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71% of adult Indians given first dose of Covid vaccine, oxygen production increased 10 times, prepared to handle 5L daily cases: NITI Aayog

OpIndia Staff
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71% of adult Indians given first dose of Covid vaccine, oxygen production increased 10 times, prepared to handle 5L daily cases: NITI Aayog

Within six months of the Covid-19 vaccine being available for beneficiaries above 18 years, 71% of the country’s adult population has received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine and 27 per cent are fully vaccinated. 

NITI Aayog member (Health) Dr VK Paul while addressing the media on Thursday said that the problem of vaccine shortage has been mitigated in the country and urged people to get fully vaccinated. With over 93 crore vaccine doses administered to date and coverage of second dose picking up, Paul said that it is of utmost importance to ‘fully protect’ ourselves. 

‘Prepared to handle 5 lakh daily cases of Covid-19’

Sharing an update on the preparations for a possible surge, the government stated it has made healthcare preparations to handle a flux of up to 5 lakh coronavirus cases a day.

However, the government simultaneously clarified that it does not imply that such high numbers of Covid-19 infections will be reported in the future. 

Dr Paul further said, “Though the number of cases is now low, preparedness is not low. It is robust, sustained and being accounted for and catalyzed and supported for on a daily basis.”

Details of the preparation

Quoting statistics from states, Dr Paul at the press conference informed that the country has 8.36 lakh hospital beds available for COVID-19 patients and almost one million (9,69,885) additional isolation beds in dedicated COVID-19 care centres as of today. 

Additionally, a total of 4.86 lakh oxygen-supported beds and 1.35 lakh ICU beds are available, he informed.

“About 1,200 pressure swing adsorption (PSA) oxygen plants are functional now and there is no district in the country where such a plant is not working. About 4,000 PSA plants will be established across the country,” Dr Paul said further. 

PM Modi inaugurated 18 PSA oxygen plants in Gujarat

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an online event on Thursday inaugurated 18 pressure swing adsorption (PSA) oxygen plants in Gujarat.

The newly inaugurated oxygen plants in Gujarat are located in Bharuch, Patan, Palanpur, Tharad, Khedbrahma, Bhiloda, Mansa, Vadnagar, Godhra, Santrampur, Garudeshwar, New Civil Hospital- Surat, SMIMER Hospital-Surat, Sola Civil and Gandhidham.

The newly established PSA oxygen plants at Rajpipla, Zhalod and Morbi by the Gujarat CSR Authority were also inaugurated in the virtual event by the Prime Minister. 

‘Ramped up production by 10 times’

PM Modi who inaugurated a total of 35 new Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) oxygen plants funded by the PM CARES initiative across 35 states and Union Territories on Thursday informed that the production of medical oxygen was ramped up by 10 times. 

PM Modi in an event at AIIMS Rishikesh in Uttarakhand credited the healthcare workers for their dedication and hard work that helped the country overcome the oxygen crisis. 

“India is currently leading the battle against Covid-19 which reflects the hard work, dedication and unity among our people & the government to combat any Vipda,” said PM Modi. He also informed that the country will soon be able to get 4000 oxygen plants from the PM Cares fund. 

“India’s ability to build infrastructure to deal with the Covid outbreak in such a short period of time is a symbol of our determination, service and solidarity,” remarked the Prime Minister further.

Sharing an update on the testing capabilities, PM Modi said, “Our journey from one testing lab to 3000 testing labs at the testing time of the covid-19 pandemic shows our capability to achieve anything.”

India opens up to foreign tourists 

The Centre has decided to commence issuing tourist visas to foreigners from October 15. However, for a month, tourists will be allowed entry into India only on chartered flights while those wanting to visit India on scheduled commercial flights would have to wait till November 15. 

“After considering various inputs, the MHA (Ministry of Home Affairs) has decided to begin granting of fresh Tourist Visas for foreigners coming to India through chartered flights with effect from October 15, 2021,” read a statement by the ministry. 

Meanwhile, India reported 22,431 new coronavirus cases and 318 deaths in the last 24 hours with Kerala being the biggest contributor to the numbers. 

Congress leader attacked in Bikaner by unknown assailants on a crowded road in Congress-ruled Rajasthan: Watch

OpIndia Staff
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Congress leader attacked in Bikaner by unknown assailants on a crowded road in Congress-ruled Rajasthan: Watch

Even leaders and workers of the Congress party are not safe in the states ruled by Congress. A video from Bikaner district of Rajasthan has gone viral where four to five assailants are seen mercilessly beating a man on a busy highway and damaging his car. Rajasthan is ruled by Congress chief minister Ashok Gehlot.

