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Supreme Court agrees to examine petition of a 94-year-old widow seeking to declare 1975 Emergency as unconstitutional

OpIndia Staff
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Supreme Court agrees to examine petition of a 94-year-old widow seeking to declare 1975 Emergency as unconstitutional

The Supreme Court today agreed to examine whether it would be feasible or desirable to look into the Constitutional validity of the Emergency imposed by the former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975. The apex court was hearing a plea filed by a 94-year-old widow who wants the Emergency imposed 45 years ago to be declared “wholly unconstitutional”. The woman had also sought an amount of Rs 25 crore as compensation from authorities involved in imposing and enforcing the Emergency.

Hearing the plea, the bench comprising of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Dinesh Maheshwari and Hrishikesh Roy issued notice to the Central Government stating that the court would hear the petitioner on the limited aspect of whether the validity of such proclamation can be probed by the Court after the passage of “such a long time.”

“We are having difficulty. Emergency is something which should not have happened,” the top court observed while hearing the plea.

Arguing that the Court is empowered to examine the validity of the proclamation of emergency, senior advocate Harish Salve appearing for petitioner Veera Sarin, said that Emergency was a “fraud” and the “greatest assault” on the Constitution as rights were suspended for months.

94-year-old widow moves Supreme Court seeking for declaration of Emergency as unconstitutional

Petitioner Veera Sarin had on December 4, moved the SC seeking for declaration of Emergency as unconstitutional. Referring to the 2017 judgment of KS Puttaswamy (Retd.) vs. Union of India which overruled the decision of 5-Judge Bench in ADM Jabalpur v. Shiv Kant Shukla, the petition held that the end of the darkest chapter of the Indian democracy is yet to bring closure to the petitioner who had endured brutalities at the hands of those in power during the Emergency.

Petitioner seeks justice for the lifetime of misery and perennial sufferings due to the Emergency

In her plea, the Sarin argued that the then government authorities specifically targeted her and her husband with untenable and groundless detention orders, and they had to escape the country because of the government’s organised looting of businesses and homes of the victims.

The petitioner cited the Delhi High Court’s ruling passed in December 2014 which ultimately put an end to the proceeding against her deceased husband and stated that the valuables impounded from her husband’s prosperous and thriving business worth crores of rupees were yet to be returned.

She also alleged that the government authorities had during those days, seized valuable worth crores from the petitioner’s husband. “His business was shut down, assets and valuables including immovable property was seized and appropriated. The Petitioner’s husband succumbed to the pressure and died. Since then the Petitioner has been single-handedly facing all proceedings initiated against her husband during the Emergency period, which were arbitrarily pursued,” the petition stated.

The petitioner’s husband, HK Sarin, had a flourishing art and gem business in Karol Bagh and Connaught Place. However, shortly after the Emergency was imposed in June 1975, raids were conducted in commercial bases in Sarin and valuables, jewellery and artefacts were seized on suspected violations of the Customs Act.

The emergency was proclaimed minutes before the midnight of June 25, 1975, by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The proclamation was revoked in March 1977.

Meet Shokat Ali, the abusive troll who tried to mock Rohit Sardana: Hinduphobic jokes, creepy obsession with a female journo, and a series of problematic posts

OpIndia Staff
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Meet Shokat Ali, the abusive troll who tried to mock Rohit Sardana: Hinduphobic jokes, creepy obsession with a female journo, and a series of problematic posts

There was a huge controversy recently after journalist Rohit Sardana responded to a troll during a live QandA session. The troll, one Shokat Ali, asked Sardana, “If you think people participating in farmer protests are Khalistanis, then why does not ‘your leader’ Modi put everyone in jail?” The journalist was caustic while responding but he was, clearly, well within his rights.

Rohit Sardana said, “See! Modi is also your leader. If you believe otherwise, then, you are free to leave.” However, the suggestion, that clearly did not have religious undertones, was interpreted as such by liberals on social media who went on an outrage against the journalist. Propagandists such as the ones that can be found at AltNews even demanded action against him from the Chairman of the India Today Group and his colleagues as well.

The outrage over a caustic response to a troll seemed quite disproportionate and appeared even more so when we discovered the troll Shokat Ali who had posed Rohit Sardana the question. Shokat Ali appears quite unperturbed by the massive outrage he generated and was being his usual troll self. However, on going through his profile, we discovered a series of posts that were quite problematic and pointed towards underlying issues that could be simmering underneath his social media persona.

