On Sunday (3rd December), the Congress ecosystem suffered a prolonged meltdown after election trends showed the BJP taking a massive lead in the States of Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.
Even though the counting of votes is still underway, it became clear that the Congress is losing in its bastions in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. It also became clear that the grand old party failed to make inroads in the BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh.
As such, Congress party supporters took to social media to vent out their anger. One ‘AD’ squarely blamed Congress leader Digivijay Singh for the party’s debacle in Madhya Pradesh.
I refuse to blame Kamalnath for MP. It is all due to Rakshas Diggy. Unless that man goes out of cong, there is no hope for cong in MP. Give Pilot everything in RJ. Make him main man. Stitch new voting base. Baghel looks to be pathetic Diggy chela. Remove him.
“I refuse to blame Kamalnath for MP. It is all due to Rakshas (demon) Diggy. Unless that man goes out of cong, there is no hope for cong in MP. Give Pilot everything in RJ. Make him main man. Stitch new voting base. Baghel looks to be pathetic Diggy chela (stooge). Remove him,” he tweeted.
Popular Congress loyalist ‘Joy’ was quick to pass on the blame to Kamalnath in the hopes of shielding party scion Rahul Gandhi from criticism. “Kamalnath is single-handedly responsible for the disastrous debacle of Congress in MP. Which means Congress Leadership will learn their lessons and give him key responsibilities for 2024 Election,” he wrote sarcastically.
Kamalnath is single-handedly responsible for the disastrous debacle of Congress in MP. Which means Congress Leadership will learn their lessons and give him key responsibilities for 2024 Election
One Sumit Kashyap chose to ignore the welfare schemes of the BJP-led-Madhya Pradesh government and suggested that the saffron party’s victory was due to the incompetence of Kamal Nath.
“It’s not Ladli Behna. Media may make it that way. It is just Kamalnath. Nothing else. Not saying it today, hv been saying since very long time. This guy lost us a govt which we had formed,just with his arrogance and then he ensured people don’t vote for us even when ppl wanted,” he posted on X (formerly Twitter).
It’s not Ladli Behna. Media may make it that way.
It is just Kamalnath. Nothing else.
Not saying it today, hv been saying since very long time. This guy lost us a govt which we had formed,just with his arrogance and then he ensured people don’t vote for us even when ppl wanted.
Other Congress apologists shamed the voters in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh for choosing BJP instead of the Congress. While displaying her vile regionalism, one Rinzu tweeted, “There is no redemption for the cow belt! They’re high on the opium of caste and religion.”
There is no redemption for the cow belt! They're high on the opium of caste and religion.
At the time of writing, BJP is leading by 112 seats in Rajasthan, 53 seats in Chhattisgarh and 161 seats in Madhya Pradesh. Congress is leading by 65 seats in the State of Telangana.
Taking a cue from the election trends which project BJP to form government in three out of four poll-bound states, Former Cricketer Ventakesh Prasad has slammed the anti-Sanatan lobby asserting that the lobby is facing consequences for abusing Sanatan Dharma. Taking to X, he also congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and BJP cadre for the party’s ‘landslide victory’ in these state assembly elections.
He tweeted, “Abusing Sanatana Dharma was bound to have its consequences. Many congratulations to the BJP for a landslide victory. Just another testimony of the amazing leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji & Amit Shah & great work by the party cadre at grass root levels. #ElectionResults”
It is notable that as per current trends, the BJP is winning Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, while the Congress party is winning Telangana.
Abusing Sanatana Dharma was bound to have it’s consequences . Many congratulations to the BJP for a landslide victory. Just another testimony of the amazing leadership of Prime Minister @narendramodi ji & @AmitShah & great work by the party cadre at grassroot levels…
Notably, the Former Cricketer Prasad was referring to the anti-Sanatan tirade launched by several leaders of the I.N.D.I. alliance in recent months. Following Udhaynidhi Stalin’s ‘Sanatan Dharma needs to be eradicated’ remark, several I.N.D.I.A. bloc leaders, including leaders from his own party, came in support of the DMK leader and doubled down on his tirade against Sanatan (Hindu) Dharma.
