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‘If your toilet water comes to the road, I will put a truckload of municipal garbage inside your house’: Bhubaneswar mayor tells residents

OpIndia Staff
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‘If your toilet water comes to the road, I will put a truckload of municipal garbage inside your house’: Bhubaneswar mayor tells residents

Sulochana Das, the first woman Mayor of Bhubaneswar has told some residents of the city that they can no longer let their toilet water flow on the roads. In a video by Odisha’s Kanak News, she is seen scolding the citizens who release the dirty toilet water from their houses on the roads.

Sulochana Das reprimanded them saying, “If one drop of toilet water comes to the road, I will put a truckload of municipal waste inside your house.”

The newly elected mayor Sulochana Das was seen in a strict mode while visiting areas where residents were discarding toilet water onto roads. In the video, a local woman is seen telling the mayor that most people in the locality do it so they do it too (letting toilet water flow onto the road near the houses). Some other local residents are also seen trying to give excuses to the mayor.

“I don’t know what you did till now, I don’t know who all are doing it. But from today, if one drop of wastewater comes to the road, I will park the municipality garbage truck near your house and start putting the garbage in. BMC (Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation) has no shortage of garbage,” the Mayor was seen telling the residents.

Sulochana Das is from the Biju Janata Dal. She assumed the charge as the first woman mayor of the capital city of Odisha on 10th April 2022. Another BJD corporator Manjulata Kanhar is the Deputy Mayor of the city. For the first time, BMC is having two women in the top two positions of the local body. Water logging and drainage are among the main problems faced by the residents in Bhubaneswar city.

Violence across India overshadows the public discourse on the Agnipath recruitment scheme: Here are some visuals from across India

Dibakar Dutta
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Violence across India overshadows the public discourse on the Agnipath recruitment scheme: Here are some visuals from across India

On Tuesday (June 14), the Indian government, along with the chiefs of the three armed forces, launched the Agnipath scheme for the recruitment of youth in the armed forces. The new recruits under the scheme will henceforth be known as ‘Agniveer’.

As per reports, the enrollment will be open for both men and women for a four-year period, including the training. Following the completion of their service, Agniveers will get preference in PSUs, and State Governments’ jobs. The Modi government had also announced the recruitment of 46,000 Agniveers this year.

Soon after, scores of armed forces aspirants took to the streets and destroyed public property under the pretext of ‘peaceful protests’ and demonstrations. While demanding a rollback of the government scheme, they vandalised public property, burnt trains and brought life to a standstill across various Indian States.

Students unleash mayhem in the name of protest

In the Southern State of Telangana, students dissatisfied with the Agnipath recruitment scheme vandalised the Secunderabad railway station and set a train on fire.

Visuals shared by news agency ANI showed an abandoned station, with smoke gushing out of a stationary train. The frenzied mob also damaged shops belonging to small business owners, which were located at the station.

The armed force aspirants also blocked the railway tracks in the Narwana town in the Jind district of Haryana. They were seen disrupting railway service and standing on railway tracks with a tricolour in hand.

In Palwal, the police had to fire aerial shots to disrupt the mob which was pelting stones at them. During the scuffle, several police vehicles were damaged and police personnel were injured.

Similar scenes were observed in Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh. Violent protestors, with their faces covered, were seen vandalising a railway station and throwing objects on the railway tracks.

They also burnt tyres in Gole ka Mandir area, prompting the State government to deploy a large contingent of police personnel to pacify the situation.

In Uttar Pradesh, the violent mob of aspirants vandalised the windscreen of roadway buses on the Agra-Lucknow Expressway. They also set a train ablaze in Balia during the protest.

The fury of the ‘students’ reached its zenith in the state of Bihar. On Friday (June 17), they attempted to vandalise the Hajipur railway station but their plans were thwarted by the police.

While speaking about the development, SP (Hajipur) Maneesh remarked, “Situation at the moment is alright. Hooligans have been chased away. Some of them have been detained for questioning.”

The mob had earlier pelted stones at the residence of Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, Renu Devi.

