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Scroll spreads fake news claiming central govt’s health cards will collect ‘sensitive information’. Here are the facts

OpIndia Staff
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Scroll spreads fake news claiming central govt’s health cards will collect ‘sensitive information’. Here are the facts

Online portal Scroll.in on 28th August published a report claiming that the new unique Health ID which will be issued to citizens under a ‘One Nation One Health Card’ scheme will collect and store sensitive information such as medical history, finances, genetics and even sex life.

Scroll accuses government of storing personal and sensitive information

Moreover, the Scroll article claimed that in the absence of a ‘comprehensive data protection law’, the Government is aiming to collect ‘sensitive information’ from citizens. “Data points classed as “sensitive personal data” include an individual’s financial details, their physical and mental health, sex life, medical records, gender and sexuality, caste, religious and political beliefs as well as genetic and biometric records,” the report alleged.

Screengrab of the Scroll article

Casting aspersions about privacy and data security, Scroll claimed, “It claims ownership of personal data lies with the individual. However, anonymised data, in an aggregated form, may be made available for research, statistical analysis and policy formulation.” The article also raised questions about the need of Health ID, even when Aadhaar card has been made mandatory for citizens.

Scroll alleges ‘corporatisation’ of health sector by Union government

The article claimed, “The digital health mission has already raised ethical concerns, scepticism that collecting more data is not the answer to India’s health problems and suspicion that such a system is tailored for corporate interests rather than providing affordable healthcare.” Further, the report insinuated that the ‘narrow time frame’ of one-week did nor provide scope for public scrutiny and thereby paved the path for a ‘corporate entry.’

NHA debunks misinformation about Health ID cards

Three days after the insidious report was published by the Scroll, the National Health Authority (NHA) took to Twitter to debunk the misinformation peddled by the news portal. NHA tweeted, “Grossly misinterpreted and sensationalized…Govt has not asked and doesn’t intend to ask for any such personal information. Information like only name, year of birth, state & district is required while registering for Health ID.”

NHA has clarified that the scheme is voluntary and the Union Government is not planning to make the service mandatory. It further reiterated, “Information like only name, year of birth, state & district are required while registering for Health ID. Registration & sharing any information is voluntary for all, not mandatory.”

NHA debunks claims by scroll that the scheme is being rushed

In a statement released by the National Health Authority, it has clarified that the time given for public feedback was two weeks, contrary to claims made by the Scroll. It stated, “The draft Health Data Management Policy was uploaded on 20/08/2020 for seeking feedback for two weeks and not for one week as has been stated in the news report. However, considering the feedback received, the date of seeking feedback via public consultation before the first version of the policy is finalized has been extended by one more week i.e. till 10th September 2020.” All in all, a three-week window was provided by the government for public feedback instead of one.

NHA clarifies on Aadhaar and sensitive personal data

NHA has also made it clear that the use of Aadhar as an alternative to health card is not ‘legally permissible’. “It may be noted that it is legally not permissibile to make Aadhaar mandatory for creation of Health ID,” the statement read. Addressing concerns about storing ‘sensitive personal data’, NHA emphasised that the term has been used in accordance with Information Technology (Reasonable security practices and procedures and sensitive personal data or information) Rules, 2011 and Personal Data Protection (PDP) bill.

“By virtue of said definition, sensitive personal data includes personal data related to financial information, sexual orientation, political belief, etc. However, nowhere in the operative section of the draft policy it is laid down that the said information will be called for. Further the purpose of including said terms in the definition of “Sensitive personal data” is that the said types of information must be given highest level of privacy and security if ever encountered in the information ecosystem of NDHM. It is absolutely out of place to construe the same as intent for having said information in the NDHM system especially when there is nothing in the operative section of the policy to suggest so,” the NHA clarified.

One Nation One Health Card scheme

During his speech on the occasion of India’s 74th Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the National Digital Health Mission (NDHM) in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic. PM Modi informed that a unique Health ID will be issued to citizens under a ‘One Nation One Health Card’ scheme. However, it will be an optional service available to the public. For this purpose, a digital database will be created that will contain an individual’s medical history such as tests, diagnosis, and treatment.

