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UP: Illegal mosque structure in Bareilly demolished by members of the Muslim community after authorities confirm violation

OpIndia Staff
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UP: Illegal mosque structure in Bareilly demolished by members of the Muslim community after authorities confirm violation

Members of the Muslim community in Tilmas village, Mirganj, took the initiative on Monday to begin dismantling part of a mosque built on public pond land. This step followed an investigation by authorities, which confirmed the construction violated local regulations.

An inspection led by SDM Tripti Gupta and her team revealed that pillars and a lintel had been erected on pond land adjacent to the mosque, breaching construction rules. The revenue team’s findings further validated these violations.

On Monday, members of the Muslim community approached the Sub-Divisional Magistrate to propose voluntarily removing the illegal structure. Demolition work began that evening under police supervision but was suspended due to darkness, with plans to continue today.

The local Muslims explained that the mosque was originally built by village landlords, with the pond serving as a source of water for worshippers’ ablutions. They admitted the recent construction, which included pillars and a lintel, was an attempt to repair deteriorating walls affected by water exposure.

Exposing Salman Azhari to highlighting illegal dargah at Ranjitsagar: OpIndia’s ground reports from Gujarat in 2024 that made an impact

Editorial Desk
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Exposing Salman Azhari to highlighting illegal dargah at Ranjitsagar: OpIndia’s ground reports from Gujarat in 2024 that made an impact

Year 2024 has come to an end and we enter year 2025. While the year may change, commitment of OpIndia to bring forward the truth and highlight important issues won’t change. To shine a light on the important issues in Indian society, truth that is hidden, covered and ignored at the ground level, that is what OpIndia does, and will continue to do.

Like every year, in the year 2024 OpIndia published several reports and brought the reality to its viewers through its ground reports. The impact of our team’s ground reports has also been tremendous and people have also loved them abundantly.

Today in this special report, we will take a look at some of the ground reports from the year 2024 that were ignored by the mainstream media. OpIndia did many ground reports during the year, but here we will discuss some of the reports that had a positive impact.

OpIndia Impact: Action against Mufti Salman Azhari for calling Hindus ‘dogs’

On 31st January 2024, a program of the Muslim community was organized in the grounds of Narsingh Vidya Mandir near Junagadh Court, in which Mufti Salman Azhari gave an inflammatory and provocative speech. The video of which went viral on social media. Even after the video of the speech went viral, the media did not even raise a single question on Azhari’s inflammatory speech. However, on 1st February, OpIndia published an exclusive report and also spoke to the police about the follow up action. Following OpIndia’s exclusive report, on 2nd February, Junagadh Police registered an FIR against Azhari and the two organizers of the program.

After the FIR, Gujarat ATS reached Mumbai and brought Azhari to Gujarat. After this, several cases were registered against him in Gujarat regarding the speeches he gave at various places. However, the Supreme Court finally granted him bail. This entire process happened only after an exclusive report by OpIndia.

It should be noted that in the viral video, Salman Azhari was heard saying, “Abhi toh Karbala ka aakhiri maidan baki hai… kuch der ki khamoshi hai, phir shoor aayega… aaj kutton ka wakt hai, kal hamara daur aayega.”

OpIndia Impact: Bulldozer action against illegal shrine near Ranjitsagar Dam in Jamnagar

On May 12, 2024, OpIndia reported in a detailed exclusive report that an illegal Dargah has been constructed near the famous Ranjitsagar Dam in Jamnagar. Written orders were also given in 2022 to remove this illegal encroachment, but despite this, the illegal structure stayed there. Local Hindu activists, in a conversation with OpIndia, said that the action was being delayed due to the system not paying attention.

However, OpIndia contacted the District Collector, Mamlatdar and others, who assured that the matter would be taken up afresh and whatever was required would be done. After OpIndia’s report, action was finally taken in this matter on June 19, 2024 and the dargah near Ranjitsagar Dam was razed to the ground. This information was given by the Minister of State for Home, Harsh Sanghvi himself.

OpIndia Impact: Resolution passed to declare Girnar a ‘veg zone’

Before Shivratri, a video of non-veg at Datta Chowk in Bhavnath Taleti, Girnar, went viral. The major Hindu festival was approaching and after such a video surfaced, there was anger among the saints. At that time, OpIndia followed the issue on the ground and became the voice of the saints of Bhavnath. Mahadev Bharati Bhapu, the mahant of Bharati Ashram, which holds an important place among many ashrams in Taleti, expressed the feelings of all the saints through OpIndia and demanded that Bhavnath Taleti be declared a ‘Veg Zone’.

After the ground report of OpIndia, action was taken to pass a resolution to declare Bhavnath Taleti as a veg zone. After which the resolution was passed in the Standing Committee of the Municipal Corporation. However, such a resolution was tabled once before, but for some reason it could not be passed. In such a situation, after the incident, due to the impact of the report given by OpIndia, the resolution was once again passed in the Standing Committee and action was also taken. It is worth noting that this entire incident is of March 2024.

Private institution suspends teacher but Islamist portal calls him ‘government employee’

The portal ‘Jamawat’, which has often been in controversy for spreading fake news, published a report on April 1, 2024, claiming that a teacher who questioned Bharuch MP Mansukh Vasava about the water problem has been suspended from his job. The report described the person as a ‘government official’ and attempted to blame the government.

A young man from Mathasar village of Dediapada, Bharji Vasava, made a video saying that there was no drinking water in the village and posted it on social media. After this video went viral, local MP and BJP candidate in the Lok Sabha elections, Mansukh Vasava, reached the village. Meanwhile, another video of a conversation between him and this young man also surfaced. This video also went viral.

After investigating the matter in depth, OpIndia reached out to Dr. K.R. Shroff Foundation. The organization’s zonal head Govindbhai discussed the matter with us and provided detailed information and clarified the situation. He clearly stated that they are a private organization and action has been taken against any person who goes against their rules, and that neither the government nor the education department has any say in the matter.

