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When asked about anti-Semitism, Biden’s spokie says ‘no credible threat’, talks about hate against Muslims instead: Some anti-Jew rallies in USA after Hamas’ attack

OpIndia Staff
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When asked about anti-Semitism, Biden’s spokie says ‘no credible threat’, talks about hate against Muslims instead: Some anti-Jew rallies in USA after Hamas’ attack

On 23rd October (local time), White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre talked about the level of concern US President Joe Biden has about the potential rise of anti-Semitism in the light of the Israel-Hamas war. Interestingly, Jean-Pierre’s answer was not specific to the question but mostly revolved around the so-called increase in hateful attacks against Muslims and those perceived to be Muslim.

She said that there were no credible threats towards Jews and emphasised that there was an increase in hate-fueled attacks against Muslims and those perceived to be Muslim. She pointed out that President Biden was aware of the worries that Muslim, Arab and Palestinian American communities have due to the hate directed at them.

Furthermore, she added that the Homeland Security team has been directed to prioritise the prevention and disruption of such attacks against communities, including Muslim, Arab and Jewish Americans. She added that protecting and uniting these communities to protect the “nation’s soul” is the President’s top priority, and he would remain committed to denouncing any form of hate directed at Americans.

While the question was specifically about the hate the Jewish community was facing in the US, she conveniently brought up other communities, especially the Palestinian and pro-Palestinian communities in the US, that are indeed targeting the Jews.

When she was asked about the anti-Israel protests going on in the Universities, she refused to give an elaborate comment on it and said the President respects the First Amendment right to protest. She added that “peaceful” protests are part of American democracy. Though she said the President is unequivocally against anti-Semitism, she did not miss the chance to include the communities on the other end, including Arab American, Muslim and Palestinian communities.

Anti-Jew rallies have been held in the USA since Hamas attacked Israel

Though Jean-Pierre categorically denied any potential threat to the Jewish community in the US, the reality is far from what she said. There have been numerous pro-Hamas and pro-Palestinian rallies across the US, especially on the University campuses, that pose a visible threat to the Jewish communities. There have been calls to cause bodily harm to Jews, and in some instances, pro-Israeli protesters were attacked on camera.

Furthermore, there have been several instances where pro-Palestinians and pro-Hamas people in the US were seen removing posters of children, elders, women and men kidnapped by Hamas during the 7th October attack.

Here are some of the examples of anti-Israel rallies in the US

On 18th October, leftists, pro-Palestine and pro-Hamas protesters took over Capitol Hall in Washington DC. US lawmakers were part of the rally, including Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib. Shockingly, she repeated the lie that Israel bombed a hospital killing 500 Palestinians, a report debunked repeatedly.

On 15th October, a pro-Hamas rally took place in Dearborn, Miami. Protesters held posters that read “Victory to the intifada”, “Victory to Palestinian resistance”, and more.

On 16th October, a large group of students gathered outside a Harvard University library to support Palestine. Notably, Harvard came under fire and lost funding from Jewish billionaires after its students came out in support of terrorist group Hamas’s attack on Israel on 7th October.

On 23rd October, a Jewish man was reportedly assaulted by a mob of pro-Palestinians in a Chicago protest.

Similar anti-Israel and anti-Jewish protests have been happening in several countries since Israel launched a counter-attack on Hamas aiming to finish the terrorist organisation.

Tamil Nadu police sub-inspector, who disrespected Indian flag to be probed: The viral video, what Annamalai had said and the counter-claims

OpIndia Staff
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Tamil Nadu police sub-inspector, who disrespected Indian flag to be probed: The viral video, what Annamalai had said and the counter-claims

A video of a cop, confiscating the Indian tricolour outside the MA Chidambaram Stadium (also called Chepauk) in Chennai, has gone viral on social media. The incident took place on Monday (23rd October) during the course of the Afghanistan Vs Pakistan cricket match.

The story was initially reported by ‘News Tamil 24X7’, which later deleted its tweet. However, several netizens downloaded the video and then reposted it online. Soon the hashtag ‘#DMK_HatesIndianFlag’ began trending on social media.

