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ECI tags fake news peddler and hate monger Mohammed Zubair informing him about action taken against Latha: Questions that emerge and the problems with it

Amit Kelkar
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ECI tags fake news peddler and hate monger Mohammed Zubair informing him about action taken against Latha: Questions that emerge and the problems with it

The Election Commission of India recently tagged Alt News cofounder Mohammed Zubair in a tweet informing him about its action against BJP candidate Madhavi Latha over alleged violations of electoral regulations. 

“A case has been filed against Smt. Madhavi Latha, Contesting candidate at Malakpet Police Station under 171C, 186, and 505(1)(c) of the IPC, along with section 132 of the RP Act for violating electoral regulations,” the official X account of the District Election Officer of Hyderabad tweeted on 13 May 2024, tagging Mohammed Zubair, the official X accounts of Telangana CEO, and the ECI.

District Election Officer of Hyderabad’s tweet

The action was initiated after a video of the BJP candidate from Hyderabad, Madhavi Latha, interacting with voters at a polling station had gone viral on the internet. In the video, Ms Latha could be seen talking with a few burqa-clad women at the polling station, who subsequently share what appears like their identity card with the firebrand BJP leader. As per reports, Ms Latha was seeking to verify whether the faces of the women voters tallied the images on their Electoral Photo Identity Cards (EPIC)—a necessary step to prevent the casting of proxy votes. 

Several anti-BJP social media users, including Mohammed Zubair, who is infamous for sharing incomplete videos to further his partisan agenda, targeted Ms Latha and tagged ECI on X, seeking action against her.

“This is not a ‘visit’. This is bullying of the voters by the BJP candidate. Who gave her the authority? Is the Election Commission completely taken over by the BJP?” Zubair tweeted. 

Zubair targeted Ms Latha over her visit to a polling booth

Subsequently, the EC took cognisance of the viral video and initiated action against Ms Latha, which it informed on X with the aforementioned tweet. 

While it is arguable whether the charges against Ms Latha were warranted or not, the Election Commission of India tagging a known hatemonger and fake news peddler, Mohammed Zubair, raises questions about the constitutional body and its working. 

The natural question that comes to one’s mind is whether is the EC reporting to Zubair to inform him about the action taken by it. Is Zubair holding any constitutional position in the Commission to warrant a personal mention in its tweet? If not, why was Zubair mentioned in the tweet? Does the EC inform Zubair about all the decisions it takes? If one assumes that the EC tagged Zubair only because he had expressed disapproval over the viral video of Ms Latha at a polling station, did the constitutional body tag everyone on social media who objected to Ms Latha’s presence at the polling booth? 

Dog-whistling against assertive Hindu women, selective fact-checking, fake news, and more: The dangerous antecedents of Mohammed Zubair

However, more gravely, the Election Commission’s preferential treatment of Mohammed Zubair legitimises his sinister online conduct, which involves painting a target behind assertive Hindu women who don’t take insults to their faith lying down and selectively ‘fact-checking’ incidents that reinforce his political bias.  

Mohammed Zubair shot to fame in 2022 when thousands of Islamists came out on the streets in different parts of the country baying for the blood of Nupur Sharma, former BJP spokesperson, who found herself at the centre of a raging storm after Mohammed Zubair shared an incomplete video of her, accusing her of blasphemy against Prophet Muhammad. 

Sharma was part of a debate panel on Times Now, discussing the finding of Shivling in the Gyanvapi complex and the subsequent mockery of the Hindu Gods and Goddesses that followed in the wake of the discovery. Islamists had claimed that the Shivling discovered inside the wuzukhana of the Gyanvapi disputed structure was not a Shivling but a fountain. Across social media platforms, detractors had repeated ad nauseam that the Shivling found inside the Gyanvapi premises was a fountain and not an idol of a Hindu God.

In response to the contempt and scorn poured over Hindu Gods and Goddesses, which was evident even during the Times Now debate where some of the fellow panellists referred to the Shivling as a fountain, BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma asked them to refrain from insulting Hindu Gods and cited Islamic scriptures and Holy Quran for substantiating her remarks on Prophet Muhammad and Islam. Zubair subsequently shared a partial video of the debate, touching off ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ violence all over the country. 

Ironically, Zubair, who targeted Nupur Sharma over alleged ‘blasphemy’ against Prophet Muhammad, was arrested after his disparaging posts mocking Hindu Gods and Goddesses had gone viral on the internet, prompting him to deactivate his troll Facebook account—Unofficial Sususwamy. 

Besides peddling propaganda and instigating Islamists, Zubair is also infamous for peddling fake news. There are countless incidents when Zubair was caught lying, an indicative list of which can be read here. His portal, Alt News, has also attracted searing criticism for its prejudice and running Islamist propaganda in the name of ‘fact-checking’. 

Yet, the Election Commission found no qualms in tagging a personality that thrives on manipulating facts to suit his bigoted narratives, targeting assertive Hindus with motivated allegations of ‘blasphemy’, and sharing fake news without an iota of shame and embarrassment. Surely, the Election Commission, which undertakes the herculean effort of conducting free and fair elections in an incredibly vast and diverse country like India, could do better than seeking validity for its actions from extra-constitutional persons, especially from hate-mongers and fake news peddlers pretending to be anxious about India’s democratic ethos and norms. 

Update: After the OpIndia report, the X handle of District Election Officer of Hyderabad deleted the tweet where they had tagged fake news peddler and hate monger Mohammad Zubair as if he was an office holder, informing about the case filed against Madhavi Latha. After deleting the tweet in question, the ECI then tweeted the content again without tagging Mohammad Zubair.

However, another disturbing trend emerged. The ECI, Hyderabad handle started ‘hiding’ tweets in response to this one questioning them about the previous deleted tweet where they had tagged Mohammad Zubair. Netizens were questioning the ECI about the motive of tagging the individual.

