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Jammu and Kashmir: Granade attack on Lal Chowk ahead of Independence Day, days after Clock Tower was lit up with tricolour

OpIndia Staff
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Jammu and Kashmir: Granade attack on Lal Chowk ahead of Independence Day, days after Clock Tower was lit up with tricolour

On August 10, terrorists have lobbed a grenade in Lal Chowk’s Hari Singh High Street area. As per the officials, the incident took place in the afternoon when there were many people in the area.

The terrorists were able to escape after the attack. Around seven people have been reported injured in the attack. They were rushed to the nearest hospital for treatment. Kishore Prasad, DIG CRPF, in Srinagar said, “At around 2.40 pm, a miscreant targeted a bunker of SSB with a grenade.”

Security forces investigation the attack

Soon after the attack, the security forces took hold of the CCTV footage in the area and started a search operation to find the terrorists. By the time this report was published, no more updates had come from the agencies. The attack happened a day after BJP sarpanch Ghulam Rasool Bhat and his wife were shot dead by terrorists in Anantnag.

Terrorist organizations irked by increasing number of Tricolours in valley

In the last few days, hundreds of Tricolours have come up in the valley that seems to have irked the terrorist organizations. The National Flag was unfurled in the Dal Lake area, and recently, the Clock Tower at Lal Chowk was also lit with Tricolour lights ahead of independence day. Reportedly, a hundred feet Tricolour is all set to come up which will be visible from the entire old city.

Since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, there has been a significant fall in the number of new recruits in terrorist organizations. Increased patrols, strict action by security forces and change of heart among the people of the valley have made it possible for the Government of India to improve the situation in the region. In the last two years, the Government has initiated several infrastructure projects in the valley to improve the economy in the long run.

‘Laughable to claim Muslims voted for me… more Temples should be constructed to reduce beef eating’: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

OpIndia Staff
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‘Laughable to claim Muslims voted for me… more Temples should be constructed to reduce beef eating’: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma gave an interview to Times Now over the recent border clashes with Mizoram where six Assam Police personnel lost their lives. Himanta Biswa Sarma said that these are legacy issues which are the consequence of the borders not being demarcated clearly.

He said that these are complicated issues that must be resolved through dialogue and that history cannot be ignored. He also added that the will of the people and administrative convenience cannot be negated.

The Assam Chief Minister also said that the travel advisory against his citizens visiting Mizoram was necessary in order to prevent a flare-up. He said that due to the travel advisory, the situation could be brought under control in a week.

Assam CM on border conflict with Mizoram

During the interview, the journalist mentioned that there were allegations by Mizoram that Assam has too many illegal immigrants and therefore, Assam wants to settle them inside Mizoram. The Assam CM responded, “The illegal Bangladeshi means Muslim. The Muslim has not voted me a single vote during elections. So who are the illegal Bangladeshis on that side? All the immigrant Muslims.”

“If somebody says that Muslims voted for Himanta Biswa Sarma, this country will laugh. I told on the election meeting that please do not vote for us. Then how can they vote for me? So these are allegations said on the time of some tensions. They have to justify their action, I understand. But if people of India comes to know that BJP’s trying to to give settlement to the illegal Bangladeshi Muslim and they voted for us, we lost all the seats there,” he added.

He continued, “These are statistics. At least in Assam, nobody (no Muslims) voted for us. These are the statement on fact. I mean, you go by one by one polling booth, not a single vote was cast to BJP. We work for them, that is a different subject but the reality of the life is, for Himanta Biswa Sarma, for Sarbanand Sonowal, in Assam not a single Muslim voted for us.”

The Assam CM also said that if someone claims that he is trying to settle illegal Bangladeshi Muslims, then they would not have brought NRC. He said that they wish to expel all such settlers.

Sarma said, “PM Narendra Modi spoke to me right at the beginning of the dispute. He is extremely pained. He feels that northeastern states should remain united and contribute towards the development of the country. He told that such disputes are painful for the entire nation. He is concerned about the country. He considers Assam-Mizoram border dispute a national issue. He is ready to take any initiative to solve this.”

