A Hindu youth was murdered during a procession for visarjan of the idol of Goddess Durga on 13th October in the Bahraich district of Uttar Pradesh. The procession was pelted with stones by an Islamist mob. Abdul Hameed, Sarfaraz, Faheem and Sahir Khan, along with others have been accused of the brutal crime. The deceased has been identified as Ram Gopal Mishra who was married just two months ago. The murderers have also been connected to Nepal. OpIndia has gathered some additional information from the ground after talking to eyewitnesses.
Old father’s health deteriorated, wife widowed in 2 months
OpIndia spoke to Ram Gopal Mishra’s brother Harimilan Mishra regarding the tragedy. He stated that they were three brothers, and now, out of them, Ram Gopal is no longer in the world. He was only 22 years old and was the youngest of them all. He lived in the Rehuya Mansur village of the Ramgaon police station area. Ramgopal’s father Kailashnath is 75 years old. His health has also deteriorated after his youngest son’s death. Family members and other relatives are somehow trying to take care of him.
Ram Gopal and the other men of his family used to make a living by doing labour work and farming. Just 2 months ago, he got married to a girl from a nearby village. His wife, who lost her spouse two months after their marriage, was seen crying while hugging his body in a video received by OpIndia. Harimilan revealed that she fainted after hearing about the murder of her husband.
My brother would have been alive if the police had not resorted to lathi-charge
During the conversation with OpIndia, Harimilan Mishra was in the post-mortem house. Harimilan made an appeal to the authorities to assist his family, calling their situation miserable. He even demanded tough action against the assailants. Ram Gopal’s family has yet to receive any help from the government. They have also voiced their displeasure with the way the cops acted.
Harimilan stated that stones were initially hurled from Abdul Hamid’s house on the Durga Idol Visarjan procession which caused the idol’s hand to break and get vandalised, after which the devotees became angry. Meanwhile, the police lathi-charged the Hindus, which created chaos and people started fleeing everywhere. The Islamist perpetrators exploited the chaos and dragged Ram Gopal into a house where his life was brutally ended by them.
Harimilan disclosed that Hindus would have remained together and his brother would still be alive if the police had not resorted to lathi-charge. The family is at present unsure about their future. Along with the attackers, they have also called for an investigation and action against the police personnel who made the wrong decision.
Muslims initiated the assault
OpIndia spoke to Lalit, who reportedly participated in the procession in which Ram Gopal was killed. He shared that the location where the attack took place in Maharajganj is a Muslim-dominated area. According to him, a few young Muslim men who were standing on the road sparked the argument in the name of gulaal (coloured powder used in Hindu rituals and festivals including Holi).
He revealed that police acted like mute spectators which emboldened the culprits and then stones were thrown from Abdul Hameed’s house. Lalit also shared details regarding the video, which is circulating on social media and purports to show the victim hoisting a saffron flag after pulling down a green one. He mentioned that the broken hand of the idol infuriated the devotees. The accusations that the police were acting in a biased manner only served to stoke this rage. The body of Ram Gopal Mishra was discovered in Abdul Hamid’s residence. He was taken to the hospital where doctors declared him dead. Some other devotees were also injured and are being treated in the hospital.
Hindu organizations can be seen carrying the deceased’s body and shouting slogans in the video that OpIndia obtained. They can be heard chanting, “Down with the police-administration.” Harimilan highlighted that the Muslim mob was also raising slogans during the attack. There was also the sound of “Maro-Maro (beat them)” during the commotion.
Nepal connection of the killer
OpIndia has acquired more information about the Muslims who killed Ram Gopal. It has been learnt that Abdul Hamid’s house was used as a launch pad for the assault. Abdul Hamid is reported to be the brains behind the attack. His two sons Sarfaraz and Faheem are also named as accused in the attack. A local told OpIndia, under the condition of anonymity, that Abdul Hamid has a son who resides in Nepal.
It was also asserted that he has connections to anti-India elements in Nepal and visits a madrasa near Fultekra in the Banke district of Nepal. It is home to anti-India and anti-Hindu activities. Some people have voiced apprehension that after the murder of Ram Gopal, Abdul Hamid’s family crossed the Indian border and escaped to Nepal.
After the murder, angry people demanded encounter of the accused and bulldozer action on their houses. An appeal is also being made to provide financial assistance and government jobs to the family of the deceased. Meanwhile, the police administration is trying to calm people down.
The Hindu festival of Navratri is celebrated in a very jovial manner in every part of the country with Hindus worshiping Goddess Durga for 9 days, praying for wellbeing, and then immersing the idol on the last day. The festival is associated with embarking on the victory of good over evil and honouring Goddess Shakti, the cosmic energy.
The tenth day commemorates Durga’s victory over Mahishasura and the day concludes with a procession in which the clay sculpture idols of Goddess Durga are ceremonially moved to a river or seaside for immersion rites. Every year, the festival is celebrated in a joyous way, however, the idol immersion day this year witnessed massive attacks and violence at the hands of Islamists in various parts of the country.
The Islamists attacked several Durga idols during the nine days of Navratri causing insult to the Hindu Goddess and the sentiments of the Hindu community. Reports of Durga idol vandalism came in from Manasangan village in the Karimganj district of Assam, Gonda and Lucknow district of Uttar Pradesh, and also from Kolkata, West Bengal. Similarly, massive violence was reported on Saturday, 12th October from the Behraich, Maharajganj, and Kaushambi regions of Uttar Pradesh, Howrah region of West Bengal, Sitamadhi region of Bihar, and Gadhva region of Jharkhand.
The Islamists in each case launched deliberate attacks on the Durga immersion procession carried by Hindus, causing massive unrest and violence in respective areas. Here are the detailed accounts of the given cases.
