In Uttar Pradesh’s Gazipur district, some houses of Hindus have been attacked with stones. The accusation of stone-pelting is against 5 members of the Muslim community, against whom an FIR has been registered. On Friday (April 12, 2024), the police arrested 2 people in connection with the case. The complainant has alleged that the attack was a conspiracy to scare them away. The Bajrang Dal has accused some troublemakers from the Muslim community of not only harassing Hindu girls but also spitting on houses after chewing betel.
This incident is from the police station area of Dildarnagar in Gazipur district. Shiv Vilas Gupta, who lives in Usiya village, filed a complaint stating that on April 5, 2024, two troublemakers pelted stones at his house. During this time, the CCTV camera installed in the house was also targeted. After this incident, on the night of April 9-10, some troublemakers started stoning Shiv Vilas’s house.
The victim mentioned that during the stone-pelting, he identified 5 accused from the Muslim community from CCTV footage. There is suspicion that some of them may be minors. The complaint alleges stone-pelting against 5 named individuals and 2 unknown ones. The victim has demanded strict action against the accused. All of them have been charged under sections 147, 352, and 427 of the IPC.
Not just me, many Hindu victims
Shiv Vilas told OpIndia that he runs a medical store and takes care of his family. He said that he is not alone in facing stone-pelting, but many Hindus in Usiya village are affected. According to Shiv, the village has almost an equal population of Hindus and Muslims. The victim does not know why his house was targeted. He claims that he has no previous dispute with the attackers.
Abhimanyu’s shop was also vandalized
The night Shiv Vilas Gupta’s house was attacked, Abhimanyu Chaurasia’s shop in Usiya village was also targeted. Abhimanyu Chaurasia complained to the police on April 11, 2024. Abhimanyu stated that on the night of April 9, his betel leaf stall was overturned. On the same night, several other Hindu homes were also damaged by the miscreants.
Loss during Muslim festivals
In his complaint, Abhimanyu claimed that harassing Hindus is a daily occurrence in Usiya village. According to Abhimanyu, Hindus often suffer losses during Muslim festivals. While describing the attackers as criminally minded, Abhimanyu has also named those against whom Shiv Vilas Gupta has lodged an FIR. OpIndia has a copy of the complaint.
Girls harassed, spit from betel
Shivam Chaube, co-coordinator of Bajrang Dal in Gazipur, spoke to OpIndia about this incident. He said that after the incident, they went to the village. Explaining the increasing trouble in the village due to the Muslim population, Shivam said that not only stone-pelting but often after chewing betel, houses of Hindus are spit on and sisters and daughters are also teased.
According to Shivam, the family members of the attackers are involved in illegal activities, which is why they have money. With this money, they support their crimes. OpIndia has video footage of the incident. In this footage, some people can be seen pelting stones. OpIndia called the SHO of Dildarnagar, but their official number was not reachable.
After talking to the station in-charge, the news will be updated. However, according to the information gathered by us, all accused named in the FIR are minors. They have been taken into custody by the police. However, after the necessary legal action, they have been granted bail. The investigation into the case is ongoing.
While the nation is marking celebrations of Ram Navami, an attack on a Ramanavami Shobha Yatra has been reported from West Bengal’s Rejinagar in Murshidabad district. As per reports, the procession that started from Shaktipur School came under attack a few hours ago when miscreants started stone pelting which led to a tense situation in the region.
Not just stones, even bombs were hurled at the procession, injuring several devotees.
“At least 20 people have been injured in the incident. A woman who was severely injured has been admitted in the Murshidabad Medical College and Hospital. The rest are getting treated in local hospitals,” a police officer was quoted by Indian Express.
Stones were reportedly hurled at the Shobha Yatra from the roof of a house.
Following the incident, CAPF and police personnel were rushed to the spot and the authorities maintain that they have brought the situation under control.
Sharing a video of the attack on the Ramanavami procession in Rejinagar, BJP IT Cell Head Amit Malviya slammed the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government for failing to protect the Shobha Yatra.
Taking to X, he wrote, “Mamata Banerjee is a blot on West Bengal. She, once again, failed to protect Ramanavami Shobha Yatras. Hindu devotees targeted in Rejinagar, Murshidabad. Hindus are a minority in this area. Just pointing it out, so that she doesn’t blame the Hindus for the attack on themselves..”
Mamata Banerjee is a blot on West Bengal. She, once again, failed to protect Ramanavami Shobha Yatras. Hindu devotees targeted in Rejinagar, Murshidabad. Hindus are a minority in this area. Just pointing it out, so that she doesn’t blame the Hindus for the attack on themselves… pic.twitter.com/pzvJt0aZ4x
— Amit Malviya (मोदी का परिवार) (@amitmalviya) April 17, 2024
In another tweet, he blamed TMC Supremo’s provocative speeches for the recent attack on Ramnavami processions in Murshidabad. He also demanded the Election Commission of India to take notice of the ‘targeted violence’ against Hindus.
He stated, “Mamata Banerjee’s provocative communal speeches are responsible for the attack on the Ramnavami Shobha Yatra in Rejinagar, Murshidabad. High time @ECISVEEP took note of Bengal Chief Minister’s irresponsible utterances, which are leading to targeted violence against the Hindus.”
Mamata Banerjee’s provocative communal speeches are responsible for the attack on the Ramnavami Shobha Yatra in Rejinagar, Murshidabad.
High time @ECISVEEP took note of Bengal Chief Minister’s irresponsible utterances, which are leading to targeted violence against the Hindus.
— Amit Malviya (मोदी का परिवार) (@amitmalviya) April 17, 2024
Several X users have also shared videos of the Murshidabad incident. In these viral videos, miscreants can be seen pelting stones from rooftops at passersby and the Hindu religious procession.
Massive Stone Pelting at Ram Navami Shobha Yatra at Rejinagar West Bengal. CM appealed in morning to maintain peace, but her appeal went in vain and her police miserably failed to save RAMNAVAMI shobha yatra this year too. pic.twitter.com/vdj1G2uYKa
— Arpita Chatterjee ( Modi Ka Parivar) (@asliarpita) April 17, 2024
Ram Navami procession is attacked in Rejinagar, Murshidabad.