Incidentally, in September this year, DMK Minister K Ponmudy had claimed that there was no disagreement in the I.N.D.I.A. bloc with respect to eradicating Sanatan Dharma. The Minister also claimed that all 26 parties in the opposition alliance had united to fight Sanatan Dharma and the opposition bloc was formed solely for this purpose.
Conspicuously, leaders from Congress, DMK, VCK, RJD, CPI(M), and Samajwadi Party among others made controversial and hateful remarks against Sanatan Dharma, giving an impression that they all have been on the same page as far as their opinions on Hinduism are concerned.
Netizens also link the BJP’s victory to the opposition’s anti-Sanatan remarks
It is important to note that hours after counting commenced on 3rd December (Sunday), trends have begun to solidify. If the current trend persists, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party seems likely to form government in three out of the four poll-bound states that are up for counting today. Currently, the BJP is leading at 53 seats as against 35 of the Congress in Chhattisgarh. Similarly, the saffron party is well poised in MP and Rajasthan with 162 and 112 seats as against 65 and 72 seats of Congress respectively, as per the Election Commission of India as of 1 PM.
Abusing Sanatan Dharma and dividing Hindus along caste lines has been rejected by the Hindi heart-land. Hindus are tolerant and accepting but after 100 abuses they too punish like Lord Krishna. Jai Shree Ram ??#ElectionResult2023
Netizens slammed the opposition bloc and noted that Sanatan Dharma has won against the anti-Sanatan lobby. Popular Twitter user coolfunnytshirt said, “Whoever insults Sanatan, his pride will be shattered.”
On Friday (1st December), the Mahakal police station of Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh arrested a 60-year-old man named Latif Khan for urinating on Hindu temples at Ramghat in Ujjain. The accused is a retired sanitation worker of the Ujjain Municipality. He was booked under section 295A of the IPC and presented before a court. Then he was sent to jail. The police have said that he looked mentally unstable during primary interrogations.
A video from Ujjain’s Ramghat area was going viral in which a devotee from Delhi was seen saying that when he was walking with his family on the banks of Ramghat, the accused Latif Khan was urinating on small Hindu temples built on the Ramghat. When the devotee stopped him from doing so, Latif Khan did not agree. Later, he was caught with the help of some activists of Hindu organisations who handed him over to the Mahakal police station.
Ujjain, MP: Ex-sweeper of the Municipal Corporation, Mohammad Latif Khan caught urinating on Hindu Mandirs.
The Mahakal police station in-charge Ajay Varma said, “We received information about an old man urinating at temples in the Ramghat area. A police team was sent to the spot. The people of the Hindu organisation standing around the old man said that he was urinating on the temples, due to which they were angry. The name of the arrested person is Latif Khan son of Fasal Khan resident of Fazalpura. He is a 60-year-old who used to work as a cleaner in the municipal corporation till some time ago. He retired some time ago.”
Ajay Varma added, “When the police questioned Latif, his mental condition did not appear to be good. In this matter, a case was registered against the accused under section 295 A and he was presented in the court, from where he has been sent to jail.”
In recent years, a concerning trend of attacks on Hindu temples by Islamists dubbed “mentally unstable” in the media has emerged in various parts of India. These incidents have affected regions across the country. Notably, some of these attacks have occurred during festive seasons or close to religious Hindu processions.
Additionally, these transpired without provocation, underscoring the deep-rooted hatred towards Hinduism in the minds of Islamists which is the root cause behind these attacks. It is worth noting that in several of these cases, dedicated attempts were made to excuse their actions by labelling the attackers as mental patients. Now, a similar attack is seen in Ujjain and police are claiming that the accused was mentally unstable.
On 3rd December, in a poignant gesture, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan remembered the victims of the catastrophic Bhopal Gas Tragedy of 1984. Instead of boasting about the electoral success as he heads to another win in Madhya Pradesh, CM Chouhan delivered a heartfelt byte reflecting the impact of the tragedy that claimed thousands of lives.
