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Parliament security breach: Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla orders high-level probe, announces comprehensive review of security

ANI
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Parliament security breach: Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla orders high-level probe, announces comprehensive review of security

After the security of Parliament was breached, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla ordered a “high-level inquiry” into the incident in which two people jumped into the house chamber from the visitor’s gallery with coloured smoke canisters.

LS Speaker lauded the Lok Sabha members, security personnel, chamber staff, and marshals for rising to the occasion and capturing the perpetrators.

“The incident that happened today is a topic of concern for all of us and is serious as well…A high-level investigation is being done and accordingly, action will be taken. A comprehensive review will be done regarding the security in the House.

He said in 2001 too central paramilitary forces and other security had made collective efforts and prevented a terror attack on Parliament.

“This has also been sought by members of Parliament. What improvements can be made in the security measure will be assessed after discussing it matter with members,” Birla said.

“The security will be further strengthened in consultations with the members, I will be discussing the matter with leaders of all political parties,” the Speaker said.

The Speaker adjourned the House till 11:00 am tomorrow.

On the 22nd anniversary of the Parliament terror attack, there was a major security breach when two intruders entered the Lok Sabha chamber from the visitor gallery during Zero Hour.

In a security breach in Lok Sabha, two men jumped into the House from the visitor’s gallery and had canisters in their hand, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram said.

They released yellow gas from canisters and shouted slogans before being overpowered by MPs.

Visuals showed an unidentified man jumping from the visitor’s gallery of Lok Sabha after which there was a slight commotion. The House was adjourned till 2 pm.

The incident happened when members were raising matters of urgent public importance and BJP MP Khagen Murmu was raising his issue.

Simultaneously, two individuals, including a woman, sprayed colored gas and shouted slogans outside the Parliament premises.

Earlier in the day, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram said that two men jumped into the House from the visitor’s gallery and had canisters in their hands.

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

Parliament attack accused Manoranjan was involved in farming, was a student leader, says family

OpIndia Staff
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Parliament attack accused Manoranjan was involved in farming, was a student leader, says family

A group of four individuals today breached the Parliament security even as the country was marking the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament attack.

Two men jumped from the visitor’s gallery into the Lok Sabha hall. One of the two men began to jumped over the benches towards the well. He was removed his footwear during this time and started looking around him trying to escape as members of Parliament surrounded him.

The two accused have been identified as Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan from Mysore. Both accused have been arrested.

In a conversation with the media, Manoranjan’s father Devraj said he studied Engineering in BIT and used to travel to Mumbai and Delhi regularly.

As per reports, Manoranjan’s father has condemned his actions and said that he was unaware that his son was in Delhi.

“If he has done something wrong, he is not my son. But let me tell you, he is good…I was unaware he is in Delhi. He was a student leader in his college days, but I do know about his affiliations. I condemn this act,” Devaraj said.

The Vijayanagar police in Mysore has collected information about Manoranjan from his father. Manoranjan had reportedly introduced Sagar Sharma as his friend to the Kodagu MP Pratap Simha’s office and reportedly acquired the visitor’s pass on the pretext of visiting the new Parliament.

As per sources, Manoranjan would visit Simha’s office quite often. Reports quoting sources close to the MP stated that three people including a woman had gotten visitor’s passes but the woman was denied entry as she had arrived with a child whose name was not included.

The woman had reportedly no connection with the two accused.

Meanwhile, the second accused, Sagar Sharma, who was accompanying Manoranjan, is reportedly still an engineering student.

Meanwhile, two of the protesters have been detained from outside the Parliament for releasing similar smoke cannisters as was done by the accused inside the House.

The demonstrators have been identified as Neelam (42), daughter of Kaur Singh from Hisar, Haryana. She was staying in Shree Balaji Girls PG near Red Square area in Hisar.

OpIndia spoke with the PG staff on call who informed that Neelam was living there for 2-3 months now and that officials have collected required information about her.

The last accused, who was accompanying Neelam outside the Parliament, has been identified as 25-year-old Amol Shinde from Latur, Maharashtra.

The duo was heard chanting slogans including, “Tanashahi nahin chalega,” “Manipur ko insaaf do, “Samvidhaan bachao”, “Mahilayon par atyachar nahin chalega,” “Bharat Mata Ki Jai,” “Tanashahi band karo,” “Jai Bheem Jai Bharat,” “Vande Mataram”.

