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AIMIM’s undiminished sway over Hyderabad makes it irreplaceable in T’gana

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Such has been the dominance of AIMIM in Hyderabad politics for over four decades that its stronghold remained immune to the political waves sweeping the state.

No matter which party was in power in the erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh, the support base of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) remained intact.

There has been no change after Telangana was carved out as a separate state in 2014. Despite the reservations the Asaduddin Owaisi-led party had over the division of Andhra Pradesh, the party adapted itself to the new political scenario dominated by the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS).

While maintaining its firm grip over the Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency and seven Muslim majority Assembly segments in the city, AIMIM backed TRS in the rest of the state both in 2014 and 2018 elections.

This friendship and the secular image of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao helped TRS secure the support of Muslim voters.

With a huge concentration of Muslim voters in state capital Hyderabad and some other districts, they are in a position to tilt the balance in nearly half of the 119 Assembly constituencies.

Muslim voters are believed to be between 35 and 60 per cent in 10 constituencies in Hyderabad and anywhere between 10 and 40 per cent in the 50 other constituencies spread across the rest of the state.

Except the eight Assembly constituencies where AIMIM candidates were in the fray, the party backed TRS in all the remaining constituencies.

While AIMIM’s political opponents accuse the party of pursuing communal politics, CM KCR on many occasions defended his friend and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi. He lauded the AIMIM chief for fighting for the Constitutional rights of Muslims in a democratic manner and even talked of using the services of Owaisi to forge a national alternative to both BJP and Congress.

BJP, which is going aggressive to capture power in Telangana, has been targeting KCR for his friendship with Owaisi and accusing the TRS leader of pursuing politics of appeasement.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and other central leaders of BJP have slammed KCR for appeasement politics. Digging up the past, the state leadership of the saffron party has been making bitter attacks on AIMIM, calling it a party of �Razakars’.

�Razakars’ were the volunteers or supporters of Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) who backed the Nizam who wanted to keep the state independent after India gained Independence in 1947.

Thirteen months after August 15, 1947, Hyderabad State acceded to the Indian Union following India’s military action codenamed �Operation Polo’.

MIM was founded 1927 to promote the socio-economic and educational development of Muslims. After �Operation Polo’ hastened the accession of Hyderabad State into the Indian Union in 1948, MIM was banned.

However, in 1958 it was revived with a new constitution by Moulana Abdul Wahid Owaisi, grandfather of Asaduddin Owaisi. A well-known lawyer in those days, Abdul Wahid Owaisi converted it into a political party to fight for the rights of the minorities as enshrined in the Indian Constitution.

“Those who wanted to go have gone. Those who love the country choose to remain here,” says Asaduddin Owaisi in response to BJP’s taunt of �Razakars’.

He dismisses allegations of pursuing communal politics and maintains that AIMIM believes in Indian Constitution and has been fighting for the Constitutional rights of minorities, Dalits and others.

AIMIM made its electoral debut in 1959, winning two municipal by-elections in Hyderabad. In 1960, it emerged as the main opposition party in Hyderabad.

Abdul Wahed Owaisi’s son Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi was among the party leaders elected to the Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad (MCH).

The party underwent image makeover in the 1980s when Salahuddin Owaisi made three Hindu corporators of the party mayors of Hyderabad. Those were the days when Hyderabad used to witness frequent communal tensions.

From municipal wards in the old city of Hyderabad to two Lok Sabha seats in 2019, AIMIM has come a long way in its six-decade-long journey in Independent India.

More than three decades after first winning the Hyderabad seat, the party expanded itself in true sense in 2019 by wresting the Aurangabad seat in Maharashtra from the Shiv Sena.

A party confined to the old city of Hyderabad till a few years ago, AIMIM was a butt of ridicule by its rivals for calling itself an all-India party.

The party now has 10 MLAs — seven in Telangana, two in Maharashtra and one in Bihar. Its tally of MLAs was 14 till recently, but four MLAs in Bihar switched loyalties to the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).

While continuing its efforts to expand to various states, the AIMIM is treading cautiously to check BJP’s surge in Telangana.

