The Congress party and its IT Cell has embarked on a novel initiative on Twitter. After losing a poll conducted by India Today on the social media platform, they have resorted to making allegations that the BJP employed bots to tilt the poll in its favour. The poll asked people on social media who their preferred candidate for the office of Prime Minister was.
Poll by India Today
Along expected lines, Narendra Modi won the poll comprehensively. However, Congress supporters and IT Cell accounts on the platform accused the BJP of winning the poll using bots. It is, of course, a bewildering allegation given that the poll results are consistent with every opinion poll that has been conducted over the past six years and the results of the 2019 General Elections proved abundantly which politician was the more preferred candidate for Prime Minister.
The Congress party, however, decided the best course of action was to claim that the BJP had won the Twitter Poll using bots and somehow, the IT Cell managed to link it to EVM machines. The Congress party’s shenanigans involving EVMs are well known but using the results of a Twitter poll to rake up its conspiracy theories of EVM manipulation is indeed a bit of a stretch.
Saral Patel is the National Convener of Congress Social Media Department
Consistent with the narrative planted by Saral Patel, Congress supporters claimed that the results of the Twitter poll is clear evidence that the BJP won the elections through EVM manipulation.
Congress supporters are not taking Twitter poll defeats sportingly
Others are asking people to ‘imagine’ the extent of EVM manipulations in the country given that the Twitter poll was allegedly manipulated by the BJP with bots. It is ridiculous, of course, but the mere fact that we are even discussing this issue shows that the Congress party has long since distanced itself from the last remaining bits of its sanity.
Source: Twitter
While one would expect someone from the Congress party to step in and put an end to the madness, it is clearly not happening. They are receiving great praises for suffering an apocalyptic meltdown over a defeat in a Twitter poll. One cannot be sure whether Rahul Gandhi was this dejected after leading Congress to debacle in two consecutive Lok Sabha Elections.
Source: Twitter
One cannot be sure whether the Congress party actually believes these lies or if they know these are not truths but are lying anyway. It’s hard to say which one is worse precisely.
Source: Twitter
There is a much easier explanation for this that does not require anyone to put their faith in delusions. The India Today poll was circulated widely on social media as is evident from the number of retweets it received on Twitter. It is quite possible that Rahul Gandhi was leading at some point during the polling but that was before supporters of the Prime Minister took notice of the poll.
After Modi supporters saw that Rahul Gandhi was leading, they voted in the poll and circulated it among their own friends. Accounts with huge follower counts surely quote-tweeted the poll and asked their followers to vote as well. All of this can happen very quickly and within a couple of hours, the whole scenario can easily change.
Furthermore, it is only to be expected that the politician who enjoys a far greater popularity across the country will also enjoy greater popularity on social media. Online poll victories for the more popular politician is not surprising. Nonetheless, there is an interesting story to be told here. The Congress party, which is accusing the BJP of using bots, is known to have used bots in the past to counter the social media dominance of the BJP.
In October 2017, the party’s bid to relaunch Rahul Gandhi was aided by a horde of Russian, Kazhak and Indonesian bots. With help from these bot accounts, the Congress party witnessed a massive surge in its social media activity. If one were not aware of what was actually happening, he or she must have thought that the Congress party was gaining in popularity.
The mainstream media, again, true to its nature, hyped up Rahul Gandhi and claimed that the Congress party was ‘finally getting its act together’. Thus, the party which crafted a narrative of its resurgence using bot accounts is accusing the BJP of employing bots and somehow linking it to EVM manipulation. Intriguing, certainly.
Not merely bots, ‘fake girls’ could also be seen on social media aiding attempts to relaunch Rahul Gandhi. There was enough evidence to indicate that the Congress party was using pictures of random girls on the internet in order to increase the fan following of the scion of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty.
Thus, for the Congress party to accuse the BJP of using bots to win Twitter polls appears a bit ridiculous given its own conduct in the past. Furthermore, its attempt to cast aspersions on the legitimacy of the 2019 General Election results on the basis of the results of an online reveals the intellectual bankruptcy that has gripped the party.
Contrary to the allegations made by the Congress party, it is, of course, infinitely more likely that the Congress party is not winning the online polls because it is not employing as many bots as they used to. Under any circumstance, it is preposterous to claim that the BJP is using bots on Twitter to show Narendra Modi is more popular than Rahul Gandhi.
The far likelier scenario is that without national level elections anytime soon and campaigning for the Assembly Elections disrupted by the Coronavirus crisis, the Congress party is not investing in bots as much as they did prior to the Lok Sabha elections. And in the absence of bots, their online popularity has taken a heavy drubbing.
Former head of Amnesty India, which claims to be a humanitarian organisation, Aakar Patel, has decided it is time for him channel the spirit of Mohammed Ali Jinnah and make an elaborate defence for the creation of Pakistan. During an elaborate meltdown on micro-blogging site Twitter, Aakar Patel said it was time for Muslims in India to demand proportional representation in the Parliament and elected bodies.
Aakar Patel whitewashed the real reasons behind the creation of Pakistan and claimed that partition occurred because the Congress at the time refused to accede to the ‘legitimate’ Muslims demand for proportional representation. He claimed that Independent India has proved Jinnah correct. Thus, the ‘humanitarian activist’ blames Hindus for the Muslim demand to establish a separate Islamic state.
Source: Twitter
Aakar Patel also said that Indian Muslims should demand proportional representation. A ‘proportional representation’ would mean that a certain number of seats in elected bodies would be reserved for Muslims. Some individuals also take it to mean that a certain number of positions within the bureaucracy and the Army should be reserved for Muslims.
Source: Twitter
The activist also said that he does not agree with a ‘soft approach’ and insisted that a constitutional change from political parties on proportional representation is the minimum that Indian Muslims should accept.
