It is the sad truth that most of the Indian mainstream media is either too wary, or too loyal to ask tough or even slightly difficult questions from the political powers that be. However, the irony is that they do ask most of those questions and demand answers from the political party that is out of power at the Centre. And it gets even better, even tougher questions are now being asked of members of that political party who do not hold any position in any elected body. However this one is not about questions.

This one is about answers. Recently, as a spate of crimes, including rapes and murders, have been reported from Uttar Pradesh, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi, who is in charge of parts of Uttar Pradesh for her party, had expressed concern over the situation. 

She had  shared a graphic that  she called a ‘crime meter’ to illustrate the massive number of crimes reported in the state over just two days. She listed crimes reported on Sunday, August 23, and Monday, August 24 in a tweet early on August 25. Most crimes listed were heinous, including murder, rape, kidnapping etc. The tweet went viral.

यूपी के सीएम सरकार की स्पीड बताते हैं और अपराध का मीटर उससे दोगुनी स्पीड से भागने लगता है।

प्रत्यक्षम् किम् प्रमाणम्

ये यूपी में केवल दो दिनों का अपराध का मीटर है। यूपी सरकार बार-बार अपराध की घटनाओं पर पर्दा डालती है मगर अपराध चिंघाड़ते हुए प्रदेश की सड़कों पर तांडव कर रहा है। pic.twitter.com/vaN3J5wG2T

— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) August 25, 2020

Soon replies started pouring in, as expected from both supporters, and critics, and plenty of right-wing trolls doing their daily job as always… replies in the form of posts on Twitter, in response to Gandhi’s ‘allegations’ that the crime rate in Uttar Pradesh was rising fast. This was expected. However what happened next was surprising. Gandhi must have touched a raw nerve somewhere, because in a couple of hours official replies from various Uttar Pradesh police stations’ Twitter accounts started responding, in quick succession.  

She had accused that the state government was ‘covering up’ the incidents of crime, but crime itself was dancing the ‘tandava’ on UP’s streets. Implying that things were getting out of hands. 

It was interesting to see how the several UP Police Twitter accounts started sharing details of what stage the investigations were at, in each case of crime registered across the state. Detailed replies at that.

But what made them react in such a coordinated manner, that too to a politician who does not represent any constituency in Uttar Pradesh, at any level of state or central governments? Yet, 14 police stations responded, with official details and procedural status of investigation, of crimes under investigation. Thus, recognising and validating Gandhi’s point that all those crimes had taken place in the state in just two days, and that the crime situation was indeed worrisome. 

However, according to the right-wing blog Opindia, it was Uttar Pradesh Police’s way to ask Priyanka Gandhi to perhaps rethink her allegations and instead “dwell upon the cause and action” in the context of crimes that occurred in the state over two days. The UP police’s official reply to Gandhi stated, “With reference to the events mentioned on Sunday and Monday in Uttar Pradesh #UPPolice It is also important to know the cause of action and incident. It is also important to note that Uttar Pradesh is the largest state in the country from the point of view of population and a population of about 24 crore lives here.”

उत्तर प्रदेश में रविवार एवं सोमवार को उल्लिखित घटनाओं के संदर्भ में #UPPolice की कार्यवाही एवं घटना के कारणों को भी जानना जरूरी है।
यह भी ध्यान रखना आवश्यक है कि उत्तर प्रदेश जनसंख्या के दृष्टिकोण से देश का सबसे बड़ा राज्य है एवं यहां लगभग 24 करोड़ की आबादी निवास करती है।@UPGovt https://t.co/q3mDZ9BGk0 pic.twitter.com/QEf2edaSeO

— UP POLICE (@Uppolice) August 25, 2020

Of course, detailed case by case replies came from Varanasi Police, stating that the complaint had been registered and legal proceedings will be done etc. 

