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Actress Preity Talreja alleges assault, threats by husband after fake ‘Nikah’ in a mosque, claims police apathy

OpIndia Staff
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Actress Preity Talreja alleges assault, threats by husband after fake ‘Nikah’ in a mosque, claims police apathy

An actress named Preity Talreja has alleged domestic violence by her husband. She has posted photos and videos as evidence on social media. Along with physical violence, she has accused her husband of forced conversion, physical and mental abuse. The woman further claimed that despite presenting evidence, the police is not registering a case in the matter against her husband ‘Abhijeet Petkar’. The police allegedly gave her only an NC and said it is a family matter.

Preity started posting her ordeal on social media on December 29, 2020. At first, she informed that she had filed a complaint at Khadakpada police station, but police did not file FIR. She tagged Chief Minister of Maharashtra Uddhav Thackeray and said that she had filed a complaint against her husband. She alleged that he cheated on the pretext of love and used her. She further alleged that her husband and his friends organized a fake Nikah (Muslim marriage ceremony) and convinced her that she was officially married.

Talreja further added that while her husband is not letting police file an FIR based on her complaint, she cannot procure the marriage certificate as her marriage took place in a mosque. She said that her husband is a Muslim and there is no proof of conversion. However, he uses Abhijeet Petkar on his legal documents. She also shared a video of her assault on Twitter. She said that police at Khadpara police station saw the evidence she presented but did not file a complaint.

Talreja claimed her husband is a Muslim and there is no proof he had converted but still used Hindu name

On January 4, the actress wrote, “In India if a woman commits suicide, the system gets in a hurry to punish even innocents but when she’s alive and fighting for justice she’s only harrassed.” She further alleged that her husband does not like her first daughter visiting her house and staying with her.

Feeling depressed and troubled, she wrote, “I want Justice I am born Hindu will die as a Hindu it’s my request to all ppl [people] pls [please] don’t leave your daughters.” She further added that her family is with her and people can say whatever they want.

Talreja has also uploaded a video on Youtube where she wrote the whole ordeal. She said that she married Petkar as he showed her his innocent side and claimed that his ex-wife tortured him. He told her he had no parents. When there were some fights between her ex-husband and her, Petkar promised her to give her a better life and convinced her to get a divorce.

Description of the video uploaded by Talreja in which she tells her ordeal

She also claimed that he promised to take care of her daughter. However, he said that because he was a Muslim, she had to marry her under Muslim law and allegedly arranged a fake marriage with his friends’ help. Talreja further claimed that she had caught him multiple times dating his female students.

The actress has stated that she has been violently abused by this Petkar and he had even assaulted her mother and daughter.

Support from netizens

After learning about the case, netizens came in support of Talreja and demanded swift action against her husband. They tracked a man named Abhijeet Petkar and shared his photos on social media. In one of these photos, he was seen standing with an ulema. In most of the posts, he had written ‘Alhamdulillah’, a phrase often used by Muslims.

Priety, in posts has urged people to take her as an example before letting women in their lives walk on the wrong path.

Bird Flu outbreak in several states, Centre steps up efforts to contain the spread

OpIndia Staff
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Bird Flu outbreak in several states, Centre steps up efforts to contain the spread

As India prepares to roll out the world’s biggest immunisation programme to vaccinate its people from the Wuhan coronavirus, another pernicious infection is beginning to take root in several states of the country. As per an ANI report, on Wednesday, the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairy confirmed the outbreak of Avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, reported from Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Kerala.

The ministry stated that the samples from the aforementioned states which were tested by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research -National Institute of High-Security Animal Diseases (ICAR-NIHSAD) have come back positive for bird flu.

The decision to carry out tests was taken after several states reported the sudden death of birds in large numbers. The central government has also launched a drive to identify those with suspected flu symptoms in the affected areas.

