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Bollywood nepotism debate: Karan Johar’s 2017 clip asking Kangana Ranaut to ‘leave the industry’ goes viral

OpIndia Staff
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Bollywood nepotism debate: Karan Johar’s 2017 clip asking Kangana Ranaut to ‘leave the industry’ goes viral

In the 18th July interview with Arnab Goswami on Republic TV, actress Kangana Ranaut had alleged that a particular group of powerful Bollywood ‘mafia dons’ operates in the industry and without getting into their ‘good books’, it is impossible fr ‘outsiders’ to survive. She had revealed how these big names work to actively promote the people they support and also actively bring others down, destroying their careers and harassing them finacially and mentally.

Kangana Ranaut has been in loggerheads with Karan Johar for quite some time. She was also the one who had directly accused the moviemaker of nepotism in his show ‘Koffee With Karan’ back in 2017. The incident had triggered gossips and bickering in several events and public statements that followed.

After Kangana’s interview got aired recently, netizens dug up a clip of Karan Johar in which he said he is ‘done with the victim card’ played by Ranaut and she should leave the industry if she is facing so many problems.

In the interview that happened at LSE India forum in 2017 Johar was asked about his opinion on Kangana’s statements she had made during the show “Koffee With Karan”. She had called him ‘flag bearer of nepotism’ and movie mafia that became the topic-of-the-hour on social media. Johar, after making fun of her language skills, had said that while he launched Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan and others who fall under the category of nepotism, his production house has also given a chance to many filmmakers and artists who had no connection with the industry including Tarun Mansukhani, Puneet Malhotra, Shakul Batra and more.

“You give these people film careers and platforms to stand on that is the reverse of nepotism,” he added. He said that he did not understand what she meant by movie mafia. “What does she think we are doing? Sitting and not giving her work? Is that what makes our mafia? No, we do that by Choice. I do that because maybe I am not interested in working with her. It does not make me a movie mafia. It makes me a man with an opinion,” said Karan in the interview.

While praising her roles in Tanu weds Manu, Fashion and Queen, he said that he applauded her for coming to his show and “giving it to him” as what everyone was saying at that time. He said that he was gracious enough to keep everything shot during his show and cut none of her opinions. “I am done with Kangana playing the victim card. I am done. You cannot be this victim at every given time who has a sad story to tell how you are being terrorized by the bad world of the industry, leave it. Who is forcing you to be in the movies? Leave. Do something else,” he continued.

Sharp reaction from netizens

The netizens reacted based on the excerpt of the interview and slammed Johar for his attitude towards an accomplished actor. They said that he does not have the right to tell anyone to leave the industry and insult them on an international platform.

Several clips of Kangana’s interview with Republic TV went viral in which she talked about Sushant Singh Rajput, problems faced by the struggling artists in the industry and how she had to face similar situations.

It is notable here that after Sushant Singh Rajput’s tragic death, many artists and persons associated with the Bollywood world have been sharing their experiences and concerns over the ‘mafia-style lobbying’ that happens in the industry, where a certain group of power brokers promote their chosen ones and work together to pull some talented artists down.

Ram Mandir: PM Modi likely to visit Ayodhya for Bhumi Pujan on 5th August

OpIndia Staff
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Ram Mandir: PM Modi likely to visit Ayodhya for Bhumi Pujan on 5th August

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely visit Ayodhya for Bhumi Pujan of Shri Ram Mandir on August 5. The ceremony will be graced by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath among several other invitees. However, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has not yet confirmed his visit.

Reportedly, an estimated 100-150 guests will be allowed at the said event. The foundation laying ceremony will mark the beginning of the construction of the grand temple that is expected to take about 3 years to complete. Kameshwar Chaupal who serves as a trustee of the Ram Temple Trust informed that they are expecting the Prime Minister’s arrival in the temple town of August 5. He added that all government standard operating procedures (SOPs) with respect to safety against coronavirus will be ensured during the Bhumi Pujan.

As per the report, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) are organising meetings to promote the ‘Shubhaaram‘ (commencement) of the Ram temple construction under the leadership of RSS joint General Secretary Krishna Gopal. Chaupal stated that a ‘Rashtra Mandir’ (Temple of the nation) will reflect the national spirit and the Hindu consciousness.

