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

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

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

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

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

Screengrab of the tweet by Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation

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

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

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

Screengrab of the tweet by Arif Arwah

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Arson attack, stone pelting after Jumma Namaz and more: Violence continues unabated in Bangladesh, leaves 2 dead in renewed protests

OpIndia Staff
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Arson attack, stone pelting after Jumma Namaz and more: Violence continues unabated in Bangladesh, leaves 2 dead in renewed protests

On Friday (2nd August), two people were killed and 150 others were left injured during violent protests in Bangladesh.

The development comes two weeks after the country’s Supreme Court reduced the percentage of reserved government jobs from 56% to 7%.

While protestors were initially demanding revocation of quota for families of freedom fighters, their renewed demands include justice for the 200 odd-people who were killed during the initial phase of violent protests and immediate release of detained protestors.

On Friday, a police constable named Suman Gharami died after being thrashed by protestors in Khulna. He had sustained severe head injuries and was declared dead on arrival at the Khulna City Medical College Hospital.

A 24-year-old labourer named Mostaq Ahmed was shot dead in Habiganj amid a clash between protestors and the law enforcement authorities. A native of the Sylhet Tuker Bazar area, the deceased had gone to buy shoes from the town.

He died due to excessive bleeding. An estimated 150 people were injured on Friday. This includes three cops, namely, Mazharul Islam, Soumen and Sohanur Rahman Sohag.

Violence was witnessed in Dhaka, Khulna, Sylhet, Narsingdi, Chattogram and Noakhali after Jumma Namaz. According to Deputy Commissioner Tohidul Islam, protestors carried out an arson attack on a training school of Special Branch in Dhaka’s Uttara.

Similarly, protestors set a police box on fire at the Wasa intersection in Chattogram after Jumma Namaz. The protestors resorted to pelting stones and hurling brickbats.

The law enforcement authorities responded with lathi-charge, rubber bullets, firearms, stun grenades and teargas. Several protestors were admitted to hospitals with rubber bullet injuries.

After Paris Olympics organising committee fails to provide Air Conditioners amidst high heat and humidity, Indian Sports Ministry steps in to provide ACs to Indian athletes

OpIndia Staff
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After Paris Olympics organising committee fails to provide Air Conditioners amidst high heat and humidity, Indian Sports Ministry steps in to provide ACs to Indian athletes

The latest edition of the Olympics are currently being held in Paris with the weather being very hot and humid. However, despite the high heat and humidity, the Olympics organising committee failed to arrange for air conditioning for the athletes who have come from all over the world to compete. Noticing the discomfort it must be causing the athletes, Indian government has stepped in and provided 40 ACs for the Indian athletes at the games.

The Indian athletes battling the high temperatures and humidity amidst the lack of cooling in their rooms in the Paris Olympic Games Village have been provided with 40 portable air conditioners by India’s sports ministry to make their stay comfortable.

As per the ministry, the air conditioners were sent to the Olympics Games village in Paris after discussions with the Indian Olympic Association and the French Embassy.

“Taking into consideration the issues faced by athletes at the Olympic Games village because of the temperature and humidity in Paris, the Ministry of Sports decided to provide 40 ACs in the Games Village rooms where the Indian athletes are staying,” PTI reported a source as saying.

The temperatures have reached as high as 40 degrees Celsius in Paris, and coupled with high humidity, the conditions have become very difficult for the visiting athletes. The lack of air conditioning in their rooms has only exacerbated the situation.

The portable ACs, which are plug-and-play units are already being used by the athletes. It is expected that this will help them with this have a more comfortable stay and get better rest.

India has so far won 3 medals at the Olympics, all of them coming in Shooting.

No support from Bhagwant Mann led AAP government in Punjab, state ministers have big role in decline of sports in the state: Olympian Arjun Babuta

OpIndia Staff
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No support from Bhagwant Mann led AAP government in Punjab, state ministers have big role in decline of sports in the state: Olympian Arjun Babuta

Olympian Arjun babuta, who finished 4th at the ongoing Paris Olympics in men’s 10m Air Rifle event has revealed AAP government’s apathy towards Punjab’s leading sportspersons. In the men’s 10m Air Rifle event, Babuta narrowly missed the Bronze medal and ended up in 4th place on the grandest stage of them all.

