Following the instance of IIT Bombay’s HSS department inviting a terror sympathiser who had glorified Palestinian terrorists and their gun culture, the students of the institution put out an open letter rejecting romanticization of terrorism and promoting divisive agenda in the campus.

The letter comes after Indian Express published an article quoting the cancellation of the talk by radical leftist Achin Vanaik and the lack of coverage regarding the controversial speech by terror sympathizing leftist theatre artist Sudhanva Deshpande. Their open letter questions the Indian Express’s stance on these matters and calls for transparency and accountability.

Saying No To Terrorism

The first flashpoint centres on an academic course, “HS-835: Performance Theory & Praxis,” conducted by Professor Sharmistha Saha, hailing from the Department of Humanities & Social Sciences at IIT Bombay. On 6 November 2023, during one of the course lectures, Mr. Sudhanva Deshpande, an invited speaker, delivered statements that transcended the boundaries of academic discourse. Deshpande’s remarks, centered around his experiences with individuals who have indulged in terror acts and their vision for a “free Palestine,” ignited concerns among the student body. He made a statement, “In 2015, the first time I have gone to Palestine. I’ve been there twice. On my first visit, I was lucky to meet Zakaria Zubeidi”. Ghassan Kanafani said that “In order to have liberation, we need guns. We have to fight the occupation. You know it has to be an armed struggle. But if we don’t have the culture to go with the guns, guns will turn on us. In other words, you know, we will start killing each other if we don’t have the culture with the guns. This is something that I do want to emphasize that the Palestinian struggle is a freedom struggle. And there has been no freedom struggle in the history of the world, in the history of colonialism that is entirely 100% nonviolent. It is never!”

The students at IIT Bombay expressed apprehensions that such statements might inflame violence and animosity among those in attendance.

They also opposed the way Sudhanva Deshpande introduced Zakaria Zubeidi, a militant fighter – as an incredible visionary and legendary figure during a lecture at IIT Bombay. This description of Zubeidi raised concerns among students who felt that glorifying terrorists was unacceptable. The students accused Deshpande and Prof. Sharmistha Saha of promoting violence under the guise of an academic course, and they criticized Deshpande for not acknowledging the recent terror attack on Israel and for downplaying democratic elections in Israel.

Achin Vanaik’s Visit And Student Opposition

In the statement, IIT Bombay students also said that they strongly opposed Mr. Achin Vanaik’s visit to their institution due to concerns over his divisive and controversial statements. Vanaik is known for making anti-religious remarks, particularly against Hinduism, and has labeled Hindutva as anti-Muslim and anti-Islamic. Furthermore, he has made derogatory comments about the Indian Army, referring to their actions as terrorism and questioning the motives of Indian soldiers. His recent comments during a lecture at O.P. Jindal University on November 1, 2023, attracted substantial attention and triggered widespread controversy.

 The students questioned the intentions of the event’s organizer, Prof. Anush Kapadia, and raised concerns about the potential for such politically driven talks to harm the institute’s environment. They wrote that they sought strict policies to prevent similar events in the future.

In their open letter, the students underscored the paramount importance of upholding academic values such as transparency, ethics, safety, inclusivity, and a resolute commitment to educational excellence. They expressed their unwavering belief in IIT Bombay’s pivotal role as a vanguard of these principles. Furthermore, the letter included a formal request to the IIT Bombay administration to diligently address their concerns. The students of IIT Bombay are committed to upholding high ethical, safety, inclusivity, transparency, and educational standards within their institution. The letter ends with an accusation of the Indian Express of selective quoting and misrepresentation in its reporting of Vanaik’s comments, highlighting double standards in its coverage. They also mentioned the newspaper’s silence regarding insinuations on Hinduism by another academic, Professor Divya Dwivedi. 

Students @iitbombay reject Terrorism & Divisive Agenda on @iitbombay campus thru open letter.

Lies after lies being indoctrinated by Prof. Sharmistha Saha of @iitbombay & Sudhanva Deshpande under the pretext of academic course. Through this open letter, Students @iitbombay raise… pic.twitter.com/pevZfX004e

— IIT B for Bharat (@IITBforBharat) November 9, 2023

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The post IIT Bombay Students Write Open Letter Rejecting Romanticization Of Terrorism & Divisive Agenda In Campus; Calls Out Indian Express’ Biased Reporting appeared first on The Commune.

