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Delhi Elections: Congress’s Vikaspuri candidate Mukesh Sharma accepts defeat even before early trends trickle in

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi Elections: Congress’s Vikaspuri candidate Mukesh Sharma accepts defeat even before early trends trickle in

In a major embarrassment to Congress party, Congress candidate from Vikaspuri Mukesh Sharma on Tuesday accepted his defeat even before the early trends started pouring in ahead of the results for the February 8 Delhi polls.

Taking to Twitter, Mukesh Sharma, a four-time MLA said, “I accept my defeat, and thank all the voters and Congress workers of Vikaspuri constituency. I hope that there will be a holistic development of the area. I will continue to fight for the development of Delhi, Vikaspuri and Uttam Nagar constituencies in future also.”


Vikaspuri is a suburban assembly seat that comes under the West Delhi Lok Sabha constituency. The counting of votes is underway. The constituency has around 3,25,246 eligible voters.

Mukesh Sharma’s rivals are Mahendra Yadav from the Aam Aadmi Party and Sanjay Singh of the BJP. Mahendra Yadav had won the seat in 2015 and 2013.

In early trends, Aam Aadmi Party is leading on 46 seats, while the BJP is leading on 23. Congress is yet to open its account.

BJP’s candidate from Harinagar constituency Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga is leading, according to initial trends. Meanwhile, AAP’s riot-accused Amanatullah Khan from Okhla constituency is trailing. Okhla has been the hotbed of anti-CAA riots in the national capital.

Prominent candidates in the fray, CM Arvind Kejriwal from New Delhi, his deputy Manish Sisodia from Patparganj, Kalkaji candidate Atishi and Raghav Chadha from Rajendar Nagar of the AAP are all leading.

The exit poll results for Delhi Assembly elections have predicted a clean sweep for Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi. If AAP wins Delhi polls 2020 then Arvind Kejriwal would become the chief minister of the national capital for the third term. The majority mark in the 70-member assembly stands at 36.

Delhi Election Results: Here is all you need to know about 7 important Muslim dominated constituencies

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi Election Results: Here is all you need to know about 7 important Muslim dominated constituencies

The Delhi election results are finally out today. After the end of a highly polarized campaign, the fate of the contesting parties will be known by the end of the day. The fight is expected to be a bipolar contest between the BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party with the Congress nowhere in the picture. One of the most important factors in any highly contested election is the Muslim vote. And the Delhi elections are no different. In this report, we shall focus on those constituencies where the fate of the parties is decided by the Muslim vote.

1. Okhla

Since 1993, the Muslim-majority Okhla constituency has never been won by a non-Muslim. It is the same constituency that had elected Amanatullah Khan from the AAP as their representative in 2015. The AAP leader was recently spotted leading riots in the national capital against the Citizenship Amendment Act and was also booked by Delhi police. He contested from the same seat again this year.

Okhla is also the most controversial constituency in terms of anti-CAA riots recently. Shaheen Bagh, where Islamists have laid siege is also a part of the Okhla constituency. At Shaheen Bagh, 2 infants have died due to the protests and the harsh weather conditions and several hate-filled, anti-Hindu slogans like ‘Jinnah Wali Azadi’ have also been raised. The mastermind of Shaheen Bagh protests, Sharjeel Imam, is in police custody after he made seditious statements like trying to cut away Assam from the rest of India. In fact, Sharjeel Imam was seen making provocative statements at a separate event with AAP’s Amanatullah Khan standing right beside him.

Interestingly, even Batla House forms a part of Okhla constituency.

The Okhla Constituency has about 65% Muslim votes as per a report in India TV news.

The BJP has fielded Braham Singh from the constituency. He was the BJP’s candidate in 2015 as well but had secured just over 23% of the votes last time. The Congress, meanwhile, has fielded Parvez Hashmi who has won the seat four times in the past. Shaheen Bagh, which has featured prominently in these election campaigns, lies in this constituency and so does Jamia.

Profile of Okhla:

Constituency Name: Okhla
Constituency Number: 54
District Name: South East Delhi
Total Electors: 2,73,543
Female Electors: 1,07,124
Male Electors: 1,66,394
Third Gender: 25
Reserved: No
Percentage of Muslim voters: Over 40%

AAP’s Amanatullah Khan has won.

2. Seelampur

Seelampur is another constituency that had witnessed massive riots following the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act in both the houses of the Parliament. It is another constituency that has never been won by a non-Muslim. The Congress party has won this seat four times in the past and the Aam Aadmi Party won it in 2015.

In 2020, the Congress party has fielded a strong candidate. Mateen Ahmed who had held the seat from 1993 to 2015 before losing it to Mohammad Ishraque from the AAP is the Congress party’s candidate this time around. The BJP has fielded Kaushal Mishra this time around. The only way the BJP could win this seat is in the case of a Muslim vote split between the Congress and the AAP.