In a tweet, journalist Smita Prakash said, “Agnipath vandals have reached your homes, your gated neighbourhoods. No one is safe anymore. Will you react now dear politicians? Mobs you unleash will consume you. These visuals from outside Bihar’s deputy Chief Minister Renu Devi’s home, they threw stones at her balcony.”

In Nevada, the aspirants blocked roads, burnt tyres and trains and caused public inconvenience under the guise of peaceful protests.

In the hill state of Himachal Pradesh, the students held protests in Kangra, Mandi, Hamirpur, Nagrota and Gaggal on June 16. They tore down PM Narendra Modi’s hoardings in Kangra and burnt the flags of the BJP.

They also blocked highways and raised slogans against the Modi government. The mob clashed with the cops, prompting the police to use force. The grim law and order situation, created by the armed forces aspirants, forced former Army General VK Singh to rule that they are unfit to become part of the Indian army.

Why do students want the rollback of the Agnipath scheme?

One of the grievances of the armed force aspirants is that only 25% of the Agniveers, recruited under the new scheme, will get the opportunity to continue for a full term. Many have also cried foul over the lack of pensionary benefits.

Some of the students have also complained that the recruitment in the Indian army was halted for a period of 2 years due to the outbreak of the Coronavirus. They claim that their future will be shrouded in obscurity with the implementation of the new scheme.

“It takes us 3 years to prepare for Indian army exams. We prepare for 3 years and get to serve only 4. What is there for us after we retire? The government is saying that we will get to join the IT sector. What will I do? Become a security guard. Is that what I am preparing for?” said a protestor on News 24.

The misplaced protests and benefits of the Agniveer scheme

Having said that, the early exit option for Agniveers will leave them with a SevaNidhi fund of ₹11.71 lakh and the ability to start a new career, get priority selection in police services, government agencies, and PSUs.

Apart from that, Agniveers will also get a non-contributory Life Insurance Cover of Rs 48 lakh for the duration of their engagement period in the Indian Armed Forces. During the period of service, the recruits will learn various military skills, including discipline, physical fitness, leadership qualities, courage and patriotism.

Although around 25% of the recruited Agniveers will be enrolled in Armed Forces as regular cadres post the four-year service, all candidates can apply on a volunteer basis to enrol in the regular cadre. 

In association with IGNOU, the Armed Forces will provide graduation degrees to Agniveers that will help them if they want to go for higher studies after completion of four years of service.

Outcomes of 12th WTO Ministerial Conference favourable to India: Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal

OpIndia Staff
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Outcomes of 12th WTO Ministerial Conference favourable to India: Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal

After five days of arduous discussions at the World Trade Organization (WTO), sources indicate that India made a significant influence, with its point of view expressed in all sectors, and that the country’s interests were not put at risk whatsoever.

On June 17, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal also stated that India had a fantastic triumph at the World Trade Organization’s 12th ministerial conference (MC12) in Geneva, Switzerland. Goyal headed India’s team to the four-day global summit, which was prolonged for two more days due to disagreements among signatory countries on critical subjects.

Speaking to reporters after the once-every-two-year mega-conference of trade ministers from all 162 WTO member countries ended in the early hours of Friday, Piyush Goyal said, “India is 100% satisfied with the outcome of WTO’s MC12 conference. India was successful in ensuring the livelihood of its farmers and fishermen.”

Despite several foreign news accounts specifying India as a serious obstacle at the WTO, Goyal stated that India played a very constructive role in this ministerial. MC12 concluded with agreements on a global IPR waiver for Covid vaccinations and fishing subsidies to conserve ocean resources. The deal is in accordance with India’s desire to encourage sustainable fishing and to press for the abolition of “irrational subsidies” and overfishing by numerous nations that harmed Indian fishers.

“The agreement on fisheries is currently limited to illegal, unreported, unregulated fishing. The discussion on extending this to all government subsidies will take place going forward. Currently, there are no restrictions on government subsidies,” Goyal said at the press briefing.

Goyal also stated that there will be no negative consequences for India’s agricultural sector. He also said that India’s public stockholding programme for foodgrains will continue unabated. Goyal stated that negotiations on food security had proceeded to some extent.

