On Monday (December 19), an alleged audio clip of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan having ‘phone sex’ with two unidentified women went viral on social media.
The said clips were first posted on the YouTube channel of a Pakistani journalist named Syed Ali Haider. In the purported audio clips, Imran Khan was allegedly heard talking about the ‘pleasure points’ of the woman, and his ‘penetration skills’.
“I cannot come to meet you. My boobs are so sore that I am in pain. I cannot even tell the doctor what you did to me. Naughty,” an unidentified woman was heard as saying, while Imran Khan allegedly pestered her to meet him again.
“Can we meet tomorrow then? My family, including my children, are coming over day after tomorrow. Let me try to postpone these plans,” the PTI supremo allegedly remarked.
The ex-Prime Minister of Pakistan was allegedly heard directing another woman to ‘touch herself’ and inquiring about the wetness of her v*gina.
“Should I lick it first before I put it in directly?” an inquisitive Khan was allegedly heard as saying. “Can you take it in, directly? Should I go slow or fast? Remember, I hump like a camel from the back,” he said after being told by the woman that she liked it ‘slow.’
“You will enjoy it more. All pleasure points will be tackled. I will explain you the process,” the ex-Pakistani Prime Minister had allegedly remarked. “Did you put your fingers inside your p*ssy? I hope it doesn’t get swollen…You will become wetter,” he added.
The audio clips are now being widely shared on other social media platforms. While some netizens have questioned the authenticity of the audio clips, others have slammed Imran Khan over his conduct.
Journalist Hamza Azhar Salam tweeted, “Khan saheb can do whatever he wants in his personal life but I hope he will stop presenting himself as some kind of role model Muslim leader for the entire Ummah.”
Khan sb can do whatever he wants in his personal life but I hope he will stop presenting himself as some kind of role model Muslim leader for the entire Ummah.
Journalist Naila Inayat also took potshots at the former Pakistani Prime Minister. She wrote, “In the alleged sex call leak, Imran Khan has become Emraan Hashmi.”
In the alleged sex call leak, Imran Khan has become Emraan Hashmi.
One Twitter user accused the ‘Pindi Boys’ (a reference to the Pakistani army establishment) of leaking the purported ‘phone sex tapes’ of Imran Khan and ignoring the situation in Bannu city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Pindi Boys were busy in leaking audio of Imran Khan while Taliban were holding soldiers hostages in Bannu. We are doomed.
A similar allegation against the Pakistani army was made by popular Twitter user, Muhammad Ibrahim.
Obscene audio leaked to put a dent in Imran Khan’s political stature in public eye, this comes after former PM started calling out Gen (retd) Bajwa for toppling his Government. It should be available on the internet shortly. Can’t spoil my TL with the crap.
One Pakistani journalist, Ihtisham Ul Haq, remarked, “Releasing such tapes will only damage you but not IK. Don’t stoop so low. Spreading obscenity and explicit content will serve no purpose but have grave consequences in the long run as it will effect the basic morals of our society & may effect you too! Don’t make this mistake.”
Releasing such tapes will only damage you but not IK. Don’t stoop so low. Spreading obscenity and explicit content will serve no purpose but have grave consequences in the long run as it will effect the basic morals of our society & may effect you too! Don’t make this mistake.
Another Pakistani journalist claimed that the viral audio clips are fake. “Dubbed audio. I covered Imran Khan from 2010 to 2016 as a beat reporter. Listened to each and every speech and press conference of him. This is not Imran khan but rather a fake and dubbed audio. Very shameful act.”
Dubbed audio. I have covered @ImranKhanPTI 2010 to 2016 as a beat reporter. Listened each and every speech and press conference of him. This is not Imran khan rather a fake and dubbed audio. very shameful act. https://t.co/rbJiDoEuvd
Last month, Imran Khan was reportedly injured during his Azadi March from Lahore to Islamabad. The firing reportedly happened when Imran Khan’s container was anchored at Wazirabad.
The ex-Prime Minister was taken away on a stretcher to a hospital with a heavy security cordon surrounding him. Besides him, one man was killed and four other officials of the Tehreek-e-Insaf party were also injured in the gunshot attack.
Since willingly resigning from NDTV after Gautam Adani took control of the media group, Ravish Kumar has given two ‘interviews’, and he has spoken his heart out, or let’s say, has preached sermons to willing listeners. One was a chat with Ajit Anjum, a former TV journalist turned YouTuber, and another with Karan Thapar from the leftist propaganda outlet called The Wire.
They are not really interviews as there were hardly any tough questions – something over which Ravish keeps attacking every journalist who interviewed PM Modi since 2014 – but the two ‘interviews’ also went on to prove that the charge he frequently throws at PM Modi – of being some megalomaniac of sorts – that is actually applicable to him.
