This cover of TIME Magazine, with a saffron sash, displayed prominently around the neck of PM Modi, along with the ominous headline of “Divider in Chief”.
Another step forward for the global liberal complex in stigmatizing Hindus as the “other” who are out to get everyone.
Obviously, not very many Indians read TIME Magazine, nor the New York Times, Le Monde, the Guardian nor the Economist nor care about what they have to say. Even fewer make their voting decisions based on them. While this is inherently a good thing at least in the short term, it does carry a long term risk.
We Hindus have our eyes closed while we are being viciously defamed across the world.
Sample this.
Or this.
It’s really not about Modi. It’s about Hindus. The global liberal complex has dedicated itself to projecting Hindus as regressive, violent and hateful people. The insane characterization of India as “Lynchistan” went beyond the pages of India’s Lutyens newspapers a long time ago. Liberals are taking it fully global.
Look at how this characterization of India was casually slipped into a question that American Presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard was asked:
Observe that the question is taking it for granted that PM Modi is “repressive”. The liberal complex no longer even allows for debate on the subject. It’s just assumed.
This kind of characterization of PM Modi and India is astonishing when you look at it in the context of the US Presidential election. Candidates such as Bernie Sanders have lavished praise on Soviet and Cuban dictators, but that does not seem to be an issue.
Perhaps you are an Indian who does not like PM Modi. But take a look around yourself. Does it feel like our country is being ruled by someone who is worse than Stalin or Fidel Castro? They are saying India is ruled by “Hindu Taliban”. Tell me which BJP leader you think is actually like Mullah Omar or Osama bin Laden.
Whether you like PM Modi or not, when our democratically elected Prime Minister is portrayed as worse than Stalin, Castro or Osama bin Laden, it hurts the interest of every Indian. We are all global citizens. How the world perceives us matters.
In this information war, images matter. The digital image of PM Modi with the saffron sash on the TIME cover was created for a reason. It is to sow in the minds of people worldwide that saffron = evil.
An image of Hanuman that went viral on the streets of Indian cities was reported in the Washington Post as the “face of militant Hinduism”.
The agenda is clear. Modi is just an excuse. They are out to get us all. They intend to stigmatize any expression of Hinduness, no matter how small.
This hatred for all things Hindu extends to anything that can be associated with India.
You might have heard about this New York Times article suggesting that love for sarees has something to do with Hindu fundamentalism. You might have mocked it on social media. But so what? Did New York Times delete the article, withdraw it or issue an apology? We Indians can see that the premise of the article is absurd, but does the rest of the world know that? That article was not meant to fool Indians, but to fool the rest of the world. And the New York Times achieved its objective of telling the world that sarees = evil.
Like I pointed out here, one of the biggest channels in Latin America is now telling the folks over there that Sardar Patel was a “right-wing bigot”.
Latin America is not New York that you would meet Indians everywhere. This is probably one of the first things most of those viewers are hearing about India’s domestic politics. This is something they will remember. Perhaps a decade later, when India’s global economic footprint expands even further and Indian businessmen and professionals go to South American shores, the local population will ask them: “Why do you Indians make colossal statues of right-wing bigots?”
Do you have an answer ready for that?
Still, think this is just about PM Modi?
I said earlier that we Hindus have our eyes closed. Because we are not speaking for ourselves, liberals are filling in the vacuum by drawing up a picture of Hindus as violent and intolerant. And wherever possible, liberals are happy to cultivate dangerous beliefs about Hindus.
Oh DNA, how naive you are!
No, they weren’t showing their ‘ignorance’.
Rather they were worried that explaining what the swastika means in India would dispel other people’s ignorance about Hindus.
If some people in the West foolishly believe that the Hindu swastika has something to do with Nazis, the liberal is quite happy to let them keep believing that. It’s serving the liberal agenda. Why would the liberals act against the interest of their own propaganda?
The liberal would much rather explain why the hijab and burqa are feminist symbols.
But sarees should arouse suspicion.
What is the endgame for liberals here? It is to create a form of global cultural apartheid against Hindus.
The world has changed a lot. There is no invader coming through the Khyber pass any more. The weapons and the form of war have changed. But conquest is still very much a thing. It’s all about information now. If we Hindus do not stand up and write our own story, somebody else will. And in the great theatre of humanity, we Hindus will be cast as the villains.
Kunal Kamra, the political propagandist who claims to be a comedian, had recently shared a video in which AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal was seen venting his spleen against PM Modi and the BJP. The video talked less about what Arvind Kejriwal has done for Delhi so far and about the achievements(If any) of his government and more about how Modi and Shah need to be removed from the power.
In the video, Kejriwal appears in his usual hateful self as he likens PM Modi and Amit Shah to a cancerous tumour that needs to be eradicated in order to save the country. When asked if not Modi then who, Rahul Gandhi?, Kejriwal responds, “I heard an analogy. When you are diagnosed with a tumour, you don’t say if not tumour, then who. Modi and Shah need to be removed. We’ll then see who becomes the PM then.”
Kunal Kamra, in his video, has allegedly used snippets of old videos to drive home the points postulated by Kejriwal in the interview. Kejriwal said that the BJP has normalised mob lynching and Muslims were the primary targets for such lumpen elements. Kamra adds a factually incorrect snippet from the Quint claiming how only Muslims have been victims of cattle-related violent incidents in the country. However, he conveniently ignores the Hindu victims who were attacked and lynched for opposing cattle-smuggling.
