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Pakistani woman Nafisa linked to radicalisation of 240 Indian youths, UP ATS probes ISI network

Pakistani woman Nafisa linked to radicalisation of 240 Indian youths, UP ATS probes ISI network

LUCKNOW: Over 800 individuals, all contacts of Tufail Maqsood, 34, who was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) from Varanasi on 21 May on charges of spying for Pakistan, are under the radar of the agency. All the 800 people were added to 19 WhatsApp groups operated by Tufail.
Notably, UP ATS had arrested Tufail Maqsood from Varanasi, Mohammad Harun, 45, of Delhi, from Noida on 21 May, and Rampur resident Shahzad Wahab, 35, in the same connection from Moradabad on 18 May. All three are currently in ATS custody for interrogation.
The details of all 800 contacts were retrieved from Tufail's phone. An ATS source claimed that Tufail had been operating 19 WhatsApp groups to stay in touch with his modules across seven eastern UP districts, including Varanasi, Jaunpur, Mau, Bhadohi, Mirzapur, Chandauli, and Ghazipur.
He was allegedly involved in radicalising them in the name of religion by posting inflammatory speeches of clerics and terror group 'leaders' from across the border.
Establishing his links to Gajwa-e-Hind, Tufail used to post content related to 'establishing Muslim rule in India before 2047 and bringing Shariat law into force in the country'.

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Ram Temple moves towards completion, idol of ‘Raja Ram' consecrated
Ram Temple moves towards completion, idol of ‘Raja Ram' consecrated

The Hindu

time18 minutes ago

  • The Hindu

Ram Temple moves towards completion, idol of ‘Raja Ram' consecrated

The idol of Raja Ram was consecrated and the Ram Darbar inaugurated at the Ram Jamnabhoomi complex on Thursday, a major step towards completion of a grand temple that has been at the intersection of political and religious discourse for three decades. The city was festooned and lit up as priests gathered at the first floor of the Ram temple to install the almost five-feet white marbled statue of Raja Ram, the god in his royal form, amid the chanting of hymns and elaborate rituals. The Ram Darbar also features the idols of Sita, Lakshman, Bharat, Shatrughn and Hanuman. The day, chosen to coincide with the occasion of Ganga Dussehra, comes 16 months after the consecration of Ram Lalla, the child god, on January 22, 2024. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the top government brass and a host of celebrities were present at the high octane occasion then, the event this time was quieter. 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Also in the crowd was Alamin, a Muslim woman dressed in a traditional black burqa, waiting along with the others to be allowed to enter the temple. She was seen singing devotional songs, drawing much attention. The BJP, which is in power at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh, said in a post on X, 'The second festival of Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha concluded today in Ayodhya. A step towards Ram Rajya.' The ceremony took place during the Abhijit Muhurat, considered one of the most auspicious moments in the Hindu calendar. The consecration of the deities began with prayers at the 'yajna mandap' at 6.30 a.m., followed by a 'havan' at 9 a.m., which lasted an hour. Thereafter, centralised rituals began simultaneously across all temple shrines, aided by visual technology like cameras and large screens, ensuring synchrony of the ceremonies. 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After a long legal battle, the Supreme Court in 2019 ruled in favour of the construction of the temple. It also ordered allotment of a five-acre plot for building a mosque. The scrapping of Article 370 that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, building a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya and the implementation of a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) have been the BJP's poll plank for decades.

Trump reinstates US travel ban, bars citizens of 12 countries
Trump reinstates US travel ban, bars citizens of 12 countries

Hindustan Times

timean hour ago

  • Hindustan Times

Trump reinstates US travel ban, bars citizens of 12 countries

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We were there to explain India's 'new normal': Jay Panda on global outreach campaign
We were there to explain India's 'new normal': Jay Panda on global outreach campaign

India Today

timean hour ago

  • India Today

We were there to explain India's 'new normal': Jay Panda on global outreach campaign

BJP MP Jay Panda, who headed the global outreach delegations on Operation Sindoor which visited Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Algeria, talked about the message they sent across and how it was received by the countries. When asked about what was your message to strategic partners like Saudi Arabia and how was your message received by other Islamic countries through this visit since Pakistan continues to play the Muslim card? Jay Panda said, "Our message was very clear. Our message is that we've gone through this same cycle of terrorism for 78 years. Pakistan sending cross-border terrorists and the whole cycle, the whole rigmarole, provoking attacks and nuclear blackmail. And so we were there to explain the new normal, new India's new normal, which is that we will retaliate and we will specifically target terrorist bases."

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