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Lock Upp: Sexual exploitation is the dark truth of film and fashion industries, leaves people permanently scarred, says Kangana

Siddhi Somani
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Lock Upp: Sexual exploitation is the dark truth of film and fashion industries, leaves people permanently scarred, says Kangana

Kangana Ranaut who is currently hosting the web reality show named ‘Lock Upp’, revealed the dark secrets of Bollywood on Sunday as she said that sexual exploitation is common in the film or fashion industry. In the Judgement Day episode, the actress stated that ‘sexual exploitation shatters many dreams and leaves people permanently scarred. “Yeh kaala sach hai (this is the black truth)”, she said.

This is after Saisha Shinde, the transwoman contestant on the show shared her secret in presence of other contestants. She said that she was cheated and sexually exploited by one of her favourite fashion designers at the beginning of her career. “This is one secret that I have never brought out. It was the year 2005 or 2006. My career had just started. I met one of my favourite fashion designers. He called me to his hotel room and said that he was feeling disturbed. He said that his life had become a suitcase. I felt bad. I hugged him and we had sex”, she said (Timestamp- 28.07).

Saisha added that she felt cheated when she explored the fact that the designer had narrated the same story to 7-8 more boys had exploited them as well. “Things like these spread like fire in the industry and soon I was banned from the fashion week. The designer had spread the rumours that I had exposed him but the fact is that I hadn’t told his secret to anyone. I was exploited and later I only had to suffer”, she added.

Saisha also said that the unnamed designer had a boyfriend in every metropolitan city. The host appreciated Saisha for raising the issue and stated that sexual exploitation is the black truth of the industry. She said that sexual exploitation is very common in the film industry and fashion industry. “Sexual exploitation happens in every industry, be it the corporate industry, hotel industry, etc but what happens in the film industry is that people assume that they have a license to exploit the newcomers or the models. They think that its okay to exploit those who wear fewer clothes or those who showoff their skin in the public”, Kangana Ranaut said on May 1 (Timestamp- 30.28)

The actress-host also raised the issue of the Me Too campaign and said that all the girls who had revealed prominent names in the industry have been washed out of their jobs. “Nothing happened about the Me Too campaign. All those girls who came out then are nowhere seen today. Even I was banned from the industry when I supported some of the victim girls. So this is common and this happens often in the film and fashion industry”, she added.

Earlier, Kangana Ranaut on the show had revealed that she was sexually assaulted as a child. Recalling the incidents that happened when she was a child, Ranaut said, “I was a little kid and was not aware what exactly was happening. There was a boy in my town who lived nearby. He inappropriately touched me. This guy was three to four years older than me, perhaps he was exploring his sexuality. He would call us, get us all to strip and check us. We would not understand it at the time”, she had said.

She added a lot of kids go through the same experience every year, but people hesitate to take the issue to a public platform. “Sexual assault on children is a huge crisis in society”, Kangana had said on April 24. The web show ‘Lock Upp’ produced by Ekta Kapoor streams on ALTBalaji and MXPlayer. The show that is gearing towards its grand finale is hosted by Actress Kangana Ranaut while actor Karan Kundrra acts as the jailer of the show.

Jodhpur: Islamist mob vandalises vehicles, clashes with police after Eid prayers, hours after violence happened over replacing Bhagwa flag with an Islamic flag

OpIndia Staff
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Jodhpur: Islamist mob vandalises vehicles, clashes with police after Eid prayers, hours after violence happened over replacing Bhagwa flag with an Islamic flag

On May 3, fresh clashes took place in Jodhpur following communal violence on Monday. The clash took place between Jodhpur Police and members of the Muslim community after Eid prayers. The mob vandalized vehicles parked in the market and residential areas. Some police vehicles were also damaged. DGP ML Lathar said, “After Eid namaz’s offering, some youngsters attempted to disturb the peace again. We used mild force to disperse them.”

He added that some community people had a scuffle with the Police after returning from Eid prayers. They vandalized vehicles parked on the road. The Police used a lathi-charge to disperse the crowd.

Speaking to the media, the Police said the situation is under control. “We are holding a flag march. I am sure we will be able to maintain peace in the area. I request everyone to stay home and celebrate the festival.”

What happened at Jhalori Chowk in Jodhpur?

On May 2, communal tension erupted in Jodhpur Rajasthan after Bhagwa (saffron) flag was replaced with an Islamic flag on the statue of Freedom Fighter Balmukund Bissa at the Jalori Gate intersection. The Muslim mob also pasted tape on the face of the statue. The Police used batons and tear gas to disperse the crowd. Internet services have been suspended in the area.

As per reports, during the three-day Parshuram Jayanti Festival, Hindu groups hoisted saffron flags on the Jalori Gate Square. Some members of the Muslim community objected to it, after which the administration requested the Hindu community to remove the flags. The community obliged the request and removed all but one flag.

