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When PM Modi told Kapil Sharma that opposition leaders in India are doing comedy

On Saturday (March 11), India’s leading comedian Kapil Sharma revealed details of his conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an interview with Aaj Tak Editor Sudhir Chaudhary.

In the interview, Chaudhary asked, “Have you ever thought of inviting politicians such as PM Modi to your show? Politicians also need a platform to promote themselves before elections. Would you like to invite the Prime Minister as a guest on your show?”

Kapil Sharma replied, “On a serious note, I had invited PM Modi to our show when I met him in person. He did not say no to me but instead told me that right now, the Opposition leaders are doing full-fledged comedy in politics.”

“So, PM Modi did not say no to me. I will in fact be grateful if he comes to our show. In that way, people will get to see his lighter, humourous side,” the stand-up comedian added.

Kapil Sharma further added, “During the inauguration of the Film Museum in Mumbai, PM Modi cracked several jokes in front of the entire film fraternity. So, I want him to come to our show so that everyone can see what we witnessed that day. Nonetheless, I will keep inviting him.”

PM Modi and his potshots at the Opposition

The Indian Prime Minister is known to use humour in his political speeches, both within and outside the Parliament. In February 2020, he suggested that Congress scion Rahul Gandhi is a ‘tube light’ for intervening during his speech.

PM Modi remarked, “I was speaking for the last 30-40 minutes but it took this long for the current to reach there. Many tube lights are like this.” Recently, he joked about Rajasthan Chief Minister and veteran Congress leader, Ashok Gehlot, for ‘mistakenly’ reading the old Budget in the State Assembly.

“Budgets and announcements are only matters on paper for the Congress. They don’t intend to carry out any of them in reality. What budget he read is not the issue. The fact that the previous year’s budget was held in a box rather than being implemented raises the actual question,” PM Modi said.

India, Australia deepening security ties as tensions with China rise: Wall Street Journal

India and Australia are deepening their security and economic ties, with both countries seeking to diversify their export markets, shore up supply chains and upgrade their militaries as tensions with China rise, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported. 

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on his first visit to India since 2017, said that later in 2023, India would for the first time, participate in a major Australian and U.S. military exercise. He said that Australia and India will work together on clean energy, including manufacturing solar panels. Albanese during his visit to India attended a cricket match and visited an Indian aircraft carrier. He said: “My visit reflects my government’s commitment to place India at the heart of Australia’s approach to the Indo-Pacific and beyond.” 

Relations between Australia and India have been warm in recent years. Along with the U.S. and Japan, both countries are members of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or the Quad, a group of democratic nations aimed at countering Chinese expansionism. Last year, Australia and India signed an interim free-trade agreement, which eliminated or reduced tariffs and duties on many of each other’s products, according to The Wall Street Journal. 

Peter Varghese, chancellor at the University of Queensland, who was earlier Australia’s High Commissioner to India, said: “We are in a sweet spot in the relationship, and it’s certainly the strongest it’s ever been in the last 75 years of independent India.” 

Both India and Australia, according to The Wall Street Journal, have an interest in lessening their dependence on China. During the Covid-19 pandemic, a diplomatic spat prompted China, Australia’s largest trading partner, to place restrictions on Australian products such as beef, barley, coal and wine. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi after a meeting with Albanese, said that security cooperation is an important pillar of the two countries’ partnership. He noted that the two leaders discussed maritime security in the Indo-Pacific and strengthening information exchange between their security agencies. 

According to The Wall Street Journal, ties between Australia and India have ebbed and flowed, with foreign-policy experts saying it has been difficult to move beyond what is called the three Cs: curry, cricket and the Commonwealth of Nations, a group of former British territories that includes Australia and India. But the political will to deepen ties between Australia and India is clearly there now, experts said. 

Harsh V. Pant, vice president for foreign policy at the New Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation, as quoted by WSJ, said: “Certainly, the China factor has given a new momentum that has galvanized the relationship.” 

He added that India, which has historically maintained a nonaligned status, has become much more open about its defence partnerships with other nations as tensions with China grow. 

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

Adani Group CFO mocks Bill Ackman who demonised the Indian conglomerate over the Hindenburg Research report

On Saturday (March 11), the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the Adani Group, Jugeshinder ‘Robbie’ Singh, mocked billionaire investor Bill Ackman after the latter pleaded with the US government to bail out now-defunct Silicon Valley Bank.

