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Drama on steroids: AAP leader screams “shoot me shoot me” while lying on the road, Atishi yells at a cop looking amused by the whole thing

OpIndia Staff
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Drama on steroids: AAP leader screams “shoot me shoot me” while lying on the road, Atishi yells at a cop looking amused by the whole thing

The arrest of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) boss and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal by the ED in the Excise Policy scam has provided his loyalists with a golden opportunity to re-indulge in theatrics, which has long been Kejriwal’s go-to tactic for getting media attention or deflecting criticism for the corruption and scams his party has engaged in.

While the party workers and leaders have been creating a ruckus and disrupting traffic on the busy roads of Delhi, AAP leader and Delhi cabinet minister Atishi Marlena has taken to X to share a video showing her party worker screaming “shoot me shoot me” as he lies on the road while she quarrels with a police officer for merely performing his duty.

Before we move ahead, it is important to note that the Delhi police have imposed Section 144 in several areas of central Delhi, including DDU Marg where the BJP headquarter and AAP office are located. The police were forced to take action after several AAP leaders and supporters blocked the road and created a ruckus near the BJP headquarters on Friday (March 22), after the court remanded AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal in ED’s custody for 6 days in connection with the money laundering case linked to the liquor policy scam case.

Today, March 23, Atishi Marlena posted a video. She is seen sitting in the front seat of her car at the beginning of the 3.49-minute video when a police officer pulls over and politely asks her where they’re headed. Despite the fact that the policeman seemed to be very polite and composed, Atishi is seen stepping out of her car, choosing to initiate an unnecessary fight.

Rather than just answering the officer’s direct question, Atishi yells at the officer for intercepting her car. She dramatically asks the cop to accompany them in her vehicle. Just then, another AAP leader gets out of the vehicle grinning and unexpectedly, goes and lies down on the street and starts yelling “shoot me, shoot me”.

Atishi is seen continuously bickering with the police, despite the latter’s best efforts to remain composed. He politely tries to explain that he is just doing his job. Atishi, however, unfazed, keeps shouting and screaming at the cops. She yells and informs the officers that she is going to her house and insists that they accompany her.

At this point, the officer urges Atishi to leave but she keeps screaming and yelling at him. In fact, Atishi becomes so angry that she hurls the water bottle she was holding onto the road and continues shouting at the on-duty police officers.

The officer, looking rather amused by the leaders’ continued antics, proceeds to respond politely until the leader who was until now lying in the middle of the road gets up and starts yelling, “hum aatankvadi hai..hum aatankvadi hai…kyun pucha (are we terrorists… how dare you questioned us)”.

By now the cop seems to get a little irritated, but he tries his best to remain calm and requests the leader to stop yelling and leave. He reminds the AAP leaders that they had given a call to gather at Shaheedi Park to protest against the arrest of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal despite Section 144 being in place, which is why they were duty-bound to stop the car and ask them where they were going.

After screaming, yelling, and obstructing traffic for several minutes, the AAP leaders ultimately get into the car and drive off.

The most hilarious part of the entire saga, though, was when Atishi Marlena, who for the entirety of the 3.49-minute video was seen acting at an Oscar-caliber level, told the police officers before leaving, “tamasha bana diya hai” (you guys created a scene).

In her subsequent post, Atishi reposted the video and wrote, “Saurabh Bharadwaj, Durgesh Pathak, Adil Khan and myself were heading peacefully to my residence. After seeing us in the car, @DelhiPolice stopped our car. What kind of a dictatorship is this? Now opposition leaders won’t be allowed in their party office? Now we won’t be allowed to move freely on the streets of Delhi?”

Undoubtedly, Atishi shared the video in an attempt to win over some sympathy, but her attempts boomeranged when people on social media saw through her antics.

“This lady is dangerous for the society, how cleverly she is trying to play the victim card No wonder why she is in Kejriwal’s team. Whole party is like a drama company. Thanks god people are understanding their lie and drama. No more vote for Kattar Corrupt Party. SHAME ON CARRYMINATI #SunitaKejriwal#ArvindKejriwal,” wrote X user @PhogatFilms, quipping how the AAP leader outperformed the famous comedian Ajey Nagar, better known as CarryMinati.

Another social media user remarked that all this drama was being staged to get their hands on the Delhi CM’s chair, which will fall vacant with Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest.

