On Saturday (23rd March), a Hindu girl was brutally gang raped by three individuals identified as Aamir, Faiz and Mohammed Faraz in Uttar Pradesh’s Ambedkarnagar district. The three accused persons have been arrested by the police and booked under several sections of the law.
As per the reports, the 20-year-old was held hostage in a tube well, and when she protested, she was assaulted. The victim was immediately rushed to the hospital in a bleeding condition.
This case is of Hanswar police station area of Ambedkarnagar district. Here on Saturday, the victim’s father lodged a complaint with the police that on March 23, his daughter was going to Hirapur market on a bicycle for coaching. On the way, his daughter met Faiz and Faraz, residents of Mundera village of Hanswar. Both of them forcibly made the victim sit on their bike. After this, Faraz took the victim to his tube well at a deserted place. Aamir also reached there.
It is alleged that Aamir, Faraz, and Faiz gang-raped the victim one by one at the tube well. When the victim protested against this act, she was assaulted. Later, all three accused together beat up the victim. After the gangrape, Faraz and Faiz locked the victim inside a room built next to the tube well along with Aamir. Both of them locked the house from outside and ran away. Meanwhile, the victim’s family got to know about the incident and reached the spot to save the 20-year-old girl.
According to the complainant, the victim was lying inside in a bleeding condition. Aamir was also found naked inside the room. When the family members arrived, the victim tearfully narrated her ordeal. Police have registered a named FIR against Aamir, Faiz, and Faraz. Action has been taken against all of them under sections 376-D, 342, 323, 504, and 506 of IPC.
— AMBEDKARNAGAR POLICE (@ambedkarnagrpol) March 24, 2024
OpIndia has a copy of the complaint. The police arrested all three accused on 24th March 2024 (Sunday) on charges of gang rape of the B.Sc second-year student. The accused were arrested after they tried to escape near Hirapur market at 3:40 in the morning. Counseling and medical examination of the victim has been done. Further legal action is being taken in the incident.
Congress leader Supriya Shrinate appears to have gotten into a defensive mode as she posted a video blaming one of her ‘team members’ for her sexist post against actor Kangana Ranaut.
“Many people have access to my Facebook and Instagram accounts. One of these people had posted a very disgusting and objectionable post today,” Ms Shrinate said in a 1-minute 29-second long video posted by her on X, formerly known as Twitter.
मेरे फेसबुक और इंस्टा के अकाउंट पर कई लोगों का एक्सेस है. इसमें से किसी व्यक्ति ने आज एक बेहद घृणित और आपत्तिजनक पोस्ट किया था.
मुझे जैसे ही इसकी जानकारी हुई मैंने वह पोस्ट हटा दिया. जो भी मुझे जानते हैं, वह यह अच्छी तरह से जानते हैं कि मैं किसी भी महिला के लिए व्यक्तिगत भोंडी… pic.twitter.com/CFDNXuxmo2
“I am trying to identify the person who did this. Also, the parody account created by misusing my name has been reported in X,” Ms Shrinate further claimed.
The tedious explanation came over a now-deleted post on Instagram by Congress National Spokesperson Supriya Shrinate where she asked, “Kya bhav chal raha hai Mandi me koi batayega? (Will someone tell me what the rate system in Mandi is?)” with a particularly racy picture of Kangana Ranaut.
Other Congress supporters and leaders, too, resorted to abuses and vile innuendos to discredit the actor who has made the plunge into politics with her candidature from Mandi.
As outrage swept social media, Ms Shrinate deleted the post from her official Instagram account and tried washing her hands of the incident by claiming that the said post was “uploaded by someone who had access to her accounts.”
She also tried to project her blame on her parody account, claiming that the whole mischief was started by it. However, she did not explain how the mischief started by her parody account reflected on her official Instagram account where she had shared a picture of Kangana Ranaut with sexual innuendos.
