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‘Delete or face action’: Scientist Anand Ranganathan asks lawyer to initiate action against Alt News writer for lying and maligning his name

OpIndia Staff
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‘Delete or face action’: Scientist Anand Ranganathan asks lawyer to initiate action against Alt News writer for lying and maligning his name

On Friday (August 6), JNU scientist Anand Ranganathan asked his lawyer to serve a legal notice to Alt News writer for lying and maligning his image.

The controversy began a day earlier on Thursday (August 5) when neuroscientist turned AltNews writer Dr Sumaiya Shaikh accused Anand Ranganathan and scientist-turned-politician Gobardhan Das of ‘falsely maligning’ Ashoka University virology Professor Shahid Jameel. Shaikh had shared an article by The Print that cast aspersions about the credibility of Das and falsely claimed that he has been ‘flagged for manipulation.’ The Alt News writer alleged that Dr Das and Ranganathan had nefariously targeted the credibility of Shahid Jameel after he wrote a piece on the New York Times (NYT).

Screengrab of the tweet by Dr Sumaiya Shaikh

A day later on Friday, Anand Ranganathan took notice of the tweet and lambasted Dr Sumaiya Shaikh for religious bias and peddling lies. “Outrageous lie. I thought you were a scientist and wouldn’t let your religious convictions cloud your judgment. Show me ONE instance where I have maligned my ex-colleague of 14 years Dr Jameel; ONE. Apologise, delete your tweet, or I will contemplate legal action. ENOUGH!” he tweeted.

Screengrab of the tweet by Anand Ranganathan

The Background of the Controversy

It must be mentioned that Gobardhan Das had earlier criticised virologist Shahid Jameel for dismissing the possibility of the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic in India. Dr Jameel had even claimed that the ‘worst of Coronavirus outbreak’ was over in December last year. He was a member of the national Covid-19 panel during the deadly second wave of the Coronavirus. Amidst that, Dr Jameel wrote an opinion piece in New York Times (NYT) critiquing the efforts of the government. Four days later, he resigned from his post.

A miffed Gobardhan Das had commented on May 17, “Criticizing GOI? Hypocrite! his incompetency severely harmed in predicting second wave. He does not have any experience on epidemiology. Neither anything to do with virology, other than sequencing few. Integrity? co-authored paper retracted, papers in PubPeer.” Das had tagged co-scientist Anand Ranganathan in his tweet.

Screengrab of the tweet by Gobardhan Das

Interestingly, Gobardhan Das had been a vocal critic of virologist Shahid Jameel. Earlier in January, he questioned Jameel for casting aspersions on the efficacy of the indigenous vaccine Covaxin. Das had said, “Some people are habitual attacker to Government. No matter what government does. Can he question himself, why paper been retracted where he is co-author? Govt doesn’t know who is UPA mole and giving all privileges. They are all hating Modi waiting for his fall.”

Screengrab of the tweet by Gobardhan Das

Anand Ranganathan slams Alt News writer for peddling lies

While playing the ‘religious victim’ card, Dr. Shaikh claimed, “Not everything is about religion, but apparently for a staunch believer like you it is. Many of the fraud papers are also co-authored by you. And ‘prof’ Das has quoted only you while maligning Jameel in his tweets about your ‘discussion’. The hate you share comes unfiltered in DM.” She not only accused Anand Ranganathan of publishing ‘fraudulent research papers’ but only orchestrating hate-filled campaigns against her. It must be clarified that Ranganathan had not made any comments about Dr Jameel.

The JNU Professor responded, “Not interested in your bigotry & lies. Just prove your claim that I maligned Dr Jameel. What you say was my quote, is actually the quote of someone else who has tagged me. Accept, Delete, and Apologise.” Anand Ranganathan has cited the archived link of the tweet of Gobardhan Das and clarified that he did not make any remarks against virologist Shahid Jameel. He cautioned the Alt News writer of legal action if she fails to retract her disinformation campaign.

However, Anand Ranganathan had reached the zenith of patience by then. He tagged Supreme Court advocate Raghav Awasthi and asked him to serve a legal notice to Dr Sumaiya Shaikh and her institute. “Dear Raghav, see the tweets above. Dr Shaikh has not only LIED that I maligned my ex-colleague, Dr. Jameel, she now attributes a quote to me I NEVER made (see archive link T2). If she doesn’t delete her tweets, serve her (and her institute) a legal notice on my behalf,” he concluded.

