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USA sends in B-52 Bombers and Spectre Gunships to stop the Taliban from seizing more areas in Afghanistan

OpIndia Staff
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USA sends in B-52 Bombers and Spectre Gunships to stop the Taliban from seizing more areas in Afghanistan

In a desperate attempt to stop the Taliban from taking over Afghanistan, US president Joe Biden has sent B-52 bombers and Spectre gunships to target the terror group. According to reports, a US B-52 bomber attacked Taliban positions in Afghanistan’s western Herat province, after the group gained ground near the area.

The Taliban forces were targeted by the bomber on the outskirts of Herat city on Friday. Following the attack, flights in and out of the city’s airport were halted. “Unfortunately, all flights to Herat have been cancelled due to the fighting and the information we have received suggest that a B-52 was used in the fighting yesterday (Friday) in Herat,” provincial lawmaker Habib Ur Rahman Pedram told Arab News.

No further details regarding causalities and other damage from the attack is not available now.

Boeing B-52 strategic bomber was introduced in the 1950s, and it remains the main bomber of the USA. It can carry 32,000 kg of weapons and has a combat range of up to 14,080 km without aerial refuelling. The bombers deployed in Afghanistan are being supported by the Lockheed AC-130 Spectre gunships, which is a heavily armed variant of the C-130 Hercules transport aircraft. Designed for long-endurance ground attack, it carries a range of ground attack weapons, which includes a 25mm Gatling gun, a 40mm Bofors cannon and a 105mm M102 cannon.

Ever since the US forces withdrew from Afghanistan on the orders of the Biden administration, the Taliban has been making rapid advances in the country. Supported by the Pakistani military, the group had captured many border posts and several provincial cities. In the last two days, the Taliban captured two provincial capital cities. Yesterday they captured Zaranj in Nimroz province “without a fight”, and today the Sheberghan city in Jawzjan fell. After govt forces retreated to the airport in Sheberghan, the Taliban took over key buildings such as the governor’s office, the police headquarters and the central prison in the city.

The Taliban forces are trying to capture Herat, Lashkar Gah and Kandahar. However, now they are being targeted by US aircraft from the air. Reportedly, the B-52s are flying into Afghanistan from an airbase in Qatar, and hitting targets around Kandahar, Herat, and Lashkar Gah in Helmand province. Apart from the bombers and the gunships, the US is also using Reaper drones to run at least 5 missions a day, according to The Times.

The move comes amid the threating situation in Afghanistan, with rapid gains made by the Taliban in the country. The group now controls almost half of the districts in the country, according to estimates by the Pentagon. The deployment of the B-52 bomber and the Spectre gunships by the US shows that the Afghan forces are still reliant on US for combating the Taliban.

Celebrations begin at his home as Neeraj Chopra scripts history, congratulations pour in

OpIndia Staff
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Celebrations begin at his home as Neeraj Chopra scripts history, congratulations pour in

Today marks a historic day for India. Neeraj Chopra, a javelin thrower, earned a historic gold medal in athletics, becoming India’s second-ever individual Olympic gold medalist after shooter Abhinav Bindra, who brought similar fame to India during the 2008 Beijing Games. PV Sindhu came close to joining Bindra on the elite list in Rio Olympics but fell short.

The 23-year-old from Khandra village near Panipat in Haryana stunned the sports world by throwing 87.58 metres in the finals, ending India’s 100-year wait for an Olympic track and field medal.

With this historic win, the country has now exceeded its previous highest haul of six medals from the 2012 London Olympics. Wrestler Bajrang Punia had won India’s 6th medal. As Neeraj Chopra scripted history making the Tokyo 2020 Games India’s best-ever Olympics campaign, congratulatory messages have started to pour in.

PM Narendra Modi took to Twitter to write: History has been scripted at Tokyo! What @Neeraj_chopra1 has achieved today will be remembered forever. The young Neeraj has done exceptionally well. He played with remarkable passion and showed unparalleled grit. Congratulations to him for winning the Gold.

“History has been made, Milkha Singh Ji’s wish is fulfilled as India wins first ever Olympic medal in Athletics! A golden moment 4 India as Neeraj Chopra won Olympic Gold medal for India at #Tokyo2020 Congratulations @Neeraj_chopra1 on this historic achievement! #Cheer4India”, Tweeted former Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju.

The Indian Army has congratulated the Gold Medalist as well, its own Subedar.

Others have congratulated the athlete on his incredible achievement as well.

Meanwhile, celebrations are underway at Neeraj Chopra’s house.

Celebrations at Neeraj Chopra’s house (Source: News18)

Neeraj Chopra’s gold medal win marked an end to India’s run in Tokyo Olympics 2020. Silver-medal winner Mirabai Chanu had won the first medal for the country. Shuttler PV Sindhu, Boxer Lovlina Borgohain, Indian men’s hockey team and wrestler Bajrang Punia won bronze medals. Wrestler Ravi Dahiya won the silver medal.