Candidates arrive for JEE exams at various centres across India under strict social distancing and COVID-19 precautions

OpIndia Staff
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Candidates arrive for JEE exams at various centres across India under strict social distancing and COVID-19 precautions

JEE Main exam is happening today, and the candidates are arriving at the examination centres across India. While there was uproar on the social media demanding the examinations should be canceled amid the coronavirus pandemic, the exam is happening as per the schedule.

A student from the Dharamshala block in Odisha said that it is good for the students’ future that the exam is happening. The Odisha government is providing transport facilities and accommodation to the students and their guardians free of cost. CM Naveen Patnaik had ordered to open hostels of engineering and IT colleges to accommodate students and their guardians as hotels are not functional in the state yet.

Madhya Pradesh government had also announced free transportation for students appearing for NEET-JEE exams. Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel had also announced that

ANI quoted a student from Delhi saying that she was carrying her own sanitizer and has undergone a full body checkup.

Images emerging from various centres in states like West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Chattisgarh, Bihar, and Goa, among others, show that social distancing and other Covid-19 precautions like sanitization and thermal check are being followed.

The students are made to discard their masks, and authorities are providing them fresh masks before they can enter the premises.

The authorities have installed banners with Covid-19 instructions that the students need to follow while giving the exam. Some students suggested that the number of students coming to the exam is lesser than they anticipated.

The Supreme Court of India on 17th August had allowed the NEET-JEE exam to be held in September.

Just 2 per cent of dislikes on PM Modi’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’ from India, BJP alleges Congress of commissioning overseas bots to attack the Centre

OpIndia Staff
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Just 2 per cent of dislikes on PM Modi’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’ from India, BJP alleges Congress of commissioning overseas bots to attack the Centre

The latest video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’ show has collected over 7 lakh dislikes on the Bhartiya Janata Party’s YouTube channel. In less than 24 hours, the video where PM Modi addresses the nation has become one of the most disliked videos on BJP’s YouTube channel, where Congress and AAP loyalists were found peddling a narrative that the ‘dislikes’ are due to the government’s decision to go ahead with JEE and NEET exams.

YouTube video of the latest ‘Mann Ki Baat’ by PM Modi

In fact, on Sunday, a propaganda was spread that the PMO had disabled comments on the latest Mann Ki Baat YouTube video fearing ‘backlash’ from students who are ‘angry’. However, that is not the case. The comments have been disabled since the programme started. That is because these videos are marked as ‘made for kids’ – where YouTube policy is such that the comments are disabled.

When that didn’t work, a deliberate attempt was made by the anti-BJP detractors to smear PM Modi’s “Mann Ki Baat” campaign by claiming that ‘students’ are now ‘disliking’ PM Modi’s video. Except, that does not seem to be the case. BJP IT in-charge Amit Malviya on Monday took to Twitter to say that international bots were commissioned to ‘dislike’ through a coordinated campaign on YouTube. Taking to Twitter, he said that there has been a concerted attempt by the Congress party to dislike PM Modi’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’ video on YouTube.

The BJP leader added that a paltry 2 per cent of the total dislikes on the YouTube video of ‘Mann Ki Baat’ came from India. Rest, 98 per cent of the dislikes came from outside India, with social media bots from Turkey leading the social media smear campaign. The statistics and analytics page of YouTube allows the page admin to see various demography including where the ‘dislikes’ came from. Furthermore, many sources have confirmed to OpIndia that the planned online onslaught against PM Modi’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’ was carried out by international social media bots.

Malviya also added that on similar lines, Congress’ anti-JEE-NEET campaign on the social media websites has seen significant participation from overseas bots, most notably from users based out of Turkey. Interestingly, in November 2019, days after Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan supported Pakistan on the Kashmir issue, Congress had opened an office in Istanbul.

