The investigation into Sushant Singh Rajput’s suicide case has taken several new turns, with the spotlight now shifting primarily on his ex-girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty and her alleged role in siphoning off Sushant Singh Rajput’s money, mishandling of his bank accounts, mentally harassing the actor and pushing him to suicide.
Hours after the ED registered a Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) case in Sushant Singh Rajput’s death case, Rhea Chakraborty released a video statement in her defence.
While Sushant Singh’s bodyguard has also testified the allegations meted out at Rhea Chakraborty by the actor’s father to be true, Rhea in her video is heard defending herself and accusing media of running a malicious campaign against her: “I have immense faith in God and the judiciary. I believe that I will get justice. Even though a lot of horrible things are being said about me on the electronic media, I refrain from commenting on the advice of my lawyers as the matter is sub-judice.”
In the first public response, released by her lawyer Satish Maneshinde, the struggling actress asserted that “the truth shall prevail”.
The actress hires big shot lawyer Satish Maneshinde
It is pertinent to note here that the Bollywood entertainer Rhea Chakraborty has hired one of the most expensive lawyers of the country, Satish Maneshinde, to defend her in the case filed by Sushant Singh Rajput’s father accusing her of abetment to suicide. Earlier, Maneshinde had defended film actors like Salman Khan in the 1998 blackbuck poaching case and Sanjay Dutt in 1993 Mumbai blast case.
Earlier it was reported that Enforcement Directorate had sought a copy of the FIR registered against actress Rhea Chakraborty from the Bihar police. The FIR was filed by Sushant Singh Rajput’s father alleging that his ex-girlfriend, Rhea Chakraborty had stolen Rs 15 crores from the actor.
Sushant’s bodyguard confirms ‘all claims against Rhea Chakraborty’
Meanwhile, in an exclusive interview with the Republic TV, the deceased actor’s bodyguard has confirmed all allegations against Rhea Chakraborty to be true. While divulging details of the late actor’s altered lifestyle and attitude in life, post his association with Rhea, the man declared that Sushant could never commit suicide.
Accusing Rhea and her family of fleecing the actor and using him as a “money card”, Sushant’s bodyguard said that all the allegation made by Sushant’s father KK Singh in his FIR against Rhea has been rightly made and he should get due justice.
Apart from frivolously spending Sushant Singh Rajput’s money, the bodygaurd also accused Rhea of giving drugs to Sushant. The man revealed that Sushant’s life had completely changed after Rhea entered his life. He would be asleep and unwell most of the time and no one had direct access to him.
The bodyguard shared that Rhea changed the entire house staff and also Sushant’s accountant, except him. He revealed that before Rhea, Sushant’s family, especially his eldest sister Priyanka Singh, would visit him often and stay with him. However, he has only witnessed Rhea’s family visiting Sushant’s house and partying at his expense in the last one year.
Testifying almost all the allegations meted out at Rhea Chakraborty by Sushant’s lawyer and family, his bodyguard hoped that the deceased young talented actor gets due justice.
On August 5 last year, the Indian government made a historic decision to abrogate Article 370 of the Indian Constitution. The move, coupled with the bifurcation of the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union territories, meant the complete integration of the erstwhile state into the Indian territory. However, the momentous decision left the neighbouring country of Pakistan, rattled. They have decided to observe the 5th August as ‘black day’, and has part of that, they have decided to rename one highway in Islamabad as Srinagar.
The Pakistan government had been selling the false dream of annexing Jammu and Kashmir with their country for the past 70 years to its public. It had to pacify the agitated and disenchanted home crowd by putting up a brave face after Article 370 was revoked. Since Pakistan could not afford military escalation, it was thus forced to indulge in ‘symbolism’.
On the eve of the first-year-anniversary of Jammu and Kashmir’s complete integration into India on August 5, the Pakistani government has decided to take yet another symbolic action. On Friday, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi stated, “Our focus is on Srinagar. We are therefore changing the name of the Kashmir Highway to Srinagar Highway from August 5. This will be the road to our destination in (real) Srinagar.” Besides, Qureshi stated that the government will take international journalists, parliamentarians to the Line of Control and talk to the supposed ‘victims’ of India’s brutality. He said that Pakistanis around the world will stand in solidarity with the people of J & K and expose India’s supposed atrocities in the Valley.
Symbolic vengeance by Pakistan in UN falls flat
This is not the first time when Pakistan decided to respond symbolically. Since, August last year, Pakistan and China tried to rake up the Kashmir issue twice in United Nations Security Council (UNSC). However, the members, led by the United States and France thwarted the issue stating that India and Pakistan should resolve it bilaterally. Syed Akbaruddin, former India’s representative to UN, had said, “We are happy that neither the alarming scenario painted by the representatives of Pakistan nor any of the baseless allegations made repeatedly by various representatives of Pakistan in UN fora were found to be credible. Pakistan’s tactics of using false credences to distract from addressing the malice that afflicts it has run its course today.”
