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Income Tax Appellate Tribunal rejects Congress party’s plea seeking tax exemption on Rs 199 crore income: Here’s what the tribunal said

Shraddha Pandey
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Income Tax Appellate Tribunal rejects Congress party’s plea seeking tax exemption on Rs 199 crore income: Here’s what the tribunal said

In a major blow to the Congress party, the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT), dismissed the party’s plea seeking income tax exemption for the income of ₹199.15 crore during the assessment year 2018-19 on 21st July 2025.

The ITAT denied Congress’s claim for exemption, citing a violation of the conditions in Section 13A of the Income Tax Act.  The Appellate Tribunal noted that the returns were filed late, in addition, there was a violation of cash donation limits.

Notably, Section 13A of the Income Tax Act establishes stringent compliance requirements for political parties seeking tax benefits. However, a political party has to follow certain criteria to avail of the tax exemption.

These conditions include –the political party must maintain proper books of account and documents to allow the tax authority to accurately determine its income. For voluntary contributions exceeding Rs. 20,000, the party must keep records of the contribution along with the donor’s name and address. Donations exceeding Rs. 2,000 should be received only through specific banking methods, such as account payee cheques, bank drafts, or electronic clearing systems. If the treasurer or authorised person fails to submit a report under the Representation of the People Act, the exemption won’t be available for that financial year. The political party must file a return of income for the previous year within the prescribed deadline.

The ITAT panel comprising Judicial Member Satbeer Singh Godara and Accountant Member M Balaganesh ruled: “The assessee’s return filed on 02.02.2019 is not within the ‘due’ date to make it eligible for the impugned exemption.”

The tribunal stressed the strict implementation of tax exemption provisions in the law and said, “Even section 139(4B) has stipulated filing of return within the ‘due’ date i.e. required to be furnished u/s 139(1), we are of the considered view that the above former clause in fact restricts any further liberalism herein.”

Notably, the Congress party had contended that Section 139(4) allows belated return filing before the end of the assessment year, similar to charitable trusts under Section 12A.

The ITAT, however, differentiated between the two provisions and told the appellant that “the legislature has incorporated the statutory expression therein as ‘within the time allowed under that section’ i.e. section 139(1) as well as u/s 139(4) than section 13A 3rd proviso.”

“We thus conclude that the assessee’s return filed on 02.02.2019 is not within the ‘due’ date to make it eligible for the impugned exemption,” the ITAT order reads.

Meanwhile, the appellate tribunal also found the Congress party in violation of statutory requirements pertaining to cash donation limits, stating that the assessment found cash donations totalling ₹14.49 lakh exceeding the ₹2,000 limit.

“As per section 13A(d) of the Act, donation in excess of Rs. 2,000/- is mandatorily be received through a/c payee cheque/draft or through electronic mode and therefore donation in excess of Rs. 2,000/- received in cash violates provisions of clause (d) of first proviso to section 13A of the Act,” the order reads.

Regarding whether the assessee’s impugned section 13A exemption claim violates clauses (b) and (d) of the 1st proviso, the Appellate Tribunal held that “given the fact we have already held its above return filed on 02.02.2019 as a time-barred one, the same stands rendered academic. Rejected Accordingly.”

Further rejecting the alternate plea expense deductions from gross receipts the court referenced a 2016 Delhi High Court precedent in the Congress party’s own case and said, “We thus conclude that given the fact that the assessee has been held to have violated section 13A 3rd proviso in not filing its return within the prescribed ‘due’ date, its impugned netting claim also deserves to be declined in very terms…the assessee’s impugned netting claim also deserves to be declined in very terms. Ordered accordingly.”

snippets taken from relevant ITAT order

IT Department’s notices, raids and shocking discoveries regarding Congress’s outstanding tax payments and the party’s victimhood narrative

Earlier, the Income Tax Department had sent multiple notices to the Congress party, raising demands for outstanding payments totalling over Rs 3,500 crores. Incidentally, the tax notices sent to the party on March 29th were for the assessment years (AY) 1994-95 and 2014-15 to 2020-21, amounting to Rs 1,823 crores.

On 31st March 2024, the IT department issued fresh tax notices to Congress, demanding payments for AY 2014-15 (Rs 663 crores), 2015-16 (Rs 664 crores), and 2016-17 (Rs 417 crores). This brought the total outstanding tax demands from Congress to Rs 3,567 crores. The development came after the High Court had rejected multiple pleas of the Congress party that had challenged the IT department’s reassessment proceedings against it for several assessment years.

The Income Tax department initiated reassessment proceedings for earlier assessment years after discovering discrepancies in the Congress party’s tax returns. The department found “unaccounted” transactions during its searches, indicating that the party’s total taxable income for certain earlier assessment years was higher than reported, leading to tax liability on undisclosed income.

In 2019, the I-T department’s raids traced “unaccounted transactions” of Rs 523.87 crore. During its searches on entities, including some of which were purportedly linked to Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and a company in Surat, the IT sleuths had uncovered cash transactions involving the Congress party.

As reported earlier, in February 2024, the Congress party claimed that its bank accounts were frozen by the Income Tax Department over a tax demand. Party leader Ajay Maken claimed that a demand of ₹210 crore was made by the I-T department on flimsy grounds over a case relating to income tax returns of 2018-19. Later, the party claimed that the ITAT granted them relief and ordered unfreezing of their accounts but asked to keep ₹115 crore in their bank accounts.

However, shattering the Congress party’s victimhood narrative, the Income Tax department has said that it never froze the bank accounts of the Congress party, and only recovered some of the due amount from the party’s bank accounts. The I-T dept said that as the party is not paying an outstanding tax amount of ₹135, it was decided to recover around ₹116 crore from the party’s bank accounts. The dept added that the party has more funds in its other accounts, which it can freely use.

The case pertains to a tax demand of ₹103 crore raised by the I-T department against the Indian National Congress for the Assessment Year 2018-19. Around ₹32 crore interest was added to it, and therefore the total demand was ₹135 crore. The assessment was done on an income of ₹199 crore, and a tax demand of ₹103 crore was created.

The Congress party also played victim card earlier, and cried foul over Income tax notices, the Solicitor Generak Tushar Mehta submitted in March 2024, that the IT department won’t take coercive action until July in the wake of Lok Sabha elections.

While the Congress party has long been claiming that the “unaccounted transactions” are “third-party transactions”, they had failed to get relief from the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT), the Delhi High Court, and the Supreme Court earlier as well.

Once again, the ITAT has found the Congress party’s actions in violation of the law and dismissed its plea seeking tax exemption.

