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Sunita Viswanath of anti-Hindu HfHR uses Janmashtami, Mahabharata, and Bhagvad Gita to peddle Hamas terrorism cause for Gaza: The Wire needs to leave our Gods alone

Anurag
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Sunita Viswanath of anti-Hindu HfHR uses Janmashtami, Mahabharata, and Bhagvad Gita to peddle Hamas terrorism cause for Gaza: The Wire needs to leave our Gods alone

On 26th August, propaganda portal The Wire published an op-ed by Sunita Viswanath, Executive Director of anti-Hindu and anti-India US-based organisation Hindus for Human Rights. In the op-ed Sunita attempted to draw a parallel between the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza to the trials faced by Bhagwan Krishna and Pandavas in Mahabharata. She literally asked Hindus to sympathise with Hamas terrorists on Krishna Janmasthami.

The analogy presented by Sunita Viswanath via The Wire is not only deeply flawed but also misleading. Mahabharata speaks about the Pandavas, who were the embodiment of Dharma and who fought against the Kauravas, representing Adharma. The great War of Mahabharata was guided by Bhagwan Krishna in order to bring about justice and truth.

Source: The Wire

On the other hand, Hamas, the Palestinian terrorist organisation has been targeting civilians with impunity, including the women and children and the elderly, while calling for the genocide of Jews and the destruction of the state of Israel. There are sufficient evidence to prove a majority of the Palestinians support Hamas and want to wipe out Israel from the face of earth. By likening the retaliation faced by Palestinians to the righteous battle of Pandavas, Sunita distorted the essence of Mahabharata and tried to gain underserved sympathy for Hamas, which is far from being a force of good.

If we want to draw parallels, Hamas’ actions were more akin to the Kauravas as just like Kauravas wanted to annihilate the Pandavas through deceit and treachery, Hamas, its supporters and linked terror outfits want to annihilate Israel. Furthermore, it is essential to recognise that Mahabharata is not a story of oppression versus resistance, but it is a tale of victory of good over evil, the triumph of justice over tyranny. In that context, Hamas can never be compared to either Pandavas or Krishna. The true comparison of Hamas lies with the Kauravas, the evil forces.

Israel is not Kansa: The wrong comparison

Sunita in her op-ed, portrayed Israel as Kansa, the evil uncle of Bhagwan Krishna. Such comparison is equally misguided. Kansa was a cruel ruler and wanted Krishna dead because Krishna was to be, according to prophecy, the cause of his downfall. Kansa tried to kill Krishna when he was a toddler and continued his efforts till the point Krishna finally killed Kansa.

Going back to what happened on 7th October, who killed innocent toddlers in a terrorist attack? It was Hamas. If Hamas killed innocent toddlers, children, women and elderly alike without giving it a second thought, how can the retaliation faced by Hamas and its supporters be compared to what Bhagwan Krishna faced throughout his life as a child?

Kansa’s rule was marked by brutality, fear and injustice. On the other hand, Israel is a sovereign democratic state where people from other religions too enjoy freedom. It has full right to defend itself against terrorist attacks from Hamas. It is Hamas and its linked terrorist organisations who want to wipe out Israel from the map. What Israel did was a retaliation and what happened in Gaza was collateral damage of the terrorist attack by Hamas, a Palestinian terrorist organisation, on 7th October.

Thus, to equate Israel with Kansa is misguided and misrepresented just to draw a different story of Israel-Hamas conflict. Kansa was an oppressor. He imprisoned and killed people out of fear for his own power. It is very similar to Hamas who killed innocent Israelis and foreign nationals on 7th October and took over 250 hostages fearing retaliation from Israel.

Israel, on the other hand, is not motivated to oppress. The Jewish country and its people want to live peacefully on their land and have helped Gaza for years to build infrastructure on the sidelines of two-nation theory. What Hamas did? It used the infrastructure developed by Israel in Gaza in attacks on Israel. Even the pipes installed in Gaza were repurposed to build rockets to fire at Israel.

Israel’s retaliation on Hamas is not motivated by a desire to oppress people. In fact, they sent multiple warnings to the people of Palestine to shift to a safer place as they were going to attack Hamas installations. However, out of sheer evilness, Hamas did not allow the people of Palestine to leave Gaza. Sunita here is needlessly dragging Hindu belief systems and Gods to twist the narrative and pass off the sins of Hamas as some kind of righteous struggle.

The teachings of the Bhagavad Gita are misconceived.

She attempted to invoke Bhagvad Gita to justify her story in her op-ed. Sunia claimed that Hindus should stand for the Palestinians because Bhagwan Krishna teaches us to strive for the wellbeing of all and to feel the joy and sorrow of others as our own. Though she is correct about the teachings, the context was grossly misapplied.

