An investigation on the orders of Lokayukta has unearthed a major fraud where hundreds of accused with the help of middlemen took away money under the Mukhyamantri Kanya Vivaah Yojana (UP government’s mass marriage scheme) in Ghaziabad. In the investigation, around 156 marriages solemnized were found to be fake.
As per the investigation, these girls have either been married many years ago, or they faked the marriage during the event. The investigation found that some accused got their daughters married twice or faked the year of their marriage to siphon money under the scheme.
The probe found that some girls had been married for two to six years, yet they sat in the wedding hall on the day of the mass marriage event with their husbands. The already-married couples acted as if their marriages were to be solemnised afresh on that day.
In some cases, the so-called to-be married couple got photographed in the mass marriage event and they parted ways once money under the government scheme was credited into their account.
In many cases, the middlemen lured laborers who had registered themselves with the Labour Department. They promised the laborers to give Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000 and in return they asked them to sign the marriage forms availed under the government scheme. In lieu of money, these laborers gave their important documents like Aadhaar cards and photos to these middlemen. These middlemen carried out all the formalities like filling out the online application forms for the marriage of the daughters of the labourers.
In cahoots with officials in the Labour Department, they got the applications approved.
As per the modus operandi, the middlemen asked anyone to sit in the wedding hall and pretend to be a married couple during such an event in Ghaziabad, on November 24, 2022. Subsequently, they carried out other formalities under the scheme like photographing the fake wedding. Once it was done, they received the sanctioned money under the scheme, and the ‘bride’ and ‘groom’ parted ways.
However, the nexus got exposed when some labourers did not receive the full amount and they raised complaints regarding the same.
The probe finds instances of forgery and fabrication as well
As reported by Dainik Bhaskar, Mahendra Singh who is a resident of Nai Basti Harvanshnagar, got his three daughters married under this scheme and received Rs 2.25 lakh from the government. The investigation found that two daughters only existed on paper and the date of birth on the Aadhaar cards of his daughters only showed an age gap of 3 to 5 months which is not possible.
Dharam Singh, a labourer from Amrala village received money from the government to get his daughter married under the scheme however Investigation revealed that the daughter had been married 5 years ago.
Similarly, Premvati, a native of Atrauli village took money by showing her daughter Nidhi’s marriage. However, the investigation found that she does not have any daughter with this name. Interestingly, on the Aadhaar card, Premwati’s age is reflected as 30 years whereas her daughter’s age is 27 years.
Timeline of investigation and similar action elsewhere
Afterward, on 16 March 2023, Pandit Gajendra Sharma, General Secretary of the National Organisation of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Kisan Shakti), sent a complaint to Lokayukta Lucknow accusing fraud in marriages.
Along with the complaint, he also submitted a list of 175 marriages which he claimed were fake. Consequently, in the first week of April, the Lokayukta ordered an investigation and asked for an investigation report from DM Ghaziabad Rakesh Kumar Singh within 15 days. The three-member committee, after conducting a long investigation, submitted its report to the DM.
On August 21, 2023, the DM sent an 800-page investigation report to the Deputy Commissioner, Lucknow. According to the report, 156 out of 175 complaints were found genuine and these 156 marriages were indeed found to be fraudulent, as per the investigation. Whereas, 2 complaints could not be verified and 3 complaints were incorrect. While the names of 14 laborers were found to be double in the list of 175.
Subsequently, in May 2023, an FIR was filed at Sihani Gate police station in Ghaziabad against 7 girls accusing them of conducting fraud in marriages. It was alleged that these girls were already married and to siphon money from the government, they pretended to be married again under mass marriage event.
Notably, many similar fraudulent or cases of forgery in marriages have also been caught in Bulandshahr. In some cases, money has also been recovered from some laborers. Whereas, three people from the Labor Department have also been suspended.
Earlier, similar cases of fraud in marriages were caught in Noida in the year 2018.
UP govt’s Kanya Vivaah Yojana
Under the Yogi Adityanath government’s mass marriage scheme, labourers who have been registered with the labour department for at least 365 days, can get financial assistance of Rs 82000 for their daughter’s marriage.
Under the scheme, the state government organises mass marriages for daughters of registered labourers and provides financial help to the family.
Rs 65000 are given for the marriage grant, Rs 10000 for the clothes of the bride and groom, and Rs 7000 are given for other arrangements.
In Ghaziabad, one such mass marriage event took place on 24 November 2022 in which marriages of almost three thousand couples from 3 districts were solemnised.
The consumer division of Tata Group is in negotiations to acquire at least 51% of beloved Indian snack food producer Haldiram, a report published in Reuters said. The snack maker had reportedly demanded a $10 billion valuation.
The Indian giant would straight away compete with Pepsi (PEP.O) and Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Retail if a merger were to be successfully executed.
A 10% stake sale from the popular snack brand is reportedly under consideration with private equity groups like Bain Capital. Tata Consumer Products (TACN.NS) owns the United Kingdom tea business Tetley as well as collaborates with Starbucks (SBUX.O) in India. The sources informed that Haldiram generates about $1.5 billion in yearly revenue and the conglomerate resisted the $10 billion valuation.
After the news broke out, Tata Consumer shares increased more than 3% in late 6 August stock market trade. According to a third individual with firsthand knowledge of the conversations, Tata intends to purchase more than 51% of Haldiram’s shares but has informed them that their “ask is very high.”
The person mentioned that the prospective acquisition offers Tata a fascinating prospect and added, “Tata (Consumer) is seen as a tea company. Haldiram’s is huge in the consumer space and has a wide market share.” The sources required anonymity in order to speak.
Tata Consumer Products “does not comment on market speculation,” based on a spokesperson. Krishan Kumar Chutani, the CEO of Haldiram, and Bain declined to comment on the development.
