On October 29, Alt News’ co-founder Mohammed Zubair quoted a Congress supporter Gautam Trivedi who had shared a platform ticket of Lucknow Railway Station. Trivedi had paid Rs 100 for 2 hours on the platform. Zubair wrote, “Smile, you are in Lucknow.” The idea behind the Tweet and what Zubair wrote was to point out the increased price of the platform ticket, which was previously Rs 30. However, it was a misleading tweet, and the alleged fact-checker did not care to explain the reality.
Alt News’ Mohammed Zubair shared a misleading tweet about the platform ticket price. Source: Twitter
Twitter user The Hawk Eye pointed out the ticket price was temporarily increased from Rs 30 to Rs 50 to tackle the Diwali festive rush. Furthermore, the ticket shown in the image was for two persons that neither Zubair nor Trivedi bothered to mention.
Fact – this is temporary. platform ticket charges increased from Rs 30 to Rs 50 and will be applied between 26 Oct and 6 Nov for avoiding congestion at railway stations due to Diwali and Chhath Puja. This ticket in the picture is for 2 persons.
Upon investigation into the matter, OpIndia found that on October 26, it was reported that the Northern Railway increased the price of the platform ticket rate to Rs 50, which was previously Rs 30. On October 25, Divisional Railway Manager Suresh Kumar Sapra informed on social media that the platform ticket price at selected railway stations was increased from Rs 30 to Rs 50. The increased price would be applicable between October 26 to November 5. The decision was taken to ensure the smooth movement of passengers.
उ०रे,लखनऊ मंडल द्वारा दि० 26.10.22 से 06.11.22 तक मंडल के महत्वपूर्ण स्टेशनों पर यात्रियों के सुचारू आवागमन हेतु, प्लेटफार्म टिकट का बिक्री मूल्य रू 50/- प्रतिव्यक्ति करने का निर्णय लिया गया है I उचित व्यवस्था को बनाए रखने के लिए सभी नागरिकों का सहयोग प्रार्थनीय है।@RailMinIndia
When a netizen questioned him about the intention behind the increased price, he categorically mentioned that it was done to discourage non-passengers from visiting the platform and reduce overcrowding. Those with valid tickets do not need to pay for the platform ticket. Only those who visit the railway station to see off the passengers are required to pay for the platform ticket.
रेल प्रशासन का प्रयास है कि त्योहारों के सीजन में, यथासंभव, यात्री ही प्लेटफार्म पर जाएं जिससे प्लेटफार्म पर भीड़ को नियंत्रित कर, रेल यात्रियों के लिए प्लेटफार्म पर जगह बनाई जा सके।
The stations charging additional fees in Northern Railway are Lucknow Junction (Jn), Varanasi Jn, Barabanki Jn, Ayodhya Cantt, Ayodhya, Akbarpur, Shahganj, Jaunpur Jn, Sultanpur Jn, Raebareli, Janghai, Bhadohi, Pratapgarh, and Unnao. The price was hiked from Rs 20 to Rs 30 for a month on October 2. Sapra was quoted by Hindustan Times saying, “Efforts are also being made to provide passenger facilities systematically in the wake of festivals like Bhai Dooj and Chhath.”
Furthermore, Northern Railway is not the only division that increased the price. Western Railway also announced a hike on October 22, where the platform ticket price was increased from Rs 10 to Rs 50. Several divisions of Indian Railways announced the hike on selected Railway Stations depending on the footfall. For example, Southern Railway increased the price from Rs 10 to Rs 20, which will remain applicable till January 1, 2023. Central Railway increased the price from Rs 10 to Rs 50 until October end.
In conclusion, the price hike on selected railway stations was announced only for a limited period to avoid overcrowding. The tweet by Alt News’ Mohammed Zubair was misleading.
On Saturday (October 29) night, 151 people were killed in one of the deadliest stampede in the South Korean capital of Seoul.
As per reports, about 1,00,000 had gathered to celebrate the festival of Halloween in the narrow streets of Itaewon district. As the crowd surged, the trapped victims, who were pushed against each other, began to collapse.
Multiple videos have now surfaced on social media which showed bystanders providing Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) to the victims. About 150 people are believed to have been injured.
WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT – At least 149 people, mostly teenagers and young adults in their 20s, were killed in South Korea when a crowd celebrating Halloween surged into an alley in a night-life area of Seoul https://t.co/ZBB3cKhxO5pic.twitter.com/evlVibGuUw
While speaking about the incident, Seoul Police (Division Commander) Kim Geun-jin said, “Our forensic teams are focused on identifying victims and collecting evidence from the site.”
