On 31st July, it came to light that Meta had agreed to a USD 1.4 billion settlement with the state of Texas to resolve the allegations that the company, that owns Facebook and Instagram, was illegally gathering biometric data from millions of people from Texas without their consent. The data was collected via Meta’s facial recognition technology. The case against the tech giant was filed in 2022. It was noted as one of the first major lawsuits under Texas’s 2009 biometric privacy law, that puts the violator under the obligation of paying damages of up to USD 25,000 per violation.
In the lawsuit, Meta’s Facebook was accused of exploiting the “Tag Suggestions” feature to collect biometric data billions of times from the photos and videos uploaded by the users. Though Meta discontinued the feature and agreed to a settlement, it has not admitted to doing anything wrong.
Attorney General of Texas, Ken Paxton said in a statement that the settlement between the state and Meta has highlighted that the state is committed to holding major tech companies accountable for the violation of the privacy of the citizens. Notably, in 2020, a similar case was filed against Meta where the company paid USD 650 million as a settlement in a class-action lawsuit under Illinois’s biometric privacy law.
Despite the hefty settlement, Meta said in a statement that it intends to invest in Texas with the possibility of data centre developments. Notably, Texas and Meta agreed to settlement in May this year, just weeks before the trial against the tech giant was set to begin.
Meta was accused of running hundreds of ads selling cocaine, opioids and other drugs
In a separate controversy, Meta Platforms have come under scrutiny for running hundreds of ads on both Facebook and Instagram that directed users to online marketplaces where illegal drugs were being sold. There is a policy in place to ban the promotion of illicit substances on Meta platforms, but The Wall Street Journal’s review found that there were many ads that were openly marketing cocaine, prescription opioids and other drugs as recently as July 2024.
Tech Transparency Project, a non-profit organisation, identified 450 such ads between March and June this year. These ads managed to bypass content moderation systems by using photos to showcase drugs for sale. These photos had descriptions with links to private chat groups on Telegram and WhatsApp where the sale happened.
In a statement, Meta’s spokesperson said that the company has deployed AI tools that proactively detect and enforce content that violates the terms and conditions of the platforms. It has rejected hundreds of thousands of ads that violate the drug policy of the platforms. However, many ads were only disabled after the report came out by WSJ that highlighted the loopholes and gaps in the moderation efforts of Meta.
The matter is under investigation by the federal agencies as they explore if Meta had a role in these illicit sales adding to the legal troubles of the company. It has reignited discussions about Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act that shields online platforms from the liability of third-party content. Basically, the companies get a virtual free pass from accusations of being involved in such illicit sales.
Meta said it is working with the law-enforcement agencies in the matter to combat illegal activities on its platforms.
Authorities in Punjab province, Pakistan, on 31st July, reported that a 19-year-old newly wed girl was set ablaze by her husband in the name of ‘honour’. Saba Iqbal was murdered on 28th July in Bahawalnagar, around 400 kilometres from Lahore, by her husband Ali Raza, who believed his wife was having an extra-marital affair. The couple entered into a court marriage about eight months ago, per the police. Her body was discovered at Chak 50/4-R, Haroonabad, outside a gas station.
According to a First Information Report filed with the Haroonabad City Police Station, Saba Iqbal from Faqirwali willingly married Ali Raza from Habib Town. However, he began abusing her shortly after they got married, claiming she was involved in immoral activities. The accused told his in-laws on 28th July over the phone that she had fled the house during an argument with him out of rage, and had not been seen since. The deceased’s father, Muhammad Iqbal, said that he and family members immediately rushed to Ali Raza’s residence to search for their daughter. However, the following day, her burnt corpse was discovered in the field.
The official complaint revealed that Ali Raza admitted to burning his spouse alive. A complaint was submitted against him and two other unnamed accomplices. Police sources revealed that soon after the marriage, the culprit started to accuse the victim of having extramarital relationships. He severely assaulted her the day of the incident, burned her alive, and dumped the body in the field. The authorities mentioned, “In his confession, Raza said he killed Saba after knowing that she had relations with someone else outside his locality.”
According to police sources, he has been arrested and is undergoing further interrogation. He already confessed that he killed his wife for honour, and his sister and brother-in-law were also complicit in the crime. Human rights advocates say that about 1,000 women in Pakistan are killed each year in the name of honour.