BJP leader Shalabh Mani Tripathi, who is also the press advisor of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, has shared this video with a short note: “media is silent because this is Rajasthan ruled by the Congress.”

In this disturbing video, a man is seen lying unconscious on the roadside and he is being mercilessly beaten by four to five miscreants with sticks. Assailants were also damaging the victim’s white car parked on the roadside. The victim was with family members including women and infants as they are seen crying and begging for help. This took place in the full public glare as a lot of people were seen watching and shooting videos of this lawlessness. A portal Khulasa Online has shared a video of a longer duration.

Inquiry revealed that the victim is a Congress leader Megh Singh Bhati who is president of Nokha (rural) unit of the Congress in Bikaner district. He is also a former Sarpanch. The incident took place at Himmatsar village on Bikaner-Nokha road on Thursday. Megh Singh along with family members was travelling in a car when miscreants stooped and dragged him out of the car. He was returning after visiting Karni Mataji temple at Deshlok situated about 30 km from Bikaner.

According to media reports, the assailants also assaulted family members when they tried to save him. After injuring him assailants left the place in a car. Megh Singh was first rushed to Bagri Hospital at Nokha but since his condition was serious he was referred to the trauma centre of PBM hospital in Bikaner. He suffered fractures on both legs as well as injuries on the head and waist.

As per reports, Nokha circle officer Nemsingh Chauhan has said that Megh Singh was attacked due to some old rivalries. The local BJP MLA Biharilal Bishnoi, who represents Nokha assembly, criticized the incident and demanded the immediate arrest of assailants. The MLA said that criminals have become so audacious in the Congress-ruled Rajasthan that they attacked a Congress leader on the road.

The Rajput community of Rajasthan has strongly condemned this incident. Karan Pratap Singh Sisodia, a senior leader of Kshatriya Sabha said that they have observed that people of the Rajput community are being regularly targeted in Nokha which will not be tolerated. He further demanded Bikaner SP Preeti Chandra to take cognizance of the matter, else they will carry agitations against the administration.

Quite mysteriously, Rajasthan Congress is silent even though its leader has been attacked. Bikaner Congress has a verified Twitter account, but it is busy spreading lies on the Lakhimpur Kheri incident.

After India’s tit-for-tat, UK backtracks, says no quarantine rules for Indians fully vaccinated with Covidshield: How events unfolded

OpIndia Staff
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After India’s tit-for-tat, UK backtracks, says no quarantine rules for Indians fully vaccinated with Covidshield: How events unfolded

A week after the Indian government imposed reciprocal travel restrictions on British visitors arriving in India, the United Kingdom (UK) has decided to scrap the mandatory quarantine period for ‘fully vaccinated’ Indian citizens arriving in the country. The fresh set of guidelines will become effective from October 11 onwards at 4 am.

In a statement, the British High Commissioner to India Alex Ellis said, “Good evening! From Monday (October 11), a traveller, from India to the UK, double jabbed with Covishield or another vaccine recognized by the UK regulator, does not have to quarantine. So, it will be easier and cheaper to enter the UK. This is great news. We have actually been open for Indian travellers for months. We have issued 1000s of visas to students, business travellers and tourists.”

“The noise about this issue for the past few weeks show how people are keen to travel to the UK. And I am delighted by this. Let’s now take this a little further,” he remarked. Ellis further concluded, “Let’s open more flights between the two countries, allow British tourists to come to India and business travellers to come with e-visas. This is a further step down the road set by PM Modi and PM Johnson when they agreed to develop a strategic partnership.

According to updated guidelines issued by the UK government for travellers to England from India, it read, “India will be added to this list of countries and territories with approved proof of vaccination 4 am Monday October 11. If you arrive in England before that date you must follow the rules for people who are not fully vaccinated. If you arrive after that, you can use a vaccine certificate to prove your vaccination status.”

Health guideline issued by the UK government

UK and its discriminative travel restriction policy against India and the change of heart

Earlier in September this year, the United Kingdom government decided to label fully vaccinated Indian citizens as ‘unvaccinated individuals’ and force them to undergo a mandatory quarantine for 10 days. This was although Covishield had received recognition from the World Health Organisation (WHO). The Indian government, under the programme ‘Vaccine Maitri’, had provided 5 million Covishield doses to the UK, which was later used by the country’s health authorities.

As such, it came as a rude shock when the UK government refused to recognize the Covishield vaccine. Interestingly, the jab was developed by Oxford- AstraZeneca (a UK-based company) and manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII), one of the largest vaccine manufacturers. Even then, Britain had declined to recognize the world’s most extensive Covid-19 vaccination programme, and the vaccine certificates issued via the CoWIN portal. Foreign Secretary of India Harsh Vardhan Shringla criticized UK’s approach on vaccines and its new policy on vaccines in a press conference. 