What was also troubling is that one of the responses hidden by the ECI handle, Hyderabad was one questioning whether the ECI would take action against AIMIM goons threatening and abusing Madhavi Latha.

This raises serious questions on the transparency with which the District Election Officer of Hyderabad is supposed to function.

“He can’t be trusted”: Congress leader Charanjit Singh Channi hits out at AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal over liquor scam

OpIndia Staff
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“He can’t be trusted”: Congress leader Charanjit Singh Channi hits out at AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal over liquor scam

On Wednesday (15th May), former Punjab Chief Minister and Congress leader Charanjit Singh Channi launched an attack on I.N.D.I. Alliance partner Aam Aadmi Party’s supremo Arvind Kejriwal. Channi during a media interaction said that a big liquor scam happened in Delhi and that Kejriwal cannot be trusted.

“Kejriwal who is involved in liquor scam and is out of jail for only 15 days, can’t be trusted… A big liquor scam happened in Delhi and the same happened in Punjab also… We demand an inquiry into it…Instead of being welcomed, he should be opposed…” Channi said.

Channi made these comments as the AAP supremo is set to do roadshows in Punjab on Thursday.

Notably, on 10th May the Supreme Court granted Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal interim bail till June in the wake of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The Aam Aadmi Party supremo was asked to return to custody on 2 June, two days before the results of the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections.

A bench comprising justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta announced interim bail for Arvind Kejriwal until June 1. In its comprehensive order, the apex court noted that Kejriwal’s bail case was special since he was a sitting CM and needed to campaign for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

Solicitor-general Tushar Mehta and additional solicitor general SV Raju, representing the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the case, opposed the temporary bail, arguing for “equitable treatment” for all parties. However, the bench dismissed their objections. The law officers urged the bench to impose conditions on Kejriwal, preventing him from discussing the excise policy case while out on bail.

The court noted that it was addressing the matter of an elected Chief Minister, not a repeat offender, and emphasised that general elections occur only once every five years. Four more phases of general elections are left, with the national capital Delhi going to the polls on May 25, 2024.

Mumbai hoarding collapse: All about Bhavesh Bhinde, aspiring politician and billboard company owner who went ‘missing’

OpIndia Staff
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Mumbai hoarding collapse: All about Bhavesh Bhinde, aspiring politician and billboard company owner who went ‘missing’

A lawsuit has been filed against Bhavesh Prabhudas Bhinde for culpable homicide not amounting to murder after the billboard that his business had erected toppled during the storm in Ghatkopar, Maharashtra’s Mumbai, on 13th May claiming the lives of at least 16 people and wounding 74 others. Notably, the owner of Ego Media has a history of police cases including one involving rape. He has already been fined 21 times over illegal hoardings.

The 51-year-old is reportedly on the run and has turned off his telephone, according to police officials.

On 14th May, the Pant Nagar Police declared Bhavesh Bhide absconding. The authorities revealed that when two different teams were dispatched to his Mulund residence and office, they were met with locked doors. He and his family had “gone out” the same day when the shocking instance took place, per the neighbours. Furthermore, the teams attempted to contact him, but according to an investigating officer, his phone was off. The cops mentioned that they were now tracking his movements and last location, and believe he has left the city but continues to remain in Maharashtra.

The Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR), which maintains the website myneta.info has disclosed additional information and unveiled that Bhavesh Bhinde had already received 21 penalties from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation for unauthorized hoardings. According to the same website, which asserted that the data was obtained from the Election Commission of India website, he has two further charges under the Negotiable Instruments (NI) Act, which deals with events involving checks and bounces. Interestingly, he ran as an Independent candidate from Mulund in the 2009 Maharashtra assembly elections, which is why his information is available on the aforementioned website.

The cases were brought under the Negotiable Instruments Act and the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act which dealt with issues involving checks that bounced, acquiring contracts from the Railways and the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (BMC) for hoardings and banners over the previous ten years, and alleged infractions of BMC and Railways policies.

Bhide was charged with rape, molestation and criminal intimidation by the Mulund police on 24th January of this year. His girlfriend complained that he had sexually exploited her under the guise of marriage, leading to his arrest two months ago by Mulund police. He sought and was granted anticipatory bail from the Bombay High Court. The chargesheet was submitted and the matter is under investigation, based on the police.

Bhavesh Bhinde and his company, Ego Media, along with others who are listed as unidentified have been charged under section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder). 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering personal safety of others), 337 (causes hurt to any person by doing any act so rashly or negligently as to endanger human life) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code in the First Information Report launched by Pant Nagar police.

No permission and repeated violation of rules

According to reports, Bhide has received contracts for the installation of hoardings and banners from the Indian Railways and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in Mumbai throughout the years, despite repeatedly breaking their regulations. He is identified as an accused in occurrences of tree poisoning and tree chopping, together with other members of his company. The BMC has stated that it does not permit billboards larger than 40 by 40 feet. The hoarding that collapsed on the petrol station in Ghatkopar was a 120X120-foot construction that was large enough to be listed in the Limca Book of Records.

Limca Book of Records featuring the collapsed Mumbai hoarding. (Source: India Today)

BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani claimed, “We have ordered action against all illegal hoardings in the city. We are starting today. A case has been filed in this case as no permission had been given for the hoarding. A complaint was also received that some trees had been cut so this hoarding could be visible. We have filed a case in this regard too.” Although Bhavesh Bhinde’s organization asserted that it has approval from the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Railways), BMC representatives have stated that approval from the municipal corporation is also required for any billboard in an area that falls under its purview.

