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British Embassy in Bolivia supported November 2019 coup through ‘civil society orgs’ and media to secure access to Lithium: Report

OpIndia Staff
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British Embassy in Bolivia supported November 2019 coup through ‘civil society orgs’ and media to secure access to Lithium: Report

Socialist Eva Morales stepped down as the president of Bolivia on the 10th of November 2019 after the head of the army demanded his resignation. The resignation was preceded by protests against ‘election irregularities’ after a report by the Organisation of American States (OAS) claimed that the incumbent president had won the elections the month before through unfair means.

Subsequently, Jeanine Áñez was installed as the interim president of Bolivia, in what was widely regarded as a coup. Eva Morales was forced to flee the country as a consequence of the persecution he faced. The protests against the coup attracted the use of lethal force and led to the death of many protesters.

Declassified UK has now reported that the British embassy in La Paz, the seat of Government in Bolivia, was quick to support the coup in order to secure its access of Lithium, or ‘white gold’. Bolivia has the second largest Lithium reserves, a metal that is used in making batteries.

Evo Morales had chosen a Chinese consortium in February 2019 as its strategic partner in a new $2.3-billion lithium project focusing on production from the Coipasa and Pastos Grandes salars. The coup regime, after it came to power, said that the deal was under scrutiny and it was ‘hoped’ that it could move forward under ‘right conditions’.

Declassified UK reported that one of the projects co-funded by the UK Embassy between 2019-20 was meant to “optimise Bolivia’s lithium exploration and production (in the Coipasa and Pastos Grandes salars) using British technology”. This particular project moved forward swiftly following the coup.

The Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), the main funder of the project, authorized its abstract on the 25th of November, two months after the coup. The IADB told Declassified UK in a statement, “The implementation of [grant] activities are conducted in close coordination with designated government authorities and their technical teams.”

The report says that the Foreign Office of UK refused to tell them whether the British Embassy’s $5000 contribution towards the Lithium project was made following the coup in November 2019. According to documents obtained by the media outlet, the objective was to “design and implement a satellite data-based application that can optimise exploration and exploitation of large/best lithium sources in the Coipasa and Pastos Grandes salars in Bolivia”.

Satellite Applications Catapult (SAC) was to implemented the project, an Oxford-based organisation “helping organisations harness the power of satellite-based services”. A third of SAC’s funding comes from the UK Government, the report said.

Furthermore, two days after the IADB’s final approval for the project, the UK Foreign Office transferred £33,220 to SAC as “programme spend”. While the department refused to tell the media outlet if it was for the lithium project, the IADB told them, “Coordination with the British Embassy has been particularly cooperative in search for synergies”.

In March 2020, four months after the coup, an “international seminar” was organised by the British Embassy in partnership with coup regime’s Ministry of Mining, attended by more than 300 officials of the global extractives sector. The keynote presentation was delivered by a British company, Watchman UK.

Foreign Office documents stated as per the report, “Watchman UK and other consultancies are now in line to offer services in this important field to a number of Bolivia mining companies who wish to achieve win-win solutions to their controversies with indigenous inhabitants and towns located in the area of influence of their activities”.

Evo Morales had blamed the USA and other international actors for the coup. Wikileaks cables had demonstrated that the US Embassy had worked with his opposition in order to oust his government. After his electoral victory in October 2019, the Washington based OAS cited “an inexplicable change” that “drastically modifies the fate of the election” for its now discredited report.

Declassified UK has reported that the OAS relied on inputs from the British Embassy for its discredited report. An alliance of civil society organisations, funded by the British Embassy, “coordinated an operation for citizens’ observation of the elections in 2019”.

The report reveals that the embassy’s preparations for the elections were unprecedented. 30 Bolivian journalists, trained by the Thomson Reuters Foundation (TRF) which the embassy spent £9,981 on, were trained on “verification techniques and pre-planning an election on coverage that is balanced, accurate and free of polarisation”.

The TRF claimed that it was training the journalists on “practical skills and tools to recognise fake news and attempts to influence the electorate with false information” ahead of the elections in Bolivia.

When elections were held again in October 2020, Evo Morales’ Movimiento al Socialismo secured a comprehensive victory winning 55% of the votes. Bolivia’s new president Luis Arce declared the country had ‘reclaimed’ Democracy.

