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When in 2012 NDTV featured prominently and was mocked in a segment about ‘Spreading Lies’ on American series ‘The Newsroom’

In India, NDTV is fondly known as the channel that has a long history of spreading unconscionable and shameless lies. The channel has over the years managed to accomplish massive feats. From financial frauds, peddling the Pakistan agenda, undermining India, spreading lies to even endangering lives during the 26/11 terror attack. But little did we know that NDTV has another feather on its cap – getting mocked internationally in an American TV show ‘The Newsroom’ in 2012.

A video went viral where, in Season 1, Episode 4 of ‘The Newsroom’, which was aired in 2012, a segment on ‘Spreading Lies’ featured NDTV. The video was shared by Advocate J Sai Deepak on Twitter.

Read: 7 times NDTV and its journalists peddled narratives that went against Indian national interests

In the segment of this episode, Will McAnoy played by Jeff Daniels, who is the anchor and managing editor of News Night, a show on the fictional ‘Atlantic Cable News’ channel, is presenting the news where he talks about how lies are spread halfway across the world before the truth has the time to put its boots on.

While speaking about lies that travel half the world, he brings up an NDTV article from 2010 when then-President Obama was set to visit Mumbai, India to hold talks with Indian Prime Minister to bolster trade ties. He says that such trips typically cost 5$ million per day. Then, the anchor quotes an NDTV article that quoted anonymous sources in the Maharashtra government saying that the trip was to cost $200 million per day.

Screengrab from the episode

The episode then mocks how the American media ran with this story without even trying to find out what the reality was despite the White House issuing a statement that the news was false.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnWH_VkqlOM]

Being named and mocked on an American TV show like The Newsroom is a feat that most thought even NDTV, with its terrible reputation could not achieve, however, it seems to have done the impossible.

To be fair to NDTV, though, the story which was originally published by NDTV in 2010 was a PTI agency feed.

NDTV article from 2010

The PTI feed said:

“The huge amount of around $200 million would be spent on security, stay and other aspects of the Presidential visit,” a top official of the Maharashtra Government privy to the arrangements for the high-profile visit said.

About 3,000 people including Secret Service agents, US government officials and journalists would accompany the President. Several officials from the White House and US security agencies are already here for the past one week with helicopters, a ship and high-end security instruments”. 

Read: A day after anchor brazens it out, NDTV apologises for her blatant lie against Assam CM in an attempt to discredit his policy

However, this news was categorically denied by US officials at the time. But as is the nature of fake-news outlet NDTV, the US response was never added to the article in question.

The Newsroom is an American television political drama series created and principally written by Aaron Sorkin that premiered on HBO on June 24, 2012, and concluded on December 14, 2014, consisting of 25 episodes over three seasons, with 52 to 73 minute long episodes.

Read: Bankruptcy looms over NDTV as auditor’s review shows a grim picture

The series chronicles behind-the-scenes events at the fictional Atlantis Cable News (ACN) channel. It features an ensemble cast including Jeff Daniels as anchor Will McAvoy who, together with his staff, sets out to put on a news show “in the face of corporate and commercial obstacles and their own personal entanglements”. Other cast members include Emily Mortimer, John Gallagher Jr., Alison Pill, Thomas Sadoski, Dev Patel, Olivia Munn, and Sam Waterston. The American TV show won several awards.

‘Save me, I don’t want to die, want to see them sentenced to death’: Unnao rape victim dies of cardiac arrest after suffering 90% burns

The 23-year-old Unnao rape survivor, who was burnt alive by the five accused in Sindupur village in Unnao district on Thursday, had told her family that she did not want to die but wished to see the accused sentenced to death, reports India Today.

The 23-year-old woman died on Friday night after hours of fighting at the Safdarjung Hospital, Delhi. She was earlier admitted to a Lucknow hospital on Thursday with 90 per cent burns and was later airlifted to Delhi for further treatment.

