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“Kal ki baatein bhul jaa, l*vda pakad ke jhul jaa”: Kunal Kamra to Supreme Court in his new ‘comedy’ show ‘Be Like’ 

OpIndia Staff
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“Kal ki baatein bhul jaa, l*vda pakad ke jhul jaa”: Kunal Kamra to Supreme Court in his new ‘comedy’ show ‘Be Like’ 

Propagandist masquerading as comedian Kunal Kamra on his new ‘comedy’ show “Be Like” made derogatory remarks for the Supreme Court of India. 

Speaking on the contempt of case filed against him in the top court, Kamra said, “Dear Supreme Court, kal ki baat bhul jaa, l*vda pakad ke jhul ja(forget yesterday’s talk, come swing on my cock).”

Before making disparaging remarks against the Supreme Court, Kamra said he has more respect for a food court of a shopping mall than the top court. He further alleged that the Supreme Court is a “Brahmin Baniya” affair and it did not represent different cultures.

“Supreme Court of the country which I don’t even…I respect a food court of a shopping mall more…at least it represents different cultures, the Supreme Court of the country is a Brahmin-Baniya affair. I don’t respect it,” Kamra said.

Supreme Court initiates contempt of court proceedings against Kunal Kamra

Supreme Court in December 2020 issued a notice to Kunal Kamra seeking contempt proceedings after his contemptuous remarks against the Judiciary in his bid to become a liberal ‘hero’ or a ‘martyr’. In one of his tweets, he had shown CJI Arvind Bobde the middle finger and in another, he had painted the Supreme Court in saffron colour to allege that it had become a puppet of the NDA Government.

In the first tweet, Kamra compared the Supreme Court to a Supreme Joke. In the next tweet, he wrote, “The pace at which the Supreme Court operates in matters of “National Interests” it’s time we replace Mahatma Gandhi’s photo with Harish Salve’s photo.”

In the third tweet, he compared DY Chandrachud to “flight attendant serving champagne to first-class passengers after they’re fast-tracked through, while commoners don’t know if they’ll ever be boarded or seated, let alone served.” In the last tweet, he provoked lawyers to stop using the prefix “Hon’ble” while referring to the Supreme Court or its judges. He said, “Honour has left the building long back.”

Kamra had also posted a morphed image of the Supreme Court building giving it an Orange shade with the BJP flag hoisted in the Supreme Court’s entrance. Mumbai-based lawyer Rizwan Siddiquee said that if the court did not take action based on the derogatory statements made by Kamra, his millions of followers will follow the same path and make reckless allegations when judgment is not in their favour.

Lakhimpur Kheri violence: Supreme Court to hear a plea seeking the cancellation of Ashish Mishra’s bail

OpIndia Staff
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Lakhimpur Kheri violence: Supreme Court to hear a plea seeking the cancellation of Ashish Mishra’s bail

The Supreme Court has nodded to hear on 11th March 2022, a plea seeking the cancellation of Ashish Mishra’s bail in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case. The family members of the victims in the incident that took place on 3rd October 2021 in Lakhimpur Kheri had moved to the Supreme Court through infamous antivaccine propagandist advocate Prashant Bhushan against the Allahabad high court order of 10th February 2022 granting bail to accused Ashish Mishra, the son of the union minister of state for home affairs Ajay Mishra Teni. The petitioner had sought an urgent appeal before the chief justice of India NV Ramana, responding to which the CJI has said, “We can hear the case on March 11.”

In the petition, it was argued that the others accused in this case are now filing a bail plea on the ground of parity to the relief granted to Ashish Mishra. The petition says, “The lack of any discussion in the High Court’s order as regards the settled principles for grant of bail is on account of lack of any substantive submissions to this effect by the state as the accused wields substantial influence over the State government as his father is a Union Minister from the same political party that rules the state.”

It is further said in the petition, “The impugned order is unsustainable in eyes of law as there has been no meaningful and effective assistance by the state to the court in the matter contrary to the object of the first Proviso to Section 439 of Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, which provides that in grave offenses notice of bail application should ordinarily be given to the Public Prosecutor.”

Blaming poor connectivity during the hearing on 18th January 2022, the petitioner has stated in the petition, “Even the victims were prevented from bringing the relevant material as regards the settled principles for grant of bail to notice of High Court as their counsel ‘got’ disconnected from the hearing on January 18, 2022, before he could barely make any submissions and repeated calls to the court staff to get reconnected were to no avail and application filed by the victims/petitioners.”