“Video clearly shows how well trained you are in drama . Police is not doing anything and you are telling them “ Goli Maro Goli Maro”. Lots of respect to @DelhiPolice for showing patience & handling situation creates purposely by you in humble way,” remarked another X user Vikram Pratap Singh.

“It’s really amazing how @ArvindKejriwal has hand picked drama artists. I love the entertainment tbh,” wrote another amused X user.

Interestingly prior to this splendid performance on the streets of Delhi, Atishi Marlena claimed that the Aam Aadmi Party’s head office was sealed, and the party would approach the Election Commission. Atishi, in a post on X, said the move, which comes just weeks ahead of the Lok Sabha election, was against the “level playing field” promised in the Constitution.

Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj also claimed that the Centre had closed all access to the AAP head office at ITO, which lies in the heart of Delhi.

On Friday, several workers and leaders protested outside the BJP headquarters in opposition to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest causing the AAP office to also be blocked. The BJP headquarters, located in DDU Marg, is just a few metres ahead of it. After the ruckus in central Delhi, where Section 144 has been imposed, Delhi police detained Atishi, Saurabh Bharadwaj, and several AAP leaders but later released them.

The AAP supremo has been remanded in Enforcement Directorate custody till March 28.

West Bengal: ED searches residence of TMC minister Chandranath Sinha, earlier summoned in Coal and Cattle smuggling cases, in SSC scam

OpIndia Staff
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West Bengal: ED searches residence of TMC minister Chandranath Sinha, earlier summoned in Coal and Cattle smuggling cases, in SSC scam

On 22nd March, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) searched All India Trinamool Congress (AITC or TMC) leader and West Bengal minister Chandranath Sinha’s home in Bolpur, West Bengal’s Birbhum district. The central agency is conducting the raids as part of its investigation into the School Service Commission (SSC) recruitment scam. After arriving at his place at around 9:15 in the morning, the ED team began the raid with the support of a significant number of central forces. The state minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) and textiles wasn’t home at the time.

According to sources, Sinha, who was approximately 90 kilometres away at the ancestral residence in Murarai in the same district, however, returned to his home as soon as he heard about the news of the raid. Sinha’s two sons and wife were also questioned by the ED. The raid continued for over nine hours.

“The search is in connection with the investigation of the alleged irregularities in the school recruitment scam. The minister is not present at his residence, we are talking to his family,” informed an officer. Chandranath Sinha assured reporters he would assist the investigators as he was going for Bolpur. “I have never been associated with any corruption and have not done any wrong. I learnt about the raid from my son. Unless I reach there and talk to them I will not be able to tell what is happening. I will cooperate with them in every possible way,” he claimed.

The CBI has previously called Chandranath Sinha in relation to the scams involving the smuggling of coal and animals. According to authorities, the ED was also conducting simultaneous searches at the homes of a few businesses in various parts of Kolkata including Lake Town, Chetla, and Ballygunge concerning the SSC scam. An officer said, “They were suspected to be helping in transferring funds illegally from India to other countries. We are talking to them, and looking into some documents.”

CBI raids TMC leader Mahua Moitra’s residence

Earlier in the day, the Central Bureau of Investigation conducted raids at Trinamool Congress leader and former Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra’s house in the cash for query case. The CBI filed a formal complaint (FIR) against her on 21st March following orders from Lokpal, the anti-corruption ombudsman. The Lokpal had given the agency directions after examining the results of the CBI’s preliminary investigation into the accusations made against her by BJP Lok Sabha member Nishikant Dubey. The Lokpal granted the CBI six months to thoroughly look into every aspect of the complaints made against her.

Mahua Moitra was expelled by the Lok Sabha on 8th December 8th in accordance with the Ethics Committee’s recommendations in a cash-for-query case. The development transpired hours after the Ethics Committee report was presented to the lower house.

Nishkant Dubey wrote to the ethics committee, requesting an investigation into Mahua Moitra on the “cash for query” controversy. He based his complaint on a letter from Supreme Court attorney Jai Anant Dehadrai, who said that businessman Darshan Hiranandani benefited directly or indirectly from the majority of the questions posed by the TMC MP in the Lok Sabha. An additional layer of intrigue to the matter was created when Jai Ananad Dehadrai accused Mahua of “kidnapping” his pet dog “Henry” which was eventually returned.

