On 24th March 2023, Rahul Gandhi clarified that he was not wiping his nose on Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s jacket in a video that had gone viral on 18th March 2023. Rahul Gandhi was seen saying so in a video that appeared on 24th March 2023. He is seen helping Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge down the stairs in this video.
While helping Mallikarjun Kharge come down the stairs, Rahul Gandhi said, “If I touch you now, they say I’m wiping my nose on your back. Utter nonsense. Have you seen that? That I am helping you over there, they’re saying that I’m wiping my nose on you.”
#WATCH | “If I touch you now, they say I’m wiping my nose on your back. Utter nonsense. Have you seen that? That I am helping you over there, they’re saying that I’m wiping my nose on you,” says Congress MP Rahul Gandhi as he helps party chief Mallikarjun Kharge down the stairs. pic.twitter.com/l6qUSdfS0i
On 18th March 2023, a video of Rahul Gandhi went viral. The Karnataka unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party tweeted that video and wrote in the caption, “Unfortunately, the video epitomises what ‘Gandhi’s’ think of senior leaders like Mallikarjun Kharge. It is highly condemnable that Rahul Gandhi uses somebody as his tissue paper! This Humiliation to a Kannadiga can not be forgiven.”
UNFORTUNATELY, the video epitomises what ‘Gandhi’s’ think of senior leaders like @kharge.
It is highly condemnable that @RahulGandhi uses somebody as his TISSUE PAPER!
In an attempt to reply to the BJP, Congress’ social media in-charge Nitin Agarwal said that the Congress scion had invited Kharge to drop him at his house. He said, “Watch the full clip, he invited Kharge Ji to drop him to his house, The 40% Commission Government has left with nothing to campaign & as usual started fake Propaganda.”
Local officials in Delhi have chosen to construct public restrooms near the British High Commissioner’s residence because they believe it necessary. The UK government, on the other hand, has objected to the decision, citing security concerns, the Economic Times reported on Friday (March 24).
The report reads that a public toilet has been deemed necessary in the neighbourhood of British High Commissioner Alex Ellis’ residence at Rajaji Marg at Meena Bagh in Lutyens Delhi. However, the UK government has resisted the decision stating security reasons.
This news comes on the heels of India’s decision to remove external security from in front of the British High Commission and the residence of the British High Commissioner in Delhi. The decision, which came as a surprise, is being seen as a reaction to the recent attack on the Indian High Commission in London by Khalistani extremists.
On March 22, reports emerged that the Indian authorities had removed barricades placed in front of the British High Commission and the British High Commissioner’s residence and removed all external security provided to the British mission in India.
Apart from removing barricades and bunkers installed in front of the gate of the British High Commission on Shantipath at Chanakyapuri diplomatic enclave, the team of Delhi police along with PCR vans stationed there has also been removed. Similarly, the barricades installed in front of the residence of British High Commissioner Alex Ellis at Rajaji Marg at Meena Bagh in the Lutyens Delhi area also have been removed by Delhi police.
Special security measures such as road diverter, speed breaker, bunkers made of sandbags, PCR vans and local police stationed outside the premises have been removed, visuals posted on social media show. Reportedly, the Indian govt is of the opinion that the British High Commission in India is already in the safe zone, and there is no requirement for such additional security measures.
The Uttar Pradesh Police on Thursday, March 23, attached properties worth Rs 9 crore that belonged to BSP politician and meat mafia Haji Yakub Qureshi, as part of the UP government’s ongoing action against meat mafias in Uttar Pradesh. Other unlawful assets totalling over Rs 31 crore have also been identified. On the other hand, on the third day of the Income Tax Department’s raid on the residence of Aligarh meat businessman Haji Zaheer, property worth crores of rupees has been found.
Speaking about the police action on the properties of Yakub Qureshi, Circle Officer (CO) Kithore Rupali Roy said, “two plots of lands of Haji Yakub Qureshi which have been attached today are in the name of Haji Yakub Qureshi’s wife Sanjeeda Begum. These properties were purchased with money obtained through criminal activities.”
