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The disruption begins: Congress gives adjournment motion in Lok Sabha over withdrawal of SPG cover to Gandhis

OpIndia Staff
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The disruption begins: Congress gives adjournment motion in Lok Sabha over withdrawal of SPG cover to Gandhis

As the Winder Session of Parliament begins, Congress is up to its old, oft repeated trick against – disruption for the sake of it. The Congress party led by Sonia Gandhi has submitted an adjournment motion in Lok Sabha over the withdrawal of SPG security to Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

The Congress party in their adjournment motion has called the move by the central government ‘arbitrary’ and said that the SPG security cover was removed for the Gandhi family despite the imminent threat they face.

Read: Family over party? Congress ‘agitation’ against economic slowdown to now include issue of the Gandhis’ SPG cover withdrawal

While the Congress has decided to give an adjournment motion on the second day of Parliament, on the first day itself, this issue was raised by Congress. Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Monday had raised the issue of SPG cover being withdrawn and called the move ‘arbitrary’.

Recently, the Home Ministry had replaced the SPG category status of the Gandhi family with Z-plus security, which will be now taken over by CRPF personnel on the all-India basis. According to India Today journalist Shiv Aroor, the detail now given to Rahul, Sonia and Priyanka Gandhi would involve a 55 personnel detail, including 10 NSG commandos and the Police. This was done after a detailed threat perception was conducted.

Read: Here are the possible reasons why Rahul, Sonia and Priyanka Gandhi lost their SPG cover

In fact, the members of Gandhi Parivar, Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi and two Gandhi scions, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra did not use SPG’s bullet-proof vehicles on numerous occasions and also did not accompany SPG personnel abroad during their foreign visits on a majority of their trips abroad.

There have been 1892 incidents till May 2019, when Rahul Gandhi travelled in a non-BR vehicle in Delhi, which amounts to almost one incident every day. Rahul Gandhi travelled 247 times in a non-BR car when he travelled outside Delhi.

Read: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra continues to stay in govt accommodation despite removal of SPG cover

Further, of the total 156 foreign trips that Rahul Gandhi has made since 1991, he did not take SPG officers along on 143 visits. The government source said that Rahul Gandhi in most of these 143 foreign visits, shared his travel itinerary at the last possible hours preventing the SPG officers from accompanying him on the tours.

Sonia Gandhi too did not use an SPG bullet-resistant vehicle on 50 occasions while travelling in New Delhi from 2015 to May 2019. Sonia Gandhi has made 13 unscheduled visits to various places in the country in the last 5 years during which she used non-BR cars. She also did not take SPG officers on 24 of her foreign visits since 2015, states the report.

In Priyanka Gandhi’s case, since 2015 to May this year, she did not use SPG bullet-resistant vehicles for her travel on 339 occasions within Delhi and on 64 occasions at other places in the country.

CPM unhappy with Ayodhya verdict, says SC should have set clear ruling against future raising of Kashi-Mathura issues: Read details

OpIndia Staff
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CPM unhappy with Ayodhya verdict, says SC should have set clear ruling against future raising of Kashi-Mathura issues: Read details

The CPM Politburo has criticised the Supreme Court’s verdict on Ayodhya Ram Janmabhoomi issue. As per reports, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) Politburo has stated that the apex court has delivered a verdict, but not justice.

As per reports, the CPM has stated that the SC verdict has given precedence to ‘faith and beliefs of one side’. The politburo had met on November 16 and 17 in New Delhi to discuss the Ayodhya verdict and the Sabarimala Temple issue.

The politburo also slammed the SC’s decision to hand over the Ram Janmabhoomi site to the Hindus. It claimed that despite acknowledging the 1992 demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992 was a “serious violation of law” the apex court has handed over the site to the ‘very forces responsible for this criminal assault’.

Read: Ayodhya verdict: While the nation celebrates, ‘liberals’ become the rudalis at the ‘death of justice’

The press communique by the politburo also disagrees with the SC’s stand that there was no evidence to indicate exclusive possession of the entire site by Muslims between 1528 and 1857. The politburo claimed that the mere fact that no disputes were recorded between the periods of over 3 centuries, does not mean that the Muslims were ‘not in exclusive possession’ of the site. The CPM also claims that the SC has upheld the claims of the Hindu sides on the basis of ‘display of faith’ and not on the basis of facts.

