On Friday, Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) VK Saxena approved the suspension of 11 senior officials of the Excise Department, including top bureaucrats, for flaws in the formulation of the new excise policy and its alleged mismanaged execution.
According to the reports, VK Saxena ordered disciplinary procedures against Arava Gopi Krishna, the former commissioner of Excise, and Anand Kumar Tiwari, the former Andaman and Nicobar Islands Civil Service (DANICS) officer. Apart from the two DANICs officers, the LG also recommended the suspension of nine other Excise department personnel.
Update: LG Delhi approves suspension of 11 Excise officials including the then Excise Commissioner, DCs & ACs for deliberate lapses in implementing Excise Policy 2021-22. Details of Officers whose suspension approved and the findings of Vigilance Enquiry. https://t.co/HFgm0dhkdfpic.twitter.com/gH3uKis3UE
This is after the LG ordered an investigation into the new excise policy 2021-22 for suspected rule breaches and procedural failures. The LG suggested that the CBI investigate the inconsistencies and shortcomings in the new Excise policy. Reportedly, the LG decided to suspend officials due to severe lapses on their part in the implementation of the Excise policy and also irregularities in finalizing the tender.
To note, Delhi Dy CM Manish Sisodiya held a press conference on August 6 to blame Delhi’s Ex Lt Governor Anil Baijal for corruption in the new excise policy which has now been rolled back. Sisodia demanded a CBI investigation over the decision modification and questioned whether the LG was pressured. “It should also be investigated whether the former LG made the decision under duress and whether any Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader was involved,” he accused.
Responding to the allegations made by the Delhi Dy CM, BJP’s Sambit Patra said that the Aam Aadmi Party was manufacturing a lie and was deliberately dragging the former LG into the matter.
The EOW of the Delhi Police earlier sent a notice to the assistant commissioner of the Delhi Excise Department, requesting information concerning the suspected illicit distribution of liquor licences to organisations that breached the terms and conditions of the New Excise Policy 2021-22. It has demanded papers and information from the excise department regarding when the New Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 was formed and when tenders for the award of liquor licences under the new policy were announced.
The EOW has also requested the department to disclose the application forms for all successful applicants who acquired a liquor licence, as well as any other relevant papers that they were required to provide.
In the meanwhile, as the new excise policy has been scrapped due to allegations of corruption, the licences granted to private liquor shops will expire on August 31. The Delhi govt will return to the old policy of state-run liquor stores and has decided to open 700 vends by the year-end, including 5 premium stores. The liquor outlets will be operated by four govt undertakings, Delhi Tourism and Transport Development Corporation (DTTDC), Delhi State Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC), and Delhi Consumer’s Cooperative Wholesale Stores (DCCWS) and Delhi State Civil Supplies Corporation (DSCSC).
Days after Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia announced the decision to scrap the new liquor policy, the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22, the Delhi government has announced that it will open 700 liquor outlets in Delhi. Out of the 700 outlets, five will be premium liquor shops that will be set up in posh districts, malls, and large markets.
The liquor outlets will be operated by four govt undertakings, Delhi Tourism and Transport Development Corporation (DTTDC), Delhi State Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC), Delhi Consumer’s Cooperative Wholesale Stores (DCCWS) and Delhi State Civil Supplies Corporation (DSCSC). The objective of the government behind this is to maximize sales to minimize black marketing and smuggling from neighbouring states.
This development comes amidst the recently launched probe into the Delhi government’s excise department by the Delhi Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW), due to alleged irregularities in its new liquor policy. The government withdrew its 2021-22 excise policy last week after a continuing disagreement with the LG, who has urged the CBI to investigate claims of corruption in the scheme’s execution, and has chosen to reinstate the previous policy beginning September 1. In the meanwhile, private vending licenses have been extended until August 31.
The government plans to establish two premium outlets by August 31 and three more by the end of the year. Out of the 700 general outlets, 500 will be opened by September, and the rest 200 will be opened by December. The four organisations will operate the stores in different zones. DTTDC will run the shops in zones 1-9, DSIIDC in 10-18, DCCWS in 19-24, and DSCSC in 25-30. DTTDC and DSIIDC will open 150 liquor vends each by month end, while DCCWS and DSCSC will open 100 stores each in the same period. After that, DTTDC and DSIIDC will each open 60 additional outlets by December, and DCCWS and DSCSC will open 40 outlets each. The four corporations maintained 475 liquor vends under the former excise regime, which was in operation until November 17 of last year.