On Saturday, 12th October, massive chaos broke out in Lakheya village in the Garhwa district of Jharkhand after Muslims stopped the immersion procession of the idol of Goddess Durga. According to the reports, Hindu devotees were carrying the idol of the deity through a Muslim-majority colony for immersion when they were stopped mid-way. The Hindu worshippers were not allowed to pass through the colony and were then attacked with stones by a Muslim mob. This left many of them injured.
On being informed about the matter, the police reached the scene. Instead of taking stringent action against the attackers, they began pleading with the residents of the Muslim-dominated colony.
BJP leader Babulal Marandi took to X (formerly Twitter) to confirm the development. In a tweet, he stated that the idol immersion procession was left stranded for 6-7 hours and that the cops were wasting time instead of taking action against the perpetrators.
गढ़वा में एक गांव में मुस्लिम समुदाय के लोगों ने माँ दुर्गा की प्रतिमा का विसर्जन पिछले 6-7 घंटों से रोक रखा है। पुलिस, विसर्जन रोककर धार्मिक उन्माद फैलाने वाले लोगों पर कारवाई करने की बजाय सिर्फ चिरौरी कर रही है।@jharkhandpolice के डीजीपी तुरंत संज्ञान लेकर विसर्जन रोकने वाले… pic.twitter.com/bHEzORNk3z
Reportedly, the police later resorted to lathi charge to bring the situation under control. A large team was deployed in the area to prevent any untoward situation. A ‘peace meeting’ was thereafter arranged between the Hindu and Muslim sides by Former BJP leader Satyendra Nath Tiwari.
A ‘deal’ was brokered wherein Hindus would not use the road passing through the Muslim colony for idol immersion. Similarly, Muslims in Lakheya village would not use roads passing through Hindu majority colonies for Muharram procession.
A young man lost his life in Sitamadhi during the violence
Massive violence broke out in the Sitamadhi area of Bihar after Muslims pelted stones at the Hindu procession during the idol immersion ceremony on 12th October. The Muslims, as per the reports are believed to have pelted stones from the roof of their houses as the Hindu procession passed through the area where the Mosque is located. The incident was reported from Dheng village in the state.
One of the Hindu participants also lost his life during the chaos. The Muslims pelted stones as a result of which around 12-13 people including a few policemen were reported injured. The injured were then immediately shifted to a hospital in Supi where one of the injured identified as Kalevar Sahni was declared dead.
IImage- Dainik Jagran
Communal tensions have erupted in the area after the death of the 45-year-old man with police taking action against the miscreants. Force has been deployed in the area ensuring peace is maintained.
Islamists set fire in Shyampur, Howrah on Durga immersion
The Islamist community in West Bengal’s Howrah region launched massive violence on the day of Durga immersion citing that the Hindu event organizers in Shyampur had used the image of Mohammed Paigamber in the decorations. During Navratri, the Hindu organizers in Shyampur at this time are believed to have decorated the Durga Pandal with the theme of ‘Sarva Dharma Sambhav’ (unity among religions).
Amid this, the Islamists objected to the theme stating that the organizers had used the alleged image of Mohammed Paigamber for the purpose. After the uproar, the alleged image was immediately taken down. However, on the last day of Navratri, during the idol immersion, the Islamists launched stone-pelting, burnt tires in the area, and also set fire to some of the shops in Shyampur.
The acts by Islamists led to massive violence in the area causing disruption in the idol immersion process. They vandalized the Durga idol and protested against the alleged insult of Prophet Mohammad. The police force has been deployed in the area.
One Hindu shot dead in Bahraich; several injured due to stone pelting
A clash broke out between two communities during the immersion of the Devi Durga idol in Rehua Mansoor village in the Hardi police station area of Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday, after Muslims objected to DJ music played in the procession. One person was shot dead during the violence while several others were injured from stone pelting. The deceased has been identified as 22-year-old Ram Gopal Mishra, who was part of the idol immersion group.
As reported, the incident took place at Rehua Mansoor village on Sunday evening, when the idol of Maa Durga was taken out for immersion. When the procession heading towards Gauriya Ghat was passing in front of a mosque in the Maharajganj area chanting religious slogans, Muslims gathered near the mosque and asked the procession to stop the DJ music.
This led to an argument between the two sides, and amid the chaos, some people started pelting stones at the procession and the idols. The Hindus asked the police present to arrest the culprits, but in the meantime, more people from the Muslim community arrived there.
Uttar Pradesh: A disagreement over DJ music in Bahraich turned violent when one side opened fire. After the fight, a young man died from his injuries in the hospital.
Amid the mayhem caused by the stone pelting, some miscreant opened fire. As per reporters, someone from the residence of Abdul Hamid in the area fired shots. Ram Gopal Mishra, son of Kailash Nath of Rehua Mansoor village was shot from a close range. He was shifted to the Medical College in Bahraich, but he succumbed to injuries during treatment.
At present, a massive police force has been deployed in the area and they have been ordered to take immediate action against those causing destruction to the public property. 25 so far have been arrested. Further reports are awaited.
Swords brandished in UP’s Kausambi to attack Durga immersion
An immersion procession of Goddess Durga in Kaushambi district, Uttar Pradesh, was attacked where several women devotees were targeted. During the attack, swords were brandished, and stones were thrown, leaving many devotees injured. About a dozen individuals from the Muslim community, including women, have been accused of the attack, which took place on Saturday, October 12, 2024. The idol of Maa Durga was also damaged, and there was an alleged attempt to assault a woman during the attack. Police have registered a case and initiated an investigation.
