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100 companies of Central Armed Police Forces moved to Jammu and Kashmir, BSF to be deployed in the state after 14 years

OpIndia Staff
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100 companies of Central Armed Police Forces moved to Jammu and Kashmir, BSF to be deployed in the state after 14 years

In the aftermath of the horrific Pulwama attack, the government has brought back the BSF to the valley after 14 years. Along with ramping up its crackdown on separatist leaders in Jammu and Kashmir, the centre has moved 100 additional companies of Central Armed Police Forces to the valley. This includes 35 companies of BSF, 45 CRPF companies, and 10 companies of ITBP and SSB each.

The government has also decided to remove CRPF from static guard duties in Jammu and Kashmir, the task has been assigned to BSF and ITBP now.

As the country awaits the hearing on Article 35A in Supreme Court, which gives special powers to the state of Jammu and Kashmir, there are reports that the J&K police along with security forces have arrested around 150 separatists in the valley. The raids have been conducted in several places across the valley, including Anantnag, Pahalgam, Dialgam and Tral in south Kashmir.

In these nocturnal raids, which have been continuing for the last two days, the security forces detained and arrested many Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), leaders. JeI is a socio-political organisation and a part of separatist Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s Tehreek-e-Hurriyat (an umbrella organisation of separatists).

Amongst those detained are Ameer Jama’at, Dr Abdul Hamid Fayaz, advocate Zahid Ali (spokesperson), Ghulam Qadir Lone (former secretary general), Abdur Rouf (Ameer Zila Islamabad), Mudasir Ahmad (Ameer Tehsil Pahalgam), Abdul Salam (Dialgam), Bakhtawar Ahmad (Dialgam), Mohammad Hayat (Tral), Bilal Ahmad (Chadoora), Ghulam Mohammad Dar (Chak Sangran) and dozens more.

Besides this, police also detained JKLF chief Yaseen Malik on Friday night.

Terming the raid “fishy” and calling it “well-designed conspiracy to pave way for further uncertainty in the region”, the JeI spokesperson furthered “the way forces personnel unleashed the spree of mass arrest and detained dozens of Jamaat members prior to the hearing seems something is hatching behind the curtains. Any attempt of eroding or tampering Article 35A is unacceptable for people of Jammu and Kashmir”.

The overnight raids on 22-23 February saw choppers hovering over Srinagar for the second consecutive night and station officers across the valley have been told to identify people who have links with Jammat and Hurriyat and have been ordered to detain them.

Though the police refrained from giving specifics for this sudden mobilisation of forces in the state, speculation is that the Centre is planning to scrap the article 35A by bringing in an ordinance and this is being done to avoid any untoward incident following the SC judgement.

Also, the Ministry of Home Affairs decision to send additional 100 companies of paramilitary forces to state on urgent basis has fueled the rumours that something is brewing in the security establishment for which they making massive preparations. Scores of private trucks and buses were lined up out the Srinagar airport to ferry the additional paramilitary forces being airlifted to the state.

But ADG of J&K police Muneer Khan downplayed the deployment of additional forces, saying this has done due to the upcoming general elections, adding that more companies of security forces will be moved to the state due to that reason.

There were reports that Pakistan too has started preparing for a possible conflict. After reports of the administrations issuing advisories for people residing in areas close to the LoC, it has been reported that the Pakistan army has instructed hospitals to be ready for emergency medical support.

India has adopted a zero-tolerance policy in the aftermath of the dastardly Pulwama attack on the Indian soldiers. Earlier, the government had ordered the withdrawal of security cover provided to separatists leaders. Some reports say that these detention has been done keeping the crucial hearing over the article 35A in the Supreme Court on Monday.

So what changed about India in the five years of Modi?

Abhishek Banerjee
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So what changed about India in the five years of Modi?