With this remarkable win, Neeraj Chopra will be taking the flag for India at the Tokyo Olympics closing ceremony.

Watch: Indian National Anthem plays at Tokyo Olympics after Neeraj Chopra’s historic Gold Medal win

OpIndia Staff
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Watch: Indian National Anthem plays at Tokyo Olympics after Neeraj Chopra’s historic Gold Medal win

Neeraj Chopra scripted history at the Tokyo Olympics with a Gold Medal finish at the finals of Javelin Throw event on Saturday. With his medal, India secured the highest medal tally at a single Olympics with 7 medals.

Following his win, the Indian National Anthem was played during the presentation of the medals. It was an emotional moment for a great many, and a moment of immense pride.

It was a goosebumps moment for all Indians to watch the National Anthem being played at the grandest stage of all.

It was the first time ever that the Indian National Anthem was played on the athletics podium at the Olympics.

On Saturday’s finals, Chopra scored a whopping 87.03 meter in the first throw and 87.58 meter in the second. His other throws could not match his feat in the first two rounds but they did not need to. His second throw was enough to won him the Olympic Gold.

Johannes Vetter from Germany, the overwhelming favourite to win, could not manage to qualify for the final eight.

India records its highest tally of medals at a single Olympics: Here’s the list of athletes who won laurels for the country

OpIndia Staff
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India records its highest tally of medals at a single Olympics: Here’s the list of athletes who won laurels for the country

India is competing in various sports at the ongoing Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. It has sent its largest contingent of 124 competitors to the Tokyo Olympics. India has appeared in every edition of the Summer Olympics since 1920, although it made its official debut at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris.

So far, India has won 7 medals—one gold, two silver and four bronze—Neeraj Chopra(Gold), Mirabai Chanu and Ravi Dahiya (Silver) and PV Sindhu, Lovlina Borgohain, the Indian men’s hockey team and Bajrang Punia (Bronze). With this, India has surpassed their previous record haul of 6 Medals at London 2012.

Currently, India is placed 66th on the medals tally. Saturday is the last day when Indian athletes will compete at the remaining events. On Sunday, the closing ceremony of the Games will be held, where Bajrang Punia is set to be India’s flag-bearer.

Here’s the list of Indian athletes who won laurels at the ongoing Tokyo Olympics:

Neeraj Chopra: Gold Medal

Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra created history on Saturday after he won a Gold medal at the ongoing Tokyo Olympics, ending a 100-year wait for India in track and field at Olympics.

Already considered as among the top contenders for the Gold, the 23-year-old Chopra raised the country’s expectations by topping the qualification round with a stunning first-round throw of 86.59m. Chopra started off by throwing 87.03 m in his first round in the finals, followed by 87.58 metres in his second attempt. Although he managed to throw only 76.79 m in his third attempt, his second throw of 87.58 was enough to earn him a gold medal.

Tokyo Olympics
Neeraj Chopra( Source: Aaj Tak)

His personal best of throwing the javelin at 88.07m. He broke his previous record with the throw, with the earlier being 88.06m for winning a gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games and 2018 Commonwealth Games. Chopra was also selected as the flag-bearer at the opening ceremony for India at the 2018 Asian Games, which marked his first Asian Games appearance.

Mirabai Chanu: Silver Medal

Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu opened up India’s medal tally at the Tokyo Olympics with a silver in the women’s 49kg—her first medal at the Olympics. The medal comes as a great achievement to Mirabai, who had failed to log a single legitimate lift in Rio 2016 Olympics.

It was India’s second medal at weightlifting event in Olympics, after Karnam Malleswari’s bronze at Sydney 2000.

Tokyo Olympics
Mirabai Chanu(Image Source: India Today)

Chanu lifted a total of 202 kg (87kg in snatch and 115kg in clean and jerk) during her four successful attempts across the competition. China’s Zhihui Hou bagged gold with a total of 210kg and created a new Olympic Record.

Mirabai Chanu has also won the World Championships and multiple medals at the Commonwealth Games. She was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India for her contributions to the sport. She was awarded the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award by the Government of India in 2018.

Ravi Dahiya: Silver Medal

Earlier this week, Ravi Dahiya became the second Indian athlete to bag a silver medal after he lost 7-4 to ROC’s Zavur Uguev in the men’s 57kg final at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Sushil Kumar is the only other Indian wrestler to win a gold medal in wrestling competitions at the Olympics. Although, Kumar had also won a silver medal at the 2012 Olympics, held in London.

