In October 2025, the DMK government in Tamil Nadu announced its decision to confer the prestigious Vaikom Award for Social Justice on Thenmozhi Soundararajan, a US-based ‘activist’ whose organization has documented ties to Khalistani extremists and anti-India networks. The same Soundararajan who runs Equality Labs.

Though publicly positioned as a Dalit-rights and civil-rights collective, the organisation has been repeatedly flagged by researchers for its alliances with groups such as the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR), and OFMI, all of which later formed the Alliance for Justice and Accountability (AJA), a coalition whose structure mirrors recommendations once issued by Pakistan’s Senate for creating NGO fronts to lobby against India.

Equality Labs’ credibility has been further questioned due to its reported association with individuals like Huma Dar, a Pakistani national with links to the Pakistani Army, and its founder’s past collaboration with Gurpatwant Singh Pannun of Sikhs for Justice, a pro-Khalistani outfit designated for extremist activity in India.

The organisation has also generated controversy through its influential DEI training programmes and its role in the Cisco caste-discrimination case – both of which drew sharp criticism from Hindu organisations and U.S. researchers for promoting divisive rhetoric and amplifying allegations that were later dismissed for lack of evidence.

Equality Labs: A Ghost Organization with Major Backing

Equality Labs — founded by Thenmozhi Soundararajan and Bangladeshi national Sharmin Hossain, — has been active since 2014 but was formally registered only in 2022, first in Delaware (File No. 6687031) in March and later in California (File No. 202251715748) in July. Although the organisation presents itself as a “civil rights” group and raises funds for nonprofit initiatives, it is structured as a for-profit entity that sells caste-equity training services to corporations, academic institutions, and government bodies. The group also advocates for ‘caste-related policy changes’ while simultaneously offering paid training on the same issues.

This arrangement allows Equality Labs to receive tax-deductible donations and large grants without the regulatory and administrative burden of maintaining its own non-profit status. Fractured Atlas, in turn, assesses an 8% administrative fee on all donations directed to Equality Labs.

Equality Labs has been the recipient of significant funding from a consortium of major American philanthropic foundations, whose grants are funneled through Fractured Atlas.

In her own website, Thenmozhi says that she founded an entity called “Third World Majority” (a media related entity) soon after graduation from UC Berkeley.

She goes on to add that in 2003, she was featured in Utne Reader as “Top Visionaries Under 30”.

Until 2015, Thenmozhi was known only as a media artiste, documentary film maker etc. Only in 2015, was ‘Equality Labs’ founded (if at all founded). Note that in 2014, she was touring India along with AIDMAM and made a documentary about it (which was later shown in all US cities, where the duo spoke).

Following the Money: A Consortium of Foundation Funders

Documented grants from foundation tax filings (Form 990s) reveal a steady flow of funds to Equality Labs:

Luminate Group: Equality Labs received $50,000 from the Luminate Group in 2017, routed through Fractured Atlas Inc., a New York–based nonprofit that provides fiscal sponsorship and fundraising infrastructure for arts and activist projects. The grant, meant to support work on “ending caste apartheid” and combating Islamophobia and religious intolerance, was channelled via Fractured Atlas because Equality Labs is not a registered 501(c)(3) entity and relies on fiscal intermediaries for funding.

Open Society Foundation: Equality Labs became a significant recipient of Open Society Foundations (OSF) funding beginning in 2018. After securing seed support from the Luminate Group in 2017, the organisation received a USD 25,000 OSF grant in 2018 routed through its fiscal sponsor, Fractured Atlas. The funding was designated for Equality Labs’ survey on caste-based discrimination in the United States – the same report the organisation published on 19 March 2018.

The Ford Foundation: Granted $39,500 in 2019 and $125,000 in 2020.

The Novo Foundation: Provided $175,000 in 2019, with the grant managed through the Tides Foundation.

They also received $127,500 in 2021.

The San Francisco Foundation: Awarded $124,000 in 2018 for “self-defense for activists in the digital age.”

The previous year, they also received $140,500 from the same organization via Fractured Atlas.

The Nathan Cummings Foundation: Granted $50,000 in 2019.

Then till the year 2023, it has consistently received grants via Fractured Atlas, as below:

The General Service Foundation: Provided a substantial $110,000 in 2019.

It also received funds in the years 2021 and 2023.

The Tides Foundation: Served as an early seed funder, granting $60,000 in 2017 specifically to help Equality Labs “establish a Dalit women-led office in the NYC tri-state area.”

New York Women’s Foundation: $20,000 in 2018, explicitly naming Equality Labs.

Weissberg Foundation: $16,000 in 2018.

Hidden Leaf Foundation: $5,000 in 2019.

Additionally, co-founder Sharmin Hossain received $39,500 in 2016 from George Soros’s Open Society Foundations for a separate project (Historical Memory Project), while Thenmozhi Soundarrajan received smaller amounts from OSI and a fellowship from the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation.

Soundararajan has also received some other independent grants and fellowships as below:

GrayCenter For Arts & Enquiry University of Chicago

Robert Rauschenberg Foundation

Since 2018/19, Equality Labs is being funded via Fractured Atlas (FA), a 501c(3).

Wikipedia on Fractured Atlas says “Fractured Atlas’s fiscal sponsorship programs allows non-commercial art-related projects to be supported through grants and tax-deductible donations without the project having to maintain independent 501(c)(3) status.

The Indian Nexus: Ties to NCDHR and AIDMAM

Let us now take a look at Thenmozhi Soundararajan’s activist roots back to long-standing collaborations with Indian NGOs, primarily the National Campaign for Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR), which operates in India under the FCRA name ‘Swadhikar’. This takes us to a The Guardian article, which was probably her first “report” on Dalits in 2015.

A key wing of NCDHR, the All India Dalit Mahila Adhikar Manch (AIDMAM), is identified as an early and consistent collaborator. As early as 2014, AIDMAM’s social media accounts tagged Thenmozhi’s handle, “dalitdiva.” The two were partners in a “Dalit Self Respect Yatra” across India, which was documented by Thenmozhi and later showcased in a tour across the United States in 2015, sponsored by organizations like the Association for India’s Development (AID-USA).

The Tides connection is particularly significant due to its extensive history of funding FCRA-registered NGOs in India. Tides’ Foreign Contribution (FCRA) disbursements can be traced to Indian organizations over more than a decade.

2006 – None
2007 – None
2008 – India HIV/AIDS Alliance, Indian School of Business
2009 – Mobile Creches, Parivaar, Operation Smile India
2010 – Naz Foundation, Parivaar, Bharti Foundation, Public Health Foundation of India
2011 – India HIV/AIDS Alliance, Samarpan Foundation
2012 – Vikas Society for Peoples Development, Samarpan Foundation
2013 – Street Survivors India, India HIV/AIDS Alliance, Samarpan Foundation
2014 – Apne Aap Women Worldwide (FCRA license cancelled in 2022, on violation; Unkil Project), Goonj
2015 – Apne Aap Women Worldwide (FCRA license cancelled in 2022, on violation; Unkil Project), PHFI, Swadhikar/NCDHR (Paul Namala)
2016 – Sama -Resource Group for Women & Health, Centre for Health and Social Justice, Control Arms Foundation of India Trust
2017 – Navdanya Trust (LOL), Popular Education & Action Centre (PEACE), (Anil K Chaudhary), Naz Foundation, Goonj, Sama-Women & Health, Swadhikar/NCDHR
2018 – PEACE, Naz Foundation, Sustainable Environment & Ecological Development (SEED), Goonj, Centre for Health & Social Justice, Samarpan Foundation, Central Square Foundation (Ashish Dhawan)
2019-Naz Foundation, Goonj, Swadhikar/NCDHR, CSF
2020 – Swadhikar/NCDHR received 1.1 Crore from Tides Foundation, towards ‘Dalit Women Empowerment’

While initially focused on health and women’s groups, a notable shift occurred in 2015, when Tides began funding Swadhikar – National Campaign for Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR).

This funding to NCDHR, led by founder Paul Divakar Namala, continued in 2017, 2019, and 2020, with a sum of 1.1 Crore INR (approximately $140,000) granted in 2020 alone for ‘Dalit Women Empowerment.’ This establishes a clear financial link between a primary funder of Equality Labs in the US and a major Dalit rights organization in India.

Paul Divakar Namala was a Board Member of Amnesty-USA in 2016.

In 2018, a new 501c(3) was started called ‘The Inclusivity Project’. Paul Divakar Namala is its executive Director.

The partnership was highlighted on international stages, including a 2014 appearance by Thenmozhi and AIDMAM’s then-General Secretary, Asha Kowtal, at the “Women in the World Summit” in New York, moderated by NBC’s Cynthia McFadden.

Long before Equality Labs was founded, Thenmozhi was deeply embedded in the Dalit rights movement through her collaboration with the All India Dalit Mahila Adhikar Manch (AIDMAM), a project of the NCDHR. As early as February 2014, AIDMAM’s X handle (@dalitwomenfight) was publicly engaging with Thenmozhi’s handle (@dalitdiva).

The Asha Kowtal Nexus and the “Self-Respect Yatra”

A key figure bridging the US and Indian spheres is Asha Kowtal, the former General Secretary of NCDHR. In 2014 and 2015, Kowtal and Thenmozhi were inseparable collaborators:

In 2014, they spoke together at an event in New York City organized by the South Asia Solidarity Initiative (SASI), founded by Prachi Patankar. Patankar is the daughter of the late Gail Omvedt and is now the Director of Social Justice at the JM Kaplan Fund, which had a revenue of $67 million in 2019.

In September 2014, they were featured at the high-profile Women in the World Summit in New York, moderated by NBC’s Cynthia McFadden. Thenmozhi’s documentary on a “Dalit Self-Respect Yatra” in India was screened, and both activists spoke.

At the 2014 Women in the World Summit, patroned by Hillary Clinton, actress Uma Thurman introduced a segment featuring Asha Kowtal and a documentary by Thenmozhi Soundararajan. The session, moderated by NBC investigative correspondent Cynthia McFadden, included brief remarks from Asha, while the majority of the discussion was led by Thenmozhi. The full conversation is available across four video segments.

In 2015, Kowtal led a “Dalit Self-Respect Yatra” across the United States, starting at the University of Pennsylvania. She was accompanied by Thenmozhi, and the tour’s sponsors included the Association for India’s Development (AID-USA).

This pre-2015 collaboration demonstrates that the core network and activist agenda of Equality Labs were active years before the organization began receiving substantial grants through Fractured Atlas.

Additional Actors: Sanghapali Aruna and Jai Bhim International

The investigation also uncovered details on Sanghapali Aruna (full name Sanghapali Aruna Komana), another activist associated with the “Smash Brahminical Patriarchy” slogan. Aruna is a Director of Jai Bhim International (EIN: 26-3130349).

The organization is a registered 501(c)(3) that receives funding from entities like Fidelity Investments and the Harold Gullivan Jr. Family Foundation.

This indicates a broader, multi-organizational ecosystem operating in the same sphere.

A Coordinated, Well-Funded Ecosystem

The evidence compiled in this report paints a clear picture.

Equality is a project fiscally sponsored by Fractured Atlas, which skims an 8% fee from all donations.

It is funded by millions of dollars from major US foundations, with the Tides Foundation acting as its seed funder.

There is a direct financial link between this funding stream and Indian FCRA NGOs, specifically the NCDHR, via the Tides Foundation.

The founders and key figures of Equality Labs have had long-standing, deep organizational ties to NCDHR and its leaders like Asha Kowtal and Paul Divakar Namala, dating back to at least 2014.

This network, from funders like Ford and Novo, through fiscal conduits like Tides and Fractured Atlas, to the Equality Labs and its formally recognized partner NCDHR in India, represents a sophisticated and well-financed transnational activist pipeline. The legal and financial structures indicate problems with accountability, transparency, and the flow of foreign funds into specific social and political movements in India.

Equality Labs — A Missionary-Backed Dalitstan Experiment in Balkanizing India?

Dalitstan was a US-based initiative launched in 1999 by American citizens, primarily devout Christians, who envisioned the division of India into multiple separate territories, including a Dalit homeland. Key figures behind the project included Kermit Northcutt, Debra Schwartz, George Schwartz, Helen Eklund, and Andy Moore. The organisation functioned as a platform to promote separatist narratives while seeking Indian collaborators to lend legitimacy to its agenda.

Helen Eklund, who registered and led the Dalitstan website, and Kermit Northcutt, a member of the missionary-linked Antioch Christian Academy in Mississippi, exemplify how international religious networks were involved in backing the project. The initiative highlights a pattern of foreign actors attempting to influence Indian social and political issues by exploiting existing societal divisions.

To expand its reach, Dalitstan recruited prominent Indian Dalit voices. One notable collaborator was VT Rajshekar, founder of the now-defunct magazine Dalit Voice in Bangalore. Rajshekar, a journalist with a long career at Indian Express, was known for his anti-establishment writings and faced multiple arrests under TADA and the Sedition Act. Dalitstan used his work to bolster its separatist messaging.

The content promoted by Dalitstan targeted multiple fault lines within India, including Khalistan, Kashmir, and Dravidstan, framing the country as fragmented and oppressed. The project serves as an early example of how foreign-backed initiatives have sought to manipulate caste and regional tensions to advance separatist and anti-India objectives.