Later at around 11 PM, members of the Muslim community climbed on the statue of the freedom fighter Balmukund Bissa and removed the saffron flag. They covered the face of the statue with tape and hoisted an Islamic flag. Relatives of the freedom fighter came to know about the incident, and they reached the intersection. They requested the members of the minority community to take down the Islamic flag as it was disrespectful. In retaliation, the minority community allegedly attacked the members of the Hindu community and injured them.

During the scuffle between the communities, a police post nearby was also vandalized. The Police informed the control room and sought additional force. DCP East and DCP West reached the spot, but by then, the information about the scuffle had spread like wildfire across the city. People from both communities reached the spot, and Police used barricades to stop them.

Uday Mandir police Station in-charge Amit Sihag issued orders for a lathi charge in which at least seven journalists were injured. Reports suggest that Sihag claimed he got orders from higher officials from Jaipur for the same, but apparently, no such orders were issued by the higher officials.

After learning about the incident, Mayor Jodhpur West Vanita Seth (BJP), Sursnagar MLA Suryakanta Vyas, members of Vishwa Hindu Parishad and other Hindu organizations rushed to the spot. Mayor Seth and MLA Vyas sat in protest and demanded action against guilty police officers. The administration has requested the members of the Muslim community to offer Namaz at home.

‘They hoisted Islamic flag’

Speaking to OpIndia, Jodhpur West Mayor Vanita Seth said, “At around 11:30 PM, the members of the Muslim community were hoisting flags for Eid at Jalori intersection. Earlier, there were Saffron flags hoisted at the place to celebrate Parshuram Jayanti. In the afternoon, the Police approached the Hindus and requested them to remove the flags in light of Eid. The members of the Hindu community removed the flags and left one at the statue of Freedom Fighter Balmukund Bissa Ji.”

She added, “In the night, the members of the Muslim community pasted tape on the face of the statue. They tried to hoist an Islamic flag there. The members of the Hindu community objected and asked them not to do that. They started shouting slogans in favour of Pakistan and Allah Hu Akbar.”

Seth said the members of the Hindu community were angry with the situation. She said, “The members of the Hindu community got irked and urged them not to raise such slogans. They said the saffron flags were removed peacefully and asked them not to create any problems. They tried to push the members of the Muslim community away from the statue. At that time, there were around 15 members of the Muslim community standing close to the intersection who started pelting stones at the Hindus.”

‘Muslims pelted stones but Police blamed Hindus’

She said though the stone-pelting was started by the Muslims, Police blamed Hindus for the same. “The Police are blaming us for stone-pelting. They were the ones who started pelting stones. They forget that we are not here to get beaten up by them. A Bhajan Sandhya was happening nearby. Those who were attending the event rushed to the spot,” she added.

Seth added, “A large crowd comprising of 150-200 people came from the Eidgah area. They had stones and sticks in their hands. Instead of taking action against them, Inspector Amit Sihag ordered a Lathi Charge on the members of the Hindu community, including some journalists. At least seven of them got injured.”

Seth was informed of the incident by District President BJP. She said, “I received a call around 1 AM from District President (BJP) who informed me about the incident. As there were barricades in place, they were unable to reach the spot. I live nearby, so they called me. A journalist came to pick me up, and I rushed to the spot. When I reached there, the situation was tense. There are Hindu families that live near Eidgah. I approached the Police to get information about their safety.”

‘Are we the only ones responsible for maintaining peace?’

She also blamed Congress district president Salim Khan for the incident. She said, “He was standing near the hospital with 200 men. Instead of questioning him, we are being targeted. They are suggesting we maintain peace. Are we the only ones responsible for maintaining peace? Why does no one question them (Congres)? The stone-pelting started after they came to the spot.”

She added, “When I tried to approach the Police that were controlling the crowd, stone-pelting restarted from their side. Gaurav Jain of BJYM took me back, saying I might get hit.” She further said Police alleged Hindus were drunk and ordered a lathi charge in which the mayor got hit. “After I got hit, the situation got tense. I calmed them down and asked them not to get provoked. The lady ACP standing there said she did not recognize me. Even if she could not recognize me, how can they order lathi-charge when there was a woman standing in the crowd.”

“When I objected, she said, ‘I would stay here for five years. Do whatever you want to do’. MLA Suryankanta Ji, members of VHP and other Hindu organizations, reached the spot soon,” Seth said. When asked if any complaint had been filed, she said, “So far, we have not filed any complaint because of the festivals. However, we are not going to let them do Namaz at the Jhalori Chowk. If they do, the administration will be responsible for whatever happens next.”

‘CM Gehlot failed to maintain communal peace in his own constituency’

Speaking to OpIndia, Rajendra Rathore, Deputy Leader of Opposition, Rajasthan, said, “Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Congress party keep blaming BJP for creating communal disharmony. However, CM failed to maintain peace in his own constituency. The Bhagwa flags were removed in the presence of the Police. The Police and stone-pelters clashed twice yesterday night while the Police were trying to control them. It is disappointing that not even a single arrest was made by the Police.”

