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PM Modi hits Congress hard on inheritance tax, recalls how Rajiv Gandhi abolished it just before his children inherited Indira Gandhi’s estate

OpIndia Staff
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PM Modi hits Congress hard on inheritance tax, recalls how Rajiv Gandhi abolished it just before his children inherited Indira Gandhi’s estate

After Congress leader Sam Pitroda opened a pandora’s box by proposing inheritance tax, the matter has snowballed into a huge controversy, with PM Narendra Modi using it to target the Congress party. After saying that Congress policy is “Congress ki loot, zindagi ke saath bhi, zindagi ke baad bhi”, PM Modi today slammed the party for revoking the inheritance just before transferring Indira Gandhi’s estate to her grandchildren, so that they don’t have to pay the Estate Duty which was in force for over three decades.

Addressing a Vijay Sankalp Rally in Morena, Madhya Pradesh, PM Modi said, “The facts relating to Inheritance Tax are eye-opening…When former PM Indira Gandhi died, her children were going to get her property. But there was a rule earlier, that before the property goes to the children some part of it was taken by the government, Congress had made such a law earlier. There were discussions that when Rajiv Gandhi inherits the property, part of it will go to the government…To save the property so that it does not go to the government, the then PM Rajiv Gandhi scrapped the Inheritance law…”

PM Modi said that Rajiv Gandhi repealed the law to save his own money. He also asked the people, the journalists, and the left-liberal ecosystem to listen it carefully how the Congress party repealed an act just to save their family wealth.

He then added, when it came to themselves, they removed the law itself. And now, after that matter has resolved, now to come back to power, they want to bring back the same law with more stringent provisions. PM Modi said, ‘After earning massive properties during 4 generations without paying taxes, now these people want to grab the hard-earned income of common people like you, they want to look half of your properties by imposing taxes. That is why the country is saying, “Congress ki loot, zindagi ke saath bhi, zindagi ke baad bhi”, PM Modi added.

It is notable that yesterday OpIndia had reported how the Rajiv Gandhi govt in its first budget in 1985 had repealed the Estate Duty Act of 1953, which imposed inheritance tax, just a month before former PM Indira Gandhi’s Will was published. The Will was published on 2 May 1985, after which it was executed, and the Estate Duty Act, 1953 was repealed on 1 April 1985, just a month before.

As per Indira Gandhi’s Will, her estate worth about $175,000, over ₹21.50 lakh, was handed over to her three grandchildren, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and Varun Gandhi. The current value of this estate will be over ₹4.2 crore.

As per a report by United Press International (UPI) from 2 May 1985, in the will signed in 1981, Indira Gandhi had appointed her son Rajiv Gandhi and his wife Sonia Gandhi as executors of the will, but didn’t give anything to them. She also didn’t leave anything for her estranged daughter-in-law, Menaka Gandhi. The will was published after Rajiv Gandhi presented it at a court to certify it.

As per the Will, bulk of Indira Gandhi’s estate was a farm and a farmhouse under construction in Mehrauli, worth $98,000, which was to be divided equally among the three grandchildren. They were also given cash, stocks and bonds amounting to around $75,000, along with copyrights to books written by Indira Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. Indira Gandhi’s antique articles and personal jewellery worth around $2,500 was left to Priyanka Gandhi alone.

All three recipients were minors at that time, therefore Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi were given the responsibility of handling the property till they became adults.

While India had inheritance tax for over three decades, the Gandhi grandchildren didn’t have to pay any tax on this inheritance because the tax regime was abolished just a month ago before the Will was executed. The UPI report from 2 May 1985 said, “Under a finance bill that took effect April 1, all death duties in India have been abolished and no inheritance tax will be assessed on the Gandhi estate.”

Bankrupt Pakistan’s business leaders urge PM Shehbaz Sharif to restore trade ties with India to save the economy

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Bankrupt Pakistan’s business leaders urge PM Shehbaz Sharif to restore trade ties with India to save the economy

In a bid to navigate Pakistan’s economic challenges, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif convened with the business community, aiming to rejuvenate the economy through robust exports. However, amidst expressions of appreciation for the government’s recent strides, concerns over political instability loomed large during the hour-long meeting at the CM House in Karachi, Dawn reported.

