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Delhi Police register FIR against The Wire on complaint of Amit Malviya against it, its Founding Editors and Deputy Editor for fake Meta story

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi Police register FIR against The Wire on complaint of Amit Malviya against it, its Founding Editors and Deputy Editor for fake Meta story

On October 29, 2022, Delhi police registered an FIR against leftist portal The Wire on a complaint filed by BJP leader Amit Malviya for the fake Meta story that has been retracted. Earlier today, Bharatiya Janata Party’s IT cell chief Amit Malviya filed a criminal complaint against The Wire and its editorial team for their now-withdrawn Meta reports against him. The complaint was filed with The Special Commissioner of Police – Crime, of the Delhi Police. Amit Malviya has said The Wire falsified papers in an effort to slander and damage his reputation.

Apart from the left-wing portal The Wire, Amit Malviya has named its founder editors Siddharth Varadarajan, Sidharth Bhatia and MK Venu, and Deputy Editor Jahnavi Sen, as accused in the complaint. Apart from this, the complaint has also been filed against unknown persons. Jahnavi Sen had written the report on 10th October claiming that Amit Malviya has been given Xcheck privilege to remove content from Instagram.

Interestingly, Amit Malviya has not named Devesh Kumar in the complaint, who was The Wire’s tech expert in both the Meta and Tek Fog stories, and who has been blamed by The Wire for the fake reports accusing him of misleading him.

In his complaint addressed to the special commissioner of police (crime) Delhi, Amit Malviya said, “I am filing the present complaint against The Wire – an online news portal, Mr. Siddharth Varadarajan Founding Editor of The Wire, Mr. Sidharth Bhatia Founding Editor of The Wire, Mr. MK Venu Founding Editor of The Wire, Ms. Jahnavi Sen -the Deputy Editor and Executive News Producer at The Wire, Foundation for Independent Journalism the company that owns and publishes The Wire and other unknown persons. I am filing the present complaint for the offences of cheating, forgery for the purpose of cheating, forgery for the purpose of harming the reputation, using as genuine a forged document or electronic record, and defamation amongst other provisions of IPC.”

Amit Malviya filed a criminal complaint against The Wire. Image Source: Twitter handle of Jan Ki Baat

Amit Malviya added, “I say that this is not the first time that the Accused has published fake news. Recently, the Accused published a story on Tek Fog about a ‘superhuman app’ used by the BJP for SM interception. The said story was used by various national and international media to downgrade India and the thriving democracy of our country. However, subsequently, the Tek Fog story was taken down but The Wire as it was found to be false and fabricated, just as in the present case.”

Citing various evidence that emerged in the case that proved that The Wire had fabricated several emails and other documents to establish its allegation against Malviya, he said in the complaint, “it is evident that the Accused along with other unknown persons, maliciously fabricated internal emails of Meta so as to vindictively prove their point in order to cause reputational damage to the BJP and myself.”

He noted that after the Meta story was found to be fake, Wire issued an apology to its readers, but is yet to apologise to him. “Shockingly, until date the accused persons have refrained from issuing an apology addressed to me. This is even despite the fact that their reports and fabricated material have maligned and tarnished my reputation,” he wrote.

“It is apparent that Accused along with other unknown persons entered into a conspiracy with the criminal intention to malign and tarnish my reputation and correspondingly belittle and tarnish the reputation of the BJP. As a part of the conspiracy, the Accused also fabricated and forged internal emails of a private limited company with a dishonest and fraudulent intention to hoodwink their readers and the public at large,” Malviya has written in the complaint.

He also said that The Wire is cheating its readers and subscribers, and raising donations from the public even after its reports were proven to be fake. He further mentioned that the Meta story was not the first fake story by The Wire, as they also published a story on ‘Tek Fog’ about a ‘superhuman app’ used by the BJP for SM interception. “The said story was used by various national and international media to downgrade India and the thriving democracy of our country. However, subsequently, the ‘Tek Fog’ story was taken down but The Wire as it was found to be false and fabricated, just as in the present case.” he said.

Amit Malviya also mentioned the Tek Fog reports by The Wire. Image Source: Twitter handle of Jan Ki Baat

He concluded with a demand that said, “In light of the above I urge you to register an FIR against the Accused, i.e., The Wire, Mr. Siddharth Varadarajan, Mr. Sidharth Bhatia, Mr. MK Venu – the Editor of The Wire, Ms. Jahnavi Sen the Deputy Editor and Executive News Producer and Foundation for Independent Journalism and other unknown persons for the offenses punishable u/s 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 468 (Forgery for purpose of cheating), 469 (Forgery for purpose of harming reputation), 471 (Using as genuine a forged document or electronic record.), 500 (Punishment for Defamation) r/w 120B and 34 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860.”

