In a horrific incident on Wednesday in Lakhimpur Kheri, two accused named Sohail and Junaid dragged two Dalit girls aged 15 and 17 to the sugarcane field and brutally raped them. The girls were later murdered and hanged on a tree with their dupattas.
Immediately after the incident was reported, “concerned” journalists started wondering why the Dalit identity of the victims is not being highlighted while reporting the crime as they hoped to give the crime a caste colour.
It’s also important to mention the caste which is missing from this report. 2 Minor Girls, Sisters, Found Hanging From Tree In UP’s Lakhimpur https://t.co/lC6jWO3JLA via @ndtv
Alleged journalist Samriddhi K Sakunia also joined in the concern expressed by Naqvi and found it bizarre that in NDTV’s reporting, the first priority wasn’t to highlight the caste of the victim girls.
It’s bizzare to see platforms like NDTV still thinks that caste isn’t to be mentioned in a rape case!
However, the concern over the caste of the victims and the resultant conversation between the two journalists came to an abrupt end as the identity of the perpetrators of the crime came to the fore. Uttar Pradesh police shared that they have arrested six persons for the crime, named Junaid, Sohail, Arif, Hafiz, Karimuddin and Chhotu (Gautam). Once it was clear that this can’t be turned into a caste crime, the conversation over the caste angle in the crime was over.
When other netizens asked why the duo aren’t continuing with the conversation any longer, Sakunia flippantly dismissed them as trolls, and added multiple laughing emojis to show how seriously she was actually taking this brutal crime.
Samriddhi K Sakunia was arrested by Tripura Police for spreading fake news
Last year, on November 13, Tripura Police had detained journalists Samriddhi Sakunia and Swarna Jha, for publishing fake news to spread communal violence. They were arrested and presented in the court in Gomti district, where they were granted bail. Sakunia had published a series of tweets that allegedly showed vandalized mosques in Tripura.
In one of the videos she had posted, Sakunia claimed that the burnt book was Quran. When Tripura Police approached the person she referred to in the video, he denied the claims of the book being Quran. On questioning Sakunia over the phone about the same, Sakunia allegedly refused to present any evidence to support her claims.
In the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, a Maulana has been accused of sexually exploiting a woman. For a year, Maulana allegedly sexually abused the girl by making false promises of marriage.
Maulana Rashid of Masjid Shadullah, located in Mohalla Mukerian in Thana Sadar Bazar, has been living in the mosque for the last five years and was teaching children Urdu and Arabic. He is a Moradabad resident. The victim, on the other hand, used to drop her younger sister off at the mosque to study. She used to go to Maulvi Rashid’s room to give tea on occasions, as per reports. That is how she became acquainted with the accused. According to the victim, for a year, Maulana raped the victim with the help of his friend Maulvi Hashim. According to the victim, the Masjid Committee pressurised her to sign the ‘Raazinama,’ and the Maulana was sent away.
After this, the victim reached the local police station and informed the SSP about the crime. The victim’s medical examination was conducted. On the orders of the SSP, a case has been registered in Mohalla Sadar Bazar under relevant sections against Maulana Rashid resident of Moradabad, Maulvi Saddam resident of Addewali Mosque Sadar Bazar, Maulvi Hashim resident of Police Line Masjid Sadar Bazar, Managing Committee Secretary Jabbar (accused of driving away Maulvi) resident near the police station, and Kamal Qureshi resident Chhota Bazar Mukerian.
Ajay Kishore, the inspector in charge of the police station, stated that a team has been dispatched to Moradabad to arrest the Maulana. Another team was sent to search the premises of the other accused.
On Wednesday, members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) reached the Bapu Uparaudh Intermediate College in the Lalganj area of Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh to demand the reopening of a Shiv temple built inside the college premises. The temple was forcibly shut for three days under the direction of a teacher called Mohammed Kasif. The VHP members asked the college authorities to reopen the temple and also demanded strict action against the Islamist teacher.
According to the reports, the temple was shut for three days for the first time in the last 50 years. The temple has been inside the college premises for around 50 years and students, as well as teachers, have been worshipping the temple on regular basis. The students daily apply the Chandan (sandalwood powder) from the temple on their forehead and then attend the classes.
