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Week after two youths commit suicide, Pakistan bans PUBG as it ‘is wastage of time’

OpIndia Staff
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Week after two youths commit suicide, Pakistan bans PUBG as it ‘is wastage of time’

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has decided to impose a temporary ban on PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) in Pakistan after they received numerous complaints against the online game claiming that it was ‘waste of time’ and ‘addictive’.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) in a tweet said it got series of complaints against PUBG wherein it is stated that the “game is addictive, wastage of time and poses a serious negative impact on the physical and psychological health of children”.

In a statement, PTA said that the Lahore High court had directed them to look into the issue and decide the matter after hearing the complainants. In this regard, a hearing will be conducted on 9th of July 2020, PTA said in its statement after it banned the game temporarily.

Reportedly, the PTA has also said that they would make a decision on permanently banning the game after holding discussions with all stakeholders.

It is indeed ironical that in Pakistan, where unemployment is a norm rather than an aberration, there has been a call to ban the game on the pretext that it leads to wastage of time of the youths of the country.

Decision to temporarily ban came after youths committed suicide

The decision to temporarily ban the online game comes from the fact that at least two people in Pakistan had committed suicide recently, whose deaths have been linked to this online game.

Reportedly, a 20-year-old committed suicide in Saddar Bazaar, Lahore after his parents had stopped him from playing the online game. Three days later, another young boy ended his life suicide in Hanjarwal. The police said that they found the young man’s cell phone in the room and the PUBG app was running on it.

On Tuesday, the police had found the body of a 30-year-old man at his flat in Lahore’s Factory Area on Tuesday night. A 22-year-old youth from Quetta had also committed suicide by hanging himself after missing a task in the online game PUBG.

PUBG, developed by a South Korean company, is an online game in which players are made to battle it out against others. The multiplayer game allows players from all over the world to compete against each other or in teams. The players attack and kill each other in the game leading to scoring more points and higher rank.

US Senator Rick Scott urges Americans not to buy ‘Communist China’s’ products

OpIndia Staff
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US Senator Rick Scott urges Americans not to buy ‘Communist China’s’ products

China is facing simmering global anger over the coronavirus pandemic. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly pointed out that China should be held responsible for the health crisis the world is facing right now.

On 1st July, US Senator Rick Scott urged the people of America to stop buying products manufactured by the ‘Communist’ China. The Hill posted a video of Republican Senator, Rick Scott saying, “No one in the United States of America should buy products made by Communist China, especially the US government.”

He is known for being a critic of Beijing. He also accused China of trying to block the development of a Covid-19 vaccine in the West. On 7th June, BBC quoted him saying, “We have got to get this vaccine done. Unfortunately, we have evidence that communist China is trying to sabotage us or slow it down.” Scott’s reaction came after learning about the ban of 59 Chinese apps by the Indian government. Earlier, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also hailed the decision to ban these apps and said it would ‘boost India’s integrity, national security.’

On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump tweeted that the pandemic has done tremendous damage to the USA, and he is becoming angrier at China. The virus that originated from China has caused the loss of lives and severely shook the world’s economy. Many leaders have directly or indirectly pointed out that China should be held accountable for the loss this virus has caused.

On Tuesday, the USA’s telecom regulator had designated Chinese telecom firms Huawei and ZTE as national security threats.

India against Chinese products and services

In the backdrop of the violent clash between the Indian Army and PLA in Galwan Valley where 20 Army soldiers were martyred on 15th July, there has been uproar against China in India. The majority of the Indians are in favor of boycotting China-made products. Along with banning 59 apps, including TikTok, the Indian government has taken several steps against China to halt its penetration in the Indian economy. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, on 1st June, announced that Chinese companies would not be allowed to take part in highway projects. They cannot take part in joint ventures as well.

The Maharashtra government put a hold on three agreements with Chinese companies worth Rs.5,000 crore. The Haryana government decided to cancel the contract with China’s companies for power projects. BSNL has officially announced the cancellation of the agreement with a Chinese company for setting up 4G services in India. The Indian Railways recently terminated a contract worth Rs.471 crore with a Chinese company.

