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Uttar Pradesh: Dalit man killed after eloping with a 16-year-old Muslim girl, FIR filed against 10 including Tasleem, Irshad, Chuttan, Ashfaq, Rehman and others

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Dalit man killed after eloping with a 16-year-old Muslim girl, FIR filed against 10 including Tasleem, Irshad, Chuttan, Ashfaq, Rehman and others

On 17th August, a Dalit man identified as Suraj was found hanging from a tree in Fatehganj West of Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh. Notably, his dead body was discovered only six days after he allegedly eloped with a 16-year-old minor girl from a Muslim community. In a complaint to the police, Suraj’s family alleged that the relatives of the minor girl killed him.

Speaking to media, Additional Superintendent of Police (Bareilly), Mukesh Chandra Mishra, said, “Suraj had eloped with a minor and was living in Rudrapur, Uttarakhand. The girl’s family had lodged an FIR under sections of abduction against him. After the girl was found, her statement was recorded by police on Friday. On Saturday, Suraj was found hanging from a tree on the village outskirts where his uncle lives. His body was handed over to the family after autopsy and the kin was assured of strict action against culprits.”

Reports suggest that Suraj was working in Rudrapur, Uttrakhand, at a private firm and the girl was living with him. An FIR has been registered under Sections 191-2 (rioting), 103-1 (murder), 238 (causing disappearance of evidence), 352 (intentional insult) and 351-2 (criminal intimidation) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) along with the SC/ST Act against 10 persons. The investigation into the matter is underway.

SP Mishra said, “Action will be taken as per the evidence collected and findings of the autopsy report. We’ve deployed police personnel in the village to maintain peace.” Father of the girl Chuttan, her brother Tasleem, Irshad Hussain Patrkar, Ashfaq, Rehman and others have been named as accused in the FIR.

Accusing the family of the minor girl’s kin of honour killing, several villagers and Hindu activists gathered where Suraj’s dead body was found and demanded strict action in the matter.

Cases involving Dalits and Muslim community spiked in recent times

the Kushinagar police in Uttar Pradesh arrested a Maulvi on charges of rape and illegal conversion of a minor Dalit girl. The arrest came after the mother of the victim lodged a complaint against the Muslim cleric on 8th August, 2024. In her complaint, she accused Maulana Muhammad Owais, a resident of West Bengal, of kidnapping, rape and illegal conversion of her daughter. Maulana Muhammad Owais has been teaching in a Madarsa in Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh for the past two years.

On 9th August, people from the Dalit community accused a Muslim mob of attacking them with weapons and brutally assaulting them. It is also alleged that the accused hurled casteist abuses at them and threatened to kill them. During the attack, the accused also targeted a woman. 3 people have suffered serious injuries in the attack and they have been admitted to the hospital. Based on the complaints of the victims, the Police registered a case against 5 accused including Ishaq, Sahil and Asghar.

The conflict between Dalit and Muslim community has also surfaced several times in educational institutes. On 15th July, Delhi Police registered an FIR against Professor Nazim Hussain Al Jafri, Mohammad Nasim Haidar and Professor Shahid Tasleem of Jamia Millia Islamia University under Sections 3(1)(p) and 3(1)(q) of the SC/ST Act. The FIR was registered on the complaint of Ram Niwas Singh who was working as an Assistant in the Faculty of Natural Sciences at the University. OpIndia accessed copy of FIR. Nazim Hussain Al-Jafri is the Official Registrar, Nasim Haider is the Deputy Registrar and Shahid Tasleem is a professor at the University. Ram Niwas Singh, who is a Dalit employee at the University, has accused them of misconduct including hurling caste-based slurs against him, dehumanising treatment and forcing him to convert to Islam. In his complaint, Ram Niwas Singh accused Al-Jafri of using castiest slurs. During a meeting, he told Ram Niwas Singh, “You belong to a lower caste, you are a Bhangi, and you should remain as such. People like you get jobs based on reservations but still do not know their place. Do not forget that Jamia is a Muslim university, and your job is at our mercy.”

