New Delhi, Nov 25: The Delhi High Court on Friday passed an interim order restraining unauthorised use of actor Amitabh Bachchan’s voice, image, name or any other trait exclusively identifiable with him by any individual.
The court’s order came on a lawsuit by the veteran actor alleging exploitation of his “publicity rights as a celebrity” by several individuals, including the person behind a “KBC lottery” to scam the public.
The 80-year-old Bachchan is the host of popular TV game show Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC).
Justice Navin Chawla said it is undisputed that Bachchan is a well-known personality and is likely to suffer an irreparable loss and disrepute if relief is not granted at this stage.
Opining that a case for relief at this stage has been made out by the actor, the court ordered, “There shall be an ad interim ex parte order of injunction”.
“The defendants appear to be using his celebrity status for promoting their own activities without his authorisation or permission. The plaintiff is therefore likely to suffer grave irreparable harm or injury to his reputation. In fact, some of the activities complained of may also bring disrepute,” the court said.
The court directed telecom authorities to take action to pull down websites providing the content in violation of Bachchan’s rights.
It also directed telecom service providers to block access to telephone numbers circulating infringing messages.
Senior advocate Harish Salve, who appeared on behalf of the actor, said the relief of injunction was sought not only against the individuals named in the lawsuit but also against “john doe” parties or unknown parties who may be exploiting Bachchan’s publicity rights.
Advocates Ameet Naik and Pravin Anand also appeared for Bachchan before the high court.
Salve argued that besides the lottery, domain names were registered under the actor’s name; there was “Amitabh Bachchan Video Call” service and even T-shirts bearing his photographs.
In his lawsuit, Bachchan has asserted that only he exercises the “control over commercial utilisation of his personality, name, voice, image, likeness and other characteristics that are uniquely identifiable and associated” with him and no one can “utilise”, “misappropriate” or “imitate” any facet of his personality or “exploit the same commercially” without his consent or express authorisation.
The elements of plaintiff’s persona have a huge commercial value associated with them and any third party found using any of them is bound to cause confusion and deception amongst the general public, asserted the lawsuit which has sought Rs 2 crore from the defendants as damages.
It has informed that one of the defendants is allegedly circulating messages on WhatsApp with the actor’s image to promote “KBC lotteries”, which scams the public into believing that ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ was offering lottery prizes to the general public.
Another defendant, the plea adds, is selling a general knowledge quiz book with Bachchan’s image for aspirants who wish to participate in the television quiz show.
In his plea seeking interim relief, Bachchan has said that due to his goodwill and reputation, he is “one of the most sought-after celebrities for brand endorsements” and to protect the same, he “ensures that he endorses a product only after carrying out a thorough background check of the brand, its perception in the minds of the public and other relevant factors”.
“The present suit is being filed to protect the plaintiff’s name, voice, image, likeness, and all other elements of the plaintiff’s persona which are distinctive and the unauthorised use of which by third parties is likely to create confusion and deception amongst the public,” it has further said.
The matter would be heard next in March. (Agencies)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that the history that is taught in India even after Independence is one that was written “as part of a conspiracy” during the colonial era. He was speaking at the 400th birth anniversary celebrations of Assam war hero Lachit Barphukan.

“India’s history is the history of warriors, the history of victory, the history of sacrifice, selflessness and bravery,” Modi said. He further said: “After Independence there was a need to change the agenda of slavery but it did not happen.” He said that in every corner of the country, brave sons and daughters fought oppressors but this history was intentionally suppressed. “Is the valour of Lachit Barphukan not important? Are the sacrifices of thousands of people in Assam against Mughals not important?” the prime minister asked.

Barphukan’s life inspires us to rise above dynasty and think about the country. He had said that no relationship is bigger than the country, Modi said. Barphukan was the famous General of the Royal Army of the Ahom Kingdom of Assam who defeated the Mughals and successfully halted their ever expanding ambitions under Aurangzeb.

