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Deepak Talwar handed over to the CBI as court rejects anticipatory bail plea

26 July, 2019

Corporate lobbyist Deepak Talwar, who was earlier in the judicial custody of the Enforcement Directorate, was today arrested by the CBI. A Delhi court had rejected his anticipatory bail plea in the CBI case against him.

A Delhi Court dismisses Corporate Lobbyist Deepak Talwar’s anticipatory bail application in the CBI case against him. CBI has also sought 14 day custody of Talwar (file pic) pic.twitter.com/UmuJC46dLB

— ANI (@ANI) July 26, 2019

The CBI had sought 14 days of judicial custody of the aviation lobbyist Deepak Talwar, who is accused of receiving kickbacks from foreign airlines for his suspicious role in brokering dubious aviation deals during the UPA era. CBI seeks to examine and confront Talwar with voluminous documents. The judge has reserved the order on the duration of the judicial custody post-lunch.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had earlier found dubious deposits alleged to be the kickbacks paid by the international airlines into several accounts of extradited Congress era lobbyist Deepak Talwar. The ED had discovered Rs 270 crores deposited in Bank of Singapore by international airlines and another Rs 88 crore received in his NGO to influence some top ministers and bureaucrats in the previous UPA regime, reported Times of India.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has also alleged that the ‘corporate lobbyist’, Deepak Talwar, who was involved in several aviation deals during the UPA regime, acted as a middleman in negotiations to favour foreign private airlines causing the loss to national carrier Air India. According to ED, Talwar received a huge amount of money in his bank accounts deposited by various airlines for allegedly compromising lucrative routes and flying destinations of India’s national carrier Air India and thus immensely benefitting foreign airlines.

The preliminary investigation by the Enforcement Directorate had revealed that three years after the Indian Airlines inked a deal to buy 43 aircraft from Airbus, the aircraft manufacturer floated a shell company based out of Singapore in partnership with the middleman Deepak Talwar and, another three years later, transferred USD 10.5 million in its accounts in two tranches.

The middleman Deepak Talwar, along with another high-profile fugitive, Rakesh Saxena, was extradited from UAE in the same plane of the government of India on January 30, 2019. Before that, the middleman in VVIP chopper scam Christian Michel was also extradited to India. Michel, in his deposition, had named a certain Italian Lady and ‘Italian Lady’s son R’ in the AgustaWestland scam.

Unlike BJP, Congress has a laser sharp focus on its core voter

Abhishek Banerjee

26 July, 2019

Unlike BJP, Congress has a laser sharp focus on its core voter

Today is Kargil Vijay Diwas, a day that the nation can never forget. It is worthwhile to remind people of this incident, which happened only a few days ago.

A chapter on the Kargil war, which disappeared from college textbook in Madhya Pradesh. Bear in mind that the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh is barely 6 months old. And the way the numbers are in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, the government might not last another 6 months.

The government of Madhya Pradesh may not have fulfilled any of its big promises : much of the farm loan waiver turned out to be a farce, the promise of Rs 10,000 per month to unemployed youth for 3 years was turned into a mockery where a few people were given Rs 4000 for about 3 months. And the state is facing Communist grade power cuts for the first time in almost a decade. But the Congress government, though struggling to stay afloat, though devastated in Lok Sabha elections, has not forgotten its core and its core agenda.

The Congress never saw the Kargil War nor the Kargil victory as something that belongs to all of us. And they never forgot that.

The Congress government in Rajasthan next door is none too comfortable either. Like in Madhya Pradesh, they were devastated in Lok Sabha elections, bogged down by bitter factional fights. But among all this, the Congress has found time to rewrite textbooks and remembered to pull Veer Savarkar down a peg.

And who does not remember the ruthlessness of the Sonia Gandhi led UPA the moment it took power in 2004? Within a month or two, Veer Savarkar’s plaque was removed from the Cellular Jail in the Andamans.

This is starkly different from the approach of the BJP government at the center, despite its two successive muscular majorities. Most infamously, then HRD Minister “boasted” in 2018 about not rewriting a single history chapter in four years!