Source: The Wire

The Bhagvad Gita is a spiritual guide. It teaches the importance of Dharma and the necessity of righteous action with justice as the goal in mind. Krishna taught Arjuna to act in accordance with Dharma even if it seemed difficult. Supporting a terrorist organisation like Hamas that engages in violence and spread hatred towards Jews is not in the line with the teachings of Bhagwan Krishna through Bhagvad Gita. Bhagwan Krishna advocates for the protection of those who follow Dharma and not the endorsement of acts where innocents were harmed or killed.

Hindus for Human Rights: Anti-Hindu hyenas in disguise

Sunita is the Executive Director of Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR) which is an open anti-Hindu and anti-India organisation based out of the US. The organisation presents itself as a defender of human rights. However, its blatant anti-Hindu narrative has been exposed several times. HfHR often uses Hindu symbols and teachings to push its narrative. In this op-ed too, Sunita tried to use Mahabharata and teachings of Bhagwan Krishna to garner support for a terrorist organisation and its supporters. By doing so, HfHR has exposed its true colours and ideology once more.

HfHR and individuals like Sunita do not take a breath before criticising Hindu practices and beliefs. Their selectively outrage and twist interpretations of Hindu text, like she did here, suggest that their primary goal is not to protect human rights but to erode Hindu identity from the face of the earth by smearing it with false narratives. Sunita aligned with Hamas and framed Israel-Hamas conflict in a way that unfairly demonise Israel. HfHR’s executive director, hence, showed her anti-Hindu self masquerading as a human rights organisation.

Leave Hindu gods out of political narratives

The misuse of teachings of Sanatan Dharma to draw false equivalences in the Israel-Hamas conflict is not only intellectually dishonest but offensive to every sane Hindu worldwide who revere these sacred stories. The Mahabharata is not just another story. It is the history of Santan Dharma, a tale of righteousness prevailing over evil. Thus, it should not be distorted or misrepresented to serve political agendas that are completely oppositing its teachings.

Sunita, organisations like HfHR and media houses like The Wire should leave Hindu Gods out of their deranged narratives as it is clear that they cannot respect the true essence of Hinduism. The comparison between Hamas and the Pandavas is not only incorrect but dangerous to its core. It is an attempt to legitimise violence and terrorism by cloacking it in the disguise of religious righteousness. It is high time these false narratives are called out and stopped before they go out of hands.

Anarchy in Bengal? Bullets fired on BJP leader Priyangu Pandey’s vehicle as students, politicians and public continue to protest demanding justice for RG Kar victim

OpIndia Staff
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Anarchy in Bengal? Bullets fired on BJP leader Priyangu Pandey’s vehicle as students, politicians and public continue to protest demanding justice for RG Kar victim

On Tuesday (August 27) the BJP had called for a 12-hour Bengal Bandh in response to the police excesses during the ‘Nabanna Abhijan’ rally in Kolkata and Howrah, organised to protest the rape and murder of a doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Amid this 12-hour Bengal Bandh, seven rounds of bullets were fired at BJP leader Priyangu Pandey’s car in Bhatpara.

BJP leaders have taken to X to share the visuals of the bullet-riddled windshield of Priyangu Pandey’s car, alleging that an assassination attempt was carried out by members of the state’s ruling Trinamool Congress dispensation against their party’s prominent leader on Wednesday (August 28).

BJP leader Arjun Singh shared a video of the attack. He asserted the attack took place in the presence of a senior Bengal police officer.

“This morning, criminals backed by @AITCofficial leaders hurled bombs and fired bullets on the SUV targeting @BJP4Bengal worker Priyangu Pandey while he was on the way to my office for a party program. Fortunately, Priyangu has received no injury but his driver Ravi Verma and another party worker Ravi Singh have received bullet injuries. Ravi Singh is critical, and has been referred to a hospital in Kolkata. This attack was done in a planned manner with a nexus of criminals and @bkpcitypolice. I suggest TMC leaders to fight politically, not to get involved in these kinds of cowardly attacks. I demand immediate stern actions against the attackers, conspirators and their patrons. I request for @NIA_India probe into this attack to nab the culprits,” Singh wrote.

Arjun Singh also confirmed to the media that seven bullets were fired at the vehicle in an alleged assassination bid. He also said that the attack was carried out in the presence of the ACP.

Leader of the Opposition in Bengal, Suvendu Adhikari also shared the video and wrote, “TMC goon opening fire on eminent BJP Leader Priyangu Pandey’s vehicle at Bhatpara. The driver of the vehicle is shot. This is how Mamata Banerjee & TMC are trying to force BJP off the street. The Bandh is successful and people have supported it wholeheartedly. The toxic cocktail of Police & TMC Goons won’t be able to scare BJP.”

BJP leader Amit Malviya also took to X to confirm the news. “BJP leader Priyangu Pandey’s vehicle shot at in Bhatpara, Barrackpore. Mamata Banerjee and WB Police are using extra constitutional means to target political opponents, keep BJP leaders and workers off the street. Their plans won’t succeed. The agitation will intensify further,” Malviya opined while sharing the video of the attack.

