Bengaluru: The war of words between leaders of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and Karnataka Congress over an alleged fake video of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah continued on Wednesday with Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge joining the issue, evoking a strong counter from K. T. Rama Rao.
Karnataka’s Information Technology and Biotechnology Minister Kharge took to ‘X’ to slam the BRS working president for sharing a fake video clip of Siddaramaiah’s speech in Karnataka Assembly. He said that KTR has taken BJP’s bait of lies and manipulation.
“I am sure such fake narratives will now be a daily affair since BRS& BJP are thick as thieves. FYI, have a look at the brief & complete video, ” wrote Kharge while sharing the link to Siddaramaiah’s full speech.
“This is why Govt of Karnataka is coming up with a cell to combat misinformation and fake news, ” Kharge added.
KTR, in his counter to Kharge’s attack, posted some newspaper clippings and asked, “Are these statements from your leader Rahul Gandhi about employment to 2 lakh Karnataka youth and from Deputy CM on empty treasury also Fake?”
“Buddy, we defeated all the BJP bigwigs in Telangana including all three of their MPs, Not the Congress party. Better be careful/prepared before you get carried away by propaganda of Sunil & team, ” added the BRS leader.
On Tuesday, KTR and Siddaramaiah were engaged in a war of words after the BRS leader shared a video of the Karnataka Chief Minister’s speech and wrote, “No money to deliver poll promises/guarantees says Karnataka CM !”
“Is this the future template for Telangana too after successfully hoodwinking the people in elections ? Aren’t you supposed to do basic research and planning before making outlandish statements?, ” asked KTR whose party lost power in Telangana to the Congress party in the recent elections.
Siddaramaiah hit back at KTR for what he called circulating fake video. “Do you know why your party lost power in the Telangana Elections? Because you don’t even know how to verify what is fake and edited and what is truth, ” the Karnataka Chief Minister told the BRS leader.
The Congress leader stated that BJP creates fake edited videos and BRS circulates them. “Yours is a perfect B team of BJP. If you are still interested in facts, read this, ” wrote Siddaramaiah while sharing a link of his statement about the edited video circulated by some BJP leaders.
The BRS working president fired another salvo. “We’ve lost the election because your party had shamelessly misled the people of Telangana with Fake promises, ” he wrote.
KTR listed out the Congress guarantees in Telangana and asked why they were not fulfilled despite the promise to implement them by December 9, 2023.
“Are these promises fake or your party leaders who promised these schemes fake? Also care to explain why you lost elections in three other states?, ” asked KTR.
Alambagh : A 35-year-old man, undergoing treatment for depression after the death of his mother, lost both his legs while attempting to board the Howrah-bound Punjab Mail at the Charbagh railway station here.
The incident occurred on Tuesday near platform number nine.
The victim, Balpreet Singh, a resident of Govind Nagar in the city’s Alambagh area, was taken to KGMU trauma centre by the GRP team.
“Balpreet was undergoing treatment for depression at Nur Manzil Psychiatric Centre since his mother Loveleen Kaur died five years back. Only recently has his mental health shown signs of improvement, ” said Jasmeet Kaur, wife of Balpreet, who is partially bedridden and recently underwent brain surgery.
She said that “in the morning, I had asked him to get some breakfast from a nearby eatery, but a few hours later GRP informed me about the accident”.
“I do not know how he ended up at the railway station, ” she added.
Balpreet is unemployed and the family’s primary earning source is the rent they received from tenants.
A senior railway official said: “The victim made an attempt to board Howrah bound Punjab Mail from the opposite side of the platform, while the train was leaving the station.”
Sub-Inspector Rashid Ali Khan of GRP Charbagh railway station said: “The victim did look mentally disturbed. Prima facie it appears to be an unfortunate accident in which the victim came under the wheels of the train while attempting to board it.
Despite the back-from-the-brink Uttarkashi tunnel rescue act, it’s life as usual in neighbouring Nainital as building regulations go for a toss in the ecologically fragile tourist town with corrupt officials conniving with violators. A report by Tehelka SIT
“I will relax all the construction rules for you to assist in building a resort of your choice. I understand that it is not always feasible for a businessman to adhere to all the regulations. In fact, practically speaking, strictly following every rule can hinder business. I will arrange for a draftsman. He is under my supervision, and he will create a map for your resort besides letting you know about the bribe money you will have to pay.” This is Keshav Giri Goswami, a government servant, working as a supervisor in Lake Development Authority (LDA), Nainital, since 1993.
Surprisingly, when we presented Goswami with a fictional proposal to construct a resort in Nainital, Uttarakhand, in violation of building by-laws, he agreed to our plan with alacrity. It’s worth noting that Keshav Giri Goswami’s responsibility in the department is to prevent illegal construction in areas under his supervision, such as Bhowali and Mukhteshwar. But, rather than ensuring construction adherence to rules and LDA norms in his jurisdiction, Goswami promptly agreed to assist Tehelka’s investigative reporter in violating construction norms, contingent upon the bribe we would pay later.