True, there have been some small changes. Such as restructuring the Nehru Memorial Museum to include the history of all of India’s former Prime Ministers. But these have been few and far between.

This is not a contest to see which party can be more petty in tearing down the icons on the other side. This is to point out a gap in the rate of delivery between the two sides when it comes to core agendas. The Modi government has missed (and is still missing) numerous opportunities to bring in a law for the construction of a Ram Mandir at Ayodhya.

Why does this happen?

One simple explanation is that the BJP is just not used to being in power. When in power, it acts way too apologetic and tries way too hard to walk a middle path. Now this is not bad in itself. Three to four generations of Congress Prime Ministers could not give India 100% rural electrification, but just look at the way Modi delivered on toilets, on gas, on electricity.

The Congress on the other hand knows much more about being in power. They know the value of every single minute spent at the helm of things and how to utilize it to strengthen their grip.

However, there is no argument that delivering on core agendas could possibly get in the way of supplying clean water or building homes for the poor. Especially when so much can be done simply by picking the low hanging fruit. The Supreme Court judgement that Aligarh Muslim University cannot be a minority institution came decades ago. It would be a relatively simple matter to just enforce that, for instance.

The other difference is with the core voter of the respective parties. The BJP’s core voter is the average Hindu. They are slowly beginning to get restless, but they are definitely more patient and more accommodating that that of other parties. But the real gap comes from the fact the BJP’s core voter, even if restless, is essentially trapped with nowhere to go.

An all new party, further to the Hindu right than the BJP, is for the most part, a pipe dream in the short term.

The only hope for the BJP’s core voter comes from the clear shift towards the right in Indian politics as a whole and the pressure this would create on the BJP. Only those who remember how hard Vajpayee had to fight to get POTA passed would recognize how much easier things have become now. The UPA scrapped POTA the moment it came to power. Compare this to the NIA Amendment Bill, which passed the Rajya Sabha unanimously the other day.

Like the Kargil War, the problem of terrorism should never be seen through a partisan lens. But the reality of India’s hypocritical secular establishment is that it has always been seen as such. Remember when it was reported that India’s supreme leader had burst into tears on hearing of the Batla House encounter? That’s how bad things used to be. At least those days are behind us.

Remember the days of changing affidavits in Ishrat Jahan case? At least that’s not happening any more.

So what do we have for the BJP’s core voter? An assurance that things are at least not as bad as they used to be. And a hope that things will get better. Very very slowly.

After Hindu organisations held ‘Maha Arti’ as a protest, Aligarh authorities forbid all religious events, including Namaz, on roads

OpIndia Staff

26 July, 2019

After Hindu organisations held ‘Maha Arti’ as a protest, Aligarh authorities forbid all religious events, including Namaz, on roads

The local administration in Aligarh has forbidden people of the city from organising religious events on roads. The decision taken by the Aligarh District Magistrate comes after a ‘Maha Aarti’ that was started by Hindu organisations on Tuesdays and Saturdays as a protest against Muslims blocking roads for Friday Namaz.

The Aligarh District Magistrate CB Singh said, “All religious activities carried out on road without permission are henceforth banned. Aligarh is a sensitive city and such overt manifestation of religious activities on the roads can vitiate the atmosphere.”

Singh further added that he had a discussion with the representatives of the organisations that have indulged in organising religious events on roads. He conveyed them that any religious activity should remain confined to the temples, mosques or the religious places meant for worship and carrying them out in open has a potential to stir communal tensions in the city and disturb the prevailing law and order.

Following the order, organisations and groups of individuals are forbidden from organising any religious activities, including the Friday Namaz, on road. The order will reportedly be relaxed on special occasions, such as Eid, where Mosques cannot accomodate all community members in their premises due to large gatherings of people.

Many organisations, including the Bajrang Dal, had organised Hanuman Aarti outside some temples in the city every Tuesday and Saturday of this month to draw the attention of the administration to the problem of traffic and road blockage by the Friday Namaz.

