President of the United States of America has possibly opened a can of words when he admitted today that he has ‘high degree of confidence’ that the Coronavirus originated in the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China. President Donald Trump has been consistent in his attempts to call out China for its irresponsible conduct as far as the Coronavirus pandemic is concerned. He has also consistently called out the World Health Organisation (WHO) for being complicit in covering up the conduct of China.
.@johnrobertsFox: "Have you seen anything at this point that gives you a high degree of confidence that the Wuhan Institute of Virology was the origin of this virus?"
President Trump said that the government is examining all scientific evidence to determine the origins of Novel Coronavirus, however, when probed further by a journalist and asked whether he has seen information and has ‘high degree of confidence’ that the Coronavirus originated in a Wuhan lab, President Trump said, “Yes, I have”.
When asked if he can divulge what that information was, he said, “I can’t tell you that. I’m not allowed to tell you that”.
President Trump also called out the World Health Organisation (WHO) and said that they should be “ashamed of themselves” because they are like the “public relations agency” for China. President Trump said that WHO should not be making excuses when people (China) make horrible mistakes.
Recently, a report published by Fox News had claimed that the Wuhan coronavirus that has swept the globe was not a natural virus but a man-made one which was accidentally leaked by an intern working at the lab at Wuhan Institute of Virology in China.
Mounting an attack against China for its possible complicity in the spread of the virus, US President Donald Trump took cognisance of the exclusive report published by the Fox News which alleged that though the virus is a naturally occurring strain among bats and not a bioweapon, it was being studied in the Wuhan lab and was eventually leaked by an intern.
The report mentioned that the initial transmission of the zoonotic virus occurred from bat to human, adding that the “patient-zero” worked at the Wuhan laboratory. It stated that the intern working at the laboratory accidentally contracted the virus before transmitting it to other people outside the facility.
Even at the UNSC meeting, USA had called for an analysis of the origins of Coronavirus, in an obvious dig at China, while the latter insisted that no country should be made a scapegoat and called for global solidarity in the wake of the pandemic. SG Anthony Gutierres’s call for a global ceasefire received no support and the only thing the UNSC agreed on was on press elements post the meet.
“The United States reiterates today the need for complete transparency and the timely sharing of public health data and information within the international community. The most effective way to contain this pandemic is through accurate, science-based data collection and analysis of the origins, characteristics, and spread of the virus,” Ambassador Kelly Craft said in her remarks on the disease. She said, “Beyond its impact on global health, COVID-19 is having a tremendous socioeconomic impact on the entire world. This means that addressing the challenge before us requires global action, international solidarity, and unity of purpose.”
Congress MLA from Rajasthan’s Sangod, Bharat Singh Kundanpur has written to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot asking him to consider opening liquor shops in the state by claiming that alcohol could kill the coronavirus.
The Congress MLA in his letter has argued that if coronavirus can be removed by washing hands with alcohol, then drinking alcohol will surely remove the virus from the throat.
Bharat Singh Kundanpur, Congress MLA from Sangod has written to Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot for opening liquor shops in the state. The letter reads, “When #coronavirus can be removed by washing hands with alcohol, then drinking alcohol will surely remove virus from the throat”. pic.twitter.com/ToVPomDI1Z
Black marketing of alcohol increased, loss to state’s revenue: Congress MLA
“Liquor shops are closed across the country due to the coronavirus lockdown. The union government will never give green light to sell liquor. Meanwhile, black marketing of alcohol is increasing while the liquor shops remain closed and the economic impact of the same has been massive,” Bharat Singh Kundanpur said in his letter.
Kundanpur further added the Rajasthan government had set a target of Rs 12,500 crore from the sale of alcohol in the year 2020-21 and it would be unlikely to be fulfilled as the lockdown has extended to over a month.
While urging with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot to open the liquor shops in the state, Kundanpur said, “When coronavirus can be removed by washing hands with alcohol, then drinking alcohol will surely remove the virus from the throat”.
The MLA also referred to an incident of Halaina village in Bharatpur where two persons lost their lives after consuming country-made liquor. He also shared a news report of the state government’s decision to increase excise duty on liquor in order to make up for the revenue loss during the lockdown.
