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By comparing Sushma Swaraj and Subramaniam Swamy’s cases, Shekhar Gupta’s website proves how everyone at ThePrint smokes weed of the highest quality

OpIndia Staff
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By comparing Sushma Swaraj and Subramaniam Swamy’s cases, Shekhar Gupta’s website proves how everyone at ThePrint smokes weed of the highest quality

After being put through the winger for three days in a row, actor Rhea Chakraborty was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau today after she reportedly confessed to having consumed weed(a generic term for marijuana). The arrest comes days after her brother Showik Chakraborty was rounded up in connection with peddling and consumption of proscribed drugs.

While Rhea, Showik and others arrested in the high-profile drug angle into the Sushant Singh Rajput death case have reportedly confessed to having taken weed(marijuana) and other drugs, it appears that many journalists, especially those working at ThePrint, also seemed to be whacked out on top quality weed, as evidenced by the articles churned out by the Shekhar Gupta owned media outlet.

However, right at the outset, we would like to clarify that our assertion that journalists at ThePrint are intoxicated on high-quality weed is purely figurative, lest the Narcotics Control Bureau storms their office, and tests the employees working with the organisation. Our presumption that ThePrint journalists are under the influence of weed is entirely based on the cringe-worthy analysis that has become a hallmark of articles produced on the portal.

If it were not for intoxication caused by the high-quality weed, why would have the Print published an article comparing wildly disparate incidents of outrages to allege that BJP IT cell is cannabilising its own leaders?

ThePrint compares criticism of Subramanian Swamy with that of Sushma Swaraj

The article drew a somewhat ludicrous analogy between the online backlash faced by the two BJP leaders, who, according to the author, were subjected to ridicule and criticism by the “BJP IT Cell” for standing up for the cause they believed in.

The article contended that BJP leader Subramanian Swamy is being attacked by the BJP IT cell members in a much the similar way like the former EAM Sushma Swaraj had been ridiculed online for her decision to grant a passport to an interfaith couple in 2018.

Subramanian Swamy had alleged that he is being trolled online on social media platforms by the BJP IT cell members because he has spoken in support of the postponement of the JEE-NEET examination, which is at variance with the government’s stand. The Print article suggests that BJP IT cell members have been attacking Swamy at Amit Malviya’s bidding.

Preposterous equivalence between online criticism of Subramanian Swamy and Sushma Swaraj

Drawing an equivalence with the criticism the then External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj received from netizens in connection with the interfaith couple passport row in 2018. The matter pertains to an interfaith couple who was allegedly moral policed by a passport officer in Lucknow. One Tanvi Anas accused passport officer of speaking to her rudely and holding her and her Muslim husband’s passports on hold for not having changed her name after marriage.

Anas had then taken to Twitter, tagging Sushma Swaraj and recounting in detail the ordeal she had to go through. After a huge social media uproar, the couple were issued passports in haste, overlooking many necessary procedures, and the concerned passport officer, Vikas Mishra, was transferred to Gorakhpur.

The passport officer defended his conduct, claiming that Tanvi’s name as per nikahnama (Islamic marriage contract) was ‘Shadia Anas’, but she refused to get her name changed as per her nikahnama. This was one of the discrepancies that were highlighted by Mishra in refusing to grant the couple passports.

However, despite a raft of discrepancies in their papers, a passport was issued to the couple, and many other prerequisites like police verification were bypassed. It is for these reasons that Sushma Swaraj was subjected to trolling on social media platforms. She was criticised, not by the IT cell members, but by common people, who were incensed with a minister flouting rules in her rush to grant the woman a passport out of turn.

The difference between the criticism meted out to the two BJP leaders is manifestly profound. But for one to discern that difference, it is important to remain sober and level-headed. However, a good-quality weed, coupled with the inveterate habit of remaining perpetually high on Modi hatred, essentially devoids one of sobriety and robs him/her of sanity. Only the weed of the finest breed would lead one to believe that the BJP is cutting its own leaders to size.

Rajnath Singh trolled over his anodyne tweet invoking Kashmiriyat in the aftermath of a terror attack on Amarnath pilgrims

The article goes on to mention the trolling that India’s current Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had to endure after he posted an anodyne tweet in the aftermath of an attack on Amarnath pilgrims in Kashmir. Singh had tweeted that the fact that the people of Kashmir had condemned the attack on Amarnath pilgrim reflects that the spirit of Kashmiriyat is still alive.