For example, while chatting with The Wire’s Karan Thapar, he went on to say about NDTV’s takeover by Adani, “It is not a normal takeover, it is like snatching food from someone’s mouth”, and he even went on to claim that Adani is spending thousands of crores to buy NDTV to silence him.
Ravish Kumar has resigned from NDTV. Currently, the “famous” journalist is unemployed and giving interviews to other journalists who are in sync with his thought process, the likes of privileged Karan Thapar and now fellow YouTuber Ajit Anjum. Ravish, who evidently thinks NDTV was running only because he was part of the media house, is definitely not pleased with Adani Group taking over the operations at the media house.
In an over 10-minute rant right at the beginning of the interview with Thapar, Ravish constantly targeted Adani and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, claiming he is unemployed because of these two persons. Gautam Adani controls over 27 percent of the share in NDTV and he will soon control the majority share. Thapar questioned Ravish what it meant for a channel that is considered “India’s best” now that Adani has bought 29 percent shares and launched a public offer for 26 percent more.
Ravish warned Thapar that the first answer itself would be wrong. We braced ourselves for a long rant while listening to the question, and behold, it was over a 10-minute rant! While Thapar tried to stop Ravish in between and ask the next question, Kumar had no plans to do so.
Ravish said, “When it was clear in August that Adani Group would take over NDTV, it was clear in my mind that they could not buy me off after all these years, so they have formulated the plan to take over.”
He did not miss the chance to emphasise that NDTV is a brand connected intangibly to him. He said, “There is no doubt that NDTV is in itself a brand, but as you know, it is obvious that this channel is seen as connected to me. People say it is Ravish’s channel. Dr Roy never had a problem with it. He was happy that people think this way.”
He mentioned an op-ed in TMC supporting paper ‘The Telegraph’ by Mukul Kesavan that the takeover was being done to remove him. He said, “When it was clear [that Adani Group will take over NDTV], many people said the same on social media. And it is a strong point. I firmly believe that this was planned to remove me. People call it a great deal and claim it is a normal corporate deal and a regular takeover. It is alright that you are pushing me towards the footnotes. You can keep doing it, but I am not a footnote. This much Adani must have known by now. The public and I know very well who was targeted by this takeover. When you could not buy the voice of the poor, you pushed it from the stage. Or just buy the stage itself.”
He added, “I feel that they have spent thousands of crores to make me unemployed. Karan, I feel with this amount, they could have employed thousands of young men and women from UP and Bihar.”
Ravish Kumar then pointed out an interview Adani gave in Financial Times where Adani said that if the government has done something wrong, the media is free to talk about it but should also talk about the good work that the government has done. He was angered by “something wrong” and said, “It was like this government only makes mistakes occasionally. It was an editorial diktat of Adani about what will happen to NDTV. I am reversing this diktat.”
Ravish further said that nobody in the media has the guts to criticise the government. He said, “The Godi Media and Godi Seths do not have the guts to talk about the government’s wrongdoings. If Adani had said this, I would have felt it was a message for me that no one would touch me, and I could continue doing what I was doing. You know my identity is linked to the government’s criticism. Can Adani tweet if a reporter criticises the Modi government, the BJP and its ministers should not boycott the reporter [or the channel]? Can Adani do this? If he tweets like this for four days, he will sit at ED’s office the next day. This is Adani’s real position and status. He will remain in this position until he does not start criticising the government. The day he criticises the government, he will not get a stool to sit at ED’s and CBI’s offices. You do not need to tell him. He knows it very well.”
He further added that his programs were boycotted, and as soon as he left NDTV, BJP’s spokespersons started appearing on those shows. “What are all these indications telling you, Karan? 99.99999 percent of the media in India praises the Modi government. They spent lakhs of crores to spread hate and fake news. It includes the channels of Ambani and others. Look how big the empire of Godi media is! Still, Adani thinks no one dares to praise the government. They praise the government from morning till evening. These channels do not give space to the public’s voice. I feel it is rubbish that Adani is giving a lecture on media freedom.”
Ravish further claimed that all his work was not just anti-someone. and he did the proper research and added context to what he said. He claimed he followed journalistic skills and ethics. “It is clear that Adani is giving me a message. He is challenging me. Can he tell PM Modi to watch ‘Bagon Mein Bahar Hai’, ‘Black Screen’, or any episode of Covid coverage on Prime Time? If he had done that, I would have known how much he or the ‘fluent English speaking journalists’ he brought respect the press freedom. Can he tweet The Wire’s Pegasus story?”
Ravish was also angry over the reports that Adani Group sometimes decides not to reply to the media houses, including Al Jazeera. He mentioned when Al Jazeera sought a reply from the Adani Group for a report on the NDTV takeover, and they were asked to check the interview published in Dainik Jagran. Ravish was angry that Adani Group decided not to reply to Qatar’s official mouthpiece which is known to be biased against India.
Towards the end of the 10-minute+ rant, he said, “Having money in the pocket and having courage are two different things. I say, hey Godi Seth, you can keep money in your pocket, and I will keep the courage.”
