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Gujarat: Aam Aadmi Party leader Isudan Gadhvi detained, accused of misbehaving with BJP woman worker in drunken brawl

OpIndia Staff
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Gujarat: Aam Aadmi Party leader Isudan Gadhvi detained, accused of misbehaving with BJP woman worker in drunken brawl

Aam Aadmi Party leader Isudan Gadhvi has been accused of misbehaving with BJP worker Shradhha Rajput in Gandhinagar after getting drunk. As per reports, he has been detained.

Rajput, while speaking to Gujarati local media channel said that Aam Aadmi Party leaders laid siege on BJP office, Kamalam complex, in Gandhinagar. “Guards also tried to stop them on the gate. When we heard the noise, we stepped out and they started raising slogans in extremely foul language,” she said. She said that AAP workers were protesting against alleged head clerk paper leak case.

She further stated that Gadhvi misbehaved with herself and her colleagues and when they asked them to maintain decorum, they allegedly continued to misbehave. She also said that the women workers of Aam Aadmi Party then assaulted them and hit them with sticks. Rajput further alleged that after the crowd dispersed, Gopal Italia and Isudan Gadhvi both misbehaved with her and she has filed a complaint regarding the same.

Gadhvi was taken to civil hospital for medical checkup and alcohol test.

AAP leaders and workers had gheraoed the BJP office in Gandhinagar for protests. They were also chanting anti-BJP slogans. BJP workers also turned up in large numbers and the two groups clashed. Police had to use force to control the crowd.

Election Laws Amendment Bill, which seeks to link Aadhar with voter ID, passed in Lok Sabha: Details

OpIndia Staff
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Election Laws Amendment Bill, which seeks to link Aadhar with voter ID, passed in Lok Sabha: Details

On Monday (December 20), the Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021 was passed in the Lok Sabha, amidst chaos by the Opposition.

The bill was tabled by Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju. The Bill was passed through a voice vote in the Lower House of the Parliament, with Dr Kirit Premjibhai Solanki as the Speaker-in-charge.

In a tweet, Prasar Bharti News Services informed, “The bill enables the linking of electoral roll data with the Aadhaar ecosystem to curb the menace of multiple enrollments of the same person in different places.”

Congress Party opposes Bill in Lok Sabha

The crucial Bill was opposed by the Congress party in the Lok Sabha. While speaking in the House, Kerala MP Shashi Tharoor said, “Aadhaar only meant to be proof of residence, it’s not proof of citizenship. If you’re in a position asking Aadhaar for voters, all you’re getting is a document that reflects residence, not citizenship. You’re potentially giving the vote to non-citizens.”

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury had claimed, “This Bill should be sent to Standing Committee. This has a lot of legal drawbacks. It is against the Supreme Court verdict and one which violates our privacy. This might strip off lakhs of people of their electoral rights.”

TMC’s Mahua Moitra called the bill “Illegal, and a blatant violation of SC order.”

Provisions of the Election (Amendment) Bill

The Bill states, “The electoral registration officer may for the purpose of establishing the identity of any person require that such person may furnish the Aadhaar number given by the Unique Identification Authority of India as per the provisions of the Aadhaar Act, 2016.”

It further adds, “Provided that the electoral registration officer may also require the Aadhaar number from persons already included in the electoral roll for the purposes of authentication of entries in the electoral roll and to identify registration of the name of the same person in the electoral roll of more than one constituency or more than once in the same constituency.”

However, the Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021 makes it clear that no application for name inclusion in the electoral rolls shall be denied for not being able to furnish Aadhar number due to reasonable conditions.

‘Hang them’ – Congress’s Navjot Singh Sidhu calls for Taliban-style public hanging of sacrilege accused

OpIndia Staff
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‘Hang them’ – Congress’s Navjot Singh Sidhu calls for Taliban-style public hanging of sacrilege accused

On December 19, Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu demanded Taliban-style public execution of the sacrilege accused. He was addressing a rally at Malerkotla. In his speech Sidhu said that the cases of sacrilege, irrespective of religion, hurt the sentiments of the people. He demanded that the accused in such cases should be hanged in public.

Sidhu said that there is a conspiracy being brewed against one community. He further claimed that the fundamentalist forces were trying to cause disturbance in Punjab. It is noteworthy that Sidhu has made such demand at a time when all leaders, irrespective of the party lines, have shied away from condemning the lynching of the man accused of sacrilege at Golden Temple as well as in Kapurthala Gurudwara.

