On 25th January, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unveiled the third and final part of its election manifesto or ‘Sankalp Patra’ for the upcoming Delhi Assembly Elections. Union Home Minister Amit Shah released the document and announced significant promises, including a welfare board for gig workers, Rs 10 lakh life insurance, Rs 5 lakh accidental insurance, and the development of a new Yamuna riverfront modelled on Gujarat’s Sabarmati riverfront.
While speaking to the media during the press conference, HM Shah pledged 50,000 jobs and 20 lakh self-employment opportunities for the residents of Delhi.
हम युवाओं को 50,000 सरकारी नौकरियां, 20 लाख रोजगार और स्वरोजगार के अवसर उपलब्ध करवाएंगे और जरूरतमंद छात्रों को नेशनल कॉमन मोबिलिटी कार्ड (NCMC) के माध्यम से मेट्रो में मुफ्त यात्रा की सुविधा प्रदान करने के लिए वार्षिक ₹4,000 क्रेडिट करेंगे। #BJPKeSankalppic.twitter.com/IsNzqZiHgg
He also proposed the creation of a Mahabharat corridor in collaboration with the neighbouring states of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
हम महाभारत के प्रसिद्ध पौराणिक महाकाव्य को बढ़ावा देने और प्रचारित करने के लिए एक भव्य महाभारत कॉरिडोर विकसित करेंगे, इसके लिए उत्तर प्रदेश और हरियाणा सरकारों के साथ साझेदारी भी करेंगे। #BJPKeSankalppic.twitter.com/Lpk9BqCs2p
Furthermore, he promised full ownership rights in 1,700 unauthorised colonies in the national capital.
HM Shah also highlighted healthcare promises in the manifesto and assured free treatment for senior citizens under the Ayushman Bharat scheme. He promised that if the BJP comes to power in the state, the scheme will be approved in the first Cabinet meeting.
Apart from these promises, HM Shah also vowed to address issues arising during the AAP regime, such as reopening 13,000 sealed shops and converting 13,000 buses into electric vehicles to improve public transport and environmental standards.
BJP criticises Kejriwal over unfulfilled promises
HM Shah launched a scathing attack on AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal. He accused Kejriwal of failing to deliver on his promise to clean the Yamuna River. He said, “Kejriwal promised to make the Yamuna like the Thames and even said he would take a dip in it. Today, the people of Delhi are still waiting for that world-famous dip.”
He pledged that if the BJP comes to power, cleaning the Yamuna would be a priority and it would be accomplished within three years. Furthermore, he promised to develop a riverfront, inviting Kejriwal and his family to take a dip in the Yamuna River once the project is complete.
हम यमुना कोष के माध्यम से यमुना नदी को पुनर्जीवित करेंगे एवं केंद्र सरकार के साथ सहयोग करके साबरमती रिवर-फ्रंट की तर्ज पर यमुना रिवर फ्रंट का विकास करेंगे। #BJPKeSankalppic.twitter.com/jlKorWw8a3
Shah also accused AAP of running misleading campaigns, including WhatsApp calls suggesting the BJP would halt welfare schemes. “No welfare schemes for the poor will be stopped. The BJP will fulfil all its promises,” he reiterated.
Liquor policy and corruption in focus
Notably, the BJP manifesto highlighted corruption allegations against the incumbent AAP government, including the controversial Delhi liquor policy scam. Shah accused Kejriwal of granting licences for liquor stores near schools and places of worship. HM Shah said, “Thousands of crores worth of liquor scam was done by their Education Minister (Manish Sisodia).”
केजरीवाल ने कहा था रिहायशी क्षेत्रों से हम शराब की दुकानें बंद करेंगे। केजरीवाल जी आप रिहायशी क्षेत्र तो छोड़िए आप ने तो स्कूलों, मंदिरो, गुरुद्वारों के करीब में शराब की दुकान खोलने के लाइसेंस दे दिए और हजारों करोड़ो का भ्रष्टाचार किया-श्री @AmitShah#BJPKeSankalppic.twitter.com/bhe7JpMOsc
Furthermore, HM Shah criticised Kejriwal for spending Rs 51 crore to renovate his government residence, labelling it as a “sheeshmahal”, a term that has been used consistently for the lavishly renovated CM residence. He questioned the efficiency of AAP’s mohalla clinics. “Are operations and x-rays conducted there? What about specialist doctors?” he asked, alleging widespread scams and fake tests.
BJP’s earlier promises and election stakes
Earlier, the BJP’s manifesto focused heavily on welfare and anti-corruption measures. The party promised Rs 2,500 monthly assistance under the Mahila Samridhi Yojana, Rs 500 LPG subsidies, and free education from KG to PG for government school students.
The BJP last came to power in Delhi in 1998 and is hoping to weed out AAP from the national capital in the upcoming elections. The party’s campaign has largely centred on corruption allegations and unfulfilled promises by AAP while addressing issues faced by gig workers, unauthorised colonies, and businesses.
The voting in Delhi will take place in a single phase on 5th February. The results will be announced on 8th February.
While releasing the final part of the BJP’s Delhi manifesto on Saturday, January 25, Union Home Minister Amit Shah lashed out at the AAP national convener and former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. Amit Shah said that Kejriwal did not fulfill any of his promises. Mincing no words, Amit Shah called Kejriwal a liar. He said that he had not seen such a liar in his political career.
Amit Shah accused Kejriwal of not implementing any of the welfare schemes promised by him. Taking a dig at the Delhi CM’s official residence which Kejriwal renovated by spending a huge amount of public money, Shah said that Kejriwal had promised that he would not live in a bungalow and yet he spent crores on the renovation of the CM’s residence. Further lashing out at Kejriwal, Amit Shah accused Kejriwal of deceiving people by telling them lies. “In my political career, I have never seen such a liar. I have no problem with using such harsh words because I am convinced, ” said Amit Shah.
