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Rajasthan: 28 people, including 20 women, detained for holding a forced conversion event inside a house in Bharatpur

OpIndia Staff
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Rajasthan: 28 people, including 20 women, detained for holding a forced conversion event inside a house in Bharatpur

On Friday (5th July), Police in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur detained 28 people, including 20 women, from a house on a complaint that an organised forced religious conversion event was taking place at the ‘religious congregation’. It is reported that around 100 people were lured to attend the religious congregation in the house which was being held under the banner of the Church foundation.   

After receiving information about the religious conversion event, the Mathura gate police reached the spot and detained 28 people, including 20 women.

DSP Sunil Sharma said, “A complaint was received that people had gathered at a house in RIICO area for religious conversion following which some people have been detained and are being questioned. The matter is being further investigated.”

According to reports, the incident unfolded in a housing board colony in the Mathura Gate police station area. According to the VHP members, Christian missionaries were running the center to convert Hindus. They had lured the Hindus by promising to give them Rs 500 to attend the event and allegedly offered Rs 10,000 every month for converting to Christianity. Later, Police also reached the spot and took the people into custody.

According to media reports, Niranjan Singh, son of Lakshman Singh, resident of Bhavanpura, STC Housing Board filed a report at Mathura Gate Police Station. 

In the complaint, he stated that on 5th July at around 11 am, Rabindra Kumar, his wife, and others were doing Changai Sabha in a house. About 100 men, women, and children participated in the gathering. It is alleged that these people were doing religious conversion of people from the lower economic strata who were lured to the event. The accused also offered them money saying that those who convert to Christianity will be given a bonus of Rs 10,000 every month.

The people present inside the house said that they were given Rs 500 to attend the event. As per reports, the house belongs to Ravi Kumar, who was evicted from his native village because he insulted Hindu gods and goddesses. It is alleged that he threw the pictures of the Hindu deities into a drain. 

It is further alleged that he has been living here for the last 4 years and doing proselytization. Meanwhile, among those arrested, one person identified himself as Alwar CMHO’s brother.

Speaking to reporters, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) district president Lakhan Singh said that information was received that religious conversion was going on in a house in the Mathura Gate police station area. He added that about 100 people had gathered at the congregation. 

He added that the Christian missionaries were luring Hindus to convert their religion into Christianity. He further said that when they sent the VHP member to the house, a woman claimed that they were running a library there, but a religious conversion event was going on. The team then informed the Police about the incident and demanded action in this matter. 

Lakhan Singh added that earlier a case of forced conversion also came to light from Sonar Haveli. The administration had formed an SIT team to investigate the case but no action has been taken so far.  

Delhi: FIR against top Pakistan diplomat’s cook Minhaj Hussain for molesting Indian woman, cook sent to Pakistan by the diplomat after woman complained

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi: FIR against top Pakistan diplomat’s cook Minhaj Hussain for molesting Indian woman, cook sent to Pakistan by the diplomat after woman complained

An FIR has been registered in Delhi against 54-year-old Pakistani national Minhaj Hussain for molesting an Indian woman. Hussain was working as the cook at the official residence of Saad Ahmad Warraich, the Charge D’Affaires at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi.

The victim, an Indian national, was working as a domestic help at the Tilak Marg residence of Warraich. She was living in the servant quarters of the Pakistan diplomat’s official residence. Minhaj Hussain was also living in the same servant quarters and was troubling the woman ever since his arrival in India in February this year. Hussain was constantly making sexual advances on the victim.

As per news reports, after Minhaj attempted to molest the woman, she complained to Saad Ahmad Warraich but instead of taking any action, the top diplomat quietly sent Hussain to Pakistan on the pretext of the Islamic festival of Bakrid. Following that, Pakistan High Commission asked the victim woman to leave the job at Warraich’s house and vacate the servant quarters by June 30.

Following that, the woman, who is a widow with children, went to Tilak Marg Police Station on June 28 and filed a complaint against Minhaj Hussain.

Delhi Police have registered an FIR under Section 354 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against Minhaj Ahmed Hussain on the basis of the complaint.

