Toolkit controversy, Sarai Kale Khan hate crime, Punjab lynchings: Top 15 tales lined by OpIndia in 2021

As 2021 attracts to an in depth and we put together ourselves to ring within the new yr, it’s an opportune time to mirror on the highest tales of the yr that we had lined at OpIndia. From the insidious demography adjustments happening in Gujarat’s Bharuch to the grisly post-poll violence in West Bengal, from Congress toolkit to defame PM Modi to western media’s concerted try to denigrate India for its dealing with of the second wave of coronavirus outbreak, listed below are the highest 15 tales lined by us, at OpIndia.
Creeping demography change and mass conversions in Gujarat’s Bharuch
In October 2021, whereas a lot of the mainstream media regarded the opposite approach, OpIndia reported about an insidious demography change creeping up in Gujarat’s Bharuch. Disturbed Areas Act was carried out in some areas however consumers in cahoots with native administrations exploited loopholes within the Act which led to the regular decline of the Hindu inhabitants from these areas.
The modus operandi concerned Muslim consumers shopping for properties at a marked-up value from Hindu sellers after which forcing different Hindu residents within the space to promote their properties at discounted charges. The residents stated that at the beginning one or two Muslims would purchase property at a excessive charge. Then the Hindus within the space get influenced and promote their houses. Later, when the demography adjustments, the remaining Hindus find yourself having to promote their property at decrease charges due to the change in demography. Because of intimidation and threats, Hindus within the areas had put indicators of houses and temples up on the market.
Besides brazen demography change, OpIndia additionally lined the rampant mass conversions happening in the identical district. The matter got here to mild in November 2021 after a case was registered at Amod Police Station Part A below Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act below sections 4, 5, 4-G together with Indian Penal Code part 120 (B), 153 (B) (C), 506(2), 153A (1), 295 (Okay), 466, 467, 468, 471, Atrocities Act part 3 (2) (5-a), 3 (2)(5) and Information Technology Act, 2000 part 84-C in opposition to 9 accused.
The 9 accused had been: Shabbir Bakerywala (Amod), Samaj Bakerywala (Amod), Abdul Aziz Patel (Kankaria, Amod), Yusuf Patel (Kankaria, Amod), Ayub Barkat Patel (Kankaria, Amod), Hasan Tisli (Achhod, Amod), Fefdawala Haji Abdullah (Nabipur, at present, London, UK), Ismail Achhodwala alias Delawala (maulvi) (Achhod, Amod) and Ibrahim Patel (Kankaria, Amod).
As per the FIR filed, the accused had promised jobs and cash to Hindu Vasava tribal households within the space and received them to transform to Islam in 2018. The complainant has accused them of a nationwide racket of spiritual conversion and alleged that they got loss of life threats in the event that they complained in opposition to the non secular conversion. The accused had threatened that they’re nicely linked from Kashmir to Pakistan, the FIR states.
To know the way the Disturbed Areas Act was exploited in Bharuch to impact a demography change and the pernicious non secular conversions happening, you may learn the complete reviews right here and right here.
Post-poll violence in West Bengal: Ritu gang-raped by TMC males for being a Hindu
2021 was additionally the yr when a political get together shed all its inhibitions in persecuting Hindus residents of the state on the assumption that they supported an opposition political get together. In West Bengal, after Mamata Banerjee-led TMC registered an emphatic victory, violence reigned supreme within the state, with TMC goons allegedly happening a rampage in opposition to BJP staff and Hindus who they perceived as supporters of the saffron get together.
Violence, riots, arson, vandalism, assault, rapes and gang rapes had been reported from throughout the state. One such poignant case was that of Ritu, who advised OpIndia that she was gang-raped by TMC goons in search of ‘Hindu women’. In her interview with OpIndia Editor-in-Chief Nupur J Sharma, Ritu had narrated her ordeal and the helplessness the victims felt within the state because of police apathy.
