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Telangana: Congress decides not to field a candidate against Asaduddin Owaisi in Hyderabad after months of calling AIMIM as BJP’s B team

OpIndia Staff
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Telangana: Congress decides not to field a candidate against Asaduddin Owaisi in Hyderabad after months of calling AIMIM as BJP’s B team

On 9th April, it came to light that Congress has decided not to field a candidate in Hyderabad for the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections 2024. The Gandhi family party will support All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi who is 4-times MP in Lok Sabha.

Notably, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded Kompella Madhavi Latha from Hyderabad against Owaisi. Congress’s decision to support Owaisi has come as a surprise for many as the party has always considered him as BJP’s B-team. Congress leaders including Rahul Gandhi have targeted BJP and Owaisi on several occasions.

Speaking to Time Now, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee’s General Secretary Mohammed Feroz Khan claimed the majority of the seats in Telangana would be won by Congress. “Talking about Hyderabad city, there are Secunderabad and Hyderabad Lok Sabha (seats). My constituency is in Secunderabad and not in Hyderabad. Hyderabad Owaisi will win because there is a compromise between AIMIM and the Congress Party. So there is an understanding. Asaduddin will inevitably win Hyderabad.

Reacting to the reports of Congress supporting Asaduddin Owaisi, BJP’s candidate from Hyderabad Kompella Madhavi Latha wrote on X, “Congress was in alliance with AIMIM but claims that it’s Bjp B Team, CPI is part of INDI Alliance in Bengal but not in Kerala, AAP has alliance in Delhi but not in Punjab. The problem with congress is that its not clear what to do. Congress Mukt Bharat = Progress Yukt Bharat.”

Congress repeatedly targetted Asaduddin Owaisi in the past

Though Congress is supporting Owaisi in the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections, the party leaders have repeatedly claimed BJP and Owaisi have some sort of alliance. In November 2023, while campaigning for Telangana Assembly Elections, Gandhi said, “There are two friends of Modi, Owaisi and KCR!”.

In December 2018, Gandhi had said, “TRS is the BJP’s “B” team & KCR operates as Mr Modi’s, Telangana Rubber Stamp. Owaisi’s, AIMIM is the BJP’s “C” team, whose role is to split the anti BJP/ KCR vote. Great people of Telangana, Modi, KCR & Owaisi are one. They speak in twisted tongues. Do not be fooled by them!”

Source: X

Lok Sabha Elections 2024

The polling for Lok Sabha Elections 2024 will take place in seven phases starting from 19th April. Polling in Telangana will take place in the fourth phase on 13th May 2024. The last phase of the General Elections will take place on 1st June 2024 and the results will be announced on 4th June 2024.

USA: California man files lawsuit against 50 women, seeks $2.6 million for calling him a ‘bad date’ on a viral Facebook page, ‘Are we dating the same guy’

OpIndia Staff
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USA: California man files lawsuit against 50 women, seeks $2.6 million for calling him a ‘bad date’ on a viral Facebook page, ‘Are we dating the same guy’

A California-based man, Stewart Lucas Murrey, has filed a lawsuit against more than 50 women for $2.6 million alleging that they called him a ‘bad date’. Murrey alleges that the women shared negative stories about him on a viral Facebook page, “Are We Dating The Same Guy”. According to him, their reviews were false and defamatory. 

(Image Source – New York Post)

However, the women sued by Lucas Murrey accused him of using legal action to intimidate them. They demanded that the courts should ‘slap him down’. As per a New York Post report, the women are invoking California laws meant to deter junk lawsuits, called anti-SLAPP laws. The acronym stands for “strategic lawsuit against public participation.” 

Incidentally, on Monday (8th April), a judge in the Los Angeles civil court ruled that one of the women, Vanessa Valdez, did nothing wrong by sharing her opinion of Murrey with the popular online group, NYP reported.

The judge said that based on the evidence, the court did not see any possibility of Murrey prevailing against the defendants on any claim he made. According to a FOX 11 LA report, after finding no evidence of conspiracy, the judge granted an anti-SLAPP motion to prevent the abuse of the legal system to silence the women. 

(Woman say that he wants to intimidate them and wants courts to ‘slapp him down’, Image Source – FOX 11/ NYP)

Kelly Gibbons is one of the women who received a lawsuit from Lucas Murrey. Gibbons said the first time she saw the man in real life was when he came to her house to drop off the lawsuit. 

Speaking with the Times of London, she said, “My heart started pounding, as I thought: This man knows where I live. It was pretty eerie. He was filming with his cell phone, walking in. I don’t know who wouldn’t get creeped out by that.” 

According to reports, Gibbons wrote the initial post about Murrey in the Los Angeles chapter of “Are We Dating The Same Guy?” after connecting with him on a dating app. They exchanged texts for a few weeks but Gibbons decided that she did not want to meet him in person. It is being said that the interaction went so badly that she wanted to warn other women about his rude behavior. She noted, “I wouldn’t want my friend going out with someone like that.”

Notably, the viral Facebook page, “Are We Dating The Same Guy” is a private page. It originated in New York City in 2022. It is part of a wider network of groups where women share experiences of their dating encounters in pages dedicated to their respective cities.  

Currently, the Los Angeles chapter has approximately 53,000 members. When Gibbons made her post, the group consisted of only around 10,000 women. Nonetheless, several women rallied with Gibbons to share their negative experiences with Murrey. While some shared screenshots of conversations from dating apps and recounted their in-person encounters others chose to express their sentiments through comments.