Kolkata doctor murder-rape: Doctors continue protest at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital

ANI
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Kolkata doctor murder-rape: Doctors continue protest at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital

The students and junior doctors continue to protest at the RG Kar Medical College & Hospital over the murder and alleged sexual assault of their female colleague on August 9 in the West Bengal city of Kolkata.

The incident has sent shock waves across the country. Doctors have held protests in many cities of the country like Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Mumbai.

The case has been transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation from the state police following an order from the Calcutta High Court. Earlier, on August 9, a postgraduate trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered while on duty at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, sparking nationwide strikes and protests by the medical community.

On August 14, the protest site and the hospital campus at RG Kar were vandalized by a mob, prompting security personnel to disperse the crowd.

To maintain law and order, Kolkata police have imposed section 163 around the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital for seven days, effective from August 18.

Amid the ongoing protests, the Kolkata Police imposed Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (formerly Section 144 of the CrPC), around the Medical College and Hospital for seven days, effective from August 18. 

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

Cherry picking, drawing false equivalence and selective fact checking: Exposing BBC’s agenda to downplay attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh as ‘political violence’

Dibakar Dutta
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Cherry picking, drawing false equivalence and selective fact checking: Exposing BBC’s agenda to downplay attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh as ‘political violence’

Days after Islamists unleashed mayhem on the minority Hindu community in Bangladesh, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) attempted to downplay the hate-filled religious motivation behind the targeted attacks.

The UK’s national broadcaster resorted to cherry-picking, selective ‘fact-checking’ and drawing false equivalences to give a political spin to the Islamist onslaught against Hindus.

An article to this effect was published by the BBC on Sunday (18th August). Titled, ‘Far-right spreads false claims about Muslim attacks in Bangladesh’, the vicious piece was co-authored by Jacqui Wakefield and Shruti Menon.

Screengrab of the article by the BBC

Despite more than 205 targeted attacks on Hindu shops, temples, and businesses, BBC sought to fact-check ‘some videos’ to whitewash the systematic cases of religious persecution in Bangladesh in its entirety.

“We found that many of the videos and claims shared online are false,” it had claimed. BBC pointed out how Sheikh Hasina’s party Awami League was targeted and that it comprised both ‘Hindu and Muslim members.’

The UK’s national broadcaster thus shrewdly laid the foundation to justify attacks on Hindus as an aftermath of political turmoil in the Islamic republic.

BBC gives political spin to religious violence against Hindus

In that way, people around the world voicing concerns about the plight of Bangladeshi Hindus could be accused of peddling misinformation.

As such, BBC did not disappoint when it claimed, “far-right influencers in neighbouring India shared false videos and information that gave a misleading view of the events.”

The idea was to shield radical Muslim mobs, which carried out violence in the first place by attributing a political angle to the attacks.

Demonises India for speaking out against atrocities in Bangladesh

Given that the Modi government supported Sheikh Hasina’s regime in Bangladesh, BBC saw to it that India was frequently mentioned in the article.

It insinuated that ‘fake online videos’ about attacks on Hindus and their labelling as hate crimes was a larger ploy by India and accounts espousing ‘Hindu-nationalist values’.

This was one of the strategies employed by the BBC to give political colour to religious violence against Hindus.

BBC distraught after Hindus get global support

To further bolster its narrative, the UK’s national broadcaster roped in ‘hate speech expert’ Sayeed Al-Zaman. “Fear-mongering by these influencers is inflaming the tension,” he was quoted as saying by the BBC.

The UK’s national broadcaster was distraught by the fact that attacks on Hindus could not be swept under the rug despite levelling accusations of peddling ‘fake news’ against popular global handles.

“Some of these posts falsely claiming that Hindus have been targeted by Muslims have been shared by accounts far removed from either Bangladesh or India,” it claimed.

Difficult to assess motives behind attacks on Bangladeshi Hindus: BBC

While cherry-picking fake videos and selectively fact-checking them to whitewash genuine cases of atrocities on Bangladeshi Hindus did not prove fruitful, the UK’s national broadcaster claimed that assessing motives behind attacks was difficult.

“Working out exactly what has happened in Bangladesh over the last few weeks has proved difficult. Many real incidents and attacks have taken place across the country, but the motivations are difficult to assess: religion or politics,” it alleged.