OpIndia’s series of on-the-ground reports during the action against left-wing ‘journalist’ Mahesh Langa

In October 2024, Mahesh Langa, a leftist ‘journalist’ of ‘The Hindu’ organisation, was arrested in the GST scam. OpIndia kept a close eye on all the proceedings from the arrest onward and informed the readers about Langa’s activities. The first FIR was registered against him in the GST scam case. After which, a second FIR was also registered against Langa on charges of passing sensitive information to opposition parties and industry groups. OpIndia also published several reports with all the information in this matter.

After which, the Ahmedabad Crime Branch also registered a third FIR against Mahesh Langa on October 29, 2024. He was accused of extorting ₹28 lakh from a businessman and threatening him by claiming that he had political influence. This crime was registered after a complaint from a businessman running an advertising company in Ahmedabad. OpIndia obtained a copy of the FIR and contacted the Ahmedabad Crime Branch and the complainant and also published a ground report. In which detailed information was given about the allegations made against Mahesh Langa.

Kanhaiyalal-like case in Bhavnagar, attack on Hindu tailor by Sahil-Shaukat

An attack on a Hindu man was reported in Kumbharwada, Bhavnagar. The victim was associated with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and other Hindu organizations, while the accused were identified as Sahil, Shaukat and Munna. The victim said that he was attacked over a fight over playing Hanuman Chalisa. Rajendrabhai Chauhan, a tailor living in Kumbharwada, had also filed an FIR regarding the incident at the Bortala police station.

The entire incident took place on February 1, 2024. In the complaint, he said that on February 1, around 7 pm, while he was working at his shop, Sahil Padarshi and Shaukat Mankad, who lived next door, arrived there and Sahil had an iron pipe in his hand. Upon arriving at the shop, Sahil asked, “Why have you filed a complaint against my grandfather Bilalbhai?” He then threw an iron pipe at Chauhan, hitting him in the head above his right ear, causing him to bleed.

OpIndia contacted the victim, Rajendrabhai, to get more information about the matter. He said that the attack was carried out on the pretext of a fight over playing Hanuman Chalisa. He told us, “I keep playing Hanuman Chalisa in my shop, over which we had a fight with the accused 6-7 months ago. Once, when Hanuman Chalisa was playing, he came and turned off the tape himself.”

Public murder of a Hindu man in Prantij and OpIndia’s ground report

On February 14, 2024, a Muslim mob attacked a Hindu family in Prantij, Sabarkantha district and killed a person. In this fight over a money transaction, the mob entered the Hindu area and created a ruckus. The person who intervened was dragged away by the mob and killed. The police registered an FIR against a total of 17 people in this case. After this incident, OpIndia reached out to the victim’s family and tried to get detailed information about the entire incident.

Subhashbhai, the younger brother of the deceased Rajubhai Bhoi, spoke to OpIndia. While talking about the incident, he said, “Our brother had nothing to do with the incident. The man who lives next door to us had a fight with some people from the local Muslim community over financial transactions. They had a fight a week ago too. After that, on February 14 too, they had a fight in the market and the accused beat up our neighbor. After that, they also came home and created a ruckus.

Regarding the murder of his brother, Subhash further said, “When those people were beating up the neighbor, my elder brother only said, “What are you doing beating him?” As soon as my brother said this, the mob got agitated and rushed to kill my brother with swords, pipes and hockey sticks. There were 100-200 of them and they dragged my brother away. After taking him about 100 feet away from the house, they beat him indiscriminately. They strangled my brother and hit him with a pipe to death.” In addition, the family said that stones were also pelted on the family while they were going to collect the body.

Rafiq Memon attacks Hindu journalist, also uses casteist slurs

Rafiq Memon beating a Hindu youth with a stick after using caste-based words came to light from Naswadi, Chhota Udepur. The victim youth belonged to a Hindu tribal community and worked in a private news company and supported his family by doing farm labor as well. The youth said that Rafiq Memon, the head of Naswadi, had beaten him with a stick in public after using casteist slurs. The victim filed a case in this matter at the Naswadi police station, and the police registered a case in the matter.

According to the primary information of the incident, an acquaintance of the victim youth Alkesh Tadvi had a dispute with the accused Rafiq Memon over something. After the scuffle, the matter reached a settlement. During this, it was decided to settle the matter in writing between the two parties, and the victim youth Alkesh also signed the settlement agreement. After both parties reached a settlement, Alkesh and his acquaintance left with the settlement agreement. However, after leaving the place, Alkesh was reading the settlement agreement when accused Rafiq Memon beat him up.

Alkesh told OpIndia, “After snatching the settlement agreement, Rafiq used casteist slurs against me. He said, ‘Have you become a big journalist? You don’t know how to read or write and you drive around with a press ID card.’ He started beating me up. During this, some of my acquaintances came running and saved me from Rafiq.”

Alkesh told OpIndia that the accused Rafiq has several previous cases of atrocities registered against him.

In the Gujarat University hostel controversy, only OpIndia presented the truth with evidence

On March 17, 2024, several videos of Gujarat University went viral on social media and in mainstream media. All the videos were saying the same thing that local students attacked foreign Muslim students because the foreign students were offering Namaaz. However, no media outlet had reached the root cause behind this incident. Media outlets across the country had started blaming local students. The alleged fact checker Mohammad Zubair had also targeted local students regarding this incident. Only local students were being blamed from all sides. However, only OpIndia tried to get to the root of the incident and recorded the video.

In that video, it could be seen that some foreign students were offering prayers in public in a block in the Gujarat University Boys Hostel. Meanwhile, some other youths go there to find out the reason why prayers are being offered in public like this. The youths ask the security guard there why prayers are being offered in public like this. So the guard says that these people always pray here. The youths say that there are madrasas, mosques, etc for prayers. After that, a foreign Muslim student who was offering prayers gets up and slaps the Hindu youth several times and abuses him. And thus begins the brawl between two groups in the hostel. The Islamists had shared many videos. But not a single person shared the video of how this brawl started. Which was done only by OpIndia.

