On Saturday (25th January), the Home Minister of Gujarat, Harsh Sanghavi, fact-checked the former Chief Minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal, after he questioned the deployment of Gujarat police personnel for the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections.
Kejriwal’s rant on X against the deployment came days after the Election Commission of India (ECI) ordered the removal of police personnel from Punjab deployed for Kejriwal’s security.
In his post, Sanghavi pointed out that it is a routine practice for the ECI to use forces from other states in poll-bound states to maintain law and order during voting.
Kejriwal questioned the deployment of Gujarat police personnel
In a post on X in Hindi, Kejriwal shared an order from the Additional Director General of Gujarat Police, which mentioned the deployment of eight units of police personnel at polling booths in Delhi. In his post, Kejriwal wrote, “Read this order of Gujarat Police. The Election Commission has removed Punjab Police from Delhi and deployed Gujarat Police. What is going on?”
गुजरात पुलिस का ये आदेश पढ़िये। दिल्ली से चुनाव आयोग ने पंजाब पुलिस हटाकर गुजरात पुलिस तैनात कर दी है। ये चल क्या रहा है? pic.twitter.com/Q6c9WwuSaL
The Home Minister of Gujarat, Harsh Sanghavi, quoted Kejriwal’s post and stated that the request to deploy police units came from the ECI and that similar requests were sent to other states for poll deployment in Delhi.
In his post, Sanghavi, while suggesting that he now understands why Kejriwal is called a liar, said, “Kejriwal ji, as a former Chief Minister, I’m surprised you’re not aware of the Election Commission’s norms. They’ve requested forces from various states, not just Gujarat. In fact, the Election Commission of India has ordered SRP deployment from various states, a routine procedure. As per their request, 8 companies of SRP from Gujarat were sent to Delhi for the scheduled election on 11/1/25.”
मुझे अब समझ आया कि लोग आपको झांसेबाज क्यो कहते है!!
Kejriwal ji as a former Chief Minister, I'm surprised you're not aware of the Election Commission's norms.
With the post, Sanghavi shared relevant documents that stated there would be the advance deployment of 70 companies of Central Armed Police Forces by 8th January 2025 for area domination, confidence-building measures, conduct of flag marches, surveillance, etc., during the elections.
The fax message came from the Ministry of Home Affairs to the Principal Secretary (Home) of the Delhi government and added that it had been decided to deploy an additional 75 companies of CAPFs/State Armed Police/India Reserve Battalions for the conduct of safe, free, and fair assembly elections in Delhi.
Furthermore, 65 companies of various State Armed Police (SAR) or India Reserve (IR) Battalions were requested: 10 each from Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Jharkhand; 8 each from Chhattisgarh and Gujarat; 7 each from Maharashtra and Karnataka; and five from Rajasthan. In total, around 14,500 personnel will be on poll duty in the national capital, as suggested by the document shared by Sanghavi.
Other BJP leaders, including IT Cell Chief Amit Malviya and Shehzad Poonawalla, also countered Kejriwal.
In his post, Malviya wrote, “Is this your first election or are you nervous about losing the election? It is standard practice to deploy state police forces alongside CAPF for election duties. Even for Delhi elections, police forces from 12 states and union territories, including Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Haryana, Chandigarh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand and Maharashtra have been mobilised. Additionally, Punjab Police was withdrawn from your personal security. It is worth noting that you and Delhi are not synonymous.”
Is this your first election or are you nervous about losing the election?
It is standard practice to deploy state police forces alongside CAPF for election duties. Even for Delhi elections, police forces from 12 states and union territories, including Karnataka, Himachal… https://t.co/2fejlTVcWjpic.twitter.com/B14XMTb4OW
In a post quoting Kejriwal, Poonawalla said, “stop lying” and shared document proving police personnel have been called from different states and not just Gujarat.
— Shehzad Jai Hind (Modi Ka Parivar) (@Shehzad_Ind) January 25, 2025
Punjab police deployment for Kejriwal’s security removed
On Thursday (23rd January), the Punjab Police alleged that they had been forced to withdraw the additional security provided to AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal. They claimed that the Delhi Police and the Election Commission of India had issued them the orders to do so ahead of the Delhi state assembly elections scheduled to take place on 5th February this year.
The Punjab Police claimed that they constantly get reports of threats to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal and that they share such reports with concerned agencies, however, now they have withdrawn a component of security from Kejriwal’s security detail.
Responding to these claims, the Delhi Police clarified that no security component for Kejriwal was withdrawn. “We’ve just taken over the charge. He already has been provided with Z+ security with 63 personnel by Delhi officials,” the officer from Delhi Police said.
“Occasionally, we get reports of threats to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Arvind Kejriwal and share them with the concerned agencies. Today, after the Delhi Police’s intervention following the directions of the Election Commission, we have withdrawn Punjab security from Arvind Kejriwal’s security cover. We will continue to share inputs with Delhi Police,” Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav from Punjab Police was quoted as saying.
Voting will take place for Delhi Assembly elections on 5th February 2025 in a single phase and results will be announced on 8th February.
The Union government on Saturday released the list of Padma Award winners on the eve of the 76th Republic Day celebrations. The names of 139 Padma awardees were published by the Ministry of Home Affairs on Saturday evening.
Padma Awards – one of the highest civilian Awards of the country, are conferred in three categories – Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri. The Awards are given in various disciplines/ fields of activities, viz.- art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, civil service, etc.
‘Padma Vibhushan’ is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service; ‘Padma Bhushan’ for distinguished service of high order and ‘Padma Shri’ for distinguished service in any field. The awards are announced on the occasion of Republic Day every year.
These Awards are conferred by the President of India at ceremonial functions which are held at Rashtrapati Bhawan usually around March or April every year. For the year 2025, the President has approved conferment of 139 Padma Awards including 1 duo case, which means the award given to two persons is counted as one.
The list comprises 7 Padma Vibhushan, 19 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri Awards. 23 of the awardees are women and the list also includes 10 persons from the category of Foreigners/ NRI /PIO /OCI and 13 Posthumous awardees.
Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday accepted the resignation of YSR Congress Party leader V Vijaysai Reddy, who stepped down from his position as a Member of Parliament, citing personal reasons and announcing his retirement from politics.
Reddy, who served as the party’s floor leader in the Rajya Sabha, expressed his intention to focus on agriculture moving forward. He personally submitted his resignation to the Chairman, who accepted it with immediate effect.