CO Roy added that Yakub’s other illegal assets, worth Rs 31 crore 77 lakhs, have also been marked. Action will be initiated on these also.
A total of 26 properties, including both land and buildings, have been identified as belonging to Yakub. There are 32 cars in all. There are more than 24 premium four-wheelers and some two-wheelers.
Haji Yakub Qureshi, a former minister in the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Samajwadi Party (SP) governments, is currently held in Sonbhadra Prison. Imran and Firoz, two of his sons, are presently out on bail.
Seven luxurious houses are among the 26 sites that have been designated as land and buildings. These mansions are located at various locations in Meerut. Yakub’s school, hospital, meat factory, land, two homes in Sarai Bahlim, and other unlawful properties have been identified by the police on Hapur Road.
Yakub Qureshi owns property in ten villages. Some construction work has also been done at these places. Two bungalows in Sarai Bahlim Kotwali were bought in the name of Sanjeeda Begum. In Zahidpur, a bungalow, and six buildings have been identified.
Registered in the names of Yakub and his sons Imran and Firoz, luxury and expensive vehicles such as Mercedes, Jaguar, and Range Rover have also been found. There are 23 vehicles registered to the Alfahim Meatex Company, including the Innova, Pajero, Balero, and 5 Scorpio.
Former minister Haji Yaqoob Qureshi owned and ran Al Fahim Meatex Private Limited. This meat factory is situated in Village Allipur Jijmana Dhikauli under the Kharkhauda police station area. There was an illegal business of meat packaging and processing going on in the factory. Police charged 18 people, including Yakub Qureshi, his wife Shamjida, and sons Firoz and Imran, after recovering meat from the spot. Meat worth five crore rupees was caught in the factory.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, arrived at Rudrakash Convention Centre in Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, where he will be addressing the ‘One World TB Summit’.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is also present with PM Modi at the summit. PM Modi will be addressing the summit on World Tuberculosis Day at Rudrakash Convention Centre.
This summit is being organised by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and the Stop TB Partnership.
Founded in 2001, the Stop TB Partnership is a United Nations-hosted organisation that amplifies the voices of the people, communities, and countries affected by TB.
During the event, Prime Minister will launch various initiatives including the TB-Mukt Panchayat initiative; the official pan-India rollout of a shorter TB Preventive Treatment (TPT); a Family-centric care model for TB and the release of India’s Annual TB Report 2023. PM will also award select States/UTs and districts for their progress towards ending TB.
In March 2018, during the End TB summit held in New Delhi, Prime Minister called for India to achieve TB-related SDG targets by 2025, five years ahead of the stipulated time.
One World TB Summit will provide an opportunity to further deliberate upon the targets as the country moves forward to meet its TB elimination objectives, according to the official statement.
It will also be an opportunity to showcase learnings from National TB Elimination Programmes. International delegates from over 30 countries are scheduled to be present at the summit.
Later in the day Prime Minister will dedicate and lay the foundation stone of projects worth over Rs 1780 crore, during the programme at Sampurnanand Sanskrit University ground. In the last nine years, Prime Minister has put a special focus on transforming the landscape of his parliamentary constituency Varanasi and enhancing the ease of living for the people living in the city and adjoining areas. This is believed to be another step in this direction.
The PM will lay the foundation stone of the Passenger Ropeway from Varanasi Cantt station to Godowlia. The cost of the project is estimated to be around Rs. 645 crores. The ropeway system will be 3.75 km in length with five stations. This will facilitate ease of movement for the tourists, pilgrims and residents of Varanasi.
The PM will lay the foundation stone of 55 MLD sewage treatment plants at Bhagwanpur under Namami Ganga Scheme, to be built at a cost of more than Rs. 300 crores. Under the Khelo India Scheme, the foundation stone of Phases 2 and 3 of the redevelopment work of Sigra Stadium will be laid by the Prime Minister. PM Modi will also lay the foundation stone of the LPG bottling plant at Isarwar village, Sewapuri to be built by Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd.
Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone of various other projects including a primary health centre in Bharthara village, a floating jetty with changing rooms, among others.
Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, PM Modi will dedicate 19 drinking water schemes, which will benefit more than 3 lakh people in 63 Gram Panchayats. To further strengthen the rural drinking water system, the PM will also lay the foundation stone of 59 drinking water schemes under the Mission.
For farmers, exporters and traders in and around Varanasi, the grading, sorting, and processing of fruits and vegetables will be possible at an integrated pack house which has been constructed at Karkhiyaon. Prime Minister will dedicate this project to the nation during the event. It will help in boosting agricultural exports of Varanasi and the surrounding region.
He will dedicate various projects under the Varanasi Smart City Mission including redevelopment work of Rajghat and Mahmoorganj government schools; beautification of internal city roads; redevelopment of 6 parks and ponds of the city among others.
The Prime Minister will also dedicate various other infrastructure projects including the ATC tower at Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport; the 2 MW solar power plant at water works premises, Bhelupur; 800 KW solar power plant at Konia Pumping Station; the new Community Health Center at Sarnath; infrastructure improvement of Industrial estate at Chandpur; rejuvenation of temples of Kedareshwar, Vishweshwar and Omkareshwar Khand Parikrama among others.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
On Thursday, March 23, the National Conference President and former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Farooq Abdullah said that Lord Rama was ‘sent by Allah’ to guide the people on the right path.
He also claimed that Lord Rama is not a deity of Hindus only rather he is revered by all just like Allah is not just the “god of Muslims” but the god of people belonging to other religions as well. He also accused the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) of using Lord Rama for gaining political power.
“You will see a lot of money will be invested like anything. People will be fed about Lord Rama again and again. It might happen that they will inaugurate the ‘Ram Mandir’ at the same time. But get this in your mind that Lord Rama is not a deity of only Hindus. He is the lord of everybody who keeps faith in him, irrespective of religion, be it a Christian or Muslim, American or Russian. Similarly, ‘Allah’ is not only for the Muslims, he is everyone’s Rabb (god),” Abdullah said while addressing a rally in Udhampur.
Citing one recently deceased Pakistani Maulana Asar’s exegesis in Quran, Abdullah claimed that he had written that “Lord Rama was sent by Allah to preach to the humans and guide them to the right path”. He also claimed that the Shri Ram Temple in Ayodhya will be inaugurated ahead of the elections to divert the attention of the common people.
Udhampur | I think when elections are announced in J&K they will inaugurate Ram temple to divert the attention of the common masses but Ram is for everyone. They wanted to sell Ram, but they didn’t love Ram. They wanted to remain in power at any cost: Farooq Abdullah at a rally pic.twitter.com/EuyY1HaG0i
Taking a dig at the central government and the BJP, Abdullah said that “the ones who claim to be Ram Bhakt (devotees of Lord Rama) are the fake bhakts. They are not his devotees; they just want to sell Lord Rama to serve their political purpose. Therefore, I appeal you to go among the people and ask them to stop their propaganda of hatred. You must have seen how some women were extracting oil from the ‘diyas’ after the ‘Deepotsav’ in Varanasi, they told the media there that Bhagwan does not need the oil so they are taking it so that they could cook meal for their children, this was the condition.”
Maulana Arshad Madani had made similar claims recently
It is pertinent to note that recently, the president of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind (Arshad faction), Maulana Syed Arshad Madani had made similar assertions saying that “Om and Allah are same”. Maulana Madani said this in his address at the 34th general session of Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind, at Ramlila Maidan, in Delhi in February this year. Madani’s controversial remarks drew sharp reaction from Jain Guru Lokesh Muni who was also present at the session.
