On November 30 (local time), billionaire and Twitter’s new chief Elon Musk said in a tweet that the issue between Apple and Twitter had been resolved. He published a video of his visit to Apple headquarters. While thanking Apple’s CEO Tim Cook for showing him around the HQ, Musk said they had a good conversation and resolved the misunderstanding about possibly removing Twitter from the App Store.
Elon Musk added that Tim Cook told him Apple never considered taking any such step.
Good conversation. Among other things, we resolved the misunderstanding about Twitter potentially being removed from the App Store. Tim was clear that Apple never considered doing so.
He said, “Good conversation. Among other things, we resolved the misunderstanding about Twitter potentially being removed from the App Store. Tim was clear that Apple never considered doing so.”
The feud between Twitter and Apple
On November 28, Musk lashed out at Apple for the App Store policies and tax rules. Musk accused the iPhone maker of blocking ads on Twitter without specifying why. Furthermore, Musk added that the company was pressuring Twitter over demands related to content moderation. He asked Apple if the company was against “free speech” in America. He tagged Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, and asked what was happening. Though Musk said the reason behind the alleged steps being taken by Apple was unknown, his tweets pointed toward the social media platform’s new moderation policy leaning towards “safeguarding free speech” could be the reason behind it.
Musk also targeted Apple for the hefty fees they charge for in-app purchases. In a tweet, Musk said, “Did you know Apple puts a secret 30% tax on everything you buy through their App Store.” Notably, Twitter is working on a worldwide rollout of Twitter subscriptions at $8. Apple would take a 30 per cent cut from all such subscriptions every month.
No official statement from Apple has been issued so far in the matter.
Vivek Agnihotri’s The Kashmir Files, which has become the second-highest-grosser Hindi movie of the year, was involved in a recent controversy after Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid made unwarranted comments about the movie. Heading the jury of the recently concluded International Film Festival of India (IFFI) held in Goa, Lapid called The Kashmir Files a propaganda and vulgar film.
Lapid had said that he was “shocked” and “disturbed” by its inclusion in the competitive section, adding that it was inappropriate for an artistic competitive section of such a prestigious film festival. Nadav Lapid’s comments attracted strong criticism, both from Indians and Israelis.
Israeli Ambassador to India Naor Gilon wrote an open letter to Lapid, saying that Lapid should be ashamed of himself. He said that calling Kashmir Files was equivalent to doubting Schindler’s List, the Holocaust and worse. Gilon also apologised to Indians for the comments of the filmmaker. Israel’s Consul General to Midwest India Kobbi Shoshani said that he told Lapid that he made a big mistake and these remarks were not appropriate. He also met Anupam Kher to apologise for Nadav Lapid’s comments.
While Nadav Lapid said that his views were shared by all members of the jury, some jury members have already distanced themselves from the controversy. They have said that these were Lapid’s personal views and they don’t agree with him.
Amid this backdrop, OpIndia talked to Abhishek Agarwal, one of the producers of The Kashmir Files. He said that although it was slightly painful to see someone put down their work and the struggle of Kashmiri Hindus so easily on such a huge event, overall it seemed a petty issue to the makers of the film. He also called it a senseless comment of one individual, saying it can’t have any impact on Indo-Israel relations.
Here is the full transcript of the interview:
1) How would you like to respond to Nadav Lapid’s statement calling ‘The Kashmir Files’ vulgar and propaganda?
Firstly, it was very unprofessional of a jury member to criticise one specific movie at such a prestigious event. Nadav Lapid, being an outsider, would have had no idea about what our country has gone through or about the plight of Kashmiri Pandits. So calling the movie ‘propaganda and vulgar’ is not acceptable.
2) Various leaders and diplomats of Israel have slammed Nadav Lapid for his statement. What are your views on Jews & Israel? Do you think this will affect Hindu-Jews or India-Israel relations?
