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Kolkata Hospital murder: IMA threatens nationwide protests, and issues an ultimatum of 2 days to conduct a thorough investigation, arrest culprits

OpIndia Staff
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Kolkata Hospital murder: IMA threatens nationwide protests, and issues an ultimatum of 2 days to conduct a thorough investigation, arrest culprits

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has sought a thorough investigation, punishment of the culprits, a detailed inquiry into the conditions enabling the crime, and urgent safety to improve the safety of doctors, especially women, in a press release over the RG Kar Medical College Hospital incident.

A woman doctor was found dead on the hospital premises, sparking nationwide outrage. The autopsy report in the case revealed that the doctor was sexually assaulted before murder, and bleeding from several parts of her body, including private parts.

“The entire medical fraternity of India is shocked beyond words at the brutal murder of Ms Moumtia Debnath a 2nd year PG student of R G Kar Medical College Kolkatta. This heinous crime has been committed inside the seminar hall on the 3rd floor of the campus. There are reasons to believe that she was raped before the murder. This crime is an index of the anarchy and insecurity prevailing on the campus,” the statement released by the IMA said.

“IMA Hqs mourns the death of this precious daughter of India and condemns the existing situations which enabled this crime to be committed with impunity inside the campus,” the press release read. “If safety and security cannot be ensured in the citadels of learning it only indicates the incompetency of the administration. The entire medical fraternity of India stands with the bereaved family and her colleagues.”

The IMA also highlighted the case of a young female resident doctor who was recently stabbed to death in a Taluk Hospital in Kerala, underscoring the increasingly toxic work environment for doctors, particularly women. This incident, the IMA said, underlines the vulnerability of doctors to violence due to the nature of their profession, and authorities must ensure their safety within hospitals and campuses.

“We demand that the authorities act with precision and in time of 48 hours Falling which IMA will be constrained to initiate nationwide action. A fair, transparent and time-sensitive criminal investigation is in order. An ultimatum of two days is given to arrest culprits otherwise IMA will take Nationwide Protests,” the press release concluded.

Autopsy report confirms doctor was sexually assaulted before murder

A day after a semi-nude body of a PG trainee doctor was found inside the seminar hall of Kolkata’s government-run hospital, the preliminary post-mortem report has confirmed that she was raped before the murder. The four-page autopsy report revealed that the woman had bleeding from her private parts. Additionally, she also had injury marks on other parts of her body. Meanwhile, the police have arrested a suspect in connection with the case amid massive protests by junior doctors. The ruling opposition party, BJP, has demanded a CBI probe in this case.

News agency PTI has accessed a copy of the autopsy report. As per the PTI, the autopsy report states, “There was bleeding from both her eyes and mouth, injuries over the face, and a nail. The victim was also bleeding from her private parts. She also has injuries in her belly, left leg, neck, in her right hand, ring finger, and lips.”

The Police stated that the autopsy report had also ruled out suicide. Subsequently, they registered a case at the Tala Police Station. A police officer told PTI, “This is not a case of suicide; the woman was murdered following sexual assault.” 

PM Modi visits landslide-affected areas in Wayanad, takes stock of relief efforts accompanied by Kerala CM and Governor

ANI
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PM Modi visits landslide-affected areas in Wayanad, takes stock of relief efforts accompanied by Kerala CM and Governor

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday conducted an aerial survey over disaster-affected areas in Kerala.

Following the aerial survey onboard an Indian Air Force helicopter, the Prime Minister arrived at Chooralmala, which was among the worst hit places during the landslides.

He was briefed about the evacuation efforts being undertaken in the area. Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and Union Minister Suresh Gopi were are also present for the briefing.

During the aerial survey over Chooralmala, Mundakkai, and Punchirimattom areas, PM Modi was accompanied by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Governor Arif Mohammed Khan.

After the survey, he landed at the SKMJ Higher Secondary School in Kalpetta and proceeded to the landslide hit areas by road.

The Prime Minister took stock of rescue operations in the area.

The Prime Minister will also visit the relief camp and hospital, where he will meet and interact with the victims and survivors of the landslide.

Following his site visits, the Prime Minister will chair a review meeting where he will be briefed in detail about the incident and the ongoing relief efforts.