On October 28, that is, a day after BJP’s IT cell head Amit Malviya said that he will initiate criminal and civil proceedings against The Wire for their fake XCheck Meta story targeting him and BJP, Malviya had said that he will now lodge an FIR against the leftist propaganda portal. In a statement issued on Twitter on October 28, Malviya said that he will lodge the FIR against Wire and its management and reporters at the concerned police station.

Amit Malviya said that he will file the FIR under sections that deal with forgery, forgery for the purposes of cheating, forgery to harm reputation, defamation, cheating, and criminal conspiracy, among others. Apart from this, he will also initiate civil proceedings for damage caused to him by The Wire and its associates. Accordingly, he has now filed a criminal complaint.

Opening up about the issue for the first time after Wire published the stories alleging that he was given a special privilege by Meta to take down content on Instagram and post content without any moderation, Malviya said that it is clear that The Wire and some unknown persons entered into a criminal conspiracy with the intent to malign and tarnish his reputation.

He said that The Wire deliberately inserted his name into the story about Instagram taking down an image minutes after it was uploaded due to an algorithm falsely flagging the image for nudity, and then fabricated evidence to implicate him. It is notable that the account where the image was private, had very few followers, and was not followed by Malviya. The operators of the account themselves had blamed faulty AI on Instagram for taking down the image, and the initial Wire report had reported exactly that.

But in a follow-up report, The Wire claimed that it was taken down by Amit Malviya, claiming that he has been given ‘XCheck’ special privileges by Instagram owner Meta to take down content and post any content he wants. After Meta had denied the claims made in the story, Wire produced the screenshot of a purported email from Meta official Andy Stone to his team that seemed to show that the allegations were true.

But Andy Stone denied writing that email and said it was fake. Even before Stone had issued the denial, social media users had pointed out evidence in the screenshot that proved that it was fake, including language not typically used by Americans. After that, Wire produced more screenshots from two independent experts, including a Microsoft official, which claimed that they have verified the email Stone to be true.

But the entire story fell apart after both experts denied that they had verified the email, and said that screenshots of their emails published by Wire were fake. After this, The Wire was forced to retract the stories and announced a review of the episode. The portal also took down its earlier stories on Tek Fog, where they had made similar claims of BJP having an app with superpowers to manipulate social media platforms.

Wire has also issued an apology to its readers, but is yet to apologize to Meta, Amit Malviya, and others who were dragged into their fake story.

Kerala Gold smuggling case: Kapil Sibal gets Rs 15.5 lakh for every appearance on behalf of the Kerala govt at SC

OpIndia Staff
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Kerala Gold smuggling case: Kapil Sibal gets Rs 15.5 lakh for every appearance on behalf of the Kerala govt at SC

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who is representing the Kerala Government in the gold smuggling case, is getting paid Rs 15.5 lakh every time he appears for the government in the case. The Enforcement Directorate filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court earlier this week, requesting that the trial in the gold smuggling case be moved from Thiruvananthapuram to Bengaluru.

According to the reports, Sibal represented the state government at the Supreme Court on October 10 after the petition filed by the ED was considered. After that, state Law Secretary V Hari then issued an order to transfer Rs 15.5 lakh to Sibal. Furthermore, the order instructed the advocate general to take legal action to grant the fees. Meanwhile, the court will hear ED’s plea again on November 3.

The Assistant Director of the ED Kochi Zone petitioned the Supreme Court to have the gold smuggling case transferred to a court outside of Kerala. The ED stated that if the case is tried in Kerala, sabotage might very well occur by influencing the witnesses. The defendants in the case are Swapna Suresh, Sandeep Nair, Sivasankar, and Sarith. Meanwhile, M Sivasankar had petitioned the Supreme Court in opposition to the ED’s request to transfer the case outside of Kerala. Sivashankar had also asked the court to hear him out before making a decision.

The Kerala Gold Smuggling Case

On July 5, 2020, customs authorities at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport seized gold weighing more than 30 kg and worth around Rs 15 crore. This gold was hidden in diplomatic luggage and air freighted to the UAE embassy. Customs officers took action after receiving evidence that the luggage was part of a smuggling network attempting to misappropriate the name of a diplomat with diplomatic immunity.

