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Fact-check: No, Gita Press Gorakhpur is not shutting down. It is doing very well

Anurag
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Fact-check: No, Gita Press Gorakhpur is not shutting down. It is doing very well

Different posts on social media platforms such as Twitter, WhatsApp and others are making rounds that Gita Press Gorakhpur is about to close.

One such post reads, “SAD news. Gita Press Gorakpur is about to close. Gita Press is not in a position to pay if Gita press closes, that will be a great loss to the Hindu religion. We can’t get even a tea of fewer than 10 rs, but you can get Hanuman Chalisa for 1 or 2 Rs. published by Gita Press.” Another post claimed that they were looking for donations and urged the public to donate to Gita Press.

Gita Press is not closing down

The rumours that Gita Press is shutting down are absolutely baseless. OpIndia has recently got in touch with Lalmani Tiwari, the Manager of Gita Press and talked in detail about the Press and the rumours that often find their way to the social media platforms about its closure. Tiwari told OpIndia that the root of the rumour goes back to 2015 when some of the employees went on strike.

At that time, they had alleged that the publication house was not paying them enough. The case went to the authorities, and later it was found that the Gita Press was paying above the minimum wages as suggested by the government. The case should have been ended there, but the rumours never stopped.

Tiwari said, “Every now and then, we hear such rumours have found the way back to the social media platforms. We do not need charity or donations. Since 2015, we have expanded our Press exponentially and even during Covid time, we have installed a new German Printing Press.” He further added that they had to remove their account details from the website because people had started sending donations.

“If someone sends us a cheque as a donation, we humbly reply to them with a letter of appreciation and return the cheque. Gita Press Gorakhpur is doing well, and we prefer to serve the community with our books,” he added.

Gorakhpur MP Ravi Kishan’s statement

In June, Ravi Kishan, who is MP from Gorakhpur, visited Gita Press. In his video statement, he said, “It is a large campus covering two lakh square feet. I have seen Japanese, Italian and German printing machines that I haven’t seen before. These machines cost anywhere between Rs.5 crore and Rs.15 crore. Every month the Press pays salaries that clocks close to Rs.80 lakh. I want to put a full stop to the rumours that Gita Press Gorakhpur needs any funds or financing. The Press continuously prints lakhs of books in 15 different languages.”

He further added that Gita Press does not take even a single rupee in donations and urged everyone not to donate in the name of Gita Press.

Scam artists might be at play to collect money illegally

While talking to OpIndia, Lalmani Tiwari said that there had been reports where people tried to collect money in the name of donations for Gita Press. He said, “We do not take donations and have never asked anyone to collect money on our behalf. If you find any message circulating regarding donations to Gita Press, do not fall for it as it could be a scam.”

About Gita Press

Hanuman Prasad Poddar had founded Gita Press in 1923 in Eastern Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur district. It is the largest publisher of Hindu religious texts.

Jharkhand: CCTV footage of Dhanbad Judge’s ‘road accident’ raises questions, SIT to probe the case

OpIndia Staff
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Jharkhand: CCTV footage of Dhanbad Judge’s ‘road accident’ raises questions, SIT to probe the case

A CCTV footage of the road accident that claimed the life of district and session Judge Uttam Anand has emerged that raised several questions about the incident. As per the reports, at around 5 AM on July 28, Judge Anand was hit by a three-wheeler when he was jogging. The passers-by rushed him to Medical College, Dhanbad, where he was declared brought dead. At that time, no one was aware that he was a judge.

The video hints it was an intentional hit

The CCTV footage shows a three-wheeler suddenly turning to the extreme left of the road and hitting the Judge. It did not stop even for a second and fled the scene. After the video emerged, the Police formed a Special Investigation Team to probe the case. Police said in a statement that the SIT would analyze the footage of other CCTV cameras in the area to identify the vehicle and to see if there was a pattern.

