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Telangana by-poll: BJP fields strong candidate, TRS employs all its might and how Congress vote bank may decide the gap between TRS and BJP

S. Sudhir Kumar
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Telangana by-poll: BJP fields strong candidate, TRS employs all its might and how Congress vote bank may decide the gap between TRS and BJP

In the 2018 Assembly elections in Telangana, the TRS party, led by KCR, won a whopping 88/119 seats. Despite winning a landslide, the TRS displayed an unusual urgency in poaching MLAs from the Congress party. The Congress won 19 seats in the 2018 elections, thereby being eligible for the Leader of the Opposition post. One by one, a total of 12 Congress MLAs were poached by the TRS within just a couple of months of winning this landslide. 1 MLA went on to become an MP in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. In this instance, with 2/3rd of the CLP joining the TRS, there was no need to disqualify the legislators.

KCR did NOT need these 12 MLAs for any support in the Assembly. This move, primarily orchestrated to show the supremacy of KTR, the newly anointed working President of the party, also ensured that there will officially be no leader of opposition in the Telangana Assembly. The torchbearers of democracy weren’t bothered by this blatant suppression of the people’s mandate though. But we divert, so let’s get back to the premise of this article. 

Out of the 6 MLAs who have stayed back with the Congress, the MLA from Munugodu constituency, Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy recently resigned from the Congress party (and as an MLA) and joined the BJP. As expected, a by-poll has become necessary and that is now scheduled for November 3rd. The contest in Munugodu constituency in 2018 was primarily between the Congress party and the TRS. The BJP came a very distant 3rd and lost its deposit too. However, the BJP has picked up in Telangana ever since their debacle in the 2018 election.

In a record, The BJP won 4 Lok Sabha seats from Telangana in 2019 (KCR’s daughter was defeated in one of them; KCR’s son was in charge in another!). The BJP went on to defeat the TRS in the all-important GHMC elections (but TRS managed to capture power by allying with MIM post-elections). And then the BJP went on to defeat the TRS in the Dubbaka by-poll (right in the lion’s den!) and in the Huzurabad by-poll. Both these Assembly seats were held by the TRS earlier. 

Munugodu is different in that sense – the seat was held by Congress earlier. This is not the first seat that is going to by-polls where Congress was holding the seat. The then TPCC President, Uttam Kumar Reddy vacated his Huzurnagar assembly seat after getting elected to the Lok Sabha. The TRS won that by-poll. The situation of the Congress party was so bad that they couldn’t win the seat that their own state President won! 

The situation of the Congress party is no different now. In fact, Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo yatra is in going to be in Telangana during the by-poll. If Rahul Gandhi is in Telangana, that means the entire top leadership of the Congress will just be running behind him only, leaving the hapless candidate to fend for herself in Munugodu! We still have 3 weeks to go for the elections and the Congress election campaign is at its peak now. News outlets like The Hindu have already told us that there are “impressive crowds” for Congress meetings – a phrase they never use for BJP even when BJP wins so many elections! With the Congress campaigning bound to taper down from next week onwards, the fight between TRS and BJP will only intensify. 

A clear indication of how strong a fight the BJP is putting up with their candidate, Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy, is evident from the fact that the TRS has deployed their entire might for this by-poll. KCR has asked 86 of his MLAs to be stationed in the constituency only. This includes all of his ministers. In fact, to show himself as an example of “leading from the front”, KCR himself is in charge of one village in the Munugodu constituency for the by-poll! Just 10 days back, KCR announced the name change of his party from TRS to BRS (Bharat Rashtra Samithi) to reflect his “national” ambitions. That a “national” leader finds it necessary to be in charge of a village in a by-poll, speaks volumes about the nature of the fight ahead! The TRS is clearly rattled by the strength of the BJP. 

The strength of the BJP lies in two factors – first is the candidate himself. Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy. He is the younger one of the famous “Komatireddy Brothers”! The elder one, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy is an MP from the Congress party (and has been with the Congress for many decades). Rahul Gandhi has been very successful in isolating this powerful Congress family away from the Congress party, adding to his list of sterling achievements! The Komatireddy brothers also own industries that generate direct employment for thousands of families in this area. The goodwill they enjoy and the money power they can deploy if needed are definitely a very good advantage for the BJP.  The second factor for BJP is its increased cadre strength and participation from across the state. The BJP is also putting up their entire might – central ministers will campaign; all state office bearers are stationed in Munugodu to carry out door-to-door campaigning. 

