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On his 400th birth anniversary know all about Lachit Borphukan, the legendary Ahom general who inflicted a crushing defeat on tyrannical Mughals in 1671

OpIndia Staff
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On his 400th birth anniversary know all about Lachit Borphukan, the legendary Ahom general who inflicted a crushing defeat on tyrannical Mughals in 1671

Assam is celebrating the 400th birth anniversary of one of the state’s greatest sons, 17th-century Ahom general Lachit Borphukan, which is culminating with a three-day program in the national capital Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the chief guest at the valedictory celebration on November 25 at New Delhi’s Vigyan Bhawan, which is being organised by the Assam government.

While 24th November is celebrated as Lachit Diwas every year, this year various programs are being organised in Assam for the last several months, on the occasion of the 400th birth anniversary. The 3-day event in Delhi began on November 23 morning with the inauguration of an exhibition by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

During the event, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said that Indian history ignored the heroism of Ahoms and Lachit Borphukan, and other similar dynasties in the country. He said that this initiative would help people to know the real heroes of the country. The CM announced that Home Minister Amit Shah will inaugurate a documentary on Lachit Barphukan on November 24th, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the closing ceremony on Friday.

While the entire nation will be celebrating the great commander’s birthday, people should be aware that if it hadn’t been for Lachit Borphukan, history would have definitely gone a different path. Unless the legendary 17th-century Ahom General had not inflicted a crushing defeat on the Mughals in the 1671 Battle of Saraighat, the Northeast would almost certainly have different characteristics.

The Mughal Ahom Conflict

The expansionistic Mughal empire tried for over 60 years in the seventeenth century to conquer Assam, which had ended after their defeat in the 1671 war. According to records, there were 17 wars between the Ahoms and the Mughals, and the Ahoms won most of them. The Mughals had won a major war in 1663 when they occupied the Ahom capital.

The conflict had started with the split of the Cooch Behar after the death of its second ruler Nara Narayan. The Cooch Behar kingdom lay between the Mughal empire and the Ahom kingdom in Assam. After the split, the Western part, Koch Behar ruled by Nara Narayan’s son Lakshmi Narayan, decided to ally with the Mughals during the time of Jahangir, while the eastern part Koch Hajo under Raghudev decided to form an alliance with the Ahoms.

Koch Hajo included the current-day West Assam region, while the Koch Behar included the current-day North Bengal region. Koch Hajo region included most of the Kamrup region. Between Koch Hajo and Ahom kingdoms, there was the Darrang kingdom, ruled by independent rulers supported by Ahoms.

After gaining entry to Koch Behar, the ambition of the Mughals grew, and they wanted to conquer Assam and the rest of the territories in the northeastern region. The first encounter between the Ahoms and Mughals started after the Ahom kingdom caught and punished a trader named Ratan Singh in 1615 for illegal trade, and expelled him from Assam. In retaliation, the Mughals sent an army under Abu Bakr and Raja Satraji to Assam. While the Ahoms suffered some losses initially, they were successful in defeating the Mughal army.

After that, there were several minor conflicts between the two sides during Jahangir’s rule. However, during this time the Mughals concentrated on increasing their influence in Kamrup.

The conflict escalated under Shah Jahan when the Ahoms tried to capture Kamrup in 1636 with the help of Darrang king Bali Narayan. Ahoms had also angered the Mughals by giving asylum to hill chiefs who had escaped from the Bengal region under the Mughals. Both these factors led to a war between the two sides, after which the Mughals occupied Kamrup in 1937. After that, following a treaty signed by the two sides, the entire western Assam up to Guwahati went under the control of the Mughals.

After Shah Jahan fell ill, his sons started to fight each other to grab power. Using this situation, Ahom king Jayadhwaj Singha occupied the west Assam region. When Aurangzeb became the ruler, he ordered Bengal subedar Mir Jumla to recapture Koch Behar and Assam. Mughals easily occupied Koch Behar and reached Assam in 1662. While the Ahom army resisted them, the Mughals won a series of victories and reached all the way to the Ahom kingdom capital Gargaon. King Jayadhwaj Singha abandoned the capital and took refuge in the Eastern Hills.

The Mughals looted the capital, occupied it, and stayed there. However, things started to change when the monsoons started by the next year. Their communications with the Mughal empire were cut, and their soldiers were hit by diseases. Unable to fit into the harsh monsoon season, the Mughals abandoned the Ahom kingdom, and the Ahoms started to recapture the lost region. But soon the monsoon ended, and the Mughals had reinforcement from Dhaka and other nearby regions. As a result, Ahom King Jayadhwaj Singha called for a peace treaty.

The result was a humiliating treaty the Ahoms were forced to sign. The kingdom had to give away western Assam, pay 3 lakh rupees as a war indemnity, and worst of all, he had to send his own daughter Ramani Gabharu and his niece to the Mughal Harem. It was a disastrous treaty for the Ahoms, and Jayadhwaj Singha died soon after in the year 1663.