Sanjeev Kumar, Senior Superintendent of Police, Dhanbad, said the SIT led by city SP would look into all possibilities. He said, “I have constituted an SIT led by the city SP who will look into all possible reasons. The CCTV footage and all related aspects would be analyzed and identify the vehicle.”

The auto involved in accident was stolen a night before

Hindi daily Jagran reported that the auto that was seen hitting Judge Anand belonged to one Sugni Devi. It was reported stolen a night before the accident. Kriti Sinha, wife of Judge Anand, filed an FIR at Dhanbad Police Station against unknown people.

The judge was identified hours after the death

When the Judge was rushed to the hospital, no one was aware of his identity. The family of the Judge got worried when he did not return home by 7 AM and informed the Police. The judge’s driver had accompanied the Police to the hospital after they were informed about the accident and identified the body.

Judge had rejected bail in a high-profile murder case

Hindustan Times reported that Judge Anand had recently rejected a bail plea filed by an alleged contract killer Ravi Thakur and Anand Verma from Uttar Pradesh, who are linked to gangsters Abhinav Singh and Aman Singh. Ravi Thakur is currently lodged in Dhanbad jail for his alleged involvement in a high-profile murder case of Ranjay Singh. Officials said as the investigation is at an early stage, it would be too early to link it to any case that Judge Anand had or was involved in.

Pakistan: Five men booked for abducting, gang-raping and killing a goat

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan: Five men booked for abducting, gang-raping and killing a goat

A case has been registered against five men in Pakistan for raping and killing a goat in Okara on Tuesday, reports Express Tribune.

According to the reports, the shocking incident of bestiality took place in the jurisdiction of the Satghara police station. Five men – Naeem, Nadeem, Rabb, Nawaz and another accused abducted one goat that belonged to a labourer named Azhar Hussain. After abducting the goat from Azhar’s house, the five men dragged the goat into a nearby compound.

Later, the accused raped the animal one after another, tortured and then brutally murdered it. According to the locals, the accused ran away after sexually assaulting and killing the animal.

Meanwhile, the owner of the goat has filed a complaint, after which a case has been registered by the police.

Following the complaint, the police recovered the body of a sexually assaulted goat and shifted it to a nearby hospital. The medical report confirmed the goat was raped before it was killed. The police have launched a search operation to arrest the rapists.

Taking notice of the incident, DPO Faisal Shehzad ordered Satghara SHO Javed Khan to arrest the culprits immediately. SHO Javed Khan said the suspects accused would be arrested soon.

Meanwhile, the local residents of the area are outraged against the raping and killing of the goat and have demanded strict action against the rape accused.

China’s sh*t talker-in-chief Chen Weihua tells US Senator to ‘send the troops’ after he accused China of genocide

OpIndia Staff
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China’s sh*t talker-in-chief Chen Weihua tells US Senator to ‘send the troops’ after he accused China of genocide

Chen Weihua, associated with Chinese state-affiliated media China Daily, on Wednesday asked US Senator Tom Cotton to ‘send the troops’ after the Senator from Arkansan accused China of committing a genocide. The comments came after Tom Cotton condemned Coca Cola for not taking a stand against China’s human rights violations.

Chen Weihua vs US Senator Tom Cotton
Source: Twitter

It is unclear whether Chen Weihua meant the words literally or figuratively when he dared Senator Cotton to send the troops. He has built a reputation for himself as China’s sh*t talker-in-chief. He found himself in the media spotlight after calling another US Senator a ‘lifetime b*tch’. On another occasion, he called former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo a ‘sh*t face’.

Senator Tom Cotton said in the tweet, “Coca-Cola: We stand up for what is right across the world.” Then said, “Also Coca-Cola: We will not condemn the Chinese Communist Party for committing genocide, and we will support the Winter Olympics in Beijing.”

The senator was highlight Coca Cola’s hypocritical stand on issues of human rights. Paul Lalli, global vice president of human rights at Coca-Cola, had responded to his queries, “No, senator. We stand up for what is right across the world. We apply the same human rights principles that we do across the world.”

