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Did Raghuram Rajan casually lie about his salary? Former RBI governor claims his annual salary in office was Rs 4 lakhs

OpIndia Staff
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Did Raghuram Rajan casually lie about his salary? Former RBI governor claims his annual salary in office was Rs 4 lakhs

Former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan recently spoke about the salary he drew while being in office. Rajan said he was paid just Rs 4 lakhs per annum as salary for heading the office of RBI Governor.

During an interview on the ‘Figuring Out’ podcast with YouTuber Raj Shamani, Raghuram Rajan disclosed that his annual salary as the RBI Governor was Rs 4 lakh. He mentioned, “I’m not aware of the current salary, but it was Rs 4 lakh per year during my tenure. The significant benefit is the accommodation – a spacious residence located a few blocks away from Dhirubhai Ambani’s residence on Malabar Hill in Mumbai.”

While Rajan claimed his annual pay during his tenure as RBI governor was Rs 4 lakhs, several reports in the media indicate that the former RBI governor may have casually lied about his annual remuneration.

In an article titled ‘RBI spared no expense in hosting Raghuram Rajan’ published in The Sunday Guardian in June 2020, the former governor who served in the office from August 2013 to September 2016, drew approximately Rs 61.2 lakhs for the entire tenure, which calculates to Rs 1.69 lakhs per month.

The article cites an RTI response that the RBI spent more on transporting his goods back to his home from Mumbai to Chicago than the total salary it paid him for his entire tenure. The RBI reportedly paid Rs 71 lakhs for transporting his household goods, more than what they paid him as salary for the entire three years.

Reportedly, when Raghuram Rajan left the office in September 2016, his salary was close to Rs 2.09 lakhs per month, which amounts to Rs 25 lakhs per annum. In an article published on Moneycontrol in July 2022, the current salary of the incumbent RBI governor Shaktikanta Das was Rs 2.5 lakhs per month, or Rs 30 lakhs per annum. The progression in salary for the RBI governor is in line with the remuneration at the time when Rajan left the office in 2016.

Raghu Ram Rajan steps out to defend Congress MP linked to 500 cr Income Tax raid

It is noteworthy to mention that Rajan has often hit the headlines with his controversial remarks and statements. Recently, in an interview published by The Red Mike on 12th December, former Governor of Reserve Bank of India, Dr Raghuram Rajan, gave a bizarre “context” to the unaccounted cash recovered from Congress Rajya Sabha MP Dhiraj Prasad Sahu. Dr Rajan claimed that the opposition parties are “forced” to use illicit money because electoral bonds provide an unequal playing field favouring the ruling party.

In his question, Sanket Upadhyay asked Dr Rajan about his views on electoral bonds, citing the statement given by former finance secretary Subhash Chandra Garg at Idea Exchange. Garg thoroughly explained why electoral bonds were introduced and what the ill effects of removing them from the system would be. Sanket asked Dr Rajan about his views on the statement where Garg said that if electoral bonds are removed, it will be cash on the streets yearly in the political process.

Dr Rajan asserted electoral bonds are an utterly non-transparent way of financing. Parties receive funds, and what they get is not known to anyone. In case an industrialist gives 1,000 crores to a party, the public can never know. He further called it a “bad way of financing elections” as the only people who know who donated what to the State Bank of India. He claimed that in India, it is hard to maintain secrets, and the ruling party can find the information of the business houses that donated to the opposition parties.

Myanmar arrests and deports more than 40,000 Chinese nationals associated with unlawful online scam groups

OpIndia Staff
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Myanmar arrests and deports more than 40,000 Chinese nationals associated with unlawful online scam groups

Myanmar authorities have arrested and deported more than 40,000 telecom fraud suspects to China since the country’s law enforcement officers launched a crackdown on online scams in September this year. Information gathered from pertinent organizations shows that these Chinese nationals were taken into custody and then deported from the northern Shan state of Myanmar over the course of three months, from early September to mid-December.

The data was gathered by Radio Free Asia from statements given by the Chinese Ministry of Public Security, the ruling military junta, and ethnic Wa and Kokang leaders in northern Shan state.

In addition to being a centre for the trafficking of crystal methamphetamine, the northern Shan State in Myanmar is also home to numerous other illicit operations in outposts along the Chinese border. These activities are fueled by the continuous military conflict and civil turmoil under the junta that took control of the state in a coup in 2021. Being surrounded by China, the northern Shan state has developed into a hub for Chinese scammers preying on their own people.

A statement made in mid-December by the State Administration Council, the official name of the military junta ruling Myanmar, stated that between October 31 and December 15, around 12,050 Chinese nationals connected to online scam groups in the area were arrested and deported.

The Kokang region, where the majority of the population is ethnic Chinese and has supported resistance to the junta, was home to the majority of the Chinese nationals who were deported back.

