Home Blog Page 4842

Congress issues notice to Jharkhand leader for criticising Rahul Gandhi and RPN Singh after Bihar election loss

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Congress issues notice to Jharkhand leader for criticising Rahul Gandhi and RPN Singh after Bihar election loss

Amidst the ongoing internal rift within the Congress party over the issue of leadership, the Jharkhand Congress on Thursday issued a show-cause notice to senior party leader Furqan Ansari for criticising senior leader Rahul Gandhi and the party’s state in-charge RPN Singh.

According to the reports, Ansari, a former MP and a prominent Muslim leader in Jharkhand, had questioned about the manner in which Rahul Gandhi did campaigning in Bihar during the assembly elections. The former MP said that the Congress scion had kept mostly MBA graduates to work in his office and act as his advisors, who have failed to give proper advice to him.

Referring to an election rally by Rahul Gandhi at Kahalgaon in Bihar, Ansari said that the former party chief failed to impress the people as ‘they could not understand what he spoke’.

“As a result, they are not able to give him the right advice or suggest key talking points for his campaign speeches. To strengthen the Congress, it is important for Rahul Gandhi to have a political advisor,” said Ansari.

Ansari seeks major changes in party organisation, slams RPN Singh

Ansari also said he would write to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and seek major changes in the party organisation.

“I have been in Congress since 1980 when India Gandhi was the Prime Minister of India. I need no certificate to prove that I belong to Congress. But today it hurts me to see this condition of the party,” he had added.

Attacking the local leadership in Jharkhand and also the party in-charge RPN Singh, Furqan Ansari said, “If it was up to me, I would have not appointed RPN Singh even a block president”. Ansari’s son Irfan is the sitting MLA from Jamtara.

Following Ansari’s outburst at the Congress party’s leadership, there were demands from state leaders to take strict action against Ansari in a bid to send a ‘strong message’ to dissenting voices.

Congress party sends show-cause notice to Ansari for his outburst

Acting on requests from several leaders, Congress party’s Jharkhand working president Kamlesh Mahto has issued the show-cause notice to Ansari on behalf of state unit chief Rameshwar Oraon. Ansari has been asked to explain his remarks within seven days.

The statements made by Furqan Ansari interestingly came at a time when Bihar Congress president Madan Mohan Jha offered to take the responsibility for the loss on behalf of the party’s central leadership. Jha said that he will step down from the post taking moral responsibility for the party’s poor show in the just-concluded assembly elections.

The All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge of Bihar Shaktisinh Gohil along with Gujarat in-charge Rajeev Satav have also offered to quit from their posts after the party’s dismal performance.

Internal-rift brewing within the Congress party

Ansari’s outburst against party’s leadership comes as another revolt from within the Congress. Just a few days back, senior Congress leaders had expressed their disappointment over party’s performance in the Bihar polls and had raised questions over party’s leadership.

Senior leaders including Kapil Sibal, P Chidambaram had criticised party’s approach in the Bihar legislative elections. More Congress loyalists are now turning rebels as the party continues to lose ground in state assembly elections.

Kapil Sibal, recently in an interview to Indian Express, had admitted that people no longer consider Congress as an effective alternative. Lashing out on the party, Sibal said that Congress has had six years to introspect and also has the answers. “The Congress party itself knows all the answers. But they are not willing to recognise those answers,” the former Union Minister had said.

Following Sibal’s comments, the Congress’s leader in the Lok Sabha – Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary had slammed Kapil Sibal indirectly by saying those criticizing the Congress can join some other party or start a new one instead of indulging in “embarrassing activities”.

Chaudhary, who is considered to be a loyalist for the Gandhis, had said that senior leaders should not indulge in such embarrassing activities since it can erode the credibility of the Congress. Salman Khurshid had also indirectly criticised Sibal in a Facebook post.

