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US President Donald Trump threatens “big action” against Twitter after his tweets were labelled as ‘misleading’

OpIndia Staff
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US President Donald Trump threatens “big action” against Twitter after his tweets were labelled as ‘misleading’

An irate Donald Trump has warned that a “big action” can soon follow against the popular microblogging website Twitter after it labelled the American President’s tweets with a fact-checking label.

Ironically, Trump took to Twitter to threaten retribution against the social media behemoth. “Twitter has now shown that everything we have been saying about them (and their other compatriots) is correct. Big action to follow!” Trump tweeted.

A few hours before that, Trump had gone after the social media giant, accusing it of exhibiting “clear political bias”. Trump said that the Republicans believe that the social media platforms are stifling the conservative voices. He issued a stern warning claiming that all the social media organisations who engage in muzzling their voices will be “strongly regulated” or perhaps “closed down”.

“We saw what they attempted to do, and failed, in 2016. We can’t let a more sophisticated version of that….…happen again. Just like we can’t let large scale Mail-In Ballots take root in our Country. It would be a free for all on cheating, forgery and the theft of Ballots. Whoever cheated the most would win. Likewise, Social Media. Clean up your act, NOW!!!!” Trump tweeted alleging that the social media platforms in 2016 had resorted to cheating and forgery against him and that they are now employing even more sophisticated tools to defeat him in the forthcoming elections after having failed in 2016.

Twitter labels US President Donald Trump’s tweets as misleading

On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump’s tweets on mail-in ballots were flagged as ‘misleading’ by Twitter. Trump had said that mail-in ballot box could lead to voter fraud and rigged elections. He had raised concerns that the mailboxes could be robbed and ballots may even be rigged.

Twitter highlighted the two tweets by Trumps and put out an alert below them which read “Get the facts about mail-in ballots”.

However, Twitter’s action triggered a strong reaction from the US President Donald Trump who slammed the San Francisco based social media company for stifling free speech and interfering in the upcoming presidential elections. Trump accused that Twitter has taken CNN, which he has labelled as ‘Fake News’, and Washington Post articles to claim that Trump’s statement is incorrect. “Twitter is completely stifling FREE SPEECH, and I, as President, will not allow it to happen!” he tweeted.

Twitter, on the other hand, defended itself, claiming that the move was aimed at providing ‘context’ around Trump’s claims.

Old photos of wildfires all over the world used to falsely claim severe wildfire in Uttarakhand, police to file FIR against fake news peddlers

OpIndia Staff
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Old photos of wildfires all over the world used to falsely claim severe wildfire in Uttarakhand, police to file FIR against fake news peddlers

Some horrific photos and videos of wildfires claiming to be that of Uttarakhand flooded Twitter on Wednesday. Netizens took to Twitter to share some gut-wrenching photos of the devastating effects of the wildfires that are taking over the region.

These pictures were also shared by many tourism adventure groups on social media.

These images shared on social media sites soon drew traction and many media houses reported that Uttarakhand has been burning in a forest fire for the last four days. According to these reports, as many as 46 such forest fires which have affected over 51.34 hectares of forest land have been raging in the hill state of Uttarakhand over the last four days.

A few left-liberal websites like Scoopwhoop and The Logical Indian, quickly used it and attributed misleading, ‘clickbait’ headline to these old pictures to sensationalize the news.

Uttarakhand CM and police rebut these claims

But how far are these claims true? Are the forests in Uttarakhand really burning? Uttarakhand police today took to Twitter to rebut these claims. Calling it completely false and mischievous, Uttarakhand police urged the public not to fall prey to such rumours. They said that the police will look into the matter and an FIR against concerned persons involved in spreading the false news will be lodged soon.

Parag Madhukar Dhakate, Chief Conservator of Forests of Western Circle (Uttarakhand) also said that there is a lot of misinformation, old photos and fake news being circulated on social media. He said that in fact, there has been a reduction in the fire as compared to the past years as it has been raining every few days so there is moisture and lesser incidents of wildfire.

