Home Blog Page 7471

Kejriwal, who has at least 11 defamation cases against him, says sorry to try and end one

Hemant Bijapurkar
-
0
Kejriwal, who has at least 11 defamation cases against him, says sorry to try and end one

When AAP Supremo Arvind Kejriwal had come into the public eye as an anti-corruption crusader as part of ‘Team Anna’, he used to make a barrage of ‘exposes’ against various individuals. Back then, most of this allegations were backed by reliable documents available in public domain.

However, as he progressed from an activist to a politician, his means changed. His allegations increasingly became ‘rhetoric’ with hearsay and sometimes downright lies being the basis of his assertions. While most of his rhetoric were dismissed as political stunts, some of those on the receiving end of his lofty allegations didn’t take take them kindly and fought back in the form of defamation cases.

As a result, the Delhi Chief Minister has now notched at least 11 defamation cases [1][2][3][4] against himself, which include three by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, one by Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari and one by Kapil Sibal’s son.

The first defamation case was filed against Kejriwal in 2013 by Pawan Khera, the then political secretary to Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, whom Kejriwal had accused of massive corruption. While the latest one was filed against him by BJP member Ankit Bhardwaj, who sought a damage of Re 1 case against Kejriwal because he had no knowledge of either Kejriwal or Sanjay Singh (the other defendant) having any valuable assets. Both of them had false accused Ankit of attacking rebel AAP leader Kapil Mishra.

Now it seems that Kejriwal has finally decided to untangle the web of defamation cases around him by saying sorry in one such matter.

According to reports, Avtar Singh Bhadana who is currently a BJP MLA from Meerapur constituency in Uttar Pradesh, had filed a defamation case against Kejriwal based on a statement he had made on January 31, 2014. In the statement Kejriwal had alleged that Bhadana (who was then a member of the Congress party) was one of the most corrupt persons in India. Bhadana had then filed a Rs 1 crore defamation case against Kejriwal and also sought prosecution for the same.

As reported by various media outfits [1][2] Kejriwal has now submitted a written apology to Bhadana. He has also claimed that he filed the case after being misled by his associates. Kejriwal has reportedly admitted that the allegations he leveled against Bhadana were not true, and thus he was tendering an apology.

Utkal Express tragedy: what we know so far

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Utkal Express tragedy: what we know so far

On 19th August, six coaches of Puri-Haridwar-Kalinga Utkal Express derailed near Muzaffarnagar’s Khatauli.


Over 20 people have died and 60 injured in the train derailment that took place on Friday evening where terror attack angle was probed.

The accident occurred around 5.45 p.m. when 14 coaches of the Puri-Haridwar Kalinga Utkal Express bound for Haridwar derailed in Khatauli in Meerut-Saharanpur Division. The impact of the accident was so severe that one of the coaches could be seen mounted on another while another coach had crashed into the Chowdhary Tilakram Inter College along the tracks.

As per latest reports, it seems some repair work being carried out on the track.

At 5.45 pm on Saturday, Muzaffarnagar Station Master Neeraj Sharma saw a line of green dots on the screen of his monitor, indicating that the track from Khatauli railway station was clear. This meant that the Kalinga Utkal Express would cross Khatauli and reach Muzaffarnagar at its scheduled time of 5:54 pm.

But minutes later, Sharma got a call informing him that the train had derailed seconds after crossing Khatauli. “If maintenance work was going on near Khatauli, a section should have been red on the screen. The driver should have either been asked to stop or pass the area slowly, depending on the work being carried out,” said Sharma.

However, Northern Railways officials admitted on Sunday,

“It is a major coordination lapse. Our repairmen had removed a small section of the track and were in the process of replacing it when the Utkal Express came down the tracks at a speed of 100 kmph. Clamps and tools have been found near the accident site to indicate repair work was underway. The officials at Khatauli should have known. The PWI (permanent way inspector) should have informed them,” said a senior Northern Railways official.

