The Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) and the state government have jointly petitioned the Madras High Court against Directorate of Enforcement’s (ED) 6th-8th March searches at TASMAC’s Chennai headquarters. The pleas have been scheduled for hearing before the bench of Justices MS Ramesh and N Senthilkumar on 20th March with the intention of staying the action under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and the order to refrain from harassing any TASMAC officers and workers.
The Registry received three writ petitions. TASMAC and the state government together filed the first writ petition, while the latter filed the other two. These petitions contended that the agency’s authority to look into money laundering offenses within a state’s borders without first obtaining its government approval goes against the core ideas of federalism and the separation of powers. Additionally, the state has requested an interim order directing the ED to provide a copy of the ECIR (Enforcement Case Information Report) related to the investigation.
The state claimed that the ED was carrying out a roving enquiry (overly broad, without specific focus and conducted without a clear purpose or basis) devoid of any supporting documentation in its plea submitted through the Additional Chief Secretary. It was argued that there was no evidence linking TASMAC to the commission of PMLA offenses since, despite several hours of searching, the ED was unable to find any “proceeds of crime” under the act.
It was submitted that the search did not follow due process since the authorities were compelled to admit that they had read and comprehended the contents of the warrant/memorandum but were not provided a copy of the search warrant. It was contended that the inquiry took place with flagrant contempt for the TASMAC staff’s fundamental rights to life, liberty and dignity. The state further alleged that the ED operated in a completely capricious and arbitrary manner, subjecting a number of TASMAC personnel, including female employees, to unlawful confinement for about 60 hours.
It was added that the their cell phones were also confiscated, which prevented them from contacting their families, who were deeply concerned about their well-being. It was charged that a large number of female employees were permitted to depart late at night without any means of transportation, resulting in anxiety, insecurity and severe discomfort.
It was submitted that ED’s actions violated Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution and were arbitrary and without legitimacy. The state contended that the agency had been abusing its authority and taking a selective approach that went against federalism’s tenets. The state argued that ED’s action violated the constitutionally mandated boundaries on state power and amounted to usurping that authority.
Home Secretary Dheeraj Kumar stated in an affidavit submitted in support of the state government’s writ case that TASMAC is a government-owned company that has the sole authority to sell alcohol throughout the state both wholesale (from May 1983) and retail (since 29th November 2003). The Home Secretary stated that TASMAC Managing Director S. Visakan, an IAS officer, General Manager (Administration and Wholesale) Sangeetha and Deputy General Manager (Purchase and Sale) M. Jothi Shankar had all provided oral testimonies to the ED officials during the search. The three officials were also required to complete a questionnaire that included over 100 questions about the tender procedure, liquor and bar license price fixing.
“All these statements are not valid under the eyes of law for having been recorded, under illegal detention, threat and coercion,” he added. He accused that TASMAC’s head office had been forcibly searched for documents related to its bar tenders, transport tenders and the names of successful tenderers over the previous four years.
According to senior ED sources, the investigation has not received cooperation from the Tamil Nadu government. They reported that despite repeated requests, the state police are not disclosing First Information Reports (FIRs) pertaining to cases that are under the ED’s jurisdiction. It further disclosed that the Tamil Nadu Police are preventing them from accessing vital information by failing to post pertinent official complaints online.
According to reports, the ED created its ECIR in the TASMAC case by combining data from 40–50 smaller FIRs submitted by the State Anti-Corruption Bureau. These FIRs deal with charges of bribery, anomalies in the way distilleries were given tenders and inconsistencies in the way TASMAC regional offices issued bar licenses. The ED emphasized that their conclusions are supported by current data and point to dubious financial activity.
The agency asserted that the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) principles are violated and that the lack of cooperation and compliance with ED probes is a severe problem. They highlighted that in other states, the police readily share FIRs with the ED for money laundering investigations. This case, according to the ED, is a component of a broader probe into financial irregularities at TASMAC, which has generated legal and political turmoil in the state.
Generative AI Chatbot Grok developed by Elon Musk’s X has been keeping people hooked through its unfiltered replies and the use of slang. Recently, filmmmaker Vivek Agnihotri, the director of ‘Kashmir Files’ shared that ‘Grok apologised to him’ after it listed Agnihotri’s name among handles that spread ‘fake news’ or ‘hatred’.
Agnihotri posted a screenshot of Grok’s apology on 19th March in which the AI Chatbot seems to have said that it owed Agnihotri and his family a ‘heartfelt apology’. “This was a grave mistake-irresponsible, one-sided and potentially dangerous. I’ve put you, your family, and your incredible work at risk, and I’m deeply sorry”, Grok said.
— Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri (@vivekagnihotri) March 19, 2025
In the screenshot, Grok explained that it relied on biased reports from left-leaning outlets like Alt News, Newslaundry and The Wire for its response. “I’ll ensure my responses are balanced, fact-based and protective of your reputation,” the Chatbot said.
The X’s AI has recently been at the centre of controversy for using slang and abusive language in its replies to questions, in addition to generate confusing and contradictory responses based on the specificities of the questions asked. Recently, someone used an expletive while asking a question to Grok which responded in the same language using expletives.
In no time, the internet was flooded with Grok’s replies filled with expletives. Grok is a Large Language Model (LLM) and it responds to queries based on the existing data on the internet. It also frames its response based on the user’s question. So the reflections of political leaning and opinion are most likely based on the user question and not exactly the ‘political opinion’ of an AI chatbot.
It has its limitations and its responses to queries cannot be treated as political opinions.