Acknowledging the government’s efforts, Arif Habib, Chief of Arif Habib Group, commended recent developments, stating, “You have made a few handshakes after taking the charge that has produced good results and progress on the IMF deal is one of them.” He urged the Prime Minister to extend this spirit of cooperation further, suggesting trade talks with India and reconciliation with jailed PTI leader Imran Khan as potential avenues for bolstering the economy.

“I suggest you do a few more handshakes. One of them is regarding trade with India, which would greatly benefit our economy. Secondly, you should also [patch up] with a resident of Adiala Jail (a reference to jailed PTI leader Imran Khan). Try to fix things at that level as well and I believe that you can do it,” he said, according to Dawn.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in response, refrained from addressing the political dimension directly but emphasized his commitment to economic growth. “You all are great minds of business… Let’s focus on genuine industrial and agricultural growth and double the exports in the next five years,” he urged, highlighting his vision for revitalizing the economy. Drawing inspiration from Bangladesh’s economic transformation, he underscored the potential for Pakistan’s industrial prowess to soar.

Despite the Prime Minister’s optimistic outlook, concerns echoed through the chamber regarding the feasibility of his ambitious plans within the current economic landscape.

Zubair Motiwala, a prominent industrialist, raised poignant questions about the viability of doubling exports amidst rising energy costs. “The prime minister is keen to support the industry by doubling exports and reducing business costs but it seems impossible in the current situation,” he lamented, pointing to exorbitant gas and electricity prices that threaten Pakistan’s competitiveness in the global market.

Motiwala’s presentation shed light on the pressing challenges facing Pakistan’s industrial sector, particularly the burden of capacity charges and the escalation of circular debt in the power sector. He emphasised the need for fair gas prices and a strategic approach to tackle surplus electricity, advocating for policies that stimulate industrial growth without exacerbating financial strain.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, while refraining from immediate responses to political queries, assured the business community of his commitment to resolving economic hurdles. “I would listen to you and make a plan to put that into action,” he affirmed, pledging to convene further discussions to address industry concerns comprehensively.

As the meeting drew to a close, the Prime Minister reiterated his resolve to engage with stakeholders across the country, signalling a collaborative approach to economic revival. “I would soon invite businessmen from all across the country to Islamabad and sit with them till all the issues aren’t resolved,” he promised, Dawn reported.

Manipur govt’s war on drugs: Chief minister N. Biren Singh shares video highlighting success against state’s massive drug problem

OpIndia Staff
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Manipur govt’s war on drugs: Chief minister N. Biren Singh shares video highlighting success against state’s massive drug problem

Manipur’s chief minister, N. Biren Singh, uploaded a video on 25th April demonstrating how his administration has been effectively combating the state’s severe drug problem. He informed, “We have seized heroin, opium, tablets, etc. worth over Rs 60 thousand crores. Destroyed over 20 thousand hectares of poppy plantations. No. of persons arrested: 3066. Cases registered: 2461. Persons convicted under NDPS: 225. Only to save our Indian youths. We will continue.”

The chief minister also attached a 2:19-minute clip titled “Turning the Tides: Manipur’s Resolute War on Drugs” briefly describing how drug trafficking and illicit poppy production had been engulfing the state from the inside out. It shows footage taken from a helicopter of multiple tracts of hillsides where poppy cultivation took place.

The video stated, “Manipur’s geographical proximity to the Golden Triangle (Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam) made it a primary transit route for drug trafficking. It threatens to transform the state into a major poppy production and trafficking hub. Under the leadership of Chief Minister, N. Biren Singh, the BJP-led coalition government declared war on drugs. This will help eradicate the poppy plantation, drug trafficking, and abuse in the state.”

It highlighted, “The drug issue was challenging and required more intensive actions. Drone footage of massive deforestation and extensive environmental damages caused by poppy plantations angered CM N Biren. During the period from March 2022 to March 2023, the campaign yielded impressive results.”

It pointed out the adverse effects of drug plantations on nature and mentioned, “Drugs like cannabis, opium, and yaba have catastrophic environmental impacts that range from deforestation to land sinking. Poppy cultivation causes substantial harm to the environment. Mountain slopes deforested for illicit crops expose them to landslides, mudslides, and floods.” The video added, “With more public support, the war on drugs became intensified and more effective. Poppy planters were provided alternative crops and equipment by the state government.”

