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Mughal descendant Prince Tucy calls Owaisi a ‘joker’, says it is his family’s wish to build the Ram Mandir

OpIndia Staff
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Mughal descendant Prince Tucy calls Owaisi a ‘joker’, says it is his family’s wish to build the Ram Mandir

The great-grandson of the Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar, Yakub Habeebuddin Tucy alias Prince Tucy, while speaking in an interview with News X said that it is his family’s wish to see a Ram Mandir built in Ayodhya.

Welcoming the Bhoomi pujan of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya that is scheduled to take place tomorrow, August 5, Prince Tucy said that his family is elated that the historic wrong committed by Mir Baqi is finally going to be remedied. Tucy also emphasised that it was not his ancestor, Mughal emperor Babur, but his associate Mir Baqi, who on his own discretion, destroyed the temple that stood at the site in Ayodhya in the fifteenth century.

Asaduddin Owaisi is a ‘good for nothing fellow’, a ‘joker’: Prince Tucy

When questioned about the detractors such as Asaduddin Owaisi and other Opposition leaders who have raised questions on Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the site for the ground laying ceremony in Ayodhya, Prince Tucy said that Asaduddin Owaisi is a “good for nothing fellow” and a joker, whose objection to PM Modi’s visit should not be considered.

“PM Modi is the Prime Minister of all communities. Last time, he visited the function of the Bohra community. This time he will be attending a ceremony of Hindus. As I had said earlier, Asaduddin Owaisi is good for nothing fellow, a joker. He belongs to Pandit lineage who got converted to Muslim. Owaisi is only trying to hog cheap publicity with his protestations,” Prince Tucy said.

Prince Tucy claims he is sending a gold brick for Ram Temple construction in Ayodhya

Apparently, Prince Tucy is also donating a gold brick worth Rs 1.8 crore for the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Speaking about his donation, Tucy said that he is doing it to send a secular message of pluralism and brotherhood. “Islam teaches us to respect all religions. A game was played on Babur and he was vilified for no fault of his. He did not demolish the temple. All Mughals were secular, including me. I am sending a gold brick as a message of cross-community unity and brotherhood,” Tucy said.

Prince Tucy had welcomed Supreme Court’s judgment on Ram Janmabhoomi

Price Tucy had earlier welcomed the decision of Supreme Court last year when the top court put an end to the protracted legal dispute over the rightful possession of Ram Janmabhoomi and allowed Hindus to build a temple at the aforesaid site. He had then pledged to donate a gold brick for the construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

Tucy, who had rooted for Ram temple, saying ‘Inshallah title will go to Hindu community’ just a day prior to the verdict, greeted the SC’ decision stating that it would finally end the Mandir-Masjid politics.

Prince Tucy and his family’s penchant for medieval-era ensemble

Born into a royal family that once ruled large swathes of India, Prince Tucy has a penchant for adorning garish velvety robes and feathered shiny, bejewelled caps akin to the erstwhile rulers, that gives an impression of one’s royal lineage but do not necessarily jibe with the contemporary times.

Even though India abolished its princely orders in 1971, some families, including that of Prince Tucy, have clung to their titular social prestige, often by bedecking themselves with anachronistic sartorial choices, reminiscent of the medieval era. Be it a visit to Taj Mahal flanked by bodyguards or meeting President of India, Prince Tucy and his family have unapologetically donned their antiquated and lurid attires.

Sushant Singh Rajput case gets murkier: As Maha govt puts hurdles in front of Bihar Police, Bihar govt recommends CBI enquiry

OpIndia Staff
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Sushant Singh Rajput case gets murkier: As Maha govt puts hurdles in front of Bihar Police, Bihar govt recommends CBI enquiry

Its been over one and a half months since actor Sushant Singh Rajput died and his case is just getting murkier following new facts emerging every day. On one hand, the death case of the young actor has turned into a tussle between Police departments and governments of two states- Maharashtra and Bihar, while on the other hand, many shocking revelations have been made, which might give the case a completely new direction.

Maha Vikas Agadi govt puts hurdles in front of Bihar Police

The Maharashtra government has reportedly sought legal opinion about the Bihar Police carrying out the parallel investigation in the actor’s death case and has now said that the later has no legal jurisdiction in the case. Times Now reported that top sources within the Maharashtra government have said that they will not be handing over any document to the Bihar police as this case did not fall under their jurisdiction. The Maha government opined that the Bihar Police should register Zero FIR and transfer the case to Mumbai Police.