“Usne kaha ki bhahiya mujhe bacha lo, mujhe marna nahi hai. Jinhonne mere sath ye kiya hai, unhe mai maut ki saza paatey dekhna chahti hu [she told me that brother, please save me, I don’t want to die. Those who have done this to me, I want to see them getting a death sentence]” the brother of rape survivor told India Today TV.

The victim was attacked on early hours of Thursday by the accused when she along with her family were on their way to a court in Rae Bareli to attend a hearing in the rape case. The five men also included the two who were accused of raping the woman in December.

Read: Uttar Pradesh: Rape survivor set on fire by her out-on-bail rapists in Unnao, victim suffers 90% burn

However, the victim suffered a cardiac arrest at 11:10 pm on Friday night at the Safdarjung hospital and passed away at 11:40 pm, the Sardurjung Hospital spokesperson confirmed.

Her family had alleged that their relatives have been getting death threats for pursuing this case. “We have faith on the police but if they fail to protect us, we will have to protect ourselves,” the Unnao rape survivor’s brother said.

On the early hours of Thursday, Tthe 23-year-old rape survivor was set on fire by pouring kerosene on her by five men, including the duo who are accused of raping her a year ago. The incident occurred at Sindupur village under the Bihar police station area on the wee hours of Thursday and has caused tension in the area.

Read: BJP demands an apology from two Congress MPs for their “threatening posture” towards Smriti Irani during debate on Unnao rape

The rape accused and his friends dragged the woman outside of her village, took her into the fields and doused her in petrol before setting her on fire. She was raped by the five men in March while the police could manage to arrest only three of them and two others were still on the run.

Reportedly, the rape victim survivor was going to Raebareli with her parents to pursue the case at 4 am on Wednesday when she was attacked. The survivor was immediately rushed to the district hospital and then referred to Civil Hospital in Lucknow after her condition deteriorated.

All the five accused, including Hari Shankar Trivedi, Shivam and Shubham Trivedi, have been arrested by the Uttar Pradesh police.

The death of the Unnao rape victim comes at a time when there is a raging debate regarding the failure of the justice delivery system in the country leading to situations similar to Hyderabad encounter in which the police officials encountered the four accused who had raped and murdered the 27-year-old veterinary doctor.

‘Shame to our country’s democratic history’, says WB Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar after he finds the assembly gate for him locked

The already strained relationship between West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar and WB chief minister Mamata Banerjee suffered yet another jolt as yesterday Dhankhar was made to wait in front of locked Gate no 3 of the state Assembly, designated for the governor.

Claiming it to be the CM’s conspiracy to ‘insult’ him, Dhankhar said the “humiliation” meted out to the governor’s post has put the country’s democratic history to “shame”. In his infuriation, he even asked the journalists to go and hold Mamata Banerjee accountable over this.

“Assembly Secretariat is opened throughout the year, assembly not being in session does not mean that the secretariat is closed”, said the irked Governor.


After standing for some time before the locked gates that are customarily opened when the state governor visits the assembly, Dhankhar entered the assembly premises through Gate no 4, meant for media persons and officials.

“Why is gate no 3 closed? Despite my prior intimation, the gate is closed. The Assembly being adjourned does not mean it is closed,” he said.

While talking to the media outside the Assembly, the governor also accused the assembly speaker of insulting him by cancelling a scheduled meeting “at the last moment”.

“The assembly speaker had invited me for lunch today. But it was cancelled at the last moment. This is an insult and points to a conspiracy,” Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar told reporters outside the assembly. “Why is the gate no 3 closed? Despite my prior intimation, the gate is closed. The Assembly being adjourned does not mean it is closed.

Dhankhar had on Wednesday written to Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee expressing his desire to look into its facilities and also visit the library.

“After I had informed about my visit, the special secretary of Raj Bhavan, received a message inviting me and my wife for a lunch by the speaker. I accepted it.

“But within one-and-half hours of receiving the message, my special secretary received another message from the Assembly secretary, stating that the invite stands cancelled. He was also told that the secretary and special secretary of the Assembly will not be present during my visit,” the governor said after coming out of the Assembly.

