Friday, November 15, 2024
Home Blog Page 5952

The Hindu not only cropped the Rafale dissent note, but also had digitally manipulated it

On February 8th, The Hindu had published a note from defence ministry in its efforts to help Rahul Gandhi in derailing the Rafale deal. The note contained a note a defence ministry official who had objected to Prime Minister’s office enquiring the progress of the deal, although that officer was not involved in the negotiations of the deal. The Hindu wanted to project that there was opposition to the Rafale deal in the defence ministry and only the Prime minister pushing for it. In doing so, the newspaper had cropped a vital part in the same document, a note by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. The then defence minister had written that the officer was overreacting, and offices of Indian PM and French President were just monitoring the progress of the deal.

Immediately after the Hindu report, ANI had published the full document, which had proved that N Ram had used a cropped version of the document in his article. Now 10 days after the incident, The Hindu has come up with a clarification, saying that it did not doctor the document. In its column Readers Editor, it has claimed that the document published by it was an earlier version, which didn’t include the Defence Minister’s note. As proof of the same, The Hindu notes that the document published by ANI has serial numbers on each note, while there are no serial numbers on the document published by Hindu. It means that the ANI’s document is a subsequent document, it claims.

Ths Hindi clarification was in response to tweets by Abhijit Iyer-Mitra, who had questioned the reporting by The Hindu on the Rafale deal.

The Hindu wants to say that someone had kept a copy of the note before it went to the Defence Minister, and the same was passed on to it. The Hindu document has the note by Defence Secretary G Mohan Kumar dated 1st December 2015, while Manohar Parrikar’s comment on the ANI document is dated 11th January 2016. Although the Hindu note does not contain the date of Defence Secretary’s note, it contains the note and top part of the sign, and in the complete ANI document the date is clearly visible. Which means, as per Hindu claims, someone made a copy of the document between 1/12/2015 and 11/01/2016 and later it was passed on to the Hindu.

As Hindu has claimed that ANI had published a later version of the document, it has become necessary to examine both documents more closely.

Cropped note by The Hindu

The first thing that needs to be noted is that The Hindu cropped not only the bottom part of the document which contained the Defence Minister’s note (or it was blank as per Hindu claim), but they also cropped the right side of the document which contained signatures and stamps of various officials who had commented on it. There is a vertical line on the document, around 2 inches from the right edge, which separates the notes section to the stamp and sign section. But few stamps spill over to the notes section, crossing the line. And this where a glaring omission can be noticed, which proves that Hindu not only cropped the document, but also digitally manipulated it.

Before the Defence Secretary, the DG (Acquisition) had put his note under the main dissent note, and this note is dated 24th November, which is visible in both the notes. The sign and date are below the note, while the stamp, along with file noting number, is on the right side of the document.

Stamp visible in full document
Stamp missing on the same place on Hindu’s document

As we can see in the ANI document, the stamp has crossed the vertical line and part of it is on the notes section, just beside the sign and date. But in the Hindu note, this portion of the stamp is missing, instead, there is a white space. Now Hindu can’t claim that their document predates the stamp, because its date is same as the note that is present, and that stamp was put on 24th November, before the Defence Secretary’s note on 1st December.

This clearly means one thing, The Hindu erased the stamp from the document to remove any evidence of the stamps and notings on the right side of the document.

Now, why would N Ram want to hide the stamps from the document? And while cropping the Parrikar’s note, why did it also cropped the signature of Defence Secretary also, although his note was included?

Both questions are answered by the full document published by ANI. Above every note in the document, the designation of the person making the notes are mentioned on the left-hand side. And just below the line where the document is cropped horizontally by Hindu, the word “RM” appear on the left-hand side, indicating that there is a comment by Raksha Mantri below it. That’s why The Hindu had to crop the signature of Mohan Kumar, as the designation RM would be seen if the full signature was retained, which will indicate that there is a note by defence minister below.