Naturally, the invocation of an imaginary construct such as Kashmiriyat did not sit well with an overwhelming number of people on Twitter, for the hollowness of the concept as well as the timing of the tweet when people were seething with rage over the dastardly attack against the Amarnath pilgrims. The social media users slammed Singh for his placatory tweet when the need of the hour was eliminating the terrorists responsible for the attack.

However, amusingly enough, The Print characterised the online trolling of Singh as a measure ordered by the top brass of the BJP against its own then Home Minister.

Article published in ThePrint insulted Sushant Singh Rajput’s family and Bihari culture

But this is not the only instance which reflects that the folks at The Print are possibly under the influence of cannabis. A few days ago, The Print had published an article titled as “Sushant Singh Rajput and the burden of being a ‘Shravan Kumar’ in toxic Bihari families” in which Sushant’s family – especially his seventy years plus ailing father whose only dying desire is to seek justice for his young son’s suspicious death – was bashed for filing an FIR against Rhea Chaturvedi.

In one of the finest example of toxic journalism, the said article sought to demean the Bihari culture and insult the grieving family by downplaying their grief as “toxic family structure”. Denigrating Sushant Singh Rajput’s family, the article said that “the way Sushant’s family has reacted says a lot about the burden of being a son in a Bihari family”. The article claimed further, “What has escaped popular attention is the toxic family structure of cow-belt India, especially Bihar, and how it treats its precious sons”.

Instead of blaming the culprits, incidentally, those who are now under arrest for illegal possession and consumption of drugs, the article proceeded to tarnish Sushant Singh Rajput’s family for seeking justice for their son who was found dead under mysterious circumstances in his Mumbai’s flat.

In this case, too, the sheer depravity of the logic and reasoning peddled in the article degrading the Bihari culture suggested that the folks at the Print are living in a self-induced trance, purposefully losing contact with the external reality to freely peddle their propaganda. The level of absurdity that The Print has come to be associated with is only possible when one has taken the leave of his or her good senses. So, if it’s not weed, then what are the folks at The Print been smoking?

All you need to know about DRDO’s successful flight test of Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV)

Anurag
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All you need to know about DRDO’s successful flight test of Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV)

India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully demonstrated the hypersonic air-breathing scramjet technology with the flight test of the Hypersonic Technology Demonstration Vehicle (HSTDV). The test was done at 11:03 AM from Dr Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha on 7th September.

According to the press release by the Ministry of Defence, the hypersonic cruise vehicle was launched using a proven solid rocket motor. It reached the altitude of 30 KM, where the aerodynamic heat shields were separated at hypersonic Mach number. The cruise vehicle was separated from the launch vehicle, and the air intake opened as planned.

The cruise vehicle moved on its desired flight path at six times the speed of sound that is, 02 km/second, for more than 20 seconds. Several critical events, such as fuel injection and auto-ignition of the scramjet demonstrated advancements DRDO has achieved in the said technology. The officials said that the scramjet engine performed in a textbook precision.

Mission was successful

Multiple tracking radars, electro-optical systems, and Telemetry Stations monitored the launch and cruise vehicle parameters, including scramjet engine. A ship was also deployed in the Bay of Bengal to monitor the system’s performance during the cruise phase of the hypersonic vehicle. The performance parameters indicated the success of the mission.

With this successful demonstration, DRDO has proven its position in several critical technologies, including aerodynamic configuration for hypersonic manoeuvres, use of scramjet propulsion for ignition and sustained combustion at hypersonic flow, thermo-structural characterization of high-temperature materials, separation mechanism at hypersonic velocities, etc.

Statement of Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh

Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO on the landmark achievement. In a tweet, he said, “I congratulate to DRDO on this landmark achievement towards realizing PM’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat. I spoke to the scientists associated with the project and congratulated them on this great achievement. India is proud of them.”

Statement of DRDO Chairman

Dr G Satheesh Reddy, Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO congratulated all the scientists, researchers, and other personnel involved in the HSTDV mission. In a video statement, he said that this mission would pave the way for many more critical technologies, materials, and hypersonic vehicle development. “This puts India in a select set of nations, who have demonstrated this technology,” he added.