#WATCH | On the anniversary of the 1984 Bhopal Gas tragedy, Madhya Pradesh CM SS Chouhan says, "Such a tragedy should never get repeated. To make sure of this, there should be a balance between development and the environment. I pay my tributes to the victims of this tragedy." pic.twitter.com/NjGJ39iN6x
In the statement in Hindi, he said, “Even today, we shudder while remembering the night of 2nd and 3rd December. The MIC gas leak took the lives of thousands of brothers and sisters, including little children. I cannot forget the scene when brothers and sisters carried their children and ran for their lives on the streets. Many animals, including buffaloes, were affected to the extent that their stomachs burst. Many people fell while running and left the world forever. I offer my heartfelt condolences to them.”
CM Chouhan added, “We must be determined not to let no other city become another Bhopal. Such a tragedy should not be repeated. We all need to work, not just for Madhya Pradesh and the country, but for the world in this direction. In pursuing economic progress, we should not play with Mother Nature in a way that nature swallows us. Thus, we must establish a balance between development and the environment. This Earth is for everyone, including humans, insects, animals and birds. It should be safe for everyone and should remain liveable for future generations. All these efforts will have to be made in Madhya Pradesh, the country, and the world.”
Speaking about the recent address of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during COP28 in Dubai, he said, “Recently, PM Modi talked about necessary steps to be taken to save the Earth in Dubai. India will treat that path. Madhya Pradesh will also make every possible effort to ensure the environment is not harmed. Going forward, let us balance development so that it does not become fatal for us.”
Earlier, in a post on X (formerly Twitter) Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, “Bhopal gas tragedy has snatched away many precious lives from us. I pay my tearful tribute to all those who lost their lives untimely in this most horrific tragedy. It is our prayer to God that such a dark night should never be repeated again and that society should never have to face such a terrible tragedy.”
भोपाल गैस त्रासदी ने कई अनमोल जिंदगियों को हमसे छीना है। इस भीषणतम त्रासदी में असमय प्राण गंवाने वाले सभी दिवंगतों को अश्रुपूरित श्रद्धांजलि अर्पित करता हूं।
ईश्वर से यही प्रार्थना है कि ऐसी काली रात की पुनरावृति फिर कभी न हो और समाज को कभी इस तरह की भयावह त्रासदी का सामना न… pic.twitter.com/3swcaVGdpI
On the intervening night of 2nd December and 3rd December in 1984, deadly gas leaked from the Union Carbide pesticide plant and enveloped the city. It caused immense loss of life and long-term health issues. Thousands of people died during the night and lakhs others suffered injuries, and long term health problems.
As initial trends showed the Congress party gaining the lead in Chhattisgarh on Sunday (December 3rd), some members of the Rashtriya Janata Dal, a Congress party ally, celebrated outside the party office by raising slogans hailing Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel and brandishing live fish, claiming that it is considered auspicious.
As seen in a video of the weird celebration, the RJD workers said, “This is a victory of the I.N.D.I. Alliance and we are winning in all the five states and for this auspicious sign, we brought this fish here from Bihar. We are going to win…Bhupesh Baghel Zindabad..I.N.D.I.A gathbandhan zindabad.”
The overjoyed RJD workers were also seen feeding sweets to each other. It is, however, interesting to note that as per the latest trends, the Bhartiya Janata Party has taken a lead over the Congress party. While the BJP is leading on 55 seats, Congress is trailing with 33 seats. In addition, the Communist Party of India is leading on 1 seat, as per the latest information available on the Election Commission’s website. As per current trends, the BJP is set to form the government in Chhattisgarh, contrary to the predictions made by exit polls.
BJP is leading in vote share too with 45.77% votes, against 41.95% vote share of Congress. It has been a direct BJP-Congress contest in Chhattisgarh, with other parties getting insignificant votes.
Elections to the 90-member Chhattisgarh Assembly were conducted in two phases, on November 7 and 17. The first round included 20 constituencies and 223 candidates, while the second phase included 70 constituencies and 958 candidates. 1,181 candidates were running in these elections. The aggregate voter turnout for both rounds was reported at 76.31 per cent, which was a bit lower than the 2018 elections. The first phase saw 78 per cent of voter turnout, while the second phase saw 75.88 per cent.
While the Congress party won 68 out of 90 seats in the 2018 elections, the race this time appears to be more challenging since multiple scams are surfacing in the state, including the Mahadev Betting App scam, PCS scam, liquor scam, NAN scam among others.