उक्त प्रकरण के सम्बन्ध में जनपद मिर्जापुर थाना चुनार में अभियोग पंजीकृत है अग्रिम विधिक कार्यवाही थाना चुनार जनपद मिर्जापुर द्वारा की जा रही है। @Uppolice @adgzonevaranasi @IgRangeVaranasi

— Varanasi Police (@varanasipolice) August 25, 2020

Similar replies followed, in random order perhaps, from official Twitter handles of Bareilly Police, Ballia Police, Barabanki Police, Bijnor Police, Fatehpur Police, Muzaffarnagar Police, Prayagraj Police, Baghpat Police, Unnao Police, Ghaziabad Police, Jaunpur Police, Mirzapur Police, Kaushambi Police, Khushinagar police. Most aprising of case updates, including arrests if any, and ending with an assurance that investigations were on. 

इस संबंध में थाना चुनार पर अभियोग धारा 363 भा0द0वि0 पंजीकृत है, पीडिता पुलिस द्वारा बरामद की जा चुकी है, पीडिता का मेड़िकल परीक्षण कराया जा रहा है, अन्य विधिक कार्यवाही की जा रही है, विवेचना प्रचलित है।

— Mirzapur Police (@mirzapurpolice) August 25, 2020

प्रकरण में जाँच कर आवश्यक कार्यवाही हेतु SHO अहिरौली बाजार को निर्देशित किया गया है।

— Kushinagar Police (@kushinagarpol) August 25, 2020

While right-wing followers see this UP police countering an ‘allegation’ from a Congress politician, it is interesting to note that the official replies have not refuted the fact that a number of crimes has happened in a short period of time. 

Meanwhile, Priyanka Gandhi on her part, has taken the matter to the next level. She has now written to Uttar Pradesh governor Anandiben Patel expressing concern over the law and order situation, highlighting the lack of safety for women  in the state. She also posted this on social media on Wednesday.  Priyanka Gandhi wrote: “Your Excellency the Governor, Uttar Pradesh. The situation of women safety in UP has become very bad. A girl from Lakhimpur was going to fill the online form. She was raped and brutally murdered. This is happening daily in UP now.  Hope you understand its seriousness and take it into consideration.”

महामहिम राज्यपाल महोदया
उत्तर प्रदेश

यूपी में महिला सुरक्षा के हालात बहुत खराब हो चुके हैं। लखीमपुर की एक लड़की ऑनलाइन फॉर्म भरने जा रही थी। उसकी बलात्कार कर नृशंस तरीके से हत्या हो गई।

यूपी में ऐसा अब रोज हो रहा है।

आशा है आप इसकी गंभीरता समझेंगी और संज्ञान में लेंगी।

— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) August 26, 2020

As Priyanka Gandhi had stated the example of the brutal rape and murder of a young girl from Lakhimpur, and claimed that such crimes were happening frequently in the state, the area police replied.Twice.

pic.twitter.com/1SDUCqNxpC

— KHERI POLICE (@kheripolice) August 26, 2020

Perhaps this is Priyanka Gandhi’s way to take a dip-stick poll on how seriously her word is taken in Uttar Pradesh, before she takes the electoral plunge? If the answer is yes, then clearly she is seen as a politician with influence over the vote bank. If she is not going to contest election, then it is a signal to perhaps her own party colleagues, that she is to be seen as a politically savvy, powerful force to reckon with. Either way, an impact has been made, and noted.

Related:

Heer Khan arrested by UP police for posting abusive anti-Hindu video 
Yet another journalist shot dead in Uttar Pradesh
Delhi-based Journalist Prashant Kanojia arrested by UP police for “some tweets”
Kidnapping, rape, torture, murder; just another long weekend in Uttar Pradesh
UP’s crime graph rises further, BJP politician Sanjay Khokhar shot dead
Is this the “Ram Rajya” promised by the BJP: Congress attacks UP govt 
Webinar on rise in Human Rights violations in UP during lockdown
They abused us, asked us to worship their idols: Christians attacked in UP
Journalism is a hazardous profession in Uttar Pradesh

The post Why did Priyanka Gandhi’s comment on crime in UP get so many official responses? appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Scenes of utter chaos that brought back horrific memories of the early days of the unplanned national lockdown when similar scenes of thousands of men, women and children reaching the Delhi-UP borders had made the world sit up and notice the horrific situation. Over the last two months almost, migrant workers have continued to try and get home safe, as the cities they have helped build no longer seem to be the place that they can live in with dignity. 