The family-run Haldiram’s chain has its roots in a small shop that opened in 1937 and is renowned for its ‘bhujia’ snack which can be bought in mom-and-pop shops for a meagre Rs 10. According to Euromonitor International, its market share in India’s $6.2 billion savoury snack market is approximately 13%. Pepsi, known for its Lay’s potato chips, has about 13% as well.
Snacks by Haldiram are now offered in international markets like Singapore and the United States. The company operates 150 restaurants that serve regional fare, sweets along western food.
Ankur Bisen, head of consumer and retail at Indian consultancy Technopak remarked, “If you want to suddenly grow big in size, no one better to provide access than Haldiram’s. No other brand attacks packaged food, and food services, with equal panache.”
The consumer division of Tata, which also distributes salt, lentils and mineral water, generated $1.7 billion in revenue during the most recent fiscal year. It is a minor component of the Tata Group, which includes companies in the car, aviation, and hotel industries and generated combined sales of over $144 billion in 2022.
Manohar Lal Agrawal, the chairman of Haldiram, stated in an interview last year that the business aimed to draw in private equity investors and make its stock market debut in two to three years.
A minimum of $981 million in sales was generated by Haldiram in the fiscal year that ended in March 2022, as per regulatory filings for the company which has numerous registered firms throughout the nation. However, in accordance with the first two sources, its yearly operating profit is roughly $200 million and its revenue has now reached close to $1.5 billion.
As China has officially announced that Chinese President Xi Jinping will be giving a pass to the G20 Summit scheduled to be held in New Delhi on September 9-10, the discussion around what could have been the reason behind missing a crucial G20 meet. Notably, in place of President Jinping the, Chinese delegation will be led by Chinese Premier Li Qiang.
Interestingly, this is the first time since Jinping assumed power in 2012 that he will be missing a G20 meet which brings 19 countries and the European Union together. Although he was not present at the G20 Summit in Rome in 2021 due to the pandemic, he attended the event via video link. Many arguments are coming up one such being that the move is to snub India as the country has taken a strong stand against China over its unfounded claims on the Indian territories in Arunachal Pradesh and some areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC),
Before moving ahead, it is worth noting that China had recently released a ‘standard map’ laying claims on Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin. China’s bizarre claims, however, were met with criticism from the Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar who in an interview said that “China has a habit of releasing such maps, and told China that merely including other countries’ territories in its map meant nothing, as the territories are very much part of India.” In addition, India also registered against China’s actions through diplomatic channels.
Other countries such as Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan and Russia have also issued statements objecting to the map for including their territories.
Other than the speculations around China’s attempt to snub India, the annual gathering of incumbent and retiring Chinese Communist Party officials in the coastal resort of Beidaihe, Hebei Province, appears to have been a forerunner to Jinping’s decision not to attend the G20 conference.
The specifics of the discussions that took place behind closed doors at the Beidaihe summit were not made public, however, some interesting information is beginning to surface.
CCP elders rebuked Xi Jinping
According to a Nikkei Asia report, the tone at this year’s Beidaihe summit was noticeably different from the previous ten gatherings held since Xi became the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) general secretary in 2012. Citing sources the report stated that a group of retired party elders lambasted Xi Jinping in an unprecedented manner during this year’s session.
China is currently confronting severe challenges. Its economy is in a slump not seen since the late 1970s, when “reform and opening-up” began.
The Nikkei Asia report states that the Chinese real estate sector is in turmoil, as evidenced by the troubles of big developer Evergrande Group. The percentage of youth unemployment has reached such frightening proportions that Chinese authorities stopped publishing numbers this summer.
It is notable that in August this year, Evergrande Group filed for bankruptcy in a bid to protect its assets in the United States and reach an agreement with its creditors. Once China’s top developer, the Evergrande Group defaulted on its more than $300bn in debt in 2021. Recently, China’s largest property developer, Country Garden, said that it faced a loss of USD 7.1 billion in the first six months of the year.
Moreover, the Chinese military is currently in disarray as a consequence of the removal of two top Rocket Force generals, which became public in July. In addition, the dismissal of Foreign Minister Qin Gang from his position has left the ministry engulfed in suspicion and uncertainty.
According to the report, current military turbulence raised concern among party elders who were in control during China’s economic boom.
The party elders apparently conducted their own meeting in preparation for Beidaihe to gather their ideas before presenting them to the current leaders. This meeting is thought to have taken place on Beijing’s outskirts.
Following that, a group of elders travelled to Beidaihe to convey their agreement to Xi Jinping and other leaders of the present league. It is being said that this face-to-face meeting occurred on a single day.
‘Further turmoils can jeopardise public support to the CCP’
The primary concern put forth before Xi Jinping was that if the political, economic, and social upheavals continued without adequate responses, the party’s power could be jeopardised owing to a loss of public backing. “The elders emphasised that further turmoil must be avoided,” Nikkei Asia report reads.
Zeng Qinghong, a former vice president and one of the late former President Jiang’s closest advisors, was a key figure among the elders. Zeng was instrumental in allowing Xi, who was relatively unknown at the time, to quickly climb to power inside the party. The 84-year-old continues to wield power inside the party and has a vast network of personal ties.
Reprimanded by party elders, Jinping directs his advisors to deal with “remaining issues”
According to the report, after receiving unexpected criticism from senior party members, Xi sought solace with close aides he had appointed to crucial posts. Xi Jinping reportedly conveyed his displeasure and blamed his three predecessors, Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin, and Hu Jintao.
“All the issues left by the previous three leaders are on my shoulders. I’ve spent the last decade attempting to settle things, yet they remain unresolved. Am I to blame?” Jinping reportedly said. It is also said that he directed his advisers to take charge of settling any unresolved issues.
Among the said “unresolved” issues is China’s declining relationship with the rest of the world, which has resulted in slow trade and a steep drop in foreign investment.
Jinping’s G20 miss attempt at face-saving?