Vatican launches ‘internal investigation’ after the Instagram handle of Pope Francis ‘likes’ a Bikini model’s photo

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Vatican launches ‘internal investigation’ after the Instagram handle of Pope Francis ‘likes’ a Bikini model’s photo

A week after Pope Francis was caught ‘liking’ a sexually titillating picture of a bikini model named Natalia Garibotto, the Vatican has informed that a probe into the matter has been initiated. The official Instagram account of Pope Francis made the headlines on November 13 after eagle-eyed social media users pointed out that he had ‘liked’ a racy picture of Natalia.

As per reports, the image was eventually ‘unliked’ by the account of Pope Francis. The faux pas, which has led to international embarrassment for the Head of the Catholic Church, has now prompted an internal investigation. As per a report in The Guardian, a Vatican spokesperson informed, “We can exclude that the ‘like’ came from the Holy See, and it has turned to Instagram for explanations.” Sources have said that the account of Pope Francis is managed by a team of employees and not the Pope himself.

Catholic daily La Croix’s english Editor (Rome), Rober Mikens said that Pope Francis approves the tweets and media content, posted on his behalf, but not the likes. “The pope is not like Donald Trump, he’s not sitting around using his phone or computer to tweet all day long…He does, for example, approve the tweets – but not the likes – and on very rare occasions he has said he would like to tweet something because of a developing situation or emergency. So he would have nothing to do with this – it’s the communications department, and how this happens … who knows,” he claimed.

The Controversy over Instagram ‘like’ by Pope Francis

Earlier, one of the social media users, Barstool Sports, had spotted Pope Francis’ online indulgences and shared a screen recording showing the pope’s Instagram name in the likes section of Natalia’s photo. The account shared the screen recording with caption “Pope Francis is horny as hell”. “Franciscus”, the official Instagram handle of Pope Francis was seen in the list of accounts who had liked the picture.

In the picture, Natalia was seen wearing suspenders and an outfit resembling a Catholic school girl. When Natalia Garibotto was informed about the ‘like’ on her picture by Pope Francis, she found the situation amusing. She jocularly noted, “At least I’m going to heaven”, after Barstool Sports’ tweet showing Pope Francis among thousands of those who had liked her picture on Instagram.

Pakistani religious preacher Khadim Hussain Rizvi dead, had demanded nuclear attack on France for Prophet Mohammad cartoons

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Pakistani religious preacher Khadim Hussain Rizvi dead, had demanded nuclear attack on France for Prophet Mohammad cartoons

Islamic religious preacher Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) chief Allama Khadim Hussain Rizvi has died in Lahore days after he had threatened France with a nuclear attack.

According to the reports, the 54-year-old Khadim Hussain Rizvi, one of the influential Pakistani Islamic clerics, died in hospital in the eastern city of Lahore after “suffering from a fever”. According to the party’s spokesperson, Hamza, the TLP chief had been experiencing difficulty in breathing and was running a fever since Monday.

Rizvi, who is the founder of TLP, has been a staunch supporter of blasphemy laws in Pakistan and has time-and-again hit the streets to protest against any reforms to the country’s ultra-conservative laws. Under Rizvi’s leadership, the TLP has staged various protests, including violent protests that erupted in the country in 2018 after Pakistan’s supreme court acquitted a Christian woman, Asia Bibi, of blasphemy charges.

Rizvi was extremely popular across Pakistan, especially in the country’s most populous province of Punjab. Khadim Rizvi was also an ardent follower of 19th century Islamic theologian Imam Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi, the founder of the Barelvi sect.

Rizvi was forefront at anti-France rallies in Pakistan

Rizvi was also at the forefront of recent protests in the country against France for the publication of cartoons of Prophet Mohammed by French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. The Islamic cleric had also called for a boycott of French products and demanded Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan to send back French ambassador from Islamabad.

During these protests, Rizvi had called Pakistan to launch nuclear attacks against France for its alleged act of ‘Islamophobia’ after the European country had taken a vow to fight the radical Islamic terrorism.

Khadim Hussain Rizvi had threatened the Netherlands with an ‘atom bomb’ attack

Not just threatening France, in 2018, the hardline cleric had also threatened the Netherlands with an ‘atom bomb’ after one of the country’s political group had organised a competition to draw Prophet Mohammad.