Meanwhile, the police recovered empty bomb shells from near the spot where BJP leader Priyangu Pandey was attacked in Bhatpara of North 24 Parganas.

Meanwhile, in another development, BJP leader Locket Chatterjee was detained by police while participating in a protest at Kolkata’s Bata Chowk. The protest was organized following the BJP’s call for a 12-hour ‘Bharat Bandh.’

Chatterjee commented on the detention, stating, “Nothing will change; the more they detain, the more people will join the protest. This reflects public anger. The police can detain people but cannot stifle the idea behind the protest.”

These incidents reportedly happened during the BJP’s 12-hour Bengal Bandh call to protest against the police’s use of force during the protest march called ‘Nabanna Abhiyan’ that had been called for 27th August in which demonstrators marched towards the state secretariat building – Nabanna – to seek Justice for the RG Kar Hospital victim. 

Mamata Banerjee government facing public ire over the handling of trainee doctor’s rape and murder case

As public outrage over the RG Kar rape and murder case continues to escalate in West Bengal, the government’s response has only worsened the situation. More than ten days have passed, yet the actions taken by Mamata Banerjee and her administration, along with the Kolkata Police, have not succeeded in calming the unrest. Instead, these missteps have only fueled public anger.

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. During the last hearing, the Supreme Court reacted firmly to the apprehensions and allegations that the state administration was suppressing protests demanding Justice for the trainee doctor. The apex court categorically asked the Mamata Banerjee government to “not unleash its power on peaceful protesters“.

PM Jan Dhan Yojana completes 10 years: 2.31 lakh crore deposited, over 53 crore accounts opened out of which more than 66% are in rural areas

ANI
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PM Jan Dhan Yojana completes 10 years: 2.31 lakh crore deposited, over 53 crore accounts opened out of which more than 66% are in rural areas

After a decade of its commencement, the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) has achieved a milestone of a total of 53.13 crores PMJDY accounts out of which 55.6 per cent (29.56 crores) Jan-Dhan account holders are women and 66.6 per cent (35.37 crores) Jan Dhan accounts are in rural and semi-urban areas, the Ministry of Finance said in statement on Wednesday.

Deposit balances under PMJDY Accounts stand at Rs. 2,31,236 crore. Deposits have increased about 15 times with an increase in accounts 3.6 times, as of 14 August 2024.

The average deposit per account, according to the finance ministry stood at Rs. 4,352, as of 14 August 2024. The deposit per account has increased 4 times over August 15.

The PMJDY was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day address on 15th August 2014.

The Prime Minister had described the occasion as a festival to celebrate the liberation of the poor from a vicious cycle.

With the issue of over 36.06 crore RuPay debit cards under PMJDY, the installation of 89.67 lakh point-of-sale (PoS/mPoS) machines and the introduction of mobile-based payment systems like UPI, the total number of digital transactions has gone up from 2,338 crore in financial year (FY) 18-19 to 16,443 crore in FY 23-24.

The total number of UPI financial transactions has increased from 535 crore in FY 2018-19 to 13,113 crore in FY 2023-24. Similarly, the total number of RuPay card transactions at PoS & e-commerce has increased from 67 crore in FY 2017-18 to 96.78 crore in FY 2023-24.

PMJDY is the National Mission for Financial Inclusion to ensure access to financial services, namely, Banking, Savings and Deposit Accounts, Remittance, Credit, Insurance, and Pension in an affordable manner.

On this occasion, Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman, in a message, said, “Universal and affordable access to formal banking services is essential for achieving financial inclusion and empowerment. It integrates the poor into the economic mainstream and plays a crucial role in the development of marginalised communities.”

“By providing universal, affordable, and formal financial services — including bank accounts, small savings schemes, insurance, and credit — to the previously unbanked, PM Jan Dhan Yojana has transformed the banking and financial landscape of the country over the last decade,” the Union Finance Minister said.

“The success of the initiative is reflected in 53 crore people having been brought into the formal banking system through the opening of Jan Dhan Accounts. These bank accounts have garnered a deposit balance of Rs. 2.3 lakh crore, and resulted in the issuance of over 36 crore free-of-cost RuPay cards, which also provide for a Rs 2 lakh accident insurance cover. Notably, there are no account opening fees or maintenance charges and no requirement to maintain a minimum balance,” Sitharaman said.

“It is heartening to note that 67 per cent of the accounts have been opened in rural or semi-urban areas, and 55 per cent of accounts have been opened by women,” the Union Finance Minister said.

“The consent-based pipeline created through the linking of Jan Dhan-Mobile-Adhaar has been one of the most important pillars of the financial inclusion ecosystem. It has enabled swift, seamless and transparent transfer of Government welfare schemes to eligible beneficiaries and promoted digital payments,” Sitharaman said.

