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2002 Gujarat riots took place amid major terror attacks in previous months, happened just 4 days after I became MLA: PM Modi on Lex Fridman podcast

OpIndia Staff
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2002 Gujarat riots took place amid major terror attacks in previous months, happened just 4 days after I became MLA: PM Modi on Lex Fridman podcast

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the 2002 Gujarat Riots took place just 3-4 days after he became an MLA of the Gujarat Assembly, and the Godhra attack and the subsequent riots must be seen against the backdrop of major Islamic terror attacks in the months before that. He also denied that the Godhra riots were the biggest riots in Gujarat, saying that similar riots took place many times in the past, but no such incident have taken place after that.

PM Modi made the comments in a podcast with Lex Fridman released today evening. In the podcast, Fridman asked him about what lessons he has drawn from the riots. Fridman noted that Supreme Court of India has ruled twice that Modi had no role in the riots, and wanted to know what were the broad lessons Modi drew from that time.

Responding to the query, PM Modi said that to fully understand the situation at that time, he would like to narrate what happened in the 12 to 15 months leading up to the riots. He said, “for instance, take December 24, 1999, roughly three years earlier. An Indian flight from Kathmandu to Delhi was hijacked, redirected to Afghanistan, and landed in Kandahar. Hundreds of Indian passengers were held hostage. It caused massive turmoil across India, as people faced life-and-death uncertainty.”’

He then reminded that the Red Fort was attacked in 2000, and after that the Twin Towers in the USA were attacked in September 2011. Then, in October 2001, terrorists attacked the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, and soon after the Indian Parliament was attacked in December 2001.

“Within just 8 to 10 months, these major global terrorist attacks took place, violent incidents that led to bloodshed and the loss of innocent lives. In such a tense environment, even the smallest spark can ignite unrest,” PM Modi said.

He also reminded that all these terror attacks were carried out by people driven by similar mindsets, implying that all the terror attacks were by Jihadi terrorists.

Talking about the 2002 Gujarat riots, Modi said that he became CM of Gujarat on 7 October 2001, when the state was recovering from the devastating Bhuj earthquake. “My first major task as Chief Minister was overseeing the rehabilitation of survivors. This was a crucial task, and from day one after my oath, I immersed myself in it,” he said.

Modi added that he had absolutely no prior experience with government, he never been part of any administration, never even served in government, and never contested an election before he was made the CM.

“On February 24, 2002, I became an MLA, and stepped into the assembly only on 25th or 26th February. We were in the assembly for the budget session, and that same day, when suddenly, the horrific Godhra incident occurred,” he said, adding that the attack took place just 3 days after he became an MLA.

He then narrated, “It was a tragedy of unimaginable magnitude, people were burned alive.  You can imagine, against the backdrop of incidents like the Kandahar hijacking, the attack on Parliament, and then to have so many, people killed and burned alive, you can imagine how tense and volatile the situation was. Of course, this was tragic for everyone, everyone prefers peace.”

PM Modi also refuted the claims that the 2002 Gujarat riots were the biggest riots, calling it misinformation. He said that riots took place frequently in Gujarat before that, sometimes over trivial issues.  “If you review the data from before 2002, you’ll see that Gujarat faced frequent riots, curfews were constantly being imposed somewhere. Communal violence could erupt over trivial issues, like kite-flying contests or even minor bicycle collisions.”

He added, “Before 2002, Gujarat witnessed over 250 significant riots. The riots in 1969 lasted nearly six months. So there was a long history long before I was in the picture. But that one tragic incident in 2002 became a sparking point, leading some people towards violence.”

PM Modi further added, “At that time, our political opponents were in power, and naturally, they wanted all allegations against us to stick. Despite their relentless efforts, the judiciary analyzed the situation meticulously, twice, and ultimately, found us completely innocent. Those who were truly responsible have faced justice from the courts. But the most important thing is, in Gujarat, where riots used to happen somewhere or the other every year. But after 2002, in 22 years, there hasn’t been a single major riot in Gujarat. Gujarat remains completely peaceful.”

Lex Fridman Podcast

The Lex Fridman Podcast episode featuring Narendra Modi, released on March 16, 2025, offers a profound three-hour exploration of the Indian Prime Minister’s life, philosophy, and leadership. In the Podcast, Modi discussed his early years, including his time in the Himalayas and his association with the RSS, alongside his views on spirituality, fasting, and national governance, drawing parallels with figures like Donald Trump’s “America First” policy.

