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Congress blacklists India Today anchor Rahul Kanwal after comments on Rahul Gandhi’s persistent refusal to face tough questions

OpIndia Staff
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Congress blacklists India Today anchor Rahul Kanwal after comments on Rahul Gandhi’s persistent refusal to face tough questions

On 15th December, the Congress Party once again opened a front against India Today and Aaj Tak’s News Director, Rahul Kanwal, and announced that they had blacklisted him. The development came after, according to Congress, Kanwal “insulted” Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, at the India Today Conclave during an interview with Home Minister Amit Shah.

In the India Today conclave, Kanwal exposed the Gandhi scion stating that even though he held forth on upholding the Constitution, he had been visiting

In a post on the social media platform X, the Chairman of the Media and Publicity Department of the All India Congress Committee, Pawan Khera, wrote, “The Congress Party has always stood for freedom of the press and respects fair journalism – not when those carrying a press card are actually acting like trolls on behalf of a political party. We do not think it is necessary to engage with such trolls. It has therefore been decided to blacklist India Today’s Rahul Kanwal, who was brazenly kowtowing to the self-styled Chanakya who made outrageous innuendos on the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, at the India Today Conclave. We gave Kanwal a chance the last time when he regretted his conduct, but he has turned out to be a repeat offender and hence, by our participation, we cannot qualify what he does in the name of journalism.”

In an earlier post, Khera, who was visibly angry as asserted in the post’s content, said, “What was more shameless? The Home Minister of the country indulging in cheap, gutter-level gossip about the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Rahul Gandhi or Rahul Kanwal deriving cheap thrills by egging Amit Shah and the audience? Would Rahul Kanwal have the guts to ask Shah about Modi’s abandoned wife? Would Kanwal have the guts to ask Shah about Snoopgate? Is this what India Today conclaves have been reduced to, Mr Aroon Purie?”

This is not the first time the Congress Party has targeted Kanwal. On 4th September, Khera posted on X, stating that Kanwal had met the Congress President and other party leaders to clarify his position regarding a debate on Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, during which a BJP spokesperson made remarks that the party deemed “obnoxious views.” Kanwal approached the Congress leaders after they announced their decision to boycott his shows.

What happened during the interview at the India Today Conclave

In the interview with Home Minister Amit Shah, Rahul Kanwal asked straightforward questions related to the Lok Sabha elections, recently held Assembly Elections in several states, the law and order situation in the country, upcoming elections, border security, and more. During the discussion, both talked about how Congress reacted differently to wins and defeats and also discussed the political career of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the context of various topics.

HM Shah did not mince words when discussing Gandhi’s leadership. He referred to him as a “rare example in Indian politics of someone who becomes arrogant even in defeat.” He criticised Gandhi for having “misplaced confidence” and a reliance on external influences. While referring to Gandhi’s repeated reliance on international reports to attack the government, he said, “Why does Rahul Gandhi always look outside India for inspiration? This country has a judiciary, vigilance bodies, and democratic mechanisms, yet he continuously brings accusations from foreign sources.”

He further added that the approach Gandhi has taken raises questions about the Congress Party’s commitment to India’s institutions. He said, “Is it so hard for the Congress to use domestic institutions instead of always seeking validation from abroad?”

HM Shah mocked Congress for repeatedly laying down accusations against electronic voting machines (EVMs). He said, “When Congress wins, EVMs are fine. When they lose, EVMs are suddenly defective. This shows their inability to accept defeat gracefully.” He further dismissed the allegations of EVM tampering as baseless and part of Congress’s broader strategy to undermine the credibility of the electoral system in the country.

Shah pointed out that Gandhi frequently refers to international institutions and bases accusations on foreign reports. He said, “I don’t understand why Rahul Gandhi’s inspiration always comes from outside India. Is this the same Congress that once spoke of Indian self-reliance?” Referring to Gandhi’s recent statements in Parliament and his focus on global narratives, Shah said, “This constant need for validation from foreign institutions shows Congress’s inability to trust India’s systems.”