Social Media Bots from Turkey sharing posts on JEE-NEET examinations

Confirming Malviya’s claims, there has been a torrent of tweets being posted on Twitter against the centre’s decision of conducting the JEE-NEET examinations in September, seemingly from users with their locations declared as Turkey. Many newly created Twitter accounts, with limited reach and their proclaimed location as Turkey, have been tweeting propaganda that is in conformity with Congress’s stand on JEET-NEET examination.

Bot from Turkey retweeting stuff on JEE-NEET examinations

Overseas bots, putatively from Turkey, have posted and retweeted a large of tweets, expressing their disapproval against the Indian government’s decision of conducting the JEE-NEET examinations in September.

Social media user from Turkey posting on JEE-NEET examinations

Interestingly, the Twitter campaign against the Modi government by international bots is not just limited to JEE-NEET examinations, the overseas users have also targeted India-Sri Lanka ties with the recently concluded elections in Sri Lanka.

Twitter bot, claiming from Turkey, has shared a report from Swarajya Magazine about India-Sri Lanka relationship with hashtags such as #SriLankaElections2020, presumably to spur the Sri Lankan bots to launch an online attack against the Modi government.

Social media bot from Turkey commenting on India-Sri Lanka relationship

Another social media bot from Turkey feigned solidarity with those who had been asking the government to postpone the JEE-NEET examinations. The heightened interest of people belonging to Turkey, with no skin in the game, in India’s internal affairs, signifies that they had been hired to peddle anti-Modi propaganda on Twitter.

Another bot from Turkey commenting on JEE-NEET examinations

Congress’ long-association with international bots for social media dominance

This is not the first time that Congress has been accused of dallying with the international bots, especially from Turkey. With Congress failing to garner organic support from the social media users in India, it has often relied on overseas bots to either mount an attack against their opponents or catapult their leaders away from their flagging popularity. Earlier in 2017, it was alleged that Rahul Gandhi’s increased popularity on Twitter was attributed to overseas bots from Russia, Kazakh and Indonesia.

Gandhi’s Twitter activity had then registered a sharp spurt, belying a false impression that the Gandhi scion was enjoying an organic popularity on the microblogging website Twitter. However, on closer inspection, it was found that Rahul Gandhi’s tweets were retweeted by users with less 10 followers, who tweeted random subjects from around the world.

The similarity between the two cases cannot be overstated. Even in the lastest case, bots from Turkey and the rest of the world, who have tweeted on random subjects from around the world, have been retweeting tweets on Modi government’s decision on persevering with the scheduled JEE-NEET examinations and other policy decisions.

Chinese state-sponsored media threatens India with war, says it can not win against China even with US-support

OpIndia Staff
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Chinese state-sponsored media threatens India with war, says it can not win against China even with US-support

A day after the Indian army strongly responded to the Chinese aggression and thwarted their nefarious intentions on the Southern Bank of the Pangong Tso lake, the Communist-ruled country has warned India of an escalated military conflict through its state-sponsored media Global Times.

In an editorial published in Global Times on Monday, China accused India of taking an ‘aggressive approach’ on the border issues between the two countries. The article claimed that India acted against the Chinese PLA to divert public discourse from domestic issues. Referring to India’s counter-response as ‘hooligan behavior’, the editorial boasted of China’s military prowess.

China boasts of its strength; threatens to act militarily

“It must be pointed out that New Delhi is facing a powerful China. The PLA has sufficient force to safeguard every inch of the country. Chinese people have shown support to the government which won’t seek to provoke India, but does not allow it to encroach on China’s territory,” the article read.

Further, boasting of its ‘superiority’, the Chinese state-sponsored media cautioned, “If India wants to engage in competition, China has more tools and capability than India. If India would like a military showdown, the PLA is bound to make the Indian army suffer much more severe losses than it did in 1962.”

