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unique-live · 2 years

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BJP demands narco test for Manish Sisodia. One for PM Modi too, rebuts AAP

BJP leaders challenged Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia to appear for a narco test over his allegations that the Central Bureau of Investigation, or CBI, tried to pressure him into quitting the AAP and joining the BJP, or step down from his post for lying. The Aam Aadmi Party rebutted, demanding a narco test on PM Modi, calling him the “biggest liar of the century”.

The BJP MP from West Delhi, Parvesh Verma, said if Sisodia is an honest leader he should agree to a narco test or resign for making allegations against CBI officials. “If any CBI officer has asked Sisodia to join the BJP, then he should name that officer. If he cannot, he should either prepare for the narco test or resign from his post,” Verma said.erma’s remarks were echoed by another BJP leader, Kapil Mishra. The allegations by Sisodia, an accused in the Delhi Excise policy case, should be seen as a shameless attempt to influence the probe, Mishra, who was earlier a minister in Arvind Kejriwal’s government, said.

Counter-attacking the BJP, AAP MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj called PM Modi a “serial liar”. “He speaks the highest number of lies amongst all politicians. The BJP must get his narco test done,” Bhardwaj said.

“Yesterday, the CBI interrogated Manish Sisodia in a false and fabricated case. Manish Sisodia is currently campaigning in Gujarat. Today, BJP MPs are calling for Manish Sisodia to undergo a narco test and a lie detection test. We believe that if there is a politician in the country who can be called the biggest liar of all, it is Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Will these BJP people ask the PM to take a lie detector test, a narcotics test, and tell if the CBI and the ED are neutral institutions?” Bhardwaj attacked the BJP, all guns blazing.

Sisodia was questioned for over nine hours on Monday at the CBI headquarters in connection with the alleged Delhi Excise policy scam. After leaving the CBI office, Sisodia claimed that he was told that he would be offered the chief minister’s post if he quits the AAP.

#ManishSisodia #Gujaratnews

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tragic-media · 2 years

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BJP demands narco test for Manish Sisodia. One for PM Modi too, rebuts AAP

#ManishSisodia #Gujaratnews

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breakinglivenewsheadlines · 2 years

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Kejriwal's big charge on PM Modi's advisor, ‘if screenshots of his messages…’

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's advisor has warned several owners and editors of news channels in Gujarat against giving coverage to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Speaking at the first-ever national conclave of his party's elected representatives, Kejriwal claimed that Hiren Joshi, who heads communication and information technology at Prime Minister's Office, sends "filthy abuses" to channel owners and editors for giving air time to AAP.

“Mere ko kai editors dikha rahe the, bade bade channelon ke maalik, unke editors, unko kya gandi gandi gaaliyaan likh ke bhejte hain wo – ‘Kejriwal ko dikhaaya toh yeh kar denge, Kejriwal ko dikhaaya to wo kar denge. Aam Aadmi Party ko dikhane kee jarurat nahin hai, aap apne channel ka durupayog kar rahe ho’ (Several owners of big channels, their editors were showing me the filthy abuses he (Hiren Joshi) sends them – ‘Will do this if you show Kejriwal, will do that if you show Kejriwal. There is no need to give air time to Aam Aadmi Party. You are misusing your channel’),” Kejriwal said at the annual gathering.

He further claimed that the many have taken screenshots of the alleged abuses and recorded the calls.

“I want to say only one thing to Hiren Joshi ji. If these editors share the screenshots of Joshi's messages, both the prime minister and his advisor will not be in a position to show their faces to the country," Kejriwal added.

No immediate reaction to Kejriwal’s charge was immediately available from the PMO or Joshi, reported PTI.

https://twitter.com/ArvindKejriwal/status/1571399131364741120

Kejriwal launched a blistering attack against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and PM Modi ahead of Gujarat assembly elections. He alleged that the central government has been trying to frame his party ministers and leaders in false corruption cases as the BJP is "not able to digest the growing popularity of the AAP in Gujarat".

In a veiled attack on the prime minister over his 'revadi culture' remark, Kejriwal said the AAP's freebies are being criticised on the ground that providing free facilities to people will ruin the economy of the country.

"Only a dishonest (person), a corrupt and a traitor will say freebies are not good for the country. If any politician says freebies will ruin the country's economy, consider his intentions are wrong." Kejriwal said.

