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Congress demands that the “wrong decision” of revoking Article 370 be reversed

OpIndia Staff
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Congress demands that the “wrong decision” of revoking Article 370 be reversed

Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad today said that the ‘wrong decision’ of scrapping Article 370 which made Jammu and Kashmir an integral part of India without any riders attached be reversed.


He also added that nobody in the state is happy with the decision and hence it should be reversed. Ghulam Nabi Azad has been one of the most prominent leaders in Congress to be very vocally critical of abrogation of Article 370. Prior to the abrogation, he had not only exonerated the jihadis but even peddled the “Governor Jagmohan did it” theory on the Kashmiri Pandit Exodus in the 1990s. Earlier, Azad had called the abrogation of Article 370 a “murderous decision”.

He had also insinuated that the Kashmiris are a tradeable commodity as he stated that locals in Shopian who were seen after the abrogation of Article 370 dining out with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval were paid for the charade.

Congress is facing a divide within in its own ranks as there are two distinct factions over the issue of Jammu and Kashmir. While one has manifestly protested against the government’s decision regarding the state, the other too has come out and supported the central government for the true integration of the state with the union and the annulment of the partition relic. Jyotiraditya Scindia, Milind Deora, Deepender Hooda, Janardhan Dwivedi have welcomed the government’s decision. Congress’ chief whip Bhubaneswar Kalita resigned from Rajya Sabha because he was upset over Congress’ stand to oppose Centre’s move to dilute Article 370. Senior Congress leader Dr Karan Singh, who is also the son of Maharaja Hari Singh who had signed the Instrument of Accession agreeing to accede the erstwhile princely state of Jammu and Kashmir to the Dominion of India.

Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa to order CBI probe into phone tapping charges against former CM HD Kumaraswamy

OpIndia Staff
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Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa to order CBI probe into phone tapping charges against former CM HD Kumaraswamy

Fresh trouble awaits former Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy as Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Sunday said that he will order a CBI probe into charges of phone tapping during the previous coalition government citing demands by several political parties, including Congress.

“On the telephone tapping issue. Several leaders, including Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah, have said it should be probed and truth should come out, so I have decided to order a CBI probe. Tomorrow itself I will order the probe,” Yediyurappa told reporters here.

The CM’s announcement came in amid signs that the scandal was brewing ever since disqualified JD(S) MLA A H Vishwanath, who served as JD(S) state president and turned rebel later, last week accused the H D Kumaraswamy government of tapping phones and spying on more than 300 people, including himself  and Congress Legislature Party leader S Siddaramiah.

Stating that Kumaraswamy did not trust anyone, Vishwanath created a political stir by saying that such illegal tapping was a criminal offence. He also pointed out that Ramakrishna Hegde resigned as CM in the late 1980s on similar phone tapping charges.

Denying the allegation, former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, who had headed the coalition government said: “Let them do any inquiry, whether it is a CBI inquiry or any other agency of international standard, or let them talk to Trump (US President Donald Trump) and get it inquired through someone from his side.”

He also hit out at the electronic media for its coverage on the issue, saying no one can do anything to him. He alleged that their intention and attempts were to keep him away from the people of the state of Karnataka.

Meanwhile, Congress, which is alliance partner of JD(S), seemed to be a divided house. While many Congress leaders, including Siddaramaiah, M Mallikarjuna Kharge and home minister in the alliance government M B Patil, had sought a probe, another key party leader and former minister D K Shivakumar has rejected the snooping charges and appeared to have extended his support to Kumaraswamy. Congress on its official Twitter handle has also said that telephone tapping “was a bundle of lies” and a conspiracy for hate politics.

There are allegations that during the last few months of his tenure, the Kumaraswamy government tapped mobile and landline phones of top state BJP leaders, disqualified rebel legislators of the Congress and Janata Dal-Secular (JDS) and three senior IPS officers.

The coalition government of the JDS and the Congress fell in July with Kumaraswamy resigning on July 23 after losing a trust vote necessitated by the resignations of 15 rebel legislators.

