Home Blog Page 557

9/11 style attack by Ukraine: Ukrainian drones crash into residential building in Kazan, Russia

OpIndia Staff
-
0
9/11 style attack by Ukraine: Ukrainian drones crash into residential building in Kazan, Russia

On Saturday, December 21, several explosives-laden drones hit residential buildings in Russia’s Kazan, setting fire to the buildings. The attack was an eerie reminder of 9/11 attacks in New York when hijacked planes crashed into the twin towers of World Trade Centre.

The dramatic visuals from Kazan showed the drones crashing into the residential tower forcing an evacuation of the residents. Emergency services were dispatched to the sites of the attack. As of now, there are no reports of any casualties from the attack.

Following the attack, Kazan has suspended flights from Kazan Airport temporarily as they deal with the aftermath of the attack.

Earlier Russia had shot down a Ukrainian drone over the Republic of Tatarstan. Kazan is the capital of Tartarstan.

Notably, the dangerous drone attack from Ukraine comes as the Russia-Ukraine war, which started in February 2022, has been going on for almost 3 years now.

The residential buildings in Kazan were targeted using several drones. While Russia managed to bring down one of the drones, the other 8 managed to get through and attack Kazan.

Uttar Pradesh: 250-year-old Ganga Maharani temple freed from 40-year-long illegal occupation by Wajid Ali in Bareilly, Islamic flag replaced with saffron flag

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Uttar Pradesh: 250-year-old Ganga Maharani temple freed from 40-year-long illegal occupation by Wajid Ali in Bareilly, Islamic flag replaced with saffron flag

On 20th December, a man named Wajid Ali and his family vacated the 250-year-old Ganga Maharani Temple in the Qila Police Station area of Bareilly, which they had been illegally occupying for the past 40 years. According to media reports, Wajid Ali and his family “voluntarily” vacated the premises following an investigation by the district administration, which confirmed Wajid’s claims of “legal occupation” to be baseless. Wajid claimed that he was a watchman of a cooperative society and was posted at the premises to look after the two rooms rented out to the corporation.

The illegal occupation of the Ganga Maharani temple

The temple is located in the Bakarganj area of Bareilly, which falls under Qila Police Station. Wajid and his family occupied the temple premises 40 years ago. He falsely claimed to be a watchman for a cooperative society. Reportedly, he removed the idols and Shivalingam from the temple and placed Islamic flags.

Several Hindu organisations and the owner of the temple premises, Rakesh Singh, had filed a complaint at the District Magistrate Ravindra Kumar’s office. During the investigation, the administration found that Wajid had no employment history with the said cooperative society. Furthermore, he had no legal rights to occupy the temple premises. The documents for the temple premises were, in fact, registered under the Ganga Maharani Trust since 1905.

Administrative action under DM’s directive

The matter was highlighted by a media report by Dainik Bhaskar, which brought the temple land dispute to light. It prompted District Magistrate Ravindra Kumar to initiate an investigation. SDM Sadar Govind Maurya and cooperative officials inspected the site. They verified the ownership records and confirmed that Rakesh Singh was the original owner, a descendant of the temple’s original trustees. A notice was issued mandating Wajid to vacate the premises within seven days.

Wajid had argued that his father was a watchman for the cooperative society. He requested an extension of eight months to vacate the premises. However, Vikas Sharma, the secretary of the cooperative society, clarified that there were no records of Wajid or his father being official employees.

On 20th December, a police team led by Superintendent of Police (SP) City Manish Parikh oversaw the eviction process. Wajid and his family removed their belongings under the supervision of the police and administration, and the whole process was documented to maintain transparency.

Hindu organisations celebrate the eviction

The eviction was celebrated by Hindu organisations, including the Vishva Hindu Parishad and Hindu Jagran Manch. Members of Hindu organisations chanted ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogans and removed the Islamic flags from the premises. They also hoisted saffron flags on the temple premises. Members of the Hindu community announced that they would perform a purification ceremony and recite Sundarkand Path on 21st December, after which worship would restart at the temple.