The conversation also delved into critical global issues, such as the path to peace in Ukraine, India-Pakistan relations, and India’s stance on China and Xi Jinping, underscoring India’s emerging role as a geopolitical powerhouse. Available in English, Hindi, and other languages, the podcast reflects Modi’s engagement with international audiences, addressing controversial topics like the 2002 Gujarat riots while showcasing his vision for India as the world’s largest democracy.

Lex Fridman, the host, is a Russian-American computer scientist, AI researcher, and podcaster based at MIT, known for his in-depth interviews with global figures in science, technology, and politics. Born in 1983 in Tajikistan and raised in Moscow, Fridman moved to the U.S. as a child and earned degrees from Drexel University before joining MIT’s Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems.

Since launching his podcast in 2018—originally focused on AI but later expanded to broader topics—he has interviewed luminaries like Elon Musk, Donald Trump, and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, gaining a following of over 4.59 million subscribers. Fridman’s approach, marked by humility and intellectual curiosity, has made his platform a leading space for exploring complex global issues, with this Modi episode marking a significant milestone in his career.

The full podcast can be watched below:

UK: Most watched ‘Muslim Channel’ under investigation for glorifying Jihad and promoting violence against ‘secular’ West

OpIndia Staff
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UK: Most watched ‘Muslim Channel’ under investigation for glorifying Jihad and promoting violence against ‘secular’ West

The Islam Channel, said to be the most-watched Muslim TV channel in the United Kingdom (UK), is facing investigation by the Office of Communications (Ofcom), a government-approved regulatory and competition authority for broadcasting, telecommunications and postal industries in the country.

According to a report in The Telegraph, the Islam Channel is accused of ‘glorifying violent Islamic movements, inciting hostility against the West and portraying Jihadist causes in a sympathetic light’.

The TV channel, which reportedly claims to have 2 million viewers every day and is estimated to be watched by 60 per cent of British Muslims will be investigated for allegedly breaching the rules on impartiality and inciting extremism. If found guilty, the channel will face penalty.

The action came after a report was submitted to Ofcom accusing the channel of recurringly broadcasting material praising the October 7 (2023) Hamas attack on Israel and comparing the latter with the Nazis. The channel is also accused of providing a platform to extremists, failing to maintain impartiality in its political coverage and misleading viewers about important facts.

The Islam Channel is accused of legitimising Jihadist groups

As per the report, a report highlighting multiple violations by the TV channel was submitted to the Ofcom by Dr Taj Hargey, the Director of Oxford Institute for British Islam.

Dr Hargey, who is considered to be a liberal thinker within British Islam, claimed in his report that the Islam Channel consistently breached the Broadcasting Code between November 2024 and January 2025.

He alleged that the channel portrayed Islam as under siege from an oppressive West, and presented Hamas, Iran and other Islamist Jihadist groups as legitimate resistance movements against Western secular liberal democracies and presenting a one-sided view in its coverage of Gaza by not including pro-Israel speakers. He further alleged that the Islam Channel promotes a narrow Wahhabi-Salafi version of Islam and excludes Muslims belonging to Shia, Sufi and Ahmadi denominations and also secular Muslims.

“Islam Channel epitomises hideous Islamic fundamentalism in the UK. It purports to represent British Muslims, but its sectarian ideology is nothing but an insidious initiative to mainstream Muslim extremism and fanaticism in this country. It revels in their ‘them and us’ narrative, inhibiting any effective social cohesion. Ofcom needs to take action to mitigate the channel’s incendiary language and partisan guests who do not subscribe to traditional British values,” Dr Hargey told The Telegraph.

The Ofcom reportedly mandates that a broadcaster’s content should not cause harm or undue influence or incite crime, disorder or violence. The Islam Channel is accused of breaching the requirement. The Ofcom is currently assessing the complaints against the channel to decide whether or not to proceed with an investigation.

Canada: Justin Trudeau govt releases ‘Islamophobia guide’ to appease Muslims, downplays the meaning of ‘Jihad’ and dubs it ‘racist’ to criticise pro-Hamas activism

Dibakar Dutta
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Canada: Justin Trudeau govt releases ‘Islamophobia guide’ to appease Muslims, downplays the meaning of ‘Jihad’ and dubs it ‘racist’ to criticise pro-Hamas activism

The Justin Trudeau-led Canadian government released a special 60-page guide [pdf] on 4th March this year on ways to combat ‘Islamophobia’ in the country.