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hindimaster · 2 years

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Arvind Kejriwal Reaction On PM Modi Remark Over Free Politics

PM Modi Vs Arvind Kejriwal: दिल्ली के मुख्यमंत्री अरविंद केजरीवाल (Arvind Kejriwal) ने पीएम मोदी (PM Modi) के फ्री के वादों पर निशाना साधने के बाद अपनी बात रखी है. केजरीवाल ने कहा कि जनता को फ्री सुविधाएं देने से देश का करदाता ठगा महसूस करेगा. इस पर मेरी राय है कि टैक्सपेयर के साथ धोखा तब होता है, जब लोगों से टैक्स लेकर उस पैसे से दोस्तों को कर्जों को माफ किया जाता है. टैक्सपेयर सोचता है कि मेरे…

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harpianews · 2 years

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'Lie': Delhi and Maharashtra slam PM as he blames them for exodus, Covid spread

‘Lie’: Delhi and Maharashtra slam PM as he blames them for exodus, Covid spread

PRIME MINISTER Narendra Modi’s remarks in Parliament Monday on Covid management, accusing Opposition governments of instigating migrants to leave and escalating the spread of infection, set off a new confrontation between the Center and states. While Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal described Modi’s statement as “an outright lie”, at least three ministers from Maharashtra said the Prime…

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#coronavirus #current #harpianews #India #latest #news

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bbcbreakingnews · 3 years

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PM Modi should focus on strategy on Covid vaccine, instead of publicity: Congress

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Saturday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his three-city visit to review the Covid-19 vaccine development and manufacturing process, saying he should be holding meetings to strategise how it will be allocated instead of doing publicity everytime. Addressing a press conference at the Delhi Congress office here, Congress Spokesperson Pawan Khera said, “The Prime Minister should be holding meetings to strategise and decide on how will the vaccines be allocated, how will it work and who will get them first.” Khera said that he should be focusing on such things rather than doing publicity all the time. His remarks came in response to a question amid Modi’s three-city visit to review the Covid vaccine development and manufacturing process. On Saturday morning, Modi first visited the Zydus Biotech Park in Ahmedabad. He reached Hyderabad from there to visit Bharat Biotech. Later in the day the Prime Minister will visit the Serum Institute of India in Pune. The Congress leader also slammed the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government for spending only 25 per cent of the total fund meant for healthcare in 11 months. Khera said, “The Delhi government has spent only 25 percent of the total fund meant for healthcare in 11 months this year. This at a time when we are fighting the pandemic” Hitting out at the AAP government’s much publicised mohalla clinics, he said, “Show us how many mohalla clinics are functioning?” Only six mohalla clinics are being used as testing centres for coronavirus, he said. “This is happening because you have made bogus mohalla clinics on papers and homes and shops of your workers,” Khera added.

source https://bbcbreakingnews.com/2020/11/28/pm-modi-should-focus-on-strategy-on-covid-vaccine-instead-of-publicity-congress/

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swedna · 4 years

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The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected activist-advocate Prashant Bhushan's review plea in a contempt case. As support and opposition to Bhushan's conviction in a contempt case swelled on the eve of the Supreme Court determining the quantum of punishment, he had requested the SC to defer the hearing scheduled for today saying he intended to file a petition soon to seek review of his conviction.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will announce the results of the fifth edition of the annual cleanliness survey 'Swachh Survekshan 2020' today.

Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot will launch 'Indira Rasoi Yojana' today to provide quality nutritious food to the poor at Rs 8 per plate.