When a hindu brother was capturing the video ; a WB police came and abused him (you can hear that in this video )
If this is the language of a PUBLIC SERVANT during emergency how can AAM AADMI trust them ? pic.twitter.com/5g9vuCZ3zG
Notably, Murshidabad has emerged as a major place for crude bomb-making ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Police have recovered such bombs in several places in the area. Yesterday, bombs hidden behind a wood mill in Rejinagar exploded due to intense heat, causing panic among people.
Earlier in the day, the Hindu Jagran Manch announced that it would take out 5,000 processions in West Bengal at ward or panchayat level in all the districts. The outfit, which is associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has also scheduled grand rallies in Barasat, Siliguri, and Kolkata’s Burrabazar.
Reports say that in Kolkata alone around 5000 police personnel have been deployed are nearly 60 Ram Navami processions are likely to be taken out. The Howrah Police have deployed drones to monitor sensitive areas in Kolkata and Howrah. Police will also video-record processions. Police in Howrah and West Midnapore have instructed liquor shops and bars to close.
Notably, incidents of violence were reported in Howrah on the 30th of March of last year and extended to two other districts, North Dinajpur and Hooghly. Ten people were injured during the clashes.
As reported earlier, the Calcutta High Court on Monday (15th April) granted permission to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Anjani Putra Sena to hold Ram Navami processions in Howrah on 17th April, subject to certain conditions. The state authorities sought to stop the procession and proposed an alternate route.
It is pertinent to note that tensions were high after TMC Supremo and Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee had alleged that there could be rioting on 17th April in the state when Hindus were slated to mark celebrations of Ram Navami. So far, the incidents of violence against Ram Navami processions have reportedly come down this year.
The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday directed the Pakistan Interior Ministry to revoke its letter regarding suspension of social media ‘X’ within one week, reported The News International.
People in Pakistan continue to face difficulty accessing social media platform X as the government has suspended its access since February, citing national security threats.
“What are you [interior ministry] achieving via shutting down trivial things […] The world must laugh at us,” SHC Chief Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi said while hearing multiple petitions filed by Zarrar Khuhro, Jibran Nasir and others.
Last month, the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) told the court that it blocked the social media platform after receiving directions from the Ministry of Interior and intelligence agencies, The News International reported.
The PTA further said that the directions for temporary suspension of mobile internet data services, social media websites and applications are only issued by the said ministry after careful consideration of all the relevant reports and circumstances.
Following the PTA’s remark, the interior ministry told the Islamabad High Court that “tent uploaded on the internet” is a “threat” to the country’s national security.
During the hearing today, the Chief Justice of the SHC highlighted that the “law does not empower the interior ministry to act on reports forwarded by intelligence agencies.”
The petitioner’s lawyer stated that using X and other social media platforms does not lead to “blasts”, reported The News International.
“In hindsight (it seems that) no justification was given to suspend X,” the SHC chief justice said, adding that the court will issue its orders if the interior ministry does not withdraw the directives issued on February 17.
Later, the court adjourned the hearing till May 9, and directed the Interior Ministry to present its reasons behind the blocking of the social media platform on the mentioned date.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
On 17th April, former Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh Bhupesh Baghel cast aspersions on the encounter of 29 Naxals in Kanker yesterday. The Congress leader said that the encounter was “fake” and claimed that the BJP government has ‘labelled’ many innocent villagers as Naxals and arrested or killed them in fake encounters.
“There have been fake encounters in Bhartiya Janata Party government. Arrests have been made. In the last four months, we have received information that there has been a rise in fake encounters and fake arrests of Adivasis labelling them Naxals have been carried out. Adivasi villagers are being threatened by the police that they will be falsely implicated and arrested in this or that cases. In Kawardha district as well, we have heard of such incidents,” Baghel said at a press meet in Kawardha on 16th April.
Bhupesh Baghel’s statement was severely criticised by the ruling BJP. Reacting to the Congress leader’s remarks, Chhattisgarh Deputy CM Vijay Sharma said, “It is sad to hear that the former Chief Minister of the state, Bhupesh Baghel yesterday said that the encounter is fake. What does this mean? The soldiers whom I have seen, have they been falsely injured? All the weapons that have been recovered, are they fake? All the Naxals wearing uniforms have been killed, is this fake? Now saying this and changing the subject again is very wrong….”
On Wednesday, despite the outrage, Baghel doubled down in his attacks on BJP, and said, “The encounter which happened earlier in Kanker was fake. How much evidence does he need? We will give all the evidence (of fake encounters) from now and Raman Singh’s tenure…”
Durg, Chhattisgarh | Former CM & Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel says, "The encounter which happened earlier in Kanker was fake. How much evidence does he need? We will give all the evidence (of fake encounters) from now and Raman Singh's tenure…" pic.twitter.com/SGTzVibeRE
As reported earlier, 29 Naxals were killed and three security personnel sustained injuries on 16th April in an encounter that broke out in Kanker of Chhattisgarh’s Bastar. The police said that along with a huge cache of AK 47 rifles, INSAS/SLR/Carbine/.303 rifles and huge quantities of arms ammunition, were recovered from the spot.
Earlier this month, thirteen Naxal terrorists including a woman were reportedly killed in an encounter with security personnel in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur
Union Home Minister Amit Shah lauded security personnel on Wednesday for their anti-Maoist operations in Kanker. Amit Shah stated that security forces had remarkable success in the state. He said that the BJP government has undertaken a fight against Naxalism and terrorism since Narendra Modi became prime minister. “We started setting up camps in 2014,” Amit Shah stated.
मोदी सरकार देश को नक्सलवाद से मुक्त करने के अपने लक्ष्य के लिए संकल्पित है और छत्तीसगढ़ के कांकेर में सुरक्षा बलों को मिली यह बड़ी सफलता नक्सलवाद के पूर्णतः उन्मूलन की दिशा में अहम कदम है। pic.twitter.com/JeO1CgikF0
— Amit Shah (Modi Ka Parivar) (@AmitShah) April 17, 2024
Meanwhile, Congress’s motormouth spokesperson Supriya Srinate went a step ahead to appease the Naxals and called the 29 Naxal terrorists killed in Kanker encounter as “Shaheed” (martyr). Ironically, Srinate called the slain Naxalites as ‘martyrs’ while saying her party would not do politics on this issue.