Nine of the women who shared their experiences regarding Murrey are named in the lawsuit, while the others are collectively referred to as “Does 1-50.” The lawsuit alleges that these women, many of whom were unacquainted with each other, conspired to damage the plaintiff’s reputation and discriminated against him based on his inability to access the women-only Facebook page.

(Lucas Murrey, Image Source – NYP)

Meanwhile, the women whom Murrey has accused of ruining his dating life and damaging his reputation, are hoping that the recent court ruling will set a precedent and prevent him from further using the legal system against them. 

However, Murrey is not the first man to have filed lawsuits against women who have shared their negative reviews on the page. Earlier in January, Nikko D’Ambrosio (32) filed a lawsuit against 27 women in Chicago after they described him in their posts as “very clingy” and a ghoster.

From struggling to buy fighter jets during Congress rule to exports worth Rs 88,000 crores under Modi govt: How defence sector is powering Atma Nirbhar program

अर्पित त्रिपाठी
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From struggling to buy fighter jets during Congress rule to exports worth Rs 88,000 crores under Modi govt: How defence sector is powering Atma Nirbhar program

Ensuring the territorial sovereignty and safety of the most populous country in the world requires not only soldiers but also a significant arsenal of state-of-the-art defence hardware and software. However, after its Independence, India was forced to rely on other countries such as Russia, France, Israel, and the United States to meet the requirements of its armed forces and had negligible defence exports.

The country had to import everything from rifles to fighter jets, increasing concerns about India’s dependence on foreign countries. Over the years, India became the world’s largest arms importer. During the Congress era, Defence Minister AK Antony had admitted that the government did not have the money to buy weapons. In March 2013, a CAG report revealed that the country did not even have ammunition to fight the war for 10 days.

Post-2014, the defence sector has seen a drastic transformation and is witnessing a quantum jump. Now, the Indian defence sector is manufacturing hardware not only for the utilisation of the Indian armed forces but for exporting to other nations as well. Conspicuously, the country’s defence exports have increased manifold. Several prominent weapons manufacturing giants have started to manufacture defence equipment in India. Additionally, new Indian players have started to make their mark in the defence manufacturing sector. Pending defence projects have started to gain momentum and armed forces have gained renewed confidence in Made in India products. Overall, the Modi government has been committed to promoting indigenous defence manufacturing.

Exports increased by over 20 times compared to the UPA era

During the ten years of the Modi government, India’s defence exports have increased by more than 20 times. This upsurge is attributed to the production of high-quality defence products within the country. Notably, nations like Armenia, Bangladesh, and the Philippines are making multi-crore defence deals with India to import defence hardware including Brahmo’s missile deals from India. Examining the data reveals that during the UPA government’s tenure (2004-14), India exported defence products worth a total of Rs 4312 crores.

Registering a growth of more than 1900%, the defence exports amounted to Rs 88,319 crore in the ten years of the Modi government (2014-2024). 

In the fiscal year 2023-24 alone, the country’s defence exports stood at a historic high of Rs 21,083 crores, up from Rs 15,920 crores in 2022-23. This represents a significant increase of 32.5% within just one year. What’s noteworthy is that 60% of these defence exports were from government defence manufacturing institutions, totalling more than Rs 12,000 crores.

(Image Coutersy – @AdithyaKM_/X)

India has exported heavy defence hardware to Armenia, including air defence systems, ATAGS (artillery guns), Pinaka rocket systems, and Swathi radars. Likewise, India has also exported BrahMos missiles to the Philippines. Bangladesh has been continuously purchasing defence products from India. During the ten years of the Modi government, India has come out of the shadows from merely being a defence importer to making huge strides in export as well as manufacturing defence hardware through Atmanirbhar defence and Make in India initiatives. 

Self-reliance and roping foreign weapon giants to Make in India

While Indian defence manufacturers have progressed significantly over the past 10 years, foreign companies are also coming to India for manufacturing. Notably, Israel’s IWI is collaborating with the PLR company to manufacture rifles in the country, a Korean company is partnering with L&T to manufacture Howitzer guns. Likewise, Airbus is manufacturing C-295 aircraft for the Indian Air Force in Vadodara, Gujarat. Additionally, the Israeli company Elbit Systems and Aerospace in collaboration with Adani gave the Indian Navy its first ‘Made In India’ long-endurance drone, the Drishti 10 Starliner UAV. 

To promote self-reliance, the Defence Ministry has initiated the issuance of multiple ‘import embargo’ or negative arms import lists. As of May last year, the Modi government had announced a list of 928 military items, that will come under a phased import ban between December 2023 and December 2029. The ‘import embargo’ list means that the listed defence hardware will not be imported (barring extreme scenarios) and they must only be purchased from Indian manufacturers. So far, MoD has issued five such lists and it covers items used in fighter planes, trainer aircraft, warships, and different types of ammunition.

New startups are getting opportunities, soldiers designing weaponry

In India, the landscape of defence manufacturing is evolving, embracing not just established government entities but also burgeoning startups. The central government launched the IDEX scheme in 2018. Under this scheme, budding defence startups are provided with a grant of ₹50 crores for designated projects. This has not only diversified the industry but has also galvanized the involvement of young innovators in defence technology. Recently, under IDEX, the Ministry of Defence concluded a deal worth ₹200 crores, entrusting two companies with the task of manufacturing drones.