In another video, a journalist can be seen questioning Neelam while she is being taken by the police. In response, the woman accused can be heard saying, “Our Indian government and the atrocities being committed against us…when we talk about our rights…we are lathicharged and jailed and totured. So we did not have any other way.”

When asked which organisation they belong to, she said, “We are not from any organisation, we are common people. we are students, because we are employed, our parents work so hard, labourers, farmers, small businessmen but no one is heard. They try to supress our voice but this tyranny will not be tolerated. End the tanashahi (tyranny). Bharat Mata Ki Jai.”

Neelam’s younger brother spoke to the media saying that the family was not aware that she had gone to Delhi.

Her brother also revealed that Neelam was part of the farmers’ protest and had spoken on the issue of unemployment several times.

“She has raised the matter of unemployment several times…she had participated in the farmers’ protest…you know that unemployment is an issue. Her first protest was in the farmers’ protest,” the brother said.

The brother said that Neelam had left Hisar some 5-6 months ago for education.

Speaking on the point of unemployment raised by Neelam, her brother narrated an incident wherein during an interview a person with less marks was cleared but because her full name is Neelam Devi, they told her to get an affidavit.

“We don’t know whether what she did was right or wrong,” her brother said.

According to the family, Neelam is qualified with BA, MA, B’Ed, M.Ed, CTET, M.Phil and NET.

Parliament security breach: Arrested woman Neelam had also participated in farmers’ protests, family says they had no idea about her plans

OpIndia Staff
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Parliament security breach: Arrested woman Neelam had also participated in farmers’ protests, family says they had no idea about her plans

On 13th December, two men breached the wall of the viewer’s gallery in the Lok Sabha and entered the aisle area where MPs sit to open a smoke canister. In the meanwhile, a woman and a man were apprehended on the premises of the parliament for doing the same activity, releasing yellow and pink colored smoke from canisters. As the security personnel led the woman and the man away, the woman was seen shouting slogans like ‘Jai Bheem’, ‘Kaala Kanoon wapas lo’, ‘Manipur ko insaf do, ‘Bharat mata ki jai’ etc.

As per reports, the woman is named Neelam Kaur. Her younger brother told ANI the family had no idea when she went to Delhi. They were under the impression that she went to Hisar for studies.

The younger brother told ANI that Neelam has multiple degrees and she had earlier visited te family 2 days back. Neelam has reportedly done BA, MA, B.Ed, M.Ed, and M.Phil and she has qualified CTET and NET. The brother added that Neelam had also participated in the farmers’ protest.

Neelam’s mother also repeated the statement. She added that Neelam has been worried about being unemployed and had stated earlier that it is better to die than to be jobless. As per reports, Neelam Kaur was preparing for the civil services in Hisar. She hails from Haryana’s Jind.

As of now, it is unclear if Neelam was associated with any political group or has any criminal links.

Of the two men who had entered the Lok Sabha, one had also raised similar slogans ‘Tanashahi nahi chalegi’ and ‘Kala kanoon. wapas lo’.

While at present it is not known who is behind this attack, it is notable that Khalistani separatist and Sikhs for Justice leader  Gurpatwant Singh Pannun had recently threatened to attack the Indian parliament on or before 13th December.

Gujarat: AAP MLA Bhupat Bhayani resigns, says ‘AAP not a proper platform to work for country’; speculations of two more MLAs leaving the party

OpIndia Staff
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Gujarat: AAP MLA Bhupat Bhayani resigns, says ‘AAP not a proper platform to work for country’; speculations of two more MLAs leaving the party

In Gujarat, the Aam Aadmi Party suffered a major setback before the Lok Sabha elections. AAP MLA Bhupat Bhayani resigned from the party and the post of MLA on Wednesday (13th December). He has said that he is leaving the Aam Aadmi Party due to nationalist ideology. The speaker of the Gujarat state assembly has accepted Bhayani’s resignation.

Bhupat Bhayani said that only due to nationalist ideology, he decided to leave the Aam Aadmi Party and has taken this decision after discussing it with the people of his constituency. It has been only one year since the assembly elections. The MLA’s exit has also dealt a major blow to AAP’s preparations for the Lok Sabha elections.

On Wednesday at 10:45 AM, Bhayani handed in his resignation to the Assembly Speaker, Shankar Chaudhary. The Speaker announced that Bhayani personally delivered his resignation today, and it was duly accepted.

