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Vadodara Police detains social media user Shubham Mishra over allegations of issuing rape threats to comedian Agrima Joshua

OpIndia Staff
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Vadodara Police detains social media user Shubham Mishra over allegations of issuing rape threats to comedian Agrima Joshua

Vadodara Police has booked a 26-year-old man, Shubham Mishra, on Sunday night after his video surfaced on social media in which he was giving rape threats to a female comedian. The video was posted on his Instagram account on Saturday after Agrima Joshua’s year-old video on Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s statue started to go viral on social media.

Rekha Sharma, Chairperson National Commission for Women, wrote a letter to DGP Gujarat, Shivanand Jha, after which Gujarat Police tagged Vadodara Police for the same. Taking Suo Moto action in the case against Mishra, Vadodra police registered an FIR and detained him under relevant sections of IPC and IT act.

According to Indian Express, he was booked under Indian Penal Code sections 294 (Obscenity), 504 (Intentionally insults to break public peace) 505 (Statements conducing to public mischief), 506 (Criminal intimidation) and 509 (Intending to insult the modesty of a woman). Section 67 of the Information Technology Act (Transmission of electronic material which is lascivious or tends to deprave or corrupt people) was also included in the FIR.

Allegation on Joshua

Recently, an old video of stand up comedian Agrima Joshua had become viral in which she was seen making made fun of Shivaji Maharaj’s statue that is under construction in Maharashtra. She first alleged that “BJP IT cell” is behind the abuses on social media but later “apologized” specifically to Shiv Sena and MNS leaders for the same.

Rajasthan Deputy CM Sachin Pilot says Gehlot government has lost majority, Congress MLAs to meet CM

OpIndia Staff
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Rajasthan Deputy CM Sachin Pilot says Gehlot government has lost majority, Congress MLAs to meet CM

There is a battle for leadership going on in Rajasthan and it does not look good for Congress. The struggle between deputy CM Sachin Pilot and Chief Minister of Rajasthan Ashok Gehlot has come to a point where Pilot has claimed that the state government is no longer in the majority. Congress has scheduled a legislative meeting on Monday morning.

The state police have registered an FIR against Pilot for allegedly plotting to topple the government. A special police team called Pilot to join the investigation and irked Pilot further and he released an official statement that Gehlot had lost majority. Pilot has claimed that he has the support of 30 Congress MLAs along with some independent ones.

Pilot met Scindia

Pilot also met Jyotiraditya Scindia on Sunday in Delhi, who had recently left the post of general secretary, Congress, and joined BJP. His departure made it possible for BJP to form government in Madhya Pradesh by removing Kamal Nath from the chief minister’s seat. The alleged meeting between the two young leaders has raised the speculations that BJP is supporting Pilot. Scindia said in a statement that Pilot is being sidelined by the Congress.

Reports have also stated that Sachin Pilot is scheduled to meet BJP’s JP Nadda today. However, a report in News 18 claimed from ‘BJP sources’ that no meeting has been scheduled between JP Nadda and Sachin Pilot and

There are speculations that Congress’s number is not at risk in Rajasthan and Gehlot is prepared to face any attempts of BJP and Pilot to topple his government. Last night, during a press conference, Congress party said that 109 MLAs had signed a letter to ‘express their support’ for the party. Rajasthan Congress in-charge Avinash Pande added, “A whip has been issued to all party MLAs to be mandatorily present at Congress Legislature Party meeting to be held tomorrow morning. Strict disciplinary action will be taken against any MLA who is absent without mentioning personal/special reason.”

Congress MLAs to meet CM

On Monday at 10:30 AM, the Congress legislature party will meet at the chief minister’s residence. As [er reports, it was scheduled for late Sunday night but got postponed after the central leadership asked Ajay Maken, Randeep Singh Surjewala and Avinash Pande to manage the crisis. The said meeting is an attempt to show strength by Gehlot.

