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Multiple arrests, bulldozer action; land dispute and the SP connection: All about the Deoria massacre in UP which claimed lives of 6 people

OpIndia Staff
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Multiple arrests, bulldozer action; land dispute and the SP connection: All about the Deoria massacre in UP which claimed lives of 6 people

In Uttar Pradesh’s Deoria murder case, the district administration is mulling to take bulldozer action against the illegal properties of Premchand Yadav, the former district panchayat member who was killed in the massacre that happened as an apparent act of retribution following a longstanding land dispute between the families of Prem Yadav and Satya Prakash Dubey. Satya Prakash Dubey and 4 other members of his family were also killed in the incident that occurred on October 2, 2023.

While the police have arrested 16 people in connection with the case, sources say that the district administration, led by SDM Judicial Seema Pandey, spent a full day examining the property surrounding Premchand Yadav and the homes of the other accused. According to the probe, a portion of Yadav’s newly built house is located on agricultural land, raising the possibility of bulldozer action. 

Administrative officials have been quoted by media as saying that if any irregularities are found after inspection of the disputed properties then bulldozers will be used on Premchand Yadav’s house.

The decade-old land dispute that led to the Deoria tragedy

On October 2, Monday, a decade-old land dispute between the families of a former zila panchayat member named Prem Yadav and Satya Prakash Dubey in the Fatehpur village of Uttar Pradesh’s Deoria district claimed the lives of half a dozen people, including women and minors. The massacre that happened in broad daylight, that too in a span of less than 30 minutes, sparked tension in the region leading to heavy deployment of police force in the village and adjoining regions.

For a long period, the village strongman, Prem Yadav, and Satya Prakash Dubey in the Deoria area had been embroiled in a property dispute.

According to Superintendent of Police Sankalp Sharma, a preliminary investigation revealed that Prem Yadav purchased 10 bighas of land from Satya Prakash’s elder brother Gyan Chand Dubey in 2014. Satya Prakash opposed the sale and filed a lawsuit. Gyan Chand left the state a few years after selling his farm.

Although the case is still pending in court, things turned ugly on Monday (October 2) at about 7:30 a.m. when Prem Yadav went to inspect the land he purchased near Satya Prakash’s residence.

According to the police, Satya Prakash also arrived at the scene and made some remarks against Prem Yadav. He then went back home. Prem Yadav arrived at Satya Prakash’s house a few minutes later, and the two had a furious altercation. The situation quickly deteriorated, and a woman from Satya Prakash’s family attacked Prem Yadav with blunt instruments, killing him instantly.

When word of Yadav’s death circulated throughout the hamlet, a horde of his supporters stormed Dubey’s home and bludgeoned him and four other members of his family, namely Satya Prakash Dubey’s wife Kiran Devi (52), his son Dipesh (known as Gandhi, aged 15), and his daughters Saloni (17) and Nandini (10) to death. Anmol (8), one of the Dubey children, survived the assault and is currently receiving critical medical care in a local hospital.

The police said that Dubey’s family members tried to save themselves by locking the house from the inside but the frenzied mob broke the doors open, barged into the house, and killed them.

Incidentally, Dubey’s family is the only Brahmin family in the entire hamlet. Sarvesh Dubey, the 18-year-old son of Satya Prakash Dubey, who was out when the incident occurred, told the media, “It was my brother’s birthday. I didn’t know that this would happen. I went to the Katha and told him that I will give him whatever I get from it.”

“We ask the government that strict action must be taken against the culprits,” he added and broke down.

Satya Prakash Dubey’s son also alleged that Premchand Yadav came to their residence and threatened his father before proceeding to beat him. He further said that Premchand Yadav also misbehaved with his sister. He further said that his father was encircled by the mob before being assassinated. The older of Prem Yadav’s two surviving sons voiced his anguish and said that the mob murdered his father in front of everyone.

Premchand Yadav’s wife Sheela Yadav, meanwhile, stated that her husband had received a call on Monday morning after which he left alone in haste on his bike. “He was not aware that the Dubey family had assimilated a group of people in their house to attack him. He went all alone. The people at Dubey’s house attacked and killed him. When we received a call from there, I asked my father-in-law to go there but we don’t know what actually happened.”

The wife of the deceased Premchand Yadav further added that her family wishes death for the entire Dubey family.

Since the news of the incident was reported by the media, it has generated a lot of buzz on social media.

BJP Deoria MLA calls it a fight between the land mafia and a poor family

Amidst all the allegations and counter-allegations, Deoria MLA Shalabh Mani Tripathi called the incident a retribution of a family tussle between the strong land mafia family of Premchand Yadav and a poor and destitute family of Satya Prakash Dubey. He also shared local newspaper clippings as proof of this.

Legal cases add to the misery of Satya Prakash Dubey’s family

According to media reports, Satya Prakash Dubey’s family was financially weak. Satya Prakash Dubey used to drive a private vehicle to support his family. One of his daughters Shobita was married and the other one Saloni was teaching in a private school so that she could support her father in the family expenses. His older son Gandhi used to work in an electrical shop in Pakri Bazaar while the second son, Devesh, used to support the family by conducting pujas and religious functions in Deoria.

Satya Prakash Dubey’s house was in such disarray that even covering one’s head in the rain was difficult. The entire family practically resided in a shed. To make matters worse, Satya Prakash Dubey’s family was embroiled in numerous court proceedings and lawsuits.

Prem Yadav’s Samajwadi Party connection; allegations of being a land mafia

It was also reported in the local version of another newspaper that Prem Yadav had ties with the Samajwadi Party. Prem Yadav was frequently involved in land-related controversies. He utilized money and political influence to gain control of the land. He has been accused of forcing his way into purchasing several expensive lands at low prices. He had purchased three kathas of disputed land in the Rudrapur stretch, and the issue was currently being heard by the Gram Panchayat.

According to locals, Prem Yadav usurped the land of a government educational institute and Gram Sabha and built a posh building on it. He had acquired one acre of land in the village while serving as the District Panchayat member. A plot of land in the village is registered in the name of Manas Vidyalaya, however, it is owned by Prem Yadav. He also owns the land registered in the name of GS School and Barn. He used his political clout and influence to illegally acquire the forest department’s land, as well as the school and the one-acre land in the village.

It has also been alleged that Prem Yadav used to perpetrate these crimes with the help of Revenue Department officials. According to Ramashish Nishad, village head representative, despite multiple appeals to the Revenue Department, no action was taken to remove the illegal encroachment.

Locals also revealed that Prem Yadav’s mother was the village chief in Deoria’s Fatehpur village. Satya Prakash Dubey’s brother Gyan Prakash Dubey had no family, thus by providing him shelter, Prem Yadav gained his trust and usurped Gyan Prakash’s land and transferred it in his name.

It may be noted that in her complaint, Satya Prakash Dubey’s elder daughter, Shobita Dwivedi, had referenced a prior incident in 2014 when Prem Prakash Yadav allegedly kidnapped her uncle Gyan Prakash Dubey and forcibly made him transfer his agricultural land, subsequently leading to a protracted legal dispute.

