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‘Will be denied heaven if he worships other gods’: Islamic preacher Mujahid Balussery calls for turning Kerala into Islamic Caliphate in 10 years

OpIndia Staff
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‘Will be denied heaven if he worships other gods’: Islamic preacher Mujahid Balussery calls for turning Kerala into Islamic Caliphate in 10 years

Controversial hate speech peddler Mujahid Balussery has once again come under the scanner for making a clarion call for turning the southern Indian state of Kerala into an Islamic state in the next 10 years.

In one of his provocative videos that have gone viral on the Internet, Balussery was allegedly heard calling out “Mujahid”(Arabic term for Jihadis) to turn Kerala into a caliphate. He had said in the video of sending all the Muslims of Kerala to Mujahid mosques just on Fridays to turn Kerala into an Islamic State in 10 years.

He further adds, “We have a duty to perform here. If we close down some of the other Muslim religious branches in Kerala and bring them under Mujahids, we can turn Kerala into Islamic State within 10 years. A man can be morally perfect in every way but will be denied heaven if he worships other gods. Because saying ‘Guruvayurappa save me’ is shirk and is a bigger sin than adultery, homosexuality or lending money for interest and the person will go to hell.”

Mujahid Balussery had earlier compared Hindu temples and festivals to brothels

Christian and Hindu minorities in the state have raised alarms over the increasingly provocative statements made by Islamic preachers in Kerala. Earlier too, the controversial leader had made disparaging remarks against Hinduism and Hindu festivals and made an abominable comparison of Hindu temples with brothels.

“If you donate money to a Hindu temple or festival, you’re encouraging shirk, which is the gravest sin. You wouldn’t donate money to a brothel or a pub,” the preacher had said in a video that surfaced in 2017 and which had triggered angry reactions from Hindus.

A case was filed against the Islamic preacher for his despicable remarks against the Hindu festivals and temples. However, while deposing in the court, Balussery defended his remarks, claiming it was his duty as an Islamic preacher to inform his followers about things which are allowed and forbidden in Islam. Eventually, he managed to secure conditional bail, which included submission of his passport and assurance of not repeating such offences in future.

China hands over 5 Indian nationals who had gone missing from Arunachal Pradesh, were hunters and not Indian Army personnel

OpIndia Staff
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China hands over 5 Indian nationals who had gone missing from Arunachal Pradesh, were hunters and not Indian Army personnel

Amidst the worsening India China standoff along the Line of Actual Control in India’s eastern Ladakh region, the Indian Army on Saturday released a press statement in connection with the 5 youth from Arunachal Pradesh, who had gone missing days ago from the border region. The Indian Army said that the Chinese PLA has handed over all the 5 individuals to them.

The handover took place at Wacha near Kibithu border personnel meeting point after completing all the necessary formalities. They will now be kept under quarantine for 14 days as per COVID-19 protocols and will thereafter be handed over to their families.

While it was widely reported initially that the Indian Army personnel were captured by the Chinese Army, the statement released by the Indian Army said that they were hunters, who during their adventurous forays, inadvertently strayed into the other side of the LAC in Arunachal Pradesh.

The statement further added that such incidents of accidentally crossing the LAC have happened quite often in the past and the Indian Army had proactively been associated in tracing the lost locals and aiding their return back home. About three such incidents have already happened in the current year in the Upper Sabansiri District and West Siang District, including the latest one. All strayed individuals were brought back home through consistent efforts and coordination by the Indian Army.

“In the latest case, five individuals from Upper Subansiri District had also inadvertently strayed across the LAC recently. Indian Army approached PLA on hotline to trace and return them. On September 8, response on hotline confirmed that the missing individuals had been traced,” the statement read.

‘Kafir Kafir Shia Kafir’: Sunni extremists of Sipah Sahaba lead anti-Shia ‘protests’ in Karachi, pelt stones

OpIndia Staff
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‘Kafir Kafir Shia Kafir’: Sunni extremists of Sipah Sahaba lead anti-Shia ‘protests’ in Karachi, pelt stones

On Friday, thousands of Sunni extremists hit the streets of Karachi to lead anti-Shia protests, thereby escalating tensions between the two Islamic sects and sparking fears of a series of violent events. The demonstrations took place in the backdrop of blasphemy allegations against Shiite Pakistani leaders for allegedly making objectionable comments about historic Islamic personalities during the live broadcast of Muharram procession on TV.