Now coming to the side panel of stamps that was cropped, it can be seen that there are no gaps between them, they are almost overlapping each other. Which means, if the side panel was not cropped, people would know that there is more content below as a part of a stamp will appear cropped. More importantly, there is a stamp dated 20th January, which is after the Defence Minister’s note on 11th January. Definitely, the Hindu didn’t want people to know that there were more activities on the document after the ‘dissenting’ notes.

Abhijit Iyer-Mitra also made these observations, and posted detail examination of the Hindu note in a series of tweets.


To hide the evidence of Parrikar’s note, the Hindu cropped the document in two places, and digitally erased part of a stamp that should have visible even after cropping the same. And its claim that it did not doctor the document is not true, because a date stamp before defence secretary’s note has been clearly removed from the document.

“People die everyday”: Mallika Dua’s deranged rant against people showing solidarity to Pulwama martyrs

Mallika Dua, daughter of fake news peddler Vinod Dua who faced sexual harassment allegations during the MeToo movement, has posted a video on her Facebook account where she is seen issuing bizarre and utterly insensitive statements over the Pulwama attacks.

The whole nation went into mourning after the deadly Pulwama terrorist attack on CRPF personnel. People expressed their anger on social media and demanded vengeance for the lives of CRPF soldiers.

Dua, who claims to be a comedian, seems to have discovered an entirely new angle to outrage about. She claims that she is being stopped from living her normal life by ‘performative patriots’ who are stopping her from using her laptop, wearing her slippers and switching on the lights.

Displaying utter insensitivity towards the martyrs who laid down their lives in the dastardly attack and their grieving families, Dua went on a rant about how “people die every day”. She said, “People are not just saying these things to me, they are protesting over it. I want to ask them, people die every day of hunger, starvation, unemployment and many other causes, do we keep mourning over all of them, do we keep mourning all year. This is bullsh%$.”

She did not even stop there. She went ahead to ridicule people who are demanding action against the perpetrators of the attack and asking for the Islamic terrorists to be brought to justice. She said,” People who can’t even order a pizza are demanding justice and action against terrorists.”

She somehow seems to have conceived the idea that after the Pulwama attack, all the people who are showing their solidarity for the martyrs are also threatening Muslims and asking them to go to Pakistan. She has also made a point of showcasing her knowledge of world geography and asked, “Why are Muslims not being asked to go to Tunisia”.

Dua, who had famously been a MeToo warrior and turned against the victim the moment her own father was accused of harassment, has been drawing flack over the social media for her callous comments.


She was also called out for not questioning her father when he faced molestation charges.


Several self-proclaimed secular liberals have been trying to shift the narrative of Islamist terrorism and bring innovative angles into their usual propaganda against Hindu nationalists and the Modi government. However, Dua’s recent rant displays that in their haste to malign nationalist sentiments and exonerate Islamist fanaticism, some of these liberals have crossed the lines of sanity into the realms of hallucinations and abnormal behaviour.

Delhi Education Minister wants newspapers to publish articles with ‘better’ pics of CM Kejriwal

Delhi’s Education Minister Manish Sisodia was a little upset today with Times of India. The Times of India had published a story regarding Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s impending trip to Puducherry to extend support to Puducherry Chief Minister who is currently protesting against enforcement of traffic safety rule of wearing a helmet. However, Sisodia was not too happy with the image used by the Times of India for Kejriwal. He took to Twitter to let the publication know that if they want better images of AAP Supremo, he will provide them.


Vanity, like charity, begins at home.

The Internet, however, did not disappoint. Many Twitter users came up with suggested pictures of Arvind Kejriwal which the Times of India could have used.


Finally, there was one person who said what had to be said about Arvind Kejriwal’s picture.


Meanwhile, Kejriwal, carrying out business as usual, has spent some time at a dharna, protesting against a rule which would improve road safety.

Did Gujarat Congress website say Congress ‘looted India for 70 years’, and call Congress a ‘party of thugs’?

The Indian National Congress (INC) headed by President Rahul Gandhi has been famed to be going through a digital revolution. Post the 2014 elections where Congress was lagging behind in capitalising on the digital and social media space, the party has made headway in making its mark on social media. With their several gaffes in the past, Congress has certainly surged ahead on social media. Today, it emerged that Gujarat Congress in their official website, in their ‘Join Us’ section have mentioned that Congress ‘looted India for 70 years’ and called the party a ‘party of thugs’.

