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“Free speech can’t be silenced for the fear of the mob,” SC imposes Rs 20 lakh fine on Mamata govt for Bhobishyoter Bhoot ban

OpIndia Staff
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“Free speech can’t be silenced for the fear of the mob,” SC imposes Rs 20 lakh fine on Mamata govt for Bhobishyoter Bhoot ban

The Supreme Court Thursday imposed a fine of Rs 20 lakh on the West Bengal government for ‘virtually banning’ the public screening of the film, Bhobishyoter Bhoot, a socio-political satire directed by Anik Dutt. Stating that free speech cannot be silenced for the fear of the mob, the Supreme Court expressed concerns over the ‘growing intolerance’ in the society against artistic freedom.

According to reports, Bhobishyoter Bhoot was pulled off from Kolkata theatres the day after it was released on February 15. The movie had been taken out from the theatres allegedly for taking a dig at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

A bench headed by Justice DY Chandrachud, hearing the plea of the film producer, said the fine amount of Rs 20 lakh shall be given to producers and cinema hall owners as compensation for violation of their right to freedom of speech and expression.

The producer of Bhobishyoter Bhoot had alleged that the movie was taken down from a majority of theatres at the behest of the state authorities.

On March 15, the apex court had directed the Mamata Banerjee government to ensure that not any kind of restraint was imposed on the screening of the movie. The director of the movie had then alleged that single-screen theatre owners and multiplexes were forced to stop the screening in more than 40 screens across the state.

A communication was received by one of the producers of the movie from the Special Branch of West Bengal Police that the contents of the film may hurt public sentiments, which may lead to political law and order issues.

The banning of the movie was followed by a protest where several film artists and activists had on February 18 registered a sit-in protest against the withdrawal of director Anik Dutta’s film “Bhobishyoter Bhoot” (Ghost of the Future) from almost all multiplexes and single screen theatres in West Bengal.

Veteran artist Soumitra Chatterjee has written a letter, calling the taking off of the film ‘vindictive’ and ‘undemocratic’, and a “fascist policy”. Expressing shock, Chatterjee in his letter has said it was a ‘vindictive act’ of the administration.

The movie Bhobishyoter Bhoot has been facing severe controversy since the inception of the idea. The director of the movie Anik Dutta and co-producer Indira Unninayar had claimed of receiving threats recently.

Anik Dutta in the past had criticised the ‘excessive’ use of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s posters in and around the film fest venues and had argued that the film personalities should get more limelight during such events.

Mamata Banerjee usually can’t handle criticisms too well. There have been several incidences where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has tried to stifle dissenting voices.

Recently, an author of a novel critical of WB CM Mamata Banerjee had alleged harassment during her book launch at Kolkata. Prior to that, a man hailing from Tripura’s Dhalai district was arrested for allegedly making derogatory remarks against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in a social media post. She had even banned a book by 1981 batch IPS officer Nazrul Islam which was critical of Mamata government not delivering what was promised. Mamata’ list of intolerance is self-perpetuating.

YouTube deletes OpIndia video where Rivaldo exposed how the media whitewashes crimes of terrorists

OpIndia Staff
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YouTube deletes OpIndia video where Rivaldo exposed how the media whitewashes crimes of terrorists

Two weeks back, OpIndia had published a series of three videos by Comedian Rivaldo on the Kashmir issue. In the series, Rivaldo had explained how the discourse around the Kashmir issue is flawed mostly due to the excuses provided by the ‘liberals’.

The videos seem to have offended lots of people, as they are being attacked relentlessly by complaining about the same to YouTube. A few days ago, the video 1 of the series was made age-restricted by YouTube, saying it was done based on Community guidelines. The video can be watched only after confirming that the user is adult by signing into the site

Now in a shocking case of censorship, the third video, which talked about how crimes of Islamic terrorists are whitewashed by the media, has been entirely removed from the video sharing site, saying that it violates YouTube’s policy on violent or graphic content.