He said, “The non-recognition of Covishield is a discriminating policy and impacts our citizens travelling to the UK. The External Affairs Minister has raised the issue strongly with the new UK foreign secretary.” Secretary Shringla said that India found the non-recognition of the Covishield vaccine as discriminatory and indicated that reciprocal measures could be taken. As such, the Indian government on Friday (October 1) imposed reciprocal travel curbs on British visitors arriving in India from the UK, with effect from October 4. 

The Indian government had announced that all UK nationals travelling to India would have to undertake RT-PCR test 72 hours before their departure compulsorily. Besides, they would also be required to take the COVID-19 test on arrival and 8 days after landing. A 10-day quarantine was also made mandatory for the flyers from the UK, regardless of their vaccination status. 

The Indian Hockey team also pulled out of the Commonwealth Games at Birmingham in the United Kingdom. They cited the Coronavirus crisis and preparations for the upcoming Asian games for not participating in the competition. In a statement, Hockey India remarked that the UK had been the worst affected country in Europe amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.

Hockey India said in a statement, “As you are aware that the Commonwealth Games are scheduled in Birmingham, England from July 28 to August 8 2022 and the Asian Games are schedules in Hangzhou, China from 10 to September 25 2022. There is only a 32-day window between the conclusions of the Commonwealth Games before the start of the Asian Games. You will also appreciate the Asian Games is the continental qualification event for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games and keeping the priority of the Asian Games in mind, Hockey India cannot take a risk for any members of the Indian Teams contracting COVID-19 during the above Commonwealth Games (sic).”

“It is pertinent to mention that due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation, England have issued guidelines that 10 days quarantine is required Indians arrivals in England even for those who are fully vaccinated, since unfortunately the Indian vaccinations are not yet recognized by the English government. Such discriminatory restrictions were not imposed on Indian athletes and officials during the recent Tokyo Olympic Games and this 10 days quarantine requirement for vaccinated sports persons will affect their performances. We feel these restrictions are biased against India and term it as very unfortunate (sic),” the statement added.

Within a week of India’s reciprocal travel curb and the withdrawal of India’s hockey team, the UK government has backtracked on its discriminatory stance and accepted Covishield certification as proof of complete vaccination.

‘He was killed by monsters’, says sister of Hariom, ‘I fear for my daughters’ says Shyam’s mother: Families of those lynched in Lakhimpur Kheri by ‘farmers’ speak

OpIndia Staff
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‘He was killed by monsters’, says sister of Hariom, ‘I fear for my daughters’ says Shyam’s mother: Families of those lynched in Lakhimpur Kheri by ‘farmers’ speak

The family members of two victims who were lynched to death at the Lakhimpur Kheri violence site by the so-called ‘farmers’ on October 3 have spoken out about the brutality inflicted on their innocent children.

According to a report by The Indian Express, the sister of Hariom Mishra, who was brutally lynched to death by the ‘farmers’, recalled how the family members “collapsed” when they saw Hariom’s dead body, which was brought home on Monday, October 4.

Hariom Mishra was BJP MP Ajay Mishra’s son, Ashish’s driver. He had been employed with Ashish for around five years. Hariom was a resident of Parsehra village. He is survived by two younger siblings, his mother Nisha and his father Radhe Shyam, who is mentally and physically disabled. The family relied on Hariom’s earnings because Radhye Shyam was unable to work.

Hariom’s sister Maheshwari added that his brother had left two or three days earlier for work. “We had no idea something had happened to him. He was killed by the farmers”, rued Maheshwari.

“What happened to him was brutal and inhuman. He was killed by monsters,” lamented Hariom’s mother Nisha, adding how she could bear to look at the body of her deceased son, who fell prey to the so-called farmers’ wrath on October 3.

Lynched BJP worker’s family recalls the terror unleashed on their son during the Lakhimpur Kheri violence

Meanwhile, the mother of another victim, Shyam Sunder Nishad (30) said that the video of the incident reached them before she got the news of her son’s death. Shyam Sundar Nishad’s family had gotten to know of his death when they received the video of him being beaten up by a ‘farmer’ mob on WhatsApp. Shyam Sunder Nishad was the BJP ‘mandal mantri’ for the Singahi area of the district. 

“There are people surrounding my son and questioning him as he bleeds and begs them for mercy,” rued Nishad’s mother.

Recalling how the angry farmers had unleashed terror on her son, Phoolmati said that the farmers questioned Nishad on whether he was sent by Mishra. Even though Nishad answered in the negative, the farmers were unsparing towards him. While Nishad kept pleading for mercy, the farmer protestors persistently kept grilling Nishad whether he was sent to “do an accident deliberately”.

