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Second day of ceasefire violations by Pakistan, targets forward posts and villages along LoC in Nowshera

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Second day of ceasefire violations by Pakistan, targets forward posts and villages along LoC in Nowshera

Pakistan continued to violate the ceasefire targeting Indian posts for the second successive day on Sunday.

The mortar shelling and small arms firing from across the border in Kalal area of Nowshera sector started at around 6.45 pm, prompting strong and effective retaliation by the Indian army, a defence spokesman said.

The cross-border shelling has been going on for over two days along the LoC now.

As per latest reports, Pakistan has again violated the ceasefire and has initiated shelling near the Nowshera sector today morning.

India’s Lance Naik Sandeep Thapa had received fatal injuries and was martyred due to Pakistan’s repeated shelling on Saturday. In retaliatory fire, the Indian army had destroyed a Pakistani post across the Rajouri sector in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday.

According to reports, during the intervening night of Thursday-Friday, the Indian army had foiled various infiltration bids by terrorists to cross over to the Indian side. According to army sources, in a bid to help terrorists enter India, Pakistan has set up a major communication hub in Kali Ghati area of Neelam Valley in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK).

The communication hub intends to help push the terrorists, which are backed by Pakistan’s army, into the Indian side. With a range of 50-60 kilometres, this hub facilitates the terrorists to communicate with their guides even across the LoC.

On Thursday, Northern Army Commander Lt. Gen Ranbir Singh had asserted that in the last few days, Pakistan was trying hard to help infiltrators enter into India. Indian army positions have been alerted to thwart any misadventure by Pakistan army on the LoC.

The abrogation of Article 370 has rattled Pakistan, which has since stepped up its efforts to create unrest in Kashmir. In the wake of this development, it has resorted to multiple ceasefire violations.

SC refuses to quash charges against rape accused journalist Tarun Tejpal, directs lower court to finish trial in six months

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SC refuses to quash charges against rape accused journalist Tarun Tejpal, directs lower court to finish trial in six months

The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a plea seeking quashing of charges against journalist Tarun Tejpal, who has been accused of sexual assault by his former junior colleague, reports ANI.

The apex court bench comprising Justice Arun Mishra and Justice MR Shah said that the case against the Tehelka founder-editor would continue. The bench also directed the lower court to complete the trial against Tejpal within six months. Reportedly, the Supreme Court bench terming the plea as an offence “morally abhorrent” and an “assault on the privacy of the victim”.

In the petition filed before the top court, Tejpal had sought quashing of charges pertaining to sexual assaults and kidnapping.

A journalist colleague of Tejpal had accused him of raping her on November 7, 2013, inside an elevator in a Hotel Grand Hyatt, Goa, during Tehelka magazine’s THiNK 2013 festival in Goa. In November 2013, he had stepped down as editor for six months after he was accused of sexual assault.

Incidentally, over the years Tejpal has been openly defended by a section of the liberal brethren, owing to him being “one of their own”.

This includes a Mid Day column, urging media persons who were voicing their views against Tejpal, to rethink their stand, since in the day and age of ‘rising intolerance’ a ‘liberal voice’ was the need of the hour. One Outlook article by Manu Joseph actually sought to “raise questions” over the whole incident.

Tejpal after the allegations surfaced against him, was also invited at a literary festival as a guest speaker, which for many was an attempt to “rehabilitate him”. Later Bachi Karkaria, organiser of the literary festival, announced on Twitter that Tejpal had been asked not to attend because the festival did not want “extraneous noise.” Incidentally the same Bachi Karkaria had written an editorial in TOI where she brazenly defended Tejpal.

Uttar Pradesh: 22-year-old Sayeeda burnt to death by husband and in-laws for complaining against Triple Talaq

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Uttar Pradesh: 22-year-old Sayeeda burnt to death by husband and in-laws for complaining against Triple Talaq

In a horrific incident, a 22-year-old woman has been was burnt alive by her husband and in-laws in an Uttar Pradesh village after she complained against her husband for giving her triple talaq, reports Times of India.