Popular Twitter user Ankur Singh, in a series of Tweets, has pointed out that, in his interview with Kejriwal, Kamra has shared old videos from before 2014, when the Congress party was in power, to convey that the mob violence was supposedly unleashed by PM Modi and the BJP to cast them in the bad light.
Kunal Kamra did a propaganda interview to promote Kejriwal and for it used videos from Congress rule (before 2014) to show mob lynching under Modi govt.
— Chowkidar Ankur Singh (@iAnkurSingh) May 9, 2019
Ankur has also shared another instance where, to show that the Gau Rakshaks have been empowered under the Modi government and that they enjoy state patronage, Kunal has shared a clip which was already uploaded in 2013 to show that Modi government has let loose the cow vigilantes across the country.
Here’s another clip used by propaganda peddler @kunalkamra88 to show gau raksha violence under Modi govt.
— Chowkidar Ankur Singh (@iAnkurSingh) May 9, 2019
Kamra shared another clip that was uploaded in 2013 alleging that Gau Rakshaks have been empowered under Modi government to fuel anarchy and indulge in arson and vandalism.
Next clip used by @KunalKamra88 to show Gau Rakshaks under Modi rule became violent and creating anarchy by burning vehicles was uploaded in 2013.
— Chowkidar Ankur Singh (@iAnkurSingh) May 9, 2019
By using videos from before 2014, when PM Modi was not in power, Kamra lies about the situation in the country to continue peddling propaganda against the Modi government. Recently, BSE had filed a formal complaint against Kamra for unauthorised modification and misuse of their brand. He had uploaded a morphed image of BSE building with the ticker reading ‘Do not vote for Modi’.
In India, Nehru and his descendants are considered beyond criticism and accountability. The mainstream media that has long been playing the role of bards in the Durbar of the dynasty, takes it upon itself to defend the dynasty when someone even attempts to point a finger on them. While, Modi, the unwashed Chaiwalla that usurped the throne is criticised for every household yet to be electrified and every unmanned railway crossing in the country, the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty must be kept above the taint of earthly scandals.
When Prime Minister Modi brought up the issue of Rajiv Gandhi’s corruption, the group of wizards known as Durbaris had jumped in to defend his memory. “How can a dead man be criticised,” they said. But the cat was already out of the box. The mention of Rajiv Gandhi and his corruption scams opened the long-locked doors and skeletons started tumbling out. After the corpses of the Bofors scam there came the ghosts of the 1984 Sikh massacre, the silent, hollow faces of thousands of victims of the Bhopal Gas tragedy followed next.
The latest in the long list of legacies that Rajiv Gandhi left for us is his now famous holiday in Lakshadweep, on a remote, uninhabited island. The details of the holiday, covered in some old news article are now for everyone to see. The then prime minister of India, a nation struggling with abject poverty, starvation, unemployment and a thousand other issues, took a significant chunk of its defence resources and put it to use for an idyllic vacation for his extended family and friends.
While the Durbaris fought against the scam allegations and Sikh massacre issue with expert responses like, ‘why abuse a dead man’ and ‘he was grieving for his mother’ excuses, the Lakshadweep holiday proved a little difficult. How can a group, that has been busy criticising PM Modi’s foreign trips, his suits and even his visit to see his mother, can justify an overtly extravagant holiday trip by their masters, one that used the warships of Indian Navy like personal taxi and ferrying cars?
Shekhar Gupta has just given a masterclass on how to do that. One lesson that all the novices can use to learn from.
In the video, Shekhar Gupta starts with Rajiv Gandhi, he does not say that Rajiv Gandhi is being discussed because he was a former PM and him being the former PM is the only qualification that his wife and two children have used to claim the reign of the Congress party. Gupta puts the blame on PM Modi. He establishes that the only reason we are discussing Rajiv Gandhi today is that PM Modi started it.
Gupta then goes ahead to ‘explain’ how PM Modi and Amit Shah are seasoned politicians and they had brought up the issue of Rajiv Gandhi ‘now’ for a purpose, Punjab votes. Gupta, in his deft style and air of omniscient elitism, then suggests that the Punjabis (especially Sikhs) cannot be fooled by jingoism and reference to the valour of the armed forces, so Modi has given them something they hate, Rajiv Gandhi.
Nowhere in the statements is the mention of the 1984 Sikh massacre that happened under Rajiv Gandhi’s watch. Like a seasoned Durbari, all the taint, all the guilt, all the misdeeds of the Gandhis are carefully swept under the carpet while the evil, sly face of Modi is highlighted in the discussion, insinuating that Modi is the sly fox that is trying to manipulate the sentiments of Sikhs by bringing in Rajiv Gandhi, what an evil man. The underlying sentiment that is never uttered aloud but gets delivered inside the brain of the people is, Rajiv was good, Modi is tainting his name to get your votes.
In the second part of the video comes the mention of the holiday. The long forgotten holiday that is now hanging like a sword on the head of Congress party. The India Today article mentioned how an idyllic, uninhabited island was chosen, how logistics and provisioning were worked out, how INS Virat and its retinue of support ships, even a submarine were stationed in the area. How the helicopters of the Indian Navy were used to ferry cold drinks, food and refreshments for the extended Gandhi family and their friends.
