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Congress leader Chidambaram forgets Direct Action Day riots, blames BJP for communalising Bengal after allying with Islamist Siddiqui

K Bhattacharjee
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Congress leader Chidambaram forgets Direct Action Day riots, blames BJP for communalising Bengal after allying with Islamist Siddiqui

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram has blamed the BJP for ‘communalising’ West Bengal in a series of tweets on Saturday. Chidambaram claimed that the ‘polarization’ of the state is the ‘gravest tragedy’ that has befallen the state of West Bengal.

The senior Congress leader appears to have forgotten the partition massacres and the Great Calcutta Killings. Bengal suffered a partition in 1947 that was accompanied by mass slaughter of Hindus, rapes and terrible violence. After all this time, for Chidambaram to claim that polarization of the electorate in West Bengal is the greatest tragedy that the state has suffered is an insult towards the Bengali Hindu community.

Chidambaram blames BJP for 'communalising' West Bengal
Chidambaram blames BJP for ‘communalizing’ West Bengal

P Chidambaram said, “I cannot believe that the land of Ramakrishna, Vivekananda, Raja Ram Mohun Roy, Ishwar Chander Vidyasagar, Rabindranath Tagore, Subhas Chandra Bose Satyajit Ray and Dr B C Roy can fall prey to the virus of communalism”. “Anyone who claims the legacy of these great leaders — as I proudly do — should shun and fight communalism,” he added.

The Congress leader’s comments, perhaps, were inspired by political strategist Prashant Kishore’s statements on the politics of Muslim appeasement during the explosive Clubhouse discussion.

“Major problem that we have to accept is that there have been efforts for the last 20 years to appease the minorities. Take the example of Bengal. The simple strategy here has been that whoever has the Muslims vote, will form the government. Be it the Left, Congress or Didi’s government, the strategy has been to garner Muslim votes. For the first time, Hindus have realised that there is a party for them. It is not as if there is something wrong with the society altogether,” Prashant Kishore had said.

He concluded, “This is the aspect that the BJP is exploiting. And this comes from the blatant use of minority politics by some of these parties. You and I cannot deny this reality.”

Chidambaram, nonetheless, appears more inclined than ever to deny the truth that is staring at him on his face. The truth is that Bengal has suffered partition along religious lines and all the horror that came along with it.

After partition, a cycle of minority appeasement politics ensued that has continued to this day. The brand of politics that Mamata Banerjee practices, with restrictions on Durga Puja and silence on the riots that Hindus have suffered in recent times, is only the most obvious face of it.

For a Congress leader to then blame the BJP for ‘communalising’ West Bengal and shaming Bengali Hindus for being concerned about their identity is the perfect demonstration of precisely why Congress is nowhere near in contention in the state and its political fortunes across the country continues to suffer.

Intriguingly, the Congress party is in alliance with the Indian Secular Front (ISF), which is ironically led by rabid Islamist Abbas Siddiqui. Abbas Siddiqui is the same peerzada who had prayed to Allah during the advent of the Coronavirus pandemic in India last year to send such a virus that it killed 50 crore Indians.

“If we do not come to power next time, they (Hindus) will rape our women in front of our eyes. Do you understand? You cannot do anything if you do not have power in your hands,” Siddiqui had said on another occasion.

Such is the person that the Congress party has allied itself with. And then, it blames the BJP for polarization in West Bengal. It is quite amusing, indeed.

Mumbai: Lab technician arrested for issuing fake negative COVID-19 test reports to dozens of people

OpIndia Staff
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Mumbai: Lab technician arrested for issuing fake negative COVID-19 test reports to dozens of people

Mumbai Police has arrested laboratory technician for issuing fake negative COVID-19 reports to several people. According to reports, a lab technician named Umar was arrested after it was found that he had issued at least 37 fake negative COVID-19 test reports. This has come at a time when Maharashtra has seen a huge surge of Coronavirus cases for last several weeks.

The matter came to light after a woman approached police saying her COVID-19 test report is not correct. 31-year-old Charu Chauhan had lodged a complaint with the police saying that there are some errors in the test report issued to her by Umar. Following this, police probed the matter and found that the woman was given a forged test report.

According to the police, the lab technician used PDF files of existing COVID-19 negative test reports to prepare the fake reports. The investigation also found that Umar had issued such fake reports to at least 37 people. After this, the lab technician was arrested for forgery and also for violating the pandemic rules.