On the 31st of July, a Hindu man identified as Dilip was brutally assaulted and attacked by some miscreants after he raised his voice against a person identified as Mohammed Nadeem who was caught urinating on the walls of a temple in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. The miscreants including Nadeem who urinated on the temple walls, abused Dilip for opposing the act. They also barged into his home and assaulted him using iron rods and bamboo sticks resulting in severe injuries.
According to the reports, the police are said to have taken cognizance of the incident and arrested three individuals in this case.
Victim Dilip Singh commented on the issue and confirmed that Nadeem was seen urinating on the walls of the temple at around 3 pm on Tuesday, 30th July. On opposing, Nadeem began abusing and assaulting Dilip. Some of the locals tried to pacify the matter after which Dilip went home.
Later Nadeem, Saleem, Nafees, Babu s/o Kaleem, and three other associates barged into the home of Dilip and launched a brutal attack on him. They attacked using iron rods and bamboo sticks which resulted in severe injuries to Dilip.
The neighbors then learned about the incident and reached the spot immediately to see Dilip soaked in blood. They took him to the hospital and got him treated.
The accused by then had managed to flee from the spot. However, the police filed an FIR based on a complaint filed by Dilip and arrested three individuals.
The state capital Shimla, among other places in Himachal Pradesh, witnessed heavy downpours. Landslides followed cloudburst in the state, killing 3 people and injuring many others. As per the initial reports, the number of people missing after the landslide has crossed the mark of 40. The rescue operations are underway, yet the situation has turned scary leaving many people lost. While the media claims that 40 people are missing, the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh says that 50-plus people are feared missing.
शिमला की रामपुर तहसील, मंडी ज़िले की पधर तहसील और कुल्लू के गांव जाओन, निरमंड में बादल फटने से 50 से अधिक लोगों के लापता होने का अत्यंत दुखद समाचार मिला।
NDRF, SDRF, पुलिस, होम गार्ड और फायर सर्विसेज की टीमें राहत, खोज और बचाव कार्य में जुटी हुई हैं। स्थानीय प्रशासन को राहत एवं… pic.twitter.com/t3iUiFuIqn
— Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu (@SukhuSukhvinder) August 1, 2024
Since Wednesday night, 3 cloudbursts have taken place in Himachal Pradesh: one in Rampur, Shimla, and two in Kullu. As a result of the region’s surprisingly heavy rainfall, 33 individuals are missing in Rampur alone, and three others are missing in Kullu. The other missing persons are from Mandi.
Deputy Commissioner Anupam Kashyap stated that upon learning about the event, personnel from the NDRF, SDRF, police, and rescue services were stationed at the scene. Drones are being used to assist in locating the missing individuals.
The regional Meteorological Office has issued an Orange (be prepared) alert in many areas of Himachal Pradesh including Kinnaur, Spiti Valley, and Lahaul. The department has stated the probability of massive rainfall, thunderstorms, and lightning. 48 roads have also been closed by the centre.
The meteorological office also warned of the likelihood of landslides and flash floods in sensitive regions of Kullu, Solan, Sirmaur, Shimla, and Kinnaur districts. There is also a threat of damage to plantations and standing crops, vulnerable structures, and kutcha huts caused by strong winds and waterlogging in low-lying areas.
Meanwhile, intermittent rain hit areas of Himachal Pradesh throughout the day. Dharamshala received 127.6 mm of rain in the last 24 hours, followed by Una with 60.2 mm, Manali with 45 mm, Jogindernagar with 27 mm, Kangra with 21.6 mm, Saloni with 18.2 mm, Palampur with 17.4 mm, Nahan with 16.1 mm, and Kasauli with 15 mm, according to Shimla’s regional Met Centre.
Since the start of the monsoon on June 27, 65 people have died as a result of rain-related incidents, according to the state data accessed by media. The state has also suffered losses of Rs 433 crore, according to the Emergency Operation Centre. Kukumseri in Lahaul and Spiti was the coldest area in the state on Wednesday, 31st July, with a night temperature of 12.8 degrees Celsius, while Bhuntar in Kullu district was the warmest, with a day temperature of 36.2 degrees.
The incident of cloudburst is also said to have struck the Mandi region of Himachal Pradesh from where around 8 persons have gone missing. Drones are also being used to locate the missing people.
