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Delhi Police rubbishes media reports claiming a car hit 17 people offering Namaz on Eid

Aditi
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Delhi Police rubbishes media reports claiming a car hit 17 people offering Namaz on Eid

Delhi Police has categorically denied media reports claiming that a speeding car had rammed into people offering namaz in the Khureji area of East Delhi causing injuries to at least 17 persons on Wednesday when Eid was being celebrated. News agency IANS had reported the incident, which was then picked up by various news publications.

The report by IANS had quoted a statement from Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Shahadara, Meghna Yadav confirming the injury of 17 people in the incident. This report was further picked up by publications including The Quint, India Today, India TV and Business Standard making similar claims.

However, DCP Yadav has categorically denied making such claims. When OpIndia spoke to DCP Meghna Yadav to get a confirmation, she denied giving such a statement to any news agency and termed it a ‘lie’.

“They are all lying, whichever media portal is quoting my statement claiming 17 injuries. There is no one injured,” clarified DCP Yadav in conversation with Opindia. “Three people walked into the police station much later after the incident claiming they were injured. But there was no visible injury,” she further added.

All the three who claimed to have been injured were later sent for medical examination.

DCP Yadav divulged that the place where the incident happened usually remains crowded but no namaz was being offered at the time when a speeding car passed through the area. In fact, people who were offering the prayers had already dispersed by that time.

Incidentally, the claim of injury was picked up mostly by the English media, while some reports in the Hindi media had clarified that no one was injured and no car had hit people offering namaz on Eid day.

A report in Amar Ujala for example had carried the statement by Delhi police officer that no one was injured. The report further said that the crowd assembled for namaz had indulged in stone pelting to protest the speeding car, which they feared could have caused grievous injuries to the faithfuls.

Meanwhile, some videos claiming to have captured the violent protests by the namazis have gone viral on social media:

World Bank retains forecast of 7.5% growth in FY19-20 for the Indian economy

OpIndia Staff
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World Bank retains forecast of 7.5% growth in FY19-20 for the Indian economy

The World Bank has stated that the India Economy is poised to retain a 7.5 per cent growth for the next three years on the back of strong investment and private consumption.

In its Global Economic Prospects released by the International Bank on Tuesday, it pegged India’s growth in the fiscal year 2018-2019 at 7.2 per cent. It also stated that the stagnation in government consumption was counterbalanced by robust investment, that benefitted from public infrastructure spending.

The Bank has asserted that the growth in the Indian economy will remain at 7.5 per cent, unchanged from the previous forecast, and will remain same for the next two fiscal periods, making it the world’s fastest growing economy for the next 3 years. China, on the other hand, is experiencing headwinds in its economy, with its growth rate for FY19 projected to drop to 6.2 per cent and then subsequently to 6.1 per cent in 2020 and 6 per cent in 2021.

The report mentions that the private consumption and investment will gain from rising credit growth amid more accommodative monetary policy, with inflation having dropped below the Reserve Bank of India’s target. It also added that the Support from delays in planned fiscal consolidation at the central level should partially offset the effects of political uncertainty around elections.

The outlook for South Asia remains positive with regional GDP expected to expand to 6.9 per cent in 2019, 0.2 percentage point down from previous predictions due to downward revisions for Pakistan, but it will rise up to 7 per cent in 2020 and 7.1 per cent in 2021. Pakistan’s growth is expected to slow down further at 2.7 per cent in FY19-20.

The Washington-based lender has observed the military clash between the two South-Asian neighbours in mid-February this year remained contained and the economic ramifications were not substantial. However, it added that rekindling of tensions between the two neighbours can fuel uncertainty, deflate the investors from investing in the region, an apparent remark for the Pulwama attack and the retaliatory Balakot airstrikes by India.

It further added that the comprehensive implementation of GST in India is yet to be complete and hence there is ambiguity about the GST revenue. The report mentioned that the contribution of exports to economic activity is expected to remain weak with moderate global trade growth.

Goa court rejects Congress MLA’s plea to drop charges where he is accused of ‘buying a girl’ for Rs 50 lakh

OpIndia Staff
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Goa court rejects Congress MLA’s plea to drop charges where he is accused of ‘buying a girl’ for Rs 50 lakh

The newly elected Congress MLA from Panaji, Atanasio Monserrate, will now face trial in the 2016 rape case where he was accused of ‘buying a minor girl’ for Rs 50 lakh after an additional session court in Panaji on Monday rejected MLA’s plea to drop the charges against him.

