On December 22, an image of the President of the United States of America (USA) Joe Biden, First Lady of The USA Jill Biden and President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy went viral in which President Biden was seen grabbing Zelenskyy’s posterior.
One President’s hand on another President’s buttocks was more than enough to cause a laughter riot on social media.
There is one rule that must be followed. If something is extremely emotional or funny or provocative, in most cases, it is “too good to be true”. Following this principle, we decided to fact-check the authentication of the image.
During the investigation, we looked around for a similar image and found that Jill Biden uploaded the exact frame on December 21 (local time) with the caption saying, “President Zelenskyy, we hope you take our love and support back to Olena and your children, and all the families of Ukraine.” However, we noticed that President Biden’s hand was nowhere close to President Zelenskyy’s posterior.
President Zelenskyy, we hope you take our love and support back to Olena and your children, and all the families of Ukraine. ? pic.twitter.com/z1uqAAl8B8
In the next step, we downloaded both images and decided to investigate the matter properly. The first step was to resize the images in a way that we only had two frames with exact dimensions. At this point, it was clear that one of the images was edited.
The original image (left) was sourced from Jill Biden’s Twitter account. The edited image (right) was sourced from Twitter.
Then we enlarged the image to the point where we could only see the trio standing in the frame.
Original image (left) edited image (right).
Now, look at the images and see the points that we have marked. We created a GIF to make it easier to understand how things were edited in the image.
This GIF explains the changes.
At Mark 1, you will notice that whoever edited this image cut President Biden’s arm from here and rotated it downwards towards President Zelenskyy’s posterior.
These images explain what was changed during the editing of the photograph.
At Mark 2, you will notice that the crease on President Zelenskyy’s back has been wiped out during editing. President Biden’s arm was here in the original photograph.
At Mark 3, you will notice in the original image that Jill’s hand was on President Biden’s thumb. Whoever edited it could not remove the thumb, which is still under Jill’s hand.
At Mark 4, you will notice the crease of President Zelenskyy’s back was wiped out to cover the empty spot created by removing President Biden’s arm.
We also found a video of the arrival of President Zelenskyy. At the 0:40 timestamp in the video, Jill Biden placed her hand on the back of President Zelenskyy, then President Biden placed his hand on President Zelenskyy’s back. As you can notice, President Biden’s hand was not on Zelenskyy’s buttocks.
President Biden and first lady Jill Biden welcome Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (@ZelenskyyUa) to the White House on his first foreign trip since the Russian invasion. pic.twitter.com/OhKxek3oQM
While the world is celebrating the holiday season ahead of Christmas and New Year’s day, a top clerical body in Indonesia directed the Muslim community to avoid greeting others with ‘Merry Christmas’. “It’s still up for debate whether it’s halal or haram, so better steer clear of it, don’t say Merry Christmas,” Islamic cleric Ma’ruf Amin said on Wednesday.
According to the reports, the cleric, who is also the chairperson of the Islamic body in Indonesia, said that Muslims can wish ‘Happy New Year’ while they should avoid wishing ‘Merry Christmas’ to others. The Council also said that it is ‘haram’ (means prohibited) for Muslims to attend Christmas parties or celebrations. “The MUI has issued an edict forbidding Muslims from attending such rituals because they are religious in nature. It would be haram for any Muslim to take part,” Ma’ruf added.
Islamic Clerics quote Quran to say wishing ‘Merry Christmas’ is a sin
Meanwhile, another report published by The Islamic Information ahead of Christmas shared that it is ‘haram’ to celebrate any non-Muslim festival including Christmas in Islam. Christians commemorate the birth of Jesus (son of god). Christmas celebrations are under the purview of shirk (sin). The report said it is one of the most punishable offenses in Islam.
The report also quoted verses from the Quran that seemingly prohibit the celebration of Christmas. “O people of the book! Do not go to extremes regarding your faith; say nothing about Allah except the Truth. The Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, was no more than a messenger of Allah and the fulfillment of His words through Mary and a spirit created by a command from Him. Allah is only One God. Glory be to him. He is far above having a son!” the quote from Quran reads.
Image source- TheIslamicInformation.com
Zimbabwean Islamic scholar Mufti Menk asked Muslims to wish ‘Wa Alaikum as-salam’ in response to a ‘Merry Christmas’ wish
Earlier, Zimbabwean Islamic scholar Mufti Menk had stated that Muslims need not forcefully wish Merry Christmas and instead should say “Wa Alaikum as-salam” if someone wishes them Merry Christmas.
In the video that was published 5 years ago, the scholar could also be seen slamming the media persons for portraying the Islam community in a ‘wrong’ manner and said that ‘not wishing Merry Christmas doesn’t mean Muslims insult the Christians.’
Saudi cleric Assim Alhakeem said wishing ‘Merry Christmas’ is haram
There reportedly have been many incidents in the past when several Islamic clerics and scholars from all over the world have directed the Muslim community to not celebrate Christmas and avoid wishing ‘Merry Christmas.’ In 2018, a Saudi cleric named Assim Alhakeem said on Twitter that wishing someone Merry Christmas was prohibited in Islam. “Saying Merry Christmas means that you acknowledge that Allah has a begotten son! No Muslim would do that,” Alhakeem tweeted.
This is totally prohibited.
Saying Merry Christmas means that you acknowledge that Allah has a begotten son! No Muslim would do that. https://t.co/yoUOYcfxTO
In a subsequent tweet, the cleric clarified that his viewpoint on the issue was not intended to promote enmity or to prohibit cohabitation. “However, not congratulating them doesn’t mean we are showing hatred or being hostile or refusing to coexist! It is simply following our religion while they follow theirs! We respect their right and they must – as well – respect our right,” he wrote.