According to reports, the incident took place on Friday in Shravasti district of Uttar Pradesh when 22-year old Sayeeda was burnt alive by her husband and in-laws in front of her five-year-old daughter just days after she tried to register a complaint against her husband.

Ramzan Khan, the father of the victim has alleged that his son-in-law Nafees (26), who worked in Mumbai had pronounced triple talaq to Sayeeda on the phone. As she was given triple talaq illegally, Sayeeda went to the police only to be told to go back and wait for her husband’s arrival. On August 15, when Nafees came back home, the police had allegedly called the couple to the station and had asked Sayeeda to stay with Nafees.

However, instead of listening to the police’s advice, Nafees again asked his wife to go away, which led to yet another argument when the family decided to kill her. Sayeeda’s 5-year-old daughter, an eyewitness, has reportedly told that her father held her mother by the hair while her two aunts poured kerosene on her and her grandparents lit the matchstick to burn her alive.

“On Friday noon, my father returned after offering Namaz and told the mother to go away since he had given her talaq, resulting in a spat. My grandfather Azizullah, grandmother Haseena, and aunts Gudiya, Nadira came. Father held my mother by her my aunts Nadira and Gudiya poured kerosene and grandfather Azizullah and grandmother Haseena lit a match,” Sayeeda’s daughter Fatima told the police as per Times of India.

Sayeeda’s body has been sent for post-mortem while police have lodged a case of dowry harassment and murder against the husband and his family. No arrests have been made yet.

Shravasti SP Ashish Shrivastava has reportedly informed that they will probe into why the cops did not register a case the first time when the victim approached them on August 6.

It is notable here that the barbaric practice of abandoning a wife by instant Triple Talaq has been rendered a criminal offence as per law.

Kabul terror attack: ISIS claims responsibility for attacks, releases identity of Kabul wedding hall bomber as Abu Asim Al-Pakistani

OpIndia Staff
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Kabul terror attack: ISIS claims responsibility for attacks, releases identity of Kabul wedding hall bomber as Abu Asim Al-Pakistani

A day after a terror attack shook Kabul, Afghanistan, the Islamic State (ISIS) has now claimed the responsibility for the suicide bombing. The Islamic terror group has now issued a statement in Arabic that the attack was carried out by ISIS suicide bomber Abu Asim Al-Pakistani.

In one of the deadliest attacks in Afghanistan in the recent times, the suicide bomber Abu Asim Al-Pakistani blew himself at a wedding in a hall in the western part of the Kabul on Saturday killing at least 63 people and injuring 182 people.

The terrorist, Abu Asim Al-Pakistani, claimed that he targeted a gathering of “non-believers” or Mushrikeens.

The suicide bombing occurred on Saturday in western Kabul, in an area heavily populated area mostly resided by the Shia Hazara minority. The suicide bomber detonated the explosives near the stage where musicians were playing. More than 1,200 people had been invited to the event, with a mixed group of Shiites and Sunnis attending the wedding.

Two weeks ago, in a similar terror attack, the Taliban suicide bomber had killed 14 people and wounded 145 in western Kabul. The attack had raised questions about the Taliban’s commitment to peace despite expectations of a deal with the United States.

The terror attacks are being unleashed at a time the United States and Taliban are reportedly progressing in talks on an agreement centred on a US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan in exchange for a security guarantee from the Taliban.

The violence has been surging across Afghanistan and in Kabul as the US and the Taliban negotiate a peace deal ahead of elections planned for September 28.

ED summons MNS chief Raj Thackeray in Kohinoor CTNL case

OpIndia Staff
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ED summons MNS chief Raj Thackeray in Kohinoor CTNL case

The Enforcement Directorate has summoned Maharashtra Navanirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray in a matter related to the Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services(IL&FS) case. As per reports, Thackeray has been asked by the probing agency to appear for questioning on August 22.


