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Who really is Binod? Read how one Youtube comment triggered a bizarre meme fest

OpIndia Staff
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Who really is Binod? Read how one Youtube comment triggered a bizarre meme fest

On Saturday, a bizarre trend took over Twitter, leaving social media users perplexed. A name ‘Binod’ trended all day on Twitter, with netizens flooding social media sites with posts and memes on the trending buzz word. The ‘Binod memes’ left many scratching their heads with only one burning question: ‘Who really is Binod and why is everyone tweeting about him?’

Who really in Binod?

The name ‘Binod’, which has now become the talk of the town, originated from a YouTube channel ‘Slayy Point’, where creators Abhyudaya and Gautami decided to make a video on the comments made under various videos that have no real meaning whatsoever.

In the July 15 video tilted “Why Indian Comments Section is Garbage (BINOD)”, they spoke about bizarre comments that people often make on YouTube videos. This was when the name of Binod Tharu surfaces, a user who had just posted the word ‘Binod’ in the comments section.

This comment sparked a conversation, in which the two Youtubers talked about other situations where they only answered with the name ‘Binod’. Soon, many Indian YouTubers noticed ‘Binod’ being written all over their comments and it quickly became a trend on the platform. 

Binod – a top trend on social media platforms

A month later, the Youtube video and the comments made have caught the attention of social media users, who have now created a meme-fest, so much so that hashtag Binod has become the top trend on Twitter.

Amused by the random trend on social media, netizens took to social media to display their creativity with their own version of ‘Binod’ memes, which have gone viral now.

Not just desi-memers but also social media accounts of the big corporations, public institutions plunged into the Binod trend.

Mumbai Police, who has pretty good experience on making memes on Twitter, jumped on to the scene too.

Soon, Uttar Pradesh Police followed Mumbai Police to display their creativity in trending ‘Binod’.

As memes starting to flood on social media timelines, a Twitter user @GabbbarSingh asked leading mobile payments app Paytm to change their official Twitter username to Binod.

“Done,” responded Paytm and changed its name to Binod on Twitter.

Online dating website Tinder also tried the trend and took things one step further by finding a match for ‘Binod’ in the form of ‘Binodini’.

Meanwhile, YouTube channel Slayy Point has updated the description of their account saying, “Founder of BINOD. Hello Binod Army”.

Search for ‘Burnol’ saw a huge spike during Ram Mandir Bhoomi Pujan, people from Northeast appeared most interested

OpIndia Staff
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Search for ‘Burnol’ saw a huge spike during Ram Mandir Bhoomi Pujan, people from Northeast appeared most interested

Amidst much fanfare, the Bhoomi pujan ceremony that marks the construction of Ram Mandir was performed in Ayodhya earlier today. PM Modi graced the occasion and participated in the ceremony before laying the first brick for the soon-to-be constructed Ram Mandir.

While most of the country rejoiced at the development, some individuals who identify themselves as ‘liberals’ were busy crying themselves hoarse that the construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya is a death knell to India’s secular credentials. ‘Liberals’ had a hard time comprehending the fact that Lord Ram will finally reside in his rightful abode and a Bhavya Ram Temple will be erected at the place. One of the reasons ‘liberals’ were also flustered with the construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya is because the development enjoyed the Supreme Court’s imprimatur.

Amidst the meltdown suffered by Islamists and Liberals, poking fun, several Hindus started suggested that they should apply ‘Burnol’ to their ‘burn wounds’ that have been caused by the construction of the Ram Mandir.

Interestingly, while on social media platforms, Hindus and devotees of Lord Ram distributed digital Burnol to Liberals and Islamists who were outraging against the Ram Mandir, several people were busy searching for Burnol on Google. As it turns out, the search results for ‘Burnol’ increased manyfold on the 5th of August, during the Bhoomi Pujan of Ram Mandir.

Google search for ‘Burnol’ in the past 90 days, peaking on August 5th – Day of Ram Mandir Bhoomi Pujan

If one sees the graph for the past 90 days, it is evident that the search for Burnol peaked on the 5th of August substantially.