The incident occurred in the Manjhanpur police station area. According to a complaint filed by Mandeep Kumar, he and other devotees were participating in the immersion procession, following their usual route. Women devotees were part of the group, throwing gulal (colored powder) in devotion. When the procession reached Imam Chowk in Manjhanpur, some individuals from the Muslim community allegedly began arguing, claiming that gulal had been thrown on the Imambara platform.
थाना मंझनपुर अंतर्गत बलीपुर गांव में मूर्ति विसर्जन के दौरान इमाम चौक पर गुलाल पड़ जाने से दो पक्षों के मध्य मामूली विवाद हो गया था, जिस पर तत्काल उच्चाधिकारियों सहित पुलिस बल मौके पर पहुंचकर दोनों पक्षों को समझा बुझाकर मूर्ति विसर्जन कराया गया।#UPPolice#kaushambipolicepic.twitter.com/ddgfytfgXz
As the procession passed by the house of a man named Mahtab, stones were allegedly thrown from rooftops. Some attackers reportedly shouted caste-based slurs, including slogans to kill, while a group armed with swords descended. According to Mandeep, the attackers desecrated the idol of Maa Durga by kicking and spitting on it. Additionally, there was an attempt to pull a female devotee with the intent of raping her, but she was fortunately rescued.
In the complaint, the main attackers named include Ghulam Waris, Saeed Ahmed, Rehmat Ali, Hashmat Ali, Karim, Sameer, Samad, Jalil, Munawwar, Sagir, Khalil, Shami Mohammad, Idrish, Mohammad Ashiq, and Al Faiz, among others. It is also reported that some Muslim women were involved in the attack, including Soni, the wife of Mahtab; Begum Bano, the wife of Rehman; as well as the wives of Sameer, Karim, and Jalil. Around half a dozen devotees, including women, were reportedly injured in the assault.
Clashes in Karnataka’s Belgavi
On Sunday night, two groups clashed in Solapur village, Belagavi District, following the deliberate damage caused to the idol of Goddess Durga on idol immersion ceremony. As per the reports, when the Durga idol was brought for immersion, a disturbance broke out between the two sections. The heated altercation injured three people and destroyed two bikes and a car.
Meanwhile, police have brought the situation under control after deploying a lathi charge to control the crowd. To prevent additional unrest, strict security measures have been implemented. Since the incident, the police have been conducting route marches in the area to ensure peace and order.
“A fight started between Amita and Firoz. When two groups of people gathered, the police did a lathi charge. The police dispersed the people by baton charge. To control the situation two KSRPs, and more policemen battalions have been deployed. The incident took place in Sankeshwar police station. The situation is under control as of now,” SP Belagavi, Bheema Shankar Guled said.
Further probe into the case is underway. Not only this, Durga idols were also vandalised and attacked during the nine days of Navratri.
Conclusion
The Hindu festival of Navratri is an issue of devotion and religious commitment. It is the festival to celebrate the feminine power widely termed as Shakti. Amid this, Islamists making deliberate targeted attacks to insult the culture and the deity is widely condemned. These kind of targeted attacks have been happening for years. OpIndia over the years have recorded all such incidents in which Islamsits across the country targeted Hindus deliberately during Navratri. The detailed accounts of these reports can be read here.
This year these attacks have so far been reported from West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and even from Bihar, causing destruction of public properties and insult to the Hindu community. In Behraich, the chaos continues even today (while writing of this report), and its has turned so violent that the miscreants have lit up a hospital. Massive police force has bee n deployed in the area and around 25-30 have been arrested.
Even in Kausambi area of Uttar Pradesh, the Islamists insulted Goddess Durga by vandalizing its idol and also insulted the feminine power worshiped during Navratri by dragging a woman to make her a victim of assault. The administrative authorities need to take a note of this that though Hindus are majority living population in India, it is always they who have to pay the price of following a particular religion. Islmaists, be it any festival, Eid, Navratri or Ganesh pujan, execute targeted attacks on Hindus, insulting their faith, vandalizing temples and destroying their peace.
How much more are Hindus supposed to suffer at the hands of Islamists and their deliberate targeted attacks? How much more is the country supposed to suffer as such violence lead to destruction of public properties? What strict action can be taken against the perpetrators to school them once and for all leading to end of such targeted attacks? The administration needs to look into these cases very closely to ensure communal peace is maintained across the country.
The attempts to derail trains, which can cause major accidents, has lately emerged as the latest challenge for Indian Railways in multiple states across India. Such attempts are coming to authorities’ notice every other day highlighting the gravity of the situation. In the latest instance, a conspiracy was hatched to derail the Dehradun-Tanakpur weekly train between Khatima and Banbasa. On 13th October, at around 3:20 am, an eight-feet-long thick cable was placed on the railway track which became lodged in the engine’s wheel, reported Hindustan Live.
The loco pilot stopped the train and noticed the cable. His foresight and vigilance narrowly prevented the unfortunate mishap. The railway control received a transmission from him about the incident. Officials and a security force team arrived from Izzatnagar at the site. The train resumed journey to Tanakpur after twenty minutes, following an investigation. Intelligence teams, along with Pilibhit Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel from Bareilly, and Pilibhit have been dispatched to look into the situation.
Similar incidents of attempts to derail trains in the recent past
Notably, a day earlier on the morning of 13th October, an empty LPG cylinder was discovered on the railway tracks near Roorkee, Uttarakhand. The loco pilot of a cargo train noticed the cylinder and promptly notified the authorities, averting a possible derailment. The incident took place at 6:35 am between Landaura and Dhandhera stations, approximately one kilometre from Dhandhera. The presence of an empty cylinder was verified by a pointsman who was sent to the spot. It has since been placed under the custody of the Station Master at Dhandhera.
