After nearly 78 years of independence, the Kashmir valley is set to receive its first train service, which will link it to Jammu. The much-awaited rail link is likely to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi on 19th April, after which he will visit the Chenab Railway Bridge, the world’s highest railway bridge. The train, expected to be a special Vande Bharat Express, will be flagged off from Katra railway station. Along with the Prime Minister, the event will also be attended by the Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh, J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
The train, initially, is likely to operate between Katra and Srinagar/Baramulla. Later on, from August onwards, after the completion of the construction work at Jammu Railway Station, the train is expected to run from Jammu to Srinagar/Baramulla. The train completed its trial run between Katra and Srinagar station in January this year.
This will mark the completion of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL). Currently, a Vande Bharat Express runs between Sangaldan and Baramulla, but after the completion of the USBRL project, a rail link will connect Katra to the Kashmir valley, significantly reducing the travel time and improving connectivity.
The rail line will provide year-round connectivity, boosting tourism, industry and education in the region. The train is designed with advanced anti-frosting technology, which makes is fit for operating in extreme cold weather conditions. The train coaches, designed by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai, can withstand temperatures up to -20 degrees Celsius.
The multi-crore USBRL rail project completed
The USBRL is a multi-crore project worth ₹41,000 crore. The project spans around 272 km, out of which a 209 km stretch is already operational. It began in 2005-06 and is being completed in a phased manner. In October 2009, a 118-km Qazigund-Baramulla stretch of the project in Kashmir was inaugurated. This was followed by the completion of an 18-km stretch in Banihal-Qazigund and a 25-km stretch between Udhampur-Katra in 2013-14. The last phase of the project, covering 48.1 km between the Banihal-Sangaldan section, became operational in February 2023. Another 46 km section between Sangaldan and Reasi was completed in June 2023. The remaining 17 km stretch between Reasi and Katra was completed recently.
The Chenab Railway Bridge
Last year, the Indian Railways carried out successful trial runs on the Chenab Railway Bridge. The railway bridge surpasses the famous Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, in terms of height. The railway bridge stands at a height of 359 m above the Chenab valley, while the Eiffel Tower has an altitude of 330 m. The 1315 metre long bridge has been constructed by incurring a cost of ₹1486 crore. Before starting the construction of the bridge, the Railways first built a 26-km-long road and a 400-metre tunnel. Afte being flagged off in 2003, the project was halted in 2008 due to safety reasons. It was resumed in 2010. The construction of the bridge started in 2017 and was completed in 2023.
Modi government is working on rail connectivity
The Modi government has been working to establish rail connectivity in the far-flung areas of the country including the northeastern states, Ladakh and Kashmir valley. In the northeast, the central government is working on a railway connectivity project wth the aim of connecting the capital cities of all the northeastern states, including Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura to the main railway lines.
For improving connectivity in the Ladakh region, the Modi government has announced the Bilaspur-Manali-Leh rail project. The 498-km rail project is estimated to cost around ₹1,31,000 crore. Once completed, the rail line will provide all-weather connectivity in the region facilitating civilian as well as military movement.
The Haryana government on Thursday announced that March 31 will be observed as a restricted holiday for Eid-ul-Fitr instead of a gazetted holiday.
“Haryana Govt has declared a restricted holiday (Schedule-II) instead of a gazetted holiday for Eid-ul-Fitr on March 31, considering the financial year closing. An official notification has been issued in this regard,” said a statement from the state government on X.
A restricted holiday allows government employees to take a day off at their discretion, unlike a gazetted holiday, which mandates a full-day closure of government offices and institutions.
Eid-ul-Fitr will be celebrated across India on March 31, Friday, which is also the closing day of the financial year 2024-25.
Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party MP Awadhesh Prasad has criticised BJP MLA Karnail Singh’s request to the Delhi Police Commissioner to prevent Namaz from being offered in public places.
He argued that imposing restrictions on this practice would violate the fundamental rights of citizens.
BJP MLA Karnail Singh from Shakur Basti wrote to the Delhi Police Commissioner on Wednesday, requesting action to “prevent the inconvenience caused by the offering of Namaz in public places.” In his letter, Singh pointed out that prayers on roads were causing traffic congestion and disturbing residents.
“I would like to draw your attention to an important issue. The practice of offering prayers on roads and public places in our city is obstructing traffic and causing inconvenience to the general public. On several occasions, this has also affected ambulances, school buses, and other essential services,” Singh wrote.
Speaking to ANI, Samajwadi Party MP Awadhesh Prasad said, “Namaz, especially the farewell prayer before Eid, is an expression of peace, tranquility, and brotherhood. People offer namaz to pray for peace and seek blessings from God. This tradition is not something new; it has been practiced for centuries.”