Screenshot of the Global Times article

Towards the end of the article, Global Times urged the Communist Party of China to ‘carry out a military struggle.’ Threatening of an impending retaliation, the editorial stated, “But when India recklessly challenges China’s bottom line, China must not be soft. It must take military actions when necessary, and ensure it can win. China is several times stronger than India, and India is no match for China. We must smash any Indian illusion that it can deal with China by colluding with other powers, such as the US.”

The Global Times also ‘warned’ against possibilities of military collaboration between India and the USA against China. It claimed that even with US-support, India cannot defeat China.

“China is several times stronger than India, and India is no match for China. We must smash any Indian illusion that it can deal with China by colluding with other powers, such as the US,” it stated.

Global Times editor warns Indian army of ‘defeat’

Hu Xijin, the Editor of Global Times, also threatened retaliation against the Indian army. Dubbing India’s response to Chinese aggression as a ‘stunt’, he tweeted, “They (India) always think China will make concessions to provocative actions in consideration of the overall situation. Don’t misjudge the situation anymore. If there is a conflict in Pangong Lake, it will only end in the new defeat of the Indian army.”

Clashes at the LAC

The Indian Army announced on Monday that on the intervening night between the 29th and 30th of August, the Chinese PLA “carried out provocative military movements to change the status quo.” National Security Analyst Nitin Gokhale had informed that the Indian Army had noticed suspicious PLA movements in response to which they moved to occupy “unheld features along LAC to dominate” the South Bank of Pangong Tso. He said that Indian troops had not breached the LAC.

According to information received by ANI from unnamed sources, a special operations team occupied the heights on the particular night. The Chinese troops were barely a few hundred metres away from the said heights. The height is claimed to be south of South Bank near Thakung. The height is on the Indian side of the LAC, however, China claims it is on their side as well.

Pune emerges as the worst affected district for Chinese coronavirus, registers highest total cases in India so far

OpIndia Staff
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Pune emerges as the worst affected district for Chinese coronavirus, registers highest total cases in India so far

Pune in Maharashtra has now emerged as the worst affected district for Chinese coronavirus with total positive cases as high as 1,75,105, highest for any city in India. On Monday, Pune surpassed Delhi which has 1,74,748 total coronavirus cases in India.

Pune emerges as worst affected city for Chinese coronavirus

Of 1,75,105 total cases, 52,712 cases are active in Pune, highest in Maharashtra and for any other district in India. Maharashtra, too, continues to remain the worst affected state with almost 8 lakh confirmed cases and almost 2 lakha active cases of coronavirus.

BJP MLA Siddharth Shirole who represents Shivajinagar constituency in Pune had accused the Maha Vikas Aghadi led Uddhav Thackeray government for leaving out Pune to fend for itself. He had accused the government of gross negligence which has pushed the city on the cusp of a medical calamity. Accusing the state government of failing on multiple levels, Siddharth Shirole had said that Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had not made a single visit to Pune in the last three months either to oversee the preparedness of the administration.

As reports emerge of Indian Army occupying strategic heights to dominate South Bank of Pangong Tso, China threatens retaliation

OpIndia Staff
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As reports emerge of Indian Army occupying strategic heights to dominate South Bank of Pangong Tso, China threatens retaliation

The Indian Army announced on Monday that on the intervening night between the 29th and 30th of August, the Chinese PLA “carried out provocative military movements to change the status quo” but the Indian Armed Forces personnel thwarted their nefarious intentions by pre-empting their movements on the Southern Bank of the Pangong Tso lake and strengthening their positions to stop the unilateral Chinese expansionism.

Now, more details are emerging regarding the events of the particular night. National Security Analyst Nitin Gokhale said that the Indian Army had noticed suspicious PLA movements in response to which they moved to occupy “unheld features along LAC to dominate” the South Bank of Pangong Tso. He said that Indian troops had not breached the LAC.

Vishnu Som of NDTV also said that the Indian Army has occupied the heights in response to Chinese aggression while discussions were on to resolve the conflict. According to Som, “the ball is now in China’s court”.