What is a Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV)

HSTDV is an unmanned scramjet demonstration aircraft that can achieve velocity greater than five times the speed of sound or Mach-5 (3800 miles per hour) or 6115 KM per hour. In the successful mission on Monday, the test flight achieved the speed 6-times greater than the speed of sound or Mach-6.

HSTDC has an air-breathing scramjet engine. It uses atmospheric oxygen that is available up to 50 KM above the earth’s surface to burn the fuel on-board. Thus, the overall vehicle is lighter in weight and more efficient, making it cost-effective. HSTDV cruise vehicle is mounted on a solid rocket motor. Once it achieves a certain velocity, the cruise vehicle gets ejected out of the launch vehicle and the scramjet engine gets ignited automatically.

Graphic representation of how HSTDV flight maneuver works (Image: DRDO)

The technology is crucial for the country as it has put India in the elite group of a handful of nations who have successfully tested it. The other countries with this technology are the US, Russia, and China.

Defence and civilian applications

HSTDV will be used as a vehicle for hypersonic and long-range cruise missiles. The system is capable of delivering nuclear or conventional payload within minutes at the target. While ballistic missiles travel at a pre-defined path, HSTDV has maneuvering capabilities that make them harder to counter. The high velocity combined with low altitude makes it harder to detect. 

HSTDV has civilian applications as well. It can be used by space agencies to launch small satellites into the orbit at a low cost. It is also a crucial technology required to develop reusable launch vehicles.

Importance of HSTDV for India

The HSTDV India successfully tested on 7th September is based on an indigenously developed scramjet propulsion system. According to ISRO, a scramjet engine is an improvement over the ramjet engine as it efficiently operates at hypersonic speeds and allows supersonic combustion. While ramjet engine can achieve the velocity of Mach-3 or 3-times the speed of sound, HSTDV tested by DRDO on Monday achieved double the speed.

HSTDV development timeline

  • In 2004, DRDO completed the design for the airframe attached to the engine.
  • In 2008, while talking about the development of the hypersonic missile, Former DRDO Chief VK Saraswat said, “Through the HSTDV project, the idea was to demonstrate the performance of a scram-jet engine at an altitude of 15 km to 20 km, is on.” He further added, “Under this project, we are developing a hypersonic vehicle that will be powered by a scramjet engine. This is a dual-use technology, which, when developed, will have multiple civilian applications. It can be used for launching satellites at low cost. It will also be available for long-range cruise missiles of the future.”
  • In 2016, DRDO announced that it would conduct a test by the year-end, but it got delayed.
  • In June 2019, conducted the maiden test of hypersonic technology demonstrator with partial success. According to the reports, the test failed to meet some of the test parameters.
  • On 7th September 2020, DRDO successfully flights tested Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle.

The reports suggest that Israel and Cranfield University, UK, also assisted in developing the Hypersonic Vehicle. India is reported to have received some help from Russia too.

India’s has also been developing the BrahMos-II hypersonic cruise missiles in a joint venture with Russia.

HSTDV development across the globe

In March 2020, the US said in a statement that they had tested an unarmed prototype of a hypersonic missile. In July 2020, Vladimir Putin, President, Russia, said that the Russian Navy vessels would be armed with hypersonic nuclear strike weapons and underwater nuclear drones. He further added that these weapons are in the final testing phase. China is also pursuing the development of hypersonic weapons aggressively.

Oscars goes ‘woke’ – “Best Movie” must be inclusive and check all the ‘diversity’ boxes

OpIndia Staff
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Oscars goes ‘woke’ – “Best Movie” must be inclusive and check all the ‘diversity’ boxes

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), popularly known as Oscars, on Tuesday, announced new eligibility reforms to qualify for the best picture category that intends to encourage diversity and equitable representation on screen and off, addressing gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, and disability.

In an effort to add a bit of flavor of ‘diversity’ to its awards, the Academy Awards has now gone ‘woke’ as on Tuesday it announced that the movies in order to be eligible for the Academy Award for Best Picture beginning in 2024 must meet certain criteria in terms of representation.