The CPM also expressed disappointment that the SC has not set clear bars on the raising of such issues and claimed that the RSS might raise the issue of Kashi and Mathura in the future.

It also claimed that the RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s statement that Kashi and Mathura are not in the agenda ‘as of now’ is a veiled warning. “This is an ominous declaration indicating that passions can be aroused on these issues at any time in the future. A firm resolve by the apex court to bar such possibilities was not forthcoming”, claimed the politburo’s statement.

The communists have also expressed displeasure over the SC not disposing off the Sabarimala review petitions and languished over the fact that it has now “widened the scope by making a reference to various points concerning religious rights under the Constitution to a seven-member bench.”

It also criticised the inclusion of issues of women’s rights of other religions, which are already being heard by other benches of the court. “The majority judgment has failed to uphold the 2018 verdict and by keeping the review petitions pending has created an ambiguous and uncertain situation”, it claimed.

Read: SC order on Sabarimala is ‘complex’, will not provide assistance to women entering the shrine: Kerala Minister

It is notable here that while the politburo criticises the SC’s stand, the party’s LDF government in Kerala has been on a cautionary mode after suffering massive election rout in the 2019 general elections. The LDF government has stated that it will not provide forces to the women under 50 who are seeking to enter the Sabarimala shrine.

Pakistan: Only Christian journalist registered with Lahore Press Club quits after being harassed for not converting to Islam

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan: Only Christian journalist registered with Lahore Press Club quits after being harassed for not converting to Islam

In a shocking, yet expected case of religious intolerance, Thirty-eight-year-old Christian journalist Gonila Gill, married to Husnain Jamil has quit Pakistan media house Dunya News after being harassed by her colleagues for her religion. According to reports, Gill was harassed by her colleagues for not converting to Islam after marrying her husband Jamil.

Gonila Gill who has now had to resign from Dunya News owing to the mental torture her colleagues put her through from not converting to Islam was the only Christian journalist registered with the Lahore Press Club.

Speaking to the media, Gill said people are vile, but no matter what she will not lose faith in her religion.

Read: Pakistan has no moral right on Kashmir, first provide same rights to own ethnic minorities: Pakistan minority leader Nadeem Nusrat

Speaking to Asia News, Christian journalist from Pakistan, Gonila Gill said, “Received from God the gift of an honest husband, respectful of me and our son who we chose to baptize as a Christian. I am very grateful to him because he helps me and takes care of me, although he is also forced to endure the cruelty of people. He supports my son and I in our Christian life. He often comes to mass with us and participates in prayers. I am lucky to be surrounded by people who love me, my friends who support me ”. At the same time, she adds, “I feel a sense of insecurity in living in this society, and I am very worried about my son’s future”.

According to Asia News, Gonila and Jamil first met at the office and then married in secret in 2014. In 2015, however, they had their grand wedding at a Church. Both families had decided not to impose their faith on each other and hence, Gonila had not converted to Islam after marriage. They had also decided to raise their son as a Baptized Christian.

When the discrimination started against Gonila, she says first they harassed her for not converting to Islam and then, in the beginning, they harassed her for not having a child. Her colleagues had told her that she will not be able to have a child unless she converts to Islam.

Read: It is considered as an achievement to convert a Hindu to Islam: Report of Members of the European Parliament on religious minorities in Pakistan

She says, “Jesus blessed us with the birth of a son”. At that moment new harassment arose because the community wanted the child to take the religion of the father, Islam. Instead, Gonila and Husnain decided to baptize him and call him Abraham. “I don’t care what people say about me, the only thing that matters is that I am happy with my wife and my son”, says the husband.

After being harassed first for not converting, then for not having a child, then, for raising her son as a Christian, Gonila finally decided to quit Dunya News after persistent mental torture.

Pakistan has been a hub of religious intolerance with several cases of forced conversion, rapes, murders and abductions of minorities.