But Jayadhwaj’s successor Chakradwaj Singha swore to avenge the humiliation, and he refused to pay any indemnity to the Mughals. He announced that Ahoms will not now down to the Mughals, and ordered his ministers to prepare for war. When Kamrup Faujdar demanded the money promised in the treaty, Chakradwaj Singha decided to attack Kamrup instead. Ahom army sailed down the Brahmaputra, and recaptured Guwahati and Itakhuli by 1667. They were successful in chasing away the Mughals up to Manas River, in the current Barpeta district in Assam, and became the boundary between Ahoms and Mughals.

Ahoms were able to release many people captured by Mir Jumla, and recaptured most of the land from the Mughals. In the meanwhile, Chakradwaj Singha appointed Lachit Borphukan as the commander of the Ahom Army in 1667. Lachit was the son of Momai Tamuli Borbarua, former commander-in-chief of Ahom army. The king ordered Lachit Borphukan to raise a competent army to defeat the Mughals. However in 1670, the king died, and his brother Udayaditya Singha became the Ahom ruler.

Aurangazeb was furious with the defeat, and he sent a massive army under Ram Singh and Mir Jumla to take revenge, and retake Kamrup and Ahom kingdom. Lachit Borphukan and his faithful friend Ismail Siddiqui, also known as Bagh Hazarika, were ready with the Ahom forces.

The Saraighat War

Although the Ahoms had fewer resources and manpower, the Mughals’ difficulty with the terrain gave the Ahoms an advantage. Despite this, the Mughals were able to reach the frontiers of the Ahom kingdom thanks to superior resources and guns. The Mughals reached the western border of Ahom kingdom by 1671, where the Ahom army was waiting for them. Lachit Borphukan realised that it was impossible to defeat the cavalry and mounted forces of the Mughals on land, and knew that they were weak on the water. On the other hand, Ahom soldiers were expert naval fighters on the rivers.

Lachit Borphukan decided that Sarighat near Guwahati will be the best place to block the Mughals on the river, as the river is narrowest at this place, just 1 km wide. Therefore, he made a strategic retreat to Guwahati. To force the Mughals into the water, he decided to build a series of mud walls or embankments around Guwahati. The earthen walls will join with the existing hills in the region to create a barricade. The task of one such strategically important wall on the north side of the wall was assigned to his maternal uncle.

History has it that when Lachit came to assess the progress of the work the night before the war, he was shocked to see the workers sleeping under the stars. When asked, his uncle replied that the workers were tired so he allowed them to rest for some time. Lachit became furious at this reply, drew his sword in wrath and removed his uncle’s head in one stroke, saying, ‘Dekhot koi Momai Dangor Nohoi’, which meant- “My uncle is not greater than my motherland.” The workers soon got down to work and the wall was ready by the morning.

As a result of the walls, the war moved to the river, but Lachit Borphukan became seriously ill and he could not join the war. This demoralised the soldiers and the Mughals started to gain. As the Mughals inched closer to victory, Lachit Borphukan jumped into a warship and started to lead the army. He heroically commanded the soldiers despite his ill health, and what followed was a fierce battle between the Ahoms and the Mughals.

The doctors asked Lachit not to go out on the battlefield at a crucial stage of the battle due to his serious illness. As the Mughal army advanced and Lachit’s health worsened, so did the spirit of the Ahom army. The Mughals had also started to advance on the land. Lachit eventually realised that his health was secondary to his responsibility to protect his people.

He was lying on the bed the next day, during the final day of the battle. Some soldiers came to him demotivated, saying they had lost faith in him due to his ill health. To maintain the soldiers’ ardour, he ordered his soldiers to transport his bed to the battlefield on a boat.

The motivated Ahom army launched a massive attack on the invaders and started to chase them away. When the Mughal admiral Munnawar Khan was killed by a gunshot, the Mughal naval force became leaderless and they could not maintain the attack. They lost several top leaders and ultimately had to retreat.

The Ahoms chased them up to Manas River, which became the boundary between the two kingdoms. The Mughals had invested a lot of money in the war, with hundreds of boats and thousand of men and animals, along with a large number of arms and ammunition. It is said that the loss in the Saraighat battle was one of the factor contributing to the fall of the Mughal dynasty. The Mughals never attempted to capture Assam after the 1671 war.

Lachit Borphukan used a brilliant combination of guerilla tactics, subterfuge, diplomacy, daring and psychological warfare to attack the Mughal army. As a result, his army was able to defeat the much larger army of the Mughals.

In memory of India’s one of the greatest patriot and war hero, Swargadeo Udayaditya Singha built the Lachit Maidam at Hoolungapara, 16 Km away from Jorhat in Assam in 1672. The remains of this great warrior lie here and he is still remembered and honoured by the people of Assam. Assam celebrates Lachit Devas every year to commemorate Lachit Barphukans heroism and the victory of the Ahom army at Saraighat on 24 November.

