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‘Tumhari beti ko kaat ke fenk doonga,’ Ola driver Md. Azhardeen snaps at the father of the passenger after an argument over payment

Rude and obnoxious behaviour is becoming synonymous with Ola and Uber drivers as more and more incidents of intolerance is being reported every now and then.

According to a report by India Today, 22-year-old Arjita Banerjee, an engineer from Bengaluru, was harassed by the cab driver named Md, Azhardeen, after an argument over payment. She was riding back to her paying guest accommodation in an Ola share cab,

The driver allegedly told the victim: “Mai tereko kahin chod doonga. Tereko kaat daloonga” (I will leave you somewhere, chop you into pieces and throw you, recounted Arjita.

Moreover, Azhardeen threatened the victim’s father, who had apparently booked the cab for his daughter, by saying, “Tumhari beti ko kaat ke fenk doonga (I will chop your daughter into pieces and throw her away).

Arjita recounting the incident said the ordeal began when on Monday when her father, who is in Kolkata, booked an Ola share cab for her to her paying guest accommodation in Nagawara, which is about 20 km away from Koramangala, where she had gone to visit her sister over the weekend.

After the cab was booked, she called the driver and asked him to call on her number when he reaches the pick-up location. He allegedly responded by saying, ‘you can call me on my number anytime madam’. The suggestive response from the driver made Arjita uncomfortable, but since she was getting late for work, she decided not to cancel her booking with the particular cab driver.

Moreover, she said that she went ahead with the ride because she thought it was safe as there were other riders in the cab and it was morning time.

Arijita said that after she sat in the car, the cab driver drove at a speed of 10 km/hr. She and the other riders resented and asked him to speed up. The cab driver, Mohammed Azhardeen, irked by this, started driving the cab rashly above speed limit. Soon, after the co-passengers got dropped off, the driver started making small talks with Arijita. This made her further uncomfortable.

However, once she reached her destination the driver asked her to pay Rs 200 cab fare. On being reminded that her father had already paid the driver Rs 130 through Ola money and the rest of the fare was paid at the time of booking, Md. Azhardeen got infuriated and started hurling abuses at the victim.

He refused to release the central locking system of his car, because of which Arijita was stuck in the cab for a while. He snatched her phone and told her father, who was on a call with her at that moment, that he will go and drop her (Arijita) somewhere, implying he will leave her stranded at some other place, recollected Arijita.

“I was really scared. He started telling my father, “Tumhari beti ko kaat ke fenk doonga (I will chop your daughter into pieces and throw her away), just tell her to pay me Rs 130.”

Arijita alleged that when she asked for her phone back, he refused to return it. She said that she sought help from people nearby, but no one came forward to help her. Finally, she paid him Rs 500 to get her phone back.

“Before leaving, I told him that I will ensure he doesn’t drive again. He then threatened me saying, I know where you live. I won’t leave you. Till I went in, he kept staring at my PG. I am now shifting from here”, said the victim.

Arijita filed an FIR at Halli Police Station in Banaswadi later in that evening. The accused was arrested and presented before the magistrate.

Meanwhile, Arijita’s father Subhendu Banerjee said that he called Ola’s security department to report the incident. Ola initially responded by saying that they would send the driver back to training and won’t let him drive Ola cabs till he passes the training. Few days later, an Ola representative called Subhendu Banerjee to inform that the driver has been suspended and the company is cooperating with the police Bengaluru police has confirmed that the drive is in jail at present and his vehicle is also has been seized.

However, this is not the first time incidents like these have been reported against online transportation network companies like Uber and Ola.

Recently, we had reported how a lady with the Twitter handle @sona2905 was subjected to rude and offensive behaviour of an Uber driver, Usman, who got aggressive on seeing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s picture on her phone cover. He started off with refusing to turn on the air conditioner in the Uber and even told her to ‘ask Modi to send her a cab’.

In yet another shocking incident from Mumbai, an Uber driver Aftab allegedly got angry when he saw the Shivaji Mandir, a theatre in Mumbai and started abusing Chhatrapati Shivaji, the warrior king who once fought the Mughals. Twitter user Samiir said that when he was passing by the Shivaji Mandir near Plaza Cinema in Mumbai, the uber driver Aftab started abusing Shivaji Maharaj and said, “Teri maa ka bh*s**”.