Why are some countries putting use of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine on hold and should we be worried? Not quite. Here is all you need to know

OpIndia Staff
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Why are some countries putting use of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine on hold and should we be worried? Not quite. Here is all you need to know

Ever since the vaccines for the COVID-19 have been developed by several companies across the world, the anti-vaccine lobby has gone into overdrive to spread propaganda against vaccines. The latest victim of this is the Oxford University-AstraZeneca vaccine against Coronavirus, the administration of which was suspended in Denmark and Norway over its alleged link with blood clotting.

Concerns were raised after a person in Austria was diagnosed with blood clots and had died 10 days after taking the vaccine. Subsequently, more people who had taken the vaccine were diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis (DVT). As a result, some European countries including Denmark, Norway and Iceland decided the halt the administration of the vaccine among their citizens.

Apart from them, Italy and Austria have suspended the use of vaccines from certain batches, after people who had received vaccines from those batches developed the blood clotting condition. Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Luxembourg have also suspended the use of the same batch as Austria.

However, now the European Union has come forward to clear any apprehension about the vaccine, and it has said that there is no link between the vaccine and the cases blood clots. “There is currently no indication that vaccination has caused these conditions, which are not listed as side effects with this vaccine,” the European Medicines Agency (EMA) said on Thursday. The agency further added, “The vaccine’s benefits continue to outweigh its risks and the vaccine can continue to be administered while investigation of cases of thromboembolic events is ongoing.”

The EMA said that so far 5 million people in Europe has received the Oxford University-AstraZeneca vaccine, and only 30 people among them have reported the blood clot condition. This rate is not higher than the natural rate of occurrence of blood clot among people. AstraZeneca has also assured that its vaccine is safe, as it was approved by regulators after it had passed stringent efficacy and safety tests.

An official of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) of the UK said that blood clots can occur naturally and are not uncommon, and it is not caused by the vaccine. It is notable that blood clotting is not listed as known side-effects of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.

Canadian health authorities also have ruled out any link between the vaccine and blood clotting. They have said that only a small number of people have reported the condition, which is normal given the scale the vaccination drive.

As millions of people are given various COVID-19 vaccines across the world, it is evident that hundreds of them will suffer from some or other conditions. And it will be attempted to link those conditions to the vaccines, which may not be correct.

Oxford University-AstraZeneca vaccine is also been administered in India, as it is one of the two vaccines approved in the country. In India it is manufactured by Serum Institute of India, and is marketed under the brand Covishield.

Theatre artist loses job after joining BJP, vocal Communist supporter behind the removal: Here is all you need to know

Dibakar Dutta
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Theatre artist loses job after joining BJP, vocal Communist supporter behind the removal: Here is all you need to know

Ahead of the upcoming West Bengal State assembly elections, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) supporters have weaponised ‘cancel culture’ to deter people from joining the BJP. In a disturbing development, a theatre artist by the name of Koushik Kar was removed from a play after he joined the BJP, reported The Times of India.

As per reports, Kar was barred from the ‘Ghum Nei’ play, written by Utpal Dutta, and adapted by a vocal Communist party supporter named Saurav Palodhi. Following the decision of Palodhi, who runs a theatre group ‘Ichamoto’, he has been slammed online for his intolerant behaviour. However, the CPM supporter justified his decision, saying that Kar’s decision to join the BJP was reason enough for his ouster.

In a Facebook post, Palodhi wrote, “We have removed Koushik Kar from ‘Ghum Nei’ play. He has joined the BJP and that is enough for us to remove him in the current scenario. This play has no place for communal people. Therefore, get lost… The new dates for the play will be announced soon Regards, Ichamoto.

Screengrab of the FB post

“While adapting Dutt’s play, Koushik and I had created his character and named him Akhlaq. The name had a reference to the 2015 Dadri case where a mob had attacked the home of Md Akhlaq, killing him on suspicion of eating beef. Allowing someone to play Akhlaq after joining BJP will be attacking the soul of the play,” he added while speaking to Times of India.