“No, I don’t want to do any politics on this. I think a thorough investigation should be conducted in this [Kanker encounter]. And all those who martyred (Shaheed) and also our security personnel were injured, our [Congress] sympathies are with all of them,” Shrinate said.
Shameless @SupriyaShrinate calls Naxals killed by Security Forces as 'Shaeed'
— Ankur Singh (Modi Ka Parivar) (@iAnkurSingh) April 17, 2024
Congress leaders are projecting Naxal terrorists neutralised in the encounter in Kanker as ‘Shaheed’ despite the police explicitly stating that all of the 29 persons killed were Naxal terrorists and not innocent villagers.
Giving details of the Kanker encounter, IG Sundarraj said, “Yesterday, an encounter broke out between security forces and Naxalites which lasted for around 4 hours…Teams of DRG and BSF cordoned off the area and as a result, 29 CPI Maoist bodies were recovered, out of which 15 were female and 14 were male. Arms and ammunition were recovered in large quantities from the spot…The autopsy of bodies of the Maoists are underway.”
However, this is not the first time Congress leaders have attacked the BJP government and the police over action against Naxals in Chhattisgarh. Congress party has a history of genuflecting before the Naxalites to whitewash their crimes. Desperate after defeat in the last state assembly elections, Congress is sympathising with even Naxal terrorists to garner some votes.
Congress has a history of mollycoddling with Naxals despite half of its leadership was wiped out by the leftist terrorists
Back in 2019, Congress MLA from Konta constituency, Kawasi Lakhma had written a letter to the then-CM Bhupesh Baghel that an incident in Bastar, where a woman was killed and another was injured after allegedly being caught in a crossfire between Naxals and security forces, was a deliberate act by security forces to target and kill innocent adivasi villagers. Accusing the security personnel of conducting fake encounters of Adivasis, Lakhma had asked for action to be taken against the CRPF personnel involved in the shooting.
Interestingly, Kawasi Lakhma, Konta’s MLA, was the only one who survived. Lakhma was suspected of involvement and later questioned, however, he was exonerated by the NIA due to a lack of evidence.
In August 2018, the Congress, which was then in opposition, claimed that the CRPF encounter in Sukma, in which 15 Naxals were allegedly killed, was also a fake encounter. Congress even set up an 18-member panel to investigate the incident, which included Lakhma. Congress even claimed that the BJP government in the state was anti-tribal and was staging ‘false encounters’ to portray innocent people as Naxals.
It seems like the Congress party has forgotten how Naxalite terrorists had mercilessly killed its leaders in 2013. When the BJP government and security forces in the state are making Chhattisgarh free from Naxal terrorism, Congress instead of extending support is perhaps suffering from “Stockholm syndrome”.
Back in 2013, around 250 Naxals attacked a convoy carrying senior Congress party leaders, slaughtering 27 Congress leaders in cold blood. It is said that the Congress party was alerted of a potential attack earlier. The Maoists launched the Tactical Counter Offensive Campaign (TCOC), which included this attack. The Naxals are alleged to have used 30 kilograms of explosives in the attack. The Naxalites stopped the convoy after a blast and shouted the names of those on their hit list.
Mahendra Karma, the former Home Minister of Chhattisgarh, was also on the hit list. He is claimed to have pleaded with the Naxals to take him and let others go before the terrorists killed him.
Back in June 2012, 19 Naxals were gunned down by the security forces in the Dantewada. P Chidambaram was the Union home minister and he had mentioned to the media that three prominent Maoist leaders, Somulu, Nagesh and Mahesh were killed in that gun battle. However, the usual players including Swami Agnivesh, PUCL President Prabhakar Sinha and CPIM alleged that the encounters were fake and the CRPF had killed innocent people in cold blood.
Notably, some of the Chhattisgarh Congress leaders had back then raised strong objections over Naxals being called ‘terrorists’. The Chhattisgarh AICC had even downplayed the then-Union Home Minister P Chidambaram’s announcement about three Maoist terrorists killed in a gun battle back then. At that time also, after a dramatic turn of events which included the formation of a fact-finding committee to probe the veracity of the encounters, Chhattisgarh Congress had called the encounters “completely fake”.
It is, however, not surprising that Congress is hailing left-wing terrorists as ‘martyrs’ for political gains. In November 2023, when Bhupesh Baghel was the CM of Chhattisgarh, he had brushed aside the killings of 8 BJP leaders by Maoists in 2023 alone as ‘minor incidents’. Many BJP leaders had alleged that the Congress government had launched a “proxy war” against BJP using Maoists.
As we reported at the time, when asked about the news of the killing of a BJP leader by Maoists, Baghel had said, “Some minor incidents are happening in some places.” When a sitting CM was dismissing killings of BJP leaders by Maoists as ‘minor incidents’, it is not difficult to guess how seriously the scam-tainted Congress government must have fought against left-wing terrorism.
Congress’s dismissal of encounters resulting in the killings of Maoist terrorists as “fake” is in line with the stand of the banned terror outfit Communist Party of India (Maoist). In February this year, the Maoist outfit had called an encounter in which 4 Naxalites were killed as “fake and fabricated”, much like Congress’s claim in the Kanker encounter, CPIM had also claimed that the slain Naxalites were ‘innocent’ villagers.
Heavy, unprecedented downpours in parts of UAE’s desert city-state, Dubai, have prompted flight cancellations, school and office closures, and brought traffic to a grinding halt. Several videos of the inundated streets, busy airports, and mist surrounding high-rise buildings in Dubai are circulating on social media, depicting the aftermath of a sudden change in the area’s weather conditions.
While some viral videos show cars being washed away from roads, others captured the ceiling of a shop collapsing as water inundated one of Dubai’s most popular malls. The city’s metro system faced disruptions, and many residents had to evacuate their apartments. Torrential rains have also led to flooding in underground car parks, and several buildings have suffered power outages.