Recently, a Christian girl in Pakistan was forced to convert to Islam by her teacher. A few days back, a 19-year-old Sikh girl was allegedly kidnapped and forced to marry a Muslim man in Pakistan. The incident attracted widespread condemnation as Punjab CM Amarinder Singh slammed Pakistan PM Imran Khan for not ensuring the safety of minorities in Pakistan. In fact, several Hindus girls are often abducted, forcefully converted to Islam and then married off.

‘Putramoh’? Uddhav, not Aaditya Thackeray, may be the first Thackeray chief minister Maharashtra gets

Nirwa Mehta
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‘Putramoh’? Uddhav, not Aaditya Thackeray, may be the first Thackeray chief minister Maharashtra gets

If things work out as per the formula being set up, Maharashtra will soon get its first Thackeray CM, the one who never fought mainstream elections. Uddhav Thackeray, Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray’s son, may be propped up as Maharashtra chief minister for a term of five years and NCP and Congress may have their deputy chief ministers each.

Reports suggest that it will be Uddhav and not his YouTube sensation son and MLA Aadtiya Thackeray who might be the Shiv Sena CM Sanjay Raut has been fighting tooth nail and his own arteries for. When the Shiv Sena’s obsession with having its own leader as Maharashtra chief minister emerged, there were rumours that it was all being done in ‘putramoh’ (blind love for son), in this case Aaditya. Such reports had also emerged when Bal Thackeray gave the reins of Shiv Sena in Uddhav’s hands instead of his nephew Raj Thackeray. People had said that Bal Thackeray’s ‘putramoh’ led to split in power of Shiv Sena as Raj Thackeray started his own political outfit Maharashtra Navnirman Sena.

Reports that Shiv Sena will repeat history of self-destruction emerged when ahead of elections, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said they would ensure Aaditya is installed at the 6th floor of the Mantralaya, which houses the chief minister’s office. With reports emerging that it may not really Aaditya but Uddhav who may get to be the first Thackeray chief minister of Maharashtra, it appears it was more of self-love.

Read: A tale of two Sanjays: The Maharashtra conundrum

While Aaditya’s name had also made rounds as possible CM candidate, perhaps it would have been ‘inappropriate’ to serve a CM who is a first time MLA when other veteran leaders like Ajit Pawar NCP may be part of the cabinet.

As the Indian Express report suggests the 42 portfolios of various ministries will be shared by the three parties according to the strength of their MLAs. The Shiv Sena has 56, NCP has 54 and Congress has 44 MLAs leaving them with 15, 14 and 13 portfolios respectively. Congress leader and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan may be the Speaker of Maharashtra Assembly.

Meanwhile, the NCP has officially remained non-committal on the alliance with Shiv Sena as yet. After meeting Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi in national capital on Monday, Pawar had said that they did not discuss Shiv Sena in the meeting. Meanwhile, we can only wait and watch as Maharashtra government deadlock inches towards completion of one month.

South Korea: After leaning the bible and how to evangelise, over 100,000 ‘graduate’ from Shincheonji Church of Jesus

OpIndia Staff
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South Korea: After leaning the bible and how to evangelise, over 100,000 ‘graduate’ from Shincheonji Church of Jesus

The Shincheonji Church of Jesus on the Republic of South Korea recently held a grand graduation ceremony where 103,764 students graduated after the completion of a six-month bible study programme. As per reports, the ‘tuition-free’ course was offered by the Shincheonji Church in Seoul, South Korea, where the ceremony was held on November 10.

Over 50,000 seminaries were present at the ceremony while the rest of the seminaries across Korea and other nations attended the programme via a live stream. The live stream was reportedly broadcast in over 112 countries.


The Church teaches the bible to thousands of students every year. As per the survey conducted, 95% of the students who came there stated that they came to Shincheonji for the ‘excellent teaching’ of the scriptures.

It is notable here that one of the requirements for graduation is to evangelise. With reports pegging the evangelism rate at above 100%, there are reportedly over 200,000 students admitted this year, who will graduate in 2020.