Swapna Suresh is the lead defendant in this case. A private company hired Swapna Suresh, a former employee of the UAE consulate, to work on a project for the Kerala Information Technology Department, which is overseen by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. M Sivasankar, the CM’s principal secretary, was in charge of this department previously.

Notably, Swapna Suresh had already raised severe charges against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and three cabinet members in connection with the gold smuggling issue. Suresh additionally stated to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in October 2020 that Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan met with the Consul General of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) many times in 2017.

Interestingly, Sibal was paid Rs 22 lakh per hearing by the Jharkhand government earlier to appear on behalf of the state in a PIL alleging that the Chief Minister, his close associates, and others had parked their unaccounted money in various shell companies. The petitioner also had demanded a CBI inquiry into the matter which the state government had been opposing, hence, it engaged Kapil Sibal to argue on behalf of the state.

Suicide bomber had planned to blow up a temple in Coimbatore, accused Firoz Ismail confesses to meeting Easter blasts terrorists: Reports

OpIndia Staff
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Suicide bomber had planned to blow up a temple in Coimbatore, accused Firoz Ismail confesses to meeting Easter blasts terrorists: Reports

As the investigation into the Coimbatore Car Blast in Tamil Nadu progresses, shocking facts are coming out. According to reports, the suicide bomber was trying to blow up the temple. Firoz Ismail, one of the six people arrested in this case, has also admitted to meeting the terrorists involved in the Easter serial blasts in Sri Lanka during interrogation. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has also registered its first FIR in the case.

The blast took place at around 4 am on October 23, 2022, at the Kottai Eswaram temple in Coimbatore. 25-year-old Jamisha Mubeen was killed in this blast. The NIA has suspected Mubeen to be a suicide bomber. A large number of explosives were also recovered from his house. It is believed that he could not succeed in carrying out his mission due to being a novice in the use of explosives.

Officials investigating the case said that on October 22, 2022, a day before the attack, Mubin and his two accomplices Mohammad Azharuddin and Afsar Khan were seen in CCTV footage in the car carrying three steel drums filled with potassium nitrate, aluminium powder, sulphur, charcoal, and nails, etc. along with two LPG cylinders. Another footage also shows Mubin and his accomplices conducting a recce before the attack. The trio had also conducted a recce of Koniyamman temple at Big Bazaar Street and Puliakulam Mundhi Vinayagar temple.

The accused arrested in this case have told in the interrogation that Mubin thought that his suicide bombing mission would cause havoc within a radius of 50 to 100 meters in the area and some houses including the temple would also come under its purview. Firoz Ismail has also confessed during interrogation that he met IS terrorists Mohammad Azharuddin and Rashid Ali. Both were involved in the Easter serial blasts in Sri Lanka and are lodged in a jail in Kerala.

The next day after the blast, the police arrested five people. They were identified as Mohammad Thalka (age 25), Mohammad Asruddin (age 25), Mohammad Riaz (age 27), Firoz Ismail (age 27), and Mohammad Nawaz Ismail (age 27). Mubin’s relative Afsar Khan was arrested on October 27.

The NIA said in its FIR, “A search of the premises of deceased Jamiza Mubeen led to the seizure of 109 items, including potassium nitrate, black powder, nitroglycerin, PETN powder, aluminum powder, sulphur powder, sterile surgical, notebooks with details about jihad, etc.”

According to a report by India Today, the links of this are also being found in the serial blasts in Coimbatore in 1998. Mohammad Thalka is among those arrested after the car blast. He is the son of Nawab Khan, who is lodged in jail in the 1998 serial blasts. His uncle Syed Ahmed Basha is the head of Al-Umah, the terrorist organization responsible for the serial blasts.

‘All symbols of colonialism in the state will be renamed’, announces Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami

OpIndia Staff
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‘All symbols of colonialism in the state will be renamed’, announces Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami

In line with the recent push for decolonisation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday, October 29, announced that all colonial symbols in the state would be gradually rechristened.

“After Modi ji became the prime minister, across India, whatever symbols of colonialism were there, they are either being removed or being given a new image. Those symbols are being changed,” he told the news agency ANI in a video.

“Similarly, in Uttarakhand, we have said whatever such symbols are there, they would all be changed, and we have sought a report on this,” Dhami added. The CM said that the names of the roads and cities in Uttarakhand that are from the British era will be changed.

The Uttarakhand Chief Minister’s remarks came a day after it was reported that the Defence Ministry has requested renaming recommendations from the Lansdowne cantonment administration. It has also requested that the Lansdowne cantonment board supply information on any British-named sites in the area.

