Indian Cricketer Virat Kohli and actor Anushka Sharma have been blessed with a baby girl. The news was shared by Virat Kohli on his social media accounts.
Virat wrote, “We are thrilled to share with you that we have been blessed with a baby girl this afternoon. We thank you all for your love, prayers and good wishes. Anushka and the baby are both healthy and we are feeling beyond blessed to start this new chapter of our lives. We hope that you can respect our privacy at this time. Love, Virat.”
In August 2020, Anushka and Virat posted an identical tweet to inform their followers that they are adding a third member to their family in January 2021. The two had shared a picture in which Anushka was seen sporting a polka dot dress while Virat was standing behind her. Both had wide smiles on their faces and the caption of the photo said, “And then, we were three! Arriving Jan 2021”.
Recently, Virat had taken a paternity leave from the ongoing tour of Australia and flew back to India to accompany his wife for the birth of their first child.
The Supreme Court of India has a lot of power. I have none. I only have the ability to speak, which may or may not be allowed in this case. Today the Supreme Court was hearing a bunch of petitions challenging the constitutionality of the three recently passed farm laws.
During the proceedings, it appeared at various times that the court would stay the laws themselves. At other times, it seemed the court would form a committee of eminent persons whose role did not seem immediately clear. Would they mediate between the government and the protesters? Or would this committee frame new laws themselves? Would they recommend new laws or would they have the power to pass laws on their own? If make recommendations, who would these recommendations be for? The government or the Supreme Court? Would the government have the authority to reject these recommendations?
We don’t know. Some are saying the picture might become clear tomorrow. Again, we don’t know. And therein lies the rub.
For me as a private citizen, this is terrifying to say the least. Who makes laws in this country? I don’t know any more.
I used to think that we get to choose legislators who can vote and pass bills in Parliament. Once the President signs the bill, it becomes law. After that, the role of the judiciary is limited to checking whether the law is in keeping with the constitution. In particular, the merits and demerits of the law are not debated in court. If someone is protesting against a law, if the protests create a law and order situation or have the potential to create a law and order situation, that is between the government and the protesters.
The MPs who vote in parliament represent us and are accountable to us. We can criticize them; we can vote them out of office if we want. Those who make our laws should represent us and be accountable to us.
At least that was my understanding. I am not saying it is the correct understanding. Only the learned judges can tell us what is correct. If I have been wrong about this for most of my life, I would appeal to the learned judges to correct me.
Again in my limited understanding, I am not alone in my confusions. A number of fellow citizens on social seem confused too. What does this mean, for instance?
LiveLaw tweet on the court proceedings
So do citizens have to approach the court with petitions formally informing them about what they feel is good or bad in the country? I used to think that we get to have our say during elections. I take pride in voting in every election where I am eligible, local, state or centre. And I want to take my civic duties seriously. If there is an additional step where we are supposed to petition the court with our views on the government, I would like to know about it.
I’ve heard of voter turnout. I have never heard of petitioner turnout. My fault, very likely.
Let me just say I do not object to any decision that the honourable court may take, today or tomorrow or any other day, on the matter of farm laws and any other issue. Wait, is that supposed to be ‘honourable’ in lower case or ‘Honorable’ with the first letter in upper case or ‘HONORABLE’ with all letters in upper case? I have no idea. I know absolutely nothing.
So who am I to object to anything anyway? I only have contempt for myself because I know nothing at all. This much I might know. I guess.
Earlier today, ink was thrown at AAP MLA Somnath Bharti while he was going to visit government schools in Rae Bareli. Following the ink attack, an enraged Bharti resorted to dishing out death threats to Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath.
“Yogi ki maut nishchit hai,” thunders AAP leader Somnath Bharti. Someone tell this chap Anthony Hopkins’ line: “None of us are getting out of here alive…” Even him.pic.twitter.com/shEo8fituU
“Nothing is going to happen from this. Yogi Adityanath’s death is assured. You have helped the attacker escape. You need to understand this. Tell Yogi Adityanath he would not achieve from such attacks,” Somnath Bharti said.
The AAP MLA was seen threatening, gesticulating and talking in a derogatory manner with the police official who was trying to pacify him.