Kejriwal promised to take a dip in Yamuna: Amit Shah
Amit Shah called out Kejriwal for not fulfilling his promise of cleaning Yamuna. “Kejriwal promised to take a dip in Yamuna after cleaning it within 7 years. We are still waiting for you to take a dip in Yamuna. You did nothing to make Delhi pollution-free except hold press conferences thrice a day”, said Amit Shah. Reminding Kejriwal that he is out on bail and the charges against him remain, Amit Shah added, “The moment you got bail, you claimed innocence. Kejriwal ji, you are out on bail, the charges against you are not dropped”.
Amit Shah cornered Kejriwal for failing to make a Dalit person the Deputy CM of Delhi as was promised by him. “You promised to give Delhi a Dalit Deputy CM, it’s been 10 years of your government and your promise remains unfulfilled”, Shah added.
Liquor shops opened across the national capital
Taking a jibe at Kejriwal over the Delhi Liquor Excise Policy scam, Amit Shah said that Kejriwal opened liquor stores near schools, temples and gurudwaras. “He (Arvind Kejriwal) said he would close liquor stores from residential areas. Forget residential areas, Arvind Kejriwal did not spare schools, temples and even gurudwaras. He gave licenses to open liquor stores in their vicinity, ” said the Union Home Minister.
“Thousands of crores worth of liquor scam was done and this scam was done by their Education Minister (Manish Sisodia). This is unprecedented. When Arvid Kejriwal was in jail, he did not resign on moral grounds but proudly stayed as the CM,” Shah added.
BJP will clean Yamuna if voted to power: Amit Shah
Unveiling the BJP manifesto, Amit Shah promised that if BJP is voted to power in Delhi, the party will clean Yamuna within 3 years. He said that the BJP government would offer 50,000 government positions and would also create 20 lakh self-employment opportunities. He assured that no existing welfare scheme would be discontinued if the BJP comes to power in the national capital.
As the Delhi Assembly elections are around the corner, the political tensions between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Aam Aadmi Party are mounting. During a press meeting today, the Delhi BJP accused the AAP of deceiving the women of Delhi. Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdev accused the AAP of throwing away in garbage the forms filled by women to avail the benefits of AAP’s promised Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana.
Producing a pile of forms in the press meeting, Sachdev said that the filled forms of the Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana were handed over by a junk dealer in the Timarpur assembly constituency in Delhi. He said that the junk dealer gave the discarded forms to the BJP candidate from constituency, Surya Prakash Khatri. Sachdev claimed that after the find, BJP workers talked to a few other junk dealers and found forms with all of them. The BJP leader said that the junk dealers had about 30 thousand such forms with annexed copies of supporting documents like PAN cards, Aadhar cards, Voter ID and bank details.
He said that 30 thousand forms were found in just one constituency, and therefore the actual number of such discarded forms will be much higher in the entire Delhi which has 70 constituencies.
Sachdev said that the Aam Aadmi Party compromised the personal details and other confidential information of women who trusted the party’s promises. He said that this information could be misused to access their bank accounts or for any other purposes.
When asked, Virendra Sachdev said that the forms they were displaying in the press conference were originals, not photocopies, as evidenced by original colour passport photos affixed on the forms. He also read out some names and their partial details from the forms.
AAP promised to pay Rs 2100 monthly to women
Last year in December, the Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal promised cash rewards to all the women in Delhi under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana. Confirming that the Yojana was approved by the Delhi cabinet, Kejriwal promised that the Rs. 1000 monthly would be rolled out immediately to all the women and Rs 2100 monthly would be given to all women after his party is voted back to power in Delhi.
The AAP also announced the Sanjeevani Yojana promising free medical and healthcare services to citizens aged above 60. However, the Health and Family Welfare Department of the Government of the NCT of Delhi warned the citizens that no such scheme is in existence at present. In addition to that, the Women and Child Development (WCD) department of the Delhi government issued a clarification regarding the ‘Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana,’ and said no such scheme has been officially notified.
Following the announcement, the AAP began collecting the personal details of the women and senior citizens in Delhi. Thousands of women filled out the forms to avail the benefits under the Yojana. On 25th December, the AAP revealed that around 1.15 million people had already signed up for the said schemes and that around 1,50,000 among them who are senior citizens have signed up for free health care.
Delhi govt said the schemes do not exist
While the AAP leaders and workers were getting people to fill up the forms for ‘Mahila Samman Yojana’ and ‘Sanjeevani Yojana’, the party-run govt in Delhi had issued a clarification in December 2024 saying that such schemes do not exist and they were illegally being propagated among the public. In statements issued by the Health and Family Welfare Department and Women and Child Development Department, it was clarified that the so-called ‘registration forms’ being used for enrolment into the schemes have no official value.
The state govt departments had asked people to not share personal information through fraudulent forms. The statements had said that no official authority has been ordered to collect personal data of the citizens in the name of the fraudulent schemes.
Even after the statements issued by the two departments under the Delhi govt, AAP leaders and workers continued to collect filled-up forms across all 70 constituencies in Delhi. The party workers had even set up camps to register the beneficiaries for the non-existent schemes.
Women protested outside Kejriwal’s residence for not fulfilling the promise
Earlier this month, a group of women from Punjab staged a protest accusing the AAP-led Punjab government of backtracking on the promise of providing Rs 1000 to every woman. “We have come from Amritsar to put forward our matters. Do not cheat the women of Delhi as you did with the women of Punjab, ” a woman told reporters while being detained. “Do not make a promise of Rs 2100 to the women of Delhi”, she said.
Perversion runs deep within the Islamo-leftist ecosystem. What comes across as even more alarming is the brazen hypocrisy of this lot as they take delight in sermonising about women’s rights and empowerment and whatnot all while demonstrating conspicuous reluctance in denouncing the perverts and sexual predators within their ideological ranks. Recently, a pro-Congress troll from the left-liberal side of the ideological spectrum who goes by the pseudonym “Narundar” has been accused of perverted behaviour towards women on social media, sexting and grooming young girls.