Silver slab to be placed within sanctum sanctorum

Reportedly, a silver slab weighing about 40 kg will be placed within the sanctum sanctorum of the proposed Ram temple during the Bhumi Pujan to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The largest sacred place for Hindus

Chaupal added that the the the holy Ram Mandir will be the biggest sacred site for Hindus, similar to Mecca is for (sacred place for Muslims) and Vatican (sacred place for Christians). Another functionary informed that the ram temple will take about 32 to 36 months to build and will be ready, ahead of 2024 General Elections. As coincidence will have it, August 5 also marks the first anniversary of the abrogation of article 370 in Kashmir.

‘Raazi’ author Harinder Sikka exposes how Bollywood lobby operates, says Meghna Gulzar hounded him out of events to steal credit for the story

OpIndia Staff
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‘Raazi’ author Harinder Sikka exposes how Bollywood lobby operates, says Meghna Gulzar hounded him out of events to steal credit for the story

The can of worms that Sushant Singh Rajput’s tragic death had opened, keeps popping up ugly secrets of Bollywood that have long been buried. As the debate around the dirty lobbying, nepotism and mafia-type operations of Bollywood intensifies, a lot of artists and prominent names have been speaking up about the dirty underbelly of the shining glamour world.

In a Republic TV debate over the Bollywood lobbying gangs, prominent author Harinder Sikka, whose production Nanak Shah Fakir had won three national film awards in 2016, has spoken on how Meghana Gulzar, the acclaimed moviemaker, had worked to hound him out of the Jaipur Literature Festival, book launch events and even awards. Sikka said that it was because Meghna Gulzar wanted all the credits for Raazi for herself and the Bollywood mafia gang did not want an ‘outsider’ like Sikka to be given any awards or accolades.

Sikka stated that Gulzar had pressurised the organisers of the Jaipur lit fest to remove Sikka from the event so that his book launch is delayed. He also claimed that his name was removed from the award for the best original story in the Filmfare awards at the behest of the Gulzars and even his movie Nanak Shah Fakir was not sent as India’s entry for the Oscars because the Bollywood mafia did not want an ‘outsider’ to steal the thunder.

Harinder Sikka’s allegations against Meghna Gulzar

Harinder Sikka is the author of the bestseller ‘Calling Sehmat’, the story of a Kashmiri girl who was trained as a spy and was married in a prominent Pakistani military family to gather information for the Indian Army. The story was made into the 2018 Bollywood blockbuster ‘Raazi’ starring Alia Bhat in the lead role.

Sikka had earlier also claimed that Meghna Gulzar had tampered with the story to portray a negative image of the Indian Army. In the movie, the protagonist Sehmat, after accomplishing her goals as a spy, is shown returning to India as a broken, depressed woman. Portraying the image that the Indian Army had used, and exploited a young Kashmiri girl. However, in Sikka’s book, Sehmat had returned India as a strong woman, proud of her achievements and with love and longing for her homeland.

Speaking to WION in January 2020, Sikka had stated that Meghna had deliberately kept him out of the preview screenings and post-production work because she did not want him to know how she had changed the ending. He had also claimed that the launch of his book was deliberately delayed by the Gulzars so Meghna, and not Sikka gets all the credit.

Sikka had earlier shared on Twitter that due to Meghna Gulzar’s short-sightedness, Raazi, which should have won multiple awards, appeared confused and negative in the end. Though the movie got commercial success, which, the author thinks was mostly due to Alia Bhat’s stellar performance, it ended up becoming a ‘folklore’. He had added that while signing away the rights of the story, he had made Meghna Gulzar promise that she will not tinker with the story. He had added that he feels backstabbed by Gulzar. He had also added that when ‘Lady Sehmat’ had returned to India, a band had played the national anthem and she had saluted the tricolour as a proud woman. The author had also revealed that Lady Sehmat had wanted Alia to play the character.

Kanpur Encounter: One more aide of Vikas Dubey and his partner arrested, may reveal black money secrets

OpIndia Staff
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Kanpur Encounter: One more aide of Vikas Dubey and his partner arrested, may reveal black money secrets

The police have arrested Jaykant Vajpayee alias Jay Vajpayee and his partner Prashant Shukla on Sunday night. Vajpayee is a close aide of Vikas Dubey and was involved in the Kanpur shootout case. Police believe that Jay Vajpayee used to maintain accounts of Vikas Dubey’s money. His arrest may reveal the details about Dubey’s black money secrets. Police alleged that Prashant Shukla was also involved in the murder of eight policemen. Both of them were called by Dubey on 2nd July to reach Bikaru Village where the incident happened.