India’s so-called ‘secular-liberals’ suffer from an inexplicable Kashmir paradox. While they claim to advocate equality, inclusion, democratic values, minority rights etc for the rest of India, when it comes to Kashmir, their stand takes a complete 180 degrees turn. In Jammu and Kashmir, the same people do not want anyone other than Muslims to have any rights.
The duality was glaringly evident when the Modi government, in a historic and bold move, abrogated the discriminatory Article 370 last year and divided the erstwhile state into two union territories: Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
The article 370 granted Jammu and Kashmir a special status, it allowed the state to have its own set of special laws and provisions, which, in reality, were designed to keep a specific community happy. Women lost claims to property when they married outside the state, Dalits were kept away from jobs other than that of sweepers and sanitation workers, and a common Indian was not allowed to own land in the state.
A lot of outrage was created by the ‘secular-liberal’ gang, both at the national and international level. However, a strong grip over law and order prevented chaos. The government stood resolute in its stand and the separatists, Pakistan sympathisers, ‘secular liberal’ lobby and Islamists could not do anything apart from the outrage.
August 5 is approaching again. It will be the first anniversary of the historic decision and the same forces, sensing the futility of their previous efforts, are now trying to stir up a dangerous narrative, one that had already cost thousands of lives.
“Hindus are stealing all the jobs”.
Mehbooba Mufti’s PDP laments the ‘lack of Kashmiri Muslims’ in Raj Bhawan contact list
Mehbooba Mufti, the former CM of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, had earlier ‘threatened’ that ‘the whole country will burn’ if Article 370 is touched, in a not-so-veiled threat warning the Modi government against doing anything contrary to Islamist wishes in the valley.
While Mufti remains in preventive custody, her party has started lamenting the ‘lack of Kashmiri Muslims’ in the Raj Bhawan contact list, trying to peddle a not so subtle narrative that the central government is keeping Muslims of Kashmir away from jobs.
Using the Raj Bhawan list of officials for contact, the party says “Not a single Kashmiri/Muslim in Raj Bhawan, one of the greatest achievements of the central government”.
It is amusing indeed when the Hurriyat sympathisers, terror apologists of the valley try to peddle a narrative of inclusion. Not only is the PDP attempting to use just a list of Raj Bhawan staffers as ‘sample’ to peddle the ‘Muslims kept out of jobs’ narrative, but it is also trying to stoke the fire that has singed and burned the valley for decades. The idea that ‘Hindu Pandits do not deserve jobs, livelihoods in Kashmir’ was what had been used by the Islamist forces in the past to carry out the Pandit genocide in Kashmir.
Media propaganda activated too
Interestingly, the PDP is not the only one peddling this agenda. Like clockwork, the ‘secular-liberal’ media has started peddling the same narrative too. Earlier today, The Scroll published an article titled, “One year after special status ended, Kashmiris have disappeared from govt in J and K.”
Article in The Scroll
The article discusses some images that were recently shared on social media featuring J and K Lt Governor GC Murmu and other officials. The entire premise of the article is about discussing those images and lamenting how they cannot spot enough Kashmiris Muslims. The first photograph they discussed apparently had only one Kashmiri Muslim, an IAS officer.
The article called the image a reason for ‘deep anxiety’. It went on to quote a Facebook post to claim that Muslims in Kashmir are afraid that with the abrogation of Article 370, Kashmiri Muslims may lose jobs, and economic benefits while the central government brings back the ‘Dogra rule’. The article peddled the idea of “greedy Hindu snatching Muslim jobs” so effectively that it never bothered to mention that the Kashmiri Muslim is as Indian as the Jammu Hindu and Ladakhi Buddhist, and every Indian citizen is granted the right to education, jobs and property by the constitution of India.
Screenshot from The Scroll
The article just fans the fears, by 1 or 2 unnamed social media handles. Like classic leftist propaganda, it doesn’t even present a statistical picture of how much of the government and administrative jobs in the state are held by Muslims and what is the representation of Hindus, Buddhists, Christians in those jobs. Because that will not serve the purpose. When the motive is to fan fear, to paint a target on a specific community, branding them as ‘job snatchers’, only speculations would do.
The arctle doesn’t even stop there. To claim that the ‘greedy Hindu snatching Muslim jobs’ since only one year perhaps will not generate enough hatred, it may not cause enough fear and antagonism, so it claims that the ‘greedy Hindu’ has been active since decades. It further writes:
“This marginalisation may not have started last year. Two former ministers who had served in the governments of the former state said that Delhi had always intervened in crucial appointments. A former cabinet minister who served in the People’s Democratic Party-Bharatiya Janata Party coalition government traces the marginalisation of Kashmiri officers back to 1989, when militancy spread rapidly across the Valley.”
Barkha Dutt’s famous justification of Pandit Genocide
The horrors and the brutality of the Kashmiri Pandit exodus from the valley has long been ignored, trivialised, denied and even justified by a certain section of mainstream media and political class that is also, interestingly, often found defending acts of terrorism and apologising for extremists.