Phoolmati confirmed that his son Nishad was an active BJP worker and had gone for a dangal event (wrestling event) in the MP’s (Mishra’s) village.

Concerned about their future after losing the family’s sole breadwinner, Nishad’s father Balak Ram (52) said, “The government has given a cheque for Rs 45 lakh. But we want justice. Those who killed him must face action, whoever they are”.

‘Nishad’s father also said he worries for his two daughters, one 3 and the other an infant of seven months.

‘Dada Dada chhod do’, Nishad’s video goes viral, seen begging for his life

Since the violent crash, Nishad’s video has gone viral on all social media platforms. His face was covered in blood and one could see the fear of impending death in his eyes. He was stunned and under the immense pressure of the furious crowd. The situation was evident in the video.

Nishad was seen begging for his life in the video. However, the barbaric mob was hell-bent, forcing him to say that he was sent by BJP leader Teni to crush the farmers. It was clear that the mob was forcing him to speak against the political party, but Nishad refused to budge in. He joined his hands and urged them to leave him while saying ‘Dada Dada chhod do‘ (please leave me). After that, his dead body was found. 

Sanjay Nishad, the brother of the late Shyam Sundar Nishad also spoke to OpIndia and divulged what transpired on October 3.

Family of those lynched by the ‘farmers’ during Lakhimpur Kheri violence call for action against Rakesh Tikait

On October 7, OpIndia reported that Hariom’s family members blamed opposition leaders for the violence. His family members further called Tikait “leader of the terrorists”. Holding the BKU leader responsible for the death of the four who were lynched by the so-called farmers, Hariom’s kin sought action against Tikait.

Meanwhile, the paternal uncle of another deceased Shubham Mishra, also said that the claims that protesters were attacked by the BJP workers are false. He said, “The BJP workers did not attack anyone. It was the terrorists [protesters] who started pelting stones.”

Haryana: Dera Sacha Sauda’s Gurmeet Ram Rahim convicted in 2002 murder case

OpIndia Staff
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Haryana: Dera Sacha Sauda’s Gurmeet Ram Rahim convicted in 2002 murder case

Self-styled ‘Godman’ and the tainted cult leader Gurmeet Ram Rahim of the Dera Sacha Sauda has been convicted in a murder case by the special CBI court in Haryana. As per reports, the special CBI court has found Gurmeet Ram Rahim and 4 others guilty in the murder case of Ranjit Singh.

It is notable here that Dera leader is already serving a long prison sentence after being convicted of rape.

As per reports, the CBI court stated that the quantum of sentence will be announced on October 12.

Ranjit Singh was Ram Rahim’s disciple. He was found murdered in July 2002. The investigation was later handed over to CBI and the probe agency had registered an FIR in December 2003 in the case after Ranjit Singh’s son Jagseer Singh filed a petition.

Last week, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had dismissed a plea seeking the transfer of the said case from the Panchkula CBI Court to another CBI court.

In 2019, Gurmeet Ram Rahim and three of his associates were convicted in the murder of journalist Ramchandra Chhatrapati. Chhatrapati was murdered after he published an anonymous letter detailing the sexual exploitation of women inside Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s cult.

In August 2017, Gurmeet Ram Rahim was convicted by the same special CBI court for two separate incidents of rape. He is serving a 20-year jail term for the said rape cases. Gurmeet Ram Rahim’s frenzied followers had unleashed violence in the streets of Panchkula, clashing with police officials, torching vehicles and attacking buildings while protesting against his conviction.

After brutal clashes and multiple attacks at the police, about 36 of his followers had lost their lives in police firing amid the ensuing violence. Following Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s conviction, many financial irregularities at his Dera were also brought to the fore.

Tirumala Brahmotsavam begins at Lord Venkateswara’s abode: Here is what the festivities signify and how it is celebrated

OpIndia Staff
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Tirumala Brahmotsavam begins at Lord Venkateswara’s abode: Here is what the festivities signify and how it is celebrated

At Tirumala Tirupati, the annual festival of the 9-day Brahmotsavam began with the ‘Dhwajarohanam’ ritual yesterday on October 7, Thursday. The 9-day annual festival is celebrated with much fervour and enthusiasm at Tirumala, the abode of Lord Venkateswara.

Along with the many initiation rituals, the festival was formally inaugurated in presence of priests and officials of the TTD.

The ‘Dhwaja’ or the flag of Lord Venkateswara with the image of his servant Garuda is hoisted atop the Dhwaja Stambha or flag pole before the Lord’s temple. This ritual is considered a divine invitation to the Gods to come and witness the festivities that are to ensue.

Lord’s servant Garuda goes to the Devaloka to invite Gods like Brahma, Kubera, Indra, Yama, Agni, Vayu and sages like Vishwamitra and Vashishtha to come and attend the festivities.