Lansdowne was created in the year 1887, when the first battalion of the Garhwal Rifles relocated from Almora. It was given its current name in 1890, 132 years ago, after the town was founded by the then-Viceroy of India, Lord Lansdowne.

Previously, it was known as Kalu Danda, which translates to “Black Mountain” in Garhwali, the local dialect. The former name is proposed as a replacement in a proposal sent in response to the ministry’s directives.

It may be recalled that during his Independence Day speech from the Red Fort this year, PM Modi had stressed upon decolonisation. In keeping with the goal of eliminating imperial remains, the central government has been modifying several British-era names. Only two months earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the ‘Kartavya Path’, the reconstructed and renamed New Delhi’s historic Rajpath. Prior to this, the Indian Naval ensign was changed to remove St George’s Cross from the ensign, and the Scottish hymn ‘Abide By Me’ was removed from the Beating Retreat ceremony during Republic Day celebrations.

Meerut mass conversion: VHP leader sheds light on methods used by Christian missionaries and Islamists to lure gullible Hindus

Jhankar Mohta
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Meerut mass conversion: VHP leader sheds light on methods used by Christian missionaries and Islamists to lure gullible Hindus

In a shocking incident, a mass conversion racket got busted this week after some Christian evangelists forcibly converted as many as 400 Dalit Hindus living in the Mangatapuram colony, a slum in the Bhrampuri police station area in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. To understand the methods deployed by proselytisers on the prowl for converting unsuspecting populations, OpIndia spoke with Raj Kamal Gupta, a VHP Meerut Zone General Secretary who has been fighting against the evangelists bent on targeting vulnerable Hindus.

In our conversation, the VHP functionary threw light on various inculturation methods Christian missionaries and Islamists have been using as bait to deceive gullibly and economically deprived Hindus across the country over time.

According to Gupta, while orchestrating such conversion rackets as the one in Meerut, Christian Missionaries follow a specific pattern.

Explaining the modus operandi, Gupta told us how Christian missionaries begin by identifying such small Hindu hamlets where the majority of the populace is underprivileged and ignorant. Christian activist or a pastor first visits a hamlet to casually engage in conversations with the villagers. They then begin to provide them assistance in the shape of food, clothing, medicines, and money. To gain their faith, the missionaries go out of their way to provide finances for Hindu children’s education and marriage. After gaining the trust of these victims, they persuade them that all gods are the same. They hand out books and literature, teach people about the ‘miracles’ of Jesus Christ, and encourage them to visit churches.

Once vulnerable Hindus fall into the trap, evangelists brainwash them into adopting Christianity. When the bulk of the hamlet’s population succumbs to their plan, the missionaries encroach on Hindu lands and begin erecting churches on them, which, unmistakably, is the real motive behind the conversion racket. The impoverished and ignorant Hindus, meanwhile, have little choice but to submit to the powerful missionaries.

At this point, Gupta referenced a similar incident that happened in Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad district to emphasize how the modus operandi employed by the Islamists across the country is similar to these Christian missionaries.

He described how Islamists had successfully targeted a similar village in the Moradabad district, where there was only one Muslim household and the rest of the community was Hindu. He asserted that Islamists took advantage of these uninformed and uneducated Hindus’ financial disadvantages and began luring them to convert to Islam.

Gupta went on to say that, similar to how Christian missionaries operate, Islamists first erected a mosque inside the house of the sole Muslim household in the village. The converted Hindus were then encouraged to visit the masjid. Gradually, several Mazars proliferated around the neighbourhood. The Moradabad police only became aware of the racket when these unlawful Mazars appeared, and the authorities eventually visited the village and removed these illegal constructions, said the VHP leader.

Mass conversion racket busted in Meerut: Christian evangelists lure 400 Hindus to convert, remove idols and threaten against performing puja

On Friday, October 28, Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut police filed an FIR against 9 accused under sections of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021. The FIR was filed based on a complaint lodged by many Dalit Hindus living in the Mangatapuram colony, a slum in the Bhrampuri police station area in Meerut. The complainants alleged that some Christian evangelists residing in the same village had compelled as many as 400 of them to convert to Christianity.

As per the FIR filed in the Brahmpuri police station in Meerut, the Christian evangelists took undue advantage of the lockdown imposed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and lured the poor and vulnerable Hindus with financial aid and food to entrap them. They then gradually started brainwashing them to convert to Christianity.