Finding credibility in the charge-sheet filed by the investigating officer, Additional District and Sessions judge, Sherin Paul, fixed June 12 for the formal framing of charges.

Atanasio ‘Babush’ Monserrate was charge-sheeted last year under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 506 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act after being booked in 2016 for allegedly raping a minor after drugging her.

Monserrate will now have to undergo trial under the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) for rape and wrongful restraint.

Expressing his displeasure at the verdict, the Congress MLA said “We are going to face trial here. We will go to the HC to tell them to expedite the matter. I want to tell them basically to finish it. Even it if goes on a daily basis I want to finish it. This order was on expected lines as my lawyers had first only told me,” he said.

Monserrate who recently won the Panaji seat during Goa bypolls has a history of changing parties. He started his political career with the United Goan Democratic Party (UGDP) and became MLA. Later, he joined the BJP in 2004 only to return to the UGDP in 2007. A few years later, he was in the Congress but was sacked for anti-party activities in 2015. He then joined the Goa Forward (GF) and was an office-bearer until he re-joined the Congress in April 2019.

In the case which goes back to 2016, the victim, then a minor, had accused Monserrate of buying her for Rs 50 lakh, drugging her and sexually assaulting her. He had spent around eight days in jail after he surrendered before the police. He was granted bail eight days later after his lawyers successfully argued that the charges against him lacked credibility. Monserrate has also been booked for extortion in the past.

Monserrate had then accused the ruling government of deliberately targeting him ahead of the 2017 Goa Assembly elections and had denied all the charges against him.

Moreover, Goa police had on May 31 booked Atanasio Monserrate along with two others for allegedly molesting a woman during an anti-encroachment drive outside a casino in the city.

The victim in her complaint against Monserrate, mayor Uday Madkaikar and former mayor Yatin Parekh alleged that the MLA and his associates abused her, pushed her and made vulgar gestures. An FIR had been filed under sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 354 (outraging modesty), 504 (breach of the peace), 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code. The MLA, however, denied the allegations and filed for anticipatory bail on June 1.

Draft National Education Policy: A great step forward in restoring Dharmic civilizational values with a modern context

amitsurg
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Draft National Education Policy: A great step forward in restoring Dharmic civilizational values with a modern context

The long-awaited National Education Policy (NEP) is finally out in draft form for public opinion before finalisation. Former HRD Minister Prakash Javdekar, who has often been a target of ridicule due to his apparent lack of initiative in detoxification of our syllabus from leftist influence, deserves compliments for presiding over and enabling a comprehensive, excellent and forward looking National Education Policy document that addresses most of the problems plaguing our education sector today and turns the direction of our education system towards core Dharmic civilizational values in a modern day relevant format.

The new Draft NEP is a big step in the right direction, with several dramatic changes that can potentially revolutionize education in our country if implemented properly. This is the first of a series of articles that deep-dives into various aspects of the NEP.

Changes in Right to Education Act

The Draft NEP acknowledges the several problems with RTE Act in its current form and suggests major modifications to this controversial and draconian Act.

The good:

  • Extension of RTE Act to pre-primary early childhood education has been limited to public education system only. “It will be obligatory for the public system to provide appropriate quality and infrastructure”.
  • Loosening of input restrictions of the RTE: “regulations on inputs will be limited to ensuring safety of children, access and inclusion, non-profit and minimum learning outcome standards”. This is a big step forward in protecting small and low-cost high-quality schools from elitist and unsatisfiable requirements under the current RTE.
  • Clause 12(1)(c) (25% free seat reservation in non-minority institutions) to be reviewed: For the first time, the government acknowledges that this clause has failed in its purpose and will be reviewed, and if on review it is decided to continue the 25% free seat reservation, it will be made applicable even on minority institutions that don’t serve primarily their minority group, and all efforts will be made towards timely settlements of dues.

The bad:

  • Extension of the Act up to 12th Grade
  • The act should ideally have been abolished and repealed as it has utterly failed in almost all its objectives.
  • A firm stand should have been taken on implementation in all educational institutions irrespective of their majority / minority status, instead of hiding behind the fig leaf of “misuse of minority status”.

