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Petition in Supreme Court seeks protection for transgender persons against sex crimes under existing laws

OpIndia Staff
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Petition in Supreme Court seeks protection for transgender persons against sex crimes under existing laws

A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking protection for the transgender community under laws against sex crimes. As reported by Live Law, the plea states that provisions available under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) do not provide protection to transgender persons from sexual crimes by males, females or even from another transgender person.

The petition, filed by Advocate Reepak Kansal, challenges clauses (i), (ii) and (iv) of sub-section (1) of Section 354A of the IPC as being ultra vires the Articles 14, 15 and 21 of the constitution contending that the above mentioned clauses exclude transgender persons from being considered victims of sexual harassment.

How the Law Excludes Transgender Persons

Advocate Kansal has stated in the plea that Indian laws against sexual crimes are for men and woman and the transgender persons, being neither men nor women, fail to get justice under the available laws. He has requested the court to make appropriate modification or interpretation of the relevant sections of the IPC so as to include transsexuals or eunuchs under them.

He said that Articles 14 and 15 do not limit the term person to just male and female and therefore the state cannot discriminate on the ground of gender. He relied on Article 21 which provides every person the right to life and personal liberty which includes life with dignity and said that due to sexual and hate crimes, transgender persons cannot lead their lives with dignity.

The Decision in NALSA v Union of India

Advocate Kansal referred to the Supreme Court decision in the 2014 case of National Legal Services Authority v Union of India in which the court had recognised transgender people as ‘persons’ under Article 14. He said despite the fact that transgender persons have been declared as Third Gender by the court, there is no provision under the IPC which extends protection to transgender persons against sex crimes.

The petition also cites some statistics indicating high levels of sexual abuse of transgender persons. The statistics referred show that one in every two transgender persons is subjected to sexual abuse or assault at some point in their lives. Some of them are also subjected to sexual abuse and assault in jail or police custody. The pleas states that 15% of transgender persons report being sexually assaulted while in police custody or jail. No separate jails, wards or security are there for transgender people.

Filing of Sexual Assault Cases Against Transgender under 354A

The petition states that the Delhi Police has submitted before the Delhi High Court that all the cases of sexual harassment against transgenders will be registered under section 354A of the IPC. However, the statement of the Delhi Police does not have a legal backing and it has not binding force in other states. The petition highlighted that India is a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and therefore, the rights relating to life, liberty, equality and dignity available under the Constitution as well as the International Covenants are enforceable by the courts.

The plea, in addition to appropriate writ, order or direction, has sought directions from the court for:

  • Setting up of gender-neutral sexual harassment mechanism,
  • Enactment of an Anti-Discrimination Bill that penalises discrimination and harassment on the basis of gender,
  • Adoption and implementation of the UDHR, and
  • Framing of guidelines for the protection of the Fundamental Rights of transgenders till legislation to that effect is passed.

“Aapko dadi hui hai”, BJP spokesperson takes potshots at opposition at the expense of Shaheen Bagh ‘sherni’ Bilkis Bano

OpIndia Staff
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“Aapko dadi hui hai”, BJP spokesperson takes potshots at opposition at the expense of Shaheen Bagh ‘sherni’ Bilkis Bano

During the ‘Taal Thok Ke’ show on Zee News that was aired on Wednesday, BJP leader and spokesperson Sambit Patra took a dig at the opposition parties at the expense of Shaheen Bagh ‘Sherni’, Bilkis Bano. Bilkis, one of the ‘dadis’ of anti-CAA protest site Shaheen Bagh, has been named by the Time Magazine in its list of ‘100 Most Influential People of 2020’.

In response to a bizarre comment by Tanveer Ahmed about respecting the post of Prime Minister but not Narendra Modi, Sambit Patra stated, “I would like to congratulate you first. As you said, you respect the position of the designation of Prime Minister but not Narendra Modi. I would like to congratulate you and co-panelist Safoora Jahan.”

He emphasised, “Aap logo ko dadi hui hai. Aap log rakho na. Aap pradhan mantri ke khilaf khada bhi kar do dadi ko. Kisne mana kiya hai. (Congratulations on the emergence of a new dadi [referring to Bilkis Bano]. Keep her with you. I will suggest you to nominate her against PM Modi. Who has stopped you from doing so?)”