Screengrab of the tweet by Anand Ranganathan

The Print tries to malign Gobardhan Das based on anonymous comments on PubPeer

Earlier, on Wednesday (August 4), the leftist news portal ‘The Print’ sparked a controversy after it alleged that 11 research papers published by acclaimed scientist Gobardhan Das have been ‘flagged for manipulation.’ The article titled, “11 papers by JNU scientist & BJP candidate Das flagged for ‘manipulation’, he blames politics” was authored by one Mohana Basu and edited by Amit Upadhyaya. The contentious piece relied on comments made by users in a post-publication peer-review journal called PubPeer. A majority of critical comments of the said 11 research papers by Gobardhan Das have been made over the span of the last 2 months.

Some of the research papers, that have come under the ‘spotlight’, date back to even 15 years. As such, it has raised suspicion of a motivated ‘political’ campaign, aimed at tarnishing the credibility of Gobardhan Das. Despite being well aware that the critical comments on a peer-reviewed journal do not automatically imply a guilty conscience, The Print nevertheless tried to insinuate that Das’ research work on based on manipulation. With a deliberate choice of a clickbait headline, the leftist publication ensured that the misinformation was disseminated among its readers.

With a curious and non-confrontational attitude, Das patiently answered the queries and regretted tany inadvertent errors caused. According to him, the comments were ‘minor’ and ‘not substantial’. In his defense, Gobardhan Das told The Print that he was being targeted ever since he applied for a directorial post at a big institute. Interestingly, The Print in its article had itself conceded that such comments on PubPeer were not proof of research fraud.The article said, “While the website is primarily used by scientists to discuss published work, people can also post on it anonymously… According to experts, comments on PubPeer are not in themselves proof of research fraud, but they can trigger probes. 

India and China disengage at Gogra in Ladakh, troops of both countries return to pre-stand-off period, structures dismantled: Details

OpIndia Staff
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India and China disengage at Gogra in Ladakh, troops of both countries return to pre-stand-off period, structures dismantled: Details

In a major development, the Indian Army has announced that disengagement is another friction point along the LAC with China has been completed. The Indian Army, in its statement, said that the landform in Gogra has been restored by both sides to the pre-standoff period.

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“As per the agreement reached during Corps Commander talks, India and China have ceased forward deployments in (Patrolling Point) PP-17 (Gogra Post) in phased, coordinated and verified manner,” the statement released by the Indian Army said. The disengagement process was carried out over 4-5 August 2021.

All temporary structures, other infrastructure created by both sides were dismantled and mutually verified, the army said.

“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.

“The Indian Army along with ITBP is committed to ensure the sovereignty of the nation and maintain peace along LAC in eastern Ladakh, the Indian Army said.

With the completion of disengagement at Gogra, India and China have resolved four of the six flashpoints, the others being Galwan, North and South banks of Pangong Lake. The standoffs in Depsang and Hot Springs still continue.

Christian genocide in Nigeria: Locals lament their lives don’t matter for western media as Islamists kill 22 farmers in yet another attack

OpIndia Staff
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Christian genocide in Nigeria: Locals lament their lives don’t matter for western media as Islamists kill 22 farmers in yet another attack

After destroying ripe crops, Islamists belonging to the Fulani ethnic group stormed four villages in the Southern Kaduna state of Nigeria, killing 22 people and incinerating 134 houses, a report published in The Epoch Times said.

Kaduna state police believe the violence is a spillover effect of the turmoil that has convulsed the neighbouring Bassa LGA (Local Government Area) of Plateau State. Kaduna shares its border with Plateau State to its east.

Kyle Abts, one of the co-founders of the International Committee on Nigeria (ICON) said there is a pattern to the violence that has been unleashed in the region. Abts added that the target of the Fulani terror groups are not random and the targets are not new.

“Each village has been attacked in recent weeks, months and years. The security forces and government have to know that this is a systematic onslaught by these marauders who are endeavouring to destroy not only homes, communities and farmlands, but most importantly lives,” The Epoch Times quoted Abts as saying.

At the heart of the violence that has gripped Southern Nigeria is the religious persecution of the Christian population by the Muslim radicals of the Fulani ethnic tribe. Christian farmers are routinely attacked and killed by Muslim Fulani herdsmen as a battle for scarce resources stirs long-held tensions over religion and ethnicity.

