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As US Embassy courts controversy by inviting propagandist Akash Banerjee, read how the State Dept is spending ₹1.6 crores to recruit ‘fact-checker’ in India

OpIndia Staff
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As US Embassy courts controversy by inviting propagandist Akash Banerjee, read how the State Dept is spending ₹1.6 crores to recruit ‘fact-checker’ in India

The Public Diplomacy Section (PDS) of the US State Department has set aside a whopping $2,00,000 (~₹1.67 crores) to recruit fact-checkers in India as part of its ‘Empowering Media Savvy Youth.’

Through this project, the Executive Department of the US federal government claims to confront ‘online manipulation’, combat ‘external influences’, secure digital landscape and reinforce regional security.

The US State Department is implementing the project starting 1st September this year in 5 cities of India – Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai, Mumbai and Delhi.

Screengrab of the grant proposal

This scheme of hiring ‘fact-checkers’ to promote its narrative in India has been shrewdly called a ‘targeted digital literacy and resilience program.’

“In India, where social media usage is widespread among the youth population, recent research by Indian, European, and American think tanks has highlighted how manipulative content is amplifying societal polarization and erodes institutional trust. This consequently strains U.S.-India bilateral relations, threatening collaborative efforts and diplomatic ties,” the US State Department made its agenda crystal clear.

It must be mentioned that US Embassies and Consulates in the country are already running projects and training programs such as ‘Learning to Discern (L2D)’ in the name of combating ‘misinformation.’

Influence peddling in the garb of fact-checking

OpIndia found that through its ‘Empowering Media Savvy Youth’ project, the US State Department is eyeing to train 160 L2D graduates as Youth Master Trainers (YMTs), making them conduct 320 sessions and impacting 32000 individuals.

To add to it, about 60 of the 32K individuals would be further trained to become ‘social media influencers’ to impact another 36000 people.

Another crystal clear objective of the project is to brainwash young and impressionable minds. “By targeting these segments, the project endeavours to actively combat misinformation and shape narratives effectively to address the root causes of disinformation,” the US State Department emphasised.

Interesting details of the ‘Empowering Media Savvy Youth’ project

The grant of $1,50,000- $2,00,000 will be given to one eligible organisation in India for the duration of 12-18 months. The organisations could be any of the following:

  1. Not-for-profit organizations
  2. Civil society/non-governmental organizations
  3. Think tanks
  4. Public and private educational institutions
  5. Public International Organizations and Governmental institutions

The organisation selected by the US State Department would create a ‘Youth Trainer Handbook’ for its target audience and translate them into 5 different languages namely, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, and Bengali.

A total of 32 ‘Learning to Discern (L2D)’ graduates would be trained from each city to become ‘Young Master Trainers’. They will later undergo the Training of Trainers (ToT) program.

They will conduct 320 youth-led training activities and impact at least 32000 people through collaboration with schools, NGOs, colleges and local universities. About 10 ‘media literacy’ events would be arranged in multiple cities.

12 participants will be chosen from each of the 5 cities – Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai, Mumbai and Delhi. They will work in collaboration with social media influencers with at least 1 lakh followers for skill enhancement.

“The trained individuals will collaborate to develop synchronized social media campaigns aimed at promoting media literacy and critical thinking across Indian society,” the US State Department stated.

The plans also include the establishment of an online community and impacting an additional 36000 youths through targeted campaigns.

“The Youth Trainer Handbook will feature a dedicated segment on U.S. education and American Spaces in India. Translated materials will include educational resources about studying in the U.S. and American Spaces in India, ensuring accessibility for diverse individuals,” it further added.

Interestingly, the US State Department has claimed to not support projects relating to partisan political activity, specific religious activities or lobbying for specific legislation

Propaganda strategies in the name of debunking ‘misinformation’

The fact-checking organisation, selected for the project, would have to create a digital or offline engagement strategy to promote the ‘Empowering Media Savvy Youth’ project to influencers and audiences on social media and in schools and colleges.

It will also have to reach out to local government agencies, private sectors, and NGOs. The eligible organisation will have to craft a social media plan and submit a detailed monitoring and evaluation plan for the project.

It will have to periodically report to the Grants Officer, Grants Officer Representative and the American Spaces Directors through email, phone, video conference calls and in-person meetings.

US Embassy and its invitation to Akash Banerjee

On Thursday (17th July), the US Embassy in India informed about its event for Indian social media influences and content creators to learn about boosting social media engagement on social issues and learn about “active citizenship”.

However, for this “Influence to Impact” event, the US Embassy chose the YouTuber “DeshBhakt” Akash Banerjee who has earned notoriety for peddling leftist and anti-BJP propaganda.

While on the face of it, the US Embassy’s promotional content reeked of political interference in India’s internal political discourse.

Earlier in March, OpIndia reported how the US Embassy’s choice of ‘personality’ for Women’s History Month sparked outrage on social media with people pointing to Sayema’s anti-Hindu, regressive and Islamist views. Despite this, the US Embassy was undeterred from promoting Sayema on their social media handles.

US State Dept works with ‘fact-checkers’ to peddle its narrative

In May 2023, ‘America First Legal’ (AFL) exposed how the Global Engagement Centre (GEC) of the US State Department was working with private media outlets to peddle deep state propaganda.

A centre-right non-profit organisation, AFL, secured documents against the GEC under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). It noted that millions of conservative Americans were targeted for their social media posts on vaccine mandates, election integrity, and Covid-19 vaccines.

The organisation revealed that the Global Engagement Centre (GEC) of the US State Department continues to work closely with George Soros-funded ‘fact checkers’, associated with the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) to control the global media narrative.

America First Legal pointed out that the fact-checkers, currently coordinating with GEC, are also funded by the likes of Omidyar Network, Google, Facebook, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The GEC had been working with IFCN affiliates in countries such as Tunisia and propagating their ‘fact-checking methods’ to censor politically incorrect narratives. According to America First Legal, email exchanges show IFCN pestering the US State Department to ‘fund’ more of their programmes in Egypt.

Email transcripts, accessed by America First Legal, show the GEC threatening journalists to compile its talking points in the form of a report and publish it imminently.

Kolkata: Leftist ‘student’ body protest in solidarity with Bangladeshi protestors opposing reservations to descendants of freedom fighters of 1971 war

OpIndia Staff
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Kolkata: Leftist ‘student’ body protest in solidarity with Bangladeshi protestors opposing reservations to descendants of freedom fighters of 1971 war

On Thursday (18th July), over 100 activists from the All India Democratic Students Organisation (AIDSO) demonstrated at Park Circus in central Kolkata to express their grief over the deaths of seven students during protests against Bangladesh’s quota system. Several protestors were detained by the police.

