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PV Sindhu suffers defeat in Tokyo Olympics semifinal, loses in straight sets against World No.1 Tai Tzu-Ying

OpIndia Staff
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PV Sindhu suffers defeat in Tokyo Olympics semifinal, loses in straight sets against World No.1 Tai Tzu-Ying

Indian badminton star PV Sindhu has lost her semifinal match in the semifinals of the Tokyo Olympics. She suffered a defeat in straight sets against World No.1 Tai Tzu-Ying. Tai Tzu-Ying won the match 21-18, 21-12.

Sindhu was ahead for most part in the first game and led 11-8 at one point. However, her opponent won a flurry of points towards the end to win the game. Tai Tzu-Ying dominated the second game and won it 21-12, much more comfortably than the first game.

PV Sindhu had reached the finals of the 2016 Rio Olympics, becoming the first Indian badminton player to reach a final. However, PV Sindhu had to settle for silver after her loss to Spain’s Carolina Marin.

She can still win a Bronze Medal in the women’s singles category in Badminton. Until her defeat, she was yet to lose a single game in the Tokyo Olympics. On Friday, she had defeated Akane Yamaguchi from Japan 21-13, 22-20 to reach the semifinals.

Earlier, Pooja Rani had lost to China’s Li Qian in the quarter finals of the women’s boxing middleweight category. She lost 0-5.

The Print uses sero survey results to claim 92.65 crore Indians were infected with Covid-19: Here is why they are wrong

OpIndia Staff
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The Print uses sero survey results to claim 92.65 crore Indians were infected with Covid-19: Here is why they are wrong

Even as Kerala has become the single largest contributor to Covid-19 cases in the country, accounting for more the half of the new cases daily, most left-liberals have gone silent on the pandemic. However, a few braves among them have come forward to defend the Communist-ruled state to argue that higher cases in the state are the result of efficient management of the pandemic, not the other way around. With that goal, The Print published an article on July 30 using a dubious analysis to claim that other states under-reporting new cases by a huge margin.

The Print journalist Abantika Ghosh wrote the article based on tweets by one so-called ‘health economist’ Rijo John claiming that the results of the latest serosurvey conducted by ICMR prove this point. According to John, Bihar detected only 1 out of 134 cases, UP detected 1 out of 100, but Kerala detected 1 out of 6 covid-19 cases. Maharashtra, another worst-affected state, is reporting 1 out of 12 cases, according to the analysis based on which the Print article has been written. The figure for all India is 1 out of 33.

Thus, the article claimed that the entire country is under-reporting cases, but its extent is much more in states like Bihar and UP, where the cases have come down to less than 100 per day. The Print has claimed that cases in Kerala are more because under-reporting there is much less. The article further multiplies the alleged under-reporting factor with the state-wise official number of Covid-19 infections to arrive at ‘actual’ numbers.

According to this calculation, the actual infection in the country was 92.65 crore by May 2021, not the official number of 2.82 crore at that time. The respective numbers for the states are also spectacularly high with that calculation, which is 16.89 crore for UP, 9.47 crore for Bihar, 6.74 crore for MP, 6.17 crore for Rajasthan, 4.81 crore for Gujarat, 6.07 crore for West Bengal etc. The estimated cases for Kerala and Maharashtra using this calculation are 1.59 crore and 7.14 crore respectively. John claims that fingers are pointed towards these two states because they were detecting cases better.

While the serosurvey numbers are actually from the fourth round of the National Sero-Prevalence Survey done by ICMR, there are huge problems in using these numbers to calculate the ‘actual’ number of cases. The sero prevalence survey is a sample survey that measures the estimated percentage of people with Covid-19 antibodies, while the reported Covid-19 numbers are based on the total number of tests done on people. Comparison of estimated numbers from surveys with actual results is always problematic, as the surveys suffer from various limitations.

The current 3.16 crore total confirmed cases to date in the country is the result of over 46.64 crore tests done in the entire country. On the other hand, the sero prevalence survey was done among around 28,000 people in 70 districts in the country. Even though statistical models say that such a small sample base is good enough if the sampling is done correctly, a survey estimate can never negate the results of actual tests. The sero survey only gives an indication of how the disease might have spread, it is not designed to calculate the ‘actual’ number of cases, as Rio John and The Print did.