According to information received by ANI from unnamed sources, a special operations team occupied the heights on the particular night. The Chinese troops were barely a few hundred metres away from the said heights. The height is claimed to be south of South Bank near Thakung. The height is on the Indian side of the LAC, however, China claims it is on their side as well.

Hu Xijin, the Editor-in-Chief of the Global Times (Chinese state media), claimed on social media that Indian troops “again pulled a stunt at border”. Maintaining the pompous sense of bravado that has become the hallmark of Chinese communication in recent times, he said, “Don’t misjudge the situation anymore. If there is a conflict in Pangong Lake, it will only end in new defeat of Indian army.”

In a separate tweet, Hu Xijin said that the south bank of the Pangong Tso lake is under the actual control of China. The PLA statement on the matter claimed that Indian troops ‘illegally crossed’ the KAC at South Bank and ‘seriously violated China’s sovereignty’. The statement also threatens retaliation.

The recent clashes indicate that the issue at the LAC in Ladakh is far from being resolved. While discussions are underway to resolve the dispute, China appears to be adamant on altering the status quo. However, consensus appears to be emerging that in the fresh clashes, India has made some decisive gains in the conflict.

To escape arrest, Faisal is trying to obtain visa to send Shalini Yadav out of the country: Juhi colony ‘Love Jihad’ victim’s brother alleges

OpIndia Staff
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To escape arrest, Faisal is trying to obtain visa to send Shalini Yadav out of the country: Juhi colony ‘Love Jihad’ victim’s brother alleges

Recently a case has surfaced where a Hindu girl named Shalini Yadav, a resident of Barra area in Kanpur had converted to Islam to marry one Muslim boy named Mohd Faisal, belonging to Kanpur’s Juhi colony. Though Shalini Yadav, who now identifies herself as Fiza Fatima, had released a video in which she admitted to converting and marrying Mohd Faisal on her own will, Shalini’s brother, Vikas had refused to accept his sister’s admission saying that she had been pressurised to give the statement.

In the complaint at the Kidwai Nagar police station, Shalini’s family had accused Faizal of brainwashing, thereafter forcefully converting Shalini’s religion before marrying her. Now, according to a report by the Hindi daily Jagran, Shalini Yadav’s brother, Vikas has alleged that in order to escape arrest, Mohd Faizal has been trying to obtain a visa for Shalini Yadav so that he can send Shalini out of the country. The brother said that two passport inspectors who visited their home, on August 29, had informed him about the same.

Vikas said that these two passport officers had previously also visited their house when they had applied for Shalini Yadav’s passport. He said that his family was keen on sending his sister abroad for higher studies, that is why they had got her passport made. Now, Vikas has accused Mohd Faizal of wanting to send his sister out of the country after obtaining a visa. 

Vikas said that the family of the accused had sought relief, by fabricating facts in Delhi High Court. This, he alleged was contempt of court. Vikas said that his family would soon approach the Delhi HC to present the truth in his sister’s case. He said that they would also prove before the court how the Kidwai Nagar police station have helped the accused in distorting facts.

Shalini Yadav brainwashed or pressurised, family alleged

Earlier, Shalini’s brother had accused Mohd Faizal of either brainwashing or pressuring his sister. He demanded that his sister should be first separated from the boy, and then she should be interrogated. He said that Shalini is at the moment, either completely brainwashed or is being threatened or pressurised to give such statements. “She is being made to travel to several places. She is being tortured”, alleged the brother.

‘Love Jihad’ syndicate sponsored by Islamic orgs operating in Kanpur

He was the one who had first spoken about this entire “Love Jihad” syndicate which had been working in Kanpur’s Juhi colony. Speaking to ABP News said that the gang regularly targets Hindu girls from nearby areas. He said that four more girls along with Shalini Yadav have been targetted by this gang which trains Muslim boys to lure and brainwash the Hindu girls, who then fall into their trap.

