted that while Sikandar claimed that the mazar was built on the flyover in around 1982-83, the fact is that the flyover was opened to traffic only in 2009. And the construction for the flyover didn’t start in 1982 as he is claiming. The flyover was built to ease traffic movement during the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

People have a complaint of heavy traffic jams due to the allegedly illegal construction, but the administration has failed to take any action. Those who are opposing the mazar claimed that this mazar is not as old as it has been claimed. The reporter talked to a Hindu activist who identified himself as Vijay Gadaria. He said that he saw this mazar for the first time around 10-12 years ago, he also said that it has been built on an encroached space on the flyover.

While Vijay was having an argument with Sikandar over the legality of worshipping mazar in Islam, SHO Adarsh Nagar, CP Bharadwaj, intervened and tried to stop Vijay. He asked Vijay, “Who gave you the right to pressurize Indian citizens like this. If you want to take any action, take the legal recourse.” He further added that as per the Supreme Court ruling, the Government Of Delhi had enacted a religious committee to take action on such complaints. “If this gentleman has any problem, he should submit an application to the Delhi government,” he added.

Police pushed everyone away

Vijay got irked by the SHO’s statement and asked for his views on the temple levelled in the Chandni Chowk area recently. SHO Bharadwaj asked him to talk in the constitutional arrangement. “You cannot bully any religious person like this,” he said and warned him of legal action. Then he grabbed Vijay and asked the Police personnel to take him to the station. The cameraman who was shooting the scene was pushed away.

The cameraman was heard saying, “Why am I being punished?” hinting that he was hit by the police personnel who were trying to push him away. In the shaky video afterwards, Vijay could be seen dragged away by the Police and put in a van. At that moment, the SHO shouted to inform that he is detaining Vijay under some sections of the IPC. When the reporter questioned SHO of his actions, he said that people are regularly coming here and causing trouble to the individual. “It is not right to bully an individual. We have to maintain law and order,” he claimed.

On asked why Sikander was allowed to tell his side of the story but not others, SHO got irked and said, “This is not the way. They have to take legal recourse.” He further told the reporter not to create a law and order issue. “You are not expected to raise such sensitive issue on a roadside,” SHO said.

Another Hindu man told the reporter that if it had been Muslims, the situation would have been different. “We were Hindus that too less in numbers thus they pushed us away. Had it been a group of Muslims, the same Delhi Police would have folded their hands and asked them to do whatever they want,” he said.

Vijay Gadaria was kept in detention for a day before he was released yesterday. Following the incident, the Hindu youth activists have vowed to take steps the get the mazar removed. Vijay said that they will take legal action against the mazar built on the Azadpur flyover. Other youths also threatened to bring it down if the authorities and courts do not remove it.

Reaction from Netizens

The mazar on the flyover and the action by SHO is being criticized on social media platforms. Several netizens raised voice against the SHO and demanded action by the administration.

This is not the first time such illegal religious structures have popped up on roadsides and on government land. In March 2021, Moradabad’s Tahir was found building mazar in Sundarlal’s land, claimed ‘pir baba ordered in dream’.

9-year-old Dalit girl allegedly raped and murdered in Delhi, opposition disrupts parliament: What we know so far

OpIndia Staff
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9-year-old Dalit girl allegedly raped and murdered in Delhi, opposition disrupts parliament: What we know so far

A case of a 9-year-old Dalit girl dying under suspicious circumstances was registered on Monday in New Delhi. As per reports, the parents of the minor alleged that their daughter was cremated without their consent. 

Here’s what happened

The 9-year-old girl was living with her parents in a rented house opposite a crematorium in Southwest Delhi’s Old Nangal Village. The girl reportedly went to get cold water from the crematorium’s water cooler at 5:30 pm on Sunday informing her mother.

However, at 6 pm, the crematorium’s priest and two-three people known to the mother rushed to her home to inform them about their daughter’s death. They claimed that the girl got electrocuted while taking water from the water cooler. 

DCP South-West, Ingit Pratap Singh while speaking to media had said, “A minor girl cremated without her parents’ consent at Old Nangal crematorium last night after she was allegedly found dead there. FIR registered on basis of her mother’s statement. Crematorium’s priest taken into custody. FSL & crime team collected samples from spot.”

The girl’s mother also alleged that the priest and other workers had dissuaded them from filing a police complaint and complete the cremation. After the girl was cremated the girl’s parents staged protests and gathered around 200 villagers.