Several social media users are claiming that the Islamo-leftist troll “Narundar” is a 52-year-old Muslim man named Mohammad Shehbaz and a has daughter, however, he was allegedly pretending to be single while manipulating girls as young as 19 to 20 years old. It must be noted that there is no confirmation of Narundar’s real name or religious identity and several claims about the same are being made on social media.
The matter came to light after some X users began warning people to beware of this predator operating on X as an anonymous leftist troll. In this vein, an X user who goes by the username @Delhiite published a post on 20th January 2025 wherein he said, “Beware of predators hiding behind anonymous accounts. A so-called big left-wing troll on Twitter, married & has a daughter, is pretending to be single and using vanish mode on Instagram to groom and manipulate young girls as young as 19-20.. ( not counting well grown-ups if they know the reality or not). Stay vigilant.”
Beware of predators hiding behind anonymous accounts. A so-called big left-wing troll on Twitter, married & he has a daughter, is pretending to be single and using vanish mode on Instagram to groom and manipulate young girls as young as 19-20.. ( not counting well grown ups if…
Meanwhile, several victims shared their ordeal and said that the leftist troll used to chat with them on vanish mode, befriend them, flirt with them and then ask for their pictures.
An X user named Ehsan shared the messages of two girls who accused “Narundar” of flirting with them. One of the messages stated that when the leftist troll allegedly sent her flirtatious messages she blocked him, however, she regretted not calling him out.
“If you people are talking about NarundarM then it is true. He is an absolute b@stard. Kutta hai sala. Jitni gali do km hai. He tried to msg me so many times. When I responded he tried to flirt. I blocked. I should have called him out then only. Expose him. Please,” the screenshot of the message shared on X by Ehsan reads.
Similarly, the other message reads, “bh mene twitter kuch mahino pehle join kari. ek bada acct he narundar naam ka isne mujhe kafi dm kiye phir mujhe insta par mesgg karne laga vanish mode me frienship k liye. baato baato me flirt karne laga meri pics manga ab mereko blackmail karra. me kis se help lu sab usko nek insan samajhte koi mera vishwas nhi karinga agar mene suicide karli to yaad rakhna narundar zimmedar hoga (I joined Twitter some time back. This big account Narundar DMed me many times and then messaged me on Instagram while on vanish mode for friendship. While chatting he began flirting and asked for my pictures and is now blackmailing me. Who should I take help from. I thought he was a wise man. Nobody will believe me. If I commit suicide, then Narundar is to blame.)
Numerous such screenshots of Narundar who is being claimed to be Mohammad Shehbaz, sliding into the DMs of girls with perverted intentions, who apparently followed him due to their shared ideology have emerged on social media.
Several X users are calling out people for maintaining a deliberate silence until Narundar was targeting Hindu girls, however, as soon as the Islamo-leftist troll began hitting out on Muslim girls, the same people allowed the same harassment to be meted out to Hindu girls, they wasted no time to expose the pervert.
These allegations emerged after X user Ehsan posted, “Baat apni ladkiyon ki thi Isliye samne ana pda Wrna ye baten saal se ho rhi h Wrna in sab se apna kya lena dena Ye sach hai ya jhuth usko bhul jao Reach aur attention k chakkar me, aise handles interaction sahi nhi h. door rho isme aap logon ki bhlayi h. (The matter was about our girls that’s why we had to come forward otherwise these things have been going for years. Otherwise what do we have to do with all this. Forget whether all this is true or not. Interacting such handles for reach and attention is not right. Stay away for your own good.)”
I received two messages, one a month ago and the second one today—about the same user. I’m not sure if it’s true, but it’s really shocking if it's true https://t.co/0cW5a2u1Q5pic.twitter.com/vWnkqcOVDz
Criticising the despicable mindset of such people one X user said, “Look how shameless & despicable these peacefuls are : They were ok with this pervert Narundar harassing Hindu girls, they disowned him the moment he harassed one of their own … and I hear this pervert Narundar is also a peaceful.”
Look how shameless & despicable these peacefuls are : They were ok with this pervert Narundar harassing Hindu girls, they disowned him the moment he harassed one of their own … and I hear this pervert Narundar is also a peaceful ??? https://t.co/9lgiBrEQqnpic.twitter.com/GEA84Q5It6
Meanwhile, netizens are calling out the hypocrisy of Narundar and sharing his old posts talking about creating a “safer environment for women”.
“I don’t know how much my request can change, but if you want a safer environment for women, UNFOLLOW ABUSIVE and MISOGYNIST people. Please join in and post with, if you care, #UnfollowAbusers,” one of Narundar’s posts reads.
Another post of his in the context of L&T Chairman SN Subrahmanyan’s controversial “How long can you at stare your wife” remarks, however, gives an insight into the perverted mentality of the leftist troll.
Meanwhile, Narundar put out a post in his defence recently and said, “I don’t think I ever asked someone for anything inappropriate, forget pushing them.”
TMC Mahua Moitra who was fangirling over Narundar zips her mouth even after he was exposed
Interestingly, Narundar who has amassed over 1,61,000 followers on X and about 1,27,000 followers on Instagram is followed by many influential figures in the left-liberal ecosystem. However, the troll has a fan in Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra. Amidst the controversy around Narundar’s alleged perverted behaviour, a reply to one of Narundar’s posts from last year has gone viral. This was in August 2024, when Moitra responded to the leftist troll’s post wherein he advised the TMC MP to hire a better PR team after he was blocked by Moitra on X.
Responding to Narundar’s post, Mahua Moitra said, “Sorry. Told them. Btw I am a fan of yours and like your posts & comment.”
