On Thursday (26th October) BJP MP Nishikant Dubey and advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai appeared before Lok Sabha’s Ethics Committee to record their statements pertaining to the alleged cash-for-query scam involving TMC MP Mahua Moitra.
The Committee on Ethics is scheduled to meet today to take oral evidence of Sh Jai Anant Dehadrai,Advocate & Dr @nishikant_dubey,MP in respect of complaint given by Dr @nishikant_dubey, MP against Smt @MahuaMoitra,MP for alleged direct involvement in cash for query in Parliament. pic.twitter.com/PJYLgUho4Y
The BJP MP said that he will cooperate with the Ethics Committee. “I will give all the information that the Committee asks me to provide. I will appear before the Committee whenever it asks me to. I will submit all the documents, the truth is in the documents,” Dubey said as he arrived at the Parliament annexe.
On being asked about Mahua Moitra’s allegation that Nishikant Dubey submitted fake degree in his election nomination papers, Dubey said that there is only one question that needs to be answered which is whether Mahua Moitra is a thief or not.
"सभी सांसद चिंतित हैं… जब वे मुझे अगली बार बुलाएंगे तो मैं आऊंगा.."
“The only question is Mahua chor hai ki nahi,” Nishikant Dubey said.
When asked about TMC MP Mahua Moitra refuting the accusations levelled against her, Dubey said, “Documents don’t lie”
Before Dubey, lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai appeared before the Ethics Committee to record his statement. The meeting began at around 12:30 A.M. today.
Chairman of Parliament Ethics Committee Vinod Sonkar said that Mahua Moitra will be called on 31 October for questioning on the matter. “The two people who were summoned today – the lawyer and Nishikant Dubey – were heard attentively. After that, it was decided that Mahua Moitra would be called on October 31. She will come and present her part. The committee has also decided that the IT Ministry and MHA will be sent letters to make her details available,” Vinod Sonkar said.
Today was the first meeting of the Ethics Committee of Lok Sabha to address the “Cash for Query” allegations lodged against TMC MP Mahua Moitra.
The Lok Sabha Ethics Committee is headed by the BJP MP Vinod Kumar Sonkar and includes Vishnu Datt Sharma, Sumedhanand Saraswati, Aparajita Sarangi, Rajdeep Roy, Sunita Duggal, and Subhash Bhamre of the BJP; Ve Vaithilingam, N Uttam Kumar Reddy, and Preneet Kaur of the Congress; Balashowry Vallabbhaneni (YSRCP); Hemant Godse (Shiv Sena); Giridhari Yadav (JD-U); P R Natarajan (CPI-M); and Kunwar Danish Ali (BSP).
Meanwhile, news agency ANI has reported citing sources that the Parliament Ethics Committee has agreed that the charges against TMC MP Mahua Moitra are very serious and the committee will consider them seriously.
Parliament Ethics Committee agrees that the charges against TMC MP Mahua Moitra are very serious and the committee will consider them seriously: Sources
This comes after BJP MP Nishikant Dubey accused Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra of accepting cash and gifts from businessman Darshan Hiranandani in exchange for asking specific questions in Parliament. MP Dubey has filed a formal complaint with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, requesting an investigation into Moitra’s alleged corruption and urging the Speaker to suspend her forthwith.
In a letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker titled “Re-emergence of nasty ‘Cash for Query’ in Parliament,” Dubey accused the Trinamool Congress MP of “‘serious Breach of Privilege,’ ‘Contempt of the House,’ and a ‘Criminal Offence’ under Section 120A of the IPC.” Dubey said that an Advocate named Jai Anant Dehadrai had presented him with evidence of a bribe.
Dehadrai was once close to Moitra before the “breakup”, and the TMC MP addressed him as a “jilted ex” in one of her statements released after Dubey brought the allegations against her.
The Lok Sabha Ethics Committee received an affidavit from Darshan Hiranandani last week in which he admitted to “paying” Moitra to pose questions in Parliament on his behalf. The businessman further claimed that the MP gave him her Parliament login credentials so that he could “directly” post inquiries. While MP Mahua Moitra accused the PMO of drafting Hiranandani’s affidavit, she did not deny taking gifts or sharing her Lok Sabha login credentials.
The social media giant X, which was originally known as Twitter, have made massive changes since billionaire Elon Musk took over a year ago. Now, a new feature which allows users to make audio and video conversations with others through X was unveiled on 25 October.
The application’s settings now include a new “Enable audio and video calling” toggle which permits the user to turn the function on and then select who they are comfortable using it with. It also provides a plethora of customisation options that make it possible for individuals to select from whom they accept calls.
One can choose to accept audio and video calls from verified users, people they follow, and those in their address book or from all three. A person can initiate a call by opening a direct message with another one by clicking the phone symbol located in the upper right corner of the screen and selecting between an audio or video call.
The call icon appears in the upper right corner of the screen when one is conversing with someone else on the app just like it does with Instagram and WhatsApp.
X didn’t formally announce the feature’s introduction, however, the official account seemed to hint at it moments before it started to surface with a mysterious message.
Elon Musk, the chairman and CTO (Chief Technology Officer) has long expressed his intention to turn the platform into an “everything app” which includes the addition of voice and video interactions. He recently declared that “no phone number needed” access to the functionality would be possible on PC, Mac, iOS and Android devices.
