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TN Minister and DMK leader downplays Coimbatore blast, refuses to call it ‘terror attack’ despite ISIS literature being recovered from accused: Details

OpIndia Staff
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TN Minister and DMK leader downplays Coimbatore blast, refuses to call it ‘terror attack’ despite ISIS literature being recovered from accused: Details

On November 8, Tamil Nadu’s Finance Minister P Thiagarajan downplayed the Coimbatore blast during an interview with India Today. He refused to call it a terror attack stating National Investigation Agency (NIA) investigation is underway in the matter, and he cannot comment without getting a report from them. His remarks came at a time when ISIS literature and other incrementing material have already been recovered from Jamesha Mubin, the 29-year-old accused who died in the cylinder blast.

During the 44-minute long interview, Akshita Nandgopal, Associate Editor and Anchor for India Today questioned Thiagarajan about the recent cylinder blast that happened in Coimbatore. She pointed out that during an investment summit in Karnataka, it was reported that the state might lose out on investments because of the communal incidents that happened over time. She compared it with the recent blast in Coimbatore and asked about his views.

‘Coimbatore had a much worse series of events’

Thiagarajan reminded Nandgopal about the past series of “much worse” incidents. He said, “One blast is not the basis for anything, and maybe you are relatively young, but you may not remember that Coimbatore had a much worse series of events than this in the past. So I think this particular blast, I would venture to say that Coimbatore is probably the second Hub in Tamil Nadu after Chennai and will continue to be that way. I am on the ground. I am responsible for administration. I am saying that it will continue to show results and deliver jobs and grow faster than almost any place in India. One blast notwithstanding or the politicisation of one, you know, was not even a blast it was a cylinder and a car going off in the middle of multiple attempts at other things.”

Minister refused to consider it a terror act

When asked if he maintained it was a cylinder blast, he said, “The record shows it was a cylinder in a car there is a video of the cylinders being loaded there are the people who are doing it. They have been arrested. The case has been transferred to the NIA. Some facts are not in question. The facts are not interpretable by political parties because they feel like it. Facts are facts. After that, you can interpret the consequences, the implications, the history, the future and all that, but facts are facts. You got to interpret facts if there is video evidence of the cylinder being loaded in the car and then that car being exploded. I do not understand why you assume that every party can have a different view of that fact.”

When asked about the Bharatiya Janata Party state chief K Annamalai stated that it was a terror attack, and Thiagarajan refused to answer the allegations. He was further asked about DMK not taking the blast seriously. He said, “There is no question of the DMK doing anything or not doing anything. This is not a political issue. [The question is if] a government has to take it seriously or not seriously. A government took it seriously and transferred it to NIA before they asked.”

Nandgopal questioned why there were alleged attempts to downplay the possible terror angle by calling it a cylinder blast. Thiagarajan lashed out at the anchor and said her information could not be superior to the state. He said, “Your information cannot be of superior quality than the government of Tamil Nadu receives. I do not think you have your own intelligence Department. Whatever the police have done has been done because the administration runs the police. So I am not sure why you believe you have any inside information beyond what the government says.”

‘Are you trying to add oil to the fire?’ Minister lashed at the anchor

He further questioned the anchor if she was trying to add oil to the fire. The anchor had asked him if there was an intelligence failure as the whole incident looked like “sheer luck” that the blast happened and police came to know about what had been cooking in the state. Thiagarajan did not like it being called “sheer luck”. He said, “I do not understand why that is luck. They plan to ignite a cylinder. Their cylinder ignites. Why do you assume there’s luck? I do not understand. I do not speculate on things I do not know, and that distinguishes me from you. I do not make assumptions about what it was or what it was not. It was an incident that is under investigation by the NIA. The NIA is not controlled by the government of Tamil Nadu. The NIA will give a report based on that we can have a conversation.”

When asked if, based on the available information, the Tamil Nadu government would call it a terror attack or not, Thiagarajan evaded the point. He said the investigation is under NIA, and they cannot do anything until the NIA returns and gives them information. “What is it that you want us to do? How can we? What is the point of giving the investigation to the NIA if we are going to run a parallel decision-making setup,” he said.

‘I do not take rabble rousers seriously’

When asked that BJP said they demanded that the investigation be given to NIA, Thiagarajan asked to show any document that said NIA approached them to take over the investigation. He said the state government handed over the investigation to NIA before any such request came. He also refused to comment on the allegations raised by BJP that the state government was trying to save a particular community. He said, “I do not take rabble Rouses seriously. I do not think instigators seriously. I take reasonable human beings seriously. I do not consider the individual [referring to Annamalai] you mentioned as one of them.”