Twitter user Amit posted a screenshot of what he claimed was the Gujarat Congress website. In the screenshot, Gujarat Congress, in their ‘Join Us’ section had described Congress party as a “party that looted India for 70 years”. It went on to call Congress a ‘party of thugs’.


Amusingly, the website allegedly also said that people should join Gujarat Congress if they wish to ‘destroy’ the state of Gujarat.

The website also said that people who join should not dream of becoming Congress party president because for that one has to be a Gandhi and a “retard” in the first place.

Since it was inexplicable why an official Congress website would write these words, we decided to dig a little deeper to confirm whether this was true or not.

When we went to the official, verified Twitter handle of Gujarat Congress, the website that was displayed in their official page was gujaratcongress.in. The very page that Twitter user Amit had linked back in his tweet.

Gujarat Congress Twitter page

When we tried to visit the website, however, the webpage was not loading. The message displayed

Error message while trying to access gujaratcongress.in

After we failed to get access to the website, we tried to look for the cache version of the website gujaratcongress.in. However, by the time we archived the cache version, the second half of the text had been changed.

The text of the website now reads (emphasis ours):

“Become a part of the oldest and largest political party in India who looted India for 70 years. Originally founded by the British rulers in the country, the party evolved into the natural party of thugs after independence and a custodian and champion of anti nationalizm. If you believe in Congress ideology and want to join us in our endeavour of better Gujarat please fill up the following form”.

Archive version of Gujarat Congress website

Even though the latter half of the text had been changed by the time we took the archive of the website, the first half, that called Congress a ‘party of thugs’ and a party that ‘looted India for 70 years’ was still there. An additional line that read “custodian and champion of anti nationalizm” was added.

Now, as we said earlier, the website is inaccessible.

Given the first half of the text was still intact calling Congress a ‘party of thugs’ was still intact, one would imagine that the earlier version, a screenshot of which was attached by Amit was also true. Perhaps by the time we took the archive, whoever was responsible for changing the website text had changed the text again.

The only question that now remains is who changed the text of the official website of Gujarat Congress. One wonders if it was some dissident from within the Congress party who was managing the website or their website was hacked. The Congress party has not clarified what happened till the time this article was published.

Activists protest against Mamata Banerjee as film ‘Bhobishyoter Bhoot’ is removed from cinema halls for being critical of the West Bengal CM

Several film artists and activists on Sunday registered a sit-in protest against the withdrawal of director Anik Dutta’s film “Bhobishyoter Bhoot” (Ghost of the Future) from almost all multiplexes and single screen theatres in West Bengal.

According to reports, Bhobishyoter Bhoot, a socio-political satire directed by Anik Dutt was pulled off from Kolkata theatres the day after it was released on February 15. The movie has been taken out from the theatres allegedly for taking a dig at West Bengal Mamata Banerjee. Protestors have hit the streets claiming that the movie has been the victim of a vendetta by Mamata Banerjee.

Meanwhile, speaking to the media the director has alleged that single-screen theatre owners and multiplexes were forced to stop the screening in more than 40 screens across the state. He said, “Yes, I heard screenings have been stopped but what I have gathered is that local police stations have instructed the halls. The cops had warned my producers previously also that the content of the film could cause a problem.”

“Still, I haven’t got any official communication’ regarding the cancellation, all they (hall owners) said was that the instructions were from higher authorities. But I have received immense support and the film fraternity has shown great solidarity,” said the director.

Veteran artist Soumitra Chatterjee has written a letter, calling the taking off of the film ‘vindictive’ and ‘undemocratic’, and a “fascist policy”. Expressing shock, Chatterjee in his letter has said it was a ‘vindictive act’ of the administration. He referred to the comment made by the director during the 24th Kolkata International Film Festival last November.