In the absence of effective crowd management, combined with poor planning of the publicised event, the movement of emergency vehicles were also restricted.
In a video shared by journalist Andy Ngo, bystanders and emergency service providers were seen trying to save unconscious people, lying on roads. Dead bodies of victims were seen placed side-by-side on the edge of the road.
Reportedly, the Halloween festival was the first major public gathering in recent months where Covid-19 restrictions were eased by the South Korean government. Halloween remains a major attraction for young adults, despite not being a traditional Korean festival.
A national mourning was declared on Sunday (October 30) by President Yoon Suk Yeol and ordered Siuth Korean flags to be raised at half mast in public offices and government buildings.
While calling for a probe into the deadly incident, Yoon said, “This is really devastating. The tragedy and disaster that need not have happened took place in the heart of Seoul amid Halloween. I feel heavy hearted and cannot contain my sadness as a president responsible for the people’s lives and safety.”
My deepest condolences to all who lost their loved ones in the tragedy in Seoul or saw them hurt.
In a statement, US President Joe Biden said, “Jill and I send our deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones in Seoul. We grieve with the people of the Republic of Korea and wish for a quick recovery to all those who were injured.”
“The United States stands with the Republic of Korea during this tragic time,” he further added.
Jill and I send our deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones in Seoul. We grieve with the people of the Republic of Korea and wish for a quick recovery to all those who were injured. The United States stands with the Republic of Korea during this tragic time.
India’s External Affairs Minister (EAM) also expressed condolences to the bereaved families in Seoul.
“Deeply shocked at the loss of so many young lives due to the stampede in Seoul. Our condolences to the families of those who lost their dear ones. We stand in solidarity with the Republic of Korea during this difficult time,” he said in a tweet.
Deeply shocked at the loss of so many young lives due to the stampede in Seoul. Our condolences to the families of those who lost their dear ones. We stand in solidarity with the Republic of Korea during this difficult time.
Earlier this month, about 135 people were killed and over 500 were injured as pandemonium and violence erupted during an Indonesian league soccer match between two of the country’s most famous clubs.
Several confrontations were reported between supporters of the two rival soccer clubs inside the Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang, East Java province, after the Indonesian Premier League game finished with Persebaya Surabaya defeating Arema Malang.
Videos posted on social media from inside the stadium showed supporters clad in red and blue rushing the pitch and battling with Indonesian security officers, who looked to be wearing riot gear. When they fled to one exit, several individuals were crushed and suffocated.
In a LinkedIn Post, one Jack Raines suggested that he made $100,000 by getting 1,000 Covid-19 vaccine shots in just 16 days with an average of 63 shots per day. How he made money, you ask? According to him, he took advantage of a $100 incentive that was announced by New York’s mayor Eric Adams in February this year to encourage the city’s residents to get vaccinated.
Raines said in his post that as New York depends on paper-based Covid-19 vaccine certificates, no two pharmacies were aware if he had gotten the shot or not. Moreover, with 2,600 pharmacies in the city, it was not a problem for him to get 1,000 shots in 16 days.
Soon, the post got viral on various social media platforms.
It is noteworthy that by the time this report was published, the post on Twitter had already gained almost 2,000 Retweets and over 27,000 likes.
Twitter user Priya Sridhar questioned, “What about the people who needed the vaccine and could have benefited from those doses?” to which Raines said, “You snooze, you lose.”
Twitter user Isaiah Webby seemed shocked and concerned. He said, “No way you actually got the shots. Used like a fake arm or a patch. Half a shot made me sick for 3-4 days.”
No way you actually got the shots. Used like a fake arm or a patch. Half a shot made me sick for 3-4 days.
Another user Whorwe Whererwe was flabbergasted over the money Raines “made” by scamming taxpayers. He said, “You do realize the money you were paid comes out of taxpayers’ pockets, don’t you? Essentially, you scammed your fellow citizens, not the mayor.”
You do realize the money you were paid comes out of taxpayers pockets, don’t you? Essentially, you scammed your fellow citizens, not the mayor.
The LinkedIn audience was no different. Negar Rajabi said, “I don’t know which one makes me more disappointed: the insanity of the scam or the number of likes and kudos it has gotten! Also, for an investment that crosses ethical lines and may put you at risk physically, I can think of some other options with much higher ROIs.”
Source: LinkedIn/Jack Raines
Raines expressed his disappointment and said, “I’m most disappointed that a Wharton MBA thought this was real! That’s why I went to CBS.”
Kat Galloway said, “You should apologize to the families of 1000 people who suffered because there were not enough vaccines for them.”