Historical significance of the temple

The Ganga Maharani Temple is located on 900 square yards of land. It holds historic and spiritual significance for the local Hindu community. The temple originally had idols of Ganga Maharani, a white Shivalingam, and the Shiv family. Rakesh Singh spoke to the media and recounted that the temple was the centre of worship for local Hindus until Wajid illegally occupied it and disrupted the rituals. He accused Wajid of destroying key structures of the temple, including the wells.

Archaeological Survey of India team conducts survey at Kalki Vishnu Mandir in Sambhal

ANI
-
0
Archaeological Survey of India team conducts survey at Kalki Vishnu Mandir in Sambhal

A team from the Uttar Pradesh Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) conducted a survey at the Kalki Vishnu temple in Sambhal on Saturday.

Sambhal SDM Vandana Mishra said, “The state archaeological team arrived here to conduct a survey at the temple…”

Earlier on Friday, a four-member team from the ASI inspected five ‘teerths’ (shrines) and 19 wells in Sambhal. DM Dr Rajender Pensiya informed that the inspection lasted for 8-10 hours and covered a total of approximately 24 areas.

“It was a four-member team. In Sambhal, five ‘teerth’ and 19 wells were inspected by ASI. The new temple that was found was also inspected. The survey took place 8-10 hours…the ancient temple that was opened was also surveyed. ASI will submit its report to us… a total of around 24 areas were surveyed,” DM Pensiya said.

Meanwhile, on the encroachment drive in Sambhal, the Executive Engineer of Sambhal Nagar Palika, Mani Bhushan Tiwari, said that the main objective of the drive is to take care of public places.

He explained that the administration is working to revive pilgrimages and temples in the city under the ‘Sambhal Teerth’ campaign. “Our campaign ‘Sambhal Teerth’ is focused on how we can revive our pilgrimages, temples, their renovation, and traditions. We have also started digging at several places and have made plans for their beautification,” Tiwari said.

“The main objective of our encroachment drive is to take care of our drains, public places, and markets where people have encroached. First, we made announcements for this, contacted people, and also held a meeting with the public and after everyone’s consensus, we started the encroachment drive. The message is very good that the traders of Sambhal, through their own means, demolished all the encroachments in their market area. It gave a very good message of public participation,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Shiv-Hanuman Temple in Sambhal, uncovered during an anti-encroachment campaign by the district police and administration on December 14, held its morning aarti on December 20. Heavy security has been deployed outside the temple.

Assam: Two teenaged sons of driver Mahendra Sharma found beheaded a day after they went missing while going to school

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Assam: Two teenaged sons of driver Mahendra Sharma found beheaded a day after they went missing while going to school

In a very shocking incident, two teenaged boys who went missing on Friday in Assam were found dead today. The incident took place in Tangla town in Assam, where the two brothers, Gaurav Sharma and Kaushik Sharma, went missing while going to school on Friday morning. Both the boys were found beheaded some distance away from their home on Saturday morning.

14-year-old Gaurav Sharma and 12-year-old Kaushik Sharma, sons of Mahendra Sharma who works as a driver, were students of class six and five respectively at Kendriya Jatiya Vidyalaya in Tangla in Udalguri district. Their exams were going on and they left home for the school at around 8:45 AM on Friday morning. The school is around 500 meters away from the house, they used to walk to the school.

Their mother Geeta Sharma told the media that after some time, the principal of the school called asking why the kids have not come to the school for the exams. When she said that they have left for the school on time, the teachers looked for them thoroughly in the premises, and then called back saying that the kids are not in the school.

The parents were shocked to hear this, and they immediately launched a search for the boys. When they could not find them after looking in the entire town, they registered a case with the police. They suspected that the kids may have been kidnapped, and urged the police to find them.

Unfortunately, both the boys were found dead in the Sashtrapara area around 3 km away from Tangla town on Saturday morning. One passerby spotted the body of one kid lying near the road in a jungle area and immediately informed the police. After reaching the spot, the body of the other boy was found nearby by the cops. They were found beheaded with sharp weapons, and injury marks were found on the bodies who were in their school uniforms.

