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Muslim girl’s family assaults her Hindu husband, threatens to kill him and drags her away, girl kept in police protection in Amroha

OpIndia Staff
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Muslim girl’s family assaults her Hindu husband, threatens to kill him and drags her away, girl kept in police protection in Amroha

After a Hindu boy married his Muslim lover in Uttar Pradesh, the family of the girl attacked the boy’s family and forcibly took the girl with them. After the boy’s family lodged a complaint, a police case was registered against the girl’s father and others.

As per reports, a Muslim girl and a Hindu boy named Vipin Singh fell in love in the Bachhraon area of Amroha in Uttar Pradesh after which they got married in the Arya Samaj temple according to Hindu rituals on 9th May. They were staying together after thew marriage, but the boy has been threatened by his wife’s family ever since.

On 19th May, the girl’s family attacked his house, indulged in assault and dragged her with them. The attackers included the girl’s father, brother and two other relatives. They assaulted Vipin, and threatened to kill him, before forcible taking the girl with them. After that, he filed a police complaint and a case was registered. The girl is an adult and doesn’t want to live in her parent’s house. Hence, the cops have kept her under their protection.

According to the information, Vipin Singh has charged that his father-in-law Ali Zafar, brother-in-law Sahun and uncle-in-law Dilsher broke into his home on 19th July at around 9 pm and took his spouse. The couple was living together after they tied the knot in the Arya Samaj temple, but her family members were opposed to their union. OpIndia has a copy of the First Information Report (FIR), in which he demanded strict action against the accused.

The authorities reportedly lodged a case against the perpetrators on the complaint of Vipin Singh’s father. The police brought the girl into the courtroom, taking into account the delicate nature of the situation. She recorded her statement on 24th July before the magistrate. She is currently staying in a safe house built in the district hospital. Circle Officer Shwetabh Bhaskar informed that the statement she presented in the court would be considered and she will be handed over based on it. Locals revealed that she is of age and didn’t want to return to her father’s place. She, however, could be sent to her husband in such circumstances.

Left and its delusion: Democrats debate whether ‘coconut’ for Kamala Harris is racist, Desis whine over ‘Lotus for Potus’ slogan alleging BJP connection

Dibakar Dutta
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Left and its delusion: Democrats debate whether ‘coconut’ for Kamala Harris is racist, Desis whine over ‘Lotus for Potus’ slogan alleging BJP connection

Days after incumbent US President Joe Biden endorsed Kamala Harris as the Democratic Presidential candidate, party supporters on social media are divided over the electoral campaign in the run-up to the Presidential race.

The ongoing debate between Democrats has been over the rechristening of Kamala Harris as ‘Lotus’ and ‘coconut tree’. For the unversed, the first name of the potential Democratic Presidential nominee translates to ‘Lotus (Kamala)’ in Sanskrit.

As such, it makes sense why a section of Democrats wants ‘Lotus for POTUS’. Another group of Democrats are referring to Kamala Harris as a ‘coconut tree’ and designing social media campaigns along those lines.

Interestingly, the reference to Kamala Harris as a ‘coconut tree’ is not due to her South Indian ancestry.

It has something to do with her May 2023 speech during the swearing-in ceremony of Commissioners for the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics.

During her address, Kamala Harris was heard saying, “My mother used to — she would give us a hard time sometimes, and she would say to us, “I don’t know what’s wrong with you young people.  You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?” (Laughs).”

Use of coconut emoji for Kamala Harris is racist: Democrats

Since then, Kamala Harris has been synonymous with ‘coconut trees’ in political spheres. Now, some Democrats and their supporters have taken offence to the use of ‘coconut’ to refer to the potential Presidential candidate.

“If we’re keeping it buck, coconut is a slur (calling a South Asian person coconut is akin to calling a Black person oreo)— so maybe while we’re in the initial stages of this excitement, folks can swap out the coconuts for a lotus since Kamala means lotus in Sanskrit,” wrote one Imani Gandy.

“It doesn’t surprise me to see so many white progressives putting a coconut emoji in their bios now as a racist slur against VP Harris (“ fell out of a coconut tree”), it doesn’t surprise me, but it still makes me sick to my stomach,” claimed another Democratic Party supporter.

Another Democrat alleged that the coconut emoji used about Kamala Harris was a ‘slur’ and insisted on the use of the term ‘Lotus’.

