In yet another act of spewing venom against Hindus, Thol Thirumavalavan, the Member of Parliament from Chidambaram constituency of Tamil Nadu, made hateful remarks against Hindus by saying that Hindu religious scriptures treated women as ‘sex workers’.
According to the reports, Thol Thirumavalavan, the founder of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), who fought the 2019 Lok Sabha elections under a UPA-DMK alliance ticket, recently spoke in an online seminar organised by a Periyarist group. In his speech, the controversial anti-Hindu ‘activist’-cum-politician said that all Hindu women are ‘prostitutes’ according to Sanatana dharma.
Continuing his anti-Hindu rant, the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) chief Thol Thirumavalavan spoke about Periyar and hailed him for ‘helping’ break the brahmanical ideologies that were taught by Hindu scriptures. The video of his anti-Hindu speech has gone viral on the internet drawing sharp criticisms from various sections.
“If one were to look at how women are valued in Sanatana Dharma… how they are treated, how they are being suppressed for time immemorial, how they are being exploited… what does Sanatana Dharma say about women?” Thirumavalavan said.
He continued, “Women are basically created as prostitutes by God. All women are prostitutes as per Hindu Dharma, Manu Dharma. All women are prostitutes. That is how they have been created by God. They are of lower status than men. This is applicable to Brahmin women as well as women of other castes. This is what the Sanatana Dharma says”.
Following the outrage, Thol Thirumavalavan issued a statement claiming that his video was taken out of context and that that was the agenda behind few pro-Hindu groups that wanted to spread hatred.
“Manudharma and Sanatana Dharma are scriptures that have degraded women from time to time. Some groups are twisting what I spoke in an online forum meeting over a month ago and spreading lies about it. Dr Ambedkar had, back then, highlighted how Manusmriti degraded women and had burned a copy of it. Periyar had also spoken about the atrocities and burned a copy of the Manusmriti. Time and time again several leaders have highlighted this and yet injustice towards women prevails,” he reportedly said.
Hindu temples are places with ‘dirty idols’
This is not the first time that Thol Thirumavalavan has indulged in peddling such anti-Hindu rants. Last year in November, Thol Thirumavalavan had made offensive statements against Hindu temples triggering a massive uproar across social media.
Speaking at an event in Puducherry, Thol Thirumavalavan was seen opposing Sanatana Dharma education policies and mocking the Hindu temples in front of the audience stating, “if the building has a dome, it is a mosque; if it is tall and straight, it is a church; and if it has dirty idols/dolls, it is a temple”.
A complaint was also registered against Thol Thirumavalavan in different police stations in Ariyalur district demanding the registration of an FIR against him.
As the world continues to suffer from the Wuhan Coronavirus pandemic, some villages in Gujarat are setting an example for the world to deal with these apocalyptic times. According to reports, 139 villages in Rajkot, Gujarat have not recorded even a single case of Covid-19. According to News 18 India, out of total 598 villages of Rajkot, 139 villages have been declared as ‘corona free’ as there has been no positive case of Covid-19 in any of these villages so far.
People in these 139 villages have been strictly following the Covid-19 guidelines. Entry of outsiders is completely restricted in the villages and the people religiously wear masks and follow social distancing norms. According to the report, people in the villages believe that they can prevent Covid-19 from spreading if guidelines are followed properly. Therefore, these people avoid going outside unless necessary. These villages falling under 27 tehsils of Rajkot form around 28% of the total population in 96 tehsils of Rajkot.
District Health Officer Dr. Mitesh Bhanderi said that there has been no migration to these villages from outside since the beginning of the pandemic and therefore no positive cases were found, reported Divya Bhaskar. The villages have low population and people are aware and have been following social distancing. He said that the administration will increase the number of tests to ensure that no cases are left.
Gujarat has a total of 14,043 active cases of Covid-19 with 3,670 deaths so far. Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot and Gandhinagar are the five most affected districts in the State.
On Thursday, two Islamic terrorists named Abid and Mehraj Uddin surrendered before the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) police, during a search and cordon operation in Shalpora Tujar Sharief area of Sopore in North Kashmir. They were affiliated with Ak-Badr.
As per reports, the J&K police had received a tip-off about the presence of the two terrorists in the area, post which a search and cordon operation was launched. It was jointly carried out by the Indian Army, J &K police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). When the presence of the terrorists was confirmed, the security forces decided to give them a second chance. They called in the parents of the young terrorists to convince them to lay down their arms. Following the intervention of the family members, the two terrorists decided to surrender.