Kanpur police said that they came to know that Vajpayee gave Dubey around two lakh rupees and 25 revolver cartridges on 2nd July. He also arranged luxury vehicles to transport Dubey and his gang to a safe place after they killed the policemen. However, the police acted swiftly, and they could not use the vehicles as per plan. Some of those vehicles were recovered later by the police during the search.

Who is Jay Vajpayee

It is believed that Jay and Dubey knew each other from the last eight years. Vajpayee used to work at a printing press where he earned Rs 3500 a month. Dubey met him at the printing press and became friends with him. Later, both of them started buying and selling disputed properties. Vajpayee reportedly helped Dubey circulating his black money in various businesses, including real estate and giving money on interest. He earned in millions while working with Dubey. Currently, he owns a pet shop in a posh mall that is believed to be one of the most expensive pet showrooms in the city. According to police, Vajpayee has a lot of property in Lucknow and Kanpur.

Dubey’s properties under ED’s scanner

Enforcement Directorate (ED) is currently investigating the web of Dubey’s properties in across states. The department is also looking into the properties bought under different names, including that of Jay Vajpayee. According to the sources, there might be more than two dozen plots and houses in Kanpur, Uttrakhand, Noida and Mumbai owned by Vajpayee. It is believed that Jay also has two properties, worth 25 crores in Dubai and Bangkok. He was believed to be involved in money laundering for an industrialist in Kanpur as well.

The Kanpur Encounter

On the night of 2nd and 3rd July, three-team of UP police went to Bikaru village to arrest Vikas Dubey. He got a tip-off about the raid and planned an ambush on the police teams. He and his gang members killed eight policemen and injured several. CO Devendra Mishra, who was leading the operation, was among the eight officers who died in the attack. Dubey was arrested in Ujjain a few days later. The police vehicle met with an accident in which he was being brought back to Kanpur. He tried to escape and fired a few shots at the policemen while escaping. Police retaliated and shot him dead in an encounter.

Heavy rains damage Randi Ki Masjid in Delhi. This is why it was called so

OpIndia Staff
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Heavy rains damage Randi Ki Masjid in Delhi. This is why it was called so

Early morning on Sunday, one of the domes of ‘Randi Ki Masjid’ aka ‘Rundi Ki Masjid’, the 19th century mosque of Mubarak Begum came crashing down. Mohammed Zahid, the muezzin heard a loud noise at around 6:45 AM when he came out to see that the central dome of the mosque had fallen down.

Zahid believes the dome came crashing because of lightning after heavy rains lashed the national capital early on the intervening night of 18th and 19th July, 2020. However, despite the damage, the prayers took place on Sunday as people turned up in large number to see the destruction.

Randi Ki Masjid

The mosque, Randi Ki Masjid, was built in Delhi’s Hauz Qazi Chowk and is often referred to as ‘courtesan’s mosque’. The mosque was built by a woman, Mubarak Begum, who was believed to be one of the wives of Sir David Ochterlony, the first British resident of Delhi.

According to Condé Nest Traveller, in the lane of Chawri Bazaar in old delhi, the ‘tawaifs’ (courtesans) would entertain the army soldiers. The ‘Randis’ (yes, the same derogatory word) would rank the highest tawaif. As per the report, the ‘Randis’ were like ‘divas’ who would sing, dance and recite poetries and the nawabs would come to them to learn the art of conversation.

Eventually under the British India, the rich and powerful would visit the ‘Randis’ who had their ears on the ground. “Randis chose and refused admirers as they liked. They weren’t looked down upon, but flaunted by men who entered long-term relationships with them.” writes CNTraveller.

Sir David Ochterlony built the mosque in her honour. Since for the first time, a nautch girl, and not a Mughal queen, had commissioned a mosque, it came to be known as ‘Randi Ki Masjid’.

Taapsee Pannu’s befitting U-turn: Three years after saying it doesn’t exist, claims she lost work because of nepotism

Dibakar Dutta
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Taapsee Pannu’s befitting U-turn: Three years after saying it doesn’t exist, claims she lost work because of nepotism

The ‘Badla’ actress, Taapsee Pannu, is known for her ‘befitting replies’ to netizens on social media. When she was recently asked about her opinion on the raging debate of nepotism in Bollywood, Taapsee conceded that it is difficult for a person to survive in the industry without a Godfather. She emphasised that it takes longer to build connections and get opportunities for an outsider than a privileged actor born and raised within the film fraternity. Tapasee Pannu also revealed that she had ‘lost opportunities’ due to nepotism.