Other Chinese nationals implicated in the illegal activity have also been arrested in areas under the authority of the United Wa State Army (USWA), purportedly the biggest ethnic armed group in Myanmar. On September 6-7, USWA forces apprehended over a thousand Chinese nationals who were part of the gangs and promptly handed them over to Chinese police on the other side of the border.

On November 21, the Ministry of Public Security in China declared that it had captured around 31,000 Chinese nationals who were associated with cybercrime groups in the northern region of Myanmar. Ringleaders, recruiters, and more than 1,500 Chinese fugitives were among those detained.

In all, the numbers indicate that between early September and mid-December, more than 40,000 Chinese people were detained and deported in connection to the online scam operations.

Meanwhile, speaking about the matter, several political experts believe that China and Myanmar share the blame for permitting Chinese citizens to enter Myanmar illegally and for the rapid formation of online scam rings.

Hla Kyaw Zaw, a China-based political observer was quoted as saying, “Everyone is responsible. It is likely that China and its policies are unable to control its borders very well. There are illegal crossings in some points.”

“There’s no need to say anything about Myanmar [because] there is no rule of law,” she added. “If you have money, [you’re allowed to do anything]. That’s why [Chinese are] entering.”

Since Myanmar’s instability has an impact on places outside of its boundaries, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi stated during the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Forum on December 8 that China would work with Mekong River nations to combat online scams.

Residents have, however, frequently told RFA that despite the ongoing arrests of online scammers in northern Shan state, there is still an uncontrollable growth in online scam operations headed by Chinese nationals in Shwe Kokko, a town in southeastern Myanmar’s Kayin state under the control of an ethnic armed group, and in Tachileik, Shan state, which is bordered by Thailand and Myanmar.

China supplying funds, missiles and other sophisticated weaponry to terrorist group Arakan Army to weaken India and Myanmar

In 2020, news reports published in Myanmar accused China of supplying sophisticated arms to the Arakan Army armed group, a declared terrorist organisation in Myanmar, and other armed groups in Myanmar to have an upper hand over India and Myanmar.

According to military sources in Myanmar, approximately 95 per cent of Arakan Army funding comes from China. It further confirmed that the Arakan Army has approximately 50 MANPADS (Man-Portable Air Defense Systems) surface-to-air missiles.

The source revealed that by doing so, China wants to expand its area of influence towards western Myanmar that is, the India-Myanmar border.

The extent of China’s influence on the Arakan Army armed group was apparent when under China’s influence, the terrorist organisation sabotaged India’s $220 million road construction project in Myanmar in 2017-18.

The project was awarded to the Delhi-based contractor, C&C Constructions in June 2017. The clearance of the project was subsequently delayed by the Myanmar government until 2018. Eventually. when the project took off, the Arakan Army began to kidnap workers and crew members including Indian citizens, and sabotaged vehicles and construction materials.

Arakan Army, which is aided by China, is the largest terrorist group in Myanmar

Arakan Army is the largest terrorist group in the Rakhine state of Myanmar and is the armed wing of the political party, United League of Arakan (ULA).

On March 23, the Myanmar government designated the Arakan Army and ULA as terrorist organisations for “inciting fear” and disrupting the stability of the country by attacking government and civilian targets.

In 2019, the group allegedly attacked four police stations, causing 20 casualties among police. Some of the police died from their wounds.

China did not condemn the attack but instead said: “China supports all parties in Myanmar to promote reconciliation and peace talks and strongly opposes any form of violent attacks”.

Communist party to skip consecration ceremony of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya

ANI
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Communist party to skip consecration ceremony of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya

Senior CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat on Tuesday her party would skip the grand consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury is among the Opposition leaders invited to the event next year.

Defending the decision to give the grand consecration ceremony, which is to be headlined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a miss, the veteran Left leader said her party doesn’t subscribe to combining religion with politics and neither does it stand for the ‘politicisation’ of a religious event.

“Our party will not attend the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. We respect the religious sentiments of the people but they (BJP) are combining religion with politics. This is an attempt to politicise a religious programme. This is not right,” Karat, a member of the CPI(M)’s Politburo, told ANI on Monday.

“Using religion as a political weapon or for advancing a political agenda is not right,” she added.

“It is not right what these people are doing, it’s purely political,” the former Rajya Sabha MP said.

“Politics and religion must be separated and kept at a distance. Mixing them only advances the RSS agenda. When religion is used is a political weapon or a tool to advance an idea or agenda, it loses respect,” Karat added.

On whether the CPI(M) was boycotting the event, the veteran Left leader said, “There is no question of boycott. We have an understanding that using a religious function as a political weapon isn’t right.”