The state of Uttarakhand, it is worth noting, has repeatedly made headlines for various unfortunate reasons—be it the cracks in Joshimath and Nainital houses, the 2013 tragedy in Kedarnath, or the recent Silkyara tunnel collapse incident in Uttarkashi. While the whole country prayed for the safety of 41 workers who remained trapped for 17 days before being rescued from the collapsed tunnel, the question arises why it happened in the first place. As this Tehelka SIT investigation indicates, we have not learnt any lessons from the tragedies that the state of Uttarakhand has witnessed for the past some time.
According to experts and activists, the common thread running through all these mishaps is the illegal and unplanned construction going on in the state of Uttarakhand. Environmentalists have even urged the government for an immediate construction halt to prevent further disasters.
When we approached Goswami with a request for building a resort in violation of rules, he assured us all possible help. In fact, he sounded sympathetic to our ‘cause’ as he acknowledged the difficulties a businessman faces in adhering to the rules. Goswami promised to provide comprehensive assistance, offering the services of a draftsman to design the building according to our specifications. The draftsman would also tell us the bribe money we would have to pay later, he added.
Reporter- Matlab sare kanoon, niyam to follow nahi kar payengey hum..?
Goswami- Saare kaun karta hai, koi nahi karta hai…..sare to kar hi nahi pata hai, building pass karwaney pe, naksha pass karwaney pe, approve ho gaya…wo khud milega, kitna kharcha lagega batayega…
Reporter- Draftman aapka, naam kya hai uska?
Goswami- Naam kya hai… uska?
Goswami- A K XXXXX..
Reporter- Aapka banda hai ?
Goswami- Mera banda hai…mere kehney par naksha bhi banayega, kharcha bhi batayega, mere kehney par…aap apna headache hi usko de dijiye ji…
Reporter- LDA ka kharcha, sarkari kharchey ki baat nahi kar raha hoon mein
Goswami- Haan private kharcha… haan wo kharcha jayega ..XXX , XXXXX par, wo to aap ko pata hi hai, wo vyavastha wo karega…
Reporter- Mujhe ek banda chahiye tha LDA ka, mil nahi raha tha, ab aap mil gaye..
[Unfortunately, Keshav Giri Goswami, an official responsible for ensuring that people adhere to building by-laws during construction, did not think twice before agreeing to overlook violations in exchange for money. Come to think of it, how many illegal constructions might have come up in the Nainital district with the assistance provided by Goswami and others of his ilk]
We informed Goswami that due to our lack of connections in LDA, we would prefer to pay bribe payments directly to him. He accepted this arrangement.
Reporter- Main kisi ko nahi jaanta mein aapko janta hoon..
Goswami- Haan haan..
Reporter- Jo bhi len-den paise ki hogi wo aapse hogi…
Goswami- Haan haan..koi chinta nahi hai..
[Goswami agreed to our request, allowing us to confine our dealings for monetary transactions solely to him, considering that we didn’t have any contacts in the LDA]
We reiterated to Goswami that adhering to all the rules set by LDA for the construction of our resort would be impractical for us. Goswami again sought to reassure us on this count and even echoed our sentiment, acknowledging the challenges of following every rule.
Reporter- Dekho agar 100 niyam hain LDA ke building bananey mein to 100 k 100 niyam follow karna to mushkil hai,.?.
Goswami- Phir to building hi nahi banegi…
Reporter- Building banegi nahi …munafa bhi nahi hoga
Goswami- Kahin nahi banegi…
Reporter- To 100 mein se 10 follow kar liye 90 chodh diye…
Goswami- 10 to..automatically choot jaate hain…
Reporter- Nahi 90 chodh diye, 10 maan liye
Goswami- nakshey jab pass ho jatey hain to…to phir to aadmi ka khud bhi right hota hai..planning ki zimmedari bhi hoti hain..pass to tabhi karenge jab kuch norms to hongey uske, waisey to karengey nahi..khule mein to kar nahi dengey…har cheez dekhna padta hai…background mein kitna chodna hai, kya chodna hai..sab cheez dekhni hai…
[Goswami appeared compliant when we communicated to him that it wasn’t feasible for us to adhere to all LDA rules for resort construction.]
When we told Goswami that after the Joshimath crisis, building a resort in Uttarakhand had become a difficult task with the government stepping up its vigil on construction activities in the hills, Goswami sought to allay our fears and said that he would help us in every possible way.
Reporter- Hamarey kai saathi hain jinke Makhteshwar mein resort hain..wo sab keh rahe hain…bhai pahadon mein kaam karna bahut mushkil ho gaya hai, Joshimath ke baad..Joshimath mein jo cracks aaye hain na..isliye hame bhi darr lagta hai, kahin hame bhi sare niyam bhi follow na karney paden…
Goswami- Niyam to kuch follow karne padtey hain, jo madad hogi ,dharatal mein wo karengey.
(Goswami tried to reassure us when we expressed our fears over reports about the government getting tough with those violating building norms after Joshimath crisis.)