Bihar govt recommends CBI probe into death case of Sushant Singh Rajput

Meanwhile, the Bihar government led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has urged the central government to order a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into late Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death case. The decision came shortly after the actor’s father pressed for it in a phone call.

“Since the family has given its consent, we are recommending a CBI probe on the FIR which was lodged in Bihar,” Nitish Kumar told media.

It is pertinent to note here, that Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had earlier ruled out a CBI investigation alongside the Mumbai police probe into the actor’s death.

It was earlier reported how amidst the ongoing tussle between the Bihar police and Mumbai Police, Mumbai Police had ruled out any foul play in the actor’s death. Claiming that neither any politician was involved nor was there anything fishy in the financial transactions of Sushant Singh Rajput, Mumbai police had, in fact, alleged that Sushant Singh’s sisters did not help the Mumbai Police in its investigation in the actor’s death.

Meanwhile, Bihar police had claimed that Mumbai police was not cooperating. Senior Bihar Police officer IPS Vinay Tiwari was reportedly sent to quarantine forcefully by BMC officials on reaching Mumbai and were not even provided accommodation in the IPS mess despite request.

Activist claims Sushant’s death is connected to his ex-manager Disha’s death

Giving a completely new twist to the Sushant Singh Rajput’s death case, an activist named Prashant Kumar, running the campaign ‘Insaaf SSR’ demanding justice for the late actor Sushant Singh Rajput has made sensational claims before media on Monday. He has alleged that Disha Salian, the late actor’s ex-manager who had also died of suicide on June 8, merely a week before Sushant’s death, had called up Sushant Singh Rajput an hour before she died. She allegedly spoke of being harassed in a party she had attended on June 8. The party was also attended by several celebrities and politicians. Sushant, according to the activist, was going to hold a press conference to expose what had happened with Disha on the night she died.

Speaking on Republic TV, the activist claimed that he received an anonymous call from someone claiming to be Disha’s friend and informed him about a party which allegedly took place on June 8, the same day when Disha committed suicide. He said that Disha had called up Sushant an hour before her death informing something had happened to her.

“Sushant told her to leave the party and said he will look into it and take action. After a while, Sandeep (Singh) calls Sushant and tells him Disha has committed suicide. Sushant was shocked when he heard this and could not believe it. I was also informed that the next day Rhea and Sushant fought. She was not ready to listen to Sushant. After this fight, they both separated. Everyone knows what happened after that,” Prashant Kumar added while speaking to Republic TV.

Mumbai police “accidentally” deletes Sushant’s ex-manager Disha Salian’s suicide investigation file

It becomes imperative to note here that Mumbai police had said that the folder with details of Sushant’s ex-manager Disha Salian’s suicide investigation had been “accidentally deleted” and cannot be retrieved. This was revealed after the team of Bihar Police in Mumbai requested the city police to provide details of their investigation into Salian’s alleged suicide on June 8. Bihar Police sources have confirmed that folder containing details of Mumbai Police’s probe into Disha’s suicide has now been deleted “by mistake”, by the Mumbai Police.

The Bihar police are now investigating to find if there is any link between Disha Salian and Sushant’s death.

Ambulance driver makes another shocking revelation

In a recent interview, the ambulance driver who carried the mortal remains of late Sushant Singh Rajput to the hospital revealed that before they could reach the spot, Sushant’s body had already been wrapped in a cloth and they only had to bring his body down on the stretcher. Not only this, but he also added that earlier they were told that the body will be taken to Nanavati Hospital but there were last-minute changes and they were asked to go to Cooper Hospital. 

Pertinently, the dean of Cooper Hospital, Dr Pinakin B. Gujjar had dismissed all allegations of foul play in the late actor’s death according to the post-mortem. 

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut comes out in defence of Mumbai police

While the Mumbai police have been receiving criticism for its shoddy investigation into the Sushant Singh Rajput’s death case, Sanjay Raut has come out in its defence saying that Mumbai police is capable of conducting the probe on its own and that no one has the right to comment on it.

The Shiv Sena leader was quoted by ANI as saying that anyone not related to the Sushant Singh Rajput case or to the Maharashtra government should not comment on the matter as the matter is already being investigated by the Mumbai Police.

The mystery surrounding the alleged suicide of actor Sushant Singh Rajput is only intensifying with every passing day. Father of Sushant Singh Rajput has released a video where has said that he had registered a complaint with Mumbai Police in the month of February alleging that the life of his son was under threat. The deceased Bollywood actor’s family has been saying from the very beginning that they suspect foul play behind his alleged suicide.

