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Delhi BJP sends defamation notice to AAP leader and Minister Atishi Marlena for her ‘join BJP or face arrest’ claim

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi BJP sends defamation notice to AAP leader and Minister Atishi Marlena for her ‘join BJP or face arrest’ claim

On Wednesday (3rd April), the Delhi state unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announced that it had sent a defamation notice to senior AAP leader and Delhi Minister Atishi Marlena. The notice has been served in response to Atishi’s claims that the saffron party approached her through a “very close” person to either join the BJP or face arrest. Delhi BJP has demanded that Atishi should issue a public apology and retract her allegations or show evidence to back her claims. 

Delhi BJP Chief Virendra Sachdeva charged AAP leaders as ‘habitual liers’ asserting that this time they won’t let her escape. 

Holding a press conference over the issue, the BJP leader said, “We’ve given a legal notice to (Delhi Minister and AAP leader Atishi ) to provide evidence. This time we won’t let her escape. She has to answer and provide evidence for what she is claiming. We asked her to apologise by the evening (Tuesday). She didn’t and so we have sent her a legal notice to which she will have to reply within 15 days.” 

As per reports, Delhi BJP media head Praveen Shankar Kapoor has sent the defamation notice. 

(Image Source – India TV)

On 2nd April, Delhi Minister Atishi claimed in her so-called “big expose” that BJP tried to poach her through her close associate and threatened that if she didn’t comply, ED would arrest her soon. Incidentally, she made the claims a day after Arvind Kejriwal threw Atishi Marlena and Saurabh Bharadwaj under the bus in relation with the ongoing probe in Delhi Liquor Policy scam. 

She had said, “My close associate told me that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP have decided to crush AAP and all its leaders. First, they arrested the top leadership of the party. First, Satyendra Jain was arrested, then Manish Sisodia was arrested, then Sanjay Singh was arrested, and now the chief minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal, got arrested. Now, the BJP has decided to arrest four more leaders of AAP in the coming two months before the results of the Lok Sabha Elections. They will arrest me, Saurabh Bharadwaj, Durgesh Pathak and Raghav Chadha.”

It is pertinent to note that prior to her press conference pre-empting ED arrest, OpIndia had earlier reported that legal troubles were mounting for the AAP leader as she was the AAP Goa In-charge in 2022 when the party spent Rs 45 crores for campaigning which according to ED was ‘proceeds of crime’ generated from the Delhi Liquor policy scam case.  

Following the reports, claiming victimhood, she alleged that the ED could call her next for questioning or arrest her, pre-empting ED’s possible actions in the case to cast aspersions.

Nonetheless, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri asserted that BJP has no place for ‘political activists’ like Atishi. 

He said, “There is no vacancy in our party for a political activist like Atishi. There is a Yuva leader (Rahul Gandhi) who said that a BJP worker has said that after getting 400 seats, we will destroy the constitution. No one has given such a statement. I don’t think any worker of the BJP will go to Atishi and say such a thing at a time when the whole party is stuck in a liquor scam. Do we need to have a headache by getting them into our party?” 

Meanwhile, Atishi has not yet commented on the defamation notice.

Over 100 flights of Vistara cancelled due to pilot strikes over pay policy amid merger with Air India, DGCA monitoring the situation

OpIndia Staff
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Over 100 flights of Vistara cancelled due to pilot strikes over pay policy amid merger with Air India, DGCA monitoring the situation

Vistara Airlines is facing massive protests and strikes by pilots over the revised pay policy of the company. The strike started on Monday 1st April and continues on the third day. Over 100 flights were cancelled and more than 180 flights were delayed during this period causing significant trouble to the travellers. The company is about to merge with Air India soon. The Ministry of Civil Aviation and DGCA (Director General of Civil Aviation) are closely observing the situation.

On Tuesday, over 52 flights operated by the full-service carrier were cancelled. Pilots within the airline are coordinating mass sick calls in protest of the uniform pay structure during the ongoing merger process between Air India and Vistara. According to sources, tensions escalated between the airline and certain pilots following the carrier’s issuance of an ultimatum, demanding pilots agree to a uniform pay structure. This ultimatum resulted in a reduction in their salaries, exacerbating the stress that already existed.