Taking to social media website X, Reddy wrote, “Today, I submitted my resignation to the Hon’ble Vice President Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar Ji. Hon’ble Chairman of Rajya Sabha is pleased to accept the resignation with immediate effect duly recording the proceedings.”
Today, I submitted my resignation to the Hon’ble Vice President Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar Ji. Hon’ble Chairman of Rajya Sabha is pleased to accept the resignation with immediate effect duly recording the proceedings. pic.twitter.com/nwEGDb0IZt
The now former MP announced his retirement from politics on January 24, stating that he would resign from his Rajya Sabha membership on January 25.
He resigned as a member of Rajya Sabha voluntarily, citing personal reasons. He said that he would focus on pursuing agriculture.
Announcing his retirement from politics, Reddy said that he worked tirelessly as the floor leader in Rajya Sabha, without any compromises, for the benefit of YSRCP.
“As the leader of the parliamentary party, floor leader in Rajya Sabha, and national general secretary of the YSRCP, I have worked tirelessly, with sincerity and without any compromise, for the benefit of the party and the state. I have served as a bridge between the Centre and the state to maintain the cordial relationship and get maximum benefits for the state,” Reddy said.
Reddy has played a major role in the Indian Parliament, serving as the Parliamentary Party Leader of YSRCP in the Rajya Sabha from 2016 to 2024. He has held various key positions, including Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism, and Culture, and introduced 30 Private Member Bills. He has also served on multiple parliamentary committees, such as Petroleum & Natural Gas, Subordinate Legislation, and Public Accounts.
Despite his prominent political career, Reddy’s bid for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections ended in a loss to TDP’s Vemireddy Prabhakara Reddy. He has received several accolades for his parliamentary work, including the Sansad Ratna Award in 2023 and the Sansad Maharatna Award in 2024.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
In an era where information is disseminated at lightning speed, the integrity of historical narratives can easily be compromised by the creation and proliferation of fake literature. Fabrication of Fatima Sheikh, is one such case where a fictional character was created and inserted silently into the historical discourse.
Let us explore how our history can be manipulated by such fabrications and analyse the broader implications of such fabrications on Indian cultural and historical understanding.
Fabrication of “Fatima Sheikh- The First Muslim Female Teacher in India”
Dilip Mandal, the new media advisor of the government, made a sensational claim on Thursday, 9th January, saying he created a fictional character named “Fatima Sheikh” in 2006. He admitted that this fabrication was part of a larger strategy to craft a political narrative. His confession is pivotal, as it not only highlighted the deliberate construction of a fake historical figure for ideological purposes, it also pointed towards a larger syndicate of historical manipulation in play for decades.
Dilip Mandal’s tweets
Understanding the Creation of Fake History- Academic Validation via Circular Referencing
It is a known fact that some historians have already been running a citation syndicate to provide a scholarly look at their propaganda creations. The same technique was also followed in Fatima’s case, wherein, a circular referencing method was used to validate her existence.
Let us first understand what circular referencing is and how it works.
Circular referencing in academic circles occurs when two or more scholarly works cite each other in a way that creates a loop, either directly or indirectly, without introducing new or external information. This can undermine the credibility and robustness of the argument being made, as it may just rely on a closed cycle of evidence, rather than an independent validation or broader perspectives.
Circular referencing creates a web of references to a myth which due to multiple repetitions becomes difficult to trace to its primary source.
Circular referencing
Citation sources are of 3 types: Primary, Secondary, Tertiary
Suppose there was an incident – a car crash. A news reporter, who watched this crash live, wrote about it in a newspaper. This version of the news article is the primary source.
A person who reads this newspaper now writes a book citing this article as sa ource. This book becomes a secondary source. Another person now writes an article in some magazine citing this book as a source. This magazine article is now a tertiary source.
Leftist historians have produced a lot of such tertiary sources, which then becomes difficult to trace back to the primary sources.
Dilip Mandal Claimed-“I created Fatima”-But Did He?
While Dilip Mandal emphatically claimed that he is the creator of this character “Fatima Sheikh”, there is ample evidence that points otherwise.
Mandal claimed that prior to 2022, there were no references to Fatima Sheikh in Google searches—no articles, no books, and no mentions. He said -“She came into the social media narrative and just vanished.”
However, there is definitely a historical reference to the existence of a ‘Fatima’. ‘Savitribai Phule-Samagra Vangmay’, published in 1988 by the Maharashtra Rajya Sahitya Ani Sanskruti Mandal, included a letter written by Savitribai Phule to her husband, Jyotirao Phule which mentioned Fatima.
In this letter dated October 20, 1856, Savitribai wrote: “I will return to Pune immediately once I recover fully. Don’t worry. Fatima must have been burdened, but she will not complain.”
Although the letter did not mention Fatima’s surname, it indicates her presence in the Phules’ life. Her exact role in their life however, remains unknown.
Savitribai Phule’s letter mentioning ‘Fatima’
So this letter itself debunks Dilip Mandal’s claim that no one named “Fatima” existed. She definitely existed but her role and importance are questionable.
Note that Jyotirao Phule’s article, published in the periodical ‘Dnyanoday’ in September 1853, discusses his school activities but makes no mention of Fatima. Therefore, we can safely assume that apart from this letter, there is no mention of Fatima in any of Phule’s work or any other contemporary historical literature.
Now, let’s see how this person, mentioned in a single line, in a single letter, was converted into a full-fledged larger-than-life historical character by various so-called historians and scholars.
In 1986, a book named “Krantijyoti Savitribai Phule” was published by Dr. M.G Mali. This book mentions a character named “Fatima Sheikh”. However, there was no real evidence to corroborate this claim of Fatima’s existence as a teacher.
Notably, this book’s reprint version of 2011 is being circulated. However, no original copy of the 1986 version exists in the public domain to ascertain whether this insertion was original or a later reprint interpolation.
Cover of the book “Krantijyoti Savitribai Phule” and artwork depicting Fatima Sheikh in the book
5 years later, another book was published named “Women Writing in India: 600 B.C. to the Present” by Susie Tharu and K. Lalita. This book also mentioned a character named “Fatima Sheikh” as a colleague of Savitribai. But the source of this information was the same letter by Savitribai to Jyotirao Phule. That means Fatima being a teacher was an assumption made by the authors, with zero substantial evidence.
Mention of Fatima Sheikh in the book Women Writing in India: 600 B.C. to the Present
Thereafter, some Urdu textbooks prepared by the Maharashtra textbook bureau Balbharati also included a small section on Fatima. There was also a chapter on her life in Class 8 textbooks in Andhra Pradesh. But when these textbooks were printed remained unknown. Also, the source of the information on Fatima in these books remains questionable.
