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Indian Express journalist suffers a meltdown after BJP emerged single largest party in Karnataka

OpIndia Staff
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Indian Express journalist suffers a meltdown after BJP emerged single largest party in Karnataka

The state of Karnataka awoke to the winds of change on Tuesday, after electoral trends suggest BJP’s emergence as the largest party. As per latest Election Commission data, the BJP has won 91 seats and is leading on 13.

In light of the BJP possibly falling short of the majority mark, the JD(S) can emerge as a kingmaker, possibly at the determent of the BJP, with reports claiming a tie-up between the Congress and Deve Gowda’s party.

However, reports have now emerged that Lingayat MLAs of the Congress are revolting against the party and BJP is in talks with 15 rival MLAs.

Before things looked like going down to the wire, an Indian Express journalist named Naweed Iqbal today suffered a meltdown over BJP’s strong performance in the state, and as a result, grumbled on Twitter:


As seen above, the journalist possibly irked by the Karnataka electoral trends decided to describe India as a “giant cow-belt”. The cow belt is technically considered a combination of northern states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana, but is often used by so-called liberals, as a snide at religious Hindus who hold the animal in reverence.

Such a manner of professing one’s disgruntlement caught the sight of Twitter users who as a result reacted:


It though remains to be seen whether the journalist revises her perception of the nation if the Congress and JD(S) combine indeed manage to form the government, at the cost of the BJP.

Why a BJP-JD(S) combine is in the best interest of both parties

Amit Kelkar
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Why a BJP-JD(S) combine is in the best interest of both parties

The Karnataka election results are still pouring in but the direction is clear. Congress has lost, BJP has won, and JD(S) has seemingly exceeded expectations. The numbers are yet to be frozen, as counting is still on and there many seats with slender margins, giving a continuous slight fluctuation in the figures. This fluctuation matters because BJP s within touching distance of achieving a simple majority by gaining 112 seats. And as a corollary so is a possible combination of Congress + JD(S).

But whatever might be the final outcome, i.e. even if BJP is large enough to form a government in Karnataka in its own, it would be in the best interest of both BJP and JD(S) to come together.

Reasons for the BJP:

1. Set the stage for 2019

One of the worries amongst BJP fan base is that while the BJP is losing allies (like TDP), the opposition is looking to weave a mahagathbandhan to beat BJP in 2019 Lok Sabha polls. As vote shares indicate, if a simple transfer of votes is achieved by a combined opposition, BJP could find it hard to come back to power in the centre.

To break the chances of such a rainbow coalition, BJP must ally itself with as many small regional parties as possible. JD(S) is just one of them. If BJP allies with JD(S) at the state, it would ensure a national coalition as well and prevent a string non-BJP front emerging in Karnataka. In fact, a BJP+JD(S) tie-up could sweep Karnataka in 2019

2. Message to other former allies

If BJP manages to pull JD(S), the price tag on some former allies and some future potential allies reduces. The likes of TDP can be told unequivocally that the BJP does not need to depend on only a small set of allies and is widening its outreach to others as well.

3. Congress out of picture, morale boost

With JD(S) in the saddle, BJP can be sure that there is no large Congress Government in the country. Punjab would remain the only mid-size state for Congress. The Congress coffers would then be choked heavily, leaving it gasping for funds in 2019. It would also be a huge morale boost for national cadre, that the BJP has “saffronized” another state, albeit with some help.

Reasons for the JD(S)

1. Usurping the Congress space

While the Congress may (and reportedly has) offered JD(S) the post of Chief Minister in a potential coalition, the JD(S) should realise that the Congress is the natural enemy of the JD(S) in Karnataka. Both parties try to occupy the same space. Thus, it would be a better long-term bet for JD(S) to be in power with the BJP, and try to use the next five years to finish the Congress in Karnataka, both politically and financially. Then JD(S) can dream of emerging as the sole serious opposition in 2023 to the BJP.

2. Keeping the verdict in mind

The JD(S) would do well to learn from the exploits of local parties in Goa, who went against the mandate, and allied with BJP even when they had got lesser seats than Congress. This move has reportedly angered voters and the local parties are losing favour. If JD(S) chooses Congress it may face a similar fate. An alliance with BJP though would have the opposite effect

3. Gain from the state-central synergy

The BJP-JD(S) Government in Karnataka would be able to enjoy (although for barely a year), the benefit of being on the right side of the central government. Modi too would be keen to pump in maximum resources in 1 year in Karnataka to tilt the scales of 2019. The JD(S) can then benefit from this and ensure that their constituencies are developed and their MLAs who have been “hungry” for a decade, are “well-fed”

4. National gains

If the JD(S) carries its alliance into 2019 Lok Sabha polls, and if the BJP wins (which is more likely than a Congress win as of now), it is sure to be rewarded with some Central ministries as well.

