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Jairam Ramesh blames Centre for not implementing Gadgil Commission report, conveniently forgets how Congress gutted it: What you need to know

OpIndia Staff
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Jairam Ramesh blames Centre for not implementing Gadgil Commission report, conveniently forgets how Congress gutted it: What you need to know

Days after devastating landslides claimed the lives of more than 300 people in the Wayanad district of Kerala, the Congress party began targeting the Modi government for non-implementation of the recommendations of the Gadgil Commission.

On Saturday (3rd July), veteran party leader Jairam Ramesh tweeted, “On August 5th, 2019, during Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha, I had raised the issue of the protection of the Western Ghats.”

He accused the Centre of declaring only 57,000 square km or 36% of the land area of the Western Ghats as “eco-sensitive” instead of 64% as recommended by the Gadgil Commission in 2011.

“The delay in the ‘ecologically sensitive area’ tag has enabled rampant and careless commercialization, and is directly responsible for this human tragedy,” Jairam Ramesh blamed the ‘delay’ on the part of the Modi government for the Wayanad landslides.

He further claimed that the Centre was implementing the recommendations of the Kasturirangan Committee and insinuated that they were not environment-friendly.

“The Union Government instead appears to have gone with the recommendations of the Kasturirangan Committee. This will result in future ecological disasters, and will threaten the livelihood and water security of the people living in these areas,” the veteran Congress leader brazened out.

The origin of the Gadgil Commission

The year was 2010. Jairam Ramesh was heading the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF) at that time.

He had appointed the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) to study the impact of climate change, increasing population and development activities on the Western Ghats.

The panel was headed by ecologist Madhav Gadgil (hence also called the Gadgil Commission). It had submitted its 522-page report [pdf] to the Congress-led-UPA government on 31st August 2011.

Recommendations by the Gadgil Commission and Congress’ ire

One of the key recommendations was the designation of 64% of the total area of Western Ghats as ‘Ecologically Sensitize Zones (ESZ)’. The area was to be demarcated as ESZ1, ESZ2 and ESZ3, based on the degree of protection.

The Gadgil Commission called for the complete cessation of development activities such as the construction of dams, thermal power plants and mining in such areas. It sought the decommissioning of such development projects which had surpassed their shelf life in ESZ1.

The Commission called for the prohibition of Genetically Modified Crops (GMC), the use of plastic bags, non-creation of new hill stations in ESZs. It emphasised on local participation, decentralisation and a top-to-bottom approach to environmental governance.

Congress chickens out

A total of six States, namely, Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu were to be impacted by the implementation of the Gadgil Commission report.

The major opposition came from the State of Kerala, which was under the Congress-led-United Democratic Front at that that.

UDF opposed the recommendations tooth and nail, fearing loss of livelihood and ‘hindrance’ to development activities like quarrying and sand mining.

The implementation of the Gadgil Commission report would have led to restrictions on wind energy projects, transport infrastructure, hydroelectric projects and inter-basin transfer of river waters.

Vested interests at play

Faced with Opposition from its State unit, the Congress government at the Centre shelved the report and constituted a High-Level Working Group on Western Ghats (HLWG) under former ISRO chief Dr K Kasturirangan.

The aim was to rationalise Ecologically Sensitize Zones (ESZs) to facilitate development works, as demanded by the UDF.

Compared to the Gadgil Commission report, Kasturirangan called for the notification of only 37% of the total area of Western Ghats as ecologically sensitive. The role of local communities in the economic decision-making process was reduced.

By 2014, the government had put the Gadgil Commission report on the back burner permanently.

According to Dr V S Vijayan, who was a member of the Gadgil Committee, the decision to shelve the report by the Congress government was influenced by the mining lobby.

In an interview with Rediff in 2013, he remarked, “If you go to the Kasturirangan report, on page 10, there is a pie chart which shows very clearly who is behind this. Around 1,700 letters have come on the Gadgil Committee report out of which 81 percent was against it and out of that, 53 percent was from the mining lobby. So, there is concrete evidence to show who was behind it!”