On July 30 due to incessant and heavy to extremely heavy rainfall, a major landslide occurred at Mundakki, Chooralmala, Vellarimala Village, in district Wayanad.

Modi government took stock of the situation and immediately sprung into action through deployment of more than 1200 rescuers of NDRF, Army, Air Force, Navy, Fire services, Civil Defence, among others for rescue and relief operation at the incident site.

More than 100 ambulances along with doctors and other medical staff were deployed for medical support and treatment.

The Indian Army erected a 190-foot Bailey bridge in Wayanad, which has been crucial in facilitating the movement of heavy machinery and ambulances.

Remarkably, construction of this bridge was completed in just 71 hours, significantly enhancing the rescue operations by allowing heavy vehicles and machinery to be mobilised to rescue around 200 people who were stranded due to damage of the bridge.

An Inter-Ministerial Central team (IMCT) has been constituted by the Central Government to visit the affected areas of the State. The team is visiting the affected areas from August 8 to August 10.

In a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that the state has requested the central government to declare this as a national disaster and a severe calamity.

Kerala state government has assured immediate assistance to those affected by the landslides, helping them relocate to another place, according to an official press release from the Chief Minister’s Office. 


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

UK courts award jail sentences upto 38 months for anti-immigrant social media posts, Met Police chief threatens to arrest people even in other countries for online comments

OpIndia Staff
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UK courts award jail sentences upto 38 months for anti-immigrant social media posts, Met Police chief threatens to arrest people even in other countries for online comments

As the UK is grappling with anti-immigration protests, the courts have started to jail people for social media posts against asylum seekers. This comes after the newly elected Labour government announced a massive crackdown on freedom of speech, saying that anyone inciting protests and violence against immigrants will be jailed.

After that, the courts moved first and awarded jail sentences to several accused arrested for their social media posts. Over a dozen people were jailed yesterday for allegedly inciting violence on social media. The first person to be jailed for a social media post is Jordan Parlour of Seacroft, Leeds, who has been sentenced to 20 months in prison for allegedly inciting people to target a hotel housing immigrants.

He had written on Facebook early this month, “every man and his dog should smash [the] f*** out of Britannia hotel”. He was sentenced after he pleaded guilty of publishing written material intended to stir racial hatred. While the hotel was attacked by protestors, these is no evidence that it was incited by Jordan Parlour’s post which had only 6 likes.

Another person Tyler Kay was jailed for 38 months after his social media post with a similar message, calling for torching hotels housing asylum seekers. The court also cited that he retweeted tweets with similar messages. The judge said that the posts of Tyler Kay reveal his “fundamentally racist mindset.”

Richard Williams from Flintshire in Wales was sent to jail for 3 months for talking about anti-immigrant riots in a Facebook group. Jordan Plain has been jailed for 8 months for ‘racist gestures and comments’.

Many others also have been convicted and jailed for actual participation in riots and violence.

London Met Police chief threatens to arrest even people outside UK

In the meanwhile, London’s Metropolitan Police chief warned that action will be taken against people from other countries too for inciting anti-immigration protests in the UK. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said while talking to Sky News that officials will not only be cracking down on British citizens for social media posts, but even on foreigners.

He said, “If you provoke violent disorder on our streets or online, you will face the full force of the law. And whether you’re in this country committing crimes on the streets or committing crimes from further afield online, we will come after you.” The Met Police chief added, “If you’re a keyboard warrior, you’re not safe from the law if you incite violence.”

Mark Rowley hinted that they can arrest even Elon Musk if he incite violence in the UK.

The protests in the UK erupted after the killing of three girls in Southport last month, and after rumours that an asylum seeker was the culprit.

‘Difficult to find who is behind this’: YouTuber, who was recently invited by US embassy, downplays Islamist violence against Hindus in Bangladesh

OpIndia Staff
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‘Difficult to find who is behind this’: YouTuber, who was recently invited by US embassy, downplays Islamist violence against Hindus in Bangladesh

Amid the Islamist onslaught against Hindus across Bangladesh, Indian YouTuber Akash Banerjee stepped in to whitewash the atrocities committed against the minority community in the neighbouring Islamic country.