The region is bounded on one side by the army cantonment’s boundary wall and on the other by a residential colony for civilians. The instance has been reported to GRP and the local police. Additionally, a First Information Report has been filed at the Civil Lines Police Station.
A few days prior, the Mysuru-Darbhanga Express collided with a goods train at Kavaraippettai railway station in the Chennai-Gudur section on 11th October at around 8:30 pm. “The train had no stoppage at the station and signals were given for it to run through. But it was unusual that despite having the signals for the mainline, the train entered the loop line and hit the goods train from behind,” informed Southern Railway Manager R.N. Singh.
On Saturday, 12th October, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) initiated a probe into the train accident. Initial investigations revealed that bolts and other components were missing from the tracks, raising suspicion of foul play. Furthermore, the agency believes that the tracks were tampered with using hammers.
The assistant loco pilot and the loco pilot were both safe. A special train was organized to convey the stranded passengers to their destinations while the injured were transferred to a hospital. He added that eleven of the 22-coach Linke-Hofmann-Busch (LHB) rake train derailed in the accident. A high-level committee would examine the events leading up to the occurrence.
Similarly, iron rods were retrieved from a railway track in Punjab’s Bathinda city early on 23rd September. A huge accident was averted when the loco pilot of a freight train, that was travelling from Bathinda to Delhi, applied brakes just in time. An inquiry was initiated by the Government Railway Police. Nine iron rods in total were found. The police then started looking into the deliberate attempt to derail the train theory regarding the matter.
“Early this morning at 3:00 am, a freight train was passing through the Bathinda-Delhi railway track. However, due to the presence of iron rods placed in the middle of the tracks, the train did not receive a signal, resulting in a delay of several hours,” the investigating officer mentioned.
On 22nd September, an empty 5-litre gas cylinder was found on the railway track in the Kanpur district of Uttar Pradesh. The loco pilot spotted the cylinder on the track and quickly engaged the brake to prevent the collision. The incident happened at about 5:50 am near the Prempur railway station. Indian Railway officials reported that the driver of the freight train stopped it after the loco pilots noticed the gas cylinder on the track. Officials from the Government Railway Police and the Railway Protection Force promptly showed up at the site as soon as they learned about the development and initiated an inquiry.
Likewise, Manish Mistry, Shubham Jayswal, a contract worker, and Subhash Podar were nabbed for planning to remove fishplates and keys from a railway track to derail a train close to Kim railway station in the Surat region of Gujarat. The attempted train derailment incident was averted on 21st September. They ripped down sections of the track to simulate a derailment attempt, shot pictures and films, and then put the missing pieces back in place to get accolades and prizes for averting an accident.
It was Subhash Poddar who informed the authorities about the fish plates that had been removed from the track. The authorities were notified and the track was fixed in time, to avoid a significant train derailment.
On 18th September, a six-meter-long iron rod was found on the railway tracks between Bilaspur Road and Rudrapur city at around 10:18 pm. The loco pilot of the Naini Doon Jan Shatabdi Express slammed the emergency brakes after spotting the rod and cleared the track. “On seeing the electric pole, the loco pilot applied emergency brakes and stopped the train and after removing the pole, the train resumed its journey,” the FIR lodged into the matter stated.
The rod was put there before the train scheduled to pass at 9:30 pm. The instance took place approximately 43 kilometres from Rampur in Uttar Pradesh, close to the Rudrapur City Railway Station. An investigation was started shortly after officers from the police outpost, Railway Protection Force and Government Railway Police reached the spot.
On the 8th of September morning, a potential disaster was averted as a conspiracy to derail the Prayagraj-Bhiwani Kalindi Express in Uttar Pradesh was uncovered. A train struck an LPG gas cylinder that was left on the tracks close to a crossing in the Muderi village of Kanpur. However, the sound of the cylinder striking the train caught the loco pilot’s attention who responded swiftly. He immediately applied emergency brakes between the areas of Barrajpur and Bilhau and prevented what could have been a catastrophic accident.
Shahrukh Khan, a history sheeter, was apprehended by the Uttar Pradesh Police’s Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS). When he was taken into custody, he had already moved some distance from the site of the incident. After interrogation, Shahrukh Khan, the primary suspect, was arrested, while six other suspects were released.
A conscious attempt was made to cause a train derailment, according to the Rail Authorities and the Railway Protection Force. The police discovered a matchbox, glass bottles, and a suspicious bag in addition to the gas cylinder.
Justification and encouragement to the miscreants
Shockingly, Kamran Malik, an Islamic ‘scholar’, on 9th September, alleged that the efforts to derail trains through sabotage might be “revengeful” actions against the way the Yogi Adityanath and Modi governments handled law and order, in a debate show on Zee News. “UP sarkar ka, central government ka, inka jo law and order ko control karne ka jo rawaiya hai wo is tarah ka hai ki log ‘revengeful’ ho sakte hai. (The way the UP government and the central government are controlling law and order is such that people could become revengeful),” he expressed as a growing number of reported plots to purposefully derail trains were uncovered with miscreants placing gas cylinders, wooden logs and rocks, among other things on the tracks.
“I am saying the right thing,” he stressed when the anchor objected to his problematic statement and brought up the demolition drive undertaken by the government against unlawful constructions and alleged custodial deaths to justify his remark.
Notably, terrorist Farhatullah Ghori who is based in Pakistan, posted a video on Telegram in August urging his supporters to plan massive train accidents in Delhi, Mumbai, and other cities. He wanted his supporters to “target the supply chain to cripple their infrastructure” and elaborated on ways to “cause disruptions” other than using guns. “Target petrol pipelines, their logistics chain, and the collaborators, disrupt the railway lines, their transport system. These will precipitate chaos,” he could be heard saying in the footage.