Pot calling the kettle black ft. Congress

Since the 2018 flood that wreaked havoc on Kerala, Jairam Ramesh has been a vocal proponent of the implementation of the Gadgil Commission report. He has been portraying himself and his party as a champion of people’s welfare and environmental causes.

But he conveniently forgets that the reason the Gadgil Commission recommendations never saw the light of the day was due to the Congress party.

UP: Saddam kidnaps a Hindu girl in Bareilly, 3 police personnel suspended after family and locals outrage over delay in filing FIR

Paurush Gupta
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UP: Saddam kidnaps a Hindu girl in Bareilly, 3 police personnel suspended after family and locals outrage over delay in filing FIR

Earlier this week, on 28th July, an accused named Saddam kidnapped a Hindu girl from Bareilly. Later, the Police recovered the victim from Jaipur late at night on 1st August. A day later, they handed her over to the victim’s family. While the accused was kept in the station for questioning, locals and family members alleged that the Police didn’t file an FIR in this matter citing it as a case of a love affair. But the kidnapping case sparked outrage in the area and angry locals protested against the delay in filing FIR. 

Based on the complaint of the girl’s father, the Police filed an FIR against the accused Saddam. Bareilly SSP Anurag Arya stated that three police officials including in-charge Luv Sirohi, Halka in-charge Inspector Satyaveer Singh and beat constable have been suspended for negligence and not filing an FIR on time. 

According to reports, the accused Saddam is a resident of Shivnagar village. He kidnapped a 20-year-old Hindu girl on 28th July. Later, the Police acted on the family’s complaint and launched a search operation to recover the girl, however, they didn’t file an FIR in this matter. 

Late on Thursday, the Police recovered the girl from Jaipur and handed her over to her relatives on Friday morning. However, it is alleged that the Police didn’t initiate any action in this matter saying that it was a case of a love affair. However, the incident of kidnapping of a young Hindu girl sparked outrage in the area. According to reports, locals alleged that instead of registering an FIR against the accused and taking action, the police were preparing to give the accused a clean chit. It was avoiding legal action by saying that it was a love affair. 

Bareilly SSP Anurag Arya said that on 30th July, the 20-year-old daughter of Makulal was kidnapped by Saddam, a resident of Shivnagar Chand Pura village which comes under the Sirauli police station area. Meanwhile, on 2nd August, the girl was handed over to her family. 

It is alleged that on Friday night at around 11 pm, some angry locals entered the house of the accused Saddam and indulged in vandalism and arson. However, when the Police reached the spot, it pacified the locals. According to the Police, the situation at the spot has been normal since night. 

According to the senior police official, the victim’s family had given in writing that they didn’t want any legal action in this matter, angry locals staged a protest against the delay in the FIR and demanded strict action against the accused. 

The accused was taken into custody for questioning. FIRs are being registered by the police in both cases. 

SSP Arya added that those who spoil the environment will be dealt with strictly. 

Uttar Pradesh: Imam Mohammad Rashid refuses to recite Namaz during farmer Alidad Khan’s funeral because he was a BJP supporter, booked

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Imam Mohammad Rashid refuses to recite Namaz during farmer Alidad Khan’s funeral because he was a BJP supporter, booked

A shocking case has come to light from the Moradabad district of Uttar Pradesh where an Imam refused to recite namaz during the funeral of a Muslim farmer alleging that he was a BJP supporter. Notably, a farmer named Alidad Khan (75), lost his life due to a heart attack. When the family asked a local Imam to recite funeral prayers, he refused to do so, alleging that the deceased man was a BJP supporter.

Based on the complaint of the deceased farmer’s son, the Police have registered a case against five people, including Imam Mufti Mohammad Rashid, and the husband of the former Nagar Panchayat president Aslam Khan, who is associated with the mosque committee.