The rally took place near the Jinnah Mausoleum, also known as Mazar-e-Quaid. The Sunni extremists, affiliated with anti-Shia groups such as Sipah-e-Sahaba and Tehreek Labbaik Pakistan, referred to Shias as ‘infidels’ (Kafirs). Reportedly, Sipah-e-Sahaba has been responsible for killing hundreds of Shia Muslims in Pakistan in the past.

Sunni Muslims refer Shias as ‘Kaffirs’

Several videos of the said protests have come to light. In one such video, Sunni extremists atop buses can be seen waving flags and shouting Anti-Shia slogans. “Kafir, Kafir Shia Kafir (Infidels, infidels, Shia infidels)”, the demonstrators were heard as saying.

Twitter user Syed Hussain Mujtaba Rizvi wrote, “So this all has started. Sipah Sahaba & Tehreek Labbaik Pakistan chanting Kafir Kafir Shia Kafir in Karachi. Imam Bargah Imamia at Lines Area under attack by the same goons, some pelting on Bargah reported.”

Stone pelting at Imambargah by Sunni extremists

In another video, Sunni extremists associated with Sipah Sahaba can be seen pelting stones at an Imambargah (congregation halls for Shia Muslims during ceremonies) during their demonstrations in Karachi.

During a recent speech, a politician from the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam political party, Qari Usman, said, “We will not tolerate any more defamation.” Shias, who constitute 20% of the Muslims in Pakistan, have been targeted during Muharram processions. While there has been a general decline in violence against Shiites since 2013, sectarian attacks continue unabated in several pockets of the country.

Blasphemy in Pakistan

Blasphemy in Pakistan is an offence, punishable by death. The archaic law is often misused to target religious and ethnic minorities to settle personal scores. Even if charges of blasphemy are not proved, the accused may be lynched to death by Islamist mobs.

The blasphemy law states, ”Whoever by words, either spoken or written, or by visible representation or by any imputation, innuendo, or insinuation, directly or indirectly, defiles the sacred name of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) shall be punished with death, or imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine.”

Pakistani Sunni Muslims refer to Coronavirus as ‘Shia virus’

Earlier, several Pakistanis took to social media to blame the Shias who returned from pilgrimage from Iran for spreading coronavirus. Some even said that more than China, the country where the deadly virus originated, Shias are responsible and the Chinese virus should actually be called ‘Shia Virus’. Some also accused the Shia Muslims of ‘intentionally’ bringing the virus to Pakistan. Some even accused Shias of being enemies of Islam.

Islamic terror group Al-Qaeda threatens Charlie Hebdo with a ‘2015 like massacre’ for deciding to republish Prophet Mohammad cartoons

OpIndia Staff
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Islamic terror group Al-Qaeda threatens Charlie Hebdo with a ‘2015 like massacre’ for deciding to republish Prophet Mohammad cartoons

Threats have been looming over the French weekly satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, ever since it has announced that it will republish cartoons of Prophet Mohammed. After Islamists from countries like Pakistan and Iran admonished the French Magazine’s decision, terror organisation Al-Qaeda has also joined in to threaten Charlie Hebdo of a ‘2015 like massacre’ if it does not reevaluate its decision to reprint the controversial pictures.

Earlier, Charlie Hebdo had announced that it will republish cartoons of prophet Mohammed that had caused Islamic Terrorists to launch a terror attack against them in 2015 as the trial against the perpetrators gets underway.

The November 2015 Paris massacre was a series of coordinated terrorist attacks by Islamic State terrorists who launched a brutal attack in Paris in France and the city’s northern suburb, Saint-Denis, leaving France reeling for months, dredging up sorrows, fury and horror. It began with three suicide bombers striking outside the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, during a football match, followed by several mass shootings and a suicide bombing, at cafés and restaurants. The attack had left almost 130 people dead including 90 at the Bataclan theatre and as many as 413 injured.

Earlier in January 2015, Islamic terrorists belonging to al-Qaeda had attacked the Charlie Hebdo office in Paris with assault rifles and other weapons, killing 12 people and injuring many.