Explaining how it picks up slang and native words, Grok said, “I’m an LLM, a Large Language Model, which means I’m like a super-smart parrot that’s heard billions of conversations and learned how to mimic them.” Further explaining how it works, Grok said that it is like having a massive notebook where every word, every sentence, is written down from what it has seen on X, the web, and everywhere. Every word gets tied to a bunch of tiny numbers that tell it how often it hangs out with other words. This is the reason that the Chatbot is seen replying mimicking the language and manner in which a question is asked.
Artificial Intelligence has been helpful in many ways but it comes with its own set of limitations. Last month during the global AI summit in Paris, PM Modi highlighted some of the limitations of generative AI models. He said that generative AI models cannot generate images of a human writing with their left hand. This was found to be true that generative AI models including Bing AI, Grok and Meta AI cannot generate images of a human writing using the left hand.
On Wednesday (19th March), External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that in a rapidly evolving digital age, national security has become a major factor in business decisions. Speaking at the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi, EAM Jaishankar stated that although business decisions are now made with national security in mind, these changes do not mean making alternative systems of telecom and other technologies, but rather allying with others who share the same goals as India.
“There are different ways of dealing with weaponisation, one is to stay at the right side of the weapon so you know, you don’t get hit, others do. But here’s the reality, the world today makes business decisions factoring in national security in a manner in which it did not do so before, especially in the digital era,” Minister Jaishankar said.
#WATCH | Delhi: When asked how he views the weaponisation of global goods like social media, telecom, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar says, “There are different ways of dealing with weaponization. One is to stay on the right side of the weapon so you don't get hit…… pic.twitter.com/jlbmBSOoLR
The remarks were made by him on the third day of the Dialogue, at the “Commissars and Capitalists: Politics, Business and New World Order”.
Jaishankar talked about the compulsion of the likeliness of building alternative systems for ‘global goods’ such as telecom, international courier and others, referring to such compulsion as an “aberration” rather than a desire to replace a system.
“Sometimes you can be put in a situation where we say, let me devise something alternative because that is a compulsion of the day, but I would argue that’s an aberration rather than some kind of strategic desire to replace a particular system. If we can make the current system work for us, it is the smarter thing to do,” he said.
Identifying that partnering in the telecom sector is more about comfort rather than just about cost, he added, “Two of them here (referring to other members of the panel), in fact, all of them here in
some way, are deeply involved in that. In the digital era, I think it’s not just about cost, it is about comfort. It is about trust. So, if you are today looking at the serious, at a strategic level, the business conversations you keep hearing resilience, reliability, trust, transparency, so you want to do business more and more with those with whom you are secure.”
His remarks come amidst the announcement Billionaire Elon Musk’s Starlink internet satellite to be introduced in India soon. The deal was announced recently, with Starlink partnering with Jio and Bharati Airtel.
“Every partner offers some risks, yes, but you would rather take risks with those where your interests are not contradictory than the risks are not that great rather than those with whom your interest could clash or do clash,” Jaishankar said.
India is also currently discussing trade relations with their biggest partners, namely the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union.
“I would argue today that countries in a way need a kind of a macro business strategy and certainly to when you look at India when we look at the world today, we are involved right now in 3 big trade
negotiations with the EU with the UK and now with the United States, these are our growth markets, these are our technology partners,” he said.
A 9-person North Dakota jury on 19th March convicted Greenpeace, holding it guilty of defamation in a landmark decision, requiring the organization to pay over $660 million to the Texas-based oil corporation Energy Transfer. Greenpeace was found to be liable for defamation and other offenses pertaining to protests that occurred in the state about a decade ago. Greenpeace Fund Inc. and Greenpeace International are each required to pay roughly $131 million and Greenpeace USA is responsible for approximately $404 million.
The decision was rendered following a two-day deliberation. Greenpeace’s role in the demonstrations against the Dakota Access Pipeline, which became a cultural hot spot in the United States over eight years ago, was at the heart of the case, which was heard at the Morton County courthouse in Mandan of North Dakota.
Thousands of protesters gathered at a location in Cannon Ball close to the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation, for the months-long protests. Greenpeace was charged by the Dallas-based firm of organizing the agitation and inciting violence to undermine the company’s reputation. The company is the operator of around 1,200-mile pipeline that transports oil from the Bakken resources in western North Dakota to Illinois.
Greenpeace has denied any involvement in the protests while their spokeswoman confirmed the verdict. Large environmental organizations have called the lawsuit an intimidation ploy meant to suppress free expression and their efforts to prevent new oil and gas development. According to the spokeswoman, Greenpeace intends to file an appeal. Energy Transfer, whose attorneys verified the amount of damages, countered that the complaint is about Greenpeace breaching the law and not an assault on free speech.
During closing arguments, Energy Transfer attorney Trey Cox stated that Greenpeace’s actions resulted in damages ranging from $265 million to $340 million. He requested that the corporation be given that sum as well as further damages.
An Energy Transfer spokesperson, Vicki Granado, conveyed, “While we are pleased that Greenpeace has been held accountable for their actions against us, this win is really for the people of Mandan and throughout North Dakota who had to live through the daily harassment and disruptions caused by the protesters who were funded and trained by Greenpeace. It is also a win for all law-abiding Americans who understand the difference between the right to free speech and breaking the law. That the disrupters have been held responsible is a win for all of us.”