Kangana Ranaut hits back at Supriya Shrinate over her sexist post
Kangana Ranaut on Monday hit back at Congress national spokesperson Supriya Shrinate over a misogynist post directed at the actor after the announcement of her candidature from Mandi seat in Himachal Pradesh in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
“In the last 20 years of my career as an artist, I have played all kinds of women. From a naive girl in Queen to a seductive spy in Dhaakad, from a goddess in Manikarnika to a demon in Chandramukhi, from a prostitute in Rajjo to a revolutionary leader in Thalaivii,” Kangana tweeted.
“We must free our daughters from the shackles of prejudices, we must rise above the curiosity about their body parts and above all we must refrain from using sex workers’ challenging lives or circumstances as some kind of abuse or slur… every woman deserves her dignity…” she further added.
Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu should stop being “stubborn” and seek dialogue with neighbours to overcome financial challenges, Former Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih said while advising him to improve ties with India, as reported by Maldives-based Adhadhu. President Solih’s remarks come days after President Muizzu, a pro-China leader who led the India-out campaign during Presidential elections last year, had urged India to provide debt relief measures for Maldives as the country is struggling financially to keep its economy afloat.
Notably, while campaigning for his party in Male, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih said he had seen media reports that indicate Muizzu wants to speak to India about debt restructuring.
According to the Adhadhu report, Solih emphasised that Maldives’ financial challenges have not been caused by Indian loans. He highlighted that the Maldives owes a debt of MVR 18 billion to China while it owes a debt of MVR 8 billion to India adding that the repayment period is 25 years.
Regarding Muizzu’s recent plea to India, Solih said, “However, I am confident that our neighbours will help. We must stop being stubborn and seek dialogue. There are many parties that can help us. But he [Muizzu] doesn’t want to compromise. I feel they [the government] are starting to understand the situation only now.”
Solih said that neighbours and Islamic nations from the Middle East will help the Maldives. However, in a sarcastic tone, he slammed Muizzu’s government’s foreign policy stating that Maldives has “received only 50 tonnes of dates” from the Middle East due to the actions of the Muizzu-led government, Adhadhu reported.
The former Maldivian President accused the Muizzu government of deceiving people and relaunching projects started by the MDP government.
After leading India-out campaign, Muizzu calls India the “closest ally”, and sought debt restructuring
During, and after the Presidential election campaign, Mohamed Muizzu peddled anti-India rhetoric and led a smear campaign against India, India-out campaign. The ties between the neighbours, have deteriorated ever since he assumed office in November. The social media row following Maldivian Ministers’ disparaging remarks about India, Indians, and PM Modi after he had visited Lakshadweep, had further strained diplomatic ties with several Indians announcing boycott of their trip to Maldives.
While the first overseas trip by Maldivian presidents had always been to their neighbour India, Muizzu visited China in January, making his first state visit. Seen as a pro-Chinese leader, Muizzu is yet to visit India even after four months of assuming power in Male.
Additionally, Muizzu demanded the complete withdrawal of 88 Indian military personnel deployed at three aviation platforms used for humanitarian and medical evacuations in the Maldives by May 10th. As a result, the first batch of 26 Indian military personnel left the island nation and were replaced by civilians.
However, Muizzu recently made conciliatory comments towards India in the wake of the upcoming Parliament elections in Maldives on the 21st of April.
Last week, President Muizzu requested New Delhi for debt relief measures, stating that India will continue to remain Maldives’ “closest ally,” local media reported.
Despite leading the India-out campaign, Muizzu recently claimed that he has “not taken any action nor made any statements” that may strain the relationship between the two countries.
In his first interview after assuming office in November last year, Muizzu told local media ‘Mihaaru’ that he hopes India will accommodate debt relief measures for the Maldives’. He sought India’s help in the repayment of the hefty loans taken from New Delhi over consecutive governments, Adhadhu reported.
He said, “The conditions we have inherited are such that there are very large loans taken from India. Hence, we are holding discussions to explore leniencies in the repayment structure of these loans. Instead of halting any ongoing projects, proceed with them at speed. So I see no reason for any adverse effects [on Maldives-India relations].”
Taking a jibe at his changed stance, Former President Solih advised him not to be stubborn and understand that improving ties with India and seeking dialogue can help Maldives mitigate its financial troubles.