At least nine people were killed and twenty-six others were wounded when unknown assailants reportedly opened fire on a passenger bus in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Chilas region, which is located in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The tragedy happened on the Karakoram highway in the Hudur district of Chilas which is a well-known tourist destination.
Rescue sources revealed that the gunshots caused the bus to catch fire, injuring many, including women and children, some of whom are in critical condition. The driver lost control and it crashed with an approaching truck which led to an accident as well. Arif Ahmad, a Diamer Deputy Commissioner Captain (Rtd) verified the information.
Arif Ahmed stated, “An unfortunate incident occurred in which a cowardly act was done, targeting a bus which set off from Gahkuch in Ghizer.” According to the official, three corpses were unidentified while five had already been recognised. Subsequently, he established that one more injured individual passed away, bringing the total number of people who lost their lives to nine.
He mentioned, “Most of the people belong to all of Pakistan, including Kohistan, Peshawar, Ghizer, Chilas, Roundu, Skardu, Mansehra, Swabi and one or two people from Sindh.” According to him, the “cowardly act” resulted in the killing of two Pakistan Army soldiers and the injuries of one Special Protection Unit member.
Police officials were the first to arrive at the scene and move the injured as well as those who passed away, Diamer Superintendent of Police Sardar Shehryar said. He shared that the driver of the automobile that had slammed with the bus was killed and that the four-wheeler was on fire. “The rest of the cars there were secured and moved from there in the form of a convoy. The location was secured as well to collect evidence”, he said.
A statement from the office of Gilgit Baltistan Chief Minister Haji Gulbar Khan denounced the “cowardly act of terrorism.” It further stated that a comprehensive investigation was being carried out and that a special team had been assembled to look into the matter.
During a press conference, Gilgit Baltistan Home Minister Shams Lone criticised the assault as well. He, however, added that the government’s tally showed 16 injuries and 8 deaths.
Following the proscribed militant group Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan’s breakdown of its truce with the government last year, there has been a noticeable increase in terror activities in Pakistan in recent months, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. The Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies released data in September that indicated the number of militant attacks in August was the highest monthly total in nearly nine years.
Elon Musk’s recent remarks against advertisers leaving the micro-blogging platform X have accelerated the ongoing exodus of big-ticket advertisers. This has reportedly prompted the social media platform to come up with a new advertisement strategy.
Notably, on Friday (1st December), Walmart became the latest major advertiser associated with X till now, to join the exodus and part ways with Elon Musk-owned X. As per a Forbes report, Walmart stopped advertising on X as it found “alternate platforms to engage its customers”.
However, a Walmart spokesperson declined to tell Bloomberg when the change would come into effect and what led the company to take this decision to stop advertising on X.
With this, Walmart has joined the likes of IBM, Disney, Paramount, NBCUniversal, Lionsgate, and others in an ongoing exodus of advertisers from X.
Strikingly, the recent development pertains to Elon Musk’s remarks made during an interview in New York in front of an audience of the US business elite this week. Launching a scathing attack and asserting that he would not bow down to woke companies, visibly furious Musk said, “If somebody’s gonna try to blackmail me with advertising, go f**k yourself.”
Musk also asserted that the survival of X could be at stake. He added, “What this advertising boycott is going to do is kill the company.” “Everybody will know” that advertisers were responsible, he angrily added.
Musk claimed that X’s US ad revenue was down 60% and that the company had lost roughly $22 billion, which is half its value. Musk had purchased Twitter for $44 billion in October last year.
According to CNN, many advertisers have not only stopped advertising on X but also stopped posting altogether including flagship accounts of Disney, Paramount, Lionsgate, Sony Pictures, Universal, and Warner Bros. Discovery (CNN’s parent company) have not posted on the platform in more than 10 days.
Through the interview, Musk was slamming the advertisers who had abandoned his platform after leftist media watchdog ‘Media Matters for America’ published a controversial article, claiming that X (formerly Twitter) was placing advertisements of large companies next to anti-Semitic posts. Following those allegations, Elon Musk filed a lawsuit against the firm for making these claims.