‘Cancelled’ Theatre artist slams Communist supporter, gets support of co-actors

Slamming Saurav Palodhi for removing him from the ‘Gum Nei’ play, Koushik Kar said leftists with no grassroots connections are trying to lay siege on theatre groups. “Saurav is hiding his folly by making such statements. Few Leftists who move between Dharmatala and Brigade and hyperventilate on Facebook are trying to control theatre. They have no grassroots connect,” he stated.

Kar further added, “Dropping me or barring me from staging a play is only exposing the insecurity of elites who don’t even understand the essence of communism.” The ‘cancelled’ theatre artists, who had recently joined the BJP, has received the support of actor-turned-politician Kanchana Moitra. Labelling the move as ‘sheer intolerance’, she pointed out that such decisions cannot be defended at any cost in a democratic country such as India. Actor Rudranil Ghosh condemns ‘cancel culture’, dubs it ‘hypocrisy’ and ‘fascism of left-leaning theatre workers’.

Saurav Palodhi and his connections to the CPI (M)

Saurav Palodhi is a vocal Communist party supporter. He has even updated his profile picture with CPI(M) West Bengal frame. He had attended a Communist party rally at Brigade Ground. After attending the gathering, Palodhi came to the conclusion that the West Bengal elections were no more between the BJP and the Trinamool Congress.

Screengrab of the Facebook post

Assuming that the people who had gathered at the Communist rally represent the number of voters, Palodhi alleged that CPI(M) is a strong contender in the 2021 elections.

Screengrab of the Facebook post

He was also seen supporting ‘communist students’ from the neighbouring country of Bangladesh. It must be mentioned that Palodhi is a vocal critic of the Mamata Banerjee regime as well.

Screengrab of the Facebook post

He was also seen justifying the decision of the ‘secular’ Congress-Communist alliance with the rabid Islamist Abbas Siddiqui. Palodhi targeted Hindutva politics and claimed that Indian Secular Front and the CPI(M) were two different parties and the alliance may be ‘good’ or ‘bad’. It must be reiterated that Siddiqui had called for the intervention of Allah to kill 50 crore Indians with ‘virus’ last year.

Screengrab of the Facebook post

While Abbas Siddiqui’s alliance with Left might be positive or negative, Koushik Kar’s decision to join the BJP was somehow a reason enough for his ouster from a play that he and Palodhi co-created. Although the ‘cancel culture’ in India is still in its nascent stage, leftists are pouncing on every possible opportunity to mainstream the financial and societal boycott of individuals on the basis of mere political opinions.

TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee’s kin summoned by CBI in connection with coal smuggling case: Details

OpIndia Staff
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TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee’s kin summoned by CBI in connection with coal smuggling case: Details

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has summoned the sister-in-law of Abhishek Banerjee, Maneka Gambhir, and her husband Ankur Arora in connection with the coal smuggling case. Abhishek Banerjee is the nephew of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

According to reports, Ankur Arora’s father Pawan Arora has also been summoned on the 15th of March. The previous month, Rujira Banerjee, the wife of Abhishek Banerjee, was summoned by the CBI in connection with the same matter.

The senior Trinamool leader had then responded to the summons on social media crying political vendetta. He said that they will not be intimidated and they have full faith in the law. The case pertains to allegations of illegal mining and coal theft in Kunustora and Kajoria.

The CBI had raided over 30 locations in West Bengal, including in Kolkata, related to the coal smuggling case in November last year. According to reports, the racket in connection with which the raids were conducted was led by Asansol based kingpin Anup Majhi.

Bareilly Muslim organization issues diktat to boycott weddings where women ‘mingle with unknown men’ and ‘don’t wear full hijab’

OpIndia Staff
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Bareilly Muslim organization issues diktat to boycott weddings where women ‘mingle with unknown men’ and ‘don’t wear full hijab’

A Muslim religious conglomerate in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh named Tehreekhe Tahfuje Sunniyat led by Sajjadanshin Mufti Ahsan Raza Qadri has started a campaign in the city, discouraging Muslims from attending ‘nikah’ or weddings that are attended by women without full-face coverings like burqa and niqab, reports Hindi daily Amar Ujala.

Terming it un-Islamic, the organisation has been distributing pamphlets in Muslim households, asking people to boycott marriage ceremonies that permit women to attend them without wearing full hijabs.

