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MP: CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan to file defamation case against Rahul Gandhi for false allegations

OpIndia Staff
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MP: CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan to file defamation case against Rahul Gandhi for false allegations

The Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chauhan has slammed Congress President Rahul Gandhi for making “frivolous and mala fide” remarks against Chauhan and his family members. Shivraj Singh Chauhan has now threatened to initiate defamation proceedings against Rahul Gandhi.


Chauhan accused the Congress President of resorting to false allegations against him and his family members. Rahul Gandhi while speaking at an election rally at Jhabua, Madhya Pradesh had targeted Shivraj Singh Chouhan saying that “rampant corruption” had been taken place in the state during Chauhan’s rule. He also claimed that the name of Chauhan’s son Kartikey Chauhan had figured in the Panama Papers but no action was taken against him.

“Udhar Chowkidar, Idhar Mamaji. Mamaji ke jo bete hai, Panama Papers me unka naam nikalta hai. (There is Chowkidar on one side and ‘mamaji’ on the other. The name of the son of ‘mamaji’ figured in Panama Papers),” Gandhi said.

Rahul Gandhi then went on to mention former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to attack the Shivraj Singh’s government. “The name of former Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif appears in Panama Papers. In a country like Pakistan, he is jailed. Here, the name of the son of a CM figures in Panama Papers but no action is taken,” said Gandhi.

Agitated by the remarks of Rahul Gandhi, Shivraj Singh Chauhan said, “You have been making patently false allegations of Vyapam to Panama Papers against me and my family. Tomorrow, I am filing a criminal defamation suit for maximum damages against you for frivolous and mala fide statements”.


Chauhan said that Congress President has crossed all limits by dragging his family in Panama Papers leak case.

The elections to the Madhya Pradesh legislative assembly will be held on November 28 and the results will be announced on December 11, 2018. The BJP and Congress are fighting neck to neck in these states and victory in these elections will be a big boost to both BJP and Congress ahead of the general elections.

10 facts you must know about Statue of Unity, world’s tallest statue

OpIndia Staff
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10 facts you must know about Statue of Unity, world’s tallest statue

Five years after its foundation was laid on 31st October 2013 by the then chief minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi, the Statue of Unity will be inaugurated by Modi, who is now the Prime Minister of India on 31st October 2018. As the world’s tallest statue gets unveiled, here are ten facts about the statue you must know.

  1. At 182 meters, it will be the world’s tallest statue. The Statue of Liberty in the United States is 93 meters high.
  2. Located at the Sardar Sarovar Dam on Narmada river in Gujarat, the statue will have a viewing gallery at 153 meters which will overlook the dam.
  3. A ‘Loha campaign‘ was run under which used iron farming implements were collected as a symbolic contribution of farmers towards the statue of the ‘Iron Man of India’.
  4. The iron collected through the campaign was melted, converted into ‘rebar’ and used in the foundation of the statue.
  5. 25,000 tonnes of iron and 90,000 tonnes of cement was used in the construction.
  6. A walkway, four-lane approach highway and a three-star lodging facility with 128 rooms are constructed for tourists.
  7. The statue will be able to withstand wind velocity up to 60 meters a second as well as earthquakes.
  8. Approximate cost of construction is Rs. 2,989 crore and as many as 2,500 workers have worked on the project.
  9. It is estimated that the statue will generate as many as 15,000 direct jobs for people every year.
  10. The statue is located at about 150 km from Nadiad, where Sardar Patel was born on 31st October 1875.

There has been a lot of misinformation spread about the Statue of Unity. Congress President Rahul Gandhi has repeatedly told the lie that the statue will be ‘Made in China’. In the year 2015, Outlook had claimed that L&T had given the work of constructing the statue to a Chinese Foundry. The article mocked Modi’s “Make in India” campaign, by branding the Patel statue as “Made in China”. We had debunked this lie by Outlook in 2015 itself. L&T had in fact issued two statements countering this baseless story.

Similarly, recently a Youth Congress leader was caught spreading fake photo of Statue of Unity accusing Modi of making a ‘defective’ statue of Patel on public money. However, it was found that the picture used was not of the Statue of Unity but it was another statue made by the sculptor Jashuben Shilpi.

