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‘Will bury you in the ground if you chant BJP again and again’: Muslim mob attacks Dalit family with swords, hurls abuses saying ‘Modi Yogi will not come to save you’

राहुल पाण्डेय
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‘Will bury you in the ground if you chant BJP again and again’: Muslim mob attacks Dalit family with swords, hurls abuses saying ‘Modi Yogi will not come to save you’

An uproar erupted in Uttar Pradesh’s Jaunpur district over objectionable remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and the BJP. Around a dozen people have suffered injuries after a dispute broke out between the Muslim and the Dalit communities in the district. Among the injured, six persons are in serious condition and are receiving treatment in the hospital. In the wake of the conflict and tensions, forces have been deployed in the village. So far, the police have filed FIRs against both sides. They have arrested a total of six accused. 

The incident occurred on 7th June 2024 in the Shahganj police station area of Jaunpur district. On Saturday (8th June), Vipin Kannaujiya, a resident of Bhadi village, lodged a complaint with the police. According to Vipin, at around 9:15 pm on 7th June, he was walking outside after having dinner. Just then, Shahbaz and Karim who are residents of Bhavi Chhidwa village reached there. Looking at Vipin, both of them started abusing him and said, “B****wa** keep chanting BJP-BJP. Modi-Yogi Kya ukhaad lenge? BJP ki M** k* B****.” After hurling abuses they launched an attack on Vipin. 

Iron rods and sticks were used in the attack. Due to a head injury, Vipin began to lose consciousness. Seeing his relative being assaulted, Aman raised an alarm. At that moment, Mobin, Jameel, Sagir, Farukh, and Afsar, also joined the attackers. They also launched an attack on the family members of the victim who were sleeping. During the attack, they also hurled casteist slurs and abuses at the victims. Vinod, Santosh, Pawan, Suraj, Bhola, and Manju Devi sustained serious injuries during the assault.

During this time, swords were also seen in the hands of Shahbaz, Mobin, and Karim. They said, “S**e dhobi, mad****od, have you people developed so much courage? Now if you do BJP-BJP, we will kill and bury you. Modi and Yogi will not come to save you.”

The victim has demanded strict action from the police. The police have filed an FIR in this case under IPC sections 147, 148, 323, 307, 504, 505 (2), 506, and 153-B, along with the SC/ST Act. Shahbaz, Karim, Mobin, Jameel, Sagir, Shakeel, Farukh, and Afsar have been named. OpIndia has the complaint copy.

The Muslim side has also lodged an FIR

In this case, the police have also filed a cross FIR. About 4 hours after the FIR filed by the Dalit community, Shahbaz Khan also lodged a complaint at the police station. In the complaint, it was stated that after a verbal altercation, Vipin hit Shahbaz on the head with a stick. Later Shahbaz, Karim, Sagir, Mobin, Afsar, and Shabana arrived to save him, and then they were attacked by Vipin’s supporters. Vipin, Santosh, Rajesh, Vinod, Aman, Arvind, and Baburam have been named in the attack. All of them have been charged under IPC sections 147, 323, 308, 504, and 506.

They have been accused of threatening to kill and hurling abusive language at the Muslim youths. The Jaunpur police have so far arrested 6 accused. The arrested accused include Shahbaz, Mobin, Jameel, Shakil, Farukh, and Afsar. The investigation of the case and other necessary actions are underway. Police forces have been deployed in the village. Currently, the situation is said to be under control.

First ever BJP govt in Odisha to take oath on 12 June instead of 10 June, new chief minister yet to be named

OpIndia Staff
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First ever BJP govt in Odisha to take oath on 12 June instead of 10 June, new chief minister yet to be named

The first ever BJP government in Odisha was scheduled to take the oath of office and secrecy on 10th June, but now it has been postponed to 12th June. The change in date comes while the party is yet to announce the name of the new CM.

Reportedly, the swearing-in ceremony was rescheduled to accommodate the presence of PM Modi at the event, as he is unable to travel to Odisha on 10th June. After taking oath today, PM Modi will have a hectic day tomorrow, and therefore he won’t be able to attend the ceremony in Bhubaneshwar.

Similarly, the meting of the BJP’s legislature party meeting, originally scheduled for 10 June, has also been rescheduled for 11 June. The new CM will be decided in this meeting. The swearing-in ceremony will be held after the meeting of the 78-member BJP’s legislature party in presence of central observers. BJP’s parliamentary board is likely to take a final call on it.

Several names including senior BJP MLA Suresh Pujari, Mohan Charan Majhi and KV Singh Deo are doing the rounds as the chief minister probables. Although Dharmendra Pradhan’s name was also being speculated, he took oath as a cabinet minister in the Modi government. Similarly another probable Ashwini Vaishnaw has also been retained in the union cabinet.