The Congress will still have a vote bank that may end up being the deciding factor in the gap between the TRS and the BJP. An exciting 3 weeks lies ahead for the politics in Telangana. November 6th will definitely alter the course of the political debate in the state. 

32 Muslims, who had attacked Hindus in Sultanpur during Durga Puja arrested, Maulana starts crying victim as DGP asks for report: Details

OpIndia Staff
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32 Muslims, who had attacked Hindus in Sultanpur during Durga Puja arrested, Maulana starts crying victim as DGP asks for report: Details

Days after police arrested a few people involved in the Sultanpur violence, which erupted on October 10 after Muslims objected to music played by a DJ during a Durga Puja immersion ceremony in the Baldirai district, the accused have begun to play the victim. According to reports, after the Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) requested a report on the violence, a Muslim cleric claimed that police were taking action only against the Muslim side.

Reportedly a delegation led by Maulana Mehatrul Islam met the district magistrate of Sultanpur on Wednesday, October 12 and decried the fact that those arrested in the case were mostly Muslims. The police, however, confirmed that the arrests have been made based on the CCTV footage and video clips of the incident.

Superintendent of Police, Sultanpur, Somen Barma said, “On the basis of CCTV footage and video clips of the incident, 55 people have been identified of whom 32 have been arrested. The arrested persons include the principal and maulvi of a madrassa who had reportedly incited the mob to hurl stones at the procession.”

The officer said that the statements of local residents present there had also been recorded.

Based on the aforementioned evidence, the police charged the accused with an attempt to murder and registered a case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Uttar Pradesh Recovery of Damages to Public and Private Property Act, 2020.

Sultanpur violence

The incident dates back to October 10, 2022, when the Maa Bhagwati immersion procession began in Para Bazar town and progressed till near the Baba Junglenath Mahadev Temple. Because the procession was so long, it made its way around a nearby mosque. Following this, members from the mosque came out and demanded the procession to stop playing the songs. Upon this, individuals from both sides confronted each other, and an altercation ensued. Hundreds of people arrived within minutes, and the disagreement escalated into stone pelting, injuring numerous individuals and torching several vehicles. At least 20 people including police officers were injured in the clashes.

According to reports, the event was not random and appeared to be pre-planned, since hundreds of individuals assembled in minutes to disrupt the procession.

Hindu man forcibly converted to Islam in Karnataka, fed beef, and circumcised by ex-Congress Corporator Nayaz Pasha and 11 others: Full details

OpIndia Staff
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Hindu man forcibly converted to Islam in Karnataka, fed beef, and circumcised by ex-Congress Corporator Nayaz Pasha and 11 others: Full details

Five people have been arrested in Karnataka for forcibly converting a Hindu man to Islam. The arrested individuals have been identified as Ansar Pasha, a former Bengaluru Corporator from Congress, his brother Nayaz Pasha, Haaji Saab, Ataur Rehman, and Shoib. Two of the accused were arrested earlier, and the other three were arrested on Thursday. Nayaz Pasha was apprehended in Tamil Nadu. 

Police investigations reveal that Sridhar, who is from Mandya, was initially interested in converting to Islam because he was lured with money. The accused had the circumcision ritual performed on Sridhar as well. Reportedly, the victim was also given Rs 50,000 by the accused. According to the police, Sridhar did not want to go any further after that, but the accused forced him to convert.

25-year-old Dalit man Sridhar has filed a complaint where he alleged that his name was changed to Mohammad Salman without his consent. Police have registered a case on 12 people based on Sridhar’s complaint and so far have arrested 5 people.

Ansar Pasha, a former Corporator from Banashankari ward, is reported to be a close aide to a city MLA. He was a Congress party Corporator and KS Layout resident.

Victim Sridhar revealed that the accused have formed a group named ‘Nava Muslims’ and people visiting from Iran and Iraq were introduced to the newly converted Muslims in order to attract funds from them, of course, to convert more non-Muslims into Islam. The group also has been working on the mission to convert India into an Islamic country, Firstpost reported.

Sridhar Gangadhar described his ordeal, saying, “I knew this person named Rehman for the past two and a half years.” I told him about my poor financial situation and the financial problems I was having. He then told me that he would take me to meet someone who could help me solve my problems.”

“He took me to Bengaluru’s Banashankari mosque and introduced me to Aziz Saab, who first disparaged Hindu gods and goddesses and then claimed that Allah is only one true god.”