Thus, during the year 2024, OpIndia had done several ground reports. Out of which, we have discussed the main and important reports as above. The mainstream media did not shed light on a single such incident. Only OpIndia reached the ground level and found the truth and presented it to the society. Our reports were also helpful in further legal action in many places. Now, as 2025 begins, OpIndia will remain steadfast and unwavering on its commitment and in the same way, it will make efforts to bring the truth that has been buried in the corner firmly to the society.

Suchir Balaji death: Mother suspects murder, says documents he had would have shaken OpenAI, Microsoft

OpIndia Staff
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Suchir Balaji death: Mother suspects murder, says documents he had would have shaken OpenAI, Microsoft

On Tuesday, 31st December, the family of the deceased AI expert of Indian origin, Suchir Balaji expressed dissatisfaction over police investigation in the latter’s death case indicating that her son was killed and that he did not commit suicide. Balaji’s mother said that the police hurried the investigation by concluding that the deceased had committed suicide, however, the evidence, she said, proved otherwise.

In an exclusive interview with India Today, Balaji’s mother, Poornima said, “A lot of investment has gone into the AI industry. He was named as a witness by the NYT. Within a week, he was found dead. He had documents and some information that would have been very critical. It would have shaken the AI industry, especially OpenAI and Microsoft. If he had given his testimony, it would have had a very big impact.”

Suchir Balaji, a 26-year-old Indian-origin AI expert was found dead in his San Francisco apartment on November 26th. The police ruled the event as a suicide but reports suggest that before his death, Balaji had sounded an alarm on OpenAI’s allegedly illegal copyright practices in the development of ChatGPT. He had left OpenAI in August.

Poornima said that her son was not a whistleblower but just wanted to reveal the harmful effects of AI LLM (large language model) which could turn the AI industry upside down.

“He was not a whistleblower against OpenAI, all he was saying was that the AI LLM model is harmful. It doesn’t actually render the data as it is. This is not only about copyright violations but also about the harm to humanity because the data output is not as expected. A whistleblower is only when he is inside the company, but he had left OpenAI. Until he was there, he never raised his voice against the management,” she said.

Meanwhile, Poornima said that she had hired a private investigator to search for the cause of the death. She said that it does not match with the one stated by the police. Notably,

Elon Musk also took cognizance of the event and said that the case did not look like a suicide case.

Earlier, Poornima had stated that the police reached conclusions too quickly and that she had seen blood stains in the bathroom, signs of a fight. “How can there be no suicide note or further investigation?” she questioned.

The parents of Balaji have expressed disbelief that their son could take his own life. They have called for an FBI investigation into the death of Suchir Balaji to uncover the truth.

Kerala nurse sentenced to death in Yemen: All you need to know about the case and Indian govt’s response

Shraddha Pandey
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Kerala nurse sentenced to death in Yemen: All you need to know about the case and Indian govt’s response

Rashad al-Alimi, the President of Yemen has authorised the death sentence awarded to Indian nurse Nimisha Priya in a 2017 murder case. Nimisha Priya is currently lodged in the Central Jail in the Yemeni national capital Sanaa for murdering a Yemeni citizen. The Indian nurse convicted of murder will be executed within a month unless her family manages to obtain a pardon.

Responding to this, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said that they are aware of the sentencing and are exploring relevant options. “We are aware of the sentencing of Nimisha Priya in Yemen. We understand that the family of Nimisha Priya is exploring relevant options. The government is extending all possible help in the matter,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

Nimisha Priya’s arrest and dispute over payment of pre-negotiation fees

Nimisha Priya, a native of Kerala’s Palakkad district, was arrested in July 2017 for allegedly murdering Yemeni national Talal Abdo Mahdi. Three years later, a trial court in Sana’a sentenced her to death in 2020, and her appeal was rejected by Yemen’s Supreme Judicial Council in November 2023.

However, the possibility of paying blood money to the deceased person’s family remained open. Her freedom was dependent on convincing the victim’s family, and their tribe leader to forgive her. Her death sentence could have been overturned if the victim’s family had forgiven her and taken the blood money instead.

Reports say that Priya’s family is making efforts to agree with the deceased victim’s family regarding blood money. In April this year, the convict’s mother Prema Kumari went to Yemen to get her daughter out of prison. This was the first time she met Nimisha in 11 years.

The negotiation bid was stalled due to a delay in the payment to Abdullah Ameer, the lawyer appointed on behalf of Nimisha Priya. The lawyer had demanded USD 40,000 in two instalments as pre-negotiation fees and stated that the legal proceeding would not move further until the entire amount is paid.

Reports say that initially, Ameer demanded $20,000 (Rs 16 lakh approximately) of which $19, 871 was already paid to Ameer in July by the Indian External Affairs Ministry.

The Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council initially crowdfunded money for the lawyer’s fees, however, they later struggled with ensuring transparency to the donors regarding the usage of the raised funds.

Nimisha Priya had a dispute with Talal Abdo Mehdi over a clinic partnership

After finishing her nursing program, she went to Yemen in 2008 to support her daily-wage worker parents. She first worked in numerous hospitals in Yemen before deciding to create her own clinic.

Back in 2014, Priya got acquainted with Talal Abdo Mahdi, who promised to assist her in opening her clinic. A partnership was essential since Yemeni law requires all businesses to be started with a local partner. The duo, however, called the partnership off due to differences.

A year later, Nimisha Priya opened her clinic without involving Mahdi, which apparently enraged him who then reportedly started threatening Priya and took her passport to prevent her from leaving Yemen. Consequently, Priya filed a complaint against him, which resulted in his arrest in 2016. Mahdi, however, was released after some time.

In her plea filed before the Yemeni Supreme Court, Nimisha Priya’s mother alleged that Mahdi had stolen Nimisha’s wedding photograph when he accompanied her to Kerala on a month-long holiday. He manipulated the photograph to later claim that Nimisha was married to him.

Moreover, when the duo returned and Nimisha opened her clinic on her own, Mahdi allegedly embezzled her clinic’s revenue and also manipulated the clinic’s ownership documents. Priya further claimed that upon confronting Mahdi over the alleged embezzlement, he grew hostile and began taking money from Priya’s earnings against her will by using the morphed photograph to claim that the duo were married to each other. In addition, Priya’s plea states that while Mahdi was earlier harassing Nimisha, he soon resorted to physically torturing her and seized her passport.