In a tactical move aimed at stopping the BJP from politically exploiting emotive issues like September 17, AIMIM for the first time in its history has decided to celebrate the day this year as national integration day.

It was on September 17, 1948 that Hyderabad State was merged with the Indian Union. AIMIM always opposed celebrating the day on the ground that there is only one Independence Day for the entire country.

The BJP has been targeting TRS for not officially celebrating �Telangana Liberation Day’ due to pressure from Owaisi.

However, political analysts say that KCR may come under increasing attack from BJP for his friendship with AIMIM.

“KCR wants to herald a secular government in India by achieving a �BJP mukt Bharat’. If BJP is communal, how can MIM be secular? Bonhomie with Owaisis raises questions over secular politics ultimately helping BJP in majoritarian consolidation,” says professor K. Nageshwar.

Crime

Delhi Police bust interstate cyber fraud module operating fake helicopter booking websites, arrest three

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New Delhi, June 11: The Cyber Police Station of South District, Delhi Police, has successfully busted an organised interstate cyber fraud syndicate involved in operating fake online helicopter booking websites and cheating unsuspecting travellers.

Three accused persons have been arrested in the case, and significant digital evidence, along with electronic devices, has been recovered.

A complaint was received from a victim who was cheated of Rs 20,328 on the pretext of booking travel services through fake websites, namely irctc-helicopter.com and irctc-heliyatra.com. These websites were designed to resemble genuine travel booking portals to deceive users.

Based on the complaint, FIR No. 30/2026 dated May 21, under Sections 318(4), 61(2), and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), was registered at PS Cyber South District, and an investigation was initiated.

A dedicated team comprising SI Ashish, Head Constables Praveen, Vikas, and Vinod, Constables Praveen Joon and Sultan, conducted the investigation under the leadership of SHO/Cyber South, Inspector Hansraj Swami, and under the overall supervision of Additional DCP (Operations), South District, Arvind Kumar.

During the investigation, police carried out a detailed analysis of the money trail, bank account details, domain registration records, Gmail accounts, IP logs, and technical data obtained from service providers such as Hostinger and Google.

The analysis led to the identification of individuals operating the fake websites and associated digital advertisements. Based on technical surveillance and local intelligence inputs, accused Omprakash Kumar and Rohit Kumar were arrested from Bihar’s Nalanda.

During interrogation, the accused disclosed the involvement of co-accused Shreyansh Tiwari alias Shivam, who was identified as the developer and manager of the fake websites. He was subsequently arrested from Greater Noida.

Investigations revealed that the accused were running fake travel booking portals and promoting them through paid advertisements on Meta (Facebook), targeting individuals searching for travel-related services online. Their digital network has been linked to approximately 30 NCRP complaints registered across various states and Union Territories, involving a total cheating amount of nearly Rs 10 lakh. The involvement of another associate, Anurag, a resident of Nalanda, is also under verification.

The accused created fake travel booking websites that closely resembled legitimate platforms and promoted them through paid social media advertisements. Victims searching online for travel bookings were redirected to these fraudulent websites and were induced to make payments for bookings.

After the initial payment, victims were further pressured to make additional transfers on the pretext of processing refunds, confirming bookings, registration charges, or other fabricated reasons. The cheated funds were routed through mule bank accounts and various digital payment channels to conceal the money trail.

During the operation, police recovered several incriminating items from the possession of the accused, including eight mobile phones, two laptops, and a 10th-generation iPad. Officials also seized multiple ATM and debit cards allegedly used in the commission of cyber fraud. In addition, Rs 20,328 was marked as a lien in a bank account linked to the case. Investigators further recovered substantial digital evidence and electronic records connected to the fraudulent activities, which are being examined as part of the ongoing probe.

Of the arrested accused, Omprakash Kumar has a previous involvement in a criminal case, as per FIR No. 06/2022 registered under Sections 420/34 of the IPC at PS Cyber North-West Delhi. Rohit Kumar has no previous criminal involvement reported so far, nor does the third accused, Tiwari, a resident of Uttar Pradesh’s Jaunpur.