The present excise policy, which expires on August 31, private enterprises retail permits for 32 zones and 849 vends. The government, which had exited the retail liquor market following the implementation of Excise Policy 2021-22 on November 17, will reopen alcohol vends on September 1.
One of the officials stated that under the old policy, imported liquor brands were only sold by the private outlets while the government vends dealt with country-made liquor. “Now, as the government has decided to shut these (private) vends, there is a plan to open premium vends so people can walk in and buy without rush,” he was quoted.
Delhi Deputy CM blames ex LG Anil Baijal
Meanwhile, Delhi Dy CM Manish Sisodia held a press conference on August 6 to seek CBI investigation and blame Delhi’s Ex Lt Governor Anil Baijal for corruption in the new excise policy which has now been rolled back. “Due to change of decision in LG office, some shopkeepers got profit of thousands of crores and government lost thousands of crores,” he said adding that the new Excise Policy of Delhi 2021-22 benefited some individuals but was not effectively executed.
Delhi Excise Policy row | Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia writes to CBI, seeking an investigation into former Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal’s change of stance on the opening of liquor shops in unauthorised areas.
Anil Baijal was the Delhi LG when the Arvind Kejriwal administration developed the new excise policy, which came into effect on November 17, 2021. Sisodia stated that in the new excise policy, which was enacted in May 2021, it was determined that there would be an equal number of liquor stores in each location. “Previously”, he added, “there were up to 20 stores in one location and none in others”.
“Earlier, 849 shops in the national capital were unevenly distributed. In the new policy, equitable distribution was underlined to avoid instances like hooch policy”, the Dy CM said adding that the new excise policy was carefully read and approved by the then LG. However, the state government lost thousands of crores of rupees as a result of the decision being reversed 48 hours before the stores were to open.
According to him, 300 to 350 stores were unable to launch because the former LG altered his stance. Sisodia demanded a CBI investigation over the decision modification and questioned whether the LG was pressured. “It should also be investigated whether the former LG decided under duress and whether any Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader was involved,” he accused.
‘AAP manufactures lie’
Responding to the allegations made by the Delhi Dy CM, BJP’s Sambit Patra said that the Aam Aadmi Party was manufacturing a lie and was deliberately dragging former LG into the matter. “If at all there was a scam, then why was the government silent from November 2021 to August 2022? Now they are suddenly making up the scam to divert the public attention. Already CBI, EOW, and ED are behind them. They just are looking to divert the attention”, he said.
He further said, “Sisodia allowed manufacturing vendors to run private liquor shops, which is illegal. He also allowed the black-listed companies to sell liquor which is also illegal. He also allowed the cartels to dominate the tenders. Later the AAP and Sisodia were issued show cause notice by the Excise departments”. Patra also demanded Sisodia to make public the answer written in response to the notice if any.
The policy was proposed in 2020 and came into force in November 2021. Delhi was divided into 32 zones, each with 27 liquor vends. It also marked the end of the government’s sale of alcohol, only private liquor shops now function in the city, with 2-3 vends in each mayoral ward. The objectives of the policy were to put a stop to the liquor mafia and black marketing, raise income and improve the customer experience, and ensure equal distribution of liquor vends.
The government also made laws more flexible for licensees, such as enabling them to provide discounts and establish their own pricing rather than selling at the government-mandated MRP. Following it, vendors gave discounts, attracting people. Following opposition rallies, the tax agency temporarily suspended discounts. Reports mention that the excise policy 2021-22 helped the government to earn increased revenue, generating around Rs 8900 crore.
Sisodia reportedly changed the excise policy without the LG’s consent, such as providing a remission of Rs. 144.36 crores on the surrendered licencing fee due to the COVID-19 epidemic.
