The results of just concluded assembly elections in West Bengal have shocked BJP supporters and elated opponents of the party. Both the despondency of BJP supporters and the irrational exuberance of its opponents is based on the tall claims made by BJP before the elections to enthuse its cadre and influence swing voters. Such claims are routinely made by parties in the run up to the elections and these claims cannot be the benchmark based on which results are to be evaluated.
The evaluation of election results should be data based and should consider past elections results, long term trends and maybe prevailing political climate in the country. The second wave of Covid could not have impacted the state elections in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry and Tamil Nadu but it could have had some impact in West Bengal as the impact of Covid second wave could be felt in Delhi, Maharashtra, Punjab, Chhatisgarh and UP in the last four phases of elections in Bengal.
There are two long term political trends that continue to hold after the West Bengal elections. If BJP had defeated Trinamool Congress, it would have been a historical victory because it would have defied two long term political trends. The two trends are:
BJP has never replaced a non-Congress party in a state to become the ruling party i.e. in every state that BJP has ever come to power, it has always done so by replacing Congress.
In any state election since Sep 2013 (when Narendra Modi was made PM candidate of BJP) BJP has never been able to match (forget about exceeding) its performance of the Lok Sabha election in that state.
BJP has only once replaced a non-Congress party in a state to become the ruling party
Some might argue that in Uttar Pradesh in 2017, BJP defeated Samajwadi Party and so the theory does not hold. However, the party first came to power in UP in 1991 with a full majority (Uttarakhand then was a part of UP) Till 1989, Congress was the main ruling party in Uttar Pradesh. Janata Dal and its breakaway group (led by Mulayam Singh) could rule UP for 2 years but in 1991, it was BJP which had replaced Congress and captured its traditional voters.
It remained a dominant force till 2002 before it was pushed back to third place by SP and BSP. In 2017, in a way BJP regained its old position. And then there is Tripura where the BJP defeated the CPI(M) to rule the state but Tripura is a small state in comparative terms. Except UP and Tripura, there is no other state where there is any doubt that BJP replaced Congress. Even in Karnataka, BJP came to power first time by defeating Congress.
If BJP had defeated Trinamool Congress in 2021, this would have been the first instance in India’s political history where BJP defeated a regional party and came to power in a relatively large state. This is like BJP’s position in Odisha, Telangana and even Bihar (where it has to be in alliance with JDU as a junior partner to come to power). As the results show, the trend still holds.
BJP’s lagging performance in state elections compared to Lok Sabha election
In any state election since Sep 2013 (when Narendra Modi was made PM candidate of BJP) BJP has never been able to match (forget about exceeding) its performance of the Lok Sabha election in that state. Even in the Prime Minister’s home state of Gujarat, BJP has not been able to match or come even close to its performance in Lok Sabha election.
Even when Narendra Modi was Chief Minister of Gujarat, BJP’s performance in state elections was not as good as its performance during Lok Sabha elections! Even in states like Haryana, Delhi, Jharkhand where the gap between the state and Lok Sabha elections was not very much, the fall in BJP’s vote share in the assembly elections have been huge.
The closest that BJP has ever come to match its Lok Sabha performance in a state election was in UP in 2017 and in (drumroll..) West Bengal 2021.
The BJP vote-share here is NDA vote-share
The BJP vote-share here is NDA vote-share
The BJP vote-share here is NDA vote-share
And the irony is that this result in West Bengal is considered by party’s sympathisers as a setback. In a way, this negative mood could be seen as positive for the party as it shows that most of its supporters have remarkably high expectations from party’s electoral performance.
However, one must not lose touch of ground realities and long term trends while making objective assessment. Boastful claims made by party leadership (normal part of electoral strategy) cannot be made benchmark of assessment.
Relative performance of BJP compared to last assembly election
Apart from the two long term trends, a third aspect should be to compare the party’s performance in the last assembly election in the state. In West Bengal, not only has the BJP significantly improved its performance compared to last assembly elections (increased its seats from 3 to 77 and vote share to 38.1% from 10.3%), in no other big state the party has been able to increase its vote share to this extent as it has done in West Bengal.
Not in Gujarat in 1995, when it will start its more than 30 year rule (party expected to win again in 2022), not in 1991 in UP when it formed a government with full majority despite being at third position in 1989. This performance by BJP in West Bengal is unparalleled in the party’s history.
There is no doubt that had the party defeated Trinamool Congress, this would have been a historical verdict for it would have defied two long term trends. However let us not make the best enemy of better.
Note: The article has been authored by Vikas Singh who was with MyGov as Director (Analytics) and has worked in the field of Analytics, Election Management, Investment Banking and Communication.
On Sunday (May 9), popular YouTuber and content creator Rahul Vohra passed away after succumbing to Covid-19 related complications. The news of his demise came days after he pleaded to his Facebook followers to arrange for an oxygen bed.
The development was confirmed on Facebook by the Director of the Asmita Theatre Group, Arvind Gaur. “Rahul Vohra is no more. My talented actor has passed away. Only yesterday, Rahul had lamented that he wouldn’t die if he had received better treatment. Yesterday evening, he was shifted from Rajeev Gandhi Hospital to Ayushman hospital in Dwarka. Sorry, we couldn’t save you. We are your killers,” he wrote paying his last homage. Gaur also shared the video of his cremation on Facebook.
In a Facebook post on May 4, Rahul Vohra had informed his followers that he was Coronavirus positive. He said that he had been admitted to a hospital but showing no signs of recovery, even after 4 days. “Is there any hospital, where oxygen beds are available? My oxygen levels are decreasing gradually. There is none to look after me? I am posting this in a very helpless state. My family members are unable to handle the situation,” he had lamented.
Screengrab of the Facebook post by Rahul Vohra
A day prior to his death, Rahul Vohra wrote his last message. “If I had received proper treatment, then, I possibly would have survived.” For the last time, he had shared his name, age, hospital name, bed, and floor number in hopes of a last-minute miracle. “I will be reborn again and do great work. I have lost all courage now,” he had concluded his message.