Source: LinkedIn/Jack Raines
Grant Allen said, “Bravo! You scammed the city of New York and risked your life, likely harming others who may not have access to the vaccines due to supply shortages.”
Source: LinkedIn/Jack Raines
Satirical post mistaken for real
However, the above post where Raines had claimed to have taken 1,000 vaccine shots in just 16 days was actually satire. After his post went viral on multiple social media platforms, Raines took the opportunity to express his views about the cringe posts he comes across on the professional social media platform LinkedIn. Notably, it has over 850 million users and ideally, as it is a professional platform, people should avoid publishing anything that is untrue, unreliable or unprofessional.
Another point that he raised was that people on platforms like Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook get clowned if they post a clickbait lie. On LinkedIn, the story is different. No one would call out a lie. Raines said, “The platform is so professional, no one is going to comment and say, “Actually, Joey, this post is literally a lie. None of the stuff that you wrote about even happened” because no one wants to be seen posting negative or derogatory content on a professional site.”
Raines added that this is the reason people openly support cringe posts on LinkedIn and ‘upvote’ them.
Raines’s satire on free food fooled many!
As an experiment, Raines had earlier decided to post an absolute satire on LinkedIn. The idea was to make the post ‘so cringe’ that it formulated into a satire. He published a ‘side hustle’ suggesting people can eat free food at hotels. He suggested people should just walk into the hotels in the morning and have breakfast buffet just as other guests. Even for lunch, if one dresses well, according to his satirical post, people can enjoy free lunch and run away by writing a random room number and name before the hotel realizes what happened.
Source: LinkedIn/Jack Raines
Obviously, he was joking. Anyway, satire is not a cup of tea for everyone. Speaking to OpIndia, Raines said a major publication actually approached him to do a story on him stealing from hotels. “Satire isn’t understood by all, it appears,” he said. He compiled some of the best reactions (read outrage) and added screenshots on Twitter.
Raines spoke to OpIndia in detail about his views on ‘sh*tposting’ on social media. He said, ” I don’t think we need to “stop” people from doing it, per se. But if you use company layoffs and similar content for social media clout, you should be published in the court of public opinion.”
He added, “In the crying CEO example, he probably thought he would get “good leader” internet karma for that. Why else would you, as a grown man, take a picture of yourself crying and publish it on LinkedIn?”
Speaking on the benefit of such posts, he said, “I can assure you that the 1,000 likes on a LinkedIn post didn’t help the laid-off employees put food on the table.” Furthermore, “Like, there’s more to life than engagement farming social media. Forty-year-old dudes posting cringe stuff on Linkedin are the white-collar version of 19-year-old girls dropping thirst traps on Instagram. It gets attention, but everyone knows what you’re doing,” he added.
Advising people to be cautious on social media, he said, “Don’t trust everything you read online, including this. If you read something ridiculous, it probably is. If you read something ridiculous that a lot of people enthusiastically agree with and you at outraged at it, you probably missed the point.”
A doctor in the UK who had asked a female patient to take off her veil has been suspended for nine months. 56 years old Dr. Keith Wolverson, who is a practising medico for the last 25 years and worked at Royal Stoke University Hospital and Derby Urgent Treatment Centre, has been suspended for the act. He was banned from working for nine months after a misconduct panel concluded that his actions were ‘deplorable’.
During a hearing conducted by the Medical Practitioner Tribunal Service, a total of 17 allegations of wrongdoing against Dr. Wolverson were determined to be true. The doctor was deemed to have committed several ‘serious’ acts of misconduct when working as a locum or temporary doctor at the Royal Stoke University Hospital.
However, Dr. Keith Wolverson said that he will appeal against the decision. The doctor was charged with the offences after he had asked a patient, an immigrant woman, to remove her veil because he could not understand what she was saying under the veil. He had asked the patient to remove the veil three times, and he has already apologised to the woman for the same. The other charge against him is that he had also said that some immigrants are not proficient in English even after living in the UK for a long time.
The doctor said, “I’m going to appeal against this. I feel very sad for the public because it would mean a further shortage for the NHS when it is extremely stressed. I think this is something people are frightened to talk about now, and I think this is a big problem, and we don’t talk about these things and they get misconstrued.”
He added, “It’s all very sad because I don’t think this is what the public want – let the public decide. What would they rather have, a doctor with 26 years of experience to see them, or a doctor removed from the medical register for nine months? It’s not about me trying to belittle an ethnic group or be prejudicial against anyone of any cultural background, it’s all about clarity of communication.”
Dr. Wolverson qualified as a medical professional in 1996. He was found guilty of or admitted to a combined 17 of a total of 28 charges of misconduct. All of these charges date from January to May 2018.