Sambit Patra hits out at Sonia Gandhi and Owaisi

While taking potshots at the Congress party with references of party supremo Sonia Gandhi as the ‘mummy’, Sambit Patra stated, “Mein toh keh raha hu mummy ko hata ke dadi ko lao. Aur Congress party sune. Mummy ko hatao dadi lao. Owaisi bhi hatey dadi laye. Dadi hui ke congratulations. (I am telling you to remove ‘mummy’ Sonia Gandhi and bring in Bilkis dadi. The Congress party must listen to it carefully. Owaisi too must get hold of dadi. Congratulations on the rise of Bilkis.)”

While taking a dig at the Shaheen Bagh ‘sherni’, the BJP leader asked, “She is superbly talented. She has featured in the list of top 100 people in the world. Do you think this is a small feat? A proposal must be placed by evening that only Bilkis dadi can compete with PM Narendra Modi. This is because she also does like the Prime Minister. Safoora Jahan is also sitting here. Ask her about the proposal.”

Shaheen Bagh Anti-CAA protests

The anti-CAA protests, especially at Shaheen Bagh, which began as a peaceful protest crossed all the boundaries as it turned out to be another typical left-wing managed anti-India event. Eventually, the Shaheen Bagh protest site had provided fodder and a shield for violent rioters who had, in February, targeted Hindus and gone on a rampage burning the capital, timing the bloodbath with US President Trump’s visit to Delhi.

Following the failure of violent protests perpetrated by the Muslim mobs on the streets of Delhi and Jamia Millia Islamia University, few women belonging to Muslim community sat on a protest at Shaheen Bagh, blocked a bus stop and a highway causing severe problems to the public of Delhi.

Shaheen Bagh protests, which were initially passed off as an organic protest in a bid to ‘save the constitution’ began to turn into a blatantly communal event. It was earlier reported that the Muslim mobs had shouted pro-Pakistan and Hinduphobic slogans like “Jinnah Wali Azadi”, demanding another partition of the country.

A tale of love, sacrifice and devotion: How the last Hindu of Ghazni stayed back in Afghanistan to take care of his Temple, even after his family came to India

K Bhattacharjee
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A tale of love, sacrifice and devotion: How the last Hindu of Ghazni stayed back in Afghanistan to take care of his Temple, even after his family came to India

Not too long ago, India provided refuge to twenty-one Hindu and Sikh families from Ghazni in Afghanistan. The constant threat to their lives and the hardships they have to endure is not something that is secret. Islamic terrorism and extremism has made the lives of ethnic and religious minorities in the war torn country a living hell.

While the Hindu and Sikh families came over to India, one man remained. He had to stay behind in order to take care of the Hindu Temple that still exists. His name is Raja Ram. He may have never set his feet in India but his name bears the unmistakable mark of the intimate relationship he shares with out country.

Raja Ram told Radio Free Afghanistan, “We all love our homeland, but they had to flee after the attacks.” “To everyone, their homeland is Kashmir,” he added. He further said, “Members of our community have left with broken hearts because of their worsening circumstances here.” His wife and four children have come to India, in the hope of a better future, but he chose to remain to take care of the Temple. He is paid nearly $100 by the Afghan government a month to take care of it.

The last Hindu of Ghazni still hopes that there will come a day when his wife and children will be able to return to the place they call home and live in peace. But perhaps, he knows in his heart that these are mere fantasies and it does not do well for people to dwell too much in them. “I hope that everyone will return to Afghanistan once there is peace here. The Hindus and Sikhs are sons of this soil — they are Afghans, too,” he said.

Hindus and Sikhs were once an 80,000 strong minority in Afghanistan but they are now vanishing. Most of them have come over to India while some, with the means for it, chose to leave for the West. In India, the beleaguered minorities have found a home and an opportunity to build a future for their children.

While they still miss their homeland, sometimes, as is human nature, they are grateful for the opportunity India has provided them with. And it is in their hopes that India finds the true meaning for its existence. It is the sacred duty of our country to provide shelter to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists whose lives are in jeopardy in our neighbouring Islamic states.

The passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019, was the first step towards recognising this sacred duty that India bears towards these unfortunate victims of Islamic extremism. It was opposed tooth and nail by many but the misery that such refugees have to endure illustrates perfectly the necessity of it. In neighbouring Pakistan, we are daily witness to the savagery that the Hindu and Sikh minorities are subjected to.

The story of the last Hindu of Ghazni, Raja Ram, also demonstrates the sacrifices that Hindus have made through the ages to ensure the continued worship of our Gods and Goddesses. All alone in a hostile environment, with his children and wife away in a distant land, he chose to remain to ensure that a candle is still lit in the Temple that has been placed in his care. It is through these monumental sacrifices that our civilisation is sustained and the flag of our ancestors continues to fly high.

