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Journalists express solidarity with Tribune, reporter for Aadhaar expose

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The Tribune chief thanks for action

By Abu Turab, APN

A large number of journalists and representatives of media associations came together with National Journalists Alliance (NJA) and Delhi Union of Journalists (DUJ) to express their solidarity with The Tribune and its investigative journalist Rachna Khaira over Aadhaar data expose .

The journalists’ bodies organized a special discussion on Wednesday at Gandhi Peace Foundation on “Right to Investigate: Freedom of Press”.

DUJ President S. K. Pande hosted the discussion while important speakers were: Siddharth Vardarajan, Editor of “The Wire”, Mehmood Pracha, senior lawyer, Satish Mishra, long time associate with Tribune, Masoom Moradabadi, Secretary of ALL India Urdu Editors Conference.

On Januarry 4, Rachna Khaira, exposed the UIDAI claim of Aadhaar being “fully safe” by purchasing a service offered by anonymous “sellers” over Whatsapp, in just Rs. 500 to access to the details of more than 1 billion Aadhaar numbers created in the country.

The Tribune’s associate editor K V Prasad read the message from Harish Khare, the Editor-in-Chief.  He directly hit the government of the day questioning, “if the arrogant rulers of the day can think of wanting to arrest the reporter and The Tribune editor, which journalist in India can feel safe and confident in pursuing an honest story?”

Khare further said, “We at The Tribune did nothing more than what any other set of editors in a newspaper would have done. We do not think of ourselves as manning the barricades. We do not subscribe to permanent insurrection. We are not chasing any revolution.”

“We believe in the Constitution and its values; we assiduously seek to provide space to the voices of dissent. And yet, we are sought to be hauled up for doing a spot of honest, legitimate investigative reporting; we are sought to be intimidated for practising a bit of old-fashioned journalism.” Khare added.

Siddarth Vardarajan, the Editor of The Wire, which had broken story about multiplied worth of Amit Shah’s son Jai Shah’s business entity a few month ago, said that the action taken against The Tribune and its journalist is “an attack on constitution” and  “an assault on freedom of speech”.The Tribune

He said that this is a “threat against other journalists” to keep them away from doing similar stories exposing the loophole. Instead, “UIDAI should have filed FIR’s against those ministries and state governments who have uploaded the Aadhaar details of large number of individuals much before the recent expose,” he said.

Addressing the legal issues surrounding the Aadhaar expose, Mehmood Pracha, a renowned lawyer, said Rachna Khaira, the journalist who exposed the insecure mechanism of Aadhaar, “should be honoured as heroine”. He said that he was sure that “charges will not sustain in any court of law” against the newspaper or the journalist.

Pracha said that billions of rupees were being spent on Aadhaar project which is in itself a huge scam. This case is just a peanut, we should focus on the motives behind the whole exercise, he said.

According to him, under the law, citizens are “entitled” to get their Aadhaar cards but the government is “forcing” them to get themselves registered through difference means and excuses, which is illegal.

Pracha said that today the government is insisting on biometric data, tomorrow it may demand more, even ask for our genome. “We should demolish Aadhaar as a whole,” he said.

DUJ President S. K. Pande called upon all journalists “to unite to defend ourselves” from such attacks on our right to investigate and report freely and fearlessly. He demanded for the withdrawal of FIR against the investigative journalist and the newspaper.

Pranjoy Guha Thakurta, former editor of Economic and Political Weekly said that Aadhaar is a mass surveillance tool. He asked Civil Society to find ways to protect itself, methods to protect our children and their children “from such surveillance”.

Veteran journalist Sukumar Muralidharan, Sanjay Kapur, the editor of Hard News, Satish Mishra, a veteran journalist, W. Chandrakant of National Alliance of Journalists and Sujata Madhok, the General Secretary of DUJ also spoke on the occasion.

Masoom Moradabadi, a senior Urdu journalist, echoing the need to dissent, read out a poem by Faiz Ahmed Faiz on the citizen’s right to speak up against all kind of oppression.

Moreover, S. D. Thakur, President of All India Newspaper Employees Federation (AINEF) and Tapan Sen, General Secretary of Centre of Trade Union (CTU) sent their solidarity messages to the journalists raising their voice against the draconian action against The Tribune and its journalist.

India News

Abhishek Banerjee says will not bow to BJP after nearly 11 hours of ED questioning

After spending nearly 11 hours before the Enforcement Directorate, TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee said he would not bow to the BJP and accused the ruling party of using investigative agencies for political purposes.

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Abhishek Banerjee

Trinamool Congress leader and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee on Tuesday said he would not bow to the BJP after spending nearly 11 hours being questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with an ongoing investigation.