Jinping’s decision to miss the upcoming G20 summit in India could be an attempt at face-saving as the conversation at the G20 conference may centre on China’s economy and its impact on the global economy. The CCP’s inner circle has most likely concluded that Premier Li, who is in charge of the Chinese economy, should attend the summit to discuss these issues.
Interestingly, the Chinese President’s decision to skip the G20 summit comes on the heels of another absence. Xi Jinping did not attend a business forum hosted during the BRICS summit in South Africa in late August, following the Beidaihe meeting. Instead, Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao read his speech.
Back then it was speculated that Jinping opted not to take part in the forum out of concern about being confronted with upfront questions regarding China’s economic low performance. A further reason for his absence from the G20 summit is the failure to resolve tense relations with the United States.
G20 meeting in New Delhi
The New Delhi G20 Summit, which will bring an end to a series of meetings over the course of the year, is going to be held in New Delhi on 9-10 September this year. The 43 Heads of Delegations- the largest ever in G20-will be participating in the final G20 Summit.
The G20 Summit is a forum for international economic cooperation and represents 85 per cent of the global GDP, over 75 per cent of the global trade and two-thirds of the global population. The G20 presidency is a very important opportunity for India, as it gives India an opportunity to become a major player on the global stage.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity is well-known, transcending age groups and borders. His supporters express their admiration in various ways, both in India and abroad. A talented architect from Surat, Gujarat, has created an exceptional portrait of the Prime Minister using 7,200 diamonds. This young artist aims to present this remarkable gift to PM Modi on his 73rd birthday, which falls on September 17.
Vipul Jepiwala, a resident of Surat, is not only an architect and engineer by profession but also an ardent admirer of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. While his primary business involves designing homes, he developed a new passion for creating portraits. As Prime Minister Modi’s 73rd birthday approached, Vipul decided to do something extraordinary. He embarked on the ambitious project of crafting a portrait of the Prime Minister adorned with diamonds, setting it apart from ordinary portraits.
Vipul’s remarkable portrait of Prime Minister Modi is adorned with a staggering total of 7,200 diamonds. He meticulously chose diamonds in four distinct colours to create this masterpiece. White diamonds were employed for depicting the beard and hair, while skin-coloured diamonds were selected for the face. Additionally, different-coloured diamonds were utilised to craft the coat. Vipul dedicated approximately three months of painstaking effort to complete this extraordinary portrait.
The inspiration for creating this diamond portrait struck Vipul when he observed Prime Minister Modi presenting diamonds to the First Lady during his visit to the United States. This gesture ignited Vipul’s creative spark, motivating him to craft a diamond-studded portrait. Although this marks Vipul’s first-ever diamond portrait, he dedicated approximately three and a half months to its meticulous preparation. His ultimate wish is for PM Modi to graciously accept this unique creation as a heartfelt gift.
Vipul personally handpicked each and every diamond adorning this portrait. When inquired about the value of this masterpiece and the diamonds it contains, he humbly stated that its worth is immeasurable compared to Prime Minister Modi. The architect from Surat aspires for this diamond-studded portrait of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, crafted from 7200 diamonds, to reach its intended recipient.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday remarked that the magnificent Nataraja statue at Bharat Mandapam brings to life aspects of India’s rich history and culture.
Sharing a post on the social media platform, X, by Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts, the Prime Minister said, “The magnificent Nataraja statue at Bharat Mandapam brings to life aspects of our rich history and culture. As the world gathers for the G20 summit, it will stand as a testament to India’s age-old artistry and traditions.”
The #Nataraja statue made of Ashtadhatu is installed at the Bharat Mandapam. The 27 feet tall, 18-ton-weight statue is the tallest statue made of Ashtadhatu and is sculpted by the renowned sculptor Radhakrishnan Sthapaty of Swami Malai in Tamil Nadu and his team in a record 7… pic.twitter.com/Gf0ZCpF7Fy
— Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (@ignca_delhi) September 5, 2023
The World’s largest Nataraja statue made from ‘Ashtadhatu’ (eight metals) was installed in front of Bharat Mandapam on Tuesday, which is the venue for the G20 summit in the national capital.
The statue is 27 feet tall and weighs around 20 tons which has been made from lost wax technique.
Notably, the Nataraja sculpture is an iconic representation of Lord Shiva, which holds immense artistic, religious and spiritual significance.
In this statue, Lord Shiva is presented performing the dynamic dance posture called tandava, which exudes energy and vitality.
The Nataraja statue is created by the traditional Sthapatis of Swamimalai in the traditional lost wax casting process following canons and measurements as mentioned in Silpa Shastra, which have followed in the making of Nataraja since the Chola period, i.e., 9th century AD onwards.
The statue is made with eight metals namely; copper- 87%, zinc- 10%, lead- 3%, tin-trace quantity, silver-trace quantity, gold-trace quantity, mercury-trace quantity, and iron as support.
India is all set to host the G20 Summit scheduled to be held in New Delhi from September 9-10. World leaders will arrive in New Delhi to attend the G20 Summit. Notably, India assumed the G20 presidency on December 1 last year and about 200 meetings related to G20 were organized in 60 cities across the country.
The summit will be hosted at the state-of-the-art Bharat Mandapam Convention Centre at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
The Mumbai-based drug manufacturing company, Abbott India is recalling several batches of its popular antacid ‘Digene syrup’, as per reports. The recall was initiated following a customer complaint of a bitter taste and pungent odour.
As per the information received, Abbott India has taken this as a voluntary step and is recalling batches, particularly of the mint and orange-flavored syrup. The company added that it will also recall all batches of Digene Gel manufactured at the Goa unit.
Apart from this, the drug maker has also announced that it is voluntarily stopping the production of all variants of Digene Gel manufactured at their Goa facility.
