Operation Duryodhan, Part 14
Director: Aaj Tak, Cobrapost
Duration: 00:06:18; Aspect Ratio: 1.333:1; Hue: 5.208; Saturation: 0.120; Lightness: 0.375; Volume: 0.244; Cuts per Minute: 4.599; Words per Minute: 91.673
Anchor (A): Aniruddha, in this entire case, there are two things of prime importance. First, you have been repeatedly saying that the questions placed were made out of thin air.
aniruddha reads out some of the questions.
select
A: The MPs say that they ask questions that are in public interest, which is why they spoke to you and got involved.
A: What kind of questions were these? Let's take some examples for fun.
AB: I will give you examples. See, at the onset, we said that we are representatives from NISMA.
AB: NISMA is North Indian Small Manufacturers Association, lobbying for small scale units.
AB: A majority of questions need to reflect that otherwise they would be suspicious.
[continues] ...that you claim to lobby for small scale industries and you are listing some other questions.
AB: We had some problems at the beginning when we started putting questions in public interest,
...whether SEBI is being investigated, what is being done about non-performing assets.
AB: But in spite of this, we made-up some questions and listed them. As per my knowledge, they were even submitted.
AB: Let me read them out to you. This is in English.
AB: One of the questions was, 'Whether the railway ministry has placed any order for purchase of Yossarian electro-diesel engine from Germany'.
AB: 'Is the ministry aware that the Tom Wolfe committee in Germany has halted its induction in the Eurorail system'
AB: Let me tell the viewers that Yossarian is the lead fictional character of a Joseph Heller novel. Tom Wolfe is a famous American author.
AB: One more question: 'Whether the government has given sanction for the seed trial of Salinger cotton of Monsanto'.
AB: Once again, let me tell you that Salinger is a famous American author. There's no such thing as 'Salinger cotton'.
AB: There's a very funny question: 'Has the ministry lifted the 1962 ban it imposed on the book For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemmingway
...and 1975 ban on Ken Casey's book One Flew Over a Cuckoo's Nest and Hunter Thompson's book Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
...If so, when were the bans removed?' Let me tell you that these are very famous authors.
AB: There haven't ever been any bans on any of their books in our country. It is basically a fake question.
AB: One more question is, one that is related to our company name, 'Whether the government is aware that the domestic flying license has been denied to Cobra Cargo
...for starting operations in India? Since when has Sampark (?) Pvt. Ltd., the holding company of Cobra Cargo applied for the domestic cargo license?'
AB: Cobra Cargo is a fictitious company. But such questions have been submitted in the Parliament, the MPs have signed on it.
AB: Whether [the answers] have come, I don't know. I am not aware if they are expected to be answered in the future.
A: These are the questions that have no bearing on reality. These have been made up in thin air but the MPs didn't inspect it.
A: But one more thing, if these questions are sent along with an MP's signature to be included in the question hour...
AB: All these brokers used to take the signature not only for the MP they worked for but also other MPs.
x
MP: So even other MPs either didn't read it or due to friendly relations... one such question raised was about Salinger cotton, I think.
A: This is a fact that has come to light about the questions that were raised in the question hour. The discussion will be on but for now, it's time for a break.
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