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Muzaffarnagar resident accuses Altnews co-founder Mohammed Zubair of issuing death threats, FIR registered

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Muzaffarnagar resident accuses Altnews co-founder Mohammed Zubair of issuing death threats, FIR registered

A Muzaffarnagar resident has accused Alt News cofounder Mohammed Zubair of issuing threats to his life. Consequently, an FIR has been registered against Zubair under sections 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) and 192 (fabricating false evidence) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The matter began with a report on the Israel-Palestine conflict by Sudarshan News on the 13th of May. As per the FIR, Zubair carried some anti-Sudarshan News content related to the report through electronic media. The complainant Ankur Rana called up Zubair to speak with him about the issue.

Zubair is accused to have resorted to abusing Rana on the call and threatened to murder him if Rana got involved with the matter. Rana approached the Police over the incident and subsequently , an FIR was registered.

Mohammed Zubair is also accused in an FIR registered in June by the police in Uttar Pradesh over a fake hate crime case. He is accused of trying to stoke communal tension by making false claims that elderly Muslim man was beaten up and forced to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’.

While Zubair, Rana Ayyub, The Wire, Salman Nizami, Maksoor Usmani, Sama Mohammad and Saba Naqvi were booked for spreading misleading and fake news, Twitter was booked for the lack of action against these seven.

The FIR was registered under Sections 153 (provocation with intent to cause riot), 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on the grounds of religion etc.), 295-A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage reli­gious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or reli­gious beliefs), 505 (Statements conducing to public mischief), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.

India first: On Mann Ki Baat, PM Modi talks about “Amrut Mahotsav”, urges countrymen to participate in India’s 75th Independence Day celebrations

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India first: On Mann Ki Baat, PM Modi talks about “Amrut Mahotsav”, urges countrymen to participate in India’s 75th Independence Day celebrations

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged the countrymen to take part in the Amrut Mahotsav events being held across the nation to celebrate to mark the 75th Independence Day of India on August 15, 2022.

Addressing the nation through his monthly radio programme Mann Ki Baat on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to the August 15 celebrations this year and added this year is special since it is the 75th Independence Day.

“The 75th Independence Day should be an inspiration for us. Our mantra should be “India first,” it should be the basis of all our decisions,” PM Modi said while addressing the 78th episode of his monthly radio programme Mann Ki Baat.

As part of the celebrations, the country will remember its freedom fighters and revive their history, PM Modi said.

“I had asked the youth to research and write on our freedom struggle on one of the earlier Mann Ki Baat episodes. The purpose of this exercise was to make young talent, thinking and opinion come forward. I was pleased to find that more than 2,500 youths carried out this task,” he said.

The Government of India is planning to celebrate “Amrut Mahotsav” – the 75th anniversary of India’s independence as a “people’s movement”. The Modi government has already started preparations for the 75th-anniversary celebrations and intends to organise several events to commemorate the historic event. The events will be managed by a national implementation committee which will be headed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Prime Minister Modi also said several programmes related to “Amrit Mahotsav” will be being organised by the government and social organisations. One such event would be held this time on August 15 relating to the national anthem. He said that the Cultural ministry has launched a website, rashtragaan.in where people can listen to the national anthem and sing and record the same. The government targets to have over 75 lakh Indian citizens to sing the national anthem and create a record on 15th August.

Earlier in June, Prime Minister Modi had launched “Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav” in Gujarat by paying tributes to MK Gandhi and other freedom fighters who lost their lives fighting for the country’s independence before flagging off the event.

“Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav means the “elixir of the energy of freedom,” the PM had said, adding, “It means the nectar of inspiration from freedom fighters, the nectar of new ideas, the nectar of new resolutions and the nectar of self-reliance”.

He also spoke about the National Handloom Day, which is coming up on 7th August and urged citizens to support local artists. He urged every citizen to buy something and spread the word on handloom by sharing the images with the hashtag #MyHandloomMyPride hashtag.

