Home Blog Page 4476

Priyanka Chopra talks to Oprah Winfrey, reveals how Islam, Christianity and Hinduism formed a part of her upbringing: Watch

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Priyanka Chopra talks to Oprah Winfrey, reveals how Islam, Christianity and Hinduism formed a part of her upbringing: Watch

After the controversial Prince Harry and Meghan Markle interview, American show host Oprah Winfrey will be hosting Indian actress Priyanka Chopra in her Super Soul Sunday this week.

In the latest promo of the Oprah Winfrey interview, released on Friday, Priyanka Chopra is seen talking about having a spiritual foundation and how she believes in the existence of a higher power. In the show, the former Bollywood actress also talked about being aware of other religions such as Christianity and Islam while growing up.

As Oprah shared her own experience during visits to India and asked Priyanka about her spiritual foundation, the actress said, “In India, it is hard not to with the swirling number of religions that live within the country. I grew up in a convent school, so I was aware of Christianity. My dad used to sing in a mosque, I was aware of Islam. I grew up in a Hindu family. Spirituality is such a large part of India that you cannot ignore it, but also my family believed in having higher power, having a sense of faith.”

The actress continued, “My dad used to tell me that religion is a way to get to the Supreme power. Every religion has a different face in the same direction where we are going. I am a Hindu, I have a temple in my home and I pray as often as I can but at the same time, I am a believer in the fact that a higher power does exist and I like to have faith in that.”

The interview of Oprah with Priyanka will air on Discovery Plus on March 20.

Oprah Winfrey’s show with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

Last week, Oprah Winfrey’s new show with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry had stoked a massive controversy. In the interview, which released on March 8, the couple had made some explosive revelations about their life as senior members of Britain’s royal family.

In the show, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle had indirectly accused members of the British royal family of being ‘racists’. Meghan Markle had confirmed the suspicions of facing racial discrimination after she claimed there were talks about the ‘dark skin colour’ of the yet-to-be-born child of the couple.

Meghan said to Oprah that when she was pregnant, there was a lot of ‘conversations’ going around in the royal family sphere about how the coming baby of Meghan and Prince Harry, formerly the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, may not be given any royal title, and their child may not be given the title of a prince. When Oprah asked whether it was because of Archie’s “race” (Meghan is of African-American descent), Mackle paused for a second and took a deep breath.

In the interview, Meghan also said that during her pregnancy, a member of the Royal family had even talked to prince Harry about ‘how dark the child’s skin colour is going to be when he is born’. 

In the same interview, Prince Harry has also admitted that he had to face a lot of pressure and emotional challenges for being a part of the royal family. Harry has stated that his family had cut him off financially in the first quarter of 2020, and all he had was what his mother, the late Princess Diana, had left him.

Following the allegations, Buckingham Palace had issued a statement saying the allegations were “concerning” and would be addressed privately by the royal family. In a statement released on behalf of the Queen over the allegations of racism made by Harry and Meghan Markle in an Oprah Winfrey interview, the British royal family said that they are taking the issue “very seriously” and added that the family is saddened to learn about the challenging years of Harry and Meghan.

West Bengal: Illegal bombs manufactured ahead of elections to terrorise public, says CRPF

OpIndia Staff
-
0
West Bengal: Illegal bombs manufactured ahead of elections to terrorise public, says CRPF

The poll-bound state of West Bengal is infamous for the incidents of political violence and bomb attacks that frequently come to light from the state. From attacks on political rivals to clashes, West Bengal is witnessing such incidents irrespective of elections. In yet another case of political violence in West Bengal, about a dozen crude bombs were hurled allegedly by TMC workers at the office-cum-residence of BJP MP Arjun Singh yesterday.

Time and again, allegations have been made of political patronage being given to anti-social elements and illegal bomb makers. However, what is far more troubling is that the investigations conducted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in cases of bomb blasts have revealed the presence of a Pakistani terrorist organisation Al-Qaeda in the state.

According to a report of News 18, security forces deployed in the state ahead of elections are planning to unearth the illegal weapon factories operating in the state before the Assembly elections start.

Speaking to News 18, DG, CRPF Kuldeep Singh said that illegal bombs are manufactured in West Bengal during elections to terrorise the public.