Speaking after the questioning, Banerjee alleged that central agencies were being used to target opposition leaders and asserted that he would continue his political fight despite what he described as sustained pressure.

The TMC leader has repeatedly maintained that investigations involving him are politically motivated, a charge he has made on several previous occasions while appearing before central agencies.

His appearance before the ED comes amid a period of heightened political activity and multiple investigations involving leaders in West Bengal. Recent days have also seen Banerjee face summons and questioning in separate matters by state investigative agencies.

After leaving the ED office, Banerjee reiterated that he would not be intimidated and said he remained committed to his political responsibilities. He also accused the BJP of attempting to weaken opposition parties through investigative action, an allegation that the BJP has rejected in the past.

The Enforcement Directorate has not publicly commented on Banerjee’s remarks. The investigation related to the questioning remains ongoing.

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India News

DMK attacks Rahul Gandhi, accuses him of weakening opposition unity

DMK has intensified its criticism of Rahul Gandhi, alleging that the Congress leader’s actions have weakened opposition unity and strained relations within the INDIA bloc.

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Rahul-Gandhi

The war of words between the DMK and Congress has intensified, with the DMK launching a strong attack on Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and accusing him of contributing to divisions within the opposition alliance. The criticism comes amid strained ties between the two parties following their political split in Tamil Nadu.

According to the DMK, Rahul Gandhi’s political approach has weakened unity among opposition parties. The party’s IT wing mocked the Congress leader on social media, while an editorial published in the DMK’s official mouthpiece Murasoli questioned his recent remarks on opposition solidarity.

DMK questions Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on opposition unity

In its editorial, Murasoli argued that Rahul Gandhi was speaking about opposition unity despite, according to the DMK, contributing to disagreements among alliance partners in several states. The publication cited criticism directed at Congress by various opposition parties and suggested that the party’s actions had often created tensions within the INDIA bloc.

The editorial also referred to past political disputes involving Congress and Left parties, particularly in Kerala, claiming such episodes had raised concerns among opposition allies about Congress’s approach toward its partners.

Tamil Nadu political fallout adds to tensions

The attack comes after a major political realignment in Tamil Nadu. Following the 2026 Assembly elections, Congress ended its alliance with the DMK and joined the government led by Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). The move left the DMK in the opposition and significantly altered the political equation between the two former allies.

The DMK has alleged that Congress benefited from the alliance during the election and later abandoned its partner. The party’s editorial questioned whether assurances from Congress leadership would be trusted by alliance partners after the developments in Tamil Nadu.

Congress rejects allegations

Congress has not issued a detailed official response to the editorial, but party sources have rejected the allegations. According to the party, its decisions in Tamil Nadu were made in line with the mandate delivered by voters and were not intended to undermine either the DMK or the broader opposition alliance.

The latest exchange highlights growing strains between two key opposition parties even as leaders continue to stress cooperation on national issues. Just days earlier, Rahul Gandhi had said that the DMK remained aligned with the opposition on defending the “idea of India” despite political differences.

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Entertainment

Kumkum Bhagya actor Sanchita Ugale dies by suicide near Mumbai at 22

Television actor Sanchita Ugale, known for Kumkum Bhagya and Wagle Ki Duniya, died by suicide at her residence near Mumbai. Police have launched an investigation.

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Sanchita Ugale

Television actor Sanchita Ugale, known for her appearances in Kumkum Bhagya, Wagle Ki Duniya and Dilwali Dulha Le Jayegi, died by suicide at her residence in Nalasopara East near Mumbai on June 14. She was 22.

According to police officials, the incident took place at her home in Achole village, Nalasopara East. Authorities said Ugale had locked herself inside her bedroom and was later found hanging from a ceiling fan. Family members and local residents rushed her to a hospital, where doctors declared her dead.

Police have registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) and launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death. Officials said inquiries are underway and the exact reason behind the incident has not yet been established.

Career across television, OTT and films

Ugale had built a growing presence in the entertainment industry through television, streaming projects and films. Apart from Kumkum Bhagya and Wagle Ki Duniya, she played a lead role in Dilwali Dulha Le Jayegi. She also appeared in OTT projects such as Crime Aaj Kal and Silence 2.

The actor was also associated with the film Chhaava, which contributed to her growing recognition among audiences.

Last social media post draws attention

Following news of her death, social media users shared and commented on Ugale’s final Instagram post, which had been uploaded hours before the incident. The post showed the actor in traditional attire lip-syncing to a classic Bollywood song. Fans expressed shock and grief after learning of her death.

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