The 1671 battle under the leadership of Lachit Borphukan delivered the Mughals a tremendous psychological blow, destroying the illusion of their invincibility.

If the Mughals had won the key battle of Saraighat in 1671 and vanquished Borphukan, they would have massacred the Ahoms, including non-combatants, raped and enslaved all women as sex slaves, while forcing all surviving men and children to convert to Islam.

That is how the Mughals and invading Muslim armies around the world treated the vanquished who put up a strong defence and resisted their attempts at conquest. Many examples of such savagery performed by Muslim soldiers on the ‘kafirs’ they conquered may be found throughout history.

The Ahoms and Lachit Borphukan have contributed significantly to India’s North Eastern region. Because of his bravery, the North Eastern region remained free of Mughal dominion until it was finally annexed by the British. Lachit Borphukan’s endeavours ensured that the holy territory of Kamakhya and Pua Mecca did not fall to the ruthless Mughals.

To mark the 400th birth anniversary of the great Ahom army general, the Assam government launched a mobile app and a web portal last month. The portal and mobile application were created so that individuals from Assam and beyond, including international countries, could express their appreciation for Lachit Barphukan through write-ups and essays.

Himanta Biswa Sarma urged the people of Assam to light earthen lamps in their homes on November 24, which will be celebrated as ‘Lachit Divas’ across the state.

Assam Government releases theme song to celebrate 400th birth anniversary of the 17th-centuary was hero

Sarma told the reporters that the Assam government will hold a series of activities in the national capital from November 23 to 25. Dignitaries from many walks of life will attend these gatherings.

Ahead of the 400th birth anniversary celebrations of Lachit Borphukan in Delhi, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma released a theme song based on the 17-centuary war hero. The song has been composed by Assam’s popular singer-actor Zubeen Garg.

“The Assam government has planned a district-wise programme from November 18 onwards and also several events planned in the run-up to the main event,” said Sarma during a press conference.

 “We are all geared up to make the celebration of Lachit Borphukan’s 400th birth anniversary a memorable event. Launched official theme song of Lachit Divas sung by youth icon Zubeen Garg whose mellifluous voice has raised the spirit of patriotism,” the chief minister wrote on Twitter.

Earlier, on February 25, then-President Ram Nath Kovind launched the 400th birth anniversary celebrations of the Assamese war hero, laying the groundwork for a war memorial and a 150-foot bronze statue of the commander who defended Assam from the Mughal invasion. Borphukan, who led the army of the Ahom empire, which included much of modern-day Assam, is one of the country’s most revered military icons.

Bollywood actress Richa Chadha mocks Indian Army with a ‘Galwan taunt’ after they said they can take back PoK from Pakistan

OpIndia Staff
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Bollywood actress Richa Chadha mocks Indian Army with a ‘Galwan taunt’ after they said they can take back PoK from Pakistan

Bollywood actress Richa Chadha took to Twitter on Wednesday, 23rd November 2022, to mock the Indian Army. In response to a statement from the Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command of the Indian Army that they are prepared to take back Pakistan-occupied Kashmir if the government issues such an order, Richa Chadha mocked the Indian Army with a Galwan taunt.

She has since deleted the tweet. Following is the screenshot.

Screenshot of now deleted tweet by Richa Chadha

It is notable that back in June 2020, Indian soldiers had a clash with Chinese soldiers in the Galwan valley which resulted in the death of 20 Indian soldiers. Several Chinese soldiers also died in the clash that lasted for hours but China never disclosed the exact number of soldiers it lost in the fight.

Since that clash that cost severe loss of lives on both sides, there has been a tense ceasefire in Ladakh theatre between the two Asian giants, even though both countries have close to 60,000 soldiers each and advanced weapons deployed in the area.

However, it was very strange to see Richa Chadha use that incident, where Indian soldiers fought with the Chinese army without any weapons, and managed to push them back, to mock them. Bollywood celebrities have never been known for their general knowledge or their common sense, but even then, Richa Chadha has presented herself as especially stupid in this case, not to mention insensitive as well towards the families of the 20 soldiers who lost their lives in Galwan.

As for the Indian Army’s response on PoK, it is a standard response to idiotic questions by Indian journalists. When asked if they can take back PoK, this is the only response that the Army can give, it doesn’t mean they are invading Pakistan tomorrow, and we definitely don’t want the Army to say they can not take back PoK.

However, Richa Chadha implying the Indian Army can not do anything about PoK and mocking the Indian Army because they lost 20 men in Galwan is very strange.

Karnataka court stops sale of a book on Tipu Sultan after former Waqf board official moves court claiming the book spreads misinformation

OpIndia Staff
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Karnataka court stops sale of a book on Tipu Sultan after former Waqf board official moves court claiming the book spreads misinformation

On Tuesday, 22nd November 2022, the Additional City Civil and Sessions court in Bangalore stayed the distribution and sale of a book on Tipu Sultan responding to a petition filed by the former Chairman of the District Wakf Board Committee. The petition was filed claiming that the book propagates wrong information about Tipu Sultan, the 18th-century Islamic ruler of the erstwhile Mysore province.