Afghanistan officially snubs Pakistan, says attempt to link Afghanistan issue with Kashmir is ‘reckless, unwarranted and irresponsible’

OpIndia Staff
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Afghanistan officially snubs Pakistan, says attempt to link Afghanistan issue with Kashmir is ‘reckless, unwarranted and irresponsible’

Afghanistan has officially rebuked Pakistan for linking the current situation in Kashmir with the situation in Afghanistan. An Afghan diplomat slammed her Pakistani counterpart for linking the current situation in Kashmir with the ongoing peace efforts in Afghanistan, calling it “reckless, unwarranted and irresponsible”.

In a lengthy statement, Roya Rahmani, the Afghan Ambassador to the US, said on Sunday: “The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan strongly questions the assertion made by Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States, Asad Majeed Khan, that the ongoing tensions in Kashmir could potentially affect Afghanistan’s peace process.”

Afghan's embassy in DC has issued a letter condemning Pakistan's attempts to link the Kashmir issue with Afghan peace process
Letter by the Afghan ambassador in the US

Struggling to draw attention to the Kashmir issue, Pakistan had linked it to Afghanistan imbroglio, warning that it might have to redeploy troops from the Afghanistan border to that of Kashmir. On August 13, Pakistan’s ambassador to the US, Asad Majeed Khan, raised this possibility while talking to the editorial board of the New York Times.

Rahmani said the assertion by the Pakistani Ambassador that the Kashmir issue could compel Pakistan to reposition its troops from its western frontier with Afghanistan to its eastern border with India is “a misleading statement which inaccurately suggests that Afghanistan poses a threat” to Pakistan.

The Afghan diplomat further asserted that Kashmir is a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan and by linking it to the Afghan peace efforts the Imran Khan government is deliberately attempting to further instigate violence in the trouble-torn nation and is using it an excuse to justify its inaction against Taliban and to avoid taking a decisive stance against the militant group.

“There is no threat from Afghanistan to Pakistan. The Afghan government sees no credible reason for Pakistan to maintain tens of thousands of military troops on its western frontier,” she said.

“On the contrary, Afghan stability is frequently threatened by Pakistan-based, sanctioned and supported militant and terrorist groups,” Rahmani furthered.

These groups operate openly from Pakistan-governed spaces and regularly spill over into Afghanistan, she alleged.

“Pakistani authorities should address this problem by undertaking a sincere and forceful law and order measure through police actions inside Pakistan,” she said.

Slamming Pakistan, Rahmani said the statement by her Pakistani counterpart runs contrary to the positive and constructive engagement Afghan President Ashraf Ghani had with Prime Minister Imran Khan and Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on his recent visit to the country.

Pakistan has been completely rattled ever since India decided to abrogate Article 370 and proceeded to bifurcate Jammu and Kashmir. On August 7, Pakistan had announced several reactionary steps after Article 370 was abrogated by India.

After a meeting of National Security Council headed by prime minister Imran Khan, Pakistan had decided to downgrade diplomatic relations, suspension of bilateral trade, review of bilateral arrangements, taking the matter to UN including the security council. They had also decided to observe 14th August in solidarity with Kashmiris, and 15th August as a black day.

Moreover, to create a fear-based environment and to mislead people, Pakistan has been resorting to spreading fake news and misinformation on social media after the historic decision of abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5.

Criminal complaint filed against freelance protestor Shehla Rashid for spreading fake news against Indian Army

OpIndia Staff
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Criminal complaint filed against freelance protestor Shehla Rashid for spreading fake news against Indian Army

A criminal complaint has been registered against freelance protestor-turned-politician by Supreme Court lawyer Alakh Alok Srivastava seeking her arrest for allegedly spreading fake news against Indian Army and Government of India, reports ANI.


“The aforesaid allegations made by the accused are absolutely false, baseless and concocted, which is evident from the fact that she has not produced any voice recording of the alleged torture or name, date, time or any other specific information about the aforesaid alleged incidents,” said the complaint written to the Commissioner of Police.