Yechury recently received a formal invite from the chairman of Ayodhya Ram Mandir Construction Committee, Nripendra Misra, for the consecration ceremony.

He is one among several top Opposition leaders, including former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, to have received an invitation to attend the grand temple opening.

The Trust has also invited Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and the party’s leader in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, to the event.

The attendance of senior Congress leaders has not yet been confirmed by the party.

The ceremony scheduled for 22 January will witness the installation of the idol of Ram Lalla at the grand temple. It is expected to be attended by hundreds of officials including the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The trust has also invited 4,000 saints of all sects for the ceremony.

Ahead of the consecration ceremony, the Uttaradhikari of Janaki Temple on the first week of January will take offerings locally called as “Bhaar” to Ayodhya, as a part of the ritual.

On January 22, one of the three idols being made from two stones brought from Karnataka and Rajasthan will be placed inside the sanctorum of the grand temple. The best idol from three stones will be selected in the first week of January for the consecration ceremony.

The trust has decided to enthrone the idol of Lord Ram at the sanctum sanctorum between noon and 12.45 pm on January 22. Lakshmi Kant Dixit, a Vedic priest, is scheduled to perform the main rituals of the consecration ceremony on the day.

Bolstering the relation between Janakpur and Ayodhya with the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya will further strengthen ties between Ayodhya and Janakpur, the heir of Janaki Temple, Ram Roshan Das opined earlier.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

‘Donate for Desh’ campaign flops: Congress manages to get only Rs 5.35 crores a week after launching the crowdfunding drive

OpIndia Staff
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‘Donate for Desh’ campaign flops: Congress manages to get only Rs 5.35 crores a week after launching the crowdfunding drive

Earlier this month, the Indian National Congress announced a mega crowdfunding donation drive in the run-up to Lok Sabha Elections 2024. However, the party could only secure donations worth Rs 5.35 crores even after the completion of a week of the donation drive.  

In a post, the treasurer of the Indian National Congress, Ajay Maken, announced that the party had collected Rs 5.35 crores a week after the campaign was kicked off by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. On the first day of the campaign, the party had collected a whopping Rs 1.45 crore rupees!

Ajay Maken wrote, “Till 7:30 pm 25 December, Rs 5.35 crore, On donateinc.in, our #DonateForDesh. Under crowd-funding campaign!! 2 lakh people joined this campaign in just one week!” 

The post added, “Now a new initiative, What is the total amount under this campaign? How much amount from which state, What percentage of people from which state took part in this campaign?” 

As per Maken’s post on X, Maharashtra is the largest contributor to the Congress party in this crowdfunding campaign, making a generous donation of Rs 82.48 lakh. In contrast, Chhattisgarh recorded the lowest contribution at Rs 18.87 lakh. Delhi followed with donations totaling Rs 38.93 lakh. 

The Congress party secured Rs 57.73 lakh (15.85%) from Rajasthan, Rs 47.07 lakh (11.88%) from Uttar Pradesh, Rs 46.84 lakh (4.18%) from Haryana, and Rs 31.56 lakh (4.34%) from Karnataka. Telangana contributed Rs 27.82 lakh (6.45%), Madhya Pradesh Rs 27.09 lakh (6.28%), and Tamil Nadu Rs 24.06 lakh (4.50%) through crowdfunding.

Notably, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, on 18th December, had launched the campaign from New Delhi where he donated Rs 1.38 lakh. On 28th December 2023, the party will mark its 138th anniversary. In alignment with that, it had issued an appeal to its supporters to contribute in multiples of ₹138, while urging its district and state-level workers to donate ₹1380. 

However, the paltry collection confirms the fact that the mega donation drive has fallen flat. The dry spell in donations has one major reason apart from the fact that voters’ confidence has eroded in the grand old party in the backdrop of recurrent seizures of unaccounted cash from Congress leaders. The reason is the failure of the party’s IT cell in locking top-level domains (TLDs) for its donation campaign!

Incidentally, the party overlooked a crucial detail in the digital age. They failed to secure the online presence of the campaign! The Congress Party forgot to register the top-level domains (TLDs) for its campaign! Consequently, donatefordesh.com and donatefordesh.org now redirect users to the support page of OpIndia and the donate page of BJP respectively. 

For a party that once prided itself on being the front-runner of Indian politics, this minuscule sum only highlights the downfall of its standing in the hearts of the masses. Not to forget, out of the money it has collected, Rs 1.38 lakh was donated by Party President Mallikarjun Kharge.

Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists using China-made weapons to attack Indian Army in Jammu & Kashmir: Reports

OpIndia Staff
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Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists using China-made weapons to attack Indian Army in Jammu & Kashmir: Reports

For their attacks on the Indian Army in Jammu and Kashmir, terrorists are reportedly using communication devices and weaponry made in China. According to intelligence agency information, the JeM and Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist organisations are using Chinese weapons, bodysuit cameras, and communication devices to launch attacks on the Indian Army. 