Ackman is the same ‘financial expert’ who upheld the Hindenburg Research report on the Adani group, which wiped out 10 lakh crores worth of investor’s money from the Indian conglomerate in less than two weeks’ time.

He also did not shy away from casting aspersions on the integrity of the Adani group and fomenting turmoil in Indian markets. Jugeshinder ‘Robbie’ Singh ridiculed Bill Ackman for running to his ‘mommy’ to fix the Silicon Valley Bank crisis. “Kid wants ‘mamma’ to come help,” he said in a tweet (archive).

Screengrab of the tweet by Jugeshinder Robbie Singh

While Jugeshinder’s Twitter account is not verified on Twitter, he is followed by prominent Twitter users like ThePrint’s Shekhar Gupta and journalist Barkha Dutt amongst others.

The Background of the controversy

On Friday (March 10), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) announced the shutdown of the US-based Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and the seizure of its assets.

Founded in 1983, Silicon Valley Bank operated out of Santa Clara in California and provided various services such as online banking, treasury management, and foreign exchange trade.

Following the development, Bill Ackman sought a bailout package for the commercial bank from the tax-funded US government. “If private capital can’t provide a solution, a highly dilutive gov’t preferred bailout should be considered,” he had demanded.

The billionaire investor further added, “The govt could also guarantee deposits in exchange for a dilutive warrant issuance and other covenants and protections. If SVB Financial Group is indeed solvent, this would buy time to enable SVB to restore the franchise and raise new private capital.”

Screengrab of the tweets by Bill Ackman

However, his reaction was starkly different when it came to the Adani group. In his response over the Hindenburg fiasco on January 27 this year, the billionaire investor had said, “Adani’s response to Hindenburg Research is the same as Herbalife’s response to our original 350-page presentation.”

“Herbalife remains a pyramid scheme. I found the Hindenburg report highly credible and extremely well-researched. Adani Group’s response speaks volumes. Caveat emptor,” Bill Ackman emphasised.

While he conceded that he did not undertake any ‘independent research’ and his judgment was based on the cursory reading of the Hindenburg Research report and Adani’s response, this gave an opportunity to the likes of Ravish Kumar to cast aspersions on the Indian conglomerate based on Ackman’s tweets.

The billionaire investor, in Adani’s case, did not seek a bailout package despite being aware of the short-term impact that the report of the US-based short-seller would have on the Indian economy and markets at large.

He also did not bother to keep his ‘innocent until proven guilty’ argument forward in Gautam Adani’s case, as he did in Sam Bankman Fried’s case. The sweeping statements of Bill Ackman were used by propagandists to suggest that the Indian conglomerate has been involved in wrongdoings.

Gujarat: Dwarka administration demolishes illegal encroachments including 7 mazars

On Saturday, March 11, the Dwarka administration ordered the demolition of a structures including mazars in Harshad village of Kalyanpur Tehsil in Gujarat. This comes after the Gujarat government ordered to clear of illegal encroachments posing threat to India’s maritime security.

During the demolition drive 7 Mazars, 50 commercial establishments, and around 210 residential buildings were demolished by the local administration amidst heavy police deployment.  

To avoid any untoward occurrence during the procedures, a convoy of police personnel was deployed, comprising the District Superintendent of Police, DySP, PI, PSI, and Constables. Nitesh Pandey, the district police chief, stated that around 800 police officers were stationed there.

Speaking to the media, Dwarka SP Nitesh Pandey said, “The district administration is demolishing illegal encroachments in Harshad village of Kalyanpur tehsil of Dwarka. 800 police officers deployed at the spot.”

Meanwhile Lok Sabha MP from Jamnagar, Poonam Maadam lauded Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel and Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi for maintaining law and order by clearing legal encroachment around Harshad Mataji Temple.

“Congratulations to Chief Minister Shri @Bhupendrapbjp Ji and Minister of Home Affairs Shri @sanghaviharsh Ji for maintaining law and order by taking strict action against the elements occupying government land by removing the illegal encroachment built around the holy pilgrimage Harshad Mataji Mandir,” a tweet by Maadam in Gujarati read.

Illegal constructions bulldozed in Bet Dwarka over PFI connection

Notably, a mega demolition drive was conducted in October last year. Religious and private commercial constructions on government lands were demolished using bulldozers in large numbers. In the first phase, a total of 15 encroached constructions were razed off. The operation was carried out in presence of a tight police force. 