Seelampur is an Assembly seat in the North-East district of Delhi and a Muslim dominated neighbourhood. The area was set up in the Emergency-era to rehabilitate Muslims rendered homeless after their homes were demolished in the north and central Delhi.

In the run-up to the Delhi Assembly polls, Muslim-dominated areas of Seelampur saw unprecedented violence led by Muslim mobs to protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act.

Delhi was the epicentre of the anti-CAA riots, which later spread to different parts of the country. The Muslim mob in Delhi’s Seelampur had unleashed the violence against public infrastructure and pelted stones at the police injuring many of them. The violent protestors had even attacked school buses in Delhi’s Seelampur area.

There have been serious allegations against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP for instigating riots in Delhi by inciting Muslim mobs against the Modi government ahead of the Delhi assembly elections under the guise of protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act, which has nothing to do with Indian Muslims.

Shockingly, Aam Aadmi Party led by Arvind Kejriwal has given tickets to people who are associated with instigating riots in Delhi during the anti-CAA riots. AAP has fielded Abdul Rehman to contest from New Delhi’s Seelampur constituency in upcoming elections. Rehman along with ex-Congress MLA Mateen Ahmed has been named in an FIR by Delhi Police for ‘provoking the crowd’ to join the protests.

Profile of Seelampur:

Constituency number: 65
Total electors: 85350
Male: 1,55,735
Female: 70,385
Others: 0
Voter turnout in last Assembly Election: 71.51 %
Polling stations: 150
Percentage of Muslim population: Over 35%

AAP candidate Abdul Rehman has won.

3. Matia Mahal

This Assembly Constituency, too, has never been won by a non-Muslim and is another of the Muslim dominated constituency of Delhi. Shoaib Iqbal had held the seat from 1993 to 2015 before conceding it to Asif Ahmed Khan of the Aam Aadmi Party. This time around, Shoaib Iqbal is contesting from the AAP while the Congress has fielded Mirza Javed Ali. The BJP’s candidate for the seat is Ravindra Gupta.

Muslim voters are likely to play a decisive role in determining the result in this constituency, where they reportedly form around 40 percent of the electorate.

Matia Mahal is home to Ajmeri Gate, Chandni Mahal, Chawri Bazar, Chitli Qabar, Delhi Gate, Hauz Qazi, Lal Kuan, Sita Ram Bazar, Suiwalan and Turkman Gate.

It is pertinent to note that Hauz Qazi forms a part of Matia Mahal constituency. In Hauz Qazi, in July 2019, the Hindu community came under siege by a Muslim mob. Their temple was vandalised and for several days, communal tensions prevailed. The locals had also claimed that while vandalising the temple, the Muslim mob had urinated on the idols and the AAP MLA from the area did nothing to help the Hindus and was, in fact, favouring the Muslim mob.

Profile of Matia Mahal:

Constituency Name: Matia Mahal
Constituency Number: 21
District Name: Central Delhi
Total Electors: 1,15,944
Female Electors: 54,214
Male Electors: 61,720
Third Gender: 10
Reserved: No
Percentage of Muslim population: Over 40%

Aam Aadmi Party’s Shoaib Iqbal has won.

4. Ballimaran

No non-Muslim has ever won this Assembly Constituency. Haroon Yusuf from the Congress party held the seat from 1993 to 2015 while the Aam Aadmi Party’s Imran Hussain succeeded in snatching the constituency away from the Congress. Hussain had won almost 60% of the votes last time around while BJP’s Shyam Lal Morwal had managed only 24.29% vote share. In 2020, the Congress has again fielded Haroon Yusuf while the BJP has gone with Lata Sodhi. The AAP has chosen to field the incumbent from the seat, Imran Hussain.

The Dalit-Muslim combination could prove to be decisive in Ballimaran. Together, they form nearly 3/5th of the total electorate in the constituency. The constituency has areas such as Ahata Kale Sahib, Amarpuri, Bagichi Allauddin, Bagichi Raghunath, Bara Dari Sher Afgan, Bara Hindu Rao, Baradari Sher Afgan, Basti Bagrian, Basti Harphool Singh, Basti Julahan, Bazar Ballimaran, Bazar Chandni Chowk, Bazar Lal Kuan, Chamelian Road, Chawri Bazar, Chinyot Basti, Dharam Pura, Faizal Road, Farash Khana, Gali Shyamji, Haveli Hissamuddin Haider, Hoshiar Singh Marg and Jogiwara. The Muslim-dominated constituency has a gender ratio of 817, which is below the city average of 824.

Profile of Ballimaran:

Constituency Name: Ballimaran
Constituency Number: 22
District Name: Central Delhi
Total Electors: 1,40,776
Female Electors: 61,992
Male Electors: 78,777
Third Gender: 7
Reserved: No
Percentage of Muslim population: Well over 50-70%

AAP’s Imran Hussain has won.