DisinfoLab’s “Cost of Caste” report argues that an older online project called “Dalitstan,” which pushed separatist and Balkanizing narratives about India, was later “rebooted” as Dalit Nation and then “metamorphosed” into Equality Labs, now funded by Western philanthropies. This report frames Equality Labs’ caste survey, US lobbying, and networks as part of a broader geopolitical “Breaking India” strategy.

What DisinfoLab Found

A detailed investigation by DisinfoLab titled “The Cost of Caste: Equality Labs, Caste Binary & BLM” highlights that Equality Labs operates as part of a foreign-funded, politically motivated advocacy network, rather than a grassroots civil-rights organisation. Key findings include:

Imported Caste-Apartheid Narrative

Equality Labs’ framework transplants the U.S. Black–White racial binary onto India, constructing a rigid “Dalits vs. Upper Castes” narrative designed for international audiences.

This oversimplifies Indian caste realities and amplifies conflict for political and funding purposes.

Flawed 2018 Caste Survey

Relied on self-selecting online respondents and unverified submissions.

Contained pre-scripted questions designed to produce predetermined results.

Formed the evidence base for DEI programs, corporate caste policies, and legal cases like Cisco.

Foreign-Funded Advocacy Pipeline

Operates through Fractured Atlas to avoid nonprofit compliance.

Funded by OSF, Ford, Luminate, Tides, Novo, San Francisco, Nathan Cummings, and others.

Receives millions annually, creating a politically leveraged lobbying apparatus.

Links to Anti-India Lobby Groups

Collaborates with IAMC, OFMI, HfHR, and the Alliance for Justice and Accountability (AJA), mirroring structures recommended by Pakistan for anti-India advocacy.

Transnational Ecosystem

Combines ideological narratives, flawed surveys, foreign funding, allied Indian NGOs, and media amplification to project India as a caste-apartheid state globally.

Political, Not Social-Justice, Objectives

Operates as a political lobbying outfit rather than a community-led reform group.

Targets U.S. policy, corporate behaviour, academic discourse, and global media narratives.

DisinfoLab concludes that Equality Labs functions as a central node in a coordinated transnational pipeline, shaping perceptions of caste in India while evading transparency and regulatory scrutiny.

Last Word

The DMK government’s decision to honour Thenmozhi Soundararajan signals more than a misguided award—it legitimises an organisation whose funding, alliances, and activism are deeply enmeshed in foreign-backed networks. Equality Labs, far from being a grassroots Dalit-rights group, operates as a well-funded lobbying outfit built on flawed surveys, ideological imports, and collaborations with groups repeatedly flagged for anti-India activity.

What emerges is not social justice but narrative engineering. By celebrating Equality Labs, the state is not uplifting marginalised voices—it is endorsing an agenda shaped abroad and aimed at recasting India through a divisive, destabilising lens.

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The post DMK Honors A Soros-Backed ‘Breaking India’ Agent: The Foreign-Funded Network Behind Thenmozhi Soundararajan And Her Equality Labs appeared first on The Commune.

Remember how certain media houses and journalists reported about RSS engaging a lobby firm in the US?

It was amplified by the Congress as well.

The moment leftist rags like The News Minute, The Wire, and their ecosystem started barking in unison, it became obvious that this wasn’t organic outrage.

What initially appeared to be a sporadic criticism of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has now been exposed as part of a larger, well-funded international campaign.

Investigations reveal that, the ongoing narrative targeting the RSS is a coordinated effort involving U.S.-based lobbying outfits, Pakistan-linked propaganda networks, and tacit support from the Indian National Congress.

Foreign-Funded Lobbying Pipeline And Deflection Strategy

At the center of this network lies the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), a U.S.-based organization with historic ties to Jamaat-e-Islami and Pakistan-linked groups. The group has long been under the scanner for lobbying U.S. policymakers against India using selectively curated human rights data and sensationalist narratives.

The recent barrage of attacks on the RSS is reportedly an attempt to preempt investigations into this very lobbying network. By accusing RSS of being a foreign influence and calling for its registration under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), these actors aim to deflect scrutiny away from their own foreign funding sources and influence operations.

It is noteworthy to mention that IAMC also awards cash prizes to Indian leftist journalists and media outlets under its Human Rights & Religious Freedom Journalism (HRRF) Awards. In June 2022, it awarded ₹ 3 lakh to reporters and portals like Newslaundry, The News Minute, The Wire, The Caravan, Scroll.in, Mooknayak, and Article 14 — all for coverage aligned with IAMC’s anti-India narratives on Muslim persecution and Kashmir.

Now you know why The News Minute has published a video on the same topic.

Further findings show that IAMC and its allied groups had established channels inside U.S. institutions long before the current campaign. Payments made to certain Washington lobbyists were followed by questionable alterations in official U.S. documents, including the removal of Kashmir from India’s map by USCIRF.

It has also emerged that several IAMC-linked fronts were quietly shut down once their foreign funding routes and lobbying activities began attracting scrutiny. The sudden push to target the RSS began only after these linkages started surfacing, suggesting an attempt to shift attention away from their own exposure.

Meet Prism: The Outlet At The Helm

One of the platforms leading this anti-RSS charge is “Prism,” originally launched as the Daily Kos Education Fund. Backed by Open Society Foundations (run by George Soros) and the Ford Foundation, Prism has pushed for RSS to register under FARA, even though such registration is typically reserved for foreign political parties and governments, which the RSS is not.

It has come to light that Prism began as an extension of a partisan U.S. political activist platform and continues to operate within the same ideological ecosystem. Its newsroom includes individuals closely associated with major left-wing campaigns in the U.S., indicating that the outlet is far from neutral. Prism also relies on politically aligned fundraising platforms and donors known for financing activist journalism and ideological campaigns, raising further questions about its motivations.

Prism’s argument collapses when compared to similar cases: the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the American Hellenic Institute, and the Arab American Institute all operate under the Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA), not FARA.

Prism’s So-Called “Experts”

An analysis of Prism’s primary sources further reveals significant ideological and financial overlaps.

Ben Freeman, Director at the Quincy Institute, is one of the main voices in the campaign.

Additional details indicate that Freeman’s work is funded by the same constellation of foundations that support Prism, creating a circular arrangement where one network validates another.

His organization received a $500,000 founding grant from George Soros’s Open Society Foundations—the same foundation funding Prism.

Raqib Hameed Naik, the founder of Hindutva Watch, is another cited expert. His work is indirectly supported by Pakistani propaganda outfits, particularly through map features sponsored by Imran Kayani, who runs the Pakistan-backed Global Village Space.

It has come to light that early iterations of Hindutva Watch were administered from Pakistan and Turkey, and that some of its visual maps and tools were sponsored by individuals behind long-running Pakistani propaganda initiatives. Naik’s collaborations with Pakistani-origin filmmakers and activists further reinforce the pattern of ideological alignment rather than independent reporting.

Audrey Truschke, a historian at Rutgers University, has ties to the American Institute of Pakistan Studies.

Further examination reveals her association with Pakistan-focused institutions, missionary-linked networks within India, and engagements with platforms based in Lahore and other Pakistani cities. Her prior statements on Hindu figures and Indian history have also drawn criticism for their overt ideological tilt.

Her familial linkages include individuals involved in Christian missionary activity in India, raising questions about ideological motivations.

The Real Foreign Influence: IAMC’s Decade-Long Anti-India Operation

While Prism targets the RSS’s legal activities, a US-based network of organizations has spent the last decade building a sophisticated anti-India lobbying ecosystem that poses a genuine threat to India’s sovereignty and international standing.

It has emerged that IAMC not only curated misleading datasets but also deleted entire projects once their fabrications were exposed. A database claiming to record atrocities against minorities was revised multiple times before being permanently wiped out in late 2024.

Additional evidence indicates that IAMC’s leadership has longstanding affiliations with organisations rooted in Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan, including groups historically linked with individuals who have supported extremist movements in Kashmir.

IAMC has also been linked with Islamist organizations such as ICNA (Islamic Circle of North America).

IAMC also runs a project called Hindutva Profiles — a website that targets Hindu public figures and portrays them as “hate mongers,” indicating that the lobby group is not just influencing policy, but also actively shaping narratives against Hindu voices.

The Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) stands at the center of this network. A US front with linkages to Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan-linked organizations, IAMC has a history of questionable activities:

Its executive director coordinated with USCIRF Commissioner Maenza. After lobbying funds were directed to Maenza’s associate, the USCIRF remarkably removed Kashmir from India’s map in its reports.

Booked under UAPA in 2021 for spreading fake news, IAMC collaborates extensively with Khalistani networks to push Pakistan’s anti-India, pro-Kashmir narratives to US policymakers.

The organization has influenced every major anti-India congressional hearing in recent years, providing witnesses, testimony, and fabricated databases to support predetermined political conclusions.

IAMC’s lobbying efforts consistently mirrored Pakistan’s official positions on Kashmir, Article 370, and separatist narratives, suggesting strategic alignment rather than genuine civil rights advocacy.

The Role of Congress in Mainstreaming This Network

Perhaps the most concerning revelation is the extent to which the Indian National Congress has engaged with this ecosystem:

Sonia Gandhi sent official congratulatory messages to IAMC.

Former Vice President Hamid Ansari participated in IAMC events.

Congress veteran Mani Shankar Aiyar maintained ties with Pakistani Kashmir lobbyists.

Rahul Gandhi’s 2023 U.S. tour was reportedly coordinated in part by IAMC-affiliated groups.

These associations grant IAMC and its affiliates the democratic legitimacy they need to present themselves as mainstream Indian voices while lobbying against India in foreign capitals.

It has come to light that Sonia Gandhi’s congratulatory message to IAMC’s predecessor was instrumental in giving the group early legitimacy among U.S. policymakers. Further findings reveal that Hamid Ansari appeared on IAMC-linked platforms even as the group coordinated with Pakistan-aligned activists. Mani Shankar Aiyar’s long association with a U.S.-based lobbyist later hired by the Pakistani government to influence Washington on Kashmir adds another layer to this troubling pattern. Rahul Gandhi’s U.S. events in 2023 were facilitated by organisations linked to IAMC and ICNA, several of which have also collaborated with Khalistani separatist elements abroad.

The Bigger Picture: Who’s Really Behind the Curtain?

The goal of these coordinated campaigns, the report suggests, is to apply external pressure to undermine Indian democratic processes and unseat the ruling BJP. With these efforts failing electorally, the narrative has shifted to attacking legally compliant Indian entities like the RSS while obfuscating their own questionable funding channels and influence agendas.

This is not merely about ideological opposition. The pattern reveals a sophisticated ecosystem that:

• Leverages U.S. institutions for anti-India lobbying
• Employs AI-generated data and testimonies to create the illusion of grassroots dissent
• Promotes a narrative of victimhood while maintaining strategic silence on Islamist violence and separatist agendas

It has come to light that the shift toward attacking the RSS began precisely when multiple Washington-based networks, including IAMC and its affiliates, were facing increasing scrutiny over their funding sources, fabricated data, and lobbying links to Pakistan. The timing strongly suggests an attempt to pre-empt accountability by flipping the narrative and portraying a legally compliant Indian organisation as the threat.

What Now?

The investigation poses critical questions: Will Indian commentators and platforms that amplified the anti-RSS campaign acknowledge this foreign-funded network? Or will the focus remain conveniently restricted to targeting domestic entities while ignoring international actors interfering in India’s internal affairs?

As the smokescreen begins to lift, the real foreign influence operation is no longer hidden: it’s anchored in Pakistan-linked networks, funded by foreign foundations, and legitimized by select Indian political actors. The narrative against the RSS, critics argue, is a diversion; a calculated maneuver to shield this troubling ecosystem from scrutiny.

(This article is based on an X Thread By Radical Watch)

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The post ‘RSS Hiring US Lobby Firm’ Story Exposed: How Foreign-Funded Networks, Pakistan-Linked Outfits, Leftist Media And Congress Are Engineering A Coordinated Global Attack On RSS appeared first on The Commune.

In 2024, The Commune had reported that DMK spent over ₹10 crore in social media ads Via PEN (Populus Empowerment Network) indirectly owned by MK Stalin’s son-in-law Sabareesan.

Populus Empowerment Network Private Limited (PEN) is a Chennai‑based company incorporated in 2022. It is the in-house agency of DMK handling digital and social media campaigns. While official filings list its directors as Manikandan Vasudevan and Prabhakaran Sekar V. Sabareesan (son‑in‑law of CM M.K. Stalin) is said to exercise indirect control over the company.

PEN has managed multiple political and promotional campaigns, including on platforms like Google and Meta.

In April 2024, the then Tamil Nadu BJP president K. Annamalai, contesting his first Lok Sabha election in 2024, intensified his attack on the ruling DMK and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s family during his campaign. Accusing the DMK of large-scale misuse of public funds, Annamalai claimed the party spent ₹7.39 crore on social media advertisements through a company called Populous Empowerment Network Pvt. Ltd., allegedly owned by Stalin’s son-in-law, V. Sabareesan, who holds a 99% share. He described this as an example of “crony capitalism,” saying the chief minister’s family was “looting state funds over and over again.”