During his 25-minute long programme, ‘Are Hindus Really Being Systematically Wiped Out In Bangladesh?’, he claimed that no one knew who was behind the attacks on Hindu homes, shops and temples.

At about 9:20 in the show, he claimed, “The journalists and the minority right groups in Bangladesh are not able to give the exact scale. Are people being killed?

“If yes, then how many have been killed? We have not received this number yet…Neither the Indian nor Bangladesh government is doing any confirmation,” he blurted out rhetorical statements.

Instead of focusing on the fact that Hindus are being attacked en masse and that the perpetrators are violent Muslims, Akash Banerjee claimed that the identity of the attackers was unknown.

“The second question is, who is attacking? The answer is not clear. It is difficult to find out who is behind this,” he was heard saying.

Akash Banerjee gives ‘political twist’ to religious targeting against Hindus

The controversial YouTuber alleged, “It is complicated because other Islamic fundamentalist organizations like BNP and Jamaat are being accused of attacking Hindus but some people are pointing fingers at Awami League and some of their people.”

“It is being done to prove that Sheikh Hasina was protecting minorities, and in her absence, this was bound to happen,”he shrewdly deviated the public discourse from religious persecution of Hindus.

Akash Banerjee not only cast doubts on the extent of attacks on the Hindu community but also suggested that it could be the result of political violence and not religious targeting.

OpIndia has documented cases of atrocities against Hindus in Bangladesh by Islamists masquerading as ‘pro-democracy, anti-quota and anti-government’ protestors. The total number of incidents of attacks on minorities has reached 205.

Interestingly, Akash Banerjee is a late entrant in the game of whitewashing Islamist violence against Hindus. Prior to him, Arfa Khanum Sherwani of The Wire and Mohammed Zubair of Alt News did everything they could to negate reports about targeting of the Hindu community.

Special invite to Akash Banerjee by US embassy

On 17th July, the US Embassy in India informed about its event for Indian social media influences and content creators to learn about boosting social media engagement on social issues and learn about “active citizenship”.

However, for this “Influence to Impact” event, the US Embassy chose the YouTuber “DeshBhakt” Akash Banerjee who has earned notoriety for peddling leftist and anti-BJP propaganda.

While on the face of it, the US Embassy’s promotional content reeked of political interference in India’s internal political discourse.

Earlier in March, OpIndia reported how the US Embassy’s choice of ‘personality’ for Women’s History Month sparked outrage on social media with people pointing to Sayema’s anti-Hindu, regressive and Islamist views. Despite this, the US Embassy was undeterred from promoting Sayema on their social media handles.

Kolkata Doctor murder: Autopsy confirms sexual assault, was bleeding from her private part; one suspect arrested

OpIndia Staff
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Kolkata Doctor murder: Autopsy confirms sexual assault, was bleeding from her private part; one suspect arrested

A day after a semi-nude body of a PG trainee doctor was found inside the seminar hall of Kolkata’s government-run hospital, the preliminary post-mortem report has confirmed that she was raped before the murder. The four-page autopsy report revealed that the woman had bleeding from her private parts. Additionally, she also had injury marks on other parts of her body. Meanwhile, the police have arrested a suspect in connection with the case amid massive protest by junior doctors. The ruling opposition party, BJP, has demanded a CBI probe in this case.

News agency PTI has accessed a copy of the autopsy report. As per the PTI, the autopsy report states, “There was bleeding from both her eyes and mouth, injuries over the face, and a nail. The victim was also bleeding from her private parts. She also has injuries in her belly, left leg, neck, in her right hand, ring finger, and lips.”

The Police stated that the autopsy report has also ruled out suicide. Subsequently, they have registered a case at the Tala Police Station. A police officer told PTI, “This is definitely not a case of suicide; the woman was murdered following sexual assault.” 

According to the Kolkata Police officer, the incident took place between 3 and 6 am. 

He said, “Her neck bone was also found broken. It seems that she was first strangled and then smothered to death. We are waiting for the full report of the autopsy, which will help us identify the culprits.” 

Meanwhile, the Kolkata Police has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe this case. The SIT also includes members of the homicide department. According to the Police, they have arrested a suspect who is an outsider but he had free access to several departments of the hospital. He was arrested after the Police reviewed the CCTV footage. 