In an old video clip now quite well-known on social media, Barkha Dutt was seen ‘explaining’ on TV how the Kashmiri Pandit exodus happened. In the video, Barkha Dutt can be seen talking about how the Kashmiri Pandits were ‘wealthy’ in the valley, with good jobs, and stating that it created a rift and resentment among the Muslims who she insinuated were ‘deprived’.
“Today hapless victims, they were once privileged elites of the valley. They may have been a minority but at that time, they had monopolised government jobs, plum postings, and other such social benefits…In fact, the sharp economic disparity between the Pandits and the poor Muslim majority was one of the earliest reasons for popular discontent in the state,” Barkha was heard as saying.
The leftist cabal had earlier tried to contextualise Barkha’s statements and claim that the video was ‘clipped’ to mislead, but those claims were addressed and dismissed in a detailed OpIndia article here.
The thing is, the reason for the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits in the 90s was Islamic extremism, that has been unsuccessfully garbed as ‘dissatisfaction’ discontent, political gameplay and a lot of other things. The same game has been afoot in Kashmir for decades now.
The psychology of alienation
The alienation of India. The constant peddling of the idea that Kashmir is not a part of India, just what Pakistan always claims, has been drilled into the narrative, the media discourse, the politics and the psychology of the valley and its residents. The Indian government is the ‘interfering outside force’, ‘Hindus are snatching away jobs from us’, ‘Pandits were grabbing wealth’, the central government is bringing ‘other people to live here’ etc are all the different notes of the same music that is being played for decades, to keep the populace constantly on the edge, to create an atmosphere of edgy distrust and hatred, to keep them isolated mentally, so that Pakistan and other extremist forces find easy clays to mould into their puppets.
Pakistan has started preparations for August 5 too
Pakistan and its puppet government whined and whined after August 5, 2019, for months. They released threats after threats, statements after statements, condemnation of all colours, flavours and style. Yet, all their drama and outrage achieved zilch. Since we have a nationalist government with a formidable majority on the parliament, Pakistan has been virtually banging its head against a wall of steel. However, that doesn’t stop them from continuing their efforts, because the ‘Kashmir issue’ is what gives Pakistan relevance, and antagonising India has been the whole point of Pakistan’s existence since the partition. If Pakistan did not fight with India, it may as well dissolve the border and merge back, there will not be any point of its existence anymore.
Because they need India like a fish needs water, the Imran Khan government is gearing up for August 5 as a kid waits for her birthday. The PTI government has planned a series of media, and political events to mark the first anniversary of the Article 370 abrogation.
Though the media and social media reports do not specifically mention that the Pakistani government’s official plans for August 5 involve collaboration with some Indian parties and media partners, the way certain elements are behaving leaves little to the imagination. The date is important. So a concerted effort to vilify the Article 370 abrogation seems to be afoot.
Rana Ayyub on Twitter
The decision that granted all residents of Jammu and Kashmir, regardless of their gender, caste, religion, and ethnicity all the same rights that every other citizen of India enjoys, has to be painted as divisive and brutal by some, because that is how they wage a psychological war. That is how they brainwash the young Kashmiri to pick up stones and hurl at an army vehicle. That is how they brainwashed a population to hound, loot and kill their neighbours. That is exactly how they make young men and women reject the ideas of equality, democracy, inclusiveness, freedom and instead convince them to sacrifice themselves at the command of some extremist sitting in Islamabad.
In a recent remote House judiciary committee meeting on anti-trust law in the United States, leaders of Big Tech giants such as Facebook, Google, Twitter and others were grilled by the members of the Committees. The representatives, who tend to disagree on every issue under the Sun, agreed however that there are deep rooted problems within the industry.
As expected, the anti-Conservative bias of the tech giants came up during the course of the hearing. Republican Representative from Ohio, Jim Jordan, asserted that “Big Tech’s out to get Conservatives.” He said, “I will just cut to the chase. Big Tech is out to get Conservatives. That’s not a suspicion, that’s not a hunch, that’s a fact.”
Jim Jordan highlighted instances of discrimination of bias against Conservatives including the time when Google removed the homepages of Breitbart and Dailly Caller, two prominent right-wing media platforms. He also mentioned how Google threatened to demonetise The Federalist recently. He also criticised Google and YouTube for censoring content based on WHO recommendations, an organisation that has spread misinformation about the Coronavirus from the very beginning and engaged in apologia for China.
The Republican Ohio Representative also highlighted the manner in which Facebook and Amazon discriminates against conservative opinion. He mentioned that Facebook employees have admitted that they regularly censor conservative opinions. He also slammed Twitter for its censorship of US President Donald Trump. Jim Jordan said ‘there will have to be consequences’.