Elimination of hard separation of educational steams

In what may turn out to be a lethal blow to Leftist hegemony on humanities Draft NEP has also opened up various creative dimensions in students who were compelled to choose only selected streams after 10th grade thereby limiting their creative sides. The hard separation of arts and science streams, as also curricular and extra-curricular activities will be abolished. For example, techies can now also formally pursue their interest in music or history simultaneously and obtain a legitimate degree or diploma in both subjects.

Language and literature

As per the Draft NEP, “When possible, the medium of instruction – at least until Grade 5 but preferably till at least Grade 8 – will be the home language/mother tongue/local language. Thereafter, the home/local language shall continue to be taught as a language wherever possible. High quality textbooks, including in science, will be made available in home languages as is needed and feasible.”

The Draft NEP vindicates the stand of activists who have been struggling for the language they speak at home to be made the medium of instruction. The relevant portions deserve to be reproduced here:

  • English has no advantage over other languages in expressing thoughts; Indian languages are very scientifically structured, and do not have unphonetic, complicated spellings of words and numerous grammatical exceptions; they also have a vast and highly sophisticated ancient, medieval, and modern literature in the Indian context
    Since Independence, the economic elite of India have adopted English as their language; only about 15% of the country speaks English, and this population almost entirely coincides with the economic elite.
  • The elite often use English as a test for entry into the elite class and for the jobs that they control. This attitude has kept the elite class and the jobs they control segregated from the economically weaker sections of society, which contain many hardworking, smart, high quality, highly skilled, and educated people who happen not to speak the language of the colonists and current elite.
  • It has created an unnatural aspiration of parents for their children to concentrate on learning and speaking languages that are not their own.
  • Most advanced countries use their own native languages as the languages of interaction and transaction, and it is suggested that India works towards the same, or its rich language and cultural heritage, along with the rich power of expression, may slowly be lost.”

Some other notable steps suggested for promotion of native languages include:

  • Enhancement of local language with the reading and analysis of uplifting literature from the Indian subcontinent, ancient to modern.
  • Fun course on “The Languages of India” in Grades 6-8 in which students will learn about the remarkable unity of most of the major Indian languages, their origins and sources of vocabularies from Sanskrit and other classical languages, as well as their rich inter-influences and differences, and also learn to speak a few sentences in those languages.
    All students in all schools, public or private, will take at least two years of a classical language of India in Grades 6-8, with the option to continue studying the language through secondary education and university.
  • Excerpts from works of great Indian authors, classical and modern, in all Indian languages, suitably translated into the medium of instruction, will be incorporated as relevant throughout the curriculum across all subjects in order to expose students to great inspirational writings of India.

The traditional three-language formula will be maintained. However, the current practice of the third language being a foreign language is set to change. As per the Draft NEP, “A choice of foreign language(s) (e.g. French, German, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese) would be offered and available to interested students to choose as elective(s) during secondary school. Such an elective would be an elective and not in lieu of the three-language formula.”

Promotion of Sanskrit and other classical languages

As per the Draft NEP, “Facilities for the study of Sanskrit, its scientific nature, and including samplings of diverse ancient and medieval writings in Sanskrit from a diverse set of authors (e.g. the plays of Kalidasa and Bhasa), will be made widely available in schools and higher educational institutions.”

Some notable features include the following:

  • Integration of “history-changing Sanskrit writings” in various school subjects as well as in literature and writing classes (e.g. Bhaskara’s poems on mathematics and puzzles, the incorporation of relevant Panchatantra stories in ethics classes, etc.).
  • Sanskrit will be offered at all levels of school and higher education as one of the optional languages on par with all Schedule 8 languages.
  • In addition to Sanskrit, the teaching of other classical languages and literatures of India, including Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Odia, Pali, Persian, and Prakrit, will also be widely available in schools.
  • Original stories of the Panchatantra, Jataka, Hitopadesh, and other fun fables and inspiring tales from the Indian tradition will be introduced into the curriculum.
  • Excerpts from the Indian Constitution will also be considered essential reading for students.
  • Highlights from the lives of great Indians such as Mahatma Gandhi, Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Swami Vivekananda, Guru Nanak, Mahavira, Buddha, Aurobindo, Babasaheb Ambedkar, Tagore, Dr MS Subbulakshmi, S Ramanujan, Dr C.V. Raman, Dr Homi Bhabha etc and all Bharat Ratna awardees shall also be included in the curriculum along with heroes from all over the world such as Albert Einstein, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Nelson Mandela.
  • Indian literature and traditions containing deep knowledge in a variety of disciplines will be incorporated into the existing school curriculum and textbooks. Topics will include Indian contributions to mathematics, astronomy, philosophy, psychology, yoga, architecture, medicine, as well as governance, polity, society, and conservation.