“The measures suggested to the affected states to contain the disease and prevent further spread as per the Action Plan on Avian Influenza include strengthening the biosecurity of poultry farms, disinfection of affected areas, proper disposal of dead birds/carcasses, timely collection and submission of samples for confirmation and further surveillance, intensification of surveillance plan as well as the general guidelines for the prevention of disease spread from affected birds to poultry and human,” the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying said in a statement.

The central government has advised the respective state governments to take necessary measures to identify the epicentres of the infection and prevent its spread. The ministry has also set up a control room in New Delhi to keep a tab on the situation and to take stock on a daily basis of preventive and control measures undertaken by state authorities.

Besides, the Centre has also advised the state government to coordinate with the forest department to keep a vigil on any unusual mortality amongst birds and to report immediately to take necessary measures.

Below are the states which have reported bird flu cases and have imposed prohibitory orders in parts to control the spread:-

Rajasthan

According to the statement, bird flu is reported in crows in Baran, Kota and Jhalawar district. The alarm was sounded on December 27 when more than 100 birds were found dead in Rajasthan’s Jhalawar district. State Animal Husbandry Minister Lalchand Kataria said that the crow carcasses recovered last month were sent to Bhopal which tested positive for Avian influenza.

Madhya Pradesh

Similarly, in Madhya Pradesh also reported the flu in crows in Mandsaur, Indore and Malwa districts. Yesterday, Madhya Pradesh Animal Husbandry Minister Prem Singh Patel said that an alert has been sounded to control the deaths of crows in the state after nearly 400 crows were found dead in 10 districts.

Himachal Pradesh

In Himachal Pradesh, the bird flu is reported in migratory birds in Kangra district. The flu has so far killed 2,403 migratory birds, the state government said on Tuesday. Due to this, a 10-km alert zone was declared where no sale of eggs are allowed and poultry markets were closed, said the State Animal Husbandry Department.

Kerala

In Kerala, the flu is reported in poultry-duck in Kottayam and Allapuzha districts. Kerala Minister for Forest, Animal husbandry and Dairy development K Raju on Tuesday confirmed that that about 12,000 ducks had died and around 40,000 birds will be culled in the region where bird flu has been reported.

The state government had said bird flu is declared as the state-specific disaster in Kerala and a high alert has been issued after an outbreak of bird flu was confirmed in certain parts of Kottayam and Alappuzha districts.

Punjab, Haryana and Gujarat on high-alert amid bird flu scare

Other states such as Punjab, Gujarat and Haryana have also reported a disproportionate number of bird deaths. In Haryana, hundreds of poultry birds have died in Raipur Rani. Though authorities have claimed that no avian flu has been found among birds, they are awaiting lab reports from Jalandhar.

Gujarat has also witnessed deaths of 53 birds in the Batwa area of Manavdar tehsil in the Junagarh district on 3 January. The carcasses of the birds are sent to postmortem and the wildlife officials in Junagadh are on high-alert to detect any possible spread of the flu in the region. Punjab, too, amid scare of flu in Haryana, has sounded an alarm in the wetlands of Hari-ke-Pattan (Tarn Taran), Keshopur (Gurdaspur), Nangal, Roop Nagar and others.

Aligarh civic body attaches AMU bank account over non-payment of property tax, gives a stern warning

OpIndia Staff
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Aligarh civic body attaches AMU bank account over non-payment of property tax, gives a stern warning

The Aligarh Municipal Corporation on Tuesday seized the bank account of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) after the university administration failed to pay the property tax dues of over Rs 14 crores.

According to the reports, Vinay Kumar Rai, the Chief Taxation Officer, Aligarh said that the varsity administration has failed to pay property tax despite repeated requests made to them asking to pay the dues.

The officer told that there was a property tax due of around Rs 14.83 lakh crore of Aligarh Municipal Corporation on AMU. He added that the dues were pending for the last 8 to 10 years.