The Hyderabad police have registered a case against an AIMIM party corporator after he was caught threatening and obstructing two constables from doing their duty near a mosque at Chawni Nade Ali Baig in Hyderabad on Thursday. A video has gone viral across social media platforms in which AIMIM party corporator Mohammed Murtuza Ali was seen warning two policemen for their presence near the mosque.
According to the police, two policemen were standing near the mosque as part of the security detail. The AIMIM corporator Murtuza Ali soon arrived at the spot and picked up an argument with them. He allegedly pushed a constable when he tried to cover his name badge with hand.
In the video, it can be seen that AIMIM leader Murtaza Ali arguing with the two policemen and asking them to leave the spot which was in front of a mosque.
Meanwhile, the corporator Ali has alleged the policemen were standing near the mosque and asking the management to lock the premises. “I asked them to show the permission letter for putting a lock on the mosque. The constables were threatening the people in the area,” he alleged.
SVN Shivaram Sharma, ACP Santoshnagar, said that a complaint has been registered by the police constable and a case has been registered against Murtuza Ali.
A social worker has filed a petition in Bombay High court seeking directions for Maharashtra Governor to act upon the proposal of the State Cabinet to appoint Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray as a Member of the Legislative council.
A petition has been filed in Bombay High Court seeking directions for Governor of Maharashtra to act upon the proposal of State cabinet to appoint Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray as Member of the State Legislative Council (MLC). #Maharashtra
The petition was filed by the social worker Surinder Arora through his advocate S B Talekar. The plea claimed, “The BJP as part of its political game plan is trying to make Uddhav Thackeray step down from the post of chief minister with the help of Maharashtra governor (B S Koshyari). However, today is not the time to play politics when the state has to fight the battle against coronavirus.”
Arora’s plea seeking to direct the governor to take a decision on the proposal submitted by the cabinet expeditiously or within three days. The plea will be heard on May 5. The petition said, “In India, the Election Commission of India has postponed all elections across the states. Owing to this, the chief minister of Maharashtra, who is a non-legislator, will not be in a position to become a member of the Legislature within a period of six months from the date of his appointment.”
The petition mentioned that the government of Maharashtra will be destabilized due to non-availability of Chief minister which can be a disaster in approaching days.
The plea said that the governor is yet to make a decision on the recommendation made by the council of ministers despite the lapse of 20 days. The petitioner is a citizen of India and a valid voter is seeking a direction to the governor to decide upon the recommendation as expeditiously as possible so as to avoid a situation of a destabilized government in such crucial times.
Uddhav Thackeray was sworn in as Chief Minister of Maharashtra on 28 November 2019. In accordance with Article 164 (4) of the constitution, he has to become a member of one of the two houses of the legislature within six months i.e. on or up to 27th May 2020, else he will have to step down as a Chief minister. The Maharashtra government has nominated him to one vacant seat in the Legislative Council, but the governor is yet to approve the nomination.
Adolf Hitler, the Nazi dictator, took his own life on April 30, 1945, dying in ignominy in his underground Führerbunker at the Reich Chancellery in Berlin. Today, on the 75th anniversary of Adolf Hitler’s suicide, here are some facts surrounding the Nazi leader’s final hours.
In April 1945, while allied forces defeated German-led axis forces everywhere and marched towards Berlin to capture Hitler, the Nazi dictator went underground in a bunker built fifty-five feet under the chancellery (Hitler’s headquarters as chancellor), hoping of the emergence of the Nazis and future supremacy of the Aryan race. While going into isolation Hitler advised his girlfriend Eva Brown to leave the city but Eva did not listen to him and decided to stay on with him until the last moment.
Adolf Hitler celebrated his last birthday days before ending his life
Days before committing suicide on April 20, 1945, Hitler tottered out of his command bunker under Berlin’s old Reich chancellery into the chancellery garden to celebrate his 56th birthday with a small group of his soldiers and comrades. That was the Nazi dictators last birthday before he died on April 30, 1945. He had awarded iron crosses to a detachment of Hitler youth who had knocked out Soviet Union’s Red Army on Berlin eastern approaches.