Muslim cleric Sheikh Younus Kathrada from British Columbia said, ‘wishing Merry Christmas is sin graver than murder’
A Muslim cleric from British Columbia was quoted by a media report saying that those Muslims who wish Christians “Merry Christmas” are guilty of sins graver than murder. Sheikh Younus Kathrada, in 2018, delivered a speech in British Columbia where he said, “There are those who will say to them “Merry Christmas” – what are you congratulating them on? Are these congratulations on the birth of your Lord? Is that acceptable to a Muslim? Are you now approving of their beliefs? By saying that you are approving of it.”
Canadian Cleric Younus Kathrada: Congratulating Christians for Christmas is Worse than Murder pic.twitter.com/1S73XPjfRk
“If a person were to commit every major sin – committing adultery, dealing with interest, lying, murder… If a person were to do all of those major sins, they are nothing compared to the sin of congratulating and greeting the non-Muslims on their false festivals,” he added.
Islamic scholar Shamsudheen Fareed from Kerala called Christmas ‘unIslamic’
Then an Islamic cleric from Kerala, Shamsudheen Fareed, sparked a controversy in 2016 as he called Christmas and Onam unIslamic festivals since they have ‘elements of polytheism’. He also ordered the Muslims to stay away from the celebrations during Christmas. As per the reports, Fareed is the unofficial spokesperson of an Islamic organization in Kerala which is responsible for spreading radicalism amongst the Kerala youth.
‘It is 100% wrong to wish Merry Christmas’: Radical Islamic preacher Zakir Naik
Absconding radical Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, in a video published in April 2019, had said that it was 100% wrong for Muslims to wish Merry Christmas. “To reach your goals, you cannot use wrong means brother. What is Haram to them is also Haram to you. When you are wishing Merry Christmas to them, you are agreeing that he is the son of God and that is Shirk (sin). Because they believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God. Irrespective of whether they are practicing Christians or not, they celebrate the day because of His birthday,” Naik emphasised.
“If you don’t know what Christmas stands for and happen to wish someone, Allah may forgive you. If you drink alcohol, mistaking it for Pepsi, Allah may forgive you. But if you are doing it to build a relationship after knowing what Christmas stands for, you are building your place in Jahannam (Hell),” he added.
Over the years, Islamic clerics and scholars have commented on the Christian festival calling it ‘haram’, and directed the Muslims not to wish ‘Merry Christmas’ to others. Notably, having a Christmas tree is also prohibited for Muslims since celebrating Christmas is haram in Islam.
On December 12, 2022, various mainstream media houses published a story with claims that a 19-year-old Dalit man, Lalla, was assaulted by seven “upper caste” men for “accidentally touching food” at a wedding function in Naubasta area in Gonda, Uttar Pradesh. The incident had reportedly taken place on December 9, 2022, in the Naubasta village under the Wazirganj police station area of the Gonda district of Uttar Pradesh.
However, when OpIndia spoke to the villagers about the incident mentioned above, we learned that it was a result of an old Kotedari dispute and had nothing to do with caste. In fact, even in the ongoing police inquiry, the caste aspect of this crime has not yet been proven.
Aaj Tak gives a ‘caste angle’ to a scuffle led by an old dispute
Dainik Bhaskar gives a ‘caste angle’ to a scuffle led by an old dispute
Lallantop gives a ‘caste angle’ to a scuffle led by an old dispute
The Telegraph gives a ‘caste angle’ to a scuffle led by an old dispute
TOI gives a ‘caste angle’ to a scuffle led by an old dispute
How mainstream media gave the episode a ‘caste’ angle
According to the aforementioned mainstream media outlets, the victim’s sister Renu Kumari lodged a police complaint on December 10 in which she accused seven people in the village of assaulting and abusing her 19-year-old brother Lalla. Renu, who is a Dalit, said that the accused Sandeep Pandey, Amresh, Shravan, Saurabh, Ajit, Vimal and Ashok, all of them who are Brahmins, used casteist slurs and brutally thrashed her brother for touching the food during a wedding function arranged at the house of Sandeep Pandey.
The reports said that Renu said in her complaint that as soon as Lalla picked up a plate for himself, Sandeep and his brothers abused him and thrashed him. She added that the accused wanted them to eat after they left the wedding venue. When Lalla’s elder brother Satyapal tried to save him, they beat him up and damaged his motorcycle. It further quoted Renu as claiming that the accused barged into their house at night and attacked her brother with batons and bricks.
The media reports further stated that based on Renu Kumari’s complaint the Gonda police registered a case and booked the 7 accused under sections 147, 323, 427, 504, 506, 336 of the IPC and SC/ST Act. OpIndia is also in possession of a copy of the FIR.
On December 12, 2022, Indian Express and Lallantop published nearly identical reports on the matter. Most of these media reports stressed that no arrests had been made in the case, while only India.com reported that 4 arrests were made. However, the fact was that six suspects were granted bail by the Magistrate in IPC Section 151 (whoever knowingly joins or continues in any assembly of five or more persons likely to cause a disturbance of the public peace). These reports, in fact, reproduced everything mentioned in the FIR, quoting Renu Kumari.
‘The entire brawl started over food and an old Kotedari feud served as a trigger’: DSP tells OpIndia
The SHO of Wazirganj police station was also quoted as saying that he has been conducting an inquiry into the case. However, according to Uttar Pradesh Police guidelines, the SHO does not have the authority to investigate crimes under the SC/ST Act. DSPs conduct such investigations.