“When Home Minister visited Assam and Shillong, he advised us to resolve the border dispute. This is long-run process, this border dispute is not recent… These are long-standing problem and we need to resolve it after discussion and consultation…The visit of Home Minister and the recent border clash are not related to each other because Amit Shah given us a roadmap to resolve the dispute and his advice was not specific to any particular borders but was about resolving complex issue,” he stated.

Sarma said that the short term objective is to maintain peace at the Assam-Mizoram border. One of the solutions he proposed was to ensure that no settlements are permitted in the disputed forests from either side. But he said that the issues will linger before they are solved but the best to hope in the short term future is to avoid confrontation.

“I am extremely proud”: Assam Cm Himanta Biswa Sarma on anti-beef consumption law

With regards to law against the cow slaughter than bans the practice within a 5 kilometer radius of a Temple, the journalists pointed out that India has a Temple every 2 kilometer. Sarma said, “It’s good.. (Temples) should be constructed so that beef consumption goes down.”

Himanta Biswa Sarma said that Mahatma Gandhi wants to protect cows and he is a “blind follower” of Gandhi, so he wants to protect cows too. When questioned whether he has implemented the law so that people cannot eat beef, he responded, “Kyu khaana hai? (Why do they want to eat (beef)?”

He said that the people of Assam from both communities are happy with the law and confirmed, “I am extremely proud. I am proud of this law.” He also said that the journalist was making a “very big statement” when she said that Assamese Hindus eat beef, vehemently denying that they do.

Tamil Nadu: Christian doctor refuses to remove footwear inside Hindu temple, villagers refuse to get vaccinated in protest

OpIndia Staff
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Tamil Nadu: Christian doctor refuses to remove footwear inside Hindu temple, villagers refuse to get vaccinated in protest

A controversy erupted in the Pogoi village in Vellore, Tamil Nadu, after a Christian doctor wore her footwear inside a temple, as per reports. The doctor was reportedly a part of the team that had gone to the village to administer Covid vaccines to the villagers. Despite repeated appeals, when the doctor refused to take off her footwear, the irate villagers protested and refused to take the vaccination until the doctor left.

According to local reports, the vaccination camp had been organised by the Vellore Government Hospital in the Muthalamman temple premises in the Poigai village. Regina, the Christian doctor, who works in the Hospital was a part of the team that was sent to the village to administer the Covid vaccine to the villagers.

While all the other health workers removed their footwear, as the camp was being held inside the temple, Regina reportedly refused to respect the sanctity of the place and sat in front of the sanctum sanctorum with her shoes.

This left the villagers infuriated. When the villagers asked her to remove it she reportedly asked “is there a board saying one shouldn’t wear footwear inside the temple?”. Despite repeated requests, when Regine refused to remove her footwear, the Hindu villagers declined to take the vaccine unless she left the temple.

‘Wore the footwear for fear of contracting Covid-19’: Doctor tries to justify behavior

When the matter escalated, Adi Siva, the Hindu Front leader in the area, came to the temple with his supporters. He requested the doctor to respect the sentiments of the Hindus and take off her footwear, but the doctor remained adamant.

Seeing the situation worsen, Dr Regina quickly issued a justification for her action saying that she feared she would contract Covid is she went barefoot. But the enraged villagers refuse to buy the argument and insisted on her leaving the temple premises immediately. The villagers were adamant that they would only get themselves vaccinated once she leaves.

The villagers only agreed to take the vaccines after the nurses who accompanied the doctor apologised on behalf of the doctor, for hurting the religious sentiments of the villagers.

Maharashtra: Empty liquor bottles found in Mantralaya premises, BJP slams MVA govt, demands a probe

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra: Empty liquor bottles found in Mantralaya premises, BJP slams MVA govt, demands a probe

Empty liquor bottles have been found in the premises of Mantralaya of the Maharashtra Government. The empty liquor bottles were discovered from behind the trinity statue at the Mantralaya. 