Ink was hurled at AAP MLA Somnath Bharti when he was on his way to inspect some government school in Uttar Pradesh’s Rae Bareli. The AAP leader was attacked while he was embroiled in a heated argument with a police officer who had stopped him from visiting the schools. After the incident, Bharti was detained in the guest house itself while the man who threw ink on him managed to escape.
I will take away your job: AAP MLA threatens a Police officer
During his altercation with police, before an unidentified man attacked Bharti with ink, the AAP leader was also seen threatening the police official of getting him terminated from his job. The police officer had stopped AAP MLA Somnath Bharti from leaving the guesthouse for his visit to a UP government school.
“I will get you sacked. Bear this in mind. I can identify all of you. I will get all the officers who are trying to stop me today sacked,” said Somnath Bharti while threatening the police officer who stopped him from leaving the guesthouse.
गुंडे और मवाली जब खादी पहनते हैं, तब ज़ुबान से पहला शब्द यही फूटता है – तुम्हारी वर्दी उतरवा लूँगा !! pic.twitter.com/BIC2YXSZHx
Shortly afterwards, an unknown man hurled ink at Somnath Bharati. He was subsequently detained in the guesthouse and later taken away to Amethi by the Amethi police.
An FIR was also filed against the AAP leader in Amethi for his alleged derogatory statement about the condition of hospitals in Uttar Pradesh.
Kejriwal claims CM Yogi had ink thrown on Somnath Bharti’s face
Meanwhile, AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal came out in the defence of his leader, asking UP CM Yogi Adityanath if he is so ashamed of the condition of schools in his state that he has to stop people from visiting them.
योगीजी, हमारे MLA सोमनाथ भारती जी आपका सरकारी स्कूल देखने जा रहे थे।उन पर स्याही फिंकवा दी? और फिर उन्हें ही गिरफ़्तार कर लिया? आपके स्कूल इतने ज़्यादा ख़राब हैं क्या? कोई आपका स्कूल देखने जाए तो आप इतना डर क्यों जाते हो?स्कूल ठीक कीजिए।नहीं करना आता तो मनीष सिसोदिया से पूछ लीजिए https://t.co/ryz1xVbeFF
“Yogiji, our MLA Somnath Bharti ji was going to see your government school. So you got ink hurled at him? And then arrested him? Are your schools so bad? If someone goes to see your school then why do you get so scared? Fix the schools first. If you do not know how to fix them, then ask Manish Sisodia,” Kejriwal tweeted.
Meena Kandasamy, an anti-Brahmin activist who has been surrounded by controversies recently, has now targeted cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar over a picture where he can seen wearing the sacred thread. She called the sacred thread a ‘rarefied undergarment’ in a tweet.
Meena Kandasamy said in a tweet, “Is this a real picture, isn’t the poonool (sacred thread) some sort of rarefied undergarment which you wear inside your clothes??” She was quote-tweeting another tweet where the person derogatorily refers to the sacred thread as a ‘string bra’.
The picture in question was shared by Sachin Tendulkar on Instagram on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi. It was posted to the platform on the 22nd of August, 2020.
Image Source: Instagram
Meena Kandasamy was recently accused of faking her Dalit identity and engage in extortion to settle their divorce case. She also went on a rant against ‘Brahmin d*cks’. Dr Gunasekharan Dharmaraja, the former husband of Meena Kandasamy, said that the activist had filed fake harassment against him after he had filed a case on her father for attacking him. Dharmaraja said he had proofs, emails written by her that disclose the real reason of separation between them.
Following the allegations, a media organisation came forward in defense of the activist and claimed that she was being harassed by ‘trolls’. In its statement, it was also claimed that the allegations made by the former husband was, in fact, made by trolls, thus implying that Dharmaraja himself was a troll.
On January 11, 2021, Air India made a historic trip with an all-women cockpit crew that flew a plane from San Francisco, US to Bengaluru, India. There are many aspects of the flight that will make you feel proud of the achievement. Also, in the technical sense, what India has achieved with this flight is unconventional and also difficult.
An Air India flight operated with a Boeing 777-200LR aircraft VT ALG under the command of Captain Zoya Aggarwal was the inaugural flight of the new route that the state-owned aviation company will take four times a week. The polar route or the North Pole route is not only fascinating because of the scenic beauty but also economical as it saves both time and fuel.