There were two major allegations against the doctor. One was that he repeatedly requested a married Muslim woman to remove the veil that covered her face. This incident took place during a consultation on May 13, 2018. Wolverson said that his inability to comprehend what she was saying from behind the veil led him to request that she take off her veil. He said, “I don’t ask people to remove their veils anymore. But, I sometimes find it really difficult to consult with people or hold a conversation with them when part of their face is covered.”
The other allegation was that the doctor went on to criticize the English-speaking skills of 15 of his patients. Many immigrants who have lived in Britain for a long period still struggle with the language. Governance in Britain is utterly scared of upsetting the Muslim population. That is probably what led to this decision against Dr. Wolverson.
On Wednesday (October 26), the Mayor of Leicester drew ire for appointing Professor Dr Chris Allen, known to hold prejudiced views against the Hindu community, to lead an ‘independent inquiry’ into the Leicester violence.
Leicester Mayor Peter Soulsby, the man behind the controversial appointment, had earlier met Islamist Majid Freeman, who fanned riots against the Hindu community.
In a tweet, Dr Allen wrote, “I have today been appointed lead for the independent review into the recent disturbances in East Leicester. A great honour for me both personally and professionally…”
Screengrab of the tweet by Dr Chris Allen
The controversial appointment has drawn the ire of the Hindu community in Leicester. As per reports, representatives of 15 Hindu outfits have vowed to boycott the inquiry by Dr Chris Allen.
In a statement on Thursday (October 27), they informed, “Though we don’t cast any judgement as to the presence of any extreme Islamist influence in the unrest, to assert a conclusion ahead of the review sheds (light on) Allen’s inability to remain independent”.
The Hindu organisations have also expressed ‘little confidence’ in the decision-making process of Mayor Peter Soulsby, who had earlier blamed the Leicester violence on Hindutva. They had also accused the Mayor of breaking his promise and announcing details of the inquiry before the end of the festive season.
The right response to a Labour council that has legitimised and aided the Islamist agitators who have been causing trouble in Leicester.
“How is this review independent when conclusive opinions are already being peddled by those commissioning and those leading this review? The review process is now already muddied before it’s even started. We the undersigned are left with no further option than to boycott the process,” they added.
The Hindu organisations, however, reaffirmed their commitment to an independent review of Leicester violence, marked by integrity and transparency. Deepak Bajaj, the leader of the Conservative Group at Leicester City Council, has also extended support to the Hindu community leaders.
“The City Mayor has appointed a single individual to run the review who has previously published open opinions siding with one community over another. This review should be paused until a tested review panel is appointed,” he emphasised.
UPDATE: We support the Hindu and Jain Temple Leaders of Leicester in their campaign against the City Mayor’s Leicester East Review that is no longer fit for purpose.
We will continue working across all communities in an attempt to secure a truly independent review panel. https://t.co/MfRihAfG1K
— City of Leicester Conservatives (@LeicesterTories) October 28, 2022
“Individuals to form a panel should be selected with the assistance of Leicestershire’s Police and Crime Commissioner and central government. A vote should then take place amongst Leicester City Councillors to approve its formation,” Bajaj emphasised.
On Friday (October 28), the Conservative Group at Leicester City Council also extended its support to Hindu and Jain leaders in their campaign to establish a truly independent review panel for Leicester violence.
Dr Chris Allen and his anti-Hindu antecedents
Dr Chris Allen is a 52-year-old associate Professor at the University of Leicester. As per his Twitter Profile (which now stands deleted), he is an expert on ‘Islamophobia, hate and extremism.’
Screengrab of the Twitter profile of Dr Chris Allen, image via SHHAN
In September this year, he wrote a propaganda piece in The Conversation wherein the blamed the violence in Leicester on Hindus and absolved the Islamists of any wrongdoing.
“Some will assume this to be Islamist extremism. Despite there being no evidence to support such an assumption, research shows that a key trope of Islamophobia is the conflation of all things Islam with extremism,” he claimed.
“The mere involvement of Muslims will be evidence enough for some to jump to such a conclusion,” Dr Allen stated while blaming the violence on ‘Hindutva elements.
Screengrab of the article by Chris Allen
Besides Hindu organisations, several reputed journalists have raised questions about the lack of ethical and academic objectivity in the writings of Dr Chris Allen.
‘The Daily Telegraph‘ columnist, Nick Timothy, wrote, “It’s a grave error to appoint Dr Chris Allen to review communal violence in Leicester. His writing shows his conclusions are already pre-judged. In short he blames British Hindus and suggests reports of Muslim involvement are “Islamophobic.”
