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Karnataka Congress hit by accusations of Land Scam 3.0: BJP MP says 19-acre government land given free of cost to Kharge family’s trust

OpIndia Staff
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Karnataka Congress hit by accusations of Land Scam 3.0: BJP MP says 19-acre government land given free of cost to Kharge family’s trust

The Congress party and its state government in Karnataka, which has been facing back-to-back corruption charges, are now facing serious allegations of Land Scam 3.0. Notably, on Monday (2nd September), BJP Rajya Sabha MP Lahar Singh Siroya demanded an independent investigation into the allotment of 19 acres of government land to an Institute run by the Congress President Kharge family’s trust, “free of cost”. He added that the 2017 audit report revealed that this was not done in the ‘larger public interest’. 

Strikingly, the Congress party and its senior leaders are already facing mounting pressure from the opposition and legal troubles in the MUDA scam involving CM Siddaramaiah and the allocation of 5 acres of land to a trust managed and run by the family members of party President Mallikarjun Kharge, through ‘misuse of power’ and ‘flouting rules’.

A few weeks earlier, BJP MP Siroya flagged the irregularities and alleged scam in the allocation of a 5-acre plot to the Kharge family’s trust in an aerospace park near Bangalore. In a fresh revelation, he has now released documents stating that 19 acres of land were given to the Pali Institute, run by Siddhartha Vihara Trust – the Kharge family’s trust. While 16 acres (3 acres given later) were initially given to Pali Institute, run by Siddhartha Vihara Trust, on lease for 30 years, all 19 acres were later transferred ‘free of cost’ to the Institute run by Kharge family’s trust. 

Meanwhile, reacting to BJP MP’s allegations, Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge defended the land allotment to the Pali Institute. Claiming that there are no wrongdoings in the allotment of government land to an Institute run by their family’s trust, he said, “Land is only leased to Pali Institute and there is no grant of land to Pali Institute. Land and any construction on the land is not owned by the Pali Institute.” 

In a long post, Kharge claimed that the Karnataka Congress government assisted the Institute in line with the budget announcements of the Central and the state governments for the promotion of the Pali language. 

BJP MP slammed Priyank Kharge for his lengthy post claiming that there was no wrongdoing in the government orders. Siroya reiterated his demand for a probe into this land allocation. 

Timeline and details of the alleged Land Scam 3.0

On 2nd September, the BJP MP released a detailed statement explaining the timeline of the land allocation as well as shared a media report which had accessed the deed documents of this said transfer of government land to an Institute-run by the Kharge family. 

In his statement, Siroya said, “New documents reveal that 19 acres of government land was given FREE to the International Institute of Pali, Sanskrit and Comparative Philosophy in Gulbarga, run by the Siddhartha Vihara Trust managed by the Shri Mallikarjuna Kharge family.” 

According to the reports, the trustees of this Siddhartha Vihar Trust include Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, his wife Radhabai Kharge, his son-in-law and Gulbarga MP Radhakrishna, his son, who is also Karnataka Minister, Priyanka Kharge, and another son, Rahul Kharge. It was formed in July 1994. 

The BJP MP added that the Congress President’s son-in-law Radhakrishna is the secretary of the Pali Institute. 

According to the report in The File, the 19-acre land was allotted on lease in the name of educational purposes. However, the documents have revealed that the land worth approximately Rs 40 crores was allotted free of charge and an order was issued to that effect. 

(Lease Deed, Credits – The File)

The report added, “The land was initially allotted on a 30-year lease basis to the International Trust for Pali, Sanskrit, and Comparative Philosophy in Survey No. 88/1 of Kusanur village, Kalburgi taluk.” 

However, when the trust filed a request to modify this order, the then Congress government complied and issued an order to change the land allotted in lease form to ‘free’. According to the report, this was all completed in haste. 

As per the Timeline, Siddaramaiah was the Chief Minister of Karnataka when the land was transferred to the Pali Institute free of cost and Priyanka Kharge was a Minister in his government. The File that accessed the government order and other documents in this regard has also included them in their report. 

The report further states that the Kalburgi District Collector gave the lease deed to sitting MP Radhakrishna, who is also the secretary of the trust. 

The content written in the government order and the Trust’s request statement to modify it

According to The File, the first order was issued on 4th March 2014, allotting 16 acres of land to the International Trust For Pali, Sanskrit, and Comparative Philosophy on a 30-year lease basis. This was done to establish a research center for Pali and Sanskrit languages in Survey No. 88/1 of Kusanur village for 30 years at 10% of the prevailing market price. Later it was sanctioned on a lease basis subject to the condition of increasing this lease amount to 10% every two years.

Two years later, another order was issued through which 3 acres of land in Survey No. 88/1 was further added to the previously leased land with the same conditions imposed as were mentioned in the 4th March 2014 order. 

(Credits – The File)

Following these government orders, the Pali Institute submitted appeals to the government in March and August 2016. The Insitute claimed that it was doing special research related to the Pali language and was not undertaking any profitable activities other than educational purposes. 

It added that it had representatives of both the central government and the state government, and its activities are supported by them. It lamented, “Thus the organization is not in a position to pay the expensive lease amount. Therefore, the proposed land should be allotted free instead of giving it on a 30-year lease.”

Accepting their request, the Congress government issued an order on 15th March 2017 through which all 19 acres were transferred to the Institute run by the Kharge family’s trust, free of cost, as stated by BJP MP Siroya.  

(Audit Report on the said land allocation, shared by the BJP MP, Credit – The File)

The BJP MP noted that the 2017 audit report revealed that this was not done in the ‘larger public interest’ and thus demanded a probe into this land transfer and said, “I demand that this land transfer of 19 acres, like the KIADB land grant of 5 acres, should be probed by an independent agency.” 

The BJP MP concluded by saying, “Another pertinent question to ask in this context is, did the Shri Siddaramaiah government come under pressure from Shri Kharge to grant parcels of land to their private trust or was the Congress government in Kamataka trying to please Shri Kharge?” 

Dr Mohammad Saad arrested from Palghar after ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ chants against Ramgiri Maharaj, throwing gaumutra jibes: Why this terror needs to be stopped

OpIndia Staff
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Dr Mohammad Saad arrested from Palghar after ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ chants against Ramgiri Maharaj, throwing gaumutra jibes: Why this terror needs to be stopped

Last week, the Maharashtra police in Palghar arrested one doctor identified as Dr Mohammad Saad for posting derogatory social media status against Hindu saint Ramgiri Maharaj. The detained had posted a photo of Ramgiri Maharaj on social media demanding ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ punishment for him. As per the local reports, the arrest happened as a result of a complaint filed by one individual identified as Rajesh Pal.