The audio and video calling feature will mean that Twitter will now directly compete with WhatsApp of Meta and Facetime of Apple in the sector.
Video & audio calls coming to X:
– Works on iOS, Android, Mac & PC – No phone number needed – X is the effective global address book
It’s still unclear how extensively the platform has made audio and video calls available or if it’s only offered to Premium subscribers. Creator of the hashtag and supporter of open-source software Chris Messina discovered last month that X’s coding implied users would need to join up for X’s Premium membership in order to take advantage of the function.
The CEO of the business, Linda Yaccarino announced earlier in August that native calling services would soon be available to social network users. This would permit users to make audio or video conversations without disclosing their phone numbers. She stated that the option is going to be accessible through the “Direct Message” (DM) menu and that the platform would put in place certain safeguards to prevent users from receiving unsolicited calls.
Adding these new services is a big move for X to help draw in more users and boost the microblogging platform’s engagement rate, especially since other social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram already have audio and video calling capabilities.
Additionally, Elon Musk proclaimed that all users would have to pay an annual fee to access the platform with customers in the Philippines and New Zealand already having to pay $1 for one year. He has already modified the features of the social networking site several times since he acquired it. He pronounced during the summer that users would no longer be able to block accounts on the platform. Moreover, he developed the premium Blue membership plan which confined access to the feature previously known as Tweetdeck to Blue customers only.
The Ethics Committee of the Lok Sabha will call Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra on October 31, over the cash-for-query allegations against her, the Chairman of Parliament Ethics Committee Vinod Sonkar said on Thursday.
“The two people who were summoned today – the lawyer and Nishikant Dubey – were heard attentively. After that, it was decided that Mahua Moitra would be called on October 31. She will come and present her part. The committee has also decided that the IT Ministry and MHA will be sent letters to make her details available,” Vinod Sonkar said.
Earlier today, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey appeared before the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee to submit oral evidence on his allegations of “Cash for Query’ against TMC MP Mahua Moitra.
As he arrived at the Parliament annexe for the deposition the BJP MP said that he would completely cooperate with the Committee and would be present whenever the Committee called him for questioning.
“I will give all the information that the Committee asks me to provide. I will appear before the Committee whenever it asks me to. I will submit all the documents, the truth is in the documents”
When asked about Mahua’s allegations that Dubey submitted a fake degree in his election nomination papers, the BJP MP said that there is only one question “Mahua chor hai ki Nahi” (Is Mahua a thief or not?)”
Today was the first meeting of the Ethics Committee of Lok Sabha to address the “Cash for Query” allegations lodged against TMC MP Mahua Moitra.
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey and Advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai appeared before the Committee today to submit oral evidence in regard to the complaint filed by Dubey against TMC MP Mahua Moitra, alleging that she has “direct involvement in the ‘cash for query’ scam in Parliament.
The Lok Sabha Ethics Committee is headed by the BJP MP Vinod Kumar Sonkar and includes Vishnu Datt Sharma, Sumedhanand Saraswati, Aparajita Sarangi, Rajdeep Roy, Sunita Duggal, and Subhash Bhamre of the BJP; Ve Vaithilingam, N Uttam Kumar Reddy, and Preneet Kaur of the Congress; Balashowry Vallabbhaneni (YSRCP); Hemant Godse (Shiv Sena); Giridhari Yadav (JD-U); P R Natarajan (CPI-M); and Kunwar Danish Ali (BSP).
The BJP MP earlier wrote to the Lok Sabha Speaker, alleging the involvement of Mahua Moitra in the ‘Cash for Query’ scandal. He further claimed that he had proof of the charges as given to him by Advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai.
Dubey, in his letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker, titled “Re-emergence of nasty ‘Cash for Query’ in Parliament,” had alleged “‘serious Breach of Privilege’, ‘Contempt of the House’ and a ‘Criminal Offence’ under Section 120A of IPC” by the Trinamool Congress MP. Dubey claimed that an Advocate, Jai Anant Dehadrai, had provided him with proof of a bribe.
In response to this letter, the Trinamool Congress MP said that she would welcome a probe by the speaker after he dealt with alleged breaches of privilege by other BJP MPs.
Dubey on Wednesday once again targeted Mahua Moitra. In a reply to the Trinamool Congress MP’s remarks against him, Dubey said that the question is not about Adani, Degree or theft, but about corruption by misleading the country.
“The question is about the dignity of Parliament, the security of India and the propriety, corruption and criminality of the alleged MP. The answer has to be given whether NIC mail is open in Dubai or not. Ask questions in exchange for money or not. Who bore the expenses of travelling abroad? Did you get permission from @loksabhaspeaker and @MEAIndia to go abroad or not? The question is not about Adani, degree or theft, but about your corruption by misleading the country,” Nishikant Dubey posted on X.
“Degree wali desh beche, chand paise ke le jamir beche (Those with degrees sell the country and sell their conscience for money),” he alleged.
The charge by Nishikant Dubey followed Mahua Moitra’s dig at him after Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw assured Dubey that his complaint on misuse of Parliament login credentials would be looked into.