OpIndia spoke with Tarabganj Sansar Singh Rathi, Deputy Superintendent of Police in Gonda district, about the incident. DSP Rathi is in charge of this case. He stated unequivocally that there was no untouchability angle in this incident, as highlighted by various media outlets. He said that the entire brawl started over food and an old Kotedari feud in the community had served as a trigger to the December 9th incident. (For the uninitiated, a Kotedar is a government contractor who sells and distributes food products in the village under government schemes.)
The DSP went on to explain that in practically all cases in his circle area, the SC/ST Act is generally invoked in the beginning, and the police then thoroughly investigate to determine whether the matter fits under the purview of the Act or not.
He said the inquiry into the case is still ongoing, and the police are yet to file the final charge sheet.
Renu Kumari’s brother was the village’s Kotedar
Sandeep Pandey is one of the accused in the December 9, 2022 incident. According to him, Devisharan, the brother of Renu Kumari, who filed the complaint, was the Kotedar of the village. During an investigation, some government officers caught him red-handed engaging in fraudulent activities, and he was imprisoned. He was recently released after being given bail. Sandeep went on to say that Renu had filed a false complaint against him and others in order to get revenge since she believed they had tipped the government officials about her brother’s scam. “She filed a case against seven people, including myself, to seek revenge,” Sandeep added.
What was the old Kotedari feud which led to the December 9th scuffle
On August 25, 2021, Gonda’s District Supply Officer, Atul Srivastava, filed an FIR under Section 3/7 of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, against Renu Kumari’s brother Devisharan, the Kotedar of the village. The FIR was filed at Wazirganj Police Station. OpIndia has a copy of the FIR as well.
Following the filing of the FIR, SDM Tarabganj cancelled Devisharan’s allocation on October 13, 2021. Devisharan appealed the ruling to the commissioner of the Devipatan division. After a lengthy hearing, Commissioner IAS Rakesh Chandra Sharma stamped the decision to remove Devisharan’s quota on September 21, 2022, declaring that the SDM’s ruling was legitimate.
OpIndia has a copy of the commissioner’s order. In this order, the name of Diwakar Pandey is registered as a witness to the action. According to Sandeep Pandey, Diwakar is one of his own family members.
As per Sandeep, Devisharan was removed from the post of Kotedar and instead Aarti Pandey was inducted into the post. Aarti Pandey is also a member of his family. Amresh Pandey, who assists Aarti Pandey in running the Kotedari work in the village is also named in the complaint filed by Renu Kumari, said Sandeep.
Sandeep Pandey denounced media reports about the accused’s arrest calling them misleading. He stated that six people have been granted bail in the case of IPC 151 (disruption of peace), and that an inquiry into the SC/ST issue is ongoing. Ajit Mishra, another accused in the case, told OpIndia that he was a victim of political rivalry in the area.
A Dalit Bajrangi from Rampur Tengraha, near Naubasta, claimed to be an eyewitness to the December 9 incident. He stated in a conversation with OpIndia that Sandeep Pandey had simply asked Lalla not to touch the food with his hands. Following this, the complainant’s family started bickering with Sandeep and his brothers, he said.
The argument was over food
Sandeep Pandey stated that Renu’s brother was taking food by directly placing his hand into the bowl rather than using a spoon. ‘When we barred him from doing so, a bogus case was filed against us’, said Sandeep denying the charges of assault and vandalism. He added that the fake case was filed because of the old conflict.
It’s worth noting here that the report published by the Times of India on this incident quoted Renu Kumari as saying that they took up the case with the gram pradhan and elders in the village regarding the conduct of Sandeep and his brothers. When the accused got to know about this, they barged into their house and thrashed Lalla again and indulged in vandalism. Sandeep, however, strongly refuted the claim. He categorically stated that nothing of that sought ever happened. Sandeep alleged that those whose names are in the FIR had not cooperated with the current village Pradhan in the election, which is why the latter was against them.
On December 17, a horrific incident came to light in Jharkhand when police arrested a man identified as Dildar Ansari in connection to the brutal murder of his wife, Rubika, a tribal woman. The incident took place in the Sahibganj district of Jharkhand. The accused admitted to the murder of his wife and claimed he killed her over ongoing disputes between them because of his previous marriage. Rubika and Dildar got married only a month ago.
As per reports, Dildar trapped 22-year-old Rubika into a love affair and did not disclose that he was previously married. They started getting into fights regularly when she learned about his first wife. Dildar’s first wife was against his relationship with Rubika and instigated him. Reports suggest that he plotted to kill her because of the family’s constant pressure and continuous fights between the couple.
Dildar killed Rubika and chopped her body into 50 pieces using an electric cutter. The incident, which reminded people of the Shraddha Walkar case, sparked outrage in the country. Dildar reportedly stored Rubika’s body parts in a sack and disposed of them in nearby localities. The matter came to light when locals caught dogs eating the body parts. The police were alerted, and the investigation led to Dildar. The family of the accused was also involved in the murder. The police also detained his parents, first wife, sister, and brothers. Dildar’s maternal uncle was the one who reportedly killed Rubika.
The increasing cases of ‘love jihad’ in Jharkhand
Rubika is not the first tribal woman who got trapped in a love affair with a person of a particular religion. In the last few years, there has been a spike in such cases in Jharkhand and other states where tribals are in large numbers. In the past, organisations like Popular Front of India (PFI) reportedly grabbed 10,000 acres of land using this ‘tactic’ of marrying tribal girls.
In July 2022, OpIndia published an exclusive report on PFI’s ‘India Vision 2047’, where they talked about making India an Islamic nation by 2047. The document read, “From all the cadres who are being given PE, those with talent are to be spotted and recruited to be given advanced training on weapons including firearms and explosives. Meanwhile, Party should utilise concepts such as ‘National Flag’, ‘Constitution’, and ‘Ambedkar’ to shield the real intention of establishing an Islamic rule and reach out to SCs/STs/OBCs. We would reach out to the executive and judiciary and strive to infiltrate our members at all levels to gather information and get favourable outcomes in matters of our interest. Further, liaisoning is to be established with foreign Islamic countries for funding and other help”. This text was part of Stage 2 of the plan.