After being gang-raped by TMC goons in entrance of her father, Ritu and her father had been constantly harassed by the police, pressuring them to offer a unique model of the occasions and to get it on report. Ritu advised us that she has even received threatening telephone calls telling her that if she dares to go to the police, she is going to get raped by the police too.
You can learn the detailed account of Ritu’s interview with OpIndia right here.
The inauguration of Kashi Vishwanath Corridor
On the religious entrance, 2021 noticed the materialisation of a longstanding demand for the much-needed rejuvenation of Kashi Vishwanath, one of many holiest Hindu pilgrim websites within the nation. In December 2021, PM Modi inaugurated the imposing Kashi Vishwanath Corridor with nice pomp and present, reinforcing his authorities’s dedication to reviving vital Hindu religious centres that had been ignored for many years, if not for hundreds of years.
On December 13, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated his dream undertaking Shri Kashi Vishwanath Corridor. On an auspicious day, PM Modi began his tackle to the nation by bowing all the way down to Baba Vishwanath, Mata Annapurna and Baba Kaal Bhairav, the Kotwal of Kashi Vishwanath. He stated, “I went to ask permission from Baba Kaalbhairav as he is Kotwal of the city. Without his permission, no one can enter the city.” On the day, he additionally requested each Indian to take three vows that had been Swachchta (cleanliness), Srijan (innovation) and Atmanirbharta (self-sufficiency).
During his tackle to the nation, PM Modi talked in regards to the temples that had been misplaced in the course of the time. He stated, “The temples that were hidden by the waves of time are being renovated. The devotees can now pray in those temples as well.” He additional stated, “Vishwanath Dham is not only a building, but it is a symbol of Sanatan Sanskriti, it is a symbol of our ancient soul, it is a symbol of our culture and mobility.”
He stated when devotees come to Kashi, they might not solely do Darshan on the temple, however they might expertise the stature of our historical past, tradition and future. They would expertise how historic historical past is displaying the trail to the long run.
PM stated Kashi is the place the place Maa Ganga adjustments her route to the touch the ft of Bhagwan Shiva. Now Maa Ganga can be happier, and it will fill Kashi’s environment with the blessings of Maa Ganga. He stated, “Shiva is everyone’s. Ganga belongs to everyone. With time, it had become difficult to worship Baba Vishwanath and Maa Ganga. There was a scarcity of roads and space. It was difficult for the elder and divyangs. Now, they will do Darshan with ease.”
The protection of Kashi Vishwanath was among the many high learn tales on OpIndia within the yr 2021. Readers can entry the complete protection of the hallowed Vishwanath Corridor right here.
Bajrang Dal activist Rinku Sharma hacked to loss of life for elevating ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogans and searching for donations for Ram Mandir
From a floor reporting perspective, OpIndia was on the vanguard masking tales that had been advertently or inadvertently missed by mainstream media organisations. In February this yr, a horrible tragedy befell on the Bajrang Dal activist Rinku Sharma, who was ruthlessly killed in Delhi’s Mangolpuri for elevating ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogans and being part of the donation drive for the Ram Mandir. He was reportedly attacked by a gaggle of 25–30 individuals. The police later arrested 4 accused within the case. They had been recognized as Mohammad Islam, Danish Naseeruddin, Dilshan and Dilshad Islam.
Rinku was actively concerned within the fundraising marketing campaign for the development of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. As per numerous accounts, Rinku had gotten embroiled in an altercation with the accused throughout an consciousness rally in regards to the building of Ram temple was carried out within the space in January 2021. However, the case was then settled with the intervention by the locals. Following this, Rinku had a dispute with the accused at a party. He was then attacked on February 10 after the culprits barged into his home and stabbed him to loss of life.
Rinku Sharma’s homicide sparked a raging controversy with liberals dehumanising him and accusing him of instigating the accused and the Delhi Police popping out on report to say that there was no ‘communal angle’ to his homicide. As extra proof and movies emerged on social media that clearly confirmed that the case was not as lower and dry because the Delhi police had been making it out to be with their assertion. In addition to that, the household of the deceased, neighbours, mates had all asserted that Rinku Sharma was murdered by a mob of 15-20 Muslims after a conflict that erupted in the course of the Ram Mandir donation drive on Wednesday.
