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Gulf News claims ‘Rahul Gandhi has shed his Pappu image’ based on fake news pulled down by Business Standard

K Bhattacharjee
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Gulf News claims ‘Rahul Gandhi has shed his Pappu image’ based on fake news pulled down by Business Standard

With General Elections around the corner, there appears to be a renewed attempt to relaunch Rahul Gandhi in Indian politics. The propaganda wing of the media has thrown their weight behind the Congress President just as they had prior to 2014.

Swati Chaturvedi, an abusive troll who masquerades as a journalist who is known to spread fake news, in an article for Gulf News claimed that Rahul Gandhi had finally shed his ‘Pappu’ image. As evidence, she used a piece of fake news spread by Business Standard who later pulled down their report after OpIndia busted their lies. She claimed that ‘Google trends’ had reported it when in fact it was BS India that did it. It appears she added her own bit of fake news on top of another fake news to project Rahul Gandhi in good light.

Propagandists appear to have adopted their favourite leader’s tactics in their attempt to take down Narendra Modi. Rahul Gandhi, through his antics on the Rafale Deal, has regularly displayed that he has scant regard for truth. Despite all evidence to the contrary, the Congress President has continued calling it a scam, often repeating his lies. The propagandists in the garb of journalists appear to be displaying a similar tendency as Swati Chaturvedi just did.

Chaturvedi used another piece of data as evidence of her claim. She cited research that showed the median retweet count for Rahul Gandhi was higher than Prime Minister Modi during January to April 2018. Readers would remember that it was around the same time when Cambridge Analytica was exposed for breaching the privacy tens of millions of users. Their association with Congress is also well known. In hindsight, it appears that the data mining firm’s methods were indeed very effective.

The rest of Chaturvedi’s article is merely an ode to the scion of the Gandhi dynasty. The author has whitewashed Gandhi’s lies on Rafale as ‘consistent focus’. Her primary contention is that the Congress President has finally shed his image of ‘Pappu’.

However, it appears such opinions are not shared by people at large. Recently, at an event in Bhubaneshwar, the young students who were in attendance replied to the question of whether Rahul Gandhi will make a good Prime Minister with resounding chants of ‘Pappu’. It appears despite his best efforts with support from propagandists, people are not buying what he is selling.

The Internet has a long memory and in the age of social media, it will be extremely different for Rahul Gandhi to emerge as a credible Prime Ministerial candidate. Of course, he may still find himself on that seat should the ‘Mahagathbandhan’ manage to stop the Modi-Shah juggernaut. However, that is unlikely to be because of his own personal credibility.

Rahul Gandhi is adopting the tactics that Hillary Clinton embraced during her Presidential campaign. She had massive support among propagandists in the mainstream media, she had the support of entire Hollywood and from large sections of the political establishment. And despite all that support, she suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Donald Trump.

The Congress President has taken a similar approach. He has propagandists like Chaturvedi who attempt to relaunch him as a credible candidate. There are Bollywood stars like Naseeruddin Shah and others who paint an apocalyptic portrait of India under Modi. But Gandhi’s reputation, like that of Clinton, is so damaging it may be impossible for anyone to recast him in a better light.

There is the additional problem that even the Congress’ supposed allies do not take Rahul seriously. The SP and BSP have left only two seats for the Congress in Uttar Pradesh, other regional leaders have refused to endorse him for the seat of Prime minister as well. Therefore, Rahul may have shed his ‘Pappu’ image in the eyes of propagandists but the Indian people still see him that way and so does most of the political establishment.

There’s the added fact that it’s only a matter of time before Rahul Gandhi does something extremely juvenile or stupid. Apart from his obsession with potatoes, there’s his recurring tendency to wink at inopportune moments. All this has happened in relatively recent times. Thus, Rahul Gandhi is yet to emerge as a serious political player.

Of course, the Congress’ recent victory in Assembly elections has given a boost to such assertions by propagandists. However, it is well known that the victories were more down to excellent campaigns by state players like Sachin Pilot and Kamal Nath and the massive anti-incumbency against the BJP. Hence, although we will surely witness a torrent of articles in the next few weeks attempting to re-brand the Congress President, it will merely be wishful thinking on the part of Congress friendly journalists.