The military is witnessing a surge in innovative designs originating from within its ranks. Evidently, Indian Army officer Pratap Bansod has spearheaded the development of ASMI, a state-of-the-art machine pistol. The Indian Army has committed to purchasing 550 ASMI pistols. Notably, ASMI not only boasts indigenous production but also offers a cost-effective alternative to foreign-made counterparts.

(Indian Army officer Pratap Bansod with ASMI machine pistol, Image Courtesy – Financial Express)

After being stalled for years, several projects now enhancing the country’s defence

In the Modi government, defence projects stalled for decades have also gained momentum. Projects that were initiated in the 1980s saw progress under the Modi government. The prime example of this is India’s indigenous combat aircraft, LCA Tejas. Tejas was sanctioned in the 1980s, with its maiden successful flight occurring during the Vajpayee government in 2001. Subsequently, the project continued to progress at a sluggish pace.

The project gained steam under the Modi government. In 2015, Tejas was inducted into the Air Force for the first time. Currently, the Indian Air Force has about 40 Tejas Mk1 aircraft, while it has placed an order for approximately 83 more Tejas Mk1 (improved versions Tejas Mark-1A) with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). Recently, the Indian Air Force has also inducted formidable combat helicopters, which were also long overdue. Additionally, the army has ordered the production of 550 Arjun Mark-1 tanks.

The country now possesses an indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, primarily built under the Modi government. Prime Minister Modi dedicated it to the nation in August 2022. This carrier, with a displacement of 45,000 tons, has been under construction for a long time.

Furthermore, the Modi government has strengthened the military by finalising several long-pending defence deals. The biggest example of this is the procurement of 36 Rafale jets for the Air Force. The Air Force was in need of new generation fighter aircraft for a long time, and the Modi government purchased these aircraft by signing a government-to-government deal with France. Additionally, the Modi government has acquired helicopters like Chinook and Apache to enhance the Air Force’s capabilities. For the Indian army, the Modi government has procured rifles from the SIG Sauer company.

New projects under the pipeline

The Indian armed forces are undergoing modernisation with state-of-the-art technology, and efforts are actively underway in this direction. Recently, the Modi government has approved the development of fifth-generation fighter jets. The first flight of these jets is expected to take place by 2030. Additionally, efforts are underway to acquire new submarines for the navy. A new lightweight tank is being developed for the army, primarily aimed at countering China. Work is also progressing on several other missiles, many of which have undergone successful testing.

Baba Ramdev, Acharya Balkrishna tender unconditional apology for misleading advertisements by Patanjali

ANI
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Baba Ramdev, Acharya Balkrishna tender unconditional apology for misleading advertisements by Patanjali

Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna have filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court and tendered an unconditional apology in regard to misleading advertisements by Patanjali Ayurveda and said that they undertake to always uphold the majesty of law and justice.

In an affidavit filed before the top court, Baba Ramdev said, “I seek pardon for the aforesaid breach of the statement. I undertake to always uphold the majesty of Law and majesty of Justice.”

Baba Ramdev informed the top court that he sincerely regrets the lapse and he wished to assure that the same will not be repeated in future.

He also undertook and ensured that the statement shall be complied with in letter and spirit and no such similar advertisements shall be issued. Baba Ramdev further tendered an unconditional and unqualified apology for the press conference held on November 22, 2023.

Acharya Balkrishna said that he undertakes to ensure that such offending advertisements shall not be issued in the future and he will be more vigilant ahead.

In the last hearing, the Supreme Court asked Yog guru Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna to file fresh affidavits within a week in a matter pertaining to misleading advertisements by the Patanjali Ayurveda.

A bench of justices, Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah, listed the matter for further hearing on April 10 and directed Ramdev and Balkrishna to appear before it.

Earlier, Yog Guru Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishnan tendered unconditional apology before the Supreme Court for violating the apex court’s order for misleading advertisements of Patanjali’s medicinal products.

However, the court took strong exception on the apology tendered by both of them and said that they have violated the undertakings given to the top court so that they are taking it seriously.

In the earlier hearing, the Supreme Court asked Patanjali Ayurved Managing Director Acharya Balkrishna and Yog Guru Ramdev to appear before it on the next date of hearing for not responding to the show cause notice in contempt proceedings against him over misleading advertisements of Patanjali Ayurved contempt notice.

The court had noted that the ayurvedic company has not responded to its earlier show cause notice in contempt proceedings against him over misleading advertisements. The court had taken strong exception to Patanjali Ayurveda for not responding to the show cause notice.

Earlier in an affidavit, Patanjali Ayurved Managing Director Acharya Balkrishna has an unqualified apology in Supreme Court over alleged misleading advertisements.

The top court had observed that the ayurvedic company has prima facie violated the top court’s order dated November 2023 where it cautioned against misleading advertisements about its medicines.

The court had also restrained the Ayurvedic Company (Patanjali Ayurved) from advertising or branding of their products specified as treating disease under the drugs norms and also cautioned it from making any statements against any system of medicine in the media.

The court was dealing with an Indian Medical Association plea seeking to frame guidelines for prohibiting false and misleading advertisements in relation to allopathy and modern medicine.

IMA, a registered Society, has more than 3,30,000 medical doctors as its members all over the country.

The petition also raised the issue that the campaign of misguidance, misinformation and disparagement against the modern system of medicine.