Further cracks in I.N.D.I. Alliance: Congress leaders unhappy with RJD over seat sharing in Bihar, RJD upset over inclusion of Pappu Yadav in Congress

OpIndia Staff
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Further cracks in I.N.D.I. Alliance: Congress leaders unhappy with RJD over seat sharing in Bihar, RJD upset over inclusion of Pappu Yadav in Congress

At least three senior Congressmen have expressed dissatisfaction with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) for unilaterally selecting candidates for four seats slated for election in the first phase on the 19th, amidst a standoff between the senior Mahagathbandhan member and the Congress over seat-sharing negotiations in Bihar, ensuing further split in the I.N.D.I. Alliance. The Congress’s decision to welcome Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, a former party MP to the party has additionally led to resentment in the RJD.

Insiders close to both the Congress and the RJD indicated that despite the former’s desire for more than ten tickets, the Lalu Prasad Yadav-led party was only prepared to grant Congress five or six seats. Congress candidates contested in nine constituencies in 2019 while the RJD fielded its leaders in 19 constituencies. The remaining seats were given to Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP), Mukesh Sahani’s Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) and Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular).

Candidates for Aurangabad (Abhay Kushwaha), Nawada (Shravan Kushwaha), Gaya (Kumar Sarvajeet) and Jamui (Archana Ravidas) were announced by the RJD on 21st March. The All India Congress Committee (AICC) NSUI in-charge Kanhaiya Kumar, a Communist Party of India (CPI) nominee who finished second in the seat five years prior, was expected to be the candidate from Begusarai, while the Congress had been requesting Aurangabad for former MP Nikhil Kumar. Awadhesh Rai, a former MLA for the CPI, will run from Begusarai this time.

82-year-old Nikhil Kumar was among at least three prominent Congress leaders who voiced their displeasure with the RJD for “not adhering to coalition dharma.” He stated that “regional parties” would suffer greatly if the Congress and RJD’s partnership “fell apart.” The former Nagaland governor and commissioner of the Delhi Police conveyed, “Coalition dharma is being violated. Tickets are being distributed (by the RJD) without finalising seat-sharing with alliance partners.”

The constituency holds great significance for his family. The constituency was represented by his father, Satyendra Narayan Sinha, a former chief minister, from 1971 to 1984 and his late wife, Shyama Singh was the MP for Aurangabad from 1999 to 2004. He also poked fun at RJD candidate Abhay Kushwaha, calling him an “outsider” and charging the party with “not keeping the winnability factor in mind.” He added that if they are operating under the belief that they can capture more seats, they should keep in mind that RJD did not win any seats in Bihar while the Congress managed to secure one 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

He mentioned, “I hope that our state president, who is known for his excellent relations with the RJD, will ensure that the interests of the Congress are protected.” Bihar Congress president Akhilesh Prasad Singh joined the party a decade ago. He was earlier in the RJD and was also a minister in the first United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government from his quota. Akhilesh Pratap Singh, however, alleged at a press conference that he was not aware of RJD giving tickets to candidates and that the grand alliance would announce its seat sharing in a day or two.

Tariq Anwar, a former MP from Katihar also highlighted his dismay with the RJD’s “unilateral seat-sharing.” He accused, “The way RJD chief Lalu Prasad has been distributing party symbols is not a good sign for the alliance. This is against coalition ethics. This is not the way our alliance should function,” before the media on 21st March.

Anil Sharma, a former president of the Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC), has also criticized the RJD leader for the “unilateral seat-sharing decision” for constituencies in the first round. He had already taken issue with Akhilesh Prasad Singh, the current head of the BPCC, inviting Lalu Prasad Yadav to the Congress office in the state in Patna.

The handing over of the Begusarai seat to CPI is reportedly another RJD decision that irked the Congress. Awadhesh Rai has declared his candidacy for the position, according to CPI General Secretary D Raja, who recently met with Lalu Prasad Yadav and Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav. RJD national spokesperson Subodh Kumar Mehta informed, “We have allotted party symbols to only those seats that we have been contesting traditionally. As for Aurangabad, it was Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) in 2019. The top leaders of the alliance have been discussing seat-sharing and we will soon announce it.”

The RJD, on the other hand, is not happy with the Congress for welcoming Pappu Yadav into its fold, according to a senior leader of the grand old party in the state. Pappu Yadav, a five-time member of parliament, unified his Jan Adhikar Party (JAP) with Congress on 20th March. He is recognized for possessing power in the Seemanchal and Kosi areas of Bihar and is the spouse of Congress Rajya Sabha MP Ranjeet Ranjan. He was sacked by the RJD in 2015 for persistently criticizing Lalu Prasad Yadav about the party’s succession issue.