The book, “Tipu Nija Kanasugalu” (Real Dreams of Tipu), authored by Rangayana director Addanda C. Cariappa, is prohibited from being sold by the author, publisher Ayodhya Publication, and printer Rashtrotthana Mudranalaya until December 3, according to the court order.

The court said in its order, ”The Defendant No.1 to 3 and the persons and the agents claiming through or under them are restrained by way of temporary injunction from distributing and also selling including on-line platform, the book by name “Tippu Nija Kanasugalu” written in Kannada language.”

It further said, “This order of injunction will not come in the way of the defendants from printing the said books at their risk and storing the books which are already printed.”

Former District Wakf Board Committee Chairman BS Rafiulla filed a lawsuit, alleging that the book includes incorrect data about Tipu Sultan without any historical foundation or justification. Additionally, he said that the word “turukaru,” which appears in the book, is an insult to the Muslim community. He argued that the book’s release would lead to turbulence and social upheaval, upsetting overall public tranquillity.

The petitioner also claimed that the author didn’t include sources of information contained in the book. The petitioner said that the the author of foreword of the book and the book’s author claim that the content is based on truth and accurate history, and he claimed that this claim is wrong. The author has claimed that the book is based on research and is published with the intention to unveil the truth about Tipu Sultan. The book also says that what is taught about Tipu Sultan in schools is wrong.

BS Rafiulla contended that the author published the book without any knowledge about the history and based on his own interpretation of facts.

Considering the arguments of the petitioner, the Court ruled, “If the contents of the book are false and it contains false information about Tipu Sultan, and if the same information is distributed, it would cause irreparable loss to the plaintiff and there are chances of breach of communal peace and harmony.”

The court also observed, “If the book is circulated pending the appearance of the defendants, the purpose of the application itself would be defeated. It is common knowledge that controversial books sell like hotcakes. Therefore, at this stage, the balance of convenience is in favour of the plaintiff in granting the order of injunction.”

It is notable that the Islamic ruler Tipu Sultan is hailed as a freedom fighter by so-called seculars and many Muslims. Tipu Sultan is painted as the one who struggled against the British. But, the anti-Hindu Islamic barbarian acts of the 18th-century tyrant are not too old to be forgotten. This fact lands the Islamists in the middle of a controversy that keeps arising time and again.

Pune: Seminar organised to brainstorm on how to use Waqf properties for the development of the Muslim community

OpIndia Staff
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Pune: Seminar organised to brainstorm on how to use Waqf properties for the development of the Muslim community

A national seminar has been organized in Pune on November 26 and 27 to brainstorm on how Waqf properties can be properly utilized for the development of the Muslim community in the country. As many as 40 experts from various fields from across the country will participate in the seminar to be held at Azam Campus in the Camp area of Pune.

The theme of the seminar will be ‘Understanding True Nature and Management of Auqaf for Better Protection, Performance, and Development.’

The conference has been organized by the Waqf Liaison Forum in Pune, and the Maharashtra Waqf Liberation and Protection Task Force in collaboration with the Institute of Objective Studies, Delhi, and the Indian Waqf Foundation, Bengaluru.

Mohammad Farid Tungekar, director of the ‘Waqf Liaison Forum’, said, “Waqf properties are for the benefit of this community and owned by the community. Their proper use also requires the active participation of the community. However, our society is currently in a state of slumber. If the citizens understand section 3-(k) related to the Waqf Act, only then can they change the socio-economic conditions of our society by developing waqf properties.”

‘Maharashtra Waqf Liberation and Protection Task Force’ chairman Salim Mulla said, “The main objective of this conference is to look after, utilize and resolve various issues related to Waqf properties. The Waqf properties are the national assets which are an important and useful tool of social welfare.”

According to a report by Policenama, eminent speakers, Waqf activists, Mutavallis, Waqf Board members, judges, and lawyers will address the audience at the conference. An efficient action plan will be prepared for an annual and five-year period to effectively handle cases at the administrative and judicial levels. Also, an apex body will be chosen at the end of the conference to back these plans.

Salim Mulla added, “All are aimed at achieving the objectives of ‘Waqf’ for the development of the nation The purpose of the conference will be to have a sustained dialogue with stakeholders.”

Former chief commissioner of income tax A J Khan said, “Community members belonging to all levels of management supervision of these properties need to demonstrate ‘real-time’ performance in protecting this important national asset as well as helping in the development of poverty alleviation, education, and health care. It will also contribute to the elimination of tax revenue and unemployment through these assets.”

What is a Waqf property?

Waqf means the permanent surrender of movable or immovable property recognized by Muslim law and for religious or charitable purposes. According to the records taken under the Waqf Asset Management System of India (VAMSI), an e-governance initiative provided by the Ministry of Minority Affairs, Government of India, 8.6 lakh immovable and 16,674 movable properties have been registered under various Waqf Boards located in different states of the country.