This campaign came to the fore, after a ‘nikah’ that is to be held on 27th March in Baheri, had forbidden women who do not observe the hijab to attend the wedding feast. According to reports, the bride and groom’s families have strictly instructed their guests that any female invitee who does not wear a hijab should not attend the ceremony.

Moreover, the Islamic fundamentalist organisation also said that people should boycott the weddings where the female guests freely mingle with unknown men. The seminary also asserted that wedding where guests are expected to eat food while standing should be boycotted. It advised Muslims to protect themselves from such activities. The Ulemas and Imams have also been instructed to strictly follow these guidelines issued by the organisation.

DJs, music, dance and fireworks during Muslim wedding ceremonies are un-Islamic

Recently, in another instance, a fatwa was issued by a senior mufti of the Dargah-e-Ala Hazrat in Bareilly which said that it was against Shariat for male and females to eat food together at weddings. The fatwa said that organisers should maintain a difference between mehram (close relatives) and non-mehrams. It also said that DJs, music, dance and fireworks during wedding ceremonies are un-Islamic.

In fact, in 2018 too, the Islamic fundamentalist organisation Darul Uloom Deoband had stated that they will not conduct ‘nikah’ or weddings where dance and music are part of the ceremonies. Darul-Uloom-Deoband had added that music and dance are against the religion.

The Uttar Pradesh based Deoband, which is a powerful and influential Islamic organisation, has issued many such bizarre fatwas in the past. They had banned body-hugging outfits and designer burqas stating that a woman’s burqa is supposed to protect her from prying eyes and body-hugging or designer burqas are ‘haraam’ as they attract attention.

Deoband had also issued a fatwa against women sharing their photographs or selfies on social media. They stated that Islam does not allow women to show their faces to the public. Moreover, it issued a fatwa stating that women cannot take the shopkeeper’s help while trying out new bangles in a shop. They called it a big sin and against ‘sharia’ to let a stranger touch their hands.

NCPCR asks Netflix to stop streaming ‘Bombay Begums’ over the inappropriate portrayal of children in the web-series: Details

OpIndia Staff
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NCPCR asks Netflix to stop streaming ‘Bombay Begums’ over the inappropriate portrayal of children in the web-series: Details

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights on Thursday took cognisance of online outrage after several Twitter users called out the OTT platform for its latest web series Bombay Begums for wrongfully depicting children. The apex child rights body asked Netflix to stop streaming the recently released web series Bombay Begums citing an inappropriate portrayal of children in the web series. The commission has also asked it to submit an action taken report within 24 hours, failing which it said it will be constrained to initiate appropriate legal action.

The notice issued by the Commission said that “from normalising casual sex by minors, web series are now normalising the use of drugs among children”.

The notice was issued following complaints received by the Commission from two Twitter handles.

A Twitter user who goes by the handle @DeepikaBhardwaj took strong objection to the depiction of children in Netflix’s Bombay Begum web-series. The user protested against the normalisation of minors snorting drugs.

Another popular Twitter user @GemsOfBollywood, known for exposing the Hindi film industry for Hinduphobic and other problematic content, shared a snippet from the web series where girls are shown taking pictures of their “developed body parts” and send them to a classmate.

In a shameful perversion of Hindu religious scriptures, a Tilakdhari politician is seen reading Bhagwad Geeta to conclude that the paramount dharma of a woman is to satisfy a man’s lust.

Taking cognisance of the abominable content under Section 13(1)(j) of CPCR Act, 2005, the Commission noted that “it is of the view that series with this kind of content will not only pollute the young minds of the children, and may also lead to abuse and exploitation of children in the hands of perpetrators/ offenders(sic)”.

The NCPCR does not allow representing, portraying, or glorifying children in India in such a manner on any media platform/ internet/ OTT platform, the notice further said. The Commission also asked online streaming service Netflix to take additional precaution in hosting any content with respect to children or for children.

The development comes days after the central government framed new rules to hold social media, OTT platforms accountable for the content they host on their respective portals. It also comes days after another web series ‘Taandav’ on Amazon Prime was forced to edit parts of its content following a major controversy. The series was accused of “ridiculing Hindu Gods and Goddesses.”