Delhi Police’s EOW’s action in the case
The EOW of the Delhi Police meanwhile has sent a notice to the assistant commissioner of the Delhi Excise Department, requesting information concerning the suspected illicit distribution of liquor licences to organisations that breached the terms and conditions of the New Excise Policy 2021-22. It has demanded papers and information from the excise department regarding when the New Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 was formed and when tenders for the award of liquor licences under the new policy were announced.
The EOW has also requested the department to disclose the application forms for all successful applicants who acquired a liquor licence, as well as any other relevant papers that they were required to provide.
Congress party is in an agitation mode these days, protesting on the roads all over the country against the ruling BJP government in the center. The three main issues the grand old party is trying to raise, in decreasing order of importance, are ED questioning of Gandhis, inflation, and unemployment. However, things got a bit out of hand during one of these protests in Himachal Pradesh as two factions of Congress started fighting amongst themselves.
To protest against unemployment in the country, the Congress party took out its Rojgar Sangharsh Yatra in Himachal Pradesh. However, during the protest, a fight broke out between party members and they beat each other black and blue.
News agency ANI shared the video of the fight saying, Clash erupts between two factions of Congress in Nahan of Himachal Pradesh during Rojgar Sangharsh Yatra.
#WATCH | Clash erupts between two factions of Congress in Nahan of Himachal Pradesh during Rojgar Sangharsh Yatra pic.twitter.com/0iRaFxOMIQ
With Himachal Pradesh assembly elections set to be held later this year, Congress had been trying to build some momentum through this Yatra across the state during the past week. However, with their own workers beating each other brutally like this during this yatra, there is small scope of this resonating among the masses.
The villagers in the Dahanu area of the Palghar district foiled an attempt of four Christian missionaries to convert the tribals to Christianity by luring them with money. The missionaries told the tribals that they will get relief from their pains if they convert to Christianity. The Dahanu police then arrested the four Christian missionaries on Friday, 5th August 2022.
The incident took place in the Sarawli Talawpada village of the Dahanu taluka of the Palghar district on Friday afternoon when four Christian missionaries entered the house of an old tribal woman spotting her alone at her home. They lured her with money to convert to Christianity. The missionaries asked her to stop practicing her faith and accept Christianity so that she would get relief from her ailments. According to a report by Loksatta, they offered her money and tried to force her into religious conversion.
As the local villagers and the members of Hindu organizations came to know that the missionaries have come to the village, they quickly gathered in large numbers and took those missionaries and the old woman to the local police station. On the basis of the complaint lodged by the old tribal woman, the Dahanu police registered an FIR and imposed sections 153, 295, 448, and 34 of the Indian Penal Code. The Dahanu police arrested all the four Christian missionaries who are identified as Claimant D Baila, Mariam T Philips, Paramjit alias Pinki Sharma Kaur, and Parashuram Dharma Dhingada.
In the remote tribal-dominated talukas Dahanu, Talasari, Jawar, and Vikramgad in the Palghar district, conversion practices have been going on for many years. The poorly educated tribals of this area are being converted by taking advantage of their ignorance as well as by various allurements. As a result, in many places, there have been frequent disputes between Hindu tribals and converted Christian tribals over the celebration of festivals and other practices.
On July 29 this year, the dead body of a Hindu woman was discovered in a paddy field in the Kumar para area in the Bhervedi Union in Dinajpur district of Bangladesh.
As per reports, the deceased woman was identified as Apo Rani Roy. She was returning to her husband’s home from her paternal house. Later, her disrobed body was found in a paddy field. A 10-year-old girl named Bipasha Rani Roy was also found in an unconscious state near the victim’s body.
On finding Apo Rani Rani in a lifeless state, the passersby called for help and informed the police. The cops reached the spot and recovered her body. The minor girl was then admitted to the Sub-Divisional Health complex.
Daughter of Apo Rani describes the evening when her mother was dragged, r@ped & k!lled by Mu$lims in Bangladesh.
Till now except @RajatSharmaLive no one has bothered to highlight the pain of these Hindu girls. 2 small girls lost their mother&shelter. Shame on all of us. Shame pic.twitter.com/Qg1snBvdCY
— Radharamn Das राधारमण दास (@RadharamnDas) August 5, 2022
According to the victim’s family, Alo Rani Roy has been gang-raped by unidentified criminals. They claimed that the victim was murdered to prevent her from identifying the accused men.