Adolf Hitler began to openly talk about his end
“I personally will not fight. There will always be a danger that I will only get injured and fall into the hands of the people of Russia. I do not want my enemies to humiliate my body. I have ordered that I be cremated. Brown has decided to put an end to life with me….”, said Hiltler, hinting that his wife, Eva Braun would also end her life with him.
The Battle of Berlin which began on April 16, 1945, and lasted until May 2, 1945, resulted in the surrender of the German army and an end to Adolf Hitler’s rule.
On April 28, 1945, Hitler’s Italian ally, Benito Mussolini, was dead after being shot by an Italian partisan. With the Western Allies days away from retaking Europe, Poland in the hands of the advancing Red Army and Berlin under relentless siege, Hitler was forced to concede.
Suicide: Cyanide or Bullet?
After intense discussion with his personal physician. Hitler shot himself through his right temple, biting down on a cyanide capsule. He did so to ensure there would be no question of his survival. His wife, Eva Braun, whom he had married a day earlier, followed suit.
Since Hitler was unsure if the cyanide capsules would work, he first fed one to his favourite dog, Blondi. When the dog handler Feldwebel Fritz Tornow confirmed that the dog died within few seconds of consuming the cyanide capsule, he ordered that Blondi’s puppies should be shot before his death and be buried outside. Only after that did he shoot himself with his service pistol.
The room where Hitler killed himself in the bunker
It is believed that Hitler was preparing for his death since April 25, 1945. On that day, he beckoned his personal bodyguard, Heinz Linge and explained to him in length, how he wanted his body to be burnt and disposed of after he died. He instructed that after he shot himself, his dead body should be carried to the chancellery garden and set on fire so that after death no one can see it nor recognize it.
As per instructions, the bodies of Hitler and Braun were carried outside the bunker to the garden, where they were doused with petrol and set on fire amid Red Army shelling.
Hitler wanted all his personal belongings to be destroyed as soon as he shot himself. His uniform, papers and everything that he had used, should be set on fire simultaneously, wished the Nazi dictator.
Adolf Hitler in his last days
However, big a tyrant he might have been, multiple reports suggest that Hitler’s behaviour in the last days was like a completely defeated and dejected man. His body was tired and rickety and his clothes were dirty. Describing the condition of Hitler’s last days, Robert Penn, who wrote the famous book ‘The Life and Death of Adolf Hitler’, wrote: “By then Hitler’s face was swollen and had numerous wrinkles. It was like his life was flashing before his eyes. Sometimes his right hand would tremble badly and he used to hold it with his left hand to stop that tremor. “
Robert Penn wrote that Hitler tucked his head between his shoulders like an old vulture and that his tricks began to falter. It is written in the book – “It was probably due to damage to a fine membrane of his ear in a bomb blast. He would walk away and stop and grab the corner of a table. Within six months, he had become ten years old.”
Adolf Hitler married his 14-years mistress, Eva Braun a day before committing suicide
For 14 years, Hitler refused to marry his mistress Eva Braun, fearing it would alienate his female fans. Hitler had decided in his last days in the bunker that he would give legitimacy to that relationship by marrying Eva Brown. Until the end, Hitler never referred to Braun as his wife, instead, called her Fraulein Braun until their suicide. He also had a number of other, less pleasant, nicknames for her, including Tschapperl which meant idiot, bumpkin or wench.
Adolf Hitler with wife Eva Braun
Robert Penn had written in this book how witnesses and necessary people were brought to the bunker for marriage. Sipping champagne after the marriage, Hitler got emotional talking about the old days, and said – “Everything is over, everyone cheated on me.”
Adolf Hitler’s last day
At one o’clock in the afternoon of April 30, 1945, Eva and Hitler went to the bunker. After some time, the people standing outside heard the sound of the bullet, the guard standing at the door smelled of burnt ammo. They realized that along with a bullet cyanide was also used.
When those people went inside, the bodies of the bride and groom were lying there. Hitler shot himself and Eva killed herself by consuming a cyanide capsule. This brought an end to the twentieth-century love story, whose hero was a cruel dictator.