“The govt is targeting our properties through ED (Enforcement Directorate) and NIA (National Investigation Agency), but remain steadfast, we will usurp power sooner or later,” he claimed in the video and added, “Experiment with different tactics to ascertain what works, where they are most vulnerable.” Additionally, he urged the mujahideen to launch a “fidayeen war” or “ishtishadi jung” and attack police and Hindu authorities. He is originally from India’s Hyderabad and was the mastermind of the 2004 suicide attack on the Task Force office in Hyderabad, the 2001 attack on the Akshardham Temple that left 30 people dead and 80 injured, and the 2023 Rameshwaram Café bomb case.
On Monday (14th October), the dead body of an 80-year-old Hindu priest was found hanging from a tree outside his home in Sitakunda upazila in the Chittagong district of Bangladesh.
According to reports, the deceased was identified as Sukumar Das. He was the caretaker of the Loknath temple, which was established by him in the Madhya Mahmudabad area of the Barbakunda Union.
Evidently, Das was first murdered before being hung from the gooseberry tree outside his house. The Hindu man could not have possibly committed suicide since his legs were seen touching the ground.
On being informed about the matter, the police reached the crime scene and sent the body of Sukumar Das to the Chittagong Medical College and Hospital for post-mortem.
As per the local Hindu community, the deceased served the temple every single day despite his ailing health. Das would eat and sleep by 8 o’clock in the night. He would wake up early in the morning and conduct puja at the Loknath temple.
The deceased is now survived by 4 sons and 4 daughters. Jhantu Das, the middle son of Sukumar Das, spoke to Prothom Alo and ruled out any possibility of suicide of the 80-year-old.
“My father could not have committed suicide. He had been murdered and hung from the tree. No one can die if their feet is touching the ground while hanging from a rope,” he added.
The development comes amid ongoing Islamist onslaught on Hindus in Bangladesh, especially during the annual Durga Puja.
India on Monday “strongly” rejected a diplomatic communication from Canada suggesting that the Indian High Commissioner and other diplomats were “persons of interest” in an investigation and termed it as “preposterous imputations” and part of the political agenda of the Justin Trudeau government.
In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made certain allegations in September 2023. However, the Canadian government has not shared a single piece of evidence with the Indian government despite many requests from them.
The MEA said, “We have received a diplomatic communication from Canada yesterday suggesting that the Indian High Commissioner and other diplomats are ‘persons of interest’ in a matter related to an investigation in that country. The Government of India strongly rejects these preposterous imputations and ascribes them to the political agenda of the Trudeau Government that is centered around vote bank politics.”
“Since Prime Minister Trudeau made certain allegations in September 2023, the Canadian Government has not shared a shred of evidence with the Government of India, despite many requests from our side. This latest step follows interactions that have again witnessed assertions without any facts. This leaves little doubt that on the pretext of an investigation, there is a deliberate strategy of smearing India for political gains,” it said.
MEA noted that Trudeau’s hostility has long been in evidence and added that his cabinet has included individuals who have openly associated with an extremist and separatist agenda regarding India. It noted that the Canadian PM’s “naked interference” in Indian internal politics in December 2020 showed how far he was ready to go in this regard.
Recalling Trudeau’s past actions, MEA stated, “Prime Minister Trudeau’s hostility to India has long been in evidence. In 2018, his visit to India, which was aimed at currying favour with a vote bank, rebounded to his discomfort. His Cabinet has included individuals who have openly associated with an extremist and separatist agenda regarding India. His naked interference in Indian internal politics in December 2020 showed how far he was willing to go in this regard.”
“That his Government was dependent on a political party, whose leader openly espouses a separatist ideology vis-a-vis India, only aggravated matters. Under criticism for turning a blind eye to foreign interference in Canadian politics, his Government has deliberately brought in India in an attempt to mitigate the damage. This latest development targeting Indian diplomats is now the next step in that direction. It is no coincidence that it takes place as Prime Minister Trudeau is to depose before a Commission on foreign interference. It also serves the anti-India separatist agenda that the Trudeau Government has constantly pandered to for narrow political gains,” it said.
The Ministry of External Affairs accused the Trudeau-led government of providing space to violent extremists and terrorists to harass, threaten and intimidate Indian diplomats and community leaders in Canada, which included death threats to them and Indian leaders. The MEA asserted that all these activities have been justified in the name of freedom of speech.
“To that end, the Trudeau Government has consciously provided space to violent extremists and terrorists to harass, threaten and intimidate Indian diplomats and community leaders in Canada. This has included death threats to them and to Indian leaders. All these activities have been justified in the name of freedom of speech. Some individuals who have entered Canada illegally have been fast-tracked for citizenship. Multiple extradition requests from the Government of India in respect of terrorists and organized crime leaders living in Canada have been disregarded,” MEA said.
Speaking about Indian High Commissioner to Canada, Sanjay Kumar Verma’s diplomatic career which has spanned 36 years, the MEA stated, “High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma is India’s senior most serving diplomat with a distinguished career spanning 36 years. He has been Ambassador in Japan and Sudan, while also serving in Italy, Turkiye, Vietnam and China. The aspersions cast on him by the Government of Canada are ludicrous and deserve to be treated with contempt.”
The MEA said that the Indian government has taken cognizance of the activities of the Canadian High Commission in India that serve the political agenda of the current government.
It further said, “This led to the implementation of the principle of reciprocity in regard to diplomatic representation. India now reserves the right to take further steps in response to these latest efforts of the Canadian Government to concoct allegations against Indian diplomats.” The ties between India and Canada soured after Trudeau alleged in the Canadian Parliament last year that he has “credible allegations” of India’s hand in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
India has denied all the allegations, calling them “absurd” and “motivated” and has accused Canada of giving space to extremist and anti-India elements in their country.