Cloud Burst in Himachal Pradesh & Heavy flood situation.
Furthermore, road connectivity has also been disrupted in the impacted districts. According to State Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi, four motorable bridges and footbridges have been washed away, and rescue activities are in full swing. Additionally, the apple harvest has also been devastated due to heavy rains.
The overflowing Beas River has significantly damaged the Chandigarh-Manali National Highway in various spots.
Beas river of Himachal Pradesh in full rage after overnight heavy rainfall and reports of damage to Malana dam
Churu in Rajasthan recorded 125mm Rainfall till 8:30am today, it's highest 1 day RF ever in August
According to reports in Kullu, houses in Bhagipul have been damaged, causing an alarm in the Bhuntar area owing to floods from the swelling Parvati River and Malana Khud, which has also impacted the Malana I and Malana II hydropower plants.
The Manali-Chandigarh National Highway has been disrupted in several places due to landslides and flooding, with water from the Beas River entering residences in Pandoh, Mandi. “All educational institutions in the affected regions have been closed as authorities concentrate on rescue and relief efforts,” officials said.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has called an emergency meeting at the secretariat in response to the cloudburst.
बीती रात प्रदेश में कई स्थानों पर बादल फटने की दुखद घटनाओं के बाद सचिवालय में अधिकारियों के साथ आपातकालीन बैठक की जा रही है।
प्रदेश सरकार बचाव व राहत कार्य में जुटी हुई है। प्रशासन को आवश्यक दिशा-निर्देश दिये गए हैं।
— Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu (@SukhuSukhvinder) August 1, 2024
This is the day after 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. Approximately 350 homes got demolished and washed away, and 1000s of people were hit as the landslides hit the district between 2 am to 4 am on Tuesday, July 30.
The rescue operations are still underway and so far around 256 people are officially feared dead. The NDRF, SDRF, and the Indian Coast Guard teams, Army teams reached the spot immediately on Tuesday and began the rescue operations. The teams rescued more than 4000 people and sent them to 45 relief camps set up by the government.
The rescue team members, while talking to the media, also confirmed that the dead bodies were recovered in gruesome conditions. According to them, the team members have recovered individual body parts like arms, legs, and heads of some people while the rest of their body is still missing. The disaster has spread fear in the minds of people who are demanding rehabilitation by the government. A detailed report about what led to massive landslides in Wayanad can be read here.
Massive landslides that struck the hilly areas near Meppadi in Kerela’s Wayanad have so far left at least 256 persons dead and over 200 injured. As the third day of rescue efforts began, the Army rescued over 1,000 individuals; 220 people were still reportedly missing.
According to sources from the Department of Information and Public Relations (PRD) Control Room in Wayanad, 96 victims have been identified, which includes 77 men, 67 women, and 22 children.
On Tuesday, July 30, three landslides struck Wayanad following heavy rain. Mundakkai, Chooralmala, Attamala, and Noolpuzha villages in the district were the worst affected due to the landslides.
The rescue operation being conducted by the Indian Army jointly with the Indian Coast Guards (ICG) and rescuers of Central and state emergency response teams has entered its third day today (August 1, Thursday). This rescue operation represents one of the largest rescue operations in the disaster-stricken Wayanad. 1,500 Army personnel have been deployed for rescue operations. Over 1,000 rescuers from Central and state emergency response teams have also been conducting massive search operations throughout the area.
#WATCH | Wayanad landslide | Brigadier Arjun Segan, Commandant of the Para Regimental Training Centre says, " Today is the 3rd day of rescue and search operation. We built a metallic footbridge overnight…we hope that we will be able to complete the work of bailey bridge which… pic.twitter.com/RWP27Ylyzf
The Indian Army has successfully built a metallic footbridge overnight to connect the landslide-hit areas. Brigadier Arjun Segan, Commandant of the Para Regimental Training Centre also informed that the army is trying to complete the construction of the 190-ft-long Bailey bridge, which is for 24 tonnes weight category, by this afternoon.
Notably, the Bailey Bridge is being constructed to connect the worst-affected areas of Mundakkai and Chooralmala.
Because of its length, the bridge is being constructed with a pier in the centre of the river, which will make rescue efforts easier after it is finished.
Supplies for constructing the bridge are being delivered from Bengaluru and Delhi to Chooralmala. 17 trucks are transporting the commodities that are flown into Kannur airport to Wayanad.