One Ryan tweeted, “Now they mad about the coconut emoji and claiming it’s a racial slur against Kamala Harris like it ain’t just a reference to a quote said by her…”

Coconut not a slur, Lotus associated with BJP: Democrats

While one set of deranged leftists was busy categorising ‘coconut’ as a slur, Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and Indian fans of Kamala Harris found a new topic for outrage.

According to them, the use of the term ‘ Lotus for Kamala’ is worse, given the association of the flower with the Narendra Modi-led-BJP. For the unversed, the lotus is the election symbol of the Bhartiya Janata Party.

“Nah, Kamala literally means Lotus in Sanskrit/Hindi so that connection is fine (eg. LOTUS for POTUS). But the symbol itself is hella problematic bc it stands for the extreme RW hindu nationalist party BJP in India, so avoid the emoji,” one Poushali Bhadury

One X user tweeted, “The bitter irony is that Imani has directed ignorant Kamala supporters to use the lotus emoji when that really would cause issues because she’s of Indian descent and in India, the lotus is a symbol of Hindu nationalist fascism under Modi’s BJP.”

He was seen using the ‘coconut emoji’ in his profile name.

“Coconut is a joke not a slur for South Asians. But the lotus is the symbol of the BJP, the Hindu nationalist right wing party, of India (our version of the GOP). Neither has any negative context for Kamala Harris, but lotus is the one I would rather avoid,” wrote one Sravani Hotha.

Another Desi brazened out, “I don’t want the BJP IT cell to appropriate Kamala Harris or bask in her reflected glory. So I am wary of the lotus. That was their little jingle in the 90s in Hindi. We have to bring the Lotus flower and make BJP successful. (It rhymes in Hindi but it sounds a bit clunky here).”

“For curious folks, the lotus is the symbol of Modi’s BJP, the current Hindutva (Hindu nationalist) ruling party of India who have a lot of ethnonationalist tension-stoking and harsh right-wing policy to their name. So yes, would not be a good look for Kamala’s campaign,” wrote another X user.

Another Desi tweeted, “Crazy how people here act like saying coconut in regards to kamala is a racial slur but are using the lotus emoji for her how stupid do you have to be to decide a lotus emoji is unproblematic for an indian women in politics omfg”

Conclusion

The ongoing debate over ‘coconut’ and ‘Lotus’ reference for Kamala Harris shows how leftists in India and the United States are distant from ground realities.

Instead of focusing on real issues such as unemployment, rising housing costs, mental illness and gun violence, Democrats are finding trivial issues to outrage on social media. Their favourite pastime seems to finding ‘racism’ and ‘fascism’ in places where they don’t exist.

This goes on to show how leftist hysteria and mental gymnastics know no bounds when it comes to politics.

‘Agnipath is a necessary reform, we need to keep the Army young and fit’: PM Modi in Ladakh on Kargil Vijay Diwas

ANI
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‘Agnipath is a necessary reform, we need to keep the Army young and fit’: PM Modi in Ladakh on Kargil Vijay Diwas

Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised the Agnipath scheme during his address in Ladakh’s Kargil on Friday on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas.

Highlighting the scheme, PM Modi said that the goal of Agnipath was to make the Army young and keep the Army continuously fit for war. He said that the major reforms in the army have been a long-standing demand.

“The country has felt the need for major reforms in the defence sector for decades. The army has been demanding this for years, but unfortunately, it was not given enough importance earlier. The Agnipath scheme is also an example of the necessary reforms done in the Army. For decades, discussions have been going on in Parliament and many committees on making the army young,” PM Modi said during his address.

“Those who are misleading the youth of the country. Their history is proof that they don’t care about soldiers. These are the same people who lied on OROP by showing a meagre amount of Rs 500 crore. It is our government that implemented the charges. More than Rs 1.25 lakh crore was given to ex-servicemen,” the PM added.

PM Modi said that the average age of soldiers in India being higher than the global average was a concern raised over the years and Agnipath resolved the matter.

“The average age of Indian soldiers being more than the global average has been a cause of concern. That is why this issue has also been raised in many committees for years. However, the will to solve this challenge related to the security of the country was not shown earlier. The country has addressed this concern through the Agneepath scheme,” he said.

“Some people used to think that the Army means saluting politicians, doing parades but for us, the Army means the faith of 140 crore countrymen. The goal of Agneepath is to make the army young. The goal of Agneepath is to keep the army continuously fit for war,” PM Modi added.

The Prime Minister also criticised the opposition parties opposing the scheme for “politicising” a “sensitive issue related to national security.”