These visuals are from Dubai Mall. No development can fight with nature. Nature is almighty pic.twitter.com/qhg15P0kco
— Interesting Videos You Should Watch (@ThemViralVideos) April 17, 2024
As per reports, the Emirates, located in one of the hottest and driest regions on Earth, has experienced the heaviest rainfall in 75 years in just a few hours. The city recorded more than 142mm of rain in a single day. This amount is equivalent to nearly a year and a half of the desert city’s average annual rainfall. It’s pertinent to note that the Persian Gulf region typically receives an average cumulative annual rainfall of less than 100 mm (3.9 inches).
Experts have revealed that the heavy rains that have led to widespread flooding across the desert nation stemmed partly from cloud seeding, colloquially known as Artificial Rain.
Cloud seeding explained
As part of the continuous ‘water cycle’, water evaporates from the Earth’s surface, condenses to form clouds when warm air cools (as it rises), and falls back as precipitation, like rain, snow, or hail. Now, adequate atmospheric conditions, including sufficient moisture, favourable wind patterns, and the presence of “condensation nuclei”, are required for cloud formation.
(Water vapour condenses/coalesces around Condensation nuclei, Image Courtesy – ffden-2.phys.uaf.edu)
Condensation nuclei are tiny particles, such as dust or salt, around which water vapour coalesces (sticks together as one unit) to form water droplets or ice crystals. A large number of these water droplets lead to the formation of a cloud.
(Image Source – NASA Climate Kids)
Now, some advocate for ‘Cloud seeding’ as a means to catalyze precipitation in arid or semi-arid regions, where rainfall is scarce due to insufficient condensation nuclei or rapid cloud dissipation. Apart from ‘altering’ precipitation, it is also used to mitigate air pollution.
Cloud seeding is a technique that artificially induces or enhances cloud formation to result in precipitation (rainfall or snow, etc.). The cloud seeding operation is carried out using small, slow-moving aircraft that disperse tiny particles (chemicals) such as silver iodide or dry ice into clouds to encourage the formation of ice crystals or water droplets, potentially leading to increased rainfall or snowfall.
The success of cloud seeding depends on meteorological conditions, including the presence of moisture-laden clouds and suitable wind patterns. Additionally, high-speed planes are not suitable for cloud seeding as they drastically reduce the effectiveness of spraying the chemicals. Usually, planes fly below the clouds for this process as there can be challenges in navigating above the clouds.
The UAE has been one of the pioneers in using cloud seeding technology to increase precipitation and it started these operations in 2002 to address water security issues.
According to Ahmed Habib, a specialist meteorologist, the UAE’s National Center of Meteorology (NCM) dispatched seeding planes from Al Ain airport on Monday and Tuesday (15-16 April) to take advantage of convective cloud formations. The riveting process can be witnessed in this video depicting the timelapse and the formation of rain clouds.
He added that the seeding planes have flown seven missions over the past two days.
Habib noted, “For any cloud that’s suitable over the UAE you make the operation (cloud ceding/Artificial Rain).” According to him, the latest storms also followed heavy rains earlier this year.
As a dry city that does not receive much rain, the drainage system in Dubai is not designed to handle the deluge of water that came down in a short period, causing unprecedented flooding in the city. However, despite the problems created by the floods, this shows the success of the cloud seeding program, raising hopes for other similar arid regions.
Meanwhile, apart from the UAE, other countries including Saudi Arabia, Oman, India, China, and among others have used it on various scales to either increase precipitation or reduce air pollution in their countries.
China uses cloud seeding to ‘alter’ rainfall pattern
In 1958, China began experimenting with weather manipulation to combat arid conditions in the northern region. Today, the People’s Republic invests millions annually in its national Weather Modification Office. Between 1999 and 2007, the office claimed to have protected 470,000 square kilometers from hail and produced over 250 billion tons of rain—enough to fill China’s second-largest river, the Yellow River, four times.
These efforts have also positively impacted weather conditions at national events such as the World Expo in Yunnan, the Asian Games in Shanghai, and the Giant Panda Festival in Sichuan.
During the 2008 Olympics, China deployed artificial rain to prevent rainfall over Beijing’s open-air Olympic stadium, the Bird’s Nest, seating 91,000 spectators. This operation was led by the city’s division of the National Weather Modification Office, under the China Meteorological Administration.
India’s own examples of Cloud seeding
A study published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society (BAMS) found that a cloud seeding trial in Maharashtra’s Solapur region resulted in an 18% increase in rainfall compared to typical patterns. Scientists from the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology in Pune and other institutes conducted the study.
Strikingly, in India, scientists have also explored it to mitigate pollution that grips the northern parts of the country with the onset of winter.
Can cloud seeding have a downside?
However, cloud seeding is not a guarantee of green pastures (metaphorically); its efficacy in many cases is uncertain, and it raises ethical concerns as it can modify natural weather patterns. It can also lead to unintended consequences such as diverting rain from one area to another, causing drought elsewhere. Moreover, regions where cloud seeding is employed often lack the infrastructure to manage increased rainfall, leading to flooding and destruction, as seen in the present case with the UAE. Additionally, it can be costly and may raise legal and regulatory issues.
However, having said that, and despite the bad optics that unfolded before the UAE residents yesterday because of flooding, Dubai’s media office dubbed the downpours “rains of goodness”.
With global warming threatening a surge in heat-related deaths in the UAE, the emirate has been experimenting with this process and made necessary arrangements to minimise the loss because of its experimentation, for a larger good – fulfillment of increasing water demand for the UAE residents.
Notably, to minimise irreparable losses, the UAE government issued warnings ahead of the heavy rains. It asked people to stay at home and only leave “in cases of extreme necessity.” It later extended remote working until Wednesday for all federal employees, as reported by Bloomberg.
It is pertinent to note that with its calibrated experimentation of cloud seeding, the UAE can mitigate the most visible concern of flooding by building underground reservoirs and effective drainage systems.