“The Constitution of India guarantees religious freedom, which includes the right to worship. Restricting such practices goes against the spirit of our Constitution. If restrictions are imposed on the pre-Eid prayers, it is a violation of religious rights. This tradition of offering namaz before Eid is important and should not be hindered. Any attempt to ban it is not appropriate and goes against the fundamental rights of citizens. The government should not create unnecessary hurdles for religious practices, as this is an issue of harassment and an infringement on the rights of the people,” Prasad further said.
Prasad argued that the Constitution provides freedom to practice one’s religion and that imposing restrictions on offering namaz in public spaces goes against these rights. He stated that religious practices should be respected and that the act of offering namaz is a peaceful prayer for harmony, brotherhood, and tranquility.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
In a significant development in Jammu and Kashmir, two more groups affiliated with Hurriyat Conference– J&K Tahreeqi Isteqlal and J&K Tahreek-I-Istiqamat– have renounced separatism and expressed their faith in the vision of “new Bharat” being built under leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah welcomed the decision, calling it a reflection of the diminishing influence of separatism in the region.
“Another great news from Kashmir Valley. Two more groups affiliated with the Hurriyat, namely J&K Tahreeqi Isteqlal and J&K Tahreek-I-Istiqamat, have discarded separatism and reposed their trust in the new Bharat built by PM Shri @narendramodi Ji. Under the Modi government, separatism is breathing its last, and the triumph of unity is echoing across Kashmir,” Shah said in a post on X.
The move is being seen as a major success for the government’s efforts to tackle separatism and restore lasting peace in Jammu and Kashmir which has faced cross-border terrorism sponsored by Pakistan.
Two organisations affiliated to Hurriyat Conference had earlier announced that they are severing ties with the outfit.
J&K People’s Movement and the Democratic Political Movement– had announced severing ties with the separatist outfit on March 25.
Amit Shah had termed the development a big victory for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of building India into a developed, peaceful and unified country.
“Separatism has become history in Kashmir. The unifying policies of the Modi government have tossed separatism out of J&K. Two organizations associated with the Hurriyat have announced the severing of all ties with separatism. I welcome this step towards strengthening Bharat’s unity and urge all such groups to come forward and shed separatism once and for all. It is a big victory for PM Shri @narendramodi Ji’s vision of building a developed, peaceful and unified Bharat,” he had said.
The Home Ministry decided on March 11 to ban two organisations–the Awami Action Committee, led by prominent Kashmiri cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and the Jammu and Kashmir Ittihadul Muslimeen, headed by Shia leader Masroor Abbas Ansari–for five years over alleged anti-national activities.
Amit Shah told Parliament earlier this week that from 2019 to 2024 , 14 major Hurriyat-linked organisations were banned.
He made the remarks during a discussion on the MHA’s functioning in the Rajya Sabha on March 21.
Shah criticized previous governments for their “lenient” approach towards terrorism, alleging they avoided strong actions due to fear of losing vote bank.
In contrast, he emphasized that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, a zero-tolerance policy against terrorism has been firmly implemented.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
Ahead of Ram Navami and Eid festivals, peace committee meetings are being organized in many communally ‘sensitive’ areas to ensure peace and harmony. While Circle Officer of Sambhal in Uttar Pradesh, Anuj Chaudhary, made a clear statement that if Muslims want to feed Sevaiyan on Eid, they will have to eat Gujiya on Holi, however, not all peace meetings have been about equal respect and rights for Hindus. Some peace meetings hinged on placating perennially offended and petulant Islamists at the cost of restricting the freedom of Hindus to celebrate their festival in a grand fashion.
Hindus not allowed to play DJ in Ram Navami processions in Jharkhand’s Tisri Block
In the Tisri block of Jharkhand’s Giridih district, a peace committee meeting was held on the Tisri police station premises on Wednesday (26th March) under the joint leadership of Police Inspector Pascal Topo and Police Station Incharge Ranjay Kumar.
In the meeting, it was mainly asked to renew the license of the procession to be taken out on Ram Navami Puja, and the route of the procession was sought from all the Ram Navami Puja Committee members of the area. In the meeting, the members of the Puja Committee from various villages of the Tisri block detailed the route of the procession one by one and submitted the license to the police station for renewal.
During the meeting, Police Station Incharge Ranjay Kumar said that DJ should not be played at any cost by Hindus in the Ram Navami procession. If DJ is played, not only the DJ systems will be confiscated, but action will also be taken against the members of the committee. He said that the procession of the village will be taken through the same route which it used to take earlier.
Notably, the Giridih SDPO attended a peace meeting at Gandey Police Station and said that there would be a complete ban on DJ during the Ram Navami procession.
In Jharkhand’s Chatra, a peace meeting was held wherein the police issued strict instructions to the Ram Navami Puja Committee against playing ‘offensive’ songs during the Ram Navami procession.
