The United States law enforcement officials had earlier this week intercepted a package addressed to US President Donald Trump that contained a deadly poison, ricin. The authorities believe the letter may have originated in Canada.
The FBI, US Secret Service and the US Postal Inspection Service partners are currently investigating the letter as per a statement issued by the FBI. The FBI has stated that there is no threat to public safety as of now. Authorities are also investigating additional similar packages mailed to certain addresses in Texas which could have been sent by same sender from Canada.
As per protocol, all letters received by the White House are sorted and checked at an offsite facility before they are brought to the White House.
Ricin, how it works
As per reports, two tests were conducted to confirm the presence of ricin, a highly toxic compound that is extracted from castor beans. Ricin is used in terror attacks and can be used in form of a powder, pellet, mist or acid. Ingestion of ricin causes nausea, vomiting, internal bleeding of stomach and intestines leading to liver and kidney failure and resulting in death due to collapse of circulatory system.
Ricin does not have any known antidote yet.
White House and ricin attacks
In 2013, a Mississippi man had reportedly sent ricin laced package to then US President Barack Obama and other officials. He was sentenced to 25 years in jail. Few months later, a Texas-based actress had sent ricin to Obama to protest against gun laws. In 2018, too, a former Navy veteran was charged with sending toxic letters to Pentagon and White House.
Actress Payal Ghosh has claimed that she was sexually harassed by filmmaker Anurag Kashyap and told that physical relationships between filmmakers and actresses are very common in the movie industry in order to make her comfortable about the whole situation. Payal Ghosh said that Anurag Kashyap is a ‘f***ing hypocrite’ for speaking on matters of women empowerment and the patriarchy.
@anuragkashyap72 has forced himself on me and extremely badly. @PMOIndia@narendramodi ji, kindly take action and let the country see the demon behind this creative guy. I am aware that it can harm me and my security is at risk. Pls help! https://t.co/1q6BYsZpyx
‘I went to meet him and the next day when he took me to the other room, he opened his zip and tried to force his c**k (penis) inside my vagina by opening my Salwar Kameez. He said it was okay and all the actresses who worked with him such as Huma Qureshi, Richa Chadha, Mahi Gil, they are just a call away,’ Payal Ghosh stated. Apparently, Anurag Kashyap told her, ‘Whenever I call them, they come running and suck my c**k (penis)”.
Payal Ghosh said that she was uncomfortable with the whole thing and managed to get away by saying that she will return and they will have a ‘good time’ but she wanted to go away at that moment. She said that until the moment she could manage to put a stop to it, ‘everything happened’. Anurag Kashyap apparently told her that physical relationships are very normal.
‘…The next day he called me again. He said he wanted to discuss something with me. I went to his place, he was drinking whiskey or scotch, whatever I don’t know. It was smelling very bad. It could easily have been charas or ganja, drugs I don’t know, I don’t have any idea about it but I am not stupid,’ Payal Ghosh stated. Then, they went to the other room where the incident allegedly happened.
Anurag Kashyap is yet to respond to the allegations. Payal Ghosh made the allegations during an interview with ABN Telugu and again on Twitter, appealed to Prime Minister Modi for action against the filmmaker and said that he forced himself upon her. She had recently said that she was Sushant Singh Rajput’s gym buddy and found it difficult to believe that he had committed suicide.
After the video of Payal Ghosh came to the notice of National Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson Rekha Sharma, she advised Payal to send a detailed complaint to them on the issue, and assured that the commission will look into the matter. Payal responded to the same saying that she will send a formal complaint to the NCW.
Thirty-seven days after the deadly riots hit the DJ Halli and KG Halli areas of Bengaluru, an independent fact-finding committee has brought out chilling testimonies of a few Hindu survivors, which proves how Hindus were selectively hunted and targetted and their homes and vehicles were damaged in the pre-planned and organised riots. These reports have been submitted to Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa for his pursual.
In these testimonies which have been accessed by Times Now, one of the survivors claims that they were given a warning in Urdu and were told to move inside their homes or else they can get killed. The survivor says that during the Bengaluru riots, none of the cars belonging to either Muslims or bearing a star or an HKGN (Hazrath Khwaja Garib Nawaz) symbol was not attacked. The rioters went to the extent of lifting the covers of the cars parked on the road to ascertain who’s car was it before attacking it.