In a video shared by ISKCON spokesperson Radharamn Das, the 10-year-old could be heard saying, “My mother held my hand tightly. She begged the perpetrators to let me go. She kept on asking them: What have we done to you? They grabbed me by my neck and hit me on the head. I fainted but they believed that I was dead.”
“I don’t know what happened to my mother after that.” Later in the video, the minor girl was seen bursting into tears and asking, “What have we done to deserve this?” Apo Rani Roy is now survived by her husband and daughter.
Hindu schoolgirl abducted and killed in Bangladesh
Last month, a Hindu girl from Bangladesh was abducted and killed by a man who later posted her picture on Facebook declaring that she was dead. The deceased girl was identified as Anuradha Sen who belonged to the minority Hindu community in Sherpur in Nalitabari Upazila of Bangladesh.
The girl, who was kidnapped earlier,was killed by the accused and her picture was posted on her Facebook account. The caption attached to the post read, “There is no need to find her. She is dead.” The accused was suspected to be Bari Mehdi who had earlier made threatening calls to Anuradha’s brother.
According to the reports, the victim had completed her 10th board exams from the Bankura High School this year. She was kidnapped by the criminal who pretended to be calling from her school to provide government funds for her further studies.
According to information obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, the Punjab government spent Rs 14.63 lakh on the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) victory march, Dhanwad Punjab Yatra, in Amritsar on 13th March 2022. On 10th March 2022, the results of the Punjab assembly elections were declared in which the Aam Aadmi Party won 92 out of 117 seats in the state assembly and formed a government, following which the victory march was taken out by the party.
The expenses of the victory march include the costs born for honouring senior AAP leaders with gold-plated swords and arranging their accommodation in five-star hotels and decorating roads with flowers. Manik Goyal, an RTI activist, had filed the plea for details on the event’s expenses. The grand road show was headed by AAP national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and CM-elect Bhagwant Mann. According to the RTI response, the Amritsar district administration received a total of 19 bills for the party’s victory march and paid Rs 14,63,129.
The RTI response revealed that The Taj Swarna, a five-star hotel, received a payment of 1,51,851 from the Amritsar district administration to cover four invoices. Besides, the district administration spent Rs 4,83,800 to decorate roadways with fresh flowers, Rs 75,000 to prepare the welcome gate, Rs 5,56,424 to arrange tents and chairs, Rs 54,500 on drummers, Rs 16,800 to purchase rose bouquets, Rs 18,000 to purchase phulkaris, Rs 34,000 to purchase four gold-plated swords, Rs 45,398 to install flex boards, Rs 17,500 to videographers and photographers, and Rs 9,856 to confectionary arrangements. All the expenses are done before Bhagwant Mann assumed the charges as the chief minister of the state.
Manik Goyal said that Bhagwant Mann was voted leader of the parliamentary party by newly elected MLAs on March 11, but he had yet to take the oath of office as chief minister when the AAP delved into the state exchequer to utilize cash for the party’s celebration rally. At the swearing-in event on March 16 at Khatkar Kalan in the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district, Mann took the oath of office and confidentiality.
Mayank Goyal also informed that people were transported to Amritsar for the victory march using government buses, but the district administration did not respond to a question about the costs associated with their conveyance. Harpreet Singh Sudan, the deputy commissioner of Amritsar, declined to comment on the costs associated with the road show on March 13. He said, “I joined here in April and, therefore, I can’t comment on why and how this payment was made. It is the government’s prerogative to decide how, why, and where to pay. The authorities act on the government’s directions.”
Punjab’s finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema said that he will immediately look into this matter. Malvinder Singh Kang, the state’s top AAP spokesperson, was vague over the RTI response, nevertheless. He said, “I don’t know the authenticity of this information.”
It is notable that due to growing debt, slow development, and a load of freebies, Punjab’s economy has been in terrible circumstances for years. Ironically, the AAP government portrayed a bleak image of the state finances in a white paper it submitted to the assembly on June 25 and attributed the financial crisis to past administrations’ excessive spending and poor management.