Sidhu published the part of his speech in which demanded public execution of the accused. In the tweet, he wrote, “Punjab is built on strong foundation of Oneness & universal brotherhood laid down by Guru Sahib. No divisive forces can destroy the strong social fabric of the Punjabi Community. Deliberate & malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings should be dealt with deterrent punishment.”

He said, “I, Navjot Singh Sidhu, son of Bhagwant Singh Sidhu, is announcing today, if an incident of sacrilege takes place, no matter if it is of Quran, Bhagwad Gita, or Guru Granth Sahib, bring the accused in front of the public and hang the person to death. He should be given the hardest punishment mentioned in the constitution.”

He further added, “Such acts hurt our sentiments. Anyone can make mistakes. But this is not a mistake. It is an attempt against one religion. It is an attempt to finish a religion. It is a conspiracy to rot our roots.”

The sacrilege incident of Golden Temple

On December 19, an unidentified youth was lynched to death after he allegedly attempted sacrilege of Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji at Shri Harmandir Sahib, Amritsar. He was apprehended by the SGPC task force and devotees. Later, his dead body was laid down outside the Gurudwara premises before the Police could reach the spot. The deceased, who was beaten to death over the alleged sacrilege, was not carrying any identification documents with him. The Punjab government has formed SIT to investigate the case.

Another case was reported in the Kapurthala district where a man was lynched over allegations of sacrilege of Nishan Sahib. Later the Police revealed that there was no evidence of sacrilege and the deceased possibly came to steal something from the Gurudwara premises. Some reports had suggested that the Granthi had contacts with operatives of Pakistan’s ISI. Investigation into the case is underway.

Sacrilege cases have been used as a hot political topic during the last elections, and it seems the current situation would make it easier for the political parties will use the increasing cases of alleged sacrilege to gain political mileage in upcoming Punjab Assembly polls as well. The Assembly elections in Punjab are scheduled for early 2022.

The state of lawlessness: Political murders and lynchings that nobody is outraging about

Jinit Jain
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The state of lawlessness: Political murders and lynchings that nobody is outraging about

India was recently convulsed with two horrifying cases of mob lynching that took place in Punjab over allegations of sacrilege. Angry mobs took law into their own hands and lynched two individuals to death on the suspicion of sacrilege, underscoring the abject state of law and order situation in Punjab.

The first incident of mob lynching linked to sacrilege took place inside the sanctum sanctorum of Darbar Sahib on Saturday evening when regular prayers were going on. CCTV footage showed that suddenly a man entered the sanctum sanctorum and hit the holy Granth Sahib with a Kirpan. Reportedly, he had picked up the golden Kirpan from the sanctum sanctorum of the Gurudwara itself, which was placed near the holy Sikh Scripture.

Soon after the incident, he was surrounded by people present at the temple. Initially, he was taken into custody by Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) staff and moved to the SGPC headquarters. But later his dead body was placed near the SGPC main gate, which suggests that he was beaten to death by the staff in the office.

After the man’s body was placed on the floor in front of the SGPC office, people gathered around him and celebrated instant justice. They chanted Sikh religious slogans to celebrate the murder.

And within 24 hours, another man in Punjab was killed over allegations of sacrilege. The incident pertained to a Gurdwara in Nizampur village in the Kapurthala district of Punjab. A man was caught at the Gurudwara for allegedly committing sacrilege. As per reports, the crowd at the Gurudwara where the youth was caught did not let the Police detain the accused. Later it was reported that the youth was lynched to death by the crowd.

A youth was brutally thrashed on charges of disrespecting the Nishan Sahib (Sikh flag) in Punjab. The Gurdwara caretaker Amarjit Singh had alleged that he saw a youth desecrating the Sikh flag during the wee hours of Sunday. At around 4 am, Singh had stepped out of the Gurdwara to do Nitnem (prayers). Reportedly, the youth tried to disrespect the Nishan Sahib and had taken refuge in the Gurdwara after the lights went out.

When the lights came back, the Gurdwara managers noticed the youth and tried to nab him. A video of the incident had gone viral on social media. He attempted to flee the scene but was caught. The youth was then brutally thrashed and killed.