“These kinds of bombs like petrol bombs, like sutli bombs, like different kinds of other bombs are manufactured in Bengal during the time of elections for terrorising the public and other things. And if you dominate the area and keep on searching like cordon and search operations in the villages, in ghettos, in those areas where those kinds of elements stay and store these kinds of elements, so, once we round them up, once we seize these materials, the likelihood of these things happening during elections would reduce”, said Singh.

Head of Bangladesh based terror group sentenced to 29 years in jail for his role in Burdwan bomb blast

As per the report, the NIA has found cross-border terror links during the investigation of the Burdwan IED blast case that took place in 2014 in West Bengal. Two were reported dead in the blast that took place in a rented house.

A special NIA court sentenced a Bangladeshi national and head of terrorist group Jamat-ul-Mujahidin Bangladesh named Kausar to 29 years in prison for his involvement in the Burdwan bomb blast. Kausar is reportedly accused by the NIA of attempting to radicalise, recruit and train young men to commit terrorist acts and wage war against the democratically established governments of India and Bangladesh.

NIA files charge sheet against persons from West Bengal and Kerala in Al-Qaeda module case

In the Al-Qaeda module case, the NIA filed a charge sheet against nine persons arrested from West Bengal and Kerala. The investigation in the Nimtita bomb blast has been handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Last month, a crude bomb was hurled at Minister of state for labour Jakir Hussain when he was walking towards Nimtita railway station to board a train. Over 20 people were injured in the blast.

Considering the history of political violence and bomb blasts of the state, the Election Commission as well as the Ministry of Home Affairs had justified the holding of Assembly elections in 8 phases. However, conducting elections in a peaceful and non-violent manner is going to be a challenge for the security forces as the incidents of violence have started taking place even before the first phase of elections has started.

Joe Biden refers to VP Kamala Harris as ‘President Harris’, fuels dementia speculations again

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Joe Biden refers to VP Kamala Harris as ‘President Harris’, fuels dementia speculations again

US politics seem to be in a stage where satire and reality have become indistinguishable. Recently, US President Joe Biden was heard referring to his deputy, Vice President Kamala Harris as ‘President Harris’.

Biden was speaking about vaccination centres. During his address, Biden said, “This is really important. Because we believe speed and efficiency must be matched with fairness and equity. Now, when President Harris took a virtual tour of a vaccination centre in Arizona not long ago, one of the nurses on that tour, injecting people, giving vaccinations, said that each shot was like administering a dose of hope.”

This is the second time that Biden has referred to Harris as his Commander-in-Chief. Earlier, he had once called her ‘President-elect’ before he assumed office.

It is notable here that the political and social media commentators in the USA often speculate about Biden’s alleged ‘dementia’ and there are discussions that he is just a front and Kamala Harris will soon eventually take over. Biden’s ‘slip-of-tongue’ only fuels those speculations.

While a lot of social media users have mocked or expressed outrage at the President of the United States ‘mis-speaking’, many have also expressed delight, saying that Kamala Harris will eventually become the first female President of the USA.

Video shows Mansukh Hiren was with Sachin Vaze in a car owned by Shiv Sena leader a day after his bomb-laden Scorpio was parked outside Antilia

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Video shows Mansukh Hiren was with Sachin Vaze in a car owned by Shiv Sena leader a day after his bomb-laden Scorpio was parked outside Antilia

In a sensational development in the Antilia bomb scare case, video footage recorded outside the Crime Branch has been recovered in which the tainted Mumbai Cop and former Shiv Sena leader Sachin Vaze was seen with Mansukh Hiren, the owner of the bomb-laden Scorpio. Mansukh Hiren had died under mysterious circumstances earlier this month.

According to Republic TV, Sachin Vaze, the prime accused in the Antilia bomb scare case, was seen arriving at the Crime Branch unit in a Land Cruiser Prado along with Mansukh Hiren. The footage was recorded on February 26, a day after the bomb-laden Scorpio was detected outside Mukesh Ambani’s residence in Mumbai.

In the video, Mumbai Police API Sachin Vaze was seen driving Mansukh Hiren to the crime branch. Mansukh Hiren was seen sitting next to Vaze in the Land Cruiser Prado – the vehicle which has been seized by the NIA. On Thursday, the National Investigation Agency had seized two more luxury cars – a Mercedes Benz ML 250 CDI and a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado GRJ 120 R in the Antilia bomb scare case, which are suspected to be linked to API Sachin Vaze.