Source: Twitter
While inciting Indian Muslims to demand reserved seats or separate electorates, Aakar Patel insisted that the “Hindu Rashtra will not concede rights”, implying that it is a legitimate demand.
Source: Twitter
The activist also made an ardent defence of Jinnah, the Jihadist who called for a ‘Direct Action Day’ that directly led to the massacre of Hindus. He said that Jinnag was a ‘South Bombay Gujju’ and more ‘urbane’ than the average Indian, as if that excused his Jihadist inclinations.
Source: Twitter
Quite conveniently, for a person who belongs to the coterie of individuals that accuses Narendra Modi of working against India’s constitutional valuers, Aakar Patel appears only ever willing to the opinions of the Constituent Assembly on the matter. The issue of separate electorates was discussed by the Constituent Assembly of India, charged with drafting the Constitution, and it was summarily rejected for its communal hues.
Shri R.K.Sidhva said during a debate on the matter, “My Friend, Mr. Muhammad Ismail, while arguing yesterday stated that without separate electorates the Muslims will not get justice and they will not get that representation which they desire. If my Friend, Mr. Muhammad Ismail even at this stage believes in the two-nation theory-communalism-then certainly he will have no place. But there are many persons like Mr. Lari, who told his co-religionists that “even at this stage you are talking of the two-nation theory and separate electorate: please forget all this.””
He also elaborated on why the system of proportional representation will never work in India. He stated, “In a small group this system can be exercised. Besides, those who are acquainted with the system know that proportional representation is cumbersome process and it has to be understood by an intelligent person. Mr. Lari wants to introduce this system in an electorate ranging from 50,000 to a lakh of voters. In Belgium and Switzerland there are hardly a few lakhs of population leave aside the small number of voters in their constituencies. In our country there are 40 crores of people and we have constituencies with voters numbering from 50,000 to a lakh. A system of proportional representation cannot work here. From the material supplied by the Constituent Assembly Office I find that in one country they experimented with this system and they had to revert to the majority ballot box system. In a general election this system can never work.”
Even Jawaharlal Nehru was against separate electorates as he believed it would create enmity between the majority and minority communities. Nehru remarked, “As soon as you get something that can be called political democracy, then this kind of reservation, instead of helping the party to be safeguarded and aided, is likely actually to turn against it. But where there is a third party, or where there is a n autocratic monarch, or some other ruler, it is possible that these safeguards may be good. Perhaps the monarch may play one off against the other or the foreign ruler. But where you are up against a full-blooded democracy, if you seek to give safeguards to minority, and a relatively small minority, you isolate it. May be you protect it to a slight extent, but at what cost? At the cost of isolating it and keeping it away from the main current in which the majority is going.”
“It is a bad thing for any small group or minority to make it appear to the world and to the majority that “we wish to keep apart from you, that we do not trust you, that we look to ourselves and that therefore we want safeguards and other things”,” he added. The strongest words, however, came from from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel who said, in no uncertain terms, that separate electorates have no place in India.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who was then the Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Minorities, said, “Those who claim that in this country there are two nations and that there is nothing common between the two, and “that we must have our homeland where we can breather freely”, let them do so. I do not blame them. But those who still have that idea that they have worked for it, that they have got it and therefore they should follow the same path here, to them I respectfully appeal to go and enjoy the fruits of that freedom and to leave us in peace. There is no place here for those who claim separate representation.”
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel did not stop there. He continued, “For a community to think that its interests are different from that of the country in which it lives, is a great mistake. Assuming that we agreed today to the reservation of seats, I would consider myself to be the greatest enemy of the Muslim community, because of the consequences of that step in a secular and democratic State. Assume that you have separate electorates on a communal basis. Will you ever find a place in any of the Ministers in the Provinces or in the Centre? You have a separate interest. Here is a Ministry or a Government based on joint responsibility, where people who do not trust us, or who do not trust the majority cannot obviously come into the Government itself. Accordingly, you will have no share in the Government. You will exclude yourselves and remain perpetually in a minority.”
It is important to remember that the stalwart of the independence era was speaking at a time when the country had just recently undergone a partition. Quite clearly, he was not willing to tolerate irrational demands from the Muslim community at such a time. It was also clear that the demand for separate electorates was made by only the Muslim community and others such as Jains, Buddhists and Sikhs did not really feel the need for it.
Thus spoke the venerable Patel, “I remember that the gentleman who moved the motion here last time, in August 1947, when asking for separate electorates, I believe, said that the Muslims today were a very strong, well-knit and well-organised minority. Very good. A minority that could force the partition of the country is not a minority at all. Why do you think that you are a minority? If you are a strong, well-knit and well-organised minority, why do you want to claim safeguards, why do you want to claim privileges? It was all right when there was a third party: but that is all over. That dream is a mad dream and it should be forgotten altogether. Never think about that, do not imagine that anybody will come here to hold the scales and manipulate them continuously. All that is gone. So the future of a minority, any minority, is to trust the majority.”
Therefore, the question regarding the issue of separate electorates is one that has already been settled. It was settled during the Constituent Assembly debates itself. Hence, for activists such as Aakar Patel to rake up the issue now is a pathetic attempt to incite Indian Muslims on the promise of mythical carrots that do not exist.
There is absolutely zero chance that separate electorates will be accepted in India without a great deal of bloodshed and communal strife. There was also great consent among the politicians of the independence era that separate electorates fanned the sentiments of separatism which contributed to the formation of Pakistan. That ‘human rights activists’ of 2020 are demanding something that has the potential to unleash an era of unbridled calamity only speaks volumes about where their loyalties lie.
The Congress party has often been involved in influencing the media to ensure that the image of the ‘Grand old party’ and the family members that are involved in running it. From Jawaharlal Nehru to the current crop of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, under the watchful eye of mother Sonia Gandhi and her cohorts, the Congress party has often had a complicated relationship with the truth and by extension, any media house or journalist that dares to write about the truth. One the prime examples of this complicated relationship is when a 2005 interview of Rahul Gandhi was killed by Tarun Tejpal of Tehalka because it embarrassed the Congress party.
