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Wrestlers return to Jantar Mantar to protest against Wrestling Federation president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh

OpIndia Staff
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Wrestlers return to Jantar Mantar to protest against Wrestling Federation president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh

On Sunday, April 23, several top Indian wrestlers including Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia, and Vinesh Phogat returned to Jantar Mantar in Delhi to protest against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. It is notable that a complaint has also been lodged at Connaught Place Police Station by several female wrestlers on Friday this week against Singh accusing him of sexual harassment. The Delhi Police has not yet registered an FIR in the matter. 

A complaint has also been submitted to the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW), taking to Twitter DCW chief Swati Maliwal informed that a notice has been issued to the police and wrote, “Several women wrestlers of the country had given a complaint of sexual harassment against the WFI President at Connaught Place Police Station two days ago. One of the complainants is also a minor. Till now the Delhi Police has not registered an FIR in the matter, which is against the law. Have given notice to police, reply to DCW in 48 hours.”

We filed a complaint at CP Police Station, Sakshi Malik said during a press conference. Two days have passed, yet no FIR has been filed. Seven women, including a juvenile, filed complaints. Nothing has been done as of yet, although it makes for a POSCO case.

Taking to Twitter earlier in the day, wrestler Vinesh Phogat wrote that several female wrestlers who brought laurels to the country have been harassed and sexually exploited by Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. She also added that despite filing a police complaint, no FIR has been registered yet. 

Three months have passed since their initial sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar in January of this year. The protesting wrestlers had leveled an array of accusations against Singh and the federation, including money embezzlement, mental and sexual abuse, threats of death, and sexual exploitation.

Following this, an Oversight Committee was formed by the government on January 23, with star boxer Mary Kom as its head. The committee was tasked with investigating the allegations leveled against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and a one-month deadline was also set, however, till now the findings of the committee have not been made public. Wrestlers like Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, and Vinesh Phogat have expressed their disappointment over the same. 

Yogeshwar Dutt, an Olympic medal-winning wrestler, former badminton player, and member of the Mission Olympic Cell, Rajesh Rajagopalan, a former CEO of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme, and Radhica Sreeman, a former executive director (teams) of the Sports Authority of India, are the other members of the Oversight Committee.

Following the protests in January, Brij Bhushan Singh had rejected allegations of dictatorship and sexual harassment raised by wrestlers on 18th January 2023. Brij Bhushan Singh has said,  “I am ready to face an FIR, or CBI inquiry and even face the highest legal authority in India. I will hang myself if the allegations are found to be true.”

Congress believes Rahul Gandhi’s exit from 12 Tughlaq Lane will lead to his entry at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg but here is why they are far from the truth

Amit Kelkar
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Congress believes Rahul Gandhi’s exit from 12 Tughlaq Lane will lead to his entry at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg but here is why they are far from the truth

On Saturday (April 22), Congress scion Rahul Gandhi handed over the keys of his plush government accommodation, located at 12 Tughlaq Lane, to the authorities.

He had held the bungalow since 2005 but had to give up its possession after 18 years. The development came after Rahul Gandhi was convicted by a Surat Court for defaming the socially backward ‘Modi community’ and eventually disqualified from the Lok Sabha.

As per protocol, the Congress scion had no choice but to give up his government accommodation. However, the grand old party and its supporters chose to make a spectacle of the simple event in the hopes of stirring public sympathy.

Former Congress spokesperson, Sanjay Jha, claimed, “Rahul Gandhi may have vacated his house. But he has found a home in over a billion hearts. Truth wins. Always. It will triumph again.”

Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera found answers to profound questions surrounding politics in the eyes of Rahul Gandhi. He claimed that Rahul Gandhi exemplifies stubbornness and dedication.

Shantanu, who identifies as a ‘Nehruvian’ on social media, hailed Rahul Gandhi as the source of motivation for being able to ‘smile’ while handing over the keys of his former accommodation.

“This picture will be remembered throughout history. The smile on Rahul Gandhi’s face even after going through all type of targeted harassment. One thing I always learn from him is how to be patient during tough times and now He’s the real source of motivation for me.…”

The hullabaloo continued further when Rahul Gandhi claimed that he had to give up his government accommodation on account of speaking the ‘truth.’