Over 37 lakh cases of dog bites in a year, but Govt action limited to ‘rules’, no emphasis on accountability, safety of children and elderly still not a priority

Anurag
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Over 37 lakh cases of dog bites in a year, but Govt action limited to ‘rules’, no emphasis on accountability, safety of children and elderly still not a priority

On 22nd July 2025, the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying informed Lok Sabha that there were over 37 lakh dog bite incidents and 54 suspected human rabies deaths in 2024 alone. Yet, instead of addressing growing public demands for decisive action to remove stray dogs from public spaces, the government reiterated its faith in the controversial Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023 that are centred entirely on sterilisation and anti-rabies vaccination.

Notably, the ABC Rules 2023 strictly prohibit the removal of dogs, even rabid ones with no sign of communicable diseases like rabies, from any area. If a dog is captured after it bites someone and it does not show signs of infection within the prescribed time frame, it has to be released in the same area from where it was picked.

The reply was provided by Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Shri SP Singh Baghel in response to a detailed query by Congress MP Dr Bachhav Shobha Dinesh. The MP had asked the Ministry to provide information on the plan to eliminate the stray dog menace and to explain its stance on court-mandated enforcement of animal welfare committees within Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs), alongside fund allocations, penalties, census protocols and bite data.

The answer provided by the government was more focused on upholding the ABC framework than recognising the growing human cost of non-removal of stray dogs from the streets.

AWBI’s reach into RWAs raises questions of mandate

In the reply, the government revealed that the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) issued 166 letters between 2024 and June 2025 to RWAs, apartment associations and local bodies regarding community dog feeding disputes. Notably, the ABC Rules 2023 have changed the nomenclature of stray dogs to “community dogs” to give an impression that these dogs are not ownerless.

These letters were sent in the name of compliance with Rule 20 of the ABC Rules that demand the formation of animal welfare committees and ask local residents to designate feeding spots for stray dogs. While these spots are supposed to be away from areas where vulnerable individuals including children and the elderly play or walk in the society, Rule 20 of the ABC Rules is often misused by dog feeders and dog lovers to pressurise RWAs into allowing dog feeding anywhere in the societies.

AWBI is supposed to be a department for the purpose of animal welfare. However, its growing reach into civilian housing societies where cases of dog bites, child maulings and civic disruption are becoming common, has sparked concerns over government priorities. Instead of enabling communities to restrict or remove dog populations, the focus appears to be on protecting the dogs, even at the cost of human safety.

No penalty for non-compliance, yet continued pressure on RWAs

Although the Ministry admitted that there is no provision to penalise RWAs for not implementing the High Court guidelines or forming animal welfare committees, it continues to exert administrative pressure through advisories and correspondence. Notably, though there are no penalties, dog lovers and feeders often tend to involve NGOs and local police, leading to harassment of the residents who do not want dogs in the society or around their houses.

Annual dog bite figures cross 37 lakh, yet no removal mechanism in sight

The government has yet again admitted that the number of dog bites on record has surpassed 37 lakh in 2024 alone. The figure does not include unreported cases and cannot be dismissed as minor given that toddlers, the elderly and even healthy adults have died due to such attacks in recent years, not just because of rabies but because of the injuries sustained during the attack.

Instead of proposing removals, culling, or creation of dog-free zones in high-risk areas, the government response sticks to the tried and tested (but failed) route of vaccination and neutering. The ABC Rules that mandate vaccination and neutering of dogs have been in place since 2001 when the Rules were first introduced, yet the dog population has spiked exponentially, making it a threat for humans as well as wildlife.

The ABC Rules, that are being treated as the gospel solution, are widely criticised for their impracticality and for leaving no scope to remove even aggressive dogs.

Funds, not action – The neuter-vaccinate logic continues

Under the Animal Disease Control Programme’s ASCAD component, the Centre approved Rs 1,423 lakh for anti-rabies vaccines in FY 2024-25 alone, totalling over Rs 35 crore since 2020. This sizeable spending seems justified on paper but makes little difference on the ground where sterilisation failures, aggressive dog behaviour, and population surges remain common.

Notably, rabid tigers and elephants with histories of attacks on humans are routinely tranquilised and put down. However, the absence of any serious discussion around the removal of violent or unmanageable stray dogs remains baffling.

Census deferred to municipalities, no central plan to assess reality annually

The reply also clarified that while a livestock census is conducted every five years by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, there is no centralised annual dog census. The government has pointed out that municipalities are free to conduct their own counts under the ABC Rules. However, there is no clarity on the methodology, funding or accountability. This decentralised and inconsistent census approach only weakens the policy framework and obstructs evidence-based planning.

Is public safety no longer a priority?

The government has continued to rely on vaccination and neutering campaigns, despite over three million dog bite cases annually. It has prompted an uncomfortable question: is the safety of humans, particularly children and the elderly, now secondary to animal rights lobbying? Not to forget, Karnataka has a fund allocation of Rs 12.42 per meal for midday meals for children but the budget for dog feeding is Rs 22 per meal. It shows that the priorities are skewed.

The Centre is working towards a “Rabies-free India” by 2030. However, rabies is not the only issue with stray dogs. The uncontrolled growing population of stray dogs has made every nook and corner of the country unsafe. The threat of stray dogs killing people continues to grow while the solution remains caged in court rulings and failed sterilisation drives.

OpIndia is doing a series on Stray Dog Menace in India which can be checked here.

An Indian defence start-up, founded by two engineering students, delivers drones to the Indian Army: Read how India’s defence sector is moving towards self-reliance

OpIndia Staff
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An Indian defence start-up, founded by two engineering students, delivers drones to the Indian Army: Read how India’s defence sector is moving towards self-reliance

In a remarkable feat, an Indian defence start-up, founded by two young engineers, recently supplied unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to the Indian Army units in Jammu, Chandimandir, Panagarh and Arunachal Pradesh. The defence start-up called Apollyon Dynamics, founded by two students, Jayant Khatri and Sourya Choudhury of BITS Pilani, Hyderabad, delivered the UAV units merely within two months of being launched.

Jayanti Khatri is a mechanical engineering student from Ajmer, and Sourya Choudhary, from Kolkata, studies electrical engineering. Under their start-up, they are working on a mission to reduce India’s dependence on imported drones. The duo built their kamikaze drones using off-the-shelf parts and customised them for Indian terrain, all inside their hostel rooms in the BITS Pilani Hyderabad campus.

After making the drones, they started looking for people in the defence forces to demonstrate their UAVs. “I just started shooting cold emails to whoever I could find…Luckily, a colonel responded and called us to Chandigarh for a demo,” Khatri was quoted as saying on Monday. Soon, the duo found themselves demonstrating their drones to military regiments, and eventually they landed a deal to supply the drones to the Indian Army.