High-level security meet held ahead of Independence Day celebrations

Ahead of the Independence Day celebrations on August 15, a high-level joint security forces meeting was held on Sunday to discuss and review security preparations. The Indian Army, Air Force, Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force (CPRF), Intelligence bureau, and J&K police were part of the meeting. 

According to the reports, the high-level meeting was aimed at discussing operational preparedness, coordination, and convergence on issues of mutual interest among the internal security forces. 

Security forces sources said that ahead of August 15, drone attacks may be planned in Jammu and Kashmir, and some terrorists might carry out attacks in the Kashmir valley.

Following the multiple incidents witnessed in Jammu and Kashmir, the security forces have been put on a high alert to neutralise any suspicious incidents reported in the region. 

‘It is Badruddin Shah, not Badrinath’: Old video of UP Maulana demanding that Hindus should handover the shrine to Muslims goes viral

OpIndia Staff
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‘It is Badruddin Shah, not Badrinath’: Old video of UP Maulana demanding that Hindus should handover the shrine to Muslims goes viral

Two days after reports of Namaz being offered on Bakrid at one of the holiest sites of Hinduism, Badrinath, created a flutter on social media websites, a 2017 video of a Darul Uloom Deoband’s Maulana Abdul Latif Qasmi from Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh laying claims on the Hindu shrine has now gone viral on social media.

In the video, the Maulana says the Hindus should hand over the ninth-century shrine to Muslims. “Yeh Badrinath nahi Badruddin Shah hain” (it is not Badrinath, it is Badruddin Shah), says the Maulana adding that merely suffixing “nath” at the end of the name will not convert the place into a religious shrine of the Hindus.

The Mufti goes on to audaciously say that the Hindus should hand over the shrine to the Muslims as it originally belonged to Muslims. He asks Hindus to look back into history before claiming possession of the shrine.

Abdul Latif Qasmi also demands from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat to handover the shrine to Muslims. Besides, he asks the temple management to vacate the temple.

The 1:00 minute video ends with the Maulana threatening Hindus that Muslims would lay hold of the shrine if not given back to them. “If it is not given back to us, we Muslims would march to the shrine and capture it”, says the Uttar Pradesh Maulana.

Maulana had laid claim on Badrinath in 2017

It is pertinent to note here that this video which has resurfaced on the microblogging site today is originally from 2017. On November 15, 2017, Maulana Abdul Latif Qasmi has made this obnoxious claim. Reacting to these remarks, UP CM Yogi Aditynath had then said: “It is an attempt to disturb the harmony and peace in society. The government has taken cognizance of the matter and surely action will be taken such elements.”

The video which surfaced today in originally from 2017

Meanwhile, Netizens were outraged after the video went viral on Twitter. Many demanded that the Maulana be arrested.

The demand of the arrest of Maulana increases as his old video goes viral

Letting out his fury over the Maulana’s remark, Zee Media journalist Tejpal Rawat asked Hindus to wake up before it’s too late. “These people not only audaciously offer Namaz on Bakrid at Badrinath but are also laying claim on the Hindu shrine. Hindu’s wake up before things go out of control”, Tweeted Rawat in Hindi.

Meanwhile, Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Patel Umrao opined that Maulana Abdul Latif’s statement can pose a threat to the law and order of the state. Tagging Saharanpur Police and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in his Tweet he demanded that the Maulana be arrested for hurting Hindus religious sentiments and disturbing social unity.

Rumours of Namaz being offered inside Badrinath shrine

On July 22, the news of 15 labourers offering Namaz at Badrinath Dham in the holy town on the occasion of the Bakri Eid on July 21 (Wednesday) started doing the rounds on social media, with users demanding a probe into the matter as to how non-Hindus were allowed to offer Namaz inside the premises of a hallowed Hindu shrine.

