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Chief Election Commissioner follows Mohammed Zubair, the Islamist who dog-whistled against Nupur Sharma, unfollows him after social media outrage

OpIndia Staff
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Chief Election Commissioner follows Mohammed Zubair, the Islamist who dog-whistled against Nupur Sharma, unfollows him after social media outrage

On Sunday (28th July), several netizens expressed shock that the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar was following only 4 accounts through his official X (formerly Twitter) handle. They pointed out that Mohammed Zubair, the fake news peddler who notoriously dog-whistled against Nupur Sharma was amongst the four handles that the CEC was following on X.

The other three handles on his following list included an official account of the Election Commission, All India Radio News, and one politician – Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Hours after netizens pointed this out and registered their outrage, CEC Kumar unfollowed Zubair as well as accounts of Rahul Gandhi and AIR News.  

Earlier, several X users had expressed disappointment and anger asking why the Chief Election Commissioner was following Mohd. Zubair, a fake news peddler who amplified falsehoods and smear campaigns against the Election Commissioners and the polling body. 

While others quoted the famous line from the Bollywood film, ‘The Kashmir File’ – Sarkar bhale hi apki ho, system hmara hai. (This may be your government but we have the system on our side).

An X user named Mikku wrote, “Rajeev Saab is following a man who amplified every post claiming the Election Commission and EVMs are rigged during election time.” 

The Jaipur Dialogues wrote, “Chief Election Commissioner of India is following only 4 accounts on Twitter: Election Commission, Rahul Gandhi, AIR News and Mohammad Zubair. But guess who’s influencing elections in India?”

Following netizen’s outrage, CEC Kumar unfollowed all other accounts except of the polling body including the X handle of fake news peddler Mohd. Zubair and the current Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi. As per his current following list, CEC Rajiv Kumar is now following only the official X handle of the polling body.

(Currently, CEC Rajiv Kumar is only following one account — The official X handle of Election Commission)
Many X users highlighted the development and commended social outrage for bringing the change. 

Navi Mumbai Yashashri Shinde Murder Case: Mutilated body, accused Dawood Sheikh on the run, history of molestation and more – What we know so far

OpIndia Staff
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Navi Mumbai Yashashri Shinde Murder Case: Mutilated body, accused Dawood Sheikh on the run, history of molestation and more – What we know so far

On 26th July, the dead body of a 20-year-old woman identified as Yashashri Shinde was found lying in a pool of blood on an isolated road near a petrol pump in Kotnaka of Uran taluka in Navi Mumbai. Accused in the matter has been identified as Dawood Sheikh. Yashashri was reported missing by her father on 25th July. As per reports, she worked at a private company as a data entry operator. On the 25th morning, Yashashri Shinde left home saying she was going to a friend’s house but never returned.

On the night of 26th July, police got a call that a woman was lying in a pool of blood on the road and stray dogs were nibbling on it. Police rushed to the spot to recover the dead body. Yashashri sustained three stab injuries on her waist and back, reports suggested. TV9 report suggested that there were several injuries on her private parts. Her bones were broken and stab wounds were found on her stomach and back. Several injury marks were found on her chest as well. The face was smashed using a rock so that she could not be identified.

Speaking to the media, senior inspector Rajendra Kote said, “While the victim girl’s parents have named a suspect, Dawood Shaikh, prima facie, we have registered a case of murder against an unidentified accused. The victim girl’s parents have alleged that Shaikh murdered their daughter as she had registered an FIR of molestation and Pocso against Shaikh in the year 2019, after which he was arrested by Uran police and sent to jail.”

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone II) Vivek Pansare said, “The body had stab injuries and the face was disfigured as a result of dog attacks. Social media has been taking rounds with misinformation on various things about the case which is not the fact. We have prima facie information about the accused, and our team is working on it.”

After recovering the body, the police called the family to identify the remains. As per India TV report, the face of the victim was smashed and the family identified her based on the clothes and body. The dead body was shifted to the morgue. A case under Section 103 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has been registered for murder. The police said in case of rape is proven in the post-mortem, further Sections will be added to the FIR.

Notably, in 2019, the victim’s father had registered an FIR against Dawood Sheikh for molesting her daughter. As she was a minor, a case under Sections 354 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Sections 8 and 12 of POCSO were registered. Dawood was arrested and sent to jail. After coming out of jail, he went to Karnataka. The family has alleged that Dawood was in contact with Yashshri.