The official Twitter handle of Chinar Corps had shared several videos in connection to the incident. In one video dating back to October 1, the Indian army officials met the family of the terrorists and promised to get the sons back. In another video, the mothers of the terrorists could be seen hugging their sons and appealing to them to return to the mainstream.
Based on inputs, a search operation was launched today afternoon. Once it was revealed that Abid and Mehraj Udin are present, their families were called and given a chance to surrender.#Kashmir@adgpi@NorthernComd_IApic.twitter.com/hIurkn77SV
While speaking on the development, Inspector General of Police (Kashmir) Vijay Kumar stated, “Our full support will be available for the terrorists who lay down their arms and surrender. We always give the terrorists an opportunity to surrender during encounters, as they are our own people.”
In its official statement, the J&K police said, “Due to the great efforts of the security forces and repeated appeals by their family members, the terrorists eventually surrendered before the joint forces. They have been identified as Abid Mushtaq Dar and Mehraj-u-din Dar, both residents of Wadoora Payeen in Bomai area of Sopore.”
Video of another terrorist surrendering before Indian army goes viral
Earlier, the Indian army had put out another video of a terrorist laying down his arms before the security forces in Budgam. He was identified as Jahangir Bhat and was also newly recruited to a terrorist outfit. In the viral video, a solider was seen convincing him to surrender and asked fellow troop members to refrain from firing at the terrorist. He told other jawans to fetch water for Bhat as he sat down on the ground.
That’s how Indian Army functions. A terrorist surrendered in Kashmir . He was treated with full respect and dignity by brave soldiers of Indian Army. I urged all Kashmiris who were subverted by Pakistani extremist to surrender and become part of prosperous and vibrant India. pic.twitter.com/SYQ707JPiw
“Surrender for the sake of God, for the sake of your family…”Nobody will fire. Kuch nahi hoga beta (nothing will happen to you son),” the soldier told the terrorist. Reportedly, the security personnel had also recovered an Ak-47 from him.
Delhi’s Karkardooma court Friday extended the judicial custody of former JNU students Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, accused of conspiring to organise the Delhi riots in February this year, by 30 days. Both will now remain in judicial custody till 20 November. Both the radical Islamists were booked by the Special Cell of Delhi police under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in relation to the North-east Delhi riots case and are currently lodged in the Tihar jail.
BREAKING: Delhi Court allows application seeking for extension of remand by 30 days of Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, with regard to investigation pertaining to conspiracy involved in #DelhiRiots.
While Sharjeel Imam was apprehended on August 25, Delhi police arrested Umar Khalid on September 14 for his alleged involvement in the horrific Northeast Delhi riots. Khalid is one among 15 people who have been arrested for their role in instigating and carrying out riots in the Chand Bagh area of Delhi on February 24.
The police had asked for a 30-day extension to the judicial custody of the two, arguing their continued remand was necessary to ensure the investigation could continue, by ensuring their presence.
Sharjeel Imam and Umar Khalid alleged not being allowed free movement in jail
Responding to the plea that both be allowed free movement in jail, the court asked the Tihar jail superintendent to ensure that they are allowed out of their cells as per rules.
Meanwhile, the Tihar jail superintendent stated that the two are allowed free movement in the jail premises as per rules. He also assured that any books and warm clothes sent for Khalid to the jail would be provided to him.
On Thursday, Umar Khalid had alleged that he was not being allowed to move freely in the jail and that he is being kept under solitary confinement. Later in the hearing, JNU student Sharjeel Imam also alleged same. The judge asked his lawyer to file an application, and orally asked the superintendent to make sure the rules were being followed.
Umar Khalid’s alleged role in Delhi riots
Khalid was arrested by the police September 14 for his alleged involvement in the horrific Northeast Delhi riots. He was summoned by the police for investigation and was later arrested. In a charge sheet filed by the Delhi police and admitted by the court, it is alleged that Khalid had hatched the conspiracy of the anti-Hindu Delhi riots along with his friends during the visit of the US President Trump to India. Khalid had allegedly met the former AAP Councillor Tahir Hussain and another accused Khalid Saifi to assure logistical support during the riots through his contacts in the PFI.