In a post on X on Tuesday, Mahua said, “Who is lying? 2 days ago Fake Degree Wala said NIC already given details including “Dubai” logins to the probe agency. Now Ashwini Vaishnaw says NIC will give info in future IF asked by LS or Ethics Comm. BJP is welcome to do a hit job on me but Adani+Godda perhaps not the best strategists!”
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday (26th October) said that the Enforcement Directorate had summoned his son Vaibhav Gehlot.
“Date 25/10/23 Congress launches guarantees for women of Rajasthan. Date 26/10/23 ED raid on Rajasthan Congress President Govind Singh Ji Dotasara, Summons to my son Vaibhav Gehlot to appear in ED. Now you can understand what I have been saying that ED’s Red Rose is happening inside Rajasthan because BJP does not want that women, farmers and poor in Rajasthan should get the benefit of the guarantees given by Congress”, Gehlot posted on social media app X.
The ED also conducted raids on Rajasthan Congress Chief Govind Singh Dotasara and MLA Om Prakash Hudla in connection with the Senior Teacher 2nd Grade Competitive Examination, 2022 Paper Leak case.
The raids were carried out at the official residence of Dotasara at Civil Lines in Rajasthan’s Jaipur.
The central probe agency has also summoned Ashok Gehlot’s son and Congress leader, Vaibhav Gehlot in connection with the paper leak case.
The raids that come even as the state is gearing up to go to the polls on November 25, has taken a political tone with Chief Minister Gehlot calling an urgent news conference to address the issue later today.
The Enforcement Directorate today also conducted search operations at nearly a dozen locations in Rajasthan in connection with the paper leak case.
Earlier this month, the ED conducted search operations at residential premises of Dinesh Khodania, Ashok Kumar Jain, Spurdha Chaudhary, Suresh Dhaka and other individuals in the paper leaks case.
The searches were carried out under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), officials said adding that various incriminating documents, copies of sale deeds of various properties, electronic devices and cash amounting to Rs 24 lakh were seized in the operation.
“ED has carried out search operations under PMLA, 2002 on 13.10.2023 at 07 residential premises of Dinesh Khodania, Ashok Kumar Jain, Spurdha Chaudhary, Suresh Dhaka and others in Senior Teacher 2nd Grade Competitive Examination, 2022 Paper Leak case. During the search operations, various incriminating documents, copies of sale deeds of various properties, electronic devices and INR 24 Lakh were recovered and seized,” the ED said in a post on ‘X’.
The ED in September arrested Babulal Katara, a member of the Rajasthan Public Service Commission and Anil Kumar Meena in the alleged paper leak case in Rajasthan under the provisions of PMLA. Katara and Meena were produced before a special PMLA court in Jaipur, which granted ED custody for a period of three days.
ED claimed that the investigation revealed that Katara leaked the general knowledge question paper of the Senior Teacher Grade II Competitive Examination, 2022 which was to be conducted on December 21, December 22 and December 24, 2022, at various places in Rajasthan.
ED alleged that Katara sold the leaked question papers to Anil Kumar Meena. Further, Meena supplied the said leaked papers to Bhupendra Saran, Suresh Dhaka, and other members of a syndicate, which was further provided to candidates for the consideration amount of Rs 8 to Rs 10 lakh per candidate.
In early June this year, ED conducted searches at 15 premises of accused persons, resulting in the recovery of incriminating documents and digital records. The enforcement agency has also provisionally attached properties, both movable and immovable properties, worth approximately Rs 3.11 crore of Babulal Katara, Anil Meena and “others”. (ANI)
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
On Wednesday (25th October) US President Joe Biden said that he is “convinced” that one of the reasons behind the Palestinian Islamist terrorist group Hamas’s attack on Israel was the announcement of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEC) at the G-20 summit held in New Delhi in September. President Biden, however, made it clear that his opinion is based on instinct and that he has no proof.
The landmark India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEC) will bring together India, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, the European Union, France, Italy, Germany, and the United States in a historic effort to cooperate on connectivity and infrastructure.
During a joint media statement alongside Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Wednesday, President Biden said, “I’m convinced one of the reasons Hamas attacked when they did — and I have no proof of this; just my instinct tells me — is because of the progress we were making towards regional integration for Israel and regional integration overall. And we can’t leave that work behind.”
Earlier, on 20 October, the US President had mentioned that IMEEC is one of the reasons why Hamas terrorists launched a brutal offensive against Israel.
During a media interaction on 20 October, Biden said, “The United States and our partners across the region are working to build a better future for the Middle East, one where the Middle East is more stable, better connected to its neighbours, and — through innovative projects like the India-Middle East-Europe rail corridor that I announced this year at the summit of the world’s biggest economies. More predictable markets, more employment, less rage, less grievances, less war when connected. It benefits the people — it would benefit the people of the Middle East, and it would benefit us.”
On the sidelines of the G20 summit in September, the leaders of the United States, India, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, France, Germany, Italy, and the European Union jointly announced the new economic corridor. The IMEEC is seen as an alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative. As per the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEC) aims to boost economic development and growth by connecting two continents (Asia and Europe) through new connectivity corridors.
IMEEC work begins amid Hamas Israel war
Notably, under the IMEEC, the eastern corridor connects India to the Gulf region, and a northern corridor connects the Gulf region to Europe.