For the unversed, Muslims constitute roughly 5% of the population of Canada, thereby making Islam the second-largest religion in the country. Justin Trudeau created the role of a Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia in 2023 to appease Muslims.

“The Guide does not constitute a binding directive on any government department or agency and is not legally binding,” noted the Office of the Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia.

As per the guide, 18.9% of immigrants who came to Canada between 2011 and 2021 were Muslims. It highlighted definitions for Islamophobia, its 3 levels (system-level, community-level and individual) and behaviours that constitute ‘Islamophobia’

The guide, drafted using taxpayer funds, attempted to negate the Muslim community’s lack of assimilation in Western societies, involvement in acts of terrorism, or presence of any ulterior political ideology.

It also decried the concept of ‘Islamic Trojan Horse’ (which implies that Muslim immigrants or refugees are secretly infiltrating Western societies with the goal of undermining national values)

Islamic trojan horse concept

The guide listed several ‘drivers of Islamophobia’. According to the Office of the Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia, these drivers included economic reasons, political reasons, ‘rage-baiting’ by media, misinformation and ‘religious intolerance.’

It also claimed that an ‘intricate web of networks’ exists which influence and fund ‘Islamophobia.’ The guide, funded by Canadian taxpayers’ money, listed 8 impacts of Islamophobia.

There was also a dedicated chapter on ‘diverse identities’ within Canada’s Muslim communities and ways to fight ‘Islamophobia’ including amplification of Muslim voices.

Islamophobia guide dubs it ‘racist’ to criticise anti-Israel protests

On Page 31 of the guide, the Office of the Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia attempted to brand it ‘racist’ to criticise rampant anti-Israel protests and pro-Hamas activism in Canada.

It, therefore came up with a broad term called ‘Anti-Palestinian racism (APR)’ to silence public discourse on brazen anti-Semitism in the country.

“Public discourse often unfairly associates Palestinian and Muslim identities with terrorism, leading to harassment, hate crimes, and other negative consequences in schools, workplaces, and communities. Advocacy for Palestinian human rights is sometimes viewed through the lens of suspicion, hostility, and incompatibility with national values,” the guide stated.

Downplays the meaning of ‘Jihad’ and ‘Sharia’

The Canadian Guide to ‘Understanding and Combatting Islamophobia’ also misguided the taxpayers about the real meaning of ‘Jihad’ and ‘Sharia.’

On Page 52 of the document, the Office of the Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia downplayed terrorism perpetrated in the form of ‘jihad’ as ‘struggle, effort and striving.’

“Jihad: The widely used English translation of “holy war” has greatly misrepresented this term, since jihad literally means struggle, effort and striving. The term holy war has no root in Islamic terminology. The most important struggle is to purify one’s heart to follow God’s commands and to do good works. Islam makes provision for war only under strict conditions,” the guide alleged.

At the same time, it deliberately misconstrued the meaning of ‘Sharia’ as a means to ‘establish justice and peace in society.’

The guide misled, “Shar’iah is a comprehensive body or collection of opinions and jurisprudence that covers all spheres of life: social, political, economic and spiritual. Muslims follow Shar’iah in their daily lives on a personal level, such as abstaining from alcohol or gambling. Shar’iah is derived from the Qu’ran (the first and believed to be the divinely revealed source of faith), and Hadith (the second source of faith), the Prophet’s sayings. The objective of Shar’iah is to establish justice and peace in society.“

Uttar Pradesh: Muslim man Aman rapes 7-year-old minor girl in Hathras, angry locals target mosque 

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Muslim man Aman rapes 7-year-old minor girl in Hathras, angry locals target mosque 

On 15th March, a horrific incident came to light in Bisawar, Hathras district, Uttar Pradesh, where a Muslim man was arrested by the police for allegedly raping a 7-year-old minor girl. Following the incident, the locals became agitated and attacked a local mosque, breaking down its door. Police rushed to the spot and pacified the situation. A heavy police force has been deployed to maintain law and order. 

