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BJP MLA comes to Rajasthan Assembly with basket full of locusts to protest government inaction against locust attack on crops

OpIndia Staff
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BJP MLA comes to Rajasthan Assembly with basket full of locusts to protest government inaction against locust attack on crops

Rajasthan BJP MLA Bihari Lal Nokha walked in the Rajasthan Assembly with a basket full of locusts on Friday to draw the attention of state government towards its increasing menace in the fields of Rajasthan.

The BJP MLA has demanded swift action from the state government to compensate the farmers whose crops have been destroyed by locusts.

“The farmers in the state have faced huge losses due to the locust menace and the government should pay them their compensation. Over seven lakh hectares of crops have been damaged,” Nokha informed while speaking to ANI.


Nokha also asserted that he will speak to the government official regarding the issue. “We demand the state government to not waste time and help the farmers in Rajasthan. They have been affected due to locusts that have emanated from the desert area of Pakistan. I have come here to speak to the government and work out some relief measures”, he said.

Eleven districts of the state are facing the worst locust attack after 26 years. Control measures have been undertaken on 3.70 lakh hectares of affected land, officials said.

Read- Karachi faces locust attack, Pakistani minister urges people to eat them in Biriyani

“The seriousness of the government is visible in addressing the issue of locust attack in western Rajasthan that has damaged crops on lakhs of hectares of land,” Nokha (Bikaner) MLA Bihari Lal told reporters in the assembly building.

“Instead of taking the issue very seriously, the government is focused against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. The farmers have suffered huge losses due to the locust attack and the government should expedite the compensation distribution process,” he added.

This year the Locust infestation has been very severe in the region. Apart from ruining crop in Gujarat and Rajasthan, several places in Pakistan are also facing this problem. Rajasthan is experiencing the worst locust attack in 26 years. The locust attack has not just destroyed crops but has also affected livelihood of farmers.

Locust is a kind of a grasshopper that usually move in large numbers and devour the crop wherever they settle. According to experts, the insects have come from Oman side due to wind direction.

‘How can we tie down hands of authorities when properties are being burnt in the protests’: SC rejects plea seeking blanket ban on NSA

OpIndia Staff
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‘How can we tie down hands of authorities when properties are being burnt in the protests’: SC rejects plea seeking blanket ban on NSA

On Friday, the Supreme Court of India rejected a plea filed by advocate ML Sharma seeking “blanket ban” against the imposition of the National Security Act (NSA), 1980 in Delhi and a few other States. The court said that these are law and order issues, and the court can’t restrict the government in taking action against violence.


NSA empowers the police to detain anyone without trial as long as 12 months. The plea came up before a bench headed by Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice Arun Mishra.

Mr. Agarwal claimed that NSA would be used against people who are protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), NPR (National Population Register) and NRC (National Register of Citizens). The petitioner contended that the imposition of NSA was “unconstitutional” and violates Fundamental Rights guaranteed to an individual under the Indian Constitution.

Justice Arun Mishra said that the court can’t issue restrictive orders on the government when widescale violence is going in the name of protests. “How can we tie down hands of authorities when properties are being burnt in the ongoing protests,” he said, making it clear the court will not prevent the government from enforcing law and order and punishing those indulging in rioting.


He sought a blanket ban on the implementation of the law, besides demanding compensation of ₹50 lacs for the detainees. The petition challenged the orders of Delhi’s Lt. Governor, Anil Bajpai, to impose NSA in the national capital for a period of 3 months, starting from the 19th of January.

Justice Arun Mishra was reported saying, “If you can show a specific case, tell us. Then we can look into it… We can’t issue a general order saying ‘follow the law’, can we?” The Bench refused to pass “general orders”, highlighting the damage to public property and law and order issues witnessed in the wake of anti-CAA protests. “You are telling us to issue a direction to the govt not to arrest anybody. How can we do that? Withdraw the petition, and we give you the liberty to approach the court citing individual cases of misuse of authority, but not like this,” the court directed the petitioner.

“These are law and order issues. How can we interfere? We cannot pass a general direction, a blanket order restraining govt from invoking the NSA, but we can definitely do something if individual cases of misuse of the NSA by authorities is brought to our attention,” the court told ML Sharma.

The plea was thus rejected by the apex Court. Justice Mishara however, added that the Bench is willing to hear any “specific case” where the said law was misused. This is not the first time that serial petitioner, ML Sharma’s plea was rejected by the apex court. He has been rebuked for filing frivolous petitions in the past as well, and was fined by the court several times.