At a news conference, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced that a second special Air Force plane had arrived at Kannur International Airport, transporting supplies for a makeshift bridge from Chooralmala to the remote Mundakkai.
Additionally, five JCBs have been shifted to the west side of the stream to clear debris and facilitate search operations.
Update on Wayanad Rescue Operation
– A meeting with all stakeholders was held at 7:00 PM on 31 July, chaired by the Director General of Kerala Police, to review the situation.
*Status as at 6:00 AM this morning**
– Search operations by relief columns resumed at 06:00 AM.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is also on his way to Wayanad from Kozhikode. The CM is scheduled to review the rescue operation at Chooralmala and Mundakkai in the wake of the devastating landslides.
Kerala Chief Minister #PinarayiVijayan aboard an IAF helicopter on his way to #Wayanad from Kozhikode. Mr. Vijayan is scheduled to review the rescue operation at Chooralmala and Mundakkai in the wake of the devastating landslides.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will also be holding an all-party meeting in Wayanad on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the Indian Meteorological Department has predicted more rain for Wayanad and several other districts over the next couple of days. A red alert for heavy rain has been issued for Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasargod districts.
Residents in the hill district’s landslide-prone areas have been ordered to relocate as soon as possible to safer areas by the authorities, as the rains continue to pummel various sections of Wayanad. District Collector D R Meghasree advised people to exercise caution if they live in areas that are prone to landslides or have seen landslides in the past.
Kerala: Landslide occurs in Wayanad following heavy rainfall. Health Department – National Health Mission has opened a control room and issued helpline numbers 9656938689 and 8086010833 for emergency assistance. Two Air Force helicopters Mi-17 and an ALH will depart from Sulur…
A shocking case of brutal murder following Nikah-linked religious conversion of a Dalit woman recently came to light from the Ghaziabad district of Uttar Pradesh. According to reports, the accused Mohammad Alam (35) from Hapur murdered Pooja Devi, his 33-year-old wife, and disposed of her body in a canal. According to the information shared on X by Swarajya senior editor, Swati Goel Sharma, it is alleged that Alam also sexually harassed Puja’s minor daughter from an earlier marriage.
Sharma spoke with Sumit Kumar, the brother-in-law of the deceased victim. He told her that he has been associated with Bhim Army, the Dalit outfit headed by Nagina MP Chandrashekhar aka Ravan. However, he lamented that for political reasons, the Dalit outfit has not extended any support to the aggrieved family.
For 8 years, Sumit Kumar has been a senior member of Bhim Army – a ‘Dalit organisation’ headed by Chandrashekhar Ravan and named after Bhimrao Ambedkar
But last week when his sister-in-law Pooja was murdered by her partner Mohammed Alam, six months after her conversion-nikah,… pic.twitter.com/y9ZtfzvMjI
He told Sharma, “Bypolls for [Ghaziabad Sadar] assembly seat are due and the organisation doesn’t want to lose Muslim votes.”
After meeting the aggrieved family, Sharma stated that Pooja’s 11-year-old daughter from her first marriage revealed that the accused Alam also used to sexually harass her.
There is much left to be done in the case @ghaziabadpolice have arrested Alam and put out a press note that he has confessed to killing Pooja. BUT….
Police have not yet recovered Pooja’s body yet. So Alam has not even booked yet for murder, just for kidnapping for…
According to reports, Alam killed his partner Pooja nearly six months after he made her convert to Islam to do Nikah. He was already married with four children and didn’t want to keep her with him. The police had registered a case and arrested the accused on 24th July. They have revealed that Alam confessed to his crime and killing Pooja but her body has still not been found.
According to reports, Mohammad Alam was in a live-in relationship with Pooja for at least four years. She was at odds with her first husband. She insisted on living with the perpetrator which angered him and he strangled her to death with her dupatta and threw the body in the Ganga canal. Afterward, he also filed a missing person report with the police on the same day. Click here, to read how Police arrested Alam who tried to avoid suspicion and filed a missing person’s complaint in this matter.