During the interview, HM Shah did not miss a single chance to make sarcastic comments about Rahul Gandhi, Congress, and Priyanka Gandhi. Here is a collection of some of the comments he made:-

Speaking on Rahul Gandhi’s arrogance in defeat, he said, “I have seen leaders who are neither discouraged by defeat nor arrogant in victory, but Rahul Gandhi is the first in Indian political history to become arrogant even in defeat.”

Speaking on Congress’s election performance, he remarked, “In the last three elections—2014, 2019, and 2024—Congress hasn’t won as many seats combined as we won this time, yet they act as though they won the election.”

Targeting Rahul Gandhi for taking inspiration from “abroad,” HM Shah said, “Why does Rahul Gandhi always find inspiration abroad? This country has its judiciary, vigilance bodies, and democratic mechanisms, but he keeps running to foreign institutions for validation.”

HM Shah pointed out that whenever Parliament is in session, Gandhi comes up with fresh accusations based on foreign reports. He said, “Whenever Parliament is in session, Rahul Gandhi comes back with some fresh accusations based on foreign reports. It’s as if his only source of inspiration resides outside India.”

Taking a dig at Congress’s accusations against BJP, claiming the ruling party has control over institutions, HM Shah said, “Rahul Gandhi claims that every institution in this country, from the judiciary to the CAG, is under Modi’s control. Perhaps Congress is projecting its own history of manipulating institutions.”

HM Shah took a dig at the Congress Party for its flip-flop attitude on EVMs. He said, “When Congress wins an election, EVMs work perfectly. But when they lose, suddenly, the machines are faulty. It’s like saying, ‘I don’t know how to dance, so let’s blame the floor for being uneven.’”

HM Shah pointed out that it seems to be Congress’s strategy to keep laying down baseless allegations. He said, “Congress’s strategy is simple—make an allegation, run away from evidence, and create confusion. They have mastered the art of accusation without substance.”

Taking a dig at Priyanka Gandhi, he said, “Priyanka Gandhi says institutions have weakened under Modi. Funny how the same institutions thrived under Congress when they were exposing scams like 2G and Coalgate.”

At one point, HM Shah warned Rahul Kanwal to stay away from Rahul Gandhi; otherwise, his thinking would go haywire. He said, “Be careful about staying in touch with Rahul Gandhi. Too much contact could cause your thinking to go haywire as well.” Rahul Kanwal himself took a dig at Rahul Gandhi at that point and revealed that Gandhi refused to come to India Today’s platform and answer questions. He said, “We’ve been inviting Rahul Gandhi to such forums for 20 years. He’s never come. It’s as if he’s allergic to facing questions.”

Congress, its leaders and its allies regularly target journalists

Congress has a long history of suppressing the voices of media houses and journalists. In September 2023, I.N.D.I. Alliance released a list of 14 anchors including Arnab Goswami, Rubika Liaquat and Shiv Aroor saying the alliance would boycott them. They decided that these were the anchors whose tough questions they were not willing to answer and would only perhaps entertain those anchors who asked Sonia Gandhi whether she knew how to cook pasta. The list included names of Aditi Tyagi, Aman Chopra, Amish Devgan, Anand Narasimhan, Arnab Goswami, Ashok Shrivastav, Chitra Tripathi, Gaurav Sawant, Navika Kumar, Prachi Parashar, Rubika Liaquat, Shiv Aroor, Sudhir Chaudhary and Sushant Sinha.

Not only the party and the alliances it has been part of, but Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also leaves no stone unturned when it comes to mocking, intimidating, and targeting journalists. In November this year, Gandhi hackled a News18 journalist named Niraj Kumar and branded him as “BJP Agent”. The incident occurred during a press conference of the Gandhi Scion. Kumar had highlighted 3 allegations levelled by the rival national party BJP against the Congress. On being confronted with these tough questions, a rattled Rahul Gandhi attacked the News18 journalist and accused him of parroting the BJP agenda.