As per the complaint, Saad had posted a photo of Ramgiri Maharaj and captioned it saying, “Cow urine drinkers and cow dung eaters do not deserve to talk about our God. Whoever does so shall be issued Sar Tan Se Juda punishment.”

The incident is said to have happened weeks after Hindu saint Ramgiri Maharaj made alleged derogatory remarks about Islam and Prophet Mohammad. Saint Ramgiri Maharaj during a sermon in Panchale village of Nashik’s Sinnar region on 16th August indicated that several Islamists have disrespected women in the past because of the religious doctrine they follow.

Widespread outrage attracting multiple FIRs against Ramgiri Maharaj

The remarks sparked wide outrage in several districts of Maharashtra including Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nashik, Mumbai, and Pune with several Islamist leaders and organizations filing FIRs against Ramgiri Maharaj for allegedly hurting the religious sentiments of Muslims.

Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar city saw a spike in tensions in mid-August following a gathering of Muslims outside the City Chowk police station. The Muslim mob demanded death punishment for the Hindu saint at the police station. They also raised slogans of ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’, the video of which was making rounds on social media.

Further, an FIR against Ramgiri Maharaj was also booked under Section 302 (uttering words with deliberate intent to wound the religious feelings of any person) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The complainant, Rafehasan Ali Khan stated that the Hindu saint’s alleged derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammed had the complete potential to create communal chaos in the state.

Meanwhile, another immediate complaint was filed in the Yeola region of Nashik district in Maharashtra. On 17th August, the Mumbra Police in Thane also filed an FIR against Ramgiri Maharaj for allegedly making derogatory remarks against Islam and Prophet Mohammed. 31-year-old Maulana Sajid-Ul-Rehman from Mumbra complained about the video after which the Mumbra Police in Thane booked the religious leader under sections 353(1)(B)(C), 353(2)(3), 299, 302, 196(1)(9), 356, 352, 351 of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) for uttering words with intent to hurt religious feelings and others for outraging religious feelings, promoting enmity between groups over religion, intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace and criminal intimidation.

Also, in Pune’ Kondhwa region, several Islamists gathered at the city police station demanding the strictest punishment against the Hindu sage who is being supported by several Hindu community leaders amid the ongoing chaos.

The complaint copy filed at Kondhwa Police Station by Adv Tusif Chand Sheikh could be accessed by OpIndia. The complaint that booked Ramgiri Maharaj under sections 192, 196, 197, 299, 302, 353(2), 356(2), and 356(3) of the BNS, 2023 stated that Ramgiri Maharaj had made an alleged deliberate attempt to create communal tensions in the state.

“He has caused insult to the Islam following community and hurt the religious sentiments by commenting against Prophet Mohammed. His comments have complete potential to create communal chaos and disturb peace in the state. Strict action is a must,” Adv Sheikh, a complainant from Kondhwa could be quoted as saying.

Ramgiri Maharaj indicated changed context of his speech

Along with Islamists, several political leaders like NCP’s Jitendra Awhad, AIMIM’s Imtiaz Jaleel, etc claimed that the comments made by Ramgiri Maharaj were part of a political conspiracy. However, state CM Eknath Shinde extended support to the saint and stated that no one shall dare to even think of harming the saints in the state.

Ramgiri Maharaj meanwhile commenting on the issue stated that he did not say anything wrong and indicated that the context in which he made a statement about the Prophet Mohammad was changed to demand ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ punishment against him.

“I did not say anything to create a rift. It was an hour-and-a-half sermon. A few parts of it were edited. I was talking about Bhishmacharya and Dharmaraj during the sermon. I was explaining what is Rajdharma and how should a king follow Rajdharma. I spoke giving an instance that injustice should not be tolerated. While raising this issue, the topic of Bangladesh came up,” Ramgiri Maharaj said.

Later Ramgiri Maharaj in the sermon stated that Hindus should stand together against the oppression of Hindus, atrocities that they usually face at the hands of Islamists. “I said that we should be organized against this, we should remain strong. No one should hate or envy. Don’t bother anyone. But if someone is harassing you, don’t bear it. What we said is written in the scriptures,” he said adding that nothing else could be said on this issue. “We are peace-loving people and our intentions are never to hurt anyone but to show society the truth,” he added.

As per the local reports, Ramgiri Maharaj also stated that he had complete trust in the Constitution written by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and the Indian Judiciary. “Whatever orders the court will pass, will be followed by us,” he had affirmed.

‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ protests across several states

It is important to note that massive protests erupted against Ramgiri Maharaj not only in Maharashtra but also in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh forcing the administration to ensure peace. In Madhya Pradesh’s Chhatarpur, an Islamist mob gathered at the Kotwali police station and pelted stones at the police as they protested against the Hindu said for his alleged derogatory remarks. The police then booked around 150 people for injuring on-duty policemen and creating chaos at the premises. The administration had also executed bulldozer action against accused Islamists who possessed illegal properties. A detailed report on the case can be read here.

In Pune, hundreds of Islamists carried out a protest march without permission, and raised objectionable ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ slogans in front of the Pune Collector’s office on 25th August. The Pune Police in this case booked around 300 persons under sections 189(2), 190, 196, and 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), as well as sections 135 and 37(1) of the Maharashtra Police Act. 

In the Mumbra region, several minors also participated in the Islamist protest and raised slogans of ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ against Ramgiri Maharaj. The NCPCR then took cognizance of the event and asked the Thane administration to identify such children and produce them before the Child Welfare Committee. It also suggested organizing necessary counselling to be given to the children involved ensuring their psycho well-being and behaviour. The commission also stated that FIR be filed against all the perpetrators involved.

Amid this, in Uttar Pradesh, one Muslim identified as Imran extended support to Ramgiri Maharaj and indicated that the Islamists had misunderstood the context in which Ramgiri Maharaj had said things about Islam. He burnt the copy of the Quran and said that Islam was never a peaceful religion and that people following the religion were committing a mistake.

“Mohammed Paigamber has promoted all the wrong things. I agree I don’t know complete Islam but I have the guts to call out wrongdoings which these Maulanas and Muftis can’t do. I am just burning away this book. What these people have done to Bangladeshi Hindus is also wrong. Further, these Muslims are yelling slogans of ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ against Swami Ramgiri Maharaj who spoke for Bangladeshi Hindus. These Muslims eliminated the context in which Swami Ramgiri Maharaj said and accused him of blasphemy. I am against all this, committing this act and accepting Sanatan Dharma,” he was quoted as saying.