5. Mustafabad

The BJP had won this seat in 2015 with its candidate Jagdish Pradhan securing 35.33% of the votes. The Muslim vote had split between the Congress and the AAP, paving the way for BJP’s victory. AAP had secured 30.13% of the votes while the Congress had managed 31.68%. The Congress party’s Hasan Ahmed had won this seat in 2008 and 2013. The Constituency had come into existence in 2008 after a delimitation exercise.

The AAP has fielded Haji Yunus and the Congress party has fielded Ahmed’s son and head of its minority wing, Ali Mehndi, from the seat. The BJP has fielded the incumbent from the seat, Jagdish Pradhan.

Rithala, Shahdara, Seemapuri, Babarpur and Mustafabad — have Muslim population between 30 percent and 40 percent. Over the last seven years, AAP has successfully weaned away Muslim voters, who have long been considered a traditional Congress vote bank.

In 2015, when AAP had swept the Delhi elections winning 67 seats and giving away only three to BJP, Mustafabad was the only Muslim-dominated seat that was won by BJP.

Mustafabad profile:

Constituency number: 69
Total electors: 2,33,426
Male: 1,29,496
Female: 1,03,923
Others: 7
Voter turnout in last Assembly Election: 70.65 percent
Polling stations: 192
District: North East Delhi
Muslim population: 30-40%

AAP’s Haji Yunus has won.

6. Babarpur

Babarpur has a significant Muslim population, between 30 to 40 percent. However, the BJP has won it four times in the past. The seat is currently held by Delhi Cabinet Minister Gopal Rai. He had defeated BJP’s Naresh Gaur by a margin of almost 36,000 votes. This year, it’s again a contest between Rai and Gaur while the Congress party has chosen to field Anveeksha Tripathi Jain.

It is pertinent to note that in June last year, a Delhi court framed charges of rioting, unlawful assembly, murder, the disappearance of evidence, mischief, dacoity, murder and conspiracy against 12 persons accused in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case in the Babarpur area in northeast Delhi, where seven persons died.

Babarpur profile:

Constituency number: 67
Total electors: 1,92,358
Male: 1,05,238
Female: 87,092
Transgender: 28
Voter turnout in last Assembly Election: 66.99 percent
Polling stations: 153
Muslim population: Almost 40%

AAP’s Gopal Rai has won.

7. Chandni Chowk

The Assembly Constituency has a Muslim population of over 40 percent. The seat was won by Alka Lamba in 2015 for the Aam Aadmi Party who is now contesting from the Congress party. Meanwhile, Parlad Singh Sawhney, who had won the seat as a Congress candidate four times, contested the elections as the AAP candidate in 2020. The BJP has given its ticket to Suman Kumar Gupta.

Dariba Kalan, Fateh Puri, Jama Masjid, Kashmere Gate, Chandni Chowk, Khyber Pass, Lal Quila and Yamuna Bridge are some of the areas located in the constituency. The trader community, located across markets like Khari Baoli, Darya Ganj, Faiz Bazar, Kinari Bazar, Nai Sarak and Naya Bazar, is also a key electoral factor in this constituency.

Constituency Name: Chandni Chowk
Constituency Number: 20
District Name: Central Delhi
Total Electors: 1,13,784
Female Electors: 51,055
Male Electors: 62,723
Third Gender: 6
Reserved: No
Percentage Muslim population: Over 40%

AAP’s Parlad Singh Sawhney has won.

Bengal: VHP’s mass wedding ceremonies for poor tribals under attack, Mamata Banerjee terms them ‘conversion attempt’

OpIndia Staff
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Bengal: VHP’s mass wedding ceremonies for poor tribals under attack, Mamata Banerjee terms them ‘conversion attempt’

Mass marriages conducted by Vishwa Hindu Parishad leaders were booked under non-bailable sections of the Indian Penal Code(IPC) after Mamata Banerjee’s administration alleged that the event is an ‘attempt of converting’ the followers of Sari/Sarna religion into Hindus.

As per a report in Hindustan Times, in Malda district, the top leaders of Vishwa Hindu Parishad were booked under sections of the Indian Penal Code(IPC), and Schedule castes and Schedule tribes Prevention of Atrocities Act, 1989 with the allegations that the mass marriage ceremony they had organised recently was to ‘convert’ the tribals into Hinduism.

As per the HT report, another such mass marriage ceremony has been stopped by the police and state administration in Alipurduar. The ceremony was scheduled for Monday, February 10. A day before the ceremony, the police had interrogated the organizers for hours. The police had also stopped the vehicles of organizers and seized microphones, dismantled the pandals erected on the venue.