It’s a grave error to appoint Dr Chris Allen to review communal violence in Leicester. He writing shows his conclusions are already pre-judged. In short he blames British Hindus and suggests reports of Muslim involvement are “Islamophobic”. https://t.co/XzcAcooqrLpic.twitter.com/5FjemTvZTE
Journalist Chris Blackburn also called out the obscurantist proclivities of Dr Chris Allen. “You omitted 3 of the most important parts of the Leicester trouble from his article. The India vs. Pakistan cricket match. The inflammatory hoaxes. The knife attacks on Hindu homes prompted the ill-conceived protest,” he pointed out.
The controversial professor has been accused of pandering to Islamist outfits.
Why did Chris Allen like a tweet from the Islamist platform 5Pillars about Liz Truss declaring that she’s a Zionist? 5Pillars should not be a source for serious academics pic.twitter.com/nV7ZPkyKzZ
‘Stop Hindu Hate Advocacy Network’ informed, “Dr Chris Allen was involved in developing the working definition of Islamophobia by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims. He was also on various govt bodies of Islamophobia, anti-Muslim hate, and Commission on Islam.”
3. Dr. Chris Allen was involved in developing the working definition of Islamophobia by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims. He was also on various govt bodies of Islamophobia, anti-Muslim hate, and Commission on Islam. pic.twitter.com/J4gqcj1NSU
— Stop Hindu Hate Advocacy Network (SHHAN) (@HinduHate) October 27, 2022
Opindia had documented how Islamists ran disinformation campaigns against the Hindu community in Leicester, created a solid foundation for violence and carried out targeted attacks. We also exposed how leftist news portals tried to shield Islamists and blame the Leicester violence on Indian Hindus.
DMK leader Saidai Sadiq’s unparliamentary remarks against women-BJP leaders have sparked a major controversy in Tamil Nadu. On Saturday, October 29, Tamil Nadu Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Annamalai wrote to National Commission of Women (NCW) chairperson Rekha Sharma seeking her immediate intervention against the derogatory remarks made by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam DMK spokesperson Saidai Sadiq about women actors-turned-BJP leaders in Tamil Nadu.
Women in our country cannot be deprived of their ambition to serve our society, and the abuse of DMK men will not be tolerated anymore.
The BJP leader lambasted the regional party, accusing them of hiring people versed in offensive languages as stage speakers. Annamalai called the NCW chief’s attention in his letter to how DMK leaders have constantly objectified women in the opposition party.
“The DMK men have made it a habit of throwing filth at them. Even the senior leaders of DMK occupying the stage would laugh at this language and not stop the men from throwing this filth. I think we have taken enough!” wrote the BJP leader, highlighting the recent incident where DMK spokesperson Saidai Sadiq mocked Khushbu Sundar and three other BJP leaders like actor Namitha, Gayathri Raghuram and Gautami by calling them “items” (a derogatory way of referring to women).
The BJP leader then chastised DMK Minister Thiru Mano Thangaraj for failing to speak up against his colleagues’ misogynistic and sexist behaviour despite being there at the time.
Calling the DMK spokesperson a ‘repeat offender’ the BJP leader said, “Recently, the Honourable Mumbal High Court sentenced a man to one and a half years in prison for calling a girl an “Item” We humbly request the NCW to take due cognisance of this matter and instruct the Tamil Nadu state police department to immediately reprimand Saidhai Sadik, a repeat offender and a person known to have used derogatory language against women in the past Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party’s Mahila Morcha has filed a complaint against Saidai Sadik in the police commissioner’s office today. Many complaints against DMK men have been lying in various police stations across Tamil Nadu since they came to power.”
Annamalai added that while the DMK and its allies condone such behaviour, the Bharatiya Janata Party firmly opposes it, and the action against Saidhai Sadhik will serve as a lesson to those who believe they can degrade women and get away with it.
It may be recalled that the entire controversy erupted after a video clip surfaced on social media platforms, wherein DMK spokesperson identified as Saidai Sadiq mocked Khushbu Sundar and three other BJP leaders like actor Namitha, Gayathri Raghuram and Gautami by calling them “items” (a derogatory way of referring to women). The DMK leader was speaking at a public meeting held by the party leaders to thank Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin for getting reelected as DMK leader for the second time.
In his speech, Saidai Sadiq made a sexual innuendo about Khushbu while talking about the time when she was a member of the DMK. He could be heard saying the saffron party depended only on these “actresses” to make inroads into Tamil Nadu.
Following the outrage, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) women’s wing secretary and MP Kanimozhi took to Twitter on October 27 to apologise for the unparliamentary remarks made by her party’s spokesperson Saidai Sadiq about women actors-turned-BJP leaders in Tamil Nadu.