MC12 also authorised a temporary suspension of some provisions of the World Trade Organization Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). Suspension of portions of the TRIPS agreement would enable governments to overcome the legal hurdles faced by patents in order to ensure timely distribution of economical medical supplies.

At the 12th ministerial meeting, which began on Sunday, negotiators from 162 nations sought agreement on a number of themes, including the WTO’s response to future pandemics and an IP waiver for vaccines, fisheries subsidies, WTO reforms, agriculture, food and nutrition security, and e-commerce solutions.

Rajasthan: CBI raids CM Ashok Gehlot’s brother Agrasen’s properties in 2007 fertilizer scam case, earlier ED had conducted similar raids

OpIndia Staff
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Rajasthan: CBI raids CM Ashok Gehlot’s brother Agrasen’s properties in 2007 fertilizer scam case, earlier ED had conducted similar raids

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday conducted raids at the residence and shop of Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot’s brother Agrasen Gehlot in Jodhpur. Gehlot is a fertilizer trader and is accused of exporting subsidized fertilizer between the years 2007 and 2009 when the UPA government was in power.

According to the reports, Gehlot was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate in the case in the year 2020 as well. The ED had also raided ‘Anupam Krishi’, a business that is run by Agrasen Gehlot.

Criticising the event, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh called the CBI action ‘vendetta politics’. “This is vendetta politics beyond all bounds. Ashok Gehlot was at the forefront of the protests in Delhi over the past three days, and this is Modi government’s brazen response. We will not be silenced,” Ramesh tweeted referring to Congress’ protest against ED in the National Herald case.

The 2007 Fertilizer Scam

The fertilizer scam of the year 2007 refers to the illegal export of Muriate of Potash (MoP), which is imported by Indian Potash Limited (IPL) and distributed to the Indian farmers. It is alleged that Gehlot during 2007-2009 exported 35,000 tonnes of MoP to foreign countries that was meant for Indian farmers at a subsidized rate.

“MoP was meant for poor farmers of the country. Agrasen Gehlot, through his company Anupam Krishi, bought the MoP at a subsidised rate and later sold it at a high rate to countries like Malaysia and Vietnam,” the ED had said in 2020 after conducting searches. The ED also had said that the MoP was exported majorly to Malaysia and Singapore in the guise of industrial salt.

According to the reports, the scam is stated to be worth Rs 150 crores. Gehlot and his company in the past have also been slapped with a Customs penalty of about Rs 7 crore in this case.

Pakistan: Two minor Hindu sisters raped at gunpoint; police delayed filing an FIR due to the accused’s influential background

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan: Two minor Hindu sisters raped at gunpoint; police delayed filing an FIR due to the accused’s influential background

The atrocities on minority Hindus continue unabated in Pakistan. On June 16, Thursday, it has been reported that two minor Hindu sisters were raped at gunpoint in the Islamic country’s Punjab province. One of the accused belongs to an influential family in Pakistan.

BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa took to Twitter Thursday to share a report by DNA on the crime. He Tweeted, “Minorities continue to suffer in Pak: 2 Hindu teenage sisters raped at gunpoint in Punjab province of Pakistan. Pak Police registered a case after a 3-day delay as some influential people of the area reportedly wanted to settle the matter with the victims’ family.”

On the morning of June 5, two sisters, ages 16 and 17, left their home in Bahawalnagar, Fort Abbas, some 300 kilometres from Lahore, to attend a nature call in a nearby field when two men allegedly held them at gunpoint, area police official Irshad Yaqoob was quoted by PTI as saying. The accused, identified as Umair Ashfaq and Kashif Ali, then raped them and fled the scene, the official said.

The girls were taken for a medical test, which confirmed that they were raped, said Yaqoob.

According to reports, the police did not take cognisance of the incident immediately and registered a case only after a delay of three days. The clout and influence of one of the accused, Kashif Ali, are believed to be the reason for the police’s callousness in handling the case.

As per reports, Kashif belongs to an influential family in the area and his family wanted to privately settle the matter with the victims’ family and not take it to court. This is why the police initially delayed in filing the FIR against the accused. However, after three days, an FIR was filed based on the complaint of the girls’ father.