Taapsee Pannu blames nepotism for losing out on films in July 2020 (Photo Credits: Pinkvilla)

Taapsee Pannu made contradictory claims on Nepotism

But earlier, in an interview dating back to 2017, actress Taapsee Pannu had claimed that even though nepotism existed in Bollywood, it did not imply the end of one’s career. “You might lose out on some projects because of nepotism, but something else will come your way. You can’t keep blaming nepotism for not getting work,” the actress was quoted as saying. She went on to claim that wasn’t passionate about films and how it worked in her favour. Taapsee emphasised, “You will get your fair share of work despite having no connections in the industry and I am the living example of that. “

Taapsee Pannu said in March 2017 that one nepotism cannot be blamed for getting less work (Photo Credits: Bollywood Life)

From patronising others in 2017 to not ‘blame’ nepotism for not getting opportunities by citing her example to conceding the difficulty in surviving in Bollywood without a Godfather and losing out on movies herself, life has indeed come to a full circle for Taapsee Pannu. The actress might have had a change of heart but the contradiction and the blatant U-turn is distinctly visible to even those seeking for a ‘befitting reply’ from her.

Nepotism in Bollywood

Following the untimely death of 34-year-old Sushant Singh Rajput, a debate has sparked online regarding the ill-treatment of outsiders in Bollywood. Netizens had accused the film fraternity of favourtism and nepotism. Actress Sonam Kapoor defended nepotism and her privilege by claiming that her father worked hard for it. She had asserted that charges of nepotism against her were not an insult but ‘karma’. Lashing out against nepotism, Kangana Ranaut added that he was treated as a ‘leftover’ by the same lobby that was shedding crocodile tears after his tragic death. “Is this possible that the ill-treatment meted out to him has no connection to his suicide?”, she asked. 

Police in search for ‘Drone Boy’ Prathap NM after he goes missing, FIR registered against him for violating rules

OpIndia Staff
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Police in search for ‘Drone Boy’ Prathap NM after he goes missing, FIR registered against him for violating rules

Days after the so-called ‘drone boy’ Prathap NM’s fake claims of building 600 drones from e-waste and receiving numerous awards for them were exposed by OpIndia, he has landed in fresh trouble. According to a report by Deccan Herald, on Sunday Karnataka police lodged an FIR against him for violating quarantine rules to appear in a TV interview to respond to allegations against him, and also for going missing when police and health workers went looking for him.

Reportedly, Prathap NM had returned to Bengaluru from Hyderabad just a day before he appeared in the program on Kannada channel BTV on Thursday, where his fake claims were exposed more instead of being able to defend them. He had even flaunted before anchor Kirik Keerthi that he has come out despite being ordered home quarantine due to his inter-state travel a day ago, and had even shown his Home Quarantine sticker on the live TV show.

This violation of rules was not taken lightly by the state government, and based on his admission on TV, the Bengaluru Bruhat Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) filed a case against him. His appearance at the TV studio has been seen as a major violation of rules during the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, because if he is found to be COVID-19 positive, everybody who came in close contact with him in the TV studio and elsewhere will be in risk. It is being reported that he is in high risk because he had come into contact of Coronavirus positive person.

After the telecast of the show, police and quarantine squad members went to question Prathap for his violation at his home in Anjanapura in Bengaluru on Saturday, but he was found missing. Moreover, his phone was also found switched off. His phone record showed that his last known location was near the Jnanabharathi campus in Kengeri, 16 kilometres away, Talaghattapura Police Inspector Ramappa said.

Police said they have formed three teams to track down Prathap. “Although his phone has been turned off, we have his call records and are now calling everybody on that list. They are cooperating with our inquiries,” Ramappa said.

After this, an FIR was lodged against Prathap NM at the Talaghattapura police station under the National Disaster Management Act. He has been charged with two offences, violating quarantine rules to attend the TV interview, and switching off his phone and running away to avoid being captured by quarantine squad.

Police said that Prathap will be placed in Institutional Quarantine at a facility after his capture. His punishment will be decided by courts as per law. If found guilty, he may face a jail term up to one year and/or fine.

During the interview on BTV on Thursday, Prathap had shown certificates he claims to have won for winning drone competitions in Japan and Germany. But both the organisations of the events where he claims to have won the awards have clarified that they didn’t organise any such competition and didn’t give any such award. While Prathap had refused to show any drone build by him, he had shown a photograph a drone on his smartphone. But German drone manufacture BillzEye – Multicoptersysteme has issued a statement saying that the drone seen in the photo is developed by them, and Prathap had visited an expo in Hannover, Germany where the drone was displayed and he had got photographed with the drone at their booth. All other drones seen photographs with Prathap as also clearly state-of-the-art drones made by various companies, and not made from e-waste.