Notably, Aam Aadmi Party Punjab and Trinamool Congress have already decided to go solo in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar returned to the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance. Tensions between Congress and its coalition partners including Samajwadi Party and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) regularly make headlines in the media.

Income Tax Dept issues 5 new notices to propaganda outlet Newslaundry, CEO Abhinandan Sekhri claims total count reached 55

OpIndia Staff
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Income Tax Dept issues 5 new notices to propaganda outlet Newslaundry, CEO Abhinandan Sekhri claims total count reached 55

On Saturday (23rd March), the CEO of Newslaundry Abhinandan Sekhri informed that the Income Tax (IT) Department sent five new notices to the leftist propaganda outlet a week ago.

He claimed that the total count of all IT Department notices has reached 55. Sekhri made the revelations during his unhinged rant on Newslaundry’s YouTube channel on Saturday.

At about 2:48 minutes into the programme, he said, “…A full one week before, News Laundry got the journalism ka asli award, which is five income tax notices. Five brand new notices, that’s right. Thus, taking a total income tax notice count to 55, or more or less, give or take, two, or three.

“These include show cause notices, other notices which are accusing us of basically everything. Income gadbad hai, expense gadbad hai, valuation gadbad hai, mujh par criminal action karna chahata hai, matlab traffic light violation and over speeding bhi dal dete hai. I have done everything,” he brazened out.

Later in the video, Abhinandan Sekhri alleged that the IT Department sends notices to Newslaundry like sweets distributed on the occasion of Holi (Holi ki mithai).

“Actually, now that I think about it, maybe Income Tax notices were a signal ki bhai, electoral bonds khareed lo (buy electoral bonds). See, Modi ji, this scheme is too subtle for us,” the CEO of the propaganda outlet claimed.

At the end of his 24-minute-long rant, he said, “Because while there is enough to be miserable about, there is always something to look forward to, even if it’s income tax notices. Have a fantastic weekend.”

In September 2021, the Income Tax Department raided the office of Newslaundry. One Newslaundry employee had told then, “So far the raid is only at one office of Newslaundry.” The employee also said that the media outlet’s “financial records are being checked”.

“Blatant Interference”: India lodges strong protest with Germany over remark on Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest, summons its Deputy Head of Mission

OpIndia Staff
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“Blatant Interference”: India lodges strong protest with Germany over remark on Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest, summons its Deputy Head of Mission

On Saturday (23rd March), India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) summoned the senior diplomat of the German Embassy, Georg Enzweiler, after the German Foreign Ministry commented on the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

The MEA lodged a strong protest over the country’s remark describing it as “blatant interference” in India’s internal affairs. The ministry issued a statement saying, “The German Deputy Chief of Mission in New Delhi was summoned today and conveyed India’s strong protest on their Foreign Office Spokesperson’s comments on our internal affairs. We see such remarks as interfering in our judicial process and undermining the independence of our judiciary. India is a vibrant and robust democrary with rule of law. As in all legal cases in the country, and elsewhere in the democratic world, law will take its own course in the instant matter. Biased assumptions made on this account are most unwarranted.”

Notably, responding to a media query on Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest during a press conference, a spokesperson stated, “We have taken note, India is a democratic country. We assume and expect that the standards relating to independence of Judiciary and basic democratic principles will also be applied in this case. Like anyone facing accusations, Mr Kejriwal is entitled to a fair and impartial trial, this includes he can make use of all available legal avenues without restrictions. The presumption of innocence is a central element of the rule of law and must apply to him [sic].” 

Following the German Foreign Ministry’s remark, India summoned its senior envoy to register a protest against ‘blatant interference’ in India’s internal affairs.   

ED arrest Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi Liquor policy scam case

On 21st March, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal after questioning him and conducting a search at his house in connection with the Delhi Liquor Policy scam case. He was arrested after he ignored nine summons by the financial probing agency and his request for ‘no-coercive’ action was turned down by the Delhi High Court.  

A day later, the Rouse Avenue Court on 22nd March granted 6 days of custody of Delhi CM and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal to the Enforcement Directorate in this case. 