Warning Netherlands, Rizvi had said that if he were given “the atom bomb”, he would “wipe Holland off the face of this earth” if it allowed a competition of cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammad.

“If they give me the atom bomb I would remove Holland from the face of the earth before they can hold a competition of caricatures… I will wipe them off the face of this earth,” had said Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan founder.

Rizvi, who was born on June 22, 1966 in Attock district of Punjab, attained his Islamic education in subjects – Hifz and Tajweed from Jhelum madrassa. He later went on to attain further religious education – Dars-e-Nizami – from the Jamia Nizamia Rizvia institute in Lahore.

He founded the hardline Islamic organisation Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan on August 1, 2015, to start a movement against reformation of Pakistan’s strict blasphemy laws.

Grooming Jihad: Muslim man pretends to be Hindu to marry a Hindu woman, demands Rs 25 lakh for ending the relationship

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Grooming Jihad: Muslim man pretends to be Hindu to marry a Hindu woman, demands Rs 25 lakh for ending the relationship

In yet another case of grooming jihad, a Hindu woman in Noida Uttar Pradesh was lured into a love affair and then into marriage by a Muslim man who hid his identity from her. According to reports, the victim woman has alleged that the Muslim man kept her in the dark about his real identity and presented himself as a Hindu. The man named Sahil Khan, who is a resident of Noida sector-15, introduced himself to the victim as a Hindu man named Sahil Singh. He even forged documents like Aadhar card in this fake name to lure the victim Hindu woman into a relationship.

He married the victim woman and they started living together. But when the victim came to know about his real identity, she wanted to end the marriage. However, the man demanded Rs 25 lakh from her for ending the relationship. He even threatened the victim to kill her. Terrified by his threats, the victim filed a complaint about the incident at sector-20 police station.

SHO Rakesh Singh said that the victim’s complaint has been registered and an investigation has been initiated in the matter by the police. The culprit is absconding and the police are on a lookout for him.

States contemplating a law to deal with grooming jihad

The rising cases of grooming jihad have led the governments of several states to contemplate a law dealing with and preventing such cases. The states mulling a legislative action against grooming jihad include Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Assam and Karnataka. The recent murder of a college student named Nikita Tomar in a case of grooming jihad had started a debate around the rising menace. After the incident, the Haryana government had announced that it would introduce a law to prevent such cases followed by similar announcements by other states.

‘Jai Shree Ram would not be allowed in West Bengal, go to Gujarat if you want to chant it’: TMC leader in an undated video

OpIndia Staff
-
0
‘Jai Shree Ram would not be allowed in West Bengal, go to Gujarat if you want to chant it’: TMC leader in an undated video

In a video shared by the Twitter handle of BJP Bengal today, a Trinamool Congress leader (as claimed by BJP Bengal) was heard threatening people not to chant the slogan of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ in they wanted to live in West Bengal. The TMC leader who is apparently addressing people in some sort of gathering said that chanting Jai Shri Ram would not be allowed in the TMC-ruled state. He asked people to move to Gujarat if they wanted to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’.

In a fiery speech in Bengali in the undated video, the leader said that chanting of Jai Shree Ram wont be allowed in the state. “These will not be allowed here”, he said. He added that those who wants to chant it can do it in Modi’s state Gujarat.

The Trinamool Congress party’s dislike for Jai Shree Ram is not not a secret, last year it was openly expressed by CM Mamata Banerjee. In May last year, Mamata Banerjee had lost her cool when some people were chanting the slogan on a road. Hearing the slogan, she had got down from her vehicle and confronted the people. The incident had repeated four weeks later, when the CM had alleged the people chanting the slogan were criminals, and actions will be taken against them. Accordingly, the West Bengal had arrested around a dozen people for chanting the slogan in front the CM.

BJP office set ablaze in West Bengal

The TMC is notorious for being intolerant towards rival political ideologies. In a shocking incident, an office of the BJP located in Babanpur area of Mohanpur Gram Panchayat in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal was allegedly set ablaze by TMC workers today. BJP workers blamed the TMC for burning down the office calling it their ‘cheap trick’.