After widespread outrage, the Delhi Police had modified its tunes and asserted that they had been ‘probing all angles’ associated to the homicide of Rinku Sharma. An eye-witness additionally asserted that ‘Allahu Akbar’ chants had been raised by the accused contained in the police station.
The whole archive of our reviews on the dastardly assault in opposition to Rinku Sharma could possibly be learn right here.
Sarai Kale Khan hate crime over interfaith marriage
Violence swept Delhi’s Sarai Kale Khan neighbourhood in March this yr after the interfaith marriage happened between a Hindu man and a Muslim girl. A bloodthirsty mob of Muslims descended the locality the place the Hindu man lived and indulged in riots and violence. It was reported that the mastermind of the violence was none apart from a pal of a Muslim girl named Sabina.
Reportedly, the Muslim girl’s relations claimed that their daughter’s pal Sabina was amongst those that had been most offended with the wedding. It is alleged that in her seething rage, she had hatched the conspiracy in opposition to the duo. She was additionally alleged to have been current in the course of the riots, actively inciting the miscreants. After the incident, Sabina fled from the place and police had launched a search operation to arrest her.
After the interfaith couple had tied the knot, Sabina had met and instigated many individuals in opposition to the duo. Not solely this however it was additionally alleged that she had reportedly requested individuals to kill the couple as quickly because the duo enter Sarai Kale Khan. The sufferer’s father stated that after threats had been issued in opposition to them, he determined to remain at his relative’s home. Despite this, the Muslim mob unleashed the assault on his colony. Police had named 8 individuals on this case, out of which 5 individuals had been arrested. Three individuals, together with Sabina, had been absconding. 
It was additionally reported that Sabina shared an in depth bond with nearly all Muslim households in Sarai Kale Khan. She was infamous for inciting individuals within the identify of faith. In the previous, she had tried to offer communal aptitude to what was only a petty squabble between two neighbours.
To entry detailed reviews about the complete incident, click on right here.
Fallout of farmers’ protests: Mukesh Murder floor report
One of probably the most defining occasions of the yr 2021 was the farmers’ protests, which had been launched below the pretext of opposition to the three farm legal guidelines handed by the Centre in September 2020 however had rapidly spiralled into wanton violence, unwarranted rioting and grotesque killings. One such killing was that of Mukesh in Kasar village, a resident of a small hamlet perched near the Tikri border protest web site.
On June 16, 2021, Mukesh succumbed to burn accidents after fellow farmer protestors allegedly set him ablaze on the Tikri border protest web site. Villagers had then alleged that Mukesh’s homicide was a conspiracy to make him seem as a ‘martyr’ in opposition to the farm legal guidelines.
OpIndia visited the village and spoke to the decedent’s relations in regards to the unlucky loss of life. Mukesh’s widow, Renu, stated she was knowledgeable in regards to the godawful incident by her brother-in-law. She says her husband was in good spirits when he left the home on Wednesday night at round 5 pm. Renu says her husband even advised her to organize meals as he can be again quickly. She had requested him to take his cell phone together with him, however he refused, saying he’s going to return quickly.
Surmising in regards to the sequence of occasions that led as much as her husband’s brutal homicide, Renu says, “He might have gone there. Those people would have offered him alcohol and when he was in an intoxicated state, they sprayed petrol on him and set him on fire. He has sustained severe burn injuries. With whom shall I live now? We have a small child, who will support him now?”