The high court had observed that there might be a possibility that the driver tried to speed up the vehicle to save himself, on account of which, the incident had taken place. Terming is perverse, the petitioner has claimed that there was nothing on record to show the same. It is further said in the petition, “Allahabad High Court has not considered the heinous nature of the crime; the character of the overwhelming evidence against the accused in the charge sheet; the position and status of the accused with reference to the victim and witnesses.”

On 3rd October 2021, eight people were killed in Lakhimpur Kheri during violence that erupted when farmers were protesting against Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya’s visit to the area. Four farmers were moved down by an SUV. A driver and two BJP workers were then lynched by angry farmers. A media person was also killed in this incident. Ashish Mishra was arrested on 9th October 2021. He was granted bail by the Allahabad high court on 10th February 2022. The other proceedings in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case are going on before the District Court in which Uttar Pradesh Police had filed a detailed report on 3rd January 2022.

Tamil Nadu Police revokes permission for conducting PFI unity march in various places in Tamil Nadu on the application of Sufi Islamic Board

OpIndia Staff
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Tamil Nadu Police revokes permission for conducting PFI unity march in various places in Tamil Nadu on the application of Sufi Islamic Board

The Tamil Nadu Police, on the request of the Sufi Islamic Board, revoked permission for the radical Islamist organization Popular Front of India to organize a march at multiple locations across the state. The unity march for which the permission was cancelled was going to be held in Kanchipuram, Salem, Ramanathapuram, Pudukottai, and Tenkasi.

The notice.

This action follows the Sufi Islamic Board’s comprehensive letter to the D.G.P. Tamil Nadu on March 2, 2022, requesting that the authorization granted to The Popular Front of India be revoked. Mr. Y. Shaukat All Mohammad, the Advisor of the Sufi Islamic Board, addressed the letter.

The letter.

The Sufi Islamic Board stated in a notice that the permission for the march was cancelled after receiving the letter. Sufi Islamic Board National President Mansoor Khan stated that the Sufi Islamic Board’s action against the PFI is just another step in the organization’s National Campaign to Ban PFI across India.

The letter, submitted to the DGP of Tamil Nadu, outlined PFI’s involvement in anti-national and terror-related operations. The letter specifically said that the PFI is involved in a gold smuggling network in Kerala, marriage for conversion in Karnataka and Kerala, anti-CAA riots in Delhi, and committing “sedition,” hijab protest, and stirring communal violence in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.

It further asserted that the NIA is now investigating over 100 PFI members in various instances throughout India, while the ED is investigating the group for allegedly supporting the 2020 Delhi riots as well as rallies against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

The letter.

Furthermore, in asking the termination of the permits, it noted that in April 2021, the Central Government assured the Supreme Court that it was “in the process” of banning the PFI, but that is yet to materialize, and the PFI is also operating as a proxy of the banned organization SIMI.

The Sufi Islamic Board

According to its website, the Sufi Islamic Board is a recognized body of trusts and individual personalities adhering to the Sufi Parampara as performed by Sufi Saints all throughout the world. They state that their goal is to raise awareness among the general public about authentic Sufi teachings and to spread true Sufi Parampara through the Sufi Islamic Board so that peace can be achieved amongst Bharat’s many practising religions.

They have been instrumental in opposing PFI and demanding its abandonment throughout the country. They have launched a dedicated movement to gather support for the banning of PFI. In view of new evidence from Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, and Kerala that the PFI is engaging in anti-national activities, they have asked the Union Home Ministry to reiterate its call for the organization to be probed and restrictions imposed on an urgent basis.

Karnataka police register FIR against Rana Ayyub for calling Hindu students ‘terrorists’ days after ‘Hindu IT Cell’ had accused the police of laxity

OpIndia Staff
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Karnataka police register FIR against Rana Ayyub for calling Hindu students ‘terrorists’ days after ‘Hindu IT Cell’ had accused the police of laxity

The Hubballi-Dharwad police have registered an FIR against alleged journalist Rana Ayyub for calling students at Udupi college protesting with Saffron flags as terrorists. It is pertinent to note that recently, the Enforcement Directorate had frozen the accounts of Rana Ayyub and attached Rs 1.77 crores that she had raised in the name of charity and siphoned off in the accounts of her family members and herself.

On February 21, the Hindu activist group – Hindu IT Cell had filed a complaint against Rana Ayyub for referring to students at Udupi college protesting against the Muslim girl students as ‘terrorists’

In an interview with the BBC, Rana Ayyub was clearly seen referring to Hindu students protesting against the burqa as vigilantes and terrorists. In an aggressive tone typical to her, she was seen ranting, “…Why suddenly has this group of young Hindu vigilantes – Hindu terrorists for that matter who are hosting saffron flags in an educational complex in Karnataka?”