Over time, significant advancements in cloud seeding technology have and will keep minimizing potential risks involved, rendering it a promising avenue worthy of experimentation for further betterment and mitigating climate crisis, and alleviating water scarcity in arid and semi-arid regions.
Every innovative idea, in its inception, may seem radical and lead to a sudden degree of chaos and setbacks. However, with trials and tribulations under critical observation, the successes of past experimentation in climate science, such as cloud seeding, carbon capture technologies, the building of the Suez Canal, the ongoing Interlinking of Rivers project in India, reforestation efforts, genetically modified crops, and the Green Revolution, as seen in yesteryear, demonstrate the value and potential, making it worth undertaking further scientific experimentation.
Mind you, the danger of power (anthropogenic experimentations in the present context) lies not in its existence, but in the hands of those who wield it and the reckless use of technology for nefarious purposes.
A book titled ‘Modi 3.0: Bigger, Higher, Stronger’ by Pradeep Bhandari is scheduled for release on 19th April 2024. Bhandari is founder and editor-in-chief of Jan Ki Baat, an Indian journalist and psephologist. The book provides an intelligent and in-depth analysis of how the voters in India exercise their right to vote and why Prime Minister Narendra Modi remains unchallenged. It also shows why PM Modi will return to power with a bigger, higher and stronger mandate.
Pradeep Bhandari is an Indian journalist, founder and editor-in-chief of Jan Ki Baat and consulting editor of Zee Media Network. Earlier, he was a consulting editor with Republic Media Network and a news director with India News. Jan Ki Baat is a psephology and election data platform that predicts the results of the elections in India using an indigenously developed data-crunching model. Bhandari has covered 400 Lok Sabha constituencies since 2016 and predicted over 40 Indian elections with precision.
What is Modi 3.0?
The book, ‘ Modi 3.0: Bigger, Higher, Stronger’, by Pradeep Bhandari dives into several aspects of Indian politics and revolves around why the PM Modi-led NDA government is deemed to come back in power for the third consecutive term. The book starts with Ayodhya, its importance in Indian culture, and how it will play a significant role in the Lok Sabha elections.
The book discusses the significance of India’s democratic process and the evolving political landscape. It highlights the massive scale of India’s electoral movement and the shifting sentiments within the electorate. Bhandari shared his insights gathered from extensive travelling across the country and presented a psychological examination of the election outcomes. The book discusses various aspects, including the “phenomenon” called PM Modi, the formation of new political alliances, and more. It also discusses how the NDA and I.N.D.I Alliance are different.
Speaking about the importance of Bhagwan Ram, he wrote, “Lord Ram is very dear to the followers of the Sanatan Dharma. Ram naam is taken by Hindus when greeting each other and chanting during last rites. Unfortunately, a section of the Indian political entity has slandered the holy chant of Jai Shri Ram by communalizing it. That they had got it wrong was abundantly clear as I walked through the streets of Ayodhya. Because I heard continuous chants of Jai Shri Ram, not only by devotees from the Hindi heartland but also from those who hailed from Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and other parts of the country. Jai Shri Ram is the heartfelt chant of most Hindus in the country.”
He discussed how Congress-led UPA questioned the existence of Ram and former Congress leader Kapil Sibal, who tried to defer the hearing of the Ayodhya land dispute till the completion of the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections. He wrote, “In stark contrast, Narendra Modi was the only prime minister who visited Ayodhya for the fifth time when he participated in the prana pratishtha ceremony on 22 January 2024. He has emphasised embracing our ancient cultural roots and taking immense pride in the civilizational glory of Bharat. Even prominent leaders of the INDIA bloc, like Akhilesh Yadav, Mamata Banerjee, and Sharad Yadav, declined the invitation to attend the prana pratishtha ceremony, calling it ‘an RSS and BJP event’ and thus a political function.”
In the book, he questions, “If the Babri Masjid litigant, Iqbal Ansari, could attend the ceremony, why couldn’t our leaders of the Opposition?”
Bhandari discussed in detail how Ram Mandir is uniting the nation. Furthermore, he extensively discussed the Temple Economy. He wrote, “The increase in footfall will certainly have a ripple effect on the local as well as the state economy. As Prime Minister Modi puts it, the mandir stands both for Vikas, progress in terms of revenue generation and employment, and virasat, heritage and tradition. Ayodhya anticipates an infusion of funds to the tune of over H8,500 crore, which will transform it into a global tourism destination. The Master Plan for the city includes a new township spread over 1,200 acres, which can host over three lakh visitors—both domestic and international—per day.”
The book is set for launch on 19th April. You can pre-book it by clicking here.
The government of Pakistan on Wednesday confirmed that it had ordered a ban on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, in February owing to “national security concerns”. Islamabad informed of the ban to the Sindh High Court following which the court has demanded that the ban be revoked within one week.
The Interior Ministry of Pakistan had reportedly informed the court that the microblogging platform was banned because it “failed to adhere to the lawful directives of the government” and cited a threat to national security.
“The Sindh High Court has given the government one week to withdraw the letter, failing which, on the next date, they will pass appropriate orders,” Moiz Jaaferi, a lawyer challenging the ban reportedly said.
The Sindh HC came down heavily on the government. SHC Chief Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi said, “What are you (Interior Ministry) achieving via shutting down trivial things… The world must laugh at us.
The ban on X was imposed during the Pakistan general elections during which time internet services were also banned in the Islamic country with the interior ministry citing security reasons. This unfolded after a senior Pakistani government official admitted to vote manipulation in the 8th February polls.
As per reports, users in Pakistan have reported problems using X in Pakistan since mid-February but the reason was apparently kept under wraps by Islamabad. The platform has been inaccessible reportedly since 17th February, when Imran Khan party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) called for protests against the admission of vote manipulation.
Rape is regarded as one of the most horrific crimes against women, although at times the offenders escape punishment for their transgressions. However, a reported vigilante in Bangladesh decided to take matters into his own hands and took the lives of at least three suspected rapists. The peculiar case which equally intrigued and astonished the world came to the fore in 2019.