Apart from a few fleeting mentions of Fatima in some books, there was not much buzz around this character for the next 3 decades. She just remained as a forgotten character, in old books.
However, in 2019 Dilip Mandal, somehow found this character and decided to give her a new life. He wrote an article in The Print-“Why has Indian history forgotten Fatima Sheikh but remembers Savitribai Phule?”
After this article, Fatima suddenly became the “forgotten historical figure” whom everyone wanted to claim. Leftist scholars, Ambedkarite organizations, and Muslim organizations picked her up and eulogized her. Information regarding her started appearing in multiple books, all published post-2019. Dilip Mandal also did a podcast on Fatima Sheikh on the Print’s YouTube channel.
Some of the books and research articles written using this narrative are as follows:
Her birthday was celebrated every year with a lot of fanfare. All Ambedkarite and Muslim organizations started putting her on the same pedestal as Savitribai Phule.
Her popularity increased and even the major media outlets started remembering her every year. Even a Google Doodle was based on her.
Google Doodle on Fatima
Popular Media handles remember her on January 9 every year
The spread of this fabricated story has not been confined to mere online discussions. Prominent media outlets like Feminism India, Times Now, Indian Express, and Zee News have all contributed to the remembrance of this fictional character. Furthermore, educational platforms and IAS preparation websites have included this narrative in their study materials, thereby teaching a version of history that is potentially misleading to students and aspirants.
BBC Hindi published a documentary on her in 2020. The Print hosted a discussion on her. Similarly, Vikas Divyakirti owned Drishti IAS, StudyIQIAS, BBC Marathi, BBC Gujarati etc have created documentaries on her.
History of Fatima Sheikh is part of UPSC syllabus and is being taught to students. Atrocity literature appeals to the emotion at IAS preparation websites and Teacher Plus, a site for teachers.
Details like Fatima Sheikh’s birthday, profession, and her relationship with the Phule family were all invented to give depth to this character, despite there being no historical records to validate such specifics. Articles and books were subsequently written about Fatima, expanding on her invented background, family life, and even a love interest. This fabrication even extended to the creation of a Wikipedia page, showcasing how easily historical fraud can be embedded in the digital information ecosystems.
A lot of fake eulogies, fictional stories, fraud accolades, false praises, hoax tributes, forged references, phoney compliments, and synthetic acclamation about a simulated character were created out of thin air.
Thus, a fictional character, with no historical evidence, became a eulogized and well-established historical figure, a pioneer in the field of education.
However, this complete fabrication of a historical figure was not unnoticed. Some of the Dalit-Muslim research scholars expressed doubts about it.
Hari Narke, a renowned academician who is known for his work on Jyotirao Phule and B R Ambedkar raised questions regarding the identity and existence of Fatima Sheikh. He had asked people who were celebrating Fatima Sheikh’s birth anniversary to provide credible evidence justifying the same.
Other Dalit scholars like Arvind Kumar and Suraj Yenge (amongst others) raise questions about Fatima’s existence as well.
Even an attempt to correct the Wikipedia page by a contributor named Starlordnikhil, was thwarted. Four years ago, Starlordnikhil attempted to correct the Wikipedia article on Fatima Sheikh, but his edits were deleted and he was blocked from Wikipedia platform without any explanation.
That shows that concerns were being raised on Fatima’s existence but all these concerns were disregarded and Fatima’s eulogization continued.
Effect Of Dilip Mandal’s Disclosure
After Dilip Mandal’s confession went viral, an online debate started on how easily history can be manipulated for political ambitions. The news was covered by all major media outlets and raised a huge outcry amongst the public.
Confession:
I had created a myth or a fabricated character and named her Fatima Sheikh.
Please forgive me. The truth is that “Fatima Sheikh” never existed; she is not a historical figure. Not a real person.
The article written by Mandal was taken down by The Print after this disclosure.
The Wikipedia article on Fatima again was in the limelight and after major public concerns, finally editors removed the picture, date of birth and date of death from Fatima Sheikh’s introduction. However, Wikipedia rejected a proposal to delete the article, as some editors claimed that there are evidence of Fatima being a real person.
Conclusion
Though Dilip Mandal’s assertion of him being the creator of Fatima Sheikh can be contested, it is evident that works of Phule’s do not have any mention of Fatima Sheikh associated with him and Savitribai. The creation of this character is now considered as an attempt at Muslim appeasement or to foster a narrative of historical Dalit-Muslim unity.
Also, the entire timeline and sequence of building up a fictional character, all from a single line in a single letter, and then inserting her in history with complete validation shows how easily history can be manipulated.
Implications
This entire saga sheds light on a troubling aspect of historical narrative manipulation. The creation of Fatima Sheikh as a historical figure serves as a case study of how fictional narratives can be weaponized for political or ideological gains, leading to a distorted perception of history. This not only affects the credibility of historical studies but also manipulates public sentiments, potentially fostering division or unity based on fabricated grounds.
Also, an important point to note is that although Mandal accepted Fatima being a fake character, he is still mum on other questionable stories and characters from atrocity literature (e.g. Nangeli or Jhadu-Matki story).
The broader implications of such fake atrocity literature, as termed, are significant. It challenges us to question the sources of our historical knowledge and the motivations behind the narratives we accept as truth. It forces us to ask – how much of our history has been twisted or outright fabricated by ideological opportunists to serve their selfish goals.
As we move forward, it becomes crucial for educators, media, and individuals to engage in critical analysis of historical figures and events, ensuring that the history we learn and teach is rooted in factual evidence rather than constructed myths.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister’s secretary Shailesh Bagoli said that the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) will be implemented in Uttarakhand on January 27, a day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s arrival in Dehradun.
CM Pushkar Singh Dhami will also launch the UCC portal on the same day. The UCC portal will be launched at 12:30 pm on January 27 at the Secretariat. Uttarakhand will be the first state in independent India to implement UCC.
The Uttarakhand government has implemented the Uttarakhand Uniform Civil Code Act, 2024, establishing a streamlined framework for the creation and cancellation of wills and supplementary documents, known as codicils, under testamentary succession.
Uttarakhand government on Wednesday notified the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) which contains clarity of legal provisions for marital conditions and protection of individual rights and social harmony, an official statement read.
According to the state government, this act applies to the entire area of the state of Uttarakhand and is also effective on the residents of the state living outside Uttarakhand.
Uttarakhand has become the first state in India to implement a Uniform Civil Code (UCC), aiming to simplify and standardize personal laws related to marriage, divorce, succession, and inheritance.