As Shalini Yadav’s case gained traction, many similar cases of Love Jihad started surfacing from Juhi colony and adjacent districts. The fixed pattern and the modus operandi of the perpetrators point to the fact that these youths are being trained to lure and brainwash Hindu girls by a particular syndicate, who have been operating with financial and logistical support form various Islamic organisations.

SIT formed to stop ‘love jihad’ incidents in Kanpur

Owing to the rising number of ‘Love Jihad’ cases, the Uttar Pradesh police have formed a special investigating team (SIT) to probe allegations of conversion – either by force or by “brainwashing” the women before marriage.

Prashant Bhushan issues a convoluted statement trying to pass off his cowardly act of paying the fine as respect for the judiciary

OpIndia Staff
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Prashant Bhushan issues a convoluted statement trying to pass off his cowardly act of paying the fine as respect for the judiciary

Responding to the Supreme Court verdict asking Prashant Bhushan to pay a token fine of Re 1 for his tweets against the judiciary, the senior lawyer Prashant Bhushan issued a protracted statement, admitting to paying the fine but indicated that he would file a review petition against the order.

“I am here to cheerfully submit to any penalty that can lawfully be inflicted upon me for what the court has determined to be an offence, and what appears to me to be the highest duty of a citizen,” the statement issued by Bhushan said while defending his craven act of capitulating to the court order of paying a nominal fine of Re 1, failing which he could have faced jail for three months and a ban from practising in the Supreme Court for three years.

While Prashant Bhushan had been quite stubborn in not yielding his principles and offering an unconditional apology to the Supreme Court in a contempt of court case, his eager alacrity to pay a fine of Re 1 ran counter to the inflexibility he had displayed following his conviction.

In his perverse desire to mirror Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela, Prashant Bhushan had mulishly refused to tender an apology to the court despite repeated insistence from the apex court. However, in stark contrast to his earlier stance, Bhushan uncharacteristically accepted the sentence handed out to him, lavishing praises on the Supreme Court.

After making “scurrilous” remarks against the SC, Bhushan claims he never intended to disrespect the top court

Bhushan also added that his tweets were not intended in any way to “disrespect the Supreme Court or the judiciary as a whole, but were merely meant to express my anguish, at what I felt, was a deviation from its sterling past record”.

“I have had the greatest respect for the institution of the Supreme Court. I have always believed it to be the last bastion of hope, particularly for the weak and the oppressed who knock at its door for the protection of their rights, often against a powerful executive,” Bhushan said in the statement.

Bhushan also attempted to link his conviction with the cause of freedom of speech and the need for judicial accountability and reforms. ‘What is very heartening is that this case has become a watershed moment for freedom of speech and seems to have encouraged many people to stand up and speak out against the injustices in our society,” he said.

Prashant Bhushan enthusiastically accepted SC’s punishment of paying fine of Re 1 in the contempt of court case

Earlier today, Prashant Bhushan had taken to Twitter to enthusiastically accept the punishment meted out to him by the Supreme Court. Bhushan stated that his lawyer Rajeev Dhavan had immediately paid up the Rs 1, that the SC had decided as his penalty.

By accepting the punishment, Bhushan has accepted the fact that he was guilty of contempt.

Last month, the top court, in a landmark judgement, held advocate Prashant Bhushan guilty of contempt of court. The case pertained to two tweets where Prashant Bhushan had cast aspersions against the Supreme Court and specifically, CJI Bobde.

ED releases statement after Tahir Hussain is remanded to its custody for funding Delhi Anti-Hindu riots

OpIndia Staff
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ED releases statement after Tahir Hussain is remanded to its custody for funding Delhi Anti-Hindu riots

On Monday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has released a statement informing about the arrest of radical Islamist and former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Hussain under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA).

As per the press release, Tahir Hussain has been remanded to the custody of the Enforcement Directorate for a period of 6 days by the Karkardooma Court in Delhi for his role in money laundering and funding the Anti-CAA protests and Delhi Anti-Hindu riots. The investigation is conducted by the ED under the PMLA on the basis of First Information Reports (FIRs) that have been filed by the Delhi Police, Crime Branch, and Dayalpur Police Station.