The Inspector in-charge of the Alipurdaur police station Rabin Thapa said, “The event was not allowed because the organizers had not taken permission either from the office of the sub-divisional officer or from the police”.

Another police officer alleged that the action was taken after the police found a leaflet of the ceremony which mentioned that the marriages will be organized as per Hindu rituals.

The event was conducted by Shri Hari Satang Samiti in association with Alipurdaur Ganabibaho Samiti, both RSS linked organisations which have been organising such mass marriage ceremonies for poor tribals for years.

Alipurdaur Ganabibaho Samiti’s Ratan Tarafdar has stated, “We have been conducting similar events for several years. Each time, we only informed the administration in writing about the event and even received the administration’s assistance. Never did the question of obtaining written permission arise”. VHP, Banwasi Kalyan Ashram and other Sangh Parivar organisations too, regularly organise mass marriage ceremonies for poor tribal and rural people.

The VHP has mentioned that they have been following due tribal customs and social rituals in their mass marriage ceremonies. A report in Organiser stated that due permission for the Malda event was obtained from local administration and despite over 100 police officials being present, the event was attacked and vandalised by JDP worker who injured many tribal people and also damaged their belongings.

The VHP has alleged the collusion of Christian missionaries and communist leaders in attacking a tribal mass marriage ceremony and has asked for a detailed probe, failing which, they have claimed to launch a state-wide protest.

It is being speculated that the state government’s wrath on the mass marriage events has come after February 2 when some activists of a local political outfit called Jharkhand Disom Party had vandalised the mass marriage venue in Malda.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee too had joined in to vilify the mass marriage events. While speaking in a public meeting in Nadia district, she had said, “Three days ago, in Malda district, tribal women were being converted in the name of marriage. I thank my administration that they acted. One VHP person has been arrested and the rest are evading the police. They are shameless. The government will arrange for a fund for the marriage of tribal people from poor economic backgrounds”.

The Bharatiya Adivasi Ekta Manch, JDP and some other tribal outfits have been campaigning for a separate religion code for Sarna followers. They have also been reportedly urging the state’s schedule tribe population to list Sarna as their religion in the 2021 census.

Meanwhile, RSS’s South Bengal unit secretary Jisnu Basu hit back at Mamata Banerjee saying “I also smell a conspiracy. Are all of the state’s tribal people followers of Sarna religion, according to the census of 2011? Aren’t there tribal people who consider themselves as Hindus? In that case, is there a concerted effort to reduce the number of Hindus?”

As per the HT report, Sari and Sarna are included as ‘other religious practices’ in the census. In the 2011 census, 942,297 people in West Bengal, or 1.03 per cent of the state’s population, had registered themselves as followers of other religious practices, while the state’s ST population stood at 5.8 per cent.

Delhi Election Results and the 10 most important constituencies to watch out for: All you need to know

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi Election Results and the 10 most important constituencies to watch out for: All you need to know

The declaration of the results for the Delhi Assembly Election is finally underway and AAP is leading in as many as 33 seat as per official EC website. After a highly polarized campaign that culminated with the polling of votes for all the 70 constituencies on the 8th February, the fate of Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party will be known by the end of the day. In this report, we shall focus on the results of the high profile constituencies in the Union Territory.

1. New Delhi

This Assembly Constituency has been the bastion of two Chief Ministers of the Union territory. Sheila Dixit, former CM of Delhi from the Congress party, won this constituency twice, 2008 and 2013. The current CM, Arvind Kejriwal, won from this constituency in 2015. Kejriwal is seeking reelection to the Assembly from the same seat.

The BJP and Congress, both, have fielded first-timers from the constituency. BJP’s Yuva unit President, Sunil Yadav, and Congress party’s Romesh Sabarwal, who is associated with the NSUI are up against the AAP Supremo.

AAP Supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has own.

2. Model Town

AAP rebel Kapil Mishra is seeking an election to the Delhi Assembly from a BJP ticket. After a fallout with his erstwhile comrades, Mishra has opposed the AAP tooth and nail ever since. The AAP has renominated Akhilesh Pati Tripathi from the seat while the Congress has gone ahead with Akansha Ola, a secretary of the party’s women’s wing. The BJP won the seat only in 1993 while the Congress held it between 1998 and 2013. It flipped to the AAP in 2013.

BJP’s Kapil Mishra has lost.

3. Chandni Chowk

Alka Lamba, after having a fallout with the top brass of the Aam Aadmi Party, will now be contesting from the seat on a Congress ticket.  Meanwhile, Parlad Singh Sawhney, who had won the seat as a Congress candidate four times, contested the elections as the AAP candidate in 2020. The BJP has given its ticket to Suman Kumar Gupta. The constituency has a Muslim population of over 40 percent.

AAP’s Parlad Singh Sawhney has won.