“Unfortunately, some people have made such a sensitive issue related to national security a subject of politics. Some people are doing politics of lies for their benefit, even on this reform of the army. These are the same people who weakened our army by committing scams worth thousands of crores in the army, who wanted the Air Force to never get modern fighter jets, who had made preparations to scrap the Tejas fighter plane,” PM Modi said.

PM Modi further emphasised the reforms made in the defence sector during the last 10 years and said, “In the last 10 years, we have made defence reforms a top priority in the defence sector. Due to these reforms, our armies are now more capable and becoming self-reliant!”

“Today, a significant share of defence procurement is being given to the Indian defence industry. Additionally, 25 per cent of the research and development budget in defence has been reserved for the private sector. As a result of these steps, India’s defence production has now exceeded Rs. 1.25 lakh crore,” he said.

Earlier, PM Modi virtually carried out the first blast of the Shinkun La Tunnel project in Ladakh’s Kargil.

The Shinkun La Tunnel Project consists of a 4.1-kilometre-long twin-tube tunnel that will be constructed at an altitude of around 15,800 feet on the Nimu-Padum-Darcha Road to provide all-weather connectivity to Leh, according to a PMO release. 

Once completed, it will be the highest tunnel in the world. Shinkun La tunnel will not only ensure swift and efficient movement of our armed forces and equipment but also foster economic and social development in Ladakh.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also paid tribute to bravehearts who made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty in the 1999 Kargil War. The Prime Minister laid a wreath at the Kargil War Memoria in Drass, Ladakh, on the occasion of the 25th Kargil Vijay Diwas.

Kargil Vijay Diwas, observed annually on July 26, commemorates the success of Operation Vijay in 1999.

During this operation, Indian forces successfully reclaimed strategic positions in the Kargil sector of Jammu and Kashmir that had been infiltrated by Pakistani soldiers and terrorists. 

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

‘Treat India on par with NATO, Japan and Korea’: Senator Marco Rubio introduces US-India Defense Cooperation Act to strengthen ties

OpIndia Staff
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‘Treat India on par with NATO, Japan and Korea’: Senator Marco Rubio introduces US-India Defense Cooperation Act to strengthen ties

On the 25th of July, US Senator Marco Rubio introduced a bill in Congress that proposes treating India on an equal footing with its allies such as Japan, Israel, Korea, and NATO allies in terms of technology transfers, supporting India in its response to growing threats to its territorial integrity. In addition, the bill proposed prohibiting Pakistan from getting security assistance if it is proven that it has sponsored terrorism against India.

Taking to X, Senator Marco Rubio informed about introducing the bill “U.S.-India Defense Cooperation Act” and wrote, “In order to strengthen our partnership with India, it’s essential we increase our strategic relationship w/ New Delhi. Introduced a bill to best support India as they continue to face aggression from Communist China.”

“Communist China continues to aggressively expand its domain in the Indo-Pacific region, all while it seeks to impede the sovereignty and autonomy of our regional partners. It’s crucial for the US to continue its support in countering these malicious tactics. India, along with other nations in the region, is not alone,” the Republican leader said.

The bill emphasises the importance of US-India cooperation in combating Communist China’s influence. It asserts that improving our strategic political, economic, and military ties with New Delhi is critical to strengthening this cooperation.

The bill would set a “Statement of Policy stating that the United States will support India in its response to growing threats to its territorial integrity, provide necessary security assistance to India to deter adversaries, and cooperate with India on defense, civil space, technology, medicine, and economic investments.”

If passed, the bill provided a “limited exemption for India from CAATSA sanctions for purchases of Russian equipment that are currently used by the Indian military.”

The bill proposes to establish a Sense of Congress that expedited consideration of certifications of letters of offer to sell defence articles, defence services, design and construction services, and major defence equipment to India is consistent with US interests, and that India’s ability to deter threats is in the interests of peace and stability.

Most importantly, the bill proposes to “treat India as if it were of the same status as US allies such as Japan, Israel, Korea, and NATO allies regarding technology transfers.”

The bill proposes authorising the Secretary of State to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with India “to increase military cooperation; expedite excess defence articles to India for two years and grant India the same status as other allies; and expand International Military Education and Training Cooperation with New Delhi.”

In what could be a major blow to Pakistan if the bill is passed, the bill brought by Marco Rubio, the senator from Florida, states that a report should be submitted before the Congress on Pakistan’s use of terrorism and proxy terror groups against India. In addition, the bill proposes to deny security assistance to Pakistan, if it is found that the country sponsored terrorism against India.

