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I am Pankaj Tiwari, ‘Allah Kasam’ I was not pelting stones: Gorakhpur riots after Friday Namaz were pre-planned, suggests report

OpIndia Staff
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I am Pankaj Tiwari, ‘Allah Kasam’ I was not pelting stones: Gorakhpur riots after Friday Namaz were pre-planned, suggests report

UP had seen large scale violent riots by Muslim mobs over the CAA and NRC. In the past few days, the UP government has been using CCTV and drone footage to identify and arrest stone pelters, arsonists and violent rioters who had damaged public property.

Several media and social media reports have surfaced which show that in many instances, the mob had no idea why exactly they were protesting or what is their issue with CAA or NRC. Intelligence sources have already mentioned earlier that they suspect the hand of pro-Islamist, separatist and jihadi elements behind inciting the riots in several parts of the country.

As per a report in Dainik Jagran’s Gorakhpur edition, as the violent rioters started wreaking havoc after the Friday prayers in Mosques, the police had detained a man for stone-pelting. The man claimed to the police that his name was ‘Pankaj Tiwari’.

Report in Jagran

When the police asked the man his father’s name, he reportedly thought for some time and replied it is ‘Gauri Tiwari’. Finding his replies suspicious, when the police officials mentioned sternly that he was seen pelting stones by an on-duty policeman, the suspect replied, “Allah Kasam(by the name of Allah), I was not pelting stones”.

As per reports, the Gorakhpur violence is suspected to have been incited with ‘outsider influence’. Media reports mention citing police sources that from Friday morning, several groups of young men were active in the Shahmaruf area. They first forced the shops to close then decided to offer Namaz with black arm-bands. The police teams were keeping a close watch on such groups. Some young men were also seen distributing black arm-bands and tying them to people.

Read: UP police arrest PFI’s Uttar Pradesh head Waseem for allegedly masterminding violence during anti-CAA protests

The ground team had reported to police officers that some non-local elements are inciting local Muslims to organise violent protests. Police had decided that they will approach the men and conduct enquiries after the Friday Namaz in Mosques.

The Jagran report states that the police teams were taking swift action after the Friday riots. They had detained any person they deemed suspicious and had taken them to police stations. After scanning area-wise CCTV footage, if any persons amongst the detainees were found not to have been involved, they were being released and suspected individuals were detained. Over 24 people were released from a group of over 50.

Police investigation has revealed that some WhatsApp groups were inciting local Muslims and were also making personal calls to fan violence. Police have also found that local Muslims had collected and gathered stones and bricks for violence after the Namaz. Police are also scanning through mobile network details to determine the numbers which were actively making calls and sending messages before and during the riots to incite violence.

Normalcy returning to Assam, schools reopen in 11 districts after almost two weeks of shut down

OpIndia Staff
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Normalcy returning to Assam, schools reopen in 11 districts after almost two weeks of shut down

Assam has seen large-scale unrest over the Citizenship Amendment Act. Schools were shut in many areas and the internet was suspended after incidents of arson and vandalism. As per reports, schools are now opening in several areas.

Schools in 11 districts of Assam were opened on Monday after almost 12 days of shut down. Though protests against the CAA are still going on in Guwahati, gradually normalcy is being restored.

According to officials in the education department, schools up to 12th standard were reopened after almost two weeks of shut down in 11 districts of Assam. Businesses and banks were opened in Guwahati on December 19, but schools had mostly remained closed.

The schools were closed amidst widespread protests on December 11. Examinations in many institutions and universities have been postponed too. The All Assam Students Union, students of various colleges and universities, artists, lawyers and many civil society groups were a part of the anti-CAA protests.

Read: The Citizenship Amendment Act is constitutional: Here is how the anti-CAA propaganda has no legal basis

As per reports, Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has stated that out of 206 social media posts that were identified for inciting violence in the state, 3 had originated in the UAE. He also stated that the police have registered 28 cases for provocative and offensive social media posts and 10 people have been arrested so far.