The Department of Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS), Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B) has again courted controversy by inviting a radical leftist Sudhanva Deshpande who went on to glorify Hamas terrorists and gun culture in his lecture.

Sudhanva is an actor and director with Jana Natya Manch (Janam) which is a left-wing theatre group based in New Delhi. 

The lecture was hosted virtually by the institution’s professor Sharmishtha Saha where Sudhanva Deshpande spoke about his meeting with some of the terrorists.

During his talk, Sudhanva said “In 2015, the first time I had gone to Palestine, I’ve been there twice. On my first visit I was lucky to meet Zakaria Zubeidi.“

Zakaria is the former Jenin chief of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, a coalition of armed armed Palestinian groups in West Bank, which has been designated as a terrorist organization by Israel, the European Union, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, and the United States.

He admitted his involvement in the 2002 Beit She’an attack, which killed 6 people. On February 27, 2019, Zubeidi was arrested once more and subsequently charged in an Israeli military court for his role in carrying out at least two shooting attacks on civilian buses in the West Bank.

Sudhanva then goes on to quote Palestinian Marxist–Leninist politician Ghassan Fayiz Kanafani saying “In order to have liberation, we need guns. We have to fight the occupation. You know, it has to be an armed struggle.

He also goes on to justify and glorify gun culture saying “But if we don’t have the culture to go with the guns, guns will turn on us. In other words you know, we will start killing each other, if we don’t have the culture with the guns.”

The radical leftist director further goes on to characterize the Palestine’s attack on Israel as “freedom struggle” saying “This is something I do want to emphasize that the Palestinian struggle is a freedom struggle. And there has been no freedom struggle in the history of the world, in the history of colonialism that is entirely 100% non-violent. It is never. All the countries of Asia, Africa, Latin America, that have thrown off the yoke of colonialism, that have only done through a combination of peaceful and armed struggle. And so that is exactly what you see in Palestine today. That’s one.” 

This is the same argument that was made by Moussa Abu Marzouk who heads Hamas’ international relations.

Basically, he equated India’s brave freedom fighters like Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad, Master Surya Sen, and Bagha Jatin to terrorists who kill infants, kidnap and rape women, and show no mercy to old people.

Deshpande then spoke with reverence about Zakaria Zubeidi who he called as one of the legendary freedom fighters in Palestine who took part in the armed struggle who also happens to be one of the main characters that will be seen in his film. Sudhanva then explains about the death of the protagonists in his documentary and how the Israeli state is discriminating against its own citizens including the Jewish. 

He further goes on to draw equivalence to India saying “In this context, all of us in India should be wary of because we are sitting in where there is rhetoric. There is lot of talk of Hindu Rashtra etc etc as if Hindu Rashtra is going to be a Rashtra of all Hindus. Now, clearly a Jewish state is not a state for all Jews even.“

Sudhanva also alleges that the Israeli state not just discriminates Israeli Jews and Palestinians but also Israeli Arabs calling it an apartheid state like that of erstwhile South Africa. 

Towards the end of the video shared by IIT B for Bharat, a student can be seen confronting Prof. Sharmishtha Saha for trying to politicize and vitiate the campus by screening controversial documentaries. She goes on to justify that Sudhanva is a famous director and called him a stalwart. 

“Under the pretext of theatre, you are showing this kind of movies. That’s it. That is the point that I am making.” to which she says that is not a banned movie anywhere. 

“It doesn’t have to be about banned films. The Kashmir Files was not banned but it was still not allowed to show here.” which Sharmishtha Saha evades from answering. 

The student then goes on to say that IIT Bombay has guidelines that prohibits political events and political narratives.

#IITBSupportsHammas
We will see "No IITian is welcomed here" sign boards all over the world for on campus blatant acts supporting #Hammas terrorism; @iitbombay must start ruthless crackdown on these elements to save Brand IIT! @dpradhanbjp must intervene! https://t.co/aBL23delUR

— Legal Rights Observatory- LRO (@LegalLro) November 7, 2023

IIT B for Bharat noted that the documentary was used as a tool to invite ultra-leftist Sudhanva Deshpande on the pretext of their course (HS 835 Performance Theory & Praxis), where he unabashedly glorified the terrorist activities of Zakaria Zubeidi, and Ghassan Kanafani while conveniently forgetting the latest Hamas attack.