In dialog with OpIndia, the village head stated he believed that Mukesh was attacked due to his caste, including that he had proof to show Mukesh was focused as a result of he was a Brahmin. Kumar additionally advised us that he thinks BKU chief Rakesh Tikait is the mastermind of the complete conspiracy. Kumar cited Tikait’s anti-Brahmin remarks he had made in December 2020 to again his declare. “When their leaders spew venom, those below them are expected to do the same thing. I strongly suspect a conspiracy behind the death of Mukesh, orchestrated by the protesters to defame the government,” the village head stated.
The whole floor report of Mukesh’s homicide may be accessed right here.
Punjab sacrilege-related lynchings
Just a few weeks again, Punjab was rocked with two incidents of mob lynchings linked to sacrilege in mid-December. Two individuals misplaced their lives within the two separate circumstances after offended mobs ruthlessly thrashed them to their deaths on the suspicion of committing sacrilege.
The first incident of mob lynching linked to sacrilege happened contained in the sanctum sanctorum of Darbar Sahib on Saturday night when common prayers had been happening. CCTV footage confirmed that all of the sudden a person entered the sanctum sanctorum and hit the holy Granth Sahib with a Kirpan. Reportedly, he had picked up the golden Kirpan from the sanctum sanctorum of the Gurudwara itself, which was positioned close to the holy Sikh Scripture. Soon after the incident, he was surrounded by individuals current on the temple, and later his useless physique was positioned close to the SGPC predominant gate, which means that he was overwhelmed to loss of life by the employees within the workplace.
And inside 24 hours, one other man in Punjab was killed over allegations of sacrilege. The incident pertained to a Gurdwara in Nizampur village within the Kapurthala district of Punjab. A person was caught on the Gurudwara for allegedly committing sacrilege. As per reviews, the gang on the Gurudwara the place the youth was caught didn’t let the Police detain the accused. Later it was reported that the youth was lynched to loss of life by the gang.
The reviews of the Punjab sacrilege-related lynchings may be learn right here, and right here.
OpIndia Exclusive: Masked Man reveals he received loss of life threats by farmers to lie about Haryana Police
Earlier this yr, a sensational controversy erupted after ‘farmer protesters’ paraded a masked man earlier than the media who claimed that there was a sinister plot to get rid of 4 farmer leaders and trigger disruption on the twenty sixth of January. The masked man, in a press convention, claimed that his crew was given weapons and alleged that the Haryana police had been concerned within the large conspiracy.
However, he later backtracked from his allegations, admitting that he lied within the press convention about an alleged assault in opposition to farmers. The particular person recognized as Yogesh stated that he spoke within the press convention in opposition to police officers after he was threatened by farmer leaders. Making a stunning disclosure, Singh stated that the ‘farmer’ chief had warned of killing him if he didn’t make false conspiracy theories of assaults on farmers and blame Haryana police for a similar.
Yogesh was strictly instructed to comply with directions issued to him. The ‘farmers’ additionally allegedly warned him that he needed to face extreme penalties if he failed in adhering to their instructions. According to Yogesh, there have been 4 extra males together with him, who had been detained by the protestors on the Singh border and one in every of them recognized as Sagar.
The report of the incident may be accessed right here.
Congress Toolkit controversy
In May 2021, a giant controversy broke up after a toolkit allegedly ready by the Congress get together began doing the rounds on the web. The four-page doc that had gone viral on social media, gave an in depth description of the way to assault Prime Minister Narendra Modi, defame Hindus, get ‘tailored’ articles attacking the Indian authorities in worldwide media, and customarily fan an anti-Modi hatred among the many lots.
The doc titled ‘Cornering Narendra Modi & Covid Mismanagement’ highlighted how the ‘Kumbh Mela’ needs to be used to malign the Hindu pageant and the ruling get together. The “toolkit” recommended politicizing the congregation by repeatedly labelling it as a ‘super spreader’ to trace at BJP’s Hindu politics. 
Besides, the toolkit additionally recommended Congress staff to focus on PM Cares Fund. The toolkit specified heckling any movie star who donated to PM Cares Fund. It requested supporters to ‘aggressively question’ and use Congress social media division to ’embarrass’ celebrities who donate to PM CARES fund.