Coimbatore Blast

On October 22, Jamesha Mubin was caught on CCTV loading a large object (LPG cylinder) wrapped in a white bag onto his Maruti 800 car. It was around 11:25 pm. Mubin was accompanied by three other men, namely, Mohammad Riyaz, Feroz Ismail, and Mohammad Navaz Ismail.

At around 4 am on October 23 night, the car carrying Jamesha Mubin exploded mid-journey in the Ukkadam area of Coimbatore. The incident took place adjacent to the Kottai Easwaran Temple.

Preliminary investigation revealed that one of the two commercial cylinders onboard the car had exploded while the other remained intact. As per reports, the remains of Mubin’s body were unrecognisable.

A total of 6 people, namely, Mohammad Thalka, Mohammad Azarudheen, Riyaz, Nawaz, Afsar Khan and Feroz, were arrested in connection to the case. It also came to light that the NIA interrogated Mubin in 2019 regarding the Easter bomb blasts.

It later came to light that Jamesha Mubin was motivated by the Islamic State and engaged in preparing for jihad. Reportedly, he was on a suicide mission to destroy a large area, including a Hindu temple using his car bomb.

On October 27, the case was transferred to the NIA by the Centre, following the recommendation of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister. An official said, “The Union home ministry decided to hand over the Coimbatore blast case to the NIA.”

Karnataka: Congress leader Rafiq clashes with a member of Sriram Sene over saffron flags near masjid in Sringeri

OpIndia Staff
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Karnataka: Congress leader Rafiq clashes with a member of Sriram Sene over saffron flags near masjid in Sringeri

A clash broke out between a Congress leader and members of the Hindu organisation, Sri Ram Sene, over saffron flags put up on the occasion of Bababudangriri Yatra.

As per reports, the incident took place in the hill town of Sringeri in the Chikkamagaluru district of Karnataka on Tuesday (November 8) evening. Rafiq, a Congress leader and a member of the local masjid committee, took offence to the placement of saffron flags in front of the Masjid.

This led to a heated argument between him and Arjun, a member of Sri Ram Sene, which later escalated into a clash. The duo threw blows at each other and were admitted to the Sringeri Taluk Government Hospital for treatment.

Safrron flag put by Sriram Sene, image via Times Now

On receiving information, the police led by ASP Gunjan Arya rushed to the spot to pacify the situation. As per reports, no casualties were reported during the outbreak of violence.

Arjun has expressed fear for his life while Rafiq has demanded adequate security from the police. A First Information Report (FIR) was lodged against Rafiq and Arjun, based on complaints and counter-complaints.

The duo was promptly arrested and a peace meeting was also organised between the Hindu and Muslim communities by the police.

In a tweet, ‘journalist’ Imran Khan wrote, “Tying of saffron flags in front of #masjid in #Sringeri #Karnataka led to a fight between SriramSene members & masjid committee member Rafiq.”

“Case registered by Chikkamagaluru police against both Rafiq & sene member Arjun. Cops later called for a peace meeting of both communities,” he added. In a video shared by him, the cops were seen interacting with members of the affected communities.

Here is how Gujarat transformed from being a drought-prone dry region to a well-irrigated self-sufficient state under Narendra Modi

Pallav
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Here is how Gujarat transformed from being a drought-prone dry region to a well-irrigated self-sufficient state under Narendra Modi

Gujarat was recently designated a ‘Har Ghar Jal’ state, which indicates that all homes in the state now have access to fresh tap water. As part of the ‘Jal Jeevan Mission,’ the project has been completed in phases throughout the years. According to state officials, all 91,73,378 houses in the state now have access to tap water.

On August 15, 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’ from the ramparts of Red Fort. The ‘Har Ghar Jal’ initiative is a component of the mission, which seeks to deliver sufficient quantities of quality water to every rural family in India by 2024.

The campaign attempts to free sisters and mothers from household water-fetching activities. The project provides residents in the country’s rural areas with comfort and dignity. As Gujarat’s journey is significant learning for all states, here is the account of how a drought-prone dry state became self-sufficient thanks to outstanding leadership and decision-making.

Gujarat prior to 2001

Gujarat only possesses 6.39% of India’s land area and 2.28% of its water resources. Again, intra-state distributional imbalances place restrictions on this. The state experienced periodic droughts as a result of its substantial coefficient of variation across time and location and average annual rainfall of 80 cm.

Prior to 2001, Gujarat’s human and cow populations were seriously at risk due to a severe drinking water deficit. In order to provide drinking water temporarily, governments were compelled to spend billions of rupees on road tankers and, in certain cases, special water trains. The State, which had a social culture that was typically peaceful and cordial, even had “water riots” because of severe water shortages that were made worse by insufficient management of water resources.