While seeking his 10-day custody, the probing agency told the Rouse Avenue court that Kejriwal was the “kingpin” and “key conspirator” in the Delhi liquor policy scam. 

According to the agency, Kejriwal was the middleman between the ‘south group’ and other accused, including ex-Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia (arrested last year) and AAP officer Vijay Nair. The total proceeds of the alleged scam exceeded Rs 600 crore, including Rs 100 crore allegedly paid by the ‘south group’, as per the ED.

The scam case pertains to the alleged corruption and money laundering in the formulation and execution of the Delhi government’s excise policy for 2021-22, which was later scrapped following intense criticism.

Gangster Prasad Pujari extradited from China, brought to Mumbai by Crime Branch officials

OpIndia Staff
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Gangster Prasad Pujari extradited from China, brought to Mumbai by Crime Branch officials

The Mumbai Police’s Crime Branch secured the extradition of notorious gangster Prasad Vitthal Pujari from China and landed at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport early on Saturday morning (23rd March).

Pujari, originally a resident of Mumbai’s Vikhroli suburb, was immediately taken to a police lock-up after the Mumbai Crime Branch officials brought the 44-year-old from China. Notably, Pujari is reportedly the first-ever fugitive to be extradited from China.

The Police stated that Prasad is wanted in 15 to 20 cases, mostly of extortion and issuing threats, one murder case, and three attempts to murder cases. 

According to the Police, Prasad is a former member of deported gangster Kumar Pillai and he had been on the run since 2010. The Police said that he split from Pillai and formed his own gang after the former was extradited from Singapore in 2016. 

As per reports, Pujari has connections to other notorious criminals like Chhota Rajan and Ravi Pujari. 

On the request for anonymity, an IPS officer said, “It’s a major success that we have been able to get hands on Chhota Rajan, Ravi Pujari, Bunty Pandey, and now Prasad Pujari. Officers from several agencies have been working hard to bring these gangsters back to India to face the trial.” 

After fleeing to China in 2010, Prasad got temporary residency which expired in March 2012. He reportedly lived in the Luohu district of Shenzhen city, Guangdong province, and is believed to have married a Chinese national.

The notorious gangster, Pujari was arrested in February 2023 after an Interpol notice was issued against him. 

He was also linked to a failed assassination attempt on a Shiv Sena activist. It is alleged that in 2020, Pujari, along with his mother Indira Vitthal Pujari, and two others, masterminded the abduction of a builder to extort Rs 10 lakh.

During the same year, the Crime Branch of the Mumbai Police arrested his mother, Indira Vithal Pujari, in connection with an extortion case. 

Police stated that Indira (62) and two accomplices were accused of demanding a ransom of Rs 10 lakh from a Mumbai-based builder. The two arrested suspects were identified as Sunil Angane (56) and Sukesh Kumar (28).

A case was filed under pertinent sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime (MCOC) Act.

‘Met newcomers and ended up with mediocre sh*t’: Anurag Kashyap says he is going to start charging people for meetings, Rs 5 lakhs for an hour

OpIndia Staff
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‘Met newcomers and ended up with mediocre sh*t’: Anurag Kashyap says he is going to start charging people for meetings, Rs 5 lakhs for an hour

This afternoon, Anurag Kashyap, the filmmaker, announced on his Instagram that he will now be charging for work meetings, which he believes consume a significant amount of his time without yielding much result. Expressing his frustration, he stated, “I’ve spent too much time trying to assist newcomers and often ended up with mediocre results. From now on, I don’t want to spend my time meeting random individuals who believe they’re creative geniuses.” Kashyap’s solution? Introducing a fee structure for meetings: “For a 10-15 minute meeting, the charge will be 1 lac, half an hour will be 2 lacs, and for a full hour, it will be 5 lacs.”

He accompanied his post with a caption that read, “Please don’t text, DM, or call me. Pay for your time. I am not a charity, and I am tired of people seeking shortcuts.”

On the professional front, Kashyap has been struggling, with movies made by him failing to attract audiences to the theatres. In November 2023, Kashyap revealed that he battled depression and suffered two heart attacks after Netflix, a content-streaming giant, opted out of his adaptation of Suketu Mehta’s ‘Maximum City’ following the massive public backlash against the Amazon web series Tandav in 2021 for its Hinduphobic content.