Across the length and breadth of the region, the Fulani fanatics have been hunting down Christian farmers, attacking them, destroying their produce and setting their houses on fire. Entire Christian villages have been burnt to ashes, just because the inhabitants of those villages professed a different religion or refused to abandon their faith. According to a report published in June 2020, Nigeria lost 6,500 citizens and 62,000 others were displaced from their homelands in 850 recorded violent clashes between herdsmen and farmers in the Middle Belt region of the country between 2010 and 2015. However, records show vastly underreported deaths from the conflict.

The survivors of the Fulani Group’s onslaught, however, lament that the international media and western countries have played down the conflict merely as a fight between farmers and herdsmen, brushing under the carpet the fact that religion is one of the important factors contributing to the violence.

International media turns a blind eye to religious persecution of Christians in Nigeria

After the massacre of 22 people in Kaduna, the President of Southern Kaduna People’s Union(SOKAPU), Jonathan Asake said that his organisation has continuously insisted that there is an ongoing genocide in Southern Kaduna targeted at the indigenous Christian population and the aim is to force or intimidate them to renounce their faith or leave their ancestral lands for the armed herdsmen.

Asake also accused the Kaduna State government and the federal government of Nigeria of condoning the ongoing genocide of minority Christians in the region.

“Some of the attacked villages, like Kigam and Unguwan Magaji have been attacked at least three times in the past six years, with mass graves where scores were buried standing as a testimony of what we are saying,” said Asake. “Not a single church or school is left standing. Not a single herdsman has been apprehended all these years.”

“It is unfortunate that while Kaduna State government and the Federal Government is playing blind to it, the larger world, especially the western media do not believe that our lives are worth any news,” he bemoaned.

The conflict between herders and farmers over natural resources has a long history throughout Nigeria. It is particularly stark in the Southern region. In Plateau, one of the most ethnically diverse states in Nigeria, disputes between indigenous and settler groups over resources has now devolved into religious persecution, with Muslim Fulani groups attacking and killing their Christian counterparts with abandon.

‘Time’s Up’ praises women for speaking up against NY Gov Andrew Cuomo after advising him to discredit them: How a feminist group tried to cover up sexual harassment

OpIndia Staff
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‘Time’s Up’ praises women for speaking up against NY Gov Andrew Cuomo after advising him to discredit them: How a feminist group tried to cover up sexual harassment

Time’s Up Now, a charity organisation for the welfare of the victims of sexual harassment, says on its website that it “fights for a future where no one is harassed, assaulted, or discriminated against at work”. But that does not seem to be its stand in the high-profile sexual harassment case against New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.

The duplicity of the self-avowed feminist group stood exposed after it was revealed that the organisation had advised Andrew Cuomo to discredit the victims by sending a letter rebutting their accusations.

According to New York Attorney General Letitia James’s report, two co-founders of the women’s advocacy group Time’s Up allegedly helped New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office draft a letter seeking to disprove the allegations from one of his sexual harassment accusers.

Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund founder Roberta Kaplan and Time’s Up CEO Tina Tchen reportedly helped Cuomo’s staff in drafting a letter denying allegations made against the governor by her former aide Lyndsey Boylan. It is also worth noting that Tina Tchen, the head of the Time’s Up group worked as a former aide to ex-US president Barack Obama.

In her 165-page report that was released on Tuesday this week, James said a group of advisors for Cuomo last December, sought to draft a letter to deny the legitimacy of Ms Boylan’s allegations, call into question her credibility, and accuse her claims of being politically motivated.

“The letter denied the legitimacy of Ms. Boylan’s allegations, impugned her credibility, and attacked her claims as politically motivated (including with theories about connections with supporters of President Trump and a politician with an alleged interest in running for Governor),” the report said.

The letter was initially intended to be sent to former colleagues of Boylan and Cuomo for them to sign, and later published as an op-ed. But Melissa DeRosa, one of the top aides of Andrew Cuomo, had apprehensions about the letter, worrying that it would ‘backfire’. So Cuomo reportedly asked her to reach out to Roberta Kaplan.

As per Ms DeRosa’s testimony, Ms Kaplan read the letter to the head of the feminist group Times Up, Tina Tchen, and both of them thought the letter was fine with some minor changes.

Relevant section from NY AG’s report, Page 109

Essentially, the so-called feminist group was working in cahoots with a sexual predator, providing him with advice and legal counsel to scrub clean his tainted image and discredit the victims who had levelled allegations of sexual harassment against him.