Audio tapes of alleged conversation between gateman and his colleague on that line reveal there there seems to be oversight of repair work happening on the track. The alleged conversation reveals that the tracks which were removed for repaid were put back but the welding was not done which resulted in the derailment.

Members of a ‘particular community’ disconnect Temple’s electricity supply to stop its loudspeaker

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Members of a ‘particular community’ disconnect Temple’s electricity supply to stop its loudspeaker

Yet another incident of ‘communal tension’ around Janmashtami celebrations — where one particular community has not liked the events around the celebrations — has come to light from Uttar Pradesh.

We had earlier reported how people belonging to a ‘particular community’ (media reports didn’t identify the assaulters) had attacked a Janmashtami procession in Uttar Pradesh’s Budaun district last week. This attack, which included stone pelting on the procession, had resulted in injuries to various people including policemen.

A similar incident was reported from the Gaura Sailak village in the Barabanki district of the state a couple of days later. In this village, a Muslim mob pelted stones at a ‘shobha yatra’ (procession) when it reached near a Mosque.

Now a third incident has been reported from the state within a week. Media reports mention that members belonging to a ‘particular community’ (not named again) cut off electricity supply to a Temple, after demanding removal of a loudspeaker mounted on the temple. The confrontation reportedly happened at Manakpur village in UP’s Budaun district, from where the first incident was reported.

According to media reports, a Temple in the village was being decorated for the festival of Janmashtami, and as part of that, a loudspeaker too was installed atop it. This wasn’t appreciated by some members belonging to a ‘particular community’, who in order to ‘silence’ the loudspeaker, are reported to have forcibly cut off the electricity supply.

While Dainik Jagran report suggests that this resulted in disconnection of electricity in a wider area inhabited by Hindus, the Amar Ujala report suggests that only the Temple’s electricity supply was disrupted. Nonetheless, this act of forcible disconnection of electricity and demand to remove the loudspeaker resulted in the people associated with the Temple lodging a complaint with the police on Friday evening, but the police allegedly made light of the matter.

On Saturday, when some locals felt that the loudspeaker could indeed be removed from the Temple, they decided to seek the help of Hindu organisations. As a result, villagers along with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Hindu Jagran Manch activists started protesting at the Ghantagarh square. The protesters also blocked the road.

As the matter started escalating, the Inspector in-charge reached the spot to pacify the protesters. The crowd though demanded a meeting with administrative officers, and the Tehsildar and the Circle Officer rushed to the spot as a result, who then managed to pacify the crowd after 2 hours.

Police is now claiming that they are keeping a vigil on the situation and if someone tries to vitiate the atmosphere, they will act against them. They also claim that the issue is now resolved and there is no dispute over the loudspeaker now.

This isn’t the only time objections have been raised on the use of loudspeakers on Temples. In June 2016, Muslims had objected to a loudspeaker in a Hindu temple present in Jammu’s Jhulas village. According to the report, a group of youths tried to intervene physically to prevent the use of the loudspeaker by temple management.

In April this year, Hindus living in Jogirampura village of Uttar Pradesh had threatened an exodus after the ‘other community’ had objected to the installation of loudspeakers on a Shiv temple for the occasion of Ram Navami.

BSP ‘disowns’ its verified Twitter handle after it shows Mayawati together with Akhilesh

OpIndia Staff
-
0
BSP ‘disowns’ its verified Twitter handle after it shows Mayawati together with Akhilesh

On Sunday evening, verified Twitter handle of “Bahujan Samaj Party” tweeted (now deleted) a poster, which called for the Opposition to come together and stay united in support of “social justice”.

The poster that led to a lat of chatter

In the above image, former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Yadav, JD-U rebel leader Sharad Yadav, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Congress President Sonia Gandhi are seen together while Mayawati towers a little over them.

The poster was supposed to signal opposition unity, however, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal were missing from it. Though, not the first time Arvind Kejriwal has not been included in the Opposition, even though he has been very vocally anti-BJP.