He furthers that the rioters made sure to launch attacks in blind spots- those which were not covered by CCTV. This means that locals were involved who knew about these blind spots, claimed the survivor. The rioters had made sure that only non-Muslims are targetted. “Except Muslims, each and everyone, including every vehicle belonging to a non-Muslim was attacked and damaged”.
He continues that he had witnessed many houses along that road that remained untouched, implying that those belonged to the Muslims that’s why they remained unharmed. The survivor said that the rioters were shouting across the street in Urdu asking everyone to rush back to their respective houses or face consequences. “They warned us about the violence in Urdu and asked us to get inside or else we will be killed”.
Saying so, he affirmed that the people there are not associated with the BJP or the Congress.
The second survivor in his testimony specifies that on the day of the riots in Bengaluru, no Muslims vehicle was parked along that entire stretch. The road, which is generally only used by them, did not see a single Muslim person commuting on the day of the riot. None of the Muslims houses or Muslim vehicles were damaged in the ensuing. Their vehicles were deliberately not parked there that night, alludes the second survivor.
In the other two following testimonies the survivors clearly explain why they think they were singled out, identified and then targetted.
One person testified how the rioters first destroyed the CCTV cameras on the road before attacking their houses. On being asked as to why they think they were targetted, the survivor says that his house was targetted because he lit diyas after Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for lamps to be lit for 9 minutes at 9 pm on April 5 ‘to defeat despair of coronavirus’.
The survivor recollects that he had confronted one particuler house in their area which did not lit diyas on that day. They had even filed a case against him. The survivor says that possibly that particular family had informed someone about that incident, thats why his house came under attack.
Meanwhile, the fourth person confirmed that the area which had come under the attack, was predominantly a non-Muslim area with mostly Tamilians, Kannadigas, maximum Hindus residing there. He said that the rioters were mostly not in their senses. He says he has a feeling that most of them were intoxicated, had consumed drugs.
Basically all these testimonies establish that the attacks in Bengaluru were pre-planned, well-organised and particularized to target one particular community- Hindus.
SDPI and PFI were involved in the planning and execution of the incident: Fact-finding report
In fact, earlier, in its report, the fact-finding committee had also said that the riots were pre-planned and organised and specifically targeted certain Hindus in the area. It has also said that the rioting bore a stark resemblance to the violence witnessed in Delhi earlier this year and in Sweden more recently. The fact-finding committee also discovered that the local populace was actively involved in the execution of the riots and also had prior knowledge about it. The Committee also said that SDPI and PFI were involved in the planning and execution of the incident.
Apart from monitoring the activities of PFI and SDPI, the Committee also said that the Karnataka Government must constitute a committee to study the source of religious extremism in the state. It was also of the opinion that demographic changes in major cities in the state should be studied and the role of illegal immigrants should be investigated in the rioting.
The Bengaluru Riots
A Muslim mob went on a rampage and unleashed extreme violence in Bengaluru on the 11th of August over a Facebook post that was allegedly derogatory to Prophet Mohammad. Subsequently, FIRs have been filed which names five individuals who are said to have led a mob of 200-300 on that particular day.
Three people were killed and more than 60 police personnel were injured in the stone-pelting and the subsequent riots unleashed by the irate Muslim mobs. At least 10 vehicles, including Innovas of two DCPs, were damaged in front of the stations. The mob also set fire to the vehicles in front of the DJ Halli police station.
Rajeev Sharma, a freelance journalist was arrested by Delhi Police on September 14 for sharing crucial information about India’s border strategy and Army deployment to the Chinese intelligence agencies. After that, two more persons were arrested in connection with the case, Chinese agent Qing Shi and her Nepali Associate Sher Singh.
The Delhi Police today convened a presser to reveal the details about the arrest and Sharma’s involvement in passing on the secret information to his Chinese handlers, Michael & George, based in Kunming, China, through different digital mediums. Special Cell DCP Sanjeev Kumar Yadav spoke at the press conference, claiming that Sharma was contacted by Chinese Intelligence agents in 2016 for carrying out spying for them.