The sero survey measures how many people have Covid-19 antibodies. The antibodies are produced by the immune system of the body when it encounters the infection. Therefore, it provides an estimate of how many people might have contracted the infection. It is notable that a large number of people can develop antibodies after contacting the virus without developing any symptoms. Therefore, the number of people with antibodies will always be higher than the number of people who are tested positive, as generally only people with symptoms, their contacts, and high-risk category people are tested for the virus.

Covid-19 vaccines also produce the same antibodies in the body, and this is the big factor that was missed by The Print while calculating ‘actual infections’. In the total sample of 28,975 people, 2,631 people were fully vaccinated with two doses, and 5,038 people had received one dose of the vaccine. This means, there were 7,669 people in the sample who got the antibodies from the vaccine and not the infection. As more than one-fourth of the people included in the survey were vaccinated, it is completely wrong to use the sero survey numbers to estimate ‘actual’ numbers of Covid-19 infections.

The ICMR study says that antibodies were found in 81% of people with one dose and 89.8% of people with both doses, while the same was 62.3% for unvaccinated people. It means that vaccination is a big factor in the development of the antibodies in the body. If one has to estimate the actual infections based on the sero survey results, the number of vaccinated people will have to be excluded to get a truer picture. But this was not done by The Print, which resulted in unnaturally high numbers.

The sample of 28,975 people also included 7,252 healthcare workers, a high-risk group that is most likely to have antibodies either from infections or vaccines. 25% of the sample were healthcare workers, which is far more than the actual share of healthcare workers in the country. Therefore, it is another reason why the survey returned such a high proportion of people with the antibodies, and why it can’t be used to estimate the ‘actual’ number of infections in the country.

The argument that Kerala and Maharashtra are detecting cases better than states with lower cases is also not supported by another actual data, the test positive rate. The rate is 12.3% for Kerala and 3.4% for Maharashtra, but the same is only 0.02% for UP and 0.05% for Bihar. This means, for every 100 tests done, Kerala is reporting 12.3 positive cases. But UP is reporting 1 positive case in every 5000 tests done.

If actual cases in UP was much more and it was under-reporting cases, the scenario should have reversed. UP reported 37 new Covid-19 cases on July 20 after doing 2.45 lakh tests, while Kerala reported 20,772 cases from 1.53 lakh cases on the same day. Therefore, the logic of Kerala detecting cases better does not hold.

Due to these reasons, it is completely illogical to use the sero survey results to claim that India is under-reporting cases and the actual number of Covid infections is 92.65 crore. The survey only says that many people are ‘estimated’ to have antibodies against the virus, which includes vaccinated people. It does not mean the cases are being under-reported as claimed by The Print.

A book, an alleged feud between Tim Cook and Elon Musk at a time when Musk wanted Apple to acquire Tesla and denial of the anecdote

Dibakar Dutta
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A book, an alleged feud between Tim Cook and Elon Musk at a time when Musk wanted Apple to acquire Tesla and denial of the anecdote

Apple CEO Tim Cook had dropped the F-bomb on Elon Musk during a telephonic conversation over Telsa’s acquisition in 2016, reported LA Times. The details of the intriguing conversation between the two CEOs was revealed in a new book titled, ‘Power Play: Tesla, Elon Musk, and the Bet of the Century’ by Tim Higgins.

The book claimed that Tesla was in ‘serious financial trouble’ prior to the launch of the ‘Model 3’ program. As per Higgins, Elon Musk had reached out to Tim Cook and suggested that Apple acquire his company. At that time, Tesla’s valuation was around $40 billion. The company was struggling to scale and ensure the efficient delivery of electric cars. Apple also wanted to enter the automobiles industry and had plans of building a self-driving car.

The idea behind acquiring Tesla by Apple appeared like the right bet. Based on a second-hand anecdote, Tim Higgins alleged that Elon Musk not only wanted to remain the CEO of Tesla after the acquisition but also of Apple. He claimed that this provoked a rather calm Tim Cook to drop the ‘F-bomb’ on Musk. Here is the excerpt of the conversation:

Cook has an idea: Apple buys Tesla.

Musk is interested, but one condition: “I’m CEO.”

Sure, says Cook. When Apple bought Beats in 2014, it kept on the founders, Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre.

No, Musk says. Apple. Apple CEO.

“F— you” Cook says, and hangs up.