Stay tuned for the latest news of the day CATCH ALL THE LIVE UPDATES Auto Refresh 02:13 PM Didn't tweet in fit of absent mindedness, expressed my bona fide belief, Bhushan tells SC Activist-lawyer Prashant Bhushan told the Supreme Court on Thursday that he did not tweet in absence mindedness and it would be insincere and contemptuous on his part to offer an apology for the tweets that expressed what was and continues to be his bona fide belief, news agency PTI reported. The top court on August 14 had held Bhushan guilty of criminal contempt for his derogatory tweets against the judiciary saying they cannot be said to be a fair criticism of the functioning of the judiciary made in the public interest. A bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra was told by Bhushan, who himself addressed the court along with senior lawyers Rajeev Dhavan and Dushyant Dave representing him, that his tweets were nothing but a small attempt to discharge what he considered to be his highest duty at this juncture in the history of our republic. 01:45 PM There's a Lakshman Rekha for everything: Supreme Court to Prashant Bhushan Supreme Court judge Justice Arun Mishra told Prashant Bhushan there is a Lakshman Rekha for everything, alluding to a set of norm or convention that should never be broken. The remark came on Thursday during the hearing on sentencing of Bhushan who was convicted of criminal contempt. A bench headed by Justice Mishra told Bhushan if you do not balance your comments, then you will destroy the institution, and the court does not punish for contempt so easily. "Balancing has to be there; restraint has to be there. There is a Lakshman Rekha for everything. Why should you cross the Rekha?" said Justice Mishra. Bhushan contended that he had fought cases in the apex court for public interest at some personal and professional cost and insisted that his tweets were not done in a fit of absent-mindedness. 01:36 PM AAP to contest Uttarakhand Assembly election, says Kejriwal We weren't clear about contesting polls in Uttarakhand so we did a survey there. 62% respondents said we should, so we decided to fight elections in Uttarakhand. Unemployment, education & health infrastructure problems are main issues: Arvind Kejriwal, AAP chief & Delhi CM

01:34 PM The construction of Ram Janmbhoomi Mandir has begun. Engineers are now testing the soil at the mandir site 01:33 PM SC says it cannot consider request of Attorney General till Prashant Bhushan reconsiders his earlier stand of not apologising for his tweets 01:32 PM Attorney General K K Venugopal urges SC not to award any punishment to Prashant Bhushan in contempt case, says he has already been convicted 01:32 PM Prashant Bhushan says he will consult his lawyers and think over SC's suggestion in 2-3 days 01:32 PM Will give 2-3 days to Prashant Bhushan to reconsider his 'defiant statement', refusing to apologise for his contemptuous tweets: SC 01:30 PM 117 more police personnel found Covid-19 positive & 2 died in the last 24 hours in Maharashtra Total number of Corona positive police personnel in Maharashtra reaches 12,877, including 2,255 active cases, 10,491 recoveries & 131 deaths till date: Maharashtra Police

01:18 PM SC asks Prashant Bhushan to reconsider statement; Bhushan says no major changes required

#Supreme

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vsplusonline · 4 years

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The Gloves are Off| Delhi

New Post has been published on https://apzweb.com/the-gloves-are-off-delhi/

The Gloves are Off| Delhi

Addressing back-to-back rallies in Delhi’s Rithala and Janakpuri areas on January 27, Union home minister Amit Shah asked Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal if he was in favour of arresting Sharjeel Imam, the student-activist facing sedition charges in five states over his controversial remarks at Aligarh Muslim University (a rambling speech during which he took potshots at the Left and the Right and then suggested a blockade to cut off the Northeast to protest the condition of Muslims there). “Kejriwalji, are you in favour of action against Sharjeel Imam or not? Make it clear to the people of Delhi,” Shah said in one of his speeches.

Within minutes, Kejriwal took to Twitter and asked what was stopping Shah from arresting Sharjeel. “…or do you have to do more dirty politics now” the Delhi CM tweeted. The trading of charges and the verbal sparring between Shah and Kejriwal have visibly escalated in the last leg of campaigning for the Delhi assembly election.

With less than ten days to go for the February 8 polls, the BJP, which is yet to announce a chief ministerial candidate, has put all its might behind a late tactical manoeuvre to make Shah’s hard line on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 or CAA — and Kejriwal’s ambivalence on the subject — a pivot of their campaign. This marks a clear departure from its earlier strategy, where the BJP, which has been out of power in Delhi for more than two decades, was banking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s outsized image to put it past Kejriwal who is seeking a third term after a curtailed 49 days in office and the landslide win in 2015 (67 out of 70 seats).

In the last week of December, days before election dates were announced, the BJP’s Delhi unit had launched a massive publicity drive to highlight the Modi government’s decision to regularise unauthorised colonies. It put up thousands of hoardings in these settlements, which have some 4 million residents, flashing the promise and the PM’s face as a tacit endorsement of it. Modi had also launched the BJP’s campaign with a rally in Ramlila Maidan in December.