Screengrab of the Facebook post by Rahul Vohra
Tributes pour in for Rahul Vohra after his death
After learning about his untimely demise, several fans and fellow YouTubers took to social media to pay tribute to the late Youtuber. Filmmaker Onir tweeted, “Shocked &Very sad to hear that @Rahulvohhra is no more. Last year same time I was having a 2 mins lockdown filmmaking competition. He used to participate every week with a funny film. So young and gone. Rest In Peace.”
Shocked &Very sad to hear that @Rahulvohhra is no more. Last year same time I was having a 2 mins lockdown film making competition. He used to participate every week with a funny film. So young and gone. Rest In Peacehttps://t.co/IITMV5nuyFhttps://t.co/mtp3jbYwVa
One Twitter user, Pankaj Purohit wrote, “One of my favourite youtuber Rahul Vohra passed away and he also posted on Facebook but no one helped him. Om Shanti.”
Popular Youtuber Ashish Chanchlani wrote, “Extremely shocked to hear about passing of Rahul Vohra. I used to talk to him in the very early times of my career. Very humble and skilled personality. His passing away is a complete shock. I don’t have words. A talent gone too soon. Condolences to his family. Om shanti”
Extremely shocked to hear about passing of Rahul vohra I used to talk to him in very early times of my career Very humble and skilled personality His passing away is a complete shock I dont have words. A talent gone too soon Condolences to his family Om shanti
Rahul Vohra was just 35 years old at the time of his death. He had 1.2 million followers on Facebook and over a lac subscribers on Youtube. He was popular on both social media platforms for his creative sketches. Vohra is one of the several personalities who have lost lives in the 2nd wave of the Coronavirus pandemic in India.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has requested for exemption of GST/customs duty and other such taxes on O2 concentrators, cylinders & COVID related drugs as requested by donors. She made the request in a letter written to PM Narendra Modi on May 9.
In view of the request by donors of O2 concentrators, cylinders & COVID related drugs for exemption of these items from customs duty/GST, I request that these items may be exempted from GST/customs duty and other such taxes: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee in a letter to PM Modi pic.twitter.com/2MAeamj3x3
Citing that a large number of organizations, individuals and agencies have come forward to donate essential medical supplies to mitigate the supply-demand gap amidst the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, the donors have approached the state to consider exemption of these items from customs/SGST/CGST/IGST, said the letter.
Letter by West Bengal CM for tax exemption on Covid relief material
However, it seems that the CM is not aware of the latest developments in the matter, as the exemptions that she requested are already there. After the request made by the CM was made public, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman took to Twitter to inform the newly re-elected Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee that an exemption from IGST for imports of a list of Covid-19 relief items was already granted on May 3 while exemption from Customs Duty/health cess was given much earlier.
A list of items for COVID relief granted exemption from IGST for imports was issued on May 3. These were given exemption from Customs Duty/health cess even earlier. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee may notice that items in your list are covered: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman pic.twitter.com/IZ1dsamEhU
Sitharaman urged Mamata Banerjee to re-check the list as the items mentioned in the list were covered for tax exemption already.
2/ A list of items for COVID relief granted exemption from IGST for imports was issued on 3rd May’21. These were given exemption from Customs Duty/health cess even earlier.
The Finance Minister also informed that all COVID relief material imported by Indian Red Cross for free distribution in the country was fully exempted from duties including IGST.
Detailing out the provision made by the Centre, Sitharaman specified that tax exemption applied to various goods including test kits, oxygen equipment, critical drugs, etc. when imported free of cost for free distribution in the country by any entity, state government, relief agency, or autonomous body basis a certificate issued by any state government.
Clarifying the tax slabs on vaccines, the Finance Minister gave a detailed break-up of the pricing, taxation and exemption informing why a complete exemption of GST on vaccines is not feasible.
The state of West Bengal recorded around 20,000 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours and registered its highest single-day deaths of 127 COVID-19 patients.
Apart from dealing with a shortage of essential medical supplies in the fight against Covid-19, the state governments are simultaneously dealing with the menace caused by black marketers who see the pandemic as an opportunity to profit off people’s misfortune. In another case of such black marketing, Indore police arrested Congress secretary Yatindra Verma on Saturday for allegedly selling Oxygen Flow meters at an inflated price amid an acute shortage.
The Congress leader was nabbed by laying a trap as Rajendra Nagar Traffic Inspector (TI) Amrita Solanki posed as a buyer and approached Verma for purchasing an Oxy-Flow meter or Oxygen Flow meter. Verma was caught selling the device for Rs 7,000 each, while the market prices range between Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000. Oxygen Flow metes are used with Oxygen cylinders to measure and regulate the flow of oxygen from the patient to the cylinder.
Sources state that apart from Oxy-Flow meters, Verma was also selling several other essential equipments at an inflated rate in the black market.
Ashutosh Bagri, Superintendent of Police informed the reporters, “We are planning to invoke the stringent National Security Act against them. Some of the accused have links to Gujarat and probe was underway along with police of that state.”
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Mohammad Rafiq and Justice Atul Sreedharan remarked, “We direct the Director-General of Police to constitute special teams in these cities and other major places to trace out all such black marketers.”
The court in an attempt to curb black marketing, further asked the DGP to take stern action against the black marketers of the drugs as well as against the persons from whom they procure the medicines and equipment.
Black marketing in other states
Other states/ UTs like Uttar Pradesh and Delhi are also dealing with the black marketers amidst the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.
Unearthing a mammoth racket, the Delhi Police on Friday had recovered 105 oxygen concentrators during the raids at two restaurants – Khan Chacha and Town Hall, situated in Lutyen Delhi’s Khan Market. On Thursday, Delhi Police had also recovered 419 oxygen concentrators from a restaurant-cum-bar in south Delhi’s Lodhi Colony area. All three restaurants are owned by Navneet Kalra who is said to be on the run.
Several other incidents of black-marketing of oxygen cylinders and Covid-19 drugs have been reported form various places.
Amidst the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, there have been countless reports of patients needing oxygen support. Compared to the first wave, the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in India is almost three times stronger. The number of patients needing oxygen support increased dramatically in the month of April.
The sudden demand for oxygen support and ICU beds crumbled the Indian healthcare system, and for some time, there was a severe scarcity of medical oxygen in the country. The central government worked tirelessly to improve the supply of medical oxygen in the country and took several steps to ensure demand is matched as soon as possible.
