New Delhi: Vaishna Roy, the editor of Frontline magazine under The Hindu group, is facing severe trolling on social media after she wrote on the naming of India’s recent counter-terror strike as “Operation Sindoor.”
Earlier this morning, under “Operation Sindoor,” Indian forces reportedly carried out strikes on nine terror camps—four inside Pakistan and five in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). According to reports, over 80 terrorists were killed in response to the recent Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 tourists were killed by Pakistan-backed militants.
The name “Operation Sindoor” refers to the traditional vermilion mark worn by Hindu women as a symbol of marriage. Roy, in a post on X, wrote: “On principle, I object strongly to the label Operation Sindoor. It reeks of patriarchy, ownership of women, ‘honour’ killings, chastity, sacralising the institution of marriage, and similar Hindutva obsessions.”
Following this post, Roy was heavily trolled by several right-wing accounts online. In support of her, journalist Neha Dixit posted, “Agree with @vaishnaroy and in complete solidarity. Shame on the trolls.”
Another user, @SanjuktaChoudh5, wrote, “I stand with @vaishnaroy. She is perfectly right in what she has written. I too echo here.”
Senior journalist Paranjoy Guha Thakurta also came out in support, saying, “The editor of ‘Frontline’ Vaishna Roy is being viciously trolled by shameless Right Wing trolls for her Tweet – please spread it far and wide.”
Amid the controversy and trolling, Vaishna Roy has reportedly locked her X account.
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London: UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has ordered an urgent inquiry into former British ambassador to the United States Peter Mandelson’s links with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, amid mounting political pressure following the release of fresh US documents.
Downing Street said the review will examine all available information relating to Mandelson’s contacts with Epstein during his time as a government minister. The inquiry will be led by Cabinet Secretary Chris Wormald.
Starmer has also said Mandelson should be stripped of his House of Lords title and barred from sitting in the upper chamber of Parliament, although he acknowledged that the prime minister does not have the direct power to remove a peerage.
The move comes after newly released US records revived scrutiny of Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein. Bank documents suggest Epstein may have transferred a total of $75,000 to accounts linked to Mandelson between 2003 and 2004. Other records indicate that in 2009, when Mandelson was business secretary, he forwarded an economic briefing to Epstein intended for then prime minister Gordon Brown.
Mandelson, a key architect of Labour’s revival under Tony Blair in the 1990s, resigned from the Labour Party on Sunday, saying he did not want to cause “further embarrassment”. He has denied any wrongdoing, stating that he has no recollection of receiving the alleged payments and does not know whether the documents are authentic.
The Metropolitan Police said it is aware of the latest Epstein files and has received multiple reports alleging misconduct in public office. These reports, it said, will be reviewed to determine whether they meet the threshold for a criminal investigation. While police did not name individuals, several British media outlets have identified Mandelson as the subject of the complaints.
Mandelson, who was removed as UK ambassador to Washington last year over his ties to Epstein, has apologised to Epstein’s victims for maintaining a friendship with the disgraced financier.