India ups the diplomatic ante against China, expresses concern over the Hong Kong issue in UNHRC for the first time

OpIndia Staff
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India ups the diplomatic ante against China, expresses concern over the Hong Kong issue in UNHRC for the first time

Amidst the ongoing tensions between India and China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) near Ladakh, India has launched a diplomatic offensive against China by expressing concerns over China’s new security law for Hong Kong.

According to the reports, on Wednesday, the Indian Ambassador to the United Nation raised the issue of China’s new National Security Law in Hong Kong that curtails freedom of expression of the people and also called for the proper management into the rising situation.

At the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Rajiv Kumar Chander, the country’s ambassador and permanent representative to the UN in Geneva, said that given the large Indian community that lives in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, India has been keeping “a close watch on recent developments”.

According to the Consulate General of India in Hong Kong, there are nearly 38,000 Indians living in the region, with a smaller community in nearby Macau.

“Given the large Indian community that makes the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China it’s home, India has been keeping a close watch on the recent developments. We have heard several statements expressing concerns on these developments. We hope the relevant parties will take into account these views and address them properly, seriously and objectively,” Ravi Chander said at a press briefing.

The statement issued by Indian in the United Nations was significant as it was the first time India raised the issue of Hong Kong and the ongoing large scale protests against China internationally. Interestingly, India’s diplomatic offensive comes at a time when China has gone rogue along the LAC unleashing violence resulting in the death of 20 Indian soldiers.

Earlier, the United States, Britain, the EU and UN rights agencies had all voiced fears against the Chinese law, which was intended to stifle protests in Hong Kong against Beijing.

This development also comes just two days after the Modi government had banned 59 Chinese-origin mobile phone apps, including the hugely popular TikTok, a move that will cause huge losses to China.

China introduces new National Security Law in Hong Kong

The Communist Party of China has introduced a new national security law for Hong Kong, which introduces new crimes with severe penalties – up to life in prison – and allows Chinese security forces to legally operate in Hong Kong.

The legislation gives extensive powers to China, which is intended to quell the ongoing protests in the Hong Kong demanding liberation from the occupation of Chinese. The legislation enables China to bring Hong Kong protestors to the mainland, prosecute and sentence them there. It also significantly restricts the city’s autonomy. Last week, the USA senate had passed a bill that seeks to sanction Chinese individuals and banks that help in restricting Hong Kong’s autonomy.

With the new law coming to effect, China has reportedly arrested the peaceful protests under the new sweeping national security laws imposed on the autonomous region of Hong Kong on Wednesday. At least 70 people were arrested on Wednesday.

After losing govt bungalow in Lutyens Delhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra may likely shift to Lucknow, Congress believes it will be her ‘Indira’ moment

OpIndia Staff
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After losing govt bungalow in Lutyens Delhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra may likely shift to Lucknow, Congress believes it will be her ‘Indira’ moment

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who was asked to vacate her government accommodation in Lutyens Delhi after losing her SPG protection last year, is now believed to be shifting her base to Lucknow. As per reports, she is doing so to ‘strengthen the base’ of Congress in Uttar Pradesh ahead of 2022 state elections.

In 2019 General Elections, where Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was in-charge of the election campaign in state, the then Congress President and her brother Rahul Gandhi actually lost the ‘safe family seat’ of Amethi to BJP’s Smriti Irani. In fact, Rahul Gandhi had to contest from Kerala’s Wayanad as well to secure his position in the Parliament. Moreover, Congress’ total tally in UP came down from 2 out of 80 seats to only one that too was won by her mother Sonia Gandhi from another ‘safe’ Congress seat, Rae Bareli.

Now, Congress believes Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who reminded everyone she is Indira Gandhi’s granddaughter just few days back, will have her 1977 Indira moment where former Prime Minister, after the Emergency, snuffed life back into a dying Congress. Priyanka’s strategy to ‘revive’ Congress in Uttar Pradesh seems to be spreading misinformation and fake news which stem from her lack of comprehension skills. Amid coronavirus breakout, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also locked horns with UP CM Yogi Adityanath over migrant issue. After promising ‘buses’ for migrants who want to reach home in UP, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra ended up arranging for ‘buses’, some of which had expired registration and some were even auto rickshaws and two-wheelers. After much embarrassment and inability to provide required documents on time, those ‘buses’ were recalled.

