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Amit Shah deep fake video case: 5 persons, including Congress leaders and social media team members arrested in Hyderabad

OpIndia Staff
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Amit Shah deep fake video case: 5 persons, including Congress leaders and social media team members arrested in Hyderabad

5 persons have been arrested in Hyderabad in the case of circulating a deep fake video to defame Home Minister Amit Shah. As per reports, the arrested persons include members of the Congress social media cell in Telangana and political leaders of the party.

Earlier today, a team of Delhi Police had reached Telangana to investigate the deep fake case. The team had visited the Congress office too. The deep fake video falsely depicting Union Home Minister Amit Shah saying they would end reservations for SC-ST and OBCs was shared by the Telangana Congress’ social media handles.

The arrests have been made by the Hyderabad Cyber Crime department. Times Now journalist Sowmith Yakkati posted that 4 persons named Asma & Geetha, Naveen, Shiva and one more person have been held. 2 persons among these are Congress leaders while 3 are members of the Congress party social media team.

Telangana CM Revanth Reddy has also been summoned by the Delhi Police in the case. He has been asked to submit his gadgets for examination too.

It is notable here that during the assembly elections in November this year, Congress’ Telangana unit was accused of circulating deep fake videos to defame BRS. BRS leader KTR had condemned Congress for deep fakes.

Earlier, the X handle of Jharkhand Congress was withheld in India for sharing the deep fake video. Reetam Singh, a Congress IT cell member from Assam has been arrested in the case.

Congress spokesperson Radhika Khera questions Priyanka Vadra’s silence on the harassment faced by women, BJP issues invitation

OpIndia Staff
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Congress spokesperson Radhika Khera questions Priyanka Vadra’s silence on the harassment faced by women, BJP issues invitation

On Thursday (2nd May), Congress spokesperson Radhika Khera slammed Congress leaders Bhupesh Baghel and Sushil Anand Shukla for insulting and defaming her amid the Lok Sabha Elections 2024. Khera posted on X ahead of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s visit to Korba, Chhattisgarh alleging that the party and its leaders cared less about a woman’s dignity.

“Kaka’s fascination for ‘Dushil’ is more important than a woman’s honour. But, I am a girl, I am fighting. Didi is welcome in the maternal home of Lord Shri Ram’s mother Kausalya,” Khera posted.

In another tweet, she claimed that a woman was not safe in the holy land of Mother Kausalya’s maternal home. “Patriarchy just knows how to demean and defame and insult women. Will expose,” she stated.

This comes after a video of Khera went viral over the internet in which she could be seen crying and talking to somebody over the phone. Khera in the video could be heard saying that she had been insulted and that it had happened for the first time in her entire life.

“Today whatever has happened is very terrible. I have been insulted and this has never happened in my entire life of 40 years. He was screaming at me and also asked me to get out. Whenever I talk to him, he yells at me. Now I can’t stay in this party anymore,” she could be heard saying.

It is believed that the issue emerged after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge visited Janjgir Champa district in Chhattisgarh for campaigning amid Lok Sabha elections in 2024. The verbal brawl is said to have emerged between Congress leaders Sushil Anand Shukla and Radhia Khera over issuing a statement to the media after the rally. Khera along with other local leaders was in the Congress Bhavan when the duo engaged in a verbal fight. It escalated so much so that Khera was asked to leave the Bhavan.

After that, she could be seen crying and complaining about the insult to someone over the phone, the video of which is making rounds over social media.

BJP’s Kedar Gupta suggests Khera to join BJP

Amid the controversy, BJP’s Kedar Gupta expressed solidarity over the incident and suggested Khera to join BJP. “Whatever has happened is really very sad. This is Kausalya Maa’s maternal home land and any woman’s insult will not be tolerated here. You please save yourself from Congress. Rest assured that nothing will happen to you in Chhattisgarh. This is Modi’s guarantee. Congress talks about women’s empowerment and safety and does not even care about its women leaders. This is sad,” Gupta said.

Also MLA of Pandariya Constituency, BJP’s Bhavan Bohra also extended his support to the woman. “Be fearless, as long as the lotus is blooming in Chhattisgarh, you do not need to fear. In this fight of yours, whether the Congressmen who have pledged their souls join you or not, we all are standing with you,” he said.

Meanwhile, PCC President Chattisgarh Deepak Baij has commented on the matter saying that this is an internal matter of the Congress party and it will soon be resolved. “BJP need not interfere in the party affairs. This is our internal matter and we’ll look into it. BJP should look into their party affairs,” he said.

‘Congress is dying, so Pakistan is crying’: PM Modi after former Pakistan minister Fawad Chaudhry praises Rahul Gandhi

OpIndia Staff
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‘Congress is dying, so Pakistan is crying’: PM Modi after former Pakistan minister Fawad Chaudhry praises Rahul Gandhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi attacked Congress on 2nd May after former Pakistan minister Fawad Ahmed Hussain Chaudhry praised Rahul Gandhi in a social media post. He charged, “The interesting thing is that Congress is dying here and Pakistan is crying. You must have heard that now Pakistani leaders are praying for Congress. Pakistan is eager to make “Shehzada” (Rahul Gandhi) prime minister. You must have seen it yesterday. We already know that Congress likes Pakistan. The alliance between the two has been completely exposed,” in an election rally in Gujarat’s Anand.