Now, Goswami claimed on Tehelka camera how the LDA had tried to cover up the matter when cracks developed in independent houses in Nainital. He said though the houses which developed cracks had not been given approval by LDA, but the authority did the face saving act by taking a legal action.
Reporter- To Nainital mein buildings mein bhi cracks aa gaye hain kya…?
Goswami- Nainital mein bhi aaye hain.
Reporter- Cracks aaye hain Joshimath ki tarah ?
Goswami- Haan haan
Reporter- To wo kya private building mein hain..ya sarkari ?
Goswami- Apne makano mein ho rahe hain.. personal.
Reporter- To usmein LDA ka kya lena dena?
Goswami-LDA ka lena dena to poora hota hai..atikraman mein…poora zila vikas pradhikaran ke ander wo hai..bilkul body ke ander hai ye..
Reporter-Jo makaano mein crack hain wo LDA se approved hain?
Goswami- Wo approved nahi hongey.. wo aisey banaye hongey. Hamne kanooni karwai ki hogi, apni bachat to ki hogi hamne…
Reporter- Hahaha
Goswami- Bachat to kartey hi hain hum apni…
Reporter- Matlab bina area ke approve kiye hongey..
Goswami- Haan thodi bahut..1-2 kamre ka..
[Goswami dubbed the LDA’s move to take legal action against builders after the houses had developed cracks in Nainital as ‘face-saving’ act by the authorities.]
We sounded Goswami about our intent to get land for building a resort in Nainital even as we sought his help for approval of the building with by-law violations. He again sought to re-assure us by saying that it is tough for anyone to follow all the rules.
Reporter- Ab aisa hai, mujhe zameen batao…clean zameen , ped na ho…15-20 nali, uspar hum banayengey resort, theek hai, ab usmein violation ho, wo aapko dekhna hai.
Goswami – Jo bhi hai mein karwa dunga…jo madad hogi..
Reporter- Theek hai..kyunki usmein sare kanooon agar hum follow karenge..
Goswami – Sare to nahi ho paatey hain…koi kar hi nahi pata hai..
[Goswami tried to put us at ease when we sought his help in getting government’s clearance for the resort despite violations by telling us that it is tough for anyone to follow all rules.]
When we inquired about the amount of bribe we would have to pay him in return for the favour, Goswami replied that he would take the cash only after the work was completed. Upon expressing our intention to pay the bribe exclusively to him and not to the draftsman, he readily agreed.
Reporter- Aap apna kharcha paani bata do..?
Goswami-Jo chai pani de dogey, jab aapka kaam ho jayega, aapse to hum le hi lengey…
Reporter- Mein paise aap hi ko dunga…draftman ko nahi.
Goswami- Koi dikkat nahi hai…koi tension nahi hai, mein aapko milwaonga…
Reporter- Aapka job hi hoga, under the table ki baat kar raha hoon mein…
[When the topic of bribe payment was raised with Goswami, he responded that he would only accept the money after the work was completed.]
As discussions concerning the resort’s construction progressed, Goswami assured us of his assistance in facilitating the project through the payment of bribes to all relevant government officials. He said this would ensure smooth running of construction process and also keep officials from red-flagging regulation violations.
Reporter- Resort bananey k liye khuli choot de dena.
Goswami- Resort k liye to zameen dekhonga bhaiya..
Reporter- Zameen dekh lo aap usmein resort bananey k liye khuli choot de dena..
Goswami- Khuli choot kya.. jab mein saath rahunga to koi dikkat hi nahi hai…
Reporter- Aisa na ho aap O.K. kar do… ooper wala koi taang ada de.?.
Goswami- Na na aisa nahi hai…uper wala tang nahi adayega,..ooper wale ka bhi mooh band kiya jata hai…wo banda ooper tak hota hai, aisa kuch nahi hain..
Reporter- Theek hai…to aap zameen bata do uske baad ek baar aur beth lenge…usmein poora estimate bana lenge, kharcha pani, aapka kitna hoga, uska kitna hoga, phir cottage ki costing kar lenge..
Goswami- Theek hai…
[Goswami offered to facilitate the resort construction by bribing government officials. This, he promised, would ensure that no one would interfere or raise objections, allowing the project to proceed unhindered.]
Goswami now guaranteed that he would “handle” the senior officers at LDA, ensuring they wouldn’t oppose our construction. To solidify this assurance, he accepted Rs 1000 from us.
Reporter- XXXXX kaun hain abhi aapke..?
Goswami- XXXXX ji hain…XXXXX…bahut badiya admi hai..
Reporter- Ye to IAS hain..?
Goswami- IAS hain..
Reporter- Aapki jaan pehchan hain ?
Goswami- Bahut badiya..
Reporter- Oopar se koi dikkat to nahi aayegi bananey mein..?
Goswami- Koi dikkat nahi aayegi aap koshish karengey to koi dikkat nahi aayegi..koshis karni padegi..
Reporter- Ye lo kharcha pani…. Rs 1000 hain…
Goswami- Haan theek hain…aap mujhe phone kijiyega, jahan pe logey mujhe bata dijiyega, aap apni samajh se lijiye
Reporter- Chahey apartment loon..?