The UCC applies to all residents of Uttarakhand, except Scheduled Tribes and protected authority-empowered persons and communities.
This Act does not apply to the Scheduled Tribes (ST) notified under Article 342 and Article 366 (25) of the Constitution and protected authority-empowered persons and communities under Part XXI have also been excluded from its purview.
To streamline and simplify the legal processes related to marriage, a public welfare system promoting the protection of individual rights and social harmony has been provided in the Uniform Civil Code Act, 2024 of Uttarakhand, the statement added.
Under this, marriage can be solemnised only between those parties, none of whom has a living spouse, both are mentally capable of giving legal permission, the man should have completed at least 21 years of age and the woman 18 years of age and they should not be in the ambit of prohibited relationships.
Marriage rituals can be performed in any form under religious customs or legal provisions, but it is mandatory to register marriages taking place after the implementation of the Act within 60 days.
Whereas marriages taking place from March 26, 2010, to the implementation of the Act will have to be registered within 6 months. Those who have already registered as per the prescribed standards, although they are not required to register again, will still have to acknowledge the registration done earlier.
Marriages solemnised before March 26, 2010, or outside the state of Uttarakhand, where both the parties have been living together since then and fulfil all the legal eligibility criteria, can (although it is not mandatory) get registered within six months of the coming into force of the Act, said an official statement.
Similarly, the work of acceptance and acknowledgement of marriage registration is also required to be completed promptly. After receiving the application, the sub-registrar has to make an appropriate decision within 15 days.
According to the statement, if no decision is taken on the application related to marriage registration within the prescribed period of 15 days, then that application is automatically forwarded to the registrar; whereas, in case of acknowledgement, the application will be considered automatically accepted after the same period.
Along with this, a transparent appeal process is also available if the registration application is rejected. There is a provision of penalty for giving false information for registration under the Act and it has also been clarified that the marriage will not be considered invalid merely due to non-registration. Registration can be done both online and offline.
To implement these provisions, the state government will appoint a registrar general, Registration and sub-registrar, who will ensure the maintenance and monitoring of the relevant records.
This Act also lays down who can marry and how marriages are to be solemnised and also provides clear provisions on how both new and old marriages can be legally recognised, the statement added.
Earlier the Uttarakhand Government’s Information Technology Development Agency (ITDA) conducted a mock drill for the Uttarakhand Uniform Civil Code Portal, marking a significant step in the portal’s operational readiness ahead of its official rollout.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
On 25th January, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unveiled the third and final part of its election manifesto or ‘Sankalp Patra’ for the upcoming Delhi Assembly Elections. Union Home Minister Amit Shah released the document and announced significant promises, including a welfare board for gig workers, Rs 10 lakh life insurance, Rs 5 lakh accidental insurance, and the development of a new Yamuna riverfront modelled on Gujarat’s Sabarmati riverfront.
While speaking to the media during the press conference, HM Shah pledged 50,000 jobs and 20 lakh self-employment opportunities for the residents of Delhi.
हम युवाओं को 50,000 सरकारी नौकरियां, 20 लाख रोजगार और स्वरोजगार के अवसर उपलब्ध करवाएंगे और जरूरतमंद छात्रों को नेशनल कॉमन मोबिलिटी कार्ड (NCMC) के माध्यम से मेट्रो में मुफ्त यात्रा की सुविधा प्रदान करने के लिए वार्षिक ₹4,000 क्रेडिट करेंगे। #BJPKeSankalppic.twitter.com/IsNzqZiHgg
He also proposed the creation of a Mahabharat corridor in collaboration with the neighbouring states of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
हम महाभारत के प्रसिद्ध पौराणिक महाकाव्य को बढ़ावा देने और प्रचारित करने के लिए एक भव्य महाभारत कॉरिडोर विकसित करेंगे, इसके लिए उत्तर प्रदेश और हरियाणा सरकारों के साथ साझेदारी भी करेंगे। #BJPKeSankalppic.twitter.com/Lpk9BqCs2p
Furthermore, he promised full ownership rights in 1,700 unauthorised colonies in the national capital.
HM Shah also highlighted healthcare promises in the manifesto and assured free treatment for senior citizens under the Ayushman Bharat scheme. He promised that if the BJP comes to power in the state, the scheme will be approved in the first Cabinet meeting.
Apart from these promises, HM Shah also vowed to address issues arising during the AAP regime, such as reopening 13,000 sealed shops and converting 13,000 buses into electric vehicles to improve public transport and environmental standards.
BJP criticises Kejriwal over unfulfilled promises
HM Shah launched a scathing attack on AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal. He accused Kejriwal of failing to deliver on his promise to clean the Yamuna River. He said, “Kejriwal promised to make the Yamuna like the Thames and even said he would take a dip in it. Today, the people of Delhi are still waiting for that world-famous dip.”
He pledged that if the BJP comes to power, cleaning the Yamuna would be a priority and it would be accomplished within three years. Furthermore, he promised to develop a riverfront, inviting Kejriwal and his family to take a dip in the Yamuna River once the project is complete.
हम यमुना कोष के माध्यम से यमुना नदी को पुनर्जीवित करेंगे एवं केंद्र सरकार के साथ सहयोग करके साबरमती रिवर-फ्रंट की तर्ज पर यमुना रिवर फ्रंट का विकास करेंगे। #BJPKeSankalppic.twitter.com/jlKorWw8a3
Shah also accused AAP of running misleading campaigns, including WhatsApp calls suggesting the BJP would halt welfare schemes. “No welfare schemes for the poor will be stopped. The BJP will fulfil all its promises,” he reiterated.
Liquor policy and corruption in focus
Notably, the BJP manifesto highlighted corruption allegations against the incumbent AAP government, including the controversial Delhi liquor policy scam. Shah accused Kejriwal of granting licences for liquor stores near schools and places of worship. HM Shah said, “Thousands of crores worth of liquor scam was done by their Education Minister (Manish Sisodia).”
केजरीवाल ने कहा था रिहायशी क्षेत्रों से हम शराब की दुकानें बंद करेंगे। केजरीवाल जी आप रिहायशी क्षेत्र तो छोड़िए आप ने तो स्कूलों, मंदिरो, गुरुद्वारों के करीब में शराब की दुकान खोलने के लाइसेंस दे दिए और हजारों करोड़ो का भ्रष्टाचार किया-श्री @AmitShah#BJPKeSankalppic.twitter.com/bhe7JpMOsc
Furthermore, HM Shah criticised Kejriwal for spending Rs 51 crore to renovate his government residence, labelling it as a “sheeshmahal”, a term that has been used consistently for the lavishly renovated CM residence. He questioned the efficiency of AAP’s mohalla clinics. “Are operations and x-rays conducted there? What about specialist doctors?” he asked, alleging widespread scams and fake tests.