The Bihar Police got involved in the matter after the deceased actor’s father filed a police complaint in the state on the basis of which an FIR was registered.

Akhilesh Yadav as Chief Minister of UP banned the 84-kosi parikrama around the Ram Janmabhoomi. Read details

OpIndia Staff
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Akhilesh Yadav as Chief Minister of UP banned the 84-kosi parikrama around the Ram Janmabhoomi. Read details

The actions of Mulayam Singh Yadav that earned him the sobriquet of ‘Mullah Mulayam’ is known well enough as of now, what is not known however is that his son Akhilesh Yadav tried his best to prevent Hindus from practising their religious faith with regards to Shri Rama at Ayodhya during his tenure as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.

In 2013, a Chourasi-kosi parikrama was planned in Ayodhya. The 84-kosi parikrama covers around 135 km around Ram Janmabhoomi and passes through Faizabad, Sant Kabir Nagar, Basti, Bahraich and Shrawasti. There are two other versions of parikrama, the 14-kosi parikrama that extends about 25 km around the Janmabhoomi and the 5-kosi parikrama that covers about 8 km around the same.

On the 3rd of August 2013, VHP Stalwart Ashok Singhal stated, “This yatra is being undertaken for the cause of peace and dharma jagaran and the sant fraternity would lead it from the beginning to the end. The world knows that the sants are by nature peace-loving. We would therefore request the Uttar Pradesh government and the administration not to allow any obstruction to this yatra or obstruct it themselves.”

Leaders of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) met Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son Akhilesh Yadav on 17th of August 2013 in order to secure a smooth passage for the occurrence of the parikrama. Ostensibly, no objections were raised then by the father-son duo. Two days later, however, then Home Minister Azam Khan came forward and issued a stern statement against his own party.

Azam Khan issued a statement in public following which Akhilesh Yadav immediately banned the parikrama. The leaders of the VHP were upset at the sudden turn of affairs. They accused the Samajwadi Party of bending to the will of hardline Muslims leaders like Azam Khan and engaging in minority appeasement.

VHP leader and former Union minister Swami Chinmayananda said, “The state government is being run and controlled by Azam Khan, under whose pressure the government is bound to take decisions against the Hindu sentiments.” “The ban imposed on us is only due to Azam Khan who has build pressure on the state government to ban the Parikrama,” he added. Praveen Togadia, too, said that they were assured by Akhilesh Yadav and his father that the parikrama will be permitted but later, they went back on their word.

“The government had no problem with the programme. But some Muslim leaders of the SP like Urban Development Minister Azam Khan are creating hurdles. The fact is that 84-kosi parikrama is done by the saints at regular intervals round the year. On an average, there are not more than 200 saints in parikrama. So there was no threat to law and order. It is 14-kosi and panch-kosi parikrama in which a large number of devotees participate and there is law and order problem,” said VHP leader Ram Vilas Vedanti.

In an interview with DNA, Ashok Singhal stated, “We had met him and told him about the 84 Kosi (old measure of distance) parikrama (circumambulation) programme. That it involves only 270 “sants” (mendicants) and that since the number of people participating wouldn’t be large, it would require about 15 to 18 policemen to oversee the programme.The day after our meeting, Azam Khan gave an angry statement protesting against Mulayam meeting us. Then the SP did an about-turn. They deployed 35 to 40 companies of security forces. Azam Khan is the virtual chief minister and home minister of Uttar Pradesh.”

He went on to add, “The 84 Kosi area covers about five to six districts and spreads over 350km. We want to make Ayodhya a “mokshapuri” (sacred space of salvation) and we are saying that we will not allow a replica of Babri Masjid to be built anywhere in this area. In Mecca, the sacred place of Islam, non-Muslims are not allowed. We want similar status for Ayodhya.”

During the same period, then Member of parliament from Gorakhpur Lok Sabha Constituency Yogi Adityanath was forced to de-board the Kushi-Nagar Express following a ban on his entry to Jhansi. The government was of the opinion that the saffron clad monk’s attendance at the Jal-Abhishek ceremony at the Mahakaleshwar Temple would lead to communal trouble.

