Rae Bareli: If there is one Lok Sabha seat in the country that can claim to have the longest association with the Gandhi family, it is the Rae Bareli seat in Uttar Pradesh.
Rahul Gandhi’s decision to contest from the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat shows that the family still cherishes its ties with this constituency, but it will not be a cakewalk this time.
Situated on the banks of the Sai River, 82 km southeast of Lucknow, Rae Bareli can truly be termed a Congress bastion.
After Independence, barring three occasions, the Congress has been continuously winning the seat.
Feroz Gandhi, husband of Indira Gandhi, first won Rae Bareli in 1952 and then in 1957. After he died in 1960, R.P. Singh and Baijnath Kureel won the seat till Indira Gandhi took it over in 1967.
In 1977, Raj Narain of Janata Party defeated Indira Gandhi but Rae Bareli went back to Indira Gandhi in 1980.
In 1996 and 1998, the seat was won by BJP’s Ashok Singh but during this period, no member of the Gandhi family was in active politics.
From 2004 to 2019 Sonia Gandhi retained this seat.
Earlier this year, she opted for Rajya Sabha, apparently due to health reasons, and wrote an emotional note to the people of her constituency, chronicling her family ties with them and promising to maintain the relationship.
While Rae Bareli has remained loyal to the Gandhi family in the past decades, the party cadres in the constituency have almost wilted away.
Of the five Assembly seats, four — Bachhrawan (SC), Harchandpur, Sareni and Unchahar — are held by the Samajwadi Party while the Sadar seat is held by the BJP.
The prolonged absence of the Gandhis from Rae Bareli and the emergence of ‘middlemen’ who claim to act as a bridge between the people and their leader have driven away most of the local leaders to other parties.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has been occasionally visiting her mother’s constituency but has not found time to interact directly with grassroots workers.
As things stand today, Congress has virtually no presence left in the constituency though the older generation of voters are still emotionally inclined towards the Gandhis.
The young generation of voters, however, is deeply influenced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Rahul Gandhi will face an uphill task in bringing Congress veterans back to the centre stage and getting the act together.
He will need to work hard to preserve the seven-decade-old relationship of his family with the constituency.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday issued a challenge to the Congress, daring them to restore Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, abolish the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), and repeal the law banning triple talaq.
“I have buried Article 370. It is gone now. I want to challenge the Congress’ royal family and its ‘shehzada’ (a jibe at the Gandhi family and Rahul Gandhi) that if it is your hidden agenda, then come out in the open and tell people you will restore Article 370,” he said.
Speaking at a rally in Junagadh, Gujarat, Prime Minister Modi emphasized that the ongoing Lok Sabha elections were not merely about personal ambitions but about fulfilling his “mission.”
“These elections are not for my ambition, as people have fulfilled that ambition in 2014. The 2024 elections are for Modi’s mission,” he stated.
Accusing the Congress of having a “dangerous mentality,” Modi claimed that its manifesto resembled that of the Muslim League.
“For Congress, this election is all about saving its existence, and the party is relying on its ‘Mazhabi vote bank’ to stay afloat,” he asserted.
Referring to the controversy surrounding the Katchatheevu island, Modi criticized the previous Congress government, stating that during their rule, the Union government had no knowledge of the exact number of islands India possessed.
“I then got a satellite survey done and found that we have 1,300 islands. Some of them are as big as Singapore. We will develop some of them for tourism purposes,” he announced.
Modi also criticized the Congress for its alleged divisive politics, stating that a Congress leader had recently spoken about separating South India and forming a new nation.
“The Congress will create a dangerous situation for the country if it comes to power. They may give away the Kutch desert claiming no one lives there,” he warned.
The Prime Minister also accused the Congress of neglecting national interests, claiming that they had given away several uninhabited islands during their tenure.
Attacking Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge over a recent remark pertaining to Lord Ram and Lord Shiva, Modi claimed that the opposition party had declared this election as a fight against Lord Ram.
“The Congress president said his objective was to defeat Lord Ram and that Lord Shiva will defeat Lord Ram. What are they thinking? The Mughals destroyed the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and the Somnath Temple with this same mentality,” Modi asserted.
Regarding reservation for Muslims, Modi said that after Independence, it was decided, following careful deliberations, that religion-based quotas would not be granted.
“The Congress now wants to snatch such quotas and give them to others,” he said.
Tehelka SIT report unveils the challenge posed by deliberate dissemination of misinformation during polls, with digital marketing companies eager to play along for profit
“For spreading misinformation during elections, we don’t need any facts or evidence to work on. We simply create fake accounts on social media to disseminate misinformation and promptly close them. The Election Commission of India (ECI) can’t trace these bot accounts. This is our guarantee, backed by our 14 years of experience in the social media business. In 2019 general elections also, I managed a big Hindi news channel to post a tweet in favour of a big politician contesting Lok Sabha election by paying the media house Rs 5 lakh for one tweet.”
Meet Gaurav Maggo, the director of Seoage Digital Marketing company, headquartered in Dwarka, New Delhi. Accompanied by his associate manager, Akshay Kumar, Gaurav met us at a five-star hotel in Delhi to discuss the digital marketing strategy for our fictitious candidates purportedly running independently in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Uttar Pradesh.