Journalist Piyush Rai posted this video clip that showed how social distancing was merely on paper, as was any promise of systems being in place to facilitate the workers return home. It went viral soon enough.
 

More visuals from Ghaziabad where migrants have turned up in large numbers to get themselves registered for special trains. This is the time medical screening and quarantine facilities in East UP and Bihar should be stepped up to the maximum. pic.twitter.com/oGZAs4yIfx

— Piyush Rai (@Benarasiyaa) May 18, 2020

The workers have continued to suffer the blazing summer heat and waited, some have also been waiting at the Delhi-Ghaziabad border for a couple of days now. Scores more waited near a Delhi government school in East Delhi near the highway when told that buses will be made available to take them back home. 

On Sunday, Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee President Choudhary Anil Kumar was detained at his home by the police when, according to him, he had been organising buses and help for the migrant workers to go back to their homes.

मुझे मेरे निवास स्थान पर पुलिस द्वारा डिटेंड किया गया है, पता नहीं क्यूँ ? जैसे ही पता चलेगा आपको सूचित करूँगा । pic.twitter.com/vtpPsQv26o

— Anil Chaudhary (@Ch_AnilKumarINC) May 17, 2020

An FIR was registered against him as well.

लॉकडाउन के नियम तोड़ने के आरोप में दिल्ली कांग्रेस अध्यक्ष @Ch_AnilKumarINC के खिलाफ पुलिस ने FIR दर्ज कर ली है। इस मामले पर आजतक के साथ बातचीत में उन्होंने कहा- मैं लगातार काम करता रहूंगा भले ही मेरे ऊपर FIR है। #ReporterDiary (@Ankit_news)
अन्य वीडियो: https://t.co/mf6keLW7vJ pic.twitter.com/HhYQIjoCIJ

— AajTak (@aajtak) May 17, 2020

However, this too paled in comparison with the unusual political development that came from Uttar Pradesh hours later. On Monday May 18, the The UP Government “accepted” a proposal made by Congress General Secretary, Priyanka Gandhi who had said her party will arrange for 1,000 buses for migrants. On Sunday, she had said the buses were ready and waiting however the UP government was yet to allow them to cross the border. The UP government she said was busy playing politics instead. 

प्रवासी मजदूरों की भारी संख्या घर जाने के लिए गाजियाबाद के रामलीला मैदान में जुटी है। यूपी सरकार से कोई व्यवस्था ढंग से नहीं हो पाती। यदि एक महीने पहले इसी व्यवस्था को सुचारू रूप से किया जाता तो श्रमिकों को इतनी परेशानी नहीं झेलनी पड़ती।

कल हमने 1000 बसों का सहयोग देने की ..1/2 pic.twitter.com/06N47gg94T

— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) May 18, 2020

Lo and behold, the UP government responded as soon as the visuals of the chaos at the borders went viral, and granted “permission,”. According to news agency ANI, the Uttar Pradesh Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi, wrote to Priyanka Gandhi to state that the Congress’ offer to the buses was accepted and permission was granted. He also asked for the details of the vehicles and the drivers “without delay.”

Awanish Awasthi, Uttar Pradesh Additional Chief Secretary (Home) writes to Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accepting her proposal to deploy 1000 buses for migrants. Seeks details of 1000 buses & drivers without delay. pic.twitter.com/6PrtlMQtYb

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 18, 2020

“… Thank you for allowing us to run 1000 buses at the expense of Congress, to help thousands of migrant brothers and sisters…” An emphatic Priyanka replied to thank the UP government for this gesture and said the Congress would bear the costs of sending the migrants home.

