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Physics Wallah teachers leave the organisation and launch own venture, cry on dramatic viral video claiming false bribery charges were levelled on them

OpIndia Staff
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Physics Wallah teachers leave the organisation and launch own venture, cry on dramatic viral video claiming false bribery charges were levelled on them

A video of some former teachers in the Indian education technology start-up Physics Wallah recently went viral on social media. The teachers in this video broke into tears while interacting with the students and the management of the ed-tech unicorn. Tarun Kumar, Manish Dubey, Sarvesh Dixit, and Aditya Anand are among those left the edtech platform. The teachers have now started a separate platform of their own and named it ‘Sankalp’. The disagreement between these teachers and the company was regarding the allegations of taking bribes from students against these teachers.

Tarun Kumar, Manish Dubey, and Sarvesh Dixit alleged in this video that Physics Wallah teacher Pankaj Sijairya falsely accused them of taking a bribe of Rs 5 crore from rival platform Adda247 to quit PhysicsWallah. They further alleged that there have been strikes on their YouTube channel Sankalp by PhysicsWallah. They said that they resigned because the atmosphere at the edtech company was no longer favourable to students. The teachers have claimed that more teachers will be soon joining their new platform Sankalp.

In videos shared on the YouTube channel of ‘Sankalp’, these teachers explained more about their decision to leave Physics Wallah. The teachers said that they were trying to abide by the vision Alakh Pandey had at the time of starting the organisation Physics Wallah and they left because the situations were no more aligned with the vision. The teachers also said that they had decided to leave the organisation in January 2023, but they remained with the organisation till completing the syllabus so that students don’t get disturbed.

They have claimed that PhysicsWallah’s mission to provide good, affordable education got sidelined as the organisation grew bigger. They said that allegations of them being paid Rs 5 crore as bribe from Adda247 are completely baseless and they quit PhysicsWallah because its atmosphere was no longer conducive to learning or teaching.

Tarun Kumar, Manish Dubey, Aditya Anand, and Sarvesh Dixit said that they resigned together after giving proper notice period, and assured that they will continue to work for their students, most of whom are candidates for entrance exams for higher education. They said that have left their content at PhysicsWallah, which the company can continue to use.

While narrating what has happened to the students of the platform, Kumar, Dubey and Dixit broke down into tears in the video. This started when they started to narrate how they took the decision to quit the company and start their own venture. They showed WhatsApp messages sent to Prateek Maheshwari in January, where they had told him that they are depressed due to what was happening.

“Sir I am highly dipresssd and frustrated, Es system ko benane me sub kuch laga diya including health… Mere life ke sabse badi mistake mene aap ke baat man ker kota aagya family ko bhi problem Me dala. Aap ne keha tha ye aap ka sacrifice hi company ke liye…”, one of them sent to Maheswari on 11 January.

“Sir me System se imotional connect tha, kyo ke India ke baccho ke liye kuchh kerna chahta tha.. Sir aap ko kya lagta hai mujhe kabhi offers nahi mele hogai. Per meine kabhi unko intertain nahi kiya. System ko priority de Es system me sub kuch dene ke baad mujhe kya mila insult, dipression, family distractions, health issues.. Aap ke kahne per kota aagya, online classes with complete load and offline classes complete management … rat 3 baje tak kam kiya hai ….bina complain kiya. Sir ab nehi,” said another message. While showing this messages, they turned very emotional. While they had started by calmly narrating their version of the story, it soon turned into a BiggBoss-like drama as they started crying, and became busy consoling each other.

They said that false allegations have been level against them that they left PhysicsWallah suddenly, and said that those who are lying won’t be saved. Aditya Anand was seen as the most emotional among them.

The Sankalp team received support from the students on their channel, and they showed messages received from the students. Apart from two videos posted by the team together, there are two videos by Tarun Kumar and Manish Dubey explaining why thy left PW.

Physics Wallah is an ed-tech company started by Alakh Pandey and Prateek Maheshwari in 2016. Initially, a YouTube channel, the company later developed an application in 2020 and went on to expand its business by employing more teachers. The company achieved success during the Covid-19 lockdown, when students were confined to homes and schools had moved to online classes.

Rahul Gandhi accuses veteran Congress beat journalist of being a ‘BJP agent’, suggests that Rajdeep Sardesai is his unofficial spokesperson

Jhankar Mohta
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Rahul Gandhi accuses veteran Congress beat journalist of being a ‘BJP agent’, suggests that Rajdeep Sardesai is his unofficial spokesperson

On Saturday, March 25, addressing a press conference for the first time after he was disqualified as a Lok Sabha member on March 24, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi lost his cool yet again, lashing out at two media persons.

The press conference had been largely one-sided, with Rahul Gandhi accusing the government of silencing him over the Adani issue. However, when some reporters posed some seemingly probing questions concerning his defamation conviction which led to his expulsion, the Gandhi scion was spotted losing his mind.