Slamming Mamata Banerjee for being discourteous to the constitutional posts, the governor said he will not be “cowed down” by such “antics” of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC).

West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankhar and the state CM Mamata Banerjee has not been sharing a very cordial relationship. Umpteen number of times on different occasions the duo have been in loggerheads with each other.

Recently, the Governor took to Twitter to criticise Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and posted a series of tweets, including one reportedly referring to him as “Tu cheez badi hai mast mast”.

On the occasion of the Constitution Day programme in the state Assembly, when the WB Governor and the CM had got involved is a verbal spat all over again, a phenomenon which has become quite a routine in the West Bengal these days, the Governor shared a tweet claiming that the post of the constitutional head of the state has been “seriously compromised”.

In an embedded video, the CM was seen thanking speakers and guests who took part in the event to mark 70 years of the adoption of the Constitution. While naming all the other dignitaries, she mentioned Dhankhar at the end.

He also shared another clip of Banerjee paying floral tribute to a statue of Dr BR Ambedkar along with former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, and ex-governors of West Bengal Shyamal Sen, MK Narayanan and others, claiming that she was missing at the time when he paid flower tributes at the statue of Dr Ambedkar.

Dhankhar’s tweets came after the duo chose to take a dig at each other during a special session of the Assembly. Though the duo were not spotted directly communicating or exchange greetings with each other on that day, the Chief Minister had made veiled attacks at the Governor after he left the venue.

The differences between the West Bengal CM and the governor have been very public. Expressing anguish over the seating arrangement for him at the Durga Puja carnival hosted by Mamata Banerjee, Dhankhar had said that he felt “humiliated, deeply pained and disturbed” by the treatment meted out to him.

Later, Mamata Banerjee’s refusal to provide the Governor with a helicopter to travel to Farakka in Murshidabad district and Santiniketan in Birbhum district had also been cited as the cause of a seemingly bitter relationship between the CM and the governor.

Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar applies for Indian citizenship, says he wants to end the ‘Canadian passport’ controversy

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Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar, who has been under the firing line of many critics for giving up his Indian citizenship and embracing Canadian citizenship, has announced that he is soon going to surrender his Canadian passport and resume his Indian citizenship.


Speaking at the Hindustan Times Leadership summit, Akshay Kumar said that he indeed is mulling over giving up his Canadian passport and embracing Indian citizenship.

Talking about the citizenship issue, Akshay Kumar said that during the early phase of his career in Bollywood, around 14-15 movies of him had flopped. At that time one his closest friends, who stays in Canada, advised him to move to Canada to work with him. After that, he started the process of moving to Canada, and he got his Canadian passport. But by the time he was granted Canadian citizenship, his 15th movie became a superhit, and he stayed back in India and moved on with his successful career in Bollywood, not looking back. During this time, he didn’t think about changing his citizenship again.

But now that he is being questioned for his citizenship, it hurts him, Akshay Kumar said. He added that he does not his distractors to use the issue to target him, and he has already applied for Indian citizenship, and it will be granted soon.

His interview cna be watched from the 36th minutes onwards in the video below.


In the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections 2019, Akshay Kumar’s interview with PM Modi had sent the Modi detractors round the bend, following which a coordinated campaign was run to discredit Kumar by raising aspersions about his citizenship.

Akshay had to then issue a clarification about his citizenship. In a strongly-worded official statement released by Akshay, he had said, “I really don’t understand the unwarranted interest and negativity about my citizenship. I have never hidden or denied that I hold a Canadian passport. It is also equally true that I have not visited Canada in the last seven years. I work in India, and pay all my taxes in India.”


However, despite his clarification, the critiques and kept questioning his decision to give up Indian citizenship and accepting the seductive wilderness of Canada. Undeterred by the naysayers, Kumar proudly wears patriotism on his sleeves and routinely helps the Indian government. ‘Bharat Ke Veer’ initiative, that provided direct financial aid to the families of the martyred soldiers, was a brainchild of Akshay Kumar. Kumar also vowed to donate Rs 5 crores to the soldiers after the ghastly attack in Pulwama by a Pakistani backed terrorist killed 40 CRPF personnel. Akshay Kumar recently also donated Rs 2 crores- 1 crore each for Assam floods and Kaziranga Park rescue.