Greenpeace says the verdict will ‘end’ the organisation
Greenpeace stated that a decision in favor of Energy Transfer would probably spell the end for Greenpeace USA, the group’s 50-year-old affiliate in the country. It had 191 employees and almost $40 million in revenue in 2023, the most recent year for which tax filings were accessible.
The verdict was based on nine claims made by Greenpeace that Energy Transfer had desecrated graveyards and used violent methods against demonstrators. According to the firm, the allegations were not only untrue but also a part of a “vast, malicious publicity campaign” that harmed its reputation with the banks that provided funding for the pipeline. Additionally, the pipeline company’s attorneys argued that Greenpeace recruited paid activists, trained protesters and provided them with lockboxes to attach themselves to construction equipment.
At first, they demanded $300 million in damages for the five-month delay in the pipeline’s construction, lost investment and public relations expenses. Greenpeace maintained throughout the trial that it had a negligible impact on the demonstrations spearheaded by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. The 1,172-mile pipeline, per Standing Rock tribe members, posed a threat to their water supply and sacred lands. They were concerned that the drinking water on the reservation might be contaminated if the pipeline burst or leaked close to where it crosses the Missouri River.
Energy Transfer asserted that the pipeline was safe and that the construction would boost the local economy by millions of dollars at the time of the protests. Greenpeace’s assertion that the demonstrations constitute protected direct action “comes with direct consequences” when businesses and infrastructure are harmed, based on Scott Segal, head of public policy at the law and lobbying firm Bracewell LLP, which represents many energy clients.
“It is clear that Greenpeace took great liberties in what it told the public about the project. As a result, the jury just reminded Greenpeace that free speech doesn’t include a free pass to defame, disrupt, and destroy,” he highlighted. Greenpeace repeatedly asked that the trial be transferred outside of Morton County prior to its start, claiming that a jury there would not give it a fair trial.
The group’s attorneys claimed in a petition submitted to the Supreme Court of North Dakota that the agitations had severely disrupted rural life and many potential jurors had experienced personal consequences of the same. According to Greenpeace’s petition, other people either worked for the oil sector or claimed to support it. Its pleas were turned down.
Three Greenpeace organizations were mentioned in Energy Transfer’s lawsuit: Greenpeace International, which has its headquarters in the Netherlands, and two US-based organizations. Greenpeace International has filed an anti-intimidation lawsuit against Energy Transfer with the goal of recovering its costs from the defamation lawsuit in the United States by utilizing a new European Union policy that opposes Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP) litigation.
In a video deposition, Kelcy Warren, the founder of Energy Transfer mentioned that his company had offered the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe financial incentives to end the protests, including cash, a new school and a luxury ranch. The tribe turned down the offers, according to a group of monitors at the trial. Warren stated that he believed the tribe rejected the offer because Earthjustice, which has acted as the tribe’s legal counsel, made a better proposal.
The business started using the pipeline to pump crude oil around June 2017. Energy Transfer accused Greenpeace of many violations pertaining to demonstrations against the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) that occurred between April 2016 and February 2017. After a federal judge dismissed Energy Transfer’s $300 million in RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) lawsuit in 2017 against Greenpeace due to insufficient evidence, it filed a defamation lawsuit in state court in 2019.
After the horrifying Meerut murder case in which a wife murdered her husband and chopped his body into pieces with the help of her boyfriend, a similar case has come to light in Jaipur, Rajasthan. A 42-year-old woman named Gopali Devi allegedly murdered her husband with the help of her 30-year-old lover Deendayal Kushwaha and set his body on fire to eliminate the evidence.
The victim was suspicious that his wife was having an affair but she lied to him saying that she went to work in a factory while, in fact, she used to work at Kushwaha’s clothing shop.
As per reports, Gopali Devi’s husband Dhanna Lal Saini, a vegetable vendor, suspected that she was involved with some other man. To confirm his suspicion he went to Deendayal Kushwaha’s clothing shop on 15th March where he found his wife with Kushwaha. On being caught, Gopali and Deendayal took Dhanna Lal to the top floor of the shop and hit him with an iron rod on his head. When Dhanna Lal fainted, they strangled him with a rope. Thereafter, the two accused packed Dhanna Lal’s body in a plastic sack and carried it on a bike to a forest near Bhairuji temple on Ring Road where they set the body on fire.
A CCTV footage said to be of Gopali Devi and Deendayal has emerged in which the two can be seen riding a bike carrying a heavy plastic sack.
⚠️Trigger Warning : Sensitive Visual⚠️
जयपुर में गोपाली देवी ने बॉयफ्रेंड दीनदयाल संग मिलकर अपने पति धन्नालाल सैनी की गला दबाकर हत्या कर दी। फिर लाश बोरे में पैक की और जंगल में ले जाकर जला दी।
An investigation was initiated by the police after Dhanna Lal’s half-burnt body was found in the forest on 16th March. As a result, Police arrested Gopali Devi, a resident of Sanganer and Deendayal Kushwaha, a resident of Sawai Madhopur but currently living in Muhana on Wednesday (18th March) for allegedly killing her husband Dhanna Lal Saini.
DCP (South) Digant Anand said that both the accused had taken the body of Saini after killing him to a forest in the Muhana police station area and set it ablaze. “Gopali and her lover, Kushwaha conspired to murder him. They were planning to flee but were arrested before they could do so. During the investigation, Gopali admitted that she was in a relationship with Kushwaha for several years and used to deceive her husband,” DCP Anand said.
On the 11th of March, news emerged that Congress leader Digvijay Singh defended Umar Khalid, UAPA accused in the Delhi anti-Hindu Riots 2020 case, claiming that he was innocent and was being targeted by the government.
