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BJP leader Tejasvi Surya to move a breach of privilege motion after MPs manhandled by West Bengal police

OpIndia Staff
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BJP leader Tejasvi Surya to move a breach of privilege motion after MPs manhandled by West Bengal police

Tejasvi Surya, the newly elected BJP Yuva Morcha president along with MPs Nisith Pramanik, Jyotirmay Singh Mahato will be moving a breach of privilege motion against the West Bengal police officials after they allegedly manhandled the BJP leaders who had gone to the Jorasanko police station to file an FIR against police for the unprovoked attack during a march to the state headquarters Nabanna yesterday. Taking to Twitter, Surya said that he along with the two MPs will move breach of privilege motion against these “errant and arrogant officials”.

The BJP youth wing activists led by national president Tejasvi Surya staged a sit-in before the Jorasanko police station in the city on Thursday night demanding an FIR be filed against the police. Surya, flanked by Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) state leaders, sat before the police station until midnight for police to register FIR upon their complaint. The police did not register the FIR, instead manhandled 3 Members of Parliament.

Police stations have become TMC party offices in Mamata’s Bengal: Tejasvi Surya

Sharing a video clip from inside the police station Surya had Tweeted: “Police Stations have become TMC party offices in Mamata’s Bengal. They don’t even register FIR for cognizable offences. Complete breakdown of law.”

“Either file FIR or remove uniform and hold TMC party flag”: Tejasvi Surya

In a subsequent Tweet, the BJP MP from Bengaluru South said that the youth of Bengal are gathering outside Jorasanko Police Station in big numbers. “Police have two choices: Either file FIR in accordance with law or Remove uniform and hold TMC party flag”, said Surya.

Surya on Thursday came down heavily on the West Bengal government over the “brutal attack” on BJP activists during their march to the state secretariat and said it was a “black day as the rule of law has been murdered” in the state.

WB police unleash brutality on BJYM and BJP workers, TMC goons join in

The West Bengal Police on Thursday mercilessly beat up people on the streets of Kolkata and unleashed large-scale lathi-charge and violence against BJYM and BJP workers for protesting against the political murders in the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal. Disturbing visuals had emerged from the ‘Nabanno Chalo’ rally organised by the BJYM at Kolkata as BJP karyakartas on Thursday.

West Bengal Police in the behest of the Mamata Banerjee government came down heavily on the BJP karyakartas by raining lathis and using tear gas at them. Trinamool party workers too joined the violence against the BJP workers. The goons allegedly associated with the TMC attempted to disrupt the peaceful rally and attacked the BJP workers.

The most shocking act was when bombs were hurled at a rally led by BJP MP and Yuva Morcha chief Tejasvi Surya in Kolkata. The protesting karyakartas were subjected to ‘chemical liquid attacks’ as well.

Tejasvi Surya had posted a series of images on social media accusing the TMC party workers of hurling country-made bombs at them from rooftops. He added that the water cannons and lathi-charge were also used to disperse the peaceful crowd protesting on the streets of Kolkata.

OpIndia accesses pictures of WB Govt excesses on the BJP and BJYM karyakartas

OpIndia had also accessed pictures of the WB government’s excesses on the BJP and BJYM karyakartas. As per sources OpIndia spoke to, 450 karyakartas of the BJP had been arrested and over a thousand were injured during the crackdown on the ‘Nabanno Chalo’ protest by the BJYM.

After the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) announced a protest outside the state secretariat Nabanna today, the state government decided to shut down the secretariat for two days. The government also cited the Supreme Court order yesterday on Shaheen Bagh protest justifying preventing the protest rally from taking place.

Uttar Pradesh: CM Yogi Adityanath lays foundation of 177 development projects worth Rs 122 crores in Gorakhpur

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: CM Yogi Adityanath lays foundation of 177 development projects worth Rs 122 crores in Gorakhpur

Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh has seen a gust in the development activities under the Yogi Adityanath-led government. In a big leap taken towards fulfilling his commitment to convert Gorakhpur into a “smart city”, the CM today virtually conducted the foundation laying ceremony of 177 development projects worth Rs 122 crore in Gorakhpur. Through a video conference from his government residence in Lucknow, the CM addressed the public about the project.

The development projects which got a green flag from the CM today were related to the construction of good roads, systematic drains in Sadar, Grameen and Sahjanwa constituencies of the district.

On this occasion, CM Yogi has said that every hope of development will be fulfilled in Gorakhpur which is an important center of art, culture and spirituality. He has said that in the ‘new Gorakhpur’ which the Uttar Pradesh government is shaping, every street will be illuminated with the light of development. After the state-of-the-art medical institute like AIIMS, now the zoo will be gifted this year.

The much-awaited fertiliser plant in Gorakhpur to start next year

Speaking on what his government has envisioned to transform Gorakhpur into in the near future, the CM asked people to recollect what the perception of people about Gorakhpur was 20-25 years ago. Anarchy and misery was the hallmark here. But today the ‘new Gorakhpur’ is being built according to public dreams with public cooperation, said the CM.

Yogi furthered that the revival of the fertilizer factory was the much-awaited dream of the people here which will now become a reality soon. He remembered how Prime Minister Modi, who had laid the foundation stone for the revival of a fertiliser plant in Gorakhpur had emphasized that this move would create up to 4,000 jobs and ensure an adequate supply of nutrients to farmers in Uttar Pradesh. The CM said that this project would be successfully completed and launched next year.