After this, the bodies of Hitler and Eva were taken by the rest of the people in the bunker to the chancellery garden, as Hitler had instructed. They tried to first immolate the bodies by burning it by pouring petrol but the first attempt failed. Since the Soviet soldiers were moving rapidly towards them, Hitler’s soldiers dragged his body into a pit made of bombs, where it was eventually burned.
Hitler’s death was announced the next day by radio. When Stalin came to know about Hitler’s suicide, he first wanted to confirm this. Ian Kershaw, who wrote a biography of Hitler, writes: “As soon as the bodies were set on fire, all the people there raised their hands and called ‘Hell Hitler’ and returned to their bunker.”
Ian further wrote in this biography: “When the flames subsided, more petrol was poured on them. The flames kept rising for two and a half hours. A few days later, when Soviet investigators took out the remains of Hitler and his wife Eva, everything was finished. A dental bridge was found there in the pit. A man working on Hitler’s dental bridge since 1938 confirmed that it belonged to Hitler.”
French scientists analyzed fragments of Adolf Hitler’s teeth to prove that he died in 1945, after taking cyanide and shooting himself in the head. The research, published in the European Journal of Internal Medicine in May 2018, seeks to end conspiracy theories about Adolf Hitler’s death through scientific analysis of the dictator’s teeth and skull. There were many conspiracy theories claiming that the death of Hitler was a made-up story and he had escaped to some other countries and lived until his old age. The most popular rumour is that he had escaped to Argentina, although historians have dismissed those theories.
Although it is unlikely that Hitler had escaped to Argentina, several Nazi and other fascist officials who had survived the war did go to South America after the war and had escaped the Nuremberg trial. Argentina was most favoured location for such escapees as its government was sympathetic towards Nazis and had started a mechanism of issuing passport and visa to such persons.
After the death of Hitler, Germany surrendered on May 8, 1945. There was no condition from Germany for this. With this, the daunting chapter of the tyrant who mercilessly massacred the Jews came to an end.
World War II and the enormous catastrophe it brought upon mankind occurred “probably mainly” because of anti-Semitism, according to Israel’s preeminent Holocaust scholar. Indeed, Adolf Hitler launched the war to a large extent to prevent “world Jewry” from physically annihilating the German nation, Yehuda Bauer said.
Hitler wrote a secret memorandum to Hermann Goering in August 1936, in which he spoke about the need for Germany to be ready for war within four years. Otherwise, Hitler argued, Jewish Bolshevism will “replace” the German nation. “For a victory of Bolshevism over Germany would not lead to a Versailles Treaty but to the final destruction, indeed to the annihilation, of the German people,” Hitler wrote.
The new data released by the West Bengal government has revealed that 105 Wuhan coronavirus related deaths have taken place in the state and not 33 that the state’s press statement revealed.
The Mamata Banerjee led West Bengal government is terming a person a coronavirus casualty only if he or she does not possess any other disease at the time of death that is a complete contradiction to protocols applied. Deth of people having comorbidities like hypertension, diabetes or cardiovascular problem etc are not being categorized as coronavirus deaths.
BREAKING: #Bengal govt reveals 105 #Covid positive patients have died in the state
However, govt says the official #Covid19 death toll is 33, because remaining 72 deaths are being attributed to comorbidity (pre existing diseases) by its Audit Committee
The new data which was released on Thursday stated that state-registered 33 ‘Covid-19 deaths’ and 72 other deaths where patients were suffering from Covid-19 but died of comorbidities.
The Union Health Ministry data states that out of the total 1075 coronavirus casualties across the country 78 percent were the cases of comorbidities.
As per West Bengal recent data, there were 11 new casualties on Thursday taking the death toll in the state to 33. Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha said that in the last 24 hours, 37 fresh coronavirus cases have been reported in the state, and 15 people were discharged from hospitals after recovery.
He informed that Out of the total 572 cases in the state, 139 people have been recovered.
The officer revealed that 1,905 samples have been tested for the virus till Wednesday. The total number of samples examined so far stands at 16,525.