BMC Additional Commissioner Sudhakar Shinde accused, “The BMC has written to the authorities several times and said our permission is not being taken for erecting billboards. We were told, citing various Acts, that our nod was not needed. The matter is being heard by the Supreme Court now. An inquiry will reveal where the lapses occurred. The BMC’s current priority is taking care of the people who were injured.”

Bhavesh Bhinde formerly owned and operated a business called Guju Ads, which the BMC blacklisted after several complaints were filed against him and the company. He created his own company, Ego Media Pvt Ltd and started winning contracts for billboards and hoardings in spite of being placed on the blacklist. Bharatiya Janata Party leader Kirit Somaiya took to social media to inform that he had registered complaint against Guju Ads for illegal hoardings and corrupt practices in 2018 after which action was taken.

The party also claimed that Bhavesh Bhinde was close to Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and used their picture to emphasise its charge. Ram Kadam, BJP MLA from Ghatkopar West also shared it on social media and accused the two of being in cohorts with each other.

Aftermath of the shocking instance

A senior official stated that Ego Media was served with a notice by the assistant municipal commissioner of the N-ward to remove these hoardings immediately, but the civic body has not received any response. The official pointed out that since the hoardings are built next to each other, they must be taken down one after the other but didn’t offer a time period for the same. According to him, the BMC has been asked to remove the remaining hoardings by the Government Railway Police (GRP), which has informed them that it lacks the equipment required to do so. The hoardings are situated along the Eastern Express Highway, which links Thane and Mumbai, according to a different municipal official and are at a distance of 100-150 meters each other.

On 14th May, BMC commissioner Bhusan Gagrani highlighted that three hoardings close to the accident site which were put up by the same agency whose hoarding crashed on 13th May were being removed. BMC requested the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) for assistance with dismantling the hoardings because the local body lacks the technical expertise and necessary equipment. According to the BMC official, clearances were obtained from the GRP ACP (admin) for the commissioner of police (railways) to erect a total of eight hoardings, along with advertisements on both sides. BMC had not consent to even one of them.

Meanwhile, civic chief Sanjay Katkar announced, “We have already weeded out old hoardings from public places, regarding those installed on private properties, owners have been issued notices on 25, April to submit structural stability certificates within 15 days failing which the hoardings will be pulled down from 18, May onwards. While we are already very cautious in issuing fresh permissions, new hoardings are being erected on suitable spots on a Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis in compliance to safety parameters.”

Officials reported that there were 166 hoardings in all, 110 of which were on 20-by-20-foot plots that the city government leased out, in addition to 57 enormous billboards that were put up on private property. However, the MBMC acted swiftly and demanded structural stability certificates of billboards placed on private properties following the event in which five persons were killed in the Pimpri-Chinchwad region of Pune in April of last year after an iron hoarding collapsed on them. The Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC), on the other hand, began tearing down the hoardings on public properties.

An official attached to MBMC’s advertising wing conveyed, “While all hoardings leased by the civic administration have been dismantled, we are regularly verifying stability certificates. A couple of private owners who are yet to submit current stability certificates will face action.”

On the evening of 13th May, when dust storms and unseasoned rains hit the city, an illegal hoarding which was situated on property owned by the Government Railway Police (GRP) slammed into a gas station in the Chheda Nagar neighbourhood causing death and destruction in the surrounding vicinity. Eknath Shinde, the chief minister of Maharashtra, also paid a late-night visit to the location, promising action in the matter and directing a structural analysis of all hoardings in Mumbai.

The high price Arvind Kejriwal may pay for interim ‘campaigning’ bail: The possible implications for the judiciary and the Delhi government

Prof. Vidhu Shekhar
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The high price Arvind Kejriwal may pay for interim ‘campaigning’ bail: The possible implications for the judiciary and the Delhi government

In a recent, rather controversial decision, the Supreme Court of India granted interim bail to Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi, so that he could campaign in the Lok Sabah Elections. While this decision may seem like a victory for Kejriwal, it comes with significant costs that could potentially impact his political future, along with the judiciary’s reputation.

Impact on the Judiciary

The cost that the Judiciary might pay for this is somewhat better understood. The apex court’s decision has already sparked the debate on the Judiciary’s ability to use discretion arbitrarily. In this particular case of Arvind Kejriwal, the Court may set a precedent that politicians are a special class of citizens.

The court has defended its decision by stating that interim bail was granted based on the specific facts of Kejriwal’s case, emphasizing that such decisions are not that uncommon and should not be seen as establishing a general rule for all politicians. However, the criticism remains that this decision could undermine the perceived neutrality of the judiciary. What is it about Arvind Kejriwal, who himself is not standing in Lok Sabha Elections, that he should get bail for campaigning, and, say, Hemant Soren should not? Even more pertinently, what is it about Arvind Kejriwal that he should get bail for campaigning while 75.8% of total prisoners, a whopping 4,34,302 aam aadmis, remain in jail as undertrials?

This unprecedented decision has surely eroded the judiciary’s goodwill with the citizenry, and we may see a significant strengthening of the call for judicial reforms.

The Price Arvind Kejriwal may need to pay

The common man languishing in prison pays the price, and the Supreme Court’s reputation suffers. But what about Arvind Kejriwal himself? His 21-day bail, amid an investigation where he allegedly destroyed 170 mobile phones, allows him to campaign in the Lok Sabha elections, presenting himself as a future prime ministerial candidate and overshadowing other opposition leaders such as Rahul Gandhi. This interim freedom, visibility, and active participation, all due to the largesse shown by SC, may look like a win-win situation for him. But is it?

Not really. Arvind Kejriwal may end up paying a potentially steep price for this 21-day sojourn outside prison. The first of these costs will be related to future judicial challenges. Post-June 2, when Kejriwal is required to surrender, obtaining further bail could prove significantly more difficult. With the decision of SC in favour of interim bail, it is apparent that SC had a softer outlook towards him. If the interim bail had not been given in between, there is a high chance that SC, over a period of time, would have given him regular bail. And as with such regular bails, he would not have to face prison again until a judgment was delivered and he got convicted. In other words, his regular freedom would not have been far.

