INDIA

Five out of the six individuals accused in the Parliament security breach case on December 13 have come forward in a Delhi court, alleging that they were subjected to distressing tactics by the Delhi Police. According to a report from Live Law, the accused, including Manoranjan D, Sagar Sharma, Lalit Jha, Amol Shinde, and Mahesh Kumawat, claimed that they endured torture, electric shocks, and coercion during their interaction with law enforcement. Notably, two of the accused were reportedly coerced into confessing alleged connections with leaders from Opposition parties while undergoing a polygraph or narcoanalysis test. In a significant revelation, the accused detailed that all five of them were forced to sign approximately 70 blank pages by the police. Additionally, they asse...

In response to the court's decision, the Kashi Vishwanath Trust conducted rituals, including Shayan Aarti and Mangal Aarti at the Gyanvapi mosque. Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain confirmed compliance with the court's directive. Daily worship activities, such as Morning Mangla Arti, Bhog Arti, and evening arti, are now integrated into the routine. Security measures were heightened during the early Thursday puja, following preparations initiated promptly after the district court's order. The Tekhana path leading to the Vishwanath Temple opened at midnight, where idols were placed, and prayers with prasad offerings took place. Gyanvapi complex authorities will now oversee all worship rituals, and the Uttar Pradesh Police remain on high alert, patrolling and monitoring social media...

In a controversial move, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) carried out an unannounced demolition of a 600-year-old mosque, Masjid Akhonji, in Mehrauli, Delhi. As per news reports, the demolition driver was conducted at 6 am on Tuesday. The mosque's Imam, Zakir Hussain, claimed that the demolition, which included the destruction of Madrasa Bahrul Uloom and graves of revered figures, was conducted without any prior notice. Hussain also accused officials of removing debris meticulously to hide the demolition from the public and claimed that personal belongings, including phones and copies of the Holy Quran, were confiscated during the operation. Additionally, he alleged that cloth and food materials of 22 students from the Madrasa were vandalized by the authorities.

On Monday, Union Minister of State for Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, Shantanu Thakur, declared that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) would be implemented nationwide within a week. Thakur, a BJP MP from Bongaon, a region predominantly inhabited by the Matua community in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district, assured swift implementation of the contentious legislation during an interview with a news channel. Enacted by the BJP-led government in 2019, the CAA aims to grant Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim migrants, including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan who entered India before December 31, 2014. Thakur, also a leader of the Matua community, emphasized, "The CAA will be implemented very soon. I...

In a significant development, the Uttarakhand Waqf Board has unveiled plans to incorporate the study of Ramayana in its affiliated madrassas. The initiative is set to commence in four selected institutions in Dehradun, Haridwar, Nainital, and Udham Singh Nagar districts, with the aim of "fostering cultural understanding and inclusivity." The new curriculum, slated for the upcoming 2024 academic session, will be taught alongside the Quran. Waqf Board chairman Shadab Shams, while endorsing this move, highlighted the values of sacrifice and brotherhood present in both religious traditions. Notably, a dress code will be introduced in the designated madrassas, and efforts will be made to enhance educational standards by implementing smart classes. However, against this backdrop o...

A 17-year-old student named Adnan Altaf Maglu, hailing from the Baramulla district in Jammu Kashmir, was discovered dead under mysterious circumstances in his rented room in the Shahbagh locality of Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh. Adnan was a Class 12 student at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU)-run Sir Syed Hamid Senior Secondary School. Originally staying at the AMU hostel until Class 11, Adnan had to relocate to a rented accommodation due to low scores in his Class 11 exams, in accordance with AMU's hostel rules. The deceased's parents, Altaf Hussain and family, residing in Baramulla, were informed about the tragic incident, and they are expected to reach Aligarh late Monday night. Adnan's body is currently kept at the Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College in Aligarh. According to AMU ...

In a deeply unsettling turn of events, a 19-year-old Muslim boy named Abbas found himself at the center of a horrifying incident in Morgi, Telangana, as he was assaulted and subjected to public humiliation by a Hindutva mob celebrating the consecration of Ayodhya's Ram temple. This distressing event unfolded in the village on the border with Karnataka, in Telangana's Sangareddy district. Despite being the apparent victim, Abbas faced further injustice as he was arrested and sent to jail. His alleged crime was disrespecting a saffron flag and sharing a video of the incident on social media. Four other Muslims were also apprehended for supposedly assisting in the creation of the video. Shockingly, the incident occurred on January 22, but it only came to light on January 25. The s...

Bhat Yasir Two Kashmiri drivers were manhandled by Hindutva goons in the Ludhiana area of a Punjab on January 11, the families of the duo said. Speaking to The Kashmiriyat, Aijaz Ahmed Gojri, brother of one of the victims said that in early January the duo left Srinagar Kashmir with a load full of fruits and vegetables which was to be delivered in Delhi. "They delivered the stock in Delhi and then from Noida, they got another consignment of beef in their truck, however, when they were on the way, a Hindutva gang caught hold of them," said his brother. The goons caught hold of the duo and started initially thrashing their vehicles. "They dragged them out of the vehicle and started beating them with with iron rods. They hit their heads while abusing their mothers and sisters. Durin...

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has said that a historic temple existed at the site of Gyanvapi mosque complex in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. Jain, during a press conference, conveyed that the ASI report indicates the presence of a substantial pre-existing Hindu temple. The ASI report, incorporating a Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) survey, raises questions about historical layers at the site. Jain suggests that the current mosque structure appears to have been constructed atop a pre-existing one, with modifications involving the reuse of pillars and plaster, along with attempts to alter carvings on the pillars, as per the ASI findings. Jain further asserted that inscriptions in Devanagari, Telugu, Kannada, and other scripts, belonging to the ancient Hindu temple, were unc...

In a scathing critique, the Supreme Court admonished the Gujarat Police on Tuesday for the public flogging of five individuals from the Muslim community in 2022. The court questioned the audacity behind tying them to poles and administering physical punishment, expressing incredulity at the officers' actions. A bench comprising Justices BR Gavai and Sandeep Mehta presided over an appeal lodged by four police personnel—Inspector A V Parmar, Sub-Inspector D B Kumavat, Head Constable K L Dabhi, and Constable R R Dabhi—against a Gujarat High Court order from October 19, 2023. This order had sentenced them to 14 days of simple imprisonment for contempt of court, as they violated the Supreme Court's guidelines regarding the detainment and interrogation of suspects. Justice Gavai, vis...