The individual was arrested by the police and booked under sections 192, 299, 302, and 353 of the relevant act. Protests are also believed to have happened in the Belgavi region of Karnataka where Islamists demanded punishment against Ramgiri Maharaj.

Protests to cause fear in society need to pause

The current Islamist protests against Ramgiri Maharaj are reminiscent of the massive global protests against former BJP leader Nupur Sharma. Several Islamist communities around the world sought ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ punishment for a woman who made similar alleged remarks that annoyed Islamists. Several Hindus who supported her were sliced in half, imprisoned, and tormented, causing fear and disgust across the Hindu community.

The Islamist criticism of Nupur Sharma’s alleged comments appeared to be a deliberate attempt to target a political leader, a woman, and, more importantly, a Hindu, to the point where global Islamists demanded ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ punishment for her based on a video selectively posted on social media by Alt News’ Mohammed Zubair, without mentioning how her alleged remarks were in response to Tasleem Rehmani insulting Lord Shiva on live television. The incident prompted Islamists to cause havoc across the country. The same appears to be happening now in the case of Ramgri Maharaj.

Ramgiri Maharaj clarified the context in which he said what he said. He revealed that he made the statement in response to the ongoing atrocities committed by Islamists against Hindus in Bangladesh after the fall of the Hasina government. However, the Islamist community in India completely ignored the context and is now purposefully attacking the Hindu saint by disseminating an altered video of his one-and-a-half-hour sermon. The Islamist community in the state is additionally believed to have conducted counter-protests in the form of rallies demanding ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ punishment, against Ramgiri Maharaj and the Sakal Hindu Samaj, which called for the safety of Hindus in Bangladesh.

Citizens of Maharashtra and India need to examine these delicate matters in the manner they deserve to be looked upon. Changing or omitting the context of particular words, propagating wild community sentiments via social media, purposefully attacking any individual, and then politicians playing politics on such matters are anything but indications of a failed individual conscience. It’s high time that targeting Hindus over such issues based on one community’s law stops. We all live in India, which is governed by the Constitution, which further protects ‘freedom of speech’, ‘freedom of religion’, and ‘expression’, all of which must be respected by every community within.

West Bengal: Mamata Banerjee trying to do damage limitation in the wake of RG Kar Hospital case protests, passes anti-rape bill

OpIndia Staff
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West Bengal: Mamata Banerjee trying to do damage limitation in the wake of RG Kar Hospital case protests, passes anti-rape bill

On Tuesday, 3rd September, the West Bengal legislative assembly passed ‘The Aparajita Woman and Child (West Bengal Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill 2024’ or the ‘anti-rape bill’. The bill is seen as an attempt to save Mamata Banerjee-led government’s face following RG Kar Medical College’s rape and murder case. Notably, the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, had promised to pass a bill within 10 days to ensure capital punishment for the rapists.

Since the RG Kar Medical College Rape and Murder incident came to light, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government of the state was under fire as there were allegedly several lapses in the investigation of the case initially by Kolkata Police. Furthermore, attempts to suppress the voices of the protesters had invited more criticism for the state government with even Supreme Court asking state machinery to avoid using force against the protesters.

The Bill can be seen as an attempt to divert the anger of the people of the state. While introducing the bill, CM Banerjee explained that the Bill further tightens the provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and prescribes the death penalty for rapists if their acts result in the death of the victim or they suffer severe brain damage.

Mamata Banerjee said, “Under this, Aparajita Task Force will be formed. It will give punishment within 21 days of the preliminary report.” She also talked about the safety of female medical professionals and claimed that her government has sanctioned Rs 120 crore for the purpose which includes arranging toilets that are unavailable at this time. She said, “CCTV cameras will be installed everywhere. We have also made a provision of ‘Ratri Saathi’, which states that women will do 12 hours of duty, and if needed, doctors will extend their duty.”

“We have done this for the safety of women. Women working at night will be given full security, we have also asked hospitals, schools and mid-day meal centres to take appropriate steps,” the Bengal CM added.

Rape and murder of female doctor at RG Kar Medical College

On 9th August, a trainee female doctor’s body was found in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, with subsequent examinations confirming that she had been raped. Her body bore 16 external and 9 internal injuries, and there were signs of bleeding from her eyes and private parts, indicating the brutal nature of the assault.

The rape and murder case of the 31-year-old trainee female doctor in Kolkata’s RG Kar Hospital has sparked nationwide protests to seek justice for the deceased victim. Hospital administration, Police, and the West Bengal government led by Mamata Banerjee have been facing massive public ire over the initial handling of the case and the subsequent ‘transfer’ of the controversial Hospital principal, Sandip Ghosh. Both the Calcutta High Court and the Supreme Court made several scathing remarks about the developments in the case, particularly ones revolving around Sandip Ghosh.

Netflix finally agrees to share real names of the IC814 hijackers in its Web Series, but only as an opening disclaimer

ANI
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Netflix finally agrees to share real names of the IC814 hijackers in its Web Series, but only as an opening disclaimer

After the Netflix series ‘IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack’ triggered a row on social media over the names of the hijackers in the series , Netflix has updated its disclaimer with the real and code names of the hijackers.

“For the benefit of audiences unfamiliar with the 1999 hijacking of the Indian Airlines flight 814, the opening disclaimer has been updated to include the real and code names of the hijackers. The code names in the series reflect those used during the actual event. India has a rich culture of story-telling and we are committed to showcasing these stories and their authentic representation,” said Monika Shergill, Vice President, Content, Netflix India.

The updation of the disclaimer comes after the content head Netflix India Monika Shergill met the Joint Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in Delhi on Tuesday. The meeting was held in view of certain contentious issues on the web series based on the Hijacking of IC-814.

Additionally, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) had also been filed in the Delhi High Court by Surjit Singh Yadav, Chief of Hindu Sena, seeking a ban on the Netflix series.

The PIL alleged that the series distorts the actual identities of the terrorists involved in the hijacking. The petition claimed that the miniseries erroneously assigns Hindu names such as “Bhola” and “Shankar”–names associated with Lord Shiva–to the real hijackers Ibrahim Akhtar, Shahid Akhtar Sayeed, Sunny Ahmed Qazi, Zahoor Mistry, and Shakir.