Jim Jordan also grilled Google CEO Sundar Pichai related to interference in political elections. The Republican Representative asked Pichai whether he could assure American citizens that Google will not deliberately attempt to tilt the elections in favour of presumptive Democrat nominee Joe Biden.
Rep. @Jim_Jordan: “Is Google going to tailor its features to help Joe Biden in the 2020 election?”
“We view both campaign strategies and political ads as an important part of free speech in a democratic society and engage with campaigns according to law and approach the work in a non-patrician way,” Pichai told Jim Jordan. The Republican Representative was not satisfied with the answer and asked whether Google will not “tailor features” in such a way that it favours Joe Biden’s chances of winning the elections.
Sundar Pichai replied, “We won’t do any work to politically tilt anything in one way or another. It’s against our core values.” Jim Jordan then reminded him that Eliana Murillo, the head of multicultural marketing at Google, had admitted in an email that Google made donations to the Hillary Clinton campaign.
The Google CEO said that it has been communicated to employees that any personal activity such as these must be done on their own time. Throughout the interaction, Sundar Pichai appeared quite uncomfortable during the whole interaction. This is not the first time that Big Tech has been accused of bias and Conservatives have regularly complained that social media platforms especially discriminate against them.
In a recent report, Breitbart has documented the manner in which Google has been working deliberately to limit the reach of its content. The media outlet said that consistent with the comments made by top Google Executives at an internal meeting, the details of which were leaked to Breitbart, where they bemoaned Trump’s victory and expressed their desire to prevent such an election outcome in the future, Google had started limiting its reach which would directly lead to influencing people’s opinions on politics.
Image Credit: Breitbart
Breitbart said that Google had suppressed its search visibility by 99.7% since 2016. Furthermore, Breitbart said that organic Google traffic to its side had reduced by 63 percent between first half of 10`6 and first half of 2020. The report also said that after the 5th of May, traffic to Breitbart from Google for search terms related to Joe Biden had dropped to zero.
“I’ve never experienced such a wholesale removal of rank and visibility on specific concepts on a site as I have seen being applied to Breitbart, a veteran SEO expert was quoted as saying. “Removal is the key, not dropping in rank, which would be an organic devaluing. These ranks are just simply gone, overnight, while other topics have been untouched.”
He added, “The sheer fact that there are thousands of pages of Breitbart content that reference Biden that were ranking before May 6, that now have no rank or impressions on search is a sign of manipulation, not algorithmic devaluing.” Another academic told Breitbart that he is of the opinion that it has been put on a Google blacklist or multiple blacklists.
Breitbart stated, “Google has stated its intention clearly: to make sure the 2016 election of President Trump was a “blip” in history. Sure enough, with less than five months before the election, Google is manipulating election-related search results.” “The scope and audacity (and hubris) make any alleged foreign interference in the 2016 election pale by comparison. And, it will surely warrant an even greater post-election congressional scrutiny,” it added.
Recently, Twitter censored US President Donald Trump’s tweet for threatening to crack down on violent protesters rioting on the streets of the USA. The White House criticised Twitter heavily for selectively censoring Donald Trump while allowing glorification of Jihad from other leaders on its platform. This amounted to direct election interference and the conduct of Twitter was criticised by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg as well.
Censorship of non-Left political opinion has also been rife in India. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has also amplified toxic far-Left voices during his visit to India where he held a placard that advocated smashing ‘Brahminical Patriarchy’. It has also been observed that Twitter is overly enthusiastic in banning accounts that support the Hindutva ideology.
While no study has been conducted thus far in India to investigate whether Google has been manipulating search results in the country, it is irrational to believe that the tech giant will refrain from engaging in activities in India that it has engaged in the United States. Under such circumstances, it is of great significance that the Indian Government take greater interest in investigating whether such tech giants have been engaging in malpractices in the country.
In this regard, it is important to mention that the Government of India has banned TikTok and other Chinese apps for being a threat to national security. There is no good reason why we should believe that Google and other tech giants are not attempting such tricks either.
The Lucknow police on July 30 (Thursday) arrested Congress leader Anoop Patel for allegedly abetting the self-immolation attempt by a mother-daughter duo from Amethi in front of UP CM Yogi Adityanath’s office on July 17.
On the night of July 17, the police had taken AIMIM leader Kadir Khan along with one Sultan and Asma into custody, while Anup Patel had fled away.
FIR registered against four, including Congress leader Anup Patel and AIMIM Kadir Khan
The Uttar Pradesh police had registered an FIR against four people including an AIMIM leader Kadir Khan and UP Congress spokesperson Anoop Patel after investigation revealed that a criminal conspiracy was hatched in which few people, including the two leaders, instigated the two women to set fire to themselves in protest against the government.
According to the doctors, the mother had suffered 80 per cent burns. She succumbed to her burn injuries on July 22.
Mother-daughter duo tried to self-immolate in front of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly in Lucknow
The mother-Safia and her daughter named Gudiya had allegedly tried to self-immolate by setting themselves on fire on a busy road in front of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly in Lucknow, allegedly over police inaction in a land dispute case in Amethi, which had resulted in a blame game against the Uttar Pradesh government.