During this flight, Air India managed to save 10 tonnes of fuel. Also, the majority of flights flying from San Francisco to Bengaluru make a stop for refuelling and takes a minimum of 21 hours 50 minutes. Air India’s recent non-stop flight took only 17 hours 45 minutes saving at least four hours of journey.
Flights from San Francisco to Bengaluru based on duration (Image: Google)
The maximum duration of the journey is 39 hours, i.e. more than double of the time this flight took. Interestingly, this will be the second cheapest flight on this route too with a difference of Rs.1000 approx from the cheapest one.
Time taken by cheapest flights from San Francisco to Bengaluru (Image: Google)
Why the polar route is the shortest?
For a layman, when the route is checked on the two-dimensional map, it looks like the flight took a curve to cover the journey and it did not take the straight route which must be shorter. It is a common mistake that we all make which checking map as we forget that we are checking a two-dimensional explainer. In the simplest language, Atlas fools us.
The explanation can get too technical or confusing for anyone who is not from the aviation industry. Let’s understand it step by step and find out details of the terminologies that will help understand what actually is happening.
Before we move ahead, let’s drop the idea of a straight line on a map because when we work in three-dimensions, the straight line is a myth. See these two maps, the left one represents New York to Madrid in two-dimensions while the right one is in three-dimensions. Here, what looks like a straight line in the left one is not exactly a straight line. It’s a curve, and if you look closely, it is a longer route. This is what Atlas does to your perspective when you look at things in two-dimensions.
Two and Three dimensional representation of routes from New York to Madrid (Image: gisgeography)
The great circle
Defining a geodesic or great circle route is somewhat technical. It can be defined as a circle on the globe such that the plane passing through the sphere’s center is equal to the circumference of the Earth. If we think about it in simpler terms, it is the route where the radius is equal to that of the globe and represents the shortest distance between the two points on the surface of the Earth. A great circle does not look like a straight line on the two-dimensional map and confuses the masses in general.
Gis Geography has made the concept even simpler. Imagine you are cutting down an orange. You can cut it from any direction, and if you are careful, you can make two identical portions. The circle at which you have made the cut is the great circle.
As these routes are the shortest distance between two far points, it not only saves money and time but also gives a chance to the pilots as well as the passengers to enjoy the scenic beauty of the North Pole. Most maps used for common reference use the Mercator projection and hence confuse the observers. So before you get confused, it is better to check the three-dimensional figure of the globe and the route to see where the flight is heading.
If the polar route is cheaper, why not the South Pole?
Another question that is being asked is why flights are not going via the South Pole instead of the North Pole, specifically this Air India flight when Bengaluru is in South India. It sounds like a genuine question, but please have a look at the globe. The majority of the countries, including India are in the northern hemisphere. Though Bengaluru is in South India that does not mean it is closer to the South Pole.
The second aspect of South Pole travel is the infrastructure. Compared to the North Pole, there is minimal development to support the aviation industry in the South Pole. In case of an emergency diversion, there is a lesser number of options on the lines of the South Pole.
The South Pole does not have as much land compared to the North Pole. It is not possible, as of now, to develop the region in a way that can sustain flight traffic. Also, most people live in the Northern hemisphere, the demand of Trans-Antarctic flights or flights via South Pole routes is not commercially sustainable.
Moreover, the South Pole is much cooler compared to the North Pole. There is always a chance of fuel-freezing on both routes and pilots have to descend the altitude to as low as 10,000 feet. Aviation fuel freezes at -47 degrees C. In the North Pole, the minimum temperature stays around -40 degrees C, and by lowering the altitude, pilots get the plane to a higher temperature. However, in the South Pole route, the temperature stays around -60 degrees C making is next to impossible to travel in winters. To be noted, the reduced altitude also helps in a clearer view of the location, making it an impressive journey. Some private flights take-off from Australia towards the South Pole, but those are for sightseeing purpose only.
How does the route look like on a three-dimensional map?
Nivedita Bhasin, former pilot and Executive Director Flight Safety, Air India, shared an exciting video on her Twitter handle displaying the route Air India flight took.