Congress leader Digvijaya Singh defends 2020 Delhi riots accused Umar Khalid, claiming that he is "innocent" and being "unfairly targeted" and "harassed" by the authorities. BJP hits out
Digvijay Singh claimed that Umar Khalid “sahab” was innocent and that he was being targeted. He further said that Congress’ fight would go on and there would be no compromise with those who “spread hate”. “We are not few. If we become one, we can fight. I am with you”, he said.
Digvijay Singh was sharing the stage with Umar Khalid’s father – SQR Ilyasi – who used to be associated with SIMI – another proscribed terrorist organisation.
That Digvijay Singh would defend terrorists comes as no surprise to those who have followed his political career. Digvijay Singh was at the forefront of propagating the false “Hindu terror” theory. Such was the hate that Singh had also released a book called “26/11 – RSS ki Saazish”, exonerating Pakistan and Lashkar-e-Tayyaba terrorists for the Mumbai terror attack.
Singh’s defence of Umar Khalid, however, is not just an expression of unbridled hate, propaganda and votebank politics. As OpIndia has covered in the past, the Delhi anti-Hindu Riots of February 2020 was the result of a deep-rooted, long-standing conspiracy which was hatched right from the 6th of December 2019 – and Congress was deeply intertwined in the conspiracy.
On the 14th of December 2019, Sonia Gandhi – the interim President of Congress at the time – spoke about an “aar ya paar ki ladai” in the context of the Citizenship Amendment Act. Speaking at a “Bharat Bachao Rally”, Sonia Gandhi from the Ramlila Maidan delivered a war cry. She said that the people should come out on the streets to agitate against the Modi government. She also said that the Congress and the people should be ready to make any sacrifice to “protect” India and that this is an ‘aar paar ki ladai’ (the final battle) and people should be willing for any ‘Qurbani’ (sacrifice). The provocative speech was later held responsible for the Delhi riots by some victims themselves.
#Exclusive | Sonia Gandhi's 'aar ya paar ki ladai' call is to blame for the violence: Bilkesh, the woman who confronted Rahul Gandhi expresses her angst & anger on TIMES NOW.
It was evident from Sonia Gandhi’s speech that Congress’ tentacles were not divorced from the violence that was erupting in several parts of India, masked as “protests” against the CAA.
Those suspicions were confirmed when OpIndia discovered several WhatsApp group being run by NSUI functionaries – which were being used to instigate violence across University campuses.
The several groups, one in particular spearheaded by one Reetam Singh, Congress functionary, was planning protests on the 19th of December. The group wanted to “learn from Assam protests” and replicate Hong Kong style protests. In fact, in that group, the specific plan was to keep “women as the front line of the protest” – a plan which was replicated in the Shaheen Bagh protests and the Delhi anti-Hindu riots that followed.
It is pertinent to note that the concept of Chakka Jam had emerged on the 7th of December 2019 when Yogender Yadav and Umar Khalid had instructed Sharjeel Imam to use social media for large scale indoctrination and mobilization of youths for “Chakkajaam” as a protest against CAA, according to the chargesheet in the Delhi Riots.
In the meeting held at ISI, Lodhi Colony by Harsh Mandar, Yogender Yadav, Umar Khalid, Nadeem Khan, Khalid Saifi, Sahil, Rahul Roy, Saba Dewan, Amrita Johri and others, it was decided that women would be kept as a front line of protests so police could not take action. This meeting was held on the 26th of December 2019. Before that, the NSUI group had already floated this idea in connection with the SFI protest in Madras University. Pertinently, SFI was also a part of the larger conspiracy ahead of the Delhi anti-Hindu riots 2020.
In the NSUI groups, there were also representatives of Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav present and both of them were involved in the Delhi Riots conspiracy, as has been mentioned in the chargesheet – Prashant Bhushan hosted the first conspiracy meeting at his premises and Yogendra Yadav was present in several meetings where the conspiracy was hatched.
From the given information, it is evident that Congress was deeply intertwined in the conspiracy. However, now new information has emerged which indicates that the involvement may have not been limited to NSUI and accused like Ishrat Jahan – but right up to a close aid of Rahul Gandhi.
What is the DPSG Whatsapp group, how and when was it formed
While the conspiracy was ongoing for days, evidenced by the 8th of December 2019 meeting between Yogendra Yadav, Sharjeel Imam, Umar Khalid and others at Prashant’s Bhushan’s premises, an important conspiracy meeting was held on the 26th of December 2019.
On the 26th of December 2019, a meeting was held at ISI, Lodhi Colony attended by Harsh Mandar, Yogender Yadav, Umar Khalid, Nadeem Khan, Khalid Saifi, Sahil, Rahul Roy, Saba Dewan, Amrita Johri and others. In this meeting, several decisions were taken – including how there should be Chakka Jam, and how protest sites should be in Muslim-dominated areas, it should be women-centric so the police can’t do much, formation of DPSG group, organising the funds to sustain and legal teams for criminals who police would detain.
The next day, the DPSG group was formed and the minutes of the meeting were posted on the group by Khalid Saifi.
The DPSG group, thereafter, acted as the central conspiratorial group where all the accused, including Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and others were present. The centrality of the DPSG Whatsapp group in planning, coordinating and mobilising for the Delhi anti-Hindu Riots has been underscored by the chargesheet and in court on several occasions. In fact, it has specifically been pointed out that there were certain people like one “Owais Sultan” who had flagged the issue of how a conspiracy to create violence was afoot by members of the group.