.@myogiadityanath जी महामारी के समय इंसान की जिंदगी को बचाना, गरीबों की रक्षा करना, उनकी गरिमा की हिफाजत करना हमारा नैतिक दायित्व और अधिकार है।

कांग्रेस इस कठिन समय में अपनी पूरी क्षमता और सेवाव्रत के साथ अपने कर्तव्यों का पालन कर रही है।

ये बसें हमारी सेवा का विस्तार हैं। 1/3

— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) May 18, 2020

The Congress of course is not in power either in Delhi Government nor in Uttar Pradesh government, and the UP government’s response to their offer is interesting to say the least. Priyanka Gandhi is more active than ever and  in charge of the party in eastern Uttar Pradesh. On Saturday news reports, she had written to UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath seeking permission to allow Congress to send 1000 buses carrying migrant workers homewards. The party was responding to the situation as news of the accident at Auraiya, where 24 people lost their lives came in.

“Lakhs of workers are trying to get back to their homes while walking from various parts of the country and there are not enough arrangements made for them. We wish to operate 500 buses each from Ghazipur and Noida borders,” Priyanka Gandhi had stated in her letter to CM Adityanath, which was reported by The Quint and other news outlets.

The situation of migrant workers is as bad at other borders leading to eastern Uttar Pradesh, and onwards to Bihar, as well. According to news reports angry migrant labourers blocked the Agra-Mathura highway on Sunday in protest against lack of enough buses for their journey home. 

Interestingly, UP chief Minister Yogi Aditanath had said on sunday that his government will grant permission to any “organization or party “ that wanted to support the migrant workers return journeys. All that has to do is share a list of names and resources.

कोरोना संकट में अगर कोई संस्था अथवा दल सहयोग देने में रुचि लेना चाहता है तथा प्रदेश सरकार को सूची (प्रवासी श्रमिको एवं साधनों की) भेजेंगी तो उन्हें अवश्य अनुमति मिलेगी, उसका स्वागत भी होगा।
-मुख्यमंत्री श्री @myogiadityanath जी

— Yogi Adityanath Office (@myogioffice) May 17, 2020

The UP government is yet to make public what additional arrangements it has put in place to screen, quarantine and support, the thousands of migrant workers once they return to the state. 

Related: 

Migrants killed in accidents on the way back home: 24 in UP, 5 in MP

Fourteen migrants die, 60 get injured in two road accidents

16 migrant workers run over by train in Aurangabad, Opposition demands answers

Death, harassment and apathy – there’s a long road before migrants go back home

The post UP gov’t accepts Priyanka Gandhi’s proposal of arranging 1,000 buses for migrant workers appeared first on SabrangIndia.

In this episode of ‘Bol Ke Lab Azad Hain Tere’, senior journalist Abhisar Sharma talks about the number of challenges in front of the Congress, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Even as Priyanka Gandhi has now stepped into the political arena, the BJP is trying to undermine her by targeting her husband Robert Vadra. We’ll have to wait to see if Gandhi succeeds in making an impact in Uttar Pradesh politically. Abhisar also speaks about how the mediapersons have complained to BJP President Amit Shah regarding Sambit Patra.

Courtesy : News Click

The post Priyanka’s Secret and Sambit Patra Cut to Size appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Priyanka is one of the star campaigners of Congress for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections and has also played an important role in forging an alliance between Congress and SP.

To a question, the BJP’s firebrand leader said, “It doesn’t matter…there are girls and women who are more beautiful than her (Priyanka) and are also star campaigners.

“Some of them are artists and heroines…they are more beautiful than her,” he said.

Later talking to reporters, Katiyar tried to downplay his remarks saying it was an internal matter of Congress as to whom they want to appoint as their campaigner.

But, he added that if Congress is under the impression that they have the beautiful face of Priyanka for campaigning then to counter they also have many beautiful faces which BJP may ask to campaign for party.