Saying citizens have right to refuse to be governed by a law they don’t support is a very shabby way to justify anti-CAA violence

Dr Satish P
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Saying citizens have right to refuse to be governed by a law they don’t support is a very shabby way to justify anti-CAA violence

Prof. Faizan Mustafa, VC of NALSAR Hyderabad, has published a well written political message, in the guise of a reviewing a book titled ‘India’s Founding Moment’ by Madhav Khosla. The interesting parts in the book review are where the Book contents are deftly connected to the ongoing Anti-CAA protests. Prof. Mustafa says, “The nation is fighting for the ‘idea of India’ by protesting against the Narendra Modi government’s Citizenship Amendment Act and plans for a nationwide National Register of Citizens. But a new book delves deep into the idea of the Indian constitutionalism, at a time when the document has become a talisman for those defending India’s foundations.”

Perhaps this Professor is confident his fate won’t be anywhere similar to a fellow Professor in Mumbai, who also made political comments just last week while holding post of Director, Academy of Theatre Art, but ended up being sent on compulsory leave. As the matter with Senior Professor Yogesh Soman escalated, Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said: “The job of a university professor is to teach, and commenting on Rahul Gandhi is not right”.

Perhaps Prof. Faizan Mustafa knew well that the Union Home Minister will not do anything similar to him, the VC of a Central University. Despite the Central Home Minister being castigated for leading a “fascist” Govt, while the State Home Minister is being acclaimed as part of a coalition of “secular” parties! Perhaps the definition of secularism & Fascism needs to change, since the latter seems to believe more in freedom of Speech than the former.

It is an old argument to claim the idea of India is thanks to the British and was enshrined in the Constitution born after 1947. Actor Saif Ali Khan recently got castigated for similar claims. Someone should tell Prof Mustafa that the British East India company was registered in 1600, and has the word “India” within its name since then. This is apart from the numerous references to the Geographic boundaries of Modern India OR Bharat, even in the ancient scriptures, hymns, prayers of Bharatvarsh, recited without change since few millennia.


In fact, the original document of the Indian Constitution has images depicting the Ramayana, Mahabharata, etc and nothing at all representing the “azaadi” slogans used by those protesting against Citizenship Amendment Act.

Read- Latest poster from Shaheen Bagh confirms that CAA ‘protests’ is about Islamist supremacy and Hinduphobia: Here is why

India has given shelter to various refugees, even before the Constitution was accepted and the Republic was born, or European secularism. India has given shelter to various refugees: Christians from Syria, Parsis from Iran, Jews from Poland, victims of 1947 riots in Pakistan, Tibetans, the survivors of 1971 Bangladesh genocide and Sri Lankan Tamils. Any claims that India became secular only because of its Constitution are rubbish!  Or as Kangana Ranaut remarked: “If there were no Bharat, what was MAHA-Bharat?”

The Law Professor further says, “The CAA protesters are testimony of the ‘civic culture’ that was born with the Constitution. The citizens’ clarion call is clear — choices made at the founding moment of the republic cannot be altered now. The citizens are now masters of their own destiny and refusing to be governed by a law they consider contrary to their sense of justice and to the foundational principles of the Constitution. They are going much beyond the Supreme Court’s highly technical, narrower and legal techniques of examining the constitutionality of parliamentary laws.”

Talking of Civic Culture of protestors, Prof. Mustafa should spare a thought for protestors who shouted Anti-Hindu slogans, displayed placards denigrating Maa Kali and Swastika symbol most revered by Hindus, those members of SDPI who came to assassinate public figures in a pro CAA rally in Bangalore but instead attacked an innocent.

Read- In their bid to fear-monger about CAA-NRC, ‘liberals’ are exposing how Muslim cab drivers are flouting safety rules

What about the members of NSUI in JNU who opposed neutral students from registering for the new semester by violent means and violated HC orders by protesting near Main building, confining a Lady Professor for many hours, vandalising the server room to prevent online student registration; is this civic culture?

The Leftist student’s union in JNU is finally claiming to be the victim while calling others as perpetrators, after unleashing all their violence.  And those in Shaheen Baug who have violated prohibitory orders and blocked main arterial roads since weeks causing grave hardships to common citizens who don’t have any issue with this Citizenship Amendment Act. Any comments Prof. Mustafa about the ‘civic culture’ in such protests? If he finds these constitutional, I’m sure the concerned Article/Schedule can be mentioned. And to say Citizens have a better interpretation of the Constitution that even Supreme Court, makes one rub eyes to check if this is indeed a VC of a National Law University! If the foundational principles of the Constitution are sacrosanct, what about the insertion of the word “secular” into the preamble, done surreptitiously by Indira Gandhi in 1976 during the Emergency as 42nd amendment? Does that count as opposing the foundational principles OR aligned to it? Finally, what was India between 1950 & 1976: secular, non-secular or communal?