“Our shared love of robotics brought us together. We started with a defence-tech club on campus. Then came the orders- that’s when we knew we had to go big,” said Khatri, narrating how the start-up came into existence. Explaining the features of their drones, Khatri said that they cannot be detected on radar. They are entirely built in-house and are customised according to India’s defence and surveillance needs with special focus on reliability and adaptability.  

One of their most popular products, which has been widely adopted by the Indian Army units for its easy-to-use design, is a trainer UAV. The start-up also offers hands-on training to soldiers for operating their drones. Even soldiers with no prior experience are trained by the start-up to operate the drones within a short period of time.

The start-up has a range of UAVs, including multi-role aerial vehicles for long-range surveillance, capable of tactical payload delivery and high-precision kamikaze operations. Their drones can fly at speeds surpassing 300 km per hour and deliver payloads up to 1 kg with high accuracy.

India’s push for indigenous defence technology

As the global battlefields are shifting from conventional weapons to future defence technology, India is not only fast adapting to this shift but is also among the few nations leading this transition. India has not only been venturing into future defence technology but also developeing indigenous weapons to eliminate its dependence on foreign-made weapons and become self-reliant.

During its Operation Sindoor, India surprised the entire world by destroying terror launchpads in Pakistan and PoJK through precision strikes carried out using advanced defence technologies like air defence systems and loitering munitions. India used UAVs like the SkyStriker, the SCALP cruise missile, the HAMMER precision bomb, along with India-made FPV drones, JM-1 and Heron UAVs. India targeted the terror sites through a combination of high-resolution surveillance and intelligence inputs. Indian decoy drones played a key role in the country’s offensive by creating heat signatures matching Indian fighter jets to confuse the Pakistani air defence system.

In addition to that, India thwarted Pakistan’s drone and missile attacks through India-made air defence system, Akashteer, along with the Russian S-400. Referred to as India’s ‘Iron Dome’, Akashteer meticulously guarded the western front of Indian against Pakistan’s aerial strikes. It is an advanced Air Defence Control and Reporting System (ADCRS) developed by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL). It collects data from radars and sensors, like AWACS and AEW&C platforms, and uses it to compile real-time data to intercept aerial strikes with precision.

India’s Make in India initiative has been particularly fruitful in the country’s defence sector. In the financial year 2023-24, India’s defence production reached ₹1.27 lakh crore, amounting to a 174% rise since 2014-15. Additionally, India’s defence exports to over 100 countries hit a record high, reaching ₹21,083 crore during FYI 2023-24. This was a 30 times increase in a decade.

The government is determined to achieve total self-reliance in the defence sector by encouraging private participation, technological innovation, and the development of advanced military platforms. In FYI 2024-25, the government significantly increased the defence budget to ₹6.81 lakh crore from ₹2.53 lakh crore in 2013-14. India’s defence growth is not only paving the way for the country to become self-reliant but also contributing to its emergence as a global defence exporter.

In April this year, India exported the second batch of Brahmos missile systems to the Philippines. In the same month last year, India sent its first batch of BrahMos missile systems to the country, after it signed a $375 million deal with India in January 2022. Indonesia and Vietnam are also in talks with India for finalising deals for acquiring the Brahmos missile systems. Apart from these, several other countries, including Thailand, Singapore, Brunei, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, and Venezuela have also expressed interest in acquiring the BrahMos missile system.

Chilling revenge in Lucknow: Man kills mother’s assaulter after 10-year pursuit, celebratory social media posts crack case

OpIndia Staff
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Chilling revenge in Lucknow: Man kills mother’s assaulter after 10-year pursuit, celebratory social media posts crack case

A man was murdered after being relentlessly pursued for ten years by his assailant. What sounds like the plot of a thriller was, in fact, a chilling act of real-life vengeance. Sonu Kashyap, whose mother was allegedly assaulted a decade ago, spent the next ten years scouring the streets of Lucknow with a singular mission: to find and punish Manoj, the man he held responsible.

Sonu, along with his friends, meticulously plotted Manoj’s murder, luring them into the plan with the promise of a celebratory party after the killing. Manoj, a coconut water seller, became the target of this cold-blooded revenge. Ironically, it was a social media post that unraveled the crime. The accused were identified as Sonu, Ranjeet, Adil, Salamu, and Rehmat Ali.

Manoj reportedly assaulted Sonu’s mother over a dispute nearly a decade ago. After the incident, he fled from the area. Enraged by the insult to his mother, Sonu swore to take revenge and began a quest to find him. Years passed, but he didn’t give in to his inner will. Around three months ago, he finally spotted him in the city’s Munshi Pulia area, and the planning began with this.

He began to note down Manoj’s daily schedule and build a plot to kill him. He can not do it alone, so he involved his friends in the murder plot on the promise to give them a party after the murder. On May 22, after Manoj closed his shop and was alone, he attacked him with an iron rod and left him half-dead. Manoj was taken to the hospital where doctors operated him. However, in the middle of the treatment, Manoj succumbed to his injuries.

Although CCTV footage captured the accused, one individual remained unidentified. Meanwhile, the group indulged in a lavish liquor party hosted by Sonu to celebrate the murder. Intoxicated and careless, they posted pictures of the celebration on social media, a crucial mistake that helped police crack the case.

Investigators matched one suspect from the CCTV footage with a social media post, where he was seen wearing the same distinctive orange t-shirt he had worn during the attack. A deeper probe into their online profiles confirmed their involvement.

1.29 lakh bigha land occupied by Bangladeshi infiltrators and doubtful citizens freed in 4 years, informs Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

OpIndia Staff
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1.29 lakh bigha land occupied by Bangladeshi infiltrators and doubtful citizens freed in 4 years, informs Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma stated that around 29 lakh bighas (nearly 10 lakh acres) of land in Assam is reported to be occupied by “Bangladeshi infiltrators and doubtful citizens.” He mentioned that after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government took office in 2021, a campaign was initiated to reclaim the property but they encountered international pressure to cease these actions.

He made the shocking disclosures on 21st July during a function commemorating the fourth anniversary of the Multipurpose Agricultural Project at Garukhuti in the Darang district.

This project commenced in 2021, and to date, 77,420 bighas of land (25,500 acres) have been cleared of encroachments.

“Today, the land in Garukhuti, once occupied illegally, has been converted into productive agricultural fields. This is the model we aim to replicate across encroached areas in Assam,” he conveyed.

According to media reports, Sarma remarked, “After the successful execution of the campaign in the Darang district, the initiative was also extended to Borsola, Lumding, Burhapahar, Pabha, Batadrava, Chapar and Paikan. In the last four years, we have reclaimed 1.29 lakh bigha (around 43,000 acres) of occupied land. A considerable portion of it is now being allocated for forest development and the citizens of the state.”