BBC then immediately imparted a political angle to the attacks by claiming that Hindus were largely ‘supporters of Sheikh Hasina’ and that any attack on them was the consequence of their political affiliation and not religious identity.

It cited controversial ‘fact checker’ Qadaruddin Shishir to bolster its claims. “Right-wing Indian accounts are spreading these politically motivated attacks as religious ones,” he was quoted as saying.

The missing context and population demographics

“Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, a non-profit established to protect minority human rights, reported five Hindu people killed. Two have been confirmed as Awami League members. The AFP has put the count of Muslim Awami League leaders’ who have been killed at more than 50,” the BBC further pointed out to suggest that attacks on Hindus were devoid of religious motives.

The UK’s national broadcaster conveniently forgot to mention that Muslims constitute 91% population of Bangladesh.

It is thus obvious that Muslims form the bulk of the members of the ruling Awami League and have died disproportionately in political targeting by violent mobs comprising Muslims opposed to Sheikh Hasina.

As such, the death of only Hindu Awami League members as opposed to 50 Muslims does not disprove the angle of religious violence. BBC has not been able to explain why only Hindu temples and not mosques were targeted if the attacks were solely political.

Temple protectors have ‘religion’ but attackers don’t

To further downplay attacks on Hindus, BBC highlighted photo ops about Muslims allegedly protecting temples.

“When false claims about attacks on Hindus went viral online, some Muslim protesters decided to guard Hindu temples,” it claimed.

Interestingly, BBC did not explain who was endangering the Hindu religious sites or the religious affiliation of the perpetrators. It’s an interesting case where alleged temple protectors are identified with their religion but not the attackers.

Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair and Jamaat’s mouthpiece ‘Basherkella‘ had also engaged in similar rhetoric on social media to whitewash the Islamist onslaught against Hindus.

Delhi: Speeding Mercedes kills a 34-year-old cycle rider in Ashram

ANI
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Delhi: Speeding Mercedes kills a 34-year-old cycle rider in Ashram

A 34-year-old cycle rider was killed in a hit-and-run case when a speeding Mercedes allegedly mowed him down near Ashram in south Delhi, police said.

The driver of the Mercedes identified as Pradeep Gautam has been arrested, and the car was seized, police said.

According to the police, the victim Rajesh died on the spot when the speeding Mercedes hit him from behind on Saturday morning and escaped from the location. Later, the car driver surrendered at a police station in the evening, police said.

The police traced the ownership of the car and figured that the owner had given the car to Pradeep one month ago to sell it.

According to the police, the body of the deceased was found on the roadside and his cycle was found about 150 metres ahead.

Habi Prasad, the uncle of the deceased, told ANI that the deceased was going to duty when the Mercedes hit him.

“The Mercedes driver hit him (Rajesh) from behind and dragged him to 7-8 metres. He died on the spot. The cycle was dragged at least 100-150 metres.” Habi Prasad told ANI.

The postmortem of the deceased will be conducted on Sunday. 

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

Air India cabin crew member attacked in her hotel room in London, Airline issues message in support as police probe underway

ANI
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Air India cabin crew member attacked in her hotel room in London, Airline issues message in support as police probe underway

An air hostess, working with Air India, was brutally attacked by an unknown assailant at a London hotel earlier this week.

Air India has confirmed the incident and stated that a complaint has been filed with the police, who are now investigating the matter. The airline also assured that the air hostess was receiving psychological support and emphasised that they were fully standing by her during this difficult time.

“We are providing all possible support to our colleague and their broader team, including professional counseling. We are deeply anguished by an unlawful incident of intrusion at a hotel, operated by a major international chain, that affected one of our crew members. Air India is also working with the local police to pursue the matter to the fullest extent of the law and with the hotel management to ensure such incidents are not repeated. We request that the privacy of those involved be respected,” an Air India spokesperson said.

The airline further said that it is taking the incident very seriously and is committed to seeking justice for the air hostess. The airline has also emphasised the importance of respecting her safety, privacy, and well-being during this time.

“Air India accords foremost priority to the safety, security, and well being of our crew and staff members. We are deeply anguished by an unlawful incident of intrusion at a hotel, operated by a major international chain, that affected one of our crew members,” the statement read.