In February, when Lok Sabha election campaigning was gaining pace, Rahul Gandhi almost got a journalist lynched during his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. During a speech at a rally, Rahul Gandhi addressed a journalist in public and asked for his name. “Are you from the media? What is your name? What is the name of the owner of your organisation?” Rahul Gandhi asked the journalist. When the journalist attempted to say something, Rahul Gandhi’s tone suddenly became aggressive. “Tell his name, what is your owner’s name? Say it”, he was heard saying as the crowd of Congress supporters around him got agitated and hostile against the journalist. “Is he an OBC? Is your owner a Dalit? No, he is not.” Rahul Gandhi continued as the crowd around the journalist got hostile. He then stopped the Congress workers saying, “No. Don’t beat him up”.

Not only in India, Congress workers have allegedly attacked Indian journalists on foreign soil. In September, Congress workers in Dallas, Texas assaulted India Today media network during Rahul Gandhi’s US visit. Journalist Rohit Sharma had gone to Texas to cover Indian Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s much-anticipated visit. During the event, Sharma was harassed by the Congress workers as he raised the question of Hindus killed in Bangladesh at the hands of Islamists after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government there. As per the India Today report, Sharma approached the Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress (IOC) Sam Pitroda for an exclusive interview hours before Gandhi was scheduled to arrive at the DFW International Airport. The entire interview went well until the last question posed by the journalist.

As the interview drew closer to the conclusion, Sharma asked, “Will Rahul Gandhi raise the issue of Hindus being killed in Bangladesh during his meetings with US lawmakers?” Before Pitroda could respond to the question, other 20-30 close associates and supporters of Congress and Rahul Gandhi who were present during the interview began creating chaos saying that the question asked by Sharma was ‘controversial’. They assaulted him, snatched his phone, and deleted the entire video of the interview.

In April 2020, Arnab Goswami and his wife were attacked by two Congress workers while driving home from Republic TV’s studio. The attack followed Goswami’s sharp criticism of Sonia Gandhi, questioning her silence on the Palghar lynching of two sadhus. Days later, Goswami was interrogated by Mumbai Police for over 12 hours on Congress leader Nitin Raut’s complaint. Allegations surfaced that Raut’s complaint was based on a manipulated clip, exposing a politically motivated attempt to silence Goswami.

Furthermore, how can one forget the treatment of media outlets during an emergency? During the Emergency imposed by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi from 1975 to 1977, the Congress Party severely curtailed press freedom in India. The government implemented strict censorship, banning domestic and international news critical of its actions, and expelled numerous foreign journalists. Over 260 Indian journalists were imprisoned for opposing the regime, highlighting the Congress Party’s authoritarian approach to suppressing dissent and controlling information during this period.

The Congress Party’s move to blacklist Rahul Kanwal shows its uneasy relationship with independent journalism and raises questions about its commitment to press freedom. By targeting journalists and media houses that don’t agree with its views, Congress goes against the values it claims to support.

UP: Tired of harassment by Nafees Khan, 17-year-old Hindu girl commits suicide in Basti

OpIndia Staff
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UP: Tired of harassment by Nafees Khan, 17-year-old Hindu girl commits suicide in Basti

In Uttar Pradesh’s Basti district, a 17-year-old Hindu girl allegedly committed suicide on 14th December by hanging herself at her house after being fed up with the harassment by a Muslim boy named Nafees Khan. According to the deceased victim’s father who works as a labourer in Mumbai, the accused had been calling the girl over the phone for the last two years and harassing her. The incident utook place in the Athdeura village of Rudhauli police station area.

Even after Nafees Khan’s marriage was fixed with another girl, he continued harassing the minor Hindu girl who eventually grew frustrated and took the extreme measure. Reports say that the victim’s father had lodged a police complaint around a year ago against accused Nafees, but the accused continued harassing the girl. He also allegedly used to blackmail the victim.

The deceased victim’s brother alleged that Nafees Khan used to harass his sister when she used to go to school. When her brother went to Nafees’s shop to confront him, the accused put a knife to his neck and started threatening him. Tired of the perpetual harassment, the 17-year-old girl hanged herself in her room on 14th December.