In Saraikela, police have instructed Hindus not to play ‘provocative’ and ‘obscene’ songs during the Ram Navami procession.
In Birni as well, the police organised a peace committee meeting with representatives from Hindu and Muslim communities ahead of Eid, Chaitra Navratri and Ram Navami. The police said that ‘provocative’ songs will not be allowed on the DJ during the Ram Navami procession. The authorities added that if provocative songs are found to be played to incite others (Muslims), action will be taken against them.
Violence in Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh
On Tuesday, a Muslim mob pelted stones at Hindus taking out the Mangla procession in Hazaribagh near Jama Masjid Chowk. In retaliation, Hindus are also reported to have pelted stones. Informing about the matter, Nancy Sahay, Deputy Commissioner of Hazaribagh, said, “One group (Hindus) was playing some songs during the procession, which was objected to by the second group (Muslims), resulting in a scuffle and stone pelting. However, it did not escalate as the forces deployed there took control of the situation.”
No DJ, no swords allowed during Ram Navami procession in Bihar’s Balua
A peace committee meeting was held on Wednesday (26th March) in the Balua police station premises regarding Eid and Ram Navami. During the meeting, SHO Sunil Kumar instructed Hindus not to display swords during the Ram Navami procession. The authorities also directed Hindus not to play ‘offensive’ songs on the DJ. On being found playing DJ, the sound system and other equipment will be confiscated by the police.
Ban on DJ music during Ram Navami in Bihar’s Guraru and Jhumri Tilaiya
In Bihar’s Guraru Police Station area, a peace committee meeting was held on Wednesday in view of Ram Navami, Chaiti Chhath and Eid. During the meeting, BDO Sambhav Kumar Singh, CO Mrs. Nupur and SHO Chahat Kumar appealed to people to celebrate their festivals peacefully. However, the authorities imposed restrictions on playing DJ music during the Ram Navami procession in the area. In addition, the supposed ‘objectionable’ songs have also been prohibited.
Similarly, in Bihar’s Jhumri Tilaiya, the police have made it mandatory to take permission for a flag procession on Ram Navami. In addition, the police have also imposed a complete ban on playing DJ during the celebration of the Hindu festival.
In the BJP ruled Uttar Pradesh, however, there is a ban on playing DJ during Ram Navami processions, nor any other one-sided ‘peace preserving’ diktats issued against Hindus.
Communal harmony at the cost of curbing the freedom of Hindus to celebrate their festivals freely?
The ban on playing DJ and supposedly ‘provocative’ songs played by Hindus during Ram Navami processions indicates the attempt of the administration to placate a perpetually offended Islamist lot, who need no reason but a mere sight of Hindus celebrating their festival in a Muslim-dominated area to pelt stones and assault them.
What is a celebration without music unless one follows a religion where music is essentially ‘Haram’ (forbidden)? Music and grand celebrations are a part of Hindu culture and yet the authorities hinge on curbing the religious freedom of Hindus. Why is it that Hindus must always make sacrifices, and play the role of “Bada bhai” (elder brother) so that the “Chhota bhai” (younger brother) can do whatever he wants?
The recent violence in Hazaribagh wherein Hindu procession was attacked when it reached the Muslim-dominated Jama Masjid Chowk, similar other incidents during Holi indicate that mere sight of Hindus unapologetically celebrating their festivals, playing music and wearing their religious identity on their sleeves is enough to offend Islamists who in ‘kudrati’ manner find stones and sticks to attack Hindus.
The authorities must understand that the problem is not in DJ, music or Hindu processions; rather, the problem lies in the Islamist mindset intolerant of Hindus. There have been numerous instances when Islamo-leftists justified violence by Muslim mobs against Hindus just because the latter were taking a procession near a mosque playing bhajans, or raising Jai Shri Ram slogans. The authorities imposing restrictions on Hindu festivals, however, is lopsided even though it may on the face appear to be an attempt at maintaining communal harmony.
However, far from fostering peace and upholding communal harmony, such moves only embolden Islamist Jihadis who interpret this as weakness, and assume that somehow they have the right to get offended and resort to violence if a Hindu procession passes by a mosque or simply Hindus are seen celebrating their festivals in a Muslim area. Not to forget, in Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh, wherein Muslims pelted stones from Madarsa on Hindus for installing Mahashivratri flags and loudspeakers. If mere installation of Hindu religious flags and loudspeakers could offend Islamists enough to unleash violence against Hindus, if celebrating victory of India in a cricket championship can trigger Islamists enough (as seen in Mhow violence) to pelt stones on Hindus, what is the guarantee that even if DJ is banned, the supposedly ‘offensive’ are restricted, ‘Bhadkau naara’ (provocative slogans) and whatnot are banned, the Islamists will not find an excuse and unleash violence against Hindus?