A total of 393 persons have been arrested so far in 244 cases registered over their involvement in violence and arson. Assam CM Sonowal has stated that the state government will resolve all issues by peaceful dialogues with leaders of all groups involved.

Mamata Banerjee writes to Opposition leaders to gather support against CAA, continues to indulge in fear-mongering

OpIndia Staff
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Mamata Banerjee writes to Opposition leaders to gather support against CAA, continues to indulge in fear-mongering

Continuing to indulge in fear-mongering, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrote a letter to leaders of opposition in other states urging them to come together against the Citizenship Amendment Act and ‘chalk out a plan to save the country.

Writing to chief ministers and senior leaders of opposition parties as well as NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Banerjee wrote, “Today, I write this letter to you with grave worries in my mind. The citizens of this country irrespective of caste and creed, particularly the woman and children, farmers, workers and members of scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, OBCs and minorities are in the grip of fear and panic for the Citizenship Amendment Act and the proposed nationwide NRC. The situation is very serious.”

Read: Mamata Banerjee ‘inspired’ the birth of two lion cubs in Kolkata zoo, claims plaque installed in the zoo

“Today, more than ever, we need to rise against this draconian regime in the united manner. I sincerely and honestly request all my senior leaders and all the political outfits to stand up against this in a concerted and united manner; let us create peaceful and meaningful opposition to these unholy efforts by the Centre and save India’s democratic soul,” the letter further read. She has urged the leaders of opposition parties to meet and chalk out a planned protest to ‘save our democracy’.

Banerjee’s call for unity came a day after Prime Minister Modi mocked her for opposing the CAA and having baseless paranoia.

Barkha Dutt’s sister Bahar Dutt caught in plagiarism row, latter denies the allegations

OpIndia Staff
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Barkha Dutt’s sister Bahar Dutt caught in plagiarism row, latter denies the allegations

Controversial journalist Barkha Dutt’s sister Bahar Dutt was caught in a plagiarism row when nature and wildlife writer Janaki Lenin accused her of lifting paragraphs from her 2007 essay “The Song of the Ganges Gharial”. Taking to Twitter, Janaki alleged that Bahar Dutt’s book ‘Rewilding’ has portions of her essay lifted off almost verbatim.


Janaki cited her own essay and shared a screenshot from Dutt’s book which were quite similar.


Her subsequent tweets showed Dutt’s book had exact same words as her essay.

Bahar Dutt’s clarification

Dutt, however, refuted these allegations and said that she had quoted Romulus Whitaker, wildlife conservationist.


Expressing shock at the allegations, Dutt said how her emails to Whitaker were on record and were based on the papers sent by him. She adds that the references to the papers she has used in her book are mentioned in the references section.


To another quote, she mentioned that in her book she had attributed the above quote to Rom as it was given to her by him. “If you were writing on his behalf, why did you not mention?” she asked Lenin. Rom is also Janaki Lenin’s husband. Responding to Dutt’s clarification, Lenin reprimanded her for not putting the verbatim quotes in quotation mark.


Lenin has further asked Dutt to share the email exchange between Dutt and her husband, Rom, as she has claimed.

After Kerala governor Arif Mohammad Khan supports CAA, Congress revokes invitation to him to attend commemoration of former CM

OpIndia Staff
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After Kerala governor Arif Mohammad Khan supports CAA, Congress revokes invitation to him to attend commemoration of former CM

Days after Kerala governor Arif Mohammad Khan voiced his support for the Citizenship Amendment Act, Congress leader and the opposition leader of Kerala asked him to not attend a program where he was invited.

This was informed by the official Twitter handle of the Kerala Governor, which said that opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala requested the governor not to attend the event. According to the letter written by Chennithala to the governor, governor Arif Mohammad Khan was originally invited to inaugurate the commemoration of former Kerala CM K Karunakaran at 4 PM on 23 December.