A police official told PTI, “We have arrested one person who is an outsider. His activities are quite suspicious, and he seems to be directly involved in the crime.”

Additionally, the Police have also questioned two intern doctors in connection with the case.

Earlier on Friday (9th August), a semi-nude body of a female PG trainee doctor was found inside the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. It is a government-run hospital. Following the discovery, her father had claimed that she was raped and killed inside the hospital, and efforts were underway to “conceal the truth.”

On the condition of anonymity, a doctor at the hospital told PTI, “She had dinner with her juniors around 2 am She then went to the seminar room since there is no separate on-call room to take some rest. In the morning, we found her body there.”

While the police is probing the alleged sexual assault and murder case, it has sparked outrage among the junior doctors of this government-run hospital. On Friday evening, a group of students organised a candlelight march in the city following the discovery of the postgraduate trainee doctor’s body. Additionally, Nurses in Kolkata held a rally on Saturday demanding justice in this case.

Speaking about the incident, Principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital Dr. Sandip Ghosh stated that the victim was like a daughter and that the culprits behind the heinous crime would be caught soon as the police are investigating the matter.

BJP demands CBI probe in this case, launches scathing attack on TMC led state government over law and order front

Reacting to the development, TMC MP Saugata Roy described it as a “shameful incident” and expressed hope that the culprits will be caught. However, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called the parents and assured them that appropriate actions would be taken against the culprits. 

Meanwhile, the death of the second-year medical student has sparked a political storm in West Bengal with the principal opposition party, BJP, launching a scathing attack on the West Bengal government accusing it of failing on the law and order front. It has also demanded a CBI probe in this case. 

Several BJP leaders, including MLA Agnimitra Paul, also visited the hospital and called for an independent investigation under a magistrate. She also objected to conducting a post-mortem of the deceased victim during night time. 

Demanding a CBI probe, BJP leader Agnimitra Paul said, “But the child had injuries… She was killed after being raped. We want a CBI investigation. Why was the post-mortem done in the evening?”

Additionally, on Friday, the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly and BJP leader, Suvendu Adhikari, also raised the demands of a CBI inquiry into the death of the 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor.

He has also expressed solidarity with the students. 

(With Inputs from ANI)

Scientist and author Richard Dawkins’ Facebook account deleted after he says a genetic male like Imane khelif should not be allowed in women’s boxing

Sanghamitra
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Scientist and author Richard Dawkins’ Facebook account deleted after he says a genetic male like Imane khelif should not be allowed in women’s boxing

Celebrated scientist and author Richard Dawkins has shared that Facebook has deleted his account for merely expressing his opinions on Algerian boxer Imane Khelif. The debate around gender identity politics has hit a new outrage with Imane Khelif during the Paris Olympics over the fact that Khelif, a genetic male with XY chromosomes, has been allowed to contest as a woman.

Algerian boxer Imane Khelif has won the Olympic Gold medal in Women’s boxing in the 66 kg category. Imane Khalif’s participation in women’s boxing has been controversial throughout the Olympics because ‘they’ have failed multiple gender tests to be called a ‘woman’.

“My entire Facebook account has been deleted, seemingly (no reason given) because I tweeted that genetically male boxers like Imane Khelif (XY undisputed) should not fight women in Olympics. Of course, my opinion is open to civilised argument, but outright censorship?”, Dawkins posted on X.

Dawkins further added that he had not posted anything about Khelif on Facebook itself, but on X, an entirely different social media platform. Despite this, Facebook has deleted his account.

On July 29, Dawkins had posted on X, “Two men, masquerading as women, are being allowed to box against real women in Olympics.”

Imane Khelif and the gender controversy in Olympics

The International Boxing Association has stated multiple times that Khelif is a biological male, with XY chromosomes and elevated testosterone levels. As per IBA president Umar Kremlev, DNA tests had proved Khelif had XY chromosomes and was thus excluded from their sports events.

However Olympics has not allowed the IBA to run the boxing tournaments because of governance issues and thus, IBA’s objection to Imane Khelif contesting as a ‘woman’ against female boxers has not been taken into account.

A number of celebrities, sportspersons, intellectuals, and many others have expressed outrage at Khelif, a man, being allowed to literally beat up women in boxing matches, conveniently contesting against biological females with clear biological, genetic, and metabolic advantages.