Additionally, due to the water crisis, residents of Gujarat’s drought-prone Saurashtra and Kutch (Western and South Western Gujarat) moved to the state’s Central and South areas. This human migration was usually followed by the movement of cow herds, and it led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people on economic, social, and cultural levels.

Gujarat saw 12 major droughts between 1980 and 2001, according to statistics from the India Meteorological Department from 2015. The average depth of the groundwater between 1975 and 1980 in the districts of Gujarat and Kutch was 30 metres. But by 2001–2002, it had dropped to 150–250 m. The groundwater level was dropping at a pace of 3-5 metres per year. The Saurashtra region, in particular Kachchh, was on the brink of turning into a desert in around two decades if the situation was not quickly addressed.

Narendra Modi becomes chief minister of Gujarat in 2001

The story of how a state like this came to be a national model for managing water resources began in 2001 when Modi was appointed Chief Minister. From his expertise as a social worker, Modi understood that the age-old issue in Gujarat could not be resolved by conventional approaches. It was necessary to implement a scientific strategy that made use of modern technology, astute planning, and assured delivery in a staggered manner.

Shortly after taking office, Modi instructed his team to improve existing canal systems rather than just rely on Narmada water, and he insisted on participatory management of drinking water and agriculture. He broke the administrative stranglehold on projects while including NGOs and water beneficiaries from the start. Most critically, Modi allocated money to build the infrastructure needed to distribute water while serving as chief minister because he understood how important it was to the social transformation he envisioned.

Birth of BISAG

The Gujarat government created the state-level Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space Applications and Geoinformatics (BISAG) to aid in the supply of services and solutions for the deployment of map-based GeoSpatial Information Systems. The BISAG, a specialised institute that used satellite remote-sensing technologies and GIS-based maps to aid expedite the Gujarat infrastructure development model, was founded in 2003 as a result of the scientific attitude, with an emphasis on the use of technology. When the concept was mastered, it was applied to the water issue.

The data on existing water bodies, dams, ponds, rivers, and canals in Gujarat state were compiled using high-resolution Indian Remote Sensing satellite data. A system was developed to visualise the data along with other crucial information, such as the road and rail network, administrative boundaries, slope, type of soil, land use, geology, landform, forest details, sanctuary and national park, etc., after the creation of the current data. A GIS-based platform was developed using the data to visualise the datasets.

Satellite images allowed for a better understanding of the landscape. By overlaying various civilian use datasets, such as administrative details, watershed and forest area details, kind of land and survey number details of landholdings, the data was further refined and important information was obtained. Finally, this data was used at ground level to execute projects.

Micro-level check dams

Check dams are a traditional way of replenishing groundwater, particularly in dry locations. Gujarat had about 6,000 such check dams when Modi became CM in 2002. One of the many reasons why this incredibly effective method of conserving and using water wasn’t expanded was a lack of understanding about where to build the dams to be more effective, as well as local political priorities. Space technology based on BISAG arrived to help.

Check dam. (Image: Telangana Today)

Due to this, the total number of check dams increased from just under 6,000 to over 100,000 in only a few years, reaching 166,062 by mid-2016 with a storage capacity of more than 28,408 million cubic feet (mcf). Check dams were put in place, which greatly boosted the water supply.

Macro-level projects

At the macro level, three significant initiatives transformed the landscape of Gujarat, particularly in the Saurashtra, Kachchh, and North Gujarat areas. The Narmada Main Canal, the Sujalam Sufalam Yojana, and the SAUNI Yojana are the three projects. Satellite-based planning and execution were also used in the deployment of these three major initiatives.

The first one is the Narmada Main Canal. The Narmada canal is the world’s longest irrigation canal, reaching 458 kilometres in length and transporting 40,000 cusecs of water. The system of branch canals, sub-canals, and distributaries, moreover, is what has made the Narmada canal such a transformational undertaking. PM Modi launched the Kachchh branch canal from this Narmada Main canal, which helps provide water to the most distant parts of Kachchh.

Narmada canal. (Wikimedia Commons)

Secondly, there is the Sujalam Sufalam Yojana. Although it also covers districts from other regions, the main goal of this initiative is to irrigate the areas of North Gujarat. Due to the deepening of lakes, check-dams, rivers, and reservoirs, which started in 2018 after a weak monsoon, the state’s water storage capacity has increased by 23,000 lakh cubic feet to date. It is a 332 km canal network that aids in bringing floodwaters from the Narmada and other rivers to the parched area of North Gujarat and supplies irrigation to around 2.2 million hectares of arable land.