BJP booth secretary killed

Political killings have become a norm in the Mamata Banerjee-ruled state of West Bengal. On November 18, a horrific incident of a BJP worker being beaten to death was reported from Cooch Behar. The victim Kalachand Karmokar, who was a booth level secretary of the BJP, was beaten to death in a clash between members of two community clubs over continuing Kali Puja celebration. The state BJP alleged that Karmokar was killed by TMC goons.

Incidents of political violence have shot up in the state ahead of 2021 Assembly elections. As the BJP is trying to expand its foothold in the state, attacks on its offices and workers have become routine.

Republic TV says the location of its assistant Vice President Ghanshyam Singh is not known after court adjourned his bail plea

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Republic TV says the location of its assistant Vice President Ghanshyam Singh is not known after court adjourned his bail plea

After the bail plea of Republic TV Assistant Vice President Ghanshyam Singh was adjourned by 5 days by a Mumbai court, the media network has said that his whereabouts is not known to the channel and Singh’s family. Ghanshyam Singh was arrested by Mumbai police in the TRP manipulation case on November 10 from his residence and was remanded to police custody for 3 days, which was later extended by a day.

A statement issued by Republic Media Network today evening has said that the police and jail authorities are not clarifying where he has been placed while being in custody, or in which jail he is presently lodged. The channel said that they are trying to learn about the location of Singh, and by concealing his location, the state govt and police are actively denying him his basic legal & human rights.

Republic Media Network asked the govt to immediately disclose the physical location of Ghanshyam Singh to his family and network. They also added that will raise this crushing of human rights and denial of basic legal rights in the courts of law till justice prevails.

Till the hearing in his bail plea today, Ghanshyam Singh was lodged in Taloja Central Jail. On Thursday, a court in Mumbai adjourned the hearing of his bail petition until November 24. As per sources, the Maharashtra government sought 5 more days to respond to the plea.

It may be noted that why Mumbai police arrested Singh in the TRP manipulation case, actually Republic TV is not even named in the FIR and the complaint filed in the case, while India Today was named in the case.

Republic TV has alleged that it was being framed in the TRP manipulation scam. Their claim was corroborated by a statement issued by Hansa Research, the complainant in the case. Hansa Research claimed that their employees were being coerced by the Mumbai police to give false statements against Republic TV in the TRP manipulation scam.

After being arrested by the crime branch of the Mumbai police, Singh was presented in the Qila court with his head covered with a black cloth. Following this, Maharashtra Human Rights Commission (MHRC) had issued summons to Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh on November 18, asking him to appear before it on November 27. The summons were issued on the complaint filed by Advocate Aditya Mishra.

India Army denies media reports claiming that Indian forces attacked terror launchpads inside PoK

OpIndia Staff
-
0
India Army denies media reports claiming that Indian forces attacked terror launchpads inside PoK

Media reports of Indian Army carrying out ‘pinpoint strikes’ on terror launchpads located inside the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir have emerged today. The reports claim that strikes were carried out in response to Pakistan’s efforts to push the maximum number of terrorists into this side of the Line of Control (LOC) before harsh winters. However, the Indian army has denied the reports, saying that it is fake.

The reports had claimed that intelligence-based strikes are being carried out on the terror launchpads to neutralise the terrorists and the collateral damage in these strikes has been negligible. Quoting military sources the reports claimed that this was in retaliation to the targeting of innocent villagers living along the LOC by Pakistan to show them that not following Pakistan’s diktats would prove lethal for them.

Pakistan had violated the ceasefire along the LOC on November 13 in which five Indian security personnel including one BSF Sub-Inspector and five Army jawans lost their lives. In retaliation, the Indian Army attacked Pakistani locations with anti-tank guided missiles and artillery guns killing at eight Pakistani soldiers and leaving several injured.

No firing across the LOC: Indian Army

Contrary to the claims made by several media reports about the Indian Army striking terror launchpads inside the PoK, the Indian Army has issued a statement denying any firing along the LOC.

Indian Army Director General of Military Operations Lt Gen Paramjit Singh clarified that the reports of Indian Army’s action in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) across the Line of Control are fake.