The protestors belonging to the leftist student body were waving signs condemning claimed actions taken by security authorities in Bangladesh against student protestors during recent street protests, as well as raising slogans in support of the agitators in Bangladesh.

Approximately 100 protestors gathered outside Lady Brabourne College and attempted to march to the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission before being halted by police near the Park Circus seven-point crossing.

On Thursday, four AIDSO protestors went to the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission and submitted a memorandum demanding a halt on attacks on peaceful protestors in Bangladesh. They sought the PM Sheikh Hasina-led government to hold dialogue with protesting students to resolve the issue.

The AIDSO members also staged a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.

Notably, Bangladesh has been witnessing violent protests for more than a month over the decision of the High Court to reinstate 30% reservation in government jobs to the descendants of the freedom fighters of the 1971 Liberation War.

The agitation against the ‘quota politics’, which is said to benefit members of Hasina’s Awami League, is largely spearheaded by students belonging to prominent colleges and universities in the country.

Hinduphobic associate, former cheer girl of Kamala Harris, and corruption allegations: Why Donald Trump needs to cut Khalistani Harmeet Dhillon loose

Jinit Jain
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Hinduphobic associate, former cheer girl of Kamala Harris, and corruption allegations: Why Donald Trump needs to cut Khalistani Harmeet Dhillon loose

Earlier this week, Republican leader Harmeet Dhillon came into the limelight with the dramatic offering of Sikh prayer to end the Republican National Convention, triggering puritanical Christians in the United States who called it ‘anti-Christian’ and apparently ‘blasphemous’.

Dhillon recited the opening section of the ‘Ardas’ in Gurmukhi, followed by a prayer in English for America, the American voters, and expressing gratitude to God for protecting Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump from an assassination attempt.

While many hailed it as a significant instance of cultural and religious representation by a party typically viewed as predominantly white, conservative, and Christian, several Christian fundamentalists and ultra-conservatives attacked her for being a ‘demon worshipper’ and committing ‘blasphemy’ by praying to a ‘demon god’. 

As insults and verbal attacks were directed at Dhillon, the Republican leader seemed to enjoy the international attention she was receiving for the first time in her public career. However, this incident also brought to light some of her other problematic aspects that had been overlooked until now but took on greater significance following an assassination attempt on Donald Trump, tipping the elections in his favour as reports of Biden’s deteriorating mental health surface, raising doubts even among staunch Democrats, including George Clooney, of his ability to lead the country.

Harmeet Dhillon, the pro-Khalistan Republican leader who whitewashed Nijjar’s extremist ideology

Dhillon had long been accused of being a terror sympathiser and harbouring Khalistani sentiments—an extremist ideology that uses violence as a tool to push its objectives and calls for the secession of the Punjab state from India and the establishment of an independent Sikh-majority Khalistan. The ideology has manifested in the most violent forms over decades, most notably with violence that gripped the state of Punjab in the 1980s and which led to the assassination of former PM Indira Gandhi, who was killed by her Khalistani bodyguards for ordering the Indian Army to flush out Khalistani terrorists hiding in the Golden Temple.

Notably, the violent campaign of the Khalistan movement reached its pinnacle in the 1980s and 1990s, featuring bombings, assassinations, kidnappings, and massacres of innocent Hindus and Sikhs. The violence took on an international dimension in 1985 when Khalistani separatists based in Canada exploded a bomb on an Air India flight en route from Toronto to New Delhi, killing all 329 people on board, including 82 children under the age of 13. That incident remains the deadliest terrorist attack in Canadian history.

The Khalistani violence saw a resurgence of late, with the likes of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a terrorist deemed by the Indian state, egging on his supporters to indulge in violence against PM Modi and his ministers following the passage of three farm laws. The protests that erupted after the bills were passed also saw protesters carrying the pictures of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale indulging in arson and vandalism in Punjab and at the border of New Delhi.

Globally, too, the separatist Khalistan movement has resulted in violence, anarchy, and attacks against Hindu temples. From Australia to Canada to the United Kingdom, Khalistani elements have started attacking not just Indian embassies but also Hindu temples, attacking the places of worship of people that staunchly oppose the separatist fantasy of Khalistan and support the Indian government in its efforts to liquidate the burgeoning secessionist movement.

Several reports affirm Khalistanis living abroad receiving emotional and handsome monetary support from Pakistan, a cash-strapped country struggling to pay its debts but has enough funds to stir problems for India, whether in Kashmir or Punjab. Interestingly, the proponents of such a secessionist idea, however, remain mealy-mouthed about the fate of the much larger Pakistan side of Punjab and whether it would be a part of their fantasyland Khalistan. Nevertheless, the idea continues to excite rabid extremists, both based in India and outside, of having a separate homeland exclusive to Sikhs.

Dhillon is accused by her critics of sympathising with the cause of Khalistan and helping Khalistanis based out of the United States. To contextualise the issue, it would mean an Indian opposition politician extending support to extremists demanding the secession of one of its states, say Alaska.

Nothing corroborates her pro-Khalistan bent more starkly than her stance on the Khalistani Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s killing and the subsequent volleys of defamatory allegations levelled by Canadian PM Justin Trudeau. On 19th September 2023, a day after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused Indian agents of killing Nijjar, Dhillon quoted Canadian opposition leader Pierre Poilievre who supported Trudeau in attacking India.

Dhillon wrote, “Canada’s conservative leader joins other Canadian officials in condemning the extrajudicial murder of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. It’s good to see them unite against this shocking act.” Notably, at that time, Trudeau did not provide any evidence to support his allegations and the Canadian government has yet to provide any substantial evidence against India.

It is worth noting Dhillon’s attempt to humanise the Khalistani terrorist. Nijjar is described as a ‘Sikh leader’ and not a ‘Khalistani leader’ to draw the support of the Sikh diaspora in the United States, preying on their religious beliefs while simultaneously whitewashing the extremist ideology he represented.

In December 2023, she quoted US-based media house The Intercept’s dubious and baseless report against India where it was claimed that the Indian Ministry of External Affairs issued a secret memo in April 2023. The news report claimed that the Indian government, in the memo, ordered its consulates in North America to launch a “sophisticated crackdown scheme” against ‘Sikh diaspora organisations’ in Western nations. Indian government categorically denied the existence of any such memo. Here, too, Dhillon tried to gin up resentment among the Sikh diaspora after unknown men killed Nijjar for reasons best known to them.

