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After apathy on account of CM Pinarayi’s visit, police arrest accused in Kevin’s honour killing case

OpIndia Staff
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After apathy on account of CM Pinarayi’s visit, police arrest accused in Kevin’s honour killing case

A day after the body of Kerala ‘Dalit Christian’ man Kevin Joseph was found from a canal in Kollam in Kerala, the police have finally arrested the father and brother of Kevin’s wife Neenu. According to reports, the duo was trying to flee to Bengaluru.


The Kerala police have been facing severe criticism with their handling of the case as Kevin’s family members alleged that even after their continuous pleading all through the day and till late night on Sunday, after Kevin was dragged by armed men, the personnel at Gandhinagar police station at Kottayam did not take any necessary action. Instead, Kevin’s family were reportedly told that the police were busy preparing for CM Pinarayi Vijayan’s scheduled visit to the district.

Neenu’s brother Shanu Chacko, who was the main accused of the crime, and her father Chacko were arrested yesterday from Iritty in Kannur. Out of the total 14 accused, the police have so far arrested 5. Kevin’s body was reportedly buried in Kottayam on Tuesday evening where mourners gathered continued their protests over Kerala Police’s apathy and inaction shown after Kevin’s family reported his kidnapping. The police reportedly lathi charged several times to control the mourners at the funeral.

It was reported that the police personnel at the Gandhi Nagar station kept ignoring Kevin’s family after they went to report his kidnapping. The police neither registered a kidnapping case nor issued a lookout alert for the Innova vehicle in which Kevin was taken by armed men from a relative’s house. It is being alleged that Kevin could have been saved had the police taken prompt action.

Kevin was from a ‘Dalit Christian’ family and worked as an electrician. Neenu is reportedly from an upper caste affluent Christian family. Neenu’s family, especially her father and brother were vehemently opposed to their relationship. It is reported that Neenu’s mother is a Muslim. After a 3 year long relationship, Neenu and Kevin had married and registered their wedding at the sub registrar’s office on May 25th. Kevin was killed 2 days later.

After locals and media outlets raised voices against the police inaction, Gandhi Nagar station Sub Inspector MS Shibu and another ASI were suspended. SP Mohammad Rafique had been reportedly transferred. The Kerala Human Rights Commission has stated that it is a case of honour killing and asked the state police to submit a report within 3 weeks on whether there was any negligence of duty on part of the police staff.

Jignesh Mevani, an elected representative, peddles photoshopped image, target-bullies private citizen

OpIndia Staff
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Jignesh Mevani, an elected representative, peddles photoshopped image, target-bullies private citizen

In what can be seen as hitting a new low for Jignesh Mevani, who was earlier caught spreading misinformation about the death of a labourer, shared a photoshopped image of a popular speaker and columnist Shefali Vaidya, who has often exposed left-wing and ‘liberal’ hypocrisy and on several occasions bullied and threatened.

Tweet by Jignesh Mevani which he has now deleted.

Mevani shared an image where Vaidya was Photoshopped next to an image of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Art of Living’s Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and the image was juxtaposed next to an image from the film ‘Oh My God’ which takes on superstitions and fake self-styled godmen.

Acting like a lowly troll, Vadgam MLA Jignesh Mevani, who was associated with Aam Aadmi Party before breaking away and fighting elections last year, targeted a private citizen, Shefali Vaidya, just because their ideologies don’t match. Mevani got called out for his troll-like behaviour which bordered on target-bullying an individual.


Some even asked Twitter to act as swiftly against harassment of right-wing women as it does for people with different political ideology.

Eventually, Jignesh deleted the tweet, but he did not apologise to either of the people involved in the Photoshopped image for the harassment.

This is not the first time an elected representative has bullied a private individual. Earlier, Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien had lowered the dignity of the house and defamed Twitter users by reading out propaganda material written by abusive troll masquerading as a journalist, Swati Chaturvedi, accusing them of giving criminal threats to other people while being followed by Prime Minister Modi.

While most of those who cry ‘harassment’ from ‘paid trolls’ on Twitter remained silent, some even encouraged Mevani since it has since received over 600 retweets and 2,200 likes. Mevani had contested as an independent candidate with the support of Congress in Gujarat elections held in December last year.

The ‘Maharishi Karl Marx’ book is real, but alas, not published by JNU

K Bhattacharjee
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The ‘Maharishi Karl Marx’ book is real, but alas, not published by JNU

Images have been circulating on social media of a book titled ‘Maharishi Karl Marx’ authored by one Shriram Sharma Acharya. The book has invited much ridicule and mockery from people who found the title book highly amusing.