She was seen questioning, “Why are male students unfurling a saffron flag in an educational institution? What does that mean?”

After the inciting video made rounds on social media, the Hindu IT Cell had registered a complaint. The complainant had urged the police to register a case against the anti-Indian propagandist under the IPC Sections of 124A (Sedition), 153A (creating enmity and division), 295A and 298 (deliberate and malicious attempt to outrage religious feelings), 504 (intentional insult to Hindu community) and other section.

However, a few days later, after registering the complaint, the Hindu IT Cell had alleged that the police were refusing to register the complaint.

Speaking to OpIndia, Ashwath, a Hindu activist and a member of Hindu IT Cell, said, “I came across the BBC interview of Rana Ayyub, in which she referred to the protesting Hindu students as “Hindu terrorists”. I felt disappointed after seeing Rana Ayyub using harsh words against minor Hindu students in her interview with international media.”

Complaint filed against Rana Ayyub

The Hindu activist asked, “How long does this slandering campaign continue?”, adding that everyone has a right to express their views but one cannot target a particular religion. The activist said that the Hindu can never be a terrorist and urged the Karnataka police to take strict action against Rana Ayyub.

In a tweet, the Hindu IT Cell had shared their grievance against the police officials, alleging that they had made one of the volunteers of the organisation wait for 36 hours before accepting the complaint against Rana Ayyub. The activist group had alleged that the Dharwad police had refused even to register the FIR.

Following the outrage, Police Sub-inspector Sachin said the higher officials had asked them to verify the complaint, and the legal department is looking into it.

Earlier, a similar complaint had been registered by Ashutosh J Dubey, a practising lawyer at Bombay High Court, against Rana Ayyub at Greater Mumbai Police at Bandra.

The Washington Post columnist was in the news after the ED recently attached her assets after being accused of financial fraud worth Rs 1.77 crore in the name of Covid-19 donations. However, Rana brazened out after being exposed by resorting to her usual Hindupohobic rants.

Editors Guild’s ‘casteist’ member Dilip Mandal lies that Chennai is the only city among metros to appoint a Dalit woman mayor: Here’s the truth

OpIndia Staff
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Editors Guild’s ‘casteist’ member Dilip Mandal lies that Chennai is the only city among metros to appoint a Dalit woman mayor: Here’s the truth

On Friday, March 4, Dilip Mandal, a columnist at The Print and a member of the Editors Guild executive committee hailed the leadership of MK Stalin in Tamil Nadu for inducting the first-ever Dalit woman for the post of Mayor in the capital city of Chennai. The self-proclaimed ‘Dalit Thinker’, heaped praises for the DMK government for accomplishing something that other states, including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi, and Kolkata, had failed to do in the past.

“The Chennai/Madras Corporation was established in 1688. It took 334 years for a Dalit woman to become the Mayor of Chennai. R Priya, 28, DMK, smashed the barriers of gender & caste. This happened in the regime of @mkstalin. Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangaluru… are you listening?” Tweeted Dilip Mandal, the casteist professor, who was accused of spreading the caste divide and discrimination by the students of Makhanlal University not so long ago.

Mandal’s Tweet came in response to reports that the DMK’s R Priya, the city’s youngest and first-ever Dalit woman mayor, took the oath of office in Chennai on Friday. Mayor was sworn into the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) for the first time after a hiatus of 11 years.

Dilip Mandal used this opportunity, firstly, to hail MK Stalin for ushering in a welcome shift after 334 years. He said that this was the first time a Dalit woman has been elected Mayor of Chennai since the establishment of the Chennai/Madras Corporation in 1688. He couldn’t stop applauding the DMK government for “breaking down gender and caste barriers.”

He also implied that MK Stalin’s endeavour was unique as no other states, including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, and Delhi, had ever had a Dalit woman as mayor.

Netizens slam Mandal for spreading fake news and lies on social media

No sooner did Dilip Mandal put out his Tweet, Netizens descended on his timeline to give him a class in history and call out his blatant lie. Some watchful netizens who were acquainted with the correct version of history, advised the columnist to get his facts straight and refrain from indulging in such mental luxuries.

“This moron doesn’t have basic knowledge, tweets like a fool and this nincompoop is a professor…” said one of the social media users who were angry at Mandal for peddling falsehoods.