But things started changing on the ground on January 23, with Shah hitting the campaign trail. As many as 343 public meetings were held on January 25 and another 250 on January 26. In the first three days, Shah was part of 11 poll-related programmes, including nukkad sabhas (street corner meetings). Taking over from Modi as the face of the BJP’s campaign, which had by now assumed an openly communal and vitriolic character (BJP MP from West Delhi, Parvesh Verma, was talking of how the Shaheen Bagh protesters would “enter your houses, rape your sisters and daughters, and kill them”), Shah, in rally after rally, accused Kejriwal of misleading the people of Delhi, claiming AAP’s promises of free wi-fi and quality education was all hogwash.

Kejriwal, who had carefully avoided any anti-Modi rhetoric and chosen to focus on his governance plank, released a video message on January 26 asking Shah to stop humiliating the people of Delhi. “For the last few days, Amit Shahji has been coming here to campaign daily and insult the people of Delhi. This is not right. In the past five years, the people of Delhi have worked very hard to improve our city,” the chief minister said in the video. Political analyst Sanjay Kumar of the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) says the BJP’s decision to now foreground Shah is a deliberate strategy to shield PM Modi. ��The BJP has changed its campaign style. They have moved from Modi to Shah as far as state elections are concerned,” says Kumar. (A BJP leader who did not want to be named said Modi might address a rally or two in the first week of February after the budget session is over.)

At the time of going to press, it looked like the BJP’s poll campaign was no longer centred on governance promises, but rather on issues such as the scrapping of Article 370 in J&K, triple talaq and the CAA, all of which have a certain communal flavour. “The BJP has gone back to the basics, furthering its larger narrative of nationalism. If the polls get any more polarised in the days to come, it will damage AAP,” says Kumar.

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2whatcom-blog · 5 years

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Shah Rukh Khan urges followers to vote in a brand new music video

India has entered full election mode: voting started on 11 April, and the ultimate poll can be forged greater than 5 weeks in a while 19 Might. Every single day, the BBC can be bringing you all the newest updates on the twists and turns of the world's largest democracy.

Shah Rukh Khan has a rap track...and it is known as Let's Vote!

What occurred? Properly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi put out a barrage of tweets on 13 March asking well-known Indians to "creatively" encourage voting. And Bollywood famous person Shah Rukh Khan obliged...on Monday, some 5 weeks later. He stated he was sorry for the delay - however Mr Modi did ask for "creativity". PM sahib @narendramodi ne creativity ki liye bola tha. Most important thoda late ho gaya video banane mein...aap mat hona Vote karne mein!!! 'Voting shouldn't be solely our Proper, it's our Energy.' Please Use It. Thank u to @tanishkbagchi @abbyviral @parakramsinghr . https://t.co/9280i8BnK3 Finish of Twitter submit by @iamsrk The Indian election kicked off on 11 April but it surely's so lengthy - it is staggered over 5 weeks - that Khan's attraction to voters should still work. Why is that this essential? Khan is a big movie star in India and one of many few that didn't instantly reply to Mr Modi's string of tweets in March. So his tweet on Monday, though late, rapidly made information. And Mr Modi was actually impressed. Improbable effort, @iamsrk!I'm certain the folks of India, particularly first time voters can pay heed to your attraction and are available out to vote in massive numbers https://t.co/y2OLgrwOOS Finish of Twitter submit by @narendramodi It is price mentioning that the prime minister had gone all out when he tweeted at celebrities, even channelling his internal Bollywood. Our private favorite is the tweet during which he punned on the long-lasting tagline from the 1990s' Bollywood blockbuster Kabhi Kushi Kabhie Gham: "It's all about loving your family." He tagged the movie's two male leads, Khan and Amitabh Bachchan, and its director Karan Johar, and ended with "It's all about loving your... democracy". Urging @SrBachchan, @iamsrk and @karanjohar to creatively guarantee excessive voter consciousness and participation within the coming elections. As a result of...its all about loving your democracy (and strengthening it). :) Finish of Twitter submit 2 by @narendramodi

On Monday, any probability of a Congress-AAP alliance was doomed...