The first picture which depicts the cover of the book, the logo of JNU is seen in the top right corner of the page. In the second picture which shows the inside of the book, words on the bottom left corner state that the book was published by the propaganda department of JNU. Those bits were probably photoshopped on the cover page for humour and mockery.

After a little bit of digging on the internet, we discovered that contrary to the image being circulated, the book was published by an organization called All World Gayatri Pariwar (AWGP) and is available for purchase on their website. The Wikipedia page of the author reveals that he was a distinguished social reformer, philosopher, a visionary and the founder of the AWGP and is popularly known as Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya by the members of the organization he founded. He has several authored several other books on spirituality apart from the one on Karl Marx.

The title of the book reveals the obsession of Indians to adapt the current rage in the world to the Indian context. Although it unclear when the book was first published, it is evident that at the time the book was authored, communism was a dominant force in world politics as the Shriram Acharya passed away in 1990. And since 2000, when liberalism is the most dominant force in world politics, we witness various spiritual leaders emphasize the inherent ‘liberal’ nature of Hinduism regardless of the merits of the case.

There seems to be a dormant need for the Indian population to force it every western ideology in the Indian context and perhaps communism is just one of them, albeit, the most violent one.

Manipur becomes the first North-East Indian state to get solar toilets

OpIndia Staff
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Manipur becomes the first North-East Indian state to get solar toilets

In a boost to both Swacch Bharat Mission and clean energy, Manipur has become the first state in North-East and third in India to have solar toilets.

The toilets are installed at Ibudhou Marjing hill Heingang of Manipur by Tourism Director, Waikhom Ibohal last week. He said, “I met an entrepreneur while attending a global summit in Guwahati recently where I was introduced to the technology of solar toilets. I immediately thought of using such toilets in Manipur”.

Solar Toilets also produces energy and converts the waster materials.

The solar panels attached to the top of the toilets absorb heat energy to generate power and also converts the waste material produced from the toilets. Manipur intends to install 100 solar toilets before 2nd October, beginning with tourist places and eventually covering rest of the state. Earlier, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh have had solar toilets installed.

The solar power production in country has been given a boost by the Prime Minister Modi. Solar energy is being used extensively throughout the country. Earlier, Vishakapatnam railway station had become a fully energy efficient railway station with the installation of 1000 kw solar photo-voltaic systems. Similarly, Tatya Tope stadium in Bhopal has been converted as the first completely solar powered non-cricket stadium. India has joined hands with countries like France to promote solar energy through initiatives like International Solar Alliance. Recently, India has also signed agreements with France to promote solar energy in the country.

‘It’s not a ceasefire but suspension of ops’: Rajnath Singh clarifies on the govt’s controversial decision

OpIndia Staff
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‘It’s not a ceasefire but suspension of ops’: Rajnath Singh clarifies on the govt’s controversial decision

Home Minister Rajnath Singh clarified on Tuesday that the controversial decision taken by the government with respect to terrorists in Kashmir was not a ceasefire but ‘suspension of operation’ due to Ramzan.


Last week, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat hinted at an extension of the suspension of combat operations if an atmosphere of peace prevailed in the state. However, he asserted that any terrorist activity would force the government to rethink such a decision. Rajnath Singh has also stated recently that the government is ready for talks with Hurriyat if the separatists agreed to it. “I have already said that we are ready for dialogue with all stakeholders in Kashmir. If Hurriyat comes forward for talks, we don’t mind talking to them. Whoever wants to talk with us, we are ready for talks,” he said.

The government’s decision to suspend operations in view of Ramzan came as a shock to many, especially because thus far, it has appeared to be ruthless in dealing with terrorists in Kashmir. Last year alone, the security forces eliminated over a hundred terrorists in Kashmir. Even after suspension of operations, the Indian A’Itrmy recovered heavy arms and modern weaponry from terrorists slain along the LoC in Kashmir.

CBI books Air Asia CEO Tony Fernandes, Congress era lobbyist Deepak Talwar among others

Sanghamitra
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CBI books Air Asia CEO Tony Fernandes, Congress era lobbyist Deepak Talwar among others

The Central Bureau of Investigations today registered a case against Air Asia CEO Tony Fernandes and some other persons for alleged violation of norms in obtaining international flying licenses. According to reports, the CBI has also raided six premises in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru and conducting searches.

Cases have been reportedly lodged against Air Asia Group CEO Tony Fernandes, the company Air Asia, Travel food owner Sunil Kapoor, Aviation consultant Deepak Talwar, Director of Air Asia R Venkatraman, Director of SNR Trading Rajendra Dubey and some unnamed government officials.


