Bloomberg News on Saturday shared an article and claimed in its caption that New York City has the best Indian food in the world. The actual article did not make the same claim and its headline only said that New York City now has better Indian food than London.
Source: Twitter
Expectedly, the caption attracted harsh criticism from Indians on social media, who were flabbergasted by the claim that the best Indian found is not to be found in India but in the United States of America.
They heavily criticised Bloomberg for the preposterous claim. Most said that the caption was ridiculous.
Sorry? The world isn’t just the Anglosphere. But on the back of this title, Indian chefs must be ‘civilized’ by the West and taught how to prepare their own dishes, should they want Bloomberg’s approval.
The title is not by chance, but by design. What may seem frivolous, is not https://t.co/DPBpECtIUc
To be fair to the author of the article, he does not anywhere claim that the best Indian food is to be found in New York. He merely remarked that New York City has better Indian food to offer than London. The Bloomberg caption, on the other hand, takes it multiple steps further, adds a bit of masala into it and turns it into something with a completely different message.
As all parties gear up to contest the crucial upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, scheduled in the month of February to March 2022, an independent survey conducted by a private company named Matrise News Communication, has declared Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath as the best CM, while, placing the general secretary of the All India Congress Committee in charge of Uttar Pradesh Priyanka Gandhi at the bottom of the ladder.
As per the survey, 43% of respondents have chosen Yogi Adityanath as the most sought after CM candidate for the state, while only 14% batted for Priyanka Gandhi. BSP chief Mayawati and Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav, both former CMs of the state, bagged 21% and 20% votes respectively.
According to the survey, the incumbent CM of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Aditayanth has been ranked as the best performing chief minister of the state with 46% votes in his favour, followed by BSP’s Mayawati with 28% votes, then Akhilesh Yadav with 22% votes.
Respondents were asked to assess how satisfied or dissatisfied people of UP are with Yogi Adityanath’s approach to battle the second wave of Covid-19, 45% of respondents expressed extreme satisfaction while 28% said they were happy. All in all, 73% of respondents felt that Yogi was successful in handling the Covid-19 second wave.
Besides, there were many other parameters based on which the survey was conducted. When asked about the Dalit vote distribution, the response showed that Mayawati’s BSP had a slight edge over the Dalit votes. While as many as 43% of respondents felt that Dalits are increasingly looking at the BJP as an alternative, 45% of respondents voted in favour of BSP.
Moreover, 42% of respondents answered in the negative when asked whether Dalits are unhappy with BJP.
Similarly, when asked as to which party is likely to bag maximum votes of the Brahmin community in the upcoming Assembly elections, 64% of respondents favoured BJP led by Yogi Aditynath in the state, while a meagre 12% of respondents believed that Congress could woo the Brahmin community ahead of the UP Assembly Elections 2022.
On being questioned in relation to ensuring the security and safety of women in Uttar Pradesh, over half of the respondents vouched for the incumbent Yogi Adityanath government. While the Congress party was not even in the league, 34% of respondents felt women would be safe under BSP rule while 12% voted for Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party.
When the respondents were asked if the Lok Sabha polls are conducted immediately which party will emerge as the winner based on its performance in handling the second wave of the pandemic, 48% opined BJP under Yogi Adityanath would emerge the winner.
Similarly, when asked if Rajya Sabha or the legislative Assembly polls are conducted immediately which party will emerge as the winner based on its performance in handling the second wave of the pandemic, 43% opined BJP under Yogi Adityanath would emerge triumphant by sweeping 278-288 of the 403 seats in Uttar Pradesh.
Yogi Adityanath was made the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh in 2017 after BJP came to power in the state with a thumping majority. The bJP won 319 seats in the 2017 Assembly elections while SP and BSP, the two main contenders, could bag only 47 and 19 seats respectively. Meanwhile, the Congress party had notched up barely 7 seats in the last Assembly elections.