The land-grabbing technique
One of the main reasons behind luring tribal women for marriage is the law (Chota Nagpur Tenancy Act or CNT Act and Santhal Parganas Tenancy (SPT) Act in the case of Jharkhand, that prohibits the sale and purchase of tribal land to anyone who does not belong to the tribal communities. With such a law in force, Islamists have found a loophole to grab the land belonging to tribal communities.
As per Jagran’s report, a notable spike in such cases is seen in the state of Jharkhand. The report suggested that cases of love affairs, love marriages, and even rapes where the woman is tribal and the man is Muslim have become common. Notably, the tribal communities seem to be okay with the Muslim practice of marrying more than one woman. The report noted that most marriages do not occur as per any rituals and the couple “just started living together”.
Furthermore, tribal women are being used for entry into politics as well. The report suggested that in the last year, around a hundred such marriages came to light. Muslim youth marry tribal women, then make them contest elections on a seat reserved for tribals and gain entry into politics if they win the election. Speaking to OpIndia, Ramesh Shinde of Hindu Janajagruti Samiti also pointed out the spike in such cases.
Tribal women face atrocities from multiple directions
Land grabbing is not the only problem that comes with such marriages. Shinde said, “In Jharkhand, there is CNT Act. No one can sell tribal land to anyone. These people do Nikah with tribal women to grab their land. There are also some cases where they lure the women who work at construction sites. See, tribals are generally poor people, they lure one of the tribal women working at the construction site. Then they lure another woman and marry her. After that, these women continue to work and earn while these men sit at home.”
As per Jharkhand reports, there have been cases where young tribal boys and girls were pushed into human trafficking. Shinde added that the members of the banned organisation PFI are marrying tribal women in Jharkhand from extremely backward areas. They are conspiring to gain control over the land and mind of these women under the guise of marriage. Intelligence Department sources revealed there have been over 1,000 such cases. Most of these cases are from Pakur. He also gave some examples of such cases reported by Jagran in 2018.
Kabir Haq, a resident of Anjana village under the Muffasil police station area of Pakur, married Lovely Tudu.
Azad Ansari, a resident of Littipada in Pakur, is married to Sunita Marandi.
Fakre Alam, a resident of Littipada in Pakur, is married to Tinu Soren.
Latiful Ansari, a resident of Bhawanipur of Pakur Muffsil, is married to Chandmuni Marandi of Hiranpur.
Rahim Ansari, a resident of Mohanpur, is married to Sonoti Hansda of Hiranpur.
Abdul Ansari, a resident of Rahaspur in Pakur Muffsil, is married to a Bogoy worker.
Azad Ansari of Hiranpur is married to Sunita Marandi of Hiranupar.
Sahabuddin Shaikh of Maheshpur is married to Mala Koda.
Mohd Maulvi of Durgapur has married Manika Hembrom.
Jameel Sheikh, a resident of Kumarpur, has married Waha Murmu, a resident of Jogadih.
Furthermore, he pointed out that in 2014, national shooter Tara Shahdev was lured into marriage by a man named Rakibul Hassan who hid his identity and told Tara that his name was Ranjeet Kohli. He used to force Tara to convert, and reports suggested he even got her bitten by dogs. Shinde said, “Such cases show how Hindus are unaware of Love Jihad and its consequences.”
Tribals are being targeted in many states
Shinde also pointed out similar cases in the North East. He said, “There is a Tribe in Nagaland by the name Sumi Naga. Bangladeshi Muslims travel there for work. They started targeting women of the Sumi Naga community. Slowly, the situation reached a point where there was a new Tribe named “Sumiya”. These are the children of Sumi Naga women and Muslim men. It is an attempt to control the forest land. They want to take hold of the Naxal movement in the forests of these states.”
OpIndia Hindi reported in November about the cases of land grabbing in Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, and other states. During an event, Chief Minister Shivraj Chouhan of Madhya Pradesh pointed out the problem of land grabbing in the state. He said, “Many times, our daughters and sisters are lured into marriage. They get the land in their names, and those lands become tribal lands. Conversions are also used to grab land.” CM Chouhan implemented Panchayat Extension Act (PESA) to put a curb on such cases.
Rampant conversions among tribal communities
Muslims are not the only ones who are targeting Tribal communities in India. There have been countless reports of Christian Missionaries converting Tribal people on a large scale. Jagran’s report pointed out that the Pahadiya community is one of the 32 Tribal communities that live in Jharkhand. Rubika was from Pahadiya community. Most of these tribal people have already converted to Christianity, and Muslims are targeting those who are left.
Over 10,000-acre land grabbed by PFI members
In 2018, Bhaskar reported that PFI members bought 10,000-acre land in Santhal, Jharkhand. They managed to grab this land by marrying tribal women. PFI was banned in Jharkhand during that period. However, despite the ban, they continued to purchase thousands of acres without any resistance. Special Branch had sent a report to Police Headquarters on the matter, noting PFI was increasing its presence in Pakud, Jamtada, Sahebganj, and Godda.
The report further pointed out that PFI was funding its members and providing funds to illegal Bangladeshi Muslims to purchase land in the area. While registering the land, the Tribal women mention the names of their fathers instead of their husbands to avoid getting caught.
Multiple stories from Jharkhand with similar background
In November, Bhaskar reported how banned organisation PFI’s members are marrying Tribal women and grabbing land. They noted three stories that were just the tip of the iceberg. Bhaskar noted how Muslims were marrying Hindu tribal women, buying lands, and making them enter politics. Interestingly, though the land cannot be sold to a non-tribal, once a tribal woman dies, the property goes to her husband and children. Only SDM’s signatures are required for the transfer of the land.