The state health department states that there are 744 coronavirus cases in the state while the Union ministry says that there are 758 cases in the state of West Bengal.
Veteran actor Rishi Kapoor passed away on the last day of April, only a day after the death of another very popular actor Irrfan Khan. Rishi Kapoor was admitted to H N Reliance hospital on Wednesday where he breathed his last. Following his death, a video had gone viral on social media after mainstream media houses and verified Twitter handles had claimed that the video was recorded hours before the demise of the Bollywood veteran. One such media house was India Today. Now, however, news director at India Today itself, Rahul Kanwal, published a ‘fact-check’ of the matter through his Twitter account.
Earlier, India Today had shared the video where it had urged its followers to ‘take a look’ at the ‘last visuals’ of the legendary actor. However, as it turns out, it was completely fake news. The tweet has, since then, been deleted. Normally, journalists are expected to verify a piece of news before sharing it with the larger population. However, in the race for TRP, the roles have been reversed. Journalists randomly share pieces of information without verifying them and do not correct them until the audience points it out, if at all they do so.
Fake News by India Today
The tweet by India Today came at 5.56 p.m. and Rahul Kanwal’s factcheck was published at 7.27 pm. Thus, it took one and a half hour for those at India Today to verify the news. And although Rahul Kanwal did post a factcheck, he appears to have forgotten to apologise to his audience for spreading such insensitive misinformation. People are expected to be considerate during a period of mourning, however, the rush for TRP does make mainstream media houses abandon basic human decency frequently. However, it might be the first time that a media had to suffer the embarrassment of factchecking its own news.
Fact check on Rishi Kapoor’s ‘last message’ viral video:
A YouTube user named DK Sanu, had uploaded the video on Youtube much before his current hospitalisation. The video was actually shot earlier and was posted on Youtube on February 29 this year. Contrary to the claims of various media outlet, the video was not shot on Wednesday, a day before Rishi Kapoor’s death. It was shot much earlier, perhaps in February, when he was admitted for treatment after his health had deteriorated.
Apart from India Today, the fake news was shared by The Tribune and other individuals with a verified Twitter handle. In the viral video, it can be seen that Rishi Kapoor is smiling while lying in a hospital bed. Next to him, a man can be singing a rendition of ‘Tere Dard Se Dil’ – a song originally sung by Kumar Sanu. The song was a part of Rishi Kapoor’s film Deewana which also starred the late Divya Bharti and Shah Rukh Khan. In the end, Rishi Kapoor can be seen wiping tears off his face with a towel. Rishi Kapoor was also seen putting his hand to the man’s head to give blessings.
The Indian army has issued warnings to its personnel against Pakistani intelligence agencies’ new tactics to hack the phones of Indian Military personnel through an application similar to the Aarogya Setu app.
The army stated, “Inimical Intelligence agencies have developed a malicious app by the name of Aarogya Setu.apk. Such apps were found to be sent by Pakistan-based Pakistani Intelligence operatives to Whatsapp groups of Indian Army personnel.”
Pakistan has created fake Arogya Setu app
Reportedly, Pakistani intelligent agencies have developed a fake Aarogya Setu app designed to steal information from Indians. The app has the capability of collecting the locations of users and sending it to its creator without the knowledge of the user. Therefore, if the app is downloaded on the phone security personnel, Pakistan will be able to track the movement of such personnel and their troops. Contact lists and any other sensitive information stored on the device can also be accessed by the malicious software and send it to Pakistan.
As per reports, the Pakistani agencies are using social media accounts with Indian names to target the Indian personnel. Reports suggest that the known Pakistani Intelligence Operative account under the fake name of one ‘Anoshka Chopra’ also found sending the malicious application to Indian Army personnel.
In its warning, the Indian army had asked its personnel to sensitize the Pakistani Spy agencies’ designs while downloading the application.
Personnel are directed to download AarogyaSetu app
Amid the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak, the Army personnel have been directed to upload the Aarogya Setu app so that the new cases of infection can be traced. The Aarogya Setu app is developed by government agencies and is being used by more than 75 million people across the country. The army has directed its personnel to download the AarogyaSetu app only through the website of the central government that is mygov.in or Android play store or iOS Apple play store.