Proliferation of Hinduphobic, sexually explicit and excessively violent content on OTT platforms

In the last few months, there has been a proliferation of over the top platform services in India. With the coronavirus outbreak forcing people to stay at home and with theatres and other centres for recreational activities locked down, the Indian citizens enthusiastically embraced and devoured the content broadcasted on these platforms. In a bid to cash in on this sudden surge of online consumers, the OTT platforms started aggressively exploring new and unconventional ideas for their web-series.

However, in their attempt to stand out from the rest and attract maximum eyeballs, OTT platforms resorted to peddling despicable content. Anti-Hindu content became a norm as almost all the media streaming services hosted content that portrayed Hinduism in a bad light. Besides Hinduphobia, excessive violence, drugs, nudity and sex also found their way in the movies and web-series hosted on online platforms.

Pro-Khalistani Canadian MP Jagmeet Singh’s relative under investigation for the attack on Tiranga-Maple rally organised in Canada

OpIndia Staff
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Pro-Khalistani Canadian MP Jagmeet Singh’s relative under investigation for the attack on Tiranga-Maple rally organised in Canada

The Name of a relative of pro-Khalistani Canadian MP Jagmeet Singh has emerged in an investigation relating to an attack by pro-khalistani elements in Canada during the Tiranga-Maple rally organised by some Canadian-Indians in February this year to celebrate the India-Canada relations.

The rally was taken out to celebrate the relations between the two countries after Indian agreed to provide Covid-19 vaccines to Canada. Hundreds of people had participated in the rally. According to the National Post, the Canadian police are investigating the incident in which Jodhveer Singh Dhaliwal, husband of Jagmeet Singh’s wife’s sister, had violently pushed a Indian supporter to the ground during the Tiranga-Maple rally. However, no charges have yet been framed by the police.

The Tiranga-Maple rally organised by the Indian diaspora in Canada had triggered the Khalisatni supporters living in the area who made all possible efforts to hinder the rally as is seen in the videos of the rally shared by REACH (Race, Ethnicity And Culture Heritage) on Twitter.

Jodhveer Singh Dhaliwal is a Khalistan sympathiser

Jodhveer Singh Dhaliwal is said to be a Khalistani sympathiser. He carries a tattoo of terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale on his right arm.

Jodhveer Singh Dhaliwal with his wife Manjot (Source: REACH)

Dhaliwal was seen spitting at one of the vehicles participating in the Tiranga-Maple rally while his wife was hurling abuses at participants and PM Modi.

As per the report by National Post, though no formal charges have been made yet, the Peel police is investigating the incidents of violence during the rally. Harval Bassi, a Canadian criminal lawyer who is representing Jodhveer Dhaliwal, has stated that his client has nothing to comment regarding the incident.

Khalistani supporters interrupted the rally, hurled abuses and insulted Tiranga

Several clips of the attack on the rally, held on February 28, 2021, by Khalistani supporters had gone viral on social media. The video showed Khalistani supporters blocking the rally using their vehicles and hurling abuses at the peaceful participants of the rally. Several videos of the peaceful participants of the rally being abused were shared on social media.

One Khalistani supporter can be seen shouting and asking the participants of the rally ‘to go and drink urine’. The Khalistani supporters also insulted the Indian national flag.

The Indian High Commissioner in Canada expressed concern over the incident

A protest was reportedly lodged by the Indian High Commissioner in Ottawa regarding the incident expressing concern that such incidents could harm the relations between India and Canada. Azad Kaushik, president of the National Alliance of Indo-Canadians expressed shock over the incident. “I have been here for 35 years and I’ve never seen anything like this in Canada. This has shocked me, to tell you the truth”, he said.

The NRI community in Canada alleged being targeted by the supporters of the Khalistani movement due to the ongoing farmer protests in India. Some of the members of the NRI community had gathered outside Jagmeet Singh’s office last month to protest against the incitement of hatred among communities in the name of farmer protests.

Farmer protests in India hijacked by pro-Khalistani elements

The farmer protests in India that have going on for months had started off as an agitation against the three farm laws passed by the central government. However, the protests were soon hijacked by pro-khalistani elements. This became evident during the riots that broke out in the national capital on Republic Day during a tractor rally organised by the protestors. Pro-Khalistani and anti-India slogans were raised during the farmer protests. Khalistani organisation Sikh for Justice (SFJ) has been instigating Punjab farmers against the central government. It also urged the Sikhs in the Indian Army to leave the Army and join the protests.