Is this the first time Air India took the North Pole route?
No, this is not the first time Air India’s pilots took the North Pole route. In 2007, Air India operated for the first time in this route when Captain Amitabh Singh became the first pilot to take this route on his return to India after taking delivery of a brand new Boeing 777. Later in August 2019, Air India flew over the North Pole with passengers on-board. It was a flight between Delhi and San Francisco under the command of Capt Rajneesh Sharma. At that time, reports had suggested that if Air India adapts the North Pole route, it can save anywhere between 2 tonnes to 7 tonnes of fuel depending on the wind conditions.
Social media sites are awash with an undated viral video of RJD MLA Satish Kumar Das from the Makhdumpur assembly constituency of Jehanabad district of Bihar where he is seen making derogatory remarks on Hindu deities. Das expressed shock over people worshipping Shivaling and made disparaging remarks against Goddess Durga and Holika.
In the viral video, reportedly old, Satish Kumar Das is heard asking if there is any shame left in the society for worshipping Lord Shiva’s penis(Shivaling). Speaking on the Hindu festival of Holi, Das said the daughter of a Dalit house, Holika was raped by a handful of people who later burnt her alive. He further added that people now mark the event by celebrating Holi and applying colors to each other. Das said Holi is such a festival in which the father-in-law and the brother-in-law do not hesitate from touching their daughter-in-law and sister-in-law while applying colors.
Source: YouTube
RJD MLA Satish Das also allegedly made objectionable remarks on Goddess Durga
Besides, Das also made controversial remarks on Goddess Durga. He reportedly said that in a country where 6-year-old, 8-year-old girls are raped, Goddess Durga merely sitting on a lion won’t work. It cannot be established when and in which rally did the RJD leader make such remarks.
The video has, nonetheless, created a stir and discontent among people, with various organizations hitting the streets protesting against the RJD MLA for his objectionable statements. Many organizations also burnt his effigy at Arwal turn and demanded stringent action to be taken against Das for hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus. Notably, MLA Satish Kumar Das is a resident of Gaya district, who won the assembly elections in 2020 from Makhdumpur Assembly constituency on an RJD ticket.
Note: OpIndia cannot confirm the authenticity of the viral video.
Parler, the social media platform with a commitment towards Freedom of Expression, will be forced to go offline after Amazon Web Service announced that Parler will be removed from its web hosting service. It was after Google and Apple had already removed social media platform from their app stores.
Latest comments by CEO John Matze reveal that Parler has also been dropped by related services such as texting and email. In addition, their lawyers have dropped them as clients. Matze told Fox Newx, “We are gonna try our best to get back online as quickly as possible but we are having a lot of trouble because every vendor we talk to, they say they won’t work with us because if Apple doesn’t approve, Google doesn’t approve, they won’t.”
VIDEO: Parler CEO admits his comment yesterday about “many competing for our business” was wrong, says no one wants to host website after being dropped by Amazon.
“Every vendor, from text message services to email providers to our lawyers, all ditched us too, on the same day,” Matze said.
Parler has maintained that they won’t give in to such politically motivated threats. “Apparently they believe Parler is responsible for ALL user-generated content on Parler,” Matze has said previously. “Therefor (sic) by the same logic, Apple must be responsible for ALL actions taken by their phones. Every car bomb, every illegal cell phone conversation, every illegal crime committed on an iPhone, Apple must also be responsible for,” he wrote.
The future course of action for Parler is not yet clear. They are slated to go offline by today. It is not yet clear when they will return, if they do at all.
Hearing a clutch of petitions seeking the removal of people participating in the ‘farmers’ protests near Delhi borders owing to the Coronavirus outbreak and petitions challenging the Constitutional validity of the three new farm laws, the Supreme Court bench led by CJI SA Bobde raised apprehensions that the farmers, who have been camping at the border areas of Delhi, agitating against the three new farm laws, might create situations which might breach the peace.
It might be intended or unintended, said the SC asking the people who are protesting to follow guidelines. “We don’t want anybody’s injury or blood on our hands!”, observed the CJI.
Senior Adv Vikas Singh: There needs to be guidelines for protesters.
CJI: the people who are protesting are not reading guidelines. We don’t want anybodys injury or blood on our hands!