Earlier there were confusions about Akshay Kumar’s citizenship as he had implied that his Canadian citizenship was honorary in an interview with a news channel. But later it was revealed that he had taken normal citizenship of Canada and it was not honorary citizenship, as the official list of honorary citizenship granted by Canada didn’t feature his name.

Can’t form a nation by creating website: MEA confirms cancellation of Nityananda’s passport, comments on his bizarre claims

Calling the claim of rape-accused Nityananda of forming a new country – Kailaasa through his website, ‘bizarre’, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said: ‘You can’t form a nation by creating a website’.

Kumar while attending the regional media engagement of the MEA, confirmed that no agency has yet approached the Ministry with information on the whereabouts of Nithyananda, who is absconding.


“We act on the advice of the agencies which report to us about such cases. We have to be informed that the person is believed to be living in this country along with the request for extradition. We have not received any such information on Nithyananda. Once we receive it, we will be happy to cooperate,” he said.

Confirming that the self-styled godman’s Indian passport has been cancelled, MEA cleared that the Ministry cannot act suo motu on the recent developments in connection with Nithyananda, who is suspected of hiding on an island off the Ecuador coast unless there is a communication from any of the agencies probing his case.

As the police continue to look for rape-accused self-styled godman Nithyananda who is suspected to have fled the country dodging the security agencies, reports are doing the rounds suggesting that absconding godman Swami Nithyananda’s legal team is hard at work on the draft of a petition to the UN seeking recognition for his “sovereign nation of Kailaasa”.

The rape-accused on his website claimed to have formed a new nation of his own called ‘Kailaasa’. Described as the greatest Hindu nation on earth on the website, Kailaasa has own flag and emblem.

The website – kailaasa.org – heaps praises on Nithyananda. It even has its own Wikipedia page called Nithyanandapedia which mentions, “Nithyanandapedia is an effort to capture all the knowledge and expressions shared by His Divine Holiness Bhagavan Sri Nithyananda Paramashivam – to have a one-stop-shop combining all His teachings in form of videos, audio, text, books, etc – combined with photographs that try and capture all the services He has offered and continues to offer to the world.”

Read: Swami Nithyananda sets up private island nation named Kailaasa near Ecuador, request the UN to recognise it

The website claims Kailaasa is a nation without borders created by dispossessed Hindus from around the world who lost the right to practice Hinduism in their own countries. It offers universal free food, healthcare and education and seeks to revive the temple-based religious culture. The authenticity of the website is yet to be established.

According to Gujarat police, the self-styled ‘Swami’ Nityananda, accused of kidnapping and wrongful confinement of children to make them collect donations from followers to run his ashram in Ahmedabad, who has been missing since long, has fled the country.

Recently, an FIR was lodged against Swami Nityananda after police recorded statements of the four children who were rescued from a flat and the ashram, ‘Yogini Sarvagyapeetham’ situated on the premises of Delhi Public School in Ahmedabad, after a couple, Janardana Sharma and his wife, had petitioned the Gujarat High Court for help to get back two daughters who they alleged had been illegally confined at Swami Nityananda’s ashram.

The Gujarat police have been working relentlessly to gather concrete evidence against him after two of his disciples in remand confirmed that the controversial guru has fled abroad.

Nithyananda, who is over 40 years old, is a native of Tamil Nadu and his real name is Rajashekharan. He set up his ashram at Bidadi on Bengaluru-Mysore highway almost 20 years ago. Nithyananda, who first hit the national headlines for his alleged video in a compromising position with an actress in early 2010, has been a highly controversial figure. In June last year, a Karnataka court had framed charges against Nithyananda in a rape case. Since then the self-styled godman has been untraceable.