UP Police receives death threats against CM Yogi Adityanath from unidentified person demanding the release of jailed BSP MLA Mukhtar Ansari

OpIndia Staff
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UP Police receives death threats against CM Yogi Adityanath from unidentified person demanding the release of jailed BSP MLA Mukhtar Ansari

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has reportedly received a death threat via WhatsApp messages demanding the release of gangster Mukhtar Ansari. The threat messages were sent on the UP Police number 112 from a number that has been identified by the police and the lookout for the culprit is underway. The number from which the messages were sent is 969675xxxx as told by Police Commissioner Sujit Pandey. A case has been registered by Inspector Hazratganj Anjani Kumar Pandey.

The police informed that in the threat messages, which were received between 9:56 a.m. and 10:11 a.m. on Wednesday, derogatory language was used and a demand was made to release of jailed BSP MLA Mukhtar Ansari. The messages threatened that if Ansari was not released from the jail within 24 hours, then till September 25, the government will be wiped out.

Similar Threats Received Earlier

In month of May this year, death threats were sent to the UP Police against the Chief Minister in a similar manner. The threats were sent vias WhatsApp messages on the UP Police social media cell number. In the messages, the person sending the messages had called CM Yogi the enemy of a particular community and threatened to kill him with a bomb. A case was registered by the police in this matter.

In the same month, the UP police had nabbed a Bihar constable named Tanveer Khan from Ghazipur after he posted on Facebook calling for the killing of CM Yogi.

Action Against Gangster Mukhtar Ansari

The UP government has been pulling down the illegal properties of criminals in the state recently. Last month, the Lucknow administration had demolished an illegal house belonging to gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari who is currently in jail. The government had announced that the cost incurred in pulling down illegal properties will be recovered from their owners. Several properties worth over 3 crore belonging to close aides of Ansari were also seized by the police.

AIIMS doctor revealed that Sushant Singh Rajput was strangled to death, says family lawyer Vikas Singh

OpIndia Staff
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AIIMS doctor revealed that Sushant Singh Rajput was strangled to death, says family lawyer Vikas Singh

On Friday, Supreme Court advocate Vikas Singh, the lawyer representing the actor Sushant Singh Rajput family, made a sensational claim stating that a doctor, who was part of the team from the All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) that carried out forensic tests in the case, had informed him that the 34-year-old had been strangled to death and did not commit suicide.

Taking to Twitter on Friday, Vikas Singh expressed his unhappiness at the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) speed in solving the death case and said that he was getting “frustrated” with the delay in the CBI investigation into Sushant Singh Rajput’s case.

The Supreme Court advocate also revealed that a doctor at AIIMS had told him “long back” that photos of Sushant Singh’s body indicated that he was strangled to death.

Speaking to the media, the family lawyer Sushant Singh Rajput, Vikas Singh, said that the investigation into the death of the Bollywood actor is being dragged into another direction and alleged that the suicide case is being diverted towards the drugs case.

“The (Sushant’s) family feels that the probe is being taken in a different direction. All attention is being diverted towards the drugs case. AIIMS doctor told me that Sushant’s death was by strangulation,” said Vikas Singh.

Singh also said that they were helpless as they did not know in which direction the case was going in. Till today, CBI has not done a press briefing on what they have found out and we are not happy with the speed at which the case is going, Vikas Singh said speaking to the media.

The 34-year-old actor Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead in his Mumbai apartment on June 14. Initially, the Mumbai Police said the actor had committed suicide and had claimed that the actor was suffering from depression.

Images of Sushant Singh Rajput’s mortal remains allegedly morphed to push suicide theory

Earlier, in a similar disclosure, Vikas Singh had said viral images of Sushant Singh Rajput after his death were morphed. It was earlier reported that the first set of images of the actor’s mortal remains that went viral on the internet soon after his death may have been morphed to convince people that the actor had committed suicide.

According to Vikas Singh, the Forensic expert had revealed to him that the pictures that circulated earlier were morphed ones. More than 70 images of the actor’s mortal remains were taken soon after the body was found at actor’s residence on June 14.

We had reported regarding two images of Sushant Singh Rajput’s mortal remains, which was captured by his sister Meetu when she arrived at his apartment on that fateful day. These images are said to be the first ones to be taken after the actor was found dead in his apartment.