BJP’s earlier promises and election stakes
Earlier, the BJP’s manifesto focused heavily on welfare and anti-corruption measures. The party promised Rs 2,500 monthly assistance under the Mahila Samridhi Yojana, Rs 500 LPG subsidies, and free education from KG to PG for government school students.
The BJP last came to power in Delhi in 1998 and is hoping to weed out AAP from the national capital in the upcoming elections. The party’s campaign has largely centred on corruption allegations and unfulfilled promises by AAP while addressing issues faced by gig workers, unauthorised colonies, and businesses.
The voting in Delhi will take place in a single phase on 5th February. The results will be announced on 8th February.
While releasing the final part of the BJP’s Delhi manifesto on Saturday, January 25, Union Home Minister Amit Shah lashed out at the AAP national convener and former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. Amit Shah said that Kejriwal did not fulfill any of his promises. Mincing no words, Amit Shah called Kejriwal a liar. He said that he had not seen such a liar in his political career.
Amit Shah accused Kejriwal of not implementing any of the welfare schemes promised by him. Taking a dig at the Delhi CM’s official residence which Kejriwal renovated by spending a huge amount of public money, Shah said that Kejriwal had promised that he would not live in a bungalow and yet he spent crores on the renovation of the CM’s residence. Further lashing out at Kejriwal, Amit Shah accused Kejriwal of deceiving people by telling them lies. “In my political career, I have never seen such a liar. I have no problem with using such harsh words because I am convinced, ” said Amit Shah.
Kejriwal promised to take a dip in Yamuna: Amit Shah
Amit Shah called out Kejriwal for not fulfilling his promise of cleaning Yamuna. “Kejriwal promised to take a dip in Yamuna after cleaning it within 7 years. We are still waiting for you to take a dip in Yamuna. You did nothing to make Delhi pollution-free except hold press conferences thrice a day”, said Amit Shah. Reminding Kejriwal that he is out on bail and the charges against him remain, Amit Shah added, “The moment you got bail, you claimed innocence. Kejriwal ji, you are out on bail, the charges against you are not dropped”.
Amit Shah cornered Kejriwal for failing to make a Dalit person the Deputy CM of Delhi as was promised by him. “You promised to give Delhi a Dalit Deputy CM, it’s been 10 years of your government and your promise remains unfulfilled”, Shah added.
Liquor shops opened across the national capital
Taking a jibe at Kejriwal over the Delhi Liquor Excise Policy scam, Amit Shah said that Kejriwal opened liquor stores near schools, temples and gurudwaras. “He (Arvind Kejriwal) said he would close liquor stores from residential areas. Forget residential areas, Arvind Kejriwal did not spare schools, temples and even gurudwaras. He gave licenses to open liquor stores in their vicinity, ” said the Union Home Minister.
“Thousands of crores worth of liquor scam was done and this scam was done by their Education Minister (Manish Sisodia). This is unprecedented. When Arvid Kejriwal was in jail, he did not resign on moral grounds but proudly stayed as the CM,” Shah added.
BJP will clean Yamuna if voted to power: Amit Shah
Unveiling the BJP manifesto, Amit Shah promised that if BJP is voted to power in Delhi, the party will clean Yamuna within 3 years. He said that the BJP government would offer 50,000 government positions and would also create 20 lakh self-employment opportunities. He assured that no existing welfare scheme would be discontinued if the BJP comes to power in the national capital.
As the Delhi Assembly elections are around the corner, the political tensions between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Aam Aadmi Party are mounting. During a press meeting today, the Delhi BJP accused the AAP of deceiving the women of Delhi. Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdev accused the AAP of throwing away in garbage the forms filled by women to avail the benefits of AAP’s promised Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana.
Producing a pile of forms in the press meeting, Sachdev said that the filled forms of the Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana were handed over by a junk dealer in the Timarpur assembly constituency in Delhi. He said that the junk dealer gave the discarded forms to the BJP candidate from constituency, Surya Prakash Khatri. Sachdev claimed that after the find, BJP workers talked to a few other junk dealers and found forms with all of them. The BJP leader said that the junk dealers had about 30 thousand such forms with annexed copies of supporting documents like PAN cards, Aadhar cards, Voter ID and bank details.
He said that 30 thousand forms were found in just one constituency, and therefore the actual number of such discarded forms will be much higher in the entire Delhi which has 70 constituencies.
Sachdev said that the Aam Aadmi Party compromised the personal details and other confidential information of women who trusted the party’s promises. He said that this information could be misused to access their bank accounts or for any other purposes.
When asked, Virendra Sachdev said that the forms they were displaying in the press conference were originals, not photocopies, as evidenced by original colour passport photos affixed on the forms. He also read out some names and their partial details from the forms.
AAP promised to pay Rs 2100 monthly to women
Last year in December, the Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal promised cash rewards to all the women in Delhi under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana. Confirming that the Yojana was approved by the Delhi cabinet, Kejriwal promised that the Rs. 1000 monthly would be rolled out immediately to all the women and Rs 2100 monthly would be given to all women after his party is voted back to power in Delhi.
The AAP also announced the Sanjeevani Yojana promising free medical and healthcare services to citizens aged above 60. However, the Health and Family Welfare Department of the Government of the NCT of Delhi warned the citizens that no such scheme is in existence at present. In addition to that, the Women and Child Development (WCD) department of the Delhi government issued a clarification regarding the ‘Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana,’ and said no such scheme has been officially notified.
Following the announcement, the AAP began collecting the personal details of the women and senior citizens in Delhi. Thousands of women filled out the forms to avail the benefits under the Yojana. On 25th December, the AAP revealed that around 1.15 million people had already signed up for the said schemes and that around 1,50,000 among them who are senior citizens have signed up for free health care.
Delhi govt said the schemes do not exist
While the AAP leaders and workers were getting people to fill up the forms for ‘Mahila Samman Yojana’ and ‘Sanjeevani Yojana’, the party-run govt in Delhi had issued a clarification in December 2024 saying that such schemes do not exist and they were illegally being propagated among the public. In statements issued by the Health and Family Welfare Department and Women and Child Development Department, it was clarified that the so-called ‘registration forms’ being used for enrolment into the schemes have no official value.