While Karan Thapar consistently tried to make Ravish Kumar say that the NDTV takeover took place at the behest of the Modi government and particularly PM Modi, Kumar kept his answer a bit diplomatic and said, “We cannot be sure what these two have talked about in private but what is evident from what has been happening, it is clear [it is being done to silence me].” Ravish also pointed out PM Modi did not congratulate the late photojournalist Danish Siddiqui who won a Pulitzer award.
Toward the end of the interview, Kumar claimed that no Hindi newspaper was ready to publish his articles. He said, “They are so scared that they [Hindi Newspapers] are not ready to publish my articles. They are spending crores to stop me from earning Rs 2,000 for writing articles in Hindi media.”
The interview with YouTuber Ajit Anjum
The interview with reporter-turned-YouTuber Ajit Anjum was hardly any different. It was interesting to see Anjum promote it as “Ravish Kumar’s first interview after leaving NDTV” and trying to cash in on his “popularity”. Maybe inspired by Piers Morgan’s explosive interview with Cristiano Ronaldo, Anjum decided to release the interview in parts. The first part of the interview was released on December 15, followed by clips on social media platforms. Then another two parts, one main interview, and one part only with personal questions, were published later on Anjum’s channel.
In the interview with Anjum, Ravish expressed how “hollow” and “empty” his days have become after leaving NDTV. “I do not know how my viewers are coping with it. It was a routine for me to sit for hours without sleep in the night and prepare for the show.”
He mentioned that since the reports came out that Adani Group was in the process of taking over NDTV, he stopped going to the office. “It was shocking when the news came. For a moment, I sat down. The production people thought I was not feeling well and offered to stop the shoot.” But the ‘show must go on’, so he shot the episode. “Every takeover is not a normal takeover,” Ravish Kumar also mentioned in the interview with Anjum.
During his megalomaniac episode on Anjum’s channel, Ravish targeted other journalists and news channels that he considered “Godi Media”. For those unaware, God Media is a term used for journalists and news channels that are allegedly pro-PM Modi or pro-Modi government. He questioned if there is press freedom and Adani talks about it, will he talk about the Washington Post reports on him, or will the “Godi Media” channels talk about the Al Jazeera report? He claimed the BJP leaders who saw him as a prominent journalist before 2014 started boycotting him after coming to power.
Ravish further claimed that the takeover took place not only to get rid of him but also because there would have been primetime episodes covering the failure of the Modi government based on the reports he had done in the past. “We had records. We would have talked about them from the next year till the elections,” he added.
Ravish was angry with the “mother democracy” and “mother India” as well. He said, “If democracy is mother, then mother threw me out of her lap. What you have done (the democratic system of India that includes the people of India and the media) and what you have let happen will weigh on your soul forever. I have worked hard, but you took the bread out of my mouth. I want to ask Mother India why she did not have a place for me in her lap.”
One interesting point Ravish raised is that the common exclusive interviews from inside the ministries have stopped. Notably, it was pointed out by Barkha Dutt as well during an interview after the Modi government came to power for the first time. It is a known fact that journalists used to enjoy deep relationships with ministries, and there are speculations that they even influenced decision-making processes in the ministries, as seen in Radia Tapes.
However, since the Modi government came into power, access to the inside scoops has completely stopped. So much so that the Modi government put a complete stop to the practice of letting journalists tag along with the Prime Minister on his plane on foreign trips. Earlier, Dutt expressed her anger over the issue, this time, it was Ravish Kumar who subtly expressed how the power went out of their hands.
Journalists are not Gods
Understandably, journalists have been seen as pillars of truth in society. It is assumed that they go by ethics to present the facts and only the facts without any bias. But look at the history of media and think once, was there a time when journalists, media houses, newspapers etc., were ever non-biased? Every journalist, media house, and person linked to media in any capacity is biased to a certain level. Some show their biases openly, but some keep themselves on the centrist lines just to stay in business.
For example, Ravish Kumar almost swore during an interview with Anjum that he talked facts and researched properly before presenting any report to the public. However, OpIndia, on several occasions, showed how Kumar openly spread fake information and data. For instance, In January 2021, he lied about paddy procurement. It is available in the public domain, and thanks to the digitisation of government data, people can cross-check. Otherwise, if it had been 2001, Ravish Kumar would have gotten away with the lies.
In the end, please note that no one snatched the bread from Ravish Kumar’s mouth. There was no request from Adani Group seeking resignation from Ravish Kumar. NDTV did not fire him. Ravish Kumar himself said he left the channel on his own.
Advocate Ashwini Upadhyay walked out of an Aaj Tak show featuring ‘Islamic scholar’ Taslim Rehmani, stating that he could not participate in a debate that provided a platform to someone who made derogatory references to Lord Shiva.