Reportedly, these new pictures are different from those that got leaked on social media just after his death. These new set of pictures reportedly show several inconsistencies in the mark on the neck.

Hours before his assassination, advocate Babar Qadri slammed J&K Bar Association of being a Hurriyat outpost, accusing them of colluding with separatists

OpIndia Staff
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Hours before his assassination, advocate Babar Qadri slammed J&K Bar Association of being a Hurriyat outpost, accusing them of colluding with separatists

Advocate Babar Qadri was fatally wounded on Thursday after he was shot at by unknown terrorists at his residence in central Srinagar. He was rushed to hospital where doctors pronounced him dead on arrival.

According to the eye-witness accounts, two assailants, on the pretext of consulting over a legal matter entered his house at around 6 PM in the evening and opened fire at him. The police said that the lawyer was shot at point-blank range, instantly killing him.

Babar Qadri was one of the truculent voices often seen on various Indian news channels debating issues related to Kashmir.

Jammu and Kashmir Police on Friday announced the setting up of a Special Investigation Team to probe the killing of advocate Babar Qadri.

Presciently enough, Qadri had also posted a tweet 4 days back, alerting the Jammu and Kashmir police about a possible threat to his life.

In a tweet posted on September 21, Qadri wrote, “I urge the State Police administration to register FIR against this Shah Nazir who has spread the wrong campaign that I work for agencies. This untrue statement can lead to a threat to my life.” He also shared a screenshot of his conversation with an individual on Facebook who accused Qadri of being “projected by the agencies”.

Babar Qadri accused J&K Bar Association President and his aides of threat on his life

Hours before Qadri was brutally assassinated by unknown assailants posing as clients, the advocate had carried out a Facebook live session, making shocking revelations about the nexus between the state’s political elites, prominent Bar executives, and separatists.

Facebook live session by Babar Qadri on the day of his assassination

In a 30-minute long video, Qadri had accused the senior politicians and Bar Council executives of colluding with the separatists and using terrorists for their politics. He also lamented about the general attitude of Jammu and Kashmir leaders, who branded anyone who spoke against their policies as New Delhi agents and on payrolls of Indian agencies.

“During the 90s, if you spoke anything against Abdullahs, you were called as agents of Indian agencies. Whenever an intellectual tried to make a serious argument, he was silenced through assassination,” Qadri said.

Qadri also made a scathing attack on J&K High Court Bar Association President Mian Abdul Qayoom, alleging him of doing politics based on coercion on threats in Bar Association. It may be noted that Qadri was suspended by the bar association.

“Why do we have to take the help of agencies for our politics? Why do we have to employ hooligans to impose our narrative in Bar Association? Can we not do politics with sincerity and honesty? If asking these questions is a crime, I will continue to do it and Mr Qayoom and his henchmen can kill me for this, I won’t regret it,” Qadri said.

JK Bar Association was an extension of Hurriyat: Qadri

Qadri further laid into Mr Qayoom, alleging that the J&K Bar Association President was operated on the basis of religion by him. He also added that Qayoom had rendered Bar Association as a tool of separatist leader Geelani’s politics, effectively making it an extension of Hurriyat.

The now slain advocate raised questions over Mr Qayoom’s commitment to jihad against the Indian government, accusing him of trying to foment unrest in the Valley at the cost of lives of innocent Kashmiri children, while his own children stayed away from the protest and the conflict.

“When you accepted the dictations by the Supreme Court, When you accepted the conditions imposed by the Indian government, why the sham of giving stones in the hands of innocent Kashmiri children to wage a jihad against the government? When your own children did not join the protest, why push the children of ordinary Kashmiri to their graves?” Qadri asked.

Qadri urged fellow lawyers to vote against the current JK Bar Association representative body in the forthcoming elections

Talking about the threats he received for speaking his mind out, Qadri said that whenever he raised uncomfortable questions of Mr Qayoom, the responses from his supporters such as Shah Nazir and Manzoor Dar gives one a feeling that they intend to bump him off. He also added that he had been attacked twice for exhorting people to vote for lawyers and not for hoodlums.

Furthermore, Qadri said that Mr Qayoom and his aides intend to suppress dissenting voices that threatened to expose their duplicity. He urged his followers, friends and colleagues to not support these forces in the upcoming Bar Association elections and elect those who are independent, responsible, and honest toward the people of Kashmir.