BJP leader Amit Malviya had also criticised the series, saying that the filmmaker Anubhav Sinha legitimised the criminal intent of the hijackers.

“The hijackers of IC-814 were dreaded terrorists, who acquired aliases to hide their Muslim identities. Filmmaker Anubhav Sinha, legitimised their criminal intent, by furthering their non-Muslim names. Result? Decades later, people will think Hindus hijacked IC-814,” Malviya said in a post on X.

BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar said he was happy that the Information and Broadcasting Ministry have taken congizance of the issue.

“I vividly remember IC-814. I was very aware of that accident and very involved in following that. Every man and woman in India and indeed in South Asia knows that the hijack of IC-814 from Kathmandu was committed by Pakistan’s ISI-backed terrorists. Now, nobody thinks that there were some people from India who did the hijacking. So how the people have Hindu names in that movie, I don’t know. But I’m very happy that the I&B Ministry and the GoI have taken cognizance of this,” Chandrasekhar said.

The Hijack drama is created by Anubhav Sinha and Trishant Shrivastava. It stars actors Naseeruddin Shah, Pankaj Kapur, Vijay Varma, Arvind Swamy, Patralekhaa and Dia Mirza.

The six-episode series is based the events of December 24, 1999 when an Indian Airlines flight IC 814 enroute to Delhi from Kathmandu was hijacked after take off from the Kathmandu Tribhuvan International Airport in Nepal shortly after it entered Indian airspace.

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

Kangana’s ‘Emergency’ stalled by Censor Board but Netflix has full freedom to whitewash IC814 hijack: Activist Uday Mahurkar demands OTT platforms to be held accountable

OpIndia Staff
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Kangana’s ‘Emergency’ stalled by Censor Board but Netflix has full freedom to whitewash IC814 hijack: Activist Uday Mahurkar demands OTT platforms to be held accountable

Actress-turned-MP Kangana Ranaut’s film ‘Emergency’ which is based on the controversial period of the Emergency in India, has been postponed as the Censor Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has not provided it with the required certification for the release that was scheduled on 6th September. The delay has been attributed to the objections raised by the Sikh community’s representatives who have filed petitions in the court seeking a complete ban on the film. Kangana Ranaut, who herself has produced the film, expressed her frustration with the matter.

Kangana Ranaut said, “Meri film pe hi Emergency lag gayi hai. Bahut hi nirashajanak ye sthiti hai… [An Emergency has been imposed on my film now. It’s a terrible situation…]”. She questioned the inconsistencies in issuing certificates by CBFC noting that her film is not the first to depict the Emergency period. She pointed out that movies like ‘Indu Sarkar’ and ‘Sam Bahadur’ talked about that period and did not face any issues.

The contrary to the issue faced by film by Kangana Ranaut, Netflix’s new web series ‘IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack,’ directed by Anubhav Sinha streamed without any regulatory hurdles. It was only after the objections raised by the viewers that, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting summoned Netflix India’s content head. The web series has attempted to mellow down the heinous crimes committed by the terrorists by hijacking the Indian plane.

The web series, based on the 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814 by Islamist terrorists, came under fire for distorting the grim realities of the event. In the web series, terrorists were shown playing antakshari with the hostages and even exchanging apologies.

Content moderation on OTT platforms is need of an hour

Looking at the type of propaganda content that runs freely on OTT platforms and gets removed or changed only after the uproar, there have been calls for strict moderation of the content on such platforms. Activists including Uday Mahurkar, founder of Save Culture Save Bharat Foundation and former Central Information Commissioner, have raised alarms over the double standards of content regulation between traditional cinema and OTT platforms.

In a recent letter addressed to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Mahurkar criticised the unregulated nature of OTT platforms like Netflix. He accused these platforms of propagating content that undermines the country’s values and culture and distorting historical facts.

In his letter, he called into question the integrity of the self-regulatory framework currently governing OTT content. He said, “The content of many of the films and web series being streamed on OTT platforms nowadays is so horrendous, obscene, and unlawful that they would not even be approved for screening with an ‘A’ certificate in cinema halls by CBFC.” He further highlighted the inadequacy of the existing rules, stating, “The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021… have no effective mechanism for either screening or taking appropriate action for those who violate the guidelines.”

He specifically pointed out that OTT platforms are allowed to publish content without many restrictions when compared to traditional cinema. He said, “The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is providing inadvertent patronage to pornographic content providers, enabling them to mainstream and normalize such content in India,” he wrote. He urged the government to take immediate action, citing the severe psychological impact of such content on young, impressionable minds. “The attempts to mainstream and normalize pornographic content by some OTT platforms is proving to have a severe psychological impact, especially on young impressionable minds, which is leading them to emulate the sexually perverted behaviour portrayed.”

The controversy about the content that is blocked by the censor board and that is allowed on OTT platforms has raised concerns over the lack of integrity in the latter. The hijacking of an Indian plane in 1999 resulted in the murder of a young engineer Rupin Katyal. Several passengers who were on the flight and their families still have the wounds of the incident.

Mahurkar specifically raised concerns over content published on OTT platforms such as MUBI, Netflix and ALTT (formerly known as Alt Balaji). He argued that there have been several reports in recent times that categorically pointed out that the accused in the cases were heavily addicted to porn.

He said, “The attempts to mainstream and normalize pornographic content by some OTT platforms is thus proving to be having a severe psychological impact, especially on young impressionable minds, which is leading them to emulate the sexually perverted behaviour portrayed in the pornographic content.”

While the certification process at CBFC needs to be standardised, the ministry must look for ways to moderate content on OTT platforms to ensure that no obscenity is displayed.

‘How can retiral benefits be greater than salary?’: Congress is digging itself a bigger hole after ICICI exposes hitjob against SEBI chief. Read how

Amit Kelkar
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‘How can retiral benefits be greater than salary?’: Congress is digging itself a bigger hole after ICICI exposes hitjob against SEBI chief. Read how

A day after ICICI bank exposed Congress’ half-baked lies against SEBI chief Madhabi Puri Buch, the party has refused to admit to its mistakes as it digs its heels on an issue that only exposes its poor understanding of finances and retirement instruments companies offer to woo their employees.

Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera on Tuesday questioned how could retirement benefits exceed the salary Ms Buch drew during her employment at ICICI. “How can the retirement benefits be more than the salary she drew in ICICI? We now want to demand that SEBI should come out clean, give clarification and respond to our charges,” Khera said. 