The state govt departments had asked people to not share personal information through fraudulent forms. The statements had said that no official authority has been ordered to collect personal data of the citizens in the name of the fraudulent schemes.
Even after the statements issued by the two departments under the Delhi govt, AAP leaders and workers continued to collect filled-up forms across all 70 constituencies in Delhi. The party workers had even set up camps to register the beneficiaries for the non-existent schemes.
Women protested outside Kejriwal’s residence for not fulfilling the promise
Earlier this month, a group of women from Punjab staged a protest accusing the AAP-led Punjab government of backtracking on the promise of providing Rs 1000 to every woman. “We have come from Amritsar to put forward our matters. Do not cheat the women of Delhi as you did with the women of Punjab, ” a woman told reporters while being detained. “Do not make a promise of Rs 2100 to the women of Delhi”, she said.
Perversion runs deep within the Islamo-leftist ecosystem. What comes across as even more alarming is the brazen hypocrisy of this lot as they take delight in sermonising about women’s rights and empowerment and whatnot all while demonstrating conspicuous reluctance in denouncing the perverts and sexual predators within their ideological ranks. Recently, a pro-Congress troll from the left-liberal side of the ideological spectrum who goes by the pseudonym “Narundar” has been accused of perverted behaviour towards women on social media, sexting and grooming young girls.
Several social media users are claiming that the Islamo-leftist troll “Narundar” is a 52-year-old Muslim man named Mohammad Shehbaz and a has daughter, however, he was allegedly pretending to be single while manipulating girls as young as 19 to 20 years old. It must be noted that there is no confirmation of Narundar’s real name or religious identity and several claims about the same are being made on social media.
The matter came to light after some X users began warning people to beware of this predator operating on X as an anonymous leftist troll. In this vein, an X user who goes by the username @Delhiite published a post on 20th January 2025 wherein he said, “Beware of predators hiding behind anonymous accounts. A so-called big left-wing troll on Twitter, married & has a daughter, is pretending to be single and using vanish mode on Instagram to groom and manipulate young girls as young as 19-20.. ( not counting well grown-ups if they know the reality or not). Stay vigilant.”
Beware of predators hiding behind anonymous accounts. A so-called big left-wing troll on Twitter, married & he has a daughter, is pretending to be single and using vanish mode on Instagram to groom and manipulate young girls as young as 19-20.. ( not counting well grown ups if…
Meanwhile, several victims shared their ordeal and said that the leftist troll used to chat with them on vanish mode, befriend them, flirt with them and then ask for their pictures.
An X user named Ehsan shared the messages of two girls who accused “Narundar” of flirting with them. One of the messages stated that when the leftist troll allegedly sent her flirtatious messages she blocked him, however, she regretted not calling him out.
“If you people are talking about NarundarM then it is true. He is an absolute b@stard. Kutta hai sala. Jitni gali do km hai. He tried to msg me so many times. When I responded he tried to flirt. I blocked. I should have called him out then only. Expose him. Please,” the screenshot of the message shared on X by Ehsan reads.
Similarly, the other message reads, “bh mene twitter kuch mahino pehle join kari. ek bada acct he narundar naam ka isne mujhe kafi dm kiye phir mujhe insta par mesgg karne laga vanish mode me frienship k liye. baato baato me flirt karne laga meri pics manga ab mereko blackmail karra. me kis se help lu sab usko nek insan samajhte koi mera vishwas nhi karinga agar mene suicide karli to yaad rakhna narundar zimmedar hoga (I joined Twitter some time back. This big account Narundar DMed me many times and then messaged me on Instagram while on vanish mode for friendship. While chatting he began flirting and asked for my pictures and is now blackmailing me. Who should I take help from. I thought he was a wise man. Nobody will believe me. If I commit suicide, then Narundar is to blame.)
Numerous such screenshots of Narundar who is being claimed to be Mohammad Shehbaz, sliding into the DMs of girls with perverted intentions, who apparently followed him due to their shared ideology have emerged on social media.
Several X users are calling out people for maintaining a deliberate silence until Narundar was targeting Hindu girls, however, as soon as the Islamo-leftist troll began hitting out on Muslim girls, the same people allowed the same harassment to be meted out to Hindu girls, they wasted no time to expose the pervert.
These allegations emerged after X user Ehsan posted, “Baat apni ladkiyon ki thi Isliye samne ana pda Wrna ye baten saal se ho rhi h Wrna in sab se apna kya lena dena Ye sach hai ya jhuth usko bhul jao Reach aur attention k chakkar me, aise handles interaction sahi nhi h. door rho isme aap logon ki bhlayi h. (The matter was about our girls that’s why we had to come forward otherwise these things have been going for years. Otherwise what do we have to do with all this. Forget whether all this is true or not. Interacting such handles for reach and attention is not right. Stay away for your own good.)”
I received two messages, one a month ago and the second one today—about the same user. I’m not sure if it’s true, but it’s really shocking if it's true https://t.co/0cW5a2u1Q5pic.twitter.com/vWnkqcOVDz
Criticising the despicable mindset of such people one X user said, “Look how shameless & despicable these peacefuls are : They were ok with this pervert Narundar harassing Hindu girls, they disowned him the moment he harassed one of their own … and I hear this pervert Narundar is also a peaceful.”
Look how shameless & despicable these peacefuls are : They were ok with this pervert Narundar harassing Hindu girls, they disowned him the moment he harassed one of their own … and I hear this pervert Narundar is also a peaceful ??? https://t.co/9lgiBrEQqnpic.twitter.com/GEA84Q5It6
Meanwhile, netizens are calling out the hypocrisy of Narundar and sharing his old posts talking about creating a “safer environment for women”.
“I don’t know how much my request can change, but if you want a safer environment for women, UNFOLLOW ABUSIVE and MISOGYNIST people. Please join in and post with, if you care, #UnfollowAbusers,” one of Narundar’s posts reads.
Another post of his in the context of L&T Chairman SN Subrahmanyan’s controversial “How long can you at stare your wife” remarks, however, gives an insight into the perverted mentality of the leftist troll.
Meanwhile, Narundar put out a post in his defence recently and said, “I don’t think I ever asked someone for anything inappropriate, forget pushing them.”
TMC Mahua Moitra who was fangirling over Narundar zips her mouth even after he was exposed
Interestingly, Narundar who has amassed over 1,61,000 followers on X and about 1,27,000 followers on Instagram is followed by many influential figures in the left-liberal ecosystem. However, the troll has a fan in Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra. Amidst the controversy around Narundar’s alleged perverted behaviour, a reply to one of Narundar’s posts from last year has gone viral. This was in August 2024, when Moitra responded to the leftist troll’s post wherein he advised the TMC MP to hire a better PR team after he was blocked by Moitra on X.