It is suspected the kids have been killed due to some enmity with the parents. It may not be a case of kidnapping for ransom as the family is financially not strong. Police have launched an investigation into the case.

Attacks on Hindus continue unabated in Bangladesh, Azharul vandalises and beheads idols of deities

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Attacks on Hindus continue unabated in Bangladesh, Azharul vandalises and beheads idols of deities

Amid the ongoing Islamist onslaught on the Hindu community, a 37-year-old Muslim man identified as Azharul vandalised several idols of deities in Haluaghat Upazila in the Mymensingh district of Bangladesh.

According to sources, the incident occurred on Thursday night (19th December). In visuals that have now surfaced on social media, it could be seen that the accused beheaded the Hindu deities.

The idols were being prepared for the upcoming Hindu festival inside the premises of a temple.

According to the Officer-in-Charge of Haluaghat Police Station Abul Khair, Azharul was arrested in connection to the case. He stated, “We will produce him in court today.”

Attack on Hindus in Bangladesh

There have been at least 205 attacks on Hindu temples, shops and businesses within days of the fall of Dhaka.

We previously exposed how Muslim students have forced as many as 60 Hindu teachers, professors and government officials to resign from their positions.

Human rights activist and exiled Bangladeshi blogger, Asad Noor, has recently revealed that the minority community is now being coerced into joining ‘Jamaat-e-Islami’.

On 6th September, a procession of Hindu devotees carrying the idol of Lord Ganesha came under attack in the Kadam Mubarak area in Chittagong city of Bangladesh.

Ahead of the Durga Puja celebrations, a radical Muslim man named Yasin Mia vandalised the idols of Goddess Durga and other Hindu deities in Gouripur town in the Mymensingh district of Bangladesh on 25th September.

In the latest series of attacks, idols of Goddess Durga and other Hindu deities were vandalised at the Rishipara Barwari Puja Mandap and the Manikadi Palpara Barwari Pujamandap on 28th September and 1st October respectively.

The attacks were carried out in Sujanagar upazila in Pabna district in Rajshahi Division of Bangladesh. While a total of 4 idols were defaced at the Rishipara Barwari Puja Mandap, another 5 Hindu idols were destroyed at the Manikadi Palpara Barwari Pujamandap.

On 3rd October, 7 idols of Hindu deities were destroyed at the Gopinath Jiur Akhara Durga Puja mandap. The incident occurred in Kishoreganj in the Dhaka Division of Bangladesh.

On 5th November, the Hindu community came under attack from police and law enforcement authorities in Hazari Goli in Chittagong city of Bangladesh.

There have been multiple instances of attacks on Hindus under the pretext of ‘blasphemy.’ The recent cases of Hridoy Pal, Utsab Mandal, Partha Biswas Pintu and Utsab Kumar Gian are shining examples of targeted persecution.

On 29th November, a violent Muslim mob attacked Hindu minorities and vandalised 3 temples in Patharghata in Chittagong district of Bangladesh.

The Hindu religious sites that were targeted by the Muslims included the Shantaneshwari Matri Temple, the Shoni Temple, and Shantaneshwari Kalibari Temple. The attack took place immediately after the conclusion of Jumma Namaz. 

On 30th November, a prominent Hindu journalist named Munni Saha was arrested by the police from Karwan Bazar in Dhaka city of Bangladesh.

So far, there have been many attempts to downplay violence against Hindus as ‘fake‘, ‘exaggerated‘ or ‘politically motivated‘.

The recent arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das Prabhu and his aides, attempts at banning Hindu organisation ISKCON and stiffling Hindu protests with cases of ‘sedition’ highlight systematic persecution under the interim government of Muhammad Yunus.

Pro-Khalistan Canadian leader Jagmeet Singh vows to bring down Justin Trudeau’s government

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Pro-Khalistan Canadian leader Jagmeet Singh vows to bring down Justin Trudeau’s government

On 20th December (local time), the chief of Canada’s New Democratic Party (NDP) and pro-Khalistani leader Jagmeet Singh announced plans to introduce a motion of no-confidence against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government in the new year. With this decision, the NDP ended its support for Trudeau’s minority government.