The incident pertains to Kayasthan street in Kundarki area. A farmer, Dilnawaz Khan stated that on 23rd July, his father Alidad Khan died of a heart attack. He invited the Imam of the local mosque to offer funeral prayers, but he refused to do it. However, when Dilnawaz asked him the reason for not offering Namaz, the Imam said that he will not offer Namaz for a BJP supporter.

Dilnawaz added that the husband of the former president of Nagar Panchayat Aslam Khan, and other accused Shamim Khan, Sharafat Khan and Mateen Khan, who are associated with the mosque committee, asked the Imam to refuse to recite prayers at the late farmer’s funeral. The other accused are residents of Kayasthan street. 

For voting for the Bharatiya Janata Party, the accused also threatened to implicate Dilnawaz in a false case. Dilnawaz further stated that the accused threatened to kill him and his family members. Dilnawaz has three sisters, wife, and two small children and their life is in danger now because the accused are rowdy elements.

After the Imam’s refusal, Dilnawaz Khan’s brother-in-law offered the funeral prayers.

We are considered un-Islamic if we vote for BJP

Late farmer Alidad Khan’s son, Dilnawaz Khan told the media that his father was a BJP supporter and used to vote for BJP. He added that because of this, the accused consider his family as un-Islamic. Efforts were made to ostracise them from society. 

BJP’s Kundarki Mandal President Raman Bhushan said that the family of the late farmer Alidad Khan has been a BJP supporter. The farmer’s family had supported BJP in the elections. In the last Nagar Panchayat elections, Alidad Khan’s nephew had also contested the election of Councillor on the BJP symbol.

Moradabad DM Anuj Kumar Singh said that a complaint has been received in which it is said that when a person died of a heart attack, the last namaz was not offered by the Imam. We are investigating the matter based on the complaint. Action will be taken after investigation.

UP: BJP leader’s minor daughter goes missing in Jaunpur, SP supporters spread fake news claiming BJP leaders gang-raped her and party spreads false gang-rape charge, probe finds she fled herself

OpIndia Staff
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UP: BJP leader’s minor daughter goes missing in Jaunpur, SP supporters spread fake news claiming BJP leaders gang-raped her and party spreads false gang-rape charge, probe finds she fled herself

On Friday, the 13-year-old daughter of a BJP leader in the Jalalpur area in the Jaunpur district of Uttar Pradesh was abducted by 4 goons, and she was found abandoned later in the day in Varanasi. However, in the worst kind of twisting news for political agenda, Samajwadi Party supporters are claiming on social media that BJP leaders gang-raped a minor girl.

Surya Samajwadi, a known supporter of the Samajwadi Party, posted on X that a girl studying in 6th standard was gang-raped by BJP leaders. He alleged that no BJP leader has been arrested or booked, and the media is silent on the issue. “This is the reality of Yogi, if the accused is a BJP leader, he will not even be arrested,” he claimed.

But the news clip the X account shared clearly mentions that the minor victim was the daughter of a BJP leader, it nowhere mentioned that the accused are BJP leaders. But despite that fact, several other SP supporters made the same claim, that BJP leaders gang-raped a minor girl, while the fact is that a BJP leader’s daughter was kidnapped and allegedly gang-raped.

The same claim was shared by several other social media users who identify themselves as supporters of Samajwadi ideology.

In another tweet, Surya Samajwadi claimed that a BJP leader abducted the minor girl while going to school, and then she was gang-raped by four persons in a Bolero car. He also claimed that when the girl’s father reached the police station to file complaint, he was chased away by the cops. He again claimed that the accused are BJP leaders and that’s why no arrest have taken place in the case.

The claim that BJP leaders abducted and gang-raped a minor girl is completely false. The fact is, that the victim girl is the daughter of a BJP leader, and a police case has been registered in the case. The accused are yet to be identified, therefore it is a completely false claim that they are from BJP.

As per reports, the girl studying in class six was riding a bicycle to her school on Friday morning when 4 goons travelling in a Bolero car abducted her from the road. She was dragged into the vehicle at a deserted place near Chhatidih.

When she didn’t return home after school time was over, the family got concerned and started to look for her. When they contacted the school, they said that the girl didn’t come to the school on Friday. They then spotted her bicycle lying on the roadside and realised that something was wrong.