The ongoing war of words and allegations of anti-Semitic barbs erupted earlier this month when Musk declared a tweet exposing an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory as the “absolute truth.” However, Musk later apologised for his tweet and said that it was “one of the most foolish things”. Additionally, he even undertook a trip to Israel to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Elon Musk’s remark forces company to devise ‘survival plan’
As advertising revenues are going dry, an FT report has claimed that X is accelerating a plan to attract smaller and medium-sized businesses as big brands are boycotting the social media platform.
Speaking with the Financial Times, the company stated, “Small and medium businesses are a very significant engine that we have definitely underplayed for a long time. It [was] always part of the plan — now we will go even further with it.”
The company said that already this month, X has been forging tie-ups with third parties, such as US marketing start-up JumpCrew, to which it will outsource some ad sales to target small and medium-sized businesses.
Additionally, the firm plans to develop more subscription and data-licensing services.
Regarding Elon Musk’s remarks against outgoing advertisers, analyst Jasmine Enberg of Insider Intelligence said, “It doesn’t take a social media expert to know that publicly and personally attacking the people in companies that pay X’s bills is not going to be good for business.”
She added, “Most advertiser boycotts on social media companies, including X, have been short lived. There’s a potential for this one to be longer.”
As per data provided to AFP by market data analysis company SensorTower, around half of the social network’s top 100 US advertisers in October 2022 have already stopped spending altogether.
X (Formerly Twitter), is held privately and it does not release official figures, but all estimates point to a significant drop in the number of users.
Last week, the New York Times reported that X was at risk of losing up to $75mn this quarter from the advertising boycott and for this, it cited leaked internal documents. However, X disputed the figure to the FT and estimated that the fall was between $10mn and $12mn.
Apart from disengagements, dozens of highly followed accounts, including major brands such as Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, JPMorgan Bank, and Starbucks as well as many celebrities and media personalities have either stopped or reduced usage of X.
Despite Musk reducing the staff by two-thirds, X still maintains approximately 2,000 employees and faces significant fixed costs, including data servers and real estate. Another concern is the substantial debt incurred by Musk during the acquisition, which X is now responsible for, necessitating annual payments exceeding a billion dollars.
On Saturday (2nd December), Congress MP Manish Tewari addressed a session at the 7th Military Literature Festival Chandigarh 2023. During his speech, he said that Indians need to be educated on negotiations. He also remarked that when engaging in diplomatic relationships with China, there will be some give and take of territory along the border and India needs to prepare itself for such land exchange.
Manish Tewari was supposed to keep his talk about ‘How do India and China face off today in terms of weapons, technology, and self-reliance?’. According to an X post by the Congress MP, his exact subject was – “China started its military modernisation in 1995; where are they today in terms of research, reverse engineering and self-reliance? How does India fare in this regard and for how long will it have to rely upon the import of military weapons and technology”.
But what Manish Tewari catered to the audience was just a series of numbers regarding the defence expenditure of both countries over the past few decades and some unsolicited advice on India’s diplomacy toward China.
Will be speaking @MilitaryFest_23 at Lake Club Chandigarh at 1330 hrs today on 2nd December 2023 on
‘ CHINA’
The exact subject being
“China started its military modernisation in 1995; where are they today in terms of research, reverse engineering and self-reliance? How does… pic.twitter.com/o6vEXWXsTl
Manish Tewari endorses ‘territorial adjustments’ with China along the border
Questioning India’s historic stand towards China which has developed in a certain manner over the last so many decades under various regimes, Manish Tewari said, “India will never be able to achieve its true potential if it does not break out of its zero-sum relationship with China on the one hand and the legacy of partition or the baggage of partition with Pakistan on the other hand. And that would require territorial adjustments.”
Advising India to give away its borderlands to China, Manish Tewari said, “China has resolved its land boundary issues with almost all its neighbours except Bhutan and India. And in Bhutan, the boundary negotiations are in a very advanced stage. Therefore, show of jingoism and show of hyperbole is an option. We must seriously think of if we feel that any kind of formalised defence architecture in the Indo-Pacific region of which India if it becomes a part would erode our strategic autonomy. Then the only other option we have is to negotiate and negotiate seriously. Educate our people that when you enter into negotiations and when there is a give and take, there will have to be adjustments that will have to be made. I think that is where we are today.”