IMA, in his plea, had sought to pass an order directing the Centre and others to immediately take strict and prompt action, in accordance with law, for the violation of the provisions of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954, the Drugs & Cosmetics Rules, 1945 and the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 by the repeated acts of omission and commission of Respondent Patanjali Ayurved Ltd. including by publishing advertisements all over the country making illegal and prohibited claims.

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

‘Nehru said ‘bye bye’ to Assam during the war with China’: Amit Shah recalls how Nehru govt left the northeast state to its fate in 1962 war

OpIndia Staff
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‘Nehru said ‘bye bye’ to Assam during the war with China’: Amit Shah recalls how Nehru govt left the northeast state to its fate in 1962 war

Union Home Minister Amit Shah asserted on Tuesday that China’s ambitions to seize Indian territory under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership are futile, contrasting this with the alleged negligence of Congress, particularly highlighting former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s actions during the 1962 Indo-China conflict.

Speaking at an election rally in Lakhimpur, Assam, near the Arunachal Pradesh border, Shah criticized Nehru’s response to the Chinese invasion, recalling that “bye-bye” was effectively said to Assam at that time. He emphasized the enduring memory of 1962 for the people of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, noting the historical background when Arunachal was part of Assam as the North-East Frontier Agency, under a different administration. The region later achieved Union Territory status in 1972 and statehood in 1987.

Shah credited Modi for ensuring that China could not encroach upon an inch of Indian soil, citing the example of India’s defence of Doklam for 45 days, which led to a Chinese retreat. He highlighted Modi’s role in restoring peace in the Northeast and fostering its development.

Aiming at Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party, Shah questioned their contributions to Assam, alleging that injustice had been done to the state since the era of Indira Gandhi. He highlighted the BJP’s initiatives, such as signing peace accords resulting in 9,000 youths joining the mainstream by renouncing violence.

Shah further emphasized the BJP’s recognition of Assam’s cultural icons, such as conferring the Bharat Ratna on singer-composer Bhupen Hazarika and honouring Ahom General Lachit Borphukan with a statue for his historical achievements.

The Home Minister also addressed issues of illegal migration and encroachment, accusing the Congress of neglecting Assam’s borders and the Modi government of taking decisive action to secure them. He contrasted the BJP’s fulfilment of promises with the alleged unfulfilled commitments of previous governments, citing the example of the Assam Accord versus the BJP’s timely implementation of the Bodo peace accord.

Highlighting significant financial allocations to Assam under the Modi government, Shah pointed out that Rs 4.15 lakh crore had been allocated in the last decade, compared to Rs 1.62 lakh crore during the preceding UPA government’s tenure. He concluded by asserting that the Modi government had not only transformed Assam but the entire Northeast region.

Husband’s relatives are often booked under Section 498A without any evidence: Karnataka HC expresses concerns over misuse of the IPC section

OpIndia Staff
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Husband’s relatives are often booked under Section 498A without any evidence: Karnataka HC expresses concerns over misuse of the IPC section

The Karnataka High Court recently remarked that the relatives of the husband are often implicated in cases of cruelty to the wife under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) without any evidence against them. It added that even relatives who don’t stay with the complainant are made accused with omnibus (broad/general) allegations to bring them under the purview of this provision. 

Notably, on multiple occasions, the courts have expressed concern over the misuse of Section 498A (husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty). Expressing concerns, Justice CM Joshi said the provisions are quite often misused and minor differences between couples have ended up landing before the court. 

The court noted, “It is pertinent to note that the provisions of Section 498 of IPC are quite often misused and minor differences between the couple are being brought to the Court unnecessarily by roping in all the family members of the husband, who are staying elsewhere than the place of stay of the couple. In fact, there would not be any evidence to show that the relatives of the husband had also a role in the alleged dispute between the husband and wife.” 

Justice Joshi added that differences between the couple may be for various reasons but the same are camouflaged for reasons “which really did not happen” so that the case comes within the purview of Section 498A. 

The High Court made these remarks while quashing the FIR and chargesheet against eight relatives of a man who were booked under Section 498A for cruelty to his wife. The court, however, upheld the proceedings against the husband and mother-in-law of the complainant. 

The court examined the complaint of the woman and noted that the allegations were mainly against her husband and mother-in-law. Regarding other accused in the case, the Court stated that the involvement was remote and they were not even residing in Mumbai where the couple lived. 

It added that the involvement of the eight other accused in the alleged harassment meted out to the complainant is not forthcoming either from the FIR or from the investigation papers. Such involvement of eight other accused was only in the form of omnibus allegations against them and specific details of their harassment are not narrated.

Accordingly, the court gave partial relief to the petitioner by quashing the proceedings against all the accused except her husband and mother-in-law. 

It is pertinent to note that the High Court relied on the earlier Supreme Court observation in connection with ‘omnibus allegations’. In simple terms, Omnibus allegations refer to generic or broad allegations that are vague, and lack specifics and details.  

Regarding such allegations, the Supreme Court had observed, “..upon consideration of the relevant circumstances and in the absence of any specific role attributed to the accused-appellants, it would be unjust if the appellants are forced to go through the tribulations of a trial, i.e. general and omnibus allegations cannot manifest in a situation where the relatives of the complainant’s husband are forced to undergo trial.”

Meanwhile, in an unrelated case, the Telangana High Court also held that omnibus allegations under Section 498 A of the Indian Penal Code (Cruelty) do not warrant prosecution.