However, now under scrutiny, the SC may not be inclined to consider his regular bail soon and adopt a more cautious approach to avoid accusations of bias. This could mean a prolonged period of incarceration for Kejriwal, similar to his colleague Manish Sisodia, who has been in jail for over a year in the same liquor scam case. With the current bail, Kejriwal also loses the opportunity to demand bail to campaign in the upcoming Delhi State Elections. The SC cannot repeatedly grant bail under similar circumstances. Consequently, Kejriwal may be unable to campaign in his own state election. AAP, being a very Arvind Keriwal-centric party, may well lose Delhi in the process.

Delhi Government May be Dismissed on 2nd June

The second cost that Arvind Kejriwal may pay is the dismissal of his government if he insists on retaining CM ship despite being incarcerated. As we all know, during his first arrest, Kejriwal did not resign, maintaining his position as Chief Minister. This led to an unprecedented situation and a paralyzed administration. Given the uniqueness of the situation, neither the court nor the central government could take any decisions on the same. And we had a CM serving from jail.

However, this may not be repeated. His upcoming surrender on June 2, which is also post-elections, allows the central government to consider dismissing his government on the grounds of incapacitation due to imprisonment if he did not resign. The central government is likely to take this decision, as a paralyzed government in the capital is untenable.

Thus, while Kejriwal’s interim bail allows him to campaign significantly, it casts a dark and complex shadow on his and AAP’s future. The potential loss of the Delhi government, challenges in securing future bail, and strategic complications suggest that this “victory” comes with significant potential pitfalls. As the judiciary faces criticism for its decision, Kejriwal, too, may not emerge unscathed from the repercussions. The coming months will reveal whether the short-term gains of this campaigning period were worth the long-term costs that Kejriwal and the AAP might incur.

Preserving sanctity amid theatrics: A stricter stance on pollution, and pilgrim footfall needed at Kedarnath Dham and other sacred, sensitive places

Anurag
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Preserving sanctity amid theatrics: A stricter stance on pollution, and pilgrim footfall needed at Kedarnath Dham and other sacred, sensitive places

Hindu sacred places like Kedarnath are known for their desolate location and divine silence. These places are meant for devotees to visit and meditate to connect to God and their spiritual selves. However, in recent times, a trend has come to the fore where influencers and reel addicts have started visiting these places as if they are tourist spots just for the sake of making reels to gain traction on social media. One such incident has come to light where a group from Indore attempted to set a record for playing “Dhol Tasha” at the highest altitude.

The group comprising 44 boys and 18 girls were playing Dhol Tasha outside Kedarnath temple when one of the priests objected and warned them against it, saying that he is ready to face the government officials if one of them have given permission for the event at the holy shrine. The video of the incident has gone viral on social media. 

The act of the group was aimed at garnering social media attention and they were not the only ones visiting sacred places for the same. Such individuals and groups often face significant backlash from devotees and locals who see it as a disturbance to the sanctity and peace of the sacred sites. Such incidents have highlighted a troubling trend brewing across the country where the reverence owed to spiritual sites is overshadowed by the clamour of viral fame. Even in the official videos by Shri Kedarnath Dham, one can see hundreds of mobile phones making videos of the Aarti.

Another video shows how bad the situation is because of reel-addicts.

Following the incident, several social media users thanked the priest for speaking up. X user Abhishek said, “Finally, responsible local citizens came forward and stopped this drama in Kedarnath which had become a centre of various kinds of so-called cultural activities.”

X user Ramukaka said, “People have ruined every temple by making it a video reel spot. Dancing, singing, hooliganism is what is happening in every temple. Instead of worship, recitation and bhajans, only drama is happening.”

Ecological and cultural impacts – Beyond the noise

Notably, places like Kedarnath have fragile ecosystems. It is susceptible to various threats from increased human activity. The noise not only disturbs the spiritual ambiance but also affects the local wildlife that is not habitual to so much noise putting them in a distressed situation. 

In many cases, it has been seen that birds and animals slowly migrate from such areas where noise pollution increases substantially over time. Take the example of metro cities. You will hardly find any birds other than pigeons in cities as most of them are left because of light, air and noise pollution. These activities contribute to broader environmental degradation, including littering and pollution, which compound the threat to these vulnerable areas.

Strict government and administrative action is need of the hour

Responding to hooliganism and irresponsible behaviour of the tourists, several local governments and administrations have acted in the past. In regions like Ladakh, strict regulations were implemented to curb such activities. For example, several videos surfaced over time where influencers raced SUVs on the fragile terrains of Pangong Tso. Following the viral videos, the administration not only imposed heavy fines but also imposed rules against it. 

Recently, a group of youth were caught taking drugs and making reels at Kedarnath. They were seen apologising to police after getting caught.

Last year, the Kedarnath temple administration put a ban on making reels around the temple after a video of a couple went viral where the woman was seen proposing to her boyfriend in front of the temple. Kedarnath Badrinath temple committee had taken a strong objection on the viral reel.

In September 2021, influencer Aarti Sahu was made to apologise after she made a dance reel in front of a temple that went viral and faced backlash. In October 2023, an influencer was booked for making a reel in Ram Ki Paidi Ghat in Ayodhya. 

Last year, a helicopter pilot had to abort takeoff because of a reel-addict.

It is the responsibility of the state government and local administration to enforce stricter regulations to ensure that the sanctity and environmental integrity of these locations are preserved. In the recent case revolving around Kedarnath Temple, it is essential to note that sacred places are not tourist spots and regulations should be in place to avoid such incidents. Moreover, those officials who permitted “setting a record of Dhol Tasha” should be held accountable for their failure to apply their minds beforehand. 