All in all, it would make sense for both BJP and JD(S) to ally, irrespective of the actual numbers. Who knows, Amit Shah and the JD(S) supremos may have already discussed this. Only time will tell how this plays out.

Social media reminds the ‘Kuch Bhi’ man of his comments before Karnataka result trends

K Bhattacharjee
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Social media reminds the ‘Kuch Bhi’ man of his comments before Karnataka result trends

Recently, in a debate with Subramanian Swamy, Prakash Raj’s repeated proclamations of “Kuch Bhi” has become iconic in current political discourse.


And considering how confident he was of BJP’s defeat in Karnataka, people on Twitter chose to remind him of his words as the BJP looked set for a win and mocked him mercilessly.


This particular tweet of his has numerous people tweeting “Kuch Bhi” to remind the actor of the remarks he made during the debate with Swamy in helplessness and exasperation.


Here are some of the replies to the tweet:


Well, one can safely conclude at this point, now is not a very good time to be Prakash Raj.

After Karnataka defeat, is Omar Abdullah slyly attacking Rahul Gandhi?

OpIndia Staff
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After Karnataka defeat, is Omar Abdullah slyly attacking Rahul Gandhi?

Are the knives out? One dynastic scion is now taking to social media to attack another dynastic scion? As Congress is hurtling towards yet another ‘Moral Victory’ in Karnataka, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah took toTwitterr to express himself. He is largely unconnected with the elections in the south of India, but his anguish was palpable:


It is important to note that soon after the results showed a clear picture, Congress leaders rushed to attack their old foe: the EVM, even as many were seen on TV shielding their national president Rahul Gandhi.


In this context, it appears Abdullah’s snide remark may have been targeted towards Congress and the Rahul Gandhi. This remark will have a great impact on the formation of the much hyped “Mahagathbandhan” to take on BJP in 2019. Abdullah’s tweet can be construed to be a big NO to the politics and policies of Congress and Rahul Gandhi.

This also comes just a few days after Rahul Gandhi put his hat into the ring as the next PM of India if Congress was the single largest party. This statement was quickly followed by a campaign on social media to promote TMC’s Mamata Banerjee as the Prime Ministerial face.

It appears that the Congress is quickly losing support, not only amongst the masses but also amongst its potential allies. Earlier this year, Uttar Pradesh’s Akhilesh Yadav had also distanced himself from Rahul Gandhi. Can the party now think beyond a family?

CNN News 18 spreads fake news about postal ballots, Karnataka CEO busts claims

Sanghamitra
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CNN News 18 spreads fake news about postal ballots, Karnataka CEO busts claims

The much-awaited results of the Karnataka elections are to be announced today, with the trends tilting heavily towards the BJP, and the whole country has shifted its focus to the southern state. The state election commission has been working tirelessly for the conduct of fair elections in the state. But certain individuals and even some media outlets, create fresh problems due to their propensity for sensationalisation and in the process, create panic and doubt because of their fake news.

Yesterday CNN News 18 reported that over 1000 postal ballot covers were found in a hotel in Badami in the possession of BJP workers. They even added that the BJP workers were opening the covers and the said hotel where they were found belongs to a BJP leader. They even went a step ahead and added that Congress has demanded that the Election Commission’s role should be probed. Even co-founder of self-proclaimed fact check website endorsed this fake news.

courtesy: @swamv39

However, the fake news was soon called out by Times of India’s Bharti Jain.


After the misleading news report over the postal ballots, the state election commission ordered a probe over the matter and the Tehsildar and Returning Officer for the concerned constituency were sent to the hotel. But upon inquiry, they reportedly found that the ‘1000 postal ballot covers’ were in fact 2 sheets of paper with instructions on how to exercise postal ballots.

official clarification letter of CEO
courtesy: Bharti Jain

The press note released by the office of the Chief Electoral Officer also added that the journalists, who were staying at the same hotel since many days, failed to provide any evidence to support their claims. The press note also added that unverified rumours are being circulated and doubts are being created about the election commission vitiating the dignity of the electoral process. The note added that their staff are busy in organising the counting process, subtly implying that such unsubstantiated rumours only end up wasting precious time and energy of a dedicated staff.