The Aam Aadmi Party is preparing to contest elections in Gujarat under the I.N.D.I. alliance. Bhupat Bhayani said that he was earlier in the BJP and was associated with the ideology of nationalism. He said that he was going to leave the Aam Aadmi Party and join the BJP only because of the ideology of nationalism.

Bhayani said, “I cannot be against PM Modi and I belong to nationalist ideology. That is why I have decided to leave the Aam Aadmi Party. Aam Aadmi Party is not the appropriate platform to work in the interest of the country.” Although he did not clarify when he would join the BJP, he accepted that he would join the party for sure. He said that if the party wants, he will contest the election once again.

Bhupat Bhayani, a BJP member for 14 years, joined the Congress and won the 2017 elections. Then he made a surprising shift to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) just before the 2022 elections. Winning a seat as an MLA from Visavadar on the AAP ticket, he faced talks of resignation within a week of his victory. Initially, he deferred the decision, stating that he would consult with the people in his constituency before concluding. However, a year later, he decided to step down from his legislative position.

This resignation has once again disrupted the functioning of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly. Throughout the past few decades, the assembly has not consistently retained its full complement of 182 legislators, with disruptions occurring due to various factors such as the passing of a legislator or changes in political affiliations.

AAP state president Isudan Gadhvi has said in his first reaction that the BJP is running a dictatorship, and forcing MLAs to resign. He said that the BJP is afraid of Aam Aadmi Party.

More AAP MLAs to resign in Gujarat?

Currently, only four AAP legislators remain in the Gujarat Legislative Assembly, and they may also encounter challenges in the run-up to the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. It is speculated that 2 more MLAs from the Aam Aadmi Party may also resign. According to a report by Divya Bhaskar, after the resignation of Bhupat Bhayani, now Botad MLA Umesh Makwana and Gariadhar MLA Sudhir Vaghani can also resign. The report said that MLA Makwana will make an official announcement soon.

According to a report by Zee 24 Kalak, Sudhir Vaghani is also unhappy with the party and can leave the party at any time. But in a conversation with TV9, Sudhir Vaghani denied these claims and said that he was not resigning. There was no statement from Umesh Makwana in this regard.

Similar claims are being made in many other reports and it is being said that two more AAP MLAs may resign. It is also being speculated that all the MLAs of the Aam Aadmi Party will leave the party before the Lok Sabha elections. There is also talk of the resignation of a Congress MLA.

The Aam Aadmi Party won only five seats in the Gujarat Assembly elections while losing deposits in 128 seats. The five seats are Botad, Gariadhar, Visavadar, Jamjodhpur and Dediapada. The MLA of Visavadar has already resigned. It is said that the MLAs of Gariadhar and Botad may also resign. Meanwhile, Chaitar Vasava, the MLA from Dediapada, has been absconding for several weeks in connection with assaulting forest department workers.

Uttar Pradesh: Blasphemy case filed against a Muslim student of AMU-run school for allegedly insulting Prophet Muhammad

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Blasphemy case filed against a Muslim student of AMU-run school for allegedly insulting Prophet Muhammad

An 18-year-old Muslim student in class 12 from Bijnor was assaulted by other Muslim residents of a hostel on the campus of Aligarh Muslim University in Uttar Pradesh after he was accused of uttering offensive remarks about the Prophet Muhammad as well as sharing the same on social media. The incident transpired on 12th December in Aligarh’s Civil Lines Police Station area.

A First Information Report was registered against him and cops have initiated a probe into the matter. Furthermore, he was suspended from the Senior Secondary School for Boys which is run by the university. According to the complainant who is of Kasgand and is a pupil in the varsity, the boy has a history of passing similar statements against Islam and is anti-Muslim. The complainant told OpIndia in an interview that the accused student has a habit of making comments against the Prophet.

The complaint stated that the former along with some of his acquaintances was present in the Allama Iqbal Hostel of AMU when the offender arrived there and began speaking disparaging and inappropriate things about Islam and its prophet. It is reported that he began using derogatory words after the complainant stopped him and announced, “Do whatever you can, I will continue to say all this.” The complainant claimed that the remarks had offended his religious sentiments.

Strict action has been demanded against the culprit after a case has been launched under sections 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) based on the complaint. OpIndia has a copy of the FIR.

The complainant and his colleagues beat up the accused in the name of blasphemy, per several media accounts. However, the former countered that these charges were unfounded while talking to OpIndia. He alleged to have all of the hostel’s CCTV footage as evidence. He responded with a “No” when inquired whether there was any proof of insult to Prophet Muhammed by the student. 