Amid the suspense over the name of the next chief minister, all preparations are on for the swearing-in ceremony at the Janata Maidan in Bhubaneswar.

BJP spokesperson and oath-taking ceremony in-charge, Dillip Mohanty on Sunday said that the swearing-in ceremony of the new Chief Minister of Odisha will now be held on June 12 and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be present at the event.

“The oath-taking ceremony of the new Chief Minister of the newly-elected BJP Government in Odisha will now be held on June 12. PM Modi will be present for the oath ceremony,” said Mohanty.

“It is historic that the oath-taking ceremony will happen for the first time amongst the people of Odisha. It used to happen inside the governor’s house previously. This is happening after 2-3 decades. We are hoping that everyone in Odisha will take part in the event,” said Mohanty.

He further called it a government of the people and said that the people of the state will contribute to it. “PM Modi will be present and he will meet everyone. People are full of excitement that they will meet PM,” said Mohanty.

PM Narendra Modi will hold roadshow in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday evening before attending the oath-taking ceremony of the new Odisha CM at Janata Maidan.

Meanwhile, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader and close aide of caretaker Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, VK Pandian on Sunday announced his retirement from active politics following the party’s defeat in Odisha assembly and Lok Sabha elections.

Pandian, an IAS officer of the 2000 batch, has served as private secretary to Naveen Patnaik for over two decades. In 2023, he joined the BJD after taking voluntary retirement from the bureaucracy.

The Biju Janata Dal suffered a defeat in the Odisha assembly polls at the hands of the Bharatiya Janata Party, putting an end to the 24-year-old reign of Naveen Patnaik.

The Bharatiya Janata Party secured 78 seats in the 147-seat assembly. The BJD secured 51 seats, way behind the majority mark of 74 and the Indian National Congress secured 14 seats.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, also BJP performed well by securing 20 out of the 21 parliamentary seats in the state; the remaining one seat was won by Congress.

(With inputs from ANI)

Modi Govt 3.0: President Droupadi Murmu administers oath to PM Narendra Modi and his team of 71 Ministers, read the full list here

OpIndia Staff
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Modi Govt 3.0: President Droupadi Murmu administers oath to PM Narendra Modi and his team of 71 Ministers, read the full list here

On Sunday (9th June), PM-designate Narendra Modi took oath as Prime Minister of India for his third successive term on Sunday at an impressive ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan which was attended by leaders from India’s neighbourhood and Indian Ocean region. President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office to Narendra Modi, followed by other members of his team of ministers. A total of 30 leaders have been appointed as Union Cabinet Ministers, while there will be 5 Ministers of State with independence charge and 36 Ministers of State in the union government.

The new ministry of 72 ministers, including PM Modi, includes 61 ministers from BJP, while the rest 11 are from allies. Among the ministers from alliance partners, TDP and JD(U) has got two ministries each, one cabinet minister and one MoS. The rest 7 parties have been allocated 1 minister each. Among them, HD Kumaraswamy of JDS, Chirag Paswan of LJP-Ramvilas and Jitan Ram Manjhi of HAM took oath as cabinet ministers, and Shiv Sena, RPI, RLD and Apna Dal got MoS berths.

Notably, NCP refused the MoS Independent berth offered to Praful Patel demanding cabinet ministry, and therefore he was not included in the ministry.

Among all the ministers, there are 27 OBCs, 10 SCs and 5 STs. There are 5 ministers from minority communities, however there is no Muslim minister.

The list of the ministers who took oath at the Rashtrapati Bhavan is given below. For ministers for the NDA alliance partners, the party names have been mentioned in brackets with the names.

List of Union Cabinet Ministers

  1. Rajnath Singh
  2. Amit Anil Chandra Shah
  3. Nitin Gadkari
  4. Jagat Prakash Nadda
  5. Shivraj Singh Chauhan 
  1. Nirmala Sitharaman
  2. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar 
  3. Manohar Lal Khattar
  4. Haradanahalli Devegowda Kumaraswamy (JDS)
  5. Piyush Vedprakash Goyal 
  6. Dharmendra Pradhan
  7. Jitan Ram Manjhi (HAM)
  8. Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh (JDU)
  9. Sarbananda Sonowal
  10. Dr. Virendra Kumar 
  11. Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu (TDP)
  12. Pralhad Joshi
  13. Jual Oram
  14. Giriraj Singh
  15. Ashwini Vaishnaw
  16. Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia
  17. Bhupender Yadav
  18. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat
  19. Annapurna Devi 
  20. Kiren Rijiju
  21. Hardeep Singh Puri 
  22. Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya
  23. Gangapuram Kishan Reddy
  24. Chirag Paswan (LJP-Ramvilas) 
  25. CR Patil 