Images from Rajiv Gandhi’s Lakshadweep vacation with family and friends. courtesy: India Today
The 1987 holiday trip involved an extensive organisation of building, supplying and maintaining the remote island. The island was carefully chosen keeping in mind Rajiv Gandhi’s inlaws. It was reportedly the only island in the archipelago where there was no restriction on liquor and the visits of foreign nationals, as it was uninhabited. As per the reports published then, the little holiday must have cost the Indian exchequer an astronomical sum. Apart from the costs, efforts and the maintenance involved, the most staggering part of the holiday was the use of INS Virat and with all its entourage of ships.
A report in the Indian Express details the efforts. Engineers and workers were engaged to make the island ‘Gandhi worthy’. Helipads were made, hutments, water generators, living quarters and cooking facilities were provided. Except for fish and coconut, everything had to be airlifted from 200-400 km away. Just imagine the cost and manhours spent to make all that possible.
Indian Express report on Rajiv holiday
Gupta, however, dismisses all that with a careless sweep. He acknowledged that the holiday had happened and it was talked about a lot, even criticised for the wastage of state resources. But he also emphasized that INS Virat was ‘lurking around’ in that area. He casually mentions that the ship and its support ships were used to ferry goods, but denies that INS Virat was ‘used as a taxi’ or Rajiv Gandhi ‘lived’ on the ship.
Then, Gupta launches his masterstroke. He wipes away all the allegations of brazen wastage of state resources, the shameless misuse of power in using the Indian Navy’s aircraft carrier for personal leisure and the blatant, despicable display of entitlement in putting the naval forces to the work of ferrying cold drinks for the PM’s friends in one stroke. Gupta goes ahead to justify the holiday as a lifestyle that the elite, yuppie and young couple like Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia were quite used to.
Not even Sonia Gandhi would’ve came up with such Justification for corrupt practices of Family: @ShekharGupta says “All our PMs were either too old or Single; Rajiv Gandhi had family & modern elite yuppie lifestyle so he’s entitled to use #INSViraatpic.twitter.com/75I3ufPIWw
Gupta says most Prime Ministers of India has been either very old or single or both. He says that Rajiv and Sonia were a ‘young, yuppie’ couple that India doesn’t usually identify with as a Prime Ministerial couple. He asserts that Rajiv and Sonia were a couple and as they were young and elite, parties, hobbies, and fraternising with elite friends was quite normal for them. He even adds that India, that believes that wisdom comes only with age, and expects political leaders to be ’24×7 Tyagis’ was just surprised and curious about the holiday at that time.
The way Gupta brazens the holiday as a regular young couple thing is remarkable for a number of things.
He manages to cancel the negativity associated with that holiday. By casually ignoring the elephant in the room, that is the shameless misuse of state resources, he casts a spell of normalcy around the idea of that holiday, projecting it as some usual, regular activity.
He makes the viewers conscious about their own ‘Indian-ness’ if they were thinking about the holiday as an outrageous issue. He manages to shame the viewers into admitting that they were fools if they had believed Modi and thought about a ‘yuppie young couple’ like Rajiv and Sonia negatively or blamed them for misusing taxpayers’ money.
He casts an aura of celebrity status on Rajiv, Sonia and their family. The very same aura that Durbaris make sure is hanging around every time Priyanka smiles, wears a Saree or Rahul hugs his mother. The idea that they are beyond normal and everything they do is special is the foundation on which the Gandhi elitism and entitlement is built upon.
He also puts all other Prime Ministers, including Modi, in the ‘old and boring’ category. He projects Rajiv and Sonia as a star couple like Ranveer and Deepika, Saif and Kareena or the Clooneys. He spreads an invisible net where the Gandhis stand out in their radiance while Modi, Vajpayee, Manmohan Singh and all others are sulking in the back as old, grumpy people who are jealous of the young, party-going folks.
The emphasis on Rajiv-Sonia’s ‘young yuppie’ image is a better, sharper and more effective version of what Anand Sharma did yesterday. While Sharma’ juvenile “Modi has no family to go to vacations with” was a foolish defence that could be easily countered, Gupta’s projection of Rajiv Gandhi as a young PM who also was a family man and took his family for expensive vacations is a double-edged weapon that will work precisely as it was intended to.
Later in the video, Gupta also mentions how Rajiv was young and learning, and asserts he did make mistakes, as learning leaders usually do. He mentions how Rajiv had mocked the remembrance of Sikh massacres in the past as “The Ghallu Ghallu” thing. He also mentions how once Rajiv has mocked Jaipal Reddy’s physical disability as “He does not even have legs to stand on”, inside the parliament. Gupta emphasises that Rajiv had become a PM suddenly and he was learning. He even hails Rajiv as someone who always admitted he was curious and learning as if being a Gandhi and being young at the top of it is something that gives a clean slate by default. Something that is at play even today as we see the never-ending string of articles on Rahul’s ‘coming of age’.