The IFS Association Uttarakhand has also given a comparison of the actual facts of the fire in the forests of Uttarakhand in the year 2020 through a graph. It is clear from the comparison of forest fires in 2019 and 2020 that the fire of 2020 is less as comapred to the previous year.

Moreover, sharing the above information, the CM of Uttarakhand Trivendra Singh Rawat also called out the propaganda machinery, who tried to pass off old 2016 and 2019 images, that too of forest fires in Chilean and Chinese forests as recent ones in Uttarakhand, to instil fear amongst people.

The fact is that the forest fires in Uttarakhand aren’t remotely as severe as these social media posts claim. Uttarakhand had lost more than 1,200 hectares in the massive forest fires in May last year. Compared to that, it has not even crossed the 100-hectare mark this year.  Jai Raj, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests said in a statement that this May the weather was considerably favourable, which kept the fires under control. However, the rapidly rising temperatures over the last few days triggered the forest fire incidents.

Almost all of the photos being shared on social media does not belong to the current fires in Uttarakhand. Most of them are from various places in the world outside India, and although some are from Uttarakhand, they are from previous years. For example, a photograph of fire in 2016 in the state, as seen in this report, has been widely circulated as a current photo.

“We are doing our best to control them. Our teams are there, it will take some time to douse these fires,” he said. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has also predicted that the region will receive rainfall Wednesday, which will help further control the fires, Raj added.

Christian group files complaint against Bharat Mata statue in Kanyakumari, advocate counters, sends notice to DC warning legal action if statue removed

OpIndia Staff
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Christian group files complaint against Bharat Mata statue in Kanyakumari, advocate counters, sends notice to DC warning legal action if statue removed

Days after the District Collector passed an order reinstating the Bharat Mata statue at the Issaki Amman Temple in Kanyakumari, overturning the Kanyakumari police’s decision to cover the statue, another complaint has been filed against the reinstallation of the idol by a Christian Group All India Christian Development Army (AICDA).

The President of AICDA, Theodore Sam, has argued in his complaint that the issue of Bharat Mata statue coming up during the period of lockdown has a potential of disrupting communal harmony and creating discord in the society. Furthermore, the petition asks the District Collector to remove the Bharat Mata statue citing it to be a cause of future communal flare-up in the region.

The move to file another complaint against the reinstallation of Bharat Mata statue under the pretext of inciting communal disharmony appears as a ploy by the Christian missionaries to attack the symbols of nationalistic manifestation and besmirch them as triggers of communal flash-points.

In response to the complaint filed by the AICDA, advocate Ashutosh Dubey issued a legal notice to the District Collector. The lawyer describes Bharat Mata as a personification of India that came first into existence during the nineteenth century, after the Great Indian Mutiny of 1857. The notice calls the complaint filed by AICDA “absolutely baseless” and alleges that the complaint was filed with the intention of “inciting fear and hatred”.

“The statue not at all disrupts the communal harmony because Bharat belongs to the mother-land, India is a secular country and in secular countries, no one holds the authorisation to harm any statue which is related to public sentiments,” the notice reads.

The advocate warned that the notice should be considered as a statutory demand notice and the idol of Bharat Mata should not be tampered with again and again, failing which harsh action will be initiated. The failure to act on the notice will invite legal action under various sections of the Indian Penal Code 1860, Prevention to Insults to National Honours Act, 1971, the notice read.

Bharat Mata statue controversy

A controversy had erupted after a Christian missionary organisation Christians of the Church of South India (CSI), filed an objection over the statue of Bharat Mata with Kanyakumari police claiming that the statue was hurting their “religious sentiments”. After their complaint, the Kanyakumari Police had covered the statue, causing outrage amongst the villagers.