Restoring sanctity and sustainability: ecologically sensitive regions need a check on footfalls too

The recurring incidents at Kedarnath Dham and other religious sites call for a renewed view to respecting and protecting these sacred spaces. Recently, a large influx of devotees was seen at Uttarakhand’s Yamunotri. In another viral video, hundreds of pilgrims, carriers and horses were seen precariously packed in a narrow, dangerous path, reportedly near Yamunotri. It was a traffic jam that could have easily ended in a great disaster.

The crushing crowd could have resulted in a major incident. It is essential to have a pass system for the devotees who can visit such sensitive places so that overcrowding can be avoided. Clear, and strict implementation of sanitation rules, littering rules, mobile phone usage and pilgrim movement have to be laid out, keeping safety and the region’s sustainability as priority.

Promoting awareness about the cultural and ecological importance of such locations, alongside implementing and enforcing appropriate regulations, can help mitigate the impact of such disruptions.

There should be a balance between welcoming devotees and preserving the tranquillity and sanctity of Kedarnath Dham and other sacred sites. Incidents like Kedarnath and Yamunotri should be seen as stark reminders of the need for a collective effort to maintain the spiritual, cultural, and natural integrity of sacred sites and it cannot be done by the administration alone. People visiting such sites should act responsibly and think beyond reposts and shares.  

“I was beaten mercilessly, tortured ruthlessly”: Malegaon Blast accused retired major Ramesh Upadhyay tells court he was falsely framed under UPA govt’s pressure to justify ‘Hindu terror’ theory

OpIndia Staff
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“I was beaten mercilessly, tortured ruthlessly”: Malegaon Blast accused retired major Ramesh Upadhyay tells court he was falsely framed under UPA govt’s pressure to justify ‘Hindu terror’ theory

On the 14th of May, the 2008 Malegaon blast case accused retired major Ramesh Upadhyay in his court statement said that he was “falsely framed” by the state’s Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) due to political pressure from then-UPA governments to justify their Hindu terror theory. He stated that the “ATS created evidence against him with sinister motives to please political masters”.

In its charge sheet, the prosecution highlighted transcripts of phone conversations between Upadhyay and the chief accused, Shrikant Purohit, as primary evidence against him.

However, in his statement to the court, Upadhyay said he was “beaten mercilessly, tortured ruthlessly, and asked to confess to a crime he had not committed.”

Besides the physical torture, Upadhyay claimed, he was subjected to psychological coercion as well. He said that he was threatened that his wife would be paraded naked, and his son would be attacked adding that the ATS executed its threats by conducting searches at the residences of his married daughters to humiliate his family to exert pressure on Ramesh Upadhyay to confess to the crime he is accused of committing.

“I was threatened that my wife would be paraded naked, my unmarried daughter would be raped, son’s jaw would be broken. To execute the threats, they started visiting and searching the houses of my married daughters to insult them and their in-laws in the society and to further mount psychological pressure on me to confess to a crime I hadn’t committed,” Upadhyay said.

He also accused the then DGP Maharashtra D.N. Roy of threatening to “pulverise” him. Upadhyay said that when he “flatly refused to bow down to their wishes to give a confession or falsely name any other person or co-accused,” the ATS arrested him on Diwali night and brought him before a judicial magistrate in Nashik during a holiday. “I spoke to the learned magistrate, showed him torture marks on my body, agreed to co-operate with the investigation and also to Narco Analysis Tests to prove my innocence,” he said.

He claimed that polygraph and narco-analysis tests ‘exonerated’ him of any involvement in the case and that despite the results handing him a ‘clean chit’, ATS failed to submit the reports in court. He further stated that the chargesheets and witness statements included no ‘iota of evidence’ against him.

Furthermore, Upadhyay claimed that during the investigation, the then-Additional CP Sukhwinder Singh interrogated him in the presence of two other police officials, who audio- and video-recorded it and told him to read out passages, after which Singh obtained Upadhyay’s signature on some blank papers, diaries, and printed pages in Marathi, as well as his thumb and fingerprints. Upadhyay said that Singh claimed that it was all part of police procedure.

Urging the court to acquit him of all charges, Ramesh Upadhyay said, “I have suffered immense pain physically, mentally, financially, and socially and my family life has been ruined. The culprits who framed me in this false case should be proceeded against as per law. I further pray that I be honourably acquitted of all charges in the interest of justice.”

This comes just days after Lieutenant Colonel Shrikant Prasad Purohit, who was accused of an alleged role in the 2008 Malegaon blast under the UPA government, disclosed that ATS officers illegally questioned and tortured him to name prominent right-wing leaders of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Vishva Hindu Parishad including Yogi Adityanath.

Election affidavits show Rahul Gandhi earns four times the income of PM Narendra Modi, has assets worth 6 times while accusing the PM of earning ‘illegally’

OpIndia Staff
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Election affidavits show Rahul Gandhi earns four times the income of PM Narendra Modi, has assets worth 6 times while accusing the PM of earning ‘illegally’

On Tuesday (14th May), Prime Minister Narendra Modi filed his nomination papers for the Lok Sabha elections seeking a parliamentary seat from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. According to his election affidavit, the Prime Minister, whose rule saw the Indian economy leap from tenth to fifth place, has personal assets of only Rs 3 crores.

According to PM Modi’s 2024 election affidavit, he has Rs 52,920 cash in hand and Rs 3.02 crores invested in moveable assets. According to his affidavit submitted to the election authority amid the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, he does not own any property, a house, or a plot that falls under the category of ‘immovable assets’.