What occurred? The principle opposition Congress get together named its candidates for six out of seven parliamentary seats in Delhi, ending the potential of a coalition with the Aam Aadmi Get together (AAP). The AAP, which is the ruling get together within the Delhi legislative meeting, and the Congress had earlier talked about forming an alliance to battle Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Get together (BJP). However with the Congress going forward with its listing, we'll now see a three-cornered contest in Delhi. The Congress named former Delhi Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, as its candidate for the North East Delhi seat. Why is that this essential? The AAP and the Congress each oppose the BJP, and analysts say a coalition would have prevented the splitting of opposition votes in Delhi. However each events could not comply with a seat sharing settlement. The primary indicators that their talks had been failing got here when Congress President Rahul Gandhi accused Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of creating a U-turn in a tweet on 15 April. An alliance between the Congress & AAP in Delhi would imply the rout of the BJP. The Congress is prepared to surrender four Delhi seats to the AAP to make sure this. However, Mr Kejriwal has accomplished yet one more U flip! Our doorways are nonetheless open, however the clock is operating out. #AbAAPkiBaari Finish of Twitter submit by @RahulGandhi In response, Mr Kejriwal had tweeted: "What U-Turn? The talks were still on. Your tweet shows that having an alliance is not your wish. I am saddened by your comment. Today it is important to save the country from the threat of Modi-Shah . It is unfortunate that in UP and other states you are helping Modi by splitting the anti-Modi vote." AAP is but to announce its candidates.

...And PM Modi's 'nuclear button' comment sparked outrage

What occurred? At a rally within the northern state of Rajasthan on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to India's nuclear arsenal, sparking a storm on social media. "Pakistan keeps threatening us every now and then by saying, 'We have a nuclear button'. Even if they do, they should know that India also has one. Do they think our button is for Diwali?" the PM stated. Diwali is a Hindu competition of lights and firecrackers. India is now not frightened of "Pakistan's threats", he added. He additionally attacked the primary opposition Congress get together, saying that they had been unable to curb terrorism once they had been in energy. "It is the Congress that has weakened the country. The BJP, however, is in a process to strengthen it," he stated. Why is that this essential? Mr Modi and the governing Bharatiya Janata Get together (BJP) have drawn flak in current weeks for together with India's current strikes in Pakistan of their election marketing campaign. Earlier this month, a row erupted over a letter from retired navy officers urging President Ram Nath Kovind to make sure that political events don't use the armed forces to "further their political agendas". Mr Modi has made nationwide safety the BJP's primary marketing campaign plank forward of the vote, constantly accusing the Congress of being weak on terrorism. Nationwide safety has historically by no means been an election concern in India, however some analysts say that this technique by the BJP might assist galvanise voters and increase the get together's probabilities. However Mr Modi's newest remarks have prompted outrage on Twitter, with many calling them "flippant" and "unfortunate". A sitting Prime Minister who speaks so chilly bloodedly of beginning a nuclear conflict: merely to win re-election:https://t.co/etjdjecdW8Let's be completely clear; this man doesn't take care of India, Indians, the globe, humanity. All he cares is for his personal gaddi. Finish of Twitter submit by @Ram_Guha Such flippancy in regards to the nuclear button, Mr. Modi.Tragic, uninformed, unimaginative, disgraceful.We all know you might have an election to win, however nuclear conflict within the Subcontinent will evaporate hundreds of thousands in our international locations.Hope there are folks in your nation who will object ferociously. https://t.co/Jx6xjulyxe Finish of Twitter submit by @KanakManiDixit I am ready for Modi's line "India's nuclear button is bigger than Pakistan's" Small males in massive places of work usually have a magnified concept of dimension. Finish of Twitter submit by @dr_rita39

Protection from earlier weeks:

How do you vote within the election?

This is a video explaining every thing that occurs inside a polling station - and what occurs to your vote after that: Read the full article

#2what.com #congress #delhi #india #minister #modi #nuclear #vote

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krishnaprasad-blog · 5 years

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A somewhat comical, even if self-serving, side play in the Narendra Modi government’s brazen (and thus far successful) attempts to fool the Supreme Court—not once, but twice—in #Rafale and #CBI, have been the interjections of Justice Markandey Katju*.

Justice Katju has tweeted 48 times on or around the “transfer” of CBI director Alok Varma by a three-member panel that included an SC judge.

Hear that again: 48 times, since January 10.

***

On the one hand, are Justice Katju’s broad generalisations of “Indian media”—or those worthies from “Lutyens Delhi” whom he encounters on his daily trudges through the thickets of Twitter. He probably deludes himself into thinking they are the media.