During the transition leading up to Vistara’s merger with Air India, both airlines adopted a uniform pay structure starting in March. Under this new arrangement, Vistara pilots now receive a fixed salary for 40 hours instead of the previous 70 hours. Additionally, they will be compensated for extra flying hours, and rewards will be based on their tenure with the airline.

According to reports, the DGCA said, “DGCA officials are monitoring the situation to ensure compliance of above-mentioned CAR and minimize passenger inconvenience.” On Monday, the airline announced plans to reduce flights in the coming days due to pilot shortages. Nearly 50 Vistara flights were cancelled on Monday, causing significant inconvenience for passengers and disrupting the airline’s network.

A Vistara spokesperson said, “We have had a significant number of flight cancellations and delays in the past few days due to various reasons including crew unavailability. We have decided to temporarily reduce the number of flights we operate, to ensure adequate connectivity across our network. We are working towards stabilising the situation and will resume operating at our regular capacity very soon.”

The merger of Air India and Vistara

Having previously been a state-run airline for 69 years, Air India was reacquired by the Tata Group through a government-led strategic disinvestment program in January 2022. Subsequently, in the same year, the Tata Group announced the merger of Air India with Vistara. Vistara currently operates as a 51:49 joint venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines. Following the merger, Singapore Airlines will hold a 25.1% stake in the combined entity.

Recently, the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) conditionally approved the merger of Vistara with Air India, six months after the Competition Commission of India granted its approval to the merger in September 2023. This approval will enable the two airlines to effectively plan their routes and expand their codeshare network. Last week, the airline added its 70th aircraft, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, to its fleet. Currently, its fleet comprises 63 narrow-body aircraft and seven wide-body aircraft, operating approximately 350 flights daily.

Amazon’s ‘automated’ ‘Just Walk Out’ service relied on low-paid Indian workers manually adding items and making bills, not AI: Report

OpIndia Staff
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Amazon’s ‘automated’ ‘Just Walk Out’ service relied on low-paid Indian workers manually adding items and making bills, not AI: Report

On Tuesday (2nd April), The Information reported that Amazon is phasing out its AI-based “Just Walk Out” technology from its checkout-less grocery stores. While it was introduced as an automated checkout service it has turned out that around 1,000 low-paid Indian workers were employed by Amazon to watch and labelling videos of customers in Amazon Fresh stores to ensure accuracy in checkouts. The cashiers were just shifted off-site and observed the consumers while they shopped.

On its website, however, Amazon claimed that “sensors, cameras and deep learning tools sense what a consumer takes off the shelf”, the company did not specify that it is employing 1,000 India-based workers to watch and label videos of customers to ensure accurate bills.

Source:aws.amazon.com

Just Walk Out was introduced in 2016. The technology, reports suggest became more of a burden on the company. Customers often had to wait hours for receipts after leaving the store, owing to offshore cashiers rewatching recordings and assigning items to different customers. The system of scanners and video cameras at each store is also extremely costly.

The Information reported that 700 out of 1,000 Just Walk Out sales required human reviewers as of 2022. This fell well short of Amazon’s internal target of receiving less than 50 reviews for every 1,000 purchases. Amazon has termed the representation misleading and disputed how many transactions require reviews.

Amazon Fresh grocery store which debuted in 2007, has just over 40 outlets across the United States. The e-commerce giant also owns Whole Foods, and many of Amazon Fresh’s experiments are regarded as forerunners for the larger chain, Gizmodo reported.

After phasing out “Just Walk Out”, Amazon will introduce its smart shopping cart, “Dash Cart”. Dash Carts will have a screen and a scanner embedded in the customer’s shopping carts to allow them to check out as they shop.

While Amazon is discontinuing the Just Walk Out technology in the United States, certain Fresh outlets in the United Kingdom and Amazon Go convenience stores will continue using it.

Truck drivers say no payment after they were hired for Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Nyay Yatra,’ transporters issuing threats for demanding pending dues worth lakhs

OpIndia Staff
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Truck drivers say no payment after they were hired for Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Nyay Yatra,’ transporters issuing threats for demanding pending dues worth lakhs

A case of non-payment of transport operators who joined Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra on 12th December of last year has come to light. The matter transpired at Anupshahr in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr where the victim drivers sought payment of pending dues worth lakhs of rupees. Furthermore, they also accused the people associated with the yatra of threatening them with abduction and murder for demanding the money owed.