Initially, the police said there was no sign of sacrilege in Punjab’s Kapurthala Gurudwara. However, later the police slapped charges of ‘hurting religious sentiments’ (IPC 295) on both the men killed in Amritsar and Kapurthala. No case is yet filed on those responsible for their deaths.

The politicians in Punjab fell over themselves to condemn sacrilege even though it was not confirmed, but none of them issued unequivocal denunciation against mobs for taking the law into its hand and murdering people. Instead, several of them protested against the repeated attempts at sacrilege and asked for strong measures to prevent the same.

Punjab’s steady slide into mobocracy and lawlessness

Significantly, Punjab’s descent into chaos and anarchy is not a recent phenomenon. For years, Punjab politicians have been humouring extremist tendencies in a bid to consolidate their hold and continue remaining in power. As a consequence, extremists and anarchists in Punjab have felt emboldened to persist with their unlawful activities, showing little regard for human lives, public properties, justice and the law of the land.

In 2021 alone there were six lynching cases linked to the sacrilege of Sikh Holy Books and symbols in Punjab. Reportedly there have been over 200 cases of sacrilege in the state since 2015. Around six have been killed so far that got reported. Out of these six, four were killed in the last year. In most of the cases that get reported, condemnation of sacrilege is in short order but there is a stoic silence over lynchings and murders carried out in its name. Almost no politician, influential leader or eminent personality displays the courage of condemning mob lynching.

Even as politicians are responsible for encouraging such vile acts with their silence, in other cases, they have been quite vociferous and unapologetic in stoking unrest. For instance, the farmer protests that started last year were widely supported and encouraged by the ruling Congress party in Punjab. In effect, the recent tumult in Punjab can be considered as the culmination of the violent farmers’ protests. The protests saw incidents of rapes, murder, riots, vandalism, arson as rabble-rousers participated in the protests under the pretext of farmers opposing the three farm laws. The protests also saw participation from Khalistani elements, who raised posters of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and chanted Khalistani slogans.

Foreign-based banned organisations such as Sikhs For Justice(SFJ), known for supporting and harbouring Khalistani sentiments, also threw their weight behind the farmer protests, possibly in a bid to sow discord in the Indian society and exploit the upheaval to gain sympathy from the Punjab masses. Besides offering emotional support to the protests, they also reportedly bankrolled the demonstrations and actively participated in causing disruption in the country.

The prevalence of Islamic radicalisation, brazen political murders in Kerala

While mobocracy in Punjab is under the spotlight, it is not the only state where lawlessness reigns supreme. Down in the south, Communist-ruled Kerala is another outpost of anarchy and disorder. Kerala, which is hailed by liberals as the most literate state in the country, is in the grips of political violence, a state where dissent is ruthlessly crushed and opposition to the ruling dispensation or asserting one’s identity can result in death.

Murders of RSS and BJP workers have become par for the course in the state of Kerala. The incidents of murders have become so tragically routine that it no longer evokes outrage and shock that killings must induce. On Sunday (December 19), a BJP leader was murdered at his residence by suspected SDPI workers. The incident took place in the Alappuzha district of Kerala.

On November 15, a 26-year-old Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) worker A Sanjith was hacked to death allegedly by the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) goons. SDPI is the political wing of the Islamist organisation Popular Front of India (PFI). The incident occurred at Ellapully in Palakkad district at 9:30 in the morning. 

A Sanjith was a native of Elappully. He was going for his work on his motorcycle with his wife when he was brutally attacked by the SDPI members. Local reports suggest that the assailants, who came in a car, stopped his bike and attacked him in broad daylight in front of many people including his wife. Sanjith was then rushed to the hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries.

As the political murders of opponents continue unabated in Kerala, so has the Islamic radicalisation of the youth in the state. Recently, Kerala was named in a US report on terrorism, which said that many misguided and indoctrinated youth from southern Indian had joined ISIS to wage jihad against the infidels.

Political murders a distinctive feature of TMC government in West Bengal

Besides Punjab and Kerala, West Bengal is the third such Indian state that bears stark resemblance with the other two when it comes to law and order. Just as violence is rampant in Punjab and Kerala, it is the order of the day in West Bengal too. On Sunday, the Kolkata municipal polls saw various incidents of violence, including the hurling of crude bombs. Over 72 people were arrested for stoking unrest in the Bengal capital.