Seven years have passed since the incident. Samajwadi Party has suffered catastrophic electoral defeats in the two General Elections held since then and the Assembly Elections in the state in 2017. The VHP’s dream of a Bhavya Ram Mandir at Ayodhya is soon to be realised while the Mahant of Gorakhnath Muth is the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. For the lack of a better phrase, it is indeed the most beautiful form of poetic justice.

’There’s a thin line between free speech and contempt that you may have crossed: SC rebukes Prashant Bhushan in 2010 contempt case

OpIndia Staff
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’There’s a thin line between free speech and contempt that you may have crossed: SC rebukes Prashant Bhushan in 2010 contempt case

The Supreme Court Tuesday concluded arguments in the decade-old contempt case against advocate Prashant Bhushan. During the in-camera hearing, the three-judge bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra told Prashant Bhushan, that there is a very thin line between freedom of speech and contempt which he may have crossed.

“We’re all for freedom of speech. Then theres contempt. However, theres a thin line that you may have crossed”, Justice Mishra told Prashant Bhushan.

After a brief hearing on the matter through videoconference, the hearing was turned into the in-camera proceeding. While senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan appeared for Prashant Bhushan, Congress leader Kapil Sibal represented molestation accused and the former Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal, who is also named in the contempt case initiated by senior advocate Harish Salve.

Prashant Bhushan had alleged that half of past 16 CJIs were corrupt

The contempt proceedings were initiated against Prashant Bhushan for comments he had made on the judiciary in an interview to the Tehelka magazine in 2009. He had alleged that half of past 16 chief justices of India (CJIs) were corrupt. 

In an interview with the Soma Chowdhury of Tehelka in September 2009, Prashant Bhushan had insinuated that Justice Sarosh Homi Kapadia had committed ‘judicial impropriety’ by being a part of the forest Bench that heard the Niyamgiri Mining lease in Odisha and ruled in favour of Vedanta subsidiary Sterlite industries. He had alleged that Justice Kapadia had a conflict of interest in the case as he owned shares of Sterlite. Prashant Bhushan had implied then that a judge cannot hear cases where he had a conflict of interest and that Justice Kapadia had bypassed it.

Prashant Bhushan refused to apologise in contempt case initiated for his tweets

Yesterday, in yet another contempt case, initiated against him for his reckless behaviour on social media, Bhushan had chosen not to apologise and instead declare in his affidavit: “At the outset, I admit that I did not notice that the bike was on a stand and therefore wearing a helmet was not required. I, therefore, regret that part of my tweet. However, I stand by the remaining part of what I have stated in my tweet.”

Through the entire length of the 134-page affidavit, he refused to express any regret or apology for his conduct. Instead, Prashant Bhushan, through his affidavit, accused the SC of remaining silent during the Delhi Riots in the month of February.

Contempt case against the ‘PIL activist’ over his tweets

Earlier, the Supreme Court of India took Suo Moto against Prashant Bhushan’s Tweets against CJI on 27th June and 29th June and initiated contempt of Court case against him and Twitter India on July 9, 2020. The apex court had issued a show-cause notice to the senior advocate asking him to explain why actions should not be taken against him on contempt of court charges.

Five forms of apartheid that were wiped out when Article 370 was removed

Abhishek Banerjee
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Five forms of apartheid that were wiped out when Article 370 was removed

When Article 370 was abolished on Aug 5 last year, I was astonished by how little I knew about my own country. If somebody had told me the day before that a full blown, fully constitutional system of legal apartheid exists in the Republic of India, I would not have believed them.

When the conspiracy of silence around these injustices was blown away in Aug 2019, I was offended by two things. First, that these injustices continued to exist for 69 years into India’s life as a democratic republic. Second, the fact that most people, including me, had never even heard of them.

Tomorrow, it will be exactly one year since that momentous occasion. True to their nature, the usual suspects have come out of the woodwork and are plying people with sob stories about how Kashmir has been suffering in the last one year.

Pay no attention to these voices. For they are not honest actors. For 70 years, they brought us heart warming stories about the childhood of Burhan Wani and Adil Ahmad Dar. Enough.

Let me list before you the five hidden forms of apartheid in Jammu and Kashmir that were ripped apart when Article 370 ceased to exist.

Apartheid against Valmiki community came to an end

In 1957, members of the Valmiki community came to Kashmir on invitation from the state government. The state wanted to break up the strike of the local safai karmacharis. Even 62 years later, those people and their descendants were not allowed to take up any job other than as sweepers.

Read here the story of Eklavya, who had a PhD but was not entitled to any government job other than that of safai karamchari.