He added, “Brothers and sisters, the adversaries of the nation don’t want a strong government in India. They want a feeble administration like there was during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks which used to send dossiers. The enemies of the country want a corrupt and unstable government like it was before 2014. Modi’s strong administration neither bows nor backs down. That is why the world is saying that its development can only be accelerated by India.”

The remark by the ex-Pakistani minister who served under Prime Minister Imran Khan and boasted of his country’s involvement in the 2019 Pulwama attack endorsing Rahul Gandhi sparked new political turmoil during election season. The comment was made in response to a Congress IT cell account that shared a video of Rahul Gandhi from a public event where he claimed that since Amitabh Bachchan, Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani were seen at the consecration ceremony of the Ram Mandir, PM Modi was working for the top 10-15 people in the country and creating distractions to divert attention from issues of public importance.

“Humne Hindustan ko ghus ke maara (We hit India in their home). Our success in Pulwama is a success of the people under the leadership of Imran Khan. You and we are all part of that success,” Fawad Chaudhry declared while addressing the National Assembly in 2020. He has a long history of making anti-India statements including mocking the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and India over Chandrayaan 2 mission.

Exclusive on NewsClick-China case: How Prabir Purkayastha and Neville Roy Singham spoke about ending democracy, taking lessons from Hezbollah, Muslim Brotherhood

Nupur J Sharma
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Exclusive on NewsClick-China case: How Prabir Purkayastha and Neville Roy Singham spoke about ending democracy, taking lessons from Hezbollah, Muslim Brotherhood

The Delhi Police Special Cell filed a chargesheet on 30th March in the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) case against Prabir Purkayastha, the founder and editor of NewsClick, who was apprehended by the authorities on 3rd October 2023 along with Human Resources (HR) chief Amit Chakraborty for receiving illicit funding from China that was transferred via the United States. The chargesheet included NewsClick, the news portal, as an additional accused party.

What the FIR in the Newsclick – Chinese funding case said

The Special Cell’s FIR against Prabir Purkayastha included a detailed list of assertions, including attempts to portray Arunachal Pradesh and Kashmir as “not parts of India,” attacks on the Indian government’s efforts to combat Covid, financial support for the farmers’ agitation, and “putting up a spirited defence of legal cases” against Chinese telecom companies like Vivo and Xiaomi.

Funds to disseminate propaganda favouring China are reportedly received by NewsClick. The UAPA and the anti-terror law have been invoked against the news company. NewsClick is charged with obtaining more than Rs 80 crore from Chinese companies.

According to the FIR, the news outlet accepted funding from Chinese organizations with the intention of “disrupting the sovereignty of India” and inciting animosity toward the nation. Earlier, a Delhi court gave police a further 10 days to finish their probe into NewsClick founder and editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha. Amit Chakravarty, the chief of NewsClick’s HR department and former accuser turned approver, has extended his judicial custody for an additional ten days.

According to police, raids were carried out in October 2023 at 88 sites in Delhi and seven other states against the suspects listed in the FIR and those whose names came up during data analysis. In addition, Purkayastha is accused of working with the People’s Alliance for Democracy and Secularism (PADS) to undermine the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Purkayastha and Chakraborty were arrested after a full day of searches at more than fifty locations associated with the news portal, its staff and its contributors. The police reported that 46 “suspects” had had their “digital devices” confiscated and were being questioned following the searches, which took place around Mumbai and the National Capital Region. The Delhi office of the news outlet was also sealed by the police.

“Foreign funds in crores have been infused illegally in India by Indian and foreign entities inimical to India in pursuance of a conspiracy to disrupt sovereignty and territorial integrity of India, to cause disaffection against India and to threaten the unity, integrity, security of India,” the Special Cell established in its remand application, citing “secret inputs.”

Arunachal Pradesh was depicted as a disputed area on a new map of India, and the accused were “in direct touch with each other” and “discussing how to create a new map of India without Kashmir,” according to the remand application. They had also received “more than Rs 115 crore” in the “guise of foreign funds” for this purpose. Chakraborty has become an approver in the case, after Purkayastha and he, both have been in judicial confinement since November.

The People’s Dispatch Portal, owned and maintained by M/S PPK Newsclick Studio Private Limited has been used for purposefully peddling false narratives through paid news in lieu of crores of rupees of illegally routed foreign funds as part of a conspiracy, based on Delhi Police’s Special Cell’s FIR against NewsClick’s founder and Editor-in-Chief, Prabir Purkayastha.

The 8,000-page chargesheet reveals the seeds of conspiracy and who really wants to end democracy in India

The chargesheet filed by the Delhi Police Special Cell, parts of which OpIndia has seen, details the origins of the conspiracy hatched by Prabir Purkayastha, Neville Roy Singham and other accused. The chargesheet traces the beginning of the conspiracy from an email dump that ED shared with the Special Cell. One email from the 29th of June 2016 sent by Prabir Purkayastha to Neville Roy Singham marks the beginning of the conspiracy according to the Special Cell.