Manav Mahajan, the BJP general secretary in Aligarh city unit said, “If one community can block the road for offering namaz, then why can’t Hindus do the same?” However, he also added that Hindus didn’t block roads or created chaos on the streets. He said due to a large number of devotees thronging temples for “maha-aartis”, roads leading to temples are overcrowded.

It is notable here that the BJYM has been organising Hanuman Chalisa events on roads in Howrah, West Bengal every week since over a month. They have stated that the Hanuman Chalisa events will be organised on the road to protest against Muslims blocking the roads for their Friday Namaz.

Dear Congress, ‘Italy ki kathputli’ is a political jibe, ‘I want to keep looking into your eyes till you plead me to stop’ is sexual harassment at workplace

Nirwa Mehta

26 July, 2019

Dear Congress, ‘Italy ki kathputli’ is a political jibe, ‘I want to keep looking into your eyes till you plead me to stop’ is sexual harassment at workplace

Congress’ leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on the Azam Khan controversy said that Congress respects women. Chowdhury’s assertion of Congress respecting women came with a disclaimer that Former Congress President and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi was also ‘disrespected’. He said that she was also called ‘Italy ki kathputli’, implying that it was disrespectful to her as a woman.

Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Azam Khan: Congress party is against disrespect of women. There have been incidents when Sonia Gandhi Ji was called ‘Italy ki katputli’ etc. in the Parliament. pic.twitter.com/rE4e7aWUxT

— ANI (@ANI) July 26, 2019

It is amusing how Congress has the talent to somehow find victimhood even when it does not exist.

Let me explain. “Italy ki kathputli” means Italian puppet. It is a political jibe because of her Italian roots. Just like the political jibes she has used on others like “Maut ka saudagar” (merchant of death). “Italy ki kathputli” may be as distasteful as “Maut ka saudagar” but it is definitely not an insult to her as a woman. She was on the receiving end of the jibe because of the political position she held (Congress President) and continues to hold (UPA chairperson). Not because she was a woman.

On the other hand, Azam Khan told BJP MP Rama Devi, who was the acting Chair of the Parliament, that he “wished to stare into her eyes till eternity.” He said that he “likes her” so much that he would stare at her for so long that she will have to tell him to look away. Not only did his party chief Akhilesh Yadav laughed at his comment, he even called it ‘poetry’.

Rama Devi was not on the receiving end of that comment because of the position she was holding (acting Chair of the Parliament). Azam Khan recited those couplets for her creepily because she is a woman. That is what makes it disrespectful.

That also amounts to sexual harassment at workplace. When a colleague passes a sexually coloured remark on another colleague, it is sexual harassment. It creates hostile work environment.

Perhaps Sonia Gandhi should take a stand and stand by Rama Devi instead of trying to pass off a political jibe as sexism.

Surat man gives Triple Talaq to wife after her parents could not give dowry to buy auto rickshaw

OpIndia Staff

26 July, 2019

Surat man gives Triple Talaq to wife after her parents could not give dowry to buy auto rickshaw

A 23-year-old Muslim woman in Surat has lodged an FIR against her husband accusing him of giving her triple talaq illegally after her parents could not provide him Rs. 40,000 to buy a cycle-rickshaw, reports ANI.

Speaking to the media, the victim woman said that her husband gave her Triple Talaq orally in front of his family, just 40 days after her mother died.

The victim has now lodged a complaint at Chowk Bazar Police Station, senior police officer PL Chaudhary said.

“The woman said that her in-laws used to torture her physically and mentally. Her husband had asked for a dowry of Rs. 40,000 to buy a cycle-rickshaw, which they didn’t give. After that, she was given death threat and her husband asked her to leave the house after giving her triple talaq,” police officer Chaudhary said.

The illegal divorce through barbaric practise of Triple Talaq came just a day after the Lok Sabha passed the bill to criminalise triple talaq. The practise of Triple Talaq has already been declared as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019, seeks to criminalize the act of instant divorce among Muslims with a three-year jail sentence for men who practice triple talaq, which has been made illegal by the Supreme Court.