Rate of WPI inflation falls to eight-month low of 3.8% in the month of December

OpIndia Staff
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Rate of WPI inflation falls to eight-month low of 3.8% in the month of December

The rate of inflation based on the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) fell to an eight-month low of 3.8% for the month of December 2018, according to data released by the government. The inflation was 4.64% in the previous month, and 3.58% in December 2017. The food inflation in December was almost nil at 0.07%, down from 3.31% in November.

The 3.8% inflation is lowest in the last 8 months, after it had reached 3.62% in April 2018. The build up inflation rate in the financial year so far was 3.27% compared to a build up rate of 2.21% in the corresponding period of the previous year.

The inflation for primary articles group, which includes food products, non-food articles, minerals and crude oil, was 2.28%, while the same for manufactured products group was 3.59%. The inflation in the ‘fuel and power’ group fell to 8.38% in December, down from 16.28% in the previous month.

Vegetables saw a decrease in prices, as the prices of vegetables saw deflation of 17.55% in the month of December 2018, which was 26.98% in November. Onions saw a massive deflation of 63.83%, due to continued fall in prices. Inflation in pulses was 2.11% in December, indicating a stabilisation of prices, compared to massive inflation on pulses a couple of years ago.

The inflation data on Consumer Price Index (CPI) will be released later today.

Sharad Pawar’s u-turn: From ‘amend constitution for Maratha reservation’ to ‘amending constitution for quota harmful’

OpIndia Staff
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Sharad Pawar’s u-turn: From ‘amend constitution for Maratha reservation’ to ‘amending constitution for quota harmful’

The bill providing 10% reservation for the economically backward section of the society has created quite a flutter. Many see it as a political masterstroke by PM Modi which sets the narrative for the BJP ahead of the upcoming general elections. With this one move, PM Modi has not only

Most political leaders of the “secular” spectrum have been passing outlandish statements regarding the Bill. Asaddudin Owaisi, for example, said that reservations should only be granted as reparation for historical wrongs. However, in the past, Owaisi has asked vehemently for reservation for Muslims on the basis of Muslims being economically backward. In fact, if reservations were only to be allotted on the basis of historic wrongs, then demanding reservations for Muslims would have no ground.

Similarly, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar is a confused man. Last year in July, he was of the opinion that the Constitution should be amended to clear the Maratha reservation. He has even expressed willingness to talk to the Opposition.

Sharad Pawar on Maratha reservation in July 2018

Supporting the community’s demand for 16% reservation in government jobs and education, Pawar had said, “Bharatiya Janata Party is in government at Centre and in the state. They should now amend the Constitution in order to provide reservation to the Maratha community. I am ready to talk to the opposition leaders to pass the amendment.”

In a departure from his previous stand, Pawar yesterday said that amending the constitution for quota (10% for the economically backward section of the society) is ‘harmful’.

Sharad Pawar now thinks amending the Constitution is ‘harmful’.

Quoting ‘experts’ on the constitution, Pawar said, “amendment in article 15 and 15 of the Constitution to allow reservation above 50% will be harmful to the basic principles of the constitution.” He further added that 10% quota violates the Constitution.

What is perhaps making several such politicians jittery, is the fact that an economic-based reservation ends the chances of these politicians asking for reservations based on caste and religion. Like Owaisi asking reservation for Muslims and Pawar for Marathas.

This is not the first time Sharad Pawar has shown Kejriwal-esque tendencies by making a U-turn. Last year, the NCP chief had given a public statement that ‘Right-wing forces’ were behind the Bhima Koregaon violence. Later, in front of the Bhima Koregaon Inquiry Commission, Pawar had said that he was not in a position to ‘specifically make allegations against any particular organisation’ for the violence.