Ahead of the much-awaited release of Laal Singh Chadha, a scene-by-scene copy of Tom Hanks’ classic Forrest Gump, Aamir Khan has been facing a lot of anger from Indian moviegoers who have been calling for a boycott of his latest film. Aamir Khan, whose last big-budget offering ‘Thugs of Hindostan’ ended up being one of the biggest ever flops in the history of Indian cinema seems to be feeling the effects of these boycott calls.
When asked about hashtags like ‘Boycott Bollywood’ and ‘Boycott Laal Singh Chaddha’ trending on Twitter, the actor said he feels sad about it. He also said that the ‘trolls’ make it sound like he does not love his country but that is absolutely ‘untrue’. Even though in the past Aamir Khan had told viewers openly not to watch his films, this time, the boycott calls seems to be affecting him and his PR drive during the past few days reflects that.
The reason why most moviegoers plan to boycott any Aamir movie varies from person to person, some want to boycott him over his mockery of Hindu Gods in PK, some want to boycott his movies because of his opposition to Sardar Sarovar Dam which provided water to the most drought-stricken areas of Gujarat, some want to boycott him for blaming current PM Narendra Modi for 2002 Gujarat riots, while some just can’t stand the sanctimoniousness.
Another reason why many moviegoers plan to boycott Aamir Khan’s movies is his proximity to openly anti-India Turkey, hanging out with Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi (who repeatedly calls for ‘independence of Jammu & Kashmir’ from India), and Aamir’s meeting with people like Pakistani Maulana Tariq Jameel.
To counter these boycott calls by the common Indians, Aamir Khan’s PR has been trying to paint a more rosy image of the Bollywood stalwart, and one such attempt has come from the Bollywood website Koimoi.
Koimoi published an article titled, “Did Aamir Khan Meet Jamaat-E-Ul Terrorist Maulana Tariq Jameel & Pakistani Cricketer Shahid Afridi In Saudi Arabia? Rumours Busted!” on the 5th of August 2022, in which, instead of busting any rumours, they confirmed that Aamir Khan indeed met these anti-India people in Saudi Arabia.
While trying to disprove Aamir Khan’s meeting with Tariq Jameel, the article notes, “It is worth pointing out that multiple publications reported that Laal Singh Chaddha actor met them at mecca when he went for Hajj pilgrimage accompanied by his mother Zeenat Hussain in October 2012. The said photo was taken at that time. Former Pakistani music band Vital Signs’ member Junaid Jamshed was also present at that time.”
The article further confirms that Junaid Jamshed also shared the picture on his Facebook account with a caption that read: “Shahid Afridi and Aamir Khan with Maulana Tariq Jameel.”
Who is Tariq Jameel, whose photo with Aamir Khan is creating all the controversy
Tariq Jameel is a Pakistani Islamic television preacher and a Tablighi Jamaat member. It is important to note that Tablighi Jamaat is banned in Saudi Arabia after the custodian of the two holy Mosques called Tablighi Jamaat “one of the gates of terrorism”.
In a tweet on December 6, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Islamic Affairs said, “His Excellency the Minister of Islamic Affairs, Dr.#Abdullatif Al_Alsheikh directed the mosques’ preachers and the mosques that held Friday prayer temporary to allocate the next Friday sermon 5/6/1443 H to warn against (the Tablighi and Da’wah group) which is called (Al Ahbab)”.
The tweet mentioned that the minister has directed that the sermon cover topics including declaration of “the misguidance, deviation, and danger of this group, and that it is one of the gates of terrorism, even if they claim otherwise”, to mention their prominent mistakes, to mention their danger to society and a statement that affiliation with partisan groups (including the Tablighi and Da’wah Group) is prohibited in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Tablighi Jamaat gained widespread prominence in India when its gathering in Delhi became one of the earliest hotspots of Coronavirus in the country. The Tablighi Jamaat event was not only attended by Indian Islamic clerics but also foreign nationals.
After emerging as a ‘superspreader’ of the Wuhan Coronavirus, the conduct of the members of the Tablighi Jamaat did not improve. While they were being transported from Nizamuddin for their treatment, they spat on roads during the bus ride. After being shifted to quarantine facilities in Delhi, they engaged in unruly behaviour with the staff and doctors. The occupants made unreasonable demands for food, misbehaved and abused staff members and spat all over and on persons working/attending to them, including doctors.
