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Serum Institute CEO Adar Poonawalla hints at starting vaccine production outside India, says he temporarily moved to UK due to threats from the powerful

OpIndia Staff
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Serum Institute CEO Adar Poonawalla hints at starting vaccine production outside India, says he temporarily moved to UK due to threats from the powerful

Adar Poonawalla, the CEO of the Serum Institute of India, which manufactures the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine known as Covishield in India, has hinted that he is planning to start vaccine production in other countries as it struggles to meet supply commitments. Poonawalla made the revelation in an interview with The Times.

When asked if Poonawalla is looking at Britain as one of the destinations for augmenting his vaccine production, he responded: “There’s going to be an announcement in the next few days.”

However, it is widely believed that Britain could be one of the countries where Serum Institute of India could start its vaccine production outside India. Lord Udny-Lister, who was until recently one of the top aides of British PM Boris Johnson, visited the Serum Institute of India in March. Johnson was also scheduled to visit the institute on his cancelled trip to India this week.

Poonawalla last week said that he would be able to increase the monthly vaccine production capacity to 100 million doses by July this year, which is a month late than his earlier timeline of May-end. This could throw a curveball into India’s vaccination drive as it ushers in the phase 4 inoculation where people above 18 years of age can get vaccinated.

He hoped to increase the Serum Institute’s production capacity from 2.5 billion to 3 billion doses a year within six months, the Times reported.

Poonawalla reveals threats he received from powerful people who demanded him urgent supplies of Covishield

Poonawalla flew to London to join his wife and two children hours before Britain banned travellers from India eight days ago. Besides business, the reason that prompted Poonawalla to leave India was the incessant and menacing threats he had to endure from those who pressurise and intimidate him to provide them with vaccines.

He says he has been receiving calls from the most powerful men in India, chief ministers of Indian states, heads of business conglomerates and other influential people who are demanding him of providing them with vaccines even as his organisation is working round the clock to fulfil the vaccine demand.

“Threats is an understatement. The level of expectations and aggression is really unprecedented. It’s overwhelming. Everyone feels they should get the vaccine. They can’t understand why anyone else should get it before them,” Poonawalla reportedly said to The Times.

Poonawalla explained the calls he receives normally start with exchanging pleasantries before it drifts in a “very different direction”. “They are saying if you don’t give us the vaccine, it’s not going to be good…It’s not the foul language, it’s the tone. It’s the implication of what they might do if I don’t comply. It’s taking control,” he said.

He further added, “I’m staying here (Britain) extended times because I don’t want to go back to that situation. Everything falls on my shoulders but I can’t do it alone…I don’t want to be in a situation where you are trying to do your job, and just because you can’t supply the needs of X, Y and Z you really don’t want to guess what they are going to do.”

Adar Poonawalla given Y category security cover

Due to the threats the SII CEO is receiving, the union home ministry on Wednesday had announced that he will be provided with Y category security cover. The ‘Y’ category security comprises 11 personnel, including one or two commandoes and police personnel.

The centre’s decision had come after Director, Government and Regulatory Affairs, at the Serum Institute, Prakash Kumar Singh wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah on April 16 requesting security for Poonawalla. In the letter, Singh had stated that Poonawalla has been getting threats from various groups regarding the COVID-19 vaccine supplies.

Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, attack Adar Poonawalla and accuse him of “profiteering” from the pandemic

It is pertinent to note that Congress leaders, spurred by their former president Rahul Gandhi, have been relentlessly attacking Adar Poonawalla, for a host of reasons—for procuring the supply of vaccines for their respective states to the cost of the vaccine. A high-voltage campaign was run against Serum Institute of India after it announced prices for its vaccine for the state governments and private hospitals.

SII had announced Rs 400 per dose for the state governments and Rs 600 for private hospitals. However, many state governments, mostly Congress-ruled states and senior Congress leaders started vilifying Adar Poonawalla and the Serum Institute of India, painting them as money-grubbers who were profiteering from a pandemic.

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was amongst the politicians who led the attack against the Serum Institute of India and its CEO Adar Poonawalla. He described Adar as PM Modi’s friend. In a tweet attaching SII’s vaccine rates for the state governments and private hospitals announced by the company, he implied that the Centre is supporting a few companies to ‘earn profits’.