Inculcation of scientific temper and evidence based thinking

As per the NEP, “Evidence-based reasoning and the scientific method” will be incorporated throughout the school curriculum – in science as well as in traditionally “non-science” subjects – in order to encourage rational, analytical, logical, and quantitative thinking in all aspects of the curriculum. For example, in history, one could ask, “What are the possible historical scenarios consistent with the known archaeological and literary evidences?” In music/physics, one could ask, “What frequencies of notes should be used in musical scales, given that notes with resonant frequencies are the ones that sound good together to the ear?” In ethics, one could ask, “What are the positive benefits to society if every individual always acts according to certain ethical principles?”

This is a major departure from the existing system that imposes only one world-view on the student and will encourage the student to look at available materials and decide for themselves based on the evidence and on rational thought.

Indian music, arts and crafts as an integral part of education

The Draft NEP proposes that very student from the Foundational stage onwards will have basic exposure to the notes, scales, ragas, and rhythms of classical Indian music (Carnatic and/or Hindustani) as well as in local folk music, art, and craft in a hands-on way; they will have exposure to both vocal and instrumental music and be strongly encouraged to take up at least one such art more deeply even if they plan to specialise in some other field.
The Policy recognises the importance of schooling systems developing excellent communicators and lays down various strategies for students to develop communication skills.

Vocational training

The Draft NEP proposes that basic knowledge of various livelihoods and life-skills (such as gardening, pottery, wood-work, electric work, and many others) be taught at the Foundational and Elementary level.

It provides for local artisans and practitioners to be hired as tutors by schools or school complexes for teaching each of these skills, and sharing of tutors across multiple schools in the proposed school complex (more on this later). It also provides for Vocational courses to be offered to all students in Grades 9-12 in secondary school in addition to more traditional academic courses.

“Students will have plenty of choice regarding the curriculum, being allowed to mix and match academics with skills education, with sports and arts, and with soft skills training” as per the Draft NEP. This is likely to enable a revival of traditional arts and crafts that are slowly dying out for want of patrons and practitioners.

Incorporation of ethical and moral principles and constitutional values

The Draft NEP proposes that traditional Indian values of seva, ahimsa, swacchata, satya, nishkam karma, tolerance, honest hard work, respect for women, respect for elders, respect for all people and their inherent capabilities regardless of background, respect for environment, etc. will be inculcated in students. The process and the content of education at all levels will also aim to develop Constitutional values in all students. A one-year course on ethical and moral reasoning will be required for all students in Grades 6-8. This addresses a major lacuna in our modern education system that keeps children deprived of moral and ethical values and does not expose them to traditional Indian way of thought, which is the Duty-based approach that starkly contrasts with the Rights-based approach prevailing currently in modern society.

The NEP provides for basic training in health, including preventive health, mental health, nutrition, sex education, personal and public hygiene, and first-aid to be included in the curriculum, along with scientific explanations of the detrimental and damaging effects of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. It also provides for a course for all students in Grades 7 and 8 on Critical Issues facing humans in their communities and around the world. In this class, students would learn about current issues that they will likely need to face and hopefully address in their futures as adults.

Sharad Pawar’s office mistook V for VVIP with V for Roman V(five): Press Secretary to the President of India

OpIndia Staff
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Sharad Pawar’s office mistook V for VVIP with V for Roman V(five): Press Secretary to the President of India

Responding to a report that said that NCP chief Sharad Pawar had boycotted the swearing-in ceremony of PM Modi because he was allotted a seat in the fifth row, Press Secretary to the President of India, Ashok Malik took to Twitter to clear the air about the issue.

Malik tweeted that Sharad Pawar was sent an invitation to attend the swearing-in ceremony for “V-section”, amongst the most senior guests. Malik further added that even within V-section, Pawar was allotted the first row. He alleged that somebody in Pawar’s office might have misconstrued V for VVIP as the Roman V(five).