Abduction and false charges against Balochistan women will strengthen the Baloch resistance movement

On the 29th of November, news broke out from the war-torn region of Awaran Balochistan, that Pakistani paramilitary forces have forcefully abducted two Baloch women along with their male family members. Within the next 24 hours, two more Baloch women were abducted from Awaran region during an army operation. The abducted women were identified as Hameeda Bibi Baloch, Nazal Bibi Baloch, Sakina Bibi Baloch and Sayad Bibi Baloch. All the abducted Baloch ladies were kept in a Military torture cell for one day and then handed over to the levies forces. After forty-eight hours of illegal detention and torture, the Baloch women have been falsely charged for terrorism and carrying grenades and other weapons.

Similarly, Pakistani forces have abducted three Baloch women from Dera Bugti along with their family members. Abducted women from Dera Bugti identified as Sammi Khatoon, Nasibo Khatoon and Dur Bibi. The whereabouts of these women still remain unknown.

The news of the abduction of Baloch women is not surprising for people of Balochistan because the Pakistani army has previously abducted Baloch women and later they were released. In some cases, women were detained and abused as a sex slave by Pakistani military personnel, but this time the Pakistani forces have not just abducted Baloch women and tortured them but they’ve also charged them with bogus cases as well.

The Baloch Political and Human rights organisations, Social Media activists and the leaders of Baloch armed forces have condemned this inhuman act and they’ve all vowed to do their best to expose the real face of the brutal state of Pakistan.

Read: Pakistan plundering Balochistan, we appeal PM Modi to support freedom struggle: Dr Allah Nazar Baloch of BLF speaks exclusively to OpIndia

The chief of Balochistan Liberation Front  Dr Allah Nizar in his statement condemned the abduction of Baloch women abducted from Awaran and Dera Bugti region of Balochistan. He also criticised the so-called Baloch Nationalist who are sitting in parliament and supporting the state brutality silently.

Similarly, Bashir Zeb Baloch the chief of Baloch Liberation Army (Most Lethal Armed organisation of Balochistan) and very close companion of ex BLA chief General Aslam Baloch, have condemned the abduction of Baloch women from Awaran and Dera Bugti. In his statement, he said that until we don’t teach them (Pakistan) a lesson we don’t hit them hard we cannot guarantee the safety and security of our mothers and sisters. He further said that Pakistan is repeating the history of Bangladesh in Balochistan by abusing women and children.

According to sources the former chief of BLA and one of the founding member of the organisation General Aslam Baloch in one his interview has already mentioned that “if the Pakistani forces abduct Baloch women and torture them or kill them then the Baloch armed forces will also take extreme measures to teach a lesson to the Pakistani forces and to ensure the safety of Baloch women.”

Read: India must change its modus operandi towards Balochistan to have an upper hand over Pakistan and China

The recent abduction of Baloch women will further strengthen the Baloch resistance movement. The abduction of Baloch women may also give more reason to Baloch Sarmachars (Freedom fighters) to carry out more lethal attacks on the Pakistani army and to take extreme measures to revenge these inhuman acts.

Recent incidents of abduction of Baloch women are also a wake-up call for all the Baloch activists in the diaspora to play their due role to expose the dirty face of the Pakistani military and paramilitary forces. Those of us living in exile is supposed to be the voice of these innocent people and we must not confuse the political nature of Baloch national question with a human rights one. Pakistani army carrying out all these brutalities just because to suppress the Baloch freedom movement and to blackmail the Baloch activists and forcing them to surrender by abducting the women of their families. This is our duty to tell the world that their silence is simply giving Pakistan a good reason to carry out atrocities against Baloch people in Balochistan without the fear of being accountable to anyone. If the world failed to stop Pakistan in Balochistan they’ll never be able to achieve peace in the region and across the world.

As we have witnessed on many occasions Pakistan’s crying over Kashmir and demanding freedom and rights for the people of Kashmir advocating for the rights of Kashmiri women and on the very same time the very same Pakistani forces are involved in abducting, molesting and raping Baloch women. All these inhumane and unjustified actions of the Pakistan army go unnoticed by local and international media because of the media blackout in Balochistan. This is the responsibility of the local and international media to fulfil their duty by reporting the news of the abductions of Baloch women and also raise awareness about what is happening in Balochistan.