At first, the Gandhi scion, lambasted journalist Ravi Sisodia of CNN-News18 and called him a BJP stooge when he questioned him about his conviction in the ‘Modi surname’ case, adding that BJP has alleged that the remark was nothing short of an insult to the OBC and the socially oppressed classes of the country.

“Aap itne directly BJP ke liye kyun kaam kar rahe ho, thoda discretion se karo yaar. Thoda ghoom ghaam kar poocho. (How is it that you are so openly working from BJP, do it with some discretion. Don’t pose such direct questions, be diplomatic), he said.

“If you want to work for the BJP, bring a BJP symbol and wear it on your chest,” Rahul lambasted. “Don’t pretend to be a pressman…Kyun hawa nikal gayi?” he further mocked the journalist.

Soon after Rahul Gandhi’s press conference, several social media users took to Twitter to reminisce about how these two journalists, whom the Gandhi scion rebuked and mocked in front of the entire media, are actually members of the Congress-friendly journalists’ brigade who have always written plaudits for the party and its leaders.

Sharing screenshots of a few of tweets by CNN-News18 journalist Ravi Sisodia where he sang praises for ‘Rahul baba,’ journalist Pradip Bhandari tweeted in Hindi, which roughly translates to, “Rahul Gandhi’s reprimanded journalist has long been a Congress supporter and in his ‘tight’ circle. People should take note that the godi media will be shown its proper status at the whims of their bosses.”

Disgusted by the arrogance shown by the Gandhi scion, journalist Pallavi Ghosh tweeted, “the two reporters who were targeted have covered the party for years – the only badge we carry and wear is our Mike …”

Pallavi Ghosh, who is covering the Congress party for a long time, said that Ravi Sisodia is also working on the Congress beat for the last 15 years. “The reporter who everyone is happily calling godi including those who flaunt, their lavish lifestyle and have a gyaan on everything – he has been covering the party for 15 years .. more than YOU have spent in reporting .. knows party in and out .. is appreciated by some .. and he is NOT GODI,” she said, clarifying that Ravi Sisodia is a veteran Congress beat reporter and he is certainly not pro-BJP. It is notable that the term ‘Godi media’ is used to mean media houses and houses who are allegedly pro-government and pro-rulling party.

Further expressing her displeasure over Rahul Gandhi accusing Sisodia of being a BJP agent. She also said that there was no need to attack the journalist for the two questions he had asked, 1. BJP says you tore the ordinance and hence you faced the law 2. BJP says OBC has been disrespected. She further added that while Congress leaders are saying that this was a great move by Rahul Gandhi, there are others who are not happy about it.

Going by the Twitter timeline of Ravi Sisodia, it is clear that there is no hint of him being pro-BJP, while there are several tweets which indicate his tilt towards the Congress party.

Below are some previous tweets by CNN-News18’s journalist Ravi Sisodia, in which he couldn’t stop extolling the Congress party and its prince, Rahul Gandhi.

After accusing the Congress-beat journalist of being a BJP agent, Rahul Gandhi then went on to embarrass controversial journalist Rajdeep Sardesai, insinuating that Sardesai sometimes works as his unofficial spokesperson.

While Rahul Gandhi continued his attempts to establish a relationship between the businessman and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, journalist Rajdeep Sardesai attempted to interject, but the Gandhi scion coldly shut him up. He also said that Rajdeep Sardesai speaks for himself sometimes. “Please let me finish Rajdeep, unless you want to answer it for me, which you do sometimes,” he remarked. Rajdeep Sardesai was visibly embarrassed by the comments of Rahul Gandhi, which was caught on camera.

Rahul Gandhi’s remark on Rajdeep Sardesai exposed what is already widely known, that the journalist has close ties with the Congress party. He regularly gives clean chits to Congress leaders involved in controversies and openly supports Congress and other parties opposed to BJP. However, it is to be seen how Sardesai takes this public embarrassment by Rahul Gandhi.

Nevertheless, this is not the first time the Gandhi scion was seen losing his mind at journalists. In September last year, during his interaction with the media in Ernakulam in Kerala as part of his Bharat Jodo Yatra, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi insulted a female journalist from NDTV because the controversial media house at that time was being acquired by the Adani group. Rahul Gandhi repeatedly told the female journalist that she has a ‘new owner’ before eventually moving on to not answering her original question.

During the press conference, the journalist from NDTV, whose name was not audible in the video, asked Rahul Gandhi why he was not running for the post of Congress president in the upcoming party elections when he is leading the ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra. But instead of answering her question, Rahul Gandhi commented, “I believe you have a new owner”, with a smile on his face.

In December 2021, the senior Congress leader lost his cool yet again, lashing out at the media for asking him about the accountability of the Punjab lynching incidents.

In what had happened, Gandhi had posted a tweet saying lynching was completely unheard of before 2014. During his press conference, when a reporter asked Rahul Gandhi about his tweet and drew his attention towards the tragic deaths caused in the lynching incidents in Punjab, a visibly irate Gandhi scion tried to fend off the uncomfortable questions by accusing the journalist of doing the Centre’s bidding. “Sarkar ki dalali mat kijiye(Stop doing Centre’s bidding), don’t distract from the issue,” Rahul said when asked about the inaction over lynching incidents that took place in Punjab over the last few days.