List of Minister of State (Independent Charge)

  1. Rao Inderjit Singh 
  2. Dr. Jitendra Singh 
  3. Arjun Ram Meghwal 
  4. PratapRao GanpathRao Jadhav (Shiv Sena)
  5. Jayant Chaudhary (RLD)

Minister of State

  1. Jitin Prasada 
  2. Shripad Yasho Naik
  3. Pankaj Chaudhary 
  4. Krishan Pal {Gurjar} 
  5. Ramdas Athawale (RPI-A)
  6. Ram Nath Thakur (JDU)
  7. Nityanand Rai
  8. Anupriya Patel (Apna Dal – Soneylal)
  9. V Somanna
  10. Dr. Chandrasekhar Pemmasani (TDP)
  11. Professor SP Singh Baghel
  12. Shobha Karandlaje
  13. Kirti Vardhan Singh
  14. BL Verma
  15. Shantanu Thakur
  16. Suresh Gopi
  17. L Murugan
  18. Ajay Tamta
  19. Bandi Sanjay Kumar
  20. Kamlesh Paswan
  21. Bhagirath Choudhary
  22. Satish Chandra Dubey
  23. Sanjay Seth
  24. Ravneet Singh Bittu
  25. Durga Das Uikey
  26. Raksha Nikhil Khadse
  27. Sukanta Majumdar
  28. Savitri Thakur
  29. Tokhan Sahu
  30. Dr Raj Bhushan Choudhry
  31. Bupathiraju Srinivasa Varma
  32. Harsh Malhotra
  33. Nimuben {Jayantibhai} Bambhaniya
  34. Murlidhar Mohol
  35. George Kurian
  36. Pabitra Margherita

7 women have been made ministers in the Modi govt, including two cabinet ministers. Smriti Irani, who lost from Amethi, has not been inducted in the minisry.

The 5 ministers from minority communities include two Sikhs Hardeep Singh Puri and Ravneet Singh Bittu, two Buddhists Kiren Rijiju and Ramdas Athwale, and one Christian George Kurien.

PM Modi led the BJP-led NDA to a third successive victory in the Lok Sabha polls. The BJP won an absolute majority on its own in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls winning 282 and 303 seats respectively. PM Modi leads an NDA coalition with 292 seats in the Parliament and has laid thrust on making India a developed nation by 2047.

(Inputs from ANI)

Jammu & Kashmir: Bus carrying Hindu pilgrims falls into a deep gorge in Reasi after terrorists fire on it, 10 killed and 33 injured

OpIndia Staff
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Jammu & Kashmir: Bus carrying Hindu pilgrims falls into a deep gorge in Reasi after terrorists fire on it, 10 killed and 33 injured

At least 10 people died after a bus carrying pilgrims in Jammu and Kashmir fell into a deep gorge after terrorists fired on the vehicle. The incident took place in the Reasi district on Sunday, where the bus carrying pilgrims from Shiv Khori temple came under heavy firing from terrorists.

The incident occurred in Teryath village in the Poni area, and the vehicle veered off course and fell into the gorge after the driver was hit in the attack. The bus was going from Shiv Khori to Katra. A rescue operation was promptly launched, with personnel from the police, army, and paramilitary forces rushing to the scene.

As per reports, terrorists fired at least 50 rounds on the bus before fell off the road.

Talking about the incident, SSP Reasi Mohita Sharma said that the terrorists were waiting for the bus, and the driver lost balance after the attack which caused the vehicle to plunge into the gorge. She said, “Initial reports suggest that terrorists fired upon the passenger bus going from Shiv Khori to Katra. Due to the firing, the bus driver lost balance of the bus and it fell into gorge. 33 people were injured in the incident. Rescue operation has been completed. The identities of the passengers have not been confirmed yet, they are not locals. Shiv Khori shrine was secured and area domination was done.”

The SSP said that the victim pilgrims are not locals, and as per initial reports they could from Uttar Pradesh.

The DC of Reasi confirmed that 10 people have lost their lives in the attack and the resultant crash. Reasi deputy commissioner Vishesh Mahajan said: “10 people died as a bus rolled down a gorge in Jammu & Kashmir’s Reasi.”

The news of the terror attack came even as the ministers of the third Modi government were taking oath at Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi.