PMJDY provides one basic bank account for every unbanked adult. For this account, there is no need to maintain any balance and also no charges are levied on this account.

In the account, a free-of-cost RuPay Debit card with in-built accident insurance cover of Rs. 2 lakh is also provided to promote digital transactions.

PMJDY account holders are also eligible for getting an overdraft of up to Rs. 10,000 to cover exigencies.

Ministry of Finance on Wednesday said in a statement that the PMJDY-led initiatives have produced both transformational as well as directional change. It has strengthened banks and financial institution ecosystems to deliver financial services to the last person in society.

PMJDY has enabled savings while providing credit access to those without a formal financial history. Account holders can now show saving patterns, which makes them eligible for loans from banks and financial institutions. The closest proxy is sanctions under Mudra loans, which rose at a compounded annual rate of 9.8 per cent in five years from FY 2019 to FY 2024. This access to credit is transformative as it empowers individuals to grow their incomes.

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

Chhattisgarh: Arif harasses Hindu woman, gets community members to threaten her family when they confront him

OpIndia Staff
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Chhattisgarh: Arif harasses Hindu woman, gets community members to threaten her family when they confront him

In Chhattisgarh’s Raipur district, clashes erupted over a scrap dealer [Kabaadi wala] named Arif harassing a woman late in the night on Sunday (25th August), while she was passing by. Reports say that accused Arif Langda, a Chhoti Masjid area resident is notorious for harassing and passing lewd comments on women passing by.

On Sunday, Arif molested a woman, whose family in turn arrived at Arif’s house and confronted him. Reports state that the agitated locals even pelted stones at the accused person’s house and thrashed the accused harasser. In response, the accused and his relatives brought hockey sticks and arrived soon to threaten the family back.

Subsequently, the victim’s family approached the police station demanding action against the accused. The protesting locals gheraoed the Saraswati Nagar Police Station in Kota.

After receiving information about the incident and taking note of the escalating tension on the spot, ASP West, and Azad Chowk CSP arrived with additional force and calmed both parties. Later, the police arrested Arif, who had escaped the spot; further investigation is underway.

Indian Express misrepresents phone call between PM Modi and President Biden on Ukraine and Bangladesh Hindus, insinuates Modi initiated the call

OpIndia Staff
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Indian Express misrepresents phone call between PM Modi and President Biden on Ukraine and Bangladesh Hindus, insinuates Modi initiated the call

On Monday (26th August), Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephone conversation with US President Joe Biden and discussed views on regional and global issues, particularly the persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh and the Ukraine crisis. MEA had also issued a communique about the same, wherein it clearly mentioned that PM Modi had received a call from the President of the U.S.A.

Several media outlets reported on the Modi-Biden conversation, with most presenting the news as it was, clearly indicating that Joe Biden was the one who called PM Narendra Modi. However, the Indian Express managed to tailor its reporting in a way that aligned with its specific political agenda. The media house insinuated that it was Modi who initiated the call to the US President and not the other way around.

The opening paragraph of the meticulously crafted report by the Indian Express on August 26th stated, “Days after returning from Kyiv, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to US President Joe Biden on Monday,” subtly suggesting that Modi had initiated the call to Joe Biden.

Screenshot of the August 26th print paper edition of Indian Express

While the Indian Express implied that Modi had initiated the call to the US President, the Ministry of External Affairs, in its press release on August 26th, clearly stated that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi received a telephone call from the President of the U.S.A., H.E. Mr Joseph R. Biden.

However, this type of agenda-driven reporting by the Indian Express is not unexpected, considering the tendency of leftist media to distort and sensationalize news to shape public opinion and influence political and social outcomes. In fact, only recently, the Indian Express published an editorial in defence of Somaiya School principal Parveen Shaikh who has come under fire after OpIndia exposed her terror sympathising social media activities.

Interestingly, Indian Express was not the only one that had defended Parveen Shaikh and downplayed her pro-Hamas and anti-Hindu social media activities. As OpIndia reported earlier, left-leaning portal Scroll and Hindustan Times had also attempted to garner sympathy for Shaikh passing off her pro-Hamas leanings as mere political opinion and alleging that ‘Hindutva’ portal OpIndia targeted Shaikh due to her Muslim identity. 

As Modi reveals bringing up plight of Hindus in call with Biden, White House communique makes no mention

Interestingly, the distortion of the conversation between Modi and Biden was not limited to the Indian Express. The US also selectively emphasized certain aspects of the conversation while omitting others, resulting in a skewed portrayal of the events. Although Modi mentioned discussing the plight of Hindus in his X post, the White House communique skipped mentioning the discussion on the Bangladesh crisis completely.

This came days after the White House refused to comment on the plight of the Hindus and other religious minorities in Bangladesh. While responding to a query on atrocities against Hindu Americans and Hindus in Bangladesh, the official White House Spokesperson Jean Pierre said that they are continuing to monitor the situation but they don’t have anything else to add.