The other day I was reading an article in one of these leftist propaganda rags on the internet. It was an article ‘debunking’ the ‘propaganda’ regarding the scale of toilet construction in the country and the ‘reality’ of places that had been officially declared as ‘open defecation free.’

You had to give it to the author of that article. He/she had done a lot of research, dug deep into the data and pointed out discrepancies in the data collected from three rounds of surveys done by state governments on open defecation. To show that the decrease in open defecation was actually less than what the Central Government was claiming.

But what I really learned from that article is that the government had done multiple rounds of detailed surveys on open defecation. It tells you just how seriously the government has taken up the issue. Has it happened in India before that open defecation has been such a big talking point?

Governance in India is notoriously inefficient. At every level, we have lazy and greedy officials, local politicians, corrupt contractors, all looking to make excuses and make a buck. It’s not a surprise that real numbers are less than what is being claimed.

But the very fact that leftist propaganda rags have to do such deep research, sweating to find the smallest discrepancy in data to somehow make the government look bad, shows you how wildly successful the Modi government has been.

It shows you that Modi has not only improved the performance. He has raised the bar itself.

In 2014, India’s toilet coverage was around 39%. That’s a shade below the 40% ‘pass mark’ in most schools. That’s the report card of 60+ years of independence and multiple Bharat Ratna Prime Ministers.

And Modi decided, suddenly and aggressively, to raise the bar. A mission to go from 40% to 100% in just 5 years.

No wonder you have leftist propaganda rags nipping at his heels, trying desperately to prove that Modi is likely to fall a few % short of his 100% target. They have no idea how pathetic they sound when they try to tear him down like this.

Indeed, what if he stops far short of 100%? What if he has only reached 80% by May 2019? Modi will still have achieved more in 60 months than others managed in 60 years put together!!

Similar observations apply to what he has done with electricity and gas connections. We have intense reporting from the ‘ground’ by leftist propaganda rags showing that Modi has ‘fallen short.’

Modi set a target for 100% village electrification, then a target for 100% household electrification within each village and finally 24 x 7 power to every household. All of this to be done in 5 years.

He’s completed the first target and about 90% of the second target. ‘Fact Checkers’ are busy trying to prove that it’s not 90%. It might be 89.9%!

You’re right. He’s fallen “short”. Of what? Of a target that would not have been achieved in the next 100 years at the Congress pace of doing things!!!

So this is what has changed in five years. The bar has been raised to 100% in everything. There is intense public interest and public scrutiny in how things are going: how many toilets built, how many gas and electricity connections given, how many villages declared open defecation free and all that!

It’s like those India vs Australia cricket matches of old where India has to score 300+ runs in 50 overs. Steep climb. You can’t breathe for even a moment without looking at the required run rate. One day goes by without a few hundred toilets being built or electricity and gas connections given. It’s like a dot ball in a high-pressure cricket chase. The required run rate climbs immediately.

Tell me, when was India ever like this before?

Why are we fighting this uphill battle? This extremely high required run rate? Because we gave away too many runs in the first 50 overs while we were fielding. The world passed us by and we were sleeping. Every American got a car. More than half of Indians still didn’t have toilets.

The same applies to economic indicators. The country has become obsessed with maintaining its status as the world’s ‘fastest growing economy’. This from a country that was once mocked for its ‘Hindu rate of growth’.

And no place for excuses either, no matter how genuine. So what if the Modi government had to overhaul the entire taxation system and bring in GST? This is a transition so difficult that advanced economies like Australia and Canada, with just 2-3 crore people each, almost went into recession while implementing it. No such excuses allowed in India. The country went from ‘fastest growing’ to ‘2nd fastest growing’ for about six months. People came down on the government like a ton of bricks.

As individuals, we Indians have always demanded the best from ourselves and our own. The jokes about Indian parents abound. About “Sharma ji ka betaa” and the  Indian kid who gets a scolding at home for scoring “just 90%”.