On September 8, the principal of the college, Dr Dharamjeet Singh had to travel out of the Lalganj area for a legal job. In the absence of the principal, the college’s responsibilities were to be looked upon by a teacher named Mohammed Kasif who was appointed as temporary in charge of the college. Kasif that day happened to thrash the students for visiting the Shiv temple and applying the temple Chandan on their forehead. He also called the temple priest identified as Pandit Ramji Mishra and bashed him for worshipping God when he is the college in charge.
“Keep the temple gate closed on the day I am in charge of the college. Open the gate only after 4 pm”, he ordered the temple priest. On the directions of the Islamist teacher, the Shiv temple located inside the college premises was then forcibly shut for the next three days until the principal of the college, Dr Dharamjeet Singh returned to the city.
On September 12, as Dr Singh returned to the college, Pandit Ramji Mishra informed him about the incident and stated that this was the first time in the past 50 years that the Shiv temple was kept shut for three consecutive days. According to the priest, the college temple has never been closed to date. “We clean the temple and worship the deity even during the vacations. But it was closed for the first time after the Islamist teacher threatened the students and me”, the priest stated.
The priest also informed the members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad who reached the college to demand strict action against the Islamist teacher. Reports mention that the Islamist teacher also misbehaved with the VHP workers including Block President Shivsagar Dubey, activist Jagannath Kesharwani and Manoj Keshari. Meanwhile the Principal of the college, Dr. Singh has stated that the matter will be investigated and appropriate action will be taken against the teacher.
Communal tension prevailed in Siwan, Bihar, after stone-pelting was carried out on the Mahaviri Akhada procession from a masjid (mosque) on September 8. One Juvenile accused is also taken into custody in the case. AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi had claimed that the age of the juvenile taken into custody is 8 years, while Bihar Police has stated that he is 13 years of age. The Police have said that they have visuals with them which prove that the juvenile was pelting stones on the procession. However, some are crying foul and claiming that this arrest of the juvenile is an ‘atrocity on Muslims’.
In this case, the visuals which have come up clearly show that stone pelting was being done from the roof of a mosque. Further, it can be seen that women and children from adjoining buildings are also pelting stones. Six police officers including one inspector and two SIs are injured in the violence. Media reports suggest the clashes started over a minor dispute. Police had to set up a camp to maintain law and order. However, now the Islamists and ‘liberals’ are questioning police action.
Islamists question police action
The police action was being questioned after AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi gave a statement on the incident. He questioned Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and said whether he would respect the Muslim community after claiming the boy arrested by police was eight years of age. He said that the police was lying to the media that the boy was 13 years old. He claimed he had the juvenile accused’s birth certificate and was 8 years old.
Accusing Nitish Kumar and his coalition party RJD of faking secularism, Owaisi said they should try to understand how the mother of the child must be feeling. He said that if the government were of another party, everyone would have been quick to react and question police action. Demanding compensation for the juvenile’s family, Owaisi alleged that instead of catching the culprits, the police are harassing Muslims.
“8 साल का रिज़वान बिहार पुलिस की गिरफ़्त में है, नीतीश कुमार जी आप मुसलमानों को सम्मान देंगे की नहीं?” : @asadowaisi
A hashtag was run on social media as well in support of the juvenile. It was alleged that he was kept in jail. His family alleged that the police was demanding money to let him off. They believe that the juvenile had gone for offering namaz (Islamic prayer) at the mosque. His mother claims that when he was being picked up, the police had said he was just being taken for an identification parade. The mother claimed that he is just a child and was crying in the court.
What is Bihar Police saying
Bihar Police is saying that the juvenile is 13 years old and the claims that he is 8 years old are fake. Further, the police have clarified that he is not kept in jail but in a juvenile home, as per law. The station in-charge Pravin Prabhakar said to Zee News that an incorrect image is being made viral in name of the minor accused and that during questioning the juvenile admitted his age to be 13 years. Police also said that they have evidence of him being involved in stone-pelting.
Police also denied the allegations of demanding a bribe to let him off and said that more revelations will be done once the investigation progresses. SP Shailesh Singh said that the 13-year-old was not even handcuffed. After being produced before the court he was sent to the juvenile correction centre. He said that the image that has been making rounds on social media is old and misleading. Police have asserted that they have visuals which prove his involvement in stone-pelting.