OpIndia tried reaching out to VHP, ABVP and Jodhpur Police but could not connect.

Video of Rahul Gandhi partying presumably in Nepal goes viral on a day Smriti Irani visits Wayanad, here is what we know

OpIndia Staff
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Video of Rahul Gandhi partying presumably in Nepal goes viral on a day Smriti Irani visits Wayanad, here is what we know

Days after it was reported that Rahul Gandhi had gone untraceable on his foreign trip, the Congress scion was presumably spotted partying in the neighbouring country of Nepal. The video came at a time Amethi MP Smriti Irani is visiting Wayanad, Rahul Gandhi’s constituency. Rahul Gandhi lost Amethi, the Gandhi family bastion, to Irani in 2019 elections.

In a Facebook post, a Nepali citizen named Bhupen Kunwar wrote, “Indian Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in LOD (Lord of the Drinks).” He had uploaded two videos that showed the presence of Gandhi in the pub, which is located in Kathmandu city of Nepal.

In one video, the Congress scion was seen using his phone while he was seen talking to a woman in another video.

Screengrab of the Facebook post

The video of Rahul Gandhi, where he was seen interacting with a woman, has gone viral on Twitter.

Netizens took potshots at Rahul Gandhi for partying abroad while leaving Congress in a state of crisis. “The whole world was lecturing Rahul Gandhi to focus on the party. And now that he is seen partying in a nightclub, they are making fun of him. Not done. Please don’t confuse him!” wrote one Twitter user.

“Rahul Gandhi strengthening Congress at an international platform. Real leader, leading from the front,” wrote another user.

“Couple of videos of charming & joyful Rahul Gandhi has set the social media on fire. The bottle in front of him is some kind of “Ras”. Looks like he is spending his Eid in a bar. We are happy for him,” tweeted one Shailendra Singh.

Some even speculated if the woman Rahul Gandhi was partying with was Hou Yanqi, the Chinese Ambassador to Nepal.

However, the same cannot be independently verified.

As per a report in The Kathmandu Post, Rahul Gandhi had gone to Nepal to attend the wedding of a friend named Sumnima Udas. He was accompanied by 3 other people and is currently staying at the Marriott Hotel in Kathmandu. The marriage of Udas will take place on May 3 while the reception will be held on May 5 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel.

Elon Musk slams NBC for calling Republicans ‘neo Nazis’, censoring Hunter Biden story after Mehdi Hasan calls him a ‘not-so-bright’ billionaire

OpIndia Staff
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Elon Musk slams NBC for calling Republicans ‘neo Nazis’, censoring Hunter Biden story after Mehdi Hasan calls him a ‘not-so-bright’ billionaire

Tesla CEO and new Twitter owner Elon Musk, slammed the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) after its Islamist host Mehdi Hasan went on a tirade against him and the Republican Party.

“Indian Americans talk simplistically about the far left and the far right as two equally dangerous fringe boxes. Elon Musk has done it plenty of times, just in the past week,” Hasan had claimed during his show on MSNBC.

He had added, “But here’s the difference. America’s far-left wants to give us free healthcare and childcare. America’s far-right wants to give us white supremacy and no democracy. And this asymmetric polarisation of the US politics will be laughable”

He further alleged, “We are living through an unspeakably dangerous moment. The pro-QAnon, pro NeoNazi faction of the Republican Party is poised to expand dramatically come the mid-terms. We are 2 years away from Donald Trump, who may resiege the executive power.”

“If that happens, we may look at this past week as a pivotal moment when a petulant & not-so-bright billionaire casually bought one of the most influential messaging machines & just handed it to the far-right,” Mehdi Hasan resorted to character assassination of Elon Musk.

One of the panelists invited to the show, Molly Jong-Fast, went on to claim that the Tesla CEO craved attention and felt threatened by the opinions of young people.“Old, rich white men have since the beginning of time, complained about young people, like this is not new,” she claimed.

Musk points out how MSNBC had censored and ‘killed’ the Hunter Biden, Harvey Weinstein stories

While responding to the rhetorics of Mehdi Hasan, Musk tweeted, “NBC basically saying Republicans are Nazis.” He pointed out how the broadcaster has been at the forefront of censoring the Hunter Biden ‘laptop story’, killed the Harvey Weinstein story and covered up the ‘rape’ allegations against TV personality Matt Lauer.

In a tweet on April 27 this year, Musk wrote, “Suspending the Twitter account of a major news organization for publishing a truthful story was obviously incredibly inappropriate.” He was talking about the 2020 New York Post report on Biden’s son Hunter Biden’s laptop.”

Initially, the left and liberal cabal deemed the story fake, but later it was proven true that the content of the laptop indeed belonged to Hunter Biden. After the ban on NYP, Twitter justified the move by saying its regulations prohibit the distribution of hacked material.