Notably, AMU Deputy Proctor S Ali Nawaz Zaidi revealed that the pupil was attacked by the claimant and his aides. “The student was suspended with immediate effect and an inquiry has been ordered into his objectionable posts. Till the completion of the probe, he will remain suspended. Hostel inmates thrashed the student after locking him in a room last evening and forced him to delete the post. The student ran out of the hostel and was saved by security personnel,” he mentioned.

‘Don’t make us reactivate earlier order of attaching Delhi ad budget’: SC warns Kejriwal govt of tough action for not releasing funds for RRTS project

OpIndia Staff
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‘Don’t make us reactivate earlier order of attaching Delhi ad budget’: SC warns Kejriwal govt of tough action for not releasing funds for RRTS project

On 13th December (Wednesday), the Supreme Court issued a stern warning to Delhi’s Arvind Kejriwal government over the delay in providing funds for the Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS). The court observed that the Delhi government should refrain from compelling the court to pass ‘tough orders’. The bench noted that if the Delhi government doesn’t pay its share of dues for the project, it will be forced to reactivate the earlier order and attach the AAP government’s advertisement budget.  

Notably, in November this year, Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia directed that if the Delhi government fails to allocate funds for the Rapid Rail project, the amount will be redirected from the Arvind Kejriwal government’s advertisement budget for the current year.

During the previous hearing, the Supreme Court had observed that the problem was that the Delhi government could make a budgetary provision of Rs 580 crore for advertisements but it could not make a budgetary provision of Rs 400 crore as part of its share for the vital infrastructure project.

Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul had said, “If such national projects are affected, and if money is being spent on advertising, we would be inclined to ask the money to be directed to the infrastructure”.

Pertinently, the Supreme Court was apprised today that the Delhi government has still not paid its share for the RRTS project during the ongoing hearing on pleas concerning air pollution in Delhi. 

Responding to the charges, the Delhi government’s counsel Senior Advocate S Muralidhar defended the delay in funding. Muralidhar argued that the Delhi government will release these funds when the government of India officially approves the project. He claimed that the NCRTC website says the Centre has not done it, adding that Delhi-Alwar and Delhi-Panipat Corridor projects are yet to be approved by the Centre. The advocate claimed that Delhi govt has made budgetary provisions for the projects, and the funds will be released after the projects are approved.

In reply, the bench warned, “These are new excuses (smiles). We are not afraid to pass tough orders. If you do not pay why will even other States pay.” The court also noted that other states have released their share of the funds, and therefore the Delhi govt also should do the same.

The opposing counsel pointed out that these projects are sanctioned through international plans and delays escalate the cost. 

The bench stated, “Mr Muralidhar you will make me reactivate my earlier order (of attaching Delhi ad budget).” 

The Supreme Court then gave 7 days to the Delhi government to release the funds for the project. The court strictly directed the state govt to abide by the schedule concerning the allocation of funds for this project.

Meanwhile, earlier on Monday (11th December), the Supreme Court had slammed the Delhi government over its ‘lackadaisical approach’ towards providing funds to the Delhi High Court and district judiciary for infrastructure development.

The bench was headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and included Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra. The bench said, “What is happening? What is your government doing? You don’t want to give any funds to the Delhi High Court? We need approval by Thursday. It is a model High Court and look at the condition. Judges are undergoing training and there are no courtrooms.” 

Omidyar decides to shut shop in India after ‘achieving the goal of catalysing impact’: But here’s why its story might not be over

Paurush Gupta
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Omidyar decides to shut shop in India after ‘achieving the goal of catalysing impact’: But here’s why its story might not be over

Omidyar Network India will exit the Indian market by the end of the year 2024 and will not make any new investments in the country, News website Yourstory first reported on 12th December (Tuesday). Omidyar Network is reportedly a self-styled “philanthropic investment firm” comprising a foundation and an impact investment firm.

It was established in 2004 by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar, a French-born Iranian-American and his wife Pam. In 2019, Omidyar Network India was carved out of its parent entity, the US-based Omidyar Network. 

The Omidyar Network India, however, will keep following up on deals it had committed earlier, as per sources familiar with the development. 

Omidyar Group has been active in India since 2010 and has made investments of over $500 million. Out of this nearly $150 million was directed to non-profit investments. It has invested in several startups in India like ZestMoney, DealShare, VerSe (Dailyhunt), Vedantu, 1mg, Bounce, Bijak, Doubtnut, Entri, HealthKart, Indifi, M2P, Pratilipi, and in several media organisations, particularly the leftist portals like Newslaundry. 