“In 2019 we have seized the accounts. We have given them enough chances and asked them to pay the dues but they did not do so. Hence we were forced to take the decision of seizing the bank account of Aligarh Muslim University,” Rai said to the media.

Warning the varsity administration, the official said that if AMU fails to pay the dues within a week, then the municipal authorities will transfer the money from AMU’s account to Municipal Corporation. The officer said that the administration will also think of obfuscating the properties if dues are not clear within a week.

Aligarh Muslim university denies charges, says the matter is sub-judice

Meanwhile, the Aligarh Muslim University on Tuesday claimed the action of civic authorities as ham-handed, discriminatory and based on distorted facts.

“The issue of alleged non-payment of house tax is sub-judice and the corporation, in fact, owes Rs 9 crore to the varsity on account of unpaid electricity bills for operating its tube wells on the campus,” AMU spokesman Professor Shafey Kidwai said. 

The AMU spokesperson also said the varsity has also written letters to the Union Minister of Education and the University Grants Commission to settle the issue of payment of property tax dues to the Aligarh Municipal Corporation. 

In its release, the University claimed that it had been paying house tax for residential areas and it got an exemption for the classrooms, laboratories and libraries from the Aligarh Municipal Council. In 2006, when the Aligarh Nagar Nigam came into being, it reversed the decision and the University approached the High Court.

ISRO scientist Tapan Mishra demands the culprits who poisoned him to be caught and punished, hints at involvement of espionage agency

OpIndia Staff
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ISRO scientist Tapan Mishra demands the culprits who poisoned him to be caught and punished, hints at involvement of espionage agency

Following the startling revelations made by him yesterday about being subjected to poisoning, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) scientist Tapan Mishra had demanded the culprits to be punished. Mishra said that someone had the ill-intention of causing harm to the ISRO.

He said that the solution did not lie in providing security to thousands of scientists but it identifying the culprits and punishing them. Mishra hinted at the involvement of some “sophisticated espionage agency” inside the ISRO that tried to poison him.

Was poisoned as part of espionage attack: Mishra

Tapan Mishra had made some staggering revelations on Facebook yesterday claiming that an assassination attempt was made on him on May 23, 2017. He said that he was poisoned with Arsenic Trioxide during a promotion interview from Sci/Eng SF to SG in ISRO headquarters at Bangalore. “Fatal dose was probably mixed with chutney along with Dosai, in snacks after lunch”, he wrote on Facebook. He said that the impact of the poison was so severe that almost 30-40% of his blood drained. “What followed was nightmare lasting for almost two years. Severe loss of blood to the tune of 30-140% through anal bleeding”, he added.

American involvement in the assassination attempt

He attributed the assassinated attempt on him to an espionage attack embedded in the government system to remove a scientist with significant contribution of military and commercial importance like expertise in building Synthetic Aperture Radar. He hinted at American involvement in the attack on him. He said that an Indian American professor from of the topmost US universities came to office one day in July 2019 and asked him to stay tight lipped on the poison attack. Mishra said that he received threats via hundreds of emails and on many occasions was saved by the vigilance of security agencies.

Mishra requested the government to protect the people crucial in building the country in order save the country from perishing.

Barack Obama administration knowingly gave US aid money to Al-Qaeda affiliate, says Senate Committee report

OpIndia Staff
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Barack Obama administration knowingly gave US aid money to Al-Qaeda affiliate, says Senate Committee report

Former US President Barack Obama’s administration knowingly funded an organisation that had an affiliation with Islamic terror outfit al-Qaeda, said a Senate Committee report. The Senate Committee report is based on a probe by the office of the Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) into the Obama administration’s approval of a $200,000 grant to a US evangelical aid organisation – ‘World Vision’, that had links with the al-Qaeda affiliate, Islamic Relief Agency (ISRA).

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley recently released a report detailing the findings of an investigation his staff began in February 2019 into the relationship between World Vision and ISRA.