Contrary to other cases where people themselves obtain fake COVID-19 negative reports for travelling, in this case the lab technician was cheating the people who had come to his lab for testing. According to police sources, he used to collect test samples of suspected Covid-19 patients by going to their homes. For symptomatic cases, he used to send the samples to the lab, but for asymptomatic cases, he used to collect Rs 1,000 but never sent the samples to the lab. “He pocketed the money after each such asymptomatic case in the past month. We have found 37 false reports,” the police officer said.

The officer added that the role of the lab in this scam will also be investigated, and appropriate action will be taken.

Watch: Arnab Goswami’s special message for Barkha Dutt after Sachin Vaze lands in Taloja Jail

OpIndia Staff
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Watch: Arnab Goswami’s special message for Barkha Dutt after Sachin Vaze lands in Taloja Jail

Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami shared a special message for Barkha Dutt on Friday while holding a primetime debate on the NIA court verdict that sent the former Mumbai Police officer Sachin Vaze to 14 days of judicial custody at the Taloja Jail.

Without naming Barkha, Goswami slammed the journalist for celebrating his arrest last year when a team of Mumbai Police officers barged into his house, assaulted, dragged and arrested him. The operation to arrest Mr Goswami was led by suspended police officer Sachin Vaze.

In his prime time that was broadcasted on Friday evening, Arnab Goswami lambasted the Lutyens journalists and media organisations, who he claimed “conspired” for his arrest. At 46:19 in the debate, Arnab indirectly refers to Barkha Dutt and calls her out for celebrating his unlawful arrest and glorifying the acts of corrupt officers like Sachin Vaze, who is now lodged in Taloja Jail.

“The night I was arrested and my family was surrounded with loaded AK-47s, a journalist, quote and unquote, I won’t say a journalist, Hafiz Saeed’s favourite in India, allegedly said that she feels like eating ice cream that night to celebrate. They won’t eat ice creams now. They will eat dust now,” Mr Goswami said while tacitly making a reference to Ms Dutt.

“My targets are many, the media was not misused, it conspired against me. I have much evidence on my hand and I will reveal it in time,” Mr Goswami further added.

Barkha’s tweet of closing the day on which Arnab was arrested with ice cream

It is worth noting that Barkha Dutt had posted a tweet on November 4 evening, stating that it was that kind of the day she would like to close with ice cream. Earlier in the morning, Arnab Goswami was arrested by a contingent of 40 armed Mumbai Police personnel, who had barged into his house and took him into custody.

“This is that day which must close with ice cream,” Ms Dutt had tweeted.

It is also noteworthy to mention that Barkha Dutt’s fan following includes none other than dreaded terrorist and Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed. In an interview with a Pakistan news channel in 2016, Saeed had praised Ms Dutt by saying, “India main Barkha Dutt jaisey log bhee maujood hain bohot acchey baat karneywaley bhee maujood hain (In India good journalists like Barkha Dutt are also present and there are many who make sense).”

Mumbai Police arrests Arnab Goswami in an already closed case

As a part of its witch-hunt against Republic TV, Mumbai Police launched ‘Operation Arnab‘ in the wee hours of 4 November 2020 to arrest its Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami. The Mumbai Police reached Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami’s residence and physically manhandled him as they tried to detain him in a 2018 abetment to suicide case that was already closed.

A team of Mumbai Police arrested Republic TV chief Arnab Goswami after they physically assaulted and dragged him by grabbing his hair. In a shocking act, a large contingent of Mumbai Police was seen present at Goswami’s residence on the day of his arrest. Several videos later emerged on social media websites where police officials were seen manhandling the Republic TV chief.

He was taken to a quarantine centre in Alibaug, from where he was hurriedly shifted to the Taloja Jail days later. The operation was led by former Mumbai Police officer Sachin Vaze, who is now an accused in the Antilia bomb scare case and in the Mansukh Hiren murder.

Arhtiyas call off strike after Punjab govt modifies software allowing them to get paid for foodgrain procurement from farmers

OpIndia Staff
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Arhtiyas call off strike after Punjab govt modifies software allowing them to get paid for foodgrain procurement from farmers

Hours after the Arhtiyas (commission agents) in Punjab had launched a strike and blocked the purchase of food grains from farmers at mandis, the strike was called off after CM Amarinder Singh held a meeting with them. The Arhtiyas withdrew the strike after the CM assured them that they will remain an integral part of the food grain procurement system. The strike was started by the arhtiyas and labour unions protesting against the state government’s decision to implement the direct payment system to farmers, bypassing the Arhtiyas.