In response to these allegations, BJP MLA Shalabh Mani Tripathi stated, “For those who are sitting hundreds of miles away from ground zero and are assessing the Deoria incident on their own, here are these local newspaper reports.” Because this is a battle between the land mafia and a very impoverished family, the fight for justice will be waged at whatever cost.”

The BJP MLA confirmed that he went to Satya Prakash Dubey’s house and met his son. He also learned about the incident from local villagers. He has assured cooperation to Satya Prakash Dubey’s bereaved family.

Samajwadi Party uses the incident to hit out at Yogi Govt

Leader of Opposition in UP Assembly and Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav jumped to use the incident to gain political brownie points. Reacting sharply over the incident, the SP chief called for a high-level investigation into the murder, alleging the killings were a result of ‘governance failure’.

“The Deoria incident happened due to the failure of governance and negligence or involvement of the administration somewhere. I wish the Chief Minister’s expression of grief would bring back people’s lives. Only a high-level investigation can uncover the secrets of this murder and provide justice. This investigation should be done immediately,” wrote Yadav on X (formerly Twitter).

UP police files FIRs against 83 people, arrest 16 people

Late on Monday night, police registered cross-FIRs at the Rudrapur police station. The first FIR, filed by Dubey’s daughter, Shobhita Dwivedi (27), named 27 individuals and nearly 50 unidentified individuals in connection with her family’s killings. In a second FIR, Prem Prakash’s uncle accused Satya Prakash Dubey and four of his family members (who later died) of murdering his nephew.

Deoria SP Sankalp Sharma provided an update, stating, “All five persons booked for the murder of Prem Prakash are dead. So far, we have arrested 16 people for the murder of Satya Prakash and his family members. Of those arrested, 12 were named in the FIR, and the role of the remaining four came to light during the investigation.”

Police efforts are currently underway to locate the suspects.

UP CM Yogi Adityanath orders impartial probe into the Deoria incident

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, meanwhile, personally visited Baba Raghav Das Medical College in Gorakhpur on Tuesday, October 3 to meet eight-year-old Anmol Dubey, the sole survivor of the devastating attack on his family. The Chief Minister instructed hospital authorities to ensure that Anmol receives the best possible medical care.

Yogi Adityanath also ordered the State police to take the strictest action in the case. “The unfortunate incident in Deoria district is extremely sad and condemnable. My condolences are with the bereaved family. After reaching the spot, the Additional Director General (ADG)/Commissioner/ Inspector General (IG) has been instructed to take the strictest action and district administration officials have been instructed to provide proper treatment to the injured. The culprits of this incident will not be spared at any cost,” the CM said.

Senior police officer Prashant Kumar, meanwhile, said action would be taken against those who took the law into their hands. “A police force has been deployed and all senior officers are present,” he said.

Uttar Pradesh: Farmer reaches police station to file FIR against goats in Kanpur, accuses them of stealing flowers

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Farmer reaches police station to file FIR against goats in Kanpur, accuses them of stealing flowers

A bizarre case has come to light in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur where a person named Shailendra Nishad reached a police station with a complaint against goats for stealing flowers. According to him, some goats entered his field and started eating the marigold blooms. He was able to catch two of them from the spot which he then put in an auto and drove to the cops. This has created a peculiar situation for the authorities who are now in an odd predicament and unsure of what course of action to take.

The culprit goats. (Source: Aaj Tak)

The strange incident which transpired in the Gauri Kakra village of the Bhitargaon block has turned into a topic of discussion in the neighbourhood. Flowers are cultivated around here and the complainant who is a farmer by profession is also into Floriculture. He had been worried for quite some time because someone would secretly pluck them in the evening. He asked the people of his hamlet regarding the same but could not find any information.

On 2nd October, he decided against going to the city to sell the flowers and sat down with a stick to guard his fields. Meanwhile, in the evening he discovered that four to five goats had invaded his land from one side and devoured the flowers. He became outraged and tried to capture the four-legged thieves.

However, he was able to nab only two of them after which he went straight to the road, loaded them into the vehicle and arrived at the police station. The policemen were astounded to witness the man with the goats and shocked to learn the reason behind his visit.

When the cops inquired about the purpose of bringing the livestock there, he responded, “Sir, they quietly gorge on my flowers every day due to which I am suffering a lot of financial loss. However, the owner of the goats does not pay any attention to them. Therefore, I caught these goats which steal and eat my flowers and brought them here.”

The cops were perplexed about what to do after hearing his story, however, they later found out who the animals belonged to. Police Inspector Pramod Kumar informed that they are of a girl in the village. Someone had loosed them and they went into the fields, but now instruction has been given to keep them tied. Authorities have also warned that the animals should not enter the victim’s fields again. The matter was resolved and he has forgiven the goat owner and no First Information Report was submitted either.

Matthew Hayden and Ramiz Raja promote Islam during World Cup 2023: Why ICC and BCCI must stop cricket from becoming the ground for Islamic conversions

Paurush Gupta
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Matthew Hayden and Ramiz Raja promote Islam during World Cup 2023: Why ICC and BCCI must stop cricket from becoming the ground for Islamic conversions

On 3rd October (Tuesday), Australian opener Matthew Hayden and Ramiz Raja exploited the BCCI-backed ICC World Cup 2023 platform to promote Islam while doing commentary in a warm-up game. Hayden and Ramiz Raja deliberately overlooked the unifying potential of sports and abused the platform to propagate their individual religious ideologies and leverage its wider reach.  

While commentating, Hayden emphasised that he greatly admires that the Pakistani Cricket unit is very well focused on Islam and it has made them disciplined. The Australian opener also stressed that it is the Islamic way of life that gives discipline.  

Notably, the incident unfolded on 3rd October when Australia and Pakistan played a warm-up match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. While commentating, Ramiz Raja asked Hayden about his experience of working with the Pakistan cricket team.

To which, Hayden preached that the Islamic way of life gives discipline which he greatly admired. He added that Pakistani cricket is also very focused around Islam and it is the core thing of the Pakistani playing side.    

He said, “Well it’s very focused around Islam, which is the central and core thing to this playing unit. And that principle and the way of life leads to great discipline, which I greatly admire. After all, cricket is very much a discipline as well. You have to be committed. You have to be invested, and you have to be consistent.”

Matthew Hayden reveals he was gifted the Quran by Pakistani player Mohammed Rizwan

It is important to note that Matthew Hayden was the coach of the Pakistan cricket team during the T20 World Cup 2021 and T20 World Cup 2022. Back in November 2021, in an interview given to News Corp Australia, Hayden revealed that Pakistani cricketer Muhammad Rizwan gifted him an English version of the Quran. 

He stated that he was curious about Islam, and when Rizwan came to know about his curiosity with respect to Islam, he gifted him an English translation of the Holy Quran. Narrating the incident, he said it was a beautiful moment, one which he will never forget. 

He noted that both of them also discussed Islam and its beliefs at length, and he is reading the Quran a bit daily.

Regarding that episode, Hayden said, “It was Rizzy (Mohammad Rizwan) and I have to say it was a beautiful moment I will never forget. I am curious about Islam even though I am a Christian. One follows Christ and the other Muhammad and in a sense never shall meet but he presented me with an English version of the Quran. We sat on the floor for half an hour and talked through it. I am reading a bit of it each day. Rizzy is one of my favourite individuals, a champion human being.”