Screengrab of the tweet by News Tamil 24X 7

In the contentious video, the cop could be seen carrying a flag from a dustbin into his police vehicle.

Onlookers were reportedly heard reprimanding him for throwing the flag in the dustbin in the first place. It was only after their objection that the police personnel took the Indian tricolour along with him to the police vehicle.

While reacting to the development, Tamil Nadu (BJP) State Secretary SG Suryah slammed the police for seizing the Indian national flags and throwing them in the dustbin.

“First, it is wrong that Tamil Nadu Police seized Indian National flags from today’s #WorldCup2023 Cricket match in the stadium. Second, it’s atrocious for the Police to confiscate the flags & throw in the dustbin. CM Mr.@mkstalin should act now or will be forced to act,” he tweeted.

BJP State President K Annamalai condemned the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government and the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) for disrespecting the Indian tricolour.

“The police outside the stadium disallowed fans from carrying the Indian flag to today’s match in Chepauk. Who gave TNCA this right?” he asked.

“We demand the strictest action against the police officers for insulting our National flag, and the DMK should apologise to the people of our state, failing which, BJP TamilNadu will be compelled to protest against this Corrupt DMK government for denigrating the sanctity of the Tricolor,” Annamalai issued a strong statement.

Counter-claims by DMK supporters

In the meantime, the DMK supporters on social media claimed that BCCI outlawed taking ‘flag poles’ inside the stadium as they could be used as weapons during the match. They alleged that it was the reason why cops did not allow Indian flags, mounted on sticks, to be taken inside the Chepauk stadium.

X (formerly Twitter) handle ‘Dravidian Insights’ shared a News18 report from 8th April 2022, to substantiate its claims. It also shared a picture of BJP Youth Wing President Vinoth, allegedly holding the Indian flag inside the Chepauk stadium.

It suggested that there was ‘no ban’ on taking the Indian tricolour inside the stadium.

One X (formerly Twitter) user, Megha Sai, pointed out that the BJP leader went into the stadium only after the incident of a cop dumping the Indian tricolour into the dustbin had surfaced.

Action taken against the accused cop

BJP leader SG Suryah informed that the accused sub-inspector was identified as Nagarajan. He added that the cop has been transferred to a different department by the Chennai Police Commissioner.

Sub Inspector Nagarajan who threw Indian Flag into dustbin in Chepauk Cricket stadium transferred to a different department by Chennai Police Commissioner. Wonder if this mere transfer insinuates TN Police now? Meanwhile CM Mr.@mkstalin who holds Home Dept. is mute as always!” he emphaised.

The development was confirmed by several news reports. While speaking to The Indian Express, Triplicane DCP Deshmukh Shekhar Sanjay said, “…As per the information we received, the officer stopped a couple of fans from carrying the national flag and later put it in a nearby bin and then took it. We conducted an initial inquiry and the officer was transferred to the control room. We conducted an initial inquiry and the officer was transferred to the control room.”

Tamil Nadu police issue statement

While speaking to Press Trust of India, the Tamil Nadu police ‘denied‘ that there were restrictions on fans to carry the Indian flag.

“It is permitted. An officer had acted in his individual capacity and a departmental inquiry into the incident was on,” a senior official told the news wire agency. He further added that the Tamil Nadu police allowed flags from India, Afghanistan and Pakistan to be carried inside the Chepauk stadium.

On reacting to the actions of the accused sub-inspector, he claimed that it was an ‘isolated incident’.

Afghanistani cricketer Ibrahim Zadran dedicates Man of the Match award to Afghans forcibly deported by Pakistan: Here is what he was talking about

OpIndia Staff
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Afghanistani cricketer Ibrahim Zadran dedicates Man of the Match award to Afghans forcibly deported by Pakistan: Here is what he was talking about

On 23rd October, Afghanistan beat Pakistan in the ICC Cricket World Cup match by eight wickets, chasing 285 runs on the board. It was the second-biggest win for Afghanistan in the tournament. Following the match, Ibrahim Zardan was awarded the ‘Man of The Match’ trophy that he dedicated to his fellow countrymen who were forcibly sent back from Pakistan.

