Oligarchs Linked to PM Modi Own Media Outfits in India: RSF

RSF says that Modi has an army of supporters who track down all online reporting regarded as critical of the government and wage horrific harassment campaigns against the sources.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) - which defends freedom of journalists in all parts of the world - has reported that media freedom is under severe threat in India.

In the latest 2023 World Press Freedom Index released on May 3, India’s rank on the RSF Index fell from 142 in 2021 to 150 in 2022 to 161 in 2023, which is a manifestation of the fact that press freedom is constantly under state attack.

The prime minister of India Narendra Modi at the Community Reception in Berlin, Germany on May 02, 2022. Photo: PIB (file photo)

In another report released on May 3, RSF asserts that all the mainstream media are now owned by wealthy businessmen or oligarchs close to prime minister (PM) Narendra Modi. This could be the reason that India has become one of the most dangerous places for journalists where they are harassed and killed with impunity.

RSF says that the phenomenon which dangerously restricts the free flow of news and information is the acquisition of media outlets by oligarchs with close links with political leaders.

According to RSF, this is particularly the case in “hybrid” regimes such as India, where all the mainstream media are now owned by wealthy businessmen close to PM Modi.

At the same time, RSF says, Modi has an army of supporters who track down all online reporting regarded as critical of the government and wage horrific harassment campaigns against the sources. Caught between these two forms of extreme pressure, many journalists are, in practice, forced to censor themselves, RSF said in its report.

It further says that North Korea, China, Vietnam, Myanmar – Asia’s one-party states and dictatorships - are the ones that constrict journalism most, regimes with leaders who have continued to tighten their totalitarian grip on the public discourse.

Starting with Xi Jinping, who secured a historic third term as China’s leader with a concentration of power without precedent since Mao Zedong, and has used it to pursue the crusade he launched against journalism ten years ago.

With the result that China is the world’s biggest jailer of journalists and press freedom defenders, closely followed by Myanmar, which has become a black hole for news and information ever since the military seized total control in a coup on 1 February 2021.

RSF concludes in its report that excessive, overly concentrated power is the main obstacle to journalistic freedom and it is when political, economic, and judicial powers are balanced and regulated that press freedom can fully flourish.

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RMN Company offers 2 writing options to thought leaders and companies or organizations from all parts of the world.

Raman Media Network (RMN) Company has been working in diversified content creation, management, and distribution businesses on a global scale for the past 12 years.

The media business of RMN Company is being managed by Rakesh Raman who is a national award-winning journalist and founder of the humanitarian organization RMN Foundation.

Besides working at senior editorial positions with leading media companies, he was writing an exclusive edit-page column regularly for The Financial Express, which is a daily business newspaper of The Indian Express Group.

He had also been associated with the United Nations (UN) through the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) as a digital media expert to help businesses use technology for brand marketing and business development.

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Writing Options on RMN Media Properties (News Sites and Digital Magazines)

RMN Company offers the following 2 writing options to thought leaders and companies or organizations from all parts of the world. You can write preferably in English, but other Indian and foreign languages can also be considered for publication.

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For more details, editorial assignments, and custom promotional campaigns, you may please contact me - preferably by email or WhatsApp message - letting me know your requirements. Subsequently, I will call you to discuss the details.

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Crime and Corruption Increasing in Delhi Housing Societies

The “Clean House” service reports about the crime and corruption happening in Delhi’s housing societies where millions of people live.

The cooperative group housing societies (CGHS) of Delhi have become dangerous centres of crime and corruption. The crimes in these housing societies are being committed by the management committee (MC) members or administrators in connivance with the corrupt officials of Registrar Cooperative Societies (RCS) of Delhi Government, Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Delhi Police, Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), and a few other departments.

Case Report: Illegal Construction Reported at Bank Niwas CGHS of Dwarka

Case Update: May 9, 2023

As an illegal construction activity has been happening at Bank Niwas CGHS, Mr. Pawan Jain (h/o Society member Ms. Usha Jain) resident of Flat No. 82 at Bank Niwas CGHS has complained to Mr. Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India.

In his email letter dated May 1, 2023, Mr. Jain reports that unauthorized construction and encroachment have been happening at the Society building in connivance with the Administrator appointed by the Registrar Cooperative Societies (RCS) office of Delhi Government.