Dhillon’s anti-India attacks

But Dhillon’s problematic facets aren’t limited to Khalistan alone. Even though she has her origins in India, she doesn’t lose out on an opportunity to attack the country, presumably to burnish her image as an ‘American leader who has the interests of fellow Americans at heart’.

In March this year, just ahead of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, she quoted The Economist report on how Indian migrants were helping PM Narendra Modi in campaigning at home and lobbying for India abroad. Quoting the report, Dhillon again repeated the baseless accusations against India that the Indian government is assassinating critics in the diaspora.

In March 2023, she quoted a Reuters report on so-called Human Rights violations in India and asserted that the people of Punjab suffered due to the recent internet shutdown. She also claimed that Sikh journalists and activists were being targeted. The internet shutdown in Punjab she was referring to was done to stop the spread of misinformation during a crackdown against Khalistani sympathiser preacher-turned-MP Amritpal Singh. Several journalists and media houses also faced action as they spread misinformation during that period.

Dhillon is also the owner of a law firm ‘The Dhillon Law Group’ with offices spanning the length and breadth of the United States. The website of the firm says it is a ‘nationally recognised business and constitutional law firm that provides services for business litigation (including alternative dispute resolution), labour and employment discrimination, First Amendment litigation, corporate transactions and compliance, intellectual property protection services, contract enforcement, campaign law, and Internet defamation and privacy law.

Hinduphobia of Harmeet Dhillon’s associate and partner at Dhillon Law Group

One of the partners at ‘The Dhillon Law Group’ is a controversial character called John-Paul-Deol. The official website describes him as ‘Partner and Head of Employment Law Practice’. “John-Paul S. Deol is a partner and the head of the Firm’s nationwide Employment Law Practice Group. He handles high-profile, high-stakes matters for some of the world’s best-known C-level executives, directors, EVPs, VPs, investment and law firm partners, founders, entrepreneurs, healthcare professionals, and other prominent leaders in their respective fields,” his bio on the lawfirm’s website says.

JPS Deol

But on social media, he is just like another Hinduphobic troll spewing venom against Hindu Gods and Hindus in general. In July 2023, Deol, who goes by the handle @jpdeol and calls himself ‘Unsubtle Jatt’, courted controversy by making a derogatory reference to Lord Shiva in response to a tweet posted by a user on The Wire article criticising terrorist Bhindranwale.

Unsettled by the reply, Deol, like a loyal Bhindranwale supporter, replied with a Hinduphobic comment abusing Lord Shiva.

JPS Deol’s Hinduphobic tweet abusing Lord Shiva

Although Deol subsequently deleted the tweet, the language and its irreverence for Hindu Gods reflect the deep-seat Hinduphobia of the Dhillon’s associate.

But this is not the only instance when Deol’s latent Hinduphobia came to the surface. He has a chequered history of hurling racist and casteist slurs at Hindus and at Sikhs who don’t toe his ideological line.

JPS Deol had liked tweets that referred to Hindus with prejoratives
Deol liked a tweet that attacked Brahmins

On July 1, 2023, he quote-tweeted, “There is no civilization more sad and backward than pagan Lindu.” In this tweet, he insults Hindu people by calling them backward. The term ‘Lindu’ appears to be wordplay used in a derogatory manner.

JPS Deol quoting a tweet that makes derogatory reference to Hindus

Dhillon’s associate also attacked Indian-American researcher Puneet Sahani for listing down Khalistanis most consequential and inimical to Hindu interests. One of them he named was Harmeet Dhillon. Deol quoted the tweet and derogatorily referred to Sahani, a Sikh himself, as ‘MahaChuhra’, a casteist slur and equivalent of what the N-Word is in the United States.

Deol, who has been one of the enthusiastic backers of the Hinduphobic anti-caste bill in the United States, also vilified Vedas by linking them to caste.

Deol lies about caste

Harmeet Dhillon made political contributions to Kamala D Harris

Furthermore, Harmeet Dhillon has also been a former cheerleader of Democrat leader Kamala Harris before she joined the Republican fold. Dhillon had reportedly made political contributions to Kamala Harris when she was running for San Francisco district attorney.

NGO headed by Harmeet Dhillon paid over $1 million to her law firm

In addition, RNC committewoman Harmeet Dhillon is also accused of corruption after a report published in June 2023 in The Guardian stated that a non-profit that she helmed directed more than $1 million into her law firm, Dhillon Law Group.

“The Guardian has found that at least $1.32m has been transferred from the Center for American Liberty (CAL) to her law firm, Dhillon Law Group, in a move one charity expert described as “problematic”. Additionally, state and federal filings show Dhillon takes a $120,000 salary from CAL for a two-hour work week,” the report published in the UK daily said.

CAL was established in 2018 by California lawyers who had strong ties to Republican politics and conservative legal organizations. Initially, it was known as Publius Lex, as indicated by state and federal records.

Publius Lex remained largely unnoticed by the public until mid-2019, when Dhillon vocally supported Andy Ngo, the media personality who was filmed being punched and drenched with milkshakes in downtown Portland that June.

In 2020, Dhillon Law was the largest single contractor in CAL’s 990 IRS filing, earning $814,714 in legal fees. This amount accounted for over 45% of all program expenses and 30% of CAL’s total expenses of nearly $2.8 million for the year.

In 2021, Dhillon Law earned $507,469 in fees from CAL, making it the second highest-earning contractor. Additionally, Dhillon began receiving a $120,000 annual salary without increasing her two-hour weekly commitment to the organization, as noted in that year’s 990 filing.

“The Center for American Liberty is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to defending the civil liberties of Americans left behind by civil rights legacy organizations,” the mission statement of the NGO said, but as per Joan Harrington, a fellow at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at the Santa Clara University, “It looks like Dhillon Law and the non-profit are overlapping to the extent that its hard to tell the difference.”

Trump should cut loose Dhillon to ensure US-India ties remain robust

Given these problematic antecedents, from support for Khalistani elements to her associate’s unapologetic and appalling Hinduphobia to allegations of corruption, it might be wise on Trump’s part to cut loose on a leader whose support for separatist Khalistani elements may not only impact his support among the Indian diaspora but also cause strain in the US-India ties, which flourished under Trump as the US President. 