Mr Gandhi’s attack against Adar was in line with his unwarranted vilification of Reliance and Adani Group, accusing them of profiteering because of being supposedly close to PM Modi. It is noteworthy to mention that Reliance and Adani group are at the forefront of India’s fight against the resurgent wave of the coronavirus outbreak, with Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries Limited being the largest producer of medicinal oxygen in the country. It has so far donated 15,000 MT of oxygen to about 15 lakh patients in the country.

Nevertheless, Rahul’s tendency to attack businessmen in India continues unabated. Following the outrage, the Serum Institute of India reduced its vaccines price from Rs 400 per dose, which was already among the lowest in the world, to Rs 300 per dose.

Clearing the accusation of “profiteering” that was levelled against the SII, Poonawalla told The Times that the allegations were “totally incorrect”. He says the centre was able to buy the vaccine at Rs 150 per dose because it was buying in advance. He says the company will make money from the higher prices charged to state governments and private hospitals but insists Covishield will still be the “most affordable vaccine in the world”.

Donald Trump mocks Twitter after stocks stumble 15%, slams them for silencing free speech: Details

OpIndia Staff
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Donald Trump mocks Twitter after stocks stumble 15%, slams them for silencing free speech: Details

Former US President Donald Trump has issued a statement, scorning the social media giant, Twitter, after its share prices tumbled by nearly 15.16 per cent following the Friday market trade.

“Twitter stock plunged as results are no longer cutting it for investors. Shares are off 15% today. Bad forecasts are hurting the outlook but more importantly, in my opinion, it has become totally BORING as people flock to leave the site”, said Trump in his statement adding that this was the price the social media giant was probably having to pay for stifling free speech.

“I guess that’s what happens when you go against FREEDOM OF SPEECH! It will happen to others also,” Trump said in a statement released by his office in Florida.

According to reports, Twitter Inc.’s share prices fell by almost 15.16 per cent on Friday to $55.22, wiping out nearly all of its 2021 gains. This was a second-day fall as Twitter’s stock was down nearly 10 per cent in after-hours trading on Thursday as well as the company issued weak second-quarter guidance on revenue growth.

Twitter stocks

Though such fluctuations in stock prices are quite normal, the only fathomable reason behind Trump’s exuberance at the stumbling stock prices of Twitter is his vexation about being permanently banned by the social media giant.

Twitter permanently suspends Donald Trump

On January 9, Twitter had permanently banned Trump’s personal account (@realdonaldtrump). This move came two days after Twitter censored the then incumbent US President Donald Trump for 12 hours, amidst the violent protests in US Capitol Hill.

“After close review of recent Tweets from the @realDonaldTrump account and the context around them we have permanently suspended the account due to the risk of further incitement of violence,” Twitter had said.

Leaders across the world had condemned the manner in which Trump’s account was suspended by the platform. 

Interestingly, then too, Twitter had seen a steep fall in the price of its stocks.

‘Send tankers, will send 20 MT oxygen daily to Delhi’: Himanta Biswa Sarma to AAP founder who tried to find holes in Assam’s oxygen production numbers

OpIndia Staff
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‘Send tankers, will send 20 MT oxygen daily to Delhi’: Himanta Biswa Sarma to AAP founder who tried to find holes in Assam’s oxygen production numbers

Assam health, education, finance and PWD minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said that he can deliver 20 MT of oxygen per day to Delhi, if the Delhi govt sends tankers to pick it up. The NEDA convenor was responding to AAP Founder & National Council member Rajesh Sharma on Twitter, who was trying to find holes in the claims of oxygen availability in Assam made by the Assam minister.

The argument started when one AAP leader from Assam named Dr Bhaben Choudhury said that there is no vaccine available at Guwahati Medical College Hospital. He sposted a screenshot of the Arogya Setu app, and said that it is showing no vaccine slots available when Himanta Biswa Sarma has claimed that 5 lakh doses are available.

This tweet reached the AAP founder, and said that while Himanta Biswa Sarma claimed about installation of 5 oxygen plants in Assam, people of Assam don’t know about a single one. He also repeated the claims of Choudhury on vaccines, and tagged the Twitter handle of Sarma.

To this, the Assam health minister responded with the details of new oxygen plants installed in the state, saying that 3 oxygen plants in Guwahati Medical College Hospital, 2 in Assam Medical College Hospital in Dibrugarh, 2 in Jorhat Medical College Hospital, and one each in the Medical College Hospitals in Diphu, Tezpur and Barpeta, and 1 in the Mahendra Mohan Choudhury hospital has been installed. He also added that 3 private sector plants in Samuguri, Bongaigaon and Amingaon are there.