The organisation believes that at the current rate of enrollment and evangelisation, the Shincheonji Church will have over a million congregation members in three years, which will ‘drastically change the religious landscape of South Korea’.

A representative of the Church has stated that over 41% of the seminaries were Christian believers practising their faith under a ‘different denomination, like Protestantism’, but joined Shincheonji when they ‘saw corruption within their Churches among their own pastors’.

In a first, Mamata warns about ‘minority extremism’ from those who have base in Hyderabad: Read why

OpIndia Staff
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In a first, Mamata warns about ‘minority extremism’ from those who have base in Hyderabad: Read why

In a first, Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister of West Bengal has warned against ‘minority extremism’ while speaking to her party workers in Coochbehar. “I am watching that there are some extremists among minorities. They have their base in Hyderabad. Don’t listen to them”, she told her party workers without naming any party. The presumption could be made that she was taking about Asaduddin Owaisi led All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM).

In yet another intriguing move, after meeting the TMC workers, Mamata Banerjee went to the Madan Mohan Temple in Coochbehar to offer her prayers before she went to the Rash Mela on the Rajbari grounds.

Read: Mamata Banerjee demands ‘strong investigation’ to find out ‘real truth’ behind killing of labourers from West Bengal in Kashmir

Coochbehar as a district has been one of worry for Mamata Banerjee and her party TMC. The Lok Sabha Constituency of Coochbehar since 1951 has either been with the Congress or the All India Forward Bloc. However, during 2014 Lok Sabha Elections, TMC managed to win the Lok Sabha seat. In 2019, however, TMC lost that control with BJP winning the Coochbehar Lok Sabha constituency.

In the Assembly seats, Coochbehar Uttar constituency is won and retained by All India Forward Bloc while the Coochbehar Dakshin constituency saw an All India Forward Bloc win in 2011 and in 2016, saw TMC wrest control.

Read: ‘Chup Chaap Kamal Chhaap’: The slogan that changed Bengal politics forever

In any case, the loss of the Coochbehar constituency in Lok Sabha has been considered a big loss for Mamata Banerjee led TMC.

She further said, “I appeal to the Trinamool leaders to close ranks and take up the challenge against BJP. Our activists are the party’s assets. I would ask you not to work for groups under leaders. Work for the flag you hold. There should be an end to Trinamool leaders making comments against each other. The party is not going to swallow the poison they spit. I am happy that Trinamool MLAs, councillors are working together as a team now. The party wouldn’t have lost seats if they did it earlier”.

Interestingly, talking about the Citizenship Amendment Bill too, Mamata Banerjee shifted her focus from talking about Muslims to talking about Bengali Hindus and Gorkhas, calling CAB a farce.

Read: I like Muslims, no? Will go for Iftar 100 times: TMC chief Mamata Banerjee over Muslim appeasement allegations

This move by Mamata Banerjee serves two purposes. One is to counter the BJP’s appeal to Hindu voters and second, is an attempt to neutralise the division of her Muslim votebank between TMC and AIMIM.

Days earlier, BJP’s Coochbehar MP Nisith Pramanik came in a grand procession to the temple last Tuesday, performed the puja, spun the Rash Chakra and offered gifts to the temple.

The Bengali Hindu vote has been slipping away from Mamata Banerjee in recent times. One recalls how she faced massive backlash after her opposition to the chants of Jai Shree Ram. At the same time, AIMIM is all set to increase its base in West Bengal.

Read: Do not dare to touch us Didi, we are atom bombs: AIMIM warns Mamata and TMC as Owaisi’s party hints entry into Bengal assembly elections

Recently, the spokesperson of AIMIM had said, “It is true that we are fewer in number, but do not dare touch us. We are atom bombs. Didi, we welcome your friendship and enmity as well. You have to decide whether you consider us friends or foes”.

This speech in Coochbehar by Mamata Banerjee aims to make inroads with the Bengali Hindu and Rajbanshi votebank which has been slipping away from Mamata Banerjee and also send a larger message to Bengali Hindus in West Bengal that TMC is not ‘anti-Hindu’, as was being increasingly obvious with her love for Bangladesh illegal immigrants and her aversion to Hindus.