Confirming the development in an internal blog post which was reviewed by YourStory, the firm stated, “After several months of deliberation, it has been decided that Omidyar Network India will stop making new investments and will completely transition out of the market by the end of 2024. Over the next two months, the board and leadership team will assess how best to manage the organisation’s portfolio while recognising the long and trusted partnerships that the Omidyar Network India team has built.” 

In their statement, Omidyar Network India asserted that it has achieved its primary objective of “catalysing impact” and will not make any new investment. 

The statement read, “Over the last decade, Omidyar Network India has played a critical role in building the impact investment sector, especially focussed on the Next Half Billion. We are proud of our work in this space, which is now attracting larger pools of capital from local venture capital or impact investors and domestic philanthropists than ever before. Having achieved our primary objective of catalysing impact, Omidyar Network India will not be making any further investments in India.” 

Conspicuously, Omidyar Network is known for funding many publications, particularly the leftist portals across India including Scroll(dot)in and Newslaundry.

Omidyar Funded several leftist news portals

Leftist portals like Newslaundry which are under agencies’ scanner for alleged tax evasions and FCRA violations had been receiving funding from Omidyar Network. 

In September 2021, the Income Tax department carried out a “survey operation” at the office of the website Newslaundry as part of an investigation into the finances and funding of the organisation.

Back then, an IT official had said, “NewsClick and Newslaundry received Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) at a very high premium while their net worth was very low. There are also gaps in the financials of both the companies, which suggest tax evasion but we are verifying the same.”

Newslaundry received funding from the Odimyar Network in 2016, “to expand its reportage and content production teams, leverage its existing content by increasing its exposure to a larger audience, and experiment with new formats of content creation”.

Newslaundry’s Editor-in-Chief Madhu Trehan in an email response to The Print confirmed that Omidyar Network has been funding Newslaundry. The email read, “If you look at our website, you can see how much stake Omidyar Network owns in Newslaundry. It is up on our website. The amount raised and equity percentage is on what was then the FIPB website, and that is public information.” 

According to the Newslaundry website, the majority of the company’s equity is held by its three co-founders, Abhinandan Sekhri, Roopak Kapoor, and Prashant Sareen, and by an impact fund Omidyar Network.  

In 2016, the Omidyar Network issued a public statement on its website at the time of investing in Newslaundry. It read, “Our purpose in funding Newslaundry is to invest in a media organisation that is exploring innovative approaches to drive transparency and higher standards throughout the media landscape in India. We also hope that the learnings from Newslaundry’s journey to develop a new business model for independent news production will act as a blueprint for other organisations to follow, develop, and spread.”

Meanwhile, Newsclick founder Prabir Purkayastha has been addressing several events organised by organisations that receive funds from abroad, including from the Omidyar Network. 

As per an India Today report, in its initial years in India, Omidyar Network backed around 25 organisations that deal with news and government transparency. These organisations include News Trust, a news-discovery site run by the nonprofit journalism center, the Poynter Institute; the Sunlight Foundation, dedicated to government transparency; and Transparency & Accountability Initiative, an organisation based in London.

In July 2020, Omidyar Network India funded Rs. 10.75 crore for 67 projects under the rapid response funding initiative for COVID-19 across the country. The initiative was launched on 24th March 2020 and it funded organisations like change.org, Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation, and crowdfunding platform Milaap. Another major beneficiary of Omidyar Network is ADR (Association for Democratic Reforms), which also has the Ford Foundation as one of its donors. 

In January 2019, Regional language news aggregator Dailyhunt raised Rs 24.61 crore in funding from Omidyar Network and Sequoia Capital among others. Additionally, Verse Innovation, the parent company of Dailyhunt and short video platform Josh, also counts Omidyar Network as its investor.

Apart from that, in 2019, it came to light that the Omidyar Group was one of the donors to Forbidden Stories (FS), a dubious organisation launched with the underlying aim of effectuating regime changes and installing pliant governments in countries across the world that align with the left-liberal ideology and reinforce the primacy of the Left’s narrative.

FS was launched by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and Freedom Voices Network. RSF is the same organisation that came up with a dishonest ‘Press Freedom Index‘ to malign India internationally and portray it as a country where journalists are targeted and persecuted for pursuing truth.