@iitbombay Prof Sharmishtha Saha(Dept HSS)invited radical leftist Sudhanv Deshpande 2 eulogize Palestinian militants Zakaria Zubeidi, Ghassan Kanafani in the guise of the documentary when @VPIndia visited @iitbombay & cautioned students 2 not to fall prey 2 anti-Bharat narrative.… pic.twitter.com/a5HkgJqDdq

— IIT B for Bharat (@IITBforBharat) November 7, 2023

Zackary was involved in a suicide bombing in the heart of Tel Aviv that killed an Israeli woman. Kanafani was the spokesman, and editor of Al-Hadaf (Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-PFLP), a revolutionary organization whose military wing targeted Israeli interests…

— IIT B for Bharat (@IITBforBharat) November 7, 2023

Just a few days back the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB) had invited controversial professor Achin Vanaik to deliver a talk titled ‘The History and Politics of the Palestinian Present’. He once had also glorified suicide bombing as a very effective tool for Islamic Jihadi terrorists. This talk was later cancelled after social media outrage. 

IIT Bombay cancels lecture on Israel-Palestine conflict

Students requested cancellation of Hamas-sympathiser Professor Achin Vanaik's talk

Vanaik's previous controversial speech sparked opposition from studentshttps://t.co/19qQVjPEWE

— Swarajya (@SwarajyaMag) November 8, 2023

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The post IIT-B HSS Dept Prof Invites Radical Leftist Theatre Artist Sudhanva Deshpande Who Goes On To Glorify Terrorists And Gun Culture appeared first on The Commune.

The Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB) has invited controversial professor to deliver a talk titled ‘The History and Politics of the Palestinian Present’. The talk will be given by Professor Achin Vanaik, a retired Professor of International Relations and former Head of the Department of Political Science at the University of Delhi.

According to legal activism organization Legal Rights Observatory (LRO), an email was sent by one Mrinal Kaul, an assistant professor of the Department of HSS at IIT Bombay inviting for a lecture to be given by Achin Vanaik. 

IITB @iitbombay HSS Department goes all out to support Palaestine in this ongoing conflict. Arranges series of programs at IIT to vitiate the campus atmosphere.
IIT administration shows its bias, While it outrightly bans all nationalist speakers and spiritual leaders from being… pic.twitter.com/47DW6Fz6Sf

— Legal Rights Observatory- LRO (@LegalLro) November 6, 2023

During his talk at OP Jindal, Professor Achin Vanaik pointed out that while there are similarities between Zionism and Hinduism, they differ in their relationship with Islam. He explained that “Zionism is not opposed to Muslims; it is opposed to Palestinians, yet it is willing to align itself with prevailing Islamophobia. In contrast, Hindutva is inherently and fundamentally hostile to Muslims.“

Professor Achin Vanaik who is now retired from teaching had also glorified suicide bombing as a very effective tool of Islamic Jihadi terrorists. He said, “Understand one thing about suicide bombing, suicide bombing expresses above all the determination of not to kill so much as the determination to die.“

The email however gave a disclaimer saying that it is purely an academic talk hosted by HSS and that the institution does not endorse any opinions expressed thereby absolving itself of any responsibility in case the talk turns out to be controversial. 

Very recently, OP Jindal University had organised the same talk by Professor Achin Vanaik. The professor allegedly went on to make several anti-Hindu comments during his talk. 

An event in support of Hamas, a terrorist organisation was organised in OP Jindal Global University.

During this event, concerns were raised regarding the potential targeting of Hindu Culture, Hinduism, Hindutva, RSS, BJP & Indian Army which reportedly caused discomfort among… pic.twitter.com/zVAnlrlV78

— Suresh Nakhua (@SureshNakhua) November 1, 2023

IITs are some of the apex institutes in India and in the world when it comes to technical innovation but with humanities being introduced as a subject, this center for scientific excellence is now home to some leftist social scientists. It seems the left is determined to turn technical institutes into causes for social agitation. Recently, a dispute has arisen at the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-B), regarding dining arrangements after a humanities student named Abhishek Mali, allegedly attempted to make strict vegetarian students, mainly from the Jain community, witness and smell meat dishes during dinner. He was later fined ₹10,000 for his act by the institute.

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A dispute has arisen at the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-B), regarding dining arrangements after a humanities student named Abhishek Mali, allegedly attempted to make strict vegetarian students, mainly from the Jain community, witness and smell meat dishes during dinner. He was later fined ₹10,000 for his act by the institute.

