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Sameet Thakkar case: Bail rejected, sent to judicial custody

OpIndia Staff
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Sameet Thakkar case: Bail rejected, sent to judicial custody

On Monday, popular social media user Sameet Thakkar has been remanded to judicial custody. He has been re-arrested and sent to judicial custody by a local court in Girgaon. The development was confirmed on Twitter by his sister Sneha Singhvi.

Singhvi tweeted, “Hearing is over. Sameet Thakkar has been re-arrested for making the grave mistake of tweeting (against the Maharashtra CM and his son)…Earlier, he was kept in police custody and now sent to judicial custody.” Multiple FIRs have been registered against Thakkar in Nagpur and Mumbai for his remarks where he has allegedly referred to the Maharashtra Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray as “baby penguin”.

Activist Sunaina Holey had tweeted that Thakkar was re-arrested by BKC Police.

Earlier, the Mumbai Police rearrested Sameet Thakkar from the court premises after a Nagpur court granted him bail. “After being in police custody for 7 days, my brother(Sameet) was granted bail by the Nagpur Court today. However, just after he got bail, he was once again arrested. This time by Mumbai VP Road Police who are now taking him to Mumbai in Nagpur-Mumbai Duronto Express,” Smaaet’s brother Rishi had stated.

Sameet Thakkar tied with a rope, his face covered in black cloth

Earlier last week, an unsettling video of Sameet with his hands being tied with a rope and his face covered with a black cloth, led by police officials had surfaced on the internet. The video was from October 30, when Sameet was being taken to the court which extended his police custody till November 2. In the video, it could be seen that a man with a black cloth wrapped around his head was being led by a man with a rope. The video was captured from a distance and there are policemen clearly visible. Sneha Singhvi, the person who shared the video on Twitter, confirmed to us that the man with a black face cover was indeed Sameet Thakkar.

Sameet’s brother Rishi Thakkar had then reacted that it was gross “human rights’ violation by police as his brother’s hands were tied & face was covered with black cloth when he was brought to court. Rishi Thakkar also added that his brother was being treated like a hardened criminal. He further told ANI, “My brother is paying the price of calling Maharashtra CM a modern-day Aurangzeb & his son, a baby penguin – the terms coined by NCP leaders who are currently in govt with them”.

Punjab Railway blockade: Shekhar Gupta ignores Punjab govt’s inability to clear tracks, blames Modi for cancelling trains

OpIndia Staff
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Punjab Railway blockade: Shekhar Gupta ignores Punjab govt’s inability to clear tracks, blames Modi for cancelling trains

Even as Indian Railways are bearing huge losses due to the ongoing ‘Rail Roko’ agitation by the farmers in Punjab, journalist Shekhar Gupta has attempted to shield the inaction of the Punjab government in getting the tracks cleared and instead passed the buck of the continuing deadlock on the Modi government.

Taking to Twitter, Gupta critiqued the Modi government’s handling of Punjab protests by stopping all the rail traffic, alleging that the government’s decision to stop trains was to “subdue” the farmers. He added that instead of “arm-twisting”, Punjab farmers should be provided with incentives to switch their produce from paddy to corn and citrus.

“Modi Govt’s handling of Punjab protests by stopping all rail traffic is unwise. Can’t subdue Punjab farmers like this. It must work with Amarinder & restore confidence. Punjab farmer needs incentives to switch to corn & citrus from paddy. Arm-twisting will boomerang,” Gupta tweeted.

In essence, there are two points that Shekhar Gupta has made in his tweet. Firstly, he believes that the Modi government should continue to operate the railways in Punjab amidst the looming threat of vandalism and attacks, despite the fact that several cases of assault on locomotive pilots have been reported in the state.

It would be incredibly unwise of the central government to run the railways business as usual even as farmers in Punjab have occupied the tracks and protesting against the government. Railways run the risk of being vandalised, attacked and delayed if the government heeds to Mr Gupta’s suggestions and continue operating the trains, in disregard of the threat posed by the agitation. The protests can take an ugly turn if the trains are allowed to operate even as agitating farmers continue to squat on the tracks.