Nijjar, who was designated a terrorist by India’s National Investigation Agency in 2020, was shot and killed outside a Gurdwara in Surrey in June last year.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
In a bloodcurdling incident, a Hindu man lost his life over an altercation that broke out with Islamists over playing music during the Durga Visarjan procession. The altercation eventually led to stone-pelting by the Islamists and the eventual killing of a Hindu man, who, according to some reports, was shot 20 times by his tormentors.
On Sunday, October 13th, a clash erupted between two communities in Rehua Mansoor village, located in the Hardi police station area of Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh, during the immersion of a Devi Durga idol. The conflict began when Muslims objected to the DJ music being played during the procession. As the situation escalated, a Hindu man, 22-year-old Ram Gopal Mishra, was shot and killed by Islamists, while several others sustained injuries from stone-pelting.
According to the police, tensions rose significantly after Mishra’s death. Superintendent of Police Vrinda Shukla stated that the violence started with an argument between the two communities as the procession passed by a mosque in a predominantly Muslim area of Maharajganj in Mahasi. During the argument, chaos ensued, leading to Mishra being shot. Following his death, tensions escalated, resulting in the suspension of the Visarjan ceremony at several locations, and some individuals attempted to exploit the situation to incite further unrest.
Hours after Islamists killed the Hindu man, their intellectual brethren came to their rescue, sharing a video of the man from the Durga Visarjan rally, which appeared as an attempt to justify his cold-blooded murder.
Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair, infamous for either shielding his co-religionists’ criminal activities or dog-whistling them against assertive Hindu voices, shared a video of the man shot dead in UP’s Bahraich.
“A video of Gopal Mishra in the Bahraich violence has surfaced. He is seen forcefully removing a Green flag and replacing it with a saffron flag. The mob can be seen shouting slogans and encouraging him to remove the flag. Gopal was shot dead later,” Zubair tweeted along with the video.
A video of Gopal Mishra in the Bahraich violence has surfaced. He is seen forcefully removing a Green flag and replacing it with a saffron flag. The mob can be seen shouting slogans and encouraging him to remove the flag. Gopal was shot dead later. pic.twitter.com/hh8iqKP9yk
‘Journalist’ Wasim Akram Tyagi also shared the video of the man removing a green flag from atop a building. Tyagi also alleged that Mishra, the man in question, was being provoked by the bystanders who were reportedly vandalising and ransacking the nearby shops.
बहराइच के महसी में हुए बवाल में जान गंवाने वाले युवक का वीडियो सामने आया है। इस वीडियो में दिख रहा है कि एक युवक टीन के सहारे छत पर चढ़कर हरे झंडे को फाड़ रहा है, इस दौरान छत लगी रैलिंग भी गिर जाती है, युवक उसी छत पर भगवा झंडा फहराता नज़र आता है। नीचे खड़ी भीड़ दुकानों में… pic.twitter.com/1CilH0CHtn
Aasif Mujtaba, the founder of the Miles2Smiles Foundation and named as a co-conspirator by Sharjeel Imam, pulled out the victim card and demonised demonstrators for taking to the streets demanding justice for Ram Gopal Mishra.
The law & order situation in Uttar Pradesh is abating every day. After a Hindu youth who was part of violent mob that attacked Muslim houses, was shot dead in #Bahraich ,situation is becoming tense. pic.twitter.com/dMjSUQZMdS
Another propagandist masquerading as ‘journalist’ didn’t mince his words in blaming the victim himself for his ruthless murder. Shyam Meera Singh, a YouTuber these days, claimed that Gopal Mishra himself was responsible for his death because he “trampled on and humiliated the dignity of others with his shoes.”
गोपाल मिश्रा की हत्या में बहुत से लोग दोषी हैं। एक ख़ुद गोपाल मिश्रा जिसने दूसरों की इज्जत को जूते से कुचला, अपमानित किया। दूसरे वे जिन्होंने अभी तक जितने गोपाल मिश्रा हुए उन्हें सजा नहीं दीं। तीसरे ये भीड़। चौथे इस भीड़ को संरक्षण देने वाले लोग। अगर ये चीजें ना होती तो कुछ ना…
While attempts are underway to normalise the killing of Hindus for standing up against Islamist diktats of turning off the music system while passing through their ‘areas’, it is worth noting what the eyewitness accounts of the incident said that Islamist apologists wouldn’t share lest it punctures their propaganda.
According to an eyewitness, Gopal was dragged inside the house of one Abdul Hamid and shot dead. Multiple bullet injuries were found on Gopal’s body. The eyewitness also said that it was Abdul’s house from where stones were being pelted at the Durga Visarjan procession which triggered a violent confrontation between the two sides.
However, these details weren’t shared by ‘journalists’ and ‘fact-checkers’ claiming to uphold the truth. The context that the altercation broke out over the DJ system played by the Hindu participants of the Durga visarjan procession and the subsequent escalation in the form of stone-pelting against the procession vitiated the communal atmosphere was missing as Mishra was painted as a hooligan responsible for his predicament. It is a textbook case of how violence against Hindus is normalised and Islamists are shielded for their criminal activities, thereby encouraging them to further indulge in such unlawful behaviour.
On Sunday, 13th October, a clash broke out between two communities during the immersion of the Devi Durga idol in Rehua Mansoor village in the Hardi police station area of Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh, after Muslims objected to DJ music being played in the procession. During the clash, a Hindu man was killed as Islamists opened fire at him, while several others were reportedly injured by stone-pelting. The deceased has been identified as 22-year-old Ram Gopal Mishra, who was part of the idol immersion group.