The controversial preacher Tariq Jameel, whom Aamir Khan met, had earlier blamed Muslim women when Coronavirus was running rampant in the country. At the peak of the Coronavirus crisis, he had said that when Muslim women and the youth indulge in shameless and immodest behaviour, then Allah inflicts pain and agony on humans.
Social media platforms are awash with snippets from an old video when villagers in Madhya Pradesh’s Mandsaur chased away India Today journalist Rajdeep Sardesai over an allegedly planted interview.
In the video, which is from 2018, Sardesai visits Mandsaur 18 months after it witnessed violence during the agitation organised by farmers in June 2017 to report on the aftermath of the violent clashes and to ascertain if the government had addressed the ‘grievances’ raised by the victims.
The snippet of the video that is doing the rounds on the internet shows Rajdeep Sardesai asking an alleged victim if he has received compensation from the government, to which the respondent replies in the negative, sparking anger from the gathered people who shout he has been given Rs 1 crore as compensation by the MP government.
The clip is from Sardesai’s Mandsaur visit in November 2017, the complete video of which was uploaded on India Today’s official YouTube channel on 5 November 2017. At 30 minutes into the video, Sardesai is seen claiming that the moment the villagers heard an Aaj-Tak, India Today team is in the village, a virtual panchayat had gathered.
Sardesai then goes on to talk to one of the alleged victims of the Mandsaur violence, who the India Today journalist claimed had lost his 17-year-old son in the clashes that broke out months ago. When Sardesai asks him if he has received any kind of help or compensation from the state government, the man says he has not received anything from the administration.
However, the man’s response sparks outrage among the village residents who had gathered on the occasion. Many of them angrily rebut the man’s claim, shouting at the top of their voices that he has received Rs 1 crore as compensation from the government. When Sardesai tries to ask a leading question to the alleged victim, the crowd goes berserk, encircling him and chasing him out of the place, all of which is captured in the video uploaded on India Today’s YouTube channel.
Report published in India Today said kin of Mandsaur victims were give Rs 1 crore ex-gratia
It is worth noting while the victim said he did not receive compensation from the government, a report published in India Today, Rajdeep Sardesai’s organisation, had reported in the aftermath of the Mandsaur violence that CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan had met with the kin of the deceased and handed over Rs 1 crore each to them. Chouhan and his wife had reached Mandsaur on a special plane and first went to Badwan village to meet the relatives of Ghanshyam Dhakad and other farmers killed during the firing.
A farmers’ agitation demanding loan waivers and higher crop prices in Mandsaur took an ugly turn after protesters torched vehicles, targeted police stations and attacked government officials, following which five farmers were killed in police firing.
Even as Rajdeep Sardesai has to face embarrassment over his interview with one of the Mandsaur victims who seemingly lied about the compensation he had received from the government, this is not the first time that the India Today journalist had egg on his face.
Sunil Gavaskar shuts up Rajdeep Sardesai on Live TV
On December 14, 2021, during a debate on India Today where former Indian Captain Sunil Gavaskar was a panellist, he told Rajdeep it would not matter if Sardesai would not agree with him as he would not lose sleep over it. The debate was about the alleged rift between cricketers Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, that has been making rounds the whole day.
Towards the end of the debate, when anchor Rahul Kanwal asked Gavaskar what would he suggest to Jay Shah and Saurav Ganguly about handling the situation, he said it would be better if they both ignored it. He added that it could be just a rumour as there has been no official word over this by anyone. Both players have not said anything about it. Therefore, it would be better not to answer any controversy.
In his reply, Sardesai said that he did not agree with him. Gavaskar, with an ear-to-ear grin on his face, said, “Rajdeep if you don’t agree with me, it doesn’t matter. I won’t lose sleep over it.” Humiliated, yet again on Live TV, Rajdeep could not do anything but laugh over it.