A senseless comment of one individual cannot change the relations between two nations. Mr. Kobbi Shoshani, the Counsel General of Israel to India in fact publicly condemned the comments made by Nadav Lapid. Mr. Kobbi shares a friendship with Shri Anupam Kher Ji and met him at Anupam Ji’s school to explain how the comment pained him. Every race and country has its own set of challenges and to overcome it by unity should be our goal. Be it the Jews or Hindus, we need to find strength in unity.
3) IFFI is organised by Goa govt & central IB Ministry. Do you think they made a mistake in selecting Nadav Lapid as jury head? What would you like to demand of Pramod Sawant & Anurag Thakur?
In hindsight, we could talk and argue about a lot of things. But the jury was selected based on particular criteria and the selection committee cannot be blamed now that one individual has gone rogue. What a person speaks or does on stage is uncontrollable in such events and the same is the case here. But to call a movie which shows the plight of our Kashmiri brothers as propaganda is a hard pill to swallow for every Indian and the comment is right being ambushed.
4) You too visited Goa during IFFI. What were the people there saying about Kashmir Files. Can you please recall?
It has been almost 10 months since The Kashmir Files released and has received great applause and appreciation wherever it was played and featured. The same is the case at the IFFI in Goa. People felt the pain and empathised with our Kashmiri Hindus while watching the movie. Our motive of making the movie was to tell the truth to the maximum number of people and we are proud that we achieved it.
5) Do the team have any apprehensions that Delhi Files and Vaccine would also be targeted like that. Will you do some special preparations this time? How will you deal with the liberal gang on the next two projects?
Absolutely not! Our job is to make movies and tell great stories. The Delhi Files and The Vaccine War are great stories which need to be told. Honest filmmaking is what we believe in and we would again deliver movies which would be loved far and wide. Coming to the so-called liberal gang, Indians would deal with them by making our movies blockbusters.
6) Can you please tell the people what Megastar Chiranjeevi & Mass Maharaja Ravi Teja said about Kashmir Files? Since they don’t speak publicly on every matter, people would love to know their view on the movie from you.
Both Megastar Chiranjeevi & Mass Maharaja Ravi Teja appreciated the movie. Appreciation from such huge stars always means a lot. Being such senior heroes, they understood the kind of film we have made and had nice things to say about it.
7) Is there any appeal from you to the central govt regarding selection of jury in such film festivals? Do you think some people in the bureaucracy are working deliberately to target movies like TKF? Being an eminent producer, you can give some suggestions through us.
There are eminent people in the central government who are doing a great job when it comes to promoting our film industry or thinking about the welfare of our industry. The only suggestion I’d like to give is that in such prestigious events with high stakes, people in charge should be chosen carefully. India is a diverse country and so is Indian cinema. So, people who are aware about the social, political and historical landscapes of our great country can always do a better job.
8) Did you talk to Vivek Agnihotri & Anupam Kher after Nadav Lapid’s statement. What was the discussion like? What did they say? Were they hurt or somewhere they feared that this could come.
We discussed it briefly but it seemed a petty matter for us. All of us believe that we should embrace the people who love us and love our cinema instead of giving heed to people who criticise and spread hatred. It slightly pained to see someone put down our work and the struggle of Kashmiri Hindus so easily on such a huge event. We told a story which needed to be told and we are extremely proud of ourselves.
9.) Can you please give data on ‘The Kashmir Files’ watch hours on ZEE5? Is there any spike in the number of people watching this movie after Nadav Lapid’s statement?
I do not have the exact data to give you but since our movie ‘The Kashmir Files’ started streaming on Zee5, there has been great viewership for the movie till date. I’m pretty sure that the viewership will continue to flourish as more and more people are now interested in watching the movie.
10) Are you expecting The Kashmir Files to rule in the next national awards? Do you think Filmfare will give nominations-awards to the movie?
We started and made the movie with one aim – to tell the plight of Kashmiri Hindus in the most honest way possible. The movie was released and became a blockbuster. We are not running behind awards but it is great to see our honest attempt getting accolades and appreciation. Awards are great but to have the support of the people of India and to have people advocate our movie is the greatest achievement.