Calling ‘citizens as masters of their own destiny, and refusing to be governed by a law they find contrary to their sense of Justice’, is a very shabby way to justify violence protests by a select few, with misinformation and propaganda by their supporters in Media, Academia, Arts, Literature, etc. Isn’t there something called collective responsibility, or duties by the same people protesting for their rights? The CJI reminded all of the same, in this very context just last week.

If those opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act are so concerned about the constitution, why not campaign for the next election with an anti-CAA agenda in their manifesto, win to have a simple majority and repeal the same Law in Parliament? Will not this be a way to uphold the highest values of Constitutional Democracy? Why rather burn railway stations, uproot tracks, attack police stations after massive stone-pelting, support Jinnah, Kashmir separation and Moplah Riots of Kerala, and what not? When those allegedly ‘destroying’ the Constitution by supporting CAA, have not done anything similar, what is the tearing hurry  for those opposing CAA to ‘save’ the Constitution through such means? Even Students are not spared of this dirty political game as exposed by the Justice Shamsuddin Committee report on torture rooms for neutral students not supporting the Leftist groups in Kerala student politics.

As a Professional, Prof. Mustafa would find it interesting to know that another group of professionals who have been targeted, with an intention to hurt their Professional work, just because of having an opinion on Citizenship Amendment Act, are Doctors. Vadodara has witnessed leaders of Muslim community issue open calls to boycott few Doctors for alleged support to CAA-NRC and speaking against violence in the name of protests on various fora. The irony is that many of them had never commented on CAA at all. Things got worse when Individual Doctors were targeted by vested interests, using CAA-NRC as a pretext, as with Dr. Ranjith Vijayhari who runs a Gastro Clinic in Trivandrum


Most unfortunate is the case of Dr. Vyas Vaidyanathan, an Intensive Care Specialist at Avitus Hospital Palakkad, Kerala, who was doxed and emails were sent to Avitis Hospital Management demanding his sacking, who succumbed to the pressure.


All this for supporting CAA on Twitter and asking illegals to be deported! And this is the fate of an expert Doctor who comes back to his roots in Palakkad, to help local healthcare needs hitherto unmet. He quit Palakkad for good on Jan 22nd, 2020.

Would Prof. Mustafa take a stand on the blatant violation of IPC 153, 295 & 295 (A) against those who serve society? Or is it justified on the grounds that ‘citizens as masters of their own destiny, and refusing to be governed by a law they find contrary to their sense of Justice’. Why is it that those opposing CAA as unconstitutional, never find a voice to call out such hate crimes against the Community of “Healers”?

Read- Nothing Defeats like Defeat: Liberals thought they were using Islamic extremism to retain power, they received a rude shock

It is no surprise that such reviews are covertly used to justify violence and other unconstitutional means of protest and then claim it is an “agitation to protect Constitution.”
No wonder, when appeasement becomes a norm, even equality seems like oppression.

The biggest irony is, the strongest protestors to this affirmative action in CAA, are the very ones who have been beneficiaries themselves since decades. CAA in fact implements the same unfulfilled promises made by Gandhi, Nehru and other leaders at the time of Partition.

So, Prof. Mustafa can perhaps ponder, who will the founders of Indian Constitution be with: those who implemented CAA or those protesting against it by unconstitutional means, supported by those claiming violent protests are a battle to save the constitution?

Uttar Pradesh minister slams actor-director Nandita Das’s Shaheen Bagh remark, claims ‘Tukde-Tukde’ gang present in Bollywood too

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh minister slams actor-director Nandita Das’s Shaheen Bagh remark, claims ‘Tukde-Tukde’ gang present in Bollywood too

Lashing out at actor-director Nandita Das over her recent Shaheen Bagh remark, Uttar Pradesh minister Shrikant Sharma said that a ‘tukde-tukde’ gang is present in Bollywood too. The minister also asserted that the people in the film industry speaking against the amended citizenship law either have hidden political motives behind it or are being provoked by Opposition parties.

“Those from Bollywood speaking against CAA have political motives and are provoked by political parties. Thye should read CAA before speaking. We are not taking anyone’s citizenship, but giving citizenship to those persecuted. They are also being misled. But there is also a Tukde Tukde in Bollywood,” Sharma said while speaking to news agency ANI.

Shrikant Sharma was responding to remarks made by actor-director Nandita Das, who said that Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh will be replicated as she backed the anti-CAA agitation.

Nandita Das on CAA:

Exhorting people to speak up against CAA and lauding those who have been agitating against it over the past one month, actor-director Nandita Das said on Thursday that more places like Shaheen Bagh are coming up across the country.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WtHTCb3wmg]

Speaking on the sidelines of the Jaipur Literature Festival, Das furthered: “They (government) are asking those who have been living here for four generations to prove that they are Indians. This is very sad. I think everyone should speak up.