As per the India Today’s report, China is supplying the Pakistan army with drones, hand grenades, and other weapons which have been used by terrorist groups in recent attacks, and evidence of this has been discovered by security forces. The nexus was revealed following three major terror attacks this year.

Terrorists attempting to infiltrate into India from Pakistan were discovered using Chinese-made sniper rifles against Indian soldiers. A sniper gun was used against an Indian soldier on the Jammu border in one such attack in November.

According to reports, images released by the terrorist organisation following the three major terror attacks this year were taken from Chinese-made body cameras, and were also edited and morphed. Encrypted messaging devices used by terrorists for communication are also Chinese, intelligence agencies said.

The Pakistani army receives weapons, cameras, and communication devices from China on a regular basis, but instead of using them, it is apparently giving them to terrorist organisations in POK for infiltration and terrorist attacks in India.

Additionally, according to reports, Pakistan is bolstering its cyber capabilities and aims to surreptitiously monitor via Voice Over Internet Protocol with China’s assistance. China is also funding the establishment of a separate cyber security lab in Pakistan.

China has been providing Pakistan with modern and high-tech weapons in recent months, which are frequently used by Jaish and Lashkar terrorists to target security forces in Kashmir.

However, over the last two years, the Indian security system has consistently thwarted China’s attempts, providing an appropriate answer to Pakistan and China on both the Jammu and Ladakh fronts.

Five soldiers were martyred and two suffered injuries in the latest terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, December 21, when heavily armed terrorists ambushed two Army vehicles in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district.

According to reports, the Army is planning to send more troops to Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch-Rajouri sector to combat terrorist activities in the aftermath of the terror attack. There also is a plan to strengthen the area’s counter-terrorist grid by increasing troop strength.

ISIS link to Mangaluru cooker blast: The Congress link and how they had tried to shield the Jihadi by calling it ‘accidental blast’

OpIndia Staff
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ISIS link to Mangaluru cooker blast: The Congress link and how they had tried to shield the Jihadi by calling it ‘accidental blast’

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had on 29th November filed the chargesheet in the Islamic State (IS)-linked cooker blast case that took place in Mangaluru, Karnataka, last year. The NIA chargesheet that the terror accused used fake Hindu names and identity cards while carrying out the terror conspiracy. 

In Mangaluru, Karnataka, on November 19, an autorickshaw exploded. The explosion of the cooker bomb inside the vehicle caused burn injuries to the driver, Purshottham, and one passenger, later identified as Mohammed Shariq. It came to light that Mohammed Shariq, 24, was riding in the autorickshaw with a pressure cooker device. He intended to detonate the IED at Kadri Manjunatha Temple in Mangaluru to terrorize the Hindu community, but the low-intensity explosive accidentally detonated en route, according to the NIA chargesheet.

Notably, within 24 hours of the blast, the Director General of Police (DGP) Karnataka tweeted to confirm that this blast was an act of terror and a series of revelations appeared in the subsequent investigations.

“It’s confirmed now,” said the Director General of Police (DGP) in a tweet. “The blast is not accidental but an act of terror with the intention to cause serious damage. Karnataka State Police is probing deep into it along with central agencies.”

During the probe, it was revealed that Shariq was using a fake Aadhaar card with the Hindu name Premraj. He was already on the radar of the investigating agency for months. Following the incident, a case was registered at Kankanady police station and later on the case was transferred to the NIA.

Congress leader DK Shivakumar gives clean chit to the Mangaluru blast accused who had ISIS connections

While the NIA chargesheet revealed the entire nexus of the ISIS terror plot, it may be mentioned here that the Congress party had, after the incident, given a clean chit to the Mangaluru bomb blast accused Mohammed Shariq. Congress leader DK Shivakumar had raised questions over calling Mohammed Shariq who was carrying the cooker bomb a “terrorist”. 

Completely ignoring the fact that the NIA team investigating the matter had discovered plenty of evidence from the accused’s home that established his close ties to the Islamist terror group ISIS, the Congress leader questioned how someone could be labelled a terrorist without any investigation.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday 15th December 2022, the Congress leader questioned why the DGP tweeted in a ‘hurry’ with regard to the Mangaluru cooker blast case. He said that the Mangaluru bomb blast might have taken place by mistake and also questioned whether it was as big a terrorist attack as the one that happened in Mumbai, Delhi or Kashmir.

The Congress leader had, in fact, even raised fingers at the Karnataka DGP for confirming that the incident was not an accident but an act of terror.