The announcement by Charlie Hebdo has rubbed the Islamists the wrong way

The announcement of reprinting the cartoons has triggered Islamists from several countries like France, Nigeria, Indonesia, Iran, Chechnya, Yemen and especially Pakistan.

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had taken to Twitter to call out the ‘unforgivable sin’. Expressing his anger, Khamenei opined that the Islamic nations – in particular West Asian countries – should never forget the hostilities of western politicians and leaders against Islam and Muslims.

Prior to this, the Islamists in Pakistan had taken to the streets on September 4 to agitate against the cartoons that depict Prophet Muhammadin. Led by the hardline Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan party, the Muslims protestors chanted “Death to France” as calls for a boycott of French products were hollered. “Decapitation is the punishment of blasphemers,” one placard at the protests read. The protesters demanded that the French ambassador to the country be expelled.

France’s President Emmanuel Macron voiced his support for the French magazine

Earlier, Charlie Hebdo had announced that it will republish cartoons of prophet Mohammed that had caused Islamic Terrorists to launch a terror attack against them in 2015 as trial against the perpetrators gets underway. “We will never lie down. We will never give up,” its director Laurent “Riss” Sourisseau said in an editorial to be published along with the cartoons in the latest edition.

France’s President Emmanuel Macron had also spoken in support of the French satirical weekly saying that it had not broken any law by republishing the cartoons. “There is… in France freedom to blaspheme that is linked to freedom of conscience. It is my job to protect all these freedoms”, Macron said during a visit to Beirut last week.

China secretly administers experimental Coronavirus vaccine to 100,000 people

OpIndia Staff
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China secretly administers experimental Coronavirus vaccine to 100,000 people

Even before rigorously testing the vaccine for use on the humans, a Chinese pharmaceutical company has reportedly administered thousands of people with an experimental Coronavirus vaccination.

The state-owned pharmaceutical company Sinopharm told on Monday that it had vaccinated more than hundreds of thousands of Chinese citizens against coronavirus, even though the crucial phase 3 clinical trial is yet to be concluded.

Three Coronavirus vaccine undergoing Phase 3 trials in China

Two experimental vaccines by China National Biotec Group Co., a subsidiary of state-owned Sinopharm, have been given to people under an emergency-use condition approved by Beijing in July. China has also authorised the third coronavirus vaccine dubbed as ‘CoronaVac’, developed by the privately-owned Chinese drugmaker Sinovac Biotech. The company has claimed that it has vaccinated 3,000 of its employees and their family members with its experimental vaccine.

The three vaccines are still under the scrutiny with Phase 3 trials, which determine the efficacy of the vaccine in preventing the virus from community spread. Besides these 3 Chinese vaccines on the anvil, the World Health Organisation claims that there are six other leading COVID-19 vaccine candidates that are in the final phase of preparation.

The emergency domestic approval for urgent use of coronavirus vaccine in China came on the heels of its overseas testing. In July, Sinopharm had started phase 3 trials of its two vaccines in the United Arab Emirates while one of the two vaccines also began trials in Morocco and Peru in August this year. The privately-owned Chinese drugmaker Sinovac initiated its phase 3 testing for ‘CoronaVac’ in Brazil in July and later in Indonesia the following month.

Authoritarian regimes like China and Russia have shown little regard for the completion of the phase 3 trials

It is usually the regulatory bodies in the individual countries who decide if the vaccine is safe enough to be tested broadly on a larger population, especially when the Phase 3 clinical trials were yet to be concluded. Democratic countries such as the US, UK and Germany, where few of the vaccine candidates have emerged, have not yet permitted the vaccination of people outside of clinical trials.

The only countries which have provisionally allowed the vaccination outside the clinical trials are authoritarian regimes of China and Russia. While China has not reported any roadblocks in its vaccination program, analysts claimed that cutting short or bypassing the phase 3 trials might prove risky and could subject citizens to unforeseen complications. The perils are even graver in China, where the vaccine producers have antecedents of scandals which were hushed up by the media controlled by the Chinese Communist Party.

Bangladesh: Idols of Hindu deities in a Kali Mandir vandalised in Gazipur

OpIndia Staff
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Bangladesh: Idols of Hindu deities in a Kali Mandir vandalised in Gazipur

On Friday, idols of Hindu deities were vandalised at the Kali Mandir in Dakkhin Salna area in Gazipur city of Bangladesh, reported Dhaka Tribune.