Meanwhile, Circle Officer Satyendra Bhushan said that on 14th December, information was received that the 17-year-old girl committed suicide by hanging herself. Subsequently, the police and forensic team reached the spot and inspected the crime scene. He said that evidence has been collected from the spot and the body has been taken into custody and sent for post-mortem. 

CO Satyendra Bhushan added that the family members have said that a youth from the neighbouring village used to talk to their daughter. Probably, that is why the girl has taken this extreme step, the police are investigating this matter. The officer added that the CDR of the mobile is being retrieved and further legal action is being taken after taking a written complaint from the family members.

PM Museum writes to Rahul Gandhi, asks him to return letters of Nehru with Edwina Mountbatten which Sonia Gandhi took away in 2008

OpIndia Staff
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PM Museum writes to Rahul Gandhi, asks him to return letters of Nehru with Edwina Mountbatten which Sonia Gandhi took away in 2008

The Prime Minister’s Museum & Library (PMML) has written to Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, asking them to return the 51 cartons containing private letters of former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

The private collection of papers was initially donated by Indira Gandhi for the purpose of ‘safekeeping’ to the Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund (JNMF).

It was not a gift, meaning that it couldn’t be accessed by scholars without her permission. Indira Gandhi was essentially the owner of the documents until her assassination in 1984.

Later, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi also donated letters of Jawaharlal Nehru for ‘safe custody’ to JNMF.

These private papers contain the correspondence of the former Prime Minister with the likes of Edwina Mountbatten, Albert Einstein, Jayaprakash Narayan and Aruna Asaf Ali.

The letters were transferred to the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML), which was re-christened as Prime Minister’s Museum & Library (PMML) in 2022.

Private letters were removed from collection in 2008

It has now surfaced that the private collection of letters, donated by both Indira Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, was removed from NMML on 5th May 2008.

Sonia Gandhi had reportedly sent a representative, identified as M V Rajan, to the then Nehru Memorial Museum and Library to separate the private papers from official papers of Jawaharlal Nehru.

With the help of other officials, the large collection of private letters of the former Prime Minister was segregated and stuffed in 51 cartons. M V Rajan then facilitated the transfer from the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library to Sonia Gandhi.

At that time, Sonia Gandhi was the chairperson of the Congress-led ‘United Progressive Alliance’ (UPA). The attempt to retrieve the private collection of papers, including letters to Edwina Mountbatten, has failed since 2014.

The matter was discussed at length in April this year during the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Prime Minister’s Museum & Library (PMML). Rajnath Singh, Dharmendra Pradhan and Nirmala Sitharaman were present at the meeting.

Letters to Sonia and Rahul Gandhi

PMML member and historian, Rizwan Kadri, wrote a letter to Sonia Gandhi in September but failed to get a response. He then sent another letter to Rahul Gandhi on 10th December.

He emphasised the need to preserve India’s historical heritage, adding that access to the private letters of Nehru ensures an understanding of India’s history.

Kadri had requested digital access/ physical copies or a complete return of the 51 cartons of Nehru papers.

“These documents provide invaluable insights into a critical period of Indian history…We would be grateful for your collaboration in exploring possible solutions,” he added.

UP: Vendor Shamim arrested after he was caught spitting on vegetables in Bulandshahr, claims he was only chewing gutkha

OpIndia Staff
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UP: Vendor Shamim arrested after he was caught spitting on vegetables in Bulandshahr, claims he was only chewing gutkha

In Uttar Pradesh, a vegetable vendor was caught spitting on vegetables at a local market in the Anupshahar police station area in Bulandshahr district. A video of the incident surfaced online, after which the police initiated action and arrested the accused on Saturday (14th December). The accused has been booked under the Food Security Act.

