WHO IS FOOLING WHOM? CM Pramod Sawant gifts Sadhguru Jagdish Vasudev of Isha foundation a Goan lamp at the lauching of the ‘Save Soil’ movement and signing of an MoU in this respect.
BY RAJAN NARAYAN
AND a few stray thoughts for yet another Saturday. For a Saturday following the week when the Sangh Parivar fundamentalists were further emboldened by the release of the killers of Bilkis Bano’s family. For a Saturday following the week when a leading BJP politician from Haryana and Tik Tok star Sonali Phogat died in Anjuna allegedly through taking drugs. For a Saturday following the week when the last of the few independent TV channels in India, the NDTV, was being bought over by Gautam Adani. For a Saturday following the week when it was the turn of the Supreme Court to rap Baba Ramdev for attacking Allopathy and its doctors. For a Saturday following the week when the BJP at least in Goa is using Sadhguru to promote its own agenda.
AND a few stray thoughts on the Sangh Parivar fundamentalists who are further emboldened by the release of the killers of Bilkis Bano’s family. BJP MLA from Telangana screened a video abusing the Prophet Muhammad. Despite threats of suspension by the BJP it is obvious that BJP MLA T Raja Singh is unconcerned. After all, no action has been taken against Nupur Sharma for more than two months after she made offensive remarks against the prophet and got away with it. Raja Singh who has threatening to post a second video about his comments on Prophet Muhammad.
As in the past, the BJP always makes a show of taking action against their fundamentalist bakht. Raja Singh has been booked under the Indian Penal Code section pertaining to promoting enmity between different religious groups. An order of notice of suspension of the BJP member has also been issued by the Central Disciplinary Action Committee. Raja Singh has been given ten days to explain why he shouldn’t be expelled from the party.
The threat of suspension came two-and-half months after Nupur Sharma, the BJP nationals spokesperson was suspended. Along with her, Naveen Kumar Jindal, who is amongst industrialists very close to the BJP, was also suspended. A large part of the coal which is imported through the MPT is meant for the steel and aluminium plant of the Jindals in Karnataka. The matriarch of the Jindal family was recently declared as the richest woman in the country. Ever since the BJP came to power those who are close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have seen a huge increase in their fortunes.
Despite all the threats made by the disciplinary committee of the BJP, Raja got bail late Tuesday, August 23, from the Court of the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate on technical grounds. Raja’s lawyers argued that the Hyderabad police did not follow guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court to serve notice before arresting any of the accused under section 41 A of the Criminal Procedure Code.
TIK TOK STAR
AND a few stray thoughts on a leading BJP politician from Haryana and Tik Tok star Sonali Phogat who allegedly died of drug poisoning in Anjuna in Goa. Her sister told the media that Sonali has spoken to her mother just an hour before the incident, claiming that her food had been poisoned and that there has been a conspiracy against her.
The sudden death of Phogat happened after she returned to her hotel from the infamous Curlies Beach shack. This beach shack is notorious for free availability of the entire range of narcotic drugs. The National Commission of Women has taken note of the complaint that she Phogat was poisoned and a two-member fact-finding team has been appointed. Phogat ran a strong campaign often grabbing headlines during the 2019 Haryana elections. During the canvassing she was also involved in the controversy over a chant of Bharat Mata Ki Jai. Attempts were being made to mislead the police and the public by claiming that she died of a heart attack.
It is now being confirm by the postmoterm conducted August 25 2022 that Sonali Phogat was mudered. The post mortem report showed blunt injuries all over the body of the Haryana BJP politician. It is also rumored that Gopal Kanda who is the owner of Big Daddy may be involved in the conspiracy to murder Phogat. Gopal Kanda himself is in jail for having allegedly murdered Geetika an airhostess in the airline he owned. The PA Sudhir Sangwan and friend Sukhwinder have been arrested by the Anjuna police. There are however complaints about the Anjuna police inspector who alleged to have colluded in the violation of the CRZ zone.
The High Court of Bombay of Goa has directed the Superintendent Police North Goa to enquire into the conduct of the police inspector posted at Anjuna police station. There have been many complaints not only by the Goa Travel & Tourism Association but even the Goa Tourism Development Board about illegal activities and commercial use of eco-sensitive areas within the jurisdiction of the Anjuna police station.
There are several cases of shacks and even concrete jungles being put up in No Development Zone of the Coastal Regulation Zone in Anjuna. There are also complaints of noise pollution by local residents which have been ignored by the authorities. The director of Panchayats has also been asked to conduct an inquiry into the policy of the administrator of the village panchayat and secretary over a suspicious event that took place at Anjuna. It has been pointed out by the court that the organizers of rave parties in Anjuna manage to get power and lighting without applying for any permission.
ADANI BUYS NDTV
AND a few stray thoughts on independent TV channel NDTV being bought over by controversial industrialist Gautam Adani. Gautam Adani reportedly bought 29% share in NDTV which was originally started by Radhika and Pranay Roy. It was at one time the most popular independent television channel with anchors like Rajdeep Sardesai and Barkha Dutt working for it.