Delhi Police says Rajeev Sharma earned Rs 40 lakhs for spying for the Chinese
He also added that Sharma was also in touch with some Chinese intelligence officer and had received Rs 40 lakhs in the last 18 months as he was being given $1,000 for passing on each sensitive information. The police official revealed that Chinese intelligence had tasked the journalist for conducting espionage activities in lieu of large amounts of money and luxury holidays.
Sharma, who was writing on defence-related issues for a few of the Indian media organisations, as well the hawkish Chinese state-affiliated media house Global Times, was arrested based on the inputs shared by the central intelligence. The police have recovered classified documents from him, the DCP added. The information conveyed were related to Army movements, Defence acquisitions, Dalai Lama, foreign policy etc.
#BREAKING: Full statement of Delhi Police on arrested journalist Rajeev Sharma who has disclosed his involvement in procurement of secret/sensitive information and conveying it to his Chinese handlers Michael & George, based in Kunming, China, through different digital channels. pic.twitter.com/HE91PlQAji
A statement issued by Delhi police reveals that when Rajeev Sharma was writing for Global Times, he was spotted by Chinese intelligence, and he was approached by Michael from Kuming city through his LinkedIn profile. He had invited Sharma to Kuming for an interview in a Chinese media company, and the cost of his travel was paid by the Chinese. Michael and his junior Xuo had asked Rajeev Sharma to provide inputs on various aspects of Indo-China relations.
Sharma maintained contacts with Michael and Xuo between 2016 to 2018 through various means including emails and social media services. In January 2019, he met another Chinese person George, a General Manager at a Chinese media company. He had offered Sharma 500 USD for each articles on various topics related to Dalai Lama.
George had informed Rajeev Sharma that they will send him money through a company located at Mahipal Pur in Delhi, which is operated by Chinese woman Qing Shi. This company exports medicines to China, and in exchange, they receive money from China via legitimate means, which was used to make payments to their assets like Rajeev Sharma. Delhi police have informed that around Rs 40-45 lakh was transferred using this channel. Money was also being routed through hawala channels.
Sharma provided information on Galwan, Doklam and Dalai Lama to Chinese intelligence
As per the interrogation by the police, Sharma had disclosed that he had provided information on issues like India-Bhutan-China trijunction including Doklam, Galwan Valley, Indian-Myanmar military co-operation, India-China boundary issues etc.
#Breaking | Chinese spy ring busted in Delhi. 3 suspects have been nabbed who allegedly provided info on military deployment in Doklam & Galwan to the Chinese. Delhi Police says ‘this ring also has a freelance journalist’.
In January 2019, Sharma had come in contact with a Kunming based Chinese entity George. George had asked Sharma to write/inform about Dalai Lama related issues and was offered $500 per article/information. He had received more than 30 lacs from George in 10 instalments from January 2019 to September 2020, the police official mentioned.
A Chinese national and Nepalese man arrested for paying money to Sharma for espionage activities
The police official said that Sharma was assisted by a Chinese woman Qing Shi and her Nepalese associate Sher Singh, who had been arrested for allegedly paying huge sums of money to him through a web of shell companies. Sharma had disclosed in his statement that Chinese nationals Jhang Chang and his wife Chang-li-lia were running the companies MZ Pharmacy and MZ Malls, under the fake names of Suraj and Usha.
Reportedly, the Chinese woman named Qing Shi is an intelligence officer of the Ministry of State Security (MSS) of the Chinese government. The name of her Nepali Associate is Sher Singh. They were operating the espionage racket from Mahilpur and further investigation into the Chinese companies based in Mahilpur is in progress.
Further investigation is underway and forensic analysis of mobiles and laptops is under progress to unearth further details of the entire network and the conspiracy in the case.
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.
While hearing the bail plea of a member of the banned outfit Tamil Nadu Liberation Army in Madras High Court, Justice Kirubakaran on Saturday cautioned against linguistic chauvinism being used as a tool to create unrest in India. As reported by Bar and Bench, Justice Kirubakaran expressed strong views against creation of conflicts and separatism by invoking religious, racial and linguistic differences.