Girl found unconscious near pond 

According to media reports, the young girl had gone to the market with other children to buy goods when the accused abducted her. The accused, Aman, son of Chand Khan, took her approximately 200 metres away from the spot of abduction to a pond, where he brutally raped the child. The other children informed her family, prompting a frantic search by relatives and neighbours. After some time, the family members discovered the victim unconscious and bloodied near the pond’s boundary. 

The family immediately alerted the police, and the child was rushed to the Community Health Centre (CHC) in Sadabad. Considering her critical condition, doctors referred her to Hathras District Hospital and subsequently to JN Medical College at Aligarh Muslim University for further treatment. The child remained unconscious for a long time during medical care. 

Police arrest suspect after overnight search 

Considering the sensitivity of the matter, police immediately launched a manhunt for Aman. After an intensive search through the night, he was apprehended on Sunday morning. A case has been registered against him under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the POCSO Act. 

Speaking to the media, Superintendent of Police (SP) Chiranjivi Nath Sinha confirmed that Aman had been arrested. He said, “A minor girl was subjected to rape in the Bisawar outpost area. A case has been filed, and the accused, Aman, son of Chand Khan, has been taken into custody.” 

Angry mob targets mosque 

The sexual assault of the minor triggered widespread anger in the area. Enraged residents shut down the local market and gathered to protest. They surrounded the mosque in the area and damaged its door. Additional police forces were deployed to the scene to control the situation. 

Who is Raphael Satter? The Reuters journalist who has sued GoI over OCI revocation: History, court case, baseless reports and more

Anurag
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Who is Raphael Satter? The Reuters journalist who has sued GoI over OCI revocation: History, court case, baseless reports and more

On 13th March, media reports suggested that a United States-based journalist, Raphael Satter, who held an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card, had sued the Government of India because his OCI card was revoked. The OCI status was revoked in 2023 after he published a malicious report claiming that a prominent Indian businessman was providing hackers-for-hire services to the government.

Satter works for the Reuters news agency and covers cybersecurity. According to his LinkedIn profile, Satter is a writer with Reuters since September 2019. His website states that he has been in the field of journalism for over 20 years. He was granted an OCI card through his marriage. In early December 2024, the Ministry of Home Affairs of India revoked his OCI status. According to The Guardian’s report, the Home Ministry, in a letter informing Satter about its decision, accused him of producing work that maliciously tarnished the reputation of the country.

The significance of the OCI card revocation

The OCI card is a privilege that some Non-Resident Indians and foreign nationals married to Indian nationals enjoy. It enables them to travel to India, residency, or employment restrictions without a visa. Essentially, it acts as a permanent visa and does not grant citizenship, as India does not permit dual citizenship. In recent times, the government has revoked the OCI status of several individuals for their involvement in anti-India activities, Satter being one of them. The Guardian’s report claimed that without an OCI card, Satter, who obtained it through marriage, could no longer travel to India.

Speaking to multiple media houses, Satter also claimed that his visits to India were not related to his journalistic work but were only family visits. However, both claims are either factually incorrect or misrepresentations of the facts.

Misinterpretation of OCI revocation

First, let’s discuss The Guardian’s claim that without an OCI card, Satter cannot visit India. The revocation of an OCI card, which was a privilege in the first place, does not mean that he cannot apply for a regular visa. He has the right to apply for a visa under relevant categories to visit his family in India after categorically declaring that he will follow all visa rules.

Secondly, based on available reports, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has accused him of two things. First, he has been accused of “practising journalism without proper permission” and secondly, “maliciously creating adverse and biased opinions against Indian institutions in the international arena.” He has written or co-authored multiple reports targeting India. Writing such reports cannot be done without engaging in journalistic practices, such as contacting people living in India.

If his argument is to be believed—that he did not indulge in journalistic practices in India while writing reports about India—it is even more unethical, as it would mean his reports were not based on any concrete evidence. A journalist has an obligation to contact concerned parties while writing an investigative report. By avoiding “journalistic practices” for such reports, Satter defied the basics of investigative journalism.

Connection to the Appin controversy

Interestingly, Satter’s lawyer has claimed that the OCI card was revoked at the same time that a defamation case was filed against him in India for his story against Indian cybersecurity company Appin and its co-founder Rajat Khare. The report, titled “How an Indian startup hacked the world,” claimed that Appin became a “hack-for-hire powerhouse that stole secrets from executives, politicians, military officials, and wealthy elites around the globe.”