Radical Islamist Sharjeel Imam wanted to turn Anti-CAA protests into a pan-India movement
Imam is accused of being involved in the conspiracy that led to the break-out of riots in the national capital. He was booked under various sections of the IPC and the UAPA. The charge sheet filed against him had revealed that Imam wanted to transform the anti-CAA protests into a nationwide movement. His WhatsApp chats revealed during the investigation show that he used the misinformation spreading around the CAA to further his agenda and in this, he got the help of local Islamic clerics.
Earlier the mastermind of the Shaheen Bagh protests was arrested on January 28 on sedition charges after he urged Muslims to cut off North East India from the rest of the country by blocking the ‘Chicken’s neck’ region in Assam.
After making startling revelations in an interview given to Bollywood Hungama in September 2020, in which Aamir Khan’s long-forgotten brother Faisal Khan claimed that his family had forcibly administered him wrong medications and forcibly kept him under house arrest for more than a year, he has given another interview in which he expressed his desire to come out of his superstar brother’ shadow.
In an interview with the Times of India that was published on October 22, 2020, Faisal Khan spoke on an array of issues, particularly about his directorial debut and his need to break out of Aamir Khan’s shadow.
‘Want people to recognise Aamir as my brother, not the other way around’: Faisal Khan
Responding to the question of whether he had received any help from Aamir Khan for his directorial venture, the Mela actor denied receiving any assistance from his brother. He said that Aamir has not even read the script that he is working on and he doesn’t need anyone’s help owing to his extensive experience as an actor and as an assistant to the directors. He added that he has come through a process and climbed his way up from being a third assistant to the director to being the first assistance.
Faisal also added that he wanted to helm a project that he could call as his own and be responsible for its success or failure. Khan said that he wants people to recognise Aamir Khan as Faisal Khan’s brother and not the other way around, and for this, he will have to break out of his superstar brother’s shadow and make his own decisions.
“I didn’t let anyone take the decisions, ultimately, as a director, you’re supposed to take your own decisions. Also, how does one form one’s own identity? I have had my own struggles. How does one break out of that? How does Faisal Khan ever break out of Aamir Khan’s shadow? Why doesn’t one write it as Faisal Khan’s brother Aamir? The whole system needs a big change,” Khan replied when asked if he had received any help from Aamir Khan on his directorial venture.
False allegations of mental illness destroyed my acting prospects: Khan
The former actor also opened up about how his career took a hit because of false allegations of him being mentally ill and depressed. The false notions of his mental illness had dried up work for him as an actor and people in the industry were scared to work with him, owing to the rumours about his mental capacities. Recounting the hard times, Khan said he was actively seeking opportunities in the field of acting but people were simply not ready to meet him. It is at this time, he switched his career from acting to directing, Khan said.
“I realised that it won’t be easy to get into direction, it will be an equally difficult task. However, it turned out fine for me. Now that I have directed a film, I don’t need anyone’s approval for my mental state. They are entitled to think what they want, the world can think what they want, it doesn’t affect me one bit. My work will speak for itself and that’s what matters,” Khan said.
Khan was illegally administered drugs and confined by his family
Earlier in September 2020, in an explosive interview with Bollywood Hungama, Khan had rejected the talks around his depression and mental illness as a lie. “I was never depressed or had paranoid schizophrenia”, he said. However, he made some serious allegations against his family.
“When my family was under the assumption that I am depressed, I have paranoid schizophrenia, they kept me under house arrest for one year. They gave me forceful medication which is not right and it’s illegal”, he revealed. “I was quietly tolerating it all hoping that they will finally understand,” he added.
Faisal Khan had said that he had to run away from his house after his family asked him to give up his signatory rights because they thought he was not normal. This was followed by a court case. Khan has further stated that there was a legal battle over his mental fitness and he was deemed normal after an evaluation by JJ Hospital.
However, quite contrary to what Faisal Khan maintains about his mental health, a statement was given by Aamir Khan in 2007 where he said that his brother was declared mentally ill by the doctors of J J Hospital. He had also told that he had even applied for his brother’s custody but the court granted it to their father.
The TRP scam, which is being investigated by the Mumbai Police seems to have more twists and turns than a Bollywood thriller. While the Hansa Research Report and the FIR based on it named India Today, the Mumbai Police Commissioner, Parambir Singh, held a press conference less than 48 hours after the FIR was registered and named Republic TV in the TRP scam instead. Since then, the saga of harassment of Republic TV journalists and officials have continued unabated.
