INDIA

Amid the brewing hatred for Muslims in India, MNS chief Raj Thackeray has issued an ultimatum asking Mosque to remove their loudspeakers before Eid ul Fitr. Speaking in Marathi, Raj lashed out against the use of loudspeakers by mosques all through the year. “It is Ramzan at present. We understand. We also have Ganpati and Navratri festivals. But why are you making us listen to this [prayers] 365 days a year?” Thackeray asked. Claiming that there was no use for loudspeakers, he demanded that the Maharashtra state government ensure their removal from mosques to prevent “tedh, dangal” (Translation: division, riots). “May 3 is Eid. I appeal to the state government and the Home Ministry, that we don’t want to create any division, riots, etc. We don’t want to spoil the health of Maharas...

The Ministry of Home Affairs India has designated 34 people under the "Most-Wanted" category. Ali Kashif Jan, the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) handler of the 2016 Pathankot airbase attack, was designated a terrorist by the home ministry via an official gazette notification on April 12. He is one of 34 individuals designated as terrorists under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA) since its amendment in 2019. As per PTI, On April 11, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had added Mohiuddin Aurangzeb Alamgir, another JeM member, to its list of individuals designated as terrorists under the UAPA. Alamgir was one of the chief conspirators of the 2019 terrorist attack on a CRPF convoy at Pulwama that left 44 CRPF personnel dead. On April 8, Hafiz Talha Saeed, a senior leade...

The Centre has given the go ahead to the CBI to prosecute Amnesty International India and its former chief Aakar Patel for alleged violations of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), paving way for a special court to take cognisance of its charge sheet filed on December 31, 2021. The CBI had sought the sanction of the government to prosecute the international human rights organisation because of mandatory clause of Section 40 of the FCRA. Section 40 bars any court to take cognisance of offence under the FCRA without the previous sanction of the Central Government or any officer authorised by that Government in this behalf. The charge sheet was filed on December 31, 2021 by the agency in the Special CBI Court at Rouse Avenue against Patel and Amnesty International India u...

One day after the anti-Muslim violence triggered by the rallies of right-wing groups during the Ram Navami procession in five states of India, Madhya Pradesh’s Khargone, authorities have begun demolishing homes, shops and other properties belonging to Muslims today in Chandini Chowk and Khaskhaswadi Mohalla area. Muslim Mirror reported that the demolition drive was conducted a day after the Hindutva goons attacked and demolished the homes, shops and other religious properties of Muslims in the area. Quoting local Muslim residents Muslim Mirror said, "Locals went to the police to seek help but police did not register FIRs, rather they arrested the Muslim youth who went to the police station." “The culprits have registered fake FIRs and now in its guise, the authorities targeted the...

This  year’s Amarnath pilgrimage will be historic in the history of Jammu and Kashmir as 6 to 8 lakh pilgrims are expected to perform the darsh of Shiv Lingam at the Cave shrine of Amarnath in Pahalgam area of southern district of Anantnag, Secretary of Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Apurva Chand said Monday. Talking to reporters in Srinagar, Chand, as per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said that this year Amarnath Yatra will be one of the biggest yatras in the history of J&K as around 6-8 lakh pilgrims are expected to arrive on the pilgrimage. “Today, I met the officials of the administration including Divisional Commissioner and Deputy Commissioners. We were told that this year it will be a historic pilgrimage and for that all the necessary arrangemen...

Six Indian states reported communal clashes broke out on Sunday during processions to mark Ram Navami - the festival celebrating the birth of Hindu God Ram. According to media reports, communal clashes were reported in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Goa, and West Bengal. Interestingly, the right-wing mob in all the five states accused Muslims of hurling stones at Ram Navami processions and attacking the processions. In Madhya Pradesh, the officials directly blamed the Muslims for the violence, however, the eyewitness accounts suggest otherwise. https://twitter.com/Naushad74286258/status/1513273488403881989 On Sunday, a Ram Navami rally was taken out from Madhya Pradesh's Khargone. As the procession passed through the Talab Chowk, they played loud music outside a mosque ...

A day after communal riots broke out in Karauli district, a 55-year-old Muslim man was lynched to death in Beawar, in Rajasthan’s Ajmer district, on April 3. According to a report by Maktoob Media, the deceased, Mohammad Saleem, was a wholesale vegetable vendor and a resident of Jama Masjid area in Bichu Beedi. He owned a vegetable shop at the main vegetable market of Mewari Gate. On the day of the murder, Saleem along with his son had gone to the market and parked his bike in front of their shop, when suddenly, a van, owned by a Suraj Marothia, hit their bike. Shahbaz, a neighbour of Saleem, who was present at the spot said that Suraj started hurling abuses at the vegetable vendor. “Why are Mullahs (a slur used against Muslims) here at the market? You have no work here. Your s...

After seeking a ban on halal, Muslim traders in temples and religious fairs, the Hindu organisations have now started another campaign asking Hindus not to engage Muslim drivers and Muslim-owned transport companies when they go for temple tours and pilgrimages. Prashanth Bangera of Bharatha Rakshana Vedike on Friday made an appeal to Hindus not to take Muslim drivers with them when they go for temple trips and pilgrimages. He had also given out a call to not to use vehicles owned by Muslim transport companies. He urged that all Hindu organizations should support his call and bring awareness among the people in this regard. Sri Ram Sena lent its support to this call. Meanwhile, Pramod Muthalik, founder of Sri Ram Sena has urged that the Muzrai department should issue notice to the ...

After campaigning against the hijab, halal and banning Muslim traders in temple fairs, Hindu organizations in Karnataka now are planning a campaign to ban Muslim mango traders and sculptors from making idols of Hindu Gods. Though the ruling BJP tried to distance itself from banning mango traders, it is maintaining silence on other issues. Opposition Congress and JD(S) are slamming the ruling BJP for these developments and AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi has stated that the Karnataka government was enforcing untouchability on Muslims. Also Read: Muslim Family Donates Land To Build World’s Largest Hindu Temple in Bihar Melukote Cheluvanaraya Swamy temple Sthanik Srinivasan on Thursday said that he will take up a campaign across the state to ban Hindu idols being sculpted by Muslim scul...