But when it came to our government, we were always the opposite. The passing grade of 40% was considered a big distinction, even a rare one. 60% was truly ‘first class’.

Modi changed all that. He brought out the ‘Indian parent’ in all of us in our attitude towards the government. As long there is a “Sharma ji ka beta” somewhere in the world, some country doing better than us, we know no peace.

Tell me, when was India like this before.

Same goes for scams. The recent round of outrage from the opposition is that CAG report shows a savings of just 2.86% in the Rafale Deal! India demands: shouldn’t the savings have been at least 10%?

From a nation that was used to scams to a nation that is demanding savings!

Tell me, when was India like this before.

There is, of course, the old political class that cannot believe how much India has changed. There is Akhilesh, who has to suddenly justify why he took away tiles and tap fittings when he left his official bungalow. An angry Akhilesh asked how officers who used to pick up “cup plates” for him until yesterday, could dare to ask him questions.

Yeah, they cannot believe how much India has changed.

Tejaswi had been Deputy CM of Bihar for just under 2 years. In this time, he converted his official bungalow into a 7-star royal palace. This month, he lost a battle in the Supreme Court to keep that bungalow for life.

This was the old way of doing things. Of politicians taking anything, they could lay their hands upon. Do you know that when Dr Manmohan Singh left the PMO in 2014, he took with him 101 different items that he had received as gifts from foreign governments in his capacity as India’s Prime Minister? Among them, a ladies wrist watch and a music system.

Probably not very expensive items when you compare with the size of India’s economy. But the really cheap thing here is the underlying attitude.

As Prime Minister of India, Modi also gets lots of gifts. He auctions them off and deposits the money with government schemes.

Tell me, when was India like this before.

While Kejriwal govt claims to have transformed education, here is a reality check

Dr. Nandini Sharma
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While Kejriwal govt claims to have transformed education, here is a reality check

The 10th of February marked the fourth anniversary of the Aam Aadmi Party Government in Delhi which stormed to power with the largest mandate since the establishment of the Delhi legislative assembly.

Ever since they have taken over Delhi, there has been relentless propaganda across the spectrum with regard to its transformative policies in the education sector. Only recently we saw full page ads in newspapers by the state government and the Aam Aadmi Party showcasing their achievements, which included laying down sewer lines in some areas.

While an extremely rosy picture of their ‘achievements’ has been painted in the mainstream and social media about the Education sector, there is little discourse or deliberation on how the situation of primary schools leaves a lot to be desired.

I would have been happy if this was the truth. However, this is far from the truth. There are several uncomfortable facts that the common people, both in Delhi and outside the city, must know.

Money for ads, not for schools

Pre-primary and primary education in Delhi are mainly the responsibility of the local bodies and fall under the purview of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). However, due to the nature of our urban finances, the MCD is largely dependent on the Delhi state government for spend on the 1695 schools which fall under its ambit. Therefore, it is incumbent on the state government to provide as much support possible to MCD schools given its ‘self-proclaimed’ commitment towards education. Nevertheless, the current scenario is to quite contrary to what is being marketed.

At the crux of the matter is a twofold problem – the continuous decline in funding of the MCD schools by AAP Government and the delay in release of funds to MCD schools. While situation is especially grim in North and East Delhi, it is equally bad in South Delhi, the more affluent part of our national capital region.

To begin with, the budget allocated to South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) schools (581 in number) has been slashed by the state government from an expected Rs. 89 crore to nearly just half i.e. Rs. 46 crore. The second concern is that in the preceding two years, fund releases from the State Government took place between mid-February and mid-March, extremely close to the financial year end. This makes it impossible for civic bodies to spend this money, say Rs. 46 crore within the available time frame of 15-45 days, keeping in mind the strict procedures such as tendering, bidding etc; to be followed.

The ripple effect of this fund crunch and fund release delay has been wide ranging and is potently catastrophic as the mandate of civic bodies is to cater to the demands of more than nine lakh students when the MCDs themselves are in deep financial crisis.