The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI), the regulating body in India, issued a letter in this regard on 31st August. Citing a customer complaint, the DCGI letter stated, “On 9th August 2023, one bottle of Digene Gel Mint flavour used by the customer is of regular taste (sweet) and light pink colour whereas another bottle of same batch observed it was of white colour with a bitter taste and pungent odour as per the complaint.”
The drug regulator added that in response to the customer complaint, the drug maker informed them about their decision to recall the said products. The company announced, “for a voluntary recall of the impugned product Digene Mint flavour and Digene Gel orange and voluntarily stopped production of all variants of Digene Gel manufactured at their Goa facility.”
(DCGI letter communicating about the recall order and directions for healthcare professionals, as shared by Dr. Sudhir Kumar)
The letter added that the company has also informed the drug regulator about the “voluntary product recall of all batches of Digene Gel of all flavors – Mint, Orange, and Mix fruits flavors which are within the shelf life and manufactured at Goa facility.”
Confirming the development, Abbott India stated that it is going ahead with voluntary recall, however, it added that it was an “isolated customer complaint on taste and odour”.
“Abbott in India has voluntarily recalled Digene Gel antacid medicine manufactured at our Goa site due to isolated customer complaints on taste and odour,” an Abbott spokesperson was quoted saying in the News18 report.
However, the spokesperson stated that there were no reports of health concerns to the customer and maintained that their other forms of medication have not been impacted by this.
The spokesperson said, “There have been no reports of patient health concerns. Other forms of Digene, such as tablets and stick packs are not impacted and Digene Gel manufactured at our other production site is not affected and continues to be available in sufficient quantities to meet current demand.”
DCGI writes to all healthcare professionals, issues alert
In a letter addressed to all drug regulators in states, Union Territories, and the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the DCGI stated that doctors and healthcare professionals should carefully prescribe and educate their patients to discontinue the use of the said product (recalled batches of Digene syrups, including all that were manufactured at company’s Goa facility).
It also asked healthcare professionals to report any side effects arising due to consumption of the Digene syrup.
“Healthcare professionals should promptly report any suspicious cases of adverse events linked to this product,” DCGI Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi said.
Further, the DCGI official advised consumers and patients to discontinue the usage of Digene Gel which was manufactured at Abbott’s Goa facility.
The letter asked wholesalers and distributors to remove the impacted product with all batch numbers manufactured at the Goa facility within active shelf life from the distribution.
Earlier, in April, Abbott India had initiated a recall of a batch of medication used to treat hypothyroidism due to a labeling error.
Very important update regarding Digene gel
Digene gel is commonly used for treating acidity.
Abbott (makers of digene gel) have recalled digene gels of all flavours (mint, orange, mix fruit), manufactured at Goa facility, after a compaint was received regarding change in its… pic.twitter.com/eLhshOlTIv
Following the directions of apex health regulators, doctors, and healthcare professionals have alerted patients regarding the same and have asked them to discontinue the usage of Digene antacid syrup, particularly manufactured at the Goa facility.
The special session of the parliament, which will begin on September 18, will be shifted to the new parliament building on the next day on the auspicious occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi, reported news agency ANI citing sources.
According to a notice issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat, the forthcoming special session, slated for September 18th to September 22nd, will exclude Question Hour, Zero Hour, and private members’ business.
The special parliamentary session has left political parties perplexed, as the government has not provided any agenda for the five-day session. Sonia Gandhi, the leader of the Congress parliamentary party, expressed her concerns by writing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, highlighting the lack of transparency surrounding the special session due to the absence of a shared agenda.
The shifting of the parliament on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi holds special religious significance, especially among the Vedic faiths such as Hinduism and Jainism, adherents of whom consider it auspicious to start any new endeavour by invoking Lord Ganesha first. In Hindu tradition, the phrase ‘Shri Ganesh’ symbolises the commencement of something, particularly the initiation of something auspicious and favourable. It is a widely held belief that conducting an endeavor after worshipping Lord Ganesha leads to the successful resolution of any obstacles that may arise.
The new Parliament building saw its inauguration by Prime Minister Modi on 28 May 2023. Constructed at a total cost of ₹971 crore, the new state-of-the-art parliamentary facility symbolises the new India’s aspirations of growth and development. It can house 888 members in the Lok Sabha and 300 members in the Rajya Sabha. Notably, the monsoon session of Parliament took place in the old building, marking the upcoming special session as the inaugural event held in the new Parliament building.
The marriage of Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner is reportedly coming to an end. Joe Jonas is the brother-in-law of actress Priyanka Chopra. According to CNN, Joe Jonas filed for divorce in Florida’s Miami-Dade County on 5th September. The motion cited an “irretrievably broken” marriage as the reason behind the decision.
Joseph Adam Jonas or Joe Jonas is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He rose to fame as a member of the pop rock band the Jonas Brothers, alongside his brothers Kevin and Nick Jonas who is the husband of Priyanka Chopra. Sophie Belinda Turner is a British actress. She is very popular for her role as Sansa Stark in the epic fantasy television series “Game of Thrones.”
They have two children, born in the years 2020 and 2022 and Joe Jonas has asked for dual custody. It further added that a prenuptial agreement exists between the couple. They started dating in 2016 and proceeded to get engaged in 2017. Sophie Turner was seen sporting her new engagement ring in the image the singer shared on his verified Instagram account at the time along with the words “she said yes.”
The pair tied the knot twice. They got married for the first time in 2019 in Las Vegas after attending the Billboard Music Awards where they exchanged vows in front of a select number of loved ones during a ceremony presided over by an impersonator of Elvis Presley.
DJ Diplo who was a wedding guest uploaded a number of photographs and footage from within the location which spread the word of their nuptials. Later, a representative of the actress confirmed that the couple had married. Afterward, the two remarried in an extravagant ceremony at the exquisite Château de Tourreau in the south of France.
A few days after the occasion, she gave followers a peek into the celebration when she captioned a black-and-white Instagram snap of the pair during their recessional with “Mr and Mrs Jonas.”