The post makes it clear that this is the same troll Shokat Ali who had posed Rohit Sardana the question

Not the first interaction with Rohit Sardana

We cannot be sure whether Rohit Sardana was aware or not but this was not the first time he was responding to Shokat Ali. In fact, he had responded to a particularly vile abusive tweet from the same troll in October 2018.

Rohit Sardana responds to the troll in October 2018

Since then, Shokat Ali has made several derogatory tweets against Rohit Sardana on the social media platform. In his derogatory tweets, he has also used the Hinduphobic ‘gaumutra’ slur, the same that was used by the Pulwama terrorist.

The troll uses the ‘gaumutra’ slur whole responding to Rohit Sardana

There have been other occasions as well when he has used abusive language towards Rohit Sardana.

Shokat Alit abuses Rohit Sardana

Shokat Ali has an unhealthy obsession with Anjana Om Kashyap

Shokat Ali has an unhealthy obsession with Anjana Om Kashyap, Sardana’s colleague. He has uploaded edited photographs of himself with the journalist that is extremely creepy. In the comments section, his friends on Facebook can be seen making disgusting comments.

The troll’s creepy obsession with Anjana Om Kashyap

He has posted other edited images as well with the Aaj Tak news anchor.

The original photo had Sana Khan with her husband

The troll has tweeted often at Kashyap as well where he has used extremely derogatory language.

The abusive troll uses extremely derogatory language for Anjana Om Kashyap

In another tweet, he has referred to Kashyap as BJP’s ‘daughter-in-law’. In the same tweet, he was defending Delhi riots accused former AAP Councilor Tahir Hussain.

The troll calls Kashyap BJP’s ‘daughter-in-law’

Apart from Rohit Sardana, Anjana Om Kashyap appears to be another of his preferred targets.

Shokat Ali’s obsession with Anjana Om Kashyap is clearly creepy

Shokat Ali really really hates the BJP

Following the death of LJP patriarch ahead of the Bihar elections, the troll said that his death should be investigated as it occurred after the LJP split with the NDA. He was peddling the disgusting conspiracy theory when absolutely no one has questioned the circumstances of Ram Vilas Paswan’s death. Again, he was quoting a tweet by Anjana Om Kashyap.

Shokat Ali spreads bizarre conspiracy theory

The troll was also seen mocking the death of a BJP MLA Debendra Nath Roy in West Bengal. His death was dubbed a ‘suicide’ but suspicions remain and it is believed by many that it was a case of murder.

Troll Shokat Ali mocks the death of a BJP MLA

The troll was also cheering the fact that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had tested positive for the Wuhan Coronavirus. Amit Shah has recovered since then and his health has returned to normalcy.

Shokal Ali was happy when Amit Shah tested positive for Wuhan Coronavirus

Shokat Ali has also abused Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan.

Shokat Ali abuses Shivraj Singh Chauhan

He has called BJP leaders pigs.

The troll makes derogatory posts for individuals who are perceived to be critical of the opposition parties as well. He has made extremely derogatory posts against Kangana Ranaut where his friends on Facebook make disgusting comments.

Shokat Ali makes derogatory posts about Kangana Ranaut

Arnab Goswami, who has been extremely vocal in his criticism of the Congress party and Shiv Sena, was mocked as well.

Shokat Ali mocks Arnab Goswami

He also shared the Kunal Kamra’s photoshopped image of the Supreme Court. The comedian has landed himself in trouble with such posts and a contempt of court suit has been filed against him.

Shokat Ali appreciates Kunal Kamra’s work

The abusive troll is also an anti-vaxxer

The abusive troll also appears to believe that vaccination causes sterilization, a widespread belief among the Muslim community that has proved to be a serious obstacle to immunization efforts against diseases.

Shokat Ali is an anti-vaxxer

There are also memes circulating on the internet which mocks his anti-vaxxer opinions. Anti-vaxxers are those who are against vaccination and believe vaccination has severe side-effects including but not limited to sterilization.

Memes mocking Shokat Ali’s anti-vaxxer opinions

Shokat Ali in a post claimed that Indian soldiers rape Kashmiri women

In another post of his, which he appeared to copy from a propaganda article on some website, the troll claimed that Indian soldiers rape Kashmiri women, a claim that is perpetuated by Kashmiri separatists to further its narrative that the Indian State is committing human rights violations in the region.