Telangana polls: Congress leader’s aide caught bribing people for votes, video goes viral

OpIndia Staff
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Telangana polls: Congress leader’s aide caught bribing people for votes, video goes viral

A video surfaced showing an aide of former Telangana Congress MLA SA Sampath Kumar apparently offering a Rs 5 lakh bribe in exchange for votes, reported The NewsMinute. While all political parties rustle up for the upcoming Telangana assembly election, scheduled to be held on December 7, this video which has briskly gone viral might leave the Congress in an embarrassing position.

The incident reportedly took place at Sankapur village in Alampur constituency in Jogulamba Gadwal district.

The man caught in the video, identified as Congress party Mandal president Doddappa, tries to assure the locals that he is a known face in the village. He is heard saying, “People who vote for Congress will vote for us and people who vote for TRS will vote for them but now you have been promised Rs 5 lakh. We will arrange for it and definitely ensure that you get the money.”

Doddappa also asks the locals to convince at least 100 people to sign an undertaking that they will vote for the Congress and said that the promised amount would be deposited in the village temple’s account. “If you convince the entire village to vote for Congress, ensuring Rs 5 lakh will be my responsibility. I’m giving you my word. There is no need to ask Sampath. As a Mandal president, I know everyone by name and face,” he adds.

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), taking offence, filed a formal complaint against Sampath Kumar with the Election Commission. The TRS MLC Srinivas Reddy alleged that Sampath Kumar, the former Congress MLA, was present at the event and said that it was a serious violation of the Code of Conduct. Accusing the Congress of resorting to such dirty strategies to procure votes, he also demanded strong action against the former Congress MLA.

The Election commission taking note of this incident has sought a report from the concerned District Electoral Officer after which necessary actions would be taken from their side.

The Parliament in July had passed the ‘anti-corruption bill’ whereby the bribe givers along with the takers would be penalised.

In May, as all the parties were gearing for the Karnataka elections, in its exclusive expose Republic TV had revealed how a certain ‘national party’ was engaging in ‘need-based social profiling’, which essentially translates to customizing bribes for voters to buy off votes. In context to the same incident, the Election Commission had then booked Congress MLA Munirathna Naidu in the cash for votes scandal.

Shia Waqf Board blames Congress and Muslim radicals for delaying Ram Temple case

Jinit Jain
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Shia Waqf Board blames Congress and Muslim radicals for delaying Ram Temple case

The Central Shia Waqf board in Uttar Pradesh has blamed Congress party and Muslim radicals’ dilatory tactics responsible for the delay in the verdict on a Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

Speaking with the media, the chairman of the Shia Waqf Board Waseem Rizvi accused Congress and other Muslim fanatics for politicising the issue. ”Due to some radical Muslims and politics of the Congress party, the issue of construction of the Ram Temple is stuck in courts,” he said.

Concurring with the 2010 Allahabad High Court verdict, in which the court apportioned the disputed land equally among the three principle litigants- the Shia Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla, the Shia board has often taken a stand at odds with the majority Muslim view. Last year, the board expressed its approval of a grand Ram Temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya. On Monday, Rizvi reiterated a somewhat similar sentiment.

Rizvi asserted that the God who decides the fate of mankind in the whole world is today waiting for a human court to decide on his own abode. “This is a matter of shame for all human being all across the world,” he said.

Hearing on the much-vexed issue of Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid, the Supreme Court said on Monday that it would fix in January 2019 the date on which final hearing of the dispute would commence. The constitution of the three-judge bench that will hear the case will also be decided in January. This pushes back the chances of a verdict before the 2019 general elections causing a chorus of an ordinance to grow.

The rage of the Malayali Hindus

Ananth Krishna
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The rage of the Malayali Hindus

The Malayali Hindu is quite an abused lot, but they have only realized it rather late. With the controversy surrounding the implementation of the Judgement of the Supreme Court on Sabarimala, the Hindu community of Kerala has finally stood up, and said: “Enough is enough”. A line has been drawn across the sand by Malayali Hindus – regardless of caste, class and social status.

Sabarimala is the veritable rock that has broke the camel’s back (as opposed to the straw). A rage has swept over us, one that has been brewing for a long time. A pent-up anger has been released, and the results have been ugly.

The person responsible for this aggravated situation is none other than the Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinrayi Vijayan. The Supreme Court might have given the Judgement allowing the entry of young women into the temple, but Vijayan attempted to no form of reconciliation towards the Hindus of the state who were obviously perturbed by the transgression of the highest court.