Tamil Nadu: K Armstrong, State BSP Chief, hacked to death in front of his house in Chennai; Mayawati demands action from DMK government

OpIndia Staff
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Tamil Nadu: K Armstrong, State BSP Chief, hacked to death in front of his house in Chennai; Mayawati demands action from DMK government

On Friday (5th July), K Armstrong, the Tamil Nadu chief of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), was hacked to death by six bike-borne attackers near his house in Chennai. Some of the attackers were reportedly dressed as delivery agents and used sharp weapons during the attack. They attacked Armstrong when he was holding discussions with his party functionaries near his house in the city’s Sembium area. Following the attack, they fled the crime scene. Responding to the gruesome killing, BSP Supremo Mayawati demanded “punishment for the guilty”.

Armstrong’s family immediately rushed to the spot where he was lying in a pool of blood with severe injuries to his head and neck. He was taken to a hospital where he was declared brought dead.

In a statement, the Chennai Police said, “On July 5, evening, while Armstrong (52 years), State President Bahujan Samaj Party, was standing in front of his house at Venugopal Samy Kovil Street, Perambur (K-1 Sembium PS limits), unknown persons assaulted him with knives. Due to the assault, he sustained bleeding injuries, and subsequently police admitted him at Apollo Hospital with the assistance of the passersby. Doctors who examined him declared that he was dead.” 

According to the Police officials, this could be a case of revenge killing which could be linked to the murder case of a gangster named Arcot Suresh which took place last year. Speaking with NDTV, a senior police officer said, “We are conducting an investigation. The murder seems to be linked to an earlier killing.”

The Police have formed ten teams and have detained around 8 suspects in this case.

Senior Chennai police officer Asra Garg said, “In the murder case, we have secured 8 suspects so far. This is a preliminary investigation. Ten teams have been formed by us. We are on the job to bring the offenders to light. After the interrogation of these suspects, we will be able to find the motive behind the murder. Some sharp weapons have been used.” 

While it is being reported that the attackers posed as food delivery agents, police are yet to confirm this.

K Armstrong was a lawyer by profession. In 2006, he served as a corporation councillor and later became the state president of the BSP next year. He contested from the Kolathur constituency in the 2011 Tamil Nadu assembly elections but lost. Two years ago, he came to the limelight, when he organised a mega rally in Chennai and invited BSP chief Mayawati.

(Image Source – Tamil Nadu BSP unit’s Facebook page)

Opposition parties lambasts DMK-led government over the issue of ‘Law and Order’

Reacting to the killing of BSP’s Tamil Nadu Chief, Mayawati condemned the ‘gruesome’ killing and demanded actions. Taking to X, she wrote, “The gruesome killing of Mr. K. Armstrong, Tamil Nadu state Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president, outside his Chennai house is highly deplorable and condemnable. An advocate by profession, he was known as a strong Dalit voice in the state. The state Govt. must punish the guilty.”

BJP Tamil Nadu President, K Annamalai expressed shock and extended his prayers to the bereaved family. He also lambasted the DMK government over the issue of Law and Order and asked the state Chief Minister to introspect whether he has the moral responsibility to continue as the CM of the state. 

He emphasised that violence and brutality should not have any place in society but under the DMK regime, it has become a norm. 

AIADMK Chief and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Tamil Nadu assembly, Edappadi Palaniswamy said, “What do I say when the state chief of a national party is murdered? The law and order is shameful. There is no fear of law or the police”.

Hathras stampede tragedy: Main accused Dev Prakash Madhukar arrested from Delhi

OpIndia Staff
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Hathras stampede tragedy: Main accused Dev Prakash Madhukar arrested from Delhi

On Friday, July 5, Uttar Pradesh Police arrested the main accused in the Hathras stampede case, Mukhya Sewadar Dev Prakash Madhukar, an aide of Surajpal alias Bhole Baba, from Delhi. Madhukar surrendered before the Police in Delhi, as per his lawyer AP Singh. He was arrested from Najafgarh.

Hathras Superintendent of Police Nipun Agarwal confirmed Madhukar’s arrest and added that he was being brought to Hathras to be presented in the court there. Madhukar is the only accused named in the FIR while there are 21 unnamed accused. Earlier, 6 other sevadars of the satsang were also arrested by the Hathras Police.