‘Columnist’ Andy Mukherjee goes on a blocking spree after Indians point out gaping holes in his Bloomberg op-ed claiming South India is ‘rejecting’ Modi

OpIndia Staff
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‘Columnist’ Andy Mukherjee goes on a blocking spree after Indians point out gaping holes in his Bloomberg op-ed claiming South India is ‘rejecting’ Modi

Ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Bloomberg ‘columnist’ Andy Mukherjee has written a bizarre opinion piece attracting the eyeballs of several who keep an interest in Indian politics and the Modi-led national government. In an outstretched article published on 8th April 2024, Mukherjee indicated that the southern part of India ‘rejected’ Modi and that they didn’t ‘fall prey’ to his political activities even after he inaugurated Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

Further, on being questioned about his ‘research’ and ‘political analysis’, he went on to block people on the social media platform. Several X (former Twitter) users posted screenshots of Mukherjee blocking them after they happened to question him about his take on politics related to South India and BJP.

Founder of Garuda Prakashan, Sankrant Sanu lashed out at Mukherjee for making bizarre comments about the ruling party and South Indian politics and said that the ‘columnist’ had very little knowledge about the country and its culture.

“This shows how little he understands India and dharma. When you understand why there is Rameshwaran in the South linked to Ayodhya in the North and Ramanathan, Ramalingam, and Ramakrishnan are all common Southern names you’ll get a clue about India,” he said sharing the screenshot of Mukherjee blocking him.

One of the users from Maharashtra’s Mumbai was also blocked on X after she questioned Mukherjee over the claims he made in Bloomberg. “Andy will make big claims on dying democracy, the North-South divide, Ram Mandir, etc, etc, and simultaneously block people who question his baseless claims. And the West Media just waits for such ‘writers’ to lap up anything against India,” she tweeted posting a picture of Mukherjee blocking her on X.

Several other X (formerly known as Twitter) users shared similar experiences. They said that the leftists loved talking about the so-called ‘death of democracy’ in India and on the other hand blocked people from asking questions or expressing opinions on their ‘political analysis’.

The netizens meanwhile also slammed the ‘columnist’ for writing the opinion without any logical base. The users indicated that Mukherjee was deliberately criticizing the Modi-led government saying that it had no support of the South Indian voters ahead of the Lok Sabha elections 2024. He also indirectly attempted to create a divide between the North Indians and the South Indians and alleging the national political party for its extra focus on the former.

What did Mukherjee write in the Bloomberg opinion?

In the opinion article titled ‘Why India’s South Rejects Modi — And Why It Matters’, published in Bloomberg Business on 8th April, ‘columnist’ Andy Mukherjee stated that South India, the more progressive and successful part of the country was drifting away from the ‘poverty-ridden’ north and its majoritarian leader.

“Ten years of Modi’s polarizing rule have caused a yawning gulf in what voters are getting from their government and what they even want from it. Economic prosperity and social progress, the top concerns in the South, have no place left in the North. Modi didn’t create a vacuum of hope. He just filled the hole in people’s material lives with religious fervour,” wrote Mukherjee.

“It’s a passion that finds its release in tormenting people of non-Hindu faiths, particularly Muslims who account for 14% of the population. Another five years of the same majoritarianism might strain the nation’s federal fabric and jeopardize India’s future as a pluralistic, free-market democracy of 1.4 billion people,” he added.

While commenting about the construction of Ram Mandir, Mukherjee said that the South Indians allegedly have very little interest in Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir as it already has its beautiful temples. “The majority community has come to view a militant assertion of its religious identity as the ultimate civilizational goal. So when Modi inaugurates a Hindu temple, built at the same spot where mobs destroyed a 16th-century mosque in 1992, they see him as a saviour. He has come to restore their wounded pride by avenging the Muslim conquests that later flourished into the Mughal dynasty famous for the Taj Mahal,” he wrote.

“The south, where Islam arrived with sea-borne commerce rather than conquest, can’t understand the fuss over yet another temple, not when it has many grand ones of its own and has spent 100 years asserting marginalized people’s rights of worship,” he added.

He also said that the Modi-led government focussed on targeting Christians and ‘innocent’ Muslims for loving women. “Who’ll bet on a region where politicians promulgate “love jihad” laws to punish young Muslim men for loving Hindu women and vigilante groups attack churches? It’s a simple truth that India’s 80% Hindu population doesn’t need protection from 14% Muslims and 2% Christians. What it needs to be saved from is bad education, poor public health, high unemployment, and crushing poverty,” he opined.

Andy Mukherjee and his anti-India articles

It is crucial to note that Andy Mukherjee has a history of publishing anti-India articles on the global platform. Earlier in March 2022, Andy Mukherjee wrote a column arguing if India can overthrow Visa and Mastercard with its homegrown Rupay payment services. In his opinion piece, Andy asserted that Rupay must have an international approach instead of its current domestic-centric focus. However, while contending so, Mukherjee ironically also denigrated Rupay’s foreign tie-ups with Discover and Japan’s JCB International Co., stating that if the goal is to lower the nation’s reliance on foreign payment services, partnering with overseas companies is not a good solution. 

In another article titled “India Shouldn’t Fall for Putin’s Rupees-for-Rubles Deal”, dated March 31, 2022, Andy Mukherjee made a case against India buying discounted Russian oil in rupees, contending that such a transactional relationship between Moscow and New Delhi could irk the West.