According to container manager Udayveer Singh quoted by Bhaskar, approximately three months ago, he, along with around 25 other individuals, was hired for the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra with Rahul Gandhi, by transporters Manoj Kumar and Anil Kaushik in Delhi.

One driver revealed, “We went to Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra rally of the Congress party. However, we are gathered here because we never received our payment. We should get our due and if it doesn’t happen then we would have to choose the path of justice. There are lakhs of rupees to be paid.”

A person named Moti Singh narrated, “We arrived here because they took our vehicle during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra and failed to reimburse us. We talked to one another. Rs 3 lakh 50 thousand is my outstanding amount from Congress party. Our vehicles were utilized through Manoj Singh who is from Delhi-Haridwar transport. They told us there were no balances due and added that the people who are behind on their payments will take it from us and if you have the ability then try and stop. They also threatened to take our containers.”

The complainant mentioned that the accused issued them death threats and warned, “We will kidnap you from your house and kill you. You don’t know who we are.” He restated that if the drivers fail to get compensated, they will file a lawsuit.

Another driver named Satendra stated, “A payment of Rs 1 lakh is owed. They refused to remunerate us. They directed us to take out our containers and get the amount. I requested them to pay me the money and asked them to settle the amount ten days later. They want us to remove our containers. Eight to ten containers were also removed but the cheques which were provided by them actually bounced. If the situation persists then we will approach the courts.”

Image via Dainik Bhaskar

A request letter has been filed in Anupshahr police station regarding taking action against both the accused transport operators and providing the pending money, on behalf of Moti Singh. The police station-in-charge also confirmed the same.

On 16th March, Rahul Gandhi, the Congress scion, concluded his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra which commenced on 14 January 2024 from Thoubal in Manipura, the foot march he had started immediately after the party had lost three of the four states in the assembly elections last year. The movement led by Rahul Gandhi was an extension of the party’s longstanding agenda driven by divisive politics and hate speeches. Similar to its prequel Bharat Jodo Yatra, there were numerous attempts to widen the rifts in Indian society, even resorting to purposeful fabrications and disinformation.

Former Bihar Deputy CM Sushil Modi announces he has been battling cancer for 6 months, won’t take part in Lok Sabha elections

OpIndia Staff
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Former Bihar Deputy CM Sushil Modi announces he has been battling cancer for 6 months, won’t take part in Lok Sabha elections

On Wednesday (3rd April), Former Bihar Deputy CM and Rajya Sabha MP Sushil Kumar Modi announced that he has been battling cancer for the last 6 months. Taking to X, he shared that he felt it was time to inform the public about his health condition. He added that due to his health issues, he won’t be able to participate in the Lok Sabha elections. The BJP leader expressed his gratitude to Bihar and his party, stating that he will always be dedicated to the welfare of the country.

The post read, “I have been battling cancer for the last 6 months. Now I feel that the time has come to tell people. I will not be able to do anything in the Lok Sabha elections. I have told everything to the PM. Always grateful and always dedicated to the country, Bihar, and the party.” 

The post met with a flurry of tweets with several senior party leaders and netizens wishing him a speedy recovery and good health. 

BJP National General Secretary Vinod Tawde wrote in Hindi, “I wish for the speedy recovery of former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar and senior BJP leader @SushilModi ji. You have always worked for the welfare of Bihar and the nation. The people’s blessings are with you. We hope that soon you will recover and join us in public service again.” 

While Sushil Modi said that he won’t take part in the Lok Sabha elections, he is part of the 27-member manifesto committee of the party headed by Rajnath Singh. BJP announced the manifesto committee on 30 March.

Born in January 1952, Sushil Modi has been associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) since his early years. His political journey commenced during his college years when he served as the general secretary of the student’s union in 1973. During the initial phase of his political career, he actively participated in the student’s movement in Bihar in 1974 and faced arrest five times during the Emergency period. He also played a significant role in mobilising school students during the Sino-Indian war of 1962.

His active involvement in Indian politics began to gain momentum in 1990 when he contested and won from the Patna Central Assembly constituency. Subsequently, he held the position of the leader of the opposition in the State Assembly from 1996 to 2004. In 2004, he secured a seat in the Lok Sabha from the Bhagalpur constituency.

In 2005, when the BJP assumed power in Bihar, he was appointed as the leader of the Bihar BJP legislative party.