This approach of disproportionately burdening one community to self-censor its traditions, under the garb of neutral peacekeeping, is futile, as it fails to address the root cause of intolerance of those Islamists who exploit such measures to assert their religious dominance over the Hindus. The authorities and ‘secular’ governments need to understand that their approach is just a band-aid on a deeper wound of Islamist hatred for Hindus and is hardly effective in deterring those primed for jihadist violence.
Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar reached Bangaon, Bihar, late on Tuesday night as part of his ‘Stop migration, give jobs’ padyatra. He addressed a meeting in the courtyard of the Bhagwati temple in Bangaon. On Wednesday, some youths of the village purified the venue of the event with Gangajal following Kanhaiya’s meeting. The youths purified the stage of the temple premises under the leadership of Nagar Panchayat Bangaon Ward Councilor Representative Amit Chaudhary.
Bihar: In Saharsa district, youths washed a Durga temple premises with Ganga Jal after Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar addressed a gathering there pic.twitter.com/piluPpcYs6
The youths who cleaned the temple with Gangajal said that Kanhaiya Kumar had given a controversial statement against the country, everyone will remember that. They mentioned that he has also been accused of treason. People said that the place where Kanhaiya gave a speech at night in Bhagwati Sthan in Bangaon was washed and purified with Gangajal. Late on Tuesday night, Congress workers had welcomed the controversial Congress leaders by honouring him with a traditional turban, sheet, and garland.
Kanhaiya Kumar sedition case
The case had hit the national headlines in February 2016, when it was reported that some students of JNU had organized an event to mark the anniversary of terrorist Afzal Guru who had attacked the Indian Parliament. Many slogans had also challenged Indian State’s sovereignty and called for its balkanization. At the event, slogans like ‘Bharat Tere Tukde Honge’ and Áfzal hum sharminda hain, tere qatil jinda hain’ were heard. The videos capturing the slogans were alleged to be doctored. However, the raw footage of the event with Delhi Police was found to be undoctored by Central Forensic Science Laboratory.
After the videos emerged, JNUSU leader Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya were nabbed by Delhi police and produced before the court. The three were then released on bail.
The charge sheet, in addition to these three names, also mentioned 7 Kashmiri students. Police, during the investigation, found that the event was organized without proper formalities, and when President Kanhaiya Kumar was informed about it, he started an argument with security personnel. He also led a mob that shouted the slogans, according to the charge-sheet.
A shocking case of fraud has come to light in Pali of Rajasthan. ₹7 crore were taken from “Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi” by creating fake accounts in the name of Muslims in Hindu villages. Notably, there isn’t a single Muslim in these hamlets. The money was transferred into accounts that were set up in the names of individuals from West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Around 29 thousand such fake accounts have been found in the Pali district.
20,000 bogus accounts were uncovered in Desuri, 9,004 in Rani and 62 in Marwar Junction during the investigation after which a case had been filed. It is pertinent to note that in 2020, Congress was in power in the state and the Chief Minister of the state was Ashok Gehlot. This scam, according to reports, took place while Congress was in power.
The scam transpired in 2020 but the authorities tried to cover up the news. They did not even register an FIR (First Information Report) in the matter.
Nevertheless, the officials prevented the money from reaching the phony accounts and froze them.
An exclusive investigation by Dainik Bhaskar unveiled that applications for Pradhan Mantri (PM) Samman Nidhi were submitted under the names of fake farmers using e-mitra and CSC (Common Service Centers) between 2019 and August 2020. After confirming the application, the Patwari forwarded it to the Tehsildar. Additionally, the latter delivered the application forms to the collector after verifying them. The list reached the central government in this manner.
Image via Dainik Bhaskar
The centre then began transferring Kisan Nidhi funds to these accounts. It is now suspected that the government ID was hacked to approve these applications. However, the matter is currently under inquiry. It is being determined if these applications were authorized using multiple government IDs or the same ones. According to the administration, a significant number of applications were submitted for the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi in Desuri in 2020. This resulted in a sharp rise in the quantity of pending applications.
On 5th November of that year, there were 265 outstanding applications, by 21st December the number had unexpectedly risen to 19,331. These accounts were discovered to be fraudulent when the officials conducted a probe. These accounts were made in the names of individuals from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. Ninety-five per cent of them were in Muslim names. An investigation showed that the community of Desuri doesn’t have any Muslims.
Kisan Samman Nidhi funds totaling ₹1 crore 51 lakh 24 thousand were moved to 4,793 bank accounts located outside of Rajasthan in similar manner. These accounts were frozen afterward. The same has been the case with Varkana village in Rani block. There is not a single Muslim in the village, but 9,004 fake accounts were opened there in the name of Muslims. All these were registered on the same day. What’s striking is that all of these accounts were opened in a branch of a bank located in Rani. Three installments of Kisan Samman Nidhi had also been deposited in these accounts under Muslim names.