Similarly, on August 12, 2021, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi got irked when a journalist asked him a seemingly uncomfortable question and accused the journalist of being biased against the opposition.

“Are you the government’s spokesman? Has the government asked you to say so? I am asking you. Are you the government’s spokesman? Do you work for the government?” The reporter replied, “I am from media,” to which Rahul said, “You are not from media. You are the government’s employee. I will tell you the truth about the media. Let me tell you. Let me tell you,” Rahul Gandhi lambasted.

As Indian High Commission in London faces multiple attacks from Khalistanis, British MP comes out in support of the Indian separatists

OpIndia Staff
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As Indian High Commission in London faces multiple attacks from Khalistanis, British MP comes out in support of the Indian separatists

Days after a mob of frenzied Khalistanis laid siege on the Indian High Commission in London, British Parliamentarian Claudia Webbe openly expressed support for Khalistan and a referendum on the Indian State of Punjab.

In a tweet (archive) on Saturday (March 25), the MP from Leicester East wrote, “I am very concerned about the situation in the Punjab, which is affecting many within the Sikh Community of Leicester.”

She claimed that UK politicians had been labelling Sikhs as terrorists, even though they are peacefully indulging in separatist activities and calling for the secession of Punjab from the Union of India.

“It’s inflammatory for UK politicians to label Sikhs as ‘terrorist’. Those that peacefully support Khalistan and a referendum on independence are not terrorists,” she concluded.

It must be mentioned that Claudia Webbe was earlier expelled from the UK’s Labour Party after being found guilty of harassing a woman named Michelle Merritt for 18 months (2018-2020) over an affair with her boyfriend Lester Thomas.

“I have seen all of your naked pictures. Get out of my relationship otherwise, I will tell your whole family and show them all of your pictures,” she had threatened Michelle Merritt over a phone call.

Claudia Webbe was eventually handed a 12-month community service, totalling 80 hours of unpaid work. She is currently an independent MP from Leicester East, where the Hindu minority population was targeted by Islamists between August and October 2022.

Indian High Commission in London faces attacks from Khalistanis

On March 19 evening, pro-Khalistani elements barged into the Indian High Commission in London and removed the tricolour from the premises.

In a video that has now come to light, a mob of Khalistanis could be seen staging a protest outside the Indian High Commission. Amidst chants of ‘Khalistan Zindabad’, a man sporting an orange turban was seen scaling the walls of the building and pulling down the Indian flag.

He then waved the Khalistani flag jubilantly while Indian officials at the building seized the tricolour from the man. Some of the Khalistanis were also spotted holding a poster of ‘fugitive’ Amritpal Singh.

Even after assurances from the London Metropolitan Police about raising the level of protection for the Indian High Commission, pro-Khalistan supporters on March 22 breached the security cover and threw eggs and inks to deface and vandalize the building.

The police had deployed forces in 24 buses as well as the mounted police, however, the Khalistanis were still successful in vandalizing and defacing the premises.

As Rahul Gandhi says he will never say sorry, throwback to the time when he apologised unconditionally in the Supreme Court

OpIndia Staff
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As Rahul Gandhi says he will never say sorry, throwback to the time when he apologised unconditionally in the Supreme Court

On 25th March 2023, former Congress MP Rahul Gandhi held his first press conference after being disqualified from his Lok Sabha membership owing to his conviction in a criminal defamation case against him in a Surat court. A criminal defamation case was filed by Gujarat BJP leader Purnesh Modi after Rahul Gandhi, in an election rally in 2019, had asked why everyone with the Modi surname is a thief, mentioning Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi, and Narendra Modi.

When asked whether he would apologise for his 2019 remark, Rahul Gandhi retorted arrogantly, “I am a Gandhi and not Savarkar, and Gandhis do not apologise.” It is notable that earlier he had tendered an unconditional apology to the Supreme Court for lying that the court had said ‘Chowkidar chor hai’.

Rahul Gandhi apologised for ‘Chowkidar Chor Hai’ jibe

On 8th May 2019,  Rahul Gandhi tendered an unconditional apology in the Supreme Court for “unintentionally and inadvertently” attributing the ‘Chowkidar Chor hai’ jibe against Prime Minister Modi to the court’s order on the Rafale Review plea. On 10th April 2019, while campaigning at a rally, Rahul Gandhi stated that the Supreme Court order says, “Chowkidar Chor Hai”. BJP leader Meenakshi Lekhi had filed a contempt plea against the statement on which the SC had issued a notice to Rahul Gandhi. The court had stated that it has never said so.

The SC had allowed the admissibility of three documents in their hearing of the review petitions on the Rafale verdict. Rahul Gandhi and Congress had promoted the step as a big victory against the NDA government. Rahul’s unconditional apology came after much embarrassment to his image and his party as he was made to admit he had said it in ‘the heat of campaigning’.