“Require a report to Congress on Pakistan’s use of offensive force, including through terrorism and proxy groups, against India; and Bar Pakistan from receiving security assistance if it is found to have sponsored terrorism against India,” the bill states.

25th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas: Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh remembers the indomitable spirit of Indian soldiers

ANI
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25th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas: Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh remembers the indomitable spirit of Indian soldiers

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday remembered the indomitable spirit and courage of the brave soldiers who fought valiantly in the 1999 war and said that the Armed Forces service and sacrifice will continue to inspire “every Indian” and our “coming generations.”

“Today on the 25th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas, we remember the indomitable spirit and courage of the brave soldiers who fought valiantly in the 1999 war. Their unwavering commitment, valour and patriotism ensured that our country remained safe and secure. Their service and sacrifice will continue to inspire every Indian and our coming generations,” Rajnath Singh posted on X.

Meanwhile, in Kargil security was heightened ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the Kargil War Memorial on the occasion of the 25th Kargil Vijay Diwas 2024.

PM Modi will visit Kargil today on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Kargil Vijay Diwas and pay homage to the bravehearts who made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty.

PM Modi will visit the Kargil War Memorial at around 9:20 am and pay tribute to the bravehearts. Prime Minister Modi will also carry out the first blast of the Shinkun La Tunnel Project, virtually

The arrangements are in full accordance with security purposes at the Kargil War Memorial at Dras, ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit.

An official release said that the Shinkun La Tunnel Project consists of a 4.1 km long Twin-Tube tunnel which will be constructed at an altitude of around 15,800 feet on the Nimu – Padum – Darcha Road to provide all-weather connectivity to Leh.

Once completed, it will be the highest tunnel in the world. Shinkun La tunnel will not only ensure swift and efficient movement of the country’s armed forces and equipment but also foster economic and social development in Ladakh.

As the country celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Kargil Vijay Diwas today, the families of the soldiers remember the bravery and dedication of their loved ones who laid their lives during the war between India and Pakistan at icy heights in 1999.

Kargil Vijay Diwas, observed annually on July 26, commemorates the success of Operation Vijay in 1999. During this conflict, Indian forces successfully reclaimed strategic positions in the Kargil sector of Jammu and Kashmir that had been infiltrated by Pakistani soldiers and terrorists.

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

Planned carnage, foreign intervention and a hidden Islamist nexus: Real objective behind violence in Bangladesh under the garb of ‘quota protests’

Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury
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Planned carnage, foreign intervention and a hidden Islamist nexus: Real objective behind violence in Bangladesh under the garb of ‘quota protests’

While the entire world knew Bangladesh was witnessing protests by students demanding reform in quota-system in government jobs, in reality, thousands of members of Al Qaeda connected Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), ultra-Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) alongside their armed cadres and Pakistani ISI-trained terrorists were continuing total mayhem targeting public-private properties, key-point installations, police stations, prisons, members of law enforcement agencies and unarmed civilians.

At the very first hour of this unimaginable cruelty, BNP-Jamaat cadres, along with their Islamist-jihadist cohorts set fire to Bangladesh Television (BTV) – state-owned television station, vandalised and looted valuable equipment, and obstructed fire service from extinguishing fire. They also physically assaulted staff members of this key-point installation.

Almost simultaneously, hundreds of BNP-Jamaat cadres ransacked and vandalized the national data center, destroyed fiber optic connections and set fire to the entire building resulting in the collapse of Internet services throughout the country. Later it was revealed, that BNP-Jamaat wanted first to cut off Bangladesh from the rest of the world and then by capturing BTV – proclaim the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina government and announce the establishment of Sharia rule in the country.

During interrogation, several cadres of BNP and Jamaat told law enforcement agencies that the entire mayhem was directly controlled and coordinated by BNP’s acting chairman and convicted terrorist Tarique Rahman, who has been living in London since 2007. Preparations for implementing the blueprint of unseating the government, assassinating Sheikh Hasina and turning Bangladesh into a Sharia nation began immediately after the January 7, 2024 general elections, which was boycotted by BNP.

It was also revealed, BNP entered into an agreement with Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus for making him president by turning Bangladesh into “Islamic Republic of Bangladesh”. In return, Yunus pledged to get support of the Biden administration towards the “Islamic Republic of Bangladesh”, by using the influence of Bill and Hillary Clinton as well as several influential figures in the Democratic Party.