Annamalai’s allegations refer to paid advertisements run on Meta platforms (Facebook and Instagram) under pages such as Ellorum Nammudan and Stalinin Kural, both managed by Populous Empowerment Network (PEN). The campaigns, launched around March 2024, promoted DMK content, including videos, songs, and anti-Modi messages. According to publicly available Meta Ad Library data, these pages collectively spent over ₹1.2 crore on Meta ads, with some individual ads costing up to ₹2 lakh each.

Reports also indicated that PEN spent an additional ₹9.25 crore on Google Ads. The company was earlier associated with developing the “Makkalin Mudhalvar” app and game designed to promote the DMK’s “Dravidian Model of governance.” Annamalai accused the DMK of misusing state resources for political propaganda while claiming that Modi’s “guarantees” would end such nepotism, separatist rhetoric, and family rule in Tamil Nadu.

Cut to 2025, the ad spends are back in scrutiny. Let’s analyse the social media adverts and how much was spent for each of these ads.

Time Frame For Analysis: January 2025 – October 2025

Since January 2025, a total of ₹1.24 crores have been spent on 229 Google Ads.

Let’s deep dive into some of the recent spends.

The highest-spending days were concentrated in late October 2025 (Oct 22–25), with some days seeing spend up to ₹150,000 and dozens of ads launched, typically in bursts.

Between October 22nd and 24th, 2025, PEN poured ₹125K–₹150K into a single campaign, publishing rapidly pushing it out to an estimated 2–2.25 million viewers.

Ads were shown just about former DMK minister Senthil Balaji who has come to be identified as ₹10 Balaji because of the allegations of scam in TASMAC popularized by Vijay during the Karur Stampede Tragedy.

The average spend per ad by Populus Empowerment Network Private Limited during January 1, 2025 to October 25, 2025 is approximately ₹47,385 per ad.

As you can see, there has been a massive increase in the amount spent since July 2025 as the news cycle was majorly against the DMK government – from sanitation workers protest to Karur Stampede.

Out of the 80 visible ads reviewed, 24 were removed by Google for policy violations, resulting in an approximate removal rate of 30%.

The amount spent on these removed ads was around ₹34.35 lakhs.

The top spending ads ranged from ₹2.5-4.5 Lakhs each, with most high-budget campaigns running for extended periods (30-64 days). Notably, several of the highest-spending ads were removed, including:

• June-August campaign: ₹4.25 Lakhs
• June-July campaign: ₹3.25 Lakhs
• September campaign: ₹2.75 Lakhs

This is just in Google. Let’s take a look at how much money DMK has splurged in Meta (Facebook and Instagram).

Meta Spend Of DMK

PEN runs DMK propaganda pages called Ellorum Nammudan in Facebook (596K followers as on Oct 25, 2025) and dmk_ellorumnammudan in Instagram (113K followers as on Oct 25, 2025).

According to Meta’s Ad Library, ₹3,532,165 was spent from 25 July 2025 – 22 October 2025.

Most of its spending has gone towards ads in Instagram.

And like in Google, a lot of money has been splurged on bytes of Senthil Balaji’s press conference in light of Karur Stampede.

From January 2025 to October 2025, a total of 1054 ads have been been placed through Meta.

In total, PEN has spent ₹4.1 crore for ads through Meta.

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The post DMK’s Political Communications Firm PEN Spent Around ₹1.5 Crores On Digital Ads From Jan-Oct 2025 appeared first on The Commune.

Zohran Mamdani, the NYC mayoral candidate, was seen doing a temple run recently in order to woo the “Hindu” voters.

On 6 October 2025, as a part of his campaign, he visited Flushing, Queens, to offer prayers at the city’s two oldest temples and “reconnect with his Hindu roots” – this after being part of a mob that called Hindus bastards and denounced the Ayodhya Ram Mandir. That too he was found wearing his shoes within the temple premises.

Zohara Mamdani, this is sinister!⁰Today, you came to my temple , the most sacred place in the world for me and for millions of Hindus.⁰You used this holy space for your political agenda.
Coming to a temple is always welcome, but people come to pray.⁰Did you pray?⁰Did you do… pic.twitter.com/KKldkNPcyV

— Vimal Patil (@proudhinduUSA) October 8, 2025

On one hand, he poses as a proud “Hindu-rooted Indian-American”, visiting temples in Flushing, Queens, and speaking of the values of Diwali, Raksha Bandhan, Holi, and seva. On the other hand, his record tells a starkly different story—one of anti-Hindu bigotry, sectarian agitation, and ideological extremism.

But one picture caught the eye of political observers.

The person marked in red circle is Sunita Vishwanath, a dubious activist.

In a video on Instagram, she wrote, “Im proud to be part of a group coming together as #HindusforZohran, especially because some of the attacks against Zohran are coming from hateful divisive forces in the Hindu community.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Sunita Viswanath (@sunitaviswanath)

Now you must be wondering who Sunita Vishwanath is.

Sunita Vishwanath is the co-founder of Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR), an organization with a misnomer, with ties to Islamist-linked advocacy group that regularly maligns India on global platforms. HfHR was established in 2019 alongside the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) and the Organization for Minorities of India (OFMI)—two Islamist-linked advocacy groups. Together, these entities also formed the Alliance for Justice and Accountability (AJA), which organized protests against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Houston visit in 2019. Vishwanath is also associated with Women for Afghan Women, an NGO that has received funding from George Soros’s Open Society Foundation. She has been a vocal critic of the NRC and CAA, claiming that the policies render millions of Indians stateless and oppress Muslims.

Now we come to the main point of this article – the IAMC. Sunita in herself has accepted that one of her colleague is Tazeem Ansari of IAMC.

Who Or What Is IAMC?

IAMC is a U.S.-based lobbying group known for its anti-India stance, persistent campaigns to label India as a violator of minority rights, and alleged ties to radical Islamist networks including SIMI, Jamaat-e-Islami, and Pakistan-backed propaganda fronts.

To jog our readers’ memory, Congress scion Rahul Gandhi met with individuals linked to IAMC during his 2023 US visit. Concerns arose when Gandhi was photographed with Sunita Vishwanath, who is linked to anti-India initiatives like the “Dismantling Global Hindutva” conference. Vishwanath is associated with groups like ICNA (Islamic Circle of North America), known for ties to Pakistan’s Jamaat-e-Islami and promoting anti-India propaganda.

Reports allege that coordinators of Gandhi’s events, such as Tanzeem Ansari and Mohammed Aslam, are connected to ICNA and its affiliate organizations like the Muslim Brotherhood. ICNA has glorified Hizbul Mujahideen leader Syed Salahuddin, a proponent of Kashmir’s separation from India. Another coordinator, Minhaj Khan, is linked to the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), an anti-India lobbying group. IAMC has been accused of spreading fake news to incite communal tensions and lobbying against India in international forums.

IAMC had engaged US lobby firm, paying them USD 55K Dollars for Lobbying the USCIRF against India in 2013-14, during Dr. Manmohan Singh Govt itself.

(6/10) pic.twitter.com/OeT3YlbCge

— DisInfo Lab (@DisinfoLab) May 30, 2023

IAMC’s Executive Director, Rasheed Ahmed, also leads IMANA (Islamic Medical Association of North America), implicated for alleged misuse of funds involving links to Pakistani officials and terrorist organizations like Lashkar-e-Taiba.

IAMC’s Exec Dir Rasheed Ahmed is the Exec Dir of another Jamaat affiliated ‘charity’ front Islamic Medical Association of North America (IMANA), which exploited India’s goodwill & raised millions of $ during peak Covid in name of helping India & siphoned off all the money
(7/10) pic.twitter.com/wgfJ4nrTan

— DisInfo Lab (@DisinfoLab) May 30, 2023

The IAMC is a problematic organization with links to Pakistan-based terror groups. It is known for peddling anti-India propaganda in the international arena and also lobbies with US leaders and bodies against Indian interests.

The IAMC had reportedly collected funds for the cause of Rohingya Muslims and used it to pay Fidelis Government Relations (FGR), a US-based lobby firm for getting India blacklisted by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).

It is this IAMC which has been backing Zohran Mamdani’s campaign. The IAMC weekly human rights monitor from June 2025 spotlighted Mamdani as its “Defender of the Week.”

Awards To Leftist Journalists

In June 2022, the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), claiming to be the largest advocacy organization for Indian Muslims in the US, awarded ₹3 lakh in prize money to several Indian journalists and media outlets through its Human Rights and Religious Freedom Journalism (HRRF) Awards. The winners included journalists from Newslaundry, The News Minute, The Caravan, The Wire, Scroll.in, and The New Issue Magazine (UK), as well as news portals Mooknayak and Article 14. The awards recognized reporting on issues like anti-conversion laws, persecution of Muslims during COVID-19, and human rights in Kashmir.

The IAMC has also been criticized for its links to Pakistan-based terror groups and anti-India lobbying efforts, including funding campaigns to blacklist India internationally. The organization has also been accused of violating India’s Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), which prohibits foreign funding of media professionals.

Connection With USICRF

During a February 2023 IAMC event, USICRF Commissioner Stephen Schneck advocated for classifying India as a ‘Country of Particular Concern.’ He asserted, “The Indian government at the local, state, and national level continues to create policies that negatively impact Muslims, Christians, and other religious minorities…Application of these policies has created a culture of impunity for national campaigns of violence against Muslims and Christians. The U.S. must designate India a country of particular concern. We at USCIRF continue to press President Biden and congress to do so.”

Stephen Schneck frequently attends events organized by the Jamat-e-Islami front, IAMC.

Connection With Banned Organisations

The IAMC is very intricately connected with organizations/Jamaat fronts such as ICNA, Justice For All, SIMI, IACSJ, etc. IAMC’s Sheikh Ubaid is friends with Abdul Malik Mujahid, who headed the Islamic Circle of North America, the US front for Jamaat-e-Islami, Pakistan. It also reportedly has links with the banned Islamist organization Student Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

The IAMC’s activities raise serious concerns about foreign interference in India’s internal affairs and the misuse of platforms to incite communal tensions. It is imperative for the global community to recognize the IAMC’s true agenda and hold it accountable for its actions. India, as a vibrant democracy, must remain vigilant against such malicious campaigns and continue to expose the hypocrisy and dangerous intentions of organizations like the IAMC.

A Web Of Deceit

Zohran Mamdani’s campaign is not an isolated story of opportunistic politics: it is the latest chapter in a coordinated ecosystem driven by groups like the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR), and their ideological allies. These organizations, long accused of anti-India lobbying, Islamist affiliations, and systematic vilification of Hindu identity, now find political expression through figures like Mamdani. His sudden temple visits and posturing as a “Hindu-rooted” leader serve as convenient optics to mask a record built on anti-Hindu, anti-semitic rhetoric and association with actors actively working against India’s and even broader US interests. Behind the photo-ops and platitudes lies a deeper network of influence — one that uses faith, identity, and misinformation as tools to infiltrate mainstream politics while advancing a divisive, pan-Islamist agenda under the guise of pluralism and rights.

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The post Is Zohran Mamdani Being Backed By Organizations With Links To Pakistan-Based Terror Groups? appeared first on The Commune.

The University of Madras has confirmed serious irregularities by the Loyola College in Chennai after the university’s Inspection Commission reported that the Jesuit institution was conducting its M.A. Philosophy programme at the off-campus Jesuit centre Satya Nilayam in Thiruvanmiyur without approval. This action follows a series of complaints submitted by the Legal Rights Protection Forum (LRPF) to different constitutional bodies following The Commune’s report on the matter.

The detailed report submitted by the Madras University to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), flagged “gross violations” of affiliation rules by Loyola College, Chennai, in the conduct of its M.A. Philosophy programme.

This report from the Madras University came after the NHRC found Madras University evasive over Loyola’s illegal M.A. Philosophy course, and warned them with conditional summons.

From religious bias in admissions to flouting reservation norms and blatant non-compliance, here’s a detailed breakdown of the major violations flagged in the report.

Fake Departments And Missing Students

The inspection team discovered that Loyola’s so-called Philosophy Department is nothing more than a façade. There was no separate classroom, no faculty room, no departmental library, no signage, and—most scandalously—no students present at the time of inspection. Classes for both first and second-year students were being conducted in a common seminar hall, with no evidence of actual enrolment.

This is not just mismanagement — it is a direct violation of the Syndicate’s rules on infrastructure and affiliation, dating back to 2003.

Unqualified Faculty And Appointment Irregularities

The report exposes Loyola’s sham in faculty appointments. Many lecturers listed on the college website don’t even meet the basic UGC qualification rules. Even worse, some teachers are being counted as full-time staff at both Loyola and the Sathya Nilayam Research Institute, a clear cheat and violation of university rules. To top it off, the management hired staff—including the Principal—on its own, ignoring the mandatory university selection process. This blatant breaking of rules is nothing short of academic fraud and shows how Loyola ignores laws meant to keep education honest.

Violating Tamil Nadu Govt’s Reservation Norms

Perhaps the most serious violation is Loyola’s blatant disregard for Tamil Nadu’s reservation laws in student admissions. Despite multiple reminders, the management failed to provide the mandatory category-wise admission data for the M.A. Philosophy programme. This deliberate non-compliance undermines the Rule of Reservation, which is crucial to ensure equitable access and opportunities for marginalized communities. By both ignoring the submission of required admission data and bypassing the reservation policy, the management flagrantly violated legal and ethical standards designed to promote inclusion and fairness.