In an interview to Zee TV, Vijay Simha had detailed how his interview of Rahul Gandhi in 2005, for the Tehalka magazine was killed after Tarun Tejpal was possibly pressured by the Congress party and its senior politicians.
In the interview, Simha says that in the beginning, the newsroom of Tehalka was the place to be since Tarun Tejpal’s voice had a strength to it. However, after 2006, things started to go downhill and he started doubting the intentions of Tejpal after his story was killed. He said in 2005, he had met Rahul Gandhi and since he was a new politician, he had said a lot about himself, Congress, his personality and politics. When Rahul spoke in the interview, many politicians in the Congress party felt that their “job was in danger”.
Thereafter, the senior politicians started pressurising saying that “why did you talk to such a person?”. Further, shockingly, he says that the politicians told him that he used to be a “nashedi” and used to do “nasha’. Essentially saying that Rahul Gandhi and his views should be trusted since he was a drug addict.
Due to this, he says that Tarun Tejpal came under a lot of pressure. In the beginning, he was standing with his team saying that the interview is accurate and that his team has done no wrong. After that, he got some calls (and he didn’t reveal who was calling him) that he suddenly took a u-turn and the interview was pulled down.
Simha says that this context of how the interview was pulled down is important since later he was accused of fabricating the interview. Simha revealed that many people started claiming that he had done a false sting operation and fabricated the interview and hence, it was taken down. However, that was not the case.
He further makes a far more shocking revelation. Vijay Simha says that this was not the only story that was killed at Tehalka. He was in the know of several other stories being killed, however, he did not really have the power, despite being one of the senior editors, to say something or do anything about it.
Simha, branded this form of journalism as a blatant form of murder. “Ye to katal hai”, he said.
What was the 2005 interview of Rahul Gandhi that was killed by Tarun Tejpal after being pressurised by Congress
The 2005 interview of Rahul Gandhi was not much different from any of his current interviews where he sounds rather confused. Rahul Gandhi, as is his charming personality, contradicts himself in a matter of sentences and not much was different back then. However, in his state of perpetual confusion, Rahul Gandhi did reveal a lot about the inner workings of Congress and most importantly, how not only his party but even he was severely challenged when it came to effective governance and commitment to the people of India.
Snapshot of the Tehalka interview by journalist Sheela Bhatt, who had ironically posted it to hail Rahul Gandhi for his comments
In the interview, Rahul Gandhi made several revelations that could have hurt the Congress party and his own image as a coherent politician, an image Congress was desperately trying to create for Rahul.
‘I can’t do much as an MP’ to ‘Nobody does more than me’: Rahul Gandhi’s cognitive dissonance
In the beginning of the interview, which is still available online here, Rahul Gandhi is first asked about the abysmal condition of the roads in Amethi. To that, Rahul Gandhi says that he is only a Member of Parliament, and other than spending his MPLAD funds, an MP cannot really do much.
He says, “If you want to know what’s going on here, you need to understand that there are lots of issues. I am a Member of Parliament, and an MP can’t do much. I get₹2 crore (under the MP Local Area Development Scheme). That allows me to lay 8 kilometres of road. That’s it. But we have been able to get 500 kilometres of road laid in Amethi. To me that’s an achievement. What can I do beyond that? Nothing. You’ve seen the place. Nothing works here except the Sanjay Gandhi Hospital. However, I can’t blame the state government and say everything is their fault. My men do that but I can’t”.
In this segment, Rahul Gandhi seems to suggest that all MPs are more or less helpless other than utilising their MPLAD funds for the development of their constituency and that anything he has been able to do beyond that is because he had good connections. However, that is not how the system works and MPs have the power to make proposals to the government for the development of their constituency which is then put into motion. The development of a constituency can even happen by talking to Industry leaders and other corporates to ensure that industry is opened in the area, thereby leading the its development.
However, here, Rahul Gandhi seems to be oblivious to how governance can actually be done.
Further, Rahul displays his utter cognitive dissonance when after saying that he can’t do much as an MP to develop the state, just a few questions down the line, he says that no other MP in the country has done as much as him.
He says, “My idea of politics is not to do things in a week. If somebody wants to come to me and says that I have failed, well fine… I am not failing. I am succeeding. If there’s anything being done anywhere in Uttar Pradesh, it is in Amethi. In fact, no other MP in the country is doing as much as I am”.
Rahul Gandhi cannot seem to decide in this interview if he is a helpless MP who cannot do much due to the system, or is an MP is doing more than anyone else in the country. Either way, none of those assertions seem to make sense since one is factually incorrect and the other is betrayed by the fact that 15 years later, Amethi had hardly seen any development whatsoever and Rahul Gandhi lost that seat in 2019 as a result of it.
Confused statements on RJD, SP, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh – the now allies of Congress
During the interview, Rahul Gandhi gave us a glimpse into not just his beautiful mind but also how the Congress party functions as an ally of anybody who can catapult them and their family members to power.
Here is a chronology of his comments on the same, one, which would make his confusion apparent.
First he says that he does not blame the UP government for no developmental work being done in the state. In the beginning of the interview, when asked about Amethi, he says, “Nothing works here except the Sanjay Gandhi Hospital. However, I can’t blame the state government and say everything is their fault. My men do that but I can’t”.
Immediately in the next answer, Rahul says that there is a total collapse of the administration system in UP and Bihar. However, just before that, he had said that he does not blame the state government for it. One has to ask Rahul then – who should have been blamed?
After trying to say that there is no governance in UP and Bihar and also trying to shield RJD and SP at the same time, Rahul Gandhi says that he does not support the Mulayam Singh Yadav government. When asked about the support, he says, “That cannot go on. I don’t support that (the UP government) at all. I am not going to bat out this one. I’ll do something about it”.