Fact-Check: No, Arun Pathak, who pulled off the ‘tonsure stunt’, did not quit the Shiv Sena 8 years ago as claimed. Read details

OpIndia Staff
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Fact-Check: No, Arun Pathak, who pulled off the ‘tonsure stunt’, did not quit the Shiv Sena 8 years ago as claimed. Read details

An alleged Nepali man was tonsured and forced to shout ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and ‘Nepal PM Murdabad’ days after Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli had claimed Lord Ram was born in Nepal and the real Ayodhya was in Nepal. In the video, which went viral on social media platforms, an unidentified man seen sitting without any clothes on the upper part of his body near a river in Varanasi was confronted by a mob led by a man named Arun Pathak.

The mob made the ‘Nepali man’ shout slogans against PM Oli and Nepal. While shaving his head, he was made to praise India for providing Nepalis livelihood opportunities. Initially, the ‘secular-liberal’ media outlets blamed ‘Hindu outfits’ for the incident, however, later it came to light that the man responsible for performing the said act on the Nepali man was one Arun Pathak, who belonged to the Shiv Sena, currently a ‘secular’ party after its recent alliance with the Congress and the NCP.

However, it was later revealed that the victim was not a ‘Nepali man’ but an Indian citizen, who was identified as Dharmendra Singh. The Varanasi police confirmed that the whole incident was a pre-planned act.

The alleged victim Dharmendra Singh, was contacted by Shiv Sena leader Arun Pathak’s men on July 16 and was told that his services are required for a couple of hours at Ganga Ghat. He was misinformed that there was some event where he would be tonsured and made to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’. For his services, he would be given Rs.1000.

Shiv Sena distance itself from Arun Pathak

Following a massive embarrassment to Shiv Sena after one of its leaders caught spreading anti-India propaganda, the Uddhav Thackeray-led ‘secular’ party has now distanced themselves from Arun Pathak to claim that he does not belong to Shiv Sena.

In a tweet, Shiv Sena on Sunday claimed that he was sacked from the party eight years ago for anti-party activities.

Fact check

The claims made by Shiv Sena that Arun Pathak does not belong to Shiv Sena and he was sacked by the party eight years ago is a blatant lie.

Several photographs posted by the individual on his social media profile expose his association with Shiv Sena, at least till 2019. Pathak has posted several images along with Shiv Sena leaders.

In the below image, he can be seen sitting next to Shiv Sena MLA Sunil Raut. The graffiti of former Shiv Sena leader Balasaheb Thackeray is also visible in the post, which was posted by Arun Pathak on October 18, 2019, a few days before Maharashtra legislative elections.

Image Source: Arun Pathak

In another image posted by Arun Pathak, he can be seen wearing Shiv Sena party shawl along with another party leader. The image was posted by the man on October 9, 2019, less than a year from the incident contrary to the claims of Shiv Sena that he was sacked eight years ago.

Image Source: Arun Pathak

Similarly, he can be seen wearing a similar Shiv Sena ‘gamcha’. The image was posted on July 16, 2019.

Image Source: Arun Pathak

Most importantly, Shiv Sena leader Arun Pathak was seen standing next to none other than Shiv Sena chief and Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. In the image, it can be seen that the two of them are gleefully greeting each other confirming that he was in good terms with the party and its leadership. May be he was not sacked at all.

The image was posted by Pathak himself on April 26, 2019.

Image Source: Arun Pathak
Image Source: Arun Pathak

From the above images, it can be categorically stated that Arun Pathak is very much an active member of the Shiv Sena party, contrary to the claims of the Uddhav Thackeray-led party that he was sacked eight years ago.

ISRO’s giant autoclave completes an almost year-long journey by road from Nasik to Thiruvananthapuram

OpIndia Staff
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ISRO’s giant autoclave completes an almost year-long journey by road from Nasik to Thiruvananthapuram

A 70-ton industrial autoclave meant to be installed at ISRO’s Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) at Vattiyoorkavu finally reached its destination city on Saturday. It is expected to reach the space centre on Sunday. The vehicle has covered four states in almost a year. A staff member travelling with the cargo told ANI that they started the journey on 8th July 2019 from Maharashtra. They travelled across four states and have finally reached Thiruvananthapuram.