While many Congress MLAs and senior leaders were seen meeting Gehlot to show their support for him, a few Congress MLAs, including Inder Raj Gurjar, PR Meena, Rakesh Pareek and more were untraceable. CM Gehlot had earlier tweeted, “CM, deputy CM, the chief whip, some other ministers and MLAs have received notices from SOG to record their statements in connection with Congress legislature party’s complaint regarding horse-trading by BJP. It is not appropriate to present it differently by some media outlets.”

Madhya Pradesh: Sex racket unearthed in Bhopal, 68-year-old newspaper owner Pyare Mian accused of raping a minor

OpIndia Staff
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Madhya Pradesh: Sex racket unearthed in Bhopal, 68-year-old newspaper owner Pyare Mian accused of raping a minor

Madhya Pradesh police on Sunday morning unearthed a sex racket wherein an owner of Bhopal based Hindi daily, Pyare Mian, was accused of raping a minor. As per reports, five minor girls were found roaming in an inebriated condition in Ratibarh area. After the police found them, the minor girls were handed over to city child line where the girls said that they were forced into prostitution. All these girls were between the age of 14-17.

As per reports, the girls were made to drink alcohol and dance till late night at the parties of the wealthy men. These men would also rape these girls. After the minor girls would become adults, Pyare Mian would get them married. This racket has also revealed many big names and the investigation is currently on.

A case has been currently registered under POCSO and other relevant sections against 68-year-old Pyare Mian and his 21-year-old secretary, Sweety. While Sweety has been arrested, Pyare Mian is still on the run. A reward of Rs 10,000 has been announced on him.

As per reports, the girls were returning from a ‘party’ in a flat in Shapura area. They were sent there to dance at someone’s birthday party. One of the girls has even alleged that Pyare Mian raped her. The girls have alleged that Pyare Mian and Sweety would force them to do this.

Amid political crisis in Rajasthan Congress, news agencies and media houses publish report based on fake Twitter account of Sarah Pilot

OpIndia Staff
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Amid political crisis in Rajasthan Congress, news agencies and media houses publish report based on fake Twitter account of Sarah Pilot

Amid the ongoing political crisis in the ruling Congress party in Rajasthan, where reportedly deputy CM Sachin Pilot is rebelling and is camping in Delhi with around 25 MLAs, news agency IANS published a story saying that Sachin Pilot’s wife Sarah Pilot has attacked the state CM on Twitter. But the news agency mistook a fake account to be real account of Sarah.

The story, which was published by several news houses, said that Sarah Pilot posted a series of tweets directed at Rajasthan CM. The report quoted Sarah Pilot as saying that big magicians have started sweating when we go to Delhi, apparently referring to Ashok Gehlot as magician. It also mentioned that she said that for six years somebody struggled on roads in Rajasthan but when the moment came, Jaichand started taking advantage and usurped the throne.

The IANS report didn’t link or embed any of the tweets of Sarah Pilot. But the same tweets which were mentioned in the report were found in the Twitter account with the name Sarah Sachin Pilot, the account name of which is @SarahSachin. The tweets are in Hindi, but the content is same as the IANS report, which means that the report was based on this account.

Tweets posted by fake account of Sarah Pilot

Hindi news portal Newstract also published a report independently on the basis of the tweets, and they embedded the tweets from the account.

But a glance at the Twitter account shows that it is not the real account of Sarah Pilot, wife Sachin Pilot and daughter of former Jammu and Kashmir CM Farooq Abdullah. The account was created in March 2019, but the account is not verified. Moreover, the account is neither followed by Sachin Pilot nor by Omar Abdullah, her brother, who is active on Twitter. The bio also mentions “RoyalPilot family with indian Poltics”, which is highly suspect. Therefore, it can be concluded that the account is fake.

Tabeenah Anjum, a journalist from Rajasthan, also confirmed that the Twitter account does not belong to Sarah Pilot. She asked media houses to not use tweets from the account to published reports, and said that she was surprised to see tweets from this account making it to mainstream news and agency stories.