In the very next question, he says that the decision to support Mulayam Singh Yadav comes from other senior Congress leaders and that one day, they may simply wake and up and stop supporting the government. This is a “complex” issue and hence, he refused to comment further on it.
It is pertinent to note that Congress is now in alliance with SP and RJD and Rahul Gandhi is rather supportive of the “youth leaders” of both parties – Akhilesh Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav. Essentially, after saying that he does not support them in 2005 to now allying with them in 2019-2020, Rahul Gandhi has come a long way.
Rahul Gandhi with Akhilesh Yadav and Tejasvi Yadav
In 2005, Rahul Gandhi had promised to bring change in a month
In his 2005 interview, Rahul Gandhi had promised that the interviewer will see a change in the constituency in a month’s time.
He tells the interviewer, “Look at Amethi. Do you know that we have been able to educate 40,000 people? If you come to Amethi after a month, you will find every Congress worker teaching children in his or her house. Each one will teach one or two children. That is the way I work. That is meaningful work. You will be foolish; I will be foolish to say that I am going to do things in a week. I am not going to do things in a week. That is not the way I am. That is not the idea”.
However, the shocking and abysmal state of Amethi was rather evidence after 15 years of Congress ruling the constituency. As a result of that, Rahul Gandhi was booted by the people, the very people of the very constituency that Congress considered a fiefdom for long.
An analysis of 10 years of Rahul Gandhi vs 4 years of Smriti Irani can be read here.
Information Technology a mere hype, said Rahul Gandhi in 2005: Captain ‘missing the obvious’
In his 2005 interview, Rahul Gandhi had said, “There is excessive hype about IT in India. It affects only a few people, and I can’t see why so much is made of it. There is no doubt that IT is a growing area, but I am looking at empowering the multitude. I think education is the way to go. We simply can’t progress until we give people in places like this [Amethi] a chance. I agree that good work is being done in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, but that is not the case elsewhere”.
This is a rather shocking statement to be made in the year 2005, which can actually be considered one of the most landmark years for information technology in general.
It was in 2005 that YouTube was founded, Apply had announced its plans to switch to Intel processors, Reddit was launched, the first YouTube video was uploaded, Google hired DARPA veteran Vint Cerf to carry on his quest for a global open Internet, Google Maps was launched, Microsoft Windows XP Professional was released, Google introduced personalised homepage, Opera Mini browser was launched, Google Analytics was launched, UTorrent was launched. It was way before in 2003 that Airtel had launched its broadband services and by 2005, .in websites were also launched.
With so much happening, for Rahul Gandhi to say that Information Technology boom was only a fad only goes to show how short sighted the politician really is.
In fact, Rahul Gandhi’s shortsightedness is evident by one simple fact: narendramodi.in domain was registered in the year 2005.
My first lesson in arrogance in my professional life came from a bathroom in the UK
As usual, Rahul Gandhi is the master of spouting gibberish and when asked simple questions.
Here is what Rahul Gandhi said in his interview – A little anecdote from UK:
Let me tell you about arrogance. My first lesson in arrogance in my professional life came from a bathroom in the UK. I was doing consultancy for a firm in England. They were into distribution, you know, getting things around. I had one look and I thought these guys know nothing. I can fix things in a day or two. I did what I was asked to. My boss was pleased. He gave me another responsibility. Something else in the same organisation that needed fixing. It was a mess. I had already done my first job well. So I was confident. I had the answer. I thought, man, bar codes are the solution. We can fix things by having different bar codes for different products. The boss looked at me quietly. He told me I was good at my job, and asked me to have a look at the office bathroom. The bathroom was full of graffiti. This guy is like that, that guy is like this etc. Suddenly it hit me. All the bar codes in the world wouldn’t have helped. The problem was something else. That, my friend, is arrogance. It is one bathroom lesson I haven’t forgotten. That is the arrogance you have to deal with. When I take life this way, I stop thinking that the other guy is a joker. I realise I am the joker.
This is it. That is his entire anecdote. It does not make sense. Did he mean that he got arrogant after his first solution worked and his colleagues left mean comments in the bathroom stall for him? Or did he mistake bar code for bathroom code? If he thought bar code was his brainwave, he needs to understand that bar codes were in use since decades before he ‘came up with the solution’. Perhaps next time he could visit the bathroom at AICC headquarters where his mother Sonia Gandhi had locked up Sitaram Kesri to stop him from becoming party president to get some more wisdom and enlighten/entertain us.
The only thing that perhaps made sense in that nonsensical anecdote was the last sentence – “I realise I am the joker”. Well, yes indeed.
Does he ‘want to learn’ or ‘his personality is made, he is what he is’?
During the course of the interview, Rahul Gandhi gave an eloquent answer about how he is willing to learn till the day he dies. He said, “I believe that you know more than me in the job that you do. The guy who fixes the air-conditioner at my place knows more than me about air-conditioning. The person who sweeps outside my house knows more about sweeping than I do. My job in politics is to transmit the knowledge that people have from one person to another. This outlook is central to my life. I hope that I will have the ability to learn till the day I die”.
However, he contradicts himself soon enough.
Further in the interview, he says, “My personality is made. I am done. There is nothing more to be made of me. I am what I am. My strength comes from me, not from what happens outside of me. I am not going to change inside. I am prepared for things going the other way. I understand I can’t always have things my way”.
One has to ask Rahul Gandhi how do these two statements go together? Does he want to learn? Or is just done ‘done’? We will perhaps never know but judging by his politics, it is probably the later.
‘Every time I want to do something, there is this fear that it may go wrong’
Finally, Rahul answers the most important question – Why did Congress want this interview deleted. His Midas touch, of course.
‘I don’t like to ask questions in the parliament’
When asked why Rahul Gandhi does not ask questions in the parliament, he says:
“I don’t ask questions in Parliament because I like to think things through. Just look around at the questions that are asked in Parliament, and you’ll know why I don’t ask questions. I mean look at them. Is that the kind of stuff you want me to ask?”