Poor Enrolment

The first impact has been felt on enrolments. The enrolment rate of students in primary classes of SDMC schools continued to decline with 17,535 fewer students being enrolled in the 2017-18 session compared to 2016-17. The number of students enrolled in 2017-18 is 2,48,297 which is lower than each of the previous six years due to the systematic decline in funding for the corporation schools.

This is despite the fact that continuous efforts have been made by the civic body to ensure better schools with limited money using initiatives like smart classrooms, better desks and benches, nursery facilities, extra classes, computer classes, English lessons and holding street plays.

Missing Teachers

The withholding of funds has not allowed any of the MCDs to fill up the over 5,000 vacant teacher positions in the schools falling under their jurisdiction. The student teacher ratios are bludgeoning to 80/90:1 which far exceeds the RTE requirement of 35:1. In addition, 120 principal posts lying vacant in SDMC schools and the fund crunch has forced the civic body to appoint senior teachers to the position of acting principals. There has also been a freeze on ability to hire specialized teachers for computer classes.

The intensity of the problem is even higher with respect to already existing teachers. The Delhi High Court had to repeatedly give a rap on the knuckles to the State government to clear the salary dues of Rs. 273 crore to nearly 13,000 North and East MCD teachers which they had kept pending for over six months.

Anguished over non-payment of salaries of municipal school teachers, a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar said this was “intolerable”, “completely improper” and an “inefficient system”. The salaries were paid only after the Bench went to the extent of threatening to attach the Delhi government’s bank accounts.

The silver lining here is that the SDMC has developed innovative financing mechanisms such as education cess on property taxes to ensure that our ‘Gurus’ are always paid their due share on time for their noble and selfless service to our kids.

With no money for such basic needs, teacher training and equipping them with the latest methods and pedagogies has become a far cry across all schools. On an average, teachers from 55% MCD schools reported to have a medium level of teaching quality based on the various parameters under School Standards and Evaluation Framework (SSEF) whereas 34% reported to have a high quality of teaching,

Poor Infrastructure

With schools as the temples of learning where kids spend a third of their time every day, it is imperative to provide a conducive environment for them to learn and grow. However, due to the inordinate delays in release of money for capital expenditure, the infrastructure at MCD schools is worsening at an alarming pace.

For instance, more than 5,000 students in 14 schools are forced to sit on floors, as there no desks and benches, and 44 schools do not have Jal Board water connections. Same is the plight of 40,000 students in 100 schools of North MCDA. There are 14 schools without a campus of their own.

I am reminded of a quote from Education Commission’s 1964-66 report which said – “The destiny of India is now being shaped in her classrooms.” And if classrooms remain underdeveloped and understaffed as they are today, there is very little glimmer of hope for our future.

Despite SDMC staying committed to spending a major chunk of its budget on sanitation and education, the shortfall in money released has made it impossible to construct new toilet blocks in schools or take forward its novel initiatives like e-toilets with auto-clean systems and mobile toilets for improving access and increasing conservation of water.

Furthermore, in a place like Delhi which is prone to extreme temperatures every season, there exist schools with no ceiling fans or necessary heating amenities. Lack of such basic infrastructure discourage students from being in schools and increase dropout rates. There is routine delay in giving notebooks to the students and the plans to install CCTV cameras in schools to improve safety for the girl child had to be postponed.

Consequent to the lack of facilities, shortage of teachers and massive gaps in the delivery systems of primary education in SDMC schools, there has been a major rise in the dropout rates in MCD schools as per a study conducted by the Praja Foundation. Over a lakh students have dropped out of schools from MCD schools since AAP has come to power and the estimated dropout percentage rate is 6% for SDMC. To make matters worse, as per the MCD data in 2016-17, 53,100 students enrolled with the primary schools in three municipal corporations have not attended the academic sessions for up to two years.