Justice Kirubakaran observed, “When these elements take ‘Tamil Culture’, Tamil Race’ and ‘Tamil Language’ as weapons for their sinister plans, the governments should be careful enough to see that no action of the government would pave way for or strengthen the propaganda made by these elements especially, with regard to emotive language issue. Already political parties are waiting to make use of such position to arouse linguistic chauvinism to harvest political dividends…There should not be any room for linguistic chauvinists to create any unrest in the name of languages in any part of our country”.
Highlighting the multiracial, multicultural and multi-religious character of the country, Justice Kirubakaran said that governments should induce in every citizen the feeling that his language, culture, religion, race are preserved and protected and not interfered with or suppressed by any action of the governments. He cautioned that even an apprehension in the minds of the people might prove counter productive.
Justice Kirubakaran also laid down some suggestions for the government to ensure the integrity and security of the nation. The suggestion are as follows:
Government should not create an impression in the minds of the people that their language is being discriminated or suppressed.
Government should not create any apprehension in the minds of the people that only a few chosen languages are given prominence and recognition, especially when there are 22 languages recognised and listed in the VIII schedule of the Constitution of India. These languages are entitled to equal treatment and protection, so that all the Indian-languages are well-developed and preserved.
Government should deal firmly with communal elements, religious and extremist forces.
Justice Kirubakaran said that the court is disturbed by the media reports showing links between the educated and respected personalities of the country and the Naxal movement. He said that the country is facing more danger from the elements within the country than the enemy countries. The judge also called out the fringe elements working in the garb of the NGOs, Human Rights Organisations and political groups and trying to create unrest in the country.
“This kind of fringe elements are stated to be more active in Tamil Nadu and wearing the masks of NGOs, Human Rights Organisations and political groups are trying to create unrest in Tamil Nadu by of continuous propaganda through media especially social media instigating the people to protest, creating fear psychosis and spreading hatred among the masses. However, it is to be noted that many of the NGOs and Human Rights Organisations are really doing yeoman services to the people”, Justice Kirubakaran noted referring to seditious pamphlets of the Tamil Nadu Liberation Army.
Referring to the sinister tactics of certain groups, he remarked that such groups make anti-national comments in the name of freedom of expression. He added that one can protest against the government but not against the nation. He also pointed how the recent stand-off between India and China exposed themselves by supporting the enemy country. He said that fundamentalists and extremists that pose threat to the unity and integrity of the country need to be nipped in the bud.
An irate Muslim mob attacked a group of 10-15 Hindu devotees when a Vishwakarma idol immersion procession was passing through a Muslim dominated locality in Motihari, Bihar. In an incident that took place on September 18, in the Tarnia village, Motihari block, Bihar, Muslim goons attacked the Hindu group with lathis and bamboos. Several people were injured and the Lord Vishwakarma idol was also reportedly damaged in the ensuing.
To know more about the incident, OpIndia got in touch with the President of Chatia Subdivision of Bajrang Dal, Golu Khelani. He confirmed that around 4 pm on Friday (September 18) evening, some Hindu youths were going to immerse the idol of Lord Vishwakarma. When the procession approached a locality which was predominantly Muslim dominated, the driver of the vehicle carrying the idol stopped and alerted the Hindu youths. He was reluctant to pass through the Muslim locality. The Hindu group was also threatened by the Muslim goons to not enter their locality with the idol. But the Hindu youths did not take the warnings seriously.
Driver of the vehicle carrying the idol brutally assaulted
As soon as they entered the locality, the Muslim goons started raining lathis and sticks at the Hindus. The vehicle in which the idol was being carried was stopped and attacked. The agitated Muslim goons pulled out the Dalit driver, Sukhari Ram, snatched the keys from him and mercilessly assaulted him. The goons then climbed the vehicle and damaged the Lord Vishwakarma idol placed in it.
Many Hindus were injured in the clash. The Bajrang Dal activist confirmed that three Muslim youths namely, Mohammed Nirala, Danish and Sarfaraz were the main accused who started the brawl.
Golu Khelani said that when he approached the police with a complaint, at first, they were reluctant to register a case against the Muslim goons. Later, the police filed an FIR against both the Hindu and Muslim groups, despite the fact that the Hindus were not at fault, said the Bajrang Dal activist.
Following the incident, the situation in the area remains tensed.
