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Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
Tushar Chaudhary files defamation FIR for remarks on YouTube
Surat: Two persons have been accused of defamation and offences under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act based on a complaint filed by Congress MLA and former central minister Tushar Chaudhary with Tapi district police. The FIR states that the accused, Jagdish Mehta, made defamatory comments during a debate with Ghangar on the latter's YouTube platform, expressing doubts about Chaudhary's tribal status. Ghangar allegedly agreed with Mehta's comments. Vyara police booked both Mehta and Ghangar under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Section 356, for defamation, and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act Section 3(1) subsections r, s, t and v, which deal with abusing and insulting a member of the tribal community held in high esteem. In the complaint, Chaudhary alleged that Mehta, who also works for a news outlet, raised doubts about his tribal status. Commenting on Tushar Chaudhary, Mehta allegedly made derogatory comments about tribal people to Ghangar. The FIR alleges that when Mehta said this, Ghangar agreed with him on the platform. Chaudhary alleged that Mehta had tried to ruin his social and political image with the comments. Chaudhary stated that he was elected twice on an ST reserved seat to the Lok Sabha and elected twice on an ST reserved seat to the Gujarat assembly. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo He alleged that Mehta's comments were an insult to the tribal community of the whole country. Chaudhary currently represents the Khedbrahma ST seat in the Gujarat assembly and was recently appointed the Congress's leader in the assembly. Deputy superintendent of police (SC-ST cell) Nikita Saroya has been handed the investigation. Tushar Chaudhary has been elected to the Lok Sabha from the Mandvi and Bardoli ST reserved seats and went on to become a central minister in the UPA govt. He has won elections from the Vyara and Khedbrahma assembly seats, which are reserved for the ST community. He is the son of former Gujarat chief minister Amarsinh Chaudhary.
The Print
5 hours ago
- The Print
'Tanashahi sarkar' & Uttarakhand's legacy of folk protest: Singer booked for Dhami song speaks out
Though his music has stirred controversy in the past, his latest song criticising the state government has landed him in legal trouble, with a police complaint filed against him on charges of 'promoting enmity' and 'insulting the modesty of women'. For over two decades, the 41-year-old singer has used his songs to critique the Uttarakhand government and highlight various social issues in the hill state. New Delhi: Garhwali folk singer Pawan Semwal has never been known to mince his words, or lyrics. The song, titled Tin Bhi Ni Thami, loosely translated as 'Can't handle it for even a bit', takes aim at the state's BJP government over rising unemployment, corruption and crimes against women in the state. Uploaded on 16 July, the video includes caricatures and images of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, visuals of Dehradun police, street protests and news clippings related to crimes, including the Ankita Bhandari murder case. The video gained traction quickly, racking up over 15,000 views, 1,200 likes and 500 comments on YouTube within 24 hours. The song's lyrics are hard-hitting. One verse that seems to have hit a raw nerve says that corruption and hooliganism have increased under the Dhami government: 'Tera raj ma bhrashtachaar, gundagardi hoyin chhai, janta sadaikiyon mein lachaar, betiyon ka hona chhan balatkaar…Dhami re, ni thaami re. (Your rule reeks of corruption and hooliganism, the people are perpetually helpless, daughters are facing rapes… Dhami, you couldn't even hold it together).' Semwal has been performing for over two decades and has worked for prominent production houses like Rama Cassettes and T-Series. Although his music critiquing those in power has ruffled feathers before, neither he nor any other protest singer in the state has found themselves in the crosshairs of police in the past. Not even when he released a song in 2018 targeting then chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, highlighting rising crimes against women in the state and accusing the government of being 'asleep', directly calling out Rawat and featuring his image in the video. But his latest song has triggered a much stronger reaction. Semwal alleges that hours after the song was released, police began showing up at his door. He told ThePrint that the Dehradun police came to his Delhi house on 17 July and told him to remove some images, specifically those of the chief minister, from the video. Police also asked him to remove the chief minister's name from the video. 'We edited the song accordingly and sent it to them. But later that night, around midnight, the police came again and took me in for questioning. They dropped me back home the next afternoon,' he added. Semwal said that after modifying the lyrics and visuals, he re-uploaded the song. This time, Chief Minister Dhami's images were removed, his name was altered to 'Dami', and a few protest visuals and news clippings were replaced with generic representative footage. But the matter didn't end there. On 20 July, police came to his house in Delhi and took him to Dehradun again. He added that his producer, Deepak, was taken too, but in a separate vehicle,' he said. He then deleted the video from YouTube altogether. 'Police barged into my house as if I were a terrorist,' Semwal said. 