Outlook and The Leaflet columnist Fahad Zuberi says ISRO Chief should be ‘sacked and penalised’ for violating ‘secular ethos’

K Bhattacharjee

26 July, 2019

Outlook and The Leaflet columnist Fahad Zuberi says ISRO Chief should be ‘sacked and penalised’ for violating ‘secular ethos’

Fahad Zuberi, a freelance contributor to Outlook Magazine and The Leaflet, has asserted in a Facebook post that the ISRO Chief K. Sivan ought to be ideally sacked or penalized for “consulting astrologers/priests in the matters of ISRO’s recent launch”. He should at least be ridiculed, says Zuberi.

Zuberi provides two reasons for his claims. Firstly, “He violates the Secular ethos of the constitution by involving worship in a government project.” And secondly, “he violates the constitution where the government is to encourage, observe, and uphold scientific temperament.” He adds, “In his capacity as the ISRO chief, it’s a violation. At his personal level, he can pray to the celestial orbs that he is tasked with demystifying himself, all he wants.” In the postscript, Zuberi implies that by “consulting astrologers/priests”, the government is discriminating against other faiths.

There doesn’t appear to any evidence to suggest that the ISRO Chief consulted astrologers for matters related to the launch of the Chandrayaan-2 mission. However, a report by IANS recently quoted an unnamed retired official from ISRO saying that the scientists have their own superstitions and beliefs, therefore, they try to avoid countdowns during the time that is considered inauspicious.

As for Zuberi’s claims that the ISRO Chief consulted priests, it has been a long tradition at the institution to offers prayers at a Temple before the launch of every significant space mission. K Sivan was as much practising his own religious faith as he was upholding the tradition set by his predecessors.

Regarding Zuberi’s claims that the ISRO Chief deserves to be ridiculed, one wonders why he ought to be considering the fact his beliefs are extremely ordinary and commonplace. That apart, there are not too many people who are qualified enough to criticize a person who heads ISRO, an organization that has given the country a lot of occasions to be proud of in recent times.

Zuberi appears to be a ‘New Atheist’ in the mould of Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins. He has written columns eulogizing Hitchens and asserted that section 295A, which is essentially a law against blasphemy, be abolished. He has also written on the necessity to ban Islamic practices such as female genital mutilation (FGM). However, as is the case with most ‘New Atheists’, they take their worldview beyond the realms of what can be considered sensible.

Furthermore, the ‘secular ethos of the Constitution’ is not violated if scientists in their individual capacity visit Temples and worship the Gods. Scientists have as much right to practice their religious faith as anyone else in the country. Justice Nariman of the Supreme Court is himself a priest of the Zoroastrian religion.

It’s not only Zuberi who has been voicing his concerns against the practising Hindus at the ISRO. Numerous ‘New Atheists’ and ‘Rationalists’ have been making the same arguments since years. However, we can all agree that sacking or penalizing one of the most brilliant minds of the country because of his religious faith is taking ‘rationalism’ way too far. It’s the point at which ‘rationalism’ stops making sense.

Uttar Pradesh: Muslim clerics object to Lucknow University’s decision of including Triple Talaq in curriculum, demand it to be dropped

OpIndia Staff

26 July, 2019

Uttar Pradesh: Muslim clerics object to Lucknow University’s decision of including Triple Talaq in curriculum, demand it to be dropped

The decision of the Lucknow University to introduce ‘Triple Talaq’ as a subject in the curriculum has not received well by Muslim clerics. The Muslim clerics have now protested against varsity’s decision claiming that it will ‘paint a wrong picture’ of the Shariat, reports Deccan Herald.

According to the reports, the sociology department of the Lucknow University had introduced the subjects of Triple Talaq, LGBT issues in their postgraduate level curriculum. The aim was to educate students and create awareness so that the misuse of triple talaq (instant divorce) by a section of Muslim men is checked.

“Triple talaq will be taught in the paper ‘Law and Society’ under the topic of law related to marriage and divorce. Under it, laws related to divorce for Hindus, Christian and Muslims will be taught. The issue of triple talaq has also been included with the view to develop understanding among the students about contemporary issues,” said Prof Sukant Chowdhury, a faculty in the Sociology department.

However, Muslim clerics have protested against such decision claiming that it would “paint a wrong picture” of the Shariat (Islamic Laws) among the students and must be “dropped”.