CNN fuels anti-India narrative, publishes article blaming India for floods, whitewashes religious persecution of Hindus as political violence

Paurush Gupta
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CNN fuels anti-India narrative, publishes article blaming India for floods, whitewashes religious persecution of Hindus as political violence

At a time when the US is being accused of pulling a ‘regime change’ operation in Bangladesh, the American leftist media, CNN, which is notorious for pushing and fueling anti-India narratives has yet again published a biased article against India. In its reportage, CNN has tried to pass off the blame for the Bangladesh floods on India. It has brazened it out suggesting that India should “apologise” to Bangladesh for inundating its neighbour. 

Notably, it has done ground reportage and published an article to fuel the anti-India narrative in Bangladesh, even after the fact that New Delhi has twice debunked the falsehood and categorically noted that floods in Bangladesh have nothing to do with the opening of the Dumbur dam upstream of the Gumti River in Tripura.  

It is important to note here that several Bangladeshis are spreading an anti-India narrative amid the floods alleging that India has deliberately opened the gates of the Dambur Hydroelectric Project in Tripura state. Apart from netizens, several media houses also alleged that India was behind the floods that have shaken Bangladesh currently. However, India has factually debunked these allegations twice.  

Now, in an apparent attempt to give legitimacy to the falsehoods being peddled by Bangladeshis, CNN has also tried to pass off the blame for the flash floods in Bangladesh on India. 

During its ground reportage from Bangladesh’s Feni district, the CNN anchor claimed, “Bangladesh has the best early warning systems, but there was no warning in this case”, because of which the Bangladeshis are blaming their neighbour for the flooding. She went further to suggest that India should issue an apology to Bangladesh saying, “India denies this…There has been no apology from India..” 

Strikingly, while peddling her falsehoods, a Bangladeshi journalist who writes for the Daily Star, Tamjidul Hoque pointed out that CNN is the first well-known international news media that arrived in Bangladesh to do ground reporting after Bangladesh Interim government leader, Mohammed Yunus invited foreign journalists to the country. 

Furthering the anti-India narrative through CNN reportage, the Bangladeshi journalist wrote, “..the (CNN) report says how water levels suddenly increased right after India released water from their dam.” 

Apart from the anti-India video reportage, CNN published an article on 27th August, titled, ‘Millions in this country are stranded by flooding. Many blame their neighbor’, to reinforce their bias and pass off the blame for the Bangladesh floods on India.

Blames India for flash floods in Bangladesh, whitewashes religious persecution of Bangladeshi Hindus: Major pointers from the anti-India CNN report

The CNN report noted that Bangladesh has been witnessing floods and cyclones in recent years because of climate change exacerbating extreme weather events but alleged that this time the flood took them by surprise and thus they “blame officials in India”.  

It then went on to allege that India didn’t warn Bangladesh about the imminent flooding. 

The report added, “Dozens of people CNN met in Feni – which is only a few miles from the India border – accused New Delhi of releasing water from the Dumbur dam in neighboring Tripura state with no warning. As we waded past their homes, some people shouted, ‘We hate India’ and ‘This is Indian water’.”

The report quoted a 29-year-old IT worker, Shoriful Islam saying, “They opened the gate, but no information was given.”

Islam added, “India used a water weapon. India is taking revenge for destroying the last government.”

While reporting about India’s clarification which categorically debunked the allegations, CNN subtly claimed that India ‘conceded’ that it “failed to warn Bangladesh citing a power outage. 

Twisting India’s response, CNN report added, “India denied the dam release was deliberate and said excessive rain was a factor – although it conceded that a power outage and communications breakdown meant they failed to issue the usual warning to neighbors downstream.”

While CNN attempted to paint India in a bad light over the recent flooding, it had to admit that the Indian state of Tripura also suffered heavy losses because of these flash floods. Incidentally, the common rivers between the two countries caused floods on both sides of the border. 

CNN reported, “In neighboring India, officials say at least 26 people have been killed, and more than 64,000 people are seeking shelter in relief camps in the Tripura region.”

Further in the article, CNN subtly alleged that “politics” played a part in India’s response to the developing situation. It stated, “Pranay Verma, India’s high commissioner to Bangladesh, told Bangladesh’s interim government an ‘automatic release’ occurred at the dam due to high water levels, according to the interim government’s press secretary, Shafiqul Alam. But some believe politics played a part.” 

It then cited another student, Nahid Islam saying, “India displayed inhumanity by opening the dam without warning.” As per CNN, he is one of the two student representatives in Bangladesh’s interim government.

Apart from trying to blame India for the Bangladesh floods, the CNN article also whitewashed the ongoing religious persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh as it tried to ‘intellectualise’ it as targeted political violence meted out on Hindus for backing Sheikh Hasina.   