Trouble in Karnataka: As ‘Operation Lotus’ rumours do the rounds, Congress and JDS indulge in mudslinging

OpIndia Staff
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Trouble in Karnataka: As ‘Operation Lotus’ rumours do the rounds, Congress and JDS indulge in mudslinging

Karnataka Water Resources minister DK Shivakumar on Sunday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party was indulging in horse-trading and were luring three of its MLAs to camp at a Mumbai hotel in the “company of some BJP leaders”, PTI reported.

Shivakumar said the development was part of BJP’s “Operation Lotus” which is aimed at ousting the Janata Dal (Secular)-Congress government in the state.

“Three of our MLAs are in Mumbai in a hotel with some BJP MLAs and leaders,” the Congress leader alleged. “We are aware of what has transpired there and how much has been offered to them.”

Operation Lotus was a reference made by the Congress for the BJP in 2008, allegedly luring several opposition leaders to defect and join them, to guarantee stability to its government headed by B S Yeddyurappa in Karnataka then.

In what could be interpreted as internal discord, the Congress leader DK Shivakumar blamed JD(S) leader and present CM, Kumaraswamy of being extremely permissive towards his opponent (BJP). “Our chief minister is a bit lenient towards the BJP,” Shivakumar said. “By ‘lenient’, I mean he is not exposing the facts he knows. All the MLAs have conveyed to the chief minister about the ongoing conspiracies. They have also told the Congress leader and former Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah about it.”

He further blamed the CM of unnecessarily procrastinating the issue, “The chief minister is adopting a policy of wait and watch,” Shivakumar said. “If I was in his place, I would have exposed it within 24 hours.”

However, the Congress leader claimed that the BJP would not succeed in its attempt as Congress state president Dinesh Gundu Rao had informed the income tax department and the anti-corruption bureau about the matter. “We do not know what progress these two agencies have made so far, but sitting on the complaint by a political party is not good,” he said.

But in a twist of events, Chief Minister Kumaraswamy denied the rumour of any attempt to poach MLAs. He said ‘I don’t know who is spreading this news, there is no truth to the claims’.


He said that the 3 Congress MLAs went to Mumbai after informing him, and they are in continuously in contact with him.


Kumaraswamy also launched an attack on ally partner Congress over seat-sharing arrangement for the Lok Sabha elections. He said that ‘Congress should not treat JD(S) like third-grade citizens’.

The Congress-JD(S) alliance in Karnataka has not been a smooth one ever since the two have stitched up this awkward coalition with the sole purpose to keep BJP out of power in Karnataka.

Recently, Kumaraswamy’s predicaments with the Congress laid bare when he claimed that he was being treated like a clerk instead of a chief minister. However, this was not the first time Chief Minister Kumaraswamy has lamented over his discomfort to work with the Congress party. Earlier in July, expressing his unhappiness over the coalition government, Kumaraswamy had cried saying he was unhappy and swallowing the poison of a coalition government.

Along with several disclosures of rifts within the JD(S)-Congress alliance doing the rounds, continuous news of many regional leaders distancing themselves from the party have emerged in the past.

The dissent between the two parties had surfaced in June too, following the Cabinet announcement of the HD Kumaraswamy led Karnataka government, when several Congress leaders, as well as members of the JD(S), had expressed their displeasure over the allocation of ministerial berths.

It has also been reported how SR Patil, the working President of Karnataka North Congress, had submitted his resignation by supposedly taking responsibility for the poor performance of his party in the state.

Controversial ‘poet’ who wrote the ‘condom on Trishul’ poem, faces massive protests at Silchar, Assam

OpIndia Staff
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Controversial ‘poet’ who wrote the ‘condom on Trishul’ poem, faces massive protests at Silchar, Assam

On Saturday, controversial poet Srijato Bandyapadhyay faced massive protests in Silchar, Assam, after several people opposed his participation in the event as a mark of protest against one of his poems ‘Condom on Trishul’, which had hurt Hindu religious sentiments.

Srijato Bandyapadhyay, who was present at Silchar in Barak Valley, to attend a literary discussion “Eso Boli” (Come, let’s speak up) on Saturday evening, faced protests from several people against his 2017 poem titled ‘Abhishaap’ (Curse), where had used terms like “Condoms on Trishul”. The last line of his poem, the 42-year-old poet had written, “As long as women are raped by digging up their graves, condoms should be worn on Trishul”.