Anupshahar Kotwal Rakesh Kumar Singh said that the accused was interrogated by the police. He told them that he eats gutkha and was trying to spit out the particles of betel nut in the gutkha. The accused claimed that someone made the video with ‘wrong’ intentions. Meanwhile, the police said that the matter is being investigated. SSP Shlok Kumar said that further action will be taken in the matter based on the findings of the investigation.

As per reports, the name of the accused is Shamim.

Earlier, on 3rd December, a video had also gone viral from Chauhalda village of Baghpat. In this incident, two youths were seen spitting repeatedly while making naan.

Similarly, in Ghaziabad, a minor Muslim boy working at a hotel was allegedly spitting on rotis while making it at a hotel. The CCTV footage of the incident went viral online prompting the police to initiate action and take the hotel owner and his associate into custody.  The incident unfolded in the Modinagar Police Station area when a person named Prakash Singh went to the same hotel with his friend and noticed the accused spitting on the rotis. To prove this, he made a video of the worker. When he complained about this act to the hotel owner, the hotel owner, Anuj, and his associate Abid attacked Prakash and his friend.

Note: An earlier version of the report mistakenly mentioned Baghpat as the location of the incident. It has been corrected to Anupshahr in Bulandshahr district.

‘Bismillah bolunga, Yogi ki qurbani de dunga’: Muslim migrant worker in Delhi threatens UP CM, wants Mamata as next PM

OpIndia Staff
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‘Bismillah bolunga, Yogi ki qurbani de dunga’: Muslim migrant worker in Delhi threatens UP CM, wants Mamata as next PM

On 13th December, Khabar India, a YouTube-based news channel, published a video on the sidelines of the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections scheduled for early 2025. In the video, the reporter asked questions to Muslim migrant workers from West Bengal who have been working in Delhi for years. During the interview, one of the migrant workers openly threatened to behead the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath. The Muslim workers said they prefer Congress over the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), as “Rahul Gandhi” is a good leader. They further hoped that West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee becomes Prime Minister in 2029, replacing PM Narendra Modi.

Open threat to UP CM Yogi Adityanath

The interview took a disturbing turn when one of the Muslim migrant workers expressed anger towards UP CM Yogi Adityanath, specifically targeting him for the construction of the Bhavya Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, the demolition of illegal mosques and mazars, and actions against loudspeakers and illegal slaughterhouses. He went ahead and threatened to behead CM Yogi, saying, “Bismillah bolunga aur qurbani de dunga Yogi ki”, which literally translates to “I will invoke Bismillah and sacrifice Yogi.” While making the threat, he symbolically gestured as though performing “qurbani” with his hands.

Preference for Congress over Kejriwal

Many in the group confirmed that they prefer Congress over the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP. They questioned the credibility and style of governance of the Delhi government. One of the Muslim migrant workers dismissed Kejriwal, saying he is “nothing compared to Rahul Gandhi” and added, “Congress is the only national party that can ensure peace and unity among all communities.” Though they acknowledged that the Delhi government has been providing free electricity and water, they stated that Rahul Gandhi is in a better position to challenge the BJP.

Praise for Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal’s CM, Mamata Banerjee, was praised by the Muslim migrant workers. One of them asserted, “Our Didi is doing great in Bengal, and we hope she becomes the Prime Minister in 2029.” However, there was a mixed reaction to these sentiments, as another individual criticised Mamata for her inability to bring large corporate houses to the state.

He said, “If Bengal had jobs, why would we come to Delhi? There’s nothing in Bengal.” He added, “Bengal has 28 districts, but there are no big companies providing jobs. If there were jobs, we wouldn’t need to walk 1,400 kilometres to Delhi.” Interestingly, the same individual who threatened Yogi defended Mamata, claiming, “The government can’t do everything. It’s up to individuals to work hard and survive.” He added, “India is a free country. People can go anywhere for work. The government provides basic facilities; the rest is up to us.”

Political hypocrisy and misplaced priorities

The interviews shed light on the political inclinations of the Muslim migrant workers in Delhi. Such sentiments are important to note, especially with the Delhi Assembly elections around the corner. Notably, the open threat against a sitting CM and the justification of Mamata’s governance failures indicate that there is a deeper issue of communal polarisation, which may impact the election results. It is evident that they were angry over the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya and the action taken against illegal religious structures belonging to their community.