Adani has reportedly bought 29% NDTV’s shares from Vishwapradhan Commercial Pvt Ltd (VCPL). The investment from the VCPL intern was bought from some smaller tele ventures at Rs114 crore on August 23, 2022. Gautam Adani has also made an open offer to acquire 26% of the remaining shares from public shareholders at Rs 294, shares costing Rs483 crore. NDTV, which has been continuously harassed by the Modi government, has informed the stock exchange that it has not been informed of the purchase by the front companies of Gautam Adani. If VCPL acquires 26% it will hold a majority stake of 55% in NDTV. The rise in their personal shares is 32% in NDTV.
The NDTV group started by organizing group discussions and interviews for Doordarshan. NDTV has been accused of money laundering having borrowed large amounts from offshore tax-free companies in Mauritius and Seychelles. Cases have been filed against NDTV by the Enforcement Directorate.
Surprisingly, as recently as Monday, August 22, NDTV had informed the Stock Exchange that there was no change in the shareholding of its founders. However, there has been talk of change in ownership of NDTV.
The first victim of the Modi government was CNN 18, which was managed by Rajdeep Sardesai and his wife Sagarika Ghosh. Raghav Bahl is a founder of CNN 18 but had made the mistake of taking huge loans from Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Group. When Modi came to power Mukesh Ambani converted the loan bonds into shares, effectively taking over the ownership of the company. The first casualties were Rajdeep and Sangrika who were both sacked.
Rajdeep Sardesai is considered amongst the best TV anchors in the country and is now reduced to hoisting a two-hour program on India Today TV. Even from India Today he was suspended for ten days for allegedly antagonizing some senior BJP leaders. With Zee TV owned entirely by Shubhash Chandra, president of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, the electronic media is now completely controlled by the Sangh Parivar.
Though the Times of India Group survives in the form of Times Now and Bombay Mirror, the latter closed down as the stand taken by its lead anchor Faye D’souza was not acceptable to the TOI management.
SC RAPS BABA RAMDEV
AND a few stray thoughts on the Supreme Court giving a rap to Baba Ramdev for attacking the Allopathic system of medicine and allopathic doctors. In the past Ramdev used to limit himself to comments in discussion TV channels but now he goes to the extent of advertising in all national newspapers that nobody should trust allopathy and that allopathic doctors were big chor. In his same ads Baba Ramdev makes absurd claims on his cancer cures and stroke cures, not to mention heart attacks in Ayurveda medicine.
Baba Ramdev owns the Patanjali Group which has become one of the largest retailers of groceries, edible oils, soaps, shampoos, everything. My colleagues tell me their soaps and hair oils are extremely popular and fly off the shelves at least in North Goa. Apparently, unlike in the case of popular soaps Lux and Dove, the soaps retailed by Patanjali’s manufacturers do not contain synthetic fats and fake essential oils. Users, however, admit that the Patanjali soaps dissolve very fast and are not worth the money spent on them.
I recall the first Patanjali outlet which was started by Baba Dinesh Vaghela, the then president of the Aam Aadmi party in Goa. The outlet was inaugurated by AYUSH Minister Shripad Naik. Baba Ramdev brought over Ruchi Soya with a loan from Punjab Natioinal Bank. Unfortunately, Ruchi Soya had gone into deep debt and the bankers sold it to Patanjali. Simultaneously the bank also gave a huge loan to Baba Ramdev to purchase the stock of the Ruchi Soya founders.
Patanjali is now considered a multimillion crore company and is trying to export its products by appealing to nationalistic Indians abroad. It may be recalled that Baba Ramdev started out with his extremely popular morning yoga exercises over Aastha Television. Indeed, I was introduced to Baba Ramdev’s yoga asana by former Deputy Inspector of Police in Goa, a Sardarji.
SADHGURU AGENDA
AND a few stray thought on the BJP government in Goa is using entertaining Sadhguru to promote its own agenda. Going by posters put up on electric lamp stands leading up to the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee In-dooor Stadium on the Kadamba plateau, it would appear that it is Chief Minister Pramod Sawant who is trying to save Goan soil. Though the ground reality is that the largest looting of land has opened up under the chief ministership of Pramod Sawant.
It is always been difficult to cheat Goan owners of land because of the complicated process introduced by the Portuguese for the sale and purchase of land. On the death of a Goan the surviving spouse inherits half the property. The remaining half is divided between the children male and female equally. This was very different from the policy in other states where only the eldest male son had rights to ancestral property.
But in Goa what has happened is in collusion with the mamlatdar several Goan crooks and non-Goan outsiders have even learned how to duplicate the whole inventory process. It was recently revealed that over 10,000 sq mts of land were legally sold in Bardez taluka; perhaps it is not a coincidence that Michael Lobo was the chairman of the North Goa Planning & Development Authority when he was with the BJP.
MUSLIMS MIGRATING TO GULF
AND a last stray thought on an increasing number of Muslims migrating to the Gulf countries after the Modi government came to power. In view of the systematic targeting of Muslims, even Muslims from UP and Bihar, which have the largest Muslim population, are migrating to the UAE.
The UAE which has always suffered from a sharp fall in manpower and is encouraging Muslims from India and other countries to migrate. In its latest initiative they launched a five-year multiple entry tourist visa. The starting of Airbus A3AT service which is the largest amongst the Airbus series from October 30, 2022 is expected to improve the tourist and business traffic to the Gulf countries. However, unlike other countries, the UAE doesn’t believe in online visas.