She was later admitted to a hospital in London due to the severity of her injuries.

According to sources, the attack on the Air India air hostess occurred after midnight while all the crew members were asleep. The intruder, whose identity remains unknown, allegedly entered one of the air hostess rooms and attacked her with a hangar. Her screams alerted the hotel staff and with their timely intervention, the matter was under control.

The officials said that an investigation into the matter is underway and the air hostess has since been brought back to India.

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

False narratives and selective outrage: Anti-Hindu agenda of IAMC and HfHR behind Ram Janmabhoomi float controversy during India Parade in New York

OpIndia Staff
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False narratives and selective outrage: Anti-Hindu agenda of IAMC and HfHR behind Ram Janmabhoomi float controversy during India Parade in New York

On Sunday, 18th August, the Federation of Indian Associations NY-NJ-CT-NE has planned the India Day Parade to mark the 78th Independence Day of India. One of the main attractions of the India Day Parade will be the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple float. However, some of the anti-Hindu organisations, including Hindus for Human Rights, Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), and others have objected to the float. They have started a campaign to write to local leaders against the float in the planned parade using fake reports and misinformation.

These organisations have claimed that VHPA, an offshoot of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) “has been designated as a militant religious organisation by the Central Intelligence Agency’s World Factbook”. The organisations who wrote the letter conveniently skipped the fact that while it is true that VHP and Bajrang Dal were designated as “militant religious organisations” on 4th June 2018, the names were effectively removed from the list by 25th June 2018. It was a mistake to call these two organisations “militant” and the CIA itself had rectified it in less than a month.

Source: IAMC

The organisations then claimed that Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) was under active FBI investigation for forced labour and exploitation of lower-caste labourers from India. Interestingly, again, a recent fact was skipped from the assertion that over a dozen artisans withdrew from the case of forced labour and human trafficking against the BAPS temple saying that they were coerced into making false allegations. In July 2023, OpIndia reported that the artisans under the banner of Bharatiya Majdoor Sangh and Patthar Gadhafi Sangh stated they were threatened to be part of the deep-rooted conspiracy to stall the construction of the grand Hindu Temple.

Some of them contacted Rajasthan High Court Advocate Aaditya SB Soni. They informed him that an advocate from the US named Swati Sawant had misled them into making the complaint, and now they want to withdraw from it. “These artisans have made strong claims that Swati Sawant and her companions impressed upon them and misled them, using false temptations, to make a complaint against the temple management,” the press release read.

“These artisans have made strong claims that Swati Sawant and her companions impressed upon them and misled them, using false temptations, to make a complaint against the temple management,” the press release read.

The next claim these anti-Hindu organisations made was that the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya stands on the ruins of the historic “Babri Mosque” which was demolished in December 1992. “In November 2019, the Supreme Court of India controversially awarded the site to Hindus for the construction of the temple, thereby legitimizing an egregious act of violence against a Muslim place of worship. Despite this, the court acknowledged the criminality of the mosque’s destruction, noting it as an “egregious violation of the rule of law”,” The letter added.

Source: IAMC

The letter further said, “The proposed float for the parade is a blatant attempt to glorify the illegal demolition of the historical Babri Mosque and celebrate ongoing violence and terror against 200 million Indian Muslims. This is not merely a cultural display but a vulgar celebration of anti-Muslim hate, bigotry, and religious supremacy.”

Now, coming to the assertion that Ram Mandir stands on the ruins of a mosque is completely false. First of all, it was a disputed structure for centuries and Hindus used a legitimate legal system to claim the land. Furthermore, the disputed structure in question stood on the ruins of the Hindu Temple which was proven not only in the Archaeological Survey of India’s report on the land but also during the excavation for establishing the foundation of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya in 2020. Pillars of old temples with Hindu symbols were found and duly reported. In May 2020, OpIndia reported that during excavation, remains of Hindu stone sculptures, including a Shivling, broken idols of Hindu deities, and carved pillars had been found near the site.