With more and more incidents of such intolerance coming into the forefront, the safety and well being of our near and dear ones, using Ola and Uber as a frequent mode of communication, is becoming an honest cause of concern.

Kerala records highest voting turnout in 30 years, all parties hopeful for victory

After the conclusion of voting in all 20 Lok Sabha constituencies in Kerala on the third phase on 23rd April, the state has recorded its highest ever voter turnout in 30 years. The Congress and the Left who have dominated the politics in Kerala, both have claimed of having an edge over each other. The BJP, on the other hand, is hopeful that the high turnout would let them make inroads into the State’s politics.

Kerala had registered a voter turnout of 77.68% this year, compared to 74.02% in 2014 and 73.37% in 2009. This is the highest turnout in 30 years after a 79.03% turnout in 1989. Eight constituencies out of 20 recorded more than 80% polling for the first time.

Kannur had the highest voter turnout of 83.05%, the lowest was in Thiruvananthapuram at 73.45% where Congress MP Shashi Tharoor is hoping to get elected for the third time and faces tough competition from both the Left and the BJP. The Wayanad constituency where Rahul Gandhi is contesting recorded its highest turnout with 80.31%.

Congress believes that the presence of Rahul Gandhi has given them an edge over the others. Congress leader A K Antony was quoted saying “The UDF is inching towards a grand victory. Rahul Gandhi’s candidature had ripple effect in all 20 constituencies of the state. High polling is a natural reply to CM Pinarayi’s adamant posture on many issues”.

The BJP, on the other hand, has its hope high due to the Sabarimala issue. The manner in which the Left had handled the situation and the consequent protests have made the BJP a tough competitor in Kerala especially in the districts of Thiruvananthapuram and Pathanamthitta. BJP State president P S Sreedharan Pillai has said that the NDA is hopeful for a favourable outcome and is expecting to win a couple of seats.

The CPI(M) led LDF is also hopeful in winning a considerable amount of seats claiming that the party in power had run a secular government. “High polling shows people support the renaissance movement being initiated by the government. We are sure the performance of 2004 when LDF swept the poll, will be repeated in 2019,” said CPI (M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan.

Political analysts and Kerala University assistant professor C A Josukutty says that the increased voter turnout may be due to anti-incumbency or even the highly emotive issue of women’s entry in Sabarimala.

PM Modi arrives in Varanasi to a grand ‘saffron’ welcome with a sea of people turning up for his roadshow

A day before he files his nomination for the ongoing elections from Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was given a grand ‘saffron’ welcome in the temple city. A sea of people has assembled along the 6-km route for his mega roadshow. PM Modi headed straight to BHU from Banda, after addressing an election rally in the city.

The roadshow is all set to end at Dashashwamedh ghat and preparations are in full swing to ready it for the PM’s arrival. He is set to participate in the famous ‘Ganga aarti’ at the ghat to conclude his massive road show.

PM Modi road show in Varanasi ahead of filing nomination

At BHU, Modi garlanded the statue of Madan Mohan Malviya outside the main entrance of the university to kick start his roadshow.

PM Modi road show in Varanasi ahead of filing nomination

People across ages have converged on the streets to welcome their beloved leader.

PM Modi road show in Varanasi ahead of filing nomination

The entire city has been ‘Modified’ this evening with chants of ‘Modi, Modi,’ reverberating all along.

PM Modi road show in Varanasi ahead of filing nomination
PM Modi road show in Varanasi ahead of filing nomination
PM Modi road show in Varanasi ahead of filing nomination
PM Modi road show in Varanasi ahead of filing nomination (image: ANI’s Smita Prakash)

The Dashashwamegh Ghat in Varanasi was decorated for the Ganga Aarti the PM participated in.

Dashashwamegh Ghat lit up for Ganga Aarti (image: Smita Prakash on Twitter)

The roadshow witnessed a huge turnout and can be read a symbol of PM’s insurmountable popularity among the people of his constituency. He is the sitting Member Parliament from Varanasi and will file his nomination for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections on Friday, April 26.