The next stage of the festival is called Srivari Pedda Sesha Vahana Seva. In this ritual, Lord Venkateswara rides his faithful servant ‘Sesha Naga’ and gives divine Darshan to devotees.

Sesha Naga is depicted as the majestic 7-headed serpent on which Lord Vishnu rests on the Kheer Sagara, maintaining the divine balance in the universe. During the ritual of Srivari Pedda Sesha Vahana Seva, Lord Venkateswara rides on the Sesha Naga, and, accompanied by his consorts Sridevi and Bhudevi, ventures out of the temple to give Darshan to devotees.

The 2nd day is marked with the next ritual, called Chinna Sesha Vahana Seva. In this ritual, Lord Venkateswara carries out his procession in his other Vahana, the 5-headed serpent. Later in the evening, the Lord will ride the ‘Hamsa Vahana’ or the Swan vehicle.

Other Vahanas, or divine vehicles used during Brahmotsavam are Hamsa Vahanam, Simha Vahanam, Mutyapu Pandiri Vahanam, Kalpavruksha Vahanam, Sarvabhupala Vahanam, Hanumad Vahanam, Gaja Vahanam, Suryapraha Vahanam, Chandraprabha Vahanam, and Ashwa Vahanam.

Tirumala Brahmotsavam

Lord Venkateswara’s Brahmotsavam is celebrated every year during the Ashwina month. During Brahmotsavam, the Lord carries out processions in Tirumala riding his divine ‘Vahanas’, to bless devotees with Darshan. It is believed that a Darshan of the Lord’s Brahmotsavam washes away the sins of mortals and they are freed from the cycles of Punarjanma (next birth).

The many rituals and the stages of Brahmotsavam are as follows:

  • Aalaya Shuddhi
  • Mritsangrahanam
  • Dhwajarohanam
  • Vahana Seva
  • Srivari Koluvu
  • Snapanam
  • Choornabhishekam
  • Chakrasnanam
  • Devatodwasanam
  • Dhwajavarohanam

After the different Vahana Sevas, Snapanam is the ritual of bathing, to relieve the Lord of the tiredness after the different Vahana Sevas. Choornabhishekam involves treatment of the Lord and his consorts with different scented oils and sandalwood after the bathing rituals. After Choornabhishekam, the Lord is again taken in a procession and priests offer the sandalwood powder to awaiting devotees.

On the last day of Brahmotsavam, the Lord undergoes Chakrasnanam, the final bathing ritual after a Yagna or holy activity. Devatodwasanam is the ritual where the Lord says farewell to the invited Gods from Devaloka and sees them off. Lord Brahma is offered gratitude by the priests for organising the festivities.

Dhwajavarohanam is the last stage of the festival when the Garuda Dhwaja is lowered, marking the ending of the festivities.

It is notable here that, unlike the Jagannath Rathayatra, where the main wooden idol is taken out, the Utsava Murti (or the festival idol) of Lord Venkateswara is taken out for procession in Brahmotsavam.

The main idol of Lord Venkateswara is fixed (Dhruva). It is an 8 feet stone idol. For festivities and processions and other rituals of the temple, other idols like the Bhoga Beram, Ugra Srinivasa, Utsava Beram, and Koluvu Srinivasa are worshipped as manifestations of Lord Venkateswara.

Due to Covid restrictions, the number of devotees has been limited this year. The processions are carried out only within the temple premises. Usually, Brahmotsavam brings lakhs of devotees from all over the world to Tirumala every year.

‘With a BJP govt in the state, the interests of Hindus will be given primacy’: BJP MP Tejasvi Surya to OpIndia after Durga Puja restrictions being lifted

Akshita Bhadauria
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‘With a BJP govt in the state, the interests of Hindus will be given primacy’: BJP MP Tejasvi Surya to OpIndia after Durga Puja restrictions being lifted

Reacting to Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike’s (BBMP) withdrawal of illogical restrictions imposed on Durga Puja, BJP MP Tejasvi Surya in an exclusive statement to OpIndia mentioned that his government will protect the interest of Hindus. 

“With a BJP government in the state, the interests of Hindus will be given primacy and they will be protected,” the President of BJP Yuva Morcha said. 

Following a hard-hitting letter by the BJP MP and public outrage, BBMP Commissioner Gaurav Gupta on Thursday withdrew the order with immediate effect.

Arbitrary restrictions by BBMP

At the pretext of curbing the spread of Covid-19, BBMP on Wednesday had announced that the height of Durga idols should not exceed 4 feet and had even imposed a ban on the use of drums for the festival among other guidelines. The BBMP in its guidelines also mentioned ‘sanitizing’ the idols before installation which received a strong objection from devotees. 