This is a violation of Government Order G.O.(D) No.110 (22.05.2024) and University Circular No.314 (24.06.2024). In short, Loyola has cheated the state’s social justice framework.

“In view of the above findings and based on the Madras University Act, 1923, and the University’s Statutes and Ordinances (2016), the University of Madras concludes that Loyola College has not complied with UGC guidelines, relevant Government Orders, and University norms in conducting the M.А. Philosophy Programme.“, the inspection report said.

Timeline Of Events

The inspection report, submitted in August 2025, follows a string of complaints filed since January alleging academic fraud, religious discrimination, and unauthorized operations at Satya Nilayam run by Loyola College. Let’s take a look at when the investigation began and how action was taken.

January 2025 – First Expose

In January 2025, The Commune published a report alleging that Loyola College was operating an unauthorized extension campus at Satya Nilayam under the guise of an M.A. Philosophy programme affiliated with the University of Madras.

The report highlighted that the programme primarily catered to Catholic seminarians and Jesuit missionaries, raising questions of religious discrimination since admissions were allegedly restricted to Christians.

Degrees issued to such students carried Loyola College’s and the University of Madras’ name, despite students never attending the approved Loyola campus.

Allegations also surfaced of financial misconduct, exorbitant fees, misuse of UGC funds, and funneling graduates into missionary activities.

YouTuber Maridhas also published a video of the investigation on his channel.

February 2025: Legal Rights Protection Forum Complaint To TN Governor

In February 2025, the Hyderabad-based Legal Rights Protection Forum (LRPF) lodged a formal complaint with the Governor of Tamil Nadu, who is also the Chancellor of the University of Madras, seeking revocation of Loyola’s autonomous status and Madras University affiliation, investigation into Satya Nilayam’s unauthorized operations, action against alleged academic fraud and discriminatory practices.

The petition alleged that Satya Nilayam was functioning under a separate Jesuit legal entity, yet Loyola College was granting degrees in its name, thereby misleading students and regulatory authorities.

March 2025: LRPF Appeals to Jesuit Superior General & FCRA Angle Raised

In March 2025, LRPF escalated the issue internationally by petitioning Fr. Arturo Sosa, S.J., Superior General of the Society of Jesus, urging internal Jesuit intervention. Allegations also expanded to include misuse of foreign funds under FCRA regulations, large-scale misappropriation of UGC grants, citing disclosures from former Loyola Principal Rev. Fr. Albert Muthumalai.

Evidence that Satya Nilayam’s official website was abruptly taken down after complaints, and later reappeared with all references to Loyola College scrubbed.

The Governor of Tamil Nadu, R.N. Ravi, formally intervened by directing the University of Madras to investigate, citing potential violations of university norms, secular education principles, and even national security concerns due to the presence of foreign seminarians.

Additionally, in March 2025, the Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi who also serves as the Chancellor of the University of Madras, sought an explanation from the University regarding the unauthorized operations of Loyola College’s off-campus center, ‘Satya Nilayam.’

March 2025: Loyola College Alters Website, Erases Links

Following complaints, Satya Nilayam’s website was abruptly altered to erase Loyola-University links, raising suspicions of cover-up. Despite repeated warnings, the University of Madras has failed to act decisively. The case highlights misuse of minority autonomy, systemic double standards, and demands urgent cancellation of affiliations and accountability.

March 2025: Complaint Filed With TN Governor Again

LRPF filed a complaint with the Tamil Nadu Governor against University of Madras Registrar Prof. S. Elumalai, accusing him of enabling large-scale academic fraud involving Loyola College. The complaint alleged Loyola unlawfully ran its M.A. Philosophy program at Satya Nilayam, an unapproved Jesuit centre, while issuing University of Madras degrees since 1998. It cited evidence of unauthorized off-campus operations, website manipulation, and even “lost” affiliation records. LRPF demanded cancellation of all such degrees, disciplinary action against the Registrar, and a criminal probe. Neither Loyola nor Madras University has responded.

April 2025: Complaint Filed With NHRC

LRPF petitioned the National Human Rights Commission against Loyola College, Chennai, alleging religious discrimination in its M.A. Philosophy program, affiliated with the University of Madras. The NGO stated that the course is reserved exclusively for Christian students, denying equal access to others and violating fundamental rights. This followed LRPF’s earlier complaint accusing Loyola of running the program illegally at Satya Nilayam, an unapproved Jesuit centre, while issuing Madras University degrees. Allegations include fraudulent certificates, lost affiliation records, and misuse of visas. Despite mounting pressure, Loyola and Madras University did not issue official responses.

April 2025: NHRC Steps In, Loyola Accused of Religious Discrimination

By April 2025, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) took cognizance of complaints that non-Christian students were being systematically denied admission to the M.A. Philosophy course.

The NHRC issued notices to the UGC and the Registrar of the University of Madras, seeking action taken reports. Complaints cited violations of Articles 15(1) and 29(2) of the Constitution of India. LRPF also accused Madras University of shielding Loyola by claiming that original affiliation orders from 1998 were “untraceable.”

May–July 2025: NHRC Escalates, Issues Conditional Summons

Despite repeated notices, both Loyola College and the University of Madras failed to provide satisfactory explanations.

On 24 May 2025, NHRC reprimanded the Madras University Registrar and UGC for non-compliance.

On 24 July 2025, the Commission issued conditional summons to both authorities, requiring them to appear in person on 19 August 2025, unless detailed reports were submitted in advance.

August 2025: UGC Inspection

University Grants Commission (UGC) committee carried out inspections of both the Madras University and Loyola College on August 13–14, with both institutions cooperating.

On 16 August 2025, the University of Madras submitted a detailed report to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) confirming serious violations by Loyola (Autonomous) College, Chennai, in the conduct of its M.A. Philosophy programme. The inspection, conducted in response to complaints, found multiple breaches of affiliation rules, UGC norms, and state government directives.

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The post Loyola College Caught In Massive Academic Fraud Through Illegal Bible College, Madras University Report Reveals Shocking Violations, An Exclusive Explosive Exposé By The Commune – LRPF appeared first on The Commune.

Lord Manjunatha is far more than a deity—he is the living embodiment of faith, reverence, and an eternal spiritual bond, consecrated in the sacred crucible of Dharmasthala. But this sacred temple town was dragged through the mud by the usual suspects of leftist media, with The News Minute leading the charge.

In an unmistakably malicious attempt to defame Hindus and their religious institutions, it spearheaded a campaign of baseless allegations, fabrications, and selectively distorted reporting.

While repeatedly brandishing the victim card under the guise of free speech, they sought to portray themselves as authorities on ‘exposing’ the Dharmasthala Temple management—an obvious attempt to provoke local Hindus into questioning their reverence for the temple by fabricating a scandal.

Before we get into the nitty-gritties of what and how they reported, here’s a primer that exposes their agenda.

In 2025 alone, The News Minute pushed out more than 24 full-length reports on the Dharmasthala issue without even proven allegations of sexual assault or rape being reported.

Some of the reports include:

In glaring contrast, their reporting on the Anna University sexual assault case lays bare the truth—they are not The News Minute, but The New Murasoli, the DMK’s unofficial mouthpiece masquerading as a news outlet.

On one hand, TNM took the words of a ‘masked man’ at face value, eagerly amplifying baseless claims and peddling propaganda without a shred of proof. Yet when confronted with incontrovertible evidence implicating a DMK man as the perpetrator in the Anna University sexual assault case, it went into protective mode—downplaying the facts and shielding the party it favors.

Coming back to our topic, let’s now take a closer look at how The News Minute tried to smear the Dharmadhikari Veerendra Heggade–run Dharmasthala temple and shame Hindus about their faith.

Reporting – Facts Or Fiction?

Their “reporting” or rather concerted campaign started on 5 July 2025 when the masked man made his appearance.

The portal continued reporting on the daily developments via news articles while preparing for video interviews and explainers later in July 2025. While all their videos and explainers are presented as a neutral conversation/report, they contain several problematic elements that favour the anti-Dharmasthala narrative.

The daily exhumations were covered by their reporter Shivani Kava and one could also see Pooja Prasanna doing ground reports with Kava a few times.

Dhanya Rajendran, the editor-in-chief of the leftist portal, also chipped in during the South Central podcast episodes.

Let Me Explain Let Me Peddle Propaganda

In the first offering on 10 July 2025, Pooja Prasanna used speculation and sensationalism to begin the reporting series.

The report presents a simplistic and arguably incorrect view of police procedure to cast the authorities in a negative light. Prasanna says, “The response should be immediate and that’s not an opinion. That’s how the law works.”

This is a mischaracterization. While police must investigate serious claims, a claim of this magnitude requires meticulous planning, warrants, and expert involvement. Deliberation is not “dereliction of duty”; it is a necessary step to ensure the investigation is forensically sound and legally defensible. Portraying caution as incompetence or complicity is misleading.

While discussing legal challenges to reporting is valid, Prasanna presents every gag order as an illegitimate tool to suppress truth, without adequately exploring the legal principle of protecting against defamation until a claim is proven.

The video does not ask basic journalistic questions: How could hundreds of murders and burials occur over 20 years in a major pilgrimage center without a single other person noticing? How does one man alone manage this? Where are the missing persons reports for hundreds of individuals? And how come he had a change of heart all of a sudden after 20 years? What’s the motive of the ‘masked man’?

Shifting The Narrative From ‘If’ To ‘How’ By Linking Old Cases

In the video that was published a week later, on 18 July 2025, the title and the opening statements prime the viewer to accept the premise that there is a mystery with hidden bodies, moving the discussion from “if” it happened to “how” it happened.

The report strategically links the new, unproven allegations to older, genuine tragedies (the Sowjanya case, the 1993 disappearances, alleged Ananya Bhat murder). This creates a powerful emotional and narrative connection, implying a pattern and a cover-up that spans decades. While asking if there is a pattern is valid, presenting them together as evidence for the new claim is a form of guilt by association. The existence of past unsolved crimes does not prove the current mass burial allegation.

Shivani Paints, Pooja Blurs The Picture For Propaganda

Instead of asking the right questions, the “evidence” of the skeletal remains is accepted without any critical questions.

The Panchayat vice president’s explanation (unclaimed bodies, suicides) is presented and undercut by stating it “has already been challenged as an attempt to intimidate.” Pooja Prasanna and Shivani Kava do not investigate the validity of his claims about documented procedures for unclaimed bodies, instead framing his statement purely as a threat. They use the “possibility” as a narrative device to imply truth.

While the discussion of gag orders is important context, it doesn’t prove the underlying allegation is true.

Prasanna and Kava presuppose the truth of the core allegation, frame skeptics as complicit, leverage past tragedies for emotional impact, and openly position themselves as an advocacy organization fighting a legal battle. This prioritizes narrative setting over the meticulous, evidence-based, and neutral verification that such a serious allegation demands.

Pooja Prasanna and Shivani Kava, with this kind of “journalism”, blur the lines between advocacy and reporting.

Gram Panchayat VP Interview

Pooja and Shivani interviewed Shrinivas Rao, the Gram Panchayat Vice President of Dharmasthala who explains that all unclaimed bodies are officially documented and disposed of lawfully. Records of burials (including suicides near the Netravati River) have been maintained since the 1980s, with receipts and official approvals. The panchayat denied any clandestine burials and challenges the whistleblower to provide proof.

But Pooja Prasanna’s questions are loaded and framed to imply guilt or incompetence. For example, persistently asking about rape and murder victims presupposes that such bodies were handled by the Panchayat, a claim he is explicitly denying. This is not neutral questioning; it’s an attempt to force a specific admission.

The duo of Kava and Prasanna repeatedly demand that the Vice President produce detailed police and medical reports (autopsy details, cause of death) that he has clearly stated are held by the police department, not the Panchayat. The Panchayat’s role, as he explains, is to dispose of the body after the police have completed their documentation (UDR number, post-mortem). Badgering him for documents he does not possess is a fundamental misrepresentation of the process.

The Vice President provides context for the high number of bodies (e.g., high pilgrim footfall, suicides, river accidents), but the reporters dismiss this context in favor of a more sinister narrative. He offers a plausible explanation for the statistics, that Dharmasthala attracts a large number of people in distress seeking spiritual solace, some of whom die by suicide or accident. Prasanna tries to act smart by asking, “Why here and why not in Kukke Subramanya?”.

TNM claims they are the go-to portal for anything south – Prasanna exposes her ignorance about the pilgrimage site and the local beliefs and rituals. It is a deeply held local belief that those who pass away in the sacred town of Dharmasthala attain salvation. Similar to how Hindus believe that dying in Kashi, being cremated there, or having one’s ashes immersed in the holy waters of Ganga grants moksha—the liberation from the cycle of birth and death. Does TNM not know this? A visit to the temple or speaking to the people or reading some books on the temple town will tell them but hey who cares about research!

It is even more telling of her that she chose to name another Hindu pilgrimage site and not of any other religion.

The Vice President goes on to explain that practices were less formalized before 2006, and burials might have occurred in various locations based on police direction. Instead of treating this as a historical explanation for why bodies might be found in non-cemetery areas, the reporters treat it as a “gotcha” moment, as if he is admitting to the mass burial conspiracy.