The father went to the police station and lodged a complaint. The police started a search operation immediately, and after 8-9 hours, she was found on the Azamgarh bypass near Varanasi. She was thrown out from the vehicle and the abductors had fled.

It was found that she was assaulted, her clothes were torn, and attempts were made to cut her blood vessels. She walked for some distance on the road after she was released by the abductors, but then she fell unconscious. Police found her covered in blood, and immediately admitted her to a hospital.

Notably, the SP supports shared a Dainik Bhaskar report which claimed that the girl was gang-raped. The media cell of the Samajwadi Party also shared this clip, claiming that a BJP leader’s daughter was gang-raped in a moving car in PM Modi’s constituency. While the party didn’t accuse BJP leaders of abducting and raping the girl, they accused the Yogi Adityanath government of playing dirty politics in the cases of rape, murder etc.

However, the police have denied the gang rape charge. They said that no charge of gang rape was made in the complaint. In a statement, City SP Brijesh Kumar stated that when the girl was questioned about the incident, she didn’t make any gangrape charge. She was only assaulted and then released.

They also replied to Akhilesh Yadav, saying that there is no charge of gang rape in this case. Rape is not proven during primary treatment of the girl, they said. They added that the case is related to the abduction and assault of the student, which is being probed. Therefore, there is no question of DNA test of the culprits after their arrest as gang rape allegations have not even been made and not found in medical tests.

The girl was released from hospital after treatment and her family took her home. Police have formed 4 teams to nab the abductors. At present the motive of the crime is not known, but the police suspect enmity with the family.

Not abducted, fled on her own: Police

However, a twist came later in the case, as the police investigation found that the girl was never abducted. In a video statement, SP Ajay Pal said that the girl was not abducted and not assaulted by anyone. He said that the girl had left her home on her own as she was unhappy with her family over some matter. The SP said that police have got witnesses confirming this. The police also recovered her bicycle in a place shown by the girl herself.

Note: This report has been updated with latest developments in the case

Jammu & Kashmir: 5 cops and a teacher sacked for involvement in financing terror network linked to Pakistan’s ISI

OpIndia Staff
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Jammu & Kashmir: 5 cops and a teacher sacked for involvement in financing terror network linked to Pakistan’s ISI

In the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir, six government officials, including five policemen, were dismissed for their alleged involvement in financing terrorism in the area through drug sales. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha invoked Article 311(2)(c) of the Constitution to sack the six employees after an investigation revealed their involvement in the narco-terror network run by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and terror outfits operating from Pakistani soil.

Article 311(2)(c) gives the government the power to sack employees without an inquiry if the President or the governor, as the case may be, is satisfied that in the interest of the security of the state, it is not expedient to hold such inquiry.

Following an investigation by the Jammu & Kashmir Police, they collected incriminating evidence against the sacked officials. The evidence collected by authorities showed that instead of helping security forces fight narco-terror sponsored by the ISI, the police officers were acting as collaborators and acted as moles for the Pakistan agency.

These government officials acted as facilitators for the flow of narcotics, the profits from which were used for funding terrorist activities against India.

“Six government officials, including five policemen and a teacher, were found involved in terror financing through drug sales,” PTI quoted an official as saying.

The 6 sacked government employees are reportedly Farooq Ahmad Sheikh (Constable), Khalid Hussain Shah (Constable), Rahmat Shah (Constable), Irshad Ahmad Chalkoo (Constable), Nazam Din (Teacher), and Saif Din (Constable).

Following the sacking of these 6 government employees, the number of government employees sacked for connections to ISI and helping narco-terror activities has reached 8 within the month.

Notably, there has been a spike in terror activities in the Jammu region in recent weeks with several terrorist attacks being reported.