He served as Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar from 2005 to 2013 and 2017 to 2020 in the Nitish Kumar cabinet. 

Ghana: 63-year-old Christian priest’s marriage to a 12-year-old girl sparks outrage, community leaders defend it saying it is ‘tradition and custom’

OpIndia Staff
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Ghana: 63-year-old Christian priest’s marriage to a 12-year-old girl sparks outrage, community leaders defend it saying it is ‘tradition and custom’

A significant controversy has arisen following the marriage of a 63-year-old Christian priest to a 12-year-old girl in Ghana through a traditional ceremony. Nuumo Borketey Laweh Tsuru XXXIII, a spiritual leader in the Nungua area of Accra, the capital, tied the knot with the unnamed child in a grand ceremony on Saturday. Mr Tsuru, known as a “Gborbu Wulomo,” or traditional high priest, holds considerable spiritual authority within the Nungua indigenous community.

This event is particularly contentious as the legal minimum age for marriage in Ghana is 18 years old.

Pictures from the wedding ceremony, attended by numerous community members, depict the young girl in a simple white dress adorned with a matching headpiece. During the proceedings, a woman speaking the local language Ga reportedly advised the girl to dress attractively for her husband. Additionally, they were heard instructing her to prepare for wifely duties and to use the perfumes they had given her to enhance her appeal to her husband.

The release of these photos prompted widespread public outrage among many Ghanaians, who emphasised the illegality of such practices. Critics have called for authorities to annul the marriage and launch an investigation into the priest.

Despite the criticism, several community leaders have defended the union, asserting that outsiders do not comprehend their customs and traditions. On Sunday, Nii Bortey Kofi Frankwa II, a local community leader, stated that the girl’s role as the priest’s wife is “purely tradition and custom.”

He elaborated that the girl had begun the necessary rituals to become the priest’s wife at six, which did not impede her education. Reports suggest that the girl must undergo a second customary ceremony to prepare her for marital duties, including childbearing.

However, the police have located and secured the girl, who is now under their protection along with her mother. The Ghanaian government has not yet issued a response to the controversial marriage.

Girls Not Brides, a renowned global NGO, reports that a significant percentage of girls in Ghana marry before reaching adulthood.

95000 km National Highways, 25871 km Railway Lines, 74 Airports: Read how Modi govt sped up infrastructure development from the ground to the sky

अर्पित त्रिपाठी
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95000 km National Highways, 25871 km Railway Lines, 74 Airports: Read how Modi govt sped up infrastructure development from the ground to the sky

As the Modi government marks a decade in power amidst ongoing Lok Sabha elections, the ruling BJP is campaigning on its track record, particularly highlighting infrastructure development under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. PM Modi has consistently emphasised the transformation in various aspects of infrastructure, including roads, railways, airports, and metro systems. Even opposition parties acknowledge the significant strides made in the country’s infrastructure sector over the past decade under the Modi government.

Since assuming office, the Modi government has consistently boosted spending on the country’s infrastructure sector. In the 2024-25 budget, capital expenditure has surged by 2000% compared to 2013-14, while the length of national highways has seen a 60% increase. Moreover, the nation’s railway network has transitioned from diesel to electricity, and new airports have been constructed to enhance air connectivity and accessibility to remote regions.

60% increase in the national highways and upgraded infrastructure in the Modi regime

Roads serve as the lifelines of any nation, facilitating development and progress. They are crucial for the movement of approximately 87% of the population and transport around 60% of the country’s goods. When the Modi government assumed power, the total length of national highways in the country stood at 91,287 km. From 2014 to 2024, this length has expanded to 1.46 lakh kilometres, marking a significant 60% increase in the country’s highway network over the past decade.

There has been a major increase in the length of National Highways (Image Source: Geogeet0/X)

According to Anurag Jain, Secretary of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), the last decade has witnessed the construction of 95,000 km of National Highways across the country. Comparing the data to 2014, this translates to an average daily construction of over 28.3 km of highways, marking a substantial 143% increase. Additionally, the expenditure allocated for national highway construction has seen a nearly tenfold rise. In 2014, the Ministry of Road Transport’s budget was approximately ₹25,000 crore, which has surged to ₹2.78 lakh crore in the 2024-25 budget.