The Prado with registration number MH02CC101 is registered in Borivali in Mumbai, and its owner, as per official records, is Vijaykumar Ganpat Bhosle, a Shiv Sena leader. In his affidavit for the 2014 assembly election, Bhosle had listed this same car in the list of automobiles owned by him. The Mercedes car with registration number MH43AR8697 is registered in Vashi RTO in Navi Mumbai in the name of Narmada Offshore Construction Pvt Ltd.

The above footage indicates that Vaze was in touch with the deceased businessman Mansukh Hiren a day after his bomb-laden car was parked outside Mukesh Hiren’s residence. The fact that Vaze was using a high-end SUV owned by a Shiv Sena leader shows how closely he is associated with the party.

NIA also seized Mercedes, unaccounted cash from Vaze

Earlier this week, the NIA officials had seized a black Mercedes car used by the tainted Mumbai cop from the Crawford market area. The NIA officials had recovered the fake number plate attached to the suspicious Scorpio car from the Mercedes car. In addition to the number plate, the officials also recovered unaccounted cash of Rs 5 lakh, a few clothes and a cash counting machine from the car.

The NIA had carried out searches at the Crime Intelligence Unit (CIU) situated in Mumbai Police headquarters, where Vaze served until last week.

In the search operation that went on till Tuesday, the NIA seized a laptop, an iPad, a phone, a DVR and CCTV footage of the Vaze’s residence in the Saket building in Thane. The DVR seizure is crucial as Vaze reportedly kept the Scorpio in his society for some time.

Sachin Vaze’s connection in the Antilia Bomb scare case

Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis made a sensational disclosure on March 5 in Vidhan Sabha when he claimed that Assistant Police officer Sachin Vaze was in touch with Mansukh Hiren, the owner of the Scorpio car that was found laden with explosives outside the Ambani residence.

Fadnavis has alleged conspiracy behind the attack against Mukesh Ambani, alleging that it could not be a coincidence that the car was stolen from Thane, the route they followed was also from Thane, and the IO investigating the case also lived in Thane.

Shortly after Fadnavis’ revelation, Mansukh Hiren was found in a creek in Thane. Hiren’s wife has accused Vaze of murdering her husband. The case was transferred to the Anti-Terrorism Squad on March 6, and Vaze was removed from the Mumbai Police Crime Branch after his name surfaced in connection with the matter.

‘Welcome to our Temple only if you want to pray to our Gods and perform penance for your actions’: VHP to MLA Aslam Chaudhary

OpIndia Staff
-
0
‘Welcome to our Temple only if you want to pray to our Gods and perform penance for your actions’: VHP to MLA Aslam Chaudhary

After Dholana MLA Aslam Chaudhary claimed that the Dasna Devi temple belongs to his ancestors and he had a right to enter the temple irrespective of his religion, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) district convener Vikas Tyagi has warned Aslam Chaudhary to stay away from the temple. National spokesperson of the VHP Vinod Bansal shared a press note on Twitter today quoting Vikas Tyagi’s response to Aslam Chaudhary’s challenge that he would enter the temple on March 19.

The press note states that Vikas Tyagi welcomed Aslam Chaudhary to the temple if he intended to visit the temple as a devotee to pray to Hindu Gods and Goddesses, and to perform penance for his past deeds. However, he warned Chaudhary that the Hindu community would not sit quietly if he entered the temple with ‘Jihadi’ intentions. Tyagi urged the government to arrest Aslam Chaudhary saying that action should be taken against such people who have a jihadi mentality.

‘Babur’s descendants cannot enter Hindu temples to carry forward their Jihadi agenda’: VHP national spokesperson to Aslam Chaudhary

Sharing the press note, Vinod Bansal wrote on Twitter, “No matter even if you are over 90% in the area but MLA ji, do not dare to enter the holy site of Narsingh Vani. You have been elected to being development and security for the people, not threat and intimidate.

He added, “We are aware that your culture does not allow minorities to live in areas where you dominate. But while advocating for Jehadis, do not forget that this is Hindusthan, not Turkey, Syria, Pakistan or Afghanistan”.

MLA Aslam Chaudhary had declared he will enter the Hindu temple and have the board removed

The ancient Devi temple of Dasna, Ghaziabad was in news after a teenage Muslim boy named Asif claimed that he was thrashed when he went inside the temple for drinking water. The matter was soon highlighted after several opposition leaders including local MLA Aslam Chaudhary spotted the opportunity to score political points and went to meet the boy. When he went to meet Asif, Aslam Chaudhary claimed that everyone had a right to visit a religious place irrespective of their religion.