The investigation by the Senator and his team has found that World Vision was not aware that ISRA had been sanctioned by the US from 2004 for funnelling roughly $5 million to Maktab al-Khidamat, the predecessor to Al-Qaeda controlled by Osama Bid Laden.

However, that ignorance was born from insufficient vetting practices, the report said. “World Vision works to help people in need across the world, and that work is admirable,” Senator Grassley said in a statement.

“Though it may not have known that ISRA was on the sanctions list or that it was listed because of its affiliation with terrorism, it should have. Ignorance can’t suffice as an excuse. World Vision’s changes in vetting practices are a good first step, and I look forward to its continued progress,” the report said.

Obama adminstration released funds even after being aware of terror-links: Report

Reportedly, the investigation by Senator Grassley was prompted after an article published by National Review in 2018 in which Sam Westrop, the director of the Middle East Forum’s Islamist Watch, had detailed MEF’s findings that the Obama administration had approved a “$200,000 grant of taxpayer money to ISRA.”

The Obama administration had specifically authorized the release of at least $115,000 of this grant even after learning that it was a designated terror organization, Westrop wrote.

According to the Senate report, World Vision had submitted a grant application to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to carry out its Blue Nile Recovery Program on January 21, 2014. The proposed program sought to provide food security, sanitation equipment, and health services to areas hard-hit by conflict in the Blue Nile region of Sudan.

Following the proposal, USAID had awarded World Vision a $723,405 grant for the program. Later that month, ISRA too agreed to provide humanitarian services to parts of the Blue Nile Region for World Vision. The two organizations had also collaborated on several projects in 2013 and 2014.

World Vision only discovered ISRA was sanctioned after the Evangelical humanitarian non-profit discussed partnering with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on a separate humanitarian project in Sudan, the report claimed. In September 2014, World Vision’s legal department was also notified of ISRA’s potential status as a sanctioned entity and immediately halted all payments to the organization.

Reportedly, one month later, World Vision submitted another request for a license to transact with ISRA to pay them $125,000 for services rendered. On May 4, 2015, the Obama administration’s State Department recommended OFAC grant World Vision’s request for the license to transact with al-Qaeda linked ISRA.

The report said the investigation “did not find any evidence that World Vision intentionally sought to circumvent US sanctions by partnering with ISRA.”

In its report, the Senate committee report concluded that World Vision had “access to the appropriate public information and should have known how, but failed to, properly vet ISRA as a sub-grantee, resulting in the transfer of US taxpayer dollars to an organisation with an extensive history of supporting terrorist organisations and terrorists, including Osama Bin Laden.”

World Vision also part of alliance that funds terror inside India

Incidentally, World Vision works in India as well and also is part of ‘InterAction’, America’s largest alliance of international non-profit organisations. Last year, it was revealed how the US government agencies have been funding the Islamic charities linked to terror groups based in Pakistan and the Middle East through InterAction.

InterAction’s Together Project involves the most controversial Islamic charities including Helping Hand for Relief & Development (HHRD), which works with the charitable and political wings of Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Pakistani terror organisations that direct terror against India in Kashmir. 

‘Modi Hai to Mumkin Hain’: US Sec of State Mike Pompeo praises EAM Jaishankar for stronger US-India ties

OpIndia Staff
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‘Modi Hai to Mumkin Hain’: US Sec of State Mike Pompeo praises EAM Jaishankar for stronger US-India ties

Mike Pompeo, the outgoing Secretary of State of United States, on Wednesday, said that the USA and India have “never been closer” as it is today and praised External Affairs minister S Jaishankar for improved relationship between the two democracies.

Taking to Twitter, Pompeo, describing Foreign Minister S Jaishankar as “my friend” and “great diplomat”, said the relationship between the two natural allies strengthened from trade to military cooperation and also in more areas.

Interestingly, Mike Pompeo also hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi by tweeting the clarion call of – ‘Modi Hain to Mumkin Hain’ meaning ‘If it is Modi, it is possible,” underlining the fact that the strong ties between the two countries was made possible under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi.