“Both the first and last prophets, Adam in India and Mohammad in Arabia, were sent down by Allah. He is referred to as Manu by Hindus and Adam by us. The sound of ‘La ilaha illaah’ first descended in India. Adam worshipped the same Allah as Manu did when he revered the Om. Allah and Om are one.” He continued, “Manu is our ancestor and you tell us to return home (revert to Sanatan Dharma). We will die but never forget our Allah, Madani claimed.
Following this, Madani’s assertion was opposed by Jain Guru Lokesh Muni, who then left the podium with other religious figures. Before leaving the stage, Acharya Lokesh Muni expressed his displeasure and stated that every other religious person spoke of peace and love at the conference and they don’t share Madani’s sentiments. “We only agree with living in harmony and brotherhood, but all the stories regarding, Om, Allah and Manu are rubbish. The tales he weaved, I can narrate even better stories than that. You are like my father. I invite you to come to Delhi for a discussion with me, or even I can come to visit you in Saharanpur”, Acharya Lokesh Muni said.
The Jain Muni stated that Mahavir was twenty-fourth Jain Tirthankar. There was Lord Parshvanath before him. Arishtanemi was Lord Krishna’s cousin. The foremost Jain Tirthankar was Rishabhanatha, and his sons were Bharata and Bahubali, on whose name this country ‘Bharat’ was named.
“You can’t erase this history. None of us agrees with his statements. He completely spoiled the atmosphere of the session,” the Acharya Lokesh Muni had said slamming Maulana Madani.
Hindu Guru, Sikh Guru and Jain Guru spoke about love then entered Maulana Madni. pic.twitter.com/V9RjIemoSB
Assertions that Hindu deities like Rama were sent by Allah or that Manu, who in Hinduism is the archetypal man and the progenitor of humanity, worshipped Allah are repeated deliberate attempts to establish the thought that India is the progeny of Islam, and are nothing more than an attack on the civilisational identity of Hindus and other Indic religions.
On Friday (March 24), BJP spokesperson Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga brutally trolled a Canadian Khalistani sympathiser, who abused and threatened him with the choicest of expletives over a telephonic call.
Bagga uploaded the 2-minute-long audio clip on his Twitter profile, which has now gone viral on social media. The development comes at a time when Punjab police are closing in on fugitive Khalistani leader Amritpal Singh.
During the telephonic interaction, Bagga was heard trolling the Khalistani sympathiser by continuously repeating the phrase ‘polis aa gayi polis.’ Interestingly, the phrase became popular ever since a Khalistani leader named Bhagwant Singh was heard saying it while looking for cover to escape the police.
— Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga (@TajinderBagga) March 23, 2023
“Polis aagayi polis…polis aagayi polis…Come here, I will make you (run like) Amritpal… Cheap version of Amritpal,” Tajinder Bagga said during the abusive phone call.
Meanwhile, the Khalistani sympathiser (who called from a Japanese phone number) informed that he was a Canadian citizen. During the course of the phone call, he was heard abusing the BJP spokesperson and his family.
“You are such a bit**h,” the man said, followed by unspeakable cuss words. However, Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga appeared unbothered as he went about trolling the Khalistani sympathiser. “Sasta Amritpal calling now from Online Numbers”, he even captioned his tweet.
Tajinder Bagga and his open criticism of Khalistan
As early as 2017, Tajinder Bagga had been vocal in his criticism of Khalistanis and terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.
In a tweet dating 6 years ago, the BJP leader had said, “Jarnail Singh Bhindrawala died, his dream to make Khalistan died & Pakistan agenda to divide India too died with his death. Hail Indian Army.”
Jarnail Singh Bhindrawala died,his dream to make Khalistan died & Pakistan agenda to divide India too died with his death. Hail Indian Army
— Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga (@TajinderBagga) June 5, 2017
He has often mocked the idea of a ‘separate nation for Sikhs’. This becomes evident from his tweet in May 2021 when he said that 10 bottles of Toilet cleaners could create Khalistan.