What is also evident from Mr Gupta’s tweet is that the entire task of allaying the concerns of farmers is Modi government’s responsibility. He has conveniently passed the buck from Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh to the Modi government. While the central government does have a big say in the country’s agricultural policies, however, the state governments are also equally invested in ensuring the welfare of the farmers and therefore it is their responsibility as well to assuage the misgivings of the farmers in their state.

Besides, law and order are the state’s responsibility and if the Punjab government cannot stop the so-called ‘farmers’ from squatting on railway tracks and blocking the passage of trains, there is little that the railways can do here except to cancel the trains to prevent damages and vandalism.

Secondly, Gupta suggests that the government should offer incentives to Punjab farmers to shift from paddy farming. There is merit to the argument made by the Print founder here. Mr Gupta is not wrong when he advises the government to employ inducements to spur farmers away from growing paddy but such ideas cannot be the sole premise for restarting of railways through Punjab.

Initiatives such as offering incentives to the farmers to dissuade them from farming paddy can work on average days when the state is not roiled with agitations and protests. In the current scenario, the railways cannot afford to take the chance of operating in Punjab, where the farmers are occupying the tracks and risk being ransacked and attacked by the agitators. The reports of loco pilots getting assaulted in Punjab indicate how the situation can devolve if the railways are asked to resume their operations in Punjab.

Punjab Government’s inaction responsible for the current railway blockade

Furthermore, it is the responsibility of Captain Amarinder Singh’s government in Punjab to persuade the farmers into calling off their agitation and clear the railway tracks of squatting protestors. However, the fecklessness of the Punjab government, demonstrated in their lack of action to get the railway tracks cleared, suggests that the Captain Amarinder Singh-led Congress regime in the state views the festering of the issue as beneficial to its brand of politics.

Indian Railways has lost over Rs.500 crores in revenues due to the ‘Rail Roko’ agitation in Punjab. All Industries and Trade Forum president Badish Jindal said that the overall loss the state’s businesses have incurred is close to Rs.5000 crore as ‘farmers’ continue to block railway lines. From the steel industry to essential commodities, Punjab is facing a shortage of almost everything. Due to the inaction of the government of Punjab, power stations are unable to get coal for power generation leading to a severe shortage across the state.

High Court had rebuked the Punjab govt over failure to clear railway tracks

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has expressed its displeasure on the failure of the Punjab government to clear the railway tracks. The High Court had said on 29th October that the Punjab government is unable to handle law and order. The High Court had even stated that in case the government fails to get the tracks cleared, it will issue an order and write that the Punjab government has failed to follow the constitution. However, even a rap on the knuckles by the courts haven’t had the desirable effect of Punjab government pushing to end the imbroglio.

It is also pertinent to note that the Congress government in Punjab not only stoked rebellion among the farmers in the state against the central government but also staged protests against the centre for the passage of the three agricultural bills that were passed in September this year.

‘Rail Roko’ agitation started after the passage of three Agricultural Bills

The Rail Roko agitations in Punjab started in September, after which Railways suspended its services in the state stating security reasons. The services were resumed for a short span but again suspended as the government of Punjab failed to get the tracks cleared. In September, the Central government announced three new bills for the agriculture industry. These bills are aimed to remove the middlemen from the sale and purchase of the produce. However, opposition parties tried to paint the bills as an attempt to remove Minimum Selling Price (MSP) and alleged that the Modi government brought these bills to facilitate large players in the agriculture business. Captain Amrinder had tabled a resolution to bypass the new regulations.

Maharashtra: Two ST workers commit suicide within 12 hours, blame Uddhav Thackeray govt for non-payment of dues, reduced salaries

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra: Two ST workers commit suicide within 12 hours, blame Uddhav Thackeray govt for non-payment of dues, reduced salaries

Two employees of Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation(MSRTC or simply ST) have committed suicide within a span of just 12 hours. One of them, in his suicide letter, has blamed the ST corporation and Uddhav Thackeray government for non-payment of dues, reduction in salaries and irregularities as the reason for taking such a drastic decision of giving away his life.