Earlier this year, West Bengal was also in the news for the unprecedented violence witnessed in the wake of assembly elections. The elections resulted in a thumping victory of Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress following which BJP and RSS supporters were hounded and attacked by goons that enjoyed the patronage of the ruling party.

Using violence as an instrument to subdue their political opponents has become a distinctive feature of the TMC rule in West Bengal. Ever since the Mamata Banerjee-led retained power in the state, the persecution of dissenters and opposition workers has only intensified. In an overwhelming number of such incidents, the victims have been BJP supporters and workers while the accused were said to be the supporters of the TMC party. More than 20 BJP workers lost their lives in the post-poll violence that ensued following the victory of the TMC party in the assembly elections.

There were reports that said women in West Bengal were raped, assaulted and, in some cases, even killed, just because they adhered to a different political ideology. Recently, a victim who was raped by the TMC goons in front of her father shared her harrowing ordeal with OpIndia. She narrated how she was attacked and sexually assaulted by her perpetrators associated with the TMC party. In the aftermath of the assembly election results, TMC goons wreaked havoc, attacking and plundering the houses of their opponents.

And the violence is not limited to election triumph alone. Even before the elections took place, political murders in West Bengal were a common occurrence. In the majority of the cases, the victim either belonged to the BJP-RSS fold or had vigorously criticised the TMC government for its ill-governance.

The Left and the opposition parties turn a blind eye to extra-judicial murders and mob lynching

The liberals, wokes, human rights activists often accuse the BJP governments of “rising intolerance” and “crushing dissent” but ironically, it is the opposition-led governments in Punjab, Kerala and West Bengal, that are responsible for presiding over states regarded as totems of lawlessness in India. On the expected lines, the champions of human rights and law and order did not bother to call out the opposition parties, lest it would undermine their propaganda against the central government, which is led by the BJP.

The violence, the rioting, the anarchy, have all become so endemic in these states that the violation of something as sacrosanct as the sanctity of life, in the form of rampant political murders and unbridled mob lynching, does not attract the kind of condemnation it deserves. Instead, the opportunist regimes in these states use such tragic incidents to their advantage— dehumanising victims and blaming them for “provoking” the mob—while they pander to the extremist sentiments and consolidate their hold over the power.

J and K assembly: Delimitation panel proposes 7 additional seats, STs to get 9 reserved seats for the first time

OpIndia Staff
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J and K assembly: Delimitation panel proposes 7 additional seats, STs to get 9 reserved seats for the first time

On Monday (December 20), the Delimitation Commission has proposed changes in the seat count of Jammu and Kashmir after redrawing boundaries of Assembly seats and reserved constituencies. The Delimitation exercise has been undertaken under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act using the data available from the 2011 Census.

Bharti Jain, from The Times of India, informed on Twitter that the panel has proposed 6 additional seats for the Jammu region and one additional seat for the Kashmir Valley. As such, the Jammu region will now have a total of 43 assembly seats while the Kashmir Valley will have 47 seats.

The Delimitation Panel has kept the 7 seats for the Scheduled Caste (SC) unchanged. But 9 seats are proposed to be reserved for the Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities. Earlier, the STs had no reservation in the J&K Assembly. The 24 seats that are assigned to PoK and remain vacant, are to remain unchanged.

The Delimitation Panel has asked its 5 associate members to submit their suggestion by December 31 this year. The members include Jugal Kishore and Dr Jitendra Singh from BJP, Farooq Abdullah, Mohammad Akbar Lone, and Justice (Retd) Hasnain Masoodi from National Conference. Earlier, the NC Parliamentarians had not attended meetings over the objection to the J&K Reorganisation Act.

Video clip from R Madhavan starrer #Decoupled goes viral where he is seen arguing with a man doing Namaz at airport

OpIndia Staff
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Video clip from R Madhavan starrer #Decoupled goes viral where he is seen arguing with a man doing Namaz at airport

The Netflix series Decoupled that features actor R Madhavan and Surveen Chawla is quite in the news for its hilarious, quirky take on upper-class urban life. The show has received both positive and negative reviews but is being discussed a lot on social media.

Recently, a video clip from the show went viral. In the scene, R Madhavan, who plays the role of the lead character Arya Iyer in the series, is seen trying to do some stretching exercises in a prayer room at the Delhi airport.