He declared, “If anyone believes that after two or three campaigns we will be intimidated, not confront them directly and bow down, they are mistaken. The martyrs of the Assam Movement will certainly be avenged.” He mentioned that during the Assam Movement from 1983 to 1985, there was a prevailing sense of defeat and many individuals had “surrendered” to the Congress which changed the political trajectory of the state.

Shankar-Madhav became Shankar-Azan

Sarma pointed out that, at a certain point, we started referring to Shankar-Madhav as Shankar-Azan. Azan Peer will continue to maintain his pivotal role, yet Madhav (Madhavdev) also has his own significant position. It is only then that our “caste” can be preserved. Srimanta Sankardev and Sri Sri Madhavdev are esteemed Vaishnav saints in Assam whereas Azan Peer was a Muslim sage who arrived there from Iraq during the 17th century.

Over 1000 bighas of land cleared in Goalpara

The Himanta government is actively involved in measures to safeguard the state’s demographic composition. As part of the drive, encroached lands have been reclaimed in various locations. On 12th July, an eviction operation took place in the Paikan Reserve Forest located in the Goalpara district. 140 hectares (equivalent to 1038 to 1040 bighas) of forest land had been unlawfully taken over predominantly by Muslims.

Tejas Mariswamy, the Divisional Forest Officer of Goalpara outlined that 1,080 families had built houses in this area. The majority of these individuals were Muslims who had migrated from adjacent regions or Bangladesh. A total of 36 bulldozers were utilized during the action and the region was divided into 6 distinct blocks. Nearly 2,500 to 2,700 structures, including houses and shops were dismantled. Over 1,000 police officers and forest guards were deployed for security purposes.

Mamata Banerjee cries “atrocities on Bengalis”

A war of words broke out on social media between Sarma and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the removal of infiltrators and illegal occupation in Assam. She complained that the administration is persecuting the Bengali community in Assam by singling them out, labeling it as the BJP’s divisive agenda.

However, Sarma responded that it is not the Bengalis but rather Muslim infiltrators who are being expelled from Assam. He also referenced a statement from the Supreme Court which characterized infiltration as an external invasion.

VP Jagdeep Dhankhar calls it quits: Read how he kept questioning the judiciary, seeking accountability and objecting to their overreach

Shraddha Pandey
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VP Jagdeep Dhankhar calls it quits: Read how he kept questioning the judiciary, seeking accountability and objecting to their overreach

On the 21st of July 2025, Vice‑President Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned and submitted his letter of resignation to President Droupadi Murmu, citing medical reasons and the need to prioritise his health.

The resignation came on the opening day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, catching many by surprise amid a busy legislative agenda. Speculations are rife about the timing of Dhankhar’s resignation, with the opposition claiming that the reasons behind his stepping down may be far deeper than just health reasons.

In his letter to President Droupadi Murmu, Jagdeep Dhankhar invoked Article 67(a) of the Constitution to make his resignation effective immediately. Citing ongoing health challenges, he stated his intention to “prioritise health care and abide by medical advice.”

From the very onset in 2022, Dhankhar’s tenure as Vice President was marked by his vocal criticism of the judiciary, especially on the issues of its overreach and accountability. Being a seasoned lawyer himself and having a background in the Supreme Court and the Rajasthan High Court, Jagdeep Dhankhar consistently raised concerns over the alleged encroachment of the powers of the legislature and executive by the judiciary, arguing that their actions undermined the supremacy of Parliament and the balance of powers as prescribed in the Constitution.

“Judiciary cannot become executive”: When Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar warned the judiciary that its overreach might destabilise governance

Hitting back at the judiciary regarding the overturning of parliamentary amendments to the Constitution in December 2022, VP Jagdeep Dhankhar warned that the judiciary cannot become the legislative or the executive because doing so may destabilise the system of government as a whole.

Dhankhar stated during the eighth LM Singhvi memorial lecture that our judiciary, as one of the important institutions of government, cannot be the executive or legislative.

“The doctrine of separation of power is fundamental to our governance. Any incursion, howsoever subtle, in the domain of the other by one has the capacity or potential to unsettle the apple cart of governance,” then vice president stated.

“India in 2015-16 was dealing with a constitutional amendment act and as a matter of record the entire Lok Sabha voted unanimously and there was no abstention in Lok Sabha and that amendment act was passed. In Rajya Sabha, there was no opposition. We the people their ordainment came to be reflected through the most sanctified mechanisms through the applicable mechanisms. That power was undone. The world does not know of any such instance. I appeal to all judicial minds please think of a parallel in the world where a constitutional provision can be undone,” the vice president stated.

In the presence of then Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, several Supreme Court judges, Union Ministers, then Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and several lawyers, Dhankhar further said, “Power resides in ‘We the People’ – their mandate, their wisdom… If a constitutional provision that carries the ordainment of the people at large in such a vibrant democracy is undone, what will happen? I appeal to the people here, they constitute a judicial elite class, thinking minds, intellectuals – please find out a parallel in the world where a constitutional provision can be undone.”

He also asserted that while the Indian Constitution clearly states in Article 145(3) that the court may interpret the Constitution where a serious question of law is involved. “Nowhere it say a provision can be run down.”

When VP Jagdeep Dhankhar came down heavily on the Supreme Court for scrapping the NJAC

Back in December 2022, Dhankhar criticised the Supreme Court over the 99th Constitutional Amendment Bill paving way for the National Judicial Appointment Commission (NJAC), which was undone by the Supreme Court in 2015.

“The Parliament in a much-needed historic step passed the 99th Constitutional Amendment Bill, paving the way for the National Judicial Appointment Commission (NJAC). There was unprecedented support for the above. On August 13, 2014, the Lok Sabha unanimously voted in its favour with there being no abstentions. This House too, passed it unanimously on August 14, 2014, with one abstention. Rarely in Parliamentary democracy, there has been such massive support to a Constitutional legislation,” Dhankhar said.

“This process fructified into a Constitutional prescription, after 16 State Assemblies out of 29 States ratified the Central Legislation; the President of India, in terms of Article 111, accorded his consent on December 31, 2014,” he added.

Furthermore, then Vice President, Jagdeep Dhankhar stated that this was the first time that a duly legitimised constitutional prescription was judicially undone, “This historic parliamentary mandate was undone by the Supreme Court on October 16, 2015 by a majority of 4:1 finding the same as not being in consonance with the judicially evolved doctrine of ‘Basic Structure’ of the Constitution,” said.

Dhankhar had called the scrapping of the NJAC a severe compromise of parliamentary sovereignty and disregard of the mandate of the people, of which this house and the Lok Sabha are custodians.