The mega operation was jointly carried out by various departments including revenue, panchayat, maritime, police, and power supply department after receiving inputs that the now-banned Islamist outfit PFI’s connections are active in Bet Dwarka and illegal activities are being carried out by grabbing government lands forcefully under the name of religion.

Oscars 2023: Where to watch, what to expect, who will be there

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It’s finally time for the Oscars. 

The prestigious award function will be held on March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles and will be telecasted in India on March 13 early morning. Oscars 2023 will be telecasted live on ABC. 

Who’s hosting the Oscars? 

As per People Magazine, Jimmy Kimmel will be hosting this year’s award function. It’s his third time in the emceeing gig. He previously hosted in 2017 and 2018. Last year’s hosts were Amy Schumer, Wanda Sykes and Regina Hall. 

Who will be presenting at the Oscars? 

This year’s Oscars presenters list include Deepika Padukone, Dwayne Johnson, Michael B. Jordan, Riz Ahmed, Emily Blunt, Glenn Close, Troy Kotsur, Dwayne Johnson, Jennifer Connelly, Samuel L. Jackson, Melissa McCarthy, Zoe Saldana, Donnie Yen, Jonathan Majors and Questlove. 

Who will be performing at the Oscars? 

Except for Lady Gaga, all of this year’s Oscar nominees for the best original song have been confirmed to perform at the event on March 12. 

As per Variety, in the Oscars tradition, all nominated songs are sung at the Oscars ceremony. This year’s performers include Rihanna (Lift Me Up), Sofia Carson and Diane Warren (Applause), Stephanie Hsu, David Byrne and Son Lux (This Is a Life), and Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava (Naatu Naatu). 

It’s a special year for India at the Oscars. This time around, not just one, but three significant Indian movies are competing for the coveted Oscars Awards 2023 nominations. 

RRR is on the shortlist for Best Original Song for the dance song Naatu Naatu, which won the Golden Globe Award in the same category earlier this year. 

Shaunak Sen’s ‘All That Breathes’ has been nominated for Best Documentary Feature Film and Guneet Monga’s The Elephant Whisperers for Best Documentary Short. 

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

Gujarat govt pitches for chikki prasad at Ambaji Temple over mohanthal amid protests by devotees

On March 11, Gujarat Health Minister Rishikesh Patel supported the Shaktipeeth Ambaji Temple administration in changing the prasad from mohanthal to chikki. Notably, the statement from the minister came at a time when devotees were protesting against the decision and demanding to restart of mohanthal as prasad at the temple.

In his statement, the health minister said, “People do not take mohanthal despite it being prasad as they believe that mohanthal cannot be eaten during fasting on auspicious days such as Agiyaras or Poonam (full moon). Because of this, the temple administration has decided to offer chikki prasad instead.”

Speaking about the shelf life of chikki, he said, “The shelf life of mohanthal is only eight to ten days while the shelf life of chikki prasad is around three months.” He further added that prasad is a matter of faith and not taste.

The health minister added that it is believed that the Chikki that is supposed to be distributed as prasad is similar to what is available in the market. However, in reality, it is made out of a special kind of mawa and peanuts. He said the prasad could be stored for up to three months, carried in bulk, and sent online. Speaking about further benefits, he said chikki prasad could be delivered anywhere in India and abroad. Furthermore, he noted that the sale of chikki prasad is the same as that of mohanthal.

Demand to continue mohanthal as prasad at Ambaji temple

For over a week, the devotees and Hindu organisations have been protesting against the temple administration’s decision to provide chikki as prasad instead of mohanthal. The prasad of mohanthal has been served at the temple for decades.

In a statement, the Collector of Banaskantha claimed that the administration received a lot of representations and opinions regarding prasad, after which the decision to change prasad to chikki was taken. He added that dry prasad would not spoil and can be kept for a long time.

Earlier, Hindu Hitrakshak Samiti protested against the decision and decided to sit on protest. However, the protests were postponed during Holi.

Imran Khan whines that Indian TV channels are ridiculing Pakistan for its current crisis, invokes 2-nation theory

Days after evading arrest in connection to the infamous Toshakhana corruption case, former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan lamented how his country was being ridiculed on Indian TV channels over its ‘economic condition.’