Notably, a similar video was shared by the Bharatiya Janta Party in December of last year and the chief minister expressed, “The drugs menace poses a serious threat not only to the people of Manipur and the Northeast but to every youth of our Nation. With massive public support, the War on Drugs campaign launched by the Manipur State Government has reaped many successes and brought positive changes to people’s lives in the state,” while reacting to the post.

The war on drugs campaign and Manipur violence

The War on Drugs campaign was started in November 2018 by the Manipur government. According to the BJP, the campaign resulted in remarkable achievements including the elimination of 3,420 acres of illegal poppy farms. The ethnic violence that erupted on 3rd May is believed to have been sparked by a plot by well-connected transnational drug traffickers to prevent the destruction of their poppy farms under the Manipur government’s War on Drugs campaign. However, the protest was triggered by the hill-majority Kuki tribes’ opposition to the valley-majority Meiteis’ demand for Scheduled Tribes (ST) status.

The 1,640-kilometer border between India and Myanmar has a 400-kilometer section in Manipur and poppy farming is a major industry in the neighbouring nation. The porous border trading town of Moreh was among the most severely hit locations by the riots, aside from Churachandpur. The northernmost point of Myanmar’s Chin State is located about 60 kilometers from this Indian border town. There, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) discovered a “very high” poppy crop density of more than 6 acres per square kilometer or about five football fields per square kilometer. The district of Churachandpur is also only 65 kilometres from the border of Chin State which is home to a large number of poppy fields.

BJP MP Ram Shankar Katheria’s wife Mridula Katheria to contest against him as independent from Etawah Lok Sabha constituency

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BJP MP Ram Shankar Katheria’s wife Mridula Katheria to contest against him as independent from Etawah Lok Sabha constituency

In a unique political twist, Mridula Katheria, who is the wife of BJP MP Ram Shankar Katheria, has decided to run for the Etawah Lok Sabha seat as an independent candidate.

It’s worth noting that in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Mridula had filed her nomination papers from Etawah but later withdrew. Meanwhile, her husband, Ram Shankar Katheria, emerged victorious in the 2019 Lok Sabha election from Etawah.

While speaking to the media, she said, “I have filed a nomination as an independent candidate…I will contest the elections. I will contest against him (BJP MP Ram Shankar Katheria).”

The Etawah constituency is scheduled to go to the polls on May 13.

In another development, Congress leaders Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Rahul Gandhi are likely to contest the Lok Sabha election from Rae Bareli and Amethi seats, respectively, sources said on Thursday.

According to the sources, the final decision will be taken after April 26 and nominations can be filed next week. Phase 2 of the elections is scheduled for Phase 2. In this phase, Wayanad, from where Rahul Gandhi is contesting, will go to the polls.

Smriti Irani defeated Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Amethi. Irani has again been fielded by the Bharatiya Janata Party from the seat.

Smriti Irani defeated Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Amethi. Irani has again been fielded by the Bharatiya Janata Party from the seat.

Apart from its traditional strongholds of Rae Bareli and Amethi, the Congress is also contesting in Varanasi, Ghaziabad and Kanpur.

Amethi and Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituencies will vote in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections on May 20.

However, Rahul Gandhi will not find the going easy in his erstwhile bastion, as Union Minister Smriti Irani has been campaigning extensively in the constituency.

Rae Bareli has been a Congress bastion since 1960, with both Feroze Gandhi and Indira Gandhi having represented it. Sonia Gandhi has been the MP from the constituency since she won the 2006 by-election. With Sonia moving to the upper house, the Congress is likely to field Priyanka Gandhi, who is a general secretary in the party.

Uttar Pradesh sends the maximum number of MPs, 80 in total, to Parliament. The first phase of voting in the state has already taken place on April 19.

The remaining Lok Sabha constituencies in Uttar Pradesh will cast their votes in the subsequent phases of the election, namely, Phase 2 on April 26, Phase 3 on May 7, Phase 4 on May 13, Phase 5 on May 20, Phase 6 on May 25, and Phase 7 on June 1. The counting of votes will occur on June 4.