थाना विजयनगर पुलिस टीम द्वारा महिला की गुमशुदगी/अपहरण की घटना का अनावरण, एक अभियुक्त गिरफ्तार व घटना में प्रयुक्त कार बरामद।@Uppolicepic.twitter.com/Tm9d3ErM25
— POLICE COMMISSIONERATE GHAZIABAD (@ghaziabadpolice) July 24, 2024
The matter came to light when Pooja’s sister Poonam approached the authorities and lodged a complaint that her sister had been missing for a few days.
On Wednesday (31st August), Lucknow Police arrested two people after the video of a mob harassing a woman on a waterlogged road went viral. The incident was reported in the Gomti Nagar area of the city. The woman fell off the bike as the accused aggressively stopped and began pulling the bike. The video of the incident went viral online with netizens demanding strict action against the harassers.
The arrested accused have been identified as Pawan Yadav and Sunil Kumar. The police said that efforts are ongoing to arrest the rest of the harassers seen in the viral video shot near the Taj Hotel bridge.
Lucknow: A viral video shows people mistreating a woman during rain and causing a ruckus under the Taj Hotel bridge. Police intervened, dispersed the crowd, and are identifying those involved pic.twitter.com/7TJxUYKmIv
Taking to X, Lucknow Police said that a case has been registered in the matter under relevant sections and the accused have been identified from the CCTV footage. The police said that two people Pawan Yadav and Sunil Kumar have been arrested while the search for others is on.
Meanwhile, Raveena Tyagi, Deputy Commissioner of Police in Lucknow, said that after learning of the incident, they began reviewing the footage to identify the perpetrators. A case was filed under the appropriate charges, and three police teams were organised to identify the accused.
As seen in the viral video, the accused were enjoying the rain in knee-deep water beneath the Taj Hotel Bridge. They dashed towards a two-wheeler rider, spotting a woman with him, and began throwing water on the two. Police intervened and dispersed the unruly crowd on the bridge.
A UK Muslim organization is offended again, this time, because a Hindu organization released a statement not wanting their Hindu and Indian identities to be conflated with the Muslim identity of the Manchester Airport Pakistani-origin attackers.
On the 28th of July, Insight UK, a Hindu organization, posted a statement on X where they objected to the use of the term “Asian” to describe the Muslim attackers, saying that it creates confusion and conflates the Hindu and Indian identity with that of the attackers’ Muslim identity.
INSIGHT UK strongly objects to the use of the term “Asian” to describe the individuals involved in the recent Manchester airport incident. The individuals in question were neither Indian nor Hindu. The conflation of British Hindus and Indians with the broader “Asian” identity often leads to a misrepresentation of Indian and Hindu values and behaviors, which are fundamentally peaceful. The British Hindu and Indian communities are highly educated, well-integrated, and law-abiding. They are among the highest taxpayers and contributors in the UK across all ethnic minorities. The British Hindu and Indian communities make significant contributions to business, healthcare, technology, innovation, and finance, driving economic growth and societal progress in the UK. As law-abiding citizens, we stand by the police and commend their decisive response to the senseless attack on their officers. We urge all journalists to avoid using the term “Asian” to ensure accurate and respectful representation.
Insight UK essentially wrote that the media was using the term “Asian” to describe the two perpetrators who attacked police officers at the Manchester Airport. The accused are of Pakistani origin. The use of the term “Asian” essentially broad brushes all Indians and Hindus under the same umbrella as Muslim identities from the sub-continent, in this case, Pakistani, leading to confusion and misinterpretation. For the broader Western public, the use of the term Asian leaves no room for differentiation between Hindus and Indians, and Muslims from Pakistan. When violent behaviors are then displayed by the Muslim community, especially by those of Pakistani descent, the Western community at large gets prejudiced against Hindus and Indians as well, owing to the broad brush of identities as “Asian” by the media. Insight UK legitimately urged journalists to use an accurate representation of identities, given that the Hindu diaspora is law-abiding and amongst the highest taxpayers in the UK.
This was a perfectly reasonable demand given that it was indeed not Hindus who assaulted the police officers in Manchester Airport. It is also not the Hindu diaspora that gets into repeated trouble with law enforcement for such violent behavior. For example, as of 2022, at 4% population in the UK, Muslims made up more than 18% of the prison population. In fact, in the grooming gang issue in the UK, where non-Muslim girls are sexually abused and harassed, the perpetrators are mostly Muslims of Pakistani descent. It is, therefore, not unreasonable for the Hindus and Indians of the UK to not want their identities conflated with the Muslims of the UK, especially those of Pakistani descent.