In the final match of the women’s boxing in the 66 kg category, Khelif easily defeated China’s Yang Liu in the 3-round final. Additionally, the Alegian boxer has not lost a single round in the lead-up to the final in the Paris Olympics 2024.

Khelif is a skilled amateur who earned a silver medal at the International Boxing Association’s 2022 global championship. However, The same governing board disqualified her from last year’s championships in Delhi just before her gold medal match, as they failed a gender test, along with another ‘controversial female’ boxer, Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan. As per IBA president Umar Kremlev, DNA tests had proved they had XY chromosomes and were thus excluded from the sports events. They also had ­elavated levels of testosterone. This means that the tests show that they were biological males and went through puberty as males.

Despite being disqualified by the International Boxing Association, Khelif is able to participate in the Olympics because IBA has been banned from running the Olympic boxing tournament in Paris because of old issues regarding governance, finance and some judging scandals. As a result, boxing matches are being organised by IOC’s Paris 2024 Boxing Unit, which has more relaxed rules than the IBA on gender issues.

Celebrities who slammed the Olympics for allowing Imane Khelif to compete as a ‘woman’

Dawkins is not the only prominent voice criticising the ‘woke’ decision of the Olympics authorities to allow Imane Khelif to compete in women’s boxing. Author JK Rowling, Elon Musk, and many others have vocally opposed the decision.

Rowling, a constant voice against gender identity politics that is taking away women’s rights and women-only spaces, even to the extent of allowing violence and abuse against women, has been posting against IOC allowing males to compete against women.

JK Rowling has been speaking up against IOC’s decision to allow biological males in women’s sports

Notably, the IOC has been criticised for clearing Khelif and Lin Yu-ting to compete in Paris despite their disqualification by the IBA for failing gender tests. However, IOC has been defending its decision, adding that the passports of Khelif and Lin Yu-ting say that they are ‘women’.

Lin won the IBA world championships in 2018 and 2022, but the governing organization stripped them of a bronze medal last year, stating she failed to meet eligibility conditions in a biochemical test. The IOC’s official website acknowledges that both boxers failed gender eligibility tests last year.

Sagar Barbeque, owned by Faiz, gets ‘deactivated’ from list of restaurants serving food on Indian Railways after it served Non-Veg with Veg Special Thali sticker to a passenger

OpIndia Staff
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Sagar Barbeque, owned by Faiz, gets ‘deactivated’ from list of restaurants serving food on Indian Railways after it served Non-Veg with Veg Special Thali sticker to a passenger

A shocking case of hurting religious sentiments of a Hindu passenger has come to light near the New Delhi Railway Junction inside the Indian Railways. Notably, the customer was delivered non-vegetarian food during the holy month of Shravan under the sticker of veg special thali he had ordered. Enraged by the act of the e-catering vendor, the passenger shared the incident on social media and also registered a complaint with the Indian Railways.

Acting on his complaint, the Railways penalised the vendor as per their fine policy. The outlet of the vendor has also been deactivated till an inspection is carried out to check their packaging and delivery mechanism. An apology has also been extended to the passenger for deviation in the order and he has been ensured that such mistakes won’t be repeated in future. 

Taking to X, the aggrieved vegetarian passenger, Pallav Singh, informed that he had ordered a vegetarian thali but the e-catering delivery guy named Shahbuddin Qureshi served him non-vegetarian food in the holy month of Shravan. However, ‘veg spl thali (vegetarian special thali) sticker was pasted on the thali that had non-vegetarian food. 

The incident took place in train number 12556 near New Delhi Junction (NDLS) – the delivery station. According to the details shared in the complaint, the name of the delivery service is Zoop and the passenger ordered the thali from Sagar Bar Be Que which is owned by a man named Faiz, as per the information shared by the vendor during the payment for the thali.  

Taking note of the complaint, the Indian Railways commented on the post saying, “Your complaint has been registered on RailMadad and complaint no. has been sent through SMS on your mobile no.”


However, the Indian Railways later submitted closing remarks in this incident in which it informed that it let off the miscreant vendor by only giving him a warning. It also added that it has given a full refund to the customer for “deviation of meal”.