Amid the Hamas Isreal war, the Indian government on October 23, initiated the development of the India Middle East Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEC) at an estimated cost of Rs 3.5 lakh crore.
IMEEC work begins with 3.5 lakh crore railways plan to link 8 ports on west coast https://t.co/89dtbNKbtU
In this connection, the finance minister mentioned, “IMEEC is India’s initiative, and this project is focused on the long term, with a significant impact. Short-term disruptions may raise concerns, but the nation will overcome them.” Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav stated that the country will increase its investments to enhance connectivity to the eight ports, aiming to enable the transportation of goods to these ports from any part of the country within 36 hours, thus facilitating efficient access to IMEEC.
Isreal Hamas war
The Israel-Hamas war began on October 7, 2023. The conflict started when Hamas, a Palestinian militant group, launched a series of attacks from the Gaza Strip into bordering areas of Israel. The attacks killed more than 1,400 people in Israel, including over 300 members of the Israel Defense Forces.
After the attack by Hamas, Israel launched a counter-attack on Gaza last week. Ministry of Health in Gaza has reported that over 5,000 Palestinians have been killed so far in the counter-offensive.
On Wednesday (25th October), former Pakistani cricketer Danish Kaneria gave an interview to the TV news channel Aaj Tak detailing his struggles as a Hindu in the Pakistan cricket team. In this interview with journalist Sudhir Chaudhary, Danish Kaneria reiterated his old statements against former captain Shahid Afridi and other Pakistani cricketers.
Kaneria accused Pakistani cricketers of religious discrimination against him and of attempts to convert him to Islam. He also praised India, current Indian PM Narendra Modi, and emphasised his commitment to Sanatan Dharma.
Danish Kaneria said that he is a staunch Sanatani and he holds Dharma above all. Kaneria said, “First of all, for me, my faith in Sanatan Dharma is above everything. Nothing is above the Sanatan Dharma. Lord Ram is the inspiration of my life. Lord Ram says to raise your voice to uphold the Sanatan Dharma every time. I am doing nothing wrong. I am telling just those things which are happening with people here in Pakistan, and I will keep talking about those things. I will continue to point out the wrongdoings taking place here. There are so many cases which go unreported, and these things are happening wide open in front of everybody.”
Danish Kaneria added, “I am a Sanatani. My Dharma teaches me to raise my voice for a Hindu brother of mine and the Hindu community. If Bhagwan has given me the power to speak, I must speak for them. I would like it if everyone like me raised their voice. I will like it more if the Indian media raises a voice for this cause, because a wrong must clearly be called a wrong.”
Kaneria further said, “By the grace of Bhagwan, my career was going well and I was doing well. After Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, and Imran Khan, I am the fourth-highest wicket-taker for Pakistan. Inzamam-Ul-Haq is the only person who supported me as a captain, Shoaib Akhtar also revealed it. Others, including Shahid Afridi, have harassed me a lot. They would not dine with me. They would always talk of conversion, but my Dharma is everything for me.”
Explaining more about how he was implicated in a spot-fixing case, Danish Kaneria said, “Many big players in the Pakistani team used to ask me to convert to Islam, Shahid Afridi was the main one among those players. I was wrongfully trapped in a false allegation of spot-fixing. Some people are also talking about me accepting those allegations after 8 years. I should make it clear now in front of everyone. The only thing I accepted was that through Mervyn Westfield, I was introduced to a bookie named Anu Bhat when I was playing county cricket alongside him in an English county team.”
kaneria added, “Apart from that, they pressured me to accept everything. In fact, I was completely unaware of any details of the fixing thing. However, the other person involved in this scandal was jailed in England. According to a report by Justice Qayyum, he has said that certain people in Pakistan cricket will never be allowed to become big figures.”
Danish Kaneria accused the Pakistan Cricket Board of discriminating against him on religious grounds. He said, “I was never backed by our cricket board. Ejaz Bhat or Najam Sethi, nobody helped me, nobody supported me just because I am a Hindu. They knew very well that if I had played for a long time, I would have broken all the records. Once I enter the ground, no one can stop me from taking wickets. That was bound to happen, and they knew that I had the ability to break all those records.”
Detailing more on this religious discrimination, Danish Kaneria said, “Do you know a Hindu in the history of Pakistan who rose to higher posts or became the greatest of all in any field ever? India is the only country that has given opportunities to people from all backgrounds. I was so disappointed in those days. As if it was not enough, my father also passed away. After being away for 8 consecutive years, I did not have any job. They finished me, but I believed in Bhagwan who always inspired me to be truthful. So, I agreed to just the fact that I was introduced to a person – nothing more than that. I did this in the hope that I would get an opportunity again if I spoke the truth.”
Pointing out the difference between the treatment given to players in the Indian cricket team and those in the Pakistani cricket team, Danish Kaneria said, “Players like Sharjeel Khan, who were actually caught and convicted in spot-fixing, were all brought back by the PCB but they do not support Danish Kaneria because he is a Hindu. This is not the case with India. India is an integrated country and people living in India have a very good bond with each other. For example, when Mohammad Shami was heavily trolled during a tournament, it was Virat Kohli who stepped in his support first of all. Virat Kohli answered the trollers saying ‘he is my teammate’.”