At the protest in Kolkata on Sunday, several artists and activists reportedly held banners and placards criticising the act of censorship. “Amar Didi shilpi didi, amar Didi kobi, police diye bondho koren notun Bangla chobi,” read a Bengali couplet on one banner at the gathering in front of Metro Channel police station in Kolkata. (My  Sister is an artist, my Sister is a poet, and she uses the police to censor a new Bengali film.)

The movie Bhobishyoter Bhoot has been facing severe controversy since the inception of the idea. The director of the movie Anik Dutta and co-producer Indira Unninayar had claimed of receiving threats recently.

Anik Dutta in the past had criticised the ‘excessive’ use of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s posters in and around the film fest venues and had argued that the film personalities should get more limelight during such events.

Man whose number was made public by Barkha Dutt for stalking, claims he is getting threatening calls, says didn’t abuse Barkha

0

Controversial journalist Barkha Dutt, on Monday, tweeted that she has been receiving calls from unknown numbers, harassing and abusing her. In her tweet, she demanded the Home Minister of the country, Rajnath Singh, himself intervene in the matter which is routinely dealt with by local Police.


The problem of harassment that, especially women, face on social media regularly, by doing something as basic as voicing one’s opinion is rampant. Other messages Barkha has received, including the unsolicited image of the male genital, is indeed sexual harassment and the person(s) responsible for this must be booked and an example must be set that people cannot harass women and get away with it.

However, OpIndia.com contacted two people mentioned specifically in Barkha’s tweets, Sunil Saxena and Abhishek.


Taking to OpIndia.com, Abhishek denied abusing Barkha and claimed that he had called only to confirm if the number which was circulating on social media was indeed Barkha’s as was being claimed. He said, “I haven’t abused her at all. Actually, her number is circulating on Facebook, I wanted to check if it was really her number or not. So, I called and realized that it’s actually hers. I haven’t abused her at all. We hardly even talked for 15 or 20 seconds maybe.”

Saxena appeared to corroborate Abhishek’s story that Barkha’s number was circulating on Facebook. He too claimed that he had only called to confirm if it was indeed Barkha’s number. His voice was quivering while talking to OpIndia.com. He said, “Her number was circulating on social media, so I called her. I told her my name and my address as well. And she talked politely with me as well, she asked me to further my queries on her email. So, I said that it will only take me two seconds. Then, she suddenly said, “I am reporting you, from where did you get my number and why are you calling me?” She accused me of stalking her but I haven’t stalked her at all.”

Asked him if he had a recording of the call, Saxena said that he did not. “That was the mistake I made.”

Saxena further said that he has been receiving calls himself after his number was made public and is feeling threatened. “People have been abusing me, I have been receiving calls from numerous numbers. The Police has contacted me as well, demanding to know my details. Apart from that, others have also called me on my number giving me filthy abuses. I have now started recording those calls.”

OpIndia.com was forwarded one of those recordings by Saxena where he claims that he was abused. In the call recording, a person can be heard abusing him in filthy abusive language and appeared to be threatening him.

Since then, Barkha Dutt has herself tweeted that certain people have been circulating her number on social media and demanded that action is taken against them.


Whether calling someone on their personal number in order to verify if it actually belongs to that person can be classified as ‘stalking’ as alleged by Barkha Dutt is something the law enforcement agencies will have to decide.

Sidhu’s photograph burned outside Punjab assembly, Akali Dal demands his dismissal from the cabinet

Punjab assembly’s budget season began today amidst heated exchange between Akali Dal leader Vikram Majithia and Congress’ Navjot Sidhu.

Before the Punjab Budget session was presented in the Assembly, SAD leaders led by Majithia burnt the photographs of Sidhu including those in which he is seen hugging the Pakistan Army chief, at Pakistan’s President House prior to Pakistan PM, Imran Khan’s oath-taking ceremony last year.

Sidhu was earlier under fire for visiting Pakistan to attend Imran khan’s oath-taking ceremony and hugging Pakistan’s army chief Qamar Bajwa there.