Goswami- Haan bas jankari dijiye ga…
[Goswami boasted about his ability to “pull strings” with the bigwigs at the LDA. He then collected Rs 1000 from us, sealing the deal.]
Goswami informed us that Mukhteshwar and Bhowali were within his jurisdiction and advised us to acquire land in these areas for our resort construction. He emphasized that since these areas are under his purview, we wouldn’t encounter any issues during the construction process.
Goswami- Mukhteshwar mein chalega…
Reporter- LDA hai Mukteshwar mein…?
Goswami- Haan haan hai…meri hi duty hai…
Reporter- Jahan aapki duty ho..
Goswami- Bhowali meri duty hai…
Reporter- Mukhteshwar
Goswami- Meri hai…
Reporter- Nainital
Goswami- Nainital Bishnoi ki hai..
Reporter- Matlab aapke hotey hue koi dikkat na aaye.?.
Goswami- Dikkat aaney ki koi baat hi nahi hai.. jahan hum beech mein aayengey to…agar hum beech mein hain to koi dikkat nahi hai…
[Goswami, while disclosing that Mukhteshwar and Bhowali were under his purview, advised us to acquire land there for our resort, as it would guarantee a hassle-free construction process.]
Goswami now explained the steps involved in getting our resort map approved and assured us he could expedite the process. Regarding the financial aspect, he mentioned that the draftsman would inform us about the bribe amount required.
Reporter- Ab ye batao sir.. resort mein jo nakshey wagera pass hongey cottage ke uska kya hisab kitab rahega…?
Goswami- Uska pehle architect se naksha banvayenge… phir uske baad maloomat karke online submit ho jayega..
Reporter- LDA mein?
Goswami- LDA mein..jo bhi uske ..jo bhi uske norms hongey..jo area aapko chodna padega…side area chodhna padta hai…jis hisab se..ped bhi na gire…ped bhi nahi girna chahiya…Ped hue to dikkat aajayegi..
Reporter- Ped nahi hone chahiye..? Theek hai uske baad?.
Goswami- Uske baad pass karwayenge…pass jo karwayega wo documents lega aapke.. wo LDA ka hi hoga…
Reporter- Kharcha pani.?.
Goswami- Kharcha pani..wo karwa denge
Reporter- Matlab jaldi ho jaye naksha pass..
Reporter- Accha sir resort banane mein koi dikkat pareshani aaye..?
Goswami- Arey kuch nahi hota
Reporter- Kyunki aap LDA mein ho isliye baat kar raha hoon…aisa na ho k ye kagaz lao, ye approval lao…?
Goswami- Arey aisa hai wo to bidding hogi na..wo jo document banata hai, naksha banata hai, khud laga rehta hai uske peechey..tumhara headache kam rahega…waise hum bhi dilwa denge ..to poora headache hi uspar rahega…
Reporter- Kharcha pani to bata do..?
Goswami- Kharcha pani wo batayega…
Reporter- Ek andaza to bata do…?
Goswami- Andaza to wahi batayenge sahib..kitna hai kya hai..
Reporter- Maan lo 20 cottage hain…20 cottage ka naksha approve karwana hai hame..kitna kharcha aa jayega?
Goswami- Ab ye to draftsman batayega..
[Goswami outlined the resort construction approval process, promising swift assistance. However he insisted that the draftsman would disclose the bribe amount for approval.]
The world watched in horror as the Uttarakhand tragedy unfolded in 2013. This devastating event, along with the more recent Joshimath incident and the Silkyara tunnel crisis, begs the question: have we learned from these tragedies?
Experts point to unplanned, illegal, and heavy construction in the Himalayan state as one of the primary culprits behind these disasters. Despite expert warnings, illegal and unregulated building activities continue in Uttarakhand, as revealed by this Tehelka report, involving connivance between government officials and the land mafia.
There is a stark choice before us: Should economy get precedence over ecology or the ecosystem? Are we willing to sacrifice the fragile beauty and delicate balance of the Himalayas for short-term economic gains?
Gulmarg, a famous hilly resort in Jammu and Kashmir, was blanketed by snow on Sunday. The resort is captivating both locals and tourists, who are arriving in the Valley from the different parts of the country to witness snow, a novelty in the rest of the country.
This has temporarily relaxed the cold wave in the Valley, although the night temperatures continue to be subzero. Srinagar saw temperatures drop to a low of minus 1.3 degrees Celsius, while Pahalgam, a key spot for the Amarnath Yatra, recorded a chilling minus 5.1 degrees Celsius. Gulmarg experienced temperatures as low as minus 2.8 degrees Celsius.
A weak western disturbance impacted Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in light to moderate snowfall in higher elevations and rains in the plains. Gulmarg received around six inches of fresh snow, transforming it into a winter wonderland. Snowfall was also observed in Sonamarg tourist resort and along the Zojila axis.
The fluctuating weather conditions are expected to continue as the western disturbance is anticipated to linger till Sunday morning. The meteorological department predicts a temporary rise in minimum temperatures due to this disturbance, followed by an expected decline by one-to-three notches afterward.