Kaneria further said, “You cannot show one such example in the Pakistani Cricket Team where someone has leveled accusations against me and some other player in the team stood up to back me. Shoaib Akhtar is the only exception. In Indian cricket team, all players are treated equally. They get so much respect and love. It is not just about Shami. You take the examples of Siraj, Irfan Pathan, Yousuf Pathan, and even Mohammad Azaharuddin. Even Mohammad Azaharuddin’s ban was also lifted after a period.”
Danish Kaneria also accused the Pakistani cricketers of abusing Hindu deities. He said, “Whatever I have faced in the Pakistani Cricket Team is horrific. They hurled religious abuses at me. They abused my deities. They asked me to convert to Islam. All I was thinking was that I should perform better. I would think that only my performance can be the key to ensuring a place in the team. There were also so many players who were in the team despite not performing. On the other hand, people in India are educated, and cultured. They respect each other. On the other hand, Pakistani cricketers need to learn the lesson of ‘live and let others live too’.”
Danish Kaneria said that during Inzamam-Ul-Haq’s captaincy, he got some support to remain in the team which disappeared after Haq’s retirement. He said, “For most of the years of my career, I played under the captaincy of Inzamam-Ul-Haq. I would get conversion calls from fellow players even during his tenure but he would advise me to focus on my game and ignore these things. I would get a call every day to join for the morning Namaz. One day I strictly told them that I should not be called for the morning Namaz hereafter. After Inzamam retired, the discrimination increased. One day, I realised that they just wanted to expel me out of the team by hook or crook.”
On the current Pakistani cricket team offering Namaz on the ground, taking stands on political issues, and backing Hamas terrorists in Gaza, Danish Kaneria said, “This team is prioritising the religion. Secondly, they are into politics. Cricket is on the third spot in their priority list. In fact, cricket should have been their first priority and they are ignoring that. No wonder we are seeing such results. I don’t understand why they do a show-off by offering Namaz in front of all on the ground. They may just pray inside the dressing room for a while. We too believe in our deities. Do we all start pooja and aarti in the ground itself after taking a wicket? But they have a certain mindset. They want to show-off all these things. Virat Kohli does puja, doesn’t he? Doesn’t Rohit Sharma do puja? Doesn’t Shami offer Namaz? Doesn’t Siraj offer Namaz? They do all this, but not on the playground.”
On the Pakistani cricket team blaming BCCI and the Indian audience for the defeats in the World Cup, Danish Kaneria said, “Why do Pakistani cricketers want to show the world what they are? They should focus on cricket. They have a coach who asks why the ‘Dil Dil Pakistan’ song was not played instead of ‘Jai Shri Ram’. First of all, I would like to tell him what is meant by ‘Jai Shri Ram’. It is a greeting. People welcome you by saying it. They are not starting any jihad by saying ‘Allah Hu Akbar’.”
Explaining more on Jai Shri Ram, Danish Kaneria said, “All they are saying is that the path shown by Lord Ram is a good path and one should follow it. Glory to Lord Ram. It is the way people are greeting each other. It is not a call to fight. You are a coach, talk about cricket. You talk of ‘Dil Dil Pakistan’ in a press conference. You talk about the BCCI event. Was it a BCCI event in the games against Australia, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh? Pakistani cricket team should talk about cricket only. They should think why 8 players were dismissed for just 33 runs. They do other things just to keep their shops running.”
On getting citizenship in India, Danish Kaneria said, “I congratulate Narendra Modi Ji for the way he is working. He does fast-paced development. Recently, the Chandrayaan was also a grand success and I congratulate him for all these achievements. India’s economy is also on a very positive track. I have always said that it is not a question of nationality. If I am given Indian nationality, I would happily take it.”
Kaneria said, “Had I become a Muslim, I would not have faced this problem in my career. Maybe I would have become the captain of the Pakistani cricket team. Maybe I would have broken all the records of bowling from Pakistan, but converting to Islam just for the sake of this? I cannot think of it in the wildest of my dreams. It is impossible for me to degrade to this level.”
Talking more about his faith in Sanatan Dharma, Danish Kaneria said, “I am a hardcore Sanatani. I follow Sanatan Dharma. I love Sanatan Dharma and it is everything for me. It is okay if I don’t get any job. I will tell everyone that they should not compromise on Dharma. If there is Dharma, then there can be all other things in life. Without Dharma, one gets nothing. I was told so many things. I was promised so many things in exchange for conversion. All I told them was ‘Jai Shri Ram’.”
When asked if he wants to see Pakistan winning this World Cup or India becoming the champions, Danish Kaneria said, “It will be a big achievement for the Pakistani cricket team even if they get a spot in the top 4 teams, forget about becoming the champions. Right now they are relying on other teams to get in the top four. They are praying for some team’s victory and some other team’s defeat to get there. I don’t see them performing well even in the upcoming matches. They are yet to play against England which will be a pressure game. On the other hand, India is a very balanced team. They look rock solid and they are the favourite ones to win this world cup”
When asked about Danish Kaneria getting online attacks by Indians like Arfa Khanum Sherwani and a recent response by BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia, he said, “I think Indians who troll me are probably not honest to themselves and their religion. They should be honest to the party they represent. Their party works for Dharma with honesty. They should think before saying anything. They should think first about who are they targeting. They should have this much knowledge. I won’t comment on any of their internal political matters, but call me out if I am wrong. If I am not wrong, then you should not try to prove me wrong.”