The police received the complaint at around 10:30 pm after which they rushed to the spot to diffuse the situation. “The woman gave her statement and a case was registered under relevant sections. The priest was taken into custody and an FSL team and a crime team were called to collect evidence from the scene,” informed Singh.

The next day, on August 03 (Tuesday), the officer further said that the case has been handed over to the ACP. He also informed that additional charges under POCSO Act, SC/ST Act & other relevant sections were added against the accused. 

“She alleged that her daughter was raped and casteist statements were made against them. Sections under the POCSO Act, SC/ST Act, and IPC sections 302, 376, and 506 were then added to the FIR,” Singh informed said.

Cause of death not determined

The police informed that the cause of death and the sequence of events have not been determined. An investigation into the matter is underway. Commenting on the ongoing investigation, Singh said, “Yesterday, postmortem was done on her remaining body parts. Informally, the board of doctors said they can’t reach any conclusion about the cause of death. We’ll handover the mortal remains soon to family for last rites.”

As per an Indian Express report, the girl’s body was pulled off the funeral pyre midway through the cremation, because of which only charred remains could be recovered.

“We collected evidence from the main accused’s house and all the biological evidence from the body of the accused. FSL team also tested the water cooler, the report is awaited. As the investigation progresses, we’ll seek remand of accused,” he added. 

Opposition cries foul

Leaders from the opposition parties are demanding justice for the minor allegedly raped and murdered. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday, violating the POCSO Act, rushed to meet the victim’s family. 

“I spoke with the family, they want justice & nothing else. They’re saying that justice is not being given to them & they should be helped. We will do that. I have said that I am standing with them. Rahul Gandhi is standing with them until they get justice,” Gandhi said in an interview to ANI.

After meeting the family, speaking with them in a car and revealing their identity on a public platform, Gandhi Tweeted, “The tears of her mother and father say just one thing – their daughter, the country’s daughter, deserves justice. And I am with them in this path to justice.”

Some BJP leaders have taken strong objection to Gandhi politicizing a gruesome crime as rape. Sambit Patra- a BJP spokesperson said, “His (Rahul Gandhi) tweet violates sec 23 of POCSO Act & sec 74 of Juvenile Justice Care & Protection of Children Act that prohibits revealing the minor’s identity. He revealed identity of child’s family & is using the issue for his political agenda.”

“I appeal to the National Commission of Protection of  Child Rights to take strict action under the POCSO Act and a notice must be issued to him. No one is a VIP. Rahul Gandhi must be answerable to this,” Patra urged. 

“Hang the culprits at the earliest” says Kejriwal

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday demanded capital punishment for the accused. He too is expected to meet the bereaved family today.

“The murder of a 9-year-old innocent in Delhi after the rape is very shameful. There is a need to improve law and order in Delhi. The culprits should be given capital punishment at the earliest,” Kejriwal Tweeted in Hindi.

He also assured the family that he will do “everything possible to help the family in this fight for justice.” It must be noted that the Delhi Chief Minister too swung into action two days after the crime was first reported as other opposition parties joined in to protest.

“Will shave my head” threatens Derek O’Brien

Targetting the ruling party, TMC leader Derek O’Brien said that if the Home Minister comes to Parliament and makes a statement on Delhi rape case, he will shave his head.

O’Brien with this statement was trying to target Union Home Minister Amit Shah who was not seen in the Parliamentary proceedings. 

Uproar in Parliament

Despite an ongoing investigation and arrest of the accused named in the complaint, the opposition created a ruckus in the parliament. Congress MP Shaktisinh Gohil moved a motion seeking a debate on the alleged rape and murder incident. 

Gohil was joined by other opposition members demanding a statement from the Centre over the alleged crime. The opposition members were also holding placards demanding justice for the victim.

The accused arrested in the case are Radhey Shyam (55), a priest at the cremation ground, and three other employees – Kuldeep Kumar (63), Laxmi Narain (48) and Mohd Salim (49).

Tokyo Olympics: Wrestler Ravi Dahiya wins semi-final, silver medal assured for India

OpIndia Staff
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Tokyo Olympics: Wrestler Ravi Dahiya wins semi-final, silver medal assured for India

Indian wrestler Ravi Kumar Dahiya has stormed into the finals of the wrestling event in the Tokyo Olympics 2021.