Calling the temple priest a goon and accusing him of disturbing harmony, Chaudhary said that the Devi temple was the legacy of his ancestors. The temple has a board outside that bans Muslims from entering inside the premises. Chaudhary had declared that he will have the board removed.

Temple priest Yati Narasimhanand Saraswati had said that several incidents have taken place in the past of robbery and molestation of women and girls visiting the temple. Regarding the incident of thrashing, Mahant Saraswati queationed as to why the boy entered the temple to drink water when there were a handpump and a tap right outside the temple. He told that last year the minor son of MLA Aslam Chaudhary was caught harassing a girl in the temple. He was beaten up by locals. Mahant Saraswati said that the board was put up 7-8 years ago to prevent the mischievous elements from a particular community from entering the temple.

‘Mansukh Hiren’s body had injuries on head and neck, assault before death suspected’: Maha ATS

OpIndia Staff
-
0
‘Mansukh Hiren’s body had injuries on head and neck, assault before death suspected’: Maha ATS

In a startling disclosure, a Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) officer said Thursday revealed that they had found injuries on the back of businessman Mansukh Hiren’s head and neck, whose body was found near the Retibunder creek in Thane district on March 5, reports Hindustan Times.

According to a report by Hindustan Times, an unnamed source in the Maharashtra ATS, which is now investigating the death of 48-year-old Thane-based auto spare parts dealer Mansukh Hiren, has said that he might have been assaulted before his death. Hiren was linked to the bomb-laden car that was found parked outside billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s house on February 25. However, he was found dead mysteriously near the creek ten days after the bomb scare incident.

As per Hindustan Times, the ATS official said that it appeared that someone might have assaulted Mansukh Hiren with a blunt and heavy object, and it is suspected that the attack might have rendered him unconscious. The assailant(s) then put four or five handkerchiefs in his mouth and covered his entire face with a scarf, the police officer said to HT.

“The murderer might have used chloroform to make Hiren unconscious or might have used some other means because Hiren’s face was covered by a number of handkerchiefs and was covered by a mask. Perhaps, he was later (after becoming unconscious) thrown into the water,” the official added.

Forensic team says Hiren died due to drowning, ATS raises doubts

However, the test results submitted by a forensic team at the JJ Hospital have confirmed the presence of diatoms in Hiren’s body. The diatoms test is usually carried out to detect their presence in the body to indicate drowning. Even though the JJ Hospital report claims that Hiren was alive when he was thrown into the creek, the ATS investigators have raised suspicions regarding this theory.

Meanwhile, the investigating authority has now sought a second opinion from a Haryana forensic laboratory after discovering injuries on Hiren’s body.

Antilia bomb scare and death of Mansukh Hiren

On February 25, a Scorpio car with 20 gelatin sticks was found parked near Antilia, the multi-storey residence of Mukesh Ambani in Mumbai. A few days later, it was revealed that the car belonged to a person named Mansukh Hiren. The bomb-laden car was owned by Mansukh Hiren, who had alleged that his car was stolen from Mulund-Airoli link road. Hiren had also filed a police complaint about the missing car.

Former Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis had made sensational disclosures related to the Antilia bomb scare while speaking in the Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha and said that the bomb-laden vehicle belonged to Hiren.

Speaking in the assembly, Fadnavis alleged that the owner of the Scorpio car, which was used to plant gelatin sticks and a threat letter outside Mukesh Ambani’s residence in Mumbai, was in touch with a mobile phone number that is registered under the name of Mumbai Police officer and ‘encounter specialist’ Sachin Vaze.

However, hours after Fadnavis had made a statement in the legislative assembly, Hiren’s body was washed ashore in the Kalwa creek, which only deepened the mystery surrounding the attack against Mukesh Ambani. Mansukh Hiren’s family have accused suspended police officer Sachin Vaze of murder. Following the family’s complaint, Maharashtra ATS had registered a murder case to investigate the death on March 7.

‘Preachers lead lavish lives while teaching poor to stay poor’: Pasmanda activist Faiyaz Ahmad Fyzie about casteism in Muslim community and Tablighi Jamaat

OpIndia Staff
-
0
‘Preachers lead lavish lives while teaching poor to stay poor’: Pasmanda activist Faiyaz Ahmad Fyzie about casteism in Muslim community and Tablighi Jamaat

Do you know who Pasmanda Muslims are? Is there any casteism in Indian Muslims? Do Muslims feel that a section among them belongs to the lower caste? When we see a Muslim, these questions often do not strike us. However, there is a lot of discrimination among the Muslim communities, which in the words of Pasmanda activist Faiyaz Ahmad Fyzie, is hidden from the outer world.