“The bar needs a moderate but intelligent leading group. We need good speakers, good debating persons who can talk on our behalf. We need a person who can confront a judge or an official of the administration. Yes, we have been exploited enough by emotional blackmail, coercion, threats to life which was a norm that we reconciled to,” Qadri said.

The controversy around Sunil Gavaskar’s comments and Anushka Sharma’s reaction to it only highlights the perils of pseudo feminism

Jinit Jain
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The controversy around Sunil Gavaskar’s comments and Anushka Sharma’s reaction to it only highlights the perils of pseudo feminism

Legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar today found himself at the centre of a furore after he made a seemingly innocuous remark on cricketer Virat Kohli and his wife Anushka Sharma in his commentary during an IPL match.

Talking about the lack of real-match practice amidst the coronavirus-induced lockdown and Kohli’s need for practice, Gavaskar playfully commented about a video that had gone viral during the lockdown when Anushka Sharma was seen bowling to Virat Kohli.

In the commentary, Gavaskar had said: “Ab joh lockdown tha to sirf Anushka ki bowling ki practice ki unhone, wo video dekhi hai (reference to a viral video), usse to kuch nahi hona hai” (I saw a video during the lockdown when Virat was seen practicing to Anushka’s bowling. But that is not going to be enough here).

However, Gavaskar’s benign and factual observations stirred a massive controversy on social media websites, with many twisting his comment as being sexually suggestive and still others accusing him of indulging in sexism for his playful comment that Anushka Sharma’s bowling was not sufficient for Kohli to prepare him to compete at the highest level of cricket.

The controversy was further fuelled when actor Anushka Sharma fell victim to the twisted narrative that was doing the rounds on the Internet and took to her Instagram account to slam the veteran cricketer for his statements. Sharma deemed the commentary made by Mr Gavaskar as distasteful and sought an explanation from him as to why he found the need of making generalised statements accusing a wife of his husband’s failures on the field.

“I am sure you can have many other words and sentences in your mind to use to comment on my husband’s performance from last night or are your words only relevant if you use my name in the process?” Anushka said in a statement she posted on Instagram.

Soon after Anushka hauled Gavaskar over coals for drawing reference to the viral video where she was seen throwing down balls to Virat Kohli, self-proclaimed custodians of feminism jumped the bandwagon to criticise the cricketer’s statement for being sexist in his commentary.

A journalist with Hindustan Times, Sunetra Choudhary, hailed Sharma’s riposte to Sunil Gavaskar. When one Twitter user pointed out that Gavaskar did not speak anything demeaning, Sunetra responded that Anushka was calling out the cricketer’s “casual sexism”.

Former NDTV journalist Nidhi Razdan criticised Sunil Gavaskar’s comment as a “very very disappointing statement” and congratulated Anushka Sharma for standing up to this.

Here again, when one of the Twitter users called Nidhi impulsive and juvenile for outraging over an issue without fact-checking it, she conveniently passed the buck on Anushka Sharma, asking the user if Anushka too was impulsive and juvenile for issuing a statement.

Radio presenter Anushka Arora lauded the actor, saying that comments made by Sunil Gavaskar need to stop as they are “backwards” and “unnecessary”.

Actor Zareen Khan also took to Twitter to side with Anushka Sharma and questioned Sunil Gavaskar if his wife was ever accused of his bad performance on the field.

Anushka Sharma had said that the AIB roast video was in “good humour”

It is noteworthy to mention here that Anushka Sharma responded to the controversy after trolls on social media websites deviously twisted the comment made by Sunil Gavaskar to allege that he made vulgar and sexist remarks against the actor.

Gavaskar while recalling the incident about Virat-Anushka’s viral cricket video meant that the Indian Cricket Team captain was so eager for playing cricket during the lockdown months that he even started practising with Anushka Sharma outside their residence.

In light of the recent controversy, many people on social media called out the faux outrage surrounding the remarks made by Gavaskar. To this end, many users have shared a video of Anushka Sharma responding to a question asked by a journalist about her opinion on the AIB roast video where unsavoury comments outraging the modesty of women were made by the participants.

“I think everyone is entitled to their opinions. According to my understanding, it was in good humour. It was not meant to be taken very seriously. This is the way I looked at it(AIB Roast),” Anushka Sharma had said then.

Gavaskar’s statements twisted out of context to fuel feminist outrage

One argument that the so-called feminists supporting Anushka Sharma have made while defending the overreaction against Sunil Gavaskar is that the actor knows what she is doing when she is calling out the former cricketer over his remarks. While doing so, these folks are essentially lending credence to the deceitful perversion of the statements made by Mr Gavaskar.