There is additional context to the statement by Insight UK. Pakistan has been the mothership of Islamic terrorism against India for decades. Pakistan has for decades followed the policy of death by a thousand cuts when it comes to India and harbors special animosity towards Hindus. In Pakistan, the usual narrative is that someday, they would turn India into an Islamic nation – from Dar-ul-Harb to Dar-Ul-Islam. The Islamic terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba has, for example, framed the prophecy of Ghazwa-e-Hind, as one in which India is defeated and united with Pakistan, unifying the Indian subcontinent under Muslim rule.
With such animosity towards India and Hindus, it is reasonable for Insight UK to take umbrage to Indian/Hindu identities being conflated with that of the Muslim/Pakistani identity under the broad brush umbrella of “Asian”.
This reasonable demand, however, did not sit well with Muslim organizations.
Muslim Association of Britain (UK) took to X to condemn the statement by Insight UK.
MAB tweeted, “This is absolutely disgusting by @INSIGHTUK2. Rather than bringing communities together at such a difficult time they seem intent at sowing division”.
Rather than bringing communities together at such a difficult time they seem intent at sowing division. https://t.co/MYCme7nM6J
— Muslim Association of Britain (MAB) (@MABOnline1) July 30, 2024
MAB was offended that the Hindu diaspora of the UK did not want to suffer for the crimes of the Muslim community, especially those where the perpetrators are of Pakistani origin.
Interstingly, while MAB is talking about shared identities and “bringing communities together” after the Manchester Airport assault by Pakistani-origin accused, during the Leicester violence in 2022, where Hindus were mercilessly attacked by Muslims, they were busy blaming the Hindus and allying with Islamists like Majid Freeman.
In 2022, MAB organized a conversation about the Leicester violence where they blamed Hindus after Muslims had gone on a rampage. One of the people who was a part of the conversation was Majid Freeman – the Muslim man who had spearheaded the violence against Hindus in Leicester and also, has now been booked for terrorism.
What’s Happening in Leicester? The Worrying Rise of Hindutva in the UK
MAB has also spread utter lies and hate against Hindus when they came under attack from the Muslim mob in Leicester.
Majid Freeman, who MAB quotes to spread hate against Hindus, has recently been booked in the UK for terrorism. Majid Freeman was charged with inciting terrorism and lending support to the proscribed terrorist organization, Hamas. Freeman was arrested on July 9th last year on suspicion of counter-terrorism offenses, including encouraging acts of terrorism.
Majid Freeman is a local Leicester Muslim “activist” who is known to harbor problematic and extremist Islamic views. Throughout the Leicester violence, Majid was at the forefront of spreading fake news that instigated violence against Hindus.
It was on 28 August 2022 that a scuffle broke out after India defeated Pakistan in a T20 match after the Indian flag was desecrated. After the scuffle, Hindus had even calmed the situation down and tended to the individual who had snatched and desecrated the Indian flag. Majid Freeman, however, had a different story to tell.
On the 30th of August, after the Leicester police got influenced by the Muslim organizations and lied about “death to Muslims” being chanted by Hindus (they later clarified their investigation found no such chants were heard), Majid took to Twitter to rabble-rouse against Hindus.
On the 30th itself, he lied about the Quran being desecrated in Leicester, insinuating that the Hindus had committed this act. However, OpIndia tried to verify these claims.
There was another incident that was cited by Majid Freeman to claim that Hindus had been attacking Muslims. He claimed that a mob of 30+ Hindus had chased and assaulted a Muslim teenager. When confirmed, it turned out that while the Muslim organizations had claimed this, no video evidence was submitted to the police and no investigation was underway, OpIndia was told by Insight UK.
On the 4th of September, when the violence against Hindus started with mobs hunting them down in their houses and on the streets, Majid Freeman took to Twitter to dog-whistle against Hindus again.
From the 4th to the 7th of September, Muslim mobs went on a rampage against Hindus. On the 4th of September, when Majid tweeted and dog-whistled, the Muslim mob went on a rampage unprovoked while the Hindus were celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi. Eggs were thrown when Hindu symbols were spotted and where Ganesh puja was being held. A Hindu man was dragged out of his home and stabbed when his aunt ran out of the house to defend him, she was injured because the Muslim mob punched and beat her.