On October 29, 2022, Delhi police registered an FIR against leftist portal The Wire on a complaint filed by BJP leader Amit Malviya for the fake Meta story that has been retracted. Earlier today, Bharatiya Janata Party’s IT cell chief Amit Malviya filed a criminal complaint against The Wire and its editorial team for their now-withdrawn Meta reports against him. The complaint was filed with The Special Commissioner of Police – Crime, of the Delhi Police. Amit Malviya has said The Wire falsified papers in an effort to slander and damage his reputation.
Apart from the left-wing portal The Wire, Amit Malviya has named its founder editors Siddharth Varadarajan, Sidharth Bhatia and MK Venu, and Deputy Editor Jahnavi Sen, as accused in the complaint. Apart from this, the complaint has also been filed against unknown persons. Jahnavi Sen had written the report on 10th October claiming that Amit Malviya has been given Xcheck privilege to remove content from Instagram.
Interestingly, Amit Malviya has not named Devesh Kumar in the complaint, who was The Wire’s tech expert in both the Meta and Tek Fog stories, and who has been blamed by The Wire for the fake reports accusing him of misleading him.
In his complaint addressed to the special commissioner of police (crime) Delhi, Amit Malviya said, “I am filing the present complaint against The Wire – an online news portal, Mr. Siddharth Varadarajan Founding Editor of The Wire, Mr. Sidharth Bhatia Founding Editor of The Wire, Mr. MK Venu Founding Editor of The Wire, Ms. Jahnavi Sen -the Deputy Editor and Executive News Producer at The Wire, Foundation for Independent Journalism the company that owns and publishes The Wire and other unknown persons. I am filing the present complaint for the offences of cheating, forgery for the purpose of cheating, forgery for the purpose of harming the reputation, using as genuine a forged document or electronic record, and defamation amongst other provisions of IPC.”
Amit Malviya filed a criminal complaint against The Wire. Image Source: Twitter handle of Jan Ki Baat
Amit Malviya added, “I say that this is not the first time that the Accused has published fake news. Recently, the Accused published a story on Tek Fog about a ‘superhuman app’ used by the BJP for SM interception. The said story was used by various national and international media to downgrade India and the thriving democracy of our country. However, subsequently, the Tek Fog story was taken down but The Wire as it was found to be false and fabricated, just as in the present case.”
Citing various evidence that emerged in the case that proved that The Wire had fabricated several emails and other documents to establish its allegation against Malviya, he said in the complaint, “it is evident that the Accused along with other unknown persons, maliciously fabricated internal emails of Meta so as to vindictively prove their point in order to cause reputational damage to the BJP and myself.”
He noted that after the Meta story was found to be fake, Wire issued an apology to its readers, but is yet to apologise to him. “Shockingly, until date the accused persons have refrained from issuing an apology addressed to me. This is even despite the fact that their reports and fabricated material have maligned and tarnished my reputation,” he wrote.
“It is apparent that Accused along with other unknown persons entered into a conspiracy with the criminal intention to malign and tarnish my reputation and correspondingly belittle and tarnish the reputation of the BJP. As a part of the conspiracy, the Accused also fabricated and forged internal emails of a private limited company with a dishonest and fraudulent intention to hoodwink their readers and the public at large,” Malviya has written in the complaint.
He also said that The Wire is cheating its readers and subscribers, and raising donations from the public even after its reports were proven to be fake. He further mentioned that the Meta story was not the first fake story by The Wire, as they also published a story on ‘Tek Fog’ about a ‘superhuman app’ used by the BJP for SM interception. “The said story was used by various national and international media to downgrade India and the thriving democracy of our country. However, subsequently, the ‘Tek Fog’ story was taken down but The Wire as it was found to be false and fabricated, just as in the present case.” he said.
Amit Malviya also mentioned the Tek Fog reports by The Wire. Image Source: Twitter handle of Jan Ki Baat
He concluded with a demand that said, “In light of the above I urge you to register an FIR against the Accused, i.e., The Wire, Mr. Siddharth Varadarajan, Mr. Sidharth Bhatia, Mr. MK Venu – the Editor of The Wire, Ms. Jahnavi Sen the Deputy Editor and Executive News Producer and Foundation for Independent Journalism and other unknown persons for the offenses punishable u/s 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 468 (Forgery for purpose of cheating), 469 (Forgery for purpose of harming reputation), 471 (Using as genuine a forged document or electronic record.), 500 (Punishment for Defamation) r/w 120B and 34 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860.”