Excerpt from the book ‘Power Play: Tesla, Elon Musk, and the Bet of the Century’ by Tim Higgins

Elon Musk denies claims, says the meeting never happened with Tim Cook

Following the explosive revelation involving two powerful men, Elon Musk denied the occurrence of any such incident. “Cook & I have never spoken or written to each other ever. There was a point when I requested to meet with Cook to talk about Apple buying Tesla. There were no conditions of acquisition proposed whatsoever. He refused to meet. Tesla was worth 6% of today’s value.”

Screengrab of the tweet by Elon Musk

An old tweet by Musk, dating back to December 22 last year, had also surfaced on the micro-blogging platform. In the said tweet, he had reiterated how Tim Cook refused a meeting for the acquisition of Tesla.

Screengrab of the tweet by Elon Musk

In another tweet, Musk instead praised the Apple CEO for doing an incredible job. He emphasised, “Indeed. Both Cook & I have been clear publicly that we have never spoken or otherwise communicated. I tried to speak to him & he declined. Nor have I ever expressed any interest in running Apple to anyone. Cook is, all things considered, obviously doing an incredible job.”

Screengrab of the tweet by Elon Musk

On being asked by journalist mark Gurman about the contradictions in the anecdote featured in the new book and the statements of both Apple and Tesla CEOs, Musk mockingly responded, “Higgins managed to make his book both false *and* boring.”

Screengrab of the tweet by Elon Musk.

When a Twitter user (@billhuang688) said that Musk would have been a better Chief Executive Officer for Apple, he clarified, “I don’t want to be CEO of anything.”

Screengrab of the tweet by Elon Musk

Apple CEO admires Musk, denies meeting him ever

9to5Mac had earlier reported in April this year that Tim Cook had never met or interacted with Elon Musk. In an interview with Kara Swisher on the Sway podcast, Cook emphasised, “You know I’ve never spoken to Elon, although I have great admiration and respect for the company he has built. I think Tesla has done an unbelievable job of not only establishing the lead but keeping the lead for such a long period of time in the EV space. So I have a great appreciation for them.” While Musk and Cook had denied having any conversation as espoused by Tim Higgins, Twitter is having a gala moment discussing the ‘feud’ between two tycoons.

Mumbai Police demanded Rs 15 lakhs to avoid arrest, claims Gandi Baat actress Gehana Vasisth

OpIndia Staff
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Mumbai Police demanded Rs 15 lakhs to avoid arrest, claims Gandi Baat actress Gehana Vasisth

Gandi Baat actress Gehana Vasisth has claimed that Mumbai Police which had come to arrest earlier this year in a pornography case had demanded that she pay Rs. 15 lakhs to avoid arrest. She was arrested in February 2021 and had to spend almost four months in jail.

Gehana Vasisth told India Today in an exclusive interview, “They wanted to take Rs 15 lakh to release me. They asked me to pay them the money. But when I said I wasn’t in the wrong, they said we could make any case against anyone.”

Citing a WhatsApp conversation between Yash Thakur alias Arvindkumar Shrivastava and Tanveer Hashmi, where the two accused in the matter could be seen arranging Rs. 8 lakhs, she said, “That’s because the police had demanded money.”

The actress is currently embroiled in another pornography case with Raj Kundra, Shilpa Shetty’s husband. Earlier, she had threatened to expose the names of everyone involved in the porn industry.

Gehana Vasisth had told Entertainment Times, “When I meet the Crime Branch officials I will give them names of the girls and the people involved in the porn industry. Both men and women are involved in the industry and those names will be shared with the police. Those girls who are playing the victim card today are worried that once their names come out they are bound to turn into the accused in the case.”

“And there are others, who are making allegations, but are involved in making porn content, which is available on the internet. I have all the names and am going to file an official complaint against all those involved in the porn industry. Why should one person be targeted and both Raj Kundra and I are still accused in the case and not convicted,” she added.

BJP MP raises concerns about the mysterious death of a Bihar boy studying in Chinese University, China says matter being investigated: Details

OpIndia Staff
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BJP MP raises concerns about the mysterious death of a Bihar boy studying in Chinese University, China says matter being investigated: Details

BJP MP and Bihar state president Dr Sanjay Jaiswal had taken to Twitter on July 30 (Thursday), to apprise of the sudden death of a Bihari boy studying in China. Tagging BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi in his Tweet, Sanjay Singh wrote that Aman Nagesan, who went from Bihar to study at China’s Tianjin University, was found dead under unknown circumstances.

He added that Aman’s family received the information about their son’s death on July 30. However, no official communication had yet been received from the University or the Chinese Embassy regarding the same. He urged Meenakshi Leki, who is also the current Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture of India, to look into the matter.