Meanwhile, Tarique Rahman sought Pakistan’s spy agency Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) in “unseating India’s puppet regime” in Bangladesh. He also promised Islamabad to cancel the recently signed agreement between Dhaka and New Delhi through which India shall use Bangladesh land for rail and road transit to connect the rest of the country with its northeastern regions.

During the mayhem of the Islamist-terrorist nexus, which began on July 18 public and private properties worth billions of dollars have been rampaged and set on fire, BNP-Jamaat nexus as well as its Islamist and jihadist cohorts brutally murdered several members of Bangladesh Police as well as Rapid Action Battalion (RAB). Their cruelty was so intense that dead bodies of the members of law enforcement agencies were hung on flyovers in Dhaka as well as other parts of the country.

It was such a horrific situation that cannot be described in words.

Meanwhile, Islamists and militants attacked Narsingdi Jail – at the eastern part of the country, killed prison guards, looted weapons and ammunition and released 834 convicted prisoners, including 6 members of Ansar Al Islam – a local franchise of Al Qaeda. According to media reports, attackers looted 56 Chinese rifles, 19 shotguns and over 8,500 rounds of ammunition. Until now, over 770 convicted prisoners, including 7 members of Ansar Al Islam and 2 members of Jamaatul Mujahedin Bangladesh (JMB) are at large.

It is anticipated, these jihadists may try to enter India by crossing the border as Ansar Al Islam has several secret camps and bases in West Bengal. It may be mentioned here that these militancy outfits are connected to Al Qaeda and Islamic State respectively.

In other prisons in Bangladesh, various militancy outfits including Ansar Al Islam, Jamaatul Mujahedin Bangladesh (JMB) and Harkat-ul-Jihad (HuJI) were preparing for this gruesome terrorist act for months, while despite the publication of reports in the media, prison authorities did not take any measures against such dangerous activities.

Taking advantage of internet outage, members and activists of Al Qaeda-connected Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), Hizbut Tahrir and jihadist forces in several countries, including the United States, Britain, EU nations, Malaysia, and Middle East began spreading disinformation on social media with the ulterior motive of misleading Bangladesh expatriates as well as international communities.

To give credibility to such gruesome propaganda and disinformation drive, culprits also circulated photoshopped or doctored photographs of front-pages of local dailies with concocted information, thus generating confusion and fear within Bangladesh expatriates and others.

Meanwhile, according to several credible sources, at least 350 well-trained terrorists entered Bangladesh during the holiday of Eid Ul Adha with the target of joining subversive and terrorist acts throughout Bangladesh, which they codenamed ‘Bangla Spring’. These terrorists were secretly trained by Pakistani spy agency Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) within various training camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). A significant portion of these trained terrorists belong to Stranded Pakistani Biharis in Bangladesh, who were sent to Pakistan for training under the supervision of BNP and Jamaat.

The source further said, some of these terrorists are given special commando training while there also are experts on making explosives. It said, at least one dozen Stranded Pakistani Biharis in Bangladesh are suicide attackers.

Another source said, from the first week of June, under the direct instructions of convicted terrorist and acting chairman of Al Qaeda-connected Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), leaders of this party, including members of it executive and advisory committee donated BDT 1.5 million to 50 million each in the “special fund” for “implementing anti-government movement” and “unseating Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina”. Party’s jailed chairperson Khaleda Zia’s former press secretary has been working as coordinator of this fund collection while collected funds were handed over to a BNP leader, who owns a private television channel. While receiving donations from party leaders through Khaleda Zia’s press secretary, the owner of the private television alone has donated over BDT 150 million. He also arranged temporary shelter for the ISI-trained terrorists in different parts of the country.


According to the source, alongside BNP and Jamaat, members, trained armed cadres of outlawed militancy outfit Hizbut Tahrir took part in destructive and terrorist activities throughout the country since July 17, while hundreds of its activists began massive propaganda through social media platforms, especially Meta (formerly known as Facebook) and ‘X’.

It said, in London and New York City, dozens of BNP members also joined online propaganda by spreading disinformation and instigative contents. A very large number of the members of Dhaka’s entertainment industry, including those who have received numerous types of benefits from the Awami League government during the past fifteen years also joined online propaganda against ruling Awami League and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and circulated extremely offensive posts as well as images and video contents of social media.

Meanwhile sitting in prison, a death-row prisoner and senior officer of Bangladesh Army started communicating with several officers by using encrypted communication apps and circulated provocative materials with the call for “sepoy-officer revolt” against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Awami League government.