According to a press release issued by the BJP, top leaders from alliance parties including Akali Dal’s senior leader and former Chief Minister of Punjab Parkash Singh Badal, Bihar Chief Minister and JDU chief Nitish Kumar, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, Union Minister and Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan will mark their presence during his nomination filing process.

Deeply disappointed with the Congress’ decision of not fielding Priyanka Gandhi from Varanasi: Arun Jaitley

Earlier today, it was announced by the Congress party that Priyanka Gandhi will not contest against Prime Minister Modi from Varanasi. The party has decided to field Ajay Rai against Narendra Modi from his constituency, Varanasi, from where he is expected to win with a huge margin.

While the Congress party’s decision was along expected lines, it did cause a meltdown among their supporters in the media. Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley penned his thoughts on the matter today and shared them on Facebook. We have reproduced his blog on the issue in its entirety below:

Refuge in Wayanad and a Refuge Away From Varanasi – The Story of a Family Dynasty

Today, two major political developments have taken place. The first was the huge roadshow of the Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi at Varanasi from where he is contesting the 2019 election. The roadshow culminated in the customary Ganga Aarti. If the size of the support expressed at the roadshow is any indication, the Prime Minister is well on the way repeating or even increasing the 2014 victory margin. Even a casual visitor to Varanasi would tell you the difference which the Prime Minister has made in his constituency in the last five years. The new highways, the arterial roads, the Ghats, the railway station, the airport, the steamer in the Ganga and the modernisation of the electricity systems are only a few examples of the change that has happened in Varanasi. The proposed corridor connecting the Ganga Ghats with the Kashi Vishwanath Temple puts a new life into one of the world’s oldest cities.
The second important development is the surreptitious announcement by the Congress Party, fielding a political lightweight, against the Prime Minister. The build-up of the last two weeks had been that Priyanka Gandhi would be fielded against the Prime Minister. She rejoiced in giving daily bytes to the media that she was ready to take on the Prime Minister. Her brother claimed that the Party was building up the suspense for an eventual thriller. Obviously, she quietly chickened out of the contest. I am deeply disappointed with the Congress Party’s decision of not fielding Priyanka Gandhi from Varanasi. The last two months that she has been in the public life has driven home the point – “India has changed, dynasties don’t matter”. The myths of Priyanka Gandhi stand eroded. India’s conventional wisdom has been ‘बंद मुट्ठी लाख की, खुल गयी तो ख़ाक की’. The myth of ‘Priyanka will make a difference’ was worth a lakh. Today, the myth has lost its value. The cards are out in the open for public scrutiny. The Gandhis must introspect the plight of Amethi and RaeBareli in the last forty years and compare it to what the Prime Minister has done in Varanasi in the past five years.
I had only hoped that Varanasi will give the new India an opportunity to decide the fate of a tried, tested and successful leader as against a new political dynast. Just repeating the same five sentences several times a day and not getting out of the obsession of ‘हमारा परिवार’ does not impress ‘New India’ any more. I am sad that new India has been denied the opportunity to establish that it does not accept inexperienced dynasts with no other credentials. India is not a banana republic. It is the world’s largest democracy. There is one additional point that this episode established. It is only juvenile politics, where a family lives under an illusion that people will accept it irrespective of credentials, which persuades you to build a climax of Priyanka taking on the Prime Minister and then suffer the wrath of the anti-climax.

There is no difference between Leftist terrorism and Islamic Jihad, none at all

First of all, I want to make it clear that I have nothing to do with what the so called revolutionaries like Lenin, Mao or Marx wrote, what their views were, or whatever any heavenly book in the hands of terrorists says about any religion. This is because such thoughts or the bookish conversations have no connection with the truth and the ground reality. Therefore, I am more interested in what happens in the name of someone’s ideology or some verses in some book rather than some interpretation given somewhere claiming that we are a peace loving people and that we are carrying out a proletarian revolution.

I have been witnessing the disgusting outcome of such symbols everyday, therefore I would rather put my views based on my own experiences, and the experience of my society, than going by the excuses given for the massacre carried out by Lenin and mass genocide carried out by Mao. I don’t believe the statements like “murder of one human being is the murder of humanity” written in some random chapter of a random book because these are things are meant to only to be quoted, but have nothing to do with reality.