In the scene, Arya Iyer, a successful novel writer, is seen entering a ‘prayer room’ at the Delhi airport to find a space to do some stretching exercises because he has been suffering from back pain. Another middle-aged man is seen performing Namaz inside the room. When Madhavan starts his stretching exercises, the other person gets irritated. He stops his Namaz halfway and tells Aryan that it is a prayer room and not an exercise room.

Madhavan explains that his back hurts and he needs to do some stretching exercises before boarding the plane. He requests the man to be a little considerate, but the Namaz man refuses, he flatly tells Madhavan that he cannot do stretching exercises inside a prayer room.

The Namaz man even complains to the airport staff, who proceed to tell Madhavan that he is not allowed to do exercises because that room is for prayers only.

Madhavan, at this point, simply starts doing his stretching exercises while chanting the Gayatri Mantra. The Namaz man, who now cannot argue that Madhavan is not ‘praying’, is left baffled and furious.

In the series, the Namaz man is shown visibly irritated throughout the flight. He even keeps arguing with Madhavan and even behaves rudely with an air hostess chats with Madhavan.

The series ‘Decoupled’ is written by columnist and writer Manu Joseph. Author Chetan Bhagat also appears in several scenes throughout the series. The 8-episode series is about a misanthropic, but famous writer Arya Iyer and his wife Shruti, who is a successful professional too. The couple is considering divorce after falling out of love. The series explores their life in an affluent Gurgaon neighbourhood and the writer’s constant clashes with everyone he meets.

Chinese media claims tennis player Peng Shuai has denied sexual assault allegations

OpIndia Staff
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Chinese media claims tennis player Peng Shuai has denied sexual assault allegations

On December 19, Chinese media claimed that the Tennis player Peng Shuai denied accusing anyone of sexually assaulting her. In a brief 8-minute interview with Singapore-based Chinese-language newspaper Lianhe Zaobao, Peng said she had been residing at her house in Beijing and claimed there was no restriction on her movement in any way.

Chinese govt mouthpiece’s reporter said Peng was seen in public

On Sunday, before the interview with Lianhe Zaobao got published, Chen Qingqing, a Chinese mouthpiece Global Times reporter, tweeted footage and a few photographs of Peng in which she was seen talking to Yao Ming, a famous Chinese Basketball player. Chen claimed that the video was sent to her by a “friend”. They said the video was allegedly taken during an event in Shanghai.

In the photo that Chen posted, Peng was seen with Yao, Olympic sailing champion Xu Lijia and retired table tennis player Wang Liqin. There was a banner next to them that read, “FIS Cross-Country Skiing China City Tour”, and Shanghai’s Yangpu bridge was in the background.

‘I did not accuse anyone of sexual assault’

Reports suggest that the email she had sent to Steve Simon, President of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), assuring him of her well-being was done “by herself of her own free will”. This was the first time Peng had spoken about the matter herself. Notably, she had made a social media post in November accusing the former vice-premier Zhang Gaoli of sexually assaulting her. Later the post was deleted, and she disappeared.

When she was asked about the allegations she had made in the now-deleted post by the Chinese internet censors within minutes of posting it, she said she never accused anyone of sexually assaulting her. She said, “First, I would like to stress a very important point: I have never said nor written anything accusing anyone of sexually assaulting me. I would like to emphasise this point very clearly. Regarding Weibo, first of all, it’s a matter related to my personal privacy. Everyone has had many misunderstandings. Their misreadings do not stand.”

‘I have always been very free’

During the interview, she was asked if she was under any kind of surveillance, she said, “Why would that be the case? I have always been very free.” The report mentioned that while answering this particular question, she was a bit hesitant.

She said the letter was written by herself in Chinese, but the Chinese mouthpiece CGTN had published a translated version of the letter in English. She said, “What was conveyed (by CGTN) was no different from what I meant to convey to Mr Simon.” She was also asked about the video call she had made to Thomas Bach, head of the International Olympic Committee, last month. She said, “The video call took place at my home in Beijing.” She added that she was grateful to everyone who expressed concerns about her well being.

‘Peng’s appearence has not eased concerns about her’

The Women’s Tennis Association in a recent statement said that Peng Shuai’s latest appearance has not eased concerns about her. In an email statement to AFP, the organization said, “We remain steadfast in our call for a full, fair and transparent investigation, without censorship, into her allegation of sexual assault.”