Tokyo Olympics
Ravi Dahiya(Source: Indian Express)

It is worth noting that India banks heavily on its wrestling contingent of athletes to bag her medals at the Olympics. This is the fourth consecutive Olympics where India has won a wrestling medal. India’s previous medals in wrestling came through KD Jadhav (bronze in 1952), Sushil (bronze in 2008 and silver in 2012), Yogeshwar Dutt (bronze in 2012) and Sakshi Malik (bronze in 2016).

Ravi Dahiya, a two-time Asian champion, is also a bronze medalist from the 2019 World Wrestling Championships.

PV Sindhu: Bronze Medal

Ace shuttler PV Sindhu created history on Sunday this week by winning the bronze medal match against China’s He Bing Jiao at the Tokyo Olympics.

Sindhu defeated her opponent 21-13, 21-15 to become the first Indian woman ever to win two individual Olympic medals. She had won a silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Tokyo Olympics
PV Sindhu (Source: The Hindu)

Over the span of her career, Sindhu has won medals at multiple tournaments, including the Olympics and on the BWF circuit including a gold at the 2019 World Championships. Sindhu won her first superseries title at the 2016 China Open and followed it up with four more finals in 2017, winning the titles in South Korea and India. Besides, she has won a silver medal each at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and 2018 Asian Games, and two bronze medals at the Uber Cup. She also rose to a career-high world ranking of no. 2 in April 2017.

Lovlina Borgohain: Bronze Medal

Indian woman boxer Lovlina Borgohain, who hails from the Golaghat district of Assam, won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics after losing in the semifinals to top seed Busenaz Surmeneli of Turkey in the women’s 69kg class.

Borgohain had defeated Chinese Taipei’s Nein-Chin Chen in the quarter-finals to assure herself of a medal. Lovlina also became the third boxer to win a medal at the Olympics for India after Vijender Singh and MC Mary Kom’s bronze at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics respectively.

Tokyo Olympics
Lovlina Borgohain(Image Source: Hindustan Times)

Borgohain’s inspiration to pursue her career in boxing is none other than the legendary American professional boxer Muhammad Ali. She is the first woman from Assam to qualify for the Olympics. She has won a bronze medal at the 2018 AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships and the 2019 AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships. She has also won a gold medal at the 1st India Open International Boxing Tournament held in New Delhi and a silver medal at the 2nd India Open International Boxing Tournament held in Guwahati.

Indian men’s hockey team-Bronze Medal

Indian men’s hockey team ended a 41-year drought of medals at the Tokyo Olympics in a nail-biting contest. After being 3-1 down at one point, India made a spirited comeback to beat Germany 5-4 and claim the bronze medal.

Indian Hockey team(Image Source: Indian Express)

It is their third Olympic bronze medal—after the 1968 and 1972 Games—and their 13th Olympic medal overall. Indian has won as many as eight gold medals in the Olympics, besides a silver medal and three bronze medals in the Olympics. This is India’s 12th medal in the category.

Bajrang Punia: Bronze Medal

Wrestler Bajrang Punia beat Daulet Niyazbekov of Kazakhstan 8:0 in his Bronze medal match to win the sixth medal for India in the Tokyo Games. He defeated Kazakhstan’s Daulet Niyazbekov for a podium finish.

Bajrang Punia(Image Source: News 18)

Apparently, Niyazbekov was the opponent who had won a World Championships bout in controversial circumstances against Bajrang Punia in 2019. Punia avenged his 2019 defeat with a dominant performance for the bronze medal. Punia is the only Indian wrestler to win 3 medals at the World Wrestling Championships.

Neeraj Chopra scripts history, wins Gold Medal in Tokyo Olympics: Youthful exuberance wins the day

OpIndia Staff
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Neeraj Chopra scripts history, wins Gold Medal in Tokyo Olympics: Youthful exuberance wins the day

Neeraj Chopra has created history by winning the first athletic medal for India in a century. Neeraj Chopra has won the Gold Medal at the Tokyo Olympics in the Javelin Throw event on Saturday. In doing so, he ended India’s century long wait for an Olympic medal in athletics.

The last Indian medal in athletics came in 1920. Neeraj Chopra had topped the qualifying round with a 86.59 meter throw, which he registered in his first attempt. On Saturday’s finals, Chopra scored a whopping 87.03 meter in the first throw and 87.58 meter in the second. His other throws could not match his feat in the first two rounds but they did not need to. His second throw was enough to won him the Olympic Gold.

Johannes Vetter from Germany, the overwhelming favourite to win, could not manage to qualify for the final eight.

With Chopra’s medal, India has registered its highest medal tally in the Olympics ever. Mirabai Chanu had opened India’s account at the Tokyo Olympics with a silver medal in weight-lifting. PV Sindhu followed it up with a bronze in Badminton.

Ravi Dahiya won a silver medal in Wrestling. Lovlina Borgohain won a bronze in boxing, Bajrang Punia the same in Wrestling. And, of course, the Indian Hockey Team won a medal in Olympics after 41 years with a Bronze finish.