The subject of the email recovered by ED was “Social Media Group in India”.

In the email, Prabir tells Neville that a group in ‘their’ media project should focus only on tools – which is collating and analysing data. Second, he suggests a dedicated team for social media campaigns. The budget he allocates for the social media campaigns is anywhere between $60,000 to $80,000.

The chargesheet says that this innocuous email becomes relevant because soon after, a NewsClick article was shared over email on the 17th of September 2016 which spoke of creating mass movements in the typical Maoist style. In the article, NewsClick wrote that the Left needs to be at the forefront of such ‘struggles’.

Only 2 days later, on the 19th of September, a far more sinister email was exchanged, which revealed who really wanted to end democracy in India. This email was sent by Neville to Prabir.

In the email, Neville discusses 7 themes to combat the growing challenges that the Left faces globally, including in India.

1. The Communist vision: Neville says that they need to come up with an alternate vision for society since the communist vision is no longer “easy to project’. He asks how they can face rejection of mass struggles and how to counter the propaganda against communists and communism.

2. New characteristics of the working class: He laments that unions are on the decline, which were considered ‘reservoirs of the communists’. He also asks how they can deal with the “severe fragmentation of the working class” since due to mechanisation, thousands of workers are not collected in a factory space. ‘How do we organize the rural proletariat in the context of a new type of rural crisis that includes severe environmental destruction?”, he asks.

3. Emerging strategic issues in the post-Neo-Liberal era: In this, Neville talks about DMCs (Digital Monopoly Capital) and how the hegemony of Google, Apple, Amazon, Facebook and Microsoft, along with AI, is reducing the need for human capital, thereby hurting communism. He further writes while capital has increased in the world, international working-class solidarity has decreased. He then equates Erdogan, PM Modi, Trump and Tremer to ask if pro-fascism is rising and how they can strategies to stop it.

4. In this theme, Neville talks about exploring other political instruments since the party form seems to be declining across the world. He also asks how they can attract the masses to join the movement.

5. Neville writes here, “Practical Questions: How do we effectively ally with ‘separatist’ or identity movements? These are the main dignity movements that have a different strategy than us. How to engage them and find commonality in action? How are we doing at mainstreaming gender and ethnicity issues inside-out movements? What is the real strategy of the left in local governments such as Barcelona, Port Elizabeth and Kerala? How do we amplify our political education efforts and network of schools and cadres?”.

6. Interestingly, in this theme, Neville talks about the Left taking lessons from Hezbollah and the Muslim Brotherhood. He writes, “What should the rising “massification” of popular religions all around the world teach the left? Hezbollah and, the Muslim Brotherhood have used doctors, medical care and services to serve as central elements of organizing and providing services”. He further asks, “How do we build powerful partisan popular media centres and use social media in our struggles in an era of the end of print and TV along with their business models?“

7. In the last theme about ‘internationalisation’, Neville talks about how they can connect popular movements from across the world to be with explicitly Left ideological forces. He also talks about an international strategy.

From the 7 themes as discussed by Neville Roy Singham with Prabir Pukayastha, it becomes evident that the aim of NewsClick, its founders and the nexus with Neville Roy Singham was to attack at the very heart of Indian Sovereignty and displace democracy in India.

Here is what the 7 themes discussed by Neville reveal:

  1. The chargesheet explicitly says that the alternative vision mentioned in Theme – 1 of the mail is nothing else but to forcibly replace Indian democracy with a Party-State system like the one that exists in present-day China.
  2. While talking about declining international working-class solidarity, Neville also talks about bringing PM Modi down by branding him a fascist. This would point towards subversion of the Indian democratic process by someone who is proven to be funded by China and who is funding elements within India to push the Chinese narrative. If Neville Roy Singham is talking about displacing PM Modi as the head of the state, it is evident the Chinese state agenda that he is attempting to seed with elements like Parbir Purkayastha.
  3. He again talks about attracting the masses to join their movements. Given how he has spoken earlier of Maoist-style movements, it becomes clear that he supports violent movements.
  4. Neville talks specifically about allying with separatist movements in India. He also talks about allying with identity movements. This clearly points to NewsClick and its entire nexus encouraging terrorism and also, feeding the narrative that Muslims are in danger in India at the behest of China.
  5. Neville then treads an even more dangerous narrative by asking Prabir Purkayastha and others to take lessons from Hezbollah and the Muslim Brotherhood.
  6. He further talks about building “powerful partisan popular media” and the use of social media to implement their strategy of disintegrating India.
  7. Lastly, he talks about aligning the Left with global popular movements. This thread could be seen in how the Black Lives Matter movement for example or the Intifada was connected to Indian Muslims in India.

From the email above, which is being considered the starting point of the conspiracy in the NewsClick case, it becomes evident that the ultimate aim of the left ecosystem is to ensure the end of Democracy in India with an alternate political system mirroring China in its place.