In 2019, American journalist Ronan Farrow published a book titled, ‘Catch and Kill’ wherein he alleged that NBC tried to cover up accusations of sexual assault against director Harvey Weinstein.

Farrow had also pointed out how the broadcaster had made multiple women sign NDA (non-disclosure agreement) with TV personality Matt Lauer, who were sexually assaulted by the latter. These allegations were however denied by NBC President Noah Oppenheim, who criticised Farrow’s book as ‘smear’ and ‘false.’

Rahul Gandhi spotted partying in Kathmandu in a bar, here is the story behind viral video

OpIndia Staff
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Rahul Gandhi spotted partying in Kathmandu in a bar, here is the story behind viral video

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is currently in Kathmandu, Nepal, as per local media reports. He is in Nepal to attend wedding function of his friend Sumnima Udas, a former CNN correspondent. Her father, Bhum Udas served as Nepali Ambassador to Myanmar.

As per reports, Sumnima Udas is getting married to Nima Martin Sherpa and a formal reception will be held on 5th May at Hyatt Regency hotel in Bauddha. Rahul Gandhi along with his friends is staying at Kathmandu Marriott hotel.

Videos of Rahul Gandhi partying had gone viral where many speculated it could be from his recent trip to Kathmandu.

While it is not yet clear whether it is from his recent trip, many on social media speculated it is likely from Nepal only.

Ghaziabad: Habitual thieves Arif, Monis and Sameer steal mobile phones to ‘celebrate Eid’, arrested

OpIndia Staff
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Ghaziabad: Habitual thieves Arif, Monis and Sameer steal mobile phones to ‘celebrate Eid’, arrested

On May 2, Kaushambi Police and Bike Squad, Ghaziabad, arrested three youth, Aarif, Monis and Sameer for attempting to snatch mobile phones. Reports suggest they did not have enough money to celebrate Eid. The trio chose to snatch mobile phones for quick cash for the festival.

Inspector Abhay Kumar Mishra told Hindi daily Jagran they had received information that three bike-borne robbers had tried to snatch a mobile phone under the UP Gate flyover. They were seen escaping towards Kaushambi. The Kaushambi Police Station and Bike Squad came into action to apprehend the culprits.

Aarif, Monis and Sameer were caught by the Police near Wave Cinema cut. Aarif and Monis are residents of Noorani Masjid Wali Gali, Khoda, while Sameer is from Adarsh Nagar, Khoda. During questioning, Police found that they were repeat offenders and often robbed people in NCR.

They told Police that they did not have enough money for Eid, so they had decided to loot people in the area. Police recovered three knives and a bike from the trio. Mishra said they used the knives to scare the victims. The Police are checking their criminal history.

Mobile snatchers active in Ghaziabad

A similar arrest was made by Ghaziabad Police on the same day at Gagan Colony in Sahibabad, Indirapuram. Mishra said they had arrested Betaab in the case. His associate Asif was on the run. They had snatched a mobile in Indrapuram and stole a bike in Kavinagar. Both were recovered by the Police. They have 15 cases registered against them.

Jai Bhawani, Jai Shivaji: Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed gets schooled as she tried to dogwhistle about PM Modi’s Germany visit

OpIndia Staff
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Jai Bhawani, Jai Shivaji: Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed gets schooled as she tried to dogwhistle about PM Modi’s Germany visit

Congress spokesperson Dr Shama Mohamed on Monday tried to dog whistle about the flag displayed by Indians in Germany while welcoming PM Modi to Brandenburg Gate.

In the video, one can see the Indian diaspora in Germany dancing traditional Maharashtrian dance steps while waving the saffron swallowtail with a V-shape flag. The ceremonial Maratha flag is Bhagwa (saffron) and has a golden jaripatta (border). Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had founded the Maratha empire and coined the term Hindavi Swarajya, the independence from the Mughal and Islamic sultanates.

Seeing the saffron flag being unfurled in Germany seemed to have set Congress leaders in panic as their spokesperson Dr Shama Mohamed questioned her followers “whose flag is that?” At a time when the foreign-funded forces are trying to create an atmosphere of “Muslims under attack in Hindu Rashtra’ on international platforms, it appeared Dr Mohamed was trying to dog whistle the usual propagandists. However, while doing so, she ended up displaying her own lack of knowledge about the proud history of India and the brave warriors.

Netizens slam Dr Shama Mohamed for dog-whistling about PM Modi’s visit to Germany over the saffron flag associated with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj

Netizens were quick to remind her of the proud history of one of India’s bravest warrior kings.

At its peak, the Maratha empire covered almost entire present-day India except for part of Kerala and northeast India.

Some shared older videos where the same flag was being waved with immense pride.

Some netizens were also quite helpful and patiently explained whose flag it was. They also said how it was laughable that a spokesperson of a national party like Congress did not know anything about India’s culture.