This is precisely how Durbari propaganda has worked all these years. Yesterday, Sam Pitroda said, “1984 hua toh hua”, in a tone one would say, “Yes I swatted a fly, so what”. Priyanka Gandhi does absolutely nothing all her life, but the moment she ‘decides’ to step into politics, she is made Congress’ general secretary. But all the Durbaris sing about is how pretty she looks and how she smiles. Sonia Gandhi runs a system that controls, manipulates and often overrules the PMO, the nation sees its biggest scams under her rule but all Durbaris give us is if she cooked in her kitchen and how was her experience with her mother in law.
The spell cast by Durbaris is so strong that it is very difficult for the average Indian to escape it. The Gandhis are constantly kept under an aura of dazzling glorification. Our perspectives have been carefully programmed to overlook their fallacies and ignore their sins. We a nation, as a society, have casually forgotten Shah Bano, the thousands of deaths in Bhopal, the wailing of Sikh widows and children but we remember every time Modi showed the nerve of wearing an expensive suit or hugged a foreign president. The spell works, it has been working for decades and the Durbaris keep it in place.
Italian journalist Francesca Marino has accused journalist Ajai Shukla of being sexist person ‘who reached the bottom attacking her on sexist and insulting bases’. She has also accused journalist Karan Thapar of being a liar.
At least now we know how his ‘word of honor’ is worth
In a report published on Stringerasia, journalist Francesca Marino has claimed that the number of terrorists died in the strike was in the range of 130-170, which includes those who have died during treatment later. The report further revealed that 45 injured terrorists are still under treatment by Pakistani Army Doctors, while 20 terrorists have already died during treatment. It also suggests that terrorists who have recovered are still under the custody of the Pakistani Army.
Expectedly, her report has created a stir in the Lutyens lobby which would rather believe Pakistani authorities over Indian government. Business Standard Strategic Affairs Editor who was most concerned if Modi might ‘benefit’ from the Pulwama terror strike than the lost lives of CRPF jawans, took to Twitter to trash her report.
At least a refreshing change. I was so fed up to be called Sonia Gandhi’s supporter!
He cast aspersions that Francesca had ulterior motives of releasing this article in the middle of Indian elections. He then asked her what is her story based on, ‘other than sources’. (This, when Shukla’s own track record of reportage has not been quite credible) and asked her if she has visited Balakot. He was also quite concerned about the timing of the report since it coincides with the ongoing elections.
My sources are of course based in Pakistan.
I did not visit Balakot because I’m blacklisted by ISI but I still know many people in Pakistan
I’ve got the first infos days after the strike and I’m still in touch with my sources. This is the 4th article I write on the topic.
Francesca then explained that she has well-placed sources in Pakistan and that this was her fourth article on the Balakot strikes. She further asked him Shukla himself has done stories based on sources and so have journalists across the globe. Then what could be Shukla’s problem with the article? She reminded him that unlike himself, she has no voting right in India and has nothing to gain.
He then went on to make quite an unsavoury remark on her.
The @narendramodi bhakts now have a new poster girl — Italian stringer @francescam63 — who is alone amongst foreign media in corroborating @BJP4India claim of killing hundreds of jihadis in Balakot. NOTE: Her Twitter handle includes “FRANCE SCAM”. Rafale coincidence, perhaps???
He said that her Twitter handle ‘francescam63’ itself has ‘FRANCE SCAM’ in it and brought in Rafale. Shukla perhaps forgot that Italy and France are different countries and Francesca is Italian.
Meanwhile, Thapar, for his Congress leader Kapil Sibal backed channel, ‘HTN Tiranga’ decided to debate over how many terrorists were killed.
In the opening remark, Thapar says that while he had asked Francesca for an exclusive interview to discuss her article and while she was there ready to start with HTN, she ‘suddenly’ changed her mind. Thapar says that she was promised an exclusive interview, which she was given. However, he alleges that Francesca backed off after she got a ‘whiff’ that other people may join in the discussion ‘after’ her exclusive interview was done.
A visibly livid Francesca took to Twitter to point out how Thapar lied blatantly to her.
Lying is an euphemism. Swearing he is a man of honor and won’t drag me into a totally fabricated political show. Lied until the last second, laughing with that other scum thinking I could not see them.
Karan Thapar himself is not known for his exemplary journalism and ethics. Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri had recently revealed that he didn’t want Pallavi Joshi in a TV serial because ‘she is dark’. Karan Thapar has been accused of publishing concocted conversations as truth in his book ‘The Devil’s Advocate’. He has also insinuated that in the past that India is not a civilized nation. And most recently, he was also found appealing to the people to join a Congress party platform.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi stirred a Hornet’s nest when recently, he mentioned Rajiv Gandhi’s vacation onboard INS Viraat back in 1987. According to reports from the time, Rajiv Gandhi, along with Sonia Gandhi, her Italian family, other foreigners and ministers travelled to Lakshadweep to vacation on a remote, uninhabited island called Bangaram.
India Today and the Indian Express had covered this story extensively back in the day. The details of this vacation have been extensively reported and for the past few days, extensively debated. However, there now seems to be an unmissable Bofors link to this holiday taken by Rajiv Gandhi. A portion of the Indian Express report that was published on 24th January 1988 talks about the people who were vacationing with Rajiv Gandhi.
Snapshot of Indian Express 1988 newspaper talking about Rajiv Gandhi’s INS Viraat holiday
There are two names that stand out immediately – Mrs Sonia Gandhi’s sister Nadia Valdemoro and Sonia’s brother-in-law Walter Vinci who was married to her other sister, Anushka.