From airlifting cryogenic tankers, converting industrial oxygen plants to medical oxygen plants, roping in steel and other industries, importing oxygen concentrators, installing oxygen plants at hospitals and running oxygen express trains, the central government has worked tirelessly with state governments to ensure supply becomes seamless as soon as possible. Fortunately, the supply has gotten much better since then.
Hoarding and black marketing
One of the significant issues that governments are facing is hoarding and black marketing on medical oxygen and life-saving medicines. The law enforcement agencies are working day and night to burst rackets involved in hoarding and black marketing of medical oxygen, oxygen concentrators and other life-saving machines or drugs.
Recently, several reports revealed that police in different states unearthed such rackets and recovered oxygen cylinders, oxygen concentrators and medicines hoarded by some miscreants. Some of them even had links with political parties. While some of them are caught, many issues still need to be addressed.
The curious case of NGOs, fundraisers and oxygen
There are countless NGOs and individuals working day and night to provide relief to the Covid-19 patients and their families. Some are providing free food and medicines. Some are helping in arranging ICU beds, some are helping in acquiring medical oxygen, and some are collecting funds for organizations to provide support to needy people. While OpIndia appreciates and thanks each and every organization that has come forward in the time of need, we believe that under the pretext of the pandemic, NGOs, individuals and organizations must not indulge in any activity that may go against the law.
Funds from foreign countries and FCRA regulations
Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act or FCRA regulated the donations received by organizations and ensures that these funds do not adversely affect the internal security of the country. It was first enacted in 1976 and amended in 2010, in which many new measures were adopted to regulate foreign donations. It applies to all groups, NGOs and associations that want to receive funds from foreign donors. For NGOs, it is mandatory to register themselves under FCRA if they’re going to receive foreign funds.
Those organizations that are registered under FCRA can receive funds for social, educational, religious, economic and cultural purposes. It is mandatory to file annual returns. Notably, government officials, legislature and political parties, judges and media persons are not allowed to receive foreign funding. However, in 2017, the Ministry of Home Affairs made provisions via the Finance Bill that allowed Indian subsidiaries of foreign companies or foreign companies with Indian shareholder with 50% or more shares to donate to political parties.
If someone is not registered under FCRA, accepting foreign funding is by applying for prior permission. The government may grant such permission to receive a specific amount from a particular donor for carrying out specific projects or activities. Please note that the association accepting such funds must be registered under statutes such as the Societies Registration Act, 1860, the Indian Trusts Act, 1882, or Section 25 of the Companies Act, 1956.
If the Ministry of Home Affairs finds any irregularities or misuse of the foreign funds, it can suspend the FCRA registration initially for 180 days. During that period, the organization cannot receive any new donations. Also, it won’t be allowed to spend more than 25% of the available funds in FCRA account without the permission of MHA. If the organization fails to explain the queries put upfront by MHA, the FCRA license can be permanently suspended.
The government of India has issued a complete list of guidelines, process, Dos and don’ts about FCRA that can be accessed from its official website.
Strict guidelines in place for FCRA funds
One thing that every donor and organisation has to keep in mind that according to the latest amendments in FCRA, no person or organisation that has FCRA registration can donate funds collected from foreign donors to non-FCRA organisations. Also, it is mandatory to maintain different accounts for local and foreign donations.
Organisations cannot transfer funds from FC Bank account to Non-FC Bank account even if the accounts belong to the same organisation. The government has also advised not to make cash payments from FC account to ensure transparency in the expenditure of the funds received from foreign donors. The government of India has imposed a lot of restriction to bar non-FCRA organisations from receiving funds from FCRA organisations to ensure it does not harm the internal security of the nation.
Fundraising platforms and FCRA funds
A lot of organisations have created fundraising campaigns on websites like Ketto, DonateKart, Milaap, and others. These fundraising portals have their own guidelines for individuals and organisations creating campaigns on the respective websites. OpIndia scrolled through the FAQs, Terms of Use and Terms and Conditions of some of these websites to understand how they manage the funds received via foreign donors.
Ketto’s terms and conditions
According to the Terms published by the fundraising platform Ketto, it is the responsibility of the campaign organiser to obtain all necessary permissions for accepting donations from foreign donors. Ketto says it complies with the Anti-Money Laundering (AML) policy of the Government of India and requires organisations to submit several documents before a fundraiser can be started.
About FCRA under AML compliance, it says, “Recipients (campaign organisers, whether individuals or organisations) will comply with foreign exchange rules as explained by the Foreign Exchange Management Act of the RBI & FCRA guidelines. The recipient, if an individual or a non-government organisation, also understands that it needs to comply with FCRA guidelines by applying for an FCRA certificate and inform the Central Government in Form FC-1 within thirty days from the date of receipt of such contribution whenever applicable.”
Milaap’s terms and conditions
Milaap has a special note for NGOs in Terms of Use. It says, “You have to be registered/approved with FCRA to be able to receive foreign donations. Else foreign contributions will be restricted on your campaign.” It further added that in the case of contributions outside India, the campaigner must have the necessary permissions to receive such funds. “Such permissions include but are not limited to the Foreign Contributions Registration Act (FCRA), and others mandated by regulatory authorities.”
It also makes the campaigner solely responsible for utilising the funds for the purpose mentioned on the fundraising page. Milaap clearly says that it cannot be held responsible in any way towards the end utilisation of the funds. Based on FCRA regulations, it does not allow politicians, judges, news agencies and several other entities to raise funds on their platform.
DonateKart’s terms and conditions
Like Milaap and Ketto, DonateKart also has guidelines for campaign creators with respect to the FCRA regulations. DonateKart says that it is the responsibility of the campaign creators to comply with the provisions of FCRA and Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA). It also mandates the donor to disclose his/her nationality so that funds could be “directed to the applicable Trust which is registered under the provisions of India’s Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 2010, as amended from time to time (FCRA).” DonateKart also does not allow politicians, judges, etc., to create campaigns as directed under the FCRA.
OpIndia has sent a questionnaire to all three mentioned fundraising platforms about non-FCRA registered organizations and what they do with the foreign funds collected under campaigns created by or for these organizations. We asked:
If they allow non-FCRA organizations to run campaigns to collect funds, including foreign funds.