Under the new initiative called Aperture 2025, the AMPAs intends to “encourage equitable representation on and off-screen in order to better reflect the diversity of the movie-going audience”.

Reportedly, as part of the Academy Aperture 2025 initiative, AMPAS has announced new representation and inclusion standards in order to be eligible in the best picture category. The film academy has established four broad representation categories: On-screen, among the crew, at the studio, and in opportunities for training and advancement in other aspects of the film’s development and release.

The moviemakers will now have to submit confidential inclusion standards forms, however, they will not be required for the 94th and 95th Academy Awards. These major changes, however, will not affect the 93rd Academy Awards.

Awards to represent underrepresented racial or ethnic group, LGBT, women and people of colour

Further, each standard has been divided into subcategories. Under the on-screen representation category, a film must either have at least one lead character or a significant supporting character be from an underrepresented racial or ethnic group, at least 30% of secondary roles must be from two underrepresented groups or the main storyline, theme or narrative must be focused on an underrepresented group.

According to the academy, underrepresented groups include women, people of color, people who identify as LGBTQ or people with disabilities. The best picture award is the one category every film academy member can vote for.

The second category is for the creative leadership and crew composition of a film. To qualify for the second category of awards, the film must have either at least two leadership positions or department heads be from underrepresented groups and at least one be from an underrepresented racial or ethnic group.

At least six other crew members be from underrepresented racial or ethnic groups or at least 30% of crew members be from underrepresented groups to eligible for the Academy awards under this category.

The third category is pertaining to the paid internship and apprenticeship opportunities as well as training opportunities for below-the-line workers. the fourth category addresses representation in marketing, publicity, and distribution teams.

Reportedly, these inclusion standards were developed by a team led by academy governors DeVon Franklin and Jim Gianopulos and in consultation with the Producers Guild of America.

‘Swamy ki Chetavani’: Subramanian Swamy cites ‘peace proposal’ from Mahabharata, asks BJP to sack IT-cell chief

OpIndia Staff
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‘Swamy ki Chetavani’: Subramanian Swamy cites ‘peace proposal’ from Mahabharata, asks BJP to sack IT-cell chief

A day after senior BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy accused the party’s Information and Technology (IT) cell head Amit Malviya of running a campaign against him, he has now issued a ‘final warning’ to the BJP to act against Amit Malviya.

Taking to Twitter, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy gave an ultimatum to the BJP President Jagat Prakash Nadda saying that if Amit Malaviya is not removed from the BJP IT cell by Thursday then he will have to defend himself.

Swamy, citing the ‘peace proposal’ incident from the Mahabharata, said his proposal was nothing but a ‘five villages compromise’ proposal to BJP president JP Nadda as he demanded sacking of Malviya. The BJP Rajya Sabha MP said that as the party ‘did not want to defend him’ and there is no forum in the party to seek the opinion of the cadre, he will now have to defend himself.

The ‘five-village compromise’ refers to the peace proposal brought before Duryodhana on behalf of the Pandavas. Lord Krishna, ahead of the Kurukshetra war, went to Hastinapura to propose a compromise between the two sides. According to the peace proposal, Pandavas were ready to avoid war if Duryodhana lets them have only 5 villages, the minimum required to sustain. The five villages were – Indraprastha, Panprastha, Sonprastha, Tilprastha, and Vyagprastha.

Though the Pandavas deserved equal share of the kingdom, they were ready for the compromise, because they did not want to spill the blood of their family members in the war.

Subramanian Swamy’s war of words against Amit Malviya

On Tuesday, Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy took to Twitter to accuse BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya of running a campaign against him using fake tweets.

The senior leader said that the BJP IT cell has gone rogue and alleged that some of its members were putting out fake ID tweets to make personal attacks against him. Attacking Malviya, Swamy had also warned that he should not be held accountable if his angered followers made counter personal attacks just as BJP cannot be held responsible for the rogue IT cell of the party.

Subramanian Swamy’s remarks came after some of the videos of him where he had made comments against the Modi government and the construction of Ram Temple went viral on the internet. There were also some memes and posts showing Swamy as a ‘Chinese agent’.