Shehzad Poonawalla gives a befitting response to Rajdeep Sardesai over question on former CM Devendra Fadnavis becoming Deputy CM
Recently, during a news debate on Devendra Fadnavis’ appointment as Deputy Chief minister after serving as the chief minister of Maharashtra, Rajdeep Sardesai asked BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla if that would affect the former CM, to which Poonawalla reminded the India Today journalist how he was once the Editor-in-chief of CNN IBN, and now he is working as Consulting Editor of India Today, which has not affected his stature or respect.
Embarrassed with Shehzad’s acerbic observation, Rajdeep Sardesai was left with nothing but to acknowledge it with a sheepish smile.
‘I don’t take you seriously’, said Mukesh Ambani
In March 2017, India Today Conclave published a 6-minute interview of Rajdeep Sardesai with business tycoon Mukesh Ambani. Sardesai introduced him as the most powerful person in the country. When he asked Ambani how he felt when he introduced him the way he did, Ambani said, “I don’t believe that. I do not take you seriously.” Sardesai, humiliated by the ‘most powerful person’, could only say, “Are yeh kya baat hui (What are you saying).”
Former President Mukherjee scolded him for interrupting
In the same year, when former President Pranab Mukherjee completed his tenure, he gave an interview with Rajdeep Sardesai on the launch of his book. During the interview, Sardesai kept interrupting the former President. At first, he did not say anything but by the ninth minute, he had enough. He said, “Let me complete. You don’t have this habit. I am sorry to take you and remind you are interviewing the former President. Please have the necessary courtesy. Don’t interrupt.”
Bachchan refused to fall for his ‘trap’
In January 2016, during an interview with Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan, Rajdeep questioned him about his views on the alleged intolerance in the country. Bachchan, who was clearly taken by surprise by the question as earlier it was mostly about his career, said he was not qualified to answer the question. He said, “You know Rajdeep, I don’t know how the journalists address this issue, but really I am not qualified to answer this question at all. I am the least educated as far as these issues are concerned.” When Sardesai asked him if he was being diplomatic, Bachchan said, “So you are agreeing that it is some sort of trap.”
Sardesai schooled by PM Modi
If that is not enough, he was even schooled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2007 when he was Chief Minister of Gujarat. PM Modi was attending Hindustan Times Leadership Summit as a guest. Sardesai, who was interviewing him, asked if he was sorry about what had happened in 2002.
Then-CM Modi said, “A person who had got a chance to become anchor is trying to impose his propaganda while going out of the line from the topic for which I was called for in this Summit.” He questioned the organizers and asked them to decide how they wanted to move ahead with the interview.
“Ye Dalal hai, Ye Dalal hai”: Protesters heckle India Today journalist Rajdeep Sardesai
‘Journalist’ Rajdeep Sardesai had to face a massive embarrassment after protestors confronted him and referred to him as a ‘Dalal’ or a broker and accused him of being a part of the ‘Godi media’. In an undated video that had gone viral on social media, TV anchor Rajdeep Sardesai was seen in a heated argument with some farmer protestors, reportedly gathered in Delhi.
The term ‘Godi Media’ is widely used by pro-Congress media persons, left-wing trolls and opposition leaders against journalists and media houses who do not toe the Congress line.
Here is the video where Rajdeep Sardesai was left red-faced by the protestors, who shouted to him saying, “Ye Dalal hai. Ye Godi Media hai(he is a broker, he is Godi media)”.
No proof that the spyware application Pegasus was used to eavesdrop on the phones under examination was discovered by a Supreme Court-appointed group of experts. A report regarding the same is submitted to the top court and the technical analysis leading to the said conclusion will be an essential part of the report.
According to a report by Hindustan Times, a person who has significant details of the matter has provided this information without disclosing his name. He said that more than 100 gadgets were examined by the committee, which retired Supreme Court judge RV Raveendran led; and details of the findings are contained in a 600-page record that was submitted to the court about a week ago.
According to this person, the first question in the committee’s terms of reference was to determine whether the Pegasus suite of spyware was used on phones or other devices of the citizens of India to access stored data, eavesdrop on conversations, intercept information, and/or for any other purposes not explicitly stated herein. The submission in response to this question states that there is no evidence found so far to prove that the Pegasus app was installed on those devices to snoop on the targets.