Reportedly, that his location was seen as Uran and police suspected that he came from Karnataka, called Yashashri Shinde to meet and brutally murdered her. Police teams have been sent to Karnataka to arrest him. While the 2019 FIR suggested Dawood molested Yashashri, media reports hint that it could be a case of “love affair gone wrong”. Call records suggested that she was talking to the accused for several hours. The police said, “The girl was in touch with a boy named Dawood Shaikh from 2019. After the girl’s family had come to know about the boy in 2019, he left Uran and went to his hometown in Karnataka. Since then the duo had been in touch over the phone. A few days back, he had come here. We are investigating what intentions he had when he came here.” Free Press Journal report noted that the police said the victim had a tattoo of the accused name beneath the chest.

No, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman didn’t say women can wear anything, here’s the truth about viral statement

OpIndia Staff
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No, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman didn’t say women can wear anything, here’s the truth about viral statement

Social media has been abuzz following a viral statement of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud popularly known as MBS in which he reportedly claimed, “Only women can decide what they want to wear.” Netizens posted the remark along with pictures of the crown prince and the country’s first Miss Universe contestant Rumy Alqahtani. They wrote that MBS declared, “From now on, women in Saudi Arabia can dress however they want without male permission.”

However, people utilised “Community Notes” on the post of a user named “Dr Maalouf” who had uploaded the same quote to dispute the claim. As per the note, MBS has not made any such comment. The crown prince only said that Islamic laws do not mandate a black abaya or black hijab, but didn’t say women can wear anything they want.

The note said, “The quote starts with “The laws are very clear and stipulated in the laws of Sharia: that women wear decent, respectful clothing, like men. This, however, does not particularly specify a black abaya or a black head cover.”

“Community Notes” were again invoked on the post of another social media user who made the same claim. “While the crown prince did say this in 2018, he refers to women being able to choose from a larger selection of Islamic-approved clothing. No mention of secular clothing or ‘modern clothes’ like the post suggests,” it clarified.

Notably, the comment that is being disseminated in 2024 is derived from his 2018 interview with the American network CBS News. Furthermore, his statement is being misconstrued since, while he talked about women’s personal clothing choices, he did not mention wearing anything without male permission.

In reality, he stated, “The laws are very clear and stipulated in the laws of Sharia: that women wear decent, respectful clothing, like men. This, however, does not particularly specify a black abaya or a black head cover. The decision is entirely left to women to decide what type of decent and respectful attire they choose to wear,” during the interview which was published on 19th March 2018.

Source: CBS News

The statement was in response to a question posed by interviewer Norah O’Donnell, who asked, “You have stated that you are ‘taking Saudi Arabia back to what we were, a moderate Islam.’ What is meant by that?” MBS further conveyed, “We have extremists who forbid mixing between the two sexes and are unable to differentiate between a man and a woman alone together and their being together in a workplace. Many of those ideas contradict the way of life during the time of the prophet and the Caliphs. This is the real example and the true model.” The interview was titled, “Saudi Arabia’s heir to the throne talks to 60 Minutes.”

Notably, Saudi Arabia officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is home to the two holiest cities in Islam, Mecca and Medina. Strict social and religious control has long been a part of the history of Saudi Arabia which is the largest nation on the Arabian Peninsula. Saudi Arabia has recently allowed women to drive cars, is holding mixed-gender events, opening cinemas and conducting Electronic Dance Music (EDM) shows after MBS ascended the throne. These might seem like common things in other parts of the world but Saudi Arabia has historically been a very conservative Islamic country, heavily influenced by powerful religious scholars and ruled by stringent Sharia Law. However, it is now gradually witnessing a new dawn of openness and modernity under MBS.

No more ‘legalised’ child marriage for Indian Muslims? Kerala HC sets new precedent

OpIndia Staff
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No more ‘legalised’ child marriage for Indian Muslims? Kerala HC sets new precedent

On Saturday (27th July), the Kerala High Court ruled that the law against child marriage would apply to all Indians irrespective of their religion, thereby setting a new precedent.

For the unversed, the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act of 2006 applies to all Indian citizens, except the Muslim community who are governed by the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act of 1937.