Notably, the shared political priorities between the Liberal Party and the NDP had led to the latter’s support for the Trudeau-led government. However, recent events in Canada’s political landscape have marked a dramatic shift, with the NDP now determined to remove Trudeau.

Singh shared a letter declaring his plans on the social media platform X. In the letter, he said, “The Liberals don’t deserve another chance. That’s why the NDP will vote to bring this government down and give Canadians a chance to vote for a government who will work for them.” Singh further criticised Trudeau and asserted that the PM has failed to address critical issues such as affordable healthcare, housing, and the cost of living.

Trudeau under pressure after cabinet shake-ups

The past week has been notably troubling for the Trudeau-led Canadian government. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s resignation brought significant turmoil for Trudeau. Freeland publicly cited differences between herself and Trudeau over economic strategies, especially regarding the tariff threats posed by the incoming President of the United States, Donald Trump.

In a statement, Freeland accused Trudeau of relying on “costly political gimmicks” and noted that he had not adopted fiscally responsible measures. Following her resignation, reports suggest that at least 19 Liberal MPs have sought Justin Trudeau’s resignation. Toronto MP Robert Oliphant stated in a statement that Trudeau’s leadership has become “a key obstacle” to the success of the Liberal Party in the upcoming general elections scheduled for October 2025.

Jagmeet Singh joined opposition against Justin Trudeau

The Conservatives and Bloc Québécois have now been joined by the NDP in calling for Trudeau’s resignation as Prime Minister. A non-confidence motion, if brought to the table in the Canadian Parliament at the beginning of next year, is most likely to succeed, ensuring the removal of the Trudeau-led Canadian government. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and Bloc leader Yves-François Blanchet have also demanded an immediate election, which, in the event of Trudeau’s removal, would become inevitable.

In his statement, Jagmeet Singh doubled down on his opposition and stated, “Justin Trudeau failed in the biggest job a prime minister has: to work for people, not the powerful.” Furthermore, he claimed that his party, the NDP, is the “champion of everyday Canadians” and pledged to fight for free birth control, affordable housing, and dental care. He further warned against the conservative policies of Poilievre, making it clear that while his party will join the opposition to bring down Trudeau, any support for the Conservatives in the upcoming elections is not a possibility.

Trudeau’s uncertain future

There has been no official response to the letter issued by Jagmeet Singh from Justin Trudeau or his office. However, reports suggest that he has told Liberal MPs that he would use the holiday break to reflect on his leadership. Trudeau, in an attempt to address the crisis within the party and the government, has already replaced Freeland and reshuffled the cabinet.

The Canadian Parliament, known as the House of Commons, will resume its operations in late January when the motion of non-confidence is likely to be tabled. If Trudeau fails the motion, general elections will take place in Canada much earlier than the scheduled month of October 2025.

Population of Rohingyas surges in Jammu: Alarming demographic shift, rising crimes, and growing security concerns

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Population of Rohingyas surges in Jammu: Alarming demographic shift, rising crimes, and growing security concerns

In the past 15 years, there has been a dramatic surge in the Rohingya population in Jammu. The number has increased from a paltry 200 to approximately 11,000. The increase has raised serious concerns about the demographic changes in the area.

Furthermore, there are allegations that the Rohingya settlements in Jammu are linked to local political motives. With the increase of Rohingyas in the region, there has been a surge in crimes such as drug trafficking, human trafficking, and theft. Reports suggest that Rohingyas are largely involved in these crimes, bringing an entirely new level of security concerns among the local public.

The increase in the Rohingya population

According to a report in Amar Ujala, the influx of Rohingyas in Jammu started in 2009 when the Congress-NC government was in power. The first Rohingya who entered Jammu and settled in Bathindi area was identified as Sayeed Hussain. Since then, the number of Rohingyas has increased substantially in the region.

By 2012, the Rohingyas were granted ration cards and Aadhaar cards. There were reportedly no efforts made by the local government to curb the migration of the Rohingya population in Jammu. There have been concerns that the influx of Rohingyas has been politically motivated, aiming at altering the demographics of Jammu. Several NGOs in the state are also accused of facilitating the settlement of these illegal Rohingya immigrants.