The incident sparked off protests as members of Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), Hindu Munnani, and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and other villagers staged demonstrations and later removed the cover. The protest was spearheaded by BJP leader Tarun Vijay and local RSS Swayamsevaks who later secured an order from the District Collector to reinstate the Bharat Mata statue to her original position.

Afte District Collector overturned the police’s decision to cover the Bharat Mata statue, elated villagers had organised a ‘Bharat Mata Pujan’ programme and worshipped the statue of Bharat Mata with great enthusiasm.

The Bharat Mata statue was situated on the premises of Issaki Amman temple, which is reportedly 200 years old. The site is private property. The owner had installed a statue of Bharat Mata and had embellished it with a tri-colour saree.

Uttar Pradesh: Mob pelt stone at police and free cow slaughter accused Afzal who was arrested, three policemen injured

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Mob pelt stone at police and free cow slaughter accused Afzal who was arrested, three policemen injured

A violent mob has attacked a team of policemen in Uttar Pradesh’s Shamli district after they had visited the village to arrest an accused in an illegal cow slaughter case.

According to the reports, the Uttar Pradesh police had gone to a village in Shamli district to nab one individual identified as Afzal, who is an accused in the illegal cow slaughter case.

As police officials arrested the accused, a frenzied mob attacked the police and pelted stones at them. The mob also managed to free the accused Afzal. The incident took place on Tuesday night in Taprana village under the Jhinjhana police station in Shamli.

During the attack, three policemen, including a sub-inspector, have been injured.

Superintendent of Police Vineet Jaiswal said that a case has been registered against 100 people under various sections of IPC and 30 of them have been arrested so far.

Later, more force was deployed and 30 people, including Afzal, were arrested. The SP said that security has been tightened in the village.

Karnataka govt decides to name newly built Yelahanka flyover after Veer Savarkar, opposition parties oppose the decision

OpIndia Staff
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Karnataka govt decides to name newly built Yelahanka flyover after Veer Savarkar, opposition parties oppose the decision

The Karnataka government has decided to name the newly built flyover at Yelahanka in Bengaluru after nationalist icon – Veer Savarkar. 

According to the reports, the decision to name the flyover at Yelahanka after Veer Savarkar was decided at the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, Bengaluru’s civic body. The BBMP had passed a resolution in its council meeting on February 29.

The 400-metre long flyover, which was constructed under the Nagarotthana scheme at a cost of Rs 34 core, will be inaugurated by Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Thursday, on the day of Savarkar’s birthday.

Opposition parties oppose naming the flyover after nationalist icon

Meanwhile, the opposition parties in the state – Congress and JD(S) are opposing the BSY-government’s decision to name a flyover after the freedom fighter and Hindutva ideologue Veer Savarkar, terming it as an insult to freedom fighters of the state.

Former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy has attacked the BJP saying that there are many leaders hailing from the state who have contributed to the development of Karnataka and naming Yelahanka flyover after Savarkar is an attempt to humiliate them.

Taking to Twitter, HD Kumaraswamy said, “The state government’s decision to nominate Savarkar for the Yelahanka bridge is a disgrace to those who have struggled for the state’s development and prosperity. This will not do good to those who have struggled for the state’s development and prosperity. This will not do good to the state government”.

Echoing similar sentiments, former Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah also said the naming of the flyover was an insult to freedom fighters of the land.

“Naming the flyover after Savarkar is testament to the fact that the administration is not being run by an elected government, but those working behind the curtains,” Siddaramaiah said.

BJP responds to opposition’s attack

Defending the decision, Yelahanka MLA SR Vishwanath said, there was nothing wrong in naming the flyover after a freedom fighter who has contributed to the national movement. He said Veer Savarkar was a national icon, who was jailed and suffered punishment for the sake of the country.

He also said the naming has done by following all legality and BBMP council has approved. He added that all formalities have been completed and only after that, the naming has been planned. No objection was filed by any opposition leaders in the council meeting, said MLA Vishwanath while speaking to TV9.