The regressive law considers girls who have attained the age of ‘puberty’ as adults, even though they are not 18. Muslim Marriages with minors have received legal sanction in Indian courts over the years, with personal laws reigning supreme over the law against child marriage

On Saturday, a single-judge Bench of Justice PV Kunhikrishnan pointed out that citizenship was primary and religion was secondary. He ruled that the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act of 2006 would apply to all, including Muslims.

The order came in the context of a 2012 case where a Muslim man had married a child and cited the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act of 1937 to rationalise such a union.

The Kerala High Court stated that Section 1(2) of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act applied to all Indian citizens, living in India as well as abroad.

“The prohibition of child marriage is important in modern society. Child marriage denies children their basic human rights, including the right to education, health and protection from exploitation…Let the children study. Let them travel, enjoy life and when they attain maturity, let them decide about marriage. In modern society, there cannot be any compulsion for marriage,” the court stated.

Earlier in November 2022, the Kerala High Court ruled that a marriage between Muslims under personal law cannot be excluded from the Protection Of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Justice Bechu Kurain Thomas said if one of the partners in the marriage is a minor, offences under the POCSO Act would apply. The validity of the marriage would not be considered in such cases.

IAS aspirants death in Delhi: Police detains owner, coordinator of coaching centre after basement flooding kills three students

ANI
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IAS aspirants death in Delhi: Police detains owner, coordinator of coaching centre after basement flooding kills three students

Delhi Police on Sunday detained the owner and coordinator of the IAS coaching centre, where three students lost their lives after the basement of the institute was filled with water, a senior police officer said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Central, M Harshavardhan also said that the police have registered a case against the coaching institute, the management of the building, and those responsible for the maintenance of the drain at that location.

“Case registered under sections 105, 106 (1), 115 (2), 290 and 35 of BNS. This case is against the coaching institute and the management of the building and those who were responsible for the maintenance of the drain of that place…so far we have detained the owner and coordinator of that coaching centre…further investigation underway” DCP Harshavardhan told ANI.

The police identified the victims of Delhi’s Old Rajender Nagar coaching centre incident as Shreya Yadav, a native of Ambedkar Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh, Tanya Soni from Telangana; and Nivin Dalwin, a resident of Kerala’s Ernakulam.

“Rescue operations were launched, along with Delhi Police and Delhi Fire Service, NDRF was also involved. By the end of the search and rescue op…3 bodies were recovered from the basement. All 3 of them have been identified and the family members have been informed.”
Police have sent their bodies to the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital (RML) for an autopsy.

Earlier in the day, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Sachin Sharma assured protesting students that the police would conduct a thorough investigation and take necessary action.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Sachin Sharma while addressing protesting students, said, “Three people have died. Why will we hide anything? We assure you that we will do whatever is legally possible. The investigation is on.”

The students were demonstrating against the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the management of the IAS coaching institute, demanding action over the deaths of three students.

Meanwhile, former Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) Chief Swati Maliwal has alleged corruption in the operation of illegal basements in the city.

“Who will take responsibility for the deaths of three students due to drowning in the basement? Students reveal that they had been demanding drain cleaning repeatedly for ten days, but no action was taken. How can illegal basements operate without corruption? How can extra floors be added? How can encroachments on roads and drains occur without bribes? It is clear that there is no need to follow safety rules, just pay money, and the work gets done,” Maliwal said in a post on X.

“Just sit in AC rooms every day and conduct ‘Important Press Conferences’. They are not ready to work on the ground. Haven’t they learned anything from the deaths due to electric shocks in Patel Nagar a few days ago?” she added in the post.

Notably, the Old Rajender Nagar incident comes days after a UPSC aspirant was electrocuted on a waterlogged Delhi street.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Electricity crisis, mismanaged economy: Pakistani businesses pessimistic about future under Shehbaz Sharif government

ANI
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Electricity crisis, mismanaged economy: Pakistani businesses pessimistic about future under Shehbaz Sharif government

There have been protests across Pakistan including in the capital city with cadre of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf and others demonstrating against the continued incarceration of Imran Khan and against inflated electricity bills. With both issues unlikely to see early resolution, these protests are likely to get intense.

Amid this, the Shehbaz Sharif government received another jolt when a Gallup Business confidence Index report showed that businesses have accused the government of mismanagement of the economy.

Business owners have become more pessimistic about their future because of continued political turmoil and the new tax-heavy budget, said the Gallup report as quoted by Express Tribune.