Interestingly, while the Hansa Research Report and the FIR based on it named India Today and subsequently, a witness, while talking to the media also named India Today, inexplicably, in front of the magistrate, the witness changed tunes and named Republic TV, as was reported by the Times of India. It was suspected that the change in the statement could be coerced, however, there was no evidence to prove that theory.
In a development that gives yet another twist to the saga, now, a conversation has come to light where a witness, in whose home a bar-o-meter is installed, is admitting to his neighbour that he is being coerced to name Republic TV and India Today in his statement.
This recorded conversation was sent through credible sources to OpIndia. The recorded conversation, which is between Person A (Person in whose home a bar-o-meter is installed) and his neighbour, makes it evident that Person A was scared for his security and his family’s safety after being allegedly coerced by the Mumbai Police.
In the conversation, Person A tells his neighbour that at 3:30 AM, the police barged into his house. He says that they have arrested someone and an enquiry is underway about this machine (bar-o-meter). His family was further asked how much money they get, who gave them the money and in whose account was the money being received. He alleges that the arrested person was also with the 10-12 policemen who had barged into the house. On being enquired, the arrested person says that he had paid this family Rs 500 in cash and Rs 200 in the account. He also says that the police had taken all his details, like his address, phone number, account details etc. The person arrested is one Umesh, who is reportedly connected to Person A.
At this point, his neighbour advices him to lie and say that he watches none of the channels and gets only Rs 250 as rent. Person A, however, refuses to lie and says that the arrested individual has already said that they receive money, and now, it makes no sense to lie to the police.
Here is where the conversation becomes interesting.
Person B (the neighbour), asks Person A (the concerned person with the bar-o-meter installed) whether the police asked them what channel they watch.
Person A sounds nervous, clearing his throat, he says that they were told that there is a scheme of -channel name redacted- and ‘it’s their system’. Person A was enrolled in this ‘scheme’ and that was the reason they were getting ‘all the facilities’. He then says that his younger son was there and he said that they were told that -channel name redacted- has a ‘scheme’ and they would provide ‘facility to customers’.
The police then allegedly tells Person A’s family that “this has got nothing to do with -channel name redacted- but India Today and Republic Bharat”. Person A then says that his son told the police that they do not watch either India Today or Republic Bharat, but just watch -channel name redacted- when his father is at home.
Thereafter, Person A then says that the police had already written Republic Bharat in their papers (It is unclear what papers Person A was talking about, but presumably, he was talking about the witness statement).
The neighbour at this point says that the police is doing this to “trap them” (presumably meaning Republic TV). Person A at this point gets even more nervous and says that the police will also implicate him in false allegations. He says that the police will stand in front of his door and then, the rest of the building residents will say what is the “lafda” that he is involved in.
It becomes clear that Person A was not home when the police had barged into their house. He tells the neighbour that his wife told them that 10-12 policemen had barged into their home to question them. The neighbour at this point tells Person A that even if there were 20 policemen, they should tell them categorically that Republic Bharat does not give them money. Further, the neighbour tells him to say that Maharashtra government is against Republic and is trying to find something against them, however, they are just customers (people with bar-o-meters in the house). He says that if they paid them, they would watch them too. Concluding his comment, he tells Person A to tell clearly that -channel name redacted- pays them and not Republic Bharat.
Person A then says that the arrested person who was with the police “must have got beaten” and wonders what he must have told the police under duress. “if they have beaten him and made him say R Bharat, then he will confess it was R Bharat”, he says.
Person A reveals in the conversation with his neighbour that while 10-12 policemen were in his house, another 5-6 were standing at the gate of the building. He reveals that they have “already written R Bharat on paper” and while today police have come to his doorstep, tomorrow, others will become while his wife is alone.
Audibly shaken, he wonders what his plight would be, worried about Mumbai Police showing up at his door everyday and the other residents of his building getting worried about the mess and asking him to vacate the residence. The neighbour admits that “they are trying to make a case against R Bharat’. Person A says that he is extremely worried about the “lafda” with the police and courts and sounds increasingly agitated about the prospect of being dragged into the mess.
From the entire conversation, certain pertinent questions come to the fore:
Under what circumstances is it acceptable for the police to question anyone at 3:30 AM in the morning?