Message informing that the video has been deleted

Though removed by YouTube, the video is currently available on the Facebook page of Rivaldo.

An email sent from YouTube says that the video was flagged by someone for review. After review, YouTube determined that it violates the guidelines of the site, and they removed it from YouTube.

E-Mail received from YouTube

The third video had focused on how media and sundry activists try to whitewash the crimes of terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir. The video contained commentary by Rivaldo, with only a few clips from publicly available videos of news media used. Such clips are routinely shown on TV News channels, many of whom also live stream their programs on YouTube. Therefore, it can be assumed with a reasonable amount of certainty that the videos were particularly targeted for the commentary in them, and the violent graphic content is just an excuse to censor them from the Internet.

It is important to note that due to the use few clips of violence and terror activities, disclaimers were added at the beginning of the videos advising viewer discretion as they may contain disturbing images. The videos were uploaded almost two weeks ago, but they seemed to have been targeted in the last few days as one video was restricted and another was deleted in last 3 days. The videos had also gained lots of views in the last few days, which have gained over 1 lakh views in the last 2 days.

Disclaimer added at the beginning of the videos

The attack on the videos coincides with the aggressive comments made by Jammu and Kashmir politicians Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, both of whom have threatened that India will burn and Kashmir will secede if Articles 370 and 35A of Indian Constitution are repealed, as mentioned in the election manifesto of the BJP.

YouTube, like other Social Media giants like Facebook and Twitter, are known to have pro-Islamist bias, and such incidents add to the growing list of incidents where voices critical of Islamist ideology are tried to be muzzled by global internet companies.

OpIndia team is trying to bring the video back using the mechanisms available for the same.

Meanwhile you can watch the video on Facebook page of Rivaldo by clicking here.

Update: YouTube has restored OpIndia video that exposed how media whitewashes terrorists, but now places age restriction on viewership. You can read the details here. 

French Embassy denies reports of Pakistan pilots training in Rafale jets delivered to Qatar, call it ‘fake news’

OpIndia Staff
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French Embassy denies reports of Pakistan pilots training in Rafale jets delivered to Qatar, call it ‘fake news’

A February 13th news article on a defence portal called AIN Online surfaced on Social Media today based on which several defence analysts and journalists raised alarms. The report said that the first Rafale jets had been delivered to Qatar and that Pakistani pilots were being trained to use the jets. One of the first people to plug the report was NDTV’s Vishnu Som, who was defended the Rafale deal tooth and nail recently.


He tweeted that the report mentioned that the first pilots trained on Qatar’s just delivered Rafale were Pakistani exchange pilots.

Now, the French Embassy has clarified that this is “fake news” and that no Pakistani pilots have been trained in the Rafales delivered to Qatar.


Vishnu Som tweeted, “Have clarified with the French Embassy. They say the original story was fake news and after cross-checking, they found that no Pakistani pilots as part of a Qatari exchange programme on Rafale were trained in France”.

This clarification may have, however, came a tad too late as vested interests had already up the story to question the Modi government and the Rafale deal.

National Media Coordinator of Congress tweeted a story that was published by NDTV regarding the worry being raised for India by news of Pakistani pilots training in Rafales.


Taking a dig at the Modi government, journalist Sushant Singh who was earlier caught peddling lies on the Doklam standoff between India and China just to show the Modi government down, said that while Pakistani pilots were already training in Rafales, the Indian government was hell-bent on keeping details of the deal secret from the courts and from the people of India.


Foreign Editor of Hindustan Times peddled this news to declare that the Rafale deal was “turning out to be a mess”.


He asserted that even before India got the Rafale jets, Pakistanis would have already flown the jets.


Essentially, an alarm was raised because if the Pakistani pilots were training in Rafale jets delivered to Qatar, the operational edge that the Airforce would have had over Pakistan would have been lost. However, for journalists to report sensitive details and pronounce judgements on an entire defence deal without waiting for any sort of clarification is another problematic theme that defence report has been diseased with for the longest time.