He went on to say that he was taken to many mosques in Bengaluru, Tirupati, and other nearby places and forced to learn the Quran and pray in an Islamic manner.

Sridhar also stated that he was asked to drink some black liquid which made him unconscious. Upon gaining his senses back, Sridhar questioned what was done to him and the accused fearing that the victim might cause trouble, forcefully circumcised him, tormented him, and fed him beef.

After Sridhar resisted, the accused threatened him with a revolver and forced him to hold the weapon. After taking photos of him holding the weapon, the accused threatened to make his photo viral and label him a terrorist.

The victim also claimed that he was punched in the testicles and that a screwdriver was inserted into his anus until he started bleeding. He was also asked to convert three Hindus every year and was threatened that if he complained to the police he will be killed.

Sridhar also told that he lived in a Muslim-dominated locality and was thus, afraid of filing a police complaint. However, he later filed a complaint with the assistance of Bajrang Dal, in which 12 people were accused.

Punjab: FIR against beauty contest organisers for offering ‘Canadian NRI groom’ as the prize

OpIndia Staff
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Punjab: FIR against beauty contest organisers for offering ‘Canadian NRI groom’ as the prize

In Punjab’s Bathinda, the police have registered an FIR against organisers of a beauty contest for women. Posters of the beauty contest announced that the prize for the winning woman will be a ‘Canadian NRI groom’.

As per reports, the posters were brought to the police’s attention by BJP leader Sukhpal Singh Sra. Kotwali SHO informed that the two ‘organisers’ named Surinder Singh and Ram Dayal Singh have been arrested and an investigation is underway.

The police believe that the beauty contest was a ploy to trap gullible young women trying to emigrate to Canada. The poster announced that the contest is only for women from ‘general castes’, even the promised ‘NRI groom’ was mentioned as ‘general caste’. The event was scheduled to be held in a hotel on October 23.

A case under sections 501, 509 and 109 of the Indian Penal Code has been lodged against the event organisers.

It is notable here that in Punjab, there is a craze among the public to emigrate to Canada. Many cases of ‘abandoned brides’ and ‘abandoned grooms’ where people were duped of money after a sham marriage with the promise to go to Canada have been reported in recent years.

Rizwan Ashraf of Tehreek-e-Labbaik, who had crossed the border from Pakistan to kill Nupur Sharma, taken for a Narco test by agencies

OpIndia Staff
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Rizwan Ashraf of Tehreek-e-Labbaik, who had crossed the border from Pakistan to kill Nupur Sharma, taken for a Narco test by agencies

On Friday, the 22-year-old Pakistani named Rizwan Ashraf was taken to the Directorate of Forensic Sciences in Gandhinagar for a narco test. The military agencies have conducted his required medical and fitness tests and have prepared a questionnaire for Rizwan. The Islamist was arrested by the BSF after he crossed the international border to kill ex-BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma.

According to the reports, the military officers brought Ashraf to Gandhinagar on Monday and conducted all the medical tests required to be executed before the narco test. The authorities have also finalized the set of questions to be asked to Ashraf during the narco test. His test is said to begin on Friday morning and will continue till agencies are satisfied.

The authorities had earlier taken permission from Sriganganagar Court for Rizwan’s narco test and performed all the required medical tests on him in the last four days. Ashraf was arrested on July 16 by the BSF from the Hindumalkot border outpost in the Sriganganagar district of Rajasthan and was put in the high-security jail at Ajmer.

He was then handed over to the Police but refused to speak even after the Intelligence Bureau, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and the Military Intelligence Agency interrogated him. Later, he confessed that he had crossed the international border to kill the ex-BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma for her alleged ‘blasphemous’ remarks against Prophet Mohammed.

Earlier, it was reported that Ashraf is a resident of Mandi Bahauddin of Punjab province in Pakistan and was apprehended on July 16 at around 11 pm. A patrolling squad discovered him in suspicious condition and he was subsequently nabbed and frisked right away. The security agencies also recovered an 11-inch long knife, religious texts, clothing, food, and sand in his belongings. According to the officers further, the accused intended to visit Ajmer Dargah first and then assassinate Nupur Sharma.

The Police also later revealed that Ashraf belonged to an Islamic extremist political party in Pakistan named Tehreek-e-Labbaik. He had been earlier arrested by the Pakistan Police for dismantling the statue of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh in August 2021. “Tehreek-e-Labbaik, a Pakistani organization has made plans to kill Nupur Sharma. Rizwan who is a Pakistani terrorist was also influenced by Tehreek-e-Labbaik. As per their plan, he wanted to enter India from across the border”, the Police had confirmed.