Google search for 'Burnol' in the past 90 days
Google search for ‘Burnol’ in the past 90 days

Interestingly, if one sees the most popular search categories under ‘Burnol’ for the past 90 days, the keyword was most searched in Tripura, followed by Uttarakhand, Delhi and Himachal Pradesh.

Google search for ‘Burnol’ in the past 90 days

Further, most people searched for ‘Burnol Image’ in the past 90 days, and the searched peaked on 5th August.

Google search for ‘Burnol’ in the past 30 days

The Google search for Burnol in the past 30 days shows an interesting trend. Google shows that people in Meghalaya seemed most interested in searching for the word “Burnol”, which also peaked on the 5th of August during Ram Mandir Bhoomi Pujan.

Google search for 'Burnol' in the past 30 days
Google search for ‘Burnol’ in the past 30 days

After Meghalaya, the states that topped the charts for Google search for ‘Burnol’ in the last 30 days is Jharkhan, Goa, Uttarakhand and Haryana.

Interestingly, the most famous related queries were that for ‘Burnol memes’ and ‘what is Burnol’.

Considering why ‘Burnol’ was being distributed on the 5th of August, Google has appropriately picked up the ‘related topics’ related to the Burnol search.

Google search for 'Burnol' in the past 30 days
Google search for ‘Burnol’ in the past 30 days

The ‘Related topics’ as per Google were pertaining to Liberalism, Internet meme, Ram Janmabhoomi and Rama – Deity.

Google search for ‘Burnol’ in the past 7 days

In the past 7 days, the search results on Google threw some interesting results. While the peak came on 5th August, 1:30 PM, the top states that searched for Burnol were Jharkhand, Assam, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh and Goa.

Google search for 'Burnol' in the past 7 days
Google search for ‘Burnol’ in the past 7 days

What is most interesting, however, is not the peak in the past 7 days or even the states that were searching for Burnol.

The ‘related queries’ section of the analysis by Google threw some interesting results. In the past week, the most popular related query to ‘Burnol’ was ‘Aaj Tak Burnol’, ‘Aaj Tak Burnol ad’ etc.

Google search for 'Burnol' in the past 7 days
Google search for ‘Burnol’ in the past 7 days

What was the Aaj Tank Burnol ad during Ram Mandir Bhoomi Pujan?

On the 5th of August during the Bhoomi Pujan, an image from the coverage by Aaj Tak surfaced where supposedly, a Burnol ad was placed on the screen right when PM Modi was doing the Bhoomi Pujan. This image became a source of amusement for several netizens as they called it a fitting placement of the ad, considering the “liberals and Islamists were burning” during the Puja.

However, as it turns out, the image was morphed, as per India Today, which is a sister concern of Aaj Tak.

India Today tweeted saying that the channel had run no ad for Burnol during the Bhoomi Pujan of Ram Mandir and hence, this photo that was going viral was fake.

What is interesting is how Twitter memes and jokes turned into a spike for the search for the term and related searches that looked for memes, perhaps to tweet to the ‘Liberals’ who were not very happy with the reclamation of Ram Mandir by Hindus.

Will Dalits get entry into the Ram Temple? Here are 4 facts for those using casteism to divide Hindus after Ram Mandir Bhoomi Pujan

OpIndia Staff
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Will Dalits get entry into the Ram Temple? Here are 4 facts for those using casteism to divide Hindus after Ram Mandir Bhoomi Pujan

The Bhumi Pujan ceremony of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya on August 5, 2020, had been a watershed moment for millions of practising Hindus across the world, turning their long-held dream of having a temple dedicated to Lord Ram in Ayodhya into a reality. The ground-laying ceremony, which was attended by PM Modi, who also placed the ceremonial cornerstone, marks the construction of the temple to one of the most revered Gods of the Hindu pantheon and ends the enduring wait of 500 long years.

Several political parties, including opposition parties, such as Congress, who once questioned the existence of Lord Ram, eagerly backed the construction of the temple. The bipartisan support for building a magnificent abode for Lord Ram expectedly rattled a specific set of individuals, who identify themselves as ‘liberals’. Consolidation of the Hindu behind the cause of the Ram Mandir is what truly unnerved the ‘liberals’.