Congress is currently an alliance partner in the ruling dispensation of Maharashtra along with Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party.

And sometimes, a picture speaks a thousand words.

When informed that the flag represented Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Dr Shama Mohamed tried to defend herself by claiming that outside India, the country is represented by the Tricolour.

Responding to Aditya Raj Kaul who tweeted that the saffron flag is representative of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Dr Shama Mohamed tweeted, “Huge Respect for the flag representing Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj but I thought outside India we are all one & represented by the Tricolor.”

Nevertheless, the saffron flag waved in Germany is a symbol of the Hindu renaissance brought about by the iconic Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The flag served as an important catalyst to awaken the Hindu consciousness in medieval times, which ultimately led to the dominance of the Maratha Empire, stretching from Peshawar in the west to West Bengal in the east, and to Tamil Nadu in the south.

A year on, Suvendu Adhikari shares how West Bengal plunged into violence when Mamata Banerjee returned to power

OpIndia Staff
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A year on, Suvendu Adhikari shares how West Bengal plunged into violence when Mamata Banerjee returned to power

On May 2nd last year, Mamata Banerjee-led-Trinamool Congress (TMC) returned to power in West Bengal by winning 215 of the total 294 Vidhan Sabha seats. Following TMC’s thumping victory, Bengal saw an orgy of violence in the State as the main opposition party BJP’s workers were brutally targeted across the state.

More than a dozen BJP workers lost their lives in the post-poll violence that ensued in the state following the victory of the TMC party in the assembly elections. On the first anniversary of TMC’s return to power, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari shared disturbing visuals of TMC workers attacking the saffron party members to mark the occasion.

“Today marks the 1st year of unabated violence unleashed on @BJP4Bengal Karyakartas & their families as the Bidhan Sabha results were announced. Poor innocent Sanatanis across WB were targeted. Women raped & molested. Homes burnt. People killed. Lakhs fled to save themselves,” he tweeted.

Sharing one of the videos of the violence against BJP workers, he added, “WB, from this very day became a happy hunting ground of @AITCofficial criminals & goons who led violent mobs to rob the houses of voters whom they suspected to be BJP voters. Their shops were looted & properties destroyed. Bengal had been scarred & the injuries are still fresh.”

In visuals shared by Adhikari, a mob of TMC workers could be seen ambushing a BJP booth worker. They were seen dragging BJP members out and brutally thrashing them. In another video, unidentified men could be seen hurling crude bombs from atop the roofs of their houses.

Videos shared by Adhikari exposed the grim reality of the violence that followed TMC’s return to power in the State of West Bengal.

In most such incidents, the victims were BJP supporters and workers while the accused were the supporters of the ruling Trinamool Congress. 

The use of strategic violence was one of the key strategies employed by the TMC, to intimidate the opposition ground-level party workers into silence, and it seems to have worked.

In March this year, the Calcutta High Court granted police protection to 303 victims of the West Bengal post-poll violence. The decision was made after petitioner Priyanka Tibrewal informed the court that the victims were being constantly threatened by local TMC goons and that the cops were reluctant to take action against the perpetrators.

OpIndia recently reached out to some of the victims of the violence and spoke to them about their horrific experiences, which they claim were overtly sponsored by West Bengal’s state machinery. Listening to their anguish, the amount of pain these people went through, and are currently going through in West Bengal was evident.

While speaking, all of the victims attributed the entire series of violence to Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress, stating that their only fault was that they were affiliated with the Bharatiya Janata Party. Throughout the talk, they all said unambiguously that being a BJP voter is a crime in Bengal and being a BJP Party Worker is an absolute sin. It is just by offering one’s life, that one is absolved of this sin in Bengal.

As ISMC pledges to invest $3 billion in chip-making unit in Karnataka, here is how ThePrint peddled propaganda to discredit Hindu concerns

OpIndia Staff
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As ISMC pledges to invest $3 billion in chip-making unit in Karnataka, here is how ThePrint peddled propaganda to discredit Hindu concerns

In the latest development, the International semiconductor consortium ISMC has announced to invest USD 3 billion (around Rs 23,000 crore) in Karnataka to set up a semiconductor chip-making plant. This comes after Shekhar Gupta’s ThePrint published a narrative piece claiming that IT firms reaching out to ‘investment-seeking Tamil Nadu’ amid alleged communal tensions in Karnataka.

ISMC Digital Fab which was one of the three applicants for the Union Government’s USD 10 billion incentives for semiconductor manufacturing, has signed an agreement with the Karnataka government for setting up India’s first and largest semiconductor fabrication unit.

ISMC has sought 150 acres of land in Kochanahalli Industrial Area of Mysuru District to set up its base. The Karnataka Government, already back in Septemeber 2020, had announced fresh incentives to boast the production of Electronic System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) sector in the state.

With the new investment, Karnataka’s holds upto 50% electronic product companies of the national share and 40% in electronic design. It is home to more than 300 units export oriented manufacturing units and the largest chip design hub in India with over 85 fabless chip design houses. 

Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai welcoming the move said, “This MoU is a significant agreement amid the competition among various states to attract semiconductor fabs. Karnataka understands that it’s not just the fiscal incentives that matter but availability of conducive ecosystem and overall ease in operations are also important.”

The Print propaganda against investment in Karnataka

Last month, ThePrint published a report stating IT companies in Karmataka are seeking to deviate to Tamil Nadu owing to the alleged communal tensions in the state. Earlier, the state saw widespread protest by Hindu students demanding unifrom standards for college uniforms in universities across Karnataka which led to ban on Hijabs and Burqas in certain colleges. ThePrint’s premise that IT companies were seaking to leave Karnataka was built on three things – Its interview with Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Palanivel Thiagarajan (PTR), Business tycoon Kiran Mazumdar’s tweet urging CM Bommai to resolve the supposed “growing religious divide” in the state and other reports of Tamil Nadu becoimg a sought-after investment destination in the country.

Nowhere in its report could ThePrint establish that investors in Karnataka are unhappy with the envirnoment in the state. Had it been the case that new investors being paranoid over investing in Karnataka, ISMC would not have set its USD 3 billion partnership with the state. Furthermore, when Kiran Mazumdar Shaw was caught in the controversy for calling out rightful protests by Hindu groups ‘communal’, she replied to BJP leader Amit Malviya’s tweet saying she has full confidence in the the BJP-led Bommai Government.

How ThePrint article belittles local Hindu concerns and paints them as communal

Screengrab of a paragraph from the Print article

The report starts with a claim that the state of Karnataka has become the “epicentre of a number of campaigns that are fuelling communal tension, be it the hijab row, the controversy over ‘halal’ meat, the boycott of Muslims at Karnataka temple fairs and festivals, attacks on Christians, and Hindu vigilante groups assaulting inter-faith couples.” It looks like the media house deliberatly chose legitimate concerns by Hindus who were seeking answers for unjust practices – be them forceful penetration of Halal meet to admancy over wearing Hijab instead of school uniforms to tarnish Karnataka’s image.

In April, Muslim vendors and businessmen met with National Commission for Minorities, to lodge a complaint in the midst of a social media campaign warning a Hindu ice-cream shop owner in Mangaluru to remove the Halal certification from their products within a month or face a boycott. It was found that a Hindu organisation had started a nationwide agitation against Halal meat terming it inherently discriminatory against Hindu butchers. The Hindu Janajagruti Samiti called for a boycott of halal meat as it launched a nationwide campaign demanding a ban on Halal products.

The hijab controversy in Karnataka gained momentum since the first week of January after eight Muslim girls were denied entry to classes in a Udupi college because they were wearing hijab. The Muslim girls, adamant about wearing hijab, then filed a petition in High Court seeking permission to attend classes in hijab stating that wearing the same wwas their ‘fundamental right’. In the tensions that prevailed at some educational institutions in Udupi, Shivamogga, Bagalkote, A Hindutva activist Harsha was hacked to death by Islamists amidst the row.

To rest the onus of the communal cauldron singlehandedly upon Hindus was reflected in ThePrint’s report. The irony being the report was published at a time when Hindu processions on Ram Navami and Hanuman Jayanti were being attacked in the country with instances of stone pelting including violence in Karnataka’s Hubli. Communal tensions also prevailed in Mulbagal town of Kolar district in Karnataka after a Sri Ram Shobha Yatra was attacked using stones. 

With Karnataka continuing its steady rise with its attractive investment potential, it is imperative that narratives of alleged communal disharmony grappling the state should be called out. ThePrint’s report did not hold much water when it came to facts and appeared like a blurred eulogy of Tamil Nadu’s investment potential.

Muslims hold a political veto in Bengal, they decide who will rule and who will not: Swapan Dasgupta

चंदन कुमार
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Muslims hold a political veto in Bengal, they decide who will rule and who will not: Swapan Dasgupta

Exactly a year ago in West Bengal, some were celebrating their victory while many were losing the battle of life. At some places, green gulal was flying, while at other places people were bleeding red. Some were celebrating the victory, while many were being robbed of the very basic human respect.

2nd May 2021 – Many people’s lives came to a standstill on this day. These people are from a state named West Bengal, one of the largest states in India, the world’s largest democracy. This is a state where people had to flee to another state to save their lives just because they exercised their right to vote. On that day when the rulers of democracy were winning, democracy itself lost. The real flag-bearers of democracy, the people, were being trampled upon because they dared to vote against the party that won.

People below the age of 40, who didn’t have any idea about the atrocities committed during the emergency, got a glimpse of it in Bengal last year. What was done in West Bengal after 2nd May 2021 was the Emergency of 21st century India. Mamata Banerjee’s government can give a million clarifications about it, but every excess by state-sponsored goons, every murder, every loot is recorded. Mamata Banerjee will not be allowed to forget this easily no matter how loudly her party’s leaders shout.