What is Communism? It is a bloody ideology in the name of which around 12000 murders were committed in the last 20 years which included the sacrifices of around 2700 security personnel. In whose name were these murders committed? In the name of people, ordinary people, in the name of poor and destitute. Who were among the dead? Did the butchered people belong to the class of some John Travolta sort of people travelling in private jets, or some people like Johnny Depp spending their vacations on some private island?

Definitely not. Ninety percent of the people in India are either poor or extremely poor. The statistics of death are governmental, and those who died were the people who were somehow surviving with the limited resources in India. They were the same ordinary people who find a mention in the conversations of People’s War Group and People’s Liberation Army and the likes.

Murders are just a number that can be big or small, that your or I can measure but what about those 68 districts where people are forced to live under the shadow of Maoist and Naxal terror? Can that fear be measured? Can the rapes of those girls or the violence inflicted on those families be measured in numbers? Perhaps not.

The word ‘proletariat’ is a shield for these Communists. Mass revolution is a mere means for them to get power for their own selfish interests. You can keep singing praises of these leftists and drum up the ‘revolutionary’ narrative, but the fact is every Leftist leader has history of mainstreaming violence and lechery. Sexual exploitation and rape of women by feeding them rhetoric like ‘Your body is the property of Commune’ is the trademark of such ‘Kampanthis’ (perverts) cadres.

You listen to their leaders and you find out how they have used words to show people dreams and wherever they have ruled they have brought the flood of political killings. I recall a statement of a leader belonging to this ideology, he was CPM General Secretary Vijayan, who had advised his party workers to adopt the tactics of Bengali Communists of burying their opponents alive along with sacks of salt so that even their bones are not found by the police. This statement exposes the reality of the two Communist-ruled states of India. The number of political killings carried out in these states can be found by a search on Google.

Now a discussion about why I linked them with the Jihadis of ISIS. It is very easy to believe so. Both these ideologies are terrorising and violent, and taking people’s lives is justified in both. Islamists say that violence in the name of religion is justified, the illegitimate progeny of Communists, Kampanthis (perverts) and Lenin say that whoever comes in the way of revolution will be killed. Both of these receive foreign funding. Extorting money through abduction has been the principle way of procuring funds for both. Obtaining money through extortion and threats is the main way of securing funds in Naxal-hit areas in India. There is deep involvement of foreign countries in both these ways. The Central or the State government has been providing political handling and patronage to both keeping its own interests in mind.

One had the aim of bringing everyone under the rule of Khalifa (Caliph) while on the other side it is the Commune. On one side Islam, the religion and Muslim, hold better significance than their society or nation itself, on the other side the dedication for Commune is so strong that if India and China got to war, the Indian communists will be standing with China. Ideology becomes supreme and those kafirs obstructing the work of God are killed, slaughtered, riddled with bullets, gets crushed under a truck or gets blasted off by an angel of peace exploding in a market place.

On the other side, Commune becomes so paramount that these people do not think once before killing CRPF soldiers, school teachers, and those government workers who are the sole bread earners in their families and come from poor strata. When surrounded they use children as shields and even sew bombs in the corpses of their communist kaam-raids (not comrade but kaam-raids) so that their dead bodies could be blown up to sacrifice few more soldiers coming from poor families in the name of Communism.

Both these ideologies survive on fear and terror. The Muslim to whom they sell the dreams of progress leads the worst life in these areas and basic amenities still elude those villagers ‘ruled’ by Naxals. The fact is, if basic facilities like roads, schools, hospitals reached villagers then the purposes of the lives of these terrorists, communist vultures will be over. Because, when they sit in the closed rooms, drinking alcohol and smoking weed, they tend to lecture about poverty and what not. However, their real lives turn out to be exactly opposite.

Both these ideologies walk under the flags stained with the blood of the poor, the innocent and the weak. The proponents of both these ideologies might speak of rejecting intoxication but they use these intoxicated terrorists use this opium to recruit people. Intoxication is not only caused by narcotic substances, but it can also be caused by ideas, ideas like bringing the whole world under the flag of Islam or the ideas of dreaming of a day when the whole world would lie under the feet of the proletariat.