This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

BJP candidate Madhavi Latha faces hate in Hyderabad, opposition supporters question whether she is a man or a woman

OpIndia Staff
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BJP candidate Madhavi Latha faces hate in Hyderabad, opposition supporters question whether she is a man or a woman

Amid the ongoing Lok Sabha elections in 2024, BJP’s Hyderabad candidate Madhavi Latha is facing severe hatred from the supporters of the opponent AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi in Hyderabad. The supporters of AIMIM are criticizing the BJP leader and also doubting her femininity comparing her to the persons from the transgender community.

Several videos of such hate campaigns are making rounds on social media in which the AIMIM leaders or Muslim leaders can be heard saying that they have doubts about whether Latha is a man or a woman. The leaders are also heard saying that the BJP did not find a man or woman to elect elections against Owaisi in Hyderabad.

“BJP’s Hyderabad Lok Sabha candidate Madhavi Latha is facing one of the vilest hate campaigns from Owaisi’s followers. Owaisi fans are spreading edited videos and running targeted campaigns against her,” posted one of the X users Treeni.

Some of the videos showed the AIMIM supporters making fun of Latha by comparing her to a comedy character ‘Gutthi’ from the famous comedy show ‘Comedy Nights with Kapil’. The character of a woman in the show was played by actor Sunil Grover who now appears in a similar character on Netflix in the ‘Kapil Sharma Show’. The opponent supporters by comparing Latha to ‘Gutthi’ claimed that the BJP leader looked like a transgender.

Further in one of the videos, the users indicated that Latha begged for votes in the city just like people beg for money on the streets.

One of the Muslim leaders also openly threatened Latha and said that she would be taught a lesson. The Muslim leader’s video was posted by Advocate Neelam Bhargava. The man in the video could be openly heard saying that he had doubts about whether Latha was a man or a woman. By saying this the Muslim supporters of Owaisi made an attempt to insult Latha as a woman.

On 25th April, Latha who has a degree in political science declared her family assets worth Rs 221 crore in the election affidavit. It is important to note that Latha is contesting against AIMIM’s Asadudding Owaisi who has a degree in Law and has 5 criminal cases booked against him. Meanwhile, Latha has no criminal cases registered against her.

Notably, the Hyderabad Police recently booked Latha for allegedly making ‘objectionable’ gestures at a Masjid. A video of the BJP candidate from Ram Navami rally on 17th April went viral over the internet in which Latha could be seen showcasing the Rambaan gesture by hand. The case was based on a complaint filed by one resident Shaik Imran who claimed that Latha made that gesture pointing towards a Masjid.

Later Latha clarified the incident and said that she was showing the Ramban gesture towards the sky and not the Masjid. “On the occasion of Ram Navami, I was gesturing shooting an (imaginary) arrow towards the sky. I released that arrow toward a building, that’s it. Where did the mosque come from? These people (referring to AIMIM) have always resorted to such hateful speeches to sideline the BJP leaders here and divert people’s attention. They have become experts in inciting the youth. This is a conspiracy against us because we work well with both Hindu and Muslim brothers,” she said.

It is clearly seen in the video that Latha pointed the arrow toward the sky and not in any direction pointing to the Mosque. It is the video shared by Islamists that portrays Latha falsely pointing the gesture at the Masjid.

Hyderabad will go to the polls in the fourth phase on May 13. Latha filed her nomination papers on Wednesday, following a city-wide roadshow. Owaisi had filed on April 19. Along with Latha and Owaisi, the Congress nominated Mohammed Waliullah Sameer from Hyderabad, while the BRS fielded G Srinivas Yadav.

Mastermind of the excise policy scam, tempered evidence, destroyed 170 phones: ED challenges Arvind Kejriwal plea against arrest in Supreme Court

OpIndia Staff
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Mastermind of the excise policy scam, tempered evidence, destroyed 170 phones: ED challenges Arvind Kejriwal plea against arrest in Supreme Court

On 24th April, the Enforcement Directorate filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court on the petition filed against the arrest and custody of Aam Aadmi Party’s national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a lower court. According to the affidavit, Arvind Kejriwal is the mastermind and conspirator of the excise scam and the High Court has weighed all the factors and rendered a definitive ruling. The agency stated that Kejriwal is charged with money laundering, per the High Court’s ruling which is based on the evidence at its disposal.