However, later the rumours floating on social media were dispelled after it was reported that the labourers did not offer namaz inside the temple premises of Badrinath Dham. Instead, it was offered 700 metres away from the temple premises. An FIR has also been lodged in connection with the unlawful assembly of people during the pandemic.

Technology is being harnessed for greater good: PM Modi praises AP’s weatherman and Odisha’s internet sensation in Mann ki Baat

OpIndia Staff
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Technology is being harnessed for greater good: PM Modi praises AP’s weatherman and Odisha’s internet sensation in Mann ki Baat

PM Narendra Modi, while addressing the nation through his monthly radio programme Mann Ki Baat shared the inspirational life journeys of Andhra Pradesh’s weatherman Sai Praneeth B and Odisha’s internet sensation Isak Munda whom he introduced as perfect exemplars of how “technology is being harnessed for greater good”.

PM Modi introduced Sai Praneeth B to his viewers as a software engineer from Andhra Pradesh, who has creatively put technology to use to help many farmers across Andhra Pradesh whose livelihoods have been affected due to a lack of real-time weather updates. The 24-year-old Praneeth, through his social media presence, has helped several rural and urban people as well.

PM Modi on AP weatherman Sai Praneeth

The Prime Minister says that Praneeth uses his talent to carefully analyses and breaks down weather data procured from different data sources in simpler terms so that it helps farmers.

Praneeth translates the information in various local languages and posts on social media handles, thereby providing timely weather updates to the farmers.

Next PM Modi, underlining the prudent use of social media, praises Odisha YouTube sensation, Isak Munda, in his Mann Ki Baat programme. Belonging to an extremely humble family, living in a small village in the Sambalpur district of Odisha, Isak Munda worked as a daily wage labourer. Munda started his YouTube channel during the first lockdown in 2020 and went on to become a social media influencer, earning lakhs of rupees from his YouTube videos. Munda posts videos of the tribal village culture of Odisha.

“Isak Munda ji, living in a village in Sambalpur district of Odisha, used to work as a daily wage labourer but now he has become an internet sensation. He is earning a lot of money from his YouTube channel. He is celebrating by mixing culture & cuisine and inspiring us all,” the PM said.

PM Modi on Isak Munda

The Prime Minister also gave an account of good quality products being made out of banana fibre and food products from banana flour in Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka. He said that by manufacturing goods from Banana fibre, a local woman earns anything between Rs 400 to Rs 600 per day in Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka.

PM Modi said that usually, the farmer who cultivates bananas have to spend extra money to dispose of the branches of the banana trees. However, through this unique idea of using banana fibre to make different products, workers in Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka are creating the best by utilising waste.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had addressed the 79th episode of his monthly radio programme ‘Mann Ki Baat’ today.

Germany: Homosexuals face intimidation from Muslim immigrants, attacked frequently outside gay bars

OpIndia Staff
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Germany: Homosexuals face intimidation from Muslim immigrants, attacked frequently outside gay bars

The inflow of immigrants from war-torn Islamic countries to different parts of Europe has turned out to be a nightmare for homosexuals in Europe as they now feel threatened due to repeated attacks on them.

In one such incident, two weeks back, a car crashed into homosexuals at a bar in Cologne, Germany, igniting a fresh wave of panic among the homosexual community in Europe.

According to a report from Jihad Watch, a fortnight ago, homosexuals were celebrating in a gay bar Schaafenstraße in Cologne city of Germany. Several visitors, mostly immigrants who have been visiting the city’s party hotspots due to Covid-19 restrictions in other places, began intimidating and disrespecting them by indulging in acts such as peeing in the street, bottle-throwing and hurling homophobic insults.

Two weeks back, the situation escalated near Schaafenstraße when some of the visitors drove cars near the bar at high speeds towards the homosexuals. This continued for a few more days.

According to bar owners, “The chav cars from the Ring street have been driving at 60-70 km/h at night towards the people in the street for weeks. We are on the losing side and are threatened and insulted.” He added that a lack of protection would lead to death or serious injuries.