Speaking at a debate about the curriculum taught in madarsas, Rehmani repeatedly heckled Upadhyay and obstructed him from presenting his point. When Upadhyay came to know Rehmani was also invited to be a part of the debate, he fulminated against the channel for having someone who insulted Lord Shiva on the panel.
Tasleem Rehmani called names to Shivling and when @NupurSharmaBJP responded to him in his way, she had to hide for her life.
“A man who name-called Lord Shiva is invited to be a part of a news debate while Nupur Sharma, who responded to his barbs, is living in hiding. And those supporting Nupur Sharma had their heads beheaded by the ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ gang, ” said Upadhyay, lashing out at the news channel for inviting polarising figures to their debates and legitimising them.
In response to Upadhyay’s strong objection to the participation of Taslim Rehmani in the debate, Aaj Tak host Aarti Arya said that panellists could not dictate the news channels on who should or should not be invited for debates.
After Arya refuse to take Rehmani off the panel, Upadhyay walked out of the debate.
Nupur Sharma responds to Taslim Rehmani’s barbs on Lord Shivling, attracts the wrath of Islamists and ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ gang
Earlier this year, former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma found herself at the centre of a raging storm after Islamists, egged on by the likes of AltNews co-founder Mohammed Zubair, issued multiple threats against her and her family for expressing her views on Prophet Muhammad and Islam.
Sharma was a part of a debate panel on Times Now, discussing the finding of Shivling in the Gyanvapi complex and the subsequent mockery of the Hindu Gods and Goddesses that followed in the wake of the discovery. Islamists have claimed that the Shivling discovered inside the wuzukhana of the Gyanvapi disputed structure was not a Shivling but a fountain. Across social media platforms, detractors have been repeating ad nauseam that the Shivling found inside the Gyanvapi premises is a fountain and not an idol of a Hindu God.
In response to the contempt and scorn poured over Hindu Gods and Goddesses, which was evident even during the Times Now debate where some of the fellow panellists referred to the Shivling as a fountain, BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma asked them to refrain from insulting Hindu Gods and cited Islamic scriptures and Holy Quran for substantiating her remarks on Prophet Muhammad and Islam.
When Taslim Rehmani repeatedly used derogatory references to Lord Shiva on the Times Now debate, former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma spoke about Prophet Muhammad and his marriage with Ayesha and other scriptural claims made in Islamic Hadiths, an edited video of which was later shared by Zubair to dog whistle Islamists against her, resulting in ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ protests across the country.
Several Hindus, including Kanhaiya Lal from Udaipur, Umesh Kolhe from Amravati, and many others, were hacked to death by Islamists for merely expressing solidarity with Nupur Sharma.
Thousands of people are left jobless due to the closure of the market at Taftan, for the last one-year — the border of Iran and Pakistan, reported Pakistani vernacular media Intekhab Daily.
The manual workers are unable to get any work for them. Getting two times meals has become a problem for them. Even small traders are suffering from the financial crunch. They have nothing for trade. Their only business was the across-border business which the government has stopped.
Although at the Pak-Iran border of Taftan a new terminal with modern facilities was constructed last year its opening is delayed due to the interference of some influential persons, who don’t want the border to be opened, reported Intekhab Daily.
A sit-in protest was held in September by regional political parties against the prolonged closure of trade and travelling corridors at Taftan border in Chagai district in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, local media reported.
The protest was held by Anjuman Tajiran, the labour union and members of different political parties. This was the second protest sit-in this month staged by the traders against the blockade of the trade corridors, Dawn reported.
Earlier in October, the Iranian authorities closed the border with Pakistan at Taftan after clashes between the protesters and security forces in Zahedan, the capital city of Sistan-Balochistan, reported Dawn.
According to sources in the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the immigration and transit gate for trade and the tax-free-trade gate, Zero Point, remained closed from the Iranian side.
In July, the Quetta Chamber of Commerce and Industry (QCCI) called upon the authorities to start business activities at the Bazarcha border terminal at the Taftan border to bring trade and job opportunities to residents, reported Dawn.
Meanwhile, former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday warned that his “country is sinking” as he announced that PTI governments in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces will dissolve their assemblies on December 23 to pave the way for fresh polls.
“Till the time free and fair elections are not held, we are all afraid that the country (Pakistan) is sinking,” the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran said in a video address, with Punjab Chief Minister Parvez Elahi and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan by his side.
At the beginning of his address, Imran Khan bemoaned about the country’s current economic situation under the Shehbaz Sharif government. Imran said a government with a fresh mandate and the nation’s support behind it would be able to raise its stature, Dawn reported.
Pakistan’s economy continues to deteriorate due to structural imbalances as several decisions regarding the economic policies like taxes, subsidies etc in the South Asian country have remained unaddressed over time, Dr Sakariya Kareem said while writing for Asian Lite.
Islamabad’s foreign exchange crisis has worsened as reserves have been depleted to a critical low of USD 8 billion, compared to over USD 20 billion in August 2021, undermining the country’s ability to make international payments.