The affidavit further reveals that PM Modi’s taxable income increased from Rs 11 lakh in fiscal year 2018-19 to Rs 23.5 lakh in 2022-23. The Prime Minister also has a Fixed Deposit worth Rs 2,85,60,338 in SBI. The PM also has four gold rings weighing 45g worth Rs 2,67,750.

According to his electoral affidavit, the prime minister declared holdings of Rs 73,304 in the SBI’s Gandhinagar branch and Rs 7,000 in the Varanasi branch. Additionally, the Indian Prime Minister has no outstanding loans or dues under his name. He has Rs 9.12 lakh saved in National Savings Certificates.

The Prime Minister is described as an Ahmedabad inhabitant whose vocation is public life and political action. He completed his SSC in 1967, earned a BA degree from Delhi University in 1978, and an MA degree from Gujarat University in 1983.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, PM Modi disclosed Rs 2.5 crore in assets, including residential premises in Gujarat’s Gandhinagar, Rs 1.27 crore in fixed deposits, and Rs 38,750 in cash. During the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, he had declared total assets of Rs 1.65 crore.

Rahul Gandhi claims PM Modi earns crores due to ‘close relations’ with Adani-Ambani

It is crucial to note that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has time and again raised questions about the alleged association of PM Modi with multi-billionaire Indian businessmen Gautam Adani and Ambanis. Recently on 8th May, Rahul Gandhi claimed that PM Modi had allegedly been lifted by Adani and Ambanis. This is after PM Modi amid the election campaigns claimed that Gandhi had benefitted earlier due to Adani and Ambani.

Responding to the PM’s jibe, Rahul Gandhi said, “And you also know they give money in tempos. Is that your personal experience?” He then asked PM Modi to send the Enforcement Directorate and CBI to the industrialists’ residence and get the inquiry done.

Also, on 24th April, Gandhi stated that PM Modi had ‘billionaire friends’ and that the PM was allegedly waiving loans worth lakh crore of these billionaires in return for personal monetary benefits. Gandhi also claimed that PM Modi had committed a crime by ‘not thinking’ about the development of the youth of India.

PM Modi meanwhile also claimed that the opposition parties had been receiving illegal funds from Ambani and Adani and so had stopped cussing about the billionaires. “For five years you cussed out Ambani and Adani, and overnight the cussing has stopped?” Modi said while addressing an election rally in Telangana recently.

Gandhi’s affidavit discloses his richness, value of assets increased by 3583%

Notably, Congress’ Rahul Gandhi also submitted his affidavit to the election authorities as he filed a nomination from Kerala’s Wayanad for the Lok Sabha elections in 2024. The affidavit showed that in the last five years, the value of total assets of the Congress leader had gone up by over 28%, from over Rs 15 crore in 2019 to over Rs 20 crore in 2024. Therefore, he has become richer by over Rs 6 crore in the last 5 years.

Rahul Gandhi’s annual income in 2022-23 was Rs 1.02 crore, according to his Income Tax statement. Therefore, Rahul Gandhi’s annual income is 4 times the annual income of PM Modi. In addition to his salary and allowances as an MP, Rahul Gandhi earns rental income from properties he owns.

As per the affidavit, over half of Gandhi’s assets are immovable assets including land and commercial buildings, the current value of which is shown as Rs 11,15,02,598.00. His movable assets are worth Rs 9,24,59,264.00, and most of them are investments in shares and mutual funds. He owns shares in 25 companies, and several of them are blue chip stocks like Asian Paints, Hindustan Unilever, ICICI Bank, ITC, Infosys, Nestle, TCS, Britania, etc. The value of his shares is Rs 4.34 crore, while he also owns 7 mutual funds with a current value of Rs 3,81,33,572.

Along with cash in hand, in the bank, and some other assets, the total value of his movable assets is Rs 9,24,59,264.00, up from Rs 5,80,58,779 in 2014. This means, the value of his movable assets, mostly shares and mutual funds, have gone up by a whopping 60%.

As reported earlier, Rahul Gandhi has seen a steep hike in the value of his total declared assets in the last 20 years, which was just above Rs 55 lakh in 2004, and has gone up to over R 20 crore last year, an increase of 3583%.

Notably, Rahul Gandhi owns shares and mutual funds in various firms and fund managers, the value of which has increased dramatically, despite regularly insulting and assaulting the Indian corporate sector.

Modi accused of wearing suits, ‘aiding’ wealthy people

Time and again, the Congress Party and its leader Rahul Gandhi have claimed that PM Modi is the enemy of the poor people, especially the farmers and ‘a friend’ of big corporates. He has several times earlier described the Modi government as “udyogpatiyon ki sarkar”, “bade logon ki sarkar” and “suit-boot ki sarkar” (a government of capitalists, rich people, and of those dressed in suits and boots).

Also, recently in the year 2023, Gandhi criticized PM Modi for wearing expensive suits and described himself as a simple man who wears only T-shirts.

“PM wears suits worth lakhs of rupees but I wear this white T-shirt only. On one day, he wears at least 1-2 suits worth lakhs of rupees. Have you seen PM Modi repeating his clothes? I wear this one single white shirt,” Gandhi was quoted as saying.

Though Rahul Gandhi has routinely criticized PM Modi for his clothing and apparel, it is noteworthy to mention that Rahul Gandhi has often been caught living an extravagant lifestyle while pretending to be leading a humble and austere life. 

The expensive taste of Gandhi was exposed by OpIndia earlier as it reported in detail about the cost of the ‘simple white shirt’ worn by Gandhi. In 2021, OpIndia exposed how Gandhi preferred wearing only foreign-branded white shirts worth Rs 11,690. The Gandhi scion had once worn a jacket worth Rs 70,000. Rahul Gandhi, however, later claimed his Burberry jacket was a ‘gift’.