The police arrested one of the accused Umair Ashfaq while the other Kashif Ali used his connections to secure a pre-arrest bail from the court.

As US condemns the statements by Nupur Sharma, here is what a Pakistani Maulana said about its hand in the global outcry

OpIndia Staff
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As US condemns the statements by Nupur Sharma, here is what a Pakistani Maulana said about its hand in the global outcry

On Thursday, the United States issued a statement condemning the remarks made by ex-BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma and Naveen Kumar Jindal. The US also backed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for distancing itself from Sharma’s comments on Prophet Muhammad.

“We condemn the offensive comments made by two BJP functionaries, and we were glad to see that the party publicly condemned their statements,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a daily news conference on June 16. He added that India should promote respect for human rights.

Nupur Sharma in a TV debate had made some comments as per the Hadiths on Prophet Muhammad that irked the Islamists. She argued that since people are mocking the Hindu faith repeatedly, the Hindus can also mock other religions by referring to Islamic beliefs and the life of Prophet Muhammad. Her statement was taken out of context by Alt News co-founder and alleged fact-checker Mohammed Zubair, whose tweet unleashed an army of trolls and Islamists after Sharma.

Later the BJP also distanced itself from her statement and suspended her from the party. In its suspension letter, the BJP told Sharma that she had expressed views contrary to the party’s on various matters which violate the party’s constitution. “The BJP respects all religions. It strongly denounces insults of any religion. personalities of any religion. The Bharatiya Janata Party is also strongly against any ideology which insults or demeans any sect or religion. The BJP does not promote such people or philosophy”, the letter read.

Press note issued by BJP on June 5

Reportedly, multiple FIRs have been registered against Sharma and open calls for her death have also been made. She also received threats from extremist organizations across the border. The Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) supporters from Pakistan announced a cash reward of Pakistani Rupees 5 million (Around 19.5 lakhs INR) to anyone who would behead Nupur for allegedly committing ‘blasphemy’. Further, terrorist organizations like Al Qaeda have threatened to conduct suicide attacks in India over Sharma’s remarks.

Interestingly, while several other Islamists are taking to the streets to protest against the ex-BJP spokesperson, Maulana Engineer Mohammad Ali Mirza of Pakistan has come out in support of Nupur Sharma. In one of the videos that is going viral on social media, he stated that a Muslim panelist first provoked Nupur Sharma and in response to this the suspended spokesperson of BJP commented about the Prophet.

He also slammed the US for grabbing the opportunity to criticize India over the Prophet Mohammed row. He said, “Arab countries are slaves of those countries who oppose Russia. When they saw India trapped in controversy, they told the US to issue official statements against India over the Prophet Mohammed row”. He stated the need to understand the atmosphere around the entire controversy. “From the style and tone of Nupur Sharma’s statement, we can see that she was retaliating. The first accused is the Muslim who mocked another person’s religion in a live TV program”, he added.

He further questioned the interference of the Arab countries in the matter. He said that the recent Nupur Sharma incident was just a 5-second distorted clip, but why didn’t Arab nations raise their voices in the past when real, major incidents of ‘blasphemy’ occurred. “Sharma has officially apologized for her statement. Her statement was not at all planned and organized. It was accidental”, he added.

To note, before the United States, more than 15 countries including Qatar, Kuwait, Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Oman, Turkey, Maldives, Indonesia, Libya, Iraq, Malaysia, and even the Taliban regime in Afghanistan have condemned the alleged ‘blasphemous’ remarks by Sharma.

In India, the issue is still burning with Islamists coming out violently on the streets last week after the Friday prayers. Staging protests in various parts of the country, Islamists are either demanding the immediate arrest of Nupur Sharma or are demanding her death. Severe Islamist protests against Sharma have so far been seen in Indian cities of Kanpur, Prayagraj, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Solapur (Maharashtra), Ludhiana (Punjab), Belagavi (Karnataka), and also in the states of West Bengal and Jharkhand.