“Responsibility is on all of us. Any stray incident can spark violence. All of it cannot be achieved in a single order. As a court we will not pass any order saying that you cannot protest. But we can say that it is not the only place to protest”, said CJI SA Bobde while hearing a bunch of petitions seeking removal of farmer protesters near Delhi borders.
The apex court opined that it was not in favour of the annulment of the new farm laws, however, its implementation could be put on hold until a committee with ICAR members is formed to tackle the “delicate situation”.
CJI: This whole thing has been going on. What negotiation has been going on?
AG: Farmer unions are saying either repeal the #FarmActs or protest will continue
CJI: We are not on repeal. This is delicate situation.
Speaking about the efforts the central government has so far made and is further ready to make to resolve the deadlock, senior Adv Harish Salve appearing for the centre, said: “On Minimum Support Price we have agreed upon. All areas on which they are not agreeing with the centre can be resolved by judicial orders. The objectionable parts of law can be stayed”.
On this, the bench comprising of CJI Bobde Bobde and Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian opined that the talks between the Centre and farmer unions on the new agriculture laws failed to make any headway even after the eighth round of talks because the Centre wants to discuss point by point of law and farmers want it to be repealed.
Owing to this, the SC observed that the implementation of the new agricultural laws be kept on hold until the committee does not find a middle path. “If laws are put on hold, then negotiations will have a chance to work out”, observed the apex court.
CJI: talk are breaking down because centre wants to discuss point by point of law and farmers want it to be repealed. We will stay the implementation of the #FarmActs
Though the court said that it would not like to comment on the on going protest as they did not wan’t anyone to point fingers at them accusing them of stifling the protest, the SC bench observed that there was urgent need to relocate the protesters as a precaution to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
It raised apprehension at the way Centre was handling the entire fiasco.
Almost in a threatening tone, the CJI did say that if the Centre did not constitute a committee, the Court will stay the farm laws.
CJI: we propose to form a committee and if government does not then we will stay the implementation of the farm acts. #FarmBills
The CJI said, “We propose to form a committee and if the government does not (stay the law), then we will stay the implementation of the Farm Acts. We are extremely disappointed with the way Centre is dealing with this. We are doing this because you have failed to solve the problem. Union of India has to take responsibility. The laws have resulted in a strike and now you have to solve the strike,” the Court said.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta vehemently argued that the Centre has done its best to resolve the deadlock and said that observations by the Court in that regard were “harsh”.
The Court did not pass any order on Monday but remarked that it is likely to pass its order later today or tomorrow.
“We might pass the order in part today and in part tomorrow,”
The Court also said that it will do its job as the apex court of the country.
“We are the Supreme Court of India and we will do our job“, said CJI Bobde.
Further, CJI said, “Our intention is to see if we can bring about an amicable resolution to the problem. That is why we asked you why don’t you put the Farm Bills on hold. You want time for negotiation. If there is some sense of responsibility showing that you will not implement the laws, then we can form a committee with ICAR members to look into this. Till then, you can continue to put the law on hold. Why will you insist on continuing the law anyhow”.
Attorney General KK Venuogapal, representing the Centre, objected to the stay stating that the laws are within the legislative power of the Parliament.
Several commentators have criticised the approach of the Judiciary saying that the Judiciary cannot wade into Legislative powers and curb the laws passed by a democratically elected government, thereby, effectively infringing on Legislative discretion.
Supreme Court raises concern over ‘farmers’ protests turning into another superspreader Tablighi Jamaat event
Prior to this, the Supreme Court bench had raised concerns while drawing equivalences between the ongoing ‘farmer’ protests and the controversial Tablighi Jamaat congregation in the capital last year that went on to become one of India’s biggest clusters of coronavirus cases. Observing that the same problem may arise from farmers’ protests too, the apex court had asked the Centre to file a report on the steps taken so far to contain the pandemic and ensure guidelines are strictly followed.
It may be recalled how the Tablighi Jamaat congregation, which took place in Nizamuddin Markaz in the first half of March, became the mega-spreader of coronavirus in India, as many as more than one-third cases in India are linked to that event now. Now, with thousands of ‘farmers’ camping at the border areas of Delhi for over 45 days, chances are extremely high that this could emerge as a second Nizamuddin Markaz.