The very literal meaning of Waqf is detention or confinement and prohibition. As per Islam, it is the property that is now available only for religious or charitable purposes, and any other use or sale of the property is prohibited. As per Sharia law, once Waqf is established, and the property is dedicated to Waqf, it remains as Waqf property forever.

‘Waqif’ is a person who creates a waqf for the beneficiary. As Waqf properties are bestowed upon Allah, in the absence of a physically tangible entity, a ‘mutawalli’ is appointed by the waqif, or by a competent authority, to manage or administer a Waqf. 

Once a Waqf property, always a Waqf property

Since the ownership of the property is transferred to Allah from the ‘waqif’ in the case of Waqf, and property can not be taken back from Allah, once a property becomes Waqf, it will always stay Waqf. Waqf means that the ownership of the property is now taken away from the person making Waqf and transferred and detained by Allah. As per Sharia, this property is now permanently dedicated to Allah, making Waqf irrevocable in nature.

Qatar 2022: 4-time champions Germany lose to Japan in another massive shock at the World Cup

OpIndia Staff
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Qatar 2022: 4-time champions Germany lose to Japan in another massive shock at the World Cup

Right on the heels of Saudi Arabia’s win over Argentina, the World Cup in Qatar saw another massive shock as Japan defeated football powerhouse Germany by 2 goals to 1. Germany went up by a goal through an ilkay Gundogan penalty in the first half and looked very comfortable for most of the match before Japan struck back.

The Japanese, who looked very passive for the first hour of the match, came to life in the last 20 minutes as they started putting pressure on the German defence. Neuer in the German goal rescued Germany with a great save when Junya Ito’s shot took a wicked deflection in the 74th minute.

However, a minute later, the great German goalkeeper was powerless to stop the Japanese as he saw his first save fall to Ritsu Doan who brought Japan level by smashing the ball into the roof of the net. Ironically, Doan plays his professional football in Germany for SC Freiburg.

Germany reacted to the equaliser by bringing on Mario Gotze, who scored the winner in the 2014 World Cup final, and Niclas Fullkrug but Japan had all the momentum at this stage and they drove home their advantage. A long ball over the top found Takuma Asano in the 83rd minute, and after controlling it, he smashed it past Neuer at the near post sparking delirium among Japanese supporters.

Just like the first goal scorer Ritsu Doan, Takuma Asano also plays his professional football in Germany for Vfl Bochum. The defeat comes as a shock for Germany who dominated large parts of the contest without driving their advantage home, leaving themselves open to a stunning comeback from Japan.

This is the second world cup in a row where Germany has started terribly since their triumph in Brazil in 2014. In Russia in 2018, Germany started their campaign with a 0-1 defeat to Mexico. They then went on to defeat Sweden by 2-1 through a 95th-minute goal by Toni Kroos before bowing out of the tournament after a 0-2 defeat at the hands of South Korea.

Germany, the second most successful side in World Cup history after Brazil, was not the first fancied team to suffer a shock defeat at Qatar 2022. Yesterday, Argentina was shocked by Saudi Arabia, who just like Japan fought back from a goal down to win 2-1.

With the highly fancied teams suffering humbling defeats in group stages, we may end up having one of the most open tournaments in recent times.

Gujarat Assembly Elections: Video of cash distribution for attending Arvind Kejriwal’s roadshow in Amreli goes viral

OpIndia Staff
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Gujarat Assembly Elections: Video of cash distribution for attending Arvind Kejriwal’s roadshow in Amreli goes viral

On Wednesday, footage of people handing out cash for attending Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) president Arvind Kejriwal’s roadshow in Amreli district on November 21 went viral on social media. It is alleged that AAP supporters were distributing cash to people and asking them to attend the rally.

The video was shared by activist Vijay Patel who said that “AAP is paying money to people for attending their rallies”. “From where does this huge money come? By selling MCD tickets? Or by providing services to the Tihar jail culprits?” he pondered further.

In the video that went viral on social media platforms, a mob could be seen on the road leading to Bahumali Bhawan behind the Amreli post office, while AAP supporters could be seen handing out cash. Some folks were also observed going about with money in their hands.

A big throng had gathered around the AAP supporter who was distributing money to the public in Amreli on November 21. The AAP supporter in the video could be heard saying to the citizens that ‘everyone will get the cash, please have patience, form a line, and maintain discipline.’ 

People could also be seen waving AAP flags. After the video went viral, authorities said they would look into the matter and take appropriate steps following an inquiry. Meanwhile, AAP district media cell Bhargav Mehta stated that the party is unaware of the individual who was distributing the cash.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was in Gujarat campaigning for his party on November 20, 21, and 22 ahead of the assembly elections. He held a road show in Amreli on November 21 at 5 pm and asked the public to give him a chance for the party in the upcoming state assembly elections.