As per reports, the ED that is investigating the IL&FS case where the loan and equity investments of hundreds of crores in Kohinoor CTNL are also being probed. Reports claim that raj Thackeray’s name has popped up during the investigation into the Kohinoor building project that is located in Dadar.

A report in India Today claims that Unmesh Joshi, the son of former Maharashtra CM Manohar Joshi, has also been summoned by the ED. Unmesh is reported to be interrogated today.

Unmesh Joshi is the founder of Kohinoor CTNL. In 2005, Raj Thackeray’s Matoshree Construction and Unmesh Joshi had jointly invested Rs 421 crores to buy the NTPC owned Kohinoor Mill.

The Kohinoor Mills was a 4.8-acre property. Raj Thackeray had eventually exited from the joint venture.

The Kohinoor building project dealings had come under the scanner during the IL &FS scam case investigation. IL&FS had reportedly given a loan to Kohinoor CTNL worth Rs 225 crores but later on, took a hit of Rs 135 crores. As per reports IL&FS’s total investments in Kohinoor CTNL stand at Rs 860 crores.

The summons to Thackeray and Unmesh Joshi by the ED is bound to trigger a political blame game in Maharashtra.

J&K administration rubbishes India Today report that SPOs in Kashmir maybe involved with terrorists and their weapons have been seized

OpIndia Staff
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J&K administration rubbishes India Today report that SPOs in Kashmir maybe involved with terrorists and their weapons have been seized

The Jammu and Kashmir administration has advised public at large not to believe the rumours and said that the news about weapons of special police officers of J&K being seized are fake news.


The advisory was issued after India Today published a report titled “J&K: Weapons of over 250 SPOs seized over fear of them joining terror groups” which stated that just days before the abrogation of Article 370, the weapons of over 250 SPOs (Special Police Officers) of Jammu and Kashmir were seized. The India Today article further quoted sources saying, “The authorities were prompted to seize the weapons of over 250 SPOs after reports of some of them going missing with their weapons emerged, an indication that they may have joined terror groups in the Valley,”

India Today report further stated that while the decision to take away weapons of SPOs was taken prior to abrogation of Article 370, the same has led to resentment amongst the SPOs. India Today then quoted a security official and said that while there won’t be rebellion, there is ‘anger’ amongst the ranks, which was why more central security forces were deployed.

The report even quotes an a constable, whose AK-47 as per the report was still with him and not seized as the report otherwise claimed, who was not too happy with abrogation of Article 370. The report stated that he held a master’s in political science and abrogation of Article 370 was like ‘killing somebody in their sleep’.

The Jammu and Kashmir government, however, has denied the media report and called it ‘fake news and rumour spread by vested interest’.

Meanwhile, India Today journalist Abhishek Bhalla who wrote the story has brazened it out and said that his sources were ‘credible’ and not based on rumours.


He even added that the denial came two days after his story was published and how it was not really a direct denial to his story, the denial was perhaps to the ‘impact it had’.

Shehla Rashid inciting people by sharing fake news, claims of torture and excessive force being used against Kashmiris untrue: Indian Army

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Shehla Rashid inciting people by sharing fake news, claims of torture and excessive force being used against Kashmiris untrue: Indian Army

Freelance protestor-turned-politician Shehla Rashid, who has an illustrious career of peddling fake news, has now been exposed by the Indian Army after she toed the line of Pakistani propaganda against the security forces.

In a series of tweets, Rashid had alleged that the situation in Jammu and Kashmir is grim and that the armed forces are using excessive force on the Kashmiris.


She said that the Jammu and Kashmir Police have no authority on law and order situation and are rendered powerless. She then accused the Indian Army of entering houses in middle of the night, picking up boys and ransacking the homes, deliberately mixing oil with rice. Furthering her propaganda, she had also claimed that the armed forces had picked up four who were then taken into the Army camp. “A mic was kept close to them so that the entire area could hear them scream, and be terrorised. This created an environment of fear in the entire area,” added Shehla Rashid.

