Home Blog Page 423

Legal heat on Kunal Kamra: Multiple cases filed for derogatory remarks against Eknath Shinde

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Legal heat on Kunal Kamra: Multiple cases filed for derogatory remarks against Eknath Shinde

‘Comedian’ Kunal Kamra is in hot water after his latest stand-up act took aim at Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. On Saturday, three separate cases were lodged against him at Khar police station in west Mumbai, escalating the legal troubles surrounding his performance.

According to Mumbai Police, one complaint came from the Mayor of Jalgaon city, while the other two were filed by a Nashik-based hotelier and a businessman.

Meanwhile, Khar police have summoned Kamra twice for questioning, but the comedian has yet to appear—further intensifying the controversy.

Despite the legal storm, Kamra found some respite on Friday when the Madras High Court granted him interim anticipatory bail until April 7. Justice Sunder Mohan issued the order with specific conditions, offering Kamra a temporary shield from arrest. Kamra, who projected self-righteousness in a statement claiming he won’t apologise, finds himself at the centre of a raging political and legal whirlwind.

Back in Mumbai, authorities have now issued a third summons, demanding Kamra’s presence at Khar police station on March 31 for further questioning. This follows a case filed by Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel, with Kamra previously ignoring the first two summons.

Kamra’s latest stand-up performance—uploaded to YouTube and Instagram—didn’t provoke laughter; it touched off outrage and instigated vandalism in Mumbai. Supporters of Eknath Shinde were furious, with some even vandalising the Mumbai venue where the act was filmed. In a dramatic escalation, they issued threats, warning Kamra that he would not be allowed to “walk freely.”

In his set, Kamra took a witty swipe at Maharashtra’s fractured political landscape, referencing the splintering of the Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

Karnataka: Elderly couple commits suicide after losing Rs 50 lakh in cyber fraud

ANI
-
0
Karnataka: Elderly couple commits suicide after losing Rs 50 lakh in cyber fraud

An elderly couple died by suicide in Beedi village in the Belagavi district of Karnataka after allegedly losing over Rs 50 lakh to cyber fraud.
According to the police, the victims, identified as Diego Santan Nazareth (82) and his wife Flavia (79), were found dead in their home in Christian Galli.

According to Belagavi Superintendent of Police (SP) Bhimashankar Guled, the couple left behind a two-page suicide note detailing their ordeal.

“The bodies of an elderly couple were found in their home in Beedi village, and it appears to be a case of suicide at first glance. We have also found a two-page death note. According to the contents of the death note, they seem to have been victims of a cybercrime. It appears they lost over Rs 50 lakh due to cyber fraud, and the actual amount could be even higher. We are also investigating their bank accounts,” he said.

Preliminary investigations suggest they were tricked by cybercriminals posing as crime branch officials.

“The preliminary investigation suggests that the couple was mentally distressed after falling victim to cyber fraud. They had repeatedly tried to contact the fraudster through WhatsApp video calls. The last message they sent stated, ‘If you do not answer our calls, we will end our lives,” he said.

SP Guled urged the public to remain vigilant against cyber fraud and report any suspicious activity to the police immediately. “If they had informed us, we could have protected them. This incident is a wake-up call for society,” he added.

“We have registered a case based on the death note and also under charges of abetment to suicide. The case has been transferred to the Cyber Economic and Narcotics (CEN) police station, and the investigation will continue under my supervision. We will make every effort to identify and arrest the perpetrators as soon as possible,” said Belagavi SP Bhimashankar Guled.