As Bangladesh successfully fought and foiled this Islamist blueprint of turning the country into a neo-Taliban state, with active participation of the members of law enforcement agencies alongside Bangladesh Army, the defeated Islamist nexus has now mobilized a large number of cyberterrorists, including David Bergman, Shahidul Alam, Tasneem Khalil, Lt Col (sacked) Shahid Uddin Khan, Pinaki Bhattacharya,  Zulkarnain Saer Khan Sami and others in spreading vile propaganda alongside doctored images and deepfake videos on social media with the ulterior agenda of mislead international community, including media outlets.

For journalists in particular, those four days without the Internet were terrible, as we were cut-off from the rest of the world. Even after the resumption of the internet on July 24, the speed is extremely slow – much-slower than 2G, while using communications apps such as WhatsApp, Telegram etcetera are almost non-functional. Government has imposed a temporary suspension of Facebook and TikTok, as vested interest groups mainly use these platforms in spreading disinformation, fake news as well as disturbing propaganda stuff. 

For the Bangladesh government, one of the biggest challenges is fighting disinformation and fake news alongside rumours on social media as well as a section of Western media outlets. Such propaganda campaigns on social media and Western media are clearly aimed at tarnishing the image of Bangladesh as well as putting the ruling Awami League government and the country’s law enforcement agencies and Armed Forces into trouble. Although the Awami League government has succeeded in foiling the recent attempts of the BNP-Jamaat nexus to capture power by unseating Sheikh Hasina, the coming days may bear much harder challenges as BNP-Jamaat is adamantly looking to return to power.

Congress party distances itself from party MP and former Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi’s support to Khalistani MP Amripal Singh in Lok Sabha, says the views are his own

OpIndia Staff
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Congress party distances itself from party MP and former Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi’s support to Khalistani MP Amripal Singh in Lok Sabha, says the views are his own

The Congress party has said that the comments made by party MP Charanjit Singh Channi in support of Khalistani MP Amirtpal Singh are his own and he does not represent the party’s views. Congress General Secretary in-charge Communications Jairam Ramesh posted a tweet distancing the party from Channi’s comments.

“The views expressed by Charanjit Singh Channi, MP on Amritpal Singh are his own, and do not reflect in any way the position of the Indian National Congress,” Jairam Ramesh posted on X (Twitter).

This comes after the former Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi attacked the union govt in parliament for keeping Waris Punjab De chief and Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha MP Amritpal Singh in jail. Channi alleged that there is “undeclared emergency” under the Modi govt and claimed that “free speech” of the Khalistani leader was being curbed.

Speaking during the debate on the Budget 2024, Charanjit Singh Channi said, “They (BJP) speak about Emergency every day. But what about the undeclared Emergency in the country today?…This too is Emergency that a man who was elected as an MP by 20 lakh people in Punjab is behind bars under the NSA. He is unable to present the views of the people of his constituency, here. This too is Emergency.”

He alleged that there is an undeclared emergency in the nation while stating that Sidhu Moose Wala, one of the famous singers of the nation was killed and justice has not delivered to his family. Channi said, “Today in the country, a financial emergency-like condition is emerging and the BJP is responsible for that. They talk about the 1975 emergency but about today’s undeclared emergency in the country? It is also an emergency that Sidhu Moose Wala, one of the famous singers of the nation was killed and justice has not given to his family.”

Notably, while Channi blamed the NDA govt at centre for Amritpal Singh’s arrest, the fact is Singh was arrested by Punjab Police and the NSA has been slapped against him by the Punjab govt run by AAP. Last month, the AAP govt in Punjab extended detention of Amritpal Singh and his nine aides, currently lodged in Dibrugarh Jail in Assam, by a year under the stringent National Security Act (NSA).

The order was issued by Punjab government’s home affairs and justice department on 3rd June. Therefore, it is the Congress ally AAP govt which is keeping Amritpal Singh in jail, not the Modi govt at centre.

Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu compares former CM Jagan Mohan Reddy to ‘drug lord Pablo Escobar’

ANI
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Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu compares former CM Jagan Mohan Reddy to ‘drug lord Pablo Escobar’

Launching a scathing attack on former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday compared YSRCP chief to slain Columbian narco-terrorist, Pablo Escobar.

Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu released a white paper in the assembly and claimed that Andhra Pradesh had become the “Ganja capital” of the country under Reddy’s rule.