In our exclusive investigative report in March 2019, which questioned whether Sonia Gandhi’s Italian family was involved in the Bofors scam. The conclusion came from the inclusion of two names in the summary of a meeting between the Government of India and Bofors representatives. The two names were Val de Moro and Walter Vinci – both ‘relatives of the prime minister’.
In September 1987, functionaries of the government of India and Bofors had met for a discussion. This was only a few months after Swedish Radio in April 1987 had alleged that massive kickbacks were paid to Congressmen, Government of India and Sweden. The agreed summary record of this secret meeting between the government of India and Bofors representatives have been accessed by OpIndia.
This meeting was held on 15th, 16th and 18th September 1987 in the Ministry of Defence. The GOI team consisted of SK Bhatnagar who was the then Defence Secretary, PK Kartha who was the then Law Secretary, GK Arora who was the Special Secretary to the Prime Minister and NN Vohra, the Additional Secretary of Ministry of Defence. The GOI team was assisted by TK Banerji, the Join Secretary (Ordnance), Ministry of Defence. The Bofors delegation consisted of Per Ove Morberg (President of Bofors) and Lars Gothlin (Senior Vice President and Chief Jurist, Nobel Industries).
During this meeting, Bofors denied making payments to several firms, including AE Services, to which Quattrocchi was linked. This was later proven to be a blatant lie considering the paper trail led straight to Quattrocchi. They also denied making payments to several other firms which we will delve into at a later stage. These assertions were also proven to be blatant lies and documents indicate that the Government of India knew that lies were being perpetrated.
These two names of Walter Vinci and Val de Moro stand out because right next to their names, the document mentions “A relation of PM’. Obviously, if Vinci and Moro are being called the ‘relation of PM’, it would mean that they were related to Sonia Gandhi.
OpIndia had asked why the names of Walter Vinci and Val de Moro came up in these meetings in the first place. In the meeting, Bofors was essentially arm twisting the Rajiv Gandhi led government not to divulge information to Joint Parliamentary Committee that was set to question the Bofors executives right after this meeting between the GoI and Bofors executives. Before this meeting, the names of Walter Vinci and Val de Moro were not in the public domain and they were certainly never ever linked to the Bofors scam before this meeting.
Why then were Sonia Gandhi’s brothers-in-law mentioned by Bofors to assert that no money was paid to them as kickbacks?
Sten Lindstrom’s statement proves that other than gossip that surfaced much later, there were no allegations against the brothers-in-law of Sonia Gandhi. It is said that information that is volunteered without a question being asked in the regard is always suspect. In this meeting, the names of Walter Vinci and Val de Moro were offered without a question being asked. While the brothers-in-law of Sonia Gandhi were mentioned, the mention of Quatrocchi remained absent.
In fact, we had also evidenced how Rajiv Gandhi may have been getting blackmailed by Bofors and asked whether Sonia Gandhi’s Italian family’s involvement was a part of the blackmail.
Walter Vinci and Sonia Gandhi’s sister Nadia Valdemoro being present during the vacation and possibly onboard INS Viraat (since India Today mentioned at the time that several foreigners were onboard Viraat) raises several questions especially since the timeline of the entire fiasco is so suspect.
April 1987: Swedish Radio exposed the Bofors scam and alleged that kickbacks had been given to several government functionaries in the Bofors scam
September 1987: Government of India officials and Bofors representative have a meeting right before the Bofors representatives are set to meet the JPC. Sonia Gandhi’s Italian family (Walter Vinci and Val de Moro) are named in the summary of the meeting. Bofors denied having paid any money to these two individuals. However, before this meeting, the two names had never come up in connection with the Bofors scam. Even Sten Lindstrom’s statement proves that other than gossip that surfaced much later, there were no allegations against the brothers-in-law of Sonia Gandhi.
December 1987: Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi take a vacation to Lakshadweep using INS Viraat to ferry them around. During the vacation in Lakshadweep for certain and possibly, onboard INS Viraat was Walter Vinci and Sonia Gandhi’s sister Nadia Valdemoro. Nadia’s husband Val de Moro was the other individual who was named in the meeting along with Walter Vinci.
January 1988: Reports surfaced of serious impropriety on the part of Rajiv Gandhi vacationing on INS Viraat. Indian Express reports the presence of Sonia Gandhi’s Italian family was on vacation. It is entirely possible that they were on board INS Viraat too since the India Today report does mention foreigners onboard INS Viraat.
Interestingly, it was reported at the time that 1987, the Army was in favour of cancelling the Bofors deal so that they could arm-twist Bofors into telling India who the real culprits of the Bofors scam were. Arun Singh was in favour of this plan. Rajiv Gandhi, reportedly, summoned a meeting on 4th July 1987 and informed the Ministry of Defence that by employing these arm twisting tactics, they were exceeding their brief. Soon after, Arun Singh resigned.
In December 1987, when the INS Viraat vacation took place, as per Indian Express, Arun Singh’s family was there too, courtesy Rajiv Gandhi.
It was in July that Arun Singh had resigned from his post after insisting that the Bofors deal be cancelled and being shut down by Rajiv Gandhi for strange, inexplicable reasons. At the time, Singh had sworn that he had not received any money in connection to Bofors. He even declared his loyalty to Rajiv and said that his resignation had nothing to do with his responsibilities in the Defence Ministry.