Police further said that in Bihar, birth certificates are made at various places and if someone tomorrow comes up claiming his age is 5 years then it is not the fault of the police. Police also said that no one has subjected the juvenile accused to any form of harassment and that during questioning he had himself admitted to his age being 13 years.
On condition of anonymity, a police officer who is in the know said police can take anyone in their custody to court. In such a case, it is wrong to blame the police of putting handcuffs on the juvenile. As if they had done so, the judge would have reprimanded them. Police further said that the juvenile has accepted that he was asked to pelt stones but has not yet given names of who asked him to. When the Hindu side pelted stones, it was reactionary, police added.
What does the FIR state
An FIR has been registered in Siwan against 35 known and 100 unknown persons. In this, people of both communities are named. One Premchand, a resident of Lakhisarai, was appointed in charge of arrangements during the Mahaviri Akhada procession. Hence, on September 8, 2022, he was walking alongside the procession. In the procession, personnel from law enforcement agencies like police were also present.
The procession was to move to Hardia via the old bazaar area. On the road, there is also one masjid. In his FIR, he stated that at around 4:30-5:00 PM, when the azaan time had come, the procession was paused. After azaan was over, the procession also started moving forward slowly.
The FIR copy further states that near the masjid, the SDPO of Badharia was also there to maintain law and order. The procession moved ahead peacefully. In the tractor-trolly, the idol of Mahavir Ji was there. When the trolly reached the masjid, some people with lathis came forward and some anti-social elements of the Muslim community attacked them. FIR states that the Islamist mob was pelting stones from the masjid and also chanting communal slogans.
#BREAKING: Stone pelting from mosque on “Hindu Mahaviri Akhara procession” in Bihar’s Siwan, 18 people seriously injured (including 6 policemen who were shielding the procession). pic.twitter.com/HOcMtJPRyA
The FIR further states that the Muslim mob also chanted anti-Hindu slogans and that the police kept requesting the mob to maintain peace and not create a ruckus. However, despite that, they attacked the police as well as the procession. Under a part of a larger conspiracy, they tried to prevent police from carrying out their duty, the FIR states. Despite additional police forces reaching the spot, the attacks did not stop. Along with anti-Hindu slogans, they also started chanting slogans against the police.
The FIR further mentions that along with chanting hateful slogans, they also started destroying the properties of nearby shops and setting things on fire. As the ruckus spread, the situation became communally charged. Several police personnel have suffered injuries in the stone pelting too. Among the 25 people who are named in the FIR, the youngest is a 13-year-old juvenile while the oldest is a 70-year-old Kasim Miyan. Police have stated that the rioters fled the area after police started using force.
Media propaganda against police action, Hindus are falsely being shown as aggressors
The police FIR mentions clearly that the Mahaviri Akhada was progressing peacefully without any incident, and was stopped at some distance when azan started playing at the mosque. Despite this, people like Meer Faisal and Ashraf Hssain are trying to whitewash the stone pelting done by the Islamists and are trying to use the women family members of the accused to present the Muslim side as victims of police action.
The FIR mentions clearly that the Islamic mob gathered at the mosque was being instigated with anti-Hindu sloganeering and was being instigated to pelt stones. The police have mentioned that the stone pelting from the Hindu side was in response to the same by the Islamic mob from the mosque.
Several recent reports have shown that demography is changing rapidly along India’s border with Nepal. The number of mosques and madarsas is constantly increasing along the border. From August 20 to 27, 2022, an OpIndia team visited several areas in Nepal bordering India to observe the ground situation. What follows here is the eleventh episode of the series of reports documenting the facts noticed by the OpIndia team.
In our earlier reports, we highlighted how mazars and mosques have mushroomed in Uttar Pradesh’s Balrampur district along the route heading to the Jarwa side of the Nepal border. We also reported on how the menace of ‘love jihad’ or ‘grooming jihad’ has plagued Nepal as a result of the growing Muslim population in the land of mountains.
The situation is similar across the border in the Uttar Pradesh district of Balrampur. Cases of love jihad and the systematic targeting of young and innocent Hindu children by Islamists have become more rampant in this region over the years.