Sophie’s Game of Thrones co-star and on-screen sister Maisie Williams, who played Arya Stark in the series is believed to have served as her maid of honor. Joe Jonas’s brothers and bandmates Nick Jonas and Kevin Jonas were also in attendance at the French ceremony.
Elon Musk on 5th September threatened to file a defamation lawsuit against the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) for accusing him and his social media platform X of anti-semitism. He also accused the ADL of allegedly pressuring US advertisers to boycott the platform thereby declining its US ad revenue.
To clear our platform’s name on the matter of anti-Semitism, it looks like we have no choice but to file a defamation lawsuit against the Anti-Defamation League … oh the irony!
Musk claims that X’s (formerly Twitter) US ad revenue is down 60 per cent and that the company has lost roughly $22 billion, which is half its value. Musk had purchased Twitter for $44 billion in October last year.
Our US advertising revenue is still down 60%, primarily due to pressure on advertisers by @ADL (that’s what advertisers tell us), so they almost succeeded in killing X/Twitter!
The entire saga began with the hashtag “BanTheADL” trending on X over the last weekend (3rd September to be precise), which saw an indirect participation by Elon Musk. X user and far-right commentator Eva Vlaardingerbroek wrote, “The fact that #BanTheADL is trending shows how done people are with the “we’re labeling everything we don’t like as hateful/racist/dangerous/far-right” BS. People aren’t afraid of your intimidation tactics anymore, @JGreenblattADL. Your labels have lost their power.”
The fact that #BanTheADL is trending shows how done people are with the “we’re labeling everything we don’t like as hateful/racist/dangerous/far-right” BS.
People aren’t afraid of your intimidation tactics anymore, @JGreenblattADL. Your labels have lost their power.
Many free speech activists came out in support of Elon Musk’s proposal and hinted how the tables had turned as they shared a thread by ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt who in November 2022 asked if it was time for Twitter to go. Greenblatt’s tweets came merely two months after Musk took over the social media giant.
.@elonmusk's decisions over the last month have been erratic and alarming, but this decision is dangerous and a threat to American democracy. We need to ask — is it time for Twitter to go?
Moreover, Musk also responded to a post by far-right Youtuber Keith Woods, who has been actively seeking a ban on ADL on X. He wrote that the ADL is the biggest generator of anti-semitism on X. “The ADL, because they are so aggressive in their demands to ban social media accounts for even minor infractions, are ironically the biggest generators of anti-Semitism on this platform!”
The ADL, because they are so aggressive in their demands to ban social media accounts for even minor infractions, are ironically the biggest generators of anti-Semitism on this platform!
This came days after Musk had liked two subsequent tweets by Woods arguing for #BanTheADL. Keith Woods has reportedly identified himself as a “raging antisemite”. Musk’s likes for Woods posts and further response to #BanTheADL campaigners are being deemed as an endorsement of antisemitism by left-liberals.
Hours later, the X owner posted on the platform on Tuesday (5th September) that he is against anti-semitism of any kind. He said, “I am pro-speech, but against anti-Semitism of any kind.” When asked by a user as to who was questioning this, Musk replied by saying that the ADL has been trying to kill the social media platform X. He wrote, “Since the acquisition, The @ADL has been trying to kill this platform by falsely accusing it & me of being anti-Semitic”.
To be super clear, I’m pro free speech, but against anti-Semitism of any kind
A few hours later, he tweeted, “To clear our platform’s name on the matter of anti-Semitism, it looks like we have no choice but to file a defamation lawsuit against the Anti-Defamation League…oh the irony!” Even as Musk and X were accused of antisemitism during the course of #BanTheADL trend, some of his tweets pointing to the underlying problems with the left-leaning ADL were underreported.
Replying to an X user, Musk said that “the ADL has done a lot of good work in prior decades, but has been overzealous in recent years & hijacked by woke mind virus.” When criticised by an X user for “pushing the #BanTheADL campaign”, Musk replied saying that the ADL will not be banned from X.
In an apparent display of his ardent support for free speech, Musk wrote, “Despite the immense harm ADL has done to X/Twitter, they still will not be banned in this platform, unless they break the law.”
Despite the immense harm ADL has done to X/Twitter, they still will not be banned in this platform, unless they break the law
On 31st July, the Tesla Motors CEO filed a lawsuit against the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), a so-called non-government organisation that often partners with ADL. The CCDH, which also claims to be working to stop the spread of online hate, was sued for running “a scare campaign to drive away advertisers from the X platform”. Soon after, UK-based anti-semitic organisation Stop Funding Hate (SFH) huddled together a bunch of tweets targeting “free speech absolutists”.
Similarly, after Musk announced filing a lawsuit against ADL, SFH came out in support of the footmen of George Soros. Stop Funding Hate had run a sinister campaign against OpIndia in the past targeting our ad revenues, similar to the case of ADL allegedly targeting X’s ad revenues.
Time and again, self-described "free speech absolutists" end up threatening to sue other people for using their free speech…
"Free speech absolutism" is incoherent in theory and unworkable in practice.https://t.co/DvCB5ojVEw
The link between George Soros and his apologists and their conspiracy to target ad revenues of any entity that takes a non-leftist line
ADL, which is being sued by Musk, has rather done more activism for George Soros than against anti-semitism. In fact, in ADL’s dictionary, any criticism of Soros qualifies as anti-semitism. Soros is a Hungarian-American billionaire who has declared his intentions to “fight nationalists” and funds several NGOs working to malign India, particularly Hindus.
On 16th May, Elon Musk tweeted that Soros reminds him of Magneto, a villain who is a Holocaust survivor in the X-Men series. Soros too is a Holocaust survivor. Further to his tweet, Musk added, “You assume they are good intentions. They are not. He wants to erode the very fabric of civilization. Soros hates humanity.”