“Why did the Karnataka DGP tweet in a hurry regarding the Mangaluru cooker blast incident? Why did he link it to terrorism? He declared the accused a terrorist without any probe. Was the incident similar to the 26/11 attack in Mumbai?” the Congress state president asked.

Congress accuses BJP of using Mangaluru cooker blast incident to divert attention

The Congress leader had, however, not stopped at this. Along with trying to shield the accused Islamists, he had continued to utilize the horrific terrorist attack for petty political purposes, accusing the Karnataka-based BJP of exploiting the Bangalore cooker bomb blast case for political gain.

“The BJP government has no significant achievement to showcase to voters. By projecting the blast in a big way, the government wants to steal votes… Who do you call a terrorist? What was shown on TV? What was shown in the media….nothing,” DK Shivakumar said.

Congress links with ISIS-sponsored Mangaluru cooker blast case

Interestingly, while the Congress leader was busy giving a clean chit to the Mangaluru bomb blast accused and accusing the BJP of planting the blast case to exploit people’s sentiments for its political gains in the 2023 Assembly elections and hush up lapses in the administration, his party’s links had emerged with the accused.

In January this year, the Enforcement Directorate conducted searches at five locations in Karnataka in connection with the Mangaluru cooker blast case. Searches were also conducted at the residence of accused Shariq in Shivamogga, who was the prime accused in the blast. The relatives of Shariq were also searched.

ED officials raided a complex in Theerthahalli. ED officials raided a shopping complex in the Soppa Gudda area which belonged to Shariq’s father and in the same complex, Congress rented an office. It emerged that the Congress office was taken on lease from the Mangaluru autorickshaw blast case accused Shariq’s family. An agreement was signed between Shariq’s father and Congress leader Kimmane Rathnakar’s niece, Naveen. 

Following the raids, the central agencies established that a deposit of Rs 10 lakh was made by senior Congress leader and former Education Minister Kimmane Rathnakar in the bank account of the grandmother of Mohammed Shariq, a terror suspect in the Mangaluru cooker blast case.

Officials from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Enforcement Directorate questioned Rathnakar since the agreement for the lease of the building was signed by his close relative.

Rathnakar however denied any connection with Majid, except for the party office rental agreement. “The party has an eight-year rental agreement under which a deposit of Rs 10 lakh and a monthly rent of Rs 1000 is paid to the landlord,” he told the local media.

Apart from this, the counter-terrorist task force, which had already established the connection between the Mangaluru cooker blast case and the Shivamogga ISIS conspiracy case also confirmed that one of the ISIS operatives, Reshaan Sheikh arrested in connection with the Shivamogga ISIS conspiracy case is the son of Karnataka Congress leader Thajuddin Sheikh.

NIA chargesheet in Mangaluru cooker blast case reveals its connections with the Shivamogga trial blast case

On 15th August 2022, a person named Prem Singh was stabbed to death in Shivamogga. Following the incident, a case was registered at Doddapet police station. Later on, two accused Zabiullah and Nadeem Faisal were arrested in this stabbing case. 

Mohammad Shariq who was also involved in the stabbing case went absconding. After absconding from Shivamogga, he went to Ulaibettu in Mangaluru where he stayed with Ansar, who was with him in jail in an earlier case.  

Both of them were earlier arrested in the Mangaluru “Lashkar Zindabad” case. While staying in Mangaluru, Shariq got in touch with Syed Yasin. 

Incidentally, both Mohammad Shariq and Syed Yasin had been charge-sheeted by NIA in both the terror cases – the Shivamogga trial blast case and the Mangaluru cooker blast case. 

ISIS operative arrested by NIA in connection with Shivamogga trial blast case turns out to be Karnataka Congress leader Thajuddin Sheikh’s son

Later, on January 5, 2023, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested two ISIS operatives, Reshaan Thajuddin Sheikh of Udupi District and Huzair Farhan Baig of Shivamogga District. NIA conducted a search operation at six locations across Karnataka in the districts of Dakshina Kannada, Shivamogga, Davanagere and Bengaluru in connection with the Shivamogga ISIS conspiracy case that led to the arrest of two ISIS Operatives.

The task force confirmed that the arrested Reshann Shekih is the son of Karnataka Congress leader Thajuddin Sheikh.

Reshaan Thajuddin Sheikh and Huzair Farhan Baig acquired funding through Cryto-wallets from ISIS handlers to promote terror activity in India.

Click here to read the NIA chargesheet in the Shivamogga trial blast case. The accused charge-sheeted in the case include Mohamed Shariq (25), Maaz Muneer Ahmed (23), Syed Yasin (22), Reeshaan Thajuddin Sheikh (22), Huzair Farhan Baig (22), Mazin Abdul Rahman (22), Nadeem Ahmed K A (22), Zabiulla (32) and Nadeem Faizal N (27).