List of the organisations opposing Ram Mandir float

The list of the organisations that are opposing Ram Mandir float are:

  • Indian American Muslim Council
  • Council on American-Islamic Relations
  • Council on American-Islamic Relations – New York
  • Hindus for Human Rights
  • The Federation of Indian American Churches of North America (FIACONA)
  • New York State Council of Churches
  • Genocide Watch
  • Muslim Public Affairs Council
  • Association of Indian Muslims of America
  • Center for Pluralism
  • India’s Civil Watch International
  • American Muslim Institution
  • Crescent School
  • Islamic Circle of North America
  • The Sikh Coalition
  • Dalit Solidarity Forum
  • Great Truth
  • Justice For All
  • Asian Children’s Education Fellowship
  • CAIR-NJ
  • Sadhana: Coalition of Progressive Hindus
  • Ambedkar King Study Circle

Indian American Muslim Council and Hindus for Human Rights are known for their anti-Hindu and anti-India propaganda. In fact, because of their anti-India actions, their X accounts are withheld in India.

The Human Rights Practices report further used the Government of India’s decision to block accounts of organisations like Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR) and the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) on X as examples of transnational repression. The report did mention the reason for the association of HfHR with Soros but in a very questionable tone, as if the Indian government “conspired” against these organisations as they were “working to advance human rights and religious freedom”.

OpIndia has detailed reports on both organisations and how they work against India. The Indian Americal Muslim Council has links [pdf] with the banned Islamic terror outfit, Students’ Islamic Movement of India (SIMI). Besides, the Indian American Muslim Council has ties with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) through its founder Shaik Ubaid. The IAMC is a Jamat-e-Islami-backed lobbyist organisation claiming to be a rights advocacy group. In the past, it had reportedly collaborated with and even paid money to various groups in the USA to get India blacklisted by the USCIRF (United States Commission on International Religious Freedom). IAMC had been caught spreading fake news and misinformation to further the Islamist cause in India. It had also been slapped with the UAPA in 2021.

Interestingly, the three organisations had formed another outfit called the Alliance for Justice and Accountability (AJA). As per an article in The Hindu, the Alliance for Justice and Accountability had been at the forefront of leading demonstrations against the visit of PM Modi to Houston on September 22, 2019. Sunita Vishwanath, the co-founder of ‘Hindus for Human Rights’ had also tried to create hysteria and panic among Indian Muslims about the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in 2019. She is also the co-founder of an organisation named ‘Women for Afghan Women’, which is funded by George Soros’ Open Society Foundations (OSF)/ Open Society Institute (OSI).

In July 2023, BJP leader and Union Minister Smriti Irani questioned Rahul Gandhi for his alleged connections to IAMC’s president Tazeem Ansari and said Ansari has connections with Jamaat-e-Islami. “Even in Bharat Jodo Yatra in Karnataka, the Global Vice President of the Open Society Foundation funded by George Soros was found accompanying Rahul Gandhi. What is extremely distressing is the link with the Islamic Circle of North America. Those in the public domain who will research how the registration process for NRI interaction with Rahul Gandhi in New York ensued will find the contact of Tazeem Ansari – he has an organisational link with Jamaat-e-Islami,” Irani said. 

Hindu organisations hit back at propaganda

Hindu organisations in the US have hit back at the propaganda being run by these organisations. Hindu American Foundation strongly condemned the statements made by these organisations. In a post on X, HAF said, “After the thus far unsuccessful attempt to scuttle a Lord Ram parade float in NYC, @CAIRNational @IAMCouncil & partner fringe groups are asking for a federal investigation into Hindu temples and community orgs. These same groups’ actions were previously condemned by NJ legislators for anti-Hindu hate when they pushed a @teaneckdmc resolution asking that prominent Hindu groups like HAF undergo FBI surveillance. We strongly condemn this latest escalation of threats & scare tactics aimed at prominent Hindu temples such as @BAPS & Siddhivinayak temple that serve immigrant Hindu communities from around the world in New York and New Jersey. We ask@NYCMayor @TheJusticeDept @TishJames @DirectorWrayFBI to condemn this atrocious #Hinduphobic targeting emanating from a simple local dispute over a parade float.”

Executive Director of HAF, Suhag A Shukla wrote, “Could never imagine that the same groups that protested surveillance of Muslims and their mosques after 9/11 now demand that exact surveillance of prominent Hindu temples & Hindu community orgs—because they didn’t like a parade float. Yet here we are.”