While addressing supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, he said, “Hindustan ke TV pe dekhay, kis tarah mazak udd raha hai Pakistan ka (Watch the TV channels of India to learn how Pakistan is being ridiculed).”

“They (Indian TV channels) are happily announcing that Pakistan is on the brink of economic devastation,” Imran Khan lamented. He then invoked the ‘2-nation theory’ to claim that the dream of Mohammed Ali Jinnah was in danger.

“When Pakistan was created, what was the fear that existed among the Muslim community? The leaders in India were claiming that Pakistan could not exist on its own and will eventually merge with the country. This was India’s motive from the start,” claimed the former Pakistani Prime Minister.

“Why did we put so much emphasis on our security? Why did we maintain an army despite severe economic woes? And then the Pakistani army gave us confidence that it can defend us,” he further asserted.

Imran Khan concluded, “This is why the country was created in the first place – We wanted to be an independent nation where principles of Riyasat-e-Medina would exist. The most important principle of that era was rule of law. Pakistan got everything except justice and rule of law.”

Economic condition of Pakistan

Pakistan is experiencing its worst economic crisis amidst food shortages, flash floods, and poverty. As the government of Pakistan failed to end the economic crisis in Pakistan, over 7 million workers in its textile industry have been laid off.

Other than this, Pakistan, which was declared South Asia’s weakest economy by a report is also hit by a severe food crisis. The situation in several cities of Pakistan is so grave that flour is being rationed and guarded by armed guards. Prices of flour and wheat have witnessed a dramatic surge. 

Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, and Balochistan are among the worst sufferers as tens of thousands spend hours daily to get the subsidized bags of flour that are already short in supply in the market.

Incidents of clashes and stampedes have been reported in markets in many areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, and Balochistan. The situation is so dire that flour-loaded mini trucks and vans are escorted by armed guards to avoid clashes. As these vehicles reach the markets, people gather around these vehicles. 

Recently, the people of Pakistan took to Twitter to voice their woes as a nationwide power outage left almost all regions without electricity on January 24, 2023.

Swati Maliwal’s ex-husband tweets cryptic message after she accuses her father of sexual assault

On March 11, Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) Chief and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Swati Maliwal’s ex-husband and former AAP Haryana unit president Naveen Jaihind posted cryptic messages on social media attacking an unnamed person for telling lies and dragging dead people in the conversation.

Naveen Jaihind posted cryptic tweet after his ex-wife accused her father of sexual assault. Source: Twitter

In his tweet, Jaihind said, “The new name of the film should have been “Tu Mahajhuthi Main Mahamakkar” (you are the biggest liar, I am the biggest deceitful). When a person becomes deceitful and dead, then he attacks only the dead. [When] enormity enters a person’s mind, and greed overpowers him, he can’t speak on misdeeds of the living. A person does not attain manhood by speaking about the dead.”

Naveen Jaihind asked everyone not to call him for comments. Source: Twitter

Jaihind’s tweet came hours after his ex-wife DCW chief Maliwal accused her late father of sexually assaulting her when she was a child. In a follow-up tweet, Naveen Jaihind requested everyone not to contact him for comments on his tweets. He said, “I am requesting the media persons and social media friends with folded hands that I do not get into the gutter. There is a lot of muck in the gutter. So friends, keep me away from the muck. I have a lot of work to do. [I request] the journalist friends not to call me for comments on the dead.”

Swati Maliwal accused her father of sexual assault

A few hours before Jaihind’s tweets, Maliwal had accused her father of sexually assaulting her when she was a child. She claimed the experience left a lasting impact on her, and therefore she was driven to fight for women’s rights as a result. She made the accusations while referring to the viral video of women getting harassed during Holi.

She said, “A video went viral on the internet where some men were applying Holi colours to a Japanese woman, she was feeling harassed, molested and screaming for help. Those men did not stop. We are issuing a notice to Delhi Police. Those men should be identified and put behind the jail,” said the DCW chief.

She narrated her childhood ordeal speaking to journalists after the DCW International Women’s Day Awards ceremony. She said that she became emotional from the stories of the awardees, as all of them are powerful stories, and the awardees have done a lot of struggle.

After that, she continued, “I was sexually assaulted by my own father when I was a child. I was very small at that time. My father used to beat me up, and I used to hide under the bed to save myself,” she said.