The article stated, “During her 15 years in power, Hasina formed strong ties with India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is now serving a rare third term. After her ouster, reports emerged of reprisal attacks against people viewed as loyal to Hasina’s party – many of them Hindus – which sparked major concern in neighboring Hindu-majority India.” 

This comes at a time when it has been pointed out that the Western media has been carrying out reports to whitewash the atrocities against Bangladeshi Hindus. Incidentally, while PM Modi spoke with US President Joe Biden on the attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh, it was conspicuously missing from the White House’s official statement regarding the two leaders’ telephonic conversation. 

Following the publication of the article, several X users also slammed the leftist media for furthering falsehoods and fueling the anti-India narrative in Bangladesh despite India’s clarification over the issue. They also pointed towards a deep-state conspiracy to pull a regime change operation in India as well. Earlier in the day, OpIndia pointed out how an imminent fear is growing around US interference in Indian democracy.

India had already categorically debunked the baseless allegations twice

India has factually debunked the allegation that flash floods occurred in Bangladesh because India opened the dam in Tripura not once but twice. India has clarified that the gates were not opened as claimed by many including credible Bangladeshi and other nation’s media houses, but the automatic release of water due to heavy rainfall was observed. Floods in Bangladesh have created havoc.

On Thursday (22nd August), the Government of India released an official letter clarifying that floods in Bangladesh have nothing to do with the opening of the Dumbur dam upstream of the Gumti River in Tripura. India rejected the allegations and described reports linking India with it as “factually incorrect”. 

India highlighted that flooding also caused havoc in the Indian state of India and reiterated that floods affecting shared rivers are a common issue for both countries and should be addressed through cooperative efforts.

It happened for the 2nd time on 26th August as the Foreign Ministry asserted, “Data, as per protocol, is shared with the concerned Joint River Commission officials in Bangladesh on a regular and timely basis. It has been done this time as well”, thus rubbishing the fake news about Indian link with Bangladesh floods.  

At a press conference, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal addressed the issue by stating, “We have observed the spread of false videos, rumors, and fear-mongering designed to create misunderstandings. Such misinformation should be countered with factual information.”

He further explained that documents related to the Farakka Barrage have been regularly shared with the Joint River Commission officials in Bangladesh against the allegation that India didn’t give a warning to Bangladesh. 

Maldives police launch probe into alleged coup attempt after suspension of foreign transactions by Bank of Maldives

ANI
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Maldives police launch probe into alleged coup attempt after suspension of foreign transactions by Bank of Maldives

The Maldives Police Service (MPS) has commenced a probe into allegations that the opposition tried to stage a coup d’etat after the Bank of Maldives (BML) decision on Sunday to suspend foreign transaction allowances on debit and credit cards related to Maldivian Rufiyaa (MVR) accounts, Maldives-based Maldives Republic reported.

In a statement, the police said that many were shocked by the decision announced by the state-owned Bank of Maldives while the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) was addressing a press conference on the government’s financial situation.

Police said that at the same time, hundreds of “bot accounts” were active on social media, calling on residents to take to the streets to overthrow the government, Maldives Republic reported.

There is a reason to believe that the opposition’s action after BML’s decision, which was made contrary to the directions given by the Muizzu administration, constituted an attempt to overthrow the government, according to the police statement.

The police have accused the opposition MDP of trying to overthrow the government while the BML’s board of directors made the decision on Saturday and announced it publically on Sunday.

Police issued the statement after similar allegations were made at a ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) rally.

Political observers believe that the Muizzu-led administration had enough time to talk to the BML board of directors since the board made the decision and the public announcement to stop the announcement.

The BML reversed its decision to suspend foreign transaction allowances on its debit and credit cards after facing pressure from the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA).

In a statement issued on Sunday, the bank said, “Changes to card limits for foreign transactions announced on 25th August 2024 have been reversed based on instruction from our regulator, the Maldives Monetary Authority.”

The decision which was announced initially on Sunday, suspended foreign transaction allowances for all existing and new debit and credit cards related to MVR accounts. In addition, the bank brought down the monthly foreign transaction limit for existing Standard and Gold credit cards to USD 100, according to Maldives Republic report.

The decision was attributed to a significant rise in foreign currency spending compared to the bank’s foreign currency acquisitions, sparking concerns about its effect on the availability of foreign currency for essential economic activities.

The abrupt change in policy had sparked widespread concern, including a rise in the black market rate for the dollar and increased fears of inflation and economic instability, Maldives Republic reported.

Analysts and opposition leaders had slammed the decision and warned of severe economic repercussions and disruption to essential international payments.

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

‘It’s a cover-up’: RG Kar Hospital victim’s parents say the crime scene was tampered with

OpIndia Staff
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‘It’s a cover-up’: RG Kar Hospital victim’s parents say the crime scene was tampered with

On Tuesday (27th August), the parents of the RG Kar Hospital rape and murder victim,  Abhaya, expressed concerns about the crime scene stating that it was “tampered with”. The development comes days after the CBI stated in the Supreme Court that the crime scene was “altered” while submitting a status report in the investigation of the rape-murder case. 