Petty politics of Kejriwal government

While Arvind Kejriwal keeps blaming Prime Minister Narendra Modi of not allowing him to work – and yet claiming that he has worked hard and converted Delhi into some top class city – it is him who in reality is obstructing development in Delhi.

This constant step-motherly treatment of MCD schools by the AAP state government is costing our kids dearly. Most experts agree that the state government has taken a vision-less approach to reforming our primary education system. It has shied away from enhancing the quality of education in MCD schools and resorts to nip and tuck jobs such as the ‘Buniyaad’ scheme (accelerated programme to improve learning outcomes). Such grand PR exercises will continue to fail in delivering the desired results as long as the core and critical issues mentioned are not addressed.

Instead of sitting on dharna for full statehood, it will be good if the Delhi Chief Minister focuses on these issues.

(Author is an elected member and Chairman of the Education Committee of the South Delhi Municipal Corporation. Data and information cited in the article has been obtained from multiple sources by the author, including from documents submitted and available in the house and committee meetings, which she has access to owing to her position.)

Triple Talaq petitioner claims that Deoband is the stronghold of terrorism

OpIndia Staff
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Triple Talaq petitioner claims that Deoband is the stronghold of terrorism

Advocate Farha Faiz, a Supreme Court lawyer, has claimed that Deoband is the stronghold of terrorism, reports Amar Ujala. Faiz who was one of the petitioners in the Triple Talaq case made the claims after two suspected terrorists hailing from Kashmir were arrested from Deoband. Jihadi literature, cartridges and weapons were also seized from them. The arrests were made following the security operations being initiated across the country after the Pulwama terrorist attack.

Faiz also claimed that one of the persons who had attacked her in 2016 was a suspected terrorist and was arrested by the National Intelligence Agency (NIA). She said that she had once seen the suspected terrorist at Deoband railway station. Faiz revealed that a report submitted in the Tees Hazari court during the monitoring of the attack on her showed the number of students enrolled in the Madrassas as 30, while when Delhi police inquired about the number of students by sending a notice, the number of students turned out to be 6000.

Faiz also told about how students in Madrassas are taught about Gazwa-e-hind. “Those who come to study in Madrassas are prepared for Gazwa-e-hind so that they can become puppets of terrorists like Hafiz Saeed to carry out their destructive activities in India”, said Faiz.

Gazwa-e-hind is a prophecy of Jihad which foretells battles between Muslims and non-Muslims in the Indian subcontinent, resulting in the victory of Muslims in the end.

In a first, EAM Sushma Swaraj to attend Organization of Islamic Cooperation session as guest of honour

OpIndia Staff
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In a first, EAM Sushma Swaraj to attend Organization of Islamic Cooperation session as guest of honour

Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj will attend the inaugural plenary session of the 46th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of Organization of Islamic Cooperation, as the guest of honour next month. This is the first ever OIC session that India will attend.

India on Saturday accepted the invitation sent by the foreign minister of the UAE, HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

“We see this invitation as the desire of the enlightened leadership of the UAE to go beyond our rapidly growing close bilateral ties and forge a true multifaceted partnership at the multilateral and international level” A statement issued by MEA said. It also added that invitation sent to India acknowledges the presence of 185 million Muslims and their “contribution to its pluralistic ethos“.

The OIC sessions agenda this year is ’50 years of Islamic cooperation: Road map for prosperity and development’ It will be held between March 1-2, in Abu Dhabi. It will be attended by delegates of 56 member states, 5 observer states and India as ‘Guest of Honour’.

The move has been hailed as significant, as currently India is trying to corner Pakistan, after the Pulwama attack that claimed lives of more than 40 CRPF jawans.


Invitation to India to speak in the congregation of Islamic countries, cannot have come at a better time when it is launching several diplomatic offensives against the state of Pakistan for its continued backing to Islamic terrorist who perpetrates terror attacks like Pulwama attack in India.