“We’re aware of the reports of the State Department on this issue as well as other departments of the U.S. government,” he said before adding, “We respect those reports, they continue to inform our program.”

Coca Cola will be a sponsor of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

Rep. Adam Kinzinger goes from laughing like a clown to crying within seconds during Capitol riot hearing, invites widespread mockery

OpIndia Staff
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Rep. Adam Kinzinger goes from laughing like a clown to crying within seconds during Capitol riot hearing, invites widespread mockery

The January 6 Select Committee started off with sentimental histrionics as Illinois lawmaker Adam Kinzinger went from laughing like a clown to weeping inconsolably within seconds during the Capitol Riot hearing.

“I by no means anticipated at present to be fairly emotional for me because it has been,” Kinzinger said while choking up. He had been beaming and expressing gratitude to his colleagues only a few moments before.

“I believe it’s necessary to inform you proper now, although,” he went on. “You guys could like really feel individually somewhat damaged, in regards to the results you must take care of, in regards to the influence of that day,” he said as he fought off tears streaming from his eyes.

But the abrupt transition from chortling during the hearing to sobbing inconsolably within a matter of just a few seconds was not lost on social media users, who called out the legislator and mocked him for his theatrics.

Adam Kinzinger’s theatrics during Select Committee hearing draws flak on social media

One of the Twitter users tersely said, “This guy is a Con man.”

Another commented that this entire Committee is just going to be one large group therapy session for clinically insane narcissists.

Yet another user commented, “And the Oscar goes to”, implying that Rep. Adam Kinzinger was acting during the committee hearing.

A Twitter user said, “America is run by these theatre kids.”

Responding to the video where Adam Kinzinger was sobbing moments after he was seen laughing, a Twitter user said, “Do these people not realize we have something called the internet and can see all the video footage for ourselves? Everyone now knows this was not an “insurrection” . It’s pretty obvious this was a staged psy-op.”

The theatrics witnessed during Rep. Adam Kinzinger’s testimony also led many social media users to raise questions over the actual purpose of the Committee investigation, with many claiming that it was just an emotional attempt to “reframe” the narrative about the riots at Capitol Hill.

The House select committee was formed in the aftermath of the January 6 riots on the US Capitol when scores of disgruntled people stormed the hallowed federal structure to mark their protest against the election results. The committee convened its first hearing on Tuesday, hosting a panel of four police officers who defended the building against a mob that descended on Capitol Hill.

Court sanction, police apathy and political patronage to conversions: Human Rights report sheds light on the abysmal state of Hindus in Pakistan

OpIndia Staff
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Court sanction, police apathy and political patronage to conversions: Human Rights report sheds light on the abysmal state of Hindus in Pakistan

A 2019 field investigation report by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has reaffirmed an unpleasant reality that is already known for far too long—minorities in Pakistan live under constant fear of persecution as their perpetrators enjoy court sanctions, support from the influential and affluent section of the society and patronage from political leaders.

In May 2019, the fact-finding team of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan visited Ghotki district with the purpose of assessing complaints regarding the forced conversions of Hindu girls, with reference to the case of Reena and Raveena, two underage Hindu girls who disappeared from their homes in Daharki city and were later found to be married to Muslim men after being converted to Islam.

The Hindu community protested against the incident but the local police reportedly refused to file a complaint. An FIR was filed in the case only after heavy protest from the Hindu community and after the video of the two girls went viral on social media in which they claimed that they had converted to Islam and married two Muslim men from their locality.

The family of the two girls claimed that they were underage but the commission formed by the Islamabad High Court to ascertain the facts of the case found that the girls were of marriageable age. The Islamabad High Court ordered the Ghotki sisters to return back to their Muslim husbands Safdar Ali and Barkat Ali after two girls allegedly confessed in front of the court that they had willingly converted to Islam given they were impressed by the Islamic teachings.