15 year since, we know exactly the kind of theatrics that Rahul Gandhi prefers to do in the parliament instead of asking questions that would benefit the people of the nation and/or his own constituency.
Remember this?
Rahul Gandhi hugging and winking in parliament
On the basis of this one interview, perhaps an entire thesis can be written, with elaborate examples, on what is exactly wrong with Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party. However, the most important aspect is why this article was forced to be taken down:
In this interview, Rahul Gandhi sounds confused, disconnected and just inept at being a politicians. Further, he also reveals that the Congress party and its scions are least interested in the welfare of its people and are terribly unaware of what the future holds. Nobody is surprised that Congress, that has always managed the media in order to manage the image of Rahul Gandhi, got this interview pulled down.
Cricketer Mohammad Shami’s estranged wife Hasin Jahan has filed a complaint with the cyber cell in Kolkata’s police headquarters at Lal Bazar, after she allegedly started receiving death and rape threats from radical Islamists for sharing congratulatory messages on Ram temple Bhoomi Pujan in Ayodhya on her social media account.
Hasin Jahan complaints with Kolkata police
Jahan wrote in her complaint: “This is very much unfortunate that I have been continuously harassed and abused by certain mean-minded people after I wished our Hindu brothers and sisters for the … Ram Mandir at Ayodhya on 5th August 2020. Some people are continuously threatening me for taking my life … even raping and molesting also. In this situation, I am feeling helpless and worried about my daughter’s future also. The continuous attack through all the social media like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter makes me jeopardised. Please help me as I am feeling insecure every moment. It this continues, I will be mentally depressed.”
“I will be highly obliged if you kindly take immediate action against this mental torture. I am feeling highly insecure as I live alone with my daughter. Now every second have become a nightmare for me,” Jahan said adding she hopes the authorities will be kind to her ‘on humanitarian grounds’.
Copy of Hasin Jahan’s complaint given to cyber cell of Kolkata Police
Hasin Jahan gave her best wishes to the Hindu community on the Bhoomi Pujan of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya
Jahan had taken to her Instagram handle to put out a post congratulating Hindus on the Ram Mandir Bhoomi Pujan. She wished that Indians, irrespective of their caste and religion, would live together in harmony and contribute to make India a superpower of the world. This irked the Islamic fundamentalists, who in turn started threatening the cricketer’s wife with rape, molestation and even death.
A post shared by hasin jahan (@hasinjahanofficial) on
Hasin Jahan’s husband and former Indian cricketer Mohammad Shami threatened by Islamists
It is pertinent to note here, that Hasin Jahan’s husband and former Indian cricketer Mohammad Shami has also been on target of these radical Islamists, who called him a “bad Muslim” for celebrating his daughter’s birthday. In 2017, we reported how the cricketer was attacked online for indulging in ‘unislamic’ act after he shared a collage of pictures on Facebook, where he and his family were seen celebrating the birthday of his daughter. The comments left on the cricketer’s Facebook page had suggested that the radicals were especially irked by Hasin Jahan not wearing a hijab during the celebrations.
Earlier too, religious fanatics had criticised and abused him for sharing a picture of himself with his wife, where his wife was not wearing any hijab or ‘modest dress’, which was argued to be against Islam.
On the historic day of Ram Mandir Bhoomi pujan, Islamists suffer a meltdown
On the day of the Ram Mandir Bhoomi Pujan on August 5, many radical elements and Islamists had taken to social media to trend hashtags like #ReturnBabriLandToMuslims, #5AugustBlackDay and #BabriZindaHai.
In a historic meltdown, these Islamists not only rejected the idea of constructing a Ram Mandir at the sacred site but also discredited the Supreme Court judgement on the Ram Janmabhoomi case to claim that site at which Ram Mandir is being built will always be a mosque for them, ignoring the reality that they failed to prove it in the court.
PM Modi on 10th August inaugurated the much-awaited Submarine Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) between Chennai and Port Blair via video conferencing. The foundation of the project was laid down in December 2018 by PM Modi to ensure high-speed internet connectivity for the residents of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
While remembering the Islands’ importance in Independence movement and it’s relations to Neta Ji Subhash Chandra Bose, PM Modi talked about how this Submarine OFC and other projects will help in boosting the economy in the Islands.
In his speech, PM Modi said that he was pleased to launch the project in 2018, and now he is happy that he got the chance to inaugurate it as well. This OFC will connect Chennai, Port Blair, Little Andaman and Swaraj Island. He added that it is an early 15 August gift for the people of Andaman and Nicobar as this project will open new doors to opportunities.
Project completed ahead of time
The project has been completed before its scheduled time. A total of 2,300 KM cable was laid down to connect the important parts of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the first phase of the project, at the cost of Rs 1224 crores. The other areas of the Island will soon get connected to the fibre optics network. There were numerous challenges like monsoon season, high tides and deep-sea that made the project challenging. PM Modi said that these reasons did not allow the previous governments to find ways to connect the Island with high-speed internet facility like the rest of the country.
He thanked the dedicated team that worked tirelessly on the project and completed it in before the scheduled time despite the coronavirus pandemic. He said that it was the responsibility of the nation to provide such service to the people of Andaman and Nicobar. In the last few years, India has been working extensively in strengthening the border areas and ports. This project is a symbol of Modi government’s promise of ease of living, he added.
Inauguration of the submarine Optical Fibre Cable in Andaman and Nicobar Islands ensures:
High-speed broadband connectivity.
Fast and reliable mobile and landline telecom services.
Big boost to the local economy.
Delivery of e-governance, telemedicine and tele-education.