There is no such thing as a distinct caste (read Tharu tribe report here) or community suffering as a result of demographic imbalance in Balrampur district, which borders Nepal. Those who live in border areas must deal with constantly shifting demographic shifts. Not only is the illegal encroachment of public spaces in border areas to build mosques, mazars, and madarsas a major issue, but the people who live here must also cope with issues such as the persecution of Hindu children and love jihad, wherein vulnerable Hindu native women are targeted by Muslim men, lured and brainwashed, forcefully converted to Islam and married off.
Hindu children threatened with circumcision
According to the complaint copy received by OpIndia, in April 2022, one Mulla Jameel, who lived in the Jarwa district along Nepal’s border, enticed a Hindu woman working in his house. After that, Mulla went away with the woman and her four children somewhere.
According to the police complaint, Mulla Jameel wanted the lady (complainant’s wife), two daughters, and two sons to convert to Islam. The complaint also claimed that all of the victim’s minor children were kept in a village near Tulsipur market at the home of the accused, Sagir Maulana.
Police complaint
The victim stated in the same complaint copy that the accused Sagir Maulana and Mulla Jameel had threatened to circumcise their children. According to the evidence received, these children were also taught Urdu in the madarsa, and their mothers’ names were likewise Islamised alongside those of the children. The victim is a resident of Halora village in the border area.
Ali marries Hindu girl in a temple, punishes her for not accepting Islam
In another case, a female from Varanasi filed a police complaint alleging harassment after marrying Mubarak Ali, a resident of Pachpedwa near the Nepal border. In a complaint to Varanasi Police and the Chief Minister, the victim stated that Mubarak Ali, who met via an online app, travelled to Kashi with his family, married her in a Hindu temple according to Hindu customs, and brought her home with him. Everything was fine till that point, however, the complexities began after that.
According to the victim, Mubarak Ali first expressed faith in all religions but changed his stance once she went to his house in the Nepal border village of Khakhadei. He began tormenting her every day. His family members never objected.
Mubarak Ali marries Hindu girl in a temple
The victim told OpIndia that when she gave birth to a daughter, her husband Mubarak began calling her Fatima and their daughter Amina. The distressed Hindu woman also revealed that Mubarak Ali had extorted a large sum of money from her and her mother under the pretext of starting his business.
The woman sobbed as she told us that even if she accidentally took the name of any Hindu god, Ali would torture her. She added that Ali threw her and her child out of the house when she refused to convert to Islam. The destitute woman is now staying at her parents’ house along with her daughter.
The victim also claimed that the police are yet to take any action on her complaint.
Demographic imbalance along the Nepal border and its impact
Pawan Shukla, the public prosecutor of POCSO cases in Balrampur district court, revealed to OpIndia that the Muslim population in the area has increased dramatically in recent years. Pawan Shukla further stated that as a result of this demographic imbalance, the cases of Love Jihad have also become rampant with many vulnerable Hindu girls being lured and thereafter molested and tortured.
To back up his claim, the public prosecutor cited the case of a Hindu family in the Tulsipur police station area of the border area, describing how their minor daughter was trapped by an elderly Muslim man a few years ago, and how the victim’s family is still fighting for justice.
The POCSO Act, according to Pawan Shukla, is particularly effective in such cases if both the witness and the victim stand by their testimony. In the instance of the Tulsipur love jihad, he stated that the girl’s statement had been recorded and that it is expected that the accused, who is currently in jail, will be punished.
A petition has been filed in Mathura Court for the removal of Meena Masjid from the Krishna Janmabhoomi complex. According to the information available, this mosque dates back to the Mughal period. The petitioner has claimed that the mosque has been built on top of a part of the temple of ‘Thakur Kesav Dev Ji’. This mosque is situated on the eastern side of the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi premises.
Dinesh Sharma, National Treasurer of Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha, filed the petition to have Meena Masjid removed. Dinesh Sharma, a devotee of Lord Shri Krishna, has filed this plea as the Lord’s ‘vaad mitra’ (friend of the suit). A case has been filed in the court of Civil Judge (Senior Division) Mathura, Jyoti Singh on the plea.
The lawyer of petitioner Dinesh Sharma, Deepak Sharma told that the court will hear the matter on October 26. In about a dozen cases in Mathura, the petitioners appearing on behalf of Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi challenged the agreement between Shri Krishna Janmasthan Seva Sangh and Shahi Masjid Idgah on October 12, 1968. These agreements are part of Suit No. 43 of 1967.