New Delhi : The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday named Raghav Chadha as the party’s leader in the Rajya Sabha in the absence of Sanjay Singh, who is under judicial custody following his arrest in connection with the Delhi excise policy case.
The AAP said, “In the absence of Sanjay Singh, the party has announced Raghav Chadha as the leader of AAP in the Rajya Sabha.”
Singh was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on October 4 this year in connection with the alleged excise policy scam.
The ED had also arrested former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in connection with the case on March 9 this year, days after his arrest by the CBI on February 27 in the same case.
Noida: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has asked authorities in Gautam Buddha Nagar district to resolve disputes between builders and homebuyers as soon as possible.
The Chief Minister gave necessary instructions to officials taking cognizance of the issues faced by homebuyers in Noida, Greater Noida and Greater Noida West during his visit to the district on December 8.
Major issues that are being faced by several homebuyers in the district include delayed possession; problems in getting registries done; disputes with builders over maintenance; and disputes over the formation of apartment owners’ associations (AOAs), among others.
The Chief Minister directed officials to expedite the property registration process.
He also sought information from officials of Noida, Greater Noida and Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority about the current status of various disputes between builders and buyers.
Chief Minister Adityanath asked all three authorities to resolve disputes between builders and buyers expeditiously. There is no need to complicate the issues with legal processes, he suggested.
In Greater Noida, the committee constituted by the Authority to resolve builder-buyer disputes held a meeting on December 12 to provide rights to the flat buyers.
Representatives of the authority, CREDAI and flat buyers participated in the meeting.
In the meeting, discussions were held to find solutions to the issues like completion of the incomplete project, formation of AOAs in societies, and transfer of interest-free maintenance security (IFMS) fund of the society, among others.
The next meeting of the committee will be on January 3 next year.
There are around 200 societies in Greater Noida and in many of these societies; there are disputes between the residents and the representatives of the builder or apartment owner association.
To resolve these disputes quickly, CEO of the Authority N.G. Ravi Kumar constituted a nine-member committee under the chairmanship of Authority’s ACEO Soumya Srivastava.
The first meeting of the committee was held on November 21 while the second meeting was held on December 12, in which discussions were held to resolve the disputes related to the projects of SDS Infratech, Nandi Infratech Havelia Builders, Supertech Eco Village One and Rudra Buildwell.
Srivastava said that the lift problem came to light in SDS Infratech’s project NRI Residency Society located in Sector Omega 2. Instructions have been given to solve it soon. The AOA has also been asked to complete the process of handing over the committee by February.
Flat buyers in Nandi Infratech’s Amatra Homes in Sector 10 raised the issue of the registry. The builder was instructed to get the occupancy certificate soon and get it registered. The problem of lift came to light here also, which has been asked to be resolved immediately.
Buyers of Havelia Builder raised the issue of not constituting AOA and demolition of illegal construction in the society. The committee directed the builder to conduct elections by February and constitute AOA. Besides, instructions have also been given to demolish the illegal construction immediately.
Rudra Buildwell flat buyers raised the issue of the registry. On behalf of the builder, the committee was informed that the process of obtaining the occupancy certificate is going on. Registration will also start soon.
Following the instructions of the Chief Minister, all the authorities are now holding regular meetings with the builders falling under their jurisdiction.
In this series, on Saturday, the CEO of Noida Authority held a meeting with builders and AOAs.
In the meeting, issues related to five group housing builders — Imperial Housing Venture (Paras Tierra), Supertech, Sethi Buildwell, Antriksh Developers, and Ajnara India — were addressed.
Imperial Housing Venture and Sethi Buildwell were instructed to transfer the IFMS amount to AOA within a month.
Imperial Housing Venture has taken water supply connections from the authority for only 1050 flats while the total flats under the project are 3900. Therefore, it has been decided that the water department of the authority will issue a notice to the builder for the water supply to the remaining 2850 flats.
Observers do not see any explanation to IDF targeting Palestinian journalists and their families. These journalists cover Israeli forces’s atrocities against Palestinian people. From Al Jazeera’s Shireen Abu Aqilah’s assassination to its photographer Samir Abu Daqqah. (an Al Jazeera cameraman was left to bleed on the ground after an Israeli airstrike targeted a UN- run school used by refugees in Khan Yunis, Gaza on Friday 15-12-2023.) It appears to be nothing more than an attempt to conceal its crimes and facts on the ground.
More than 90 journalists have been killed in Israel’s war on Gaza
Since October 7, but Aljazeera Journalists are on its special target.
In May 2022 Shireen Abu Aqilah was covering Israeli forces’ eminent attack on Jenin Camp in North West Bank when they decided to silence her with a fatal gunshot. Meanwhile, “Wail Al Duhduh” was reporting live on the air, describing the devastation and brutal war launched by Israeli forces on Gaza. In an attempt to neutralize him, they targeted him with a missile destroying a house where his family sought refuge. Al-Duhduh lost his wife, daughter, son and grandson in the air strike carried by Israeli forces.
