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‘Bharat Bandh’ by ‘farmer protestors’ in Punjab leads to Rs 500 crore loss: Reports

OpIndia Staff
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‘Bharat Bandh’ by ‘farmer protestors’ in Punjab leads to Rs 500 crore loss: Reports

On Friday, ‘farmer protestors’ gave calls for ‘Bharat Bandh’ in Punjab and caused a loss of ₹500 crores in one day, reported Indian Express.

The protestors disrupted normalcy in both urban and rural areas of the State. They put up road blockades in 321 locations including link roads, State and National Highways. The ‘farmers’ staged demonstrations in a total of 365 places in Punjab. A total of 32 farmer unions protested at 200 places. While Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ugrahan) created road and rail blockades in 16 districts of Punjab, the Kisan Mazdoor Sangrash Committee followed it up in 12 other districts.

In urban areas such as Ludhiana, shopkeepers operated during the morning hours but closed shops afternoon. Amritsar observed a complete ‘bandh’ and the SGPC office remained shut to express solidarity with the protestors.

The protestors also conducted roadshows in Chaura Bazar, Ghumar Mandi, Mall road and Pakhowal road during the Bharat Bandh. They were also seen roaming in open jeeps and cars and intimidating shopkeepers to shut shops. Owing to the disruption caused during the Bharat Bandh, the Chamber of Industrial and Commercial Undertakings estimated that Punjab lost around ₹500 crores in one day.

Protestors forcibly closed down commercial establishments

Pankaj Sharma, the General Secretary of the Chamber of Industrial and Commercial Undertakings’ general secretary, informed, “The bandh affected business activities as the protesters did not allow workers and staff to reach factories. Protesters forcibly closed the commercial establishments.” He added, “Although industry supports the cause of protest and requests the govt to consider their legitimate demands, but industry condemns such bandhs as it affects the lives of common man.”

Party workers of Congress, AAP and SAD take part in protests

While speaking about the matter, Sharma further contended, “Such state-sponsored bandhs are like putting spanners in the wheels of the economy. There was a loss of business worth Rs 500 crores in Punjab due to a single- day bandh.” His statement further gained credence as general secretary of BKU (Ugrahan) Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan conceded that roads were jammed in 46 places and rail blockade was put in 4 places. Although party leaders did not participate, Congress, AAP, BSP and Shiromani Akali Dal workers were seen in protests in different parts of Punjab.

Anti-farm law protests cause hundreds of crores of loss to toll collections

The agitation against the historic farm laws, enacted by the Union government, will lead to an approximate loss of ₹600 crores in toll collection, reported credit rating agency ICRA Limited in January this year. In its report published, ICRA noted that the loss to toll plazas will be caused due to restrictions in vehicular movement on National Highways. “Around 52 toll plazas, including both public-funded and BOT (built, operate and transfer), for national highways are operated in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi-NCR which are directly or indirectly affected due to these protests,” it noted.

The report further added, “Until January 26, 2021, these national highway toll plazas would have incurred an estimated revenue loss of around ₹560 crores; out of which ~₹410 crores is estimated for BOT Concessionaires. Apart from this, the revenue loss in State Highway Projects in these regions would be additional.”

The revenue loss to toll plazas has furthered worsened since December 12 last year, due to no-fee collection from vehicles at all toll plazas in Haryana, Punjab and Delhi-NCR region. ICRA Limited reported that the average toll collection, prior to the protests and the subsequent free vehicular movement, was around ₹7 crores each day. The credit rating agency further estimated that even if the ‘farmer’ protests end by February, there will still be a decline of 30-35% in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi-NCR region for 2020-2021.

Leaked audio clip shows Mamata Banerjee pleading BJP’s Nandigram leader for help, Pralay Pal refuses to betray the Adhikaris: All you need to know

OpIndia Staff
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Leaked audio clip shows Mamata Banerjee pleading BJP’s Nandigram leader for help, Pralay Pal refuses to betray the Adhikaris: All you need to know

The BJP has shared a stunning audio clip of an alleged conversation between West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and a BJP district Vice-President, Pralay Pal. The conversation was initially shared by Calcutta News. During the conversation, the former could be heard pleading for the latter’s help ahead of polling in Nandigram on the 1st of April.

“You are a young man, you do a lot of work, I know. Please help us out a bit here, you will see, you will not experience any difficulty,” Mamata Banerjee says during the conversation. Pralay Pal responds, “My family engaged in politics because of you, didi. The day when election results were announced, when we realised that you will become the Chief Minister, we invited 5 Brahmins for pujo and organised a rally.”