In a bid to undermine Hindu consolidation, a false narrative of caste discrimination by upper-caste Hindus against the lower-caste Hindus is being weaved around by the detractors. To this end, a particularly nefarious video, full of lies and deceit, is doing the rounds on the Internet where a certain Prof. Lakshman Yadav is seen sowing discord among the different sects of the Hindus.

“You know what the upper-caste mindset does? They will send their kids to foreign universities, employ them with private companies with handsome salaries but they will teach your children to join the protest claiming religion is in danger,” Yadav said.

Yadav claimed that the entire Ram Janmabhoomi movement has its history steeped in blood and Dalits, Tribals and lower-caste Hindus were made to carry out the wetwork. “Wherever LK Advani’s rath yatra went, it left behind a trail of blood and destruction. He was also associated with the Gujarat riots. Who all were at the forefront of violence at these places? Dalits, Tribals and lower-caste members were the ones who committed murders, riots and violence,” Yadav exclaimed.

Yadav further continued, “These Dalits, Tribals, and lower-caste Hindus thought once they had committed murders, and led the Ram Janmabhoomi movement from the front, they will be made temple priests. Forget being anointed as priests, you have not been included in the temple trust.”

According to Yadav, the lower caste Hindus such as Dalits, Tribals and OBCs have been used as expendables by the upper-class Hindus to realise the dream of the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. Yadav also alleged that as the dream of Ram Mandir construction is on the verge of completion, the lower-caste Hindus have been shunted by their upper-caste counterparts without fair or equitable representation in the construction of the temple.

However, the reality is far from what Mr Yadav and his likes have been peddling, apparently to divide the Hindus. Mr Yadav categorically claims in his rant that Dalits and lower caste members of the Hindu community have not been given any representation in the trust. This is nothing but a big fat lie. There are four facts that bust this lie.

Dalit representation in the construction of Ram Mandir

Earlier this year, soon after PM Modi announced the cabinet decision to set up a trust overlooking the construction of Ram Mandir, Home Minister Amit Shah announced a Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, comprising of 15 members, one of whom was to be from the Dalit community. According to that provision, Kameshwar Chaupal, a dalit, has been included in the trust that will supervise the construction and then the operation of the Ram Mandir.

Dalit leader Kameshwar Chaupal, who had done the Ram Mandir Shilanyas in 1989, and a member of the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust

Ram Mandir Shilanyas was done by a dalit

The first brick was laid by a Dalit during the Shilanyas (foundation stone laying ceremony) for the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya in November 1989. In the event organised by Vishwa Hindu Parishad, it was Kameshwar Chaupal who had done the Ssilanyas.

Dalit family given the fist prasad of Bhoomi Pujan

Furthermore, a Dalit family was the first one to get the prasad (prayer offering) sent by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath after the Bhoomi pujan of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. The first prasad was sent to Mahaveer’s family in Ayodhya. Mahaveer, a mason who lives at the Suthati locality of Ayodhya, was visited by Yogi Adityanath during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Soil collected from Dalit temples for Ram Mandir

Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) had collected soil from Dalit temples for the Ram Mandir Bhoomi Pujan in Ayodhya on August 5. The soil was sent by Sant Ravidas temple (Kashi), Maharshi Valmiki Ashram (Sitamarhi), Valmiki Ashram (Central Delhi), and Tantya Bhil temple (Madhya Pradesh). Soil for Bhoomi Pujan was also collected from Mhow, the birthplace of BR Ambedkar, and the Valmiki temple in Nagpur where he had converted to Buddhism.

Moreover,  the RSS is planning to build a Centre for training priests from all sections of the society in Ayodhya. It may be noted that people from the oppressed section of the society like Kalyan Singh, Uma Bharti, Vinay Katiyar, and Sadhvi Ritambhara were prominent leaders at the forefront of the Ram Mandir movement.

In contradiction to the vile narrative that Dalits and lower-caste Hindus do not get leadership roles and recognition from the upper-caste Hindus, it is worth noting that this year, a 32-year-old Kanhaiya Prabhunand Giri, a Dalit, was made one of the heads of the Juna Akhara. Juna Akhara

With opposition political parties falling over themselves to support the construction of the Ram Mandir, the ‘liberals’, evidently perturbed by the development, have leaned on the hoary but vile propaganda of casteism to chip away at the Hindu unity that has made the construction of the temple possible, and forced the opposition parties to reconsider their avowed stance on Ram Mandir. In an attempt to weaken this unity, vicious propaganda is being peddled to drive a wedge between upper-caste Hindus and lower-caste Hindus and thereby neutralising the threat of the combined Hindu strength.