The discovery of liquor bottles has sent the authorities into a tizzy, given that no one is allowed to enter the Mantralaya premises without a pass or without a general inspection. The Mantralaya premises are guarded round the clock, with CCTV cameras installed at various places. Yet, the liquor bottles found their way inside the premises. This has left authorities scratching their heads as to how the liquor bottles were smuggled inside the Mantralaya premises despite such tight security.

The matter will be thoroughly investigated and strict action will be taken against the culprits, said Dattatray Bharne, Minister of State for General Administration. Speaking on the issue, Dattatray said, “This is very serious news. The matter will be properly investigated and action will be taken against the culprits.” Speaking further, he said that the entire security system of the ministry is with the police administration, but the home minister or the police alone cannot be held responsible for the breach of the security.

BJP slams MVA government, demands probe in the matter

Meanwhile, BJP launched a spirited attack on the Maha Vikas Aghadi government following the discovery of empty liquor bottles inside the Mantralaya. Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Pravin Darekar said that it is shameful that liquor bottles were being smuggled inside the Mantralaya. Darekar also insinuated that the MVA government is in the interests of liquor dealers, bar and restaurant owners etc.

Praveen Darekar said, “It is very unfortunate, annoying and embarrassing to find bottles of liquor in the Ministry. The discovery of liquor bottles inside the Mantralaya premises makes one question as to how they reached inside the ministry when common people are barred from entering the premises and only those with passes and security clearances are allowed to come inside. Who brought the bottles of liquor to the ministry and for what purpose? This should be investigated and action should be taken against those involved.”

Darekar further added, “Liquor bottles retrieved from the Mantralaya shows the mentality of this government, for whom they are working and what all things they are doing. Who exactly is this government running for? Whether it is working for the rich, working for liquor dealers, working for dance bars or restaurants or working for the common man, the public should know once and for all. An incident that has tarnished the tradition of Maharashtra has come to light today. “As the Leader of the Opposition, I demand that all these cases be investigated,” Darekar said.

Afghanistan: India evacuating citizens and diplomats from Mazar-e-Sharif as Taliban takes control of major cities in the war-torn country

OpIndia Staff
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Afghanistan: India evacuating citizens and diplomats from Mazar-e-Sharif as Taliban takes control of major cities in the war-torn country

As the Taliban continues to advance and take control of larger swathes of Afghanistan every passing day, the Indian government is evacuating Indian citizens in Afghanistan before the situation worsens. As per the latest report, the Indian consulate in Mazar-e-Sharif has announced that a special plane will leave for Delhi today and Indian nationals in and around the Afghan city should contact the consulate to board the flight and leave Afghanistan as soon as possible.

Tweet by the Indian consulate in Mazar-e-Sharif

It is reported that Indian diplomats too will be evacuated from the consulate at Mazar-e-Sharif. Earlier, Indian diplomats had vacated the consulate at Kandahar. Over 50 officials and security personnel were evacuated from the Kandahar consulate recently.

As per reports, the Ministry of External Affairs is yet to say anything officially on the matter. The Indian embassy at Kabul is still open.

Taliban takes control of 5 major cities in just 3 days

On Sunday (August 8), the Islamic terror outfit Taliban captured three provincial capitals, the strategic cities of Kunduz, Taloqan and Sar-e-Pul. A day earlier on Saturday (August 7), the Taliban took control of most of Sheberghan, including the provincial government buildings. On Friday, August 6, the Taliban had captured the city of Zaranj in the Nimroz province, thus extending their stronghold from southern provinces to the Northern provinces.

Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav: A world record of lakhs of people singing Rashtragaan is being attempted. Here is how to participate

OpIndia Staff
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Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav: A world record of lakhs of people singing Rashtragaan is being attempted. Here is how to participate

The celebrations in anticipation of the 75th Independence Day have already begun. The Indian government has marked August 15 as ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav‘ and intends to create a record of the maximum number of people singing the ‘Rashtragaan’ (national anthem) in unison. “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav means the ‘elixir of the energy of freedom’… 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,” the PM had said.

During his ‘Maan ki Baat’ programme last month, PM Modi had informed that the Culture Ministry had launched a website, rashtragaan.in where people can listen, sing and record the national anthem. The government is planning to create history by having over 75 lakh Indian citizens sing the national anthem. A video will be compiled, featuring all the participants, and will be released on August 15.

Here is a step-by-step guide on how you can be a part of this world record. You must hop onto the search bar of your internet browser and type in ‘https://rashtragaan.in/.’ You will be directed to the landing page of the website. A screenshot of the page has been attached below. In total, there are four simple steps that one must follow to send a video of him/her singing the national anthem. At this point, you must click on the ‘Proceed’ option, highlighted in orange to progress further.

Screengrab of the Rashtragaan website

Fill in your personal details

You will be redirected to a page, where you need to fill in basic details about yourself. This includes your full name, age group, country and the State/Union Territory of your origin. Once you have filled in the details, you must click on the option ‘Let’s sing’ (highlighted in orange and located at the bottom of the page).

Screengrab of the Rashtragaan website

Record the song

Then, you will be automatically prompted to the most important page of the website. A notification on the top left-hand corner of the website will seek permission from you to switch on your microphone and camera. Click on ‘Allow’ button so as to be able to proceed further. Then, you must click on the ‘Record button’ (located at the bottom of the screen) and sing the ‘Rashtragaan’. If you are not pleased with your performance, then, you have the option to ‘restart’ from the beginning.

Screengrab of the Rashtragaan website

Download the certificate of participation

Once you have completed the step, click on the ‘Upload’ option located adjacent to the ‘Record’ option. After your video is uploaded successfully, you will receive a ‘certificate of participation’. The certificate will bear your ‘Full name’ and a congratulatory message for successful participation in ‘Rashtragaan’, which is an initative by the Culture Ministry on the occasion of ‘Amrit Mahotsav’.

Screengrab of a sample certificate of participation

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.

India or North Korea? Odisha decides to impose crazy restrictions on Hindu festivals in the name of COVID-19

Jinit Jain
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India or North Korea? Odisha decides to impose crazy restrictions on Hindu festivals in the name of COVID-19

With less than a 1 per cent active ratio and about a 1.8 per cent test positivity ratio, the Odisha government has announced a set of severely crazy restrictions to prevent Hindu devotees from celebrating their festivals. At a time when the infections are steadily declining, the Naveen Patnaik government issued directives to the state authorities, asking them to observe muted celebrations of the Hindu festivals in the name of curbing the COVID-19 outbreak.

As the festival season approaches, the BJD government in Odisha has allowed Durga Puja, Ganesh Puja and all other festivals’ celebrations, but without a congregation of devotees. The directive is applicable till November 21 this year.

The Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) issued guidelines in this regard on Monday. The guidelines were issued after the Union Health secretary Rajesh Bhushan urged the states to actively consider the imposition of local restrictions and to curb mass gatherings.

“In light of this order, and given upcoming festivals such as Muharram (August 19), Onam (August 21), Janmashtami (August 30), Ganesh Chaturthi (September 10), Durga Puja (October 5-15), where large public gatherings are expected, it is advised that states may actively consider the imposition of local restrictions in public observation of these festivals and curb mass gatherings,” Bhushan said in his letter.

After Union Health Secretary’s exhortation, the Odisha government displayed an unmatched alacrity in enforcing restrictions that are among the strictest in the entire country.

“It is directed that congregations for the celebration of Ganesh Puja, Durga Puja, Laxmi Puja, Kali Puja and other similar festivals shall not be allowed in public throughout the state. However, religious rituals in churches/ temples/ mosques/ places of worship will continue as usual with a limited number of persons with strict adherence to Covid protocols,” the order said.