Interestingly, a day after Reshaan Thajuddin Sheikh was taken into custody by the NIA, social media was rife with pictures of his father with several congress leaders. Thajuddin Sheikh, who is the general secretary of the Brahamvar Block Congress in Udupi reportedly is closely associated with former Chief Minister of Karnataka and senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah, KPCC president DK Shivakumar, and UT Khader.

HC rejects India Today’s plea against govt order asking them to run apology scroll for showing liquor ads: Details

OpIndia Staff
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HC rejects India Today’s plea against govt order asking them to run apology scroll for showing liquor ads: Details

The Delhi High Court recently dismissed a petition filed by TV Today Network (which runs news channels Aaj Tak and India Today among others) challenging a Central Government order asking the media network to run apologies scrolls for broadcasting liquor commercials on its news channels.

Justice Subramonium Prasad dismissed the petition, stating that TV Today had broken Rule 7 (Advertising Code) of the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994, by displaying the ‘100 Pipers’ logo while advertising 100 Pipers Music CDs.

“The display of the logo of ‘100 Pipers’ would thus appear to be in contravention of that Rule. Since the provisions of Rule 7 have not been complied with, the contention of the learned Counsel for the Petitioner that they had proceeded in good faith based on the CBFC [Central Board of Film Certification] certificate which was submitted by the advertiser cannot be accepted as the Rules do not permit the broadcaster to independently ascertain the veracity of the clip that is provided by the advertiser,” the Court observed.

As per Rule 7(1)(2)(viii)(A) of the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994, “Advertising carried in the cable service shall be so designed as to conform to the laws of the country and should not offend morality, decency and religious susceptibilities of the subscribers.” Further, the law does not allow any advertisement that promotes directly or indirectly the production, sale, or consumption of cigarettes, tobacco products, wine, alcohol, liquor, or other intoxicants (subject to conditions).

Concerning the running of the ‘All Seasons Club Soda’ advertisement, the Court determined that it was not even certified by the CBFC. The order was issued after TV Today filed a petition with the High Court challenging a Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) order dated 14th June 2022.

The MIB ordered TV Today to run an apology scroll at the bottom of the monitor four times a day between 9 AM and 9 PM for three straight days for broadcasting advertisements for 100 Pipers Music CDs and All Seasons Club Soda on its news channels.

TV Today maintained that, in the case of the ‘100 Pipers’ broadcast, the clip was aired based on the CBFC certificate, which was provided by the advertiser.

Regarding the ‘All Seasons Club Soda’ broadcast, it was stated that the brand name ‘All Seasons’ is commonly used by a variety of products other than a liquor brand.

The counsel maintained that the MIB orders should be overturned because the channel was not supposed to compare the clips provided by the advertiser with those certified by the CBFC before airing them. The media outlet had acted in good faith, the court was informed. 

Justice Prasad, however, rejected these arguments. “On a perusal of the clip and the screenshots that were produced, it is clearly evident that what was broadcast would not satisfy the well-recognized attributes of surrogate advertising. This clip admittedly was also not certified by CBFC. A visual examination of that clip would lead one to the irresistible conclusion that what was in fact being directly advertised was a prohibited product. The petitioner has thus clearly failed to act with prudence and care insofar as the broadcast of that particular clip is concerned,” the order dated 19th December read.

“In view of the above, this Court is not inclined to interfere with the Orders dated 14.06.2022, passed by the Competent Authority, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting,” the High Court concluded.

OMR manipulation, candidates jumping ranks, direct jobs without recommendation letters: West Bengal SSC admits ‘scam’ in recruitment of 8611 employees in 2016 alone

OpIndia Staff
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OMR manipulation, candidates jumping ranks, direct jobs without recommendation letters: West Bengal SSC admits ‘scam’ in recruitment of 8611 employees in 2016 alone

In an affidavit filed in the Calcutta High Court on Friday (22nd December), the West Bengal State Service Commission (WBSSC) has admitted ‘irregularities’ in the recruitment of 8611 employees in State-run schools.

It conceded that rules were violated in three exams that were conducted in 2016 for the recruitment of teachers for Std 9-10, appointment of Group C employees and appointment of Group D employees.

According to a report by ABP Ananda, OMR (optical mark reader) sheets were manipulated for the appointment of 2823 employees in the Group D category. About 170 people were given jobs directly without issuing recommendation letters.

Around 3800 employees were recruited in the Group C Category through fraudulent OMR sheets while 77 were given jobs directly without issuing recommendation letters.

At the same time, 907 people were appointed as teachers for Std 11 and 12 through OMR manipulation while 39 got jobs by jumping ranks. About 183 people jumped ranks and were appointed as teachers for Std 9 and Std 10. Around 972 candidates got jobs as teachers through OMR fraud.