Pakistan: Maulvi rapes child reading Quran in mosque in Sindh province, caught on CCTV

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan: Maulvi rapes child reading Quran in mosque in Sindh province, caught on CCTV

A disturbing video has emerged showing a child being raped by a cleric inside a mosque in Pakistan. The incident happened in Kandiaro in Naushahro Feroze district in the Sindh province.

According to reports, the minor child was reading the Quran in the mosque when a cleric named Abbas sodomised him. The act of the cleric was recorded in the CCTV installed inside the mosque. The clip was later accessed by Pakistani media.

Sharing a clip broadcast by KTN News, human rights activist Rahat Austin said that such incidents happen regularly in Pakistan. He tweeted, “It happens everyday around country but not considered blasphemy in Islam. 1000s Non-Muslims lynched by mob, or are in death row on false allegations.

The report by KTM news says that after the incident came to light, an FIR has lodged against Abbas at the local police station. The cleric is absconding at moment, while police is looking for him to arrest him.

Rahat Austin further questioned the double standard in Pakistan in regards to crimes. He said that while non-Muslims are killed over minor incidents accusing them of blasphemy, rape and sexual activities inside Islamic prayer houses are not considered blasphemy. He tweeted, “Rape, Sexual activities in House of Allah are not blasphemy? Why no punishment,While kill non-Muslims on small things? Is this ok to do this in presence of Quran & Allah? What about Islamic Prayer NAMAZ on such place? Is this ok to perform Namaz where a MOLVI sprayed his semen?”

‘He saved our lives’: Survivors of AI plane crash hail Captain Sathe, who served for ‘Golden Arrows’, which has recently been recommissioned with Rafale jets

OpIndia Staff
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‘He saved our lives’: Survivors of AI plane crash hail Captain Sathe, who served for ‘Golden Arrows’, which has recently been recommissioned with Rafale jets

The pilots of the Air India Express flight (AXB1344, B737) that skidded off the runway and broke into two at Kerala’s Kozhikode are among the 18 people who lost their lives during the tragic incident that occurred on Friday evening. Wing Commander Deepak Sathe (Retd), who was the captain of the Air India Flight and Captain Akhilesh Kumar have been confirmed dead by authorities.

Captain Deepak Vasant Sathe, the captain of the ill-fated aircraft that crashed at Calicut on Friday, was a top-notch Indian Air Force fighter. The survivors of Friday’s plane crash said that it was Captain Sathe’s presence of mind, which averted a major fire after the crash that helped save their lives.

According to the India Today report, as soon as Captain Sathe realised that the aircraft would crash, he turned off the engine right before the crash, saving the lives of his passengers and the cabin crew. The initial reports suggest that the fuselage broke into two after the aircraft overshot the runway during its second attempt to land at the Karipur ‘tabletop’ airport.

The survivors said that the brave pilots and the local residents averted a major tragedy. The local people rushed to the spot and pulled the survivors even as smoke and a minor fire had engulfed the aircraft.

“It was raining heavily. The pilot had given a warning before landing saying the weather was really bad. He tried for safe landing twice but lost control. The aircraft shot off the runway and skidded off and it broke into two pieces. It was a miraculous escape for many,” said V Ibrahim, one of the passengers who survived with minor injuries.

Captain Deepak Vasant Sathe – an accomplished fighter pilot

Captain Deepak Sathe was a decorated former India Air Force pilot. Sathe, an alumnus of the National Defence Academy (NDA) in Pune, he ranked first in the 58th course of Pune NDA from Juliet Squadron. He passed out from AFA with the ‘Sword of Honour’ in 1981. 

Interestingly, he has also served with No.17 Squadron, ‘Golden Arrows’, which was recently recommissioned with the Rafale fighter jets. Captain Sathe had joined the air force in June 1981 and quit the IAF prematurely in June 2003.

