Tag: Bharatiya Janata Party

Development: Modi In Himachal

Cong Against National Security, Development: Modi In Himachal

By LokMarg

Stepping into the BJP’s election campaign in poll-bound Himachal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday attacked the Congress party and stated that the party has not only been “against national security” but also the development of the country.

Addressing the first election rally in Himachal’s Mandi, the Prime Minister raised the issue of defence deals during the Congress regime at the Centre and said that the party always “wanted a commission” in every deal which led to the delay in the procurement of weapons for the armed forces.
“After independence, the first scam of the country was done by the Congress in the defence sector itself. Since then, till the Congress government was in place, it took a lot of brokerage in defence deals. Congress never wanted the country to become self-reliant in terms of defence equipment. It wanted a commission in every defence deal and wanted to fill its own leaders’ treasure. This is why the procurement of weapons was delayed,” PM Modi said.

He said that India is running a campaign to become Aatmanirbhar.

“Congress put numerous lives in danger due to compromised defence deals. I won’t let this injustice happen to the mothers and daughters of Himachal. This is why India is running a campaign to become Aatmanirbhar and stressing on manufacturing its own weapons. Congress has not just been against national security, but also the development of the country. I have felt it as the Chief Minister of Gujarat for a number of years,” the Prime Minister said.

He said that making “false promises” and giving “false guarantees” has been an old trick of Congress while accusing the party of not giving priority to the development of Himachal.

“Congress never gave priority to the development of Himachal. Congress did not fulfil a single promise they mentioned in the 2012 elections manifesto. BJP has fulfilled its promises made to the people. BJP had resolved to scrap Article 370 from J-K, and we fulfilled it. The BJP had resolved to make Ram Mandir. The decision was taken in Palampur in the working committee. Is Ram Mandir being constructed or not?” PM Modi said.

“We gave free vaccines. If there was a Congress government in Himachal Pradesh, then vaccines would have reached Himachal Pradesh at last. You (public) voted on the right button and that’s why so much development happened,” he added.

Calling the Assembly elections which are slated to be held in the state on November 12 “important”, the Prime Minister said that the vote cast in this poll will decide the “development journey of the state for the next 25 years.

“This time the elections are very important, because the vote that you will cast on November 12 will not only be for the next five years, but every single vote decides the development journey of Himachal for the next 25 years. A stable government and fast development are necessary in the state during Amrit Kaal. People know that BJP means stability, and priority to development. People of Himachal have decided to form BJP government again,” PM Modi said.

The Prime Minister assured to continue working for the people of the state.

“I have been working for you for the last five years, I want to continue doing it. I promise as the son of this land that I won’t lag behind. What would happen if you bring such people who do not let the work proceed, then what would happen? No matter how much I exert pressure from Delhi, would there be a stoppage or not?” he said.

Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was welcomed in Sundernagar, Mandi upon his arrival here.

Himachal Pradesh CM Jairam Thakur felicitated PM Modi ahead of his public address.

The polling for the assembly elections will take place on November 12 and the counting of votes will be on December 8. (ANI)

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Manish Sisodia

Sisodia Claims Scared Of Losing Polls, BJP Arrested His PA

By LokMarg

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Saturday said the BJP is so afraid of losing elections that they raided his house and when they did not find anything, the ED raided his personal assistant’s house and when they did not find anything there too, they arrested him.

“They got my house raided based on false FIR, searched bank lockers, checked in my village but found nothing against me. Today, they conducted a raid at my PA’s house and when they didn’t find anything, they arrested him. BJP people! So much fear of losing the election,” he tweeted. (translated from Hindi)
Earlier on October 17, Sisodia was summoned to the CBI headquarters in the national capital where he was quizzed for nine hours.

While speaking to the media after the summon at his residence, Sisodia alleged that the case against him was intended not to probe any scam but to “make Operation Lotus successful in Delhi”.

“I was asked inside the CBI office to leave (AAP), or else such cases will keep getting registered against me. I was told ‘Satyendar Jain ke upar konse sachhe cases hain?’…I said I won’t leave AAP for BJP. They said they’ll make me CM,” he alleged.