The Baloch nation hopes that Afghanistan and India will not keep silent on this serious and heinous crime of Pakistani state against humanity. The Baloch nation also expects from the neighbouring countries to raise this serious issue on every platform across the world. The Afghan, Baloch and Indian alliance is also important for regional peace and stability.  If Afghan and Indian government wants no more terror attacks on their soil and to live with peace and harmony then they must have to support Baloch in their war of liberation and to dismantle Pakistan immediately because with Pakistan it is impossible to achieve peace.

‘Hardik go back’: Students chant slogan against Hardik Patel and Jignesh Mewani as they try to join students’ protests in Gandhinagar

Students in Gandhinagar, Gujarat have been protesting against the alleged malpractices that happen during the recently conducted Bin Sachivalay examinations. The protesting students have been demanding the cancellation of the non-secretariat clerk examination. As the agitation entered its third day on Friday, the convicted Congress leader Hardik Patel and Congress supported Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani reached Swarnim Park, where the students had been protesting, to extend their support to the students.

As the duo tried and politicised the issue by criticising the central government, the students showed their disapproval on their presence by saying that they don’t care about these politicians and don’t even know why they were there.


Milan Rathod, an aspirant who had given the Bin Sachivalay exam said, “We don’t know why they are here. We don’t care about the politicians. We want them to leave. We only want students who are here, the ones who are sitting and listening are part of NSUI (student wing of the Indian National Congress).”

Another aspirant shared his pain and said that all students wanted to leave at night, but some stayed back because of the leaders. “We are happy with the SIT probe. We are waiting for its investigation to conclude. Here, they are only talking about where the central government went wrong. When asked about their plans to fulfil our demand for cancellation of the exam, they have no answers,” shared Dhaval Ahir, another aspirant.

Read: Man who slapped Hardik Patel at a rally in Gujarat explains why he did it

Hardik and Jignesh, however, tried to justify their presence by saying: “We are here only to motivate the students to fight for their rights. We are not trying to be the face of this protest. We will stay here till the students stay here,” said Hardik Patel while addressing the media.

On Thursday too, Hardik Patel who visited the site to extend his support was chased away by the students with “Hardik go back” slogans. In an embarrassing moment for the young Congress leader, students had interrupted his speech with their chants.

However, on Thursday night, the convicted Congress leader went back to the protest site at Swarnim Park near Mahatma Mandir and had addressed the students who were still there. He claimed that it was only some ‘elements’ who were chanting against him.

Last month on the 17th of November, there was an examination held for the recruitment of junior clerks and office assistants on behalf of Gujarat Secondary Service Preference Board. More than 10 lakh candidates had participated in this examination. The students have now alleged that there was malpractice in the examination and sought cancellation of the exam held for recruiting 3,910 non-secretariat clerks and office assistants.

The state government on Thursday announced the formation of a four-member SIT under a senior bureaucrat to probe alleged irregularities, including mass-copying and paper leak.

While a section of candidates welcomed the government’s move, others are sticking to their demand for cancellation of the exam. Amidst all this, Congress leader’s attempt to use this situation to their benefit backfired as the students vociferously communicated their disapproval on their interference in the issue.

Hindu Mahasabha to also file review petition against Ayodhya verdict, opposes 5 acres land provision for Muslim parties

Its been almost a month since SC’s verdict over the Ram Janmabhoomi title suit was pronounced on November 9, but the litigants are yet to come to terms with the judgement.

The Hindu Mahasabha has today decided to file a review petition against the judgement wherein the apex court also granted 5 acres of land at an alternate site at a prominent location in Ayodhya to the Sunni Waqf Board to rebuild the Masjid which was demolished in 1992.

Moreover, the Peace Party of India is also set to file a petition to review the Supreme Court’s verdict in the Ayodhya land dispute case. The party’s National President Dr Muhammad Ayub is likely to file the review petition in Supreme Court on Friday.