“What kind of proof you want? Please tell me. At least I am not Arvind Kejriwal”, Sarma challenged Sharma.

The AAP leader thought that he found a great hole in the claims of the Assam minister, as he is only talking about PSA oxygen generators installed in the hospitals. He said that these plants are not even capable to refill oxygen cylinders of ambulances. “You are health minister of Assam for last 20 years”, Rajesh Sharma added, implying that Himanta Biswa Sarma knows nothing about oxygen plants despite being the health minister for so long.

However, Rajesh Sharma was misinformed, because although the BJP leader mentioned the new PSA plants installed in the hospitals in Assam, the fact is that Assam already has industrial oxygen generation plants that produce liquid oxygen, and many more are coming up in the next few weeks, which can be filled into cylinders. Himanta Sarma said that the state has 4 such plants producing 42 MT more than the current demand in the state, and he can send 20 MT per day to Delhi as of now. “Send your tankers and I will refill the tankers. My promise”, he added.

After this open offer, Rajesh Sharma was forced to change tune after this offer from the minister, and responded that Delhi does not have cryogenic tankers as it is not an industrial state. So he requested Sarma to arrange the tankers too, saying it will be a great help for the people of Delhi.

Responding to Himanta Biswa Sarma saying that he is not Arvind Kejriwal, Rajesh Sharma said that he can’t be Kejriwal, who has “revolutionized whole education & health system in Delhi in just 7 years”. Himanta Sarma questioned what kind of revolution the Delhi CM has done in the health system, citing the present Covid-19 situation in the city-state. “We don’t want that time of revolution in Assam”, he said. He also invited Rajesh Sharma to vising Assam to see the plants if has any courage.

While the AAP leaders try to mock other states on the oxygen situation when the state under its rule is facing the most severe shortage of the gas, Assam govt has taken several steps to ensure that adequate oxygen is available in case Covid-19 cases surge in the state. There are four existing oxygen generation plants in the private sector in Assam, and in recent weeks, the state govt has made arrangements for the supply of oxygen from several other plants. Some plants which were not used for years are being revived, apart from installing PSA plants in the hospitals.

The Assam govt has also signed an MoU with a plant in Dimapur to source oxygen, which was operating only 2 days a week due to low demand in Nagaland. Now the plant will run 7 days a week, and Assam will get oxygen on 5 days. Apart from this, Assam will also get 40 MT oxygen from a plant in Bhutan which is being set up two private companies from Assam and Bhutan. The work on the plant was stalled due to lockdown in the Himalayan nation, but it has been resumed after the MEA talked to Bhutan govt on the request of Assam govt.

NIA refuses to entertain petition by Urban Naxal Rona Wilson based on ‘forensic report’ which was picked up by WaPo to exonerate him

OpIndia Staff
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NIA refuses to entertain petition by Urban Naxal Rona Wilson based on ‘forensic report’ which was picked up by WaPo to exonerate him

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has opposed the plea filed by Bhima Koregaon case accused Rona Wilson before the Bombay High Court seeking quashing of the charge sheet filed against him under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in connection with the Bhima Koregaon violence of 2018. While opposing Wilson’s plea NIA stated that the allegations levelled by the former against the central probe agency of “planting fake evidence” on his laptop were “uncalled for”.

Last week, the Bombay High Court had directed the National Investigating Agency (NIA) to file its reply on or before April 29 and had posted the matter for consideration on that day. Though the matter did not reach and therefore stood adjourned to May 4 2021, NIA filed its reply opposing the plea.

“The forensic report by Arsenal Consulting, a Massachusetts-based digital forensics firm, cited by Bhima Koregaon accused Rona Wilson to claim innocence, is not part of the charge sheet and cannot, therefore, be relied upon by the accused to seek quashing of charge sheet”, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) told the Bombay High Court while it opposed the interim relief to Wilson.

Vikram Khalate, Superintendent of Police, National Investigation Agency (NIA) had filed a 14-page reply before the Bombay High Court in which he said: “If at all the petitioner, Rona Wilson has any case, the same will be definitely looked into at the time of trial by the trial court and as such the present writ petition is not maintainable.”