Shokat Ali lies about Indian soldiers

Shokat Ali is clearly an abusive troll

Thus, quite clearly, Shokat Ali is an abusive troll who has some extremely problematic opinions. He has a creepy obsession with Anjana Om Kashyap, he has been abusive towards Rohit Sardana for a long time and has spread dangerous conspiracy theories against vaccines.

Furthermore, he used Hinduphobic slurs and spread lies about the Indian Army. That liberals made caustic remarks against him the hill to die on reveals the sheer bias that operates within these circles.

Owaisi may forge an alliance with Kamal Haasan’s MNM in the upcoming Tamil Nadu elections: Report

OpIndia Staff
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Owaisi may forge an alliance with Kamal Haasan’s MNM in the upcoming Tamil Nadu elections: Report

Ahead of the upcoming Tamil Nadu elections, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) supremo Asaduddin Owaisi may ally with Kamal Hassan’s party Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), reported News 18.

As per reports, Asaduddin Owaisi is looking forward to the elections in Tamil Nadu, to be held in April or May next year, following the success of AIMIM in Bihar assembly elections. The party, which had secured 5 seats in Bihar polls, may contest on not less than 25 seats in Tamil Nadu polls. Owaisi is also likely to get Kamal Haasan on board, who failed to make a mark in the 2019 General Elections.

Reportedly, Owaisi will hold meetings in Hyderabad with AIMIM (Tamil Nadu) office bearers on Monday. He is likely to hold conferences in Chennai and Trichy in January to finalise the plans for the upcoming elections. Kamal Hassan also said on Monday that his party will contest in the upcoming State elections. He, however, stated, “I will announce later about the constituency from which I will be contesting.”

AIMIM and its growing influence

The AIMIM has witnessed electoral success in Bihar elections, and secured Muslim-dominated seats of Amour, Kochadhaman, Bahadurganj, Baisi and Jokihat. The party also won 44 seats in the 150-ward Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections.

With the party’s growing influence on the Muslim community, AIMIM is hoping to do well in Madurai, Vellore, Ranipet, Tirupattur, Krishnagiri, Ramanathapuram, Pudukottai, Trichy, and Tirunelveli, all with a considerable Muslim vote bank. As per 2011 Census data, Muslims constitute 5.86% of the population in the State.

The Muslim vote had traditionally gone to both the DMK and AIADMK, even though there are several Mulsim-centric parties in the state including Indian National League, Indian Union Muslim League, Manithaneya Makkal Katchi, Manithaneya Jananayaga Katchi, All India Muslim League, Tamil Nadu Thowheed Jamaath. However, Owaisi is hoping to make big gains in the State.

No alliance with AIADMK, yet to hear back from DMK

In November, AIMIM (Tamil Nadu ) President said that while a proposal for the alliance had been made to the DMK, the party is yet to hear back from it. AIMIM has ruled out the possibility of an alliance with AIADMK, due to their existing coalition with the BJP. “Owaisi is planning to unite all Muslim parties and contest the elections. The AIMIM may have alliance with Makkal Needhi Maiam (Kamal’s party), Naam Tamilar and other smaller parties,” a source emphasised.

AIMIM will contest elections in West Bengal

Earlier, AIMIM chief had said that his party would contest elections in West Bengal. He said, “AIMIM’s victory in Bihar is an answer to those who think AIMIM should not contest elections in other states. “This election result is a message for everyone who thinks that AIMIM should not contest in elections. Are we NGOs that we will only hold seminars and present papers? We are a political party and we will contest in all elections,” Owaisi added.

MGNREGS payments reach record-high levels this year as Rural Development ministry works on top-gear to ensure employment

OpIndia Staff
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MGNREGS payments reach record-high levels this year as Rural Development ministry works on top-gear to ensure employment

The covid-19 pandemic has shown we, as a country, need a lot to improve. For any government, caring for the people of the country is the first job. The poor and needy must be at the top of the priority list to ensure they have enough to survive a situation like Covid-19. In the last few months, migrant workers took a significant hit due to the lockdown, followed by a substantial dip in the economy. However, the Government pulled up the sleeves at the right time and announced several packages to ensure relief for these workers.

As per reports, only 10% of the allocated funds for the Rural Development ministry under the MGNREGS scheme remain, with 4 months to go for the end of the current financial year.