The United States needs India as a counterweight to China, more so under Trump, who is likely to become the next President of the US, as the polls suggest, at a time when Beijing is pushing aggressively to assert its hegemony. In such volatile times, Trump would not want to estrange India and allow China to succeed in its goal of replacing the US as the primary global power. Rather than being forced by circumstances, Trump should take proactive action and prevent the possibility of the incoming US government being taken over by terror supporters and sympathisers. 

It is also pertinent to note that the Trump administration in 2018 deemed Khalistani terror outfit Babbar Khalsa a threat to American interests. Trump is undoubtedly best suited to take India-US ties to the next level, more than Biden given questions over his health. However, the biggest challenge on this front for Trump would be to rein in terror sympathising elements in his team that may ruin the deepening strategic partnership between the two countries.

“F**k the police”: Tattoo artist in soup after posting tattoo image on Instagram, case registered by Bengaluru police for ‘insult with intent to breach peace’

OpIndia Staff
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“F**k the police”: Tattoo artist in soup after posting tattoo image on Instagram, case registered by Bengaluru police for ‘insult with intent to breach peace’

A Bengaluru artist has found himself in hot water after posting a tattoo with a message about police on Instagram Stories. Ritesh Aghariya, the 41-year-old CEO of Tattoo Sutra on Brigade Road, is set to face legal proceedings after the incident. The incident transpired after a photo of a tattoo on someone’s right side of the chest that read, “F*** the police,” was noticed by the city authorities’ X handle.

The photo was found at about 10 pm on 16th July by sub-inspector Chethan SG, the Cubbon Park police station’s social media in charge. He discovered it on the “tattoo.sutra” account’s Instagram Stories, where @TilakSadive uploaded a screenshot tagging the local police handle and asking for their attention. The official informed his top authorities right away, and they instructed him to lodge a complaint which stated the tweet was derogatory and showed disrespect for the police force and a non-cognizable report was submitted the same evening.

A First Information Report (FIR) was then filed with the 41st magistrate court under section 352 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) which addresses intentional insult with the purpose of creating a breach of peace. The Instagram story was shared at approximately 10:30 pm on 15th July. A senior officer clarified that while the offence carries a sentence of less than seven years, the artist was not placed under arrest and was instead told to show up for additional interrogation.

Ritesh Aghariya acknowledged sharing the picture and voiced it was an error he committed while going through older photographs. He stressed that he did not remember many specifics regarding the foreign client who had the tattoo inked at his store. Authorities have cautioned against offensive content and emphasized their vigilance over social media posts.

“We detained the accused for interrogation and instructed him to appear before the investigation officer when summoned again. Since the offence has less than seven years’ punishment, we didn’t put him behind bars. Ritesh confessed to having uploaded the photo on Instagram Stories. He said a foreigner had visited his shop and got that tattoo on his chest. He was checking some old photos and uploaded the picture by mistake. He further claimed he doesn’t remember more details of the customer. We’ve been keeping a close eye on posts uploaded on social media accounts. If we come across anyone uploading any derogatory posts, action will be initiated. We warn people not to indulge in such acts,” informed an official.

UPSC files FIR against IAS probationer Puja Khedkar for ‘faking identity to fraudulently avail attempts beyond limit’, serves show cause notice to cancel selection

ANI
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UPSC files FIR against IAS probationer Puja Khedkar for ‘faking identity to fraudulently avail attempts beyond limit’, serves show cause notice to cancel selection

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) said on Friday that it has registered a First Information Report (FIR) against IAS probationer Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar for allegedly “faking her identity to fraudulently avail attempts beyond permissible limit”.

The Commission said it has also issued her a show cause notice for the cancellation of her selection and debarment from future examinations.

From this investigation it has been revealed that she fraudulently availed attempts beyond the permissible limit under the Examination Rules by faking her identity by way of changing her name, her father’s and mother’s name, her photograph/ signature, her email ID, mobile number and address, the UPSC said in a press release.

Khekar was a provisionally recommended candidate for the Civil Service Examination, 2022.

Further, the UPSC said that it has initiated a series of actions against her, including criminal prosecution, by filing a First Information Report (FIR) with the police authorities.

A Show Cause Notice (SCN) has also been issued for the cancellation of Khedkar’s candidature for the Civil Services Examination 2022 and debarment from future examinations and selections, in accordance with the Rules of the Civil Services Examination 2022.

Additionally, the Commission has categorically stated that in fulfilling it’s constitutional obligations, the UPSC stringently adheres to its constitutional mandate, and conducts all its processes, including all examinations, with the highest possible order of due diligence without any compromise.

Additionally, on July 16, the officer was relieved from the District Training Programme of the State Government of Maharashtra.

She was recalled to the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie and her training has been put on hold.

The letter from the Additional Chief Secretary, Nitin Gadre, read, “LBSNAA Mussoorie has decided to keep your district training programme on hold and immediately recall you for further necessary action.”

Khedkar, a probationary IAS officer who secured an All India rank of 821 in the UPSC exams and has been accused of misusing her authority.

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

SC stays death sentence of Ameer-ul-Islam, convicted of rape and murder of Jisha: All you need to know about how Islam killed Jisha, inflicting 38 wounds on her body

Siddhi Somani
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SC stays death sentence of Ameer-ul-Islam, convicted of rape and murder of Jisha: All you need to know about how Islam killed Jisha, inflicting 38 wounds on her body

On Tuesday (16th July), the Supreme Court stayed the Kerala High Court’s verdict and death sentence for Muhammed Ameerul Islam, the lone perpetrator in the horrific Jisha rape and murder case.

A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, led by Justice B R Gavai and including Justices Sanjay Karol and K V Viswanathan, delayed Ameerul’s conviction and death sentence after hearing his appeal. The Supreme Court, while issuing certain directives, has scheduled a hearing after another twelve weeks.

“The respondent state (Kerala) shall place before this court the report(s) of all the Probation Officers relating to the appellant (Ameerul) within eight weeks. The Superintendent of Prison, Central Prison & Correctional Home, Viyyur, Kerala, shall submit a report with regard to the nature of work that has been performed by the appellant while in jail and a report with regard to the conduct and behavior of the appellant while in jail, within a period of eight weeks,” the Justice Gavai-led bench said in the order.

The top court further stated that the Govt Medical College, Thrissur, shall form a qualified team to conduct a psychological evaluation of the appellant. It stated that the appraisal report should be given to the court within eight weeks by the standing counsel for the state of Kerala.