Zardan was the highest scorer for the winning team in the match. He said, “I want to dedicate this Man of The Match to those sent from Pakistan to back home in Afghanistan.” With his message, he highlighted the ongoing forced deportation by Pakistan of the Afghans who escaped the war-torn country in August 2021 after the Taliban took over following the departure of American and allied forces.

The ongoing deportation of Afghans from Pakistan

When the Taliban took over Afghanistan in August 2021, around 7,00,000 Afghans fled the country. During American and allied forces’ control over the country, millions of Afghans had already left, as the living conditions in Afghanistan were not favourable. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), around four million Afghans live there. Out of these, around 1.7 million are considered to be illegal residents in Pakistan.

A large chunk of the Afghan refugees have taken shelter in the outskirts of Quetta, Pakistan. However, the uncertainty over their living arrangements in the neighbouring country has clouded their day-to-day life following an unexpected announcement from the Pakistani government where they said only those refugees would be allowed to stay who have legal status. The Pakistani government has asked the remaining refugees to leave in 28 days. The ultimatum was given on 6th October, and the deadline is just over a week away.

After the announcement, spokesperson of Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mumtaz Zahra Baloch claimed that the policy was not aimed solely to target Afghans. She said, “We have been hosting Afghan refugees generously for the past four decades.” Millions of Afghans had fled the country during the 1979-1989 Soviet occupation. “Our policy is only about illegal individuals here illegally, no matter their nationality. But, unfortunately, there has been a misunderstanding or misrepresentation, and for some reason, people have started associating this with Afghan refugees … The laws in Pakistan are similar to laws in many other countries,” she added.

Contrary to what she said, reports suggest that thousands of Afghans are facing harassment and detention since the government announced. While the Pakistani government claimed that most of the deportations were happening “voluntarily”, the international human rights organisations accused them of targeting vulnerable individuals. They warned of serious protection risks upon their return. Notably, since the Taliban took over Afghanistan, the country has plunged into a severe humanitarian crisis impacting women’s rights and the rights of the people in general. Furthermore, devastating earthquakes in the country have increased the threat posed to the vulnerable Afghans.

A 16th October report in The Guardian suggested that at least 2,600 Afghans were already deported. Notably, it was pointed out that those who have legal refugee status were also living in fear of detention. Furthermore, reports suggest that landlords in Islamabad got notices for eviction and offers for rewards, leading to the arrest of Afghan nationals.

Many Afghans have lived in Pakistan for decades and now call it their home. However, the ongoing uncertainty over their refugee status and the possibility of detention and deportation has put a question mark on their future. As Zardan dedicated his award to the vulnerable refugees of Afghanistan, the Pakistani government’s decision to deport Afghans has been brought to the international mainstream media’s attention. 

We are losers: Pakistanis have an epic meltdown on social media after Afghanistan brutally thrashes Pakistan in World Cup

OpIndia Staff
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We are losers: Pakistanis have an epic meltdown on social media after Afghanistan brutally thrashes Pakistan in World Cup

Hours after the Afghanistan cricket team defeated Pakistan by 8 wickets during their World Cup encounter on Monday (23rd October), Pakistani cricket fans had a prolonged meltdown on social media.

One Shuayb Khan announced that he broke his TV after watching the humiliating loss of Pakistan against Afghanistan. “I just smashed my TV infront of 40 guests at my party because of Pct. My wife just took our crying kids and said they’re all spending the week at a hotel,” he informed.

“This game has ruined my dream, my life, and my party. I can’t handle this anymore. Goodbye. I am no longer a Pct fan,” Khan further lamented.

One ‘Akrama’ wrote, “Afghanis cooking us like it’s a tandoor.”

Another Pakistani X user remarked, “We put the wrong captain (referring to Imran Khan) in jail.” The user suggested that Babar Azam should instead be sent behind bars for his disappointing captaincy.

Another user stated, “Put Babar azam in jail with Imran Khan to get some captaincy tips atleast.”

One Pakistani cricket fan tweeted, “I need a mid-tournament captaincy change. I can’t handle this embarrassment for the next 4 matches”

“Even the commentators are frustrated at the s*ithole Babar Azam’s captaincy,” wrote another Pakistani.