Better internet connectivity will improve tourism on the Islands
“India is a global leader in providing cheap and fast internet services. Now the people of Andaman and Nicobar Islands will be able to enjoy these services, PM Modo also added that better connectivity is essential for tourist destinations. Tourists often leave early keeping lack of fast connectivity in mind. Now, as they will get fast internet services while enjoying their holidays, they will stay for a longer duration that will help in improving the tourism on the Islands.
Improved road, air and sea connectivity
PM Modi said that the government is working to solve road, air and sea connectivity issues as well. A 10,000 crore worth transhipment project that is underway on the Islands will allow large ships to stop on the Islands. It will help in improving the economy of the Island and provide more opportunities for the people there. The government is working on improving road connectivity on the Islands and widening the NH4 as well. PM said that the four ships that are being built at Cochi shipyard to improve Water Connectivity between the Islands and the rest of the country will be delivered soon.
आइलैंड के बीच और बाकी देश से Water Connectivity की सुविधा को बढ़ाने के लिए कोची शिपयार्ड में जो 4 जहाज़ बनाए जा रहे हैं, उनकी डिलिवरी भी आने वाले कुछ महीनों में हो जाएगी: PM @narendramodi
The airport at Port Blair will soon be able to handle 1200 passengers at a time. The aviation ministry will start sea-place services to connect Islands in the cluster that will reduce commute time between two locations. In the next few months, smaller airports will start operations across Islands that will improve the connectivity with the rest of the nation. The work on the deep draft inner harbour on the East Coast will be completed soon. Pm Modi said that the government is working on promoting ease of business and maritime logistics in the sea.
The Blue Economy
PM Modi said that these modern infrastructure projects are essential for the Blue Economy as well that covers fisheries, aquaculture and sea-weed farming. Several countries are exploring possibilities in sea-weed farming. He informed that the pilot project in this area that was started in Andaman and Nicobar Islands showed a positive response and the government would soon implement it across Islands. Once they prove to be a success, it will be implemented in the rest of the country.
आज जितना भी आधुनिक इंफ्रास्ट्रक्चर अंडमान निकोबार में तैयार हो रहा है, वो ब्लू इकॉनॉमी भी गति देगा।
ब्लू इकॉनॉमी का एक अहम हिस्सा है Fisheries, Aquaculture और Sea Weed farming: PM @narendramodi
PM Modi said that though new opportunities are opening, it is essential that everyone on the Islands should take all the precautions to keep themselves safe during the pandemic. He added that it is essential to wear masks and practice social distancing to avoid infection.
At a review meeting of the coronavirus crisis in Solapur, Maharashtra Congress President Balasaheb Thorat asked his party workers to be tough with the government officers by taking 4-5 bullies with them. He suggested the district party workers to take the help of toughies in order to get their work done.
“The Government authorities should fear us. We should have some grip over the administration. Take 4-5 guys along with you to instil this fear,” Thorat said while addressing the local Congress cadres in Solapur.
Before Thorat, Congress MLA Yashomati Thakur, who was also present in the meeting, echoed similar sentiments, asking Congress workers to be overly aggressive while dealing with the authorities.
“If your work is not getting done, create a ruckus. Nobody understands the language of request. You have got the right to snatch it. Every leader has to take care of his taluka. There should be no complain from your side. We will support you,” Thakur said.
The meeting was attended by the Minister for Women and Child Development, Adv. Yashomati Thakur, Minister Dattatraya Bharane, Collector Milind Shambharkar, Commissioner of Police Ankush Shinde, Municipal Commissioner P. Shivshankar, District Superintendent of Police Manoj Patil, Zilla Parishad Chief Executive Officer Prakash Vaichal.
Thorat also added that the state is going through a raging pandemic and the infection is rapidly spreading because of the foreign nationals. He asserted that though the spread of coronavirus in Mumbai is on the mend, it is on the rise in other regions of the state.
On Monday, the Supreme Court of India rapped up Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra for filing the same petition after it was dismissed earlier in May. The politician had moved the apex court challenging a circular issued by the Union government which states that the State Relief funds and CM funds will not fall within the purview of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities under Section 135 of the ‘Companies Act.’
Supreme Court is hearing a fresh plea by MP Mahua Moitra, challenging a circular issued by the Centre which stated that CM Funds and State Relief Funds won’t come within the purview of CSR activities under S. 135 of Companies Act. @MahuaMoitra
While hearing the plea, Justice Ashok Bhushan rebuked her and said, “How can you file this petition again? The same Petitioner’s plea was dismissed on May 5, 2020.” When advocate Rohit Rathi appearing for Mahua Moitra conceded that the plea was rejected, Justice Bhushan reiterated, “How can the same Petitioner file another Petition on the same issue?”
Justice Bhushan: In view of the fact that the matter was dismissed on May 5, we are not inclined to hear this plea. Dismissed.
Although advocate Rathi argued that the notification for the petition came subsequently in light of the subsequent development in the matter, yet the Supreme court rejected the plea on the ground that it was earlier dismissed by the said court. The apex court further observed that the issues such as the ones raised, should be debated and discussed in Parliament, not contested in court.
The upcoming IPL season that is going to take place in UAE may get the name “Patanjali IPL” as the company has decided to bid for the title sponsorship. According to a report published in Economic Times, Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali is planning to participate in the bidding process. Recently VIVO, the title sponsor of IPL, stepped back creating a slot for companies to bid for the title sponsorship.
ET quoted SK Tijarawala, official spokesperson, Patanjali, saying, “We are considering the IPL title sponsorship for this year since we want to give the Patanjali brand a global marketing platform.” Though the matches will be played outside India and there is a possibility that the stadium will remain empty during the matches, IPL will remain a high-value asset for the sponsors due to its viewership on multiple platforms.
Jio, Amazon, Adani among others in the race of title sponsorship
In the deal struck between VIVO and IPL in 2018, the company agreed to pay 440 crores for title sponsorship. On 8th August, BCCI announced that VIVO would not be the title sponsor for IPL 2020. The company may return as a sponsor next year but it too early to say anything about it. As of now, BCCI has offered up to 50% discounts to the potential title sponsors. The companies that may bid for the title sponsorship include Jio, the Tata Group, Adani Group, Amazon and Byjus among others.