On Saturday (August 7), Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia defeated Niyazbekov Daulet of Kazakhstan in the men’s freestyle 65 kg match to clinch the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics.

Khel Ratna: The BJP plays too nice and that needs to change

Abhishek Banerjee
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Khel Ratna: The BJP plays too nice and that needs to change

Along with hundreds of millions of Indians, I was delighted when the BJP swept to power in May 2014. The party of the Nehru-Gandhis had been reduced to a rump. They did not even have enough seats to be recognized as the official opposition party. For a generation that had been taught in schools to believe that the Nehru-Gandhis own the sky, it was a moment to relish.

Soon after, there was a photo taken in the Central Hall of Parliament, showing PM Modi taking Rahul Gandhi by the hand. The photo was all over TV channels and the next day it was in every newspaper. I know it was supposed to be a show of unity and grace. But I will be honest with you. That photograph made me very angry. Why?

Consider this. As soon as Sonia Gandhi came to power in 2004, her government removed a memorial plaque for Savarkar in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. The Congress party hates Savarkar. And they made sure everyone knew. And they made sure that the defeated BJP, which sees Savarkar as an icon, was duly humiliated. They did not care about the pettiness of the actions. They knew how to rub it in.

The Congress party did not care how the BJP or its supporters felt. At the time, there were state elections coming up in Maharashtra within three months. Congress did not even care about the electoral implications. They had won, and they would make sure everyone on the losing side felt the pinch.

This is what I call the ruthlessness gap between the Nehru-Gandhis and the BJP. I do not recall any show of grace or humility from Sonia Gandhi when she got power in 2004. Or at any point in the entire decade when she held power from 2004 to 2014. At the official independence day celebrations at Rashtrapati Bhavan in 2012, BJP veterans such as Lal Krishna Advani were not even offered a chair to sit on. They were made to stand outside the enclosure.

That is why yesterday was so satisfying. As soon as PM Modi announced that the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award would be renamed after Major Dhyan Chand, the Congress and its loyalists erupted in helpless rage. The optics of the occasion was just so perfect, with the men’s hockey team winning a medal at the Olympics after 41 years. So the Congress loyalists had to welcome the decision. At the same time, they fumed at the recently named Narendra Modi stadium in Amdavad.

It was wonderful to watch them squirming and helpless, seething on the inside. Now that the Khel Ratna has also been named after Dhyan Chand, what will happen to the existing Dhyan Chand award for excellence in sport, created by Vajpayee government in 2002? One liberal Hindi language anchor wanted to know.

Good question. Indeed, each time the Congress names something else after Rajiv Gandhi, what happens to all the roads, bridges, colleges and airports already named after him? Two things named after the same person? How?

Yes, the Nehru-Gandhi loyalists are so angry that they have lost their minds. This is wonderful. For once, the BJP did not play nice.

Now, there are two ways to play this, pun intended. You could get into a technical argument, pointing out that Narendra Modi stadium in Amdavad is actually privately owned and so on. You could point to liberal privilege. The Nehru-Gandhis have named a thousand things after themselves, all across this land. Now that they have lost elections, they want a new era of idealism in choosing names for various things?

Or you could make this fun. So what if the BJP did indeed change the name of the Khel Ratna award to humiliate the Congress party? Would that be so wrong? Why can’t the BJP be like the Congress for once? The decision to rename the award is not something that affects public policy nor does it cost public money. This is neither illegal nor does it violate any rights or freedoms mentioned in the constitution. What if this is just a way for the BJP to remind the Nehru-Gandhis who won the 2019 election? A way to remind them and rub it in. Would that be wrong?

Instead of justifying the decision to rename the award, or defending the name Narendra Modi stadium, how about BJP supporters just enjoying the helpless rage of Congress loyalists? Because their reactions were downright hilarious.

One loyalist in particular vowed ‘revenge.’ As soon as Congress comes back to power, they will remove the names of BJP leaders from everything. Scared yet, BJP?

Ha! As if Congress needed this provocation. The day Congress gets even a toehold in power again, they will do it anyway. We are talking about the Congress here, which refused to celebrate Kargil Victory Day because that war was fought under a BJP government! You think the Congress would spare names of BJP politicians in public places, so as not to hurt the sentiments of BJP supporters? Funny.

One “senior editor” for a news portal was similarly incensed. The PM said he has honoured the wishes of citizens who wanted him to name the Khel Ratna after Major Dhyan Chand. What of those citizens who want the name of Narendra Modi stadium changed?

Well, madam senior editor, those citizens don’t get to have their way. That’s how elections work. One group wins and the other loses. Everyone is entitled to their opinions and their personal freedoms. For everything else, one group of citizens gets their way and the other does not. You are welcome to try and get things to go your way in 2024, when there will be another free and fair election. And if history is anything to go by, you won’t be shy of exercising power if your side gets to win.