The case against Satter, Reuters, and other authors is ongoing. For some time, the report was removed from Reuters as a district court in Delhi had passed an interim injunction. However, after almost a year, the injunction was lifted, and the report has been live again since then.

Source: Reuters

Satter’s past reports targeting India

One of the most interesting questions that needs to be addressed here is the claim made by Satter’s advocate that the OCI card was revoked solely due to Appin’s lawsuit and so-called exposé. Is this really the case? When OpIndia examined the history of reports published by Satter targeting Indian companies, the case appeared to be different.

In June 2020, Satter co-authored a report with the same set of authors, Jack Stubbs and Christopher Bing, titled “Exclusive: Obscure Indian cyber firm spied on politicians, investors worldwide.” The report claimed that New Delhi-based BellTroX InfoTech Services had been targeting government officials, businesses, short sellers, and others. The claims were based on a report published by Citizen Lab, which concluded the involvement of “BellTroX InfoTech Services” with “high confidence.”

Citizen Lab never stated in its report that they were 100% sure or had any concrete evidence that “Indian hackers” linked to BellTroX were involved in any of the wrongdoings listed in the report. However, Satter and his associates went ahead and published the report targeting India.

In another report, referencing a conversation with Sumit Gupta, co-founder of BellTroX, it was mentioned that while Gupta denied any wrongdoing, he admitted to providing IT services to private investigators, which might have included downloading mailboxes.

However, in 2021, Meta, in one of its reports, claimed to have blocked 400 accounts allegedly linked to the company, possibly used for sending “phishing links.” Details of the alleged targets were not provided. BellTroX was one of seven companies mentioned by Meta in its report. While there is some evidence that BellTroX was indeed involved in some hack-for-hire projects, Appin’s involvement in such activities remained vague.

Satter also published a report claiming the Indian government used Pegasus to spy on Indian journalists, a claim that has been dismissed not only by the Indian government but also by one of the leading journalists, N Ram of The Hindu group, who said that there is no proof of it in an interview with BBC.

The unimaginable ‘goof-up’ by Reuters

There is a notable aspect of the BellTroX story that emerged in June 2020. Reuters had credited a journalist from Delhi for additional inputs and a photograph of Sumit Gupta. However, the photograph was not of Gupta but of another business owner named Arvind Kumar, who had an office in the same building but occupied a different space.

According to The Print report, when they contacted Reuters to verify the identity of the person in the photograph, Reuters stated, “The person in this image was incorrectly identified as Sumit Gupta. We regret the error and have withdrawn the picture.” Reuters, a reputed news agency, “goofed up” and practically ruined Kumar’s life, as he was reportedly interrogated by the police after being misidentified by Reuters as a hacker.

Left: Photograph of Kumar used as Gupta’s. Right: Changed feature image of the report

Kumar told The Print that a foreigner had been persistently bothering him for a photograph, which was eventually used by Reuters. “This June 9 story corrects to remove reference to speaking with Gupta at his office” was a correction message posted by Reuters, which has now been removed.

While Reuters has taken down the image, a Google image search still identifies Kumar as Gupta, making this a grave error by the news agency. A detailed report on the incident was done by Marleny Huck. After the report got published, Reuters tried to get it removed but failed.

Allegations of threats and intimidation

The Guardian further claimed that Satter received threats from individuals linked to Appin. He made a bizarre allegation that if he did not stop investigating Appin, he would face potential “diplomatic” action, which, according to Satter, was the revocation of his OCI card.

Details of the court case

OpIndia accessed the court documents related to the case against Satter. The case was filed in 2022 by one Vinay Pandey and was first heard in November 2022. On 4th December 2023, the court noted that the article “How an Indian startup hacked the world,” co-authored by Satter, appeared prima facie defamatory. As an interim measure, the court directed Reuters to pull down the report until further proceedings.

The court further stated that allowing the content to remain online might have a “devastating effect” on the Indian student population linked to Appin. The court also directed Alphabet Inc. to deindex the URLs of the article. It further ruled that if the defendants suffered any loss due to the temporary removal of the content, they could be compensated monetarily.