Bihar has witnessed similar incidents in the past
Earlier, on January 1, 2020, tension had gripped Ashok Rajpath in Patna, Bihar after violent clashes broke out between two groups during the Saraswati idol immersion procession. The students of Patna College and the people of Lalbagh pelted stones, fired at each other and hurled bombs which led to chaos in the surrounding areas. The brawl, which lasted for over two hours left several injured including inspector Manoj Kumar and a constable of Pirbahore police station.
Last year too, a violent confrontation broke out between two communities when an idol immersion procession was passing in front of the Dalalji ki Masjid in Alamganj in Patna, leaving over a dozen policemen injured.
A stalwart of the United States Supreme Court, Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, breathed her last on the 18th of September 2020 at the age of 87 after prolonged illness. The second woman to have ever served on the highest Court of the United States, she was nominated by former US President Bill Clinton.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg is hailed as a feminist icon and has been awarded with numerous honours during her great and cherished life. Condolences poured from across the political spectrum, in deference of her vast accomplishments. POTUS Donald Trump said in a statement mourning her death, “Renowned for her brilliant mind and her powerful dissents at the Supreme Court, Justice Ginsburg demonstrated that one can disagree without being disagreeable towards one’s colleague or different points of view.”
Donald Trump’s statement on the passing away of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, however, has passed away at a time when the two political wings of the country hardly agree over anything. Her death has opened up a vacant spot in the Supreme Court which, if Donald Trump proceeds with nominating another person before the November elections, would create space for the worst kind of politics.
The nomination of Justice Brett Kavanaugh witnessed the politicisation of sex crimes and with so few days remaining for the election, if Republicans do decide to move forward with the appointment process, it would open up a can of worms. But that is precisely what promises to be in store for the country. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has vowed that there will be a vote on what would be Donald Trump’s third Supreme Court pick after Justice Gorsuch and Justice Kavanaugh.
McConnell said, “Americans reelected our majority in 2016 and expanded it in 2018 because we pledged to work with President Trump and support his agenda, particularly his outstanding appointments to the federal judiciary. Once again, we will keep our promise. President Trump’s nominee will receive a vote on the floor of the United States Senate.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Meanwhile, ‘journalists’ are already ‘warning’ that there will be riots if Mitch McConnell forces through a Supreme Court appointment, then there will be riots. One of the most ‘journalists’ to make that declaration is Laura Bassett, whose columns appear in platforms such as the Washington Post and Rolling Stone.
‘Journalist’ warns of riots
American-Iranian scholar Reza Aslan voiced similar sentiments although he did not bother to be subtle about it. Interestingly enough, the clear incitement to violence does not appear to have violated Twitter’s terms and conditions. The same platform had censored Donald Trump for a tweet where the US President vowed to impose law and order.
Reza Aslan threatens riots
Beau Willimion, president of the Writers Guild of America, East, declared that they were “shutting down this country” if a Supreme Court appointment is made before the elections. Brad Willock, another writer and producer, threatened “massive protests and unrest”.
More Blue-Tick accounts threaten riots
Riots have already been underway all over the United States ever since the death of George Floyd. The death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has thrown further chaos into the mix and has created the potential for more riots. The appointments in Courts have become an extremely political issue in recent times as Justices often interpret the law consistent with the liberal or conservative predilections.
Therefore, Supreme Court appointments are of great significance. Furthermore, since appointments to Supreme Court are for life, it has profound impact on the political future of the country. Thus, such appointments have become the battleground for ideological warfare as the United States becomes more polarised.
It is pertinent to mention here that in the last year of Barack Obama’s presidency, the Republican Senate blocked his nominee to the Supreme Court saying that the incoming US President should fill the vacancy and American voters should have a say in the matter. Now, Mitch McConnell argued that during the mid-term elections, the Republican majority in the Senate was increased which is valid evidence of the mood of the public.
Thus, it is justified to move forward with filling the vacancy left behind by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, McConnell argued. Such arguments are unlikely to find any favour among the Democrats and their voters and in recent times, they have demonstrated an inclination to use violence to achieve political objectives. With elections due in November, United States might be headed for a period of great turmoil.