Calling the restrictions colonial in nature and biased towards the Hindu community, the BJP leader had urged the BBMP commissioner to revisit the guidelines. 

Elaborating on the issue, Surya in his statement to OpIndia pointed out, “I don’t understand the logic behind restricting the idol size to 4 feet. The same kind of restrictions was put during the Ganesha Festival. It also laid down that only basic prayers must be offered.  This time, they had said Dhol or Dhak must not be drummed in front of the deity.”

Taking objection to bureaucracy dictating terms on how to offer Puja, Surya further said, “How can an administrative body decide as to what kind of rituals must be carried out? This is to be exclusively decided by the devotees.”

“Some feel that it is okay to restrict anything in any manner as long as the Hindus are concerned, thinking we will meekly accept it,” he added further. 

‘Celebrate festivals with favor but responsibly’

Thanking the BBMP for quick course correction, the BJP MP urged people to celebrate the festivals with great fervour but responsibly. 

“Let’s make sure we don’t forget that the COVID virus is still around us,” concluded the MP. 

Lakhimpur Kheri violence: NDTV manipulates video clip, adds audio disturbances to the clip that was the earlier cropped

OpIndia Staff
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Lakhimpur Kheri violence: NDTV manipulates video clip, adds audio disturbances to the clip that was the earlier cropped

As the investigation, as well as the propaganda around Lakhimpur Kheri violence, intensifies, a new video of police interrogating an associate of former Congress MP’s nephew has emerged on social media. 

In the viral video, a police officer is seen asking the injured man his name, address and other details. The man reveals that he is a resident of Charbagh Lucknow and works with Ankit Das, nephew of Congress leader and former MP Akhilesh Das. 

As the propaganda peaked, several Congress-friendly journalists started sharing cropped videos trying to further their propaganda. In the video shared by several journalists including Rohini Singh, the man only speaks about Thar ‘running over’ the crowd and mowing people. The portion where he mentions he was in the Fortuner with the nephew of a Congress leader is cropped out. 

NDTV, however, took their propaganda to a whole different level.

Earlier, NDTV posted a report pertaining to the viral video. In its headline, NDTV insinuated that the man suggested the presence of the Union Minister’s son in the violence-affected area. 

NDTV in its report assumed that the man is referring to UP Minister’s son Ashish Mishra as ‘bhaiya.’ “The “Bhaiya” is seen (as) a reference to Ashish Mishra, Union Minister Ajay Mishra’s son,” reads the report. This despite the man referred to Ankit Das as ‘bhaiya’ in the first half of the viral video.

Interestingly, while this report was shared on Twitter at 11:28 AM on the 6th of October, a couple of hours before that, at 9:26 AM, NDTV posted a video of their news segment where the anchor was talking about the viral video and the video itself was also aired.

In that video, NDTV added an audio disturbance in the video to shield the Congress leader and the nephew who were being named by the man being interrogated by the police.

At the 00:46 second mark, when the man in the video says that the nephew of a Congress leader and ex-MP was driving the Fortuner car, NDTV added audio disturbance so the name is not audible. While the ticker on the video says that the man “claims Fortuner belongs to the nephew of ex-Congress MP, Union Minister”, the sound in the video is beeped out where he names Ankit Das. In the video, NDTV had added audio disturbance to ensure that the name of the Congress leader’s nephew was not audible. This is the same video that had earlier been shared by journalists like Rohini Singh after the name of the Congress leader’s name being cropped from the video.

It is interesting to note that while NDTV mentioned the man taking Congress MP and his nephew’s name in the ticker, they added the audio manipulation so his name was not audible. This could simply be done because most people would be listening to the audio and not reading the fast-moving ticker, and therefore, would miss the reference completely.

NDTV tweet

To be clear, every media organisation has editorial freedom. It is often seen that media organisations decide to not cover a certain incident or cover it from a different angle because their editorial line makes them see an incident differently. However, manipulating media can’t, by any stretch of the imagination, be considered editorial freedom of a media organisation.

In this video, NDTV deliberately beeped out the names being taken by an injured man and an eye-witness. Their motivations could be that they want to help the Congress implicate Ashish Mishra, son of Union Minister Ajay Mishra, in order to target the Yogi government ahead of elections. However, the practice to manipulate a media in the manner that NDTV did points towards deeply unethical practice by the media organisation to further a political agenda in an incident that is already volatile with 8 lives lost.

Who is Ankit Das?

Ankit Das is said to be the nephew of former Congress MP Akhilesh Das who was the Minister of Steel from January 2006 till May 2008 in the Manmohan Singh UPA-I government. 

He was also the Mayor of Lucknow from May 1993 to November 1996. 