'What crime have I committed? In Uttarakhand, artists have always come forward to voice public concerns. I've always sung about issues that matter to the hills. If we folk artists won't raise our voices, who will?' he said. The singer alleged that the police continuously pressured him to take down the video. 'I was confused. We had already taken it off YouTube, but it was widely shared on Facebook. I told them, 'How many places will you remove it from?'' Semwal was again summoned to Dehradun for questioning on Sunday. He clarified that the Delhi Police were not involved when he was picked up from Delhi each time. Semwal has not been arrested, but police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) at Patel Nagar police station under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita related to promoting enmity between groups, statements conducive to public mischief and the use of a word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman. Police officers confirmed the FIR to ThePrint but declined further comment, calling it a 'sensitive issue'. Legal trouble But it wasn't only the use of the chief minister's name and picture that put Semwal into trouble. After the song was uploaded again on 20 July, an Uttarkashi resident, Manju Devi, filed a police complaint alleging that a line in the song, which links a rise in the number of liquor shops to prostitution, was offensive to all women in Uttarakhand. In a now-viral video, Manju Devi is seen threatening the singer: 'If I see him, I will behead him… 28 cases have already happened and the 29th will be this one where I kill him.' Semwal has written to West Delhi Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Vichitra Veer, requesting action against the woman. 'The woman who is threatening me may either have me killed or may falsely implicate me in a serious case and get me imprisoned. Therefore, I humbly request you to kindly take strict legal action against this woman and her associates who are threatening me,' read the complaint, a copy of which ThePrint has seen. ThePrint also reached the DCP via phone calls but did not receive any response. This report will be updated if and when a response is received. Semwal, who launched his own label, Bhuvaneshwari Production, in 2018, under which the controversial song was released, called the government's actions oppressive. 'This is a tanashahi sarkar (dictatorial government). They're arresting people who are doing their work. If we can't raise concerns with the government, who else are we supposed to talk to?' The singer, whose production house has over 32,000 subscribers on YouTube and has published over 120 videos, maintained that governments should view such art as a wake-up call, not an attack. 'It depends on the government whether they want to take it constructively or suppress it,' he told ThePrint. This isn't Semwal's first brush with controversy. When he released a song targeting former Chief Minister Rawat, titled 'Uttarakhandi Jagi Java' (People of Uttarakhand, wake up), a Dehradun resident filed a complaint against him. The song highlighted the rising crimes against women in the state and accused the government of being asleep, directly calling out Rawat and featuring his image in the video. But the then-BJP government distanced itself from the matter, saying the party had no connection to the complainant. When Rawat was asked to respond to the song, he said: 'Some people like unclean water, so they go to drains; some people like clean water and they go to the Ganga.' Political slugfest The Congress has slammed the FIR and subsequent police action against Semwal, calling it an attempt to stifle dissent. 'This is nothing short of clipping the wings of a folk singer, silencing a voice that speaks for the people,' Congress spokesperson Garima Dasauni from Uttarakhand told ThePrint, adding that the Dhami-led government is acting in a manner that undermines constitutional values. She also drew a link between the song's criticism of growing addiction among the state's youth and an announcement by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) about implementing a plan to strengthen mental health and de-addiction services shortly after. The campaign reportedly will be implemented under the provisions of the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017. The government notification was issued on 24 July 2023. Acknowledging that even during Congress rule, there was criticism from artists and citizens, she pointed out that 'the government then never responded with FIRs or legal threats'. 'The BJP government is not addressing real issues like unemployment or youth welfare. Instead, it continues to obsess over Muslims, madrasas, UCC, and 'jihad',' she added. The state government defended its record. 'The development work of the Dhami government is resonating across Uttarakhand. Its popularity is rooted in these efforts. Under the guidance of Prime Minister Modi and the capable leadership of Chief Minister Dhami, the state is progressing steadily,' the BJP's Uttarakhand chief spokesperson Manvir Singh said in a written statement to ThePrint. 'Politics rooted in negativity and propaganda is not productive. The people are aware of every motive and, as always, will respond wisely,' he added. 