As the Election Commission of India announced the poll schedule for the 2024 general elections, it singled out the challenge of reining in “4Ms” — muscle, money, misinformation, and Model Code of Conduct (MCC) violations — to ensure free and fair elections. In previous issues, Tehelka conducted investigations on the misuse of muscle power and MCC violations. This time, we areshifting our focus to the menace of misinformation. Specifically, our report delves into how digital marketing companies are aiding and are prepared to assist candidates in the election fray by spreading misinformation or disinformation on social media, effectively pulling the wool over the eyes of the Election Commission of India.
Our investigation commenced as we delved into the realm of digital marketing companies involved in the business of spreading misinformation during elections. Our focus narrowed to Seoage Digital Marketing Company Private Limited, headquartered in Delhi. Armed with their contact details, we initiated communication. A phone call from the company swiftly led to a face-to-face meeting at a five-star hotel in Delhi. During the meeting, we met with two representatives of the company: Gaurav Maggo and Akshay Kumar, a seasoned duo experienced in political promotion on digital platforms.
Akshay Kumar
We presented them with a fictitious scenario, stating that several of our candidates were independently contesting the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Uttar Pradesh and required digital promotion, including spreading of misinformation about their rival candidates.
Gaurav Maggo
Gaurav, with a calculated air, apprised us of his strategy: deploying bot accounts to disseminate disinformation about our opponents. Crucially, he assured us that he would promptly close these accounts, thus evading the vigilant gaze of theElection Commission of India even as he emphasized his extensive experience of 14 years of experience in the digital marketing business.
Reporter- Phir wahi baat hai na.. immediately band ho gaya to EC ki nazar mein aa jayega..?
Gaurav- Nahi..that will be.. sab cheezein hoti hain.. kaise banti hai hum jaantey hain, hum to already usmein hain, hum to 14 saal se kar hi rahe hain wo kaam..
Reporter- 14 saal se hain aap digital media mein.
Gaurav- haan ji
[Gaurav reveals the sophisticated tactics used in political campaigns and the challenges of regulating digital misinformation even as he tries to leverage the long experience he has in digital media to cut a deal.]
When we told Gaurav that we were not armed with evidence or facts about our rival candidates, he tried to reassure us by saying that for spreading misinformation, he did not require facts or evidence, adding that for that black collar or fake accounts are used. He suggested leveraging existing information and exploiting uncertainties.
Reporter- Nahi mein ye jaanna chah raha hoon opposition candidate ki misinformation jo hum karenge..wo kaise karenge..
Gaurav- Accha misinformation…sir dekho.. information to aap hi dogey ki ye chal raha hai..usko chalayenge.
Reporter- Idea to aap de saktey ho..?
Gaurav- Idea to main tab de sakta hoon jab aapko kuch bhi na pata ho us aadmi k baare mein..ke uska koi mislead kiya hai ya nahi bhi kiya hai…ya aapko pata hai ki is cheez mein wo phasa tha..wo purane mudde utha ke lao..
Reporter- Maan lijiye koi document nahi milta hai,evidence nahi milta hai..to?
Gaurav- Evidence ki zaroorat nahi hoti hai ismein…tabhi to black collar hota hai…tabhi to usey black collar kehtey hain..
[As our undercover reporter and Gaurav discuss the strategy of spreading misinformation about the opposition candidates, we learn about the tactics involved in orchestrating malicious campaigns.]
We now inquired from Gaurav as to how he will spread misinformation about the candidates who have clean image, to which he mentioned using bots for dissemination tactics and targeted social media campaigns.
Reporter- Mujhe ek cheez bataiye kya misinformation ka counter misinformation nahi ho sakta?
Gaurav- Ho sakta hai.. magar yahan pe misinformation agar ek baar aa gayi to aap ek negative image bande ki nahi bana saktey..maan lijiye maine aaj aap ko bataya ki falane ne jakey aisa kaam kiya.. to pehla impression kya chala gaya: ‘arey isne to rape kar diya’. Ek aadmi par already blame game chal raha hai..to aap counter kaise marogey…aap apne aap ko clear karogey ya pehle counter marogey..samajh rahe ho aap, pehli baar aap clear karogey.. char din baad counter maar dunga mein…bhai pehle apne ko clear bhi to karogey phir 4 din baad counter maar do..
Reporter- Wo counter kya hoga main janna chah raha hoon, clear to aapne kar diya positive video bana ke..?
Gaurav- Ab jaise unhei pata hai is aadmi ki yahan pe ye chori pakdi gayi hai…
Reporter- Koi nahi pakdi gayi maan lo clear aadmi hai, dono aadmi clear hain.. maine yahi sawal kiya aapse misinformation ka
Gaurav- Misinformation par misinformation marenge.
[The conversation underscores the challenge of combating misinformation once it’s circulated and sheds light on the manipulative tactics employed in political discourse.]
Now, Gaurav suggested using fake accounts, categorized as white and black collar ones, for promotions, claiming all parties employ bots for campaigns, assuring they won’t violate Election Commission guidelines. He discussed the distinction between “white and black collar accounts” and their utilization in campaigns, highlighting the widespread use of bots in political strategies.He also explained bots’ temporary nature and assured they’d cease before elections, emphasizing the importance of strategic timing for maximizing impact while evading detection.