India’s first International win against Islamic terrorism has already come in the form of condemnation by UN Security Council. The UNSC in its statement condemned the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir while naming Jaish-e-Mohammad, the Pakistan based terror group. It also urged other countries to comply with India and other relevant authorities in the investigation into the dastardly terror attack.

Barkha Dutt: How the paragon of women empowerment has been reduced to a victim-playing attention seeker

Nupur J Sharma
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Barkha Dutt: How the paragon of women empowerment has been reduced to a victim-playing attention seeker

Barkha Dutt, the drummer boy of Rahul Gandhi, is a woman of many talents. Some say her talent lies in getting stone pelters, who admit they are waging Jihad in Kashmir, to say that they are fighting for the ‘Azaadi of Kashmir’. In her illustrious career, she has accomplished more than one could possibly imagine. From ruining a bloggers life for asking questions, to hounding a budding journalist, to whitewashing terror. Her greatest talent, which has recently come to the fore, is how beautifully she plays the victim. After the time when she used a fellow journalist’s death to spread lies and play the victim, this is perhaps the one time, where the has proved that nobody can possibly ‘harvest’ victimhood as she does.

There is something to be said about women of substance. Of professional women who stand their ground and never waver. Who weather through the ups and downs and emerge victorious. Who excel in a man’s world, on their own terms. And then there is something to be said about women who did all of that, and then, instead of retreating graciously, start vying for their lost space again by painting themselves to be the eternal victims. Like the entire world is out to get them. Barkha, while we love to her hate, did excel in a man’s world. Did make her mark, albeit, with the help of Niira Radia, in the field of journalism. She reached a point in her career where she could peddle the ‘poor headmaster’s son’ narrative for a dangerous terrorist without any real punitive action accruing to her. That is saying something.

The advent of social media left the old guard of journalism mostly scampering for cover. Their lies have been exposed. Their spins have been untangled and their true intentions have been revealed. Barkha is one such “journalist”, and we use that term loosely, who has been revealed for what she truly is. A loose talker who has an agenda. A motivated fascist who gives context to the genocide of Kashmiri Pandits by bringing in the ‘economic argument’, much like the Nazis.

Barkha Dutt was propped up by an ignorant country who admired women of substance. When it was revealed that the substance was a mere mirage, her demigod stature was reduced to rubble. The perfumed elite like her don’t take kindly to being displaced from their pedestal. And so, Barkha proceeded to create the narrative that the entire world is out to get her. That she has been disgraced as a journalist not because she is bad at her job, but because people are out to victimise her.

For the past several days, while the country mourned our braves and ached for retribution, Barkha, was busy declaring to the world that she is a victim. Let that sink in for a moment. While soldiers lay blown up to pieces, Barkha was playing the victim.

First, to prove her undying love for Kashmiris, she proclaimed that her number is public and that Kashmiris who are being troubled should reach out to her. Then, she complained to the police about her number being public because she, unfortunately, started getting several unsolicited, harassing messages. When she received the unsolicited picture, she took to Twitter to claim that it was an expression of ‘nationalism’. Nobody knows how she concluded the phallus’ political ideology, but she did.

While the harassment was atrocious and one must take action against it, the self-proclaimed paragon of feminism reduced a serious issue of harassment to ideological debate. She got an unsolicited p*nis picture. That was harassment, plain and simple. However, instead of focussing on the harassment, she proclaimed that the p*enis had a political ideology, thereby reducing the cause of all women who fight this sort of horrific harassment on a regular basis.

After days of playing the victim, last night, she outdid herself.

A hilarious video of a Pakistani journalist went viral on social media. The journalist was rather outraged about India refusing to export tomatoes to Pakistan and kept saying ‘Tauba Tauba’. At one point, the journalist also asserted that ‘Pakistan can live without tomatoes’ and that ‘it is time Pakistan nukes India’ because of this tomato fiasco.