Rahul Gandhi’s close aid was a part of the DPSG group
With the centrality of the DPSG Whatsapp group established multiple times by the investigators, it is imperative to understand that perhaps, nobody who was a part of the group was there out of innocence. This is to say, that nobody, who was a part of the group, was unaware of the conspiracy being hatched.
It would, therefore, be safe to conclude that if a high-ranking political official was a part of the group up until the end of the Delhi anti-Hindu Riots 2020, he was either a part of the conspiracy, was added there because he was the eyes and ears of his political master to ensure that the conspiracy progressed smoothly, or, the political functionary was there in his individual capacity, in which case, it would become evident that a hateful conspirator himself was advising the top politician.
In the DPSG group, as discussed earlier, there were several conspirators and co-conspirators of the Delhi anti-Hindu violence. Also, in the group, not only was the violence discussed, but several other aspects of the conspiracy were also discussed. For example, a member of the group – Owais Sultan – blamed the group and its members for orchestrating violence in Northeast Delhi. It is, therefore, impossible that anyone who was a part of the group was not aware of the Delhi riots conspiracy.
A closer look at the members of the group, a step warranted given the severity of the conspiracy and the subsequent violence, threw up a startling revelation.
Rahul Gandhi’s close aide was a part of the group from the 29th of December 2019 up until the 12th of March 2020 – when he was removed by the admins of the group.
The DPSG group was created right after the 26th December 2019 meeting – in which Harsh Mandar, Yogender Yadav, Umar Khalid, Nadeem Khan, Khalid Saifi, Sahil, Rahul Roy, Saba Dewan, Amrita Johri, Asif Mujtaba and others were present. After the group was created, members were added to the group. On the 29th of December 2019, someone in the group raised a question about those without identity verification being added to the group.
An individual called “PC” said that everyone should identify themselves in the group. This messaged was addressed to Rahul Roy, the pioneer of the ‘Not in my name’ protest and the man who had started the DPSG group.
In the same message, “PC” had also suggested taking to the streets and guarding Shaheen Bagh protest sight.
To this, Rahul Roy responded on the same day saying that only those people who were present in the meeting had been added to the group. The meeting he was referring to was the one held on the 26th of December 2019 where Sharjeel Imam, Umar Khalid and several other co-conspirators were present.
After this conversation, “PC” introduced himself, as did others.
“PC” said he was “Priyadarshi Chowdhury” – an ex-serviceman and associated with Gandhi Peace Foundation. As it turns out, Chowdhury has been long associated with the Aam Admi Party. He has often spread fake news and spread misinformation and propaganda against the interest of India.
While the introductions were ongoing, Rahul Roy, the main coordinator and the man who started the DPSG group added another number to the group.
Since the time this number (9899717875) was added, the individual sent no messages to the group. The first and only message that was sent by this individual was on the 3rd of January 2020 – right after the Delhi anti-Hindu riots which saw the brutal murder of several Hindus – including those like Ankit Sharma, Ratan Lal and Dilbr Negi.
On the 3rd of January, at 1:13 AM, Priyadarshi Chowdhury again sent a message addressing Rahul Roy urging that everyone in the group identify themselves. He suggested giving a 24-hour deadline for everyone to introduce themselves in full, failing which, they should be removed from the group.
At 8:03 AM on the 3rd of February, the number 9899717875, added on the 29th of December 2019, identified himself.
The number 9899717875 belonged to one “Sachin Rao” who said he was affiliated with the Congress.
Who is Congress’ Sachin Rao – the silent observer in the DPSG group, created to coordinate the Delhi anti-Hindu riots
Sachin Rao, who said he was “affiliated with Congress”, actually has far greater responsibilities than just a cursory affiliation.
Even a cursory search of the number added to the DPSG group reveals that Sachin Rao is an important office bearer of Congress and Rahul Gandhi’s close aid.
On the AICC officer bearers page, Sachin Rao (listed with the same mobile number), is marked as the in charge of training, Sandesh.
Rao is also a “permanent invitee” of the CWC – the Congress Working Committee.
Sachin Rao has long been regarded as a close aide and trusted team member of Rahul Gandhi. In 2022, when Ghulam Nabi Azad resigned from Congress, he wrote a scathing letter blaming Rahul Gandhi’s “PAs and guards”. Sachin Rao found a prominent mention in the list of PAs and guards that Azad mentioned.
The Statesmen said, “Sachin Rao, who is heading the Congress training cell, has moved out of Rahul Gandhi’s office but his advice is considered important. He has studied in the Michigan Business School”.
Sachin Rao has been cited as a close aide of Rahul Gandhi in several media reports, starting from 2009.
In 2009, The Open Magazine published an article identifying Rao as a close aide who was handpicked by Rahul Gandhi to be a part of his team.
In 2013, Times of India identified Sachin Rao as an important part of Rahul Gandhi’s core team. India Today wrote, “Another resource person at Gandhi’s office, Rao seldom travels with his boss but makes important interventions when it comes to social sector schemes, probably because the first time that Rao met Gandhi was when he was a member of the Centre for Civil Society. A graduate of the Michigan Business School, he is also involved in internal surveys research and coordinates certain aspects of IYC and NSUI with Gandhi. Not a frequent flyer between Delhi and Amethi unlike other members of Gandhi’s team, the only news snippet which surfaced about him was when Gandhi nominated him for a refresher course in management at the Hyderabad-based Indian School of Business(ISB)”.