Nonetheless, the poster created curiosity if it was an official statement of some sort of ‘mahagathbandhan’ for the 2019 polls. Soon it was picked up by news channels, who credited Mayawati for a call for opposition unity. BSP currently has zero seats in Lok Sabha, 6 seats in Rajya Sabha, and 19 seats in 2017 Assembly Elections in Uttar Pradesh:


Even before the debate could be taken further, there comes a news that the BSP has disowned the verified handle, which was often quoted as official BSP handle during the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. Party supreme Mayawati herself said that the party had no official Twitter presence.

Following these statements, the ‘bio’ of the concerned Twitter account was changed:

Left: the Twitter description of the account when the poster was tweeted. Right: The change in description after the poster started making news.

The Twitter handle @BspUp2017, which is verified and thus was always assumed as an official channel of communication, quickly changed the bio to add the disclaimer that it is a fan account, and not an official account.

Soon questions were raised if that wasn’t really the official handle, why did it get the blue tick from Twitter verifying it?


And why was it not clarified during the UP elections held earlier this year? But it seems like Twitter has started verifying “official fan” accounts too. More power to the Saifians and SRKWarriors.

UPDATE: The said Twitter handle has now vanished. It appears that it has been deactivated for the time being.

Another Janmashtami procession attacked in Uttar Pradesh by a Muslim mob

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Another Janmashtami procession attacked in Uttar Pradesh by a Muslim mob

On Wednesday, the Behata Gusai village in Uttar Pradesh’s Budaun was engulfed in communal tensions after members belonging to a ‘particular community‘ had attacked a Janmashtami procession in the village, which resulted in injuries to various persons including policemen. The attack included opposing the ongoing procession and also pelting stones at it.

It was earlier believed that the fight had lasted for about 2 hours after which things had calmed down, but new reports suggest that the situation continues to be tense. Hindus there are reportedly getting angry over the fact that no strict action has yet been taken against the attackers. The police and PAC continue to be deployed there and the marketplace too was closed on Friday. Reportedly 16 people have been arrested regarding the matter.

Even though various media reports of the incident only referred to the aggressors as “particular community”, some who claimed to be eyewitnesses called it an attack by Muslims and even posted alleged video clips of the incident.

The above case was incidentally not the only such incident and it has now been revealed that a similar stone pelting by Muslims happened on Friday evening in the Gaura Sailak village in Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh.

According to a report by Dainik Jagran newspaper, a villager named Ramdin had organised this Janmashtami procession, which included taking out a ‘shobha yatra’ (procession). While the procession was being taken to the nearby village of Gandhipur, a group of Muslims stopped it from going ahead. The chief of the police station reached the spot, and after calming down the people from both communities, managed to let the procession go forward.

But later in the day, when the procession was coming back from the Gandhipur village at about 6:00 PM, the Muslims started to pelt stones at it when it reached near a Mosque. This attack resulted in injuries to 6 people named Mukesh, Rajesh, Dinesh, Gaya Prasad, Ram Kishore and Anil Kumar.

Situation escalated as a result of the attack and a heavy police force was deputed there. The police arrested Alam, Sahnur, Munnu and Rauf for the crime. Other people responsible are being traced. All these people apparently pelted stones from their homes. The case hasn’t been reportedly registered against the accused yet. This would be done once someone files an FIR regarding the matter.

The report speculates that the attack on the procession would not have taken place had the police maintained its presence in the area after the initial confrontation was resolved. In the earlier incident at Budaun too, it was alleged that the attack wouldn’t have taken place had the police made the necessary security arrangements.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor spreads fake news on Twitter

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor spreads fake news on Twitter

Shashi Tharoor, former union minister and Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram, on Friday night tweeted how Government of India has ‘blocked an internet archive vital to researchers. He even posed a question what does the BJP have to hide?


The tweet linked to an article on a website that is notorious to publish anything and everything without deference to facts or logic. The article accused the government of attacking our privacy. And it was based on half truths and lies.