Bulldozer action against Ayodhya MP aide SP leader Moid Khan, accused in minor gangrape case

OpIndia Staff
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Bulldozer action against Ayodhya MP aide SP leader Moid Khan, accused in minor gangrape case

The Uttar Pradesh Police has sealed an illegal property linked to gangrape accused Moid Khan and initiated bulldozer action against it. The action was initiated a day after UP CM Yogi Adityanath met the 12-year-old girl who was allegedly raped by Khan and his aide.

Moid Khan, a Samajwadi Party (SP) leader, is the main accused in the minor gang rape case.

The bakery was sealed by the food adulteration department, and demolition actions commenced on Saturday. SDM Sohawal, Ashok Kumar, stated, “The bakery has been sealed after it was found illegal, and action to demolish it is being initiated.”

Several other properties of the accused might also face demolition.

The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister met the minor girl on Friday, following which two Uttar Pradesh police officers were suspended for delays in the investigation.

Station House Officer (SHO) of Purakalandar police station, Ratan Sharma, and Bhadarsha outpost in-charge, Akhilesh Gupta, were suspended for their delay in carrying out the investigation.

Bakery owner Moid Khan and his employee, Raju Khan, were arrested from the Purakalandar area in connection with the case on July 30.

Police sources indicated that the teen was raped by the duo two months ago, and the act was recorded. The incident came to light when a recent medical examination revealed the teen was pregnant.

Speaking in the state assembly on Thursday, Yogi Adityanath asserted that Moid Khan was associated with the Samajwadi Party. “Moid Khan is from the Samajwadi Party and a member of the Ayodhya MP’s team. He has been found involved in the rape of a 12-year-old. The Samajwadi Party has not taken action against him,” he said.

OpIndia Impact: FIR against Samajwadi Party leader Rashid Khan, had threatened to kill Ayodhya gang rape victim; bulldozer action on main accused Moid Khan’s property

OpIndia Staff
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OpIndia Impact: FIR against Samajwadi Party leader Rashid Khan, had threatened to kill Ayodhya gang rape victim; bulldozer action on main accused Moid Khan’s property

Strict action is underway in the case of rape of a minor OBC girl by Moid Khan, a party leader close to Samajwadi Party MP Awadhesh Prasad from Ayodhya. The Yogi Adityanath government in the state has suspended police station in-charge Ratanlal Sharma and outpost in-charge Akhilesh Gupta. At the same time, Moid Khan’s property is being investigated. Now an FIR has also been registered against Nagar Panchayat President Rashid Khan.

After OpIndia continuously covered this news, its impact has started showing. The government and administration are handling this matter very strictly. A case has been registered in the Kotwali police station of Ayodhya in this matter. It has been said in the registered case that Bharatkund Bhadarsa Nagar Panchayat President Mohammad Rashid Khan, along with his associates, threatened to kill the rape victim.

The complaint lodged at the police station states, “With the intention of killing the rape victim, Mohammad Rashid, along with Jai Singh and an unknown person, reached near the room of the women’s district hospital at 11 pm on Thursday (August 1, 2024).” It is said in the complaint that even before this, Rashid had entered the victim’s house and threatened her. Rashid is also a leader of the Samajwadi Party.

It is said in the complaint given to the police that Mohammad Rashid Khan entered the victim’s house and pressured her to reconcile. He threatened her saying, “If you do not reconcile, you will lose your life.” Regarding this, the complainant has requested the police to take legal action. On the basis of the complaint, the police have registered an FIR.

According to the copy of the FIR available with OpIndia, Kotwali police station in-charge Ashwani Kumar Pandey has registered a case against Mohammad Rashid Khan and Jai Singh and an unknown person under Section 333 (forcibly entering someone’s house) of the Indian Penal Code 2023 (BNS) and Section 351(3) (criminal intimidation) of the BNS. The investigation of the case has been handed over to SI Umesh Verma.

In fact, the mother and father of the gangrape victim minor girl met Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday (2 August 2024). Purakalandar SHO Ratanlal Sharma and Bhadarsa outpost in-charge Akhilesh Gupta have been suspended following their complaint. Both had been reluctant to register a rape case. Apart from this, orders have also been given to investigate the properties of the main accused Moid Khan.