However, Mohammad Rizwan’s approach to Matthew Hayden, encouraging him to explore Islam, is just one instance of a broader trend where Islamic cricketers and commentators particularly from Pakistan have repeatedly abused their platform to propagate Islam and proselytisation of non-believers. 

Pakistan players courting non-Muslims on cricket ground to embrace Islam

Earlier, a video of Pakistani cricketer Ahmed Shehzad pestering Sri Lankan cricketing legend Tilakratne Dilshan to convert to Islam went viral on social media. In a 21-second long video, Shehzad was heard saying, “If you are a non-Muslim and you turn Muslim, no matter whatever you do in your life, straight to heaven.” 

In the video, it seems that Dilshan did not pay any heed to the comments of the Pakistani cricketer. However, when the Sri Lankan legend finally responded (which was not captured by the microphone), Ahmed Shehzad warned, “Then be ready for the (Hell) fire.”

Reflecting on the on-field proselytisation by the Pakistani cricketer, the Twitter user wrote, “Pakistan Cricket Team has 11 maulvis (clerics), not 11 cricketers.”

Religious discrimination faced by non-Muslims in Pakistan

Apart from proselytisation, Pakistani cricketers are infamous for discriminating on the basis of the religious beliefs of other cricketers. In December 2019, former pace bowler Shoaib Akhtar exposed Pakistan’s extremism against Hindus. In a chat show, Akhtar revealed how his teammates ill-treated ex-cricketer Danish Prabha Shanker Kaneria for being a Hindu.

Following Akhtar’s revelations, Danish Kaneria admitted that whatever Shoiab Akhtar revealed in the chat show about discrimination against him on the basis of religion was the truth. Kaneria was the second Hindu and seventh non-Muslim overall to represent Pakistan in international cricket.  

Similarly, Mohammad Yousuf, who was a Dalit Christian and known as Yousuf Youhana, changed his religion and name later in his career because of religious discrimination. Former Pakistani diplomat Shaharyar M Khan who also served as the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board between 2003 and 2006 wrote about Yousuf’s controversial apostasy in his book, Cricket Cauldron: The Turbulent Politics of Sport in Pakistan.

According to Khan, Yousuf converted to Islam because his teammates, particularly Inzamam-ul-Haq, pestered him to undergo religious conversion. Secondly, Yousuf believed that after conversion he could become captain of the Pakistani side.

The normalisation of communal bigotry by Pakistanis: Waqar Younis said he was proud to see Rizwan offering namaz in front of Hindus

Furthermore, there are numerous instances that highlight that Pakistani cricketers and commentators have normalised communal bigotry against non-Muslims. 

In October 2021, Pakistani fast bowler Waqar Younis was elated to share that it was very special for him when Mohammad Rizwan recited the Namaz in front of Hindus during the India versus Pakistan match at the T20 World Cup.

Speaking on the talk show, Younis said, “The manner in which Babar and Rizwan batted, sensible yet aggressive, the strike-rotation, the look on their faces, it was amazing. The best thing, what Rizwan did, Mashallah, he offered the Namaz on the ground surrounded by Hindus, that was really something very very special for me.”

Once, Shoaib Akhtar advocated the Islamic supremacist fantasy of ‘Ghazwa-e-Hind’, stating that Islamic forces would capture Kashmir and invade India. 

Akhtar had said, “It is written in our scriptures that Ghazwa e Hind will take place. The river in Attock will be coloured red twice with blood. Forces from Afghanistan will reach till Attock. Then after that forces will rise from Shamal Mashriq, and different contingents will arrive from Uzbekistan etc…this refers to Khorasan, a historical region that extended till Lahore. Later those forces will conquer Kashmir, and then, inshallah, they will march onwards (to the rest of India).” 

Pertinent to note that the Islamist doctrine Shoaib Akhtar endorsed has often been cited by terrorists to justify their attacks in India. The Islamist terror attacks on India take place under the banner of Ghazwa-e-Hind. Radicals in Pakistan are trained and brainwashed with the concept of Ghazwa-e-Hind, to prepare them for suicide missions in India and legitimise their jihad against India. 

Old anti-Hindu, anti-India tweets of Pakistani TV presenter Zainab Abbas, who joined the team of panellists hosting the World Cup 2023, go viral

The list of Pakistani cricketers and commentators spewing venom against non-believers is non-exhaustive but recently it also surfaced online when Pakistani commentator Zainab Abbas embarked on a visit to India to host the World Cup as presenter in India. 

On 2nd October, screenshots of old anti-Hindu, anti-India tweets of Pakistani cricket presenter Zainab Abbas surfaced online. 

In her old tweets, she had written deplorable things mocking India and Hindus telling them to eat meat and using phrases like ‘stinking cow piss’ to describe India. Notably, Pakistan has been notorious for using such slurs to derange Indians as meek Hindus who are afraid of their ‘martial race’.

Why ICC and BCCI must stop cricket from turning into a ground for Islamic conversions

Yet, the BCCI and the apex governing body of cricket, the ICC, have remained mute spectators to the rampant abuse of the sport by a bunch of radicalised individuals who have used the immense reach of the game and the recognition it has given to them to propagate their religious beliefs while serving in their official capacity as sportspersons or commentators. Even worse, those who have displayed communal bigotry against Hindus have been rewarded with lucrative contracts and included in the commentary panel for commentating in the World Cup 2023, as witnessed with the inclusion of Waqar Younis and Zainab Abbas. Not just BCCI and the ICC, the buck also stops with the Indian government to prepare a list of individuals with a history of anti-Hindu bigotry and put them on a visa blacklist so that they don’t slip into India under any context.

A sport bridges differences between people from different religions, groups, nationalities, and walks of life. It is a source of entertainment for millions of fans who forget the daily grind of life and immerse themselves in the game for the adrenaline rush and excitement it generates. When religious dogmas and beliefs get promoted on the plank of a sport, it not only vitiates the game but also undermines the secularism that the game embodies, fuelling divisions and endorsing supremacism. 

Just like India’s founding fathers envisioned separating politics from religion, ICC and BCCI would do well to separate cricket from religion. Otherwise, we might as well see cricket unravelling, just like the implosion of Pakistan, an Islamic country carved out of undivided India on the basis of religion. 

As the World Cup is being hosted in India and BCCI has the requisite leverage power over ICC, the highest decision-making body in cricket, it is for the BCCI to make sure that the World Cup 2023 platform is not abused to propagate religious ideologies or ground for conversion. The bare minimun the BCCI and the ICC can do is terminate the contracts of Matthew Hayden, Ramiz Raja, Waqar Younis, and Zainab Abbas, and send a message to the cricketers and commentators that proselytisation of any faith and anti-Hindu bigotry will not be tolerated.

Bihar: JD(U) MLA Gopal Mandal visits hospital with a revolver in hand, netizens say it is return of ‘jungleraj’ after video goes viral

OpIndia Staff
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Bihar: JD(U) MLA Gopal Mandal visits hospital with a revolver in hand, netizens say it is return of ‘jungleraj’ after video goes viral

On Tuesday, October 3, Janata Dal (United) MLA Gopal Mandal made headlines after he arrived at the Jawahar Lal Nehru Medical College and Hospital (JLNMCH) in Bihar’s Bhagalpur with a revolver in his hand. It is said that he had accompanied his granddaughter Avni for medical treatment at the hospital. He said that he carried the revolver in self-defence.