“I am sorry, Indian fans! We are losers,” wrote a popular Pakistani cricket enthusiast Farid Khan.

In a video shared by an Indian user, a Pakistani man was seen going on a tirade against his own team for its deplorable performance against Afghanistan team.

“Shame on you. I don’t even know where these 2-rupee players come from. Hold them tight, tear their underwear and slap the sh*t out of them…Have you any shame? Pakistan should not have lost to these rats (referring to Afghanistan). The one with good batting average has bent over before the average Afghanistan team and asked them to f*ck him,” the frustrated Pakistani fan was heard saying.

The match between Pakistan and Afghanistan was played at the Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Pakistan batted first and posted a score of 282 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in 50 overs. Afghanistan’s bowlers Noor Ahmad and Navin-ul-Haq took 5 wickets between them.

The ‘underdogs’ were able to chase down the target in just 49 overs with the loss of only two wickets. Afghanistan’s Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmat Shah scored 65, 87 and 77 runs respectively.

Pakistan played with a defensive mindset and lost the game miserably. As expected, Pakistani cricket fans had an epic meltdown on social media.

Stipend for taking hostages, instructed to kidnap women and children: Israel drops chilling video of Hamas terrorists confessing to the massacre of Jews

ANI
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Stipend for taking hostages, instructed to kidnap women and children: Israel drops chilling video of Hamas terrorists confessing to the massacre of Jews

The Israel Securities Authority (ISA) released a video clip on Monday, purportedly showing Hamas terrorists confessing their active participation in the deadly terror attacks in southern Israel on October 7. 

A video file provided by ISA Communications was attached to the statements of the Hamas terrorists, involved in the October 7 attacks, during interrogation, the Authority added. 

In the video, the Hamas terrorists are purportedly heard saying that they were promised a stipend for taking civilian hostages from Israel to Gaza. “Whoever kidnaps a hostage and brings them to Gaza is to get a stipend of USD 10,000 and an apartment,” a Hamas terrorist is purportedly heard saying in the video. 

They are also heard saying that they were specifically instructed by their handlers to abduct elderly women and children. They said they were also asked to “cleanse the houses and kidnap as many prisoners as possible,” one of the terrorists said. 

“Her (a victim’s) dog came out and I shot him,” the terrorist is heard saying further in the video, adding, “Her body was lying on the floor, I shot her too. The commander yelled at me, saying (that) I was wasting bullets on a corpse.” 

Another Hamas terrorist said after doing their handler’s bidding, they burned down two houses. “We finished what we came to do and then burned down two houses,” he said. 

Over the course of the ongoing investigations into the October 7 killings, a number of “themes” (nature and manner of crimes) have come up repeatedly, the ISA said in their statement. 

While purportedly admitting to clear and explicit instructions received by Hamas to kill and abduct civilians, including the elderly, women and children, the terrorists, in the video clip, also shared other morbid details from of October 7 massacre in southern Israel. 

Meanwhile, the ISA said the senior commanders of the military wing of Hamas (of the rank of company commander rank and above) stayed behind in safe houses and in hiding while sending their gunmen to fight, die or be arrested in Israel. 

The Israel Security Forces reaffirmed their commitment to eliminate all terrorists involved in the massacre. 

“The Security Forces of the State of Israel will settle all accounts with all terrorists who participated in the massacre on 7/10,” the statement said. 

Launching unprecedented and coordinated attacks, an estimated 2,500 Hamas terrorists crossed over into Israel by land, air and sea, committing chilling acts of terror on civilians in southern Israel. 

The attacks left 1,400 people, the majority of whom were civilians, dead, according to reports. Some of these terrorists took at least 222 civilians hostage and brought them to Gaza, according to The Times of Israel. 