“But what hurts is, even after all such sacrifices, when Pralay Pal does not get receive a resident certificate, there is nothing more humiliating than that,” he adds. Mamata tells him that she was not allowed to visit Nandigram by the TMC leader there, taking a dig at Suvendu Adhikari, the former TMC stalwart who is now BJP’s candidate from the constituency.

Pal continued, “I shouldn’t receive a resident certificate, can it happen? I have been beaten by your Mahadev.” Mamata Banerjee defends herself saying that she did not receive information earlier but now she has come there, she is learning of it.

Pralay Pal, nevertheless, despite much cajoling, refuses to betray the BJP. “Whatever you think, Didi, I have quit the party now (TMC), I will not be able to betray the trust of the party I am in now,” he said.

Mamata then asks Pal if he believes the people in the party he works for now (BJP) are honest or not to which the latter says that he believes that he is honest and he will work for the party (BJP) as long as it is on the right track. Pal also says that the Adhikari family has supported him over the years, even when the CPI(M) persecuted him and that he has a relationship of 40 years with the Adhikaris.

Pal says that when the CPI(M) used to persecute him, it was the Adhikari family that stood by him through thick and thin. “I am extremely grateful to you. You are such a huge politician and despite that, you have called an ordinary worker like me. But forgive me,” he says in conclusion.

The Trinamool Congress says that the audio clip is not verified but Pralay Pal appeared to confirm the content of the clip. OpIndia cannot vouch for the authenticity of the clip. He told India Today, “She wanted me to work for her and return to TMC but I have long been associated with Suvendu Adhikari and the Adhikari family. I am now working for the Bharatiya Janata Party.”

“During the Left rule when CPI(M) was torturing the people of Nandigram, it was the Adhikari family who stood by us. I have never gone against them and I will never dare to,” he added. April 1st will witness the most high profile battle of this election season between incumbent Chief Minister Mamata versus friend-turned-foe Suvendu Adhikari.

NCPCR seeks probe into allegations of misconduct against IPS officer Praveen Kumar, says Christian missionaries are being allowed inside state-run schools

OpIndia Staff
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NCPCR seeks probe into allegations of misconduct against IPS officer Praveen Kumar, says Christian missionaries are being allowed inside state-run schools

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), the apex body for child rights in the country, has ordered a probe into the activities of Telangana Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society (TSWREIS) and its secretary IPS officer RS Praveen Kumar.

According to the reports, NCPCR Chairperson Priyank Kanungo has written a letter to the Chief Secretary, Government of Telangana, noting that they have received serious complaints against the TSWREIS regarding irregularities in the running of the schools, hostels and other institutions managed by the TSWREIS.

The TSWREIS was set up by the Telangana government in 2014 to provide quality education to needy and deprived children and administer the various schools, colleges, and hostels run by the Telangana state government.

NCPCR seeks inquiry into allegations of misconduct of IPS officer

The letter also states that Dr RS Praveen Kumar, IPS, the secretary of TSWREIS, is allegedly running the government organisation as if it were his own personal fiefdom. Controversial Telangana IPS officer RS Praveen Kumar had recently courted a massive controversy after being caught in a video asking children to take an oath, pledging that they would not follow any Hindu rituals and traditions in the future.

The letter written by NCPCR states, “The complainant has levelled serious allegations against Dr R.S. Praveen Kumar, IPS, Secretary, TSWREIS wherein the complainant has stated that Dr R.S. Praveen Kumar has built up a private society called SWAEROES within this Government organisation and that SWAEROES has evolved its own SWAEROES pledges, SWAEROES anthem, SWAEROES Guru Mantra which is being administered in TSWREIS schools/colleges”.

Further, the letter reads, “The complainant stated that there is constant day to day interference by SWAEROES volunteers in all aspects of the functioning of the state-run, taxpayer funded TSWREIS schools, college and hostels and that due to the wide coverage in the media, an impression is sought to be created that it is SWAEROES that is running hundreds of educational institutions with its own funds when the fact is that these institutions are being run by the State Government”.

Christian evangelical organisation are being given free access to the children in govt-run school, says NCPCR

The NCPCR has also suspected the role of Christian evangelical organisation in the functioning of these educational institutions. In the complaint, the NCPCR has stated, “The complainant further alleges that Christian religious preachers are being given free access to the children in the state run social welfare hostels and all these children, irrespective of their ancestral religious beliefs are forced to participate in Christian religious worship. He also alleges that holidays have been altered for Hindu festivals, preventing the children from travelling home during the Hindu festivals and that the children have complained to their parents about the same as well.”

The child rights body has also demanded the Telangana government to urgently investigate these allegations against the TSWREIS, the controversial IPS officer RS Praveen Kumar and his private organisation SWAEROES. The NCPCR has also asked the Telangana government to inspect the schools, colleges, orphanages and hostels run by TSWREIS-SWAEROES and submit a report on its findings to the NCPCR within ten days.