The central agency had filed an affidavit in Bombay High Court in reply to Wilson’s writ petition filed in February, in which Wilson referred to a report by Arsenal Consulting to seek innocence. By citing the ‘forensic report’ Wilson contended that he was framed.

Rona Wilson approaches Bombay HC, cites dubious ‘forensic report’ to quash case against him

In February, Rona Wilson, the Urban Naxal had approached the Bombay high court seeking directions to appoint a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by a retired Supreme Court or High Court judge and consisting of experts in digital forensic analysis to probe the alleged planting of documents on his computer by using malware.

Till the pendency of the plea in the high court, Wilson had sought a stay on the proceedings in the charge sheet pending before the Special NIA Court and also pleaded for his immediate release from detention.

The ‘forensic report’ gave a clean chit to Urban Naxal Rona Wilson

The referred ‘forensic report’ by Arsenal Consulting had claimed that Wilson’s laptop was hacked using malicious emails. Arsenal claims to have recovered PDF files in a hidden folder in the laptop, which contained the letters that became part of the charge sheet against Wilson. According to police, the email letters show that Wilson was in contact with a top Maoist leader named Comrade Prakash, and he had sought guns and ammunition from the banned left-wing terror group and had also urged them to assassinate PM Modi.

However, the alleged forensic study by Arsenal Consulting claimed that Rona didn’t write these letters, and these were planted by hackers during a course of 22 months between 2016 and 2018.

How the ‘forensic report’ was used by the leftist cabal to exonerate Wilson

It is pertinent to note that here that it was Washington Post that immediately picked up the dubious forensic analysis to exonerate Rona Wilson. And as expected, this Washington Post report was subsequently carried by several Indian media houses, and it was shared widely by left liberals in India, claiming that it proves how the entire case against urban Naxals is baseless.

Besides, people like the notorious billionaire George Soros and the Canadian government, which has been fomenting trouble in India and backing Khalistani terrorists that undermine the sovereignty of India, had also rallied behind this dubious forensic analysis to absolve Wilson.

While the left-liberal cabal wanted everyone to believe that the report was the absolute truth, unfortunately, there were several anomalies in Arsenal Consulting’s ‘forensic analysis’ that we too reported on. 

Netizens trend #JusticeForRohitSardana, claim ‘medical negligence’ behind his death, BJP leaders demand investigation

OpIndia Staff
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Netizens trend #JusticeForRohitSardana, claim ‘medical negligence’ behind his death, BJP leaders demand investigation

A day after prominent journalist Rohit Sardana succumbed to the Wuhan Coronavirus infection, netizens took to Twitter to demand an independent investigation into the circumstances leading to his death. Sardana tested positive for the Coronavirus and suffered a heart attack on Friday morning.

BJP spokesperson Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga tweeted, “Brother Rohit Sardana was administered an injection, which did not suit his body. No senior doctor was present at the time of his treatment. There needs to be a probe whether this is a case of medical negligence. #JusticeForRohitSardana”

Rohit Sardana
Screengrab of the tweet by Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga

BJP leader and doctor Richa Rajpoot lamented how a physically and mentally fit individual such as Rohit Sardana died within hours of hospitalisation. “A mentally strong and fit person like rohit sardana with mild corona symptoms who never had heart attack and heart disease history died within few hour hospitalization in ICU care in a Superspeciality Hospital . Not justified #JusticeForRohitSardana,” she wrote.

Rohit Sardana
Screengrab of the tweet by Richa Rajpoot

Popular Twitter user Ankit Jain also pointed out how the episode appeared ‘fishy’ to the public eye. “Rohit bhaiya was an asset to the nation. Every line of treatment given to him should be made public. There are certain things, which look fishy in this entire timeline. #JusticeForRohitSardana”

Rohit Sardana
Screengrab of the tweet by Ankit Jain

BJP MLA Sanju Devi had also demanded for a high-level probe into the death of Rohit Sardana. “I demand high-level investigation against Metro Hospital, Noida for medical negligence in Rohit Sardana’s death,” she tweeted.

Screengrab of the tweet by Sanju Devi

Advocate Gaurav Goel wrote, “Investigation will reveal about medical negligence. #JusticeForRohitSardana”

Screengrab of the tweet by Gaurav Goel

Another Twitter user named Tanmay requested the Yogi Adityanath government to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by a DG rank officer to probe the death of Rohit Sardana. “If required CBI enquiry should also be recommended,” he concluded.