The incident enkindle a spree of political allegations against Yogi Adityanath government
Opposition parties and their supporters had used the incident to launch a malicious campaign against the UP government accusing them of not addressing the concerns of the poor. Not just the Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati and former Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and his sympathisers castigated the Yogi Adityanath government, but even Congress leaders and Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM party leaders took to social media to attack the Yogi Adityanath government.
However, much to the embarrassment of the Congress and AIMIM leaders, Lucknow police commissioner, Sujeet Pandey, later revealed that the duo was instigated to do so were non-other than the Congress leader Anup Patel and All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) Kadir Khan.
Sujeet Pandey, Lucknow Police Commissioner, speaking to the media said, “It has come to light that it was done as per a criminal conspiracy in which some people played a key role in instigating the women. We have registered FIR against 4 people including an AIMIM leader Kadir Khan & a Congress leader Anup Patel”.
Days ahead of the much-awaited Bhoomi Pujan ceremony of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and senior Congress leader Kamal Nath drew the ire of Islamists online for applauding the construction of the temple.
Taking it to the social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter, Kamal Nath posted a video message wherein he was seen welcoming the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. “I welcome the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. Countrymen had expected and yearned for this. Construction of Ram temple is being done with the consent of every Indian. Such a thing is possible only in India,” Kamal Nath said.
मै अयोध्या में राम मंदिर निर्माण का स्वागत करता हूँ। देशवासियों को इसकी बहुत दिनों से अपेक्षा और आकांक्षा थी। राम मंदिर का निर्माण हर भारतवासी की सहमति से हो रहा है, ये सिर्फ़ भारत में ही संभव है। —कमलनाथ pic.twitter.com/18RI3arOMs
The video message was shared by the official Congress handle of Madhya Pradesh as well.
मै अयोध्या में राम मंदिर निर्माण का स्वागत करता हूँ। देशवासियों को इसकी बहुत दिनों से अपेक्षा और आकांक्षा थी। राम मंदिर का निर्माण हर भारतवासी की सहमति से हो रहा है, ये सिर्फ़ भारत में ही संभव है। —कमलनाथ pic.twitter.com/18RI3arOMs
However, a Congress leader’s approval for the construction of the Ram Mandir did not sit well with the Islamists, who criticised the former MP chief minister and the Congress party for betraying them by extending his support for the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
One Twitter user who went by the name N H Khan appeared particularly perturbed by Kamal Nath’s support for Ram Temple that he called the ex Madhya Pradesh chief minister “shameless” for flip-flopping on the issue.
Twitter user’s critical remarks for Kamal Nath
Another Twitter user, who was dismayed by Kamal Nath’s claim that every Indian longed for a Ram Temple in Ayodhya, said that 20 crore Muslims and some “good Hindus” still consider the Ram Janmabhoomi as Babri Masjid and will continue to do so. The Twitter user advised Kamal Nath that his pandering to Hindus won’t help him in getting their votes and to not come begging for Muslim votes in the future.
Twitter user expressing disapproval to Kamal Nath’s tweet welcoming the construction of Ram Temple
One Islamist, who was upset with Kamal Nath’s endorsement for the Ram Mandir cursed him that he will soon pay for his sins.
Another Islamist smarting the heartburn caused by Kamal Nath’s tweet advised the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister to join the BJP just like Jyotiraditya Scindia did in the past. “Have some shame Kamal Nath ji, don’t indulge in unsecular politics and stay away from such issues,” he tweeted.
Disheartened by Kamal Nath’s support for Ram Temple, an Islamist who rues the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya, likened the Congress party to snakes, saying that the party lured them into voting and later betrayed them by following the same policies as the BJP.
One Twitter user declared that the construction of Ram Temple is happening due to the BJP’s government along with the compromised judicial system. “We do not support the construction of the Ram Temple. Don’t flip flop for the sake of attracting Hindu voters,” he tweeted.
Bhumi Pujan of Ram Temple in Ayodhya
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit Ayodhya for Bhoomi Pujan of Shri Ram Mandir on August 5. The ceremony will be graced by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath among several other invitees. However, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has not yet confirmed his visit.
Reportedly, an estimated 100-150 guests will be allowed at the said event. The foundation laying ceremony will mark the beginning of the construction of the grand temple that is expected to take about 3 years to complete. Kameshwar Chaupal who serves as a trustee of the Ram Temple Trust informed that they are expecting the Prime Minister’s arrival in the temple town of August 5. He added that all government standard operating procedures (SOPs) with respect to safety against coronavirus will be ensured during the Bhumi Pujan.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) in Tripura has asked the State government to withdraw lockdown in the state on August 1, owing to Bakr Eid celebrations, reported party mouthpiece Desher Katha.