In many ways, elections are like the Olympic Games. You get to compete on an even keel against everyone else. But only the winner gets a medal. The losing side can cry as much as they want. But it doesn’t mean that the winner has to share the medal with you.

Wrestler Bajrang Punia clinches bronze at Tokyo Olympics, India’s total medal tally stands at 6

OpIndia Staff
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Wrestler Bajrang Punia clinches bronze at Tokyo Olympics, India’s total medal tally stands at 6

On Saturday (August 7), Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia defeated Niyazbekov Daulet of Kazakhstan in the men’s freestyle 65 kg match to clinch the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics.

Punia won 2 technical points in the first period but later managed to win 6 points in the second period of the bout. His opponent Daulet failed to score even a single point against the Indian wrestler. With a score of 8-0 on the board, Punia was declared the winner on the basis of technical superiority. The 27-year-old hails from the Jhajjar district of Haryana and is the only Indian to win 3 medals at the World Wrestling Championships.

Screengrab of the Bronze medal results, via Olympics.com

Bajrang Punia contested for the Bronze medal match after he lost the semi-final yesterday. He had lost to Azerbaijan’s Haji Aliyev 5-12 in Men’s 65kg Freestyle semi-final on Friday. He had defeated Kyrgyzstan’s Ernazar Akmataliev and Iran’s Morteza Ghiasi to reach the semi-finals.

The bronze match was played at the Makuhari Messe Hall A. With Punis’s victory, India’s total medal tally has reached 6 i.e. equivalent to the medal tally at the 2012 London Olympics. At this point, India has 2 silver medals and 4 bronze medals. India is now hoping for a gold medal from Neeraj Chopra in the Men’s javelin throw final.

Marathi actress Neha Khan reveals how her Hindu mother was tortured after becoming the third wife of a Muslim man

OpIndia Staff
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Marathi actress Neha Khan reveals how her Hindu mother was tortured after becoming the third wife of a Muslim man

Budding Marathi actress and model Neha Khan, known for playing ACP Divya Singh in Zee Marathi’s TV Series Devmanus, had revealed how her mother had become a victim of Grooming/Love jihad, a phenomenon which has been time and again dismissed by the leftist media as a fictional concept. Her Hindu mother had married a Muslim man with two wives, and after the marriage, she had to face horrific tortures in the family of her in-laws.

OpIndia has been extensively reporting on how this phenomenon of forceful and rampant religious conversions has been plaguing the country. From luring Hindu women disguising as a Hindu man to target them for conversion to Islam by means such as seduction, feigning love, deception, kidnapping, and marriage, there’s no dearth of cases to indicate how the forced religious conversion industry works like a well-oiled and planned machinery. But of course, the mainstream media and the left ecosystem have once again have turned a blind eye to Hindu (even Sikhs and Christians) victims. 

Speaking on Lokmat’s Bai Manoos program, aired on the Marathi newspaper’s YouTube channel on February 6, 2020, the teary-eyed Marathi actress narrated her mother’s sufferings and struggles which began after she accepted to become Neha Khan’s father’s third wife.

Neha Khan revealed during the interview that her mother, who is a Marathi, married her Muslim father, who was already then married to two other women, by going against her family. Since it was an interfaith marriage, both Neha’s paternal and maternal sides of the family did not accept them. Because of this, she along with her brother and mother lived separately, said the Marathi actress.

Neha described how her mother overcame all the challenges life threw at her on her own, without the help of her father.

She revealed that when her parents got married, her father already had a daughter who was of her mother’s age. Her father’s second wife disliked her mother because she did not want to share the property with her. When Neha’s father started giving them attention, his second wife sent goons to their house to attack them, said Neha.

‘My mother received 370 stitches all over her body’: Neha Khan recounts atrocities inflicted upon them by father’s second wife

The desolate actress recounted how her brother had witnessed the horrifying site when the assailants, who had come with an intention to kill her mother, attacked her with swords. Neha said that her mother was so brutally attacked that she had received 370 stitches all over her body.

The Marathi actress here became teary while recounting her families sufferings and the hardships that followed. She said that she and her brother had nowhere to go as their father and also fled, fearing arrest. They had no money, no help. They spend days in the government hospital where their mother was admitted.

Had to beg for a living and to pay mother’s hospital bills: Marathi actress Neha Khan

The brother-sister duo took to begging as they had no money to sustain nor for the treatment of their mother. Neha rued that for the next two years when her mother was on bed rest, they did odd jobs to earn a living. When her mother recovered, she took up a job as a domestic helper, but no one from her father’s family bothered to ask if they were alive or dead.