What happens to foreign funds collected under such campaigns? Do they refund such donations?
If they forward the information of foreign funds collected under campaigns created by both FCRA or non-FCRA organizations to any government authorities?
By the time this report was published, none of them had replied to our mail. We will update this report when we receive a reply.
Are non-FCRA organizations accepting foreign donations?
As we have established that non-FCRA organizations are not allowed to accept foreign funds, and no one can donate them funds collected from foreign donors without permission from authorities, some organizations, including the fundraising platforms, need to answer some questions. In the last few days, we have come across a few fundraisers that may not have FCRA clearance.
First of all, let’s talk about Hemkunt Foundation. As claimed by the organization, it has been working in the field of social welfare for the last ten years. It has its headquarters in Gurugram, Haryana. Since the Covid-19 pandemic started, they have been among the most active organizations providing life-saving oxygen and other facilities to Covid-19 patients. There are several corporate houses, celebrities and YouTubers who have come forward to collect funds for Hemkunt Foundation.
After learning about their root-level work, we decided to dig a bit into the organization. Hemkunt is everywhere. They appear on news channels, news agencies are covering their work, celebrities and YouTubers are asking their followers to donate them, and they have fundraising campaigns on all the three platforms we have mentioned above. Apart from the donations they receive on their UPI IDs, Paytm account and in their bank account, here are the screenshots of some of the campaigns they are created and others created on their behalf to collect funds.
Donation by Realme
YouTubers livestreamed and collected lakhs in donations for Hemkunt Foundation. It is unclear how much funds came from foreign donors.
YouTubers donated 50 lakh. Excerpt from report on Gadget 360.
Now, what is noticeable here is that this organization has collected funds in crores. Out of these funds, a notable portion came from foreign donors, as seen in the screenshots below.
A portion of the list of donors on Milaap with foreign donations highlighted. There were many fundraisers raising funds for Hemkunt Foundation. This particular one had foreign donations. We could not find any fundraiser created directly by Hemkunt Foundation on Milaap.
Fundraiser created to donate funds to Hemkunt Foundation
A portion of the list of donors on DonateKart with foreign donations highlighted.
Screenshots of DonateKart fundraiser. Over 11 crore raised with several donations from foreign donors.
A portion of the list of donors on Ketto with foreign donations highlighted.
Screenshots of Ketto fundraiser. Over 8 crore raised with several donations from foreign donors.
If they are receiving foreign donations, they must be registered with FCRA. This is what we thought, but the case is different. Here is a report on Devex that mentioned ‘small’ NGOs like Hemkunt Foundation are facing difficulties as they are not allowed to receive foreign funds without FCRA. Also, the latest regulations have barred them from receiving help from FCRA registered organizations.
Excerpt from Devex mentioning Hemkunt does not have FCRA registration and it is causing problem for them
Hemkunt also replied to a few donors from its official handle that they are not registered with FCRA. These replies were made recently. The campaigns had been running before these replies were sent on Twitter.
Hemkunt Foundation replied that they do not have FCRA latest on April 25.
The government of India has a directory of NGOs registered in India. The majority of the NGOs have got their names included in the list as it is one of the conditions to apply for FCRA. When we tried to find Hemkunt on DARPAN, it was nowhere to find. There was only one NGO with the name Hemkunt in it and it was registered in Punjab. We may give them the benefit of the doubt that they might have not registered with Darpan yet but it has been ten years since they are doing welfare projects. It is unclear why they did not register themselves with Darpan.
Search result for Hemkunt on Darpan
We also could not find any details on how they have been using their donations. It is a norm for NGOs to publish their returns and FCRA returns on their websites. They can be accessed in the public domain, but Hemkunt Foundation has none of the returns in the public domain.
Tie up with United Way Bengaluru
We noticed that under every Ketto campaign in which the beneficiary is Hemkunt Foundation, a disclaimer says, “Hemkunt Foundation has tied up with United Way of Bengaluru to accept foreign donations on this campaign. The funds will be transferred to the vendor assigned by Hemkunt Foundation.”
However, when we talked to experts, they say that such disclaimers should not work as the regulations state that donations received by FCRA-registered organization cannot be transferred to any non-FCRA organization. In this case, the FCRA-registered organization may be held liable by the authorities for transferring/using funds for campaigns/projects of a non-FCRA organization. Notably, in many fundraisers the text used for the fundraiser was the same.
Excerpt from fundraiser where they put up disclaimer about tie up with United Way of Bengaluru
Violation of FCRA norms
In one of the fundraisers titled “India COVID-19 – MBAs Unite For India“, it says, “We hope to mobilize the generosity and empathy of the Dartmouth community across the world to bring together our student body, faculty, and alumni to support India and its people in this time of unspeakable fear, uncertainty, and loss. If you’re part of the Dartmouth family including Dartmouth parents, grandparents, and partners, we ask for you to please support our cause. Our hope is to raise $30,000 by May 20th 2021 but we believe every cent contributed will help save lives.”
It is safe to assume that the funds are being collected from foreign donors and how Hemkunt Foundation will get the funds without breaking the law is unclear.
Please note that we are not discouraging Hemkunt Foundation from doing any welfare work. Still, the way they are working raises some serious questions about them and the fundraising platforms, celebrities, and corporations that have extended financial support for them. We have messaged Hemkunt Foundation to explain their stand on foreign funds and links to access their annual returns. We will update our report with their reply as and when we receive it.
Also, please note that we took Hemkunt as a case study as it is one of the most prominent names in Covid-19 relief work that does not have FCRA certification. We would like to again emphasize the fact that we are not discouraging anyone from doing relief work in a time of need. However, we also believe that there must be clarity about the intentions.
Links with farmer protests and allegations raised by netizens
It has to be noted that Hemkunt Foundation was one of the main organizations after Khalsa Aid to be working at farmer protest sites at Delhi borders. They had set up a tent city for the protesting farmers. It is unclear if they are diverting funds collected for Covid-19 relief work to their other projects.