Sharad Pawar had not attended the swearing-in ceremony which happened on Thursday last week in which PM Modi along with other cabinet ministers took an oath. Reports started pouring in stating that Sharad Pawar had boycotted the swearing-in ceremony because according to him his seniority wasn’t respected by the current regime and that he was extended an invitation to witness the swearing-in ceremony from the ‘V’ fifth row as against the set protocols.

Sharad Pawar was reportedly agitated that a former Union Minister and Chief Minister and a current political party head has not been treated with due respect.

Match Preview – Bangladesh v New Zealand: The match between two dark horses

OpIndia Staff
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Match Preview – Bangladesh v New Zealand: The match between two dark horses

After a dull start, three back to back nail baiting finishes have certainly made the World Cup alive. On Wednesday, New Zealand will take on Bangladesh, both have won their first encounter.

Bangladesh who surprised the mighty South Africans must be eyeing for another win. Their batting, bowling both clicked equally well in the first match. But still, some improvement is required in the field. Shakib is in great touch so as their openers. If middle order performs as they did in the previous game, a considerable total is expected from Bangladesh.

New Zealand, on the other hand, were not tested thoroughly in their first game. The bowlers did a fantastic job by dismissing the Lankans under 200. They won the match without losing any wicket, so all their batsmen have not got the chance to bat in a real game.

But New Zealand must be happy, Munro was out of form before the World Cup and him cracking a half-century (in the opening game against Sri Lanka) is undoubtedly a pleasant sight for the Kiwis.

Players to watch out

Shakib Al Hasan will be ready to roar again, his all-round performance against South Africa bagged him the Man of the Match award. He will be playing his 200th ODI so he would also like to perform on this special occasion.

Trent Boult bowled well in both warm-up games and then also against Sri Lanka. He swings the ball both ways which have put the batsmen in trouble. The Oval is known for batting paradise, and already two matches produced scores over 300, so Kiwis must be hoping an early breakthrough from Boult to restrict Bangladesh below 250.

New Zealand v Sri Lanka in ODIs

Overall: Matches 34, New Zealand Won 24, Bangladesh Won 10

World Cup: Matches 4, New Zealand Won 4, Bangladesh Won 0

Recent Form (most recent first): New Zealand W W W W L, Bangladesh W W W W NR

ICC Rankings: New Zealand (4), Bangladesh (7)

Upcoming Records

Trent Boult has taken 148 wickets and needs two more to reach the 150 wickets milestone. He will be the 8th Kiwi bowler to achieve this feat.

Shakib Al Hasan will be playing his 200th ODI, and he will become only the 3rd player to play 200 or more ODIs for Bangladesh.

Squads

New Zealand: Kane Williamson (capt), Tom Blundell (wk), Trent Boult, Colin de Grandhomme, Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom Latham (wk), Colin Munro, Jimmy Neesham, Henry Nicholls, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor.

Bangladesh: Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), Abu Jayed, Liton Das (wk), Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hasan, Mohammad Mithun (wk), Mohammad Saifuddin, Mosaddek Hossain, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mustafizur Rahman, Rubel Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Shakib Al Hasan, Soumya Sarkar, Tamim Iqbal.

Didi and her top cops: Several IPS officers under CBI scanner for involvement in major scams in Bengal

OpIndia Staff
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Didi and her top cops: Several IPS officers under CBI scanner for involvement in major scams in Bengal

Following the BJP’s massive victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, right after the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) was lifted, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reinstated 11 police officers who were transferred by the Election Commission on May 26th. Controversial cop Rajeev Kumar has been reinstated as the additional director general of the state Criminal Investigation Department.

It has been further reported on May 28th that 48 IPS officers were transferred in just a few days followed by the reversal of several transfer orders. Though transfers are a common feature of IPS postings, the rate at which its been done post the elections has caused a lot of confusion.

Mamata Banerjee’s reaction to the election results does not seem surprising as several IPS officers have come under the scanner of the CBI for corruption. The CBI also seems firm on its stand as it has taken a strong stand over the cases in the Supreme Court too.