On Wednesday, 30th November 2022, veteran TV journalist Ravish Kumar resigned from NDTV India. Ravish Kumar was working as Senior Executive Editor of NDTV India, the Hindi News channel of NDTV group. His move comes after the Adani Group acquired over 29% stake in NDTV by acquiring 99.5% in RRPR, the promoter firm through which promoters Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy held 29.18% in NDTV Ltd.
Reportedly, Ravish Kumar’s resignation was disclosed in an internal email addressed to NDTV employees by Suparna Singh, president of NDTV Group. She said in the email, “Ravish Kumar has resigned from NDTV and the Company has agreed to his request for his resignation to be effective immediately.”
She added, “Few journalists have impacted people as much as Ravish. This reflects in the immense feedback about him; in the crowds, he draws everywhere; in the prestigious awards and recognition, he has received, within India and internationally; and in his daily reports, which champion the rights and needs of those who are under-served.”
“Ravish has been an integral part of NDTV for decades: his contribution has been immense, and we know he will be successful as he embarks on a new beginning,” the mail further said.
Ravish Kumar has been working with NDTV for over 15 years, and currently hosts the prime-time show on weekdays. Ravish Kumar hosted many shows on this channel including the channel’s flagship weekday show Hum Log, Ravish ki Report, Des Ki Baat, and Prime Time.
Kumar’s resignation comes a day after Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy resigned from the board of directors of RRPR Holding Private Limited. They had resigned a day after 99.5% of the equity of RRPR Holding was transferred to Vishvapradhan Commercial Vishvapradhan Commercial private limited (VCPL) owned by the Adani group.
Ravish Kumar, who is active on social media, has not made comments on his resignation so far. It will be interesting to see whether Ravish Kumar joins a different news channel in the coming days or starts his online venture, like several former NDTV journalists have done.
In August this year, Adani Group announced that it had acquired 29.18% stake in NDTV indirectly. The transaction involved Vishvapradhan Commercial Pvt Ltd, owned by Adani Group, converting warrants of RRPR Holding Private Limited (RRPR) into equity. VCPL held warrants of RRPR shares against an unsecured loan given to the Roys, and as they could not repay the loan, the company decided to execute the warrants, which gave them 99.5% stake in RRPR. As RRPR owns 29.18% stake in NDTV, now these shares have gone to VCPL, which is owned by Adani Group company AMG Media Network Ltd (AMNL).
After acquiring the stake in NDTV, VCPL has now made an open offer to purchase a further 26% shares of NDTV from shareholders, as mandated by rules. It is notable that even after selling the 29.18% stake in NDTV through RRPR, Prannoy Roy still holds 32% NDTV shares in a personal capacity. VCPL has made the open offer at Rs 294 per share, well below the current market price, which closed at Rs 446 today.
In Maharashtra, a Dalit minor girl (17) was allegedly kidnapped by a person named Aman Sheikh (24) who posed himself as Amrut Ram Khairnar. The girl and the accused both belong to the Srirampur area of the Ahmednagar district. However, the girl was kidnapped by the accused from Shirdi where she had gone with her family to visit the Sai Baba temple.
According to local sources, the incident is said to have happened in the second week of November this year. The accused Aman Sheikh abducted the minor girl from Shirdi. He trapped her in a love affair and lured her. He also forged documents, including a fake Aadhaar Card, to convince the victim girl that he was a Hindu, reports said. The victim is a resident of the Sanjay Nagar area of Shrirampur while the accused stayed in ward number two of the same city.
#LoveJihad Minor girl abducted by Aman Sheikh from Shrirampur, Ahmed Nagar about 15 days ago; he managed forged Aadhar card in d name of Amrut Khairnar to lure Hindu girl. Complaint lodged but @NagarPolice failed to recover juvenile victim, @smritiirani@KanoongoPriyank pls act? pic.twitter.com/njCZoEAthl
The parents of the girl confirmed to Sudarshan news that Aman Sheikh trapped the victim girl in a love affair and later abducted her from Shirdi. “Aman Sheikh stays in the ward number two area of the city. His mother owns a beauty parlour and we have been asking her about our daughter since she disappeared. Even Aman is not seen around in the city and at his home”, the father of the girl said.