OpIndia had a long conversation with Rajya Sabha MP Swapan Dasgupta regarding Bengal politics and the Bengali society today.

Question: BJP did not do anything for the workers of Bengal or did not do as much as it should have – this allegation is made even by the fans of BJP on Twitter and Facebook. Your reaction to this.

Answer: It’s true. This violence was unexpected. Nobody expected it. There is victory and defeat in elections, but the way violence started right from the counting centers has never been seen before. To date, this has not been seen anywhere in India. The BJP workers or even the organization were not prepared for this level of violence, this allegation is absolutely true.

There have been attacks on our workers. Close to 50,000 workers had to be homeless. Close to 20 people were murdered. During all this, our organization could not help its workers in the slightest. Even after trying a lot, we have not been able to send even 5-10 thousand rupees to our workers in many places. Politically we are failing on this front, I accept that.

Question: Violence after the West Bengal assembly elections – what do you think was its political meaning or message?

Answer: The violence that started on the afternoon of May 2, 2021, had only one objective – to break the backbone of the BJP organization. BJP got 38% votes, the Majority of the Hindu vote was in favor of the BJP, which means the support of a large percentage of voters was with us. Therefore, the aim was to create such an environment using violence that in the future, support for BJP should be eliminated, and the backbone of the organization should be broken. The fear should be such that the supporters of the BJP do not come out of the house and the same thing happened.

You could see that fear in the by-elections that were held after the 2021 assembly elections in West Bengal, the municipal elections that were held. In these elections, in many places, BJP members did not even go to file nominations. You can understand this with an example. Bolpur is a small town, adjacent to Shantiniketan. In the assembly elections, the BJP had a majority in the municipal area there. Now when municipal elections were held there, none of our candidates even filed their nominations.

These are all small examples. But the reality is that in many places where BJP had won, the organization can’t even manage a booth now. The morale of BJP workers is very low. Many of them also ask what the central government is doing since we have a government at the center. But the state has to see law and order, the central government cannot do anything in this regard even if it wants. If the High Court had not taken cognizance, nothing would have happened, no action would have been taken.

BJP as an organization has had a big impact in West Bengal. But it is also true that the atmosphere of violence that was created has had a definite reaction. BJP will have to work as an organization gradually from now on. Increasing the morale of the workers will be the biggest task for BJP, their morale is broken at this time. These workers need a capable leader and political will.

Question: From the country’s capital and center of trade, from the center of literature and revolution to the current state, how do you see Bengal’s decline, how much of it is political, and how much of it is social?

Answer: This decline is political as well as social. This decline began in the 60s with the Naxalite movement and CPM politics. Whatever happened in the last 50-60 years, the effect of that is now clearly visible in front of us. The economic exodus from Bengal is evident for everyone to see. Bengal used to be the leader in industry and business earlier, back then Calcutta was like Bombay. Where have we reached now? Durga Puja, Holidays, Festivals, that is all. You can call every city of Bengal a ‘City of Festivals’ but you cannot call any city here a ‘City of Production’.

The decline of industry in Bengal will have an impact on the culture, and the creative potential of the people will be affected by this. It is not that the creative potential of the people living in Bengal is completely exhausted. But it is also true that even 50% of its potential is not utilized in such an environment. When there is an atmosphere of peace in the state, only then the development and expansion of art and culture are possible. All these good administrative points are lacking in Bengal.

What started at the political level in West Bengal in the 60s, now has impacted the entire social life here. The sad part is that if this kind of politics continues for a few more days, the rest of society will also crumble.

Question: How do you see the Hindu-Muslim equation due to the demographic change in Bengal or the hatred for Hindus in some areas?

Answer: It cannot be denied that this is happening in Bengal. 30% of the total population there are Muslims (some say 23%, some 25%, but 30% if the voting figures are to be considered). The border districts adjoining Bangladesh, such as Nadia, Dinajpur, Murshidabad, Malda, and a large part of South 24 Parganas, all have become completely Muslim dominated.

There are 2 reasons behind this: First reason is illegal infiltration from Bangladesh in the 1990s and 2000s due to the politics of the CPM. The second reason is that many Bengalis left West Bengal and migrated to other states in search of good work and good facilities. Today there are 12 lakh Bengalis in Bangalore, Delhi is also full of Bengalis. This is a small example. What is the reason for this? What is the reason that most of the Bengali Hindus have migrated from West Bengal?

Apart from these two reasons, there is also a third problem – Rohingyas. A large number of Rohingya infiltrators are also coming and settling in Bengal. Combining all this, the demography of West Bengal has changed and deteriorated to a great extent.