Priyanka had lived in the government accommodation at 35, Lodhi Estate since 1997 when she got married as she was an Special Protection Group (SPG) protectee. However, after the threat perception was downgraded and subsequent removal of SPG protection, Priyanka, despite being a private citizen continued to stay in government accommodation even though she does not hold any official government position. As per reports, certain Congress leaders had suggested that she could enter the Rajya Sabha and become an MP so that she could manage to hold on to her government accommodation.

However, it is now believed she will now move to Uttar Pradesh and will stay in Kaul House, the house owned by Priyanka’s grandmother Indira Gandhi’s maternal aunt, Sheila Kaul. Keeping up the tradition of ‘it is all about family’, Kaul was also a Congress member. However, it is not yet clear whether her husband, Robert Vadra and children will shift with her.

‘Activist’ Rehana Fathima, who was sacked by BSNL, asked to vacate residential quarter after police file POCSO case against her

OpIndia Staff
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‘Activist’ Rehana Fathima, who was sacked by BSNL, asked to vacate residential quarter after police file POCSO case against her

Rehana Fathima, the controversial former ‘model’ and ‘kiss for love’ campaigner, who recently raked up a major controversy after she posted a video of her children painting on her semi-nude body, has been asked by her former employer, BSNL, to vacate the residential quarters that was provided by the company. The Indian state-owned telecommunications company served a notice to its sacked employee, Rehana Fathima, following the recent police raid on her house and the registration of a POCSO case over her controversial video.

“The above event tarnished the image of BSNL. Hence you are instructed to vacate the quarters within 30 days from the date of receipt of this notice, failing which further proceedings will be initiated for eviction”, said the June 27 notice.

The notice also mentioned that she was given compulsory retirement with effect from May 11, 2020 as a part of disciplinary proceedings. It stated that as she is no longer an employee of BSNL, she is ineligible to occupy the company provided accommodation with effect from May 11.

Rehana booked for posting video of her kids painting on her topless body

The Thiruvalla police of Pathanamthitta district in Kerala had raided the former ‘model’ and ‘activists’ house on June 25, a day after she was booked under the Juvenile Justice Act and the section 67 of the Information Technology Act (Electronically transmitting sexually explicit content) for non-bailable offences.

Rehana, who was earlier arrested after her Sabarimala misadventure for hurting religious sentiments through a Facebook post, had on June 19 taken to her youtube channel to post a 2:00 minute video where she is seen lying on bed wearing only a pair of red shorts, while her children attempt to paint on her torso. She also uploaded the same on her Facebook page with hashtag #BodyArtPolitics.

According to Rehana, the video was made to reiterate that women need to be open about sex and their bodies in a society where sex and nudity are taboo. In her Facebook post, Rehana writes that “no child who has seen his own mother’s nakedness and body can abuse the female body. Therefore, vaccines against false perceptions about women’s body and sexuality should be initiated from home”.

The Facebook post had shared a video uploaded on her YouTube channel, where Fathima’s children are seen painting flowers and leaves on her naked torso while she lies on the bed. Viewer discretion is advised for the video as it has nudity content.

Rehana’s obnoxious effort to ‘sex-educate’ her children was not received well by Netizens, with many users pointing out that the act amounts to and child abuse and sexual exploitation.

Rehana Fathima and her other controversial activities

Last month, Fathima was sacked from her job after BSNL authorities after a probe found that her Facebook messages had incited communal tension and she had violated service rules.

For the past 18 months, she was under suspension after BSNL had received complaints from the public about her abusive pictures and videos, which had hurt religious sentiments.

The controversial activist, Rehana Fathima had sparked a huge controversy after she had tried to enter the holy Sabarimala shrine and desecrate it following the controversial Supreme court judgement granting permission to women of all ages to enter the temple ignoring the shrine’s age-old tradition barring women of menstruating age to enter the holy place.

In 2018, the Pathanamthitta police had registered a case against activist Rehana Fathima against a complaint filed by Sabarimala Achara Samrakshana Samithi for putting up social media posts that were “communally divisive” in nature.

The self-proclaimed activist was also ‘expelled‘ from the Muslim community by the Kerala Muslim Jama’ath Council for her activities.

A model of sorts in the past, Fathima has been a part of the ‘Kiss of Love’ campaign in Kochi in 2014 against the purported moral policing. Rehana Fathima was also convicted in a cheque-fraud case and awarded a fine of Rs. 2.1 lakh and one day of imprisonment in the year 2014.