UP police on the look out for Ashish Mishra

Uttar Pradesh Police pasted a notice outside the resident of the Union Minister Ajay Kumar Mishra in Lakhimpur Kheri in UP, asking his son Ashish Mishra to appear before the police. Earlier, the UP police had named Ashish Mishra in the FIR filed in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case.

The notice asks Mishra to appear at the crime branch office at the reserve police lines, Janpad Kheri at 10 am on October 8. The notice states that Ashish Mishra has been booked under sections 147, 148, 149, 279, 338, 304A, 302, 120B of the Indian Penal Code in the case where eight lives were lost. He has been asked to personally appear before the police to produce material, written, oral and electronic evidence in his defence.

What it says about NDTV and the Congress ecosystem

On October 3, a ‘farmer’ mob attacked a BJP convoy with stones and sticks. The windshield of one of the cars broke and the driver seemingly lost control, thereby running over the crowd. Two protestors are believed to have lost their lives. Subsequently, the mob took to violence and beat up the men from the convoy and killed BJP workers. As of now, it is reported about 8 people have lost their lives in the incident.

Ever since then, the Congress ecosystem has been trying to fan further violence by not only reaching Lakhimpur Kheri to completely whitewash the brutal lynching of 4 BJP workers and leaders but also to incite the protestors further to incite violence. The Congress ecosystem had also witnessed strife when Rakesh Tikait was seen in a press conference with the UP police when they were announcing compensation to the victims of violence and talking about an embargo on politicians visiting the spot, in order to maintain peace.

While the UP administration tried to control the violence, the narrative was politicised to the extent that Rakesh Tikait, self-proclaimed farmer leader, went on to say that the BJP leaders who had been lynched to death deserved no compensation since they were barbarians.

With the new video of an injured man naming the nephew of a Congress leader and ex-MP as the owner of the Fortuner (we still don’t know who owned the Thar or was driving it), the entire ecosystem tried to ensure that the name of the Congress leader does not surface in the media and not just that, they cropped the video so they could claim that the man was talking about Ajay Mishra’s son Ashish Mishra.

The fact is that in Lakhimpur Kheri, the protestors attacked the convoy and after losing control, the car mowed down 4 protestors. After that, the protestors lynched 4 BJP workers to death. Who was responsible for fanning the violence will only be apparent after a thorough investigation is done. The Congress ecosystem, however, is hell-bent on naming Ashish Mishra as the person driving the car and therefore, starting tweeting a cropped video and NDTV beeped out the name of Ankit Das, nephew of Congress leader.

Clearly, the Congress ecosystem is least interested in finding out who fanned the violence or who were involved in the lynching. They simply want to implicate BJP leader Ajay Mishra and his son Ashish Mishra because it would help them implicate the Yogi government ahead of the UP elections.

India detains Chinese soldiers temporarily after they cross LAC in Tawang to damage unoccupied bunkers: Reports

OpIndia Staff
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India detains Chinese soldiers temporarily after they cross LAC in Tawang to damage unoccupied bunkers: Reports

Last week, India detained some People’s Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers temporarily after 200 of them intruded into the Indian side and tried to damage unoccupied bunkers, reported News18. The incident occurred in Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh; a district China claims to be a part of ‘Southern Tibet.’

News 18 reported that the Chinese troops transgressed into the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) between Yangtse and Bum La border pass. Indian soldiers quickly challenged their aggressive move and detained a few of them. Although both armies have no official comment, News18 reported that the Indian side did not suffer any damages. A source informed, “The matter was subsequently resolved at the local military commanders’ level. The Chinese soldiers were released and the situation was defused.”

The source added that there is no formal demarcation of the India-China border and that both countries view the LAC differently. “Peace and tranquillity in these areas of differing perceptions have been possible by adhering to existing agreements and protocols between the two countries… Whenever patrols of both sides physically meet, the situation is managed according to established protocols and mechanisms agreed by both sides. Physical engagement can last for a few hours prior to disengaging as per mutual understanding,” the source concluded.

The strategic importance of the Tawang region and China’s record at breaching LAC

News 18 reported that both sides would soon hold the 13th round of Commander-level talks in Eastern Ladakh and discuss the disengagement of troops. China had been eyeing the Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh since the 1962 India-China war. The region provides strategic access to the plains of Brahmaputra, Guwahati, and the extended Siliguri corridor, thereby making it significant militarily. An official informed, “Bomdilla, Nechiphu and Se La (connecting Tawang to the rest of Arunachal Pradesh) — aid in deployment of defences by India.”