Why was West Bengal formed? Earlier it was United Bengal, then why did the partition happen? Think about it. In East Bengal, the population of Hindus was 30%, today we are not even 10% there. So where did this 20% Hindu population go? Most of them came to West Bengal. Why did they come? Because those people thought it was their homeland. Bengali Hindus should get land to live in, this was the reason why Shyama Prasad Mukherjee demanded the partition of Bengal. West Bengal was created on the basis of this thinking, but alas, this original idea of ​​’West Bengal, the home of Bengali Hindus’ is getting destroyed today. This is happening only because of the demographic change. How big a problem is a demographic change, can be understood from Assam. In the 80-and 90s, there was such a big movement about it there.

If we look at the political aspect of the demographic change in West Bengal, today there is a political veto of the Muslim community. This means that it is the Muslim community that decides who will rule, and how. This also means that Mamata Banerjee may be ruling, there may be 10 more Bengali Hindu ministers, but the one who will be driving them from the backroom will be the Muslim community. Understand this with a small example, in Kolkata, you can see Muslim boys riding bikes without helmets, but the police do not stop them. This politics has created a similar environment in the entire West Bengal.

Question: You yourself have been associated with the media. In such a situation, what should be the government’s initiatives regarding reduced coverage of crimes like rapes and murders? The Additional Solicitor General of the Calcutta High Court even asked the Times of India to apologize for its coverage of the Bengal violence. Your response to these media houses/journalists.

Answer: The media in Bengal today is not free media, even though there is no gun trained on the media there. These people do not hide the truth or news because of the fear of guns, but they hide it because of money. The government gives money to media houses, and according to the government, the news is reported. This practice has far-reaching consequences. Suppose a historian is collecting information about Bengal violence in the future, what will he find? When he looks at the current news and newspapers, he will think ‘nothing major happened, some minor incidents happened.’

Today in the Bengal media you will find that there is a competition over Mamata Banerjee, who is publishing her photo on the front page the most. Look at another example, it was decided by the center government to install the statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in front of India Gate. This is a big deal for the sentiment of Bengalis. But forget the front page of the biggest English newspaper of West Bengal, this news did not find a place even on the 10th page of the paper. This is because it was the decision of the Modi government. This is the state of the Bengali media. There is no free media, in fact, it is not even the media, they are just typists for the state government.

Question: This question is related to the media, truth, history, writing etc. When the liberal lobby attacked Vikram Sampath, you wrote an article in The Times of India. When the history of Bengal violence will be written, will the nationalist army of historians be ready by then or will they continue to bear the onslaught of the woke people because they are fewer in number?

Answer: The nationalists have progressed a lot today if we look through the political lens. It is true, however, that the intellectual consciousness or influence inspired by nationalist thinking is still lacking. This is a matter of concern and we should think about why this happened? Even today the Liberal/Left/woke etc. have control over the so-called intellectual institutions. In such a situation, it becomes our duty to recognize our shortcomings and prepare our people.

Why did the Liberals attack Vikram Sampath? It happened because he wrote such a history from a nationalist angle which cannot be denied. The liberals/leftists thought what will a nationalist, right-wing writer write, but Vikram Sampath wrote such a unique account that it could not be dismissed. If it had been written poorly, surely he would not have been paid so much attention and the left would have ridiculed it.

This is the mindset of the Liberals/Left regarding nationalist thinking and the people associated with it. Vikram Sampath stumped them when he wrote this brilliantly refined book that was irrefutable, so he was attacked by these so-called intellectuals (liberals/leftists).

We should learn from this episode. If we really want to hurt the strongest of the Liberals/Leftists, we have to strengthen ourselves intellectually and control our so-called intellectual institutions.

Question: You talked about the reaction to the politics of violence and the atmosphere arising out of it in West Bengal. The people of Bengal want to change, this was said by a representative of the RSS. As a BJP leader or a Member of the Parliament, what will be the roadmap for this change, how will BJP come to power?

Answer: First of all you should know that BJP is a new party in Bengal. You can see the journey of the BJP across India since the days of Jan Sangh. But in Bengal, it cannot be called even 3-4 years old party. In the true sense, the impact that a party should have, the leadership that should be seen, BJP in Bengal has not yet reached that level. We have to create leadership in Bengal.

In the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections, the BJP got overwhelming support in rural areas. But in urban areas, which Bengalis call Bhadralok, this support was lacking, absolutely zero. Kolkata and the surrounding areas, such as Kolkata, Howrah etc, there are 109 seats, which is called the old Presidency Division. Here BJP could get only 1-2 seats. This means that our impact on the so-called intelligentsia or on people who are opinion makers is negligible. Overall, BJP has not been able to take influential Bengalis under its influence.

This is a big project for BJP in West Bengal. Talking about the organizational level, we have a lot of support among people like OBC Bengalis, SC-ST etc but it is absent in urban areas. Muslims in West Bengal start with a 30% voting veto, so BJP will have to take everyone else along. Therefore, the project to connect the urban areas of Bengal, the influential Bengali, so-called intelligentsia, is of paramount importance to the BJP.

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