On October 8 last year, about 13 people were arrested for allegedly conspiring to abduct Michigan State Governor Gretchen Whitmer. The said arrests were made by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on suspicion that the accused were planning to overthrow the State government over strict Covid-19 rules. A news investigation by Buzzfeed news has now revealed that about 12 FBI informants were not only a part of the conspiracy but also instigated the kidnapping plot.
Out of the 13 arrested men, it was alleged that 6 of them were a part of a right-wing militia group called the ‘Wolverine Watchmen’. It was also claimed that the kidnapping plot was hatched in Dublin city in the US State of Ohio. Several media publications had even alleged that the conspiracy was a prelude to the Capitol Hill riots that took place on January 6 this year. However, an extensive report by Buzzfeed has now revealed that the FBI informants had actively instigated the abduction plot and entrapped the other accused.
Buzzfeed noted, “The government has documented at least 12 confidential informants who assisted the sprawling investigation. The trove of evidence they helped gather provides an unprecedented view into American extremism, laying out in often stunning detail the ways that anti-government groups network with each other and, in some cases, discuss violent actions. An examination of the case by BuzzFeed News also reveals that some of those informants, acting under the direction of the FBI, played a far larger role than has previously been reported.”
It further added, “Working in secret, they did more than just passively observe and report on the actions of the suspects. Instead, they had a hand in nearly every aspect of the alleged plot, starting with its inception. The extent of their involvement raises questions as to whether there would have even been a conspiracy without them.” The revelation debunks the claims of Democrats such as Gretchen Whitmer and Joe Biden, who had squarely blamed Trump supporters for the alleged conspiracy.
Revelations made by Buzzfeed about FBI’s involvement in the Michigan kidnapping plot
Reportedly, the right-wing militia group ‘Wolverine Watchmen’ was joined by an Iraqi war veteran, who was an FBI mole in the group. Other than just reporting to the investigative authorities amount the nefarious plans of the group, he became deeply involved with the activities. Impressed by his dedication, he was made the second-in-command at the ‘Wolverine Watchmen’. The FBI informant encouraged the group members to collaborate with other suspects and even covered the transportation costs for such meetings.
In what appears to be a clear case of entrapment, he instigated the group members to advance their kidnapping plans and then pushed them into a trap, which led to their eventual arrest. He worked for over 6 months with the militants and wore a wire at all times to keep the FBI in the loop. The US veteran wasn’t the only FBI informant in the group.
A biker from Wisconsin was also an undercover FBI agent. He helped organise meetings across the country and laid the initial foundation of the kidnapping plot. He even paid for food and lodging to encourage more people to join the Michigan conspiracy. It is reported that at least 12 confidential informants assisted the investigation into the matter.
There was another FBI informant who guided the group members about possible locations to place explosives while a man who went by the alias of ‘Mark’ also worked under FBI’s directions. All the 14 men, with the exception of one, have pleaded not guilty to the conspiracy and claim that “no actual conspiracy to kidnap the governor ever existed.”
According to them, texts and recordings cited as evidence of criminal conspiracy by the Government is actually constitutionally protected speech in the USA. The report further states that “one defendant has formally accused the government of entrapment, arguing that the FBI assembled the key plotters, encouraged the group’s anti-government feelings, and even gave its members military-style training. Additional defendants have said they plan to make similar claims when the cases, divided between federal and state court, go to trial starting as soon as October.”
Accusations against Donald Trump and his supporters
Ever since the arrest of the accused men in the Michigan kidnapping plot, Governor Whitmer blamed the Donald Trump administration for supposedly failing to condemn ‘right-wing groups’. While pushing forward the ‘domestic terror’ narrative forward, she urged people to not refer to the accused men as members of a militant group. She blamed the Republican leadership and claimed that ‘Wolverine Watchman’ was finding comfort and support in the rhetorics of the party.