“Our two special teams are already visiting various banks to collect information. The death note reveals that the cybercriminals contacted the couple, claiming that their ID had been used to commit a cybercrime. The fraudsters provided them with a phone number, claiming it belonged to the Crime Branch Police. Believing them to be genuine officers from Delhi, the couple called the provided number. The criminals then intimidated the couple and extorted money from them,” SP Guled said.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Jaipur: Clashes erupt after miscreants vandalised the idol of Veej Tejaji Marahaj, locals block roads demanding action

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Jaipur: Clashes erupt after miscreants vandalised the idol of Veej Tejaji Marahaj, locals block roads demanding action

Clashes erupted in the Sanganer area of Jaipur in Rajasthan after some unidentified miscreants vandalised a statue of revered Veer Tejaji Maharaj late on Friday (28th March). Outraged locals took to the streets, blocked the Jaipur-Tonk road, closed the market and burnt tyres, staging a protest against the incident. Members of Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal also joined the protests. A heavy police force has been deployed in the area to control the situation.

As per reports, the police received the information about the statue being vandalised in the early hours of Saturday (29th March). Locals alleged that some unidentified miscreants damaged the idol inside the Tejaji temple in sector 3 of the Pratapgarh area late in the night on Friday. Angry people blocked the Jaipur-Tonk road for nearly 3 hours. The police had to use mild force to remove the people blocking the road.

Nagaur MP Hanuman Beniwal condemned the vandalism of the idol and called for action against the culprits. “Such an act by anti-social elements is a mockery of the public faith, which will not be tolerated, “said Beniwal. Leader of Opposition in the state assembly, Tikaram Jully, criticised the incident, calling it an attack on collective faith and heritage. He said that an attack on faith will not be tolerated. He urged the state government to take note of the situation and take strict action against those responsible. He demanded stronger security arrangements for religious places.

The police analysed CCTV footage and arrested one Siddharth Singh in connection with the vandalism.

Who is Veer Tejaji Maharaj

Veer Tejaji Maharaj is a revered figure in several states, including Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. He was born on 29th January 1074 in Kharnal village of the Nagaur district of Rajasthan. He is considered among the 6 miraculous Siddhas of Rajasthan. He devoted his life to the causes of farmers and cow protection. He died on 28th August 1103 in Sursura, Ajmer, while fighting to protect cows.

Saif Ali Khan stabbing case: Accused files bail plea, claims case is ‘false’

ANI
-
0
Saif Ali Khan stabbing case: Accused files bail plea, claims case is ‘false’

Shariful Islam Shehzad, who has been in the news since January for allegedly attacking actor Saif Ali Khan during a theft attempt at his Bandra home, has filed a bail plea in the Mumbai Sessions Court.

In his plea, submitted through his lawyer, Ajay Gawali, Shehzad claims that he is innocent and that the case against him is fabricated.

The bail application states that the FIR was registered improperly. It also states that Shehzad has fully cooperated with the investigation and that all evidence is already with the police, making any tampering impossible.

The case is currently being heard in the Bandra Magistrate Court. However, it will be transferred to the Sessions Court once the police file the chargesheet. As of now, the Bandra Police have yet to submit the chargesheet.

Shehzad is accused of breaking into Saif Ali Khan’s home on January 16 with the intention of robbing. During the incident, the actor was attacked and suffered serious injuries to his thoracic spine and other parts of his body. He was immediately taken to Lilavati Hospital, where he received treatment for five days before being discharged on January 21.

In February, Mumbai Police claimed they had ample evidence against the arrested accused. They also confirmed that he entered India from Bangladesh and stayed in various locations in Kolkata before coming to Mumbai.

Earlier, Additional Commissioner of Police Paramjit Singh Dahiya refuted rumours that the accused’s fingerprints did not match. “Whenever an accusation is made, multiple pieces of evidence are collected against it. We have found much oral, physical, and technical evidence against the accused… We have caught the right person,” he said.

ST children being brainwashed for Christian conversion: MP Child Commission finds 48 tribal kids in illegal hostel run by ‘Sign for India’ school in Mandla

श्रवण शुक्ल
-
0
ST children being brainwashed for Christian conversion: MP Child Commission finds 48 tribal kids in illegal hostel run by ‘Sign for India’ school in Mandla

Christian missionaries are active in the Mandla district of Madhya Pradesh. They are running schools and hostels where children are being converted to Christianity in the name of education. One such nexus has come to light in Ghutas village of Mandla, where a school named Sign For India has been operating an illegal hostel where 15 girls and 33 boys from the tribal community have already been converted. Notably, the school does not have permission to run a hostel.