Protestors claiming to be Armed Forces aspirants indulge in vandalism against Agnipath scheme, raise slogans abusing PM Modi repeatedly: WATCH

OpIndia Staff
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Protestors claiming to be Armed Forces aspirants indulge in vandalism against Agnipath scheme, raise slogans abusing PM Modi repeatedly: WATCH

Amid the ongoing violence perpetrated by youths in Bihar and other adjoining states in protest against the central government’s recently launched Agnipath Recruitment Scheme, a video of protestors hurling abusive slurs at Prime Minister Narendra Modi has surfaced online. 

In a video shared by Organiser Weekly on June 16, Thursday, these youths, who claim they want to serve and protect the nation by joining the Indian Defence forces, can be seen raising abusive slogans against the Prime Minister of India. Though it is unclear where the video was taken, there are tyres burning in the middle of the road where these enraged demonstrators have sat on a dharna, abusing PM Modi and demanding the scheme be scrapped.

In the video, one could hear these “students” raise the slogan of “Modi M***rc**d hai” repeatedly.

Today (June 17), the protest against the government’s new military scheme entered its third day. OpIndia had explained how it is neither compulsory for the young men in the country to join the Agnipath scheme nor the regular recruitment into the military forces have been affected in any way. However, the protestors, either out of ignorance or motivated by some political forces, have been disrupting railway and road traffic, setting trains on fire and attacking public and police vehicles in various areas in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and other connected states for the third consecutive day today.

According to reports, these so-called aspiring candidates for the defence forces set an empty train on fire and vandalised a few more trains in Bihar Friday. A video of youths shouting slogans and vandalising the Ballia-Varanasi Memu and Ballia-Shahganj trains has also gone viral.

In another video shared by NDTV, Bihar Sampark Kranti Express can be seen set on fire in Bihar’s Samastipur area.

The alleged army aspirants vandalised and blocked railway tracks at the Lakhminia railway station in Bihar.

The agitators Friday also attacked the house of Bihar Dy CM Renu Devi, in Bettiah. “Our residence in Bettiah was attacked. We suffered a lot of damage. She (Renu Devi) is in Patna”, said Renu Devi’s son.

Yesterday, protestors blocked the movement of trains on Patna-Gaya and Patna-Buxar routes by lying down on the railway tracks in Jehanabad and Buxar districts. The agitators could also be seen throwing stones at the Police, which were controlled by the action of lathi-charge. In an incident, the mob ran so violently that it set a parked train on fire in Bihar’s Chhapra. 

In the videos that have emerged, it could be seen that tyres were burnt to create unrest in the city.

Similar agitations have erupted in parts of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh and Telangana where angry youths have been blocking railway tracks, throwing burning tyres on roads and performing push-ups and other drills on the streets to oppose the new recruitment policy.

General VK Singh strongly condemns the violence by youths against the Agnipath scheme

Yesterday, reacting to the violence by so-called aspiring candidates for the defence forces, Union Minister and former Indian Army chief Gen. V K Singh (R) stated that such behaviour showcased by the youths is not fit for the army.

In an interview with India Today Editor Rahul Kanwal, Singh commented, “I don’t think anybody who is shouting like this, is even fit for the Army. If I was at the helm of affairs, I won’t take any one of them,” categorically calling out the way so-called army aspirants in Bihar protested. The Minister of State for Civil Aviation said that if anybody wants to come to the Army and has the feeling for the Army, ‘they would not be protesting’.

He hinted at a possible political conspiracy behind the violent demonstrations. Singh underlined that the scheme is being misrepresented while there is no cause for the protests at a time when it is not even gone on the floors.

The Agnipath Scheme

On June 14, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, along with the chiefs of three armed forces, launched the Agnipath scheme for the recruitment of youth in the armed forces. Those who get enrolled in the armed forces under this scheme would be called Agniveers. The enrollment under the scheme will be open for both men and women for a four-year period, including the training.

Being an internship-kind of initiative, the Agnipath scheme would allow the patriotic and motivated youth to serve in the armed forces for a short period of four-year. Moreover, 25% of the candidates will be recruited as regular cadres after the end of four years after an exam.