Captain DV Sathe was an experienced aerial operator and was also a former test pilot with the Indian Air Force (IAF). He had flown the Airbus 310 for Air India before moving to Air India Express to fly a Boeing 737.

“This is sad. Sathe was a comrade in arms at the Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment STE (IAF’s flight testing establishment) with me. RIP Tester. The call signs of all test pilots have the ‘Tester’ prefix,” said Air Vice Marshal Manmohan Bahadur (retd).

Captain Akhilesh Kumar, his co-pilot, had been married last year. The bodies of two pilots are now kept at the MIMS hospital in Kozhikode.

The Boeing-737 flight from Dubai to Calicut International Airport as part of the ‘Vande Bharat’ mission was carrying 190 passengers and crew, including 10 infants, the civil aviation ministry said in a statement. Out of the 190 people on board, 123 people have been injured and 20 are in serious condition with some people also suffering injuries to their spinal cord.

Want ban on cow-slaughter, liberation of Kashi and Mathura temples as Dakshina: Ram Mandir Bhoomi Pujan priest Gangadhar Pathak

OpIndia Staff
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Want ban on cow-slaughter, liberation of Kashi and Mathura temples as Dakshina: Ram Mandir Bhoomi Pujan priest Gangadhar Pathak

The chief priest of the Ram Mandir Bhoomi Pujan Gangadhar Pathak, who had returned to Vrindavan after duly completing the foundation laying ceremony of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya has sought ‘dakshina’ from PM Modi. 

Calling PM Modi his ‘yajman’, Pathak has asked him for the abolition of cow-slaughter and liberation of Kashi Vishwanath temple and Lord Krishna’s temple in Mathura as his ‘dakshina’. 

Interview of Acharya Pandit Gangadhar Pathak

In an interaction with the media, Pathak revealed that the trust members in Ayodhya had stopped him from asking for ‘dakshina’ from PM Modi at the time of Bhoomi pujan. 

Pandit Gangadhar asks for ban on cow-slaughter as his dakshina

Acharya Pandit Gangadhar said that he wanted to ask yajman PM Narendra Modi for three things in ’dakshina’ after the pujan and added that it is not a crime for a Brahmin to ask for dakshina from a yajman in a pujan. However, the people of the trust stopped him from asking for dakshina due to the prevailing atmosphere . 

“In view of the atmosphere at that time, I asked for dakshina only as a gesture but now I want to convey my point to him through the media. Firstly, a legislation should be brought in to abolish cow slaughter across the country. The holy land of India should not be sullied by the bovine blood,” Gangadhar said. 

The chief priest of the Ram Mandir added further, “I would also urge him to liberate the abode of Lord Krishna in Mathura and Kashi Vishwanath temple from the illegal encroachments.”

Speaking of the opportunity to carry out the historic Bhoomi pujan, Pandit Gangadhar said that he had been extremely privileged and fortunate that the Lord chose him for the momentous occasion and that he has brought laurels to his hometown Munger and his parents who put him on the Vedic path. He also said that to get the opportunity to make a yajman like Prime Minister Modi do puja was an honour in itself.

Bhoomi Puja of Ram Mandir

The 500 years of struggle came to fruition for millions of Hindu devotees across the world today as Prime Minister Narendra Modi performed the Ram Mandir’s Bhoomi Pujan at 12.44.08 PM. PM Modi who returned to Ayodhya after 29 years, expressed gratitude to all citizens of this nation, Indian diaspora across the world and all the Ram Bhakts on today’s auspicious occasion. 

“Ram Janmabhoomi has got its freedom today. Like August 15 is Independence Day for the country, today holds a similar significance for crores of those who devoted their lives for the cause of Ram temple”, said PM Modi addressing the luminaries and dignitaries present for the Ram Mandir’s Bhoomi Pujan ceremony.

Live telecast of Bhoomi Pujan becomes most watched

The Doordarshan Live telecast of the Bhoomi Pujan of Ram Mandir became the most-watched live telecast. The CEO of Prasar Bharti took to Twitter to inform that the live telecast which was used by over 200 channels in India garnered over 8 billion viewing minutes and 160 million viewers on the 5th of August.