In other news, following his roles in Tamil films like Nayanthara-starrer “Imaikkaa Nodigal” and Vijay’s “Leo,” Anurag Kashyap is set to make his Malayalam debut in Ashiq Abu’s “Rifle Club.” The first schedule of the film commenced in Mundakkayam, Kottayam.

Reflecting on the success of Ranbir Kapoor’s “Animal,” Kashyap remarked, “More people were taught feminism because of Animal.”

The upcoming project boasts a cast including Dileesh Pothan, Vishnu Agasthya, Vani Viswanath, Vijayaraghavan, Vincy Aloshious, Ramzan Muhammed, Surabhi Lakshmi, and Unnimaya Prasad. There’s buzz that Kashyap will be portraying a negative role in the film. Confirming his Malayalam debut, the director shared an announcement video on social media saying, “Announcing my first Malayalam film as an actor with Ashiq Abu. Looking forward to being part of this significant moment in Malayalam cinema.”

Back in December at the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), Anurag, attending the screening of his film “Kennedy,” had hinted at his Malayalam debut. “Rifle Club,” aiming for an Onam release, will have Ashiq Abu serving as the cinematographer once again.

Airtel tells Sagarika Ghose that her device has malware, she alleges ‘hacking’ of phone of opposition MP

OpIndia Staff
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Airtel tells Sagarika Ghose that her device has malware, she alleges ‘hacking’ of phone of opposition MP

On Saturday (23rd March), ‘journalist’ turned Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Sagarika Ghose courted controversy after she insinuated that the Modi government was somehow hacking her mobile phone.

Ghose had received an email from Airtel on Tuesday (19th March), stating that her system (mobile phone in this case) had been infected with malware.

“Dear customer, we have been informed by CERT-IN that your device is infected by bot/malware”, the email read. The internet service provider recommended the TMC MP to install an anti-virus and anti-spyware software on her phone.

On Friday (22nd March), Sagarika Ghose had asked, “Received this email a couple of days ago. Does anyone here know what cyberswachhta is? And how does it know my system has malware?”

A day later on Saturday (23rd March), she alleged that her phone was being hacked for virtue of being an Opposition MP.

“Update: Spoke again to Airtel: NOT as harmless as they thought. They suspect an attempt to breach my phone. Dear Indian Computer Emergency Response Team, Ministry of Electronics & IT: Why is the phone of an Opposition MP being hacked,” the TMC MP brazened out.

“Why have I received this email from Airtel India?” she further claimed. Sagarika Ghose, who is not new to peddling fake news, suggested that her device was being compromised for virtue of being a Parliamentarian from an Opposition Party.

After she posted her contentious tweet, several social media users pointed out that Internet service providers send such messages when a user downloads unauthorised apps.

“It’s a malware/virus attack maybe which happens when one installs unauthorised apps,” tweeted one netizen.

Another user asked Sagarika Ghose to not install unknown apps.

One user told the TMC MP, “It’s a malware. Could have been because of some poor choice of web pages you have viewed…”

Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin extends support to TM Krishna, accused of glorifying Periyar and vilifying the Carnatic music community

OpIndia Staff
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Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin extends support to TM Krishna, accused of glorifying Periyar and vilifying the Carnatic music community

On Saturday (23rd March), the ongoing row in the Carnatic music industry took a political turn after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin extended support to controversial vocalist TM Krishna. Notably, several artists have registered strong protests and opposed the move to confer the Sangitha Kalanidhi award on Krishna alleging him of “glorifying Periyar” and “vilifying” the Carnatic music community. The move was first opposed by Carnatic musician sister duo Ranjani and Gayatri, since then several renowned artists have withdrawn from the music academic conference slated to be held in December, late this year.

Amid mounting criticism of TM Krishna and EV Ramaswamy aka Periyar, MK Stalin backed the controversial vocalist. 

Taking to X, Stalin wrote, “My warmest congratulations and appreciation to the great singer T M Krishna for being selected for the ‘Sangeetha Kalanidhi’ award of The Music Academy.” 

Regarding the criticism faced by Krishna for his political views and advocacy, Stalin added, “It is regrettable to criticise TM Krishna for his progressive political stances and his constant talking about the common man. It is not fair to unnecessarily lash out at Periyar, who fought for human equality based on humanity and for women to live as equals for three-quarters of a century charitably and peacefully. Anyone who reads Periyar’s selfless biography and his thoughts will not attempt to cast such slanderous mud.”