Last week only we had brought out the truth about the “inexplicable instance of censorship” which was done not on government’s orders but by Madras High Court orders. As it turns out, Prakash Jha Productions and Red Chillies Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. approached the court of Justice Anita Sumanth in an attempt to stop pirated copies of their films Lipstick Under My Burkha and Jab Harry Met Sejal from being viewed online. Following which, as many as 2,650 websites were blocked as per the Madras High Court order.

Perhaps the court allowed archive.org as one of the websites to be blocked, as the website also archives media files. But they are allowed only through proper channels. So if a movie is leaked by uploading its media files somewhere, archive.org will not preserve the media file without taking into consideration the copyright issues.

Nonetheless, archive.org seems to be up and running and for most ISPs at the time Tharoor tweeted it. And he got called out on the wrong information he tried to propagate:


Alert Twitter users also pointed out it was Bollywood, not Government that brought in the ban in the first place:


Perhaps Mr. Tharoor could do with a bit of fact-check and be a little more responsible by not spreading fake news.

CBDT clarifies there is no inconsistency in the data provided by government, PM

OpIndia Staff
-
0
CBDT clarifies there is no inconsistency in the data provided by government, PM

Following claims by media that there have been inconsistencies in the demonetization figures quoted by the Prime Minister in his Independence Day speech, the Central Bureau of Direct Taxes (CBDT) issued a clarification [pdf] yesterday denied such claims.

Following are the clarifications issued:

Claim: The Prime Minister in his Independence Day address to the nation mentioned that additional 56 lakh people filed Personal Income Tax Returns from 1st April to 5th August, 2017. Last year for the same period, the figure was 22 lakh.

Clarification: The CBDT clarifies the figure relates to the number of e-returns filed by individuals from 1 st April, 2017 to 5th August, 2017 over the Income Tax Returns (ITRs) filed in corresponding period of earlier years. The data maintained by the IT Department shows that during 1st April, 2017 to 5th August, 2017, 2.79 crore e-returns of Individual taxpayers were received as against 2.23 crore e-returns received during 1st April, 2016 to 5th August, 2016. Thus, the additional ITRs received in 2017 works out to be 56 lakh. During the same period of 2015, 2.00 crore e-returns were received, meaning thereby, that in 2016, only 22 lakh (rounded off)) additional e-returns were received by the due date of filing.

Claim: The Economic Survey Vol.2 released on August 12, 2017 mentions that 5.4 lakh new taxpayers were added post demonetization.

Clarification: The CBDT clarifies that the analysis given in Table-6 on page 22 of the Economic Survey (Vol.2), which talks about tax payers, is based on the data for the period of 9 th November to 31st March of 2016-17 and corresponding periods of last two financial years. (Demonetization of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 currency notes was effected from 9th November, 2016, midnight.) The Board clarifies that the growth in the number of taxpayers discussed in the Economic Survey is based on the number of new taxpayers assuming the previous year’s growth rate as the reference growth rate. On the other hand, the growth of Individual return-filers referred to in PM’s speech is with respect to new as well as old taxpayers. Thus, the data used in Economic Survey is different from data referred to in PM’s speech in respect of the period of filing as well as the type of taxpayers and the two are not comparable. Hence, the data needs to be read in context and not on standalone.

Claim: On May 17, 2017, the Finance Minister stated that 91 lakh taxpayers have been added to the tax net as a result of action taken by the Income Tax Department.

Clarification: The statement of the Finance Minister regarding addition of 91 lakh taxpayers to the tax-base referred to the total number of new returns filed during the entire financial year 2016-17 and therefore, it is neither comparable to the data in PM’s speech nor with the data in Economic Survey (different period and different type of taxpayers).

Claim: In reply to Unstarred Question No. 2017 in Rajya Sabha on 01.08.2017, it was stated that 33 lakh new taxpayers have been added to the tax net post demonetization.

Clarification: The reply to Unstarred Question No. 2017 in Rajya Sabha on 01.08.2017 mentioned that during 09.11.2016 to 31.03.2017 the number of ITRs filed was 1.96 crore as against 1.63 crore filed during the corresponding period of last financial year (2015-16). Therefore, number of additional returns filed during this period works out to be 33 lakh. However, this data cannot be compared with the other data mentioned above. The data referred to in Economic Survey is with regard to new taxpayers or first-time return filers only whereas the data provided in the Rajya Sabha Question was in respect of all returns filed.