Yaqiu Wang, China researcher at Human Rights Watch, while quoting the Reuter’s report on the interview said, “So, after 48 days, Peng Shuai unexpectedly encountered a journalist from a pro-Beijing newspaper and then casually answered her questions about an event that gandered intense international attention. Wow, so natural, very real, everyone now believes it. Congratulations, the CCP!”

Peng and her disappearance

35-year-old Peng is a Wimbledon and French Open doubles champion. In November, she published a lengthy post on the Chinese social media platform Weibo. In the post, she accused Chinese former premier Zhang Gaoli of sexual assault. Her post was censored within minutes. Her verified social media account was deactivated as well. However, by then, the post was grabbed the attention of the international media.

Later she disappeared from public view that raised concerns about her well being at the international level. United Nations, the White House, sportsperson and activists came forward and made statements about the disappearance.

After the matter gained international attention, the Chinese state media got into action to prove she did not disappear. Photos and videos found their way to social media networks, including those that are banned in China. Though Peng was seen in a junior tennis event, there were speculations that she was under surveillance as she did not talk to anyone. Photos of her enjoying time at her home were also shared by the Chinese state media.

Rahul Gandhi asks journalist if he’s working for the government when asked about opposition disrupting parliament

OpIndia Staff
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Rahul Gandhi asks journalist if he’s working for the government when asked about opposition disrupting parliament

Questioned over the stalemate in parliament over the Lakhimpur issue, Congress senior leader Rahul Gandhi lambasted a journalist asking him whether he works for the government. In a snippet being widely shared on Twitter, Rahul Gandhi, while addressing the media outside the Parliament, asked a journalist in the loop “kya aap sarkar ke liye kaam karte hain?” (do you work for the government).

The Gandhi scion poses the question to the journalist when the latter asks him why the opposition has been disrupting the Parliament proceedings.

He is also heard telling the journalist that the onus to keep the house on order, lies on the government and not on the opposition parties.

Speaking further about the ruckus created by the leaders of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi was heard blaming the Government for not allowing the Opposition to raise issues in the house.

Proceedings in the Lok Sabha were adjourned till 2 pm amid loud Opposition protests demanding the removal of Union minister of state for home Ajay Mishra ‘Teni’ and a discussion on Uttar Pradesh’s special investigation team (SIT) report on the October 3 Lakhimpur Kheri violence. Rajya Sabha has been adjourned following a protest by the Opposition over the suspension of 12 MPs.

Enforcement Directorate summons Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in the 2016 Panama Papers leak case

OpIndia Staff
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Enforcement Directorate summons Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in the 2016 Panama Papers leak case

The Enforcement Directorate has summoned actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in connection with the 2016 ‘Panama Papers’ global tax leaks case. According to reports, the investigation agency wants to question the daughter-in-law of megastar Amitabh Bachchan over charges of stashing money abroad.

The agency has asked the actress to appear before its office in Delhi today (December 20), to record her statement. However, according to reports, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has sought another date for questioning.

The summon was reportedly sent to the actress to her Mumbai residence Pratiksha and was asked to respond within 15 days. 

Prior to this, Aishwarya Bachchan has already requested two adjournments from the special investigation team probing the Panama Papers case.

According to news agency ANI, the ED has registered a money-laundering case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) in the matter.

A top ED official also confirmed that Aishwarya was summoned to join the probe by today. According to news agency IANS, an ED official said, “We summoned her for December 20. As of now, we haven’t got any reply from her side. The summon was sent to her Mumbai residence.”

Along with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, megastar Amitabh Bachchan’s name is also involved in the Panama Papers case. In the year 2017, Amitabh Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan submitted documents of their financial dealings with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the case.

What is the 2016 Panama Paper leaks case in which Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is being questioned

The Panama Papers are a collection of leaked documents that reveal widespread fraud and tax evasion by people and corporations around the world.

Suddeutsche Zeitung, a German newspaper, was the first to receive the leaked documents. At least 12,000 of these fresh documents are linked to Indians. More than 500 Indians were named in the documents of Mossack Fonseca, a law firm based in tax haven Panama, that was leaked in 2016. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was among 500 Indians implicated in a major leak of 11.5 million tax data revealing their covert offshore operations. The list also included Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan.

Records of the Panamanian law firm showed that Amitabh Bachchan served as director of four offshore shipping companies between 1993 and 1997.