The Madhya Pradesh Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MPCPCR) found that these children had been systematically brainwashed and coerced into accepting Christianity. The school is being run without permission by one Jyoti Raj, who hails from Odisha. The Commission has taken the matter seriously and forwarded the details to the Bhopal headquarters and to the administration for strict action.

Brainwashing and religious books found with children

Speaking to OpIndia, Commission member Omkar Singh said that 48 children had been brought from Damoh, Anuppur, Odisha and nearby regions. The team spoke to the children, and the revelations made by them were shocking. Instead of saying that they wanted to become doctors or engineers, many of them wished to become pastors and nuns. The children themselves confessed that they had been told to embrace Christianity. Singh said that it was evident their minds were completely rewired. Bibles and several other religious texts were found on the school premises, which were clear proof that religious indoctrination was being carried out at the school.

Prayers held underground, not in the open

The Commission found a bizarre trend — that prayers at the school were not being held in the open, which is the norm in schools, but in an underground space. The team recorded videos of children praying and their conversations with the members of the Commission. Everything has been sent to Bhopal HQ and local officials as part of the evidence.

District Programme Coordinator (DPC) K.K. Upadhyay said that there were suspicions about the school. When the team arrived, it was found that children had Bibles in their hands while entering the prayer room. The children revealed that they participated in Christian prayers daily at 6:30 p.m., and earlier, they used to follow another religion.

CCTV cameras found in girls’ bathrooms

Another shocking discovery made by the team was the presence of CCTV cameras installed in girls’ bathrooms, which is a highly objectionable violation. Another member of the Child Rights Commission, Dr Nivedita Sharma, revealed that on school documents, the children’s religion was mentioned as Hindu and caste as Gond. However, in hostel records, they were mentioned as Christians. Several documents were found to be missing from the records.

The Commission has rescued 15 girls and 33 boys who were brought from Mandla, Odisha and Anuppur and were forced to participate in religious activities without the consent of their parents.

Gond and Baiga tribal children targeted

Speaking to OpIndia, local social worker Tarendra Chaurasia said that religious symbols such as kalawa and tilak were removed. The Gond and Baiga tribal children were fully converted to Christianity. They pray to Jesus, hold Bibles, and follow Christian rituals. The Baiga tribe, which is already facing extinction in many regions, is reportedly being aggressively targeted by such missionaries.

Chaurasia said, “The biggest concern is that even Baiga tribal children, along with other tribal kids, have been converted here. They are being made to pray without any parental consent, and even their school forms list them as Christians. Christian missionaries have turned Mandla, a tribal district, into a hotbed of conversion, and similar patterns are visible in almost every missionary-run school.”

The videos and photos linked to the case have been forwarded for further action. Shockingly, in a backward village of barely 100 families, missionaries have pumped in crores to set up a school and offer dirt-cheap education — which raises suspicion about their motive and who is funding such missionaries.

This case is a clear indication that it is a well-organised operation by Christian missionaries. They are running a school without permission, brainwashing children, and forcing religious conversion — which is a serious crime. The main accused, Jyoti Raj from Odisha, is now facing growing demands for strict action. Authorities have been approached to take decisive steps.

This report was first published by OpIndia Hindi which can be checked here.

Provide special protection to Kunal Kamra just like Kangana Ranaut was provided when we had a ‘rift’ with her: UBT Sena’s leader Sanjay Raut

ANI
-
0
Provide special protection to Kunal Kamra just like Kangana Ranaut was provided when we had a ‘rift’ with her: UBT Sena’s leader Sanjay Raut

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut demanded special protection for satirist Kunal Kamra on Saturday, after three more cases were filed against him at Khar police station for his alleged controversial remarks about Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

Sanjay Raut said that just like Bharatiya Janata Party MP Kangana Ranaut was given protection following her “rift” with Shiv Sena, Kamra should be provided the same.