Meanwhile, her mother said that they have lodged a police complaint and had been asking the police to launch an investigation into the case. “We daily go to the police station to demand action but no action is taken. We are just told that an investigation is underway. It’s been more than 15 days and we want our daughter back,” she said.
The members of several Hindu organisations including the Rashtriya Shriram Sangha and Hindu Dharmarakshak Sena took cognizance of the incident and submitted a memorandum on November 26 to the Upper District Magistrate. They demanded immediate police action in the case and said that they would launch severe protests if the police fails to find the victim and take action against the accused. (Time Stamp 01:52)
The Bharatiya Janata Party members have also taken cognizance of the event and have demanded strict action against the accused. BJP’s Bhatke Vimukta Yuva Aghadi’s district president Dattabhau Khemnar and BJP SC Morcha city president Sagar Shinde, Manoj Yadav, and Tilak Sonar also met the Additional SP along with the girl’s parents and demanded immediate action in the case. The BJP workers said that they would stage a protest if the police fails to take action against the accused.
Local sources informed OpIndia that the victim is a minor girl and will be 18 on December 6 this year. Her school leaving certificate obtained by OpIndia also reveals that the victim girl was born on December 6, 2004. On the other hand, the fake Aadhaar card created by the accused shows his birth date as July 6, 1998. The girl is still missing and police investigations are underway.
The school leaving certificate of the victim girl was obtained by OpIndia.
Earlier, a similar incident was reported from Malegaon, Nashik where a minor tribal girl was abducted by a person named Imran Sheikh. The girl had disappeared from her home while she was alone. The family of the girl and several Adivasi and Hindu organisations then alleged that the police were not taking the case seriously as the victim girl belonged to the tribal community.
On Wednesday 30th November 2022, leftist Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid came forward to shamelessly back his comments on Vivek Agnihotri’s film ‘The Kashmir Files’. Nadav Lapid said that his opinions were shared by the other jury members in the IFFI as well. Besides, he called the stir created by his remarks in Indian society as well as the apologetic stance of the Israeli ambassador Naor Gilon towards India a ‘cheap political manipulation’ of the issue.
Nadav Lapid had sparked a controversy by calling filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri’s film The Kashmir files ‘vulgar’ and ‘propaganda’ during his concluding remarks at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) that was held in Goa. Lapid was the chairperson of the jury of the International Film Festival of India held in Goa.
However, now Lapid has admitted that many people think that the movie is brilliant. He added that he merely did his duty by expressing his views on it. He also said that he has not denied what had happened in Kashmir, but was only criticising the movie. However, he maintained that the movie is propaganda, adding that nobody can define what propaganda is.
In an interview with India Today, Nadav Lapid presented his next round of explanation, citing subjectivity this time, as leftists usually do when it gets difficult to defend their views. He said, “I had a feeling exactly because we are talking about such a tragic topic. These events oblige us to make serious movies. And this movie for me was exactly the opposite. It was a basic cheap cinematic manipulation.”
Nadav Lapid cleverly ducked the question “if ‘Schindler’s List was a propaganda film according to him”. He went on to preach about the subjectivity of considering something propaganda. He said, “No one has a key to distinguish between a propaganda and a non-propaganda film. I make movies that are very often controversial. They gained awards all over the world in the most prestigious places including Cannes and Berlin and Goa. There are people who accept criticism in the very harshest of words. Don’t make me analyze Schindler’s List or any other movies. Even the most terrible things that happened might give birth to propaganda and manipulated movies.” However, he did not specify what exactly in the film ‘The Kashmir Files’ was manipulated.
When asked about other jury members coming out saying that they do not agree with the views of Lapid on the movie, he accused them of lying and changing their position. He claimed that all the jury members had agreed on his views about the movie, but now they are changing their positions for fear or anxiety, or under pressure.