Earlier in the day, freelance protestor-turned-politician Shehla Rashid, who has an illustrious career of peddling fake news, in a series of tweets had attempted to incite people by sharing false claims of torture and excessive force being used against Kashmiris.

She had said that the Jammu and Kashmir Police have no authority on law and order situation and are rendered powerless. She then accused the Indian Army of entering houses in the middle of the night, picking up boys and ransacking the homes, deliberately mixing oil with rice.

Toeing Pakistani propaganda line, she had also claimed that the armed forces had picked up four who were then taken into the Army camp. “A mic was kept close to them so that the entire area could hear them scream, and be terrorised. This created an environment of fear in the entire area,” added Shehla Rashid.

However, the Indian Army rejected allegations made by Shehla Rashid regarding the situation in the Jammu and Kashmir and called it “baseless”.

“Allegations levelled by Shehla Rashid are baseless and rejected. Such unverified & fake news are spread by inimical elements and organisations to incite unsuspecting population,” said Indian Army.

Shehla Rashid, like most of the other members of the anti-India brigade, seems to have got upset after the successful integration of Jammu and Kashmir and were attempting to stoke fear and incite violence by spreading false information.

Second day of ceasefire violations by Pakistan, targets forward posts and villages along LoC in Nowshera

OpIndia Staff
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Second day of ceasefire violations by Pakistan, targets forward posts and villages along LoC in Nowshera

Pakistan continued to violate the ceasefire targeting Indian posts for the second successive day on Sunday.

The mortar shelling and small arms firing from across the border in Kalal area of Nowshera sector started at around 6.45 pm, prompting strong and effective retaliation by the Indian army, a defence spokesman said.

The cross-border shelling has been going on for over two days along the LoC now.

As per latest reports, Pakistan has again violated the ceasefire and has initiated shelling near the Nowshera sector today morning.

India’s Lance Naik Sandeep Thapa had received fatal injuries and was martyred due to Pakistan’s repeated shelling on Saturday. In retaliatory fire, the Indian army had destroyed a Pakistani post across the Rajouri sector in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday.

According to reports, during the intervening night of Thursday-Friday, the Indian army had foiled various infiltration bids by terrorists to cross over to the Indian side. According to army sources, in a bid to help terrorists enter India, Pakistan has set up a major communication hub in Kali Ghati area of Neelam Valley in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK).

The communication hub intends to help push the terrorists, which are backed by Pakistan’s army, into the Indian side. With a range of 50-60 kilometres, this hub facilitates the terrorists to communicate with their guides even across the LoC.

On Thursday, Northern Army Commander Lt. Gen Ranbir Singh had asserted that in the last few days, Pakistan was trying hard to help infiltrators enter into India. Indian army positions have been alerted to thwart any misadventure by Pakistan army on the LoC.

The abrogation of Article 370 has rattled Pakistan, which has since stepped up its efforts to create unrest in Kashmir. In the wake of this development, it has resorted to multiple ceasefire violations.

SC refuses to quash charges against rape accused journalist Tarun Tejpal, directs lower court to finish trial in six months

OpIndia Staff
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SC refuses to quash charges against rape accused journalist Tarun Tejpal, directs lower court to finish trial in six months

The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a plea seeking quashing of charges against journalist Tarun Tejpal, who has been accused of sexual assault by his former junior colleague, reports ANI.

The apex court bench comprising Justice Arun Mishra and Justice MR Shah said that the case against the Tehelka founder-editor would continue. The bench also directed the lower court to complete the trial against Tejpal within six months. Reportedly, the Supreme Court bench terming the plea as an offence “morally abhorrent” and an “assault on the privacy of the victim”.

In the petition filed before the top court, Tejpal had sought quashing of charges pertaining to sexual assaults and kidnapping.

A journalist colleague of Tejpal had accused him of raping her on November 7, 2013, inside an elevator in a Hotel Grand Hyatt, Goa, during Tehelka magazine’s THiNK 2013 festival in Goa. In November 2013, he had stepped down as editor for six months after he was accused of sexual assault.