The CM said that the establishment of biofuel plant, water sport park, AYUSH University, Wellness Center, Veterinary College, Police Training College, the women PAC battalion will enrich the ‘new Gorakhpur’.

Yogi Adityanath stresses on improving roads and the drainage system

Speaking on how the people living in the interiors of Gorakhpur have been struggling with bad roads and poor drainage system, the CM announced that to tackle this, the UP government has today also flagged off projects to improve roads and the drainage system in Gorakhpur.

He directed the Divisional Gorakhpur to appoint a Nodal Officer for each project and all the works should be completed at the stipulated time as per the standards set.

Revamping Gorakhpur to attract tourists

Speaking on the state government’s all-out efforts to develop Gorakhpur district for tourism purpose, CM Yogi Adityanath said that the government would make Ramgarh Lake a world-class tourism centre. Since Gorakhpur is geographically at the center of the Buddhist circuit and all Buddhist tourists visiting Kushinagar, Kapilvastu and Lumbini have to pass Gorakhpur, the government has launched projects to develop and improve the Ramgarh Lake.

Saying that his government has been working to convert Uttar Pradesh into an ‘Enterprise State’ under the guidance of the Prime Minister, Yogi said that there is no alternative to development. This is his government’s top priority. Development not only increases the chances of livelihood but also changes the attitude of the public about the city and the state concerned. He said that today the views and attitude of the entire country and the world about Uttar Pradesh has changed. “We are working towards making Uttar Pradesh an ‘Enterprise Hub’ under the guidance of the Prime Minister”, said Yogi Adityanath.

Dangling electrical wires need to go immediately, asserts Yogi Adityanath

Yogi addressed the officials and said that the dangling electrical wires in the city not only spoil the aesthetics of the city but are a looming threat to the life of the public also causing great inconvenience to them. Therefore, Yogi asserted that the process of undergrounding them should be expedited.

The sanitation and cleanliness drive

Speaking about the special campaign for cleanliness and sanitization, under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, which the Yogi govt will be conducting from October 10 to October 16, the CM said that it is “my special appeal to the people of Gorakhpur is to make this campaign a success. He said that garbage disposal should be ensured under the campaign. Spraying of anti larvae and lime etc. This will help in controlling dengue and other diseases.”

During the Foundation laying program, the Chief Minister also watched a short film depicting the ongoing progress of various developmental works being done in Gorakhpur.

While the MLA Rural-Shri Vipin Singh expressed gratitude to the Chief Minister on behalf of the people of Gorakhpur, citing developmental projects like AIIMS, Khad Karkhana (fertiliser factory), Ramgarh Lake project and the Zoo in Gorakhpur, MLA from Sahjanwa district- Shri Sheetal Pandey said that Gorakhpur which was left behind in the race for development due to political neglect would now compete with the big metros. He thanked the CM for giving Gorakhpur the much-needed attention. Additional Chief Secretary, Information Shri Navneet Sehgal also said that under the leadership of the Chief Minister, the state is creating new dimensions of development. The whole country is realizing the importance of the UP model of development, said Sehgal.

Why is Kamala Harris so unlikable? She has a little Hillary Clinton problem

K Bhattacharjee
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Why is Kamala Harris so unlikable? She has a little Hillary Clinton problem

Why is Kamala Harris so unlikable? Regardless of the side of the political spectrum one is on, it perhaps will be conceded by vast sections of the Alerican electorate that Kamala Harris is one of the most disliked politicians at the national scene. Her unpopularity can be gauged from the simple fact that she was forced to drop out of the presidential race even before a single vote was cast in the Democrat primaries.

It took all of 2 minutes, possibly less than that, for Hawaiian Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard to end her presidential campaign. But one suspects the reason why it was so easy for Gabbard to destroy Kamala Harris during the Democratic debates is that she merely confirmed the deep seated suspicions the Democrat voter-base already harboured regarding the Senator from California.

Tulsi Gabbard exposed the hollow nature of the public image Kamala Harris has built over the years. She spoke about the time when the Senator blocked evidence that would have proved the innocence of a man on death row, she locked up people for marijuana law violations while laughing about it when asked about consuming marijuana herself and these were just a few of a long list of transgressions Kamala Harris had committed over the years.

The debate between the Vice-Presidential candidates for the 2020 US Presidential Elections was broadcast in India early morning on Thursday. And the same personality trait that makes her so unpopular among people was once again evident during her debate with Mike Pence. One is likely to believe her unfettered laughter on the most inopportune moments has something to do with it.

During the debate, while Mike Pence appeared polite and cordial, Kamala Harris reeked of condescension and unbelievable pettiness. When questioned on her record in public service, as is the norm in any such debate, her response was not a coherent rebuttal of the arguments made by her opponent. She said, “I will not sit here and be lectured by the Vice President on what it means to enforce the laws of our country.”

That is not a valid response to criticism of her record. It reeks of entitlement and someone running for public office is expected to be more forthcoming in responding to questions asked of them. “You have no right ask me questions,” is a disastrous response for any politician. But this is a regular feature of her political career.

Kamala Harris is in the habit of saying things she does not mean. During the Democratic debates, she accused Joe Biden of being racist and when she was questioned on why she agreed to become the Vice-Presidential nominee of someone she believes is a racist, she hysterically laughed it off saying, “It was a debate!” It appears as if Kamala Harris honestly believes it is okay to call someone racist just to score political brownie points.

Again, she claimed that she believed the woman who accused Joe Biden of sexual harassment. But none of that seemed to matter when Joe Biden asked her to be his VP pick. All of this points towards the obvious reality that Kamala Harris does not have any principles. She would say anything and do anything as long as it helps her acquire more power.

The most disconcerting thing about her, of course, is her maniacal laughter that Kamala Harris does not appear to have any control over. And the manner in which she uses it tells quite a lot about her personality. It is her get out of jail card. Any time she is in a difficult position, she lets out that maniacal laughter to get out of trouble.

For instance, when Joe Biden told told her during one of the Democratic debates that the policy she proposed was unconstitutional, her response was, “Hey, Joe, instead of saying ‘no, we can’t’, let’s say ‘yes, we can’,” before breaking into another bout of hysterical laughter. Imagine being told that the policy position you are proposing is constitutionally invalid and your response is… demented laughter?

There are other sketchier things that she has done obviously. Recently, she promoted a fund that bailed rioters looting and burning down stores across the USA. In that, she had help from 13 other Joe Biden staffers. In the end, the money helped release a man accused of sexually assaulting a child.

All of this points towards an obvious fact that has not received enough attention as of yet. Kamala Harris has a Hillary Clinton problem. She is totally dishonest to her very bones and unfortunately for her, she is not even good at hiding it. Much like the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee, Kamala Harris has a stellar credo if one goes by the book but the moment she opens her mouth to speak, it becomes evident that she is a power-hungry megalomaniac.

In the end, there was nothing Hillary Clinton could do to fix the problem and it ended up costing her the elections. Fortunately for the Democrats, Kamala Harris is not the first name on the ballot, therefore, if we are to go by conventional wisdom, her nomination as VP is unlikely to affect the outcome of the elections in November.

India Today lies and twists statement by a ‘dara hua witness’ to attack Republic TV with claims the witness never made

OpIndia Staff
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India Today lies and twists statement by a ‘dara hua witness’ to attack Republic TV with claims the witness never made

The ‘Fake TRP scandal’ has stirred a hornet’s nest ever since Mumbai Police Commissioner Parambir Singh did a press conference on the 8th of October to claim that Republic TV was involved in paying people to watch Republic TV and thus, illegally manipulating their TRP rating. However, it was revealed soon enough that the FIR filed actually named India Today and not Republic TV for TRP manipulation. After Parambir Singh proceeded to tie himself up in knots, India Today too has now resorted to lying and twisting the statements of a witness in the case who had admitted to Republic TV yesterday that her son was asked to watch India Today to increase their ratings.

In a tweet that was posted by India Today this morning, the channel said, “India today accesses an eyewitness account of a TV barometer holder, says was offered Rs 400 monthly payment if she played Republic on Television”.

Attached, was an audio clip where their Executive Editor, Sahil Joshi, was heard talking to Tejal Solanki, the same witness who had given a sound byte to Republic TV yesterday implicating India Today in the fake TRP scam.

The video clip starts with an India Today news anchor lying blatantly. She claims that the Mumbai Police had confirmed that it was indeed Republic TV that was named in the FIR and not India Today. However, this is far from the truth. It was India Today itself that had got the phone byte of the Joint Commissioner who had admitted that India Today was named in the FIR. He had, however, said that witness examined since then had named Republic TV and hence, they were investigating the channel. Even in that statement, there were several problematic assertions and discrepancies where the Mumbai Police were trying themselves up in knots. We had discussed that statement threadbare here.

After the India Today anchor lies blatantly, the Executive Editor proceeds to manipulate a ‘Dara hua witness’ Tejal Solanki. It is to be kept in mind that after speaking to Republic TV yesterday, on the 8th of October, Tejas was heard being extremely scared. Towards the end of the conversation, the Republic TV reporter had told Tejal that he will send a reporter to her house the next day so she could give a byte. However, Tejal kept wondering if she would get into trouble for telling Republic TV the truth and naming India Today.

Further, she had told Republic not the send a camera crew because she did not want to be on television. Essentially, when Tejal was talking to Republic TV, it was evident that she is extremely nervous and does not want to get into trouble. However, she did name India Today explicitly and said that her son was approached to watch the channel.

When one hears the conversation between India Today journalist and Tejal in the current context, it becomes clear that the channel was trying to manipulate words out of a witness who was extremely scared.

In the first segment, Tejal Solanki says that she was getting calls from Republic TV after 10 PM to talk about India Today, but she does not have India Today subscribed. India Today in a futile attempt, re-emphasises that to mean that at the time that scam was conducted, she did not have India Today subscribed. Now, we don’t know when she subscribed or unsubscribed, but based on that conversation, for India Today to exonerate itself is rather hilarious. Tejal nowhere says that at the time she was approached for the TRP scam, she did not have India Today subscribed.

Here is the funniest aspect of the conversation though. When Sahil Joshi asked Tejal whether India Today had paid her to watch their channel, Tejal categorically says “Nobody has ever paid us and we can send a screenshot if you wish”.

Now, while Tejal says in the conversation that nobody has ever paid her to watch any channel, India Today takes this conversation to claim that the witness has said that she was paid Rs 400 to watch Republic TV.

Further, it must be remembered that while she spoke to Republic TV and implicated India Today a day before, she never mentioned any financial remuneration to begin with. So, to ask her a question saying that she had said she got money to watch India Today is completely absurd since she never claimed in her conversation with India Today that she or her son got money. What the real allegation is can only be revealed if an honest investigation is done.

It is important to mention here, however, that the FIR itself says that money was paid to watch India Today for 2 hours daily.

Then, India Today proceeds to tie itself up in knots further. The journalist asks Tejal whether she has ever got a call to watch India Today, to which, she says no. However, when she is asked if someone called ‘Vishal’ called her up to watch India Today, she says that Vishal used to come to their house with the Bar-o-meter people. Essentially, thanks to India Today, the contents of the FIR filed were confirmed beyond doubt, even though Tejal was too scared to admit in plain words.

It is important to note that following the complaint, Relationship Manager of the company Vishal Bhandari was arrested by Mumbai police. During the investigation, revealed that India Today and other channels instigated him and offered money to households with the meters to keep their TV tuned to those channels.

Moreover, he revealed that a person named Vinay asked Bhandari in November 2019 to approach 5 homes and ask them to watch India Today daily for 2 hours. The FIR filed in the case reads “Today on 6th October 2020, Assistant Police Inspector, Mr. Kazi, has informed me that, Basis on the secret information received, they arrested Vishal Ved Bhandari, House no.6, Kashinath Khandu Bhandari Chawl, BMC Quarters, Chincholi, N B Road, Malad (W), Mumbai 400097, During the inquiry, he informed that he is working with Hansa Research Group Private Limited as a Relationship Manager, he also informed that to increase the TRP of India Today and several other channels, he used to instigate and offer money to panel homes, where BAR-o-Meter installed with the help of other several people. They asked me to visit their office for more understanding.”

The FIR further states in November 2019, Vishal had received a call from an unknown person named Mr Vinay. Vinay asked him to approach 5 panel homes in Mumbai to ask them to watch the India Today channel daily for 2 hours. Later Vinay met Vishal and gave him Rs 1000 to distribute among the 5 panel homes, and also game Rs 5000 as a commission for the act. Accordingly, Vishal did the malpractice for 7 months from November 2019 to May 2020. He approached the 5 panel homes, asked them to watch the channel for 2 hours daily.

It was also confirmed by Vishal that the audit team had visited one of the panel homes, and the household had confirmed that they were paid to watch the India Today for minimum 2 hours per day.

These are the contents of the FIR which have even been owned up to by the Mumbai Police Commissioner. Thus, when Tejal admits to Vishal visiting her home, she essentially confirms the contents of the FIR completely.

Then, Sahil attempts another chicanery. He asks Tejal again whether someone from India Today ever called her to get her to watch the channel. However, that was never the allegation in the first place. The allegation was that Vishal had approached them to watch India Today. Hence, getting a direct call from India Today was never the contention and hence, Tejal saying nobody from India Today called her is not an exoneration of India Today or an indictment of Republic TV.

The tallest feat of peddling absolute lies that India Today saying that Tejal had admitted to getting Rs 400 for watching Republic TV when in the entire conversation, she had never even remotely mentioned anything of the kind.

It is evident that India Today is desperate to exonerate themselves after their tirade against Republic TV fell flat on its face and it turned out, that they were the accused in the FIR and not Republic TV or Arnab Goswami. However, in this age of social media and instant information, it is laughable that India Today would try and pull such a stunt where their blatant lies can be debunked rather easily and quickly.

Rajasthan: Temple priest set on fire by land mafia, dies of severe burn injuries

OpIndia Staff
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Rajasthan: Temple priest set on fire by land mafia, dies of severe burn injuries

In yet another shocking case, a 50-year-old temple priest named Babulal Vaishnav has been burned to death in the Bokna village, Sapaotra division of Karauli district of Rajasthan. As per reports 6 persons who had designs to grab the land of the temple had poured petrol on the priest and set him on fire.

Babulal was the head priest of the Radhagovind temple in the village. On Thursday, October 8, 6 persons who were allegedly trying to encroach upon the temple land and were resisted by the priest, had poured petrol over him and set him on fire. Babulal Vaishnav was admitted in the SMS Hospital in Jaipur in a critical condition and he succombed to his injuries on Friday morning.

The video of the incident has gone viral on social media. In the said video, the priest can be seen having burn injuries all over his body as he sat on a hospital bed. He can also be heard crying in pain.

The priest had suffered burn injuries all over his body, post which he was admitted to the Burn Department in Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital in Jaipur. However, he succumbed to his injuries later. In his dying testimony, the Hindu priest had named 6 people for setting him on fire. Although the case falls under the jurisdiction of the Saporta police, they have not arrested any of the accused as so far.

Babulal Vaishnav, sitting on the hospital bed, with his burn injuries
Babulal Vaishnav at the SMS hospital

Locals demand justice for temple priest

While speaking on the case, prior to the death of the temple priest, local activists narrated how Babulal Vaishnav was set on fire by 6 miscreants. They also pointed out the negligence of the government towards the case. A local activist further emphasised, “The administration and the Rajasthan government is sleeping, despite the heinous case. They are unperturbed as they have become used to protests. Until you take out demonstrations, they won’t take any action. This is a shameful and condemnable incident. There cannot be anything worse than burning a priest alive by pouring petrol over him. The destruction of a country is inevitable if such incidents happen in a State. I am warning the administration to arrest the accused immediately. Negligence, on their part, will not be tolerated. Else, we will be forced to hit the streets.”

Locals allege rising anti-Hindu sentiment due to Bhim army

While speaking to OpIndia, locals alleged about the rising anti-Hindu sentiment in the area, owing to the activities of the Bhim army. They informed that the area had become a hotbed for Dalit politics, resulting in a generation of youth being brainwashed to vilify Hinduism. They further informed that some persons from a local community wanted to encroach upon the land, where the Hindu priest was building his house. When he opposed their move, Babulal Vaishnav lost his life.

Although, skimming through some social media posts, one can certainly find ‘Meena’ community people relishing this death, but this crime is not a result of caste politics, rather a land issue. Later, after the death, the caste politics has started where the political parties are trying to weaken the FIR (as claimed by locals with knowledge if the issue) by naming just one main accused, Kailash, and getting the administration to treat this as a possible suicide by self-immolation or a result of skirmish when the ‘chhan’ (cattle shelter) caught fire and the priest was injured.

Palghar Sadhu lynching

On 16th April 2020, two Sadhus of Juna Akhara, Maharaj Kalpavrukshagiri (70), and Sushilgiri Maharaj (35) were lynched along with their 30-year old driver by a mob. The incident took place at Gadchinchale village in Palghar district, Maharashtra. They were on their way to Surat, Gujarat. In videos of the brutal incident, the local police was seen ignoring the plea of an old, injured Kalpavrukshagiri and watching without intervention while a violent mob beat him to death in front of the police station.

Karnataka: Family kills daughter’s boyfriend Lakshmipathy after inviting to discuss wedding, Nizamuddin, Sikander arrested

OpIndia Staff
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Karnataka: Family kills daughter’s boyfriend Lakshmipathy after inviting to discuss wedding, Nizamuddin, Sikander arrested

In a tragic incident, a 24-year-old man named Lakshmipathy was murdered by family members of his girlfriend in Kudur, Ramanagara district on Tuesday. As per reports, Lakshmipathy was invited by the family under the pretext of discussing his wedding with the girl.

According to the reports, the 24-year-old K Lakshmipathy, a garment factory worker and a part-time auto driver had eloped with a Muslim girl and the duo had decided to tie the knot. However, they were stopped by the girl’s father Nizamuddin, who convinced his daughter saying he would get them married. The father then invited Lakshmipathy to visit his residence to discuss marriage and sort out the differences between them.

After inviting Lakshmipathy to their residence, the police said, 45-year-old Nizamuddin, his son Sikandar and two other associates named Ibrat and Mohammad took Lakshmipathy and his elder brother Nataraj to a deserted spot in Kudur, on the pretext of marriage talks where they strangled Lakshmipathy to death after beating him.

Nizamuddin made them to drink alcohol, strangled Lakshmipathy to death

K Nataraj, elder brother of Lakshmipathy, narrated the incident and said the accused mercilessly strangled his brother as he watched helplessly. Natraj said that the family of the girl abused Lakshmipathy over their religious differences and asked him to never even dream of marrying his daughter.

“Around 10 am on Tuesday, Nizamuddin took my brother Lakshmipathy to his house, saying they would decide the wedding date and other issues. I accompanied them. Sikandar and the others said we should go out and hold the discussion. Lakshmipathy spoke to the girl, telling her they were going to discuss the matter,” Nataraj said in the complaint.

The brother of the deceased said that Nizamuddin and his associates also made them drink alcohol.

“Nizamuddin came looking for me…They grabbed me and bundled me into the auto. They pushed me out near Kunigal Cross and told me not to reveal anything or else they would kill my other family members,” Nataraj, a daily-wage worker, said in the complaint.

Later in the day, the brother of the deceased registered a complaint at the Neelamangala police station. The police began the investigation and traced the body of Lakshmipathy in the night. The Police have now arrested the father of the woman and her brother while two others are absconding.

Media forgets Dalit victim in Hathras to pursue TRP blame game

Abhishek Banerjee
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Media forgets Dalit victim in Hathras to pursue TRP blame game

Who is on the side of the people? The media, of course. Keeping the citizens informed, with minute to minute details of the unfolding national crisis. Count the number of talking heads and the decades of media wisdom between them.

Tweet by NDTV journalist Sanket Upadhyay

Order – order! The panel is in session. What is the agenda of the day?

The 70 lakh Coronavirus cases in India?

The Chinese incursions in Ladakh?

The Dalit victim in the Hathras incident?

No way. They have something far more important to talk about. As Sanket explains, this is a “very important 9 pm discussion of my life.” Who wants to discuss your life Sanket and why are you putting it on primetime?

I see. Even NDTV anchors can get their English grammar all mixed up when the excitement and tension is too high.

Not long ago, the media messiahs were shaking their heads in despair. Why won’t the country discuss real issues? What has happened to our media discourse?

And today, media has convened for the all important primetime discussion on TRP games!

Keep in mind. These cheap TRP battles wiped the Hathras case off our screens. This is how much the great humanitarians in media care for the people. This is how much they care about social justice, about Dalits, about women and about the nation in general.

If you ever want to see media in its lowest form, yesterday was the day.

Did you know that Maharashtra is No. 1 in Coronavirus cases in India?

Did you know that just a day before, Mumbai Police gave a clean chit to Deputy CM Ajit Pawar in alleged Rs 25,000 crore Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank scam?

But who cares? The Mumbai Police is doing a high voltage press conference on who may or may not have paid somebody Rs 500 to watch a TV channel.

And that’s the news. Definitely not the clean chit in alleged Rs 25,000 crore scam. Not the 15 lakh Coronavirus cases in Maharashtra. Nor the Dalit victim in Hathras and not the Chinese incursions on the LAC. The “news” is about TRP games.

Many years ago, there was a terrorist attack on the Indian Parliament. Nine of our brave security personnel died protecting the heart of Indian democracy. A famous media personality described it as a ‘great day.’ Why? Because of TRP.

This is who they are. From the Parliament attack of 2001 to the case in Hathras, they are vultures and only vultures. They pose as humanitarians, but in reality, they are vultures. That’s where the real danger is. They feel nothing. They pretend as if they feel everything.

It’s okay to be a vulture. The constitution gives them the right to be vultures. But for our own good, we need to be aware of these vultures among us.

There are a lot of good things about India, but the media is not one of them. For instance, do you remember the UPA era when headlines would be of 2 lakh crore scam and 1.76 lakh crore scam? Now they are so starved for scams that it has come down to Rs 400-500 scam. Now that is something we can be happy about.

After FIR names India Today in the ‘Fake TRP’ case, it flaunts crime branch notice as ‘proof’ to declare Republic TV as guilty

OpIndia Staff
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After FIR names India Today in the ‘Fake TRP’ case, it flaunts crime branch notice as ‘proof’ to declare Republic TV as guilty

A day after a complaint was registered against India Today TV for manipulating the TRP, the media network has brazened out to push misleading claims to declare Republic TV as a guilty in the ‘Fake TRP’ case despite having no proof to substantiate their claim.

On October 6, Hansa Research Group Private Limited, the company responsible for installing and maintaining the Bar-O-Meter of the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), had registered an FIR alleging manipulation of Bar-o-meters.

During the investigation, it was revealed that India Today and other channels had instigated one Vishal Bhandari and had offered money to households with the meters to keep their TV tuned to those channels. Audio has also surfaced where the main witness, Tejal Solanki, can be heard confessing on record that her son was asked to watch India Today in order to manipulate their TRP.

India Today named in TRP scam FIR
The FIR filed in the TRP scam case

However, on Thursday, the Mumbai police addressed a press conference and made some sensational claims against some TV channels alleging that they were manipulating TRP ratings. The Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir Singh had said that three TV channels, including Republic TV, were involved in manipulating viewership data of BARC by paying those households where Bar-o-meters, the devices that track TV viewership, are installed.

The Police commissioner said that the arrested persons had admitted that Republic TV and two other Marathi Channels were involved in the scam, and the owners of Fakt Marathi and Box Cinema channels have been arrested.

Despite India Today being named in the FIR and named by the witness in the case, the Mumbai Police commissioner did not named them and claimed that Republic TV has been found to be bribing viewers to fake TRP data.

India Today derides Republic TV, accuses them of manipulation

Soon after the press conference, India Toady, which is fighting an unsuccessful TRP war with the Republic TV, jumped onto the scene to accuse Republic TV of indulging in manipulating viewership data. India Today went on overdrive trying to deride Republic TV and Arnab Goswami.

India Today News Director, Rahul Kanwal, who was earlier caught lying about BARC ratings, went on a long rant trying to deride Arnab Goswami and India Today as well.

Image Source: Rahul Kanwal

However, the FIR was then accessed by Republic TV and also by OpIndia has revealed that the name of Republic TV has not been mentioned in the FIR anywhere. In fact, it was India Today that was mentioned in the FIR along with some other channels that were not explicitly named.

In a major twist to the case, the FIR specifically named India Today as an accused in the case contrarian to the claims made by India Today that it was Republic TV which was mentioned in the FIR.

India Today brazens it out, shows notice to claim Republic TV is an accused

Despite being named in the FIR, India Today has continued to brazen it out and went to pin the blame on Republic TV in the ‘Fake TRP’ case. By citing a crime branch notice by the Mumbai Police to BARC, the ‘journalists’ at India Today tried to manipulate the viewers to claim that Republic TV is an accused in the case.

Chaiti Narula, an anchor at India Today, posted the crime branch notice on Twitter, to display a notice issued to BARC under section 91 of the CrPC to state that Republic TV has been named in the ‘Fake TRP’ case.

Narula, who claims to be a journalist, not only failed to differentiate between a notice issued by the Mumbai Police to BARC seeking their presence in the investigation and an FIR, which incidentally names her own channel India Today, but also went onto misinform public that Republic TV has been named in the FIR.

Image Source: Chaiti Narula

Not just Chaiti Narula, many other India Today journalists latched on to the same Mumbai Police notice issued to BARC claim some sort of ‘moral victory’.

Ashutosh Mishra, another ‘journalist’ at India Today, also flaunted the same notice issued to BARC and attempted to pass it off as an FIR in the case.

If we look at the notice issued by Mumbai Police to BARC carefully, it says that the accused in the case has revealed that he was paid to allow installation of BARC meters at their houses to watch Republic TV garner more viewership to the channel. Interestingly, the FIR in the case does not name Republic TV contrary to what Mumbai Police’s notice mentions.

Image Source: Ashustosh Mishra

What is even more interesting is that while the FIR was registered on 6th October and specifically named India Today, the Mumbai Police, instead of investigating India Today, sent a notice to BARC on 7th to get the viewership data of Republic TV. A day later, on the 8th, Mumbai Police Commissioner Parambir Singh named Republic TV on national TV. Evidently, no investigation against India Today seems to have been conducted even after they were named specifically in the FIR.

Even as India Today continue to do all the theatrics to change the narrative in the ongoing ‘Fake TRP’ case, they have been brazening it out, flashing the dubious notice by the Mumbai police. It is also not clear why the Mumbai Police Commissioner named Republic TV when it was India Today that was named in their FIR and mentioned by witnesses for manipulating TRP data.

Ironically, the anchors at India Today are on a shouting spree against Republic TV of manipulating numbers even as they themselves were named in the FIR.

Mumbai Police Commissioner ties himself up in knots: Admits India Today named in ‘fake TRP’ FIR, gives shoddy explanation for targeting Republic TV

OpIndia Staff
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Mumbai Police Commissioner ties himself up in knots: Admits India Today named in ‘fake TRP’ FIR, gives shoddy explanation for targeting Republic TV

The ‘fake TRP scam’ has taken a remarkable turn in less than 24 hours. On the 8th of October, Mumbai Police Commissioner Parambir Singh held a press conference where he thundered away against Republic TV and Arnab Goswami, claiming, that the channel had illegally paid some households to keep some channels on even if they were not at home to boost their TRP. However, by the end of the day, it was revealed that in the original FIR, Republic TV did not find a mention anywhere. In fact, it was India Today that had been named in the original FIR.

While earlier, India Today had gone into a celebratory mode and gone hammer and tongs against Arnab Goswami after the press conference by Parambir Singh, the revelation that the original FIR mentioned India Today, and not Republic TV seemed to dampen the mood a bit.

After recovering from the initial shock, Rajdeep Sardesai tried to salvage the situation a little. Rajdeep took to his channel to question the Joint Commissioner of Police. He asked “an attempt has been made to suggest that India Today was mentioned in the FIR” and then, went on to demand clarity to exonerate himself and implicate Republic TV.

The Joint Commissioner, however, interestingly admitted that it was indeed India Today that was named in the FIR. This revelation itself leads the Mumbai Police to tie itself up in knots, since once this admission is out in the open, not much else makes sense.

In a statement that is now being touted by India Today to exonerate themselves and implicate Republic TV, Mumbai commissioner Parambir Singh has said that there is only one FIR that is dated October 6th and in that FIR, India Today was indeed named by one of the witnesses. But, as the probe progressed, neither BARC nor any of the witnesses nor accused named India Today. According to Singh, all of them named Republic TV and the two Marathi channels. Therefore, “as of now, there is no evidence against India Today. We are proceeding against Republic TV and Marathi channels”.

Statement by Mumbai Police Commissioner Parambir Singh that was touted by India Today to exonerate itself and implicate Republic TV

Since last night, India Today has constantly touted this statement to claim its own innocence and target Republic TV.

However, the desperation of India Today aside, the statement by Mumbai Police Commissioner has raised far more questions than it has answered.

It is to be kept in mind that the FIR was filed on the 6th of October 2020. Interestingly, in less than 24 hours of the FIR being filed, on the 7th of October, the Mumbai Police sent a notice to BARC to seek the viewership data of Republic TV.

Notice sent to BARC

Let us recap what that means. While the original FIR filed on 6th October named India Today, and this has been admitted by the Mumbai Police Commissioner himself, in less than 24 hours, the Mumbai Police interestingly sends a notice to BARC to gather viewership data of Republic TV and not India Today.

Then, in another day, on the 8th of October, Mumbai Police Commissioner concludes his investigations enough to come on national television, hold a press conference, and name Republic TV specifically in being involved in the TRP scam.

Therefore, if one is to believe the Mumbai Police, an FIR was filed on the 6th October and without conducting any investigation into India Today itself, they sent a notice to BARC to get the ratings of Republic TV on the 7th and on the 8th, were convinced enough to hold a press conference implicating Republic TV.

Interestingly, in the entire 3-day span that the Mumbai Police had before going on national TV, there is no evidence of any letter to BARC to get India Today viewership details or investigate them. From the 6th of October to the 8th of October, while the FIR itself named India Today, it is Republic TV that is now mysteriously facing the ire of the Mumbai Police.

Further, there is another clinching fact that puts the Mumbai Police in a terrible spot. The main witness in the case, Tejal Solanki specifically named India Today even on the 8th when she spoke to a Republic TV reporter. That conversation can be heard here.

In the audio, Tejal Solanki clearly mentions that her son was approached to watch India Today in order to increase their TRP.

Hence, the claim of the Commissioner, Parambir Singh, that no witness has named India Today does not add up at all. In fact, if the FIR was against India Today, claiming that no witness has named India Today itself does not make sense since the FIR must have been filed with India Today’s name in only after someone would have named the channel directly.

It is thus evident that with this statement issued by Parambir Singh and touted by India Today, the two entities seem to have tied themselves up in knots even further leaving people with several unanswered questions and many, many doubts.

While Mumbai Police names Republic TV, FIR filed in the case names India Today 

Today Mumbai police made some sensational claims against some TV channels saying that they were manipulating TRP ratings. In a press conference held on the 8th of October, Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir Singh had said that three TV channels, including Republic TV, were involved in manipulating viewership data of BARC by paying those households where Bar-o-meters, the devices that track TV viewership, are installed.

Param Bir Singh had said that two persons have been arrested in connection with the ‘fraud’, one of them used to work for an agency that worked with BARC. He said that they had obtained data of households with the meters installed, and sold this data to the TV channels, who then used this data to influence the TV viewership of those households.