Madhukar’s lawyer AP Singh said, “Madhukar is a heart patient and was undergoing treatment in Delhi. After doctors said that his condition is okay, we got him handed over to the police.” He further added that Madhukar’s health should be taken care of in custody and that they did not file any anticipatory bail plea.

Hathras stampede tragedy

On Tuesday, July 2, a stampede at a private religious event in Hathras claimed 121 lives, leaving many others injured. The stampede took place during a Satsang for Sant Bhole Baba. Most of the dead in the tragedy are women.

A religious congregation was organised at Phulrai village in the district in which a large number of devotees were present. There was a stampede at the end of the congregation when hundreds of devotees tried to leave the venue together leading to a stampede.

 The venue was small and overcrowded. Because of the suffocation in small areas in hot and humid weather, the devotees rushed out as soon as the Satsang ended, leading to the stampede.

SGPC slams Rahul Gandhi for linking Abhay Mudra with Guru Nanak, says Archana Makwana will not be forgiven for Yoga in Golden Temple, demands FIR against Kangana Ranaut

OpIndia Staff
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SGPC slams Rahul Gandhi for linking Abhay Mudra with Guru Nanak, says Archana Makwana will not be forgiven for Yoga in Golden Temple, demands FIR against Kangana Ranaut

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) today slammed Congress MP Rahul Gandhi for claiming that Abhay Mudra also exists in the Sikh religion. Several key announcements were made after a meeting of SGPC in Amritsar, and after the meeting, SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami held a press conference announcing the decisions.

Dhami condemned Rahul Gandhi for claiming in Lok Sabha that the Abhay Mudra, associated with Hinduism and Buddhism, is present in religions, including Islam, Christianity and Sikhism. The SGPC president said that they have taken strict notice of the comments made by Rahul Gandhi.

The official ? handle of SGPC tweeted, “Strict notice of Rahul Gandhi’s statement in Parliament of linking Abhaya Mudra to Sri Guru Nanak Dev”.

The SGPC also strongly objected to Rahul Gandhi holding a picture of Guru Nanak during his reply to the motion of thanks to the president’s address in Lok Sabha. Dhami said that the Gurbani and teachings of the Gurus should not be made part of political debates without full knowledge. He added that Rahul Gandhi’s claim that Abhay Mudra is mentioned in Sikhism is completely wrong.

Yoga in Darbar Sahib

Regarding its police complaint against Archana Makwana for performing Yoga inside Golden Temple premises, saying that they will never forgive her. Harjinder Singh Dhami said that mistakes can be forgiven, not mischief. He reiterated that the influencer doing Yoga in Sri Darbar Sahib Prakrama on International Yoga Day on 21 June has hurt Sikh sentiments, and they will take action against her.

Dhami said, “Many people have given their opinion on this incident and she has also sent a written apology. But every religious place has its own rules and deliberate actions are not forgivable.”

Dhami added that there is nothing wrong in doing Yoga but Sri Harmandir Sahib is not a tourist destination. He further said that Archana Makwana would be punished as per law, indicating they would pursue the case against her. Notably, Makwana has asked the SGPC to withdraw the case saying she did nothing wrong, and added that she is ready for a legal battle if the case is not withdrawn.

In this regard, the SGPC announced that they will soon formulate rules regarding photography and videography in Sri Harmandir Sahib. But till that is done, all videography in the premises has been banned with immediate effect. Dhami said that immediate orders have been issued to ban any artist or actor from doing videography in Sri Harmandir Sahib for their promotion.

The gurdwara body is also recruiting 100 persons under the task force for deployment in the Parkarma of the Harmandir Sahib and other gurdwaras. Notably, SGPC has taken action against three Sevadars deployed at the Parkarma for not stopping Archana Makwana from doing Yoga.

Demands FIR on Kangana Ranaut

The SGPC also demanded an FIR against Actor-MP Kangana Ranaut over the Chandigarh airport incident where she was slapped by a female CISF constable. Harjinder Singh Dhami said that while Kulwinder Kaur has been transferred, no action was taken against Kangana Ranaut. He said that the Punjab government should register a case against Kangana for spreading hatred against Punjabis.

The SGPC also adopted a resolution against preventing Amritdhari Sikh candidates from carrying kirpan at a judicial exam centre in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur.