He added, “They should understand that I am raising my voice for Dharma. You going against me looks very sad. People know the truth. They judge the things. I don’t pay attention to that. It can be his (Gaurav Bhatia’s) belief, but he should introspect. He should see that I am doing this for a cause, for Sanatan Dharma.”
Danish Kaneria was born on December 16, 1980, in Karachi, Pakistan. The leg spinner represented the Pakistani national cricket team in both Test and One Day International (ODI) matches. He made his Test debut on November 29, 2000, against England in Faisalabad, ultimately participating in 61 Test matches for Pakistan.
Throughout his Test career, he secured an impressive total of 261 wickets, with best figures of 7/77 in an innings and best match figures of 12/94. He claimed 15 five-wicket hauls and 2 ten-wicket hauls during his career.
In the One Day International (ODI) format, Kaneria played 18 matches, taking a total of 15 wickets, with his best bowling figures being 3/31 and an average of 39.80. While his ODI career was relatively limited, his performance in Test cricket solidified his reputation as a talented leg-spinner in the cricketing world.
The Israeli military reported that following more than two weeks of deadly airstrikes, Israeli troops and tanks conducted a brief ground operation into northern Gaza overnight into 26 October. They destroyed multiple terrorist targets with the aim of “preparing the battlefield” for a widely anticipated full-scale ground assault.
According to the Israel Defense Force, the raid was led by the Givati infantry brigade, and it was part of preparing the border area for the “next stages of the war,” referring to the full ground offensive promised by Israeli officials. They added that the troops struck numerous terrorists, infrastructure, and anti-tank guided missile launch positions during the brief operation, and “operated to prepare the battlefield.” No injuries were immediately reported on either side.
While the IDF is conducting localised raids daily near the border areas to search for bodies of missing Israelis and also to clear the ground of any explosives left behind by Hamas terrorists after the October 7 attack, this ground invasion went beyond that. The brief discussion went deep into the Gaza Strip, unlike the searches that take place around the border, the military said.
Israel has said that following the targeted air strikes, it will launch a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip especially Northern Gaza including Gaza City, to ‘wipe out’ Hamas from the enclave. While IDF had positioned tanks and troops along the border days after the terror attack, the ground invasion has been delayed due to various reasons.
On 13 October, Israel warned residents of north Gaza to move to South Gaza within 24 hours, to the south of a stream named Wadi Gaza, ahead of the ground operations. However, Hamas appealed to Palestinians not to leave their homes, and even actively prevented them from evacuating to the south. Israel has said that Hamas is not allowing civilians to leave to use them as human shields.
Apart from this, there was pressure from the international community on Israel to postpone the operation. Given that almost half of residents in Gaza live in north Gaza, UN officials said that it is not possible to evacuate 1.1 million people in just a day. Given the concerns about civilians still present in the north, IDF didn’t launch the ground invasion. IDF has been urging the residents of Gaza to evacuate multiple times for their own safety.
However, Israel’s patience has run out, and on 22 October, it issued a final warning to the Palestinians still in north Gaza to leave immediately to south Gaza. In a leaflet dropped in Gaza, Israel warned that if the residents fail to comply with the instructions, they could be perceived as supporters of a “terrorist organisation”.
The message in the leaflet said, “Urgent warning to residents of Gaza. Your presence north of Wadi Gaza puts your life in danger. Whoever chooses not to leave North Gaza to move to the south of Wadi Gaza might be identified as an accomplice in a terrorist organisation.”
Apart from the leaflet, audio messages were sent to the mobile phones of the people living across the Gaza Strip, issuing the same warning.
In the meanwhile, a report by Wall Street Journal claims that Israel has agreed to delay the ground invasion at the request of the US government. As per the report, the US is sending missile defence systems to the region and has requested Israel to delay the operation till the systems arrive. The Pentagon is deploying around a dozen air defence systems to the region to protect civilians and its troops positioned in the region. The United States has sent a significant amount of naval power to the Middle East in recent weeks, including two aircraft carriers, their support ships and about 2,000 Marines.
Israel has said that its war against Hamas is aimed at destroying the Iran-backed terror group’s infrastructure and has vowed to dismantle the organization after the October 7 massacres, while minimizing harm to Gaza’s civilians.
Even as Israeli forces are preparing for a ground attack, airstrikes targeting Hamas sites have continued. Yesterday Israeli jets struck over 250 sites belonging to Hamas, including infrastructure, command centers, tunnels, and rocket launchers, the army said. Navy forces also struck a Hamas surface-to-air missile launch position that was situated next to a mosque and kindergarten, in Khan Younis, Gaza.
Israeli Air Force sources have said that more than 10,000 sites belonging to Hamas and other terror groups have been struck since the beginning of the war following the 7 October terror attack.
The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza has said that over 6500 people have been killed in the Israeli strikes, and most of them are civilians including children. However, the numbers given by Hamas can’t be verified independently. On the other hand, over 1400 people were killed in the Hamas terror attack in Israel. Hamas also continues to keep over 200 people hostage, who were abducted after the October 7 attack.