Army Chief, Gen. Manoj Mukund Naravane had earlier said that India is busy fighting coronavirus epidemic both internally and globally while Pakistan is busy exporting terrorism.
The Army Chief said, “While we are busy not only helping our own citizens but the rest of the world too by sending medical teams and exporting medicines. On the other hand, Pakistan is only exporting terror. This doesn’t auger well.”
After governor’s rule was imposed in the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) in Assam on April 27th, the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) which was in power in the council has expressed its displeasure over it and said that it is looking at other alternatives.
Hagrama Mohilary, former militant leader and BPF chief, in a series of Tweets today said that they strongly oppose the decision and has filed a petition against it at the Gauhati High Court. He added that although his party is in alliance with BJP at the state, they are forced to reconsider their understanding, and they are looking at other alternatives.
Though we are in alliance with @BJP4India in the state, we are forced to reconsider our understanding. We are looking at other alternatives. I request Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi, BJP President Shri @JPNadda and Home Minister Shri @AmitShah to look into the matter. 3/3
Mohilary tweeted that in this time of emergency, people in the region needed their government more, but instead of extending the term of the Council, the governor gave the charge of the region to the Principal Secretary of Assam.
The term of the BTC, which governs the four districts under the Bodoland Territorial Region, ended on 27th April. The elections for the council was scheduled on 4th April, but the elections were deferred due to the Coronavirus pandemic. At the time of deferring the elections, campaigning for the same was in full swing. BJP was contesting against the BPF in the elections and had fielded candidates in all 40 constituencies.
The ruling BPF, which is an ally of BJP along with Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) in Assam, had asked that the term of the council should be extended by six months, but it was overruled and governor’s rule for six months was imposed instead.
The Bodoland Territorial Council is an autonomous district council established under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India. It comprises four districts in North-Western Assam north of Brahmaputra bordering Bhutan- Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa and Udalguri. These districts were collectively known as Bodoland Territorial Area District, which has been recently renamed as Bodoland Territorial Region.
The Bodoland People’s Front is in power in BTC for 17 years since it was formed in 2003, having won every election. This is the first time the party lost the power in the autonomous council. Before the governor rule was imposed, the party had appealed for either extending its term or holding elections. The party had said that as the region remains free of Coronavirus cases, elections can be held.
But as the ongoing lockdown is nationwide imposed by the union government, the election could not be held. Moreover, it was decided against extending the term of the current council. Principal Secretary to the State Government Rajesh Prasad was appointed as Administrator of BTC after the term of the council ended on 27th April.
Even though Hagrama Mohilary has threatened to reconsider their understanding on the alliance with BJP and looking at other alternatives, the Assam govt is in no danger, as the BJP’s alliance with AGP will still have the numbers if BPF pulls out. In 126 member Assam Assembly, BJP has 60 MLAs, while AGP has 14 and BPF has 12. The alliance also has the support of one independent MLA, and has 75 MLAs in support of it.
Assembly elections for Assam are scheduled to be held at early next year.
‘Who the hell do you think you are’, Arnab Goswami had said after he and his wife were attacked by two Congress workers while the journalists were driving back home from their Republic TV studio. Turns out, Sonia Gandhi seems to believe that the law and the law enforcement agencies are meant to be used as pawns in her petty political games. The 12-hour long interrogation of Arnab Goswami in Mumbai laid bare the absolute abuse of power and unbridled scorn that Congress harbours not only for the principles of freedom of the press but also for the institutions of this country, like the police force, that are meant to serve citizens instead of harassing them based on the whims and fancies of political royalty.
Arnab Goswami asked Sonia Gandhi some probing questions after the gruesome Palghar lynching of two sadhus. He asked why Sonia Gandhi was silent and whether the Italian born politician would have maintained such silence if it were Christian padres who were murdered. In the process, he also brought up the Graham Stains murder, a Christian missionary, where the then Sonia Gandhi government, in November 2015, awarded the Mother Teresa Memorial Award for Social Justice to the wife of Graham Staines. If Sonia Gandhi and her government could award Staines’ wife, why would she not speak up against the lynching of two sadhus in a state where she has compromised her ideological moorings and aligned with the Shiv Sena.