“The people of Hindustan gave me this house for 19 years, I want to thank them. It’s the price for speaking the truth. I am ready to pay any price for speaking the truth…” the Congress scion was heard as saying.

In reality, Rahul Gandhi had to be removed as MP and asked to let go of his bungalow on account of his despicable rant against the underprivileged ‘Modi’ community.

During an election rally in the run-up to the 2019 elections, the Congress scion had said, “Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi, Narendra Modi… how come they all have Modi as a common surname? How come all thieves have Modi as a common surname?”

Rahul Gandhi is now continuing to mock the Judiciary and insult the Modi community by claiming that he is being penalised for speaking the ‘truth.’

The Congress ecosystem is eulogising Rahul Gandhi as if he made some form of a ‘sacrifice’ for the welfare of the nation by surrendering his government bungalow. Some loyalists had even gone to the extent of claiming that Rahul Gandhi will become Prime Minister on account of this particular event.

Despite all attempts at portraying the Congress scion as a victim, the people of India are well aware of the realities. They have not forgotten how the grand-old party mocked Narendra Modi, who hails from the backward Modh Ghanchi community, with elitist and unparliamentary jibes.

The attitude of the grand old party and its past record will continue to remind voters that all ‘sob stories’ surrounding Rahul Gandhi are nothing but hogwash and, at best, a political ruse ahead of the 2024 General elections.

Kerala: Xavier of Kochi arrested for sending letter threatening to kill PM Narendra Modi, used his neighbour’s name and number to frame him

Gopal Tiwari
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Kerala: Xavier of Kochi arrested for sending letter threatening to kill PM Narendra Modi, used his neighbour’s name and number to frame him

On Sunday, 23rd April 2023, the Kerala police arrested a person named Xavier from Kochi who allegedly sent a letter threatening to carry out a suicide bomb attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his two-day visit to the state. Xavier wrote the letter because he had a personal resentment towards Joseph Johnny, a native of Kaloor, whose name and phone number were mentioned in the alleged letter, said Kerala police.

Kerala police examined the handwriting of the accused before arresting him. He confessed to the crime during the interrogation. The police had registered a case in this regard on Saturday after state BJP chief K Surendran received a letter threatening to attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

On April 18, a letter sent in the game of Ernakulam resident Joseph John Nadumuttathil was received by Kerala BJP’s office, threatening to kill prime minister Narendra Modi. The letter also included the phone number of John. The letter was delivered at the state BJP office on April 18, 6 days before PM Narendra Modi’s visit to Kerala.

Later, the authorities discovered that Joseph John is NJ Johnny, an Ernakulam local. During questioning by police, Johnny claimed that he never wrote the letter. He further said that he suspects that it was written by his neighbour, Xavier. Johnny told the law enforcement officers that Xavier may have done it out of a personal vendetta.

Xavier was eventually questioned based on Johny’s allegations, but he denied the accusation. After that, the handwriting of the letter was examined scientifically. He was arrested after his handwriting matched the handwriting of the threat letter. He confessed to the crime during the interrogation, police said.

Locals testified against Xavier as well. Johnny stated that there was a disagreement about funds during a church prayer group meeting, and Xavier threatened him with the repercussions.

On April 24, Prime Minister Modi will travel to Kochi and participate in a road show. He will meet with the top leaders of nine different Churches after addressing a youth gathering.

He will spend the night in Kochi and leave for the state capital Thiruvananthapuram the following morning to kick off the inaugural Vande Bharat Express. From there, he would head to the Central Stadium to inaugurate a few projects and deliver a speech to the public at around midday. He will then leave for Gujarat.

Elephant in Karachi Zoo dies, animal activists demand the closure of the zoo

OpIndia Staff
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Elephant in Karachi Zoo dies, animal activists demand the closure of the zoo

On Saturday, 22nd April 2023, a 17-year-old female elephant named Noor Jehan died in a zoo in Karachi in Pakistan. The animal protection organisation that had been caring for the elephant advocated for the zoo’s closure in response.

According to Four Paws, a global animal welfare organisation, the elephant had significant illnesses before falling into a pond last week and was unable to get up without assistance. Noor Jehan had undergone a critical medical procedure at the hands of a team of international veterinarians earlier this month.