On October 28, that is, a day after BJP’s IT cell head Amit Malviya said that he will initiate criminal and civil proceedings against The Wire for their fake XCheck Meta story targeting him and BJP, Malviya had said that he will now lodge an FIR against the leftist propaganda portal. In a statement issued on Twitter on October 28, Malviya said that he will lodge the FIR against Wire and its management and reporters at the concerned police station.
Amit Malviya said that he will file the FIR under sections that deal with forgery, forgery for the purposes of cheating, forgery to harm reputation, defamation, cheating, and criminal conspiracy, among others. Apart from this, he will also initiate civil proceedings for damage caused to him by The Wire and its associates. Accordingly, he has now filed a criminal complaint.
BJP IT Cell Head Amit Malviya files a criminal complaint against THE WIRE over their now withdrawn Meta reports against him. BJP IT Cell Head Amit Malviya has also alleged THE WIRE forged documents with a view to malign and tarnish his reputation.#TheWire@amitmalviyapic.twitter.com/iKYrwMDocf
Opening up about the issue for the first time after Wire published the stories alleging that he was given a special privilege by Meta to take down content on Instagram and post content without any moderation, Malviya said that it is clear that The Wire and some unknown persons entered into a criminal conspiracy with the intent to malign and tarnish his reputation.
He said that The Wire deliberately inserted his name into the story about Instagram taking down an image minutes after it was uploaded due to an algorithm falsely flagging the image for nudity, and then fabricated evidence to implicate him. It is notable that the account where the image was private, had very few followers, and was not followed by Malviya. The operators of the account themselves had blamed faulty AI on Instagram for taking down the image, and the initial Wire report had reported exactly that.
But in a follow-up report, The Wire claimed that it was taken down by Amit Malviya, claiming that he has been given ‘XCheck’ special privileges by Instagram owner Meta to take down content and post any content he wants. After Meta had denied the claims made in the story, Wire produced the screenshot of a purported email from Meta official Andy Stone to his team that seemed to show that the allegations were true.
But Andy Stone denied writing that email and said it was fake. Even before Stone had issued the denial, social media users had pointed out evidence in the screenshot that proved that it was fake, including language not typically used by Americans. After that, Wire produced more screenshots from two independent experts, including a Microsoft official, which claimed that they have verified the email Stone to be true.
But the entire story fell apart after both experts denied that they had verified the email, and said that screenshots of their emails published by Wire were fake. After this, The Wire was forced to retract the stories and announced a review of the episode. The portal also took down its earlier stories on Tek Fog, where they had made similar claims of BJP having an app with superpowers to manipulate social media platforms.
Wire has also issued an apology to its readers, but is yet to apologize to Meta, Amit Malviya, and others who were dragged into their fake story.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who is representing the Kerala Government in the gold smuggling case, is getting paid Rs 15.5 lakh every time he appears for the government in the case. The Enforcement Directorate filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court earlier this week, requesting that the trial in the gold smuggling case be moved from Thiruvananthapuram to Bengaluru.
According to the reports, Sibal represented the state government at the Supreme Court on October 10 after the petition filed by the ED was considered. After that, state Law Secretary V Hari then issued an order to transfer Rs 15.5 lakh to Sibal. Furthermore, the order instructed the advocate general to take legal action to grant the fees. Meanwhile, the court will hear ED’s plea again on November 3.
The Assistant Director of the ED Kochi Zone petitioned the Supreme Court to have the gold smuggling case transferred to a court outside of Kerala. The ED stated that if the case is tried in Kerala, sabotage might very well occur by influencing the witnesses. The defendants in the case are Swapna Suresh, Sandeep Nair, Sivasankar, and Sarith. Meanwhile, M Sivasankar had petitioned the Supreme Court in opposition to the ED’s request to transfer the case outside of Kerala. Sivashankar had also asked the court to hear him out before making a decision.
The Kerala Gold Smuggling Case
On July 5, 2020, customs authorities at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport seized gold weighing more than 30 kg and worth around Rs 15 crore. This gold was hidden in diplomatic luggage and air freighted to the UAE embassy. Customs officers took action after receiving evidence that the luggage was part of a smuggling network attempting to misappropriate the name of a diplomat with diplomatic immunity.
Swapna Suresh is the lead defendant in this case. A private company hired Swapna Suresh, a former employee of the UAE consulate, to work on a project for the Kerala Information Technology Department, which is overseen by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. M Sivasankar, the CM’s principal secretary, was in charge of this department previously.
Notably, Swapna Suresh had already raised severe charges against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and three cabinet members in connection with the gold smuggling issue. Suresh additionally stated to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in October 2020 that Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan met with the Consul General of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) many times in 2017.