Reportedly, after facing severe protests, the controversial Bengali poet went on to claim that the protests were just an expression of “rising levels of intolerance” across the country. He further added that intolerance was spreading in the country and he did not feel secure in his own country.

“People like us have no freedom of speech. The axe is falling on free thinkers. In my state I am secure, but we have to often go out for cultural programmes and recital sessions. I am shocked. I had not anticipated there will be such an incident in a place like Silchar. There was no inkling beforehand. There is an increasing effort to curb freedom of expression in the country,” he told reporters in Kolkata.

Following the incident, Mamata Banerjee government rushed to protect the 42-year old Bengali poet as a huge contingent of policemen arrived at the spot to rescue the poet. The policemen escorted him to a local circuit house which was guarded throughout the night. Later, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reportedly called him and assured him of security.

Bandyapadhyay’s poem had created a massive controversy for hurting the sentiments of Hindus and in March a complaint was also lodged against the poet in Siliguri. His poem had angered several people in the state who had called out his hypocrisy for deliberately ignoring Muslim appeasement policies of Mamata Banerjee government while targetting the BJP government. He is also infamously known as “Condom Poet” for his controversial poems.

It has been a trend in the country to deliberately target and defame Hindu religion, its culture and symbols in the guise of freedom of expression. Gross and obscene images of Hindu gods and religious symbols have been floating around on the social media recently. In April, a left-wing woman named Durga Malathi had posted a few paintings, which depicted the Trishul in an obscene and derogatory manner. The attack on Sabarimala by the Communist Kerala government can be seen as a part of a larger conspiracy to try and subdue the upsurging of political and ideological awareness among Hindus.

1984 Sikh Genocide convict Sajjan Kumar appeals to Supreme Court against HC order

OpIndia Staff
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1984 Sikh Genocide convict Sajjan Kumar appeals to Supreme Court against HC order

1984 Sikh Genocide convict and Former Congress veteran Sajjan Kumar has now appealed to the Supreme Court, against the Delhi High Court verdict which convicted and awarded him life imprisonment last month.


The court on December 17 had convicted Sajjan Kumar for killing five members of a Sikh family in West Delhi’s Raj Nagar Part- I and burning down a Gurudwara in Raj Nagar Part-II, reversing the acquittal order of a lower court. Sajjan Kumar had surrendered on 31st December last year. Sajjan Kumar had also said earlier that he will be approaching the Supreme Court, but could not to do so because of the winter vacations.

The apex court has sought Central Bureau of Investigation’s reply on the plea filed by Sajjan Kumar. The matter will be heard by the court after six weeks, that is next month.

Sajjan Kumar had also appealed to Delhi court, seeking more time to surrender, so that he can settle his children and grandchildren. However, the court had rejected the plea, as it found no grounds to extend the date. Following which, Sajjan Kumar had approached Supreme Court, however there too, the plea was rejected.

The 1984 Anti-Sikh Genocide took place in the after the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her own bodyguards, which resulted in brutal killings of thousands of Sikhs. Congress leaders Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler were accused of a direct role in orchestrating the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in India.

Does Pakistan even have a Counter-Terrorism narrative?

Imam Tawhidi
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Does Pakistan even have a Counter-Terrorism narrative?

Pakistan is home to stunning mountains, valleys and glaciers. The fabulous cultural patterns throughout such regions pave the way for an unforgettable experience for those who visit.

Sadly, this is not the first thing that comes to mind when Pakistan is mentioned. Pakistan’s strategic territories have been labelled by the United States Defense Secretary as “havens for terrorists.”

Although Pakistan denies that it is a ‘safe haven for terrorists’ its democratic credentials have been suspect from the very beginning, simply due to the fact that the Pakistani state lacks a strategic vision and policy to deal with the ongoing issue of terrorism. For decades, the government has failed to investigate and prosecute terrorists in a proper manner.