This petition comes shortly after the District Court in Varanasi in its verdict on the suit in the Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri case ordered that the suit is maintainable and that the facts and information presented by the Hindu side are acceptable in the court. The court rejected the application of the Muslim side challenging the maintainability of the case.
Even earlier, several petitions were filed at Mathura Court
Numerous petitions linked to Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi have already been filed in various courts of Mathura. An earlier petition had requested that the Shahi Masjid Idgah be relocated from the property. The petitioners argue that the Shahi Masjid Idgah should be removed because it was built on the ‘birthplace of Lord Krishna’.
Dinesh Sharma had earlier filed a petition seeking the removal of the Shahi Masjid Idgah, adjacent to the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi.
Dinesh Sharma claims that he has filed this petition in order to protect the property of Thakur Keshav Dev Ji Maharaj. Thakur Keshav Ji Maharaj is the owner of 13.37 acres of land in Mathura city, Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi is situated on his land. In this case, now there is a demand to remove the Meena Masjid built on the land belonging to the deity. According to Sharma, the chairman/president and secretary of Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board, Lucknow, Intejamiya Committee, Meena Masjid (Deeg Gate), has been made a defendant in the new case.
The state-owned public broadcasting organization Doordarshan has completed its 63 years of service. It started as a humble experiment on September 15, 1959, in a makeshift studio. Initially, it was part of the All India Radio and provided services only in the Delhi region. It became a service in 1965 and started beaming signals to reach television sets in and around New Delhi. It took another seven years for Doordarshan to expand its services first to Mumbai and Amritsar in 1972. Further expanding its services, Doordarshan then reached another seven cities by 1975.
On April 1976, Doordarshan finally had its separate department as part of the national broadcaster Prasar Bharti in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Notably, All India Radio still offers several services for Doordarshan, especially for the news segment.
As time passed by, the organization expanded its roots across the length and breadth of the country, covering several sections, including linguistic, geographical, and cultural groups. The broadcasting services promoted the social, cultural, and educational development of the country and expanded its studio presence in different parts of the country to produce programs in regional languages.
At present, Doordarshan has an array of 36 satellite channels along with free-to-air DTH service with 110 channels in the kitty. There are over 66 studio centers of Doordarshan across the country, out of which 17 major studios are located in State capitals and 49 studios in various cities.
Important timelines of Doordarshan’s history
September 15, 1959: Experimental transmission from Delhi
October 24, 1961: School television for Delhi students.
August 15, 1965: Regular service with daily news bulletin in Hindi.
January 26, 1967: Krishi Darshan – programs for farmers.
October 2, 1972: Television in a second city, Mumbai.
August 1, 1975: SITE launched.
January 1, 1976: Commercials introduced.
April 1, 1976: Doordarshan delinked from AIR.
August 15, 1982: National programs, colour transmission, and networking through satellite.
November 19, 1982: Expansion through LPTs launched.
August 15, 1983: Countrywide classroom of UGC launched.
July 15, 1984: First mass appeal serial Hum Log.
August 9, 1984: Second channel at Delhi.
August 9, 1085: First regional satellite network in Maharashtra.
February 23, 1987: Morning transmissions
January 26, 1989: Afternoon transmissions
April 1, 1993: Metro channel with satellite networking
October 1, 1993: Regional language satellite channels.
August 15, 1994: Restructuring of channels -DDl to DD 13
March 14, 1995: DD India—International channel.
November 23, 1997: Prasar Bharati—the autonomous broadcasting corporation of India.
March 18, 1999: DD Sports channel was inaugurated.
July 10, 1999: News on the hour.
August 15, 1999: DD News and current affairs channel. (Test transmission).
Controversies that still haunt the public-broadcaster
Apart from glorious history, there have been moments in Doordarshan’s history that caused controversies and haunt the public broadcaster to date.
The funeral of former PM Indira Gandhi
On October 30, Doordarshan did a live telecast of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. During the funeral, alleged incendiary slogans were raised that fuelled the already tense atmosphere in the national capital. Bollywood veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan is known to be close to the Gandhi family, especially Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.
Following the murder of Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards, Amitabh Bachchan visited her residence to pay respects to the departed. He also attended the funeral of the former Prime Minister and remained close to Rajiv Gandhi throughout the last rites. According to the eyewitnesses, the actor allegedly gave an inflammatory speech and raised slogans like ‘Khoon ka badla khoon,’ which translates to ‘blood for blood.