According to analysts, Israel could not tolerate divergent media coverage from major Western outlets. Instead, they embraced the false narrative propagated by the Israeli forces, accusing Palestinians for committing crimes against women and beheading Israeli children during the execution of the “Al-Aqsa Flood operation” at the end of the initial phase of the operation.
According to Aljazeera, on Monday (11-12-2023) an air strike targeted the family of its journalist Anas Sharif in Jabalia refugee camp, resulting in the death of journalist’s 90 year old father. As reported by Al Jazeera on November 22, 2023, the journalist, Al Sharif, had received threats from an Israeli military officer via phone.
It is evident that Al Jazeera is the sole media outlet whose journalists are courageously reporting from the frontlines of the Gaza conflict without succumbing to fear or external pressure. They are dedicated to convey the ground reality of the situation to the world, a task that has not been well-received by the Israeli force.
It is high time journalist covering Gaza receive adequate protection. The international community must take decisive action against the brutalities inflicted upon journalists in Gaza by the IDF. The United States must exert pressure on the Israeli government to ensure accountability for these ruthless actions, as the world deserves to know the reality of what is happening in Gaza.
Dr Maqsood ul Hasan Qasmi -(Writer is a prominent Islamic scholar, he has PhD. On Palestinian issue)
The current fortnight saw animated debates in the media in the aftermath of the Supreme Court upholding the Centre’s 2019 decision to abrogate Article 370 that gave a special status to Jammu and Kashmir. The Apex court also upheld the decision to bifurcate the state into the union territories of J&K and Ladakh while observing that Article 370 was a temporary provision and the President was empowered to revoke. The court has directed the government to hold Assembly elections by September 30 next year.
While Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the verdict as a ‘resounding declaration of hope, progress and unity’, but for the INDIA bloc, which came into existence about five months back, the challenges have become two-fold. The first challenge is to formulate its response, as many leaders believe popular sentiment has always been in favour of the abrogation of Article 370. The second challenge is to absorb the shock that came in the form of the debacle in the Assembly poll ahead of Lok Sabha elections that are just around the corner. The results have not only come as a setback for the Congress but for the 28-party INDIA bloc and in the grouping which has called a meeting on December 19 to check fissures that have become imminent.
In a scenario when the focus of the media was only on politics, Tehelka sent its special investigation team to unearth if lessons have been learnt from the Silkyara tunnel cave incident in Uttarkashi and ecological concerns redressed? Ironically, Tehelka SIT found that despite back-from-the-brink Uttarkashi tunnel rescue act resulting in rescue of all the 41 trapped workers, it’s life as usual in an eco-fragile region as building regulations go for a toss with corrupt officials conniving with violators. Whether it’s the cracks appearing in houses in Joshimath and Nainital, the 2013 tragedy in Kedarnath, or the recent incident of the Silkyara tunnel collapse, all these events are a grave reminder that red-flag the perils of construction in ecologically sensitive areas of the Himalayas.
Tehelka cover story ‘Cocking a snook at Silkyara’ by SIT records on camera touts who offer to get our fictional building proposals in Uttarakhand approved, in violation of building by-laws, contingent upon the bribe we pay. The SIT had earlier done stories – ‘That sinking feeling’ and ‘Violations for Cash: Joshimath Crisis and After’ to highlight how agents and some officials were conniving to violate building by-laws with impunity. This shows that instead of serving as a wake-up call, the recent incidents have failed to bring on board any fool proof roadmap to plug the loopholes to enforce environmental norms. The ongoing activities of touts are nothing but a recipe for an imminent disaster. The purpose of Tehelka effort would be fulfilled only if amid the nationwide euphoria over meticulously planned tunnel rescue operation, questions are raised if lessons have been learnt from the Silkyara ordeal and remedial measures initiated?
Though assembly results have given an edge to the BJP for 2024 poll, but past outcomes indicate that trends seen in state results seldom carry over to the national stage. It’s yet to seen how INDIA block comprising parties with conflicting interests takes on the mighty BJP. A report by Mudit Mathur
The results of recently held Assembly elections have dealt a blow to the Congress with the party losing two states of Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, which it ruled earlier, to the BJP, while crashing to a humbling defeat in Madhya Pradesh. Surprisingly, while the grand old party suffered defeat in all the three cow belt states, it registered a gain in total votes polled which points towards BJP’s better poll management at local level. The BJP’s resounding win indicates towards undiminished sway of “Modi Magic” amid allegations of lack of level-playing field with questions being raised over the conduct of the Election Commission and unbridled use of financial resources for publicity during electioneering. The BJP campaign, aimed at religious polarisation, succeeded in blunting the caste census pitch raised by the Congress and the INDIA alliance.
It is believed that strong Hindutva wave swayed poll results in favour of BJP despite visible anger among people over issues concerning their day-to-day life, including record high unemployment and steep price rise. The Congress’ poll promises of restoration of Old Pension Scheme (OPS), farm loan waiver, free supply of electricity, subsidised LPG cylinder, old age pension and pension for women pension failed to cut ice with the voters. Besides, the party’s pitch for caste census for social justice failed to make the desired impact.