Rejecting the opposition’s claim that the naming of flyover after Savarkar was an insult to local leaders, the BJP MLA said that the government has named various parks, flyovers after Basavanna, Valmiki, Kempegowda, Kuvempu, etc and also asserted that Veer Savarkar is not just a state leader but is a respectful national leader…

“The construction of the flyover started three years ago and for the last two months, we have been trying to procure permission to name the flyover after Veer Savarkar. After suggestions from people, our corporator filed a proposal with the BBMP. The palike has granted us permission to name the flyover after Savarkar,” said Vishwanath.

He also said people who are opposing the naming of flyover after Veer Savarkar should not be using it, instead should use the service road.

Union government amends Companies Act, PM CARES Fund now eligible to receive funds through CSR

OpIndia Staff
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Union government amends Companies Act, PM CARES Fund now eligible to receive funds through CSR

The Ministry of Corporate Affairs has brought in a Gazetted notification that will allow PM CARES fund to receive Corporate Social Responsibility fund from the Companies.

The notification was issued on May 26 by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, it states that Sub-section (1) of section 467 of the companies act 2013 has been amended to make PM CARES fund eligible to receive CSR funding from corporates.

Before this, only the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund was eligible to get CSR funding. The donations made by the Corporates to PM CARES in the last couple of months will now be considered as CSR contributions.

The notification states, “In Schedule VII, item (viii), after the words ‘Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund’, the words ‘or Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund)’ shall be inserted.”

The notification stated that it will be implemented with a retrospective effect and shall deem to have come into force on March 28. The MCA had issued a notification on the same date saying that contribution towards PM CARES Fund is eligible as a CSR activity, but the relevant section of the Companies Act was not amended.

Corporate Social Responsibility

Corporate Social Responsibility aims to contribute to the societal goals of a philanthropic, activist, or charitable nature by engaging in or supporting volunteering or ethically-oriented practices. CSR is mandatory for the companies with net worth with 500 crores and more, or companies with a turnover of more than 1,000 crores or greater, or companies with a net profit of 5 crores or more.

According to section 135 of the Companies Act, companies have to spend 2% of its average net profit in the last three years towards fulfilling its corporate social responsibilities.

The PM CARES fund

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had constituted Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations on 27 March and appealed the citizens of the country to monetarily contribute towards this effort by making donations.

The public charitable trust with the name ‘Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund’ (PM CARES Fund)’ is a dedicated national fund with the objective of dealing with any kind of emergency or distress situation, like the current Covid-19 pandemic. Prime Minister is the Chairman of this trust, and its members include Defence Minister, Home Minister and Finance Minister.

The fund consists entirely of voluntary contributions from individuals/organizations and does not get any budgetary support.

The donations made to PM CARES Fund will be exempted from Income Tax under section 80(G) of the Income Tax act. PM CARES fund also got exemption under FCRA and a separate account for receiving foreign donations has been opened and will be made operational soon.

Journalist Rana Ayyub lies, shares a video on Instagram to claim a passenger on-board Shramik train had died of hunger

OpIndia Staff
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Journalist Rana Ayyub lies, shares a video on Instagram to claim a passenger on-board Shramik train had died of hunger

India is in the midst of a raging coronavirus outbreak as the number of infected continue to soar at an alarming rate. However, even during such difficult times, when an intractable pandemic is sweeping through the country, there exist certain individuals who are unabashedly exploiting the calamity to further their nefarious propaganda against the central government.

Recently, journalist Rana Ayyub took to Instagram to hold the government in the dock for being accountable for the death of the woman, who she claims died because the government did not provide her with food and water on board and the interminable delays caused by the train.

“Trigger alert. She had taken a train from Gujarat. A train that took multiple diversions, served no food onboard. At Muzaffarpur station, she collapsed of hunger and died. Her child here trying to wake his dead mother. How do we sleep at night? This is no death, this is a cold-blooded murder,” Rana Ayyub posted on her Instagram account along with a hard-rending video of a child trying to wake his mother.