In the closing remarks, the Indian Railways said, “Full amount has been refunded against deviation of meal. Vendor has also been taken up suitably and strictly warned to be more vigil during food packaging and to avoid such complaint in future or else strict action will be initiated.” 

However, this is not a one off incident where a Hindu customer shared a complaint of receiving non-veg adulterated food, hurting their religious sentiments. Earlier, several shocking cases emerged from Indian railways, airways or famous snack delivering eateries in several parts of the country. 

Earlier this week, on 4th August 2024, Chaos broke out at the city bus stop after non-vegetarian biryani was served to pilgrims who were returning to Delhi from Haridwar via Kandhla after taking Gangajal. The accused hawker named Tanveer was apprehended by authorities, and he was subsequently brought to the police station.

In April, this year, Gujarat Police raided a Vadodara-based samosa shop, ‘Huseni Samosa center’, and arrested six persons, including eatery owners Yusuf and Naeem Sheikh for selling samosas stuffed with beef. A similar case was reported in Pune, Maharashtra where condoms, stones and tobacco were found stuffed inside samosas in the canteen of Tata Motors. The police have registered an FIR against 5 people in this case. It was revealed that the accused – Rahim Shaikh, Azhar Shaikh, Mazar Shaikh, Azar Shaikh and Vicky Shaikh – committed the crime in anger after the company cancelled their contract. 

In January 2024, a vegetarian passenger hailing from the Jain community, was served chicken pieces in her veg meal on an Air India flight. Enraged, she complained about the same to the cabin crew but no action was taken on the matter. Finally the passenger, Veera Jain, shared the incident on social media. Air India responded to her post on X, and requested her to delete the tweet.

In July 2022, an incident surfaced at the Jamia Millia Islamia University of Delhi, in which a vegetarian student was allegedly served a non-vegetarian sandwich in the varsity’s central canteen. Upon complaining to the canteen staff, the student was shoved aside and told that there is no pure vegetarian food available in the canteen.

Similar complaint had emerged from the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) in December 2018 where it was alleged that vegetarian food was being served after being cooked in oil used to prepare non-vegetarian dishes.

Additionally, there have been numerous cases where the customers received adulterated foods that were contaminated with dead rats, cockroaches etc in their fooding items. 

Incidentally, in March 2024, food delivery aggregator Zomato gave up with the idea of starting a new service ‘Pure Veg Mode’ to serve its pure veg customers to mitigate the complaint and criticism from ‘pure veg’ users who had at times found non-veg items on their food order. 

BSNL to launch 4G and 5G-ready over-the-air and Universal SIM platforms with no geographical restriction

ANI
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BSNL to launch 4G and 5G-ready over-the-air and Universal SIM platforms with no geographical restriction

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) will soon roll out 4G and 5G-ready SIM platform, highlighted the Department of Telecommunications on Saturday.

The department, in a social media post, stated that the rollout of 4G and 5G services will also help users choose their mobile numbers and replace SIMs without geographical restrictions.

“STATE-RUN TELECOM firm Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd will roll out 4G and 5G compatible over-the-air (OTA) and Universal SIM (USIM) platform, which will enable subscribers to choose their mobile numbers as well as replace SIMs without geographical restrictions,” said the Telecommunication Department on ‘X’.

Last year, the Union Cabinet chaired by PM Narendra Modi approved the third revival package for BSNL with a total outlay of Rs 89,047 crore. According to the government, the move was aimed at part of the revival strategy for BSNL.

The revival package by the government included the allotment of 4G/5G spectrum for BSNL through equity infusion. The government also increased the authorized capital of BSNL from Rs 1,50,000 crore to Rs 2,10,000 crore.

The state-owned telecom service provider BSNL is struggling with a debt crisis, and the Government of India has so far provided three revival packages for BSNL.

The government had approved the first revival package for BSNL/MTNL in 2019. It amounted to Rs 69,000 crore and brought stability to BSNL/MTNL. In 2022, the government approved the second revival package for BSNL/MTNL amounting to Rs 1.64 lakh crore. It provided financial support for capex, viability gap funding for rural landlines, financial support for de-stressing the balance sheet, and settlement of AGR dues, and the merger of BBNL with BSNL, etc.