“While hiding under the bed, I used to think how I will teach a lesson to such men who abuse women and children, and how I can help women get their rights,” Swati Maliwal further said.

She said that her father used to grad her hair and slam her against the wall, causing her injuries. “This happened till I was in Class 4,” she added.

Naveen Jaihind and Swati Maliwal got divorced in 2020 after a yearlong legal fight. There is very little information available about their personal life. Maliwal published a tweet in 2020 announcing the divorce and requested everyone to respect her privacy. Jaihind was one of the frontrunners in AAP’s campaigns till the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. He left the party after the 2019 elections and decided not to join politics again. Jaihind made headlines for odd reasons very often. Before leaving AAP, he had sat on a “tapasya” protest against child sexual abuse.

Pakistan: Two policemen kidnapped in Sindh, read details

Dacoits on Saturday attacked a police check-post and kidnapped two policemen in the Katcha area of Durrani Mehr near Sindh’s Kandhkot tehsil, Pakistan-based ARY News reported. 

As per details, the two policemen, Sajjad Jakhrani and Ghaffar, were kidnapped on Saturday when dacoits attacked a police check-post in the Katcha area of Durrani Mehr. The dacoits while uploading a video of the two men in their custody, demanded the release of a 13-year-old suspect Wajid, who was earlier arrested by police. 

The Sindh Cabinet had earlier in March approved funds for military-grade weapons to launch an anti-bandit operation in the Katcha area. 

Secretary home department and the I.G. Police Sindh in a briefing to the cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister of Sindh Murad Ali Shah, said that the police will require military-grade arms to launch an effective operation against bandits in the Katcha area (riverine forest along the Indus River), ARY News reported. 

The cabinet session was briefed that the January 5 session of the apex committee had recommended the procurement of military-grade weapons, which requires 2.7 billion rupees in funds. 

The provincial cabinet approved the funds and procurement of required arms. The sindh government will get NOC from the interior ministry after the cabinet’s approval. 

According to ARY News, the Sindh cabinet decided to conduct a joint operation against dacoits in the Katcha area, which will be participated by Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan police departments. “It will be a joint and pre-planned operation,” Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said. 

In January, the Sindh police sought Pakistani Rupee (PKR) 2.79 billion for the purchase of military-grade sophisticated and heavy weapons. 

Recently, two policemen were killed while two got injured in a remote-controlled blast in Balochistan’s Khuzdar district, according to a police official, Pakistan-based Dawn newspaper reported. 

Khuzdar Station House Officer (SHO) Muhammad Jan Sasoli told Dawn that Khuzdar Superintendent of Police (SP) Fahad Khan Khoso’s security squad was targeted near the Jhalawan Complex in a “remote-controlled blast”. 

According to Sasoli, one policeman died on the spot while another succumbed to injuries at the District Headquarters Hospital, Khuzdar where the injured were moved for medical treatment. 

According to SHO Sasoli: “SP Khuzdar’s squad was patrolling in the area when the blast occurred.” He added that additional police contingents reached the blast site and cordoned off the area. 

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

Stones pelted at Vande Bharat train in West Bengal

An incident of stone pelting on Vande Bharat Express train has been reported from West Bengal in which window panes of a coach of the high-speed train were damaged, Eastern Railway said in a statement. 

The incident was reported to have taken place near Farrakka in Murshidabad district of West Bengal, late evening on saturday. “This is a very unfortunate incident. It will be investigated,” Kausik Mitra, CPRO, Eastern Railway siad. An inquiry has been ordered, official added. 

Visuals accesed by ANI shows window panes of high-speed train being damaged as stones were allegedly thrown at the train near Howrah station. 

In January 2023, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) informed that two window panes of the Vande Bharat Express train were left damaged after stones were allegedly pelted on the two coaches near the Phansidewa area of the Darjeeling district. This was the second attack as earlier in the same month the Vande Bharat Express window panes were broken as stones were thrown at the train connecting Howrah to New Jalpaiguri near Malda. 

The RPF Commander had informed that the incident happened near the Phansidewa area in the Darjeeling district. 

“Windows of coach C3 and C6 of Vande Bharat Express were found damaged due to stone pelting. It was found, windows were damaged near Phansidewa area in Darjeeling district when the train was moving towards New Jalpaiguri,” he had said.

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