He aggravated the anger of Hindus by adopting a hardline position on the issue and fuming in speeches and press conferences about the ‘Sangh Parivar conspiracy’ to destroy the ‘secular’ credentials of the state by hoisting the Sabarimala issue. He also made nonsensical comments – he asked why the BJP did not approach the court regarding this issue. The finer points of locus standi– ‘the capacity to be a party in a suit’ seem quite lost on the Chief Minister. He has made the desecration of the temple his number one priority, a point of pride. Nothing else explains the haste that has been adopted by the administration of the state in implementation.

The same can be inferred from the fact that more than 2000 persons have been arrested in connection with the protests that happened in the state during October 16 – October 22! The state government has engaged in a crackdown of massive proportions. Kerala Police has been given a free hand to regulate the flow of devotees into the temple; every single power that has can be used by the state has been called on to ‘manage’ the ‘public order’ in the area where the temple is situated.

The Communist party and the left establishment in the state have more than unnerved by the display of strength that was seen in Namajapa yatras across the state. Hundreds of thousands of protestors, from Kasorgode to Thiruvananthapuram, from the Hills of Wayanad to the backwaters of Alappuzha protested the Judgement of the Supreme Court and the stand of the Kerala Government. Many of these protests were organic, organised by Ayyappa Sanghams or collectives of Hindus aggrieved at the Judgement. These protests were led by women devotees, who did not wish that theNaishtika Brahmacharya of Swami Ayyappa be violated in their names.

The response of the Communist party has been to decry those protest as being limited to “Upper caste” community. The obvious aim of the CPM here was to create caste divisions within the Hindu community regarding Sabarimala. Then, they attempted to portray this issue as the communalization of the state. These attempts are indications that the left is using every single weapon in their arsenal to tarnish the image of pious devotees who oppose the Judgement and its implementation.

The amount of misinformation and propaganda that has dominated the mainstream television channels and newspapers are undoubtedly the work of the left’s “fellow travellers”. Those who have studied Communism and its methods would not be shocked at the methods that they have adopted in Kerala. They have framed the issue like that of “Social Justice”, attempting to fashion the Sabarimala Judgement as one of those great steps towards ‘equality’.

References are aplenty from Marxists in the state to the achievements of the state in Social reform, recalling the Vaikom and Guruvayur Satyagraha that secured the right of temple entry for lower castes. Those attempts have however fallen flat because the devotees of the Ayyappa and the larger public (one might ask if there is a difference between the two at this stage) understand the rituals and traditions of the temple and how distinct they are from the question of temple entry for lower castes. The Sabarimala temple has a deep and pervasive belief among the Hindus of the state, especially among the lower castes. Almost every Malayali knows the rites and vows that a Swami who is undertaking a pilgrimage to the temple takes. Further, the temple is open to anyone who can undertake the vratham– whether it be a Hindu, Muslim or Christian.

The Communist Party has been in many a sense, representing the interests of the Hindu Community state. Primarily because their opposition, the Kerala Congress (Mani) and the Indian Union Muslim League, the constituents of the United Democratic Front represent the interests of the Christian and Muslim Communities in the state.

The party has encouraged and supported ritual artforms of the Hindus of the state in more than one occasion. It has overtly and covertly signalled to Hindu Conservatives in the state before. Even while the Chief Minister has criticized and slammed the BJP, that Tantri and others, he has maintained a steady silence on the role of the Nair Service Society. The NSS is the organization that has represented for long the interests of the Upper caste Nair community in the state. The NSS and its general secretary, Sukumaran Nair has taken a strong stand on the issue, having joined as intervenors when the PIL was filed and organized multiple protests against the state government and the Supreme Court Judgement. However, Pinrayi is yet to directly criticize them.

The hardcore communists of the state are perplexed about how to deal with the popular resistance towards the stand of their almighty leader, Pinrayi. The image that he had created among the electorate due to his fearless leadership during the worst floods in the century  That is all but destroyed now. His obstinacy is without doubt leading the party to a crisis like the West Bengal unit had during the Singur controversy.

I was myself, a former supporter and well wisher of the Communist Party and its grand objectives of ‘social reforms’ and ‘economic progress for all’. The duplicity of such claims and the perversity of their proclaimed objectives unravelled before me as I grew older. The true moment of reckoning for me was the JNU incident. For many millions of Malayalis, it has been what has happened in the last few weeks.