VP Dhankhar had also emphasised that Parliament is the exclusive and ultimate determinative of the architecture of the Constitution. 

“We need to bear in mind that in democratic governance, the basis of any ‘Basic Structure’ is the prevalence of primacy of the mandate of the people reflected in the Parliament. Parliament is the exclusive and ultimate determinative of the architecture of the Constitution,” said.

It must be recalled that back in 2014, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government brought the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act in an attempt to change the system of appointment of judges. The NJAC was a proposed body, which would have been responsible for the appointment and transfer of judges to the higher judiciary. The NJAC Act and the Constitutional Amendment Act came into force on April 13, 2015. But the top court on October 16, 2015, struck down the NJAC Act. The verdict brought back the primacy of the collegium system of judges appointing judges.

VP Jagdeep Dhankhar differed from Supreme Court’s idea of ‘basic structure’ doctrine

In January 2023, Dhankhar once again reignited the discussion over the doctrine of the separation of powers. This time, he cited the Supreme Court’s landmark judgment in the 1973 Kesavanand Bharati case wherein the court had ruled that while Parliament had the authority to amend the Constitution, it cannot amend its basic structure.

Delivering his inaugural address at the 83rd All-India Presiding Officers Conference in Jaipur, Jagdeep Dhankhar questioned: “Are we a democratic nation?”

Asserting that all three pillars of democracy: legislature, executive and judiciary must function within their limits, then Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar said, “In a democratic society, the basis of any basic structure is supremacy of the people, sovereignty of the people, sovereignty of Parliament. Executive thrives on the sovereignty of Parliament. Legislatures and Parliament decide who will be the Chief Minister, who will be the Prime Minister. The ultimate power is with the Legislature. The Legislature decides who will be in other institutions. In such a situation, all Constitutional institutions – the Legislative, Executive, Judiciary – are required to be within their limits.”

Expressing his disagreement over the Supreme Court ruling in the Kesavanand Bharati case that the Parliament cannot amend the constitution’s basic structure, Dhankhar said, “In 1973, in the Kesavananda Bharati case, the Supreme Court gave the idea of basic structure, saying that Parliament can amend the Constitution, but not its basic structure. With due respect to the Judiciary, I cannot subscribe to this.”

‘Time has come to revisit’: When Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar questioned the involvement of the CJI in executive appointments

In February 2025, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar questioned how the judiciary can be involved in executive appointments as the Supreme Court of India was hearing a petition seeking to include the Chief Justice of India in the selection committee for the Election Commission. He said while earlier the executive yielded to the inclusion of judges in executive functions, it was time to revisit the norms.

Speaking at the National Judicial Academy, Bhopal, Dhankhar said that such a system should not exist in a democracy like India. He wondered how the Chief Justice of India participates in the selection of the CBI director, even by “statutory prescription”.

The vice president said, “To stir your minds, how can in a country like ours or in any democracy, by statutory prescription, the Chief Justice of India participate in the selection of the CBI director! Can there be any legal rationale for it? I can appreciate that the statutory prescription took shape because the Executive of the day has yielded to a judicial verdict. But time has come to revisit.”

Jagdeep Dhankhar further said, “This surely does not merge with democracy. How can we involve the Chief Justice of India in any executive appointment?”

Dhankhar went on to say that while the Supreme Court has the power to interpret the constitution, there can be no “arrogation of authority” under the guise of interpretation. The essence and spirit which the founding fathers had in mind under Article 145(3) must be respected.”

He further advocated for an increase in the constitutional bench strength, as originally the constitution bench comprised the majority of total judges.

“When the strength of the Supreme Court was eight judges, under Article 145(3), there was a stipulation that interpretation of the Constitution would be by a bench of five judges or more. Please note, when this strength was eight, it was five. And the Constitution allows the highest court of the land to interpret the Constitution. If I analyse arithmetically, they were very sure the interpretation will be by the majority of judges, because the strength then was eight. That five stands as it is. And the number (of total judges) is more than fourfold,” he said.

VP Dhankhar’s advocacy for including domain experts in arbitral process instead of retired judges

In March 2025, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar said that the arbitral process in India is “just an additional burden to the normal hierarchical mechanism of adjudication.”

Addressing the Colloquium organised by the India International Arbitration Centre (IIAC) at Bharat Mandapam, Dhankhar said, “Arbitrators play as much critical role as members of the bar associated with the arbiter process. Surprisingly, there is, I’m saying it with utmost restraint, absolute tight-fist control of a segment of a category that is involved with arbiter process determination. This tight-fist control emanates out of judicial feats. And if we examine it on an objective platform, it is excruciatingly painful.”

Emphasising the significance of Article 136 and its effects on the arbitration process, Dhankhar said that while Article 136 was supposed to be a narrow slit, it is hurting the arbitral process.

“The Attorney General of the country can really reflect and make a big change. Which country in the world, Attorney, tell me, has suo moto cognisance by the highest court? I’m sure I can’t look around. And Article 136 intervention was supposed to be a narrow-slit. The wall has been demolished with anything and everything under the sun, including what a magistrate has to do, what a Session Judge has to do, what a District Judge has to do, and what a High Court Judge has to do. That wall demolition is also hurting the arbitral process. All I am suggesting, in all humility and as a concerned citizen of this country, is that the issue you are debating is critical to micro and small industries. They want a facile, easy arbitral process”.

Jagdeep Dhankhar condemned Supreme Court’s “judicial overreach”, calling it an unelected ‘super Parliament’

In April 2025, VP Jagdeep Dhankhar harshly criticised the recent Supreme Court verdict regarding the powers of the Governor and the President under Articles 200 and 201 of the Constitution. In the Judgment passed on 8th April 2025, a division bench of the Supreme Court set a time limit, not envisaged in the Constitution, on the exercise of power to grant or refuse assent to a state Bill by the President and the Governor. The Supreme Court prescribed a deadline of 3 months on the President’s power to grant or refuse assent to a Bill reserved by the Governor for his consideration.

Without mincing words, VP Dhankhar questioned the Supreme Court for issuing a direction to the President of India. He reminded the Supreme Court that its power is limited to interpreting the Constitution. “We cannot have a situation where you direct the President of India, and on what basis? The only right you have under the Constitution is to interpret the Constitution under Article 145(3), ” said the Vice President in an address during the Valedictory Function of the 6th Rajya Sabha Internship Program at Vice-President’s Enclave on 17th April.

“The President is called upon to decide in a time-bound manner, and if not, it becomes law. So we have judges who will legislate, who will perform executive functions, who will act as super-parliament, and absolutely have no accountability because the law of the land does not apply to them,” he said.