In addition to the National Highways, the construction of expressways is progressing rapidly across the country. In 2014, the total length of expressways stood at approximately 1000 km. Presently, this figure has surged to over 5500 kilometres, indicating a remarkable increase of nearly 500%. Notably, work on the construction of the nation’s longest expressway, the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, is currently underway, with certain sections already open to the public. Several other expressway projects are also in progress and are expected to be completed soon.

Development of Railways Infrastructure by the Modi Government

In addition to significant developments in the highway sector, the railway network has undergone substantial transformations over the past decade. Modernisation efforts in the Railways continue, with the Modi government allocating substantial funds towards this endeavour. The Railway Budget has witnessed a significant increase, enabling the introduction of trains such as Tejas, Vande Bharat, and Gatimaan Express across the country. Notably, the Modi government’s most noteworthy achievement in the railway sector is the electrification of 94% of the network. In 2014, when the Modi government assumed power, only 21,801 km of the country’s railway network was electrified.

Currently, over 61,000 km of the country’s railway network has been electrified. Under the UPA government, the daily electrification rate was 1.42 kilometres, whereas, under the Modi government, it has surged to 14 kilometres per day. The Modi administration has allocated ₹43,346 crore towards electrification efforts. Moreover, significant progress has been made not only in electrification but also in laying new railway lines, with a total of 25,871 km of new lines established during the Modi government’s tenure.

Electrification of Railways has also been a major achievement. (Image Source: Geogeet0/X)

A substantial amount of funding has been allocated to the Railways during the Modi government’s tenure. In 2014, the Railways received a budget of approximately ₹29,000 crore. By 2024-25, this budget has surged almost eightfold to ₹2.90 lakh crore. In addition to investments in new lines and electrification projects, the Modi government is also focused on station redevelopment initiatives. Recently, Prime Minister Modi sanctioned the development of over 550 stations across the country as Amrit Bharat stations.

The Modi Government doubled the number of airports

Under the leadership of the Modi government, significant advancements have been made in the aviation sector alongside efforts to alleviate congestion in rail and road traffic. In 2014, the country had 74 airports, a number that has since surged to 149. Notably, Ayodhya boasts the newest addition to this network. The Modi administration has sanctioned the redevelopment of a total of 21 airports, with many already operational. Furthermore, initiatives are underway to alleviate the burden on Delhi’s airport by constructing a new facility in Jewar, Uttar Pradesh, and another airport is in progress in Mumbai.

Updates of the UDAN scheme. (Image Source: www.civilaviation.gov.in)

The Modi government’s UDAN scheme has significantly boosted air traffic, with over 545 air routes operationalized to date. This initiative has facilitated more than 2.60 lakh flights and benefitted over 1.35 crore air passengers. The government has allocated over ₹3300 crore towards the implementation of this scheme thus far.

Development in the Metro networks

In addition to railways, roads, and aviation, the Modi government has spearheaded a significant expansion of the metro network to enhance intra-city transportation. Before the Modi government’s tenure, metro services were limited to just a handful of cities such as Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Gurgaon. However, as of December 2023, metro services are now operational in 17 cities across the country. The latest addition to this network is the metro service in Agra, Uttar Pradesh. Furthermore, the completion of the RRTS corridor linking Delhi to Meerut is also imminent, further enhancing connectivity in the region.

Currently, metro construction or expansion projects are underway in 19 cities across the country. This includes cities like Patna in Bihar, as well as Bhopal and Indore in Madhya Pradesh. The central government has allocated approximately ₹1 lakh crore in funds for these metro projects.

Developing infrastructure projects in the country requires substantial financial investment. Under the leadership of the Modi government, there has been a consistent increase in spending on infrastructure. Capital expenditure, in particular, has witnessed significant growth. In 2014, the country’s capital expenditure stood at approximately ₹1.9 lakh crore, which surged to ₹11 lakh crore in 2024-25. This represents a remarkable increase of nearly 500% during this period.

‘Whoever wants to join BJP is free to go’ – AAP MP Sandeep Pathak tells Punjab MLAs

OpIndia Staff
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‘Whoever wants to join BJP is free to go’ – AAP MP Sandeep Pathak tells Punjab MLAs

On 2nd April, Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak told the AAP MLAs from Punjab that those who wished to leave the party and join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were free to leave. His statement came after two prominent leaders of AAP joined the BJP. Addressing a meeting of MLAs and party workers in Ludhiana, he referred to the decision of Sushil Kumar Rinku and Sheetal Angural to shift to BJP and said, “They will long for votes. They are moving to BJP because that party is in power.”