The controversy over Nupur Sharma’s comments during a TV debate has taken a horrible turn, with Sharma getting countless death threats and numerous others being attacked by Islamists simply for supporting her on social media. Islamists have already assassinated two people for extending their support to Nupur Sharma. Several other people have been threatened with death.

Buddhist organisations denounce derogatory, anti-Hindu remarks by former AAP Minister Rajendra Gautam, write to President seeking action

OpIndia Staff
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Buddhist organisations denounce derogatory, anti-Hindu remarks by former AAP Minister Rajendra Gautam, write to President seeking action

Aam Aadmi Party MLA Rajendra Pal Gautam’s hateful and derogatory remarks against Hindus at the controversial Buddhist oath ceremony have been rejected by many Buddhist organisations. Now, in a letter to President Draupadi Murmu, several Buddhist organisations have asked for immediate legal action to be taken against Rajendra Pal Gautam.

According to these organisations, the event in which such an occurrence took place in Gautam’s presence is not in line with Buddhism or Lord Buddha’s teachings. The letter was signed by 19 Buddhist leaders, including Rajesh Lamba, National General Secretary of Dharma Sanskriti Sangam, and Secretary Dr Vishakha Sailani. Bhante Wayne P Sivali Thero, general secretary of the Mahabodhi Society of India, and joint secretary Bhante Sumihananda Thero, Bhikkhu Shanti Mitra, are also among them.

Buddhism, according to organisations, does not instil animosity in any group and is not opposed to any faith.  Buddhism is not anti-god but rather works in harmony with different religions. Awaken yourself, and appreciate all religions, Sarvadhamma, Sarvadharma Sambhav, and Aapo Deepo Bhavah are the philosophies of Buddhism and Buddhists and Hindus have coexisted in this nation for millennia, the letter added.

In a move to cover his misdeeds, Rajendra Gautam is scheduled to visit Dr Ambedkar National Memorial with his supporters on October 14 and take a pledge to fight casteism and untouchability. 

On October 5, Rajendra Pal Gautam was spotted at a ceremony where 10,000 Hindus were reportedly ‘converted’ to Buddhism. The controversial event was sponsored by the Buddhist Society of India in the Dr BR Ambedkar Bhavan in Jhandewalan, New Delhi. Following the controversy, Gautam resigned from his ministerial office on October 9, 2022. He served as the minister of social welfare, cooperation, SC/ST welfare, and Gurudwara elections in Delhi.

In his resignation letter, Rajendra Pal Gautam wrote, “I personally attended the Buddhist Dhamma Deeksha Samaroh organized by Mission Jai Bhim and Buddhist Society of India on the occasion of Ashok Vijayadashami on October 5, 2022, at Ambedkar Bhavan Rani Jhansi Road as a member of society. This had nothing to do with the Aam Aadmi Party and my council of ministers. Babasaheb’s great-grandson Rajratna Ambedkar repeated 22 vows of Babasaheb which were repeated by more than 10000 people as well as me. After that, I see that the BJP is targeting our leader Shri Arvind Kejriwal Ji, and the Aam Aadmi Party, it is very sad for me.”

The Bharatiya Janata Party also filed a complaint against Gautam for fostering animosity between communities and inciting riots. The complaint accused Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of collaborating with Gautam, adding, “Arvind Kejriwal in conspiracy with Rajendra Pal Gautam and other unknown persons used social media platforms to build a communally charged situation by spreading such videos. It can be made out that the posts quoted above are prima facie acts of criminal nature with a criminal motive of dividing the country on the basis of religion resulting in violence, riots and the overall spread of enmity between various religions.”

Hackers take control of the Twitter handle of Indian Embassy in Ireland, impersonate Elon Musk and prompt people to buy cryptocurrency

OpIndia Staff
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Hackers take control of the Twitter handle of Indian Embassy in Ireland, impersonate Elon Musk and prompt people to buy cryptocurrency

On Friday (October 14), unidentified hackers broke into the official Twitter handle of the ‘Indian Embassy in Ireland’ and took complete control of the account for a few hours.

The miscreants changed the profile picture to that of SpaceX rockets and the handle name to ‘Elon Musk’ from ‘India in Ireland (Embassy of India, Dublin).’ Interestingly, they did not change the Twitter username (@IndiainIreland) as it would have led to the immediate loss of the verified status (blue tick).