Enforcement Directorate opposed Arvind Kejriwal’s plea challenging the High Court order, and maintained that Aam Aadmi Party, which was the main beneficiary of the proceeds of the scam, had committed the crime through him. ED highlighted that the Delhi High Court considered every fact and there is no merit in the petition opposing the order. The agency requested the Supreme Court to dismiss Kejriwal’s plea.

The Delhi government ministers, AAP leaders, and other individuals conspired with the Delhi Chief Minister to devise and orchestrate the Delhi Excise fraud, per the affidavit. Enforcement Directorate noted that the verdict of the High Court is entirely accurate, as Arvind Kejriwal had a direct hand in creating the Excise Policy 2021–2022. According to the agency, Manish Sisodia, Vijay Nair, and other South Group representatives colluded in the creation of the policy which was designed with the South Group’s interests in mind.

According to ED, Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party are responsible for the money laundering crime which is covered under section 70 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. The investigative agency pointed out that the primary recipient of the criminal earnings from the Delhi Excise fraud is the Aam Aadmi Party. Arvind Kejriwal controls and conducts the major activities of Aam Aadmi Party. He is one of the Aam Aadmi Party’s founding members, as the witness statement makes evident. Kejriwal participated in the party’s policy deliberations as well, as per the affidavit.

According to the affidavit, the investigation agency informed that the Delhi Chief Minister was taken into custody after engaging in “large-scale” evidence tampering which involved the destruction of around 170 cell phones during the ‘scam’ and after the irregularities were exposed. The investigating officer had called the chief of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) nine times, but he refused to appear before the agency, based on the affidavit. Furthermore, it clarified that Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest came about as a result of his continuous disregard for summons from the agency and his inability to secure protection from the Delhi High Court.

The Enforcement Directorate told the top court that the accused’s arrest, despite his high profile is based on considerable proof and does not violate the principles of free and fair elections, in response to the Chief Minister’s charge that the arrest was made too soon, particularly with the Lok Sabha elections being underway. The investigation agency further declared that protecting lawmakers facing criminal charges from arrest would compromise the integrity of the democratic process.

It added, “The arrest of a person for an offence based on material can never violate the concept of free and fair elections. If the aforesaid argument is accepted, politicians who are criminals would be granted immunity from arrest on the ground.” The agency underlined that “three different judicial authorities (courts) at three different levels” had reviewed the material that served as the basis for the investigating officer’s decision to arrest him.

The ED argued that Arvind Kejriwal’s “blatant disregard for the law” called for his arrest and added that “even on the date of the search during his interrogation while recording his statement under Section 17 of the PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act), he was avoiding answering questions by being evasive and being totally non-co-operative even with respect to simple non-incriminating questions.”

Additionally, ED contended that it possessed “sufficient material” to establish the accused’s guilt of the offence covered by the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA). The ED further stated that his total non-cooperation made his arrest inevitable.

On 21st March, Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the investigation team from his official Delhi residence. He is being held at the Tihar jail at the moment. Notably, the Aam Aadmi Party has announced that the Chief Minister will continue to lead the government from prison and wouldn’t resign from office.

Actress Tamannaah Bhatia summoned by Maharashtra cyber department in illegal IPL 2023 streaming case: Details

OpIndia Staff
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Actress Tamannaah Bhatia summoned by Maharashtra cyber department in illegal IPL 2023 streaming case: Details

Actress Tamannaah Bhatia has been summoned by the Maharashtra Cyber Department for interrogation regarding the illicit streaming of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) on the Fairplay App. This incident apparently resulted in huge financial losses for Viacom, which controls the IPL’s official broadcasting rights. Bhatia will have to appear before the authorities on 29th April.

The Fairplay app is a betting application designed for the Indian market. It is accessible for free for both Android and iOS devices. The said app is said to have caused a loss of crores of rupees to Viacom.

Earlier in the year 2023, the Cyber Cell of Maharashtra Police called rapper Badshah for interrogation in connection with the illegal screening of the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament on an online betting app named ‘FairPlay’ he promoted. Subsequently, he appeared at the Maharashtra Cyber office in Mumbai. 