CNN News 18 promptly deleted the tweet where they had made the claim. It is notable here that bribery, distribution of goods and gold have all been reported in Karnataka during the run-up to the elections. Recently a Congress leader was found with 10,000 voter IDs in a flat in Rajarajeshwari Nagar and gold jewellery meant for distribution among voters were found from a Congress leader’s house in Arkalgod constituency.

#Throwback: Congress party and its supporters before and after BJP appeared set to win Karnataka

K Bhattacharjee
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#Throwback: Congress party and its supporters before and after BJP appeared set to win Karnataka

Another election and again, the Bharatiya Janata Party under the leadership of its President Amit Shah with B.S. Yeddyurappa as its Chief Ministerial candidate and Narendra Modi’s campaign, the party is all set to form its government in Karnataka.

There were indications right from the beginning that the voters were in favour of BJP, however, some Congress supporters were overconfident of their party’s victory, much like the manner in which Rahul Gandhi asserted that he will be the Prime Minister should Congress emerge as the single largest party next year.

Prakash Raj had already announced that there was no way the BJP could win the Karnataka Assembly elections.


Rajdeep Sardesai conceded that he was preparing to wipe the egg of his face.


As this tweet indicates, we can expect an apology from him sometime during the day.


Some are still back to peddling a narrative that has lost favour with everyone, even their friends in the media.


Some supporters also believed that the momentum was with the Congress.


The Karnataka Assembly Elections are done and dusted but Congress President Rahul Gandhi hasn’t gotten there yet but good news for his supporters, he is getting there.


And the spokesperson of the Congress party hugely overestimated their performance in the state as well.


It will be interesting to see the manner in which the Congress party shifts the entire blame for its defeat on Siddaramaiah and the state unit since it’s a foregone conclusion that Rahul Gandhi cannot be held accountable under any circumstances.

Murky Air India deal under UPA government rule being probed by ED

Rajat
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Murky Air India deal under UPA government rule being probed by ED

According to a report by ‘The Hindu’, ED (Enforcement Directorate) is probing alleged corruption into some deals done by Air India during the Congress-led UPA regime.

The deal involves procurement of 111 aircrafts amounting to Rs. 70,000 crore, lease of planes, surrender of profit-making routes and flight schedules by Air India. ED is investigating the processes that were adopted, the implementation of contracts in the dealings and the decisions taken to surrender profit-making routes and schedules, allegedly favouring private airlines. The agency has engaged experts to estimate the total amount of all the deals.

CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) had filed three FIRs on May 29 last year on unidentified individuals of civil aviation ministry and Air India and had launched an inquiry in the deal after a Supreme Court’s directive on January 5 last year on a PIL by an NGO, Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL). In December 2017, the Supreme Court had directed CBI to finish the probe into the deal in the next six months. The Union Cabinet had cleared the acquisition of the aircrafts when the ministry was under Praful Patel.

In December 2005, the UPA government had cleared the proposal for the acquisition of 68 Boeing aircraft and the next year, Indian Airlines also signed up for Airbus 43 aircraft.

A report was tabled in the parliament in 2012 by CAG which had signalled irregularities in the deal which it termed as “a recipe for disaster”. The report stated that the aircraft purchase had “contributed predominantly” to the Air-India debt. The FIR alleges that loans were taken from US and Indian banks to purchase the aircrafts. The report said that the Air India – Indian Airlines merger was “ill-timed” and pointed out that “the financial case for the merger was not adequately validated prior to the merger”.

Chhattisgarh Congress MLA caught on camera urging voters to beat up BJP workers

OpIndia Staff
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Chhattisgarh Congress MLA caught on camera urging voters to beat up BJP workers

Congress MLA Ram Dayal Uike has courted controversy by being recorded on camera urging voters to beat up BJP workers using empty liquor bottles when they come seeking for votes, as reported by DNA. Uike is an MLA from the Korba seat in the state.

The video which has since then gone viral on social media was tweeted out by ANI:


In the video, the MLA is heard attacking the Chhattisgarh government for supposedly deciding to sell alcohol. He further alleged that the government was also overcharging its liquor customers by selling a bottle worth Rs 600 for Rs 1000.

Following this, he floated a conspiracy theory that, the extra money earned via deceit, would then be distributed among the voters during election time. He thus demanded that the BJP volunteers and leaders be beaten up using empty liquor bottles when they come to canvass for votes.