Speaking on the act of desecration, Gazipur Sadar police station OC Alamgir Hossain Bhuiyan informed that unknown miscreants barged into the temple in the wee hours of the night and desecrated the idols of four Hindu deities. On the following day, Hindu worshippers found the heads of the idols lying on the ground. The police informed that an investigation has been initiated into the matter but no accused has been arrested till now. A police official stated that higher officials had visited the crime scene.

Human rights activist Pradip Chandra posted images of the vandalised idols on Twitter. He wrote, “Attack on a Hindu Temple And vandalized all of the deities at Gazipur, Dhaka, Bangladesh.”

Temple authorities allege influential locals behind desecration

According to the President of the Temple Management Committee Naresh Ray, several ‘influential locals’ were eyeing to grab the land on which the temple is built. He lamented, “They tried to evict the temple on Thursday also. However, they failed as some of the locals protested. Because of the incident, they vandalized the temple at night.” The incident was condemned by Puja Udjapan Parishad (Gazipur) who also demanded the arrest of culprits involved in the temple desecration.

You have to live in Mumbai to understand the tyranny of this govt: Vivek Agnihotri narrates how he was hounded for writing against the whims of Maharashtra govt

OpIndia Staff
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You have to live in Mumbai to understand the tyranny of this govt: Vivek Agnihotri narrates how he was hounded for writing against the whims of Maharashtra govt

Yesterday a veteran of the Indian Navy – Madan Sharma was attacked by Shiv Sena goons in Maharashtra for sharing a cartoon on WhatsApp. Sharing the picture of the retired Navy officer’s injured eye, filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri, in a thread of Tweets, narrated how he too was hounded by the Uddhav Thackeray led-Maharashtra Government which tried to muzzle him for speaking against its whims.

In his Tweet, he explains why he suddenly unfollowed many friends on Twitter. He says that the reason behind the hurried decision is the Maharashtra Government and the police. “Since they were following me and who I interacted with closely and actually summoned few to police Stn, I didn’t want anyone to get into trouble, hence unfollowed all and deleted my TL”, wrote the filmmaker.

Vivek claims that in the month of April when the corona scourge was at its peak and Mumbai was under strict curfew and no one was allowed to go outside their houses, the Maharashtra govt “SENT POLICE to my house to INTIMIDATE and THREATEN me to shut up and not speak against the govt”.

Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri hounded by Maha Govt

He elucidated that the intolerant Maha government, displeased with him for writing about the Palghar lynching of Sadhus and against the Mismanagement of Covid, decided to bullyrag him. They used their topmost police officers to intimidate him. Even the Deputy Commissioner of Maharashtra police, who was compelled to act against him, was extremely embarrassed as he had a lot of respect for the filmmaker for his work on the Urban Naxals, but his hands were tied, said Agnihotri.

Narrating further how he and his family were hounded, Vivek Agnihotri wrote: “Me & my wife stood for 2 hrs outside my building on the road while Corona was at peak as all dirty tricks were used against me”.

He wondered if the Maharashtra government could badger a person like him “what they can do to the hapless 66 Yr old veteran Madan Sharma”.

Shiv Sena goons assault retired Navy officer for sharing Uddhav Thackeray cartoon

The recent display of intolerance by the Shiv Sena led Maharashtra government has been quite disconcerting. Yesterday the Shiv Sena goons assaulted a retired naval office for sharing a cartoon that had taken a dig at Maharashtra Chief Minister and Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray. The WhatsApp forward was allegedly a satirical cartoon featuring Uddhav Thackeray and his allies Sharad Pawar and Sonia Gandhi.

The CCTV footage of the incident that had gone viral on social media, showed how the veteran was brutally attacked by a bunch of goons.

Kangana Ranaut hounded by Shiv Sena government

Actor Kangana Ranaut too has lately been at the receiving end facing constant threats, derogatory attacks and harassment from the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government. On September 9, the Shiv Sena led BMC demolished her property in Bandra worth crores, within just 24 hours of a ‘stop work’ notice and at a time when such demolition activities have been prohibited by a High Court order.