Does this not point towards coercive tactics?
If the customer (Person A and his family) had repeatedly said that they were enrolled in a ‘scheme’ to watch -channel name redacted-, why did the Mumbai Police insist that the case does not concern them, but is about Republic Bharat and India Today?
After losing face with the Hansa Research Report and FIR details emerging, is the Mumbai Police trying to create more evidence, independent of the initial FIR and Hansa Report to hound Republic TV?
Why did the Mumbai Police add the name of Republic TV, as alleged by Person A, to its documents while the witness kept insisting that he DID NOT watch Republic Bharat at all and instead, was asked to watch -channel name redacted-?
Can an investigation into any case be carried out with the police force being personally vested in implicating one channel?
The full conversation can be heard here:
What the advocate of arrested accused (Umesh) told OpIndia
OpIndia reached out to Advocate Giri, who is representing accused Umesh. He was told about the audio conversation that OpIndia is in possession of where Person A, in whose home a barometer was installed was talking, supposedly to his neighbour. At this point, Advocate Giri confirms that Person A was indeed talking to his neighbour and that he, in fact, is connected to accused Umesh (who he is representing).
However, when asked about the authenticity and contents of the audio conversation, Advocate Giri said that it would not be proper for him to comment on the contents or the authenticity of the tape since he was not present during the conversation and since, the matter is sub-judice. However, Giri did confirm that Person A was indeed talking to his neighbour and that he was connected to his client, Umesh, who is now in police custody.
The saga of the fake TRP scam and the curious case of Republic TV being implicated by Mumbai Police, while the complaint and FIR mentioned India Today
The TRP scam case has seen several twists and turns. While the Hansa Research report and the FIR filed on the basis of it named India Today, in less than 24 hours, Mumbai Police had seemingly made up its mind that Republic TV was the culprit instead and sent a notice to BARC to acquire their viewership data. In 48 hours, Parambir Singh had held a press conference naming Republic TV in the TRP scam and not even mentioning India Today.
Later, the Hansa Research FIR, their report based on which the FIR was filed and a witness statement naming India Today surfaced, putting the Mumbai Police and India Today in a tight spot.
After it was revealed that India Today had earlier been implicated by BARC Disciplinary Council in the manipulation of viewership, the drama had reached its Zenith, or so it seemed.
Soon, the witnesses, after being guarded by Mumbai Police closely, told the magistrate that it was Republic TV that had paid them. With this audio emerging where a customer in whose home a bar-o-meter is installed, alleging that he is being pressured by the Mumbai Police to name Republic TV in the TRP scam, the investigation further becomes questionable.
In the entire suspicious chronology of the case where Republic TV was being implicated in the TRP scam, not a shred of evidence, except the inexplicably changed statement by the witness, has surfaced against the channel run by Arnab Goswami in the public domain. While their CEO, CFO, journalists and Arnab Goswami himself continue to be hounded by the Maharashtra coalition government and the state machinery, including the Mumbai Police, it remains to be seen how many more twists and turns this case throws up.
Note: OpIndia has emailed the CBI earlier today informing them of this potential evidence that has come in our possession. As independent journalists, while it is our duty to put this critical information out in the public domain, we have informed the CBI that we are willing to handover the information we have with regards to this audio conversation, to assist in their investigation of the TRP scam. If an when the CBI responds to our email, we will update this report with the relevant information.
Note: Person A mentions another channel which he watches and had subscribed to owing to a ‘scheme’ they were being offered. That channel’s name has been redacted in the report since no police investigation, FIR or Hansa Report mentions that channel’s name thus far. The only mention of that channel is in this conversation. Therefore, OpIndia is withholding the channel name for the purpose of this report, pending inquiry.
The teams of the Special Task Force (STF) which were entrusted with the investigation of the alleged conspiracy of inciting caste rioting following the Hathras case have reached Hathras, Mathura and Aligarh where FIRs were registered in relation to the alleged conspiracy. The administration came to know about the alleged conspiracy to incite caste riots from the Local Information Units (LIU) reports of Hathras and nearby districts and a preliminary report prepared by an Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising of three IPS officers.
As per reports, the STF teams surveyed the critical locations, and collected all available updates and investigation details in the FIRs registered in the case.