Whitmer had also accused Trump of fueling divisiveness in the country and inciting domestic terrorism. Trump had been a vocal critic of her stringent Coronavirus lockdown measures in Michigan.
Commentators and journalists have warned in recent times that the Democrats plan to unleash a new war on terror, this time against their own citizens. The war on terror refers to American military misadventures in Afghanistan and the Middle East in the wake of the 9/11 terror attack.
“What they want to do is increase their power to monitor political groups, infiltrate them, to criminalize activities that are currently not criminalized nor should they be, whether it be advocacy of speech or other things,” Glenn Greenwald had said during an appearance on Tucker Carlson Tonight.
Their strategy is “to inflate the risk of what they call ‘White Supremacist Terrorism’ which increasingly means nothing more than being a Trump supporter and then treating people in the United States who fall into that category the way you treat terrorists.” “You monitor them, you surveil them, you restrain them, you detain them and this is what they are saying explicitly,” Greenwald had said.
In June, Greenwald had echoed the same message saying that the new domestic war on terror had already begun.
On July 24, Mirabai Chanu won the first medal of the Tokyo Olympics for India. While everyone congratulated her on the achievement, the propagandists started to look for ways to demean her victory. They found the easiest target when Birendra Prasad Baishya, President of Indian Weightlifting Federation thanking PM Modi and other athletes for participating in the Tokyo Olympics.
Baishya, while talking to NDTV, said, “Mirabai Chanu waited 21 years to get this medal. We are grateful to the Prime Minister and the Indian athletes who took part in Tokyo Olympics.” Rohini Singh, an alleged journalist, could not digest the fact that Prime Minister or Union government can have a role in an athlete’s good performance. She quoted NDTV’s tweet and said, “Grateful to the prime minister for what exactly? Lifting weights on her behalf?”
Reaction of Rohini Singh
‘Activist’ Rejimon Kuttappan was no different. He said, “So, Modiji is coaching Olympics athletes.”
Reaction of Rejimon Kuttappan
Cartoonist Manjul was so sure that he would find a way to demean India and its athletes that he created a cartoon before anyone won a medal. In a cartoon published on July 13, an athlete was seen standing on the podium holding a placard thanking PM Modi. Notably, Tokyo Olympics started on July 23.
Cartoon by Manjul
Congress’ Lavanya Ballal said, “Thank you Narendra Modi for coaching Mirabai Chanu,” in a sarcastic way.
Reaction of Lavanya Ballal
However, while the credit and all praises should go to the athletes for sheer grit and determination for bringing glory to India, one must acknowledge the state and central government as well as other agencies which strive to make sure that the athletes get the training they need to make their dreams come true.
Did you know that last year due to COVID lockdown, Mirabai Chanu was not able to get proper training and work on her weakness? As per reports, the then Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju sent Chanu and her coach Vijay Sharma were able to go to the US right before they banned travellers from India on May 4 due to the pandemic surge. In US, since the restrictions were fewer, Mirabai was able to train herself and prepare herself from the Tokyo Olympics which earned her the Silver.
Hence, in such a situation, it would not be wrong to thank the country’s Prime Minister, who much to the heartburn of ‘liberals’ happens to be Narendra Modi. Here is a glimpse of various initiatives of Central government under PM Modi over past few years that has helped the Indian athletes.
TOPS – Target Olympic Podium Scheme
Adequate funding is crucial for a sportsperson to achieve professional success in the International arena. All sporting categories, with the exception of cricket, has suffered from neglect and lack of training facilities. The athletes are often faced with sponsorship challenges, thereby making it difficult for them to excel. Having understood the underlying reason behind India’s poor performance in Olympics Games, the Indian government launched the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) in September 2014. Mirabai Chanu is one of the beneficiaries of TOPS.
The programme was monitored by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, wherein it provided financial support and assistance to top athletes in the country. With the objective of helping sportspersons secure Olympic medals for the country, a TOPS Elite Altheltes’ Identification Committee and a Mission Olympic Cell were set up. The body was tasked to identify top athletes and parathletes and provide them with several benefits.