However, the CBI refuted all such allegations and said that the examination was carried out in a “professional and legal manner”. It affirmed that the investigation will continue as per the law.

In August, the enforcement agencies conducted searches on Sisodia’s official residence among several other places in connection with the alleged corruption in the implementation of Delhi’s excise policy.

Sisodia, who is in charge of the excise department, has been under the scanner for alleged deliberate and gross procedural lapses which provided undue benefits to the tender process for liquor licencees for the year 2021-22.

Other accused are Manoj Rai, a former employee of Pernod Ricard; Amandeep Dhal, director of Brindco Sales; director of Buddy Retail Amit Arora, and Dinesh Arora; authorised signatories of Mahadev Liquors Sunny Marwah, Arun Ramchandra Pillai and Arjun Pandey.

The ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had alleged that irregularities were committed while modifying the Excise Policy and undue favours were extended to licence holders, the licence fee was waived or reduced and the L-1 licence was extended without the competent authority’s approval. The beneficiaries diverted “illegal” gains to the accused officials and made false entries in their books of account to evade detection.

This allegedly caused a loss of Rs 144.36 crore to the exchequer, said the FIR, which has been instituted on a reference from the Union Home Ministry following a recommendation from Delhi Lieutenant-Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena. (ANI)

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Soren Dares ED

Come And Arrest Me: Soren Dares ED

By LokMarg

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Thursday challenged the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to arrest him instead of sending a summons to him for questioning.

Soren on Thursday was to appear before the ED in its regional office in Ranchi but he skipped his visit. Addressing the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) workers outside his official residence before leaving for Raipur to attend a tribal festival being organized by the Chhattisgarh government, Soren urged his party workers to be prepared for a long political fight against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
“I have been summoned by ED today when I already have a program in Chhattisgarh today. If I have committed a crime that big, come and arrest me. Why the questioning?… Security near the ED office has increased. Why, are you scared of people of Jharkhand?” said Soren, amidst heavy sloganeering in support from his party workers.

Soren said the federal agency, as a part of a larger conspiracy to destabilize his government which got a historic mandate in 2019, is trying to intimidate them by showing muscle power.

“We have identified a few external gangs in the state who are not letting the state’s Adivasis stand on their feet. This state will have the rule of Jharkhand is and not external forces… BJP will be wiped out in the upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly polls,” Soren added.

Urging his workers to be ready for a political fight, Soren said they need to go back to villages and expose the “conspiracy of the BJP” to destabilize their government.

“We have not done anything yet. ‘Jab Jharkhandi apni cheezo pe utar aayega, toh wo din door nahi jahaan aap logon ko yahaan sar chhupaane ka mauka bhi nahi milega,” he said.

Soren also gave a call to the Adivasis of Gujarat to ensure that the BJP loses all tribal seats in the upcoming assembly elections.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren was summoned by ED on Thursday for investigation over contravention of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and in a money laundering probe linked to an illegal mining case in the Sahebganj district. (ANI)

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Kharge Rahul Gandhi

Will Give Non-BJP Govt Under Rahul’s Leadership: Kharge

By LokMarg

In significant remarks pertaining to the party’s prime ministerial candidate for the next Lok Sabha elections, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said on Tuesday that the party “will form a non-BJP government” under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi.

Addressing a public rally in Hyderabad during Bharat Jodo Yatra, Kharge also attacked the TRS government in Telangana, saying it had extended support to some bills in parliament which were opposed by the opposition parties and it was now talking of ousting the BJP government at the Centre.
“Whenever we used to oppose any bill in Parliament, they (TRS) used to support BJP but they still say that they’ll bring a non-BJP government. If anybody has to bring a non-BJP government, it’s us who’ll form a non-BJP government under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership,” Kharge said.

Kharge, who was elected Congress president last month, had sidestepped a similar question before his elevation to the top party post.

“There is a saying ‘Bakrid mein bachenge toh Muharram mein nachenge’. First, let these elections get over and let me become president, then we’ll see,” Kharge had said when asked who would be the party’s prime ministerial face.