In his tweet linking to a speech he gave in June 2019 during a visit to New Delhi, Pompeo said, “The US relationship with Asia’s most populous democracy has never been closer, from trade to military cooperation and more”.

In that speech, Secretary Pompeo had said, “We each, India and the United States, should see the world as it is, and see each other for what we are: great democracies, global powers, and good friends. We have the ability to forge a new kind of cooperation that won’t just be good for us, but for the region, and indeed for the entire world.”

The outgoing Secretary of State also tweeted about PM Modi’s historical even in Houston, Texas – ‘HowdyModi’.

Secretary Pompeo’s tweet came as President-elect Joe Biden prepares to take office of the President of the United States of America on January 20.

Shiv Sena and NCP workers get violent, fight with each other over unauthorised banners in Bhiwandi

OpIndia Staff
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Shiv Sena and NCP workers get violent, fight with each other over unauthorised banners in Bhiwandi

Amidst spiralling tensions between the members of the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance over differences on the renaming of Aurangabad to ‘Sambhaji Nagar’, another incident is being reported from Thane district of Bhiwandi which highlights the growing rift between the Maharashtra government alliance parters. Shiv Sena and NCP workers on Tuesday exchanged blows with each other in front of the Election Commissioner in Bhiwandi.

Clashes erupted between workers of Shiv Sena and NCP  in an election office in Maharashtra’s Bhiwandi on Tuesday. The scuffle broke out after NCP district president Ganesh Gulvi went to file a complaint at the election office against the unauthorised display of banners of its ally—Sena’s candidate.

A bitter altercation soon ensued between the two sides which quickly devolved into a fierce scuffle between Shiv Sena and NCP workers. Though Shiv Sena and NCP are allies in the Maharashtra government, the two parties have been at odds with each other over Bhiwandi Municipal Corporation for a long time.

After Gulvi expressed his opposition to the display of banners of Sena candidate Praveen Gulvi, a fight erupted between the party workers. A video of the incident in which the two sides could be seen hurling abuses and flinging chairs at each other is doing the rounds on the internet.

The Bhiwandi Election Commissioner Dr Sunil Bhalerao took cognisance of the matter and filed a complaint against the sparring groups for obstructing government work. A case has also been registered at the Shantinagar Police station and a probe is underway.

Rift within MVA widens over renaming of Aurangabad as ‘Sambhaji Nagar’

The incident has added to the rumours of widening rift within the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance. Though NCP chief Sharad Pawar had recently assured that the Maharashtra government is stable and any attempts to bring down the government won’t succeed, the latest political churning within Maharashtra suggests otherwise.

The Congress party, another alliance partner within the umbrella of MVA government, has already expressed its disapproval of renaming Aurangabad to ‘Sambhaji Nagar’. The Congress state president Balasaheb Thorat had staunchly opposed the proposal for rechristening of Aurangabad stating that it wasn’t in the Common Minimum Programme of the ruling parties.

However, Shiv Sena deflected Congress’ disapproval and doubled on its efforts to build a consensus to change the name of Aurangabad to ‘Sambhaji Nagar’. In its mouthpiece Saamana, Shiv Sena made a fierce case for the renaming of the city named after Mughal marauder Aurangzeb. It said the Muslims of Maharashtra do not regard Aurangzeb as their uncle. Taking a sly dig at Congress, the article contended that Aurangzeb’s grave, which is located close to Aurangabad, is not a symbol of secularism and those who think it is are making a mockery of India’s identity.

