BJP's Nupur Sharma apologises after spreading fake news, communalizing Ram Gopal Mishra case
New Delhi: Former BJP leader Nupur Sharma has once again found herself in the spotlight, this time due to a controversy over her remarks concerning the death of Ram Gopal Mishra, a victim of the Bahraich violence. During a recent address, Sharma made a false claim about the manner of Mishra’s death, which led to widespread uproar.
Following the backlash, she has now issued an apology, acknowledging that her statement was based on incorrect information.
Sharma, while speaking at a conference, alleged that Ram Gopal Mishra had suffered horrific brutality, claiming, “35 bullets, pulled-out nails, torn stomach, eyes gouged out.” She questioned whether the country’s laws permit such acts of violence over issues like the removal of a flag. Her words immediately drew attention and stirred communal tensions.
After being informed that the details she shared were incorrect, Sharma apologized for her statement on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter). She explained that her claim was based on media reports she had encountered and was unaware of the findings from the postmortem report, which had clarified the actual cause of death. In her apology, she wrote, "I reiterated what I had heard in the media about the late Ram Gopal Mishra ji. I was not aware of the clarification in the postmortem report. I take back my words and apologize."
In her speech, Sharma had gone on to say, "We are not mosquitoes that we will be crushed... First start thinking about what you can do for your society... My suffering is not bigger than the country, society, and religion, but as long as I am alive, I will keep reminding that if we had raised our voice at that time, then trouble would not have come to my house today."
At the time of her address, Himachal Pradesh Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla and former Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra were also in attendance, adding further significance to the platform from which she made her remarks.
The controversy surrounding the death of Ram Gopal Mishra has been rife with rumors and false claims. Several reports had suggested that Mishra had been subjected to extreme torture, including having his nails pulled out. However, the Uttar Pradesh Police later debunked these claims, confirming that the cause of Mishra’s death was a gunshot wound and that no such torture had occurred. The UP Police had urged the public not to spread false information, clarifying that the reports of torture were entirely baseless.
यह BJP वाली नूपुर शर्मा हैं - याद हैं ना इन्होंने क्या किया था?
— Supriya Shrinate (@SupriyaShrinate) October 21, 2024
अब, बहराइच पुलिस के खंडन और पोस्टमार्टम रिपोर्ट के बाद भी रामगोपाल मिश्रा की हत्या पर झूठ बोल रही हैं
“35 गोलियां, नाखून उखाड़, पेट फाड़, आँखें निकाल"
यह फेक न्यूज़ फैला कर नफ़रत भड़का रही हैं. सज़ा @Uppolice ? pic.twitter.com/63ugrCsMjf
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
FIR filed after e-commerce platform linked tech firm alleges SMS spoofing fraud
Bengaluru (PTI): An FIR has been registered against unknown people for allegedly sending fraudulent messages in the name of an e-commerce platform with promises of cash rewards, further disrupting its operations, police said on Wednesday.
The offence is said to have taken place between April 23 and April 27, they said.
A representative of city-based technology company Hiveloop Technology Pvt Ltd (HTPL), part of the Udaan group (eB2B platform), has lodged a complaint alleging a large-scale SMS spoofing fraud following which a detailed investigation has been initiated into the matter, a senior police officer said.
According to the FIR, HTPL is a registered entity on the TRAI-mandated DLT platform, which permits only pre-approved SMS templates and whitelisted URLs to be sent through authorised sender IDs.
The issue came to light on April 23, when HTPL received alerts from buyers about fraudulent SMS messages appearing to originate from the company's sender ID "UDAANN". The messages reportedly contained Bitly links and falsely claimed a credit of Rs 10,001, urging recipients to withdraw money, it said.
On April 27, at around 12:49 pm, the DLT platform blacklisted HTPL's SMS templates, citing their alleged use in sending fraudulent messages. Within minutes, the company's sender ID was also blacklisted. Airtel's DLT system subsequently confirmed the action and shared details of the fraudulent messages that were circulated in HTPL's name without its knowledge or consent, the FIR stated.
Following this, the company's messaging operations were affected, and even legitimate communications such as one-time passwords to buyers began failing. Later, the DLT operator suspended HTPL's entire account following complaints raised on TRAI's Chakshu platform, bringing all SMS services of the company to a halt, it further stated.
HTPL has stated that neither it nor its authorised vendors sent the fraudulent messages. The links embedded in the messages reportedly redirected users to an online betting website, the FIR stated.
The company has claimed that the incident has resulted in a complete breakdown of SMS-based services, including buyer authentication, order updates and promotional communication, leading to significant financial losses.
At least 13 victims have been identified so far, with the possibility of more affected users. Victims were allegedly directed to an online betting platform, raising concerns of potential financial fraud, the FIR added.