Though Congress denied having hyperlinks to it, the complete content material of the toolkit may be learn right here.
Poetic Justice Foundation-Greta Thunberg conspiracy to destablise India
Earlier in February, one other controversy made nationwide headlines after environmental activist Greta Thunberg by accident uncovered how anti-India forces had been making an attempt to create unrest in India below the pretext of supporting the farmers protest. Her multi-layered doc named ‘Toolkit’ uncovered a number of organizations, celebrities, and leaders for conspiring in opposition to India. One such identify that popped up is the Poetic Justice Foundation.
Co-founded by Mo Dhaliwal, a Canadian resident and Khalistan supporter, and Anita Lal, one other resident of Canada and Khalistan supporter, Poetic Justice Foundation began a marketing campaign below the ‘Global Day of Action’ format.
According to the doc accessed of the Poetic Justice Foundation marketing campaign, it had a devoted plan that went again so far as January 3, 2021. The group supplied taglines, hashtags, tweet codecs, posters, media kits, printable paintings and far more for the individuals who needed to assist them within the marketing campaign. By January 20, they’d despatched the fabric and kits to everybody who had proven curiosity utilizing their Google Form for a similar.
Notwithstanding its hyperlinks with Khalistani proponents, Poetic Justice Foundation(PJF) later distanced itself from the farmers’ protests, stating it had no hyperlinks with the demonstrations.
The report of the complete controversy detailing how foreign-based organisations, celebrities had been roped in to defame India could possibly be learn right here.
NNMC inaction in opposition to unlawful encroachment by Bangladeshis in Navi Mumbai
Another report that was amongst broadly learn on OpIndia was pertaining to the NNMC inaction in opposition to unlawful encroachment made by Bangladeshis in Navi Mumbai. An official grievance and tons of of reminders to behave on it didn’t transfer the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation to take motion in opposition to the unlawful encroachments by Bangladeshi immigrants in Navi Mumbai’s Sanpada neighbourhood.
A Twitter consumer Krishna, involved by the insidious settlement of Bangladeshi immigrants in Sanpada, filed an official grievance with Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation final yr requesting them to clear the unlawful encroachments. In his grievance, he shared photos and visuals of slums and encroachments by Bangladeshis that cropped up at a number of areas in Sanpada.
According to the complainant, NNMC Abhijit Bangar took cognisance of the difficulty and roped in his crew to handle the considerations raised by him. However, each time he sought the standing of the grievance he had made regarding unlawful encroachment, he was assured that motion can be taken within the matter. However, months after submitting a grievance and after quite a few follow-up emails and reminders with the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation, no motion was taken in opposition to the encroachments made by Bangladeshi immigrants.
The detailed report on NNMC inaction in opposition to Bangladeshi encroachers could possibly be learn right here.
Muslims assault Dalit households in Bihar’s Purnia
A Mahadalit colony in Majhuwa village below Baisi police station of Purnia district in Bihar was engulfed with raging conflagration on the evening of May 19 as Islamists within the area launched a brutal assault in opposition to the Dalit settlement. At least 13 Mahadalit homes had been decreased to ashes, after a Muslim mob of 150 to 200 from three to 4 close by villages, armed with weapons, surrounded the colony and set it on hearth.
The mob brutally attacked the Dalits who tried to cease them from finishing up the destruction. Showing the least empathy in direction of the aged, youngsters or the ladies, the Islamist mob dragged them out of their homes and brutally assaulted them with sharp weapons.
In the assault, an aged retired watchman specifically Mewa Lal Rai (70), was lynched to loss of life. A pregnant woman named Laxmi Devi was mercilessly assaulted by the rampaging mob. She sustained important accidents on her head however managed to flee the spot.