However, he said “..It is wrong and unfair to compare beauty with capability but Congress is doing this.”

Katiyar’s own name is missing from BJP’s campaigners’ list for the state assembly elections, despite the fact that he hails from Uttar Pradesh.

Courtesy: Janta Ka Reporter
 

The post BJP’s Vinay Katiyar makes ‘sexist’ comments against Priyanka Gandhi appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said-

"That (Nehruvian) model of development was the reason India couldn't get up to a growth rate of even 1 percent in those early decades," Jaitley said in Mumbai at a discussion on the Good and Services Tax regime (GST

Here is a random list of achievements of Congress under the leadership of Nehru-Gandhis to build a poverty-stricken, illiterate, disunited resourceless India in 1947 into a modern nation, virtually from the scratch, brick-by-brick, institution-by-institution, project-by-project:

1. The Constitution of India (the very Foundation of our Nationhood)
2. Integration of 600-odd small and big Prncely Kingdom to create the Indian State
3. Abolition of Zamindari
4. Enactment of The Hindu Code Bill
5. Set up Planning Commission
6. Built Huge Dams (Bhakra, Hirakud, Idukki, Narmada, Tehri, Ukai, Indira Sagar, Sri Sailam, etc)
7. Expansion of Rail Network, including Konkan, Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramullah links, etc
8. Built Chandigarh and Bhubaneshar Cities and several State Secretariat Buildings
9. Huge Bridges (across Ganga, Brahmaputra, Yamuna, Mahanadi, Krishna, Godavari, Kaveri, AND Bandra-Worli Sea Link, Farakka, Vikram Shila, Rajendra Sethu, etc)
10. Built and/or expanded several Ports
11. Massive Expansion of Highways, Rural Roads and Border Roads and Highway to Burma
12. IITs (Indian Institutes of Technology)
13. IIMs (Indian Institutes of Management)
14. CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research)
15. AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences)
16. IARI (Indian Agricultural Research Institute)
17. UGC (University Grants Commission)
18. NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training)
19. AICTE (All India Council of Technical Education)
20. DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organization)
21. Massive Expansion of Ordnance Factories
22. ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization)
23. IMC (Indian Medical Council)
24. IAE (Indian Atomic Energy Commission)
25. BARC (Bhaba Atomic Energy Commission)
26. ISI (Indian Science Institute, Bangalore)
27. Airports Authority of India
28. IMA (Indian Military Academy, Dehra Dun)
29. NDA (National Defence Academy, Kadakvasla)
30. NHAI (National Highway Authority of India)
31. SAIL (Steel Authority of India: 1. Bhilai Steel Plant, 2. Rourkela Steel Plant, 3. Durgapur 32. Steel Plant, 4. Bokaro Steel Plant, 5. Visakhapatnam Steel Plant)
33. Shipping Corporation of India
34. Ship building, including Submarines, Aircraft Carrier
35. HEC, (Heavy Engineering Corporation, Ranchi)
36. HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd., Bangalore)
37. HMT (Hindustan Machine Tools, Bangalore)
38. Coal India Ltd
39. Locomotive Factories
40. Fertiliser Corporation of India
41. Cement Corporation of India
42. Rajasthan Canal Project
43. Engineers India Ltd
44. Indian Forest Institute, Dehra Dun
45. ISI ( Indian Standards Institution)
46. UPSC (Union Public Service Commission)
47. IAS/IFS/IPS/IRS pTraining Academies in Mussorie and Hyderabad
48. National Library, Kolkata
49. National Museum, New Delhi
50. Sports Authority of India
51. Indian National Science Academi
52. Sahitya/Lalita Kala/Natak Academi
53. Indian Film & Television Institute, Pune
54. National School of Drama, New Delhi
55. Zonal Cultural Centres (in Five Zones)
56. Children's Film Society
57. Expansion of All India Radio
59. Doordarshan
60. Space Exploration and Satellite Programs
61. Food Corporation if India
62. Expansion of Civil Aviation
63. Construction of New Modern Airports
64. NBCC (National Building Construction Corporation)
65. ITDC (India Tourism Development Corporation)
66. STC (State Trading Corporation)
67. KVIC (Khadi and Village Indutries Commission)
68. ONGC (Oil and Natural Gas Commission)
69. IOC (Indian Oil Corporation)
70. MMTC (Mines and Metals Trading Corporation)
71. BHEL (Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd)
72. NTPC (National Thermal Power Corporation)
73. MTNL (Mahanagar Telephone Network Ltd)
74. GAIL (Gas Authority of India Ltd)
75. Bharat Electronics
76. Bharat Earth Movers
77. National Fertiliser Corporation
78. Hindustan and Cochin Shipyards
79. NTDC (National Textile Development Corporation)
80. IIPA (Indian Institute of Public Administration)
81. IGNOU (Indira Gandhi National Open University)
82. NID (national Institute of Design)
83. New Central Universities
84. Agricultural Universities
85. Green Revolution
86. White (Milk) Revolution
87. Abolition of Privy Purse
88. Bank Nationalisation and expansion of Banking services
89. CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education)
90. Kendriya Vidyalayas and Navodaya Schools
91. Computer Revolution
92. Telecommunication Revolution
93. Auto Revolution
94. MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme)
95. RTI (Right To Information)
96. RTE (Right To Education)
97. Right To Food
98. Land Compensation Act
99. Adult Literacy Mission
100. Minorities Commissions
101. Metro and Mono Rail systems
102. Introduced AADHAR Identity Cards
103. Established Boards to promote Coir to Coconut to Cashewnut
104. Massive expansion of Food Processing Industry
105. Conducted First Nuclear Test
106. Nuclear Deal with USA
107. Manifold increase in production of electricity