However, in a 3rd October 2024 order, the court refused to grant an interim injunction against Satter and Reuters, allowing the reports to remain online until a final decision was made. The court observed that while the reports made allegations of hacking and unethical practices, the finer details could only be determined after a full trial. It recognised the importance of journalistic freedom and ruled that an interim ban on the articles was not justified at that stage.

Conclusion

Satter’s reporting on India raises serious concerns about fairness and accuracy. His use of weak evidence, misrepresentation of facts, and repeated targeting of Indian institutions show a clear bias rather than balanced journalism. The revocation of his OCI card was not random but a result of his actions. If he believes in ethical journalism, he should back his claims with solid facts instead of portraying himself as a victim.

Showing the reality of Sambhaji’s torture by Aurangzeb goes against the spirit of the Constitution: Leftist propaganda outlet ‘The Wire’

OpIndia Staff
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Showing the reality of Sambhaji’s torture by Aurangzeb goes against the spirit of the Constitution: Leftist propaganda outlet ‘The Wire’

Leftist propaganda outlet ‘The Wire’ which habitually downplays any historical or current atrocities against Hindus, is triggered by the portrayal of the brutal torture of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj of the Maratha dynasty by Mughal ruler Aurangzeb in the movie Chhaava. The Wire posted a video on YouTube condemning and criticising the movie and accused the makers of the movie of inciting hatred against Muslims through the movie.

In the video, a correspondent of The Wire claimed that people, in general, are ignorant about the ‘real history’ and that Chhaava is an attempt to mislead them about the history of India. Attributing malicious intent to the makers of the historical drama, the correspondent claimed that if a survey were conducted among people who watched Chhava, it would certainly show that they developed a deeper sense of hatred for Muslims after watching the movie. He further claimed that children were crying and screaming while watching the movie in cinemas.

The journalist was particularly disturbed by the portrayal of the Mughal ruler Aurangzeb in Chhaava as a merciless and cruel ruler, which, he believed, was not accurate. He alleged that the movie was full of scenes that were intentionally included to show that Mughal emperors were cruel, which, in his opinion, was not true. He claimed that the movie went against the spirit of the Constitution of India and that anyone believing in the Constitution would be ashamed of the movie.

He backed his opinion about the generosity of the Mughal rulers by pointing out that it would not have been possible for them to establish an empire and rule over a vast territory of India without respecting its diversity. He also quoted a few examples from school NCERT books about Rajput rulers marrying their women into Mughal families to back his claim. He admitted that Mughal ruler Aurangzeb, who killed his own brother to ascend to the throne, was not as generous as Akbar, but according to him, he was not as bad as the movie portrays him.

In his defence of Aurangzeb, the journalist said the Mughal ruler’s generosity is evident from the fact that even though Aurangzeb imposed Jizya (a religious tax) on Hindus, he exempted Brahmins, women and old people from it. He added that Aurangzeb did destroy some Hindu temples, but he also built some temples. In his review of the movie, though he seemed unhappy with the movie in general but he was particularly miffed by the fact that about 40 minutes of the movie were dedicated to depicting the brutal execution of Sambhaji Maharaj after days of inhuman torture by Aurangzeb.

The journalist claimed that the Marathas were no different from the Mughals and that the Peshwas in the Maratha administration committed caste atrocities against Dalits who revolted against Marathas with the support of the British.

Interestingly, the journalist in his attempt to prove that the movie promotes hatred against the Muslim community by portraying Aurangzeb as a merciless ruler, inadvertently insinuated that Aurangzeb represented the entire Muslim community of the present times. Therefore, if Aurangzeb is portrayed as cruel, it somehow means that the movie is trying to prove that the entire Muslim community is cruel.

The journalist also blamed the Modi government for ‘such movies’. He alleged that under the Modi government, ‘absurd’ movies like Article 370 and The Kerala Story are being made.

Union Home Ministry seeks umbrella probe in the cases of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, instructions sent to all states and UTs

ANI
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Union Home Ministry seeks umbrella probe in the cases of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, instructions sent to all states and UTs

The Ministry of Home Affairs has sought an umbrella probe in the cases of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants staying in the country.

A senior officer informed that in a recent meeting, instructions have been passed to all states and UTs to investigate the cases of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants as umbrella cases and identify the persons who have helped the illegal immigrants in obtaining documents to generate Aadhar and other documents pertaining to the citizenship of India.