“The actor said the protests against the CAA and the NRC are “spontaneous” and no political parties are involved in them.”These are led by ‘students’ and common people. The youth has created hope in the country. Every other place is becoming a Shaheen Bagh now, and I think as human beings, we should speak up against these laws,” Das said.

Read: ‘Let me plant my seed in your matki’, another woman accuses Jatin Das of inappropriate behaviour

Das exclaiming that ‘no political parties are involved’ is surprising as now there are sufficient proves that many leaders belonging to various political parties like Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, Samajwadi Party have been instrumental in provoking the Muslim mobs who have been unleashing violence across the country in the name of ‘peaceful protests’.

She went on to say that with the economic slowdown, growing unemployment rate, and now with the CAA and the NRC, the country has become a topic of discussion across the world as “people are being divided on the basis of religion”.

Notably, Nandita Das is the daughter of painter Jatin Das, who was accused of sexual misconduct. The filmmaker who otherwise on various previous occasions has taken a tough stance against sexual harassment and spoken vociferously against working with those people who are accused of sexual misconduct against women had then maintained a stoic silence on the allegations meted out at her father. She later termed it as ‘allegations just to dilute the MeToo movement’.

Read: ‘Be sure about allegations so it doesn’t dilute movement’: Nandita Das on father being named in #MeToo

The select few in the Indian film fraternity, who like to brand themselves as ‘concerned secular citizens’, are known for their selective outrage. The usual low IQ Bollywood entertainers, who had come in support of JNU students who were beaten up by masked leftist goons at the JNU campus, are the ones who, without actually knowing the nitty-gritty’s of the CAA and NRC, are ending up spreading falsehood and fear amongst the common citizens who tend to look up at these ‘stars’ and often make the mistake of taking them at face value.

Legal Rights Observatory files a complaint against former journalist for advocating boycott of a Businessman by branding him an “Islamophobe”

OpIndia Staff
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Legal Rights Observatory files a complaint against former journalist for advocating boycott of a Businessman by branding him an “Islamophobe”

The activist group Legal Rights Observatory(LRO) has filed a complaint against the former journalist Irena Akbar who had yesterday made a clarion call to “Muslims and Secular non-Muslims” to boycott the chain of gyms and beauty parlours owned by Sachin Sahni, alleging that the Businessman is a “rabid Islamophobe”.


In the complaint, the LRO had alleged that the former journalist made communally, hate-packed business boycott call against Sachin Sahni for his political views and urged the UP Police to book her under Section 153A(Promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc.), 295(Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) and Section 295A(hate speech) of the Indian Penal Code.

Yesterday, the former Indian Express journalist had unleashed vitriol against the Lucknow-based businessman-Sachin Sahni for his support towards the CAA. In her tweets, Irena Akbar called on Muslims and ‘Secular non-Muslims’ to boycott the chain of gyms and beauty parlours owned by Sachin Sahni, who, according to Akbar, is rabid Islamophobe.

Irene Akbar posted screenshots of the allegedly ‘offensive’ posts uploaded by Sahni on his social media timeline. She asserted that Sahni’s Muslim customers have begun boycotting the services provided by Healthzone that include gyms and beauty parlours. She has also urged Muslims to boycott the Keeros brand of health snacks sold on Amazon and in malls in Delhi as it is owned by Sachin Sahni. She said that Healthzone has “earned crores from Muslims who form a large (maybe 50%) chunk of their clients.


Her tweets sparked off a massive controversy with many alleging that her tweets attacking Sachin Sahni may possibly provide a target to the Islamic fundamentalists, inciting radicals for another Kamlesh Tiwari like incident. Before long, she protected her Twitter account, rendering the general public unable to view her tweets. However, LRO has decided to persist with their complaint against the former journalist for spreading hate against the businessman.

George Soros vows to fight PM Modi and Nationalists: Here are some Indian ‘intellectuals’ and NGOs connected to him

OpIndia Staff
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George Soros vows to fight PM Modi and Nationalists: Here are some Indian ‘intellectuals’ and NGOs connected to him

During the course of his life, if there was one thing George Soros has hated the most, it is Nationalism. And at Davos, in his speech at the World Economic Forum (WEF), Soros committed $1 billion towards fighting nationalism and nationalists. George Soros claimed that the “biggest and most frightening setback” was in India and accused Narendra Modi of “creating a Hindu nationalist state.”

The progressive Jewish-American philanthropist has a reputation for interfering in the internal affairs of other countries through his network of NGOs. Viktor Orban’s Hungary and Vladimir Putin’s Russia have taken concrete steps directed towards curbing his influence in their internal matters. It would be safe to assume that a significant share of that investment would find its way in India. Thus, on the backdrop of his announcement, it might be a good time to revisit his legacy of work in our country.