With tomato becoming precious commodity in Pakistan, a Pakistani bride trolls economy by wearing tomato jewellery at her wedding

OpIndia Staff
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With tomato becoming precious commodity in Pakistan, a Pakistani bride trolls economy by wearing tomato jewellery at her wedding

A Pakistani bride was found wearing tomato and pine nuts jewellery at her wedding. Why? Because price of gold is through the roof and so is price of tomato in their country. Pakistan-based journalist Naila Inayat shared a clip of a Pakistani media channel where a bride is talking about her decision to choose tomato jewellery over traditional gold jewellery.


The bride, with a sense of humour, is wearing tomatoes in place of necklace, bangles, earrings and even maang-teeka. A bewilder news anchor congratulates the bride on her wedding but then asks her why is she wearing tomatoes. The bride says how the price of gold is through the roof and so is price of tomatoes and pine nuts. “Hence I wore tomatoes and pine nuts in place of gold,” she said. When the news anchor inquires where the pine nuts are because he couldn’t spot them under the tomatoes, she opens up an envelop and shows off pine nuts which were sent to her by her elder brother as ‘salami’ (money, gifts given during wedding). Her uncles, aunts and cousins had all sent her pine nuts as gift.

Clearly trolling the state of her own country’s economy, the bride then says how she has got three suitcases full of tomatoes as ‘gift’ from her parents’ home. “Parents who have given tomatoes to their daughter have given everything,” she says. “Since my parents gifted me tomatoes and pine nuts, the entire mohalla is in awe.

Read: India can’t stop laughing as ‘tauba tauba’ Pakistani journalist wants to nuke India because he loves tomatoes

When asked why she chose tomatoes over gold, she says, “Since price of gold, tomatoes and pine nuts is increasing, I thought that after 10 years if I save these tomatoes, it’ll help me only.” She further jokes that after her marriage, she expects that her husband goes to the market every day and get her tomatoes.

While above skit may be a joke, tomatoes is not a laughing matter in Pakistan. In Karachi’s vegetable markets, prices of tomatoes have gone as high as Rs 320/kg. The ‘tomato thieves’ have started deploying innovative techniques because of which owners of tomato farms have started keeping armed guards to protect them.

There have been multiple reasons responsible for the scarcity of tomatoes in Pakistan. The Pakistani government’s disastrous agricultural policy and untimely rains have also contributed to the tomato woes of the country. Some reports have also suggested that the suspension of trade with India in the aftermath of the abrogation of Article 370 had also played a crucial role in the rising prices of vegetables in Pakistan. According to reports, the supply gap has widened after the import of vegetables through the Wagah border was indefinitely abandoned.

IIT Bombay students protest against desecration of Swami Vivekananda’s statue by JNU students

OpIndia Staff
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IIT Bombay students protest against desecration of Swami Vivekananda’s statue by JNU students

On Monday night, students of IIT Bombay held protests against the vandalism of soon-to-be inaugurated statue of Swami Vivekananda on JNU campus last week.

JNU goons vandalise Swami Vivekananda’s statue before its inauguration (image: @aranganathan72 on Twitter)

The protest meet at IIT Bombay took place at around 6:45 PM. Speaking to OpIndia, students who did not want to be identified fearing reprisals from some left-leaning faculty who teach at HSS (Humanities and Social Sciences) department of the leading tech institute in India said the protests were against the hatred that is being spread and use of ill means to hamper with Swami Vivekananda’s statue.

A PhD scholar at the IIT Bombay spoke about how Swami Vivekananda’s biography  played an important part in him taking up science. “My father is a farmer and I had no access to books. But during my school days I remember a professor emphasising on the statement “you are infinite” by Swami Vivekananda ji. I think that statement changed my life completely,” he said.

Read: ‘Harmony and peace’, India’s message to the world at UNGA, PM Modi reminds the world of Swami Vivekananda’s appeal

A BTech student talked about how Swami Vivekananda played an integral part in highlighting India on world map. “A person who is universally accepted cannot be denied his space by some pseudo intellectuals trying to demean everything that culturally unites us,” she said.