The Supreme Court had also objected to the affidavit submitted by Rahul Gandhi. The then CJI Ranjan Gogoi had stated during a hearing that Gandhi admitted wrongly attributing the remark but he stands by it. Later, the SC also raised an objection regarding Rahul Gandhi’s affidavits. The court had stated that ‘regret’ is not ‘apology’ and had ordered Rahul to submit an unconditional apology.

Why the Rafale review petition was filed?

It is notable that the Rafale deal which is an inter-governmental deal between the governments of India and France for 36 Rafale fighter jets in flyaway condition was in the eye of the storm for a rather long time. The opposition used this necessary defense deal to train its guns against the Narendra Modi government to insinuate a scam.

Congress-friendly career PILists like Prashant Bhushan and others filed a PIL in the Supreme Court asking the SC to intervene and order a court-monitored probe into the deal. The Supreme Court, however, dismissed the petition. The Court also heard an application for initiating perjury proceedings against officials who had allegedly misled the Court. On Thursday, 14th November 2019, the Supreme Court dismissed even the review petitions.

Kapil Sharma reveals he was asked by the channel to not use the word ‘Paagal’, says ‘we are moving backwards’

OpIndia Staff
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Kapil Sharma reveals he was asked by the channel to not use the word ‘Paagal’, says ‘we are moving backwards’

On 24th March 2023, comedian Kapil Sharma appeared on Kareena Kapoor Khan’s show ‘What Women Want’. Apart from answering questions regarding his recently released film ‘Zwigato’, Kapil Sharma also made some remarks about the form of comedy and the changes incorporated in the same over a period of time. Kapil Sharma, during this interaction, said that recently he was instructed by the channel that he cannot use the word ‘paagal’ (meaning mad) on his show. Kapil Sharma also remarked that by imposing such restrictions on comedy, we are moving backwards.

In this talk show, Kareena Kapoor Khan asked Kapil Sharma, “We are evolving as a society, comedy that used to be funny 10 years ago, people are now taking a lot of offense to that. So then when you write a script or sit down with your team, do you keep it in mind that we can’t make fun of such and such situation?”

Kapil Sharma answered, “Honestly it happens a lot, in the society that I come from Amritsar, Punjab it’s there in our culture that the bride’s side would tease the groom and call him out with names and joke over it. Body shaming and other things, that were in our culture but now if we do it here it’s called body shaming. When you work with GEC (General Entertainment Channel) channels, you get S&Ps (standards and practices) on words you can’t even imagine. Currently, I was told by the channel that I cannot use the word ‘paagal’. I didn’t get it and asked why? Later, they told me the reason saying, actual people who are termed with the name get offended.”

Kapil Sharma further said, “Yet, it is a word that we use casually with our children, and siblings call each other ‘paagal’ with fun. I sometimes think we’re moving backward. I recall Javed Akhtar said in an interview that he couldn’t write the moment in Sholay where Dharmendra speaks while hiding behind the statue of Lord Shiva because it would offend people.”

It is notable that Kapil Sharma’s The Kapil Sharma Show has previously been criticised for some of its body-shaming jokes. Throughout the show, he frequently makes fun of Sumona Chakravarti’s appearance and Kiku Sharda’s weight.

The Kapil Sharma Show is aired on Sony Entertainment Television and has become a hugely popular weekend comedy show since its inception in 2016. The show is hosted by Kapil Sharma and includes comedy skits by a team involving several actors and comedians, and interviews with celebrities. Filmstars are regular invitees to the show, who appear in it to promote their upcoming movies. Before The Kapil Sharma Show on Sony, Kapil Sharma had hosted Comedy Nights with Kapil on Colors, an almost similar show.

Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi: The journalist who sacrificed his life in front of an Islamist mob while trying to save Hindus during the Kanpur Riots of 1931

Shraddha Pandey
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Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi: The journalist who sacrificed his life in front of an Islamist mob while trying to save Hindus during the Kanpur Riots of 1931

Two days after freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev sacrificed their lives for India’s freedom, Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi, a journalist, freedom fighter, and Congress leader was killed by a rioting mob in Kanpur on March 25, 1931. A champion of freedom and justice who bravely perished in 1931 at the age of 41 while trying to stop communal violence and save Hindus from a violent mob.

Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi was one of the understated icons of India’s freedom struggle and a rebel in his own right.  Born on October 26, 1890, in a typical Indian household in Attarsuiya, Allahabad (now Prayagraj), he became an important figure in the non-cooperation movement. Vidyarthi’s father, a middle school teacher, homeschooled him as he was raised in a poor family. Vidyarthi was compelled by poverty to work as a clerk before being hired as a teacher in Kanpur, although his true passion was journalism.

A deeply religious person, Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi was much influenced by the fiery articles of popular journals of the time, Swarajya and Karmayogi. He also contributed articles to these journals. It is said that he adopted the ‘Vidyarthi’ pen name around 1910. 