It is alleged that Moid Khan has illegally occupied a pond and government land. Not only this, Moid Khan is also accused of occupying the lands of many Dalit families. Bajrang Dal has said in a letter written to the District Magistrate that Moid’s bakery in Bhadarsa Bhahar is also built on the land of a Dalit person Janaki Prasad, whose plot number is 1675 and 1676.

After the order to investigate the properties of Moid Khan, the Revenue Department started measuring his land on Friday (2nd August 2024). It is being said that bulldozers may demolish many of the illegal properties of SP leader Moid Khan, including his bakery. On Saturday (3rd August), the revenue team can again reach Moid Khan’s properties and take action.

Meanwhile, Bajrang Dal has demanded a high-level investigation into the properties and activities of Moid Khan and police station in-charge Ratanlal Sharma. The Hindu organisation says that when the victim’s family tried to register a complaint of rape, the police was reluctant. Moid Khan is being protected by Purakalandar police station in-charge Ratanlal Sharma as per Bajrang Dal.

Not only this, Bajrang Dal has also accused Ratanlal Sharma of protecting criminals conducting anti-Hindu activities. It was only after the intervention of Hindu organisations that police station in-charge Sharma registered a case against Moid Khan.

CM Yogi Adityanath, while referring to this incident in the House on Thursday (August 1, 2024), said, “These criminals are like leprosy and till this leprosy is not removed, it will be difficult to fix the situation in Uttar Pradesh.” Responding to the members of the opposition Samajwadi Party, CM Yogi said, “Will you garland such criminals?”

Bajrangbali sticker on state bus offends SDPI Islamist, Karnataka govt takes cognisance of his grievance promising action

OpIndia Staff
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Bajrangbali sticker on state bus offends SDPI Islamist, Karnataka govt takes cognisance of his grievance promising action

On Thursday (1st August), the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) courted controversy for taking cognisance of the demand of an Islamist, associated with the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), seeking the removal of the ‘Bajrangbali sticker’ from a state bus.

In a tweet, KSRTC wrote, “Thank you for your post, we will forward to concerned depot for further examine.”

OpIndia was able to independently verify that the response was made by the official X (formerly Twitter) handle of the state-owned public road transport corporation.

Screengrab of the tweet by Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation

The development came a day after an Islamist named Arif Arwah took offence over a Bajrangbali sticker affixed on the back of a KSRTC bus.

Arif is a prominent member of SDPI, as evident from his social media activity. For the unversed, SDPI is the political arm of the banned radical Islamic outfit ‘Popular Front of India (PFI).

On Wednesday (31st July), the Islamist sought the removal of the ‘religious photo’ from the state-owned bus and demanded action against the driver and conductor.

Screengrab of the tweet by Arif Arwah

In a tweet, he stated, “Hey @KSRTC_Journeys, I Noticed This Bus In Chikmaglur Bus Stand , In back side of the bus,there is a religious photo.
Is it ok to put any religious photos on government buses? Please take action on the driver and conducted.”

While it is not surprising that an intolerant SDPI member is seeking the removal of ‘Bajrangbali sticker’, the fact that KSRTC is entertaining his demand is concerning.

KSRTC is owned by the Government of Karnataka, which is currently controlled by the Congress party.

Bomb threat email received by South Delhi school turns out to be hoax by 14-year-old student to skip school, being questioned

ANI
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Bomb threat email received by South Delhi school turns out to be hoax by 14-year-old student to skip school, being questioned

The bomb threat email received by a school in Delhi’s Greater Kailash area turned out to be a hoax by a 14-year-old student to skip the school, police said on Saturday.

Summer Fields School in Kailash Colony, Greater Kailash-1, received an email on Friday threatening to blow up the school. The school premises were immediately evacuated.

“We received an email late at night which was checked early morning today (Friday). As per the SOP, we evacuated the students within 10 minutes of receiving the email,” the Principal of Summer Fields School, Shalini Agarwal, had said yesterday.