Manish Tewari resorts to monkey balancing during Q&A session
Speaking more on his border adjustment concept, Manish Tewari answered a question about whether India has to be more on the giving side than the taking side when it comes to negotiations Tewari talked about. But it looked more like a monkey-balancing rather than any explanation.
He said, “First of all, this premise that in any negotiations we will have to give more to China is not borne out by historical facts. In all the land border negotiations that China has included, China has ended up settling for much less than what they had originally felt.”
He added, “Therefore if you look at their land boundary negotiations across the border, what their original claims were and ultimately what the settlement they were at – there is a marked difference between the two. Even with the Burma boundary issue, they settled on the McMohan line without calling it the McMohan line. Therefore, I do not agree with the argument that if there is a give-and-take talk we will end up ceding more to them than what we would get more in return.”
Hailing Dr Manmohan Singh’s pro-Pakistan policy
Answering another question in this regard, Manish Tewari resorted to reiterating his border-adjustment policies. He said, “What we need to keep in mind is that eventually in any territorial negotiations, there will be a give and take. Therefore I underscore the fact that we have to prepare our people if we were to embark on or go down that path where any negotiation would essentially involve a give and take.”
He further said, “There is also a third way. We tried out that third way with Pakistan and had almost succeeded during the times of Dr Manmohan Singh and Parvez Musharraf. That is – you make the borders irrelevant. Because today the borders are irrelevant. Because, if you look at it while you may feasibly sit here, it is irrelevant to spend three-fourths of your day in a virtual civilisation that knows no borders. Fundamentally, there has to be a change in mindset. Do we want territory, or do we want security? And there is a fundamental distinction between these two concepts. Unfortunately, we have equated security with territory and I leave it at that.”
NATO-like organisation in the Asia Pacific region
Proposing a NATO-like regional cooperation organisation as a means to tackle China, Manish Tewari said, “If you want to modernise your defence, you have no other option but to grow your economy. China’s growth is crumbling under a mountain of debt. But, still, the divergence with India in the foreseeable future is going to grow. And I will not get into China’s reorganisation of armed forces, its move from an incubation warfare paradigm to an intelligence drive warfare paradigm. I leave that.”
Going beyond his prescribed subject of discussion, Manish Tewari presented some unnecessary alternatives to Indian diplomacy in the Indo-Pacific region. He said, “As I look at it from a purely strategic point of view, India has no other option but to recreate a NATO in the Indo-Pacific. The QUAD will provide the lynchpin of that arrangement. We need to pick up the ball and take it to a logical conclusion which does not leave QUAD as a hairy-fairy concept.”
He further cleared his views in the question and answer session where he said, “As we speak today, the territorial disputes that China has are in the maritime domain. They are in the South China Sea and the East China Sea where almost all neighbours China. Coupled with that, the USA remains a big outside balancer apart in the Asia Pacific. All the countries in that part of the world have had historic problems with China. The question is do you have the courage or do your partners in the region dare to do it (form a NATO in the Asia Pacific region)? The QUAD is a 2007 concept.”
Congress has a history of favouring China
This is not the first time that the Congress party and its members have taken a pro-China stand in India-China bilateral ties including border issues. The party and its prince Rahul Gandhi have on several occasions expressed their admiration for China openly.
In his controversial speech at Cambridge Judge Business School in March this year, Rahul Gandhi showered praises on China hailing it as an ‘aspiring superpower’ and ‘force of nature’ adding that China harbours ‘social harmony’. The Gandhi scion had also lauded China’s controversial Belt and Road initiative.
Last year as well in a conversation with The Print columnist Shruti Kapila at the Cambridge University event, Rahul Gandhi praised the Belt and Road Initiative and claimed that China wanted the countries around it to prosper.
During his recent tour in Ladakh, Rahul Gandhi claimed that China had grabbed India’s grazing land in Ladakh. However, Gandhi during his UK visit in May last year asserted that “Ladakh is to China what Ukraine is to Russia.” The Congress leader back then had even urged foreign powers to intervene in India’s internal matters.
Congress had an MoU with China
Back in 2020, details about the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation’s (RGF) monetary operations emerged. OpIndia had previously published detailed pieces about the Chinese government’s financial contributions of more than Rs 1 crore to RGF between 2006 and afterwards.