While applying scrutiny to the VPs statements, Pooja Prasanna fails to do the same to the main allegation and the masked man. They treat the masked man’s extraordinary claims as an established premise about which we detail in the upcoming sections.

Masked Man Lawyer Interview

They also carried interviews of the masked man’s lawyer KV Dhananjay. This interview was published on 19 July 2025. It is puzzling how a man who says he was “born into what is considered the lowest caste and worked as a sanitation worker” could reach out to a senior Supreme Court lawyer, why does it sound so easy? Or is there some other ‘hand’ at work here?

All through the interview, TNM allows the negative narrative is well absorbed. Dhananjay shifts the burden of proof on the police and the state by saying “If he is lying, prove it by digging. If you don’t dig, it means he’s telling the truth.” The burden of proof always lies with the accuser. The state is under no obligation to disprove every fantastical claim; it is the claimant who must present credible evidence to justify an intrusive and sensational investigation. Imagine if tomorrow someone wearing a mask alleges that bodies are buried beneath The News Minute’s office in Bengaluru—should the police be expected to raid the premises on their own, or should they first demand proof from the accuser?

The entire justification for the witness’s story is an “appeal to emotion” – he is “wrecked with guilt,” driven by “fear of God.” While this is a possible motive, a journalist should treat it as a claim, not a fact. Dhananjay insists we must take it as “prima facie true” but that is neither a journalistic standard nor a valid basis for rigorous investigation

The entire premise that “powerful people” (implicitly the Jain religious leadership) are behind this and are shielding the investigation is treated as a given, not an allegation. No evidence is presented for this central pillar of the story. Dhananjay speculates that in the 15 days, the “accused” might be moving bodies. This is pure conjecture presented with no evidence, yet it serves to poison the well; if nothing is found, he can claim the evidence was moved, not that it never existed.

Dhananjay is an advocate. His job is to present his client’s case in the most persuasive way possible. The journalist’s job is to interrogate that case. In this interview, the journalist effectively becomes the lawyer’s junior partner, allowing him to control the narrative entirely. The segment begins and ends with a promotional plea for subscriptions, framing this advocacy as “responsible and sensitive reportage,” which it is not.

Shabbir Ahmed & Justice Chandru Interview

Not to be left behind, Shabbir Ahmed brings in DMK supporting casteist retired Justice Chandru to amplify TNM’s victim card about the legal gag order. Justice Chandru called the ex parte gag orders as unconstitutional and contrary to Supreme Court precedent. He argued that reputation should be protected through damages, not censorship, and distinguishes between legitimate postponement orders to protect fair trial rights and blanket bans on publication. Chandru also condemns the routine use of expansive “John Doe” orders, which in this case targeted nearly 9,000 links, as “extraordinary” and “unjustified”. He stresses that such gag orders violate both the public’s right to information and the media’s right to report, particularly in cases like Dharmasthala where allegations are of grave public interest.

The P In Dhanya Rajendran’s Podcast Stands For Propaganda

The News Minute podcast South Central, although seems like a healthy discussion, on closer examination favours the narrative that TNM has been building so hard.

First, the discussion conflates unrelated issues – an unproven mass burial claim, decades-old unsolved murders, and statistical suicide data – into a single ominous storyline. This creates a false impression of causality, implying that past crimes and suicide rates make the new allegation plausible.

It relies heavily on anecdotes and local sentiment as substitutes for evidence. Prasanna says “locals say it is very possible” and this is used to lend weight to extraordinary claims, validating belief over verifiable proof.

The podcast assumes malice from authorities by default. The absence of extensive CCTV or police hesitation to exhume bodies is framed as evidence of guilt or complicity, inverting the burden of proof and ignoring alternative explanations like negligence or procedural caution.

The gag order debate is contextually weaponized. Instead of being examined as a broader media-law issue, it is presented as proof that the temple has “something to hide,” reinforcing a conspiracy-driven frame.

The core claim itself goes unexamined. The logistical impossibility of secretly burying hundreds of victims in a bustling pilgrimage town is never questioned, allowing the allegation to stand unchallenged.

Digging Difficult Because Of Terrain

Apart from taking the masked man’s statements/allegations as “Gospel Truth”, they make many excuses to re-affirm that the burial sites were in difficult terrain and it was tough on the excavators to dig and exhume the bodies and that they needed to dig deeper, because the weather was not conducive and what not. So how did the masked man manage to bury them if the terrain was so tough? What did he do when he was asked to bury during rainy days? Why did it not strike them to ask the masked man the same questions?

And guess what, they parked an “exclusive” interview of the masked man (wonder what prodded him to speak to them) behind a paywall.

However, there is a YouTube video of the interview which is yet another attempt at legitimising the narrative.

Begging For Public Funding To Support Their Lies

The News Minute has been constantly doing the “jholi bichana” to viewers for funds to “support independent media” and their constant coverage from the ground in Dharmasthala. Every single video of theirs has this QR code flashed and viewers gaslighted to literally extort the viewers “We are bringing you this major breakthrough; now pay us to continue.”

They even flashed the bowl asking viewers for money to help pay “legal bills” to fight gag orders.

Then there’s these posters too plastered across their social media handles.

Premature Celebration When Skeletal Remains Were Discovered

TNM posted 2 videos, a short one reporting the “presence of skeletal remains” on  31 July 2025 and a longer “explainer” on 2 August 2025. These two videos are perfect examples of what can be seen as premature celebration to the news of skeletal remains found in one of the excavation sites.

In the video published on 31 July 2025, the most significant issue with the reporting is the immediate framing of the discovery of partial skeletal remains as a validation of the whistleblower’s entire story. They called it a “major breakthrough” – a highly sensational and conclusory term. Finding partial remains at one of 13+ sites confirms that a body was buried there. It does not confirm the core allegations of “hundreds of bodies,” “women and girls,” or “sexual assault.” The cause of death, identity, and date of burial are all completely unknown at this stage.

“…there might be the truth to it” – Shivani Kava, explicitly connects the find to the whistleblower’s most shocking claims, stating the discovery lends credibility to his story about burying victims of sexual assault. As with every other video, this report continues the unethical practice of linking this new discovery to unrelated, past tragedies to heighten emotional impact.

They continue to accept the whistleblower’s claims as a given and uses them as the framework for all analysis, without applying basic journalistic scrutiny. There is no mention of the most obvious and likely explanation provided by the Panchayat VP himself in their own previous interview: that these could be old, unclaimed bodies buried officially before the cemetery was built. The possibility that this is a tragic but routine burial is completely excluded from the narrative.

That the whistleblower masked man came out of guilt to help find the “100s of buried girls/women” – the reporter duo create drama, a sympathetic framing that discourages skepticism about his motives.

In the video published on 2 August 2025, Pooja Prasanna uses the discovery of partial remains (which later was found to be that of a male who died 30 years before the masked man’s tenure) to declare the whistleblower’s allegations as proven and to validate the entire “conspiracy of silence” narrative.

Starting the episode with “Dharmasthala soil has finally spoken up.” This is a dramatic and conclusive opening statement. Prasanna and TNM jumped the gun when the partial remains were found. She also says, “His allegations can no longer be dismissed as easily.” This frames the discovery as a definitive victory for the accuser’s side, moving the goalposts from “extraordinary claim requiring extraordinary proof” to “you can’t dismiss this now”, preemptively shutting down skepticism.

It must have been an egg-in-face moment for TNM when the truth about the remains surfaced. There seems to be no report on that on their website.

Prasanna asks a series of highly speculative “what if” questions that are designed to imply wrongdoing without evidence. The segment questioning why the Panchayat buried bodies in forest areas decades ago is presented as a major revelation. However, it lacks crucial context: What were the standard procedures for unclaimed bodies in rural Karnataka 20-40 years ago? Was this practice unique to Dharmasthala, or was it common in other towns with limited cemetery space and large forested areas? The reporter’s sarcastic tone (“is the panchayat claiming they trekked dangerously?”) dismisses the practical realities of the past in favor of present-day judgment. Why didn’t she ask the same question to the masked man – did he trek dangerously to bury those bodies he claims to have buried?

The report completely omits the most plausible explanations for the found remains: that they could be from an unclaimed body or a suicide that was buried following the (perhaps informal) procedures of the time. It immediately jumps to the assumption that the find validates the murder and cover-up allegation. To update our readers, the skull that the masked man submitted at the court turned out to be belonging to a man, contrary to the claims that women and young girls had buried there and the skeletal remains across all the sites that have been dug up so far, only one skeleton remain and that two that belongs to a man and it’s been almost near fully decomposed. The skull was examined at two hospitals and both the tests confirmed that it belonged to a man who died 30 years ago. A few bone fragments were found at only one place and that also belonged to another male. Some ID cards were found at another place that also belonged to a male who had reportedly clearly died of illness.

The skeletal remains with the masked man turned out to be that of a male but TNM tried to establish through “their sources at SIT” that it was not verified when the whole Kannada media was reporting the truth.

How TNM’s Propaganda Fell Like A Pack Of Cards

After all this build-up, the entire fraud narrative collapsed like a pack of cards, reinforcing the truth that baseless allegations can never stand without evidence.

Let’s take a look at how the lie unravelled:

No evidence found by SIT in the locations identified by the masked man

The skull/remains he brought with him to make the “confession” after his conscience did not let him sleep for 15+ years, turned out to be that of a male. Skeletal remains found in the excavation areas also turned out to be that of a male as mentioned above.

Masked man confesses that he was forced to make such allegations; he also said that he was trained by a gang in Chennai who made his say all this.

A woman claiming to be the first wife of the “masked man” in the Dharmasthala burial case has denied his allegations, accusing him of lying for financial gain and recalling years of domestic abuse during their marriage. She asserted that he worked as a sweeper and had no links to the alleged crimes, while villagers in Mandya confirmed his local background, civic work, and financial disputes before he abruptly left in 2014.

As the case crumbled, political attention turned to identifying the “gang” behind the conspiracy. BJP MLA from Udupi, Yashpal Suvarna, and Independent MLA G. Janardhan Reddy publicly named Congress MP Sasikanth Senthil as the key conspirator. They allege Senthil, who served as Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner, orchestrated the plot using leftist and Islamist networks he cultivated during his administrative tenure.

The MLAs have pointed to Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar’s own previous remark about a “larger conspiracy” and are now demanding the SIT have the courage to probe Senthil’s involvement, questioning if his status as a sitting Congress MP will grant him immunity.

Ananya Bhat’s alleged mother Sujatha Bhat confesses on television that all that she said was a lie; she goes on Republic Kannada to reveal that Aanya Bhat was not her daughter at all.

Sujatha Bhat’s brother states that his sister was lying and he was not aware of any daughter of hers nor the fact that she was married.

And the latest news is that the masked man is identified as one Chinnaiah (Chinnayya) from Mandya is arrested by SIT and custody is being sought.

Ever since the masked man and Sujatha Bhat’s confessions made the news, the TNM gang is missing, absconding, and preparing to peddle a new propaganda.

Last Word

The News Minute’s coverage of the Dharmasthala issue has been less about facts and more about framing. They repeatedly amplifed unverified claims, downplayed counter-evidence, did not ask the right questions, selectively invoked past tragedies, and painted gag orders as proof of guilt. By doing so, TNM has acted not as a neutral observer but as an advocacy outlet pushing a predetermined agenda. Their reporting has blurred the line between investigation and propaganda, weaponizing grief, faith, and suspicion to undermine a Hindu institution that commands deep respect across Karnataka and beyond.

The pattern is clear: while other crimes involving political actors are given minimal coverage, TNM has churned out more than two dozen stories on Dharmasthala in just a few months, turning a sacred site into the stage for their ideological theatre. This is plain narrative-building aimed at eroding trust in Hindu religious institutions. And like all such attempts against Dharma, it will ultimately fail because facts, history, and faith cannot be buried under manufactured suspicion.

Hydra is a writer with interests in exposing media bias.

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The post How Leftist Media The News Minute Blew Up The Dharmasthala “Mass Burial” Case Without Any Proof Peddling Propaganda Against The Temple Town And Management appeared first on The Commune.

Dr. Cyriac Abby Philips, known to his social media followers as “The Liver Doc,” has built a formidable online persona as a crusader against ‘non-mainstream’ medicine, loudly decrying Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Yoga, and other Indic healing systems as “pseudoscience.” His latest online tirade was directed at Indian chess Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi, who had simply posted a family photo on Doctor’s Day, celebrating his loved ones who practice various forms of medicine — from Ayurveda to physiotherapy.

Philips accused Gujrathi of “normalizing pseudoscience” and dismissed his entire family as “not real doctors.” Yet a closer look at Philips’ own professional affiliations exposes a gaping hole in the credibility of his crusade.

Now let’s talk about the double standards of this “liver doctor”.

He works at Rajagiri Hospital, a Christian missionary-run institution.

Now this hospital offers the mainstream “evidence based” medicine and also, guess what? Hosts an Ayurveda department – something Philips denounces heavily.

In fact, the hospital themselves address these Ayurveda practitioners that Philips hates as …. drum roll… “doctors”!!!

Add to this, Philips’ pet peeve, Yoga, is also endorsed by the same hospital.

Now, here’s where things get even more interesting. The hospital also boasts an elaborate pastoral healing ministry!