Reportedly, the party has also asked the BJP government in the State to revoke curfew and Section 144 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) that prohibits assembly of five or more people in a particular area. The party mouthpiece read, “Under the pretext of containing the Coronavirus outbreak, the State government is snatching away their rights, personal freedom, and ability to protest and express a different opinion.”
As per reports, the government announced a complete lockdown in the State on July 27 which was later extended to August 4. in a bid to justify their demand for easing restrictions on Eid, the Communist Party has claimed that the lockdown has increased the financial burden on the working class. CPIM alleged that the imposition of complete lockdown in Tripura has forced people into living under house arrest.
Screenshot of the news report (Image Courtesy: Desher Kotha)
Lockdown on Bakr Eid ‘reckless’, says CPIM
Attacking the ruling political dispensation for implementing restrictions on Bakr Eid (without naming the festival) in the wake of Coronavirus pandemic, Desher kotha wrote, “Rajya Sompadokmondali Rajyar akangsha jonogoner annatama dharmiyo utsovar din pahala august lockdown er aoutai anai sidhantake abibachanaprosruto bola mone kora abong tar virodhita korecha (The State unit of the party has referred to the decision of the government to impose lockdown during the religious festival of a particular community as ‘reckless’ and has demonstrated their opposition to the decision.)” The Communist Party has urged the ‘particular community’ to adhere to social distancing rules and health guidelines. They have also demanded the revocation of lockdown on the said day to allow the specific community to celebrate their festival.
Even as the Indian National Congress (INC) inherited, by default, the reins of power from the British in 1947, it went about making mistake after mistake. The combined weight of these mistakes has resulted in the party ending up in the political doghouse.
The first mistake it committed was allowing Jawaharlal Nehru to become Prime Minister instead of its own choice of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. The party acquiesced to the whims of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, who backed Nehru. It displayed a lack of political sagacity by failing to keep in its fold patriotic freedom fighters like Subhas Chandra Bose.
In fact, Bose had to resign from the post of the Party President due to the manipulations by MK Gandhi and his coterie in the Congress Working Committee. After that, Boseformed an independent party by the name The Forward Block and fought for India’s freedom from outside the Congress umbrella. This was the second mistake. The third mistake was allowing Nehru’s daughter to succeed him, thereby paving the way for the perpetuation of a family rule. The party has lost all its credibility after being bogged down under far too many scams and scandals. Now, there is no tall leader to steer it clear of the impending disaster.
Inept and Inefficient Leadership
Be that as it may, during its 55-year long rule, the Congress governments suffered from inept and inefficient leadership. In matters of foreign and defence policies, the Congress leadership was notorious for not taking a nation-centric stance. Nehru was, in particular, given to flights of fancy and romantic visions about India and its neighbours.
He believed in his ability to trade-off magnanimity with peace from neighbouring states. Instead of winning wars with belligerent neighbours and keeping India’s territorial integrity intact, he kept seeking admiration and accolade of the international community with his lofty speeches and platitudes for peace.
Army in Disarray
He even questioned the need for an Army for a peace-loving nation like India. The Army was neglected, and the leadership of the armed forces denigrated. There was the meddling of political leadership in the armed forces, and sycophancy was promoted. There was no procurement of weapons or equipment. The Army was rocked by corruption scandals. Shockingly, during those days India’s intelligence services were in a shambles.
Foreign Policy Fiasco
Nehru’s ceaseless espousal of non-alignment had no traction in international politics. With all his talk about peaceful co-existence between nations and the Non-Aligned Movement in a bi-polar world, Nehru wanted to make a mark for himself as a statesman par excellence. In the bargain, India’s foreign policy was left in tatters. He was busy sending members of his family and coterie as Ambassadors abroad more to promote his image than to win friends for India. One of Nehru’s biggest foreign policy blunders was his not insisting on a One-India policy in return for the One-China policy that he readily agreed to.
Pakistan
When the Pakistani marauders invaded Kashmir in 1947, the Indian Army successfully repelled and pushed them back at the request of Maharaja Hari Singh, who was willing to accede his State to India. Instead of insisting on its unequivocal accession, the Nehru government granted the State special status under Article 370 of the Constitution. The grand gesture backfired, and Kashmir became a nest of vipers, where anti-nationals of all hues and shades and terrorists took sanctuary. When the Indian forces were on the verge of a complete victory, Nehru needlessly appealed to the UNSC and went for a ceasefire.
This was both unnecessary and uncalled for. Now, only 55% of Kashmir is with India. To make matters more confounded, Pakistan ceded some territories of the occupied Kashmir to China! Nehru crowned his mistakes with an offer of a plebiscite on Kashmir in the UN. Apart from lack of sound judgment, these actions betray a muddled-up mindset and a lack of imagination and the perils of distancing oneself from the ground reality vis-a-vis a hostile neighbour. The Congress governments, which succeeded the Nehru-led government, never displayed any sign of lessons learnt from past mistakes.