Record high fund allocation and wage payments

When the workers moved back to their native places, the first thing that they needed was work. This is where MGNREGS came into action. The union government has allocated approximately Rs.85,000 crore for employment under the scheme, out of which Rs.77,000 crores have already been spent. Over Rs.55,000 crore were paid in the form of wages while the rest of the funds went to other costs, including material and skilled wages (over Rs.19,000 crore), administration costs (over Rs.2,400 crore), and so on. As per the reports generated by the Ministry of Rural Development of the Government of India, 98.15% of payments were made within 15 days which is much better compared to the previous years.

As per stats provided by Ministry of Rural Development

Guaranteed employment under MGNREGA

Passed in 2005, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) mandates the provision of at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year to every rural household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work. The main objectives of the Act include a minimum of 100 days of unskilled manual work as guaranteed employment in a financial year, ensuring social including, strengthening the livelihood of poor and strengthening Panchayati Raj institutions. The Act helps in rejuvenating the natural resource base of rural areas and creates a durable and productive rural asset base.

The surge in employment demand under MGNREGA during Covid-19 pandemic

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the lockdown, loss of employment, migration of workers back to native states, and other factors created a surge in employment demand under the MGNREGS. A total of 14.65 crore job cards were issued in the current financial year, out of which 14.06 crore workers are still active. 19.05% are among active workers from SC communities and 15.79% active workers from ST communities.

Out of 14.06 crore active workers, 19.05% are SC and 15.79% are ST (Data by Ministry of Rural Development)

Surge in person-days generated compared to previous years

As per the ministry’s data, so far, 277 crore person-days have been generated under the scheme compared to 265.62 crore person-days in the last financial year. Since 2016-17, this financial year has generated the most person-days with over three months to go. There are some sections where this year lacked as well. In the financial year 2020-21, the percentage of women person-days created went down by approx 2% compared to the previous year.

Persondays generated this year has surpassed previous years’ numbers with 3 months to go. (Data by Ministry of Rural Development)

There has been a sharp decline in the total number of households that have completed 100 days of wage employment. In this yes, over 20,97,000 households have completed the target compared to over 40 lakh households in the previous year and 52 lakh households in the year before. However, the inclusion of differently-abled persons was much better this year, with over 5,30,000 workers included compared to over 4,63,000 last year. According to a non-government group of NGOs named People Action for Employment Guarantee’s NREGA tracker, states like Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh have to dip into their own funds to ensure timely payments to the workers. The lowest number of households getting 100 days of employment was lowest in Tamil Nadu and Jharkhand.

Areas where the stats show decline compared to previous years (Data by Ministry of Rural Development)

Hindustan Times quoted Jharkhand’s rural development secretary Aradhana Patnaik as saying, “We have been stagnating at around 70 million person-days for the past three years. But, we have achieved 77.7 million person-days against the target of 80 million.”

More funds will be allocated when required

One of the major concerns that these stats depict is the lack of funds under MGNREGA for over three months left in the financial year. The Government has ensured that more funds will be allocated for the scheme whenever required, and the states will get their share on time. As of now, around 9.4% of funds are available out of the allocated funds. The demand for employment under the scheme is decreasing slowly as the workers are returning to the cities.

However, the government aims to provide them with employment at their native places to ensure they do not have to migrate for work. There are several schemes, such as Gareeb Kalyal Rojgar Abhiyan, under which the state and union government is generating jobs for unskilled and skilled workers. Under these schemes, the government is also providing training to the workers to upscale their income in the coming months.

UP: Official who worked on the instructions of criminal Vikas Dubey suspended after SIT finds evidence of phone conversations

OpIndia Staff
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UP: Official who worked on the instructions of criminal Vikas Dubey suspended after SIT finds evidence of phone conversations

The Yogi Adityanath Government has on December 10 (Thursday) suspended Shivrajpur’s village development officer (VDO), Amit Katiyar, after an SIT report pointed at a close nexus between him and the slain gangster Vikas Dubey. The state government employee Amit Katyar was responsible for the development of many villages in Uttar Pradesh including Bikru, the stronghold of the slain gangster.

The VDO was suspended after the SIT found evidence of phone conversations between Katiyar and the dreaded gangster Vikas Dubey. According to reports, Vikas Dubey was the one who took all decisions related to Bikru village, on behalf of Amit Katiyar. No government schemes could be implemented in the village without the gangster’s approval. Be it the decision related to the implementation of any other rural schemes or government fund allocation, Vikas Dubey decided to whom all these benefits could be passed on. The SIT report revealed that Amit Katyer was in constant touch with the slain gangster and took no decision on the development of Bikru village without Dubey’s consent. According to District Development Officer GP Gautam, the SIT revealed that Vikas used to instruct Amit, and the latter worked accordingly.