Noor Jehan received emergency treatment for a tumour that had incapacitated her back legs. During her rehabilitation, she got stuck in the pool within her enclosure. The 3.5-ton elephant was hauled out by zoo employees, but she was unable to stand and she laid stricken for nine days, a “life-threatening situation for elephants,” according to the wildlife organisation.

Kanwar Ayub, a top official at the Karachi Zoo said that Noor Jehan was transported to Karachi with three other elephants more than a decade ago. She died in an accident, just days after a procedure to check her condition was performed by an Austrian team of animal healthcare professionals.

Syed Saifur Rehman, Karachi’s top city administration official, stated that city and zoo supervisors undertook all possible measures to soothe the long-ailing elephant following the treatment this month. He added, “Sadly we could not save Noor Jehan despite making all efforts including bringing in a team of foreign experts for her treatment.”

Noor Jehan was an African elephant, whose average lifespan is 60 to 70 years. Four Paws veterinarian Amir Khalil said that it was “heartbreaking that she had to die at only 17 years old when she could have had many more years”. 

According to a statement issued by Four Paws International, the Karachi Zoo “does not meet international standards” and is not suited to care for elephants. The organisation has stated its support for a forced closure.

The situation of animals confined in zoos in Pakistan is worsening. In April 2020, a court ordered the closure of Pakistan’s only zoo in Islamabad after substandard facilities and animal maltreatment were discovered. It’s the same zoo where Kaavan, the elephant, was held. In a scheme supported by US popstar and actor Cher, an Asian elephant named Kaavan was transported to retirement in Cambodia.

Bihar Police accept that a blast took place in Nalanda, one Mohammad Adil arrested

OpIndia Staff
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Bihar Police accept that a blast took place in Nalanda, one Mohammad Adil arrested

On Saturday, April 22, a blast was reported in the Nalanda district of Bihar and police arrived at the spot to launch an investigation. It has now been reported that among the two people who were injured in the blast, one Mohammad Adil has been arrested by the police. Mohammad Adil alias Khanna is currently receiving medical attention while in police custody. 

The second person who suffered injuries in this explosion has been identified as Mohammad Jaan. The police have confirmed the occurrence of a blast in the Pahadpura area of Bihar Sharif and described it as a low-intensity explosion. Local witnesses say that they first heard the sound of an explosion and then saw smoke arising. 

Initially, police after checking the CCTV footage of the incident accepted that there was white smoke emerging, however, they prima facie rejected the occurrence of a blast. Mohammad Adil who is currently under police custody is a painter by profession. It is being said that other than Mohammad Adil and Mohammad John, two other people also sustained injuries. Meanwhile, Mohammad Adil alias Khanna has accused Mohammad John of the blast. Adil alleged that John used firecrackers to cause a blast as he returned from somewhere.

The incident reportedly took place at a hut in Nayatola. According to the police, the FSL team investigated the matter and the police is also conducting further probe.

According to Nalanda District Superintendent of Police Ashok Mishra, Mohammad Adil is being treated in police custody at Sadar Hospital. SP Mishra added that Mohammad Adil will be questioned after he recovers from his injuries.

AAP leader Sanjay Singh tries to take credit for Amritpal Singh’s arrest, gets called out by Netizens

OpIndia Staff
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AAP leader Sanjay Singh tries to take credit for Amritpal Singh’s arrest, gets called out by Netizens

Rajya Sabha MP and Aam Aadmi Party spokesperson Sanjay Singh released a video today after the arrest of the fugitive Amritpal Singh extolling his party’s Punjab government. “Amritpal Singh’s arrest has proven that the AAP government won’t comprise on law and order. The security and protection of the people of Punjab are most important to us. Our priority is to deliver peace and harmony to the citizens of Punjab. Today, it has been proved that Bhagwant Mann’s government, AAP’s government, is capable of taking the toughest measures (to maintain the rule of law),” he stated in the clip.

The politician also praised Punjab Police for making the arrest. “For the last month, continuous action was undertaken against Amritpal’s close associates, his properties were raided, so he was forced to turn himself in today and was arrested. I compliment Punjab Police on their decisive action. They showed intelligence and courage. Not one stone was pelted anywhere,” he remarked.