The SRC further added that to conduct puja in puja pandals or mandaps, the organisers will have to seek permission from the District Magistrate or any other officer authorised by him/her.

According to the official privy to the new strictures, the restrictions are imposed because the congregation of people for celebrating festivals have the potential of turning into potent coronavirus hotspots and where enforcing COVID appropriate behaviour becomes difficult as a large number of devotees come in contact with each other to celebrate pujas.

As per the stringent restrictions introduced by the state government, no more than 7 persons, including the organisers (Kartas) and priests and support staff would be allowed to be present at the puja pandal/ mandap. The persons present at puja pandal/ mandap shall follow all Covid protocols of social distancing, mask usage, personal hygiene and sanitation issued by central or state government/ local administration in letter and spirit.

The Crazy Covid restrictions in Odisha

This is perhaps the first time that the size of the idol that each pandal/mandap will have is also being regulated by the Odisha government. One of the preposterous guidelines issued by the government says the idol size could not be greater than 4 feet. It ordained puja pandals/mandaps be covered on three sides and the 4th side is covered in such a way as to not allow any public view of the idols. The guidelines also include that there would be no darshan for public devotees.

The guidelines also included an additional provision that mandated organisers and persons involved in conducting the puja to abide by other restrictions imposed by local administration or appropriate authority.

Furthermore, there shall be no immersion procession this year around. The idols will be immersed in artificial ponds created by the local administration for this purpose. In addition to this, the guidelines also call for the banning of all religious procession of any kind by any religious community. It is also extended to Muharram celebrations in the state. Neither will there be any feast associated with any puja/festival during the said period of restrictions, the guidelines said.

It is worth noting that the total active cases in the state stand at 10,011. The active ratio, which provides the prevalence of the contagion among the population, is around 1 per cent. Similarly, the test positivity ratio, which gives the percentage of COVID-19 tests that came positive, is also hovering at around 1. 8 per cent levels. As far as vaccination is concerned, 9.6 per cent population of Odisha is fully vaccinated and around 32 per cent population has received at least one dose of vaccination.

The problematic aspects of the Covid-19 restrictions

Despite ebbing caseloads and increasing vaccinations, the state government in Odisha has presided over one of the craziest restriction regimes in the entire country. The absurdly strict guidelines not only impinge on the religious traditions associated with various festivals but also deprive devotees of their freedom to profess their religion as enshrined in the Indian Constitution.

Devotees visiting pandals/mandaps for the darshan of their respective Gods is an age-old tradition, followed for centuries. By denying them from visiting pandals, imposing regulations on the idol size of deities, the state is essentially interfering in the religious practices of its citizens on the pretext of controlling the outbreak.

Such strict restrictions also have a devastating impact on the economy, which is already faltering due to coronavirus-induced lockdowns. The festive season adds much-needed fillip to the economic activities, with devotees spending on puja paraphernalia and other things to celebrate their festivals. It provides an impetus to the overall economy. But, by imposing strict restrictions, the state government is condemning its citizens to continue living under severe economic distress.

As such, COVID-19 is here to stay, with the virus mutating into newer variants. In such a scenario, complete and absolute lockdown as witnessed during the start of the pandemic last year cannot be applied for eternity. Nor should India follow oppressive states such as North Korea or China in absolute lockdown to tackle the contagion. Instead, such measures only add to the growing economic difficulties and take a toll on the psychological well being of the masses. The state should, therefore, strive for achieving normalcy while exercising caution and enforcing reasonable restrictions without going down the path of aping dictatorial regimes as done by the Odisha government.

Dasna temple priest Swami Nareshanand Saraswati came to attend Jantar Mantar protest a few hours before the attack: Report

OpIndia Staff
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Dasna temple priest Swami Nareshanand Saraswati came to attend Jantar Mantar protest a few hours before the attack: Report

As per the latest reports, Dasna temple priest Swami Nareshanand Saraswati had come to attend the Jantar Mantar protest, where allegedly inflammatory slogans were raised on August 8. A few hours later, the priest was attacked at Dasna temple, Ghaziabad.