In 2019, West Bengal is all set to throw up the greatest surprise of the election season and Mamata Banerjee won’t be happy

Editorial Desk
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In 2019, West Bengal is all set to throw up the greatest surprise of the election season and Mamata Banerjee won’t be happy

Over a billion people of India are all set to elect their next government for the period 2019 to 2024 as the nation goes to polls today. The polls are set to be conducted in 7 phases all over India. West Bengal would be voting in all 7 phases with some constituencies voting in the first phase today with BJP, for the first time, emerging as a player in the polls. While the polls were not even underway for a few hours, reports of violence from two constituencies, Cooch Behar and Alipurduar emerged.

West Bengal elections have often been marred with rampant violence and intimidation. During the Panchayat polls, booth capturing was a common scene while the Media mostly played Nero’s guests.

Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC) has a firm grip on West Bengal. With a brute majority of 213 out of 295 Assembly seats. In 2014 General Elections, out of 42 seats, TMC bagged a whopping 34 seats while BJP bagged only 2.

One wonders then, why TMC would feel compelled to indulge in such rampant violence and booth capturing every election just to maintain their hold. Does the party truly believe that without violence, their juggernaut would be vulnerable? That after the massive mandate that the people of West Bengal have given Mamata Banerjee, year to year, in every election, they would get drastically swayed to vote for a party like BJP whose ideology is a polar opposite of TMC’s?

The truth is that West Bengal, and any state which has predominantly been Communist for decades, has a reputation of turning with the blink of an eye. Take Tripura for example.

In 2013 Assembly Elections, the BJP had not even managed to win 1 seat in Tripura. The Communist party had won 49 seats and Congress had bagged 10. Just the next year, in 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the Communists had bagged both Lok Sabha seats leaving the national parties far behind.

In 4 years, by the time 2018 assembly elections were held, the tables had turned and how. BJP ended up bagging 36 seats and the Communists were restricted at 16 seats. From 49 seats in 2013 to all 2 Lok Sabha seats in 2014 to 16 seats and a complete rout in Tripura in 2018. Few pollsters had predicted this rout. Jann Ki Baat had got it right and had predicted 14 to 23 for the Communists. CVoter, however, had given the Communists 24 to 36 seats.

Communist states are generally difficult to predict for traditional pollsters and psephologists because voters are seldom talkative about which party they might vote for eventually. Communist regimes are known for the violent backlash when the electorate seems to be slipping away and hence, voters are often tightlipped.

Often, pollsters on the ground may sense communist regimes or close twins like TMC retaining power in most seats, but the reality on counting day could vary drastically.

In West Bengal, that is exactly what happened when the Communists were thrown out and TMC swept the polls.

In 2006 Assembly Elections, The Communists won 176 seats out of the 212 they contested.  The Left Front together managed to bag 233 seats. A brute majority that would appear insurmountable and undefeatable.

In 2011 Assembly Elections, the tables turned in the blink of an eye. Within the 5 years, the Left Front had been routed. TMC in 2011 ended up winning 190 seats (184 + 6 by-polls) and along with Congress, the alliance bagged 226 seats leaving the Left Front at 62.

In 2016 Assembly elections, TMC alone won 211 seats. The 2014 Lok Sabha elections too saw a brute majority of Mamata’s TMC.

Tripura and West Bengal both have been Communist bastions for decades with similar voting patterns. Both states are acutely politically aware and political conversation and debate is a part and parcel of not just dinner table conversation but also “chai sutta” debate. One sees scores of people, young and old, assemble at tea stalls to discuss the political turmoil in the country. And both states shift their vote en masse without so much as a warning. The people of these states generally ensure tyrannical regimes for decades when one morning, they simply wake up and say ‘enough is enough’. That is exactly what happened in Tripura when the Communists were thrown out of power, and that is exactly what happened in Bengal when TMC was elected with a brute majority.

However, signs of trouble for Mamata Banerjee have started emerging and given the state’s history, no pollster can accurately predict when the signs of trouble might turn into sounds of doom.