A cursory glance at the response to the above tweet gives a glimpse into the buffoonery of the Congress spokesperson. But when you have Rahul Gandhi as your party leader, the followers are only going to be folks like Pawan Khera, Supriya Shrinate etc.

Anyway, Khera raised a question, pointing out that Buch’s average salary from 2007 to 2013-14, just before she retired from ICICI, was Rs 1.3 crore. However, the retirement benefit ICICI provided to Buch from 2016-17 to 2020-21 averaged Rs 2.77 crore per year. Khera questioned how a person’s ‘retirement benefit’ could exceed their salary as an employee.

Earlier, ICICI Bank rubbished Congress’ claims that Madhabi Puri Buch, the chairperson of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), received salaries and ESOPs from the bank.

The Congress party had claimed a potential conflict of interest involving Madhabi Puri Buch, Chairperson of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). On Monday, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera alleged that Buch continued to receive a salary from ICICI Bank while serving as a SEBI member, which he claims represents a serious breach of ethics and accountability in public service.

Khera questioned SEBI’s integrity, arguing that the market regulator should uphold impartiality and independence. “How can fair regulation be ensured when SEBI’s head has been receiving a salary from a private entity like ICICI Bank?” he asked, stressing the importance of transparency within the regulatory body.

During the press briefing, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera alleged that Buch received Rs 16.8 crore from ICICI Bank in 2017 and 2024, even while serving as a whole-time member of SEBI and later as its chairperson.

Khera further alleged that several ICICI Bank investigations were ongoing while Buch was receiving income from the group. He cited unnamed reports suggesting that the SEBI chief may have relaxed norms for the bank.

In response, the bank stated, “ICICI Bank or its group companies have not paid any salary or granted any ESOPs to Madhabi Puri Buch after her retirement, except for her retiral benefits.”

The bank clarified that Buch had opted for superannuation effective October 31, 2013. During her time with ICICI Group, she received compensation through salary, retiral benefits, bonuses, and ESOPs, as per the applicable policies.

The bank also explained that retired employees can exercise ESOPs within 10 years, indicating that Buch may have utilised these benefits later.

The bank emphasised that all payments made to Buch after her retirement were accrued during her employment with ICICI Group and consisted of ESOPs and retiral benefits.

While ICICI Bank’s brief response was enough to puncture holes in Congress’ claims against Buch, it, nevertheless, demonstrates the party’s willingness to institutionalise McCarthyism to attack corporates, officials in high positions, and influential leaders to insinuate crony capitalism against their arch-rivals, the BJP.

The baseless allegations against Buch came just weeks after another such malicious attempt was made by American firm Hindenberg Research to defame the SEBI chief and accuse her of “delaying” investigations in the Adani Group for her alleged links with the business entity. The allegations, however, weren’t bought by stock market watchers and trade analysts, who remain bullish on the Adani Group stocks.

With the controversy falling into oblivion, the Congress party came up with a fresh set of allegations to target Ms Buch, and sow doubts in the minds of an average citizen who may not be aware in detail of concepts like retiral benefits, ESOPs, etc.

ICICI, in its response, said Ms Buch may have exercised ESOPs and other retiral benefits she had accrued during her employment with ICICI. Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) are employee benefit plans that grant workers ownership interest in the company. Organisations often offer employees ESOPs to align the interests of employees with those of the shareholders to achieve greater productivity and desired results, and fulfilling their goals. 

In an ESOP, a company grants employees stock ownership, usually without requiring them to pay upfront. The shares are distributed to employees based on factors like their salary and length of service. Ms Buch may have received her share of company stocks based on her salary and her years of employment with ICICI. 

Usually, there is a vesting period during which employees need to remain with the company before they fully own the shares. This helps motivate employees to stay with the company for a longer time.

After vesting, employees have the opportunity to “exercise” their stock options, allowing them to purchase shares at a set price, which is often below the market value. So Ms Buch may have had the option of buying shares below the market value and either selling them immediately to book profits or holding on to them till she believed would get her the best yield.

If the company does well, the share value rises, enabling employees to earn a profit by selling their shares at a higher price. As the share price of a company rests on multiple factors, including its performance and financials, it is also a fact that share price can’t be reined and good-performing organisations can see significant stock price appreciation, yielding better returns to employees than their salaries. 

However, for the Congress party, which is recently obsessed with caste rhetorics, these profound concepts of ESOPs and retiral benefits must be hard to grasp, as reflected in the party’s recent hit job against Ms Buch. Or maybe the party is deliberately peddling lies, relying on its propaganda arms to amplify its allegations enough to create doubts in the minds of an average Indian, who they think has a similar IQ to their supreme leader and would lap up their claims as gospels. 

Bangladesh: Awami League MP Bahauddin, who demonised Durga Puja as ‘festival of alcohol’ takes shelter in India illegally along with his daughter

OpIndia Staff
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Bangladesh: Awami League MP Bahauddin, who demonised Durga Puja as ‘festival of alcohol’ takes shelter in India illegally along with his daughter

A notorious Awami League MP (Comilla-6 constituency) named Bahauddin Bahar, who made derogatory comments about Durga Puja last year, has now taken refuge in India.

Bahauddin and his daughter Tahseen Bahar Suchana fled conflict-torn Bangladesh following the ouster of the country’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Given that he belonged to the same party as Hasina and ‘protestors’ began hunting down the ruling politicians, Bahauddin escaped to India illegally about 10 days ago. He is currently staying with a politician in Kolkata and reportedly paying ₹10k each day for his stay.

Bahauddin’s daughter Tahseen entered India on Thursday (29th August) night through the Charanal border of Comilla’s Burichong upazila. A day later, she reportedly became active on Facebook.

On Saturday (31st August), she reached Kolkata after staying a day in Buxnagar. The illegal immigration was facilitated by one trader, close to an influential Awami League leader.

According to reports, Bahauddin Bahar and his daughter are planning to seek refuge in London.

House of Bahauddin Bahar vandalised, set on fire

Earlier on 5th August, it was reported that a mob of anti-government protestors attacked the residence of Bahauddin Bahar, located in Manoharpur Munsefbari area in Comilla city of Bangladesh.

In visuals that surfaced on social media, the protestors could be seen storming his house and later setting it ablaze.

Awami League MP mocked Durga Puja, party goons attacked Hindus

On 4th October 2023, the Awami League MP (Comilla-6 constituency) stirred the hornet’s test by labelling Durga Puja as ‘Madjukto Puja‘ (festival of alcohol).