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Canadian diplomats were asked to leave after evidence of interference: From visas to Khalistanis, funding to farmers’ protests, and support to terrorism

OpIndia Staff
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Canadian diplomats were asked to leave after evidence of interference: From visas to Khalistanis, funding to farmers’ protests, and support to terrorism

Canadian diplomats were misusing their powers in different consulates across Chandigarh and other areas of Punjab, News18 reported citing top government sources. According to the report, Canadian diplomats were “very soft” in their approach and deliberately granted visas to individuals who had known criminal antecedents and supported the Khalistani terrorist movement. They extended visas to them to bolster support for the Khalistani cause.  

Sources said, “On multiple occasions, Canadians went very soft with the visa process. Visas were also given deliberately to send certain individuals, who were under probe and were likely to face action from agencies, to Canada”.

“They granted visas to people despite knowing their antecedents. Many people who have got such visas are indulging in criminal activities in Canada. These visas were given just to support the Khalistani cause so that the movement can gain maximum strength,” government sources added as quoted by News18.  

The Indian government reportedly has evidence of how the Canadian government supported farmers’ agitation against the three farm laws. They added that it was one of the topics where they (referring to the Canadian side) got involved directly and indirectly and instigated the diaspora in Canada and farmers in India.

They noted, “By instigating the diaspora, they managed funding for the agitation in India. It looked absolutely legitimate, but if we look at funds, which were regular to a family, suddenly multiplied ten to twenty times.” 

They added, “Their (Canadian diplomats) meetings with the Punjab government offices were regular and unwarranted. On certain occasions, some individuals also debriefed agencies formally and informally about the intent of Canadian officials.”

The sources stressed that India asked the Canadian government to withdraw 41 of its diplomats after a lot of deliberation and examination of the evidence presented by the Indian intelligence agencies and on-ground action.   

According to them, Canada had also been refusing to help India with extradition in certain cases. Additionally, it was not helping India to investigate those individuals who had gone and taken shelter in Canada. 

It is important to note that on 22nd October, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar pointed out that India has evidence of continuous inference by the Canadian government in India’s affairs. Regarding Canadian diplomatic interference in Indian affairs, he noted that a significant amount of the information hasn’t been shared with the public yet. According to him, more details could come up over a period of time which would make the public understand why India had to take those steps.

Minister Jaishankar said, “We haven’t made much of that public. My sense is over a period of time more stuff will come out and people will understand why we had the kind of discomfort with many of them which we did.”

He explained why India sought parity in the presence of diplomatic staff. India invoked parity because there were concerns about “continuous interference” by the Canadian personnel in Indian affairs, Minister Jaishankar emphasised. 

He further stressed that seeking parity is permitted under the Vienna Convention and refuted the baseless allegations of the Canadian Foreign Minister who alleged that India violated International laws by asking it to reduce its diplomatic presence in India.  

Jaishankar noted, “Parity is very much provided for by the Vienna Convention, which is the relevant international rule on this. In our case, we invoked parity because we had concerns about continuous interference in our affairs by Canadian personnel.”

Afghanistan stun Pakistan with an emphatic 8-wicket victory in World Cup 2023: MoM Zadran dedicates victory to Afghans forcibly sent back from Pakistan

OpIndia Staff
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Afghanistan stun Pakistan with an emphatic 8-wicket victory in World Cup 2023: MoM Zadran dedicates victory to Afghans forcibly sent back from Pakistan

Known for scripting setbacks, the Afghanistan cricket team stunned Pakistan in an emphatic 8-wicket victory against neighbouring Pakistan in the ongoing World Cup 2023. With this defeat, Afghanistan created history by defeating Pakistan for the first time in an ODI.

Batting first, Pakistan scored a formidable score of 282, with captain Babar Azam contributing with a lacklustre half-century. Afghanistan’s Noor Ahmad managed to pull breaks on Pakistan’s free-flowing run-scoring, chipping in two quick wickets, one of them being the big-prized wicket of Muhammad Rizwan. He later also took the wicket of Babar Azam, when Pakistan seemed poised to post a mammoth score.

However, Shadab Khan and Iftikhar Ahmed managed to take Pakistan to a respectable score of 282. But Afghanistan’s batters put the spanners in the works for Pakistan, winning their first ODI match against Pakistan.