Responding to Narundar’s post, Mahua Moitra said, “Sorry. Told them. Btw I am a fan of yours and like your posts & comment.”
In an apparent lack of moral backbone, Moitra has not yet denounced Narundar even after the leftist troll’s predatory behaviour with several girls on social media has been exposed by his victims. However, she or her ‘team’ took out time to allegedly block an X user for highlighting her post wherein she admitted to being a fan of Narundar.
TMC MP Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) blocked me simply for asking why she follows Potential R*pist Mohammad Shehbaz, aka Narundar, after she wrote to him, “I am a fan of you….”
Narundar turning out to be an alleged pervert and leftist ecosystem maintaining silence on this matter, however, is not shocking. In fact, the left has this propensity to sexual deviancy since they discard morality. The left’s delightful dance with morality, or should, the lack thereof is as if discarding morality is a part of their morning routine, just alongside their coffee and social media posts about justice, women’s rights and feminism.
It, however, is not shocking that people like Narundar are supported and celebrated by the Islamo-leftist ecosystem, of course, till their predatory behaviour is directed towards Hindu girls only. The antecedents of the left-liberals suggest that being a pervert and of criminal conduct are somewhat essential qualities to become a secular-liberal ‘icon’. It would not be shocking if the leftists came up with the argument that people like Narundar allegedly grooming young women is not problematic rather it’s yet another shade of progressive freedom.
While individual cases may have varied specifics, the left consistently demonstrates a disturbing pattern of sexual deviancy. This, perhaps stems from the fact that ideological commitment and furtherance of their narrative take precedence over virtues and morals. Just for the sake of pushing their agendas, the left-liberal ecosystem conveniently overlooks even predatory behaviour since it comes from one of their own. This dangerous pattern of moral decay, however, culminates in fostering a permissive environment wherein morality takes a backseat to political and ideological convenience. The left-liberal cabal takes delight in loathing the right wing as ‘misogynist’ and delivering sanctimonious sermons on moral virtues over “Melodi” memes, however, the same morality and sanctimony goes for a toss when someone from their ideological fold exhibit predatory behaviour.
Forget outraging or boycotting predators, the left-liberal ecosystem has a penchant for accommodating such elements. OpIndia has reported numerous high-profile cases wherein the predatory conduct of those within the left-liberal ideological fold was not only brushed aside but they were also celebrated.
From platforming those accused of sexual abuse to downplaying paedophilia: The unsettling extent to which the leftist go to shield their predators who champion their cause
Remember the late Vinod Dua? He was accused of stalking and sexual abuse as well. The leftist propaganda portal The Wire allowed Dua to make crass comments and slander the ‘Me Too’ movement. The outlet also allowed one of its journalists who was accused of rape to go back to work without offering any explanation. It must be recalled how Vinod Dua’s daughter Mallika Dua had dismissed all those criticising her father as “bhakts” and “right-wing trolls”. Like Dua, another feminist-liberal filmmaker Nandita Das also stood by her father, Jatin Das, who was accused of sexual harassment by a conservationist Nisha Bora.
A similar pattern was seen in NDTV, wherein Uma Sudhir, the wife of TS Sudhir, an NDTV journalist who was accused of sexual harassment, was accused of ‘gaslighting’ victims and intimidating them to protect her husband.
Incidentally, just as the leftist ecosystem has zipped its mouth over Narundar, they had gone silent when propaganda website AltNews’s co-founder Pratik Sinha was accused by a woman from the leftist ecosystem of sexual harassment and being a ‘sex maniac’. Hardly anyone from the liberal ecosystem who otherwise loves to position themselves as gatekeepers of morality and flagbearers of feminism called out Sinha’s alleged misconduct towards a woman.
In 2017, a year before the MeToo movement hit India, Raya Sarkar, then a law student in the US with her roots in India, put up a post on Facebook where she had named and shamed Indian academics who had been accused of sexual harassment. Subsequently, many other women came forward to retell the tales of their own abuse. However, the entire Leftist cabal had taken it upon themselves to shield the men. In another such case, the JNU Teachers Association rallied behind Arshad Alam, a professor at JNU who was found guilty of sexually molesting a student. Clearly, in the left-liberal ecosystem, as long as you seem to be pushing their narrative and fighting their ideological nemesis (read Sanghis and Hindutvawadis), the dignity of a few women can be sacrificed.
This, however, is not exclusive to Indian leftists rather this trait of defending predators or downplaying their perverted behaviour is shared among the left liberals across the world. From William Dalrymple who was back in 2018 accused of making many women uncomfortable during the #MeToo movement, to the Labour Party government in the UK outrightly rejecting a national inquiry into Pakistani Muslim grooming gangs which raped White and non-Muslim girls for nearly four decades in the country just because it would upset their Muslim vote-bank, this pattern can be traced globally.
OpIndia reported earlier, how the Labour Party and even the UK Police downplayed the crimes of Pakistani Muslim grooming gangs with the authorities even indulging in victim shaming and arrests because acting against Muslim perpetrators would encourage a ‘negative stereotype’ against Muslims and they feared being perceived as ‘Islamophobic’.
We reported that the leftist propaganda outlet Newslaundry whined about Hindus restricting entry of non-Hindus from Garba events to prevent Islamist predators from targeting Hindu women in their religious festival. The same people cry hoarse over Hindu religious processions playing songs and dancing while passing from a Muslim-dominated area is fine with Muslims entering garba events even as there have been numerous cases when they were found harassing Hindu women, attacking Hindu men or disrupting the celebrations, since maintaining the chimaera of ‘secularism’ and ‘inclusivity’ is more important than the safety and rights of Hindus and sanctity of their festivals.
It must also recalled how back in 2020, The Wire and NDTV misreported the findings of a report by Kanpur Police’s Special Investigation Team (SIT). This SIT was formed to probe the 14 cases of ‘Love Jihad’ (grooming jihad) and forced conversion in the Kanpur district. On 24th November 2020, the SIT submitted its report, however, The Wire and NDTV claimed in their reports that the ‘polarising campaign’ the Uttar Pradesh Govt was trying to carry out in the name of ‘love jihad’ turned out to be a damp squib, as the SIT report it had accessed said that 8 out of the 14 cases were ‘consensual’. Basically, The Wirewas telling the people that who gives a damn about age restrictions when you have ‘informed consent’. However, OpIndia reported that contrary to claims made by the leftist propaganda outlets, the UP Police confirmed that they found criminality in 11 out of 14 cases.