The Omidyar Group donated to FS through a front organisation Luminate, whose Strategic Plan for 2018-2022 mentioned “Illiberal democracies’ are emerging,” “Civic space is shrinking, and civil society is under attack,” “Rising populism is creating ruptures in historical party politics,” “Insular, nationalist perspectives are resonating with more people,” and “Communities are becoming more polarized among other things.

While the strategic plan and its animosity towards nationalism made its ideological orientations abundantly clear, it is important to note that the Omidyar Group funded a host of media organisations worldwide, mostly leftist globalist portals such as Scroll.in. 

Scroll Media Inc., the operator of the news portal Scroll.in, secured funding from the Omidyar Network in 2014. However, the exact amount of the funding was not disclosed. During that period, Samir Patil, the CEO of Scroll, mentioned, “We cannot disclose the deal size.”

Omidyar and George Soros-linked organisations working in tandem

Additionally, in 2008, the Soros Economic Development Fund (SEDF) had joined hands with Omidyar Network, the Indian School of Business (ISB), and Google.org to launch their 17 million SONG fund to boost investment. 

Furthermore, Soros’ Foundation and Omidyar Network have also funded $1.3 million to Poynter’s International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN), with a long track record of attempts to thrust a biased fact-checking regime on India’s IFCN network.

In September 2023, a coalition of 22 groups, including prominent left-wing organisations pledged more than $500 million to fund local media publications in the next five years, according to an announcement.

The new coalition named “Press Forward” includes many groups that have left-wing bias based on their funding and initiatives. One of the groups in this alliance is Democracy Fund, an organisation run by left-wing billionaire Pierre Omidyar.

According to tax documents obtained by an independent journalist Lee Fang, Democracy Fund reportedly provided a $130,000 grant to the Center for Internet Security to fund a “portal” that was used to flag and censor social media content containing “misinformation” during the 2020 election.

Omidyar’s beneficiary Forbidden Story and its tentacles

It is pertinent to note that apart from Omidyar, other donors to Forbidden Story include George Soros’ Open Society Foundations (OSF), whose attitude towards the Indian Government is well documented, and Wellspring Philanthropic Fund, which is cloaked in a shroud of secrecy. 

FS also proudly displayed the endorsement by Mediapart’s Head of Investigations Fabrice Afri on its website until recently. Mediapart is the same leftist French organisation that has been peddling propaganda over the Rafale deal. FS has now removed the page “The support us” altogether from its website.

Incidentally, in July 2021, the leftist news portal Wire published what it called an ‘explosive story‘ involving allegations of spying with spyware Pegasus. The Wire and its partners were fed the information by two very dubious organisations. One was Amnesty International and the other was Forbidden Stories.

The questionable antecedents of the Omidyar Network

In May 2022, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) named the promoters of NGO Omidyar Network and several others including government officials in an FCRA bribery scandal case. The development came after the CBI had filed an FIR regarding a national FCRA funding scam. According to reports, the promoters of NGO Omidyar Network have been under the scanner for allegedly bribing officials to receive FCRA licenses. Additionally, at least 6 to 8 more networks were also under the CBI scanner.

Before that, in September 2021, the Ministry of Home Affairs had put the Omidyar Network under the FCRA watchlist.

In a nutshell, Omidyar Group invested in organisations and efforts that were aimed to dislodge governments and regimes it thought did not align with the “liberal worldview” by bankrolling news organisations, entities, movies, etc that they thought would aid them in building an alternative narrative and challenging the legitimacy of the incumbent governments they did not like. It had been a “catalysing impact” through various organisations that have been cloaked as non-profit, ideologically independent entities but in reality, have been trying to achieve their vested agenda of pliant governments in the host country.

‘If an email was sent, I would have looked at it right away’, CJI tells Mahua Moitra, assures to look into the listing of her plea against expulsion quickly

ANI
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‘If an email was sent, I would have looked at it right away’, CJI tells Mahua Moitra, assures to look into the listing of her plea against expulsion quickly

Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on Wednesday assured Trinamool Congress Party (TMC) leader Mahua Moitra that he would look into the listing of her plea against her expulsion from Lok Sabha in a cash-for-query case. 

Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Moitra, mentioned before a bench headed by CJI the plea of Moitra for urgent listing. 

CJI assured the senior advocate that he would look into the listing aspect at lunch during the day. “The matter may not have been registered… If an email was sent, then I would look at it right away. Please send it,” the CJI said. 

Earlier in the day, Singhvi mentioned the plea before a bench headed by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul who asked him to mention it before the CJI. 