Image Source: Instagram

The truth of the death of a woman at Muzaffarpur station

In her Instagram post, Ayyub claimed that the woman “collapsed” on the Muzaffarpur railway station and died of starvation. However, the truth about the passing away of the concerned woman starkly contrasts with her figment of the imagination. According to the sources in the Railways Ministry, the woman, who was travelling with her sister, husband and two children, was suffering from a prolonged illness and had died in the train during the journey.

The Railway sources further said that the Inspector-in-Charge of Railway Protection Force and Deputy SP Headquarters GRP Muzaffarpur, Mr Ramakant Upadhyay were informed about the death of the woman in the train and after securing permission from station in-charge, the body of the deceased was disembarked at the Muzaffarpur railway station and was subsequently examined by the Muzaffarpur Railway Division doctor.

The woman was suffering from prior ailments but Ayyub not only falsely claimed that the woman died of hunger, but she also weaved an imaginary story that the woman crumpled on the Muzaffarpur station before dying. Rana’s assertion that the woman died of hunger also doesn’t hold water as Indian Railways has clarified multiple times over that passengers on-board Shramik trains are provided with food, water and proper medical assistance.

Despite multiple clarifications, a certain section of the media is working overtime to prove that the government is negligent.

Railways calls out misleading reports that claim lack of food and water on Shramik Trains

Indian Railways has called out the misleading reports that are attributing deaths due to prior ailments to negligence by the railways. On Wednesday, May 27, 2020, Jagran published news claiming that four people died on Shramik Express due to negligence. The report states that the migrant workers onboard Shramik Express have been deprived of food and water and cast aspersions that some of the migrants who died on these trains died due to lack of basic food and water.

However, the Indian Railways took to Twitter to rubbish the misinformation being spread regards to deaths on-board. Indian Railways asserted that medical assistance is provided to every passenger in case of emergencies. Moreover, food and water are provided on the Shramik Express trains for all passengers.

On Tuesday, Indian Railways had rebutted Dainik Bhaskar report which had claimed that lack of food and water on Shramik Express trains is leading to death of migrant workers. In its report, Bhaskar chalks up deaths of passengers to negligence observed by the railways. However, the Indian Railways categorically rejected the assertions made in the Bhaskar report, claiming that the cause of death of others onboard cannot be ascertained till the postmortem reports are out. One of the dead, a 4 year old Mohammad Irshad, had passed away while boarding the train from Muzaffarpur to Betiya. The Railways clarified that the child was ill and was returning from Delhi after treatment. 

Uttar Pradesh govt to provide employment opportunities to 2.16 lakh migrants and unemployed youths

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh govt to provide employment opportunities to 2.16 lakh migrants and unemployed youths

The state government in UP is introducing several schemes to provide employment opportunities to the migrant workers and unemployed in Uttar Pradesh. Efforts are underway to introduce various schemes for rural development to create self-employment opportunities in the state through Khadi and Village Industries Board and to connect the unemployed with self-employed. This move is expected to open employment opportunities to a large number of people, including migrant workers.

Reportedly, the Khadi board has outlined 12 plans and programs in this order. Principal Secretary of Khadi and village industries Dr. Navneet Sehgal said that under the prescribed timetable, a target has been set to provide employment opportunities to 1,45,528 people under various schemes in the next one to seven months. He stated that these arrangements have been made to make the Maati art program more effective.

He informed that there will be 2700 matriculated common facility centers in 9 districts of the state. Their operations will provide employment opportunities to 10,500 people. Sehgal said that with the establishment of 2,572 units under the Prime Minister employment generation program 20576 people will be provided employment.

Target to set up 800 units

As per reports, there is a target to set up 800 units under the Chief Minister Gramodyog Rozgar Yojana in which 16000 people will get employment opportunities. Similarly, 1000 people will be trained under the Solar Charkha distribution and training program.