The story of Faiyaz Ahmad Fyzie, who left Tablighi Jamaat

Faiyaz Ahmad Fyzie was a young, energetic Muslim who had a deep connection with Tablighi Jamaat since the time he remembers. When he was growing up, he used to see his paternal relatives going to Jamaat and dedicatedly following the guidelines provided by their leader. Faiyaz, who discussed why he left Tablighi Jamaat and why he is fighting for the rights of Pasmanda Muslims, said that his father was not happy with him going to Jamaat.

“He was, what you may call, a liberal,” Faiyaz said during a conversation with Abhinav Prakash on Urban Chatterati. His father did not want them to get ‘radicalized’. However, Faiyaz and his twin brother continued going to Jamaat and helping other members of the community. When he started going to college in Allahabad (now Prayagraj), he felt more connected to the Jamaat. He used to go to Jamaat at least 2-3 times a day.

‘Everything was fine from outside, but not from the inside’ – Faiyaz

Slowly, Faiyaz became more connected to Tablighi Jammat. He used to bring more members of his community to join and follow Jamaat. So much so, there was a time when he became one of the popular faces in Jamaat. He used to give lectures and spread the word about the teachings of Jamaat. He said Jamaat teaches about the world down under and up above, what lies in between is equal to the wings of a mosquito. However, what he observed during his visits to Jamaat was different.

During his conversation, Faiyaz mentioned Taril Jamil, a famous Tablighi leader, who tells his followers to stop worrying about worldly things and concentrate on developing a connection with ‘Allah’. “To tell his followers that they should not worry about the materialistic things, he leaves his posh house and come in an expensive vehicle,” said Faiyaz sarcastically. He said while the leaders of Jamaat tell others to follow a simple life, they prefer luxurious amenities.

Khawas and Awam – The discrimination that you don’t notice

In Jamaat, there are two sections of people. The first section is Awam, which includes common people. The second section is Khawas, which includes scholars, elites and the prosperous section of the society. The leaders of Jamaat belong to the latter. Faiyaz said when he had the chance to enter the room of Khawas for the first time, he was in shock to see that the leaders who tell them to eat together were eating on separate plates.

“They told us more hands in a plate, more will be prosperity, but they themselves preferred to eat in separate plates. I was shocked to see the real face of the leaders,” said Faiyaz. Unfortunately, he said, the problems with Jamaat did not end there.

Nepotism is deep-rooted in Jamaat

Faiyaz said that it is impossible for anyone who is not from Muhammad Ilyas Kandhlawi’s family to become the head of Jamaat. There were some instances when someone from lower caste became the head, but he was removed after an uproar among the upper caste or Ashrafs in Jamaat.

He mentioned a book by Masood Alam Falahi titled “Hindustan Mein Zaat-Paat Aur Musalman“, in which the author detailed the problems within the Muslim community. In the 9th chapter, according to Faiyaz, the author detailed the wrongdoings of leaders in Jamaat and how they discriminated against the Indian Muslims.

 While explaining the deep-rooted nepotism in Jamaat, Faiyaz said that when Maulana Saad, the current leader of Jamaat, got old enough to be declared as the head of Jamaat, his cousin Maulana Zubair was also eligible. They took turns and worked as Ameer or head of the Jamaat. As soon as Zubair died, Saad declared himself as the head of Jamaat, which was opposed by those who followed Zubair. “It was a bloodbath in Nizamudin Markaz,” said Faiyaz. Now, there are two Jamaats, one headed by Saad and the other by Zubair’s son Zuhair.

The Pasmandas – Lower caste Muslims who are invisible

Faiyaz said that around 90% of Muslims in India are considered to be Pasmanda Muslims. When it comes to discussing the rights of Muslims, no one consider their voices. They do not get any position as a lawmaker. In an interview with Kushal Mehra for The Cārvāka Podcast, Faiyaz said that everyone puts Pasmanda Muslims in front and collect money for their upliftment. However, the Ashrafs control the funds and the money collected never reaches Pasmanda.