It includes training by reputed coaches at world-class facilities, purchase of equipment, supporting the services of physical trainers, sports psychologists, mental trainers and physiotherapists. At the same time, the athletes are provided with a monthly incentive of ₹50,000. The scheme covers sporting activities such as table tennis, tennis, weightlifting, wrestling, hockey, archery, athletics, badminton, boxing, shooting and para-sports.
The TOPS programme has witnessed tremendous success, with athletes such as PV Sindhu and Sakshi Malik winning medals for India at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Similarly, India won two gold medals, one silver and one bronze medal, at the 2016 Paralympic games. At the 2018 Commonwealth Games, 47 of 70 athletes supported by the TOPS programme won medals for the country.
NCOE – National Centres of Excellence
National Centres Of Excellence have been established by the Sports Authority of India to impart specialized training to promising athletes by providing state of the art infrastructure and playing facilities, sports science backup, individualized diet prescribed by trained nutritionists and overall supervision under the best coaches, qualified support staff and High-Performance Directors. These centres operate as regular coaching camps for the best available talent across India. There are 23 such centres across the country concentrating on different sports.
Extension centres of STC (Training Centres Scheme)
Early training for talented athletes goes a long way in achieving international goals. To ensure the best talent gets the best training, the government introduced the scheme of extension centres of STCs covering 17 disciplines to cover schools and colleges with a view to developing sports standards in schools and colleges having requisite basic sports infrastructure. The scheme has shown good results across disciplines. Trainees of the age group of 10 years to 18 years are selected for regular training under this program.
Khelo India
The program has been introduced to bring back the sports culture in India at the grassroots level. Talented players identified in priority sports disciplines at various levels by the High-Powered Committee will be provided annual financial assistance of INR 5 lakh per annum for eight years. Khelo India games are being held since 2018. Under-17 athletes are invited to participate across 16 disciplines.
Fit India Movement
Launched in August 2019 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the program aims at the overall improvement of health among Indians via sports. It helps in spreading awareness about fitness at the grass-root level. The aim is to spread awareness about fitness to every school, college/university, panchayat/village, etc. Several campaigns under the program have been launched to improve fitness among the people of India, thus bringing them closer to sports culture.
On state and national levels, pensions and jobs for athletes have also increased to encourage their contribution to the medal tally.
On the occasion of Worldwide Demonstrations, people in various states in India, as well as tens of thousands across several countries have launched protests against anti-Covid measures. People in 45 countries and 120 cities have reportedly come together to agitate against the various government’s decisions to implement lockdowns and vaccinate people to curb the spread of Covid-19 pathogen. NGO Awaken India Movement had called for demonstrations in multiple cities across India in solidarity with the people of India and the World.
According to reports, hundreds of people, mostly those belonging to some independent local church and social activists in Kohima and Dimapur in Nagaland on July 24 (Saturday), joined their counterparts in different states of India and worldwide, on the world ‘Freedom Rally’.
The ‘Freedom Rally’ has been called by Awaken India Movement, to protest against Covid restrictions, mandatory vaccination, mask mandate and Covid testing.
Some of the placards that were seen during the rallies conducted in Kohima and Dimapur on Saturday read: “High court directed ramping up of covid testing and not ramp up mandatory vaccination”; “Mandatory vaccination is tyranny”; “No more lockdowns. It has brought poverty and hunger”; “Vaccinating cannot guarantee safety of one’s life” and “WHO says masks are not for healthy people” etc.
Besides Nagaland, Awaken India Movement has called for demonstrations in multiple cities across India in solidarity with the world. On Saturday itself, the members of the NGO in Shillong attempted to carry out a demonstration against mandatory COVID-19 vaccination and lockdown.