The opposition MLAs raised slogans against Sidhu and Congress and demanded that the government should clear its stand on the matter. Agitated by this, Sidhu was seen exchanging barbs with SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia and other members of the SAD and the BJP.


A day after the gruesome Pulwama attack, which consumed the lives of over 40 CRPF jawans, leaving scores injured, Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu, who often expresses his love towards the terrorist state of Pakistan had once again issued a shocking clean chit to Pakistan by claiming that ‘Terrorism has no country’ and indicated that Pakistan has no role in the Pulwama terrorist attack.

In the past, Navjot Singh Sidhu had caused a severe controversy after he posed with dreaded Khalistani terrorist Gopal Singh Chawla during his controversial visit to Pakistan to inaugurate the Kartarpur corridor.

Nevertheless, even after a unanimous resolution was passed in the House for condemning the Pulwama terror attack, SAD leader, Majithia confirmed that Sidhu shamelessly kept reiterating his previous stand saying, “You cannot blame Pakistan, you cannot blame an individual.”

SAD-BJP legislators, who were wearing black badges as a mark of protest, also tried to disrupt Sidhu’s reply by shouting slogans against him.

Sidhu and Majithia got involved in an altercation even as the Speaker had asked them not to disrupt the Question Hour.

While speaking to the reporters outside the House, Majithia raised doubts at the Congress and Punjab government said, “Before everything else, we want to know the clear stand of the Congress and the Punjab government. Do they condemn Pakistan Army chief and Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan.”

The pro-Pakistani statements by Congress leader Sidhu had come at a time when the entire nation is angered by the repeated cowardly act by the terrorist organisations operating from the terrorist state of Pakistan, which is backed by its army.

Dear Barkha Dutt, please don’t trivialise sexual harassment by making it about ideology

Dear Barkha,

It is unfortunate that you were on the receiving end of harassment today. Someone, out of spite, circulated your phone number over social media, and while a few called out of excitement to confirm while it was really the celebrity journalist they had seen on TV, some chose this opportunity to harass you. On your WhatsApp, you got an unsolicited d*ck pic from a complete stranger.

Barkha Dutt received an unsolicited d*ck pic on WhatsApp

As a woman, who has been on the receiving end of sexual harassment as well, I can empathise with what you must have felt. The anger, the rage of receiving images of genitals is always a rude shock. However, I am surprised you would actually bring political ideology in such sexual harassment.

Read also: Remember when Kanhaiya was accused of flashing his d*ck to a woman?

As a feminist, I am sure you understand how women across political ideologies are on the receiving end of sexual slurs and harassment. In fact, not only celebrities but what has happened to you is something that happens to women across the world daily.

Every day on social media you would read a story how a girl was travelling in a bus and a co-passenger flashed at her or women who have kept their Direct Messages (DMs) on Twitter open get unsolicited d*ck pics in DMs. As a responsible person of influence, I am sure you understand and would agree with me that sexual harassers and predators neither have religion nor ideology. This is evident from the fact that during the #MeToo movement in India, a lot of mediapersons who like to identify themselves as ‘liberals’ and scoff at the term ‘nationalists’ were called out and accused of sexual harassment.

Read also: Vinod Dua refuses to face lady who accused him of molestation, probe committee dissolves itself in frustration

By saying that the unsolicited d*ck pic you received from a complete stranger was sent to you in the name of ‘nationalism’ trivialises the bigger problem on hand that is of sexual harassment. The abuser, who sent you the image, should be put behind the bars. Because what he has done is harassment.

A man sends the picture of his genitalia to a woman not to flaunt his ideology but to rub his misogyny in a woman’s face. It is one of the ultimate act of cowardly sexists. It is an act to “show a woman her place”. It is to show a woman that she is nothing more than an object to satisfy a man’s carnal desires. It is to demean and deride a woman. To bring her down from her pedestal as merely an object to satisfy men. As a tool of his whims. It is an act of disrobing a woman without touching her. Stripping her of her dignity and respect. For a man to show his superiority. It is a power play. Not a war of ideologies.