Back in 2019, Rahul Gandhi had gone to check up on the workers near the Sukhdev Vihar flyover in the ashram of Delhi. While many dubbed it as an event aimed at projecting Rahul as the leader concerned about the destitute and the poor, people were quick to point out that he arrived wearing a shoe of Rs 13,500 to know the condition of poor laborers and migrants.

In 2015 also, Rahul Gandhi was found sporting a Ralph Lauren t-shirt that retails at anywhere upward of Rs 12,000. Ironically he was wearing these expensive clothes even while attacking the ruling government over ‘suit boot’.

Conclusion

While Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party, in general, have been criticizing PM Modi for living a royal lifestyle and allegedly ignoring the plight of the poor farmers, it is clear as per the documents that it is actually Gandhi who is richer and ignorant of the poor in the country. Gandhi in the past claimed that PM Modi concentrated on wearing suits worth crores, but he himself has never given up on his royal lifestyle which includes a ‘simple white shirt’ costing worth Rs 12,000.

Notably, the asset value of the Gandhi scion has gone up by 3583% since 2004 with him getting richer by Rs 6 crore in just the past 5 years without doing any profitable, valuable activity. In fact, the Gandhi leader has allegedly committed double the expense in a bid to grow the Congress party which is seeing its downing end while on the edge of the Lok Sabha elections poll. While Gandhi continues to allege PM Modi’s alleged ‘illegal’ source of income, the party or the leader himself must first disclose his own source of ‘illegal’ money and association with Adani and Ambani if any as claimed by PM Modi.

General elections are being held in India from 19th April to 1st June 2024 in seven phases, to elect 543 members of the Lok Sabha. The votes will be counted and the results will be declared on 4th June 2024.

Manish Kashyap acquitted in fake video case after police fails to provide evidence: YouTuber says first time a speedy trial was held for four cases against a single person

OpIndia Staff
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Manish Kashyap acquitted in fake video case after police fails to provide evidence: YouTuber says first time a speedy trial was held for four cases against a single person

Manish Kashyap, a leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and a YouTuber, has received significant relief in the fake video case. The Patna Civil Court acquitted Manish Kashyap and two others due to lack of 6evidence. The case was filed by the Economic Offenses Unit of the Bihar Police over a fake video. Recently, Manish Kashyap had joined the BJP in the presence of Manoj Tiwari.

Kashyap took to X to announce his acquittal in the case. Taking a swipe at those who defamed him, Kashyap wrote, “I hope that those who tried to defame me on social media will now make a small video or upload a post and create awareness about this case in Bihar and the country.”

It should be noted that Manish Kashyap had shared an alleged video on his YouTube channel showing violence against migrant workers from Bihar in Tamil Nadu. The video went viral and was widely viewed. This led to legal trouble for Manish. Following the video’s virality, the Tamil Nadu Police labeled it as fake and registered a case against him. Additionally, the Economic Offenses Unit of the Bihar Police also filed a case regarding the video.

Released from Jail after 9 Months

After the police registered cases, Manish Kashyap was missing for several days. During this time, his house was also confiscated. On March 18, 2023, during the confiscation process, he surrendered. The Bihar Police team took him into custody for questioning, after which the Tamil Nadu Police took him with them. Kashyap spent about nine months in jail before being granted bail and released.

Manish Kashyap joins BJP

Recently, Manish Kashyap had recently joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). BJP MP Manoj Tiwari inducted him into the party at the BJP headquarters in Delhi. Before joining the party, Kashyap had announced his intention to contest the Lok Sabha elections from the West Champaran seat. However, after becoming a party member, he changed his mind and decided not to run for the election.

Biden intensifies US trade war with China, imposes high tariffs on Chinese EVs, solar cells, and other products: How ‘self-interest’ trumps global virtue signaling

Shraddha Pandey
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Biden intensifies US trade war with China, imposes high tariffs on Chinese EVs, solar cells, and other products: How ‘self-interest’ trumps global virtue signaling

On the 14th of May, the Biden administration in the United States imposed new tariffs on Chinese imports as its fresh move in the ongoing trade war. The Biden administration slapped new tariffs on Chinese EVs and EV batteries, along with solar cells, syringes, needles, steel and aluminium etc. President Biden said that he is “announcing new tariffs in key sectors of the economy that are going to ensure that our workers are not held back by unfair trade practices.”

In an X post, US President Joe Biden said, “I just imposed a series of tariffs on goods made in China: 25% on steel and aluminum, 50% on semiconductors, 100% on EVs, And 50% on solar panels. China is determined to dominate these industries. I’m determined to ensure America leads the world in them.”

On Tuesday, the White House stated that China’s “unfair trade practices concerning technology transfer, intellectual property, and innovation” have harmed America and accused China of “flooding global markets with artificially low-priced exports”.

The announcement emphasised the bipartisan nature of the trade war against China, which began under Donald Trump’s presidency and is witnessing a continuation under Joe Biden’s government. The new tariffs, levied pursuant to Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, will affect $18 billion in imports.

Rates of tariffs on Chinese products

The newly imposed duties include a 100% tariff on electric vehicles, a 50% tariff on semiconductors, and a 25% tariff on electric vehicle batteries imported from China. Some of the tariffs, including those on natural graphite, permanent magnets, lithium-ion non-electrical vehicle batteries, and medical gloves, will not take effect until 2026.

“A 100 percent tariff on electric vehicles made in China.  And people say, “Wow.” Because we’re not going to let China flood our market, making it impossible for American automakers — automobile — auto manufacturers to compete fairly. We’re also implementing a 25 percent tariff on electric vehicle batteries from China and a 25 percent tariff on the critical minerals that make those batteries. We’re going to raise tariffs on Chinese solar panels from 25 to 50 percent.  Here, again, because the Chinese government is subsidizing excess capacity, they’re flooding the market…” Biden said.