4. Patparganj

Deputy CM of Delhi Manish Sisodia is seeking reelection to the Assembly from the constituency. The BJP had won the constituency in 1993 and since 1998, the Congress had held it until 2013. In 2020, Sisodia is up against Laxman Rawat from the Congress and Ravi Negi from the BJP. The Purvanchali vote base in this constituency is around 25 percent while 20 percent of the electorate is made up of migrants from Uttarakhand.

AAP’s Manish Sisodia has won.

5. Malviya Nagar

Controversial AAP leader Somnath Bharti is seeking reelection from this seat. From being accused of domestic violence and attempted murder to abusing a journalist in filthy language on camera and leading a midnight raid where a Ugandan woman was assaulted, Bharti, like a lot of AAP leaders, has a sketchy record.

After the BJP won the constituency in 1993, the constituency had been a Congress bastion between 1998 and 2013. In 2020, he is up against former councillor Shailendra Singh Moti of the BJP and Congress candidate Neetu Verma, a former DUSU president.

AAP’s Somnath Bharti has won.

6. Okhla

Amanatullah Khan, the AAP leader who was recently spotted leading anti-CAA riots in the national capital, is seeking reelection from the Muslim dominated seat. Okhla has never been won by a non-Muslim.

The BJP has fielded Braham Singh from the constituency. He was the BJP’s candidate in 2015 as well but had secured just over 23% of the votes last time. The Congress, meanwhile, has fielded Parvez Hashmi who has won the seat four times in the past. Shaheen Bagh, which has featured prominently in these election campaigns, lies in this constituency and so does Jamia.

Okhla is also the most controversial constituency in terms of anti-CAA riots recently. Shaheen Bagh, where Islamists have laid siege is also a part of the Okhla constituency. At Shaheen Bagh, 2 infants have died due to the protests and the harsh weather conditions and several hate-filled, anti-Hindu slogans like ‘Jinnah Wali Azadi’ have also been raised. The mastermind of Shaheen Bagh protests, Sharjeel Imam, is in police custody after he made seditious statements like trying to cut away Assam from the rest of India. In fact, Sharjeel Imam was seen making provocative statements at a separate event with AAP’s Amanatullah Khan standing right beside him.

Interestingly, even Batla House forms a part of Okhla constituency.

AAP’s Amanatullah Khan has won.

7. Tri Nagar

This is the constituency that had elected the now-disgraced AAP leader Jitendra Singh Tomar. The Delhi High Court had set aside the election of the ex-Delhi Law Minister for providing a false declaration regarding his educational qualifications in his nomination papers for the 2015 assembly elections. Tomar was sacked from his post of law minister from the Arvind Kejriwal led AAP govt in Delhi after he was arrested by Delhi police for procuring fake degrees.

This time around, AAP has given the ticket to Tomar’s wife, Preeti. The AAP candidate is up against Tilak Ram Gupta from the BJP and Kamal Kant Sharma of the Congress party. The BJP had won this seat in 2013 after the Congress won it twice, 2008 and 2013. In 1993 and 1998, the BJP had won this seat. This is the first election in 17 years that the BJP’s Nand Kishore Garg and Congress’ Anil Bhardwaj did not face off against each other.

AAP’s Preeti Tomar has won.

8. Kalkaji

Controversial AAP leader Atishi Marlena is contesting the elections from this seat. In the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, she had suffered a spectacular defeat against former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir who had contested from a BJP ticket.

In the 2020 Assembly Elections, Marlena is up against BJP’s Dharamveer Singh and Shivani Chopra from the Congress party. Between 1998 and 2013, the constituency was a Congress bastion. In 2013, the BJP had managed to win the seat after 20 years. In 2015, the seat was won by AAP’s Avtar Singh.

AAP’s Atishi has won.

9. Rajendra Nagar

Raghav Chaddha, another prominent face of the Aam Aadmi Party, is contesting the elections from Rajendra Nagar. In 2015, Vijender Garg Vijay of the AAP had won the seat. Two years earlier, the BJP had won it in 2013. The BJP has won the seat thrice prior to that, in 1993, 1998 and 2003. The Congress had won this seat in 2008. In 2020, Chaddha is up against veteran Sikh leader from the BJP, RP Singh, and Congress’ Rocky Tuseed.

AAP’s Raghav Chadha has won.

10. Seelampur

Seelampur is another constituency that had witnessed massive riots following the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act in both the houses of the Parliament. It is another constituency that has never been won by a non-Muslim. The Congress party has won this seat four times in the past and the Aam Aadmi Party won it in 2015.

In 2020, the Congress party has fielded a strong candidate. Mateen Ahmed who had held the seat from 1993 to 2015 before losing it to Mohammad Ishraque from the AAP is the Congress party’s candidate this time around. The BJP has fielded Kaushal Mishra this time around. The only way the BJP could win this seat is in the case of a Muslim vote split between the Congress and the AAP.