According to the report by Swarajya, the conflict centers around Hostels 12, 13, and 14, which house primarily PhD scholars and share a common mess area. Students have been seeking a reserved space for vegetarian meals, requesting just six out of the 129 tables in the dining hall.

This issue originated in 2020 during ideological confrontations related to the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB). These tensions escalated when a professor dined in the vegetarian section while consuming a meat dish, leading to further confrontations.

The controversy intensified in July this year when a student email suggested that opposition to eating meat in the vegetarian section could lead to disciplinary actions. This led to a controversial poster stating “Vegetarians only are allowed to sit here,” sparking heated debates and accusations of food discrimination.

Amidst the escalating tensions, the administration removed the controversial poster and initiated discussions to designate an exclusive area for vegetarian meals. The institute also made arrangements for those observing Paryushan, a Jain festival.

Students complained of harassment, including purposefully leaving eggshells on vegetarian-only tables and smearing food ladles of the Jain food counter with meat.

On September 27, the Mess Council officially allocated six tables in the canteen for vegetarian meals, emphasizing that these tables were accessible to any student choosing to consume vegetarian food.

In response, Abhishek Mali and other students staged a protest by deliberately eating meat at one of the designated vegetarian tables. This led to the imposition of a fine on Mali and the identification of others involved for disciplinary action.

The deliberate provocation and needless politics over trivial matters has made several alumni and concerned individuals to call for the shutdown of the Humanities and Social Sciences departments.

Earlier, Swati Goel Sharma of the Swarajya had shared an email in which a student alleges that on 5 October 2023, a student after using a spoon to take omelet used the very same spoon to take food from the Jain/Vegetarian counter. When questioned, the student apparently gave a very rude response and asserted that he would continue with his behaviour. 

Read this painful email by a student at IIT Bombay complaining to authorities that those hostile to their vegetarianism are deliberately using the same ladle used for meat dishes to take vegetarian/Jain meals

Such sensitivity has so far been normal in the Indian society. Even… pic.twitter.com/ftVs7O3yAs

— Swati Goel Sharma (@swati_gs) October 6, 2023

The dietary choices of students at IIT Bombay, as with other institutions in India, are generally a matter of personal preference. The campus usually offers a variety of dining options, including vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. Many students, staff, and faculty members at IIT Bombay follow a vegetarian diet due to personal, cultural, or religious reasons, but there is no official requirement for students to be vegetarians, as vegetarianism is a common dietary choice in India.

The Indian Express has spun the episode to weave a narrative that non-veg students are being intimidated. 

As per a report published in The Indian Express, there students whose diet includes meat and eggs live in fear and tension.”

Quoting one fo the students, the Indian Express report said, “Even though there was always informal segregation of veg and non-veg food eaters in the mess out of mutual respect, with a formal rule and subsequent action against those who protested, there is now a certain amount of fear among students. During breakfast, a time when the mess is the most crowded, students eating eggs do not go and sit at the veg-only tables, even if those are not occupied.“

You can’t make this stuff up

After IIT-Bombay fined a Social Science PhD student Rs 10000 for deliberately taking his meat dish to Jains and other vegetarian students seated in their corner tables, @IndianExpress has come up with a ‘dar ka mahaul’ story. On how students eating… pic.twitter.com/y1wooieMrq

— Swati Goel Sharma (@swati_gs) October 10, 2023

The point of the matter was that a fine was imposed after an online meeting of the mess council for hostels 12, 13, and 14 on 1 October 2023. During this meeting, the council asserted that the protest was a deliberate effort to disturb the tranquility and unity in the mess, despite the advice provided by the Associate Dean of Students’ Affairs.

Following the announcement of the decision to allocate six distinct tables for vegetarian meals in the final week of September, a small group of students expressed their dissent by consuming non-vegetarian dishes at these designated tables.

They consumed non-vegetarian food at one of the six tables designated for vegetarian-only dining, resulting in disturbances within the dining area.

In response, the mess council imposed a substantial fine of ₹10,000 on one of the protesting students. This decision prompted strong reactions from both within and outside the campus. Some professors expressed their disapproval on social media, while the Ambedkar Periyar Phule Study Circle cautioned that they would initiate protests unless the fine was rescinded.