On Sunday (24th March), the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) announced Dr. TN Sarasu as the party candidate from the Alathur constituency ahead of the Lok Sabha Elections in Kerala. Dr. TN Sarasu, the former principal of Government Victoria College in Pallakad, is well-known for her considerable contributions to the institution during her tenure.
Ramya Haridas, a sitting MP and UDF candidate, and K Radhakrishnan, the Kerala state Devaswom Minister and LDF candidate, are her opponents in the triangular fight.
— Dr. Mahendra Singh (Modi ka Parivar) (@bjpdrmahendra) March 24, 2024
Dr. TN Sarasu, who served as Principal of the Government Victoria campus in Pallakad, has received numerous threats from SFI officials within the campus for her efforts to build an educational environment in the past. These threats are said to have arisen from her efforts to foster a respectable academic environment, which were challenged and undermined by the SFI.
According to several students and professors, TN Sarasu, who loved the institution like it was her own home and cared for the students like they were her own children, worked diligently to maintain academic discipline. Her efforts however earned her the ire of SFI leaders.
In the year 2016, the prestigious 127-year-old Government Victoria College attracted massive controversy after the Indian left-wing student organization, SFI, the student wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) prepared a symbolic grave for Dr. Sarasu as a gift of retirement for her.
Grave built by SFI
Following a complaint from the Principal, Dr. TN Sarasu, who retired on 31st March that year after serving for almost three decades, police filed complaints under various sections of the IPC against some SFI students. Sarasu said that the students acted at the behest of “some members” of the All Kerala Government College Teachers Union, which is affiliated with the left.
On her last working day, the SFI and other left-wing people burst crackers in celebration. “The organised unions were doing this in many institutions in Kerala. But I didn’t expect them to stoop to this level. I enforced some discipline to ensure smooth academic activities. I prevented the SFI activists from accommodating outsiders in hostels inconveniencing residents. They were targeting me ever since I started disciplining the campus,” Tarasu was quoted as saying.
Sarasu’s complaint to the police named at least eight SFI students who prepared the symbolic grave inside the college grounds, strewn it with flowers, and placed a wreath around it.
The said incident was massively criticised by the BJP who slammed the SFI leaders for insulting Sarasu. Later in the year 2019, Sarasu joined the BJP.
Kangana Ranaut on Monday hit back at Congress national spokesperson Supriya Shrinate over a misogynist post directed at the actor after the announcement of her candidature from Mandi seat in Himachal Pradesh in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
“In the last 20 years of my career as an artist, I have played all kinds of women. From a naive girl in Queen to a seductive spy in Dhaakad, from a goddess in Manikarnika to a demon in Chandramukhi, from a prostitute in Rajjo to a revolutionary leader in Thalaivii,” Kangana tweeted.
“We must free our daughters from the shackles of prejudices, we must rise above the curiosity about their body parts and above all we must refrain from using sex workers’ challenging lives or circumstances as some kind of abuse or slur… every woman deserves her dignity…” she further added.
Dear Supriya ji In the last 20 years of my career as an artist I have played all kinds of women. From a naive girl in Queen to a seductive spy in Dhaakad, from a goddess in Manikarnika to a demon in Chandramukhi, from a prostitute in Rajjo to a revolutionary leader in Thalaivii.… pic.twitter.com/GJbhJTQAzW
Kangana was responding to a now-deleted post on Instagram by Congress National Spokesperson Supriya Shrinate where she asked, “Kya bhav chal raha hai Mandi me koi batayega? (Will someone tell me what the rate system in Mandi is?)” with a particularly racy picture of Kangana Ranaut.
Other Congress supporters and leaders, too, resorted to abuses and vile innuendos to discredit the actor who has made the plunge into politics with her candidature from Mandi.
Amid the raging outrage, Ms Shrinate deleted the post from her official Instagram account and tried washing her hands of the incident by claiming that the said post was “uploaded by someone who had access to her accounts.”
She tried to project her blame on her parody account, claiming that the whole mischief was started by it. However, she did not explain how the mischief started by her parody account reflected on her official Instagram account where she had shared a picture of Kangana Ranaut with sexual innuendos.