Furthermore, when she approached Sanaa police in this regard, instead of acting against Mahdi, the police arrested her and jailed her for 6 days.

“After a while, Nimisha’s clinic began, Mahdi manipulated the ownership documents of the clinic. He also began to take money out of her monthly earnings after telling everyone that Nimisha was his wife Nimisha had alleged that Mahdi had been harassing her and her family for years. Mahdi also seized her passport. This was done to ensure that she would not leave Yemen. He tortured her under the influence of drugs. He threatened her at gunpoint several times. He took all the money from the clinic and her ornaments,” the plea states.

Yemeni national’s murder

In 2017, when the two were having a dispute, Priya injected him with sedatives in a bid to regain her passport from his possession. However, Mahdi died from an overdose and Nimisha Priya was convicted of the murder a year later and sentenced to death.

Priya’s family has been working to get the death punishment waived. Her mother, Prema Kumari, filed an appeal against the death sentence with the Yemini Supreme Court, but it was dismissed in 2023.

In July 2017, Priya allegedly approached the warden of a jail near her clinic, who advised her to drug Mahdi and then obtain her passport. However, Mahdi was a substance abuser, therefore the dose did not work for him as desired. Subsequently, Nimisha Priya allegedly attempted to sedate Mahdi again, this time with the help of her fellow nurse Hannan, however, Mahdi died from an overdose. The two panicked and chopped Mahdi’s body before putting it in a water tank.

The accused duo were soon arrested and in 2018, Priya was convicted of murder. A trial court in Sanaa sentenced her to death in 2020, and Yemen’s Supreme Judicial Council rejected her appeal in November 2023. Meanwhile, Hannan received a life sentence.

While Priya was awarded the death sentence, she had the option to give blood money to Mahdi’s family since her death sentence could only be waived if the deceased victim’s family pardoned her.

Arrests for theft and domestic violence, failed bounty hunter- Meet the racist in the viral media video clip insulting Indians and Hindus

Rukma Rathore
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Arrests for theft and domestic violence, failed bounty hunter- Meet the racist in the viral media video clip insulting Indians and Hindus

The discourse on social media, particularly on X (formerly known as Twitter), appears to be dominated by racists these days from White Supremacists and their lackeys. They are apparently about the H-1B visa program which permits high skilled foreign professionals to work in the United States. They characterized the program as corrupt, claiming it is intended to source low-cost labor from ‘third world countries,’ especially India, allowing companies to evade hiring American employees who would demand higher wages and shorter working hours.

Moreover, the white supremacists contended that this is leading to the displacement of American workers who possess superior qualifications compared to their Indian counterparts. They even turned to conspiracy theories alleging that large technology firms are deliberately sidelining American workers in favor of Indian employees as part of a nefarious conspiracy and started to peddle victimhood narrative.

The controversy was notably ignited by the appointment of Sriram Krishnan as Senior AI Advisor by President-elect Donald Trump. Many prominent Americans from the technology industry including Elon Musk and other sectors rallied in support of Indians, denouncing the white nationalists who explicitly asserted that race should be prioritized over skill when processing such visas. Unsurprisingly, the objection which initially alleged to be solely against Indian hires, quickly escalated into a comprehensive derogatory assault on Indians, Hindus, Hindusim and all things pertaining to it.

Racists across the spectrum joined hands to disparage India, claiming concerns over the ‘exploitation of H-1B visas’ while complaining about the supposed inability of Indians to assimilate into the ‘progressive American culture’ rooted in European foundations. They propagated egregious misinformation and engaged in overtly racist rhetoric, revealing their deep-seated animosity and cultural ignorance.

Failed comedian Leonarda Jonie, who is known primarily for her racist outbursts directed at Indians and was even removed from several social media platforms, including X united with far-right commentator Stew Peters in a dismal attempt to target Indians with a range of offensive slurs. Video of the interaction or rather verbal vomiting went viral online drawing widespread condemnation.

Stew Peters has repeatedly demonstrated a vehement hostility towards Indians and Jewish people, creating conspiracy theories that he promotes as factual to his equally racist followers. His claims, which include characterizing Indians as subservient to Jewish agendas and labelling the Chandrayaan-3 moon landing as fraudulent, serve as a clear indication of his deranged perspective and disturbed mind.

Cockroaches, parasites and wife-stealers

“India, I mean they steal everything from everyone, all of the most vulnerable including their wives. I have a friend of mine who this, you know Indian doctor. There are all kinds of these Indian doctors because it is really cheap to go to a doctor school in India, apparently. Then they come over here and all they do is push the big pharma (pharmaceutical industry) poisons that are killing millions causing them to die suddenly and drop dead,” Peter articulated his extensive understanding of India’s education system to a gleefully smiling Leonarda Jonie.

It is clear, even to those lacking knowledge on the subject, that the entrance examination for prospective medical students is exceedingly challenging for admission into institutions not referred to as “doctor schools.” Nevertheless, Peters, who devotes much of his time to envying others instead of focusing on improving his own situation, was ignorant of this simple fact.

He added, “But when they come over here, you know they present themselves in these white lab coats like some distinguished, high dollar earning and sophisticated doctor. Then they run around like cockroaches and parasites wiping cow dung on their face and sleeping with white men’s wives. Because he is a doctor and I can have a better life over here. And the next thing you know you are with some fat, fupa (fat upper pubic area), stinky like disgusting cow dung-ridden dot head Indian that will never assimilate into your culture ever.”

“They brush their teeth with this stuff. They eat soup that’s this stuff. They are disgusting parasitic people and then we want to embrace them. Fox tells you how excited you should be that all of these Indians are coming here and we are going to be so much more intellectually advanced and technologically sound because of the Indians. No, they are third-world parasites and they are pieces of crap. They are terrible people who have no moral ground or upstanding and you are right they don’t value the human life and they gang rape women. That’s who these people are,” Peters declared.