Following India’s ban on Chinese apps, VPN services offering access to banned apps start promotion on social media

OpIndia Staff
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Following India’s ban on Chinese apps, VPN services offering access to banned apps start promotion on social media

Days after the Indian government enforced a ban on 59 Chinese apps, including Tik Tok, CamScanner and others, dubious VPNs offering to provide access to these banned apps have surfaced on the Internet, especially on Twitter. Backdoors promising to grant access to the proscribed apps is being promoted on the microblogging website.

The same was highlighted by Twitter users, asking the government to pay heed to the advertisements that flooded the platform, promoting VPN services that promised to skirt around the ban imposed by the central government and allow users to continue using the banned websites and apps.

VPN, or virtual private network, lets users on the internet to circumvent geo-restrictions and censorship, and allows connecting to the internet through proxy servers, which allow the user to hide their identity and location on the Internet. Using such VPN networks and proxy servers, content banned or censored in a particular country can be accessed by the users in that country.

Twitter users pointed out how a VPN service named–”Panda VPN Free” was advertising on Twitter for the users to subscribe to its services and get access to Chinese apps such as WeChat, Tik Tok, Cam Scanner and other banned applications.

One of the promotional tweets by the Panda VPN Free said, “Without Chinese App and Web? Tik Tok, WeChat, QQ, Baidu…. are far away PandaVPN Free. Bypass any Geo-restrictions…Keep away from hackers and government.”

It is also important to note that there are several other VPN services like “Panda VPN Free” that are offering services of providing unfettered access to banned apps and websites and thus undermining the security and integrity of the nation. The government needs to step up its measures to block such VPN services from operating in India, social media users noted.

One Twitter user posted a tweet to BJP leader Sambit Patra and brought to attention another VPN service–Turbo VPN, which claimed to provide access to Tik Tok videos despite the Indian Government’s ban on the popular Chinese media app.

Apart from the promotional campaigns by VPN providers, tutorials also have emerged on various Internet platforms such as Youtube explaining how to access TikTok and other banned apps.

India bans access to 59 Chinese apps, including Tik Tok

Earlier this week, the Indian government had red-flagged 59 China-linked apps, including TikTok as being a threat to national security. The Ministry of Information Technology, invoking its power under section 69A of Information Technology Act, with the relevant provisions of the Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking of Access of Information by Public) Rules 2009 has ordered a block on the use of 59 apps saying that these apps are “engaged in activities which are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, the security of the state and public order”.

The ministry in its press release said that it has recently been receiving complaints from various sources including several reports about the misuse of some mobile apps available on Android and iOS platforms for stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users’ data in an unauthorised manner to servers which have a location outside India. The compilation of these data poses which threat to national security and sovereignty and is a matter of deep concern said the statement.

Unlock 2.0: Migrant workers start returning to work from their native states, employers arranging buses and trains to bring workers back

OpIndia Staff
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Unlock 2.0: Migrant workers start returning to work from their native states, employers arranging buses and trains to bring workers back

The migrant workers who had returned to their native places amidst the nationwide lockdown are now eagerly returning back to work as lockdown has been lifted in most places and the economy is slowly re-opening. A large number of workers have now started returning to Gujarat, as the workplaces in the state have been gradually restarted and the employers are calling their workers to resume work. On his return journey to Ahmedabad, a migrant worker was quoted by ANI as saying: “I am from Bihar. Recently, I got a call from my employer that work has started here so I am back now.”

Just weeks after the migrant workers left industrial states like Gujarat and Maharashtra to their home states during the lockdown, the return journey has already begun for many of them. Remarkably, the employers are calling back their existing workers, most of whom had assumed that they will never get their jobs back. Sonu Kumar, a skilled worker from Bihar told Times of India that not only his employer offered his job back, he has been also offered a hike in salary.

Workers are taking trains and chartered buses to return to their workplaces. The buses were sent by the employers to bring the workers back. According to labour contractors, buses have arrived in Bihar from Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, Kerala and other states to bring back the migrant workers who had earner returned home.