“We already employ eight security guards and urgently need more police. Because: We are being robbed of our shelter,” said Dieter Henne, who owns three such bars.

Mayor of the city Andreas Hupke said that he finds the handling of the car attack in his city scandalous. “We need the full package from the state. If a homosexual is run over, the police have to stand here in the evening. There is an urgent need for civil servants. The city does not have to tolerate that,” he added.

City Mayor Hupke added, “This is where car posers become a threat with their upper arms inflated by anabolic steroids. Of course, boys are shaped when they grow up in a culture where gays are insulted. These types of offenders attack homosexuals.”

Another Homosexual, David Lovric, a Make-up influencer and a frequent visitor to gay bars in the city, said he has already been beaten up in Cologne just because he is gay. Speaking to BILD, Lovric said that he regularly receives death threats from Arabs, Turks and Russians for being gay.

David, who wants to celebrate peacefully, said that insults such as “faggot” and “you should be gassed” are being hurled on Schaafenstraße. The situation has been more homophobic than ever for a few weeks, he added.

Uttar Pradesh: RSS leader thrashed for objecting against car parking in middle of road by goons, including women, led by one Abdul Salam

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: RSS leader thrashed for objecting against car parking in middle of road by goons, including women, led by one Abdul Salam

A mob led by one Abdul Salam, including some women, allegedly thrashed a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh leader in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, for asking one of them not to park his car at a no-parking area outside his shop, reports Dainik Jagran.

According to the reports, RSS leader and district chief Ram Kumar Arya was beaten up by a mob at his shop on Friday after he had asked them to remove their car in front of his shop, which was also incidentally a no-parking area. The incident occurred on Friday when Abdul Salam parked his car at the no parking area outside Ram Kumar Arya’s shop in Aligarh.

Noticing that, RSS leader Ram Kumar Arya pointed out to them that it was a no-parking area and said that it was causing a nuisance to the public. However, the family refused to remove his car from the spot, instead started arguing with them. As Arya insisted that they remove the car, one of them stepped out of the car and picked up a brawl with the RSS leader.

As per the FIR, a copy of which is accessed by OpIndia, the war-of-words intensified as women stepped out from the car to hurl abuses at the RSS leader. They also threatened with dire consequences in future, the FIR states. Arya, in his complaint, said that this is not the first time such a thing has happened and that such goons come in crowd and threaten them time and again.

After thrashing the RSS leader and his staff, the mob hurriedly ran away from the spot. The police have registered a complaint and launched a probe in the case. Security at the shop has since been increased to avoid any untoward incident.

Letters between Nehru and Edwina Mountbatten still remain a secret even as some diaries of the last viceroy of India get published for the first time

OpIndia Staff
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Letters between Nehru and Edwina Mountbatten still remain a secret even as some diaries of the last viceroy of India get published for the first time

On July 22, personal diaries and letters of Lord and Lady Mountbatten that are available in the Broadland Archive were released digitally. The letter was published online four days after an early day motion signed by 22 British MPs was tabled in the House of Commons that called for the publication of the documents without any further delay and obfuscation.

These documents would possibly shed light on the relationship between Edwina Mountbatten and former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, the royal family, how fair the India-Pakistan partition was, and what Mountbatten thought of Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi and Mohammad Ali Jinnah. While documents till 1960 were released, 1947-48 diaries and letters were withheld.

Andrew Lownie, author of “The Mountbattens”, spent Rs 2 crore (£250,000) and raised another Rs 51 lakh (£50,000) through crowdfunding for the court case to get all the documents up to 1960 and the letters that the couple wrote to each other released.

As directed by the Cabinet Office, the University of Southampton, that as the diaries and letters of the Mountbattens as part of an archive they had bought, had closed off all 47 volumes of Lord Mountbatten’s diaries and all 36 volumes of Lady Mountbatten’s diaries, and their letters to each other.