Image: News18

The only region still in need of a solution was the Saurashtra region, as the Narmada Main Canal had already provided water to the Kachchh region and Sujalam Sufalam had resolved the water issue in North Gujarat. The SAUNI Yojana (Saurashtra Narmada Avtaran Irrigation Yojana), which means literally “reincarnation of the Narmada River in the region,” was thus introduced. In order to transmit the extra Narmada waters to more than 115 main reservoirs and irrigate more than 1 million acres of land, a 1,126-km network of four-link pipes was designed and constructed.

Image: News18

The organisational structure of water resource management was also altered by Narendra Modi, who replaced the umbrella organisation with functional divisions. The Gujarat Water Supply and Sewerage Board retained responsibility for constructing and regulating water supply and sewerage systems. 

In order to give village-level institutions the competence to manage and maintain their own water supply infrastructure, the Water and Sanitation Management Organization (WASMO) was founded. Sardar Sarovar Nigam Limited was created as an independent organisation responsible for completing the project. To transport Narmada waters, Gujarat Water Infrastructure Limited was charged with developing bulk water pipe networks.

The work done by the Gujarat state government under Modi gave the state a new life, which could have turned into a desert if the issue of scarcity of water was not addressed. PM Narendra Modi can undoubtedly take credit for developing an effective water management policy as the chief minister of Gujarat.

Congress, TMC and CPM push the false narrative on CAA yet again, even after it led to an anti-Hindu riot 2 years ago: Details

OpIndia Staff
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Congress, TMC and CPM push the false narrative on CAA yet again, even after it led to an anti-Hindu riot 2 years ago: Details

Addressing a function in the national capital on the 553rd Prakash Parv of Guru Nanak Dev, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about the importance of the Citizenship Amendment Act that was passed in 2020. He emphasised the importance of CAA as a means to help the persecuted Hindus and Sikhs affected by the partition.

PM Modi said, “In memory of the sacrifices by the people of Punjab and the country during the partition, the country has started commemorating the Partition Horrors Remembrance Day. We have also tried to create a way to give citizenship to the Hindu and Sikh families affected by the Partition by bringing in the CAA. You must have seen that Gujarat granted citizenship to persecuted Sikh families abroad. This has given them confidence that India is the home for Sikhs living anywhere in the world.” 

Interestingly, on the 31st of October, the central government invited applications for citizenship from Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Christians and Buddhists hailing from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh who are currently residing in the Mehsana and Anand districts. The Modi government delegated its powers to grant citizenship to the collectors of the mentioned districts. While the rules under the CAA are yet to be framed, the MHA invoked the provisions of the Citizenship Act, 1955. 

No sooner had PM Modi made these remarks about CAA, the opposition hit at PM Modi and started peddling the very falsehoods about CAA that led to widespread and organised riots against Hindus in 2020.

State Congress president Adhir Chowdhury said, “Citizenship cannot be granted based on a person’s religion. The Constitution of the country does not allow such a thing. It goes against the ethos of the country. This is nothing but an attempt to polarise the people of Gujarat ahead of the Assembly polls.”

Similar statements were made by TMC and CPM as well.

CPM leader Sujan Chakraborty said, “The country witnessed Partition 75 years ago. Are those staying in the country for last 75 years not citizens of India? If not then who is responsible for creating such a situation? They have been used as vote bank for so long. Now after not recongnising them citizens for so long, the Centre is now talking about granting them citizenship. It is nothing but politics”.

TMC leader Kunal Ghosh, according to Indian Express, echoed the same sentiments. He said that the centre was taking a discriminatory approach towards granting citizenship.

What Prime Minister Modi said is a fact – that Hindus, Sikhs and other non-Muslim denominations were persecuted after the partition in neighbouring Islamic nations and continue to be persecuted till date. However, the opposition used this opportunity to peddle the same dangerous tropes and falsehoods about CAA that led to anti-Hindu violence in 2020 in Northeast Delhi.

What is the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA)

The Citizenship Amendment Act is a law passed by the Indian Parliament that is directed towards providing citizenship rights to people who belong to minority religions in the neighboring Islamic countries of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. The Act also reduces the minimum term required to stay in India before applying for citizenship by naturalization to five years instead of 11 years. Thus, the law applies to Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, Sikhs, Zoroastrians and Christians from the specified neighboring Islamic countries.

This Amendment adds proviso in section 2, in sub-section (1), in clause (b) in the Citizenship Act, 1955. The Proviso reads as “Provided that any person belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi or Christian community from Afghanistan, Bangladesh or Pakistan, who entered into India on or before the 31st day of December, 2014 and who has been exempted by the Central Government by or under clause (c) of sub-section (2) of section 3 of the Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920 or from the application of the provisions of the Foreigners Act, 1946 or any rule or order made thereunder, shall not be treated as illegal migrant for the purposes of this Act.”