There have been efforts by some opposition leaders to bring together opposition parties against the BJP for the 2024 elections.

In his remarks at the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Rahul Gandhi accused the BJP and TRS of “working together” and alleged that state Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao does “drama before polls” but is in “direct line” with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Whenever there’s any bill in Parliament, TRS supports BJP and diverts attention from Opposition issues. BJP and TRS work together. Your CM (KCR) does drama before polls but he’s in direct line with PM Modi. PM Modi gives orders to your CM on phone,” Rahul Gandhi alleged.

Telangana will face assembly polls next year. The ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti has decided to change its name to Bharat Rashtra Samithi as part of its ambitions to have a national footprint. (ANI)

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Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) gangster Hashim Baba

Raids At Residences Of The Wire Editors; Electronic Evidence Seized

By LokMarg

The Delhi Police Crime Branch conducted searches at the residences of ‘The Wire’ founder Siddharth Varadarajan and Founding Editor MK Venu after an FIR was registered on BJP leader Amit Malviya’s complaint.

Earlier on Saturday, an FIR was registered by the Delhi Police against The Wire on BJP leader Amit Malviya’s complaint alleging it “forged documents with a view to malign and tarnish my reputation.”
Malviya registered a complaint alleging that the news website “forged documents with a view to malign and tarnish” his reputation.

Delhi Police said that it has seized electronic devices (mobiles, laptops) from the residences of Siddharth Varadarajan, MK Venu, and others.

No notice was given to anyone and no inquiry has taken place today. Further investigation is going on and necessary steps will be taken, added the Delhi Police.

Malviya, who is head of BJP’s Information and Technology Cell, had filed a criminal complaint against The Wire and its top editors with the Special Commissioner of Police (Crime) on Saturday.

In his complaint, the BJP leader had sought registration of FIR under sections 420, 468, 469, 471, 500 r/w 120B and 34 of the Indian Penal Code.

In FIR names mentioned are The Wire, its founding editors Siddharth Vardarajan, Siddharth Bhatia and MK Venu, and Jahnavi Sen, deputy editor and executive news producer.

The complaint had said FIR should also be registered against the Foundation of Independent Journalism and other unknown persons “for the offenses punishable u/s 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 468 (Forgery for purpose of cheating), 469 (Forgery for purpose of harming reputation), 471 (Using as genuine a forged document or electronic record.), 500 (Punishment for Defamation) r/w 120B and 34 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860”.

The complaint to Delhi Police had said that “the accused persons have with common intention conspired to maliciously defame the complainant and the BJP by spreading false news to the public”.

The matter pertains to Meta stories which were “retracted” by The Wire. It retracted the stories after Meta and various other experts pointed out critical flaws in their reporting.

Amit Malviya had alleged in a statement on Friday that on October 6, 2022, The Wire published a report claiming that Meta (the parent company that owns Facebook and Instagram) had removed an Instagram post within a few minutes of it being uploaded by a private account namely “Cringearchivist”. The report claimed that the company regularly colludes with members of the BJP in removing content deemed unfavorable to the party.

He further said that on October 10, 2022, the news website went on to claim that “I was the nodal point, interfacing between the party and Meta, for said censorship activity, having been bestowed certain “XCheck” and other privileges by the company”.

“As per the report, this status had bestowed on me the following powers overriding any filters, algorithms, vetting, verification or any other checks and balances within the company,” Malviya said.

He had alleged that the report went on to cite alleged internal correspondence of Meta to justify its claims, alleging had used said privileges to take down a total of 705 posts to date.

“On October 11, 2022, Meta’s Communication Head, Andy Stone, had issued a categorical denial and stated that the documents presented by ‘The Wire’ in its report were fabricated’ and that the “Xcheck” status had been mischaracterized. Once Meta issued this statement, ‘The Wire’ should have at the very least paused its coverage of this issue and commenced an internal audit.

Instead, on the same day, it went on to publish yet another malicious report claiming to have accessed further internal emails of Meta employees, namely those exchanged between Andy Stone and his team, purportedly trying to effect a coverup,” he had said in a statement on Friday.