“I also demand that the Maharashtra Govt should provide special protection to Kunal Kamra. Kangana Ranaut was also provided special force for her security when she had a rift with us,” Raut said during a press conference.

Meanwhile, 3 more complaints have been filed against the stand-up artist. One of the complaints against Kunal Kamra has been filed by the Mayor of Jalgaon city, while the other two complaints came from a hotelier and a businessman from Nashik, as per the Mumbai Police.

On March 27, the Mumbai police asked the comedian to appear on March 31 at Khar police station for further questioning in the case. This is the third summon issued to Kamra in the case filed by Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel at the Khar police station. He has failed to appear before the police in the first two summons.

On Friday, the Madras High Court granted interim anticipatory bail to Kunal Kamra in connection with multiple FIRs lodged against him. Justice Sunder Mohan ordered interim anticipatory bail until April 7 with conditions.

Kunal Kamra had approached the Madras High Court to seek transit anticipatory bail, claiming he has been receiving many threats following his recent satirical comments.

Earlier on Thursday, Kunal Kamra criticised the mainstream media, accusing it of serving as a mouthpiece for the ruling party. Kamra labelled the media as “vultures” and expressed his disdain for the media’s role in perpetuating misinformation and distracting from pressing issues.

Kamra had sparked a row with his “gaddar” (traitor) joke allegedly aimed at Eknath Shinde. Several political leaders condemned his remarks and demanded action against him.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

US university launches ‘Hinduphobic’ course, distorts meaning of Hinduism and links it with extremism, cries foul after student complains

OpIndia Staff
-
0
US university launches ‘Hinduphobic’ course, distorts meaning of Hinduism and links it with extremism, cries foul after student complains

Vasant Bhatt, an Indian-American student who enrolled in the course ‘Lived Hindu Religion‘ at Houston University, found that the course is Hinduphobic and has distorted India’s political landscape.

The university offers the course online. The video lectures are delivered by Professor Aaron Michael Ullrey weekly. The controversial course misrepresents certain statements about the Hindu religion as facts.

For example, the course claims that the word ‘Hindu’ is a modern construct and has no historical basis. Bhatt, a political science major at the university, raised the issue with the dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences under which this course is being offered.

He alleged that Professor Ullrey claimed that Hinduism was not an “ancient, lived tradition”, but a “political tool” weaponised by “Hindu nationalists, and a system of oppression against minorities”.

After facing backlash over its course on the Hindu religion alleged to be Hinduphobic, the University of Houston has defended the course in the name of academic freedom.

“Hindutva, or ‘Hindu-ness’, is a term that Hindu nationalists, those who believe Hinduism should be the official religion of India, use to designate their religion and denigrate others, namely Islam,” read a quote from the syllabus shared by Bhatt with India Today.

Dismissing the allegation, Professor Ullrey denied having said anything as alleged and clarified that his words were taken out of context.

Statement by the Houston University

Responding to the student’s allegations, the university released a statement saying that the university valued academic freedom, which allowed faculty to explore complex and challenging topics.

“The University of Houston values academic freedom, which includes allowing faculty to explore complex and sometimes challenging topics in their teaching. While UH does not typically review individual lectures, the university maintains oversight of the curriculum to ensure it meets established academic and pedagogical standards,” read the statement as reported by the ANI.

The university claimed that academic terms can carry different meanings from how they are used in public or political discourse which sometimes leads to misunderstanding.

“The word ‘Hindu’ is not found in the Vedas or the Mahabharata or the Puranas, which is surprising considering the prevalence of the term now. The specific term Hinduism is not found in the inscriptional record, in which the patrons declare affiliation with a specific deity (Saiva) or religious authority (Bauddha), and a king who might be considered Hindu by modern standards could call himself Son of the Gods (devaputra), but the kings and patrons did not use the term Hindu to mark their identities, ” said Professor Ullrey defending his course.