Based on the information received from these reports, FIRs were registered in Hathras, Mathura and Aligarh in relation to different matters. In addition to that, FIRs were also lodged in Lucknow, Bijnor, Saharanpur, Bulandsheher, Prayagraj and Ayodhya against those spreading misinformation on social media. Police officials had reportedly admitted that there was a conspiracy to incite riots.
Involvement of PFI and Bhim Army
According to reports, the names of members of extremist Islamic organisation Popular Front of India (PFI) and Bhim Army have also emerged in the alleged caste riots conspiracy. The police are also investigating the people who were in touch with the family of the Hathras victim after the incident. The police had registered a case against unidentified people at Chandpa police station on October 4 in relation to the caste riots conspiracy. The four arrested members of the PFI have reportedly now also been made accused in the case by the police. The STF team in Hathras met CO Sadabad late in the night yesterday and obtained the documents related to the case.
The STF team is also procuring relevant material from social media accounts. As per reports, the STF team is expected to file an application before the court seeking permission to interrogate the four PFI members. Foreign funding angle will also be probed by the team.
Hearing on October 29
Yesterday, the hearing of the bail application of on of the four PFI members was held in the court of Additional District Judge (ADJ)-10. During the hearing, the Crime Branch opposed the bail of the accused on the ground that the investigation has been transferred to the STF that will collect the evidence in the case. The court adjourned the hearing of the matter till October 29 and directed the STF to appoint an investigating officer and to produce the documents related to the case before the court.
The four PFI members were arrested in Mathura
The police had arrested the four persons associated with the PFI and its sister organisation Campus Front of India (CFI) on October 5 from Mont Toll Plaza. The four accused are Siddique Kappan who is a journalist and a resident of Malappuram, Kerala, Atiq ur Rehman who is a resident of Muzaffarnagar, Masood Ahmed who is a resident of Bahraich and Alam who is a resident of Rampur. The police had also recovered some provocative material relating to the Hathras case from the accused. The accused were travelling from Delhi to Hathras.
In a legal battle that Republic Media Network and another media giant Bennett Coleman & Co. that owns the Times Now channel, have been fighting in court for over two years, the Delhi High Court today reportedly refused to grant interim relief to the latter with respect to use of the tagline “nation wants to know”, stating that a detailed examination of the issue is required. This means that Times Now cannot refrain Republic TV from using the tagline, which was popularised by Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami when he worked as editor and news anchor for Times Now.
At the same time, the court barred Republic TV from using the tagline ‘NEWS HOUR’ or any other tag that may be similar to it for its primetime debate show.
#LIVE | ‘We’ve been fighting this battle since 2017. It wasn’t easy. Finally, today we have succeeded,’ says Malvika Trivedi of Phoenix Legal who represented Republic in court, with Arnab & Team Republic now able to use the phrase #NationWantsToKnowhttps://t.co/rGQJsiKgt2pic.twitter.com/iOz4geXcBl
The Single Bench of Justice Jayant Nath has held that Arnab Goswami led Republic TV channel is free to use the said tagline as part of his speech/presentation of any news but in case he chooses to use the same as a trademark, then the channel will have to maintain an account of the usage of the same, stated the court.
The Times group had moved the High Court seeking a permanent injunction against Arnab Goswami’s Republic TV from using the phrases ‘News Hour’ and ‘Nation Wants to Know’ or any other derivatives or combinations of the same.
Times Now alleged that Goswami took “undue advantage” of the popularity of the program he anchored at Times Now. Despite his employment agreement with Times Group vesting all rights to intellectual property exclusively with the plaintiff company, Goswami proceeded to use the disputed marks, the Times Group argued in the High Court.
Meanwhile, Republic argued that the words “News Hour” are generic, widely used and as such Times Group cannot claim a proprietary right on the same.
On the tagline “nation wants to know”, Republic TV submitted in court that the phrase was neither scripted nor planned, but casually used by Arnab Goswami during his time at the Times Group. It argued that it was just a line that happened to be used as part of a common speech by Goswami during his then debate program on Times Now. Over time, this line became synonymous with Arnab Goswami and Times Group cannot claim a proprietary right over it in any way, Republic TV argued.
After the HC refused the plea for an injunction, Malvika Trivedi of Phoenix Legal who represented Republic in court said: “We’ve been fighting this battle since 2017. It wasn’t easy. Finally, today we have succeeded”.