The officer added that in some cases, it has been found that the documents were prepared for the purpose of travel to European countries or the Middle East, and the persons didn’t stay for long in India. The investigation officers have been instructed to also identify the persons who have helped the illegal immigrant in generating documents and make them accused in the case.

During the investigation, it has been instructed to identify the loopholes used to generate documents. All suspicious aadhar cards have been sent for re-verification, which includes scrutiny of the documents submitted for aadhar generation. In a meeting with Aadhar officials, they have been asked to pass instructions to all aadhar centers to inform the police in case they find any person trying to modify or generate aadhar on suspicious documents.

In case of confirmation of illegal Bangladeshi nationals, the persons will be kept in the detention centre, and FRRO will be informed to facilitate their safe return as per protocols.

In a special operation, Delhi Police arrested more than 20 Bangladeshi nationals who were residing illegally in the national capital.

As per MHA, between Jan 2024 and Jan 2025, a total of 2601 Bangladeshi citizens were apprehended on the Indo-Bangladesh Border.

The Government has strengthened Indo-Bangladesh border security through advanced surveillance, enhanced manpower, and technological integration.

Measures include Surveillance equipment like Hand Held Thermal Imager (HHTI), Night Vision Device (NVD), UAVs, CCTV/PTZ cameras, IR sensors, and the Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS) pilot in Dhubri (Assam).

To keep check on the issue of illegal border crossing, Border Security Force (BSF) interacts with Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) at various levels. Further, a Coordinated Border Management Plan (CBMP) signed in 2011 between BSF and BGB exists for meeting of BSF-BGB Nodal Officers.

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

Punjab’s AAP govt revokes NSA against 7 associates of Amritpal Singh, to be shifted to Punjab from Assam jail

OpIndia Staff
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Punjab’s AAP govt revokes NSA against 7 associates of Amritpal Singh, to be shifted to Punjab from Assam jail

In a significant development, the AAP government in Punjab has decided to revoke charges under NSA imposed on 7 associates of Khalistani terrorist Amritpal Singh. Moreover, the state government has decided to shift them back from Assam to Punjab, and initiate legal procedures against them.

At present, Amritpal Singh and his associates are lodged at Dibrugarh Central Jail in Assam. They were taken to the high-security prison in eastern Assam following their arrest in April 2023 after a weeks-long chase.

As per reports, they will be shifted to prisons in Punjab starting tomorrow, and Punjab Police have geared up to increase security in view of the same. Officials have said that arrangements are being made for the transfer of the detainees, and further legal proceedings will follow once they are back in Punjab.

The NSA imposed against 7 of the associates are expiring on 19th March, and the Punjab govt has decided not to extend it further. They are Daljit Singh Kalsi, Bhagwant Singh (Prime Minister Bajeke), Papalpreet Singh, Kulwant Singh, Gurmeet Singh, Basant Singh, and Harjit Singh (Amritpal Singh’s uncle).

This means only Amritpal Singh, Papalpreet Singh, and Jeet Singh will remain detained under NSA, and will remain in the Assam jail. Their detention under NSA is expiring in June, and it is possible that they will be shifted back to Punjab after that. Amritpal Singh’s hearing is scheduled on 22 March, and the govt may take a decision after the hearing also.

The detention of Amritpal Singh and his nine associates were extended by the state govt in June last year. The NSA allows the government to detain people for up to 12 months without charging them.

Amritpal Singh is currently an MP from Khadoor Sahib seat, as he contested the Lok Sabha elections in 2024 from jail and won it.

Singh and his associates are accused in the Ajnala police station attack case. On 23 February 2023, a mob of about 200-250 people armed with deadly weapons led by Amritpal attacked Ajnala police station to free one of their associates from custody. The police had put up barricades to stop the mob, but Amritpal’s supporters broke it and entered inside and freed their companion. Six policemen were also injured in the attack. After which the police registered cases against Amritpal and some of his associates under serious sections.

SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docks with International Space Station to bring back stranded astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore

ANI
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SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docks with International Space Station to bring back stranded astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore

SpaceX Dragon spacecraft carrying NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov docked with International Space Station, Space X CEO Elon Musk announced on Sunday.

In a post on X, Musk posted, “SpaceX Dragon docks with Space Station.”