“The arrangements of their travel either on private buses or trains are being made by the employers through labour contractors. In a few cases, the employers are dealing with the workers’ return on their own,” said Raj Kumar Mandal, a labour contractor. S K Sinha, a retired public servant of Kishanganj, said that it is a win-win situation for both migrant skilled workers and the labour contractors. “Both are in great demand from private companies from across the country. While the salaries of the skilled workers have increased, the labour contractors are charging more from the companies,” he said.

Migrant workers bow down to their ‘Karmabhoomi’ before leaving for their hometown 

Last month, a scintillating picture of a migrant worker Krishnavati, bowing down to the land of Gujarat before boarding the Shramik Express, went viral on social media. The migrant workers who hailed from Uttar Pradesh were stranded in Ahmedabad amidst the Coronavirus lockdown.

Shramik Trains to the Rescue

In a remarkable development, the Indian Railway operated 145 Shramik special trains from across India on Thursday. An official from the Ministry of Railways had revealed that in this mission to send the migrants back to their native places, the Indian Railways had helped close to 2.10 lakh migrant labourers to return back to their homes on Thursday.

PM Modi launched Rs 50,000 crore Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan to provide employment to returned migrant workers

After announcing a slew of measures under the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan to revive the economy following the Coronavirus lockdown and slowdown in the economy, the Narendra Modi govt had brought a mega rural works schemes to generate employment in rural India. The Rs 50,000 crore ‘Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan’ aimed at providing jobs to migrant workers who have returned to their home states was launched by prime minister Narendra Modi on 20 June through Video-Conference.

The scheme will be implemented in 116 districts in six states, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Odish. According to a statement issued by the govt of India, the campaign will run for 125 days on a mission mode. The scheme will involve intensified and focused implementation of 25 different types of works to provide employment to the migrant workers on one hand and create infrastructure in the rural regions of the country on the other hand, with a resource of Rs. 50,000 crore.

116 districts in the 6 states, which have more than 25,000 migrant workers returned from other states, have been selected for the campaign.

The Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan will create durable infrastructure in the areas where it will be implemented, apart from creating employment opportunities for workers.  This is expected to boost the livelihood opportunities in rural India.

After former attorney general refuses to represent TikTok in SC, Congress leader and former TikTok lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi also backs out

OpIndia Staff
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After former attorney general refuses to represent TikTok in SC, Congress leader and former TikTok lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi also backs out

Senior advocate and Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said on Wednesday (July 1) said that he would not represent the Chinese video-sharing app TikTok in Supreme Court, as TikTok seems to be challenging the decision of govt of India to ban it in the country. The Congress leader said that though he had represented the Chinese app a year ago in Supreme Court and won on their behalf, he did not intend to appear for it now.

The Congress leader’s decision came after former Attorney General of India and senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi expressed unwillingness to be a lawyer for TikTok. Earlier in the day, Mukul Rohatgi had clarified that he doesn’t want to represent a Chinese company against the Government of India.

TikTok, owned by Chinese internet firm Bytedance, is challenging the decision of govt of India to ban it in the country, along with 58 other apps from China.

It is pertinent to note here, that in 2019, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi had represented TikTok in the Madras High Court and had argued for a stay against the ban imposed on the app by the High Court, saying it was causing irreparable damage to the company.

In April last year, the Madras High Court had issued an interim order to TikTok, following which the govt of India had directed Google and Apple to remove the app from their app stores in India. The court had then observed that there was inappropriate content, including pornography, on the platform that was easily accessible to children. Following the High Court order, the company had approached the Supreme Court. The apex court had refused to stay the ban, but asked the High Court to take a decision on the interim ban by 24th April. The Court had said that if the Madras High Court does not make a decision, the ban will be lifted. After that on April 24, the Madra High Court had lifted the ban.

The Chinese video sharing app banned in India

The government of India has announced a ban on 59 Chinese apps that were listed on the Google Play Store and the Apple iOS App Store in India over concerns that these apps were engaging in activities that threatened national security, defence of India, sovereignty and integrity of India. The list includes the popular short video service TikTok, which considers India as its biggest market, UC News from Alibaba Group, CM Browser, file sharing service Shareit, shopping app Shein, popular mobile game Clash of Kings, and more. TikTok is the most popular app on the ban list, which is known for its user-generated lip-syncing, talent and comedy short videos. In recent times the app also faced controversy after a large number of videos were uploaded on TikTok by Muslims mocking and downplaying the Coronavirus pandemic.

