nitin sethiNov 26, 2019

A Thread on #ElectoralBonds Investigations. Please stay with me.

There is something useful towards the end of this tweet-trail.

1. Happenings in Maharashtra show why #ElectoralBonds, a to flush secretly funnel unaccounted money into politics, is dangerous for our democracy.

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2. The #Electoral Bond Investigation series, hosted by @[email protected], was based on #CommodorePapers. Transparency activist, Commodore Lokesh Batra (retd) retrieved the docs under the RTI Act.
Nov 26, 2019 at 4:03amWeb
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3. Commodore Batra required nearly 2 years to pull the files out with repeated RTIs and a lot of effort.

Every one of us who values these revelations on the scandalous #ElectoralBonds must thank him.

Modi govt has now diluted the RTI law.

Show threadnitin sethiNov 26, 2019

4. I spent about 2 months reading the documents and another 20 days writing it.

It took many people, almost a village, to get the series out. Some I can name. Several others that I cannot.

(To them: Thank you. You made this happen, kept me going during rough times).

Show threadnitin sethiNov 26, 2019
5. We tried an innovative new model in Indian journalism. Collaboration between different language and regional publications. To show its possible to do good deep-dive journalism sustainably. That citizens crave for it and editors and publications exist to give it wings.
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6. Pls thank the partners

@[email protected] @[email protected]
@[email protected]
@[email protected]
@[email protected]
@[email protected]
@[email protected]
@[email protected]
@[email protected]

For supporting, translating and republishing without fear, which allowed you to read #PaisaPolitics series in many languages and regions.

Show threadnitin sethiNov 26, 2019

7. The Lede has now got the #Telugu version of #ElectoralBonds Investigative series going:

Part 1: https://www.thelede.in/governance/2019/11/25/electoral-bonds-modi-government-overrules-rbi

ఎలక్టోరల్ బాండ్స్ : గుప్తనిధులకు ఆశపడి ఆర్ బిఐని తోక్కేసిన మోదీ సర్కార్

ఎలక్టోరల్ బాండ్లు రాజకీయాల్లోకి గుప్తనిధులను వరదలా తెస్తాయని RBI చేసిన హెచ్చరికను మోదీ ప్రభుత్వం ఖాతరు చేయలేదు

Show threadnitin sethiNov 26, 2019
8. Today many editors heading newsrooms in Delhi have evolved and turned into vertebrates without spines. Having suffered some earlier, I am grateful to @[email protected], EIC @[email protected]. He leads as an editor should. Unflinchingly committed to the truth. Superb in his craft.
Show threadnitin sethiNov 26, 2019
9. I could work with freedom and confidence because the rock-solid @[email protected], my series-editor, had my back and worked tirelessly to see that nothing right was ever missed and nothing wrong made it past her desk.
Show threadnitin sethiNov 26, 2019

10. But the one big reason the truth could come out was that India has the Right To Information Act.

In the spirit of the law, I am releasing the entire set of #CommodorePapers in the public domain.

You can download and read them all here: http://shorturl.at/dfGQ9

ShortURL - URL Shortener

ShortURL is a url shortener to reduce a long link. Use our tool to shorten links and then share them, in addition you can monitor traffic statistics.

Show threadnitin sethiNov 26, 2019
10. In the documents lie embedded several more stories of murky happenings around #ElectoralBonds that we have yet not touched upon.
Show threadnitin sethiNov 26, 2019
11. Such as: Here where the BJP party asks its own govt to create the secret route of political funding such that BJP can accept foreign funds without bothering to check. And, gets everything it asked for
Show threadnitin sethiNov 26, 2019

12. Fellow journalists, if your newsrooms allow you, take a go at it. if you need any help after you have read the docs, I am happy to help with what I can.

This is just the end of the thread. But we are not yet done telling the truth about #ElectoralBonds.

Show threadnitin sethiNov 26, 2019
13. Thank you readers for wanting the truth to emerge. You are journalism's biggest strength.
Show threadnitin sethiNov 26, 2019
14. If you are in Delhi on this Friday and interested in listening to how Journalism, RTI and Transparency Activists came together to bring the ElectoralBonds scandals and other revelations out. Please join us at:
Show threadAmit Ramesan 🇮🇳Nov 26, 2019

@nit_set

Would be awesome if you could please have this session recorded for posterity.

Thank you for everything thus far, Nitin.

Show threadnitin sethiNov 26, 2019
Ps: One day i shall be able to avoid typos in tweet-threads that i write half nervous and half frenetic. one day.