However, the Indian Army rejected allegations made by Shehla Rashid regarding the situation in the Jammu and Kashmir and called it “baseless”.

“Allegations levelled by Shehla Rashid are baseless and rejected. Such unverified & fake news are spread by inimical elements and organisations to incite unsuspecting population,” said Indian Army.


Shehla Rashid, like most of the other members of the anti-India brigade, seems to have got upset after the successful integration of Jammu and Kashmir and were attempting to stoke fear and incite violence by spreading false information.

However, the Indian Army has now called out the pro-Pakistan agenda propagated by Shehla Rashid while stating that the inimical elements like Shehla are spreading ‘unverified and fake news’ to incite unsuspecting population.

In the meanwhile, Supreme Court lawyer Alakh Alok Srivastava has filed a criminal complaint against Shehla Rashid for her comments, seeking her arrest for allegedly spreading fake news against Indian Army and the government. The complaint says that she has prima facie committed offence of sedition under Section 124-A of IPC. It also says that Rashid has further committed offences of ‘promoting enmity between the classes’ under Sections 153, 153-A, 504, 505 of IPC.

After being pushed into irrelevance, a frustrated Shehla Rashid had brazenly defended Kashmiris embracing the path of terrorism while pinning the blame on India for the same.

As normalcy is prevailing in the Jammu and Kashmir, a certain anti-India establishment within the country seems to have got disgruntled and are trying various means to instigate violence against Indians, particularly Hindus in Kashmir.

Harvard alumnus IAS officer says Harvard group’s petition demanding release of Shah Faesal was opposed by majority of group members

OpIndia Staff
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Harvard alumnus IAS officer says Harvard group’s petition demanding release of Shah Faesal was opposed by majority of group members

A Harvard alumnus has claimed that a letter written by a group of students and faculty to the Indian government on the current situation in Kashmir was not supported by majority members of the group, but some members still went ahead and sent the letter.

Yesterday several media houses had reported that as many as 124 students, faculty and alumni and affiliates of the Harvard University had urged the Indian government to release Harvard alumnus and former IAS officer Shah Faesal and others currently under detention as a preventing measure. The statement of the group had urged the Indian government “to take credible action keeping in mind the democratic rights of people during the process of bringing peace to the Valley”. They had said that they are concerned about the latest restrictions and arrests of many local leaders including a Harvard student and politician, Shah Faesal. The statement was signed by 124 students, faculty, alumni and affiliates of Harvard University from across the world.


But now a Harvard Alumnus, Abhishekh Singh, who is also an IAS officer, has revealed that it this decision was rejected by most people, but a small group since went ahead and released the statement to media. Quoting a report by The Wire on the matter, he said that the proposal to issue the statement was shared on a Harvard Alum group in which he is a member. He said that the majority of the group members didn’t agree to the petition and advised few friends and classmates of Shah Faesal against sharing the statement with media. But they didn’t listen to the majority view and released the statement. He also added that let law takes its own course.

Apart from Harvard, Abhishekh Singh is also an alumnus of IIT Kanpur, and currently the Secretary of the Agriculture Scientist Recruitment Board. He is a 1995 batch IAS officer from Nagaland cadre.

Pakistani journalist uses video of Indian journalist Abhisar Sharma to spread anti-India propaganda

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistani journalist uses video of Indian journalist Abhisar Sharma to spread anti-India propaganda

As Pakistan continued to be rattled by Narendra Modi government’s decision to fully integrate Jammu and Kashmir into India, it has found support in its campaign against India in many Indian politicians and journalists. After a Pakistani minister rued the fact that Rahul Gandhi didn’t become the PM in 2019, a Pakistani journalist has found that the views of Indian journalist Abhisar Sharma echo the views of Pakistanis.

Today Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir shared a video where controversial ‘journalist’ Abhisar Sharma had complained about few jokes circulating on social media after the abrogation of Article 370. Mir said that one can differ with political views of the Indian journalist, but there is nothing wrong in what he is saying while condemning jokes about land and girls of Kashmir.