The India Today report from 1987 reads:
“Few believed that. Singh’s supporters said he decided to quit on discovering major financial irregularities in defence deals – including Bofors – which Rajiv prevented him from investigating. Apparently, at Rajiv’s behest, Singh had invited a high-powered team led by a Bofors vice-president. It is claimed that Bofors offered to send a team, which Singh told Rajiv about. Rajiv put it to the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs on July 5. The offer was turned down and Singh resigned.
Others dub Singh as a villain, saying he was unwilling to face the House probe into the deal. He had earlier defended the deal and denied that any middleman existed – a position dented by the Swedish Audit Bureau report confirming payoffs. Said a Rajiv confidant: “Arun Singh was looking for an excuse to leave. If he feels the Defence Ministry was a cesspool of corruption, then he was not doing his job properly as well.”
This begs another important question: Why was Arun Singh’s family vacationing with Rajiv Gandhi months after he had resigned, allegedly, over Bofors?
With the connections now coming to the fore, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party must answer the following questions:
1. Was Sonia Gandhi’s Italian family onboard an Indian Naval Asset when foreigners are not allowed? We know for a fact they were present at the Island during the vacation, as disclosed by Indian Express at the time.
2. Why did Val de Moro and Walter Vinci’s names appear in the Bofors meeting when they were never suspected prior to it?
3. Only 2 months after their names came up in the Bofors scandal, why did the Prime Minister of India entertain them on a private vacation?
4. Why were their names never disclosed to the JPC?
5. Was Rajiv Gandhi protecting Sonia Gandhi’s Italian family?
6. Was there more to this Lakshadweep vacation with Bofors accused on board?
7. Why was Arun Singh’s family possibly on-board after he had resigned over the Bofors scandal?
8. Were Arun Singh and his family being ‘rewarded’ for Singh’s “loyalty”?
9. Why would the Prime Minister of India take along a resigned defence official’s family on a private vacation who had resigned under the cloud of Bofors scam?
When the conversation around INS Viraat and Rajiv Gandhi’s impropriety started, it was only about Rajiv Gandhi using Indian Naval assets for his personal use. However, with Walter Vinci and Arun Singh’s family vacationing with Rajiv Gandhi months after Walter Vinci and Val de Moro’s names came up in the Bofors scandal and were hidden from the JPC, several other more serious questions about not only impropriety but compromisation of national security and quid-pro-quo arise. Perhaps if there was a discussion of a quid-pro-quo, Bangaram, a small uninhabited island would be the perfect setting.
On Friday, Mayawati yet again made casteist statements on PM Modi. She alleged that the Prime Minister isn’t an OBC by birth and that he hasn’t suffered from casteism. Mayawati said this in response PM Modi’s accusation of the ‘mahagathbandhan’ being casteist. She also said that Akhilesh Yadav, the son of a former chief minister and former union minister, is real backward, while Modi, who comes from humble origins, is not really backward.
Mayawati: PM’s accusation that ‘mahagathbandhan’ is casteist, is absurd. How can those who suffered from casteism be casteist? Entire country knows he isn’t an OBC by birth, he hasn’t suffered from the atrocities of casteism. So he shouldn’t say such lies about ‘mahagathbandhan’ pic.twitter.com/yjBxuUdAd9
“Modi ji is not an OBC since birth that is why he has not gone through the pain that they go through. He should have not given ‘jaativaad’ comment on our gathbandhan,” she said. She continued by asking, “If by chance Modi was OBC, then would RSS have let him become the PM?”
“The biggest mahamilavati is PM Modi himself as he has enlisted his upper caste in the backward list for political gains during the tenure of his own government. The person who is really backward is Akhilesh Yadav. He is not a fake and ‘on-paper’ backward like Narendra Modi,” Mayawati said in a SP-BSP joint rally in Azamgarh.
Earlier on April 27 also, Mayawati had attacked the PM saying that Modi had got his upper class included in the OBC list during his term as the Gujarat Chief Minister. “In order to derive political profits during elections, he (PM Modi) got his upper caste included in the list of backward castes. Like Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav, (PM) Modi was not born in a backward caste,” she said.
However, a closer look showed that Mayawati was saying an outright lie. Narendra Modi belongs to the Modh Ghanchi caste which was classified as OBC by the Gujarat government in 1994, after the Mandal Commission report. Narendra Modi became the Gujarat CM only in 2001.
Questions over PM Modi’s caste have been raised before. In 2014 Congress leader Shaktisinh Gohil had alleged that Narendra Modi is a “fake OBC”, making the same claim as Mayawati saying that Modi’s caste wasn’t listed as OBC before he became the CM. Following which the Gujarat government had to issue a clarification stating the Modh Ghachi caste was listed as OBC in 1994.
In a candid interview with the OneIndia, an online news portal, former Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) officer, Amar Bhushan divulges the uncharted facts about radicalisation and terror down south India during his tenure, the accusations on the agencies of reacting late on the same and the noncompliance of the Congress government then.
While talking to OneIndia about the peril lurking down South as terror and radicalisation became a major threat there, Bhushan rubbishes the allegation on agencies of reacting late in South India. He maintains that the agencies never got a free hand under the government then to act against radicalisation and terrorism down South.