This is literally apartheid. It’s a level of injustice that sounds almost unreal. And Indian ‘secularism’ was sitting on it all these years.

Today, Eklavya is free.

Apartheid against Gorkhas came to an end

About one lakh Gorkhas live in Jammu and Kashmir. Their ancestors moved there in the mid-19th century. And they still did not have the right to own land in the state. On top of that, thousands of them have served in the Indian Army.

Imagine serving in the Indian Army and still being a second class citizen of India.

This is the face of battle hardened Prem Bahadur, who served in the Gorkha regiment as far back as 1968. He has done more for the country than 99% of us. Until a year ago, he was less of a citizen of India than almost anyone else.

All these years, Prem Bahadur suffered in silence. Today, he is free.

Apartheid against Jammu came to an end.

The Jammu region is home to 47% of people in J&K. But the state has never had a Chief Minister from Jammu. How is that possible?

Because the J&K Assembly was rigged at birth. In the 87 member legislative assembly, a full 46 seats were allotted to Kashmir. But Jammu was allotted only 37 seats, below its share of the population. This was a very deliberate arrangement, ensuring that Kashmiris and only Kashmiris would control the whole state. In essence, the principle of one person one vote was abandoned to appease a particular group of people.

J&K will now be a Union Territory, with most powers in the hands of the Center. The legislature of J&K will now be reconstituted and delimitation of constituencies will be done on the basis of the 2011 census.

Apartheid against women came to an end

This appears to have been the only form of apartheid that was relatively well known. I don’t know if that is supposed to make it better. The Islamist patriarchy that ruled J&K controlled the life choices of women in very direct ways. A woman choosing to marry outside the state could no longer pass on her property to her children.

In India, we always speak of “motherland” and “mother tongue.” Imagine being told that you have been banished from your mother’s state and her property. When you cannot even inherit your mother’s identity, what is left?

In fact, women of J&K would receive state subject certificates emblazoned with the insulting remark “valid until marriage.” For those who cry Kaagaz Nahin Dikhayenge, how would you like to carry around an official paper stating that your citizenship is temporary, valid only until so and so?

This used to be India. Until 2019.

Apartheid against homosexuals came to an end

In a Sep 2018, the Supreme Court removed penal provisions that used to treat homosexual acts as a criminal offense. The decision was welcomed almost universally, even as three Christian organizations were left carrying the torch for bigoted Victorian era views on sexuality.

Contrary to perception, the 2018 verdict did not apply to every part of India. Thanks to Article 370, homosexuality was still criminal in Jammu and Kashmir.

Not any more.

The end of Article 370 was the end of apartheid in India. We should all celebrate tomorrow. If you are a woman, this is a moment for you. If you are gay, this is a moment for you. If you belong to Jammu, this is for you. If you are from a Gorkha or Valmiki minority, this is for you.

Tomorrow, we celebrate the end of apartheid. Ten days after that, we celebrate Independence Day.

August is a great month.

Ram Lalla is not ‘Sabke Ram’, such claims are designed to weaken the Hindu claim to their own Gods

K Bhattacharjee
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Ram Lalla is not ‘Sabke Ram’, such claims are designed to weaken the Hindu claim to their own Gods

A rather intriguing development is afoot in the country ahead of the Ram Mandir Bhoomi Pujan event. After all the struggles of the past five centuries, we are suddenly expected to believe that Shri Ram belongs to every religious community and not just Hindus and India-centric faiths. The obvious counter to this is if Rama does belong to everyone why is it so that only Hindus that have shed blood for him while every religion that is not centred around India opposed the return of the Prince of Ayodhya to his holy abode?

Obfuscation of such obvious realities is, of course, often the domain of politics. Ahead of the Bhoomi Pujan ceremony for the construction of the Bhavya Ram Mandir at Janmabhoomi, politicians from across the spectrum are jumping on the bandwagon to declare that Ram Lalla is ‘Sabke Ram’. While such sermons are expected from certain quarters, others from whom it is neither expected nor is it necessary for them have also joined in what could only be described as a circus.

Priyanka Vadra Gandhi, the daughter of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, the senior leaders of whose party appeared in the Court to delay the inevitable return of the Prince of Ayodhya, took the opportunity to declare, “Ram is within everyone, Ram is with everyone.”