OSINT handle ‘Disinfo Lab’ had earlier shared that the HfHR was actively promoting the misleading narrative of ‘Hindu Vs Hindutva’. The same organisation was also seen endorsing the ‘Dismantling Global Hindutva’ conference. As per Disinfo Lab, HfHR was formed in the year 2019 by Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) and the Organization for Minorities of India (OFMI).

West Bengal: Cops arrest student for criticising Mamata Banerjee over RG Kar hospital rape-murder case, sent to custody for 14 days

OpIndia Staff
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West Bengal: Cops arrest student for criticising Mamata Banerjee over RG Kar hospital rape-murder case, sent to custody for 14 days

On Friday (16th August), the West Bengal police arrested a youth for criticising Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the rape-murder of a junior doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

As per reports, the accused was identified as 23-year-old Sagnik Laha. A polytechnic student by occupation, he had lashed out at the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo in a social media post. It was alleged that he used ‘derogatory words’ against Mamata Banerjee

Soon after, the young man was hounded by TMC supporters. A police complaint was eventually filed against Sagnik Laha, leading to his arrest from Alipurduar Junction on Friday night.

Arrested Sagnik Laha, images via ETV Bharat

According to his lawyer Deepshika Roy, Laha was booked under Sections 79, 294 and 296A of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and 67A of the Information Technology.

A day later, he was produced before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate and sentenced to 14 days in custody. “There is one non-bailable charge, others are bailable offences…His bail has been rejected. He will be in custody till 31st August,” Roy remarked.

While speaking to ETV Bharat, Sagnik Laha said, “I am trying to pass my days because of my parents. Thank you so much.”

I don’t understand whom she is protesting against or from whom she is demanding punishment: Nirbhaya’s mother questions Mamata Banerjee

ANI
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I don’t understand whom she is protesting against or from whom she is demanding punishment: Nirbhaya’s mother questions Mamata Banerjee

Expressing her outrage over the rape and murder of a female resident doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, Asha Devi, the mother of Nirbhaya, described the incident as “the most unfortunate thing that has happened.”

She criticised the ongoing political blame game, stating that “governments are accusing each other and holding protests instead of focusing on the case, women’s safety, and addressing shortcomings in the law.”

In a video message, Asha Devi criticised the West Bengal Chief Minister, questioning why she was protesting and demanding capital punishment despite having authority over the health ministry, police, and the legal system.

“The Health Ministry and the police fall under the Chief Minister’s jurisdiction. I don’t understand whom she is protesting against or from whom she is demanding capital punishment. The law is in her hands; the government can at least ensure the case is properly presented to the lower court,” she said.

Asha Devi further noted that whenever such incidents occur, Nirbhaya’s name is invoked, but questioned, “What have we learned from the Nirbhaya incident? What changes have been made to the system? … We are still stuck in 2012.”

She also demanded punishment for all those involved in the case and voiced concern for women’s safety.

“If more than one person was involved, all the accused must be apprehended immediately and punished without delay. It is still unclear whether the victim was assaulted by one person or gang-raped. Such a heinous crime occurred while a doctor was on duty in a hospital. If doctors are not safe inside hospitals, what hope is there for the safety of ordinary women and girls?” she said.

Earlier, on August 9, a postgraduate trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered while on duty at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, sparking nationwide strikes and protests by the medical community.

On August 14, the protest site and the hospital campus at RG Kar were vandalized by a mob, prompting security personnel to disperse the crowd. 

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

Telangana: Farmers stage protest in Adilabad against Congress government’s delay in crop loan waiver, takes out mock funeral of CM Revanth Reddy

OpIndia Staff
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Telangana: Farmers stage protest in Adilabad against Congress government’s delay in crop loan waiver, takes out mock funeral of CM Revanth Reddy

On Saturday (17th August), angry farmers in Telangana staged protests against the Congress government over the delay and failure in waiving off their crop loans. They have charged the state Congress government with cheating and not waiving off their loans despite making tall election promises in God’s name. The angry farmers also took out a mock funeral procession for Chief Minister Revanth Reddy.