In still another article, Mukherjee advised the Central Bank of India to raise rates more to “regain credibility”. The article that was published on 5 May 2022 said the Reserve Bank of India’s unhurried approach toward inflation has caused damage to the Indian economy, and its decision to hike 40 basis points in benchmark rates will be a hard slog. 

Andy Mukherjee, a doomsayer of sorts who rarely gets it accurate, had also penned an article about the looming wheat crisis in India. The author claimed that India has flip-flopped on its decision to feed the world with its ban on wheat export as it was facing a “chapati crisis” at home. 

Mukherjee advocated Chinese vaccines during COVID

However, the best piece of advice Andy Mukherjee had for the government of India was about importing Chinese coronavirus vaccines. In May 2021, barely four months after India kickstarted its inoculation campaign, Mukherjee authored an article declaring that India’s vaccine strategy had failed.

Amid delays in vaccine production, Andy suggested the government procure Chinese-made vaccines to inoculate its over 1.4 billion population to blunt the impact of the pandemic and foster immunity to fight future variants of the ever-evolving coronavirus.

Thankfully, the Indian government did not heed his advice and ploughed on with its vaccination drive.

Notably, it seems that Mukherjee has always moved to write opinion pieces against India on the global platform demeaning the ground reality in every given case. For instance, in the case of COVID-19 vaccines, Mukherjee gave unasked advice to the Indian government saying that it should import the Chinese vaccines. However, in reality, the vaccine program run by India was praised all over the world. The country also exported several parcels of vaccines to several countries including China ensuring the safety of every possible individual during the COVID spread. As per the reports, India exported 30.1 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses to China.

In the given case also, Mukherjee is choosing to blatantly ignore and block the users from trying to question the logic and basis behind writing such an opinion piece ahead of the Lok Sabha elections 2024 that might create a divide between the North and the South region of the country. This is similar to a trend that Congress and other leftists adopted almost a year ago after it badly lost in three southern states winning just in Telangana.

BJP’s hold on the South Indian states

Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid three visits to South India in January 2024. These visits encompassed the five southern states comprising of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. He travelled to Kerala and Tamil Nadu thrice in a single month. He also visited Kerala and Tamil Nadu on February 27th and 28th.

The South appears to be a major aspect of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s campaign for the 2019 Lok Sabha election. Despite its big 2019 victory, the BJP only won 29 of the 129 seats in the five southern states. Of the 29 seats, 25 were in Karnataka alone, with the remaining four in Telangana. In Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala, the BJP did not win any seats. The party also has never won a seat in Kerala.

In 2014, the BJP won 21 southern seats, 19 in 2009, 18 in 1999 and 2004, and 20 in 1998. In previous elections, its score in these states has stayed below seven. However, this time, even the minority community people in Kerala think that the BJP is the only party that can free Kerala of corruption and terrorism.

Also, in the case of Tamil Nadu, PM Modi recently said that he wanted to see the state develop. “I go to Tamil Nadu not just for votes. To build a developed India, we need developed states. Tamil Nadu is at the forefront of this,” he said in an interview with ThantiTV.

The Prime Minister’s statement has merit. Tamil Nadu and Kerala play an important role in India’s transition to the developed world. Tamil Nadu is currently India’s second-largest state economy, accounting for 8.8% of total GDP. The state GDP of Tamil Nadu is expected to reach $294 billion in the fiscal year 2023 alone.

Modi has consistently emphasized that he, rather than Nehru or any previous Prime Minister, is the true champion of independent India. He recently stated that he was the first prime minister born in independent India. To realize his economic vision for India, he requires the BJP to be a dominant force in Tamil Nadu and other South Indian states, especially Kerala. 

Lok Sabha Elections 2024

The Lok Sabha Elections 2024 are scheduled for 16th April 2024 and will have seven phases. In Kerala, polling will be held in a single phase on 26th April 2024. The results will be announced on 4th June 2024.

Chandigarh: Woman burnt alive in a park at night, case registered against male friend

OpIndia Staff
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Chandigarh: Woman burnt alive in a park at night, case registered against male friend

On the night of 8th April, a 27-year-old woman was allegedly burnt alive by her male friend in a park in Sector 35, Chandigarh.  

The victim has been identified as Rani, a resident of Sohana in Mohali. Vishal, her friend, was with her when the incident took place at around 11 PM. The police have registered a case against Vishal at the Sector 36 police station for alleged murder, Indian Express reported.

According to police officials, the woman sustained 80% burns to her arms, legs, and torso. She was taken to the Government Multi Specialty Hospital (GMSH) in Sector 16, where doctors sent her to PGI Chandigarh. The victim died of burn injuries while being treated in the early hours of Tuesday, April 9.

Citing initial investigation, the police said that the victim and suspect were in a relationship. The victim wanted to marry Vishal, however, he was reluctant.

“They went to the park on Monday night, and he allegedly set her on fire. A passer-by who initially heard a commotion and later spotted the woman in flames called the police control room. A duty magistrate recorded the victim’s statement but what she said is yet to be revealed,” a police officer told IE.

The authorities recovered combustible liquid in a bottle, the victim’s burned clothes and slippers, as well as a spray, at the crime scene. Notably, the police have not ruled out the possibility that the victim and her friend were under the influence of alcohol when the incident transpired.