With Maharashtra reeling from an unprecedented shortage of oxygen because of the surging coronavirus outbreak, the Maha Vikas Aghadi state government has issued a new circular concerning the consumption of medical oxygen in state’s COVID-19 hospitals. However, doctors managing the COVID-19 crisis are seemingly displeased with the new notice that has accused the hospitals of not judiciously using the medical oxygen.
Mumbai doctor Amit Thadani, who had earlier accused the state authorities of harassment even as the coronavirus pandemic was gaining stronghold in the state, has today posted a tweet criticising the Maharashtra government’s new letter on consumption of medical oxygen and alleging that bureaucrats are disconnected from the ground reality.
This new letter from Maharashtra govt on oxygen is worth reading to understand how disconnected bureaucrats are from ground realities. We invite babus to come sit in ICU and tell patients that their quota of oxygen is capped at 12 liters per minute and they should not misuse. pic.twitter.com/JHbRcjHoKR
“We invite babus to come sit in ICU and tell patients that their quota of oxygen is capped at 12 liters per minute and they should not misuse,” Dr Amit Thadani sarcastically tweeted after the letter asked the private COVID-19 hospitals to conduct consumption audit of oxygen calculating 7 litres per minute for patient in ward and 12 litres per minute for those in the ICUs to ensure that there is no leakage of medical oxygen in pipe lines, valves etc.
The requirements for these patients are as high as 30-60 liters per minute. It’s a joke to think 12 lit per min is good enough. Only someone who has never managed a COVID patient in his life and doesn’t need to either, can think like this.
When one of the Twitter users mentioned that 12 litres is not a cap mentioned by the Maharashtra government but just a reference point to be used as a rule of thumb for the audit, Dr Amit Thadani retorted back stating that the requirements of ICU patients is somewhere close to 30-60 litres per minute and it is preposterous to think 12 litres per minute would suffice. He added that someone who has never managed a COVID-19 patient in his life could think of making such suggestions.
Maharashtra government issues a new circular ordering judicious use of medical oxygen
The criticism from the doctor came after the Maharashtra state was afflicted by the double whammy of coronavirus and depleting medical oxygen reserves. The state government issued a new circular, raising concern that if the consumption of medical oxygen continued at the present rate, the state would exhaust its manufacturing capacity of the oxygen.
The circular pointed out the discrepancies in the consumption of medical oxygen in the state with respect to the number of patients that are reported to be on oxygen.
“The consumption is not commensurate with the reported number of patients on oxygen in that particular district/municipal corporation. There is a gross mismatch particularly in the Private Hospitals and hospitals of the Municipal Corporations in terms of patients of reported on oxygen and the quantum of oxygen consumed in metric tons per day,” the circular read.
Alleging that there has been no judicious use of oxygen by the Private Hospitals, the notice has mentioned a list of actions to be carried out by them. One of them being carrying out audit of consumption of oxygen by patients in ward with 7 litres per minute as base and 12 litres per minute for those in ICUs.
The circular also directs the hospitals to upload patient discharge data on the portal on an urgent basis and take a review of all the patients who are on oxygen to ensure that oxygen is used prudently. Hospitals have also been asked to prepare a proper record of those on oxygen.
The notice also calls for scrupulous monitoring of private hospitals “who have a tendency of putting patients on oxygen for a longer duration, allegedly for commercial purposes”.
The former chief minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis today exposed how media twists statements by deliberate editing. He posted a video on Twitter from his interaction with the ABP Majha channel, where the channel had cut short his answer abruptly, along with his full answer that he had recorded simultaneously separately. The BJP leader was speaking on the GST and centre’s help extended to the Maharashtra government on the Marathi news channel.
Fadnavis tweeted that he had to share the video on Twitter because the ABP Majha channel had suddenly stopped his interview while he was answering on the centre’s support to the Maharashtra government.
जीएसटी आणि महाराष्ट्राला केंद्राकडून मदत, या एबीपी माझाच्या प्रश्नाला दिलेले उत्तर, जेथे संपूर्ण उत्तर घेण्यापूर्वीच ‘एबीपी माझा’ने मुलाखत थांबविली…@abpmajhatvpic.twitter.com/8begD9KC0N
Suspicious that the Marathi media outlet ABP Majha would not air his uncensored responses on GST and Centre’s help to the Maharashtra government, the former chief minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis had arranged for a parallel recording of his live interaction with the channel.