Further investigation is in progress to identify additional associates and dismantle the complete network behind the fraud.

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National News

3 Indian sailors, initially missing, confirmed dead in US attack on vessel off Oman

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New Delhi, June 11: Three Indian sailors, who were reportedly missing after the US forces attacked a vessel off the coast of Oman earlier this week, have been confirmed dead in the deadly attacks.

The killing of Indian seafarers was confirmed by Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal, who called it a “profound loss for India’s maritime community”.

The minister said that the bodies of all three missing sailors have been recovered. He also informed that steps are being taken to repatriate the bodies of fallen seafarers for their last rites.

“It is deeply unfortunate to learn of the tragic incident aboard the Palau-flagged MT Settebello. Sadly, three Indian seafarers initially reported missing are now confirmed dead after bodies have been located and identified,” Sonowal said in a post on X.

Preliminary inputs, after the attack on the oil vessel, said that 21 Indian sailors were rescued from the ship while three seafarers were reported missing.

The Union Minister described the tragic incident aboard the Palau-flagged MT Settebello as “deeply unfortunate” and said that the government was standing by the bereaved families in this difficult hour.

“Modi government stands firmly with the bereaved during this difficult hour and is fully committed to supporting the next of kin. I have directed officials to ensure immediate repatriation of the rescued crew members and swift return of the mortal remains of the deceased for their final rites,” he said in the post on X.

The oil tanker had a total crew of 28 members, including 24 Indian nationals and four foreign nationals– two Pakistanis, one Ukrainian, and one Russian– when it came under a US military attack in the Gulf of Oman. The US, justifying the attack, said that the vessel violated the prescribed instructions and hence came under its radar.

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National News

BJP Minority Morcha offers ceremonial chadar at Ajmer Sharif Dargah to celebrate PM Modi’s historic tenure

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Ajmer, June 10: Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Minority Morcha on Wednesday offered a ceremonial chadar at the Dargah of Khwaja Moin-ud-din Chishty in Rajasthan’s Ajmer to celebrate Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s record as India’s longest serving head of an elected government.

Speaking to media, BJP Minority Morcha’s Rajasthan President Hameed khan Mewati said: “We prayed for the long age of PM Modi and for peace and brotherhood to prevail in the country.”

He added that BJP Minority Morcha workers have presented ceremonial ‘chadars’ at Dargahs in all districts of the state.

“PM Modi has worked for the development of the minorities, by launching several welfare schemes. The minority section of the society has seen immense development from where it was in 2014,” he said.

“We want the country to achieve PM Modi’s dream of ‘Viksit Bharat’. The kind of work done by the government for the minority section, under the Prime Minister’s leadership, is historic,” Mewati added.

He asserted that PM Modi understands the pain of the poor and hence works accordingly to provide the facilities required by them.

“He (PM Modi) has launched schemes without differentiating between the Hindus and Muslims. His goal is to ensure that all citizens are able to benefit from the government’s initiatives,” he said.

Abid Ali Chaudhary, National Co-In Charge of ‘Sufi Samvad Maha Abhiyan’, said that prayers were organised in all Dargahs and madrassas across the country for PM Modi’s long life and to mark the successful tenure of his government.

Echoing similar view, Mumbai BJP Minority Morcha President Wasim Khan said: “These 12 years are not merely a count of days; they represent a long and highly impactful tenure. During these 12 years, he worked tirelessly for all communities, all regions, and every section of society, contributing significantly to their welfare, development, and progress.”

He added that PM Modi has united the entire country as one.

“Following the guiding principle of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas,’ Prime Minister Modi has led this nation toward development. It is our wish that he continues to be the Prime Minister of this country,” Wasim Khan said.

The Mumbai BJP Minority Morcha President offered prayers at Mahim Dargah to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tenure of India’s longest-serving Prime Minister.

Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi, All India Muslim Jamaat President, also said that PM Modi has maintained his promise of ‘Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas and Sabka Vishwas’.

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