Prasanna Viswanathan of Swarajya called Mandal’s Tweet a part of his “daily quota of fake news and lies”. He apprised the columnist with ThePrint that “Bengaluru got a Dalit woman mayor (incidentally from BJP) a good 11 years ago.”

As rightly, pointed out by Prasanna Viswanathan, Bengaluru had got its first Dali woman mayor, Sharadamma, in the year 2011. She was the 5th woman mayor and the city’s 45th mayor.

A SS of the report published by Deccan Chronicle in 2011

Other social media users reminded Dilip Mandal that the Mayorship had previously been solely reserved for Scheduled Caste members until the DMK opened it up to all in 1969.

Probably, Dilip Mandal should know that Mumbai too, contrary to his perception, got its first Dalit woman mayor in the year 2014. In September 2014, Shiv Sena’s Snehal Ambekar (Parel) was elected as the first Dalit woman mayor of the city. She was also the 75th mayor of Mumbai.

A SS of the report published by The Indian Express in 2014

Who is Dilip Mandal

Dilip Mandal is a professor and a columnist with Shekhar Gupta’s ThePrint. He is also a member of the executive committee of the Editors Guild of India, which had recently hogged the limelight after it condemned the registration of FIRs against alleged journalists for sharing fake news during the Republic Day violence in Delhi. Shockingly, in an effort to whitewash the crimes of alleged ‘journalists’, the Editors’ Guild normalised the menace of fake news by claiming that the act of the six journalists was ‘in line with established norms of journalistic practice’.

OpIndia has extensively, reported about Dilip Mandal’s misadventures in the past. He is the same professor who had accused Twitter of being casteist because he was not given the verified blue tick. In the year 2019, he had called then Twitter India head Manish Maheshwari a casteist bigot for allegedly being unfair to Dalits and not verifying his own Twitter handle. But after his account was verified by Twitter, he had demanded to remove it, saying that everyone should get an ‘equal status’ on Twitter.

In the same year, Dilip Mandal was accused of spreading the caste divide and discrimination by the students of Makhanlal University. The students had alleged that the two journalists, one of them being Dilip Mandal, inquire about the castes of students studying in the university on social media and during class hours and then misbehave and harass those students belonging to the upper castes.

Pakistan: Blast at Shia Mosque in Peshawar’s Kocha Risaldar kills 30, injures 50 during Friday prayers

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan: Blast at Shia Mosque in Peshawar’s Kocha Risaldar kills 30, injures 50 during Friday prayers

On Friday, a huge blast inside a Shia mosque shook Peshawar’s Kocha Risaldar area killing 30 Pakistani citizens and injuring more than 50. The Police said that the attack took place when worshipers had gathered in the mosque for their Friday prayers.

There are no details available yet on the nature of the blast but reports have confirmed that the destruction caused in the area is severe. The Police and the rescue personnel reached the site to learn that 10 injured are in critical condition.

Prime Minister Imran Khan has condemned the attack and directed the provision of immediate medical treatment to the injured. Meanwhile, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid has also condemned the attack, saying he had directed the provincial chief secretary and inspector general of police to submit a report.

Screen Shot from Twitter

The Capital City Police Officer revealed that one police officer had died in the attack. According to the police, two persons attacked the policeman while they were trying to enter the mosque.

It is important to note that the attacks come specifically when Australia’s Cricket Team is in Pakistan for the first time in 24 years and the local authorities have drawn plans to keep them safe. According to the reports, Pakistani authorities have deployed 4,100 security personnel, army snipers and road closures for the players.

The Australian Team was skeptical to go to Pakistan for the bilateral series, but agreed as Pakistan claimed that it was ready and prepared for ‘everything’. In January, a bomb blast in the city of Lahore had killed three people and the incident was added to the list of hundreds of terror attacks and threats in the last few years.

Pertinently, International cricket stopped in Pakistan after a fatal terror attack on the Sri Lankan team’s bus in 2009. At present, the Australian Cricket Team is in the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium which is at a distance of 193.4 kms from Peshawar.

(The story is developing. Details will be added when more information is available)

Central government approves Rs 1523 crore modernization scheme for CAPFs for improving operational efficiency

OpIndia Staff
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Central government approves Rs 1523 crore modernization scheme for CAPFs for improving operational efficiency

The central government has approved the implementation of the modernization plan to equip Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) with modern state-of-art weapons and equipment for improving operational efficiency. The union ministry of home affairs has approved the scheme ‘Modernization Plan – IV’ on Friday 4th March 2022. It has been done in continuation of the previous scheme for the CAPFs called ‘Modernization -III’.