Sachin Gupta, correspondent, Hindi Daily Dainik Bhaskar, wrote in a tweet, “A big update in attack on a priest in Ghaziabad temple… Swami Nareshanand Saraswati came from Bihar to attend the protest under the leadership of Ashwini Upadhyay at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. Controversial slogans were raised against a particular community in the protest. He was attacked a few hours after the protest.”

OpIndia sources confirmed that it is true that Swami Nareshanand came to attend the protest and meet Dasna priest Swami Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati, but he did not attend the protest. In one of the videos, one person identified as Uttam Malik had said that he was a follower of Yati Narsinghanand. It cannot be ruled out for sure whether the social media videos of alleged inflammatory sloganeering had anything to do with the attack on Dasna priest.

OpIndia also reached out to Iraj Raja, SP (Dehat), Ghaziabad, to get more information on the case. He said, as of now, the information has not been confirmed by the Police regarding if Swami Nareshanand attended the protests or not, and the investigation is underway.

The attack on a priest in Dasna

On August 10, unidentified assailants entered the premises of Dasna Devi temple in Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh tried to kill Hindu priest Swami Nareshanand Saraswati. Reports suggest that the incident took place at around 3:30 am in morning. The assailants scaled the wall of the temple and entered the premises. Swami Nareshanand Saraswati was sleeping at that point in time. The accused stabbed him in the stomach and neck region with a sharp weapon, leading to profuse bleeding and blood loss. The Hindu priest was rushed to the Yashoda hospital on receiving information about the attack. His condition is now said to be critical.

Jaipur: Ragpicker Shehzada Salim steals antique Murtis and jewellery from Jain and Shiv temple, had entered temple to ‘drink water’

OpIndia Staff
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Jaipur: Ragpicker Shehzada Salim steals antique Murtis and jewellery from Jain and Shiv temple, had entered temple to ‘drink water’

The Ramganj police have arrested one Shehzada Salim alias Dadda in connection with the theft of antique idols, jewellery and other valuables from a Shiv and Jain temple in Jaipur, Rajasthan. Salim, who is a ragpicker by profession, stole 7 idols made of Ashtadhatu (octal metal), more than 3 kg of silver ornaments and other valuables from the temple.

The incident came to light when the devotees reached the Jain temple located in the Ucha Kuan area of Haldiyon Ka Rasta, in the morning to offer prayers.

According to reports, the accused pulled out a screwdriver from an autorickshaw parked near the Jain temple and used it to break the locks of the temple at around 3 in the morning. After, stealing here, the accused went to the Shiv temple nearby and stole the idols and other valuables from there too.

The Jain temple authorities have said that one of the idols was almost 300 years old. Rajiv Tholiya, one of the temple administrators said that one of the stolen idols was found during excavation and placed in the temple in 2011.

A devotee named Rajendra Jain told TOI that the Jain temple, which is known locally as Ladi Bai temple is nearly a century old.

DCP (North) Paris Deshmukh said that the accused Shehzada Salim lives near Gulzar Colony located near the Galta Gate area. He said that he is a regular offender, who carries out a recce of the areas which he identifies to carry out the theft, on the pretext of picking up garbage.

ACP (Ramganj) Sunil Prasad Sharma informed that the accused has multiple cases registered in his name at Brahmpuri and Galta Gate police stations.

The police said that after they got the information about the theft on Sunday (08 August 2021), they checked the CCTV footage of the area to identify the accused. The police then shared the details of the accused with their informers, who in turn, informed than that Salim has been spotted on Delhi road. A police team left for Delhi road immediately and arrested the accused.

While the police already recovered 5 stolen idols from Shehzada Salim, efforts are on to recover the rest of the stolen items from the accused.