Opinion Polls for West Bengal in the run-up for 2019 Lok Sabha elections have been rather positive for the BJP.

The highest number of seats being given to NDA in West Bengal is by Jann Ki Baat polls. They give NDA 13 seats in their opinion poll which was telecast on Republic TV on 5th April 2019 only days before the first phase of polling. Even the earlier opinion polls give NDA anywhere between 7 to 9 seats. In 2014 Lok Sabha Elections, TMC bagged 36 seats and according to Jann Ki Baat, is set to bag 25 seats now.

These numbers should ring alarm bells for TMC. Pollsters are often off-the-mark by a few seats in West Bengal and Tripura because voters refuse to be vocal about their preferences due to fear of backlash.

If pollsters predict a cumulative lowest of 7 seats and highest of 13, it would not be outlandish if BJP expects to win anywhere between 15 to 18 seats.

A number like that is worrisome for TMC because assembly elections are still 2 years away and that gives BJP plenty of time to dethrone Mamata just like she dethroned the Communists.

Mamata Banerjee came to power on the plank of ‘Maa, Maati, Maanush’ (Mother, Soil, Citizens). That plank, many feel, has been betrayed by her blatant Muslim appeasement and disregard for the Bengali Hindu population.

With a massive upswing in 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, BJP is poised to pull off a political coup in West Bengal. The only question now is: How would Mamata Banerjee react?

Mischief mongers: Journalists share images of ‘NaMo’ food package being distributed in Noida, insinuate MCC violation

OpIndia Staff
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Mischief mongers: Journalists share images of ‘NaMo’ food package being distributed in Noida, insinuate MCC violation

As the first phase of voting is currently underway, the usual suspects are at play to insinuate that the BJP is violating the model code of conduct. A journalist associated with Times Now shared pictures wherein a car filled with ‘Namo food’ package was parked and the food packages were being distributed by a policeman to other policemen standing there.


In a tweet he stated ‘NaMo’ (instead of Namo) food packets are at play in Noida, implying that the food was ‘branded’ on the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is often referred to as NaMo.

He claimed that he himself had not clicked the picture, but his friend had clicked and sent it to him.


A video of a cab carrying police officers and the above food packets also went viral on social media.


Soon Congress leaders started questioning the Uttar Pradesh Police on why are these food packets being distributed.


Aam Aadmi Party leaders also jumped in at the opportunity to cast aspersions and spread panic.


Other ‘journalists’ too joined in.


“Fact-checkers” associated with international news agencies like AFP also decided to chime in to spread the information without verifying (d-uh!)


Amusingly, pro-AAP blog Janta Ka Reporter even added imaginary portion while reporting the incident and claimed that the cops ‘left’ after ‘spotting journalists’.

Janta Ka Reporter on ‘Namo Foods’

Not only is the report wrongly reporting ‘Namo foods’ as ‘NaMo food’, thereby insinuating it as food branded as being endorsing Narendra Modi, they also lie about ‘cops leaving’ after spotting journalists. In fact, as seen in the video, the cops leave in the cab because the traffic clears itself, not because they’re trying to run away.

As it turns out, Namo Food has nothing to do with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and is an actual restaurant based in Noida. In fact, Namo Foods has not one but 4 food outlets in Noida as per the food search website ‘Zomato’.

Namo Foods, Noida[/captio

Not just that, the Senior Superintendent of Police, Gautam Buddh Nagar also took to Twitter to clarify that the food packets were procured at the local level for the police officers on election duty.


The SSP clarified that these are politically motivated rumours and that the food was neither distributed by political party nor procured on the instruction of one from that particular restaurant.


SSP Noida even clarified that the food was procured from the local shop for the police force deployed on election duty. He specified that the restaurant name is coincidental.

However, by that time, the usual suspects were out in full force to insinuate that the integrity of the police force may be compromised. The SSP, Noida rebuked the journalist and asked her to check her language and be better informed.


However, by the time the official rebuttal came in, the news had already gone viral. As per reports, Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer, L Venkateshwarlu has sought a report from Noida DM over the Namo Foods packets.