The Police commissioner said that the arrested persons had admitted that Republic TV and two other Marathi Channels were involved in the scam, and the owners of Fakt Marathi and Box Cinema channels have been arrested.

However, the FIR was then accessed by Republic TV and also by OpIndia that revealed that Republic TV was not mentioned in the FIR anywhere. In fact, it was India Today that was mentioned in the FIR along with some other channels that were not explicitly named. 

Arnab issues a statement: You are scared of the truth coming out, he says to Mumbai Police Commissioner, Parambir Singh 

After the press conference by Mumbai Police Commissioner Parambir Singh, Arnab Goswami of Republic TV issued the following statement: 

“Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh has made false allegations against republic tv because we have questioned him in the Sushant Singh Rajput case investigation. Republic tv will file a criminal defamation case against Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir Singh. There is not a single BARC report that mentions Republic TV. The people of India know the truth. Mr Param Bir Singh’s investigation in the Sushant Singh Rajput case is under a cloud and this is a desperate measure because of Republic TV’s reportage on Palghar, the Sushant Singh Rajput case or any other case. This kind of targeting only strengthens the resolve of everyone at Republic TV to push for the truth even harder. Param Bir Singh stands completely exposed today since BARC has not mentioned Republic in any single complaint. He should issue an official apology and get ready to face us in court.”

Prime witness in the ‘false TRP scam’ speaks up, names India Today specifically: Hear the explosive audio

OpIndia Staff
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Prime witness in the ‘false TRP scam’ speaks up, names India Today specifically: Hear the explosive audio

After India Today lost its mental balance following Mumbai police accusing Republic TV of indulging in manipulating viewership data (TRP), it has been revealed that the complained filed by BARC had actually named India Today TV for the crime, not Republic TV.

The FIR alleging manipulation of Bar-o-meters installed by BARC was filed by Hansa Research Group Private Limited, the company responsible for installing and maintaining the Bar-O-Meter of the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC). Following the complaint, Relationship Manager of the company Vishal Bhandari was arrested by Mumbai police. During the investigation, revealed that India Today and other channels instigated him and offered money to households with the meters to keep their TV tuned to those channels.

Now, audio has surfaced where the main witness, Tejal Solanki, has admitted on record while talking to Republic TV journalist that her son was asked to watch India Today in order to manipulate their TRP.

Listen to the audio:

Tejal Soni is one of the 5-panel homes on basis of which man arrested for manipulating TRPs. Interestingly, it was also revealed earlier that according to the statement given by Vishal Bhandari, the audit team had visited one of the panel homes, and the household had confirmed that they were paid to watch the India Today for minimum 2 hours per day.

While Mumbai Police names Republic TV, FIR filed in the case names India Today

Today Mumbai police made some sensational claims against some TV channels saying that they were manipulating TRP ratings. In a press conference held today, Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir Singh had said that three TV channels, including Republic TV, were involved in manipulating viewership data of BARC by paying those households where Bar-o-meters, the devices that track TV viewership, are installed.

Param Bir Singh had said that two persons have been arrested in connection with the ‘fraud’, one of them used to work for an agency that worked with BARC. He said that they had obtained data of households with the meters installed, and sold this data to the TV channels, who then used this data to influence the TV viewership of those households.

The Police commissioner said that the arrested persons had admitted that Republic TV and two other Marathi Channels were involved in the scam, and the owners of Fakt Marathi and Box Cinema channels have been arrested.

However, the FIR was then accessed by Republic TV and also by OpIndia that revealed that Republic TV was not mentioned in the FIR anywhere. In fact, it was India Today that was mentioned in the FIR along with some other channels that were not explicitly named.

Arnab issues a statement: You are scared of the truth coming out, he says to Mumbai Police Commissioner, Parambir Singh

After the press conference by Mumbai Police Commissioner Parambir Singh, Arnab Goswami of Republic TV issued the following statement:

“Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh has made false allegations against republic tv because we have questioned him in the Sushant Singh Rajput case investigation. Republic tv will file a criminal defamation case against Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir Singh. There is not a single BARC report that mentions Republic TV. The people of India know the truth. Mr. Param Bir Singh’s investigation in the Sushant Singh Rajput case is under a cloud and this is a desperate measure because of Republic TV’s reportage on Palghar, the Sushant Singh Rajput case or any other case. This kind of targeting only strengthens the resolve of everyone at Republic TV to push for the truth even harder. Param Bir Singh stands completely exposed today since BARC has not mentioned Republic in any single complaint. He should issue an official apology and get ready to face us in court.”

It is interesting to note that after the press conference by Mumbai Police Commissioner, India Today went on an overdrive trying to deride Republic TV and Arnab Goswami. They even dubbed the “scandal” as a “cash for TRP” scandal, fashioning it like the “Cash for Votes” scandal that ironically involved Rajdeep Sardesai.

India Today News Director, Rahul Kanwal, who was earlier in the day caught lying about BARC ratings where Republic TV had beaten India Today hollow, went on a long rant trying to deride Arnab Goswami and India Today as well.

Tweets by Rahul Kanwal

Now, however, there seems to be egg on India Today’s face as the FIR specifically names India Today and in fact, the witness in the audio released also specifically names India Today and no other channel.

While ethics is unexpected from a troop led by Rajdeep Sardesai, one wonders if the India Today crew will come to its senses and withdraw their slanderous news. However, we are not holding our breath.

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