CM Captain Amarinder Singh announced that the state government has decided to release Rs 131 crore the Arhtiyas, which is due from FCI as the central agency has held up the payment because arhtiyas have not submitted required details. He said that “arhtiyas play an important role in purchase of agricultural produce by cleaning, weighing, bagging & loading/unloading”, and hence they will remain a part of the system in the state.

The CM announced that the government is starting 9th round of procurement for the current procurement session of wheat. “We will continue to ensure seamless and hassle-free procurement for our farmers,” Singh said on Twitter. Accordingly, wheat procurement by state procurement agencies started in the afternoon today, avoiding a major crisis.

In the meeting with the union of the Arhtiyas through video conferencing, Amarinder Singh said that despite the centre’s directives to exclude them from MSP payments, “the arhtiyas shall always be associated with procurement”. He further said, “till I am there, you will be part of the system, and your role will always remain,”adding that he would ensure that the arhtiya commission and other charges permitted under the APMC Act would continue in the state.

As per reports, the State Food Department has amended the procurement software so that the arhtiyas will continue to be involved in the process of release of payments to the farmers, but in a modified manner. However, at present it is not clrear from where this payment will be made, as FCI will make the complete payment to the bank accounts of the farmers. It is not known whether the payment will be made by the state govt or they will make the payment from the amounts paid to the farmers.

For the time being, the CM ordered to release Rs 131 core to arhtiyas from the state govt without waiting for the release of the amount by FCI. This due amount is from the existing system where payments are made to arhtiyas, who in turn pay the farmers.

He also assured the arhtiyas that his government would take up with the Centre the issue of 30% deduction in labour payments made by the FCI. Reiterating that his govt wanted to continue with the current system, Amarinder Singh also said, “We fought hard with the Centre, but they were adamant, and even went to the extent of threatening not to procure from Punjab if we do not implement the DBT.”

The CM thanked the Arhitya Federation for withdrawing the strike after getting the assurances for him, and appealed to them to immediately start procurement process while following the COVID-19 protocols.

Praising the arhtiyas, he said that arhtiyas are not middlemen but service providers, adding that the private sector could function along with the existing system and there was no need to change it. He said that the system of arhtiyas prevailed even when he was a kid, and it was inexplicable why the Centre wanted to ‘ruin’ it.

West Bengal: Crying mother says Muslim women with machete took away her baby during poll violence, TMC calls it ‘staged drama’

OpIndia Staff
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West Bengal: Crying mother says Muslim women with machete took away her baby during poll violence, TMC calls it ‘staged drama’

On Saturday (April 10), a woman lost her toddler after a frenzied mob ambushed the polling booth in Jorpatki area in Sitalkuchi Vidhan Sabha constituency of West Bengal, reported TV9 Bangla. The incident took place during the 4th phase of State legislative elections in the State. TMC, however, calls it drama.

As per reports, the woman had entered the polling booth to cast her vote. Soon, a violent mob ambushed the polling booth leading to bombing, and gunfire. The police officials were highly outnumbered by the incoming mob. “When I was about to press the button, a fight broke out. There was bloodshed everywhere. I could not come out of the polling booth with my child,” the victim said. She recounted how miscreants had pulled her by the hair and snatched her child away.

“Where will I find my child now?” she asked. The woman, in tears, informed, “I don’t want any government. Here, several Muslim women had come with Dao (machete) to slice people. They threatened to kill my child if I don’t hand it over to them.” Besides the woman’s child, one of her relatives is also missing. She has appealed to the authorities to return her child and her relative.

(Video Courtesy: Youtube/TV9 Bangla)

In the video uploaded by TV9 Bangla, a Trinamool Congress (TMC) party leader could be seen intimidating the victim who had lost her child. While pointing fingers at the woman and her aide, he directed police officials to shoo her away. TV9 Bangla reported that TMC has resorted to victim-blaming. The party has accused the woman of ‘lying’ and dubbed the incident as a ‘Dekhano Natak’ (staged drama). They have claimed that the child is in the possession of the woman. Meanwhile, the police officials have been trying to convince the woman to return home.