He had stated that The Wire publicly apologized to its readers on October 27 and retracted the stories about “XCheck” and Meta after scathing public scrutiny and the exposure of significant fabrication of dates, times, and content in its alleged “proof”.

“However, even while retracting the story, The Wire’ refrained from apologizing to me, despite maligning and tarnishing my reputation and causing serious harm to my professional career. My role requires me to vociferously advocate the BJP’s point of view on national issues, across platforms,” he had said.

“This role is based on trust and camaraderie, between me and my interlocutors across platforms and more importantly with the public. However, The Wire’s stories have vitiated the atmosphere and severely dented relationships and trust built over the years for me to carry out the functions of my responsibility,” the BJP leader added.

Stating that The Wire and some unknown persons entered into a “criminal conspiracy” with the intent to “malign and tarnish” his reputation, he said that the news portal “deliberately” inserted his name into a story, and “fabricated” evidence to “implicate” him.

“This also undermines the democratic and informed choices that the public makes, through a carefully calibrated campaign of disinformation and calumny, and does irreparable harm to the democratic right of dissent,” he had said.

The complaint to the police also said that The Wire “with the help of such fabricated and false stories tries to attract viewership on its website wherein readers are requested to donate money in the name of “true and independent journalism”.

Malviya, who is also BJP’s co-in-charge for West Bengal, had said on Thursday that he will sue the news website for damages.

“After consultation with my lawyers and seeking their advice, I have decided to file criminal and civil proceedings, against ‘The Wire.’ Not only will I be setting the criminal process in motion but I will also sue them in a civil court seeking damages as they forged documents with a view to malign and tarnish my reputation,” Malviya had said.

Last week, The Wire formally retracted its Meta stories “after conducting an internal review of the technical source material used, with the help of external experts”.

The Wire said it is also conducting a comprehensive editorial review of the internal editorial processes “which resulted in the publication of these stories in order to identify and plug any and all shortcomings”. (ANI)

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Conditions For Liquor Ban Will Shake Up Admin: Uma Bharti

By LokMarg

Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and BJP leader Uma Bharti said that she will create such conditions regarding the liquor ban within the next six months to a year that all the officials and the administration will be afraid.

She made the remark while talking to the media persons in Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh on Monday. Bharti said, “Bhay Bin Preet Na Hoye (No love without fear). It may happen next time that if I came, the liquor shops will get closed.”

“I don’t want shops to close on my arrival and open after my departure. I want a decision or policy to be made that these shops are shut permanently. It is not mean that I consider myself a Tees Maar Khan (someone who considers him/herself to be the smartest and most cunning person). I actually wanted to be a 60 Maar Khan (double one),” she added.

Besides, Bharti also said that those who consume alcohol themselves want to leave it. They were not consuming it by the choice, they are forced to drink due to addiction, she said.

She said the government is helping people quit drinking in rural areas. She said, “The government is running a drug de-addiction campaign. The MLAs have been instructed. The Chief Minister is talking about it in his speeches and he is administering oath to the people for the same,” she said. (ANI)

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Delhi: BJP’s NaMo Cyber Warriors To Take On AAP In MCD Polls

By LokMarg

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will be introducing NaMo Cyber Yoddha (NCY), an online volunteer campaign-cum-initiative ahead of the civic polls in Delhi.
According to BJP, NCY will be a platform for those who are not necessarily into politics but want to raise their voice on important issues. It will be volunteer-driven. Around 50,000 NaMo cyber warriors will be galvanized over a period of one month.

The party said thousands of people are influenced by the ideology of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his mission of service, development and ‘sabka saath’.

Though BJP is preparing to launch the NaMo Cyber Yoddha campaign, the most important question is whether NCY helps the party to garner votes in its favor in MCD elections.

BJP national spokesperson and in-charge of Delhi’s social media and digital campaign Shehzad Poonawalla said, “NaMo Cyber Yoddha is an army of motivated volunteers that will help to expose the lies and wrongdoings of AAP government in Delhi and counter their campaign with facts and truth.”