The panel was tasked with identifying the individuals targeted by the spyware, the steps taken by the Indian government in response to the alleged unlawful intrusion, and if Pegasus was originally purchased by the Indian government with the intention of spying on Indian residents. If it is the latter, the panel was also required to ascertain under what rule or policy it was bought.
The person also said, “The rest of the questions fail to be relevant once the panel has concluded that there is no evidence that the spyware was used to snoop on the devices at all. The report indicated the findings were based on sophisticated tests conducted by the panel on the devices people voluntarily turned in.”
He added that the tools used by the committee included a tool made by Amnesty International, which was among the non-profits that examined Pegasus infections, and the program was also used in other countries for forensic analysis. The government also used its own tools and devices and over a 600-page document refers to the technical analysis and the methodology. After extensive analysis using those tools, the controversial app was not found in the submitted phones.
RV Raveendran, who headed the committee of experts, said, “This is a pending matter. This is not an independent inquiry and the matter is sub judice. The court will disclose the details in its own time.”
The matter has not yet been scheduled for hearing, but the court register predicts that it will be brought on August 12 before a bench that includes Chief Justice of India NV Ramana and justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli.
It is notable that the Pegasus snooping issue started on July 18, 2021, when a group of media networks and investigative reporters claimed that among the 50,000 phone numbers chosen for infection with the Pegasus malware were those of Indian ministers, legislators, activists, entrepreneurs, and journalists.
The malware is considered a combat weapon since it employs cutting-edge tactics to infiltrate a person’s smartphone and overhear calls, activate the mic or camera, and access any device information, including messages, images, and videos.
Several of the 50,000 phone numbers from other countries included in the media articles were later proven to be affected after separate investigations by respective nations and other organizations.
Days after an Islamic bride was allowed to enter a mosque for her marriage ceremony in Kozhikode, Kerala, the Paleri-Parakkadavu Mahal Committee announced on Friday that allowing the bride into the Mosque for marriage is not acceptable. The committee said that bride was allowed inside the Mosque by mistake and that no such conduct in the future will be tolerated.
Mahal Committee in Kerala refers to local Islamic organisation usually centred around a ‘jama masjid’ and ‘takes care’ of the local Muslim community. It also takes care of the administration of the local mosque.
The Parakkadav Juma Masjid in Kozhikode had permitted Kuttyadi native KS Umeer to get his daughter wedded on the premises around the Mosque. Umeer’s daughter Bahja Dalila got married to Fahad Qasim on July 30 after which the bride’s family asked the general secretary of the Mosque to allow Dalila inside the Mosque. According to the committee, the secretary granted the permission on his own, without consulting the senior authorities.
“Permission had been given for marriage outside the mosque. However, one of the office-bearers mistook it as the nod for the bride to be present inside the mosque. The person concerned has apologized for the mistake”, the committee was quoted. The Mahal Committee members also stated that the family of the bride had violated the norms, first by taking the daughter inside the Mosque and then clicking a series of photographs.
Holding the bride’s family responsible for the incident that took place after the wedding, the committee said that it would meet the concerned family to express displeasure over the incident. Reports mention that the committee will also create a thorough code of conduct for arranging weddings inside mosques and distribute it to mahal members.
The incident of a Mosque authority allowing a bride to enter inside the Mosque was lauded by many while Abdul Hameed Faizy, working secretary of Sunni Yuvajana Sangham (SYS), described it as a new aberration in Islam, which was established by Jama’at-e-Islami and Mujahids.
Unfolding the incident, the groom’s uncle named Sanoop CH also said that the decision announced by the Mahal committee was surprising. “We thought that allowing bride inside the Mosque was leading to progress in the community. We had taken every permission before the function. It would be great if the committee rethinks its decision and starts adopting meaningful changes that bring good to society”, he was quoted as saying.
According to Islamic belief, women are generally not allowed to enter mosques. Meanwhile, KS Umeer, the father of the bride, said that both the families wanted daughter Dalila to witness her marriage at the Mosque. “Bahaja’s wedding became the first ceremony in our locality, where the bride was able to witness the ceremony inside the Mosque. It is high time that we discarded such practices that have no place in Islam. The brides, including my daughter, have the right to witness their wedding”, he said.