The video of the said incident is making rounds over social media in which the MLA can be seen flaunting a revolver in his right hand while waiting in the corridor of the hospital for his granddaughter.

Netizens took cognizance of the event and condemned the leader for carrying a gun and flaunting it out in the open at the hospital. They said that ‘gundaraj’ or ‘jungleraj’ had returned in the state of Bihar. The incident has also raised several questions on the law and order situation in the state of Bihar.

Screenshot from Twitter

MLA Gopal Mandal meanwhile has commented on the issue saying that he carries the revolver for his self-security and that he possesses the license of the said arm. He said that there are many criminals, people belonging to politics who pose a threat to his life. He also said that this is usual for him and that he has a habit of carrying a gun in his hands.

He said he carries the gun for self-defence, citing continuing political pressure and prior threats from criminals. He declared with certainty that he would shoot anyone who would threaten him. In announcing his intention to run for MP, Mandal cited a caste-based survey that highlighted the sizable voter demographic in his group. He still enjoys popularity among his supporters in spite of his contentious behavior.

Mandla has previously threatened a doctor, and a DSP, and gained notoriety for taking an odd stroll on the Tejas Rajdhani Express while only wearing his pants. 

Mahadev Betting App scam: Enforcement Directorate summons actor Ranbir Kapoor to record statement

OpIndia Staff
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Mahadev Betting App scam: Enforcement Directorate summons actor Ranbir Kapoor to record statement

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned actor Ranbir Kapoor in relation to the Mahadev Betting App scam. This comes about 19 days after ED sources had revealed that several Bollywood celebrities including singers, dancers, and actors attended the wedding ceremony of the scam-accused owner of Mahadev Betting App, Saurabh Chandrakar.

The actor has been directed to be present before the central agency on 6th October. Ranbir Kapoor has reportedly promoted the Mahadev Online Book APP.

ED has claimed that the actor was given a large amount of money in exchange for the promotions, which was from the proceeds of the crime. Hindustan Times has quoted ED sources as saying that some celebrities are likely to be summoned as witnesses in the money laundering case against the platform.

The Free Press Journal quoting sources has reported that Ranbir’s statement will be recorded as a witness.

Officials will aim to establish when the actor began promoting the app, the amount of money received for the promotions, and the mode of payment (whether by cheque or cash).

The officials also aim to seek information about individuals with whom he came into contact for promotional purposes and wish to confirm if any contracts were signed.

Republic TV has reported that ED sources say that the actor has been asked to explain his association with the main accused who is on the run. Citing top sources, Republic TV claims that celebrities were flown down to Dubai in a private chartered flight for the wedding of main accused Saurabh Chandrakar.

The ED had reportedly raided the offices of several celebrity managers in Mumbai and Delhi a few days ago. The agency seized cash worth Rs 2.50 crore.

According to CNN-News18 sources, 17 more A-listers are under ED’s radar and could interrogate them.

What is the Mahadev Betting App case?

In August this year, the ED conducted several raids as part of its probe into the banking transactions of the Mahadev Betting App. Large transactions allegedly worth Rs 5000 crore were made through the application which is under scrutiny.

According to officials, the Mahadev gaming application is being operated from over 25 centres. ED estimates that around a million individuals have placed bets on Mahadev’s application in 2021.

This came after the owner of the app, Saurabh Chandrakar grabbed eyeballs for his lavish wedding in Dubai in February 2023 for which a whopping Rs 200 crore was paid in cash.

Based on digital evidence gathered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), it was found that a substantial sum of Rs 112 crore was transferred via hawala channels to an event management company known as M/s R-1 Events Pvt. Ltd., which is owned by Yogesh Popat.

Additionally, hotel bookings worth Rs 42 crore were settled in cash using United Arab Emirates dirhams. As a result of these findings, the ED conducted searches at the residences of Yogesh Popat, an individual named Mithilesh, and other affiliated organisers. During these operations, unaccounted cash totalling Rs 2.37 crore was seized.

Further investigation revealed a concerning pattern where numerous celebrities endorsed various betting entities and performed at their events in exchange for substantial fees. These payments often went through convoluted transactions but ultimately originated from the earnings generated by online betting.

It is alleged that the event management company, M/s R-1 Events Pvt. Ltd., received payments through hawala channels to facilitate the participation and performances of these celebrities at the wedding event.

Additionally, these sources revealed that the promoters of the Mahadev app went to great lengths, spending approximately Rs 200 crore in cash to fund Chandrakar’s wedding. This even involved the hiring of private jets to transport family members and others attending the wedding from Nagpur to the UAE.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has carried out search operations at 39 different locations spanning Raipur, Bhopal, Mumbai, and Kolkata. During these operations, illicit assets with a total value of Rs 417 crore have been seized. Furthermore, the ED has commenced investigations on an international scale, and the PMLA Special Court in Raipur has issued Non-Bailable Warrants (NBWs) against individuals who are currently evading authorities.

India’s ace javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra bags gold in Asian Games, Kishore Jena finishes second to bring home the silver

OpIndia Staff
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India’s ace javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra bags gold in Asian Games, Kishore Jena finishes second to bring home the silver

On Tuesday, October 4, Neeraj Chopra added another gold feather to his illustrious cap after winning a gold medal for India in the men’s javelin throw finals at the 19th edition of the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China with a throw of 88.88 meters, which is his season best.

Neeraj recorded his best throw of 88.88 m in his fourth attempt and kept his lead intact till the very end. 

India’s javelin thrower Kishore Jena stunned the country by giving a fair share of competition to his countrymate Neeraj Chopra as he registered a throw of 87.54 m, his personal best, in his fourth attempt. Jena finished second to bring home the silver medal for India.

India’s Kishore qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics men’s javelin throw event with an 86.77m throw in Hangzhou, China on Wednesday. The other opponents were nowhere near Neeraj and Jena.

With this remarkable victory, India’s ace javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, also the reigning Olympic and world champion, comfortably defended his men’s javelin throw title at the Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou, the People’s Republic of China on Wednesday.

The men’s javelin throw event featured Neeraj Chopra and his compatriot Kishore Jena. Notably, after the first two attempts, Neeraj Chopra and Kishore Jena continued to stay in the top two positions in the javelin throw event.

Neeraj Chopra becomes first Indian to win Gold at World Athletics Championships

Prior to this, in August this year, Neeraj Chopra etched history by winning the country’s first-ever gold medal at the World Athletics Championships in Hungary’s Budapest. Neeraj had recorded his best throw of 88.17 m in his second attempt and kept his lead intact till the very end.

Meanwhile, India surpassed its last best medal haul of 70 medals at the Asian Games on Day 11 of the Asian Games after archery pair Ojas Pravin and Jyothi Surekha clinched the gold medal in the mixed team compound finals. Now, with Neeraj Chopra’s tremendous win India’s total medal tally stands at 80.

In the previous-best edition at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang, the Indian contingent returned with 70 medals including 16 gold, 23 silver and 31 bronze.