TikTok India released statement, claims does not share data with Chinese govt

Following the ban, TikTok’s India office had released a statement, in which Nikhil Gandhi, head of TikTok in India claimed that TikTok continues to comply with data privacy and security requirements and has not shared information of users to any foreign government including the Chinese government. 

However, since the Government of India did not concede to TikTok’s request to restore its services in India, the Chinese app has now decided to take the Government of India to court.

Read how Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was able to ‘save’ rent during the Vajpayee era, and reportedly still owes over Rs 3 lakh

OpIndia Staff
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Read how Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was able to ‘save’ rent during the Vajpayee era, and reportedly still owes over Rs 3 lakh

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has been finally served a notice to vacate the government bungalow which she continued to live in even after the SPG security allocated to her was removed last year. In a letter served to her, the Gandhi scion has been given a month time to vacate the 35 Lodhi Estate bungalow which she has been occupying for the last 20 years as part of the entitlement which came to her along with her maiden name.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra continued to stay in govt accommodation despite removal of SPG cover

Last year in November, the SPG cover provided to Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi her children Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was withdrawn and replaced by CRPF security. And since then, almost 8 months have passed, but she has continued to stay in the government bungalow.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, a private citizen, was allotted Type VI bungalow in February 1997 on the recommendation of the SPG, home ministry and cabinet secretariat. The accommodation was deemed necessary due to the SPG security, from the security point of view, also due to the requirement of places for the SPG commandos protecting her. She has been staying in the govt bungalow even though she is not a public servant, she is neither a govt official nor a member of parliament or assembly. She had been granted the house only on the basis of her SPG protected status.

The Gandhi scion convinced Vajpayee govt to reduce her monthly rent

In 2002, when Atal Bihari Vajpayee led BJP government was at the helm of affairs, then too, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had managed to retain her accommodation. It was reported how she had convinced the Vajpayee government to reduce the monthly rent for her 2,765.18 sqm house in Lutyens’ Delhi from Rs 53,421 to only Rs 8,888, a whopping 83% reduction.

On May 07, 2002, Priyanka wrote to the government and said that Rs 53,421 was “too high” an amount and “beyond her paying capacity”.

In 2002, Priyanka told the government that she had been “occupying the bungalow on the request of the SPG and that a large part of the bungalow was occupied by SPG itself” and not by her family. She added that it is not her choice to stay in a general pool house but she is doing so due to security considerations.

The note for the Cabinet Committee on Accommodation on July 8, 2003, said: “The matter has been reviewed keeping in view the facts that security protectees are not unauthorised occupants and allotments have been made to them as per the policy of the government. It has been felt that the security protectees, including SPG protectees, may be charged special licence fee in respect of the government accommodation provided to them as they are private persons and they cannot afford to pay the market rates of licence fees”.

This is how, Priyanka Gandhi did not only manage to retain the entitlement, despite not being eligible for it but also managed to get the rent revised to Rs 8,888 per month from July 24, 2003. The rent was gradually increased as per norms, and in 2016, it was reported that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was paying Rs 31,300 for accommodation in Type VI government house at 35, Lodhi Estate, which should have at least cost her Rs 53,421 per month as per 2002 rate, if not more.

When the house was originally granted to Priyanka Vadra in 1997, its rent was Rs 19,900 per month, as per the market rate at this time. The rate was gradually increased, but Vadra managed to slash the rates citing her inability to pay, and also by arguing that she was not using the whole bungalow, as parts of it were occupied by SPG.

Retained house during Modi-1 govt and stopped paying rent during Modi-2

When Modi govt came to power, many BJP supporters demanded that Priyanka Vadra should be evicted from the govt house, but she managed to stay on during the first term of the Modi govt. The SPG protection status of the Gandhi family, including hers, was retained by the home ministry during the Modi govt-1, and therefore, she was able to retain the house, as it was felt that it will be difficult for SPG to provide her protection in a different location outside the high-security area. As long as she remained under the protection of SPG, the accommodation remained available to her by default.

Moreover, according to sources, Priyanka Gandhi also has not paid rent for almost a year now. Reportedly the Gandhi scion owes around Rs 3.5 lakh in rents to the govt. This means that she had stopped paying rent even before her SPG protection was withdrawn.