All you need to know about the SSC scam

The West Bengal Teacher’s recruitment scam, more commonly referred to as the SSC scam, looks into the recruitment process conducted through the State Level Selection Test (SLT) conducted by SSC from 2014 to 2016.

The West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) announced in 2014 that teachers would be hired at state-run schools in West Bengal through the State Level Selection Test (SLST), which is when the alleged scam first surfaced.

In 2016, the hiring process got underway. At that time, Partha Chatterjee was the Minister-in-Charge of the West Bengal Department of Higher Education and School Education. Nevertheless, a number of complaints were submitted to the Calcutta High Court citing irregularities in the hiring procedure.

The petitioners alleged that many examinees who got lesser marks ranked high on the merit list. Several claims also surfaced regarding the receipt of appointment letters by some applicants who weren’t even on the merit list.

In a separate, but related instance, the Bengal government had in 2016 sent the School Service Commission (SSC) notification for the hiring of 13,000 Group D staff in government-run or aided schools.

Interestingly, the tenure of the panel responsible for said recruitment expired in 2019, but several petitioners alleged that recruitment had taken place despite the expiry of the panel’s tenure and as many as 25 persons were allegedly appointed by the WBBSE.

However, when the case came up for hearing, the petitioners alleged that not 25 but over 500 people were appointed after the SSC panel’s expiration and were now receiving salaries from the state government.

Soon a CBI probe was launched in the case following an order by the Calcutta High Court bench of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay. The court ordered the agency to interrogate the former chairman of the SSC advisory committee, SP Sinha, and other former members of the panel.

The court had asked the CBI to file a report after interrogating the former members. In April 2022, the CBI also registered an FIR against West Bengal Directorate of School Education former deputy director Alok Kumar Sarkar and unidentified officials of the SSC.

In May 2022, the Central Investigation Bureau (CBI) filed an FIR against West Bengal Education Minister Paresh Adhikari and his daughter Ankita Adhikari. The case was registered after the father-daughter duo skipped the CBI summon deadline that was set by the Calcutta High Court. Adhikari was summoned for illegally recruiting teachers in government-aided schools and also for allotting a job to his daughter despite her absence from the merit list.

As a part of the inquiry into the money laundering aspect of the SSC recruiting scandal, ED, in July last year, raided Partha Chatterjee’s premises and arrested him for swindling money worth crores in the form of bribes taken during his tenure as the state education minister. Several TMC ministers have since then been arrested for their alleged involvement in the multi-crore scam.

Alt News’ Mohammed Zubair spreads fake claims that Anju Bobby George joined BJP, yet to delete after multiple fact-checks

OpIndia Staff
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Alt News’ Mohammed Zubair spreads fake claims that Anju Bobby George joined BJP, yet to delete after multiple fact-checks

On 25th December, Alt News’ co-founder out-on-bail Mohammed Zubair targetted former athlete Anju Bobby George for praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In a social media post, he claimed that mainstream media reports mentioned that she praised PM Modi but did not mention that she joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2019. In the post, he wrote, “ANI forgot to mention that BJP member Anju George joined the party in 2019” and shared two screenshots from ANI. One from 23rd December, where ANI shared a video of Anju praising PM Modi, and the second from July 2019, where ANI mistakenly claimed Anju joined the BJP.

Zubair, who claims to be the ‘messiah’ of fact-checking, failed to fact-check if Anju joined the BJP. On 6th July, Anju Bobby George attended an event where BJP Karnataka President BS Yeddyurappa was present. In a post on X (then-Twitter), ANI wrote, “Anju Bobby George, India’s first athletics medallist at the World Championship, joins BJP in the presence of Karnataka BJP President BS Yeddyurappa.”

Zubair’s post on X

However, the report was incorrect, and Anju refuted the claims that she had no political aspirations. Speaking to the media, she said, “I had gone there just to meet the minister (V Muraleedharan), a family friend. When the BJP leaders saw me standing near the stage, they called me on stage and greeted me with the flag. They did not even know that I was present at the function. Sports is my party, and I have no intention of joining any party.”

Union Minister of State for External Affairs V. Murlaeedharan also refuted the claims that Anju joined the BJP. Speaking to the Indian Express, he said he has had a long association with Anju and her husband, Robert Bobby George. When he went to a party programme in Bengaluru, Anju called and asked to meet, to which he agreed. “When she came to the programme where I was taking part, the event was about to begin. So I invited her to the dais, as she is an internationally acclaimed athlete.”

Notably, a statement by Karnataka BJP media convener S Shantaram also created confusion in the matter as he slammed her for saying that she did not join the party. He had said, “She came on stage, took the party flag & our state President announced she joined the BJP. Don’t know why she changed stand. Doesn’t she know the meaning of taking the flag on stage from the president?” Later, he told BOOM there was some miscommunication as she came to the dias and accepted the flag. However, when BOOM contacted Anju, she categorically refuted the claims that she had joined the BJP and clarified that she only went to meet the minister.