Highlighting the fact that the judgment, which had the effect of modifying the concerned provisions, was delivered by a bench of two judges which did not represent the majority of the total number of judges in the Supreme Court.

“When Article 145(3) was there, the number of judges in the Supreme Court was eight, 5 out of 8, now 5 out of 30 and odd. But forget about it, the judges who issued a mandamus virtually to the President and presented a scenario that it will be the law of the land, have forgotten the power of the Constitution. How can that combination of judges deal with something under Article 145(3) if preserved, it was then for five out of eight. We need to make amends for that also now. Five out of eight would mean interpretation will be by majority. Well, five constitutes more than the majority in eight. But leave that aside. Article 142 has become a nuclear missile against Democratic forces, available to the judiciary 24 x 7,” Dhankhar said.

Notably, in the verdict passed in The State of Tamil Nadu v The Governor of Tamil Nadu and Anr, the Apex Court examined the ambit of powers of the President and the Governor conferred under Articles 200 and 201 of the Constitution. The Supreme Court held that the President should decide on the Bills sent to him by the Governor for consideration within 3 months, and that any delay beyond the prescribed time limit should be justified by recording reasons. Besides, the Court ruled that if the President fails to decide on a Bill within 3 months, then the State government can seek the issuance of the writ of mandamus from the Supreme Court against the President. The judgment has been widely criticised for alleged judicial overreach or a judicial attempt to effectively amend the constitution.

Dhankhar questioned the handling of the Justice Yashwant Varma case

Former Vice-President Dhankhar had also raised questions on how the Supreme Court handled the matter relating to the discovery of huge amounts of unaccounted cash at the house of Justice Yashwant Varma. “An event happened on the night of the 14th and 15th of March in New Delhi, at the residence of a judge. For seven days, no one knew about it. We have to ask questions to ourselves. Is the delay explainable? Condonable? Does it not raise certain fundamental questions? In any ordinary situation, and ordinary situations define the rule of law, things would have been different. It was only on 21st March, disclosed by a newspaper, that people of the country were shocked as never before, ” the Vice-President remarked.

“Thereafter, fortunately, in the public domain, we had input from an authoritative source, the Supreme Court of India. And the input indicated culpability. Input did not lead to doubt that something was amiss. Something requires to be investigated. Now the nation waits with bated breath. The nation is restive because one of our institutions, to which people have always looked up with the highest respect and deference, was put in the dock,” he added.

Jagdeep Dhankhar:  The man who questioned judicial overreach, sought accountability and advocated for balance of powers even in the face of backlash from the opposition and slandering by the leftist ecosystem

Dhankhar’s fierce critiques of what he deemed judicial overreach and encroachment of the powers of the legislature were not without pushback. Beyond the insulting mimicries, several opposition leaders labelled Dhankhar as ‘non-neutral’ and his comments slamming the judiciary ‘unconstitutional’. The opposition parties and the leftist media cabal even accused the former VP of ‘undermining’ judicial independence. Not to forget, the leftist propaganda portal The Wire went as far as to call Dhankhar a “partisan attack dog” over VP Dhankhar’s criticism of the Supreme Court for using Article 142 and calling it a “nuclear missile against democratic forces”.

Despite the slandering, mockery and criticism, Dhankhar did not shy away from raising concern over judicial overreach, particularly in matters involving a delicate balance of power among the judiciary, executive and legislature. Even in the judge Yaswant Varma case, Jagdeep Dhankhar publicly questioned the actions of the Supreme Court, raising concerns regarding accountability in a democracy wherein elected representatives are subject to scrutiny but judges are nearly immune to all sorts of accountability and scrutiny.

While the opposition and the leftist media ecosystem accused VP Dhankhar of delivering politically charged rhetoric at the behest of his ‘political masters’, the BJP, VP Dhankhar’s remarks were not politically charged or at odds with his constitutional duty, rather, his criticism of the judiciary was driven by a genuine concern over a pattern wherein the judiciary seems to be discharging the duties of President, and at times those of the Parliament as well.

Dhankhar’s courage, however, has not been surprising as even during his tenure as the governor of West Bengal, he repeatedly raised concern over post-poll violence in the state and severely criticised the TMC government for the Birbhum massacre. He remained at loggerheads with the CM Mamata Banerjee-led state government over issues pertaining to federalism and governance, condemning the near-collapse of democracy in the state.

While the opposition and its media cheerleaders mocked Jagdeep Dhankhar, belittled the importance of the Vice President’s post and projected the judiciary as somewhat sacrosanct to criticism, even moved a failed impeachment motion, Jagdeep Dhankhar stood his ground, not for personal gains, not for clout, not for political leverage, but for democracy, for constitution and the supremacy of the people’s mandate.

Several parliamentarians had earlier also raised concerns over judicial activism and overreach; however, Dhankhar’s interventions brought the debate to the forefront, triggering the judiciary, lawmakers and the public to ponder over the question of the judiciary’s role in a healthy democracy.

Jagdeep Dhankhar’s tenure as the Vice President of India and Rajya Sabha chairman will be remembered for many good reasons, especially his role as a defender of constitutional balance. He gave a fervent call for judicial accountability, critiqued judicial overreach while reiterating his belief in parliamentary supremacy. While the opposition parties gave him nothing but insults, mockery and hate, Dhankhar tried to accommodate opposition voices despite ideological differences.  Dhankhar’s resignation marks the end of a chapter; however, the questions he raised about the judiciary’s role and accountability will continue to shape India’s constitutional discourse.

Former CEO of ICICI Bank, Chanda Kochhar, found guilty of ₹64 crore bribery, misused her power to sanction loans of ₹300 cr to Videocon: Details

OpIndia Staff
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Former CEO of ICICI Bank, Chanda Kochhar, found guilty of ₹64 crore bribery, misused her power to sanction loans of ₹300 cr to Videocon: Details

The former ICICI Bank CEO, Chanda Kochhar, has been found guilty by an Appellate tribunal for receiving Rs 64 crore as a bribe in exchange for sanctioning a Rs 300 crore loan to the Videocon group.

The tribunal outlined that the transaction was a case of ‘quid pro quo,’ which means “something for something.” The case has been routed through Kochhar’s husband, Deepak, via a company linked to Videocon, the tribunal said in a detailed order of July 3.

“The history given by the appellants (ED) has been narrated and supported by the evidence in the light of the reference of the statements under Section 50 of the PMLA Act, which are admissible and can be relied upon,” the tribunal said.

The body also slammed the adjudicating authority for releasing assets worth Rs 78 crore by granting relief to Kochhar.

The tribunal further endorses the Enforcement Directorate’s case, claiming her inability to disclose her conflict of interest, and at the same time, the loan sanction violated ICICI Bank’s internal policies.