2019 Tabrez Ansari death case: Two stolen mobile phones recovered, thief Arif Ansari arrested

OpIndia Staff
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2019 Tabrez Ansari death case: Two stolen mobile phones recovered, thief Arif Ansari arrested

Seraikela police has reportedly arrested a person named Arif Ansari for allegedly possessing two mobiles phones that were stolen two years ago from a house in Dhatkidih under Seraikeal police station. The incident had gained wide attention after one of the accused named Tabrez Ansari had died in custody due to cardiac arrest. Arif Ansari, who is a resident of Kahamdiha village under Kharsawan police station, was arrested after he had switched on the two stolen phones. The phones were on kept on surveillance by the police since they were stolen in an incident of theft at the houses of Hemsagar Pradhan and Rajesh Pramanik on June 17, 2019. According to Jagran, Arif Ansari deals in sale and purchase of stolen mobile phones. He has been sent jailed several times in similar cases.

What was the case?

In June 2019, the incidents of theft took place at the house of three persons named Hemsagar Pradhan, Rajesh Pramanik and Kamal Mahato. Three culprits were reportedly involved in the theft, out of whom the locals were able to nab one Mohammad Tabrez Ansari. Ansari was brutally beaten by the locals before the police had reached the spot. After reaching there police rescued Ansari and sent him for medical examination. Ansari was accused of trying to steal a bike. The stolen and a few other items were recovered by the police. Three days after the incident, Ansari’s health had deteriorated and he was admitted in a hospital. He was declared dead by doctors in the hospital.

The matter was picked up by national media after Tabrez Ansari’s death was portrayed as a case of mob lynching. The matter was highly politicised and violent protests were carried out by Muslims organisations against Ansari’s death. However, the investigation team set up by the district administration to investigate the cause of Ansari’s death said that he could have died due to stress-induced cardiac arrest. The murder charges were dropped by the police from the charge sheet filed in the case after the autopsy report showed cardiac arrest as the cause of death. However, the murder charges were reinstated after his wife threatened to commit suicide.

Madhya Pradesh: Court denies bail to controversial ‘comedian’ Munawar Faruqui and another accused of hate speech against Hindu deities

OpIndia Staff
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Madhya Pradesh: Court denies bail to controversial ‘comedian’ Munawar Faruqui and another accused of hate speech against Hindu deities

An Additional District and Sessions court in Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday denied bail to controversial ‘stand-up’ comedian Munawar Faruqui and another accused who were arrested for making derogatory remarks against Hindu deities and Home Minister Amit Shah during a show held in Indore.

According to the reports, Additional District and Sessions Court judge Yatindra Kumar Guru, hearing the petition filed by the accused, rejected the bail plea.

Opposing the bail plea, prosecution lawyer Vimal Mishra said both the accused had participated in the event for which no permission was taken from the local authorities amidst the pandemic. Mishra said indecent remarks were made against Hindu deities at the event that “full of obscenity despite the presence of minor boys and girls among the audience”.

Meanwhile, Anshuman Shrivastava, the lawyer for Faruqui and Yadav, claimed that the allegations levelled against his clients are “vague” in nature. He said the duo was booked under political pressure.

Earlier, a local court in Indore had rejected the bail pleas of the accused and sent them in judicial custody. Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Aman Singh Bhuria refused to grant bail to Faruqui and other four and remanded them in judicial custody till January 13.

The Madhya Pradesh police had arrested five stand-up comedians for insulting Hindu gods and goddesses in Indore on January 1. The arrested comedians include Munawar Faruqui, Edvin Anthony, Prakhar Vyas, Priyam Vyas and Nalin Yadav.

They were arrested after a Hindu activist group had filed an FIR against them, accusing the alleged comedians of passing vile and disgraceful remarks against Hindu Gods, Goddesses and customs.

Hindu activists handed over Munawar Faruqui to the police

Eklavya Singh Gaur, an activist and the chief of Hindu Rakshak Sangathan, had filed the complaint after watching the show. They had filed the complaint after they heard the “indecent” comments, leading them to force the organisers to stop the program.

The Hindu activist Gaur had also submitted video footage of the show. Gaur had said he and his friends went to watch the show where Faruqui was performing as the main comedian.