ADL chief Jonathan Greenblatt was quick to jump to Soros’ defence saying that the latter is often blamed by the far-right using anti-semitic tropes as the source of the world’s problems.
He wrote, “Soros often is held up by the far-right, using antisemitic tropes, as the source of the world’s problems. To see @ElonMusk, regardless of his intent, feed this segment — comparing him to a Jewish supervillain, claiming Soros “hates humanity” — is not just distressing, it’s dangerous: it will embolden extremists who already contrive anti-Jewish conspiracies and have tried to attack Soros and Jewish communities as a result.”
Soros often is held up by the far-right, using antisemitic tropes, as the source of the world’s problems. To see @ElonMusk, regardless of his intent, feed this segment — comparing him to a Jewish supervillain, claiming Soros “hates humanity" — is not just distressing, it's… pic.twitter.com/ECAuYahSga
— Jonathan Greenblatt (@JGreenblattADL) May 16, 2023
In fact, the Leftist ADL has penned an entire article dedicated to how Soros, a “philanthropist”, is an innocent victim of conservative and right-wing conspiracy theories who object to his funding of “liberal causes”.
A big part of these fundings, it must be pointed out, fuels anti-India narratives through NGOs to target Indian businesses and to manipulate public perception against the Modi government by inciteful interference in India’s internal affairs.
When, on 8th February 2020, OpIndia published a report on George Soros and his ill-intended propaganda machinery running in India, Stop Funding Hate – much like ADL – took particular offence and began a tirade against us to target our ad revenues.
Stop Funding Hate often cites so-called research reports published by the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH). Several CCDH reports largely refer to reports published by ADL or are published in partnership between the two Leftist organisations.
"CCDH research found that the social media company failed to act on 89% of anti-Jewish hate speech and 97% of anti-Muslim hate speech on the platform" https://t.co/VjHTYe9HEA
— Stop Funding Hate (@StopFundingHate) July 31, 2023
ADL has a history of coming to the rescue of Soros’ facade of a public image. In 2019, the ADL hit out at former US President Donald Trump’s attorney Rudy Giuliani for asserting that far-left propagandist George Soros is “hardly a jew”. “Soros is hardly a Jew. I am more of a Jew than Soros is,” Guiliani had reportedly said.
To this ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt responded by saying, “For decades, George Soros’ philanthropy has been used as fodder for outsized anti-Semitic conspiracy theories insisting there exists Jewish control and manipulation of countries and global events. Mr. Giuliani should apologize and retract his comments immediately unless he seeks to dog whistle to hardcore anti-Semites and white supremacists who believe this garbage.”
Is there also an Omidyar Network link to the leftist campaign against X?
A report by Front Page Magazine suggests so. While taking on Elon Musk for not addressing the larger problem, Daniel Greenfield, a Shillman Journalism Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center, pointed out that there are currently 60 organisations running the #StopToxicTwitter coalition campaign against X and Musk.
Greenfield in his report has criticised Musk in sharp words for targeting only one of the 60 organisations lobbying against X, that is ADL, and “almost “allying with an antisemite to conduct a smear campaign blaming Jews for a boycott backed by money from an Iranian billionaire.”
As per the report, ADL received a $250,000 seed grant from the Omidyar Network to “build a state-of-the-art command centre in Silicon Valley to combat the growing threat posed by hate online”. This is the same Omidyar Network whose promoters were named by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the FCRA funding scam.
The report also brings to light the $100 million fund pledged by Pierre Omidyar in the name of combating “fake news” and supporting investigative journalism. Another report by The Washington Free Beacon alleged that the left-wing billionaire donated $509,500 to Accountable Tech and $2 million to at least six other organisations targeting Musk.
Greenfield writes, “Musk ought to know who Omidyar is because he became quite rich in part because of him, eBay bought PayPal, and then was behind the boycott against him” adding that “If Musk really wants to fight back against the boycott, he can take on Omidyar.”
Omidyar Network is known for funding many publications across India. While the name of Omidyar Network has cropped up in the FCRA bribery scandal, the organisation has several other questionable antecedents.
In September 2021, the Ministry of Home Affairs put the Omidyar Network under the FCRA watchlist. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had sent an internal note to all the banks directing them to put a specific number of foreign organizations, including Omidyar Network, in the PRC list (Prior Reference Category) under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act 2010.
Back 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.
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.
The left was put off after Elon Musk restored previously banned accounts following the acquisition of X
Before Musk acquired X (then Twitter), the social media platform saw severe censorship of non-left and anti-left views and views which criticised Islamists. The “Twitter Files” story was initially broken by independent journalist Matt Taibbi exposing how the Twitter moderation team justified the censorship of the Hunter Biden story, under the guise of the “hacked materials policy,” by the likes of Vijaya Gadde.
The second part of the “Twitter Files” gave a glimpse into the high-handedness of a “select few” employees at the social media platform, who routinely censored right-wing accounts and non-mainstream narratives with complete disregard for Twitter’s rules.
In complete violation of its own mission, Twitter became a hotbed of censorship through the creation of blacklists, arbitrary prevention of tweets from trending on the platform and deliberate reduction of visibility of trending topics and accounts.
Prominent far-right US journalist Tucker Carlson was among the many Twitter (now X) users who were axed from the platform. The former Fox News anchor’s account was suspended in March 2022 for allegedly defending “hateful” comments about a transgender woman posted on Twitter.
@TuckerCarlson was all set to have me go on his Fox News show to talk about my defamation suit against the ADL, then he got removed. This has been in the pipeline since the end of April!
ADL CEO Greenblatt has been quite vocal about his dislike for Carlson, who too has targeted Greenblatt extensively during his Fox News days. Greenblatt has called on Musk to ban Carlson from the platform. Musk, of course, reinstated Carlson after the acquisition. This is to say that Musk has been restoring dissenting voices on X in what can be deemed as a display of free speech.