Even as the Uddhav Thackeray government in Maharashtra reduced the security cover of former CM Devendra Fadnavis and his family, Union Minister Ramdas Athavale, MNS chief Raj Thackeray, as well as removed the cover for state BJP chief Chandrakant Patil and former Chief Minister Narayan Rane, it has not shied away from providing the government security cover for relatives of its leaders.
As per the new directives by the Maharashtra government, Varun Sardesai, Secretary, Yuva Sena, has been provided with ‘X’ security cover. It is pertinent to note here that Sardesai is the nephew of Uddhav Thackeray’s wife Rashmi Thackeray. The government also newly granted security cover to Shiv Sena MLA Vaibhav Naik, who defeated Rane in the assembly polls in 2014.
Besides Sardesai, the wife of deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, Sunetra Pawar has also been provided with the ‘X’ security cover.
Relatives of Maha Vikas Aghadi government leaders provided with government security
Former Maha CM Devendra Fadnavis, Raj Thackeray, Ramdas Athavale among leaders whose security has been scaled down
In a notification issued on Thursday last week, the Maharashtra state government made 16 withdrawals, 13 new protectees, 11 downgrades and two upgrades. The changes in the security cover triggered a political row, with the Maharashtra BJP spokesperson Keshav Upadhyay accusing the Maha Vikas Aghadi government of practising “vendetta politics”.
A former Governor, two former CMs, two serving Union ministers and the Maharashtra BJP president were among those whose security cover was either withdrawn or downgraded by the Maharashtra government. Former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’s security cover was reduced from earlier ‘Z+’ cover to ‘Y+’ with an escort. Similarly, the government also lowered the cover extended to his wife, Amruta, and daughter, Divija, from ‘Y+’ category to ‘X’ category while withdrawing the security cover of his aunt, Shobhatai Fadnavis—a former minister and a sitting MLC.
Maharashtra government issues a notification informing about the changes in security cover
After Maharashtra government reduced Devendra Fadnavis’ security, the former chief minister said that he had never asked for one and his movement won’t be affected by the downgrading of his security detail. Fadnavis said, “I never demanded security even as party chief, it was only as CM, when there were threats, I was given security. This won’t affect my movement at all. We are not the kind of leaders who depend on security, we work among the people.”
Among BJP leaders whose security detail has been withdrawn include—Union Minister Raosaheb Danve, state BJP president Chandrakant Patil, former Assembly Speaker Haribhau Bagade, former state finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, former social justice minister Rajkumar Badole as well as legislators Ram Kadam and Prasad Lad.
Furthermore, the government also reduced the security cover of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s cousin and MNS chief Raj Thackeray from ‘Z’ category to ‘Y+’ with an escort. Union Minister Ramdas Athavale’s security detail was also scaled down.
State Home Minister Anil Deshmukh refutes opposition allegations
Responding to the allegations of vendetta politics against the government, State Home Minister Anil Deshmukh claimed the downgrading was as per a routine threat perception review. He added that NCP chief Sharad Pawar had called him, offering to lower his security cover. “Pawar is a national leader but he has barely used any security in the last four years. Even Ajit Pawar had no escort,” Deshmukh said.
The conversation around the tyranny of big-tech has now taken centre stage after President Donald Trump was suspended from using all social media platforms following the Capitol Hill riots. Alleging that the President of the United States was fomenting violence, several platforms like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and even other platforms like PayPal, Pinterest etc banned Trump. The alternate platform that the American right-wing had created called Parler, was also de-platformed by Apple and Google. As the conversation raged, many started talking about an Indian social media platform called Tooter, urging fellow citizens to join the platform to avoid big-tech tyranny.
Mr Nanda, who is evidently the CEO of Tooter took to Twitter and urged people to join Tooter.
We weren’t colonized by the british in a day. So how did it happen? They came to Bharat for business in early 1600s but their rule began in 1757. It happens so slowly you won’t even notice. It is happening now. Digital colonization. Fight back Twitter #Tooter@TooterDotIn
While appealing to join Tooter, Nanda said that Twitter has banned Donald Trump in 2021, and it could just as easily ban PM Narendra Modi in 2024. Hence, people should join Tooter.