Defending the outrage, they also claimed that Anushka had been at the receiving end of criticism for some time now for being needlessly ridiculed for her husband’s poor performance on the cricketing field and that the admonition of a well-known cricketer such as Sunil Gavaskar might serve to improve the general discourse surrounding casual sexism.

However, the exponents of pseudo-feminism, forget the fact that it was the internet trolling that unnecessarily held Anushka Sharma responsible for Virat Kohli’s poor batting streak. In this case, again, it was internet trolls who distorted Sunil Gavaskar’s reference to the viral video to allege that Anushka is accountable for Kohli’s poor performance in the last match.

This overreaction underscores the latent tendencies of pseudo feminists in our country where outraging over an incident is more important than bothering to check the veracity of the said incident. Facts take a back-seat when the soul purpose is to deride a person and make an example out of him so as to uphold the so-called cherished ideals of ‘feminism’. Feigning offence takes precedence over actual facts.

In all likelihood, had it been somebody else, possibly a worker giving a throw-down to Virat Kohli in that viral video, these supporters of pseudo feminism, with their insatiable urge to create a mountain out of a molehill, would have nonetheless criticised Sunil Gavaskar for glorifying a video where Kohli was practising against his house helps, citing violations of coronavirus guidelines or caste disparity or any other faux reason that they can conjure up.

It is evident that Gavaskar made the reference about Virat Kohli practising to Anushka Sharma’s bowling in a lighter vein but to attribute it to “casual sexism” and equating him with the despicable trolls, without granting him the benefit of the doubt, is one unnecessary step too far in stretching political correctness. The fact that Gavaskar was not accorded the benefit of the doubt that he deserves, perfectly encapsulates the time we are living in where “smashing the patriarchy” takes greater precedence over more mundane things such as verifying the insinuations made by trolls on the internet.

AajTak ke camera se nahi bach payegi Deepika Padukone: As the actor makes her way to NCB, IndiaToday does everything they criticise Republic for

OpIndia Staff
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AajTak ke camera se nahi bach payegi Deepika Padukone: As the actor makes her way to NCB, IndiaToday does everything they criticise Republic for

With falling TRP numbers, India Today and its sister channel AajTak are in a state of fix. While two ‘ace’ journalists associated with the channel, namely, Rajdeep Sardesai and Rahul Kanwal had earlier targeted Republic TV for sensationalism, India Today group is now doing exactly what they targetted Republic TV for. Aajtak indulged in magnificent sensationalism today as Deepika Padukone made her way to be questioned by the NCB.

Aaj Tak reporter awed with ‘simplicity’ of Deepika Padukone

On Saturday, Aaj Tak journalists sensationalised the coverage of Deepika Padukone’s arrival to NCW office. At the very onset, the Aaj Tak reporter said, “Humara camera se nahi bach payegi Deepika Padukone (She cannot escape our camera).” The reporter then points out irrelevant details such as her face mask and her simple clothes. He said, “Deepika yaha se entry ki hai NCW daftar ke andar. Mask pehni hui thi aur kafi sadgi thi. Sadgi vala dress that (Deepika has entered NCW office from this entry point. She looked simplistic and had a mask on. She wore plain clothes.)”

At this point, it becomes imperative to ask about the relevance of her mask or ‘simple attire’ to the drug-trafficking case. He claimed, “Deepika idhaar aayi hai chipta chupata. jaisa khyaas lagaya jaa raha tha ki vo apna ghar mein nahin hai. Aisa bataya jaa raha hai ki hotel mein hai. Jaisa hi pohochi hai Aaj Tak ke camera ne kaid kiya hai (Deepika came in a hideous manner to the NCW office. It was assumed that she was not at home and staying at hotel. But, as she reached, our cameras captured her.)”

He also pointed out how her car was parked, following her arrival. The Aaj Tak reporter added several such non-essential information to claim that the coverage was exclusive, even though the same was covered by other news channels.

Aaj Tak anchor shares trivia about the bond between Deepika and her husband

His co-journalist, Sweta Singh informed that Deepika’s car was accompanied by Ranveer Singh’s car and it took a different direction after reaching the entrance gate of the NCW office. In a bizarre claim, she stated, “Jo Ranveer Singh chahata that ki saath saath raha, saath saath toh nahin reh paya par jaha tak saath mein reh sakta tha (While Ranveer Singh wanted to remain in vicinity of Deepika, he couldn’t in the end. However, he managed till where it was possible.)”