India has extended an invitation to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to be the chief guest on Republic Day on January 26.

The invitation to El Sisi, who has been the Egyptian president since 2014, comes as India looks to increase its political and military ties with Cairo. Egypt is the 2nd largest economy in Africa. This year, both countries celebrated the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations. Foreign Minister S Jaishankar wrote in a tweet, “Honoured to call on President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi of Egypt. Conveyed the warm greetings of PM @narendramodi and handed over a personal message.”

Jaishakar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited Egypt earlier this year. During the visit, Singh held bilateral talks with his Egyptian counterpart General Mohamed Zaki. They signed an MoU to focus on joint training, defence coproduction and maintenance of equipment. 

President Sisi visited India in September 2016. Egypt is keen on buying India’s Tejas fighter jets. Sisi also met Indian PM Narendra Modi at the Third India-Africa Forum Summit in New Delhi in October 2015. Since PM Modi became prime minister, India has extended invites to US President Barack Obama (2015), French President Francois Hollande (2016), UAE’s Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan (2017), all the ASEAN Leaders (2018), South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa (2019) and Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro (2020) to watch the Republic Day parade. 

The total coal production in the country stands at 448 million tonnes (MT) as of October 2022 which is 18 per cent higher than the production of the corresponding period of last year. The growth of coal production from Coal India Ltd (CIL) is also more than 17 per cent.

The Ministry of Coal is planning to build stock at domestic coal-based plants to the tune of 30 million tonnes by the end of November 2022. It proposes to keep building the stock so that by the end of 31 March 2023, Thermal Power Plants (TPP) stocks go up to 45 million tonnes. It is further planned to enhance coal stock at the pithead.

During the first seven months this year, there was a nine per cent growth in average rakes per day availability which is helping to transport a higher quantity of coal and building up stocks at power plants.

The Ministry of Power is also augmenting the transportation of coal through rail-cum-road mode. The CIL has communicated the quota for the RCR mode of lifting to all the power-generating companies for the next eight months. This will help power-generating companies to plan transportation logistics in advance.

Different ministries are working together to promote the transportation of coal through the sea route. So far, the transportation of coal from MCL to Paradip by rail and thereafter to power plants on the Eastern Coast is being made through the rail-sea-rail route.

The government is promoting the transportation of coal from coal mines in the eastern parts of the country to power plants located on the western coast or northern parts of the country.

Accordingly, the capacity of coal transportation to Paradip is being augmented. It is planned to start a movement of coal for western coast plants through RSR by early next year. The government is planning to promote the transportation of coal through all three possible modes.

The Ministry of Coal is closely monitoring issues related to the production, transportation, and quality of domestic coal.