Justice Kaul said, “Let CJI decide.. I cannot decide it at this stage.” Justice Kaul is retiring on December 25. 

Moitra approached the top court, challenging her expulsion from the Lok Sabha. Moitra was on Friday expelled from the Lok Sabha after a discussion on the report of the Ethics Committee in the ‘cash for query’ that was tabled in the Lower House. 

Moitra, who was not allowed to speak during the discussion inside the House, said that the Ethics committee broke every rule. 

The expelled Lok Sabha MP alleged that she has been found guilty of breaching a code of ethics that ‘does not exist’. 

Moitra further alleged that the findings are solely based on the written testimonies of two private citizens whose versions contradict each other in material terms and her right to cross-examine them was snatched. 

“None of whom I was allowed to cross-examine. One of the two private citizens is my estranged partner, who with malafide intention, masqueraded as a common citizen in front of the committee. The two testimonies have been used to hang me there at polar opposites to each other,” she said. 

The Ethics Committee report probing ‘Unethical Conduct’ of the TMC MP had recommended that Moitra “may be expelled” from the Lok Sabha and called for an “intense, legal, institutional inquiry” by the central government in a “time-bound manner”. 

The report was adopted by a 6:4 majority in the panel last month. The report on Moitra’s cash-for-query case revealed that she visited the UAE four times from 2019 to 2023 while her login was accessed several times. 

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

Mumbai-based real estate company to invest Rs 1,200 crores for projects in Ayodhya: How Ram Mandir is boosting economy in UP’s temple town

Shraddha Pandey
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Mumbai-based real estate company to invest Rs 1,200 crores for projects in Ayodhya: How Ram Mandir is boosting economy in UP’s temple town

From resistance to reclamation, Ayodhya the holy city in Uttar Pradesh has witnessed numerous changes over the years. The city known for its narrow lanes has now emerged as a major destination for real-estate investors. This comes ahead of the consecration ceremony of the Shri Ram Mandir on January 22 next year. In this line, Mumbai-based real estate company The House of Abhinandan Lodha has invested nearly ₹300 crore in acquiring a 25-acre land parcel in Ayodhya and has laid out a plan to launch a plotted development project in January 2024.

The project is situated approximately 12 to 15 minutes from the Shri Ram Temple. According to Samujjwal Ghosh, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), HOABL, the company expects to invest roughly 1200 crore over three to four years that is by December 2026. 

Ghosh told HT that HOABL is planning to launch 200-250 plots in Ayodhya the next year. These plots are estimated to cost around Rs 1.8 crore plus taxes for a 1250 sq ft plot.

As the inauguration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya is nearing, the spiritual town is undergoing a real estate boom and transforming into a major centre of spiritual tourism. According to real estate agents, with multiple investors from around the country and even overseas vying for fewer land parcels, property values have skyrocketed, in some cases four to ten times what they were around four to five years back.

According to reports, the government has approved the development of various townships and private hotels in the city. These lots are near the Chaudah Kosi Parikrama, the Ring Road, and the Lucknow-Gorakhpur Highway. The Ayodhya Development Authority intends to present a plotted housing scheme spanning 80 acres of land by the end of 2023. 

Between April and November of this year, up to 29,325 sale deeds were registered in Ayodhya, with land transactions accounting for 80 per cent of the total,  as per Stamp and Registration department estimates. Local real estate dealers underscore that land costs were about one-fourth of how much they are now before the 2019 Supreme Court decision that paved the way for the construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

Parasuram Mishra, a broker at Shri Balaji Ayodhya Property told the Hindustan Times that prices of land within a radius of 5-10 km of the temple have increased much more. The rates range from Rs 2000 per sq ft to as high as Rs 18,000 per sq ft adding that commercial plots start at around ₹4000 per sq ft depending on the location.

Reports say that the state’s Stamp and Registration Department’s revenue has increased to Rs 15,631.33 lakh as of November this year, up from roughly Rs 10,000 lakh in 2018-19. The Department’s revenue receipts increased by 109% in November, making it the highest in the state.

With skyrocketing investments in the sacred land, the influx of tourists ahead of and after the consecration of Ram Mandir will surge. This would open doors for employment and business opportunities for the local people.