In a statement released by the home ministry, it is said that ‘Modernization Plan – IV’ for CAPFs with a total financial outlay of Rs. 1523 crore is to be implemented by the Ministry of Home Affairs under the guidance of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The amount is to be spent between 1st February 2020 and 31st March 2026. This expenditure will be done in order to equip the CAPFs with modern weapons as per their operational requirements, keeping in view their deployment pattern in different theatres. CAPFs will also be provided with upgraded IT solutions.

According to the statement, the implementation of the scheme will improve the overall operational efficiency of CAPFs whose preparedness holds great importance towards the internal security of the country. This will strengthen the government’s ability to address the challenges being faced on various fronts like the international borders, LAC, LOC, etc. It will also bolster the government’s readiness to tackle internal situations in the different theatres such as areas affected by the Naxalites, union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, and insurgency affected states in the northeast part of India.

CAPF refers to the seven paramilitary forces under the union home ministry, responsible for guarding the international borders and internal security in the country. The CAPFs are responsible for keeping a constant vigil on India’s international borders and internal areas during times of peace, protect India’s land border and prevent international crime. The seven CAPFs are Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force (ITBP), Assam Rifles (AR), and National Security Guard (NSG).

Indian student Fathima Ahana petitions Supreme Court from Ukraine, to be brought back to India tonight by special flight

OpIndia Staff
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Indian student Fathima Ahana petitions Supreme Court from Ukraine, to be brought back to India tonight by special flight

The Supreme Court was hearing today a writ petition filed by Fathima Ahana Muhammed Ashraf, an MBBS student at National Medical University in Odessa, Ukraine, seeking relief for herself and other people stuck in Ukraine due to the continuing hostilities between Russia and Ukraine.

The petition requested that the Government of India secure permission for the Petitioner and other stranded students from Ukraine to cross the checkpoint in Moldova en route to Romania for boarding the Air India evacuation flight.

Senior Advocate AM Dar, Adv Danish Majid Dar, and Advocate Abhay Anand Jena filed the plea, saying that Fathima Ahana Mohamed Ashraf, together with 250 other medical students, were trapped at the Moldova border on the Ukrainian side.

Representing the Government of India, Attorney General KK Venugopal stated in the court today that the petitioner, along with 250 other stranded students have crossed over to Romania, and will be brought back to India by a special flight.

The AG submitted in the court that he communicated the Court’s views yesterday to PK Mishra IAS, the Secretary to the Prime Minister’s Office, who then passed them to Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, who is currently deployed in Romania to oversee the rescue efforts.

“She has been contacted, they’ll transfer by plane today. This information was given by Mr Mishra. Fathima Ahana and the persons accompanying her should be in India by today night,” the AG told the bench.

Advocate Vishal Tiwari has also filed a PIL seeking orders for the security of students and families stuck in Ukraine as a result of the current crisis.

During the hearing, the CJI slammed Advocate Vishal Tiwari about his intention to file a Public Interest Litigation in the case, and if he was seeking publicity by exploiting the circumstance. The CJI reminded him that he had seen on the Supreme Court website that Tiwari had previously filed a number of PILs that had been rejected with penalties.

“If you want to do something this isn’t the way to file petitions with paper cuttings etc. You know this is a sensitive situation, we can’t say anything, don’t try to take advantage”, CJI told Tiwari.

The Court also directed Attorney General Venugopal to exert his influence to assist Indian students stuck in Ukraine as a result of the Russian incursion. The Attorney General stated that the government is worried in the same way as the Court is. The case will be heard by the Court next Friday.

PM Modi chairs meeting to review Operation Ganga: Seeks update on evacuation processes with top officials and ministers

OpIndia Staff
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PM Modi chairs meeting to review Operation Ganga: Seeks update on evacuation processes with top officials and ministers

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has chaired a meeting on Friday 4th March 2022 to take a review of the ongoing Operation Ganga to evacuate stranded Indians from the war-hit Ukraine. External affairs minister S Jaishankar, minister of commerce and industry Piyush Goyal, foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, NSA Ajit Doval, and a few other senior officials also attended the meeting.

Earlier on Monday, PM Modi had chaired a meeting to review the ongoing efforts under Operation Ganga to bring back the Indians in Ukraine amidst Russia’s military operations. On the last Sunday, that is on 27th February 2022, another meeting was also held in this regard. Besides, on 24th February, the cabinet committee on security had met soon after Russia had announced its military operations in Ukraine.