Zubair refused to delete the post even after multiple fact-checks

Interestingly, Zubair, according to the left liberals, who is the “poster boy” of fact-checking, did not correct his fake post even after multiple fact-checks. Replying to Zubair, Ankur Singh wrote, “Why are you spreading Fake News even after four years? She never joined the BJP. Anju and BJP both clarified on the same day. There were several fact checks too. But why will you show the truth?”

In a post, X user Mr Sinha fact-checked Zubair and wrote, “Anju Bobby George never joined BJP, it was cleared in 2019 itself and yet this guy who calls every other person fake news peddler & himself a fact checker sharing fake news…”

The most interesting thing is that one of Zubair’s favourite media houses, Maktoob Media, also fact-checked whether Anju joined the BJP or not 2019 and came to the conclusion that the reports were false. In a way, Maktoob Media’s 2019 fact-check fact-checked Alt News’ Mohammed Zubair in 2023.

‘Weak opposition is a problem, Court can’t act as opposition to confront the govt’: Justice SK Kaul

OpIndia Staff
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‘Weak opposition is a problem, Court can’t act as opposition to confront the govt’: Justice SK Kaul

Supreme Court Judge Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul who was part of many key verdicts, including the 2017 privacy ruling, same-sex marriage case, and Article 370, retired on 25th December. 22nd December (Friday) was his last working day at the apex court. Post-retirement, in an exclusive interview with the Indian Express, Justice Kaul talked about a range of issues including politics, judiciary, oppositions, and also his post-retirement plan in Kashmir.

During the interview on 26th December, Justice Kaul stated that there were times when his personal opinions differed from the judicial ones but believed that there is a natural flow of the task that the judiciary has to perform. “I may not agree with all judgments. I was a party to the Rafale verdict and my own thinking is that we are not to sit in judgment over contracts. There are very limited parameters on which you examine these issues. My views on bail are perceived to be fairly liberal and very different from those of the government. Even on judicial appointments, I’ve held a different view. All of them will always be a little tough and that is part of the job. They don’t like anybody to interfere and the judiciary’s job is to check and balance. So it is the natural flow of the task that the judiciary has to perform,” he said.

He also commented on the government’s working system when asked whether the current government was more aggressive and whether the judiciary gave the benefit of the doubt to the government. He said that Congress when in power was socialist in character but now has become a weak opposition. He asserted that in the absence of weak opposition, the Court cannot act as an opposition.

“A weak opposition is also a problem. The absence of legislators from the opposition of the Parliament is an important factor. Maybe in public perception, it is their inability to politically handle the government. Now, the court cannot be placed to politically handle the government… The court cannot be the opposition,” Justice Kaul was quoted as saying.

“The judiciary is a check and balance but to say, look, the government is doing this wrong and now, you have to do something about it — is wrong. Sometimes we forget the past. When there is a strong executive, there will be a little pushback for the judiciary. From 1990 onwards we have had coalition governments. So the judiciary was able to advance its cause, sometimes even transgress into some areas, I feel,” he added. 

The interviewer meanwhile also highlighted the allegations often leveled at the Centre regarding legislation allegedly being passed without debate in a rushed manner. Justice Kaul then opined that the judiciary’s task is different from the task of the government and that how much pre-consultation should there be is the Parliament’s task. “Now, this government has a system by which apparently – consultation takes place in a different manner… not so much in the public domain but behind closed doors,” he said.

According to Justice Kaul, before a law is brought into force, there should be a legal impact study. “We are a very divided society in some ways. That is, because, politically, either people are with the government or very anti-government. There are many things that the government does, which are good, but maybe things which we may disagree with… traversing that middle path has become more difficult,” he said.

Sharing his post-retirement plans, Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul stated that he now wants to spend more time in Kashmir where he has his old property. He intends to rebuild the property and spend most of his time in the Union territory where his house was burnt down. He says that he has attained permission to rebuild the house and will soon begin the process.

He also stated that he has no plans to join politics or in the post-retirement roles offered to the judges by the government. “I have done this for almost 40 years as a lawyer and a judge. Then there is Governorship and, the way I see it, it compromises my standing. That means I did things because I wanted something from the government. By God’s grace, I’m not in need of money, so I will work only to keep my mind occupied. If there are arbitrations or opinions that come my way, I will do that at a pace that I can control but, otherwise, I want to spend time with my grandchildren,” he said.

Justice Kaul was appointed to the Delhi High Court in 2001. Before being appointed to the Supreme Court, he served as Acting Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, and Chief Justice of the Madras High Court. 

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