Tajinder Bagga did not shy away from calling Bhindranwale a terrorist. While responding to Khalistani sympathiser Ravinder Singh in March, he tweeted, “Mr Ravi Singh, not a single FIR or Investigation is pending against My beloved Mr Modi but your beloved Bhindrawala is terrorist as per Indian Constitution.”
Mr Ravi Singh, not a single FIR or Investigation is pending against My beloved Mr Modi. but your beloved Bhindrawala is terrorist as per Indian Constitution
Now tell me Why Bhindrawala demanded Khalistan ? Why Bhindrawala campaigned for Congress party ? https://t.co/lPXUZltalk
— Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga (@TajinderBagga) March 25, 2022
During the anti-farm law agitation, the BJP leader pointed out how pro-Khalistanis had been masquerading as ‘poor farmers’. He also pointed out how the farmer protests are in fact a cover for the anti-India agenda.
Tajinder Bagga had also sought the intervention of the then Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh over Khalistani posters in the city of Amritsar.
On Thursday, March 23, Rahul Gandhi was found guilty in a defamation case. The Surat District Court held Congress leader and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi guilty in a criminal defamation case filed against him over his remarks insulting the entire community that uses the Modi surname.
Gujarat BJP leader Surat Purnesh Modi had filed a criminal defamation case against the Congress leader, accusing him of defaming the entire Modi community, because the Congress prince had said during a speech that “everyone with the Modi surname is a thief.”
Since Rahul Gandhi is a sitting MP from the Wayanad Loksabha seat, the conviction and sentencing have triggered a legal debate, because, According to section 8(3) of The Representation of the People Act of 1951, any MP or MLA convicted of any offence and sentenced to imprisonment for not less than two years shall be disqualified from the date of conviction. That means, there is a chance the Congress prince might lose his Lok Sabha seat.
Rahul Gandhi’s conviction and sentencing triggered a lamenting spree within the Congress cadre. As usual, there is a contest among the Congress leader as to who can be the most stupid, most vocal and most loud in proclaiming undying dedication to the Gandhi family.
One of the weirdest displays of unwavering loyalty came from Congress leader Renuka Chowdhury. Though many may have forgotten her, she used to be a Rajya Sabha member and even the Union WCD minister under the Sonia Gandhi government.
Renuka Chowdhury has gone ahead and announced to the whole world that she won’t sit silent and watch Rahul Baba go to jail, not be an MP and get generally humiliated before the nation. She has declared revenge against PM Modi.
Renuka Chowdhury has declared that she will file a defamation case against the Prime Minister of India, for calling her ‘Surpanakha’ in the Parliament. She even referred to the PM as a ‘classless megalomaniac’.
This classless megalonaniac referred to me as Surpanakha on the floor of the house.
I will file a defamation case against him. Let’s see how fast courts will act now.. pic.twitter.com/6T0hLdS4YW
There is a certain brand of amazing stupidity that is only found in Congress leaders. They have strange priorities even after losing election after election. For some reason, they seem to believe that by proving themselves as the staunchest, fiercest, and loudest supporters of Sonia Gandhi and her children, they would gain political benefits.
But this is 2023.
Sonia and her children cannot even politically sustain themselves. The son had to run from Amethi to Wayanad to save a seat in the Parliament. The daughter made Congress lose deposits in 63 of the 67 seats in UP which it contested in the last general election under her leadership. In the 2022 assembly elections, Congress was reduced to 2 seats and 2.33% vote share under her leadership again. How are they going to provide political sustenance to a bunch of old hangers-on and camp followers?
Renuka Chowdhury’s claim of being called Surpanakha
Well, that scene from the Rajya Sabha from 2018 is rather popular. Renuka ji won’t be scoring any points from sharing a snipped clip where only the PM’s statement about Ramayana is heard. Everyone in the country heard that screeching, resounding, echoing, ear-piercing, bone-rattling, skeleton-quaking, glass-shattering laughter that day. The hearty, overwhelming laughter of Renuka Chowdhury.