In 2011, the Times of India quoted Jagdish Kaur, one of the prime witnesses in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots saying, “I wonder why no one in India lodged a case against Amitabh Bachchan for provoking killing of Sikhs.” She said whoever watched Doordarshan at that time knew what Bachchan had said. The alleged slogans raised by Bachchan went “missing” from the archives, never to be found.
‘When a big tree falls…’ Rajiv Gandhi’s speech justifying anti-Sikh riots
Not only Amitabh Bachchan but former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s objectionable remarks on anti-Sikh riots were aired on Doordarshan in 1984. On November 19, 1984, while giving a speech in front of thousands of people, then-Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi justified anti-Sikh riots by saying such incidents happen when a ‘large tree falls’ referring to Indira Gandhi’s death and the aftermath of the murder.
Rajiv Gandhi said, “Hamein Indira ji ka yaad rakhna hai. Hamein yaad rakhna hai ki unki hatya kyun hui. Hamein yaad rakhna hai ki kaun kaun log iske peeche ho sakte hain. Jab Indira ji ki hatya hui thi, to haamre desh mein kuch dange fasaad hue the. Hamein maloom hai ki bharat ki janta ke dil mein kitna krodh aaya, kitna gussa aaya. Aur kuch din ke liye, logon ko laga ki bharat hil raha hai. Lekin jab bhi koi bada ped girta hai to dharti thodi hilti hai. (We should remember Indira Gandhi. We should remember why she was killed. We should remember who can be behind her assassination. When Indira ji was killed, there were some riots in the country. We know how angry the people of India were. And for a few days, people thought that India is shaking. However, whenever a big tree falls, the earth shakes.)”
Opposition to airing Ramayana
Ramayana serial is one of the most popular series telecasted by Doordarshan. Its impact on the public is well documented, and those who lived in those years must remember how streets used to get empty during its telecast on Sundays. However, very few people are aware that the administration at Prasar Bharati did not allow its telecast for long.
Ramanand Sagar’s son Prem Sagar openly spoke about the resistance and said, “Baba knew he would make the Ramayana as early as the 1940s. He had begun conceptualizing the idea back in 1975 itself. But every time, at Doordarshan, someone or the other pulled the plug. They had an agenda. It was probably down to the officers high up in the organization. Eventually, someone got transferred here or there or left office, and the show finally happened.”
Another aspect of that period is that to ‘monkey balance’ the telecast of a series based on Hindu religion, Doordarshan produced programs like Bible ki Kahaniya, Alif Laila, and more.
Special cell to target then-CM Modi
In his book titled “Narendra Modi Censored,” journalist Ashok Shrivastav revealed a special cell was constituted in DD News to run news stories, documentaries, programs, etc. to target Narendra Modi, especially around the 2002 post-Godhra riots. Not everyone was allowed to walk into this cell which was housed in room no. 123. Controversial ‘activist’ Teesta Setalvad was a special and regular visitor to the cell.
‘Satyam Shivam Sundaram’ removed from logo
Journalist Ashok Shrivastav in a recent tweet, alleged that during UPA tenure in 2013, the iconic phrase ‘Satyam Shivam Sundaram’ was removed from Doordarshan’s logo.
कई मित्र पूछ रहे हैं कि क्या दूरदर्शन के लोगो से “सत्यम शिवम सुंदरम” हटाया गया है।सबको निजी तौर पर जवाब देना संभव नहीं। यह सच है संभवतः 2013 में अचानक लोगो से “सत्यम शिवम सुंदरम” हटा दिया गया।क्यों, नहीं जानता। शायद “सेक्युलर” बनने के चक्कर में या शायद हिंदुओं से एलर्जी के कारण
On September 15, a sting video of accused number 9 in the Delhi liquor scam, Amit Arora, went viral on the internet. Sharing the video, Bharatiya Janta Party commented, “How two people get business worth 10,000 Crores. How you can make 150 crores on investment of 10 crores. See another sensational expose on Arvind Kejriwal government’s liquor scam.”