Poonawalla further said NCY will be launched soon. Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta, Leader of Opposition in Delhi Legislative Assembly Rambir Bidhuri, Chief of Election Management Campaign Ashish Sood, Shahzad Poonawalla, and BJP MPs from Delhi will be present at the launch event.

In the run of municipal elections in Delhi, BJP and AAP have come face to face.

BJP has been accusing the Arvind Kejriwal government of being corrupt. BJP alleged that in the last 8 years, the AAP government has completely failed on every front and has been the most corrupt government in the history of Delhi.

“From liquor to hawala and bus to electricity subsidy – AAP is a government of scams. AAP runs propaganda and advertisement to hide its failures. There has been a 420 percent increase in spending. People understood the reality of their ‘world-class model’,” said Poonawalla.

The BJP leader said AAP claims a world-class education model but cannot name 10 new colleges.

“They cannot show the 7 new hospitals they were going to build. Yamuna river is getting polluted continuously and as a result, we have been denied the opportunity to perform Chhath puja on its ghats,” he said.

Poonawalla said the air quality in Delhi has been deteriorating but no action has been taken on stubble burning or pollution other than blaming Diwali and firecrackers.

Attacking the AAP further, BJP MP Manoj Tiwari said that “Various AAP leaders have targeted the Hindu faith. Hundreds of crores rupees have been spent on salaries of Waqfs and Imams to please a vote bank but no money spent on ASHA workers, teachers, and free coaching of SC/ST/OBC students.”

Now amid these allegations and counter-allegation politics, BJP’s Namo Cyber Yoddha campaign is believed to make the Delhi Municipal Corporation election more interesting.

Earlier this month, the total number of civic body polls’ wards in the national capital reduced from 272 to 250 following a notification issued by the Ministry of Home on Tuesday pertaining to the redrawing of wards of the Delhi civic body- Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

After the ‘delimitation’ of MCD wards by the central government, the total number of wards in the MCD will amount to 250 of which 42 are decided to be reserved.

Now after the final delimitation order is issued, elections are expected soon.

It is to be noted that before the amalgamation of corporations, there were a total of 272 wards comprising the North Delhi Municipal Corporation, South Delhi Municipal Corporation, and East Delhi Municipal Corporation. North Delhi Municipal Corporation and South Delhi Municipal Corporation had 104 wards each, while East Delhi Municipal Corporation had 64 wards. But after the delimitation, now the number of wards has been reduced to 250.

Notably, AAP Delhi raised concerns that there is no equal distribution of population in the delimitation of wards. AAP leaders had also lodged their objection by meeting the state election officials.

Earlier, the Delhi Congress had questioned the reduction of wards from 272 to 250. The Delhi Congress had also alleged a conspiracy to reduce the representation of the Dalit community in this regard, as the reserved seats have been reduced from 46 to 42. (ANI)

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Chhath Puja Across Country

Devotees Throng Ghats To Celebrate Chhath Puja Across Country

By LokMarg

After a hiatus of two years due to COVID-19, thousands of devotees on Sunday flocked to ghats and makeshift ponds across the country to seek the blessings of the Sun God as part of Chhath Puja.

In Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur and Varanasi, a large number of women clad in sarees were seen standing knee-deep in water at ghats, worshipping the Sun God.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath attended Chhath Pooja celebrations at Gomti Ghat in Lucknow.

While in the national capital, a massive number of devotees thronged to ITO Ghat to offer prayers, and devotees took a holy dip in the water as part of the Chhath Puja at a pond in Vinod Nagar.

A huge crowd of devotees also gathered at the national capital’s Kalindi Kunj ghat to offer prayers on Chhath Puja.

The festive fervor gripped the ‘land of forest’ Jharkhand too, as devotees offered prayers at Hatania Talab in Ranchi.

Meanwhile, in Bihar, women were seen standing in the water, wearing long ‘sindoor’ with orange color on their faces, and offering fruits and sweets to the Sun God at JP Setu Ghat in Patna.

A huge crowd of devotees gathered to offer prayers at Juhu in Mumbai to mark Chhath Puja.