In an apparent lack of moral backbone, Moitra has not yet denounced Narundar even after the leftist troll’s predatory behaviour with several girls on social media has been exposed by his victims. However, she or her ‘team’ took out time to allegedly block an X user for highlighting her post wherein she admitted to being a fan of Narundar.
TMC MP Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) blocked me simply for asking why she follows Potential R*pist Mohammad Shehbaz, aka Narundar, after she wrote to him, “I am a fan of you….”
Narundar turning out to be an alleged pervert and leftist ecosystem maintaining silence on this matter, however, is not shocking. In fact, the left has this propensity to sexual deviancy since they discard morality. The left’s delightful dance with morality, or should, the lack thereof is as if discarding morality is a part of their morning routine, just alongside their coffee and social media posts about justice, women’s rights and feminism.
It, however, is not shocking that people like Narundar are supported and celebrated by the Islamo-leftist ecosystem, of course, till their predatory behaviour is directed towards Hindu girls only. The antecedents of the left-liberals suggest that being a pervert and of criminal conduct are somewhat essential qualities to become a secular-liberal ‘icon’. It would not be shocking if the leftists came up with the argument that people like Narundar allegedly grooming young women is not problematic rather it’s yet another shade of progressive freedom.
While individual cases may have varied specifics, the left consistently demonstrates a disturbing pattern of sexual deviancy. This, perhaps stems from the fact that ideological commitment and furtherance of their narrative take precedence over virtues and morals. Just for the sake of pushing their agendas, the left-liberal ecosystem conveniently overlooks even predatory behaviour since it comes from one of their own. This dangerous pattern of moral decay, however, culminates in fostering a permissive environment wherein morality takes a backseat to political and ideological convenience. The left-liberal cabal takes delight in loathing the right wing as ‘misogynist’ and delivering sanctimonious sermons on moral virtues over “Melodi” memes, however, the same morality and sanctimony goes for a toss when someone from their ideological fold exhibit predatory behaviour.
Forget outraging or boycotting predators, the left-liberal ecosystem has a penchant for accommodating such elements. OpIndia has reported numerous high-profile cases wherein the predatory conduct of those within the left-liberal ideological fold was not only brushed aside but they were also celebrated.
From platforming those accused of sexual abuse to downplaying paedophilia: The unsettling extent to which the leftist go to shield their predators who champion their cause
Remember the late Vinod Dua? He was accused of stalking and sexual abuse as well. The leftist propaganda portal The Wire allowed Dua to make crass comments and slander the ‘Me Too’ movement. The outlet also allowed one of its journalists who was accused of rape to go back to work without offering any explanation. It must be recalled how Vinod Dua’s daughter Mallika Dua had dismissed all those criticising her father as “bhakts” and “right-wing trolls”. Like Dua, another feminist-liberal filmmaker Nandita Das also stood by her father, Jatin Das, who was accused of sexual harassment by a conservationist Nisha Bora.
A similar pattern was seen in NDTV, wherein Uma Sudhir, the wife of TS Sudhir, an NDTV journalist who was accused of sexual harassment, was accused of ‘gaslighting’ victims and intimidating them to protect her husband.
Incidentally, just as the leftist ecosystem has zipped its mouth over Narundar, they had gone silent when propaganda website AltNews’s co-founder Pratik Sinha was accused by a woman from the leftist ecosystem of sexual harassment and being a ‘sex maniac’. Hardly anyone from the liberal ecosystem who otherwise loves to position themselves as gatekeepers of morality and flagbearers of feminism called out Sinha’s alleged misconduct towards a woman.
In 2017, a year before the MeToo movement hit India, Raya Sarkar, then a law student in the US with her roots in India, put up a post on Facebook where she had named and shamed Indian academics who had been accused of sexual harassment. Subsequently, many other women came forward to retell the tales of their own abuse. However, the entire Leftist cabal had taken it upon themselves to shield the men. In another such case, the JNU Teachers Association rallied behind Arshad Alam, a professor at JNU who was found guilty of sexually molesting a student. Clearly, in the left-liberal ecosystem, as long as you seem to be pushing their narrative and fighting their ideological nemesis (read Sanghis and Hindutvawadis), the dignity of a few women can be sacrificed.
This, however, is not exclusive to Indian leftists rather this trait of defending predators or downplaying their perverted behaviour is shared among the left liberals across the world. From William Dalrymple who was back in 2018 accused of making many women uncomfortable during the #MeToo movement, to the Labour Party government in the UK outrightly rejecting a national inquiry into Pakistani Muslim grooming gangs which raped White and non-Muslim girls for nearly four decades in the country just because it would upset their Muslim vote-bank, this pattern can be traced globally.
OpIndia reported earlier, how the Labour Party and even the UK Police downplayed the crimes of Pakistani Muslim grooming gangs with the authorities even indulging in victim shaming and arrests because acting against Muslim perpetrators would encourage a ‘negative stereotype’ against Muslims and they feared being perceived as ‘Islamophobic’.
We reported that the leftist propaganda outlet Newslaundry whined about Hindus restricting entry of non-Hindus from Garba events to prevent Islamist predators from targeting Hindu women in their religious festival. The same people cry hoarse over Hindu religious processions playing songs and dancing while passing from a Muslim-dominated area is fine with Muslims entering garba events even as there have been numerous cases when they were found harassing Hindu women, attacking Hindu men or disrupting the celebrations, since maintaining the chimaera of ‘secularism’ and ‘inclusivity’ is more important than the safety and rights of Hindus and sanctity of their festivals.