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) fell by 52 per cent in the first four months of the current fiscal year FY23, showing the country’s dismal economic health. A sustained drop in remittances is adding to Pakistan’s currency woes.
Remittances totalled USD 9.9 billion in July-October 2022, down 8.6 per cent from USD 10.827 billion in the same period last year. If the current trend continues, overall remittances in FY23, which ends in June, are expected to be close to USD 30 billion, down from USD 31 billion in FY 2022, Asian Lite reported.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s textile exports have fallen to a 17-month low since May 2021, owing to a global economic slowdown in textile and clothing demand in Europe, the United Kingdom, and the United States, as a result of elevated price inflation, rising energy expenditure, and surging credit costs in the West.
Despite Pakistan’s finance minister Ishaq Dar’s repeated assurances for Sukuk payment, the international market is not willing to trust the assurances as the nation’s economy struggles to avoid default by borrowing more from the markets, donors, commercial banks and friendly nations.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
On December 20, conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar alleged that he gave Rs 60 crores to the Aam Aadmi Party. A video of him giving the statement to the media has gone viral on social media. Sukesh appeared before Delhi’s Patiala House court to record the statement. While he was being taken back from the court, reporters tried to ask him questions. One was the question about alleged money being given to AAP. Sukesh said he gave Rs 60 crores. He did not reply to any other questions, including how the transactions happened.
Sukesh’s counsel Anant Malik spoke to the media and said a high-powered committee in the court took his statement and a probe into the matter should be done. Sukesh appeared in court in connection to the Rs 200 crores money laundering case. He is currently lodged in Mandoli jail in Delhi for allegedly extorting money from celebrities and high-profile people. Earlier, he was lodged in Tihar jail. In a request to the court, he asked to shift from Tihar to another jail, citing death threats.
#WATCH | Today Sukesh Chandrashekhar alleged that he gave Rs 60 crores to AAP. A high-powered committee took his statement & the committee has given its recommendations & held that allegations are serious & a probe should be done: Adv Anant Malik lawyer of Sukesh Chandrashekhar pic.twitter.com/qsS9Whav5D
In a series of letters written to Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena and the media, Sukesh levelled a series of allegations against the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party. He alleged to have paid Rs 10 crores to AAP ministry Satyendar Jain as “protection money”. He further said he was harassed and threatened in jail.
Conman Sukesh levels allegations against Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia as well. He also alleged that AAP leaders were siphoning money meant for the welfare of Children’s education. In his most recent letter, he said he would expose Satyendar Jain and Arvind Kejriwal very soon. He further added that no one had pressured him to write the letters, and he wrote everything of his own will.
Chronology of letters by conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar
On November 1, Sukesh wrote the first letter to Delhi LG VK Saxena and alleged he had paid Rs 10 crores as “protection money” to AAP Minister Satyendar Jain. He claimed to have known Jain since 2015. The hand-written letter of Chandrashekhar sent to Saxena through his lawyer stated, “After my arrest in 2017, I was lodged in Tihar Jail and was visited multiple times by Mr Satyendar Jain, who held the portfolio of jail minister. In 2019 again, I was visited by Jain, whose secretary asked me to pay Rs 2 crore every month as protection money and to get basic facilities inside the jail.”
On November 4, he wrote another letter and alleged to have paid Rs 50 crores to Arvind Kejriwal for the Rajya Sabha seat. He added there was another demand of Rs 200 crores. He said in his letter that he is being terrorised at the behest of Satyendar Jain and ex-DG (Prisons) of Tihar jail after his complaint to the Delhi L-G went public. Sukesh further wrote in this letter, “After my first complaint went public on media, Mr Satyendar Jain started threatening me through the jail administration and the ex-DG as the truth is going to be out and they (AAP) are going to be exposed to a different level.”
On November 5, another letter surfaced alleging that he is receiving severe threats from jailed state government minister Satyendar Jain and Director General Prisons Sandeep Goel. “I have read the news and seen that Mr Arvind Kejriwal has tweeted that BJP is putting me forward during election times, and he wrote that I am the country’s biggest thug, which is misleading and diverting from the issue,” said Sukesh in the letter.
Levelling serious allegations against Arvind Kejriwal, Sukesh stated, “I hereby state that if I was the country’s biggest thug, then why during 2016 when I personally delivered Rs 50 crore to Mr Satyendra Jain in the presence of Mr Kailash Gahlot in his farm at Asola, and thereafter the same evening Mr Arvind Kejriwal and Mr Jain had visited me for dinner at Hyatt, Bhikaji Cama Place where I was staying. Mr Kejriwal asked me to mobilise a few large contributors who, in return, will be given positions and seats when expanded in southern states and insisted I bring at least 20 to 30 people from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu who can give at least Rs 500 crore.”