As a result of these two packages, BSNL has started earning operating profits since FY 2021-22. The total debt of BSNL has reduced from Rs 32,944 crore to Rs 22,289 crore.

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

Bangladesh: Chief Justice to resign after rioters surround the Supreme Court and issue an ultimatum, earlier interim govt minister had insinuated a ‘conspiracy’ by judges

OpIndia Staff
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Bangladesh: Chief Justice to resign after rioters surround the Supreme Court and issue an ultimatum, earlier interim govt minister had insinuated a ‘conspiracy’ by judges

After the resignation of Sheikh Hasina as Prime Minister due to widespread protests in Bangladesh, the rioters have now turned their attention to the Supreme Court, demanding the resignation of all judges, including the Chief Justice. As per reports, the Chief Justice has decided to resign after rioters issued an ultimatum, giving him 2 hours to tender resignation.

Hundreds of rioters had surrounded the Supreme Court, calling for the Chief Justice to step down immediately. The situation has escalated, with reports indicating that the Chief Justice may have fled the premises.

The protests were ignited after the Chief Justice convened a full-court meeting without consulting the newly formed interim government, leading to allegations from student protesters that the judges were involved in a conspiracy.

Asif Mahmud, the adviser to the Youth and Sports Ministry of the Interim Government, took to Facebook to demand the unconditional resignation of Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan and the cancellation of the full-court meeting.

As tensions rose, the full-court meeting was abruptly cancelled, but the protesters remained undeterred, giving the Chief Justice a one-hour ultimatum to resign. The protesters have demanded the resignation of the Chief Justice by 1 PM.

These new protests come shortly after a student-led uprising against government hiring practices led to Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus taking charge of a caretaker government.

Sheikh Hasina had to hastily exit Bangladesh as thousands of violent rioters proceeded towards the Prime Minister’s residence earlier this week. The rioters vandalised and ransacked the Prime Minister’s palace, stealing utensils, sarees, and even undergarments from her residence. A separate violent mob then scaled the walls of the iconic Bangladesh parliament as a show of defiance against the democratically elected government of Sheikh Hasina.

An interim government, led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, has been appointed. According to the constitution, an election must be held within 90 days, although Yunus, the military, and the president have not yet commented on the timing of the election.

Attacks on Hindus, police at the mercy of Jamaat, Prophet Ibrahim as new ‘Father of nation’: How Bangladesh is heading towards becoming an Islamist state

OpIndia Staff
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Attacks on Hindus, police at the mercy of Jamaat, Prophet Ibrahim as new ‘Father of nation’: How Bangladesh is heading towards becoming an Islamist state

The facade of ‘pro-democracy, anti-government’ protests, which led to the unceremonious ouster of Sheikh Hasina as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, is quickly falling apart.

The targeted attacks on the Hindu community, coupled with concerted attempts to push Bangladesh further into the jaws of Islamism have exposed the nefarious designs of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI).

Just on Thursday (8th August), a mob of madrassa students changed the name of the ‘Father of the nation’ from Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rehman to Prophet Ibrahim.

As per reports, they vandalised the nameplate of the Dhaka–Bhanga Expressway which was constructed in 2020. It was the first expressway in Bangladesh and named after the ‘Father of the nation.’

The madrassa students tore down Mujibur Rehman’s name and replaced it with ‘Prophet Ibrahim’. As such, the new name of the expressway read ‘Father of Nation Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) Expressway’. And it is just more than an act of mere symbolism.

The development came against the backdrop of similar vandalism and defacement of statues of the ‘Father of the Nation.’ Islamists associated with JeI, BNP and similar extremist outfits are gradually taking the reigns of the State.

Law enforcement surrenders before BNP, Jamaat

After having attacked and killed police officials with impunity under the pretext of ‘anti-government protests’, Islamists are now providing ‘security’ to police officials.

According to a report by ‘Jugantar’, members of BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami are ensuring the safety of cops stationed at Begumganj Chowki in Noakhali. The development was confirmed by BNP leaders Mohammed Ahsanullah and Morshdul Amin Faisal.

Following the resignation of Sheikh Hasina on 5th August this year, the Begumganj police station came under attack from extremists. Since then, Jamaat and BNP have taken it upon themselves to protect the cops.

