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English courts get new powers to dismiss Slapp cases against reporters  https://www.theguardian.com/media/2022/jul/20/english-courts-get-new-powers-to-dismiss-slapp-cases-against-reporters 20 jul 2022

Strategic lawsuits against public participation have been used by rich to try to stifle free speech

The justice secretary, Dominic Raab, announced proposals on Wednesday for a three-stage test to tackle at an early stage intimidatory legal actions against reporters and publishers, known as strategic lawsuits against public participation, or Slapps.

-if the case is against journalistic activity that is in the public interest

-if there is evidence of abuse of process,

- whether the case has a realistic prospect of success.

Saket Gokhale detained by Gujarat Police in Jaipur for tweet about Morbi bridge collapse  https://scroll.in/latest/1039115/trinamool-congress-spokesperson-saket-gokhale-arrested-by-gujarat-police-from-jaipur-says-party-mp The TMC leader spread false information by sharing a fake news clipping that claimed Modi’s visit to Morbi after the tragedy cost Rs 30 crore, the police said.

https://twitter.com/SaketGokhale/status/1598149744307511296  The tweet contained two tweets by a Dax Patel which gave picture of a newspaper clippings in Gujarati. 

PIB Fact Check has declared this post as fake: https://twitter.com/PIBFactCheck/status/1598316897304719364/photo/1 

Comment: If the first source is identifiable, why would the Gujarat police pick-up a visiting spokesman of another political party on a visit to Jaipur.  

Govt Has Created Climate of Fear, Intellectuals Hesitate to Express Dissent: Partha Chatterjee https://thewire.in/politics/professor-partha-chatterjee-interview-modi-govt-intellectuals-hindu-rashtra-secularism

Historian Partha Chatterjee discusses the Hindu rashtra, future of Indian secularism and India's emerging political culture, among other issues. ..a major constituency for the New India vision is corporate business and the urban upper middle class which feels uncomfortable with the divisive and often violent politics of minority hatred but is hugely enthusiastic about Modi as a legitimate leader who promises political stability and pro-business policies. In terms of the overall ideological project of the BJP, Hindu Rashtra and New India complement each other.

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