Manish Tewari, another senior leader of the Congress party, took the opportunity to tweet the distorted version of a Bhajan to Rama and His Beloved Sita. “Ishar Allah Tero Naam,” says the distorted version. The significance of a Congress party leader posting such a thing ahead of the Bhoomu Pujan ceremony is that there is an attempt, not so subtle, underway to rob Hindus of their sole claim to Bhagwan Shri Ram.

Unfortunately enough, some BJP functionaries, too, have bought into the narrative and are now playing it up as ‘Sabke Ram’ on their own. Some have even claimed that Allama Iqbal was devoted to Rama as well while other shave claimed that Rama belongs to every community and not just Hindus alone.

While it is true that Buddhists, Jains, Sikhs and certain ‘mystics’ could also be devotees of Shri Ram, it is entirely preposterous to claim that someone like Iqbal was an adherent of his. Iqbal was one of the leading ‘intellectuals’ of the era who made the demand for the creation of a separate country for Muslims, that is, Pakistan.

Iqbal claimed that Rama is ‘Imam-e-Hind’, that is an Islamic cleric, a servant of Allah. It is not true devotion but an attempt at cultural appropriation. Iqbal never espoused the divinity of Rama and instead, attempted to turn our God into a servant of Allah. Therefore, for any Indian to further Iqbal’s claim to Rama is disappointing indeed.

It is important to understand what is precisely happening here and precisely why it is so important to reject such claims. For quite some time, a concerted campaign has been underway to rob Hinduism of all that is good within it and secularise it. In this context, attempts are being made to secularise Yoga, secularise Hindu festivals such as Diwali and Durga Pujo, even profoundly religious practices such as Surya Namaskar and now, Prabhu Ram.

It is claimed that ‘Yoga is not Hindu’, ‘Diwali is not Hindu’, ‘Surya Namaskar is not Hindu’ and now claims are being made that even Shri Ram does not belong to Hindus alone. While it is understandable why the enemies of Dharma engage in such attempts, because it suits their efforts to paint Hinduism as a cesspit of casteism, patriarchy and oppression alone, gullible Hindus fall for such attempts in order to secure wider acceptance for their religious beliefs.

While wider acceptance for Hindu religious traditions is indeed preferable, it is important to consider what cost this acceptance demands of us. Is it preferable if Yoga is practised around the globe but is divested completely of its Hindu roots? Is it preferable if Diwali is celebrated across the world but as an Islamic or Christian festival? Is it preferable if Surya Namaskar is performed by people worldwide if the Hindu roots of the practice are rejected entirely?

Quite clearly, the attempts have not stopped there and now, claims are being made that even Hindu Gods are not our own. If our traditions are not solely our own, if our festivals are not solely our own, if our religious practices are not our own and then, if it is claimed that even our Gods are not ours alone, then Hinduism will inevitably be reduced to a hodge podge of superstitions that do not have an extensive basis of scriptures and philosophy. That has been the objective of our enemies from the very beginning.

We should not feel remotely embarrassed to claim that Rama belongs to Hindus and Hindus alone. Because it is true and during times of crisis, humanity’s best defence is the truth and truth alone. Hindus have bled for Rama, Hindus have sacrificed their lives for Rama, Hindus have suffered for Rama, Hindus have gone to war for Rama. And throughout all of this, no significant effort was made by individuals from Abrahamic faiths to aid Hindus in their efforts. In fact, they did everything they could to prevent His return.

The Ram Mandir that originally stood at the site was demolished in the first place to erect a Masjid in its stead. It cannot be claimed that it was an act of iconoclasm by the Islamic invaders alone. Generations of Muslims following the demolition offered Namaz at the site and they offered Namaz to Allah, not Shri Ram. Every time Hindus made an attempt to reclaim the site, they faced stiff resistance from local Muslims. Thus, if Rama belongs to them as well, why did Muslims oppose the reclamation of the land for the reconstruction of the Ram Mandir?

The legal battle that ensued in Independent India over the claim to the land was fought between Hindu and Muslim parties. Why would Muslims fight the legal battle for years if Rama belonged to them as well? These are obvious facts that cannot be wished away with an insane barrage of propaganda. Centuries ago, Rama belonged to Hindus. Centuries later in 2020, Rama belongs to Hindus and a thousand years hence, Rama will continue to belong to Hindus. And Hindus alone.

While politicians may be wont to play politics over the matter, because that is there prerogative, they ought not engage in propaganda that has no basis in reality. The Ram Mandir is being built because Hindus won the War for Rama. The Mandir is being built because the highest court of the Republic of India saw merit in the arguments put forth by the Hindu side during the legal battle. It is not being built due to the generosity of any community and it does not behove the occasion to maintain such a pretence.