Condols death of plane hijacker

The SGPC press conference started with condoling the death of Khalistani terrorist Gajinder Singh. The committee also passed a resolution in the meeting ‘paying respect to the struggling life and sacrifice of Bhai Gajinder Singh, who lived in exile for a long time’.

Dal Khalsa founder and patron Gajinder Singh Khalsa died of a heart attack at a hospital in Pakistan on Thursday. Khalsa was one of the five men who hijacked the Indian Airlines flight IC-423 which took off from Delhi’s Palam airport for Srinagar on September 29, 1981. They said that deep sorrow was expressed in the meeting over the death of Bhai Gajinder Singh, calling him ‘one of the leading Panchs who founded the Dal Khalsa’.

They had hijacked the Indian Airlines flight with 111 passengers and 6 crew members on board, and forced the plane to land in Lahore to seek the release of several Khalistani extremists, including Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. The hijackers were arrested and sentenced to jail in Pakistan. They were released in 1994, and while two of the hijackers returned to India, the other 3 including Gajinder Singh Khalsa remained in Pakistan.

‘Cannot favour one city over another for key matches’: Rajeev Shukla hits back at Aaditya Thackeray’s ‘never take away WC final from Mumbai’ tweet

OpIndia Staff
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‘Cannot favour one city over another for key matches’: Rajeev Shukla hits back at Aaditya Thackeray’s ‘never take away WC final from Mumbai’ tweet

The BCCI cannot favour one city over another when organising key matches, stated the board’s vice-president Rajeev Shukla, responding to Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray’s remark referring to the World Cup 2023 final that was held in Ahmedabad. Thackeray had said ‘Never take away finals from Mumbai’ after lakhs turned out for the victory parade of Team India following the 2024 T20 World Cup victory.

“It is BCCI’s policy to decide the location of the final. It cannot always be assigned to a specific city,” Shukla said on Friday.

The Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai hosted the semifinal of the 2023 ODI World Cup, while the final was held at the world’s largest stadium by seating capacity in Ahmedabad.

“There was a final match in Kolkata during the 1987 World Cup, and Kolkata is considered the Mecca of cricket. So it can’t be decided that finals should always be held in a specific city,” said Shukla. “There have been semifinals and finals in Mumbai. Similarly, the Ahmedabad stadium has a capacity of 1,30,000, and we consider capacity as well,” he continued.

“Kolkata’s Eden Gardens can accommodate around 80,000 spectators (approximately 66,000). Other cities also have large capacities,” Shukla added.

“This decision considers the entire country and all venues. You cannot limit it to one location,” explained the senior board official. Shukla said it would not be correct to restrict key matches to a specific venue.

He also praised Mumbai fans for their large turnout at the open bus parade and commended the Mumbai Police for their effective management. “We were delighted to see the response from Mumbaikars. Mumbai is always a priority for us. It’s not that it isn’t. But the entire BCCI must decide where to host finals and semifinals. Every match is important,” he said.

After a huge crowd gathered during the Indian cricket team’s T20 World Cup victory parade from Marine Drive to Wankhede Stadium, Thackeray urged the BCCI not to “take away” any final matches from Mumbai.

“Yesterday’s celebration in Mumbai sends a strong message to the BCCI… Never take away a World Cup final from Mumbai!” Thackeray had written on X.

From gaumutra jibes to ‘hara*i’ to ‘pajama’ remark: How crass conduct has become a staple of TMC MP Mahua Moitra’s public life

Amit Kelkar
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From gaumutra jibes to ‘hara*i’ to ‘pajama’ remark: How crass conduct has become a staple of TMC MP Mahua Moitra’s public life

Known for her unhinged rants and abusive behaviour inside and outside the parliament, TMC MP Mahua Moitra stoked a fresh controversy when she used sexual innuendos to take potshots at NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma over her viral picture from a visit to Hathras, UP.

Sharma was seen at the site, with someone carrying an umbrella for her. Journalist Nidhi Razdan on X wanted to know why the chairman did not hold the umbrella herself. Moitra responded to Razdan’s post on X, commenting, “She’s too busy holding up her boss’s pajamas,” sparking online backlash at the choice of the words for the NCW chairperson.