The Sabarimala incident has the potential to be cataclysmic to the CPM. Before this, it seemed to be almost certain that the left would have a stranglehold on power due to the decline of the Indian National Congress and the rise of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Those dynamics have been altered radically. What lies ahead for the state in coming days(and indeed Months and years) is uncertain, especially since Amit Shah has vowed that BJP will stand as a ‘rock’ for Ayyappa devotees and Sabarimala. The events of the coming days will determine the future of Kerala, and its Hindu Community. As a devotee, I pray that the rites and rituals of the temple not be violated in these weeks. That is my only desire, regardless of the politics of Sabarimala.

Swamiye Sharanam! Ayyappa Sharanam!

Swamiye Sharnamayyappa!

(This article was originally published in Bangla on Bangodesh.com)

Leftist student ‘activist’ celebrates conversion to Islam, ‘neutral’ political observers fail to see the hypocrisy

OpIndia Staff
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Leftist student ‘activist’ celebrates conversion to Islam, ‘neutral’ political observers fail to see the hypocrisy

Communists all across the world are known to be aggressively against all forms of organized religion. However, in India, it has never been the case. Indian communists have always been prone to romanticizing Islam and Christianity and while denigrating Hinduism.

Thus, it surprised no one when former Vice-President of JNU student’s union and Leftist activist Shehla Rashid tweeted in celebration of a musician’s conversion to Islam.


People were quick to point out the hypocrisy of someone celebrating conversions to one’s faith while condemning ‘Gharwapsi’, an initiative to bring back converted people back to the Hindu fold.


One such person was Pawan Khera, leader of the Congress party.


However, ‘neutral’ journalists were quick to come to Shehla’s defence.


Funnily enough, even ‘neutral fact-checkers’ could not see the hypocrisy of a communist celebrating religious conversions, especially those who condemn ‘Gharwapsi’. The Co-founder of AltNews, Pratik Sinha, dragged Rahul Gandhi into the controversy suggesting that the Congress President was creating a ‘sense of otherness’ by peddling soft-Hindutva.


It is indeed quite revealing that self-proclaimed ‘neutral’ political observers who have no qualms about the celebration of religious conversions to monotheistic faiths condemn ‘Gharwapsi’ for being communal and accuse of it of being forced despite it not being the case. It is also quite interesting that public display of faith by Indian politicians is construed as creating a ‘sense of otherness’.

Oxford University research study predicts that in near future, Pakistan may have Hafiz Saeed as its PM

OpIndia Staff
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Oxford University research study predicts that in near future, Pakistan may have Hafiz Saeed as its PM

A massive hold of jihadi forces in Pakistan could probably result in terror mastermind Hafiz Saeed being ‘elected’ prime minister, according to a report recently published by Oxford University and India-based think tank Strategic Foresight Group (SFG).

As per earlier reports, Pakistan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Imran Khan had emerged victorious as the new Prime Minister of Pakistan, after he beat the alliance of Lashkar-e-Toiba chief and 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed.

It was speculated after Imran Khan assumed office that the military’s grip over Pakistan’s politics would be firmer than ever and as Khan has been sympathetic to the Taliban in the past, going so far as to support their political mainstreaming, it was a raising concern among neighbouring countries that the fundamentalist forces are gaining a stronghold in Pakistan.

Recently, an ordinance banning on Hafiz Saeed’s LeT and Falah-e-Insaniyat foundation in Pakistan as per UNSC sanctions has lapsed after Imran Khan’s government made no attempts to table it in the parliament to convert it into a law, paving the way for both the terror organisation to further mainstream their operations.

The 87-page report titled ‘Humanity at Risk-Global Terror Threat Indicant’ published by the Oxford University and SFG is based on an analysis of over 200 such terror groups throughout the world, claiming that only one-fourth of these organisations are motivated by their ideology.

One of the most alarming analyses of the report mentions a warning that Pakistan-sponsored terror strikes foreseen in India could possibly trigger a full-scale war between the two neighbours.

The report shows concern about jihadi outfits getting all the support they need from the state machinery, intelligence agencies and criminal networks. Recalling the birth and spread of Al-Qaeda in Pakistan and the subsequent harbouring of Osama Bin Laden in Abbottabad, the report highlights that terror outfits are getting state-sponsorship in Pakistan.