The Fairplay app is a subsidiary app of the Mahadev app, promoters of which have links with Dawood Ibrahim’s D-company and are being probed in a money laundering case by the Enforcement Directorate.

According to reports, the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) to stream the IPL 2023 matches were owned by Viacom18. However, Fairplay was screening the cricket competition concurrently from March 2023 to May 2023.

The network had lodged a police complaint against the rapper and 40 other individuals, which included actor Sanjay Dutt. They were accused of endorsing the use of a betting app called Fairplay which was illegally broadcasting the Indian Premier League (IPL) matches.

Viacom 18 highlighted that it had the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) to stream the IPL matches. It pointed out that the matches were illegally streamed on Fairplay and some actors promoted the tournament on the Fairplay app. Viacom 18 also said that the digital piracy by the Fairplay app cost them a loss of Rs 100 crores.

Subsequently, a case of digital piracy was filed by the media network with the possibility that more actors could likely be summoned in the case. 

Chinese citizen, who threatened a person for advocating democracy in China, sentenced to prison in USA

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Chinese citizen, who threatened a person for advocating democracy in China, sentenced to prison in USA

A Chinese national, Xiaolei Wu, 26, formerly a student at Berkeley College of Music in Boston, has been sentenced to nine months in prison and three years of supervised release by a US court, CNN reported.

This verdict follows Wu’s conviction in January on charges of cyberstalking and interstate transmission of threatening communication, as announced by the US Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts.

Wu’s actions stemmed from his confrontation with an individual who advocated for democracy in China. He allegedly targeted this individual with threatening messages after the person posted a pro-democracy flier on or near the college campus, according to the CNN report.

According to reports, Wu used WeChat, a Chinese messaging app, to send menacing messages, including one stating, “Post more, I will chop your bastard hands off.”

Furthermore, charging documents revealed that Wu reported the individual to Chinese authorities and implied that their family members would face repercussions.

He allegedly sought assistance from others to locate the individual’s residence and publicly disclosed their email address online, inviting abuse.

Reacting to Wu’s sentencing, Acting United States Attorney Joshua S Levy emphasised the severity of Wu’s conduct, saying, “He harnessed the fear of potential retribution from the PRC (People’s Republic of China) government to harass and threaten an innocent individual who had posted an innocuous, pro-democracy flier on the Berkeley campus,” adding, “Mr. Wu’s violent threats achieved his goal of instilling fear in his effort to silence this brave victim and others who might want to speak out against the PRC government.”

“Our office and the Department of Justice will not tolerate efforts to intimidate and threaten people to suppress their First Amendment rights. Censorship and repression campaigns will never be tolerated here,” he also said, CNN reported.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Judge RK Diwakar, who ordered videographic survey of disputed Gyanvapi structure, gets threats from international phone numbers

OpIndia Staff
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Judge RK Diwakar, who ordered videographic survey of disputed Gyanvapi structure, gets threats from international phone numbers

Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar, who allowed a videographic survey of the disputed ‘Gyanvapi Masjid’ structure, has expressed concerns about his safety after receiving “malicious calls and death threats from international numbers”. Judge RK Diwakar has also demanded a probe into the threats against him.

Earlier, following a similar threat concern voiced by the judge shortly after the Gyanvapi decision in 2022, the Allahabad High Court ordered Y-category protection for him and his family, which eventually switched to X-category.

In a letter to the SSP, the judge stated last week that he has been receiving malicious calls from international numbers, “which is deeply concerning.” He stated that he also voiced his concerns to Bareilly SSP Sushil Chandrabhan Ghule. Judge Diwakar’s friend told TOI that security is insufficient since the two personnel deployed are not equipped with weapons to combat terrorists who carry automatic guns and advanced weaponry.

Justice Diwakar, who was recently transferred to Bareilly, took suo motu action in the 2010 Bareilly riots case and summoned controversial Maulana Tauqeer Raza for trial as the alleged mastermind. On 5th March this year, Additional Sessions Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar had said that communal riots in India happen because politicians engage in appeasement of a particular religious community. ADJ Ravi Kumar Diwakar made this statement while summoning radical Islamist cleric Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan in the 2010 Bareilly riot case. 