On the other hand, triumph of the Congress in Telangana against powerful regional party also signalled how a focussed campaign by the top party leadership can bring a change and favourable results despite factionalism plaguing the state unit. It has a herculean challenge ahead of parliamentary elections to check saffron tide of religious frenzy which is expected to be unleashed before and after consecration (Prana Pratishtha) of Ram temple scheduled for January 22.
There have been allegations about the Election Commission failing to implement “code of conduct” fairly during elections and selectively acting against the Congress leaders. Also, the commission has been accused of overlooking the violations committed by the BJP leaders.
In a development dubbed as unprecedented by the Congress, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) continued raiding opposition leaders even after the imposition of Model Code of Conduct (MCC), even three to four days before the polling date. The opposition leaders alleged that it was done by the BJP to defame them and malign their public image to unfairly gain a political mileage whereas none of those associated with the saffron party was raided.
Most of the political analysts feel that the results have exceeded their assessment about BJP’s performance. Despite the Exit Polls predicting a neck-and-neck contest in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, the BJP won with a comfortable margin over its rival Congress party. Further, it has unexpectedly won Chhattisgarh, where it was seen lagging much behind the Congress during the campaign. Perhaps overconfident Gandhi scion and Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge counted their chickens before they hatched.
Though initially, BJP sidelined its state leadership to announce its chief ministerial face for the campaign and declared that elections would be contested on PM Modi’s face but in the last leg, it pushed state leaders to hold their fort. With the kind of victory with many stalwart Union Ministers winning the state elections, it may lead to leadership crisis within BJP. The BJP conquered the Congress winning 115 of the total 199 seats in the Rajasthan Assembly.
But the saffron party stunned the Congress with a massive victory in the Madhya Pradesh by winning 163 out of the total 230 seats in the state assembly and overcoming anti-incumbency factor against chief minister Shivraj Singh-led government in the state. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan attributed the victory to the double-engine government.
The Congress could win just 66 seats and the Bharat Adivasi Party tasted its maiden win in the state polls from the Sailana constituency near Rajasthan border. Chouhan’s women-centric schemes are believed to have helped the party to overcome the anti-incumbency factor.
In addition to this, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led the election campaign in the state and Union Home Minister Amit Shah took control of the electioneering on the ground level that seemed to have overwhelmed the Congress. The Congress banked on the leadership of 76-year-old Kamal Nath overlooking claims of aspiring youngsters to come on the central stage. It may be mentioned that the alleged arrogant behaviour of Kamal Nath in the past was blamed for the fall of the Congress government led by him when Jyotiraditya Scindia along with his loyal legislators crossed over to the BJP.
In Raipur, the former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and BJP leader Raman Singh announced the name of Vishnu Dev Sai as the next Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh during the BJP legislature party meeting. A former Union Minister and four-time Lok Sabha MP, 59-year-old Sai was also a two-time MLA before Chhattisgarh was carved out of Madhya Pradesh. With this, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has fulfilled his poll promise of making a tribal leader as chief minister of Chhattisgarh if the BJP came to power. The BJP had sprung a surprise by winning 54 seats in Chhattisgarh.
In Telangana, the Congress ousted Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) after securing 64 out of the 119 seats. BRS has been ruling the state since 2014, when Telangana was carved out of Andhra Pradesh. Telangana witnessed a triangular contest between the BRS, the Congress and the BJP. The Congress got the historic success on the strength of impressive poll campaign while also benefiting from the anti-incumbency factor against the K Chandrashekar Rao-led BRS government that was seeking third consecutive term.
The emergence of a national party in Telangana against a powerful regional satrap sends political signal for a possibility of re-emergence of national parties in other states too. These parties actually thrive in their states on the strength of estranged voters of the Congress.
Mizoram saw a newly formed party, the Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM), coming trumps in state election in a surprise result. ZPM had announced its candidates and economic agenda well ahead of the polls giving its candidates time to familiarise themselves with their constituencies and vice-versa. The party rejected the idea of cash incentives, arguing it had led to extensive corruption. A significant point that counted with farmers was the ZPM declaration that it would fix minimum support prices for four key cash crops – turmeric, ginger, chilli and broomstick plants.
Though results of these five state assemblies, considered to be semi-final for 2024 parliamentary elections, have given an edge to the BJP, but as has been borne out by past poll outcomes, the voting pattern in parliamentary elections has tended to be different from assembly poll. It is yet to be seen how INDIA block with conflicting interests among alliance parties can take on rising might of the BJP.
Meanwhile, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh has said that the next meeting of INDIA alliance will be held in Delhi on December 19. The alliance meeting scheduled for 6th December earlier was deferred as some of the leaders had expressed their inability to attend the same. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Trinmool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, who had thrown the spanner, have now agreed to attend the alliance’s fourth meeting.
While one cannot and should not grudge the BJP its resounding victory, the Party should not throw caution to the wind as nothing is ever certain in politics.