Assassination attempt on Afghan Vice President Amrullah Saleh days after raising border issue with Pakistan

OpIndia Staff
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Assassination attempt on Afghan Vice President Amrullah Saleh days after raising border issue with Pakistan

A roadside bomb targeted first Afghanistan Vice President Amrullah Saleh on Wednesday morning in Kabul. According to the reports, at least two people have been killed and a dozen are injured after a bomb exploded on the streets of Central Kabul on Wednesday targeting the convoy of Afghanistan’s Vice President Amrullah Saleh. He, thankfully, escaped the attack unharmed.

“Today, once again the enemy of Afghanistan tried to harm Saleh, but they failed to get to their evil aim, and Saleh escaped the attack unharmed,” Razwan Murad, a spokesman for Saleh’s office said.

Reportedly, a suicide bomber had targeted Saleh’s convoy as he left his home and was headed to work. Abdullah, a shopkeeper, said the blast had blown out his windows.

Saleh, is an outspoken critic of the Taliban, survived an attack last year ahead of presidential elections. Sale is the senior of Afghanistan’s two vice presidents.

Attack comes a day after Saleh raising border issue with Pakistan

The Wednesday’s attack on Afghanistan Vice President comes after he had recently raised the Durand Line issue with Pakistan. Amrullah Saleh had said that no Afghan politician of national stature could overlook the issue of the Durand Line.

He had added, “It is an issue which needs discussions & resolution. Expecting us to gift it for free is unrealistic. Peshawar used to be the winter capital of Afghanistan.”

Saleh further added that Pakistan has come out of denial. It is openly saying that they are harbouring the Taliban. “This clarity despite being bitter is a development which can be utilized in benefit of peace process. I had candid discussions with Gen. Bajwa & ISI director when they visited Afghanistan. Keep Pakistan engaged 4 peace,” he said.

FCRA licence of 13 NGOs suspended over forced religious conversion of tribals to Christianity

OpIndia Staff
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FCRA licence of 13 NGOs suspended over forced religious conversion of tribals to Christianity

Union Ministry of Home Affairs has suspended the Foreign Contribution Regulations Act (FCRA) licences of 13 NGOs after allegations were raised against them for indulging in forced religious conversions of tribals to Christianity in tribal-dominated areas.

FCRA licence allows an NGO to receive foreign funds for their work. These organizations were found to be using the acquired funds for ‘religious’ purposes. The MHA has also frozen the bank accounts of these NGOs after intelligence inputs pointed out their conversion-related activities targeting the tribal areas of several states, including Jharkhand.

A show-cause notice had been issued to these NGOs. They were asked to respond to the charges, but the MHA reportedly did not receive any reply from them before the deadline. One of the NGOs sent a late response to the notice, but MHA found it unsatisfactory.

Ministry of Home Affairs has given the 13 NGOs six months to respond to suspension notice. Based on their responses, the ministry will decide to either cancel or reinstate their FCRA licences.

FCRA’s action against conversion

As per reports, FCRA authorities have the power under Section 12(4) to suspend an NGO’s licence or an association for directly or indirectly indulging in forced or induced conversion activities from one faith to another.

The centre has recently suspended the FCRA licence of four Christian evangelical organizations, namely the Northern Evangelical Lutheran Church, Ecreosoculis North Western Gossner Evangelical, New Life Fellowship Association, and Evangelical Churches Association.

Since the Modi government came in power, it has taken action against thousands of NGOs under FCRA regulations. Some of the NGOs, including Compassion International, whose licences were cancelled or suspended, had annual contributions from foreign countries in hundreds of crores.

Pakistan: Christian man in Lahore sentenced to death under blasphemy laws for ‘anti-Islam’ text messages

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan: Christian man in Lahore sentenced to death under blasphemy laws for ‘anti-Islam’ text messages

On Tuesday, a Pakistani court in Lahore convicted a Christian man to death under the controversial ‘blasphemy’ law.

According to the reports, the Lahore Session Court sentenced 37-year-old Asif Pervaiz Masih for insulting Islam and sending ‘blasphemous’ texts to a former supervisor at work. Masih was arrested in 2013 for alleged blasphemy.

Asif’s lawyer Saif-ul-Malook said that the complainant in the case filed against Asif Masih was working as a supervisor in a hosiery factory and Asif was working under him. Denying the allegations against Masih, Malook said that the supervisor was trying to get Asif to convert to Islam.