The Gallup business confidence index has surveyed 454 businesses ranging from small to large. The score for the current business situation, future business situation and direction of the country declined by four to 10 per cent, the survey reports.

The survey also stated that many businesses thought the government’s new financial plan for FY25 was not business-friendly. 85 per cent, do not consider the government’s new financial plan as a “good budget.”

Inflation in Pakistan was the most cited problem. Almost 37 per cent would like the government to address Inflation, which soared to 12.6. Another persistent problem for Pakistanis is the continuous disruption of power supply and load shedding.

The survey says that six out of 10 businesses surveyed said they were faced with crippling load-shedding. This quarter 16 per cent more businesses said power outages had increased due to heavy load on power infrastructure in the country in summer.

Operators of retails stores have asked the government to put a check on the rising power tariffs for commercial establishment which has soared to PKR 77.15/unit, the Express Tribune reported.

Meanwhile, concerns are rising in Pakistan’s financial sector amid negotiations with Chinese authorities over rescheduling energy sector loans. On July 26, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb had met wit the China central bank governor.

Businesses and banks are anxious about the outcome of the talks. There is a fear for future investment if the talks do not get the desired outcome.

“We believe China will not outright reject Pakistan’s request to reschedule energy sector loans, but the final outcome appears bleak,” said a senior banker was quoted as saying by Dawn News.

Meanwhile, the Gallup survey says businesses appeared more pessimistic about the future as 57 per cent expressed negative expectations. The net future business confidence score has worsened by 36 per cent since the last quarter and is now at negative 14 per cent.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Delhi: Three IAS aspirants dead after UPSC coaching institute in Rajendra Nagar floods following rains, Police files criminal case against the owner

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi: Three IAS aspirants dead after UPSC coaching institute in Rajendra Nagar floods following rains, Police files criminal case against the owner

On 27th July, three students, two girls and a boy, lost their lives after they got trapped in the basement of coaching institute named Rau’s IAS Study Circle in the Old Rajendra Nagar area that got flooded following heavy rains. NDRF teams and Delhi Fire Service rushed to the spot and launched a rescue operation after learning about the incident. Several students were rescued from the flooded institute. Police have filed a criminal case against the owner of the institute. In a statement, Delhi police said that the students who lost their lives were residents of Kerala, Telangana, and UP.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Central, M Harshvardhan said in a statement that around 7 PM, the police got information that the basement of a UPSC coaching institute in Rajendra Nagar got flooded and several students could be trapped. There was waterlogging on the road due to heavy rainfall. Delhi Fire Service and NDRF rescue teams reached and launched a search and rescue operation.

Following the incident, students started protesting outside the institute. Speaking to ANI, DCP Hashavardhan added,”The bodies have been sent to the hospital for further legal action. Rescue operations are still underway. The water is being pumped out. There is still about seven feet of water in the basement. I request the student community to not come here and hamper the rescue services. We share their pain but coming here to the spot is not the solution. It will hamper the rescue services.”

A criminal case in the matter has been filed. DCP Harshvardhan said, “We have registered a criminal case. Our forensic teams are here. The process of collecting forensic evidence is underway. We are committed to the fact that we should have a proper investigation. We are committed to registering a strong case and finding out the truth. Two people have been detained so far.”

Fire officer Atul Garg told ANI, “A total of five fire vehicles reached the sport after we received the information at around 7.15 pm. We pumped the water out and recovered the dead bodies of two girls. Around three children were feared to be trapped. Two have been recovered. We will recover the third one also as soon as the water resides. Our operation will conclude in some time. There were 30 students in the basement, three were trapped while others escaped.”

In a statement on X, AAP minister Atishi wrote, “There is news of water filling in the basement of a coaching institute in Rajendra Nagar Delhi Fire Department and NDRF are on the spot. Delhi Mayor and local MLA are also there. I am taking updates on the incident every minute. A magistrate has been ordered to investigate how this incident happened. Whoever is responsible for this incident will not be spared.”

AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal demanded accountability to be fixed for the death of 3 students. She wrote, “This incident is very unfortunate and sad. Can’t even imagine what this child’s family must be going through. Just a few days ago, a student died due to an electric shock in Patel Nagar. Accountability should be fixed for this incident. Those guilty of negligence should be punished.”