All of these accounts were opened in the names of individuals from West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar according to the investigation. There are 90% Muslim names among these. All these were registered at the simultaneously and the applications were also approved on the government portal on different dates at the same time. 62 fake accounts have been found in Marwar Junction of the state.
According to officials, there are a lot of these gangs operating in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh that steal funds from Kisan Samman Nidhi by making phony identification documents. While the applications of the actual farmers in that village were denied, these bogus requests were accepted on the portal without an OTP. This resulted in the submission of 32,000 fictitious applications.
The case that has come to light in Rajasthan seems to be the work of a large gang as a similar case had also come to light in Chhattisgarh in March 2024. The money of Kisan Samman Nidhi was reportedly transferred to the accounts of 856 phony farmers in a village in the Bemetara district. 198 of these accounts were from West Bengal. The district collector had ordered an investigation once the issue was made public.
The proceeds of this initiative was sent in the accounts which were in the names of 656 Muslims in the district’s Berla block’s Bargaon. There are just 19 Muslim farmers in this village, according to the inquiry. Not one of them resided in the village. During this entire process, a swindle totaling approximately ₹3 crore was uncovered.
In what could result in the restoration of the Hindu names of several localities in Varanasi named after Mughal tyrants, a proposal regarding this is to be discussed on 27th March in the Municipal Corporation.
Several Hindu rights organizations have been demanding a change in the name of such ‘Muslim’ localities. There is a proposal to change the name of the Aurangabad locality to Laxminagar or Narayani Dham Nagar. However, any decision regarding the same will be taken in the Municipal Corporation Executive Meeting.
This comes days after Jagatguru Rambhadracharya came to Varanasi and supported changing the names of Muslim localities.
On 20th March, Vishwa Vedic Sanatan Nyas had written a letter to the Municipal Commissioner demanding that the name of the Aurangabad area named after the 17th century Hindu-hating Mughal despot Aurangzeb, be changed. A program regarding the same was also organised at the Banaras Hindu University on 24th March. During the program, Jagatguru Rambhadracharya asserted that all the names associated with Islamic fanatics and invaders need to be changed. The Hindu saint added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is his friend and he would talk to the Prime Minister regarding this matter.
Meanwhile, the State President of Sanatan Rakshak Dal, Ajay Sharma, has suggested changing the names of some more localities. He said that Madanpura Gol Chabutra should be named Siddha Peeth/ Siddha Mahal. Khalispura should be renamed Brahmeshwar Mahal or Brahma Tirtha. Similarly, Golgadda should be renamed Vishwakarma Nagar or Vishwakarma Tirtha, Peelikothi should be renamed Swarn Tirtha, Kajjakpura/Saraiya should be renamed Anaras Tirtha, Ambia Mandi should be renamed Amareshwar Tirtha and Chaukhamba. Ambia Mandi is known by the Muslim name Amirchand in the documents.
Sharma added that there are more than 50 localities in Varanasi which are named after Muslim names. The Hindu activist emphasized that these names should be changed and that he has also submitted a letter to the Mayor of Varanasi Municipal Corporation. The Mayor has requested the scholars of Kashi to present historical evidence. Meanwhile, Municipal Corporation’s Public Information Officer Sandeep Srivastava said that some organizations had applied for changing the names of the localities and this will be discussed in the executive meeting.
The Swaminarayan sect in Gujarat is embroiled in a controversy over its books, which have content that insults Hindu deities and tries to prove the supremacy of its revered Swamis. The controversy over the insult of Jalaram Bapa had barely subsided when another controversy over the insult of Dwarkadhish Bhagwan (Dwarka) of the Swaminarayan sect came to the fore. The sect is facing strong protests from the Hindu community. The situation in Dwarka is deteriorating, and the entire Hindu community, along with the Brahmo Samaj, has given the Swaminarayan sect an ultimatum to apologize within 48 hours.
The reason behind the start of the controversy is a book of the Swaminarayan sect named ‘Shriji Sankalpamurti Sadguru Shri Gopalanand Swamiini Vaat’. There are allegations that derogatory writings have been written in this book about Lord Dwarkadhish and the holy pilgrimage site of Dwarka. When OpIndia studied this book, many revelations were made. Not only Lord Krishna, but the book also contains derogatory statements about Lord Ram, Lord Shankar, Lord Hanuman and Ganapatiji. Besides, the book has derogatory statements about Goddess Chamunda, who is worshipped as an incarnation of Mother Parvati.
This article discusses, in detail, the derogatory statements written about Hindu gods and goddesses in that book of the Swaminarayan sect and the controversy regarding the derogatory writings about Lord Dwarkadhish. At one place in the book, it is said that there is no God in Dwarka. The book attempts to prove that ‘Swaminarayan’ is supreme by belittling the glory of Lord Krishna. Let us understand in detail what the controversy is and what is said in that controversial book.