Mahua Moitra’s crass response to Nidhi enquiring about Rekha Sharma

The remarks triggered a suo moto cognisance from the National Commission for Women, which wrote to the Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla demanding strict action against Moitra, who was expelled in her last term following allegations of ‘cash for query’ allegations. The Commission also demanded an FIR against the TMC MP for a comment that doesn’t behove a lawmaker.

Instead, Mahua has doubled down on her abusive behaviour, expressing no remorse for the choice of words she had used against a fellow woman. She challenged Delhi Police to get to her in the next three days. “Come on Delhi Police please take action immediately on these suo moto orders. Am in Nadia in case you need me in the next 3 days to make a quick arrest. I Can Hold My Own Umbrella,” she tweeted.

Moitra’s egregious conduct is not a new phenomenon. She has a chequered history of demonstrating perverse conduct and has even displayed the audacity to defend herself. Saying ‘hara*i’ inside the parliament, showing the middle finger to Arnab Goswami for asking tough questions, and celebrating abuses hurled at PM Modi are some of the instances that demonstrate her lack of basic decency and penchant for nasty demeanour. 

Here is an illustrative list of instances demonstrating Mahua Moitra’s lack of basic decency and behaviour unbefitting of an MP

Mahua Moitra uses ‘hara*i’ inside the parliament

On February 7, Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra was caught using abusive language in Parliament. In a viral video, she was heard saying the word ‘hara*i’ while Telugu Desham Party lawmaker Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu was speaking. Following the social media uproar over her actions, the MP from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s party went on an unrestrained rant. Netizens questioned her ulterior motives, which further aggravated the TMC leader.

Mahua Moitra showed her middle finger to Arnab Goswami

In January 2015, during a debate on Times Now, Mahua Moitra, now the editor-in-chief of Republic, showed the middle finger to Arnab Goswami. The discussion was about the ‘attempt to murder’ charges against a man who had slapped TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee, Mamata Banerjee’s nephew. After being attacked by TMC workers, the man was hospitalized in critical condition. During the debate, Moitra repeatedly asked Arnab to let her “finish the sentence,” eventually losing her temper and telling him to “talk to yourself and not invite anybody” on his show, while making the offensive gesture.

Mahua Moitra assaulted a female constable in Silchar

In August 2018, Mahua Moitra was accused of assaulting a female Assam Police constable at Silchar airport. Reports state she was part of an eight-member TMC delegation visiting the state to discuss issues related to the NRC. Upon their arrival, the police requested assurances that they would not make provocative speeches or incite violence. An argument ensued between the police and the delegation, resulting in physical altercations with the police officers. According to the Director General of Police, two constables and a district administration official were injured.

Mahua Moitra celebrated abuses hurled at PM Modi

In October 2021, Mahua Moitra celebrated a supporter who insulted PM Modi. She tweeted, “You know BJP days are numbered when, while campaigning in a toto for the Shantipur by-election, an old man, halfway through his bath, ran out shouting in Bengali – ‘LPG hazaar taka – ei b*@#***d Modi ke hatao!’ Priceless!”

Mahua Moitra used derogatory language for ex-CJI

In July 2022, a complaint was filed against Mahua Moitra for using derogatory language towards former Chief Justice of India, Ranjan Gogoi, and for defaming an entire community. The complaint stemmed from a tweet on July 14 in which she stated, “My first of new Twitter series on replacements for unparliamentary words. Banned word- Sexual Harassment. Replacement- Mr Gogoi.”

Mahua Moitra glorified terrorists accused of the Pulwama attack by using similar abuses

On several occasions, TMC’s “firebrand” has used the notorious Gaumutra jibe against BJP leaders. This same jibe was notably used by the terrorist accused of the Pulwama attack in a video recorded just before the incident. In February 2022, she remarked, “Am speaking this evening in Lok Sabha on President’s Address. Just wanted to give early heads-up to @BJP to get the heckler team ready & read up on imaginary points of order. Drink some gaumutra shots too.”

Previously, in May 2021, she said, “Welcome to our Susu Potty Republic! Drink Gaumutra, smear cow dung & flush the rule of law down the toilet. Delhi Police issued a notice to Twitter & land up in their offices for rightly calling out @BJP’s fake document as manipulated media. Go figure.”