# “Donald Trump‘s remark calling media fake news may not be true for American media, but it accurately describes most of Indian media”

# “Most Indian journalists believe in expressing opinions without proper investigation, irrespective of its truth as long as it provides masala.”

# “Most journalists should join ‘go rakshaks‘. They will feel comfortable in the company of lynchers.”

# “Most of the Indian largely believes in creating sensations and providing masala to the public. It is no surprise then that the people do not hold most of the media and journalists in high regards.”

The escape clause for Justice Katju is “most” or “most of”, implying not all, meaning there are still some creatures in the vast cesspool he still considers kosher, which must be those he tweets to, or tags, or sends unsolicited articles.

The Indian media has been called far worse by those who matter—-bazaaru (Narendra Modi); dalals (Arvind Kejriwal); “presstitutes” (Gen V.K. Singh)—for Justice Katju’s barbs to hurt. Why, Rahul Gandhi even hurled an English epithet at the HMTs: “pliable“.

But Justice Katju was chairman of the Press Council of India for three years, a post he was rewarded immediately after his retirement in 2011 by the Manmohan Singh government, and a tenure marked by frequently run-ins with the media.

Surely, he, of all people, should know the media better?

Surely, he should know why he didn’t get a second term?

***

But that’s not the point.

The point is #Rafale. First, the eye-popping, brain-imploding spectacle of judges of the Supreme Court being “misled” by a government’s schoolboy lies, obfuscations, and grammar—a tragedy of errors the SC has deemed not serious enough to explain. Yet.

And the point is #CBI, the eagerness of a former SC judge to spring to the rescue of a junior judge who clearly fell prey to the shenanigans of a government that was trying to remove a thorn in its #Rafale flesh, by making ad hominem attacks on journalists.

Justice Markandey Katju employs two tactics in this game.

The first tactic is the unsolicited character certificate.

Justice A.K. Sikri is “deputed” by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi to sit with prime minister Modi and the “leader of the opposition” Mallikarjuna Kharge on January 10 to decide on the future of CBI director Alok Verma, who had been reinstated in office by the SC two days earlier.

Verma is “transferred” through a 2-1 vote without being given a chance to explain the charges against him before the panel. And he is “transferred” although he has already reached superannuation as a civil service officer.

As tongues wag, Justice Katju wades into the debate to defend Justice Sikri through two tweets and a Facebook post.

“I know Justice Sikri very well as I was his Chief Justice in the Delhi High Court, and I can vouchsafe for his high reputation of integrity. He would not have taken the decision which he did unless there was some strong material on record against Alok Verma.

“What that material is I do not know. But I know Justice Sikri, and can say from personal knowledge that he cannot be influenced by anyone. To attribute motives to him is wrong and unfair. “

Then, as the questions pile up about the judge being party to a possible miscarriage of justice, about being a “puppet of the PM“, Justice Katju, using his calling card as a senior and as former SC judge, falls back on his second card.

The old Delhi trick called “access”.

He telephones Justice Sikri and puts up a Facebook post.

The simple question here is: why should anybody believe this is Justice Sikri’s view? Just because Justice Katju says so.

If Justice Sikri felt hard done by media speculation, why didn’t he call the media directly, why did he need to use Katju’s services?

On the other hand, if “protocol” prevented Justice Sikri from talking to the media, then Justice Katju’s complaint against the media—of not contacting the judge—falls flat.

Surely, Justice Katju of all people is aware of the power of contempt.

But those questions do not stop Justice Katju from gunning for journalists, who, he alleges, showed their “low level” by not contacting Justice Sikri, or for merely commenting on the manner of the removal of Alok Verma.

Actually, how many Supreme Court judges does Justice Katju know who routinely answer phone calls from journalists, even from “legal reporters” whom they encounter every day in the court?

And, how many SC judges does Justice Katju know who entertain journalists’ queries on political issues which are in the news, and that too on the record?

Did Justice Katju really expect Justice Sikri to welcome journalists’ queries involving the biggest stories of the day, #Rafale and #CBI, even if it was not a judicial hearing, even if the #Rafale word was not explicitly spelled out?

There is only one way of finding out: Call 011-3016022 or 3016044. Apparently, these are Justice Sikri’s number and Justice Katju assures you that he will answer your questions.