Bihar lawyer files complaint against Mehbooba Mufti and Farooq Abdullah for their anti-India rants

OpIndia Staff
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Bihar lawyer files complaint against Mehbooba Mufti and Farooq Abdullah for their anti-India rants

A case has been filed in a Bihar court against former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti after their recent comments that revoking Article 370 and 35A will lead to Jammu ANd Kashmir’s separation from India.

According to reports, Advocate Rajesh Chandra Sharma has filed the complaint on Tuesday before Muzaffarpur Chief Judicial Magistrate court against the chiefs of National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party under IPC Sections 124A (sedition) and IPC Section 34 (common intent for a criminal act).

In his petition, Advocate Sharma has said that he felt hurt by the statements of Abdullah and Mufti and alleged that their remarks could fan unrest and mutiny in the country.

Mehbooba Mufti, the former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir had made this controversial remark after she was apparently rattled by BJP’s commitment towards abrogating Article 35A and Article 370. She had said that if Article 370 is scrapped, India will have to re-negotiate its relationship with the state. She had further tried to incite the people by threatening that if BJP repeals Articles 35A and 370, the whole country will burn along with J&K.

Similarly, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah had ranted that if BJP ever abrogates Article 370 and Article 35A, the state’s accession to India will end. “They will bring outsiders to settle in Kashmir, they want to do away with Article 370. I swear by Allah, even Allah wants us to see us liberated from them. I will see how India’s flag is hoisted here,” Abdullah said.

Article 35A and Article 370 are two controversial provisions present in the constitution, providing certain benefits to the people residing in the state. The two provisions Article 35A and 370 are very much against the idea of equality that has been promised under the Article 14 of the constitution as these two controversial provisions bars people outside the state to exert their rights in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Since fundamental Rights enjoys precedence over ordinary rights under the Indian Constitution, both Article 35A and 370 are subservient to Article 14, thus making both provisions null and void.

Article 35A is a provision inserted into the Indian Constitution in 1954 by the then Prime Minister Nehru, which provides the Jammu and Kashmir legislature to decide who all are ‘permanent residents’ of the State and confer on them special rights and privileges in public sector jobs, acquisition of property in the State, scholarships and other public aid and welfare. It also prevents residents of other Indian states from owning property there.

Congress does not respond to request for interview with Rahul Gandhi for a week after accusing Doordarshan of bias

OpIndia Staff
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Congress does not respond to request for interview with Rahul Gandhi for a week after accusing Doordarshan of bias

On Tuesday, the Election Commission, expressing its discontent over Doordarshan’s coverage, wrote to the information and broadcasting ministry that “the airtime coverage given to various political parties is disproportionate and not balanced”.

The EC’s remarks came after the Congress party submitted a memorandum on the 1st of April alleging misuse of official media by the BJP. The EC, then, asked the ministry to “direct” DD News “to desist from extending any preferential or disproportionate airtime coverage in favour of any party” and to ensure “balanced coverage” of all political parties.

As it turns out, on the 4th of April, chief executive officer of Prasar Bharti, which runs Doordarshan, Shashi Shekhar Vempati had written to the Congress requesting an interview with Rahul Gandhi. According to our sources, Congress hasn’t yet responded to the request. Sources also confirmed that the request for the interview to Rahul Gandhi was sent by Doordarshan before the Election Commission sent the directive to the channel.

In its letter, Vempati said, “As the biggest exercise of democracy, the Lok Sabha elections, has been announced, it will be a great privilege for DD News and RSTV to conduct a joint interview with the Congress president Shri Rahul Gandhi, so that the principal opposition party may put forth its views to the citizens of India.” An hour-long interview was requested at a time and place of the Congress President’s choosing. However, the party hasn’t responded to it yet.