A Patrika report has claimed that Uike made this statement at a Sankalp Shivir in Bhaisma, while questioning the supposed dire need for the government to sell liquor. With regards to the call for the assault, the report quotes Uike as also asking the audience to keep two feet tall sticks at their disposal.

Incidentally, the report also claims that such a statement by Uike was made in presence of senior state Congress leaders like, party’s Chhattisgarh in-charge PL Punia and state election committee’s president Charandas Mahant.

The BJP in response to this “call for violence” has issued a statement that the Congress MLA is finding it difficult to come to terms with the BJP’s Vikas Yatra in the state.

Editors Guild president whines about airport WiFi even as journalists get attacked in Bengal

OpIndia Staff
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Editors Guild president whines about airport WiFi even as journalists get attacked in Bengal

Even as fellow journalists in Bengal have been under attack allegedly by cadres of Trinamool Congress, it seems that the recently elected president of Editors Guild of India has consciously chosen to remain silent. Instead of condemning the violence, he was busy whining about airports making him to scratch cards to avail free Wi-Fi.


The silence of these self-proclaimed flag bearers of independent and inclusive media is neither uncommon nor surprising to many. Shekhar Gupta was recently elected as the president of the Editor Guild of India, the institution which comprises of the elites of Lutyens Delhi. Their hypocrisy is evidenced by the fact that while they scream the loudest about upliftment of Dalits and Muslims, they have never had a Dalit or a Muslim President.

Shekhar Gupta, instead of raising his voice against the attacks on journalists in West Bengal, chose to whine about having to scratch a card for WiFi at an airport. Not only that, he was also busy playing chef, where he was testing out blossoms to be used for certain recipes.


Social media called out Gupta’s silence over political violence in Bengal and his bias towards certain political parties.


Some people even questioned the entire Lutyens industry and called out their insensitivity to the burning of West Bengal.


Earlier Gupta has been called out not only for peddling fake news but also for his arrogance. He faced backlash for supporting a Pakistani Journalist’s hatred towards the country’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Coincidentally, editor of Mirror Now, Faye D’Souza, who was also caught propagating fake news in the past, was countered for playing down the violence in Bengal by referring to it as merely a ‘mess‘.

West Bengal has been gripped with terror during these elections. Many theorised. that the ensuing violence was owing to the surge in Bharatiya Janata Party’s support base. TMC workers have been indulging in unabated violence and It seems like the so-called intellectuals are working in tandem by choosing to remain silent.

Kathua rape case: 3 witnesses allege custodial torture by police, SC to hear matter on 16 May

K Bhattacharjee
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Kathua rape case: 3 witnesses allege custodial torture by police, SC to hear matter on 16 May

Three witnesses in the Kathua Rape Case have alleged torture by the Jammu & Kashmir Police while recording their statements and have filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court. The matter was presented before the Chief Justice of India who agreed to list the petition for Wednesday, 16th of May.

The petitioners are classmates of one of the accused, Vishal Jangotra, and were summoned by the Police as witnesses. They have alleged that they were “coerced to make statements contrary to the fact that Vishal Jangotra was with them at Miranpur, Muzzafar Nagar, Uttar Pradesh from January 7, 2018, to February 10, 2018.” They further added, “During that period, he along with petitioners attended examinations and practical papers.” 

The petitioners claimed that they were abused, humiliated and beaten for stating their version of events and asserted that they gave true statements before the learned Magistrate Jammu under Section 164A of the J&K Criminal Procedure Code. They have alleged physical and mental torture by the J&K Police from 19th March to 31st March 2018. We had earlier reported that villagers in Kathua had also claimed to have been tortured by the J&K Police crime department under the pretext of questioning and were fleeing their homes in fear.

We had earlier reported that the accused Vishal Jangotra was spotted in Muzaffarnagar withdrawing money from an ATM around the time the rape took place. Reports had also emerged which stated that Vishal appeared for his university exams. However, an investigation team will investigate whether Vishal really appeared for his exams or he a dummy appeared for the exams on his behalf. The locals are also not convinced about the legitimacy of the investigation conducted into the rape. and have dubbed it a ‘filmy Kahani’.

Various demands of CBI inquiry into the crime were rejected by the Supreme Court which transferred the case to the Pathankot High Court. However, a committee of the Bar Council of India (BCI) formed under the direction of the Supreme Court had concluded that demands for a CBI inquiry appeared justifiable. The same committee had also concluded that the media had misreported the entire episode and concluded that lawyers of the Jammu Bar Association never sided with the accused while giving them a clean chit.  All the accused in the case have pleaded not guilty and have sought a narco test.

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