A post-doc fellow at the HSS said that there is a necessity of Swami Vivekananda’s thoughts in today’s India. Emphasising on what happened in JNU to be morally, ethically unacceptable to students across spectrums he urged them to read Swami Vivekananda’s works before doing something so inherently intolerant in nature.

Read: 9/11 1893 and 2001: Here is why Swami Vivekananda must be read by followers of all religions, especially Islam

JNU students are protesting against administration regarding the hostel fee hike. The agitating students have also resorted to taking law into their own hands and even kept a professor in illegal captivity inside classroom.

Five convicted Bangladeshi nationals set to be deported to their country from Assam on November 19

OpIndia Staff
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Five convicted Bangladeshi nationals set to be deported to their country from Assam on November 19

Five Bangladeshi nationals are set to be deported on the 19th of November who are currently lodged in detention camps in Assam following their conviction. Contrary to the usual practice, they will be flown to Bangladesh instead of the land route. They will be flown to Dhaka from Guwahati via Kolkata.

“After being taken to Kolkata from Guwahati, the Bangladeshi nationals, escorted by a team of Border Police, will be handed over to the Immigration officials at the airport. From there, the Immigration officials will take their custody and finally hand over to the Bangladeshi agencies,” unnamed sources told Assam Tribune.

As per reports, they were booked under the Passport Act for illegally entering India. “The five persons will be taken to Dhaka from Guwahati via Kolkata by flight. Possibly, their families are bearing the cost of travel,” Assistant High Commissioner of Bangladesh in Guwahati, Shah Mohammad Tanvir Monsur, was quoted by The New India Express as saying. “According to a recent figure that I have, there are around 50-60 Bangladeshi nationals lodged in the detention camps in Assam. The figure might have gone up a bit,” he added.

The process of deportation has reportedly gained momentum in the past few months. 50 Bangladeshi nationals have been deported in the past six months. In July, it was reported that nearly 500 Bangladeshi nationals were deported in the previous 28 months.

Last month, 60 Bangladeshis were nabbed in Bengaluru by the Police. Their deportation is being planned as well and those property owners who had rented their places to the illegal immigrants were booked as well.

Muslim body that extended legal and financial support to Kamlesh Tiwari’s murderers requests Sonia Gandhi not to support Shiv Sena

OpIndia Staff
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Muslim body that extended legal and financial support to Kamlesh Tiwari’s murderers requests Sonia Gandhi not to support Shiv Sena

After extending legal and financial support to the Islamists accused in the Kamlesh Tiwari murder, the Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind, which roughly translates to Council of Indian Muslim Theologians belonging to the Deobandi school of thought has written to Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi asking her to refrain from considering an alliance with Shiv Sena in Maharashtra.

In a letter dated November 18, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind president, Arshad Madani has denounced the move by calling it “unfortunate.” It reads that an alliance with Shiv Sena is “very dangerous” and “harmful” for the grand old party.

Madani in his letter to Sonia Gandhi wrote, I want to draw your kind attention regarding Maharashtra’s bad politics, and it’s really unfortunate that you are considering to support Shiv Sena. It will be a very dangerous and harmful step for Congress party.

Jamait Ulema-e-Hind writes to Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi

Notably, this is the same Islamic organisation which had met the families of the five Islamists arrested for brutally murdering Hindu activist Kamlesh Tiwari for allegedly insulting the Prophet of Islam in 2015 and said that it is willing to bear all the legal costs and also offered the held of their legal cell to defend the 5 accused in the Kamlesh Tiwari murder.

Read: Once a mosque is always a mosque: Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind President Maulana Arshad Madni on Ram Janmabhoomi verdict

Meanwhile, the political situation in Maharashtra still remains in shambles as ambiguity remains to hover over Shiv Sena’s fate. After NCP chief met Congress supremo Sonia Gandhi today at her residence he stated that Shiv Sena was not discussed during the meeting.

Update: A Twitter account understood to be representing Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind has issued a statement declaring the above letter, which was carried by many media outlets, as fake. Their statement is being reproduced below:

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