When or where did a leader gift the world to the proletariat? The so-called guards of Islamic values rape women at night and preach them to wear burkas in the day to avoid the gaze of men. Similarly, on one hand, these Kampanthis ridiculously talk about democratic values but on the other hand, they do not hesitate in burying their enemies alive, chopping them in the middle of the road or even in misusing the state machinery to make hundreds of people disappear. Their young progeny, Kanhaiya, who was accused of flashing his genitals in public, reportedly unleashed his goons on people who showed him black flags in Korai village, Begusarai who beat up and barged into people’s houses and assaulted them.

Therefore, let’s talk about the ground reality. What is actually happening must be discussed. We must also remember how the entire nations and the leaders influenced by Marx’s vision of society have become dictators. If Islam is the religion of peace, then why is silent over the killings of people in its name?

So, tell me why should I go by what is written in a book or the Communist Manifesto? A lot of things were written in our books as well, which were set ablaze with the fire of Islamic terror. Although, JNU is claimed to be a place of education and freedom pervades but ‘Bharat tere tukde honge’ is what comes out of it.

Then what difference remains between the Communist way of eliminating their opponents from power and the ISIS’ goal of establishing Caliphate? Both are bloodied ideologies. Why should I get an orgasm admiring their manifesto and how incredible Marx’s beard looks! For me, the red colour in the flag symbolises the colour of mass genocide of crores of people who were sacrificed for Communism, Leninism and Kampanthi ideology.

Therefore, when I say that such revolutions are not relevant anymore, I mean to say that the trend of Czars and kings is gone from the world. Now the poor elect their leaders through voting. Now it is some political party that provides a roof over the head of the proletariat, provides them basic amenities like cooking gas, electricity, hospital and school.

Is the scheme like Ayushman Bharat not for the poor? Are the schemes meant for poor people not for the backward classes? Are the electricity bulbs hanging in households, not for the disadvantaged? Will toilet facilities and the cleaning of river Ganga not benefit the poor? Do millions of homes not belong to those who are destitute?

Then who are these libidinous kaam-raids (comrades) who are going to benefit by making terrorists like Lenin and Mao their ideals? Every party is talking about the backward. Congress is also talking about eliminating poverty, BJP is also spending an amount of Rs 1,08,000 every year per person for providing subsidies or schemes to the poor. Kejriwal, Mayawati, Akhilesh, Lalu, Naidu, Mamata, Kumaraswamy, Yogi and Modi, everyone is talking about the poor.

Then, what poor are these Communists planning of giving power to? The picture is clear, they are all thieves whose aim is something else. History knows about which Communist or Socialist has actually empowered the destitute. When a ‘backward’ like Lalu came to power, he not only did the biggest scam of his times but also deliberately deprived the people of education.

This is why they hide in forests conspiring to break the country, to destabilise the governments and acting like a support system for different kind terrorists. Their life’s purpose has been limited to stopping a few villagers from voting and laugh like chirkuts (no parallel in English) at this stupid feat. In the coming five years, these lice will be combed out of forests and thus the last nails will be hammered in the coffin of their ideology. Only the right government was needed, that can call a terrorist by its name, and does not downplay by referring to them as Communists, extremists and militants.

Such a government came and they shrank, when the same government will come again, there is no need to say where these Lal Salaams will go.

This article is a translation of this Hindi article. The translation has been done by Aditi Singh.

Arvind Kejriwal wants AAP workers to abandon whatever they’re doing and come to Delhi to help ‘BJP lose’

The Aam Aadmi Party chief and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has requested AAP workers across the country ‘except’ those in Haryana and Punjab to take leave till elections and join him in Delhi for campaigning for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.


In a post uploaded on Twitter, Arvind Kejriwal has asked all AAP workers to come to Delhi and help the Delhi AAP state unit for defeating the BJP on all the 7 seats in Delhi. As per many opinion polls, BJP is poised to sweep all 7 seats in Delhi.

Kejriwal’s requests have also generated some amusing reactions on Twitter. Rebel MLA Kapil Mishra taunted Kejriwal saying that there are no AAP workers left in Delhi.