Ameerul, who was convicted and sentenced to death in the gruesome Jisha rape and murder case, recently filed an appeal with the Supreme Court to reverse the HC judgment. Ameerul, a migrant labourer from Assam, stated in his appeal to the Supreme Court that his conviction and punishment were based on supposition and surmise rather than strong proof. “The HC erred in convicting and sentencing him in the case,” he stated in his appeal filed with the Supreme Court.

He has also claimed that the police and investigators falsified evidence against him and that his arrest was irregular. “The prosecution also failed to establish that he had any motivation to conduct the crime, and the witnesses and evidence provided in the case do not inspire confidence,” he said.

Culprit Ammer-ul-Islam

According to the prosecution, the mangled corpse of Jisha, a Dalit student at Ernakulam Government Law College, was discovered in her Perumbavoor home on the morning of April 28, 2016, sparking widespread anger. Ameerul was arrested for rape and murder after allegedly breaking into Jisha’s home in a drunken state the night before. 

On May 20th this year, the Kerala High Court affirmed the conviction and death sentence imposed by an Ernakulam sessions court on Ameerul, the lone accused in the case. The Sessions Court and, eventually, the High Court declared Ameerul guilty and condemned him under different sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 302 (murder), 376 (rape), and others.

Jisha Murder case: What happened in 2016?

In the years 2016 through the present, the Kerala High Court and the Ernakulam Sessions Court tried the Jisha murder case. The case was filed based on an FIR filed by the Kuruppambady Police Station.

According to the court document, a 30-year-old law student named Jisha, belonging to the Dalit community was found dead in her house beside the Periyar Valley canal in Perumbavoor, Ernakulam on 28th April 2016. Protests from her classmates at Government Law College, Ernakulam, assisted in pushing the case forward significantly.

The culprit, Ameer-ul-Islam, was apprehended by the Kerala Police. The accused was charged with murder and rape under the IPC by the Ernakulam Session Court on December 12, 2017, and sentenced to life in jail. However, on May 20th, 2024, the Kerala High Court revised the sentence to capital punishment.

According to the FIR filed on April 29th, 2016 at Kuruppambady Police Station, Jisha, a 30-year-old law student, had been discovered dead at her place of residence near the Periyarvallley canal in Perumbavoor, Ernakulam. The deceased’s mother discovered the body of the woman and gathered the neighbours by screaming for help. 

The front door to the residence was locked from the inside. The sub-inspector, who was on patrol then came through the back door. The victim was lying inside the centre of the room, partially naked and bleeding profusely. The deceased had many stab wounds and was also disembowelled.

The cops acquired evidence at the spot and sent the body for postmortem, which revealed that the death occurred between 12 noon and 9 pm on April 28th, 2016. Postmortem examination also revealed that the woman had 38 wounds on the body. The deceased was most likely raped and injured during the effort to resist these assaults.

The body also exhibited symptoms of strangling. The fatality was caused by a combination of strangulation, smothering, and haemorrhage. According to the report, the postmortem doctor, Dr. Liza John, verified the evidence of a sexual assault.

Accused Ameerul was arrested by the Police and tried in the Court

The investigating Police identified the accused as Ameer-ul-Islam and filed a case against him under the Judicial First Class Magistrate, Kuruppambady. The complaint was filed under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, claiming that the accused committed an offence punishable under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. On the 16th of June 2016, nearly two months after the incident, the Kerala Police apprehended Ameer-ul-Islam who was a 22-year-old migrant labourer from Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu.

Court document accessed by OpIndia

Ameer, a migrant laborer who lived was accused of knowing that the victim was alone in their home and barging in with arms, intending to rape her.

The prosecution stated that the victim, who resisted the attempt, was brutally stabbed by the accused out of frustration, with one of the injuries being a grievous penetrating injury deep inside her genitals caused by repeated stabbing of her vagina in such a way that a small portion of her internal organs protruded from the body. The accused exited through the back door, walked toward the canal, and threw the knife aside. 

It was further stated that after the crime, the accused fled to Assam by train which he probably boarded from Aluva Railway Station.

Accused convicted of rape and murder

The accused was brought before the court, and charges were filed against him under Sections 449 (trespassing), 342 (wrongful confinement), 376, 376A (rape and murder), 302 (murder), and 201 (destruction of evidence) of the Indian Penal Code, as well as Sections 3(1)(a), 3(1)(w)(i) & (ii), and 3(2)(v) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. Advocate Biju Antony Aloor represented the accused who disputed the claims and pleaded not guilty.

Following an examination of around 100 witnesses, the Court considered 291 material shreds of evidence. After a lengthy trial, the court declared the accused not guilty of violating Sections 201 IPC, 3(1)(a), 3(1)(w)(i) and (ii), and 3(2)(v) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. However, he was found guilty of violations under Sections 449, 342, 376A, and 302, and was convicted of murder under special charges and sentenced to death, among other penalties in 2017.

Court order obtained by OpIndia

The crime gained momentum and attention from political parties as it happened around the state elections that year. Many politicians addressed the issue of women’s safety and condemned the gruesome murder. The film industry had also joined forces to demand justice for Jisha.

The government further promised to provide a financial compensation of Rs 10 lakh to Jisha’s family. Many artists and humanitarians also extended financial support to the case which resulted in additional controversies.

Controversy around Ameer’s arrest

Several people following the case raised questions over the arrest of the accused blaming the government for fabricating the evidence in the case. It was believed that the accused when arrested was 22 years old and malnourished and that he was incapable of holding a 30-year-old healthy woman captive. The authorities further discovered a pair of 9-inch slippers beside the canal that were suspected to be Ameer’s. But Ameer’s foot size was claimed to be 7 inches.

It is also alleged that Jisha’s mother Rajeshwari was hiding the facts from the authorities and that she had strained relations with her deceased daughter. The individuals supporting convict Ameer claimed that Rajeshwari was associated with INC leader PP Thankachan and that she knew who had murdered her daughter. She took financial assistance from those demanding justice for Jisha and allegedly used it to gamble around. However, the claims were denied by both Rajeshwari and PP Thnkachan.

However, the accused was found guilty of violations under Sections 449, 342, 376A, and 302, and was convicted of murder under special charges and sentenced to death, among other penalties in 2017.

