Opposition criticizes Delhi Police for manhandling protesting wrestlers
New Delhi: Several Opposition leaders have expressed their ire following reports of manhandling and detention of Indian wrestlers who won laurels for the country by Delhi police on Sunday.
Many of the protesting wrestlers, including Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik, were detained by the Delhi Police as they marched towards the new Parliament building to hold the ‘Mahila Mahapanchayat’, demanding action against BJP MP and Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushah Sharan Singh.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for ignoring the calls for help by the athletes and going ahead with inauguration of the new Parliament building.
“The coronation is over - the 'arrogant king' is now crushing the voice of the public on the streets!” Rahul Gandhi tweeted on his personal account on Sunday, sharing a video of the protesting wrestlers being manhandled by Delhi police.
“The medals worn by the players are the pride of the nation, as they represent the hard work of the sportspersons and increase the honour of the land,” tweeted Priyanka Gandhi, Congress General Secretary.
“The arrogance of the BJP government has so increased that it is mercilessly trampling our lady players under its boots. This is completely wrong. The whole country is watching the acts of arrogance of the government and the injustice,” she added.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee commented that autocracy thrives on acts of intolerance and quelling of dissent.
The Rashtriya Lok Dal has asked, “Why are the lady wrestlers, who were protesting peacefully, and their supporters being detained instead of Brij Bhushah Sharan Singh?” It also pointed out on its official Twitter account, “It is the fundamental right of everyone in the country to protest peacefully. This is very sad.”
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted, “This behaviour with athletes who brought honour to our nation is wrong.”
The Aam Aadmi Party, in its handle, tweeted, “India’s honour and pride is being trampled under the feet of those in power.”
खिलाड़ियों की छाती पर लगे मेडल हमारे देश की शान होते हैं। उन मेडलों से, खिलाड़ियों की मेहनत से देश का मान बढ़ता है।
— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) May 28, 2023
भाजपा सरकार का अहंकार इतना बढ़ गया है कि सरकार हमारी महिला खिलाड़ियों की आवाजों को निर्ममता के साथ बूटों तले रौंद रही है।
ये एकदम गलत है। पूरा देश सरकार के… pic.twitter.com/xjreCELXRN
This is how our champions are being treated. The world is watching us! #WrestlersProtest pic.twitter.com/rjrZvgAlSO
— Sakshee Malikkh (@SakshiMalik) May 28, 2023
राज्याभिषेक पूरा हुआ - 'अहंकारी राजा' सड़कों पर कुचल रहा जनता की आवाज़! pic.twitter.com/9hbEoKZeZs
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 28, 2023
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Deepfake video of Nirmala Sitharaman used to dupe Belagavi man in Rs 7.9 lakh scam
Belagavi (Karnataka) (PTI): A 76-year-old man in Belagavi city was allegedly cheated of Rs 7.9 lakh in an online investment scam that used an AI-generated deepfake video misusing the name of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to lure investors, police said on Wednesday.
An online fraud case was registered at the cybercrime police station on May 1, they said.
According to Belagavi Police Commissioner Bhushan Gulabrao Borase, the victim, Prakash Gubbi, a senior citizen, stated in his complaint that in November last year, he came across a video on YouTube in which Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman appeared to endorse an investment scheme.
The video also mentioned a link in its description for making investments.
The victim clicked on the link, entered his details, and was later contacted on social media by a person identifying himself as Adarsh Anand, who persuaded him to invest, the officer told reporters.
Citing the complaint, the officer said the victim initially invested a small amount, after which the application began showing profits of USD 65,000.
When he attempted to withdraw the amount, the accused demanded a “customs duty” payment of Rs 4.2 lakh, claiming it was required to process the withdrawal.
The victim paid the amount, after which he was asked to pay an additional Rs 2 lakh. It was at this stage that he realised he had been cheated. In total, he lost around Rs 7.9 lakh in the fraud, the officer added.
A case has been registered under relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act, and police are investigating the matter, police said.
The commissioner cautioned the public not to trust such videos, stating that the finance minister does not endorse any such schemes.
He warned that such content is created using artificial intelligence and deepfake technology.
He further advised the public to remain vigilant, avoid offers that appear too good to be true on the internet, and invest only through legitimate, registered agencies or trusted channels.
Deepfake technology enables the creation of realistic videos, audio recordings, and images that can mislead viewers by superimposing one person’s likeness onto another, altering their words and actions. This can present a false narrative or spread misinformation.