It must also recalled how back in 2020, The Wire and NDTV misreported the findings of a report by Kanpur Police’s Special Investigation Team (SIT). This SIT was formed to probe the 14 cases of ‘Love Jihad’ (grooming jihad) and forced conversion in the Kanpur district. On 24th November 2020, the SIT submitted its report, however, The Wire and NDTV claimed in their reports that the ‘polarising campaign’ the Uttar Pradesh Govt was trying to carry out in the name of ‘love jihad’ turned out to be a damp squib, as the SIT report it had accessed said that 8 out of the 14 cases were ‘consensual’. Basically, The Wirewas telling the people that who gives a damn about age restrictions when you have ‘informed consent’. However, OpIndia reported that contrary to claims made by the leftist propaganda outlets, the UP Police confirmed that they found criminality in 11 out of 14 cases.
While The Wire and other leftist propaganda outlets tried to justify the grooming of minor Hindu girls by Muslim men in the name of ‘consent’, the SIT report revealed that Muslim men have indeed been subjugating Hindu women. No wonder the Islamo-leftists dismiss grooming jihad as a ‘hoax’ and ‘right-wing conspiracy theory’ since these are religiously motivated crimes wherein the perpetrators are essentially Muslims.
Not to forget, this same left-liberal cabal celebrates not only sexual predators but convicted criminals like Lalu Yadav who headed the infamous ‘jungle raj’ era in Bihar as a champion of ‘social justice’. They hail Mamata Banerjee who blamed population surge, modernisation an increase in shopping malls and multiplexes for rising rape cases, and on numerous occasions downplayed rape cases, as an epitome of woman empowerment. They continue to project the 2020 anti-Hindu Delhi Riots’ alleged mastermind Umar Khalid as a ‘crusader against fascists’. All because in the eyes of the left-liberal cabal, such people are champions of the supposed ‘higher purpose’ of fighting the ‘Sanghis’ and the BJP.
In conclusion, the left-liberal ecosystem has a sexual predator problem, however, this lot’s moral compass has been compromised long back. Their conduct in Narundar’s case only demonstrates that they have traded their moral backbone for subscription to an ideology where every deviancy can be tolerated, downplayed, rationalised and even excused as long as the predator continues to contribute towards furthering their ideology and propaganda.
On 23rd January, another FIR was registered against Mahesh Langa, a journalist working with the English newspaper The Hindu. He is already facing multiple cases, including GST fraud, cheating, and leaking government documents. The FIR was registered at the Satellite Police Station in Ahmedabad based on the complaint of a land broker named Janak Thakor under Section 308(2) of the Bharatiya Nayay Sanhita (BNS).
In the complaint, Langa is accused of taking ₹40 lakh, promising Thakor that his name would be mentioned in a newspaper article. Janak alleged in his complaint that in January 2024, Langa demanded Rs 20 lakh to mention his name in an article published in The Hindu. Later, he again demanded another Rs 20 lakh, bringing the total to Rs 40 lakh.
Excerpt from the FIR. Source: OpIndia Gujarati
Thakor said that he met Langa about a year and a half ago at a café in Bodakdev. Over time, Langa allegedly told Thakor that he was a journalist with a prominent newspaper and also engaged in land brokerage. Langa reportedly claimed that he could resolve complex land issues, yielding significant profits. He allegedly assured Thakor that if his name appeared in the newspaper, it would bring him lucrative deals and commissions.
Langa even promised to help Thakor become a major builder and launch an IPO for his company, frequently borrowing cash while making grand claims. In January 2024, Langa told Thakor that he was writing an article on GIFT City and would mention his name. He suggested that publicity in a national newspaper would benefit Thakor’s business and enhance his reputation. Thakor alleged in his complaint that he was enticed by the prospect of gaining fame and agreed to Langa’s demand to pay him. Langa allegedly extorted Rs 20 lakh from him through such promises.
Article in The Hindu mentioning Thakor.
After the article featuring Thakor’s name was published on 26th January 2024, Langa’s behaviour reportedly changed. He began demanding more money, warning that if Thakor refused, he would use his political connections and contacts in the administration to ruin Thakor’s reputation by publishing negative articles and dragging him into false cases. Thakor alleges that these threats and Langa’s interference in certain matters caused him significant financial losses. In July 2024, fearing further damage, Thakor paid Langa an additional Rs 20 lakh in cash.
Despite this, Langa continued making demands, leaving Thakor hesitant to file a complaint due to Langa’s influential connections. However, after learning that Langa faced multiple other complaints, Thakor finally approached the police.
Arrest, lavish lifestyle and GST fraud
Langa was arrested on 8th October in this case under sections 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery), 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating), 471 (forged document), 474 (punishment for possessing forged document), 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Later, reports suggested that Langa led a lifestyle far beyond his salary, amassing crores of rupees over the past two years. Mahesh leveraged his position as a journalist to engage in blackmail, settlements, and illicit business activities, reportedly earning millions through these means. Additionally, his name had surfaced concerning the leak of sensitive government documents.
Despite an annual salary reportedly only in the lakhs, a recent Ahmedabad Crime Branch search at his home uncovered Rs 20 lakhs in cash. Police also recovered expensive jewelry and documents related to property holdings. It was also reported that Mahesh and his wife frequently visited luxury hotels like the Oberoi and Taj Man Singh. As per the revelations, he and his wife stayed in such establishments over 98 times in the past year without covering any of the costs themselves.
Investigations further revealed that the lavish lifestyle of the journalist was primarily funded through around 220 shell companies. He also frequently traveled by chartered flights, with fares amounting to lakhs. He even has a history of hosting an extravagant birthday party, inviting prominent businessmen and city officials. For this event, he reportedly paid a Rs 5 lakh advance for the hall and gifted gold coins to each guest.
It was also learned that Langa acquired government documents but did not use these for journalism. He rather used the documents to blackmail officials and government bodies. As Mahesh Langa was first brought for questioning by the Crime Branch, he claimed that he was being targeted by the government because of his work as a journalist, but this defense failed, and he was arrested.
During the investigation, it was determined that Langa had been in contact with specific officials, with chat logs to back this up located on his devices. A further police investigation found that Mahesh had gotten documents and other private information about the Gujarat Maritime Board, triggering a search of the GMB office in Gandhinagar.