The farmers expressed disappointment and anger against the Congress government for not waiving loans across the erstwhile Adilabad district. As per reports, on Saturday, around 500 farmers hailing from several villages gathered at the Talamadugu Mandal centre where they took out a massive funeral procession for CM Revanth Reddy. They slammed the Chief Minister for the delay in the loan waiver and later burnt his effigy.

The protesting farmers also raised slogans “CM down down” and hit CM Revanth Reddy’s effigy with slippers. 

The farmers said that because of the delay in the release of the crop loan waiver, they have been unable to grow crops. They added that they have been forced to take loans from money lenders at very high rates. 

They said that while the Congress party made tall promises, Rythu Bharosa, it has duped them. 

The farmers came to the streets to protest against the exclusion of their names in Boath, Bela, Jainath, and Thamsi mandals. The farmers lamented that their names were not found in the list of beneficiaries released by officials of the agriculture department. They also urged the district authorities to include their names in the list. 

Furthermore, farmers also staged a rasta-roko in Nennal Mandal in Mancherial district pointing out that their crop loans worth Rs 2 lakh have not been waived off. The farmers also blocked traffic on National Highway 363 to seek Justice. They also stressed that the Congress government’s loan waivers have several irregularities at the Rebbena Mandal centre in Kumram Bheem Asifabad district.

CM Revanth Reddy faces stiff opposition from the BJP, BRS, and farmers over the crop loan waiver issue

It is pertinent to note that the Congress government-led by CM Revanth Reddy has claimed that it has extended massive loan waivers to the state farmers. 

On 15th August, CM Revath Reddy claimed, “Rahul Gandhi promised Telangana farmers that their loans up to 2 lakh rupees would be waived by August 15th. Within 8 months of the Congress assuming power, Rs. 31,000 crores in debt has been waived, making Telangana farmers debt-free.” 

As per reports, the Telangana government recently released the third and final installment of the crop loan waiver with an outlay of Rs 5,644.24 crore. With this, it has reportedly released a total of over Rs 17,000 crore for the Crop Loan Waiver Scheme.

However, several farmers across the state as well as the opposition parties, BJP and BRS have slammed the Congress government for cheating and betraying the state farmers in the name of crop loan waiver. They have emphasised that the government has not waived off loans of a large percentage of state farmers.  

Taking to X, Telangana BJP wrote, “During the elections, they believed that all the farmers would be given loan waivers. The authorities did not grant loan waivers to 60% of the farmers. Then they promised to give Rs 31,000 crores, but only around Rs 18,000 crores were given. Telangana farmers will not tolerate this fraud Revanth!”

A day earlier, BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao said that the Congress government had winded up the loan waiver by writing off the debt of Rs 17,934 crore, up to ₹2 lakh a farmer. He added that it was extended to only 22 lakh farmers as the government had considered family as a unit and not individual farmers. 

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy had promised to write off about Rs 41,000 crore of outstanding loans at Rs 2 lakh per farmer, but it was brought down to Rs 31,000 crore in the Cabinet meeting. However, only Rs 26,000 crore was allocated in the Budget. 
But when it came to implementation, the Congress government only waived off crop loans worth only Rs 17,934 crore, BRS leader KTR added.

Popular Congress troll accused of ransom and extortion after he claims movers and packers company stole his valuables: Here’s what the company said

OpIndia Staff
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Popular Congress troll accused of ransom and extortion after he claims movers and packers company stole his valuables: Here’s what the company said

Hours after Congress supporter Ankit Mayank accused Halef International, a movers and packers company, of stealing costly valuables, including jewellery, cash, gold earrings, and other paraphernalia from his house in Bengaluru, the company has rubbished the allegations and asserted that Mayank and his wife had unlawfully detained their team in their house and were extorting the company by manipulating their social media following and making baseless claims. 

In a lengthy statement, Halef International laid out in detail the sequence of events that had taken place between Mayank and them and exposed the discrepancies in the claims made by the Congress troll. 

“We deeply regret the recent situation involving a couple who used our packing and moving services on August 14th. We want to clarify the sequence of events and our commitment to law and order,” the statement released by Halef International said. 