The voting for the 4th phase of elections in West Bengal took place on Saturday in the Northern districts of Cooch Behar and Jalpaiguri. In the Southern region, polling was conducted in Hooghly, Howrah, and South 24 Parganas districts. The election has been marred by incidents of violence, particularly by TMC goons, against its rival BJP.

Mob attacks CISF in Sitalkuchi after Mamata Banerjee urged ‘gherao’

A mob attacked the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) during the fourth phase of elections in West Bengal after TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee asked her followers to gherao the central forces. As per reports, the incident took place at the Jorpatki area of the Mathabhanga block in the Sitalkuchi Legislative Assembly of Cooch Behar district.

Cooch Behar SP defended the CISF action against the lumpen elements, saying that the action was an act of ‘self-defense’. He said that a mob of 300-350 men had attacked the CISF team and tried to snatch their arms that forced the team to open fire on the miscreants.

As per multiple reports, four people died after central forces open-fired in a polling booth in “self-defence”, while another place one person died after miscreants opened fire. Sitalkuchi was on the boil since early morning. According to reports, bombs were hurled outside the booth. Some groups had also opened fire while the police managed to recover bombs from the area, India Today reported.

Punjab farmers refuse direct payment of MSP, arhtiyas and labourers stage protests and block sale of food grains at mandis

OpIndia Staff
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Punjab farmers refuse direct payment of MSP, arhtiyas and labourers stage protests and block sale of food grains at mandis

Even though the Punjab government agreed to the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to farmers against the purchase of foodgrains, the farmers and middlemen in the state are still not ready to abandon their existing system. In a situation that seems to defy logic, farmers in Punjab are saying they don’t want payment against their crop directly into their bank accounts, but want to route the same thorough commission agents, where the agents will release the payment after keeping a commission.

While the purchase of food grains by the state procurement agencies for the Rabi harvesting session was to start from today, it was blocked by protestors at several places in Punjab. Not a single truck of wheat arrived at Asia’s largest grain market in Khanna in Ludhinana, as farmers stayed away from it. Labourer unions and arhtiyas (commission agents) staged a strike against the scheme of direct payment to the farmers, in ‘support’ of the farmers.

The General Secretary of Majdoor Union in Punjab said that “if centre’s direct benefit transfer scheme is implemented, it will destroy farmers”. He said that the majdoor union workers have staged strike supporting farmers who have been protesting for past few months.

One Arhtiya said that the strike will continue till their demands are met. He said that due to the decision of the centre to make direct payment to the farmers, the labourers will be in trouble as they take their payments from the arhtiyas.

In the grain mandi in Jalandhar, some farmers arrived with their wheat, but they could not sell it as the arhtiyas and labourers were in strike. The farmers claimed that direct payment is not beneficial to them as arhtiyas were also used to pay the same amount, and in times of difficulties they could approach the commission agents for financial assistance, which will be not possible now if they kept out of the system.

After resisting the DBT for MSP payment against foodgrain procurement for months, Punjab govt had, at last, agreed to the same this week, after the central govt made it clear that if the scheme is not implemented, the centre will not lift the stock from the state. The centre refused the state govt to exempt it from the scheme, and give more time to it to implement the scheme. The state Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Bada said that the state government has “no other choice” but to implement the DBT for farmers from the current season itself.

After the announcement by the state government, the arhityas had announced that they will go on a strike from 10th April, the date when the procurement for the current session was to begin.

‘Kaan Dhoro’: BJP leader Babul Supriyo nabs woman with fake voter ID amidst ongoing polls in West Bengal

OpIndia Staff
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‘Kaan Dhoro’: BJP leader Babul Supriyo nabs woman with fake voter ID amidst ongoing polls in West Bengal

On Saturday (April 10), singer-turned-BJP politician Babul Supriyo apprehended a woman who came to cast fake vote in the Brahmapur locality in the Tollygunge Vidhan Sabha constituency. The incident took place during the 4th phase of the State Legislative polls in West Bengal.

While speaking to the media, Babul Supriyo showed the voter ID card of the deceased mother of a history-sheeter and extortionist named Ullah. He informed that he had recovered the card from an elderly woman, who tried to cast vote in the name of Ullah’s deceased mother. A BJP polling agent, stationed at the booth, caught the woman red-handed. In doing so, the BJP worker faced threats of abduction directed at his son.