After seizing several documents and materials, the Gandhinagar police registered another FIR against him at the Sector 7 police station. Another FIR was filed against Langa on 30th October after the authorities conducted massive raids against Langa across Gujarat. The FIR was filed by Pranav Shah, director of an advertising company named Khushi Enterprises, who claimed that Langa defrauded him of Rs 28 lakh, allegedly failing to return funds provided for specific work.
The first FIR against Langa pertains to the GST scam, while the second was filed by Gandhinagar police, which alleges that he exploited his position as a journalist to leak government documents. The second case is related to the Gujarat Maritime Board and it is a sensitive case due to national security concerns linked with it. The third FIR addressed the Rs 28 lakh fraud accusation, adding another accusation to the complex case against him. The fourth case involved the creation of four fake e-way bills and in December, the journalist was again arrested in a separate tax fraud case by the Rajkot police.
After a panel of the US Court of Appeals cleared the way to extradite the Mumbai terror attack convict Tahawwur Rana to India earlier this month, the US Supreme Court has approved Rana’s extradition to India. The Court dismissed a review petition filed by Rana against his conviction clearing the way to extradite him to India. The decision finally paved the way for his extradition to India after he unsuccessfully moved several federal courts in the US including the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco. India has been seeking the extradition of Rana who is wanted in connection with the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks.
Rana, a Canadian citizen of Pakistani origin, filed a writ of certiorari with the US Supreme Court on November 13 last year. The Supreme Court rejected his petition on January 21, 2025, a day after Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States. He is currently lodged in the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Los Angeles.
The US government argued for Rana’s extradition to India
Last year in December, the US government had opposed Rana’s petition before the Supreme Court. The US Solicitor General Elizabeth B Prelogar submitted a filing in the Supreme Court on December 16, 2024, arguing that Rana was not entitled to relief from extradition to India. Rana contended before the Supreme Court that he had already been tried and acquitted by a federal court in Illinois for his role in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
Disagreeing with his contention, Prelogar said that the forgery charges against him in India including submission of false information to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) when applying to open a branch office of the Immigration Law Centre, were not covered by the US prosecution. Preloger argued that the verdict in the US case, involving conspiracy charges, was difficult to interpret and did not automatically imply that Rana had been convicted or acquitted of all the specific conduct he was charged with in India. She further added that the jury’s verdict in the US trial, which involved conspiracy charges, was unclear in terms of addressing all the specific actions India had charged him with.
Why it took so long
Tahawwur Rana had been making all possible efforts to prevent himself from being extradited to India where he will be facing charges for his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. He unsuccessfully approached several lower and federal courts seeking relief. On November 13, he filed a petition with the US Supreme Court seeking a review of the lower court’s ruling against his plea.
He was convicted in the US for his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks and was imprisoned for over 10 years for supporting terrorist groups and planning the attack. In August last year, the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit stated that Tahawwur Rana is “extraditable to India” under the extradition treaty between India and the US.
The panel of the US Court of Appeals held that the Non-Bis in Idem (not twice in the same) exception did not apply in Rana’s case because the Indian charges contained distinct elements from the crimes for which he was acquitted in the United States. It also upheld the district court’s denial of Tahawwur Hussain Rana’s habeas corpus petition, which challenged a magistrate judge’s certification of Rana as extraditable to India for his suspected role in terrorist attacks in Mumbai. This was Rana’s last available legal opportunity to prevent his extradition to India.
Charges against Rana in India
The National Investigation Agency is investigating Rana’s involvement in the Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist attacks in Mumbai in 2008. Rana received an international arrest warrant, and the NIA submitted a charge sheet. His involvement in the 26/11 terror attack is linked with his association with David Headley, the Pakistani-American LeT operative who played a key role in planning the attack including gathering intelligence and conducting reconnaissance.
Tahawwur Rana had allowed David Headley to use the cover of First World Immigration Services to establish a branch in India for reconnaissance purposes.
Apart from being implicated in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, Tahawwur Ranais also wanted for his alleged involvement in plotting attacks on the National Defence College and Chabad House, a Jewish outreach center in Mumbai. He is also accused of aiding a plan to target a Danish newspaper over cartoons of Prophet Muhammad, a plot involving David Headley.
On 24th January, former Bollywood actress Mamta Kulkarni was anointed as a Mahamandaleshwar by the Kinnar Akhada at the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj. The announcement was made by Acharya Mahamandaleshwar of Kinnar Akhada, Laxmi Narayan Tripathi. For those who are unaware, the Kinnar Akhada is a spiritual sect established to bring dignity and inclusion to the transgender community. Tripathi, while speaking to the media, announced that Mamta will now be known as Shri Yamai Mamta Nandgiri. Mamta performed her “Pind Daan” ritual at Sangam Ghat in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, to mark her renunciation of worldly ties.
After the rituals, Mamta spoke to the media and expressed her spiritual transformation, saying, “This was the order of Mahadev and Maha Kali. My Guru chose this day; I only followed their command.”
Acharya Mahamandaleshwar Laxmi Narayan Tripathi said that Kulkarni has been in touch with Kinnar Akhada and him for the last one and a half years. “She is allowed to perform the character of any devotional figure if she wants as we do not prohibit anyone from performing their art,” he said earlier.
A popular Bollywood actress from the 1990s, Mamta Kulkarni returned to Mumbai last month after a long absence. After that, she was seen in the Maha Kumbh in the attire of a Sadhvi.
The Kinnar Akhada has set up its camp in sector 16 (Sangam Lower East Marg) in the tent city for Maha Kumbh Mela 2025.
What does it mean to become a Mahamandaleshwar?