Essentially, the data in each question refers to different data set. The CBDT concludes that while the number of tax payers has increased to 2.79 crore for the period the 1st of April to 5th August, 2017, from 2.23 crore returns filed during corresponding period of last year, the number is expected to further rise significantly as many more taxpayers are still to file their returns.

Shiv Sena writes an editorial attacking Manohar Parrikar based on fake news

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Shiv Sena writes an editorial attacking Manohar Parrikar based on fake news

Shiv Sena, which seems to enjoy being a thorn in BJP’s foot, took their enjoyment further by writing an editorial in its mouthpiece Saamna attacking Goa CM Manohar Parrikar. The article’s title roughly translates to “Parrikar hope you lose! Can the post of Defence Ministry be taken for granted so easily?”

The article written on Friday was triggered by a video clip, where Parrikar was quoted as saying that he wouldn’t worry about losing the Panajim by-polls on 23rd August, for he can go back to becoming the Defence Minister of the country.

Pinning their entire argument around the alleged quote by Parrikar, the article went ahead to claim that Parrkiar’s image as an honest and true politician had been proved wrong. It further claimed that through this statement, Parrikar had also insulted Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It further said that Parrikar’s statement not only insulted the post of Chief Minister, but also degraded the Defence Ministry post.

Sena decided not to stop at this and termed Parrikar’s defence minister tenure as a miserable failure and alleged that while India was facing difficulties at the border, Parrikar had gone on a vacation to Goa to devour fish curry and rice.

Now it seems that Uddhav Thackeray and the Shiv Sena might have to eat their words, as the alleged remark by Parrikar turns out to be fake. He reportedly never made any such remark, least of all on a video. This bit of remark cropped up when it was circulated as a news report by a fake website made specifically for such hit-jobs.

The BJP has taken action against this now unreachable website named www.primenews-goa.com where the video originated. On Thursday, the party filed a complaint with the Election Commission and also filed a criminal complaint at the Goa Police’s Cyber Crime Cell against unknown accused for peddling fake news against Manohar Parrikar.

Panaji BJP’s General Secretary Pundalik Rautdessai who filed the complaint stated that:

An attempt has been made by circulating a distorted and false news item on social media like Facebook, WhatsApp amongst others, to create falsehood, malign the image of our candidate Manohar Parrikar and to misguide the electorate of Panaji constituency

Manohar Parrkar had himself denied the allegations against himand stated that it showed the level of desperation and frustration of his opponents.

This whole episode raises some serious questions over the BJP-Sena alliance. If indeed the BJP had denied the whole episode and a complaint too was filed on Thursday, why did Sena decide to carry the editorial on Friday, and why hasn’t it yet been pulled down with an apology? Also why did Shiv Sena not try and verify the alleged statement before attacking a senior leader of their alliance partner?

This isn’t the only time Sena has been a difficult partner for the BJP. The party keeps attacking the BJP on regular intervals over whichever issue it deems fit. It has made recent attacks on the BJP over the Kashmir and Bengal situation, called PM’s Independence speech a rhetoric and keeps threatning the Fadnavis government even though are still a part of it.

Before giving sermons to BJP, the Catholic Church should examine its own pacts with Fascist Mussolini

Abhishek Banerjee
-
0
Before giving sermons to BJP, the Catholic Church should examine its own pacts with Fascist Mussolini

The Church has done it again. As per a report, a magazine run by a church in Goa has ended up comparing the  NDA governments to the Nazi regime in Germany. In doing so, it has accused the present government of carrying out a “constitutional holocaust”, a nonsensical term that is sure to find pride of place in liberal vocabulary.

Before indulging in such hyperbole and instead of accusing others of being “like Nazis”, the Catholic Church and its flock would do well to examine (and admit) their own historical connections with Hitler and Mussolini.