Delhi Police said that a 14-year-old student has been identified and is being questioned.

“The student didn’t want to go to the school and had, therefore, sent the bomb threat mail,” police said.

They further said that the student had mentioned two more schools in the mail to make it look genuine. An investigation into the matter is underway, they added.

Earlier on May 2, a total of 131 schools in Delhi received threat emails. The Delhi Police said that the email used to threaten the Delhi-NCR schools contained the word ‘Swaraiim’, which is an Arabic word used by the Islamic State since 2014 to spread Islamist propaganda.

However, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) later issued an official statement saying that the email appeared to be a ‘hoax’.

“There is no need to panic. The mail appears to be a hoax. Delhi Police and security agencies are taking necessary steps as per protocol,” the official release from the MHA read.

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

Property of accused in Ayodhya minor rape case, Samajwadi Party leader Moid Khan, under scrutiny, accused of encroaching on a Dalit’s land; area SHO suspended

OpIndia Staff
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Property of accused in Ayodhya minor rape case, Samajwadi Party leader Moid Khan, under scrutiny, accused of encroaching on a Dalit’s land; area SHO suspended

The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has taken major action in the case of gangrape of a minor girl of OBC community by Moid Khan, a close aide of Samajwadi Party MP Awadhesh Prasad of Ayodhya. Purakalandar police station in-charge Ratanlal Sharma and Bhadarsa outpost in-charge Akhilesh Gupta of the city have been suspended from their posts. Both had hesitated in registering a rape case against Moid Khan. Apart from this, orders have also been given to investigate the properties of the main accused Moid Khan.

In fact, the mother and father of the gangrape victim met Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today on Friday (2nd August 2024). After this, the state government has taken this action. The Yogi government has also ordered an inquiry into the properties of Samajwadi Party leader and main accused of gangrape, Moid Khan. Following that, the Revenue Department has started measuring the main accused’s land.

After meeting the victim’s family, CM Yogi wrote on social media site X, “Today in Lucknow, I met the family members of the victim girl of Ayodhya along with Honorable MLA Dr. Amit Singh Chauhan ji of Bikapur assembly constituency of district Ayodhya. The culprits will not be spared at any cost, strict action will be taken against them. We are committed to ensure justice for the girl at all costs.”

It is being said that Moid Khan has illegally occupied ponds and government lands. Not only this, Moid Khan is also accused of occupying the lands of many Dalit families. Bajrang Dal has said in a letter written to the District Magistrate that Moid’s bakery in Bhadarsa Bhahar is also built on the land of a Dalit person Janaki Prasad, whose plot numbers are 1675 and 1676.

Bajrang Dal has demanded a high-level investigation into the property and activities of Moid Khan and police station in-charge Ratanlal Sharma. The Hindu organisation says that when the victim’s family tried to lodge a complaint of rape, the police refused. They have said that Moid Khan is being protected by Purakalandar police station in-charge Ratanlal Sharma.

Not only this, Bajrang Dal has also accused Ratanlal Sharma of protecting criminals conducting anti-Hindu activities. It was only after the intervention of Hindu organisations that the police station in-charge Sharma registered a case against Moid Khan.

CM Yogi, while referring to this incident in the House on Thursday (August 1, 2024), had said, “These criminals are the leprosy of the society, and until this leprosy is removed, it will be difficult to improve the situation of Uttar Pradesh.” Responding to the members of the opposition party Samajwadi Party, CM Yogi said, “Will you garland such criminals?”

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said, “This is a case of Ayodhya. Its culprit Moid Khan is a leader of the Samajwadi Party. He is a member of the team of the MP of Ayodhya. He has been found involved in the act of raping a 12-year-old minor girl. Till now, the Samajwadi Party has not taken any action against him. Now should no one even mention the Samajwadi Party?”

Regarding Moid Khan, CM Yogi said, “You are a team member. You have to sit with the MP, eat with him, walk with him. This is a matter related to a girl from a very backward caste. He is involved in such a despicable act, yet the Samajwadi Party takes it lightly.”

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