“The show mocked Hindu deities by passing indecent comments. The Godhra incident and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were also mentioned inappropriately. We shot a video and stopped the show by taking the audience out of the cafe. Then we caught the comedians and organizers of the show and took them to Tukoganj police station,” the Hindu activist said.

Gaur also said that no physical distancing was maintained at the venue and the show had no permission from authorities. At least 100 viewers were sitting in the small hall of the cafe, he said. Gaur denied media reports that Faruqui was beaten up by the activists of Hind Rakshak.

Munawar Faruqui on 2002 Godhra Carnage, Amit Shah and Hindu Gods

Munawar Faruqui, during a show in April last year, had ridiculed the 2002 Godhra carnage where 58 Hindus returning from Ayodhya were burnt alive by a Muslim mob. In a show, Faruqui had referred to the carnage as a fictional film ‘directed’ by Amit Shah and ‘produced’ by RSS.

“I was watching The Burning Train on TV. My father came and told me not to watch such nonsense and turned off the channel. I was like, ‘why so?’ He was like this is the video of Godhra kaand. And this is a news channel. I thought it is a movie directed by Amit Shah, produced by RSS… I don’t know…,” he said. Munawar Faruqui then referred to the news about 2002 Godhra carnage as ‘cartoon’.

A complaint was also filed against Faruqui after he had used Bollywood songs to make crass, disrespectful remarks on Hindu gods and belief system. He also pointed out how he mocked the brutal massacre of Hindus in the Godhra carnage by claiming, “Marney ke baad jaltay hai na? (Hindus get burnt anyway after death).”

Sonia Gandhi and Mayawati should be awarded Bharat Ratna: Former Uttarakhand CM Harish Rawat

OpIndia Staff
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Sonia Gandhi and Mayawati should be awarded Bharat Ratna: Former Uttarakhand CM Harish Rawat

AICC general secretary and former Uttarakhand CM Harish Rawat demanded that the Government of India should confer Bharat Ratna on interim Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati.

Rawat expressed his demand in a social media post wherein he described Sonia Gandhi and Mayawati as having “sharp” personalities with having made immense contribution towards women empowerment.

“You can agree or disagree with her politics but you cannot rule out the fact that Sonia ji has taken the yardstick of dignity, social devotion and public service of Indian women to a new height,” Rawat said in a tweet in which he tagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In a subsequent tweet, Rawat further said, “Similarly, Mayawati has fought for the oppressed and the exploited, besides instilling a sense of belief in them. The government of India should honour them by conferring Bharat Ratna to both this year,” he said.

Rawat’s demand for Bharat Ratna a tactic to fool public: BSP

However, Rawat’s demand to confer on Sonia Gandhi and Mayawati the country’s highest civilian award has not gone down well with the state BSP leadership which has termed it a “tactic to befool public”.

“The demand raised by Rawat is nothing but a ruse intended to fool people. The former Congress governments consistently failed in conferring the highest honour on Dalit icon Babasaheb Ambedkar. It was only conferred after BSP founder Kashiram Sahu and other BSP leaders, including Mayawati raised the demand,” BSP leader Gautam said.

He further added that when they demanded the same honour to be bestowed upon Kashiram Sahu when Congress was in power, it did not heed to their demands. “They are making such demands now when they are not in power,” said Gautam.

Read- Jawaharlal Nehru was so humble, he didn’t give Bharat Ratna to himself, just accepted that he was awesome

Rawat is setting a wrong precedent by demanding Bharat Ratna for an out on bail accused: BJP

Rawat’s call for conferring Bharat Ratna on Sonia Gandhi was also countered by the state BJP unit which said that Rawat wanted to set a wrong precedent by awarding the country’s highest honour to someone who is facing court cases.

“By demanding Bharat Ratna for Sonia Gandhi, does Rawat want the honour to be given to someone who is out on bail? What sort of precedent he wants to set by making such a demand? It will never happen,” BJP state vice-president Devendra Bhasin said.

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