AIM members gathered at Motphran at 12 pm to carry out a ‘peaceful’ demonstration. They had intended to march to GS Road via Police Bazar, Meghalaya Secretariat, IGP Point, Dhanketi, Laitumkhrah and finally to Madan Iewrynghep (Fire Brigade). However, their plan was impeded due to Union home minister Amit Shah’s visit to the state. The cops reportedly did not allow the members of the NGO to proceed with their plans.
Similar protests by team members of Awaken India Movement’s Telangana unit was carried out today, July 25 (Sunday) at Dharna Chowk in Hyderabad. According to reports, protestors held posters seeking ‘freedom from lockdown’ and demanded that the government should look for alternatives that would save lives as well as livelihoods.
Meanwhile, members of the NGO of the branch in Mumbai also protested against similar issues. They too urged the government to look for other options to substitute lockdowns and mandatory vaccinations as solutions to battle the pandemic.
Similar protests against anti-Covid measures are being held worldwide
It is pertinent to note here that such protests are not confined to India but has broken out all across the world. People in countries like Australia, France, Italy and the UK have taken to the streets to protest against the Covid restrictions undertaken by various countries to fight the pandemic that has, in the last one and a half years, wreaked havoc across the globe devouring businesses, lives and economies as a whole.
In Paris, one message painted on the protestor’s clothes read: “No to compulsory vaccination, freedom violated!”, while another’s placard said: “Macron, no to the health dictatorship.” Reports suggest that tens of thousands of people in France have hit the streets on July 24 (Saturday), to agitate against the new coronavirus rules announced by the government earlier this week.
“I will never get vaccinated,” Bruno Auquier, a 53-year-old town councillor who lives on the outskirts of Paris said. Raising doubts on the safety of vaccinations, he added that “People need to wake up.”
On July 22, reports surfaced suggesting that some Greek protestors also clashed with the police in Athens on July 21, Wednesday. About 1,500 people had reportedly taken part in the protest outside parliament, the second in a week against Greece’s COVID-19 inoculation drive.
The protests were prompted by a decision taken by the government of Greece earlier in July 2021, ordering mandatory vaccination of healthcare workers and nursing home staff. The government had also suggested other groups including teachers, may need to be compulsorily vaccinated too.
Nine people died and a crucial bridge was destroyed when large boulders fell on them from a hill in Kinnaur district in Himachal Pradesh. The incident happened at around 2.15 PM at Batseri village in Sangla Valley, when a landslide caused large boulders to tumble down from the top of a mountain near the village.
According to early reports, 9 tourists from the Delhi NCR region died in the incident when the large rocks fell on their vehicle. Three others were injured in the unfortunate incident. They have been admitted and rushed to a hospital in Sangla. The vehicle was on the way to Chitkul, a popular tourist destination, when the rocks fell on it.
Chitkul, a village located on the right bank of Baspa River, is the last village of the Baspa Valley and the last village on the old Hindustan-Tibet trade route. It is also the last point in India one can travel to without a permit.
Reportedly, a large number of vehicles have been destroyed in the area by the rockslide.
The calamity also caused the Valley bridge in the Batseri village to collapse when large rocks fell on it following the landslide on the hill. The bridge was on the Baspa river, and it is on the road between Seringche and Batseri.
Himachal Pradesh: Valley bridge Batseri in Sangal valley of Kinnaur collapses. Nine tourists from Delhi NCR are reported to be dead & three others are seriously injured. pic.twitter.com/RQxT9BNEwI
— Prasar Bharati News Services पी.बी.एन.एस. (@PBNS_India) July 25, 2021
A terrifying video of the incident has been posted by Prasar Bharati, where large rocks can be seen hurtling down the mountain on the valley below. The video was captured by someone on a mobile phone from a house just near the bridge, and it shows a large high-speed rock smashing the bridge into two.
Senior officials of the administration including Deputy Commissioner Abid Hussain have rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation.