It is pertinent to note that Arvind Kejriwal’s entreaty has been addressed to all the AAP workers across the country except Haryana and Punjab. Perhaps, Kejriwal has realised that AAP’s predicament in other states in the country is a foregone conclusion. It was also evident in the frantic attempts he had made to Congress to form an alliance.

It is also notable that Arvind Kejriwal was desperately seeking to form an alliance with Congress in Delhi, Haryana and Punjab to mount a collective offense against the mighty BJP but due to disagreement over the distribution of the seats and the nature of alliance, Congress turned down the obsessive pleadings made by AAP leaders to stitch an alliance and fight the elections jointly.

Fact-Check: Does RSS really want the BJP to remove Sadhvi Pragya as its candidate from Bhopal?

Fake News has become extremely normalized and one of the downsides of social media is the velocity at which false information spreads. While mainstream fact-checkers dedicate the entirety of their resources towards fact-checking claims that tend to lean towards only one particular end of the political spectrum, the other side is often ignored.

Recently, a letter went viral on social media which was purportedly written by Suresh Soni, an RSS Karyakarta. According to the letter, the RSS demanded that the BJP withdraw Sadhvi Pragya as its candidate from Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. The letter remarks that Sadhvi Pragya’s ‘unnecessary remarks against a martyr is negating the political gains made through the Pulwama attack’.

An article based on the letter was published by a website called MediaVigil.

Even in the website’s own article, it is written that they could not confirm the authenticity of the letter from the sources they contacted. It begs the question, why they would publish an inflammatory letter when they could not even confirm its authenticity.

Intriguingly enough, a Karyakarta of the RSS had already tweeted that the letter was fake the day before MediaVigil published its article.


Under such circumstances, it appears bewildering that MediaVigil went ahead and published an article based on a letter the authenticity of which it couldn’t confirm itself and which was already called out for being fake a day earlier by an RSS Karyakarta on Twitter. Therefore, it appears to be a remarkable case of sheer incompetence on the part of the outlet or plain malice to create fissures between the RSS and the BJP while the elections are on.

Netizens play Jagga Jasoos as Arvind Kejriwal resurfaces days after rumours of him beaten up by AAP MLAs went viral

Aam Aadmi Party supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal made a public appearance after a long time today during the release of AAP Manifesto for 2019 General Elections. He had been missing in action since past few days and he didn’t even accompany any of his party leaders when they went to file their nominations. However, two days back social media was abuzz with rumours that AAP MLAs got fed up of his abusive behaviour and beat him up.

While AAP never officially confirmed or denied Kejriwal being beaten up, Twitterati decided to take it upon themselves to look for signs on assault on Kejriwal as he addressed the media today. Twitter users pointed out that Kejriwal’s nose appears a little swollen which could mean he was indeed beaten up.


Twitter users even shared ‘before and after’ pictures of the time when Kejriwal had gone missing in action to show that he indeed has a broken nose.


Apparently, vigilant Twitterati were also able to notice a difference in frames of his spectacles, which fuelled speculations that he got his frame changed after his old pair of glasses broke when he was allegedly beaten up. Another Twitter user zoomed in to a terrifying degree to prove that Kejriwal had scratches on his nose where he was reportedly punched allegedly by his own MLAs.


Many also expressed relief that he had stepped out of the house after so many days.


While OpIndia could not independently verify whether Kejriwal was beaten up by his own MLAs, we sure were glad that he appeared hale and hearty and that he even had a new pair of glasses.

TMC goons allegedly burn down BJP worker’s poultry farm in Birbhum

West Bengal has been a witness to several incidents of political turmoil and violent skirmishes, especially during polling seasons, under Trinamool Congress supremo and the state’s chief minister Mamata Banerjee’ regime.

In yet another incident of such hooliganism amidst the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, a BJP workers’ poultry farm in Nanoor area of Birbhum district, West Bengal was set ablaze in the wee hours of the morning, allegedly by Trinamool Congress cadres, reports Times Now.

BJP worker Saptarshi Gupta was reportedly targetted by TMC goons for attending Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally in Bolpur district a day ago. Saptarshi Gupta returned home last night after attending Modi’s rally and later woke up to flames at his poultry farm. The fire had charred over 2500 chickens. Though the BJP has alleged that the TMC goons are behind the incident, no arrests have been made so far.