His fixation on cow dung and parasites evokes the well-known adage, “You see the world as you are.” While he may envision himself as a defender of the white race, the reality is that he is simply another individual struggling to cope with the fact that his inadequacies are highlighted by the achievements of someone with brown skin. Figures like Peters and Jordie engaged in mockery of Indians, mistakenly believing that their disdain would somehow contribute to improving the lives of disappointments like them.

Who is Stew Peters: Law breaker, thief and wife beater

Stew Peters who runs Stew Peters Network is a failed rapper and former bounty hunter turned conspiracy theorist. He is not only a race-baiter but also has a history of legal troubles. He hosts conspiratorial Stew Peters Show and even makes viral anti-vax propaganda flicks. His recent movie “Occupied” aims to reveal “Jewish supremacy” in the West and he has even shown the White House flying the Israeli flag. Earlier this month, he was detained for driving under the influence (DUI) in his hometown of Minnesota after he crashed an ATV.

On the evening of 1st December, Peters was taken into custody in Red Wing, a Minneapolis suburb, reported Rolling Stone. A neighbor became concerned that the man could have been driving under the influence of alcohol and called the police to the scene of the accident. The officer found Peters heading toward his house close to the scene of the collision. The police report stated that he first admitted to flipping the Can-Am ATV, telling the officer that “the f**k*r is top heavy,” and that he was on his way home to collect the vehicle with his trailer.

According to the police officer, he asked Peters if he had been drinking and where he was coming from. Peters told the police officer that he had visited a “buddy’s house” and had likely had “three beers.” He was described by the officer as “swaying slightly,” slurring his words, and having a “smell of alcohol emanating from his person.” Peters’ story then started to change when the officer requested him to do a field sobriety test. He reportedly went on to “change his story several times,” including abruptly asserting that he had not been operating the flipped car.

After being taken into custody, Peters was sent to a county prison facility to undergo an alcohol test. Peters blew a.19 on an alcohol breathalyzer test after a brief delay at the detention facility. The state’s legal blood alcohol limit is.08. According to the police report Peters denied knowing about the crashed ATV, drinking and driving while intoxicated.

After being charged with two gross misdemeanor DUI offenses, Peters was released from custody on 2nd December after posting a $12,000 bond. According to court documents, Peters must be linked up to an alcohol monitor and prohibited from using alcohol as a condition of his release.

In February 2021, Peters’ wife reported him to the police in Red Wing, Minnesota, charging that he had returned home from his bowling league inebriated, according to a report in The Daily Beast. According to the police complaint, she mentioned that he began to batter her and hurl household objects, such as pillows and boots, at her in a furious attempt to locate his phone.

When police arrived on the scene, they discovered Peters, who looked to be drunk. The report unveiled that his wife showed authorities video she had taken of her husband hurling objects at her and cursing at her. She nodded yes when questioned if she was worried Peters might attack her and mentioned, “That’s the reason that I had to call you guys.”

According to one officer on the scene, situations like the one that night were “happening too frequently,” and his wife informed officers that her husband frequently became violently intoxicated. His wife disclosed that she was scared to phone the police and usually remained quiet until Peters passed out. She told police that Peters had became enraged when he couldn’t find his wallet during a recent trip to Florida, stealing her purse and identity while leaving her feeling “trapped.”

She expressed, “I don’t know what he’s capable of doing when he’s drinking.” Peters provided police with conflicting accounts of how the confrontation started and how he became so inebriated. According to the report, Peters told officers, “I know how this goes, so I’m the guy that goes bowling and gets drunk, I come home, and the wife is pissed that I’m drunk.”

Peters protested that the arrest would ruin his bounty-hunting career as the cops handcuffed him. “You are ruining my kids’ lives, I’ll never earn a goddamn dime,” he cried. He refused to be swabbed in order to test for the virus after his detention, continuing to express his opposition to coronavirus procedures and claimed, “If someone sticks something up my nose while I’m in handcuffs you will be arresting me for something a lot more serious. I will physically resist anybody trying to do anything to my body.”

Peters faced charges of assault, disorderly behavior, and domestic violence. However, his wife then alleged that he had never physically harmed her and that she wasn’t concerned about her safety in an email requesting the lifting of a restriction that kept Peters from living with his family. After entering a guilty plea to a charge of disorderly behavior, he received a probationary term.

As a youngster, Peters was also found guilty of stealing audio equipment from the Radio Shack where he worked. In 2006, he was arrested in Florida for robbery of less than $300 with a firearm, illegal use of a blue light, and falsely posing as an officer. Those accusations were later withdrawn.

After working as a rapper under the moniker “Fokiss” and a radio DJ, Peters received his first taste of online fame as a bounty hunter, hiring bail bond businesses in Florida and Minnesota to apprehend defendants who had evaded bail. However, there has been criticism about his bounty-hunting work. His police-like attire prompted a 2015 legislative change in Minnesota that limited the amount of law enforcement attire that bounty hunters could wear.

Supporters of the clause argued that it was specifically directed at Peters and that defendants were deceived about whether they were being detained by police or a bounty hunter by his attire and vehicle, which resembled a police cruiser. Scott McNurlin, the sheriff of Goodhue County, told the Associated Press that the publicity-hungry Peters appeared to be trying to outdo Dog the Bounty Hunter, a well-known bail bondsman. “Anybody would think this guy is a cop,” he added.

Based on the allegations, it appears that Peters is incompatible with American or any other civilised society as he has a record of being a repeat offender.

The vitriol aimed at Indians by Peters and his ilk is clearly indicative that the matter is less about job occupation and more about race. Otherwise, there would be no need to invoke religious or cultural identities to belittle them and peddle a false narrative of racial dominance all the while lamenting the presence of Indians in prominent roles and in the workforce. Irony just died a thousand deaths.

The self-proclaimed MAGA (Make America Great Again) supporters headed by Laura Loomer even attempted to exert pressure on Donald Trump by asserting that their votes were intended to elevate Americans to prominent positions, rather than those who came to the US from India. Curiously, Sriram Krishnan, an American by birth, seems to struggle with being recognized as such by them due to the color of his skin.