When the vulnerable Hindus started falling into the trap, the evangelists began pressuring them to visit churches and remove idols of gods and goddesses from their homes. They threatened them not to participate in any Hindu rituals. Additionally, they pressurised the Hindus to change their names on their Aadhar cards.

The report also stated how the police team which arrived in the village saw a temporary church that had unexpectedly sprung up in the neighbourhood. During their investigation of the church, the police discovered numerous records with the identities of all those who had been forcefully converted to Christianity. The manner in which funds are provided to these vulnerable victims was also mentioned in these records. The documents also stated that out of the total 550 people living in Mangatapuram Colony more than 400 people have been converted.

Odisha HC denies reports that Chief Justice S Muralidhar held a ‘closed-door meeting’ with CM’s private secretary, calls it fake news

OpIndia Staff
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Odisha HC denies reports that Chief Justice S Muralidhar held a ‘closed-door meeting’ with CM’s private secretary, calls it fake news

A dispute erupted after an Orissa High Court Advocate published a photo of Chief Justice S Muralidhar holding a “closed-door meeting” with  IAS V K Pandian, the Private Secretary to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik along with some other people. However, Odisha Hight has issued a statement refuting the claims made by the lawyer Srinivas Mohanty calling it fake news.

Srinivas Mohanty, a lawyer, posted a photo on Facebook alleging that Chief Justice S Muralidhar had a ‘closed door meeting’ with CM Naveen Patnaik’s private secretary, IAS VK Pandian, and a few other people, in violation of official protocol. Advocate Mohanty wrote in the caption of the now-deleted Facebook post, “Chief Justice of Orissa High Court being one of the participants of a closed-door meeting regardless of the decorum of the state’s judicial head.” 

Screengrab of the Advocate Srinivas Mohanty’s Facebook post.

In the wake of the said claim doing rounds on social media and otherwise, the High Court has issued an official press release saying that it is fake news.

“It is extremely unfortunate that an item of fake news has been made viral on social media at the instance of a lawyer practising in Orissa High Court by publishing a photograph and making a wholly scurrilous and false statement without knowing the real facts,” the High Court Registry read.

Press release issued by Odisha High Court (Image credit: Twitter @/LiveLaw)

According to the press release, the photograph was taken on March 12, 2022, at the Satya Sai Seba Organisation in Bhubaneswar, on the occasion of the inauguration of the Sathya Sai Heart Hospital’s three-day Free Mega Heart Camp. Supreme Court Justice MR Shah was invited as the function’s Chief Guest. On the other hand, Chief Justice S Muralidhar was invited as the Guest of Honour. IAS VK  Pandian was also invited to attend the event. Manoj Bhimani, the Managing Trustee of Sri Sathya Sai Heart Hospital, is seen seated at the head of the table in the photo. Besides VK Pandian, the other individuals are three doctors from the aforementioned heart hospital.

The statement said that the photograph was taken when the guests were waiting for the arrival of Justice MR Shah from Puri. Therefore, it was not a ‘closed door meeting’ or a ‘private meeting’ between the Chief Justice and the IAS officer. The statement added that it was not even a meeting, and the guests were just waiting for the start of a public function by a charitable organisation providing free treatment to thousands of poor children in Odisha suffering from heart ailments.

“It is extremely unfortunate that a sinister attempt has been made to deliberately malign not only the Chief Justice of the Orissa High Court but the institution of the judiciary as a whole. Further, certain section of the media has unfortunately carried the news item making negative comments without verifying the above facts,” the statement added. The Registry also added that these facts could have been easily verified from the organiser of the programme and also from the Registrar General of the High Court, before the publication of such a news item.

The Registry also published the official invitation card for the Satya Sai Seba Organisation’s March 12 event. 

Official invitation card for the Satya Sai Seba Organisation’s March 12 event. (Image credit: LiveLaw)

Justice Muralidhar has previously been involved in controversies. In February 2020, he was transferred to the Punjab and Haryana High Court, despite strong opposition from the Delhi Bar. The transfer was notified shortly after he directed the Delhi police to decide on if an FIR needs to be registered for alleged provocative speeches against BJP leaders Anurag Thakur, Kapil Mishra, Pravesh Verma, and one Abhay Verma in relation to the 2020 Delhi anti-Hindu riots.