However, this was not the first time the Chinese PLA soldiers breached existing agreements and intruded into the Indian territory. In September this year, the Economic Times reported that the Chinese forces marched aggressively in the Barahoti sector in Uttarakhand near the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Similarly, around 200 Chinese soldiers entered the Indian side of LAC at Yangtse in 2016. Before that, they had tried to climb a 250-metre long wall and damaged it in 2011.

India and China disengage at Gogra in Ladakh

In August 2021, the Indian Army had announced that disengagement was completed at another friction point along the LAC with China. The Indian Army, in its statement, said that both sides restored the landform in Gogra to the pre-standoff period. “As per the agreement reached during Corps Commander talks, India and China have ceased forward deployments in (Patrolling Point) PP-17 (Gogra Post) in a phased, coordinated and verified manner,” the statement released by the Indian Army said. The disengagement process was carried out over 4-5 August 2021.

The Army said that all temporary structures and other infrastructure created by both sides were dismantled and mutually verified. “The agreement ensures that Line of Actual Control in this area will be strictly observed and respected by both sides. Both India, China expressed commitment to take talks forward and resolve remaining issues along LAC in eastern Ladakh,” the statement further added.

Bengaluru: Following backlash and letter from MP Tejasvi Surya, BBMP scraps height limit for Murti and puja restrictions for Durga Puja

OpIndia Staff
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Bengaluru: Following backlash and letter from MP Tejasvi Surya, BBMP scraps height limit for Murti and puja restrictions for Durga Puja

Bhartiya Janta Party MP from Bengaluru, Tejasvi Surya had lashed out at Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on Wednesday for issuing discriminatory and illogical restrictions for the ongoing festival of Durga Puja.

At the pretext of curbing the spread of Covid-19, BBMP had announced that the height of Durga idols should not exceed 4 feet and had even imposed a ban on the use of drums for the festival among other guidelines. 

The BBMP in its guidelines also mentioned ‘sanitizing’ the idols before installation which received a strong objection from devotees. 

Taking cognizance of the matter, BJP MP from Bengaluru South Tejasvi Surya had written a letter to the Chief Commissioner of BBMP to revisit Durga pooja rules. 

BBMP withdraws restrictions

Following a hard-hitting letter by the BJP MP and public outrage, BBMP Commissioner Gaurav Gupta has withdrawn the order with immediate effect. The decision was taken after Gupta held a meeting with the various Durga puja committees in Bengaluru on Thursday.

“The restriction of 4 feet height of the Durga idol in public places has been lifted,” informed Gupta in an official release.

Further, there will be no further restrictions for ‘Pushpanjali’ and ‘Sandhi’ puja. Traditional instruments like ‘dhol’ have also been allowed to be used for prayer rituals.

‘This is a colonial relic’

BBMP’s restrictions on idol height and ban of musical instruments had sparked a controversy on social media.

Taking a strong objection to the baseless guidelines, Surya had Tweeted, “I spoke to @BBMPCOMM & asked him to revisit Durga Pooja rules which are discriminatory, arbitrary & illogical. He assured me that these rules will be reviewed forthwith & the sentiments of devotees will be given utmost importance. Let’s celebrate with all fervour!”

Surya in his letter had also called out the colonial hangover and general bias exhibited towards Hindu festivals by the bureaucracy time and again.  “The restrictions imposed through the order regarding the size of the idol appears to be taken without any logical relevance. It is beyond the understanding of any reasonable person as to how the size of the idol is related to the spread of the Covid-19 virus,” he said in his letter.

BJP MP Tejasvi Surya’s letter to BBMP. Image Source: Twitter

“It is highly regrettable that the administration imposes such harsh and arbitrary rules only during celebrations of the Hindu community and turns a blind eye towards celebrations of other faiths,” the letter said further.

Giving a call to end the colonial hangover, Surya in a follow-up Tweet said, “There is a general tendency in sections of the bureaucracy to think that it’s OK to put any and every kind of restrictions on Hindu festivals. This is a colonial relic. Post-2014, the awakened Hindu resists such attempts.”

People react to restrictions on Hindu festivals

After the Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh government, it was BBMP that received flak for imposing baseless restrictions on Hindu festivals. Several netizens took to Twitter to register their protest. 

“BBMP rules are illogical! What has Murti height got to do with Pandemic? Sanitisation of Murti before installation? Why no restrictions for Friday Prayers and Political rallies?” Tweeted Girish Bharadwaj of Vishwa Hindu Parishad. 

“Which law permits such restrictions?  Right to worship comes under freedom of religion but laws are only in books,” asked another user. 

Another user questioned, “What is the scientific significance behind having idol’s height at 4ft?”

It is also imperative to note that the process of idol-making commences a few months prior to the festival. Hence, releasing such arbitrary restrictions a few days prior to the festival only leads to huge losses for the idol makers and disposing of the idols that do not fit the guidelines. 

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