The DMK leader further stated, “The management of the Music Academy deserves our appreciation for choosing T M Krishna as a worthy candidate to give him due respect and recognition for his contributions to the music industry. T M Krishna’s talent is undeniable. Don’t mix narrow politics in music as you mix religious beliefs with politics! Today’s need is to have a broad human vision and the ability to avoid hatred and embrace fellow human beings.” 

Earlier on Friday (22nd March), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader Kanimozhi also supported the Carnatic vocalist.

She tweeted, “@tmkrishna being recognised as Sangita Kalanidhi by the Music Academy has ruffled the feathers of parts of the music fraternity. The hate he is receiving for his social beliefs or his engagement with Periyar is uncalled for.” 

The background of the controversy

Notably, several musicians, including the Trichur brothers and Dushyanth Sridhar, have pulled out of Madras Music Academy’s annual December conference to protest the Sangita Kalanidhi award to Krishna, who they allege has “glorified Periyar” and vilified the Carnatic music community.

The artists are miffed with the Chennai-based academy’s decision to bestow the honour, considered the Oscar equivalent in Carnatic music, on the 48-year-old vocalist.

Krishna will preside over the 98th annual conference and concerts of the Madras Music Academy later this year in December. 

Renowned Indian classical duo Ranjani and Gayatri said their participation in this year’s conference under TM Krishna’s presidency would constitute a “moral violation.” 

Subsequently, the sibling duo of Srikrishna Mohan and Ramkumar Mohan, otherwise known as the Trichur Brothers said participating in the year-end festival conference hosted by the Academy will make them “outright hypocrites in our own eyes.”

Further, three-time Grammy Award winner Indian music composer Ricky Kej condemned N Murali, the chief of the Madras Music Academy for writing an attacking letter against Carnatic musician sisters Ranjani and Gayatri.

Kej lambasted the Academy Chief stating, “.. I cannot deny that this letter reeks of arrogance, hatred, and superiority. It hurts especially when directed against such amazing souls like Ranjani and Gayatri. I personally feel this letter is quite unbecoming of such a prestigious art institution.”

Who is TM Krishna?

TM Krishna, full name Thodur Madabusi Krishna, is an Indian Carnatic vocalist, author, and self-styled liberal social activist. Born on 22nd January 1976, in Chennai, India, Krishna has gained widespread recognition for his excellence in Carnatic music, a classical music tradition of India. He is the grandnephew of former Indian finance minister TT Krishnamachari, who is among the founders of the Madras Music Academy. 

Apart from his musical pursuits, TM Krishna is also known for his self-styled social activism and advocacy for various causes which he considers attention-worthy. This includes caste issues, gender equality, and the democratisation of the arts. In the guise of addressing these issues, he had been a vocal critic of Hinduism and a staunch supporter of the Periyarite thoughts. 

In his attempt to be vocal about the need to break down barriers in classical music and make it more accessible to people from all backgrounds, he often resorted to making various statements against particular castes and communities especially the Brahmins by quoting EVR Periyar. For those unversed, Periyar had a long history of spreading hate against Hindu deities including breaking Murthis to Ravana leela. 

Nonetheless, according to a press release from the Music Academy, the Sangita Kalanidhi awardee will preside over the academic sessions of the 98th Annual Conference and Concerts of The Music Academy to be held between December 15, 2024, and January 1, 2025.

(With Inputs from ANI)

EB data confirms OpIndia report: Hyderabad’s Yashoda Hospital donated Rs 94 cr to BRS, Zubair lied about it; quietly deleted his post after caught

OpIndia Staff
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EB data confirms OpIndia report: Hyderabad’s Yashoda Hospital donated Rs 94 cr to BRS, Zubair lied about it; quietly deleted his post after caught

The ECI issued statistics on Electoral Bonds on March 14, providing the anti-Modi brigade with additional ammo for slandering the BJP as the Lok Sabha elections draw near. Using the statistics of political donations via electoral bonds, propagandists, the opposition, and left-leaning liberals crafted a narrative to target the BJP. 

Mohammed Zubair, the Islamist propagandist and purveyor of fake news for Alt News, joined the bandwagon and deftly utilised the name of Yashoda Super Speciality Hospital to falsely incriminate the Modi government. The fact that there are two hospitals with this name located across the nation is something Zubair chose not to disclose.