It provides a regular salary for the duration of 4 years and a lumpsum amount of Rs 11.71 lakhs as a Seva Nidhi package that has a portion saved from the salaries, plus an equal amount contributed by the government for the entire period. The salary offered in the scheme is at par with most entry-level jobs for graduates. The scheme only acts as an additional option for those willing to join the Armed Forces and in no way does it hamper the traditional mainstream recruitment process.

Viral video from Rajasthan: Two sisters-in-law of a millionaire family get into hand-to-hand combat mode, fall into drain fighting

OpIndia Staff
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Viral video from Rajasthan: Two sisters-in-law of a millionaire family get into hand-to-hand combat mode, fall into drain fighting

In a viral video that has emerged from Ajmer, Rajasthan, two sisters-in-law married into the same family were seen fighting with such intensity that they fell into a nearby drain. While the ‘Devrani-Jethani’ (women married to two brothers) kept fighting, other family members tried to join in and a bunch of onlookers tried to intervene. But oblivious to anything around them, the women kept abusing and fighting each other.

As per reports, the incident is from Ajmer’s Beawar where a prominent business family has been facing infighting between two brothers over property issues. On Wednesday 15 June, the wives of the two brothers got into an intense fight. They started pulling each other’s hair, attacking with fists and punches and kicking.

The women fought with such intensity they fell into a nearby drain. Their respective family members, instead of trying to separate them, joined in the fight.

In videos of the incident that have gone viral, a bunch of onlookers are seen gathered around the fighting pit (the drain). While some are busy shooting videos, some are encouraging women.

Interestingly, a third and fourth woman too joined in during the fight. But the Devrani Jethani paid no heed. They just continued their combat. Then, suddenly, a man jumped into the drain and grabbed woman number 3 by her neck. The crowd, which was doing nothing to prevent the ladies’ fight till then, suddenly got into action mode and launched an attack on the man. One person kicked him ninja style, while the others pulled him up, saying how did he dare to hit a woman.

As per a Bhaskar report, the women are from the Kumawat family. A property dispute has been long ongoing between a petrol pump owner Narendra Kumawat and his deceased brother’s family. On June 15, Sangita Kumawat, the deceased brother’s widow had reportedly reached the petrol pump with her maternal family and started fighting with Narendra Kumawat’s family members.

Narendra Kumawat’s wife Chanda and daughter-in-law Shikha had started beating Sangeeta and the women fell down the drain while fighting. Both sides have lodged complaints of physical assaults, harassment and vandalism against each other.

USA Today, ‘fact-checker’ with Facebook, fails to ‘fact-check’ own content, removes 23 articles after their reporter fabricated sources: Details

OpIndia Staff
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USA Today, ‘fact-checker’ with Facebook, fails to ‘fact-check’ own content, removes 23 articles after their reporter fabricated sources: Details

After an internal investigation revealed that the writer who authored the items misattributed comments and, in some cases, faked interviews and sources, USA Today pulled 23 news stories from its website on Thursday. Gabriela Miranda, a breaking news reporter who quit the publication a few weeks ago, is alleged to have exploited falsified sources. Ironically, USA Today is Facebook’s ‘fact-checking partner’.

In 2020, USA Today had announced that it was enhancing its “fact-checking” network and partnering with Facebook. “As a media organization with unparalleled local-to-national reach, we take our commitment to providing people with truthful information very seriously, and fact-checking is integral to the journalism being done by USA TODAY and in Gannett newsrooms across the country” Maribel Perez Wadsworth, Gannett’s news leader and Publisher of USA TODAY had said. “We also recognize that the distribution of false information on social media is a concerning issue that warrants attention in today’s world, so joining Facebook’s fact-checking program to identify misinformation felt like a natural step for us. We are proud to partner with Facebook on a program with such an important mission.”

Now, USA Today, a ‘fact-checker’ with Facebook, has failed to ‘fact-check’ its own stories. A list of the pieces that were removed was released by USA Today, along with a narrative of the investigation into Miranda, which began with an “external correction request” a few weeks ago. Later, the audit was broadened to include a wide spectrum of her work, with a focus on trending topics and popular stories.