Moitra frequently uses abusive language and is notorious for spreading false and misleading information. Recently, she was caught attempting to mislead her followers on Twitter regarding SBI’s exposure to the Adani Group.

The above instances, which are indicative and not an exhaustive list, illustrate Moitra’s propensity for being abusive and nasty against her political opponents and not being one bit remorseful for lowering the dignity of the office she holds. It shows that crass conduct has, unfortunately, become a staple part of her everyday political conduct, which entails insulting political rivals and officials for either belonging to the other side of the spectrum or simply doing their job as in the recent case when Rekha Sharma was engrossed in reaching Hathras for taking stock of the situation following the fateful stampede that led to the loss of 121 lives.

MP: BJP MLAs move resolution in assembly seeking to abolish Article 30 of Constitution that gives minorities right to run educational institutions

ANI
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MP: BJP MLAs move resolution in assembly seeking to abolish Article 30 of Constitution that gives minorities right to run educational institutions

The BJP MLAs from Madhya Pradesh on Friday moved a Private Members’ Resolution seeking to abolish Article 30 of the Indian Constitution which gives the right to minorities to establish and administer educational institutions.

After moving the resolution in the state assembly, BJP MLA from Jabalpur North assembly constituency, Abhilash Pandey said that there should be a law for equal education and everyone should get equal education, then only the future of the coming generation could be built.

“I have moved a Private Members’ Resolution regarding Article 30 of the Indian constitution which gives the right to minorities to establish and administer educational institutions. I think that there should be a law for equal education. Everyone should get an equal education, then only we can build the future of the coming generation. That is why I have moved a resolution with the message in the House,” Pandey told ANI.

“I have seen many times that the Child Commission has submitted a report on what is happening in minority institutions. Everyone should get equal education, this country should move forward with equality,” he added.

BJP MLA Usha Thakur supported the Private Members’ Resolution saying for the unity and integrity of the country, such activities should be stopped.

“I welcome the Private Members’ Resolution brought regarding Madrasas. For the unity and integrity of the country, such activities should be stopped. Our capable schools can provide modern education, hence there is no need for Madrasas separately,” Thakur said.

Through the resolution, the Government of India will be requested to issue an order to close these madrasas, she added.

When asked about what kind of activities go on in these Madrassas, the BJP MLA said, “Be it Jammu Kashmir or Assam, madrasas were teaching treason. They have an important role in nurturing terrorists. Madrasas should be investigated from every angle. Strict action should be taken against anyone who wants to disturb peace and harmony in the country.”

On the other hand, Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar said that the BJP always wanted to talk about communal issues and why didn’t they want to talk about farmers of the state?

“Bharatiya Janata Party always wants to talk about communal issues. Why don’t they want to talk about the farmers of the state? Shouldn’t farmers get a minimum support price (MSP)? Shouldn’t Farmers get their rights? The state government is making false promises. Why are they not talking about their Ladli Bahnas, why are they not giving them Rs 3000 a month to them? The state government and their MLAs are bringing such issues to divert attention,” Singhar told ANI.

Congress MLA Atif Aqeel said that the BJP MLAs were taking such a step to save themselves from the nursing college scam though nothing would happen with this.

“The BJP MLAs were taking such steps to save themselves from the nursing college scam though it will not lead to anything. Innocent children study in madrasas who have difficulty even getting two meals a day. The principals and responsible authorities are running it with the help of donations,” Aqeel told ANI.

Reacting to BJP MLA Usha Thakur’s remark connecting Madrasas with terrorism, he said, “Nothing can be done about the virus in her mind.”

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

UK election: Conservative Marco Longhi who attacked Hindus and PM Modi, raised Kashmir’s ‘independence’ to woo Muslim voters, losses to Labour’s Sonia Kumar

OpIndia Staff
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UK election: Conservative Marco Longhi who attacked Hindus and PM Modi, raised Kashmir’s ‘independence’ to woo Muslim voters, losses to Labour’s Sonia Kumar

Conservative Party candidate Marco Longhi who sought support from Muslims for the independence of Kashmir in the United Kingdom general election has suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Labour Party’s Indian-origin candidate Sonia Kumar. Rishi Sunak-led Conservative Party govt lost the elections, and Labour Party leader Keir Starmer has become the new Prime Minister of the UK after the secured a landslide victory.