BJP leaders raised the issue multiple times
In recent times, Bharatiya Janata Party leaders on national and state levels have raised the issue several times. In September 2022, former Chief Minister of Jharkhand and BJP leader Raghubar Das alleged that PFI members grabbed thousands of acres in Jamshedpur. He said that 8-10 women were killed in a few days which pointed to a nexus.
In the same month, Union Minister Giriraj Singh demanded a law against conversion and asked to bring Muslims under caste census. He accused Muslims of taking advantage of the loopholes and demanded strict laws. Pointing out the issue of Love Jihad and Land Jihad in Jharkhand, he accused the state government of Muslim appeasement.
OpIndia tried contacting Giriraj Singh and Raghubar Das for a comment on the subject but could not reach them.
On Wednesday, December 21, Congress leader and former Union Minister Jitendra Singh Alwar threatened News 18 anchor and Journalist Aman Chopra with legal action over a video where Rahul Gandhi is seen patting Jitendra Singh’s back as he ties Rahul Gandhi’s shoelaces during the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’.
Journalist Aman Chopra on Wednesday tweeted a video of the incident with the caption, “The one who has been patted on the back by Rahul Gandhi is former Union Minister Bhanwar Jitendra Singh.”
Quoting Chopra’s tweet, Jitendra Singh asked Chopra to delete his tweet and taunted him for having experience with court proceedings. “Mr. Aman Chopra kindly take the tweet down. I am sure you would be having experience about court proceedings,” Singh tweeted.
Congress leader Supriya Shrinate, Chairperson of Social Media and Digital Platforms of the Congress party, also accused the journalist of spreading fake news, and she also threatened legal action saying that Aman Chopra might be well versed with legal procedures. “What you are tweeting with the intention of spreading fake news is wrong. Jitendra Singh ji has given a reply to your fake news mastermind – read it. By the way, you understand the legal process very well,” Shrinate tweeted in Hindi.
जो फ़ेक न्यूज़ फैलाने के आशय से तुम ट्वीट कर रहे हो वो ग़लत है।
जितेंद्र सिंह जी ने तुम्हारे फ़ेक न्यूज़ सरग़ना को जवाब दे दिया है – पढ़ लो।
Reacting to Shrinate’s tweet, Chopra said that his intention was only to share a positive image from the Yatra where Rahul Gandhi tapped Jitendra Singh’s back.
“No Supriya ji, instead of threatening me with legal action, if you had seen the video, you might not have written like this. Rahul ji patting Jitendra ji lovingly on the back. If you find the intent of showing a good picture of Bharat Jodo flawed, then the problem is in your thinking and not in the tweet. thank you,” Chopra tweeted in Hindi.
नहीं सुप्रिया जी,मुझे लीगल कार्रवाई की धमकी देने के बजाय आप video को देखतीं तो शायद ऐसा ना लिखतीं।
राहुल जी जितेंद्र जी की पीठ पर प्यार से थपकी दे रहे हैं।भारत जोड़ो की एक अच्छी तस्वीर दिखाने का उद्देश्य आपको दोषपूर्ण लगता है, तो आपकी सोच में समस्या है ट्वीट में नही। धन्यवाद ?? https://t.co/UlXzdPMDLa
Notably, Jitendra Singh, who appears to be on a spree of threatening people with legal action, has also warned a defamation case against BJP IT cell in-charge Amit Malviya, who tweeted a video on Wednesday claiming that the Congress leader was tying Rahul Gandhi’s shoe laces.
In the 20-second clip, Rahul Gandhi was seen tapping Jitendra Singh Alwar and pointing to the ground, after which the latter bent down to tie his shoelaces.
“Former union minister Bhanwar Jitendra Singh goes down on his knee to tie Rahul Gandhi’s shoe lace. The arrogant entitled brat instead of helping himself is seen patting his back…इसी परिपाटी की बात कर रहे थे खड़गे जी? कांग्रेस में पिद्दियों की कमी नहीं है,” Malviya tweeted.
Former union minister Bhanwar Jitendra Singh goes down on his knee to tie Rahul Gandhi’s shoe lace. The arrogant entitled brat instead of helping himself is seen patting his back…
इसी परिपाटी की बात कर रहे थे खड़गे जी? कांग्रेस में पिद्दियों की कमी नहीं है। pic.twitter.com/FtHCCwNTwu
To this, Jitendra Singh claimed that he was tying his own shoelaces and not that of Rahul Gandhi’s. He further asked Malviya to apologise or be ready to face legal action.
“As incharge of ruling BJP’s National Info Dept your tweet is a complete lie and defamatory. The fact is that after being pointed out by Rahul ji upon my request he paused briefly so that I could tie my own shoelaces. Delete the tweet and apologize to RG or face legal action,” Singh tweeted.
As incharge of ruling BJP’s National Info Dept your tweet is a complete lie and defamatory.
The fact is that after being pointed out by Rahul ji upon my request he paused briefly so that I could tie my own shoe laces.
Interestingly, Congress leader Supriya Shrinate went a step ahead to ‘prove’ that Singh did not bow down before Rahul Gandhi to tie his shoelaces as his shoes do not have lace.
Shrinate called BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya a ‘fake news peddler’ for sharing a video where Jitendra Singh could be seen bowing down and getting on his knees in what appears to be tying Rahul Gandhi’s shoelace.
In her tweet, Shrinate shared a picture of a shoe claiming that it is Rahul Gandhi’s shoes which he was wearing during the Yatra and said that his shoes were laceless.