“When there are governments which latch on to support from Muslim dominated parties, there is very little support one can expect”, Bhushan says, as he furthers that because of the Government interference then (during the Congress regime), it became difficult to operate in South India.
Citing the example of the 2010 German Bakery blast in which Islamic terrorist, Yasin Bhatkal, the alleged co-founder of the terror organisation Indian Mujahideen was involved, Bhushan said that because the agencies were not involved in the case at the appropriate time, there was a delay in the investigation. Yasin Bhatkal has been last month charged for the 2010 blast.
“There is a kind of denying tolerance towards extremist activities. When there is a government which does not want to go all out, then what can one expect”, Bhushan asks.
Bhushan claims that if the State government does not work in unison with the Central government, taking prompt and adequate action against terrorism becomes difficult, which he said was the situation in South India.
Endorsing the BJP government at the centre, the former R&AW official says, “Look at the free hand given to the National Investigation today. The agency is going all out against the radical activities in South India and I must say they are doing a commendable job. Moreover, they are not restricting themselves only to the South. They are in Bengal and a whole lot of other states.”
“As police personnel, I can tell you that if you are not given a free hand, you really cannot operate. If you decide to go ahead, you will never know when you will get tripped,” he further adds.
Talking about the days he was an officer with the R&AW during the Congress rule, Bhushan asserts, “I can tell you this that we wanted to operate aggressively in Pakistan, but were never allowed to do it. Moreover, for permission for surveillance, we always had to go to the Home Ministry and seek approval after giving a lot of explanation. You cannot keep running to the MHA all the time.”
Applauding BJP government for giving a free hand to the National Investigation Agency, the former officer says, “The NIA is today successful because of surveillance measures that they have taken. The thing is, if you have created an agency, then let it run freely. Surveillance is the heart of any operation and absolutely needed to monitor extremist elements.”
The Patidar agitation and Congress leader Hardik Patel once again stirred controversy by referring to Prime Minister Modi as ‘Yamraj’ (God of death) in his rally in Madhya Pradesh on Friday reports Republic TV.
In his attempt to provoke the crowd in Madhya Pradesh against the Prime Minister, Hardik said, “This land is the land of farmers and labourers. Why are you all sitting so quietly? Like some Yamraj has come amidst you all. There is one ‘Yamraj’ who is sitting in Delhi, I know that. But he is not here right now.”
This is not the first time a Congress leader has used the term for Modi. Earlier, Congress leader Rashid Alvin a press conference in 2013 had referred to the then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as ‘Yamraj’.
Hardik Patel, who was barred from contesting the Lok Sabha elections, as the Gujarat High Court refused to stay his conviction in a case of rioting, previously too made a racist remark. In a sound byte given to the media last month, Hardik had said that if he wants to look for a ‘Chowkidaar’, he will go to Nepal and instead, he wants a Prime Minister who can strengthen the economy of the country, education and work for the youth and armed forces.
He reiterated at the end of his statement that he doesn’t want a ‘chowkidaar’ but a Prime Minister for the nation. Hardik Patel made this racist statement against Gorkhas and Nepalis after casting his vote in Viramgam in Gujarat on April 23.
A massive controversy has broken out after Prime Minister Modi raked up Rajiv Gandhi infamous holiday in Lakshwadeep, at a remote, uninhabited island called Bangaram. The charge is that Rajiv Gandhi, along with his wife Sonia Gandhi, kids and others used INS Viraat for his personal use as a ‘taxi’ for his vacation.
India Today had covered the story exclusive back in 1988, Anita Pratap writes, “The island had been chosen with care: it is the only one in the strategic archipelago on which foreigners are not banned. It is also the exception in the group of islands in that prohibition is not in force”. The story categorically states that there were foreigners and Sonia Gandhi’s Italian relatives present onboard INS Viraat.
The Gandhis were accompanied by their personal cook. The India Today story says, “A consignment of wines and liquor was also brought in from the capital. A poultry farm with 100 chickens was set up in Agatti. Apart from sugar and freshly – caught fish, island fruits like the Lakshadweep papaya, sapota, small yellow bananas, and guavas were sent. Butter and some 100 loaves of bread were despatched from Kavaratti and from Cochin came Cadbury’s chocolates, 40 crates of cold drinks, 300 bottles of mineral water, Amul Cheese, cashew-nuts, sweet lime, condiments, 20 kg of flour, 105 kg of basmati rice, and fresh vegetables. The first consignment of non – perishable items was moved to Bangaram by ship on December 23. The second arrived three days later and replenishments came on January 1”.
The story goes on to say, “Questionable actions were, however, in evidence. India’s premier warship, INS Virat, was used to transport the Gandhis and moved in the Arabian Sea for 10 days. Its daily expenditure at sea is astronomical as the Virat travels with an entire retinue of escort ships. A submarine was also reported to be in attendance and some defence experts questioned the justification of depriving the navy of its most effective fighting component merely to suit Rajiv’s holiday plans. The considerable expense was also incurred in setting up a special satellite link up at Agatti for the duration of the holiday”.
Interestingly, at that time, the story was never questioned or contradicted. Speaking to India Today, the reporter who broke the story, Anita Pratap, said that she would not have written about it had she thought there was no impropriety.