The Civil Society

At OpIndia, we have extensively documented the work of NGOs that have received donations from Soros’s Open Society Foundation (OSF). These organizations are extensively involved in shaping the mainstream narrative and they often engage in ‘judicial activism’ that seeks to use the Courts in order to undermine Indian national interests. Prominent among them are the Human Rights Law Network (HRLN) and the French NGO Sherpa

Some of the efforts HRLN has been involved in include the campaign against ISKCON’s Akshaya Patra, a campaign against Indian sedition laws, and it has been providing free legal aid to Rohingya Muslims in India. It has also been engaging in activism for the implementation of the RTE Act that works against Hindu-run institutions. Furthermore, it is also linked to a plethora of organizations across the country that seeks to undermine India’s territorial integrity.

Members of the Right to Food Campaign (RFC), an organization HRLN is linked to, were also involved in the protest against then CJI Ranjan Gogoi that sought to undermine the legitimacy of the Indian Judiciary.

The French NGO Sherpa that filed a complaint against the Rafale Deal in France is also partners with George Soros’s Open Society. The complaint was also used by malcontents in India to pursue their agenda against Narendra Modi during the run-up to the General Elections last year.

In some cases, the connection is obvious but in others, they aren’t as much. The connections are often covered under layers that one has to peel off. For instance, there is the Centre for Policy Research (CPR) that is partners with Namati Inc. and receives huge funds from it. Namati Inc. receives funds from OSF and has George Soros in its Advisory Council. There is likely a horde of such NGOs in India. Namati itself works for ‘environmental justice‘ in India.

A Cultivated Class of Intellectuals

George Soros, through his network of NGOs, has connections with a cultivated class of intellectuals who work resolutely towards opposing the Modi government. There are some prominent names with extensive links to George Soros but it is extremely unlikely that these connections will surprise anyone. Some of the most prominent among them are Harsh Mander, Indira Jaising and Amartya Sen.

Harsh Mander is the Chairman of the OSF’s Human Rights Initiative Advisory Board. His antics against the government do not need much elaboration. During the recent spate of violence after the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act, Harsh Mander with his organization ‘Karwaan-e-Mohabbat’ published a report on the violence at the Aligarh Muslim University that absolved the students of all sins and peddled numerous lies against the Uttar Pradesh Police. Later, of course, the entire report turned out to be a massive fraud.

Harsh Mander had also promised to register himself as a Muslim if the CAB was passed but OpIndia cannot confirm if he has gone through with his promise after the CAB became CAA. He has also spread great lies about the NRC in the past and the foreign tribunals in Assam. It is pertinent to mention here that Harsh Mander was a member of Sonia Gandhi’s National Advisory Council that drafted the Communal Violence Bill. His NGO Centre for Equity Studies has also received funds from Christian Evangelical Organizations and he has openly batted for religious conversions in the past.

Another such person is Amartya Sen. Together with George Soros himself, Sen sits on the Advisory Council of the NGO Namati mentioned earlier in the report. Amartya Sen, of course, has made a series of bizarre arguments in the past in his efforts to oppose the Narendra Modi government. Once, he claimed that Jai Shri Ram is not Bengali culture and on another, he said that Hindus are in a minority in Indian society. Amartya Sen has also lied about the NDA government’s move to provide 10% reservations to economically weaker sections of the society and has been complaining about ‘rising intolerance’ in the country.

Pratap Bhanu Mehta is another individual who sits on the Board of Directors of Namati. Indira Jaising and her husband Anand Grover are on the dock as well for the donations from George Soros’s network of NGOs their NGO Lawyers’ Collective. The FCRA licence of the NGO was cancelled by the NDA government for using foreign contributions to achieve political objectives. The CBI registered an FIR in the matter in 2018 and last year, the residence of the said individuals was raided by the investigative agency. The Supreme Court had issued notices to the duo as well for the FCRA violations.

Soros influence on the Media

George Soros has a tremendous influence on American media. The Media Research Center (MRC), an American media watchdog founded in 1987 to check the liberal bias in the media, discovered that over 30 major news organizations had links to George Soros. These organizations include the Washington Post, The New York Times, CNN, the Associated Press, NBC and ABC. He has also financially supported the National Public Radio (NPR). In addition to all of this, George Soros has links to the Huffington Post too.

It is also reported that since 2003, George Soros has spent “more than $48 million funding media properties, including the infrastructure of news – journalism schools, investigative journalism and even industry organizations.” Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism has also received extensive funds from the OSF. This is from 2011, the numbers will be exponentially higher now. George Soros has also funded numerous other journalism associations like The National Federation of Community Broadcasters, The National Association of Hispanic Journalists and the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Given all of this, the Western Media’s coverage of India shouldn’t really be surprising. The American media has traditionally held a bigoted view against India and when it combines with the influence and financial power of one of the richest men in the world, the result is obvious. From advocacy for Radical Islam in Kashmir to fearmongering about the NRC and CAA, the Western Media’s coverage of India has been remarkably consistent.