In 1913, Mahavir Prasad Dwivedi, a prominent Hindi writer and editor at his famous literary monthly, ‘Saraswati’ offered Vidyarthi a job as a sub-editor. However, it is said that Vidyarthi who was keener on politics and current affairs went on to join ‘Abhyudaya’, another popular newspaper.

Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi returned to Kanpur in 1913 and started his own revolutionary weekly journal ‘Pratap’ with the help of his aides Shiv Narayan Mishra, Narayan Prasad Arora, and Yashodanandan. Through his writings, Vidyarthi raised the voice of the oppressed people of his time. 

Vidyarthi dedicated himself to the national movement after meeting Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi in Lucknow in 1916. In addition to participating in the 1917-18 Home Rule movement, Vidyarthi also led the first textile workers’ strike in Kanpur.

During this time, he also was arrested on multiple occasions, be it for his articles in support of Kanpur mill workers, Rae Bareilly peasants, or for his political activities. It is notable that Vidyarthi was a prominent Congress leader during this time and also served as a member of the United Provinces Legislative council from 1925-1929.

In 1920, Vidyarthi launched the daily edition of Pratap named Dainik Pratap and it was in this year that he was sentenced to two years of rigorous imprisonment for championing the cause of the peasants of Rae Bareli. After being freed in 1922, he was almost immediately imprisoned again for delivering a “seditious” speech at the Provincial Political Conference in Fatehgarh. Vidyarthi met and protested with Bhagat Singh in 1924, and the two became close friends and colleagues. It is interesting to note that Vidyarthi met Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt in prison.  Moreover, Vidyarthi covered their 63-day-long historic hunger strike. Using the pen name ‘Balwant Singh,’ Bhagat Singh used to write thought-provoking pieces for Vidyarthi’s Pratap.

Front page of Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi’s Dainik Pratap (Image via News18)

When Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi led a demonstration at the Moolganj Mosque

At Kanpur in 1927, some Muslims attacked a band that was playing music while a Hindu wedding procession passed by. The city’s notable Congress leaders including Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi, Narayan Prasad Arora, G. G. Jog, and Bir Bahadur Tiwari led a group of Party volunteers who played music in retaliation for forty minutes in front of the Moolganj mosque. 

Excerpt from The Politics of the Urban Poor in Early Twentieth-Century India by Nandini Gooptu (Page: 293)

Kanpur riots 1931 and the death of Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi

The infamous Kanpur riots erupted on March 24, 1931, and lasted for six days till March 30, 1931, claiming over 400 lives. The riots erupted after Muslims opposed the demand of Hindus to call for a ‘Hartal’ against the hanging of martyr Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev by the British colonialists. However, several Muslim shopkeepers refused to close their shops and also objected to the demonstrators asking for the closure of their shops.  In the Cawnpore Riots Inquiry Committee Report (1931), the ‘attitude’ of the Congress Committee and the actions of its prominent men led to the outbreak of communal riots. 

Excerpt from Cawnpore Riots Inquiry Committee Report (1931) (Image via National Archives)

Vidyarthi, who was preparing to attend the Karachi session of Congress, decided not to leave Kanpur and rather help people in the riot-hit areas. Even the Cawnpore Riots Inquiry Committee Report mentions multiple times how Vidyarthi showed exemplary courage and became a true ambassador of communal harmony as he rescued locals belonging to both Hindu and Muslim communities. However, Vidyarthi was attacked with sharp weapons and killed by a murderous Islamist mob. It has also been reported that a temple was also set ablaze during the riots.

Vimla Vidyarthi, the daughter of Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi had in an interview reportedly said that the killing of her father was a “part of the conspiracy which hurried the execution of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev.”

In a book titled ‘Yug Purush Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi’ accounts of a few eyewitnesses have been mentioned. An eyewitness named Ganpat Singh, describing the events on the fateful day of March 25, 1931, stated that at Kanpur’s Chaubegola area around 4-5 pm, a group of Muslims from Bakarmandi arrived at the ‘nai sadak’, meanwhile a Muslim shouted -He is Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi, kill him! Don’t let him go!

Another eyewitness, Madho Rao, who was with Vidyarthi till the end told the Inquiry Committee that on March 25, 1931, at around 3 or 4 pm at Chaubeygola, the place near a mosque on Meston Road, a large crowd had gathered requesting Vidyarthi to give a speech. “There were two hundred Musalmans. Chunni Khan and some other prominent Musalmans shook hands with him and embraced him.” From Chaubeygola, Vidyarthi was taken to another ‘troubled spot’ and was left alone to face the Muslim mob.

“It was there that some people started attacking him with lathis. At the instance of one Muslim volunteer, he was spared as he had saved hundreds of Muslims. But soon after, another group attacked him. When some people started dragging him to a nearby lane, he said that he won’t run away as he had to die one day, he would prefer to die while doing his duty. But his noble words had no effect on the murderous mob which attacked him from all sides. One of Vidyarthi’s companions died on the spot. Another volunteer was stabbed with a knife. Lastly came his turn and as the mob approached him, he bowed his head down only to be killed. He was stabbed in the back and another man attacked him with a khanta (an axe),” eyewitness Ganpat Singh told Enquiry Committee, as mentioned in Dr. M.L. Bhargava authored book Builders Of Modern India-Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi (Page:143).