The letter from the NCPCR said that these allegations seriously jeopardise the rights and freedoms of children.

Telangana IPS officer was caught promoting anti-Hindu propaganda to students

Earlier, we had reported in detail how the Hinduphobic act of a serving police officer in Telangana created a massive uproar on the internet. Several people had accused Kumar of promoting anti-Hindu propaganda among students.

A video of RS Praveen, currently the secretary of Telangana Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society (TSWREIS), had gone viral on the internet where he was seen taking oath along with several people strongly affirming their disbelief in the existence of Hindu deities and their traditions.

In the video that had gone viral, IPS officer Praveen Kumar was seen administering an oath to the young students pledging to not follow any Hindu rituals.

“I do not have faith in Gowri, Ganapathi or other Hindu gods. I will not worship them. I do not accept the concept of avatars of God. I will not do Sraadha Karma, nor do Pinda Daan. I will not do anything that is against the principles and teachings of Buddha. I will not consume alcohol. I do not believe in Rama, Krishna. I will not worship them,” Praveen Kumar dictated the oath to those innocent children.

Complaint filed against IPS officer

Following this, a complaint was filed by Hindu activist group – Legal Rights Protection Forum (LRPF) against RS Praveen Kumar accusing him of perpetuating anti-social activities by promoting the anti-Hindu ideology and corrupting the minds of children studying in schools/hostels run under the aegis of Telangana Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society (TSWREIS).

In a complaint to Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions and the Department of Personnel and Training, the LRPF had alleged that Praveen Kumar had initiated a movement called SWAEROES or (Social Welfare AEROES), which is indulging in highly enraging anti-social activities s by poisoning the minds of little children and the society at large in the name of upliftment of poor SC students and providing quality education.

“Such dubious activities in the name of welfare must stop, and punitive measures must be adopted to bring such state actors working in a non-stately actor fashion to Justice in the larger interest of public peace and maintenance of Law & Order”, the complaint stated.

The complaint further alleged that RS Praveen Kumar has been continuing in the same position and department for more than seven years of the long period, which is a contravention to the general practice of the Department of Personnel & Training. Besides this, he was recently promoted as Additional Director General of Police without having any experience in serving as a full-time Police Officer, the letter added.

The letter also stated that Praveen Kumar and SWAEROES have “reportedly taken complete control of hundreds of taxpayer-funded, government-run educational institutions”. The complaint said that as part of the Buddhist teaching forced upon them, children’s heads are regularly tonsured and that they are sent home with cleanly shaved heads.

Delhi High Court clears the decks for the trial of the accused in the Delhi riots case under the stringent UAPA Act

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi High Court clears the decks for the trial of the accused in the Delhi riots case under the stringent UAPA Act

The Delhi High Court on March 24 vacated its earlier stay order on the trial under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, in a case related to the anti-Hindu riot in northeast Delhi in February last year.

This decision effectively means that the Delhi High Court has cleared the decks for the trial of several accused in the case, including notorious radical Islamist Umar Khalid, Pinjra Tod members and far-left ‘activists’ Devangana Kalita and Natasha Narwal, JNU student Sharjeel Imam and former Aam Aadmi Party councilor Tahir Hussain, self-proclaimed activist Khalid Saifi, Jamia Coordination Committee members Safoora Zargar and Meeran Haider, under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

The High Court decision has come after the Delhi trial court directed Delhi police to provide hard copies of the chargesheet to 15 accused, who have been charged under the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in connection with the north-east Delhi riots.

The High Court had on November 10, 2020, stayed the proceedings in the case after the Delhi Police had filed an appeal against a trial court’s order.

Earlier, the Delhi Police had filed a charge-sheet before the Delhi court in connection with the riots case. The Delhi police had invoked various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) along with the Indian Penal Code in the case. The case emanates from FIR No. 59, which was lodged by Delhi Police’s Crime Branch on March 6, 2020.

The Delhi Police had filed over 750 FIRs in connection with the Delhi riots cases against offences such as giving communally insinuating speeches, creating religious hatred, looting, arson, destroying public and private property, causing injury and murder among others. It had named 15 prime accused in the Anti-Hindu Delhi riots case.

In the FIR, the Delhi Police had alleged that the communal riot was a pre-planned and the protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) prior to that had created a communally-charged atmosphere that led to the communal clashes in February.

The Delhi Police has arrested over 20 accused persons including former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students and Jamia Millia Islamia students in this particular case on the charges of instigating Muslim mobs to unleash terror on the streets of the national capital.