Pasmanda Muslims are the soldiers, not leaders: Faiyaz

He said that the leaders who belong to the upper caste, a.k.a Sheikhs etc., do not indulge in doing any work. They only prepare soldiers among Pasmanda Muslims. The influence of such leaders is deep-rooted in Pasmanda that even the educated ones leave their professions and open madarsas. “These upper-caste leaders or Ashrafs are the cause of all disputes in the country. They want to create an Islamic state. They believe that it will be their victory if they take the world back to the medieval times,” said Faiyaz.

He said that Jamaat is banned in many Islamic countries, but it is unfortunate for India that everything is allowed here in the name of secularism. The discrimination among Muslims is deep-rooted, and most of the benefits of government schemes are taken away by the Ashrafs. Pasmanda Muslims mostly never see those benefits. “Ashraf ke biryani se bhare hue pet ko shahi tukda dena, yehi Bharat ka secularism hai (Giving benefits to the already prosperous Ashraf community is what secularism means in India),” said Faiyaz.

No representation for Pasmanda Muslims

Faiyaz said there is no representation of Pasmanda Muslims in parliament or even the Muslim Personal Law Board. Every official on the board belongs to the upper caste. If someone tries to speak for the Pasmanda Muslims, the voice is silenced by the leaders. He said it was because of the increasing influence of Britishers that Muslim leaders of that time started building madarsas; otherwise, they were happy to keep lower-caste Muslims uneducated. “Britishers taught everyone English in 150 years, but they could not teach anyone Arabic,” said Faiyaz.

He added that even the government is unable to see the discrimination among the Muslim community. Before, it was Congress, and not it is BJP who is blind-sighted by the Ashraf leaders. No one talks about Pasmanda Muslims and the discrimination that they have to face daily.

The breaking point

Faiyaz said there was no single event that forced him away from Jamaat. A series of events and the teachings of his father played a vital role in his journey away from Jamaat. Every time he saw discrimination among Muslims in Jamaat, he detached himself from the community a little more.

Faiyaz now works as an activist to bring change in the lives of Pasmanda Muslims.

After 4 years of Yogi-Raj, I feel proud to be a UPwallah Bhaiya: Here is why

Shantanu Gupta
-
0
After 4 years of Yogi-Raj, I feel proud to be a UPwallah Bhaiya: Here is why

In March 2017, when BJP named Yogi Adityanath as the Chief Minister after their landslide victory in UP, many political pundits wrote him off even before he took the oath of the CM’s office. Analysts thought a saffron-clad mahant can only teach lessons in dharma and governance is not his cup of tea. This was a lazy analysis or hate for his saffron attire at best. Four years in office – Yogi proved them all wrong.

What the Yogi Adityanath government has achieved in the last four years in a state like Uttar Pradesh, which was at the bottom of all the development indices is not short of a miracle. The only index UP topped in the times of Akhilesh Yadav, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati was ‘crime’. Yogi, a five-time member of parliament knew that for bringing prosperity back to UP, for re-instating the trust of entrepreneurs in the state, he needs to fix the law and order of the state on priority. He took the task head-on. By adding 1.5 lacs police staff in the rank and file of the police force, strategically bringing history sheeters to book in each district, protecting businesses from land grabbers and extortionists, he was able to convince industrialists to come back and expand in UP. 

A safe UP under Yogi started getting investment proposals to the order of Rs 5 lac crores every year and a high percentage of them starting seeing groundbreaking ceremonies. In the last 4 years, UP jumped miraculously to the 2nd spot in Ease of Doing Business ranking, beating industrialized states like Tamilnadu, Maharashtra and Telangana.

Tightened law and order was coupled with the fast-paced development of infrastructure, increased availability of power and de-cluttering the red-tapism faced by entrepreneurs. This resulted in massive job creation in the state. The per capita income in the state has almost doubled and the unemployment rate has come down to 4.1% in February 2021, compared to 17.5% in 2017, when Akhilesh Yadav left the office. Large scale government recruitment done in a robust and fair fashion and impetuous to MSME through an innovative scheme like One District-One Product (ODOP), added to the employment generation drive of UP govt under Yogi. As a result, Uttar Pradesh is now rapidly moving towards becoming the biggest economy in the country.