M.L. Bhargava further writes that Vdyarthi’s decomposing corpse was found two days later, stuffed inside a gunny bag at the hospital. Despite having a severely disfigured face, he could be recognized due to his prominent white khadi attire. The three letters he had written on the fateful morning of March 25 were found in his pocket and served as additional evidence of his identification (Page: 144).

Before getting slain, Vidyarthi rescued many Muslims and Hindus from the violent mob, it is said that Vidyarthi was killed by a Muslim mob when he returned to rescue some Hindus stranded in the riot-stricken zone. It is said that even during his last moments, he was trying to convince the rioters not to kill innocent people. Vimla Vidyarthi in an interview with Suresh Salil, a noted poet, and translator, who is also accredited with editing and compiling the works of Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi, had said, “Her father had successfully rescued some Muslim women but then immediately got involved in rescuing some trapped Hindus, and at this stage, he got attacked and killed.”

Congress to approach Gujarat court next week against Rahul Gandhi’s conviction, to hold ‘Jan Andolan’ across India

OpIndia Staff
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Congress to approach Gujarat court next week against Rahul Gandhi’s conviction, to hold ‘Jan Andolan’ across India

Following Rahul Gandhi’s exclusion from the Lok Sabha, the Congress has chosen to appeal his conviction in the ‘Modi surname’ defamation case. According to reports, the party will most likely approach the Sessions Court in Surat next week, on either Monday or Tuesday, in relation to the defamation case in which the former party president has been convicted.

The verdict convicting Rahul Gandhi and sentencing him to two years in jail was delivered by the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate of the Surat Civil court, and the Surat District and Sessions court is the next court in the hierarchy, located in the same court complex.

In order to challenge the Surat Civil Court’s decision to convict the Gandhi scion for his ‘Modi surname’ statement, the party would follow the proper procedure and file a case in the Sessions Court. Notably, Rahul Gandhi was removed from the Lok Sabha on Friday after the Surat court’s ruling.

After the decision was pronounced, Jairam Ramesh, general secretary of Congress, declared that the party will fight ‘both legally and politically.’

Congress to launch protests across the country

The Congress on Friday called for strengthening the opposition unity in a systematic way and organised nationwide protests against Rahul Gandhi’s exclusion from the Lok Sabha. The party claimed that the government rushed swiftly to ‘gag’ their leader.

Senior Congress leaders, including former All India Congress Committee (AICC) chief Sonia Gandhi, party president Mallikarjun Kharge, general secretaries Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, K. C. Venugopal, Jairam Ramesh, Rajiv Shukla and Tariq Anwar, and senior leaders P. Chidambaram, Anand Sharma, Ambika Soni, Mukul Wasnik, Salman Khurshid and Pawan Kumar Bansal among others attended the meeting where the party decided to take this forward into a ‘Jan Andolan.’

Jairam Ramesh stated, “We will go all over the country as Rahul Gandhi was deliberately disqualified for raising his voice against the Modi government on the Adani issue, on the government’s foreign policy and the clean chit given to China for incursions at the border.” Ramesh alleged, that the BJP was rattled by the success of the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra,’ which, he claimed, became a movement.

He underlined that “we should now take the topic of opposition unity forward in a systematic fashion,” adding that the Congress leadership has welcomed the statements of support from the opposition leaders. “The action taken unilaterally and hastily to disqualify Rahul Gandhi,” he continued, “was criticised by several opposition parties.”

“Yes, there was a consensus that we should now take the job of building opposition unity in a systematic way. Everyday Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge has been meeting floor leaders of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. So we are coordinating in Parliament and now coordination has to be outside Parliament,” the Gandhi loyalist mentioned.

He conveyed, “It is also heartening to note that parties which were not part of this floor coordination have now issued public statements condemning this action of disqualification of Rahul Gandhi.”

The country-wide agitation will start on Monday, and state units and frontal organisations of the Congress will implement their national programmes.

“We will go all over the country saying that Rahul Gandhi has been deliberately disqualified as he has been raising his voice against the Modi government on various issues, including demonetisation, GST, foreign policy, and the government’s intentions and policies,” he informed.

“Nine days after Gandhi’s Adani address in the Lok Sabha on February 7, the complainant expedited his defamation lawsuit against him, and on February 16, he withdrew his own stay in the high court,” the Congress stalwart urged people to ‘understand the chronology.’

He explained that the judgement was reserved on March 17, the arguments were resumed on February 27 after a year, and the decision was announced on March 23. “This is no coincidence,” he remarked.

He also tweeted, ‘Mother is weeping today at the murder of democracy in India.’

Hours after Rahul Gandhi was disqualified on Friday, prominent party leader and lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi voiced optimism about obtaining a stay over the former’s conviction. “We are confident that we will get a stay of the conviction which will remove the very basis of this disqualification. We have full faith in the law. We believe we will emerge victorious in the near future,” he proclaimed.