Gaurav- Accha ismein bhai sab do cheezein hoti hain, ek black collar ek white collar, aapko black collar chahiye ya white..?
Gaurav- Difference ye hota hai ki accounts hotey hain.. khultey hain band hotey hain, white collar ye hota hai ki aapke account se hi ho raha hai..
Reporter- Genuine hongey ?
Gaurav- Genuine honge..
Reporter- Black wale fake honge…?
Gaurav- Ji.
Reporter- To fake account se karwana theek hoga..?
Gaurav- Wo aap dekh lo log to karate hain, actually kya hota kuch time k liye account khulta hai phir band ho jata hai…Bots ho gaya..Bots kya hota hai ki promotion aapke us account se ho rahi hai reach badhaney k liye…
Reporter- Hoon..ok
Gaurav- Ki jaise ab mere pass subscribers hain…bahut saare to maine Bots kar diye …UP ke ander mein jo logon ko reach mil rahi hai..wo aapko ek acha impact mil raha hai uska..multiple jo hain na socities bani hui hain..Facebook k uper group bane hue hain..uspar hum log reach banatey hain..
Reporter- Ye ho ke fake account pakad mein na aaye..
Gaurav- Nahi hoga wo ek baar hokar band ho jata hai…
Reporter- Dekhiye aapko pata hoga Election commission ki guidelines hain…model code of conduct.. information leak nahi hona chahiye…
Gaurav- Wo cheez sir aapne dekhni hai, is mein ye sab cheez hoti hai, ye XXXX ji bhi kartey hain ye XXXX party bhi karti hai, ye sab kar rahe hain..
Reporter – Accha aap jitney candidates ki kar rahe ho.. wo fake tareeke se kar rahe hain..?
Gaurav- Kar rahe hain..kyunki unka to abhi start nahi hua hai, unka to May 24 ke baad hai..achar sanhita se pehle kar loge to acha hoga
Reporter- Achar sanhita ke baad bola tha, election announce honey se pehle…
Gaurav- Haan to achar sanhita se pehle pehle kar lo ?
Reporter- Ab to achar sanhita lagi hui hai…?
Gaurav- Lagi hui hain lekin account miltey hain na.. to usmein dikkat kya hai.. usey promote karo..usmein koi fake account nahi hai, mere hain 5 lakh subscribers.. wo mein unhein agar koi information de raha hoon to koi burai thodi hai usmein…
Reporter- Aap keh rahe ho na kuch time ke liye promotion band ho jaate hain..
Gaurav- Wo to isliye keh raha kabhi EC ne poocha ki aap ne kya kya promotion kiye, is wajah se log kya kartey hain usko band kar detey hain, jab election hai us time par kiya phir band kar diya..
Reporter- Accha Bot account k liye ye hai ki election tak wo operate rahenge phir ?
Gaurav- Band ho jayengey..haan ji.. Election se do din pehle sab band ho jata hai, 48 hrs pehle..but 48 ghante pehle sab print aur online band hota hai..commentaries band hoti hai, but whatsapp chalta hai…
[The conversation underscores the intricate methods used in political promotion and the challenges of adhering to election regulations amidst evolving digital tactics.]
While addressing our concerns, Gaurav assured that our fake social media accounts wouldn’t attract the Election Commission’s attention even as he mentioned that candidates do send SMS messages even on voting day. He shared his company’s experience in promoting election candidates digitally, handling eight contenders for the 2024 general elections, including Delhi’s XXXX and XXXX from the XXXX party.
Gaurav- Kai baar to aisa bhi hota hai ki on the day of election bhi log SMS bhejtey hain…
Reporter- Ye dekh lijiyega ki fake account jo hai wo election commission k pakad mein na aaye..
Gaurav- Wo sab.. that is not a problem..
[Gaurav assured us that our fake accounts on social media would not attract the attention of the Election Commission of India. He also informed us that some candidates send SMS messages to their voters even on the day of voting.]
When asked about his past experience in promoting election candidates on digital platforms, Gaurav mentioned that his company had handled the digital promotion of numerous candidates in the past. Currently, he claimed, they are managing campaigns for eight candidates participating in the 2024 general elections.
Reporter- Aapko political experience hai..?
Gaurav-Hum logon ne kiya hai..
Reporter- Hume aise log chahiye jo election campaign kar chuke ho…parties k liye candidates k liye marketing kar chuke hain…
Gaurav- Delhi mein already XXXXXX ji hain… XXXX party se XXXXX ji hain, to in logon ka kaam kar chuke hain aur kar bhi rahe hain..XXXX ji, XXXX hain XXXX se, un ka already hum kar rahe hain.
Reporter- Ye log contest kar rahe hain.?
Gaurav- They are contesting elections..
Reporter- To unka kya kya dekh rahe hain aap…?
Gaurav- Sir unka sara social media handling, even though hamare pass team hai jo all round inhi k saath rehti hai.. wo hame clips bhejte hain aur hum phataphat unko upload karte hain, to jitni bhi rallies hai, sab cheezein hum log handle kar rahe hain..
Reporter- Filhal 2024 mein kitne candidates hain aapke pass.?