Sunni cleric and senior All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) member Maulana Khalid Rashid Firangimahali said, “We are not against the teaching of topics like marriage, divorce and other social systems… but to teach only about triple talaq will portray the Shariat in the negative light,” he said.

Maulana Rashid said that already there are a lot of misconceptions about triple talaq in society. “The current debate on triple talaq does not convey the truth,” he added.

Another senior Muslim cleric also echoed similar sentiments and demanded that the topic should be “dropped” from the syllabus immediately.

The officials at the Lucknow University defended the decision to introduce the issue of Triple Talaq in its curriculum. “Triple talaq has ignited a serious debate in the society… the students need to be taught about the effects of such a system on the society… there is nothing wrong in its inclusion in the syllabus,” Deccan Herald quoted an official.

The senior varsity official also rejected the contention that such controversial issues should not be made part of the syllabus.

NBF formed to take on the Lutyens media hegemony of NBA: Is Editors Guild next?

Nupur J Sharma

26 July, 2019

NBF formed to take on the Lutyens media hegemony of NBA: Is Editors Guild next?

The media landscape is going through a sea-change. There seems to be a clear divide between Delhi based ‘Lutyens’ media and the rest of the media fraternity, be it the National media or regional players. The long-held hegemony that a few players exercised has not only been challenged by the alternate media but now, the broadcast channels are also organising themselves to break the stronghold of the few.

Over 50 channels have now formed a National Broadcaster’s Federation (NBF) to challenge the hegemony of National Broadcaster’s Association (NBA).

Among the founder members of the NBF are the following: Republic Media Network (Republic TV and Republic Bharat), Puthiyathalaimurai and V6 News (Tamil Nadu), Orissa TV (Orissa), IBC24 (MP and Chhattisgarh), Asianet News Network (Asianet News and Suvarna News, Kerala and Karnataka), TV9 Bharatvarsh, Newslive and Northeast Live (Assam and Northeast), First India News (Rajasthan), Kolkata TV (West Bengal), CVR News (AP & Telangana), Polimer News (Tamil Nadu), Khabar Fast (Harayana), Living India News (Punjab), Prag News (Assam), NTV (AP & Telangana), Maha News (AP & Telangana), TV5 News (AP & Telangana), MKTV (Tamil Nadu), Vanitha TV (AP & Telangana), DNN and IND24 (MP), Shri Sankara TV & Ayush TV (Karnataka), A1 TV (Jaipur), Power TV (Karnataka),Raj News (Tamil Nadu), Flowers TV (Kerala), CVR News Network (AP&Telangana), National Voice (Uttar Pradesh), Nirman News (Gujarat), Anaadi TV (MP&Chattisgarh), VRL Media (Karnataka), Calcutta News (West Bengal),News 7 (Tamil Nadu), DNN & News World ( MP & Chattisgarh), M H One ( Haryana), Mantavya News (Gujarat), Gujarat Television ( Gujarat), S News ( West Bengal) Bansal TV ( MP) and Onkat TV (West Bengal).

This is the first time in Media history that broadcasters have come together to form an alternate regulatory body that will be based out of Delhi. In fact, the strong presence of regional media is a welcome move to break the hegemony of a select few.

In an interesting development, the government too welcomed the formation of NBF. Minister for Information and Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar said that India has more than 700 channels and if more associations are formed in genres like news, it is a positive development. He also said that the government believed that the media should self regulate.

“I am very happy today that more than 50 news channels have come together to form the News Broadcasters Federation. These members of the NBF are from various regions and broadcasting in various states of India. India has more than 700 channels and if more associations are formed in genres like news, then it is a very positive development. We don’t believe in censorship but believe in self-regulation. I am very sure and confident that the News Broadcasters Federation will be a platform to discuss matters relevant to the TV News Industry. I also hope that NBF gives its recommendations and ensures discipline in broadcasting where truth does not become a casualty. I wish the NBF all the very best”, he said.