His suspicions turned out true when the Marathi media channel stopped the interview abruptly while Fadnavis was elaborating on the assistance provided by the central government concerning the GST credit and tax benefits to the Maharashtra government. Therefore, Fadnavis shared the footage from his parallel recording to call out the sham of ‘neutrality’ espoused by the media channel, accusing them of scuttling away when their slanderous allegations are rebutted.
The fact that Devendra Fadnavis had arranged parallel recording of his interview with ABP Majha shows the trust deficit he has with media. It points towards the sorry state of affair of Indian media when a former chief minister does not trust a private TV channel to carry his full statement, and had to arrange separate video recording of the interview anticipating what the channel actually did.
Centre is going out of its way to support Maharashtra and other states: Devendra Fadnavis
Fadnavis was responding to the question of whether the central government was discriminating against the Maharashtra government with respect to the transfer of GST credit when the interview was called off.
“In the context of the GST, let me tell you very clearly that till March the central government has given the Maharashtra state government a staggering amount of Rs 19,500 crore. The central’s Attorney General had made his stand clear on this issue that the state governments are liable to receive compensation equivalent to the cess amount and they cannot receive more from the consolidated funds as per the law,” Fadnavis said.
He further added, “However, the centre realised that the state is in difficulty and therefore it transferred the funds from consolidated funds to cess amount for the state. Just like the state’s collections are reduced due to the coronavirus induced lockdown, similarly, the centre is also under pressure due to reduced collection of the taxes. Yet, the central government has gone ahead and asked the states to borrow money to reconcile their GST deficit.”
Fadnavis said that the central government has also permitted the states to borrow loans way beyond their capacities to make up for the shortfalls in their GST amounts. “The centre has also promised that these loans will not be reflected in the state’s balance sheets and the centre would take care of repaying the borrowed amount,” he said.
Bihar’s Muzaffarpur District Court has issued orders to 8 Bollywood celebrities including Salman Khan and director-producer Karan Johar to appear before it on October 7 in the case related to the death of late actor Sushant Singh Rajput. The other names include Aditya Chopra, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Ekta Kapoor, Sajid Nadiadwala, Bhushan Kumar and Dinesh Vijayan.
The Muzaffarpur Court notice
The court has acted on the complaint filed by Muzaffarpur lawyer Sudhir Ojha, against these celebrities, which was filed three days after the death of Sushant Singh Rajput on June 14, in the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s court holding them accountable for the death of the actor.
The case was filed under sections 306 (abetment of suicide), 109, 504 (intentional insult) and 506 (criminal intimidation).
The lawyer had originally filed the case at CJM court, but the court had dismissed it saying that the matter is outside its jurisdiction. After that, Sudhir Ojha had approached the district court, which had accepted the petition. The summoned persons have been asked to present before the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s court by the district court in its order.
Karan Johar’s alleged drug party under scanner
Recently, Karan Johar’s name also surfaced after Rhea Chakraborty reportedly revealed names of celebrities from the industry including actors, producers and directors for their alleged involvement in the drug cartel. It was reported how the Narcotics Control Bureau may also launch an investigation into an alleged drug party held at Karan Johar’s house on July 30, 2019.
The video had featured Ranbir Kapoor, Ayan Mukherjee, Vicky Kaushal, Deepika Padukone, Arjun Kapoor, Malaika Arora, Shahid Kapoor, Varun Dhawan and others. However, most of the actors, including Vicky Kaushal and Karan Johar had rubbished the allegations.
The video of the party at Karan Johar’s residence had gone viral on the internet. Akali Dal leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa had tweeted the video alleging that several actors in the video were in ‘drugged state’.
Sushant Singh Rajput’s death sparked a debate over nepotism in Bollywood
The sudden and untimely demise of actor Sushant Singh Rajput has opened a can of worms and sparked a debate over nepotism in the cinema industry. Many celebrities had opened up on how the big and influential families in Bollywood have been propagating it over the years. Many blamed the big filmmakers such as Mahesh Bhatt and Karan Johar for their favouritism in the industry, which according to a few resulted in the death of Sushant Singh Rajput.