On the 12th of September, a dangerous lie started. It was alleged that Hindu men had attempted to abduct a Muslim girl while she was going to school.
After the story went viral, aided by Majid Freeman, the Hindu man started getting threats from Islamists since they had outed his car number, his location, and his picture.
On the 14th of September, the Leicester police confirmed that the news was fake.
In fact, another lie that was circulated by Majid Freeman and his Islamist cohorts was that a Mosque was attacked by Hindus during their peaceful protest. The Leicester police confirmed that no such mosque was attacked, however, they did confirm that a Hindu temple had been vandalized.
Besides being the key instigator of the 2022 anti-Hindu riots, Majid has also encouraged European Muslims to “do jihad in Syria,” and has promoted “tributes” to the late Al Qaeda terrorist Anwar Al-Awlaki on his Twitter and Facebook accounts. OpIndia had, in fact, exposed Majid Freeman’s links with ISIS and organizations connected to Al Qaeda and IHH.
MAB, which is closely associated with Majid Freeman, and justified violence against Hindus and blamed Hindus for the violence committed by Islamists, is today offended that Hindus of the UK don’t want to bear the burden of the crimes committed by the Muslims of the UK.
This playbook of indulging in violence and then crying Islamophobia is repeated across the world, with minor tweaks, depending on the situation. MAB accusing Insight UK of ‘sowing division’ is just another manifestation of it.
What happened at the Manchester Airport
On the 23rd of July, there was reportedly an altercation between some passengers of a Qatar Airlines flight. Greater Manchester Police said that the police were called by the Airport staff after an altercation at Terminal 2 of the Manchester Airport. The police reached the airport, checked the CCTV, and spotted the suspect at the ticket counter. The accused further attacked the police and broke the nose of a female police officer after which the police had to act.
Initially, a video emerged where the police officer was seen kicking the accused’s head. This led to widespread outrage claiming that the police were being racist and had used excessive force even after the accused was down on the ground.
However, later another video emerged where it was seen that before the police officer had kicked the accused in the head, the accused had rained punches against the police officers injuring one male and 2 female police officers.
In the second video which has emerged, according to the Independent, “Three police officers – one male and two female – approach two men standing by one of the ticket machines and proceed to restrain one of them, who was wearing a matching light blue top and shorts. The second man, wearing a black t-shirt, then circles around the male officer, who was leading the restraint of the first man, and appears to begin to attack him. The pair then seem to begin punching one another while the first man hits the two female officers multiple times. The man in the black t-shirt is eventually tased by the male officer, at which point the second man looks to have knocked the two other officers down and proceeds to punch the male officer in the back of the head. After the male officer and the first man wrestle to the ground, he appears to be tased by the female officers. The male officer then gets up and appears to kick the man in the head, where the video ends”.
Two of the accused are Fahir and his brother Amaad. According to The Express report, the row erupted as the two brothers headed to Manchester Airport on July 23 to meet their mother, who was returning from a visit to Pakistan.
While the police – two women officers and one male officer – got seriously injured in the violence which was unleashed by the accused, the Muslims of the UK have cried about Islamophobia.
On 1st August, an X user ‘TrainWaleBhaiya” shared a shocking video of a YouTuber Gulzar Sheikh putting different items on railway tracks including cycles, soaps, stones and more in the name of content creation. In his post, the X user wrote, “This is Mr Gulzar Sheikh from Lalgopalganj, UP who puts random things in front of trains for YouTube Money, He is putting lives of 1000s of passengers in danger,” and urged Indian Railways and administration to take strict action against the YouTuber.
Notably, there has been a spike in train derailments in recent times. Such videos have raised concerns over safety and security of the railway tracks with speculations how many derailments such YouTubers might have caused.
This is Mr Gulzar Sheikh from Lalgopalganj, UP who puts random things Infront of trains for YouTube Money, He is putting lives of 1000s of passengers in danger. Strict action should be taken against him, @RailwayNorthern@rpfnr_@drm_lko Sharing all the information Below? pic.twitter.com/g8ZipUdbL6
OpIndia’s investigation revealed many channels uploading such videos putting random things on railway tracks
OpIndia investigated the matter and found that many YouTube channels have been uploading such videos for likes and shares. In most probability, these channels are earning hefty money by monetizing these videos.