Akhilesh Yadav has desperately been seeking to contain the split between his Samajwadi Party and the Congress Party, the two major parties in the I.N.D.I. Alliance, by publicly claiming that everything is OK between them. In actuality, though, it appears that the internal conflict between the two political parties is getting worse.
The Congress workers in Uttar Pradesh have now, in what can be seen as a tit-for-tat move, put up posters portraying Congress MP Rahul Gandhi as the Prime Ministerial face of the I.N.D.I. bloc. The posters were placed outside the party’s headquarters in Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow on Thursday, October 26. The move comes merely three days after the Samajwadi Party had put up posters in Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow showing Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav as the future prime minister of India.
VIDEO | New poster outside Congress office in Lucknow reads: "Rahul in 2024, Rai in 2027", referring to Rahul Gandhi and party's UP chief Ajay Rai. pic.twitter.com/bzXYX2WLMs
The poster also showed the state Congress Chief Ajay Rai as the Chief Ministerial candidate for the 2027 state assembly polls.
Source: Live Hindustan
Amid Congress-Samajwadi rift SP workers put up posters showing Akhilesh Yadav as I.N.D.I. Alliance’s PM face
It may be recalled that on October 23, the Samajwadi Party workers in Lucknow, UP had put up numerous posters showing Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav as the future prime minister of India.
The posters were put up outside the Samajwadi Party headquarters in Lucknow by the party workers.
UP: Posters portraying Akhilesh Yadav as "future PM" put up in Lucknow
Akhilesh Yadav warns about the future of alliance after Congress’ refusal to share seats with SP in MP polls
The posters have come at a time when the rift between the Congress party and Samajwadi Party, the two most important members of the I.N.D.I. bloc, an unholy nexus of 28 political parties formed solely with the aim to defeat the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, is at its peak, with Akhilesh Yadav warning about the future of alliance after Congress’ refusal to share seats with them in Madhya Pradesh polls.
Akhilesh Yadav, the head of the Samajwadi Party and a key figure in the I.N.D.I. alliance, recently said that he would not have gone to any meetings if he had known that there was no state-level cooperation between his party and the Congress. The rage surfaced after his party was utterly disregarded in the impending Madhya Pradesh assembly election, which is set to take place next month. Never mind the promised six seats, the Samajwadi Party was not even assigned a single seat, leaving Akhilesh Yadav belittled and infuriated.
He noted, “A former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh asked us about our performance in the state. We told him how many seats we had won and when as well as in which seats we stood at number two. We had a comprehensive discussion. They woke up Samajwadi Party leaders even at 1 a.m. They assured us six seats. However, when the lists were announced, there were zero seats for the Samajwadi Party.”
Angered by the betrayal by the Congress party, the Samajwadi Party announced to contest the elections on its own and has fielded its candidates in as many as 31 seats.
The two parties have been in strife for the past few days, particularly since Ajay Rai, the president of the Uttar Pradesh Congress requested the Samajwadi Party to withdraw from Madhya Pradesh as it “did not have a base” there. He claimed that the battle had always been between the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party. He added insult to injury and pointed out that the party won only one seat in 2018 and that its sole MLA in the state assembly had later switched to the latter.
Akhilesh Yadav’s U-Turn
Given the hype surrounding the formation of the I.N.D.I. Alliance to challenge the BJP in the upcoming national elections, the rift between the Samajwadi Party and the Congress Party not only became the newest topic of discussion in the political spectrum but also began to receive a lot of media attention. Realising that the tension between the Samajwadi and the Congress Party was highlighting a lack of clarity in the scope and contours of the I.N.D.I. alliance, the Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav was quick to take a U-turn.
Hours after the Samajwadi Party posters emerged, Akhilesh Yadav told the media in Dehradun on Monday (October 23) that “the alliance is very strong, and there are no differences with the grand old party.”
“They have a different way of thinking; we have a different way of thinking… We hope that the people of Uttarakhand will come together with the Samajwadi Party…” the Samajwadi Party chief clarified.
A Wall Street Journal article published on Wednesday (25th October) indicates that weeks before Hamas’s attack on Israel, hundreds of Palestinian terrorists received “specialised combat training” in Iran.
The publication cited individuals familiar with the intelligence surrounding the 7th October Hamas massacre in Israel, which killed 1,400 Israelis, mostly civilians. As per the report, 500 terrorists from both Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad took part in training last month led by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Iran has been accused repeatedly by Israel of serving as a key force behind the organised Hamas attack. The terrorists, during the attack, succeeded in disabling the high-tech Gaza border fence and streamed across the border to carry out its devastating assault on nearby communities, including the kidnapping of at least 224 people.
Iran commended the Hamas attack but denied any involvement in the planning. According to the WSJ, Iranian Brig. Gen. Esmail Qaani, the chief of the Quds Force, participated in the IRGC-led training exercises. Hours before the report was released, IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari publicly blamed Iran for assisting in the planning of the heinous act.
Brig. Gen. Esmail Qaani, the head of the Quds Force (WSJ)
“Iran had directly aided Hamas before the war, with training, supplying weapons, money, and technological know-how. Even now, Iranian aid to Hamas continues in the form of intelligence and online incitement against the State of Israel,” the IDF spokesman said.