A High Court bench led by Chief Justice of IHC Athar Minallah made the decision after a five-member commission had submitted the report, which was tasked to probe whether the conversion of the Hindu sisters to Islam was forced or otherwise. The High Court had also ordered earlier that the two sisters be shifted to a shelter home in Islamabad until the hearing was completed.

Against the backdrop of these developments, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan met with the Hindu residents of the Ghotki district and understand the apprehensions harboured by them. The leaders or the mukhis of the Hindu Panchayats of various districts admitted to being victims of the high-handedness of certain powerful groups and individuals. A majority of them complained that they faced some kind of discrimination from the ‘powerful’ or the ‘influentials’.

Pakistani Hindus admit they are victims of the high-handedness of certain powerful and influential people

The commission found that most Hindu residents who once lived here migrated to India after facing frequent cases of banditry and forcible seizures of their property. Many others who met the fact-finding team lamented that be it for political or religious issues, the support for the community when a case of forced conversion occurred was not forthcoming.

One of the leaders who met the Human Rights Commission said that Hindu girls were held in captivity for several days for seemingly piddly mistakes and testimony were coerced out of them after their conversion. It was also alleged by others that such girls were subjected to rapes and torture while in the custody of kidnappers. Even the courts, including the Supreme Court, they claimed, were unsympathetic to the predicament of the Hindu girls.

Some of the Hindu residents also bemoaned the dichotomy of Pakistan’s constitution of granting equality of citizens but not allowing non-Muslim residents from holding the highest positions in the state and government. They further added that properties belonging to Hindus were forcibly seized by powerful individuals and that there was always an ‘element of coercion’ involved in the conversion of Hindu girls to Islam.

Police officials, bureaucrats and authorities turn a blind eye to the atrocities meted out on Hindus: Human Rights Commission report

The brother of Reena and Raveena, Mr Shaman Das Meghwar, attended the meeting with the Human Rights Commission and stated how the administration and the police refused to act to their family’s complaint. He said neither the police nor the government had responded to their protests. The SSP only visited three days later, he said, adding that the NADRA office did not issue birth certificates for his sisters despite ten days of continuous efforts by the family. Instead, the SSP proceeded to whitewash the case of forced conversion of Reena and Raveena. He asserted that there was a willingness on the part of Hindu girls to choose Muslim boys.

Furthermore, the Commission of Human Rights found out that authorities in Pakistan were more concerned about Pakistan being maligned globally after cases of forced conversions came to the fore rather than providing justice to the victims of said atrocities.

Additionally, there was also general apprehension among minorities in Ghotka districts that Mian Mithoo was using his heft with the shrine of Bharchundi Sharif and frequenting cases of conversion of Hindu girls in the region. Mithoo was also present in the Islamabad High Court during the hearing of the Reena and Raveena case. The political patronage enjoyed by the culprits and the lack of action by the administration was also considered as one of the reasons behind the rampant conversions in the Ghotki district.

The Commission also found that the fear was so widespread among the Hindu community that many cases of forced conversions went unreported. The panchayats and the Hindu community were even reluctant to follow up cases of conversions that were previously reported, for the fear of retribution.

About 90 per cent of the cases of conversion were forced, the members of the Hindu community told the fact-finding team. While the conversions of Hindu girls were celebrated, but the conversion of Hindu boys was seen with disapproval and they were often forced into destitution. As the conversions continued to take place across the district, the administration officials and the police officers in the region were either involved in the act or remained mute spectators, the residents alleged.

Court sanction to the abductions and rampant forcible conversions of Hindu girls

The Hindu leaders also highlighted the Court sanction to the rampant forcible conversions taking place in their region. In this regard, they pointed out the case of one Rinkle Kumari who was allegedly kidnapped and married off to a Muslim man in 2012. They contended that the converted girl had at one stage expressed her desire to go with her mother but she was not allowed to do so.