दो लोगों को कैसे मिला 10 हजार करोड़ रुपये का धंधा।
In the video, Amit Arora can be heard sharing how bribes and corruption have been organized under the Delhi excise policy. As per Arora, liquor giants in the region gave 100 crores in cash to Aam Aadmi Party which could be utilised for the party’s election campaigns in places like Goa and Punjab.
Arora also shared how the policy was tweaked to help these big players in the market. License fees was raised from Rs 10 lakhs earlier to as much as Rs 5 crores, making it difficult for smaller retailers to survive, giving these big wholesalers the total control of the market. Unlike other states, Delhi also stopped fixing a quota for these wholesalers, letting them control the entire business.
As per Arora, Aam Aadmi Party government also increased the commission for the wholesalers from 5% to 12%, to help them make more money. The same policy has been implemented in Punjab, with the wholesalers’ commission at 10%. As per Arora, this way, the wholesalers gave their black money to AAP and in return, got a chance to earn it back manifolds in white.
Amit Arora shared that business of as much as 10,000 crores was given to only two players by the AAP government by making these tweaks in their excise policy.
Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia is the accused number 1 in this liquor scam. Earlier, a 6-minute video allegedly of the father of Sunny Marwah, an accused in a liquor scam, had gone viral on social media. In most of the video, the person who appears to be Kulvinder Singh Marwah, Sunny’s father, was talking about how changes in the liquor policy favoured the Aam Aadmi Party.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has listed 15 accused including Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia in an FIR on Friday 13th August 2022 following hours of raids into the alleged excise fraud. The excise department, which the deputy chief minister oversees, implemented a new strategy last year that ruled government liquor stores shut down and private businesses granted licenses.
Along with Manish Sisodia and Excise officials, CBI has named several private persons for involvement in the scam. Apart from the 15 persons named in the FIR, CBI also included ‘other unknown public servants and private persons’ as accused in the FIR.
Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh, who recently got embroiled in controversy after posing nude for the New York-based Paper magazine, has told Mumbai Police in a statement that someone tampered with and morphed one of his images.
The actor’s statement was recorded by the Mumbai police on August 29. The complaint against the actor was registered by a woman and subsequently, by Lalit Tekchandani, an office-bearer of an NGO after the nude photoshoot of the actor went viral.
Amidst the nude pictures of the actor that went viral, a particular photo of the Bollywood actor allegedly showing private parts also emerged on social media. Ranveer Singh reportedly told Mumbai police in his statement on August 29, that this particular photo was morphed. He further claimed that the photo was not shot the way it is being shown.
It may be recalled that a Mumbai Police team had visited actor Ranveer Singh’s house on Friday, 12th August 2022, to serve him with a summon to appear at the police station for questioning. However, since the actor was out of the city, Mumbai Police had said that they would deliver him the summon on August 16. He was initially summoned on August 22, but finally, his statement was recorded on August 29.
The complaint against the actor was registered by Lalit Tekchandani, an office-bearer of a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) situated in the east Mumbai suburb of Chembur, and a woman lawyer at the Chembur police station after the nude photoshoot of the actor went viral.
Interestingly, when the photos went viral, the actor was quoted as saying that he can get naked before thousands of people and he is not ashamed of nudity.
Subsequently, multiple cases were registered against him with many slamming the actor for posing naked for a magazine. Ranveer Singh was charged under sections 509, 292, and 294 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), as well as Section 67 A of the Information Technology Act.
Speaking about the case, a senior officer had said then, “We will be recording his statement in connection with the FIR registered by the Chembur police station as a part of our probe in the case.” The complainant, Lalit Tekchandani, stated in his complaint that on July 24, a friend forwarded him the photographs Ranveer Singh had uploaded on Instagram and Twitter. He claimed that when he zoomed in on one of the photos, he saw the actor’s private parts were visible. The photo quickly went viral.
On Thursday, Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee lauded the state police for targeting the BJP workers during the Nabanna Chalo march and said that he would have shot the protesters in the head, had he been present at the site. “I salute the officer for his patience and his handling of the riots. If I was there, I would have shot them in the head”, Banerjee said on September 14.
According to the reports, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee’s cousin and Lok Sabha MP Abhishek Banerjee visited Kolkata (central) ACP Debjit Chatterjee who suffered injuries during the rally. After seeing Chaterjee who is undergoing treatment at the state-run SSKM hospital, Abhishek Banerjee turned furious and used disparaging language toward the BJP workers.