Gaurav- Abhi sir hamare pass 8 candidates hain..
Reporter- Sab Delhi k hain kis kis party k hain…?
Gaurav- Ek XXXX ho gaya, XXXX hai, ek XXX party bani hai, uske..8-10 log hain wo bhi others mein hain…
[The conversation reveals how political marketers rely on past successes and ongoing engagements to navigate current campaigns effectively.]
When asked if he could arrange favorable tweets on X (formerly Twitter) for their candidates, Gaurav proposed engaging major Hindi news channels for such tasks. He cited a previous instance three years ago, where he facilitated positive tweets for a senior politician through a prominent Hindi news channel for Rs 5 lakh.
Reporter- Accha kuch aisa ho sakta hai ki koi inke favour mein tweet kar de..?
Gaurav- Sir wo to channel se karwana padega, news channel se..
Reporter- News channel se matlab..?
Gaurav- Jo bade bade news channel hain, XXXXX , XXXXX etc..agar hum inko bolte hain to aapko acha brand value mil jayegi..
Reporter- Lekin wo kyun tweet karengey ?
Gaurav- Wo isliye karengey kyunki unko pay kiya jayega…
Reporter- Ek tweet ka kitna hoga amount.?
Gaurav- Sir wo mujhe pooch kar pata chalega
Reporter- Aapne pehle bhi karaya hoga ?
Gaurav- Sir maine jo last kiya tha, XXXXX se karwaya tha, wo mere se already services letey hain SMS ki to unhoney ek person ke liye kiya tha.. to 5 lakh liya tha.
Reporter- XXXXX ne lagaya tha ?
Gaurav- 3 saal pehle XXXX ke liya..
Reporter- XXXXX k liye 3 saal pehle
[Gaurav unveils the practice of manipulating social media narratives through paid endorsements, highlighting the intersection of media influence and political campaigns.]
Gaurav also agreed to engage Bollywood stars or influencers for tweeting in favor of their candidates for a fee, showcasing the trend of leveraging celebrity endorsements to bolster political campaigns in the digital age. He also discussedthe distinction between Bollywood stars and other celebrities for endorsements.
Reporter- Sir mein ye chahta hoon ke koi celebrity Bollywood ka inke favour mein tweet kar de?
Gaurav- Boliye kissey karwana hai, boliye sir..ye to influencer ka hi kaam hai..
Reporter- Aap hi bata do…lekin Bollywood star alag cheez ho gaya.. celebrity alag cheez,
Gaurav- Waise dono ek hi level ka hota hai..
Reporter- Bollywood star ki zyada mass appeal hai..
Gaurav- Aapko chahiye kis level ka wo matter karta hai…
Reporter- Aap kara dijiye XXXXX ka..
[The conversation sheds light on the distinction between Bollywood stars and other celebrities for endorsements, revealing the practice of leveraging celebrity influence in political campaigns.]
Gaurav then introduced his influencer service, offering candidates like Sunny Arya alias Tehelka bhai and Elvish Yadav for constituency visits, each charging Rs 7 lakh. The reporter inquired about the impact of influencer meetings on election campaigns, shedding light on the use of social media influencers for political branding.
Gaurav- Baki hamara influencer ka bhi kaam hai..aapko agar influencer chahiye to mil jayenge..?
Reporter- Influencer ki agar hum koi meeting karwa dein election mein..ussey fayda hoga..?
Gaurav- Ji aapko branding chahiye…ab mein Elvish ko kahun tu jakar branding kar UP mein to kyun nahi karega..
Reporter- Elvish wo to phasa hua hai case mein..?
Gaurav- Phasa …ab to clear ho gaya .
Gaurav- Ab Tehelka bhai ka naam suna hoga aapne ?
Reporter- Tehelka bhai..haan.
Gaurav- Sunny arya..aap kahogey to mein arrange karwa dunga.
Reporter- Uske charges kya honge sir ?
Gaurav- Sir depend karta hai wo kya charge karega ?
Reporter- Maan lijiye Elvish hai.. Tehalka hai..?
Gaurav- Sir Elvish, Tehelka bhai to bade hain. 7-7 lakh rupiya lete hain..
[Our undercover reporter queried about the effectiveness of influencer meetings in elections, revealing the utilization of social media influencers for political branding strategies.]
Now, Gaurav detailed his financial plan, encompassing expenses for spreading misinformation, securing favorable tweets, using influencers, and viral videos for the Lok Sabha election, which, he claimed, would burn a Rs 10-lakh hole in our pockets. He emphasized the necessity of a substantial budget, of Rs 10 lakh at least, for effective social media outreach.
Gaurav- This is an MP election.. right?.. jiske liye hum baat kar rahe hain, is waqt jo MP ka budget lekar sab chal rahe hain wo 5-10 lakh rupees ka hai.
Reporter- Social media ka?
Gaurav- Sab kuch. SMS, whatsapp, voice ye maan kar chaliye kam se kam 10 lakh ka budget. Is ke neechey koi fayda hi nahi..reach hi nahi milegi.
Gaurav- Aapko hame na 10 lakh ka budget dena..usmein hum aapko categorize kar denge, ki itna whatsapp jayengey, itna SMS, itni voice jayengi, itna Facebook hoga, aur itna influencer lega..