The word Mahamandaleshwar means “superior of great and/or numerous monasteries” or “superior of a religious district or province”. Religious leaders who ran the congregations of saints and sages were called Mandaleshwar. As Mahamandaleshwar, the saints spread the teaching of Sanatana Dharma, living life the righteous way.
The process of becoming a Mahamandaleshwar involves several rituals linked to ancient tradition. It begins with an application to the Akhada, followed by initiation into monastic life. Candidates undergo a series of spiritual rites, including a sacred bath and the ‘Pind Daan,’ symbolising the renunciation of familial and material bonds. The final steps include being crowned with a ceremonial ‘Pattabhishek’ using a mixture of milk, honey, ghee, curd, and sugar, followed by a feast for saints and devotees.
As part of their vows, Mahamandaleshwars commit to severing ties with their families, dedicating their wealth to public service, and establishing institutions like Sanskrit schools to promote spiritual knowledge. As a Mahamandaleshwar, the person must
Speaking about Mamta becoming a Mahamandaleshwar, Tripathi said that she was part of Juna Akhada before contacting the Kinnar Akhada. However, after her Guru passed away, Mamta was unable to find the right spiritual path for herself. Around three months ago, she contacted Tripathi and expressed her desire to join the Akhada and sought the post of Mahamandaleshwar so that she could be useful to society. Tripathi laid down the conditions of becoming a Mahamandaleshwar, which Mamta accepted and followed all the rituals to become one.
#WATCH | Prayagraj | Acharya Mahamandleshwar of Kinnar Akhada, Laxmi Narayan says, "Kinnar akhada is going to make Mamta Kulkarni (former Bollywood actress) a Mahamandleshwar. She has been named as Shri Yamai Mamta Nandgiri. As I am talking here, all the rituals are underway. She… pic.twitter.com/gF25BlKcEh
The Kinnar Akhada was founded in 2015 by Laxmi Narayan Tripathi. The aim of establishing the Akhada was to integrate the transgender community into the societal mainstream. Unlike other Akhadas, it does not impose rigorous ascetic practices, making it accessible to anyone with faith in Sanatan Dharma and the Kinnar community. The Akhada’s mission is to provide dignity and respect to those often marginalised in society.
Support for spiritual renunciation
Swami Avdheshanand Giri, Mahamandaleshwar of the Juna Akhada, welcomed Mamta Kulkarni’s decision to embrace monastic life. He said, “Renunciation is everyone’s right. If someone is ready to leave behind worldly attachments for higher purposes, they should be supported.”
A journey from stardom to spirituality
Mamta was born on 20th April 1972 in Mumbai. She started her career in the Tamil film industry and rose to fame in the 1990s with hit films including Aashiq Awara, Krantiveer, and Karan Arjun. She won the Filmfare Award for Best Debut Actress in 1993. She acted in a total of 34 films and concluded her film career in 2002. Her last film was Kabhi Tum Kabhi Hum.
In 2013, Kulkarni released her book Autobiography of a Yogini, detailing her spiritual journey and decision to leave the film industry. She remarked, “Some people are born to serve the world, and some are born for God. I belong to the latter.”
Her life was also marred by controversies, including dating a gangster. There were speculations that she got married to drug lord Vicky Goswami, but she denied them, stating those were just rumours. She was named as one of the accused in a drugs case by Thane Police in 2016, but she was acquitted last year by the Bombay High Court.
The Delhi High Court has issued a notice in response to an Intervention Application (IA) seeking permission for the transplantation of 26 trees within the Supreme Court premises.
The trees are part of the ongoing project aimed at expanding the Supreme Court building to create additional courtrooms, including a constitutional court, as well as new chambers for judges and enhanced facilities for lawyers and litigants.
The bench of Justice Jasmeet Singh sought responses in the fresh intervention application of respondents in the case Bhavreen Kandhari vs. C.D. Singh & Ors., pending before the Delhi High Court. The next hearing in the matter is January 31, 2025.
The Intervention Application (IA), filed and argued by Advocate Sudhir Mishra, explained that during the marking of the layout plan, it was found that approximately 61 trees fell within the building and excavation lines of the proposed expansion area, which covers about 2.03 acres. To minimize the environmental impact, efforts were made to reduce the number of trees requiring transplantation. Initially, the number was reduced from 61 to 47, and with further adjustments, the final count was brought down to 26, while 35 trees were successfully preserved.
Advocate, Sudhir Mishra, highlighted that special efforts were made to save a significant old Banyan tree with a girth of 675 cm, which was originally in the basement plan of the building. To retain this tree, the basement layout, ramp placement, and internal road design were all altered.
The application emphasized that preserving and minimizing the number of transplanted trees was of utmost importance, and the applicant fully supported efforts to protect the environment. In light of this, the applicant has requested the court’s permission to transplant the remaining 26 trees to proceed with the Supreme Court’s expansion project, which includes additional courtrooms, a constitutional court, chambers for judges, and facilities for lawyers and litigants.
Additionally, the applicant has submitted a detailed methodology statement to the Forest Officer, outlining the process to ensure the successful transplantation and proper care of the trees.
In October 2024, the Supreme Court officially began the construction of its new expansion building, which will feature a dedicated Constitutional Courtroom for 17 judges, along with state-of-the-art courtrooms. The ground-breaking ceremony was marked by a unique ritual involving 11 priests from various religions.
The expansion will be carried out in two phases, with the first phase expected to start soon and take approximately 29 months to complete. The new building, located within the existing Supreme Court complex, will cover 86,500 square meters and span five floors. The first and second floors will house courtrooms, while the fifth floor will be dedicated to the Constitutional Courtroom. The other floors will include various facilities to support litigants, lawyers, and court officials.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
Amidst increasing military engagement between Bangladesh and Pakistan, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) released a statement on Friday stating that Delhi has been closely monitoring the developments in its neighbourhood. The MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that the government has been keeping an eye on activities that affect national security.