Back then, the Congress party attacked the government over the issue, claiming that the government wanted to remove Justice Muralidhar from the Delhi riots case in order to protect BJP leaders accused in the case. OpIndia had reported on the false claims made by the Congress party and supported by the left-liberal ecosystem, but the truth was that the Union Government did not transfer Justice Muralidhar overnight. The Supreme Collegium recommended his transfer on February 12, and the law ministry simply issued the notification in accordance with the collegium’s decision.

Union govt refutes allegations of Kapil Sibal that amendments to IT Rules make social media unsafe, says no provision for prosecution added as claimed

OpIndia Staff
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Union govt refutes allegations of Kapil Sibal that amendments to IT Rules make social media unsafe, says no provision for prosecution added as claimed

After Congress leader Kapil Sibal claimed that the amendment made to the IT Rules makes the law safe for the government and unsafe for the citizens, the government denied the claims, saying that no new provision for prosecution has been made in the amendment. PIB Fact Check tweeted that the claim is misleading.

Earlier in the day, Kapil Sibal had issued a statement saying that under the amendment made to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, people will be prosecuted for making defamatory statements. He had claimed that social media is the only platform left for ordinary citizens, but now they will be prosecuted for using it.

Kapil Sibal also claimed that the BJP government has already captured TV networks, and now they are going to capture social media. “It’s the comprehensive capture of media. We’re moving towards one code of conduct, one political party, one system of governance & no answerability to anyone,” he said, according to ANI.

Hours after Sibal’s statements were reported, PIB Fact Check tweeted saying that the claim is misleading, and the amended IT Rules have not added any new provision for prosecution.

It is notable that India already has provisions for initiating civil and criminal proceedings against defamation, and no other provisions for the same were added in the amendment to the IT Rules.

The new amendment actually has provisions empowering social media users to raise grievances against actions of social media companies like arbitrary blocking, suspension etc, and also to get harmful or derogatory content removed. The amendment has no provision that allows the govt to prosecute social media users for defamatory messages.

Talking about the amendment, Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that this is next step to realizing the government’s duty to Digital Nagriks of Open, Safe and Trusted, Accountable Internet. “Also marks a new partnership btwn Govt and Intermediaries in making n keeping our Internet safe & trusted for all Indians,” he had tweeted.

The minister said that the amendment of IT rules will put more definite due diligence obligations on social media companies to make efforts to ensure that no unlawful content or misinformation is posted on their platforms. He said that the formation of Grievance Appellate Committees under the amendment is necessary as the government is aware of lakhs of messages from citizens where grievances were not responded to by social media firms despite complaints.

“The obligations of intermediaries earlier was limited to notifying users of rules but now there will be much more definite obligations on platforms. Intermediaries have to make efforts that no unlawful content is posted on the platform,” Rajeev Chandrasekhar said.

The amendment makes a provision for the central government to form Grievance Appellate Committees to address the concerns of social media users. The committees will have the power to issue directions to social media companies to remove content.

With the new amendments, any person aggrieved by a decision of the Grievance Officer related to blocks, suspensions, etc. by social media platforms may prefer to file an appeal with the Grievance Appellate Committee within a period of thirty days from the date of receipt of communication from the Grievance Officer.

The government’s amendments stemmed from users’ complaints about being de-platformed or being removed from a social media site, without social media companies like Twitter, Facebook etc giving them an adequate avenue of hearing or a satisfactory explanation.

The amendments mandate social media companies to acknowledge user complaints within twenty-four hours and resolve such them within a period of fifteen days from the date of their receipt. If users deem social media intermediaries’ actions unsatisfactory, they can approach the Grievance Appellate Committees for redressal.

It is notable that Kapil Sibal, who as the IT minister had brought the draconian section 66A in the IT Act, is now talking about freedom of speech on social media. Before this section was struck down by the Supreme Court, ordinary people were arrested by police for their messages on social media platforms if anyone complained against them.

Ahead of Chhath Puja, Twitter users compare the clean Sabarmati riverfront with the polluted Yamuna

OpIndia Staff
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Ahead of Chhath Puja, Twitter users compare the clean Sabarmati riverfront with the polluted Yamuna

The Yamuna River in Delhi and the Sabarmati Riverfront in Gujarat are being compared in pictures and videos that are gaining traction ahead of Chhath Puja, a highly significant festival for Biharis and other North Indians.

Thousands of people are criticizing Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Twitter over the Yamuna River’s extreme pollution while praising Gujarat’s Sabarmati Riverfront. By promising a clean Yamuna in a timely manner, Kejriwal’s AAP party has won two elections. However, Yamuna’s surface is still covered with foam. A vast number of Bihari people bathe in the river during the Chhath Puja celebration.