Reporter- Aur ismein video viral karwana ho to, twitter pe trend karwana ho, retweets karwane ho ?
Gaurav- Ho jayega, sab ho jayega, broadcast karwana ho to alag lagega.
[Gaurav underscores the significant financial investment required for comprehensive social media campaigning in Lok Sabha election.]
In this election season, misinformation adopts a new facade, engaging with Indian voters in a manner that is subtle yet compelling, making it challenging to identify and regulate. It must be said that the 2019 elections were no stranger to hate speech and disinformation campaign, but the technology that enables this ecosystem has revolutionised at warp speed so much so that Artificial Intelligence (AI) threatens to disrupt the largest election season in history.
While the 2019 elections were dubbed ‘Social media elections,’ 2024 bears witness to the alarming rise of AI-driven elections. Rights agencies warn that the average Indian voter in 2024 faces the highest risk of electoral misinformation. Knowledge gaps persist in distinguishing reality from AI-generated content, exacerbating the challenge for social media companies struggling to contain fake news. Despite this, digital marketing companies are willing to propagate misinformation for profit.
Tehelka’s exposé uncovers yet another ‘M’—misinformation—out of the ‘4Ms,’ a daunting task for the Election Commission of India to combat to achieve the objective of free and fair elections. Tehelka has fulfilled its duty; now it’s the Election Commission of India’s turn to take action against such digital marketing agencies.
Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government will spend nearly Rs 4,000 crore on the protection, treatment, and service of animals, including cows, a government spokesman said here on Wednesday.
“The state Department of Animal Husbandry, dairy, and Fisheries has prepared an annual plan in this regard while a budget of Rs 3, 907.1 crore has also been proposed for it, ” he said.
This includes complete details of the expenditure incurred in cow protection, veterinary education and other areas, including veterinary hospitals, polyclinics and service centres.
According to the annual plan, a total amount of Rs 1,140 crore will be spent on cow conservation of which Rs 140 crore will be used to establish cow protection centres, while the remaining Rs 1, 000 crore will be given as a grant for the maintenance of stray cows.
In addition to this, there is a plan to spend Rs 470.30 crore on veterinary, polyclinics, and service centres. This includes Rs 55 crore for establishing veterinary hospitals, Rs 6 crore for veterinary polyclinics, Rs 4.5 crore for veterinary service centres, and Rs 71 crore to meet various expenses in veterinary hospitals, service centres, research, and diagnostic services (revenue head).
Furthermore, Rs 36.52 crore will be spent on mobile veterinary services, Rs 186.72 crore on the National Animal Health and Disease Control Programme, and Rs 22.50 crore on vaccination.
In the northern part of West Bengal, a landscape crisscrossed by human habitations, tea gardens and forests is giving rise to human-wildlife conflicts. And, it is generally women, who are paying the price, writes Deepanwita Gita Niyogi
Beneath her ever-smiling countenance, Aalina Nagesia, an Adivasi woman in her 40s, has a troubled past. Aalina, who works at the Sukna forest rest house in Darjeeling district of West Bengal, lost her husband in a tragic incident in 2021.
“After my husband Vijay Beck, who was 38 at that time, was killed in a wild elephant attack, I got a job at the rest house where I carry out mainly housekeeping duty.” The incident happened in the month of December while Aalina’s husband was returning home from work in the evening.
Deaths and serious injuries as a result of human-wildlife conflict is increasing day by day across India. In the northern part of West Bengal of which Darjeeling is a part, a changing landscape crisscrossed by human habitations, tea gardens and forest is giving rise to conflicts.
Living with conflict
Ashes Paul, who works for the West Bengal forest department, explained the crisis in detail touching on the gender aspect. “If women enter forests for firewood collection, which is quite common in the villages, then they are at high risk. Even deaths may occur. In the winter season, when tea gardens are closed for three months, women collect more firewood. However, men either lose their lives or are injured outside forests, and also, while driving away elephants.” Sometimes, there are accidental encounters like the case of Aalina’s husband.
In cases where deaths occur, Rs 5 lakh is paid to families as compensation by the forest department. In normal injury incidents, treatment is arranged for. For permanent disability, Rs 1 lakh is paid. Jobs are also given to the next of kin by the forest department in cases of deaths. That is how Aalina, who used to work in a tea garden, got the job as a forest volunteer at the Sukna rest house in March this year.
In Deoniapara village of Jalpaiguri district, Sapna Ray told the reporter that she has got used to elephants entering the village in search of food. However, Sapna is ever watchful as she has a small son.
While making tea, Aalina reflected on her husband’s death. “He went to his duty that day like other days. My husband used to work at a house construction site. Little did I know that he would lose his life while coming back alone. The incident happened near the New Chumta tea estate.”
She misses her husband, who was a resident of Ranchi, Jharkhand, but settled down with his wife’s family in West Bengal. “I am all alone now even though my sister’s family is there with me. My son also died at infancy,” Aalina said.
Aalina was informed about her husband Vijay’s death around 10 am the next morning. At that time, she received the due compensation.
After her son’s death, Aalina had brought the girl of her brother in-law, who has six children, to live with her. “I have looked after the girl since then, and now, she is 21. She is of great comfort to me. A friend of mine also lost her husband in an elephant attack. Leopard attacks are quite common in tea gardens.”