Madhya Pradesh: Former sarpanch shaves his head after Digvijaya Singh’s defeat, had placed a bet with a villager on the Congress leader’s victory

OpIndia Staff
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Madhya Pradesh: Former sarpanch shaves his head after Digvijaya Singh’s defeat, had placed a bet with a villager on the Congress leader’s victory

Congress suffered a humiliating defeat in Madhya Pradesh in the recently concluded Lok Sabha election. Bharatiya Janata Party managed to secure all twenty-nine seats in the important state of the Hindi belt. It even managed to win Chhindwara, which was known as Congress leader and former Chief Minister Kamal Nath’s bastion for the last fifty years. Digvijaya Singh, the Congress’s candidate from the Rajgarh constituency was also defeated. Notably, he also served as the state’s chief minister for ten long years. Interestingly, a sarpanch had to have his head shaved after Digvijaya Singh’s failure to win.

Digvijaya Singh received 6.12 lakh votes while his rival and BJP nominee Rodmal Nagar obtained 7.58 lakh votes and the Congress leader lost by a margin of 1.46 lakh votes. Rodmal Nagar has become a parliamentarian for the third consecutive time and scored a hat-trick of victories. However, Digvijaya Singh’s supporters were quite confident of his success. Karan Singh Pawar, the previous Sarpanch of Bailas Panchayat, had even made a wager in his favour.

He had declared that he would shave his head should Digvijaya Singh lose the election. The villager he bet against vowed that he would leave the hamlet if Rodmal Nagar didn’t win. Now, Karan Singh Pawar was forced to fulfil his promise at the Mata Mandir in front of the entire village after the Congressman’s loss. A video of the amusing development has gone viral on social media and triggered humourous discussions.

Notably, the BJP lost significant ground in Uttar Pradesh, where its total of 62 seats fell to 33 while Madhya Pradesh saved the party’s esteem by showering it with all the constituencies. Congress which won the lone seat of Chhindwara in the 2019 Lok Sabha election failed to do it this time. Jyotiraditya Scindia who won from Gwalior and Shivraj Singh Chouhan who won from Vidisha are scheduled to be appointed as Union Minister in the third term of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Shankar Lalwani, the saffron party’s candidate from Indore shattered many records and won by more than 10 lakh votes.

Amidst Islamic State threats, India-Pakistan T20 World Cup match to go ahead, several roads in New York state closed for security reasons

OpIndia Staff
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Amidst Islamic State threats, India-Pakistan T20 World Cup match to go ahead, several roads in New York state closed for security reasons

The New York State Police have increased the deployment of forces and ramped up security for one of the major clashes in the ongoing T20 World Cup, amidst terror threats of an attack during the India vs Pakistan match on Sunday (9th June). The state authorities have also issued a traffic advisory as several roads leading to the match venue have been closed for security reasons. 

Gov. Kathy Hochul said that New York State Police have been directed to increase enforcement presence and security for the tournament.

Additionally, the New York Police Department (NYPD) released a bulletin emphasising that the tournament and its related events in New York City could be viewed by extremists as an opportunity for violence.

The bulletin said, “Recent pro-ISIS propaganda which specifically referenced the upcoming India-Pakistan match at this major event … raises concerns and reinforces the need for heightened vigilance” among security partners.

Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said that the World Cup received an ISIS-K-linked threat in April as well as more specific threats related to the India versus Pakistan match.

Last month, on 5th May, Cricket West Indies (CWI) confirmed that West Indies had received a terror threat to the T20 World Cup tournament from North Pakistan. As per reports, ISIS’s Pakistan branch, the Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) had sent a terror threat to CWI where it tried to incite violence against the sporting event. The IS-K terror module is also active in Afghanistan.

It was also earlier reported on 30th May this year that ISIS-K had threatened to launch a “Lone Wolf” attack during the much-awaited India vs Pakistan match. Lone Wolf “is a particular kind of mass murder, committed in a public setting by an individual who plans and commits the act on their own.”

The much-awaited India and Pakistan match will commence at 10:30 a.m. (8 PM IST) on Sunday at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in Eisenhower Park, marking the biggest match of the ICC Cricket T20 Men’s World Cup in the US. Cricket World Cup matches between India and Pakistan rank among the most-watched sporting events globally. The two teams last faced off in 2022. While India is coming with a win, Pakistan had an upsetting loss at the hands of the USA. Overall in a head-to-head contest, India has secured eight victories against their arch-rivals while suffering three losses. In their most recent encounters, the two teams have each won two of their four matches in Asia Cups and T20 World Cups.

(State authorities in New York City release traffic advisory as several roads leading to India vs Pakistan T20 clash venue have been closed, Image Source – New York Post)

The cricket stadium, located near the Hempstead Turnpike, will cause significant traffic disruptions throughout the day due to the closure of several nearby roadways for the event. The Nassau County police have issued a traffic advisory and warned residents of several road closures taking place during the tournament. 