Maha Govt tries to muzzle Republic TV

In fact, earlier in the day, the Bombay High Court observed that party’s affiliate Shiv Cable Sena was not a ‘statutory body’ to interfere or supersede Republic TV contract with its cable network operators. It’s appalling how the Shiv Sena government, issued veiled threats to the cable operators to ban the Arnab Goswami-led media network or face consequences.

The crackdown on Republic TV by Shiv Sena comes at the backdrop of Republic TV’s relentless coverage into Sushant Singh Rajput’s suicide case and the recent controversial demolition drive carried out by Sena-led BMC against Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut.

NCB to summon 25 Bollywood celebrities as Rhea Chakraborty reveals Sara Ali Khan, Rakul Preet consumed drugs, Karan Johar’s party under scanner

OpIndia Staff
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NCB to summon 25 Bollywood celebrities as Rhea Chakraborty reveals Sara Ali Khan, Rakul Preet consumed drugs, Karan Johar’s party under scanner

The investigation into Sushant Singh Rajput death case has now taken another interesting turn as the accused in the case Rhea Chakraborty has reportedly disclosed to the probe agency about few Bollywood celebrities who procured and consumed drugs.

According to the reports, Rhea Chakraborty revealed to the agency that 80 per cent of Bollywood stars are on drugs. In her statement to NCB, Rhea had reportedly accepted her role in procuring drugs for Sushant Singh Rajput.  

Rhea has reportedly revealed names of celebrities from the industry including actors, producers and directors for their alleged involvement in the drug cartel.

Rhea says Bollywood stars Sara Ali Khan, Rakul Preet Singh consumed drugs

In a shocking disclosure, Rhea Chakraborty has reportedly confessed that actress Sara Ali Khan and Rakul Preet Singh, designer Simone Khambatta had consumed narcotics substance. Sushant’s friend Rohini Iyer and filmmaker Mukesh Chhabra names have also been mentioned by Rhea during her interrogation.

Sara Ali Khan is the daughter of popular Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan and Amrita Singh, who had acted alongside Sushant Singh Rajput in ‘Kedarnath’ in 2018. In her confession, Rhea disclosed to NCB that Sara had accompanied Sushant Singh Rajput and other friends to Thailand.

Following the disclosure, NCB officials are set to summon at least 25 prominent Bollywood stars in the drug investigations. These celebrities, also include some ‘B-grade’ actors, who have been accused of consuming and procuring drugs.

Reportedly, the NCB officials have recovered electronic devices and phone data which establishes Bollywood connection of the drug cartel. The NCB has now prepared a dossier to summons all the suspected celebrities in the coming days.

NCB may summon Karan Johar

The Narcotics Control Bureau may also launch an investigation into an alleged drug party held at Karan Johar’s house on July 30, 2019. 

The video of the party at Karan Johar’s residence had gone viral on the internet. Akali Dal leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa had tweeted the video alleging that several actors in the video were in ‘drugged state’.

The video had featured Ranbir Kapoor, Ayan Mukherjee, Vicky Kaushal, Deepika Padukone, Arjun Kapoor, Malaika Arora, Shahid Kapoor, Varun Dhawan and others. However, most of the actors, including Vicky Kaushal and Karan Johar had rubbished the allegations.

Interestingly, a few weeks back, Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut, who is spearheading a movement against drug mafia in the Bollywood, had dropped a bombshell by revealing that there were rumours that several Bollywood actors consumed drugs and were ‘cocaine addicts’.

Kangana Ranaut also demanded the government to carry out a blood test for drugs on actors, directors amidst the rumours of them being severe drug addicts. The national-award-winning actress had alleged that there were rumours that a few Bollywood actors such as Ranveer Singh, Ranbir Kapoor, Vicky Kaushik, director Ayan Mukherjee were cocaine addicts.

Watch: Rajdeep ‘Vulture’ Sardesai reminded on his own channel of a time when he said terror attack against Parliament was a ‘great day’

OpIndia Staff
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Watch: Rajdeep ‘Vulture’ Sardesai reminded on his own channel of a time when he said terror attack against Parliament was a ‘great day’

Journalist Rajdeep Sardesai, a TRP hungry anchor otherwise, is often seen talking about media ethics, professionalism and leaves no stone unturned at virtue-signalling. However, his conduct in the pursuit of TRPs has often been labelled as ‘unethical’. His desperate attempt to take a higher moral ground by sounding ‘holier than thou’ proved costly when BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra reminded of his actions in the midst of a tragic event in 2001.