The CBI had recently issued a lookout notice against Mamata’s close aide Rajeev Kumar for his connection with the Saradha chit fund scam case to prevent him from leaving the country. The Saradha scam broke out into the open in 2013 when a Ponzi scheme run by the Saradha Group, a consortium of over 200 private companies, collapsed after collecting hundreds of crores from over 15 lakh investors.

Earlier in January, the CBI had accused the West Bengal government of obstructing investigations into the scam, claiming that the government machinery has damaged all the evidence. The then Police Commissioner and head of the SIT investigating case, Rajeev Kumar was also accused of destroying the evidence of the Saradha scam.

In February, a CBI team had reached his residence for interrogation following which they were detained by the Kolkata police. Mamata Banerjee had come out in support of Rajeev Kumar alleging that the CBI is acting on behest of Prime Minister Modi. Defying all rules and decorum, she even held a dharna that had lasted for almost 72 hours in support of the cop who was being probed for destroying evidence.

Following this, the Supreme Court had ordered the investigation of Rajeev Kumar to be carried on outside the state. He was interrogated for days in Meghalaya’s Shillong along with some other accused in the case.

Mamata’s vehement refusal to let the CBI interrogate Rajeev Kumar and her subsequent theatrics only helped fan the speculations that the government machinery and police top brass were indeed hands in gloves in the numerous chit fund scams that have plagued the state in recent years.

In May, Rajeev Kumar was relieved from his duty by the Election Commission from his post of additional DG of CID in West Bengal and was ordered to report to the MHA for failing to control the law and order situation. On May 30, the vacation bench of the Calcutta High court granted him a month’s protection from June 10, when the court would reopen after the summer break.

On interrogation, Rajeev Kumar claimed that he wasn’t handling the day to day operations of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) and said that his junior officers would have some knowledge on the suppression of evidence. Following this, the CBI summoned two junior officers, Arnab Ghosh and Dilip Hazra, for questioning on May 28th.

Arnab Ghosh who was the then Deputy Commissioner (Detective Department) arrived at the CBI office the next day and was grilled for over 9 hours. Dilip Hazra, on the other hand, arrived just yesterday and was questioned for 2 hours.

Another officer who has come under the scanner is suspended IPS officer SMH Mirza. Today the CBI had summoned him for questioning after he was caught accepting bribes in the Narada sting operation.


The Narada tapes were released a few years before the 2016 assembly elections in West Bengal that showed SMH Mirza and several other TMC MLA’s and MP’s accepting money in exchange for favours from investigative journalist Mathew Samuels. Mathew Samuels, the CEO of Narada news, posed as a businessman hoping to invest in West Bengal. The CBI had filed the final charge sheet this February.

SMH Mirza who was the was the former superintendent of police of Burdwan district, was caught on camera receiving the bribe from Mathew in an 8-minute video. He had claimed that he had received the money after being told do so by a TMC leader and had later donated the money to charity.

In February this year, Gaurav Dutt, a former IPS officer, had committed suicide. Dutt had blamed CM Mamata Banerjee’s vindictive attitude and her government’s harassment of him as the reason behind his drastic step.

The dubious attitude of the TMC government towards IPS officers also had come under scanner in the infamous Park Street rape case in 2012. Damayanti Sen, the IPS officer who had cracked the case and had been relentless in her pursuit of the criminals, despite the entire government machinery out in the open to dismiss the rape allegations of the victim, was sacked from her post as Kolkata’s joint commissioner and was sent to an inferior posting of DG (Training) in Barrakpore.

The cases of Rajeev Kumar and other senior officers who have been accused of corruption and involvement in scams paints a grim picture of the functioning of the TMC government in Bengal. The way Mamata Banerjee went out of her way to prevent the interrogation of Rajeev Kumar and Rajeev Kumar being present at the dharna beside Mamata is something that was unprecedented in recent Indian politics. The role of several top cops and the Mamata government’s patronage to them should be brought forward to public notice.

Mamata Banerjee’s TMC to hold door to door campaign on ‘Bengali culture’

OpIndia Staff
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Mamata Banerjee’s TMC to hold door to door campaign on ‘Bengali culture’

Mamata Banerjee is getting more and more prickly due to the unfaltering pressure built on her by BJP’s historic invasion into her fortress, Bengal, after the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections. Not being able to face the heat, Mamata has gone completely off-track. Her violent reactions to the chants of Jai Shriram which has been viral on social media prompts wide speculations on her mental state.