Speaking on Bai Manoos, an initiative by Lokmat to recognise and laud women achievers from different walks of life in Maharashtra, Neha Khan recounted how, when she was struggling to make a name in the entertainment industry, she used her mother’s surname, fearing that he father’s family would engage in conflict if she used their surname.

Father was extremely narrow-minded, mother had to lie about my work

Besides, the actress reminisced how her mother often lied to her father about her work, as he was extremely narrow-minded. Neha Khan lauded her mother, whom she said was the strongest woman she has ever met. She praised her mother for persevering in the face of adversity and sticking by her side.

Neha Khan hails from Amravati a small city in Maharashtra coming from a Muslim family. She moved to Mumbai in 2014 to pursue her dream career in acting. She joined the Anupam Kher Acting Institute to learn acting. Meanwhile, She continued with modelling and then got the chance to work in a multilingual film called Bad Girl released in 2015 and since then it was been no looking back for the actress.

Yogi Adityanath speaks about Covid-19, grooming Jihad, Priyanka Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav and more: Here is everything he said

OpIndia Staff
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Yogi Adityanath speaks about Covid-19, grooming Jihad, Priyanka Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav and more: Here is everything he said

Ahead of the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha polls, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the BJP machinery in the State have begun preparations for the crucial election. In an interview with Aaj Tak that was aired on Friday (August 6), the UP CM spoke in detail about an array of issues including women safety, law and order, grooming jihad and population control bill, Covid-19 management and so on.

UP CM clarifies on floating dead bodies in Ganga, oxygen crisis during second wave

On being asked about the scary visuals of floating dead bodies in river Ganga during the second wave of pandemic, Yogi Adityanath conceded, “Both Coronavirus and non-Coronavirus deaths are unfortunate. We have to acknowledge that Covid-19 is the biggest pandemic of the century and can’t be compared to normal ailments or diseases… The floating of dead bodies in the sacred river is not a new phenomenon…” The Uttar Pradesh CM emphasised that the practice has been prevalent for a long time among communities, residing next to rivers and water bodies.

He pointed out that the practice made headline in 2012 and 2014 i.e. even before the BJP government came to power. Yogi Adityanath, however, added that the State government has taken all possible steps to bar such a practice. He stated that the dead bodies of individuals found floating on the river belonged to both Coronavrus positive and negative patients. On being asked about a possible ‘governmental coverup’, the Chief Minister clarified that there was no reason for the State government to hide the data of Covid-19 related deaths.

While speaking about the issue of ‘oxygen crisis’, Yogi Adityanath emphasised that the efforts of the State to contain the spread of the deadly virus was applauded even by the World Health Organisation (WHO). He conceded that there was a temporary crisis of medical oxygen supply due to the rising Covid-19 cases during the second wave. However, the Uttar Pradesh CM pointed out how Delhi with 2.5 crore population somehow claimed to have required more oxygen supply than the state with 24 crore population.

In a bid to tackle hoarding and black marketing of oxygen cylinders, Yogi Adityanath had cracked down on hospital falsely perpetuating an artifical demand of oxygen. He said that owing to mass hysteria, individuals who did not even require oxygen supply got admitted to hospitals. The CM also thanked PM Modi for ensuring smooth supply of oxygen to States via oxygen express trains and Indian Air Force (IAF) jets.

Yogi Adityanath on tackling unemployment in UP

On being asked about the issue of ‘unemployment’ in Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath said that despite having the largest population in the country, the State has the lowest unemployment rate. He pointed out the controversies that arose in government job appointments during the 2007-2017 period, ruled by BSP and Samajwadi party. “In the past 4 years, we have given jobs to 4.5 lac people…About 1.5 lac teachers and another 1.5 lac police personnel were appointed including 3000 reserved women.”

Yogi Adityanath also listed out various schemes that benefitted over 60 lac youth in the State. “None can question or find discrepancies in our transparent mode of appointments,” he concluded.

“It is not that we began unveiling new schemes from today. We began it 4 years ago. When we first came to power, we provided a loan waver of ₹36000 crore to lacs of farmers….” UP CM said. He emphasised how the Central government schemes such as Swaach Bharat was not implemented properly between 2014 and 2017 in UP, despite having the most number of people with no access to toilets. After Yogi Adityanath came to power, he took the challenege and built 2 crore toilets in 1.5 years. At the same time, over 40 lac shelterless people were provided housing facilities without any discrimination.

Yogi Adityanath willing to entertain ‘farmer protestors’ but only under one condition

Amidst the ongoing farmer protests, Yogi Adityanth informed how the Modi government is procuring food crops from farmers at 1.5 times the Minimum Support Price (MSP). While eliminating the arhtiyas (middlemen), the procurement is nowmade directly and the amount is transfered to the bank account of the farmer. The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister pointed out how defunct sugar mills were reopened by his government, including the iconic Ramana sugar mill.