It is believed that the diaries for 1947 and 1948 might reveal a lot about what Mountbatten thought of Jinnah, Gandhi, Nehru and the British officials like Cyril Radcliffe, who was the one who drew the boundary between India and Pakistan. These documents might have crucial information about how close they were to Nehru and how impartial or not they were over the partition. According to Lownie, “These are crucial questions if we are looking at Indian Independence and Partition and an important source for Indian historians.”

The relationship between Nehru and Edwina

There is no secret that there was an affair between Edwina, wife of Lord Mountbatten and the first Prime Minister of Independent India, Jawaharlal Nehru. In an article in Daily Mail, it was described how Mountbatten fell in love with Nehru and how her promiscuity took a toll on her children. According to Lady Mountbatten’s daughter Pamela, ‘She found in Panditji [Nehru] the companionship and equality of spirit and intellect that she craved. Each helped overcome loneliness in the other.’

The relationship found its way into the popular Netflix series The Crown, which is a historical drama that chronicles the life of Queen Elizabeth from her younger days to her reign and gives a glimpse into the personal life of the royals. Lord Mountbatten was also the uncle of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and husband to Queen Elizabeth. There are a few references to Lord Mountbatten and India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

In the first season’s first episode, during the wedding ceremony of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip at first Winston Churchill appeared to be referring to Lord Mountbatten as the man who gave away India. In the same sequence, few other people too said the same. In the second season, Lord Mountbatten appeared to accept the affair his wife had with Jawaharlal Nehru to Queen Elizabeth.

Notably, Edwina was buried at sea by Lord Mountbatten in accordance with her wishes. At that time, Nehru had sent the Indian Navy frigate INS Trishul as an escort and had a wreath cast in her memory. Lady Pamela Hicks, daughter of Lady Mountbatten, also says that on her death in 1960, Edwina was buried at sea as per her wish. As her bereaved family steamed away from the scene after casting wreaths at the spot, the Indian frigate INS Trishul “quietly took our place and, on Panditji’s instructions, marigolds were scattered upon the waves”.

World Sikh Organisation wants CAA-like law in Canada for Sikhs and Hindus escaping from Islamic countries

OpIndia Staff
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World Sikh Organisation wants CAA-like law in Canada for Sikhs and Hindus escaping from Islamic countries

On July 19, World Sikh Organization, Canada, has urged the Canadian government to launch a special program for Afghan Sikhs and Hindus. In this regard, The Manmeet Singh Bhullar Foundation, Khalsa Aid Canada, and the World Sikh Organization of Canada (WSO) had issued a joint statement.

In their statement, they urged the Canadian government to create a special program for highly vulnerable Sikh and Hindu minorities in Afghanistan. It read, “As the situation on the ground in Afghanistan continues to deteriorate, we are seeing Afghan interpreters who worked side by side with Canadians, coming under threat and fearing for their lives.” They urged the Government of Canada to act swiftly to provide safety to the vulnerable population in war-torn Afghanistan.

The Organization claimed that the Hindus and Sikhs who have moved to India after the suicide attack on Gurdwara Sri Guru Har Rai Sahib in Kabul in March 2020 have no viable option of resettlement. Notably, On May 20 this year, the government of India had invited applications for non-Muslim refugees from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh to grant Indian citizenship. The said order to grant such refugees citizenship was not a part of CAA.

The statement quoting Tarjinder Bhullar of the Manmeet Singh Bhullar Foundation further added, “Now is the time for progress to be expedited to ensure that we can assist as many Afghan Sikhs and Hindus that face deep uncertainty and imminent danger on an hourly and daily basis.” WSO President was quoted saying that it is time to act; otherwise, Hindus and Sikhs remaining in Afghanistan would be targeted and killed.