The report also states that LeT and JeM together pose a greater threat to humanity than ISIS. It also states that Pakistan holds three times greater risk to humanity through terrorism than Syria does, five times that of Libya and seven times that of Iraq. “If we look at the most dangerous terrorist groups, based on hard facts and statistics, we find that Pakistan hosts or aids a majority of them. Also, there are a significant number of groups based in Afghanistan which operate with the support of Pakistan,” the report mentions.

The report also adds that by mid-2020s, Pakistan could have a substantial number of legislators elected with the help of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) and Jaish-i-Mohammed. It adds that as the USA prepares to leave Afghanistan, Taliban will again increase its foothold. With Al-Qaeda expanding its operations in Thailand, Bangladesh, and Myanmar, these countries might descend into chaos too, predicts the report.

Adding further, the report asserted, “If we follow trend-lines rather than headlines, we find that Lashkar-e-Taiba, Taliban, Jaish-e-Mohammed are a much greater risk to humanity than ISIS or Daesh at this stage. Indeed, even Al-Nusrah Front and Al-Shabaab are a greater threat than Daesh. Nevertheless, greater attention is focused on Daesh than the groups that can threaten humanity on a large scale.”

The publication has been based on hard facts and statistics, predicting that if the most dangerous terrorist groups were looked at, it can be found that Pakistan hosts or aids a majority of them, with a significant number of groups based in Afghanistan which operate with the support of Pakistan.

Page 77 of the report reads, “In order to assess future risks, it is necessary to measure the armed strength of terrorist groups. It is also necessary to examine their intent to acquire and use weapons of mass destruction. The stronger a group is in terms of attracting armed members, the greater the risk it poses to humanity. If a group intends to acquire nuclear weapons, its risk potential multiplies by several times.”

Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) has the power to build its party infrastructure and contest the federal elections successfully with other extremist groups, including active unofficial support from the military. “Pakistan [could] then elect Hafiz Saeed as the head of government,” predicted the report.

Fact check: Are 5 million Indians dying every year due to medical negligence?

OpIndia Staff
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Fact check: Are 5 million Indians dying every year due to medical negligence?

News Agency PTI published a story claiming that as per a study conducted by Harvard University last year, there have been as many as 50 lakh deaths due to medical negligence in India. The story was on a specialised course, Acute Critical Care Course (ACCC) which is mandatory for surgical trainees in the US and the UK, which aids medical institutes in bringing down the death rate of patients and was carried by many media houses.

The Hindu
The Week
IndiaTimes.com
Business Standard

All the reports carried the unedited version of PTI, which claimed that a study conducted by Harvard University last year showed that nearly 5 million (50 lakh) deaths occur in India due to medical error triggered by lack of practical knowledge among the doctors and nurses to handle patients.

Claims that Harvard University study stating 50 lakh death annually due to medical negligence

However, that is not true. The study from Harvard School of Public Health from 2013 states that about 5.2 million injuries (not deaths) take place in India due to medical negligence. Moreover, the Harvard School of Public Health report is from September 2013 and not last year as talked about by PTI.

2013 report of Harvard School of Public Health

The death rate in India currently is 7.3 per thousand people while the population is pegged at about 133.92 crore (approximately). So based on the calculations, between 97 to 99 lakh people die in India every year. Of which about 45 lakh deaths are recorded for people over the age of 60 years. Going by these statistics, if PTI report is to be believed as many as almost every other person who died in India died due to medical errors.

Over and above that, there is a difference between medical error and medical negligence. Medical error would be an error in planning or executing an action. Using adverse drug, improper transfusion, surgical injuries, etc are medical or clinical errors. On the other hand, an action by a doctor or a medical professional which leads to one suffering an avoidable injury is medical negligence.

“After 2019 elections, Rahul Gandhi will have to search for his party with a telescope,” Amit Shah in Hyderabad

OpIndia Staff
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“After 2019 elections, Rahul Gandhi will have to search for his party with a telescope,” Amit Shah in Hyderabad

A fierce attack was made against the Congress party by BJP President Amit Shah in Telangana yesterday, where he announced that by the time the 2019 elections are over, the Congress party will be reduced to almost nothing.

Shah, taking a jibe at Rahul Gandhi stated that the Congress President will have to use a telescope in order to search for his beloved party after the elections. Shah was addressing a public gathering of Bjp’ s Yuva Morcha in its National Maha Adhiveshan in Hyderabad yesterday.


Further continuing his speech, Amit Shah also stated that in case the Congress president had been vividly dreaming of winning the elections this time, he must be reminded of the history of massive support that the BJP has garnered since 2014.