Bharatiya Janata Party MP Bansuri Swaraj slammed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government and said the Delhi government neglected the requests of the local people. She said, “These children came here to create their future. However the government of CM Arvind Kejriwal and MLA Durgesh Pathak did not listen to any requests of the local people. People had been asking Durgesh Pathak for the last week to get the drainage systems cleaned. There are still 2.5 feet of waterlogged on the street. Arvind Kejriwal and Durgesh Pathak are responsible for the deaths.”

Reacting to the incident, Delhi BJP Chief Virendra Sachdeva said, “There should be an inquiry into the corruption of Arvind Kejriwal, Atishi and their government. Delhi Municipal Corporation’s corruption should be inquired. There should be an inquiry as to why the drainage was not cleaned. Will they order an inquiry into this?”

Speaking to PTI, Sachdeva said, “This is a murder and is an example of Arvind Kejriwal’s corruption. Locals here had urged AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak multiple times to get the drain here cleaned. We still don’t know about the casualties yet. This is very saddening.”

Students continued their protest outside the coaching centre in Rajendra Nagar on Sunday as well. They chanted slogans against Delhi Government and MCD.

A student named Aman Shukla spoke to ANI and said, “We demand that firstly, all these libraries in basements which are there illegally, need to be shut down. MCD should see where is the issue, this is not the first time the water has been logged here. Last time when it rained, cars were floating (in water). In one year, they haven’t done anything… no senior official has visited this place till now…”

Additional DCP Sachin Sharma assured students that the investigation in the matter was on. He further assured that police was not hiding any facts. He said, “Three people have died. Why will we hide anything? We assure you that we will do whatever is legally possible. The investigation is on…”

Further investigation in the matter is underway.

Hezbollah kills 12 children in rocket strike, Islamists peddle conspiracy theory to shield terror outfit and blame Israel

OpIndia Staff
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Hezbollah kills 12 children in rocket strike, Islamists peddle conspiracy theory to shield terror outfit and blame Israel

On Saturday (27th July), around 12 people including children were killed in a rocket strike by Hezbollah in the town of Majdal Shams in Golan Heights.

As per reports, the deadly attack was carried out by the Islamic terror outfit from Lebanon. The rocket fired by Hezbollah landed on a soccer field, leaving children and young teens dead.

Most of the victims were aged 10-20. The victims did not have time to escape the bloody carnage. Several dozen others were injured in the attack. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has promised a swift response against the Islamic terror outfit.

According to Baruch Padeh Medical Center, 4 people were brought to the facility in a serious condition. Ziv Medical Center in Safed informed that 32 victims were admitted to the hospital.

While speaking about the matter, a medic named Idan Avshalom stated, “We witnessed great destruction when we arrived at the soccer field, as well as items that were on fire. There were casualties on the grass and the scene was gruesome.”

In video footage that has come to light, parents of the attacked children could be seen searching for the victims on the soccer field.

Although Hezbollah initially took responsibility for killing 12 victims, it later retracted its statement and claimed that it had ‘nothing’ to do with the incident.

The Israeli Defense Forces pointed out that the attack was indeed carried out by the Islamic terror group from Chebaa village in Lebanon as determined by its assessment and intelligence.

Col. Avichay Adraee informed, “Despite its attempts to deny: Hezbollah is responsible for the massacre in Majdal Shams and the killing of children and boys on the soccer field.”

In the meantime, Islamists on social media began peddling conspiracy theories to falsely implicate Israel and give a clean chit to Hezbollah.

“BREAKING: THE ‘ATTACK’ ON ISRAEL WAS AN IRON DOME INTERCEPTOR MISSILE FAILURE. Some within Israeli media are claiming that it was an iron dome interceptor and not even from south Lebanon. The interceptor was fired to stop Hezbollah’s rockets at northern occupied Golan it failed and landed in the soccer field,” tweeted Sulaiman Ahmed.

One ‘independent journalist’ Richard Medhurst also attempted to whitewash the Islamic terror outfit. He claimed, “No proof Hezbollah did this. Your iron dome has misfired in Majdal Shams before.”

Another Islamist supporting ‘political commentator’ Jackson Hinkle alleged, “BREAKING: Hezbollah DENIES INVOLVEMENT in the attack on the city of Majdal Shams. New reports show that an Israeli Iron Dome missile fell on the sports field. Stop the ZIONIST LIES @Israel!”