Anti-Hindu Delhi Riots: Umar Khalid was in touch with Swara Bhaskar, Sushant Singh, Alt News, Pooja Bhatt, set false narrative on social media and media, prosecution reads WhatsApp chats

OpIndia Staff
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Anti-Hindu Delhi Riots: Umar Khalid was in touch with Swara Bhaskar, Sushant Singh, Alt News, Pooja Bhatt, set false narrative on social media and media, prosecution reads WhatsApp chats

On 9th April, Delhi Karkardooma Court heard the prosecution’s arguments in Umar Khalid‘s bail matter. Umar Khalid is one of the accused in a larger conspiracy case in the anti-Hindu Delhi Riots 2020.

In his arguments, the prosecution cited a previous judgment where the court rejected Khalid’s bail to prove that a surface-level analysis of the evidence in the matter was already done while denying bail. In the judgment, it was said that Khalid is connected with many accused, and all evidence must be seen in totality.

Furthermore, the court noted in the previous judgment, “In a case of conspiracy, it is not necessary that the accused is present at the spot.” It is crucial, as Khalid’s lawyer argued he was not present at the scene when the riots broke out. Furthermore, the court had said, “On perusal of chargesheet and documents, the court had decided that the case against Umar Khalid is prima facie true.”

The prosecution also pointed out that Khalid’s bail plea was rejected by the Delhi High Court. He added that the defence’s argument presented in the court for the ongoing matter in the last hearing was already made in front of the Sessions and High Court, where bail pleas were denied.

In its judgment, the prosecution mentioned that the High Court had said, “We have examined material part of CS. Material available in totality has to be considered while granting or rejecting bail. The name of Umar Khalid finds repeated mention from the beginning of conspiracy till the end of the riots.” The prosecution added that the High Court had “fully agreed” with the Sessions Court’s decision to reject the bail plea and said the accusations appear to be prima facie valid.

Speaking on the defence’s argument that there were discrepancies in the chargesheet, the prosecution said the present case was for bail and not discharge. “It has to be rested at the time of cross-examination. The detailed examination of evidence of the merits of the case is not to be taken at the bail stage, which might negatively affect the trial,” the prosecution added.

Furthermore, the prosecution also discussed the portions of the previous judgment where CDR analysis was discussed. The prosecution said, “The CDR is a matter of evidence, and the veracity can be confirmed only during cross-examination—this is a matter of trial.”

The prosecution made the argument to point out that the Sessions and High Court had previously heard all of the defence arguments in this hearing. The arguments were evaluated, and bail was denied. Notably, the defence had argued that the High Court previously did not do a surface-level analysis of the evidence and hence asked the court to do that and grant bail. Countering his argument, the prosecution said that the study was done, and only after that was the bail denied by The High Court.

Furthermore, the prosecution replied to the allegations laid down by the defence in the argument about the “vicious media trial” against Umar Khalis. The prosecution said that the defence made an application before the court supported by an affidavit and claimed that SC was pleased to “dismiss SLP”.

The prosecution cited the Supreme Court’s order in the Natasha case, where the court specifically said that the judgement wouldn’t be treated as precedent. Here, the prosecution basically noted that the defence was not accurate when the Supreme Court said they were “pleased to dismiss SLP.”

The prosecution said, “The SC has made the embargo in interim direction clear and final.” The prosecution pointed out that parity cannot be sought based on bail for Natasha, Devangana, etc., as the SC said the order won’t be taken as a precedent.

The prosecution said, “3 people have been let out on bail. They have been let out by lifting the embargo. The HC has upheld the bar of 43D5. The courts have done a surface analysis of evidence in Umar Khalid’s case by both courts even before Vernon’s judgement. Therefore, the case remains unaffected by Vernon. Both cases have also said that 43D5 will remain. The others were given bail on an order lifting embargo of 43D5 – but also said it will NOT be treated as precedent. It means “it was not by law”.”

Pointing out the delay in the trial, the prosecution went through the list of adjournments sought by Umar Khalid himself. Out of 14 times, seven adjournments were sought by Khalid in the Supreme Court. The prosecution’s mention of the adjournments sought by Khalid shows that there was essentially a concerted effort to delay the trial so that they could later claim the delay as grounds for demanding bail. This particular point was raised by the prosecution in a hearing in 2023, and the trial said, “People on bail are trying to stall hearings so that those in jail can demand bail on the argument of delay.”

‘Umar Khalid has a habit of creating media and SM narrative’, said the prosecution

During the arguments, the prosecution pointed out that the cellphone data shows he was in the habit of creating media and SM narrative. The prosecution named several celebrities and activists who were in contact with Khalid. Notably, Khalid regularly sent them reports by The Wire, The Quint and other publications to set a narrative on social media and several of them were shared by the said celebrities and activists.

Conversation With Jignesh Mewani

The prosecution mentioned WhatsApp chants between Umar and Jignesh Mevani. He pointed out that Khalid sent Jignesh a link to a report by The Wire and requested that he share it on Twitter.

Conversation with Yogendra Yadav

The prosecution shared a conversation between Yogendra Yadav and Khalid. Yadav confirmed he had tweeted what Umar had asked to.

Conversation with Pooja Bhatt

The same message to propagate “#FreeDrKafeel” was forwarded to Pooja Bhatt.

Umar Khalid in conversation with Sushant Singh and Raghu Karand

Khalid shared an article by The Quint with Karand and Sushant, which Sushant then shared on Twitter.

Messages in the WA group ‘Hum Bharat Ke Log’

In the “Hum Bharat Ke Log” group, he requested to schedule protests after the Supreme Court hearing. He urged the members to issue an official statement on the arrest of “students of Jamia.” He also encouraged everyone to use specific hashtags so the posts could trend on social media.