The police stated that tension arose after Mishra was shot dead by Islamists
Speaking to the media, Superintendent of Police Vrinda Shukla said that the violence occurred after a person from the Hindu community was shot during an argument. She said, “Today, when a procession was passing by a mosque through a Muslim area in the Maharajganj area of Mahasi, the two communities argued over some issue. During the argument, some individuals started creating chaos. One member of the Hindu community was shot and later died. Following his death, tension erupted in the region, and the Visarjan ceremony was halted at several locations. Some miscreants took advantage of the situation and tried to create further chaos.”
#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh: Bahraich SP Vrinda Shukla says, "Mahasi's Maharajganj area a procession was passing by a Masjid through a Muslim area. The groups argued on some issues…A person from the Hindu community died after bullets were fired on him…At various places, Visarjan… https://t.co/IfH76uNpTKpic.twitter.com/jUWNXr0ZRH
“The police swiftly swung into action and controlled the situation. The Visarjan at various places was resumed. Additional police personnel were deployed with all Visarjan processions. The police carried out video recording at the locations where violence occurred, and the miscreants are being identified. Thirty people have been arrested in connection with the Maharajganj incident, where a person was shot dead. An FIR has been registered in the matter. The search for the main accused, who is absconding, has been traced, and teams have been deployed to arrest him,” SP Shukla added.
Hindu eyewitnesses alleged Mishra was shot during a lathi charge
Contrary to the police’s statement, eyewitnesses of the Bahraich incident alleged that a Hindu man was killed while the police were dispersing Hindus using a lathi charge. One of the eyewitnesses said, “At the intersection outside Maharajganj, stones were pelted at the idol. The stone pelting came from Abdul Hameed’s house. After the stone-pelting, when we arrived there, we demanded the arrest of those responsible from the authorities. By that time, a large crowd had gathered. Seeing the crowd, the police instead resorted to a lathi charge against us.”
Uttar Pradesh: A disagreement over DJ music in Bahraich turned violent when one side opened fire. After the fight, a young man died from his injuries in the hospital. The trouble started during an idol immersion ceremony. In reaction to the young man's death, local people held a… pic.twitter.com/UmChcktcoJ
“During the lathi charge, there was chaos. In that chaos, the family members of Abdul Hameed dragged him [Mishra] inside their house and shot him. This is a matter under the jurisdiction of Hardi police station, and Hardi police station is 100% responsible for this incident. Had they wanted to, they could have deployed security personnel in front of Abdul Hameed’s house, arrested the culprits, and calmed the situation. Instead of arresting them, they lathi-charged us. Mishra was set to marry in four months,” he added.
Hindu man killed in Bahraich during Durga Visarjan procession
As per reports, a Hindu man was killed in Bahraich during the Durga Visarjan procession. The incident took place at Rehua Mansoor village on Sunday evening when the idol of Maa Durga was taken out for immersion. When the procession heading towards Gauriya Ghat was passing in front of a mosque in the Maharajganj area chanting religious slogans, Muslims gathered near the mosque and asked the procession to stop the DJ music.
This led to an argument between the two sides, and amid the chaos, some people started pelting stones at the procession and the idols. The Hindus asked the police present to arrest the culprits, but in the meantime, more people from the Muslim community arrived there.
Amid the mayhem caused by the stone pelting, some miscreant opened fire. As per reporters, someone from the residence of Abdul Hameed in the area fired shots. Ram Gopal Mishra, son of Kailash Nath of Rehua Mansoor village was shot from a close range. He was shifted to the Medical College in Bahraich, but he succumbed to injuries during treatment.
Another person named Saroj Tiwari also has been hospitalised after he was injured from stone pelting. Angry with the death of the youth, his family members and others part of the immersion blocked the road by placing the body outside the medical college. Immersions were stopped in the city after the incident, and the idols were placed on the road junction there. The idols have been damaged by stone pelting.
Bharatiya Janata Party national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari on Monday alleged that Rahul Gandhi has benefitted from corruption in Karnataka.
His statement came after Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s family decided to return a five-acre land allotted to a trust run by his son, Rahul Kharge.
“The Karnataka Congress government is only focused on corruption, on taking land from the poor and filling the coffers of their family members…Both Mallikarjun Kharge and Siddaramaiah consider Rahul Gandhi as their mentor. So, was Rahul Gandhi a corruption mentor to both of them? It is proven that the Karnataka Congress Government is the most corrupt government to date and Rahul Gandhi was a beneficiary of the corruption happening in Karnataka,” he said.
Bhandari also said that Mallikarjun Kharge has admitted that he abused his official position to provide alleged benefits to his family members after his family decided to return a five-acre land allotted to a trust run by his son.
“Mallikarjun Kharge has admitted that he abused his official position to provide alleged benefits to his family members. It is proven that the modus operandi that Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah has used in the MUDA scam to provide benefits to his family members is similar to the one used by Mallikarjun Kharge in the KIADB land issue,” Bhandari said.
Meanwhile, BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal termed Mallikarjun Kharge’s family’s decision to return five-acre land allotted to a trust run by his son Rahul Kharge as an indication of a possible fraud and demanded the matter be investigated.
“This clearly shows that there was some fraud in the land that was allotted and after the fraud came to light, they are returning the land. This raises a big question and the matter should be investigated,” Khandelwal told ANI.
Recently, after the ED booked the Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah for money laundering in a case linked to the alleged MUDA land allotment scam, his wife wrote to the MUDA Commissioner, offering to surrender the 14 plots that were allotted to her by the authority.