Bengal: Suvendu Adhikari’s brother Somendu’s car attacked, driver assaulted, TMC’s Ram Govind Das accused of leading attack

OpIndia Staff
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Bengal: Suvendu Adhikari’s brother Somendu’s car attacked, driver assaulted, TMC’s Ram Govind Das accused of leading attack

The car of Somendu Adhikari, brother of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, was reportedly attacked on Saturday, the first phase of polling in the West Bengal Assembly Elections. Somendu Adhikari has blamed the Trinamool Congress for the vandalism of his car. The incident reportedly occurred at Kanthi South.

Senior BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya said that goons from the minority community were responsible for the actions. The driver of the car was reportedly beaten. However, he emphasised that compared to other elections, polling on Saturday was much more peaceful.

Suvendu’s brother Somendu said that some karyakartas were brutally assaulted before the TMC proceeded to vandalise the car. He said that the mob was led by Ram Govind Das. Das is said to be the Block President of the area.

The driver, Gopal Singh, said that he was beaten with stones. Visuals of his injuries makes it abundantly clear that he was terribly assaulted. Kanthi South is an assembly constituency in the East Medinipur district of the state.

“Under the leadership of TMC block president Ram Govind Das and his wife, poll rigging was underway at three polling booths. My arrival here created problem for them to continue with their mischiefs. So they attacked my car and thrashed my driver,” said Somendu.

Somendu Adhikari has been speaking out against the Nandigram Police and TMC of indulging in unfair electoral practices. On Friday, Suvendu Adhikari wrote to the Election Commission requesting suspension of Haldia Additional SP Partha Ghosh, Haldia SDPO Barunbaidya and others accusing them of malpractice.

Somendu said on Saturday, “He later went there again and met people. We approached the EC that there should be free and fair polls. People will choose whom they want. TMC is scared. We have given the name of one Alauddin to the EC, he creates disturbance there.”

“Voters being influenced and stopped from voting at booth number 149. Overall polling being held peacefully. EVMs malfunctioning at some locations, it happens in all polls, EC is looking into it,” he said.

Hours into the first phase of polling in WB, TMC raises EVM bogey, claims votes are automatically being transferred to BJP

OpIndia Staff
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Hours into the first phase of polling in WB, TMC raises EVM bogey, claims votes are automatically being transferred to BJP

The first phase of the high octane West Bengal Assembly polls is underway in 30 constituencies on Saturday. Over 73 lakh voters in the eastern states of West Bengal will be exercising their franchise today. The voting for the first phase of polls kickstarted at 7:00 AM today. As expected, merely a few hours after the voters began to exercise their ballot, the jittery Trinamool Congress Party (TMC) has started peddling the ‘EVM hacked’ bogey.

The ruling TMC party, which is, this time, fighting for its survival in the state, took to Twitter to raise the false bogey of ‘EVM malfunctioning’. It said the voters in the Kanthi Dakshin assembly seat have been making a shocking claim that “they voted for TMC but VVPAT showed them the BJP symbol”. It asked the Election commission to immediately look into the matter. “THIS IS SERIOUS! THIS IS UNPARDONABLE!” exclaimed ruling TMC.

Reacting to Trinamool Congress party’s allegations, BJP West Bengal Pres Dilip Ghosh said: “TMC knows that it is losing & that’s why it is saying all this. For such complaints, TMC should go to the Election Commission. TMC & Mamata Banerjee are under pressure and that is why they are saying such things”.

Rightly so, this conspiracy theory peddled by most opposition parties, including Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party, in an apparent bid to hide their failure, has become extremely cliched. The information disseminated by the Election Commission of India has convinced most sane people that hacking EVMs is not possible, since they are stand-alone machines with no networking with the external world. Nevertheless, every single time when opposition senses that they are about to lose the battle, they start peddling this outrageous theory. After every election, VVPAT slips are tallied with the EVM results and they match 100% every time, ruling any such discrepancy that TMC is alleging.

Last year, Congress veteran leader Digivijay Singh had raised a similar din minutes before the counting of votes began for the Delhi Assembly elections. Similarly in 2019, when the Congress party realised that their candidate Randeep Singh Surjewala is set to lose the important Jind by-polls in Haryana, the workers of the Congress party took to the streets to protest against the election results while raising doubts regarding EVM tampering. Likewise, in 2018, when BJP was all set to form a government in Karnataka, a senior Congress leader had raked up the same issue of malpractices in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

Whether it is BSP supremo Mayawati or the Aama Aadmi Party or the Congress party, like clockwork, the ‘EVMs are tampered’ bogey has been raised time and again by them.