“Only 10 days are left for the Assembly elections. AAP is giving tough competition to all the parties. AAP is reaching out to the people by carrying their issues, because of which there is a storm of ‘Parivartan’ (change) in Gujarat,” Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said. He also said that the party has been getting great responses from the public and that they had accepted him as their elder brother.

“If AAP comes to power, I will share the responsibility of all the families like a brother. Today, people are frustrated with inflation. I will get people rid of inflation. From the 1st of March, the electricity bill will be zero and everyone will get 24 hours of electricity, just like the people of Delhi and Punjab get,” he said. CM Kejriwal also highlighted his poll promise of providing Ps 100 to every woman in the state.

Notably, this is not the first time that AAP is facing allegations of distributing money to lure the crowd. Earlier, on April 2, AAP had held a rally in the Bapunagar area of Ahmedabad, Gujarat, given the upcoming Assembly elections scheduled for December 2022. It was alleged also then that the party cadres had tried to ‘bribe’ Gujaratis to attend the rally.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) IT Cell chief Amit Malviya shared a video on his Twitter handle where AAP supporters could be allegedly seen distributing money to the attendees at the rally. He wrote, “AAP distributing cash to people to participate in Arvind Kejriwal’s roadshow in Gujarat,” and called it ‘revolutionary’.

A similar video was shared by media house Desh Gujarat that started with a video of a man sitting in an auto who alleged he was paid to attend the rally. He said people were paid Rs 500 to come to the event. He further claimed he was not aware that it was a political rally.

The party is contesting all 182 assembly seats in the state where voting is scheduled to be held in two phases, on December 1 and 5. The votes will be counted and the results will be declared on 8 December 2022.

Ahmedabad: Nasir Hussain Ghanchi poses as Sameer Prajapati to entrap a Hindu girl, calls friends to gang-rape her

OpIndia Staff
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Ahmedabad: Nasir Hussain Ghanchi poses as Sameer Prajapati to entrap a Hindu girl, calls friends to gang-rape her

After the Shraddha Walkar murder case in Delhi, a similar live-in relationship case has come to light from Ahmedabad in which Nasir Hussain, along with his friends, gang-raped a Hindu girl who stayed with him in a live-in relationship.

According to reports, the girl, who was working in a spa in the Vastrapur area, was frequently approached by a young man for a spa. He identified himself as a Hindu named Sameer Prajapati. He later started stalking the girl and also befriended her over time.

Later, Nasir Hussain Ghanchi took the girl into confidence and convinced her to move into a live-in relationship with him. After this, he took the girl’s Aadhaar card and rented a flat on Anandnagar Road, and there, both of them stayed in a live-in relationship.

In the meantime, Nasir quit his job and continued to have physical relations with the girl repeatedly. In the meantime, he also took videos of the girl so that she would not inform anyone about it. Apart from this, Nasir also demanded Rs 5 lakh from her for not making the videos viral. After this, the whole matter came to light when the girl – fed up with the torture – tried to commit suicide.

Narrating the pains she suffered, the victim girl said that once Nasir had brought two of his friends to the flat with him and tied a bandage over her eyes and the trio gang-raped her together.

Nasir’s wife and brother-in-law were also involved in this love jihad

After the police complaint, the investigation revealed that Nasir’s wife, his sister-in-law, and his brother-in-law were also involved in the entire crime. All of them together executed the plan to extort money from the girl.

At present, the police have arrested Nasir, his wife, and his brother-in-law. A case under sections of rape and love jihad has been registered at the Vastrapur police station in this regard. In addition, the case has been handed over to the SC-ST cell. Police are now on the lookout for two of Nasir’s friends who raped the victim girl.

In recent times, many cases of love-jihad and violence in live-in are coming out from all over the country, in which Muslim youths are committing atrocities with Hindu girls.

Kanye West to contest 2024 US Presidential elections, wants Donald Trump as his ‘running mate’

OpIndia Staff
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Kanye West to contest 2024 US Presidential elections, wants Donald Trump as his ‘running mate’

Popular Rapper Kanye West has confirmed that he is planning to run for the US presidential election in 2024. West recently was asked by a journalist if he will be running for the 2024 elections, to this, he responded, “We’re moving toward the future.” Now West has revealed that he has spoken to former US President Donald Trump about his presidential run during a visit to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate.

Kanye West revealed that he met Donald Trump and asked him to be his ‘running mate.’ West, whose Twitter account was recently reinstated, tweeted about his meeting with Trump and included a poll, “First time at Mar-a-Lago. Rain and traffic. Can’t believe I kept President Trump waiting. And I had on jeans. Yikes. What do you guys think his response was when I asked him to be my running mate in 2024?.”

Notably, West had recently confirmed that Milo Yiannopoulos, a prominent far-right political figure is planning his election campaign. As seen in the video, West said, “Milo is here, working on the campaign.”

Milo has reportedly interned for firebrand Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. 