Speaking to Amar Ujala, former Brigadier Vijay Sagar said that Rohingyas were deliberately settled in Jammu rather than Srinagar, reflecting a demographic conspiracy. In the past five years, at least 65 cases involving theft, drug trade, and human trafficking were registered against Rohingyas in Jammu, pointing towards their involvement in serious criminal activities.

J&K CM Omar Abdullah wants to have a ‘humanitarian approach’ while dealing with Rohingyas

In a recent statement, the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah, emphasised a “humanitarian approach” to the issue of Rohingyas living in the state. He stated that Rohingyas cannot be left to starve or perish in the cold. His statement came after the Jammu administration launched a campaign against illegal Rohingya settlers in the region.

He further urged the central government to decide the fate of the Rohingyas, insisting that they should be treated with “dignity” while in India. On the other hand, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) labelled their settlement a “political conspiracy” and called for a CBI inquiry into the matter.

Meanwhile, a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) delegation, led by Senior Protection Officer Tomoko Fukumura, visited Rohingya camps in Jammu. The development took place amidst a contentious debate about whether or not to supply water and power to unlawfully settled immigrants.

Javed Ahmed Rana, Jal Shakti Minister for J&K, stated that water supplies to these settlements would not be cut off unless directed by the central government. His statement resulted in criticism of the ruling party as they openly supported illegal settlers in the state.

Past reports revealed a massive influx of Rohingyas in Jammu and Kashmir

In a 2019 report, Dainik Bhaskar highlighted the sharp increase in Rohingyas in Jammu and Kashmir. The report alleged there were over 10,000 Rohingya in the state with majority of them living in districts of Samba, Poonch, Doda and Anantnag. Shockingly, the report alleged that they established camps near Army Camps, Police Lines and Railway Lines without any intervention from the authorities. A 2018 report noted that 6,523 Rohingyas were living at 39 locations in the state, with 6,461 in Jammu alone. Notably, the report highlighted that the Rohingyas were allegedly receiving preferential treatment over local workers in Jammu.

The report alleged that over 200 Rohingyas were employed by the Jammu Municipal Corporation and were paid higher wages compared to local labourers for tasks including cleaning drains. The local workers, at that time, protested via unions against the disparity and accused contractors of favouring illegal settlers over locals.

Even in 2019, there were calls for biometric data collection and strict action on the illegal immigrants to curb the influx of Rohingyas in Jammu. However, due to the lack of any concrete action, their number almost doubled in five years.

Uttar Pradesh: Devotees perform puja at Hindu temple discovered in Aligarh

ANI
-
0
Uttar Pradesh: Devotees perform puja at Hindu temple discovered in Aligarh

Devotees performed puja at a recently discovered Hindu temple in Aligarh, following its restoration after being neglected for years. Activists have launched a campaign to identify and restore such temples.

Speaking to ANI on Friday, an activist said, “In the past riots, Hindus from this area fled, leaving this temple neglected. We’re now conducting a campaign to identify such temples. This is the second temple. Cleaning and worship have been performed today in this temple.”

Another activist told ANI, “Yesterday this place was cleaned and in the same sequence today, Hanuman Chalisa was recited and Hanuman’s Aarti was performed. We will also ensure that every day people of Sanatan Dharma take care of this temple and come here to perform the puja and rituals.”

As a precautionary measure, police personnel have been deployed outside the temple premises.

Earlier, on December 20, prayer rituals were held at the Shiv-Hanuman temple in Sambhal. The temple, which had remained closed since 1978, was reopened on December 14 following efforts by the administration.

The temple was uncovered during an anti-encroachment drive led by local district police and administration.

During the restoration process, three idols were found near a well close to the temple. These idols are now being preserved as part of the efforts to restore the temple to its original splendor.

On December 18, Geeta Pradhan, a former member of Uttar Pradesh’s Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Commission and a BJP leader, visited the temple to offer prayers.