Manoj Chaudhary, a Jalgaon ST bus conductor committed suicide by hanging himself this morning. In his suicide note, he has blamed the ST corporation and Thackeray government for the non-payment and reduction in salary since last several months.

Chaudhary’s bereaved brother claimed that the mounting financial pressure on his brother because of the reduction in his salary by the ST department has pushed him over the edge to commit suicide. “ST department and Thackeray government are responsible for the cutback on the salaries of the employees which triggered my brother to give up his life. From the last three months he was getting a reduced salary,” Manoj Chaudhary’s anguished brother told media.

Earlier yesterday, another ST employee, Pandarang Gadde, from Ratnagiri division had committed suicide. His body was found hanging from the ceiling by his roommate P.A. Tandle, who broke into the room at 4 PM after Gadde did not open the door. It is been alleged that non-payment of salaries from the last 4 months might be the reason behind Gadde committing suicide.

While the Maharashtra government is busy punishing the dissidents who have dared to raise their voices against the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in the state, the concerns of the government employees have fallen on deaf ears, forcing them to embrace suicide. The Uddhav Thackeray government has shown unusual alacrity in punishing Republic TV Editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami by incarcerating him and actor Kangana Ranaut, whose office was demolished by the BMC for her remarks on Mumbai.

However, the same urgency is not displayed in addressing the concerns of the government employees who are suffering from the insurmountable financial crisis because of the Uddhav Thackeray’s misplaced priorities. Earlier in August, an ST employee of the Maharashtra government had committed suicide for over non-payment of salary for over two months. Amol Mali, the ST worker, after being in depression for not receiving his salary for the period of the last two months, had decided to end his life.

Doctors and nurses from other states were deferred payment by Maharashtra government

It is also pertinent to note that not just ST employees and workers but the frontline forces of doctors and nurses battling the coronavirus pandemic were also not paid their dues by the Maharashtra government. In July this year, several doctors and nurses from Kerala, who had come to Mumbai at the Maharashtra state government’s bidding to fight the coronavirus spread in the city, had gone back to their state as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) failed in paying them their salaries.

Maharashtra government sanctions the purchase of luxury vehicles for its ministers

Even as the Maharashtra government struggled to pay the dues of the government employees and medical practitioners, it did not shy away from authorising the purchase of vehicles for its ministers. The approval from the Uddhav Thackeray government came at a time when the Maharashtra Treasury was in a bad shape in the wake of coronavirus induced lockdown in the state. However, disregarding the acute financial crisis suffered by thousands of government employees, whose salaries were either deferred or reduced, Uddhav Thackeray government sanctioned the purchase of 6 new luxury vehicles for their ministers.

Uddhav Thackeray government floats e-tender worth Rs 5 crore on the PR campaign

It is also notable to mention that amidst the coronavirus pandemic that had severely had the state in its grip, the Maha Vikas Aghadi government had floated an e-tender, inviting private advertising agencies to apply for managing the PR of the Chief Minister and the Government of Maharashtra. Notwithstanding the dismal cash position of the government’s treasury, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray was all set to shell out a sum of over Rs 5 crores to promote his Maha Vikas Aghadi government.

According to a government resolution issued by CMO and the Directorate General of Information and Public Relations, the agencies will use audio-visual content, develop creatives and come up with campaigns to promote the government’s image and policies. A major thrust will be on social media.

This entire PR exercise would cost the exchequer a hefty sum of Rs 5,43,60, 240, that is a little short of Rs 5 crore 50 lakhs.

Bombay HC refuses to grant interim relief to Arnab Goswami

OpIndia Staff
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Bombay HC refuses to grant interim relief to Arnab Goswami

The Bombay High Court has refused to grant interim relief from arrest to Arnab Goswami. As reported by Live Law, the Bombay HC, rejecting the plea for interim relief, has stated that alternative remedies are available.