Further, new section 6B added in the Citizenship Act, 1955 states that on and from the date of commencement of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, any proceeding pending against a person under this section in respect of illegal migration or citizenship shall stand abated on conferment of citizenship to him, provided that such person shall not be disqualified for making application for citizenship under this section on the ground that the proceeding is pending against him and the Central Government or authority specified by it in this behalf shall not reject his application on that ground if he is otherwise found qualified for grant of citizenship under this section.

Further, it adds in the proviso that who makes the application for citizenship under this section shall not be deprived of his rights and privileges to which he was entitled on the date of receipt of his application on the ground of making such application.

The section 6B (4) adds that nothing in this section shall apply to the tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram or Tripura as included in the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution and the area covered under “The Inner Line” notified under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873.

It is pertinent to understand that CAA is relevant only for Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi and Christian foreigners, who have migrated from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan into India up to 31.12.2014, on account of persecution faced by them due to their religion. It does not apply to any other foreigners, including Muslims migrating to India from any country, including these three countries.

The falsehoods peddled by TMC, CPM and Congress on CAA after PM Modi’s statement

The common theme in the statements made by TMC, Congress and CPM leaders after PM Modi’s speech was that the central government was providing citizenship on the basis of religion and that the move was discriminatory. In fact, the CPM leader went a step ahead and insinuated that CAA would somehow affect the Muslim citizens of India by asking if the people living in this country for the past 75 years were not citizens at all.

These falsehoods have been debunked several times in the past and it is pertinent to note that it is these very falsehoods that led to mass violence against Hindus in 2020. While opposition parties peddle such tropes, it is important to remember that CAA does not pertain to Indian Citizens at all and therefore, to even ask the question about the citizenship status of the people (Muslims) living in this country for the past 75 years.

It is also disingenuous to claim that CAA is discriminatory in any manner. This is a law that aims to provide citizenship to those minority communities that have been persecuted by the majority Muslim community in Islamic nations who came to India as refugees up until 31st December 2014. It has nothing to do with the normal process of citizenship being granted – for example – a Muslim can apply for citizenship in India too and he will have to go through the normal procedure for his application to be accepted.

The present legal process of acquiring Indian citizenship by any foreigner of any category through Naturalization (Section 6 of the Citizenship Act) or through Registration (Section 5 of the Act) stays operational. The CAA does not amend or alter it in any manner whatsoever. Hundreds of Muslims migrating from these three countries have been granted Indian citizenship during the last few years.

If found eligible, all such future migrants shall also get Indian citizenship, irrespective of their numbers or religion. In 2014, after the settlement of Indo- Bangladesh boundary issues, 14,864 Bangladeshi citizens were given Indian Citizenship when their enclaves were incorporated into the territory of India. Thousands of these foreigners were Muslims.

The core argument that was made against the CAA was that the provisions do not apply to the persecuted Shias, Ahmadiyya and Rohingya Muslims of the neighbouring countries and hence, it is unconstitutional and ‘communal’. First and foremost, the law is dedicated to providing relief to the victims of religious persecution. Shias, Ahmadiyya and Rohingya Muslims are Muslims; they are all adherents of the Islamic faith. They only belong to different sects within Islam. Thus, the provisions of a law that is dedicated to providing relief to victims of religious persecution can, naturally, not apply to the said Islamic sects.

It is also a dangerous game that is being played by the opposition given that it was these very falsehoods that led to anti-Hindu Delhi Riots in 2020. There were repeated tropes about the citizenship of Muslims being affected adversely due to CAA. The opposition had also spread falsehoods saying that Muslims will eventually be deported from the country due to the combination effect of CAA and NRC – even though NRC was only a promise and not even a draft for national NRC has been released.

It is rather concerning that even after the deaths of over 50 people in an organised riot that aimed to “teach Hindus a lesson”, the very same falsehoods that were used to organise mass action and violence against Hindus in 2020 is being repeated again.

State Bank of India records highest-ever quarterly profit as net-profit surges 74% in Q2

OpIndia Staff
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State Bank of India records highest-ever quarterly profit as net-profit surges 74% in Q2

State Bank of India (SBI), India’s largest lender, reported its highest-ever quarterly profit in the second quarter. The bank’s net profit increased 74% year on year for the quarter that ended on September 30, as core income increased and bad loan provisions decreased as the non-performing assets (NPA) ratio dropped.

The net profit for the quarter was Rs 13,265 crore, up from Rs 7,627 crore the previous year. Net profit more than doubled from quarter to quarter. The recorded profit is way higher than Bloomberg’s estimates of Rs 10,262. 

The productive increase in quarterly profit was attributed to solid interest income growth due to a drastic increase in credit expansion. Net interest income (NII) or core income increased 13% year on year at Rs 35,183 crore due to a strong 20% increase in credit growth, nearly 200 basis points (bps) higher than the industry average.