Residents complain that various criminal activities are happening at Bank Niwas CGHS, Plot No 22, Sector 4, Dwarka, New Delhi 110 078 Photo courtesy: Residents

Mr. Jain alleges that only 5 or 6 people have begun the unauthorised construction in a couple of blocks without obtaining necessary approvals from Delhi Development Authority (DDA) or the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). He adds that an informal construction committee of a few residents is illegally expanding the size of balconies and corridors as well as altering the original building layout plan. In his complaint, Mr. Jain has urged the authorities to hold an on-the-spot inspection of the Bank Niwas building and stop unauthorized construction and encroachment.

On May 8, 2023, Mr. Jain explained the case in a video interaction to the RMN News Service editor Mr. Rakesh Raman. The case has been updated at the online “Clean House” service page.

If the matter is not resolved in the next one week or so, the RMN News Service will approach the authorities including police to begin a formal investigation of the case.

The Bank Niwas CGHS Administrator can contact me to give their response to this complaint filed by Mr. Jain.

The video interaction with Mr. Jain is available on the RMN YouTube Channel.

[ You can click here to read the full case report. ]

Thank You

Rakesh Raman

Special Tribunal on the Crime of Aggression Against Ukraine

Marija Pejčinović Burić highlighted the Council of Europe’s relentless action following a three-pronged approach.

The Council of Europe (COE) Secretary General, Marija Pejčinović Burić, has decided to join the summit of leaders for creation of a Special Tribunal on the crime of aggression against Ukraine.

"There can be no just and sustainable peace without accountability,” she said. “This is why Ukraine and the accountability for the crimes committed by Russia will be central to our upcoming fourth Summit of Heads of State and Government in Reykjavik on 16-17 May.” She was addressing the online summit of the leaders of the member states of the Coalition (Core Group) on the creation of the Special Tribunal. highlighted the Council of Europe’s relentless action following a three-pronged approach:

Support for the Office of the Prosecutor General in his investigations into war crimes and gross human rights violations;

Establishment of a Register of Damage, a necessary component of a comprehensive compensation mechanism;

Support for international efforts to set up a special tribunal on the crime of aggression.

“The Council of Europe is and remains mobilized to hold Russia accountable for its crimes and illegal actions. By working together, we will ensure that justice will be done,” concluded the Secretary General.

Crime, Corruption, and Impunity in India

Politicians, bureaucrats, police, and judges have formed a criminal gang in India. The following cases depict how they collude with criminals and commit crimes and corruption with impunity while the ordinary citizens are suffering. Click the following links for details.

UN Petition on Punjab Unrest RCS-EOW Case

Cabinet Secretariat Case

Prime Minister Office (PMO) Case

Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) Case

Delhi Lokayukta Case

DoPT Case CBI Case

Economic Offences Wing (EOW) Case Supreme Court Case

Delhi Govt Case Delhi Petitions Committee / CVC Case

NHRC Case Petition on School Education

Environmental Crime Case Lokpal Removal Case

Judicial Corruption Case

RCS Corruption Case

Lokayukta Delhi Corruption Case Widehouse Scandal

NHRC Case at UN HRC IAS Group Corruption Case

CPGRAMS Cases PGMS Cases

IAS Corruption Record UNCAC Petition

Delhi Police Case DoPT Processes

RCS RTI Violations

DDA Corruption Case

Petitions and Representations by Rakesh Raman. Up to April 2023

BJP Editorial Inputs for 2023 Research Project on Corruption in India

As I need editorial inputs from your party (BJP) for this research report on corruption in India, I request you to send me your response on the following queries.

To May 11, 2023

Mr. Jagat Prakash Nadda

National President

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of India, New Delhi

Dear Mr. Jagat Prakash Nadda,

I am a national award-winning journalist and founder of the humanitarian organization RMN Foundation in New Delhi. As an anti-corruption activist, I publish The Integrity Bulletin news magazine, which covers local and international corruption news and issues. I am in the process of compiling a comprehensive report – under the title India Corruption Research Report 2023 (ICRR 2023) – on diverse aspects of corruption in India. The report ICRR 2023 will be the second annual report while the first report ICRR 2022 was released in October 2022. [ You can click here to download and read ICRR 2022. ] As I need editorial inputs from your party (BJP) for this research report on corruption in India, I request you to send me your response on the following queries.

1. How does BJP define corruption as well as political corruption?

2. What process does BJP follow to receive, investigate, and resolve corruption complaints against its leaders and workers?

3. How many corruption complaints did BJP receive and resolve in 2022?

4. How many convictions (including imprisonment) of culprits did BJP have in the corruption cases of its leaders in the past 3 years: 2020-2022? Give details including names and designations of the convicts.

5. What mechanism does BJP follow to take action against its leaders who are corrupt or do not perform their duties honestly?