Zomato founder issues statement after allegations and counter-allegations between an Instagram influencer and a delivery agent: Here is what he said

OpIndia Staff
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Zomato founder issues statement after allegations and counter-allegations between an Instagram influencer and a delivery agent: Here is what he said

On the 11th of March, a delivery agent of the food-delivery app Zomato was booked and arrested for allegedly attacking a Bengaluru-based content creator and ‘Instagram influencer’ named Hitesha Chandranee. Bengaluru police had detained the delivery agent a day after Hitesha Chandranee had taken to Twitter to claim that she was attacked by the delivery executive after an argument over delayed delivery of food order. The delivery agent had made counter-allegations as well. Now, the founder of Zomato, Deepinder Goyal, has issued a statement in the ongoing fiasco.

Goyal took to Twitter to post a short, crisp statement regarding the ‘incident that happened in Bengaluru a few days ago’.

In his statement, Deepinder Goyal said, “Right from the get go, our topmost priority has been to get to the truth. Towards that, we are helping both Hitesha and Kamaraj (our delivery partner) with all the support they need while the investigation is pending. We are also assisting the police in whichever way asked”.

The statement further says that Zomato is in ‘constant touch with Hitesha’ and is also bearing her medical costs. The statement says that they are also helping her with the legal proceedings. The statement further says, “We are also in constant touch with Kamaraj, extending all possible support to make sure both sides of the story come to light and that due process is followed in the spirit of fairness”.

Goyal further informs that while the investigation is on, Zomato is ‘covering his earnings in the interim while there’s an active police investigation’. They are also covering his legal expenses pertaining to the case.

Clarifying that what he was about to say was just a statement of fact and not an opinion on the case, Deepinder Goyal said that Kamaraj, the delivery agent the Instagram celebrity accused, had a 4.75/5 rating, which is the highest, and has done over 5,000 deliveries for Zomato. He also added that he has been with the company for 26 months.

The fiasco so far: Instagram celebrity accuses Zomato delivery agent of assaulting her, Kamaraj said she hit herself and threw a chappal at her after refusing to pay

On Tuesday, a social media influencer named Hitesha Chandranee had shared a video on Instagram to allege that the delivery man attacked her after an argument over a delay in delivery of her food order.

Seen with a bloody injury on her nose, Hitesha claimed that a delivery man barged into her house and assaulted her after she questioned him over late delivery. The woman narrated that she had placed an order around 3:30 pm on March 9, which was supposed to be delivered by 4:30 pm, but she did not receive it on time. Hence, she called Zomato’s customer support and requested them to cancel the order or give her free delivery.

However, the delivery executive has refuted the allegations of Hitesha and said that she was the first to hit him with a slipper, and he had only tried to defend himself. Kamraj added that the accuser had hit herself with the door in the scuffle where she was trying to hit him with a slipped and he was defending himself.

Narrating his ordeal, Kamaraj said that as he reached Hitesha’s apartment door, he handed her the food and was expecting her to pay him, as she had opted for cash on delivery mode of payment. Kamaraj said that he immediately apologised since the delivery was delayed due to traffic and bad roads. 

“However, she was very rude from the outset. She asked me, ‘Why are you late?’ I replied apologetically, as there were road blocks due to ongoing civic works, and there were traffic jams as well.  But she kept on insisting that the order has to be delivered within 45-50 minutes. I am working on this job for more than two years, and this is the first time that I have had to go through this kind of ordeal,” said Kamaraj.

As per Kamaraj, Hitesha took the food but refused to pay for the order. She said she was talking with Zomato chat support. Fearing that he will lose money, he requested Hitesha to pay for the order. 

“At this point, she called me a ‘slave’ and then she started shouting ‘What can you do?’ In the meantime, Zomato support told me that they had cancelled the order from their end based on her request, and I asked her to return the food, but she did not cooperate,” Kamaraj disclosed.

Zomato controversy: Delivery agent says the customer had attacked him with slippers, nose injury was due to her own ring

OpIndia Staff
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Zomato controversy: Delivery agent says the customer had attacked him with slippers, nose injury was due to her own ring

A day after Bengaluru police arrested a Zomato delivery boy for allegedly attacking a Bengaluru-based content creator named Hitesha Chandranee, the delivery agent shared his side of the story to The News Minute.