The FIRs had pressed charges against Tahir Hussain under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 385 (creating fear for extortion), which are cognizable offences under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

Tahir Hussain transferred funds from his companies to fuel riots

The ED in its statement has revealed that Tahir Hussain had transferred large sums of money to fraudulent operators via companies that are either owned or controlled by him and his relatives. The operators had then returned the funds to him in cash, which was then utilised to fuel violence during the Anti-Hindu riots of Delhi in February this year. Moreover, a probe into his companies by the ED has unearthed money laundering scam by Hussain in the past.

ED recovers fake invoices; grills Hussain in jail

In its statement, the Enforcement Directorate has informed that on June 23 they conducted raids at several residential and business holdings of the former AAP councillor and his associates in Delhi, Noida and Greater Noida. During the search, the central investigative agency recovered ‘incriminating documents’ and evidence including fake invoices. According to the ED, the fake invoices were used to transfer money fraudulently. Recently, Hussain has been questioned in Tihar jail by the ED while he was in the custody of the Delhi Police.

The role of Tahir Hussain in Delhi Anti-CAA riots

Tahir Hussain in his confession during the interrogation of Delhi Police said that Khalid Saifi, who is very close to him, planned the riots with him. He once told him that his political position and money should be used against Hindus and for the community. He promised Saifi that he will always be ready to take any step. After the Supreme Court ruled in favour of Ram Lalla Virajman and the Indian government passed Citizen Amendment Act tabled by Home Minister Amit Shah, Tahir and Khalid met and decided that this is time they have to act.

The charge sheet pertaining to FIR 114 states that Tahir played a vital role in burning several Hindu shops in the Khajuri Khas area along with his accomplices. During the investigation, police found out that he had instigated a mob during the riots of 24th and 25th February 2020 saying that Hindus have killed many Muslims and had set their shops on fire on the Sherpur Chowk. The charge sheet says, “Only 64 live cartridges and 22 empty cartridges were recovered at his instance. During interrogation, he could not give an account of the remaining 14 live cartridges and 22 empty/fired cartridges, when and where the same were fired/used.”

‘I was blessed to have his guidance, support and blessings’: PM Modi pens a heartfelt obituary for Pranab Mukherjee

OpIndia Staff
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‘I was blessed to have his guidance, support and blessings’: PM Modi pens a heartfelt obituary for Pranab Mukherjee

Former President Pranab Mukherjee passed away today after being comatose after a brain surgery for several days. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken to Twitter to pen down a heartfelt obituary for the former President.

Calling him an “indelible mark on the development trajectory of our nation”, PM Modi in a series of Tweet mourned the death of the Bharat Ratna recipient, who in his exemplary career that spanned decades, made long-lasting contributions in key economic and strategic ministries. The PM said that today, India lost an “outstanding parliamentarian, a scholar par excellence and a towering statesman. He was admired across the political spectrum and by all sections of society, wrote Modi.

Calling Pranab Mukherjee always well-prepared, extremely articulate as well as witty, PM Modi said that it was his presence that made the Rashtrapati Bhavan even more accessible to common citizens. “He made the President’s house a centre of learning, innovation, culture, science and literature. His wise counsel on key policy matters will never be forgotten by me”, penned the PM after the former President breathed his last at the army hospital in Delhi.

Recollecting how Mukherjee had mentored him when he was ‘new in Delhi’ in 2014, Modi wrote: “From Day 1, I was blessed to have the guidance, support and blessings of Shri Pranab Mukherjee. I will always cherish my interactions with him”.

He ended by paying condolences to the former president’s family, friends, admirers and supporters across India.

Pranab Mukherjee was admitted to Delhi hospital for brain surgery after which he was put on a ventilator. However, his condition remained critical. He had also tested positive for Chinese coronavirus too while in hospital. He has now passed away.

He was respected across the political spectrum for his personality and political acumen.

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