Meanwhile, Elon Musk, who is originally from Pretoria in South Africa, came in support of Sriram Krishnan. He acknowledged the shortcomings of the H-1B visa system that require rectification, however, strongly opposed the xenophobic attacks directed at individuals of Indian descent and supported the influx of additional highly skilled immigrants to the US. He pointed out, “The reason I’m in America along with so many critical people who built SpaceX, Tesla, and hundreds of other companies that made America strong is because of H1B.”

Germany’s government accuses Elon Musk of election interference after he endorses Right-Wing AfD party

ANI
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Germany’s government accuses Elon Musk of election interference after he endorses Right-Wing AfD party

The German government has accused Tesla CEO and entrepreneur Elon Musk of interfering in the country’s upcoming election after he endorsed the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), according to a report by Euro News.

Officials, including government spokesperson Christiane Hoffmann, Social Democratic Party (SPD) co-leader Lars Klingbeil, and Friedrich Merz, leader of Germany’s largest opposition party Christian Democratic Union (CDU) condemned Musk’s comments on Germany.

“It is indeed the case that Elon Musk is trying to influence the federal election through his statements,” Hoffmann said.

She added that although Musk was “free to express his opinion” it was worth noting Musk was recommending voting for a party that is “being monitored by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution on suspicion of being right-wing extremist and that has already been recognized as being right-wing extremist in parts.”

SPD co-leader Lars Klingbeil also criticised Musk, comparing him to Russian President Vladimir Putin and accusing him of election interference.

Klingbeil alleged that Musk’s public endorsement of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) ahead of the country’s snap elections is a deliberate attempt to weaken Germany’s democracy and called for stricter regulation of major internet platforms like Musk’s X.

In an interview with Funke Mediengruppe on Monday, Klingbeil likened Musk to Putin, saying that “both want to influence our elections and are deliberately supporting the AfD, the enemies of democracy. They want Germany to be weakened and plunge into chaos.”

“We need to be much more proactive and effectively limit the power of the large internet platforms like Musk’s short message service, X. Here, a tech billionaire is trying to use his influence to influence the course of world politics,” Euro News reported.

CDU leader Friedrich Merz called Musk’s endorsement of the far-right AfD an unprecedented example of meddling between allied nations and highlighted the potential economic harm of AfD policies, such as their push for Germany to exit the European Union.

Merz said Musk had overlooked several of the AfD’s policies when drafting his op-ed, including its stated desire for Germany to leave the European Union, something Merz and many others argue would be extremely damaging to Germany’s economy, according to a report by Euro News.

Last week, Musk sparked controversy in Germany by openly endorsing the AfD.

In a post on X, Musk wrote, “The portrayal of the AfD as rightwing extremist is clearly false, considering that Alice Weidel, the party’s leader, has a same-sex partner from Sri Lanka! Does that sound like Hitler to you.”

Earlier, Musk had called Chancellor Scholz a “fool” after the collapse of his three-party coalition. Musk posted in German on X: “Olaf ist ein Narr.” The sentence translates to — “Olaf is a fool.”

In a major turn of events, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had lost a confidence vote in their parliament forcing the country into snap elections seven months ahead of schedule.

The vote on December 16 came after Scholz’s fragile coalition collapsed, sparking a political crisis in the largest economy of the European Union.

Only 207 lawmakers voted in Scholz’s support in the 733-member lower house, or Bundestag, while 394 members voted against him and 116 abstained. That left him far short of the majority of 367 needed to sustain in power. Following this, the snap elections for a new parliament will take place on February 23.

In Germany, Scholz – who previously served as mayor of Hamburg and finance minister before becoming the head of a new government in 2021 – accused the Free Democrats of wanting to block investment in the country.

Seen as a continuity candidate when he took over from Angela Merkel three years ago, he has framed next year’s election as an opportunity for voters to set a new course, casting the vote as a choice between a future of growth versus one of austerity, according to Al Jazeera.

If he gets a second term, Scholz said he would invest heavily in Germany’s creaking infrastructure and would not make the spending cuts he said the conservatives want.


(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Madhya Pradesh: Temple vandalised in Dewas, idol of goddess broken, BJP MP promises strict action

OpIndia Staff
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Madhya Pradesh: Temple vandalised in Dewas, idol of goddess broken, BJP MP promises strict action

On the night of 30th December, a temple at Vikas Nagar intersection in Dewas, Madhya Pradesh was vandalized by anonymous persons. The idol of the goddess was also damaged. Many members of the Hindu community notified the police, the next morning after learning about the incident. The Industrial Area Police have initiated an investigation and filed a case against unidentified individuals. The FSL (Forensic Science Laboratory) team also arrived at the scene and carried out an inquiry after learning of the occurrence.

Local councilor Ajay Tomar stated, “This is a very old temple. Anti-social elements have sabotaged the place. We demand that the accused be arrested within 24 hours. Otherwise, there will be a massive protest.” Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Mahendra Singh Solanki, the MP for Dewas-Shajapur expressed, “I came to know that there is a temple of Kalika Mata in Vikas Nagar area which has been attacked by anti-social elements.”

“I immediately reached the location after gaining information. I performed darshan and found out that the temple was not how it used to be earlier. The police are present there. They have been instructed to find out the perpetrators as soon as possible. I will also discuss the matter with the Superintendent of Police and other relevant parties. This has hurt our religious sentiments and I assure everyone that strict action will be taken against the culprits,” he added.

Bangladesh: Protesters demand abolition of 1972 constitution, elimination of President, Army Chief posts

OpIndia Staff
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Bangladesh: Protesters demand abolition of 1972 constitution, elimination of President, Army Chief posts

While the world is looking forward to the celebrations of the upcoming new year, India’s neighbouring country Bangladesh is facing another crisis. Reports suggest that the protesters in the country have now demanded the interim government installed after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government to abolish the 1972 Constitution, established during the leadership of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. It is speculated that the current interim government might make this historic announcement on the last day of the 2024 year.

As per the reports, along with abolishing the constitution, key positions such as President and Army Chief might also be eliminated if the interim government heeds to the demands put forth by the protesters. The ‘student’ organization that spearheaded the so-called revolution might further consider declaring a new republic to replace the existing government structure.