As the situation worsened over the last few weeks, the Indian embassy in Ukraine has been issuing various advisories for the Indians living in Ukraine. In the advisories, the Indians living in Ukraine were first asked to leave Ukraine, and then after the beginning of the war, they were asked to move towards the western borders of Ukraine. PM Modi had personally spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin about providing safe passage to Indians who are yet to move away from the conflict zone. The Indian Air Force and many other private airlines are operating evacuation flights from Poland, Hungary and Romania. These flights are bringing back the Indians who have crossed the Ukraine borders and entered into its neighbouring countries.

The Russian embassy had informed earlier this week that upon the request of the Indian government they are working to create a safe corridor so that Indian students leaving Kharkiv can pass.

The government of India has deployed four special envoys to four neighbouring countries of Ukraine in order to coordinate the evacuation process of the Indians. Union minister of petroleum and natural gases Hardeep Singh Puri is coordinating the evacuation efforts in Hungary. Union law minister Kiren Rijiju is monitoring the evacuation processes taking place in Slovakia. Union minister of civil aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia is looking after the evacuations from Romania and Minister of states for road transport and highways and civil aviation General VK Singh is managing the operations in Poland.

There were approximately 20,000 Indians in Ukraine before the hostilities began. As per the latest updates over 18,000 Indians have left Ukraine.

Chhattisgarh: Journalist Nilesh Sharma arrested for his political satire after Congress accuses him of spreading ‘fake news’

OpIndia Staff
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Chhattisgarh: Journalist Nilesh Sharma arrested for his political satire after Congress accuses him of spreading ‘fake news’

On Thursday, the Chhattisgarh Police arrested Raipur based journalist Nilesh Sharma for his popular political satire. He has been accused of spreading fake news against the ruling Congress leaders in the state of Chhattisgarh.

Nilesh Sharma is an Editor of the web portal indiawriters.co.in and print magazine ‘India Writers’. According to the reports, he runs a popular series based on political satire in the name of ‘Ghurva Ke Mati’. The series uses fictional characters resonating with the Congress leaders and MLAs in Chhattisgarh.

Catering to the growing intolerance, one of the little known Congress worker Khilwan Nishad lodged a complaint against Sharma and accused him of using derogatory language against the Congress leaders of the state. The cyber cell of the Police immediately acted upon the complaint and arrested Sharma late in the night.

According to the reports, Nishad accused the journalist of favouring the BJP and the RSS and said that he is a part of ‘Godi media’. He alleged that through his show ‘Gharwa Ke Mati’, Sharma is deliberately using derogatory language against the Congress leaders. “The portal indiawriters.co.in is spreading negativity and drawing a wedge among the leaders and office bearers of Congress”, he added in the FIR. Nilesh Sharma was produced before a local court and was arrested on Thursday evening.

It is important to note that the same web portal ran a similar series that was highly critical of the then Raman Singh-led BJP govt. Earlier in the month of October, two journalists of another web portal were arrested for allegedly publishing content against the Congress lawmakers in the state and extorting money from them.

Rahul Gandhi accused BJP for not respecting ‘Free Speech’

Pertinently, it is also important to note that Congress’ Rahul Gandhi has probably failed to teach the ‘free speech’ lesson to its own government in Chhattisgarh as he has been doing it at the national level. Gandhi for several times in the past has attacked BJP led govt for allegedly not respecting the Freedom of Speech and Expression.

In a similar incident that took place in Manipur in the year 2019, where journalist Kishorechandra Wangkhem was detained by the Manipur Police for his comment targeting the state govt, Rahul Gandhi had said that BJP had no respect for the ‘Freedom of Speech’. Kishorechandra Wangkhem, the journalist at The Frontier Manipur, had after Manipur BJP chief S Tikendra Singh died of Covid, posted on Facebook, “Cow dung and cow urine didn’t work?”

In another instance, Gandhi had attacked the RSS and the BJP for allegedly policing and controlling the freedom of expression. Rising in support of the ‘Sacred Games’ a web series that showcased former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi as a coward, he had said that freedom of expression is a fundamental democratic right and that the character in the show was just fictional.

The Police has lodged an FIR under Section 504 (intentional insult to provoke breach of the peace), section 505 (Statements conducing to public mischief, 505 (1) (b) with intent to cause, or which is likely to cause, fear or alarm to the public, or to any section of the public whereby any person may be induced to commit an offence against the State or against the public tranquillity) and section 505 (2) (Statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill will between the classes) of the IPC.

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