On July 22, Aaj Tak reported that out of 60 Sikh and Hindu families living in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, 53 had moved to India amidst an ongoing war-like situation in the country. Only seven families are still living in a Gurudwara in Jalalabad. On July 21, Times of India had reported that Sikhs and Hindus living in Afghanistan had urged the international community to help them before its too late. Gurnam Singh, president of Gurdwara Kartae Parwan, Kabul, said there were around 150 Sikhs and Hindus living in Kabul under constant fear of Taliban. He added, “For now, we are living in Kabul and are safe but for nobody knows for how long we will remain safe.”

WSO had called CAA a controversial law

WSO has been urging the Canadian government to create a special program under Section 25.2 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to ensure “to bring these vulnerable individuals to safety.” The demand for a special law for the persecuted minorities’ safety is very much similar to what CAA is aimed at. However, the Organization had categorically called it a “controversial act” repeatedly since it was passed in 2019.

WSO had blamed Hindus for Delhi Riots 2020

Notably, WSO had blamed Hindus for the Delhi Riots that erupted in February 2020 following the protests against CAA. Blaming Kapil Mishra for inciting the riots, the Organization said, “Once again, we are seeing communal attacks on minorities in India with police assisting the mobs and themselves engaging in violence.  Reporters have also been attacked.  It is deeply disturbing that it was a member [Kapil Mishra] of the ruling BJP party that had warned of violence if the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) did not end.”

They added, “India has repeatedly seen attacks against minorities, including Sikhs, Muslims and Christians, that have been either sanctioned by the state or ignored.”

Over 100 people die as floods inundate parts of Maharashtra, IMD issues red alert for 6 districts

OpIndia Staff
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Over 100 people die as floods inundate parts of Maharashtra, IMD issues red alert for 6 districts

Over hundreds of people have lost their lives and thousands shifted to safer places as heavy rains pummel several areas in Maharashtra. The state has experienced its heaviest July rain in decades.

According to news agency ANI, as many as 112 people have died and 1,35,000 people have been evacuated and moved to safer places from flood-affected areas in the state. A total of 53 people were injured and 99 are missing.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for six districts, namely Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg in coastal Konkan and Pune, Satara and Kolhapur in western Maharashtra. The department has forecasted “extremely heavy” rainfall and recommended preventive actions.

NDRF said its 34 teams are engaged in relief and rescue operations in Mumbai, Thane, Ratnagiri, Palghar, Raigad, Sahara, Sangli, Sindhudurg Nagar and Kolhapur in coordination with the state administration.

As heavy rains continue to overwhelm hundreds of villages, sweeping away houses and leaving residents stranded, additional eight teams, four each from Kolkata and Vadodara, are being airlifted to Maharashtra. Also, 3 units each of Indian Army and Indian Coast Guard, 7 of Indian Navy and 1 of Indian Air Force, besides local authorities, are engaged in the rescue operations nonstop for the past over 24 hours. 

According to reports, at least 136 people have died in rain-related incidents, including landslides and floods, in the state over the last few days, officials said on Saturday. Most of the deaths are reported from Raigad and Satara districts, the official said.

The deceased included 38 people who died in a landslide in a village in the coastal Raigad district’s Mahad tehsil on Thursday and 27 in Satara, as per officials. The landslide in Raigad district took place near Talai village in Mahad tehsil on Thursday evening. 

Apart from the Raigad district, landslides were also reported in Ambeghar and Mirgaon villages in Satara during Thursday night. As per officials, as many as 379 villages in the district were affected due to heavy rains over the last three days and more than 5,000 people were shifted to safer places, as per the local administration. The death count in Satara rose to 28 by late Saturday evening while at least 14 persons are still reported to be missing. 

Besides, Kohlapur and Sangli are the other two worst flood-affected areas in Maharashtra. According to reports, more than 75,000 people have been evacuated and shifted from Kohlapur. The district has reported 7 deaths so far.

In a video shared by ANI on Saturday, the Indian Air Force (IAF) can be seen airlifting relief materials and NDRF personnel in continuation of flood relief efforts in Maharashtra.