Most conspicuously, towards the end of last year, there was a great effort by the Huffington Post to delegitimize the results of the 2019 Indian Lok Sabha Elections. In a series of reports, HuffPo published a series of distortions and lies to target Electoral Bonds. One of the fundamental claims by HuffPo was based on a claim made by the Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR), an NGO that receives extensive funds from foreign institutions and organizations. One of them is HIVOS, an organization intricately linked to George Soros’ Open Society.

Concerns for India

For the reasons listed above, it is but natural for India to be concerned about George Soros’s declaration to fight nationalism. However, it is something he has been doing for a great many years, without much success thus far. Narendra Modi rose to the heights of power after defeating such efforts. However, there remains the scope for such individuals to unleash great chaos in the country.

In this report, we have merely touched upon the surface of the extent of George Soros’s influence. The number of intellectuals that have been cultivated to undermine Indian national interests is likely to be much higher than the ones mentioned here. As for the number of NGOs under the influence of Open Society Foundations, the number is definitely much higher.

It also ought to be remembered that George Soros wields great influence over the Democrat Party and the US political establishment. The Clinton family has a great relationship with George Soros, as do most people from the Democrat party. But it is also pertinent to mention that the brand of politics and vision of the world that he advocates have been rejected by even the American electorate. While George Soros has committed himself to fight nationalism across the world, he is losing in his own backyard, the United States of America.

Senior Editor at TV9 Bharatvarsh resigns after two colleagues accuse him of sexual harassment: Read details

OpIndia Staff
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Senior Editor at TV9 Bharatvarsh resigns after two colleagues accuse him of sexual harassment: Read details

The output editor of TV9 Bharatvarsh, Ajay Azad, has reportedly tendered his resignation after allegations of sexual harassment was filed against him by two of his women colleagues within two days of each other this month.


According to the complaints filed by the victims, Azad is accused of harassment, solicitation and threatening them. The complainants have accused Azad of sending them lewd messages, requesting them for sexual favours in lieu of aiding their career advancement.

The issue came to light when two journalists took to Twitter to express shock and concern over rampant sexual harassment going on at TV9 Bharatvarsh. Journalist Ajit Anjum, without naming the channel, posted a tweet stating that some girls had filed serious allegations with proof against a “rapist mentality” senior.

Read: TV9 Bharatvarsh deletes its video after Twitter users expose the fake video claiming PM Modi met former PM Manmohan Singh to discuss Indian economy

Anjum expressed his astonishment that despite providing the evidence, no action was taken against the “senior” for his unsavoury sexual advances against the women trainees.


Anjum also shared screenshots of a conversation between the ‘senior’ journalist and the apprentice in which the “senior” can be seen proceeding with his amorous overtures with the trainee.

Read: Frontline magazine and TV9 Bharatvarsh channel acknowledge they published fake report on missing EVMs

Another journalist, Vinod Kapri, too shared a long thread on the sexual exploitation faced by the trainees at TV9 Bharatvarsh, allegedly at the hands of senior editor-Ajay Azad. Khapri alleged that Azad used to pressurise his women colleagues to “open up” in front of him, refrain from calling him “Sir”, consider him as their friends, meet him outside office hours and invite him over at their residence.


As per Vinod, the complaint against Ajay Azad was filed 6 days ago on January 17-18, by a trainee. The trainee alleged in her complaint that Azad has been sending her objectionable messages for two consecutive months, from two in the morning until the next day.

Read: Fact-check: Was the photo shared by Vinod Kapri that of Nehru after taking holy dip in Kumbh 1954

According to the complainant, Azad kept prodding her to “open-up” or risk being successful. The trainee was offered her own show, a promise of launching her as an anchor provided she “opened up” with him, Kapri alleged.


Kapri claimed that Azad harassed the second victim for as least 5 weeks. He used to send her lewd messages till 3 in the night and then again from seven in the morning. The plaintiff also alleged that the accused alluded her to “break all the barriers” and consider him as her own.


As per the complaint filed by the second victim, Ajay persistently kept asking her to meet him outside the office, at a mall or a restaurant or at her place, which she always avoided. She has also accused that Azad started sending her “kisses” etc. on messages. She avoided as much she could while saving her job. However, the plaintiff adds that this only emboldened Azad and his language worsened as he started using vulgar references while commenting on body parts and soliciting her to join him in a room, hotel etc.