Pakistan’s approach towards terrorism is not only a hesitant one, but it is also selective. Many within the diplomatic community had hoped for change under Imran Khan, yet the very few counterterrorism institutions within the country remain weak and dysfunctional. The reason for this is quite obvious, as it has everything to do with the lack of consensus among the country’s politico-military leadership.

Among leading global intelligence agencies, Pakistan is known for its constant support of the Taliban in Afghanistan, as well as terrorist groups within Jammu and Kashmir. These terrorist organizations, as well as others such as Al-Qaeda, consider Pakistan’s government a perfect asset due to the government’s reliance on a particular portrayal of Islam to justify its existence.

Furthermore, it is no secret that Pakistan created and continues to support many of these terrorist groups in order to achieve its geostrategic interests within the subcontinent. A living example would be Pakistan’s complete failure to launch any genuine counterterrorism operations against the Punjabi Taliban or the sources of finance of any Islamist Terrorist groups.

One may wonder why this is the case? The answer is simple: The Pakistani government defines terrorism differently. Not all forms of terrorism are bad in the eyes of the military, especially if it destabilizes regions administrated by India.

The matter doesn’t end here, Pakistani authorities actually strive to silence critics of Islamic terrorism. They plant fear in the hearts of intellectuals by intimidation, arrests and public shaming. In 2018, Pakistani diplomats in Canada have openly threatened outspoken critics Tarek Fatah and Tahir Gora on Canadian soil, while Former Ambassador Husain Haqqani continues to receive threats on social media.

Pakistan’s military will wage war against all critics in order to score points in the race to gain equality with India. The government has its eyes on the diplomatic developments of India while ignoring key issues at home; such as poverty, illiteracy, lack of justice and of course the growing cells of Islamic terrorists.

On the other hand, Pakistan claims that since 2001 it has spent $80 billion on the War on Terror. The Coalition Support Fund continues to reimburse Pakistan for its so-called counter-terrorism operations. Though the reality is that the Pakistani government is more part of the problem than the solution.

AK Antony says ‘Congress not strong enough to challenge BJP alone’, adds ‘Modi fears Rahul’

OpIndia Staff
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AK Antony says ‘Congress not strong enough to challenge BJP alone’, adds ‘Modi fears Rahul’

Acknowledging the inability of Congress party to be a challenger to the Narendra Modi led BJP, senior Congress leader AK Antony has urged his party to join hands with other opposition parties to defeat the BJP as he believes Congress party alone cannot stop the Modi juggernaut.

Speaking at the general body meeting of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) on Friday, the former Defence Minister said that Congress party has realised that it is not strong enough to take on the BJP alone and emphasised on the need of an alliance to defeat Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Congress alone cannot bring down Narendra Modi from power. But still, Congress is the crucial force to lead the campaign to oust Modi from power. Hence, Congress is looking for a broader alliance to defeat the BJP,” said AK Antony while addressing party workers at Thiruvananthapuram.

“The Congress is the main political force that could lead the fight to end the Modi rule,” said AK Antony. “The Congress will take the initiative to forge alliances in various States with parties willing to cooperate with it,” he added.

AK Antony, who is also a member of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) further added that Congress President Rahul Gandhi is the only opponent Prime Minister Narendra Modi fears in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections. He also added the old declaration that Rahul Gandhi, the 48-year-old son of Sonia Gandhi, has come of age to lead Congress. Antony also claimed that Rahul Gandhi has evolved as a strong leader and is now capable of fighting Modi.

Describing the upcoming Lok Sabha elections as a “Kurukshetra battle”, senior Congress leader Antony said that communal forces must be ousted from power to save the country. He cautioned the state Congress leaders against delaying ticket distribution for the upcoming general elections. “The decision has to come from the district committees. The selection should be made in a democratic way rather than decided by a few leaders,” he said.