Several other testimonies have come to the fore that corroborate the story today, though, several others have also surfaced that rubbish the story and raise questions on it.
Indian Express had reported in 1988 that at least eight foreigners joined the Prime Minister and his family during their New Year holiday here. It was reported that the group consisted of 24 men, women and children. Looking after their needs were 70 persons from various departments, cooks and valets and naval personnel. Nearly 1,200 policemen drawn from Lakshadweep Police and Madhya Pradesh Armed Special Police, based at neighbouring Agatti island, were on patrol on the periphery of Bangaram.
The drain on the resources was evident from the fact that according to Indian Express, innumerable boats of the local administration, including 40 hp high-speed boats, and the Navy’s yachting boats were pressed into service. The Navy also provided a windsurfer for the holidaymakers.
After PM Modi opened Pandora’s box, several people came forward to testify that the holiday did indeed take place. Commander VK Jaitly (Retd.) who was posted on the INS Viraat and says he was witness to Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi “using INS Viraat for travel to celebrate their holidays at Bangaram island.
#LIVE on #INSViraatCharge | Commander VK Jaitly (Retd.) who was posted on the INS Viraat and says he was witness to Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi “using INS Viraat for travel to celebrate their holidays at Bangaram island” is on air on Republic TV. Watch – https://t.co/LGCyJUEBn5pic.twitter.com/D7d8Kwpwvp
Commander VK Jaitley also testified that a lot of resources were used for the holiday and routinely so and that the Navy staff were used as personal staff for the Gandhis during these vacations.
Former Naval Commander, Harinder Sikka, also made sensational claims after the controversy broke out. He said that the 1987 vacation of Rajiv Gandhi using INS Viraat was not a one off. In fact, he had been doing it consistently since 1985 every year using Naval warships. Says that ship logs will prove everything.
Former Naval Commander, Harinder Sikka, makes a sensational claim – that the 1987 vacation of Rajiv Gandhi using INS Viraat was not a one off. In fact, he had been doing it consistently since 1985 every year using Naval warships. Says that ship logs will prove everything. pic.twitter.com/RND2Prk6H7
— Chowkidar Akhilesh Mishra (@amishra77) May 9, 2019
The claim is rather sensational. Saying that the Rajiv Gandhi holiday wasn’t one off and that Sonia Gandhi used these ships since 1985 for regular holidays is an indication that India’s national security might have been severely compromised. Navy warships generally go out to sea on specific excercises, accompanied by several other ships, boats, submarine and resources. That the Gandhi family used to divert resources regularly for personal use is a concern that should not be glossed over.
INS crew member, retired Commander VK Jaitley had explain, while talking to Republic the expense to the country’s exchequer when Rajiv Gandhi or his family would have used Naval resources for personal use, especially, while travelling on INS Viraat for personal vacation.
#INSViraatcharge | INS Viraat does not sail alone, so there were 4-5 ships were in and around Bangaram. Thousands of crores Rupees must have spent for that vacation: VK Jaitley- Retd Commander, INS Viraat Crew Member pic.twitter.com/cXlXFMEi8n
There are other testimomies that contradict the story completely. Vice Admiral Vinod Pasricha said that the contents of the story are completely incorrect and that the INS Viraat was there in Lakshwadeep only for 2 and a half days and not 10 days. Former Lakshwadeep administrator said that Rajiv Gandhi was on an official visit and the INS Viraat was not used for vacationing.
However, the evidence that points towards the fact that, in fact, Rajiv Gandhi did use the INS Viraat for vacationing is true. The news reports have eminated from 1980s itself.
Veteran political cartoonist RK Laxman had also captured Rajiv Gandhi ‘Viraat’ fiasco in his cartoons at the time.
Rk Laxman’s cartoon
The tradition of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty has also been of misusing resources of the Navy. We had reported how the tradition was started by Jawaharlal Nehru who had vacationed using INS Delhi and used Countess Edwina Mountbatten died in 1960, and was buried at sea by Lord Mountbatten in accordance with her wishes, Nehru sent the Indian Navy frigate INS Trishul as an escort and had a wreath cast in her memory.
In fact, from the official Madhya Pradesh archives, we reported that once, when Nehru was visiting Bhopal, the Rajya Bhavan staff had realised that he had forgotten to carry his favourite cigarette brand ‘555’. Nehru reportedly had a habit of smoking after his meals. The Rajya Bhavan staff sent a plane to Indore to pick up the packs of smoke and transport to Bhopal. The packs of ‘555’ were kept ready for Nehru at the Indore airport.
The Supreme Court has granted an extension of time till 15th August to the mediation panel to reach an amicable solution to the Ayodhya matter. A five-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi heard the Ayodhya matter today.
The three-member mediation panel sought an extension of time to reach an amicable solution. The CJI further said that the Supreme Court will not tell the progress in mediation as it is confidential.
In March, the Supreme Court sent the Ayodhya Dispute for mediation between the parties involved. The mediation panel is headed by retired Justice FM Kalifullah and comprises of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and senior advocate Sriram Panchu as its other members.
Apart from the three mediators mentioned here, the Supreme Court in its order has allowed for the induction of more members in the panel for mediation of the dispute. The proceedings will take place at Ayodhya and the Uttar Pradesh state government has been directed to extend all possible facilities for the purpose.
The media reporting on the mediation process is banned.