The ‘Nation wants to know’ conundrum
The tussle between Times Group and Republic Network over these taglines begun when Arnab Goswami quit Times Now in 2016 to set up his own media venture- ARG Outlier Media Ltd, of which the Republic Network is a part.
When Goswami was associated with Times Now, the channel had launched a debate programme which was called “New Hour”. This program was hosted by Arnab Goswami.
Bizarre as it may sound, when Arnab Goswami quit Times Now, the media network had sent a legal notice to him in 2017 asking him not to use the phrase, he had actually popularised: ‘The Nation wants to know’ on his news channel Republic TV. Claiming that it had got the trademark “News Hour” registered under Classes 16, 35 and 38 in 2014, Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd also claimed that the tagline is their intellectual property.
Arnab had then released an audio clip on YouTube informing people that he has received this notice. He had not revealed the name of the group that has sent him the notice. “A media group has sent me a six-page letter threatening me with imprisonment if I ever use the phrase ‘Nation wants to know’. They say that they own the phrase.” He had then accused the media group of trying to delay the launch of Republic TV.
Days after Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh falsely tried to implicate Republic TV and its Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami in the alleged TRP scam, the Mumbai police have now reportedly demanded all financial transactions from the media network.
Republic TV reported that the Mumbai police Crime Branch has sought details of every financial transaction made by the channel in the past 4 years. Meanwhile, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Sundaram S have been asked to submit the details at the police station. Despite being well aware that collecting information of such transactions may take months, the Mumbai police have provided just 12-hour window to Republic TV for submitting the details.
As per Republic TV, the fresh demand for financial transactions is a part of the witch-hunt of the Mumbai police against the news network, carried out on the behest of the Maharashtra government. The channel has claimed that the cops have sought for petty and trivial transactions including the cost of toilet paper, coffee vending machines, makeup kits, stationery, furniture and so on.
Republic TV issues statement against Mumbai Police’s diktat
In a statement issued by the channel, Republic TV has called out the blatant attack on press freedom by the Mumbai police. It stated, “Republic Media Network has now been issued a Section 91 notice by the Mumbai Police to submit details of every single transaction the organisation has entered into ever since its inception. As part of the ongoing witch-hunt against Republic Media Network by the Mumbai Police led by Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh, preposterous details of our financial, contractual and transaction details have been sought.”
The channel further added, “The CFO of the Republic Media Network on 22 October 2020 was issued a notice under Section 91 of the CrPC whereby details of “valuation report”, “ledger copies”, “trade receivables”, “broadcasting expenses”, “employee benefit expenses”, “promotion expenses” amongst others have been sought. This effectively means from electricity bills to editing machine expenses, to details of provident funds of employees, to details of loans issued to employees for medical emergencies, the cost of cameras, cost of studio maintenance, the cost of purchasing hand sanitizers, carpeting costs in the office – every single ledger and expense detail has been sought.”
#RepublicWitchhunt In a brazen, blatant & shocking attack on press freedom by Mumbai Police, Republic Media Network has been issued notice to submit details of every transaction since inception & list every single journalist & employee. We will fight each & every strongarm tactic pic.twitter.com/qvG8ZlqWt6
While calling out the brazen attack, Republic TV pointed out how the Mumbai Police had sought details of every employee and journalist working for the media channel. “This an overt attempt to harass a news organisation, infringe on its operations and bring back the Emergency-era way of functioning. There is a clear and motivated attempt by the Mumbai Police to target Republic Media Network which has been falsely named in the TRP scam case,” the channel said.
“Republic Media Network will stand tall amidst the pressure tactics. Republic Media Network will continue to put the news first, the truth first and the nation first. We shall fight every strong-arm tactic in the court of public opinion and the courts of law,” the news channel concluded.
Mumbai Police threatens Republic TV Executive Editor with imprisonment
Earlier, Republic TV informed that their executive editor Niranjan Narayanaswamy was questioned by Mumbai Police for almost 9 hours on 21st October. The network says that he was threatened with imprisonment repeatedly for his decision to not reveal the source of the Hansa report. Niranjan revealed that he was warned that he will be booked under sections 174 and 179 of the IPC if he refuses to divulge the source of the report by Hansa Research, but Niranjan refused to divulge the source.
On Friday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi yet again lied about China transgressing into Indian territories by falsely claiming that the Chinese troops had occupied nearly 1,200 kilometers of land.