On 24th March, it came to light that Hannah Ellis-Petersen, a journalist from The Guardian, has been attempting to contact Kajal Hindustani, a vocal Hindu activist, in light of the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections in India. Notably, Hannah is known for her intrusive and biased approach, especially when it comes to Hindus.
The attempts made by Hannah and her colleagues to contact Kajal for an interview sparked a backlash on social media platform X after the editor-in-chief of OpIndia, Nupur J Sharma, revealed what has been going on behind the curtains at Guardian.
Guardian seems to have bought into the illusion sold by Congress – That Hindus are divided and can be exploited. @ahmermkhan has been hounding @kajal_jaihind for an “interview” on behalf of Gaurdian. He claims two journalists – @HannahEP and @kyrievangelou – have flown to India…
Interestingly, Hannah claimed she wanted to hear all sides of her reports, a claim which does not hold a base if we look at her past reports on India and Hindus.
Source: X
However, she was confronted with her old articles, showcasing how she was perhaps incapable of ‘hearing all sides’ because of her bias against Hindus and India.
Come on Hannah. @kajal_jaihind is a ground activist. You and I are journalists. Let’s not do this little dance of pretence. For you, Khalistani terrorists are “activists”, Hindu temples being reclaimed is anti-Muslim hate, Leicester was the Hindus’ fault, Majid is a hero. You’re… https://t.co/Dt0535mZNxpic.twitter.com/UsGss6VYdD
This is not the first time The Guardian tried to play victim when caught lying through their teeth while reporting on Leicester violence where Hindus were under attack last year. In October 2022, The Guardian accused OpIndia of “attacking” their journalist, Aina J Khan. Editor-in-Chief of OpIndia, Nupur J Sharma, received an email from The Guardian asking us to stop online attacks against Aina J Khan via the publication and personal and official handles”.
According to them, we had no basis to call Aina an Islamist and Islamist, and our doing so had somehow put her in harm’s way. Interestingly, Sheila Pulham had sent the email, and Aina was not tagged in the email.
Notably, we did not call Aina an Islamist. We pointed out that her reportage seems one-sided and has zero evidence. There were several other falsities peddled by Ms Khan, including a strange tirade against RSS and Hindus. While Ms Aina wishes to brand all criticism as Islamophobia, she displayed her Hinduphobia when she claimed that her discussion got ‘heated’ when the ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogans were raised. She refers to Jai Shri Ram (Glory to Shri Ram) as a ‘Hindu chant appropriated by extremists in India’ and also alleges that Jai Shri Ram is now synonymous with anti-Muslim hatred.
The Guardian and Aina branded us as fascists, Hindus as extremists and Hindu religious chants as war cries. When countered, she cried Islamophobia, and The Guardian crawled behind her to apparently “save her”. Our Editor-in-Chief’s detailed reply to The Guardian can be checked here.
Netizens called out The Guardian
Mohandas Pai wrote, “Your lies,bias, Jihadi sympathies and fake narratives are well known Hannah Ellis-Petersen. You just report from your Delhi Lutyens echo chambers. Meet more people across India, report honestly. Peddling one sided narratives shows you up as a bad journalist at Guardian. Big Shame.”
Your lies,bias, Jihadi sympathies and fake narratives are well known. @HannahEP you just report from your Delhi Lutyens echo chambers. Meet more people across India, report honestly. Peddling one sided narratives shows you up as a bad journalist @guardian Big Shame https://t.co/O6ygvZV7VZ
Abhinav Agarwal said, “When caught, when called out, she takes refuge behind a “मैं कौन हूँ” charade. She’s out to gaslight, and she now knows others know it too. The contortions are comic.”