The IITs were created to promote academic and research excellence in the fields of science, engineering, and technology, but in the last few years, this bastion of technical excellence, which has produced some of the greatest innovators and business leaders, allowed the study of social science in many of its campus. Social sciences are not typically the primary focus of study at Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). IITs are renowned for their emphasis on engineering, technology, and the physical sciences. The programs and departments at IITs primarily revolve around disciplines such as computer science, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, chemical engineering, mathematics, and physical sciences.

However, this novel idea of giving scholars a different perspective on studying subjects like economics, sociology, or management has backfired.

Recently, IIT Delhi professor Divya Dwivedi has gained significant attention due to her contentious remarks about Hinduism during the ongoing G20 Summit 2023 in the national capital. In an interview with French media, Divya Dwivedi suggested that the India of the future would not include Hinduism, causing a social media uproar when the video clip of her statements became widely circulated.

In an interview, the professor of philosophy at IIT Delhi said, “There are two Indias. The past India of racialized caste order oppressing the majority population, and then there is the India of the future that is an egalitarian India without caste oppression and Hinduism. That is the India which is not yet represented but is waiting, longing to show its visage to the world.“

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The post IIT-B Humanities Student Fined For Deliberately Provoking Strictly-Veg Jain Students With Non-Veg Food, Indian Express Spins Story To Say “Non-Veg Students Are In Fear” appeared first on The Commune.

In an embarrassing yet startling development, former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh has gone missing and is presumed to have fled the country.

The former Mumbai police commissioner was handling the bomb scare near the home of India’s richest man Mukesh Ambani earlier this year but at the same time questions were being asked with regards to a series of extortion cases.

According to Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil who said, “Along with the Union Home Ministry, we’re also searching for his whereabouts. I’ve heard something like that but as a government officer, he can’t go abroad without government clearance. We’ve issued a Lookout Circular and if he went away, then it is not good,”.

“Whether it is a minister, officer, or Chief Minister, there are limitations and without the permission of the government of India one cannot go outside the country. No one can cross these limitations. What action can be taken will have to be discussed with the centre. Maharashtra government is looking for him and once he is found we will decide,” the Home Minister added.

On February 25 an SUV was found parked near with gelatin sticks in Carmichael Road, near the residence of Mukesh Ambani. The car belonged to one Mansukh Hiren whose body was later found in the Kalwa creek in Thane and postmortem confirmed it was a case of murder.

Already, notorious Mumbai police officer, Sachin Waze, known as an encounter specialist has been named as the prime conspirator in the case of planting the explosives and the subsequent murder of Mansukh Hiren.

Waze who was suspended from the police force for years was known to be close to Param Bir Singh and despite being just an Assistant Police Inspector he had direct access to him.

In March, the National Investigation Agency (NIA). arrested Waze but the NIA chargesheet did not name Param Bir Singh as an accused but there are now several revelations in the chargesheet that simply could not be overlooked.

After too much pressure, Singh was transferred to the Home Guard department, and later he made sensational accusations against then state home minister Anil Deshmukh of asking police officers to collect bribes from hotel and bar owners. This created a massive political uproar in the state.

Subsequently, Deshmukh had to step down from his post as the CBI registered a case against him and till date, Deshmukh has also not responded to summons by the Enforcement Directorate which is probing money-laundering allegations against him.

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The radical Islamic Raza Acadamy based in Mumbai which supports the Sharia law has protested the decision taken by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, under its Vision 2030 plan, to allow the building of cinema halls and entertainment centers in the city of Madina.

सऊदी हुकूमत ने मदीना शरीफ मैं सिनेमा घर
खोलने का ऐलान किया है
इसके खिलाफ 23 सितम्बर 2021 को मुंबई मैं उलमाये अहले सुन्नत का एहतेजाज होगा
आप भी टवीटर पर #BanCinemaInMadinaShareef के साथ टवीट करके इस एहतेजाज मैं शामिल हो#ShameOnYouSaudiGovt @KingSalman@KSAembassyIND
को टैग करे pic.twitter.com/EdEbecJUBq

— Raza Academy (@razaacademyho) September 22, 2021

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is home to Islam’s two most holy sites, Masjid al-Haram also known as the Great Mosque of Mecca which is also home to the Kaaba and Madina, home to the vast Al-Masjid an-Nabawi (Prophet’s Mosque) and the Raza acadamy is dead set against the opening of cinema halls in this two places.