Kanye previously attempted to run for President of the United States in 2020, launching a campaign under the banner of the ‘Birthday Party.’ Throughout his campaign, he only made one major appearance, accompanied by two video advertisements at the end. In the end, he was only on the ballot in 12 states out of 50, with only 70,000 votes cast.

The confirmation of Kanye West’s election bid comes after his Twitter account was recently restored following Elon Musk’s takeover of the social media platform. West was banned from Twitter for violating its policies after posting anti-Semitic remarks in October.

Trump’s Twitter account was also recently restored after Elon Musk conducted a Twitter poll to decide if the former President’s account should be restored or not. The results of the poll went in favour of Trump. Consequently, Trump’s Twitter account was restored. Following the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, Trump was banned from Twitter.

On November 16, former US President Donald Trump announced his candidacy for the 2024 presidential elections of the United States and filed papers for the same. Trump’s announcement comes days after the mid-term elections were held in the US. With Trump filing the 2024 White House bid paperwork, he became the first candidate from either the Republican or Democrat side to officially announce their candidacy. 

‘India is homophobic’: Ayushmann Khurrana on Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui’s box-office failure

OpIndia Staff
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‘India is homophobic’: Ayushmann Khurrana on Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui’s box-office failure

Actor Ayushmann Khurrana last week reasoned that his movie ‘Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui’, an LGBTQ+ centric film, failed at the box office because India is a homophobic society.

Khurana’s justification for the failure of his movie ‘Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui’ came during an interview with Hindustan Times, wherein he explained the reasons for the failures of his three recent movies—Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui, Anek and Doctor G—all of which tanked at the box office.

Speaking about the non-performance of his movie in movie theatres, Khurrana said, “I started with movies on taboo subjects. I suppose the type of subjects—it has to be a community viewing, and it has to have a wider film—the kids have also been watching. In fact, my last three films, including an LGBTQ film (Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui), really don’t do well commercially because, unfortunately, our country is homophobic. Then there was Anek, a docudrama that was a very niche in terms of the tone of the film. Doctor G was an A-rated film, and given the kind of certification it got, the film did decently well in theatres. For a while, that was my learning for making a film.”

Starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Vaani Kapoor in lead roles and directed by Abhishek Kapoor, Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui is a love story of a trans woman and the challenges she faces in a broadly conservative society. The movie racked up Rs 3.75 crores on its opening day, a decent opening in pandemic-affected times, and was later affected by the rising number of COVID-19 cases. The movie ended up grossing Rs 33.64 crores, as per reports. Khurrana’s other films, Anek and Doctor G faltered at the box office, earning Rs 9.7 crores and Rs 31.49 crores gross at the domestic ticket window. 

Despite three failures in a row, the actor said he is predisposed to taking risks and doing movies that do not widely resonate with audiences. “If I stop taking risks, I will be conventional. I have always been unconventional, and I make those choices. I will be taking them in the future as well, regardless of success or failure,” said The Vicky Donor actor, adding, “I just keep pushing the boundaries, and that’s the beauty of the budgeting of the films, too. My films are mostly low- to mid-budget, so no one loses money and I can afford to take risks.”

Ayushmann Khurrana will be next seen in Anirudh Iyer’s film An Action Hero, which is slated to release on December 2. The actor is also shooting for the sequel of Dream Girl with Ananya Panday as the lead actress. 

Shakib and his family members, accused of chopping Ekta Deshwal into pieces are now out of jail, ‘no criminal history’ cited as grounds for bail

राहुल पाण्डेय
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Shakib and his family members, accused of chopping Ekta Deshwal into pieces are now out of jail, ‘no criminal history’ cited as grounds for bail

The Shraddha Murder Case has shaken the country to the core. However, similar cases have come to light in the past where the brutality involved has been staggering. Unfortunately, the culprits in many such cases roam freely on bail. One such case was of Ekta Deshwal, who was chopped into pieces and buried in a field by Shakib and his family members.

There are some similarities between the two cases. As no one knew for months that Shraddha was missing, Ekta’s death also came to light after several days. The main accused in Ekta Murder Case, Shakib and his eight associates, are currently out on bail.

Ekta was a resident of Ludhiana, Punjab. On June 5 2019, she was murdered in Meerut. However, it was only on June 13, 2019. Her death came to light after a person named Ishwar Pandit saw a dog running away from a sugarcane field with a human hand in its mouth. Pandit called the police, and the investigation into the matter began. The murder case had remained unsolved for a year.

The field from where the dog found the hand was excavated, and police recovered Ekta’s chopped body. The trial in the case is yet to begin. Speaking to OpIndia, a relative of Ekta said they were unaware of the progress made in the case. The family could not follow up on the case properly due to their weak economic condition.