When caught, when called out, she takes refuge behind a “मैं कौन हूँ” charade. She’s out to gaslight, and she now knows others know it too. The contortions are comic. https://t.co/uQ9qBnKUa4
Pt Satish K Sharma wrote, “Presumably this ‘journalist’ will be able to park her colonialist confirmation biases, will be seeking to interview the Owaisis re their genocidal political campaigns .. perhaps the DMK cabal with their anti-Hindu ethnic cleansing speeches? Or will pigs fly and goats celebrate ‘religious’ festivals first? Countdown to a victimhood card commenced…”
Presumably this 'journalist' will be able to park her colonialist confirmation biases, will be seeking to interview the Owaisis re their genocidal political campaigns .. perhaps the DMK cabal with their anti-Hindu ethnic cleansing speeches? Or will pigs fly and goats celebrate… https://t.co/3O1XbrP4nL
— Pt Satish K Sharma MBCS FRSA (@thebritishhindu) March 24, 2024
Avatans Kumar wrote, “Guardian’s “South Asia” correspondent concerned about “both sides,” is laughable.”
Guardian’s “South Asia” correspondent concerned about “both sides,” is laughable. https://t.co/rRIDkkiY3P
Here is OpIndia helping them write their next tear-jerker
Given their history of playing victim, and since OpIndia seems to have stonewalled their shoddy attempt at publishing a hit-piece against Kajal Hindustani, we thought we could help Guardian with a potential article they could publish, blaming the big-bad ‘Hindu Nationalists’ for hounding their Hinduphobic, anti-India journalists.
The unseen toll of digital intimidation: How The Guardian journalist faced harassment in India
The Guardian correspondent Hannah Ellis-Petersen has become the latest victim of the alarming showcase of digital harassment as she faced an orchestrated online campaign. Ellis-Petersen reports from South Asia and has been instrumental in shedding light on the region’s politics and cultural complexities. Recently, she found herself at the centre of a social media campaign after she attempted to reach out to Kajan Hindustani, a prominent figure in the Hindu nationalist movement, ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections.
The incident highlighted the growing trend of online harassment of journalists. It raised concerns about the freedom of the press and the safety of journalists working in difficult situations. Ellis-Petersen’s outreach was part of a standard journalistic practice to ensure balance and comprehensive reporting. However, she met with a barrage of targeted harassment from “Hindus”, accusing her of biased reporting. They also accused her of unjustly targeting Hindu nationalism.
The backlash Ellis-Petersen received is about more than just one journalist or one newspaper. It represents a broader challenge that the media personnel face today. Journalists have been exposed to unprecedented scrutiny and hostility in the digital age, often from anonymous sources. The campaign against our esteemed correspondent is a stark reminder of the rugged landscape journalists operate in. It is a definitive representation that the loud voices of intolerance and partisanship often drown out the efforts to present nuanced views.
The Guardian stands firmly with our correspondent and all journalists who face such unwarranted attacks. Despite the attacks and attempts to discredit our work, we are committed to impartial and fact-based journalism. It is now more than ever essential to recognise the critical role of journalism in a democratic society, especially when India, the world’s largest democracy, is moving towards autocracy and authoritarianism.
As India is gearing up for the Lok Sabha Elections, the significance of free and fair journalism has increased exponentially. At The Guardian, we remain dedicated to providing comprehensive and unbiased coverage of the elections. In the face of adversity, we reaffirm our commitment to fearless journalism. We call on the digital community and authorities to stand against online harassment and support the right of journalists worldwide to report without fear of backlash and threats.
Actor Kangana Ranaut was at the receiving end of a particularly nasty online attack after Congress leaders and supporters targeted her with sexual innuendos and abuses following the announcement of her candidature from the Mandi Lok Sabha seat in Himachal Pradesh.
In a post on Instagram which has now been deleted, Congress National Spokesperson Supriya Shrinate asked, “Kya bhav chal raha hai Mandi me koi batayega? (Will someone tell me what the rate system in Mandi is?)” with a particularly racy picture of Kangana Ranaut.
The official Instagram account of Supriya Shrinate targeted Kangana Ranaut over candidature from Mandi
Other Congress supporters and leaders, too, resorted to abuses and vile innuendos to discredit the actor who has made the plunge into politics with her candidature from Mandi.
Congress supporter Mrinal Pande attacks Kangana Ranaut
Congress functionary HS Ahir abused actor Kangana Ranaut by referring to her candidature from Mandi as, “Mandi se R*ndi.”