As a feminist, how do you miss this point? He did not send the d*ck pic to show his nationalism, but his ‘manhood’? By making it about ‘nationalist’ instead of sexual harassment, which is what this is, you undermine the harassment faced by thousands of women every day.

Crackdown after the Pulwama attack, 23 men linked with JeM detained

0

As the country is lamenting the brutal murder of its soldiers, the Indian security agencies have been on the prowl in Jammu and Kashmir to nab those who played a part in enabling this attack. As per the preliminary reports, about 23 men linked with the Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Muhammad have been detained by the agencies.


Security agencies believe the 23 apprehended men might possess vital information about the details of the attack in Pulwama in which a JeM terrorist rammed a vehicle laden with 300Kgs of IED in one of the vehicles of the convoy killing 40 CRPF personnel. They are in the process of ascertaining the identities and roles of people involved in radicalising the youth and plotting the Pulwama attack.

As per sources, Mohammed Umair, the commander of the Jaish in Kashmir is believed to have played a pivotal role in plotting the attack. He is suspected to be hiding in the region where the attacks took place. “All the top commanders of the Jaish-e-Muhammad including its Kashmir Chief is under the radar,” said an official. The Indian agencies investigating the attack have raided houses of suspected militants across south Kashmir to find information on those who masterminded and executed the attack. The investigators are now trying to determine the origin of the large quantity of explosives used in the attack.

In an encounter that has been going on since last night, two Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists were neutralised by security forces in Pulwama. Unconfirmed reports suggest the terrorists killed are Abdul Rasheed and Kamran, who were the masterminds in the terror attack which took place last week claiming lives of 44 CRPF soldiers.

Arrests, suspensions and more: India rises up against those celebrating the Pulwama terror attack

We have been reporting on the disturbing trend of people celebrating the death of our soldiers in the Pulwama Terror Attack. We have reported arrests that were made, students who were suspended from their educational institutions and employees who were fired from their jobs.

In another horrific trend that has emerged, people are now being arrested for physically attacking those who expressed their solidarity with the martyrs and condemned the attack. As reported by TOI, 3 Kashmiri students studying in Bengaluru, Waquar Ahmat, Gowhar Mustaq, both students of nursing and their friend Zakir Maqbol are accused of attacking a college-mate, Koushik Debnath, who had opposed the Kashmiris for celebrating the terror attack.

Debnath had posted an image on social media mourning the death of the martyrs. In response, the Kashmiris started posting abusive comments. An officer was quoted as saying, “The accused began posting messages against Debnath’s post. They supported the terror attack and abused India, the Army and CRPF Jawans. The accused students met Debnath at his college canteen on February 15. When Debnath questioned about their FB comments, they abused and assaulted him.”

“We have registered a case of sedition, assault and intentional insult with intent to breach the peace, under IPC sections and punishment for unlawful activities under section 13 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967,” a Suryanagar Police officer was quoted as saying.

The cyber crime police on Sunday arrested Faiz Rasheed, 20, an engineering dropout from HBR Layout in Bengaluru, for praising the Pulwama suicide bomber and criticising the Indian Army in a Facebook post.

Earlier, an Army veteran’s home was vandalised in Haringhata Nadia, Kolkata after the veteran’s family lit candles to express solidarity with the martyred CRPF soldiers in the terrorist attack in Pulwama.

In Agra, too, an incident was reported by AmarUjala where people from ‘Samuday Vishesh’ had assaulted a person after he had opposed their support for the terror attack. The goons had also threatened, “40 were killed in Kashmir, we will kill 80 in Tundla.”

Meanwhile, people are continuing to get arrested and suspended from their jobs and educational institutions. One Eshfaq Khawaja from Noida has been reportedly arrested for an objectionable Facebook post and he has been suspended from his university as well.


One Mohammed Tousif has been arrested from Katihar, Bihar.


In Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, an FIR was registered against Bilal Tyagi for abusing the Indian Army in response to the Pulwama Terror Attack.


We had reported that people on social media had come together to report to the police those who have made extremely offensive posts on the Pulwama Terror Attack. The Police in different states has been active as well in taking action against them.