Charismatic batsmen Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran took Afghanistan to a flying start. The duo posted a quickfire partnership of 130 runs in 20 overs as it blunted Pakistan’s famed bowling line-up that has been off-colour so far in the World Cup.

Zadran, unfortunately, fell 13 short of a century after Pakistan’s premier bowler, Shaheen Shah Afridi, got him out in his second when Afghanistan were at 190. Middle-order batsman Rahmat Shah and Hashmatullah Shahidi batted with remarkable equanimity, never allowing the required run rate to go past their reach. Shah scored 77 unbeaten and Shahidi 48 runs to seal the victory for Afghanistan.

In the post-match presentation, Ibrahim Zadran, who was awarded the Man of the Match for his spirited 87, said he dedicated his award to Afghans who were forcibly sent back from Pakistan to Afghanistan.

Pakistan will be playing South Africa in their next match, while Afghanistan will face off with their Asian counterpart, Sri Lanka.

‘Using parliamentary credentials of Mahua Moitra an error of judgment’: Darshan Hiranandani

ANI
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‘Using parliamentary credentials of Mahua Moitra an error of judgment’: Darshan Hiranandani

Days after submitting a sworn affidavit on his claims to Parliament’s ethics committee, the businessman at the centre of the alleged ‘Cash for Query’ scandal, Darshan Hiranandani, says he regrets the personal error of judgment of using TMC MP Mahua Moitra’s parliament login credentials.

In an interview with Television News Channel Times Now, Hiranandani says that the very fact that he got entangled in the matter was an error of judgment.

“I think that me being entangled in this whole matter is an error of my judgment. And like I said, I’ve been very clear and explicit in my affidavit about what happened. And, you know, I’ve got nothing more to add as far as that’s concerned” Hiranandani says in his interview.

“The reality is that after the complaint of Advocate Dehadrai brought the matter into, full limelight. It then snowballed into a political controversy with the Parliamentary Committee on Ethics, formally taking up the matter. Since it involved me by name directly and personally, it was incumbent upon me as a responsible citizen to bring the facts as they are before the public. Our groups are law-abiding businesses with a focus on building a nation. And frankly, I regret that my personal error of judgment has embarrassed my family directly and my employees and my company indirectly. But the reality is I felt that instead of a long process of investigation and denials, I must come forward with the facts upfront and cooperate fully as is my nature” Hiranandani adds.

Hiranandani who is based in Dubai said he was under no pressure to sign the affidavit. Earlier the TMC MP Mahua Moitra had questioned his affidavit alleging that it was signed on white paper as “a gun was put to his head.”

“The affidavit is signed by me, signed by me voluntarily, no fear, no favour. Testimony of that is that I had it notarized at the Indian consulate in Dubai…. Since I am in Dubai, I had it notarized in the Indian Consulate in Dubai. Then I sent it to the Privilege Committee of Lok Sabha and copied to CBI and Dr. Nishikant Dubey by email” Hiranandani says in his interview to Times Now.

When asked if he thought that TMC MP Mahua Moitra was looking to target businessman Gautam Adani and through that the Prime Minister, Hiranandani reiterated what was said in his affidavit.

“I think, I would prefer to stick to my affidavit in this regard, but I can tell you that she felt that attacking Mr Adani would target the Prime Minister because there was perceived proximity as both are from the same state,” he said.

Hiranandani however admits that he did use TMC MP Mahua Moitra’s Parliament login credentials and that it was an error of judgment.

“Certainly, that part is an error of judgment,” Hiranandani told Times Now.

The Dubai-based businessman however chose to sidestep a question on the gifts he allegedly gave the TMP MP as has been claimed by Advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai in his submissions.

“I would prefer to stick to my affidavit and when called upon, by either the Parliament Ethics Committee or any sort of authority, I will gladly cooperate and provide each and every detail that’s required” Darshan Hiranandani said.

The TMC MP Mahua Moitra has yet to respond to this interview broadcast by Times Now. However, in an earlier post on X she called for login access details of all MPs to be made public.

“Request NIC to please release ALL details of MPs publicly to show they were physically present in place from where IDs were accessed by their PAs & researchers/interns/staff. Don’t use Fake Degree wala for leak, make this public NOW” said Mahua Moitra in her post on X on October 21.