Speaking at an election rally at Nawada ahead of the Bihar assembly elections, Gandhi-scion Rahul Gandhi resorted to blatantly mislead people by making false claims that the PLA soldiers have occupied Indian lands up to 1,200 km deep inside into country’s territory after the clashes between Indian and PLA troops in early May.
Attacking PM Narendra Modi over Chinese aggression at the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh, Rahul Gandhi alleged that it was PM Modi who handed over 1,200 kilometres of India’s land to China.
“The Chinese army killed 20 of our soldiers and took over 1,200 kilometres of our land. Why did our PM insult the heroes by lying that no one came inside India when Chinese soldiers came inside our land. Today he say I bow my head,” said Rahul Gandhi during an election rally at Nawada, Bihar.
#WATCH चीन की सेना ने हमारे 20 सैनिकों को शहीद किया और हमारी 1200 किलोमीटर ज़मीन ली है। जब चीन हमारी ज़मीन के अंदर आया तो हमारे PM ने वीरों का अपमान करते हुए ये क्यों बोला कि हिन्दुस्तान के अंदर कोई नहीं आया। आज कहते हैं कि मैं सिर झुकाता हूं: नवादा, बिहार में राहुल गांधी pic.twitter.com/iiL1KSWotA
This is not the first time that Rahul Gandhi has been making such false claims pertaining to the alleged Chinese incursions into Indian territories. Even last week, during an election rally in Bihar, Rahul Gandhi had alleged that PM Modi handed over 1200 sq km of India’s land to China only to protect his own image.
The Gandhi-scion had alleged that PM Modi had lied to the entire nation only to protect his own image. The blatant lies of Rahul Gandhi come even as Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had said on the floor of the Parliament that China has not intruded into Indian territory.
If one believes Rahul Gandhi’s statements of China occupying nearly 1,200 km of Indian lands, then according to him, at least half of Indian territories would be under Chinese occupation.
If one calculates the distance from the Line of Actual Control (LAC) near Ladakh – the epicentre of the recent clashes, the 1,200 km span would include states and union territories such as Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttarakhand, UP, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and parts of Gujarat, Chattisgarh, West Bengal and Jharkhand. The approximate areas that will be under China’s control as per Rahul Gandhi have been shown in the map below, where the distance of 1200 km from Ladakh has been estimated using the ruler feature of Google Earth.
If we calculate 1200 km distance from entire India-China border and not just from Ladakh, then even more areas will be under China’s control, including the entire northeast, Odisha etc.
In his hurry to attack Modi government, Rahul Gandhi displayed in his lack of understanding of India’s geography and gifted almost half of Indian territories to China. In that case, on Friday Rahul Gandhi made his political speech attacking Prime Minister Modi standing deep inside Chinese territories.
Rahul Gandhi’s complex relationship with facts, numbers
Rahul Gandhi has a habit of taking creative liberty when he interprets numbers. He has always used numerical figures to distort facts and make false claims to target his political rivals.
Last year, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Rahul Gandhi had lied about the loan-waivers given to industrialists and had kept on changing the numbers in every speech he delivered to attack the Modi government.
At first, in November 2016, Rahul Gandhi had claimed that the Modi government had then waived off loans worth Rs 1.1 lakh crores of big industrialists. During campaigning for Gujarat assembly polls in 2017, Rahul Gandhi inexplicably increased this figure by 20,000 Crores to Rs 1.3 lakh crores and repeated the same trite.
In Karnataka, he went a step ahead and conjured up another grand figure- Rs 2.5 Lakh crores that was waived off. A video had gone viral where it can be him claiming that the Modi government had waived loans of 5.50 lakh crore / 3.50 lakh crore / 3.00 lakh crore / 2.50 lakh crore / 1.50 lakh crore / 1.40 lakh crore / 1.30 lakh crore / 1.10 lakh crore owed by richest industrialists.
Fictional waiver amount for industrialists is not the only number that keeps changing in Rahul Gandhi’s speeches. The Congress president has promised Rs 72,000 per year, Rs 72,000 per month and Rs 72,000 crores per year under the NYAY scheme announced by the Congress party.
Last year, in the run-up to Lok Sabha elections, Rahul Gandhi had also changed the price of Rafale jet negotiated by UPA government several times, and also changed the amount Modi gave Anil Ambani in the Rafale deal multiple times, also recently he seemed to have settled on Rs 30,000 crore, which is more than the total value of offsets under the deal.