Arjun Babuta shared that he hasn’t received any benefit from the Punjab government despite all the success that he has achieved in his career. 

After the conclusion of his event, Arjun Babuta returned to India from Paris with bronze medalist Sarabjot Singh and other athletes. The 25-year-old shooter shared his frustration over the lack of backing from the Punjab administration after returning home. Babuta said that he should get a job rank commensurate with his sporting achievements, and hopes that the current Aam Aadmi Party government and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will heed his demands, unlike their Congress predecessors.

Arjun Babuta said, “I have not received any benefit from the state government. In 2022, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and then Sports Minister of Punjab Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer promised to offer me a government job. I have also written a letter in this regard also but in reply, I was told to wait…It is very disappointing and I hope they will look into it as job security is very important.”

He further said, “I demanded the same from the previous Congress government in Punjab. Governments are changing but the demand remains the same…The hope is slowly fading away.”

Mentioning how athletes from other states are treated differently by their respective Chief Ministers, Babuta said, “The Chief Ministers of different states cheered and met the shooters from their respective states who participated in the Olympics. But nothing was done by the Punjab CM and Punjab Sports Minister for the shooters from Punjab…They didn’t even welcome us at the airport. If they blame for the decline of sports in Punjab, the ministers of Punjab have a big role in it.”

‘Army has a strong feedback system…’: Former Lt Gen KJS Dhillon on Agniveer scheme

Jinit Jain
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‘Army has a strong feedback system…’: Former Lt Gen KJS Dhillon on Agniveer scheme

Amid the political controversy surrounding the Agniveer Scheme, retired Army professional Lt. Gen. KJS Dhillon stated that the scheme will receive thorough feedback from the Army.

He noted that the Agniveer scheme was implemented after extensive consideration and that the first batch hasn’t yet completed its four-year term.

“The Agniveer scheme was introduced after a lot of deliberations. It has just begun, and the first batch has not completed its four years. The Army has a very strong system of feedback. Whatever improvements are needed, the Army does proper deliberations,” Gen. Dhillon said.

On political discussions surrounding the scheme, Gen. Dhillon said that these things don’t affect the Army.

“The morale of the Army has always been high and will remain high. These things don’t affect the Army’s morale,” he said.

In a fresh attack on the Agniveer scheme, introduced by the Centre in June 2022, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren said, “Agniveer is a controversial scheme. Attempts are being made to hide the shortcomings of the Agniveer scheme, and it is a big fraud on the youth of the nation. The scheme is not good for the youth.”

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in an address to the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, asked the opposition to refrain from politicizing the scheme.

“I hope on matters related to the fitness and battle readiness of the Indian Army, we don’t do politics. We need young, fit, battle-ready people who are going to be trained. Agniveer is a scheme that we brought in with a great sense of commitment to keep our Armed forces battle-ready and young. One of the expected outcomes of the scheme is that the armed forces will have a much younger force by recruiting those in the age group of 17-21 years. I don’t think there is a need for us to unnecessarily worry that this is causing some kind of distortion. Not at all. It is with the acceptance of the armed forces that it has been brought in,” Sitharaman said.

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

Union cabinet approves 8 major highway projects worth ₹50,655 crore including ring roads in Ayodhya, Kanpur and Guwahati

ANI
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Union cabinet approves 8 major highway projects worth ₹50,655 crore including ring roads in Ayodhya, Kanpur and Guwahati

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the development of eight access-controlled national highway projects with a total length of 936 km.

These eight highway projects would cost Rs 50,655 crore, the government said.

The government said it will ensure land acquisition needs are least. As far as possible, the projects will be aligned brownfield, Union Information Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said in a press briefing.

The government believes implementation of these eight projects will generate an estimated 4.42 crore man-days of direct and indirect employment.