Former RSS pracharak, Hindu Samhati founder Tapan Ghosh succumbs to Coronavirus in Kolkata

OpIndia Staff
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Former RSS pracharak, Hindu Samhati founder Tapan Ghosh succumbs to Coronavirus in Kolkata

Tapan Ghosh, the founder of Hindu Samhati in West Bengal, died of Coronavirus today evening. Ghosh was admitted at a private hospital in Mukundapur in Kolkata in 28 June after testing positive for Coronavirus. He had existing lungs problem, and his oxygen level in the body had declined.

Rajya Sabha MP Swapan Dasgupta tweeted to inform the death of Tapan Ghosh. “He was one of the most dedicated soldiers fighting for Hindu unity and sangathan in West Bengal. He gave his live to this cause, inspiring thousands through personal example. He will always be remembered and provide constant inspiration,” he wrote.

Tapan Ghosh was a pracharak of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in West Bengal, but he had left RSS over differences over the way of functioning of the organisation. He established Hindu Samhati in 2007, a Hindu nationalist organisation with a goal to protect Bengali Hindus. He had joined the RSS in 1975.

The organisation has its presence in every district of West Bengal, and has also started making inroads in Assam and Jharkhand. Tapan Ghosh had established in accusing the RSS and VHP of having a soft approach, and had aggressively campaigned for rights on Hindus in the state.

In 2018, Ghosh left Hindu Samhiti unhappy with the way it was functioning. He said that he wanted to disband the organisation. He wanted to keep the organisation apolitical, and was not happy to see his leaders getting involved with political matters. “I have urged Hindu Samhati workers to disband it. We did not want to get involved in politics because politics tends to divide Hindus on socio-economic lines,” he had said.

Raza Academy demands ban on Islamic movie ‘Muhammad: The Messenger of God’, warns of ‘law and order problems’

OpIndia Staff
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Raza Academy demands ban on Islamic movie ‘Muhammad: The Messenger of God’, warns of ‘law and order problems’

The Raza Academy has issued a statement demanding a ban on the 2015 movie ‘Muhammad: The Messenger of God’ by Majid Majidi. The movie is based on the life of the Muslim prophet. The movie was released in Iran in 2015 and was selected as the Iranian entry for the Best Foreign Lasnguage Film category at the 88th Academy Awards.

The Raza Academy said in the letter addressed to Don Cinema, a distributor, that it has to its knowledge that the movie is set for a release digitally on the 21st of July. “Ever since the news of its release has been published there has been an uproar in the community and we have been receiving hundreds of calls to get the film banned as it is completely blasphemous,” said the radical Islamic organisation.

The Raza Academy stated further, “We fail to understand why time and again the Muslim community is targeted by different ways to instigate it and create problems within the country. The films portrays the Holy Prophet as a child and even The Mother and Father of the Holy Prophet have been shown in person. The Holy Prophet of Islam can never be picturised and those who have done it have committed blasphemy which is untolerable at any cost.”

“A Muslim will die in honour than to see or hear even the slightest insult on his Holy Prophet,” the Raza Academy said threateningly. It is pertinent to note that the movie was made by Majid to change the negative perception of Islam around the world and show people that Islam is a religion of peace, kindness and love. “We earnestly request you to kindly stop the distribution of the film and its subsequent release before it creates unrest and law and order problems in the city,” it added.

The Raza Academy had issued a fatwa against AR Rahman, the music composer of the movie, and Iranian director Majid Majidi in 2015 as well. The organisation had urged Muslims to avoid watching the movie then as well, calling it a mockery of Islam. Then as well, the organisation had demanded a ban on the movie. The movie depicts the life of the government from birth till the age of 13.

Violent Past of the Raza Academy

The Raza Academy has a violent past. In August 2011, its leaders had organised a so-called protest in Azad Maidan that had devolved into violent riots. The rioters from Raza Academy had vandalised the much-hallowed Amar Jawan memorial situated outside the CST. The riots had caused approximately Rs 2.72 crores worth of damages to various public properties.

The protest was carried out to incite communal violence in Mumbai and the IB report to Maharashtra government hinted at Pakistani involvement in the riots. Bangladeshi passports were retrieved from the areas where riots took place. About 65 people and 40 security personnel were injured in the riots.