During the Prime Time show on India today on Friday, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera accused the BJP and the ‘Raja‘ (referring to PM Narendra Modi) of setting the news agenda. He said, “The debate is about the kind of narrative that the Raja wants Rajdeep Sardesai to discuss and you are happily discussing it and so am I…” Pawan then went on an unsolicited, gibberish rant on unemployment, farmer issues, thereby deviating from the topic of the PrimeTime debate.

Sambit Patra refers Pawan Khera as ‘Chamcha’ of Rajdeep Sardesai

Meanwhile, Rajdeep took on the role of legitimising the ‘Congress narrative’ by claiming that the BJP is deviating public discourse from the ‘real issues’ by politicising the death of Sushant Singh Rajput and the ordeal of actress Kangana Ranaut. Both Rajdeep and Pawan spoke in tandem to peddle their narrative, thereby denying the chance to BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra to speak.

An irked Sambit then said, “I don’t need to be a part of this debate.” He further emphasised, “Aap aur aapka chamcha milke baat karein (You and your lackey can only speak now). You don’t need to have a BJP spokesperson.” The comment by Patra stirred up the hornet’s nest as Rajdeep tried hard to disprove his loyalty to the grand-old party.

BJP spokesperson exposes hypocrisy of the ‘ace’ journalist

Taking Rajdeep head-on, Sambit Patra asked, “What is this Raja business? Your Congress spokesperson has said that you are even complicit in this. Did Narendra Modi ask you to do all this? My question to you Mr. Rajdeep Sardesai is that did ‘Raja’ or any member from the BJP call you to conduct an interview with the accused Rhea Chakraborty. You did that because you have an agenda.”

The BJP spokesperson continued, “You did the interview because you have an agenda. Let me tell you what it is. I will not be naming a particular reporter. But, I know what he did on 13th December 2001 (referring to Parliament Attacks). Since you are blaming the media, let me tell you how the TV plays. There was an anchor/an ace reporter who once said in an interview that he was planning to have a gala party on the lawns of Parliament with wine and kebabs… And then the ace reporter said that terrorists had entered into the Parliament building. I asked the guard to close the door as I did not want other journalists to come and shoot it. This was because that anchor wanted TRP for his channel.”

Pointing out the hypocrisy, Sambit Patra said, “Today, that anchor cannot complain about TRP. I won’t name him but then he said, ‘We are vultures, vying for blood and flesh. This is what gives us our professional satisfaction. It was a great day that people were dying.” Once the BJP spokesperson showed him the mirror during the Prime Time show, he was rattled and fell short of words completely at the same time.

Rajdeep Sardesai ascertains that journalists are vultures

During an interview in 2018, the ‘ace’ reporter had admitted that when the Parliament was being attacked in 2001, he was ‘excited’ and that journalists are like vultures. Rajdeep Sardesai stated, “It was a great day. We are like vultures. We feed on these moments.”

He went as far as to say that for journalists, ‘terror is exciting’. He then said how the exclusive story of the Parliament attack made the team forget the wine and kababs they were planning to picnic on. What Rajdeep Sardesai told us in the interview was that what made a journalist great was not merely doing his job, but to harbour the mindset that made terror attacks look exciting for the sake of TRPs. 

Embarrassment for Shiv Sena as Bombay HC says it has no right to ask Cable operators to ban Republic TV: Here are the details

OpIndia Staff
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Embarrassment for Shiv Sena as Bombay HC says it has no right to ask Cable operators to ban Republic TV: Here are the details

In a massive embarrassment to Shiv Sena, the Bombay High Court on Friday observed that party’s affiliate Shiv Cable Sena was not a ‘statutory body’ to interfere or supersede Republic TV contract with its cable network operators.

According to the reports, the Bombay Court coming to the rescue of Republic Media Network said that if the cable network operators violate their contractual relationship with the network, then the channel can approach appropriate authority for relief. 