This is despite the fact that video footage of the rocket strike of Hezbollah has surfaced on social media.

‘She spoke her full time, was looking for an excuse to leave’: Nirmala Sitharaman calls Mamata Banerjee’s ‘mic was switched off’ claim ‘false narrative’

OpIndia Staff
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‘She spoke her full time, was looking for an excuse to leave’: Nirmala Sitharaman calls Mamata Banerjee’s ‘mic was switched off’ claim ‘false narrative’

In a strong rebuttal to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s claim that her microphone was turned off and she was only given five minutes to speak at a significant Niti Aayog meeting, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has accused Banerjee of “trying to build a narrative out of falsehood.” The finance minister stated that all chief ministers were given “due time” to speak and that Banerjee, the Trinamool Congress chief, could have requested more time instead of “looking for an excuse” to leave the meeting.

Ms Banerjee, who was the only chief minister from the INDIA bloc not to boycott the Niti Aayog general council meeting on Saturday, had alleged “political discrimination.” She claimed she was only allowed to speak for five minutes, whereas some of her counterparts from other states were given over 15 minutes. She also mentioned that her microphone was turned off and a bell was rung repeatedly to indicate that her allotted time was up.

“Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee attended the Niti Aayog meeting. We all heard her. Every chief minister was given their allotted time, which was displayed on the screen in front of each table. She has now told the media that her microphone was turned off, which is completely false. Every chief minister was given their due time to speak,” Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said.

Ms Sitharaman explained that the meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and organised by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, followed a procedure where Mr Singh would tap the microphone when a chief minister’s time was up.

“This was done for all chief ministers, and, unfortunately, Ms Banerjee claimed her microphone was switched off, which is not true. It is especially unfortunate because we were glad she participated in the meeting, spoke for West Bengal, and, as she mentioned, spoke for the opposition,” the finance minister said.

“As per the procedure, if reminded that her time was over, even with the microphone on, she could have requested to continue speaking, as some other chief ministers did. She could have spoken as long as she wanted, but she chose to use it as an excuse to leave the meeting. Claiming that the microphone was switched off is unfortunate. I wish she would tell the truth rather than create a narrative based on falsehood,” she added.

Nirmala Sitharaman tears into Congress leader Jairam Ramesh for promoting Mamata Banerjee’s falsehoods

The alleged discrimination against Ms Banerjee was also supported by some of her colleagues in the INDIA alliance, including Jairam Ramesh of the Congress, who criticized Niti Aayog meetings as meaningless.

On X, Mr Ramesh stated, “Niti Aayog suppresses all different and dissenting viewpoints, which are crucial to an open democracy. Its meetings are nothing but a farce. The treatment of the West Bengal chief minister today, typical of Niti Aayog, is unacceptable.”

In response, Ms Sitharaman countered Mr Ramesh’s comments, pointing out that the Congress wasn’t even present at the meeting and suggesting that Ms Banerjee’s statement was aimed at pleasing her INDIA allies.

“Jairam, you weren’t even there! We all heard Hon. CM @MamataOfficial. She spoke for her full allotted time. The screen in front of our tables showed the time continuously. Some other CMs spoke beyond their allotted time, and extra time was granted upon request without any issues. No one’s microphone was turned off, especially not for the CM of West Bengal. Mamata ji is spreading falsehoods,” the finance minister wrote on X.

Ms Sitharaman added, “I was happy she attended and even happier when she said she was speaking for Bengal and the entire opposition. I may agree or disagree with her points, but her baseless statements outside make it clear that she is trying to keep the INDIA alliance content.”

Her request to speak ahead of turn was accepted, she spoke in allotted time and left to catch flight: Niti Aayog CEO refutes Mamata Banerjee’s ‘mic muted’ claim

ANI
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Her request to speak ahead of turn was accepted, she spoke in allotted time and left to catch flight: Niti Aayog CEO refutes Mamata Banerjee’s ‘mic muted’ claim

Chief Executive Officer of NITI Aayog, B.V.R. Subrahmanyam, dismissed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s claim that her microphone was muted while speaking at the NITI Aayog meeting. He clarified that each Chief Minister was given a designated speaking time, which was displayed on screens at their tables, and that the time allotted to the West Bengal CM had ended.