UNITED NATIONS, Nov 25: India has said its efforts to sanction perpetrators and facilitators of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks have been blocked in the past for “political reasons” that enabled them to organise further cross-border assaults against the country, an apparent reference to China’s repeated moves to block New Delhi’s efforts to blacklist Pakistan-based terrorists at the UN.
India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj, said terrorism continues to pose a “grave threat” to international peace and security, as ISIS and al-Qaeda affiliated and inspired groups, particularly in Asia and Africa, continue to operate and target civilians and security forces.
“Lest we forget, in November 2008, 10 terrorists entered the city of Mumbai through sea route from Pakistan, ravaging the city for 4 days, killing 166 people, including 26 foreign nationals,” she said on Wednesday in her remarks to the UN Security Council Joint Briefing by the Chairs of the 1267/1373/1540 Committees to the Security Council.
Her remarks came ahead of the 14th anniversary of the 26/11 terror attacks in India’s financial capital Mumbai.
“Our efforts to sanction the perpetrators and facilitators of these terror attacks were blocked in the past for political reasons. These actors continue to walk free and have been organising further cross-border attacks against my country,” she said, amid repeated holds by China on bids by India and the US to designate Pakistan-based terrorists and entities.
Since June this year, China, an all-weather ally of Pakistan, has put holds on proposals to blacklist Pakistan-based terrorists Hafiz Talah Saeed, Lashkar-e-Taiba leader Shahid Mahmood, Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Sajid Mir, senior Jaish-e-Mohammed (JEM) leader Abdul Rauf Azhar and Abdul Rehman Makki under the Al Qaeda Sanctions regime.
India and the US had submitted proposals to designate the Pakistan-based terrorists and subject them to an asset freeze, travel ban and arms embargo, but they hit stumbling blocks when Beijing placed holds on the proposals.
The 15-nation UN Security Council heard briefings from Chairs of Subsidiary bodies of the Council – the Counter-Terrorism Committee chaired by India, 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee chaired by Norway and the 1540 Committee concerning non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction chaired by Mexico.
Kamboj had briefed the Council in her capacity as Chair of the 1373 Counter-Terrorism Committee.
Delivering India’s national statement at the briefing, Kamboj said the work of the 1267 Committee relies on that of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, which in its recent report to 1988 Committee highlighted the continued threat posed by Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad.
“We thank the team for its reports and hope that the team will continue to report the activities of these groups, including in its periodic reports to the 1267 Committee.
“While these entities were listed under the 1267 sanctions regime more than a decade back, there is a need to keep monitoring their activities as they have been allowed to operate under various aliases with state-sponsored hospitality,” Kamboj said, in a veiled reference to Pakistan.
As the Chair of the Counter Terrorism Committee (CTC) for 2022, Kamboj said India made “all efforts” to ensure that the Committee can deliver its mandate effectively.
She said the Government of India “had the honour to host” special meetings of the CTC in Mumbai and New Delhi last month.
In Mumbai, the CTC members paid tribute to the victims of terrorist attacks, including the Mumbai terror attacks, and had the opportunity to listen to the victims’ experience of attacks, stories of their resilience and their expectation from the international community, including from the UN Security Council.
The meeting in New Delhi highlighted the threat posed by the use of new and emerging technologies such as social media, encryption messaging services, virtual currencies, blockchain technologies, mobile money wallets, and drones by terrorist groups and an urgent need for the Security Council to address this threat in a comprehensive and holistic manner, she added.
The Delhi Declaration, adopted at the culmination of the meeting, “embodies the Council’s collective determination to pay attention to this threat and further develop guidance for member states to address this threat,” Kamboj said.
She said India is confident that the UAE, as the incoming Chair of the CTC, would continue to build on these initiatives.
The CTC, in the past year, was able to underscore the risk posed by the existing as well as expanding terrorist threats in Asia and Africa, and the need for providing capacity-building assistance to risk-prone member states, as well as ensuring effective actions by member states to curb the activities of terrorist groups operating from the territories under their control.
“It is important that terror-risk prone jurisdictions bring their CFT (Combating Financing of Terrorism) and AML (Anti-Money Laundering) frameworks at par with the international standards, including those standards set by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF),” Kamboj said. She said India commends CTC and CTED (Counter Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate) for their efforts to involve FATF and other such international financial ‘watchdogs’ in the activities of the CTC and CTED.
Kamboj recalled the clarion call of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to the Security Council last year through his 8-point action plan, which also highlighted the need for reform of the working methods of the Security Council Sanctions Committees in order to ensure greater transparency, accountability and effectiveness in the working of these Committees.
During the briefing, the US said that the important work of the 1267 Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council must remain free from politicisation that “only benefits the terrorists”.
“We can contribute to the peace and security in Africa, and internationally, by supporting UN listings of ISIS and al-Qaeda affiliates of their supporters that continue to pose serious threats to peace and stability in the region, and indeed globally,” Political Coordinator in US Mission to the UN John Kelley said on Wednesday.
“Unfortunately, the 1267 Committee has only agreed to designate one entity since the beginning of this year. The important work of this committee must remain free from politicisation that only benefits the terrorists,” he said in his remarks. (Agencies)