The Trinamool Congress cadres, under the West Bengal ruling government’s protection, have been unleashing their atrocities on those who speak or work in support of BJP. With Mamata Banerjee at the helm of affairs in West Bengal, TMC goons are empowered to carry out their depraved activities with impunity.

As tensions between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party rages on amidst the ongoing elections, several such incidents are being regularly reported. Both BJP worker’s and leaders in West Bengal have been regular targets of the TMC goons.

Recently, Netaji Subash Chandra Bose’ kin who is also a new induction into the BJP, Chandra Kumar Bose, complained of being heckled by TMC goons during clashes which erupted between BJP and TMC cadres in South Kolkata.

Almost on the same day, a TMC goon was audaciously caught on camera brandishing a gun during a roadshow in the Birbhum Lok Sabha constituency.

Previously, a BJP worker Apurba Chakraborty was brutally beaten up by TMC goons in Islampur, West Bengal. On the day of the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections, the body of a BJP worker Sishu Pal Sahish was found hanging in Purulia.

Similarly, a BJP worker, Ajit Murmu, had died in the hospital where he was admitted after being allegedly thrashed by TMC workers in Bankura’s Ranibandh. A day prior to this, in yet another act of brutality, barely a day after PM Modi’s huge rally in Siliguri, the body of a man has been found at the BJP booth office there.

Recently a TMC MLA  Sovan Chatterjee and his friend Baishakhi Chatterjee were confined to a bungalow as there were speculations of him and his friend joining the BJP. Baishakhi Chatterjee was also given rape threats.

Last year in the month of May, a 6-month pregnant woman who was relative of a BJP candidate in Panchayat Elections in West Bengal was allegedly raped by TMC activists in Nadia district.

Last year TMC had won 20,000 seats uncontested in West Bengal Panchayat elections amidst the allegations that the party which fielded its candidates on all rural seats, had prevented the filing of nominations by resorting to violence.

This time with BJP making successful inroads in West Bengal and amiably capturing the political space vacated by the Left Front, Mamata Banerjee, and her squad, surely unnerved by this unprecedented development, have been resorting to all sorts of techniques to hold on to their slithering position.

Facepalm: Congress’ latest poll promise of returning money to victims of PACL fraud is already being fulfilled under Modi govt

The Congress party on Thursday issued a statement through one of its official social media handles voicing its commitment towards the victims of various chit fund scams, and victims of the Pearl Agrotech Corporation Limited (PACL) fraud in particular.


In its statement, the Congress party said, “The Congress party wishes to state that within 6 months of government formation, 5.85 crore families afflicted by PACL will be ensured payment with interest according to the February 2, 2016 decision of the Supreme Court as well as pass stringent laws to curb such scams which attack the right to dignity of each citizen.”

The Congress party appears to have picked up the issue after The Wire ran a story regarding some victims of the fraud protesting the issue at Narendra Modi’s rally in Chittorgarh, Rajasthan. In its report, the leftist propaganda website alleged that no concrete steps have been taken by the NDA government to refund the money as per the directions of the Supreme Court.

But in reality, the SEBI has been soliciting applications from those who had invested money in PACL. The last date for submitting these applications is 30th of April, 2019. SEBI had already initiated the procedure of returning Rs. 49,000 crores to 6 crore investors in February.

As for the fraud itself, it dates back to 1997 when PACL first began mobilization of funds. After receiving a complaint, SEBI in 1999 issued letters directing the PACL to comply with the provisions of the collective investment scheme (CIS) Regulations. The PACL took the matter to the Courts and claimed that its scheme did not fall under CIS and challenged the constitutional validity of the CIS itself. The matter spent a lot of time in the Court the following years.

Ultimately, the Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) in 2015 directed PACL and its promoter-director to refund the money within 3 months. And in 2016, the Supreme Court ruled that that the money lying in the bank accounts of the company and other cash belonging to it should be released in favour of SEBI so that the money can be refunded to the investors.

And as mentioned above, SEBI initiated the process of returning the money in February this and the last date for applying for a refund ends is the last day of the month of April. Therefore, a major step in the process in returning the money will be concluded even before the elections are concluded, and the Congress party will have nothing to do even it somehow comes to power.