On being asked about his willingness to meet the farmer leader Rakesh Tikait, the UP CM candidly responded,”We will welcome every farmer who comes to Lucknow.” But he cautioned that if a farmer takes law into his own hands, then, he will be dealt accordingly by the State. Yogi Adityanath higlighted that Lucknow is the capital of Uttar Pradesh and is distinct from the capital of India i.e., New Delhi. He cautioned that if farmers don’t behave according to the social framework of the city, then, they might be up for trouble.

Yogi Adityanath speaks about Owaisi, Akhilesh Yadav and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra

On being quizzed about Assaduddin Owaisi, Yogi Adityanath conceded that they were poles apart in their respective ideologies and that there would never be a political alliance between both the parties. He conceded that Owaisi is a big leader who enjoys overwhelming ‘support’ from his community members.

When one of the India Today anchors tried to draw parallels between Babri Masjid and Ram Mandir, the vocal UP CM corrected her that Ram Mandir is a reality. Although it is still under the process of construction, it will be the biggest and most modern temple in history. “If you have waited for 500 years, then, can’t you wait for 5 years?” he stated.

Yogi Adityanath was also asked about the consequences of pitting Priyanka Gandhi against him in the run-up to Uttar Pradesh elections. He responded, “She is a national leader. Why does she want to come to UP and waste her skills?” While taking potshots, the UP CM said that international leaders such as her can contest international elections as well. “She must have been to Italy more times than she has been to UP,” he concluded.

On learning that Samajwadi party leader Akhilesh Yadav has claimed to win 300+ seats in the upcoming Vidhan Sabha polls, an entertained Yogi Adityanath remarked, “It is good to have a dream. He could also dream of winning 400 seats. What is the issue?” He pointed out how Akhilesh Yadav had sanctioned the construction of Purvanchal Expressway for ₹15000 crores in 2016. The project, which didn’t start until 2018, is now being built by the Yogi government for ₹11000 crore.

“What was he planning to do with the ₹4000 crores?” he asked Akhilesh Yadav. The UP CM also pointed out how Yadav has been remained absent from his constituency in Azamgarh at the time of Covid-19 outbreak. He emphasised how the SP leader left the people on their own while he comfortably isolated himself in his residence.

Yogi Adityanath dismisses caste politics in UP

On being informed by one of the India Today anchors that Akhilesh Yadav has refused to get inoculated with ‘Modi’s vaccine’, Yogi Adityanath responded, “I have taken both the doses of Covid-19 vaccine. Unka abba jaan ne bhi le liya hai (His father Mulayam Singh Yadav had already got vaccinated).”

The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister was told by anchor Anjana Om Kashyap that the ‘Brahmin’ community is miffed with the BJP. Dismissing such baseless claims, Yogi Adityanath emphasised, “The people of UP have risen above nepotism and casteism. They have not forgotten the effect of caste politics of 1990s on the society. As such, it had created an identity crisis before the people. Those parties have now been rejected by the people.”

UP CM on tackling Love Jihad & Population Control Bill

“You will accept that we don’t want individuals to lure someone else through deceit and false identity. But, now, we are witnessing the results. Cases after cases are unfolding before us. Recently, we have nabbed a huge gang that had its network spread across 25 States. They had targeted deaf and mute children. This is how expanded their network. First, they targeted the children, followed by their family members. All of this was planned through code messages on WhatsApp. The plan was to turn these children into suicide squad members. If we did not have anti-conversion law in the State, some would have accused us of harassing a particular community. Our vision proved to be right as more and more cases are coming to light,” Yogi Adityanath said on grooming Jihad and population control bill. He clarified that the government’s move was not linked to electoral politics.

Crackdown on criminals by Yogi government

On being asked about the crackdown on hardened criminals, Yogi Adityanath assured that the law and order situation has improved drastically in the State. “The agencies will decide how to ensure the safety of 24 crore population of the State. Accidents (and eventual encounters) might happen. This can happen to anyone,” he said with a grin on his face.

The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister emphasised, “We are not making laws keeping in mind an individual or his caste and religion. We make laws in the interest of all people in the State. We are committed to ensuring the safety of our 24 crore people. This benefits everyone, irrespective of their caste or religion. This is why the Prime Minister talked about ‘Sabka saath, sabka vikas aur sabka vishwas‘.” He informed that Muslims constitute 32% of the beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna, despite being only 17% of the population.

“We have not stopped any benefits to them. But, if someone from the community engages in arson, are we going to welcome them? Laws are made for people who don’t follow the law of the land. This is why punishments are sanctioned. This has not been done for anyone’s torture. This has been done to serve justice,” he concluded.