Rattled by her failure, the West Bengal CM in a meeting today, held with the party MPs and MLAs to review the Trinamool Congress’s performance in the Lok Sabha election, announced that Trinamool will hold a door to door campaign to ‘save Bengali culture’.

In an attempt to put a halt to BJP’s bull run into the state, Banerjee has decided to start a door-to-door campaign to tell people “how Bengal and Bengali culture are different from what is being displayed by the BJP”.

Countering BJP’s ‘Jai Shree Ram’ slogan, Banerjee, at a recent meeting, asked MLAs and senior district leaders to reach out to every household and distribute leaflets explaining Bengal’s cultural significance and how the BJP is taking efforts to destroy that.

Mamata seems to have made up her mind to go all out to ward off BJP from her state. When her efforts ranging from violent attacks on BJP Karyakarta’s to arrests of people who chant ‘Jai Shriram’ in the state did not seem to work in her favour, she has now donned the role of a ‘secular’ preacher.

While addressing a gathering on the occasion of Eid, Mamata was also seen playing the ‘communalism card’, that is, attempting to prove herself as ‘secular’ by trying to paint BJP as ‘communal’.

Moreover, following the announcement by BJP MP from Barrackpore constituency, Arjun Singh that BJP would send 10 lakh postcards with Jai Shri Ram written on them to Banerjee, the TMC unit from the same constituency rushed to post around 10,000 postcards to the PM Modi’s office with the message “Vande Mataram, Jai Hind and Jai Bangla.”

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav admits Mahagathbandhan was an experiment that went wrong

OpIndia Staff
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SP chief Akhilesh Yadav admits Mahagathbandhan was an experiment that went wrong

As the Lok Sabha 2019 elections are done and dusted, political parties that didn’t fare well in the polls are in the introspection mode to assess the reasons for their failure in the elections.  After Mayawati, the Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has iterated that the Mahagathbandhan alliance between SP-BSP in Uttar Pradesh didn’t yield the intended result.


Akhilesh Yadav has called the ambitious alliance of SP and BSP as an experiment that failed. “It was a trial and error method. It certainly failed. I will have discussions with all party leaders for the way forward. If BSP has decided to go solo in the elections, we will too go solo on all 11 seats. Politics is open now,” Akhilesh said.

Yesterday, BSP supremo Mayawati had reiterated her stance that the Mahagathbandhan alliance didn’t succeed because of the inability of Akhilesh Yadav in stemming the vote-split of the Yadav community in Uttar Pradesh, a large chunk of which sided with the BJP. Mayawati had declared that the BSP will contest all 11 seats on its own in the upcoming assembly by-polls. Akhilesh Yadav too has stated that his party will contest on all 11 seats in the assembly bypolls alone.

It is pertinent to note here that Mayawati’s party had not won a single seat in 2014 and in 2019 her party managed to win 10 Lok Sabha seats. Yet Mayawati is blaming Akhilesh Yadav and Samajwadi Party for the humiliating defeat of the Mahagathbandhan.

With Akhilesh Yadav declaring that Mahagathbandhan was an experiment that failed, it can be safely assumed that in the foreseeable future, the SP-BSP alliance is as good as dead unless another significant issue emerges that realigns the interests of SP and BSP.

Irony: Hung out to dry, the Opposition that Naidu wanted to lead is now rooting for Jagan Reddy

Ashish Shukla
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Irony: Hung out to dry, the Opposition that Naidu wanted to lead is now rooting for Jagan Reddy

Forgive me Chandrababu Naidu. The supremo of Telugu Desam Party. I am laughing. I mean the Modi-Opposition which you cultivated with such photo-ops in Lutyens Media is now toying with the idea of inviting your sworn enemy YSR Jaganmohan Reddy in the “opposition conclave” on Friday.

The hobnobbing of Opposition is aimed at how to maximize the combined strength of 121 MPs from the 2019 polls and create roadblocks for Modi in the parliament. There is DMK of course, and TMC from Mamata’s backyard, and Congress with its grand tally of 52 MPs.  Naidu too has been invited along with his three MPs. But so shredded is his reputation that hissing is on for Jagan Reddy even if Naidu is “uncomfortable” in sharing the space with his arch rival.