In 2008, during UPA1, the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Congress party signed an agreement for the sharing of high-level information and collaboration. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) also provided the two parties with the “opportunity to consult each other on important bilateral, regional and international developments”. Notably, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have served as trustees of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation since 2005, while Sonia Gandhi serves as the foundation’s chairperson.
The Congress party had signed an MoU with the Chinese government, and Rahul Gandhi had secretly met the Chinese Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui in 2017 during the Doklam standoff. He even secretly met Chinese ministers in September 2018 during his Kailash Mansarovar visit.
Amidst the backlash over inducting spot-fixing tainted ex-cricketer Salman Butt as a consultant member to Pakistan Cricket Board’s selection committee, PCB chief selector Wahab Riaz has reversed his decision.
In a press conference on Saturday (December 2), Wahab Riaz said, “Salman Butt isn’t on any PCB panel. For me, he is a good cricketing mind who understands cricket and has been covering domestic cricket for the past 2-3 years. He was made my consultant just to get his opinion, based on which some media houses and people started doing propaganda.”
“As a chief selector, it’s my decision as to who will work with me and whose support I need. But people started discussing nepotism and dosti, due to which I am reverting this decision. I have already spoken to Salman Butt and told him that he cannot be a part of my team,” Riaz continued.
“Chief selector Wahab Riaz has opted to reverse his decision to induct Salman Butt as a consultant member to the selection committee. The decision to appoint Salman Butt was under consideration and after a thorough review, it has been decided he will not be appointed as a consultant member,” a press release issued by the PCB on Saturday reads.
This comes after PCB chief selector Wahab Riaz received criticism over his decision to rope in Salman Butt as a consultant member despite the latter’s history of involvement in spot-fixing.
As reported earlier, former chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, Ramiz Raja criticised the board for naming convicted match-fixer Salman Butt as a consultant member to chief selector Wahab Riaz for the next series against New Zealand. Notably, Salman Butt, back in 2010, had confessed to spot-fixing and was jailed
“It’s insane to have a selection committee consisting of a member whose decision can be termed as a display of filial affection or non-affection and another who was locked up for match-fixing,” Raja had said.
Notably, back in September 2010, the International Cricket Council (ICC) suspended Salman Butt, Pakistan’s captain at the time, as well as two other Pakistan players, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif. ICC also slapped Butt with a 10-year ban. Notably, at the behest of a bookie, the trio colluded to bowl no-balls at certain moments during the Lord’s Test against England. Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir, and Mohammad Asif were sentenced to 30 months in prison in November 2011 after their trial in a London court for offences under the Gambling Act.
On 3rd December, an explosion took place during a Catholic Mass at Mindanao State University in Marawi, southern Philippines. As per reports, three people died, and at least nine were injured in the incident. The regional police director, Brigadier General Allan Nobleza, said in a statement that the law enforcement agencies are investigating the incident. The agencies are considering possible angles of revenge by pro-Islamic State terrorists.
Notably, in 2017, Islamist terrorists held Marawi under siege for five months. The recent explosion occurred after the Philippine military’s announcement that they had killed 11 terrorists, including members of the Dawlah Islamiyah-Philippines, which is a pro-Islamic State organisation, in a military operation in Maguindanao del Sur province.
Lanao del Sur Governor Mamintal Adiong Jr condemned the violent bombing incident. He emphasised the need to condemn the terrorist attacks on educational institutes and other places that are supposed to promote the culture of peace. The University expressed deep sorrow and condemnation for the bombing. In a Facebook post, the University said the classes would remain suspended until further notice.
As per reports, the worshippers panicked after the explosion occurred during the Catholic mass in the gymnasium at the University. Security chief Taha Mandangan called the incident an “act of terrorism” and emphasised that the attack would lead to potential repercussions.
The authorities said there was a possibility that an improvised explosive device (IED) or a grenade was used in the attack. However, the actual reason for the blast will be apparent after investigation. The security agencies have taken additional measures across the city and checkpoints to prevent further incidents.
Marawi City Mayor Majul Gandamra urged the Muslim and Christian communities to maintain peace.