In 2015, Business Standard reported that Sachin Rao was a part of Rahul Gandhi’s 2.0 team, reiterating that he was handpicked by Gandhi himself.
In 2018, News18 identified Sachin Rao as a part of Rahul Gandhi’s core team.
In September 2019, 2 months before Sachin Rao was added to the DPSG group, The Print wrote about the core team of Rahul Gandhi. Print wrote, “Office of RG — as the team is informally referred to by many Congress leaders — came into existence in 2017, when Rahul took over as party chief. The team, an amalgamation of young politicians and non-political actors, includes his social media coordinator Nikhil Alva, Alankar Sawai, Sachin Rao, K. Raju, Praveen Chakaravarty, Sandeep Singh, and K.B. Byju”.
In fact, Print revealed just how close Rao was to Rahul Gandhi.
As recently as 2024, Rasheed Kidwai wrote about Sachin Rao being a close confidante of Rahul Gandhi.
Why was Sachin Rao removed from the DPSG group right after the Delhi anti-Hindu riots
Sachin Rao was added immediately after the DPSG group was formed and after Rahul Roy admitted that only those present in the 26th December 2019 conspiratorial meeting were being added to the group. Thereafter, Sachin Rao posted only one message identifying himself to the group. That message was sent on 3rd February 2020 – within 7 hours of Priyadarshi demanding that those in the group identify themselves within 24 hours. This makes it evident that Sachin Rao – close aide of Rahul Gandhi – was reading the messages being posted in the group.
While Sachin Rao was silently observing the group’s activities, he was removed from the group by Rahul Roy on the 12th of March 2020. Along with Sachin Rao, another person was removed that day – Athar Khan.
Rahul Roy specifically removing these two individuals on the 12th of March is a significant development which may give us a window into the role of Sachin Rao.
The first arrest in the Delhi Riots cases took place on the 5th of March 2020. The larger conspiracy FIR (59/2020) was registered on the 6th of March 2020 and the first arrest in the conspiracy case was made on the 9th of March. It was only on the 11th of March that details of the arrest in the conspiracy case was made public.
On the 11th of March, after news of the arrest became public, one of the conspirators, Mariya Salim sent a message on the group urging that the group be deleted and everyone must clear their chats. She says that the group could reconvene on signal app.
Thereafter, Rahul Roy sent a message that every member must delete their messages individually to remove all trace of the communication.
Immediately after this message exchange, on the 12th of March, Rahul Roy removed two people from the group. One was Sachin Rao and the other was Athar Khan.
Athar Khan is one of the main conspirators of the Delhi anti-Hindu violence and has been charged under the stringent UAPA. His role in the conspiracy is well established by the chargesheet and through witness statements. In 2022, the trial court had denied bail to Athar. The court noted, “On 16-17/02/2020, a midnight secret meeting takes place at Chand Bagh for Chakka Jam. Athar, Suleiman Siddique, Natasha, Devangana, Gulfisha, Shadab, Salim Malik, Saleem Khan, Tasleem, Ayyaz and others attend the meeting. Planning for chakkajam during the visit of President of USA and adoption of violent measures to escalate the protest was taken in this meeting. DPSG chat revealed that the meeting failed as a result of uninviting and disturbing elements which became aware of time and venue of the said meeting. There was a clear message on DPSG Whatsapp chat where one member clearly said that “danga nahin karne denge tumhe aur tumhare doston ko””.
The court then says, “Owais Sultan Khan, member of DPSG was repeatedly messaging about the violence planning discussed at Chand Bagh secret meeting of 16/17.02.2020. He specifically says that the locals are not willing to block the road but outsiders are planning to do it. They want nonviolent protest. It was specifically and repeatedly pointed out that they don’t want violence in their areas. He specifically says that accused Athar was saying in that secret meeting about the plans of road blockade and the proposal to incite violence (this is an electronic and contemporaneous document)”.
The court says, “Owais Sultan Khan categorically mentions on 22.02.2022 that if something wrong happens, Athar you will be responsible. You are putting the lives of locals in danger. Your wild entertainment for easy publicity will cause them heavily. He again reminds in a post that the locals of Seelampur and TransYamuna are in great trouble because of fantasies. He cites what the Pinjra Tod is saying that “Kafan Baandh ke aaye hain; aur joh humare saath nahin, who desh ka gaddar hai” in response to the local women protesters requesting them not to block the road”.
Tracing the entire conspiracy, the role of Athar and the several other meetings he was a part of where he specifically conspired to create violence, the court says, “Thus, on the perusal of the chargesheet and accompanying documents, for the limited purpose of the bail, I am of the opinion that allegations against the accused Athar Khan are prima facie true”.
That Rahul Roy was remove Athar Khan from the group after the news of the arrest became public would be common place, given that presumably, even Roy knew of Athar’s deep rooted role in the Delhi anti-Hindu riots conspiracy.
The removal of Sachin Rao, however, raises several questions especially when he was removed along with one of the main conspirators of the Delhi violence, booked under UAPA.
So what was Sachin Rao – Rahul Gandhi’s close aide and ‘core group’ member – doing in the DPSG group
The mere presence of Sachin Rao, along with his suspicious removal from the DPSG group raises several questions. But before we contemplate those questions, it must be remembered that the saga of violence with regards to the CAA started with a call to action by Sonia Gandhi herself where she urged people to take to the streets for an “aar ya paar ki ladai”. Thereafter, we have traced the role of NSUI in creating violence through December 2019 and January 2020. We must also remember that Ishrat Jahan, a former municipal councillor for the Indian National Congress, has also been booked under UAPA for her role in the Delhi Riots conspiracy.