The whole controversy started when BJP MP Nishikant Dubey wrote to the speaker alleging ‘Cash for Query’ proof against the TMC MP. He had claimed the said proof was provided by Advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai.

The Parliament Ethics Committee has called both Dubey and Advocate Dehadrai to submit oral evidence of allegations before it on October 26.

The TMC has maintained a studied silence on the controversy, party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh when questioned on the issue said “No comments…regarding this issue the TMC will not say anything…The related person may answer this.”

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

When Bishan Singh Bedi refused to send lower-order batsmen against West Indies bent on injuring them with a body-line bowling attack: Details

Paurush Gupta
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When Bishan Singh Bedi refused to send lower-order batsmen against West Indies bent on injuring them with a body-line bowling attack: Details

On 23rd October (Monday), India lost one of its sporting icons, Bishan Singh Bedi, who captained the Indian side in 20 Test matches as he passed away at the age of 77. Born on 25th September 1946, in Amritsar, Bedi played 67 Tests for India. Between 1967 and 1979, he took 266 wickets in his Test career. In the domestic circuit, he took a whopping 1560 wickets in 370 First Class matches.

In 1976, India toured the West Indies under his captaincy and gave a tough time to the Windies Eleven. In a four-match test series, India had marched shoulder to shoulder with Clive Lyod’s lanky fast bowlers with the scoreline reading 1-1 by the end of the third test match. However, a crushing defeat at the hands of the away team (India) didn’t go down well with the Windies who were touted as the hegemons of the game. 

After a humiliating defeat, West Indies adopted an aggressive strategy, targeting the Indian batsmen with an aim to execute bodyline bowling which prompted skipper Bishan Singh Bedi to take a call before the Windies’ quick could inflict more harm. 

This is the story of the fourth test between India and the West Indies, the back story, and the uncanny decision of the skipper that has gone down in the annals of cricketing history. This is the story of why skipper Bedi asked the Windies to chase a meagre total of 13 runs instead of sending his batters in harm’s way. 

The run-up to the infamous fourth test between the two side

During the 1976 West Indies tour, India faired well and had levelled the 4 match-series 1-1 before heading for the decider (fourth match) at the Kingston Ground in Jamaica.  India was coming into this match after successfully chasing down a mammoth and historic total of 406-4 in the fourth innings of the third Test played in Port of Spain.

The away team had pulled a record run chase against the West Indies fast bowlers who were notorious for destructing any batting lineup in the world. Interestingly, the record run chase of 406 was bettered only after 27 years in 2003 when West Indies chased 418 against Australia. 

Additionally, the West Indies side was haunted by their previous 5-1 defeat in the series in Australia, and they were determined to win the home series at any cost.

The defeat in the third match in a home series had bruised the ego of the mighty West Indies and it could not stomach its defeat. Consequently, the Clive Loyd-led side displaced one of the deadliest bowling attacks which bruised and battered the Indian side. 

Notably, the fourth match was played at the Kingston Ground in Jamaica. It was on a recently relaid pitch and it offered unpredictable bounce to the West Indian fast bowlers in the likes of Michael Holding, Wayne Daniel, Bernard Julien, and Van Holder. 

Solid start marred by injuries

After being asked to bat first, the Indian top order smashed the West Indies bowler all around the corner. With a century-run opening stand, Sunil Gavaskar and Anshuman Gaekwad not only survived the onslaught of the aggressive bowling, they were taking the match away from the host side. 

But the aggressive bodyline strategy of notorious West Indies bowlers fructified and they tasted blood. In a quick success of 36 runs, they had sent two Indian batters to the pavilion, but they didn’t secure their wickets; instead, the Indian players were injured by the Windies’ bowling lineup. Mind you, these were pre-helmet days, and no restrictions on bouncers. It was a no-holds-barred for the West Indies fast bowlers. 