Unethical therapist who revealed personal details of Sushant Singh Rajput on Barkha Dutt’s show accused of money laundering: Read details

OpIndia Staff
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Unethical therapist who revealed personal details of Sushant Singh Rajput on Barkha Dutt’s show accused of money laundering: Read details

In a recent development, Ashish Shelar, BJP MLA from Maharashtra, has reportedly sought action against the psychotherapist of late actor Sushant Singh Rajput for breaking the ‘confidentiality clause’, sharing his mental health details in the public domain and demanded a probe into alleged financial irregularities.

BJP MLA demands probe into alleged financial misconduct

As per the report, Ashish Shelar, who is an advocate by profession, has asked the law enforcement authorities to acquire the CCTV footage of the clinic of psychotherapist Susan Walker Moffat, verify the list of her clients and check her financial records to figure out whether she is a part of a money-laundering racket.

He asked the Enforcement Directorate and the Income Tax Department to scrutinise her financial records for ‘anomalies which could indicate money laundering’.

In his complaint to the Mumbai Police Commissioner, Joint Director (CBI), Joint Director (ED), Chief Commissioner (Income Tax), and Mumbai Police, the BJP MLA accused the therapist of misconduct and trying to influence the police investigation. “Her actions seem prima facie in violation of the Mental Health Act 2017 and her India residency visa conditions,” he was quoted as saying.

Practicing without valid licence is illegal, says Ashish Shelar

The advocate asked whether someone encouraged the therapist to violate the confidentiality clause and demanded that she should be interrogated in Mumbai. Shelar urged the agencies to take action against her for violating Section 23 (2) of the mental Health Act.

He added that the treatment of Sushant Singh Rajput by a foreign citizen, without a valid Indian licence, is illegal. Shelar demanded verification of her client list to identify politicians or filmstars who might have been in contact with her.

Therapist breached confidentiality clause during an interview about Sushant Singh Rajput

Barkha Dutt on 1st August posted an interview with Sushant Singh Rajput’s therapist, Susan Walker Moffat, which prompted netizens to raise serious questions. While Moffat, who is a practising Clinical Psychologist/Psychotherapist and Hypnotherapist, claimed that Sushant had Bipolar disorder, serious questions are being raised on her breaking client confidentiality. In her statement, Moffat claimed that it was her “duty” to go public.

Further, in a bid to give clean chit to Rhea, Susan Walker said how Rhea was nothing but strong support to Sushant. Rhea Chakraborty, Sushant Singh Rajput’s ex-girlfriend is currently under investigation over her alleged involvement in Rajput’s death. She is now reportedly untraceable and gone into hiding.

‘These numbers are bewildering’: Watch how Rajdeep Sardesai refuses to believe India Today survey’s approval rating of PM Modi

OpIndia Staff
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‘These numbers are bewildering’: Watch how Rajdeep Sardesai refuses to believe India Today survey’s approval rating of PM Modi

On Friday, the ‘veteran journalist’ Rajdeep Sardesai seems to have had an extremely tough day at the job following his refusal to trust a survey that was carried out by his own channel – India Today as the results were in favour of Modi government.

A year after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the India Today-Karvy Insights Mood of the Nation poll was published on Friday. The extremely significant survey, which comes amidst the Chinese pandemic that has struck the country, revealed how Indians continued to be satisfied with the performance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

What the survey said

According to the India Today-Karvy Insights Mood of the Nation poll, almost two-thirds of people who participated in the survey were happy about the Modi government’s handling of the economic crisis. At least 71 per cent of the citizens have rated the Modi government’s handling of the economic distress caused by coronavirus pandemic as ‘outstanding’ or ‘good’.

Image Source: India Today

The MOTN survey of India Today also stated that 43 per cent of the total respondents said that the Modi government had handled the economic crisis better than the previous Manmohan Singh government. The poll showed that at least 88 per cent of the respondents said that the Modi government was better or at par when compared with the previous government in handling the economic crisis.

Image Source: India Today

Rajdeep Sardesai ‘bewildered’ by high ratings that the Modi government got in his own survey

As Rahul Kanwal published these above numbers on his show on Friday, a look of utter shock and despondency swept over the face of Rajdeep Sardesai, who found it extremely hard to believe such favourable response to the Modi government, especially on the economy front that too at a time when the country’s economy has been facing its worst crisis.