Moreover, the SIT team also found a close nexus between Shivrajpur’s Block Development Officer (BDO) Alok Pandey and Vikas Dubey and has submitted a report to the Uttar Pradesh government, recommending action against him too. Both VDO Amit Katiyar and BDO Alok Pandey have been accused of working at the behest of the dreaded gangster. The report suggests that it was Vikas Dubey who was literally running the village. The Government officers did not even bother to follow up any development work in the village nor did they listen to the grievances of the villagers. In fact, they never even bothered to make inquiries on how, the government funds allocated for the development of the village, was being utilised. All this was regulated by the slain gangster.

According to Dubeys phone records, he was in constant touch with almost all the secretaries and BDOs who were posted under Bilhor Tehsil. 

Action taken against several cops in Kanpur for their nexus with gangster Vikas Dubey

It may be recalled how almost immediately after the Bikru incident that saw eight police personnel losing their lives and several others injured in a fierce ambush carefully planned and laid by the gangster, the involvement of local and district level police officials to help the dreaded criminal had come under the scanner. Soon after the encounter, the entire staff of Chaubeypur station was put under suspension and transferred. Action was taken against several other police officials too.

Yogi Govt formed SIT to probe crimes committed by Vikas Dubey, his nexus with police personnel

In July, the Uttar Pradesh government had ordered that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) will probe into the crimes committed by the dreaded gangster and his alleged links with police personnel.

The SIT team had handed over a 3,500-word report to the state government, recommending action against police personnel and administration officials. The report carried 36 recommendations, giving details of the alleged role of some officers and 80 police personnel in the Kanpur episode.

Audio clip of DIG admitting his links with the gangster goes viral

Following the report, the Uttar Pradesh Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Anant Dev Tiwari was suspended by the Yogi government for his alleged involvement after an audiotape went viral. It is believed that Vikas Dubey’s clout had grown manifold when Anant Dev Tiwari was posted as SSP Kanpur. SSP Dinesh P, who was posted in Kanpur when the Bikru incident took place, has also been served a show-cause notice. Apart from Anant Dev Tiwari, former ASP Rural Pradyumn Singh, a former CO LIU of Kanpur, and some Lucknow-based officials have been under the scanner for their alleged involvement with the gangster too.

Soon after the Bikru encounter, a letter by martyred police officer Devendra Mishra to the then Kanpur SSP Anant Dev Tiwari had gone viral in the media. In the letter, the martyred officer had made serious allegations against the conduct of Chaubeypur station personnel and said that the inaction and deliberate negligence of SO Vinay Tiwari will lead to serious trouble soon.

It is notable here that SO Vinay Tiwari, SI KK Sharma and others from the Chaubeypur station had run away leaving their colleagues to be slaughtered by Vikas Dubey’s men when the firing had begun. Both Tiwari and Sharma were arrested later.

Six people involved in the murder of the police personnel on the night of July 3, including the gangster himself, were hunted down and killed by the UP Police within days. Dubey was killed when he was trying to flee from an upturned police vehicle that was bringing him to Kanpur from Madhya Pradesh. Several associates of Vikas Dubey have been arrested so far.

Fact-Check: No, government is not paying you Rs. 70,000 under ‘PM Pension Yojana 2020’

OpIndia Staff
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Fact-Check: No, government is not paying you Rs. 70,000 under ‘PM Pension Yojana 2020’

A text message is being circulated that claims that the person receiving the message is eligible to receiving Rs.70,000 under ‘PM Pension Yojana 2020’. As informed by the government, the claim is fake. The government is not running any such scheme.

The message content

The message reads, “Congrats!! Your Eligibility Confirmed for Rs.70K PM Pension Yojna 2020 with Ref:PMXX689 *T&C Apply. Verify your details,” followed by a link. We checked the link mentioned in the message. It is currently blank. When we checked the WhoIs record of the domain td1.in, it was registered in May 2020, raising the suspicion that the domain was registered to scam people.

Whois record of domain checked on Domaintools

Further, the domain td1.in redirects to a parking page, and it does not indicate that it is in any way associated with the Government of India. On several occasions, the government has issued advisories for the citizens to stay vigilant while clicking on any link in the messages.