Asif, who is accused of insulting Islam, said he was confronted by his boss after he quit the factory job.

However, the lawyers representing the supervisor rejected the charges and said other Christians too worked at the factory and no one has accused him of any forceful conversion Islam.

Additional Sessions Judge Mansoor Ahmed Qureshi convicted Pervaiz and sentenced him to death. The court order said Asif would be ‘hanged by his neck till his death’ after serving the jail time. 

Asif Pervaiz Masih is a resident of a Christian colony in Lahore, Youhana Abad. The court has also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on him and also sentenced him three-year imprisonment.

Pakistan has notorious anti-Islamic laws that carry a death penalty for people who insult the Prophet Muhammad, Islam, the Quran, or certain holy people.

There are at least 80 people currently languishing in Pakistan jails under the charges of blasphemy. Half of them are facing life sentences or the death penalty, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom has said.

Blasphemy accused shot dead in Pakistan

Recently, in a brutal incident, an elderly man belonging to the minority Islamic sect of Ahmadiyyas, who was facing a trial for ‘blasphemy’, was shot dead in front of the judge in a local court situated in a high-security zone in Pakistan’s Peshawar city.

Tahir Ahmad Naseem, who was arrested on the charges of blasphemy two years ago, died on the spot in the court of Additional Session Judge Shaukatullah Khan after being shot at. The man on trial was facing charges for ‘insulting’ the Muslim Prophet Muhammad.

After the incident, shockingly, the Islamists in Pakistan had turned Khalid Khan—the man who shot dead Tahir Ahmed Naseem into a ‘hero’ as people took to social media to hail him as the ‘Lion of Islam’ for killing the ‘blasphemer’.

In a similar case, Aasia Bibi, a 48-year-old mother of four was convicted in 2010 for insulting Islam. She maintained her innocence but spent eight years in solitary confinement. Later she was acquitted by the Pakistan Supreme Court and had to escape to Canada. Salman Taseer, who was the former Punjab governor was also killed by his own guard in 2011 after he sought mercy for Asia Bibi. 

We will stand by you to ‘smash the patriarchy’, only if u hate Modi: Bollywood ‘liberals’ and their glaring hypocrisy

Nirwa Mehta
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We will stand by you to ‘smash the patriarchy’, only if u hate Modi: Bollywood ‘liberals’ and their glaring hypocrisy

When Rhea Chakraborty reached Narcotics Control Bureau office on Tuesday for interrogation, she was wearing a t-shirt which made some noise on social media.

Rhea Chakraborty’s t-shirt message goes viral

The t-shirt message read, “Roses are red, violets are blue, let’s smash the patriarchy, me and you”. After she was arrested and taken into custody for further interrogation and investigation in the drugs probe, Bollywood entertainers, most of who have been vocal against their dislike for Prime Minister Modi and the BJP, extended their support to Rhea. Everyone demanded ‘justice’ for Rhea.

From who’s who to who’s that of Bollywood, all rallied behind Rhea.

Those not in Twitter, took to Instagram.

View this post on Instagram

#JusticeForRhea ☀️

A post shared by Vidya Balan (@balanvidya) on

View this post on Instagram

#justiceforrhea

A post shared by Radhika (@radhikaofficial) on

View this post on Instagram

#JusticeForRhea

A post shared by Kubbra Sait (@kubbrasait) on

View this post on Instagram

#justiceforrhea

A post shared by Tanishaa Mukerji (@tanishaamukerji) on

As you can see, even those who have limited to zero recall value amongst the audience also came out to support Rhea.

Again a reminder: Rhea is an accused of being an active member in a drug syndicate. Some how, the allegations are overlooked because some people associated with the ruling party or supporters of Prime Minister Modi cast aspersions over Sushant Singh Rajput’s death in June this year. Sushant’s family hails from Bihar where state assembly elections are scheduled for later this year. Yes, ruling party there has BJP alliance. Yes, Sushant’s family cast aspersions on Mumbai Police, where non-BJP party is in power, on the way investigation was being conducted. So clearly, the ‘liberals’ knew they’re not to side with them.