FIR against Arnab Goswami

The same Raza Academy has also filed FIR against Republic TV’s Arnab Goswami, accusing him of spreading ‘communal hatred’ while he was reporting the Palghar mob lynching of two sadhus. Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal has represented the Raza Academy in Supreme Court when Arnab Goswami had approached the apex court seeking the quashing of FIRs against him.

Did you know that Pakistan had awarded Democratic Presidential nominee Joe Biden with ‘Hilal-i-Pakistan’

OpIndia Staff
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Did you know that Pakistan had awarded Democratic Presidential nominee Joe Biden with ‘Hilal-i-Pakistan’

The 77-year-old former vice president of the United States and also the Democratic party nominee for the forthcoming US Presidential elections Joe Biden, who has been making a lot of noise recently by sticking his neck into India’s internal affairs by raking up the issue of Kashmir, was once awarded the ‘Hilal-i-Pakistan’ award from the Pakistan government in ‘recognition of their consistent support for Pakistan’.

In 2008, the then Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari had announced to award the then US Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Joe Biden and Republican Senator Richard Lugar with ‘Hilal-i-Pakistan’ – the second-highest civil award in Pakistan.

The then Pakistan’s President Zardari had awarded them the award in recognising their consistent support for Pakistan. Earlier in that year, Joe Biden and Senator Richard Lugar had introduced a bipartisan US aid plan which calls for $1.5 billion per year in non-military spending to support economic development in Pakistan.

The enthusiasm of Joe Biden, who has a habit of poking into India’s internal affairs by claiming that he would raise the issue of Kashmir with India and would also convey its concerns on a recent Indian law that discriminates against Muslims if elected, perhaps stems out of from the fact that he was awarded by the then Pakistan government for boosting ties between Pakistan and the United States.

Joe Biden interference in India’s internal affairs

Joe Biden has kicked up a controversy by expressing his unsolicited views on Jammu and Kashmir, Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in India.

Democrat Biden who is challenging the 74-year-old Republican incumbent president Donald Trump in the November 3 presidential elections, had asked India to take necessary steps to restore rights of all Kashmiris and has expressed disappointment over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act as well as the implementation of the National Register of Citizens in Assam.

A policy paper—’Joe Biden’s agenda for Muslim American community’ was posted recently on his campaign website, which stated that the measures (the CAA and the National Register of Citizens) are irreconcilable with the country’s long tradition of secularism and with sustaining a multi-ethnic and multi-religious democracy.

Pope says he is pained to see the transformation of Hagia Sophia into mosque by Turkish government

OpIndia Staff
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Pope says he is pained to see the transformation of Hagia Sophia into mosque by Turkish government

Pope Francis has reportedly said on Sunday that he was pained to see the transformation of Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia museum into a mosque. The religious leader has condemned Turkey’s move. During his weekly blessing at St. Peter’s Square, he said that his thoughts go to Istanbul. He added, ”I think of Santa Sophia and I am very saddened.”

Tayyip Erdogan, President Turkey, said that the first Islamic prayers would take place in Hagia Sophia on 24th July. His statement came after a court revoked the museum status of Hagia Sophia in its judgment. The President declared the ancient monument to be transformed into a mosque once again.

Reuters reported that the World Council of Churches had urged Erdogan to reverse his decision. The Istanbul-based spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians, Patriarch Bartholomew, expressed his disappointment. Greece has also condemned the judgment. In the official statement Greece said that while no one is interfering in Turkey’s internal affairs, the decision is an open challenge to the entire civilized world. As it is a World Heritage Site under UNESCO, a committee will review its status. Turkey’s decision has raised many questions about the impact of the transformation on Turkey’s relationship with other nations.

Erdogan, on the other hand, said that Turkey has the right to convert 1,500-year-old Hagia Sophia into a mosque. Any criticism of the decision will be seen as an attack on Turkey’s independence. He added that it would remain open for everyone, including Muslims, Christians and foreigners.