Kamaraj, who was suspended by the Zomato and subsequently detained by the Bengaluru police over allegations of attack by the Bengaluru-based social media influencer, spoke to the News Minute regarding the incident on Tuesday, which has grabbed public attention thorugh the country.

For the uninitiated, on Tuesday, the social media influencer named Hitesha Chandranee had shared a video on Instagram to allege that the delivery man attacked her after an argument over a delay in delivery of her food order.

Seen with a bloody injury on her nose, Hitesha claimed that a delivery man barged into her house and assaulted her after she questioned him over late delivery. The woman narrated that she had placed an order around 3:30 pm on March 9, which was supposed to be delivered by 4:30 pm, but she did not receive it on time. Hence, she called Zomato’s customer support and requested them to cancel the order or give her free delivery.

As per Hitesha, she asked the delivery executive, whom she identified as Kamaraj, to wait as she talked to a customer care representative. Hitesha claimed that the delivery guy started abusing her after she refused to collect the order.

Further, Hitesha had said that she had given him a choice to cancel the order, however, the delivery agent refused to take the order back, and he started screaming at her.

“I tried to shut my door, but he pushed the door, took my order from the table, he entered my home and punched me on my face so that I don’t get back to him, and he ran away,” the social media influencer had claimed.

Following the complaint, the Bengaluru police had arrested Zomato delivery agent Kamaraj on Wednesday.

Delivery agent says customer refused to pay, threw ‘chappal’ at me

However, the delivery executive has refuted the allegations of Hitesha and said that she was the first to hit him with a slipper, and he had only tried to defend himself. Kamraj added that the accuser had hit herself with the door in the scuffle where she was trying to hit him with a slipped and he was defending himself.

Two days after the incident, Kamaraj, who spoke to TNM, has revealed his side of the incident and alleged it was Hitesha who first verbally abused him and then hit him with a chappal.

Narrating his ordeal, Kamaraj said that as he reached Hitesha’s apartment door, he handed her the food and was expecting her to pay him, as she had opted for cash on delivery mode of payment. Kamaraj said that he immediately apologised since the delivery was delayed due to traffic and bad roads.

“However, she was very rude from the outset. She asked me, ‘Why are you late?’ I replied apologetically, as there were road blocks due to ongoing civic works, and there were traffic jams as well.  But she kept on insisting that the order has to be delivered within 45-50 minutes. I am working on this job for more than two years, and this is the first time that I have had to go through this kind of ordeal,” said Kamaraj.

Customer refused to pay, called me ‘slave’, says delivery agent

As per Kamaraj, Hitesha took the food but refused to pay for the order. She said she was talking with Zomato chat support. Fearing that he will lose money, he requested Hitesha to pay for the order.

“At this point, she called me a ‘slave’ and then she started shouting ‘What can you do?’ In the meantime, Zomato support told me that they had cancelled the order from their end based on her request, and I asked her to return the food, but she did not cooperate,” Kamaraj disclosed.

The delivery agent said, judging by her actions, he decided that he would leave the apartment building without taking the food.

As he was leaving the apartment, she started using expletives in Hindi, Kamaraj alleged. “She suddenly threw slippers at me and started hitting me. For my safety, when she was hitting me, I tried to use my hand to shield her blows,” he added.

“At this point, when she was trying to push my hand away, she accidentally hit herself with her finger ring on the nose, which led to the bleeding. Anybody who sees her face will understand that a punch wouldn’t create such an injury. And I don’t wear any rings,” the delivery agent revealed.

Kamaraj said he contacted the Zomato support system person in Delhi, who supported him and offered him empathy after narrating the ordeal. The problem is there is no CCTV footage to prove my innocence, said Kamaraj as he spoke to TNM.

Kamaraj was summoned by the Electronic City Phase 1 Police Station around 6.30 pm on Wednesday, where he was questioned for two hours. The police did not disrespect me in any way. I have to spend Rs 25,000 for legal expenses to prevent my arrest, said Kamaraj to The News Minute.

Zomato says the delivery agent is temporarily suspended, his earning will be covered

Meanwhile, Zomato has responded to the counter allegations of their delivery agent against Hitesha Chandranee. The food-delivery app said that they are in constant touch with the delivery partner.