On November 8, a fourth letter surfaced in which he addressed the media houses. Sukesh hit out at Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and its chief Delhi CM, Arvind Kejriwal, in response to his allegations that Sukesh was doing all this purposely for the upcoming elections. He said AAP was attempting to provoke him with a ‘war of words’ instead of answering the allegations that he levelled in previous press releases and complaints to Delhi LG.
On November 10, it was reported that Sukesh requested another transfer from Mandoli jail, citing threats by jail officials.
In another letter addressed to the media that surfaced on November 12, Sukesh alleged that AAP had paid for the coverage in a US Paper. He alleged that Kejriwal used his money and PR agent to publish paid news to promote the ‘Delhi school/education model on the front page of an American newspaper.
So, Kejriwal ji, I’d like to ask you why you recently used my money and my PR agent to publish paid news in your favour about your Delhi School model. On the front page of a major American newspaper around the world? So, is it okay for you and your party to accept this from a so-called “thug”? So, what exactly does this make you? Even after my recent arrest in the $200 million case, you continued to use my money and PR, which I had previously paid for,” he wrote in his letter.
In his letter, although Chandrashekhar did not mention the name of the newspaper, however, on August 19, 2022, Delhi CM Kejriwal tweeted an image of the front page of the New York Times, which featured Delhi’s education minister and an accused in excise policy scam, Manish Sisodia and lauded his education model.
In his sixth letter, which surfaced on November 18, he alleged that AAP leaders demanded kickbacks for the supply of tablets in 2016. “In mid of 2016 when a meeting was organised at Kailash Gahlot farm, where myself, Jain and Manish Sisodia, and a representative of Shine, Arnav Malodia from Mumbai had attended, and the deal was finalised for the supply and Satyenderji, and Manishji had told Arnav that a shell company will be created in the name of Manish Sisodia`s relative, Pankaj who is based in Pune and the margin amount kickback had to be transferred as a loan to the newly created company,” he said in the letter he wrote through his lawyer Anant Malik.
On November 19, he alleged that Satyandar Jain had sought his help to convert 20 million dollars into Indian rupees and bitcoins. He stated that Jain called him at 2 am in February 2017, asking for his assistance in converting $20 million in Indian rupees and bitcoin. The AAP politician, according to the conman, indicated that the money must be collected from his business associates who operate a well-known distillery in Bengaluru.
On December 16, a three-member panel recommended a central agency probe against the allegations raised by Sukesh.
On December 18, in a fresh letter, Sukesh warned Kejriwal and his party leaders that he would expose them very soon.
The Agra Municipal Corporation has served notices on the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) asking it to pay property tax and water bills for the iconic Taj Mahal, officials said.
According to officials of the ASI, a notice for water tax and one for property tax has been issued. The ASI has been asked to pay around Rs 1.40 lakh and Rs 1 crore as water tax.
ASI’s Superintending Archaeologist(Agra circle) Raj Patel told ANI, “A notice for water tax and one for property tax has been issued. The property tax is around Rs 1.40 lakh and the water tax is around Rs 1 crore”.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
Amid the ongoing conflict with China, the Indian armed forces are now going to acquire the ‘Pralay’ ballistic missile which can hit targets from 150 to 500 Kms. The proposal moved by the Indian defence forces is at an advanced stage and is scheduled to be taken up for clearance during a high-level meeting this week, defence sources told ANI.
The proposal is also important as it comes at a time when the Indian forces are working on the creation of a rocket force which has been in discussion at the highest levels in the Defence Ministry.
Recently, Navy chief Admiral R Hari Kumar stated that the late Gen Bipin Rawat was working on the creation of a rocket force to counter enemies on the border.
The missile was successfully tested twice on two consecutive days last year in December and since then, the forces are working towards its acquisition and induction.
With a range of 150 to 500 km, ‘Pralay’ is powered with solid propellant rocket motor and other new technologies. The missile guidance system includes state-of-the-art navigation and integrated avionics. “Pralay’ is a quasi-ballistic surface-to-surface missile.
The advanced missile has been developed in a way to able to defeat interceptor missiles. It has the ability to change its path after covering a certain range midair,” sources said.
Sources said that such missiles give a tremendous capability to own troops to completely destroy or take out enemy air defence sites or similar high-value targets.
The Pralay missiles along with the BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles would be the longest-range tactical weapon system in the defence forces as the long-range strategic weapons are controlled by the strategic forces command.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
On December 14, author JK Rowling, a well-known author who created the widely popular Harry Potter series, took to Twitter to wish a follower a ‘Merry Terfmas’ followed by a ‘blowing kiss’ emoji.
And since then, the tweet has garnered an overwhelming torrent of abuse ahead of the ‘Gender Critical Coming Out Day’—also known as ‘Terfmas’.
Rowling posted the tweet in response to a Twitter user @Sian_L_S, who hailed JK Rowling for the launch of a rape and sexual assault crisis centre in Edinburgh that supports and employs only cisgender women while excluding trans women in the process.