He stated, “Pablo Escobar is a Colombian drug lord, he is a Narco terrorist. He turned politician and then started his cartel to sell drugs. He earned 30 Billion Dollars at that time, now it’s 90 Billion Dollars’ worth. He was arrested in 1976 and in 1980 he became the number one richest drug lord in the world.”

“One can become richer by selling drugs as well. What was the aim of former Chief Minister (YS Jagan)?” He further said, “Tata, Reliance, and Ambani have money and he aspired to become richer than them. Few have needs, few have greed and few have mania and these maniacs do these kinds of things.”

The TDP fought the Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections as well as the Lok Sabha polls in partnership with the BJP and the Jana Sena Party.

Chief Minister Naidu had led the TDP-BJP-Jana Sena National Democratic Alliance to a landslide victory in the Assembly as well as parliamentary elections. The TDP holds the majority in Andhra Pradesh’s 175-member assembly with 135 MLAs, while its allies, the Janasena Party, have 21 and BJP has eight. The opposition YSR Congress Party was confined to 11. 

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

Bungalow No 1: Centre allocates Lutyens bungalow to AAP for its office after the party was asked to vacate its office on court land

OpIndia Staff
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Bungalow No 1: Centre allocates Lutyens bungalow to AAP for its office after the party was asked to vacate its office on court land

The Central Government has allotted a new office space to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), following the orders of the Delhi High Court. Bungalow No. 1, Ravi Shankar Shukla Lane, New Delhi will be the new address of the Aam Aadmi Party headquarters.

The house has been allocated to the party on a temporary basis for 3 years, while the govt finds land to be given to the party for the construction of permanent office. The urgent decision came after the Delhi HC set a time limit for the same, as the AAP has to vacate its current office on the Supreme Court’s orders.

On July 16, the Delhi HC granted 10 days to the Centre to decide the request of AAP for temporary allotment of land for office space. The Center had sought four weeks to decide on the request of AAP, but the court granted only 10 days.

Advocate Rishikesh Kumar representing AAP, said that the High Court had passed a judgement supporting them on June, 5 and said that the place must be allotted to AAP. He said that the party will see the suitability and other factors for the allocated house, adding that the party has time till 10 August to vacate its present office premises at Rouse Avenue.

Notably, AAP wanted a place for its office on the Deen Dayal Marg, where its current office apart from the offices of BJP and Congress is located. But no place was available to be allocated to the party, and now the govt has allocated a Lutyens Bungalow instead.

AAP is entitled to 1,000 square metres of land for its party headquarters given its national party status.

“On 5th June, the High Court had given a judgment in our favour and said that the place should be allotted to Aam Aadmi Party. There was a time limit of 6 weeks which expired on 17th July. On 16th July, the Union govt asked for more time. The court rejected their application and asked the Union for allotment by the 25th of July,” said Advocate Rishikesh Kumar.

“The union while complying with the court’s directions has offered us an allotment. The Party team is examining the place and after that, we will decide on further course of action…” he added.

AAP had moved the High Court seeking allotment of space to use as its party office till the permanent allotment of land for the construction of its office. The High Court had said that the Aam Aadmi Party is entitled to use a housing unit as its party office till the permanent allotment of land for the construction of its office.

The court had cited Consolidated guidelines for allotment of GPRA to Political parties which says that the National Political Parties, recognised by the Election Commission of India, shall be allowed to retain/secure allotment of one housing unit from General Pool in Delhi for their office use on payment of the normal licence fee. The said accommodation will be provided for a period of three years during which the party would acquire a plot of land in an institutional area and will construct its own accommodation for the party office, the guidelines add.

The High Court said that a perusal of the said clause indicates that National Political Parties have a right to retain/secure allotment of one housing unit from General
Pool in Delhi for their office use on payment of licence fee and the said accommodation will be provided for a period of three years during which the party would acquire a plot of land in an institutional area and will construct its own accommodation for party office.

The Delhi High Court added that even though always there is pressure on the Pool of houses available for allotment to the officers, it can’t be the reason to deny the right to a house to use as its party office.

However, the high court said that whether the Petitioner would be entitled to a plot of land in Central Delhi or not is the subject matter of another Writ Petition.

The Aam Aadmi Party has been asked to vacate current office on Deen Dayal Marg as the office is situated on land allocated to Rouse Avenue Court. The Supreme Court in March this year slammed AAP over alleged ‘encroachment’ of land meant for Delhi judiciary, and asked it to vacate the premises by 15 June. Slamming Aam Aadmi Party for ‘illegally occupying’ the encroached land, the three-judge SC bench emphasised that AAP has no lawful right to continue occupying the allotted land.