This unit invokes the healing power of God, provides Holy Communion, sacramental reconciliation, and hosts daily masses for patients and their families — all under the banner of “spiritual care.”

For all the virtue signalling and shaming he does on his X handle and via podcasts too, by appearing on these platforms as an “expert”, he is unable to do the same with the place of his employment! So much for being a crusader.

If Philips genuinely believes Ayurveda is pseudoscience and healing prayers are unscientific, why is he comfortable working at an institution that promotes both? Why does his righteous indignation stop at the hospital gates? If he’s willing to lambast strangers on the internet, mock homeopaths, physiotherapists, and cosmetologists, and ridicule Yoga as ineffective, why has he never publicly called out his own hospital’s religious and traditional healing practices?

Rajagiri Hospital’s chaplaincy page states, “We facilitate pastoral care to all who come to the hospital… Our motto ‘We care, We cure’ is a proclamation of our firm commitment to invoke the healing power of God upon the whole person, body and soul.”

Maybe they did not consult with Philips before they posted it on the website? But now that he knows, where is his rage about this? Where are his fact-check threads debunking “divine healing” or mocking priests distributing Holy Communion for recovery? If he truly believes in medical ethics and scientific purity, what explains his continued employment at a hospital that blurs the line between medicine and faith healing?

Double Standards And Bias

Dr. Philips’ selective outrage also reveals a deeper ideological and cultural bias. He targets Ayurveda and Yoga, the pillars of India’s own civilizational knowledge, while staying conspicuously silent about similar or even more fantastical claims made by his hospital’s Christian healing ministry. His critics rightly ask: why does he never speak against “miracle prayer meetings” or faith-based healing sessions that happen within his own religious tradition?

Even more revealing is the hospital’s commitment to pastoral visits, rosary devotion, and sacramental rituals as part of its “compassionate care”, practices no less unscientific than homeopathy or Ayurveda. Yet they’re apparently exempt from the Liver Doc’s laser-focused scorn. If his scientific ethics were consistent, he would be calling for the removal of the chapel before demanding the shutdown of Ayurveda colleges.

The AYUSH Question

Dr. Philips often claims that AYUSH systems are not real medicine. But in India, under the Ministry of AYUSH, these systems are legally recognized, their practitioners licensed, and many have state-run colleges and dedicated research centers. Whether or not one personally agrees with these systems, to claim their practitioners are “not doctors” is not just scientifically reductive but legally incorrect.

In contrast, the “healing ministry” he works under is not regulated by any medical council. Yet there’s not a peep from him about how unscientific that is. It raises a fundamental question: Does Dr. Philips’ science only go one way?

When a netizen named Taleb asked the same guy to prove his statements with statistics, Philips shifted the goalpost and commented about “manners”.

He even quoted this screenshot portraying himself as a “victim”.

He wrote, “The mathematical randomness, probability and uncertainty of the philosophical ad hominem from Nassim Nicholas Taleb. Sigh.”

And when netizens pointed out at how Philips was left speechless after this interaction, he tried to prove it was a win for him by saying, “Lol! Taleb’s ad hominem on me is what a win for Ayurveda and Homeopathy sympathizers from Indian #MedTwitter looks like. Not rational or logical arguments directed to me. Looks like every #MedTwitter troll and science illiterate who pisses their pants when I enter the chat is now celebrating in their echo chambers.”

Let us also not forget that his father, Dr. Philip Augustine, was among the accused in a 2009 organ trafficking case involving Lakeshore Hospital in Kochi. Although Dr. Abby Philips has denied the allegations, calling them false and politically motivated, the case remains part of the public record, with summons issued to several doctors.

In 2023, he peddled fake news by falsely claiming that the National Medical Commission (NMC) removed the Ashoka emblem from its logo and replaced it with an image of the Hindu deity Dhanwantari. He referred to the updated logo as a sign of “India’s entry into pseudoscience hell.”

However, the NMC’s officiating chairman BN Gangadhar clarified that the logo had always included Dhanwantari in black-and-white, and only a color version was added for printability. He emphasized that there was no removal of the Ashoka emblem and no significant change beyond coloring and the replacement of “India” with “Bharat.”

Philips’s claim was further debunked using archived versions of the logo from the Wayback Machine. Despite this, several leftist outlets such as South First and The News Minute amplified his false narrative.

In November 2023, he faced a complaint during the Himalaya Wellness defamation case from a Kerala-based lawyer alleging he lacked valid registration with the Kerala State Medical Council (KSMC) and was unqualified to practice as a hepatologist. The KSMC launched an inquiry, though the requirement for state registration remains legally contested under the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956. Dr. Philips later submitted proof of his MD and DM degrees from institutes in Kolkata and Delhi, and his registration process with the KSMC was underway, leading to the dismissal of the complaint. Philips, known for aggressively criticizing figures like Baba Ramdev, accused him of spreading misinformation on liver diseases and diabetes cures using yoga, cow urine, and herbal products.

The Real Problem: Social Media Bravado, Real-Life Silence

Perhaps the most glaring contradiction is that all of Dr. Philips’ bravery seems to exist exclusively on X. When it comes to public discourse, he adopts the tone of a medical inquisition, “calling out” others with scathing sarcasm and personal jabs. But when it comes to challenging his own hospital’s faith-healing practices or Ayurvedic department, there is only radio silence.

If he were truly committed to scientific integrity, he would resign from Rajagiri Hospital and join an institution that reflects his professed standards. Until then, his social media sermons are just that – sermons, not science.

If homeopathy is pseudoscience and Ayurveda is primitive, then invoking divine healing through prayer should be the first thing on his chopping block, but that would mean confronting the religious establishment he’s part of. Standing up where it actually matters and that takes courage. And that’s a virtue the Liver Doc sorely lacks.

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The post If Hypocrisy Had A Face: Condescending Troll “Liver Doc” Who Calls Ayurveda & Alternative Medicine As Pseudoscience Works At A Christian Missionary-Run Hospital That Does “Pastoral Healing” And Has Yoga Dept appeared first on The Commune.

Dravidianist propagandists in Tamil Nadu frequently propagate misleading narratives and shield the ruling DMK from criticism, making it a routine occurrence. Among such propagandist media is YouTurn, an outlet that has unofficially acted as the DMK’s mouthpiece since the party came to power in 2021. Operating under the guise of fact-checking, YouTurn has been criticized for faffing, its lack of journalistic integrity, and consistently peddling biased propaganda in favor of the DMK.

Below are instances where YouTurn has been accused of spreading false information.

1. YouTurn’s Propaganda Push For DMK’s 29-Paisa Tax Devolution Claim

Propaganda:

On 2 January 2025, DMK’s mouthpiece Youturn claimed that Tamil Nadu receives only 29 paise for every rupee it contributes in taxes, criticizing the central government for retaining a significant share through cess and surcharges.

தமிழ்நாடு ஒரு ரூபாய் கொடுத்தால் 29 பைசாதான் திரும்ப வருகிறது.

2022-23 நிதியாண்டில் தமிழ்நாடு செலுத்திய நேரடி வரி 1,07,063 கோடி ரூபாய். CGST 27,361 கோடி ரூபாய். மொத்தம் 1,34,424 கோடி ரூபாய்.

அதில், தமிழ்நாட்டிற்குத் திருப்பிக் கொடுக்கப்பட்டது 38,731 கோடி. இது நாம்… https://t.co/DVS8jxlK5G pic.twitter.com/MgpNh5drof

— youturn (@youturn_in) January 2, 2025

In the financial year 2022-23, Tamil Nadu contributed ₹1,07,063 crore in direct taxes and ₹27,361 crore in CGST, totaling ₹1,34,424 crore. Youturn alleged that the state received only ₹38,731 crore in return, accounting for just 29% of its contribution. It compared this with Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, claiming they receive ₹7.06 and ₹2.73, respectively, for every rupee contributed. The report also accused the central government of increasing cess and surcharge collections, which are not shared with states, stating that only 32% of total tax revenue is distributed instead of the constitutionally mandated 41%. According to Youturn, the Central Government retains 68% of the revenue, creating an imbalance in federal financial distribution.

Reality:

However, these claims have been criticized as misleading since they focus solely on direct tax refunds while ignoring indirect tax revenues and centrally funded welfare schemes. Tamil Nadu benefits from GST revenue sharing, receiving 41% of CGST collections, 100% of SGST, and 50% of IGST generated within the state. Additionally, cess and surcharge collections fund nationwide welfare programs and infrastructure projects, including medical colleges, highways, health insurance, and farmer welfare initiatives that benefit Tamil Nadu.

Furthermore, taxes paid by corporations in Tamil Nadu, such as Hyundai and Nokia, contribute to national revenue, which is redistributed among all states. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, tax revenue allocation has been structured to ensure fair distribution, with Tamil Nadu receiving its due share alongside substantial welfare and development projects. The claim that Tamil Nadu gets only 29 paise per rupee oversimplifies the complex tax-sharing system, ignoring indirect tax revenues and central spending that benefit the state.

திமுக-வின் 29 பைசா நாடகம் !

தமிழகம் ஒரு ரூபாய் நேரடி வரி செலுத்தினால் அதிலிருந்து வெறும் 29 பைசாவை மட்டும் தான் நமது மத்திய அரசு திருப்பிக் கொடுக்கிறது என்ற அடிப்படை ஆதாரமற்ற வதந்திகளைப் பரப்பி வரும் @arivalayam அரசு, நமது @BJP4India தலைமையிலான மத்திய அரசு கொடுக்கும் மறைமுக… pic.twitter.com/KMePhCfTsQ

— BJP Tamilnadu (@BJP4TamilNadu) January 4, 2025

Under the Modi government (2014-2023), Tamil Nadu has received more central funds compared to the Congress-DMK period (2004-2014):

• During the Congress-DMK regime (2004-2014): Tamil Nadu received only ₹1.58 lakh crore over ten years.
• Under the Modi government (2014-2023): Tamil Nadu received ₹4.75 lakh crore over just eight years—three times more than the previous decade.

Additionally, Tamil Nadu paid ₹6.24 lakh crore in direct taxes and received ₹6.97 lakh crore in return—a net gain of over 90% of the amount paid

2. You-Turn’s Attempt To Paint PM’s Vishwakarma Scheme As ‘Kulakalvi Thittam’ 

Propaganda:

Dravidianist YouTuber-turned-state-run fact-checking head Iyan Karthikeyan and the media outlet YouTurn were accused of distorting facts to support the DMK’s narrative while misrepresenting Tamil Nadu BJP State Secretary SG Suryah’s rebuttal regarding the PM Vishwakarma Scheme.

Chief Minister MK Stalin had dismissed the scheme as caste-based and announced that Tamil Nadu would not implement it. In response, Suryah clarified that the scheme aimed to uplift artisans through financial aid, training, and market support, drawing a comparison to Tamil Nadu’s Poompuhar initiative, which also recognized artisans based on traditional vocations. However, YouTurn selectively highlighted only the DMK’s claims while taking Suryah’s statements out of context to frame the scheme as caste based.

பிரதமரின் ‘விஷ்வ கர்மா’ திட்டம் குடும்ப அடிப்படையிலான பாரம்பரிய தொழிலையே ஒரு தகுதியாக வரையறுக்கிறது. அதாவது, ஜாதியின் அடிப்படையிலான தொழில்.

உடல் உழைப்பையும், பாரம்பரிய கருவிகளையும் பயன்படுத்தி வேலை செய்யும் கைவினை கலைஞர்கள் மற்றும் தொழிலாளர்களின் நிலையை உயர்த்துவதே… https://t.co/fXOV69HgE6 pic.twitter.com/jVSuo3g1mA

— youturn (@youturn_in) November 28, 2024

Iyan Karthikeyan, allegedly ‘former’ Editor-In-Chief of YouTurn, who now heads the unconstitutional “fact-checking” body of the DMK government, further pushed this narrative by stating that Poompuhar awards were based on material quality and not traditional family businesses, implying that there was no caste element involved.

பூம்புகார் கைவினைப் பொருட்கள் விருது. பொருள் அடிப்படையில் வழங்கப்படுவது. பாரம்பரிய கைவினைப் பொருட்களுக்கு வழங்கப்படுகிறது, பாரம்பரியமான குடும்பத் தொழில் செய்வோருக்கல்ல.

சாதியை நேரடியாகவோ, மறைமுகமாகவோ விதிகள் கேட்கவில்லை. https://t.co/6Orhsze9tQ pic.twitter.com/2t3EhPQRZ2

— Iyan Karthikeyan (@Iyankarthikeyan) November 28, 2024

Reality:

In response, Suryah countered this claim by sharing application forms for Poompuhar, which asked for details of traditional vocational education (indirectly asking caste-based work), exposing inconsistencies in Karthikeyan’s argument.

ஐயா உண்மை கண்டறிபவரே திரு.@Iyankarthikeyan !