On Monday, a 71-year-old- pro-democracy activist and media leader Jimmy Lai was reportedly arrested by the Hong Kong police under the draconian security law brought by China over accusations of foreign collusion. His detention is the first high-profile arrest made as per the new security law.
Reportedly, Lai facing charges for orchestrating anti-China protests in Hong Kong. Lai is the founder of the news portal, Apple daily. According to Mark Simon, an aide of Lai, the Hong Kong police executed a search warrant at the office. Police officials in plainclothes barged into the premises carrying plastic evidence tubs and walked through piles of paper. Later, a handcuffed Lai was brought into the office. His son has also been arrested.
The Hong Kong police claimed that a total of seven people, aged between 59 and 72, were arrested on suspicion of committing fraud and colluding with foreign powers to subvert national security of the country. Hong Kong police inform that those arrested aged between 59 to 72. “The police operation is still ongoing and does not rule out more arrests,” the force said.
Declining Press Freedom in Hong Kong
Although Hong Kong has enjoyed a high level of ‘press freedom’ as compared to China, Lai’s arrest marks the beginning of a change. Reportedly, several foreign journalists have complained that their visas were not being renewed. The immigration department in Hong Kong has set up a national security unit to decline ‘sensitive visas’, including that of journalists.
According to activist Eddie Chu-hoi Dick, the Chinese Communist Party wants to gag pro-democracy voices in the country such as Apple Daily. “Lai’s arrest is the first step of [a] HK media blackout, he was quoted as saying. China academic Jeffrey Wasserstrom informed that the draconian move was linked with the recent sanctions by the US. ‘They are also part of an ongoing trend, blow after blow against people and institutions in Hong Kong linked to its vibrant civil society,” he stated.
Charges of ‘foreign collusion’ against Jimmy Lai
Reportedly, Lai may face a prison sentence of 10 years or for life, if found guilty of collusion with foreign forces. In Hong Kong, foreign collusion refers to conspiring on the behest of a foreign entity to disrupt the government, undermine elections, or impose sanctions. Reportedly, the use of ‘unlawful means’ to provoke residents against the government of Hong Kong or China is a punishable offence.
According to China’s mouthpiece Global Times, Lai is unlikely to get bail and may face ‘heavy penalties’ along with 25 others who have been charged for participating in a Tiananmen Square massacre vigil on June 4 this year. The new laws brought in by China allows it t extradite offenders from Hong Kong and hold their trials in mainland China.
Breakdown of election machinery
Last week, the elections in Hong Kong were postponed for a year allegedly in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic. At the same time, several pro-democracy leaders were disqualified. Countries such as Britain, New Zealand, Australia, and Canada have urged Hong Kong to hold elections at the earliest. Britain’s foreign minister Dominic Raab had also expressed deep concerns about the delay in elections and the disqualification of pro-democratic candidates. “We call on the Hong Kong government to reinstate the eligibility of disqualified candidates. We urge the Hong Kong government to hold the elections as soon as possible,” he said in a statement.
China introduces new National Security Law in Hong Kong
The Communist Party of China had introduced a new national security law for Hong Kong, which introduces new crimes with severe penalties – up to life in prison – and allows Chinese security forces to legally operate in Hong Kong. The legislation gives extensive powers to China, which is intended to quell the ongoing protests in the Hong Kong demanding liberation from the occupation of Chinese. The legislation enables China to bring Hong Kong protestors to the mainland, prosecute and sentence them there. It also significantly restricts the city’s autonomy. Last week, the USA senate had passed a bill that seeks to sanction Chinese individuals and banks that help in restricting Hong Kong’s autonomy.
With the new law coming to effect, China has reportedly arrested dozens of peaceful protestors under the new sweeping national security laws imposed on the autonomous region of Hong Kong. India had also raised the issue at the UN last month.
It was only a few days ago when Delhi Police had written a scathing response to an editorial published by the Times of India that questioned the Delhi Police over its handling of the Delhi Riots. On August 6, the Times of India had published an editorial titled, “Capital aberration: Delhi police, shamed by rioters in February”, in which it went on to castigate Delhi Police for its investigation into both anti-CAA protests and the subsequent Anti-Hindu riots that rocked the national capital in February this year.
While on the 7th of August, the Delhi Police tweeted its scathing response to the article in Times of India, the publication has interestingly not updated their story to include the response of the Delhi Police. However, on the 10th of August, they published parts of the response as a nondescript “letter to the editor”.
The published version of the Delhi Police’s response was headline, simply, “Letter on Delhi Riots”.
The rebuttal of Delhi Police to Times of India and its malicious article on Delhi Riots
In his response to Times of India, PRO Delhi Police, Dr Eish Singhal wrote that “It is difficult to comprehend how the lawful examination of a person is absurd and self-defeating”. The TOI article on the Delhi Riots had raised questions about the police interrogating Prof Apoorvanand in the Delhi riots case and accused the police of ‘spinning a deceptive narrative’.
Response by DCP to Times of India
Responding to Times of India, that the editorial had written that the Delhi Police was ‘shamed by the rioters’. However, nothing could be father from the truth. It was the society as a while that was ashamed and that the Delhi Police is doing what it should – ensuring the culprits face the music.
“By deliberately inter-mixing several disparate discourses, the editorial has attempted to create a false narrative that if the police investigates the role of conspirators and masterminds of the violence, the actual rioters will be spared”.
Interestingly, the response that is published by Times of India in this ‘letter to the editor’ seems to be portions of the original response by the Delhi Police that they had uploaded on Twitter.