Times Up takes a u-turn after NY AG report revealed that its co-founders had helped Cuomo in discrediting his victims

Hours after New York Attorney General’s damning report was made public, bringing to fore the involvement of two of the co-founders of the women’s advocacy group Times Up in helping Cuomo in drafting a letter that would discredit one of the alleged victims of sexual harassment, the feminist organisation made a stunning volte-face and went into a damage-control mode. It released a statement lauding the 11 women for their courage and sacrifice of coming out against New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. It also called for Cuomo to immediately tender his resignation.

“We acknowledge and deeply respect the courage and sacrifice of the 11 women who came forward to share their experiences of harassment and the retaliation they endured. Demanding accountability and justice from someone in power is never easy and it comes at great risk but, by boldly coming forward, these women have given others the courage to do the same,” the statement read.

With the report incriminating Cuomo for sexual harassment, the feminist group quickly pivoted and distanced itself from the tainted Governor. Instead, it went to slam the governor, accusing him of harbouring a toxic and hostile work environment and asking for his removal from the post of governor.

“The findings of the investigation further cement the fact that the powerful can no longer hide behind their influence and threats when people they’ve harmed are demanding accountability and justice. The independent investigation, which included 74,000 pieces of evidence and 179 witnesses, found that Governor Cuomo violated both federal and state laws and that a toxic and hostile work environment existed,” the statement read.

It further said,” He has failed to protect the women who worked in New York State government and therefore shouldn’t be permitted to govern. We applaud Attorney General James for the thoroughness of her investigation and, now that it’s over, we’re calling on Governor Cuomo to resign immediately. It’s imperative that he face the consequences of his actions and be held to account by the State Assembly and law enforcement authorities in New York.”

NY Governor Andrew Cuomo harassed multiple women: State AG Letitia James

Governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women, state attorney general Letitia James said on Tuesday. The comments were made on the basis of an investigation that was conducted after allegations surfaced against the Governor last year.

The investigation concluded that his administration was a “hostile work environment”, “rife with fear and intimidation.” Two outside lawyers were roped in for the investigation. Andrew Cuomo is the brother of CNN anchor Chris Cuomo, often called ‘Fredo’ by his critics.

Letitia James said at a press conference that Andrew Cuomo “sexually harassed multiple women, and in doing so violated federal and state law.” According to James, the report presents “a deeply disturbing, yet clear, picture” in a “toxic workplace.”

In addition to state government employees, Cuomo also harassed women outside of it. On at least one occasion, he and his associates attempted to retaliate against one woman who accused him of misconduct.

Did you know? Rockstar actress Nargis Fakhri had once said she lost jobs because she did not go naked or ‘sleep’ with the director

OpIndia Staff
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Did you know? Rockstar actress Nargis Fakhri had once said she lost jobs because she did not go naked or ‘sleep’ with the director

Rockstar fame and Bollywood actress Nargis Fakhri in an interview had once opened up about her moral compass and values which led to her losing work because she “wouldn’t do certain things.”

These comments made in a 2019 interview have recently gathered steam again after Times of India and koimoi.com published articles based on this 2019 interview, on the 5th of August 2021.

In an elaborate interview about her career as a model and actor, Fakhri had revealed that she has always been old-school, planning her life around the values and morals she holds. Fakhri revealed that she turned down plenty of offers that demanded her either favours or having to pose nude. 

Nargis Fakhri said, “’I always knew what I was hungry for. I am not hungry for fame. Therefore, nothing can be agreed to do. Can not be nude. Or can’t sleep with the director. I have lost many jobs because I have not done ‘some things’. And it was heartbreaking. I had a standard. I had a boundary. But it felt bad when I was thrown out for taking these things more than once. But then I came to know that good people win. Of course, do not win by holding their way, but ‘own’ win by holding a path”.

She also revealed that she once turned down a college edition of Playboy magazine even though it offered a lot of money. “I am not hungry for fame,” she said. 

When asked about how she adopted these values, Fakhri said that it was mainly because of her mother but probably the wrong way. “Mom scared me with men, sex and relationship,” she revealed. “But a lot of it is because I was shy and I learnt from observing,” Fakhri said further.

She also added that she has always been true to herself and her values and does not let anyone convince her of anything else. 

Fakhri also revealed that she loved working in Bollywood because it did not demand sex scenes or going nude which would have been an uncomfortable experience for her. 