Following the video of the Pakistani journalist frothing at the mouth, several spoof videos were made. One of those spoof videos came from a hilarious handle called ‘@SuperLonday’.


Barkha popped a vein. Metaphorically, of course.

She not only tagged Twitter functionaries, but also the Delhi police. She wrote, “this video is being brought to your attention to see what you are going to do’.


It was a simple video really. One recalls how the entire Left cabal had defended AIB (All India Bakchod) when they had used PM Modi’s picture and applied a dog filter to it via snapchat. One wonders how this was any different? If that was justified as humour, why should Barkha get all sensitive now about her picture being used as a spoof?

Did she do this to wash away the ‘Pro-Pakistan’ image that she has? She is often reminded that Hafiz Saeed himself had praised Barkha’s journalism. Was this outburst so that would not be raked up again? Or she wanted to overcompensate by outraging on this video?

One wonders if this is the last arrow left in her quiver. With her shattered credibility, dwindling career, next to nothing clout and ignorable existence, one wonders if drawing attention to herself by playing the eternal ‘abhla naari’ is a Hail Mary Pass for her. Whether she hopes that this would breathe life into a disgraced journalistic career. That people, might just think of watching her asinine channel that has recently been started with Kapil Sibal’s money if she constantly whines and becomes the butt of all jokes.

Imran Masood, who threatened to ‘chop Narendra Modi into pieces’, included in Congress’ 2019 Lok Sabha Election Committee

OpIndia Staff
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Imran Masood, who threatened to ‘chop Narendra Modi into pieces’, included in Congress’ 2019 Lok Sabha Election Committee

Former Uttar Pradesh MLA from the Congress party, Imran Masood, who had allegedly threatened to “chop Narendra Modi into pieces” ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections is now part of the Congress party’s Election committee in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, reported ANI.

The Congress party on Saturday had announced various committees like Election Committee, Campaign Committee, Election Strategy & Planning Committee, Co-ordination Committee, Manifesto Committee and Media & Publicity Committee for Uttar Pradesh ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Imran Masood has been inducted into the Election Committee of the Congress party.

Congress Party’s Election Committee in Uttar Pradesh. Image Source: ANI

With the selection of Congress leaders with a history of instigating violence and hurling cheap slurs at the leaders of other parties, Congress seems to be mainstreaming fringe elements like Imran Masood in the party. Recently, Masood was also in the luxury bus with Priyanka Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Jyotiraditya Scindia during Priyanka Gandhi’s first roadshow in Lucknow. He was the Congress candidate from Saharanpur in 2014 when he had declared in a public rally that he will “chop Narendra Modi into pieces”

Interestingly, the Congress party’s election committee in Uttar Pradesh will be headed by Uttar Pradesh Congress Chief Raj Babbar, who had also abused the Prime Minister by targetting his humble background and his family. Uttar Pradesh Congress Chief Raj Babbar had used the devaluing rupee reference to mock the age of Prime Minister Modi’s mother.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi is busy spinning tales of the ‘politics of love’, but on the other hand, he has also shown exemplary affection towards those who make extremely distasteful remarks against the Prime Minister of India. With inducting Imran Masood into an election committee only indicates that certain behaviour of the Congress party remains the same despite its party president Rahul Gandhi expressing false love in public.

The Congress party understanding the inability of Congress President Rahul Gandhi’s inability to lead the party to take on the might BJP led by PM Narendra Modi resorted to parachuting his sister, another dynast- Priyanka Gandhi to the Congress party. Within hours of joining the Congress party, the younger Gandhi was made a general secretary of the party and was installed as the party’s in-charge in Uttar Pradesh East.

Priyanka Gandhi, who hardly has any experience in electoral politics has been fighting hard to save her husband Robert Vadra, accused in irregularities pertaining to various land dealings. Priyanka Gandhi may have been pushed into taking responsibilities by the Gandhi Parivar to create an extra pressure on the Centre to go slow on cases against the son-in-law Robert Vadra.