Case reminding Nirbhaya brutality: Call for women safety

This case reminds of a similar gruesome murder of ‘Nirbhaya’, a 23-year-old physiotherapy intern who was raped and murdered by 6 men in a South Delhi bus. The men raped the woman in a moving bus and damaged her internal organs using an iron rod. They also assaulted her male friend and tossed the duo off a moving bus, leaving them naked and without their things on the side of the highway. 4

Nirbhaya was transported to Safdarjung Hospital, where she received emergency care and was discovered to have several bite marks and other injuries on her body. She was then transported to Singapore’s Mount Elizabeth Hospital by air ambulance, where she died of her injuries on December 29th, 2012.

The case caused public anger and nationwide protests, highlighting the frequency of sexual violence against women in India, as well as the country’s insufficient response to their safety. In 2015, public outrage grew after the BBC aired a documentary called India’s Daughter, which featured an interview with one of the inmates who blamed the victim for what happened. The documentary caused such disturbance in India that it was prohibited, and television news outlets that were supposed to broadcast it instead showed a blank screen.

The six men accused in the case were Akshay Thakur, Pawan Gupta, Vinay Sharma, Mukesh Singh, Ram Singh, and a juvenile whose identity was protected. The four convicts – Akshay Kumar Singh, Pawan Gupta, Vinay Sharma, and Mukesh Singh were hanged in Tihar jail in 2020 and the juvenile was released after three years of punishment. Ram Singh committed suicide.

Several terrible assaults against women continue to occur today, despite the implementation of strict regulations aimed at improving women’s protection. Women continue to be raped, assaulted, and murdered, yet justice is rendered in relatively few cases. The juvenile who murdered Nirbhaya was released; Aftab Poonawalla, who cut a 27-year-old woman into 30+ little pieces, is yet to be hanged; and, also in Jisha’s case, the SC has suspended accused Ameer’s death sentence.

Although the law protects women and their safety, there are various other laws that assist the accused in defending their case, leaving the families of the victim girls to struggle for justice. This is obviously unfair. Every perpetrator charged with a serious offense against a woman should be treated as a demon and hanged, ensuring justice for the victims and their families. This is the only way how women will feel protected and begin to have complete trust in the judiciary and the administration without any hesitation.

How Yogi Adityanath doubled down after Islamists protested: Order to declare names of owners was limited to Muzaffarnagar, now will apply to Kanwar routes throughout UP

Shraddha Pandey
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How Yogi Adityanath doubled down after Islamists protested: Order to declare names of owners was limited to Muzaffarnagar, now will apply to Kanwar routes throughout UP

As Islamists were riled up over the Muzaffarnagar administration’s order to vendors on the Kanwar Yatra route to declare names, the Uttar Pradesh State Government announced its decision to implement this order across the state. Adding to their agony, the CM Yogi Adityanath-led government has also announced that action will be taken against those selling halal-certified products.

CM Yogi Adityanath reviewed preparations for the Kanwar Yatra on Thursday, which begins on 22nd July, providing guidelines for water, power, urban development, and energy ministers to ensure peace and security during the event. He also issued directives for the Kanwar Yatra, Sawan Mela, and other festivals in the upcoming Shravan month, leading the Urban Development Department to release instructions aimed at enhancing cleanliness, lighting, and drinking water arrangements. 

Amusingly, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav had on 18th July expressed joy over the Muzaffarnagar administration reportedly modifying its order from compulsory to voluntary, just hours later the BJP government announced the strict implementation of the order across the state. To much disappointment of Akhilesh Yadav, whose politics largely revolves around Muslim appeasement, the Yogi government also imposed restrictions on the sale of Halal-certified food items.

As OpIndia reported earlier, several Islamists and their sympathizers in politics, media, and social media had strongly opposed the Muzaffarnagar administration’s order to display the names of their owners and employees. They called it discriminatory and alleged that the administration is doing communal profiling of Muslims. This came even though this order applied to all shops and vendors on the Kanwar Yatra route and not just Muslims. However, in the “Udta teer” scenario the Muslim ‘journalists’, and politicians like AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi made it an issue of religious discrimination.

Owaisi condemned the order, likening it to apartheid and Nazi-era practices, and challenged Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to issue a written order if he has the “courage.”

The Congress party went on to drag Dalits into the issue and its leader Pawan Khera insinuated that the order was meant to single out Muslims and Dalits.

The Congress party which has since the past few months developed a pathological fixation with caste, misses no opportunity to play its divisive caste politics. However, in this case, the Congress party forgot that even Dalits in large numbers participate in Kanwar Yatra. It is a widely known fact that in Kanwar Yatra there are more Dalits and OBCs than any other caste. In fact, Kanwar Yatra is one of those traditions that demolish the narrative of institutional oppression within Hindu Dharma peddled by liberals and the Hindu-hating AntiCaste acivitists.

The anti-BJP and anti-Hindu ecosystem had thought that heavy backlash from their end would deter the Muzaffarnagar administration and compel them to roll back their order. However, despite vehement opposition, CM Yogi remained steadfast, emphasizing the need for clear identification to prevent misrepresentation and maintain public safety, demonstrating his commitment to ensuring the purity of the faith of Kanwariyas despite protests.

Interestingly, what began as a district-level directive snowballed into a state-level order and has also transcended the state’s periphery as BJP-ruled Uttarakhand has also ordered that the restaurant/eatery owners display names on the Kanwar Yatra route.

Haridwar Police Administration issued an order to restaurant owners to display names on the Kanwar Yatra route. Informing about the order Haridwar SSP Padmendra Dobal said, “Regarding the preparations for Kanwar, we have given general instructions to the hotels, dhabas, restaurants and hawkers on the Kanwar route that they will write the name of the owner on their shops and if they fail to do so, we will take legal action against them… Many times, a situation of dispute arises due to this, hence this decision has been taken by us.”

Measures taken by the UP government to ensure the safe and smooth conduct of the Kanwar Yatra

The Kanwar Yatra is a significant Hindu religious pilgrimage, where devotees of Bhagwan Shiv, known as Kanwariyas, collect holy water from the Ganga River and carry it to Shiva temples. This year, the route for the Kanwar Yatra has been carefully planned and regulated. Starting from July 22, the pilgrimage will see participants traveling mainly from Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and other northern states. The primary route from Delhi follows NH-58 to Rishikesh, with significant stops including Haridwar and Neelkanth Temple.