Meanwhile, the first phase of voting is underway in the politically volatile state of West Bengal. Elections are being held in 30 seats amid tight security. The 30 seats include all constituencies in Purulia and Jhargram and segments of Bankura, Purba Medinipur and Paschim Medinipur. According to ECI, till 11 am, 24.61 per cent voter turnout was recorded.

Elections to the 294-member West Bengal Assembly will be held in eight phases starting from March 27 with the final round of voting taking place on April 29. The counting of votes will take place on May 2.

Ground Report: As TMC banks on former Maoists, will red corridor areas of Jhargram and Jangalmahal turn saffron this election

OpIndia Staff
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Ground Report: As TMC banks on former Maoists, will red corridor areas of Jhargram and Jangalmahal turn saffron this election

As we approached Jhargram town through the brown-leaf-carpeted road meandering through the Lodhasuli forest, around 160km west of Kolkata, the tiny fresh-green leaves atop the barren trees in the spring sun seemed to hold the promise of winds of change for the 4 seats, which go to polls on March 27 in the first phase of the eight-phase marathon West Bengal Assembly elections.

The dry and arid region, which is a part of the Chotanagpur plateau sharing borders with Bihar and Jharkhand, had been a hotbed of Maoists for years and had formed the Red corridor that extends from Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Chhattisgarh. Progressing towards our destination with tea halts in between, conversations with the local people revealed the trend of ilaaka (area) bandi, which implies that villages have separate political affiliations and remain segregated according to such basis. The divide among people is so palpable that it even drives the local journalists into pursuing propaganda-based journalism. To the extent that they may try to influence visiting scribes.

On reaching the Jhargram town, we met a hotelier who hosts workers of all political parties. The gentleman confessed that he would not be able to come on record in the face of a possible backlash against him or his family but said there was actually simmering discontent among sections of people in the region against the present dispensation. And there was this BJP worker, working silently for the party who had a confession of a different sort to make — that he had been sidelined by the BJP he loved so dearly all his life. The ostensible reason — to accommodate those crossing over from the Trinamool to the BJP and to address the bigger task at hand — to ensure the defeat of the ‘grassroots’ party so that the lotus could bloom in all its glory in Bengal.

Though the public, in general, was pleased with the good roads and streetlights — something unthinkable during the 34-year rule of the Left Front government — that the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government had lavished on Jhargram and Jangalmahal, there was a simmering discontent — lack of employment opportunities. Most were reluctant to give out their names or reveal their political affiliations or who they would vote for. But what binds them together was the grouse against the Trinamool having played a double game with them.

Trinamool Congress has fielded a new entrant, actress June Maliah, who is a popular face of the Bengali film industry. Once considered to be a stronghold of CPI, Tarun Kumar Ghosh, son of former MLA Kamakhya Ghosh is the party’s candidate. BJP has fielded their former district president Samit Kumar Dash from the seat. On the other hand, in the Jhargram constituency, actress of Santhali films and daughter of former MLA Chunibala Hansda, Birbaha is contesting on Trinamool Congress’s ticket. CPM leader Madhuja Senroy is contesting against Sukhamoy Satpathy has been fielded by the BJP.

In the late-2000s, when Jhargram and Jangalmahal were synonymous with incidents of Maoist unrest, the Trinamool was accused to have threatened the Maoists to surrender and join its party or face the bullets or be implicated in fake cases. The name of one person, who was instrumental in helping carry out the ‘peace process’ or sort of ‘atonement’ of the Maoists surfaced during the conversations was that of erstwhile police chief of Jhargram, Bharati Ghosh. Once known to be close to chief minister Mamata Banerjee, she had referred to the chief minister as ‘ma (mother)’ at a public event.

The name of one person, who was instrumental in helping carry out the ‘peace process’ or sort of ‘atonement’ of the Maoists surfaced during the conversations was that of the erstwhile police chief of Jhargram, Bharati Ghosh. Once known to be close to chief minister Mamata Banerjee, she had referred to the chief minister as ‘ma (mother)’ at a public event. The former IPS officer, a graduate from Harvard University and London School of Economics, first worked in the criminal investigation department (CID) of West Bengal Police. After taking early retirement, she joined the BJP in 2019 and was subsequently nominated to contest the 2019 elections from Ghatal constituency.

In the 2021 Assembly elections, Ghosh is contesting from Debra constituency in Paschim Medinipur, 103 km from Kolkata, against ex-IPS officer Humayun Kabir, who joined the Trinamool in February this year. Following the killing of Maoist leader Kishan Ji, Trinamool Congress, in a tacit understanding with the lower-rung Maoists, managed to bring so-called peace to Bengal. Kishan Ji’s second-in-command Chhatradhar Mahto was inducted into the Trinamool Congress in 2020. Mahato, the face of the Maoist-backed tribal movement of 2008-2011 in Lalgarh, was freed on bail a few months ago after spending almost 11 years in jail.