“Hey fake news peddler @amitmalviya here’s a pic of Rahul Gandhi Ji’s shoe, which is laceless!! You have been caught lying yet again, but since you are authorised by BJP Prez JP Nadda and PM Modi to lie everyday – all 3 of you owe an apology to @RahulGandhi STOP LYING,” Shrinate tweeted.
Hey fake news peddler @amitmalviya here’s a pic of Rahul Gandhi Ji’s shoe, which is laceless!!
You have been caught lying yet again, but since you are authorised by BJP Prez JP Nadda and PM Modi to lie everyday – all 3 of you owe an apology to @RahulGandhi
But the photo that she posted didn’t match what she was claiming, as it is not a laceless shoe in the image. It can be clearly seen that there are laces on the show, and the word ‘Lock Laces’ can be seen on it. This means, this is a shoe with laces, but it has Lock Laces, which means that the laces do not need to be tied, they can be tightened using the lock. But the lock may become loose, and it is required to tighten it again.
Lock Laces is a brand of shoelaces with locks that be installed on regular shoes replacing the regular laces.
Shrinate was also trolled by netizens for sharing a picture of Rahul Gandhi’s shoes.
This is not the first time that the Congress party, which frequently claims to be a champion of press freedom, has threatened legal action for the slightest inconvenience. The Congress party, which frequently accuses the BJP of undermining Indian democracy’s fourth pillar, has a history of threatening the media over whatever it finds objectionable.
In October this year, Congress leaders took to Twitter to threaten the Delhi-based digital media company ScoopWhoop with legal action over some old memes of Rahul Gandhi. In April 2015, ScoopWhoop published an article titled: “These Rahul Gandhi Memes Will Tell You Why He Needs Special Treatment”, wherein it shared some hilarious memes about the Congress leader.
INC youth leader Srinivas BV lambasted ScoopWhoop for those 2015 memes it had published in jest about Congress senior leader Rahul Gandhi. The Congress leader threatened to sue ScoopWhoop if those ‘malicious, false, and defamatory’ Tweets were not deleted within 24 hours with an apology on all platforms.
We take strong notice of these malicious, false and defamatory tweets by @ScoopWhoop aimed at tarnishing the image of the leader who is exposing the govt.
Calling upon you to remove these tweets in 24 hours with an apology on all platforms or legal consequences will follow.
Since the time of former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Congress has threatened journalists for being “too critical” of their policies or whatever they deem inappropriate, and the tradition seemingly continues.
There has been a rush of global media stories about longer-than-usual lines at crematoriums and funeral homes in China, which are crumbling under the burden of an increasing number of bodies, apparently all Covid-19 fatalities.
Though Beijing has only officially acknowledged seven Covid-19 fatalities as on December 19 and zero on December 20, many media reports, especially the Western media, have claimed that the fatalities from Covid are much higher.
Meanwhile, the Global Times, the state-owned media outlet reported that the country was fully equipped to tackle the situation and that it would allow recovered patients to return to workplaces without verifying the Covid test results.
The Beijing Municipal Government announced on Monday that the country would eliminate limits on the pace of attendance and mobility among districts, as well as the necessity of 3 tests within three days for newcomers in the capital city. The country also said that it wanted to restore regular production and living as quickly as possible.
It also allowed underground businesses such as bars, internet cafes, gymnasiums, dine-in services, hotel conferences, training, and banquets to operate in normal capacities. Meanwhile, the Communist Party’s Global Times newspaper also reported that the Chinese pharmaceutical firms were operating at full capacity to meet the increasing demands for cold and fever medicines while it reiterated that the country was working on its toes to handle the epidemic.
In another of its report, the Global Times quoted the Chinese government saying that it had put people’s lives first and that it is striving to protect people’s lives and health to the greatest extent possible. “At present, considering the new developments in the epidemic, China is constantly optimizing its prevention and control measures to strike a balance between epidemic prevention and control and economic and social development. We are willing to continue to work with the international community to cope with the challenges of the epidemic, to better protect people’s lives and health and restore healthy growth of the world economy, and promote the building of a healthy community for all,” the report read.
On vaccines, the Chinese government’s mouthpiece said that around 86.6% of persons over the age of 60 and 66.4% of elderly persons over the age of 80 have had their full Covid-19 immunization. While the country of China wants the world to believe in its numbers of cases and the vaccine developments, the World Health Organisation (WHO) on December 22 expressed concerns over the unprecedented wave of Covid cases in China and asked it to accelerate vaccination of the most vulnerable.
“WHO is very concerned over the evolving situation in China, with increasing reports of severe disease. WHO is supporting China to focus its efforts on vaccinating people at the highest risk across the country, and we continue to offer our support for clinical care and protecting its health system,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was quoted saying.
Interestingly, while the Chinese government mouthpiece claimed that its pharma companies are operating at full capacity to meet the increasing demands of flu medicines, a media report by CNN says that the country has reported severe shortage of drugs already with the health chief of Hong Kong urging the public to refrain from hoarding cold medicines and asking them ‘not to overact.’
“The panic purchasing has spread outside mainland China, with generic Tylenol and Advil selling out at drugstores in Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and as far away as Australia, leading some local pharmacies to curtail sales. People seeking ways to counteract Covid are even buying home cures such as canned peaches,” the CNN report read.
Earlier it was reported that ‘zero Covid’ policy imposed by the Chinese government which had triggered massive protests across the country, had failed and that there is huge spike in new cases. The government relaxed all the ‘toughest’ restrictions imposed upon people’s movements in China as a part of the ‘zero Covid’ policy in one go probably resulting in spike of cases across the land. The country also happened to relax the Covid test norms and allow the people to run a few businesses in their normal capacity.