As the revelations by Kapri and Anjum took the social media by storm, TV9 Bharatvarsh reacted to the charges of sexual harassment by posting a series of tweets, informing about the progress in the aforesaid incident. The news channel admitted that sexual harassment complaints were filed by two journalists against a senior editor and the matter has been transferred to ICC, as per the Sexual harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition & Redressal) Act 2013.


The ICC sent a notice to the respondent after hearing the complaints filed by the victims. The official Twitter handle of TV9 Bharatvarsh asserted that the accused has been sent on leave for the duration of the full inquiry into the matter, following which the respondent had resigned and his resignation was immediately accepted by the organisation.

Madras High Court dismisses plea filed against Rajnikanth for his remarks on Periyar

OpIndia Staff
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Madras High Court dismisses plea filed against Rajnikanth for his remarks on Periyar

Madras High Court on Friday dismissed the petition filed against Actor Rajnikanth on his remark against EV Ramasamy Periyar. Dismissing the case, the court asked the petitioners why the matter wasn’t taken to magistrate court first.

Justice P Rajamanickam was hearing the petition by Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam, a fringe outfit. State Public Prosecutor A Natarajan submitted that the petitioners had approached the court without seeking the alternative remedy available to them. The judge asked the counsel for the petitioners if they would withdraw the petition.

After the counsels admitted they would do so, the judge recorded the same and dismissed the plea.

Rajnikanth had refused to apologize for a remark he made on Periyar. He said, “I did not make up what I said, there are even published stories in media on it. I can show them. I will not apologize.”

Rajinikanth had said on the 14th of January, “In 1971, at Salem, Periyar took out a rally in which undressed images of Lord Sri Ramachandramoorthy and Sita -with a garland of sandal-featured and no news outlet published it.” “Cho strongly condemned the event by Periyar immediately and Thuglak was the only magazine to do so. This brought a bad name to the ruling DMK who did not want the magazine to be circulated. The issue was seized by the government but Cho reprinted it and the magazine was sold in black. What was sold for Rs 10, was then sold for Rs 50 and Rs 60. Dr. Kalaingar had (inadvertently) promoted the magazine in that way and in the next issue Cho had thanked him as its publicity manager…” the Tamil megastar had added.

Read- From breaking Murthis to Ravana Leela: Periyar’s long history of hatred towards Shri Rama and Sita

Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam (DVK) Chief Kolathur Mani had accused the actor of uttering a blatant lie and demanded his unconditional apology and also filed police complaints seeking action against him. The DVK sought action against Rajinikanth under IPC Sections 153 (a) (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc.) and 505 (Statements conducing to public mischief). “If the government does not take action, we may be constrained to look into aspects including launching a campaign against Rajinikanth, his films, or we could hold protests in front of movie halls that screen his movies,” Mani had said.

One of the stories on the event was published by The Outlook on the 20th of November, 2017 in a report with the headline “The Tamil Gag Raj”. The report spoke of the legacy of assaults on freedom of expression and the press by the state government. The report said, “The first stone was thrown by the DMK and its leader Karunanidhi in February 1971 when Thuglak, edited by Cho Ramaswamy, came under fire for ­publishing photographs of a Dravidar Kaz­hagam’s procession in Salem that had depicted Hindu gods Rama and Sita in the nude with a garland of slippers around their neck.”

Anti-CAA riots: Police arrests one Furkan for violence in Jamia Millia, AAP’s Amanatullah Khan creates ruckus demanding release

OpIndia Staff
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Anti-CAA riots: Police arrests one Furkan for violence in Jamia Millia, AAP’s Amanatullah Khan creates ruckus demanding release

The Delhi Police has nabbed a 22-year-old man for his involvement in the violent anti-CAA riots near Jamia Millia Islamia in Delhi. Shockingly, AAP leader Amanatullah Khan who had allegedly instigated riots near Jamia Millia university created ruckus demanding his release.

Reportedly, the accused has been identified as Furkan, a resident of Jamia Nagar, the police officials said. Furkan”s father Muhammad Naeem said police took his son on the basis of the CCTV footage which showed him carrying a container but it was not known whether there was water or petrol in it.

“Police took my son on Thursday at around 6.30 pm on the basis of CCTV footage. Police said they saw he was carrying a container on the day of the incident,” Naeem said.

According to Times of India journalist Rajshekhar Jha, AAP MLA Amantullah demanded the release of the Muslim youth who has been accused of instigating violence in Jamia Millia university during the anti-CAA protests.


It is pertinent to note that AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan was also spotted at the Jamia Nagar protests which turned violent in December. Later, an FIR was also filed against him for instigating violence through social media.

In an inflammatory speech on December 15 at Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh, Khan had attacked the BJP government for enacting the Citizenship Amendment Act by claiming that it was discriminatory for Muslims of the country. Khan had also alleged that the silence of Muslims on the Triple Talaq Act was taken as their weakness by the central government.