Fernandes has been reportedly accused of lobbying government officials to relax the 5/20 rule, in which a company needs to have a minimum of 5 years experience in the aviation sector and own at least 20 aircraft to obtain an international flying license. Air Asia has also allegedly flouted the norms under the Foreign Investment Promotion Board. The CBI has reportedly alleged that Fernandes, in connivance with certain government officials obtained clearances, got the 5/20 rule removed and had regulatory policies changed to acquire international flying licences for his company.

Aviation consultant Deepak Talwar is an infamous lobbyist who reportedly made over Rs 1000 crores during the Congress government’s era.

We had earlier reported how the Tax Department chargesheet against Talwar, a self-proclaimed corporate consultant (a fancy name for a lobbyist), accused him of receiving massive kickbacks worth Rs. 1000 crore between 2008 and 2011 for influencing aviation policies of the UPA government to favour his ‘clients’. The charges against Talwar were :

  • Received kickback of $9.8 million from Air Arabia for helping the airline secure more destinations
  • Received kickback of $9 million from Qatar Airways
  • Helped Dubai based airline Emirates to get bilateral agreements amended to enable larger passenger access in the Indian market
  • Helped Air Asia in obtaining operating permits

Deepak Talwar was perhaps was as powerful as Niira Radia if not more. His exploits were not limited to these. He was caught in several instances and in fact, his proximity to the Congress had also emerged. Congress leader Digvijaya Singh’s name emerged in the files recovered by IT department in 2016, from the raids on Talwar’s premises. The recovered data allegedly show that Singh and his family members were frequently upgraded on international flights, mostly on Emirates

Rajya Sabha MP and legal activist Subramanian Swamy had reportedly filed a PIL in Delhi High Court requesting suspension of international flying licenses granted to Air Asia.

Muslim youth held in Agra for vandalising Hindu idols to allegedly stoke communal tension

OpIndia Staff
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Muslim youth held in Agra for vandalising Hindu idols to allegedly stoke communal tension

A case of idol vandalism in a Hindu temple has been reported from the Shahganj region of Agra in Uttar Pradesh, as reported by Patrika. As per the report, the accused is reported to have vandalised a Hanuman and Durga idol to try and instigate communal tension. The report also claims that such vandalism of the temple has also been reported in the past.

As reported by Jansatta, on Monday morning when devotees went to the temple, which is situated in an area inhabited by a mixed population of Hindus and Muslims, they noticed the idols vandalised.

The devotees then caught hold of an individual reportedly trying to flee the temple premises, who when questioned identified himself as Sonu Khan. When he was further grilled by those present, he proceeded to change his statement multiple times, which increased their suspicion.

As per a tweet by ANI, the accused was assaulted by the locals after being tied to a tree, following which he was handed over to the police. The news agency claims that the accused in “mentally challenged”:


The Jansatta report claims that following the assault, the accused confessed that he was instructed to carry out the vandalism, in exchange of money. During the chaos, police and members of Hindu organisations reached the spot. The police later took the accused in their custody.

As per an Amar Ujala report, after the news of the incident spread, a crowd started gathering which resulted in communal tension spreading through the region, though no violence was reported.

The broken idols were soon replaced by new ones.

Old ‘Sikh’ man waking up Muslim neighbours in a viral video might not be a Sikh at all

OpIndia Staff
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Old ‘Sikh’ man waking up Muslim neighbours in a viral video might not be a Sikh at all

Recently, a video went viral where it was alleged an old Sikh man was waking up his Muslim neighbours in Jammu & Kashmir for Sehri (last food in the morning after which fasting begins for the day in the month of Ramzan) by beating up a drum. This ‘feel good’ video was widely shared on social media.

In fact, Press Trust of India (PTI) did a story about the video, which was picked up by many large news outlets and the video went viral beyond Jammu and Kashmir. May claimed it as true image of ‘Kashmiriyat’.

A news article in Hindustan Times based on the PTI report
PTI fools Times Now
Times Now declared the video as proof of ‘Kashmiriyat’

While such videos and photos regularly go viral on social media, when it comes to the reporting it as news, agencies are expected to be extremely careful and are also expected to do basic fact-checking. Especially an agency like the Press Trust of India, whose copies are circulated by the big media without fact-check, and who have been found to err many times earlier.

And it appears that PTI has now helped spread a ‘fake news’. Tejinder Singh Sodhi, a journalist with Republic TV has claimed that the video was actually of a Punjabi Muslim from Pakistan and not of a Sikh man from Kashmir as claimed. He also lamented that PTI had not done its due diligence before publishing the story.