Did you know there was a time when the Catholic Church saw Mussolini as a man sent by God?

Indeed, when Italy was born as a country in the second half of the 19th century, a lot of the unification happened at the expense of the “Papal states“, which were lands held by the Pope. When stripped of its moneybag, the Catholic Church revolted against the Italian government, excommunicating the King and even forbade Catholics from voting in Parliamentary elections … a fatwa if you will.

Who did the Catholic Church see as the messenger of God that would bring all this democracy and secularism to an end?

Fascist Benito Mussolini, the savior.

In the early 20th century, as the Fascists began to consolidate their power in Italy, they found an eager ally in the Pope. Let David Kertzer, professor of Italian studies at Brown University, explain in this interview to NPR (you can also read about it in his book The Pope and Mussolini)

Pact between Catholic Church and Mussolini

And yes, Mussolini’s fascist rallies in 1933 would begin with a morning mass performed by a Catholic priest.

Interestingly, as the World War drew closer, the Church did have some doubts about supporting Mussolini, but the break never actually happened. The reason they had these doubts is not what you might suspect. The real reason makes for absolutely chilling reading:

Pope admits Church being totalitarian

That’s right.

But of course, with more practical considerations in mind, the break with Mussolini’s Fascist Regime and the Catholic Church never happened.

Did I mention that Mussolini gave the Catholic Church a cool 750 million lira in cash and another 1 billion lira in government bonds? When offered that kind of money, fascism can’t really be a roadblock, can it? (Here‘s from TIME Magazine on June 17th, 1929)

TIME magazine 1929

If you happen to be in a mind to dismiss these as old failings of a long dead Pope, I should remind you that the Catholic Church subscribes to the dogma of “Papal infallibility”. Simply put, this means that the Catholic Church officially believes that no Pope can ever be wrong. 

Yeah…that’s a real thing. Check it out here. Indian ‘liberals’ would have made fun of it if the Pope wore saffron.

So Mussolini and the “infallible” Pope of the Catholic Church were allies. History.

Today, Manohar Parrikar is too much of a ‘fascist’ for them.

You cannot change history, but fortunately for our eminent historians and intellectuals, you can always try to cover it up.

Zakir Naik starts playing the victim card, claims persecution for being a Muslim

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Zakir Naik starts playing the victim card, claims persecution for being a Muslim

Radical Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, who to put it mildly, is currently in trouble has reportedly now started to play the victim card while dealing with the Interpol.

According to reports, Naik has opposed NIA’s request to the Interpol for a red-corner notice which was issued on the basis of terror and money laundering charges against him. Red corner notice is a notice issued by the Interpol to seek the location or arrest a particular individual with a view to extract him/her.

Now in order to oppose this, Naik has alleged that the case against him is related to the religious persecution of minorities in India. He also reportedly played victim by claiming that Indian agencies were unfairly targeting him because he is a Muslim.

NIA had requested the Interpol to issue this red corner notice in May and the agency also revoked Naik’s passport in July after he failed to join their probe. Naik is currently believed to be shuttling between Saudi Arabia and Malaysia and he has reportedly been granted citizenship by the former. The NIA had also conveyed the information about the revocation to Interpol which then is believed to have notified all the countries. Naik fled India on 1st July 2016.

Naik also tried to paint a bright picture of him by claiming that his speeches only promoted peace and had never advocated terror and jihad. He also claimed that by banning his NGO Islamic Research Foundation and preventing him from delivering speeches on Islam, India was stifling his freedom of expression. He also alleged that he might be tortured in Indian jails.

Such portrayal of innocence and victimhood might not take him far as there are already serious allegations about him indulging in dangerous and illegal activities. It was reported in the past about how his foundation may have funded 300 people with ISIS links and that he also allegedly laundered about Rs 100 crore through his family and NGO. Reports have also suggested that he was running a conversion factory in India and was pushing people towards Wahhabism.

1...7,4707,4717,472...7,677Page 7,471 of 7,677