Seelampur is an Assembly seat in the North-East district of Delhi and a Muslim dominated neighbourhood. The area was set up in the Emergency-era to rehabilitate Muslims rendered homeless after their homes were demolished in the north and central Delhi.

In the run-up to the Delhi Assembly polls, Muslim-dominated areas of Seelampur saw unprecedented violence led by Muslim mobs to protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act.

Delhi was the epicentre of the anti-CAA riots, which later spread to different parts of the country. The Muslim mob in Delhi’s Seelampur had unleashed the violence against public infrastructure and pelted stones at the police injuring many of them. The violent protestors had even attacked school buses in Delhi’s Seelampur area.

There have been serious allegations against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP for instigating riots in Delhi by inciting Muslim mobs against the Modi government ahead of the Delhi assembly elections under the guise of protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act, which has nothing to do with Indian Muslims.

Shockingly, Aam Aadmi Party led by Arvind Kejriwal has given tickets to people who are associated with instigating riots in Delhi during the anti-CAA riots. AAP has fielded Abdul Rehman to contest from New Delhi’s Seelampur constituency in upcoming elections. Rehman along with ex-Congress MLA Mateen Ahmed has been named in an FIR by Delhi Police for ‘provoking the crowd’ to join the protests.

AAP’s Abdul Rehman has won.

Minutes before counting of votes, Congress veteran leader Digvijaya Singh raises the ‘EVMs are hacked’ bogey. Here is how he’s wrong

OpIndia Staff
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Minutes before counting of votes, Congress veteran leader Digvijaya Singh raises the ‘EVMs are hacked’ bogey. Here is how he’s wrong

Like clockwork, the ‘EVMs are tampered’ bogey has been raised by sore losers as Congress stares at an imminent defeat in recently concluded Delhi Assembly elections. Congress veteran leader Digvijaya Singh, minutes before the counting of votes began, questioned use of EVMs instead of ballot papers for elections. Taking to Twitter, Singh urged the Supreme Court and Election Commission to have a fresh look at usage of EVMs in India.


“We can’t allow some unscrupulous people to hack results and steal the mandate of 1.3 billion people,” he tweeted. He further said that no machine that has a chip is tamper-proof.


He even questioned why the developed countries don’t use EVMs if they’re so accurate. The EC has categorically explained [pdf] earlier how EVMs cannot be hacked.

The key reasons cited are:

  1. EVMs are standalone machines and not connected with internet or any other network that can give away control, so can’t be ‘hacked’ the way other systems are compromised.
  2. The chip in EVMs can be programmed only once and it’s burnt into the EVMs at the time of manufacture. They can not be programmed again to transfer all or a part of all votes to a particular party.
  3. ECI had given chances to various people, right from year 2009, to demonstrate how EVMs can be tampered with, but they either failed or refused to demonstrate.
  4. Every EVM in every election is checked in presence of representatives of political parties before election process beings. If any machine is found malfunctioning, it is not used in elections.
  5. Mock polls are done by representatives of political parties themselves and at least 1000 mock votes are registered. Some rumours had claimed that after first 100 votes, rest of the votes are transferred, so this rumour is also killed in this process.
  6. The machines found working well are stored in strong room with a ‘pink paper seal’ that is signed by representatives of all political parties. This seal ensures that the chosen EVM’s body can not be opened and no hardware changes can be made. Software changes can not be made as explained in point 1 and 2 above.
  7. Which EVM goes to which assembly or polling booth, is decided through a computerised randomisation process. This randomised allocation also happens in the presence of representative of political parties.
  8. A mock poll is done again after EVMs are assigned constituencies, and the candidate list is set to the machines. This is again done in the presence of representative of political parties.
  9. Yet another mock poll in presence of representative of political parties takes place on the actual day of polling at every polling station.
  10. Paper and thread seals are put on EVMs (after blocking those buttons that have no corresponding candidates) before the actual polling begins. This is also done in presence of representative of political parties and they are allowed to put their signatures on the seal.
  11. Once the polling is over, and “close” button is pressed, after which the data is final and secured, entire EVM is sealed. And again, it done in presence of representative of political parties and they are allowed to put their signatures on the seal.
  12. The political parties are allowed to put their seals even on strong rooms where the EVMs are stored, and they are allowed to keep a watch on the strong rooms round the clock.

[Live] Delhi Assembly elections: AAP leads in 58 out of 70 seats, BJP in 12. Congress stuck at zero

OpIndia Staff
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[Live] Delhi Assembly elections: AAP leads in 58 out of 70 seats, BJP in 12. Congress stuck at zero

1:30 PM

AAP leading in 58 out of 70 seats as per official EC website. BJP leading in 12. Congress yet to open its account. AAP’s Amanatullah Khan leading with over 70,000 votes in Okhla. BJP’s Tajinder Bagga and Kapil Mishra both trailing in Harinagar and Model Town respectively. Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia trailing in Patparganj.