Bahauddin Bahar also claimed that if alcohol consumption was decreased, then, the number of Puja pandals would go down. He made similar comments associating ‘Durga Puja with alcohol’ on 12th October last year.

The development was confirmed by Rana Das Gupta, the General Secretary of the Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council.

When Hindus took out a protest march against the targeting of Durga Puja, they came under attack from amists belonging to the ‘Chhatra League’ and ‘Jubo League’.

Read Kalma, become Muslim, it will help you a lot: Popular YouTuber Karl Rock asked to convert to Islam in Pakistan

OpIndia Staff
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Read Kalma, become Muslim, it will help you a lot: Popular YouTuber Karl Rock asked to convert to Islam in Pakistan

Pakistan, whose claim to fame is breeding and exporting terrorism when they aren’t pleading with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to provide their failing economy with bailout packages, has once again drawn the attention of the netizens for all the wrong reasons. The recent incident is related to Karl Edward Rice who is popularly known as Karl Rock on social media. Karl Rock travelled to Pakistan with the intent of exploring the nation but soon encountered people asking him to convert to Islam.

In a video uploaded on Karl Rock’s official YouTube account on 16th August, he can be seen talking to two young boys asking for donations in the name of a mosque/madrasa. “I just wanted to see what these guys are doing. Looks like they are taking donations.” He also gave them some money and added, “So that just goes into the donation box over there. This guy’s given money as well. This just helps support the locals.” He also went to the mosque to find out what was going on and saw some young boys inside gaining religious education.

“What happened,” one of the young boys asked him to which he replied, “I am seeing.” The former then told him to make a video because “it will come in handy.” Karl Rock told him that he was from New Zealand and mentioned, “I’m from overseas. I am roaming around and going to Gilgit.” The youngster again inquired whether he was from New Zealand and complimented the country’s cricket team. “I watch cricket. Your team is good.”

The YouTuber thanked him and questioned, “So the entire day you take money for the mosque?” The youth answered, “Yes,” and asked Karl Rock whether he was a Muslim. “No,” Karl Rock replied and then the young boy urged, “Become a Muslim, it’s good for you. Read the Kalma (the Muslim confession of faith), the mosque is right here. It’ll help you a lot. Do you know Kalma?” The YouTuber clarified, “I don’t understand. My Urdu is weak.” However, the persistent boy said, “You don’t know Urdu but do you know how to read Kalma?”

The young boy explained that he meant Kalma when the YouTuber misinterpreted the term as Karma, and reiterated, “Do you know Kalma? What is it?”

Karl Rock who had enough up to that point maintained, “I don’t understand it. Allah Hafiz (May God protect you),” before riding off on his bike and remarked, “So that’s what’s going on in there,” to hint at the religious conversion in the area. Surprisingly, the youngster stopped him and again parroted, “Come, we will read Kalma. Become a Muslim. It’ll help you a lot.” However, Karl simply said, “I don’t understand, brother. Bye.”

“While travelling through the remote Kaghan Valley in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, I stopped to see why two young men were standing on the road with signs. I was a little too curious, so they asked if I wanted to convert to Islam. See what happens and how I get out of the situation. What would you do,” the description below the footage shared by Karl Rock read.

The YouTuber further noted, “While this is intimidating for foreign tourists, this young man didn’t have bad intentions. After I stopped, donated, and explored what was happening at the religious school, you can see why he thought I might be interested in joining.” The little kids might not have posed a threat but their action speaks volumes about the collective psyche of the country which was pointed out by the YouTuber’s next statement.

Karl Rock highlighted, “But while this fellow was harmless, later that day, in Naran, a local butcher tried more forcefully to convert me. My advice is to be cautious in remote areas of Pakistan and avoid being overly curious like me. If someone does try to convert you, it’s best to say you don’t understand and politely leave. Other travelers have told me they say they’re Muslim to avoid this altogether.” The YouTuber has nearly three million subscribers, more than 223K on Facebook and over 240K followers on Instagram.

The majority community in Pakistan is driven by the unwavering goal to force others to convert to Islam be it inside or outside the country. Notably, their celebrities, including popular cricketers such as Inzamam Ul Haq and Ahmed Shehzad, to name a few, have been captured doing the same even with players who belonged to other faiths.

Border Guard Bangladesh kills minor Hindu girl while she was trying to flee to India with her parents, BSF recovers dead body

OpIndia Staff
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Border Guard Bangladesh kills minor Hindu girl while she was trying to flee to India with her parents, BSF recovers dead body

On Monday (2nd September) morning, the Border Security Force (BSF) officials found the dead body of a minor Bangladeshi Hindu girl at the zero point of the India-Bangladesh international border near Kalerkhandi village in Kailashahar.

She had a bullet injury on her body. The minor victim has been identified as Swarna Das, a Bangladeshi Hindu who is said to be in the age range of 14-16 years. 

As per reports, the minor girl was allegedly hit by a bullet fired by the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) on Sunday night. The incident took place when she was attempting to flee Bangladesh along with her parents.

They were trying to illegally cross the India-Bangladesh border to escape the ongoing religious persecution of Hindus in the Islamic nation.

The incident came to light on Monday morning when the BSF personnel spotted a body at the zero point. As per reports, the Bangladeshi authorities were unable to retrieve her body as the girl died within Indian territory.

Afterwards, BSF and Bangladeshi officials reached the spot and retrieved the body. Her body was then sent for post-mortem to Unakoti District Hospital in Kailashahar. 

Body of Swarna Das found at zero point

According to sources, Swarna and her parents – Rebati Das (Parendra Das as per Bangladeshi media reports) and Rani Das had hired an agent to cross the border and enter Indian territory.

However, on Sunday night, when they were attempting to cross the border near pillar no-57, the BGB opened fire in which the minor was hit by a bullet.  

Despite the bullet injury, Swarna ran a short distance before she died at the zero point. Her parents and others took shelter in a house in Lalarchak village to avoid getting hurt in the indiscriminate firing. They were later apprehended by the BGB.

In the pandemonium, they fell ill and are currently undergoing treatment at Moulvibazar District Hospital.

Bangladeshi media blames BSF

However, the Bangladeshi side has blamed BSF for her death alleging that the girl was killed by gunfire from the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) at the Kulaura border in Moulvibazar.

The victim was the daughter of Parendra Das, a resident of Kalnigiri village in the West Juri Union of Juri Upazila. The minor was studying in the eighth grade at the local Nirod Bihar High School. 