He said, “My statements and opinions were shared by all the jury members. All of us were sitting in the screening room and had the same feelings after the screening. Everyone was aware of what was going to be said. I have emails and WhatsApp to prove it. ”
To this answer, he was countered by the anchor citing the statement by an Indian on the jury panel, Nadav Lapid said, “I understand that under pressure or fear or anxiety, people can suddenly change their statements.” He refuted the claims of the Indian member that the issue was not even discussed. He also asked Rahul Kanwal to call other non-Indian members to verify his claims.
On widespread backlash by Indians and the Israeli ambassador to India apologizing to Indians and the Indian government, Nadav Lapid said, “I think that politicians have their way of making profits out of cases like this. The Israeli politicians and the ambassadors did abuse in an ugly disgusting and manipulative way in this case. I am a private person. I have the right to say what I think. I don’t need to get authorization for this. Neither from the Israeli ambassador nor from anyone else. I am not their property. I don’t need to get advice from them about what I say and what I don’t say. I was talking as an artist and as a filmmaker and as a jury invited to give my opinion about the films there.”
He added, “The Israeli ambassador is doing the same manipulation. I will say this if I have to say it another one thousand times. I was never ever speaking about the Kashmir tragedy. I am not at all taking back what I said. But I am sorry if people are hurt by this. I was talking about the movie. The Israeli ambassador is claiming that he is not a film expert but he thinks that The Kashmir Files s not a propaganda film. It is his right to say so. I don’t know to which extent he was saying this and what exactly it means. But this is a cheap manipulation, about what I was saying done, by the Israeli people and also certain people in India.”
When asked about his claim regarding other jury members being already aware of his comments well before, he said,
The Kashmir Files, written and directed by Vivek Agnihotri and produced by Zee Studio fared remarkably well at the box office, grossing over 330 crores.
A day after returning from his Nantucket vacation, President Joe Biden’s hired Secret Service cars caught fire in a parking lot. Last week, Biden and his family celebrated Thanksgiving on the luxurious Massachusetts island. The video of the incident went viral over social media which showed cars burst into flames.
According to the reports, the Secret Service hired five cars from Hertz to drive the president and his family, and all 5 of them burst into flames in the parking lot. Firefighters in the viral video are seen dousing the burning remains of an engine block of one car with water. A Chevy Suburban, Ford Explorer, Infiniti QX80, Ford Expedition, and a Jeep Gladiator comprised the five vehicles which caught fire.
Here’s a portion of the surveillance video of the rental cars used by Secret Service agents going up in flames at #Nantucket Memorial Airport less than 24 hours after President Biden left the island pic.twitter.com/sAGGsz1pw0
The fire apparently only reached 40 feet from the jet fuel tanks at the Nantucket airport, where the cars were parked. Currently, it is uncertain what started the fire. The airport authority commented on the issue and said, “At approximately 5:22 am Airport shift staff observed an active fire in the rental car overflow area through the Airport’s Closed Circuit Television System. Staff activated the Alert system and responded to the fire in Airport-3, where they were met by responding units from Nantucket Fire Department and Nantucket Police Department”.
“Combined fire resources responded and contained the fire. Several vehicles were damaged. The Airport is currently coordinating with rental car agencies and agency partners to ensure scene safety, There is no longer an active fire at this time: the Airport is open, and aeronautical operations are not affected,” the statement read.
Biden celebrated the holiday with his family over the Nantucket island. He and his family resided in a seaside home near Nantucket Harbor. Ashley and Hunter Biden were among the family members who accompanied Biden on the vacation. Reports mention that the family has been celebrating Thanksgiving on the island for over 40 years.
Besharam, an adult toy store, has been caught misusing an iconic painting by Raja Ravi Verma. To promote their ‘The Heavenly Sale’ offering 20-50% on their sex toys, with an additional 10% off for using the code ‘heaven’, they used the painting titled Shakuntala Menaka by Varma.
However, they committed multiple offences while doing so. First, they allegedly used the painting without authorisation. And the second and major offence is that they presented the mother-daughter duo from Mahabharata as a lesbian couple. Shakuntala was the daughter of Menaka the Apsara from heaven, and the painting depicts the moment when Menakta takes Shakuntala to heaven.