According to sources, a total of four petitioners, assisted by All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), are likely to file a review petition in the matter. December 6, has been chosen for filing of the petition because it would the anniversary of Babri Masjid demolition, sources said.

Meanwhile, Maulana Syed Ashhad Rashidi, the president of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind had also filed a review petition against the Ayodhya Verdict that had awarded the ownership of the Ram Janmabhoomi to the Hindu side on December 2.

Since the Apex Court’s verdict was out on November 9, the Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind (JuH), a key Muslim litigant in the Ayodhya title suit has made such flip-flops several times.

Read: Sunni Waqf Board will not file review petition against Ayodhya Verdict, to decide on land offer later

The Sunni Waqf Board, however, had held a meeting and had stated that it will not file any review petition against the verdict. It had also stated that it will decide later on whether to take the 5 acres of land granted by the apex court.

BJP demands apology from two Congress MPs for their “threatening posture” towards Smriti Irani during debate on Unnao rape

The BJP on Friday accused two of the Congress MPs in the lower house of parliament for “threatening posturing” while the BJP minister Smriti Irani was speaking about the Unnao rape case. The party has demanded an apology from the MPs for the same.


Smriti Irani asserted that she was chastised by a Congress MP for aggressively speaking in the Lok Sabha. She also claimed that some male MPs came towards her rolling up their sleeves and one other MP asked why did she speak at all.

Earlier, responding to Congress’ Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s remark- “Sita is being burnt while plans are afoot to build a Ram temple”, BJP minister Smriti Irani lambasted the opposition for politicising and communalising the issue of setting ablaze the Unnao rape victim.

“The shameful way in which the Congress leaders have politically connected the issues of women’s respect and security to communalism is unprecedented. Yes, it is condemnable. Setting afire a woman, rape and killing a woman is inhuman but don’t politicise the issue. Why are leaders from Bengal passing comments on heinous crimes in Hyderabad and Unnao conspicuously silent on the Malda case?” Smriti asked.

However, this did not sit well with a few Congress ministers who boldly charged towards Smriti Irani while she was rebutting Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s assertions. BJP leaders accused Congress MPs Dean Kuriakose and TN Prathapan of rushing towards Irani when she was speaking in the House.

When the House broke for lunch, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi denounced the unruly behaviour espoused by some of the MPs and asked for their apology.”This is the most condemnable behaviour. They came in a threatening position when she (Smriti Irani) was speaking. She is a lady member of the house. It is most uncalled and they should apologise.”

Another BJP leader, Meenakshi Lekhi, too sought an apology for the threatening behaviour of the Congress MPs and asked Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury to get his MPs to apologise in the House.

‘Allah’s law above all’? Jamia Millia students group plans event calling Ayodhya verdict a farce, Ramrajya ‘oppressive’

‘Students of Jamia’, an alleged students organisation in the Jamia Millia Islamia has been holding regular meetings and sharing contents that display a rather radical opinion towards the Ram Janmabhoomi verdict and calls for Muslims to politically organise to establish ‘rule by Allah’s law’.

The ‘Students of Jamia’ organisation has on its Facebook page, stated that it has a scheduled meeting at 4.40 PM Friday, December 6 at the Polytechnic lawn of the university titled “The Command of Allah Is Over Every Law”.

Students of Jamia

The event poster shared by the organisation’s Facebook page claims that “Babri Masjid is a Masjid and will remain so, lest we forget.”

Another poster shared by the organisation declares that ‘Law of Allah is above all else’ and also says ‘Babri Masjid will remain a Masjid’.

Students of Jamia

The ‘Students of Jamia’ Facebook page also shows that it has held regular events almost every Friday in the same lawn in the University premises.

The organisation has also shared posts openly declaring that they obey no law but the ‘Law of Allah’. One of their posts, shared on October 29 says “The whole world is divided on many basis. On the basis of colour, race, and above all nationality. People having love and enmity towards others on the basis of their race or their colour or which country one belongs to.”