The notification on the USA Today website reads, “After receiving an external correction request, USA TODAY audited the reporting work of Gabriela Miranda. The audit revealed that some individuals quoted were not affiliated with the organizations claimed and appeared to be fabricated. The existence of other individuals quoted could not be independently verified. In addition, some stories included quotes that should have been credited to others.”

Miranda formerly worked for the Gainesville Times, where she covered education and Hispanic issues. She worked for a student magazine Red & Black while attending the University of Georgia, where she graduated in 2021.

The publication promised to enhance its approach for anyone who wishes to file complaints or seek revisions. It also promised to contact institutions if they are mentioned in the piece and to take reasonable procedures to verify source material at all times.

On Thursday, USA Today had a video conference with its staff to discuss the inquiry. Nicole Carroll, the editor-in-chief of USA Today, oversaw the meeting, which included a briefing on some of the issues raised by Miranda’s pieces. According to a person briefed on the investigation, USA Today decided during the investigation that Miranda made attempts to deceive investigators by creating phoney proof of her news content, including interview tapes.

A different story-fabrication issue erupted in 2004 when USA Today accused Pulitzer Prize finalist and writer Jack Kelley of inventing stories and plagiarising content from other magazines. Kelley had resigned and later apologised.

Maharashtra: 26-year-old assaulted for sharing Whatsapp story in support of Nupur Sharma, Nisar, Nouhid, Wasim, Altaf Shaikh, six others booked

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra: 26-year-old assaulted for sharing Whatsapp story in support of Nupur Sharma, Nisar, Nouhid, Wasim, Altaf Shaikh, six others booked

The Maharashtra Police on Thursday registered a case against Nisar Sayyad, Nouhid, Wasim Pathan, Altaf Shaikh, and six other unidentified persons for assaulting a 26-year-old person named Narendra Sriram in Solapur. Shriram was brutally assaulted by the accused after he shared a message on social media in support of ex-BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma.

According to the reports, Narendra Sriram on June 11 had changed his Whatsapp status story to support Nupur Sharma who has been criticized globally for her alleged ‘blasphemous’ remarks. Some of his Whatsapp friends responded furiously to the story and abused him for extending support to Sharma. In an attempt to resolve the matter, Shriram apologized for his actions.

As the matter seemed resolved, Shriram’s friends June 13 caught him near his house and assaulted him. The Police stated that Sriram managed to save himself by running away from the spot. Later he complained against Nisar Sayyad, Nouhid, Wasim Pathan, Altaf Shaikh, and six other unidentified persons who had abused and assaulted him. The Police registered an FIR against the accused and arrested three of them in the case.

It is important to note that this is not the first case where a person has suffered for supporting an ex-BJP spokesperson. Earlier a 24-year-old ABVP activist was arrested for sharing a FB post in support of Sharma. Karthi Thandamuthur who had shared Nupur Sharma’s video on Facebook and had captioned it, “I’ll repeat this every day…Nupur Sharma only repeated what’s written… what wrong did she say?”

The Tamil Nadu Police arrested Karthi and charged him for promoting religious enmity. The Police booked him under section 153A of the Indian Penal Code and section 67 of the Information Technology Act

Also, a similar incident was reported in Maharashtra’s Thane district where Saad Ashfaq Ansari, an engineering student had extended his support to Sharma. In an Instagram story, Ashfaq had written, “A 50-year-old man marrying a 6-9-year-old kid is clear child abuse. And I don’t know how you people support this. Will you give your 6-year-old daughter to a 50-year-old man? (think about it).”

Saad, for his Instagram story, was assaulted and abused by a Muslim mob and was later arrested by the Bhiwandi police amid the ongoing blasphemy row. Police also arrested him for his extended support to Nupur Sharma by referring to her as a ‘brave lady.’

Several FIRs have been registered against Nupur Sharma for her remarks against Prophet Muhammad. Recently, the Bhiwandi Police and also the Kolkata Police have issued summons against Sharma to question her. Mumbai police have also summoned her asking her to appear on June 25. Similarly, Mumbra police in Thane have also asked her to appear on June 22.

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