UpsideDownTwice

Here to learn and journal.

[Joy @Joydas]

Long post: A rant about Congress. This comes from professional experience in the field of adverting and also of following Politics since long. One of my pet peeves about Congress has always been about its failure to grab an opportunity when it lands right in their lap. Latest example is the Chhapan Inch ka Chhota Bandar.

BJP spent crores over years branding Rahul Gandhi as Pappu. Thousands of crores were spent over years to build the imagery. And then at Jantar Mantar came this slogan “Chhapan Inch ka Chhota Bandar” out of nowhere. Yes the origin goes back to JNU and SFI circles. But this protest is what made it popular.

This was a gift. People resonated with it on their own. It was a brain rot ear worm. Anyone who heard it even once can’t get it out of their head. Nobody paid for it because it was organic and natural. All Congress had to do was pick up the brand and run.

Ideally by now Rahul Gandhi should have been walking into Parliament holding a small stuffed toy monkey. Not saying a word. And placing it in front of him at every press conference while he questions the government. There should have been Chhota Bandar merchandise everywhere by now. Spokespersons walking into TV debates wearing a Chhota Bandar T shirt. No need to even say Chhapan Inch anymore. Just the imagery. That is how imagery works, it does not need words once it sticks.

Chhota Bandar ringtones. Rap songs. Hoardings. Videos. Where people are asking questions to a monkey mascot without taking any names and everyone knows instantly.

The line fits everywhere. Trump ka Chhota Bandar. Adani ka Chhota Bandar. Ambani ka Chhota Bandar. It stretches to fit any situation and that is the sign of a good moniker.

And here is the real damage. Someone who spent thousands of crores crafting the image of a strong, decisive leader, a man the world is supposed to admire, gets called Chhota Bandar by teenagers on the street. That kind of imagery does not just embarrass an authoritarian. It breaks something psychologically. There is no coming back from this imagery once it sticks.

A properly run campaign would have made sure that a kid at the zoo, seeing a monkey, screams Chhota Bandar without thinking. And everyone around would know exactly who he means. That opportunity came for free. While it is still not too late, but the opportunity is almost lost and that’s the biggest problem with Congress

[Arvind Kejriwal @ArvindKejriwal]

Hi @Meta @metaindia

Why have you restricted my account? Verbal enquiries at your India office revealed that my account has been restricted in India and is unavailable in India. Why? Noone in your office is giving any reasons. Noone is suggesting how restrictions can be removed. All emails written have elicited no response other than routine acknowledgement.

Thats pretty bad service.

Don’t bow down to our Prime Minister so much. Else he will allow u to run only his own account in India.

[UpsideDownTwice @upsidedowntwice]

@CJP_for_India What if all taklas come together

[UpsideDownTwice @upsidedowntwice]

@sphavisha Much appreciate how you give structure to this, monthly.

[jack @jack]

the government of india does not like technologies like bitchat and wants it taken down

[UpsideDownTwice @upsidedowntwice]

@CJP_for_India Kudos to Ashutosh, Vijeta and Saurav that stayed in thick of things and assisted Dipke and Sonam to reach where the protest is today. They ignited a new hope, to the degree that AK or RG ignited at the national this past level.

[UpsideDownTwice @upsidedowntwice]

@CJP_for_India I support Sonam

[Vijaya Nadar @vijnad]

It is such a laugh that you @DcWalaDesi came to conduct a hit job on @sampitroda, to get him to say something controversial on the eve of @RahulGandhi's visit and you FAILED so MISERABLY at the hit job, that you dreamed up this assault ?? What a joke ! You were in a seven star hotel and you didn't summon the security, leave alone the local police, who were present in the Ritz Carlton ?
You as such a paid stringer, a little stooge of the Hindutva lobby think you can brazen away, just because @narendramodi is as desperate as you to rake up a totally made up story to discredit the @INCOverseas ??? And @sardesairajdeep has so little to report that he's actually amplifying your lies ?
You were assaulted so badly, that you still landed up all suited up for an event, hosted by the same guys whom you claim roughed you up the evening before ? No shame whatsoever ?
I was there in the room when you arrived and also when you left the hotel all sour and grumpy, because you had NO controversy to report on. The "assault" was not witnessed by none present there ? The whole hotel was teeming with IOC guys and you thought of just quietly sneaking out, letting your vicious colleagues to deal with it instead ?
There were 18 people in the room, with Sam, whom you claim "assaulted" you, all waiting to leave the room with Sam to pick up @RahulGandhi from the airport. Check the picture for reference.
None were focused on a Hindutva worm like you, masquerading as a journalist.
Next time I spot you at an event here, I promise to EXPOSE your hit jobs in public. Watch out ✌️

[AAP Ka Mehta 🇮🇳 @DaaruBaazMehta]

BIG BREAKING

Narendra Modi Trailing in VARANASI as per ECI website

Ajay Rai leads by 6200+ votes.

[Kapil @kapsology]

A government that is sucking up every penny as tax and provides third World medical facilities to the tax payers and then takes 18% GST on medical insurance premium needs to be kicked out for the betterment of the society.