According to the International Cricket Council (ICC), the 11-week World Cup competition will be held at venues in several countries, with eight matches set to take place at the 34,000-seat Long Island Stadium.

‘He was cabinet minister, accepting it will be demotion’: NCP declines MoS berth for Praful Patel, decides to wait for cabinet expansion

OpIndia Staff
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‘He was cabinet minister, accepting it will be demotion’: NCP declines MoS berth for Praful Patel, decides to wait for cabinet expansion

Hours before the swearing-in ceremony of the third Modi government, NDA ally Nationalist Congress Party declined the post of Minister of State with independent charge offered to Praful Patel. Therefore, the NCP leader will not be taking oath today evening. The party refused to accept the MoS position and demanded a cabinet berth, saying their expected combined numbers in parliament would make them eligible for a cabinet ministry.

The party has decided to wait to join the govt after BJP said that their demands could be considered at a later stage, when the union cabinet is expanded.

NCP leader Praful Patel said on Sunday that accepting the position of Minister of State (MoS) with independent charge in the Union Cabinet will be considered a demotion for him, as he was earlier a Cabinet Minister in the UPA Government headed by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

“Last night we were informed that our party will get a Minister of State with independent charge. I was earlier a Cabinet Minister in the Union Government, so this will be a demotion for me. We have informed the BJP leadership and they have already told us to just wait a few days, they will take remedial measures,” Praful Patel told reporters.

During the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government let by then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Patel was the cabinet minister for the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises.

Maharashtra Deputy CM and NCP chief Ajit Pawar also said, “Praful Patel has served as a cabinet minister in the central government and we did not feel right in taking Minister of State with independent charge. So we told them (BJP) that we are ready to wait for a few days, but we want a cabinet ministry. We are going to attend the swearing-in ceremony today…”

He further said, “We have one Lok Sabha and one Rajya Sabha MP today, but in the next 2-3 months we will have a total of 3 members in the Rajya Sabha and our number of MPs in Parliament will be 4. So we said we should be given one (cabinet ministry) seat.”

Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis confirmed the development and said that Praful Patel’s name was finalized for the post of independent charge (MoS) Minister, adding that in the coalition government, certain criteria are fixed for the post of minister, and those criteria cannot be changed for one party.

“NCP was offered an independent charge (MoS) minister post by us. Praful Patel’s name was also final. But he remains a cabinet minister. NCP leaders were of the opinion that he could not be made a state minister. In the coalition government, certain criteria are fixed for the post of minister, and those criteria cannot be changed for one party. So this time, he could not be included in the Union Cabinet. But he will be considered in the future,” he said.

NCP chief Ajit Pawar said that they did not feel right to take the Minister of State with independent charge as Praful Patel had served as a cabinet minister in the central government earlier.

“Praful Patel has served as a cabinet minister in the central government and we did not feel right taking the Minister of State with independent charge. So we told them (BJP) that we are ready to wait for a few days, but we want a cabinet ministry. They said okay and we junked their offer of Minister of State with independent charge. Today we have been called at 7:15 for the oath-taking ceremony and we are going as well as part of the NDA,” he said.

Earlier, ahead of his swearing-in ceremony, Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi on Sunday interacted with members of Parliament who are likely to be inducted into his Cabinet and Council of Ministers.

The PM-designate hosted a customary high tea at his residence at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg in the national capital before the grand ceremony this evening.

A video of the interaction at the Prime Minister’s residence this afternoon Modi was seen briefing the incoming ministers, setting the tone for the government’s agenda and priorities moving forward.

BJP leaders Manohar Lal Khattar, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Dharmendra Pradhan, Piyush Goyal, Mandaviya, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat were seen attending the meeting and can be seen as a certainty in the new government, sources said.

LJP (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan, Rajnath Singh, Kiren Rijiju, Jyotiraditya Scindia, were among others who arrived for the tea meeting.

PM Modi will take the oath of office at 7.15 pm today along with his council of ministers in a ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) unanimously passed a resolution to elect Narendra Modi as their leader on June 5.

Around 1,100 traffic police personnel of the Delhi Police have been deployed and an advisory has been issued to the public for the traffic movement route arrangements have been made for the delegates as part of the arrangements for Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi’s oath ceremony on Sunday.

As per the results announced by the Election Commission of India on Tuesday, the BJP won 240 seats and the Congress 99 seats. BJP had won 303 seats in the 2019 general elections and 282 seats in the 2014 general elections.