Liquor Scam: AAP MP Sanjay Singh arrested by ED after 10-hour-long raid at his Delhi residence

OpIndia Staff
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Liquor Scam: AAP MP Sanjay Singh arrested by ED after 10-hour-long raid at his Delhi residence

In a big development, the Enforcement Directorate has arrested Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh following 10-hour-long raids at his residence in Delhi. The probe agency raided the AAP MP’s house and questioned him in relation to the ongoing investigation into a money laundering case linked to the Delhi liquor policy case.

Notably, ED raided Sanjay Singh’s house on the day the Supreme Court was scheduled to hear the bail plea of former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia. A report by Times Now suggested that the ED was conducting raids on multiple locations apart from Sanjay Singh’s residence.

The ED team reached the house of the AAP MP at around 7 AM. Hours after the raids, AAP workers assembled outside Sanjay Singh’s residence sloganeering against the ED and the Centre.

Notably, Sanjay Singh’s name had appeared multiple times in the charge sheet filed by the ED. According to the charge sheet, Dinesh Arora, who has turned approver, had met Arvind Kejriwal in the presence of Singh. In a statement, Arora told ED he met Singh at an event and later came in touch with Sisodia.

ED said, “He (Dinesh Arora) initially met Sanjay Singh through whom he came in contact with Manish Sisodia during a party at his own restaurant, namely Unplugged Courtyard. On request of Sanjay Singh, he spoke with many of the restaurant owners and arranged cheques amounting to Rs 32 lakh (handed over to Sisodia) for collection of party funds for upcoming elections in Delhi.”

ED further noted that Singh helped Arora resolve one of the long-pending issues with the liquor department.

A day before raids on Sanjay Singh, it was reported that a Delhi court allowed the son of YSR Congress Party Lok Sabha MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy’s son and a Delhi-based businessman, Dinesh Arora, to become approvers in the ED case linked to an excise policy scam.

Speaking to the media, national spokesperson of AAP Reena Gupta targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the raids and claimed the raids were conducted as Singh raised questions over links between PM Modi and business tycoon Gautam Adani.

The Congress also came out in support of Sanjay Singh calling the ED the “Election Department” of the BJP. The BJP meanwhile has sought Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s resignation.

Notably, Sanjay Singh’s close associate Manish Sisodia, who is also behind bars in the liquor scam case, had himself made some startling admissions that affirm his role in the Delhi excise policy scam case.

Even as the AAP MP emphatically kept rejected his party’s role in the Delhi Liquor scam, Sisoda reportedly confessed to destroying two mobile phones which were sought by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the case.

The Vaccine War: Story of the triumph of India’s scientists over COVID-19 and the Left’s treachery in undermining indigenously made vaccine

Siddhi Somani
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The Vaccine War: Story of the triumph of India’s scientists over COVID-19 and the Left’s treachery in undermining indigenously made vaccine

Recalling the dreadful chapters from the year 2020 when the spread of novel coronavirus in India killed several lives, affected many businesses, and derailed the normal routine lives of almost all is difficult. I am sure nobody wants to revisit the site from 2020 and 2021 to see thousands of people struggling for basics like food, oxygen, and hospital facilities as the Chinese virus managed to spread the fear of death in the eyes of all worldwide. But Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri, the marvellous director who earlier amazed audiences with movies like ‘The Kashmir Files’ and ‘The Tashkent Files’ has made an attempt to bring the truth of the terrible Chinese virus through his recently released movie named ‘The Vaccine War’.

While several governments all over the world struggled to save the number of dying lives due to COVID-19 which had reached up to a lakh per day, India in a bid to become self-reliant attempted to develop a vaccine made in India which ultimately proved the capabilities of Indian scientists who believed that India, too, can have its own vaccine and not rely on of foreign organizations.

A still captured from the movie

Based on a Book named ‘Going Viral’ by Dr Balram Bhargava

‘The Vaccine War’ movie is based on a book named ‘Going Viral’ which has been authored by Prof Balram Bhargava, Director General, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). It seeks to dispel misconceptions about the COVID-19 vaccine by highlighting the contributions of unsung heroes, frontline workers, and tenacious scientists who worked nonstop for months to develop Covaxin, India’s domestic COVID-19 vaccine.

The movie staring the legendary actor Nana Patekar as Dr Balram Bhargava, and actress Pallavi Joshi, Girija Oak Godbole, Kantara fame Sapthami Gowda, and Nivedita Bhattacharya in roles of other scientists, is divided into small chapters. The movie begins with, of course, the showcase of fear of the COVID-19 spread- fear amongst the scientists who saw the upcoming havoc at first, fear amongst the administrative authorities who imposed strict regulations after the government declared the lockdown, and fear amongst the people who had no idea what they were going to have to face to.

When all of us were asked to be locked at home, little did any of us have any idea about what and how the Indian government and the scientists were going through to save the lives of its subjects. The scientists at the ICMR were approached and ordered by the government to develop vaccines that were tried and tested and trustworthy, unlike foreign vaccines. The ICMR, the Institute of Virology in Maharashtra’s Pune, and the Bharat Biotech then worked together to make India’s first indigenous COVID-19 vaccine within 38 days.

Movie calls out at anti-India agenda spread by leftists, liberals

Amid this, many of the left-liberal, so-called secular figures, and media persons ran propaganda against India’s efforts to curb the spread of the virus. They questioned the government over the self-developed vaccine and also incited fear in the minds of the people against the dose. The left-liberal cabal promoted foreign vaccines in the country and demeaned the Indian government asking how could India develop the solution within just 38 days without any ‘expertise’.

Clearly, some of the anti-India, ‘liberal’ media houses received funds from foreign organizations to demoralize the Indian government and promote Chinese or American cures in the country, which could possibly be the biggest market for vaccines. The very recent case exposing a similar nexus is that of the Newsclick, whose office has been sealed by the Delhi Police after raids at the residence of its founder-editor Prabir Purkayastha and HR Amit Chakravarty. The two were arrested by the Police under UAPA while places of all those associated with the ‘media’ firm were raided.

The raids happened after a report published by The New York Times exposed the ties of an American businessman with the Chinese government and his financial support to an Indian leftist propaganda outlet, NewsClick. A millionaire named Neville Roy Singham was funding several news publications across the world (including India) to peddle Chinese propaganda

During the COVID-19 spread, it was reported how Prabir Purkayastha and the NewsClick team were introduced to Chinese handlers by American businessman Neville Roy Singham for defending China’s handling of COVID-19.

The email exchanges dated March 30, 2020, on China’s handling of COVID-19 between Prabir and Singham were shared by Zee News journalist Sudhir Chaudhary, days after New York Times investigation said that Singham was using its network of nonprofits and media organizations spread across the world to propagate Chinese propaganda.

In the email exchanges shared by Sudhir Chaudhary, Roy is seen introducing the NewsClick team to the Chinese handlers based out of China to provide information that would help them show China in a positive light in handling the coronavirus outbreak.

Vivek Agnihotri, in the movie, exposes such ‘media’ homes who had said that ‘India could never develop vaccine’ and would fail at saving crores of lives. Dialogues in the movie like ‘We can fight this war with science’, ‘This is not a bio war, this is info war’, and ‘India can do it’, showcase how much intellect and strength India gathered to make the country’s first indigenous vaccine.