During the attack, terrorists from Hamas deployed drones to take down Israeli observation posts and high-tech monitoring equipment. Some also flew into Israel using para-gliders while others rode on motorbikes.
According to US officials, Iran has regularly trained jihadists in Iran and overseas, but there is no proof of widespread training before the attack. According to US officials and those knowledgeable with the intelligence, there is no evidence that Iran took training particularly to prepare for the events of 7th October.
Since the Hamas attack, Israel has carried out a massive air campaign, advancing on thousands of targets in Gaza. Israel is also planning a ground campaign in Gaza to counter Hamas. The country has stated that its goal is to demolish Hamas and terminate its authority in Gaza.
Israel and the United States have pushed to underline Iran’s role in helping Hamas and other anti-Israel organisations, including the Lebanese Shiite terrorist organization Hezbollah, which has engaged in periodic clashes with Israeli troops on Israel’s northern border.
However, with the threat of a wider war approaching, the United States has stated that it has no evidence that Iran was directly involved in the planning or approval of the 7th October attack.
A gunman in the Gaza Strip on the day of Hamas’s recent deadly attack on Israel (WSJ)
However, according to the Wall Street Journal, which cited senior Hamas and Hezbollah sources, the Quds Force helped plot the strike and committed to carry it out during a meeting with Hamas and Hezbollah commanders in Beirut on 2nd October. An adviser to Syria’s government and a European official have also confirmed Iran’s involvement.
According to an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps ‘scholar’ at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Iran has long provided training to terrorists throughout the Middle East, including Gaza terrorists, Afghan mercenaries serving in Syria, Hezbollah troops from Lebanon, Shiites from Iraq, and the Houthis from Yemen.
This week, one of the hostages released by Hamas also confirmed that it seemed Hamas terrorists were well prepared for the situation. While she said that she had to face hell on Earth due to the terrorists, it seemed that the terrorists had planned and were prepared to abduct the Israelis.
After the attack by Hamas, Israel launched a counter-attack on Gaza last week. Ministry of Health in Gaza has reported that over 5,000 Palestinians have been killed so far in the counter-offensive.
Telangana is heading toward assembly election and the political fervor is palpable. Amid this, a live TV debate turned ugly with Bharat Rashtra Samithi Quthbullapur MLA K.P. Vivekananda who is also running from the same constituency physically assaulted Bharatiya Janata Party’s Kuna Srisailam Goud who is a candidate from the same seat.
The politicians exchanged charges of seizing land and when Kuna Srisailam Goud criticised the BRS MLA and accused his father of land-grabbing. K.P. Vivekananda lost his tamper in response to these allegations and proceeded to physically assault the BJP leader. He barged towards Goud menacingly and grasped Goud’s neck with his hand.
However, the police and others intervened immediately and brought the situation under control. Members of both political parties rushed to the stage, smashed barricades, threw chairs and yelled slogans as the scene descended into chaos.
The intensive verbal argument rapidly escalated into a violent action when K.P. Vivekananda aggressively advanced towards Kuna Srisailam Goud. Within seconds, he went from pushing his political opponent to setting aside his microphone and reaching for the BJP leader’s throat and slamming him back with force.
The video of this incident went viral on social media. The show was organised to talk about the Telangana legislative elections, however, the ugly conflict disrupted the television programme. The polling in the state is scheduled to be held on 30 November.
BJP reacted sharply to the unruly behaviour of the BRS leader and proclaimed that the rowdy action was a result of their displeasure at their upcoming defeat at the hands of the former. “What better can be expected from a party of goons,” noted BJP Telangana.
The deplorable attack on BJP MLA candidate Kuna Srisailam Goud Garu by BRS goon & sitting MLA KP Vivekananda shows the frustration in BRS that they are losing to the BJP.
Prominent Telangana BJP leader G Kishan Reddy denounced the incident and pointed out, “The hallmark of BRS is goondaism (thuggery).” He forewarned the people of the state and observed, “It’s shocking when a contesting opposition candidate is attacked and scuffled in open public. Imagine if BRS returns to power even common people will be attacked in the same manner.”
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BJP MLA candidate from Quthuballapur @KunaSrisailam attacked by BRS sitting MLA.
It’s shocking when a contesting opposition candidate is attacked and scuffled in open public, imagine if BRS returns to power even common… pic.twitter.com/h4kj3m9ydw
Firebrand BJP leader and Goshamahal MLA T. Raja Singh also condemned the instance and remarked that the attack displayed the frustration and arrogance of the leaders of K. Chandrashekar Rao’s party.
I strongly condemn the attitude of BRS MLA KP Vivekanand who physically assaulted our Kuthbullapur BJP MLA candidate and former MLA Kuna Srisailam Goud.
BRS defended its lawmaker and its spokesman Sravan Dasoju claimed that the BJP leader had mentioned the father of the BRS MLA, considering that both were expected to behave properly and politely throughout the discussion. He asserted that Kuna Srisailam Goud was a legislator before K.P. Vivekanand who is presently serving in the position.
“Both of them are supposed to have maintained decency, decorum and be restrained.” He contended that the MLA should not have assaulted his opponent and the ex-MLA should not have targeted the former’s parents. “Both could have been sensible and realised the whole world is watching them.”