Media downplays the vile pro-Hamas, pro-Zakir Naik views of Parveen Shaikh even as Somaiya Principal confirms her insidious social media activity

Shraddha Pandey
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Media downplays the vile pro-Hamas, pro-Zakir Naik views of Parveen Shaikh even as Somaiya Principal confirms her insidious social media activity

The left-liberal and Islamist sympathising media ecosystem comes to the rescue of anyone expressing Hinduphobia and supporting terrorist groups like Hamas. Several media outlets including Scroll and Hindustan Times have published articles downplaying the pro-Hamas and anti-Hindu social media activity of Parveen Shaikh, the principal of the prestigious Somaiya Vidya Vihar school run by the Somaiya Trust in Mumbai. This comes after OpIndia published an exposé on Shaikh’s unflinching support for Hamas, usual Hindu haters including Islamist preacher Zakir Naik, and 2020 anti-Hindu Delhi riots mastermind Umar Khalid among others.

On the 1st of May, left-leaning portal Scroll published a report titled: “Mumbai school principal told to resign after being targeted by Hindutva website”. The bias of this article is evident from its headline itself, why would the ‘Hindutva’ website which OpIndia proudly is, target a random school principal if she was not liking terror group sympathising posts?

The insinuation of the Scroll article is rather simple – that OpIndia investigated Parveen Shaikh because of her Muslim identity. In truth, her Muslim identity is irrelevant. Her pro-Hamas views would affect Muslim and Hindu children alike. Not just those supporting Hindutva, but the Left too should be concerned about it. If they aren’t, as clearly, Scroll isn’t, then they are also pro-Hamas and pro-terror.

In a bid to whitewash Shaikh’s objectionable social media behaviour, without a smidgen of shame, Scroll passed off Parveen Shaikh’s support for Hamas as her ‘political views’. The publication presented the Hamas-sympathising posts liked by Shaikh on X (formerly Twitter) as “posts in support of the besieged territory of Gaza.”

Scroll’s report insinuates that OpIndia somehow ‘targeted’ Parveen Shaikh for having pro-Palestine opinions or for having sympathies for the people of Gaza, however, having pro-Palestine opinions is not the same as being pro-Hamas. Hamas is an Islamist terrorist group which has killed thousands of innocent Israeli civilians. Supporting a terrorist group is certainly not ‘political views’. While supporting Palestine could be considered a political stand, OpIndia’s coverage makes clear that a Principal who has the responsibility for thousands of children cannot possibly hold views that brand the killing of non-Muslim (Israeli in this case) innocent children and the rape of women as ‘resistance’ by an Islamic group.

The said report also downplayed Shaikh’s liking of several X posts abusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Bhartiya Janata Party and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

“Shaikh also liked several posts that were critical of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his political regime,” the Scroll report reads.

Contrary to Scroll’s assertion, the posts liked by Shaikh were not simply critical but abusive. If the left-leaning portal opines that posts calling PM Modi a “dog” referring to CM Yogi as “evil” and “critical” then their understanding of criticism and abusive behaviour is highly questionable.

Notably, OpIndia had found an outrageous tweet from Parveen Shaikh in which she stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a “dog” who is ready to fetch a ball at the instruction of Chinese Premier Xi Jinping. She even engaged in internet propaganda against him making her dislike of him abundantly clear. She also voiced similar sentiments against Yogi Adityanath, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh and referred to the two BJP leaders as ‘evil.’

Parveen Shaikh invokes ‘freedom of speech’ after Somaiya School management asks her to resign

Speaking to Indian Express, Shaikh invoked ‘freedom of speech’ and democracy to justify her pro-Hamas social media behaviour. “I live in democratic India; I hold the principle of freedom of speech in high regard as it is a cornerstone of democracy… I will not resign because I have given a hundred per cent to the organisation,” she said. Much like Scroll, IE also mentioned that a section of parents extended support to Shaikh despite her objectionable opinions saying that “her views on certain subjects do not make a difference”.

HT downplays Parveen Shaikh’s pro-Hamas activities on X, despite Sheikh confirming to them that she liked posts sympathising with Hamas terrorists

In a pattern similar to Scroll and IE, Hindustan Times also reported selectively reported opinions of some parents supportive of Parveen Shaikh to assert that she has a great track record as the said school’s principal and thus, her outrageous social media behaviour should be overlooked. The report downplayed Shaikh’s pro-Hamas and anti-Hindu social media activities even though she confirmed to the publication that she indeed liked the contentious posts. Shaikh, however, passed off her pro-Hamas leanings as her support for the ‘Palestinian cause’.

“The news portal [OpIndia] that published the article about me is known for its bias against secular constitutional ethos, as well as the Palestinian cause. Its followers, who have trolled me, would share the same bias,” Shaikh told HT.

Both, HT and Scroll reports quoted a parent named Shilpa Phadke to assert that despite being a ‘progressive’ woman and excellent educator, Parveen Shaikh is being targeted for her Muslim identity. However, it is crucial to note that professional excellence does not give one a free pass to extend support to terrorist groups and abuse the country’s democratically elected prime minister, and a state’s chief minister over political differences.

Parveen Sheikh liked posts supporting Hamas terrorist Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas’s ‘resistance’ against Israel, and posts propagating anti-Ram Mandir views

On the 24th of April, OpIndia published a report which tracked the Islamist views of the principal and her leaning towards anti-Indian elements on social media. She frequently likes Hamas pronouncements endorsing their ‘resistance’ against Israel along with those supporting its senior leadership such as terrorist Ismail Haniyeh. She strikes as an ardent advocate of Hamas who rationalizes all the atrocities it commits as ‘resistance’ or ‘retaliation.’