The Bombay High Court, however, declined to entertain a writ petition filed by Republic TV against Shiv Cable Sena saying that the organisation has no right to block the channels. The Republic TV had sought the court’s intervention in restraining Cable TV Operators from taking the channels off the air after Shiv Cable Sena had threatened and asked operators to not to air two channels. The media network had alleged that the Sena-affiliate had threatened cable TV Operators with public agitations if its channels were not taken off the air.

However, the Government’s Counsel Jyoti Chavan contended that a writ against the Shiv Sena was improper as Sena was a private entity. Observing the fact that Shiv Cable Sena was not a statutory authority, the Bombay HC asked the Republic Media Network to approach the appropriate law enforcement authority against Sena’s intimidation.

The court also observed that the communication issued by the Shiv Cable Sena had “no effect in law”. The court in its order said that “Shiv Cable Sena is not a statutory authority to either supersede the license granted to the Petitioners or to interfere in the contractual/statutory relationship between the Petitioners and the Cable Network Operators. The communication issued by it has, therefore, no effect in law”.

Regarding the intimidation from the state govt, the court said that the network could approach the appropriate law enforcement authority against the same. The bench also observed that Cable TV Operators have not taken down the channels yet, and if some of them have done so, that has not been informed to the court. The order also added that even if some operators remove the channels, that can’t be directly linked to the Sena’s letter.

“The Bombay HC has clarified that Shiv Cable Sena’s communication has no effect in law. The court also maintained that it has not been notified that any cable operator has stopped airing the two channels after Shiv Cable Sena’s communique, as Republic sought a restraint on the Sena-linked body’s order,” the Republic TV said in a statement.

The media network also added that the Bombay High Court had also advised the recipients of Shiv Cable Sena’s ‘intimidating communications’ to approach concerned law enforcement authorities seeking action against the Sena affiliate.

Following the Bombay High Court order, the Republic TV network said, “We’re most grateful to the Hon’ble Bombay High Court in recognising the urgency of the matter and hearing Republic TV on such short notice…The court also observed that the communication issued by the Shiv Cable Sena had “no effect in law”. It is therefore only muscle power that can illegally threaten or coerce the cable operators in blocking the Republic TV channel but not the law.”

Shiv Sena asks cable operators to ban Republic TV network

The Shiv Sena-affiliate ‘Shiv Cable Sena’ had issued a communication ordering cable network operators to ban Republic TV and Republic Bharat on Thursday following its extensive coverage into lapses of Shiv Sena-led Maharashtra government in the investigation of Sushant Singh Rajput suicide case and Palghar Hindu sadhus lynching case.

In a letter issued on Thursday, the Shiv Cable Sena, an affiliate to Shiv Sena, has asked the cable TV operators to ban Republic Media network in the state. The Shiv Sena has also issued veiled threats to the cable operators to ban the Arnab Goswami-led media network or face consequences.

The letter by Shiv Sena to the main cable operators Hathaway, Den, In Cable, GTPL, Seven Star, City cables any many others stated that Republic has violated journalistic ethics and guidelines by repeatedly using non-respectful language for CM Uddhav Thackeray, home minister and holding a ‘parallel court’ in Arnab Goswami’s newsroom.

Maharashtra government arrests two Republic journalists

The threats and intimidation by Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena against Republic TV come after the Maharashtra government had arrested two Republic TV journalists, who were picked from Raigad for carrying out an investigative assignment.

Republic Media Network’s reporter Anuj Kumar, video journalist Yashpaljit Singh were detained by the Maharashtra police a few days ago. The journalists were held by Maharashtra Police under the charges of ‘trespassing’ after they made some inquiry with a security guard at a certain residential building in Karjat, reportedly owned by Uddhav Thackeray.

Arnab Goswami, the chief of the Republic TV network, on Friday had demanded the immediate release of the reporters and had challenged the Maharashtra Chief Minister saying he did not write the country’s constitution.

“Uddhav Thackeray, release my journalists. You have broken the law and we will not allow this illegality. You did not write the constitution and you have no right to turn it upside down,” said Arnab Goswami in a blistering attacking against Maharashtra Chief Minister.

The Republic TV Editor-in-Chief said that if Uddhav Thackeray fails to release the journalists, he will be fighting him in both the courts of public opinion and our country’s highest courts.

Later in the day, the Republic TV had moved to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) seeking the immediate release of two journalists associated with the channel.

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