Notably, the Yogi government in Uttar Pradesh has laid out specific guidelines to ensure the safety and smooth conduct of the yatra. These include prohibitions on carrying weapons, monitoring the use of tricolor flags, regulating DJ sound levels, and setting height limits for Kanwar structures to avoid accidents. Additionally, liquor and meat shops along the route will remain closed during the yatra. Security measures involve extensive use of CCTV and drones, the establishment of rest camps, and the deployment of bomb disposal squads and intelligence teams​.

CM Yogi Adityanath has demonstrated strong leadership and firm commitment by implementing the order for shop owners and eateries to declare their names during the Kanwar Yatra. This measure aims to ensure transparency and respect for the dietary preferences of Kanwariyas, a key aspect of their pilgrimage. Despite facing significant outrage from Islamists and liberals, CM Yogi Adityanath remained steadfast, extending the directive across Uttar Pradesh. His decisive action underscores his dedication to safeguarding the religious practices and sentiments of the Hindus.

Moreover, the UP government’s decision to ban the sale of halal-certified food items on the Kanwar Yatra route is a significant move to respect and protect the religious sentiments of Kanwariyas, who follow strict dietary rules. This ensures that their spiritual journey remains uncontaminated by practices they may deem religiously inappropriate. The outrage from Islamists over this decision is pointless as it is not a matter of religious discrimination but one of ensuring religious accommodation and respect for the beliefs of Kanwariyas who follow the Saatvic diet.

OpIndia has discussed how there have been several incidents wherein Muslims were found to be running shops with the names of Hindu deities giving an impression that the shop is owned and run by Hindus, however, upon paying via UPI which displays the real name of the user, it turned out that the shop belonged to Muslim person. Also, it has been reported that several Muslim -owned shops and Dhabas were named after Hindu goddess Vaishnodevi. While the dhabas are named after Hindu deities. Yogi government’s decision reflects their commitment to ensuring that Kanwariyas undertake their journey in an environment conducive to their religious beliefs. Islamists and their cheerleaders can thus, keep crying and wait for visuals of the administration showering flower petals on Kanwariyas as they embark on their Yatra.

Remember cries of ‘mob lynching by Gau Rakshaks’ in Chhattisgarh? SIT says Saddam, Chand Miya and Guddu jumped to their death, no evidence of assault

Rukma Rathore
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Remember cries of ‘mob lynching by Gau Rakshaks’ in Chhattisgarh? SIT says Saddam, Chand Miya and Guddu jumped to their death, no evidence of assault

According to the chargesheet presented to the court last week, a Special Investigation Team stated that the three men who were discovered under a bridge in Arang, in the Raipur region of Chhattisgarh last month, “jumped” to their deaths and were neither lynched nor beaten. The deceased were identified as Saddam Qureshi (23) and his cousin Chand Miya Khan (23) who were from Saharanpur district and Guddu Khan (35) of Shamli district. The postmortem report revealed that their death was caused by their fall onto the rocks.

The chargesheet was submitted on 8th July but remained confidential until 17th July, when its single page appeared on social media. A previous First Information Report from the police included charges of assault and attempted murder. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) charged five men Harsh Mishra, Mayank Sharma, Raja Agarwal, Navin Thakur and Tanay Luniya under the counts of culpable homicide and common intention for the killings.

On 7th June, the three males were reportedly being pursued by the gau-rakshaks (cow-protectors) on suspicion of smuggling cows when they were taking cattle from Chhattisgarh’s Mahasamund to the state capital Raipur. They were subsequently discovered lying on the rocks beneath a bridge. Chand Miya Khan lost his life immediately while Guddu Khan passed away on the way to the hospital that day and Saddam Qureshi died on 18th June from his wounds.

Initially, the incident was labelled a mob lynching. Afterwards, an SIT was formed to look into the matter and it filed a charge sheet in the court after concluding the investigation. Notably, the police personnel and the charge sheet disclosed that the Muslim men were never attacked. They leapt into the river out of fear and met their deaths.

The gau rakshaks were waiting for the trio in a car as they had information about cattle smuggling, according to the SIT charge sheet. The gau rakshaks tried to halt the four-wheeler and carry out an inspection but the latter drove away to escape for at least 54 kilometres as a long chase ensued. The Muslim men then got off their truck on the Mahanadi bridge located in Arang and plunged into the river believing that there would be water but it was dry and they ended up losing their lives. According to sources, the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) could not establish assault.

The authorities earlier lodged a case under Indian Penal Code sections 304 (culpable homicide) and 307 (attempt to murder). Nevertheless, the police removed the attempted murder charge after Saddam Qureshi died because his autopsy report had no mention of assault-related injuries. “The assault never took place. The three got scared and jumped,” confirmed Additional Superintendent (Raipur Rural) Kirtan Rathore when questioned about the chargesheet on 17th July.

How the mob lynching narrative was peddled on social media

The Islamists and its ecosystem, whose primary goal is to provide a communal element where none previously existed and blame Hindus didn’t take much time to resort to their devious tricks in this case either. The members of the Muslim community flocked to the streets in Chhattisgarh to demonstrate against the ‘mob lynching’ as their religious and ideological brethren amplified the same lie online.

Social media commentator Harun Khan tweeted a video of a protest in Raipur against the alleged murders of the three Muslim men.

Another Muslim handle referred to the arrest of Harsh Mishra as the first one in the ‘mob lynching’ case and claimed that the latter was hiding at his girlfriend’s residence.

“Muslim Spaces” repeated the same falsehood, labelling the instance in Chhattisgarh as a “mob lynching of cattle transporters.”

Another popular user by the name of “Hate Detector” claimed that Raja Agarwal who identified himself as a leader of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha was arrested in the ‘mob lynching’ of the three men.

Opportunistic Indian National Congress leader and Vadgam MLA Jignesh Mevani also exploited the incident to attack the state’s Bharatiya Janata Party government and the authorities. He also alleged that the three Muslim males were murdered and demanded strict punishment for the perpetrators. He further threatened, “If justice is not served, we will organize massive protests against the BJP government. We demand accountability and swift action.”

Another netizen referred to the murders as “saffron terrorists” and called it “business as usual” implying that Muslims regularly die at the hands of Hindus in India. The person also highlighted that the Bharatiya Janata Party emerged victorious on ten out of eleven Lok Sabha seats in Chhattisgarh.

Unsurprisingly, after the facts emerged and it was determined that the occurrence was not a mob lynching, the same individuals would neither apologize nor retract their false statements and sectarian remarks they had previously circulated to disparage Hindus and the BJP. It is pertinent to note that the Islamist-liberal ecosystem has been exposed multiple times in the past, although they brazenly continue to point fingers at Hindus while simultaneously ignoring or whitewashing hundreds of similar assaults where the majority community has come under attack and killed by the Muslims.