Her parents stated that they have four children and one of their sons has been living in Tripura, India, for a long time. 

Religious persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh

It is pertinent to note that the cases of Bangladeshis illegally crossing Indian territory have surged after the violent protesters ousted the country’s elected Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

It is said that they are predominantly Hindus who are trying to flee Bangladesh to escape ongoing religious persecution of Hindus by mobs of BNP-Jamaat supporters.

Ground reports from Bangladesh have revealed the extent of atrocities being committed against the Hindus in the Islamic nation and how the persecuted Bangladeshi Hindus have been pleading with India to grant them visas.

They have lamented that they don’t want to live in fear, and if India doesn’t heed their request, they will cross the country’s border without visas.

After Nupur Sharma, it is Nitish Rane: Mohammad Zubair dogwhistles against Rane, ignoring ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ threats to Ramgiri Maharaj, to which he was responding

OpIndia Staff
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After Nupur Sharma, it is Nitish Rane: Mohammad Zubair dogwhistles against Rane, ignoring ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ threats to Ramgiri Maharaj, to which he was responding

On 2nd September, propagandist and co-founder of Alt News, Mohammed Zubair, painted a target on Bharatiya Janata Party leader Nitesh Rane after he reacted to ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ slogans across the state by Jihandis against Ramgiri Maharaj. Apart from Zubair, several other left-liberals joined the caravan against Rane.

In a post on X, Zubair wrote, “In poll-bound Maharashtra, BJP MLA Nitesh Rane says ‘Tumhare Masjidon Ke Andar Aake Chun Chun Kar Marenge’ (We will come inside your mosques and kill them one by one). This is not the first time but there have been several such Anti-Muslim hate speeches by him in the past. There have been multiple FIRs against him in the past but he continues to give hate speeches and genocidal threats to Muslims because he knows Prime Minister@narendramodi and Senior BJP  members are by his side. PM Narendra Modis Sabka sath sabka vikas sabka vishwas is nothing but lip service.”

Source: X

Tagging Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar, he wrote, “An MLA of your alliance partners is continuing to threaten the Minority Muslim community. For how long will you keep turning a blind eye and ignoring such speeches.” He also tagged several leaders from the opposition parties and urged them to take note of what Rane said.

Left-liberals gathered against Nitesh Rane

Other left-liberals on social media who pose as journalists, activists and more, also came running to attack Nitesh Rane. Rajdeep Sardesai, whose former journalist wife was sent to Rajya Sabha by TMC, said, “Story that caught the eye: Most brazen hate and incitement to violence speech imaginable by BJP MLA Nitesh Rane in Ahmednagar. Two FIRs filed. His place is not in assembly but in jail. Where does this impunity to say whatever you will come from?” He ended the post with an “angry” emoji.

Fake news peddler Zakir Ali Tyagi wrote in Hindi, “Complaints were being made against Nitesh Rane, who had threatened to kill Muslims, to his former Chief Minister and current MP father Narayan Rane to make his son understand, but a video of the father also surfaced this week in which he is talking about driving out and killing Muslims!”

A social media handle Inspiretrail wrote, “BJP MLA Nitesh Rane. He is seen openly talking about entering mosques and selectively killing Muslims… Is there no provision for any legal action against them? If so, why is no action taken? Is BJP giving full support to people like these?” in a post in Hindi on X.

Al Jazeera journalist Wajid Khan wrote, “This BJP MLA Nitish Rane has threatened Muslims that he will enter mosques and massacre them. Keep writing with me until this culprit is arrested.”

Nitish Rane warned Islamists of reciprocating action if Ramgiri Maharaj is harmed

Zubair post on social media came after Nitesh Rane said in a public meeting, “We will enter your mosques and hit you one by one. Keep this in mind.” BJP has distanced itself from the statement.

Islamists ignore the action, but outrage against the response

Interestingly, those who attacked Nitesh Rane were silent when “Sar Tan Se Juda” slogans were being raised against Ramgiri Maharaj across country. X user jxh45 made a thread of such slogans being raised against Ramgiri Maharaj. In a post, the user wrote, “Mohammed Zubair, Rajdeep Sardesai and many others, are misleading without giving context to BJP MLA Nitish Rane speech in Ahmednagar. Islamists & Maulvis have been openly making hate speeches & behe@dings, since last one month – most of which is ignored by media.”

On 23rd August, several hundred Islamists gathered outside Pune Collector’s office and raised STSJ slogans.

On 23rd August, similar slogans were raised by Muslim mob in Nagpur.

On 18th August, young Islamists raised STSJ slogans in Mumbra.

Sar Tan Se Juda slogans were raised in Bagalkot as well. A video was shared on 30th August by the X user.

On 1st September, another video of a Maulana threatening violence against Hindus in Bagalkot, Karnataka was share.

Congress leader Abdul Hameed Mushrif dogwhistled for violence against so-called ‘blasphemy.’

On 21st August, thousands of Islamists chanted STSJ slogans against Ramgiri Maharaj.

Similar slogans were raised in Belagavi, Karnataka by the organisers of protests against Ramgiri Maharaj.

In the third week of August, a speaker at Islamist protest called for the murdering Ramgiri Maharaj in Khanapur town of Karnataka’s Belagavi outside local police station/collector’s office.

Even children were brainwashed to abuse Ramgiri Maharaj.

In another video shared by the X user, Maulana Sajjad Hussain Ashrafi was seen allegedly threatening Hindus in Mudhol city of Karnataka.

In Kalaburagi, Karnataka, Islamists raised STSJ slogans.

In Thakurganj, Bihar, a Maulana threatened Hindus and instigated violence against “blasphemers”. Hundreds of children were also part of this protest rally.

Young Islamists were seen raising STSJ slogans in Takurganj, Bihar.

In Uttarakhand, a Maulvi was seen calling for murdering those who disrespect the Prophet.

Similar inflammatory speech was given in Bundi, Rajasthan.

Nitesh Rane reacted to FIRs against him

After two FIRs were filed against him for his “provocative” remarks in Ahmednagar, Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Nitesh Rane has questioned the action, saying, “Why Hindu community being threatened?”

According to police, two cases were registered against Rane for provocative speeches on two different occasions in Srirampur and Topkhana police jurisdiction of Ahmednagar district on Sunday. Nitesh Rane made the remarks during the Sakal Hindu Samaj agitation in Ahmednagar. “The Constitution and police should do their job. Why is the Hindu community being threatened? If they (Muslims) can talk in threatening language, then we can also do the same. I can show you 10 to 15 YouTube channels that have openly threatened Ramgiri Maharaj and openly propagated hate against the Hindus. Yesterday my statement about being a Hindu Gabbar Singh, is to tell the Hindu community not to be scared of anyone,” he told ANI on Monday.