In West Bengal, devotees offered prayers to the setting sun at Takra Ghat in Kolkata. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee offered prayers on the occasion of Chhath Puja at Kolkata’s Dahi Ghat.

The Chhath Puja is celebrated on the sixth day of the Kartik month of the Hindu calendar, which also happens to be the fourth day after Diwali.

Hyderabad also witnessed a large number of devotees celebrating the Chhath Puja at Tank Bund.

As per the Hindu tradition, devotees, especially in Bihar, Jharkhand, and UP, worship the Sun God to express gratitude and seek blessings.

Women devotees keep an arduous 36-hour-long fast ‘Nirjala Vrat’, and sing devotional and folk songs. ‘Arghya’ is offered to the Sun God while standing in knee-deep water at ghats or makeshift ponds. (ANI)

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Chhath Puja Modi

Chhath Puja An Example Of Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat: Modi

By LokMarg

Extending Chhath Puja greetings in his monthly radio broadcast Mann Ki Baat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said Chhath Puja is a great example of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’.

In the 94th episode of his Mann Ki Baat, Prime Minister said, “The festival of Chhath is also an example of Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat. Today, wherever the people of Bihar and Purvanchal are in any corner of the country, Chhath is being celebrated with great pomp”
He said Chhath is now getting organized on a large scale in different districts of Maharashtra along with Delhi, Mumbai and many parts of Gujarat.

“I do remember that earlier in Gujarat, Chhath Puja was not performed to this extent. But with the passage of time, the colours of Chhath Puja have started getting dissolved in almost the whole of Gujarat. I am also very happy to see this. Nowadays we see, how many grand pictures of Chhath Puja come from abroad too. That is, the rich heritage of India, our faith, is reinforcing its identity in every corner of the world,” he said.

“So today, along with worshipping the Sun, why not also discuss his boon? This blessing of Sun God is – solar energy,” PM Modi said.

He said solar energy is a subject in which the whole world is seeing its future. For India, the Sun God has not only been worshipped for centuries, but has also been the focus of our way of life.

Today, Prime Minister said India is combining its traditional experiences with modern science and has become one of the largest countries to generate electricity from solar energy.

How solar energy is changing the lives of the poor and middle class of the country is also a subject of study, he said.

Chhath Puja is an ancient Hindu Vedic festival that is performed to seek blessings from the Sun God for a healthy, happy, and prosperous life. It is believed that sunlight has cures for various diseases and conditions. Taking a dip in the holy river is also considered to have certain medicinal and spiritual benefits. The festival requires maintaining the utmost ritualistic purity.

Also referred to as Surya Shashti, Chhath, Mahaparv, Chhath Parv, Dala Puja, Pratihar and Dala Chhath, the four-day-long festival is dedicated to the deity Surya and Shashthi Devi.

As part of the ritual, women fast for the well-being of their sons and the happiness of their families. They also offer Arghya to Lord Surya and Chhathi Maiya. their sons’ well-being and their families’ happiness

The four-day festival started on October 28, which was a Friday, with the main day and the last day of the puja, being celebrated on October 31, which is falling on Monday.

On each day, people observe the Chhath and follow rigorous rituals. As per Drik Panchang, sunrise on Chhath Puja will be at 06:43 am, and sunset will happen at 06:03 pm. The Shashthi tithi begins at 05:49 am on October 30 and ends at 03:27 am on October 31. (ANI)

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Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) gangster Hashim Baba

Delhi Police Register FIR Against The Wire Over Malviya’s Complaint

By LokMarg

Delhi Police have registered an FIR against ‘The Wire’ after BJP leader Amit Malviya registered a complaint alleging that the news website “forged documents with a view to malign and tarnish” his reputation.

Malviya, who is head of BJP’s Information and Technology Cell, had filed a criminal complaint against The Wire and its top editors with the Special Commissioner of Police (Crime) on Saturday.
In his complaint, the BJP leader sought registration of FIR under sections 420, 468, 469, 471, and 500 r/w 120B and 34 of the Indian Penal Code.