Travel and hospitality sector to benefit from tourism boom in Ayodhya

In addition to the real estate sector, the hotel chains rushing to Ayodhya are also hopeful of raking in huge profits with the tourism boom in the city. As the state government led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the Centre are undertaking around 264 projects worth about Rs 32,000 crore, including highways, roads, infrastructure, a green field township, an international airport, an international spiritual centre and whatnot, the travel and hospitality sector will flourish in the city. Reports say that there are five branded hotels with a total of 520 rooms in different stages of development in the city as of now.

Notably, Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), Marriott International, Sarovar Hotels & Resorts, and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts have already signed deals to build hotels in Ayodhya. These hotels are expected to be operational by 2024.

Eight concepts of Ayodhya development

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has repeatedly ordered officials to focus their efforts on eight key concepts for restoring Ayodhya’s magnificence. Concrete progress is now noticeable as the state government remarkably boosts initiatives to bring Saketpuri, situated on Lord Vishnu’s wheel, to the forefront in the forms of Sanskritik (cultural) Ayodhya, Saksham (capable) Ayodhya, Adhunik (modern) Ayodhya, Sugmay (accessible) Ayodhya, Surmay (beautiful) Ayodhya, Bhawatmak (emotional) Ayodhya, Swacch (clean) Ayodhya, and Ayushman (healthy) Ayodhya.

Ram Mandir Consecration ceremony

The preparations for the Pran Pratishtha or the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya are going on in full swing. Champat Rai, General Secretary of the Ram Mandir Trust, said that the consecration ceremony will take place on January 21, 22, and 23 of the coming year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will perform the pran-pratishtha for the deity. The event will also witness the presence of prominent saints and other noted figures. According to Champat Rai, the temple trust aims to invite more than 25,000 Hindu religious leaders from 136 Sanatan traditions for the ceremony.

Smoke canister attack inside Lok Sabha on the anniversary of 2001 Parliament Attack: Who handles the security of Sansad?

Anurag
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Smoke canister attack inside Lok Sabha on the anniversary of 2001 Parliament Attack: Who handles the security of Sansad?

The Parliament Security Service manages the security of both houses of the Parliament, Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha. It is situated within the Parliament House Complex. It operates under the administrative control of the Joint Secretary (Security) of the Lok Sabha Secretariat and oversees the security operations of both Secretariats.

In August 2020, “Unified Operational Command” was established under the Joint Secretary (Security) to enhance the efficiency and coordination among the security personnel. The unified command integrates the security services of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Secretariats. Establishing a Unified Operational Command was to ensure uniformity in decision-making processes related to security matters. Notably, the separate Security Services of both houses run simultaneously as their structures are different.

Following the tragic terrorist attack on the Parliament House in 2001, the government of India did a comprehensive review of the security arrangements. Subsequent measures were taken to streamline the access points, advanced security gadgets were deployed, and a high-tech access control system was implemented to ensure the safety and security of the MPs and VVIPs. Furthermore, Radio Frequency Tags were introduced to enhance the identification processes and regulate the vehicular movement inside the complex.

The Parliament Security Service plays different roles in the complex, including providing security cover to the VVIPs, Members of Parliament, and visitors and conducting anti-sabotage and anti-explosive checks. Other agencies, including Delhi Police, Intelligence Bureau, Parliament Duty Group, Special Protection Group and National Security Guard, coordinate with the Parliament Security Service to ensure smooth operations in the Parliament.

Apart from providing security, Parliament Security Service is also responsible for activities, including guiding visitors through the Parliament House Complex and providing informative sessions on the history of Parliament and its proceedings.

Parliament Security Service personnel are also deployed for national ceremonies, international conferences, and other events where security is paramount.

Smoke canister attack inside Parliament

In a massive security breach in the Parliament, two men jumped into the Lok Sabha well from the visitors’ gallery while the proceedings were going on today, 13 December. After jumping into the well, the two men released some yellow-coloured smoke from canisters. The invasion of the parliament took place on the anniversary of the parliament attack in 2001.

Two more people carrying smoke cans were detained outside the parliament. The incident took place at 1 PM during the zero hour in the Lok Sabha, just before the lunch break. When Khagen Murmu, BJP MP from West Bengal, was raising some points regarding his constituency, a commotion was suddenly heard in the background. When the Sansad TV switched to the view of the entire hall, a man could be seen who had already jumped from the gallery and was on the benches. He then started to proceed towards the front of the hall, jumping from bench to bench. People in the Lok Sabah were heard shouting ‘pakdo, pakdo’ (catch him) before the speaker hurriedly adjourned the house. The livestream was cut immediately after that.

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