In the video, Abhisar Sharma can be seen talking about three images related to Kashmir, strongly objecting to them, saying that they are being circulated by journalists only. The first joke is a fake advertisement offering to sell land in Kashmir. The second image shows some girls apparently from Kashmir, with text below saying that now bachelors can prepare from marriage and after 15th August Kashmir can be the place of their in-laws. These two memes refer to abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35A, which had prevented people outside Jammu and Kashmir to purchase land in the state, and took away the property rights of Kashmiri women if they married non-locals. The third picture shows a map of India with a saffron-coloured Indian traditional headgear on the head of map, i.e., Jammu and Kashmir. Sharma has a problem with the colour of the Safa (turban).

The first two images just show what was not available earlier, but Abhishar Sharma thinks people have reduced the abrogation of Article 370 into just land and woman. Full integration of Jammu and Kashmir into the nation is obviously one of the biggest events in independent India. But by just picking some random memes from social media and claiming that people have reduced it to land and woman, Sharma has presented a very distorted view which has become a useful tool for Pakistanis to spread its propaganda against India. Just because restrictions have been removed, people are not going to rush to buy land and marry girls from Kashmir, those are important life decisions which will be taken after taking several things into consideration. The memes that Abhishar is complaining about only show that Kashmir is also now an option for those who are interested. This does not mean the entire issue is reduced to land and woman.

The third complaint about the colour of the turban is baseless, as the saffron colour is not an exclusive trademark of BJP like the left-liberals in India think. Different hues of saffron-orange are popular colours in India, and turbans are known to be colourful. If someone made a meme with a saffron hued safa on the head of India, it can’t be said that it is a BJP propaganda.

“Congress party has lost its way”: Former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda attacks his party for opposing abrogation of Article 370

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“Congress party has lost its way”: Former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda attacks his party for opposing abrogation of Article 370

Former Haryana Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Sunday hit back at the Congress party saying it has lost its way for opposing the abrogation of Article 370.


Speaking at Parivartan Maha Rally’ at his home turf Rohtak, former CM Hooda said wherever the principles and morals are being harmed, one should get up to show that they are alive. This statements from Hooda comes at a time when the Congress party leadership is opposing the historic decision of the Narendra Modi government to abrogate Article 370 and bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories.

“I was born in a patriotic family, those who oppose abrogation of Article 370, I want to tell them usulon par jahan aanch aaye, vahan takrana zaruri hai, jo zinda hai to zinda dikhna zaruri hai (Wherever your principles and morals are harmed, you have to get up. You need to show that you are alive),” said Hooda.  

Further, Bhupinder Singh Hooda also said that he supports Centre’s decision to revoke provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution that granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).

“When the government does something right I support them. Many of my colleagues opposed the decision… my party has lost its way, it’s not the same Congress it used to be,” Hooda said at a rally in Rohtak. When it comes to patriotism and self-respect, I’ll not compromise with anyone,” Hooda added.

The Parivarthan rally of Bhupinder Singh Hooda is projected as a show of strength and a wake-up call to the party high command to acknowledge his stature just ahead of assembly polls in the state. Interestingly, no senior Congress leader has been invited for today’s rally indicating that Hooda may think of charting a new political course.

There are also speculations hinting that Hooda will be parting ways with the Congress to float a new political party ahead of Haryana state assembly elections.

Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, along with Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and other senior Congress leaders are accused in the multi-crore National Herald scam. The Central Bureau of Investigation had charge-sheeted him in a case pertaining to re-allotment of an institution plot in Panchkula, Haryana, under sections 120B and 420 of the IPC. The CBI had booked Hooda for criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, cheating and misuse of official position by public servants. He is currently out on bail.

Similarly, an FIR has also been lodged against Bhupinder Singh Hooda along with Congress President Rahul Gandhi’s brother in law Robert Vadra and others for alleged irregularities in the land deals in Gurugram.

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