While there are speculations that the student organization might announce a new republic in Bangladesh, it remains unclear whether the nation will be declared an Islamic state or a secular republic. Reports suggest that this decision might escalate tensions for India as it might face diplomatic challenges under the evolving circumstances.

At present the interim government is in place in Bangladesh, replacing the ousted Sheikh Hasina government. This interim administration is led by Mohammad Yunus who has associations with several terrorist groups. Yunus has been known to extend significant support to fundamentalist groups, causing unease in several nations, including India. The United States has also expressed concerns regarding the ongoing speculations in Bangladesh.

Bangladeshi student leader Hasnat Abdullah has commented on the situation and said that the 1972 Constitution is a “Mujibist law” and it may be buried by 2024 year-end. Additionally, he has voiced strong criticism against India, stating the 1972 Constitution allowed India to interfere in Bangladesh’s affairs. Hasnat announced that a declaration will be made on the afternoon of December 31st at the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka, outlining the vision for the future of Bangladesh.

It is believed that the leader is in constant touch with the Pakistani administration. Recently, Yunus and Pakistan PM Sharif met at the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation meeting. It is reported that the two Islamic countries are also planning to escalate the business opportunities offering eased trade practices to each other.

Further updates in the case are underway.

Dome City, special trains and more: How the holy city of Prayagraj is prepping up to host Maha Kumbh 2025

Shraddha Pandey
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Dome City, special trains and more: How the holy city of Prayagraj is prepping up to host Maha Kumbh 2025

The preparations for the grand festival of Maha Kumbh in Uttar Pradesh’s ‘Sangam Nagari’ Prayagraj. Expected to host over 40 crore devotees from across the globe, this 45-day festival, from January 13 to February 26 will showcase India’s rich cultural heritage and spiritual traditions.

Dome City

In a perfect blend of modernity, grandeur and spirituality, a Dome City is being set up in Prayagraj Maha Kumbh. The fire-proof Dome City is almost ready and the rent of the cottages built in the Dome City will be up to Rs 81 thousand. A grand Dome City is being constructed in 3 hectares at a cost of Rs 51 crore. These Dome City cottages will offer a view of Sangam all around amidst the cold breeze. People will be able to see the Ganga and Yamuna rivers from inside the oval cottage. Its look has been kept like 360 ​​degrees. The facility of attached toilet has also been provided. 

Besides, tourists coming to Prayagraj Maha Kumbh will now be able to enjoy the panoramic view of Sangam through a speed motor boat. This service will start from the first week of January. It will be operated by the Tourism Department from the fort and Arail Ghat. Devotees will go to Sangam by boat, take a bath on the floating jetty there and then return.

In addition, the Tourism Department is running a special training program for Maha Kumbh. Under this program, guides, taxi drivers, vendors and sailors who take people on a tour of the city are being trained.

Special arrangements for cleanliness

As an estimated number of 40 crore devotees will be arriving in Prayagraj, maintaining cleanliness is a major concern for the administration. Keeping this in view, about 10 lakh green toilets are being installed in the entire Sangam area. The speciality of these green toilets is that they will not cause any dirt.

To keep Prayagraj Maha Kumbh clean, all the social organizations of Firozabad will collect and send 11,500 plates so that people do not use polythene and disposables.

Hospitals set in Mahakumbhnagar for devotees

In the Mahakumbhnagar in Prayagraj, special hospitals have been set up for devotees. Speaking about the Central Hospital, Uttar Pradesh Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak said “The 100-bed Central Hospital established in the Parade area of Maha Kumbh Mela, is well-equipped with facilities including OPD, general ward, delivery centre, ICU and operation theatre. Separate wards have been set up for males, females and children. The hospital also has diagnostic centres such as X-ray, biochemistry lab and ultrasound.”

Notably, the people have started receiving treatment in this hospital. In the last two days, the hospital facilitated the delivery of a baby boy and a baby girl who with the consent of their families have been named “Kumbh” and “Ganga” respectively. The Deputy CM congratulated the two families. He said that 231 doctors in different categories have been posted in the hospital, in addition, para-medic staff has also been posted.

Railways to run 3000 special trains for Maha Kumbh 2025

On Monday, the Indian Railways announced that it is launching a mammoth operation to manage the Maha Kumbh 2025, with 3,000 special trains scheduled for service, including 560 trains on ring rail routes. North Central Railway manager Upendra Chandra Joshi said that 560 ticketing points are being established at nine major stations in Prayagraj, such as Prayagraj Junction, Subedarganj, Naini, and Prayag Junction. The official said that these ticketing booths, along with sites across the fairgrounds, are expected to issue approximately 10 lakh tickets each day, aided by a new feature that allows people to reserve tickets 15 days in advance.

World largest Trishul to be seen in Maha Kumbh

Among many attractions to be seen in the holy city during Maha Kumbh, a massive 151-feet tall Trishul has been installed at the Mauj Giri Ashram of the Juna Akhara of the Sanyasis who belong to the Shaivite tradition of Sanatan Dharma.

Security Arrangements

Advanced Surveillance systems have been installed to ensure safety and security. This includes AI-powered crowd density monitoring with over 340 experts at key locations. Thousands of CCTV cameras and drones will be utilized for aerial surveillance. Some of the cameras will be AI-powered. Moreover, facial recognition technology will be used at entry points for enhanced safety.

For fire safety, four Articulating Water Towers (AWTs) capable of tackling fires up to 35 meters high, and 30 metres wide will be deployed. Over ₹131 crores have been allocated for fire safety measures. The AWTs are equipped with advanced technologies, including video and thermal imaging systems, to prevent fire incidents and enhance safety.

For the first time, underwater drones capable of diving up to 100 meters will provide round-the-clock surveillance in the Sangam area. On the other hand, a team of 56 cyber warriors will monitor online threats. Cyber help desks are being set up in all police stations.

To enhance safety and disaster readiness, a State-of-the-art Multi-Disaster Response vehicle will be deployed. They are capable of handling situations ranging from natural disasters to road accidents. This includes a lifting bag with a capacity of 10 to 20 tons, enabling the rescue of individuals buried under debris, and specialized machines to lift and move heavy objects weighing up to 1.5 tons.