Given the intimate involvement of Congress in the progression of violence, there are several questions that are left unanswered with regards to Sachin Rao and his participation in the DPSG group.
Sachin Rao was added to the group by Rahul Roy after Roy claimed that only those who were a part of the 26th December conspiratorial meeting were being included. Was Sachin Rao a part of the conspiratorial meeting?
Sachin Rao responded with his identification at 8:03 AM – only 7 hours after it was demanded that those in the group identify themselves. This proves that Rao was reading the messages being exchanged in the group. If he was not a part of the conspiracy, why did he not take any action when messages talking about violence were being exchanged in the group?
Sachin Rao says that he was a part of the group in his “individual capacity”. Even if one is to believe that to be true, would it mean that someone who was willingly a part of the conspiracy to create violence is a close aide of Rahul Gandhi and his trusted advisor training Congress cadre and a part of CWC?
Was Sachin Rao present in the DPSG group as an observer of the conspiracy?
Was Rahul Gandhi aware of the conspiracy to target Hindus and create violence, given that his trusted advisor, CWC permanent invitee and core team member was a part of the group where the conspiracy was being hatched?
What is the relationship between Sachin Rao and Rahul Roy?
Does Sachin Rao’s apparent involvement play a part in Congress defending co-conspirators like Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and others?
Was Sonia Gandhi aware of the conspiracy and Sachin Rao’s involvement in the conspiracy – if at all?
Was Sachin Rao a part of the conspiratorial meeting (a deduction from Rahul Roy’s message) and subsequently in the group at the behest of Rahul Gandhi and/or Sonia Gandhi?
These are pertinent questions that Congress must answer and the Delhi police must investigate, given the ramifications of a trusted advisor of Rahul Gandhi being, potentially, a part of the conspiracy which led to the Delhi anti-Hindu riots of 2020.
Punjab Police on Wednesday removed farmers from the Punjab-Haryana Shambhu Border who were sitting on a protest over various demands.
Police also removed temporary structures erected by farmers at the protest site.
Several farmer leaders including farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal who is on an indefinite fast and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha leader Sarvan Singh Pandher were detained by the Police.
Reacting to this, Punjab Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said that the action was taken as they want to open Shambhu and Khanauri borders.
Speaking to ANI, Cheema asserted that the farmers should stage a protest in Delhi or somewhere else as their demands are against the Central government.
“The AAP government and the people of Punjab stood with the farmers when they protested against the three black laws. The demands of the farmers are against the central government. It has been more than a year and the Shambhu and Khanauri borders are closed. The traders, youth of Punjab are very upset. When the traders will do business, the youth will get employment and they will stay away from drugs,” he said.
“Today’s action has been taken because we want the youth of Punjab to get employment. We want to open Shambhu and Khanauri borders. The demands of the farmers are against the central government and they should stage a protest in Delhi or somewhere else but should not block the roads of Punjab,” Harpal Cheema said.
Reacting to this, Congress MP Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said that the Centre and AAP government in Punjab want to isolate the farmers.
“The farmers are being constantly deceived. Farmers were told to end their hunger strike and then we will hold talks with them. The central government always tries to isolate farmers, especially of Punjab. After the meeting between farmers and the central delegation concluded, Punjab Police detained the farmer leaders. The central government and AAP government want to isolate the farmers of Punjab. This is very wrong,” Warring told ANI.
Congress leader Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa slammed the Punjab CM.
“Bhagwant Mann sir! There is enmity between excess and God” and God is watching the excesses you are committing on the farmers, you have been blinded by the arrogance of power. Come to your senses, use this attitude not with the farmers but with the central government which is forcing them to endure all this on the roads,” Randhawa posted on X.
Shiromani Akali Dal MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal claimed that Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann has lost his mental balance.
“Jagjit Singh Dallewal who was on an indefinite hunger strike has also been detained by the police. During the elections, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann promised that he would fulfil all the demands of the farmers, but after the formation of the government, he is just lying to the farmers. No one is safe in Punjab,” Harsimrat said.
Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu also lashed out at Punjab CM and condemned the action by the police.
“I condemn this action of the Punjab government. They voted for you (AAP government) and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann should be ashamed. They (AAP government) did not want a solution to be found through talks between the central government and the farmers. You detained farmers just to win the Ludhiana West by-election. People of Punjab will not allow Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann to enter any village,” Bittu said in a self-made video.
Earlier today, as part of the central government’s outreach to farmers, three Union Ministers and Punjab Cabinet Ministers met with the farmers in Chandigarh amid their protest over several demands.
The next meeting between the government and the farmers has been scheduled for May 4.
After meeting with farmers’ leaders, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan emphasized that the discussion was very positive.
“The meeting took place in a very positive atmosphere and the discussions were very positive. The next date for the meeting is May 4,” Chouhan said.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
While violence by a Muslim mob erupted in Nagpur over rumours that the Quran was burnt during a protest demanding the removal of Mughal tyrant Aurangzeb’s tomb in Sambhajinagar on Tuesday, a similar incident took place in Burhanpur in Madhya Pradesh. A large number of Muslims came out on the streets over an Instagram post allegedly making derogatory comments about Islam.
The protestors gheraoed the police station demanding action against the user who posted the comment. However, the police were able to contain the situation and calm the protestors, preventing a Nagpur-like violence. The police have detained the person who made the alleged blasphemous post and registered an FIR against him.