This gives us a crystal clear idea as to how law enforcement authorities, who are tasked to provide security to common people, are themselves fearing for their lives.

Religious minorities, who are terrorised by these Islamist groups, cannot seek help from the police as the latter is now dependent on these extremists for protection.

To make things worse, 2200 members of the BNP and Jammat were released on bail. They were arrested for creating mayhem on the streets of Bangladesh in the name of ‘anti-quota protests’.

Jamaat e Islami vows to separate India’s north East, Islamise the entire region

According to a report by Bartaman, Jamaat-e-Islami is eyeing to divide the northeastern part of India.

“Since August 5, there has been a flood of anti-India posts on social media from Bangladesh and Pakistan. One thing is clear to the Indian intelligence- through the Jamaat, the Pakistani spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has made a new target of Northeast India or the ‘Seven Sisters’,” it stated.

“Activated their dormant Bangladesh network and North-East India desk. A former brigadier and a colonel have been tasked with establishing contact with militants in northeast India. And amidst all this, Pakistan’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday that they are with Bangladesh in exchange. Islamabad congratulated them in advance before the formation of the interim government,” it added.

Another report by Bartaman stated that Jamaat was also fantasising about doing Ghazwa-e-Hindu and turning the entire region Islamic.

“The supporters of Jamaat and Hefazat-e-Islam across social media have only one demand – this time, the end of Ghazwa-e-Hind (holy war against non-Muslims) and the achievement of ‘Islamic Bangladesh’,” it read.

“The proposed Banglastan includes the whole of Bangladesh, West Bengal, a large part of Jharkhand, Kishanganj in Bihar, Katihar, Jhapa in Nepal, Rakhine and Arakan regions in Myanmar, parts of Andaman and parts of Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Manipur in northeastern India,” it further added.

Appointment of Islamist in caretaker government

On 8th August, Hefazat-e-Islam leader AFM Khalid Hossain was sworn in as a member of the caretaker government, which is led by US asset Muhammad Yunus.

On 5th August, the incumbent Bangladeshi President Mohammed Shahabuddin ordered the immediate release of Begum Khaleda Zia, who had previously been jailed for embezzling $250,000 in donations meant for an orphanage.

Under her Prime Ministership, there was severe mushrooming of radical Islamic outfits in Bangladesh, increased infiltration in India’s North-east region and systematic persecution of the Hindu community.

Hefazat-e-Islam was founded in Chittagong in January 2010 by Islamist Ahmad Shafi aiming to ‘safeguard’ Islam from claimed anti-Islamic initiatives. The Islamist group also aimed at abolishing secularism and propagating hard-core Islamic beliefs. The group’s formation was prompted by the 2009 Women Development Policy draft, which suggested equal inheritance rights for women.

Anti-Hindu attacks continue unabated

OpIndia has documented cases of atrocities against Hindus in Bangladesh by Islamists masquerading as ‘pro-democracy, anti-quota and anti-government’ protestors. The total number of incidents of attacks on minorities has reached 205.

Mala Roy, who works with the channel ‘BDNews24’, shared one such video of the Islamist onslaught in the Thakurgaon district in Rangpur Division. Reports of attacks on the Hindu community and their Kali temples were also published in the Bangla media.

One such attempt to set fire to a Hindu temple was thwarted by locals in Domar upazila in Nilphamari District of Bangladesh.

In a Facebook video, one Hindu woman narrated how her family was targeted overnight by Islamist mobs. She stated that her 15-year-old brother was assaulted at knifepoint. They also stole Tk 3 lakh from the family.

“Look how they have vandalised our houses…Is this the work of a human? They are claiming that this is an independent country now. See what they have done to my underage brother,” she narrated the ordeal.

“It’s a curse to be a Sanatani in Bangladesh. I, as a student, am asking why my house is being targeted,” the Hindu woman continued. She pointed out that 3-4 other Hindu houses were attacked in a similar fashion.

While speaking to OpIndia, Hindus living in Bangladesh informed that Jamaat-e-Islami members have been making a list of Hindu businesses and Hindu houses since the fall of Sheikh Hasina.

“There are some local Muslims who are trying the help us, but thousands are trying to kill us”, a victim informed.

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