Online scams have increased during the Covid-19 pandemic

According to experts and the government’s notifications, online scams have significantly increased during the Covid-19 pandemic. A similar scam was reported in November as well. Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (Cert-In) has issued advisories in the last few months to warn people about coronavirus scams. According to Cert-In, some of the most common scams were promotional codes, Covid-19 maps, phishing emails from trusted organizations, and more.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), hackers and cyber scammers are taking advantage of the pandemic. It said, “By sending fraudulent email and WhatsApp messages [they] attempt to trick you into clicking on malicious links or opening attachments.”

Google also issued an advisory related to such scams. It read, “Recently, there has been a significant rise in online scams related to COVID‑19. We’re providing these tips to help you spot and avoid these scams, so you can stay safer online.” On the safety guidelines page, Google provided a list of common scams such as stealing personal data, fake offers, impersonation of authorities, fraudulent medical offers, and more.

What to do when you receive a suspicious message?

Here are the tips you could follow to keep yourself safe online.

  • First of all, make sure not to click on any link in the messages or WhatsApp or any other social media platform unless you are sure that the link is genuine.
  • Avoid clicking on any message that has been shortened or has a random alphanumeric address like the one in the message above.
  • Do not forward or re-share the message with anyone.
  • Make sure to check the authentic source for the schemes being run by the government. Any website under the Government of India will have a gov.in TLD or extension in simple words. If the domain name looks suspicious, it is better not to click on the link.
  • Do not fill in your details in any form without confirming the source. Make sure not to share your personal identification markers such as PAN Card, Aadhaar number, etc., with anyone.
  • The same set of instructions goes for the messages related to banking. Unless you are sure that the message or email is from your bank, please do not click on any link in it.

From BKU to Punjab CM Capt Amarinder: More hypocrisy on the farm bills

Abhishek Banerjee
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From BKU to Punjab CM Capt Amarinder: More hypocrisy on the farm bills

Look who supports the supposedly “controversial” farm ordinances of Modi government. This is from Jun 4, 2020:

“देश के 14 करोड़ किसानों को एक देश एक मंडी का तोहफा देते हुए सरकार ने किसानों को अपनी उपज कहीं भी बेचने की अनुमति दे दी है। कैबिनेट ने अध्यादेश के जरिए इसे मंजूरी दी है। भाकियू के राष्ट्रीय प्रवक्ता राकेश टिकैत ने सरकार के इस कदम का स्वागत किया है और कहा कि यह भाकियू की वर्षो पुरानी मांग थी।”

(Translation: Union Cabinet has sanctioned an ordinance giving 14 crore Indian farmers the gift of one nation, one market. Rakesh Tikait of Bharatiya Kisan Union has welcomed this move of the government and said that the BKU had been demanding this for many years).

If you are rubbing your eyes in disbelief, you are not alone. This is the same Rakesh Tikait who has been leading a “movement” against these laws on our TV screens. This is the same Rakesh Tikait who recently met Cabinet ministers, including Amit Shah, with his demand to repeal these exact same laws. So how seriously can you take this “movement”?

A few days ago, I had written an article with the somewhat arrogant title of “All the hypocrisy over the Farm Bills 2020 – in one place.” You can check it out here. There is no way one single person, in one article, can collect all the hypocrisy that we have seen in this matter. This article is Part 2 in my efforts. I am guessing that many many more such articles shall be required.

Coming back to the case of Bharatiya Kisan Union, they had welcomed the law for good reason. For one, they had included these demands prominently in their “Kisan manifesto” for the 2019 elections.

Bharatiya Kisan Union on farm laws

Indeed, the documentary trail of evidence for this demand goes back decades. Let me quote a report from The Tribune in April 2008:

“Farmers from Punjab and Haryana today staged a demonstration in the city in protest against the decision of the Centre to ban corporates from procuring wheat from their states. Led by Sharad Joshi, MP, and Bhupinder Mann, a BKU leader from Haryana, the farmers rued that though the price of wheat had shot up to Rs 1,600 per quintal in the international market, the government was forcing them to sell their produce at the minimum support price of Rs 1,000 per quintal.“

The same BKU, back in 2008, demanding the right to sell to corporates! But it’s not just 2008. We can literally go back decades and find the same demand. Indeed, a 1996 scholarly paper by Bentall and Corbridge (Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers (published by the Royal Geographical Society), Vol. 21, No. 1 (1996), pp. 27-48) traces the history of the BKU and lists among its key demands:

“the abolition of restrictions on the interstate movement of farm produce“

BKU demand

Indeed, this was the key demand behind the large scale protests by BKU’s Mahendra Singh Tikait in the 1980s and 1990s. The self-appointed farmer leaders and the media has been reminding the public about these protests. Conveniently enough, they have not told us what those protests were actually about.