Screengrab of the hacked Twitter profile of ‘India in Ireland’

Soon after, the compromised Twitter handle posted a tweet about Bitcoin and pinned it on its profile. In a tweet, it said, “It’s time to pump BTC. To support our community, I’m announcing 5.000 BTC and 5.000 ETH (Ethereum) giveaway.”

“First come. First served…Note: You can receive a gift only once. Please hurry up,” the handle added. The hacked account also posted a shady link and asked people to visit the site.

Screengrab of the pinned tweet of the compromised ‘India in Ireland’ Twitter handle

However, soon after, the Indian officials were able to take control of the Twitter account of ‘Indian Embassy in Ireland.’ The display picture, banner and pin tweet were promptly removed. The original name of the Twitter handle was also restored.

At the time of writing, the Indian embassy did not issue a clarification about the security breach on the micro-blogging platform.

Screengrab of the ‘India in Ireland’ handle after it was restored

Last year, billionaire and Tesla CEO, Elon Musk promoted a meme-based cryptocurrency named Dogecoin, which started out as a joke. Musk’s endorsement saw its value jump up by 26000% within a 6-month period.

While bitcoin has a capped supply of 21 million coins, there is no limit to the number of dogecoins that can be created. The Tesla CEO had described the cryptocurrency as his “favourite.”

Hence, it is not surprising that the hackers impersonated as Elon Musk to sell bitcoins, knowing that his large-fan following is well acquainted with his interest in cryptocurrencies.

Australia: Indian youth Shubham Garg stabbed 11 times in Sydney, family says it was a racial attack

OpIndia Staff
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Australia: Indian youth Shubham Garg stabbed 11 times in Sydney, family says it was a racial attack

A 28-year-old Indian-origin student was brutally attacked with a knife in Australia’s Sydney on October 6. Shubham Garg, who is pursuing PhD in Mechanical Engineering at the University of NSW in Sydney, was reportedly stabbed 11 times.

As per reports, Shubham is in critical condition in the hospital and his family in Agra is unable to visit him due to visa issues. He has suffered multiple wounds on his chest, face and abdomen.

As per a report in Times of India, Shubham’s family have informed that they have been waiting for a visa for a week. Shubham’s friends have informed that the assailant was not known to Shubham and they suspect it was a racial attack. DM of Agra has informed TOI that he is in contact with Shubham’s family and their visa application is under process. He added that they have spoken to the Indian MEA and the Australian embassy too.

Shubham was attacked at the corner of Pacific Highway and Gatacre Avenue Lane Cove in Sydney’s Artamon on October 6. He was assisted by locals and was taken to the Royal North Shore Hospital where he had to undergo surgeries. His condition remains critical.

A 27-year-old person named Daniel Norwood was arrested near the crime scene and has been charged with attempted murder. A search warrant was issued for a local residence and multiple items have been seized by the police.

The Hornsby Local Court has denied bail to Norwood. He will be produced again on December 14.

Local Australian media has reported that Norwood had approached Shubham Garg when the latter was walking near Gatacre Avenue. Norwood had allegedly threatened Garg and had demanded cash and his cell phone. When Shubham tried to resist, Norwood stabbed him multiple times and fled the scene.

Shubham, a BTech and Masters’ degree holder from IIT Chennai, arrived in Australia to pursue his PhD in September this year.

‘Was threatened by 100 AAP workers for summoning Gopal Italia’, says NCW’s Rekha Sharma, police says AAP leader was detained to control situation

OpIndia Staff
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‘Was threatened by 100 AAP workers for summoning Gopal Italia’, says NCW’s Rekha Sharma, police says AAP leader was detained to control situation

On Thursday, Rekha Sharma, chairperson of the National Commission for Women (NCW), revealed that over 100 people gathered outside her office in support of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Gujarat unit head Gopal Italia, threatening her for summoning Italia over a video in which he used derogatory language against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and using misogynist slurs.

According to reports, Italia was detained by the police for 2 hours to control the situation outside the NCW office and was released later. “We received a call from NCW officials alleging that Italia’s supporters were creating a ruckus at the NCW office. We went to the spot and had to detain him to control the situation. He was released after two-and-a-half hours,” said a senior police officer.

“He denied receiving a summon but his reply is ready. He also claimed that he was not present in the video but in his reply he accepts tweeting. He had claimed that it was not him in the video,” Sharma told ANI.