Source: Twitter/@Chadwick_Moore
Similarly, several such accounts have been salvaged by Musk. These accounts now identify themselves as such and actively support the business magnate. As for Tucker Carlson, Musk has said that he is welcome to join the lawsuit against ADL.
Musk also accused the ADL of pushing hard for X to shut down accounts like “that of”Libs of TikTok” run by Chaya Raichik, a Jew. The account was suspended six times in 2022 alone and blocked for a week each time for alleged “hateful conduct”. Musk wrote on X, “ADL has pushed hard for us to shut down accounts like Chaya’s, even though it has nothing to do with anti-Semitism, which is their supposed charter!”
ADL has pushed hard for us to shut down accounts like Chaya’s, even though it has nothing to do with anti-Semitism, which is their supposed charter!
Has campaign coverage against Elon Musk and X been amplified in order to salvage Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook’s public image which was brought down by the very coterie?
A similar campaign was launched against Facebook in 2020 which led to ad revenue losses amounting to $7.2 billion after a big chunk of advertisers boycotted the platform. A whopping $56 billion was eliminated from the social media platform’s market value pushing down Zuckerberg’s net worth to $82.3 billion. More than 1,000 advertisers had reportedly pulled out of Facebook.
The boycott campaign #StopHateForProfit included ADL and partner organisations including Free Press, Colour of Change, and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Of the 100 advertisers that spent the most on Facebook, nine companies announced a pullback in paid advertising. This reportedly cut their spending from $26.2 million to a mere $507,500.
Digging deeper into the ad boycott campaigns, Musk shared a report from March 2020 which talks about the impact of the campaign on Facebook. He shared the report with the caption, “The Facebook caved to far-left pressure groups and now allows them to silently dictate policy in exchange for ad money.”
The Facebook caved to far left pressure groups and now allows them to silently dictate policy in exchange for ad moneyhttps://t.co/9ZeygfO2SQ
Musk’s fanbase on X has also called out the US media for underreporting the similar allegations that persist against Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg. Twitter user ALX @alx pointed to a report by The Washington Post which talks about how “under Elon Musk, Twitter has allowed Russian propaganda against Ukraine to reach more people”.
The user points out that even as the report mentions Meta too, the headline is only about Musk and Twitter (now X). To this, Musk replied, “It’s almost like they have an axe to grind”.
Notice this is also the case for other platforms and Meta is actually the worst offender but they buried that in the article because The Washington Post had to make the headline all about Elon Musk and X. pic.twitter.com/HvItjG6b4X
X user and author Ashley St. Clair pointed out that The Washington Post has not reported on the alleged “rampant child exploitation on Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta platforms”.
Yet Washington Post won’t report on the rampant child exploitation on Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta platforms
Mark Zuckerberg has ignored the Florida’s Attorney General request for him to speak to the Statewide Council on Human Trafficking regarding Meta platforms being used most… https://t.co/GNqHcf5lGapic.twitter.com/YLr3f3AqwV
She further wrote, “Mark Zuckerberg has ignored Florida Attorney General’s request for him to speak to the Statewide Council on Human Trafficking regarding Meta platforms being used most frequently to “assist, facilitate or support human trafficking.”
These observations raise suspicion as to whether Zuckerberg has been spared, although partially it seems, from the smear campaign by the leftist coterie for catering to their divisive demands.
Whether free speech is good or bad can still be debated. But the “hate speech” hatemongers are certainly dangerous and deserve such lawsuits to expose them
The #BanTheADL campaign began trending on X following a meeting on 29th August between X CEO Linda Yaccarino and ADL President Jonathan Greenblatt. Greenblatt said after the meeting that ADL will be vigilant and give Yaccarino and Musk credit if the service gets better and reserve the right to call them out until it does. The highhandedness of a group running #StopToxicTwitter campaign cannot be more apparent than this response.
Greenblatt wrote, “I had a very frank + productive conversation with @LindayaX yesterday about @X, what works and what doesn’t, and where it needs to go to address hate effectively on the platform. I appreciated her reaching out and I’m hopeful the service will improve. @ADL will be vigilant and give her and @ElonMusk credit if the service gets better… and reserve the right to call them out until it does.”
Musk has said that while it would be nice to see the lost US advertising return, the social media platform no longer needs to restore US advertising on prior levels for survival. According to account X News Daily, the platform has been seeing significant revenue from non-US advertisers, API fees, and verification subscriptions.
Exactly.
We no longer need to restore US advertising to prior levels for survival.
And considering that he has ruled out the possibility of a ban unless an X account breaks the law, it is only natural that the Left will continue to hound Musk for the want of their controlled version of free speech.
Following a request by the “Libs of TikTok” account, Musk has hinted that a data dump will be released of all communication on ADL and other organisations pushing to censor free speech on X. He wrote in another post, “Document discovery of all communications between the ADL and advertisers will tell the full story.” The data dump is expected in the next few weeks.
Dear Elon,
Please consider releasing all communications and providing full transparency on the ADL & all other organizations who have pushed to censor certain accounts on Twitter/X.
Sincerely,
Thousands of users who have been suspended, throttled, silenced, and shadowbanned. pic.twitter.com/ZcvoBSvR84
On 4th September (local time), the Permanent Mission of India at the United Nations strongly rejected comments by UN experts on Manipur. India has termed them “unwarranted, presumptive and misleading” while adding that the situation in the state is peaceful.
The statement by India came as a verbal note to the Special Procedures Branch of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Indian mission noted in its response that the situation in Manipur was peaceful and stable. Furthermore, the mission added that the Government of India was committed to taking the required steps to maintain peace and stability in the state.
The Permanent Mission of India to the UN office and other International Organizations in Geneva said, “The Permanent Mission of India completely rejects the news release as it is not only unwarranted, presumptive and misleading but also betrays a complete lack of understanding on the situation in Manipur and the steps taken by Government of India to address it.”