The tribunal stated that ₹64 crore was transferred from Videocon’s firm, SEPL, to NuPower Renewables Pvt Ltd (NRPL), a company effectively under the control of Deepak Kochhar, just a day after ICICI Bank sanctioned a ₹300 crore loan. Although NRPL was officially listed as owned by Videocon chairman Venugopal Dhoot, the tribunal emphasized that Deepak Kochhar, who was also the company’s managing director, held actual control over it.

The tribunal observed that the allegations were supported by both documentary evidence and testimonies recorded under Section 50 of the PMLA Act, considering the financial trail as clear proof of a ‘quid pro quo’ arrangement. It also noted that Chanda Kochhar, while serving on the bank’s loan approval committee, failed to reveal her husband’s business relationship with the borrower, breaching ICICI Bank’s conflict of interest policies.

It was stated that Kochhar had misused her position in the ICICI Bank and gave loans of 1,730 crore to Videocon group promoter Venugopal Dhoot in 2009 and 2011. CBI lodged an FIR against the couple, Dhoot, for allegedly cheating ICICI Bank. It also alleged that there were irregularities in which granting loans.

Major plot mistake in Special Ops S2: How did the makers, and the ‘top scientist’ character miss this basic fact about Nuclear Power Plants?

Anurag
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Major plot mistake in Special Ops S2: How did the makers, and the ‘top scientist’ character miss this basic fact about Nuclear Power Plants?

On 18th July, the hotly anticipated second season of Neeraj Pandey’s Kay Kay Menon-starrer Special Ops 2 was released on JioHotstar. The season came after a gap of five years from Season 1, which was released in 2021. Menon plays the role of seasoned RAW agent Himmat Singh in the series. Other prominent names include Tahir Raj Bhasin (playing the role of the villain of the season, Sudheer), Saiyami Kher, Karan Tacker, and others. This time, the show pivoted to high-tech warfare with a focus on cyber-attacks and AI targeting India’s UPI (codenamed UBI in the series) payment system, while taking the spy action from Budapest to Azerbaijan to Jordan.

In the final episode of the series, the plot hinges on a nuclear power plant meltdown where the narration suggests that if there is no cooling system, it will lead to a full-blown “nuclear explosion”. Sudheer warns Dr Piyush Bhargava in an attempt to get access to NBDI servers (name used for NPCI in the series) that China and CIA are forcing him to disable cooling system of the nuclear reactors which will cause nuclear blast leading to death of lakhs.

Screenshot from Speacial Ops 2 Episode 7. Source: JioHotstar

The graphical representation, while narrating the background of a cyber attack on a nuclear plant, showed that if the attack was not stopped, it could have led to a full-blown nuclear explosion resulting in thousands, if not lakhs, of deaths.

However, there is a fundamental scientific mistake. A civilian reactor cannot explode like a nuclear bomb. Worst case scenario, it can lead to a meltdown like the one that happened in Chernobyl.

What actually happens in real nuclear plants

When a nuclear power plant loses its cooling system, the immediate danger is not a bomb-like explosion but a meltdown. After reactor shutdown, fuel rods still generate decay heat, around 5–6% of full power. Without cooling system to absorb it, fuel cladding overheats and reacts with steam. It produces hydrogen, and eventually melts into a molten mass known as “corium”.

Source: Dall-E

Even in severe incidents like Chernobyl or Fukushima, the worst outcomes were meltdowns and not nuclear detonation. Research reactors are engineered to automatically shut down under rising temperature due to their negative temperature coefficient, making runaway fission impossible and ensuring there is no chance of a nuclear blast. In case of Chernobyl, the molten mass formed the infamous “elephant’s foot”, a layman’s term used for toxic mass of corium.

Modern reactors are ‘Chernobyl-proof’

Notably, the modern reactors built today are effectively “Chernobyl-proof”. They incorporate multiple failsafe systems to prevent the kind of chain of events that led to the 1986 disaster. Contemporary designs feature passive cooling systems, automatic shutdown mechanisms, double containment structures, and control rods that drop into place without human intervention during emergencies.

These systems are engineered to function even during power loss or operator error. The RBMK reactor at Chernobyl had design flaws and lacked a containment dome, whereas modern reactors prioritise containment, redundancy, and self-regulation, making large-scale meltdowns exceedingly rare.

The science the ‘top scientist’ should’ve known

The character who claimed cooling system failure could lead to a nuclear explosion is telling it to Dr Bhargav, who is an expert in the series, but the writer clearly skipped the basics. It is hard to believe that Dr Bhargav, who has worked with Indian Government’s experts on nuclear plants do not know that such incidents cannot lead to nuclear blasts.

Civilian reactors use low-enriched uranium, typically under 5% U-235, which is far from the 90%+ enrichment required for a nuclear weapon. Moreover, the reactor’s design deliberately spreads fuel and inserts control materials so that prompt criticality, the rapid neutron-driven chain reaction seen in bombs, cannot occur. Without the unique, compact geometry and high purity of bomb-grade assemblies, the core simply won’t explode. Even MIT’s reactor FAQ bluntly states, “Even an uncontrolled reaction would happen too slowly to cause an explosion”.

Source: MIT

Real-world implications of such disinformation

It may be argued that the narrative was set to give the series a dramatic feel. However, the idea that a nuclear plant might explode like a bomb fuels public fear and deepens mistrust in nuclear energy, this, at a time when the Government of India is pushing for the establishment of nuclear power for electricity in every state.

This artificial scare warps public policy. Decisions around clean energy, climate change, and energy security get affected by emotion as much as facts. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission even maintains a “mythbusters” on its website confirming that reactors are not bombs.

Source: Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission

Not to forget, the scuffle between Western powers like the US and Iran over nuclear energy is because Iran is enriching uranium to the level where it can create nuclear bombs, and it is no longer limited to the clean energy aspect of nuclear power. Iran earlier had only 3–5% enrichment, which is enough for a nuclear power plant, but it now has 60% enrichment, which is much closer to the 90% required for a nuclear bomb.

Conclusion – Thrill doesn’t justify scientific ignorance

While Special Ops 2 delivered high tension and cinematic flair, it fails its audience by blurring the line between nuclear meltdown and nuclear detonation. Real reactors are complex, heavily engineered systems built with multiple layers of safety. They are not ticking time bombs. It would have taken minimal research to get the science right while preserving drama. Instead, the makers chose a shortcut and invoked scare tactics, not facts. This cannot be deemed as storytelling. It is misinformation masked as thrill that can very easily take the shape of disinformation.

It is worth asking, if global hits like The Big Bang Theory and Chernobyl hire real scientific consultants, why cannot a RAW-inspired series tap a physics intern? It is a fact that a meltdown is scary and can render an area unliveable for decades. But a nuclear blast? That’s too much.