(With inputs from ANI)

26-year-old Israeli woman Noa Argamani, one of the 4 hostages rescued from Gaza, was held captive by a journalist who worked for Al Jazeera

OpIndia Staff
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26-year-old Israeli woman Noa Argamani, one of the 4 hostages rescued from Gaza, was held captive by a journalist who worked for Al Jazeera

On 8th June, Israeli forces rescued four Israeli nationals held captive in Gaza since the 7th October terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel’s territory. Following the 7 October terror attack last year, Hamas terrorists had taken hundreds of hostages with them, and the 4 rescued yesterday were among them. One of the hostages rescued has been identified as Noa Argamani who was rescued from Nuseirat in central Gaza.

Noa Argamani (26), Almog Meir Jan (21), Andrey Kozlov (27) and Shlomi Ziv (40) were abducted from the Supernova music festival near the Israel-Gaza border during the Hamas terror attack, and were reportedly held hostage in the houses of civilians in Nuseirat, and area not touched by Israeli ground forces so far. Noa was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists along with her boyfriend during the terrorist attack on Nova Music Festival on 7th October. Now, in a shocking revelation, it has been claimed that the sole woman among the four, Noa Argamani, was kept in an Al Jazeera journalist’s house.

It has been reported that Al Jazeera’s journalist Abdullah Al-Jamal was holding an Israeli national captive at a civilian residence. Al Jamal previously worked for the propaganda media house Al Jazeera and was currently working with the US outlet The Palestine Chronicle as a staff writer. He was killed during the rescue operation along with his family members.

As the reports of his involvement in holding Noa captive emerged, Al Jazeera issued a statement distancing itself from Al-Jamal. In a statement, senior correspondent of Al Jazeera, Imran Khan, said on Instagram that Al-Jamal was never a full-time employee of Al Jazeera and he worked as a freelance journalist.

Instagram post of Al Jazeera senior correspondent Al-Jamal

Notably, Abdullah Al-Jamal also worked as a spokesperson for the Palestinian Ministry of Labor which functions under Hamas. Jamal’s father Dr. Ahmed, and some other members of the family were also killed in the Israeli operation to rescue the hostages.

While Noa was rescued from Al-Jamal’s house, three other hostages were rescued from a different location. Two multi-story buildings were raided by the IDF in the operation on Saturday to rescue the hostages who were under Hamas captivity for 8 months. Officers of police’s elite Yamam counter-terrorism unit, along with Shin Bet agents, simultaneously raided the two Hamas-controlled multi-story buildings in the heart of central Gaza’s Nuseirat, an official statement by Israel said.

Though there was criticism of the Israeli forces over claims that over 200 people were killed during the rescue operation on the Palestinian side, it has to be noted that those who criticised Israeli forces failed to address the fact that “civilians” were holding Israeli nationals captive. The rescue operation was joinly conducted by IDF, Israel Security Agency and Israel Police. Notably, the operation was based on “precise” intelligence received by the security agencies.

IDF lost one of its soldiers, Commander Arnon Zamora, in the rescue operation. Zmora commanded the rescue team at the building where three hostages were being held.

The fact that Noa Argamani was held hostage by a journalist was first revealed by a pro-Palestine activist. In a post on X, Ramy Abdul, the chairman of the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, a pro-Palestinian organisation, claimed that his organisation found evidence of Israeli special forces using a ladder to enter the house of Dr Ahmed Al-Jamal, father of journalist Abdullah Al-Jamal. He gave detailed descriptions of how the Israeli forces raided the house.

Ramy Abdul, however, failed to address why these “civilians” were holding Noa captive. It has been alleged that Hamas was paying “civilians” to keep Israelis captive at their houses. Though he did not take the name of Noa directly, the evidence is enough to connect the dots that it was Noa who was held captive at the Al Jazeera journalist’s house.

When netizens asked Ramy Abdul why the family of doctor and journalist were holding a young Israeli woman hostage, he gave the bizarre reply that replied that “this should be addressed by the Israeli officials”.

Reacting to the rescue operation, Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said in a statement, “They are in good medical condition and have been transferred to the ‘Sheba’ Tel-HaShomer Medical Center for further medical examinations.”

Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said that the Israeli forces had to enter the civilian areas to rescue the hostages as Hamas terrorists had embedded themselves in the civilian areas. He said the hostages were rescued from two separate civilian multi-story buildings that were 200 metres away from each other. Notably, the hostages were moved frequently in Gaza. Hagari pointed out that Argamani was held hostage elsewhere previously. Similar raids were called off over four times due to unfavourable circumstances.

In a statement, Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant said, “I followed the complex operation from the command and control center — IDF, ISA and Special Forces operated with extraordinary courage under heavy fire, and succeeded in completing their mission. Israel’s defense establishment will continue fighting until 120 hostages return home.”