As per reports, the HC bench hearing the plea stated that says no case has made out for exercising extraordinary jurisdiction by the High Court. The bench also stated that it had made clear that alternate remedy is available to the petitioner and the case will not bar the petitioner from availing those remedies. The bench also advised the petitioners to approach the sessions court where the concerned court will decide it within the specified time limit. Saying that their observations are prima facie in the nature only for the purpose of deciding the interim application and will not apply to the application made by Goswami seeking regular bail.

The interim bail applications of other co-accused Nitish Sharda and Parveen Rajesh Singh have also been dismissed, citing the same reasons.

Kapil Sibal’s son admits in court that the high TRP of Republic TV is accurate, while Maha govt alleges ‘scam’

OpIndia Staff
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Kapil Sibal’s son admits in court that the high TRP of Republic TV is accurate, while Maha govt alleges ‘scam’

Advocate Akhil Sibal, son of senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal, appearing on behalf of leading Bollywood production houses has admitted that Republic TV has a massive audience and TRP. He admitted that the two channels, Republic TV and Times Now together represent 70% of the English visual media. This is when the alliance government his father’s party is a member of has accused Republic of manipulating TRP and generating fake stats to claim high viewership.

The Delhi High Court was hearing a plea by leading Bollywood production houses on the alleged derogatory reporting by Republic TV and Times Now. The matter was taken up by the single judge bench of Justice Rajiv Shakdher.

Sibal, duding his argument, emphasised that media needs to practice self restraint and should not slander Bollywood with derogatory references.

The Case against Republic TV and Times Now

Bollywood’s leading associations and production houses in October had filed a suit at the Delhi High Court against Republic TV, Arnab Goswami, Pradeep Bhandari, Times Now, Navika Kumar and Rahul Shivshankar. The suit asks them to refrain from making ‘irresponsible, defamatory and derogatory remarks’ against Bollywood in wake of mysterious death of Sushant Singh Rajput and subsequent drug scandal that has emerged.

The suit also asks them to take down all “defamatory” content published by them against the film industry. The Bollywood bigwigs are upset at the alleged use of words like “dirt”, “filth”, “scum”, “druggies” & expressions such as “all the perfumes of Arabia cannot take away the stench and the stink of this filth and scum of the underbelly of Bollywood” to describe the film industry.

The TRP Scam

The initial FIR that was filed over the matter named India Today and others but not Republic TV and yet, it is Arnab Goswami and his channel that has been targeted over the matter for alleged TRP manipulation by the Mumbai Police. Mumbai Police chief Param Bir Singh had named Republic TV in the alleged scam, claiming that the channel had been indulging in illegal practices to manipulate the TRP meters and claim high viewership. Later, Hansa Research had asserted that its employees are being harassed for not offering a false statement against Republic TV.

The statements by the complainants had also accused that they were paid to watch India Today at their homes. The Mumbai Police’ targeted attack on Republic TV, while ignoring India Today had caused a massive embarrassment for the police and Maharashtra government.

The company, which operates the Bar-O-Meters of BARC (Broadcast Audience Research Council), has moved the Bombay High Court seeking transfer of the probe into the case from Mumbai Police to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), reports Bar and Bench.

After Rahul Gandhi claimed Facebook India was controlled by RSS, Kapil Sibal appears in Court for the social media giant

OpIndia Staff
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After Rahul Gandhi claimed Facebook India was controlled by RSS, Kapil Sibal appears in Court for the social media giant

The Congress party has often accused social media giants of colluding with the BJP and being biased towards the central government. Based on a news report by the Wall Street Journal, even Rahul Gandhi himself had targeted Facebook over the matter. But now, it appears, senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal is appearing for Facebook in the Delhi High Court.