Parveen Shaikh has an extensive record of “liking” tweets that echo her views. She also supports radicals such as Islamist preacher Zakir Naik and Umar Khalid, the mastermind of the anti-Hindu riots in Delhi. She also likes tweets holding Hindus liable for fundamentalist attacks on their sacred procession. Furthermore, Shaikh enjoys dehumanising Hindus by portraying them as beggars in front of Arab countries and is opposed to the Ayodhya Ram Mandir.

Moreover, one of the X posts, Shaikh alleged that Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan “sold his soul to the devil” since he had requested that the Indian government reject any attempts by outsiders to meddle in domestic matters.

On the 12th of April, Shaikh liked a post by anti-semite and fake news peddler Jackson Hinkle which hailed the children and grandchildren of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh – who were neutralised by Israel for being Hamas terrorists. He called their death ‘martyrdom’, thereby revealing that he believes Hamas is ordained by Allah to heap atrocities against Jews.

As the OpIndia report sparked an outrage, Somaiya Trust took cognizance of the matter and said: “We were unaware of the sentiments expressed until it was brought to our notice today. We do not agree with such sentiments. It is certainly concerning. We are looking into the matter.”

Now that the Trust has asked Parveen Shaikh to resign, the media ecosystem has taken it upon itself to downplay and whitewash Shaikh’s terror-sympathising views and garner public sympathy for her.

Uttarakhand: Afzal pretends to be Rahul to befriend minor Hindu girl and rapes her, victim held hostage for forced conversion

OpIndia Staff
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Uttarakhand: Afzal pretends to be Rahul to befriend minor Hindu girl and rapes her, victim held hostage for forced conversion

A girl from Uttarakhand’s Sitarganj was raped and forced into conversion by a man named Afzal, reported Hindustan. He had approached her and claimed to be a Hindu to get into a relationship with her, as per the victim’s complaint. She has leveled grave allegations against him as well as his family members.

The victim revealed that four years ago Afzal Ahmed, a resident of Ward 2 introduced himself as Rahul and proposed to her by masquerading as a Hindu. She was a minor at the time. The two then began a romantic affair and he sexually exploited her after some time.

She informed that on 27th November last year, the accused called her to his house where she realised the truth about his identity. The girl further charged that he and his family held her captive. Afzal and his brother Iqrar Ahmed locked the victim in a room and pressurised her to marry the former and embrace Islam. Police have now booked Afzal Ahmed, Iqrar Ahmed, their father Abrar Ahmed and mother under the Uttarakhand Freedom of Religion Act and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The girl underwent a medical examination on 1st May. Surendra Pratap Singh, in charge of Sarkada police station, stated that raids are being conducted to apprehend the culprits.

Notably, a few days ago on the 25th of April, a woman filed a police complaint in Haldwani that Atharuddin who ran a mobile shop took the number of her 17-year-old daughter when she visited the place to recharge her device. He sent dirty text messages to the minor and even pretended to be Sikh. He even stalked her to college stop and tried to hold her hand and molest her on the way. “Do what you want to do. I am not afraid of anyone. I will kidnap the girl in front of everyone,” he threatened when an acquaintance of the underage female confronted him and issued death threats to the person.

According to Bajrang Dal worker Joginder Singh Rana, the victim was nearly ten years younger than the Muslim male. He added that the offender lacked any legal documentation to operate the store and reportedly had stored numerous other phone numbers of Hindu girls on his phone, along with inappropriate conversations with them. The perpetrator was dragged out of his shop and assaulted by the locals when his action came to light.

Engineer who accused Boeing supplier of ignoring defects in 737 MAX dies, Joshua Dean is the second whistleblower to die

OpIndia Staff
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Engineer who accused Boeing supplier of ignoring defects in 737 MAX dies, Joshua Dean is the second whistleblower to die

On 30th April, former quality auditor at Boeing supplier Spirit AeroSystems Joshua Dean died of a fast-spreading bacterial infection. He was one of the first whistleblowers who alleged that the company ignored manufacturing defects on the 737 MAX. Dean was based out of Wichita, Kan, where Spirit is based.

45-year-old Dean was in good health. Reports suggest that he was following a healthy lifestyle. Two weeks before his death, he was rushed to hospital as he was having trouble breathing. He was incubated at the hospital after which he developed pneumonia followed by a serious bacterial infection Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA). It is a serious staph bacteria infection that is resistant to some antibiotics.

As his health condition got worse, Joshua Dean was airlifted from Wichita to a hospital in Oklahoma City. Speaking to the media, his aunt Carol Parsons said that at the hospital in Oklahoma, he was put on an ECMO machine as his organs were unable to function properly. ECMO machine takes over the blood circulation and oxygenation outside the body. ECMO machine takes over the functions of the heart and lungs and it is used when these organs are unable to function on their own.

In a post on social media on 26th April, Dean’s mother informed that he was “fighting for his life”. She added that he was heavily sedated and put on dialysis. Furthermore, his mother informed him that tests revealed Dean had a stroke. Close to his death, the doctors were even considering amputating his hands and feet. Parsons termed what Dean went through as “brutal” and “heartbreaking”.