— #DilKiPolice Delhi Police (@DelhiPolice) August 7, 2020
Why was Prof Apoorvanand questioned by the police
The media often raises questions and covers stories that are responded to by the party they are writing about. In this case, the Times of India wrote an article that castigated the Delhi Police for their investigation into the riots and made assertions that were clearly unfounded. Essentially, the Times of India did not take well to the fact that the police were questioning Professor Apoorvanand.
Prof Apoorvanand is a Hindi professor at the Delhi University. According to reports by the media, Apoorvanand was summoned for questioning as the Special Cell (New Delhi Range) had found links with the students’ outfit, Pinjra Tod, and with a WhatsApp group called the ‘Delhi Protests Support Group (DPSG)’. According to reports, his phone was also seized as a part of the investigation.
It is essential to understand why his supposed connection with the fat-left outfit, Pinjra Tod is considered a cause of concern and a reason for his questioning.
Pinjra Tod was at the heart of Delhi Riots and in several chargesheets, it was mentioned (with phone records and other documents) how rioters were in contact with members of Pinjra Tod. One has to recall the entire chronology to understand the magnitude of the involvement of the outfit in Delhi Riots.
A day before riots had erupted in Delhi, roads were blocked in the Jafrabad area of North-east Delhi and hundreds of Muslims, especially women had suddenly congregated in the area. At that time, concerned citizens had alleged that Pinjra Tod was at the heart of the road blockage and had instigated Muslims to occupy the area.
When Delhi Police started filing chargesheets, the far more sinister role of the group came to the fore. In May 2020, the Special cell of Delhi police had arrested two women named Natasha Narwal and Devangna Kalita in the North-east Delhi riots case. Both the women are founding members of Pinjra Tod, which was established in 2015.
The Delhi Police had alleged that both the women-Natasha and Devangana were involved in hatching the conspiracy to incite riots in Jafrabad. Natasha was booked under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) for her role in inciting the anti-Hindu communal riots in Northeast Delhi in February. The FIR against them mentions that they are charged under Sections 147, 148, 149, 186, 353, 332, 333, 323, 283, 188, 427, 307, 302, 120B, 34 of the Indian Penal Code and under the Arms Act and Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act. The two arrested women were also a part of a larger conspiracy and were found to be associated with “India Against Hate” group and Umar Khalid. Later in June, Devangana was also booked under UAPA.
The damning WhatsApp messages retrieved from the phone of one of the accused, mentioned in the charge-sheet, proves it without a shadow of a doubt their involvement in planning and implementing the conspiracy to stir riots in Delhi. “Ghar me garam khaulta hua pani or tel ka intezam kare (Keep boiling water and oil handy in your house)”, “Tezab ki bottle ghar me rakhe (Keep bottles of acid in your houses)”, Cars/bikes se petrol nikalkar rakhe (extract petrol from your car/bike and keep with you)”, Balcony/terrace par eit or patthar rakhe (store bricks or stones on your balcony or terrace)”, “Lohe ke darwazo me switch se current ka istemal kare (metal doors should be electrified using switches)” are some of the instructive messages that were propagated in Whatsapp groups as a part of the preparation for violence in Delhi.
In the chargesheets that have been subsequently covered by OpIndia, the connection of the rioters to Pinjra Tod have emerged as stated by the Delhi Police.
Under such circumstances, in the due process of the investigation, it is only natural that anyone connected to Pinjra Tod and involved with them in the anti-CAA protests that led to the riots would be interrogated by the Delhi Police to probe their role in the violence.
The editorial by the Times of India only seems like an attempt to shield the Leftist intellectuals, much like others like Harsh Mander, Umar Khalid etc, from not just being interrogated or even being held to account, if the Delhi Police finds their involvement in inciting the riots.
Times of India and how unethical they were in their presentation of Delhi Police’s rebuttal
Ideally, Times of India should have attacked a copy of Delhi Police’s response to the original article where they had raised questions and to which, Delhi Police had responded. An archive of the original article that was published by the Times of India, at the time of writing this article, shows that the publication had unethically refused to include the rebuttal by the Delhi Police in their article.
It is essential to note that for any publication, it is meant to be a standard practise to update the article with the response of the party that is mentioned in the article itself.
In this case, Times of India was castigating the Delhi police. Delhi Police on the 7th gave a scathing and detailed rebuttal to the editorial by the Times of India. It was incumbent upon Times of India to add the rebuttal of the Delhi Police to its original article so the readers could essentially get both perspectives – TOI’s accusation against Delhi Police and Delhi Police’s response to those accusations.
However, Time of India chose, deliberately, to ensure that its readers do not read what the Delhi Police had to say.
Further, what is far more sinister and dishonest, is that instead of adding the full response of Delhi Police to its original article, Times of India took portions of it and published it as a ‘letter to the editor’, a nondescript section of the website which people hardly read, with a nondescript headline that gives no indication that it actually carries the rebuttal of the Delhi Police.
In fact, the Times of India even waited for the criticism to boil over and only published parts of the response on the 10th, almost 3 days after the Delhi Police had tweeted their entire rebutted to the TOI article.
Hence, Times of India not only ensures that its readers don’t get to read the Delhi Police’s response to the allegations levelled against them in the editorial, but also did not present the full rebuttal while publishing portions of it in a nondescript blog, tagging it as a ‘letter to the editor’.
This unethical behaviour of Times of India, while it may appear shocking, it far from surprising.
The media has often sliced and diced the truth to ensure that their readers get only a portion of the information that suits the agenda and the narrative that the media house wants to peddle. In this case, the narrative is that the Delhi Police is indulging in some sort of a witch hunt by interrogating several actors who are seemingly connected to the Delhi riots through various Islamist and Left organisations that instigated the violence.
In this endeavour, the media has ensured that the information that puts a damper on their narrative is kept squarely away from the readers. On the off-chance that they do decide to present the other side, the information is heavily truncated and/or twisted to ensure that either the end result is the same, or, the information does not reach its readers at all.