“பூம்புகார் கைவினைப் பொருட்கள் விருது பொருள் அடிப்படையில் வழங்கப்படுவது. பாரம்பரிய கைவினைப் பொருட்களுக்கு வழங்கப்படுகிறது, பாரம்பரியமான குடும்பத் தொழில் செய்வோருக்கல்ல” என ரைமிங்காக ட்வீட் போடத்தெரிந்த தங்களுக்கு இந்த… https://t.co/E3WkE72yp0 pic.twitter.com/lIPfDnjtbp

— Dr.SG Suryah (@SuryahSG) November 28, 2024

Iyan Karthikeyan was exposed for hypocrisy while pushing a pro-DMK narrative. He claimed the ‘Poompuhar’ award did not ask for caste information but ignored that it required details on traditional or gurukula-based learning. Meanwhile, the ‘Vishwakarma Yojana’ never mentioned caste as a criterion. His own posts contradicted his claims, revealing his bias.

திரு.@Iyankarthikeyan அவர்களே!

தாங்கள் என் அறிக்கையை படித்துப்பார்த்து அதன் பிறகு பதிவிட்டீர்களா என தெரியவில்லை. இருப்பினும் நான் சில விஷயங்களை தெரிவுபடுத்த விரும்புகிறேன்.

என்னுடைய அறிக்கையில் "தமிழ்நாட்டின் சிறந்த கைவினை கலைஞர்களுக்கு ஆண்டுதோறும் விருதுகள் வழங்கி… https://t.co/7XBJdGShTp

— Dr.SG Suryah (@SuryahSG) November 28, 2024

Similarly in September 2023, the alleged fact-checking portal YouTurn, in a video posted on Twitter/X, claimed that the Pradhan Mantri Vishwakarma Yojana promotes ancestral or family-based occupations. The video made several claims about the scheme, including that it selects beneficiaries based on caste and prioritizes caste-designated occupations. However, these claims were debunked, as the scheme does not discriminate based on caste or require adherence to caste-based occupations. Instead, it supports individuals in the unorganized sector with training, loans, and marketing assistance, aiming to develop traditional crafts and techniques.

3. YouTurn’s Dravidian Model Sticker Over Modi Govt’s Efforts To Rescue TN Cyber Slaves

Propaganda:

On 22 October 2024, YouTurn media, through its official X account, claimed that the Tamil Nadu government had played a vital role in rescuing individuals trapped abroad as cyber slaves. The post quoted Minister Senji Mastan, who stated that information about those stranded in Cambodia reached the Chief Minister through their families, prompting the state government to take action and bring them back at its own expense.

வெளிநாடுகளில் சைபர் அடிமைகளாக சிக்கி இருந்தவர்களை தமிழ்நாடு அரசும் மீட்டுள்ளது.

”கம்போடியா நாட்டில் சிக்கி இருந்தவர்கள் பற்றிய தகவல் அவர்களது குடும்பத்தினர் மூலமாக முதலமைச்சர் கவனத்திற்கு வந்தது. துறை சார்ந்த நடவடிக்கை எடுத்து, தமிழ்நாடு அரசின் முழு செலவில் இவர்களை அழைத்து… https://t.co/eU4qONyA7F

— youturn (@youturn_in) October 22, 2024

Reality:

However, this claim overlooks a fundamental fact—foreign affairs and international rescue operations fall under the jurisdiction of the central government, not state authorities. The truth is that in November 2022, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reported the successful rescue of over 370 Indians who had fallen prey to job scams in Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos. MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi confirmed that Indian diplomatic missions in Yangon, Bangkok, and Chiang Mai were actively handling these cases. He further noted that approximately 108 individuals were rescued from Cambodia alone, highlighting that many victims from India and other countries had been lured into fraudulent job schemes and left stranded in these regions.

4. Youturn’s Attempt To Discredit RSS & Seva Bharati Relief Efforts During Kerala Landslides

Propaganda:

Alt News and DMK’s mouthpiece YouTurn came under fire for allegedly exploiting the Wayanad landslide tragedy in 2024 to undermine the relief efforts of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Rashtriya Seva Bharati, even as two RSS volunteers lost their lives while rescuing victims. During the period, Alt News and YouTurn selectively attacked to advance their ideological narratives to simp the interests of the ruling DMK and Congress parties.

#Factcheck None of the photos in this post are related to the current landslide relief work in Wayanad.
These were taken during the floods in Kerala in 2018.
Article link: https://t.co/gvqqWl1GEw https://t.co/uRjvGYe7nh

— Youturn English (@Youturn_media) August 2, 2024

A collage of four old photos is FALSELY viral as RSS workers joining the rescue operations in Kerala's Wayanad. Though according to reports RSS has joined the relief work, these photos are at least four-year old. #AltNewsFactCheck | @Shinjineemjmdrhttps://t.co/5xWUxO91A6

— Alt News (@AltNews) August 2, 2024

A controversy arose when old photos of RSS workers from the 2018 Kerala floods were mistakenly circulated as part of the current relief efforts. Alt News and YouTurn used this to claim that RSS was falsely taking credit for the Wayanad rescue operations.

Reality:

However, Vishwa Samvad Kendra and other reports confirmed that RSS and Seva Bharati volunteers were actively involved in the relief work, including setting up help desks, providing food, and assisting in medical aid.

Reports from 31 July 2024, confirmed RSS and Seva Bharati’s involvement in rescue and rehabilitation in Wayanad. Volunteers worked on the ground from the early hours, providing assistance to victims, setting up collection points for essentials, and coordinating efforts across Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Two RSS swayamsevaks, Sarath Babu and Prajeesh, lost their lives while rescuing people in the landslide-hit areas. Sarath Babu saved 15 people before going missing, while Prajeesh perished after multiple rescue attempts. Their sacrifices were widely recognized. BJP leaders, including BL Santhosh, highlighted the contributions of RSS volunteers, criticizing those attempting to discredit their efforts. Mediyaan News and Kerala BJP accounts also provided continuous updates on RSS-led relief operations.

5. YouTurn Claimed CN Annadurai & Manmohan Singh Held Top Positions Through Public Mandate

Propaganda:

During the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, DMK’s mouthpiece YouTurn attempted to mock Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar by claiming that former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C.N. Annadurai and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh secured their positions through electoral mandates contrary to the historical facts.

அரைகுறை செய்திகளை வைத்து உருட்டுவது, திரிபுவாதம் செய்வது பொய் செய்திகள் பரப்புவது எல்லாம் உங்களுக்குக் கை வந்த கலை ஆச்சே. முன்னாள் முதலமைச்சர் சி.என்.அண்ணாதுரை மக்களை சந்தித்து தேர்தலை சந்தித்துள்ளார். அதில் வெற்றியும் உண்டு, தோல்வியும் உண்டு. ஆனால், மக்களை நேரடியாக சந்தித்து… https://t.co/l85FjeFlZc

— youturn (@youturn_in) June 10, 2024

Reality:

Annadurai became Chief Minister through the MLC route and Manmohan Singh served as Prime Minister through the Rajya Sabha.

Fact Checking is a Joke. My pointed tweets are 100% correct.

• Annadurai became CM through MLC route.
• Manmohan Singh became PM through Rajya Sabha route.

What is the lie in the above two points @youturn_in ??

Referendum can be added to every single thing. STOP THIS JOKE. https://t.co/lsOHgqORuy

— Dr.SG Suryah (@SuryahSG) June 10, 2024

In response, YouTurn acknowledged that Annadurai had contested elections in the past but argued that he had still faced the public, unlike Sitharaman and Jaishankar. However, netizens noted factual inconsistencies in YouTurn’s statements, particularly regarding the existence of a “Chennai South” constituency during Annadurai’s time.

Historical records confirm that Annadurai lost the 1962 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections but led DMK to victory in 1967, subsequently becoming Chief Minister. He was elected to the Madras Legislative Council in April 1967. Manmohan Singh, on the other hand, had an extensive Rajya Sabha tenure, representing Assam from 1991 to 2019 and Rajasthan from 2019 to 2024.

6. YouTurn’s Buttressing Of Congress

Propaganda:

In January 2024, YouTurn falsely branded as misinformation a statement by BJP Tamil Nadu State Secretary Ashwathaman, who asserted that the Congress government’s 2013 bill permitted FIRs to be filed only against Hindus in cases of communal violence, while exempting Muslims and Christians.

YouTurn refuted this, arguing that the Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence (PCTV) Bill 2011 did not explicitly state such provisions.

Reality:

However, a closer analysis of the bill reveals that its definition of “group” includes only religious and linguistic minorities, as well as Scheduled Castes and Tribes, effectively ensuring that the law applies only when violence is committed against these groups. Consequently, if violence were directed at Hindus, the bill lacked provisions to prosecute members of minority communities.

Further clauses in the bill reinforced this bias, as offences like sexual assault, hate propaganda, and organized violence were deemed punishable only if committed against minority groups. This created a discriminatory framework where members of the majority community could be prosecuted, while identical offences by minority groups were not recognized under the law.

Ultimately, YouTurn’s attempt to discredit Ashwathaman’s statement collapses under scrutiny, as the bill’s provisions support his claim. The platform’s misrepresentation of facts raises concerns about its credibility, reinforcing allegations that it functions as a propaganda tool rather than an impartial fact-checker.

7. YouTurn’s Failed Propaganda On Rainfall Alerts Issued By IMD

Propaganda:

Whenever the DMK faces criticism, its mouthpiece YouTurn rushes to its defense. A prime example occurred on 22 December 2023, when Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman held a press conference slamming the Tamil Nadu government for its poor handling of the recent floods in Chennai and the southern districts. She accused the DMK administration of negligence, highlighting its failure to implement precautionary measures despite early warnings from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), drawing parallels to the disastrous 2015 floods.

In response, YouTurn, attempted to refute Sitharaman’s claims and argued that IMD’s December 12 forecast mentioned only isolated heavy rainfall in select regions, downplaying the severity of the warnings issued before the floods.

IMD வெளியிட்ட அறிக்கைகள்:

டிசம்பர் 12: 16ம் தேதி ஓரிரு இடங்களில் கனமழை (6.45 to 11.5 செ.மீ) பெய்யும்.

டிசம்பர் 15: 16 முதல் 18ம் தேதிக்கு மிக கனமழை பெய்யும். ஆரஞ்சு அலர்ட் (11.5 to 20 செ.மீ).

டிசம்பர் 17 மதியம் 1 மணி: 17ஆம் தேதி அதி கனமழை பெய்யும். (ரெட் அலர்ட் (20 செ.மீ… pic.twitter.com/NDvCKdAvMP

— youturn (@youturn_in) December 22, 2023

Reality:

However, IMD had issued an Orange Alert for southern Tamil Nadu, indicating “very heavy rain” (115.6 mm to 204.4 mm in 24 hours), which required immediate disaster preparedness. Rainfall data confirmed the accuracy of this warning, with locations like Kayalpattinam (94.6 cm), Tiruchendur (68.9 cm), and Srivaikundam (62.1 cm) experiencing severe precipitation.

Additionally, YouTurn misrepresented IMD’s alert system. IMD follows a four-tier warning system: Green (no advisory), Yellow (exercise caution), Orange (get ready for disruptions), and Red (take immediate action). While Red Alerts are issued only 12 hours before landfall, the Orange Alert given days in advance was a clear signal for preventive action—one that the Tamil Nadu government allegedly ignored.

What stands out here is the claim made by the alleged fact-checking website YouTurn, asserting that the rainfall in 2023 exceeded that of 2015. This claim was reportedly based on an article published by The News Minute, a Dravidianist and Leftist outlet that promotes narratives favorable to the DMK.

8. YouTurn’s Butressal Of DMK’s Anti Hindi Drama 

Propaganda:

Interestingly, YouTurn media has a pattern of dismissing facts as “fake news” whenever it comes to shielding the DMK, regardless of clear evidence. In December 2023, Tamil Nadu woman Sharmilaa Rajasekar alleged that she faced linguistic discrimination at Goa’s Dabolim Airport when CISF personnel insisted she learn Hindi during a security check. Despite stating that she was unfamiliar with the language, she was reportedly told that Hindi is the national language and advised to “Google” it.

Sharmilaa, an engineer traveling with her three-year-old daughter, stood her ground, clarifying that Hindi is an official language, not a national one. She later filed both an oral and email complaint with the airport grievance officer, emphasizing the need for cultural sensitivity training. The complaint was forwarded to the CISF team for review, and she expressed intentions to escalate the matter to CISF headquarters.

The incident was quickly amplified by Dravidianist media, with Sun News Editor-in-Chief Mu. Gunasekaran highlighting the controversy on social media.

Reality:

However, social media users soon identified a woman named Sharmila Rajasekhar, who had previously posted in Hindi, suggesting she might be the same individual involved in the controversy. Screenshots of her past social media activity, including her YouTube channel, were widely shared.

BREAKING

திமுகவின் கோவா ஹிந்தி நாடகம் சிக்கியது.

திமுகவின் சென்னை வெள்ள நிர்வாக சொதப்பலை மக்களிடம் மறைக்க/மறக்கடிக்க நன்றாக ஹிந்தி எழுத, படிக்க , பேசத்தெரிந்த ஒரு திராவிடியா பெண்ணை வைத்து போட்ட setup நாடகம் முடிந்தது. @SharmiSharmiji யக்கோவ் #திருட்டு_திமுக… https://t.co/rY2YdnGlKv pic.twitter.com/gmTDJiEIeb

— Dr. 2G Spectrum (@EURONGREYJOY007) December 14, 2023

Hey Dhumeel, she is already exposed. Go fly now. pic.twitter.com/euthlb5S1r

— Indian Nationalist (#NoToHalal) (@KovaiKusumbu76) December 14, 2023

Amid the growing speculation, the @sharmisharmiji social media handle, which many assumed belonged to the woman in the controversy, denied involvement, stating that she was being misidentified. Interestingly, past Hindi-language posts from the account were deleted, fueling further debates.