In a statement, Spirit spokesperson Joe Buccino said, “Our thoughts are with Josh Dean’s family. This sudden loss is stunning news here and for his loved ones.”

Role of Joshua Dean the case against Boeing

Notably, Dean gave a deposition in a Spirit shareholder lawsuit and filed a complaint with the Federal Aviation Administration. In his complaint, he alleged that there was serious and gross misconduct by senior quality management of the 737 production line. Dean started working for Spirit in 2019 as a mechanical engineer. In 2020, he was laid off during the pandemic. However, he returned to the company in May 2021 as a quality auditor. In October 2022, he found a serious manufacturing defect and when he flagged the issue, the company allegedly did nothing.

Another defect was discovered by him in April 2023 leading to delivery pause. He was removed from his job, after which he filed a complaint with the Department of Labor alleging he was removed as a retaliation for raising concerns over quality control.

Dean became the second whistleblower to die in the Boeing case. Earlier, John “Mitch” Barnett was found dead in an apartment in March this year. He was in the process of giving depositions against Boeing alleging the company retaliated against him for complaints about quality lapses. Barnett was found dead from a gunshot wound in Charleston SC. Boeing has its 787 manufacturing facility in the region. Barnett had spoken about manufacturing and quality issues in Boeing long before the Alaska Airlines mishap in January this year highlighted the safety concerns in Boeing aircraft. On January 5, a door along with a part of the fuselage of a Boeing 737 MAX-9 operated by Alaska Air fell off (Blowout as reported widely) when the flight reached an altitude of 16,000 feet.

The Coroner’s Officer of Charleston County asserted that his death “appeared to be from a self-inflicted gunshot wound”. The investigation into his death is underway.

Both Dean and Barnett were represented by same law firm in the case. One of Dean’s lawyers Brian Knowles said, “Whistleblowers are needed. They bring to light wrongdoing and corruption in the interests of society. It takes a lot of courage to stand It’s a difficult set of circumstances. Our thoughts now are with John’s family and Josh’s family.”

Boeing aircraft suffer mishap after mishap, non-stop

Another FAA audit that spanned six weeks has concluded last week that multiple instances were found where Boeing failed to comply with manufacturing quality control requirements.

In the January Alaska Airlines ‘door falling off mid-air’ incident, the US National Transportation Safety Board found that four key bolts, designed to hold the door securely in place, were not fitted.

Following the mid-air blowout, Alaska Airlines grounded all of its 65 Boeing 737-MAX 9 aircraft for inspection. A day after the Alaska Airlines incident, the United States air aviation regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered airlines to temporarily ground more than 170 Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft for “immediate inspections” following the Alaska Airlines incident. Since then, dozens of incidents involving Boeing aircraft have been reported.

Serial fake news peddler Prashant Bhushan, Congress handles and others spread false claims over PM Modi’s photo on Cowin certificate

OpIndia Staff
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Serial fake news peddler Prashant Bhushan, Congress handles and others spread false claims over PM Modi’s photo on Cowin certificate

Amid the ongoing Lok Sabha elections in 2024, the Congress party supporters and the anti-India opinion holders have begun to spread misinformation regarding the COVID-19 vaccine certificate.

The opposition parties and their supporters on social media are busy claiming that PM Modi’s photograph from the Covid vaccine certificate had been removed by the government after recent discussions on Covishield’s potential association with Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS), a rare side effect involving blood clotting resurfaced.

A well-known, notorious Supreme Court advocate Prashant Bhushan posted on X commenting on the matter. He indicated that PM Modi very smartly parted ways with the vaccines after knowing that their side effects had surfaced. “As soon as the lethal side effects of the COVID vaccines got publicized, Modi promptly got his photo removed from the vaccine certificates. Modi ka Kamaal!” he said.

Meanwhile, a fan page of TMC leader Mahua Moitra also made fun of the Prime Minister claiming that his photo had been removed from the certificates after the side effects of the COVID vaccines got publicized.

Further, one individual who identifies himself as an anti-Modi netizen indicated that PM Modi was scared. “Scared Modi! Modi ji is no more in the CoWIN certificate Modi’s Photo has been removed after AstraZeneca’s recent revelation!?? India look at your Prime Minister. Will he take the country forward in the World Arena?” he said.

Then, one Sandeep Manudhane who identifies himself as a ‘secular liberal’ on X also made fun of PM Modi and said, “Modi ji is no more visible on Covid Vaccine certificates. Just downloaded it to check- yes, his pic is gone”, with a laughter emoji.

Zee News journalist Mahendra Singh also happened to make fun of the Prime Minister. “Doesn’t matter if people breathe or not. But people will vote for Modi only,” he said passing a sarcastic comment.

Image removed due to Model Code of Conduct, says Health Minsitry

Notably, the Health Ministry took cognizance of the event and stated that the image of PM Modi had been removed from the COVID-19 vaccine certificates due to the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) in place due to the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. In the past, Modi’s picture was prominently displayed on these certificates, along with a statement reaffirming India’s determination to defeat the coronavirus. The government is still credited with the slogan, “Together, India will defeat COVID-19,” but the Prime Minister’s image is no longer on the certificates, reported the Hindu. 