The NCW chief also pointed out that the written statement and verbal statement do not match. “His statement and written statement don’t match. He has not given a proper reply. I’ve asked the police that action should be taken against Italia and his supporters. His supporters tried to enter the NCW office forcibly,” she said.

“I couldn’t step out to attend an important meeting. If 100-150 people gather and threaten me, what kind of leader are they? He had to come to the NCW office and answer a few questions,” she added.

Sharma on Thursday said that AAP workers gathered outside her office to hold a protest after the Commission summoned Gopal Italia over a video where he was allegedly seen making derogatory remarks about PM Modi.

The NCW chief shared a photo on Twitter on Thursday and wrote, “All the @/AamAadmiParty hooligans are outside my office creating a ruckus.”

Later, Sharma in a series of tweets slammed Gopal Italia for giving contradictory statements, making excuses like not knowing Hindi and creating a law and order situation. 

Notably, A video of Gopal Italia, the president of the Aam Aadmi Party’s Gujarat state unit, making disparaging remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi has gone viral on social media. Gopal Italia can be seen in the video berating PM Modi and calling him names. The video’s release date is uncertain, but it appears to be in 2019, during the run-up to the general election.

Gopal Italia said in the video, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a ‘neech’ person.” I cannot confirm, but I would like to ask if there is any former Prime Minister of the country who has done so many gimmicks while going to vote? This ‘neech’ type of person is doing road shows here. And he’s demonstrating how I’m making this country C. You have a better understanding of the meaning of C. He talks about digital India and rushes from Delhi to Gujarat to vote. This is how he makes country C. So, this neech is giving a message to the country about how he is making this country C.”

Interestingly, this is not the first time an opposition leader has referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as ‘Neech.’ Mani Shankar Aiyar, a veteran Congress leader, called PM Modi a neech aadmi in 2017, a remark he repeated ahead of the 2019 elections. At the time, the people of India responded to Aiyar with a historic verdict for PM Modi. It remains to be seen how the people of Gujarat react to Gopal Italia’s ‘neech’ remark against Narendra Modi.

Congress shares fake AajTak survey to claim Rahul Gandhi is more popular than PM Narendra Modi, deletes tweet later: What happened

OpIndia Staff
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Congress shares fake AajTak survey to claim Rahul Gandhi is more popular than PM Narendra Modi, deletes tweet later: What happened

On Thursday (October 13) morning, the Congress party lauded its leader Rahul Gandhi for supposedly overtaking Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the people’s choice, based on an imaginary survey attributed to news outlet Aaj Tak.

The ‘photoshopped survey’ claimed that the Congress scion has an approval rating of 52% while PM Narendra Modi lags behind with just 46% approving him as a preferred leader.

While boasting about the ‘changing public perception’, the official handle of Delhi Congress tweeted, “The mood of the nation is changing. People have now decided to teach a lesson to those who make fake promises (hinting at the BJP and PM Modi).” The archived version of the tweet can be accessed here.

Screengrab of the tweet by the Congress party

However, the happiness of the Congress ecosystem was short-lived as Aaj Tak was forced to debunk the disinformation peddled in its name.

In a tweet, the news outlet made it clear that no such survey was conducted by its team and the image shared by Delhi Congress was morphed. It clarified, “Delhi Congresss, the information shared via your tweet is false. The image is photoshopped. Aaj Tak has not conducted any such survey and it is fake.”

“As a responsible political organisation, we expect you to promptly remove this misleading tweet that falsely attributes Aaj Tak,” it emphasised.

Soon after, Delhi Congress deleted the tweet without citing any apology for peddling disinformation. By the time the tweet was deleted, it was liked by 1500 people and retweeted over 350 times.

Congress leader spreads fake letter attributed to Amit Shah

Earlier in June this year, Congress leader Nagma Morarji tweeted a fake letter attributed to India’s Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The purported letter directed Uttarkhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to provide Z security to former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma on an urgent basis.

“In current scenario, I recommend you to evaluate emerging threats to the family house of Smt Nupur Sharma in Dehradun and provide Z security on urgent basis,” the letter said.

Furthermore, the alleged letter identified Nupur Sharma as an RSS ideologue who could help achieve the goal of a Hindu Rashtra. Journalist Swati Goel Sharma was quick to call out her bluff. On being pointed out that the letter is fake, Morarji quickly deleted her tweet without bothering to tender an apology.

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