When Babul Supriyo learnt about the matter, the Presiding Officer (PO) informed that the woman had come to cast a false vote. The accused pleaded to the BJP MP that she was coerced into doing such a thing. In her defence, she claimed that she was poor and asked for his help. The woman, dressed in a green headscarf, was then escorted by Babul Supriyo to the police. Two other women intervened and claimed that she was ill and had low blood content in her body.

(Video Courtesy: Youtube/ Zee 24 Ghanta)

“She is very ill. There is no blood in her body…If anything happens to her, then, you will be responsible.,” yelled a woman. Minutes after she said this, the accused miraculously collapsed on the ground. The woman then picked up the fake voter ID. However, Babul Supriyo was successful in seizing the card back from her. A war of words broke out between the BJP leader and the two women.

Sensing an opportunity, one of the women tried to flee the scene. At about 2:35 minutes, Babul Supriyo stopped the woman, ‘Kaan dhoro (hold your ears)‘ You have come here to do hooliganism.’ The women were then seen leaving the chaotic scene in an auto. Several other women also threatened to file a case for harassment against the BJP MP. Babul Supriyo asked the crowd to call in female police officer so that the accused’s accomplice can be detained. By then, she too had ran away from the scene.

(Video Courtesy: Youtube/ ABP News)

Amidst chants of ‘Khela hobe’, one of the women claimed that the primary accused had a defect in her brain, had oxygen deficiency and blood loss. Soon, the police arrived at the scene and rescued Babul Supriyo safely. A large gathering of Trinamool Congress workers gathered at the spot. They alleged that chaos began in the area only after the arrival of Babul Supriyo.

The voting for the 4th phase of elections in West Bengal will take place on April 10 (Saturday) in the Northern districts of Cooch Behar and Jalpaiguri. In the Southern region, polling will be conducted in Hooghly, Howrah, and South 24 Parganas districts. The results will be declared on May 2.

Sitalkuchi, Cooch Behar: Mob attacks CISF after Mamata Banerjee urged ‘gherao’ against security personnel, 4 dead

OpIndia Staff
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Sitalkuchi, Cooch Behar: Mob attacks CISF after Mamata Banerjee urged ‘gherao’ against security personnel, 4 dead

A mob attacked the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) during the fourth phase of elections in West Bengal after TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee asked her followers to gherao the central forces. As per reports, the incident took place at the Jorpatki area of the Mathabhanga block in the Sitalkuchi Legislative Assembly of Cooch Behar district.

Cooch Behar SP defended the CISF action against the lumpen elements, saying that the action was an act of ‘self-defense’. He said that a mob of 300-350 men had attacked the CISF team and tried to snatch their arms that forced the team to open fire on the miscreants.

As per multiple reports, four people died after central forces open-fired in a polling booth in “self-defence”, while another place one person died after miscreants opened fire. Sitalkuchi was on the boil since early morning.

According to reports, bombs were hurled outside the booth. Some groups had also opened fire while the police managed to recover bombs from the area, India Today reported.

PM Modi asks EC to punish the guilty, Mamata Banerjee demands the resignation of HM Amit Shah

The incidents in Sitalkuchi have touched off a fierce political blame game in a state where violence has been used by the ruling party to silence its critiques.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking at a rally in Siliguri, hit out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for “instigating people against central forces”. He appealed to the Election Commission, asking them to punish those behind the violence.

“The Trinamool Congress is stunned that they cannot manipulate polls this time. So the convenient alternative they find is to foment trouble by attacking central forces. Special training and instructions are being given to attack forces,” he said.

“Didi, these forces defend the country from terrorists and Naxals. You think they will be afraid of your goons?” Modi asked.

On the other hand, the Trinamool Congress alleged that the violence was the handiwork of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who they claimed had ordered the central forces to attack its party cadres.

Mamata Banerjee demanded the resignation of Home Minister Amit Shah, alleging that she will visit the booth on Sunday to exact revenge. “I will take revenge. My revenge will be through EVMs. Central forces are not my enemy. But Amit Shah is conspiring to kill people,” she said.

Lokmat thinks infamous discussion of journalists with Prashant Kishor took place in a real clubhouse, says comments were leaked because ‘door was open’

OpIndia Staff
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Lokmat thinks infamous discussion of journalists with Prashant Kishor took place in a real clubhouse, says comments were leaked because ‘door was open’

Yesterday social media websites were rife with audio of a conversation between Lutyens journalists and election strategist Prashant Kishor that took place on audio-only chat application Clubhouse. The leftist journalists, presumably oblivious to the fact that they were having a conversation in an open room, uttered inanities that reinforced their dumbness and had the online world in splits. Now, a Marathi news portal has gone a step ahead in dwarfing the stupidity exhibited by the left-leaning journalists.