Reports suggest that Taliye is another area that has been hit hard by the incessant rains in the state. Here the toll from landslides and flooding went up to 112 on Saturday. Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray visited Taliye on July 24 (Saturday) to take stock of the situation. He assured assistance to the people affected by the floods in the area.

The Maharashtra government has announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each for the kin of those who have been killed in the landslides caused by incessant rains in the state. The injured will be treated in hospitals at government expense, the statement from Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s office said.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed pain on the loss of lives and said would provide assistance to the affected.

West Bengal: Two more accused arrested for brutal murder of BJP worker Avijit Sarkar during post-poll violence

OpIndia Staff
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West Bengal: Two more accused arrested for brutal murder of BJP worker Avijit Sarkar during post-poll violence

On Saturday (July 4), the police arrested two more accused involved in the gruesome murder of BJP worker Avijit Sarkar in the Narkeldanga area of Kolkata. Sarkar was killed shortly after the results of West Bengal Vidhan Sabha polls were announced on May 2.

As per reports, the two accused have been identified as 26-year-old Sanjay Dey and 25-year-old Avijit Dey. The duo was arrested from their relative’s residence in Chandannagar in the Hooghly district. They were produced before a local court yesterday. While speaking about the matter, Joint Commissioner (Kolkata police) Murlidhar Sharma informed, “Two more FIR named accused persons have been arrested. With these, a total of seven out of eight people named in the FIR have been arrested.”

The said arrests were made only after a 5-Judge Bench of Calcutta High Court observed that the West Bengal government failed to investigate complaints of post-poll violence. On Thursday (July 22), the Court stated, “The proceedings have become adversarial because the state has failed to properly investigate.” Earlier, the police had arrested 5 other accused, namely, Sufal Das (alias Ruidas), Sanjay Das (Alias Rana), Sanjat Samanta, Samir Samanta, and one other accused.

(Video Courtesy: Youtube/ ABP Ananda)

NHRC report and observations by Calcutta High Court

According to ABP Ananda, the case was initially probed by the Narkeldanga police station. Later, it was transferred to the Detective Department of the Kolkata police following public outrage. The brutal murder of Avijit Sarkar featured prominently in the report submitted by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on July 13 before the Calcutta High Court. NHRC condemned the ‘pernicious politico-bureaucratic-criminal nexus’, demanded a CBI investigation, and called for conducting the trial outside West Bengal.

While noting that only 3% of the accused in West Bengal post-poll violence were behind bars, NHRC stated, “The situation in the state of West Bengal is a manifestation of the law of ruler, instead of rule of law…This was retributive violence by supporters of the ruling party against supporters of the main opposition party.” Earlier on July 2, the Calcutta High Court ordered a second autopsy of the deceased BJP worker and asked the report to be submitted within a week’s time. The development came after a complaint by his brother Biswajit Sarkar, who alleged that Avijit’s corpse was destroyed by maggots in the morgue.

The gruesome murder of Avijit Sarkar

On May 2, BJP worker Avijit Sarkar took to Facebook to narrate the harrowing tale of violence that he was subjected to by the TMC goons. The video was uploaded just hours before he was lynched to death by the miscreants. “I don’t know how to come live (on Facebook). They hurled bombs right in front of my eyes and vandalised my house and the party office. My only mistake is that I am a BJP worker.,” he recounted.

Pointing towards his dog, he lamented, “I had brought her from Sealdah. She had given birth to some puppies. They slaughtered the puppies mercilessly.” The BJP worker broke down into tears. He said that the attack took place in Ward no. 30 in the Beleghata neighbourhood in Kolkata under the supervision of TMC leaders Paresh Paul and Swapan Samandar. Sarkar recounted that his puppies were also hacked to death by the accused.

The victim, an office-bearer of the Bhartiya Mazdoor Trade Union Council, had repsonded to a knock at his door. Avijit Sarkar was then dragged outside, brutally assaulted, and strangled with a cable TV wire. His dead body was later discovered at some distance from his house.

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