Agnihotri makes an attempt to hail women scientists

The Vaccine War attempts to introduce us to the lives of scientists in some of its scenes. It hails the women scientists who looked after their daily responsibilities and worked hard to isolate the virus and then develop a cure to that.

The development of Covaxin by Bharat Biotech in partnership with the ICMR and National Institute of Virology (NIV) is detailed in a lengthy sequence. Agnihotri meanwhile doesn’t let go of human emotions, not even in the research labs. The scientists are shown getting angry when pressured by the seniors, excited when a breakthrough occurs, powerless when findings are delayed, and emotional on realizing that all are suffering through difficult times. This science-based movie becomes also a humanist drama due to these subtle but important moments.

The audience further feels moved by the way Agnihotri sheds light on the problems that scientists encounter both in the laboratories and in their personal lives. The discussions and dialogues delivered in the movie are powerful and hard-hitting. Nana Patekar as Dr. Balram Balram Bhargava and Pallavi Joshi as Dr. Priya Abraham, Director-NIV seize every opportunity to amaze the audience with their outstanding performances. The audiences sense their anguish, happiness, pride, and grief.

Movie exposes toolkit gang, suggests shutdown of such ‘media’ houses

Other than the science part behind manufacturing the vaccines, Agnihotri has very well called out to the leftist media homes which meddled in the way of government by executing anti-India activities. The Kashmir Files director is unafraid to explain how these ‘media’ houses, self-proclaimed journalists, leftist influencers, and fact-checkers are provided with the funds and toolkits to run the propaganda against the country. He has exposed the ecosystem through a ‘journalist’ named Rohini Singh Dhulia played by actress Raima Sen.

Still from the movie

Sen in the movie is shown peddling an anti-India agenda on the direction of foreign businessmen who provide her with money and content to be published against India. She further is shown targeting the government through her ‘media’ show, her social media handles, and other influencers. She is shown circulating the toolkit against India among her people while inciting fear in the minds of people against the COVID-19 spread and India’s indigenous vaccine.

The ‘journalist’ later is exposed by the scientists who sue her for publishing anti-India articles in her publication ‘The Daily Wire’. The movie dismisses such media homes as being shady and prejudiced. It suggests their shutdown immediately since they have been proven to be more harmful than the genuine coronavirus. Though Raima Sen has played a crucial character in the given series of chapters, her emotionless acting seemed to disappoint the viewers.

Nana Patekar as Dr Balram Balram Bhargava, Pallavi Joshi as Dr Priya Abraham, Director-NIV, and Girija Oak Godbole as Dr. Nivedita Gupta, ICMR, on the other hand, portray their parts beautifully, nothing short of a soldier fighting on the war front.

Why watch the movie?

The 2-hour 41-minute long movie is overall a package of truth, drama, simple storytelling, beautiful dialogue delivery, and amazing screenplay. However, the BGM of the movie which manages to create a feeling of unnecessary horror could have been better. The movie stands as a must-watch to primarily know the truth behind the making of India’s indigenous vaccine and then to witness mesmerizing performances by the lead actors.

‘The Vaccine War’ was released in theatres on September 28. It has been produced by actress Pallavi Joshi and the I Am Buddha Foundation. The film has been released in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu and has earned Rs 65 lakhs on Day 6 of the release. The total collection of the film stands at Rs 7.80 crore.

As Rana Ayyub laments the arrest of six ‘journalists’: Here are details of their anti-India activities that the propagandist would not talk about

Shraddha Pandey
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As Rana Ayyub laments the arrest of six ‘journalists’: Here are details of their anti-India activities that the propagandist would not talk about

Scam-accused alleged journalist Rana Ayyub has a history of spreading propaganda against Hindus and defending ‘journalists’ accused of involvement in anti-India activities. The left-liberal cabal has been having a meltdown since the recent action taken by the Enforcement Directorate and Delhi Police against China-funded NewsClick. Taking to X on Tuesday, October 3rd, ‘journalist’ Rana Ayyub highlighted the names of several ‘journalists’ booked under the UAPA, PSA and other “draconian acts”.

“Journalists who continue to be behind bars under UAPA, PSA and other draconian acts. Rupesh Kumar Singh, Fahad Shah, Asif Sultan, Irfan Mehraj, Majid Hyderi, Gautam Navlakha, Manan Dar, Sajad Gul,” Ayyub posted.

In her apparent attempt to garner support for the abovementioned ‘journalists’ Rana Ayyub forgot to or deliberately did not mention why the six ‘journalists’ she mentioned were arrested. The Washington Post columnist’s post insinuates that those arrested are ‘innocent journalists’ arrested by the security agencies and are being hounded merely for doing their job. However, contrary to this insinuation, the truth is that the arrested ‘journalists’ are behind bars for their alleged involvement in various unlawful and anti-India activities. The so-called journalists Rana Ayyub’s heart cries for are arrested under various serious charges, including funding terrorist groups, receiving illegal foreign funds and criminal conspiracy, among others.

Taking to X on Wednesday, the Jammu & Kashmir Counter Disinformation Centre (JKCDC) replugged their threads detailing the activities the abovementioned ‘journalists’ were involved in.

While the left-liberal propagandists continue to project these so-called journalists as innocent people being hounded by the government and security agencies, here are the details of the ‘journalists’ arrested by the Indian security agencies.

Rupesh Kumar Singh- the ‘journalist’ arrested with explosives and Naxal literature

In June 2019, Bihar Police arrested independent journalist Rupesh Kumar Singh and two of his associates, Mithilesh Kumar and Mohammad Kalam, in Bhagalpur’s Dobhi region.

When the trio were apprehended on their way to Chhakarbandha, a significant quantity of explosives and Naxal literature were found in their car. They were on their way to deliver the explosives to the Naxals, according to the police. It was reported that 15 detonator bundles and 32 gelatin rods were retrieved. The Police had said that Rupesh was delivering explosives for his organisation Maoist Communist Centre(MCC) which eventually merged into the Communist Party of India (Maoist).

In July 2022, Singh was arrested in connection with a 2021 case filed in Saraikela district. The case involved CPI (Maoist) leader Prashanta Bose alias Kishan Da as an accused while Rupesh was accused of arranging funds for the Maoists.

It is worth recalling that in November 2021, CPI leader Prashanta Bose aka Kishan Da was arrested by Jharkhand Police in a joint operation with the Intelligence Bureau (IB). The CPI leader carrying a Rs 1 crore bounty on his head was wanted in over 100 cases of Naxal violence including the Elgaar Parishad – Bhima Koregaon case related to an alleged conspiracy to kill Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Fahad Shah-The Kashmir Walla editor who published seditious article peddled anti-India propaganda

On March 16 this year, the NIA filed sedition and UAPA charges against Peerzada Fahad Shah of The Kashmir Walla. Peerzada Fahad Shah has been charged under UAPA sections 13 and 18, IPC sections 121 and 153B, and the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act sections 35 (accepting a foreign contribution in contravention of provisions of FCRA, or any order or rule therein) and 39 (violation of FCRA by a company tantamount to a contravention by the persons in-charge or responsible for the business of such company).