List of duties imposed on select Chinese products (Source: WhiteHouse)

Biden hits out at China’s market monopoly and anti-competitive tactics

On Tuesday, President Joe Biden said that the Chinese government injects money into Chinese companies including those of steel and aluminum, semiconductors, electric vehicles, solar panels and health equipment. The Chinese companies have been accused of overproducing the products and then dumping them into the international markets at “unfairly low prices” to drive out other manufacturers from the market.

“The prices are unfairly low because Chinese companies don’t need to worry about a profit because the Chinese government subsidized them and subsidized them heavily. And the Chinese relies on other anticompetitive tactics as well, like forcing the American companies to transfer their technology in order to do business in China,” Biden said.

Biden goes the Trump way after slamming Trump for taking similar steps against China

While on Tuesday, Biden imposed a slew of tariffs on products from China, he had severely criticised former President Donald Trump for raising tariffs on Chinese products during his tenure. Back in 2019, Joe Biden had said that Trump “doesn’t get the basics”. This came after the Trump administration had in 2018  imposed stage three of Section 301 tariffs in September 2018 10 percent on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods and announced similar steps in the next couple of months as well.

In an X post in 2019, Biden said, “Trump doesn’t get the basics. He thinks his tariffs are being paid by China. Any freshman econ student could tell you that the American people are paying his tariffs. The cashiers at Target see what’s going on they know more about economics than Trump. #TeamJoe.”

Interestingly, in 2020, while contending for the presidency, Biden promised to eliminate Trump’s tariffs if voted to power. However now, not only is Joe Biden retaining those Trump-era tariffs in place, but he is also adding new tariffs to the list.

US lectures India on Russian oil purchase, Chabahar Port deal, alleges ‘xenophobia’, goes berserk against China to defend its own interests: The great Biden hypocrisy

Earlier this month, Biden had called India, China, Japan and Russia “xenophobic” and said that the “xenophobic” nature of India, China, Japan and Russia is responsible for their economic troubles and argued that America’s economy is growing because it welcomes immigrants to its soil.

“Why? Because we welcome immigrants. We look to — the reason — look, think about it. Why is China stalling so badly economically? Why is Japan having trouble? Why is Russia? Why is India? Because they’re xenophobic. They don’t want immigrants,” Biden said.

Back in 2022, the White House and other top US officials openly urged India to reduce its reliance on Russian energy as US imposed sanctions on Russia over its war in Ukraine. On one hand, US and Europe raised ‘concerns’ over India buying Russian oil on the other the US did not show any interest in relaxing sanctions on Iranian and Venezuelan oil.

Responding to the US and Europe’s ‘concern’ regarding India’s Russian oil purchase, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had in 2022 said: “If countries in Europe and the West and the US are so concerned, why don’t they allow Iranian oil to come into the market? Why don’t they allow Venezuelan oil to come into the market? They have squeezed every other source of oil we had and now they say not to get the best deal for your own people. I don’t think that’s a fair approach.”

Recently, India signed India signed a 10-year contract with Iran to manage operations at the Chabahar Port. Just hours after the deal on 13th May, the United States has ‘warned’ that any country considering any business deal with Iran is exposing itself to the “potential risks of sanctions”.

On one hand, the US goes all out to protect its own interests and has no qualms in taking stringent measures such as imposing huge tariffs on products from China, On the other hand, the country warns, threatens and gives sanctimonious sermons on free trade, globalisation, cooperation and whatnot to others.

Uttar Pradesh: Sameer rapes 4-year-old disabled Hindu girl after abducting her from a temple, was out on bail after sexually assaulting a 5-year-old

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Sameer rapes 4-year-old disabled Hindu girl after abducting her from a temple, was out on bail after sexually assaulting a 5-year-old

A shocking case of rape has come to light in the Gnagoh area of Saharanpur district in Uttar Pradesh where a 4-year-old handicapped Hindu girl was brutally raped by one Sameer, son of Sajid. The man raped the kid in a sugarcane field, left her in the field and fled after committing the heinous crime. She had gone to consume prasad at the temple bhandara when the incident transpired on the evening of 12th May. The child is disabled and cannot speak. The accused had come out of jail only three months ago on bail. A First Information Report has been launched against him after the crime.

On 12th May Bhadara was organised at a local temple and residents of the village had flocked there and the little girl was also one of them. The perpetrator kidnapped her from the holy place, took her to a sugarcane field and sexually abused her. Her health deteriorated significantly, due to which she became unconscious. He then absconded believing her to be dead.

Meanwhile, when the family members couldn’t find the minor, they started searching for her and discovered her in a field in a critical state. She was taken to the hospital immediately. Multiple senior police officers arrived in the village because the matter concerned two different communities. The culprit was nabbed within some time and he confessed to the crime. He was arrested on 13th May and sent to jail. Action has been taken against him under the Protection Of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act along with sections 363 and 376 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The victim continues to receive treatment and counselling.

The little girl’s father was distributing food to the sadhus in the temple at the time of the occurrence. Notably, some people even tried to stop Sameer when he was taking her but he claimed that she was feeling sleepy and he would take her home to put her to bed. The eyewitnesses unfortunately believed his lies.

The Saharanpur police uncovered that a case of child molestation had already been filed against him when they looked into his past. On 15th December 2021, he sexually violated a 5-year-old child in his own village. He lured the latter and took him to the ruins. When people gathered there after hearing the screams, Sameer ran away after whacking his victim’s head with a brick. He regained consciousness the next day.

The offender was then thrown behind bars under sections 323, 377 and 506 of the IPC and the POCSO Act. OpIndia has the complaint copy. He was released on bail after spending two years in prison after which he repented and assured the locals that he would not repeat it. He even masqueraded as a decent being for around three months, however, he showed his true colours yet again.

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