Uttar Pradesh Urban Development Minister AK Sharma on Monday said that all preparations have been made for the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025. He further stressed that this 2025 event will be “unique” and “divine”, guaranteeing an extraordinary experience for all
participants.

Speaking to ANI, Sharma said, “The Mahakumbh is starting from January 2025, but in reality, lakhs of people have already arrived at the Kumbh site. For this (Mahakumbh), we have made extensive arrangements… More than Rs 15,000 crore worth of projects have been implemented here. We have made all the preparations for the Kumbh… This time, the Mahakumbh will be unique, and divine, and I guarantee it.

The Mahakumbh held once every 12 years, is scheduled to begin on January 13 and conclude on February 26, 2025, in Prayagraj. The main bathing festival, known as the “Shahi Snan” (royal baths), will take place on January 14 (Makar Sankranti), January 29 (Mauni
Amavasya), and February 3 (Basant Panchami).

As part of the preparations for the Mahakumbh Mela 2025, Uttar Pradesh Police will use underwater drones for enhanced security.
Inspector-General of Police (IG) PAC East Zone Prayagraj, Rajeev Narain Mishra Speaking to ANI, said that an underwater drone was tested on December 25, and will be used by the water police and the Pradeshik Armed Constabulary (PAC).

“Efforts have been made to use all the new technology available to ensure the smooth conduct of this Maha Kumbh. In this sequence, an underwater drone has been tested today. It will be used by the water police and PAC. This is the kind of drone that can identify a person or object underwater. We can use it anytime as per our requirement. We are constantly making arrangements for all kinds of surveillance
in water,” IG Mishra said.

The Maha Kumbh 2025 will showcase a vibrant display of India’s cultural diversity from January 10 to February 24. The Uttar Pradesh Culture Department is finalising preparations to present the rich folk arts of India during this period, a press release stated.

The Culture Department will set up 20 small stages at key locations across Prayagraj, allowing tourists, devotees, and locals to experience the country’s diverse cultural heritage over 45 days. Folk dance forms from various states across India will be performed on these stages.

Haryana: ‘Christian Prayer meet’ deceitfully converting Hindus foiled, VHP and Bajrang Dal activists attacked by organisers

OpIndia Staff
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Haryana: ‘Christian Prayer meet’ deceitfully converting Hindus foiled, VHP and Bajrang Dal activists attacked by organisers

On Monday, 30th December, several Hindu individuals associated with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal (BD) filed a police complaint against some Christians in Barnala village of Haryana’s Ambala district. The Hindus stated that the converted Christians assaulted them after they objected to the event where the deceitful conversion of Dalit Hindus was taking place in the name of prayer meetings.

As per the initial reports, a converted Christian now working as a Pastor, Vikram Aliyazar had organized an alleged prayer meeting in one of the rented premises in Barnala village. The Hindu activists revealed that the pastor had invited many Hindus to the event and was influencing them to convert their religion to Christianity.

Activists from Bajrang Dal acted on a tip-off and arrived at the scene to identify that many Hindus from the Scheduled Caste community had joined the event. Further tensions escalated as the activists questioned why so many Hindus were forced to join the event in the name of Christian prayers. The activists claimed that the organizers had been using manipulative and forceful tactics to convert the Hindus in the name of Christian prayers.

Following this, the organizers raised slogans and also allegedly attacked the activists using stones, injuring one of them. One of the Bajrang Dal activists talked to the media and confirmed that illegal conversion of Hindus had been taking place in the Barnala village for a very long time. “We got a tip-off this time after which we reached the spot. There we found that all the attendees of the so-called prayer meet were Hindus from the backward community. We then questioned the organizers about what they were doing to these people. On this, the organizers began abusing us and pelting stones at us,” the BD activist said.

He also added that one of the Hindu activists has been severely injured and has been admitted to the hospital for treatment. He said that the police were informed about the stone pelting after which the authorities reached the spot and calmed the situation.

The Hindus have filed a complaint in the case and demanded appropriate action against the organizers who were allegedly converting Hindus in the name of the Christian prayer meeting.

The Hindu activists claimed that the Hindus who have already converted their religion to Christianity should also not be offered any special benefits which are usually offered to the backward castes. “We have no issues. It is just that these people should not get double benefits. They are offered benefits by the missionaries and also by the government not knowing that they are converts. This must stop,” the activist claimed.

Meanwhile, another complaint has been filed by the pastor claiming that the Hindu activists barged into the event and allegedly interrupted the so-called prayer session. Pastor Vikram in the complaint stated that the Hindu activists raised slogans of ‘Jai Shree Ram’ and created an alleged ruckus at the event. He said that they allegedly pelted stones and attacked women and children who were attending the event.

“I have been peacefully holding prayers at this venue for the past four years. But this is the first time such an incident has happened. Several people were injured, and property was damaged,” he claimed. He also accused the police of taking no action against the Hindus and said that they were under the influence of the ruling party to file a cross FIR against him.

“If no action is taken, we will hold demonstrations on roads,” he claimed.

Station House Officer (SHO) Vikrant Singh of Panjokhra Police Station in Ambala meanwhile commented on the issue and said that complaints from both the groups have been received but FIR so far has been filed only based on the complaint by the Pastor. As per the police, Pastor Vikran has named Bajrang Dal President Devi Dayal in the FIR.

“Christian community members, a majority of them women and children, were holding prayers at around 12 noon in a rented hall in Barnala village area of Ambala on Sunday when some miscreants arrived there in vehicles and entered the hall chanting slogans of Jai Shri Ram, forced the participants to stop their prayers and started beating women and children. When I stopped them, they threatened to kill me,” he alleged.

However, Daya denied the charges and said that the organizers led by the Pastor hit the Hindu activists as they questioned about the ongoing conversion event that was happening in the name of a prayer meeting. He said that one of the activists was severely injured due to the stone pelting initiated by the organizers and demanded action against the illegal conversion.

Police investigation into the case is underway.

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