In FIR names mentioned are The Wire, its founding editors Siddharth Vardarajan, Siddharth Bhatia, and MK Venu, and Jahnavi Sen, deputy editor and executive news producer.

The complaint said FIR should also be registered against the Foundation of Independent Journalism and other unknown persons “for the offenses punishable u/s 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 468 (Forgery for purpose of cheating), 469 (Forgery for purpose of harming reputation), 471 (Using as genuine a forged document or electronic record.), 500 (Punishment for Defamation) r/w 120B and 34 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860”.

The complaint to Delhi Police said that “the accused persons have with common intention conspired to maliciously defame the complaint and the BJP by spreading false news to the public”.

The matter pertains to Meta stories which were “retracted” by The Wire. It retracted the stories after Meta and various other experts pointed out critical flaws in their reporting.

Amit Malviya had alleged in a statement on Friday that on October 6, 2022, The Wire published a report claiming that Meta (the parent company that owns Facebook and Instagram) had removed an Instagram post within a few minutes of it being uploaded by a private account namely “Cringearchivist”. The report claimed that the company regularly colludes with members of the BJP in removing content deemed unfavorable to the party.

He further said that on October 10, 2022, the news website went on to claim that “I was the nodal point, interfacing between the party and Meta, for said censorship activity, having been bestowed certain “XCheck” and other privileges by the company”.

“As per the report, this status had bestowed on me the following powers overriding any filters, algorithms, vetting, verification or any other checks and balances within the company,” Malviya said.

He alleged that the report went on to cite alleged internal correspondence of Meta to justify its claims, alleging had used said privileges to take down a total of 705 posts to date.

“On October 11, 2022, Meta’s Communication Head, Andy Stone, issued a categorical denial and stated that the documents presented by ‘The Wire’ in its report were fabricated’ and that the “Xcheck” status had been mischaracterized. Once Meta issued this statement, ‘The Wire’ should have at the very least paused its coverage of this issue and commenced an internal audit. Instead, on the same day, it went on to publish yet another malicious report claiming to have accessed further internal emails of Meta employees, namely those exchanged between Andy Stone and his team, purportedly trying to effect a coverup,” he had said in a statement on Friday.

He had stated that The Wire publicly apologized to its readers on October 27 and retracted the stories about “XCheck” and Meta after scathing public scrutiny and the exposure of significant fabrication of dates, times, and content in its alleged “proof”.

“However, even while retracting the story, The Wire’ refrained from apologizing to me, despite maligning and tarnishing my reputation and causing serious harm to my professional career. My role requires me to vociferously advocate the BJP’s point of view on national issues, across platforms,” he had said.

“This role is based on trust and camaraderie, between me and my interlocutors across platforms and more importantly with the public. However, The Wire’s stories have vitiated the atmosphere and severely dented relationships and trust built over the years for me to carry out the functions of my responsibility,” the BJP leader added.

Stating that The Wire and some unknown persons entered into a “criminal conspiracy” with the intent to “malign and tarnish” his reputation, he said that the news portal “deliberately” inserted his name into a story, and “fabricated” evidence to “implicate” him.

“This also undermines the democratic and informed choices that the public makes, through a carefully calibrated campaign of disinformation and calumny, and does irreparable harm to the democratic right of dissent,” he had said.

The complaint to the police also said that The Wire “with the help of such fabricated and false stories tries to attract viewership on its website wherein readers are requested to donate money in the name of “true and independent journalism”.

Malviya, who is also BJP’s co-in charge for West Bengal, had said on Thursday that he will sue the news website for damages.

“After consultation with my lawyers and seeking their advice, I have decided to file criminal and civil proceedings, against ‘The Wire.’ Not only will I be setting the criminal process in motion but I will also sue them in a civil court seeking damages as they forged documents with a view to malign and tarnish my reputation,” Malviya had said.

Last week, The Wire formally retracted its Meta stories “after conducting an internal review of the technical source material used, with the help of external experts”.

The Wire said it is also conducting a comprehensive editorial review of the internal editorial processes “which resulted in the publication of these stories in order to identify and plug any and all shortcomings”. (ANI)

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