Many people find ‘double engine ki sarkar’ as political rhetoric, whenever PM Modi says it in state election campaigns while urging people to elect BJP in the state, to work on the same frequency with the central government. But Yogi proved that ‘double engine’ means ‘double growth’ for the states. All the development schemes of the centre worked superbly well in UP and succeeded the targets under Yogi govt. Yogi constantly brought senior cabinet ministers to the state to iron out pending issues and take steeper targets for his state to complete. Now be it Gas Stove distribution, or construction of toilets or the construction of houses for the underprivileged UP is among the top achievers. 

Decoding elements behind Yogi’s success can give us useful lessons. Yogi was brought up in a very hard working-class family, where his late father was known for his incorruptible reputation as a forest officer in Uttarakhand. During his tenure as a member of parliament from 1998 to 2017, he was among India’s top-performing parliamentarians on the count of attendance, number of questions asked, number of debates participated in and number of private member bills presented.

During those two decades as an MP, Yogi trained himself meticulously on governance and policy frameworks. His daily 3-4 hours of Janta-Darbars in Gorakhpur for the last 20 years, kept his ears close to the ground and he exactly knew the pain areas of the people. In these two decades, Yogi also managed more than three dozen educational, health and social institutions of the Gorakhnath Mutt, almost like a super CEO. With such a rich wealth of experience and grounding, Yogi hit the ground running in 2017 and shook the slumber of Uttar Pradesh and catapulted it first among the equals in last four years. It speaks volumes about Yogi’s style of working, when a senior bureaucrat from Uttar Pradesh, mentioned Sanjay Dixit, his IAS friend from Rajasthan cadre – “Saloo baad, UP mein kaam karne ka maza aa raha hai” (After a long long time, it is such pleasure to work in Uttar Pradesh).

Uttar Pradesh used to be the theme for many mafia movies of Bollywood. UP residents were teased as uneducated bhaiyas, in many parts of the country. Yogi has turned the tables in the last 4 years. Yogi Adityanath is the best thing that happened to UP in the last two decades. Like PM Modi has enhanced the value of Indian passport across the globe, Yogi has added pride to be a UPite. Today as a UP-Walla, born in Bareilly, I feel proud to be a bhaiya from Yogi’s UP.

They could not solve Uri and Pulwama, but are after 20 gelatin sticks: Sanjay Raut casts doubt on NIA, downplays Antilia bomb case

OpIndia Staff
-
0
They could not solve Uri and Pulwama, but are after 20 gelatin sticks: Sanjay Raut casts doubt on NIA, downplays Antilia bomb case

Days after giving a clean chit to tainted Mumbai police office Sachin Vaze, a prime accused in the Antilia bomb scare case, as “very honest and capable officer”, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday cast aspersions against the NIA. He said that NIA was working at the behest of the central government. The Shiv Sena leader said that the investigative agencies should focus on dangerous terror activities rather than going after ‘some gelatin sticks’.

Speaking to controversial news anchor Rajdeep Sardesai, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday defended the Maha Vikas Aghadi government and the Mumbai police in the ongoing Anitlia bomb scare case. Responding to Shiv Sena’s alleged links to the terror case, Raut said he could not answer for Sachin Vaze, but only investigative agencies can do it.

Casting aspersions on the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Raut said everyone knew under whom and whose behest the NIA, Enforcement Directorate, CBI work. Questioning the NIA, Raut said, “What has NIA achieved in the last few years. NIA’s job is to break the nexus between terrorists. Tell me, what has NIA done after the Uri terror attack, Pathankot terror attack and Pulwama attacks? Have they submitted any report?”

The Shiv Sena leader claimed that the entire NIA, central government and the opposition parties are after ‘some 20 gelatin sticks’ found in a vehicle. They should focus on other dangerous terror activities around the country, he quipped. Responding to a question by Rajdeep Sardesai about whether this case could tarnish the reputation of the Maharashtra government, Sanjay Raut further said that the “opposition was making a mountain out of a molehill’ in this case and that it would not affect the credibility of the government. He further said that this ‘issue’ was ‘limited to Maharashtra’.

Essentially, Raut attempted to tone down the bomb threat against Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani by claiming that it was just some gelatin sticks that were found outside his residence.

Mistake has been made, it is not a crime to join Shiv Sena: Sanjay Raut

In the interview, Sanjay Raut also admitted that the Mumbai Police mistake has committed a grave mistake in handling the Antilia bomb scare case. However, he said that happened such mistakes will not happen again in the future.

“It is true that something like this should not have happened. A mistake has been made by the police and will not happen again,” Sanjay Raut said.