10:45 AM

BJP’s Kapil Mishra is leading in Model Town with a margin of 98 votes as per official EC website while Delhi’s Deputy CM Manish Sisodia is leading with 112 votes margin. Former AAP MLA and Congress’ Chandni Chowk candidate Alka Lamba has managed to garner 157 votes. As per official EC trends, AAP is leading on 45 seats while BJP on 19. Congress yet to open shop.

9:45 AM

BJP’s Tajinder Bagga leader in Harinagar as AAP’s Raj Kumari Dhillon trails. Vikaspuri Congress candidate Mukesh Sharma concedes defeat within an hour of counting of votes.


Official EC trends, on the other hand show AAP and BJP leading in 10 seats each.

9 AM

Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party has taken an early lead, while the BJP has opened its account as counting of votes begins across the capital. The ruling AAP is eyeing a third consecutive term in power in Delhi.


The latest trends show that the Aam Aadmi Party is leading on 50 seats, while the BJP is leading on 19. Congress is showing lead in one seat.

BJP’s candidate from Harinagar constituency Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga is leading, according to initial trends. Meanwhile, AAP’s riot-accused Amanatullah Khan from Okhla constituency has also taken an early lead. Okhla has been the hotbed of anti-CAA riots in the national capital.

Prominent candidates in the fray include CM Arvind Kejriwal from New Delhi, his deputy Manish Sisodia from Patparganj, Kalkaji candidate Atishi and Raghav Chadha from Rajendar Nagar of the AAP are all leading.

The exit poll results for Delhi Assembly elections have predicted a clean sweep for Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi. If AAP wins Delhi polls 2020 then Arvind Kejriwal would become the chief minister of the national capital for the third term. The majority mark in the 70-member assembly stands at 36.

No, ASI is not replacing centuries-old murals at Konark temple with plain stones. Here’s the truth

OpIndia Staff
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No, ASI is not replacing centuries-old murals at Konark temple with plain stones. Here’s the truth

A raging controversy erupted on social media today after a Twitter user posted two pictures, allegedly of the hallowed Konark temple. The images raised aspersions on the restoration of the temple carried out by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

Viral tweet on Konark temple

In the tweet, the Twitter user asserted that the Konark Temple is being broken as centuries-old murals on the temple walls are being turned into plain bland stones by the ASI on the pretext of restoration.

However, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has now put these rumours to rest.


Taking to Twitter, ASI said that the two images which were juxtaposed next to each other as ‘before and after’ are taken from different parts of the temple complex. The ASI clarified that the plain stonework in second image was done in 1980s. “ASI used plain stone only wherein there was no evidence left & as per ASI’s the then archaeological policy only such portions were filled with plain stones. ASI would like to confirm that no sculpture has been replaced,” the ASI said.

In fact, an Indian Express article regarding restoration of Konark temple states that no restoration rules or guidelines were violated while undergoing the gargantuan task of the gentrification of the much-revered Konark Temple. “As a signatory of UNESCO conventions, it is mandated that ASI cannot replicate original representations (carvings). The understanding is that as monuments deteriorate if one keeps on replicating then nothing original will remain,” the article read.

The ASI undertook the gentrification of the temple in 2012. The restoration undertaking is particularly challenging for the ASI as the temple is situated close to the sea and the accumulated salt, sand and the moisture-laden wind on the surface of the temple wall, harms the sculptures.

In addition to this, the nature of the material used in building the temple, Khondolite is a very porous stone and its susceptibility to quick deterioration has only compounded the  complexity of the challenge facing ASI engineers. Owing to the imposing grandeur of the Sun Temple, the ASI had pegged the completion of its “scientific cleaning” in 12 years. However, with naysayers raising doubts over its methodology, it may well surpass its proposed deadline.

Coronavirus effect: As China market struggles amidst the outbreak, global buyers find an alternative in India

OpIndia Staff
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Coronavirus effect: As China market struggles amidst the outbreak, global buyers find an alternative in India

Due to the Coronavirus hitting China, global buyers are looking at India to replace China as the primary supplier of goods such as ceramics, homeware, fashion and lifestyle goods, textiles, engineering goods and furniture, according to a report by The Economic Times.

As per the report, there has been an increase in inquiry from the buyers from the US and European countries. Rakesh Kumar, Director General, Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts told ET that those who were earlier sourcing from China are now exploring India as an alternate to meet the demands.

Due to China’s situation, Indian companies have received more interest in the ongoing Cevisama ceramics fair which is taking place in Spain. A Delhi based exporter told ET that this situation can give Indian companies a head start. Apart from this, labour-intensive industries like garments may also get boost in India due to the situation in China.