Details of work done by Hemkunt Foundation at farmer protest sites.. Source hemkuntfoundation.com
After cricketer Rishabh Pant announced that he would be donating to Hemkunt Foundation, a netizen who goes by the Twitter ID Defacto dug into Hemkunt Foundation’s link to Farmer Protests and detailed out how donating to such an organization could prove problematic. He shared screenshots of the tweets by Hemkunt Foundation and its members to show how much funds they had used for Farmer Protests. He said, “They provide everything at the border from WiFi, tents to literally every comforting thing.”
Thread: Not only Rishabh Pant but so many celebrities and youtubers are supporting this Hemkunt Foundation. Here is a thread on Hemkunt Foundation and team which works for it. Please amplify this! https://t.co/vhMYpgSvz2
Defacto alleged that because many YouTubers and celebrities are double-minded in supporting farmer protests that went violent on Republic Day and had connections to anti-India organizations, they found a different route to support via Hemkunt Foundation’s Covid-19 relief.
Their direct support to Hemkunt has the potential to raise indirect support for the farmers’ protests. He said, “Why would suddenly so many people like Bhuvan Bam, Ashish Chanchlani, Rishabh Pant support this Hemkunt Foundation and not any other? Answer is simple. They want to show their support for Farmers protest but can’t say it openly. So voicing their support monetarily.”
Why would suddenly so many people like Bhuvan Bam, Ashish Chanchlani, Rishabh Pant support this Hemkunt Foundation and not any other ? Answer is simple. They want to show their support for Farmers protest but can’t say it openly. So voicing their support monetarily.
On further digging, it was found that the organisation’s community development director, Harteerath is a Hindu hater and pro-farmer protests. On many occasions, he was found abusing PM Modi relentlessly on his social media profiles and often threw ‘bhakt’ jibe casually in his posts.
When several celebrities came forward to raise voice for India including Ajay Devgn, Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli, Harteerath had abused them and called them “sell-brity”.
He was seen mocking the Holi festival. He also wanted the Indian Forces to kneel before so called “annadatas”.
If you want to know what this Hemkunt Foundation satnds for, these 2 ss should be enough. They want Indian Forces to kneel before these so called “annadatas” pic.twitter.com/b21Pvra7UW
Defacto alleged that it is possible that the funds that Hemkunt was using for farmer protests was drying up, so they came up with the plan to collect funds in the name of Covid relief. He further added that there is a possibility that Hemkunt will use only a part for Covid-19 relief work and divert the rest of the funds to farmer protests projects.
The point OpIndia has raised in questions sent to Hemkunt Foundations about its annual returns was echoed by Defecto as well. He said, “PM Cares has independent auditors. Audit report will be released at the end of financial year. But how can I check the audit report of these XYZ foundation. Who are the auditors?”
PM Cares has independent auditors. Audit report will be released at the end of financial year. But how can I check the audit report of these XYZ foundation. Who are the auditors?
He also validly pointed out that people raise their voice when PM CARES is written on aid provided under the fund as it was collected through public donation, but they keep mum when Hemkunt Foundation does the same.
How can govt name any scheme as Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana because they are using public money but Hemkunt Foundation can use public money and paste their tags on everything. pic.twitter.com/cCcmyPjXEE
We also noticed a video by influencer Yuvraj Pokharna on Instagram, who raised questions on the authenticity of Hemkunt Foundation. He said after learning about their good work, he called them to get oxygen. Their phone was switched off. Though the WhatsApp message was getting delivered, there was no response. However, if political or influential people approach them, they allegedly get instant response.
There are others who raised similar questions on their authenticity.
No reply on donation reciept.
Phone numbers are switched off
No reply on emails
Instant reply on donation tweets but no response to SOS tweets
Fundraiser by Jignesh Mevani
Another fundraiser that caught over attention was from Jignesh Mevani. We came across a detailed thread by Parixit on Twitter, who raised some serious questions on the authentication of Mevani’s fundraising program.
GUJ MLA @jigneshmevani80 doing aggressive crowdfunding (goal=Rs60L) for covid facilities at his constituency via his “foundation” (he describes as) named ‘WE THE PEOPLE TRUST’. Before contributing, we noticed some questionable discrepancies (read fishy) in the campaign.
In his thread, Parixit said that he found multiple discrepancies in the campaign. First of all, he had appealed to global donors to donate to SetuCSKA, which is a registered organization with FCRA. So far, everything seems okay. However, there is a catch. Please note that as per FCRA regulations, politicians cannot collect FCRA funds.
The latest regulations do not allow the transfer of FCRA funds from FCRA-registered entity to non-FCRA registered entity. Unless they found a loophole, this whole fundraiser can come under the radar of the authorities as Jinesh has asked foreign donors to donate to a separate entity.
1. He appeals global donors at gocrowdera through (a) SetuCSKA NGO (asso. partner) as “REGORG” (registered org), well registered at FCRA too. All good. 2. For local donors (b) ‘WE THE PEOPLE TRUST’ as “SELF” Beneficiary Type, has collected sum of Rs.19L so far. 2/n pic.twitter.com/Ry1rbQM0we
For the local donors, the donations are being directed to We The people Trust with the ‘self’ beneficiary type. By the time this report was published, he had already collected over Rs.19 lakh. His target is Rs.60 lakh.
Screenshot of Jinesh’s campaign
There were no details mentioned about ‘We The People’ on GoCrowdera or YouTube, so we investigated further to see if there is an organization by the name “We The People” with links to Jignesh Mevani. Neither Parixit nor us could find any organization with this name linked to Jignesh.
As per law, it is mandatory to register a Trust under Trusts Act, 1882 & I-T Act, 1961 Sec 12AB. Parixit mentioned that he could not find the organization on MCA, GUJ Charity Comm’ Trust Directory’ website & DARPAN. We also tried to search the organization on the said platforms but could not find any.
[It is mandatory for a Trust to get the reg. under Indian Trusts Act, 1882 & I-T Act, 1961 Sec 12AB] Besides public domain (like SM, will come later on that), we verified at MCA, GUJ Charity Comm ‘Trust Directory’ website & DARPAN (maintained by Niti Ayog) too, but no luck. 4/n pic.twitter.com/cQbNJUKd8k
In the YouTube description, there was a name mentioned as “We The People Charitable Trust”, but there were no details of such an organization in the public domain. Parixit was able to spot one Delhi based organization with the same name, but the logo, founder, etc., details were different.