Bail plea of Republic TV’s Assistant VP Ghanshyam Singh adjourned till November 24, to remain in judicial custody

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Bail plea of Republic TV’s Assistant VP Ghanshyam Singh adjourned till November 24, to remain in judicial custody

The hearing of the bail petition of the Republic Meda Network’s Assistant Vice President Ghanshyam Singh, who is in judicial custody after arrested by Mumbai police, was adjourned today until November 24. According to Republic TV, the adjournment came after the Maharashtra government sought the time of 5 more days to respond to Singh’s bail plea. Singh was arrested by Mumbai police on November 10 from his residence and was remanded to police custody.

After being arrested by the crime branch of the Mumbai police, Singh was presented in the Qila court with his head covered with a black cloth. He was awarded 3-day police custody by the court. He was arrested in relation to the TRP scam for allegedly paying money to another accused in the scam to manipulate the TRPs of Republic TV and Republic Bharat. Interestingly, the name of Republic TV was not mentioned in the FIR filed in relation to the TRP scam and in fact, India Today was named in it.

Republic TV has alleged that it was being framed in the TRP manipulation scam. Their claim was corroborated by a statement issued by Hansa Research, the complainant in the case. Hansa Research claimed that their employees were being coerced by the Mumbai police to give false statements against Republic TV in the TRP manipulation scam.

MHRC issued summon to Mumbai Police Commissioner

The Maharashtra Human Rights Commission (MHRC) had issued summons to Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh on November 18 regarding the arrest of Republic TV AVP Ghanshyam Singh. The MHRC asked Param Bir Singh to appear before it on November 27. The summons were issued on the complaint filed by Advocate Aditya Mishra. In his complaint Mishra had termed the arrest of Singh as arbitrary for the reason that the FIR filed in the TRP scam did not mention the name of Republic TV. He had requested the MHRC to issue a notice to the Mumbai Police Commissioner to submit a detailed report in the interest of justice.

Kirit Somaiya seeks clarification from Uddhav Thackeray over land dealings with late Anvay Naik, alleges office of profit norm violation by Aaditya Thackeray

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Kirit Somaiya seeks clarification from Uddhav Thackeray over land dealings with late Anvay Naik, alleges office of profit norm violation by Aaditya Thackeray

A week after BJP leader Kirit Somaiya made a shocking disclosure stating that Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s family had a land transaction with late Anvay Naik’s family, he has released further documents to the public on Thursday seeking clarifications from the Maharashtra Chief Minister over the alleged irregularities with his family and Naik’s family. It is pertinent to note that Republic TV Editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami was arrested in the alleged suicide case of Anvay Naik. Anvay Naik had mentioned Arnab Goswami’s name in his suicide note two years ago, and Goswami was arrested after the Maharashtra govt had reopened the case which was earlier closed by police.

On Thursday, former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya released a series of documents questioning Uddhav Thackeray and his son Aaditya Thackeray over irregularities in land dealing between the two families.

Releasing documents last week, Somaiya had alleged that the said land records of Murud Raigad on the Maharashtra Government Website of Land Records suggested that Uddhav Thackeray’s wife had a land transaction with late Anvay Naik’s family. Seeking further clarification on the land deals, Kirit Somaiya asked Maharashtra Chief Minister to enlighten public on the various transaction of his real estate land dealings.

“We also release details and land records 7/12 of Smt. Rashmi Uddhav Thackeray, transactions with Anvay Naik’s family, we requested S. Uddhav Thackeray to give some details about,” he added releasing documents pertaining to land deals with Anvay Naik family and Ravindra Waikar family.

Kirit Somaiya said, instead of responding to the allegations, Shiv Sena leaders are abusing him, adding how various leaders threatened him for exposing land dealings between the late Anvay Naik and the Thackerays.

Citing election affidavits of Maharashtra Chief Minister Shri Uddhav Thackeray, the BJP leader asked why Rashmi Uddhav Thackeray has two properties at Village Vaijnath, Taluka Karjat, District Raigad with same survey number as mentioned in the affidavit.

Land Records of Rashmi Thackeray’s dealings with Anvay Naik.