Since a few years ago, the devotees have been forced to choose between taking a bath in the contaminated, foam-mixed river waters or staying away. In an effort to save face this year, the Delhi Jal Board crews are spraying chemicals into the Yamuna River to dissolve the froth brought on by the severe pollution in Delhi. Although the optics may be saved, the chemical that is being sprayed is considered to be harmful to the skin. While Arvind Kejriwal is campaigning in Gujarat, the residents of Delhi are in danger of illness as a result of pollution in the Yamuna River.

Netizens highlight how the Sabarmati riverfront in Gujarat is clean and pristine as compared to squalor strewn on the Yamuna riverbank

Gujarat Based senior Journalist Nirnay Kapoor yesterday shared the pics of preparation at the Sabarmati riverfront and said, “Due to the pollution of Yamuna in Delhi, you are seeing the ruckus on Chhath Puja, now just look at the preparations for Chhath Puja in Ahmedabad, there are only 2-3% Bihari in Ahmedabad, this Chhath Ghat was built separately for them, which is being cleaned Yes, pollution is also “0” in Sabarmati.”

Now, a comparison video of the Sabarmati River in Gujarat and the Yamuna River in AAP-ruled Delhi is going popular on social media, with users pointing out the differences in cleanliness between the two rivers.

BJP Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala also tweeted the pics for comparison and wrote, “On Left see Gujarat Model where preparations for Chhath Puja are being done in Ahmedabad On Right Hand Side is Kejriwal Model where toxic Silicone Defoamer was used & now there is a ban on all ghats of Yamuna Ji because Kejriwal betrayed Maa Yamuna.”

North Delhi Municipal Corporation’s former mayor Preety Agarwal, posted a comparison video with the caption, “The difference is clear.”

BJP’s IT cell head Amit Malviya tweeted, “Delhi’s air quality this morning is in “very poor” category. The Delhi University area, where Kejriwal lives, is worst affected. This is despite no Deepawali crackers. Yamuna is also frothing just before Chhat Puja. Incompetent Arvind Kejriwal is the person to be blamed for it all.”

Another Twitter user posted a meme regarding the same with the caption, “Delhi’s magician’s amazing. Yamuna river turned into Dal Lake.”

Chhath Puja will be celebrated on October 30. It is a celebration of the Sun God, the power source of our world, the one who makes life possible for us humans. Usha and Pratyusha, the two consorts of the Sun God are considered his energy that blesses humans with life, fertility, agriculture, and health.

Stubble-burning incidents in Punjab record a 20 percent rise, plunging Delhi’s AQI to ‘very poor’ category

OpIndia Staff
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Stubble-burning incidents in Punjab record a 20 percent rise, plunging Delhi’s AQI to ‘very poor’ category

On Friday, the Air Quality Index (AQI) in the national capital fell into the ‘very poor’ category as the state of Punjab witnessed around 2067 incidents of parali stubble burning. The overall AQI of Delhi stood at 357 (304 in the year 2021) while the highest AQI was recorded at Anand Vihar measuring between 455 to 500.

Reportedly, the state of Punjab has witnessed around 8147 incidents of stubble burning from September 15 to October 27. The state has also recorded a 20 per cent increase in such incidents in comparison to the number of farm fires in the same period last year, affecting the quality of air in the major parts of Delhi, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar.

The incident came to light as BJP National Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla tweeted saying that the state of Punjab had witnessed 2067 Parali burning incidents in one day. He also slammed the AAP government for ignoring the stubble-burning incidents and blaming firecrackers for the poor air quality of the city.

“Diwali is long over but the AQI in Delhi and the pollution in Delhi are plummeting. AQI has crossed 300 in many parts of Delhi but firecrackers are not to be blamed. The real cause of blame as per Mr Kejriwal was Punjab’s burning of parali stubble. He said this last year and last to last year. In fact, in Punjab, a 20 per cent increase has been marked in stubble burning compared to last year. 2000 incidents of stubble burning have taken place just yesterday and entire north India is facing severe pollution”, the BJP leader said.

He added, “According to the IIT, the main causes of pollution in Delhi are vehicular pollution, industrial pollution, dust on roads, construction dust, and biomass burning. What has been done by the AAP government in Punjab and Delhi on these fronts? What happened to Pusa Bio Decomposer?”