But what this radical Islamic outfit does not understand is that the Saudi Arabia is now going through a change and wants to be diversifyed and reduce its dependency on oil which is its number one source of income.

Under the leadership of Prince Mohammad Bin Salman, Saudi Arabia wants to become  a modern pluralistic country and wants to develop other sectors such as health, education, and tourism. But such reforms are viewed with hostility Islamist Muslims across the world, especially in India and Pakistan.

Now the Raza Acadamy is protesting against this new development by running a campaigns on social media platforms urging King Salman of Saudi Arabia to reverse the decision and called for a ban on cinema halls in Madina Shareef.

Mohsin Raza wrote, “Muslims go to holy cities to ask forgiveness from Allah not to commit sins by watching movies”. Later a protest was organised in which one could hear slogans of, “Saudi Hukumat Murdabad” and Muslims in India held placards that read, “Saudi Government Must Stop Desecration of The Holy City of Madina Munawwarah”.

https://twitter.com/MohsinK08774179/status/1440957663261515780?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1440957663261515780%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.opindia.com%2F2021%2F09%2Fsaudi-arabia-kingdom-cinema-halls-madina-city-islam-raza-academy-sin-india-pakistan-muslims%2F

From Pakistan, Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani who is a former judge, Islamic scholar, and current Vice President and Professor of Hadith at Darul Uloom Karachi in November last year had said, “Now there are plans to set up ten cinema halls in Madina too,”.

His tweet also mentioned that the Saudis are planning to build 28 shoping malls, ten cinema halls, 32 restaurants, 2 locations for entertainment, 19 open areas, and more on King’s Road. The project was expected to be completed in 14 months which means work has already started

However, the commercial establishments will be outside the boundary of the holy place, as per reports.

Raza Academy is not new to controversies because in February 2021, the academy forced BBC to issue an apology for hurting the sentiments of Muslims as they ‘displayed a portrait of Muhammad’. They also bullied the Maharashtra government Of Shiv Sena, Congress and the NCP to give permission to carry out the Eid-e-Milad procession during the Covid pandemic.

Members of Raza acadamy also provied to be a huge problem when Saeed Noori, the founding member of Raza Academy, had claimed that the Chinese vaccine contains pork and urged the Indian government not to order it and he and 125 other members from his group were booked for violating social distancing norms amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.

Today Raza Academy staged a demonstration outside Minara Masjid, Mumbai against Saudi government for opening cinema halls in Madina Munawwara #BanCinemaInMadinaShareef#ShameOnYouSaudiGovt@KingSalman@KSAembassyIND pic.twitter.com/sxLCtKhISZ

— Raza Academy (@razaacademyho) September 23, 2021

In August 2011, Raza Academy held a protest at Azad Maidan ground against the alleged atrocities on Muslims in Assam and Myanmar, and then rioted which led to the vandalising of public property and they also attacked police personnel. 

The post Raza Academy protests against Saudi Arabia for building cinema halls in Mecca and Madina appeared first on The Commune.

Former owner of Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Rajasthan Royals and the United Kingdom based businessman Raj Kundra has been arrested by Mumbai Police’s Crime Branch for being the alleged “key conspirator”for producing pornographic films and pushing them through smartphone applications, reports Indian Express.

Raj Kundra is the husband of Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty.

This porn racket came to light in February when the Property Cell of the Crime Branch had registered an FIR which then led to the arrestt of nine persons soon after and during interrogation, Kundra’s name is said to have come up .

Kundra was placed under arrest on July 19 for questioning and according to the Mumbai Police’s Commissioner, “We have sufficient evidences regarding this. The investigation is in progress.”

The Police have said that the Modus Operandi of this racket was to lure aspiring actresses into making pornographic films with the promises of being cast in web series.

Kundra’s name had also come up last year in a similar case registered by the Maharashtra Cyber Police, however, Kundra had filed for anticipatory bail, and the court is likely to decide on his plea next week.

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Indian Coast Guard (ICG) rescued all 16 crew of sinking MV Mangalam near Revdanda port of Maharashtra on June 17, 2021. The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Mumbai had received information from Indian flagged MV Mangalam that the vessel was partially sinking with 16 crew onboard around three kms from Revdanda Port.