Under the Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marketing assistance program fifty thousand and under toolkit scheme 1200 self-employed people will get a toolkit. 300 beneficiaries have been provisioned under the Honey mission.

300 additional people will be given employment opportunities by increasing the capacity of blanket factories operating in the state. Sehgal said that all the formalities to start the operation of the hand paper center in Jalaun’s Kalpi have been completed since June. This center will also provide employment opportunities to a large number of people.

He stated that Khadi production centers are being strengthened to provide employment opportunities to 3,075 youth/women in the state. In addition 42,497 people will be linked with self-employment by providing training in various other fields.

Himachal Pradesh: Mahila Congress leader Suman Chaudhary and others booked for trying to stop cremation of a Coronavirus patient

OpIndia Staff
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Himachal Pradesh: Mahila Congress leader Suman Chaudhary and others booked for trying to stop cremation of a Coronavirus patient

A senior Mahila Congress leader along with three councillors have been booked under Epidemics act for obstructing in the cremation proceedings of a coronavirus deceased patient. Suman Chaudhary, who is Chief of Mahila congress in Mandi in Himachal Pradesh allegedly interrupted the way of an ambulance to the cremation ground carrying a patient who was declared dead on Monday.

Suman Chaudhary along with three Congress councillors has been booked under various sections of the Indian penal code and Epidemics Diseases act. As per officials, the Congress leader along with others came in the road and blocked the passage which led to the cremation ground which interrupted the way of an ambulance which was carrying a deceased woman who was suffering from coronavirus.

This act of Congress leader has ended up bringing shame to the congress party. The Mahila Congress leader on one side expressed her concern for corona warriors on social media by saying “corona ko harana hai, manavta ko bachana hai”, on the other side she puts obstructions in the cremation proceedings of a coronavirus deceased.

The coronavirus patient was a 63-year old kidney patient who died at Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Government Medical College Nerchowk in Mandi on Monday. The deceased was being taken to the cremation ground at her native place for the last rites when they met with the congress leader who created a ruckus along with others.

1100-year-old monolithic sandstone Shivling unearthed in Vietnam’s Cham temple complex in My Son Sanctuary

OpIndia Staff
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1100-year-old monolithic sandstone Shivling unearthed in Vietnam’s Cham temple complex in My Son Sanctuary

The Archaeological Survey of India on Wednesday unearthed an 1100-year-old monolithic sandstone Shivling during its conservation project at Vietnam’s Cham temple complex in My Son Sanctuary. The structure dates back to the 9th century.

India’s External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar who shared the news on Twitter termed it as ‘Reaffirming a civilisational connect’. He applauded the Archeological Survey of India for its efforts.

The 9th-century fully intact Shivling is part of a complex of Hindu temples which were constructed by the Champa Empire between 4th century CE and 13th century CE in My Son sanctuary, in Quảng Nam province, central Vietnam.

The Minister of External Affairs added that the excavation was a part of a recent conservation project where India’s ASI is also involved. It is notable here that India has been helping several South-East Asian nations in preservation and restoration works of ancient sites.

President Ramnath Kovind had visited the My Son sanctuary in 2018 and had informed that ASI is helping in the preservation works in the ancient Hindu site.

My Son sanctuary, Vietnam

My Son sanctuary in Vietnam is a designated UNESCO world heritage centre and a home to a cluster of Hindu temples built over 10 centuries. The temples there are dedicated to Lord Shiva, known under various local names, the most important of which is Bhadreshvara.

The UNESCO site describes the ancient complex as follows: “Between the 4th and 13th centuries, a unique culture which owed its spiritual origins to Indian Hinduism developed on the coast of contemporary Viet Nam. This is graphically illustrated by the remains of a series of impressive tower-temples located in a dramatic site that was the religious and political capital of the Champa Kingdom for most of its existence.”

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