However, the coronavirus outbreak may also lead to losses in India’s trade and commerce. Indian leather industry, which is heavily dependent on Chinese market, may take a hit. In the wake of the situation with Coronavirus, the feeling is that the supply chain will get hit massively.

Rafeeque Ahmed, chairman of Chennai-based Farida Group, which is one of India’s largest shoe manufacturers and exporters feels that markets will not easily switch over suppliers and orders. Instead of India, there is likelihood that Vietnam and Cambodia will be more attractive over India, he told ET.

Earlier, we had reported how the Coronavirus has affected the Surat diamond business was as Hong Kong is in lock down for two months. Therefore, it depends upon how the global markets go around as the year progresses.

First Indian coronavirus patient recovering and stable, tests show negative results

OpIndia Staff
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First Indian coronavirus patient recovering and stable, tests show negative results

The student from Thrissur who was studying in Wuhan and tested positive for coronavirus is now on the path to recovery. As per the doctors of Thrissur Medical College and Hospital, her fifth sample was tested negative and they are awaiting the sixth report, after which she’ll be eligible to go home.

A senior doctor from Thrissur medical college and hospital said that the doctors are waiting for yet another test result following which she can go home. He said, “We have nursed her back to life. We can say she is completely recovered. To doubly ensure this, we are awaiting another result after which she can go home and can be quarantined there for another two weeks or so”.

Claiming that her medical background helped her to recover, the officials of the health ministry also said that the two other patients were also on the road to recovery. The two others are undergoing treatment in Kasaragod and Alappuzha.

Earlier this month the state of Kerala had declared a novel Coronavirus epidemic as a state calamity after the medical authorities had confirmed three coronavirus cases. Although she assured that the announcement was not to scare people.

At the moment there are around 3,252 people who are under observation, of which 3,218 are under home quarantine. Fifteen students who came back two days ago after being stranded in an airport in China for three days were also discharged from the hospital the very next day after they weren’t showing any sign.

Meanwhile, besides intensifying surveillance at the airports, the central government has temporarily suspended visas for Chinese residents and already evacuated hundreds of Indians from Wuhan.

Glad that India was partitioned. Muslim league would not have allowed Congress government function: Congress leader Natwar Singh

OpIndia Staff
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Glad that India was partitioned. Muslim league would not have allowed Congress government function: Congress leader Natwar Singh

The former Foreign Minister and a towering Congress leader, Natwar Singh, on Sunday, said that he was glad that India’s partition happened as he believed that the Muslim League would not have allowed the undivided country to function and there would have been more “direct action days” if partition had not occurred.


Speaking at the launch of BJP MP MJ Akbar’s new book, ‘Gandhi’s Hinduism: The Struggle Against Jinnah’s Islam’, at Pranab Mukherjee’s residence, Singh said it would have been impossible for the country to function normally if the partition had not taken place. “According to me, I am pleased that India was partitioned. Because if India had not been partitioned we would have witnessed more Direct Action Days — the first we had during Jinnah’s (Muhammad Ali) lifetime was on August 16 (1946) when thousands of Hindus were killed in Kolkata (then Calcutta), and of course then the retaliation took place in Bihar where thousands of Muslims were killed.”

On August 16, 1946, Muhammad Ali Jinnah exhorted his fellow Muslims to observe ‘Direct Action Day’ in support of their demand for a separate nation for Muslims. The call for observing ‘Direct Action Day’ witnessed widespread communal riots between Hindus and Muslims, especially in what was Bengal province of British India, leavings thousands and lakhs perished in the ensuing violence.

Read: One Hundred Years of the end of ‘Khilafat’: How the Gandhi supported movement unleashed the beast of Islamic fanaticism

To reinforce his assertion about Muslim League, Singh cited the example of the Interim Government of India, formed on September 2, 1946, when the Muslim League initially declined to join the cabinet of the council’s vice-president Jawaharlal Nehru, and later participated only to reject all its proposals.

“You can imagine therefore that If the country was not partitioned then, the Muslim League would have laid innumerable impediments for the proper and smooth functioning of the government. The situation of the country would have worsened by the week,” Singh enunciated.

Describing Mahatma Gandhi and Jinnah, Singh called them as two very “great” and “difficult” persons, adding that it would have been very difficult to live with either of the men. “It would have been beyond the bounds of possibility to live with them because Gandhiji observed very high standards and Jinnah”s acerbic temperament certainly would not have allowed us to go along,” the Congress leader said.

Singh also opined that according to him Gandhiji cosseted Jinnah on the persuasion of India’s last Governor-General C Rajagopalachari. “It is my belief that Gandhiji pampered Jinnah. In 1944, Gandhi made 17 visits to Jinnah”s house in Malabar Hill. But not once did Jinnah return his visits,” Singh said.

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