Besharam has offended people by depicting a mother and her daughter from a sacred Hindu text as a lesbian couple, and they are still using on their website even after it created an outrage on social media. Along with that, they are also being accused of misusing imagery of Sunni Leone to promote their products.
Leone’s team says that they have already sued the company, adding that she had signed a contract with Besharam in 2012 for only one year, but even now they are using her images. It is notable that Besharam is using Sunny Leone’s pictures as display images in their social media accounts.
Amid the controversy, questions have been raised on the legality of the business being conducted by Besharam, which is selling sex toys like vibrators, masturbators, dildos, lovense, fleshlight, anal toys and other such merchandise. The company says that they source the products from the US and Europe and sell them in through its online store. They describe Sunny Leone as the face of Besharam.
Now, let’s discuss the legality of selling sex toys in India.
As per the law, there is no definite ban on the sale of sex toys in India. However, when it comes to such toys or other products that are used for sexual pleasure and can be termed obscene, Section 292 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) comes to force. As per the law, it is illegal to sell any product that can be deemed obscene, and sex toys will fall under that category.
As per Section 292 of the IPC, “a book, pamphlet, paper, writing, drawing, painting, representation, figure or any other object, shall be deemed to be obscene if it is lascivious or appeals to the prurient interest or if its effect, or (where it comprises two or more distinct items) the effect of any one of its items, is if taken as a whole, such as to tend to deprave and corrupt persons who are likely, having regard to all relevant circumstances, to read, see or hear the matter contained or embodied in it.“
Section 292 of the IPC. Source: http://legislative.gov.in/
The section further reads, “Whoever –
(a) sells, lets to hire, distributes, publicity exhibits or in any manner puts into circulation, or for purposes of sale, hire, distribution, public exhibition or circulation, makes, produces or has in his possession any obscene book, pamphlet, paper, drawing, painting, representation or figure or any other obscene object whatsoever, or
(b) imports, exports, or conveys any obscene object for any of the purposes aforesaid, or knowing or having reason to believe that such object will be sold, let to hire, distributed or publicly exhibited or in any manner put into circulation, or
(c) takes part in or receives profits from any business in the course of which he knows or has reason to believe that any such obscene objects are, for any of the purposes aforesaid, made, produced, purchased, kept, imported, exported, conveyed, publicly exhibited or in any manner put into circulation, or
(d) advertises or makes known by any means whatsoever that any person is engaged or is ready to engage in any act which is an offence under this section or that any such obscene object can be procured from or through any person, or
(e) offers or attempts to do any act which is an offence under this section
shall be punished on first conviction with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, and with fine which may extend to two thousand rupees, and, in the event of a second or subsequent conviction, with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to five years, and also with fine which may extend to five thousand rupees.
Exception. – This section does not extend to –
(a) any book, pamphlet, paper, writing, drawing, painting, representation or figure –
(i) the publication of which is proved to be justified as being for the public good on the ground that such book, pamphlet, paper, writing, drawing, painting, representation or figure is in the interest of science, literature, art or learning or other objects of general concern, or
(ii) which is kept or used bona fide for religious purposes;
(b) any representation sculptured, engraved, painted or otherwise represented on or in –
(i) any ancient monument within the meaning of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958 (24 of 1958), or
(ii) any temple, or on any car used for the conveyance of idols, or kept or used for any religious purpose.]]
No disclaimer on the website for underage users
When we surfed the website, it was evident that there was not even a single disclaimer that warned underage users about the content of the website.
How the website sells products in India?
As per the website’s own description, they are using a loophole in the laws. The company that sells the products via the portal in India is not based in India but in the United States, where the sale of such products is legal. Furthermore, the products that are delivered in India do not have any indication on the box that it is a sex toys. As per the FAQs of the website, they do not classify the products as sex toys but as pleasure products. It reads, “We have already done the hard work of importing them through customs by filling all the documents to support the legality of these products; only after they get imported are we able to sell them in India. Our Custom consultants work with the department to properly classify these products and ensure we have the rights and permission to sell and distribute them in India.”