Twitter banned the still sitting president of USA. Guess what they will do to our beloved Pradhan Mantri Shree @narendramodi ji in 2024. I will not let this happen. I will put my last paisa into #Tooter to stand up against Twitter’s hegemony. Are you with me Bharat? @TooterDotIn
One of the elements because of which Tooter ended up getting a lot of coverage in the media, was that it was believed that the platform even got the endorsement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
On Tooter, Prime Minister Narendra Modi seems to have a verified account.
PM Modi account on Tooter
There are several ‘Toots’ from his account too, that mirror the ‘Tweets’ that he posts on Twitter.
This fact was covered by several media houses, giving legitimacy to the fact that PM Modi indeed had an account on Tooter. Several media houses like Indian Express, Times of India and even The Quint reported that celebrities such as Virat Kohli, Deepika Padukone, Salman Khan, Shahrukh Khan, several ministers and even Prime Minister Modi have an account on Tooter.
However, now several doubts have come to the fore. BJP spokespersons Tajinder Bagga and Suresh Nakhua took to Twitter to announce that PM Modi has not really joined Tooter and that Tooter has themselves made an account of PM Modi and verified it to give the impression that he has indeed endorsed the platform.
When OpIndia tried to confirm from its source, OpIndia too was told that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had indeed not joined Tooter and neither had the ministers who purportedly have a verified account on Tooter now.
It appears as thought the Tooter team has created an account of PM Modi and several other ministers and coded their platform in a manner that pulls the tweets from Twitter to their current account on Tooter.
A confirmation of that fact was also hinted at when Mr R Vaidya asked Mr Nanda why he had a verified account on Tooter and how people were being made to follow him, since he himself had not made an account yet.
Tweet exchange between R Vaidya and Nanda (CEO of Tooter)
As this report was being written, IT Cell Head of BJP also took to Twitter to tweet that none of the BJP units, PM Modi, HM Amit Shah, BJP President JP Nadda or other functionary had accounts on Tooter.
Please note that neither the BJP or any of its state units, nor Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP National President J P Nadda have a presence on Tooter.
PM Modi not on Tooter, but what is Tooter all about?
Tooter, in its ‘About Us’ page says, “We believe that India should have a Swadeshi social network. Without one we are just a digital colony of the American Twitter India Company, no different than what we were under the British East India Company. Tooter is our Swadeshi Andolan 2.0. Join us in this Andolan. Join us!”.
Interestingly, the moment someone joins Tooter, they are automatically made to follow three accounts – that of the CEO of Tooter, Mr R Vaidya and one ‘news’ handle.
Who Tooter makes you follow by default
A detailed report by Inc24 highlights how privacy policy page mentioned that it wouldn’t provide a user’s data to any person “unless compelled by a court order issued by a US court, except in cases of a life-threatening emergency.” Another passage under the header “Children Under the Age of 18” read, “California residents under 16 years of age may have additional rights regarding the collection and sale of their personal information. Please see Your California Privacy Rights (below) for more information.”
In fact, the ‘Terms of Service’ mentioned that in matters relating to the website, any disputes or claims shall be governed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of Pennsylvania, a state in the US.
It would appear that when Tooter launched, they had mostly copied their terms and conditions from another website. However, after this was covered by Inc24, Tooter had updated their policy.
Tooter also says that its codebase and ‘free and open source’.
Source: Tooter
While Tooter relies on open-source and free codebase, it used to charge its users Rs 1,000 to ‘upgrade’ their account to get a verified badge, post rich text etc, at least November end when this article was published.
The Directors of Tooter Private Limited are Naresh Vankayalapati and Rameshwar Rao Vankayalapati. Not much is specifically known about them, or the CEO Mr Nanda.
While an Indian alternative to all social media platforms, including the information hub Wikipedia is the need of the hour, having verified accounts of people without their knowledge, especially of ministers and heads of states like the Prime Minister, poses a significant risk since information tweeted from the handle could be misconstrued as authentic.
While Prime Minister Modi may join Tooter or any other made-in-India platform in the future, one can safely conclude that he is not on Tooter just yet, and neither are several other celebrities whose verified accounts appear on Tooter now.