What is the controversy?
Recently, a Swami of the Swaminarayan sect made derogatory remarks about Jalaram Bapa. Following massive protests across Gujarat, he went to Virpur and apologized. However, controversy erupted regarding a book of the Swaminarayan sect, which allegedly insulted Lord Krishna. People on social media are alleging that Swamis of the Swaminarayan sect are repeatedly insulting Hindu gods and goddesses to prove their Maharaj and ‘saints’ as supreme.
The name of the controversial book is -‘Shriji Sankalpamurti Sadguru Shri Gopalanand Swami’s Stories’. In story number 33 of this book, there is a comment which says, ‘Where will God be in Dwarka? If you want to have darshan of God, go to Vadtal’. Along with this, there is also a comment about the Gugali Brahmin community. Due to which the Brahmo Samaj and Hindu Samaj jointly protested in Dwarka and gave an ultimatum to the Swamis of the sect to come to Dwarka and apologize to God within 48 hours.
What is the story in that book?
While investigating the controversial book, OpIndia found that in story number 33, a devotee of the Swaminarayan sect, ‘Abasaheb’, is mentioned. The book says that he was a man of character and used to go for Gopalanand Swami’s darshan. According to the book, once he asked the Swami that his family members are ‘Kusangi’ (filthy), since they want to go to Dwarka, what should he do? In response, Gopalanand Swami says, “Where is God in Dwarka? If you want to have direct darshan of God, then go to Vadtal. There, Swaminarayan Bhagwan will fulfill your wishes.”
Photo of the book
The book further states, “With the permission of the Swami, Abasaheb set out. But his relatives were hostile, and he insisted on going to Dwarka. Finally, he set off towards Dwarka and went to the seashore and boarded a ship, when a fierce storm arose in the sea.” According to the book, the ship sank in the blink of an eye. Abasaheb thought that it happened because he did not listen to Gopalanand Swami.
Further, the story says that while drowning, Abasaheb started chanting ‘Swaminarayan-Swaminarayan’. Regarding this incident, it is mentioned that Gopalanand Swami gave Abasaheb ‘darshan’ and asked him to take a piece of wood in his hand, and Abasaheb crossed the sea holding that piece in his hand! In the book, Gopalanand tells Abasaheb, “Your family members are your enemies from your previous birth, so they led you astray, but because you are our devotee, I protected you.”
In this story, devotees going to or wanting to go to Dwarka have been called ‘Kusangi’ (filthy) and going to Dwarka has been called ‘a false path’. Moreover, the book portrays the Swami as supreme by claiming ‘there is no God in Dwarka’. This has outraged the Hindu society in Dwarka, which has come together and given a 48-hour ultimatum to the Swaminarayan sect.
Other controversial texts in the same book
Upon further investigation of the same book, OpIndia came to know that in story number 25, on page number 44, there is also a mention of a person named Narupant Nana. According to the story, he once visits Gopalanand, who, seeing the horizontal tilak on Narupant’s forehead, smilingly asks him, ‘Which god are you a worshipper of?’ In response, Narupant says that he is a worshipper of Devi and says that Mother Chamunda is his family goddess.
Photo of the book
After this, Gopalanand says, “Why do you worship a ‘tiny’ goddess instead of worshipping God?” Later in the same story, on page number 45, Gopalanand says, “Worship of gods and goddesses ultimately leads to the worst hell and suffering, but does not lead to welfare. Therefore, if you want to achieve the meaning of this birth, and if you abandon the worship of gods and goddesses and worship our Guru Shri Swaminarayan Bhagwan, who is the ‘Sovereign’, the incarnation of all incarnations, the cause of all causes, the one and only, then you will definitely attain unwavering happiness.”
Photo of the book
In the story, on page number 46, it is said that Mother Chamunda appeared to Narupant in a dream and said, “Hey Narupant, look, both Hanumanji and Ganapati are chanting the name of Swaminarayan, our friend (in front of Mother Chamunda) is saying to Gada Ugami that Narupant has become a satsangi, so now you should leave from here. Actually, Swaminarayan is God, now you should worship Him. We will also go there from now on.” Here, a clear insult to the Hindu goddess Mother Chamunda can be seen to show the supremacy of ‘Swaminarayan’.
Photo of the bookPhoto of the book
Apart from that, in the same book, on page number 103, a controversial text appears that says, “Hanumanji was trembling while holding a mace in front of Gopalanand”. On page number 44, Ranchhodraiji of Dakor has also been insulted. Moreover, on page number 49, Lord Shankar has also been shown worshipping Swaminarayan and Gopalanand. Also, on page number 134, it is said that Lord Shri Krishna and Lord Shri Ram also lived in the service of ‘Maharaj’ and used to serve him.