It further says that belief in Allah is the best form of association, better than nationality or birth. It calls for all the believers of Allah to sympathise with the Palestinians on the basis of faith on Allah and hence treat the “Zionist state of Israel” as the enemy.

Students of Jamia

Another post, shared on 15 November, had called the organisation’s followers to remind them that whoever was disagreeing with them earlier will now wholeheartedly agree. The context was the Ayodhya verdict, declared on November 9. The post stated, “The courts and other institutions of this vicious system are all facades. Behind this is the dirty dark reality and we need to understand it before it unveils by itself. Because then it would be too late.”

Students Of Jamia

The post had re-shared their post form the previous year, on December 6, 2018, the anniversary of the Babri Mosque demolition.

The 2018 post, shared on the Babri demolition day, had declared that from 1948, India had seen ‘Brahmanical rule’ and the rule speaks of ‘oppression, and injustice’. It further stated that the fall of Babri was the symbolic representation of the ‘fall of Ummah’ (The rule of Muslims as an entire global community).

It stated that ‘Ramrajya’ is nothing but the flag of ‘shirk'(oppression), and the Babri demolition was the fall of the flag of ‘Tauheed'(justice).

“Those claiming the leadership of Muslims and giving a fake hope that the matter will be solved through Supreme Court or any laws being written by bunch of people for self-class benefits (whose legitimacy has never been accepted by all of them), should know that the Artificial laws, powers, people and courts will change and vanish but the reality of Mosque being a Mosque will remain till Qiyamah”, it stated.

The post also equated the ‘occupation’ of Babri with the ‘occupation’ of the Masjid Al Aqsa at Jerusalem. It declared, “The justice is unattainable till the Flag of Tawheed and the Kalima of Allah dominates over all.”

Students Of Jamia

It is notable here that some students of the University, under the condition of anonymity, have stated that the organisation holds regular meetings inside the campus, and in one of the ‘freshers meet’ events organised by the group, two professors of Jamia Milia Islamia were invited as guest speakers. The Facebook page had listed Prof Muhammad Rafat and Asst Prof Abrar Ahmed as the speakers.

The students stated that the group carries out its activities and meetings unabated and with complete awareness of the university administration. Their statements often call for the subversion of Indian identity and embracing of the Muslim identity. They had also reportedly held events where they had declared support for Palestine and condemned Israel.

An October 4 post shared by the group condemns an Israel-sponsored event at the Faculty of Architecture and says that allowing any event by Israel is against the founding principles of the university.

The students also added that though the university has a rule that forbids events organised on campus lawn without express permission from the administration, this particular group ‘Students of Jamia’ have been holding meets almost every Friday.

When OpIndia tried reaching out to the Public Relations Officer of Jamia Millia Islamia, Mr Ahmed Azeem, we were told that he was not aware of any such event being held at that time, and he will talk to the proctor first about it and let us know after that. He added the university does not sanction its premises to be used for political purposes, and stated that any student group’s event too, has to first seek permission from the university proctor before using any lawn or ground inside the premises.

The deputy proctor of the university, Mr SM Mahmood, told us that the event was indeed planned at 4.30 pm today but the university is not allowing it as they have not sought prior permission. He also added that though ‘there is no ban on events’, the event has to be held at a designated place and seeking prior mermission is mandatory. He also confirmed that he had seen two posters of today’s events on Facebook but no permission was sought. After that the PRO Ahmed Azeem also asserted the same.

A look at the Facebook page of the students group tells that they have indeed been holding meets almost every week to discuss various issues from an Islamic point of view. Here are some of the posters shared by the group on the agenda of their past meetings.

Students of Jamia past meetings

One of the posters calls for fellow Muslim students to “be the Salahuddin of today” and calls for the “Liberation of Al-Quds (Islamic name for Jerusalem). Another poster titled “Who deserves to be your lawmaker?” declares that “Rulings belong to none but Allah”.

Even though the authorities claimed that the event was not allowed to be held, students who wish to stay anonymous are saying that the event did take place.