The BJP leader also said that the AAP leaders had done nothing for Delhi as far as the issue of pollution is concerned and now were imposing bans on Chhat Puja and firecrackers during Diwali. “The only agenda of the AAP government was to demonize Diwali and demonize Hindus. They could not clean the river Yamuna so they have also put a ban on Chhat Puja at the ghats of Yamuna”, he said.

Delhi on October 28 witnessed severe pollution. The AQI at Anand Vihar measured between 455 to 500 at around 4 pm. However, Delhi had an overall AQI of 357, Ghaziabad 384, Noida 371, Greater Noida 364, and Faridabad 346. The air quality in the several cities of Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar also fell in the ‘very poor’ category. Reports mention that an AQI between 0 to 50 is regarded as ‘good’, 51 to 100 as ‘satisfactory’, 101 to 200 as ‘moderate’, 201 to 300 as ‘poor’, 301 to 400 as ‘very poor’, and 401 to 500 as ‘severe’. 

According to the Centre for Science and Environment, Stubble burning is the large-scale combustion of crop residues from the rice-wheat systems of Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh. The transport level winds then carry the smoke from the farm fires to Delhi and nearby areas affecting the quality of air.

Earlier, in July 2022, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann said that they would do everything possible to provide a healthy environment to the people of Delhi. They also proposed to provide a cash incentive of Rs 2500 per acre to the farmers for not burning their paddy stubble.

Also in the year 2020, the Kejriwal government distributed Pusa bio-decomposer for stubble management, free of cost to the farmers. He had said that the stubble burning in neighbouring states in October is a major factor behind the high level of air pollution in Delhi and that the usage of Pusa bio-decomposer would help reduce the pollution.

However, the state of Punjab witnessed around 8147 incidents of stubble-burning from September 15 to October 27 this year. The state also recorded a 20 per cent increase in such incidents in comparison to the number of farm fires in the same period last year, affecting the quality of air in the major parts of Delhi, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar.

Vishwa Vedic Sanatan Sangh to hand over power of attorney of Gyanvapi Cases to UP CM Yogi Adityanath

OpIndia Staff
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Vishwa Vedic Sanatan Sangh to hand over power of attorney of Gyanvapi Cases to UP CM Yogi Adityanath

All cases involving the disputed Gyanvapi premises in Mathura that are being handled by Vishwa Vedic Sanatan Sangh will be handed over to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. On Saturday, Jitendra Singh Visen, the head of the Vishwa Vedic Sanatan Sangh, stated that all legal proceedings would be completed by November 15.

Jitendra Singh Visen told Dainik Bhaskar that the Vishwa Vedic Sanatan Sangh has filed almost all of the cases related to the Gyanvapi premises. VVSS is currently advocating five cases. Apart from the Maa Shringar Gauri case and Bhagwan Adi Vishweshwar Virajman case, VVSS is currently involved in three other cases. After the legal process is completed, the power of attorney for these five cases will be handed over to CM Yogi Adityanath.

Jitendra Singh Visen further said that the decision to hand over the case to the UP CM was already made, which is being implemented now. He said that by November 15, the legal formalities for giving power of attorney to Yogi Adityanath will be completed.

In general, a Power of Attorney is a legal system that allows one person to act on behalf of another. It enables a person to appoint someone or an organization to manage his assets, medical affairs, and finances while he is away. The authorized person is referred to as the agent or power of attorney agent. Depending on the terms and conditions, the authorized agent may have broad or limited legal decision-making authority over property, medical matters, and finances. The Power of Attorney Act of 1888 governs it.

On the other hand, a hearing was held on October 28 on an application filed by Hindu Sena National President Vishnu Gupta and Ajit Singh seeking permission to conduct worship and religious rituals, referring to the Shivling found in the Gyanvapi complex as Lord Avimukteshwar. The respondent’s counsel was present during the hearing in the court of Civil Judge Fast Track Court Mahendra Kumar Pandey.

In this case, the respondent Anjuman Intejamiya Masjid, Kashi Vishwanath Trust, Varanasi DM, and Police Commissioner were given advance notice of the application letters. The next hearing of this case has been scheduled for November 29.

On October 14, the Varanasi district court denied the Hindu side’s petition, which sought a scientific evaluation of the Shivling discovered within the Gyanvapi mosque complex. District Judge AK Vishvesh delivered the verdict saying that allowing study of the Shivling will violate the Supreme Court order of keeping the Shivling safe, as the process of study may harm it.

It should be noted that the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee Varanasi had previously objected to the Hindu side’s request on the grounds that it is in a ‘prohibited area.’

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