Congress troll accuses team of movers and packers Halef International of stealing his valuables

The controversy erupted after Ankit Mayank, who goes by the handle @mr_mayank shared a video of a messy house with opened boxes lying disorderly throughout his apartment, blaming the movers and the packers company he had hired as responsible for the mess and for “stealing” valuables, money, and jewellery stored in them. His claims were supported by his wife, Rohini Anand, who sought help from Karnataka CM, Dy CM, and Bengaluru Police through her X account @mrs_roh08.

“I had to shift my house on 14th August, for which I had hired a movers & packers company ‘Halef International Pvt Ltd’ (@halefint2019), But that turned out to be the worst decision & the biggest nightmare of my life,” Mayank tweeted along with the video. 

In a subsequent post, Mayank claimed that a bag worth Rs 8 lakhs was stolen by their team of 7 people and cash of Rs 2 lakhs, gold earrings, 2 gold bangles and other things had gone missing. 

He further added that other expensive items like an imported Dior perfume, limited edition gold-plated 50-year-old pens, and a few bags are either missing or damaged. Tagging the Bengaluru Police, the Congress troll claimed that the organisation is denying responsibility for the ordeal they find themselves in and asked them to pursue the matter seriously and help them get justice. 

Company rubbishes allegations of Congress troll, accuses him and his wife of extorting money by manipulating social media following

But hours later, the company responded to the accusations as the thread went viral, with many mocking the Congress troll with “Khatakhat KhataKhat wealth redistribution” and “Karma hits back” jibes. Several other X users also questioned the wisdom of Mayank and his wife for entrusting a movers and packers company with the responsibility to shift valuables, gold ornaments, and cash. 

“@mr_mayank didn’t inform us while booking the services with us that he is availing the service for the transportation of cash, jewellery, antique and ancient valuable items as we don’t encourage or entertain such goods transportation. Other security agencies are specialized & authorized for such transportation,” it further added. 

The couple booked a packing and moving service on August 14th, the company said, adding that their belongings were moved in two trips, with one family member accompanying the first trip and the couple travelling on the second trip, they later claimed a bag was missing. This claim was made after everything was delivered and set up, despite no prior mention of the bag. The team, supervised by the couple and their family member, searched for the bag until 3:00 AM on August 15th but found nothing. They reported the issue to the Kodigehalli police, who investigated and found nothing suspicious, so no FIR was filed.

“Following this, the couple unlawfully detained the team and house arrested, confiscating the vehicle keys and holding them for 24 hours in their house(14th Aug to 15th Aug 2024). One of the team members was physically assaulted by @mr_mayank. Despite the Kodigehalli police denying their claims due to lack of evidence, the couple then demanded Rs 500,000 from our company as ransom. When we refused, they escalated the situation to the Vidyaranyapura police station, where the team was held in custody for further investigation for 24 hrs (15-08-2024 3:00 PM TO 16-08-2024 06:00 PM) before the FIR,” the statement said. 

The company attempted to mediate the situation and offered a reasonable settlement, which the couple initially considered but later rejected, demanding more money. After 72 hours, the couple filed an FIR, falsely claiming that items worth 14 lakhs were missing. However, Halef said that the claimed value in the FIR does not align with the circumstances.

A pen worth Rs 1.5 crore, a 70-year-old whiskey bottle valued at Rs 50 lakhs, documents worth Rs 10 crores, and more: List of things Congress troll reported missing to Halef International

“Over the course of 72 hours, the couple made increasingly outrageous claims, including a missing pen worth Rs 1.5 crores, a 70-year-old whiskey valued at 50 lakhs, and some court documents worth Rs 10 Crore and perfume worth Rs 2.5 Lakhs. However, on Twitter, they mentioned only 18 lakhs, revealing inconsistencies in their story,” the statement read, accusing the couple of extorting the company by manipulating their social media following and making baseless claims. 

“Mr Mayank was under a misunderstanding with the word international in the company’s name thinking that it could be some multinational company and a good opportunity to raise some funds over the situation,” the company said.

The organisation said that when it denied Mr Mayank’s demand to pay him an amount of “7 digits”, the Congress troll reached out to one of their employees and spoke for over 22 minutes negotiating with him over what would be the company’s “last counter offer” and threatened to defame the company if his demands weren’t met.

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