Speaking with reporters on Tuesday, the parents also expressed disappointment with the investigation and lamented that it’s a cover-up. 

“It’s a cover-up. It’s a setup. The crime scene was tampered with,” the parents were quoted by India Today TV. According to the channel’s reportage, the parents said that they believe that the real culprit is still out there. 

Conspicuously, yesterday a leaked CCTV footage surfaced on social media in which many outsiders were seen in the Seminar hall of RG Kar Hospital, which is said to be the crime scene in this case. The individuals seen in the video included police, a lawyer of the hospital Shantanu Dey, and hospital staff, but not the victim’s family members. 

The leaked CCTV footage and presence of several individuals raised questions and apprehensions about the crime scene getting altered and evidence tampering. However, the Kolkata Police denied these charges triggered after the video surfaced on social media. The Police said that there was no breach and the crime scene was cordoned off. 

According to reports, the arrested rape accused, Sanjoy Roy used a bike which was registered under the name of Kolkata Commissioner of Police. While the Kolkata Police have clarified by saying that all official vehicles are registered in the name of the Police Commissioner, India Today reported that it is under CBI scanner. 

Another major development unfolded in the case on Tuesday as a Kolkata court granted CBI permission to conduct a polygraph test on Anup Dutta, an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) with the Kolkata Police, in relation to the RG Kar Hospital case. 

The CBI is probing whether Dutta played a role in covering up the crime. Officials have indicated that Dutta may have extended various favours to the prime suspect, Sanjay Roy. They are examining if the accused Roy disclosed details of the crime to Dutta and if he received any assistance in concealing it.

Earlier in the day, the CBI completed polygraph tests on Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of the RG Kar Medical College. Notably, it was the third day of subjecting him to a series of Deception Detection Tests (DDT). 

On Saturday, he underwent a Layered Voice Analysis test which was followed by a polygraph test on Monday. The officials said that the test on Monday could not be completed, so it was resumed on Tuesday. 

RG Kar Hospital rape and murder case

Earlier this month, on 9th August, the semi-naked body of a 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor was found in the seminar hall of the government-run hospital in Kolkata. Later, her autopsy report confirmed that she was raped before the murder. 

Subsequently, a civic volunteer was arrested in this case on the next day. Following the orders of the Calcutta High Court, the case was transferred from the Kolkata Police to the CBI which is currently probing the case.  

Uttar Pradesh: Zakir becomes Jackie to befriend and rape Hindu girl, records her explicit videos and blackmails her, forces her to convert and marry him

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Zakir becomes Jackie to befriend and rape Hindu girl, records her explicit videos and blackmails her, forces her to convert and marry him

A case of “love jihad” has come to light from the Shamli district of Uttar Pradesh where a Muslim youth trapped and raped a girl by posing as a Hindu. The accused has been identified as Zakir Ansari from Baghpat who also made obscene videos of the victim and blackmailed her. Zakir later started to pressurise her to convert to Islam and threatened to kill her when she refused. His sister, brother, and mother are also complicit in the crime. On 24th August, the authorities registered a case and started an investigation.

The matter pertains to the Jhinjhana police station area of ​​Shamli district where the girl submitted a complaint and informed that she studies in the Shahdara area of ​​​​Delhi and sometimes used to catch a train to return home where she met the offender a few months ago. He initially introduced himself as Jackie and charmed her. After a few days, Zakir approached her on social media and gradually gained her trust. One day, he visited her room in Delhi along with food items and cold drinks in the name of discussing studies. The drinks were reportedly drugged and she fell unconscious after consuming them after which he exploited the situation and sexually assaulted her. He also recorded footage of her and snapped many pictures.

Zakir again called her to meet him after some time but she refused, and then he threatened to share the videos and images on social media. The girl was forced to allow the perpetrator back into her room and he sexually violated her again. On the same day, she learned about the real identity of ‘Jackie’ after seeing his identity card. The latter then statred to push her to marry him and she agreed to his demand out of fear. A day or two later, he returned to her room and insisted on having a physical relationship. The distressed girl eventually blocked his number.

After being unable to communicate for several days, Zakir Ansari became enraged and went to her coaching centre where he again pressured her to tie the knot with him and change her religion. He threatened to upload all her inappropriate pictures and videos online and drive her to commit suicide if she didn’t comply. “Uttar Pradesh Police cannot do anything to me,” he declared and left after threatening her.

Afterwards, his brother Shakir and sisters Nikhat and Soni started calling and messaging the girl and pressurised her to embrace Islam. They even issued death threats after she objected. The girl left her studies and came back to her village in Jhinjhana due to the intimidation. However, Zakir Ansari continued to pursue her and visited her village with a friend. He cleverly managed to take the phone of one of her relatives and called her to say, “Today I am calling from your brother’s number from outside your house. Next time, I will shoot them and whisk you away.”