Had physical relationship on the pretext of taking abroad, made videos and demanded money: Read what the complainant said against convicted Pastor Bajinder Singh

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Had physical relationship on the pretext of taking abroad, made videos and demanded money: Read what the complainant said against convicted Pastor Bajinder Singh

On 28th March 2025, the POCSO Court in Mohali found controversial Christian preacher Pastor Bajinder Singh guilty of offences under the POCSO Act in a sexual harassment case from 2018. While five accused were acquitted due to lack of evidence, Bajinder and another accused have been found guilty. The court will pronounce judgment on 1st April 2025. Pastor Bajinder Singh is the founder of the Church of Glory and Wisdom and is accused of coercing people to convert to Christianity on pretext of miraclous healing and more.

Bajinder was arrested by the police in 2018 at Delhi Airport while he was trying to board a flight to London. The sexual harassment and rape case against him was filed by a woman in Zirakpur, SAS Nagar (Mohali) district of Punjab.

While the sentencing and judgment documents are still awaited, OpIndia accessed details of the complaint filed by the woman against Bajinder.

The FIR against Bajinder was filed on 20th April 2018 under Sections 276, 420, 254, 294, 323, 506, 147 and 149 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 67 of the IT Act, 2000 at Zirakpur police station.

According to the complaint filed against Bajinder, the victim came in contact with the preacher in 2016 during prayer meetings. During those meetings, Bajinder took the contact information of the victim.

In September 2017, he called the victim to meet at a dhaba and asked her to bring her passport. When she went to meet him, Bajinder was sitting with another accused in the case, Sandeep Pehalwan, in a car. Bajinder asked the victim to sit in the vehicle and took her to a house in Chandigarh.

During the conversation, Bajinder told the victim that he was going to the UK for some days and wanted her to accompany him. He developed a physical relationship with her on the pretext of taking her abroad, without her consent. After that, Bajinder allegedly called her several times to the dhaba where they had met for the first time and took her to the same house to forcibly develop physical relations with her.

She also accused Bajinder of spiking her tea and forcefully developing physical relations with her while she was unconscious. She further accused Bajinder of making an obscene video of her.

One day, he demanded lakhs of rupees from her for going abroad. When the victim expressed her inability to pay, he threatened to make her obscene video viral.

The complaint further added that under constrained circumstances, the victim had introduced another person to Bajinder on the pretext of sending him abroad. The person that the victim had brought to Bajinder allegedly paid him in her presence. However, Bajinder neither sent the victim nor the second person abroad. Later, the person demanded the money back from the victim as she had introduced him to the preacher.

The victim went to meet Bajinder at his place in Chhat village to resolve the matter. However, during the meeting, Bajinder and his henchmen Jatinder Pastor, Akbar Pastor, Sattar Ali, Sucha Singh, Rajesh Chaudhary and Sandeep Pehalwan allegedly abused and beat up the victim. She further stated that they outraged her modesty and issued death threats if she disclosed the incident to anyone.

While the District Court had rejected the bail applications of the accused in the case, Pastor Bajinder Singh and others secured bail from the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Sentencing in the case is scheduled to be announced on 1st April 2025.

‘We will file a fake SC/ST case against you’: 10 men gang-rape minor girl in Darbhanga, silence victim’s family by threatening false atrocity cases

OpIndia Staff
-
0
‘We will file a fake SC/ST case against you’: 10 men gang-rape minor girl in Darbhanga, silence victim’s family by threatening false atrocity cases

In a horrifying case of gangrape of a minor girl in Darbhanga, Bihar, the family of the victim is being threatened with a fake SC/ST case by the culprits.

Afraid of being falsely implicated by the culprits, the victim’s family did not initially approach the police to complain about the gangrape.