The script that was being written before the Assembly elections is now complete. Post the stunning, yes stunning, results it is clear that the BJP is on a high. And not without reason because it has a brand that no other Party has: Brand Modi. His party has marketed him well and in turn accrued dividends.
As Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has enough to show: his developmental schemes which have reached the poor; his pro-women initiatives; his government’s thrust on sports; the G-20 summit which involved major cities and was “people-centric”; the moon and sun missions as it were; and more importantly the Ram temple being thrown open to believers early next year.
Even for non-believers, Ayodhya would throw open opportunities for employment and be a tourist hub.
For aspirational Indians and the millennials, Modi is that one single factor that has helped bring India centre-stage on the world platform. Under his leadership, when he speaks, the world sits up and listens.
One cannot take away from the Prime Minister his vision and the fact that he willingly opts for a sixer rather than a one run at a time strategy, if one may use a cricket terminology.
A case in point is making G-20 a household name; making it a mega event by taking it to 60 cities all over India; and more importantly pushing for a permanent membership of the African Union and so on and so forth. Add to this, the gender empowerment initiatives and the list is kind of endless.
Of course, there is a flip side to all this: a negative that Modi critics never fail to flag. And that negative somehow cancels the bag of positives that the Modi government routinely propagates.
For starters, it is the erosion of institutions including the media wherein every independent voice is muzzled.
Add to this, the general atmosphere of fear that prevails all around: the perception being that not many can breathe easy and those who do speak their mind, are silenced. There are umpteen examples of cases being slapped against those who have tried to show a mirror to the Government or slammed the Prime Minister as dictatorial. The sum total: a Modi critic is no friend and thus has no place in the current scheme of things.
While on the last, there is enough evidence to suggest that even ministers within the Government are no more than minions and expected to toe the dotted line. Fall out of step and you have fallen from grace as it were.
What however surpasses all this is the communal divide that has visibly gripped the nation: the Muslims are “undeclared outsiders” and the BJP, it seems, would rather that they leave than stay in India which is, by an unwritten code, fast turning into Bharat or Hindustan.
In fact, on Bharat, there is a forward movement with G-20 invites showcasing the country’s new nomenclature as Bharat instead of India.
To refresh memory, Narendra Modi was described as Prime Minister of Bharat instead of Prime Minister of India, which has, so far, been the norm. That the move died a sudden death is another matter. Probably it had served its political purpose given that many saw it as a panic reaction to the Opposition calling itself I.N.D.I.A: a group of 28 parties to take on the BJP in 2024.
This brings us to the recently concluded Assembly elections wherein the alliance came across as a divided house throwing to the winds the well-crafted strategy of posing a serious challenge to Prime Minister Modi and his government in 2024.
That it came to a naught is another matter.
It is no secret that the one to spoil the broth was none other than the Congress itself. The grand old Party refused to accommodate its allies in the crucial Hindi belt.
The rancour between Samajwadi and the Congress Party was out in the open when the Congress refused to give it the half a dozen seats it had sought. To add insult to injury, it was Congress leader Kamal Nath who kind of sounded abusive while referring to SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav: “Arey bhai, chodo Akhilesh vakilesh”.
The inference: Akhilesh not a factor and not worth considering.
Nath was responding to Yadav’s Congress-betrayal remark wherein Yadav had said that he was unaware of the fact that the alliance partners were not fighting together at the state level.
Nitish Kumar too was right when he said that the Congress seemed more interested in the assembly polls than the general elections in 2024.
There was heartburn in Telangana too, where Congress grudgingly and reluctantly gave only one seat to the CPI and that too at the last minute. As for the CPI (M), the Congress did not agree to accommodate its two-seat demand.
There is a view, however minor, about the alliance not fighting elections together being a kind of a face-saver on grounds that had the alliance lost it would have adversely impacted and perhaps jeopardized its chances in 2024. But this is akin to the “grapes are sour” story.
Fast forward to 2024 and there are several possibilities on the anvil.
The BJP is upbeat given that the Assembly election results have given it a score that has, perhaps, surpassed even its own in-house calculations.
While it had an edge in two states, for it to practically sweep the north by bagging all three is a windfall. Telangana and Mizoram were never on its radar.
This victory has, for the BJP, reiterated the 2024 is ours spiel.
It has also strengthened the belief that the Modi charisma works as nothing else.
Apart from giving the saffron party an edge over others, the dismal performance of the Congress party and cracks in the grand alliance are enough reasons for the BJP to feel smug.
However, the rhetoric that 2024 is a foregone conclusion, let us talk about 2029 does have its limitations.
For one, nothing is ever certain in politics. When Rajiv Gandhi was sworn in with an impressive mandate, everyone thought he was in for a long haul. But his tenure was marred by the Bofors scandal which resulted in the Congress losing power. So the man who had created electoral history by helping his Party win 414 Lok Sabha seats could not last beyond one term as Prime Minister.
Therefore while one cannot and should not grudge the BJP its resounding victory and hail Modi moment, the Party should not throw caution to the wind.