***

Since Justice Katju’s views are music to the ears of North Korean TV channels aching to bale out the Modi government in the #Rafale issue or any other issue, the Mukesh Ambani-owned CNN-News18 gets him on-air, “exclusively”.

(Justice Katju retweets the channel’s promo tweet four times.)

A twist in Katju’s script emerges on 12 January when Seema Chishti of The Indian Express gets retired Justice A.K. Patnaik to say—on the record—that there was no record of corruption against Alok Verma; that what the CVC said on the CBI chief cannot be the final word, and that he was critical of the “very, very hasty” decision of the PM-led panel to remove Verma.

Remember, retired judge Katju has all this while been shouting that journalists should talk to the judge before commenting.

Now, when another judge, just as retired as him, speaks to a journalist on the record, Katju exhorts them to call the judge to check if what he told the newspaper was true!

https://twitter.com/mkatju/status/1084026370542452736

And then, when no holes could be found in Seema Chishti’s report, swiftly turns it into a debate on how, and how long, she spoke to Judge Patnaik.

Not in person but on the phone, the very device he has been advocating thus far!

***

During his interactions with media folk in the #Rafale-CBI saga, Justice Katju—big, brash and a bit of a bully given his physique and pedigree—blows hot and cold.

When the former Outlook and Hindustan Times journalist Sujata Anandan taunts him, he gets all hot under the collar.

But when the former Economic Times journalist Rohini Singh reports for The Wire that the CVC had met Alok Verma to persuade him to withdraw his case against the PMO’s “blue-eyed boy”, Rakesh Asthana, Justice Katju turns all avuncular.

***

When Maneesh Chibber of The Print broke the news that Justice Sikri, to whom Justice Katju had issued a certificate of character, had been given a “plum posting” in London, post his retirement, Justice Katju is back to his elements.

Justice Sikri, to him, is outstanding, totally upright, extremely competent, and hardworking. Yes, but what has that got to do with the price of onions?

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Thankfully, all this to and fro between Katju and the journalists has been in the echo spa called Twitter, which leads many (including those in the media) into thinking that it is the real world. It is not.

Because at the end of the day, all the screaming of Justice Katju and his telephone calls to judges, present and past, do not change the material facts:

How could a Supreme Court bench comprising the CJI and Justices S.K. Kaul and K.M. Joseph have been be misled by grammatical and factual errors in the #Rafale matter? Do the honourable judges not feel it necessary to explain or admonish?

If the SC-appointed judge to supervise the CVC report Justice A.K. Patnaik says there was “no evidence of corruption” how did Justice Sikri go along with the PM’s view, and against the LoP’s , to sack Alok Verma without giving him a chance to explain?

How did Justice Sikri find the “prima facie findings of guilt” of a CVC, who has himself been under the SC’s scanner, sufficient? Was he completely unaware of the tug-of-war between Alok Verma and PMO’s “blue-eyed boy” Rakesh Asthana?

Alok Verma had attained superannuation and serving out a fixed two-year term as CBI chief. How did Justice Sikri go along with the PM in “transferring” the CBI chief to another department when he was already superannuated?

In the government-to-government #Rafale in which the Prime Minister was the sole signatory, how right was it for Narendra Modi to be on a panel on the future of a CBI chief who had the papers submitted by Yashwant Sinha, Arun Shourie and Prashant Bhushan before him?

When time permits this weekend, or next, Justice Katju should make a few more calls to figure out who is peddling “fake news” and who is doing the “lynching”.

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*Disclosure: Justice Markandey Katju was chairman of the Press Council of India. where this writer, as a representative of the Editors Guild of India, briefly served as a member alongside him.

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Screenshots: The Indian Express and The Telegraph

In the tragedy of errors that is Rafale and CBI, former Press Council chief Markandey Katju provides all the comedy, with 48 tweets in four days A somewhat comical, even if self-serving, side play in the Narendra Modi government's brazen (and thus far successful) attempts to fool the Supreme Court---not once, but twice---in #Rafale and #CBI, have been the interjections of Justice…

#BJP #Churumuri #CNN-News18 #Donald Trump #Facebook #Lutyens Delhi #Maneesh Chibber #Markandey Katju #Narendra Modi #Press Council of India #Rohini Singh #Sans Serif #Seema Chishti #Sujata Anandan #The Indian Express #The Print #The Wire #Twitter

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