Ayodhya: Padmashri Mohd Sharif, who has been cremating unclaimed dead bodies for years, invited for Bhoomi Pujan

OpIndia Staff
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Ayodhya: Padmashri Mohd Sharif, who has been cremating unclaimed dead bodies for years, invited for Bhoomi Pujan

The Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has reportedly sent an invite to Mohammed Sharif, also known as ‘Sharif Chacha, to attend the Bhoomi Pujan of the majestic Ram Mandir in Ayodhya on August 5.

On Monday, Champat Rai, the Secretary of the Trust, informed that Sharif had been invited to the foundation ceremony, along with Iqbal Ansari, a petitioner who argued against Ram Mandir the long legal battle for the Ram Janmabhoomi. As per reports, Mohammed Sharif was awarded the Padma Shri in January this year for cremating thousands of unclaimed dead bodies over the past 27 years. Ansari had accepted the invitation believing it to be the wish of Shri Ram.

Mohammed Sharif carries the dead on his bicycle

Reportedly, Sharif hails from Ayodhya and is a bicycle mechanic by profession. Following his son’s death several years ago whose body was found partially devoured by animals on railway tracks, he decided to honour the dead. Since then, he had been cremating unclaimed dead bodies according to their religious customs. Sharif would visit hospitals and police stations to claim unidentified bodies and the authorities would hand it over to him if none claimed the body of the deceased within 72 hours.

He would then carry the corpse on his bicycle to the nearby cremation centre or burial ground to perform the final rites. Although he was considered insane by many, his work was recognised by the Government of India. Highlighting that he did not discriminate against the dead on the basis of religion, he said, “Kya Hindu, kya Musalman, sabse pehle insaan (What Hindu, What Muslim, we are human beings above all).”

Coronavirus protocols to be adhered to during Bhoomi Pujan

Reportedly, the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has decided to send sweets to the foreign Consulates in Delhi, besides distribution in the city of Ayodhya. As per reports, the Trust has placed orders for 16 lac laddoos from Lucknow and Delhi. With regard to maintaining social distancing protocols, DIG Deepak Kumar said, “Under the COVID protocol, not more than five people will be allowed to gather at one place in Ayodhya on August 5. The security arrangements are being made for all the VVIPs and the invited guests. All the boundaries of Ayodhya and Faizabad city will be sealed from the eve of the main event of Bhoomi Pujan. No one will be allowed to enter.”

PM Modi, RSS chief to attend the event

The Bhoomi Pujan will be attended by prominent leaders such as Mahesh Bhagchandka, PM Narendra Modi, Pawan Singhal, RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat, Nritya Gopal Das Ji Maharaj, UP CM Yogi Adityanath and Governor Anandiben Patel. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will first do Darshan Pujan at Shri Hanumangarhi temple, followed by Puja of Lord Ram at Ram Janmabhoomi. Following this, the Bhoomi Pujan and stage event will be conducted. The Bhoomi Pujan that is scheduled to take place in Ayodhya will witness a total footfall of 175 eminent guests. According to the trust, around 135 priests and Hindu spiritual leaders following several sects and traditions of the faith will participate in the said event.

Breathtaking visuals of the proposed structure of Bhavya Ram Mandir released by Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra

OpIndia Staff
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Breathtaking visuals of the proposed structure of Bhavya Ram Mandir released by Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra

Ahead of Ram Mandir Bhoomi Pujan scheduled for 5th August, Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra has released first visuals of the proposed structure of Bhavya Ram Mandir. The Trust posted the images on Twitter and said, “Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Mandir will be a unique example of Indian architecture.”

The construction of Ram Mandir will take around 3.5 years to complete. The trust also posted a few 3D images of the interiors of the proposed structure.

Bhoomi Pujan of Ram Mandir

On 5th August 2020, Ram Bhakts around the world will witness the once-in-a-lifetime moment of Bhoomi Pujan of Bhavya Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will share the stage with prominent leaders and saints for the occasion. 175 people have been invited to the event. In a tweet, the Trust said, “Sacred soil from more than 2000 teerth sthan and water from more than 100 rivers has been brought to Ayodhya for Bhumi Pujan.” The Trust has urged all the Ram Bhakts to distribute Prasad while following all precautions laid down for Covid-19 pandemic.