The courts in Pakistan have consistently failed in providing justice for Hindus in Pakistan. In fact, in some cases, the courts have empowered the culprits responsible for abducting and forcibly converting the Hindu and Christian minorities. In the case of Reena and Raveena, the Supreme Court granted only 5 minutes for the mother to meet her daughters. The mother later reportedly said that both her daughters were continuously weeping and looked fearful. Similarly, in June 2020, a district magistrate allowed a Muslim man to keep his Hindu wife even after the parents of the girl alleged that their daughter was kidnapped and forcibly married off to the man.

Even Pakistan’s civil society turns a blind eye to the sufferings of the Hindu families whose daughters are abducted, forcibly converted and married off to older Muslim men. Most good lawyers hesitated in taking on such cases, fearing social ostracism, the residents lamented. The lack of access to legal counsel was also exacerbated by the fact that most of the Hindus in Pakistan lived in abject poverty, which severely hampered their ability to afford legal services.

Political patronage to conversions emboldened perpetrators and normalised violence and persecution of Hindus in Pakistan

The Commission found that the districts of Ghotki and Daharki were among the most affected by the scourge of rampant conversions was because they were business-oriented towns and were, therefore, accessible to trade routes and networks of madrassas. As a consequence, there was considerable political influence in these districts, which the victims said played a part in normalising and legitimising the unceasing incidents of abductions and conversions of Hindu girls in the region.

The perpetrators often tended to target non-Muslims and enjoyed political support due to the state’s economic interest in the local areas. The businesses of non-Muslims were also targeted if they went against Muslim residents for the kidnapping and conversion of their daughters into Islam.

3,841 Kashmiri Pandits have returned to the valley in recent years, taken up jobs under the PM’s Rehabilitation Scheme

OpIndia Staff
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3,841 Kashmiri Pandits have returned to the valley in recent years, taken up jobs under the PM’s Rehabilitation Scheme

The Ministry of Home Affairs has confirmed that 3,841 Kashmiri Pandits have returned to Kashmir in the last few years and have taken up jobs there under the PM’s Rehabilitation Scheme, as they are feeling more secure after the Abrogation of Article 370. Interestingly, 1,997 migrants selected for jobs under the same package in April 2021, are preparing to move to the valley soon as well. 

For the uninitiated, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s package for Jammu and Kashmir, over 30,000 Kashmiri Pandits have applied for around 2,000 re-allocated government jobs in January 2021.

According to reports, the Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has been taking proactive steps to facilitate the return of the Kashmiri Pandits to the valley. In the latest move, under the guidance of Sinha, the Jammu and Kashmir administration has approved the transfer of 278 canal lands in 5 districts for the construction of over 2600 flats as transit accommodation to ensure the return of Kashmiri migrant employees. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had donated the land to the Disaster Relief Rehabilitation, and Rebuilding department in 2015 as part of an Rs. 80,000-crore development package for Jammu and Kashmir aimed at creating a modern, progressive, and prosperous region.

The Jammu and Kashmir administration, working towards fulfilling the commitment made by the central government to resettle all displaced Kashmiri Pandits in the Valley by 2022, is planning to set up 6000 transit accommodations in all for the migrant Kashmiri Pandits at an estimated cost of Rs 920 crores. This included 208 in south Kashmir’s Kulgam and 96 in central Kashmir’s Budgam. Another set of 1,200 transit flats are being constructed in Ganderbal, Shopian, Bandipora and north Kashmir’s Baramulla and Kupwara districts.

The L-G administration has set up new deadlines for readying the transit accommodations. The construction work at Shopian will be completed by March 2022 and in north Kashmir’s Baramulla and Bandipora by November 2022.

“There are many families living in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and other parts of the country and abroad who are willing to return home or register themselves. An extensive exercise must be rolled out to reach out to them through proper means of communication,” Manoj Sinha had said.

In the 1990s, hundreds of Kashmiri Pandits had fled the Valley due to growing terrorism in J and K and settled in various regions of the country.