Soon after the BJP MP’s Tweet, the Indian Embassy in China responded. It said that it has information regarding the unfortunate death of the boy from Bihar and has been investigating the same. Tagging MADAD, the grievance portal launched by India’s External Affairs Ministry, the Indian Embassy in China Tweeted: @EOIBeijing is informed of the matter and is in touch with both Chinese authorities as well as the family of the deceased. We are providing all possible assistance. @meaMADAD.

MADAD, in turn, acknowledged and thanked the Indian Embassy in China for looking into the matter.

Karnataka government notifies order barring the use of temple funds for non-Hindu religious purposes

OpIndia Staff
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Karnataka government notifies order barring the use of temple funds for non-Hindu religious purposes

In a significant decision, the Karnataka government has notified an order prohibiting the use of funds of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (Muzrai) department to finance non-Hindu causes or any other religious institutions.

According to reports, the Karnataka Hindu religious institutions and charitable endowments department has released a notification dated 23 July, ordering the prohibition of diversion of funds from Muzrai department controlled Hindu temples to any other non-Hindu causes.

The decision was taken after members of the state and district Dharmic Parishads opposed the diversion of funds from Hindu temples to other religious institutions. Considering these demands, the department has barred deviation of funds from either the ‘tastik‘ amount or the annual grants.

Last month, Minister Kota Shrinivas Poojary had assured that the funds of the Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions And Charitable Endowments (HRCE) Department would no longer be used to fund any non-Hindu religious institutions. The statement by the minister had come after various Hindu groups and leaders had objected to the distribution of ‘tastik‘ money from the HRCE to priests and staff of other religious institutions.

Following the protests by the Hindu groups, Minister for Muzrai Kota Srinivas Poojary had directed that all such acts of financial support from the department be halted with immediate effect. However, Poojary had then assured that “until our government came to power, ‘tastik‘ amount meant for temples was also being provided to other religious institutions. Upon receiving this information we have directed that all utilisation of funds for non-Hindu purposes be stopped immediately.”

This order notified on 26 July bars the diversion of both the ‘tastik’ and the annual grant to 757 religious centres and 111 prayer centres. The order instructs that such grants be given to the concerned institutions through the Department of Minority Welfare, Haj and Waqf.

Aspiring model-actor Nandita Dutta and her associate arrested in Kolkata in connection with porn racket

OpIndia Staff
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Aspiring model-actor Nandita Dutta and her associate arrested in Kolkata in connection with porn racket

Nandita Dutta, a model-cum-actor from adult OTT content, and her associate Mainak Ghosh have been arrested in Kolkata for allegedly forcing young models into pornography either by luring them with a ‘break’ in OTT platforms or by threatening them.

The 30-year-old actress known as ‘Nancy Bhabhi’ in her semi-porn content was arrested from her home in Dum Dum. Her associate, Mainak Ghosh, was nabbed from his residence in Naktala. The duo was arrested after a complaint was filed against them by two young models at New Town police on July 26.

One of the complainants alleged that she was hustled into shooting a nude scene at Ballygunge studio and her friend was coerced into shooting in an adult video at a New Town hotel by the same group.

The arrest came on the heels of a porn racket busted by the Bidhannagar police in the New Town and Salt Lake area. The police arrested a photographer and a make-up artist in a separate but similar complaint last week.

As per the preliminary investigation by the police, the groups entrap women from lower-middle-class families struggling for work with quick money or threatening them with dire consequences and making false promises of providing a break.

The police is also investigating whether these porn rackets have a link to the Raj Kundra pornography case. They were produced before a Barasat court and were sent to police custody for a week.

“We are going to interrogate them for their accomplices and also to know other places where they conducted the shoots. We will also question them whether they used to sell videos and if they were a part of a larger porn racket,” said a senior officer of the Bidhannagar Commissionerate.

According to TOI, Nandita Dutta and Ghosh have been charged under IPC sections 354B (assaults or uses criminal force to any woman or abets such act with the intention of disrobing or compelling her to be naked), 354C (voyeurism), 500 (defamation), 509 (molestation), 370 (buying or disposing of any person as a slave), 417 (cheating) and 469 (forgery).

Arrest of Raj Kundra in pornography case

On July 19, actor Shilpa Shetty’s husband, Raj Kundra, was arrested by Mumbai Police for his alleged role in creating and publishing pornographic films on mobile application HotShot.