Commenting on the survey, Rajdeep Sardesai said that he was ‘perplexed’ to believe the survey, saying that he would trust India Today’s MOTN poll on Modi government’s handling of the recent skirmishes with China but not the one showing favourable results for Modi government on the economy front.

“I can to a certain extent understand the China numbers, but I find these numbers bewildering. This is an issue that should be hitting and hurting the common man. If 24% say outstanding and 48% say good, that is a total of 72%! Let’s try and make some sense of that!” the shocked and disappointed Rajdeep Sardesai said failing to agree on the numbers published by India Today, the very own network to which he works for.

Essentially, when Rajdeep says that he can “to some extent” believe the positive response as far as the China skirmish is concerned but not the numbers that support the Modi government’s handling of the economy, he is basically refusing the believe the numbers that have been put out by his own channel.

Further, questioning Economist Shamika Ravi, he asked how can people actually support the Prime Minister when “everything seems to be going northwards”. In his blinding hate for the Prime Minister and his utter dismay at his approval ratings, Rajdeep even made a Freudian slip and said that the economy was going “northwards” instead of saying it was going “southwards”.

The perennial pessimists like Rajdeep Sardesai, who has been throwing the ‘economy on crisis’ bogey against the Modi government for a very long time now, was perhaps found it difficult to believe that the common masses were pretty much happy with the Modi government’s way of handling the economy.

PM Modi still king of Indian politics, says MOTN survey

According to the India Today-Karvy Insights Mood of the Nation poll, a whopping 78 per cent of the people surveyed found the performance of PM Modi to be outstanding or good. The approval ratings of PM Modi is at its highest presently.

The India Today survey comes at a time when India is facing multiple crises in the form of the coronavirus pandemic, economic crisis as well as escalating border tensions with China.

DD’s live coverage of Ram Mandir Bhoomi Pujan watched by over 160 million people, garnered over 7 billion viewing minutes across channels in India

OpIndia Staff
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DD’s live coverage of Ram Mandir Bhoomi Pujan watched by over 160 million people, garnered over 7 billion viewing minutes across channels in India

The Bhoomi Pujan event that laid the foundation of the majestic Ram Mandir in Ayodhya on August 5 was historic. On Friday, Shashi S Vempati, the CEO of Prasar Bharti, informed that estimates suggest that the event had recorded massive viewership.

He said that preliminary viewership data suggest that more than 160 million people watched the live broadcast of the ‘Bhoomi Pujan’ event that took place at Ayodhya on August 5. He further added that about 200 channels carried the live coverage by Doordarshan between 10:45 am and 2 pm.

The historic event also garnered over 7 Billion viewing minutes across TV channels in India, revealed Vempati.

The Bhoomi Pujan event in Ayodhya

The 500 years of struggle came to fruition for millions of Hindu devotees across the world today as Prime Minister Narendra Modi performed the Ram Mandir’s Bhoomi Pujan at 12.44.08 PM. PM Modi who returned to Ayodhya after 29 years, expressed gratitude to all citizens of this nation, Indian diaspora across the world and all the Ram Bhakts on today’s auspicious occasion.

“Ram Janmabhoomi has got its freedom today. Like August 15 is Independence Day for the country, today holds a similar significance for crores of those who devoted their lives for the cause of Ram temple”, said PM Modi addressing the luminaries and dignitaries present for the Ram Mandir’s Bhoomi Pujan ceremony.

Delhi Police responds to article on Delhi anti-Hindu riots, asks if ToI is trying to influence investigation and expects police to take guidance from media

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi Police responds to article on Delhi anti-Hindu riots, asks if ToI is trying to influence investigation and expects police to take guidance from media

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.

In the article, claiming that the northeast Delhi riots of February were a traumatic moment, the editors at Times of India compared the February riots to the 1984 Anti-Sikh riots in Delhi. Blaming the politician-police nexus, the ToI article said that the February riots have reopened old wounds.