Shah also pointed out that how unaware and ignorant the Congress has been towards the BJP’s accomplishments and could only dream of winning the elections. Referring to the speculations of a grand alliance of opposition parties, Shah told that even the ‘Mahagathbandhan’ will not have any effect on BJP’s winning spree.

Amit Shah also took a jibe at Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati scheming to form an alliance for the 2019 general elections. Shah declared amidst a loud applause that the BJP Yuva Morcha will brave fight 50% of the party’s fight and ensure its victory.

Addressing the Vijay Lakshya 2019, Yuva Maha Adhiveshan in Hyderabad, the BJP chief further stated that after the humiliating defeat that Congress faced in 2014 if Rahul is still hoping for a Congress victory in 2019, that is nothing but dreaming and his party will be reduced to inconsequential levels after 2019.

The state of Telangana will be holding assembly elections on 7 December 2018 along with Rajasthan. Though the BJP is yet to declare a CM candidate, popular Hindu spiritual leader Swami Paripoornananda has recently joined BJP and is being mentioned by many as the ‘Yogi of the South’.

When we become selective with free speech, we give the State a direct pathway to suppress our rights

Kushal Mehra
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When we become selective with free speech, we give the State a direct pathway to suppress our rights

On Tuesday, October 23rd security and defence expert Abhijit Iyer Mitra was arrested by Odisha police for his alleged derogatory remarks on Odiya culture and the Sun Temple. As of now, he has been charged under IP63C Sections 294, 295A, 153A, 500, 506 and Section 67 of the Information Technology Act. All of this after Abhijit Iyer has already apologised unconditionally to the legislators on Odisha for his comments.

Frederick Douglass had once said “To suppress free speech is a double wrong. It violates the rights of the hearer as well as those of the speaker.” Without the freedom to speak every other right makes no sense. If you cannot express yourself freely does anything really matter?

The episode of the jailing of Abhijit Iyer has also showcased another dark side of the entire debate when it comes to freedom of expression in India. One can look across the political spectrum and unfortunately we will find a handful of people who will stand consistently for the average citizens right to speak freely.

Every discussion about free speech is laced with whataboutery and over emotionalism. If there was a T-Shirt that could be made to explain the state of free speech in India it can be summed like this “I stand for your right to speak freely until you say what I want to hear”.

This is the state of affairs across the political spectrum. On odd days the left wing of India cries there is an assault on free speech and on even days the non-left of India cries there is an assault on free speech. The cry depends on who is the person that is being oppressed and what is the nature of their speech. If the speech is critical of Islam we know who will stand up for that type of speech. If the speech is critical of Hinduism we know who likes that kind of speech.

But that is not how free speech works. Freedom of speech cuts across the board (other than a direct call to violence). It can either be enjoyed by each and every member across the board or it cannot be enjoyed by anyone. And we are at a tipping point in this country. Year after year the state of affairs is getting worse when it comes to freedom of expression in India. We cannot be selective in our support for free speech. Because, when we become selective we give the state a direct pathway to suppress our rights. In the fight for free speech, the words don’t matter, what matters is the right to basically utter those words.

Today it is Abhijit Iyer Mitra, but tomorrow that could easily be any one of us. What has happened with Abhijit should be a wake-up call for everyone. The state cannot have so much power where it can basically lock someone up for something as subjective as “offending feelings”.

If you cannot get over your innate anger because Abhijit insulted your beloved temple or your beloved state just do one simple thought experiment, change the name of accused from Abhijit Iyer to yourself and imagine how it feels. If you fight for the rights of free speech only for the people you admire you are not really for free speech. You basically like selective speech. By allowing the Odisha government to trample an average citizens rights we are basically emboldening this climate of suppressing freedom of expression.

It does not matter if you are left winger or a right winger or from the cult of spaghetti monster. Do not let the government of Odisha destroy the rights of one of our fellow citizens. Speak up, and let the honourable Chief Minister of Odisha know that what has happened in his state is wrong and unethical. I would like to end with the words of someone I have a lot of socio-political disagreements with.

Glenn Greenwald had once said, “You can’t cheer when political officials punish the expression of views you dislike and then expect to be taken seriously when you wrap yourself in the banner of free speech in order to protest state punishment of views you like and share.”

Wake up and smell the coffee. Today it is Abhijit Iyer, tomorrow it could be you and I. Never let the State no matter which political party you support have so much control over your life.

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