The PTI reporter did not dispute the claims by Sodhi, and admitted that his story was based on a video that was ‘shared more than 2000 times on Facebook’.

The PTI reporter, Inayat Jehangir, was reminded that it is a journalist’s job to check the veracity of a story before publishing a story, especially owing to the nature of the internet. However, he continued to justify his story saying that it was about a viral video, and not about the information claimed therein.

Rahul Pandita, another journalist and an author who writes on Kashmir widely, called out Inayat Jehangir and recalled that Jehangir was a habitual offender and had earlier filed a fake story a few months ago of a Kashmiri Pandit being cremated by his Muslim neighbours.


It is indeed shocking that a journalist would assume that it is okay to help circulate unverifiable claims just because it was already trending on social media. Unfortunate, such ‘fake news’ is not called out by many as it helps spread a narrative that is supposed to make people feel good about ‘secularism’.

Drummers going around in the morning waking up fasting Muslims during Ramzan for Sehari is a rather old tradition in Pakistan. Shortly before Fajr prayers, the drummers, also known as Seharkhwaan, walk about in the streets beating the drums and shouting and calling the people to wake up and prepare for a fast. Many of them wear turbans and one can indeed mistake them as Sikh in an unclear video. A clearer picture of such a drummer is below, who is from Pakistan.

Muslim drummers waking up people for Ramzan
Ramzan drummers in Pakistan (picture courtesy)

There has been no apology or retraction, or proof of claims in the video being genuine, from the PTI or the journalist until the time this story was published.

Haryana Minister Vij likens Rahul Gandhi to Nipah virus

OpIndia Staff
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Haryana Minister Vij likens Rahul Gandhi to Nipah virus

Last month it was reported that PM Modi had lectured his partymen on the virtues of silence. He had cautioned party functionaries to keep quiet and not get carried away while making statements on “relevant issues”. He advised that such statements should be left to spokespersons. Perhaps the message did not reach Haryana.

Today, it has been reported that Haryana Cabinet Minister Anil Vij who is notorious for making controversial statements has now compared Congress President Rahul Gandhi to the deadly Nipah Virus.


ANI news too reported the same:


In the battle of social media one-up-man-ship, Vij seems to have crossed a line. Vij, though, is no stranger to controversy. In 2016 he had claimed that the CID was spying on him. He had also commented on another occasion that Modi was a better brand than Mahatma Gandhi:

It’s good that Modi’s photo replaced that of Gandhi’s in the calendar. Modi is a better brand name

He later had to withdraw this comment.

Using a deadly virus to attack a politician does not seem to be a new stunt though in Indian politics. While Kejriwal had called himself a “dengue mosquito”, an NDTV journalist had gotten very excited by the prospect of then Gujarat CM Narendra Modi being possibly infected by the Swine Flu virus:

The War against Maoists: With locals of Naxal affected areas demanding development, victory seems close

K Bhattacharjee
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The War against Maoists: With locals of Naxal affected areas demanding development, victory seems close

One of the most remarkable achievements of the NDA government has been the manner in which it has curtailed and gone on the offensive against the Naxals. Coupled with aggressive anti-terror operations against the armed outfits, massive infrastructure development has robbed the terror org of public sympathy across large areas.


Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Raman Singh, said on the 22nd of this month that Left Wing Extremists were opposed to development in Bastar, while the government wants peace and prosperity for the people in the region. He also highlighted the ventures undertaken by his government for the welfare of the people. He spoke of the school buildings which were constructed after the Maoists had destroyed them and the villages which were electrified and the health services that were upgraded.

“In last seven months, seven camps of state and central forces have been established in the core areas of Maoists in Chhattisgarh and they were working in excellent coordination,” Singh said recently. He went on to add, “The Maoist leaders who have earned money by using poor people and manipulating their innocence will be punished.” A special force, ‘Black Panther’ has also been created with the specific purpose of countering Maoists in Chhattisgarh.

Regular searches and operations have been conducted against Maoists by security forces which have yielded rich dividends for the citizens. There has been a steady decline in Naxal activities ever since the NDA came to power. The real change in the policy against Naxals appears to be the targeted initiative to curb their funding. The Enforcement Directorate has managed to attach the assets of numerous Maoist leaders under various laws.

One of the critical aspects of the fight against Naxals was to ensure the declining of support for the terrorists by the masses. It appears that decisive action against the terrorists combined with massive infrastructure development by the government, the war on Naxalism is finally on its last legs.

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