Screengrab of the tweet by Tanmay

Coronavirus patients have a high risk of death due to heart attack: Research

While the possibility of ‘medical negligence’ cannot be ruled out in the untimely demise of prominent news anchor Rohit Sardana, research shows that chances of death are higher for a Covid infected patient if he suffers a heart attack.

According to a research paper published by the European Heart Journal in February this year, Coronavirus patients who suffer a heart attack are more likely to die as compared to those not infected by Coronavirus. “Our study clearly shows that cardiac arrest and COVID-19 is a very lethal combination. Patients with the coronavirus should be monitored intensively and measures taken to prevent cardiac arrest, for instance with the use of continuous heart monitors for patients at high risk,” noted Dr. Pedram Sultanian, who conducted the study.

An article on the official website of Harvard University states, “The SARS-CoV-2 virus can damage the heart in several ways. For example, the virus may directly invade or inflame the heart muscle, and it may indirectly harm the heart by disrupting the balance between oxygen supply and demand.”

“Heart injury, which may be measured by elevated levels of the enzyme troponin in the bloodstream, has been detected in about one-quarter of patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19 illness. Of these patients, about one-third have pre-existing CVD,” it added.

“We mean business. You will arrange everything now”: Delhi HC threatens contempt proceedings against centre if Delhi does not get allocated oxygen

OpIndia Staff
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“We mean business. You will arrange everything now”: Delhi HC threatens contempt proceedings against centre if Delhi does not get allocated oxygen

The Delhi High Court today slammed the union govt for inadequate supply to the hospitals in Delhi. During the hearing on the Covid-19 situation, the High Court expressed dissatisfaction that Delhi is not getting its allotted share of oxygen from plants outside the state, and threated to file contempt of court case against the Central Govt if Delhi does not get its allotted quantity of 490 MT of oxygen on Saturday.

A Division Bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli of the Delhi High Court is hearing a batch of oxygen shortage in Delhi, and today’s hearing was also like the previous days, with hospitals complaining that they are running out of oxygen. While the hospitals said that they are not getting adequate supply, the suppliers said that they are supplying the allotted quantity but the hospitals are demanding more oxygen.

After learning that hospitals in the capital are still struggling for oxygen, the High Court ordered the Central Govt to ensure that the 490 MT of oxygen allocated to Delhi is delivered to it today positively. The court said that the daily allocation can’t remain on paper, it has to implemented. The High Court added that in case of non-compliance with this order, they may consider initiating contempt of court proceedings against the centre.

The High Court issued the order to the centre to deliver the allocated oxygen after the Delhi govt informed that it has no oxygen in reserve to meet the SOS calls of hospitals for oxygen. “We direct Centre to ensure that Delhi receives its 490MT oxygen supply today by whatever means,” the Court order said.

“The water has gone over our head. Enough is enough,” the court said. The high court added that the quantity of 490 MT oxygen was allocated by the centre only, and they should ensure that this quantity is delivered to Delhi. “Does it mean someday you will stop supply completely to Delhi? Should we close our eyes to people dying in Delhi? Who is asking for even a gram more?” the court said.

The bench also said that it was the responsibility of the central govt to arrange for tankers to supply oxygen, and without the tankers, the allocation remains only on paper. “The allocation to Delhi has been in force from April 20 and not for a single day Delhi has received allocated supply,” the court said.

The court added that if the allocated quantity is not delivered, the concerned authority or the secretary has to remain present before it.

When Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma sought to intervene, the Court remarked, “Water has gone above the head. Now we mean business. You will arrange everything now. You made an allocation. You fulfil it.” The court said it can no longer wait as 8 people died in Batra Hospital due to lack of oxygen.

ASG Sharma requested the court not to say anything on contempt, and appealed to delay the order by half an hour so that officials can respond to the court. But the court didn’t listen to him and adjourned the matter to Monday after passing the order for the centre.

The Delhi High Court also ordered the hospitals to provide a list of Covid-19 patients who are staying in hospitals beyond 10 days. The court noted that most Covid-19 cases are resolved within 10-14 days, and therefore a substantial number of beds should become available due to discharge of such recovered patients. Therefore, the court ordered the hospitals to submit the details of admissions and discharge of Covid-19 patients. The court said that hospitals should provide information on who had stayed more than 10 days, and the reason for such ‘overstay’.