“Throughout this operation, the administration of Bhagwant Maan demonstrated maturity. During the course of the action, there was no disruption to peace and harmony in Punjab. There wasn’t any violence. Thus, it has been established today that the AAP has the ability to take the most stringent steps but will never jeopardise Punjab’s peace, harmony, and law and order,” he mentioned lauding the state government.

However, netizens didn’t agree with his assessment and called him out for taking undue credit for the arrest of the ‘Waris Punjab De’ chief. One commented, “Create a video and claim the credit without contributing anything. Empty vessels make the most noise! Even if you turned off a water tap or removed a stone from the road, you would take credit. You take pride in your meagre accomplishments as though you are doing us any favours. Just do your work.”

Another remarked that is why you (the AAP government) helped him (Amritpal Singh) escape (the arrest) before.

Nitin Abhishek mocked the MP about the rumours (which we cannot verify) that he used to sell movie tickets in black before joining politics.

A user referred to the AAP leader’s statement as a lie. “AAP was quiet when Amritpal Sigh attacked a police station (in Ajnala). The Home Minister ordered the IB, NIA, and Central Force to launch the crackdown (on Amritpal Singh), which is how the action against him began. If you were so strong, how did Bhindranwale Part 2 reach Moga and why didn’t the police catch him (before today),” he asked.

Rupak Tyagi posted a news screenshot of the high court criticising the Punjab government for its failure to capture Amritpal Singh and charged, “Court told us what AAP did.”

“The criminal (Amritpal Singh) has surrendered. Now, come let us pat their (AAP leaders) backs for it,” wrote another one. “Look at the shamelessness! Police were unable to arrest him. He and his goons stormed a police station (in Ajnala). Now, he (Sanjay Singh) is unabashedly talking about maintaining peace,” she accused.

Amritpal Singh was apprehended from Moga (Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale’s village), Punjab in the wee hours of Sunday morning by the state police. National Security Act (NSA) has been invoked and he is transported to Dibrugarh Central Jail in Assam where eight of his close aides are already imprisoned under the NSA. He had been on the run since March 18, and Punjab Police had launched a massive manhunt for him.

West Bengal: Aghori Sadhu found hanging outside Kali Mandir in Birbhum, locals allege murder by temple secretary

OpIndia Staff
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West Bengal: Aghori Sadhu found hanging outside Kali Mandir in Birbhum, locals allege murder by temple secretary

On Sunday (April 23), the dead body of an Aghori Sadhu was found hanging outside the Behira Kali Mandir in the Birbhum district of West Bengal. As per reports, the deceased was identified as one Bhuban Mandal. A native of the Panchra area, Mandal had been staying at the Kali temple for over 10 years.

According to the locals, he was absent for the past 8-10 days and only returned to the temple on Saturday (April 22). His dead body was recovered the following day, hanging from a tree adjacent to the Behira Kali Mandir.

While reacting strongly about the matter, BJP National spokesperson Amit Malviya said, “While Mamata Banerjee delivers a provocative communal speech to a Muslim gathering on Eid, urging them to fight imaginary ghosts, a Aghori panth Sadhu has been murdered and hung outside Behira Kali Mandir in Birbhum. TMC leaders are involved in the crim…Another day in Bengal.”

Police send the body for post-mortem

Some villagers have claimed that they met the Adhori Sadhu at 5 o’clock in the morning. When they went out for a morning walk, they saw him the sadhu arranging for prayers in the temple. Two hours later, he was found hanging from the tree. The local residents have alleged that it is a case of murder.

Meanwhile, police have claimed that a suicide note, written in Bengali, has been recovered from the bag of the deceased. Initially, the locals resisted the police from taking down the body of the Aghori Sadhu. Later, they relented and the body was sent for post-mortem.

Contrary to the claims made by the police, the locals contended that the deceased did not know to write in Bengali and that the suicide note has been written by someone else.

Cops arrest temple committee secretary

They have accused Behira Kali Mandir committee secretary named Kalyan Banerjee of murdering Bhuban Mandal. As per the locals, Banerjee was involved in anti-social work and the deceased learnt about his activities. The locals allege that Banerjee killed Mandal and wrote the suicide note in Bengali.

Meanwhile, the police have arrested the accused and a probe has been initiated into the matter. Kalyan Banerjee will be interrogated by the cops in connection to the case.