Moreover, Fahad Shah was arrested by the Jammu and Kashmir Police in February 2020 for anti-national activities and spreading inflammatory content on Facebook. As pointed out in the JKCDC thread, Shah was also accused of glorifying terrorism.

Aasif Sultan- the ‘journalist’ who glorified terrorist Burhan Wani was working with Hizbul Mujahideen

Aasif Sultan, a ‘journalist’ associated with Kashmir Narrator was arrested in Jammu and Kashmir in 2018 for similar violations under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Sultan was arrested and charged with murder, attempt to murder, and harbouring notorious terrorists including those belonging to Hizbul Mujahideen.

JKCDC in their X thread outlined that the investigators had recovered 17 sheets with the Hizbul Mujahideen letterhead from his home at the time of his arrest. The police investigation revealed that other than Hizbul, Aasif Sultan was also in contact with Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind terrorists.

It is notable that after Indian soldiers killed terrorist Burhan Wani in 2016, Sultan published an article titled “The Rise of Burhan” glorifying him, claiming that Wani was more dangerous to India “in his grave than in his living room.” Sultan was arrested again after the NIA granted him bail in April last year. Aasif Sultan was arrested under the Public Safety Act (PSA).

Irfan Mehraj- ‘journalist’ accused of terror funding and propagating secessionist agenda

The National Investigation Agency arrested “journalist” Irfan Mehraj on March 20 in connection with a terror funding case. Mehraj was closely associated with ‘activist’ Khurram Parvez and a member of the Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Societies (JKCCS), according to the central agency.

“Investigation revealed that the JKCCS was funding terror activities in the valley and had also been in (the) propagation of secessionist agenda in the Valley under the garb of protection of human rights,” stated the NIA.

OpIndia had previously published a full exposé on his anti-India activities. It is worth noting that the terror-sympathising-left-liberal brigade has repeatedly attempted to portray a positive picture of him. Rana Ayyub and her ilk have been claiming that the Indian security agencies arrested him illegally. 

Majid Hyderi- another ‘journalist’ booked on criminal charges

On September 15 this year, ‘journalist’ and political commentator Majid Hyderi was arrested for criminal conspiracy, intimidation, extortion, giving false information, and defamation.

His arrest had outraged the usual players, including former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti who had claimed that Hyderi was arrested illegally. However, the police stated that the ‘journalist’ was arrested in accordance with a local court order.

Gautam Navlakha- Urban Naxal in the veil of a ‘journalist’

Gautam Navlakha was arrested in 2020 when 11 people were taken into custody for organizing and giving provocative speeches during the Elgar Parishad event on the 31st of December 2017. The event was organized by “activists” of Kabir Kala Manch in Pune. The NIA says that the event promoted enmity between different groups of people and caste groups, leading to violence and loss of life. The NIA investigation revealed that the organizers of Elgar Parishad were in touch with leaders of CPI (Maoist), a banned terror outfit under UAPA, and were spreading the ideology of Naxalism/Maoism to encourage unlawful activity.

Manan Dhar

Mohammad Manan Dhar was arrested in October 2021 in a terror conspiracy case. Dhar was booked under the provisions of UAPA. Manan Dhar was arrested alongside 12 others, including his brother Hanan Dar, in connection with an attack spree in Jammu and Kashmir in October 2021 following the repeal of Article 370. The NIA had alleged that Dhar was conspiring, both “physically and in cyberspace”, to carry out terrorist acts in Kashmir and other parts of India. Contrary to Rana Ayyub’s claim, Manan Dhar was released on bail in January this year.

Sajad Gul- another ‘innocent’ journalist arrested for instigating anti-India sentiments

A Kashmiri journalist Sajad Gul was arrested in January last year for provoking anti-India sentiments by posting a protest video featuring anti-national slogans raised by several women after wanted terrorist Saleem Parray was killed in Shalimar Srinagar. Gul was arrested on charges of inciting others to “resort to violence and disturb public peace.”

Interestingly, while Rana Ayyub has repeatedly expressed her support for several journalists accused of anti-India activities, most of whom are her co-religionists, Ayyub did not speak a word in support of YouTuber Manish Kashyap, who was arrested under the NSA, and the WaPo columnist did not question the MVA government when journalist Arnab Goswami was arrested. The arrest of Goswami was in fact cheered by the leftist media. Rana Ayyub did not speak up when First Post columnist Abhijit Majumdar was booked by Tamil Nadu police for an article criticising DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin who recently sparked outrage over his “eradicate Sanatan Dharma” remarks. Apparently, the ideological tenet of the leftist media ecosystem is selective when it comes to press freedom and outrage over its violation.

The Hindu’s N Ram, who regularly publishes pro-China paid propaganda, comes out in support of China-funded NewsClick at Rajdeep’s show: Details

Paurush Gupta
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The Hindu’s N Ram, who regularly publishes pro-China paid propaganda, comes out in support of China-funded NewsClick at Rajdeep’s show: Details

On 3rd October (Tuesday), the former Editor-in-Chief of The Hindu, N Ram came out openly in support of NewsClick promoters who are accused of getting illicit funding from China. While interacting with India Today’s Rajdeep Sardesai, he claimed that there was nothing illegal in peddling ‘Chinese talking points’.

In an almost 12-minute interaction, N Ram also gave a clean chit to US billionaire, Neville Roy Singham – accused of being a Chinese stooge and peddling Chinese narrative in India through portals like NewsClick. 

Here are some excerpts from the interaction which eventually turned out to be a shoddy attempt at whitewashing NewsClick and Roy Singham.

Rajdeep began by asking N Ram about his opinions on the recent developments revolving around NewsClick, accused of being linked to Chinese fundings. The India Today journalist Sardesai asked him whether he saw the raids as an attack on “freedom of the press” or does he consider it an act to defend sovereignty against those who are ‘anti-India’, as claimed by the government, Rajdeep added. 

Responding to this, N Ram accused the government of indulging in a “McCartheiad campaign”, seemingly referring to McCarthyism. Notably, it refers to a period in the United States during the 1950s when Senator Joseph McCarthy led a campaign to accuse individuals, often without evidence, of being communists or communist sympathisers.

The trope he used leaves nobody surprised – according to him – the raids proved that the freedom of the press was under threat in India. He claimed that the government was trying to muzzle free voices and it was an attack on “freedom of speech”. According to him, NewsClick is a progressive offering and its reportage during farmer protests highlights it adding that though it is not an NGO, it doesn’t have profit as its motivation. 

He said, “This is an outrageous attack, a military-style, on freedom of the press. Of course, Newsclick has been targeted, there has been a MaCartheiad campaign, largely based on lies, triggered by the New York Times piece published earlier. Nowhere in the New York Times piece has an ideological slant, nowhere does it accuse NewsClick of any wrongdoing by the law, or doing anything illegal. There are two “lazy references” that gave fresh life to ‘vendetta’ which started in 2021 against NewsClick, a small but focused digital venture that positioned itself very well during the farmer protests and has taken up issues that show it is a progressive offering, it’s not non-profit but profit is not its motivation.” 

Interestingly, NewsClick, which, as per N Ram, doesn’t keep profit as its motivation, is accused of getting unaccounted money to the tune of more than Rs 38 crores. 