6. It is alleged that BJP controls and forces the investigating agencies such as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to implicate the opposition leaders in false corruption or money laundering cases. What is your response?

7. What is BJP response to grand corruption cases – such as the alleged collusion of prime minister Narendra Modi with oligarch Gautam Adani (Modi-Adani collusion case), Rafale scam, PM-CARES Fund case, etc. – which are in the public domain but have not been thoroughly investigated?

8. What system does BJP follow to weed out corruption from the party and the country?

9. You can add any other point from your side to explain the performance related to corruption prevention of your party.

You may please send me your response on the above queries on or before May 18, 2023. Please find attached a 4-page document including a concept note on this project and do the needful urgently.

Thank You

Rakesh Raman

Download All Issues of The Unrest Magazine

You can click here to download and read the previous issues of The Unrest news magazine.

Imran Khan Faces Corruption Charges in Multiple Cases

Like most other politicians, Imran Khan claims that the corruption charges against him are politically motivated. He has not yet furnished any evidence in his defence. Former prime minister (PM) of Pakistan Imran Khan was sent to custody for 8 days on May 10 in corruption cases that he has been facing.

Imran Khan. Photo: PTI (file photo)

Pakistan's top anti-corruption authority the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had asked an Islamabad court for a custody of 10 days for questioning him in corruption cases. However, he was released on bail.

Imran Khan, 70, is facing corruption charges leveled by the Pakistan election commission for selling foreign gifts that he received when he was the PM of Pakistan. He was supposed to hand over the gifts to the government Toshakhana. According to reports, the court sent Imran Khan to NAB custody in the Al-Qadir University Trust case, a day after his arrest in Islamabad on May 9, while he was indicted in the Toshakhana case.

Editor’s Note: Although the PM of India Narendra Modi is also allegedly involved in a number of corruption cases, the Indian courts and anti-corruption agencies are so weak and also complicit in crimes that they do not question or arrest Modi.

The corruption cases - worth billions of dollars or thousands of crores of rupeesin which Modi is allegedly involved include the Modi-Adani collusion case, Rafale corruption case, and PM-CARES Fund case.

The leader of the main opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, Imran Khan had been arrested for alleged corruption in the Trust case. Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency has filed charges against him in an anti-corruption court, which had issued the arrest warrant as Imran Khan failed to appear in the court. Like most other politicians, he claims that the corruption charges against him are politically motivated. However, he has not yet furnished any evidence in his defence.

Imran Khan was arrested on May 9 deceptively by the paramilitary forces when he was entering the Islamabad High Court for hearing in a case. He was dragged and pushed into a vehicle.

Imran Khan was anticipating the arrest as he tweeted a video message before his departure for the court in which he said that he is ready to get imprisoned if there is a valid case against him. He added that there have been repeated assassination attempts to eliminate him because he is mobilizing people in support of the

Constitution. He warned that civil unrest - like it happened in Sri Lanka - is imminent in Pakistan.

Earlier, he had said that he may be killed after incarceration by the authorities which are trying to arrest him in the corruption case. In a video message released in March, Imran Khan said that police have come to arrest him and if he is killed his supporters should keep fighting for their rights.

His supporters pelted stones on Pakistan police which had come to arrest him from his Lahore home in March. In response, the police used water cannons to drive away the crowd.

After a series of public protests led by opposition parties against Imran Khan’s failure to revive the economy in Pakistan, he was removed from the PM position in April 2022. In May last year (2022), Imran Khan led a massive protest to demand early elections in Pakistan.

According to a tweeted message by his party PTI, Imran Khan will be produced in the court on May 17. However, after the Supreme Court intervention, the Islamabad High Court granted him two-week bail on May 12 in the Al-Qadir Trust case.

Even After Supreme Court Order Kejriwal Is a Powerless CM

The Supreme Court has given its order in favor of the elected government, but confusion persists.

Although the Supreme Court of India had passed an ambiguous order on May 11 allowing the elected Delhi Government of chief minister (CM) Arvind Kejriwal to exercise control over service matters, Kejriwal’s directives are not being honoured.

According to a Hindustan Times report of May 12, the Kejriwal government has again approached the Supreme Court to clarify its decision. However, as things stand today, it is highly unlikely that Kejriwal will get full control over the administrationparticularly because Delhi is not a full state.

In a judgment pronounced on May 11, the Supreme Court said that the Delhi Government headed by the chief minister (CM) will exercise control over service matters in the city-state.

So far, Delhi Lt. Governor (LG) was handling the service matters including transfers and postings of Delhi bureaucrats. With this judgment, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal was supposed to have control over the bureaucracy and LG Vinai Saxena would supervise only Public Order, Police, and Land in Delhi.