According to Zomato, his temporary suspension is as per protocol due to the ongoing police investigation. “We are covering his earnings in the interim and have extended support to ensure the due process is followed,” Zomato clarified.

Earlier, Zomato had also said that it would cooperate in the police investigation and provide the medical assistance required. The food-delivery app had apologised to the customer, saying they deeply regretted the incident and apologised for the traumatic experience.

Protesting farmers stay in tents, two ‘farmer leaders’ stay in 3-star hotel with bill worth lakhs paid by scam-accused hotel owner: Details

OpIndia Staff
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Protesting farmers stay in tents, two ‘farmer leaders’ stay in 3-star hotel with bill worth lakhs paid by scam-accused hotel owner: Details

The farmer protest against three farm laws enacted by the central government last year has continued for over 100 days. Spearheaded by Khalistanis, so-called farmers who have been participating in the protests have been occupying public places and have been staying in tents and other temporary accommodations. However, while the protesting farmers have been staying in tents, two self-proclaimed farmer leaders have been found staying in a three-star hotel in Kundli.

As per a Zee report, two farmer leaders Balbir Singh Rajewal and Kulwant Singh Sandh have been staying at the TDI Clube Retreat in Kundli. Zee News accessed the hotel bills of the two farmer leaders revealing the expenses of their stay in the hotel. As per the hotel bill, Balbir Singh Rajewal, President of Bharatiya Kisan Union-Rajewal, stayed in room number 206 of TDI Club Retreat between December 12, 2020, and March 3, 2021. At present, he is reportedly staying in another room in the same hotel.

Balbir Singh Rajewal’a hotel expenses reach over Rs 2 lakh

The two leaders, Balbir Singh Rajewal and Kulwant Singh Sandh, are two amongst 40 farmer leaders who have been spearheading this movement that has led to public inconvenience and an incident of massive violence on the 26th of January, that left over 400 police personnel injured. Interestingly, as it turns out, while they have “led” others to block roads, sleep in tents and commit violence against a law that will benefit farmers, they have themselves been staying in hotels and taking up a bill of lacs.

Hotel Bill accessed by Zee News

The bills reveal that Balbir Singh Rajewal spent more than 1 lakh 30 thousand during his stay in the hotel between December 12, 2020, and January 28, 2021. The bill included breakfast and laundry expenses. The per-day cost of the room he was staying in, as mentioned in the bill, was Rs 2,500 excluding breakfast and laundry.

Hotel Bill accessed by Zee News

The Zee News report claims that the costs of Rajewal’s stay in the hotel so far have reached up to Rs 2 lakh 40 thousand approximately. The other farmer leader, Kulwant Singh Sandhu, has also reportedly been staying in the same hotel since December last year. Kulwant Singh Sandhu is the general secretary of Jamuhari Kisan Sabha, Punjab. Sandhu has been staying in TDI Club Retreat along with his son Dosanjh since December 27th, 2020.

Kulwant Singh Sandhu’s stay in the hotel has been made free by scam accused co-owner of the hotel

While both the ‘farmer leaders’ have raked up a bill of lacs during their stay, according to the report, Sandhu is not being charged for his stay at the hotel. His stay in the hotel inclusive of food and drink has been made free by Ravindra Taneja who is one of the owners of the hotel.

Hotel Bill accessed by Zee News

Ravindra Taneja is reportedly accused in the Manesar land scam in the Gurugram district of Haryana. A charge sheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) before the Panchkula Special Court last year alleged that 13 builders including Ravindra Taneja had embezzled Rs 1500 crore.

The farmer protests that were claimed to be an apolitical agitation against farm laws by ‘farmer representatives have recently urged the voters in the poll-bound state of West Bengal to defeat the BJP.

On 26th January 2021, the protesting ‘farmers’ at Delhi border broke barricades and ran riots in the national capital under the guise of ‘tractor rally’ to protest against the farm laws. The ‘farmers’ deliberately tried to run over Delhi Police personnel and also assaulted them with swords and other weapons. Eventually the ‘farmers’ took over the Red Fort and hoisted multiple flags with the holy Sikh symbol. 

Delhi Police has made multiple arrests in the case till now.

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