Jagan Reddy, like his father, is a nightmare for Naidu. Reddy wasn’t even born when Naidu was dabbling in politics. First his father, Y.S. Rajashekhara Reddy decimated Naidu in 2004 and 2009 General Elections, winning 29 and 33 seats out of 42 in undivided Andhra Pradesh, leaving only the crumbs of five and six seats for the TDP. Reddy Sr. died in a helicopter accident and his removal did help Naidu. But not for long. In the 2019 General Elections, Reddy Jr. drove TDP into ground by winning 22 out of 25 seats. The simultaneous Assembly elections were no better and Reddy’s party, YSRCP, were equally merciless. It bagged 151 seats in the 175-member house. TDP took the leftover of 23 seats. No wonder, Naidu couldn’t bring himself to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Jagan Reddy last week.

But Naidu has nobody but himself to blame. He allied himself with Congress which is seen in Andhra Pradesh as the party that broke up their state into two parts, Telangana being the other. Naidu didn’t learn from the lessons of Telangana Assembly elections last year where he butted in, in alliance with Congress when the need was to recover the lost ground in his home state. The results were a nightmare for him and his party: K. Chandrashekhar Rao’s Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) bagged 88 out of 119 seats in the assembly. TDP’s tally? Just two.

But Naidu was unrepentant. He went ahead for a national alliance with Congress though for the state polls, he fought on his own. The results have been similarly disastrous. The personal setback was best manifested in the defeat of Nara Lokesh, his son, from the Mangalagiri assembly constituency.

In the national consciousness, Chandrababu Naidu was seen as a tech-savy leader who gave Andhra Pradesh a global image in the Silicon Valley he helped create in Hyderabad; never mind the local whisper of him being most corrupt and arrogant.

Then he began hogging space on front pages of national English mainstream media in the run-up to 2019 Elections. One day he was in Delhi visiting Kejriwal at the latter’s residence; other day he was in Kolkata in successfully persuading Mamata Banerjee to break her sham fast. There were rallies in Vizag with the two leaders. One day Naidu was offering help on Fani cyclone to Naveen Patnaik in Odisha; other day he was in UP, paying courtesy visits to Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati. Those numerous trips to Rashtrapati Bhavan with his petitions. Catching up with Rahul Gandhi all too often.

PR machinery was in full swing. Naidu, Naidu everywhere. His trademark safari suit, the wiry frame of an Abraham Lincoln, trimmed salt and pepper beard, no wonder Naidu saw a Moses in himself who would have the entire opposition wading into a sea behind him. He would lead India into a vision of his own, Modi would be driven out in the Bay of Bengal, history would remember him as a saviour.

Unfortunately, all of it was a bluff. We knew it from the day he threw a tantrum against BJP/NDA for not giving Andhra Pradesh the “special status.” The welfare of his state was never on his mind: after all BJP was giving the state much more than AP would’ve got with the “special status.” But Naidu was a clever fox, wasn’t he. He wanted to take the steam out of Jagan Reddy’s campaign for “special status.” Hijack his rival’s agenda. Turn his medicine into a poison. Ready to rule Andhra, and the country, till the sun sets on him.

There is little that differentiates delusion from senility. Cultivating an image is one thing, but believing in it is tragic. (yes, yes, yes, I also have Navjot Singh Sidhu in mind as I write this). Naidu’s ego must have been fed by the opponents around him. Wasn’t 2014 too recent when he won 117 seats in the assembly; there were as many as 17 members of his party in the Parliament. He saw himself as a kingmaker. One who could make Narendra Modi dance to his tune.

We all know how the cookie crumbled. Modi didn’t fall for Naidu’s blackmail. No concession on “special status.” You want to leave NDA, please go ahead. Naidu was caught in his own trap. Ominously Amit Shah declared two months before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls: Naidu would be a fool if he believed he would be welcomed back in the fold.

Now Naidu has been hung out to dry. He is about to turn 70. Life and energy are in its final phase. Humiliations are piling in. It looks a sorry end for him; like he inflicted on his father-in-law NT Rama Rao who had trusted him with his daughter and the reins of his party. (In his last interview, NT Rama Rao compared himself to Mughal emperor Shah Jahan who had been imprisoned by his son Aurangzeb, in this case Chandrababu Naidu).

History often has a tragic way of repeating itself.

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