On December 15, Sambhal’s Superintendent of Police (SP) Krishan Kumar and District Magistrate (DM) Rajender Pensiya also visited the newly uncovered Shiv-Hanuman Temple to offer their prayers.

Vishnu Sharan Rastogi, patron of the Nagar Hindu Sabha, confirmed that the temple had reopened after 46 years, explaining that the closure was due to the absence of a resident priest.

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

Germany: Saudi Arabian ‘doctor’ kills 2 in planned terror attack, had threatened to bring ‘justice’ in Twitter post. Here is what happened

Dibakar Dutta
-
0
Germany: Saudi Arabian ‘doctor’ kills 2 in planned terror attack, had threatened to bring ‘justice’ in Twitter post. Here is what happened

On Friday (20th December) evening, a Saudi Arabian ‘doctor’ deliberately rammed his car into multiple people at a Christian market in Magdeburg city in Saxony-Anhalt state of Germany.

As per reports, at least 2 people were killed and 60 others were injured in the terror attack. One of the deceased was a young child.

According to the premier (Saxony-Anhalt) Reiner Haseloff, the attacker has been identified as a 50-year-old doctor from Saudi Arabia.

The accused has lived in Germany for about 20 years and has a permanent residency. The police have now arrested him in connection to the case.

Premier Reiner Haseloff remarked, “It is a catastrophe for the city of Magdeburg, for the state and for Germany in general…As things stand at the moment, we are talking about a lone offender, which means that there is no further danger to the city because we were able to arrest him.”

According to a report by Reuters, Saudi Arabia had warned German authorities about the attacker after he had posted about his radical views on his X (formerly Twitter) account.

According to journalist Tim Röhn, the attacker has been identified as Taleb Al-Abdulmohsen. He informed that Taleb openly posted threats on X (formerly Twitter) but the platform did not act against him

“I seriously expect to die this year. Reason: I will bring justice at any cost. And German authorities are impeding all peaceful pathways to justice. If you are a concerned German citizen, you should demand justice now. If you are not concerned, then ok but don’t complain later,” a tweet by the attacker read.

In the meantime, the Foreign Ministry of Saudi Arabia has condemned the terror attack.

The CCTV footage of the incident is now doing the rounds of the internet.

The police have so far not found any explosive device attached to the vehicle of the attacker. A team was dispatched to Bernburg town, where Taleb Al-Abdulmohsen resided.

In 2016, a Tunisian refugee Anis Amri rammed his truck at a Christian market in Berlin and killed 12 people.

How Germany exacerbate the refugee crisis

At the height of the migrant crisis in Europe, German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced that the country had the ‘economic strength’ to take in refugees.

She also claimed that there was no upper limit to the number of refugees that the country could take in. Angela Merkel had come under fierce criticism for not consulting the federal States.

Seehofer, the leader of the Christian Social Union in Bavaria (CSU), had criticised the Chancellor and estimated that 30% of all refugees were from Syria.

He had called upon the EU to cut funding to member States that reject mandatory refugee quotas.

A German study in 2018 found that the country’s fourth-most-populous state, Lower Saxony, witnessed an increase in violent crimes due to incoming migrants.

Between 2007 and 2014, the region saw a 21.9% decline in such crimes. However, there was a 10.4% hike by 2016 end. It was found that Lower Saxony had about 7.5 lakh residents without German citizenship.

By 2016 end, only 1.5 lakh migrants had applied for asylum. 92.1% of the total increase in crimes in Lower Saxony was attributed to the incoming migrants.

Bloomberg reported, “Between 2014 and 2016, the share of solved violent crimes attributed to asylum seekers increased to 13.3 percent from 4.3 percent — a disproportionately high share compared with the state’s foreign population…The breakdown of specific crimes committed by the asylum seekers is equally thought-provoking. In some 91 percent of murders and three-quarters of cases involving grave bodily damage, the victims are other migrants.”

The liberal, open-border policies of German Chancellor Angela Merkel had turned the country into the most sought after destination for refugees.

Between January and December 2015, a whopping 1.091 million asylum-seekers registered with the German government for their distribution among federal States.