His identity also appeared to be shrouded in mystery, reminiscent of any popular superhero movie where a ‘Dark Knight’ rises to seek retribution for the beleaguered people. He also left messages and warnings in the name of the Greek divine hero, “Hercules,” adding a further layer of secrecy to the entire thing.
A note found hanging around the neck of one of the deceased’s bodies. (Source: The Daily Star/ANN)
The story started with a tragic occurrence on 7th January when an 18-year-old Ashulia district factory worker was found dead in her home, just hours after reporting her rape to the local authorities. According to the local police records, a textile worker individual named Ripon and three other co-workers were the identified suspects in this case. On 17th January, the vigilante found his target Ripon and exacted his revenge. He also left a note on the deceased’s neck in Savar which read “I am the prime accused in a rape case. I am a rapist. This is my punishment for the rape. Be careful. Be careful – Hercules.” This discovery signalled the beginning of the investigation into the unexplained killings.
Police then received a report of a body found in the neighbouring trash yard on 1st February in the quiet district of Rajapur, a subdistrict of Jalakathi. The deceased had been found to have gunshot wounds, which were described as significant punctures to the head. The cops observed that a message was hanging around the corpse’s neck which stated, “I am Rakib. I am the rapist of a madrassa girl (unnamed) of Bhandaria. This is the punishment for the rape. Be wary rapists – Hercules.” It was the body of a rape accused Rakib Mollah.
Notably, just one month prior, the Bangladeshi police had identified the 13-year-old girl and learned of her horrible ordeal, which led to an unusual turn in the case. She was sexually violated on 14th January by a pair of males while she was travelling to visit her grandma. The crime took place in the Pirojpur district, specifically in the Bhandaria area. Her father had reported the instance to the local police on 17th January, and they subsequently named Rakib Hossain Mollah and Sajal Jamaddar as the two possible offenders.
As fate would have it, Rakib’s body and the ominous note would be revealed within the next two weeks. With the shocking event, “Hercules” who by this point was being lauded by the townspeople as a vigilante, entered the national spotlight. The press and media throughout the world took notice of the contents of the message undersigned by Hercules. It marked the beginning of the world’s attention to the rampage that a serial murderer known only as Hercules had unleashed.
At the time, the authorities believed Hercules had struck twice and Rakib’s murder was committed after Ripon’s. They soon realized, nevertheless, that Rakib was in fact the third target and not the second, after all. A week before Rakib, Hercules had already punished Sajal, Rakib’s friend and a law student, for his misdeeds. The police recognized Sajal’s body from a different incident, remarking that his head was pierced by bullets and fractured by the blunt end of a weapon. Additionally, a message alerting potential rapists in the area was uncovered there which displayed, “I am Sajal. I am a rapist. This is a punishment for my crime. Beware, Rapists. Beware – Hercules.”
Who was Hercules
The national police force launched a nationwide search and rescue effort to find Hercules when the body count continued to rise week after week. The officer in charge of the “Hercules” case, M. Jahidul Islam, admitted that although the police have started their inquiry from the beginning, they are currently unaware of his identity. Over five years have passed there are still unanswered questions about Hercule’s identity, motivations, whereabouts and whether he acted alone.
His vigilantism was recognized and warmly applauded by the people but many criticised him for functioning outside the boundaries of the legal system. Human rights advocates around the country denounced the delivery of “divergent justification.” Sheepa Hafiz, the executive head of Ain-O-Salish, a human rights organization, cautioned against unjustified vigilantism in the area in a statement to the national press. The activists agreed that the killings and the letters would only continue, inspiring a new wave of vigilantes to oppose the status quo and social norms. Sheepa Hafiz cautioned the people and the judiciary to act cautiously. “We have to look very carefully into why such incidents are taking place.”
Assistant Police Inspector-General Shohel Rana claimed, “It is not clear to police, who are involved behind this kind of secret killings. We are trying to identify them.” The men’s families, however, claimed that they were picked up or followed by police while they looked into the rape charges. However, Shohel Rana refuted the allegations. Interestingly, after a while, the killings allegedly ended in the same year and the enigmatic tale concluded leaving the bewildered people with more questions than answers.
Ravindra Singh Bhati, an independent MLA from Sheo Assembly, Rajasthan, has been making headlines for months. He was with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) before the Rajasthan Assembly Elections in 2023. However, he left the party and contested the elections as an independent candidate after the BJP denied him a ticket. Bhati won the Sheo Assembly Constituency by a substantial margin and later announced he would challenge for Lok Sabha Elections as an independent candidate from the Barmer constituency. Since 15th April, Bhati has come under fire on social media for the wrong reasons.
On 15th April, Sheo Constituency MLA Ravindra Singh Bhati faced criticism on social media for meeting the husband of anti-India propagandist Nitasha Kaul, Dibyesh Anand, during his trip to London in February this year. In a post on X, Bhati posted, “It was a delightful opportunity to meet Professor Dibyesh Anand, Vice-Chancellor of Global Engagement and Employability at the University of Westminster, London. During our discussion, there was an extensive and meaningful conversation about exploring new employment opportunities for youth in remote areas like Shiv. Additionally, Professor Anand assured me of his ongoing support in addressing the challenges faced by the Shiv Assembly.” Bhati trended for making a “poor choice” of meeting Anand, who is anti-India.
It was a delightful opportunity to meet Professor @dibyeshanand , Vice-Chancellor of Global Engagement and Employability at the #University_of_Westminster, London. During our discussion, there was an extensive and meaningful conversation about exploring new employment… pic.twitter.com/32vdoWJNg6
X user Rohit said, “Disappointed. He is a well-known ISI agent & supports the 1990 Kashmiri Hindu Genocide. Bigots like him brainwashed KMs to pick up arms & pelt stones. Due to such people, Kashmiri Hindus like me have been in exile for over 34 years now. Why meet such Anti-India Hinduphobes?”
Disappointed. He is a well known ISI agent & supports the 1990 Kashmiri Hindu Genocide. Bigots like him brainwashed KMs to pick up arms & pelt stones.
Due to such people, Kashmiri Hindus like me have been in exile for over 34 years now. Why meet such Anti-India Hinduphobes?