In the run-up to the West Bengal Assembly elections, Mahato’s induction in the TMC attracted a lot of attention. Villagers admitted the presence of Maoists in the region but in the absence of leadership, was a spent force and could in no way take on the government in its present form. At an eatery in Bankura’s Harigram, the bonhomie among workers of different political hues was hard to miss. Most admitted that the roads and the lighting had improved but an elderly gentleman did not mince his words while narrating his disgust about the local primary health care centre. “The PHC started out with three nurses and a doctor. But now, it has got just one nurse, forcing people in an emergency to rush to Bankura Medical College and Hospital or to Kolkata.”

One of the young men sipping tea narrated how the Trinamool had resorted to ‘unnecessary violence’ during the panchayat elections in 2018 to prevent any opposition party to file nominations. Predictably, Trinamool won unopposed. He went on to say: “Here, people have put behind the horrors of their hard-earned money they lost in the Saradha, Narada and Rose Valley chit fund scams. But lack of job opportunities has forced most of us to leave our native place and go to Kolkata to get decent jobs in the private sector. In the absence of industries, who would even get a job here?” Jatin Lahiri, a proud BJP supporter, would bet his money on his ‘favourite Modi sarkar’ coming to power this time. He based his calculation on the 18 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats the BJP had bagged in the 2019 general election. But one of Jatin’s co-villagers, in contrast, spat venom against Modi and his policies, the farmers’ protests and alike. 

As the EwokeTV team neared the end of its journey of the western districts, one thing was for sure — even the seasoned of political pundits would find it difficult to predict the final outcome at the hustings this poll season, with no clarity about the Bengal’s silent voters or the fence-sitters till the last moment. Though it’s do-or-die for the veteran Mamata Banerjee, the BJP, which tasted blood (read seats and vote share) in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, is not willing to let go of its golden opportunity of capturing the throne of ‘Sonar Bangla’ (golden Bengal) and ushering in ‘asol poriborton’ (real change) with its double-engine model of governance.

(This ground report has been brought to you by OpIndia, in collaboration with Ewoke.tv).

Former union minister Swami Chinmayanand acquitted in rape case filed by law student, the ‘victim’ acquitted in blackmail and extortion case

OpIndia Staff
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Former union minister Swami Chinmayanand acquitted in rape case filed by law student, the ‘victim’ acquitted in blackmail and extortion case

A special court in Lucknow acquitted former union minister Swami Chinmayanand today in a rape case that was filed against him by a law student. An LL.M. student studying at SS Law College run by Mumukshu Ashram of Chinmayanand in Shahjahanpur had accused Swami Chinmayanand under sections 354D, 342, 376C and 506 of the Indian Penal Code.

Special Judge PK Rai said, while pronouncing the verdict today, that the prosecution could not prove its case beyond reasonable doubt and that the victim had already turned hostile by withdrawing charges against Chinmayanand during the trial of the case. The verdict was reportedly pronounced in the presence of all the accused including Chinmayanand.

Moreover, the girl along with her acquaintances has also been acquitted by the court in relation to the charges of extortion and blackmailing leveled by Chinmayanand. The BJP leader had alleged that the girl and her friend had demanded money from him to withdraw the rape case.

The court acquitted both the parties as all the witnesses along with the ‘victims’ had turned hostile.

Background of the case

An FIR was lodged by the girl’s father against Chinmayanand in Kotwali police station, Shahjahanpur on August 27, 2019. He had stated in the FIR that the mobile phone of the girl, who was pursuing LL.M. and was staying in the college hostel, was switched off from August 23, 2019. He had alleged that when he checked his daughter’s Facebook profile, he found that she was being threatened for life by Chinmayanand and his associates as he had been sexually exploiting her. He had expressed apprehension that something untoward might had happened to her daughter. The father had said that he was not able to reach Chinmayanand as his phone was also switched off.

The girl was later traced by UP police to Jaipur where she was staying in a hotel with a friend of hers. It was found that she had moved to Jaipur on her own will, and she was not abducted by Chinmayanand as alleged by her father. The Supreme Court issued directives to the state government to set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) after the girl moved the court. The court further directed the investigation to be monitored by the Allahabad High Court. Swami Chinmayanand was arrested by police on September 20, 2019 and jailed. The charge sheet in the case was filed on November 4, 2019.

Chinmayanand had accused the girl and her acquaintances of demanding money from him

An FIR was lodged by Chinmayanand’s lawyer on August 25, 2019 against the girl and her three acquaintances alleging that they had blackmailed Chinmayanand and demanded Rs 5 crore from him. The girl along with co-accused named Sanjai Singh, DPS Rathore, Vikram Singh, Sachin Singh and Ajeet Singh were arrested and sent to jail. The charge sheet against them was filed on November 4, 2019 under sections 385, 506, 507 and 201 of the IPC and sections 3 and 4 of the IT Act.