In this social media era if one tries to fool around, then they are just as dumb as their leader pic.twitter.com/GBvdJpD0z0

— Indhavaainko (இந்தாவாய்ங்கோ) (@indhavaainko) December 14, 2023

As the debate continued, YouTurn, stepped in, claiming that the woman accused of fabricating the controversy was not the same person from the airport incident. This further intensified discussions on whether the entire episode was a genuine case of discrimination or a manufactured controversy.

கோவா விமான நிலையத்தில் இந்தியில் பேச சொல்லி CISF வீரர் வற்புறுத்தியதாக கூறிய பெண் எக்ஸ் பக்கத்தில் இந்தியில் பதிவிட்டு உள்ளதாக பரப்பப்படும் வதந்தி. இரண்டும் வெவ்வேறு நபர்கள். pic.twitter.com/5sdDUbHGag

— youturn (@youturn_in) December 14, 2023

These are some gems of YouTurn media, run by Dravidian propagandist, is certified by the Poynter Institute—an organization linked to Pierre Omidyar’s Omidyar Network and George Soros’s Open Society Foundation. Ironically, recognizing the influence of YouTurn, the ruling DMK appointed its key figure, Iyan Karthikeyan, as the Mission Director of Tamil Nadu’s “Fact-Checking Unit,” tasked with countering fake news. This appointment drew criticism, with BJP Tamil Nadu’s social media humorously suggesting that the Chief Minister establish another fact-checking department to monitor the existing one.

இந்த ஃபேக்ட் செக் டிபார்ட்மென்டை ஃபேக்ட் செக் செய்ய மற்றொரு ஃபேக்ட் செக் டிபார்ட்மென்டை அமைக்குமாறு முதலமைச்சர் @mkstalin அவர்களை கேட்டுக்கொள்கிறோம்..! https://t.co/TwVqz9RT7S pic.twitter.com/GEwqCGjOpJ

— BJP Tamilnadu (@BJP4TamilNadu) January 24, 2024

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The post List Of Instances Showing That ‘YouTurn’ Is Not A Fact-Checker But A Misinformation-Peddling DMK Mouthpiece appeared first on The Commune.

In the hallowed halls of Chennai’s Loyola College, a quiet scandal has been unfolding—one that exposes how prestigious minority institutions exploit their autonomy while flouting the very laws designed to protect them. At the heart of this controversy is Satya Nilayam, an off-campus center operating 20 kilometers away from Loyola’s main premises, where an unauthorized MA Philosophy program has been running for years under the nose of the University of Madras.

Despite repeated warnings and even intervention from Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi, the program continues unabated, shielded by institutional impunity and a glaring lack of accountability. The violations are egregious. The University of Madras never approved Satya Nilayam as an extension campus, yet Loyola College has been using its affiliation to grant degrees to students trained exclusively at this remote facility—many of whom are foreign Jesuit missionaries from Nepal, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Europe and other countries. This blatant misuse of a secular university’s credentials for what is essentially a religious training program constitutes academic fraud.

Worse, evidence suggests that admissions at Satya Nilayam systematically favor Jesuit seminarians while excluding non-Christian candidates, violating the University of Madras’s non-discrimination policies and India’s constitutional commitment to equitable education. When the Legal Rights Protection Forum (LRPF) filed a formal complaint, Satya Nilayam’s website suddenly disappeared, only to resurface with all references to Loyola College and the University of Madras scrubbed clean.

This clumsy cover-up only deepens suspicions: if the program were legitimate, why the secrecy? Why the refusal to comply with basic affiliation rules for over 27 years? The answer is simple—because Loyola College, like many elite minority institutions, believes it can operate outside the rules, using its minority status as both a shield and a weapon.

https://x.com/lawinforce/status/1904037145435845062

The University of Madras’s inaction is equally damning. Despite multiple warnings since 2019, it has failed to cancel Loyola’s affiliation, conduct surprise inspections, or impose meaningful penalties. This raises disturbing questions: Is there political pressure at play? Are university officials turning a blind eye to maintain cozy relationships with powerful religious institutions? Or is this yet another example of how India’s education system tolerates different standards for different communities?

The implications extend far beyond one college. This case tests whether minority-run institutions, under the protective cloak of Article 30, can willfully undermine national education policies while demanding taxpayer-funded autonomy. If a Hindu or Muslim institution attempted something similar, would the silence be so deafening? Would the regulatory response be so lethargic? The time for empty warnings is over. The Governor’s office must escalate this into a full investigation.

The University of Madras must revoke affiliations and blacklist Satya Nilayam. And the Jesuits—who built their legacy in India on the ideals of intellectual rigor and ethical integrity—must answer why they now betray those very principles. If India’s education system is to have any credibility left, this scandal cannot end with a quietly edited website and business as usual. It must end with consequences.

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The post Loyola College’s Satya Nilayam Scandal: Unauthorized Catholic Priest Training Centre Removes Loyola College Reference From Website After Expose By The Commune And LRPF appeared first on The Commune.

Dravidianist and Congress mouthpiece The News Minute had Newslaundry have been indulging in anti-national narratives for quite some time. This is evident from their reporting, the news they select to highlight, and the groups they are associated with. In 2023, the duo joined hands to conduct an event called “Cutting South“. As seditious as it may sound, the event itself was questionable. If we dig a little bit into the event and its sponsors, alarming details come to the fore, especially in light of the USAID revelations.

The Canadian Connection: A Smoking Gun Contract

At the heart of the scandal is a contract dated 28 February 2023, signed between the Canadian High Commission (Colin Shonk, Counsellor and Head of the Advocacy Program at the Canadian High Commission in New Delhi) and three media entities: Confluence Media, The News Minute (Spunklane Media), and Newslaundry. The agreement, obtained through RTI filings, designates these outlets as “Producers” of the “Cutting South” event held on March 25-26, 2023, at Kochi’s Bolgatty Palace.

Key clauses reveal:

• Canada contributed CAD 4,000 (₹2.4 lakh) directly to organizers
• Mandated inclusion of a panel on “gender/diversity/climate“ with a Canadian High Commission speaker

It is alleged that the organizers of the Cutting South event received the sponsorship from Canada without obtaining permission from India’s Ministry of External Affairs.

The Cutting South conclave, held in Kochi in March 2023, was primarily sponsored by the Kerala Media Academy, a media institution under the Government of Kerala. While the Kerala Media Academy claimed that ₹44 lakh had been spent on the programme, questions remain about how The News Minute and News Laundry independently entered into an agreement with the Canadian High Commission.

Under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), approval from the Ministry of External Affairs is mandatory before accepting foreign funds. The Union Government has the authority to take action against institutions that receive such funds without adhering to legal protocols. Since Narendra Modi’s government came to power in 2014, FCRA regulations have been tightened, leading to the cancellation of registrations for several organizations found to be receiving foreign funds unlawfully.

The Paper Trail Of Public Funds

Perhaps the most troubling aspect of this investigation is how The News Minute and Newslaundry, along with their partners, managed to secure substantial public funding for their event while maintaining editorial control.

The invitation letter sent to Kerala’s top officials on 12 February 2023, strategically positioned the Kerala Media Academy – an autonomous institution under the Government of Kerala – as merely a “knowledge partner.” Yet RTI responses reveal the Academy spent a staggering ₹44,95,000 (approximately $60,000) of public funds on the event.

The financial relationship appears deliberately obscured. When initially questioned about the expenditure through an RTI request in May 2023, the Academy provided an evasive response, claiming “the process of adjusting the amount of expenses…has not been completed.” Only a year later, in May 2024, did they finally disclose the full financial details.

Meanwhile, The News Minute and Newslaundry, along with Confluence Media, maintained complete “creative and programming control” over the event, as stipulated in their agreement with the Canadian sponsor. This meant that while taxpayer money funded the bulk of the event, these private media entities retained decision-making authority over its content and messaging.

The detailed expense breakdown reveals:

• ₹8,93,869 for flight tickets
• ₹5,80,660 for accommodation
• ₹4,05,591 for food expenses
• ₹7,48,356 for LED wall, light & sound
• ₹5,21,580 for decoration, publicity & hall arrangement

The Cutting South event was inaugurated virtually by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Other key attendees included Minister P. Rajeev, who was the Chief Guest, and Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan from the Congress party, who attended as a Special Guest. Kerala Media Academy Chairman R.S. Babu presided over the event. In his virtual address, CM Vijayan claimed that the very existence of the media was under threat.

The invitation letter reveals a deliberate strategy to secure this political protection: “We would also have active participation from representatives from across the entire political spectrum of India.” By framing the event as politically inclusive, the organizers tried to effectively neutralize potential criticism from either the ruling coalition or the opposition.

The Media Ecosystem: Creating Institutional Legitimacy

The News Minute and Newslaundry didn’t operate in isolation. They cultivated institutional legitimacy through partnerships with established media bodies like the Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ).

The RTI response dated 17 May 2023, confirms this relationship, stating: “The Kerala Media Academy International Journalism Festival and Photo Festival was organized by KUWJ, NewsLaundry, The News Minute, and Confluence Media at the Town Hall, Ernakulam from 24th to 26th March 2023.”

At the heart of this controversy lies an extraordinary contradiction. Official documents, including invitation letters and a legally binding sponsorship agreement, explicitly name the event as “Cutting South.” Yet when questioned about it over a year later, the government-funded Kerala Media Academy categorically denied ever organizing or participating in any such event.

The evidence is unambiguous. An invitation letter dated 12 February 2023, addressed to Kerala’s Chief Secretary Sri V.P. Joy, clearly states: “Together with Newslaundry and The News Minute we at Confluence Media, are organizing Cutting South, a celebration of journalism that will bring together leading news professionals from across the world to Kerala. Kerala Media Academy is the knowledge partner for the event.”

This isn’t just some passing reference. Yet in an official explanation dated 13 August 2024, the Kerala Media Academy brazenly claims: “The Media Academy has not organized an event called Cutting South or participated in any such event.” Instead, they insist they organized an “International Journalism Festival & Photo Festival” on the exact same dates.

By partnering with KUWJ, The News Minute and Newslaundry gained additional credibility and access to established media networks in Kerala. The Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ), a collaborator in the event, has previously defended Siddique Kappan, a journalist arrested under UAPA for allegedly inciting unrest. This association suggests a troubling alignment with groups that challenge India’s legal and constitutional framework. This partnership strategy helped transform what might otherwise have been seen as an event organized by digital media platforms into something with institutional backing from traditional journalism organizations.

It is noteworthy that the then governor’s office issued a statement that they were not aware of such an event and did not consent to participate.

The statement read, “It is noted that one organization namely “Cutting South”, not known to the Hon’ble Governor, is organizing a function for the celebration/felicitation of Neither Raj some important persons at Cochin on March 25, 2023. Neither Raj Bhavan, nor Hon’ble Governor has given consent for the participation in the programme. It is, therefore, informed that such an organization is strange to Hon’ble Governor and hence, in no way connected with His Excellency.”

Even before its launch, the Cutting South conclave had sparked controversy. Allegations emerged that the event was promoting the idea that southern states like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana should break away from India Initially, the organizers sought to involve high-profile personalities in the program, but once the separatist agenda was exposed, many withdrew. Amid rising controversy, the Kerala Media Academy attempted to rebrand the event as the Global Media Summit to deflect criticism.

During his speech, CM Pinarayi Vijayan referred to the program as Global South rather than Cutting South, a change observers believe was influenced by intelligence reports warning about the nature of the event.

Before “Speaking Truth To Power”, How About Being Truthful First?

The Cutting South event, backed by The News Minute and Newslaundry, exposes a disturbing mix of foreign influence, media manipulation, and political deception. Their secret deal with the Canadian High Commission, allegedly without FCRA approval, and the ₹44 lakh in taxpayer money funneled through the Kerala Media Academy, raise serious red flags. Despite public funding, these media outlets retained full control over the event’s agenda, shaping discussions that many believe carried a divisive, separatist undertone. The Kerala Media Academy’s flip-flop—first funding the event, then denying any role—only adds to the suspicion. The last-minute rebranding from Cutting South to Global South, along with intelligence warnings, suggests an attempt to cover up the event’s true intent after facing public scrutiny.

This isn’t just about a shady media conclave—it’s about the bigger problem of journalists masquerading as neutral voices while pushing hidden agendas. The Modi government’s crackdown on FCRA violations has already exposed many such cases, and The News Minute and Newslaundry shouldn’t be exceptions if they broke the law. What’s equally concerning is the mainstream media’s silence—why aren’t they questioning this? The ones who claim to fight for press freedom and democracy seem suspiciously quiet when their own are in the hot seat. This entire episode serves as a stark reminder that not all journalists are independent truth-seekers—some are just well-funded mouthpieces for foreign interests, selling narratives to the highest bidder.

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The post The “Cutting South” Files: Did The News Minute & Newslaundry Receive Foreign Funding For Their Divisive Propaganda Event? appeared first on The Commune.