India

04 Jan 2022; MEMO: The racism faced by India's monitories under the far-right ultra-nationalist government of Narendra Modi reached a new low after it emerged that Muslim women were being offered for sale in a fake virtual auction.

Several prominent Muslim women appeared on the auction website, Bulli Bai, which takes its name from a slur against Muslim women. The site was filled with profiles of dozens of Muslim women who were put up for sale.

Lucknow, Jan 4 (PTI) Congress on Tuesday accused the BJP of mocking women after BJP president JP Nadda made a comment on its 'ladki hoon lad sakti hoon' campaign aimed at women empowerment.

"BJP President Nadda on Monday mocked a strong slogan like 'ladki hoon, lad sakti hoon' and the voice of women of Uttar Pradesh. This is not the voice of Congress but of every girl of Uttar Pradesh who wants to fight for her rights, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate told media here.

Rudrapur, Jan 4 (PTI) Maharashtra Police on Tuesday arrested a woman from Udham Singh Nagar district here in connection with the controversial Bulli Bai' mobile application which had put up pictures of Muslim women for "auction".

The woman is being taken to Mumbai on transit remand after being produced in a local court, SP (City), Udham Singh Nagar district, Mamta Bohra, said.

Kolkata, Jan 4 (PTI) In an embarassment to BJP, Union Minister and prominent member of the Matua community, Shantanu Thakur has quit all WhatsApp groups of the party.

Confirming it, Thakur, the union minister of state for shipping Tuesday told reporters "It seems the state BJP leadership does not think we (Matuas) have an important role within the organisation".

He also wondered if he has any importance in the BJP state unit any more.

Thakur, who refused to say anything else, did not take phone calls by PTI.

Chandigarh, Jan 5 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday arrived in Punjab to lay foundation stones for development projects at Ferozepur.

Modi landed in Bathinda and then headed for the district located along the Indo-Pak border.

"He has arrived in Punjab and is on his way to Ferozepur," Inspector General of Police (Bathinda Range) Jaskaran Singh told PTI over phone.

Hours before his Punjab visit, the prime minister in a tweet on Wednesday said that he was looking forward to "being among my sisters and brothers of Punjab today".

Jammu, 04 January 2022: Two Kashmiris were killed on Tuesday by Indian security forces in Kulgam district of the Indian Administered Kashmir, Indian officials said.

New Delhi, Jan 4 (PTI) Nearly 5,500 fresh cases of Covid have been reported in Delhi on Tuesday with a positivity rate of about 8.5 per cent, Health Minister Satyendar Jain said while asserting that the weekend curfew imposed in the city should not be treated as a lockdown.

Interacting with reporters, he said experts have been saying that the spike in Covid cases in Delhi should be considered largely due to the Omicron variant.

Raipur, Jan 3 (PTI) A sessions court in Raipur in Chhattisgarh on Monday rejected the bail plea of self-styled religious leader Kalicharan Maharaj, who was arrested in connection with his alleged derogatory remarks against Mahatma Gandhi.

The court of XII Additional District and Sessions Judge Raipur Vikram Pratap Chandra rejected Kalicharan Maharaj's bail, said Public Prosecutor K K Shukla.

Mathura (UP), Jan 3 (PTI) A priest of Banke Bihari temple in Vrindavan was allegedly assaulted by six other priests on Monday, police said.

Vrindavan Station House Officer (SHO) Inspector Ajay Kaushal said Shailendra, one of the accused, along with five other associates allegedly attacked another priest, Mohit.

He said an FIR under Indian Penal Code sections 147 (rioting), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (assault) and 506 (criminal intimidation) has been registered based on a complaint by the victim priest.

Kolkata, Jan 3 (PTI) Two more jute mills - India Jute and Gondalpara Jute Mills - shut down in the first few days of the new year.

The jute mills each employing 4,000 workers owned by the same group issued `suspension of work 'notices.

Jute industry officials on Monday claimed the mills each employing around 4000 workers each under the same management were forced to close down over raw material concerns. Earlier last year about ten mills had taken similar steps.