Thus, we have a situation where the Election Commission has chastised Doordarshan for its coverage despite the fact that it has attempted to offer fair coverage of events by offering to interview the Congress President. Moreover, DD News has directed its state units to seek interviews with all Chief Ministers and senior leaders of all political parties as part of its election coverage. The complaint on the basis of which the EC has rebuked Doordarshan was made by a party which has not responded to Doordarshan’s request for an interview with its president for a week.

While the Election Commission is busy regulating Bollywood movies and chastising Doordarshan, rampant polling malpractice has been in the two constituencies in Bengal which have gone to polls in the first phase of the elections. The EC has failed spectacularly in ensuring a conducive atmosphere for free and fair elections in the two constituencies where widespread violence has been reported and polling officers are accused of colluding with the TMC.

Amidst all of this, it is being claimed that officers of the State Election Commission have disappeared into thin air. Therefore, while the EC is busy pointing fingers at others, it begs the question, who will bell the cat?

Update: Both the ruling party as well as the principal opposition (in this case the Congress) were requested by Doordarshan for a joint interview by Rajya Sabha TV (RSTV) and Doordarshan. At the time of this report, only the PMO has responded positively and a schedule for the interview is currently being worked out. The Congress is yet to respond.

West Bengal: Voters of Cooch Behar wary of voting, fear rampant violence by TMC goons like panchayat elections last year

OpIndia Staff
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West Bengal: Voters of Cooch Behar wary of voting, fear rampant violence by TMC goons like panchayat elections last year

People of West Bengal’s Cooch Behar who go in for voting today are wary to vote, reports DNA. The people here are citing the rampant violence carried out by the Trinamool Congress party during the panchayat elections last year, as the reason for their apprehension.

Polling in two parliamentary constituencies of West Bengal, Cooch Behar, and Alipurduar, is being held in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections on April 11. It is notable here that rampant poll malpractice and violence is already being reported from West Bengal.

For the 14,864 people of Cooch Behar, who were granted Indian Citizenship as part of the landmark Land Boundary Agreement signed by the Narendra Modi government and Bangladesh in 2015, this will be their first Lok Sabha polls. But the residents of Cooch Behar say TMC leaders had unleashed goons to control the poll process in 2018 because they had not lived up to the promises they made. They fear similar violence during the Lok Sabha polling as well.

“Under normal conditions, we would have been excited, but given the violence in the last panchayat election and a bypoll here, we are keeping fingers crossed. During the panchayat polls, the ruling party candidate won uncontested because no one was allowed to file nomination. In the Assembly bypoll, we were told that our votes have already been cast,” said Bishnu Burman, a resident of Shibprasad Mustafi enclave in Cooch Behar.

He also said there was growing resentment among people against ruling TMC owing to the violence. “Many have made up their minds that if they are stopped from voting this time, they will put up a fight,” he added.

Saju Rahman, a resident of Karala enclave also said that there has been no development in their area under the ruling West Bengal government, “Enclave dwellers still live in tin sheds,” he said.

Even at Poaturkuthi enclave, which is a Muslim dominated area, people are talking about voting in favour of BJP. “We have been cheated. Promises are not kept. Though they don’t want to spell it out, almost all Muslims will vote for BJP from here,” said a Poaturkuthi resident on condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, security has also been heightened in Cooch Behar as residents fear violence on polling day. Over 300 poll personnel had earlier written a letter to the state chief electoral officer (CEO) and Returning Officer of the district to tighten security. They demanded deployment of central forces in view of the violence seen during the last major election held in West Bengal.

The panchayat polls were marred by widespread reports of violence, murder and even capturing of ballot boxes. Twenty people were injured in a low-intensity blast at a polling station in Cooch Behar district and several incidents of pre-poll violence were also reported.

Congress is ‘hero’ in Muslim areas but ‘zero’ in Hindu dominated areas: AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal

OpIndia Staff
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Congress is ‘hero’ in Muslim areas but ‘zero’ in Hindu dominated areas: AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal

In what appears like a drama after the tacit understanding between Assam Congress and All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) ahead the Lok Sabha elections came out in open, AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal is accusing Congress of betrayal after the party fielded its candidates against the AIUDF nominees.