“Police maintained sanctity, didn’t enter Gurudwara…” Punjab IGP on Amritpal’s arrest

ANI
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“Police maintained sanctity, didn’t enter Gurudwara…” Punjab IGP on Amritpal’s arrest

Narrating the sequence leading upto to the arrest of ‘Waris Punjab De’ chief, Punjab’s Inspector General of Police (IGP), Headquarters, Sukhchain Singh Gill on Sunday said that the police did not enter Gurudwara Sahib to maintain its sanctity. 
Amritpal Singh was arrested today morning and will be shifted to Dibrugarh, Assam. Amritpal has been on the run since March 18, the day Punjab Police launched a massive manhunt for him. 

Addressing a press conference, Gill said that police arrested the ‘Waris Punjab De’ chief after he was surrounded from all sides and had no way out. 

“…Amritpal Singh has been arrested by Punjab Police at around 6.45 am today morning in village Rode. A joint operation was conducted by Amritsar Police and Intelligence Wing of Punjab Police. He was located in village Rode based on operational inputs by Punjab Police. To maintain sanctity, the Police didn’t enter Gurudwara Sahib. He has been taken to Dibrugarh under NSA…,” he said. 

“It is very clear that we have arrested him, he was surrounded from all sides and had no way to escape. Whatever he said inside the Gurudwara Sahib it is not right to comment on it,” he added. 

He said that National Security Act (NSA) warrants were issued against Amritpal Singh and those warrants have been executed this morning. 

“NSA warrants were issued against Amritpal Singh and those warrants have been executed today morning…Amritpal Singh has been arrested by Punjab Police around 6.45 am today morning in the village Rode,” said Sukhchain Singh Gill. 

“Amritpal Singh has been sent to Dibrugarh, Assam and further action will be taken as per law and order in the case. A warning has been issued against disturbing elements trying to jeopardise the peace and harmony of the state,” he added. 

Hours before his arrest, ‘Waris Punjab De’ chief Amritpal Singh addressed the devotees this morning in Rodewal Gurudwara in Punjab’s Moga. 

“Amritpal Singh came to the Rodewal Gurudwara on Saturday night. He himself informed the police about his presence and that he will surrender this morning at 7 am,” claimed Singh Sahib Giani Jasbir Singh Rode of Rodewal Gurudwara in Moga, while speaking to ANI over phone. 

The crackdown came almost over three weeks after Amritpal’s supporters stormed Ajnala police station in Amritsar on February 23, demanding the release of one of his aides, Lovepreet Toofan. 

Amritpal was then declared a fugitive by the police. 

The Punjab Police had issued a lookout circular (LOC) and non-bailable warrant (NBW) against the ‘Waris Punjab De’ chief about a month ago. 

His associates were earlier arrested from various parts of the state. 

Two aides of the radical preacher and Khalistan leader Amritpal Singh were arrested at Mohali in Punjab, in a joint operation by Punjab and Delhi Police on April 18. 

On April 15, Punjab Police arrested his close aide Joga Singh from Sirhind in the Fatehgarh Sahib district. 

Another close aid of the pro khalistani leader, Papalpreet Singh was arrested on April 10, in an operation conducted by Punjab Police and its counter-intelligence unit.

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

Here is why Imran Khan supporters are attacking Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir

OpIndia Staff
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Here is why Imran Khan supporters are attacking Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir

On April 23, former Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan’s supporters launched an attack on Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir. The attack was because of his statement on a Pakistani channel where he claimed ex-Pakistani Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa wanted to open a backdoor discussion with India, but Imran Khan did not allow for it.

Hamid Mir also made similar statements in January this year. Later, in March 2023, Khan also made a statement on similar lines claiming Bajwa used to pressurise him to start talks with India.

In a recent discussion with Nasim Zehra on City O42, Hamid Mir claimed that Bajwa got into a secret agreement with the Modi government on Kashmir, and it has not been made public. He added that PM Modi’s visit was scheduled for Pakistan soon after a ceasefire agreement was signed between India and Pakistan. Interestingly, according to Hamid Mir, neither the foreign Minister Quereshi nor the Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan were aware of the possibility of such a visit in April 2021.

Hamid claimed that when Bajwa was questioned about it, he allegedly told Quereshi that Pakistan was not in a state of war with India. Hamid claimed a similar story was narrated by Bajwa in front of around 25 journalists when Imran Khan was PM of the country.