In a statement, NASA stated, “NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov arrived at the International Space Station on Sunday, as the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docked to the orbiting complex at 12:04 a.m. EDT, while the station was roughly 260 statute miles over the Atlantic Ocean.”

After SpaceX Dragon’s link-up to the forward facing port of the station’s Harmony module, the crew members aboard Dragon and the space station will start conducting standard leak checks and pressurization between the spacecraft and the station in preparation for a hatch opening scheduled for approximately 1:45 am (US time) on Sunday.

Crew-10 will join the Expedition 72 crew of NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Don Petitt, Suni Williams, and Butch Wilmore and Roscosmos cosmonauts Aleksandr Gorbunov, Alexey Ovchinin, and Ivan Vagner, according to the statement released by NASA. The number of crew aboard the space station will rise to 11 people before Crew-9 members Hague, Williams, Wilmore, and Gorbunov return to Earth after the crew handover period.

On Friday, SpaceX and NASA launched a mission to bring back US astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore from the ISS, where they have been stranded for nine months. The lift-off took place at 7:03 ET on Friday, with a Falcon 9 rocket carrying a Dragon spacecraft on the Crew-10 mission.

The launch came after US President Donald Trump urged SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to rescue the stranded astronauts sooner than NASA had planned. He has repeatedly accused former US President Joe Biden of abandoning them in space.

On March 7, Trump said that he has authorised Elon Musk to bring back American astronauts- Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore who have been stranded at the International Space station since June last year.

Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams have been stranded on the ISS for nine months after reaching there in June last year. They were supposed to stay there for about a week.

The astronauts were transported from Earth to the ISS aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft However, the spacecraft came back to Earth unmanned in September. This came after Starliner faced “helium leaks” and “issues with the spacecraft reaction control thrusters” while docking with the ISS, Fox News reported.

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

Telangana CM threatens to strip and parade people for ‘offensive language’ about him and his family, had earlier detained 2 women journalists for ‘criticising’ him

OpIndia Staff
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Telangana CM threatens to strip and parade people for ‘offensive language’ about him and his family, had earlier detained 2 women journalists for ‘criticising’ him

Days after Telangana Police detained 2 women journalists for interviewing a farmer who criticised the Telangana government, Telangana Chief Minister Anumula Revanth Reddy said that anyone using offensive language for him and his family would be stripped and paraded in public.

He said that his government would not hesitate to enact or amend legislation to control such language. Speaking in the state assembly during the motion of thanks to the Governor on Saturday (15th March), Reddy said he would not tolerate abusive language used against him and his family on social media in the name of journalism.

“Let the media organisations, their associations, I&PR and other authorised agencies define a journalist, list out their names and give them to the government. They can be exempted. Others will be treated as criminals and action will be taken as per law,” he said.

Reddy criticised the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) party for condemning the detention of two women journalists. “My blood boils when I hear such abusive language directed at my family members. Why is KCR not disturbed when such language is used against my wife and daughter?” Reddy lashed out.

Alleging that the BRS was trying to mentally harass him for political gains, Reddy advised K Chandrashekar Rao, “Do not be under the impression that you can derive political mileage by hurting us psychologically. If you cross the line, the consequences will be dire. I am being tolerant and stopping the youth or else they will hit the roads, strip you all before beating you black and blue.”

Reddy warned the people posting on social media against him that his supporters would retaliate against abusive trolling. He said that he prevented his supporters from taking any action as he was committed to upholding the law. “If these trolls hide behind anonymity, we will expose them and thrash them,” he said.

“They (BRS) condemned the arrest of two women journalists recently, who had posted derogatory and abusive language against my family members and me. I have been patient, but how long should I be tolerant and when bad language has been used in social media posts against the women in my family?” a visibly angry Reddy questioned.

Two women journalists were arrested in Telangana

On Wednesday (11th March) Hyderabad Police detained senior journalist Revathi Pogadadanda and her colleague Tanvi Yadav in connection with the interview of a farmer who allegedly used derogatory language to show his dissatisfaction with the Anumula Revanth Reddy-led Congress government in Telangana.

The interview was posted by a digital news platform the Pulse News Break which is run by Revathi. A case was filed by the police against the journalists based on a complaint filed against them. The police alleged that the interview was shot inside the BRS office.

The Telangana government faced major backlash from the leaders of the BRS for arresting the journalists.

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