Another organization with a similar name is from Mumbai. But it has a different logo and other details as well. There was an organization with a similar name on Facebook, but that is being run by kids in Ranchi.
7. Another website of one ‘WE THE PEOPLE FOUNDATION’ Addr & bank a/c at MAH has their official website (different logo, & no mention of this campaign). 8. On FB we found a ‘WE THE PEOPLE CHARITABLE TRUST’ page that belongs to some enthusiast kids at Ranchi. 7/n pic.twitter.com/7pSrHE7qrE
Another point that has to be noted that Jignesh mentioned the price of O2 concentrator as Rs.1.2 Lakh, which is almost double the price of concentrators in the market.
Parixit also contacted GoCrowdera that sometimes replied to organizations with “different names one original & one for projection purpose”, which makes the whole process even more questionable.
Screenshot of email shared by Parixit
The difference in names mentioned by Jignesh in the video and in the description makes one wonder about the legitimacy of the fundraiser. Some celebrities are endorsing the campaign, and they should also come forward to provide some explanation, said Parixit.
One thing that boggled us was that Jignesh mentioned he was suffering from Covid when he went to meet the Chief Secretary of Gujarat. There was a tweet on April 16 that he was tested positive for Covid. It is unclear if he was tested negative or not before he went to meet the Chief Secretary. If he had met him without completing his treatment and isolation, it was highly irresponsible behaviour and could have led to the further spread of the disease whereever he went.
Fundraiser by Rana Ayyub
Another campaign that caught our attention was by alleged journalist Rana Ayyub. First of all, we would like to draw your attention to the fact that according to FCRA regulations, journalists cannot collect foreign funds. Now, moving to the campaign created by her on Ketto. By the time we compiled this report, she has already collected over 89 lakh in donations. Her target is 1.25 crore.
Screenshot of fundraiser by Rana Ayyub
Coming to the beneficiary, in the campaign, she has mentioned “Daily Wage Workers”. This is not an NGO or an organization but regular wage workers. It is unclear how the funds will be transferred to them. She has uploaded photos and videos of herself doing some community work, but such a huge amount is hard to justify with a few photographs.
Parixit, who detailed out the fundraiser by Jignesh Mevani, also created a thread on Rana Ayyub. He posted a receipt by Ketto. It was clearly mentioned that the funds would go to a person’s account, and the donations are not eligible for a tax deduction that means there is no registered Trust or Organization. Still, Ayyub is accepting the funds in her personal account.
This can be further verified by receipt too which clearly says FUND TYPE=PERSONAL & the donation is NOT eligible for tax exemption(80G).
In this crisis, a donation is a noble cause but how come NO accountability or records of such huge fundraising? 2/3 pic.twitter.com/HfaQSn2lO3
Another crucial fact is the number of donations coming from foreign donors. It is strictly against FCRA regulations to collect foreign contributions. The rule applies to both individuals and organizations. If Ayyub is collecting funds, she must either register an organization and get an FCRA certificate, or she must get prior permission from FCRA. As we have mentioned above, Ketto also mentioned journalists could not raise funds on its platform.
Now, there can be two aspects of the story. Either Ayyub lied about her credentials to Ketto, or Ketto broke FCRA norms. It is unclear who is responsible for allegedly breaking the law here. Maybe Rana Ayyub is NOT a journalist after all. Who knows?
++ As per FCRA, a journalist can’t collect foreign funding in India! How is this happening here then? How can one ensure its not money laundering/ hawala/ sources of the donor (when there is an option to remain ‘anonymous’!) @ketto care to clarify this? pic.twitter.com/G53SryOofG
Experts’ opinion on FCRA regulations and foreign fund collection by non-FCRA NGOs
OpIndia contacted a few experts to understand the FCRA regulations and foreign funds collected by non-FCRA NGOs. Vinay Murarka, founder of V2 Technosys, said that in such cases, the liability also falls on the fundraising platforms. As they have mentioned in their terms that the organizations are responsible for complying with the regulations, it is the duty of the fundraising platforms to ensure they send funds to either FCRA accounts or the organization whose name is in beneficiary or refund the donations.
We had a detailed discussion with Sandeep Kanoi, founder TaxGuru.in about the regulations. He said that writing a disclaimer that they have tied up with another organization to collect foreign funds is not the perfectly legal way to go ahead with donation collection. As the beneficiary here was Hemkunt Foundation, any other organization collecting funds and then paying forward to anyone for Hemkunt’s project is against the regulations.
Sandeep further added that the financial institutes share all data with the respective authorities, especially when the funds come from foreign contributors. Fundraiser platforms also have an obligation to share the details of funds received by any FCRA or non-FCRA organization.
A word of caution
There are a lot of other organizations and individuals collecting funds in the name of Covid-19 relief on fundraising platforms and social media platforms. OpIndia would like to caution everyone who wishes to donate to check the authenticity of the organization first. It is essential that you do not just go by the PR activities done by the organization but check yourself if the organization is authentic or not. If you come across any organization or individual that may be hoarding oxygen or medicines or collecting funds via illegitimate sources, please contact authorities.
Chinese state media Global Times Editor Hu Xijin on Sunday accused BJP leader Subramanian Swamy of being ‘ungrateful’ after he tweeted that India is currently fighting a metaphoric war on three fronts: economy, China and Coronavirus pandemic.
Hu Xijin’s tweet
In a tweet, referring to Swamy as ‘ungrateful and muddleheaded’, he claimed that China is actually helping India in the fight against the third front he mentioned. “Without China’s emergency supply of oxygen concentrators, the coronavirus pandemic in India will be much worse,” he added.
It is imperative to note here that the coronavirus pandemic originated in China’s Wuhan province and going by that logic, had it not been for the origin, the world would not be in a war-like situation against the virus since over a year.
Netizens took it upon themselves to remind the Chinese Communist Party mouthpiece editor on the same.