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

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

On the fateful day of February 14, a ghastly terrorist attack on a CRPF convoy in Pulwama which claimed the lives of more than 40 CRPF soldiers shook whole country’s conscience. The responsibility for the deadliest terrorist attack against the security forces in decades was claimed by Pakistan based terrorist organisation Jaish-e-Mohammad. However, Pakistan, being its usual self, denied having any hand in the terrorist attack and instead played the victim of terrorism.

India, however, took some strong steps to pressurise Pakistan into stopping it from assisting terrorism including withdrawal of Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status conferred on Pakistan, hiking customs duty on Pakistani goods exported to India by 200%, vowing to divert water of 3 rivers flowing into Pakistan into the Yamuna. Interestingly, tomato growing farmers have decided not to export tomatoes to Pakistan.

The last step of not exporting tomatoes to Pakistan seems to have irked Pakistanis the most. A journalist from Pakistan who is famous as the ‘Tauba Tauba journalist’ appeared particularly disturbed by this.


The journalist even threatened that Pakistan will retaliate India’s decision of banning export of tomatoes with an ‘atom bomb’ attack. His hilarious ‘threats’ have left people in splits. “Tauba Tauba ab vo vakhat a gya hai ke tamatar ka jawab atom bomb se diya jaega“, the journalist said.

Netizens were left in splits at this hilarious outrage over tomatoes.


Some empathised with the tamatar loving journalist.


India has increased its efforts to pressurise Pakistan so that it stops assisting terrorism on its land.

Jammu and Kashmir Anti Corruption Bureau Director transferred to Home Department

OpIndia Staff
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Jammu and Kashmir Anti Corruption Bureau Director transferred to Home Department

14th February 2019 saw one of the greatest acts of Pakistan sponsored terror attack being carried out in Kashmir. 44 CRPF jawans lost their lives in a suicide attack in Pulwama for which Jaish-e-Mohammad claimed responsibility.

In response, India took a number of steps to isolate Pakistan diplomatically, and last night, it was reported that 100 companies of paramilitary forces to Kashmir. Reportedly, Pakistan had also started preparing for conflict by evacuating the areas surrounding the Line of Control.

OpIndia has reliably learnt that now, the Director of Jammu and Kashmir Anti Corruption Bureau has been transferred to the Home department.

IPS SJM Gilani has been transferred to the Home Department ‘in the interest of administration’. Tomorrow, Sunday, separatists have called for a ‘hartal’ in anticipation of the rumours that Section 35A, which disallowed non-Kashmiris from buying property in Kashmir might be abrogated.

If South Africa can be banned for apartheid, why not Pakistan for terrorism: Mohammad Kaif calls for strong action

OpIndia Staff
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If South Africa can be banned for apartheid, why not Pakistan for terrorism: Mohammad Kaif calls for strong action

Cricketer Mohammad Kaif has called out for severe action against Pakistan in the wake of Pulwama terrorist attack. The cricketer reminded via Twitter how India had boycotted South Africa and had severed all trade ties with the country following the ICC ban on South Africa over the South African government’s apartheid policy.


Kaif said that racism is a serious issue but terrorism is an even bigger issue and a country that indulges in terrorism should be dealt with in the most severe way. There are speculations that India might consider withdrawing from the 2019 ICC world cup to boycott playing with Pakistan.

While cricketers like Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar spoke in favour of playing with Pakistan saying that this would only help Pakistan in the World Cup, there were others like Harbhajan Singh, Sourav Ganguly who supported an absolute boycott. Captain of India Cricket team Virat Kohli said that he stands by what the nation wants. “Our sincere condolences to the families of CRPF soldiers who lost their lives in Pulwama attack. We stand by what the nation wants to do and the BCCI decides to do. We will go by what the government and the Board decides, we will respect that”, Kohli said.

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