Doublespeak on Deepika Padukone’s summon by NCW

Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone, Sara Ali Khan, Shraddha Kapoor, and Rakul Preet Singh were summoned by Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Wednesday in a Bollywood-drug nexus case. India Today’s Rajdeep Sardesai alleged that the government was using Deepika Padukone as a distraction from major issues like the Farmers Bill. Rajdeep Sardesai took to Twitter to hint that Deepika Padukone’s summons by the Narcotics Bureau on September 25 was somehow connected to the farmer’s protest.

But amusingly, while on one side the India Today journalists were seen casting aspersions on the government for using the actor to distract the public’s attention from the larger issues and whining about the unnecessary media coverage being given to Deepika Padukone’s summon, their own journalists were stationed in Goa, covering Deepika Padukone’s minute-by-minute update. Senior journalists from India Today were even seen chasing cars, trying to cover Deepika’s journey from her hotel to the airport.

Sectarian violence, forced conversion of minorities including Hindus, illegal occupation of PoK: India goes all out at UNGA

OpIndia Staff
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Sectarian violence, forced conversion of minorities including Hindus, illegal occupation of PoK: India goes all out at UNGA

India recently exercised its Right to Reply’ at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to counterattack the misleading narrative put forth by Pakistan. Mijito Vinito, the First Secretary of India Mission to the UN, gave a befitting response to Pakistan and spoke about an array of issues, including terrorism, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), sectarian violence, ethnic cleansing and forced conversions.

At the very onset, Mijito Vinito stated, “The leader of Pakistan called for those who incite hate and violence to be outlawed but as he went on, we were left wondering – Was he referring to himself? This hall heard the incessant rant of someone who had nothing to show for himself, who had no achievements to speak of and no reasonable suggestions to offer to the world. Instead, we saw lies, misinformation, war-mongering and malice spread through this assembly. The words used today at this great assembly by the leader of Pakistan demean the very essence of the United Nations.”

“For a nation that is deeply buried in medievalism, it is understandable that the tenets of modern civilised society such as peace, dialogue and diplomacy are far-fetched.” He then took a jibe at the ‘stellar record’ of Pakistan.

“This is the country that brought genocide to South Asia, 39 years back, when it killed its own people. This is also the country that is shameless enough to not offer a sincere apology for the horrors it perpetrated after so many years. This is the only country that provides pensions for dreaded and listed terrorists out of state funds. This is the same country that has the dubious distinction of hosting the largest number of terrorists, prescribed by the United Nations,” he reiterated.

Pakistan is a safe haven for terrorism, reiterates India

India pointed out to the world how Pakistan has been protecting terrorist groups responsible for creating tension in South Asia. Mijito Vinito emphasised, “The leader we heard today is the same person who referred to terrorist Osama Bin Laden as a ‘martyr’ in his Parliament in July. The same leader who spewed venom today admitted in 2019 in the US that his country still has about 30,000-40,000 terrorists who have been trained in Pakistan and has fought in Afghanistan and in the Indian Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. This is the country that systematically cleanses minorities, including Hindus, Christians, Sikhs and others through the abuse of blasphemy laws and through forced conversions.”

India exposes sectarian violence in Pakistan

“For someone who professes to be a champion of Islam, this is also a country that has encouraged the killing of fellow Muslims merely because they belong to a different sect or a different region in Pakistan and through sponsoring terrorist attacks against its neighbours. The only grounding glory that this country has to show to the world for the last 70 years is terrorism, ethnic cleansing, majoritarianism, fundamentalism and clandestine nuclear trade,” India’s First Secretary said.

India directs Pakistan to vacate PoK

He added, “Mr President, let me assert here loud and clear. The Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral and inalienable part of India. The rules and legislation brought in the Union territory are strictly internal affairs of India. The only dispute left in Kashmir relates to that part of Kashmir that is still under illegal occupation of Pakistan. We call upon Pakistan to vacate all those areas that are in illegal occupation of.

India calls upon Pakistan to make course-correction

Towards the end of his intervention, Mijito Vinito had a suggestion for the Islamic Republic. He emphasised, “What should rather be on the agenda of the United Nations is Pakistan’s deep state and its unrelenting political and financial support to terrorist organisations and mercenaries which are a threat to global peace and security. The only way for Pakistan to become a normal country is to observe its moral, financial and material support to terrorism, turn its attention to problems faced by its own population including its minorities and stop using UN platforms to further its nefarious agenda.”