The cause behind the stated incident of ransacking, assault and arson by the Muslim mob was the grudges the Muslims held in direction of the Dalits residing within the predominantly Muslim-majority space. For months resulting in the incident, the Muslims had been agitating and asking the Dalits to vacate the land claiming it belongs to them. However, in accordance with the Dalits, the land on which their homes had been made was authorities land, belonging to the PWD Department. They had been resolutely opposing the rowdy behaviour of the Muslims and refusing to vacate their homes, following which they had been focused and attacked.
The full report of the condemnable incident could possibly be learn right here.
Vulture media: Western media organisations wallow in tragedy porn as second wave of COVID-19 hits India
While 2021 laid naked the low journalistic ethic adopted by loads of mainstream Indian media channels, it additionally noticed depths to which the western media organisations sunk with a purpose to defame India. In May 2021, as India was battling a ferocious bout of the second wave of coronavirus outbreak, western media organisations perversely began obsessing over tragic pictures of human disaster triggered because of the Wuhan Coronavirus an infection.
With an intention to attract extra eyeballs and sensationalise covid deaths within the nation, publications corresponding to The Washington Post, Deutsche Welle (DW) News, The New York Times, and different publications indulged in tragedy porn, inserting unwarranted deal with traumatising pictures of desolate cremation grounds, burning funeral pyres and overwhelmed hospitals, in order to allege that India had bungled up in dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak.
Here’s the great archive of articles that illustrate western media’s sordid makes an attempt to monetise a tragedy and exploit it to advertise anti-India propaganda.
Kejriwal authorities in Delhi exaggerated oxygen demand by 4 instances: SC panel
Another situation lined by OpIndia that was broadly learn by our readers was relating to Kejriwal’s treachery in demanding extra oxygen provide than Delhi wanted within the midst of a raging second wave of coronavirus outbreak.
The audit crew appointed by the Supreme Court discovered that the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi authorities exaggerated the oxygen requirement within the nationwide capital by greater than 4 instances in the course of the April 25-May 10 peak interval of the Covid-19 second wave. The panel uncovered the Delhi authorities’s claims of oxygen scarcity within the nationwide capital, saying that the Delhi authorities had inflated the oxygen requirement in Delhi by greater than 4 instances in the course of the second wave of the pandemic even because the nation was dealing with it robust to supply liquid medical oxygen (LMO).
The audit committee additionally knowledgeable the Supreme Court that the availability of extra oxygen to the nationwide capital might have triggered provide constraints scarcity for no less than 12 states who wanted it.
“There was a gross discrepancy (about four times). The actual oxygen consumption claimed by the Delhi government (1,140MT) was about four times higher than the calculated consumption as per the formula based on bed capacity (289 MT),” the SC-appointed oxygen audit committee stated in its report.
The full findings of the SC-appointed panel into the Delhi authorities’s inflated demand for oxygen may be learn right here.
GoI removes the phrase ‘Halal’ from its Red Meat Manual
In January 2021, the federal government of India, in a welcome transfer, eliminated the phrase ‘Halal’ from its Red Meat Manual issued by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).
The transfer got here after an issue broke out over the difficulty of the Red Meat Manual which gave an impression that it promoted and was imposing the Halal technique of slaughter in India.
However, the Centre reacted to the controversy and eliminated the phrase ‘Halal’ from its Red Meat Manual. APEDA had then stated that there isn’t any situation imposed by the federal government of India and that the govt. doesn’t mandate that solely Halal Meat needs to be exported. However, it was the requirement of the vast majority of nations importing the meat. APEDA additional clarified that Halal Certification businesses had been accredited straight by the respective importing counties and no govt company had a job in it.
Essentially the federal government of India stated that of their Red Meat Manual, the requirements for Halal slaughter had been talked about not as a result of the federal government mandates that meat be slaughtered solely by the Halal technique, however as a result of the importing nations required that the meat be slaughtered on this particular method. Since most meat importing nations had been Islamic nations, it stood to cause that these nations would demand that their meat be slaughtered solely by the Halal technique.
The article in regards to the removing of the ‘Halal’ phrase from the Red Meat Manual and what it meant could possibly be learn right here.