However, in February 2016, the government conceded that it lost track of 13% of the asylum seekers.

Reportedly, the migrants did not move to their accommodation and instead migrated to other European countries or kept living in the country illegally.

The result of left-liberal indoctrination was such that a German politician by the name of Selin Gören lied about the racial identity of the 3 perpetrators who raped her in 2016.

The woman was caught off guard by the men at night in a playground and forced to perform sexual acts. She had concealed the fact that the accused spoke in Arabic /Farsi.

She claimed that she did not want to stoke hatred against migrants in Germany. The policies of the German government to wholeheartedly welcome the refugees proved costly.

Tamil Nadu BJP chief Annamalai and other party leaders arrested for protest against glorification of Coimbatore bomb blast mastermind SA Basha

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Tamil Nadu BJP chief Annamalai and other party leaders arrested for protest against glorification of Coimbatore bomb blast mastermind SA Basha

Several BJP leaders and workers including Tamil Nadu BJP president Annamalai were arrested on Friday in Coimbatore while taking out a Black Day rally against the DMK govt. BJP had launched the protest against the DMK govt’s alleged support of the accused in the Coimbatore bomb blast case.

Annamalai and other BJP leaders were arrested while leading the rally protesting against the glorification of the terrorist responsible for the tragic loss of 58 lives in the 1998 Coimbatore bomb blasts. Notably, the bomb blast mastermind SA Basha died on 17 December months after he was released on parole on health grounds. Basha was serving a life sentence after his conviction in the bomb blast case, but died in hospital during his parole.

Thousands of people came out to mourn the dead and joined the funeral procession amid heavy police security. BJP has been targeting the DMK govt for allowing the funeral procession for a convicted terrorist responsible for death of 58 people. As part of the protest, a Black Day rally was held in Coimbatore today to condemn the DMK government for supporting the terrorists behind the Coimbatore bomb blast.

Apart from Annamalai, BJP Mahila Morcha president Vanathi Srinivasan, State General Secretary A.P. Muruganandam and other BJP leaders have been arrested by Tamil Nadu police for the protest.

BJP Tamilnadu posted on X, “We will not rest! We will not rest! We will not rest until we put an end to the DMK’s tyranny!”

Responding to the arrest, Annamalai’s official X handle posted, “We condemn the cowardly act of the DMK Government for arresting the leaders & cadres of @BJP4TamilNadu for carrying out a rally condemning the glorification of a terrorist who was the reason for the loss of 58 lives in the peace-loving city of Coimbatore in 1998.”

Basha’s funeral procession was taken from South Ukkadam to the Hyder Ali Tippu Sultan Sunnath Jamaath Masjid at Flower Market in North Coimbatore for the last rites. Shockingly, despite it being public knowledge that he was a terrorist and the mastermind of the Coimbatore serial blasts that killed 58 people and injured 231, thousands of Muslims joined his funeral procession on 17th December in Coimbatore.

BJP has blasted the DMK for allowing the glorification of the convicted terrorist after the death, alleging that Basha was given a status of martyr by the govt. Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai on Wednesday said that the DMK government allowing Basha’s funeral procession shows that the ruling party was indulged in “minority appeasement.” .”He had said, “The DMK government is promoting terrorism. The Chief Minister should take appropriate steps to control terrorism. Islamic terrorists were behind the car cylinder blast incident in Coimbatore, and the police failed to control them.”

SA Basha, the founder of Al-Ummah, was the mastermind behind the Coimbatore bombings. Supported by ISI agents like Azam Ghauri, Saleem Junaid, and Farooq Ahmed, Basha used his organisation’s network to execute the attacks. His extremist agenda was fuelled by a desire to avenge communal violence against Muslims. In addition to his role in the Coimbatore blasts, Basha was implicated in the 1993 RSS office bombing in Chennai and had been arrested for inciting communal riots the same year.

Basha had also threatened to kill then Gujarat CM Narendra Modi in 2003 ahead of his visit to Coimbatore. He was further convicted in murder of a Hindu Munnani leader.

1...556557558...7,575Page 557 of 7,575