INTRODUCED ECONOMIC REFORMS/LIBERALISATION BY CONGRESS IN 1991
# Opened up India's Equity Market in 1992 for investment by Institutional Investors
# Established SEBI Act in 1992
# From 1994 the National Stock Exchange (NSE) emerged as a Computer-based trading system, which served as an instrument to leverage reforms of India's other Stock
# Exchanges. By 1996, the NSE emerged as India's largest Exchange.
# Massive Foreign Direct Investment
When Indira Gandhi became Prime Minister, 65% of country's population was below poverty line.
# By 2013, it has come down to 25%.
# Similarly, literacy has Increased by 30-35%.
# Longevity has also gone upto 67+ years
# India is Self-sufficient in food/Second largest food producer in the world
# First in Milk production
# Fourth largest producer of Steel in the world
etc

Jaitley are you unhappy that GST will always be credited to Congress?!

‪#‎JaitleyWhatHasRattledYou‬

Response to Vasudevan's post on social networking sites-

Prerna Bindra– I would also list the legal protection to wildlife, forests, Project Tiger. the many sanctuaries and tiger reserves -thanks to which we have whatever forests and wildlife left today. a fraction of it is here:

Malreddy Shankar Reddy- Indira Gandhi brought Land ceiling act which was major reform against the big and influential/feudal landlords.But what is the progress made by BJP/NDA government in their 8 1/2(Eight and half ) of their regressive rule except trying to bring back the draconian British Land Acquisition Act of 1894.?

G Pandarang Rao– Jaitley lives in la-la land. He really believes in the RSS line. And the BJP seems to have its own version of the truth or history, which says that India had no development until two years ago.

Aparajita Krishnan– There is a pattern to this madness. This govt too must be discredited to Nehru.

Rakesh Thind- Don't be unfair to Modi. Dekho Kaam toh Yeh bhi kar raha hai.

Robin Roy– He has gone senile

The post JAITLEY CHARGED WITH ‘SEDATION’ – Vasudevan Narayanpillai appeared first on SabrangIndia.