Training to derail trains being imparted via madarsas in Jhansi and Kanpur, reveals NIA-ATS probe, mob had freed Mufti Khalid Nadvi detained in connection with the conspiracy

OpIndia Staff
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Training to derail trains being imparted via madarsas in Jhansi and Kanpur, reveals NIA-ATS probe, mob had freed Mufti Khalid Nadvi detained in connection with the conspiracy

Amid rising incidents of attempts to derail trains by placing various objects on tracks are various places in the country, it has been revealed that training on how to derail trains was being imparted in madarsas. A probe by NIA and Uttar Pradesh ATS has unveiled a conspiracy to derail trans in Jhansi and Kanpur.

As per the probe, students of the madarsas are being radicalised and instigated to derail trains. Moreover, the youths are also being trained on how to derail trains. As part of the probe, the agencies are conducting raids at various madarsas in the region.

Such training is being imparted via online mode, and the probe teams recovered several videos. In the videos, radical Islamists are seen instigating youths to derail train, and also instructing on how to do the task.

One Madarsa teacher named Mufti Khalid Nadvi is being interrogated in connection with the conspiracy.

On Thursday, the investing team raided the houses of Nadvi and questioned him for several hours. However, when NIA and ATS teams were taking him to the police station for further interrogation, a massive Muslim mob attacked the convoy and freed Nadvi. The mob including a large number of women gathered after announcements were made from the local mosque.

Later the police again detained him, and he is being questioned. How laptop, mobile phone, and other items have been seized. He is accused of involvement in terrorist activities and foreign funding. After questioning, police released Mufti Khalid Nadvi.

Police have also filed a case against around 100 people for attacking the NIA-ATS team and freeing the detained person. Raids are being conducted to nab the accused.

In the last 3 months, there have been several attempts to derail important trains like the Sabarmati Express and Kalindi Express around Jhansi and Kanpur. Stones were also pelted on the ‘Vande Bharat’ train in this region. Various objects like cylinders, wood logs etc were placed on the tracks, however, they were spotted by alert railway workers or locals, and there was no untoward incident.

Israel decides to shut down its embassy in Ireland citing “extreme anti-Israel policy of the Irish government”

OpIndia Staff
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Israel decides to shut down its embassy in Ireland citing “extreme anti-Israel policy of the Irish government”

The govt of Israel had decided to close its embassy in Ireland, citing the “extreme anti-Israel policy of the Irish government.” Israeli foreign ministry announced the decision taken by Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar on Sunday.

Foreign Minister Sa’ar said, “Ireland has crossed every red line in its relations with Israel. Israel will invest its resources in advancing bilateral relations with countries worldwide according to priorities that also take into account the attitudes and actions of these states toward Israel.”

He added, “The antisemitic actions and rhetoric that Ireland is taking against Israel are based on delegitimization and demonization of the Jewish state and on double standards.”

Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris called the decision “deeply regrettable”, and rejected the assertion that Ireland is anti-Israel. He tweeted, “This is a deeply regrettable decision from the Netanyahu government. I utterly reject the assertion that Ireland is anti-Israel. Ireland is pro-peace, pro-human rights and pro-International law.”

Harris further added, “Ireland wants a two state solution and for Israel and Palestine to live in peace and security. Ireland will always speak up for human rights and international law. Nothing will distract from that.”

Earlier in May this year, Israel recalled its ambassador to Ireland after the Irish govt announced that they would unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state. Ireland has not recalled its envoy to Israel yet.

Last week, Ireland joined South Africa in the case against Israel at the International Criminal Court in The Hague. South African govt has accused Israel of ‘genocide’ for its military action against Hamas in Gaza in retaliation to the 7 October 2023 terror attack.