The girl later withdrew all the charges levelled by her against Chinmayanand saying that she was forced to level these charges under the pressure of certain persons at Shahjahanpur.

PM Modi prays at Jashoreshwari peetha in Bangladesh: All you need to know about the historic temple, where left palm of the Devi lies

OpIndia Staff
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PM Modi prays at Jashoreshwari peetha in Bangladesh: All you need to know about the historic temple, where left palm of the Devi lies

On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered prayers at the Jashoreshwari temple in Satkhira district in the Khulna Division of Bangladesh.

In a video shared by DD News, PM Modi was seen being welcomed with aarti, and tilak. As he proceeded towards the premises of the temple, the Indian Prime Minister was greeted with saankhodhoni (blowing of conch shells) and ulludhoni. He then adorned the idol of Goddess Kali with a crown, a shawl and a garland of flowers. Later, PM Modi sat down to recite sacred hymns and bowed his head to the deity. The Prime Minister was at the Jeshoreshwari temple for over 15 minutes.

(Video Courtesy: Youtube/DD News)

The history behind the Jeshoreshwari temple in Sathkira in Bangladesh where PM Modi offered prayers

“SHAKTI: 51 Sacred Peethas of the Goddess” book published by Rupa Publications and authored by Dr Alka Pande narrates the rich history and legacy of the iconic Jashoreshwari temple. Chapter 9 of the book reads:

“Part of pre-partition Bengal, certain areas of Bangladesh have a deep devotion to the Great Goddess. A small town complete with its bustling street markets, narrow winding streets, road-side stalls of street food and Kirana shops, Jessore— or as it is colloquially known, Joshor—is the quintessential Picture of Bangla life. Jessore is not the sort of town that can be mistaken for a tourist favourite; it is however a transit point between Khulna and the Indian border at Benapole.

The town self offers quaint geography to explore and a fine sampling of HS local proletariat culture. Most visitors who come to Jessore enjoy the many archaeological sites here, including the remnants of Chanchara Rajbari, the Kali Mandir and the Dargah OF Ghazi Kalu. Among the more interesting relics within the regions are the remnants of King Mukut Roys palace, dating back to the 12th century and Nawab Mir Julma’s residence, which in, comparison, is slightly younger, having been built around the 17th century.

While each of these sights provides an experience of the many faiths, rulers and communities which had their impact on the culture of Bangla, many visit this part of the country for the Jashoreshwari Devi Shakti Peetha. It is in the village of Ishwaripur in Shyamnagar of Satkhira and is believed to be the Peetha which is believed to be where the left palm of the Devi lies.

The Jashoreshwari temple is an ancient site built in the 15th century under the patronage of the ruler of Jessore, Maharaja Pratapaditya. If legends are to be believed, it is said that one day when Maharaja Pratapaditya was out surveying his kingdom, as was the practice among the royal heads at that time to understand the problems, trials and tribulations of their people, he discovered a luminous ray of light emanating from a woodland bush. When the Maharaja went to discover the source of the light, he found a piece of stone carved in the form of a human palm.

The Maharaja’s advisors told him to create a shrine for the engraved stone since it had to be Devi’s blessing for him to find. Maharaja Pratapaditya, who was a worshipper of Goddess Kali, built the Jashoreshwari Devi temple. Ever since Jashoreshwari Kali has been known as the Goddess of Jessore and the town was named after her.An ode to the Mahakali form of the Divine Goddess or Shakti, the temple was built by the Brahmin architect Anari. He built a 100-door temple for the Jashoreshwari Shakti Peetha.

In time, it was modified by both Laxman Sen and Pratapaditya. In the late 13th century, Laxman Sen made a few changes to the structure. After the war and civil unrest in the year 1971, large parts of the temple crumbled. Now when one visits the Jashoreshwari Peetha, the most prominent structures of its architecture are the pillars. A notable part of the remaining structure is the large rectangular, covered platform that forms the Nathmandir and has been erected adjacent to the main temple where the shrine rests. It is from this point that the face of the Goddess can be seen.

The Jashoreshwari Peetha has been described as the Goddess lotus-like hand; the Bhairava protecting her is Chanda. Since this is the spot where the Devi’s hand is placed, it is believed to be a place of immense spiritual power for it is with her hand that the Goddess bestows her gifts. It is through the Abhaya mudra of her hand that she removes all fears and darkness. There is regular puja held on Saturdays and Tuesdays in the temple, which is, usually done in the midst of a local gathering of devotees from the nearby villages and towns.

