Tuesday, November 14, 2023

No misuse of freedom of expression here.

"Amidst strained relations, India urged Canada during the review of its human rights record at the UNHRC to boost its legal framework to stop the 'misuse' of freedom of expression to incite violence and prevent activities of extremist groups." The Wire. No danger of "freedom of expression" in India. Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra had the gall to ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi about finanical dealings of Mr Gautam Adani (BBC) who is known to be close to Mr Modi. The BBC itself has been under fire for a documentary on Modi. In January, "India has blocked the airing of a documentary which questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership during the 2002 Gujarat riots, saying that even sharing of any clips via social media is barred." Reuters. In February, "India's Finance Ministry accused the BBC of tax evasion.., saying that it had not fully declared its incomes and profits from its operations in the country." AP. Clearly a false accusation because, "In a setback to the tax department, the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT)...rejected the I-T department's appeal in a case relating to transfer pricing adjustment against BBC India." TNIE. If one accusation is proved as false, try another. "The BBC has been ordered to the Delhi High Court over a defamation case about its documentary on Narendra Modi." BBC. Undaunted, "The BBC has spent more than a year investigating accusations against the Indian government that it is running a sinister and systematic campaign to intimidate and silence the press in the region (Kashmir)." The J&K Police threatened the BBC with "legal action" for "misrepresenting" facts. The Wire. Mahua Moitra was asked, "Who do you talk to at night, how many times," "Have you been to a hotel with X...have you stayed there?" "You call so and so a dear friend, does his wife know this." DH. What is appalling is that none of the women MPs of the BJP objected to this filthy, degrading, degenerate, contemptible humiliation of Moitra. They wouldn't dare. In January, Hindenburg Research reported that "Indian conglomerate Adani Group has engaged in a brazen stock manipulation and accounting fraud scheme over the course of decades." In October, the Financial Times reported that Adani, "the country's largest private coal importer, has been inflating fuel costs" leading to "millions of Indian consumers and businesses overpaying for electricity". The Wire. "What's jaw-droppingly significant is that this regime knew what was going on and did nothing to stop the bleeding," wrote Matthew John. Also jaw-dropping, the Gujarat High Court fined Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Rs 25,000 for asking to see the certificate of Modi's postgraduate degree." TOI. Even more jaw-dropping, Attorney General R Venkataramani told the Supreme Court that citizens have no right to know who is paying for the mysterious electoral bonds. ET. China banned the letter 'N' (CNN). Modi has banned Indian citizens. We are ahead of China. Fantastic.

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