Loan growth was pushed by both retail and corporate segments, with corporate loan growth outpacing retail loan growth (19%) by 21%  year-on-year, led by the home loans portfolio surged 14.57% year-on-year, at Rs 5.94 lakh crore as of September 30.

SBI’s provisions fell 25% year on year to Rs 2,011 crore in Q2FY23, owing to improved asset quality, with the net non-performing asset (NPA) ratio falling to less than 1%.

According to Dinesh Khara, chairman of the State Bank of India, global economic activity is witnessing a slowdown with inflation higher in developed markets than in developing market economies. Despite these uncertainties, the Indian economy has proven to be resilient.

“Aggregate demand indicators show that the start of the holiday season and pent-up demand kept the growth impulses very strong,” he said.

SBI is witnessing corporate credit demand from infrastructure, renewable energy, and oil marketing companies. Non-bank finance companies are driving demand in the services sector, according to Dinesh Khara.

Khara also predicted a 14 to 16% increase in credit growth by the end of the year.

“Based on current trends, we will most likely see credit growth of 14-16% by the end of the year,” Khara stated.

As Elon Musk takes the helm at Twitter, demands grow to replace Hindu Swastika with Nazi Hakenkreuz as a hate symbol in company policies

OpIndia Staff
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As Elon Musk takes the helm at Twitter, demands grow to replace Hindu Swastika with Nazi Hakenkreuz as a hate symbol in company policies

Author Yann Meridex on Tuesday sought the replacement of Hindu Swastika with the Nazi Hakenkreuz or the hooked cross from the list of hate symbols listed by Twitter. Meridex’s request came on a tweet posted by Twitter owner Elon Musk, who had recently shared the latest rules of the microblogging platform.

Asking for changing the Swastika symbol with the Hakenkreuz, Meredex said its inclusion smacked off Hinduphobia and that the Hindu Swastika has nothing to with Nazism.

“Could your team replace the word Swastika, which is a Hindu symbol, with Hakenkreuz, which was the real name of the Nazi hooked cross used by Hitler in Mein Kampf before a Hinduphobic translation was made?” Meredex tweeted.

Meredex also shared a picture of Twitter’s rules on hateful imagery. It lists “Nazi Swastika” under symbols historically associated with the hate group.

A Hindu interest group based out of the United States, the Hindu American Foundation, also requested Twitter to change its rules to delink the Hindu Swastika with the hateful Nazi Hakenkreuz.

The Hindu group also asked Twitter about its rules that included “caste” as one of the grounds for reporting the “dehumanisation of a group of people” and questioned the company on the definition of “caste” and how its implementation will be free of promoting stereotypes that is against its avowed policies.

“While we welcome @Twitter policy to ban “dehumanization of a group of people” based on religion, as #Hinduphobia & anti-Hindu hate are endemic here, we wonder how you will define & implement “caste” without instituting stereotypes that violate your own stated policies,” the Hindu American Foundation tweeted.

It is worth noting that this is not the first time that an organisation has used a Hindu Swastika to represent the Nazi Hakenkreuz. For decades, the Hindu symbol has been maligned and characterised as a sign associated with the murderous Nazi ideology. Hinduphobic organisations and left-wing ‘intellectuals’ have used equated the two to denigrate Hindus and paint those who use the symbol as proponents of the Nazi ideology. 

However, there is a huge difference between the two symbols, which they have ridiculously considered as one and the same, thereby not only hurting Hindu feelings but also displaying their innate Hinduphobia.

When translated from its Sanskrit root, Swatika comprises of ‘su’ meaning ”good” and ‘asti’ meaning ”to be”. In other words, well-being. It dates back some 6,000 years to rock and cave paintings. Scholars generally agree it originated in India.

It has also meant a symbol of good luck, prosperity and all things auspicious for other ancient cultures, including the Vikings and Greeks, besides Hindus, Buddhists and Jains.

A religious symbol for Hindus, the Swastika was first mentioned in the Vedas. It symbolises many things like Surya (the sun) and Brahma, the creator. It is seen as a power symbol and is also the emblem of Ganesha, the god of good luck. In both Hinduism and Jainism, the Swastika is used to mark the opening pages of account books, doors and thresholds.

In fact, it is found that the Swastika was also used in Ancient Greece and can be found in the remains of the ancient city of Troy, which existed 4,000 years ago. The ancient Druids and the Celts also used the symbol. It was used by Nordic tribes and even early Christians used the Swastika as one of their symbols, including the Teutonic Knights, a German medieval military order, which became a purely religious Catholic Order.