Minister Sa’ar said that Israel will adjust its diplomatic network of missions to strengthen ties with countries that want to do the same with Israel, but do not yet have an Israeli embassy. As part of that, Israel has decided to open an embassy in Moldova, the small East European country landlocked between Ukraine and Romania. Moldova has an embassy in Israel.

Sambhal: SP and DM offer prayers at the newly reopened Shiv-Hanuman Temple after its discovery

ANI
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Sambhal: SP and DM offer prayers at the newly reopened Shiv-Hanuman Temple after its discovery

The temple, which had been hidden under encroachments for years, was rediscovered during a drive to remove illegal structures.

Earlier in the day, amid ongoing tensions, the regional administration launched an anti-encroachment drive to clear public spaces of unauthorised constructions.

According to Sambhal SDM Vandana Mishra, the operation targets public area encroachments and has been actively conducted in Chandauli for the past two months as well.

“The anti-encroachment drive is focused on clearing encroachments from public spaces. A similar drive has been running in Chandauli for the last two months. Additionally, a campaign against electricity theft is underway in Sambhal,” she said.

On Saturday morning, an anti-encroachment operation was conducted in the Shahi Jama Masjid area. Speaking to ANI, DM Pensiya stated, “In the morning, we checked whether loudspeakers were contributing to unnecessary noise pollution. During the inspection, widespread electricity theft was discovered. Around 15 to 20 houses and religious places were found to be involved. At a mosque, we found 59 fans, a fridge, a washing machine, and approximately 25 to 30 light points, all with the meter switched off. An intensive checking campaign is ongoing.”

Meanwhile, the Shiv-Hanuman Temple in Sambhal, which had been closed since 1978, has been reopened. The temple premises were cleaned, and electricity connections were restored on Sunday. CCTV cameras have also been installed for security purposes. Vishnu Sharan Rastogi, patron of the Nagar Hindu Sabha, confirmed that the temple had been reopened after 46 years. He explained that the temple had remained closed due to the absence of a resident priest.

Sambhal Circle Officer (SO) Anuj Kumar Chaudhary, who was part of the inspection team, said, “We received information about encroachment in the area. Upon inspection, we discovered the temple.”

Police personnel have been deployed outside the Shiv-Hanuman Temple, which reopened after 46 years, and an aarti was conducted earlier today (Sunday) morning.

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

45 Muslim families comprising 150 individuals embrace Sanatan Dharma in Uttar Pradesh’s Hapur, citing Mughal oppression of ancestors

OpIndia Staff
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45 Muslim families comprising 150 individuals embrace Sanatan Dharma in Uttar Pradesh’s Hapur, citing Mughal oppression of ancestors

On 11th December, 45 families comprising 150 individuals, including women and children, embraced Hinduism through a ceremonial Ganga ritual in the district of Hapur, Uttar Pradesh. The families conducted the cremation of an elderly member according to Hindu rites and immersed the ashes in the Ganga River. Speaking to the media, they revealed that their ancestors were originally Hindus who converted to Islam under Mughal oppression. They called their return to Hinduism a fulfilment of their ancestral legacy.

Resistance and perseverance

The families originally hail from Islamabad, Pakistan. They came to Delhi in 1947 following Partition. Four years ago, they decided to embrace Hinduism. However, they faced significant opposition from their community, which led to delays. The recent death of an elderly family member inspired them to proceed with the decision to embrace Hinduism, and they performed the required ceremonies at Brijghat.

New beginnings with new names

Sansar Singh, who was previously Salman Khan, led the prayers of all the families. They performed the required rituals, prayed to Bhagwan Shiv and Mata Parvati, and adopted the Gaurishankar Gotra. Several individuals embraced traditional Hindu names, including Sanju, Satish, Balwan, Rajesh, Sanjay, and Shashi. They all pledged to celebrate Hindu festivals and observe rituals and fasting according to tradition in the future.

Sansar Singh said in a statement that embracing Hinduism was like a dream come true and felt like returning to their roots. The families have also decided to register their lineage with a local priest at Brijghat, which will further solidify their ties to Sanatan Dharma.

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