We have had several wars, conflicts and military stand-offs with Pakistan over the Kashmir issue and cross-border terrorism during the Congress rule without any conclusive resolution of the problems. This was primarily because every time India’s action was in the nature of a knee-jerk reaction, and there was a lack of political will and defence preparedness. Subsequent to the ceasefire at the end of the 1965 war, India and Pakistan signed the Tashkent Agreement. In terms of the Agreement, India returned the Haji Pir Pass, which had been won from Pakistan. All that Pakistan did to reciprocate was to promise an end to the hostilities. It did not even keep this promise. This dealt a heavy blow to our diplomacy.
Similarly, the Simla Agreement that we had with Pakistan at the end of the 1971 war that culminated in the liberation of Bangladesh brought to the fore another bungling at the negotiating table by our political leadership. The Agreement called for, among other things, the exchange of POWs between the two countries. Whereas India returned all the 96,000 Pakistani POWs, Pakistan reneged on its commitment and returned only 617 Indian POWs, holding back 54, who are still languishing in Pakistani jails, if alive. This was an unimaginable fiasco after a splendidly fought war. The sheen of the military victory was lost to the muddle headedness of the political leadership of the day.
China
The India-China war of 1962 was an unmitigated disaster that brought India to its knees. Apart from being caught totally unprepared, our Army was in no shape to fight, with hardly the necessary weapons and equipment available. India had to seek help and aid from other countries. This was the same China in whose favour Nehru had sacrificed Indian candidature for permanent membership of the UN Security Council. India has ever since been unsuccessfully lobbying for the seat, with China vetoing India’s nomination, year after year. All this could have been avoided with a little pragmatism and farsightedness on the part of Nehru.
In the aftermath of the recent Chinese attack in the Galwan Valley in Tibet, an inter-ministerial probe into a sensational exposure about an alleged nexus between Congress and the Chinese Communist Party has been instituted by the government. The allegations range from the signing of an MoU between the two parties in Beijing in 2008 to the acceptance of large sums of money and favours by Congress from the Chinese government. The veracity of the allegations and the extent of damage caused to our nation will determine the future of Congress Party.
More Goof-ups
The laundry list of several other goof-ups involving the Congress governments is practically endless, including the numerous terror attacks carried out by Pakistani terror outfits like LeT, JeM, etc in the Indian heartland, and the dastardly attack on the Indian Parliament, to name a few. Here, let us not forget the sensational revelation in 2012 of how the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government had wanted to demilitarise the Siachen glacier and cede the control of the strategic glacier to Pakistan!
The article has been written by Dr Sunil Gupta. He is a Chartered Accountant, author and blogger. He has served as an Independent Director on the Boards of India’s most influential public sector banks.
On the basis of a First Information Report (FIR) filed by the Bihar police, the Enforcement Directorate has filed a case in connection with the untimely death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput.
ED files money laundering case in connection with death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput: Officials
The development comes a few hours after former Maharashtra CM, Devendra Fadnavis, urged ED to register an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) case after the ‘misappropriation and money angle’ had come to the fore. “Now a money laundering aspect too has come to the fore. It has been observed that money was siphoned off from his account. In such a case, the ED has jurisdiction, so, I have demanded the ED should register an ECIR and probe the matter,” he said.
ED sought a copy of the FIR from the Bihar Police which was filed by the father of Sushant Singh Rajput against actress Rhea Chakraborty
Fadnavis’ statement came after the ED sought a copy of the FIR registered against Sushant Singh Rajput’s ex-girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty and some others in connection with the death of the late actor from Bihar police in order to probe a possible money laundering angle.
Sushant Singh Rajput’s father had filed an FIR alleging that his ex-girlfriend, Rhea Chakraborty had stolen Rs 15 crores from the actor. The FIR which was registered against her based on a complaint filed by Rajput’s father KK Singh on Sunday with various sections like 341, 342, 380, 406,420, 306 and 120 (B) of the IPC that include abetment of suicide, alleged that Rhea took money from Sushant.
The FIR mentioned that just a few days before Sushant’s death, Rs 15 crores was withdrawn from his Kotak Mahindra account and transferred into an account that was not associated with Rajput. The late actor’s father has requested the police to check Sushant’s reports and confirm where his money went. He alleged that Rhea had access to his debit and credit cards, and she often exploited him financially. When she felt that Sushant is running out of the money, she took cash, laptop, jewellery and a lot of other belongings from his house and left him, alleged KK Singh.
Based on this complaint, the Enforcement Directorate will now be probing the possible money laudering angle in the case.
The government has announced the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The new vision of the government has redefined the trajectory of education by bringing about momentous structural changes in the Education System of India. It has sought to consolidate the foundation of Indian education by revamping both the conceptual and practical aspects of school education. The new policy brings the student at the focus by laying emphasis on recognizing, identifying and fostering the specific capabilities of each student, by sensitizing teachers as well as parents to be instrumental in promoting the holistic development in both academic and non-academic spheres.