Hamid Mir further claimed in a video message secretively sent by late Hurriyat separatist Syed Ali Shah Geelani that General Bajwa was more dangerous than former President Musharraf. He also claimed that former Prime Minister of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, Farooq Haider Khan was aware of India’s plans to abrogate Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. He claimed when Farooq approached Bajwa to take action, he refused, saying Pakistan could not attack India. Farooq then went to London and informed Nawaz Sharif about the situation.

Pakistanis react to Hamid Mir’s statements

Twitter user OSINT Insider said, “Bajwa told Hamid Mir that he wanted to make a deal with India on Kashmir, but Imran Khan and SMQ refused to do so. But instead of telling people about this sinister plan by Bajwa, Hamid Mir kept criticising Imran Khan. No mention of Bajwa & his Modi plan anywhere.” He blamed Mir for not telling the Pakistani people about the “sinister” plan of Bajwa and accused him of attacking Imran Khan with propaganda.

Twitter user Saith Abdullah said, “Hamid Mir used to say before that Imran Khan sold Kashmir, and now he is saying Gen (R) Bajwa and Gen (R) Faiz Hameed sold Kashmir, and Imran Khan & Shah Mehmood Qureshi showed resistance. Hamid Mir is truly a vile & shameless liar with zero dignity & a champion of propagandists.”

Imran Khan accused Bajwa of forcing him to start talks with India

On April 3, Imran Khan claimed Bajwa had pressurised him to start talks with India. He said, “Bajwa wanted me to develop friendly ties with India. He put pressure on me for this and it was one of the reasons our relationship deteriorated.” Interestingly, Khan has also started suggesting that Pakistan should develop friendly relations with India. However, India has repeatedly said talks would not be possible in an environment of terror, hostility, and violence.

Congress resumes its social media goof-ups, this time exposing how Rajiv Gandhi called Dr Manmohan Singh and his team a ‘bunch of jokers’

Shraddha Pandey
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Congress resumes its social media goof-ups, this time exposing how Rajiv Gandhi called Dr Manmohan Singh and his team a ‘bunch of jokers’

On Sunday, April 23, the Indian National Congress party posted a trivia on its official Twitter account, wherein it asked who the Prime Minister of India was when the seventh Five Year Plan was announced. An image posted by the party read, “Did you know? Seventh Five year Plan was announced during the tenure of which prime minister?” four options were also given, namely Rajiv Gandhi, P.V. Narasimha Rao, Chaudhary Charan Singh, and Chandrashekhar. 

Screengrab of the tweet posted by Congress

While this was a simple question with the answer being Rajiv Gandhi, it backfired for the Congress party, because social media users pointed out how former PM Rajiv Gandhi had criticised the Planning Commission, which was responsible for implementing the five-year plans. In fact, Rajiv Gandhi had called the Planning Commission a bunch of jokers.

While answering the question, popular Twitter “Befitting Facts” wrote that the Five Year Plan was announced during the tenure of Rajiv Gandhi as the prime minister of India and was headed by Dr. Manmohan Singh. Along with it, they also pointed out the fact that Rajiv Gandhi had back then called Dr. Singh and his team a “bunch of jokers”.

“Rajiv Gandhi. It was headed by Manmohan Singh and Rajiv Gandhi called them Bunch Of Jokers. #DidYouKnow,” Befitting Facts replied to Congress’s tweet. 

When Rajiv Gandhi called Dr Manmohan Singh and his team at Planning Commission a “bunch of jokers”

Interestingly, C.G Somiah who served as the eighth Comptroller and Auditor General of India and was the Secretary of the Planning Commission when the 7th Five Year Plan was announced, has mentioned in his autobiography titled The Honest Always Stand Alone that the then Prime Minster Rajiv Gandhi and ex-officio Chairman of the Planning Commission had called Manmohan Singh, who was the deputy chairman of the Planning Commission back then and his team a “bunch of jokers” while speaking to journalists.

Following this, Manmohan Singh was so hurt that he had made up his mind to quit, however, Somiah in his book stated that he managed to convince him not to do so by saying that Rajiv Gandhi was “young and inexperienced,” and it was their duty to educate him.