After thanking the governor for agreeing to attend the event, the letter addressed to the ADC to Governor states, “however due to some unexpected developments, the organisers of the programme have advised that it would not be appropriate for the Hon’ble Governor to grace the function. Taking into consideration all the aspects and the available information, Leader of Opposition also feels that it would be ideal, if the Hon’ble Governor takes out this programme from his schedule of functions for the specified day.”

The letter was sent today, 23rd December, the day when the event was scheduled, which means it was a last-minute decision. The letter does not mention the ‘unexpected developments’ that forced them to ask the governor not to attend their event, but the reason can be easily guessed. Congress party is organising protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act, and they don’t want to be associated with a person who have expressed pro-CAA views.

Two days ago, governor Arif Mohammad Khan had said that by enacting the CAA, the Modi government has promise made by Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Nehru and Congress to the people who were leading deplorable lives in Pakistan. He had added that the foundation of the Citizenship Amendment Act was laid in 1995 and 2003 and the BJP government has simply given a legal form to it. A couple of days before that, he had said that the amendment is an “extraordinary solution” in the wake of minorities from neighbouring countries fleeing religious persecution.

FIR filed against AAP leader Amanatullah Khan for ‘instigating violence through social media’

OpIndia Staff
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FIR filed against AAP leader Amanatullah Khan for ‘instigating violence through social media’

The Ghaziabad police on Monday registered a case against the Aam Aadmi Party leader Amanatullah Khan for inciting violence through his social media posts.


In a clampdown against hate-speech, the police filed an FIR against the leader under sections of the IT Act at Ghantaghar PS Ghaziabad. Khan is also alleged to have made inflammatory speech minutes before the violence broke out at Jamia Millia University on December 15.

However, on Friday, December 20, 2019, Khan rubbished the allegations that his speech touched off violence at Jamia Islamia University on December 15. He claimed that many RSS, VHP and BJP leaders were also involved in the protests. He also spoke in support of the Jamia students, exonerating them of the violence that erupted in the University last week.

The BJP, on the other hand, had accused the AAP leader of fomenting unrest and encouraging violence in the national capital of the country through his incendiary remarks during his speech at anti-CAA protests held at Jamia Islamia University on December 15.

In a trenchant speech on December 15 at Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh, Khan censured the BJP government for enacting the Citizenship Amendment Act that intends to grant citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim minorities from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh. He also alleged that the silence of Muslims on the Triple Talaq Act was taken as their weakness by the central government. The speech which was attended by thousands of impassioned people gathered to protest against the CAA was allegedly delivered just minutes before the violence broke out.

UP police arrest PFI’s Uttar Pradesh head Waseem for allegedly masterminding violence during anti-CAA protests

OpIndia Staff
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UP police arrest PFI’s Uttar Pradesh head Waseem for allegedly masterminding violence during anti-CAA protests

The Uttar Pradesh police on Monday arrested the state head of the radical Islamic outfit Popular Front of India(PFI), Waseem and his two aides for allegedly masterminding the violence during the anti-CAA protests held in Lucknow last week.


According to the police, the PFI played an instrumental role in inciting violence in several parts of Uttar Pradesh, especially its capital, Lucknow. Waseem’s key aides, Nadeem and Ashfaq were also arrested for allegedly engineering violence during the anti-CAA and anti-NRC protests in Lucknow. Maulana Shadab and 11 members of the PFI were earlier arrested in Shamli in similar cases.

Talking to the media, SSP Lucknow, Kalanidhi Naithani said, “We have been successful in nabbing mastermind of Lucknow violence. Waseem, Nadeem and Ashfaq of PFI have been arrested by the police. While Wasim is state head, Ashfaq is treasurer and Nadeem is a member of PFI.”

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTwbvddFRq4]

Earlier on Sunday, UP Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma had alleged possible role of PFI and Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) in stoking violence during the anti-CAA protests in the state which has claimed 18 lives so far and left scores of people, including many policemen, injured.

SSP further added that the police have retrieved placards, flags, pamphlets and papers, literature, newspaper cuttings, banners and posters of NRC/CAA protest from the accused.

Furthermore, the SSP added that Nadeem and Ashfaq have confessed to the police of building a strategy for December 19 protests and publicising it on social media.