Times of India passes off an anti-Modi paid article as a news item, removes the story when called out: Details

OpIndia Staff
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Times of India passes off an anti-Modi paid article as a news item, removes the story when called out: Details

The 10th page of the April 28th edition of Times of India carried an anti-Modi propaganda advertisement, but it was published like a news item. The article was authored by Devlina Chakravarty who went on a rant against the Modi government with respect to the COVID-19 outbreak in the country.

While criticising the central government for its policies and implementation is a fair game, what was wrong with the article was the way it was portrayed to the readers by the Times of India. An advertisement or a paid article was passed off as a news item by the ToI.

ToI passes off an advertisement as news item

Normally, advertisements have a starkly different appearance than regular articles and reports by the media house and its journalists. They have distinct borders, “ad” is written somewhere on them to leave no doubts in the minds of the readers that it is an advertisement and not an editorial piece. There’s a sponsor’s insert included in the advertisement for which he has paid to the newspaper.

However, in this case, there was no way the reader could discern whether the article was a news story or a paid advertisement. To the untrained eye, it could have been a normal news article, but not for Newsbred’s Ashish Shukla, there was something wrong in the article. On closer inspection, he found that the font of the paid advertisement was distinctly different from the one used for other articles. For Ashish, it was a giveaway that the article was a paid advertisement maligning PM Modi and not a genuine news story.

This shenanigan of the Times of India was exposed by Ashish on his news portal Newsbred. The paid article was a two-column long piece, extended till half the length of the page. An ad of this length normally costs around Rs 20-30 lakhs in Times of India.

Besides font, there were other subtle giveaways as well to make out that the article which was portrayed to be a news story or an opinion piece was in reality a paid advertisement. The article included words like you and your in double inverted commas. Furthermore, the article also carried the photo of the author next to it. Usually, opinion columns or exclusive reports publish the picture of the author with their reports, not advertisements.

If this was not enough, it also came to light that the same writer, the same article, verbatim, was published on the leftist online rag The Wire on April 25, three days before it was produced in the Times of India edition. Even if one considers it to be the reproduction of the article first published on The Wire, the one published in the Times of India did not end with: “This opinion piece had first appeared in The Wire” or “Courtesy: The Wire”.

These are basics of print and digital media, but they were not included in the article that was published in the Times of India. A meticulous attempt was being made by the newspaper to pass off an advertisement as a news article that carried propaganda against the Modi government on its handling of the COVID-19 outbreak.

After the Times of India was exposed for indulging in this trickery, it was quickly scrubbed off from its digital website. The online link to the article now reads: “This article has been removed”.

The “paid news” on Times of India stands removed

The scourge of “paid news” in India

In media parlance, such advertisements which appear like news articles are termed as “Paid News”. In its investigation in 2010, the Press Council of India found that “paid news” benefits journalists and media organisations. “It’s paid for by politicians, organisations, brands, movies and celebrities. The Wikipedia page says that this abuse is pioneered by Bennett, Coleman and Company Ltd group, incidentally the same organisation which owns the Times of India publication.

There have been several incidents of media outlets peddling “paid news”, especially during the UPA regime. The Election Commission had earlier reported that more than 1,400 cases of paid news between 2009 and 2013 during which elections were held in 17 states in India.

‘Liberals’ always dehumanise their opponents: Did it surprise you that liberals celebrated the passing of Rohit Sardana?

Abhishek Banerjee
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‘Liberals’ always dehumanise their opponents: Did it surprise you that liberals celebrated the passing of Rohit Sardana?

Yesterday, ‘liberal’ Twitter erupted in cheers as news of the death of journalist Rohit Sardana spread everywhere. He was only 40 years old. He leaves behind two young children. How would you react?

Did it surprise you that liberals were so happy about the passing of Rohit Sardana? Did you reach out to them and say that it is not okay to mock a grieving family? Or did you bring up the matter of human decency? Well, if you were angry or surprised, then you have not understood at all how liberals think.

Liberals dehumanize their opponents. If you are not with them, your life has no value in their eyes.

I am not saying this to make you angry. I am telling you something very basic that you need to understand about liberals. According to them, your very existence is a criminal offense.

In case you are suspicious, let me clarify that I am not using the term “liberal” as a euphemism for any particular community. In fact, if you are connecting this to members of some religion, you are very much mistaken. The average liberal with a Sanskrit name hates you just as much as any other liberal.