Instead Surpanakha should file a defamation case against Modi ji for comparing her with u https://t.co/8B4AWFFLmy
There is nothing wrong about a woman laughing so loudly, freely and heartily, parliamentary decorum be damned to the deepest patriarchal hell. PM Modi had actually acknowledged this much. As can be clearly seen in the video from the Rajya Sabha on February 7, 2018, PM Modi had requested the then Vice President Venkaiyah Naidu to let Renuka Chowdhury laugh.
On that day, while Congress leaders were being their usual selves inside the Parliament, making noise and interrupting the PM’s speech, Renuka Chowdhury suddenly laughed very loudly, making RS chairman Venkaiyah Naidu warn her in a stern voice.
PM Modi’s exact words were, “Sabhapati Ji, meri aapko prarthana hai Renuka Ji ko aap Kuch mat kahiye. Ramayan serial ke baad aise hasi sunane ka aaj saubhagya mila hai. (Respected Chairman, I am requesting you not to say anything to Renuka Ji. We got the privilege to hear such laughter for the first time after the Ramayana serial.) It is noteworthy that PM did not say to whom he compared her laughter.
The Case:
Renuka Ji: I file defamation case against PM Modi for calling me Surpanakha.
Judge: But where did he refer you as surpanakha or mentioned the name surpanakha in the speech?
Renuka ji: I have seen Ramayana and I know my laugh.
There is another little problem. If statements inside the Parliament cannot be taken to court. Also, one cannot file a case against the current Prime Minister. But for Renuka ji’s benefit, let’s ignore those details.
PM Modi never mentioned the word Surpanakha. There are dozens of female characters in the Ramayana. So how did Renuka ji arrive at the conclusion that the PM was calling her Surpanakha? She has assumed it herself.
If the case hypothetically goes to court, Renuka ji has to prove that her laughter was indeed like that of Surpanakha and she was indeed behaving like the demon princess to arrive at the conclusion that it was indeed Surpanakha PM Modi was referring to. So basically, Renukha Chaudhary wants to prove in court that she laughed like Surpanakha.
Strange priorities for a party facing an existential crisis.
Poor Sonia ji. What did she ever do to deserve a bunch of party workers like this?
“When the lights dim … we turn to the North Star for its guiding light.” These were the glowing words with which Rajkamal Jha, editor-in-chief of the Indian Express spoke of the role of the Supreme Court at the recent Ramnath Goenka awards. Apparently, Rajkamal Jha, and CJI Chandrachud before him, had said many important things about freedom of the press. And if you go by the clips on Twitter, they had made at least two senior BJP leaders in the audience squirm. I just had to go to Youtube and see what the hype was about.
To his credit, Rajkamal Jha in no way picked on BJP governments only. He also mentioned how courts in 2020 had protected journalist Arnab Goswami from being hounded by a state government that was out to get him. I noticed that clips on social media being circulated by liberals have left out this important portion of Jha’s speech. Perhaps because this part would have made the liberals squirm.
Anyway, I wanted to see the whole thing for the sake of our ‘star’ Chief Justice, not Rajkamal Jha. So here are some highlights of what the CJI said.
“A functional and healthy democracy must encourage the development of journalism as an institution that can ask difficult questions to the establishment, as it is commonly known, speak truth to power. The vibrancy of any democracy is compromised when the press is prevented from doing exactly this. The press must remain free if a country is to remain a democracy.“
These are fairly general remarks if you ask me. Even Raghuram Rajan could have easily come up with this stuff. But when you have hype on your side, people will manage to find star quality in them. Or better still, an indictment of the policies of the Modi govt. Just as with Raghuram Rajan.
But what comes soon after makes it all hilarious.
