- >>
- Politics
NEW DELHI: International whistleblower Wikileaks, in the wake of ongoing protests against intolerance in India, has tweeted a clarification distancing itself with a little known media organisation in India that has been using the Wikileaks name to “stir up tensions” between “Hindus and Muslims”.
“We confirm that "@WikiLeaks4India" is using our name without permission to stir up tensions between #Hindus and #Muslims #India #Modi” the official Twitter handle of Wikileaks tweeted. Amongst its other activities the Indian outfit has been carrying out a campaign against eating beef.
@Wikileaks4India, the Twitter handle in question, belongs to an Indian media outfit composed of a group of four journalists. “A healthy transparent, inquisitive journalistic media plays a vital role in democracy.The motive of #WikiLeaks4India is to revive journalism in India,” the organisation’s description states.
The type of “journalism” that the organisation does is made clear by a controversy that a recent press conference by Wikileaks4India garnered. In November, police arrested six persons at Radisson hotel in Sector 18, Noida, for disrupting a press conference organised by Wikileaks4India. The press conference was based on a sting operation to see which hotels in NCR were serving cow meat.
The press conference was disrupted by a group of people, who alleged that they had been invited to the conference. Speaking about the stir, Wikileaks4India co-founder, Mohit Bhardwaj, threw light on the nature of the organisation’s work. “We had only invited mediapersons. Wikileaks4India and Sun Star group had conducted a sting operation of some senior officials of noted five-star hotels in Delhi. While conducting sting operation, officials from three hotels including two five-star hotels admitted that they serve gaumaas (cow beef). Our undercover reporters had approached them as customers for booking for a party, when the senior officials said they can serve the cow beef despite the fact, cow beef is ban in Delhi," Bhardwaj said as quoted in TOI.
The group’s tweets also reflect the nature of “inquisitive journalism” practised. A selection is reproduced below:
What is ‘Operation Cow’? From the organisation’s website:
“OPERATION ???”… Wikileaks4India ?? ?? ????? ?????? ?? ?? ?? ???? ??????? ???? ??? ??? ?? ???? ???? ?? ???? ?? ????? ?? ?? ????? ?? ??? ?? ??? ???? ???? ?? ??? ??? ???? ??? ?? ??????? ?????? ?? ??? ???? ?????? ???? ??????? ?? ?? ???? ???? ??? ???? ???? ??? ?????? “OPERATION ???” ?? CLICK ???? ?? ????? ?? ???? ????? ?? ????????? ?? ???-??? ?? ?? ?????? ?? ??? ???? ?????? ???? ?? ???? ?????? ?? ?????? ??????? ??? ??? ????
Other Tweets include:
