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Pro Congress, AAP troll Mona Ambegaonkar charts the guidelines for a liberal democracy: “Jail all Sanghis”

OpIndia Staff
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Pro Congress, AAP troll Mona Ambegaonkar charts the guidelines for a liberal democracy: “Jail all Sanghis”

Full-time troll of the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party and part-time actor Mona Ambegaonkar has taken to Twitter to outline her to-do list if she gets the chance to become the next Prime Minister of India, an extremely far-fetched delusion on the face of it.

Mona Ambegaonkar, who likes to be recognised as an actor, says that the first thing she would do is “kick out every single fellow from every position of power who may have Sanghi Afflictions”. Such deep-rooted is her hate, that Mona says she would ban the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and jail all the Sanghis (a word the ‘liberals’ use to describe anyone supportive of the BJP) if given a chance to become the next PM.

The wishes of Mona Ambegaonkar

Mona Ambegaonkar was responding to another permanent member of the leftist cartel, Meghnad, a columnist with left-leaning website Newslaundry, who took to Twitter on the occasion of PM Narendra Modi’s birthday to ask: “If you become the Prime Minister of India, what is the first thing you’ll do?”.

This is an undisputed fact, that the one thing that binds these so-called leftist ‘liberals’ together is their hate for Modi and for anyone and everyone who supports Modi. And since the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, or RSS, is close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and holds influence on national policy, the organisation and people associated with it are also the targets.

This is probably the reason the Congress and AAP sympathiser Mona Ambegaonkar had ardently joined her leftist gang to spread fake news that Kangana Ranaut will campaign for BJP in Bihar elections. It so happens that Kangana supports Prime Minister Modi and quite vocally. Earlier too, both these permanent member of this leftist cartel- Mona and Meghnad had joined the brigade to endorse propagandist Kunal Kamra’s unruly behaviour toward Arnab Goswami on Indigo flights.

Mona Ambegaonkar has only revealed what most liberals already harbour in their hearts. No less than then Congress president Rahul Gandhi had hinted at a possible crackdown on the RSS should the party come to power following the General Elections of 2019. He had compared the RSS to the Muslim Brotherhood, a terrorist outfit, which had been subjected to a brutal government crackdown as well.

All of this goes on to show that liberals have no compunction in cracking down on those they perceive to be a threat to their reign power. They first launch a campaign of slander and when a suitable opportunity arises after the ground has been laid, a harsh crackdown on political opponents ensues. Indira Gandhi did the same during the Emergency. Therefore, the threat of a brutal crackdown on the RSS and ‘Sanghis’ will perennially remain an enduring possibility should liberals ever manage to capture power.

Netflix distorts ‘Kabuliwala’ to show Hindu girl offering Namaz in an attempt to secularise ‘Stories by Rabindranath Tagore’

OpIndia Staff
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Netflix distorts ‘Kabuliwala’ to show Hindu girl offering Namaz in an attempt to secularise ‘Stories by Rabindranath Tagore’

The entertainment industry has long since stopped being solely about entertainment and certainly has as much to do with propaganda these days. Targeted mockery and insults directed towards the Hindu faith has been the norm rather than the exception with a simultaneous veneration of everything Islamic. Such familiar sights were visible in the rendition of ‘Kabuliwala’ in the ‘Stories by Rabindranath Tagore’ series by Anurag Basu. The series does not appear to be an original Netflix content and seems to have been made available first on Epic On.

In one of the scenes, a complete departure from the story-line, ‘Mini’, the little girl in the story, starts offering Namaz because her friend, the Kabuliwala, had not come to meet her for a few days. The scene shows her praying to the ‘God of Kabuliwala’ so that her friend would come to meet her soon.

The original story by Tagore, based on which the show has been made, does not mention anything about a Hindu girl offering namaz. The makers of the show inserted it on their own. There does not appear to be any justification for force-fitting such a narrative into the adaptation of the story, apart from petty political agenda.

Propaganda has always been an integral feature of the entertainment industry. Edward Bernays, the father of modern propaganda, once remarked, “The American motion picture is the greatest unconscious carrier of propaganda in the world today.” After all these years, however, it cannot be said the entertainment industry is an unconscious carrier of propaganda.