Conversation With Rasika

In May 2020, he had a conversation with Rasika, and he said he needed help amplifying social media posts.

Umar Khalid in conversation with Sanjukta

Khalid shared a link with Sanjukta and asked her to push a report by The Quint where Zuckerberg called out Kapil Mishra.

Later, In June, Umar asked her to amply Quint’s report, to which she replied that it was already done and shared the link to the post.

Conversation with Swara Bhaskar

In the conversation about Kafeel Khan, Further, Khalid told Swara that Kolkata Park Circus Shaheen Bagh wanted her to join.

Conversation with Onir

He shared The Quint report with Onir, which he shared on Twitter.

Umar Khalid and Alt News’s Archit’s conversation

Khalid also contacted the Alt News team. Alt News asked if they could quote Umar Khalid, but Umar Khalid said he didn’t want to be quoted, so AltNews complied.

The prosecution also mentioned chats with Harjit Singh Bhatti and Shal Mali. Bhatti was assured that Khalid Saifi would be admitted to AIIMS. Furthermore, Anu Chenoy put Shal and Khalid in touch.

The prosecution pointed out how Khalid used the media to circulate his messages. He said, “Umar Khalid wrote the letter to the Delhi commissioner. He gave it to the media. The media published it, and then the articles were circulated internally. This is what is called procuring witnesses.”

The prosecution then played an interview of Khalid’s father with The Wire’s Arfa Sherwani to show how he was lying and creating a narrative. Arfa talks about how Umar is not getting bail and how his father’s petition has been withdrawn from the SC. Arfa asked his father why he didn’t get bail and if he still trusted the judiciary. Ilyas talked about 14 adjournments and how it felt when there were deliberate delays. Earlier, defence refrained from informing the court that Khalid’s father was ex-SIMI member.

Further hearing in the matter will occur on 10 April at 3 PM.

‘Modi bhakt hai Mahakal ka, jhukta hai keval janta ya Mahakal ke saamne’: PM Modi slams I.N.D.I. Alliance for issuing threats to him 

OpIndia Staff
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‘Modi bhakt hai Mahakal ka, jhukta hai keval janta ya Mahakal ke saamne’: PM Modi slams I.N.D.I. Alliance for issuing threats to him 

On Tuesday (9th April), Prime Minister Narendra Modi came down heavily on the I.N.D.I. Alliance asserting that those who have come to fill their coffers (scammers/corrupts) should not issue threats to Modi. He added, “Modi jhukta hai to janta Janardan ke samne ya Mahakal ke samne”. (Translation – Modi only bows before the public or before Mahakaal.) 

Addressing a rally in Balaghat, Madhya Pradesh, PM Modi said, “For Modi, my India is my family. Those who have joined politics to fill their coffers, should not give threats to Modi…Modi bhakt hai Mahakal ka. Modi jhukta hai to janta Janardan ke samne ya Mahakal ke saamne.“

PM Modi added that he would not be deterred by I.N.D.I. Alliance’s “Geedar Bhabki” (empty/false threats). 

The Prime Minister further stated, “I am a bhakt of Mahakal. I have learned to bring anti-national forces to Justice. We are not afraid of these Geedar Bhabki. People of the I.N.D.I. Alliance are angry with Modi. For doing the Pran Pratishtha of Ram Lala (in Ayodhya), these people abuse Modi. The I.N.D.I. Alliance has entered the field vowing to end Sanatan Dharma. Hundreds of crores of cash are being received from their parties. Congress people are trying to save corrupt people. I guarantee you that I will retrieve the money of corruption from every locker it has gone into. This work will be done even faster in the next five years.”

Notably, several I.N.D.I. Alliance leaders, including Congress leader Pawan Khera, while claiming a ‘witch hunt’ by central agencies had issued threats that if they “get ED for a week or so”, the incumbent PM and HM, BJP leaders Narendra Modi and Amit Shah respectively, will “line up to join them”.

Meanwhile, during his Balaghat rally, PM Modi urged voters to wipe out the Congress party again from the state. Taking a dig at internal fight in the opposition bloc, he said, “Four-five months ago, you came together to completely wipe out Congress in the (Madhya Pradesh) Assembly polls. Now in the Lok Sabha polls, they are not fighting with the BJP, they (referring to I.N.D.I.A. bloc) are fighting amongst each other.” 

Taking a swipe at the Congress party’s functioning style, PM Modi stated, “Congress still cannot get rid of its old mentality. When the first Adivasi woman came forward to become the President of the country, the Congress party left no stone unturned to defeat her.”

Highlighting the importance of upcoming elections for Viksit Bharat, the Prime Minister asserted, “The 2024 Lok Sabha elections are a crucial election of the India of 21st century. This is not just an election…It is a mission of construction of new India.”

PM Modi also highlighted a slew of achievements of his government in the last ten years adding that it was just a trailer. Using the analogy of ‘Phuljari’ and rockets (crackers for Diwali), he explained that the development works undertaken during the ten years of the Modi government were for laying the groundwork for a developed India.

Prime Minister Modi also emphasised that there is a notable change in India’s global standing. He highlighted that while the Congress government used to seek international aid for its issues in the past, now the tables have turned. He noted that many nations, even those in conflict with each other, now reach out to India to address their worries. This acknowledgment elevates the spirits of every Indian, he remarked.

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