OpIndia wrote a detailed report on March 15 exposing the sinister attempt by the “fact-checker” and his ilk to blow out of proportion the EB data to falsely implicate the Modi government. Zubair fell flat on his face after the Election Commission data corroborated OpIndia’s report. As soon as the ludicrous claim of the co-founder of Alt News was dispelled, he swiftly deleted his post and bolted.

Let’s now go over the entire fiasco in more detail. The Indian Election Commission released a list of donors who bought electoral bonds along with the political parties that cashed them on March 14. Zubair made a rapid decision to take advantage of the opportunity. The ‘fact-checker’ from Alt News cleverly utilised the Yashoda Super Speciality facility, a modest 300-bed facility in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, to target the BJP government.

Mohammed Zubair spread false information claiming that this hospital in Uttar Pradesh bought bonds worth Rs 162 crores and gave them to the BJP. To insinuate a BJP link, he shared images of the X profiles of Upasana Arora and Prem Narayan Arora and images with Union Ministers.

SS of Zubair’s now-deleted X post

On March 15, OpIndia reported on how opposition trolls, like Zubair, were spreading false information claiming that the hospital in Uttar Pradesh had bought the bonds and obliged the BJP. We further clarified that, based on media sources, there is a greater chance that the Hyderabad-based hospital, bearing the same name, may have bought the bond given the significant donations the BRS has received.

The data released by the Election Commission validated OpIndia’s report. The information revealed that Yashoda Super Speciality Hospital in Hyderabad, Telangana, had actually purchased the bonds worth the Rs 162 crores that Zubair had implied were purchased by the hospital in Ghaziabad to falsely implicate the BJP.

The electoral bonds valued at Rs 162 crore that Yashoda Super Speciality Hospital in Hyderabad, Telangana, purchased were split as follows. As can be observed, 94 crores of the 162 crores were donated to the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) party, which is led by K Chandrasekhar Rao. The statistics also showed that Yashodha Super Speciality Hospital in Hyderabad gave the Congress party the second-highest donation, totalling Rs 64 crores.

Here, it’s also important to note the stark contrast between the donations made by Yashodha Super Speciality Hospital to BRS and Congress as compared to the BJP, which only received Rs 2 crores in donations out of the Rs 162 crores in bonds that the Hyderabad-based hospital bought.

Hyderabad-based Yashoda Hospitals is reportedly managed by relatives of former Telangana Chief Minister and BRS Chief K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR). The hospital is owned by Goruganti brothers and G Surender Rao is the managing director.

After the Election Commission released Electoral Bond data and validated what OpIndia reported, rumour monger Zubair, caught in his web of lies, discreetly removed his post. He failed to provide any explanation or apology for disseminating this misleading information.

Congress alleged undue favours and corruption years ago

Hyderabad-based Yashoda Hospitals is reportedly managed by relatives of former Telangana Chief Minister and BRS Chief K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR). The hospital is owned by Goruganti brothers and G Surender Rao is the managing director.

In April 2023, then-Telangana Congress President Revanth Reddy accused former Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s relatives of obtaining land worth hundreds of crores at “dirt cheap” prices.

He accused KCR of “favouring” his relatives, including Gorukanti Devender Rao, Kalvakuntla Jagannatha Rao, Gorukanti Ravender Rao, who reportedly joined as directors of Alexandria Healthcity Hyderabad Pvt. Ltd.

Revanth Reddy accused KCR of giving 14,278 square yards, or 3 acres, of land to Yashoda Healthcare Services Pvt Ltd at 37,611 per square yard against the market value of 80,000 per square yard.

He said, “Through this Yashoda sale deed, there was another loss of Rs 300 crore to the state exchequer.”

In August 2015, KCR felicitated the Goruganti brothers who donated their properties worth over Rs 1 crore in Rampur and Medipally villages in the district to the Grama Jyothi programme.

BRS is amongst the top receivers of electoral bonds

The biggest beneficiaries of the electoral bonds are the regional parties against the gains made by the BJP despite being the national ruling party and the ruling party in several states.

According to the electoral bond data submitted by the State Bank of India on the orders of the Supreme Court on Thursday, March 21, Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Ltd. (MEIL) was the biggest donor for the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).

The data further revealed that K Chandrasekhar Rao’s Bharat Rashtra Samithi encashed Rs 1,214 crore in total, of which Rs 195 crore came from MEIL, Rs 94 crore from Yashodha Super Speciality Hospital, and Rs 50 crore from Chennai Green Woods Private Limited.

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