You may want to call them evil. You may feel like reminding them of all those times when right-wingers rose above partisanship to show kindness to the other side. Again, this is futile. They are not garden variety hypocrites. A hypocrite understands that they are using a double standard. A liberal is very different. A liberal has a high sense of purpose and moral certainty. They believe they are the kindest, gentlest, most decent human beings around. They just don’t count their political opponents as human.

Why do liberals feel this way? Because they believe they own the world. And why not? Every textbook, every newspaper, every institution has always confirmed their belief. They have the liberal privilege. That is why someone who supports the massacre of CRPF jawans is described as an “80 year old poet.” But someone who wears a Hanuman shirt is put immediately on a list of potential terrorists.

Indian liberals saw the verdicts of 2014 and 2019 on the same lines as a revolt by serfs. They do not consider the current government to be legitimate and never did. It has nothing to do with whether they think India has free and fair elections. Their problem with elections is that the other side gets to vote as well. According to them, this itself makes the election unfair. And if the other side wins, this makes the government illegitimate.

With faces like Rohit Sardana on prime time, the other side encroached upon what liberals think of as their space. For that matter, they see the BJP itself as encroaching upon the corridors of power, which belong to liberals by birthright. And by extension, BJP supporters are also encroaching upon a nation that also belongs to liberals by birthright. Is there anything, you might wonder, that liberals do not see as their property? Short answer: no!

You, your country, your vote, your voice, everything belongs to them. By not using these in a way that pleases your liberal masters, you have become a criminal in their eyes.

So what is the solution? How can you get liberals to start seeing you as human beings? The simple answer is that you can’t, unless you are willing to submit to them. So stop pleading, stop justifying, stop talking about decency. Yes, liberals high fived each other because they heard that a political opponent is dead. And they feel completely at peace with themselves about it. In fact, if you remind them that their opponent had two young children, they are not going to feel sad or ashamed. They will be even more thrilled. Because liberals have dehumanized the rest of us.

What can we do then? Not much, but we can tune out their reactions. We can stop talking to them about human decency. Because that will only give them more chances to laugh at us.

IIT Professor responds after Economic Times misquoted him to insinuate that the Indian government ignored warning signs of Covid 2nd wave

OpIndia Staff
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IIT Professor responds after Economic Times misquoted him to insinuate that the Indian government ignored warning signs of Covid 2nd wave

On Friday (April 30), an IIT-Hyderabad Professor named M Vidyasagar slammed the Economic Times (ET) for quoting him out of context and insinuating that the Centre ‘deliberately’ ignored the warning signs of the 2nd wave of Coronavirus outbreak in India.

In an article titled, “Panel red-flagged onset of 2nd wave in March 1st week,” and published on Friday, ET had quoted the head of the National Coronavirus supermodel committee Professor M Vidyasagar. “We did highlight the fact in the first week of March that the second wave was on its way and the government should prepare. It was red-flagged to the appropriate people in the government,” the article quoted the IIT Professor as saying.

Furthermore, the article read, “Vidyasagar, however, feels now that people were in ‘denial’ about the second wave. “Around March 8-9, we found that the beta ‘contact’ parameter was growing very high and accordingly started flagging it to people in the government. The pandemic in its second wave had already set in by March and was on course. People were in denial about the second wave,” he said.”

Screengrab of the Economic Times report

ET claimed that the government was in a ‘denial’ mode and thus responsible for the increasing Coronavirus cases in India. To bolster their misleading claim, the newspaper attributed the quote to the IIT-Hyderabad Professor heading the National Coronavirus supermodel committee. Being well aware that such an unverified and outlandish claim will generate widespread public resentment against the incumbent government, the Economic Times went ahead with the publication.

IIT Professor debunks claims that the Union govt was in a ‘denial mode’

Within a few hours, Professor M Vidyasagar took to Twitter to debunk the allegation that the Centre was in a state of denial. While attaching the image of the report, he tweeted, “Since I am quoted in this article, I would like to clarify a few things. First, I never said anyone was “in denial.” It is perhaps a paraphrase but sounds like an accusation, which was never made by me. The rest of my comments (quoted accurately) make that clear.”

ET had also quoted the Secretary of Department of Science and Technology, Professor Ashutosh Sharma. He had drawn a distinction between ‘sounding an alert’ about the 2nd wave and predicting the extent of the surge in Coronavirus cases. He had emphasised that none could predict that the surge in cases during 2nd wave would be 5-10 times higher than that of last year’s peak surge.