‘We do not know about the progress made in the case

Speaking to OpIndia, Ekta’s mother, Seema Deshwal, said they were unaware of the status of the case. Firstly, because of the weak economic condition and secondly, Meerut being far away, she could not pursue the case. She added that after giving the DNA sample, no papers were received either from the police or from the court in the matter. Ekta’s mother further added that Shakib usurped all the gold in her house through her daughter. The police are yet to recover it. She said since the murder of her daughter, she has started fearing Muslims.

The case is in CJM court.

OpIndia found that the case is currently in CJM court. Speaking to OpIndia, SHO Daurala RK Pachauri said that the case is in Chief Judicial Magistrate’s court. The next hearing has been set for December 2, 2022. From there, the case will move to the District Judge’s court. Later, it will be determined which Sessions Judge will hear the matter. He added that the plaintiff, that is Ekta’s mother, would be called at the time of testimony. SHO added that the lawyers hired by the government are pleading on Ekta’s behalf. He added that all nine accused in the case were granted bail.

Ishmat was the first one to get bail, Shakib claimed that his ‘confession’ was obtained under pressure

As per the information gathered by OpIndia, a woman accused in the case, Ishmat, was the first person to get bail. Initially, her bail was rejected by the Sessions Court, after which she approached Allahabad High Court. A hearing was held on the matter on July 10, 2020, in front of Justice Siddharth’s bench. The court granted bail due to the lack of criminal history of the accused and stated no strong recovery was made from her by the police. Later, another accused, Musharrat, was granted bail on similar grounds. Mustakim also approached the high court and was granted bail on September 3, 2020.

The bail hearing of the main accused, Shakib, took place in Allahabad High Court on January 13, 2021, in front of Justice Pradeep Kumar Shrivastava’s bench. Shakib’s counsel argued that the deceased eloped with him without any pressure and was living happily with him. Shakib claimed in front of the court that he was sent to jail based on his confession in police custody that was taken under pressure. Shakib also told the court that he does not have any criminal history.

Based on the arguments, he was granted bail by the court, which said the police were unable to find any concrete evidence against Shakib to keep him in jail. The remaining five accused were also granted bail after Shakib on different dates.

The murder of Ekta

As per the police report, during the investigation, it was revealed that on June 5, 2019, the day of Eid, Shakib took Ekta out for a ride. At around 9 PM, he gave Ekta a drink spiked with drugs. His brother Musarrat, father Mustaqeem, sister-in-law Reshma, Naved, Musarrat’s wife Ismat and fellow villager Ayaan took Ekta to a deserted place while unconscious.

As per the statement given in front of the Meerut police, Reshma took off all of Ekta’s clothes. All the accused chopped her hands, legs and head. The police said Shakib chopped off Ekta’s hand as there was a tattoo of his name on it. The body was buried in the sugarcane field that belonged to one Sabi Ahmed. They sprinkled salt on the dead body to speed up the decomposition process. The hands, legs and head were thrown into the village pond. Furthermore, it was revealed that Shakib continued to use Ekta’s social media accounts after the murder.

Shakib’s role was revealed in June 2020

For almost a year, the Police did not find out about the role of Shakib and his associates in the murder. The murder case remained unsolved. It was only after Shakib confessed to the crime under the influence of alcohol in front of his friends and one of the informants passed the information to the police that he was arrested. At that time, Ekta’s uncle told OpIndia that Shakib used to work as an occult practitioner in Ludhiana. Ekta suffered from an allergy, which could be why she visited Shakib. Notably, Shakib used to wear Kalawa on his hand during that time which is a Hindu symbol.

Ekta’s uncle also said that it could also be that he spotted her during some event near the Ludhiana Bus Stand, where he used to work from and started keeping an eye on her. Her mother said that when the family became aware of their budding relationship, they summoned Shakib to their home. Even then, the accused had worn a Kalava around his wrist.

Ekta’s uncle told OpIndia that, as per Shakib’s sister-in-law, the two of them had gotten married in a Dargah, and a nikah had not occurred. Ekta had also stolen gold jewellery worth Rs 25 lakhs from her own house before eloping with Shakib.

After eloping, the two of them had been living at an apartment in Daurala. On the occasion of Eid, he took Ekta to his house last year. That is when the girl came to know that she was living with a Muslim man. As per reports, after Ekta learned that he was a Muslim, she was not ready to live with him. This led to an argument between the two, and Shakib decided to kill her. Shakib spiked the girl’s cold drink, after which she fell unconscious. Shakib then took her to a sugarcane field nearby and strangulated her to death. He then beheaded her and chopped off one of her arms to hide her identity. He threw the girl’s body parts elsewhere and buried the remaining torso in the cane field belonging to one Sabi Ahmed.

Shakib continued operating Ekta’s social media accounts ever after the murder. He continued updating her Facebook account himself and changed the profile picture on WhatsApp at regular intervals. As a result, everyone thought that she was alive.

After he was arrested, Shakib attempted to run away from captivity. He had snatched the pistol of a constable and tried to make a run for it. A police constable was injured during the encounter. The police recovered the murder weapon and the victim’s phone from the accused.

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