A new controversy has emerged amidst the controversy
While the controversy over derogatory comments made about Lord Krishna in a book by the Swaminarayan sect has not subsided, a Swami has stirred another controversy by claiming that Lord Dwarkapati had prayed to Maharaj to build a temple for his residence.
In a 59-second video that surfaced on social media, Swami Neelkanth Charan of Swaminarayan Gurukul in Ved Road, Surat, is seen talking about Lord Krishna. He says in the video, “Maharaj says that when we went to Dwarka, the Dwarkapati prayed to Maharaj that if you build a big temple, a big temple, then I want to come and live there.”
Further, Swami says that after years of this, Swami Sachchidanand builds a temple at Vadtal. It is also said that after the temple is built, Dwarkapati arrives at Vadtal with Swami Sachchidanand. This video, which is going viral, has added fuel to the fire in the ongoing controversy.
Many other books also insult Hindu gods and goddesses, even Swamis do it
In the above book alone, many Hindu gods have been insulted. Apart from that, there are many books in the Swaminarayan sect, in which several vain attempts have been made to insult Hindu gods and goddesses. Apart from this, the so-called saints of the Swaminarayan sect have also repeatedly made fun of Lord Shiva, Ram and Krishna and called them part and parcel of ‘Swaminarayan’.
Recently, many such cases have come to light, in which Swamis of the Swaminarayan sect have insulted Hindu gods and goddesses and have given rise to controversy by making slanderous remarks. Recently, a Swami had also insulted the Hindu festival ‘Navratri’ by calling it ‘Love Ratri’. Now, due to all these controversies, there is anger in the Hindu society, and the Swaminarayan sect is facing the heat.
What do the priest-Brahmin community of Dwarka say?
There is a lot of anger in the Gugali Brahmin community of Dwarka regarding this entire controversy. Talking to OpIndia, Gugali Brahmin Samaj President Yagneshbhai Upadhyay has said that he, his community and the entire Hindu community will not tolerate the repeated insults to Lord Shri Dwarkadhish. He has said that along with his community, the entire Hindu community has submitted a complaint to the authorities, demanding strict action in this matter. He has also said that if any other derogatory content is found in the controversial book of the Swaminarayan sect, action will be taken against it.
He said that a Swami of the Swaminarayan sect had also commented on the Gugali Brahmins of Dwarka and called them ‘money grabbers’. He alleged that the Swami had said that the Googli Brahmins in Dwarka rob people. He further said that the saints of the Swaminarayan sect make baseless statements without any proof. Upadhyay added that insults to the Brahmo Samaj may be tolerated, but insults to the Dwarkadhish cannot be tolerated at all. He said, “Insulting the Dwarkadhish is an insult to the entire Gugali Brahmins. Both are the same thing.”
Swami Avimukteshwarananda Saraswati calls for action against insults to Hindu gods
Swami Avimukteshwarananda Saraswati, the Shankaracharya of the Jyotir Math, condemned the portrayal of Hindu gods and goddesses by the Swaminarayan sect as inferior or subservient to the Gurus of the sect. He urged the entire Sanatan community to take stringent action against such portrayals. The Shankaracharya referred to a Swaminarayan temple in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, where an idol of Lord Hanuman is seen wearing a Tilak of the Swaminarayan sect, and Lord Hanuman has been portrayed as serving Swaminarayan and joining hands before him. Expressing strong disapproval of the portrayal of Lord Hanuman wearing the Tilak of the sect, Shankaracharya called for the removal of the Tilak from the idol and the images. He pointed out that Lord Hanuman had existed much before the Swaminarayan sect was created and therefore it does not make sense to portray him as a member of the sect.
स्वामीनारायण संप्रदाय #Swaminarayan का सनातन धर्म और वैदिक ईश्वरों को लुप्त करने का षडयंत्रकारी आक्रमण क्या है? जानिए जोशीमठ के शंकराचार्यजी से। इस भीतरी आक्रमण की आधिकारिक और प्रमाणित जानकारी साक्ष्यों के सहित पढ़ने के लिए यह pdf ? कौन है स्वामिनारायण?https://t.co/3faGpJXzQ9pic.twitter.com/y2DxvssDtI
— Dr.Kaushik Chaudhary (@ChaudhryKaushik) March 24, 2025
He said that such a false and disrespectful portrayal of Hindu gods by the Swaminarayan sect has hurt the sentiments of the Hindu community. He compared the disrespect of Hindu gods by the sect with the disrespect of Hindu gods by Muslims.
The Delhi Branch of the National Standards Body of India, Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) have seized over 3,500 products, both without an ISI mark and marked with fake ISI labels, from warehouses of Amazon Sellers located in Mohan Cooperative Industrial Area Delhi.
These products were found to be substandard and in violation of quality control orders of BIS
According to the press information bureau (PIB) release the 15-hour search and seizure operations were conducted on March 19th. The total estimated value of the seized products like geysers, food mixers and other electrical appliances is around Rs. 70 lakhs.