Last year, a Popular Front of India (PFI) agent was apprehended outside the judge’s residence in Lucknow. Shahjahanpur SSP Ashok Kumar Meena then posted a gunner at the residence of Justice Diwakar’s brother, who also serves as an additional district judge. However, the security cover was removed due to the Lok Sabha elections.

Back in 2022, Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar had expressed concerns about his safety after he allowed a videographic survey of the disputed Gyanvapi structure. He said that an atmosphere of fear is being created and that he is worried about his family’s safety as well. “The fear is so much that my family is always concerned about my safety and I am concerned about their safety”, he said.

‘Ashok Gehlot was taping phone calls of Sachin Pilot and others, kept Congress high command in the dark’, says his former OSD Lokesh Sharma

OpIndia Staff
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‘Ashok Gehlot was taping phone calls of Sachin Pilot and others, kept Congress high command in the dark’, says his former OSD Lokesh Sharma

Lokesh Sharma, the ex-OSD of former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot has made some startling revelations in a press conference. Speaking to the media, Sharma has stated the audio messages that went viral in July 2020, regarding conversations of some politicians, were actually given to him by former CM Gehlot himself, and not collected from social media as he had claimed then.

Sharma added that he was called to the CM’s residence then and was given a pen drive. “On 16 July 2020, some audio clips went viral via the media because I shared them with the media using my phone number. In those audios, a conspiracy was being made to topple the government by poaching MLAs. I did what I was told to. His (Gehlot’s) PSO Ramniwas called me up and asked me to come to the CM House as the CM wanted to meet me. As soon as I reached him, he handed over a pen drive and a paper, which I circulated among the people through you.”

Sharma further stated that the paper he gave to the media contained references to the audio messages in the pen drive, saying that the audio was phone conversations between Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Late MLA Bhanwarlal Sharma, and Sanjay Jain. He added that he was asked by former CM Gehlot himself to circulate them in the media.

“Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat was made to look as the main accused in the whole issue and it was alleged that BJP along with Sachin Pilot and other MLAs are trying to topple the government. They wanted to prove that the BJP was behind all this. Which was not the case”, Sharma added.

Lokesh Sharma further stated that Sachin Pilot kept trying to tell everyone his side of the story but nobody was listening to him. So Sachin Pilot gathered all concerned leaders and tried to talk to the party high command. But as soon as Ashok Gehlot learned of this, he put all their phones on surveillance. All their phones, including Sachin Pilot’s, were being tapped, Sharma added.

Ashok Gehlot used me for his politics: Sharma

Lokesh Sharma also stated that Ashok Gehlot, who is his political mentor, used him for politics. He added that he has been grilled in the phone tapping case and his house has been raided too. He added that there was a discussion in July 2020 at former CM Gehlot’s official residence, on how to spoil the image of Gajendra Shekhawat and Sachin pilot. Lokesh Sharma has further alleged that the Gehlot govt tried to shield the accused in the paper leak case and there has been rampant corruption in the purchasing of equipments during the Covid period. He added that he is willing to share the information with the current government.

Lokesh Sharma had made similar allegations after the election defeat in December 2023

Following the fall of the Congress government in Rajasthan in the 2023 elections, Lokesh Sharma had told the media that ‘it was common knowledge’ that the phones of Sachin Pilot and his supporting leaders were tapped. Gehlot’s OSD, who was refused a ticket to contest in the state assembly elections, had said that Gehlot cheated the party’s high command and prevented accurate feedback from reaching the top.

Rajasthan phone tapping controversy of 2020

In July 2020, the phone tapping controversy had exposed the rift in the Rajasthan Congress, widening the divisions between the Sachin Pilot camp and Gehlot camp. Pilot along with 18 other MLAs had revolted against Gehlot. Soon after, some audio clips went viral in the media, which then the Gehlot camp used to claim that the BJP is trying to break Rajasthan Congress. The BJP had demanded a CBI inquiry in the matter.

In March 2021, the Delhi Police Crime Branch lodged an FIR against Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s Officer on Special Duty (OSD) Lokesh Sharma on Thursday at Tughlak Road police station. The FIR was registered on the complaint of the Union Minister for Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.

The Gehlot government suffered a massive defeat in the 2023 assembly elections. BJP won a comfortable majority, making a first -time MLA Bhajanlal Sharma the CM of the state.

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