However, the apex court had allowed the party to use the office till the Lok Sabha elections. The party had agreed to vacate the office, on the condition that it be given an alternate location as per its entitlement given its national party status.

The party had denied encroachment charges saying that the office was allocated to it in 2015 by the AAP govt in Delhi. However, the Land and Development Office (L&DO) under the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry allocated the land for the expansion of the District court complex, and the party was asked to move out.

Before the allocation of the Rouse Avenue house, AAP operated its office from rented premises.

Speaking to the media, Delhi Minister and AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj, “…Attempts were being made to oust AAP from its office and push it onto streets, that it be trampled on and finished. This is a common courtesy in politics that you allot an office to a party. Unfortunately, we have to approach the Court even for this. We welcome that with the Court’s repeated directions, the Centre was compelled to allot an office to AAP. But it’s unfortunate and they should have allotted the office before we moved the court.”

India strongly takes up Hindu Temple vandalisation issue with Canadian authorities, expects swift action

ANI
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India strongly takes up Hindu Temple vandalisation issue with Canadian authorities, expects swift action

India condemned the vandalisation of temple in Edmonton and strongly taken up the matter with Canadian authorities in Delhi and Ottawa, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Thursday.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday that India has strongly taken up the vandalisation of temple in Edmonton with Canadian authorities in Delhi and Ottawa, adding that India expects Canada to take swift action.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that India expects the local authorities to take strong action against those behind the act.

Asked about India’s response on temple vandalization in Edmonton, Jaiswal stated, “We have strongly taken up the matter with Canadian authorities, both here in Delhi and in Ottawa. We condemn the vandalization. We expect the local authorities to take swift and strong action against those responsible.”

“These attacks against temples have become a recurring occurrence and are done with a purpose which is not very difficult to fathom. We have seen a number of such incidents in recent times in Canada. Lack of action against the perpetrators has further emboldened such criminal elements. Those advocating and responsible for extremism and violence need to be brought to justice, or else the rule of law and respect for pluralism in Canada will continue to be severely undermined,” he said while addressing a weekly media briefing.

Jaiswal’s remarks come after the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Edmonton was vandalised. Canada’s Member of Parliament for Nepean, Chandra Arya, voiced deep concern over the escalating incidents of hate-fueled violence directed at Hindu-Canadian communities.

“The Hindu temple BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Edmonton is vandalised again. During the last few years, Hindu temples in the Greater Toronto Area, British Columbia, and other places in Canada are being vandalised with hateful graffiti,” Arya said in a post on X on Tuesday.

The recent attack adds to a string of similar incidents documented in recent years, underscoring a distressing trend of religious intolerance. Last year, a Hindu temple in Windsor suffered defacement with anti-India graffiti, sparking widespread condemnation and calls for action from both Canadian and Indian officials. Earlier incidents in Mississauga and Brampton saw temples similarly targeted, drawing strong reactions from the Indian community in Canada.

Arya, a Liberal member of Parliament known for his advocacy on multicultural issues, pointed to the impunity enjoyed by Khalistani extremists in Canada, citing instances where their rhetoric has openly incited hatred and violence.

“As I have always been saying, Khalistani extremists seem to get away with ease with their public rhetoric of hate and violence. Again, let me put it on record. Hindu Canadians are legitimately concerned. Like a broken record, I again call on Canadian law enforcement agencies to take this issue seriously before these rhetorics get translated into physical action against Hindu Canadians,” Arya reiterated.

“Gurpatwant Singh Pannun of Sikhs for Justice last year publicly called for Hindus to go back to India. Khalistan supporters publicly celebrated in Brampton and Vancouver the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and brandishing images of deadly weapons,” Arya further said.

The incident was also raised on social media by another Canadian political leader, who termed the incident a display of “hateful rhetoric”.

Earlier today, the Edmonton BAPS Mandir was vandalised with paint, displaying hateful rhetoric on the walls of what should be a place of refuge. Hate has no part in Canada – much less in places of worship & prayer. This incident is wrong & goes against the values of our city,” Randy Boissonnault, Member of the House of Commons of Canada, said in a post on Tuesday on X.

Canadian law enforcement agencies have been urged to take proactive measures to address these threats and ensure the safety and security of all religious communities in Canada. The incidents have prompted renewed discussions on bolstering security measures around Hindu temples and enhancing efforts to combat extremist propaganda. 

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

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