In another raid conducted at Instakart Services, a Flipkart subsidiary located in Trinagar, Delhi, a stock of sports footwear was unearthed which were packaged for dispatch without the necessary ISI mark and date of manufacture. About 590 pairs of sports footwear, worth around Rs. 6 lakhs, were seized during this operation.
In the last one month, the BIS team has conducted similar operations in different parts of the country and seized various substandard items in Delhi, Gurgaon, Faridabad, Lucknow, and Sriperumbudur.
These raids are part of the Bureau of Indian Standards’ ongoing efforts to enforce compliance with quality standards for consumer protection.
Currently, there are 769 notified products for compulsory certification by various regulators and line ministries of the Government of India for BIS standardisation.
It is prohibited to manufacture, import, distribute, sell, hire, lease, store, or exhibit (for sale) these products without a valid license or Certificate of Compliance (CoC) from BIS.
Any person who contravenes the provisions of this Order shall be punishable under sub-section (3) of section 29 of the BIS Act, 2016, with imprisonment, a fine, or both.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
The committee for the Sri Mridanga Shaileshwari Temple decided to withdraw its plans to hold an “Iftar Sangam” on the temple grounds on 26th March. A writ petition against the “Samooha Nombuthura” and “Sneha Sangamam” as part of the event in the Sree Mrudanga Saileswari Temple auditorium was submitted to the Kerala High Court. OpIndia has a copy of the judgement. Sree Porkali, the ancestral deity of Kerala king Varma Pazhassi Raja, resides in the temple.
The petition was filed by members of Hindu Seva Kendram and the Bajrang Dal. They also requested a writ of mandamus to prevent non-Hindus from entering the Malabar Devaswom Board-controlled Murdanga Saileswari Temple and to strictly adhere to the provisions of the Hindu Places of Public Worship (Authorization of Entry) Act, 1965, and the rules made thereunder. However, the Malabar Devaswom Board told the court that the event will not happen before the petition’s scheduled review date on 26th March.
"Running with your Iftar plate… The High Court has arrived."
It is with great joy that we inform all believers that the Iftar gathering, which comrades had planned to hold at the Mridangashaileshwari Temple, has been completely scrapped.
The state government, the Malabar Devaswom, the temple’s trustee board and the Porkali Kalasha, the temple committee that announced the Iftar were among the six respondents in the petition. The executive officer of the temple’s attorney told the court that no authorization had been given to hold such a feast. The court was also informed that the Porkali Kalasha Committee, which made the announcement, was solely given the responsibility of erecting the flagpole and restoring the “Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) of Porkali Bhagavathi.”
The order read, “The learned Standing Counsel for Malabar Devaswom Board and also the learned counsel for the 4th respondent Executive Officer would point out the provisions in Circular No.HRH5/8246/2006 dated 15.06.2007 issued by the Commissioner of the erstwhile Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (Administration) Department and the learned counsel for the petitioners would point out the decision of this court in Hindu Seva Kendram v. State of Kerala [2023 (3) KHC 258 (DB)] as per which the constitution of committees in temples, which are controlled institutions under the Malabar Devaswom Board, should be for a specified purpose of conducting annual festival for the year, to undertake renovation work, etc. Therefore, the activities of the 6th respondent Kalasa Committee has to be confined to the works relating to installation of golden flag mast and renovation of the Sreekovil of Porkkali Bhagavathi. Such a committee cannot conduct ‘Samooha Nombuthura’ and ‘Sneha Sangamam’ in the temple auditorium.”
Additionally, the petitioner’s attorney cited the Kerala Hindu Places of Public Worship (Authorization of Entry) Act, 1965 and its implementing rules. The court then concluded, “In such circumstances, this writ petition is disposed of recording the aforesaid stand taken by the 4th respondent Executive Officer. It is for the 2nd respondent Malabar Devaswom Board and the 4th respondent Executive Officer to take necessary steps to ensure that the activities of the 6th respondent Kalasa Committee are confined to the installation of golden flag mast and renovation of Sreekovil of Porkkali Bhagavathi, in view of the provisions contained in Circular No.HRH5/8246/2006 dated 15.06.2007.”
A committee connected to the Marxist Communist Party of India (CPIM) oversees the temple. Temple festivals and other rites are managed by the local CPIM leadership and the party’s members are given both temporary and permanent roles within the temple.
Goddess Durga is the ruling deity at the famed Mridanga Shaileshwari Temple, which is located in Muzhukkunnu Grama Panchayat. Deities including Saraswati, Lakshmi, Kali (Porkali), Ganapati, Dakshinamurthy, Shasta and Naga are also housed at the sacred site. The temple, which is considered to be more than 2,000 years old, is one of 108 Durga temples that Lord Parashurama is credited with founding.