The Supreme Court observed that the elected government should have more powers than the selected officials like the LG - who has been handpicked by the Central government led by prime minister (PM) Narendra Modi.

In a tweet posted in Hindi, Kejriwal - who is the leader of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)welcomed the Supreme Court decision and said that now development work will accelerate in Delhi. Although the Supreme Court has given its order in favor of the elected government, the confusion persists. Earlier, the Government of National

Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Act, 2021 had stated that the term “government” in Delhi means the LG of Delhi and the elected government of Kejriwal cannot take any decision independently. In other words, the Kejriwal government will have to take LG’s consent before taking any executive action.

Now, the new Supreme Court order has conflict with the law passed in 2021. Therefore, there is a likelihood that LG Saxena will exploit the ambiguity in law and continue to enjoy full administrative powers in Delhi.

In the past, Kejriwal and AAP often complained that LG Saxena was not allowing them to perform freely and interfering in their work through direct interactions with bureaucrats.

The dogfight between Kejriwal and Saxena was so wild that the development work in Delhi was completely hampered. Today, Delhi has become the world’s most polluted national capital and corruption is rampant in almost all departments of Delhi Government.

In fact, a couple of ministers in the Kejriwal government - Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain - have been jailed under charges of massive corruption and money laundering.

Also, Kejriwal and a slew of other AAP leaders are facing investigations while Delhi LG Saxena has ordered a probe into the reported Rs. 45 crore misappropriation of public funds by Kejriwal on the renovation of his house.

Similarly, the standard of education is pathetic in Delhi schools and the Mohalla Clinics that Kejriwal praises are in a deplorable state. There is a lack of basic amenities such as water, electricity, and transport in Delhi.

While the city is littered with stinking household waste, it has become a colossal dustbin as swarms of mosquitoes breed in homes making life miserable for Delhi residents.

Now the people of Delhi are facing a serious mosquito threat as the mosquito density in the city has increased manifold. The Delhi homes are full of mosquitoes and many people may be dying with mosquito bites. But the negligent Delhi Government has failed to deal with the mosquito menace in the city.

Meanwhile, a new global report (Ecological Threat Report 2022: Analysing Ecological Threats, Resilience & Peace) has warned of an imminent ecological disaster in Delhi. The report says factors such as poor infrastructure, lethal air pollution, weak regulatory framework, and administrative failure are going to make Delhi unsustainable for its population of over 30 million.

Thus, Delhi continues to be a living hell for millions of people who live here and now the ambiguous Supreme Court order is expected to cause more conflicts between the LG and the Kejriwal government. So, the people of Delhi should not expect any relief.

About the Editor

The editor of The Unrest news magazine Rakesh Raman is a national award-winning journalist and founder of the humanitarian organization RMN Foundation. Besides working at senior editorial positions with leading media companies, he was writing an exclusive edit-page column regularly for The Financial Express (a daily business newspaper of The Indian Express Group).

Nowadays, for the past 12 years, he has been running his own global news services on multiple news sites. He runs various environment protection, education awareness, and anti-corruption campaigns, and publishes digital magazines and research reports on different subjects. Earlier, he had been associated with the United Nations (UN) through the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) as a digital media expert to help businesses use technology for brand marketing and business development.

At present, Rakesh is associated with the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) Project as a Country Expert for India to provide expert research inputs on multiple topics pertaining to democracy and governance. The V-Dem Project is managed by V-Dem Institute under the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

In order to inform the Indian citizens and the global community about the extent of corruption in India, he compiled and released in October 2022 a comprehensive report on corruption in the country. Under the title “India Corruption Research Report 2022 (ICRR 2022),” the research report covers diverse aspects of corruption in India.

He has also been publishing The Integrity Bulletin news magazine since 2018 to cover local and international corruption issues to engage with different stakeholders who are trying to combat corruption in the world. He has also announced the new project for 2023 to compile the India Corruption Research Report 2023 (ICRR 2023). You can click here to know about the project and support it financially with your donations.

He has launched a nationwide campaign to introduce social democracy in India in order to build an egalitarian society in which all citizens could enjoy equal rights, opportunities, freedoms, and access to justice. He is running an editorial section / microsite “Power Play: Lok Sabha Election 2024 in India” to cover the election news, events, and political campaigns.

He is also running a nationwide campaign to save school students of India from directionless education so that students could acquire modern skills that can help them in the job market. In his anti-corruption activities, he participated in a global petition led by Germany-based international organization Transparency International to call for the UN General Assembly Special Session against