Mumbai Police Commissioner Hemant Nagrale had said, “Businessman Raj Kundra has been arrested by the Crime Branch in a case relating to the creation of pornographic films and publishing them through some apps. We have arrested Raj Kundra in this case on July 19, 2021, as he appears to be the key conspirator of this. We have sufficient evidence regarding this. The investigation is in progress.”

‘Won’t allow entry in India for cricket related work’: Herschelle Gibbs claims BCCI trying to prevent him from playing in Kashmir Premier League

OpIndia Staff
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‘Won’t allow entry in India for cricket related work’: Herschelle Gibbs claims BCCI trying to prevent him from playing in Kashmir Premier League

Herschelle Gibbs, former cricketer of the South Africa cricket team, has claimed that the BCCI is trying to prevent him from participating in the Kashmir Premier League. According to him, the BCCI has threatened him that he will not be permitted to enter India for any cricket related work in the future should he decide to participate in the cricket league in Pakistan.

Source: Twitter

The Kashmir Premier League was conceived by Pakistani politician Shehryar Khan Afridi. It will have six teams, Overseas Warriors, Muzaffarabad Tigers, Rawalakot Hawks, Bagh Stallions, Mirpur Royals and Kotli Lions. The teams will have five players from Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir each. The matches are to be played in Muzaffarabad Cricket Stadium.

Earlier, Rashid Latif, former Pakistani cricketer, had made similar allegations. He said on Friday that the BCCI had warned that if former cricketers participate in the cricket league in Pakistan, then they will not be permitted to work in India in any capacity.

Source: Twitter

The allegations of Herschelle Gibbs, however, has drawn praise for the BCCI from unexpected quarters. Priyanka Chaturvedi of the Shiv Sena thanked BCCI for its decision.

Others have also praised the board for its decision.

It remains to be seen how the situation evolves. The BCCI is yet to comment on the matter.

Thailand bans distribution of ‘fake news’ undermining its handling of Covid-19 pandemic, Thai media protests, says it curbs ‘media freedom’

OpIndia Staff
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Thailand bans distribution of ‘fake news’ undermining its handling of Covid-19 pandemic, Thai media protests, says it curbs ‘media freedom’

The government of Thailand has ordered a blanket ban on the distribution of “fake news” or information causing public fear across all media platforms. The announcement, signed by the Prime Minister of Thailand and published in the Royal Gazette on July 30 (Friday). It was issued in compliance with Section 9 of the emergency decree.

PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, while announcing the “emergency” decree, said the measure is intended to make sure false content spread online doesn’t undermine the government’s management of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Under the order, which was made official in the Royal Gazette, the National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC) is required to instruct Internet service providers (ISPs) to check IP addresses and immediately suspend services of any such media houses that spread “false or distorted” news causing panic, misunderstanding or confusion “affecting state security, abusing the rights of others, and order or good morality of the people”.

The ISPs must report the details of their findings to the NBTC. The ISPs who fail to comply with the order will be considered to have failed to follow the requirements of their operating licenses, leading to their operating licences being revoked, read the order.

According to local media outlet Thaiger, the government has extended the decree until the end of September. This was the 13th time the decree has been extended since its introduction in March 2020 at the start of the pandemic, reports Thaiger.

Media outlets in Thailand protest against government’s ban on those spreading ‘fake news’

Meanwhile, six Thai media outlets have come out against the orders calling it an infringement on freedom of expression. These media outlets had released a joint statement on July 15, in which they voiced concern about the restrictions.

According to Thai PBS World, the media outlets have acknowledged that news reports by some organisations have been erroneous, but they insist that this was not done on purpose and that no news was produced deliberately, as the government believes. They said they will continue to battle for freedom of expression until the administration realises that restricting such freedoms could lead to its ultimate downfall.

The PM, meanwhile, has responded to the media statement by ordering authorities to enforce the restrictions against all media outlets, websites, and media personalities who continue to spread “fake news”. 

Thailand govt faces criticism for the handling of the Covid pandemic, PM says all is well

Meanwhile, with 17,669 new cases and 165 deaths, Thailand reportedly recorded its highest number of cases and Covid -19 related deaths since the pandemic began in early 2020 on July 29 (Thursday). In all, Thailand has recorded a total of 561,030 cases and 4,562 deaths.