Aalina’s new job at the rest house has made her an early riser. She gets up around 5.30 am, prepares food and comes by 9.30 am. She leaves for home at 6 pm. “I must be punctual as I am new here.”
Leopards and women
At the Mohurgong and Gulma tea garden near the Sukna forest rest house, Radhika Malpariya took a short break in between tea leaf plucking to explain the situation. “There are leopards inside the tea garden. Many of us feel afraid of them but cannot avoid plucking. Sometimes, drummers are out with drums to scare away the animals who mostly hide in drains or between tea bushes. Attacks have happened.”
In certain geographies, women are more vulnerable to attacks by animals compared to men. This is mainly true of leopards as they live in close proximity to humans.
Researcher Aritra K Shettry has worked closely for many years in north Bengal’s tea gardens studying human-wildlife relationships. According to K Shettry, activities like tea plucking and resource collection, which entails daily visits to the forest, make women more vulnerable to attacks than men.
Lakshmi Kujur has been working for 10 months at Mohurgong and Gulma.“I used to work in other tea estates before but took a break in between,” said the woman whose house lies 15 minutes away. Lakshmi has seen leopards as well as cubs inside drains. But like Aalina, she is a widow and has to earn to look after her family.
“Work starts here at 8 am and continues till 11 am. There is a break from 11 am to 1.30 pm when I go home and come back, and then continue till 4.30 pm,” said Lakshmi. Her daily earning is meagre, at just Rs 250. “My husband was an alcoholic and died a few months ago due to complications.”
Aalina informed that leopard attacks have happened in Simulbari tea garden in Darjeeling district too. In her new role, she earns Rs12,000 a month out of which Rs 30 is spent daily on pickup vehicles. “After my husband’s death, I worked in a tea garden. I have to work to sustain myself. When my husband was there, he took care of me.”
For Aalina, a second marriage prospect is scary. She explained that her husband was not addicted to alcohol like many men she comes across these days. For now, the woman is at her peace. “It is better to work at the rest house where the pay is quite good. Tea gardens don’t pay that much. And then there is the constant fear of leopards.”
Jaideep Singh, who looks after four to five tea estates in north Bengal as a superintending manager, said encounters are mainly accidental when women pluck tea leaves. “Generally, leopards stay away from humans. Sometimes, the women accidentally step on a sleeping animal while working.”
Men, who beat drums, are deployed for safety inside tea gardens. These drummers, two-three in number, accompany a group of 100 women before they get inside tea bushes to chase away leopards.
The Election Commission of India has announced a change in the polling dates for the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency in Jammu and Kashmir. Originally scheduled for May 7, the polling date has been shifted to May 25.
The decision follows requests from various political parties, including the Jammu and Kashmir BJP unit chief Ravinder Raina, Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party chief Altaf Bukhari, and People’s Conference leader Imran Ansari, citing adverse weather conditions.
The Election Commission had sought a detailed report from the Jammu and Kashmir administration regarding road conditions, weather, and accessibility to the region, which covers parts of South Kashmir, Poonch, and Rajouri in the Jammu region.
Former chief ministers of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah (National Conference), and Mehbooba Mufti (PDP) had urged the Election Commission not to postpone the polls. However, the constituency will now go to polls in the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha elections.
Close on the heels of the Delhi Police registering a case over a “doctored video” of Home Minister Amit Shah promising to abolish quota, Tehelka reporters investigated how misinformation through deepfakes using Artificial Intelligence was being spread for a price. In this case, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has been summoned for questioning by police following complaints by the Ministry of Home Affairs. The Delhi Police had on April 28 registered an FIR under Sections 153, 153A, 465, 469, and 171G of the IPC and Section 66C of the IT Act and had also sent notices to X and Facebook Almost at the same time, a Delhi court issued a fresh summons to the BBC in a case involving the controversial BBC documentary concerning PM Modi.
Tehelka’s Cover Story ‘Peddling lies for a price’ unveils the challenge posed by deliberate dissemination of misinformation during polls, with digital marketing companies eager to play along for profit. A marketing company claimed on camera that “For spreading misinformation during elections, we don’t need any facts or evidence to work on. The Election Commission of India can’t trace these bot accounts. This is our guarantee.” Deepfakes use AI algorithms to generate videos, audio recordings, or images that look and sound real to blur the line between reality and fabrication. The morphing tools are used to harm reputations and influence polls.
There have been a slew of deepfake incidents in recent times including the one involving cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, in a fake AI-generated video showing him promoting a gaming app. Actors such as Aamir Khan, Rashmika Mandanna, Katrina Kaif, and Ranveer Singh have found themselves at the receiving end of this technological mischief. Globally, deepfake videos of former US President Bill Clinton and current President Joe Biden were fabricated and circulated during the presidential elections. Similarly, a deepfake video of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urging soldiers to surrender in their fight against Russia was shared on social media.