Addressing a press conference after the NITI Aayog meeting, Subrahmanyam said that the West Bengal CM requested to speak early before lunch, and “it was accepted.”

“The Chief Minister of West Bengal requested to be given a turn before lunchtime. I’m just putting facts on the ground, no interpretations. It was a clear request from their side because normally we would have gone alphabetically, starting with Andhra Pradesh, then Arunachal Pradesh. We adjusted, and the Defence Minister called her in just before Gujarat. So, she made her statement,” he said.

“Every Chief Minister is allotted seven minutes, and there’s a clock on top of the screen that shows the remaining time. It goes from seven to six to five to four to three. At the end, it shows zero. Nothing else happened. Then she said she would have liked to speak for more time but chose not to. That was it. We all heard her points respectfully, and they will be reflected in the minutes. The Chief Secretary continued to attend the meeting even after she left to catch a flight to Calcutta,” Subrahmanyam added.

The CEO further mentioned that the Chief Ministers of ten states and Union Territories did not attend the meeting.

“We had 10 absentees and 26 participants. Absentees included Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana, Bihar, Delhi, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Puducherry. The Chief Minister of West Bengal was present,” he said.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also rejected Mamata Banerjee’s claim that her microphone was switched off during the NITI Aayog meeting, stating that every Chief Minister was “allotted due time to speak.”

“CM Mamata Banerjee attended the NITI Aayog meeting. We all heard her. Every CM was given their allotted time, displayed on the screen before each table. It’s completely false that her mic was turned off. Every CM was given their due time to speak,” the Finance Minister told ANI.

Sitharaman described Banerjee’s claims as “unfortunate,” adding that the government was happy that the West Bengal Chief Minister attended the meeting, where she spoke on behalf of the opposition, i.e., INDIA bloc.

“It’s unfortunate that the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, has claimed that her mic was switched off, which is not true. We’re happy she participated in this meeting, presented her case for West Bengal, and spoke for the opposition. But even as she did so, we adhered to the procedure,” Sitharaman said.

She further remarked that Banerjee should have requested more time if needed, instead of using it as an excuse to walk out of the meeting.

“If reminded that her time is over, she could have requested to continue speaking like other Chief Ministers did. Instead, she used it as an excuse to leave the meeting,” Sitharaman said. “She should speak the truth rather than build a narrative based on falsehood,” she added.

Earlier, the central government’s fact-checking body refuted as “misleading” the claim made by the West Bengal CM about her microphone being switched off.

A PIB fact-check today debunked her allegations, stating that “only the clock showed that her speaking time was over.”

“It is claimed that the microphone of CM West Bengal was switched off during the 9th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog. This claim is misleading. The clock only showed that her speaking time was over. Even the bell was not rung to mark it,” the Press Information Bureau (PIB) said in a post on X.

According to the government fact-checking body, Mamata Banerjee’s turn to speak would have been after lunch if scheduled alphabetically, but she was “accommodated” as the seventh speaker on an official request from the Chief Minister.

“Alphabetically, CM West Bengal’s turn would have come after lunch. She was accommodated as the 7th speaker on an official request from the West Bengal government as she had to return early,” PIB Fact Check explained in a subsequent tweet.

Speaking to reporters, the West Bengal Chief Minister alleged “political discrimination,” stating that at the NITI Aayog meeting, she was not allowed to speak for more than five minutes, while other Chief Ministers were given more time.

“I said the central government should not discriminate against state governments. I wanted to speak, but my mic was muted. I was allowed to speak only for five minutes. People before me spoke for 10-20 minutes,” Banerjee told reporters after she stormed out of the NITI Aayog meeting today.

“I was the only one from the opposition participating, but still, I was not allowed to speak. This is insulting,” Banerjee said as she walked out of the meeting midway.

“I have come out boycotting the NITI Aayog meeting. Chandrababu Naidu was given 20 minutes to speak, Chief Ministers of Assam, Goa, and Chhattisgarh spoke for 10-12 minutes. I was stopped after just five minutes. This is unfair,” the Chief Minister said, speaking to reporters after leaving the meeting.

Claiming she participated in the meeting to strengthen “cooperative federalism,” Banerjee said, “There are many regional aspirations. That is why I am here, to share those aspirations. If a state is strong, the Union will be strong.”

The Chief Minister stated that several states, including West Bengal, were deprived in the Union Budget presented in Parliament this week.

 (This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

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