Fakhri said she has been able to do all this because she was never hungry for fame and wanted to work for creativity, to be able to take care of her mother and sister and travel the world.

The actress who has been on the covers of some of the top fashion magazines is currently away from all the glamour and having the time of her life with her boyfriend Justin Santos. 

J&K Govt to rename 75 schools and 75 roads after martyrs from security forces to celebrate 75 years of Independence

OpIndia Staff
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J&K Govt to rename 75 schools and 75 roads after martyrs from security forces to celebrate 75 years of Independence

To celebrate 75 years of India’s Independence, the Jammu & Kashmir government has decided to rename 75 schools and 75 roads after unsung heroes and martyrs from the police, army and CRPF. 

Contributing editor at CNN News18, Aditya Raj Kaul posted the order on his Twitter timeline that is part of this initiative. In a written letter dated July 29, the Deputy Commissioners of 10 districts have been asked to identify government schools in villages and municipality wards to rename. 

The letter further suggests that a committee may be constituted at district levels to prepare the details. As per the order, the list was to be forwarded to the Deputy Commissioner’s office on or before August 05. 

Naming of Government Schools after martyrs order letter. Image Source: Twitter

150 roads and schools to be renamed

As per reports, J&K Chief Secretary (CS) Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta announced that the government is in the process of renaming as many as 75 schools and roads each.

This was revealed at a high-level meeting chaired by the Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba to review the ongoing Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav to celebrate 75 years of India’s Independence. 

While apprising the meeting on the initiatives planned by the government of Jammu & Kashmir, Mehta said as a mark of respect, 75 roads and 75 schools will be renamed after the local unsung heroes in J&K. 

As part of this initiative, the Union Territory has also submitted a regional ‘Rajya Geet’ in Kashmiri and Dogri languages personifying J&K’s contributions and aspirations.  

Renaming stadiums and roads

The BJP in 2019 had renamed stadiums and roads in Kashmir ruffling some feathers. J&K’s Chenani-Nashri Tunnel was renamed after Shyama Prasad Mukherjee and the Sher-e-Kashmir Cricket Stadium to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium.

While some alleged saffronisation of Kashmir by the BJP, the party defended the move by saying, “Kashmir is not anybody’s Sultanate and everything doesn’t belong to Abdullahs and Muftis here.”

Additionally, in 2020 Srinagar Municipal Corporation Mayor Junaid Azim Mattu, had proposed renaming city chowks after prominent personalities, who were killed during the 30-year-long terrorism. Proposals to change the name of Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden to Kashmir Tulip Garden were also made. 

Netflix wants you to believe that we are living in some ‘Hindu dystopia’, but here’s the real dystopia we live in

Sachin R
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Netflix wants you to believe that we are living in some ‘Hindu dystopia’, but here’s the real dystopia we live in

When Netflix, the gold standard of today’s popular culture, started making original content in India, three of their very first productions were Sacred Games, Ghoul and Leila. Made with typical Netflix sleek production values, top actors and lots of investment, there was also a common theme in all – a totalitarian or post-apocalyptic India, masterminded or caused by Hindus. A society, where belonging to the wrong religion or holding the wrong thoughts gets you in trouble, often fatal. From Hindu Baba planning a nuclear holocaust to the state officially persecuting Muslims, implementing caste purity and official misogyny. The works.

Of course, it’s only fiction, and we need to take it as such. Now let’s make fiction movies showing how mother nature is destroying the human lifestyle through sheer recklessness and greed?

Enough about fiction though. Let’s talk reality. From the mainstreaming of Hindu Holocaust deniers like Audrey Truschke, media’s complete whitewash of Bengal anti-Hindu post-poll violence, opposition’s claims of questioning election process when results go against them, Congress party lying and blaming BJP of losing land to China, and all of this going completely unchallenged by the arbiters of truth – Social Media giants and fact-checkers – it seems the fears of Netflix have already come true. We are living in an era, where belonging to the wrong religion or having the wrong thoughts can get you in trouble, often fatal.

Except this dystopia is not Hindu, it is Woke.

Even in conservative Japan that has stuck to its cultural idiosyncrasies with zeal, Olympic officials are getting cancelled because they made a joke three decades ago or bullied someone in school. Social media giants are suspending accounts if a non-Muslim quotes the Quran. People are getting kicked out of professional groups for wishing on a Hindu festival because only Christmas is secular. Demanding Jhatka meat is communal but normalising Halal meat is inclusive. United States Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has pro-religion commissioners from all religions except Hinduism. Not ONE feminist or minority rights advocate feels the need to say a word about the daily abductions and rapes of underage minority girls in Pakistan. None of this is Hindu dystopia, but dystopian it is. 