The eight projects are 6-Lane Agra-Gwalior highway, 4-Lane Kharagpur – Moregram, 6-Lane Tharad – Deesa – Mehsana – Ahmedabad, 6-Lane Tharad – Deesa – Mehsana – Ahmedabad, 4-Lane Section between Pathalgaon and Gumla of Raipur-Ranchi, 6-Lane Kanpur Ring Road, 4-Lane Northern Guwahati Bypass and Widening/Improvement of Existing Guwahati Bypass, and 8-Lane Elevated Nashik Phata – Khed Corridor near Pune.

In Ayodhya, the 68-km 4-lane access-controlled Ayodhya Ring Road will be developed at a total capital cost of Rs3,935 Crore. The Ring Road is expected to reduce congestion on National Highways passing through the city, — NH 27 (East West Corridor), NH 227 A, NH 227B. NH 330, NH 330A, and NH 135A, thereby enabling fast movement of pilgrims visiting the Ram Mandir.

The Ring Road will also provide seamless connectivity to national and international tourists arriving from Lucknow International Airport, Ayodhya Airport and major railway stations in the city.

In Guwahati, the gateway to northeast India, a 121-km ring road will be developed at a total capital cost of Rs 5,729 Crore in three sections — 4-lane Access-Controlled Northern Guwahati Bypass (56 km), widening of the existing 4-lane bypass on NH 27 to 6 lanes (8 km), and improvement of the existing bypass on NH 27 (58 km).

A major bridge over river Brahmaputra will also be constructed as a part of the project. The Guwahati Ring Road will provide seamless connectivity to long-distance traffic plying on National Highway 27 (the East-West Corridor). The Ring Road will ease congestion on major National Highways around Guwahati, connecting major cities or towns in the region – Siliguri, Silchar, Shillong, Jorhat, Tezpur, Jogigopha, and Barpeta.

Infrastructure development is the foundation for a country’s economic prosperity and is critical for improving the quality of life of its citizens. Every rupee spent on infrastructure development has a multiplier effect of about 2.5-3.0 times on GDP.

Realizing the importance of infrastructure in overall economic growth of the country, Government of India has been investing heavily in building world-class road infrastructure in the country over the last ten years.

“The length of National Highways (NH) has increased abourl.6 times from 0.91 lakh km in 2013-14 to 1.46 lakh km currently. There has been a significant increase in pace of award and construction of National Highways in the country in the last 10 years,” the government said in a statement.

Similarly, the average annual construction of National Highways has also increased by about 2.4 times from about 4,000 km in 2004-14 to about 9,600 km in 2014-24. The total capital investment in National Highways including private investment has increased by 6 times from Rs 50.000 Crore in 2013-14 to about Rs 3.1 Lakh Crore in 2023-24.

Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari posted on X, “Under the chairmanship of PM Shri @narendramodi Ji, the Union Cabinet has sanctioned the construction of the 231 km long, 4-lane access-controlled Kharagpur-Moregram National High-Speed Corridor, at a cost of Rs 10,247 crore.

“This project will reduce the travel distance from 265 km to 231 km, cutting travel time for freight vehicles from 9-10 hours to 3-5 hours. It will enhance connectivity for six districts, including Murshidabad and Birbhum, and provide better access to key economic zones,” Gadkari posted on X.

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

Love Jihad in Mathura: Asif pretends to Rahul and rapes a Hindu girl, records her obscene videos and use them to threaten her to convert to Islam

OpIndia Staff
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Love Jihad in Mathura: Asif pretends to Rahul and rapes a Hindu girl, records her obscene videos and use them to threaten her to convert to Islam

Asif Qureshi, a Muslim youth from Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, lured a Hindu girl into his love trap by pretending to be Rahul. He repeatedly sexually assaulted her throughout this period and took explicit photos and videos of her. Later, he began pressing her to convert to Islam by blackmailing her with lewd images and footage. A case has been registered in the matter.