But this did not sit well with many social media users, including those sympathetic to the cause of Transgender, who took to Twitter to attack the Harry Potter author, accusing her of harbouring ‘gender-critical’ views and ‘revelling in transphobia’.
‘Gender Identity’ fanatics attack JK Rowling over her ‘Merry Terfmas’ tweet
Popular gaming influencer @iamBrandonTV derided Rowling on Twitter, asking Harry Potter fans who still want to purchase and play the upcoming Hogwarts Legacy Video game, which is set to release on 10 February 2023.
“I want to play that new Harry Potter game, I don’t understand why people would be mad about that.”
TERF is an acronym that stands for a trans-exclusionary radical feminist. Trans-inclusive cisgender feminist writer Viv Smythe coined the word in 2008, and it is used to describe feminists who do not consider trans women to be women and often oppose trans-inclusive policies.
The term ‘Merry Terfmas; is a play on the popular festival greeting ‘Merry Christmas’, the occasion that marks the celebration of Jesus Christ. ‘Merry Terms’ was first used in 2021 by Graham Linehan to describe his much-ridiculed ‘Gender Critical Coming Out Day’, exhorting people to make their ‘gender-critical’ views known to friends, family and colleagues.
However, in the last few months, the phrase ‘Merry Terms’ has gained currency among TERFs as a watchword during the festive season to describe ‘Gender Critical Coming Out Day’.
What is ‘Gender Critical Coming Out Day’?
‘Gender Critical Coming Out Day‘ was co-created by Graham Linehan, who was permanently de-platformed from Twitter in 2020 for “hateful conduct” over his continuous anti-trans rhetoric, in addition to anti-trans activists Helen Staniland and the anonymous ‘Karen Actually’. It falls on December 19.
A website is dedicated to creating awareness among people about ‘Gender Critical Coming Out Day’. which describes the event as “a day to let others know you support the reality of biological sex, and that you are against an ideology that says gender identity can replace sex, in whatever way works for you”.
As per the website, supporters are asked to mark the day by using hashtags such as #SexNotGender, #IStandWithMaya, #IStandWithJKRowling or changing email signatures to include purposeless phrases such as “my pronouns are based on my biology” on their social media accounts.
Merry Terfmas and JK Rowling connection
‘Gender Critical Coming Out Day’ or ‘Merry Terfmas’ falls on December 19, the anniversary of Rowling’s infamous #IStandWithMaya tweet in 2019, after she tweeted her support for a British woman who was fired for making transphobic remarks.
The hashtag #IStandWithMaya was in support of a researcher Maya Forstater, who had claimed online that there are only two biological sexes, for which she was fired by the U.K. poverty think tank that employed her for questioning government plans to allow people to self-identify as another gender.
Rowling had tweeted in solidarity with Maya Forstater, The tweet read: “Dress however you please. Call yourself whatever you like. Sleep with any consenting adult who’ll have you. Live your best life in peace and security. But force women out of their jobs for stating that sex is real? #IStandWithMaya #ThisIsNotADrill”.
Dress however you please. Call yourself whatever you like. Sleep with any consenting adult who’ll have you. Live your best life in peace and security. But force women out of their jobs for stating that sex is real? #IStandWithMaya#ThisIsNotADrill
Past instances when JK Rowling had faced attacks for her views on ‘gender identity’
This is not the first time that author JK Rowling has come under attack for voicing her opinions on ‘gender identity’. Last year, JK Rowling took to Twitter to narrate how she and her family were doxxed by LGBT activists for not buying their ‘socio-political concept of gender identity.’
The Hary Potter-fame-author informed that 3 LGBT activists deliberately clicked pictures of themselves outside her residence such that the address was visible in those photographs. The activists then uploaded the pictures on Twitter, thereby leaving Rowling and her family vulnerable to attacks. The incident took place on Friday, November 19, 2021.
In July 2021, JK Rowling received death threats from LGBTQ activists for flagging the dangers women face in public toilets by men identifying themselves as women. Rowling shared a screenshot of a tweet posted by one of the nasty internet trolls, who apparently wished her “a very nice pipebomb in the mailbox”.
Rowling had drawn the ire of the LGBTQ community in 2020 after she linked her experience of sexual assault with her concern over transgender access to women-only spaces in a 3,600 words long essay.
In her article, Rowling, a domestic violence survivor, said she was perturbed that “the new trans activism” was undermining women and girls’ rights to single-sex spaces by “offering cover to predators”.
On Tuesday, December 20, another case of Love Jihad was reported from the state of Madhya Pradesh. A 26-year-old Hindu woman alleged that 23-year-old Shadab Khan concealed his identity to establish a relationship with her, and then raped her for several months. The Police have filed an FIR in the case and are searching for the accused who is absconding at present.