Central govt creating as many 25,000 jobs for Kashmiri Pandits, plans to resettle them by 2022: HM Amit Shah

HM Amit Shah had in February 2021, reiterated in the Lower House that the central government intends to re-settle all Kashmiris Pandits, who have been displaced from the valley over the years, by 2022. He said that the government also had plans to create as many as 25,000 jobs for these migrants and ensure train connectivity to the region.

Along with providing Rs 13,000 per month to the 44,000 families of Kashmiri pandits with relief cards, Shah had asserted that the central government has also been providing free ration to them and has plans to settle them back in their house in the valley by 2022.

Amidst the ongoing Assam-Mizoram border conflict, bots mostly from the USA trend #ShameOnAssam on Twitter

OpIndia Staff
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Amidst the ongoing Assam-Mizoram border conflict, bots mostly from the USA trend #ShameOnAssam on Twitter

On July 26, six police officers from Assam were killed and 65 people, including civilians, were injured in the fresh violence that broke out at the disputed Assam-Mizoram border. Tensions had risen along the Assam-Mizoram border after reports of firing between the police of both states emerged. According to Assam Police, their Mizo counterparts opened fire at them at Lailapur.

Like always, the recent clash was also a fallout of the altercation that occurred over land encroachment between the people of the two states. The Ministry of Home Affairs has called for a meeting with the Chief Ministers of Mizoram and Assam in a bid to solve the border dispute that dates back to several decades. 

Amid this tension in the North-Eastern states, some social media users are trying to increase the tension by spreading anti-Assam views, probably because of their hatred for CM Himanta Biswa Sarma. Even though it is Assam which has lost 6 police officials and several others are injured, hashtag #ShameOnAssam was seen trending at number 5 on Twitter, with 98.4K tweets employing it by Wednesday evening.

#ShameOnAssam trending with 98.4K Tweets on Twitter

Pointing out the same, one Twitter user going by the handle @vikrantkumar posted an interesting observation regarding the ongoing trend.

He shared a screenshot of the search result of the trending hashtag #ShameonAssam on the social media analytics and monitoring platform Talkwalkers. The search results showed that most of the Twitter handle that posted the hashtag were from the USA. While data shows that 28K handles are mapped to India, almost double of that i.e 43.3K handles are mapped to the USA.

Data showing 28K handles that trended the hashtag are mapped to India
Data showing 43.3K handles that trended the hashtag are mapped to the USA

Moreover, the data showed that the hashtag managed to garner only 2.6 million reaches, which proves that mostly bots were used with the aim to fan internal tension in India.

Engagements and potential reach of the hashtag

If one searches the hashtag on Twitter, it can be easily seen that bots from mostly outside India and some within India have been tactically used to peddle the anti-India narrative. Interestingly, mostly all the Twitter handles posting the hashtag, belonging to non-Indians are unverified with not more than 10-11 followers.

In one observes carefully, these bots have mostly retweeted each other posts to trend the hashtag #ShameOnAssam.

Though it is unclear who might be behind this unscrupulous act, it is sufficiently clear that the recent border clash has been craftily used by propagandists to once again peddle a dangerous anti-India narrative on the microblogging website and bots, which buy legitimacy with fake names and accounts, have been engaged to fan internal conflicts in India.

Big Bull Rakesh Jhunjhunwala to foray into aviation sector with low-budget ‘Akasa Air’, plans to add a fleet of 70 aircraft in 4 years

OpIndia Staff
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Big Bull Rakesh Jhunjhunwala to foray into aviation sector with low-budget ‘Akasa Air’, plans to add a fleet of 70 aircraft in 4 years

Indian business magnate and ace investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala has decided to take a plunge in the aviation industry with his all-new budget airlines ‘Akasa Air’. The billionaire is planning on having a fleet of 70 aircraft within four years for the new airline he wants to set up in India. It was revealed by Jhunjhunwala in an interview with Bloomberg Television.