Hostage Families Forum also issued a statement and said, “The heroic operation by the IDF that freed and brought home Noa Argamani, Shlomi Ziv, Andrey Kozlov, and Almog Meir Jan is a miraculous triumph. Now, with the joy that is washing over Israel, the Israeli government must remember its commitment to bring back all 120 hostages still held by Hamas – the living for rehabilitation, the murdered for burial.”

Noa was one of the hostages whose videos of Hamas terrorists taking her to Gaza went viral on social media. In a video, she was seen forcefully seated on the backseat of a bike pleading and screaming. Her mother, a Chinese national, is suffering from brain cancer. In November 2023, she released a video pleading for her daughter’s release. Noa was also seen in propaganda videos released by Hamas giving hope to her family that she was still alive.

Israel Hamas war entered its eighth month on 8th June.

Odisha: VK Pandian, close aide of Naveen Patnaik, quits active politics after BJD’s defeat in the state, says he has no desire for any political post

OpIndia Staff
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Odisha: VK Pandian, close aide of Naveen Patnaik, quits active politics after BJD’s defeat in the state, says he has no desire for any political post

On Sunday (9th June), 5T Chairman and Biju Janata Dal leader, VK Pandian, who is considered the closest aide of outgoing Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, announced his decision to quit active politics. In a video statement, Pandian also apologised to BJD workers stating that he is sorry if the campaign narrative against him played a part in BJD’s loss. Notably, the BJP, which has come to power for the first time in Odisha, had fought the election on the issue of Odisha Asmita (pride). It kept Tamil-born IAS-turned-BJD leader VK Pandian at the centre of its attack and gained success in ousting Naveen Patnaik who had been the state CM since 2000.  

The development also comes after Naveen Patnaik gave a statement after the party’s electoral defeat. Addressing the media, Patnaik reiterated that Pandian was not his “successor” and added that the people of Odisha would decide about the same. 

In his video statement, VK Pandian said, “(From) the day I set foot on the soil of Odisha, I have received immense love and affection from the people of Odisha.” He emphasised that he has tried to work very hard for the people across the state. He added that it has been an honour to work for Naveen Patnaik. 

Pandian further stated, “The experience and learning I got is for a lifetime. His grace, leadership, ethics, and above all, the love for the people of Odisha always inspired me. His expectation from me was to implement his vision for Odisha and we successfully crossed many milestones in health, education, poverty reduction, ports, investment, women empowerment, infrastructure, and also in temple and heritage projects.”

Pandian noted, “My only intent was to help him, as anyone would do for his mentor and family. I would like to set straight certain perceptions and narratives. Perhaps, it has been my shortcoming that I have not been able to effectively counter some of these political narratives. I reiterate that I came to politics to help my mentor Naveen Patnaik ahead of the gruelling elections and I had no desire, whatsoever, for a specific political post or power. That’s why I was neither a candidate nor was I holding any post in Biju Janata Dal.”  

VK Pandian added that he worked hard for 12 years with a focus on Naveen Patnaik and Odisha. 

“The only property I have is what I inherited from my grandparents. I or my immediate family have no other property anywhere in the world. The biggest earning in my lifetime has been the love, affection, and goodwill of the people of Odisha. My intent of joining politics was only to assist Naveen Babu and I have consciously decided to withdraw myself from active politics. I am sorry if I have hurt anyone in this journey. I am sorry if this campaign narrative against me has had a part to play in BJD’s loss. I apologise to the entire Biju parivar, including all workers. My heartfelt gratitude to lakhs of Biju parivar members I am associated with,” Pandian added.

VK Pandian and BJP’s Odisha Asmita plank against BJD

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had launched scathing attacks on the BJD accusing it of running a proxy government. It stated that because of Naveen Patnaik’s deteriorating health, VK Pandian has assumed power without any accountability. BJP kept the issue of Odisha Asmita (pride) at the center of its poll campaign and asserted that Tamil-born bureaucrat turned politician Pandian couldn’t be the Odisha CM. It added that if they come to power, they will appoint an Odia person as the Chief Minister of the state.   

BJP’s poll plank on restoring the Odia pride stemmed from the fact that VK Pandian was positioning himself as the political heir of Naveen Patnaik. While Pandian did not contest the elections, he is the chairman of ‘5T’ and the Nabin Odisha programs, apart from being the close associate of Odisha CM Patnaik. 5T is an Odisha government initiative by CM Patnaik to bring in 5Ts (transparency, transformation, teamwork, technology, and time management) across govt bodies.