According to the reports, the incident is said to have happened in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. The woman said that she met Shadab online who introduced himself as Raja. The accused then trapped her in a love affair and made her believe that he was a Hindu. The duo was on a tour to Ajmer when the victim woman saw the accused wearing an Islamic cap and attire. She learned later that ‘Raja’ is a Muslim whose real name is Shadab.
The complainant has stated that Shadab then started to pressurise her into getting married to him as per Islamic rituals.
The woman in the complaint mentioned that she was sexually assaulted by the accused who hid his religious identity and was mentally torturing her for the past year after she knew about his truth. She said that the accused had himself confessed later that he was a Muslim and not a Hindu.
Ujjain Police Tarun Koril took cognizance of the incident and said that the investigation based on the complaint filed by the victim is underway and that the Police are looking for Shadab who is absconding at present.
Reports mention that the incident came to the fore after Bajrang Dal District President Pintu Kaushal learned about the victim and contacted the victim’s family. The woman registered a complaint after Kaushal encouraged her to seek justice and report the incident to the Police.
A similar incident was reported on October 29 from Madhya Pradesh as the Police arrested a man identified as Sheikh Jahid under the state’s law against forced conversions for hiding his religious identity from a Hindu woman and raping her for over 7 years. The victim Hindu woman said that the accused had introduced himself as a Brahmin and had developed sexual relations with her.
Also, in November this year, the state police arrested a 32-year-old Muslim man for forcing his Hindu wife to convert to Islam. The accused was identified as Rubab Shah. In her complaint, the accused’s wife stated that she met the man while working in a private hospital and was trapped into getting married to the accused in 2015. The victim also stated that her husband’s attitude towards her turned hostile three years after their marriage. According to the complaint, he then forced her to convert to Islam.
In the current case, the Police have registered an FIR against the accused under the relevant sections of the law and is looking for the accused who is absconding.
A YouTube channel by the name of ‘News Headlines’ has been at the helm of a concerted disinformation campaign against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling BJP government at the Centre as well as other states.
Started in 2018, the channel now boasts of a whopping 9.68 lakh subscribers. ‘News Headlines’ has a lifetime view count of 31,80,16,579 (31.8 crores). It has been infamous for posting fake news on a regular basis.
The channel primarily relies on exaggeration, sensationalism and clickbait headlines to draw the attention of anti-Modi propagandists and BJP haters.
Screengrab of the Youtube channel of News Headlines
On Tuesday (October 20), the Press Information Bureau (an agency under I&B Ministry that provides information about government policies and initiatives) exposed how ‘News Headlines’ had been running a disinformation campaign. Besides fake news about the BJP, the Youtube channel also targets the Judiciary and attributes misleading claims to it.
“A #YouTube channel ‘News Headlines’ with almost 10 lakh subscribers and 32 crore views has been found to be propagating #FakeNews about the Prime Minister, Supreme Court of India, Chief Justice of India, and the Election Commission of India,” PIB tweeted.
A #YouTube channel ‘News Headlines’ with almost 10 lakh subscribers and 32 crore views has been found to be propagating #FakeNews about the Prime Minister, Supreme Court of India, Chief Justice of India, and the Election Commission of India pic.twitter.com/9qUR7xqBd9
In one of its contentious videos, dating back to May 16 last year, the Youtube channel claimed that PM Modi had tendered his resignation and ‘President Rule’ was imposed in India.
“Modi has handed over his responsibilities to the President; President rule in effect in the country,” read the misleading headline of the video. “Will PM Modi now become President?,” it had also claimed.
?????
▪️ The Prime Minister of India has resigned
▪️ President Rule has been imposed in the country.
“The Youtube channel ‘News Headlines’ is claiming that according to the orders of the Chief Justice of India, EVMs are not to be used in elections. This claim is fake,” noted the Twitter handle of PIB.
The #Youtube channel ‘’News Headlines’ is claiming that according to the orders of the Chief Justice of India, EVMs are not to be used in elections. #PIBFactCheck
Several other misleading claims were also attributed to former CJI N. V. Ramana.
One video of the channel ‘News Headlines’ claims that the Chief Justice of India has declared the Prime Minister of India as being guilty of sedition. #PIBFactCheck
Opindia also found the YouTube channel, making false claims, about the resignation of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and the supposed return of the Congress party in the State.
It must be mentioned that the Government of India routinely acts against YouTube channels, peddling disinformation with the ulterior motive of creating political instability and societal unrest.
Screengrab of the Youtube channel ‘News Headlines’
In September this year, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting informed that it had blocked as many as 45 videos on YouTube from across 10 different YouTube channels under IT Rules, 2021.
In August 2022, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting blocked 7 Indian and 1 Pakistan-based YouTube channel. The channels were blocked for airing fake anti-India content and earning money from it.
While the Government of India had been cracking down on fake news peddlers, the so-called ‘fact checkers’ such as Boom Live, and Alt News, who even ‘fact-check’ memes, have never quite bothered to bust these fake news.