It is interesting to note, that witness statements in the chargesheet related to the murder of Ratan Lal also said that DS Bindra, who was hailed as a champion by the media, had also instigated rioters by saying the same thing. The statement by a Muslim witness says that DS Bindra used to tell the Muslims there that if CAA and NRC are implemented, Muslims would meet the fate that Sikhs met during the 1984 pogrom.

Further, questioning the Delhi Police for interrogating Delhi University professor Apoorvanand for his role in the Anti-CAA protests, the Times of India in its article alleged that the investigators were trying to spin a deceptive narrative. It claimed that the Delhi Police was trying to bring a false equivalence between dissent and rioting, which according to them was “absurd and self-defeating”.

“Dissent makes democracy meaningful and representative. CAA and NRC were riddled with enough biases and procedural dangers that a significant section of society, not least its youth and Muslim citizens, felt compelled to come out in peaceful protest. Months later, Delhi police seem to be making little distinction between criminal conspiracy and peaceful protest in that multitude of anti-CAA voices. The stringent anti-terror Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act with its restrictions on bail, a record of lengthy incarcerations, and abysmal conviction rate at the end of much harassment, is a warning few with a mind to dissent can ignore,” the Times of India report claimed.

Further, blaming Delhi police for not quelling riots, the Times of India article had accused the police personnel of barging into a Jamia library to assault unarmed students.

“Police’s distraction with dissent could be their ticket to exoneration. Every rioter spared, on specious religious grounds as a reported top cop note to subordinate cops hinted, is an invitation to more rioting. Police must stop chasing shadows,” the Times of India editors lamented over the manner in which Delhi Police was carrying out the probe into Anti-CAA and Anti-Hindu riots.

Delhi Police responds to Times of India editorial on the Delhi Riots investigation

A day after Times of India published its editorial on the Delhi-riots investigation, the Delhi Police on Friday wrote a detailed response to counter all the claims made by ToI in its editorial.

The Delhi Police, stating that the editorial was loaded with innuendos and insinuations of a kind, explained how it was wrong on part of the editors at ToI to call the lawful interrogation of Apoorvanand as “absurd and self-defeating”.

Quipping the editors, the Delhi Police said that they have neither issued a press note for summoning Apoorvanand nor have put information regarding the same in the public domain, to ask why did they jump the gun. The Delhi Police also added that they cannot be seeking guidance from the author of the article as to whom to examine during the course of the investigation.

“Is he trying to pressurize the police into abstaining from its lawful duties?,” asked Delhi Police raising doubts over the intentions of ToI editors. The Delhi Police said that the insinuations made by ToI was nothing but ‘thinly-veiled, but doomed, attempt at influencing the investigation itself.

Responding to allegation of Delhi Police shaming the rioters, the Delhi Police in a fierce reply said that the whole society was shamed and taken aback by the violence and they did what they were supposed to do to restore order and carry out meticulous investigation to bring the culprits to book.

The Delhi Police also slammed the authors for their inability to understand criminal jurisprudence and differentiate between the act of conspiring to commit the crime to actually committing the crime itself. The Delhi police said, with a skewed understanding, the author has attempted to create a false narrative that the actual rioters will be spared.

Delhi Police categorically stated that they have the capability and the resolve to bring all those responsible for the riots and said that they have already arrested more than 1500 accused and registered more than 750 cases in connection with the Anti-CAA and the Anti-Hindu Delhi riots in the national capital.

Responding to the allegations of Delhi Police’s investigation into riots will curb dissent and imperil democracy, they said the claim is unfounded as the process of investigation of criminal cases has several checks and balances.

“Democracy is neither protected by uttering homilies nor by penning hastily-put-together articles short on facts and expertise but replet with rhetorics and platitudes,” Delhi Police slammed the editors of Times of India for making such wild accusations.

Concluding their response, the Delhi Police said it was confident of its investigation, which is being carried out in a fair and professional manner, which is solely based on evidence. The Delhi Police said the article like the one ToI published, will only strengthens and fortify their resolve to spare no effort to peel away the cunningly spun web of lies and deception and expose the despicable truth which lies at the heart of this conspiracy.

The Delhi Police also asked the editors of Times of India to publish the rejoinder in the op-ed page of the Delhi edition of Times of India.

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