The term of the seventh five-year plan was from 1985 to 1990. During the first meeting of the commission, Rajiv Gandhi expressed his disagreement with the approach of the Planning Commission to the plan. He spoke for the next 30 minutes after hearing the Commission’s explanation of the plan. Unaware of the ground realities, Rajiv Gandhi shared his vision of leading a “fully developed” India into the twenty-first century.

Rajiv, who was raised in a city and received his education abroad, had little knowledge of the real India. Manmohan Singh, the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, requested an internal meeting to further analyze the situation. 

In his book, Somiah stated, “The broad consensus that emerged was that the Prime Minister was urban-centric without any knowledge of the socially and financially backward condition of the vast population living in the rural areas.”

Somiah further pointed out that during an internal meeting, PM Rajiv Gandhi was not only unimpressed with Manmohan Singh’s explanation of the negative economic indicators prevalent in the country but also made several disparaging remarks about his presentation. 

“In the next meeting of the Planning Commission, the soft-spoken Dr. Singh deliberated at length on the negative economic indicators prevalent in the country, which could not be ignored for providing relief in any future plan. The Prime Minister was not impressed and made some hurtful derogatory remarks about Dr. Singh’s presentation,” C.G. Somiah mentioned in his book.

Days after the meeting concluded without any specific directions from the prime minister, Somiah states that “the Prime Minister shared his thoughts with journalists, calling us a ‘bunch of jokers’ who were bereft of any modern ideas of development.”

Excerpt from C.G Somiah’s autobiography The Honest Always Stand Alone

Congress and its social media goof-ups

Apparently, Congress seems to have resumed its social media goof-ups which they had started ahead of the 2019 general elections. Back in 2017, the Congress social media team ran a campaign #KnowYourLegacy in which they conducted various polls asking questions related to Congress leaders and the Nehru-Gandhi family. In one such poll Congress had asked “What animal did Prime Minister Nehru arrive in Bhutan on in 1958?”, to this, netizens poked fun at the party as they voted for donkey amongst other options yak, horse, and elephant. However, the correct answer was a yak. After realizing what happened, Congress deleted the poll only to post it again hours later with the same options. People back then had trolled the Congress party and the tweet even to this date remains not-deleted. The Congress party was massively trolled as people picked up the #KnowYourLegacy hashtag to share the ‘other’ legacy the Congress leaders left behind. 

When Congress paid a ‘unique’ tribute to Raja Ram Mohan Roy

On September 27, 2017, Congress’s Twitter handle posted an image paying tributes to Raja Ram Mohan Roy on his death anniversary. Interestingly, the Congress social media team had written the date of death (27th September 1833) before the date of birth (22nd May 1772) which appears as if he was born on 27th September 1833 and passed away on 22nd May 1772 which is just not possible.

When the Congress SM team brought Indira Gandhi back from the dead to inaugurate a bridge in West Bengal

In October 2017 Congress posted a tweet that read “Indira Gandhi inaugurated the Vidyasagar Setu in West Bengal. It can handle 85,000 vehicles a day. #ThisDayThatYear” As per the tweet, Indira Gandhi inaugurated the Vidyasagar Setu, which was actually opened on 10th October 1992, which is eight years after she was assassinated. As the netizens started trolling Congress, the tweet was deleted and reposted with the correct information. 

When the Congress Twitter account referred to Subhadra as Lord Jagannath’s ‘brother’ 

In 2018, on the occasion of the annual Jagannath Yatra, Congress’s Twitter account posted a video of the journey. The video talked about Lord Jagannath’s journey with his ‘brothers.’ Lord Jagannath goes on the annual journey to the Gundicha Temple along with his brother Balaram and sister Subhadra. In the tweet, Congress mentioned Gundicha Temple as Gundicha Ghar, although there is no such place. 

Congress poll based on fake news

In February 2018, the Congress Twitter handle ran a poll based on a piece of fake news that the telecom ministry has approved 13-digit numbers for regular mobile users while the fact was that the 13-digit numbers are required only for M2M (machine-to-machine) connections.

These are just a few gems of the numerous goof-ups by the Congress party’s social media team and with the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, all parties will ramp up their election campaigns, particularly their social media campaigns. In that case, the Congress party is likely to commit many more gaffes.

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