Notably, while the number of the Covid cases and deaths following remain underreported by the Chinese media outlets, the global media report by Washington Post stated that the crematoriums in the country are operating round the clock and that there is 5-6 days of the waiting list for the new Covid death reported in China. However, the Western media has displayed a habit of overplaying Covid alarmism and deaths when it comes to Asian powers like India.
OpIndia had also reported earlier that despite government data showing least Covid fatalities since December 4, two Beijing funeral facilities revealed that they were open 24 hours a day and were offering same-day cremation services to meet increased demand. The workers at Beijing crematoriums also stated that they were overwhelmed with the number of bodies as China confronts a wave of Covid cases.
Further, the Wall Street Journal noted, “The end of the zero-Covid policy has been met with a wave of infections. Official statistics for daily Covid infections and deaths are low, with China’s National Health Commission reporting 2,656 cases and five deaths on Monday. But experts believe they vastly undercount the number of infections, and interviews with Chinese factory workers indicate the relaxed rules have resulted in many falling sick.”
It claimed that because China has ceased testing asymptomatic cases, it is impossible to determine the scope of the outbreak and the recorded death tolls of two on Monday and five on Tuesday are completely at odds with the grim predictions of prominent worldwide epidemiologists.
According to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington in Seattle, China will face a COVID-19 death toll of half a million people by April next year, with 1.6 million fatalities by the end of 2023 if the country stays on its current course. According to an epidemiologist at the institution deaths in China might soar to close to 9,000 per day by the end of March.
The Chinese authorities might just save themselves from the unpleasant ramifications of the policy switch with the help of what appears to be flagrantly underreporting about the official Covid number, both fatalities, and cases, but the credibility problem that follows might well be difficult to handle. Since China does not have a free press and all information is controlled by the CCP, it is difficult to tell the exact situation of the pandemic and related issues inside the country.
On December 17, the dead body of a 27-year-old woman was found near Gadi river. The deceased woman has been identified as Urvi Vaishnav, who went missing from her residence in the Kopar Khairane area on December 13.
Originally from Rajasthan’s Bundi, Urvi used to work as a waitress in a Hotel in Mumbai for the past 6 to 7 years.
The family of the deceased victim has alleged that her live-in partner Riyaz Khan killed her and has thrown her body near a secluded place.
DCP Amit Kale, Crime branch, Navi Mumbai, informed that “The incident took place on December 12, 2022. We found the body of a woman between the age of 25 and 30 near a bridge. A murder case was then filed at the Panvel police station. Unit 2 of the Navi Mumbai crime branch investigated the case and discovered some physical evidence.
“The evidence gathered revealed that the girl went to a sandal shop with a friend. She was seen with Riyaz in a CCTV footage of a shop in Vashi. During the course of the investigation, we discovered that the accused man previously worked as a gym trainer. We looked into the case further and checked several gyms in the area before locating the man in Ghansoli. We began by taking the co-accused Imran Shaikh into custody. He then told us about the main suspect, who was later apprehended,” DCP Kale detailed.
Urvi was found wearing a pair of branded sandals. Police had traced the shop and had seen Urvi visiting the shop in Vashi with the accused Riyaz in the CCTV footage of the shop taken about 8 days prior to her disappearance. Since Riyaz looked like a bodybuilder, they started inquiring around in local gyms.
Rajasthan woman Urvi Vaishnav found dead in Navi Mumbai. Urvi’s family has accused live-in-partner Riyaz Khan of killing her. pic.twitter.com/Gyc2qo7G53
According to police, the deceased woman and the accused were in a relationship. The accused is already married, and the woman was pressurising him to marry her. Due to this, accused Riyaz Khan strangled the woman and dumped her body in a secluded area.
As per reports, the main accused Riyaz Khan already has 3 wives.
Ravindra Patil senior inspector, Unit 2 Crime Branch said that the co-accused Imran Shaikh who was arrested from Govandi has confessed to having helped Riyaz to dump the victim’s body in the Gadi river.
Reportedly, Urvi used to stay in Kopar Khairane with her 2 brothers Paras and Ayush. She became friends with accused Riyaz Khan. The duo entered into a live-in relationship.
According to media reports, Urvi used to call her brother every evening around 5 pm, but on December 13, Paras did not receive her call and became worried. Urvi’s brothers, Paras and Ayush, filed a missing complaint at the Nerul Police Station on December 14.
On December 19, Paras and Ayush were called by Panvel Police Station to identify a dead body discovered near a canal. Urvi’s body was identified by her brothers. Her body was later returned to her hometown in Rajasthan, where her last rites were performed.
‘RRR’ filmmakers are rejoicing as they progress further in the race to the Oscars.
The infectiously catchy song ‘Naatu Naatu’ from the blockbuster Telugu film has been shortlisted for the 2023 Oscar Awards in the ‘Best Original Song’ category. Trade Analyst Taran Adarsh took to Twitter to make the announcement.
“What a way to start the day… #NaatuNaatu [from #RRR] – the most celebrated dance number of 2022 – shortlisted for #Oscars2023 in ‘Original Song’ category. #RRRMovie” he wrote.
Adarsh also announced that the Gujarati film ‘Chhello Show’ was shortlisted in the ‘Best International Feature Film’ category.
“A memorable moment, indeed… #LastFilmShow [#ChhelloShow] shortlisted in ‘International Feature Film’ category at #Oscars2023… OFFICIAL POSTER…” he wrote.
Earlier, ‘RRR’ secured two spots in the nomination list for the Golden Globe Awards 2023.
‘RRR’ was nominated in two categories, ‘Best Picture – Non-English Language’ and ‘Original Song – Motion Picture’.