So much for the BKU. We already know that the Congress party promised these same farm reforms in their 2019 election manifesto. But, there is more.

Capt Amarinder’s hypocrisy

That’s Captain Amarinder Singh, pleading with Punjab farmers, presumably with folded hands, to do themselves a favor. Explaining how the farmers could have tripled their incomes if only they had a chance to deal with Reliance. But alas, the Akalis rained on their parade.

This was before Punjab elections. Why won’t Captain Amarinder Singh do what is needed now?

It isn’t just the BKU or the Congress. Take this tweet from former Chief Economic Adviser Kaushik Basu.

Kaushik Basu’s tweet on farm laws

Thank you professor, for studying the farm bills and then putting out your conclusion in less than 280 characters. Your intellectual contribution has received over 15,000 retweets.

There is still the tiny matter though of whether this is consistent with the views of the panel on inflation that Kaushik Basu chaired during the UPA regime:

“The recommendations have been sent to the prime minister and the finance minister, said Basu. According to him, APMC reform would allow free movement of grains across the country and FDI in retail would speed up large-scale and efficient movement of food grains from the farmers to consumers, and these two measures would considerably reduce food inflation.“

Okay, people can change. But does this mean the Basu led panel made those recommendations without studying the matter carefully? Did Kaushik Basu make a mistake or was he incompetent? If he personally disagreed with the recommendations of the panel, did he place his dissenting opinion in writing?

I am not a farmer. I am not an expert nor an economist. But I subscribe to basic notions of logic. Why would folks who welcomed a law back in June be opposing it on the streets now? Why would they contradict themselves without giving a reason?

You and I are entitled to ask these questions, whether or not we know anything about the agricultural economy. In any case, everyone is at least as much of a “farmer leader” as Yogendra Yadav.

Here is a great thumb rule. If you find any person or organization protesting against the new farm laws, spend a couple of minutes on google, looking up their past views on the APMC system. Chances are, they are contradicting themselves. The hypocrisy isn’t surprising. The surprising part is that in this particular case, they have left a really long trail of evidence exposing themselves. The evidence is hiding in plain sight. You just have to open your eyes.

66 IIT Madras students contract Coronavirus in just 14 days, campus under lockdown. Read details

OpIndia Staff
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66 IIT Madras students contract Coronavirus in just 14 days, campus under lockdown. Read details

As many as 66 students and five staff members of IIT Madras have tested positive for the Wuhan Coronavirus infection since December 1.

As per reports, the premier institution has now been placed under temporary lockdown. IIT Madras has now emerged as the largest Coronavirus cluster in the city of Chennai. Although the source of the outbreak is yet to be ascertained, students believe that it has been due to overcrowding in the hostel mess. Reportedly, the State government had allowed the functioning of educational institutions in the State from December 7.

The engineering institution has informed that close to 60% of all students and staff members have been tested for the Wuhan Coronavirus and that the remainder of the process is underway. IIT Madras has shut down all its Departments including labs and libraries. Reportedly, a total of 700 students are residing in 9 hostels on-campus.

IIT Madras issues press release

IIT Madras informed in a press release that the institute is functioning with only 10% students in hostels. “As soon as a spurt in symptomatic cases was reported by some students residing in the hostels, the Institute has consulted the civic authorities and has arranged for all students residing in hostels to be tested for COVID. To be cautious, all students have been asked to remain in their rooms and packed food is being supplied to the students in the hostels,” the institute said.

It further emphasised that Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs) have been laid down for research scholars and project staff, working in labs, and can work in a safe environment. “Research scholars who wished to return earlier (out of turn with respect to the SoP involving quarantine before release into the hostels) were permitted to do so if they were willing to stay off campus similar to project staff, till their turn came to be accepted in the hostels, and provided their lab could accommodate them,” IIT Madras added.

“Some Project Staff working on research projects and staying in the city have been coming to work in the labs, once this was permitted by the government. A SoP is in place to determine how many scholars and project staff can work safely in each lab based on its size, ventilation etc.,” the release read. The institution clarified that it was in touch with civic authorities and adhering to safety measures.