These questions were not misplaced. In fact, after decades of Congress funding and browbeating the media to maintain Omertà on the Congress party’s crimes, these questions being asked on air were a breath of fresh air. What perhaps irked the Congress more, was that Arnab Goswami reminded the people of India that Sonia Gandhi is a born-Italian and for a long time, she was not Indian at all. That her ideological moorings perhaps comes from the fact that she was raised Catholic. Also, Sonia Gandhi’s father, Stefano Maino, was a member of the Fascist party and a loyal supporter of Mussolini.
No matter how vociferously the Congress party tries to deny the involvement of the upper echelons of the Congress power structure in the shameful hounding of Arnab Goswami, there are some facts that have now come to the fore, if we needed more, that makes it impossible to believe that Congress supporters simply got irked because their Queen Bee was being called out with the naked truth.
The discrepancies in the complaint filed against Arnab Goswami by Congress leader in Mumbai
It has now come to the fore that Congress leader Nitin Raut, who filed a complaint against Arnab Goswami might have lied rather blatantly in his complaint. In his initial complaint, Raut had mentioned that he had watched Arnab Goswami’s show on Republic TV (Hindi) while he was at home. Later, it is now revealed, Raut filed a supplementary complaint that changed that stand completely and asserted that he watched Arnab Goswami’s show while he was in his office.
During a press conference, when he was confronted by a Republic TV reporter and asked which statement is true, he mysteriously said: “both statements were true”. He also admitted that the clip was sent to him “by his party office” and it based on this that the complaint was filed.
Further, the FIR filed on the basis of the statement of Congress leader and Maharashtra Minister Nitin Raut indicates he watched the show between 5 to 11 pm. On being asked by a reporter about how he watched the show at 5 pm, 6 pm or even 8 pm, when the show doesn’t air then, he dodged the question. He simply mentioned having watched the clip and makes no mention of having watched the full show.
Congress Minister Nitin Raut’s admission that “When I say that I watched it earlier, it’s the truth, and later I watched a clip, which is mentioned in the complaint that I filed in the police station.” implies he lied about the very basis on which the FIR was filed. Clearly, he did not watch the entire 52-minute show anchored by Arnab Goswami, but a 50-second clip handed by his party.
There are certain questions that need to be asked, emerging from the glaring loopholes in the statements made by Nitin Raut.
Did he watch the ‘show’ (full show of 52 minutes) at home or while in his office as clearly, both cannot be true.
How did he manage to watch the show from 5 PM to 11 PM when the show airs only for 52 minutes?
Contrary to the “organic” outpouring of love for Sonia Gandhi, from the details mentioned above, it seems abundantly clear that it was a party directive to take on Arnab Goswami and ensure that he was hounded to the hilt. If that is the case, why is Sonia Gandhi now not speaking up?
Is Freedom Of Expression, which has become a convenient punchline for the Congress party on the whole and Sonia Gandhi, meant only for those media houses that ask her about how she used to cook pasta for her mother-in-law and not journalists like Arnab Goswami?
If he indeed filed the complaint based on a 50-second clip and claimed otherwise in his complaint, will the Mumbai police now take cognisance of how the State’s minister lied in his complaint and misled the police?
Considering the Complaint was filed as a decided strategy by the Congress party, was the unnecessary, unprecedented and prolonged “interrogation” of Arnab Goswami, that lasted for over 12-hours also conducted because the Mumbai police were instructed by the Congress party, which is one of the parties ruling in Maharashtra?
Was Mumbai police directed to not include the name of Congress party, or even that the attackers belonged to Congress party, in the complaint by Arnab Goswami on the express instructions of the ruling party of the state?
The Freudian slip – An admission and a false equivalence
While the Republic TV journalist questioned Raut, the Minister said: “You raise the point of him being questioned for 12 to 12.5 hours, I want to ask you that this country’s former home minister and former finance minister P Chidambaram was made to sit for so many hours, why did that happen?”