“We would like to request CM Uddhav Thackeray to clarify about the same landholding serial numbers, survey numbers given in point 2A and in point 2B. Whether two different land parcels with the same survey number available/bought? Is Smt Thackeray have some other land holding, the details of that couldn’t be made available to people of Maharashtra in Point number B of the affidavit,” the former BJP MP asked Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray in connection with irregularities in the land dealings.

Kirit Somaiya seeks clarification from Minister Aaditya Uddhav Thackeray regarding alleged violation of office of profit norm

Releasing documents regarding Sena-Prince Aaditya Thackeray’s business dealings, BJP leader Kirit Somaiya posed tough questions to the Shiv Sena leader asking him to clarify regarding his investments in real estate business.

According to the election affidavit, Aaditya Thackeray had been owner, designated partner of M/s Hibiscus Food LLP and Uddhav Thackeray’s wife Rashmi Uddhav Thackeray was also the designated partner in Hibiscus Food LLP.

As per the records of Ministry of Corporate Affairs, obtained by as on 17 November 2020, it is stated that Aaditya Thackeray became a designated partner in Hibiscus Food LLP in 2015 and also stated that he had resigned from this company on 31 March 2020. Similarly, he became a designated partner in Eliora Solar LLP on 26 April 2016 and he resigned from this company on 31 March 2020.

The BJP leader said he liked to know from Chief Minister Shri Uddhav Thackeray about the business, the role of Aaditya Uddhav Thackeray in these ventures. The accusations against the Sena prince is that despite him being appointed as a Minister on 28th November 2019, he had been running the business of Hibiscus Food LLP and Eliora Solar LLP simultaneously till 31 March 2020.

“The People of Maharashtra would like to enlighten themselves from Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray the details, the meaning, the role, the legal provisions of the above,” the former BJP MP asked.

It may be noted that as per the law of holding an office of profit, MPs and MLAs are barred from holding any office of profit, or holding any role that makes any kind of compensation for that role. Therefore, If Aditya Thackeray indeed remained designated partner of the two companies till 31st March, this means he was holding offices of profit while being the MLA, and a minister, in the Maharashtra govt.

Uttar Pradesh: Woman given triple talaq by husband over phone for not giving birth to a son

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Uttar Pradesh: Woman given triple talaq by husband over phone for not giving birth to a son

In Uttar Pradesh, a Muslim woman was allegedly given triple talaq by her husband over phone for not giving birth to a male child. The woman was reportedly earlier beaten up by her husband and expelled from the house. She has been living at her parental home.

According to reports, the woman has filed a complaint on the Chief Minister’s portal. She has two daughters and wants to live with her husband.

Assaulted by in-laws for giving birth to daughters

As per reports, victim Hasibunnisa from Vishnupura of Guaribazar police station area was married to Fariyad Ahmed of Vardpur village of Siddharthnagar about a decade ago. During her decade-long marriage with Ahmed, she gave birth to two daughters. The woman has alleged that her in-laws used to harass her for not giving birth to a son. Her husband used to beat her too. In June this year, her husband again assaulted her and expelled her from his house.

After being expelled by her husband, she took her daughters along with her and went to her maternal house and started living there hoping that her husband would come to take her back. However, to her shock, her husband had allegedly called her to pronounce triple talaq. Aggrieved by her husband’s act she went to SP office to file a complaint. Inspector-in-charge Ashwini Rai said that her complaint had been received and the matter was being investigated.

Incidents of triple talaq have been emerging despite the government enacting a law to criminalise it after the Supreme Court declared the practice unconstitutional.

Man gave triple talaq to wife after she got a vaginal infection

Earlier this month in Gujarat, a man allegedly gave triple talaq to his wife after she was diagnosed with a vaginal infection. The woman was pregnant and had developed a vaginal infection as she could not maintain proper hygiene due to pressure of household chores despite medical advice. The victim had complained that not only had her husband ignored her worsening health and dumped her at her parents’ house, he had also been asking her family to bear the expenses of his new marriage to another woman.

1...4,8414,8424,843...7,648Page 4,842 of 7,648