“In recent years, we are also witnessing a rising interest in legal journalism. Legal journalism is the storyteller of the justice system, shedding light on the complexities of the law. However, selective quoting of speeches and judgments of judges by journalists in India has become a matter of concern. This practice has a tendency to distort the public’s understanding of important legal issues. Judges’ decisions are often complex and nuanced, and selective quoting can give the impression that a judgment means something entirely different from what the judge actually intended. It is thus essential for journalists to provide a complete picture of events, rather than presenting a one-sided view. Journalists have a duty to report accurately and impartially.“
Did you catch that? The moment it came to legal journalism, the view of the Chief Justice changed immediately. From being someone who must speak truth to power, the journalist is quickly demoted to a mere “storyteller.” Moments ago, the CJI wanted journalists to ask difficult questions to the establishment. No such luck for those doing legal journalism. They must become mere scribes.
Worse, the CJI seems to look at the rise of legal journalism as some kind of threat. These legal journalists are selectively quoting judges and distorting public understanding of legal issues. Why Justice Chandrachud sir? What happened to ‘speaking truth to power’? Should a legal journalist not ask tough questions to the judiciary? How is it different from a journalist who covers say education or health asking tough questions to the government?
Our constitution provides for the judiciary to be independent. But surely not for a judiciary that is above question. Then why have such a negative attitude towards legal journalists?
Ah! But Justice Chandrachud explains that judicial decisions are “complex.” And that people might get wrong impressions of them. But that excuse is too broad. Everything is complex. A large state like say Karnataka or Gujarat has 60 million people, at par with France or the UK. Every administrative issue in such a state would be complex and nuanced. Maharashtra has 120 million people. If Uttar Pradesh were a country, it would be the world’s 5th most populous. Could the Chief Ministers of all these states dismiss journalists as a threat because every decision they take would be complex and nuanced? Not to mention the Central government itself. They could all accuse journalists of failing to report “accurately and impartially,” or giving a “one-sided view.” What would you say then?
What is hilarious is that the CJI made these two arguments within minutes of each other. He did not realize that he was basically contradicting himself.
I do not blame him though. It is a structural problem that comes from the nature of his work as a judge. Whatever his star qualities, it has been a long time since he has had to battle wits against another person. This does not happen to experts in any other profession. For instance, they would not allow any scientists, no matter how accomplished, to reach a position where other scientists cannot critique their ideas. They would never be called “Your Honor” by others. As a result, they would have to remain sharp. They would generally have noticed such gaping holes in their arguments before someone else pointed them out.
Of course, I could be wrong too. And if Shobha De or anyone else thinks that Justice Chandrachud was in the right here, I would be happy to understand their point of view.
A day after the Karkardooma court in Delhi framed murder and conspiracy charges against Tahir Hussain for the brutal killing of IB officer Ankit Sharma, BJP spokesperson Kapil Mishra posted a video talking about how Sanjay Singh was in constant touch with the accused.
On 23rd March 2023, the Karkardooma court in Delhi framed murder and conspiracy charges against Aam Aadmi Party leader Tahir Hussain and ten others for the murder of IB officer Ankit Sharma during the anti-Hindu Delhi riots on 25th February 2020. Ankit Sharma’s dead body was recovered from a drain in Delhi. Tahir Hussain and ten others are charged under sections 147, 148, 153A, 302, 365, 120B, 149 & 188 of the Indian Penal Code. Tahir Hussain was additionally charged under sections 104,109 & 505 of IPC.
While framing the charges, the court observed, “Tahir was continuously acting in a manner of supervising & motivating this mob. All these things were done to target Hindus. Every member of the mob assembled there participated in achieving the objective of targeting Hindus.”
In a video posted on Twitter on Friday (March 24), Mishra said, “The court’s verdict has proved what we knew all along – Delhi riots was a ploy to remove Hindus from northeast Delhi…At that time, several top guns in the country came out in defence of Tahir Hussain.”
“AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh is at the epicentre of the controversy…He appeared before the media on multiple occasions and said that Tahir Hussain was constantly in touch with him over the phone,” he pointed out.