Discussions over Covishield’s possible link to Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS), an uncommon side effect involving blood clotting, have revived in the wake of vaccine producer AstraZeneca’s admission in a UK court. Several people in India since been looking over their vaccination records in light of this news.

However, representatives from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare informed on Tuesday (30th April) that the photograph of PM Modi was taken out of the vaccination certificate because the ongoing Lok Sabha elections are subject to regulation under the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).

Image was removed earlier during assembly elections too

It’s important to recall that PM Modi’s picture has previously also been taken off of COVID-19 immunization certificates. In 2022, vaccination certificates issued in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur, and Goa were similarly devoid of Modi’s photograph. The Election Commission of India (ECI) had ordered this measure in anticipation of the state assembly elections back then. 

Also previously, in 2021, there had been a dispute over the use of Modi’s photograph on vaccination certificates that had reached the Kerala High Court. “They may not be proud of their PMs, but we are proud of our PM,” Justice PV Kunhikrishnan had said in response to the argument that certificates produced in other nations did not include the images of elected officials.

After the Covisheild side effect row, Gujarat Congress president and Rajya Sabha member Shaktisinh Gohil slammed the BJP government and accused it of not keeping a record of data on side effects. “BJP government at the Centre did not follow the guidelines of the World Health Organisation (WHO),” he claimed adding that many young people lost their lives suddenly of heart attack after being administered by vaccines.

However, on May 1, medical professionals connected to the Gujarat BJP said that a state-conducted expert panel’s study had proven there was no connection between the COVID-19 vaccination and blood clotting, which could result in heart attacks.

Notably, after several people on social media called out The Hindu’s article that attempted to spread misinformation saying that PM Modi’s photo had been removed from the certificates after the news of side effects surfaced, the news media seems to have made changes in its post. The Hindu now has updated the earlier post leveling direct allegations against PM Modi to add the health ministry’s statement saying that the photograph has been removed due to the regulations of MCC.

General elections are being held in India from 19 April to 1 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 4 June 2024.

Fear mongering over Covishied vaccine irrational, say doctors

It is notable here that after media reports highlighted the AstraZeneca statement in court, a lot of fear-mongering has been prevalent in media and social media over COVID-19 vaccines. However, the facts of the matter are, that the chances of rare side effects of possible TTS or blood clotting are just 3-4 cases in a million-strong population, and the effects are seen within a few weeks of vaccination, that too after the first dose itself.

Most Indians were given the Covishield vaccine in 2021-22, more than 2 years ago and the fears of TTS are irrational. Opposition parties who tried their best to spread vaccine hesitancy just to defame the Modi government are the ones fanning the current wave of irrational fear-mongering against the vaccine.

Moreover, the product information on the AstraZeneca vaccine mentioning the extremely rare possibility TTS has always been there, for over 3 years now. The statement in court is not new information. All vaccines and medicines have some rare side effects and their public usage is granted after evaluating their general benefit to a larger population. Healthcare professionals and scientists across the world have affirmed repeatedly that the vaccines saved lives and minimalised Covid complications in millions of people.

Jack Dorsey, the Leftist who wanted to burn the world: Twitter co-founder supports violent protestors at Columbia. Here is how he fomented trouble in India too

Anurag
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Jack Dorsey, the Leftist who wanted to burn the world: Twitter co-founder supports violent protestors at Columbia. Here is how he fomented trouble in India too

On 1st May, Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey came out in support of the anti-Israel protesters at Columbia University. Jack, who has around 6.5 million followers on X (formerly Twitter) shared several posts critical of the law enforcement agencies that responded to the protests. Notably, protesters were removed from the Hamilton Hall and several of them were arrested.

Jack has a history of supporting violent protests and meddling with affairs where he should have no position. For years, Twitter, under his leadership fomented trouble in India as well.

In a post, leftist podcaster Kyle Kulunsky wrote, “Iraq war protesters were smeared & hated at the moment. Same with Vietnam War protesters. Today anybody with a functioning brain realizes they were 100% correct & the conventional wisdom was dead wrong. The fact that people don’t see this is exactly what’s happening now is astonishing.” Quoting his post, Jack replied “Yes” approving the assertions made by Kulinsky.

Another X user Luke Rudkowaski shared a video of local law enforcement agencies at the University to disperse the protesters. He wrote, “The level of military equipment local police have is kinda alarming”. Quoting his post, Jack Dorsey wrote, “This has been all over the country for over a decade”. Notably, a “defund police” campaign ran across the USA to reduce funding to the police. In a country where mass shootings are common, powerful politicians and rich individuals have lobbied for removal of police forces.

He also agreed with another X user Alex Miller who expressed amazement over how people “love state power when it’s on their side”.

Jack Dorsey reposted a post by Michael Tracey who downrightedly claimed that anti-Semitism is non-existing. There are countless reports where members of the Jewish community faced extreme hate in the USA following the 7th October terrorist attack in Israel by Hamas. Posters of abducted Israelis were torn down by pro-Hamas elements and Jews were assaulted, abused and mocked not only on the streets but also on the college campuses.