Furthermore, it says, “we avoid labeling them as ‘sex toys’. These are pleasure products, and we prefer not to label them as ‘sex toys’ due to the stigma and undue attention it gets.”
Source: in.imbesharam.com
Under legal explanation, it read, “Under the Indian Penal Code, 1860, Section 292 prohibits the sale of obscene objects. We argue with the department that these products are NOT OBSCENE and they are being used by an individual in the privacy of their own space, so the Indian Constitution grants each Indian citizen the freedom to their own space and rights to their privacy.”
The company subtly says that they are using the loopholes available in the Indian laws to import and sell sex toys in India that can be deemed as “obscene” at first look as per the law.
Source: in.imbesharam.com
The company promises discretion even in the billing in the bank statement would say “Happy Birds Inc” and not “Besharam”. About privacy, it says, “Your order is packaged securely in a white/brown box, with no indication of our brand outside or the contents of the package. It ships from our warehouse, clears customs under our company name, and ONLY after it’s safely imported, we print and paste your address label to ship it through courier to you. It will show the shipper name as Happy Birds and the content as ‘Gifts & Souvenirs.”
This is a standard practice in sex toy industry, where the products shipped do not mention the name or nature of the product on the packages, to protect the buyer from possible embarrassment in front of others. They use alternate names to hive the true nature of the shipment.
On Wednesday 30th November 2022, Punjab police lathi-charged farm labourers protesting for their various demands outside the residence of chief minister Bhagwant Mann in Sangrur. Bharatiya Khet Mazdoor Union and Sanjha Mazdoor Morcha, a joint platform of eight labour unions of Punjab had called for this agitation.
Hundreds of labourers gathered near Patiala – Bathinda road in Sangrur in the morning and held a protest there. In the afternoon around 3 pm, they started to march towards the CM’s residence. Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann has rented accommodation in Sangrur’s Dreamland Colony area. When the protestors started gathering near the private colony, police stopped them. In an effort to keep the crowd out of the area, the police unleashed the lathi charge as the crowds increased.
#WATCH | Punjab Police lathi-charged Mazdoor Union people who were marching towards CM Bhagwant Mann’s residence in Sangrur regarding their various demands pic.twitter.com/MkpxdNSNQf
On social media, a video of the event has gone viral. In the footage, Punjab police officers are seen unleashing lathi charges against the protesting labourers. The videos also show that Sangrur superintendent of police (SP) Manpreet Singh led the cane-charging. He himself was hitting people and directing other cops to do the same.
The protestors requested to meet with CM Bhagwant Mann to discuss their numerous requests, including wage increases, but they were not allowed to meet the CM. The demands of the protestors included an increase of minimum daily wages to ₹700 under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005 (MGNREGA), implementation of five-marla plot schemes for Dalits, and allotment of the third part of common panchayat land on lease to the community.
Zameen Prapti Sangharsh Committee President Mukesh Malaud said that earlier the Chief Minister had promised a meeting with them, but later he refused to meet. Therefore they were forced to protest to raise their demands.
While the bulk of AAP ministers and even the CM have been campaigning in Gujarat for the state’s Assembly elections over the last month, Punjab has remained a hotspot of unrest. In response to the quest by the farmers, the AAP-led Punjab administration claims that it barely took office eight months ago and that it needs time to fulfil its promises.
Earlier, while announcing the protests of November 30, Zora Singh Nasrali, president of Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union (PKMU) which is a part of Sanjha Mazdoor Morcha had said, “We had a few meetings with CM Bhagwant Mann, finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema and bureaucrats in the past but our last meeting with Mann was scheduled for October 3 but it was called off. And after that, no date for the meeting was announced. Officials gave us assurance but not in writing. Hence, we have no other choice but to protest outside the CM’s house.”
Ahead of the Gujarat assembly polls, former Congress leader and ex-Gujarat CM Shankersinh Vaghela courted controversy after he raised aspersions on the Balakot airstrikes, carried out by the Indian Armed Forces following the Pulwama terror attack in February 2019.