While ‘Stories by Rabindranath Tagore’ portrays Hindu children performing Namaz, one of Netflix’s soon to be released movies invented fake anti-Brahmin quotes and attributed it to Infosys founder Narayan Murthy. Then there have been shows such as Ghoul and Leila which openly target the religious sentiments of Hindus.

For the sake of communal harmony, it appears permissible to trample upon the sentiments of the Hindu community but small gestures of reciprocal tolerance hardly ever make it to the shows of Netflix. Issuing sermons to the Hindu community and spreading propaganda of one sided tolerance appears to be a feature of the entertainment industry and not a bug.

RTI activist alleges Uddhav and Aditya Thackeray lied in their poll affidavit, EC asks CBDT to investigate the complaint

OpIndia Staff
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RTI activist alleges Uddhav and Aditya Thackeray lied in their poll affidavit, EC asks CBDT to investigate the complaint

Fresh trouble may be brewing for the Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray, his son Aditya Thackeray and NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s daughter and sitting MP Supriya Sule, as the Election Commission has asked the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) to probe complaints received against the Thackeray’s and Sule, alleging furnishing of false information in their poll affidavit for the Lok Sabha/assembly polls.

Times Now has reported that that the relevant complaints, filed by an RTI activist, cite material in support of the claim about the details furnished by the Thackerays and Supriya Sule in their affidavit not being true: a possible reason why the poll panel found it appropriate to refer them to the CBDT.

Serious discrepancies have emerged in the poll affidavit submitted by Uddhav and Aditya Thackeray

It is being reported that some serious discrepancies have emerged in the affidavits filed by the Thackeray father-son duo. The activist who had filed the complaint cites contradictions in Uddhav Thackeray’s data in son Aditya Thackeray’s filing. One such major discrepancy which has come to the forth is the missing bank account detail in Aaditya’s election affidavit, that was mentioned in Uddhav’s affidavit.

Uddhav’s affidavit shows wife Rashmi and son Aaditya as having a joint account in Bank of Maharashtra having Rs 9,52,568 lakh deposits. However, Aaditya’s affidavit submitted during Assembly elections did not mention the account. The activist also alleged that both the Thackerays had different dates for holding shares under the HUF (Hindu Undivided Family) category.

According to reports, the CBDT is in advance stage of investigation and it might submit its report to the Election Commission in the next 10 days.

While an update from CBDT is awaited, if at all the allegations are found to be true, a case may be filed by the CBDT under Section 125A of the R P Act. The section provides for a maximum six-month jail term or fine or both, as a penalty for candidates who failed to give information or furnished false information in poll affidavits.

Locals in Arunachal Pradesh boycott Chinese products despite reduced profits: Report

OpIndia Staff
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Locals in Arunachal Pradesh boycott Chinese products despite reduced profits: Report

Standing in solidarity with the country and the armed forces, people in Upper Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh have completely boycotted Chinese products. According to a report on India Today, locals in the district have mutually decided to boycott all Chinese products since the clashes between India and China in Galwan valley at the LAC.

According to the report, the district which shares a border with China, had a monthly import of around Rs 10 lakh from China and the sellers used to earn at margin of 50 per cent. The decision is costing the sellers as well as consumers more money as the Chinese products were available at cheaper prices but they are not discouraged by this. The products that were imported from China included alcohol, cosmetic items, cigarettes and toys.

Nyaluk Doni, President of the New Market Association says, “It has almost been two months since Chinese products were boycotted. Customers and the Old Market Welfare Association jointly boycotted Chinese products for two months. Earlier, Chinese products were easily accessible and we got around 70-80 per cent margin. Our profit is 10-15 per cent when we sell Indian products. But we have to decided to sell Indian products. That’s our motto.” The boycott of Chinese products is being strictly followed by both the seller and the customers even if it has cost them money.

The relationship between the two countries have deteriorated significantly in recent times. And citizens are contributing in their own ways to the comprehensive national response against China. Violent clashes had taken place between the Indian and the Chinese forces in Galwan valley along the LAC in June this year. Both the sides had suffered casualties in the clashes. The situation continues to be tense along the LAC.

Media finds no evidence of mass sterilisations at ICE detention center, Upper Caste ‘racism’ and ‘casteism’ were blamed by a section of activists

OpIndia Staff
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Media finds no evidence of mass sterilisations at ICE detention center, Upper Caste ‘racism’ and ‘casteism’ were blamed by a section of activists

Allegations of mass hysterectomies and forced sterilisations surfaced recently that were apparently performed on women in the custody of the United States Immigration and Controls Enforcement (ICE). In a complaint filed with the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security, a nurse who worked at the Irwin County Detention Center alleged medical neglect and ‘questionable hysterectomies’.

The allegations created quite the hysteria on social media. The ICE was committing genocide according to people. Democrat politicians soon jumped into the matter and some demanded a Congressional hearing into the whole thing. “If true, the appalling conditions described in the whistleblower complaint – including allegations of mass hysterectomies being performed on vulnerable immigrant women – are a staggering abuse of human rights,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said.

Before long, the identity of the doctor who allegedly performed these hysterectomies was revealed. Some began seeing evidence of Upper Caste ‘medical racism’ and ‘casteism’ here. They demanded his resignation even before investigations into the matter were completed.

The ICE, for its part, said, “ICE takes all allegations seriously and defers to the OIG regarding any potential investigation and/or results. That said, in general, anonymous, unproven allegations, made without any fact-checkable specifics, should be treated with the appropriate skepticism they deserve.”

A ‘fact-check’ by Associated Press has now revealed that Project South, whose staff attorney filed the complaint, did not even speak to a woman who had hysterectomies. fact-checking website Snopes stated, “But a lawyer who helped file the complaint said she never spoke to any women who had hysterectomies. Priyanka Bhatt, staff attorney at the advocacy group Project South, told The Washington Post that she included the hysterectomy allegations because she wanted to trigger an investigation to determine if they were true.”

A review by Associated Press never found evidence of mass hysterectomies. Since 2017, the doctor in question apparently performed only one hysterectomy and “surgery or other gynecological treatment” on only eight women they could confirm. However, the review said that the doctor might have performed procedures on detained immigrants that the women did not fully understand or consent, raising legal and ethical issues, although his actions were justified on some occasions based on the problems documented.

Scott Grubman, the doctor’s attorney, said in a statement, “We look forward to all of the facts coming out, and are confident that once they do, Dr. Amin will be cleared of any wrongdoing.” ICE Acting Director Tony Pham stated, “If there is any truth to these allegations, it is my commitment to make the corrections necessary to ensure we continue to prioritize the health, welfare and safety of ICE detainees.”

Lasalle Corrections, which operated the facility, refuted the allegations as well. Thus, from the evidence that is available, it appears that the ‘mass sterilisation’ propaganda was manufactured out of thin air, and quite possibly, for political reasons. ICE has been accused in the past for apparently running ‘concentration camps’ for immigrants and prominent Democrats have called for its abolition since the beginning of the Trump Presidency because of Donald Trump’s emphasis on immigration control.

At most, the allegations are against a single doctor who, by official records, performed only one hysterectomy since 2017. Claims of him being a Nazi and the ICE running a concentration camp appear grossly exaggerated at this point even though it could very well be that he acted unethically or illegally on multiple accounts. People who wanted to portray the narrative that Upper Caste ‘racism’ and ‘casteism’ had caused a ‘genocide’ are likely to be disappointed.

After the arrest of the Journalist who wrote for The Global Times, The Quint and others, a Chinese intel agent along with her Nepalese associate arrested

OpIndia Staff
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After the arrest of the Journalist who wrote for The Global Times, The Quint and others, a Chinese intel agent along with her Nepalese associate arrested

After the arrest of a freelance journalist named Rajeev Sharma for allegedly possessing classified defence-related documents, Delhi police has now arrested a Chinese woman and her Nepalese associate on the charges of paying huge amounts of money to Sharma through shell companies.

Reportedly, the Chinese woman named Qing Shi is an intelligence official of the Ministry of State Security (MSS) of the Chinese government. The name of her Nepali Associate is Sher Singh.

Informing about the arrests, Deputy Commissioner of Police (special cell) Sanjeev Kumar Yadav said, “Special Cell has arrested a freelance journalist Rajeev Sharma for passing sensitive information to Chinese intelligence. One Chinese lady and her Nepalese associate also arrested for paying him large amounts of money routed through shell companies. Chinese intelligence tasked the journalist for conveying sensitive information in lieu of large amounts of money. A large number of mobile phones, laptops, and other incriminating/sensitive material have been recovered.”

Sharma was arrested by a special cell of Delhi police on September 14 under the Official Secrets Act. His Twitter account has been restricted following his arrest. Sharma has reportedly worked with The Tribune, Free Press Journal, Sakaal, etc. and for left-wing publications like The Quint, DailyO, etc. He also runs a YouTube channel.

Sharma is also reported to have written for the Global Times which is the mouthpiece of the Communist Party of China for many years.

Chargesheet 59, that indicated a larger conspiracy to incite Delhi riots and named Umar Khalid and Safoora Zargar, admitted by court

OpIndia Staff
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Chargesheet 59, that indicated a larger conspiracy to incite Delhi riots and named Umar Khalid and Safoora Zargar, admitted by court

A Delhi Court has admitted the charge-sheets filed by the Delhi Police against the 15 accused in the Delhi riots. In its charge-sheet, the Delhi police had alleged that the anti-Hindu Delhi riots that took place in February were the result of a pre-planned conspiracy.

Earlier, the Delhi Police had filed charge-sheet before the Delhi court in connection with the riots case. The Delhi police had invoked various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) along with the Indian Penal Code in the case. The case emanates from FIR No. 59, which was lodged by Delhi Police’s Crime Branch on March 6, 2020.

According to the reports, Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat has now directed Delhi Police to supply copies of the charge-sheet filed on Wednesday to the accused persons. The court will now take up the hearing of the case from September 21.

The Delhi Police has named 15 prime accused in the Anti-Hindu Delhi riots case that includes former Aam Aadmi Party leader Tahir Hussain, former Congress leader Ishrat Jahan, self-proclaimed activist Khalid Saifi, Jamia Coordination Committee members Safoora Zargar and Meeran Haider.

Far-left ‘activists’ and members of Pinjra Tod members – Devangana Kalita and Natasha Narwal have also been named in the charge-sheet along with Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) student Asif Iqbal Tanha.

The other names in the Delhi Police charge-sheet are Mohd Parvez Ahmed, Mohd Illyas, Shahdab Ahmed, Tasleem Ahmed, Saleem Malik, Mohd Saleem Khan and Athar Khan.

The Delhi Police had filed over 750 FIRs in connection with the Delhi riots cases against offences such as giving communally insinuating speeches, creating religious hatred, looting, arson, destroying public and private property, causing injury and murder among others.

The police said it has produced a chronology of conspiracy and relevant events in its charge-sheet. “The evidence include WhatsApp chats of February 24, the time when riots were happening. At that point, key conspirators were guiding their foot shoulders about violence in the area. The key conspirators were directly in touch with their foot shoulders,” the Delhi police reportedly said.

Charge-sheet emanates from FIR-59 filed by Delhi Police

The charge-sheet filed by the Delhi Police reportedly emanates from the FIR No. 59, which is considered to be one of the most crucial piece in the entire Delhi Police investigation into the riots.

In the FIR, the Delhi Police had alleged that the communal riot was a pre-planned and the protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) prior to that had created a communally-charged atmosphere that led to the communal clashes in February.

The Delhi Police has arrested over 20 accused persons including former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students and Jamia Millia Islamia students in this particular case on the charges of instigating Muslim mobs to unleash terror on the streets of the national capital.

Notorious radical Islamist and far-left ‘activist’ Umar Khalid is one of the most recent arrests in this case. Earlier, the Delhi Police had arrested Jamia Co-ordination Committee member Safoora Zargar in the case but was granted bail under compassionate grounds by the Delhi High Court. 

Safoora Zargar is accused of instigated a Muslim mob near Chand Bagh area that attacked Delhi police personnel leading to the death of police constable Ratan Lal.

Umar Khalid and his friends plotted the anti-Hindu riots in Delhi, says charge-sheet

The charge-sheet had stated that the conspiracy to cause communal riots was hatched by Umar Khalid and his friends during the visit of United States President Donald Trump to India. The FIR has alleged that the firearms, petrol bombs, acid-stone-slingshots, and other dangerous articles were gathered at various places in North-East Delhi.

The Delhi Police, in its charge-sheet, had said that on February 23, 2020, as a per pre-planned conspiracy, many children and women were instigated to block the Jaffrabad metro station to create communal tension in the area. According to the police, this resulted in a clash at the metro station, which then led other Muslim mobs to riot across other parts of the city.

In the charge-sheet, the Delhi police has revealed that on January 8, Aam Aadmi Party leader Tahir Hussain had met Umar Khalid and Khalid Saifi at Shaheen Bagh sit-in protest. During such meetings, Umar Khalid had reportedly assured logistical support to the mob through his PFI contacts, the police said.

VVIP chopper scam: CBI names middlemen Christian Michel, Rajiv Saxena and 13 others in a supplementary charge-sheet filed in AgustaWestland scandal

Jinit Jain
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VVIP chopper scam: CBI names middlemen Christian Michel, Rajiv Saxena and 13 others in a supplementary charge-sheet filed in AgustaWestland scandal

The Central Bureau of Investigation filed a supplementary charge sheet on Saturday in the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP chopper scam against key middlemen Christian Michel James, Rajiv Saxena and 13 others. As per the officials privy to details, the latest charge-sheet mentions the alleged role of middlemen and entities used to transfer the kickbacks to politicians, bureaucrats, and Indian Air Force (IAF) officials in the scandal involved in the purchase of AgustaWestland AW101 helicopters by India.

This is the second charge sheet filed in the case, and it elaborates in detail about the alleged role played by Michel in receiving and routing the alleged kickbacks through a web of entities to alleged beneficiaries, which include bureaucrats and politicians. The agency has so far not charge-sheeted any politician in this scam. In its first charge sheet, filed in September 2017, the agency had established the money trail of 62 million euros (around Rs 415 crore) out of suspected 67 million euros (Rs 452 crore) total bribe paid to Indians through middlemen.

The CBI has charged a few Indian and foreign-based companies purportedly used by accused-turned-approver Rajiv Saxena and Christian Michel in “transferring” the alleged kickbacks in the latest charge sheet.

In March this year, the CBI had sought prosecution sanction against former defence secretary Shashi Kant Sharma, former Air vice-marshal Jasbir Singh Panesar and three other IAF officers – deputy chief test pilot SA Kunte, wing commander Thomas Mathew and former group captain N Santosh. However, it went ahead and filed its charge sheet without awaiting the prosecution sanction against the aforesaid individuals. As per officials, the agency will file a charge sheet against the individuals after it receives a prosecution sanction from the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) and Ministry of Defence.

ED contested approver status after it found accused Rajiv Saxena had withheld information

It is pertinent to mention here that charge-sheeting of Rajiv Saxena, one of the middlemen in the alleged scam, assumes significance after he was accorded the approver status. It was months later, in October 2019, that another agency, Enforcement Directorate, had approached the court seeking cancellation of his approver status claiming he had concealed facts from the agencies.

A dossier received from Mauritius, along with the forensic data analysis and scrutiny of WhatsApp chats has led the Enforcement Directorate to suspect the authenticity of disclosures made by Rajiv Saxena, one of the main accused in the Rs 3600 crore AgustaWestland scam. As per a report in the Economic Times, the investigating agency has now pointed out that Saxena has concealed and withheld information at the instance of co-accused, especially Ratul Puri.

The documents received from Mauritius contained one titled “Consent to act as Director” of M/s Interstellar Technologies Ltd, dated June 20, 2000, bearing Saxena’s signatures.

However, when ED had questioned about the same in February last year, Saxena had withheld information regarding the same and had lied to the investigation team that these signed documents were misused by his lawyer and co-accused Gautam Khaitan. The new information submitted to ED by the CBI revealed that the signatures belong to Saxena.

Saxena had allegedly operated a firm named Interstellar, which received a kickback worth 12.4 million euros which were then re-routed as “payment of bribes” to influential people, including politicians and bureaucrats in India to influence the VVIP chopper deal in favour of AgustaWestland. The middleman Christian Michel James allegedly routed bribe money to a company through Interstellar, according to ED investigation.

Rajiv Saxena and Christian Michel extradited to India

Rajiv Saxena, described by the ED as one of the “key money launderers” was picked up by UAE government security agencies in Dubai and later extradited to India on January 30, 2019.

It was reported that Rajiv Saxena has several accounts in Switzerland. OpIndia had acquired the list of accounts that Rajiv Saxena allegedly used for kickbacks received in the AgustaWestland scam.

Prior to the extradition of the two main accused Rajiv Saxena and Deepak Talwar, several startling revelations had come to light in the VVIP chopper scam soon after the case gained momentum post middleman Christian Micheal’s extradition to India. From the names of “Italian Lady”, to “Italian Lady’s son R“ to how Christian Michel was lobbying for the Eurofighter and against the Rafale deal and how he had unbridled access to the PMO under Congress regime, the CCS and even the investigative agencies.

Nine individuals already charge-sheeted in the AgustaWestland Case

Before the latest charge sheet filed by the CBI, nine individuals, four Indians and five foreigners were charged in the initial charge sheet filed by the CBI. The charge sheet included SP Tyagi and his cousins, alleged European middlemen Carlo Gerosa, Michel James and Guido Haschke, former AgustaWestland chief executive Bruno Spagnolini and former Finmeccanica chairman Giuseppe Orsi. AgustaWestland was a subsidiary of Italy’s Finmeccanica.

Truth behind India’s slip in Global Economic Freedom ranking: Change in methodology responsible, not what Congress party want you to believe

OpIndia Staff
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Truth behind India’s slip in Global Economic Freedom ranking: Change in methodology responsible, not what Congress party want you to believe

Earlier this month, Canada’s Fraser Institute released the Global Economic Freedom Index 2020, where India’s rank dropped considerably. According to the index, India fell 26 spots to the 105th position in the ranking, which was 79th in the previous year’s index. City-states Hong Kong and Singapore occupied first and second spot in the index, while China ranked 124 and Pakistan was ranked 129, both below India.

Expectedly, the fall in India’s ranking gave the opponents of the Modi government ammunition to target the government. After the report was released, the Congress party tweeted on 11th September, saying that India is moving only downwards under BJP government.

The ranking measures the economic freedom, or the ability of individuals to make their own economic decisions in a country, by analysing policies and institutions of these countries. Although a fall of 26 spots in the Economic Freedom Index in a single year is worrisome, that is not the correct analysis of the report. Because a major reason in changes in rankings of the countries this year is due to several changes made to the methodology adopted in the report. Therefore, this year’s rankings are not comparable with previous years, as the methods to calculate that has been changed considerably.

The Economic Freedom Index 2020 report has been prepared using data from 2018. The degree of economic freedom is measured in five broad areas, which are Size of Government, Legal System and Property Rights, Sound Money, Freedom to Trade Internationally, and Regulation. India’s ranking decreased in all five areas, contributing to the overall decline. The 5 areas have several components and sub-components in each of them, and several changes have been in the measurements of those.

India’s rank in 2019 and 2020 in five different areas included in Global Economic Freedom Index

Within the Size of the Government Area, the ‘Government investment’ component saw the greatest decline, by 43 spots. However, the previous year had a different component ‘Government enterprises and investment’ which is replaced by the ‘Government investment’ component this year. The rating formula also is different, and now it is based on a standard maximum and minimum formula instead of the categorical rating method used earlier.

In the ‘Regulation’ Area there is a decline of 14 places. The maximum decline in rank is in the ‘Business regulations’ component. Here also, the “Extra Payments/Bribes/Favoritism” based on the Global Competitiveness Report has been replaced with V-Dem data on “rigorous and impartial public administration” which has resulted in a decline in rating of -0.33.

In the ‘Freedom to Trade Internationally’ area there are 4 components. Maximum decline is in the component of ‘Controls of the movement of capital and people’. However, this is due to a change of a sub-component in this component. Earlier Index in 2017 had ‘Foreign ownership / investment restrictions’, Where India had a rating of 5.84, while in the present index has ‘Financial openness’ where India has a rating of 1.66.

Therefore, it can be seen that there have been significant changes in the calculations for the 2020 ranking based on 2018 data, which have resulted in changes in the Economic Freedom Index. In fact, the report itself says that it can’t be compared with the 2019 report due to the changes. It says, “In this year’s report, we have made key and important changes to nine components. This means that making comparisons for these variables (and for the associated area and summary ratings) between the 2019 report and this 2020 report will be extraordinarily difficult.”

The report further adds, “it is impossible to make so many changes without an impact on the ratings and rankings of the countries in the EFW index. While most nations’ ratings and rankings change only modestly, there are a few that are affected to a fairly significant degree.”

As India has made improvements in other global economic rankings, like the World Bank’s Ease Of Doing Business ranking, the fall in the Economic Freedom Index is largely attributed to the changes in the methodology in arriving at the index. And therefore, the Narendra Modi government is not responsible for the same, as alleged by the Congress party.

On PM Modi’s birthday, Rath Yatra carrying 613 Kg bell inscribed with ‘Jai Shree Ram’ flagged off, to go from Rameswaram to Ayodhya

OpIndia Staff
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On PM Modi’s birthday, Rath Yatra carrying 613 Kg bell inscribed with ‘Jai Shree Ram’ flagged off, to go from Rameswaram to Ayodhya

With the commencement of the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, the Hindu devotees of Lord Ram, along with the BJP members, embarked upon a new Rath Yatra, this time from the southern holy city of Rameswaram to the temple town Ayodhya, said a report published in RSS affiliate ‘The Organiser’. The Rath Yatra was flagged off on September 17, coinciding with the birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The ‘Rath Yatra’ will be different in a sense that it would be carrying a Bronze bell emblazoned with “Jai Shri Ram” and weighing around 613 kilograms. It will also be carrying idols of Lord Ram, Sita, Lakshaman, Hanuman to the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

Rath Yatra to pass through different states before reaching Ayodhya

South Zone BJP Election in-charge Nainar Nagendran, Ramanathapuram district president Muralidharan flagged off the Rath yatra on 17th September which would pass through different cities of Tamil Nadu and other states before finally arriving at Ayodhya.

The city of Rameswaram has a special significance in the Hindu mythology, with it being the place from where Lord Ram and his Vanara Sena started the construction of the bridge on that connected the Indian subcontinent to the island nation of Sri Lanka. Rameswaram was the place where Lord Ram offered prayers and performed pooja and other rituals. It has historical and cultural importance and served as a geographical link between the northern and southern India.

Rajalakshmi Mandha, General Secretary of Chennai based Legal Rights Group, donated the 613-kilogram heavy bronze bell, along with the idols of Lord Ram, Sita, Hanuman and Lakshman. The idols and bell are made out of copper metal. A well-decorated chariot has been prepared, which will carry the idols and the bell to Ayodhya. Before the start of the yatra, special poojas were performed in front of Ramanathar Mandir at Rameswaram.

Bells to be donated by Andhra Pradesh and other states to be installed at Ram Mandir in Ayodhya

Also, another bronze bell weighing 600 kilograms is being prepared at Eral Ramakrishna Nadar vessel merchant store. Similarly, bells from Andhra Pradesh and other states would also be installed at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

Earlier, a similar Rath Yatra was carried out by the then BJP president L K Advani, who started from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu to Kashmir, demanding the construction of a Ram Mandir at the Janma Bhoomi site where the Mughal invaders had built a mosque dedicated to Babri.

However, this time around, the yatra is carried out after the completion of Bhoomi pujan ceremony of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya that marks the official construction of the temple. PM Modi had laid the foundation stone on August 5 this year. This ground-breaking ceremony happened following the Supreme Court’s landmark judgment last year, settling the long-drawn-out conflict and permitting the Hindus to build a temple to Lord Ram at the Janmabhoomi site.

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