This could possibly be a Freudian slip that exposes that this battle-royale that Congress has unleashed on Arnab Goswami is a premeditated, strategic move, however misplaced. If one recalls, Republic had gone hammer and tongs against P Chidambaram who accused of financial fraud and out on bail. Several exposes were aired by Republic TV that exposed the lies, deception and shenanigans of the Congress party, including of Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Robert Vadra and even P Chidambaram. The Freudian slip that made Raut mention Chidambaram only exposes how the Congress party is perhaps trying to extract its pound of flesh from the single-minded haranguing of Goswami.
It is also worthy to note that there is no equivalence between Chidambaram being questioned and Arnab being questioned. Chidambaram was questioned for financial fraud, while in office as the Finance Minister, investigated by the Enforcement Directorate while Arnab was made to undergo questioning for “speaking against” Sonia Gandhi, a charge being prettily dressed up as him trying to “incite violence”. One has to stop and wonder if the Congress actually means that if any journalist dares to question Sonia Gandhi, Congress will unleash violence in India. But that is a purely speculative and perhaps the subject of a different article.
Mumbai Police refuses request for video conferencing amidst Covid-19 spread in Maharashtra
At the very outset, it is important to mention that Maharashtra has the highest number of Coronavirus cases in India with the highest number of deaths. In such a situation, Arnab Goswami had requested the Mumbai Police to question him via video conferencing since he lives with elderly parents and the spread of the pandemic is severe especially in Mumbai.
The Mumbai Police had then asserted that there is no provision for the same and Arnab must make himself available for questioning.
OpIndia has learnt that Arnab Goswami got only 12 hours to make himself available for questioning, that ultimately lasted for over 12 hours. One has to wonder, that while bodies pile up in Maharashtra, people defy lockdown orders and the state is being ravaged by a fast-spreading pandemic, what was the tearing hurry to question a long-standing journalist for his comments that were made on air. It should also be asked what was the need to call Goswami to the police station amidst a pandemic that mandates confinement to the house. Arnab Goswami’s statements were on air and he was not a flight risk, neither was he accused of crimes of a grave nature – what then was the tearing hurry felt by the Mumbai police to question him at the notice of 12 hours?
Any thinking individual would wonder if there was political pressure on the police to ensure that Arnab Goswami is kept away from his show and harassed by being interrogated for over 12 hours simply to show him what the collective might of Congress can do to him if he continued to break the established Omertà in the media.
What about Arnab Goswami is irking Congress led by Sonia Gandhi?
Strategically speaking, haranguing Arnab Goswami is a move that can only be written off as one that could come from the beautiful mind of Rahul Gandhi. When a political party goes after a journalist, that too a party like Congress that has been decimated in elections because the people of the country hardly trust their credentials anymore, the only logical outcome is that the journalist becomes a face of resistance. A face of an honest, upstanding man who is being hounded by the powerful because he dared to question them.
For the grand-old party led by Sonia Gandhi to make such a rookie mistake like hounding a journalist like Arnab Goswami, something must have truly and utterly caught their goat, metaphorically speaking. One wonders how simply mentioning the maternal name of Sonia Gandhi can irk them to a level where they started using not only their goons but also their state machinery to browbeat Goswami.
The truth is that Congress, which has commanded the reigns of the media for a long time, perhaps cannot come to terms with the fact that there exists a media house of Republic’s viewership that it cannot dictate since they have absolutely no hold or locus standi against Arnab Goswami. When the controversy broke out, Congress leaders started demanding that Arnab Goswami be ‘sacked’ only to be thoroughly disappointed to learn that Goswami owns over 80% of his company and the only way he can be fired is if he decides to cower to the mighty Congress. To their utter dismay, they realised that professionally and/or financially, there is nothing much they can do about Goswami. They cannot take away his job. His livelihood. Or tame him by giving him the luxuries several others crave for. The only option left for the Party was to browbeat him and this entire saga seems like a classic case of politicians losing their mind after internalising the Delhi syndrome – ‘Tu janta nahi main kaun hu?’.