Source: YouTube
First, we checked Gulzar’s channel which goes by Gulzar Indian Hacker. The channel was full of such videos and shorts where he was seen putting random items on railway tracks. The “funny” thing is he kept on “urging” people not to do such things. In total, he has 243 videos uploaded with a Short video having 99 million views. The channel has 2,35,000+ subscribers and has accumulated 13,70,44,393 views so far.
Source: YouTube
The oldest video on his channel where he was seen putting ear buds on railway tracks was from January 2024.
Source: YouTube
In a video uploaded a month ago, Gulzar was seen putting a 500 GM weight on the tracks.
Source: YouTube
In a YouTube Short video, he put an axe on the track.
Source: X
Next, we found a YouTube channel named Train Experiments that has 241 videos. In the videos, the channel owner was seen putting random things including brake blocks, watermelon, needles, keys, stones, and toy hand grenades.
Source: YouTube
The channel has accumulated 2,92,80,045 views so far.
Netizens fumed over the videos and demanded action against these YouTubers. Bharatiya Janata Party’s national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla shared screenshots of the videos and wrote, “Identify these anti nationals who create railway accidents. There have been several instances of sabotage / signals being covered with paper/ deliberate obstacles being put on tracks. Look at Gulzar Sheikh.. putting stones, cycles, obstacles on rail tracks. God knows who all and how many such elements are doing it to cause train accidents.” He urged Railway Ministry and Union Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnav along with UP Police and CM Yogi Adityanath to take action in the matter.
Identify these anti nationals who create railway accidents
There have been several instances of sabotage / signals being covered with paper/ deliberate obstacles being put on tracks
Look at Gulzar Sheikh.. putting stones, cycles, obstacles on rail tracks
After the disputed President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro challenged X owner and billionaire Elon Musk for a cage fight, the latter has accepted it. Replying to an X post, Musk wrote, “I accept”. He later added, “He (Maduro) will chicken out”.
— Wall Street Silver (@WallStreetSilv) July 31, 2024
The cage fight is not without “rewards”, as Elon Musk said that if wins the fight, Maduro will have to resign, and if the Venezuelan leader wins, Musk will offer him a free ride to Mars. “If I win, he resigns as dictator of Venezuela. If he wins, I give him a free ride to Mars,” Musk said.
This came after Maduro called Musk his “archenemy” and challenged him for a cage fight. “Social media creates a virtual reality, and who controls the virtual reality? Our new archenemy, the famous Elon Musk. Do you want to fight? Let’s do it. Elon Musk, I’m ready. I’m not afraid of you, Elon Musk. Let’s fight, wherever you want,” Maduro said.
'I ACCEPT': "You want to fight? Let’s have it, Elon Musk." After a days-long Twitter war between the billionaire and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, Elon Musk has officially accepted the challenge to fight. See how everything unfolded: https://t.co/bLG1Huzzlopic.twitter.com/fn38wWiPJ2
Notably, the feud between Elon Musk and Nicolas Maduro has been simmering for some time, fuelled by political unrest in Caracas. Maduro, whose recent election triumph has been controversial, has found an opponent in Musk, a Donald Trump supporter who advocates for fair elections and freedom of speech.
Maduro has accused Musk of coordinating attacks on Venezuela, claiming that the tech magnate is responsible for an alleged “computer hacking” at the National Electoral Council (CNE). The CNE controversially declared Maduro the winner of recent elections without releasing comprehensive data.
Interestingly, Elon Musk did not leave the opportunity to take a swipe at Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, although their cage match could not happen, Musk said that if it did, then it would be a quick one since Zuckerberg is a “little fella”.
Maduro is a big guy himself and probably knows how to fight, so this would be a real fight.
Zuck is a little fella, so that would be a short fight lol.
“Maduro is a big guy himself and probably knows how to fight, so this would be a real fight. Zuck is a little fella, so that would be a short fight lol,” Musk said.
Musk took the jibes against Maduro further, saying that he would carry Maduro to Gitmo (Guantanamo Bay prison) on a donkey.
As reported earlier, with 80% of votes counted, Maduro secured more than 51% of the vote, beating Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD) candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who got over 44% of the vote, according to a statement by the National Electoral Council (CNE). The United States and multiple global leaders have voiced concerns about the official results, handing the presidential election victory to the strongman leader.