A recent report by the cyber security company McAfee finds that nearly 75 per cent of Indians have encountered deepfake content, with most concerned about the potential use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered deep fakes for impersonating public figures to influence elections. It is time to hold both the creators and disseminators accountable for deepfakes. Technology has to be responsible to benefit society and ward off anti-social elements. People must be sensitized to the perils of sharing or forwarding such fake content on social media. Several countries have come out with legislation to mitigate the risks – the UK’s Online Safety Act criminalizes sharing deepfake porn, China has banned the production of deepfakes without user consent, and South Korea has made it illegal to distribute deepfakes. In India, which has over 80 crore internet users, there is a need to scrutinize the existing provisions to blunt this new weapon of image destruction and the creation of false narratives.
While balancing caste equations, the Congress has reposed faith in the leadership of former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda as the party announced candidates for eight of the nine seats it will be contesting in the state, with seven of these tickets handed to his aides. A report by Aayush Goel
Bhupinder Singh Hooda
The electoral battle in Haryana heats up as Congress has after weeks of deliberation unveiled its list of 8 candidates for 9 Lok Sabha seats it plans to contest. The party has skipped fielding a candidate at Kurukshetra offering it to Aam Aadmi party (AAP) and it is still to decide between actor Raj Babbar and Ahir stalwart Captain Ajay Yadav for Gurgaon seat.
AAP, a constituent of the opposition INDIA bloc, has already declared its candidate Sushil Gupta from the Kurukshetra seat as per the seat agreement with Congress. Gupta is AAP’s Haryana state President and a former Rajya Sabha MP.
Though the Congress list has taken caste equations into account, it has also established supremacy of former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda. Seven of these 8 tickets have been handed out to his close associates and supporters, aiming to bolster his position ahead of the assembly polls. “Party has chosen those who have better prospects in their constituencies and all leaders will abide by the party’s mandate. We are all fighting for a common cause and have no differences when it comes to the intent of defeating BJP,” said Hooda.
While war is on for Gurgaon constituency which is biggest in terms of voters and has nine assembly segments dominated by Yadav-Ahir voters, the ignorance of two prominent political families in this list has started infighting in the party with high command trying its best to keep things calm. As Ajay Yadav does not belong to Hooda faction his supporters claim the former CM wants to end his political career by removing him from the contender’s list.
As expected Bhupinder Hooda’s son and Rajya Sabha MP Deepender Singh Hooda has been fielded for Lok Sabha from Hooda’s home turf, Rohtak. Hooda, a four time MP will be contesting against sitting BJP MP Arvind Sharma. In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, Sharma defeated Deepender by a thin margin of nearly 7,500 votes. Former Union minister and Congress general secretary Kumari Selja will be the candidate from the Sirsa reserved seat. She has been pitted against former Haryana Congress president and now a turncoat BJP candidate Ashok Tanwar in Sirsa.
Amongst all choices, the one that has raised many eyebrows, Congress has fielded youth leader Divyanshu Budhiraja against former CM Manohar Lal Khattar from Karnal. Khattar is a two time CM from BJP now succeeded by his close associate Nayab Saini. Khattar enjoys immense popularity in the Punjabi community and according to political experts Budhiraja has been fielded to tackle this caste equation.
The 31-year old leader, a native of Sonepat’s Gohana, has been president of the Panjab University Student’s Council representing the National Students Union of India (NSUI) in 2014. BJP leader and former Home Minister Anil Vij has mocked his candidature saying a goat has been put in field against lion and Congress has already accepted defeat in Karnal and made him scapegoat. From Bhiwani-Mahendragarh, the Congress has replaced Shruti Choudhry (granddaughter of former CM Bansi Lal) with Rao Dan Singh. The constituency has traditionally been considered a traditional seat of the family of Bansi Lal. But this time the party appears to have changed its strategy while fielding an OBC community member against sitting BJP MP Dharambir Singh who comes from the Jat community. The constituency also has a high number of Yadav voters and Dan Singh, a Hooda loyalist, is expected to get their support. Even JJP has fielded an Ahir candidate Rao Bahadur Singh. He is owner of the chain of schools RPS and enjoys popularity in the community.
In another shocker, the Congress did not field Brijendra Singh from the Hisar seat. Singh is the son of former Union minister Chaudhary Birender Singh and had won the 2019 parliamentary elections from Hisar as a BJP candidate. In March this year, he joined the Congress and resigned from the Lok Sabha membership. While cold shouldering Brijendra Singh, the Congress has fielded former Union Minister Jai Prakash who is close to Hooda. From Ambala, the party has fielded sitting MLA from Mulana Varun Choudhary. Varun is the son of former Haryana Congress president Phool Chand Mullana, a long-time associate of Hooda. From Sonipat, the party has fielded a Hooda associate Satpal Brahmachari, while former state minister Mahendra Pratap has been fielded from Faridabad.
Balancing caste equations
The All India Congress Committee says the party relied upon internal surveys carried out in constituencies to know the winnability of candidates and caste equations have been kept in mind while declaring candidates. It has given two tickets each to Jats, Dalits, and Other Backward Classes (OBCs). One each has been given to the Punjabi and Brahmin communities. The party’s list, according to political experts, is a response to BJP’s caste arithmetic.
In Faridabad, BJP candidate Krishan Pal Gurjar is from the Gurjar community and Congress thus chose Gurjar leader Mahendra Pratap. Rao Dan Singh, who comes from the Ahir community, is the Congress’s choice to take on the BJP’s Jat candidate Dharambir in Bhiwani and former MLA Rao Bahadur Singh of JJP (former deputy CM Dushyant Chautala’s Jannayak Janta Party).