The case is from the Deeggate police station area of ​​​​Mathura district. A girl living here lodged a complaint in the police station on 30th July and revealed that Asif Qureshi used to come to her shop and try to talk to her. He introduced himself as Rahul. One day, he took her mobile number and started calling her under some pretext. The accused who is a resident of Natunagar police station in Kosi, Mathura gradually pretended to love her and claimed to love her very much. He also threatened her which scared the victim and she got into his words.

Her family members also stated that their daughter is a victim of love jihad and mentioned that the perpetrator used to emotionally blackmail her. He called her to meet him on 2nd May and had physical relations with her under false pretence and secretly took videos and pictures of her. After a few days, she came to know about his real identity and he started to force her to embrace Islam. He threatened to make her videos and photographs viral on social media if she didn’t change her religion.

She eventually went to the authorities and submitted a complaint against the culprit after getting tired of his persistent harassment. On the basis of the complaint, the cops have registered a case under various sections including rape, threat of murder and conversion as well as started searching for him.

‘Why did he come here if he can’t get out of the car’: Angry locals surround Rahul Gandhi’s car in Wayanad after landslides claim over 300 deaths

OpIndia Staff
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‘Why did he come here if he can’t get out of the car’: Angry locals surround Rahul Gandhi’s car in Wayanad after landslides claim over 300 deaths

A video of angry locals in landslide-hit Wayanad accosting Rahul Gandhi’s convoy and protesting over the devastating floods has gone viral on the internet.

The video shows a native sprinting to Rahul Gandhi’s car and vehemently protesting against him, repeatedly trying to talk to him even as the Congress leader remains unmoved.

BJP leader Amit Malviya shared the video and slammed Rahul Gandhi, who was the MP from Wayanad for 5 years, and the Congress government for the tragedy that befell the region. 

“Balak Buddhi Rahul Gandhi has blood on his hand because it was the Congress-led UPA government, which buried the Western Ghats Ecology Experts Panel report, prepared by Madhav Gadgil, that had especially cautioned against anti-environmental activities in Mepaddi. Then, as a Member of Parliament from Wayanad, he failed them again,” he said. 

According to news agency IANS, the locals were demanding Rahul Gandhi to get down from his car and get his feet dirty if he was so concerned about the people.

“Brother, ask him to stop the car! We are the people who voted for him and made him win… He was the MP of this place… If he is so concerned about not getting out of the car and dirtying his legs in the mud, why has he come here? What is there to see here?” IANS quoted the angry man who surrounded Rahul Gandhi’s car as saying.

Another video shared by a BJP worker showed locals protesting against Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Wayanad following the landslides.

“We have lost everything. And now, because of his visit, we are hungry for hours. Shops with essential supplies were forcefully closed, trucks with food and water were stopped because of his ‘VIP’ visit,” the BJP worker quoted a local as saying.

The Gandhi scion, who was elected from Wayanad twice, once in 2019 after sensing a defeat from Amethi against BJP leader Smriti Irani and then again in 2024, only to vacate it for his sister, Priyanka Gandhi, has been on a visit to the region following the devastating floods that have so far claimed over 300 lives.

Besides, The Kerala government have been under fire from the BJP, which has blamed their negligence for the calamity that struck Wayanad.

Earlier this week, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said in Rajya Sabha that an early warning was given to the Kerala government on July 23 but the government took little preventive measures.

“I want to clarify that on July 23, the Centre gave an early warning to the Kerala government, seven days before the incident, and then on July 24 and 25, we warned them again. On July 26, a warning was given that there was a chance of heavy rainfall of more than 20 cm, and there were chances of landslides,” he said.

Wayanad landslides claim 308 lives

The Wayanad district in Kerala experienced a massive disaster on Tuesday, 30th July as three back-to-back severe landslides washed away four villages- Mundakkai, Chooralmala, Attamala, and Noolpuzha. Around 150 to 200 homes got demolished and washed away and more than 1000s of people got carried away as the landslides hit the district between 2 am to 4 am on Tuesday.

At least 308 people have lost their lives due to the landslides and rescue work is underway to locate families that were swept away in the floods. Rescue operations, now in their fourth day, will be expanded to include the use of a drone-based radar to locate survivors trapped beneath the rubble and in collapsed structures.

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