According to reports, the mother of the 16-year-old victim informed that the accused gangraped her daughter and recorded the act. They also threatened to implicate her under the Harijan Act (The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989) if she told anyone about the incident.

“My daughter said that the accused had also made a video and threatened to make it viral. Due to this fear, I was not going to the police, but when the matter came to light in the village, some people encouraged us, after which we went to the police. The accused had threatened to implicate the minor under the Harijan Act if she informed about the incident”.

A passerby found the girl without clothes and scared

A 16-year-old girl was reportedly gangraped by 10 persons on the night of 15th March when she had gone to attend nature’s call.

On her way, one of the accused named Durgesh Paswan lured her and took her to Dhobiyaahi Gachi, where the other 9 accused, namely Sumit Paswan, Dilkhush Paswan, Sachit Paswan, Amit Paswan, Ankush Paswan, Sujit Paswan, Vishal Paswan, Raghav Paswan and Ankit Paswan were already present. All of them were drunk.

They gangraped the girl and recorded videos of the heinous act. The culprits abandoned the victim on the spot in an injured and unconscious state.

A person found the girl without clothes after the incident. “We found the girl without clothes. She was scared. We gave her some clothes, and after reaching the address, brought her home. The accused are threatening that if she tells anything to anyone, the consequences will be bad. The girl’s father works outside.

The family was scared, so the case was registered after 10 days,” said the person who rescued her. The accused kept threatening the victim through video calls and pressured her to come to meet them whenever they called her. They threatened to release her video in case she did not comply with their demands.

FIR filed against 10 accused, 2 arrested

The victim’s family mustered the courage to file an FIR 10 days after the incident, i.e. on 25th March. Two of the accused named Durgesh Paswan and Sumit Paswan, have been arrested by the police.

Bahera Police Station In-Charge, Chandrakant Gauddi, said that the police have registered an FIR and are looking to arrest the remaining accused.

“As soon as we received the information about the incident, we registered an FIR based on a complaint lodged by the victim’s mother. The girl is being medically examined. The crime scene has also been inspected. Blood stains have been found at the crime scene,” Gauddi said.

Assuring strict action against the accused, Alok Kumar, SP Rural, Darbhanga, said, “We are looking into the matter. FIR has been registered.

The police team visited the spot, an interrogation was conducted, and a medical examination was completed. The case has been registered very late, so it would be hasty to say anything right now. Evidence is being investigated. The culprits will not be spared.”

Nepal: 2 dead in violence during pro-monarchy protests, former PM Dahal accuses former King Gyanendra of inciting violence

ANI
-
0
Nepal: 2 dead in violence during pro-monarchy protests, former PM Dahal accuses former King Gyanendra of inciting violence

Nepal’s former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has accused former King Gyanendra Shah of inciting violence on Friday, which claimed lives of two people. He urged government to take actions against the former monarchy.

Speaking exclusively to ANI, Dahal, who toured the vandalized office of the Socialist front on Saturday morning, called on the government to limit the freedom given to the former King.

“Now it has become crystal clear that Gyanendra Shah is behind all these acts. Gyanendra Shah’s intent is culpable. It was seen in the past as well as seen now. Now is the time that government take a strict action, investigation should be conducted to bring the criminals to justice and Gyanendra Shah now cannot be spared- given absolute freedom, it is unacceptable for the Nepali citizens and the government should be serious on this issue,” Dahal told ANI.

Further adding, Dahal, also the chairman of the opposition CPN- Maoist Center, also accused government of falling short in preparations for the pro-monarch protest.

“First thing is lack of preparation from the Government and the Police. After reporting the start of attack it took about 45 minutes is paradoxical. It has been accepted by the security bodies on Friday itself have accepted that they hadn’t expected this level of violence but in the heart of the capital, in accessibility of the security at the required time, this kind of vandalism, criminally intended, indiscreet activity needs serious review from the government and should make preparations to avoid similar incidents in future,” Dahal told ANI.