BJP in Sirsa and Ambala, which are SC-reserved seats, has fielded Ashok Tanwar and Banto Kataria and thus Congress fielded Selja in Sirsa and Varun from Ambala. In Rohtak, BJP’s Arvind Sharma, a Brahmin, will take on Deepender Hooda, a Jat. Hisar will see a Jat versus Jat contest between BJP’s Ranjit Singh and Congress’ Jai Prakash. In Sonipat, where the BJP has fielded Brahmin candidate Mohan Lal Badoli, the Congress has fielded Satpal Brahmachari who is also from the same community.
Punjabi versus Punjabi contest will be seen in Karnal where Budhiraja will take on Khattar. As per the 2011 Census, SCs constitute 20.1% of Haryana’s population while OBCs make up 40.94% of the population. The Jat community constitutes approximately 27% of the population. According to Lokniti, a research institute of the Delhi-based Centre for Developing Societies (CSDS), the BJP got 74% of the vote share as compared to Congress’ 18% among the “upper castes”. Among Jats, it received 50% of the votes as compared to 33% of the Congress. Among the OBCs, the BJP got 73% of the votes, while the Congress managed to get 22% of the votes. The BJP got 58% of the votes among SCs, while the Congress secured 28% of the votes in the community. The Congress got 86% of Muslim votes, which has been its traditional vote bank, while the BJP got only 14% of the votes in the community.
Heavyweights cold shouldered
Brijendra Singh, the son of Congress stalwart and former Union Minister Birender Singh, and Shruti Choudhry, the daughter of sitting Congress MLA Kiran Choudhry, have been denied tickets. Though a long time Congressman, Birender had joined the BJP in 2014. After joining the Congress, Brijendra has been pitching for a ticket for Lok Sabha election, and even met Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi to make his case. However, party sources said the ground survey conducted by the Congress showed that he was facing resentment among people on the issue of farmers’ agitation.
In response to the party’s denial to candidature for his son, Birender Singh has expressed disappointment, emphasizing Brijendra’s eagerness to contest the elections. Meanwhile, Haryana Congress President Uday Bhan clarified that Brijendra had not joined the party with any assurance of a ticket but rather based on his alignment with the party’s ideology. Similarly, the Congress has not nominated anyone from the family of former CM Bansi Lal, another influential political lineage in Haryana. Former MP Shruti Choudhry, Bansi Lal’s granddaughter, who was eyeing a ticket has been overlooked by the party. While the party says there is no rebellion, Birender Singh and Shruti’s mother and Tosham MLA Kiran Choudhry have summoned supporters for a meeting for further course of action. However Brijender has declared he won’t campaign till asked to do so.
New Delhi: Following the bomb threat through email at several schools across the city on Wednesday, Delhi Education Minister Atishi said that so far nothing suspicious has been found in any of the schools.
“Some schools have received bomb threats today morning. Students have been evacuated and those premises are being searched by Delhi Police. So far nothing has been found in any of the schools” the Minister said on X.
“We are in constant touch with the Police and the schools. Would request parents and citizens not to panic. School authorities will be in touch with parents wherever needed, ” the post said.
Multiple schools in the national capital, including DPS Dwarka, BGS International School, Sanskriti School, Indian School, St Thomas School and Amity School in Pushp Vihar, faced a chilling bomb threat via email.
Following the bomb threat, several schools informed parents that the school would be closed on Wednesday, while others sent children home after receiving the email.
A senior police official said that in the preliminary inquiry, it appears that numerous emails have been sent since Tuesday following a similar pattern.
“The emails lack a date line but include ‘bcc’, indicating they’ve been sent to multiple recipients. Currently, an investigation is underway, ” said the official.
According to police, after receiving information from schools regarding the bomb threat, local police teams along with the bomb detection team, bomb disposal squad and officials of Delhi Fire Service (DFS) reached the spot in the morning. “The schools were evacuated and a search operation is going on. So far nothing suspicious has been found, ” said the official.
New Delhi: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann met his counterpart Arvind Kejriwal in Tihar jail on Tuesday, a prison official said.
He arrived at Tihar at 12.30 p.m. and left the premises around 1.10 p.m.
After meeting the incarcerated Delhi Chief Minister, CM Mann, while talking to reporters said that CM Kejriwal asked about the latest developments in the health and education spheres in Punjab.
“He also enquired about the board results in Punjab. He has assured Delhiites that he is fine and getting insulin and medical check-ups regularly, ” said CM Mann.
The Punjab Chief Minister said that CM Kejriwal has urged everyone to go and vote.
The meeting comes a day after Sunita Kejriwal and Delhi Minister Atishi met Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in Tihar jail on Monday, said a prison official.
CM Kejriwal, who was arrested on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the alleged excise scam, is lodged in Tihar’s Jail No-2.
The jailed Delhi CM has provided a list of six individuals with whom he wants to meet in prison.
The ED has termed CM Kejriwal the “kingpin and the key conspirator” of the alleged excise scam in collusion with other ministers of the Delhi government, AAP leaders, and other persons.