Last month the AIUDF had decided to field its candidates only on three out of total fourteen Lok Sabha seats in Assam leaving the remaining eleven for Congress to contest. Ajmal had reportedly said that this was done to prevent the division of ‘secular’ votes as his party was ready to even compromise with its own prospects in the elections in order to keep the BJP out of power.

But now, after Congress fielded its candidates on Karimganj, Barpeta and Dhubri Lok Sabha seats which the AIUDF wanted all to itself, Ajmal is pretending to be unhappy with Congress explaining that there is a strong possibility of division of anti-BJP seats in the three constituencies. Ajmal put the blame on the State unit of Congress accusing it of harming the possibilities of an alliance between the two parties. He alleged that the Muslim leaders in Assam Congress were alarmed that their future would be finished if any understanding is reached between the AIUDF and the Congress.

He accused of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) of trying to finish the AIUDF. “The sole motto of the Congress is to finish the AIUDF. The Muslim leadership of the Congress did not want the AIUDF and the Congress to get united at all. If that happened, their political future would have been finished,” said Ajmal.

Ranking the BJP and the Congress as number one and number two enemies respectively, Ajmal said that his party does not have an intention to help Congress. “If the BJP is our number one enemy, then the Congress is number two. We have sacrificed our seats for secularism. We do not have any intention to help Congress. We took a decision for the Assamese language, culture, identity, and overall scenario. We wanted the Congress also to sacrifice like us by not putting up candidates in the three seats. In that way, we would have won the three, Congress seven and BJP would have got one or two seats. We were determined not to give a single seat to the BJP,” he said.

Attacking the Congress for its “rigidity’, Ajmal said that it was because of this attitude of Congress that the party is “zero” in Hindu areas and is largely a Muslim based party in the State with 15 out of 25 MLAs belonging to the minority community. Ajmal stated that he has been seeking an alliance with the Congress and had tried to speak with Rahul Gandhi for a month without success.

Ajmal accused the Congress of fooling and blackmailing Muslims for votes. He stated that after using Muslims votes for decades, Congress is now afraid of parties like AIUDF because their vote bank is taken.

Last year Ajmal had made headlines after he assaulted a journalist and threatened to smash his head for asking a question.

West Bengal: Rampant polling malpractice, TMC accused of violence

OpIndia Staff
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West Bengal: Rampant polling malpractice, TMC accused of violence

Violence has been reported in West Bengal in the two constituencies, Cooch Behar and Alipurduar, that has gone to polls in the first phase of the elections. Allegations have been flying and TMC and BJP have both accused each other of attacking workers of the opposite faction and preventing voters from registering their votes.

In certain booths, only TMC agents were present in clear violation of rules and regulations. The BJP has alleged that their agents were threatened the previous night and their homes were attacked. A BJP camp office has been attacked as well.

The Election Commission is being criticized for failing to secure a conducive environment for polling to occur. Only 40% of the polling booths have central forces while the remaining are being manned by the state police. Great violence has been reported in those booths where the state police is ruling the roost. It appears the Election Commission ought to have concerned themselves more with Bengal than Vivek Oberoi’s movie.

The state police have been accused of being hand-in-glove with the state government. A Policeman, speaking to ABP Ananda, said that he was scared by the extent of violence that had ensued and did not know how he would return home himself. It has been claimed that not only the Police but polling officers are in collusion with the TMC as well.

Only 3 days ago, Anubrata Mondal of the TMC had appealed to the EC that he may be allowed to rig elections. Every faction appears to be pointing their guns at the EC which is inaccessible they claim. They allege that their complaints are not being heard, their phone calls are not being received. And officers of the State Election Commission have disappeared into thin air it is being claimed.

Meanwhile, polling at booths where central forces have been deployed has been remarkably peaceful, in stark contrast where the state police is manning the booths. Regardless of who wins the two seats, and the TMC does appear to have a certain edge, the results will be marred by the allegations being levelled against the Election Commission.

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