It is surely an attempt to initiate the process of cultivating a sound mind at the early stage of learning. However, the maturing of a good mind is reflected in quality research and innovation. This article attempts to have a look at the relevance and prospect of research and innovation reflected in the new vision document.
In today’s world, research and innovation constitute the neo-quantum of the academic strength of a nation, which translates into both its soft and hard power. A country cannot find a place amongst the leading nations unless it impacts global academia by making remarkable contributions in expanding the frontiers of human intellect. It is not surprising that all the leading nations are the ones who engage and lead in research and innovation. For example, if the United States studies International Relations more, it is primarily because it intends to influence these nations in the direction of fulfilling its own national interests. The same is true about other fields as well. The history teaches us that a nation achieves greatness by incessantly grappling with new challenges, making new scientific advances and opening new paradigms. Francis Bacon’s observation has proved to be true that knowledge is power. Hence, it is imperative to develop a robust system that fosters research and innovation in the ever-evolving landscape of education.
It is certainly not a new realization of the pressing need to restructure the ‘Indian Education System.’ However, it surely is an awakening that sets in motion the idea for realizing the goal of making India a leading nation in imparting new visions to the world. It is heartening to see that the Government has taken due cognizance and rose to the occasion by formulating the ‘New Education Policy.’ One of the most important features of the new NEP (National Education Policy) is its focus on widening the gamut, structure and quality of research in various fields.
The new policy proposes to establish ‘New Research Foundation’ to lay emphasis on catalyzing and energizing research and innovation across the country in all academic disciplines. It would be an independent body, set up through an Act of Parliament, to meet the indispensable requirements to pursue the research effectively. It has attempted to remove the unnecessary clutter, which has hitherto been an impediment to efficacious research. It will look into the relevance and quality of the research, financial concerns and build beneficial linkages between researchers, government and industries.
The funding of research in all disciplines will be based on peer-reviewed recommendations and competitiveness. The Foundation will have four divisions, namely Sciences, Technology, Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities in the beginning. It paves the path for building research capacity at academic institutions across the country. Under the aegis of the new Policy, the institutions will enjoy a greater degree of autonomy and academic freedom in order to do away with bureaucratic rigmarole, which often proved to be an irritant in smooth conduction of research.
The policy envisions a holistic education by bringing an integration of sciences, social sciences, arts, humanities and sports to actualize multidisciplinary culture in academia. Conceptual understanding, creativity and critical thinking will be the foundation of research and innovation in the new vision. It is aimed at producing revolutionary research and preventing the reproduction of similar works lacking pioneering prospects. The policy also envisions the transformation of India into an equitable and vibrant knowledge society by providing high-quality education to all. The ‘demographic dividend’ of India can be fully utilized by inspiring and encouraging a considerable number of committed scholars to quality research in various fields. The policy also aims to build a holistic approach to the preparation of professionals by ensuring broad-based competencies, understanding of the social-human context, a strong ethical compass, in addition to the highest quality professional capacities.
It is evident that the policymakers have made great efforts to keep all the stages of education relevant in its own right. From the ethical point of view, it has sought to fulfil both the utilitarian and deontological purposes of education. Utilitarian because education needs to propel the material wellbeing of the nation and thereby making the lives of people increasingly comfortable. It also serves a deontological purpose because education imparts significance to human life. Though education is important at all stages its final aim is to provide meaning to human existence. Achieving such a fine balance for any policy is an accomplishment in itself.
The new policy also provides the premise for integrating the individual aspiration and national interest. The alienation of the education from the national objectives can be counterproductive for the future of a nation. It highlights the importance of an eclectic approach but stresses the need to respect the rich and diverse knowledge system and intellectual traditions of India. The new vision includes the role of education to instil a deep sense of pride in Indian values and commitment towards constructive contribution to society. These values are well reflected in constitutional ideals, which are largely considered to be the expression of the ‘general will’ or collective aspiration of Indian peoples.
Innumerable challenges are staring in the eye of our nation and it needs a force of capable and spirited individuals in order to tide over these barriers. The issues of health, national security and violence in its varying visible and invisible forms should be addressed with a sense of urgency and promptness in order to safeguard the national social health. It is possible only with gradual fruition and capacity building with the help of groundbreaking research and development. India needs to unleash its genius in the service of the nation as well as the world at large. The New Education Policy has laid the ground for the same.
However, no policy should grow into a monolithic structure and the room for improvement remains an integral part to it. The necessary details of the aspects of research and innovation will be discussed at length and the new ideas will emerge as time progresses. Hence, it is imperative to provide space for incorporating fresh ideas to further improve the utility and efficacy of the new National Education Policy (NEP).
The New Education Policy approved by the government is a much-awaited vision document, which will touch the lives of every Indian. The government has put the first foot forward in the direction of redefining the ‘Indian Education System’ and now it is incumbent on various stakeholders to make it work and progress in the direction of achieving the national goal of India to emerge at the global stage as “Vishwaguru.”