Interestingly, Sibal was paid Rs 22 lakh per hearing by the Jharkhand government earlier to appear on behalf of the state in a PIL alleging that the Chief Minister, his close associates, and others had parked their unaccounted money in various shell companies. The petitioner also had demanded a CBI inquiry into the matter which the state government had been opposing, hence, it engaged Kapil Sibal to argue on behalf of the state.
As the investigation into the Coimbatore Car Blast in Tamil Nadu progresses, shocking facts are coming out. According to reports, the suicide bomber was trying to blow up the temple. Firoz Ismail, one of the six people arrested in this case, has also admitted to meeting the terrorists involved in the Easter serial blasts in Sri Lanka during interrogation. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has also registered its first FIR in the case.
The blast took place at around 4 am on October 23, 2022, at the Kottai Eswaram temple in Coimbatore. 25-year-old Jamisha Mubeen was killed in this blast. The NIA has suspected Mubeen to be a suicide bomber. A large number of explosives were also recovered from his house. It is believed that he could not succeed in carrying out his mission due to being a novice in the use of explosives.
Officials investigating the case said that on October 22, 2022, a day before the attack, Mubin and his two accomplices Mohammad Azharuddin and Afsar Khan were seen in CCTV footage in the car carrying three steel drums filled with potassium nitrate, aluminium powder, sulphur, charcoal, and nails, etc. along with two LPG cylinders. Another footage also shows Mubin and his accomplices conducting a recce before the attack. The trio had also conducted a recce of Koniyamman temple at Big Bazaar Street and Puliakulam Mundhi Vinayagar temple.
The accused arrested in this case have told in the interrogation that Mubin thought that his suicide bombing mission would cause havoc within a radius of 50 to 100 meters in the area and some houses including the temple would also come under its purview. Firoz Ismail has also confessed during interrogation that he met IS terrorists Mohammad Azharuddin and Rashid Ali. Both were involved in the Easter serial blasts in Sri Lanka and are lodged in a jail in Kerala.
The next day after the blast, the police arrested five people. They were identified as Mohammad Thalka (age 25), Mohammad Asruddin (age 25), Mohammad Riaz (age 27), Firoz Ismail (age 27), and Mohammad Nawaz Ismail (age 27). Mubin’s relative Afsar Khan was arrested on October 27.
The NIA said in its FIR, “A search of the premises of deceased Jamiza Mubeen led to the seizure of 109 items, including potassium nitrate, black powder, nitroglycerin, PETN powder, aluminum powder, sulphur powder, sterile surgical, notebooks with details about jihad, etc.”
According to a report by India Today, the links of this are also being found in the serial blasts in Coimbatore in 1998. Mohammad Thalka is among those arrested after the car blast. He is the son of Nawab Khan, who is lodged in jail in the 1998 serial blasts. His uncle Syed Ahmed Basha is the head of Al-Umah, the terrorist organization responsible for the serial blasts.
In line with the recent push for decolonisation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday, October 29, announced that all colonial symbols in the state would be gradually rechristened.
“After Modi ji became the prime minister, across India, whatever symbols of colonialism were there, they are either being removed or being given a new image. Those symbols are being changed,” he told the news agency ANI in a video.
“Similarly, in Uttarakhand, we have said whatever such symbols are there, they would all be changed, and we have sought a report on this,” Dhami added. The CM said that the names of the roads and cities in Uttarakhand that are from the British era will be changed.
#WATCH | We have given instructions in the state that all symbols of colonialism be renamed, says Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami pic.twitter.com/HVM2B8JONL
The Uttarakhand Chief Minister’s remarks came a day after it was reported that the Defence Ministry has requested renaming recommendations from the Lansdowne cantonment administration. It has also requested that the Lansdowne cantonment board supply information on any British-named sites in the area.
Lansdowne was created in the year 1887, when the first battalion of the Garhwal Rifles relocated from Almora. It was given its current name in 1890, 132 years ago, after the town was founded by the then-Viceroy of India, Lord Lansdowne.
Previously, it was known as Kalu Danda, which translates to “Black Mountain” in Garhwali, the local dialect. The former name is proposed as a replacement in a proposal sent in response to the ministry’s directives.
It may be recalled that during his Independence Day speech from the Red Fort this year, PM Modi had stressed upon decolonisation. In keeping with the goal of eliminating imperial remains, the central government has been modifying several British-era names. Only two months earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the ‘Kartavya Path’, the reconstructed and renamed New Delhi’s historic Rajpath. Prior to this, the Indian Naval ensign was changed to remove St George’s Cross from the ensign, and the Scottish hymn ‘Abide By Me’ was removed from the Beating Retreat ceremony during Republic Day celebrations.