Source: X

How Jack and Twitter fueled anti-India propaganda

In February 2021, OpIndia reported how Twitter decided to defy an order by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, India to block or remove 1,178 accounts from the social media website. These accounts were on the radar of security forces as Pakistani-run accounts tried to incite people amid the ongoing Farmer’s Protest. Twitter was given this list of suspicious accounts. Following the notice, Twitter bluntly refused to take any action and released a statement attempting to explain how it disregarded Indian security.

In its statement, Twitter declared that “the tweets must continue to flow” in a callback to a statement regarding the Arab Spring protests almost 10 years ago. This trip down memory lane on the part of Twitter did not go unnoticed. Former Twitter staff were immediately able to connect the dots with the Arab Spring. It was extremely concerning that Twitter equated the Farmer Protests happening in India to the Arab Spring.

In May 2018, Jack posed with a Hinduphobic placard, designed by an anti-Brahmin activist named Thenmozhi Soundararajan. “Smash Brahmanical patriarchy”, the placard read. Over the years, ‘Brahmanical patriarchy’ has become the dog whistle, used by liberals and Islamists alike, to openly berate the Hindu community. Later he claimed to not know about the content of the placard. 

In October 2020, the Indian government sent a strong warning to the Twitter founder for showing Leh as part of China on the social media platform.

When Jack was part of Twitter, hundreds of pro-Hindu and pro-BJP accounts were abruptly blocked by the social media platform. It was only after Elon Musk took over Twitter that these accounts were brought back. 

In August 2022, Opindia reported how Elon Musk flagged Twitter’s risky litigation against the Indian government. “Twitter has terminated its product lead and another key executive, retained a board member whose reelection was rejected by stockholders, instituted a hiring freeze, and disobeyed orders from and initiated risky litigation against the Indian government—thereby placing Twitter’s third largest market at risk,” he had said.

Earlier in February 2019, Twitter CEO and top officials had declined to appear before the Parliamentary Committee on Information Technology, headed by Anurag Thakur, which had issued a summons to Twitter over the issue of safeguarding citizens’ rights on social media platforms.

Twitter’s Left bias under Jack, and active interference in US elections against Trump

After Elon Musk took over Twitter, a series of revelations by journalists who examined the internal communications and data of the social media giant’s inner functioning and decision making, broadly known as ‘Twitter Files’, exposed some shocking truth as to how the platform was actively used as a political tool under Jack Dorsey.

Revealed documents showed that Twitter senior executives deliberately promoted Joe Biden and were hostile against Trump, to the extend of silencing voices and suppressing the truth. Hunter Biden laptop stories, opinions of respected medical professionals that were contrary to the US government’s covid restrictions, and many such narratives were censored by Twitter.

In an unprecedented act of political bias, Donald Trump, a sitting US president was ‘banned’ by Twitter for no apparent violation.

Ayodhya: President Droupadi Murmu offers prayers at Ram Mandir after seeking blessings at Hanuman Garhi and performing evening aarti at the Sarayu Ghat

OpIndia Staff
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Ayodhya: President Droupadi Murmu offers prayers at Ram Mandir after seeking blessings at Hanuman Garhi and performing evening aarti at the Sarayu Ghat

On Wednesday (1st May), President Droupadi Murmu offered prayers to Ram Lalla at Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh after seeking blessings at Hanuman Garhi temple and performing evening aarti at the Sarayu Ghat. 

Earlier in the day, Governor Anandiben Patel welcomed President Murmu when she arrived at the Maharishi Valmiki Airport in Ayodhya. Afterward, she sought darshan and offered prayers at the Hanuman Garhi temple in Ayodhya. 

It is pertinent to note that devotees believe that they first offer prayers at the Hanuman Garhi temple before seeking blessings of Lord Ram Lalla Virajaman, Balak Ram at Shri Ram Janmabhoomi, the birthplace of Ram where the newly inaugurated temple is built. 

Additionally, she also performed the rituals of Sarayu Pujan, offered milk, and conducted aarti on the banks of Sarayu River. The Rashtrapati Bhavan stated that the President also visited Kuber Teela and offered Pooja as well as paid obeisance to the statue of Jatayu. 

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust had made special arrangement for the President’s arrival in Ayodhya. The temple premises of Ram Janmabhoomi and Hanumangarhi were adorned with flowers and the pathway leading to the temple was also embellished for her arrival. Furthermore, for high security reasons, the temple trust had also restricted devotee’s entry to the temple.

Notably, this is President Murmu’s first visit to the newly built Ram Mandir. She was also invited to the Ram Lalla Pran Pratishtha on 22nd January 2024, but she could not attend the consecration ceremony on that day. Spreading misleading claims and falsehoods, Rahul Gandhi and the Congress in various rallies and press conferences, alleged that President Murmu was not invited because she belongs to a tribal community.

On several occasions, the temple Trust was forced to refute the allegations and point out that they were false. 

Yesterday on 30th April, the temple trust slammed Rahul Gandhi for making false allegations that the President was not invited for the auspicious Pran Pratishtha ceremony because of her tribal origin. The Trust said that the allegations of the Wayanad MP are “absolutely false, baseless, and misleading”.

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