Amitabh Bachchan, had, however, on his behalf, denied any wrongdoing and said that his remittances overseas were in line with Indian regulations. He had also denied any links with the firms named in the Panama Papers.

No, “ch*tiya” Sanjay Raut, comparing roads to women’s cheeks is not ‘respect’

Nirwa Mehta
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No, “ch*tiya” Sanjay Raut, comparing roads to women’s cheeks is not ‘respect’

Nothing like everyday misogyny and sexism to kickstart the week. Apparently, women should take it as a compliment if politicians compare roads to their cheeks. Here is what happened.

Shiv Sena (heh, who else) leader Gulabrao Patil on Sunday challenged now NCP and former BJP leader Eknath Khadse to go towards his house in his constituency in Jalgaon district and if the roads are not like that of Hema Malini’s cheeks, he would resign.

Hema Malini is an actress and also Member of Parliament from Mathura constituency. That her colleague decided to compare roads (rather the smoothness of them, one would believe) to her cheeks, just shows how for some men, a woman, irrespective of her achievements, will never command equal respect only because she is a woman. Patil could have compared the roads near his house to perhaps roads elsewhere like in neighbouring state Gujarat which has phenomenal infrastructure, but no.

It is problematic on multiple levels because even though we have people talking more and more about feminism and everyday sexism at workplace (for elected public representative such as Malini, the likes of Patil would be colleagues and this would fall under workplace harassment), we still have to deal with such jibes.

Not long ago, Rajasthan Minister and a senior Congress leader had decided to refer to roads to Katrina Kaif’s cheeks. In fact, he had first said that the roads should be like Hema Malini’s cheeks, but then said how she has now become old and hence they should be like Katrina Kaif’s cheeks. In 2019, Congress leader PC Sharma compared the roads of Madhya Pradesh with the cheeks of BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya and said the Congress government would make them like the cheeks of Hema Malini. Back in 2005, RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav also gave a similar sexist statement. At the time, he had said that Bihar roads would become as smooth as the cheeks of Hema Malini. 

Malini, perhaps sick and tired of the jibes, seemed to have had enough and finally broke her silence and said how it is not a nice thing to say.

She said that common people making such statements one cannot stop them, but if politicians make such statements it is not in a good taste. “Any women should not be used for saying such things,” she said. And while she did not seek an apology, one would assume that people in power would eventually correct themselves.

One would have thought that after over 15 years, the politicians would have evolved like the rest of humankind and senior leaders of party would come down heavily on such objectification of women. But no.

Shiv Sena MP, ‘Ch*tiya’ Sanjay Raut, defended the statement and said how comparing Hema Malini’s cheeks to road is ‘a respect for her’. He even urged everyone to not take it negatively. He claimed he respects Malini. To make things clear, Sanjay Raut here is referred to as ‘ch*tiya’ because he himself believes that ch*tiya, a term most people find derogatory, means ‘stupid’. So, here is me, just referring to him as ‘stupid’ by calling him ‘ch*tiya’. And since he was upset at an FIR against him for using the word, I will assume that he will not sue me either.

Coming back, such blatant objectification and subsequent brazening it out is just one more example how much harder it is for women, especially in places which is predominantly a ‘men’s world’. BJP MP from Amethi and Union Minister Smriti Irani has also been subjected to relentless sexist behaviour from her colleagues and critics. Just few days back Uttar Pradesh Congress’ official account tweeted a video of a woman hurling sexist abuses to Smriti Irani. That they think it is okay to do it shows how a party whose leader mouths platitudes on women empowerment is so deeply rotten.

Aam Aadmi Party, too, recently launched a sexist attack on Irani and PM Modi.

Sexist image tweeted by AAP

Assam Congress leader Nilamoni Sen Deka, the former state Agriculture minister, reportedly said at a public meeting in Nalbari that many people refer to Smriti Irani as the second wife of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Tehseen Poonawalla’s tweet

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s brother in law, a relative of her husband Robert Vadra, has often gone on sexist and vulgar rampage on Smriti Irani.

Similarly, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has also been on the receiving end of sexist jibes.

And what makes these things worse is that not only the flag bearers of feminism maintain silence on the insult accorded to ‘Sanghis’ (because they believe Sanghis deserve to die anyway), ch*tiya people like Raut even think that such behaviour is compliment.

The woe is women, having to fight with ch*ityas on all fronts.

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