Mamata Banerjee directs state officials to not attend meeting despite MHA summons, declines to send 3 IPS officials on central deputation

OpIndia Staff
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Mamata Banerjee directs state officials to not attend meeting despite MHA summons, declines to send 3 IPS officials on central deputation

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has decided not to send the state’s chief secretary and police chief to New Delhi in compliance with Union Home Ministry’s summons in the wake of a mob attack on BJP chief JP Nadda’s convoy.

Mamata’s Chief Secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay wrote to Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, saying that he has been directed by the state government to not attend the meeting convened on December 14. This being an obvious indication that he had been just obeying the state government’s order.

MHA summons West Bengal CS and DGP to for an explanation on the law and order situation in the state

Union Home Minister Amit Shah had on December 11 (Friday) summoned state CS Bandopadhyay and DGP Virendra asking them to present themselves on December 14 for an explanation on the law and order situation in the state, following Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar’s report on the attack on Nadda’s convoy by alleged supporters of the ruling TMC.

West Bengal Governor slams Mamata Banerjee, writes to HMO

It may be recalled that the WB Governor had Tweeted his concerns over the alarmingly grim situation of law and order in the state. He said that he had summoned the Chief Secretary and the West Bengal DGP to update him regarding the attack on the convoy of BJP President JP Nadda but Dhankar said that as usual, the Mamata Banerjee’s official and the WB police remained non-responsive on the matter. He had also sent his report to the Union Home Ministry on the attack and said the security was inadequate for the convoy, following which Amit Shah had summoned Mamata Banerjee’s Chief Secretary and the state DGP to discuss the state’s law and order situation on December 14.

Mamata Banerjee refuses to send 3 Bengal IPS officers for central deputation

According to reports, she has also refused to send the 3 IPS officers whom the Union Government had recalled from West Bengal following the attack on BJP President. “Union Home Ministry has received a response from the government of West Bengal on three IPS officials who were called for Central deputation. The West Bengal government has said that they can’t spare these officials for Central deputation,” a government official told news agency ANI.

The MHA on December 12 (Saturday) summoned three IPS officers of Bengal, who were responsible for providing security to BJP national head J P Nadda, to serve in central deputation following the attack on his convoy on Thursday which left several BJP leaders including Kailash Vijayvargiya injured in the process. The IPS officers sought were Rajeev Mishra (Additional Director General, South Bengal), Praveen Tripathi (Deputy Inspector General, Presidency Range) and Bholanath Pandey (SP, Diamond Harbour).

BJP senior leaders attacked in West Bengal

BJP chief JP Nadda and party’s national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya’s convoy was attacked in West Bengal, as the two leaders were en route Diamond Harbour on December 10 (Thursday). As the senior leaders were headed towards Diamond Harbour to meet party cadres, protesters gathered on the streets and attempted to block the road to stop Nadda’s convoy from passing. Protesters also pelted stones at the vehicle. Videos have surfaced where protestors carrying Trinamool Congress flags are seen throwing stones and bricks at Kailash Vijayvargiya’s car, while the state police stand like mute spectators.

‘State govt not allowing benefits’: TMC MLA writes to West Bengal minister Firhad Hakim over ‘Smart City Mission’ project for Asansol

OpIndia Staff
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‘State govt not allowing benefits’: TMC MLA writes to West Bengal minister Firhad Hakim over ‘Smart City Mission’ project for Asansol

In a letter to West Bengal minister Firhad Hakin, TMC MLA and Asansol Municipal Corporation Chairman Jitendra Tiwari expressing disappointment over state government not allowing central government’s benefits for development of Asansol as Smart City.

He wrote that after being selected under Union government’s Smart City Mission project, Asansol stood to receive funds of Rs 2,000 crore which would be crucial for city’s development. However, due to political differences between the state and the centre, Asansol has not received the required funds.

He added that instead of that, Asansol administration was promised that they will receive funding from state government for overall development of the city. However, even that fund was not given. Under central government’s solid waste management project, Asansol stood to receive Rs 1,500 crore funding which was state government did not allow because of political differences.

Calling it injustice to Asansol, Tiwari said that various project proposals sent to state government like building Prince Dwarkanath Thakur town hall in Raniganj, renovation of existing town hall in Jamuria as well as several roads of Asansol, Burnpur, Kulti, Raniganj and Jamuria are not being approved by the state government.

He further urged the West Bengal minister to either allow Asansol to utilise the funds allocated by central government for its development or provide similar benefits from state government funds.

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