Without China's supply of #coronavirus India wouldn't have needed any emergency requirement of oxygen concentrators. So, no thanks for this condescending message.@Swamy39
— Krishna Kant Sharma (@krishnakant_75) May 9, 2021
Netizens also pointed out how China is actually ‘helping’ India fight the ‘Chinese virus’.
The JNU administration has clarified that it has not increased its fees for semester registration of students. In a statement by Professor Anirban Chakraborti, he has clarified that the fees have not been increased.
The statement by the registrar of the University also said that registrations have been put on hold by the Jawaharlal Nehru University till the 16th of May due to the Covid-19 pandemic. “Students are requested not to give any credence to misinformation circulating in social media and may directly enquire from the Evaluation Branch for clarification, if any.”
The statement by Registrar of JNU
Manoj Kumar Manuj, Deputy Registrar (Admission & Eval.), has also issued a statement confirming the same. He said that registrations have been put in place till further notice.
Statement by Manoj Kumar Manuj, Deputy Registrar (Admission & Eval.)
The clarification by the JNU administration comes after AISA President and former JNUSU President N Sai Balaji had claimed that fees at the University had been hiked to Rs 42,608- Rs 43,108 from Rs 108-118.
Source: Twitter
There have been protests in the past as well over fears of fee hike at the University. Clashes have often erupted at JNU over the administration’s alleged “anti-student” policies.
On May 8, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) announced that it got approval for an anti-Covid-19 therapeutic application of the drug 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI). The Covid-19 application of the drug has been developed by a lab of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS) and Dr Reddy’s Laboratories (DRL), Hyderabad. The drug was originally developed for the treatment of cancer.
An anti-COVID-19 therapeutic application of the drug 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) has been developed by INMAS, a lab of DRDO, in collaboration with Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, Hyderabad. The drug will help in faster recovery of Covid-19 patients. https://t.co/HBKdAnZCCPpic.twitter.com/8D6TDdcoI7
According to the press released by DRDO, the results of the clinical trials showed the molecule helps in quicker recovery of hospitalised patients and reduces the requirement of supplemental oxygen. The Covid-19 patients who were treated with 2-DG showed a higher proportion of negative conversions. Experts suggested that the drug will be beneficial for the people suffering from Covid-19.
Although Covid-19 and Cancer are completely different diseases, the same drug has been found effective because of the similarities between the virus and cancer cells. But the virus and cancer cells replicate very fast, which means they consume lots of energy. Glucose is the main source of energy in living beings, and thus both of them use glucose very fast to survive and replicate. Therefore, these cells also consume a high amount of the drug 2-deoxy-D-glucose. As the drug and inhibits both glycolysis as well as glycosylation, it hampers the growth of the virus.
History of the drug trials by DRDO
In April 2020, INMAS-DRDO scientists conducted laboratory experiments with the help of the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad. The results showed it works effectively against the SARS-CoV-2 virus and prevents viral growth. Based on the results, DCGI’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) gave permission for Phase-II clinical trials of the drug in May 2020.
DRDO and DRL found that it was safe for Covid-19 patients and improved the recovery rate. Phase IIa was conducted in six hospitals, while Phase IIb (dose-ranging) clinical trial was conducted in 11 hospitals across the country. A total of 110 patients were treated with the drug. The patients treated with 2-DG showed faster symptomatic cure compared to Standard of Care (SoC) on various endpoints. There was a significant favourable trend 2.5-days difference in terms of median time to achieving normalisation of specific vital signs parameters compared to SoC.
In November 2020, DCGI gave permission for the Phase-III clinical trials, which was conducted on 220 patients. It ended in March 2021. Detailed data of the Phase-III study was presented to DCGI, which further granted permission for emergency use of the drug as an adjunct therapy in moderate to severe COVID-19 patients.
Research paper published by Patanjali on 2-DG molecule
Before DRDO conducted trials on the drug, scientists and experts from Patanjali Ayurved Ltd, Jain Vishwa Bharti Institute, and Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences had published a paper in March 2020 on the possible use of the molecule for Covid-19. The paper titled “Glucose antimetabolite 2-Deoxy-D-Glucose and its derivative as promising candidates for tackling COVID-19: Insights derived from in silico docking and molecular simulations” talked about the research done by the institute to understand 2-DG’s effect on the SARK-CoV-2 virus that causes Covid-19. Patanjali was the first Indian company to do a study on the drug just when the pandemic had just hit the world.
2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG), which is a radio-chemo-modifier drug used for optimising cancer therapy, and one of its derivatives (1, 3, 4, 6-Tetra-O-acetyl-2-deoxy-D-glucopyranose) were investigated by conducting ligand-receptor docking. Binding pose depictions of ligands and viral receptors were assessed by employing molecular dynamics analysis. The researchers used Molinspiration and Toxicity Estimation Software tools to determine the drug likeliness, bioactivity indices and ADMETox values and found that 2-DG can efficiently inactivate the viral receptors leading to incapacitation of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Graphics from research paper published by Patanjali
The paper suggested, “The present in silico study supports the potential benefits of using 2-DG and its glucopyranose derivative as repurposed drugs/prodrugs for mitigating the novel COVID-19 infection. Since both these moieties present no signs of serious toxicity, further empirical studies on model systems and human clinical trials to ascertain effective dose-response are warranted and should be urgently initiated.”
An in silico study refers to a study done on Computer, and it is widely used in biology, medicine and other experimental sciences. In the Patanjali study, 3D models of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the molecules of the study drug were studied in various software programs to see how the drug works on the virus.
The researchers had obtained the crystal structures of SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein, viral nuclease and protease from RCSB Protein Data Bank, obtained the structure of 2-deoxy-D-glucose and 2-DG derivative from PubChem database, and 3D structures of all of them were introduced in Argus Lab (4.0.1) program.
Graphics from research paper published by Patanjali
The researchers had obtained the crystal structures of SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein, viral nuclease and protease from RCSB Protein Data Bank, and 3D structures of all of them were introduced in Argus Lab (4.0.1) proram.
After converting the hydrogenated ligand molecules into pdb format using Open Babel (2.4) interface, online tool DoG Site Scorer was used to predict the possible binding sites in the 3D structure of spike glycoprotein, viral nuclease and viral main protease.