Although Economic Times presented the points raised by Dr Ashutosh Sharma as being antagonistic and contradictory to the claims of Professor M Vidyasagar, the latter clarified the same in his subsequent tweets. “Second, Prof. Sharma (Secretary DST) is perfectly right. We did NOT manage to project the correct values for the second peak, because the parameters of the pandemic were changing rapidly, even wildly, until about a week ago,” Professor Vidyasagar said.

He further added, “It is only during the past week that the model parameters stabilized, and we could make reliable projections. These have been shared by Mahindra Agarwal (IIT Kanpur Professor). We now project that the peak is very close at hand, perhaps even next week, at 4 lakhs plus or minus 0.1 lakhs.”

“While we were appointed by DST, we were contacted for inputs by higher authorities in GoI (Government of India) only about three or four times from July last year until now. Each time we gave whatever inputs we had. The last such occasion was April 2nd…Finally, the GoI would be doing a great service to the modelling community if it were to place all data in its possession in the public domain. These include: ratio of hospitalizations to positive tests, sequence data to of patients identify the virus variant, etc,” he concluded.

Economic Times tries to single out ‘political rallies’ and ‘Kumbh’ for rising Coronavirus cases

Besides trying to pin the blame of the second Coronavirus wave in India on the Modi government, Economic Times also attempted to attribute the rising cases to political rallies in West Bengal and the annual Hindu festival of Kumbh. However, Professor M Vidyasagar had clarified that it was difficult to establish ‘clear-cut links’.

On whether election rallies and the Kumbh Mela contributed to the spread, Vidyasagar said it was difficult to establish ‘such clear cut links’ between the two events and the surge in Coronavirus cases. “The second wave was itself triggered because people ignored the Covid-19 protocol, there was reckless socialising, including many weddings. Please note, that spike in Covid cases preceded election rallies by many weeks. Even the Kumbh started on March 11,” he had emphasised.

West Bengal woman protestor dies of Covid at Tikri border as ‘farmers’ continue to agitate amid second wave

OpIndia Staff
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West Bengal woman protestor dies of Covid at Tikri border as ‘farmers’ continue to agitate amid second wave

A 25-year-old woman identified as Momita Basu from West Bengal has reportedly died in a private hospital at the Tikri border on Friday. Basu had been protesting against the Central government’s farm laws at the outskirts of the national capital since April 11, 2021.

Speaking about the Bengal woman’s death, Rajendra Singh Deep Singh Wala, a leader of Kirti Kisan Union said: “Momita came to Tikri from West Bengal on April 11 to join the protest. Four days ago, she was admitted to a private hospital after her condition worsened. The doctors found an infection in her lungs. She breathed her last in the hospital on Friday”.

Though the members of the farmers union are publicly claiming that Basu died of a lung infection, a journalist named Sandeep Singh has taken to Twitter to confirm that the lady indeed died due to COVID-19 related complications.

He has said that Momita Basu had a lung infection and also contracted the COVID-19. The journalist confirmed that Basu’s death is the first confirmed case of death due to the COVID-19 pathogen at the Tikri border protest site, where thousands of ‘farmers’, mainly from Punjab and Haryana, have continued to protest, even as India battles a second and more brutal wave of coronavirus infections.

The ‘farmers’ had squatted on the highways leading to the national capital demanding the repeal of three agriculture bills that were passed by the Modi government in September last year. Even after five months, the so-called ‘farmer’s protest’, which has been proven to be nothing but a politically motivated game plan to degenerate the incumbent Modi government, refuses to end.

In fact, BKU leader Rakesh Tikait on Thursday asserted that the ‘farmers protests’ will continue and insisted that his drama at the border will continue despite the sharp uptick in the coronavirus caseload.

All this even when it was earlier reported that the ‘farmers’ protest along the Delhi borders and a number of Kisan rallies, meetings conducted in Punjab may have contributed to the alarming rise of COVID-19 cases in Delhi and surrounding states.

The UK strain of the coronavirus, which is markedly more virulent, is more prevalent in several northern states, including Punjab, the genome sequencing data from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) revealed. Two scientists from central government labs asserted that large gatherings in Punjab were responsible for the widespread transmission of the variant in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.

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