INDIA

A fraudster from Gujarat claiming to be a senior official of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO Official) in Jammu Kashmir (Jammu and Kashmir) has been arrested by the police. The fraudster identified as Kiran Bhai Patel visited Srinagar twice earlier this year. He held a series of meetings with the officials on this occasion. Apart from that, he got all kinds of facilities including Z-plus security, bulletproof Mahindra Scorpio SUV, an official accommodation in a five-star hotel. He was acting as Additional Director for Strategy and Promotion in the Prime Minister's Office. Apart from that, he traveled to different places in Jammu Kashmir under the escort of Government forces. He also discussed with the officials about making Doodhapatri a tourism destination. But the police ...

In Haryana’s Palwal city, cow vigilantes followed and beat up a Muslim truck driver on suspicion of carrying animals. The violent cow vigilantes are the self-declared guardians of cows. The episode serves as a crystal-clear illustration of the harmful effects of such vigilantism, reported Muslim Mirror. https://twitter.com/HateDetectors/status/1635511083090817026/video/1 The clumsily produced video that went popular on social media makes the situation even more nasty and unsettling. The cow vigilantes can be seen in the video pursuing and “rescuing” animals from the young Muslim truck driver. According to media sources, the video also has text that includes the incident’s date and the cow vigilante squads engaged. Recently, several incidents of cow vigilante attacks on innocent...

Tension prevailed in Karnataka’s Haveri district on Tuesday as an incident of stone pelting by Hindutva supporters on a mosque led to people of the two communities coming into a confrontational position. Police have made elaborate security arrangements and are making an all-out effort to rein in the situation. Hindutva men, who pelted stones on the mosque, alleged that when they had taken the procession of Sangolli Rayanna (an Indian freedom fighter), a section of Muslims had pelted stones on them and disrupted the procession. Stones were pelted at a similar programme last week. On Tuesday when their rally was disrupted, the Hindutva supporters pelted stones on the mosque, houses of Muslims and also damaged their vehicles, police sources said. Locals said that Hindu activists had ...

Leaders of various national parties supported the demand for the restoration of Jammu Kashmir's statehood, and elections in the erstwhile state, without any further delay, reported NDTV. They have also decided to visit Srinagar in May to express their support to the people of Jammu Kashmir. An all-party delegation from Jammu and Kashmir led by Farooq Abdullah held a meeting with the opposition leaders in Delhi before they visited the Election Commission of India to submit a memorandum demanding assembly elections. Shard Pawar of the Nationalist Congress Party said that leaders from all opposition parties will be visiting Srinagar to share the pain of the people of Jammu Kashmir, and also give them assurances of support, as per the NDTV report. After meeting with the ECI, Farooq...

The Delhi Police has denied permission to host a public meeting on “media blackout” in Kashmir at Gandhi Peace Foundation, citing the possibility of law and order concerns. Speakers at the event scheduled at 3 pm on Wednesday (March 15) included Delhi University professor Nandita Narain, Hussain Masood — retired Jammu and Kashmir High Court judge, CPI (M) leader MY Tarigami, filmmaker Sanjay Kak, Mir Shahid Saleem — United Peace Alliance chairperson, and senior journalist Anil Chamadia, reported Indian Express. The order sent by the station house officer of IP Estate police station to the Gandhi Peace Foundation said, “Information/local input has been received that some anonymous group is planning/ organising public meeting on ‘Media Blackout in Kashmir’ at 3 pm on March 15, 2023, at...

The Jammu Kashmir Police have arrested a government employee for allegedly posting 'hateful' comments on social media in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda district, a statement from the police said. According to the police, the accused identified as Amrik Singh, a resident of Beoli Doda, who is posted as class- IV employee in the office of Chief education officer Doda was found to have uploaded hateful posts/comments on his Facebook account and consequence of which there was every apprehension of the eruption of law and order problem in the District, a statement said. "Sensing the sensitivity of the matter and to prevent the situation from turning into a law and order problem, Doda Police swung into action and a Police Party of Police Station Doda led by Inspector Arun Parkash Sharma, SHO Pol...

India is one of the “worst autocratisers” in the last 10 years, Sweden-based Varieties of Democracy Institute has said in a report. The report stated that the Modi-led government of India continues to suppress religious freedom in the country. Titled “Defiance in the Face of Autocratisation”, the report was released on March 3. It said that India is among the countries “witnessing the most dramatic increases” in political polarisation. The others are Afghanistan, Brazil and Myanmar. The think tank ranked India at the 108th spot globally for electoral democracy, below countries such as Tanzania, Bolivia, Mexico, Singapore, and Nigeria. “Toxic levels of polarisation hinder cooperation among elites and induce citizens to abandon democratic principles to keep their leader in power and...

Three villagers were killed in the Gaya district of Bihar when an Army mortar shell fell and exploded well outside the firing range in the early hours of Wednesday, a senior police officer said. Senior Superintendent of Police, Gaya, Ashish Bharti said the incident took place in Gularved village, falling under the Barachatti police station area, where six people got injured when the mortar shell fell and burst. All of them were rushed to the Anugraha Narayan Magadh Medical College and Hospital in the town where three of the injured villagers, including a woman, died while undergoing treatment.

Muslim organisations have submitted a memorandum to the District Commissioner and BJP MLA, national General Secretary C.T. Ravi to allow them to use loudspeakers for Azaan early in the morning during the Ramzan period in Chikkamagaluru district. The Muslim organisations are demanding that they should be allowed to use loudspeakers between 5 a.m. and 5.30 a.m. in the backdrop of the beginning of the Ramzan festival on March 22. The use of loudspeakers for Azaan early in the morning is prohibited in the state following agitations. The memorandum has been submitted to Deputy Commissioner K.N. Ramesh and Chikkamagaluru constituency MLA and National General Secretary C.T. Ravi on Tuesday. The memorandum says, “Ramzan season is sacred for the Muslim community. The festival is celebrated...

A mosque in Aligarh has been covered with tarpaulin before the festival of Holi, in order to ensure it is not smeared with colour. The police administration ensures this to maintain peace and order. The Abdul Karim Masjid at Aligarh’s most sensitive crossroad the ‘Halwaiyan’ is covered with a tarpaulin at night so that hoodlums do not smear the mosque with colours during Holi. This has been the practice since the past few years. Haji Mohammad Iqbal, Mutawalli-Masjid Halwaiyan said, “On the instructions of the administration, we cover the mosque with tarpaulin so that no one can throw colour or dirt in the mosque.” “Ever since the Yogi Adityanath government has come to power in Uttar Pradesh, the mosque is being covered during Holi,” he added.– IANS