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha’s government is facing harsh criticism over its handling of the virus surge and slow vaccination program, amid reports of people dying in the streets or in their homes while waiting for treatment.

The Prime Minister, has, however, claimed that his country is doing well as compared to other nations that are dealing with higher caseloads. In a special interview held at the Government House on July 29 (Thursday), he said: “If we contemplate the transmission in our country, it may seem shocking, given the daily fatalities. I want you to try paying attention to these numbers in our neighbouring countries and others for a change.”

Maintaining that his government is handling the pandemic well, PM Prayuth Chan-o-cha added: “At present, every country in the world has more or less felt the impact. There are many top-ranking countries, as you can see, whose numbers are many times higher than ours.”

The health ministry of Thailand on July 11, 2021 (Sunday) informed that as many as 618 healthcare workers have contracted Covid despite receiving two doses of the China-made Sinovac vaccine. It is being reported that a nurse has died and another medical worker is in critical condition. The nation’s health ministry is weighing using a third booster dose to the 677,348 medical personnel, who received the Chinese vaccine. 

Punjab: Congress government-appointed committee recommends free legal aid and compensation for Republic Day riots accused

OpIndia Staff
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Punjab: Congress government-appointed committee recommends free legal aid and compensation for Republic Day riots accused

Nearly six months after protestors ran amok on the streets of the national capital culminating in the Republic Day riots, the Congress-led house panel of the Punjab legislative assembly has asked the Punjab government to provide free legal aid and compensation to the accused rioters.

According to reports, the Punjab state government led by Amarinder Singh has set up a Vidhan Sabha committee to look into the issue of providing legal aid and compensation to the Republic Day riots accused. The committee has issued a series of recommendations to the Punjab government, asking them to provide free legal assistance to the rioters and also compensation for facing alleged torture at the hands of Delhi and Haryana Police.

The Delhi and Haryana police have registered cases against these alleged farmers after they unleashed mayhem on the streets of the national capital on Republic Day and desecrated the national flag by storming onto Mughal monument Red Fort.

The Congress party-led committee has also claimed that the protesting “farmers” were falsely implicated, tortured, and hence the government needs to provide free legal aid and compensation. The Vidhan Sabha committee led by Congress MLA Kuldip Singh Vaid met protestors and alleged farmers across the state in the last few weeks.

Speaking to the media, Congress MLA Vaid said that the committee has come to a conclusion that protestors were arrested when they were heading to the Tikri border to participate in a tractor rally. The committee consists of four other members — Congress MLAs Kulbir Singh Zira, Fateh Jung Singh Bajwa, AAP MLA Sarvjit Kaur Manuke, SAD MLA Harinderpal Singh Chandumajra.

“Someone was supplying milk to the agitating farmers, and the other was supplying ration. They told us that the police asked them if they were headed to the Tikri border, and when they responded affirmatively, they were picked up. They were tortured badly with sticks. Their stories are very moving. They have gone through a lot,” claimed the Congress MLA.

The Congress MLA added that they would submit the report to the Amarinder Singh government in the next week and recommend that these farmers be given free legal aid and compensation. The government should decide on the compensation, he said.

The protestors have been booked in several cases and are now being tried. “They do not know which lawyer to go to. We will now recommend to the government that we should provide them legal aid,” Congress leader said.

The Punjab government had set up the Vidhan Sabha committee after a few MLAs had demanded the government to intervene and help the Punjabi farmers who were part of the protest.

According to a report by Jagran, the Congress party government in Punjab is keen on implementing the recommendations and provide free legal aid and compensation to the Republic Day riots accused.

Republic Day Riots

On January 26, groups of alleged farmers forcefully entered Delhi on the pretext of a Tractor Rally. They created a riot-like situation in which over 300 police personnel were injured, and properties worth crores were damaged. The rally was supposed to be a protest rally against the Agriculture laws named Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 passed in September 2020.

Visuals that emerged from the riots showed how the alleged farmers tried to mow down the police personnel with tractors, attacked them with swords, batons and other weapons and mercilessly attacked police personnel at Red Fort for security purposes. A group of rioters including Deep Sidhu, Gurjot Singh, Jugraj Singh and others reached the Red Fort and hoisted two flags with the Sikh Holy symbol.

Interestingly, the hoisting of the flag was in sync with the provocations of terrorist organisation Sikhs For Justice, whose founder had announced a cash prize for hoisting the flag on Red Fort. A total of 43 cases has been registered in connection to the riots.

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