Pathak added, “Those who want to leave can do so. If you join BJP after getting all those crores of rupees and ministerial berth or any plum post in the government, would you be able to face people who voted for you?” He further claimed AAP would win all 13 seats in Punjab for the upcoming elections.

Sandeep Pathak said, “Yes, we are having some internal hiccups; we are still learning how to run the government (in Punjab), but all guarantees given by (CM) Bhagwant Mann will be completed. I would request all of you, with folded hands, to please keep your issues and misunderstandings aside for some days and unite to make AAP victorious in the coming elections. Go village to village and tell people how the scared BJP has put (AAP national convenor) Arvind Kejriwal in jail.”

“Everyone has been asking how your party will run when Kejriwal is in jail… BJP is celebrating, but I must tell everyone that our party, AAP, will continue the run as it was. He (Kejriwal) will keep giving us directions from the jail, and we will follow his every order like a true party soldier,” Sandeep Pathak added.

Sushil Kumar Rinku was the sole MP of AAP in Lok Sabha, and Sheetal Angural was the AAP MLA from the Ludhiana West constituency. While these two decided to shift to BJP, some AAP MLAs claimed that BJP offered them crores to leave AAP. One of them, Rajunderpal Kaur Chinna, MLA from Ludhiana South for AAP, filed an FIR claiming BJP offered her Rs 5 crores to leave AAP and join them.

Notably, since AAP supremo and Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal went to jail, the party is under much pressure as there is no face to ask for votes for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Kejriwal was sent to Delhi Sessions Court for judicial custody till the 15th of April, and the first phase of voting for the Lok Sabha election is on the 16th of April. It will be interesting to see if AAP leaders who are not in jail campaign for the polls on the ground or if they decide to rally around the issue of Kejriwal’s arrest to gain sympathy votes from Delhi itself.

While Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain are in jail, Sanjay Singh was granted bail on 2nd April after ED did not oppose bail in the Supreme Court. Raghav Chadha has not returned from the UK after the “eye operation”. Atishi Marlena and Saurabh Bharadwaj were in shock when their name surfaced in the court for the first time on 1st April, and it seems they would take some time to recover from the shock as Atishi has already predicted ED would arrest her and three other AAP leaders soon. The future of AAP for the Lok Sabha elections appears bleak. 

“TM Krishna invented, magnified fault lines”: Trichur Brothers reiterate decision to withdraw from Madras Music Academy. Read their full statement

OpIndia Staff
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“TM Krishna invented, magnified fault lines”: Trichur Brothers reiterate decision to withdraw from Madras Music Academy. Read their full statement

Renowned Carnatic music singers Trichur Brothers have reiterated their stand to withdraw from the Madras Music Academy 2024 against the Sangitha Kalanidhi award being conferred to Leftist singer TM Krishna. The duo had first announced their withdrawal on 21st March.

Taking to X, formerly Twitter, they wrote, “Dear Friends, As promised, here is our Closing Statement on the Issue (withdrawal from performing at the Music Academy Season 2024) – ‘Abridged Version’.”

Their statement began with words of acknowledgement for the world of Carnatic music and its connoisseurs for “opening up to a hitherto silent alternate side, which is free from agenda and negativity.”

They wrote, “We have been watching Mr. TM Krishna from the side-lines for close to a decade, silently, in the hope that it would enable more people to take to the art form we worship, as genuine practitioners and listeners.”

The Trichur Brothers further said, “Sadly, over the years TM Krishna has either invented or magnified fault lines, not with the intention of closing them, but to pry them wide open, merely to sensationalise.”

They said that this has made the art, its values, its roots and its followers suffer immensely.

“This is why we were constrained to take a stand to preserve the sacred roots of Carnatic music before it was too late, and we stand by our decision to not perform at a festival “presided over” by the gentleman in question,” they stated.