Psychological Projection

Sigmund Freud defined it as “a defence mechanism in which the ego defends itself against unconscious impulses or qualities (both positive and negative) by denying their existence in themselves and attributing them to others”. In simple words, we accuse others of what we ourselves are. While this is an impulse at an individual level, it has been exploited by expansionist ideologies like the Nazis and Communists in the past as part of their propaganda machinery. Unfortunately, what we see in pop media like Netflix and Amazon today looks more and more like such offensive propaganda. Of course, this is not a new phenomenon. Bollywood’s use of various propaganda techniques has been well documented.

Are there real victims? Not if you read Buzzfeed for news. Nobody was raped or murdered in Bengal, underage Hindu girls are not getting abducted and raped (statutory and otherwise) in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh and people are not facing discrimination only for being practising Hindu. Except all of this is happening with real victims and real crimes. And in my view, the ethical aspects of a crime are more serious than the material aspects of it. A whole culture is dedicated to perpetrating this ethical crime today, spearheaded by woke media such as Netflix, Buzzfeed and countless others.

How can we arrest this slide into dystopia?

We can certainly stop funding those who provide it intellectual cover. Once you are aware, you will start noticing certain repetitive themes in the media we consume. Stop funding such media. Also start funding media that speak up against such propaganda. In our real lives, speak up where you can. Ask your political representatives to take note. Do what you can.

The victims are real. Doing nothing is not an option.

The Print tries to malign scientist Govardhan Das based on anonymous comments on PubPeer: Here is what happened

Dibakar Dutta
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The Print tries to malign scientist Govardhan Das based on anonymous comments on PubPeer: Here is what happened

On Wednesday (August 4), the leftist news portal ‘The Print’ sparked a controversy after it alleged that 11 research papers published by acclaimed scientist Govardhan Das have been ‘flagged for manipulation.’

The article titled, “11 papers by JNU scientist & BJP candidate Das flagged for ‘manipulation’, he blames politics” has been authored by one Mohana Basu and edited by Amit Upadhyaya. The contentious piece relied on comments made by users in a post-publication peer-review journal called PubPeer. The site allows scientists to review and discuss published research work. A majority of critical comments of the said 11 research papers by Govardhan Das have been made over the span of the last 2 months.

Screengrab of the article by The Print

Some of the research papers, that have come under the ‘spotlight’, date back to even 15 years. As such, it has raised suspicion of a motivated ‘political’ campaign, aimed at tarnishing the credibility of Govardhan Das. Despite being well aware that the critical comments on a peer-reviewed journal do not automatically imply a guilty conscience, The Print nevertheless tried to insinuate that Das’ research work on based on manipulation. With a deliberate choice of a clickbait headline, the leftist publication ensured that the misinformation was disseminated among its readers.

Govardhan Das responds to comments and queries about his research papers on PubPeer

It must be pointed out that Govardhan Das is the main author in 8 of the research papers and co-other in the remaining 3. The scientist-turned-BJP politician had responded to several queries posted on PubPeer. For instance, a user (Dr. Biskrensis) had asked as to why two images looked the same but were described differently.

Screengrab of the comment on the PubPeer site.

Dr. Das conceded, “This is related to a correspondence published in Nature Medicine on Dec.12, 2006. We are sorry for the inadvertent mistake, a wrong micrograph for “C57BL/6-WT-CD8-depleted” in Figure 2A has been used. This paper was originally submitted as an article (NMED-PI27525) and was finally accepted as a correspondence. We have located the original Fig.5c (made on March 16, 2006 and attached below). This Fig.5c should have been used as the published Fig.2A. For some reason, during rearranging the panels for correspondence format, a wrong panel was used for “C57BL/6-WT-CD8 depleted”.”

Screengrab of the response by Govardhan Das

The Print concedes that comments on PubPeer not proof of research fraud

With a curious and non-confrontational attitude, the scientist patiently explained the errors to Dr. Biskrensis and regretted the inconvenience caused. He had also responded to other such queries, which according to him were ‘minor’ and ‘not substantial’. Interestingly, The Print in its article had itself conceded that such comments on PubPeer were not proof of research fraud. The article said, “While the website is primarily used by scientists to discuss published work, people can also post on it anonymously… According to experts, comments on PubPeer are not in themselves proof of research fraud, but they can trigger probes. Editors of journals where the papers are published may take note and contact the researchers or the institution involved.”