When asked about the allegations regarding Shiv Sena leaders’ involvement in the Antilia bomb scare case, Sanjay Raut said that no one could deny the fact that police work under the elected government. He further said that the government is responsible for the mistakes made by the administration, and hence the Chief Minister has ordered a reshuffle in the administration, said Sanjay Raut.

As Rajdeep Sardesai questioned the links between Shiv Sena and accused Sachin Vaze, who had joined the party in 2008, Sanjay Raut said it was not a crime to join Shiv Sena and said that anybody can join the party based on their ideology.

“The NIA and ATS are investigating all the allegations against Sachin Vaze. You cannot hang anybody without proper investigation. Sachin Vaze will be punished if he has done any wrong. Is it a crime to be a Shiv Sena member? asked Sanjay Raut when he was confronted about Vaze’s inclusion in the party,” the Rajya Sabha MP said.

Sanjay Raut defends Sachin Vaze, says he is very honest

As NIA arrested Sachin Vaze for his involvement in the Antilia bomb scare case, Sanjay Raut had defended the controversial cop by claiming that Sachin Vaze was a very honest and capable officer.

“He has been arrested in connection with gelatin sticks that were found. One suspicious death also occurred. It’s Mumbai Police’s responsibility to investigate the matter. No central team was needed,” Raut had said.

While Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut hailed Mumbai Police officer Sachin Vaze, the latter had reportedly named Shiv Sena leaders in the Antilia explosives case.

Interestingly, the statement had come at a time when Vaze, a former Shiv Sena leader himself, had allegedly named Shiv Sena leaders in the gelatin case. Vaze had reportedly said that he was just the ‘tip of the iceberg’ and policemen and Shiv Sena leaders had a bigger role.

Faculty members of Rutgers university defend controversial ‘historian’ Audrey Truschke, say students should be intellectually challenged

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Faculty members of Rutgers university defend controversial ‘historian’ Audrey Truschke, say students should be intellectually challenged

A week after the Rutgers-Newark University apologised to the community of Hindu students after they were targeted with vile messages and threats for speaking up against Hinduphobic ‘historian’ Audrey Truschke, the faculty members of the university have come out to support the controversial professor. They also said that the agitating students should be intellectually challenged in the issue.

The faculty members, which includes Gaiutra Bahadur, Manu Samriti Chander, Sadia Abbas, Akil Kumarasamy, Johan Mathey and Karishma Desai, refused to accept that Audrey Truschke is Hinduphobic, and defended her work which involves glorifying the Mughal regime in India and denying that Mughals destroyed Hindu temples to build mosques in their place.

“We insist that a critical examination of Hindutva, a political ideology, is not the same thing as Hinduphobia,” the statement issued by the Rutgers faculty members said. It then goes on to familiar Hinduphobic narrative, accusing Hindus of atrocities against Muslims and other minorities. “Dr. Truschke’s critique of the former rests on its majoritarian expression in India, in ways that threaten the safety, security, and equality of Muslims and other minorities,” they have written.

The faculty members said that they have every confidence in “Truschke’s respect for Hindus and Hinduism and its compatibility with a critique of Hindu nationalism as a social and political enterprise.” The faculty members also applauded the Rutgers management for defending Audrey Truschke.

The faculty members said that students can be safe and supported in their identities and intellectually challenged at the same time. They said that they will fight for the right of students to express their faiths and identities, but will also critically examine the social and political forces shaping the globe, and will provide students with the analytical tools to do the same.

After spreading Hinduphobia for years, Audrey Truschke had faced criticism Hindu students from Rutgers-Newark University for her anti-Hindu narratives. Students had specifically criticised her for her comments on Twitters where she frequently spreads fake news against Hindus. The students had filed a petition asking Rutgers-Newark University to take strong action against controversial ‘historian’ and Professor Audrey Truschke for demonising Hinduism. They had also demanded that “Prof Truschke be disallowed to teach a course that involves materials related to Hinduism and India due to her inherent prejudiced views”.

Responding the concerns of the students mentioned in the petition, the university on 9th March had issued a statement defending the professor, saying she has academic freedom in pursuing her scholarship.

However, this defence by the university had angered the students more, and Hindus on Campus, a group that fights the persecution of Hindus, Hinduphobia and toxic environment for Hindus prevalent in college campuses, had come out against the professor.

1...4,4754,4764,477...7,655Page 4,476 of 7,655