'Bob Dylan of the hills' Semwal isn't the first singer in the hills to use music as a form of resistance. Before him, prominent singer Narendra Singh Negi, often called the 'Bob Dylan of the hills', used Garhwali folk music to satirise those in power. His iconic Nauchami Narayana—a satirical 2006 song in the Jagar style known for its unique ability to adapt to various cultural and religious contexts—directly targeted then Congress chief minister Narayan Dutt Tiwari. The song mocked Tiwari's alleged misuse of power, red beacon culture, corruption and nepotism, portraying him as a 'Kalyug avatar'. It quickly went viral, with CDs and DVDs flying off shelves across the state. The song was banned and party workers burnt his effigies on the roads across the state. The government's attempts to ban and seize the song only intensified public outrage. Many political observers believe the backlash played a role in the Congress party's defeat in the 2007 Uttarakhand Assembly elections. The trend continued in 2012, when Negi released Ab Kathga Khailo, a sharp critique of former BJP Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank'. That song was also widely blamed for the BJP's poor performance in the state elections that year. Negi remains celebrated locally for his fearless approach, taking aim at both the BJP and Congress with equal vigour. For many locals in Uttarakhand, these folk songs have served as powerful expressions of public sentiment, giving voice to frustrations often ignored by the political establishment. 'We felt heard when these songs came out,' said 50-year-old Vikas Uniyal, a resident of Rishikesh. 'We were exhausted by endless bureaucratic hurdles and the lack of real change. Even Semwal's song gave language to what many of us were already feeling.' But Semwal said folk artists have long been neglected in the state. 'What have these political leaders ever done for our culture or for artists? One artist creates employment for three to four others — musicians, dancers. What is the government doing for them?' Anoop Nautiyal, a social activist and founder of the Social Development Communities Foundation, a Dehradun-based NGO, called the government's response disproportionate. Nautiyal told ThePrint that even without the controversy, the song would not have had the kind of impact that Negi's Nauchami Narayana had nearly two decades ago. 'The government went overboard with this one. The song wouldn't have affected them electorally at all,' he said. 'This is the age of social media, trends, and virality. People would have seen it and moved on by the time elections came around. Instead, the government should focus on core issues like hospitals, schools, roads, and governance.' He added that the shelf life of creative work today is far shorter than it was in the past. 'Back then, a song could live in the public memory for months, even years. Today, something is only relevant until the next viral trend comes along.' (Edited by Sugita Katyal) Also Read: 'Sheesh Mahal' jibe returns to haunt BJP as Dhami's pool & Rekha Gupta's 'Maya Mahal' come under Oppn fire
Mint
5 hours ago
- Mint
Maldives' Muizzu calls India ‘closest, most-trusted ally', PM Modi stresses ‘friendship first': Top points
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on two-day visit to the Maldives, on Monday assured India's continued support to the island nation in strengthening its defence capabilities. PM Modi and the Maldives President Dr Mohamed Muizzu also addressed a joint press meet where PM Modi the growing security cooperation between the two nations reflects the depth of their trust. Among other things, PM Modi also announced major financial commitment to the island nation saying India will provide a line of credit of $565 million to the Maldives. The prime minister also handed over 72 vehicles and equipment for use by the Maldives National Defence Force. 'India-Maldives relations are centuries-old. We are neighbours, partners and true friends who stand together in times of need. Like I said earlier too, Maldives holds a special place in India's 'Neighbourhood First' is not just diplomacy but a relation of deep affinity.' 'We are both partners of the Global South. Whether it is Infrastructure or Capacity Building, India has been a true partner and companion at every turn of Maldives' development journey. Now we should move forward on trade, security, and sustainable development.' 'It is an honor for me to attend as the Guest of Honour on the 60th Independence Day of the Maldives. I express my gratitude to the President for this invitation. And on behalf of all Indians, I extend heartfelt congratulations to the people of the Maldives.' 'Mutual cooperation in the field of defense and security is a testament to mutual trust. The Defense Ministry building, which is being inaugurated today, is a concrete structure of trust. It is a symbol of our strong partnership.' 'To give a new flight to our development partnership, we have decided to provide a 'line of credit' of 565 million dollars, which is approximately five thousand crore rupees, for the Maldives. This will be used for projects related to the development of infrastructure here, in line with the priorities of the people of the Maldives.' 'Built with India's cooperation, four thousand social housing units will now become a new beginning for many families in the Maldives. They will be new homes. The Greater Male Connectivity Project, Addu road development project, and the redeveloped Hanimaadhoo International Airport will transform this entire region into a significant transit and economic hub.' 'India is the closest neighbor of the Maldives. The Maldives holds an important place in both India's 'Neighbourhood First' Policy and MAHASAGAR vision.' 'India is also proud to be the most trusted friend of the Maldives. Be it a disaster or a pandemic, India has always stood by as the 'First Responder'. Whether it is about providing essential commodities or managing the economy post-Covid, India has always worked together.' 'On behalf of all Indians, I extend heartfelt congratulations to the President and the people of Maldives on the historic 60th anniversary of independence.' 'On this historic occasion, I express my heartfelt gratitude to the President for inviting me as the Guest of Honour.'