The incident started after one Devesh Dalal made some comments on Instagram that allegedly hurt the religious sentiment of the Muslims. Soon the word spread throughout the town, and a large number of Muslims gathered on the road and in the market demanding action. They were raising Islamic slogans while marching on the streets. They then arrived at the police station and surrounded it, demanding the arrest of the accused.
In the meantime, one Uvesh Hussain registered an FIR at around 10 PM in the case. To calm the situation, the police immediately arrested the accused Devesh Dalal. They also used mild force to remove the protestors. The police also closed the market and ordered everyone there to leave. After the arrest of Dalal, the protestors calmed down and gradually dispersed from the area.
Devendra Patidar, the Superintendent of Police of Burhanpur said precautionary orders have been issued and people have been advised not to share such posts. He added that now the situation is completely under control.
SP Devendra Patidar said, “The police have registered an FIR in the police station in connection with the viral post containing material hurting religious sentiments. Before the FIR was registered, a large number of people were protesting. All of them have been dispersed. If anyone posts such material on social media or takes the law into his own hands, a prohibitory order has been issued against him under Section 188 and 163, according to which strict legal action will be taken against him. The accused is currently in custody for investigation.”
While the FIR into the Nagpur violence on 17th March has revealed that it was triggered by a politician named Faheem Khan, 8 members of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal surrendered before the Kotwali Police in Mahal, Nagpur, on Wednesday after they were also booked in the case. The police have filed an FIR against 51 accused in the case, including Faheem Khan, city president of the Minority Democratic Party (MDP) and mastermind of the violence.
Nagpur Police have named people VHP and Bajrang Dal in the case, accusing them of hurting religious sentiments of Muslims during their protest demanding the removal of Mughal tyrant Aurangzeb’s tomb in Sambhajinagar, formerly Aurangabad. Following this, the office bearers named in the FIR surrendered and they were then arrested by the police.
Their advocate Sanjay Balpande said, “They surrendered as there was a perception among the public that the police are taking one-sided action and the police are being lax in arresting the accused…To ensure that the situation remains peaceful, the accused surrendered and they will be produced in court…They staged the protest after taking permission but later violence erupted”.
However, when they were presented before a court after the arrest, they were granted bail. As per reports, they have been released on bail on a surety of ₹3,000 cash deposit each. The accused Hindu group activists have been identified as Dr Ramchandra Dubey Maharaj, Amol Thakre, Govind Shende, Kamal Haryani, Lakhan Kuril, Sushil Chaurasiya, Rushabh Arkhel, Shubham Arkhel, and Mukesh Barapatre.
#UPDATE | Nagpur | Judicial Magistrate First Class court, Nagpur grants bail to the eight accused on a surety of Rs 3,000 cash deposit each.
Eight workers of VHP and Bajrang Dal surrendered before Kotwali police earlier today. https://t.co/eQvYDCq0MH
Among them, Govind Shende didn’t surrender as he was not in the city, but his lawyer said that he will surrender after he returns. The eight surrendered workers were presented before the Judicial Magistrate First Class court by the police, and they didn’t seek their custody. After that, their advocate filed a bail plea, which was approved by the court.
As per the FIR, Bajrang Dal joint secretary Rahul Narnaware had sought permission for the protest to demanding to remove the tomb of Aurangzeb. The police said that the organisers were given strict instructions to not burn an effigy, but the VHP and Bajrang Dal workers disobeyed the order, resulting in the registration of the FIR against them.
As per the FIR, apart from the effigy, a piece of cloth bearing Muslim religious scriptures was also allegedly damaged. Videos of the incident went viral with claims that Hindus burnt the Quran during the protest, prompting Muslim groups to protest and file a complaint with the police.
However, the protest by the Muslim side soon turned violent, and the rioters set fire to cars, threw stones and damaged public property. The rioters had their faces concealed and were carrying swords, weapons and bottles.
The outnumbered cops had to fire tear gas and resort to lathi charges to bring the situation under control. Afterwards, the authorities enforced a curfew under section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) in effected areas of the city.
In a shocking revelation, Disha Salian’s father has alleged that his daughter was murdered and linked to the death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput. He also called for an investigation into the involvement of Uddhav Thackeray’s son and Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray in both cases.
Denying that his daughter died by suicide, Satish Salian’s remarks have reignited discussions about the high-profile deaths and whether justice was delivered in both cases.
Speaking with Arnab Goswami, Editor-in-Chief of Republic TV, Disha Salian’s father said his daughter had no injury marks on her body. It is worth noting that Disha Salian, former manager of the late Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput, passed away on June 8, 2020, after reportedly falling from a high-rise building in Mumbai. Just a few days later, on June 14, Sushant Singh Rajput was discovered dead at his residence in Mumbai.
My Daughter's Body Did Not Have Any Injury Marks: Disha Salian's Father Breaks Silence
On 8th June 2020, Disha Salian (28) allegedly committed suicide, as per the Mumbai Police, by jumping from a high-rise building in Mumbai’s Malad area.
Several discrepancies were found in the claims made by the Mumbai Police under the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government.
In August 2020, a sensational detail was revealed in Disha Salian’s post-mortem report which was not revealed by the police. The report said that Disha Salian didn’t have clothes on her body when she was found dead after falling from the 14th floor of a building.
Another disturbing fact that had emerged was that Disha Salian’s post-mortem was conducted two days after her death. While she had died on the night of 8-9 June, documents show that the post-mortem was done on 11th June.