She eventually grew terrified of these threats and confided in her family members. The accused then started demanding money from her family when they tried to request him to leave her. Notably, a female leader from Baghpat is also threatening the victim and her family on his behalf. Finally, the girl notified the authorities with the consent of her family and demanded action against Zakir Ansari, his brother, his sisters, and the politician in her complaint.

A First Information Report (FIR) has been filed under Sections 64(2)(m), 351(3), 308(1) and 123 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) as well as the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act. The probe and further police action are underway. OpIndia has a copy of the FIR.

Sanyasi against tyranny: Powerful image of a man in saffron robes braving water canons in Kolkata captures the imagination of netizens

OpIndia Staff
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Sanyasi against tyranny: Powerful image of a man in saffron robes braving water canons in Kolkata captures the imagination of netizens

Ever since the gory details of the rape and murder of the trainee female doctor in Kolkata’s RG Kar Hospital came out, the West Bengal government-led by Mamata Banerjee has been facing public ire and criticism from the courts. Civil society, students, political parties, and the public at large have taken onto the streets against the West Bengal administration. They have accused it of mishandling the case and trying to suppress the public movement that is seeking Justice for Abhaya – the name given to the deceased trainee doctor. 

As part of the ongoing protests, the student organisation ‘Paschim Banga Chhatra Samaj’ and the dissident State government employees’ platform ‘Sangrami Joutha Mancha’ called a protest march – ‘Nabanna Abhijan’ for 27th August. The enraged protestors marched towards the state secretariat building to demand the removal of CM Mamata Banerjee for failing to take strict action against the culprits in the Kolkata rape and murder case. 

However, the Kolkata Police resorted to lathi charges, and water cannons, and used tear gas canons to chase away peaceful demonstrators and stop them from reaching the State Secretariat, the visuals of which further galvanised the protesters and the general public alike. Several netizens have shared videos of the brutal crackdown on peaceful protesters stressing that the general public has risen in defiance against the oppressive regime of CM Mamata Banerjee. 

While some of the X users have shared videos alleging Police excesses and male officers manhandling female students, the video of a defiant Hindu saint amid heavy pressure from the water canon has captured the imagination of a large number of netizens. 

In the video, a saffron-clad Hindu saint can be seen raising the Tricolour as the Police try to push him away using water canons. He can be seen withstanding the heavy thrust from the water canon and continuing the protest march to seek Justice for the RG Kar Hospital victim. 

TV channels, BJP leaders, Former Ministers, and several popular X handles have shared this video. They have hailed the Hindu Saint with some dubbing it as a powerful imagery equivalent to the coveted Tiananmen Square image, others have described it as a symbol of defiance against the oppressive regime and tyranny of CM Mamata Banerjee in the state. 

Reporting on the Police actions to disperse the peaceful protesters, NDTV shared the video stating, “Try to understand the gestures of the elderly.” 

Former Union Minister and senior BJP leader, Smriti Irani has shared the video of the saffron-clad man stating, “The people rise against tyranny…”

BJP’s youth wing, BJYM said, “Undeterred by Kolkata Police fury, this scene is the ultimate symbol of defiance against the oppressive regime of Mamata Banerjee.”

“Sanatan”, wrote Kanchan Gupta, veteran journalist, and senior media advisor to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

Jaipur Dialogues wrote, “This video is as powerful as the Tianmen Square image. More power to you.”

Popular X handle, Year Of The Kraken said, “Absolute Fire Visuals! The end of the tyranny of Mamata Banerjee is upon us!”. The handle also used the hashtag MamataMustResign. Incidentally, it is credited for starting this hashtag during the initial days of the protest in the RG Kar Hospital case. The text on the video reads, “The Tyrant Mamata VS A Hindu Sadhu Holding The Tricolour!”

An X user said, “In Bankim Babu’s Anandamath, the sanyasis revolted against the British Raj. Here a sanyasi is standing against Bano. Very powerful image.”

Many other X users have shared videos slamming the West Bengal government for the brutal crackdown on peaceful protesters and manhandling female students. Some of the users said that the visuals display what dictatorship looks like.  

Tagging Dhruv Rathee, Desi Mojito said, “This is what dictatorship looks like”.

Another X user wrote, “Male Police officer was dragging a female student by her hand . That made few male protestors angry and they attacked that police officer. Other protestors came as saviours and rescued him”. 

It is pertinent to note that for the last 3 decades, politics in West Bengal has been marred with wanton-targeted violence against opponents and the political landscape being dominated by the party and ecosystem that controlled the streets. Mamata Banerjee who ousted the left and has been keeping the resurgent BJP away from power, often took to the streets against her opponents whenever she and was seen as the one controlling the streets. However, now the public has seemingly risen against her administration and taken the streets to demand Justice for Abhaya despite the cold actions of the administration.

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