Ravindra Singh Bhati is a 26-year-old politician from Dudhoda village in the Sheo constituency of district Barmer, Rajasthan. Bhati was born into a Rajput family. His constituency is located near the India-Pakistan border. He was initially aligned with BJP and worked extensively for the party ahead of Assembly polls in 2023, hoping to get a ticket. However, the BJP gave a ticket to Swaroop Singh Khara from the Sheo constituency, leaving Bhati irked over the decision. Bhati decided to go separate ways and contested Assembly Elections as an independent candidate from the Sheo Assembly seat in Barmer, Rajasthan. Bhati is fondly called Ravsa among his peers.
जनता की अपेक्षाएं, जनता की उम्मीदें, जनता का विश्वास मेरी ताक़त है, मेरा हौसला है, मेरा जुनून है। लड़ूंगा इनके हक़ के लिए, लड़ूंगा इनके मूल अधिकारों के लिए, लड़ूंगा इनके सम्मान के लिए। आपका आशीर्वाद, स्नेह और मोहब्बत इस संघर्ष में मेरी पतवार है जो लोकसभा चुनाव की नैया को… pic.twitter.com/p3wAV0vtNl
— Ravindra Singh Bhati (@RavindraBhati__) April 16, 2024
He began his political career in 2019 through student politics. He wanted to contest the poll from ABVP but things did not work out in his favour. He became the first independent president elected in Jai Narain Vyas University (JNVU). Notably, he actively led a movement to protect University land from being sold for a convention centre, making him popular among the students and leading to his victory. Later, he led statewide protests against universities and colleges over fee issues during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rajasthan police also arrested him for violating COVID protocols. In September 2021, he led a protest against the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government. He demanded 75% reservation in employment for the youth of Rajasthan on the lines of reservation in Haryana. Bhati has graduated in law from JNVU.
— Ravindra Singh Bhati (@RavindraBhati__) April 16, 2024
Reports suggest that Bhati’s popularity is not limited to western Rajasthan. He has been traveling to Gujarat, Maharashtra, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad to meet immigrants from his constituency to vote. His popularity is peaking on the ground and on social media. He has 2.2 million followers on Instagram.
Bhati defeated Fateh Khan, another independent candidate, Ameen Khan of Congress and Khara of BJP in the Assembly polls last year. He got almost 80,000 votes from the Sheo Assembly seats, which set a more straightforward path for his political journey. If we look at the Sheo constituency, there are around 3 lakh voters, including 1 lakh Muslim voters. Bhati was contesting against seasoned politicians, including six-time Congress MLA Ameen Khan, who has been actively contesting elections from the same seat since 1980; Fateh Khan, another independent candidate who was initially aligned with Congress but left the party after being denied a ticket and Swaroop Singh Khara of BJP.
Bhati got 79,495 votes and won the seat. Fateh Khan got 75,545 votes, Ameen Khan got 55,264, and Swaroop Singh Khara got 22,820. If the pro-Congress ballots had not been divided among Fateh Khan and Ameen Khan, it would have been difficult for Bhati to win the seat.
— Ravindra Singh Bhati (@RavindraBhati__) April 10, 2024
Soon after winning the Assembly elections, Bhati decided to try his luck with Lok Sabha Elections. He is contesting as an independent candidate from the Barmer constituency.
Who is Nitasha Kaul?
Nitasha Kaul is a controversial ‘activist’ who was recently deported to the United Kingdom after landing at Bengaluru airport. The Congress government invited her to Karnataka to speak at a ‘Constitution and National Unity’ conference.
Nitasha Kaul has justified terrorism on several occasions. She was seen making a case for radical Islamic terrorism in Kashmir by downplaying acts of terror as a ‘right to protest’ against supposed ‘repression’ by the Indian government. She also glorified Islamic terrorist Burhan Wani in a vicious article in 2016. Months after the abrogation of Article 370, Nitasha Kaul gave a written submission before the US House Foreign Affairs Committee on South Asia Human Rights in October 2019.
The anti-India propagandist exploited the opportunity to allege that the Modi government was a ‘colonial’ power and denying ‘freedom’ and the ‘right to access to the internet’ to Kashmiris.’
In December 2015, she was seen spreading falsehoods about the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) during an interview of Ram Madhav with controversial Al Jazeera host Mehdi Hasan.
In March 2017, she equated RSS to a terror organisation. Nitasha Kaul tweeted, “RSS, the right-wing paramilitary organisation in #India that breeds terrorists & of which PM #Modi is a member. #BJP is its political wing.”
She was also one of those who were behind the cancellation of PM Modi’s Wharton address in 2013. On several occasions, she endorsed Pakistan over the Kashmir matter.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) unveiled the ‘AAP ka Ram Rajya’ website on Wednesday (16th April) as a part of their Lok Sabha election 2024 campaign, claiming that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal attempted to achieve Lord Ram’s ideals in the national capital.
The website was inaugurated ahead of the first round of the Lok Sabha elections on 19th April, as well as the Ram Navami festival, which is being observed in numerous regions of the country.
Addressing a news conference alongside senior AAP leaders Atishi, Saurabh Bharadwaj, and Jasmine Shah, Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said, “Today, on Ram Navami’s occasion, the AAP will start a website called ‘AAP ka Ram Rajya’. What is the concept of Arvind Kejriwal’s Ram Rajya? This is the Ram Rajya that was discussed and fulfilled by Lord Shri Ram. Mahatma Gandhi wanted to implement it to bring equality. To fulfil the dreams of Ram Rajya, Kejriwal has done tremendous work in Delhi in the last ten years and has set an example for the entire country.”
Singh accused the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of harbouring animosity and vengeance towards Kejriwal, saying, “Kejriwal has demonstrated this by forming governments in two states (Delhi and Punjab) in the recent decade. He demonstrated how to grow a city by giving good schools and hospitals, free energy, and free transportation for women. Previously, people cited America as an example of good schools and hospitals, but now the entire world cites Kejriwal’s school and Mohalla clinic models.”