The speech which was attended by thousands of impassioned people gathered to protest against the CAA was allegedly delivered just minutes before the violence broke out on the streets of Delhi.

Read: AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan spotted leading the protests which turned violent in Delhi: Reports

The Delhi police said nearly 100 accused have been arrested in at least 10 cases registered in connection with the violence in Jamia Nagar.

The controversial Jamia Millia Islamia University in Delhi had emerged as one of the epi-centres of the anti-CAA agitations being perpetrated in the name of ‘peaceful protests’. The students and Muslim mob associated with the Jamia Millia Islamia University had unleashed violent protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act.

The Delhi police had arrested 10 people with criminal background in connection with the Jamia Nagar riots that took place in the national capital. The ten arrested people were identified as – Mohammad Hanif, Danish alias Jafar, Sameer Ahmed, Dilshad, Shareef Ahmed, Mohd Danish, Yunus Khan, Jumman, Anal Hassan, Anwar Kala.

Read: AAP MLA and Delhi Waqf Board Chairman Amanatullah Khan rewards Md Minhajuddin, who got ‘injured’ during Jamia anti-CAA riots

In December, the protests against CAA and NRC had turned violent amidst chants of Allah-o-Akbar and Naara-e-Taqbeer. The Muslim mobs had burnt four DTC buses, 100 private vehicles and 10 police bikes and pelted stones, injuring several policemen.

Recently, Delhi Police Crime Branch had issued a notice to former Congress MLA Asif Mohd Khan, under Section 160 of CrPC, asking him to appear before Crime Branch Chanakyapuri today for questioning in connection with the anti-CAA riots that broke out in Jamia and New Friends Colony in Delhi in December 2019.

In the FIR, six people including four local politicians and the former Congress MLA were named as suspects related to Jamia violence. The Delhi Police had named former Congress MLA Asif Khan as one of the accused in its FIR.

The other six accused persons were identified as local politicians Ashu Khan, Mustafa and Haider, Kasim Usmani – a member of the CYSS, the student wing of Delhi’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party, AISA member Chandan Kumar, SIO member  Asif Tanha, a member of the Students Islamic Organisation of India.

Bihar: Minor girl gang raped in coaching centre, director Md Zaved, two others held after locals accuse police inaction

OpIndia Staff
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Bihar: Minor girl gang raped in coaching centre, director Md Zaved, two others held after locals accuse police inaction

A 14-year-old minor was allegedly kidnapped and raped by her coaching institute’s director Md Javed and two others on Wednesday in Bihar’s Siwan district.

Chainpur Bazar in the Siwan district remained tense on Thursday after angry locals protested by blocking roads, closing down shops, and disrupting traffic on Siwan-Siswan State Highway 89, as they protested police inaction in the case.

The victim, a student of class nine of a government school had gone missing from the coaching institute under Chainpur police outpost at 2 pm on Wednesday and was later found in an unconscious state in the institute’s toilet, five hours after her relatives lodged a missing complaint in Siwan Police station.

When news of the incident spread, Superintendent of Police Abhinav Kumar, DSP Jitendra Pandey, Andar Division Randhir Kumar, Aashav police station Khurshid Alam reached the and inquired about the matter.

Police later conducted raids and detained Brilliant coaching centre’s director Md Javed, one teacher Miraj and another student named Md Arif for questioning after the minor girl’s relatives alleged that she was raped by the three of them.

“She was rushed to a local hospital, from where the doctor referred her to Siwan Sadar Hospital”, said Siwan SP Abhinav Kumar, furthering that a medical board was set up by the civil surgeon of the district to conduct her medical examination. Earlier, the victim’s statement was recorded before a judicial officer under section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code,” he said.

SP Abhinav Kumar added: “The report of the medical examination is awaited and police do not have the girl’s statement that was recorded before a judicial officer. Under such circumstances how can action be initiated against the accused.”

While the police await her medical examination reports, the relatives of the girl have alleged that she was raped. They also accused the police of inaction. “The accused are being shielded by police for political reasons”, alleged the victim’s uncle. The girl is reportedly being treated in the ICU.

Meanwhile, independent MLA Karanjeet Singh alias Vyas Ji who visited the victim said that the issue is likely to snowball into a major political controversy as the girl and the accused belong to two different communities.

Siwan SDPO Jitendra Pandey said: “We have taken all precautionary measures to ward off any untoward incident”.

Siwan district in Bihar had witnessed a similar incident in 2018, in which a 4-year-old was brutally raped and strangulated on August 28, by one Mohammad Ziauddin, who had then confessed to the crime. A partly buried body of the girl with undergarments stuffed in her mouth was then recovered in the maize field.

Reportedly, the accused had lured her to the field where he stuffed her mouth so that her cries could not be heard.

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