Klaus Schwab made World Economic Forum manipulate data to make Brexit look like a failure, India’s ranking was tampered with as well, internal investigation says

OpIndia Staff
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Klaus Schwab made World Economic Forum manipulate data to make Brexit look like a failure, India’s ranking was tampered with as well, internal investigation says

World Economic Forum (WEF) apparently falsified research data to portray Brexit as a failure. Klaus Schwab, the founder of the World Economic Forum, is accused of manipulating the landmark Global Competitiveness Report for political purposes, according to preliminary results of an investigation into him.

Countries were ranked based on their production and long-term prosperity in the annual publication which was suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The probe was initiated after a whistleblower levelled allegations against Schwab regarding squandering funds, sending obscene emails to younger staff members and altering research. Some of the initial results were collected by the SonntagsZeitung newspaper in Switzerland from law firm Homburger which is looking into the matter.

Klaus Schwab resigned as chairman of the WEF after more than 50 years as a result of the grave charges. The non-profit WEF is well-known for its yearly assembly of world leaders in Davos, Switzerland. The 87-year-old served as the face of Davos conference for years.

Klaus Schwab manipulating research

A change in methodology caused the United Kingdom’s position to climb higher from seventh to fourth in the 2017/2018 edition. However, he warned employees that the country “must not see any improvement” as the Brexit camp would “exploit” it otherwise. Afterward, the UK had fallen one spot to eighth rank in the final report, which was released in 2017.

Image via The Telegraph

The WEF at the time claimed that the Brexit decision had not affected the rankings, but argued that the move would likely make the UK far less competitive moving forward. “Brexit will by definition weaken the UK’s markets component as integration with the EU is rolled back,” the report asserted.

The challenging Brexit discussions had barely started at the time of the report. The United Kingdom had made the decision to exit the European Union, however, the details were still being figured out. The prospect of calling a second referendum to overturn the outcome of the 2016 vote was still being discussed.

Then-prime minister Theresa May delivered speeches at the January 2017 and 2018 Davos summits and declared that Britain was “looking with confidence” to the future after Brexit and intended to “build a truly Global Britain” centred on free trade.

According to official documents that SonntagsZeitung quoted, Schwab intervened several times to change or downplay unfavourable rankings for several nations, especially in the Middle East, North Africa and India to maintain diplomatic ties or prevent political repercussions. He once suggested postponing a negative piece after speaking with a government official about it.

Schwab reportedly made sure India didn’t fall 20 spots in the rating when the same report was being prepared. He wanted to persuade Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the meeting in the Swiss Alpine ski resort, which receives visits by nearly 60 world leaders annually.

Klaus Schwab wrote, “We must protect our relationship with India before Davos 2019.” India came in at number 40, just one position down from the year before.

More allegations and Schwab’s defence

Additionally, the investigation examined approximately £836,000 in expenses that Schwab and his spouse Hilde had reported and noted that the amount did not have sufficient ties to WEF activities. It also revealed that despite having no formal role with the WEF, his wife billed trips to the organisation.

Schwab is also accused of having “embarrassing interactions” with younger WEF employees and sending provocative emails. The investigation’s final findings have not yet been released. Meanwhile, Klaus Schwab has filed a criminal complaint against the whistleblowers and refuted the allegations.

After the preliminary results were leaked to SonntagsZeitung, he charged that the WEF board had violated a media restraint agreement related to the inquiry. Schwab that he had cooperated with the probe because neither side would remark publicly on it. “I feel deceived. I am not available for further investigations,” he expressed.

Nadeem and his aides wanted to stir riots during Kanwar Yatra, peddled Pakistani video with the fake narrative of ‘Bajrang Dal killing children’: Here is what we know about Muzaffarnagar module

OpIndia Staff
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Nadeem and his aides wanted to stir riots during Kanwar Yatra, peddled Pakistani video with the fake narrative of ‘Bajrang Dal killing children’: Here is what we know about Muzaffarnagar module

The Uttar Pradesh police busted a major module in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, with ISI links. Three individuals were arrested by the police in connection with the module, on Monday (21st July). According to police, the arrestees named Nadeem, Mansher, and Rahees, all hailing from the Kakrauli village of Muzaffarnagar, revealed during interrogation that they were planning to create communal riots amid the Kanwar Yatra 2025.

While monitoring social media as part of security vigil for the ongoing Kanwar Yatra, the Kakrauli police station received some inputs about fake videos being circulated on social media showing children being brutally killed by Bajrang Dal members.

Some audio messages were also circulated claiming that Bajrang Dal members killed Muslims in Mansoorpur and other nearby villages in Muzaffarnagar. According to police, the videos were from Pakistan and were circulated as part of a plot to create communal riots amid the Kanwar Yatra.

The videos were shared in five WhatsApp groups named- Khidmat Abbasi Group (around 450 members), Proud Indian Muslims (around 450 members), Muslim Samaj Zindabad (around 150 members), All India Employed Group (around 850 members) and Kakrauli Yuva Ekta (around 150 members). Police said that there was an attempt to create communal disturbance using the video or a lone-wolf attack could also be carried out.

ISI connection in the case

While briefing the media on Monday, DIG Saharanpur Abhishek Singh said that since the videos are from Pakistan, there is a possibility that these could have been supplied by some ISI handlers. Police are investigating a possible ISI connection in the case. The DIG added that teams of Uttar Pradesh police are conducting searches in several other states to nab all the culprits linked to the module.

“There are four WhatsApp groups which have hundreds of members and they have seen this video. This video is from Pakistan. So, it can’t be denied that these videos could have been sent from across the border and the videos could have been further circulated through different modules. Our teams are conducting raids in other states too so that all people linked to this module/gang are arrested at the earliest and other linkages can be exposed…We feel it appropriate to investigate an angle of infiltration through Pakistan-based ISI handlers,” said the DIG.

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Preliminary investigation reportedly revealed that the video related to an incident that happened in the Muzaffargarh district of Pakistan in April 2024, in which he brutally chopped his wife and 7 children with an axe. The video was passed of as relating to an incident in the Moradabad district of Uttar Pradesh, purportedly showing a Bajrang Dal member killing Muslim women and children by Bajrang Dal members. According to police, the culprits deliberately chose to circulate the video and audio at this time to trigger communal violence as the Kanwar Yatra is at it peak.

The Police have registered a case under sections 55/ 61(2)/ 103(2)/ 113(3)/ 147/ 152/ 196/ 197/ 299/ 351(3)/353(2) of the BNS, section 13 of the UAPA Act, and section 67 of the IT Act. Besides, the police have seized three mobile phones from the possession of the accused.

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