Many opposition leaders including the Delhi CM and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief and his counterpart in West Bengal and All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) chairperson Mamta Banerjee came in support of Rahul Gandhi after the latter’s disqualification from Lok Sabha.

Bihar police arrest VHP district secretary after ‘Hindu Rashtra’ flags appeared in Darbhanga, BJP calls it appeasement of one community

OpIndia Staff
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Bihar police arrest VHP district secretary after ‘Hindu Rashtra’ flags appeared in Darbhanga, BJP calls it appeasement of one community

Bihar police have started taking strong actions against activists of Hindu organisations after a complaint was made regarding the ‘Hindu Rashtra’ flags that had been erected in the district of Darbhanga in Bihar. Rajeev Prakash Madhukar, a leader of the ‘Vishwa Hindu Parishad’ (VHP), has been arrested in this regard. He is VHP’s Darbhanga district secretary.

The police had registered an FIR in the case after a complaint was filed by Nazre Alam, the national president of an organisation named All India Muslim Bedari Karwan.

The VHP leader is said to have been summoned to the Peace Committee meeting, where he was then arrested. Sanjay Saraogi, local BJP MLA, condemned the police action and said that the Bihar administration detests the word ‘Hindu.’ He conveyed that initiatives are being taken to appease members of a specific community. 

He went on to ask if ‘Hinduism’ was a bad religion and added, “what would be wrong if India turned into a ‘Hindu Rashtra’.” He also maintained that many great leaders have expressed the same desire.

The authorities have been stringent on social media and forbidden people from making any sort of derogatory posts in this matter.  Additionally, the Darbhanga Police has also published a list of limitations in several respects.

These regulations include things like a 75 DB sound limit for DJs, a ban on new processions, identification requirements for procession leaders, and flag marches by police officials.

Opposition by the VHP

The Hindu organisation opposed this measure and charged the Bihar government with supporting jihadi elements. The outfit’s national spokesperson, Vinod Bansal, spoke with Opindia on the issue. He claimed that rather than eliminating the Popular Front of India (PFI) network that had roots in the state, the Bihar police and government were arresting nationalists.

He lambasted the Bihar government, particularly some of its officials, for appeasing Muslims. He stated that his demand is for the FIR to be withdrawn and for the activists to be released with dignity. He continued that according to the information we received, this unilateral behaviour is infuriating the Hindu community.

Background of the case

Following the discovery of ‘Hindu Rashtra’ banners at a few sites in Laheriasarai city in Bihar’s Darbhanga on Thursday, March 23, the Darbhanga Police filed an FIR against four named and one hundred unnamed accused individuals. Two saffron flags with the phrase ‘Hindu Rashtra’ printed on them were spotted close to a Durga Temple in the Maulaganj area in the city.

A section of people stated that the action offended their religious sensibilities. The police were made aware of the situation, and an inquiry was launched. The banner was deemed inappropriate and disruptive of social harmony by the police. According to them, one suspect has been taken into custody and is being questioned.

After the ‘Hindu Rashtra’ flags went viral on social media, Nazre Alam, who is the national president of a non-profit organisation named All India Muslim Bedari Karwan, wrote to the District Magistrate seeking action against those who allegedly attempted to disrupt the communal harmony in the area. 

In his letter, Alam accused Bajrang Dal of placing Hindu Rashtra banners and also claimed that Hindus and Muslims have been peacefully residing in Darbhanga for centuries, however, if such banners will be put up to hurt the sentiments of the ‘other community’ then neither Bihar nor India will be able to progress. He also added that demanding Hindu Rashtra in a democratic country like India comes under the category of a criminal offence. 

Karnataka: Congress leader Siddaramaiah slaps his supporter in Bengaluru, video goes viral

OpIndia Staff
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Karnataka: Congress leader Siddaramaiah slaps his supporter in Bengaluru, video goes viral

On Friday, 24th March 2023, Karnataka’s senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah slapped one of his supporters in Bengaluru. The incident took place at his residence when many of his supporters had come there to meet him.

In the viral video, it is seen that the former chief minister of Karnataka is surrounded by people outside his residence. At this time, one of his supporters comes ahead from the crowd to meet him. Siddaramaiah is seen slapping that supporter. He slapped his supporter so hard that its sound is clearly heard in the viral video.

This is not the first time that Siddaramaiah has humiliated his own supporters in this manner. Earlier, on 4th September 2019, he slapped his follower at Mysore airport. It was seen in the video that Siddaramaiah’s supporter moved forward to shake hands with him when he went to the airport. But instead of shaking hands, Siddaramaiah gave him a tight slap. When the video of this incident went viral, people called him to be arrogant.

This time in the Karnataka assembly elections, Siddaramaiah will contest from the Varuna constituency. His name appeared in the first list of candidates released by Congress.