The MRCC team initiated a rescue operation with ICG Ship Subhadra Kumari Chauhan pressed into action. Two ICG Chetak helicopters were also deployed from Indian Coast Guard Air Station, Daman. Braving gusting monsoon winds, ICG carried out a swift sea-air coordinated operation and saved 16 lives.

The rescued crew was taken to Revdanda and administered first aid. All crew are safe and healthy.

Published from PIB

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Featured Image: Riyaz Kazi is suspected of destroying evidence relevant to the Ambani bomb scare
investigation. Credits: Mustafa Shaikh.

The NIA on Sunday arrested police officer Riyaz Kazi in connection with the case of an explosives-laden SUV found near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence. Kazi is an associate of suspended Mumbai cop Sachin Waze.

“Assistant police inspector (API) Kazi was called for questioning again by the NIA on Sunday and later placed under arrest,” a police official said.

Kazi was previously questioned several times by the NIA in connection with the case of the explosives-laden SUV found on February 25 near Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani’s multi-storied residence ”Antilia” in south Mumbai, and the subsequent death of Thane businessman Mansukh Hiran. Hiran, who was in possession of the SUV, was found dead in a creek in Thane on March 5.

Riyaz Kazi had been shunted out of the Mumbai Crime Branch last month, the official said.

Kazi was produced before a holiday court in Mumbai after his arrest. The court remanded him in the National Investigation Agency’s (NIA) custody till April 16 for further investigations into the case.

The NIA told the court that he was arrested for destroying evidence and that he is involved in the conspiracy of the case along with Waze, the main accused in the case.

While seeking his remand for 10 days, the prosecution said that when the NIA started conducting a parallel probe soon after the explosives-laden vehicle was found, the accused allegedly killed Hiran fearing that he will disclose their plan. The prosecution also submitted that Kazi was well aware of the crime.

After the case was transferred to the central agency, the accused started destroying evidences like CPU and DVR and others, the NIA told the court.

Kazi’s custody is required to confront him with every recovered article, documents and witnesses. Waze has given half the facts and Kazi’s interrogation is required to find out under whose instructions he destroyed the material evidence, the NIA submitted.

The NIA also said that Riyaz Kazi also needs to be interrogated about the source of the gelatin sticks that were found in the SUV.

Opposing the remand plea, Kazi’s lawyer, Hasnain Kazi, argued that his client was not involved in the destruction of evidence.

The accused has been going to the NIA office for interrogation since the last twenty days and has been co-operating with the investigation; hence his custody was not required, the lawyer said.

After hearing both the sides, the judge remanded the accused to NIA’s custody till April 16.

According to the police, CCTV footage shows Kazi entering a number plates shop in suburban Vikhroli and having a conversation with the outlet’s owner. He was also seen taking away a digital video recorder and a computer from the shop. Kazi was also seen collecting CCTV footage from Waze’s housing complex in Thane, the official said.

The probe agency suspects that Kazi assisted Waze in obtaining fake number plates used for the SUV that was used to plant explosives near Ambani’s residence in south Mumbai.

The NIA arrested Waze on March 13 in connection with its probe into the case. The probe agency had also arrested former policeman Vinayak Shinde and cricket bookie Naresh Gor.

All the three are currently in judicial custody.

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Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of State (I/C) for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, chaired a meeting to review the Urban Water Transportation projects for Mumbai, Maharashtra. Senior Officials of the Ministry, Chairperson of Mumbai Port and officials of Maharashtra Maritime Board and other stakeholders were present in the meeting.

To promote eco-friendly waterways transportation and reduce the traffic load of crowded Mumbai city roads, 4 new routes for ROPAXferry services and 12 new routes of Water Taxi are planned to be operational by December 2021.

Currently, ROPAX ((roll-on/roll-off passenger) service from Bhaucha Dhakka(Ferry Wharf) to Mandwa (Alibaug) is successfully operating by reducing the road journey of 110 km to about 18 km by using waterways, thereby reducing travel time of daily commuters from about 3-4 hours to merely one hour. After the huge benefits being reaped of this ferry service, similar services are planned to be operational at various other routes in Mumbai.

Opening up of 4 new routes of ROPAX Ferries and 12 routes of Water taxis is going to prove a big boon for daily commuters of Mumbai. It will result in a pollution-free, peaceful and time-saving journey as well as reduce the travel cost and carbon footprint significantly. It would also cater for the requirements of the increasing number of tourists and commuters at various stretches of Mumbai city.

(Source: PIB)

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