Jashoreshwari Shakti Peetha is open to all, despite the many sectarian divisions in the faith. Each year the temple is visited by thousands of pilgrims who congregate from all around Bangladesh and beyond, from the Indian subcontinent. The temple has an annual Kali Puja which is celebrated with much pomp and reverence. The Kali Mata worshipped at the temple is known to absolve the ego of her devotees, rid them of their sins, and the maya or illusion of their existence, and grant them the ultimate goal of salvation or enlightenment.

The form of Kali worshipped here is unique; her fierce form, her fire, is directed inwards, burning the ego and the impurities of the mind. It is the peetha that’s representative of the spiritual journey of the atman to the parmatman. Jashoreshwari Devi, who is the ‘all bearing’, the ‘all producing’, provides us with the unshakeable foundation upon which to build our enlightenment. The Kali Puja is held in the months of Navratri in the Ashwija Mas, or the month of October.

There is also a rather popular mela or fair that is held annually in the temple complex in celebration of the benevolence of the Goddess. Families, pilgrims, and tourists alike gather from everywhere, dressed in their finest to celebrate the Goddess, to bring to her feet their sincerest prayers and to, as is hoped, return with her blessing and guidance.”

Sachin Vaze admits that he destroyed five mobile phones after the dead body of Mansukh Hiren was found, NIA says he was using 13

OpIndia Staff
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Sachin Vaze admits that he destroyed five mobile phones after the dead body of Mansukh Hiren was found, NIA says he was using 13

The prime accused in the Mansukh Hiren death case – Sachin Vaze – has reportedly admitted to the NIA that he destroyed five mobile phones, including his official one after Mumbai Police recovered the dead body of Mumbai-based businessmen from Kalwa creek on March 5.

According to the reports, the NIA officials have taken the help of experts to retrieve Vaze’s mobile phone data, which would give them crucial digital evidence about his involvement in the Manuskh Hiren death case. The officials suspect that Vaze was using at least 13 mobile phones.

Reportedly, with the help of another accused Vinayaka Shinde, a constable in Mumbai Police’ Crime Branch, Sachin Vaze had come into contact with a person who runs a club in South Mumbai, which was frequented by gamblers and bookies. The probe has revealed that Vaze had asked the club owner and Shinde to arrange some SIM cards for him.

Later, Vaze came into contact with bookie Naresh Gor, who provided five SIM cards for Vaze. Vaze had also arranged to get four mobile phones through one of his acquaintances, said an unnamed official according to the Free Press Journal.

During the investigation earlier, the Maharashtra ATS officials had recovered three mobile phones. However, they could not recover the cellphone used by Vaze to call Mansukh Hiren, as it was destroyed by the suspect through an acquaintance. The police had recovered three SIM cards, while two others used in the crime were destroyed.

Police have identified the person who helped Vaze get the four mobile phones. The investigators have also now identified the person who damaged the phone after Hiren’s murder and has interrogated him in connection with the case as well.

Hiren was murdered in the car, says Maharashtra ATS

Earlier, in a sensational disclosure, Maharashtra ATS sources had revealed that Mansukh Hiren was administered chloroform and then thrown in the creek from where his body was recovered. The report also says that Hiren was murdered in the presence of Sachin Vaze.

Reports suggested that the technical mobile tower and IP evaluation suggested that Sachin Vaze was present in the vehicle when Mansukh Hiren was killed. A post mortem report had revealed that Mansukh Hiren had sustained bruises before he was killed.

A report by Times Now report had said that soon after the murder of Mansukh Hiren, Sachin Vaze raided a bar in Dongri to evade suspicion. The owner of the bar confirmed that Sachin Vaze raided the bar with the assistance of Dongri police.

Sachin Vaze – an accused in the Antilia bomb scare case

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested ‘encounter specialist’ Sachin Vaze for being a part of the group that planted the explosive-laden Scorpio on Carmichael Road (near Antilia) on February 25. The top cop was also investigated for his alleged role in the death of Mansukh Hiren, the owner of the Scorpio found near the Ambani residence.

Two cars – an Innova (white colour) and a Scorpio (green colour) were used to plant the bombs outside Mukesh Ambani’s residence in Mumbai on February 25. The police had traced the Scorpio to Mansukh Hiren, an auto part dealer in Thane. A few days later, his dead body was found in a creek. While initially it was claimed to be suicide, further investigation revealed that it is possibly a murder. 

Later, it was found out that Mumbai top cop Sachin Vaze had used the same explosive-laden Scorpio found outside Reliance Group’s chief Mukesh Ambani’s residence Antilia to escort Alibagh Police in Arnab case. 

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