While The Wire and other leftist propaganda outlets tried to justify the grooming of minor Hindu girls by Muslim men in the name of ‘consent’, the SIT report revealed that Muslim men have indeed been subjugating Hindu women. No wonder the Islamo-leftists dismiss grooming jihad as a ‘hoax’ and ‘right-wing conspiracy theory’ since these are religiously motivated crimes wherein the perpetrators are essentially Muslims.
Not to forget, this same left-liberal cabal celebrates not only sexual predators but convicted criminals like Lalu Yadav who headed the infamous ‘jungle raj’ era in Bihar as a champion of ‘social justice’. They hail Mamata Banerjee who blamed population surge, modernisation an increase in shopping malls and multiplexes for rising rape cases, and on numerous occasions downplayed rape cases, as an epitome of woman empowerment. They continue to project the 2020 anti-Hindu Delhi Riots’ alleged mastermind Umar Khalid as a ‘crusader against fascists’. All because in the eyes of the left-liberal cabal, such people are champions of the supposed ‘higher purpose’ of fighting the ‘Sanghis’ and the BJP.
In conclusion, the left-liberal ecosystem has a sexual predator problem, however, this lot’s moral compass has been compromised long back. Their conduct in Narundar’s case only demonstrates that they have traded their moral backbone for subscription to an ideology where every deviancy can be tolerated, downplayed, rationalised and even excused as long as the predator continues to contribute towards furthering their ideology and propaganda.
On 23rd January, another FIR was registered against Mahesh Langa, a journalist working with the English newspaper The Hindu. He is already facing multiple cases, including GST fraud, cheating, and leaking government documents. The FIR was registered at the Satellite Police Station in Ahmedabad based on the complaint of a land broker named Janak Thakor under Section 308(2) of the Bharatiya Nayay Sanhita (BNS).
In the complaint, Langa is accused of taking ₹40 lakh, promising Thakor that his name would be mentioned in a newspaper article. Janak alleged in his complaint that in January 2024, Langa demanded Rs 20 lakh to mention his name in an article published in The Hindu. Later, he again demanded another Rs 20 lakh, bringing the total to Rs 40 lakh.
Excerpt from the FIR. Source: OpIndia Gujarati
Thakor said that he met Langa about a year and a half ago at a café in Bodakdev. Over time, Langa allegedly told Thakor that he was a journalist with a prominent newspaper and also engaged in land brokerage. Langa reportedly claimed that he could resolve complex land issues, yielding significant profits. He allegedly assured Thakor that if his name appeared in the newspaper, it would bring him lucrative deals and commissions.
Langa even promised to help Thakor become a major builder and launch an IPO for his company, frequently borrowing cash while making grand claims. In January 2024, Langa told Thakor that he was writing an article on GIFT City and would mention his name. He suggested that publicity in a national newspaper would benefit Thakor’s business and enhance his reputation. Thakor alleged in his complaint that he was enticed by the prospect of gaining fame and agreed to Langa’s demand to pay him. Langa allegedly extorted Rs 20 lakh from him through such promises.
Article in The Hindu mentioning Thakor.
After the article featuring Thakor’s name was published on 26th January 2024, Langa’s behaviour reportedly changed. He began demanding more money, warning that if Thakor refused, he would use his political connections and contacts in the administration to ruin Thakor’s reputation by publishing negative articles and dragging him into false cases. Thakor alleges that these threats and Langa’s interference in certain matters caused him significant financial losses. In July 2024, fearing further damage, Thakor paid Langa an additional Rs 20 lakh in cash.
Despite this, Langa continued making demands, leaving Thakor hesitant to file a complaint due to Langa’s influential connections. However, after learning that Langa faced multiple other complaints, Thakor finally approached the police.
Arrest, lavish lifestyle and GST fraud
Langa was arrested on 8th October in this case under sections 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery), 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating), 471 (forged document), 474 (punishment for possessing forged document), 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Later, reports suggested that Langa led a lifestyle far beyond his salary, amassing crores of rupees over the past two years. Mahesh leveraged his position as a journalist to engage in blackmail, settlements, and illicit business activities, reportedly earning millions through these means. Additionally, his name had surfaced concerning the leak of sensitive government documents.
Despite an annual salary reportedly only in the lakhs, a recent Ahmedabad Crime Branch search at his home uncovered Rs 20 lakhs in cash. Police also recovered expensive jewelry and documents related to property holdings. It was also reported that Mahesh and his wife frequently visited luxury hotels like the Oberoi and Taj Man Singh. As per the revelations, he and his wife stayed in such establishments over 98 times in the past year without covering any of the costs themselves.
Investigations further revealed that the lavish lifestyle of the journalist was primarily funded through around 220 shell companies. He also frequently traveled by chartered flights, with fares amounting to lakhs. He even has a history of hosting an extravagant birthday party, inviting prominent businessmen and city officials. For this event, he reportedly paid a Rs 5 lakh advance for the hall and gifted gold coins to each guest.
It was also learned that Langa acquired government documents but did not use these for journalism. He rather used the documents to blackmail officials and government bodies. As Mahesh Langa was first brought for questioning by the Crime Branch, he claimed that he was being targeted by the government because of his work as a journalist, but this defense failed, and he was arrested.
During the investigation, it was determined that Langa had been in contact with specific officials, with chat logs to back this up located on his devices. A further police investigation found that Mahesh had gotten documents and other private information about the Gujarat Maritime Board, triggering a search of the GMB office in Gandhinagar.
After seizing several documents and materials, the Gandhinagar police registered another FIR against him at the Sector 7 police station. Another FIR was filed against Langa on 30th October after the authorities conducted massive raids against Langa across Gujarat. The FIR was filed by Pranav Shah, director of an advertising company named Khushi Enterprises, who claimed that Langa defrauded him of Rs 28 lakh, allegedly failing to return funds provided for specific work.
The first FIR against Langa pertains to the GST scam, while the second was filed by Gandhinagar police, which alleges that he exploited his position as a journalist to leak government documents. The second case is related to the Gujarat Maritime Board and it is a sensitive case due to national security concerns linked with it. The third FIR addressed the Rs 28 lakh fraud accusation, adding another accusation to the complex case against him. The fourth case involved the creation of four fake e-way bills and in December, the journalist was again arrested in a separate tax fraud case by the Rajkot police.