Nepal’s Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak also inspected the violence hit areas on Saturday morning taking stock of the situation. Minister Lekhak denied to make any statement to media about the further actions that the government will be taking further against those involved in arson and vandalism on Friday.

Two people – one protestor and a media person lost their lives on Friday’s violent pro-monarch protest which by the end of the day resulted in imposition of curfew and deployment of the Nepal Army. The violent clash which started the ramming of vehicle breaking a barrage of Police by Durga Prasai, a pro-monarch businessman resulted in arson, stone pelting and firing of the bullets by police as it progressed. The Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), a right-wing pro-monarchist, also the fifth largest party in parliament had supported the protest.

Former King Gyanendra Shah also had held interaction with Prasain within this week as the protest plans were announced. Sources say that the government might also indict Shah for his involvement in instigating the violence of Friday.

“My children’s are in state of terror; they’re searching for favorable environment to continue with their studies. They’re timely consoling each other over the call. We are in state of fear; how will we be able to attend the exams and are worried about it,” Nirmala Karki, one of the shopkeeper who operates a shop near the point of clash of Friday told ANI.

Karki further added, “Incidents as such should not be repeated. There should be a peaceful demonstration, there should be understanding amongst all. These sort of situations aren’t good; things slowly are turning dangerous. It is the public who have to face the consequences, it is the lives of people which has been claimed, property of citizens has been damaged. They’re the one who are in the powerful positions and public aren’t subjected to face the hardships.”

On Friday, the police arrested 17 people including senior vice-chairman of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party Rabindra Mishra, General Secretary Dhawal Sumsher Rana, pro-monarchy activists like Swagat Nepal, Shepherd Limbu and Santosh Tamang as well some other leaders for instigating violence during Friday’s pro-monarchy demonstrations that led to deaths, vandalism of private properties and arson.

The police has also kept the chief coordinator of pro-royalist movement, Nawaraj Subedi, under house arrest. Meanwhile, security agencies have continued search for Durga Prasai, the ‘chief commander’ of the ongoing royalist movement.

A total of 51 people, including above-mentioned leaders and protestors, have been arrested on Friday, according to the home ministry. The government also decided to take all necessary steps to curb possible demonstrations and protests by pro-monarchy and pro-Hindu parties, a minister said.

Demanding the restoration of monarchy and a Hindu state, several pro-monarchy and Hindu groups have come together for Kathmandu-centric protests. On March 9, they welcomed former king Gyanendra Shah upon his return from Pokhara.

Besides the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, several pro-Hindu and pro-monarchy groups and organisations have formed an alliance led by Subedi, 86. In the 1980s, he served as the chairman of the Rastriya Panchayat, legislative body during the partyless Panchayat system.
Nepal in the year 2006 had abolished centuries old constitutional monarchy after then-King Gyanendra seized power and imposed emergency sending all the leaders under house arrest. The movement also referred as “People’s Movement II” witnessed a bloodshed with dozens killed in crackdown against protestors by the government.

After weeks of violent protest and increasing international pressure, Gyanendra gave up and reinstated the dissolved parliament, the dawn of new democracy is highlighted as Lokantantra (People’s Rule).

Formed in the 1990’s after lift of ban in formation of political parties by then monarchial system, the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) since then serves as the force always supporting the Kingship. It also has been taking part in periodic elections and presenting its demands forth.

In the year 2008 right after the overthrow of monarchy rule from Nepal, the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) had secured 8 seats in then Constituent Assembly out of the 575 seated strong parliament. In the 2013 election it was able to secure 13 seats while in the year 2017 it fell down to 1 seat while it bounced back in the election of 2022 with 14 seats.

Since its inception, the party has been supporting Hindu State and the Kingship as interdependent in the tiny nation buffered between two giants India and China. The Himalayan Nation of Nepal has a population of 30.55 million has a Hindu population of 81.19 per cent as per the census of 2022.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

1...422423424...7,602Page 423 of 7,602