Yogi Adityanath on BJP’s prospects in 2022 elections

While speaking about the party’s prospects in the UP elections, Yogi Adityanath said, “We will fight the elections based on our issues. I am sure that our previous track record of 2014, 2017 and 2019 will repeat.” He further added, “We will win the UP elections with complete majority, people of the state will bless us.”

Siddharth Varadarajan of The Wire, MK Venu, Swati Chaturvedi join hands with ‘independent media’ funded by western govts against Pegasus, NSO Group

K Bhattacharjee
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Siddharth Varadarajan of The Wire, MK Venu, Swati Chaturvedi join hands with ‘independent media’ funded by western govts against Pegasus, NSO Group

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and two other journalists had filed a complaint with prosecutors in France against NSO Group over the Pegasus scandal and all others the investigation would identify. Now, it has been joined by 17 other journalists from 7 others countries, including India. The RSF has forwarded the matter to the UN as well.

The RSF said in a statement, “Seventeen journalists from seven countries who were listed as potential or actual victims of Pegasus spyware have filed complaints with prosecutors in Paris, against NSO Group and all other persons the investigation will identify. Their complaints complement the one Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and two journalists with French and Moroccan dual nationality already filed on 20 July. RSF has also referred their cases to the United Nations.”

RSF spokesperson Pauline Adès-Mével said, “The complaints filed by these journalists, who are from every continent, confirm the scale of the surveillance carried out with NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware.” “The investigation should identify all those involved, whether company executives or senior government officials in the countries concerned. In the face of a scandal so fraught with consequences for press freedom, no doubts must remain. The veil must be lifted completely and justice must be done,” the spokesperson added.

The five journalists from India are Siddharth Varadarajan of The Wire, MK Venu, Sushant Singh, Swati Chaturvedi and RSF’s India correspondent Shubhranshu Choudhary. The statement does not itself provide any clarity with regards to the evidence on the basis of which they have identified potential targets.

The ‘list of targets’ on the basis of which ‘potential targets’ were identified has turned out to a quite a thorn on the side of the activists against Pegasus. NSO Group had instantly denied that the ‘list’ had anything to do with them and Amnesty, one of the organisations that had fed media houses the list, had itself said that the list was not associated with NSO. Therefore, the basis on which extravagant claims of ‘potential targets’ are being made is not as a strong as made out to be.

RSF demands a “strict international regulation of the exportation, sale and use of spyware such as Pegasus and, in the meantime, an international moratorium on the sale of such software. And, finally, RSF is asking them to press the UN Human Rights Council to adopt an ad hoc mechanism to investigate and shed all possible light on the sale and use of spyware.”

RSF is funded by US Government and other European states

The RSF is heavily funded by western government institutions and government-backed organisations. It is supported by the French Development Agency (AFD), European Commission’s European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR), French city of Bayeux, French foreign ministry, French defence ministry, French interior ministry, French culture ministry, Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) among others.

RSF financial report
Source: RSF

One of the other important supporters of RSF is the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), which is funded by the US Government. Its website states, “Funded largely by the U.S. Congress, the support NED gives to groups abroad sends an important message of solidarity to many democrats who are working for freedom and human rights, often in obscurity and isolation.”

It states further, “Created jointly by Republicans and Democrats, NED is governed by a board balanced between both parties and enjoys Congressional support across the political spectrum. NED operates with a high degree of transparency and accountability reflecting our founders’ belief that democracy promotion overseas should be conducted openly.”

The RSF is also supported by the Ford Foundation, which has a history of financing anti-social elements in India. A report on The Grayzone observed, “Reporters Without Borders has for years also been criticized for its bias against governments that are targeted by the US and Europe for regime change. RSF has shown a particularly extreme prejudice against Venezuela, portraying oligarch-owned right-wing media outlets and US-funded opposition groups that have actively participated in numerous violent coup attempts against the democratically elected socialist government as hapless victims of an autocratic regime.”

Rituparna Chatterjee, a left-wing activist who headed the ‘Me Too’ campaign in India, is an RSF correspondent in the country as well. As a feminist activist, she appears to have dedicated her time disproportionately towards calling women ‘menstruators‘ instead of making actual efforts to help women.

Siddharth Varadarajan and SAMDEN

Siddharth Varadarajan, founding-editor of The Wire, is an American. Moreover, he is a core member of South Asia Media Defenders Network (SAMDEN), which is a part of the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI).

CHRI receives funds from the US State Department (American Embassy), the British High Commission in New Delhi, the High Commission of Canada among others. The purpose for the contributions from the US was “Advocacy and Outreach Programme for Detainees in North Eastern States of India”, for the UK it was “Research on Pace of Justice issues in India and their impact on Foreign National detainees and victims of crime” and the Canadian contribution was for “Reimbursement of Expenditure”.

Retired Justice Madan Lokur, a senior member of CHRI, was recently appointed by the West Bengal Government under Mamata Banerjee to head an investigation into Pegasus.

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