Jhunjhunwala, who according to Forbes has an estimated net worth of about $4.6 billion, is considering investing $35 million in the venture and would own 40% of the carrier. He expects to get a no-objection certificate from India’s aviation ministry in the next 15 days. Speaking about the development, the business mogul spoke on how optimistic he is about the future of the aviation sector, which has been hammered by the ensuing restrictions around the Covid-19 pandemic: “For the culture of a company to be frugal you’ve to start off fresh,” Jhunjhunwala said. “I’m very, very bullish on India’s aviation sector in terms of demand.”

The budget airlines which would be named Akasa Air and the team would include a former senior executive of Delta Air Lines Inc. and will be looking at planes that can carry 180 passengers, as per the report.

Questioned on his views over how, after and even before the pandemic, some airlines in India, like fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya’s Kingfisher Airlines, which ended operations in 2012 or Jet Airways have not been able to cope with the market, Jhunjhunwala said, “I think some of the increment players may not recover,” he said. “I’ve got some of the best airline people in the world as my partners.”

Rakhi Sawant jumps to the defence of businessman Raj Kundra, says he did not force anybody to shoot for porn

OpIndia Staff
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Rakhi Sawant jumps to the defence of businessman Raj Kundra, says he did not force anybody to shoot for porn

Ever since businessman and Shilpa Shetty’s husband Raj Kundra was arrested in connection with a case related to creating and publishing pornography, he has been the object of ridicule and criticism on social media websites. But actor Rakhi Sawant, who has been a part of Bollywood for over a decade, has recently come out in support of the beleaguered businessman, stating that he did not force anybody to shoot porn.

In an interview with the E-Times, Sawant said that Raj is being targeted only because he is the husband of actor Shilpa Shetty and felt sad for his predicament.

“I am not against anyone. Nobody points a gun at your head and forces you to shoot for pornography. It is a consensual act and those undertaking it know what they are getting into. So, please don’t blame anyone,” said Rakhi, who was last seen in the TV reality show Bigg Boss. “Nobody is lifting you and asking you to shoot. It’s a free country, people do different kinds of work. There are so many people in the world, who are doing so many things but why is only Raj Kundra being blamed? Because he is a celebrity’s (Shilpa Shetty) husband, a business tycoon? I really feel sad. I won’t say who is innocent or who is the culprit.”

Rakhi Sawant also questioned the women who have levelled allegations against Raj Kundra of being forced to shoot porn films, saying they were offered roles based on their profile. “I feel very sad for Raj Kundra ji. But time does not always favour you. One should always look inwards. Please don’t judge Raj Kundra. I stand by Shilpa Shetty. Please go and judge your reality show,” she added.

Rakhi then drew a parallel between the Sushant Singh Rajput case and the arrest of Raj Kundra. She said just like during the time of Sushant’s death actor Rhea Chakraborty was vilified, similarly, Raj Kundra is being attacked now and his reputation is being tarnished.

Rakhi further said, “He has small kids and we have no right to destroy anyone’s lives. Supreme Court, High Court, Session Court are there to see if he (Raj) is at fault. Why is he being labelled the “accused” way beforehand? If he’s done something wrong, God is there. He did not force anybody to shoot for porn. It takes two to quarrel. Why do people who feathered their nest by creating pornographic content are now coming out and speaking against Raj? I am not against anyone, I am just supporting the truth.”

Earlier in a video, Rakhi Sawant had said that the entire controversy surrounding Raj Kundra’s arrest reeks off a malevolent attempt to besmirch the good name of Shilpa Shetty. “Friends, don’t you think that Shilpa ji has worked so hard in Bollywood and someone is trying to malign her name?” Sawant had asked in her video.

She further added, “I refuse to believe that Raj Kundra is guilty. He is a respectable man, he is Shilpa Shetty’s husband, we should respect him. He is a businessman, someone is blackmailing and trying to defame Shilpa Shetty. I feel like crying when I hear such things, that someone is trying to lead a good life and they are not being allowed to.” 

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 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.”

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