According to Dainik Bhaskar’s report, Additional DCP Sumit Gupta told that on Saturday (7 August 2021), the accused had entered the temple on the pretext of drinking water, when the idols caught his side and he concocted the plan to steal them.

Along with Salim, the police have also arrested one Rahul Sindhi, who bought the stolen idols from Salim.

According to ACP (Ramganj) Sunil Prasad Sharma, a similar theft was reported from another temple located in the same area. A bronze idol was stolen from this particular temple. Now, the police are trying to find out whether Shehzada Salim was involved in this theft too.

It is worth noting that even before this incident, in the last 2-3 months, there have been incidents of theft in major Jain temples in the city.

BJP leader Ashwini Upadhyay, five others formally arrested over alleged communal sloganeering at Jantar Mantar

OpIndia Staff
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BJP leader Ashwini Upadhyay, five others formally arrested over alleged communal sloganeering at Jantar Mantar

Supreme Court lawyer and BJP leader Ashwini Upadhyay along with five others have been formally arrested by the Delhi Police in connection to alleged inflammatory sloganeering in Delhi’ Jantar Mantar.

They were earlier detained by the Delhi Police for alleged ‘communal’ and ‘inflammatory’ sloganeering while protesting at Jantar Mantar. The sloganeering was caught in a video which later went viral on social media causing a furore. 

As per reports, Upadhyay was summoned at 3 am for examination by the Connaught Place police station. Speaking on the detention a police officer informed, “In late-night operation, they all have been detained and now legal documents work is going on before making their arrest. Upadhyay reached Connaught Place police station at around 3 am and joined the investigation.”

The other detained persons have been identified as Deepak Singh Hindu, Vineet Kranti, Preet Singh and Vinod Sharma, who is the head of Sudarshan Vahini. “Deepak Singh Hindu, who claims to be the president of an outfit called the Hindu Force, was detained from his house in Northeast Delhi’s Karawal Nagar. A team was stationed outside Deepak’s house and he was picked up around 12.40 am when he returned home,” informed the official. 

While Upadhyay refused any involvement in the matter, DCP of New Delhi Deepak Yadav informed that the people who gathered at Jantar Mantar had no permission. “It has come to our due notice that some people raised inciting and objectionable slogans as well. We have also received a video and have registered FIR in the case. We are carrying out further investigation into the matter. Necessary action will be taken at the earliest.” he said.

Upadhyay disassociates himself from sloganeering

The former BJP spokesperson has reportedly disassociated himself with the people who raised the communal and anti-Mulsim slogans. Upadhyay in a video said that no communal sloganeering took place till the time he was at the protesting site.

He also claimed that he is not sure of the authenticity of the video and cast aspersions of it being fake or doctored. In case the video is true, Upadhyay has demanded strict action against the perpetrators. 

“It is an attempt to malign our Bharat Jodo Andolan (protest against the colonial-era laws,” alleged Upadhyay in the video. 

Further in a letter to the Delhi Police Upadhyay also said that his rally was attended by more than 5000 people. If a group of 5-6 people, stand in one corner of the expanse and raise communal slogans, then he or his men cannot be held accountable for it, wrote the BJP leader in his letter to the Delhi police.

The rally was from 10 to 12 pm whereas the sloganeering happened around 5 pm, said BJP leader Ashwini Upadhyay.

Video claiming anti-Muslim slogans raised at event organised by Ashwini Upadhyay in Delhi’s Jantar Mantar goes viral

A video showing a group of people shouting inflammatory slogans and threatening Muslims has been doing the rounds on social media with claims that it is from the event which was organized by the BJP leader Ashwini Upadhyay in Jantar Mantar against ‘Colonial-era laws’ on Sunday.

Meanwhile, AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan infamous for flaring communal tensions himself, has written to the Delhi Police demanding strict action and arrest of BJP leader Ashwini Upadhyay. 

Note: Report updated with latest information

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