Last year in October, VK Pandian took voluntary retirement from the civil services and was immediately given a cabinet minister equivalent post in the Odisha government. He had been the ‘right-hand’ man of CM Naveen Patnaik for over a decade. He was an Odisha cadre IAS officer from the 2000 batch who hails originally from Tamil Nadu. 

In 2011, Pandian was appointed as the Private Secretary of CM Naveen Patnaik. Though he was said to be very close to the CM and was widely seen as his ‘right hand’ man, Pandian rose to prominence in Odisha’s political and executive scenario after 2019, when he was appointed as the ‘5T secretary’. 

Pandian’s increasing influence and power projection in Odisha politics was raising many eyebrows as opposition leaders questioned how a serving IAS officer could be projected as the CM’s envoy and ‘replacement’, flying around in helicopters and being welcomed with garlands and flowers by the public and party leaders wherever he goes. Many opposition leaders had challenged Pandian to quit his job and join active politics.

Pandian, who became the “face” of the Naveen Patnaik government, openly declared in public meetings that he was there to meet people on behalf of CM Patnaik. 

CM Patnaik, who is 77, is not very physically active and does not step out of the CM residence very often. His alleged ‘deteriorating’ health prompted the BJP to assert that the Chief Minister was not seeking a fresh mandate for his government but rather for his Tamil-born successor Pandian. 

Following the electoral defeat, Naveen Patnaik held a conversation with reporters in Odisha’s capital, Bhubaneshwar where he categorically asserted that VK Pandian is not his “successor”. 

Patnaik said, “I would like to say that Mr. Pandian has also worked and helped in health, education, sports, and our programme of temple restoration. Mr Pandian joined the party but has not had any posts. I have always clearly said that when they asked me about my successor, I said clearly that it was not Mr. Pandian. I repeat it. The people of Odisha will decide my successor.”

Following these developments, VK Pandian released a video statement announcing that he is quitting active politics. 

Girl allegedly sold by her Muslim partner in Bahrain; Punjab and Haryana HC orders central and state governments to ensure her safety

OpIndia Staff
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Girl allegedly sold by her Muslim partner in Bahrain; Punjab and Haryana HC orders central and state governments to ensure her safety

A Muslim youth and a non-Muslim girl lived together in the Phillaur area of Punjab’s Jalandhar. She went to Bahrain in Qatar after some time and sent a video to her parents from there. Her parents then filed a habeas corpus petition in the Punjab-Haryana High Court, alleging that she was sold in the Gulf nation. The high court heard the case and ordered the central government to confirm the safety of the girl through the Indian Embassy there. Furthermore, the centre and state government have been asked to ensure that the family talks to the girl on video call.

The girl’s family asserted in their petition that their daughter was living with a 19-year-old boy and left on 9th March for Bahrain. A video of her surfaced from the foreign country in which she disclosed that she had been sold and was scared for her life. She believed that she would be murdered there. The central administration has been directed to intervene in the matter and bring her back to India. The development transpired after Sarvanjit Singh, the Phillaur Deputy Superintendent of Police submitted an affidavit.

The high court also sought a response from the Punjab government as well which mentioned that the footage was later deleted and the girl claimed that her family was calling her frequently and asking her to come back. Punjab Police revealed that her partner flew to Bahrain on 10th March. Judge Alok Jain of the high court who was presiding over the case pointed out that the girl’s welfare is the court’s first concern in the case. Additionally, he instructed the Station House Officer (SHO) of the relevant police station to contact the female and her family through audio or video chat to ascertain her present situation. The Indian Embassy in Bahrain will receive this information so that the rescue operation can commence.

The entire controversy arose after the girl’s video and it is imperative that the petitioners be given the opportunity to speak with their daughter. The court was informed that the unavailability of her address made the task challenging. Now, the court has instructed the Ministry of External Affairs to provide a thorough report on the initiative taken in this matter within a 15-day period.

Woman working for Sheikh dies under suspicious circumstances

Meanwhile, Harjinder Kaur, daughter of Darshan Singh of village Tibba in district Sangrur, has died under suspicious circumstances in Bahrain. She was employed in the house of a Sheikh there. She reportedly committed suicide, according to a report received over the phone. Harjinder, the daughter of a local shopkeeper who runs a puncture repair business, had travelled to Bahrain around two years ago via an agent.

Manjinder Singh, the brother of the deceased, announced in front of Kulwant Singh Tibba, convener of “Hope for Mahal Kalan” that his sister had returned to Bahrain on 24th March following a six-week leave. He highlighted that she could never commit suicide. He implored the central government for assistance in moving the body to India and carrying out a high-level investigation into the situation.

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