In 2019, the Home Ministry decided to replace the SPG category status of the Gandhi family with Z-plus security after the intelligence agencies had conducted a detailed review of threat perception of the Gandhis and had advised downgrading of security protection accorded to them from SPG cover to ‘Z-plus security’. This meant that the bungalow was no longer a security requirement. Despite this, the Gandhi scion until now has been using the government accommodation, which she should have vacated long ago, considering she does not hold any public office.

So basically to sum it up, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is still living in government accommodation, which she is not entitled to. Secondly, she was being charged a rent which was technically much lower than what it should have been for a type VI government accommodation. And to top it all, she owed Rs 3,46,000 to the govt in rents, which means that she had not paid up the rent for atleast last 10 months.

RTI reply says Shashi Tharoor’s promised MPLADS fund not received by medical institute, Tharoor blames central govt after reply goes viral

OpIndia Staff
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RTI reply says Shashi Tharoor’s promised MPLADS fund not received by medical institute, Tharoor blames central govt after reply goes viral

An RTI plea filed to seek the donations received by the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology in Thiruvananthapuram revealed that contrary to what Congress leader Shashi Tharoor had boasted on his Twitter timeline, the institute had not received any funds from the Trivandrum MP to bankroll its research and development work in building a new coronavirus kit that would considerably reduce the sample-to-result time of COVID-19 tests.

RTI response to plea seeking donations received by the institute from Shashi Tharoor(Source: Twitter)

Kerala BJP President Muraleedharan also tweeted a copy of RTI reply dated 22.06.2020 by Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute of Thiruvananthapuram which claimed that no funds under MPLADS are received till date to Institute from Dr Shashi Tharoor MP Trivandrum.

“RTI plea busted @INCKerala MP @ShashiTharoor’s claim of donating ₹1 Cr. MPLADS fund to @sctimst_tvm. They did not receive the fund either for R&D or for the purchase of Test Kits. Stop #Lying!” V Muraleedharan tweeted.

The RTI was filed after Congress leader Shashi Tharoor tweeted that he had allocated Rs 1 crore from his MPLADS fund to finance the Research and Development that can lead to a breakthrough in battling coronavirus as the institute prepared a new test kit that brought the sample-to-result time below two hours.

The RTI response effectively punctures the claims made by the Congress leader that the institute prepared the rapid testing kits using the money earmarked by him from his MPLADS fund. The reply received in response to the RTI plea said that no fund had been received by the institute from Dr Shashi Tharoor. It further stated that no project has been created since the claimed funds were not received by the institute till date.

Shashi Tharoor calls Muraleedharan’s claims as “scurrilous”; provides detailed clarification

However, the Thiruvananthapuram MP, Shashi Tharoor, in his defence, had rubbished the allegations levelled against him and termed the tweet by the Kerala BJP president against him as “scurrilous”. In a series of tweets, he provided detailed clarification on the matter, alleging that the funds were granted on March 30, before the government of India suspended MPLADS funds for two years due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

“Given the institution’s strong history of path-breaking innovation and the calibre of its scientists, I was confident that this would be successful & allocated this amount to the institute as the attachment shows,” Shashi Tharoor tweeted along with the allotment letter. The Congress leader added that the allotment was made by letter dated 30 March on the understanding that SCTIMST would get the funds once the kits were developed by them.

Read- Shashi Tharoor shares dubious claims hailing Kerala govt from a hoax site, then refuses to delete it because ‘it is viral now’

Tharoor further added that District administration and institute administration asked him to provide the same amount as funding against purchase citing the revised MPLAD guidelines that did not allow support and development but authorised only purchases.

“And surely even @VMBJP can understand that for funds to be disbursed, purchase needs to be made; for purchase, production needs to start; and for production, you need to convince your govt to support our institutes & approve their kits, instead of sitting on Twitter?” Tharoor tweeted.

“This BJP Govt has a shameful pattern: it fails to perform &then it attacks theOpposition for allegedly not doing the Govt’s job. The cretinous tweet by @VMBJP is merely the latest example of this. He should apologise for accusing me of lying when I’ve been fully transparent,” an irate Tharoor tweeted, blasting at the BJP government and MoS Muraleedharan for calling him a liar.

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