“Anyone who wants to examine the progress under Kejriwal’s Ram Rajya can check out this website and see the work done by the Kejriwal government in the last ten years,” he said.
Atishi meanwhile compared Lord Ram’s 14-year journey to Vanvas to Arvind Kejriwal’s ten-year struggle to fulfil his dream of Ram Rajya in Delhi, highlighting the central government’s interference, attempts to halt work and false imprisonment he faced in his quest.
screengrab of the website
Bharadwaj stated that the website contains a number of films, testimonies, and Ram Rajya plans that Kejriwal wishes to implement not only in Punjab and Delhi but across the country. He also emphasized the website’s features and urged people to vote for AAP based on the party’s activities on the ground.
It is important to note that the Aam Aadm Party has always been showcasing its hatred towards the Hindus and Sanatan Dharma and also Lord Rama at times. And now when the Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal has been jailed because of his involvement in the Delhi Liquor Scam, the party is making use of Lord Ram’s name to its benefit.
AAP insulting Hindus, Lord Rama
In the year 2022, AAP leader Rajendra Pal Gautam who was the Minister of Social Welfare, Government of Delhi insulted Hindu Gods saying that there was no need to worship them and that he would never consider them as Gods.
According to media reports, on the day of Vijayadashami in the year 2022, AAP leader Rajendra Pal Gautam attended a program at Ambedkar Bhawan on Rani Jhansi Road in Karolbagh. People not only received Buddhist initiation but also swore an oath not to worship or regard Hindu gods and goddesses as Gods. The BJP then slammed the party and demanded an apology from the party.
In the year 2019, Kejriwal, on the day before Holi shared an image that depicted a man running behind a ‘Swastika’ shape with a club in his hand, driving out the symbol that is considered holy in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism in India.
The caption on the image read, “Hoping for a Delhi, that I actually wouldn’t mind visiting or living in.”
In 2020, Kejriwal, the chief of AAP declared himself a devotee of Lord Hanuman. He had also claimed that since Lord Hanuman is a devotee of Lord Ram, by extension, even he is so. Kejriwal had announced that after the Ram Mandir is constructed in Ayodhya, he would take the elderly people from Delhi to Ayodhya for darshan.
Interestingly, it is this ‘Ram Bhakt’ who had earlier questioned the need for a Ram Mandir. In 2014, he had shamed the Hindus for trying to build a temple at the birthplace of Lord Ram saying his Nani (grandmother) would never have approved of it.
When Ayodhya Ram Mandir was a distant reality, Kejriwal mocked the intent and repeatedly said that the government should instead build schools, colleges, and hospitals.
Not just the Delhi CM, but his colleagues have also time and again opposed the construction of Ram Mandir. AAP leader Sanjay Singh, in an attempt to gain relevancy in politics, ran a misinformation campaign alleging funds misappropriations by the BJP and Ayodhya Ram Mandir Trust in June 2021.
Further insulting Lord Hanuman, of whom he claims to be a devout devotee, Kejriwal shared a cartoon depicting the Hindu god ‘setting fire’ to JNU as a distraction. This he did after Leftist students at JNU attacked ABVP students in January 2020 over a semester form at Jawaharlal Nehru University.
— Ankur Singh (Modi Ka Parivar) (@iAnkurSingh) March 10, 2021
Kejriwal, who has always tried to portray himself as a devout Hindu, had another awkward encounter ahead of the 2020 Delhi elections when he grossly misquoted the Hindu scripture Bhagavad Gita. Taking a sly dig at their ideological opponents-BJP, he said that it is written in Gita that a true Hindu is brave and never runs away from the field. The ‘devoted’ Hindu was unaware that throughout the 700 Sanskrit verses in Bhagavad Gita, the word “Hindu” has not been used anywhere.
Arvind Kejriwal and his party have time and again insulted Hindus. In August 2020, the official Twitter handle of AAP shared pictures of Kanchenjunga in Sikkim, held sacred by both Hindus and Buddhists, Kamet Peak, and Nanda Devi hills in Uttarakhand, where lies a sacred temple of Nanda Devi, an incarnation of the Hindu Goddess Durga. It drew analogies between these sacred peaks and a humongous landfill at Ghazipur in Delhi. The contentious tweet was accompanied by the caption, “Highest Mountains of India.”
Aam Aadmi Party’s involvement in anti-Hindu protests
The Aam Aadmi Party, led by Arvind Kejriwal, has consistently provided tactical support to any sort of protest or violence against Hindus. Though Kejriwal has never officially backed such acts, he has never stopped his followers, Tahir Hussain and Amanatullah Khan, from playing a key part in the February 2020 Delhi anti-Hindu riots conspiracy.
The anti-CAA protests in 2020, which culminated in the anti-Hindu Delhi riots in February 2020, were blatant evidence of a planned genocide against Hindus in Muslim-majority areas. Arvind Kejriwal’s party’s close ties with Khalaistani separatists, who support Punjab secession with Pakistan’s support, exemplify their anti-India and anti-Hindu mindset.
OpIndia has extensively reported on how the Aam Aadmi Party, along with other opposition parties such as the Congress, supported the ‘farmers’ protest at the Singhu border against the Central government’s farm laws, which was hijacked by Khalistani elements.
Conclusion
Given all these above incidents and pieces of evidence, it is very hard to believe that AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal or the other AAP leaders are devotees of Lord Ram and Lord Hanuman as they call themselves. They have time and again applied tactics to insult Lord Ram, Hinduism, and Sanatan Dharma. And amid this using the name of Lord Ram or his kingdom to its benefit showcases the sickening mentality of the party and its leaders.
It is crucial to note that Delhi CM and AAP Chief Arvind Kejriwal has been jailed for his involvement in the liquor scam. Earlier, several other AAP leaders were arrested in the same case. The party is making all efforts to justify the acts executed by Kejriwal and is instead blaming the BJP for using the central agencies to its benefit.
The party and its leaders need to understand that it’s not the BJP that is making use of the central agencies, but it is the AAP itself who is using Lord Ram’s name for its political benefits and indirectly again causing insult to Lord Ram and Hinduism.