At least 39 FIRs have been filed in connection with the violence that erupted last week across various cities and towns in Uttar Pradesh during the anti-CAA protests. About 150 people have been arrested so far in the state.

In addition to Waseem, Nadeem and Ashfaq, the police have also arrested Robin Verma and Mohammad Shoaib of the Rihai Manch for their role in instigating the mob. Nadeem and Ashfaq were accused of inciting people for the protest through WhatsApp and other social media platforms by sharing literature and video, SSP said.

Mamata Banerjee ‘inspired’ the birth of two lion cubs in Kolkata zoo, claims plaque installed in the zoo

OpIndia Staff
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Mamata Banerjee ‘inspired’ the birth of two lion cubs in Kolkata zoo, claims plaque installed in the zoo

West Bengal Chief Minister wears many hats, apart from being a firebrand political leader, she is also a painter, a poet, a designer and a writer. But now she has been credited with another unusual achievement. A Kolkata zoo has claimed that two lion cubs were born there with the inspiration of Mamata Banerjee.

A new enclosure for wild animals was opened on Sunday at the Alipore zoo in Kolkata. Two lion cubs born in the zoo a few months ago were also presented for public viewing, along with four wild dogs brought into the zoo. The enclosure and the new members of the zoo were inaugurated by forest minister Rajeev Banerjee and state minister of the department Sujit Bose. But the plaque used on the occasion has raised eyebrows in the state, as it claims that the lion cubs were born with the inspiration of the chief minister.

The plaque at Alipore Zoo

The board in Bengali says that the two ministers inaugurated the two lion cubs for public viewing on 22 December, which were born inside the Alipore Zoo on the inspiration of honourable chief minister of West Bengal. Rajya Sabha MP Swapan Dasgupta shared an image of the plaque on Twitter today, giving detail of what it says.


Former TMC MP Kunal Ghosh wrote a scathing post on Facebook, sharply criticising the language used in the plaque. He asked whether some people without any knowledge of language and sense are helping the chief minister or making her subject of ridicule. He said that people have now used the word ‘inspiration’ for mating of lions also. He wrote that even if they meant the CM inspired the inauguration of the enclosure, there was no need to mention that. It is natural that animals in zoo will reproduce, will the CM’s name be mentioned in front of every such enclosure, he asked, adding that the minimum respect for the CM’s name should be maintained.

Read- Five reasons Mamata Banerjee is one of the ‘Famous Bengali Legends’

He went to add that the birth of lion cubs at the Alipore is definitely an important success, and the result of research work at the zoo. But by ascribing CM’s inspiration, the importance of the matter has been reduced.

‘What was the zoo director thinking? That using “inspiration” for lion mating will ensure his promotion?’ he asked. Ghosh added that the overuse of “inspiration” has crossed limits, and has become a source of joke and laughter.

According to local media, it has become unofficially mandatory to mention ‘inspired by CM’ at every poster/banner/plaque of government or party event, project etc. And the zoo plaque is the result of mindless use of the phrase. The image of the board has gone viral in WB, and has become a subject of ridicule. People are posting messages like ‘today sun rose on the east on the inspiration of Mamata Banerjee’, while others are questioning the need for such formal launch of new animals at a zoo.

‘Modi can give 5-year stable govt but you have to work,’ pollster Pradip Bhandari blames BJP’s defeat on Raghubar Das’ arrogance

OpIndia Staff
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‘Modi can give 5-year stable govt but you have to work,’ pollster Pradip Bhandari blames BJP’s defeat on Raghubar Das’ arrogance

The counting of votes in the Jharkhand Assembly Elections is on the verge of completion. Most significantly, it appears certain now that the BJP will not be the single largest party in the state. As of writing this report, the BJP was leading in 16 and had won in 9, taking its tally to 25 as per the latest trends.

The JMM had won in 8 and was leading in another 22. One of the few pollsters to have predicted this outcome precisely, or perhaps the only one, is the Jan Ki Baat.