So Rhea wants to smash patriarchy. The ‘hounding’ by media and ‘trial by media’ is being done only because ‘she is a woman’ and society is afraid of ‘independent women’. But Bollywood decides to stand by her and ‘smash the patriarchy’ even though she is accused of having drugs links. Which is true. Because an individual is innocent until proven guilty and for all we know, she may just be innocent. One can only wait and see what the stand of Bollywood is if at all she is found guilty and convicted. Or maybe then the NCB will be accused of being a ruling party apparatus for going after a woman.

But we are going too ahead of ourselves. While the Bollywood has stood by Rhea they have maintained a deafening silence on Shiv Sena and NCP leaders threatening another one of their colleagues, Kangana Ranaut. None of them wanted to ‘smash the patriarchy’ when Kangana was called ‘haramkhor ladki‘ by Shiv Sena’s now chief spokesperson and MP Sanjay Raut. No one called him out when he coined a new definition of ‘haramkhor’ as ‘naughty’.

To borrow the words of Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, the ruling party of Maharashtra and entire Bollywood brigade is quite naughty to put it mildly.

It so happens that Kangana supports Prime Minister Modi and quite vocally. She criticised the current Maharashtra government and the state machinery and called out Mumbai Police for ‘liking’ a tweet abusing her. Suddenly those who like to call themselves ‘brave’ for ‘speaking truth to power’ are silent. You see, ‘speaking truth to power’ is a valid argument to abuse the government only if the party in power is BJP.

Shiv Sena was a rogue party till it was with the BJP in alliance. The moment it joined hands with Congress and NCP, it got a clean slate and Uddhav Thackeray won the heart of same Bollywood who hailed him as best ever chief minister. This when even today Maharashtra contributes highest ever daily coronavirus cases. Pune is the worst affected district in entire India with highest coronavirus positive cases – which surpassed even Delhi. But somehow, no one likes to speak truth to this power.

And one woman who did and got abused in return, no ‘smash the patriarchy’ for you.

And this is just Bollywood. One can’t even recall the number of times Union Minister Smriti Irani has had to face abuse from people including politicians from opposition parties. Or when Samajwadi Party’s Azam Khan recited a sexist ‘poetry’ in the Lok Sabha to BJP MP Rama Devi. Or when troll abused Phogat sisters. No ‘smash the patriarchy’ for them either.

And these are celebrities. Women from the non-Left face abuses all the time. Remember when Congress and Islamists teamed up with PETA to attack columnist Shefali Vaidya? Nope. Shefali doesn’t get the support from ‘liberals’.

And it is okay if you are critical of the ruling party, at least be honest about it. That your ‘solidarity’ and your ‘feminism’ comes with terms and conditions and has riders attached. Don’t pretend to be a liberal when you are just as hypocrite as the ones you accuse others of being.

Congress peddles lies against India using video of tourists vacationing on the Chinese side of Pangong Tso lake

OpIndia Staff
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Congress peddles lies against India using video of tourists vacationing on the Chinese side of Pangong Tso lake

As the situation between India and China is heating up along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), constant efforts are being made to push the Chinese narrative from some suspected quarters. Last month, reports has emerged that the Indian forces had occupied some strategically important positions at the south bank of the Pangong Tso lake.

However, soon after the reports came, a video that claimed to be of some Chinese tourists in the Pangong Tso lake went viral on social media. The video was soon picked by Congress supporters who started questioning the forces on the basis of this video. In no time, the Congress supporters starting attacking PM Modi on the basis of the video, insinuating that if Chinese tourists are seen in Pangong Tso lake, it is under Chinese control. Here are some of the tweets of Congress leaders and supporters who used the video to target the Prime Minister.

Sharing the video, Congress leader Salman Nizami claimed that Chinese tourists were there in the Pangong Tso lake. He referred to PM Modi as “56-inch Chowkidar” and questioned whether Indian needed a visa to visit Pangong Tso.

A similar claim was made by Saral Patel, National Convener of Congress’ Social Media Department.

Jumping on the bandwagon, the National Spokesperson of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) also supported the claims of Chinese tourits vacationing in the Pangong Tso lake. She said that the PM Modi has been lying that no Indian territory was annexed by China.

Ashok Swain, who is apparently a Professor at Uppsala University, Sweden and is a habitual fake news peddler and riot monger, also jumped in and said that the Indian defence journalists could now report directly from China by travelling through the Pangong Tso lake instead of reporting from Leh or Delhi.