He accused the BJP workers of creating a ruckus in the state during the Nabanna Chalo rally and said that the state police unnecessarily showed restraint to handle the rally with ‘patience’. “If the police wanted to teach the stone-pelters a lesson, they could have opened fire on them. The game would have ended even before it had started. But that didn’t happen. The very fact that the police showed restraint in the face of adversity is the biggest change in our system”, he was quoted.
This murderous thug is more than just Mamata Banerjee’s nephew. He holds unconstitutional sway over her Govt. If she has the guts, let the brutal sentiment of fascism, latent in his statement, reflect in lethal action of the WB Police. She won’t survive wrath of the people after. pic.twitter.com/mfcYAYZXsa
This is moments after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee criticized the protest led by the BJP on September 13 and compared the BJP workers to goons. “The public has been harassed by the BJP workers. The police could have shot at the protesters. But that was the last resort and was not necessary”, Banerjee said praising the state police for ‘managing’ the situation in a restricted manner.
Mamata Banerjee also alleged that the BJP leaders from the state had called goons from other locations to deliberately create mayhem in the state during the Nabanna Chalo rally. “Political protests are not done in such a violent manner. You (BJP) will bring goons from outside the state and use them for violence. That is unacceptable. You will carry guns and bombs in your bags. Is this a way to protest?”, she was quoted while leveling allegations over the state BJP.
Meanwhile, BJP leader Amit Malviya slammed Banerjee for her statement by sharing a video of the West Bengal police pelting stones at the BJP workers and tweeted, “This is West Bengal Police, in gross violation of policing manual to control public protests, like jihadis, is pelting stones at political protesters during the Nabanno Chalo Abhiyan. Home Minister Mamata Banerjee said the police was ‘restrained’ and didn’t fire at the protesters”.
This is West Bengal Police, in gross violation of policing manual to control public protests, like jihadis, is pelting stones at political protestors during the Nabanno Chalo abhiyaan.
Home Minister Mamata Banerjee said police was “restrained” and didn’t fire at the protestors… pic.twitter.com/d0hEVKI0Dn
The BJP on Tuesday conducted a ‘Nabanna Chalo’ (march to secretariat) mega rally to condemn the TMC-led government and its alleged corrupt practices in the state of West Bengal. LOP Suvendu Adhikari was supposed to lead a rally from Satraganchi, while Sukanta Majumdar, the party’s state president, was supposed to lead one from Howrah Maidan. Meanwhile, former state BJP head Dilip Ghosh was supposed to lead the workers from College Street.
However, the West Bengal Police said that the party had taken no permission for such a rally and stopped several BJP workers from participating in it. Widespread incidents of Police excesses in Howrah and Kolkata were also reported amid the rally. The Police also arrested thousands of BJP workers. They detained Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of the Opposition and other leaders like MP Locket Chatterjee, Rahul Sinha, Taapshi Mondol, and Dibankar Gharami.
The BJP workers then reached the Police headquarters in the Lalbazar area and also opposed the Police action taken against several BJP leaders. The Police then deployed water cannons and lobbed tear gas shells at the protest site to disperse the BJP workers. The Police lathi-charged them in Santragachi, Howrah Maidan, Mahatma Gandhi Road, and Rabindra Sarani and also were seen misbehaving with the women who wanted to join the BJP in the rally.
It was earlier reported that several BJP workers had sustained injuries in the Police attack. BJP leader Swapan Dasgupta was also injured amid the party’s mega-protest in West Bengal against Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) government. “They fired tear gas shells and lathi-charged protesters. I got pushed by a policeman. A peaceful demonstration was attacked in this fashion. The initial attack was by police. It looked like a pattern the way police attacked”, Dasgupta had said after being injured. He further slammed the TMC-led government and stated that the whole country should know the true face of this Bengal government.
Meanwhile, Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar also criticized the TMC-led government and claimed that crude bombs and stones were hurled at his party workers. Majumdar who was supposed to lead the march from the Howrah Maidan was also detained by the Bengal Police.
Notably, many police officers have also been reported injured during the attack first launched by the West Bengal Police. TMC alleges that ACP Debjit Chatterjee who is undergoing treatment at the state-run SSKM hospital was beaten by the BJP workers. A case of a murder attempt has been filed in connection with the incident.