The Jan Ki Baat exit polls had predicted the BJP to score between 22 and 30 seats while it gave the alliance anything between 37 and 46. Individually, JMM was touted to score between 28 and 23 seats while the Congress was expected to secure between 15 and 10 seats.

Read: Diary of a Delhi Liberal: Friends in Jharkhand rejoice, we have reclaimed it from fascists

The JKB poll appears to have predicted the BJP’s and Congress’ seats perfectly as the latter is at 15 as per the latest trends. JMM is currently at two more than the maximum seats JKB gave them.

In terms of vote share, the JKB accurately predicted BJP’s vote share. The poll gave BJP a vote share of 33% and the BJP, as per the latest trends, is at 33.66%. However, it appears to have slightly overestimated the vote share of the JMM-Congress-RJD alliance. While the JKB poll predicted the alliance to secure a 40% vote share, the alliance is at 35.5%.

However, the JKB poll was perhaps the only poll that got the bigger picture correct. It might have missed the mark here and there but it did get the bigger picture absolutely correct. CEO of JKB, Pradip Bhandari, was also one of the few to accurately predict that there was a very serious chance of the incumbent Chief Minister Raghubar Das losing his own seat, which he has lost.

Read: Jharkhand Results: JMM alliance comfortably crosses halfway mark, BJP on 24 as per trends

Speaking to OpIndia, Pradip Bhandari blamed BJP’s defeat on the arrogance of the local leaders. He said, “Modi can give you a 5-year stable government but eventually you’ll have to work. Raghubar Das’ arrogance made him lose. Most states which had won after 2014 are losing in 2019 because of anti-incumbency.”

Karnataka man arrested in Dammam, Saudi Arabia for ‘blasphemous’ Facebook post calling for a Ram Mandir in Mecca

OpIndia Staff
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Karnataka man arrested in Dammam, Saudi Arabia for ‘blasphemous’ Facebook post calling for a Ram Mandir in Mecca

An Indian technician named Harish Bangera working in Saudi Arabian city of Dammam has found himself in trouble over his Facebook post regarding the Muslim pilgrimage site of Mecca. Harish is a resident of Udipi, Karnataka.

(Source: Zorins News)

On Saturday, December 21, Harish had uploaded a picture of Kaaba in Mecca with the caption that “Next Ram Temple in Mecca. Be ready for fight”. Soon, the post elicited hundreds of comments, shares and came to the notice of the Saudi authorities after a complaint was registered against Harish accusing him of blasphemy. He was arrested by the Saudi police within an hour of receiving the complaint.

Harish Bangera arrested by Saudi authorities(Source:Zorin News)

After Harish was arrested, his employers too axed him from the job with immediate effect. A Facebook post that has now gone viral, allegedly from the employers of Harish, condemned the posts made by Harish as “objectionable” and said that they have decided to terminate him from the job citing his unethical posts as a justification for their decision.

(Source:daijiworld)

“We Gulf Carton Factory Co. want to have your attention for what happened, in relation to unethical posts, posted by Mr Harish Bangera from his personal Facebook account. It was unacceptable and we have immediately terminated Mr Harish Bangera from his duties and company contract. We condemn such activities extremely and have reported this case to Police, Ministry of Labour & Saudi authorities for their further action. We assure everyone that we have zero tolerance for such acts (sic).” The post is allegedly written by Meshari AM Al Jabr of Gulf Carton Factory Co where Harish was said to be employed.

On the other hand, Harish has expressed his remorse over the posts uploaded by him. In a video, Harish can be seen beseeching forgiveness from Muslims for his Facebook post. In the video, he says, “I have committed a mistake. Please forgive me. I will never upload any such posts again. I have faced a lot of difficulties prior to coming to Dammam. I seek forgiveness from my Muslim brothers. I am facing problems with my company. Please forgive me.” However, it could not be ascertained when was the video made.

The incident serves as a grim reminder to Indians staying in the Islamic countries where comments and actions considered disrespectful for Islam come under the scrutiny of harsh blasphemy laws.

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