ED investigation unveiled that an overseas fund amounting to Rs. 38.05 crores was deceitfully injected into NewsClick over a span of three years. The ED investigation uncovered that there were dubious transactions involving foreign inward remittances. 

Specifically, Rs. 9.59 crore was introduced through Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), and an additional Rs. 28.46 crore was purportedly generated through the export of “services”. The ED Investigation brought to light that Prabir Purkayastha, the Director of Newsclick, had been acquainted with Neville Roy Singham of Worldwide Media Holdings LLC (Limited Liability Company) since 2017. 

In his interview with Rajdeep Sardesai, Ram further lamented that the government has targeted NewsClick to send a wider message to muzzle dissenting voices and send a message to the press, reiterating that this is an attack on the press. 

Going ahead, Rajdeep highlighted that ED in its investigation revealed that directors at NewsClick like Prabir Purkayastha had received money from Neville Roy Singham, a US citizen affiliated with the Communist Party of China (CPC). As per agency sources, it has therefore claimed that NewsClick portal was being used for anti-Modi, pro-China pieces.

Highlighting the ED findings, Rajdeep asked whether N Ram believed all of this was a red herring and an endless search for an enemy figure. Sardesai also asked whether he believes the Modi government is guilty of that or is it the way how governments, at centre or states, operate against dissenting voices to muzzle them using the force of law. 

To which, Ram responds by reiterating his charge of the ‘McCartheiad campaign’ against the government. Instead of giving prominence to the probing agency or refuting its revelations against NewsClick, Ram argued that the New York Times report didn’t make a watertight case against the web portal. 

(Specific reference from NYT report which N Ram pointed out in his interaction with Rajdeep Sardesai, Image Source – NYT)

He then goes on to highlight two references from the NYT report, both enclosed in the screengrabs below, and claims that the report didn’t mention Newsclick received Chinese money. 

(Specific reference from NYT report which N Ram pointed out in his interaction with Rajdeep Sardesai, Image Source – NYT)

Interestingly, N Ram brazened his support to NewsClick stating that even if NewsClick did peddle “Chinese talking points”, it is not illegal.  

He said, “…even if it (NewsClick) did for argument sake that (Chinese talking points), it is not illegal, you may agree with particular talking point of a country including China, that is not an offence under the law, certainly nothing to do with terrorism.” 

Paraphrasing Ram’s words, Rajdeep sought clarity on whether he indeed considered it not illegal to spread Chinese talking points in India. For this, he said, “Let’s “assume” NewsClick was putting out commentary that was similar to possibly that China was doing, that is not a crime, is that what your stance is?” 

Claiming that the charges will not stick in any court of law, N Ram said, “There is no connection in the matters alleged and the charges, there is no Chinese money that has come in (in NewsClick).” 

It is important to note that the probing agency and several purported e-mails that have surfaced over the course of the investigation, reveal that there was a sinister toolkit on how the nexus was working in tandem. It even used Chinese propaganda films and content to peddle pro-Chinese narratives in India and the world over. Several other emails exchanged between Newsclick Editor-in-Chief Prabir Purkayastha with US millionaire Neville Roy Singham show that the two discussed at length how to report the India-China border dispute, regarding the presentation of distorted map, COVID coverage and more

(NYT paragraph referred by N Ram, Image Source – NYT)

Conspicuously, in his interaction on India Today, N Ram then goes on to defend and give a clean chit to Neville Roy Singham. He said, “I know Roy, lot of people know Neville Roy Singham, he sold Thoughtworks (his tech firm) for 780 million dollars and pumped it into American non-profits where you don’t have to disclose details,” adding other findings about his NGOs published in the NYT report including the fact that they are not registered, meaning working clandestinely.  

(NYT paragraph referred by N Ram, Image Source – NYT)

Taking his words as the holy grail and asserting that there is nothing wrong with how an independent-minded man conducts his business, Ram added, “Roy Singham doesn’t receive money from anybody else, he has already made it clear and he doesn’t act at the direction of anyone. He lives in Shanghai and if he chooses to cooperate with the Chinese organisations, that’s his business.”

(Contrary to N Ram’s claim, Neville Roy Singham is accused of taking diktats from CCP)

Rajdeep then proceeds to ask if isn’t it dangerous for the national interest to allow someone like Neville Roy Singham to influence the editorial policy of a small website. He emphasized that this is not about freedom of the press, it is about national security and sovereignty. 

N Ram replied, “This is used by many autocratic governments all over the world to say that national security is threatened.”  

He added that there is nothing in our law that says that this activity comes under danger to the national interest. It is important to note that peddling distorted or wrong maps of the country, spreading false propaganda to cause mayhem at times of once-in-a-century pandemic, and taking illicit money from foreign sources, do have penal provisions in our law and NewsClick is accused of these grave acts and more.   

In 2021, OpIndia published a detailed article about the links of NewsClick and uncovered how it was linked to several individuals who regularly spew venom against India – from Urban Naxals to those like Teesta Setalvad, Abhisar Sharma and several others. That article by OpIndia can be read here.

N Ram, however, admitted that in one video embedded in the New York Times report, NewsClick did indeed eulogise China on its 70-year anniversary of the Chinese revolution.

Concluding the interaction, N Ram responded to Rajdeep’s query of what his advice to Journalists and the Modi government will be. He preached that journalists should express solidarity with NewsClick, set their differences aside, and unite on this issue (freedom of speech/press). 

He added that the Editors Guild of India and the Press Club of India have come out in support but it should now protest in various ways.

He continued stating that the Modi government should learn lessons from it as this is giving India a bad name. 

Stepping up his support to NewsClick, N Ram asserted that national interest requires the Modi government to reverse track on the NewsClick issue. He did not elaborate on how peddling China’s propaganda can be in India’s national interests.

Regarding the fact that agencies are following due process of law, he accused the Delhi Police of committing illegal things and following a lawless process. 

He said, “There are many illegal things that special cell of Delhi police reportedly has done, taken away devices without giving receipt or copies to them which they don’t return for years, this is lawlessness.” 

He added that this is a lawless process and it needs to be challenged in courts. He also called upon lawyers like Dushyant Dave, Prashant Bhushan, and Fali Nariman to come out and support the media and offer their services pro bono.

N Ram’s The Hindu regularly publishes paid fluff pieces promoting China

In 2020, while the world was battling the Coronavirus and India was planting its feet firmly against the aggression by China, The Hindu ran extensive Chinese propaganda in their papers. On the 1st of October 2020, The Hindu ran a full-page advertorial paid for by China. The paid content appeared on the 3rd page of the paper.

Interestingly, the paid content by China that was published by The Hindu on Page 3, did not appear on the digital website of The Hindu. 

OpIndia’s detailed report on The Hindu’s Chinese advertorial can be read here.

The beauty of the paid content was that to an untrained eye, the full-page article would seem like just that – a feature on how the world is wrong about mighty China and how, on the National Day of the People’s Republic of China, it was time to re-evaluate what “bhakt media” is saying about the country and look towards all its achievements. 

However, upon closer examination, it became clear that the full-page feature was content paid for by China. The advertorial (paid for by China) essentially painted China as a saviour of the world amid the Coronavirus pandemic and also spoke glowingly about itself, taking the high moral ground against India in the standoff that India and China were engaged in at the time.

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