Furthermore, the American Jewish Committee, one of the country’s oldest Jewish advocacy organizations, released a leaflet clarifying the distinction between the Swastika used for millennia by Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist cultures and the deformed 

CBI quizzes Anubrata Mondal on Rs 1 crore lottery win, BJP accuses TMC leaders of laundering money via lottery

OpIndia Staff
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CBI quizzes Anubrata Mondal on Rs 1 crore lottery win, BJP accuses TMC leaders of laundering money via lottery

Heavyweight Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader, Anubrata Mondal has now come under the scanner of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) over winning Rs 1 crore in a lottery.

On Saturday (November 5), he was interrogated by the central agency for about 1.5 hours at a special prison in Asansol. Mondal was quizzed about a ₹1 crore lottery that he won in January this year and the manner in which the funds were utilised.

A CBI officer informed, “We went to the prison to question Mr Anubrata about the lottery he won. We are tallying his responses with the statement given by the lottery ticket seller with whom we spoke on Friday (November 4).”

According to the central agency, Mondal might have laundered black money, procured through cattle smuggling activities, via lottery draws. The ticket seller, identified as Munna Sheikh, denied selling lottery tickets to the TMC leader.

It is alleged that Mondal purchased the lottery ticket, which fetched him ₹1 crore, through his bodyguard. As per a report in Hindustan Times Bangla, the CBI has now found information about 3 additional lottery ticket winnings by the Mondol family.

Funds received from two lottery winnings, totalling ₹51 lakhs, were transferred to the bank account of Anubrata Mondol’s daughter Sukanya Mondol. Similarly, ₹10 lakhs won from the lottery was transferred to the TMC leader’s account in 2019.

The CBI had also quizzed Munna Sheikh, the ticket seller from Birbhum, which fetched Anubrata ₹1 crore. He claimed no memory of selling tickets to the TMC leader. Sheikh said that he purchased the tickets in bulk from the ‘Rahul Lottery Agency’, which was indirectly issued by the Nagaland State Lottery.

BJP leader Dilip Ghosh has now hit out at the Trinamool Congress and its leader Anubrata Mondal. “Every scam in Paschim Banga is inter-connected. The lottery scam came to light in 2016 from a CAG report. The govt paid no heed despite knowing everything,” he tweeted.

“The people of the govt are involved with the 40-45 lotteries that run in the state…Lottery has become an avenue for converting black money to white money. A number of TMC leaders won prize worth Rs. 1 cr,” he had alleged.

Similar allegations were also levelled against Anubrata Mondal by BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari. He pointed out how the lottery company stopped posting pictures of the winners after several TMC leaders including Mondal and MLA Vivek Gupta’s wife were declared winners.

Stree Shakti Sankalp: BJP announces series of initiatives for women in Himachal as the party focuses on female voters ahead of assembly elections

OpIndia Staff
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Stree Shakti Sankalp: BJP announces series of initiatives for women in Himachal as the party focuses on female voters ahead of assembly elections

As election day in the state of Himachal Pradesh approaches, competing political parties are trying to devise fresh strategies to attract women voters, who will play a critical role in deciding the final outcome of this political battle. Women’s political influence has grown since 1998 after their participation in the voting surpassed male voters, pushing parties into making special election promises for female voters.

This time to woo them, the ruling BJP is counting on a slew of women-centric initiatives devised and expanded under Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, the most recent of which is ‘Naari ko Naman’, which offers women 50 percent discount on bus fares. The CM Thakur-led government is also emphasising the benefits of other schemes, such as the free cooking gas Ujjwala plan and its state arm; the Rs 31,000 Mukhya Mantri Shagun Yojana for girls; the Rs 51,000 Mukhya Mantri Kanyadan Yojana for girl marriages; and the recent increase in the monthly payments of ASHA workers from Rs 1,000 to Rs 4,700.

The party on Sunday released its manifesto for the Himachal polls. It highlighted the party’s ‘Stree Shakti Sankalp’ focusing on women’s empowerment and women-led development. The party in its manifesto also promised 33 percent reservation for women in government jobs in Himachal Pradesh if the party returns to power in the upcoming assembly elections. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President JP Nadda further announced the creation of 8 lakh employment opportunities, the establishment of five new medical institutions, the introduction of mobile health clinics, and the distribution of bicycles and scooters to female students.

The BJP also promised to establish a corpus of Rs 500 crore to give interest-free loans to women entrepreneurs to set up homestays, besides the construction of two hostels for girls pursuing higher education in all 12 districts. According to the state BJP vice-president Payal Vaidya, BJP is the only party in the state which has come up with a ‘Stree Shakti Sankalp’, an agenda for women empowerment.