Incidentally, over the years Tejpal has been openly defended by a section of the liberal brethren, owing to him being “one of their own”.

This includes a Mid Day column, urging media persons who were voicing their views against Tejpal, to rethink their stand, since in the day and age of ‘rising intolerance’ a ‘liberal voice’ was the need of the hour. One Outlook article by Manu Joseph actually sought to “raise questions” over the whole incident.

Tejpal after the allegations surfaced against him, was also invited at a literary festival as a guest speaker, which for many was an attempt to “rehabilitate him”. Later Bachi Karkaria, organiser of the literary festival, announced on Twitter that Tejpal had been asked not to attend because the festival did not want “extraneous noise.” Incidentally the same Bachi Karkaria had written an editorial in TOI where she brazenly defended Tejpal.

Uttar Pradesh: 22-year-old Sayeeda burnt to death by husband and in-laws for complaining against Triple Talaq

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: 22-year-old Sayeeda burnt to death by husband and in-laws for complaining against Triple Talaq

In a horrific incident, a 22-year-old woman has been was burnt alive by her husband and in-laws in an Uttar Pradesh village after she complained against her husband for giving her triple talaq, reports Times of India.

According to reports, the incident took place on Friday in Shravasti district of Uttar Pradesh when 22-year old Sayeeda was burnt alive by her husband and in-laws in front of her five-year-old daughter just days after she tried to register a complaint against her husband.

Ramzan Khan, the father of the victim has alleged that his son-in-law Nafees (26), who worked in Mumbai had pronounced triple talaq to Sayeeda on the phone. As she was given triple talaq illegally, Sayeeda went to the police only to be told to go back and wait for her husband’s arrival. On August 15, when Nafees came back home, the police had allegedly called the couple to the station and had asked Sayeeda to stay with Nafees.

However, instead of listening to the police’s advice, Nafees again asked his wife to go away, which led to yet another argument when the family decided to kill her. Sayeeda’s 5-year-old daughter, an eyewitness, has reportedly told that her father held her mother by the hair while her two aunts poured kerosene on her and her grandparents lit the matchstick to burn her alive.

“On Friday noon, my father returned after offering Namaz and told the mother to go away since he had given her talaq, resulting in a spat. My grandfather Azizullah, grandmother Haseena, and aunts Gudiya, Nadira came. Father held my mother by her my aunts Nadira and Gudiya poured kerosene and grandfather Azizullah and grandmother Haseena lit a match,” Sayeeda’s daughter Fatima told the police as per Times of India.

Sayeeda’s body has been sent for post-mortem while police have lodged a case of dowry harassment and murder against the husband and his family. No arrests have been made yet.

Shravasti SP Ashish Shrivastava has reportedly informed that they will probe into why the cops did not register a case the first time when the victim approached them on August 6.

It is notable here that the barbaric practice of abandoning a wife by instant Triple Talaq has been rendered a criminal offence as per law.

Kabul terror attack: ISIS claims responsibility for attacks, releases identity of Kabul wedding hall bomber as Abu Asim Al-Pakistani

OpIndia Staff
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Kabul terror attack: ISIS claims responsibility for attacks, releases identity of Kabul wedding hall bomber as Abu Asim Al-Pakistani

A day after a terror attack shook Kabul, Afghanistan, the Islamic State (ISIS) has now claimed the responsibility for the suicide bombing. The Islamic terror group has now issued a statement in Arabic that the attack was carried out by ISIS suicide bomber Abu Asim Al-Pakistani.

In one of the deadliest attacks in Afghanistan in the recent times, the suicide bomber Abu Asim Al-Pakistani blew himself at a wedding in a hall in the western part of the Kabul on Saturday killing at least 63 people and injuring 182 people.

The terrorist, Abu Asim Al-Pakistani, claimed that he targeted a gathering of “non-believers” or Mushrikeens.