The lie was further peddled by the National Coordinator of the Digital Communications and Social Media Department of Congress, Gaurav Pandhi by comparing the video of the Chinese tourists with a snippet from the movie Three Idiots, insinuating that back in 2009 the lake was part of Indian territory and now it is part of China.

What is the reality?

In peddling these lies about the Pangong Tso river and using them to attack the Prime Minister, the Congress members and supporters exposed their mental bankruptcy as well as their malicious intentions. The Indian government never claimed that the Indian forces had occupied the whole of Pangong Tso lake. In fact, Pangong Tso lake lies partially in India and partially in Tibet which is occupied by China. Around 60 percent of the length of the lake lies in Tibet. The video of the Chinese tourists vacationing in the lake is of the part of the lake that lies in China.

The lake is approximately 83 miles long. Though the exact demarcation of the end of Indian territory and beginning of the Chinese territory has been contested, only the western part of the lake comes under Indian territory.

Pangong Tso map, a large section of the lake lies in Tibet, which is currently under Chinese control, image via Indian Express

Ever since the situation along the LAC escalated, Congress has been soft on China and instead has been attacking the Indian government. This situation became clear only after photos of Rahul Gandhi signing MoU with the Minister of International Department of Central Committee of the CCP were leaked. The news of an agreement between the Congress and the CCP came as a shock to people especially in view of the clash between the forces of the two countries at the Galwan valley. The Chief Justice of India Ashok Bobde also expressed concern over the agreement and said that this was something unheard of legally.

Kangana vs Shiv Sena: Amid threats from ruling party, the bollywood actress to reach Mumbai

OpIndia Staff
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Kangana vs Shiv Sena: Amid threats from ruling party, the bollywood actress to reach Mumbai

Amidst the threats from the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra, Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut is all set to land in Mumbai on Wednesday.

In a daring act, the three-time national award-winning actress Kangana Ranaut had decided to land in Mumbai on September 9 even after Shiv Sena leaders, especially the likes of Sanjay Raut had threatened her not to come to Mumbai. Despite receiving threats, Kangana had earlier announced that she will land in Mumbai on Wednesday.

Kangana Ranaut left her residence at Bhanwla village in Mandi District for Chandigarh on Wednesday morning. She will be leaving for Chandigarh from where she will catch a flight to Mumbai at 12.15 pm. As per COVID-19 protocols, she also got herself tested for coronavirus and has tested negative.

Face-off between Kangana Ranaut and Maharashtra govt

The faceoff between the Maha Vikas Aghadi government and Kangana was triggered after the latter had compared Mumbai to Pakistan Occupied Kashmir in the wake of Azaadi graffiti seen on the streets of the city, and the subsequent inaction of the Mumbai Police.

Since then, the ‘Queen’ actress has been subjected to threats of violence, and even derogatory words by Shiv Sena leaders. Sanjay Raut had called her ‘haramkhor ladki’ while Pratap Sarnaik had threatened to ‘break her mouth’. Even Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir Singh had joined the Shiv Sena-led government in bullying Kangana Ranaut and he was caught pushing social media users to publicly shame the actress.

In addition to the abusive tirade against Kangana, the Maharashtra government had also decided to launch a probe into the alleged consumption of drugs by actor Kangana Ranaut. Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh had said that the Maha Vikas Aghadi government will investigate Kangana for allegedly taking drugs.

BMC officials raided Kangana’s office premises

Besides ad-hominem attacks, even the state apparatus has been pushed into taking punitive action against the actor for her remarks that were at odds with the Maha Vikas Aghadi government. The distraught actor had shared videos on Twitter, alleging that Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials had raided her office premises and threatened to demolish her property.

She further stated that BMC officials have forcefully taken over her office and are measuring up things and harassing her neighbors. “What that madam has done you all will now have to pay for it,” the BMC official told the neighbor, she said. Kangana further informed that the BMC might be demolishing her property tomorrow.

Amid the ongoing confrontation with Shiv Sena leaders, Kangana Ranaut has been given Y category security. VIPs who enjoy Y category security in India have a security detail consisting of 11 personnel, including commandos.

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