Anshuman Gaikwad who was playing well on 81 and Brijesh Patel (14*) were hit by the Windies’ bowling lineup, both sustained injuries and had to retire hurt. Gaikwad suffered a blow to his left ear from the ball, leading to a two-day hospital stay. Similarly, Michael Holding’s delivery struck Brijesh Patel on the face, requiring stitches on his mouth. Meanwhile, Gundappa Vishwanath broke a finger in his right hand and also required a hospital visit.

From 237-3, India was virtually 273-5 with its in-form batters back to the pavilion. With the West Indies bowling bodyline balls and hurting Indian batters, captain Bishan Singh Bedi decided to declare the first innings before Holding and Company injured many more Indian players. Subsequently, skipper Bishan Singh Bedi declared the innings at 306/6. 

(Bedi while bowling in the fourth test match of the 1976 West Indies tour)

During India’s bowling, the spin trio of Bhagwath Chandrasekhar, Bishan Singh Bedi, and Srinivas Venkataraghavan shared 9 wickets among them and curtailed the West Indies innings to 391 runs giving them a lead of 85 runs. However, while fielding, several Indian players, including skipper Bishan Singh Bedi and Chandrashekhar, sustained injuries.  

Indian batters again faced the wrath of aggressive West Indies bowlers. This time, they had the added challenge that three of their batters were already injured and unable to continue. Gavaskar, who had scored a solid fifty in the first innings, struggled and departed quickly at the score of 2 runs on Holding’s bowling. India’s other opener, Dilip Dilip Vengsarkar (21) tried to give solidity to the Indian batting along with Mohinder Amarnath (60). But by the time India managed to take a 12-run lead over the host team, both of them were sent back to the pavilion by the West Indies quick bowlers. 

Again From 97-2, India was 97-5 in no time thanks to relentless bowling by Clive Lyod’s side. But then, skipper Bishan Singh Bedi refused to send his last 5 batsmen – three batsmen who were injured in the first innings were not in a position to bat, and Bedi and Chandrashekar who had suffered hand injuries while fielding. 

The Indian team had managed to secure a 12-run lead against the host team. Ultimately, Captain Bedi chose not to send the remaining batsmen onto the field, with a total score of 97 runs and declared the innings. Without any hick-up, West Indies chased down a total of 13 runs in just 1.5 overs. Winning the match by 10 wickets, they lifted the series by 2-1.

By the end of the match, all 17 members of the Indian touring team had fielded at some point during the game. Additionally, one of the substitutes, Surinder Amarnath, had to be rushed to the hospital for an appendix operation while the match was still in progress.

Pakistan end 1,169-ball ‘no six’ streak in first powerplay of ODIs, hit two sixes in World Cup match against Afghanistan

ANI
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Pakistan end 1,169-ball ‘no six’ streak in first powerplay of ODIs, hit two sixes in World Cup match against Afghanistan

Pakistan have succeeded in ending their 1,169-ball long streak of not hitting a sixer during the first powerplay in one-day internationals (ODIs) this year.

The Men in Green accomplished this during their ICC Cricket World Cup match against Afghanistan in Chennai on Monday.

In the third ball of the team’s fifth over, Abdullah Shafique smashed Naveen-ul-Haq for a six. He hit another six later to make it two sixes during the first ten overs.

This year Pakistan has faced 1,202 balls in the first powerplay and scored 945 runs across 20 innings. Of these, 789 balls faced by Pakistan were dot balls, which shows that they did not score on over 65 per cent of balls in this phase of the match.

Pakistan batters smashed 131 fours and two sixes in the first powerplay this year.

In all, Pakistan scored 536 out of their 945 runs through fours and sixes, with only 12 runs scored while the aerial route.

Coming to the match, Pakistan elected to bat first and posted 282/7 in their 50 overs.

Half-centuries from Babar (74 in 92 balls with four boundaries and a six) and Abdullah (58 in 75 balls with five fours and two sixes) were the highlights of Pakistan’s innings. In the end, knocks of 40 runs each from Iftikhar Ahmed and Shadab Khan took Pakistan to a competitive total.

Noor (3/49) was the pick of the bowlers for Afghanistan. Naveen-ul-Haq got two wickets while Mohammed Nabi and Azmatullah Omarzai got one wicket.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

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