Reportedly, tourists were advised not to go near the landslide-prone areas and police had blocked the routes, but some people managed to evade the blockades to reach the area. Landslide warning had been issued in Himachal Pradesh following heavy rains.
Gandi Baat actress Gehana Vasisth, who is embroiled in the Raj Kundra pornography case, has said that she will reveal the names of people involved in the porn industry when she meets Mumbai Crime Branch officials. She was reportedly summoned on Sunday but could not do so as she is currently away from Mumbai.
Gehana Vasisth told Entertainment Times, “When I meet the Crime Branch officials I will give them names of the girls and the people involved in the porn industry. Both men and women are involved in the industry and those names will be shared with the police. Those girls who are playing the victim card today are worried that once their names come out they are bound to turn into the accused in the case.”
“And there are others, who are making allegations, but are involved in making porn content, which is available on the internet. I have all the names and am going to file an official complaint against all those involved in the porn industry. Why should one person be targeted and both Raj Kundra and I are still accused in the case and not convicted,” she added.
The actress, explaining her inability to meet the investigating officials, said, “I received the message only late last night but no official summons has been sent to me. As you know I am out of Mumbai and it is not possible to book a ticket immediately and due to COVID 19 protocols an RTPCR test is compulsory, too. My bank accounts have been frozen so I need to make arrangements before I travel back to Mumbai in the couple of days. I will definitely meet the Crime Branch officials and I am looking forward to answering all their questions.”
Earlier in 2021, it was reported that Vasisth allegedly lured struggling actors to perform in porn movies with the prospect of monetary compensation. It was suggested that Gehana Vasisth aka Vandana Tiwari lured new and struggling actors who were seeking to make a career in the entertainment industry. She would pay them Rs 15,000-20,000 to work for her movies, a police officer privy to the case was reported to have said.
Following the defeat of ace archers Deepika Kumari and Pravin Jadhav at the Quarterfinal stage of the Mixed Archery event of the Tokyo Olympics, Times of India (TOI) chose to mock the athletes over their performance.
On Sunday (July 25), the leading national daily published a contentious article titled, “Tokyo Olympics: India’s archers dig their own grave, again.” The article authored by Archiman Bhaduri sought to compare the defeat at a sporting event to digging one’s own grave. While the headline seemed to be a deliberate attempt to insult the athletes, the tone of the article was both condescending and demeaning to the sportspersons.
After losing out to Kim Je Deok and An San of South Korea, TOI mocked the Indian archers by claiming that they were ‘below par’ and handed over the victory to the opponents ‘on a platter’. “In fact, the Indian archers presented the two Korean Olympic debutants the victory on a platter, although both sides were below par. Archery’s powerhouse Korea won two sets despite scoring a low 35 out of a possible 40. This only showed how India allowed them to escape with victory,” the article claimed.
Screengrab of the contentious article by The Times of India
A supposed expert in archery, Archiman Bhaduri went on to claim that there was no coordination between Deepika Kumari and Pravin Jadhav. “There was little coordination among the Indian archers as they failed to boost each other after a poor shot. Deepika and Jadhav did not look comfortable as a team in their first match too, although they managed to come back from 1-3 down to beat the Chinese Taipei,” he added. The article further accused Jadhav of ending the Indian campaign at the Olympics with his shot.
While criticism is a part and parcel of any professional sportsperson’s career, an attempt to demean or undermine his/her achievements only weakens their confidence and morale. Both Praveen Jadhav and Deepika Kumari hail from humble backgrounds and managed to represent India at the largest stage of the sporting world. Kumari is currently the No.1 ranked archer in the world. After having undergone rigorous training for 4 years, they managed to reach the Quarterfinals.
This feat in itself is a matter of immense pride. But, with the headline and destructive criticism, TOI only managed to undermine the efforts of the two athletes.