“The Government is also committed to protecting the human rights of the people of India, including the people of Manipur,” it added.
The remarks came in response to the press release by the United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner on 4th September, stating that UN Experts were “alarmed” by “continuing abuses in Manipur.
The UN experts raised the alarm over “alleged acts of sexual violence, extrajudicial killings, home destruction, forced displacement, torture and ill-treatment”. They claimed that most of the persons killed in the conflict were Kukis and pointed out that Meiteis are predominantly Hindus and Kukis are predominantly Christians, forming a divide between the communities based on religion. Furthermore, the experts claimed that most of the gender-based violence targeting women and girls of all ages was against the Kuki community.
“It is particularly concerning that the violence seems to have been preceded and incited by hateful and inflammatory speech that spread online and offline to justify the atrocities committed against the Kuki ethnic minority, particularly women, on account of their ethnicity and religious belief,” they said.
They accused the Government of India of a “slow and inadequate” response to the violence. Furthermore, the experts “praised” the lawyers and human rights defenders in Manipur for responding to the reports of violence. “We are also concerned about reported criminalization and harassment of human rights defenders documenting the cases,” they said.
Questionable past of the “experts”
Irene Khan
Irene Khan hails from Bangladesh. She has been a regular critic of India and has often tried to interfere in India’s internal matters using her position on International platforms. According to the official profile of Irene Khan on UNCHR, she was Secretary-General of Amnesty International from 2001 to 2009. Interestingly, Khan had to leave the organization in 2009 after she was accused of receiving over USD 700,000 from the organization. Under her leadership, Amnesty faced criticism for supporting Moazzam Begg, the former Guantanamo detainee and its links to Islamist groups. In 2022, she came out in support of a dubious journalist who is under ED’s scanner for alleged fraud done while raising funds for Covid relief work, Rana Ayyub.
Amnesty International is a dubious organization that has indulged in anti-India activities for a long time. Despite the non-issuance of FCRA licenses for its Indian chapter, the organization kept receiving foreign funds in India. After strict action from the Indian government in 2020, when ED froze its accounts, the organization closed its Indian chapter.
She was also director-general of the International Development Law Organization (IDLO), as mentioned by another Twitter user, Sagorika. Her profile on UN suggests she was part of IDLO from 2012 to 2019. China is a major contributor to IDLO and has been part of the collective since 1989. 2017 IDLO and China signed a memorandum on the “One Belt One Road” initiative.
Another aspect of Irene’s connection to China is that the Chinese govt was behind her appointment at the UN. In 2020, a China-led panel appointed her as the world monitor of free speech. UN Watch categorically mentioned in a report that Khan enjoys close ties with the Communist regime.
Fionnuala Ní Aoláin
According to her resume which can be seen here, Fionnuala Ní Aoláin was a member of the Women’s Program Board, Open Society Foundation owned by George Soros in 2018. Earlier, she was Chair, the Women’s Program Board, Open Society Foundation, with an Annual Budget of around $7,000,000 between 2011 and 2018. She received the Open Society Foundations Grant on Emergency Powers (Co-I) in 2020-21. George Soros is known for his anti-India and anti-Hindu views. Our detailed coverage of Soros can be seen here.
Balakrishnan Rajagopal
Rajagopal was an Open Society Foundation fellow. The year of his fellowship at the foundation was not mentioned.
Source: Open Society Foundation
Nazila Ghanea
According to her profile at Kellog University, her research on different topics was funded by the likes of Qatar Foundation and Open Society Institute. For those who are unaware, George Soros’s Open Society Foundation was previously called the Open Society Institute.
Source: Kellog University
Morris Tidball-Binz
He was director of regional and global human rights program for Amnesty International (UK) between 1990 and 2003. Notably, Amnesty International has a history of bias against India. Our detailed reports on Amnesty can be seen here. Furthermore, he is one of the UN experts who called for immediate release of Khurram Pervez who NIA arrested in a terror funding case.
Mary Lawlor
Mary Lawlor, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders at the United Nations, is the co-author of the anti-India rant on the investigation against Rana Ayyub. Lawlor is also linked to Amnesty International. She was director of the Irish chapter of the organisation from 1988 to 2000. Alongside, Irene, she also came out in support of Ayyub.
Lawlor had repeatedly targeted India for arresting Bhima-Koregaon violence accused Stan Swamy, who died of old age-related illness in 2021. She had said his death would “forever remain a stain on India’s human rights record.”
She had been meddling in India’s internal matters and tried her best to paint a negative picture of India on the international platform in Swamy’s case. However, she conveniently ignored that the Indian security agencies had found evidence against Swamy and the court had found these allegations legitimate multiple times to refuse bail. There were allegations that Indian authorities did not provide medical assistance to Swamy, but contrary to the allegations, he was provided with the best possible medical care.
She also raised objections over the arrest of Kashmiri separatist activist Khurram Parvez, whom the investigating agencies arrested in a terror funding case. NIA had arrested Parvez in November 2021 on the charges of terror funding. He was booked under Sections 17 (raising funds for the terrorist act), 18 (conspiracy), 18B (recruiting of any person or persons for the terrorist act), 38 (offence relating to membership of a terrorist organisation), and 40 (raising funds for a terrorist organisation) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
On February 22, a Delhi court sent him and two others to NIA custody on February 25 for interrogation linked to the arrest of former IPS officer Arvind Digvijay Negi in connection to sending sensitive documents to the terrorist organisation LeT.
Fernand de Varennes
Fernand de Varennes has a long history of meddling in India’s internal affairs. In May 2023, he said in a tweet that holding a G20 meeting in Kashmir would be a massive human rights violation.
— UN Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues (@fernanddev) May 15, 2023
Most of the so-called experts in the list have come out in support of terror suspects, Naxalites, farmer protests and other anti-India activities from time to time.