India gives scathing reply to Pakistan

Earlier, First Secretary MEA Vidisha Maitra, while exercising India’s Right to Reply against Pakistan PM Imran Khan’s anti India rant said that Khan’s threat of unleashing nuclear devastation qualifies as brinkmanship and not statesmanship.

She questioned whether Pakistan will acknowledge that it is the only government in the world that provides pension to an individual listed by the UN in the Al-Qaeda and Daesh sanctions list? Last week, Pakistan got UNSC to allow release of monthly pension to 26/11 Mumbai terror accused Hafiz Saeed who is also a global designated terrorist.

Referring to Pakistan government’s move to inviting UN observers to Pakistan to ‘verify’ the resurrection of terror camps, Maitra said that the world must now hold him accountable for that. She questioned whether Pakistan can deny it is home to many UN-designated terrorists. “Can Pakistan PM confirm that it is home to 130 UN designated terrorists and 25 terrorist entities listed by the UN?” she questioned.

Every inch of the land of Katra Keshav Dev is sacred for Hindus: Civil Suit filed in Mathura court for reclamation of Krishna Janmabhoomi

OpIndia Staff
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Every inch of the land of Katra Keshav Dev is sacred for Hindus: Civil Suit filed in Mathura court for reclamation of Krishna Janmabhoomi

Almost a year after the historic Supreme Court judgement in Ram Mandir case, a civil suit has been filed in a Mathura court seeking the ownership over entire 13.37 acres of Krishna Janmabhoomi land in Mathura and also sought the removal of Shahi Idgah Masjid.

According to the reports, the suit, which has been filed by petitioner Vinit Jain on behalf of Srikrishna Virajman, stated that “every inch of the land of Katra Keshav Dev is sacred for the devotees of Lord Shree Krishna and Hindu community”.

The petitioners have stated that the entire area is known as ‘Katra Keshav Dev’, a place where Lord Krishna was born in the karagar of King Kans and added that the place of birth currently lies beneath the existing structure.

In the plea, the petitioner blames the Mughul invader Aurangazeb for demolishing the Krishna temple in Mathura. The plea reads, “Aurangzeb ruled over the country he being a staunch follower of Islam issued orders for demolition of the temple standing at the birthplace of Lord Shree Krishna at Katra Keshav Dev in 1669-70”

Speaking to Times of India, advocates Hari Shankar Jain and Vishnu Shankar Jain, representing the petitioners said that this suit is being filed for removal of encroachment and superstructure illegally raised by Committee of Management of alleged Trust Masjid Idgah with the consent of Sunni Central Board of Waqf on land Khewat No. 255 at Katra Keshav Dev, city Mathura belonging to deity Shree Krishna Virajman.

Reclamation of Kashi and Mathura temples

Following the Supreme Court verdict on Ram Janmabhoomi case, there has been a growing demand among Hindus to reclaim Kashi and Mathura, along with Ayodhya. Reclaiming the sites of Kashi Vishwanath temple and Krishna Janmabhoomi temple at Mathura has now become a priority for various Hindu groups in the country.

The Shahi Idgah Mosque stands at the Krishna Janmabhoomi in the city of Mathura. The Islamic invader Aurangzeb had destroyed the ancient Keshavnath temple and built the Shahi Idgah Mosque on its plinth in 1669.

Similarly, the Gyanvapi Mosque was built by the Islamic invader Aurangzeb after destroying the Kashi Vishwanath temple. The remnants of the ancient Hindu temple can still be seen on the walls of the Gyanvapi Mosque. 

Krishna Janmabhoomi Nirman Nyas setup, wants to reclaim mosque

Earlier in August, in an effort to liberate Mathura, Hindu sadhus had formed the ‘Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Nirman Nyas’ on the lines of Ram Mandir trust.  Nearly 80 saints from 14 states had come together to set up the new trust, which also includes the 11 saints from Vrindavan.

The Hindu Sadhus had said that a signature campaign will soon be launched to connect other saints and seers for the ‘liberation’ of the Krishna Janmabhoomi.

However, the major roadblock for the Hindus to reclaim its spiritual and cultural sites that have been lost due to Islamic conquest in the past comes in the form of Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, which was passed by the then PV Narasimha Rao government. The controversial law prohibits conversion of places of worship – like churches, mosques and temples – into places of worship of a different religion.

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