The monument was originally a Christian cathedral, which was later converted into a mosque, and then a museum. The monument was built as a Christian cathedral church of Constantinople between 532 and 537. In 1204, it was converted to a Roman Catholic cathedral under the Latin Empire, but in 1261 it was again restored to the Eastern Orthodox Church. After the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Empire in 1453, it was converted to a mosque. In 1935, the historical monument was secularized into a museum. And now in 2020, it is again being converted into a mosque.

In the official statement, Erdogan said that transformation of Hagia Sophia is just a small step towards the liberation of Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem.

Jyotiraditya Scindia says Sachin Pilot is being sidelined by Congress party during ongoing political drama in Rajasthan

OpIndia Staff
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Jyotiraditya Scindia says Sachin Pilot is being sidelined by Congress party during ongoing political drama in Rajasthan

Jyotiraditya Scindia has issued a statement over the political drama unfolding in Rajasthan. He said that he is sad to see Sachin Pilot being sidelined by the Congress party and persecuted by Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. According to Scindia, the treatment being meted out to Sachin Pilot demonstrates that talent and capability is valued little in the Congress party.

The statement came after Sachin Pilot met Jyotiraditya Scindia. It is to remembered that the latter had quit the Congress party only recently to join the BJP and a horde of MLAs in Madhya Pradesh had followed in his wake. In quite a similar fashion, Sachin Pilot is reported to have taken 25 MLAs from Rajasthan to Delhi.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had called for a meeting of Cabinet Ministers at his residence and asked all Congress MLAs to write a letter in his support. Following the 2018 Rajasthan Assembly elections, a power tussle ensued between Congress old guard Ashok Gehlot and youth leader Sachin pilot for the coveted post of the Chief Minister. Eventually, Gehlot was made the CM, and Pilot was sidelined. The divide between the two factions, within the State government, seemed to have widened over time.

It appears that there is a very real possibility that Sachin Pilot will jump ship in the near future. His meeting with Jyotiraditya Scindia and the statement issued by the newly ordained BJP leader does point towards it. However, it remains to be seen how the situation unfolds moving forward.

Fact-Check: Is the West Bengal government recruiting only Muslims in its latest recruitment drive?

OpIndia Staff
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Fact-Check: Is the West Bengal government recruiting only Muslims in its latest recruitment drive?

A WhatsApp forward has been doing the rounds that has caused quite a stir on social media. The WhatsApp message claims that only Muslims have been employed by the West Bengal government for a particular post. The message has gained traction because the Trinamool government in the state has a history of engaging in morbid minority appeasement.

In the WhatsApp forward, a list has been included where it can be that 22 Muslims have been hired for the post of lab technician in a blood bank as part of a recruitment drive. All the Muslim recruits belong to the OBC-A caste which denotes non-creamy layer among OBCs. And all the recruits from this particular caste are Muslims, so goes the claim.

The WhatsApp forward

Upon investigating the matter further, we discovered that the WhatsApp forward speaks the truth but not the whole truth. The image in the viral message reflects only a part of the list of candidates that were shortlisted for potential recruitment by the West Bengal government. The circular notifying the recruitment in various posts shows that both Muslims and non-Muslims have been shortlisted for the posts.

Another list of shortlisted candidates from the same circular

Thus, the claim that only Muslims have been hired by the West Bengal government is false. Although only Muslim names can be seen in the list of candidates shortlisted for lab technician seen in the viral message, there are several non-Muslim names in the whole document where candidates have been shortlisted for various other posts like nurse, cook, and lab technicians in other locations.

Analysis of the shortlisted candidates

We analysed the names shortlisted as per the notice, and found that a total 70 people were shortlisted various posts, out of which 26 were Muslims. Which means the actual Muslim percentage among the potential recruits is 37%, although it is not 100% as claimed in the viral message, it is still significantly higher in proportion than the Muslim population in the state, which stands at 27% as per the 2011 census. And it is also rather intriguing that all the candidates shortlisted for the posts in the OBC-A category are Muslims.

The circular says that selection will be made after verifying documents and computer tests, written tests or viva voce as applicable in each category. The circular also says that it is the programme wise eligible list of candidates that has been attached with it at the end.

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