11 crucial promises made by the BJP in ‘Stree Shakti Sankalp’

  1. Rs 51,000 to brides belonging to below poverty line (BPL) families.
  2. Providing bicycles to school-going girls and scooters to female students pursuing higher education.
  3. Interest-free loans to women for home stays, loans to be provided at 2 percent interest to self-help groups.
  4. Providing Rs 25,000 for the care of newborn babies and their mothers.
  5. Three free gas cylinders.
  6. Inclusion of Atal Pension Yojana for women above 30 years of age.
  7. Providing a scholarship of Rs 2,500 per month to top 5,000 girl students of class 12.
  8. Cattle feed at appropriate rates.
  9. ‘Stree Shakti Card’ for women’s healthcare.
  10. Establishing 2 girl hostels per district in 12 districts of the state.
  11. 33 percent reservation for women in government jobs.

Legislative Assembly elections are scheduled to be held in Himachal Pradesh on November 12, 2022, to elect 68 members of the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly. The votes will be counted and the results will be declared on December 8, 2022.

Awarding the 2022 World Cup to Qatar was a mistake: Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter

OpIndia Staff
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Awarding the 2022 World Cup to Qatar was a mistake: Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter

On the eve of the FIFA World Cup 2022, former FIFA President Sepp Blatter admitted that awarding the tournament to the Gulf country of Qatar was a mistake. Blatter was serving as the FIFA president in 2010 when Qatar won the right to host the 2022 edition amidst allegations of bribery and corruption.

Speaking to the Swiss newspaper Tages-Anzeiger, Blatter said, “The choice of Qatar was a mistake. We actually agreed in the executive committee that Russia should get the 2018 World Cup and the USA that of 2022.”

Blatter said that holding the World Cup back to back in long-standing political opponents Russia and USA would have been a gesture of peace.

Sepp Blatter, who headed FIFA from 1998 to 2015 was himself banned from Football for 6 years over corruption charges before being cleared in July this year.

During his interaction with the paper, Blatter said, “It’s too small a country. Football and the World Cup are too big for that. For me it is clear, Qatar is a mistake. The choice was bad.”

The former FIFA president also questioned the decision of the current FIFA president Gianni Infantino to live in Qatar. “Why is the new FIFA president [Gianni Infantino] living in Qatar? He can’t be the head of the local World Cup organisation. That’s not his job. There are two organising committees for this – a local one and one from FIFA”, Blatter said.

FIFA has faced a lot of criticism ever since it decided to award the 2022 edition of its showpiece event to Qatar back in 2010. The tournament has also been moved from its traditional June-July schedule to a winter tournament in November-December to account for the heat in Qatar during the summer months.

Qatar itself has come under scrutiny from various human rights organisations over its poor treatment of the low-paid migrant labourers who have built all the infrastructure for the World Cup. The treatment of LGBTQ+ community and their legal persecution in the Gulf state has also attracted criticism from around the world.

Gujarat Railway Police refutes AIMIM claim that stones were pelted on Vande Bharat Express targeting party president Asaduddin Owaisi

OpIndia Staff
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Gujarat Railway Police refutes AIMIM claim that stones were pelted on Vande Bharat Express targeting party president Asaduddin Owaisi

On Tuesday, the Gujarat Railway Police rejected All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen’s allegation that stones were intentionally hurled at the Vande Bharat Express destined for Surat, on which AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi was traveling.

The statement from railway police comes a day after AIMIM spokesperson Waris Pathan claimed that while the party’s president Asaduddin Owaisi was traveling from Ahmedabad to Surat on the Vande Bharat train, a stone was thrown on the compartment in which Owaisi was seated. He said that it was intended to harm the AIMIM leader.

Gujarat Railway police launched a probe shortly after the party made charges public. Deputy Superintendent of Police D.H. Gaur addressed the media on November 8 and confirmed that no stones were thrown at the Vande Bharat Express on Monday evening.

“Railways work is going on on the track between Ankleshwar and Surat. When Vande Bharat was moving towards the south, at the same time Paschim Express was moving towards the north, when due to vibration, a stone hit the window of the coach”, he said.

The officer further went on to say that there is no residential area where any hooliganism may be suspected. According to the inquiry, no one was wounded, and there was no plot with the purpose of exacting retribution. According to railway sources, the stone struck the window next to seat number E1-25, while Owaisi was seated at E1-21.

The incident happened when AIMIM leader Owaisi was traveling to Surat to attend a public rally as part of his election campaigning in the state, where the Assembly polls are scheduled for December 1 and 5. While AIMIM spokesperson Waris Pathan claimed that two stones were hurled one after the other, the police confirmed that some grit hit the train due to the ongoing engineering work on the railway track at Ankleshwar in Bharuch district and damaged the train’s window.

“It was not a case of stone-pelting,” the official said and added that the AIMIM leader was seated away from the window in the compartment. The cracked window has been changed and further investigations into the case are underway.

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