सबसे बड़ा सवाल ये है कि राज्यसभा सांसद संजय सिंह जैसे लोग ताहिर हुसैन को बचाने की कोशिश क्यों कर रहे थे ?
क्या संजय सिंह को IB ऑफिसर अंकित शर्मा की हत्या की जानकारी थी ?
“This implies that when the IB officer was being killed, Tahir Hussain was talking to Sanjay Singh over the phone. Was Singh privy to the news of Ankit Sharma’s killing? Was that the reason why he defended the AAP Councillor in media?” Kapil Mishra inquired.
“These are serious questions – Was he party to the crime as well? I think the people are Delhi deserve to know the answers to these questions. Sanjay Singh must come forward and answer why was he shamelessly supporting a murderer?” the BJP spokesperson asked.
Sanjay Singh defended Tahir Hussain in 2020
In February 2020, Sanjay Singh appeared before the media to defend Tahir Hussain and claimed that the accused AAP councillor was supposedly calling the police.
In a statement, Singh claimed, “Tahir Hussain has already given his statement in which he said that he gave all details to police and media about mob entering his house during the violence. He had asked the police for protection. The police came eight hours late and rescued him and his family from his house.”
He further alleged, “The police helped him and (his) family to get out of his house. They were not there for 2 days. When they were not in the house, the question on stones and all should not arise at all.”
Sanjay Singh had blamed the police instead of Tahir Hussain for supposedly not taking action to stop the anti-Hindu riots. He claimed, “Police action did not happen in time, it is definitely a serious mistake, why it was late, who said it was the subject of investigation.”
Tahir Hussain was in touch with Sanjay Singh during Delhi riots
Former AAP councillor and Delhi anti-Hindu riot accused, Tahir Hussain, admitted that he was in constant touch with Sanjay Singh through the phone. He made the confession during an interview with BBC Hindi.
“I spoke to Sanjay Singh during the riots. He told me to keep myself safe. He said he would try to send help as soon as possible. He called the DCP thrice…If Sanjay Bhai was not so active, the police would not have come here at all,” Tahir Hussain said.
During an interview with News18, Hussain also conceded that he sought help from Sanjay Singh during the riots. Earlier, documents accessed by OpIndia revealed that PFI’s Delhi chief was constantly in touch with AAP’s Sanjay Singh and Congress’ Udit Raj.
Shrikant Tyagi, who made headlines after slapping a woman in Noida last year, is once again in the news for his recent video. In a media interaction on Thursday, March 23, Shrikant Tyagi stated that letters will be sent to the Ramleela committees over the burning of the Raavan effigy on the occasion of Dussehra. He also said that FIRs will be filed against those who will burn the effigies of Raavan.
Tyagi continued by claiming that Ravan was an intelligent Brahmin and that no one could doubt his intelligence. Those in today’s world who do not have any principles of their own and frequently change their ideologies burn Raavan’s effigy.
“Those who neither have anything to do with Bhagwan Shri Ram nor do they have his qualities, become Maryada Purushottam Ram and burn Raavan’s effigy with bow and arrow. This hurts the sentiments of Brahmins,” Tyagi said.
Shrikant Tyagi also added that if people really want burn effigy or find a symbol of harassment of women then they should burn the effigy of Dushasan and Duryodhan. Moreover, FIRs will be lodged against people who will burn the effigy of Raavan.
According to Shrikant Tyagi, the traditional culture of India has been tampered with. He added Ravana effigies may not be burned by anyone besides Lord Ram. Also, it was announced that Lord Parshuram idols will be installed in each Tyagi Brahmin-dominated village across the country. It is notable that Tyagi was in Deoband in the Saharanpur district to address a core committee meeting.
Last year, a video of Shrikant Tyagi insulting and assaulting a lady after a disagreement regarding common area encroachment in a premium residential complex sparked controversy. The video that had gone viral over social media showed Shrikant Tyagi using abusive words toward the woman.