In the first category, it competes against the films ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’, ‘Argentina, 1985’, ‘Close’ and ‘Decision to Leave’.
In the second category, the song ‘Naatu Naatu’ from the Ram Charan-starrer will compete with ‘Where the Crawdads Sing’ from ‘Carolina’, ‘Lift Me Up’ from ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’, ‘Hold My Hand’ from ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ and ‘Ciao Papa’ from ‘Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio’.
The filmmakers had submitted the film to The Academy For the Oscars in main categories. They asked for consideration in categories, including Best Picture (DVV Danayya), Best Director (SS Rajamouli), Best Actor (Jr NTR and Ram Charan), Best Supporting Actor (Ajay Devgn), Best Supporting Actress (Alia Bhatt) and more.
“#RRRForOscars. We are honoured that RRR’s overwhelming success represented Indian Cinema on the global stage by creating milestones at the worldwide box office and uniting film buffs across the world by transcending linguistic & cultural barriers. We’re grateful to each & every one who loved our film and cheered us over the past few months. You made this journey possible.We applied to The Academy for Oscars consideration in general category. We wish our RRR family the best and thank them from the bottom of our hearts for making this possible. Here’s to continuing to win hearts and entertain audiences worldwide,” a note read on the official Instagram page of RRR.
RRR is a fictional story based on the lives of two Telugu freedom fighters Alluri Seetharama Raju and Komaram Bheem. Ram Charan and Jr NTR played lead roles, respectively.
The film collected over Rs 1200 crore worldwide.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
India has offered lines of credit worth USD 280 million to Syria for building a power plant and a steel plant in the country.
While addressing the United Nations Security Council session on Syria’s political-humanitarian situation, India’s permanent representative Ruchira Kamboj on Wednesday (local time) said, “India has offered Lines of Credit worth USD 280 million to Syria for building a power plant and a steel plant. A Next-Gen Centre for Information Technology was set up in Damascus in October 2021. About 1500 scholarships have been provided to Syrian students to study in India in diverse streams, including 200 scholarships in the current academic year itself.”
She also said that India has been extending humanitarian, technical and developmental assistance to Syria through bilateral and multilateral channels. Consignments of food and medicines have been supplied to Syria from time to time, including during the pandemic.
During her speech, Kamboj said, “We note with regret that the conflict in Syria still has no end in sight and the political process is yet to take off. We continue to stress on Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political process, in line with UNSC Resolution 2254, with a firm commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic. A decisive forward movement on the political track in Syria remains an urgent imperative to alleviate the sufferings of its people.”
Notably, Resolution 2254 was adopted in 2015, reaffirming its strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic, and to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations.
The revival of the constitutional committee process is crucial to move forward on the political track. In this regard, UNSC takes note of the efforts of the Special Envoy, particularly his visit to Damascus earlier this month. The step-by-step approach advocated by the Special Envoy requires engagement and response from all sides, and cannot be a one-sided process, she said while addressing the UNSC.
“In recent weeks, the security situation particularly in northeast Syria has worsened. Moreover, the activities of terrorist outfits are on the rise. We have also seen military operations inside Syria carried out by a neighbour. We express concerns over such unilateral actions violating Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. We believe that the withdrawal of all foreign forces is essential to achieve a nationwide ceasefire. We note the recent meeting of the Ceasefire Task Force and hope that the parties will take steps towards cessation of hostilities,” Kamboj said.
India’s permanent representative to the UN further said, “The humanitarian situation continues to remain dire. Secretary-General in his latest report has projected an increase in the number of people in need of humanitarian aid, from 14.6 million in 2022 to 15.3 million in 2023. USG Martin Griffiths has also reiterated the challenges faced by humanitarian agencies. Women, children and the elderly continue to be impacted severely, and impediments to humanitarian assistance persist, both in terms of delivery and augmentation of financial resources. The restrictions on financial services have also negatively affected the work of humanitarian agencies.”
“We have noted the progress in crossline deliveries and early recovery projects. Our consistent view in this regard has been that distribution of humanitarian assistance to Syrians, whether by crossline or cross-border mechanism, should be guided by needs-based assessments and not political motivations. Humanitarian assistance cannot be a matter of political expediency,” she added.
Terrorism can’t be ignored in Syria and sanctioned terror outfits like ISIL, Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, continue to remain active in the country. UNSC reiterated the call for caution and due diligence to be exercised while extending humanitarian assistance to proscribed UN entities and individuals.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
The Delhi Police on Wednesday refuted any claim of trespassing or vandalism on the premise of Baba Colony in Burari.
The police received a PCR call on December 11 in which an attempt to convert was reported. A police team was dispatched to the spot. On inquiry, it was revealed that a gathering of 70-80 people at Gali 11, Baba Colony in Burari took place. It was also found that the premise was a house and not a place of worship.
While the ground floor was let out to a woman named Vimla, a Christian. She is said to be a long-time friend of the landlady, Soni Kumar.
Police said the landlady has known Vimla for 12 years and lives about 50 metres from the place. The landowner, Sanjay, teaches at a government school. police said.
The PCR call was made by their minor daughter, aged 16, and there was ‘confusion’ in the details shared during the call, the police said.
They said they find anything cognizable in the matter. Also, no forcible eviction was reported.
The police informed that no tenant has been dispossessed and neither was any incident of vandalism, theft, medicolegal intervention or trespassing reported.
Earlier, on December 11, protests were reported at the premise after which the residents gathered in suspicion of some foul play. About 10 chairs, one bench and a loudspeaker used in the protest were removed by Vimla and her friends on the landlady’s request.
The pastor, who is currently in Kerala for a relative’s marriage, was contacted and he submitted no grievance, the police said. However, preventive legal action is being initiated, even though peace and tranquillity are intact, they added.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