While senior leaders of the Congress party urging other opposition parties to join hands with them, some opposition parties seem to have doubts regarding joining hands with the Congress. Recently, SP and BSP came together in Uttar Pradesh to contest against BJP, without even considering Congress a choice to be their partner in the alliance. After being ignored, Congress party has now decided to contest all the 80 seats from Uttar Pradesh in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Gujarat becomes the first state to implement 10% reservation for the economically backward

OpIndia Staff
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Gujarat becomes the first state to implement 10% reservation for the economically backward

Gujarat is set to become the first Indian state to implement the new 10% reservation for the Economically Weaker Sections of the general category in all educational institutions and government jobs. Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani had announced it yesterday.


CM Rupani has stated that Gujarat will implement the 10% reservation for EWS from 14th January onwards. It is to be implemented in all the ongoing recruitment processes where advertisements have been published but the first stage of examinations are yet to be held.

Following the CM’s announcement, Dinesh Dasa, the chairman of the State Public Service Commission, has announced that the preliminary exams to be held on 20th January will be postponed at the wake of the announcement and details regarding the new reservation criteria will be released by the GSPSC shortly.


The reservation will not be applicable to government recruitment processes where written/oral or computer proficiency examinations have been conducted before January 14.

The historic constitution (124th Amendment) Bill brought by the NDA government was passed in Lok Sabha on Tuesday last week and in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

President Ramnath Kovind had given his consent to the Bill on Saturday. The 10% reservation for EWS of the general category is to be over and above the reservation granted to SC/ST and OBCs.

Business Standard withdraws article after OpIndia fact-check, when will others show the same ethics?

Nupur J Sharma
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Business Standard withdraws article after OpIndia fact-check, when will others show the same ethics?

The Media landscape is fast emerging as a cesspool of lies, propaganda and misinformation. Or perhaps, it was always one and the enormity of the abyss is just about starting to show. Recently, the Business Standard ran a story where they attempted to show how according to Google Search Trends, Rahul Gandhi is ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. After an OpIndia fact-check, the story was pulled down.

Business Standard withdraws story after OpIndia fact-check

OpIndia columnist Abhishek Banerjee had not too long ago written an article about Google Trends Data and demonstrated how Prime Minister Modi is ahead of Rahul Gandhi. Not too long after that, the Business Standard published a story where the findings were exactly the opposite. When Abhishek Banerjee looked further, he realised that the data points chosen by Business Standard were unreliable and tailor-made to get the desired result, which is, show Rahul Gandhi ahead of PM Modi. The detailed fact-check can be read here.

After Abhishek’s fact-check was published, the Business Standard reached out to OpIndia. Over email, OpIndia was informed that the story has been pulled down and they had no intention to misrepresent data. They even thanked OpIndia for demonstrating that there are various ways to analyse Google Trends Data.

Email sent by Business Standard to OpIndia

Why a shabby story like the one Business Standard pulled down was published in the first place, is a matter of concern. Stories are generally vetted (at least they should be) by the Editor and that such glaring errors were not caught before publication is a concern in itself. However, what is commendable is that the Business Standard was willing to rectify its error when a fact-check was done. This is not the first time that Business Standard has faltered and perhaps, won’t be the last. The hope is, that when they do, they will continue to follow the same standard they did this time around.

While Business Standard took its story down this time, this is certainly not the standard of ethics that most media houses follow. Often, the fact-checks are summarily ignored while Editor’s stand like stoic holy cows. Often, the lies continue to be spread by the media, unabated, without so much as a retraction or apology. In fact, the times when the Media is forced to correct themselves, they often lie big (on the first page or as the lead story) and retract small (a small note from the editor hidden in some Godforsaken corner that nobody would read).

While Media neutrality is a farce and has always been a farce, the lies are often peddled brazenly from behind the veil of neutrality. Whether the lies come from established media houses like NDTV, or online propaganda portals like The Wire. The all-pervasive epidemic of lying big and retracting small, often, not retracting at all, is a problem that plagues the media space.

Business Standard should be commended for retracting the digital story. However, the lie has already travelled through the “journalists” like Swati Chaturvedi who further wrote articles based on this data. While the Business Standard has salvaged itself by the retraction, one wonders when other media houses would make this practice the norm.

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