Govardhan Das slams motivated political campaign, says willing to discuss science

In his defence, Govardhan Das told The Print that he was being targeted ever since he applied for a directorial post at a big institute. “I am an applicant for the directorship of a big institute and people are trying to pull me down. All of this (comments on PubPeer) has appeared after I applied for a directorship position. Whatever has been flagged is very minor, there is nothing substantial there. If anybody has any problem, I welcome them to talk to me directly, purely on science,” he said.

The scientist also added that it was not unusual for directors and researchers from institutes such as IISc and NCBS to be bombarded with such comments. He concluded, “If I refuse to make corrections when there are genuine mistakes, then there is a problem. But if I am willing to make corrections then what is the sense in maligning my name? “So far, nobody proved our papers are wrong. Targeting somebody without any proof is unethical and biased, especially when many others also have papers in the same site. Is it my political affiliation that is bothering some people?”

Congress MP claims naming Khel Ratna Award after Major Dhyan Chand instead of Rajiv Gandhi is ‘unfortunate’: Here’s what he said

OpIndia Staff
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Congress MP claims naming Khel Ratna Award after Major Dhyan Chand instead of Rajiv Gandhi is ‘unfortunate’: Here’s what he said

Congress MP from Kerala K Suresh has said that changing the name of Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award to Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award is ‘unfortunate’. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier announced that the name was changed since citizens across the country had requested him to that effect.

K Suresh said, “It’s unfortunate. Rajiv Gandhi was the Prime Minister. He led the country into the 21st century. He encouraged sports, youth. This Govt wants to saffronise and that’s why they gave another name.”

It isn’t clear how changing the name of the sports honour to Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award is ‘saffronization’. It’s only infinitely more likely that the Congress MP is sad and angered by the fact that the name of Rajiv Gandhi has been removed from the title of the award, an honour he did not deserve in the first place.

K Suresh had earlier incurred the wrath of Congress supremo Sonia Gandhi after taking oath as an MP in Hindi. She wanted him to take oath in Malayalam. He was also spotted laughing in the Parliament when Prime Minister Modi took a ‘tube light’ jibe at Rahul Gandhi.

The Khel Ratna Award is the highest sporting honour in India. Until now, it had been named after Rajiv Gandhi, former Prime Minister of the country and the son of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

Major Dhyan Chand is one of the greatest hockey players in the history of the game. He led India to three consecutive Gold Medals in Hockey in 1928, 1932 and 1936. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian honour, in 1956.

PM Modi speaks to an emotional Indian women’s Hockey team, says they have inspired millions and done the nation proud

OpIndia Staff
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PM Modi speaks to an emotional Indian women’s Hockey team, says they have inspired millions and done the nation proud

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday dialed the Indian women’s hockey team to thank them for making the nation proud. During the call, Prime Minister Modi said that the team with their grit and hard work over the years has inspired millions of Indians.

The women’s hockey team that lost the Olympic bronze medal today got teary-eyed while speaking with the Prime Minister. PM Modi, seemingly upset hearing the girls cry, urged the team to not lose heart.

“Your sweat (hard work) has become the inspiration of crores of girls in India,” exclaimed Modi. He also enquired about Navneet who sustained injuries. To this, the team informed that the player got four stitches and is undergoing treatment.

Prime Minister Modi also congratulated Salima Tete who has been in the news for her inspiring journey. Indian women’s hockey team coach Sjoerd Marijne thanked the Prime Minister for his support and informed him that the girls were overwhelmed at the moment. 

“The girls have inspired the nation which they should cherish. Thank you for your support. Namaste,” Marijne said concluding the call.

India lost the bronze medal match 3-4 against Great Britain in women’s hockey at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 on Friday. However, like millions of Indians, Prime Minister Modi too congratulated the girls for a splendid performance and reviving the interest of citizens in the game.

“We will always remember the great performance of our Women’s Hockey Team at #Tokyo2020. They gave their best throughout. Each and every member of the team is blessed with remarkable courage, skill, and resilience. India is proud of this outstanding team,” He Tweeted.

The Indian women’s hockey team that had failed to win any matches in earlier Olympics had made it to the semifinals this year.

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