The Mysuru Lokayukta officially initiated an inquiry and investigation into the case following a September 27 court order to file an FIR. The Lokayukta was directed to investigate allegations of illegalities in the allotment of 14 sites worth Rs 56 crore to Siddaramaiah’s wife, Parvathi, by MUDA. It is alleged that MUDA illegally allotted 14 sites to Siddaramaiah’s wife in the prime location of Mysuru city.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
On Monday(14th October), an idol of Muthyalamma temple in Telangana’s Kurmaguda region in Hyderabad was vandalised by unidentified extremists. The incident stirred unrest among the Hindu community who launched a protest to demand strict action against the accused.
The incident is believed to have occurred near a passport office, and one of the extremists was immediately captured by locals. He was later turned over to the police within the Market police station limits. The video of the said incident is making rounds on social media.
“The Muthyalamma temple idol has been vandalized in Secunderabad’s Monda Market Division. Hindus and their temples are not safe under Congress rule. This is yet another attack on Hindu temples in Telangana in recent times. The State Govt should act quickly and arrest the culprits,” BJP’s Telangana official spokesperson said sharing the videos.
The Muthyalamma temple idol has been vandalized in Secunderabad's Monda Market Division.
Hindus and their temples are not safe under #Congress rule. This is yet another attack on Hindu temples in Telangana in recent times.
In the videos, the idol of the Goddess could be seen vandalized, causing insult to the sentiments of the Hindu community. Also, the outer area of the temple could be seen destroyed and vandalized.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Mahankali division took cognizance of the event and commented on the issue. “A Muthyalamma temple idol in Kurmaguda near a passport office in Hyderabad was allegedly vandalized and locals caught one individual and handed them over to police under Market police station limits. Police are currently at the spot,” he confirmed.
#WATCH | Hyderabad, Telangana: People hold protest over the alleged vandalisation of Muthyalamma temple idol in Kurmaguda. Police present at the spot.
A Muthyalamma temple idol in Kurmaguda near a passport office in Hyderabad was allegedly vandalised and locals caught one… pic.twitter.com/dZMGJXeKRq
On Sunday(13th October), Uttarakhand Police arrested one individual identified as Shoaib Khan, 24 for entrapping a Hindu woman using the identity of Shubham. The accused also sexually abused the Hindu woman and threatened to kill her.
He also forced her to convert to Islam. The Uttarakhand police arrested Shoaib Khan in connection to the case. According to a report by Panchjanya, Shoaib and the Hindu woman, the wife of businessman Vishal Agarwal, met at the gym.
The accused then created a fake social media profile in the name of Shubham and began talking to the woman. He then initiated moves to get closer to her. However, the woman refused.
JJN is a local news channel of Haldwani , Uttarakhand
A businessman along with his wife goes to gym. There a person Shoaib creates a social media account in the name of Shubham. He somehow gets the phone no of the wife of the businessman. Starts messaging/calling her… pic.twitter.com/BU5tHjvAih
She asked ‘Shubham’ to stop keeping any association with her. She also warned him not to call or message anymore. Later, the accused threatened her and sexually molested her.
As per a local news report by JJN News, Shoaib Khan also forced the woman to convert her religion to Islam. The incident came to the fore only after the woman informed about the incident at her home.
She recounted being abused, assaulted and threatened with dire consequences if she failed to convert to Islam. The husband of the woman then filed a police complaint leading to his arrest.
Shoaib Khan arrested following police complaint
In the complaint, husband Vishal Agarwal said that the accused introduced himself as Shubham to his wife and began getting closer to her. He said that he got her phone number from somewhere and began calling and messaging her.
“When my wife refused to talk to him, he molested her, assaulted and also threatened her. After this on 11th October, I confronted him but he again assaulted and threatened me too,” he said.
Based on the complaint the police took immediate action to arrest the accused under the relevant sections of the law and arrested Khan. Further investigations into the case are underway.
Rise in love jihad cases in Uttarakhand
The state of Uttarakhand in the recent past has seen an increase in cases of Love Jihad at the hands of Islamists. In September 2024, Shahzad lured a 30-year-old divorced Hindu woman with two children by posing as Monu Choudhary in Dehradun. In July 2024, a Muslim young man named Azam in the capital city befriended a minor Hindu girl from Sahaspur by posing as Ajju and then raped her. He was arrested and the police also recovered obscene videos and photos of the girl from his phone.
In April 2024, one Atharuddin was accused of harassing a Hindu minor by introducing himself as a Sikh. He got the girl’s phone number when she visited his shop to buy a phone recharge. He lured her and forced her to be friends with him. Later it was also found that he used to follow the girl to college, had molested her several times, and had threatened to abduct her. Detailed reports in this case can be read here.
Notably, the state has seen massive demographic changes in the recent past. Amid such reports, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami’s government has started taking action. The police last month launched a ‘verification campaign’ to verify the people living in the state. They also stated that the CM had ordered them to take strict action against demographic change, conversion, and love jihad in the state.
According to the reports, the DGP said on 8th September that a month-long verification campaign had been started in some areas to check the anti-social elements settled in the state. After its completion, a conclusion could be reached about the demographic change. If there was any such case, then this campaign would provide information about it.
In fact, during the last census in 2011, the total population of Uttarakhand was about 1.10 crores. Out of this, about 84 lakh population was Hindu, which was 83% of the total population. At the same time, the population of Muslims was 14.06 lakh i.e. 13.9% and Sikhs were 2.34%. Notably, in the 2001 census, the Muslim population in the state was 10.12 lakh.
Regarding love jihad cases, the DGP then said that two adults are free to choose their life partners. However, if someone forms a relationship with the intention of converting the another’s religion, then the police will take action under the existing laws. If there is no such intention, then the police will not harass anyone. He said that both issues are a priority for the state police.