Rane said that he came out in support of Mahant Ramgiri Maharaj. “Yesterday (Sunday), I was in Ahilyanagar and Srirampur. We came out there in support of Mahant Ramgiri Maharaj. There was nothing new in the statement given by him. Ten Muslim scholars have already mentioned the fact that Ramgiri Maharaj said,” he said on Monday. Further, he added that all those who have been supporting Ramgiri Maharaj have been getting death threats.

“Whoever is supporting Ramgiri Maharaj and putting in on their social media status are getting death threats. In Pune, last week, during a rally against Ramgiri Maharaj, slogans of ‘Sar Tan se juda’ were given. They can say this, but if we come out in support of the Hindu community in the same language, why are we questioned?” he added.

What did Ramgiri Maharaj say?

The outrage of the Muslim groups has been against the alleged derogatory remarks made by the Hindu spiritual leader Ramgiri Maharaj who explained various significant verses from ancient holy Hindu scriptures and urged his followers to lead a righteous life. Saint Ramgiri Maharaj during a sermon in Panchale village of  Nashik’s Sinnar region on Friday, 16th August, allegedly passed derogatory comments on Prophet Mohammed, enraging the entire Muslim community who since then been demanding ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ (death) punishment against the Hindu leader.

The video of what Ramgiri Maharaj said is making rounds on social media. The Hindu saint during the sermon indicated that several Islamists have disrespected women in the past because of the religious doctrine they follow. The remarks sparked wide outrage in several districts of Maharashtra including Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nashik, Mumbai, and Pune with several Islamist leaders and organizations filing FIRs against Ramgiri Maharaj for allegedly hurting the religious sentiments of Muslims.

Muhammed Zubair doing same to Rane what he did to Nupur Sharma

Not to forget, former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma was also made a scapegoat for Islamist propaganda against Hindus similarly by Mohammed Zubair as he has done this time with Nitesh Rane. In May 2022, Zubair intentionally trimmed a clip of Nupur Sharma from a debate she had participated in on Times Now. He presented it as if Nupur was targeting Islam. Notably, he did not show any hateful comments that the co-panellist Tasleem Rehmani made during the debate insulting Bhagwan Shiv that irked Nupur.

As a result, she was declared a ‘blasphemer’ and several Islamist outfits, including Taliban and Al Qaeda, issued inflammatory statements against her calling for her death. Several Maulvis also issued statements against Nupur making it life life-threatening situation for her. Zubair did not stop there. He spread disinformation about what she said during the debate on an international level leading to statements being issued by Qatar and several Islamic organisations.

Sadly, the BJP distanced itself from Nupur Sharma and suspended her. During that period and later protests broke out across the country. The Islamist mobs chose violence to express their anger leading to the destruction of public and private properties. The hate towards Hindus and Nupur Sharma was to the extent that Hindu tailor Kanhaiya Lal and Hindu businessman Umesh Kolhe were brutally murdered by Islamists merely for supporting Nupur on social media posts. Even after two years, Nupur Sharma has hardly made any public appearances. She has to move with extreme caution under tight security to ensure her life is safe. On the other hand, Taslim Rehmani, who provoked Sharma by insulting Bhagwan Shiv, is roaming free and appearing in debates freely and happily without facing any consequences.

The case of Mahashay Rajpal

Targeting non-Muslims over statements made against Islam is not a new phenomenon; it has been occurring for decades. Historical records indicate that this was the reason Mahashay Rajpal was killed for publishing “Rangeela Rasool” in the 1920s.

Mahashay Rajpal, who published “Rangeela Rasool,” was ultimately assassinated for his actions. It is often said that he was killed for publishing a satirical work on Prophet Muhammad called “Rangeela Rasool.” However, rarely it is talked about why he chose to publish the book in the first place. In 1923, Muslims published two particularly offensive books against Hindus: “Krishna Teri Geeta Jalani Padegi,” which used derogatory and vulgar language against Shri Krishna and other Hindu deities, and “Uniseevi Sadi Ka Maharshi,” which contained derogatory remarks about Arya Samaj founder Swami Dayanand Saraswati (incidentally written by an Ahmadi).

In response to this provocation by Islamists, Pandit Chamupati Lal, a close friend of Mahashay Rajpal, wrote a short biography of the Islamic Prophet, Mohammed. “Rangeela Rasool” was a short pamphlet that satirized the life of the Prophet of Islam. Pandit Chamupati made Mahashay Rajpal promise that he would never reveal the author’s name—aware of the potential consequences. The book was anonymously published under the name “Doodh Ka Doodh Aur Pani Ka Pani,” enraging Muslims.

Staying true to his values of one-sided brotherhood, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi condemned “Rangeela Rasool” in his magazine “Young India.” While Gandhi ignored the provocation by Muslims, the colonial government banned the book by the end of June 1924. The Muslim community, partly emboldened by MK Gandhi’s endorsement of their rhetoric of “hurt sentiments” and the whitewashing of the provocation against Hindus, filed multiple cases against the book under Section 153A. In May 1927, Mahashay Rajpal was acquitted of all charges, with the court observing that commentary based on facts about historical figures, including the Prophet of Islam, could not be said to promote enmity between groups. As soon as the verdict was delivered, Muslim mobs erupted in fury. They rioted and demanded the death of Mahashay Rajpal, chanting that his murder was acceptable because, under Sharia law, the punishment for blasphemy is death.

To placate the mobs, Section 295A was passed, and in the same year, there were two unsuccessful attempts on Mahashay Rajpal’s life.

On 6th April 1929, a 19-year-old carpenter named Ilm-ud-Din stabbed Mahashay Rajpal eight times in the chest while he was seated on the outer verandah of his shop. Though he was pressured to reveal the name of the author, Pandit Chamupati Lal, during the court proceedings, he refused and did not tell anyone who wrote the piece. He paid the ultimate price for this—publishing the book despite his acquittal and despite Muslims securing a special law to protect their fragile sentiments.

Let it be Nitesh Rane, Nupur Sharma or Mahashay Rajpal, the series of events are the same. Violent, derogatory and even open slogans for murder are raised by the Islamic mobs are ignored by the likes of Mohammad Zubair and the Leftist media, but any statement declaring retaliation or warning is declared a crime.

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