A flex board placed in front of the Valanchery Maha Vishnu Temple in Malappuram, Kerala describing CM Pinarayi Vijayan as ‘God of Kerala’ has stirred up a hornet’s nest of angry opposition and criticism for the communist government in the state.
According to reports, the larger than life flex hoarding, with a huge portrait of the chief minister, placed atop the board with the name of the Vishnu temple read: “You asked who is God. The people said the one who provides food.”
Poster hailing Kerala CM come up outside a temple
‘All prominent temples have turned red’: temple authorities fears disruption of law and order
However, this was not the only poster that was placed in and around the temple. A second flex board went on to describe the Communist government in the state as ‘God’. It asked what further proof was needed in elections that the gods were communists.
Posters hailing Kerala CM come up outside a temple
Yet another hoarding with photographs of Pinarayi Vijayan and his cabinet ministers said that the places where prominent temples were located had “turned Red” this election.
These posters stirred up a major controversy. Authorities at the Pachiri Maha Vishnu temple confirmed that the board came up during the swearing-in of the second LDF government in May. The local CPM leaders, meanwhile, tried to wash off their hands by refuting the claims. They denied having any role in the incident.
Talking to TOI, the president of the Pachiri Vishnu temple committee Raveendran M expressed concern over the installation of flex boards, especially the second some, which, he opined, may lead to disruption of law and order.
“Some people raised a protest against the second board which mentioned electoral outcomes in temple towns and said that they will burn down the board. As we were concerned that it could lead to law and order issues, we approached the Valancherry police and the SI asked them to remove the second board. Though it was removed soon, the CM’s board remained there until last week. After it was widely shared on social media it was shifted to a spot 20 metres away”, said Raveendran M.
Kerala government criticised for the handling of Covid pandemic
Over the last few months, the communist government in Kerala led by CM Pinarayi Vijayan has received severe criticism over its incompetence to handle the pandemic. OpIndia reported how, despite raging infections in Kerala and the state government’s inability to manage the pandemic, the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government had given in to the pressure of the Muslim community in the society and had lifted lockdown restrictions for three days to celebrate Bakrid or Eid-ul-Adha from July 18 to July 21. The Kerala government had announced relaxations for the Bakrid festival in a press conference organised on July 17.
Kerala recorded almost 17,000 new Covid-19 cases taking the tally to a two-month high on the day lockdown was relaxed. This raised fears that the Kerala state government’s biased decision, may turn Eid-ul-Adha/Bakri Eid celebrations into Covid-19 super-spreader events across the country.
A 16-year-old girl has been allegedly raped and blackmailed on the basis of a video clip shot by three men in Bikaner district, Rajasthan, reports Hindi daily Dainik Bhaskar.
The teenager’s father lodged a complaint at Jaynarayan Vyas (JNV) colony police station in Bikaner, alleging that Taufeen Naych alias Vicky, a resident of Old Ginani, along with his two aides, befriended his daughter on social media and raped her multiple times during the period from 22 January 2021 to 13 July 2021. He said that after befriending his daughter, the three youths one day entered his house and made obscene videos and photos of his daughter. They then used these personal photos and video to blackmail her for sexual favours.
At first, the girl was too scared to speak out, but finally, she decided to break her silence and confide in her parents, who, in turn, approached the police to lodge a complaint against the three accused.
According to the Dainik Bhaskar report, the investigation has been handed over to CO Sadar Pawan Bhadauria, who confirmed that efforts are being made to nab the accused how are on the run.
Rajasthan is not new to such incidents of atrocities on women. Earlier this month, OpIndia had reported how Alwar in Rajasthan has turned into a hotspot for crime against women. We listed out several such cases where women including minors were brutally raped in the region.
Meanwhile, the Mewat region, which falls over Rajasthan and Haryana, has also been a hotbed of organised crime, cattle smuggling and illegal Rohingyas. Several cases of attempted love jihad and forced conversion of non-Muslim into Islam have come to the fore from this region.