During the election campaign, Longhi railed against Hindus, the Bharatiya Janata Party, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Kashmir in an attempt to gain votes. Notably, he won the election from Britain’s Dudley North seat in 2019 and was standing for re-election in 2024. On the other hand, the Labour Party fielded Sonia Kumar against him and she secured 12,215 votes in the election while he could only obtain 10,315 votes and lost by a margin of 1900 votes.

He tried to win over the electorate by raising the Kashmir issue. On 17th June he even published a letter in which he propagated Hindu hatred and took an anti-India stance and asked Muslims in his constituency to vote for him, so he could bring up the issue of ‘independence’ of Kashmir in the UK Parliament. He further congratulated the Muslim voters in Dudley who were British Pakistani and Kashmiri on Eid-al-Azha and informed them that the saffron party had recently won elections in India again. He incited enmity by claiming that this indicated that the people of Kashmir are going to experience ‘tough times’ in the upcoming months.

He alleged, “Narendra Modi made it clear recently that he is going for a full statehood for Kashmir which would mean full removal of any sovereign rights of the Kashmiris and their special status.” He added that he was elected as MP in 2019 and since then he has been vocal about the “Indian Government atrocities towards the people of Kashmir.” The politician highlighted, “My involvement is well publicised and I have participated in several Kashmir events. I have always condemned India’s continuous illegal actions in Kashmir.”

He then specifically brought attention to and underscored the name of Labour Party Parliamentary candidate Sonia Kumar. He targeted her for her surname which he mentioned in capital letters and claimed, “I leave this decision to you. However should you vote for me, I pledge to you that I will raise my voice for Kashmir in Parliament even more and will be at the forefront of standing up for Kashmiris in Parliament.”

Labour Parliamentary Candidate in Leicester East, Rajesh Agrawal condemned the letter issued by 57-year-old Marco Longhi and noted, “This is a shameful attempt to divide communities and is offensive to both Muslim and Hindu communities. There should be zero tolerance for the dog-whistle politics Mr Longhi is engaged in.” He urged the then Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak, who also comes from the Conservative Party, to remove support for Marco Longhi’s campaign immediately and stated, “Rishi Sunak should put country before party and immediately remove his Party’s support for Mr Longhi’s campaign and apologise for attempting to alienate British Indians.”

However, Marco Longhi tried to shrug off the matter by calling it a human rights issue after severe criticism. Interestingly, about 50% of voters in the Dudley seat, where he lost, are Christians, 6% are Muslims and 2% are Sikhs. Hindus only make up around 1% of the population in the area. Importantly, Marco Longhi’s ploy to court Muslims under the guise of Kashmir did not succeed in the election.

Western menace of woke insanity enters Tamil Nadu: ‘Pride’ month celebrated at government-funded model schools in all districts

OpIndia Staff
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Western menace of woke insanity enters Tamil Nadu: ‘Pride’ month celebrated at government-funded model schools in all districts

In June this year, the LBTQ+ community celebrated “Pride Month” across different countries. While pride events have been organised in India as well in the past, this year, this global woke menace reached government-funded model schools in Tamil Nadu.

During a pride march, 200 students from Coimbatore Model School in R.S. Puram held rainbow flags to demonstrate their “support” for the LGBTQIA+ community. It is said that these students had discussions on distinct gender identities. In addition, the school held a “gender sensitisation” programme where students taught about Pride Month’s history and the range of genders and sexual orientations that make up the LGBTQIA+ community.

Tamil filmmaker Lenin Bharathi was also present in the march, which started at the school and finished at DB Road Square. A transgender person interacted with the students and answered their questions during the programme.

In addition, Muthamizh Kalaivizhi, the coordinator for holistic development in the State’s model schools, S. Naveenatha Krishnan, the coordinator for the northern zone, and V. Rajendran, the coordinator for Tamil Nadu Model Schools in the western region, were present at the event.

Reportedly, similar pride events were organised across model schools in all 38 districts of Tamil Nadu. Several netizens raised concerns about whether the school authorities sought parental consent before making students a part of such programmes.

One X user questioned if the age of those school students was appropriate for such pride programmes.

Meanwhile, others questioned if students are being sexualised in the name of ‘sensitising’ them about gender identities.

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