NASDAQ billboard at NYC’s Times Square not to beam Lord Ram’s image after petitions by Muslim groups

OpIndia Staff
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NASDAQ billboard at NYC’s Times Square not to beam Lord Ram’s image after petitions by Muslim groups

A few days ago, Jagdish Sewhani, President of the American India Public Affairs Committee had said in a statement that they are under process to procure the iconic NASDAQ billboard and other billboards at the Times Square in New York to beam Bhagwan Ram’s images during Ram Mandir Bhoomi Pujan. Now, reports have emerged that the ad company that manages the NASDAQ billboard has refused to provide them after Muslim organizations filed a petition against it.

According to a report, several Muslim groups including Indian Minorities Advocacy Network- ImanNet, Justice for All, Coalition of Americans for Pluralism in India CAPI, North American Indian Muslim Association NAIMA, Islamic Circle of North America -Social Justice ICNASJ and The International Society for Peace and Justice filed the petition and asked the ad companies that manage the billboards not to project the images on the LED billboards managed by it.

Branded Cities decided not to beam images

Dennis Levine of ‘Branded Cities’, the firm that manages the NASDAQ billboard has confirmed that they have decided not to give the said billboard for the 5th August event in India. Dr Shaik Ubaid, the President of ImanNet, said that it is an excellent victory for pluralism, human rights and rule of law. South Asia Solidarity Initiative, a political collective based in New York City, has announced that they will protest against the event on the site itself.

Aatish Taseer, the author whose OCI card was revoked last years for hiding details of his Pakistani father, also posted his opinion against the attempt by Hindu groups on display images from the Ayodhya event in Times Square. He said, “This is so repulsive.”

Ram Mandir Bhoomi Pujan

On 5th August, PM Narendra Modi along with saints and prominent Hindu spiritual leaders will perform Bhoomi Pujan for the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. It will take around 3.5 years to complete the construction. The Supreme Court of India had passed the judgment in favour of Ram Mandir in November 2019 and asked the government to form a trust to manage the construction work and Temple.

Bangladesh: Communist politician Manisha Chakraborty slaughters 5 cows to distributes meat, promises ‘Kurbani’ of 30 cows next year

Dibakar Dutta
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Bangladesh: Communist politician Manisha Chakraborty slaughters 5 cows to distributes meat, promises ‘Kurbani’ of 30 cows next year

With complete disregard for the sentiments of the Hindu community, one Communist politician named Dr Manisha Chakraborty and her fellow comrades have reportedly distributed beef during the occasion of Bakr Eid on Saturday in Barisal, Bangladesh. The 30-year-old is the member secretary of the district committee of Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (Bangladesh Socialist party).

Manisha went live on Facebook to describe her motives behind the ‘noble’ gesture. At the very onset, she said that the outbreak of Coronavirus had forced the poor people to cancel their celebration for Eid and how that she and her team were ensuring that the ‘downtrodden’ were not left behind.

We have sacrificed 5 cows here, reveals Manisha

“Aikhana panchti goru kurbani daowa hoyecha o seta ke process kora hoyeche (We have sacrificed 5 cows and processed the meat),” Dr. Manisha was heard as saying. She said that slaughtering 5 cows within such a short time was difficult but her comrades and the group of volunteers were able to pull off the uphill task. Manisha said that she had prepared a list of 50 such poor families in each of the 30 wards in the Barisal district who would be given 1kg of beef and 1 kg of rice for making pulao.

Informs that they fed 5000 people last year

Taking credit for the task, Manisha then pointed the camera towards the packets filled with cow meat to emphasise the hard work put by her team. She said that her team had been working tirelessly since 7 am in the morning, on the day of Eid. A man representing the party at the district level said, “Last year, we had fed around 5000 families… We have raised funds to purchase 5 cows and sacrifice it ourselves…We thank everyone who helped us in doing this.”

Plans to sacrifice 30 cows next year

“Agami kurbani te 30 ta ward e minimum 30 ta goru kurbani dibo (Next year, on Eid, we will sacrifice of minimum of 30 cows to feed the people in 30 wards of the district),” the politician shared her future plans. Invoking the example of Mir Jafar who was a traitor and betrayed Bengal’s king Sirajuddulah in the Battle of Plassey, he said “Conspirators have failed. History is a testimony to the fact that those who work for the people can only succeed.”

Manisha then took the centre stage and claimed, “We are one family. We share grief and happiness together… We mourn and celebrate together… Since everyone here devoted their time to make this possible, it truly exemplifies the meaning of sacrifice.”

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