The NBF is a body that is set to function independently from the NBA which has exercised a stronghold on broadcasting media since its inception. The NBA has exercised the sole privilege of negotiating with the government and dealing with all issues concerning the broadcasting fraternity thus far. The board of directors interestingly has members only from a select group of channels that often peddle fake news, including NDTV which not only peddles fake news but is also under investigation for financial irregularities.

According to the NBA website, their mission is, “To serve as the eyes and ears of the private news & current affairs broadcasters, to lobby on its behalf and to act as a central point of joint action on matters of interest”.

However, while they aim to serve the interests of broadcasters, it is intriguing to note that there aren’t many representatives from smaller regional channels. The newly minted NBF seems to challenge the stronghold of not just the select players, but also the notion that large English and Hindi news channels are the only ones who deserve the right to lobby for and speak on behalf of the entire broadcasting fraternity.

Other than the lacking representation, the NBA also seems to be rather politically motivated and biased. One recalls the treatment met out to Republic TV journalist who was heckled and manhandled at Jignesh Mevani’s Hunkar rally by his hired goons. The NBA insisted that Republic TV apologises on air for referring to the goons as… goons. In fact, they made the journalist face her harassers in the most shameful manner possible.

For long, the NBA seems to have exercised disproportional power in negotiating with TRAI, other regulatory bodies and the government, with the minimum presence of regional channels. NBF has challenged that organisational supremacy by getting regional channels together. One of the national channels that is involved in NBF is Arnab Goswami led Republic TV. This, when Arnab Goswami was a founding member of the NBA itself.

When OpIndia spoke to Arnab Goswami, he said that the hegemony of the NBA is now being challenged by NBF and this association will not have a ‘UN security council’ sort of permanent body. He also said that he welcomes other channels joining NBF and there is no restriction that members of NBF cannot be members of NBA as well.

What the NBF does it to ensure that when there is a discussion to be held with the government or any regulatory body, the several regional channels which are mighty in their own states, have an equal seat on the table and the discussion will no longer be dominated by the very same Delhi based Lutyens lobby. The NBF, unlike the NBA, will have no permanent body.

With the NBA’s monopoly being challenged and how one wonders if the Editors Guild would be the next to be challenged. The Editors Guild has often shown massive bias and is led by Shekhar Gupta, who himself has been caught peddling fake news and motivated agendas several times. Under the garb of speaking up for journalists, one saw how the Editors Guild could not even bring themselves up to name the journalist killed by Naxals but had no problem vociferously lobbying for an official communist mouthpiece. In fact,

While alternate media has already posed a challenge to the information flow, one wonders if associations likee NBF are only the beginning in challenging the larger power structure within the media fraternity.

Will we see an alternate association take on the motivated and biased Editors Guild? Will we see like-minded digital news platforms come together to challenge the power structure of the Left? Only time can tell.

‘Jo na bole Jai Shri Ram, bhej do unko Kabristan’ singer arrested by UP police

OpIndia Staff

26 July, 2019

‘Jo na bole Jai Shri Ram, bhej do unko Kabristan’ singer arrested by UP police

Youtube singer Varun Bahar, who is famous for his viral song ‘Jo na bole Jai Shri Ram, bhej do unko Kabristan’ has been arrested by the Uttar Pradesh police from Gonda district on Friday.

According to reports, Varun Upadhyay, also known as Varun Bahar, has been arrested from Bandarah village in Mankapur late last night for allegedly uploading provocative songs on the social media, the police said.

He shot to fame after he posted a song on YouTube which translates to “Those who do not chant Lord Ram’s name should be sent to the cemetery.”

Varun Bahar had released a song titled “Jo na bole Jai Shri Ram, bhejo unko Kabristan”, which has been found objectionable by many. An FIR was lodged in the Hazratgan police station in Lucknow against Varun Bahar alleging that his song was inciting violence.

As per reports, all singer Varun’s YouTube videos have also been deleted.

The Uttar Pradesh will produce Youtube singer Varun Bahar in the court later in the day.

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OpIndiabringing the \'right\' side of India

OpIndiabringing the \'right\' side of India

OpIndiabringing the \'right\' side of India

OpIndiabringing the \'right\' side of India

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