The suicide bombing occurred on Saturday in western Kabul, in an area heavily populated area mostly resided by the Shia Hazara minority. The suicide bomber detonated the explosives near the stage where musicians were playing. More than 1,200 people had been invited to the event, with a mixed group of Shiites and Sunnis attending the wedding.

Two weeks ago, in a similar terror attack, the Taliban suicide bomber had killed 14 people and wounded 145 in western Kabul. The attack had raised questions about the Taliban’s commitment to peace despite expectations of a deal with the United States.

The terror attacks are being unleashed at a time the United States and Taliban are reportedly progressing in talks on an agreement centred on a US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan in exchange for a security guarantee from the Taliban.

The violence has been surging across Afghanistan and in Kabul as the US and the Taliban negotiate a peace deal ahead of elections planned for September 28.

ED summons MNS chief Raj Thackeray in Kohinoor CTNL case

OpIndia Staff
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ED summons MNS chief Raj Thackeray in Kohinoor CTNL case

The Enforcement Directorate has summoned Maharashtra Navanirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray in a matter related to the Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services(IL&FS) case. As per reports, Thackeray has been asked by the probing agency to appear for questioning on August 22.


As per reports, the ED that is investigating the IL&FS case where the loan and equity investments of hundreds of crores in Kohinoor CTNL are also being probed. Reports claim that raj Thackeray’s name has popped up during the investigation into the Kohinoor building project that is located in Dadar.

A report in India Today claims that Unmesh Joshi, the son of former Maharashtra CM Manohar Joshi, has also been summoned by the ED. Unmesh is reported to be interrogated today.

Unmesh Joshi is the founder of Kohinoor CTNL. In 2005, Raj Thackeray’s Matoshree Construction and Unmesh Joshi had jointly invested Rs 421 crores to buy the NTPC owned Kohinoor Mill.

The Kohinoor Mills was a 4.8-acre property. Raj Thackeray had eventually exited from the joint venture.

The Kohinoor building project dealings had come under the scanner during the IL &FS scam case investigation. IL&FS had reportedly given a loan to Kohinoor CTNL worth Rs 225 crores but later on, took a hit of Rs 135 crores. As per reports IL&FS’s total investments in Kohinoor CTNL stand at Rs 860 crores.

The summons to Thackeray and Unmesh Joshi by the ED is bound to trigger a political blame game in Maharashtra.

J&K administration rubbishes India Today report that SPOs in Kashmir maybe involved with terrorists and their weapons have been seized

OpIndia Staff
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J&K administration rubbishes India Today report that SPOs in Kashmir maybe involved with terrorists and their weapons have been seized

The Jammu and Kashmir administration has advised public at large not to believe the rumours and said that the news about weapons of special police officers of J&K being seized are fake news.


The advisory was issued after India Today published a report titled “J&K: Weapons of over 250 SPOs seized over fear of them joining terror groups” which stated that just days before the abrogation of Article 370, the weapons of over 250 SPOs (Special Police Officers) of Jammu and Kashmir were seized. The India Today article further quoted sources saying, “The authorities were prompted to seize the weapons of over 250 SPOs after reports of some of them going missing with their weapons emerged, an indication that they may have joined terror groups in the Valley,”

India Today report further stated that while the decision to take away weapons of SPOs was taken prior to abrogation of Article 370, the same has led to resentment amongst the SPOs. India Today then quoted a security official and said that while there won’t be rebellion, there is ‘anger’ amongst the ranks, which was why more central security forces were deployed.

The report even quotes an a constable, whose AK-47 as per the report was still with him and not seized as the report otherwise claimed, who was not too happy with abrogation of Article 370. The report stated that he held a master’s in political science and abrogation of Article 370 was like ‘killing somebody in their sleep’.

The Jammu and Kashmir government, however, has denied the media report and called it ‘fake news and rumour spread by vested interest’.

Meanwhile, India Today journalist Abhishek Bhalla who wrote the story has brazened it out and said that his sources were ‘credible’ and not based on rumours.


He even added that the denial came two days after his story was published and how it was not really a direct denial to his story, the denial was perhaps to the ‘impact it had’.

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