The cargo has a height and width of 7.5 metres and 6.65 metres respectively. Unique Chemoplant Equipments manufactured it at its Ambarnath factory. The company specializes in heavy-duty industrial machinery. ISRO has paid around nine crores for the equipment that includes transportation. This autoclave is going to be the largest one installed at ISRO’s facility at VSSC. The autoclave can’t be dismantled to be transported in pieces, and had to be transported in a single giant piece.

The difficult yet important journey

The sheer size of the cargo travelling on the 74-wheel Volvo FM heavy-duty truck has caused a lot of trouble while moving it from Nasik to Thiruvananthapuram. A team of 30 staff members comprising of engineers, electricians and other experts facilitated the journey. The vehicle moved at a pace of about 5 KM per day. The local authorities and experts with the cargo worked together to clear the path for the vehicle.

While it was moving, no other vehicle was allowed on the road. At many places, the authorities have to remove tree branches and even remove electricity poles to clear path for the vehicle. At two locations, they had to install iron girders to allow smooth passage over bridges. The journey was halted for about a month when the coronavirus lockdown was imposed on 25th March.

An employee of a private agency that was assigned to shift the autoclave from Nashik to VSSC told HT that lockdown made the movement miserable. The vehicle was stopped in Andhra Pradesh for a month due to lockdown. Their agency had to intervene, but it took a few days to acquire all the permissions.

Purpose of the autoclave

Industrial autoclaves are basically pressurized vessels that play a crucial role in the manufacturing of advanced composites, especially in the aerospace industry. This large cylindrical piece of machinery will enable ISRO to manufacture cost-effective, extensive and light-weight structure needed for satellites and launch vehicles.

Once it reaches ISRO’s facility, it will take another three months to install the autoclave. In this period the engineers at ISRO will integrate it with the electrical systems and controls.

‘ISIS bride’ Shamima Begum granted permission to return to the United Kingdom to contest UK Govt’s decision to revoke her citizenship

OpIndia Staff
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‘ISIS bride’ Shamima Begum granted permission to return to the United Kingdom to contest UK Govt’s decision to revoke her citizenship

ISIS Bride Bride Shamima Begum has been granted permission to return to the United Kingdom to contest the removal of her citizenship. She was one of the three east London school girls who had left the United Kingdom to travel to Islamic State controlled territory in the Middle East. She was 15 when she left to join ISIS in February 2015.

While the British Prime Minister and others in the government have strongly objected to her return to the United Kingdom, the Court of Appeal ruled that Shamima Begum has the right to return to the country and fight the government’s decision to strip her of her citizenship. She was stripped of her citizenship citing public good as reason.

“I have reached the firm conclusion that given that the only way in which she can have a fair and effective appeal is to be permitted to come into the United Kingdom to pursue her appeal,” judge Julian Flaux ruled. “Fairness and justice must, on the facts of this case, outweigh the national security concerns… I consider that Ms Begum’s claim for judicial review of the decision of SIAC (Special Immigration Appeals Commission)… succeeds.”

Sections of the British citizenry have been supporting her return on the grounds that Shamima Begum is a British citizen and hence, ought to be tried for her crimes in the UK. Commentator Kenan Malik said, “Begum, 20, was born in Britain and brought up in Britain. However monstrous her actions in Syria, she remains someone to whom Britain has legal and moral obligations. Begum should be answerable for her jihadist activities – in a British court.”

Shamima Begum has been trying for quite sometime to return to the United Kingdom. Her efforts started gaining momentum when she became the mother of a baby boy and wanted to leave the Middle East because she believed it was not safe for her baby. However, public opinion was completely against her and she could not return. Her baby eventually died.

Shamima Begum has said in the past that she does not see why British authorities would consider her a threat and claimed that then Home Secretary Said Javid had “no proof” she was a threat “other than that I was in ISIS”. However, she has also said that she does not regret joining ISIS. She has also justified the Manchester Arena terrorist attack and said other extremely disturbing things.

“Mostly it was a normal life in Raqqa, every now and then bombing and stuff,” she had said in the past. “But when I saw my first severed head in a bin it didn’t faze me at all. It was from a captured fighter seized on the battlefield, an enemy of Islam. I thought only of what he would have done to a Muslim woman if he had the chance.”

Now, due to the ruling by the Court of Appeal, Shamima Begum can legally return to the United Kingdom and contest the British government’s decision to revoke her citizenship. She was found in a camp in Syria by Times War journalist Anthony Loyd.

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