Congress functionary abuses Kangana Ranaut
Islamists also joined in to abuse Kangana Ranaut.
The abusive tweets directed at Kangana Ranaut stirred online outrage, with many social media users expressing their disapproval of the Congress leaders, including Supriya Shrinate, for attacking a woman with sexual innuendos and encouraging others for the same.
Amid the raging outrage, Ms Shrinate deleted the post from her official Instagram account and tried washing her hands of the incident by claiming that the post was uploaded by someone who had access to her meta accounts.
Someone who had access to my meta accounts ( FB and Insta) posted an absolutely disgusting and objectionable post, which has been taken down.
Anyone who knows me will know I would never say that for a woman.
However a parody account that I have just discovered misusing my name…
She tried to project her blame on her parody account, claiming that the whole mischief was started by it. However, she did not explain how the mischief started by her parody account reflected on her official Instagram account where she had shared a picture of Kangana Ranaut with sexual innuendos.
Nevertheless, the entire episode demonstrates that for Congress leaders, including women politicians, slogans coined by their foremost party ideologues, such as “Ladki hoon, Lad sakti hoon”, are just campaign rhetorics aimed at swaying public opinions and casting Congress as a pro-woman party, while in reality, it is an organisation that attracts misogynistic members with low intelligence that blame their parody accounts and lean on “someone else posted from my account” excuse for their vile social media posts.
Islamist propaganda news outlet Al Jazeera ran a fabricated story about the rapes of Palestinian women in Al-Shifa hospital by Israeli forces, Al Jazeera columnist and former managing editor Yasser Abuhilalah said. The journalist cited an ‘investigation’ by the Hamas terror group to assert that the allegations made by the women in Al Shifa hospital were widely exaggerated, following which Al Jazeera retracted the story.
Abuhilalah took to X to quote the woman who made explosive claims of rape, and torture by Israeli forces inside the Al Shifa hospital, stating that they were widely exaggerated and aimed at ginning up public anger and brotherhood against the Israeli law enforcement officials.
◾️◾️تبين من خلال تحقيقات حركة حماس إن قصة اغتصاب النساء في #مستشفى_الشفاء مختلقة، طبعا العدو لم يتورع عن جريمة إبادة . ◾️◾️بررت السيدة التي تحدثت عن الاغتصاب مبالغتها وحديثها غير الصحيح بأن الهدف أستثارة حمية الأمة ونخوتها ! وكأن أكثر من ثلاثين ألف شهيد وتسعين ألف جريح ونحو…
“It was revealed through Hamas investigations that the story of the rape of women in Al-Shifa was fabricated,” tweeted Abuhilalah, adding that the woman who spoke about rape justified her exaggeration and incorrect talk by saying that the goal was to arouse the nation’s fervour and brotherhood.
On Sunday morning, Al Jazeera reported statements from a woman named Jamila al-Hissi, who was said to have been trapped in the hospital for six days. She claimed that Israeli soldiers at the hospital had “raped women, kidnapped women, executed women, and pulled dead bodies from under the rubble to unleash their dogs on them.”
“Is there anything more atrocious than this? Is there anything more terrifying than hearing women cry out for help, only for them to be shot at when we attempt to reach them to offer aid?” al-Hissi was quoted as saying.
"Jamila at Hissi, a Palestinian woman who managed to leave Shifa hospital in Gaza told Al Jazeera Arabic that women at the hospital have been subjected to rape, torture, and execution by Israeli forces." @MiddleEastEyepic.twitter.com/uOXrDuto1l
Although Al Jazeera did not formally correct, retract, or acknowledge the issue, all content concerning the allegation was apparently removed from the Qatari broadcasting channel.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz emphasized the United Nations’ serious consideration of such reports, while also pointing out Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ bias against Israel.
Look surprised, the Palestinians fabricate stories of rape to incite anti-Semitism. @antonioguterres I'm sure that's sad for you to hear, but that's the reality. pic.twitter.com/B2FSQfIkTt
“Let it be known, the Palestinians concoct tales of rape to fuel anti-Semitism,” Katz shared on X. “Guterres, I understand that might be unsettling for you, but that’s the truth of the matter.”