Flights cancelled, businesses hit across the world as Microsoft ‘Blue Screen of Death’ strikes computers due to Crowdstrike glitch

ANI
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Flights cancelled, businesses hit across the world as Microsoft ‘Blue Screen of Death’ strikes computers due to Crowdstrike glitch

Global software giant Microsoft said on Friday that an outage in its online services has affected customers across the world, including in India.

Microsoft Windows users reported facing ‘Blue Screen of Death’ errors with many users taking to social media platform X to report about the issue.

Meanwhile, cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike told US outlet NBC that it suffered a major outage on Friday impacting businesses globally. The outage resulted from an issue with the latest update, the company said. CrowdStrike is now in the process of rolling back that update globally, it said.

As per reports, Windows users are seeing blue screen errors on their screen with their latops or Personal computers getting stuck on restart loop.

Major US carriers including Delta, United and American Airlines, have grounded all flights grounded, regardless of destination, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Berlin Airport announced the suspension of all flights.

Bloomberg said that London Stock Exchange was reporting “technical glitches.”

In India, SpiceJet announced via X (formerly Twitter) that it was experiencing technical challenges with its service provider, which affected online services like booking, check-in, and managing bookings.

IndiGo tweeted, “Our systems are currently impacted by a Microsoft outage, which is also affecting other companies. During this time booking, check-in, access to your boarding pass, and some flights may be impacted.”

As per a heatmap of India, put out by Downdetector, which detects outages, users in various parts of India reported problems.

The National Cyber Security Coordinator of Australia in a post on X stated, “I am aware of a large-scale technical outage affecting a number of companies and services across Australia this afternoon. Our current information is this outage relates to a technical issue with a third-party software platform employed by affected companies.”

The Redmond, Washington DC headquartered American multinational corporation on Friday said that it was investigating an issue preventing users from accessing its apps and services.

On its support website, Microsoft said that “impacted services may include but are not limited to” Microsoft Teams, Viva Engage, Microsoft Fabric, Microsoft 365 admin centre among others.

“We’re investigating an issue affecting access to multiple Microsoft 365 services. We’re working to identify the full impact and will provide more information shortly,” the official

Microsoft account for updates on certain Microsoft365 service incidents said on X.

Low-cost US carriers Frontier Airlines, Allegiant and SunCountry also reported that their operations had been impacted.

“The Allegiant website is currently unavailable due to the Microsoft Azure issue,” Nevada-based Allegiant said in a statement to CNN.

“Due to a global outage at a third party vendor, our booking, check-in, and trip-managing capabilities are temporarily unavailable,” SunCountry said on its site as reported by CNN.

The US media outlet said that Microsoft on its Azure cloud software status report site, said that around 6 pm ET, the service went down for some customers in the Central US region – “including failures with service management operations and connectivity or availability of services.”

“Our services are still seeing continuous improvements while we continue to take mitigation actions. More details can be found within the admin center under MO821132 and http://status.cloud.microsoft,” Microsoft took to X to state as users faced issues impacting their ability to access various Microsoft 365 apps and services.

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

Jharkhand: Muslim mob of ‘Bangladeshi infiltrators’ attack Hindu houses after a Muslim boy was thrashed for making video of a girl in Pakur

OpIndia Staff
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Jharkhand: Muslim mob of ‘Bangladeshi infiltrators’ attack Hindu houses after a Muslim boy was thrashed for making video of a girl in Pakur

In Jharkhand’s Pakur district, a case of stone pelting on Hindu houses has sparked outrage. Reports say that a Muslim boy in Pakur recorded a video of a Hindu girl and intended to make it viral on social media, prompting Hindus to protest against it and thrash the perpetrator. Infuriated over Hindus protesting against the Muslim youth several Muslims stood outside Hindu houses in Taranagar village, and both sides began pelting bricks and stones.

During the clashes, several people were seriously injured and many houses were damaged. During this time, the police were also targeted, and three officers were reported to have been injured. Meanwhile, BJP leaders have expressed apprehension that Hindus are leaving the area after the clashes out of fear. The BJP leaders have alleged that Bangladeshi infiltrators from West Bengal are behind the attack on Hindus. They also questioned the ruling Soren government’s silence.

BJP leaders raise question over Bangladeshi infiltrators attacking Hindus

Speaking about the incident of violence against Hindus, BJP MP from Godda, Nishikant Dubey said, “In Jharkhand, under the rule of @INCIndia this Taranagar Ilami village of Pakur became deserted. What was the fault, a Muslim boy was blackmailing a minor girl by making her video. When she protested, Bangladeshi infiltrators came from West Bengal to make all the Hindus leave the village. @JharkhandPolice. Now helpless in the hands of the people of West Bengal. Santhal Pargana is on the way to becoming Kashmir Valley, where Hindus are displaced in their own country.”

Meanwhile, Jharkhand BJP president Babulal Marandi equated the situation in Jharkhand to what was in Kashmir during the 90s and the present situation in Kerala-West Bengal.

“When Rome was burning, Nero was playing the flute’… In today’s context, this applies accurately to Hemant Soren as well. Jharkhand’s Santhal Pargana region is burning in the fire of terror of Bangladeshi infiltrators, and Chief Minister Hemant Soren is busy touring. Due to the terror of infiltrators, the tribal natives of Santhal Pargana are now forced to migrate from their homes. The situation in Jharkhand is becoming worse like in Kashmir of the 90s and present Bengal-Kerala, where the state governments are turning a blind eye to the attacks on Hindus in the name of Muslim appeasement. In Taranagar village of Pakur, Bangladeshi infiltrators attacked the houses of Hindus when they protested against the blackmailing of a girl by a Muslim youth. The silence of Chief Minister Hemant Soren on such sensitive issues shows that these infiltrators have the silent support of his government. Hemant ji, remember that Jharkhand will not be allowed to become Taliban… Your government is a guest for a few months. Then these infiltrators and their patrons will also be driven out of the state,” Marandi posted.

Police say the situation is under control

According to Prabhat Khabar’s report, after receiving information about the incident, local police arrived at the scene and calmed the situation. A meeting is being held between the two communities in police presence. It is being said that the situation is under control and the issue will be resolved soon. The district authorities have issued a statement saying that the perpetrators of the incident in Taranagar village of Pakur have been identified and said that stern action will be taken against them.

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