In his interview with far-left propaganda website The Wire’s Arfa Khanum Sherwani, Vaghela not only raised questions on the Balakot airstrikes but also insinuated foul play in the death of CDS General Bipin Rawat, who died in a helicopter crash in December 2021.
The former Gujarat CM also implied that the Pulwama terror attack was a false-flag operation, questioning why the CRPF cordon was not airlifted from Jammu.
When asked about the thumping majority the Modi government received in consecutive Lok Sabha elections, Vaghela said, “Pulwama and polarisation played its part. Surgical strikes after Pulwama attack…Surgical strikes are not to be marketed. Who marketed it? They said 200-250 were killed, but who counted them? How many families were destroyed in Pakistan? Not a single Pakistani mother cried whose son died in the airstrike.”
Vaghela further added that he had a friend in Pakistan who informed him that the airstrikes had damaged a few houses and injured one. “Tell me how many people were killed? Who counted the dead bodies of 250 people? Why did nobody cry in Pakistan?” Vaghela asked.
The former Congress leader raised aspersions on the death of CDS General Bipin Rawat, insinuating foul play in the helicopter crash that led to his death. “How did General’s helicopter crash? Who crashed it?” Vaghela asked.
Insinuating that the Pulwama terror attack was an insider job, Vaghela said, “Who killed the CRPF jawans in Pulwama? Not a dog can interfere in Army’s flag march. The soldiers were supposed to be airlifted from Jammu, why did it not happen? As per my information, a Gujarat-registered Maruti 800 car laden with 200 kg RDX rammed into a CRPF convoy. Who were the terrorists? Why details were not revealed? Later they linked it to Pulwama.”
“People were killed in the Akshardham temple attack. Who killed them? Who were the terrorists? Who brought them here?” asked Vaghela, insinuating the government’s role in the attack.
Shankersinh Vaghela hails gangster Abdul Latif
Earlier last week, Vaghela, who had a long association with the Congress party but resigned from the party last year, said that infamous gangster Abdul Latif was quite popular among people and was generous towards them.
“He was a don but a kind-hearted one. He was very generous and popular and helped people here. That’s why he won elections from wherever he stood,” Vaghela emphasised in his interview with ABP News.
A controversy erupted on November 29 after it was discovered that a sex toys store ‘Besharam’ was using a painting by famous painter Raja Ravi Verma to sell ‘adult toys’. The website used the ‘Menaka Shakuntala’ painting by Raja Ravi Varma and depicted it as if the subjects in the painting were lesbians. Menaka was actually an Apsara and Shakuntala was her daughter, born out of a union with Rishi Vishvamitra. But Besharam depicted them as a lesbian couple, disregarding the sentiments of Hindus.
The story of Menaka and Shakuntala is narrated in Mahabharata, and according to the Adi Parva of the epic, Shakuntala’s son Bharata was the ancestor of the Kauravas and Pandavas. The famous painting by Raja Ravi Varma depicts the moment when Menaka had taken her daughter Shakuntala to heaven, after Shakuntala’s husband king Dushyant failed to recognise her due to a curse.
OpIndia contacted Raja Ravi Varma Foundation over the matter, and to know whether they have authorised Besharam to use the iconic painting. Print Brew, the media partner of the Foundation, responded to our query and said that the work belongs to a private collection and does not belong to the Foundation. And they added that the Foundation did not permit the usage of the said painting.
Furthermore, the Foundation was unaware of the painting being used on such a website. The images of Raja Ravi Varma’s paintings are freely available on the internet. They wrote that most of these images are freely available on the internet, adding that it is shocking that the portal on the said work flagrantly opted to use it for such purposes.
Calling it an ill-conceived idea by the website promoters, the Foundation noted that Raja Ravi Varma is considered a national treasure. To use his imagery where the intent is to mislead the public and grab eyeballs shows disrespect to art and artists in so many ways.
OpIndia found out that the painting is in the private collection of Birla Art, Kolkata. We have contacted them and sought information if they were aware of the usage of the image by the portal. We will update the story accordingly.