Hex Cuda 8.0.0 software was used for docking analysis of pdb structures of the study molecules with the viral receptors. In this study, the binding free energy of the receptors to ligands was calculated using the GROMACS tool. After that, Molinspiration software was used to analyse molecular descriptors and bioactivity scores of the ligands and standard chemotherapeutic agents.
Graphics from research paper published by Patanjali
Following the analysis of the results of the study, the researchers had concluded that 2-DG may considerably reduce the infectivity and virulence of nCOVID-19 by inhibiting both the entry and the replication of the virus inside the host cells. They had suggested further study on model systems infected with nCOVID-19 to verify this possibility before conducting human trials.
Experts mentioned Patanjali’s study while thanking DRDO
Several experts, including JNU’s Anand Ranganathan, mentioned the research done by Patanjali in March 2020.
Congrats to DRDO for EUA for 2deoxy-D-glucose, 2DG. An anti-cancer drug, its MoA might be inhibiting glycolysis in virus-infected cells.
Also appreciate @yogrishiramdev‘s Patanjali for first suggesting use of 2DG although their hypothesis was that 2DG directly attacks the virus. pic.twitter.com/u9sRCJpL0q
Ranganathan said, “Congrats to DRDO for EUA for 2deoxy-D-glucose, 2DG. An anti-cancer drug, its MoA might be inhibiting glycolysis in virus-infected cells. Also, appreciate Yogrishi Ramdev’s Patanjali for first suggesting the use of 2DG, although their hypothesis was that 2DG directly attacks the virus.”
Researchers at Patanjali were the first to publish a paper hypothesising the potential benefit of glucose analogue in COVID19 treatment. But Dr Reddy’s brings it into the market and gets the emergency approval. https://t.co/k23MKydgDf
Dr Amit Thadhani said, “Researchers at Patanjali were the first to publish a paper hypothesising the potential benefit of glucose analogue in COVID19 treatment. But Dr Reddy’s brings it into the market and gets the emergency approval.”
Drug to hit the market soon
The drug will be available soon for the Covid-19 patients, and it could be taken orally by dissolving it in water. It accumulates in the virus-infected cells and prevents virus growth by stopping viral synthesis and energy production. Its selective accumulation in virally infected cells makes this drug unique. While talking to Aaj Tak, Anant Narayan Bhatt, scientist DRDO, said the trial was conducted on moderate and severe patients, but the drug should be effective for mild patients as well.
Swapan Dasgupta, former Rajya Sabha MP and an eminent member of the Bhartiya Janta Party who contested the recently concluded West Bengal state assembly polls today registered a formal complaint with the Tarakeswar police station on the targeted persecution of the BJP workers in the post-poll violence.
Dasgupta in his complaint to the police mentioned on record the names of all 260 victims, some of whom have been unable to return home after the TMC goons unleashed violence post their victory in the state.
Went to Tarakeshwar PS to register a formal complaint of the persecution of BJP workers. I included a list of 260 victims of the political violence (including those who are unable to return home). I think it was important to put it on record. pic.twitter.com/BqzcUdKkI8
Urging the officials to take necessary action, Dasgupta in his letter specified, “The houses and homes of BJP Karyakartas have been systematically targeted, looted and demolished. Several workers have been brutally attacked while others have been threatened of dire consequences. As a result hundreds of people have been rendered homeless and fled from Tarakeswar to save their lives.”
Official complaint filed by Swapan Dasgupta
The letter also mentioned that the list of 260 is not exhaustive but should act as a starting point to take necessary action.
Swapan Dasgupta has been consistently raising awareness about the post-poll violence that has unearthed the broken system of law and order in the state of West Bengal.
TMC government under attack for allegedly unleashing violence in Bengal
From ministries to organizations to several BJP as well as Left leaders, everyone has taken notice of the fast crumbling law and order situation in West Bengal. After regaining power in the state, the TMC hoodlums allegedly went on a rampage, systematically targeting BJP workers and supporters.
Taking cognisance of the matter, the MHA constituted a four-member fact-finding central team to assess the ground situation in the state. A detailed report has been submitted to the ministry.
Roopa Ganguly and other prominent women BJP leaders were arrested in Kolkata for protesting against violence in West Bengal on Friday.
National Commission for Women (NCW) chief Rekha Sharma who had visited the state to take stock of the situation after reports of rape and targeted harassment of women went viral, was refused an extension of stay. Sharma went on record to say that the condition of women in the state due to the post-poll violence was indeed worrisome.
Yesterday I extended my visit to Kolkata for a day but state Gov. Didn’t want me to, so they sent this message to me as if I was here for a pleasure trip. In this 2 days trip met many women, saw so much pain in their eyes and recorded horrible stories. #WestBengalViolencepic.twitter.com/joxqMwXSPx
The Indic Collective Trust (ICT) on May 3, 2021, a day after the results of the Assembly elections were declared, had moved the Supreme Court through advocate Suvidutt Sundaram over the post-poll violence that has erupted in West Bengal.
Not just the nation, but even the Indian diaspora abroad took out demonstrations in various countries saddened by political attacks and killings in the state of West Bengal.
Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut has said that she believes she will not survive a week on Instagram after one of her posts were deleted on the social media platform. She has moved to posting her thoughts on Instagram after she was permanently suspended from Twitter.
Kangana Ranaut has said in an Instagram story, “Instagram has deleted my post where I threatened to demolish Covid because some were hurt.” “It’s been two days here on Insta but don’t think will last here more than a week,” she added.
Image Source: Navbharat Times
It is suspected that her post was deleted because she had referred to Covid-19 as a ‘small time flu’.
Recently, an FIR was registered against Ranaut as well for one of her Instagram stories where she had criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for the outbreak of post-poll violence in the state.
The complaint the FIR was based on stated, “Ms Ranaut has posted several posts from her verified official Instagram handle bearing url: httpa://instagram.com/kanganaranaut?igshid=2yruw6zd7j in the ‘Story’ section. She has also distorted and maligned the image of the Hon’ble Chief Minister of West Bengal – Smt. Mamata Banerjee. Hence she is to be charged against hate propaganda to incite violence in West Bengal.”
Kangana Ranaut had referred to Mamata Banerjee as a demoness and compared her to Tadaka from the Ramayana.