[Alishan Jafri @alishan_jafri]

We need to talk more about the psychological impact of BJP's ugly anti-Muslim campaign on ordinary Muslim citizens.

[Roshan Rai @RoshanKrRaii]

🚨 URGENT

RT if you want the Supreme Court of India to take Suo Moto Cognizance of the #Surat incident and order ECI to extend nominations on that seat.

Electoral Democracy cannot be allowed to be mocked like this.

[Kapil @kapsology]

Requesting @dhruv_rathee to make a video on Indian Railways under the able leadership of @AshwiniVaishnaw

RT if you want the same!

[AAP Ka Mehta 🇮🇳 @DaaruBaazMehta]

RT if you agree that Delhi CM @ArvindKejriwal MUST BE ALLOWED to campaign and participate in Democratic Process of Elections.

The illegal arrest and cooked-up case must not be the reason he is kept in Jail.

Supreme Court must intervene.

[Telangana Talks @TelanganaTalks]

ప్రజాస్వామ్య
"ఖూని" రాగానికి
పల్లవి, చరణాలు
ప్రజలే..

A salute to the Farmer's Protests - the grit, conviction and sustenance.

https://t.co/uwD3g4WvcT

[Jeswanth Reddy @JeswanthMReddy]

This video may-well be taken down soon; please watch it before we lose it on our 'too much democracy'.

Thank you for sharing @TelanganaTalks

[Vijaya Nadar @vijnad]

Dallas ready to join the fast in support for the release of @ArvindKejriwal @pankajgupta @PreetiSMenon
See you there 👍
#LadengeJeetenge

[Nagendar Sharma @sharmanagendar]

This story reveals all about Modi govt's relentless fight against corruption.
25 opposition leaders crossed over to BJP - 23 of them got relief in cases against them.....
Brilliantly put out...

[Shailendra Sharma @shail2018]

While we celebrate Holi with our friends and family today, spare a thought for these two, @msisodia & @SatyendarJain

This is their second Holi in jail. They have not been convicted for the offence they were arrested for, yet they have spent more than a year in jail because bail has been denied to them.

And why are they denied bail, even by the Supreme Court?

It is because of the near impossible condition of bail specified in Section 45 of the Anti-Money Laundering law under which the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested them.

And what is that near impossible condition?

That bail can be granted by the court ONLY if either the public prosecutor does not oppose it or the judge is convinced that prima facie the accused is not guilty!!

Therefore, the NET RESULT is that a person once arrested by the ED cannot get bail unless ED itself allows it, because it is practically impossible for the judge to conclude that the accused is not guilty just by looking at his face when the ED, who made the arrest claims that the person is guilty.

Why is section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) unconstitutional?

It is because this provision turns the two basic tenets of the criminal justice system upside down. These are:

First, “Bail is the rule, jail is an exception”: Under this law, court cannot grant bail unless it is satisfied prima facie that the accused is not guilty. So, without a trial, on what basis can a judge be satisfied that the person brought before him/her is “not guilty”. Isn’t the whole purpose of the trial to find out whether the accused is indeed guilty? Therefore, no surprise that not just trial courts but the Supreme Court also is constrained not to give bail.

Second, “Presumed innocent, until proven guilty”: Starting from the judge and going right upto neighbours, distant relatives, media and the entire social circle, there is a presumption that the arrested person is guilty. Why? Because even at the bail stage, the judge cannot presume innocence of the accused otherwise he will have to grant bail. Consequently, others also do not believe the accused to be innocent because the judge ‘refused’ to grant bail. It is a catch 22 situation for everyone. Therefore, effectively, the punishment of a person begins the day he/she is arrested, which is against the principle of natural justice as nobody should be punished without being convicted.

What happens next?

I am sure that LIKE ELECTORAL BONDS, SOMEDAY, the HON’BLE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA MIGHT RULE THAT SECTION 45 OF THE ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING LAW IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL.

But on that ‘SOMEDAY’, who will give back the months and years spent by people like Manish Sisodia & Satyendar Jain in jail? How will their families be compensated for having Holi and Diwali come and go without their loved ones around them?

The founding principle of modern democracy is Right to Life, Liberty and pursuit of happiness. While taking pride in being the largest democracy, how can our system continue to deny liberty to any person who has not been convicted of the charged offence?

On that SOMEDAY when Supreme Court finally declares section 45 to be unconstitutional, it is going to weigh heavily on its conscience that it allowed the liberty of so many people to be denied for so long just because it did not promptly set up a constitutional bench to re-examine the constitutionality of this provision in law.

After declaring Electoral bonds to be unconstitutional, the Supreme Court, if it wishes, can direct the political parties to return the funds it received through that route. However, it will not be able to, even if it wishes to, to return the life spent by so many people in jail, without bail and without conviction.

I urge the Supreme Court to please hurry up, if not for the sake of these people, please do it for the sake of our constitution.

[Dr. SP @sphavisha]

Explosive video of #DhruvRathee exposing the dictatorship under Modi & how #ArvindKejriwal was jailed 🚨