Lieutenant Colonel Avichay Adraee, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman in Arabic, previously refuted the claims and efforts to dismiss this “fake news.”
“In the wake of repeated failures, Hamas propaganda is now peddling a fresh fabrication,” he stated in a video shared on X. Adraee also accused “Al-Jazeera and Hamas mouthpieces” of attempting “futilely to mask the true face of ISIS-Hamas as beautiful following October 7 and the atrocities of massacres, rapes, and arson they committed.”
Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister of Delhi, said to the Enforcement Directorate during questioning that he could not recall where he had placed his cell phone, which he was purportedly using when the Delhi excise policy was being prepared.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) head was arrested in the Delhi excise policy scam by the central agency on Thursday (21st March) and has been remanded to custody till 28th March. The ED stated that the phone that the AAP supremo had been using back then had gone missing.
– 'The phone used by Arvind Kejriwal during the 'liquor scam' period is missing. SOURCES
From the beginning of the probe, the ED has said that the key things of this case have been destroyed…: @bhavatoshsingh shares more details with Siddhartha Talya pic.twitter.com/GHQfSTCN2I
According to a report by NDTV, it is believed that this cell phone, which may hold relevant information concerning the excise policy scheme, is the 171st of such missing gadgets. According to the central investigation agency, 170 mobile phones have previously been untraceable.
Ultimately, the ED pieced together the case using the information gathered after tracking down 17 phones. The agency named Manish Sisodia as an accused in the chargesheet, which also included the data obtained from the 17 mobile phones.
The investigators said that the phones could have been destroyed to erase evidence. The agency’s chargesheet also stated that the majority of the information and evidence were obtained from the accused’s laptops and mobile phones.
The ED believes that most of those charged changed their laptops and mobile phones between May and August 2022.
According to reports, the Enforcement Directorate intends to retrieve certain data from the phone that Kejriwal reportedly used to speak to Sameer Mahendru, another accused in the liquor policy case. The Chief Minister is believed to have spoken with Mahendru on the phone and informed him that Vijay Nair was “his boy” and that he could “trust him”.
The ED chargesheet accused Vijay Nair, the AAP’s media in-charge, of working as a go-between for the ‘South Group,’ which allegedly paid the Kejriwal government Rs 100 crore in kickbacks to gain access into the spirits retail industry in Delhi.
In its remand appeal to a Delhi court on Friday (22nd March), the central investigative agency claimed that Kejriwal was the “key conspirator and kingpin of the Delhi excise policy scam”. It went on to allege that he was personally involved in the policy’s creation, demanding payments, as well as the processing of criminal proceeds.
However, Kejriwal refuted the claims, claiming that no proof linked him to the alleged swindle under the now-defunct program.
On Monday (25th March), Carnatic musician sisters Ranjani-Gayatri lambasted the Madras Music Academy President N Murali for his controversial letter targeting them. In response to his earlier letter, they hit back against the “bigoted and casteist” jibe hurled at them. In the letter, the duo stated that the senior management of the Music Academy is filled only with Brahmins and Royals. Consequently, they urged its President and Executive Committee to tender resignations and make way for non-Brahmins in the management.
Notably, Academy President Murali had responded to their letter dated 20th March after they withdrew from the Music Academy conference to be held later this year under the Presidency of TM Krishna. The sisters had accused Krishna of glorifying Periyar and vilifying the Carnatic music community.
On 25th March, Ranjani-Gayatri shared their reply to the Madras Music Academy Chief on X. In the letter, they accused him of acting as a Spokesperson for the controversial awardee TM Krishna rather than a senior official of the Music Academy.
The Music Academy Chennai
Dear Mr Murali,
We thank you for the courtesy of providing a response to our letter dated 20 March 2024. We’d like to clarify that our letter to you was only a notification of our withdrawal without any request for your decisions or actions. We did not… pic.twitter.com/DT6QJoe6N8
In the letter, the sisters duo stated, “We were a bit surprised as to why your response reads like a release on behalf of the awardee (TM Krishna), erasing the distinction between him and the Music Academy.”
The 20th March letter was not to seek permission but rather to inform about our decision: Ranjani-Gayatri
Taking a swipe at the Academy President for his “unwarranted letter”, the sister duo said, “We’d like to clarify that our letter to you (Murali) was only a notification of our withdrawal without any request for your decisions or actions. We did not post the letter on social media but merely informed our fans on the same subject. Now we realise, this didn’t help you manage the optics and we are sorry about it.”
They clarified that their decision was not to question the perogative of the Music academy to select an awardee rather it was their conscious choice not to be “apologists for genocide mongers and filthy discourse”, referring to their criticism about TM Krishna.
They also slammed Murali for trying to twist the narrative and trying to cast aspersions on them.
The letter read, “With your verbose answer to questions we never raised, you are trying to build a convenient narrative and cast aspersions on us. Your statements to the press in this regard are immoral and dishonest.”
Lead by example, make way for non-Brahmins, Brahmins in the management of the Music Academy should tender their resignation: Ranjani-Gayatri
The duo also launched a scathing attack on The Hindu’s N Ram who according to them “joined as an undeclared spokesperson” and started a smear campaign branding them as a “bigoted, casteist coterie”.
In reply to the “bigoted and casteist” jibe made by N Ram, Ranjani-Gayatri requested the management of the Music Academy to lead by example and not merely resort to lip service for non-Brahmin communities.
Fact-check: Call out the bigoted and casteist coterie targeting T.M. Krishna and The Music Academy for its choice of Krishna as Sangita Kalanidhi for the 2024 annual conference and concerts — which Hindutva disinformation text is the small coterie of musicians reading from? Here…
Voicing support for inclusivity and representation of all communities, they stated, “We immensely respect this hallowed institution and it will be the happiest day for us and for millions of people to see star performers emerge from underprivileged communities and dominate this stage. We want to see the day when the TTK auditorium is filled up with a diverse inclusive crowd from all communities and religious minorities.”
However, the sister duo argued that it may take some time for artists to emerge from all communities as it is a long journey to acquire musical prowess. However, they stated that as an “instant” and simple solution, the management should tender their resignation to walk their talk.
The letter states, “This transformation should begin at the top. Kindly start with the entrenched Executive Committee consisting of only Brahmins and royalty you have been heading for 2 decades. Unlike serious hardwork and the long journey it takes for artists to excel, this transformation is achievable instantly with a simple resolution and a bunch of resignations.”
“Please consider leading by example, lest the world call it mere lip service and start branding you as a ‘bigoted, casteist coterie’,” the letter further stated.
The Controversy explained in brief
The Music Academy, Madras annually bestows the ‘Sangeetha Kalanidhi’ award, the highest award in the Carnatic music industry. This year, the Academy announced to conferring the award on TM Krishna. However, following the decision, Ranjani-Gayatri announced their withdrawal while several other artists also joined them in withdrawing from the event under Krishna’s Presidency. Soon after many other musicians like the Trichur Brothers, N Ravikiran, etc also joined in, condemning the move to promote TM Krishna.
Following their announcement, Music Academy President Murali had targeted the duo in a strongly-worded letter that drew condemnation from three-time Grammy Award winner Indian music composer Ricky Kej and others.
Apart from artists from the Carnatic music industry, several usual suspects including N Ram joined in to hurl “casteist” jibes at the sister which prompted them to hit back at the Former MD and Editor in Chief of The Hindu.
@nramind 1. Please isolate venom & demonstrate falsehoods in our ‘notorious’ note to the Music Academy 2. Either you r part of the Periyar packaging factory or an ignorant believer
He called for killing of Brahmins, called the women of your house Prostitutes. Stop glorifying him https://t.co/JatIG2tOWU
The controversy also took a political turn when Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin extended support to TM Krishna.
The fresh letter by Ranjini-Gayatri hitting back at the Music Academy President for his letter targeting them and the duo urging him to resign could escalate the row further.