In its recently published article on the audio conversations, Marathi daily Lokmat stated that the discussion tool place in a physical Club House in Kolkata. It reported that a TMC meeting took place in the Kolkata based Club House where Prashant Kishore had reportedly admitted that PM Modi is winning the Bengal elections.

Elaborating on how the discussions of the ‘secret conversation’ went public, the article said that the “door” to the Club House in Kolkata was open, but none of the attendees was aware of it. It further added that because the door was ajar, not only journalists but even common citizens could eavesdrop on the conversations that were taking place among the attendees of the meeting inside the Club House.

Source: Lokmat

For the unversed, Clubhouse is an audio-only social media app, currently only available on iPhone, that facilitates voice communication through online rooms that can accommodate groups of up to 5,000 people. The app hosts virtual rooms for live discussions, with opportunities for individuals to participate through speaking and listening.

However, the Marathi daily Lokmat thought it is a physical place where TMC meeting was taking place when some of the journalists and common citizens managed to glean on the ongoing conversation as the “door” to the room was left open.

Clubhouse audiotapes between Lutyens journalist and Prashant Kishore goes viral on the internet

Left-leaning journalists in India had a moment of gaffe last night when they were caught having indiscrete conversations in an open virtual room on the exclusive audio chat app Clubhouse.

From Rohini Singh’s insistence that Lucknow offers the best variety of meat to Prashant Kishore’s grudging admission of PM Modi’s triumph in Bengal, to journalist Sakshi Joshi’s unhealthy curiosity about Mamata Banerjee’s toilet routine in the midst of her election rallies, to Ravish Kumar wondering why there is no anti-incumbency against in BJP in West Bengal after 10 years of TMC rule, the conversation was replete with cringeworthy moments that left its participants red-faced.

Without realising that the audio conversation on the Clubhouse app is open to the users of the app, Prashant Kishor said, “If BJP is getting votes, then, it is due to the Modi and Hindu factor. Polarisation, Scheduled Castes (SCs), Hindi-speaking people are the other factors. Suvendu Adhikari’s exit or my entry has no bearing on the election results. There are over 1 crore Hindi-speaking people here and 27% SCs. All of them are standing with the BJP.”

Sakshi Joshi had a nagging doubt about Mamata Banerjee’s toilet routine. She said, “I was wondering as a woman. Mamata Banerjee arrives in a helicopter, speaks on the stage for an hour, returns to her helicopter and then lands at a different venue. Even there she speaks for an hour on the stage. When is she going to the washroom? When is she going for herself? This is my question.”

Memes, ‘stupidity’ of ‘journalists’ and more: Here is what netizens are saying about the epic Prashant Kishor Clubhouse discussion

OpIndia Staff
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Memes, ‘stupidity’ of ‘journalists’ and more: Here is what netizens are saying about the epic Prashant Kishor Clubhouse discussion

The Clubhouse discussion between political strategist Prashant Kishor and ‘journalists’ is the biggest political story right now. Prashant Kishor, or PK as he is often called, made startling comments that are likely to ruffle many liberal feathers.

The political strategist came close to admitting openly that the BJP is winning the elections and conceded that their internal surveys show a BJP victory in West Bengal. With such astonishing comments, the Clubhouse discussion is the talk of the town on a day when the 4th phase of the West Bengal elections are underway.

Apart from politicians and ‘journalists’, netizens have also been commenting on the ‘hot topic’ of the day since Friday night itself. While most are commenting on the trouble it poses for the TMC, others are also noting the stupidity of the ‘journalists’ in question.

It has also led to a meme fest.

Some fear that Mamata Banerjee will not be too pleased with Prashant Kishor.

Others are speculating on the motivations behind Kishor’s comments.

Some ardent supporters of Rahul Gandhi have found reason to heap praises on the Congress leader at such a somber moment for the opposition as well.

Prashant Kishor also said during the discussion that the Matua community has voted for the BJP in overwhelming numbers. He also criticised the Muslim appeasement politics of the ‘secular’ parties that has provided the BJP with a convenient platform to mount its campaign.

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