Furthermore, the artists shared a list of their value systems to put into detailed context their objections to TM Krishna. This list of their value system included the following:

  1. Music is the best Unifier
  2. Staying true to the roots of an Art Form – Carnatic Music is primarily rooted in Hinduism as much as Gospel Music is rooted in Christianity and Qawwali/Sufi Music is rooted in Sufism. A true practitioner embraces and acknowledges the respective roots of an Art Form, even if it is religious.
  3. Respect for Saint Composers/Lyrics/Language/Cultural Ethos/Underlying Spiritual/Devotional/Historical aspect of a composition/Yesteryear Doyens & Fellow Artistes
  4. Positive Messaging and Optimism through Music
  5. Interpretation and Freedom of improvisation without trampling on the traditional compositions, composers or their spirit
  6. Patriotism & love for Bharat
  7. Carrying the message of Bharat to the World through Carnatic Music.

It is in this backdrop that the Trichur Brothers further stated that they cannot in good conscience endorse the motivated, manufactured and feckless narrative that tramples on the faith, belief and value system of a majority of the followers of this sacred art form, by participating in a festival presided over by Mr. TM Krishna.

“It is also of paramount importance that all practitioners of our Ancient Indian Art Forms are able to practice them in their pristine forms without fear of getting branded by a bunch of nay-sayers,” they stated.

“We have a moral responsibility and obligation to share with the world our thought process and what we believe is the core value system of our art. Our stand, in effect, is simply targeted towards a false narrative that has been in propagation with neither basis nor direction nor destination,” they added.

On 21st March, the Trichur Brothers formally announced their withdrawal from the Annual Conference of the Madras Music Academy.

“Mr TM Krishna believes and propagates a value system that is diametrically opposite to our core values! We owe it to our upbringing, Gurus, Rasikas, Family, Well wishers and Students to stand up for what we believe in,” they had stated. Meanwhile, a detailed statement is also expected to be announced by the Trichur Brothers.

A spate of withdrawals from the annual conference followed after the academy conferred the Sangitha Kalanidhi award to TM Krishna, who has insulted the very Carnatic music and arts which he performs and has insulted masters of the art like the great MS Subbulakshmi.

TM Krishna not only writes columns in leftist newspapers against the Indian arts but also attempts to desecrate the Indian art forms by encroaching on Carnatic music space with sufi and Christian hymns.

The Madras Music Academy is presided over by N Murali, the director of The Hindu Group Publishing Private Limited which publishes The Hindu, a leftist newspaper.

Chhattisgarh: 13 Naxals including a woman killed in Bijapur encounter, LMG, AK47, other weapons recovered

OpIndia Staff
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Chhattisgarh: 13 Naxals including a woman killed in Bijapur encounter, LMG, AK47, other weapons recovered

On Tuesday (2nd April), thirteen Naxal terrorists including a woman were reportedly killed in an encounter with security personnel in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur. The information was confirmed by Bastar IG P Sundarraj who announced that multiple encounters were led by DRG, CRPF, STF, and Cobra Jawans in the area resulting in the deaths of 13 Naxalites in total so far.

Earlier in the day, only 10 dead bodies of the Naxals were recovered. However, on Wednesday (3rd April) morning, 3 more dead bodies were recovered.

“Today, a team of DRG, CRPF, STF, and Cobra Jawans were dispatched on the information of the presence of Naxalites under Gangloor police station of Bijapur district. Several encounters took place and so far the bodies of a total of 10 Naxalites have been recovered, including a female Naxalite. Weapons have been recovered from them,” IG Bastar said on Tuesday.

“Weapons recovered so far one LMG, one .303 rifle, one 12 bore, a huge number of BGL launchers, AK 47 and BGL shells plus other arms and ammunition. Identification of dead bodies has yet to be done. Most probably, they are cadres of PLGA Coy No 02,” he added.

The encounter broke out around 6 am on Tuesday at Lendra village in Bijapur following a joint search operation by the District Reserve Group (DRG), Special Task Force (STF), CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action), and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) that began on Monday (1st April) night from the Gangalur police station area.

As per the reports, the operation began when the authorities were tipped off about the whereabouts of a senior naxal nicknamed Papa Rao. Rao has a bounty of almost Rs 40 lakh. It is believed that Papa Rao has also been eliminated in the encounter however, no confirmation regarding the same has been obtained.

The encounter occurs just days before the Lok Sabha elections. The Bastar Lok Sabha seat will go to the polls in the first phase on 19th April.

The Naxalites’ Tactical Counter Offensive Campaign (TCOC) begins in March and intensifies their activities thereafter. Between March and June, there were many attacks on security forces in the Bastar region. Six Naxalites were killed last month during an engagement with security troops in Bijapur’s Basaguda district.

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