Siddaramaiah is known for his anti-Modi remarks which he keeps making once in a while. He even went on to compare Narendra Modi with Hitler on Sunday, 22nd January 2023. Siddaramaiah said, “He is the Prime Minister, let him come. We don’t have any problems. However, if he says a hundred times that the BJP will come to power, I will make it clear that will not happen. People will not believe it, but what happened to Hitler? For a few days, he walked around pompously. What became of Mussolini and Franco? He (PM Modi) will also walk around like this for a few days.”

Congress leaders flaunt foreign media coverage of Rahul Gandhi after having denied that they were seeking foreign support in local politics

OpIndia Staff
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Congress leaders flaunt foreign media coverage of Rahul Gandhi after having denied that they were seeking foreign support in local politics

On Thursday, March 23, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was sentenced to two years of imprisonment by the Surat District Court in a 2019 criminal defamation case over his derogatory comments against the people with the ‘Modi’ surname. Following his conviction, the Wayanad MP has disqualified from Lok Sabha under section 8(3) of the Representation of Peoples Act, 1951. 

Ever since his disqualification, Congress leaders have been accusing the central government of suppressing Rahul Gandhi’s voice. In this line, Congress leader Supriya Shrinate shared the coverage of Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification by the foreign media outlets Guardian Australia, Spanish Telemundo, Germany’s Frankfurter Allgemeine, Saudi Arabia’s Ashraq News, France’s RFI, CNN Brasil and tried to insinuate that the Congress scion’s disqualification was somehow done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

“Truth has an odd quality. The more you suppress it, the even more powerfully it comes out. Well done Mr. Modi,” Shrinate tweeted in Hindi.

Shashi Tharoor commented on the way that news of Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification from the Lok Sabha was covered by the foreign media, saying that while the BJP tried to silence a voice, the voice of India is now heard by every corner of the world.

“They tried to silence a voice. Now every corner of the world hears the voice of India,” Tharoor tweeted.

Interestingly, it seems like a part of the Congress party’s social media activity as many congress affiliated Twitter handles have been sharing the same image compilation of the foreign media reports on Gandhi’s disqualification and hailing him as the ‘voice of India’. Here are some of the tweets posted by various Congress Sevadal Twitter handles.

It is pertinent to note that the same Congress party that was defending Rahul Gandhi’s statements during his controversial London visit wherein sought foreign intervention in India’s matters. Rahul Gandhi had urged the US and Europe to intervene to “restore” democracy in India. Rahul claimed that Europe and the US are not doing enough to restore democracy in India as they are getting trade and money from the country.

Recently, during an interview with India Today, Indian Overseas Congress chief Sam Pitroda bluntly denied Gandhi sought western countries’ intervention in India’s matters. Pitroda said, “This is our challenge, and we will deal with it”, is what Gandhi had said. When Sardesai asked about his comment that countries like the US and the UK are not doing anything about the situation of democracy in India, Pitroda claimed that India’s democracy is not just a matter of India but of the whole world. “It is not about Hindustan but Manavta”, he added.

Despite denying that Rahul Gandhi was seeking foreign intervention in India’s local political affairs, the Congress is flaunting the foreign media coverage of Rahul Gandhi’s recent conviction and disqualification.

While the Congress leaders and some foreign media outlets tried to paint Rahul Gandhi as a victim of some political measure, it was an automatic outcome of the judicial process and a law that was ironically placed by their own party.

The conviction

Rahul Gandhi was handed a two-year jail term on Thursday, March 23 as in a criminal defamation case from 2019. Purnesh Modi, a former Gujarat minister and member of the BJP, brought suit against Gandhi over his comments about the “Modi surname.” The judge later granted bail to the Congress leader, and the decision was postponed for 30 days so that Gandhi could appeal to a higher court.

Addressing a Lok Sabha election rally in Karnataka’s Kolar on April 13, 2019, Rahul Gandhi had said, “Why all the thieves, be it Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi or Narendra Modi, have Modi in their names.”

When delivering the ruling, the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Surat, Harsh Hasmukhbhai Varma, stated that Rahul Gandhi’s public conduct had not changed despite the Supreme Court’s warning to exercise caution and that he had made defamatory remarks. Since he is a member of parliament, strict punishment is required.

The disqualification

Following his conviction, Rahul Gandhi was automatically disqualified as a Lok Sabha MP under section 8(3) of the Representation of Peoples Act, 1951. On Friday, the Lok Sabha secretariat notified the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi from the lower House of parliament.

Notification issued by Lok Sabha Secretriat

It is notable that the Representation of Peoples Act earlier had a provision under section 8(4) which had said that if the convicted lawmaker appeals against the conviction, such a lawmaker will not be disqualified. But the Supreme Court of India had struck down this provision in the Lily Thomas v. Union Bank of India case in 2013.

The UPA-II government at that time had tried to overturn this judgment by bringing an amendment, and an ordinance was also issued to make it applicable immediately.

However, Rahul Gandhi himself had objected to this amendment, called it nonsense, and had on September 28, 2013, trashed it in front of the media. The amendment was withdrawn after this public humiliation of the government by its own leader.

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