Ravi Dahiya, who represented the country in the freestyle 57kg category, defeated Kazhakistan wrestler Nurislam Sanayev to enter the men’s freestyle 57kg wrestling finals. This is Dahiya’s first-ever Olympics final.

Ravi Dahiya came back from a 2-9 down point to pin his opponent Nurislam Sanayev of Kazakhstan in the semifinals of the 57kg freestyle wrestling category at Tokyo.

With Ravi Dahiya emerging victorious in the semi-finals, India is assured to win at least one more media in the Tokyo Olympics 2020. A silver medal is now assured for Ravi Dahiya, even if he loses in the final match.

Earlier in the day, another Indian wrestler had entered the semifinals of the wrestling event in the Tokyo Olympics 2021. Deepak Punia had defeated Chinese wrestler Zushen Lin by a 6-3 margin to enter the men’s Freestyle 86kg wrestling semi-finals. Deepak Punia will compete with USA’s David Morris Taylor in his semi-final bout.

Did you know? Kishore Kumar was banned by Indira Gandhi from singing on the radio for refusing to obey her orders during Emergency

OpIndia Staff
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Did you know? Kishore Kumar was banned by Indira Gandhi from singing on the radio for refusing to obey her orders during Emergency

Today is the 92nd birthday of legendary Indian singer Kishore Kumar. Kishore Kumar, whose original name was Abhas Kumar Ganguly, is one of India’s most celebrated artists. Fondly called “Kishore Da”, Kishore Kumar was a playback singer, music director, lyricist, film director, producer, screenwriter, and even an actor.

Kishore Kumar is also fondly remembered for standing against the tyranny unleashed by Nehru’s daughter Indira Gandhi during the emergency in 1975. Many had succumbed to the pressure of the Indira Gandhi government, however, only a few stood against the regime, and Kishore Kumar was one of them.

As a result, Kishore Kumar had to face the brunt of Indira Gandhi’s contempt as he was banned from India’s state-owned broadcasters Akashvani and Doordarshan. In those times, Akashvani and Doordarshan were the only broadcast options available for artists and a ban by them could deal a heavy blow to an artist.

Kishore Kumar refused to follow Indira Gandhi government’s order

As per a report by the Times of India, a few days after Indira Gandhi had declared Emergency, the then Information and Broadcasting minister VC Shukla, a close aide of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, wanted Bollywood to promote the 20-point program on All India Radio and Doordarshan.

The I&B Minister made calls to top filmmakers to see how they can “co-operate” to spread the pro-government propaganda. However, Kishore Kumar, a known critic of the Indira Gandhi regime, did not entertain Congress leader Shukla’s calls. Next, CB Jain, the then I&B joint secretary, phoned Kishore Kumar a few days later and informed him that the government wanted to meet him at the singer’s residence.

Strangely, Kishore Kumar refused to meet Indira Gandhi’s aides, saying he had heart trouble and was advised by his doctor not to meet anyone. According to the report of the Shah Commission, the committee set up by Morarji Desai-led Janata Party government to probe Emergency excesses, Kishore Kumar informed Jain he did not want to sing for radio or TV “in any case”.

Banned from singing on AIR/DD and his songs were removed

This offended Jain, who informed his boss I&B secretary SMH Burney that the singer’s refusal to meet him was “grossly discourteous”. Angered by Kishore Kumar’s actions, the Information and Broadcasting ministry barred Kishore Kumar songs from being telecast on AIR and Doordarshan, listed films he was acting in for “further action”, and froze the sales of his gramophone records.

The muzzling of Kishore Kumar and other senior artists by the Congress government worked. Finally, on July 14, 1976, Kishore Kumar wrote a letter to the ministry saying he was willing to co-operate. As Kishore Kumar gave in to the Congress party’s demands, the I&B ministry noted that they might lift the ban, subject to the degree of co-operation that the singer extended.

The Shah panel later revealed that the I&B secretary’s subsequent noting that the action had a “tangible effect on film producers” as the action against Kishore Kumar was meant not only to the singer alone but also a way to coerce others into submission.

Interestingly, a few years later, VC Shukla admitted his mistake before the Shah panel and said he took full responsibility for the “regrettable episode” and said, “no officer should be blamed”. However, the retired SC chief justice JC Shah termed the event as “shocking” that “a person should be treated in this manner for not falling in line.”

The Shah Commission had referred to the Indira Gandhi government’s action as “a clear case of vindictiveness… against a film artiste of renown.”

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