“We keep an eye on all the activities around the country and in the region, as well as activities affecting national security, and the government will take appropriate steps”, Jaiswal said.
Speaking during a media briefing, Jaiswal asserted that India wants to maintain friendly relations with Bangladesh. “We support a democratic, progressive and inclusive Bangladesh. We want to strengthen our ties so that the people of India and Bangladesh can prosper”, he said.
An ISI delegation is on a four-day visit to Dhaka
The MEA statement came after a four-member delegation of Pakistan’s intelligence agency, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) went on a four-day visit to Bangladesh on January 21. The delegation included the ISI’s Director General of Analysis, Major General Shahid Amir Afsar. Afsar previously served as Pakistan’s defense attache in Beijing.
The visit was preceded by the visit of a six-member Bangladeshi delegation to Pakistan. The delegation headed by Lt Gen Kamrul Hasan, the Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Division, met the top military leadership of Pakistan including Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir in Rawalpindi during January 13-18. In December last year, Chief Advisor of Bangladesh Government Muhammad Yunus and Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif met in Cairo during the D-8 Summit.
The last publicly acknowledged visit by a senior ISI official to Bangladesh was in 2009 when the ISI sent an officer to help Dhaka quell a revolt in the Bangladeshi paramilitary force.
ISI met ULFA commander Paresh Barua
As per a report of News18, the ISI officials also met Paresh Barua, the commander of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) who is imprisoned in Bangladesh. ULFA is an armed separatist military organisation operating in the Northeast state of Assam, India. It seeks to establish an independent state of Assam through armed struggle. Notably, the training camps of the ULFA have also cropped up recently around the Kashalong Reserve Forest area along the Maslong River in Bangladesh which is close to the Indian border. Camps have also been set up in the Baghaichari sub-district and Dighinallah areas. These camps were shut down under the Sheikh Hasina government.
Bangladesh-ISI relations came to a halt during the Hasina government
The recent military engagements between the two Islamic countries have particularly alarmed Delhi since under the ousted Sheikh Hasina government, Bangladesh’s military engagements with Pakistan had come to a halt. The Hasina government dealt with the ISI’s interference in Bangladesh with an iron hand. The Hasina government prosecuted several people on the charges of colluding with Pakistan during the 1971 War of Liberation.
This resulted in ISI’s covert operations, political interference, and support for extremist groups coming to an end. However, after the overthrow of the Hasina government, the interim government led by Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus has been showing an inclination towards Pakistan. The sudden revival of military contacts between the countries has naturally caused concern in India.
India-Bangladesh relations spiraling downwards since the ouster of the Hasina government
The relations between India and Bangladesh have been facing a downturn ever since the Sheikh Hasina government was overthrown on August 5, 2024. Protests that started as a ‘student protest’ turned into a violent revolution in which Hindu minorities in the country were persecuted. Sheikh Hasina had to flee Bangladesh. She sought refuge in India and has been staying here since her request for asylum was declined by the UK.
The new regime led by Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus that took over after the Hasina government has been unsuccessful in curbing violence against religious minorities in Bangladesh as well as in restoring normalcy. The interim government has also been showing a hostile attitude towards India while fostering military relations with Pakistan.
Recently, Bangladesh vehemently opposed the fencing work being carried out by the Border Security Force (BSF) of India along the Indo-Bangladesh border to curb the growing problem of infiltration. On the other hand, Bangladesh constructed a permanent river embankment at zero point along the border in Tripura without informing India which was in clear violation of the Indira-Mujib Treaty.
Pune in Maharashtra has recorded a total of 73 cases of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), a rare and alarming neurological disorder. Reports suggest that there has been a spike in the number of cases, including six newly suspected cases. The surge in the number of cases has prompted authorities to intensify investigations into the unusual rise.
According to the Maharashtra State Health Department, there are 47 men and 26 women suffering from the disease. Out of these, 14 are currently on ventilator support. So far, no GBS-induced death has been reported. Generally, 1-2 cases of GBS are reported every month in large hospitals of the city.
What is GBS – The Guillain-Barré Syndrome
Guillain-Barré Syndrome is a rare condition in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks part of the peripheral nervous system. It is triggered by pathogenic bacteria Campylobacter jejuni. Other known triggers are infections from other viruses including dengue, chikungunya, or bacteria can trigger the disease. The disease leads to muscle weakness, loss of sensation in the limbs, and, in some cases, severe difficulties in breathing or swallowing. The disease affects the nerves responsible for muscle movement and those that carry sensations like pain, temperature, and touch. Though the condition is more common in adults, especially men, it can affect individuals of all ages.
The disease spreads through contaminated food or water. Despite its severity, health officials have assured the public that GBS does not pose a risk of becoming an epidemic or pandemic. Recently, authorities have detected the pathogen in stool samples from multiple hospitals which added to evidence linking the bacteria to the outbreak. Boiling water before drinking and cooking food properly, especially meat like pork etc can save general public from getting infected.
Authorities investigate sudden surge in cases
Responding to the spike in the number of GBS cases, the state health department has formed a Rapid Response Team (RRT) to investigate the cause. The RRT has been working closely with local health authorities and the Pune Municipal Corporation to monitor and control the situation. Many patients reported diarrhea or respiratory symptoms in the initial stages of the onset.
The Central Surveillance Unit (CSU) of the Union Health Ministry has also taken congnisance of the rising number of cases. The ministry will soon send a team of doctors to assist local authorities. Joint Director of epidemiology department, Dr Babita Kamalapurkar, has briefed the CSU about the patient’s profiles.
Ongoing surveillance and public outreach
Health authorities are reportedly proactively surveying the affected areas. Several surveys have been conducted across various wards, including the Pune Municipal Corporation, Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, and surrounding rural regions. So far, 7,200 homes have been surveyed, with over 1,900 houses surveyed within the PMC limits and more than 3,500 homes in rural areas.