The plea was filed by Bollywood production houses at the Delhi High Court against Republic TV and Times Now over their alleged derogatory reporting. Facebook was made a party to the suit as well and the social media giant appears to have hired Kapil Sibal to represent them at the Court. Appearing for Facebook, Kapil Sibal argued that the tech giant had no role in the suit.

Subsequently, Facebook India sought deletion from the suit as a necessary party. It ought to be mentioned that when the Aankhi Das controversy broke out, Rahul Gandhi had alleged that Facebook and WhatsApp was controlled in India by the RSS and BJP. It is not clear why a senior Congress leader would offer their services for an entity that is controlled by the BJP and RSS.

It is not entirely clear either why an entity controlled by BJP and RSS would seek the services of a senior Congress leader either. Apart from Rahul Gandhi, Ankhi Das had come under severe criticism from others as well due to her alleged inaction over alleged hate-speech by accounts linked to the BJP. She had later filed a case at the Delhi Police’s Cyber Cell unit over violent threats that she received. Only days before Facebook hired Kapil Sibal’s services as a lawyer, Ankhi Das had resigned from Facebook to pursue her interests in public service.

Uttar Pradesh: Congress leader’s son Sunil Gurjar arrested in animal husbandry scam, had also figured in Bhanwari Devi case

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Congress leader’s son Sunil Gurjar arrested in animal husbandry scam, had also figured in Bhanwari Devi case

Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force has arrested Sunil alias Monty Gurjar in Animal Husbandry and Salt scam. He is the adopted son of former Lt. Governor of Puducherry and veteran Congress leader of Rajasthan, Govind Singh Gurjar. Sunil used his son’s nickname Monty to initiate dealings in the scam.

As per reports, the UP STF arrested Sunil from Jaipur airport minutes before he could board a flight to Dubai. He is accused of duping an Indore businessman of Rs 9.72 crore on the pretext of awarding him a tender of the UP animal husbandry department. He was carrying a reward of Rs 50,000 on his arrest. He is reportedly a close aide of the scam mastermind Ashish Rai who is currently lodged in Lucknow jail.

Sunil also duped his sister-in-law of 21 lakh rupees and two Gujarat based businessmen Neelambhai Patel and his brother Sandeepbhai Patel of several crores.

In September, STF arrested Santosh Mishra in connection of the said case. Mishra was former state head of a TV channel. Till now, police have made over ten arrests in the case.

Ramnarayan Gurjar, Sunil’s biological father, was Congress MLA from 2014 to 2019 for the Nasirabad seat in Ajmer district. He also contested in the 2018 assembly elections on Congress seat but lost. Sunil wanted to contest assembly elections in 2014 and 2018, but Congress decided to give the ticket to Ramnarayan Gurjar. He and his father are from Sachin Pilot’s group.

The STF also seized Gurjar’s passport and Aadhaar card. Rs 18,500 in cash, three mobile phones and a trolley bag were also seized.

Sunil’s name has been involved in many fraud cases for a long time. It has been alleged that he made crores of illicit money by selling Nagmani, magic class, and antique items. However, due to his influential position, no one dared to register a case against him.

Gurjar’s connection in Bhanwari Devi Scandal

Sunil Gurjar’s name was echoed in the Bhanwari Devi scandal. 36-year-old Bhanwari Devi, who worked as a nurse, got in touch with some Congress leaders in connection with her transfers and postings in government hospitals. In 2011, she was abducted and subsequently killed.

According to the CBI charge sheets, Bhanwari Devi made a sex tape of her with Congress leader and former minister in Rajasthan govt Mahipal Maderna with the help of Congress leader Malkhan Singh Bishnoi’s sister, Indra. She (Indra) had a political plan – she wanted to defame Maderna with the sleaze tape and see him removed from the ministry. She thought Maderna’s removal will create space for her brother, Bishnoi, in the cabinet.

CBI said Maderna’s motive for killing Bhanwari Devi was this tape. For Bishnoi, the motive behind Bhanwari Devi’s killing was the nurse’s threat to announce during a community gathering on September 7, 2011, that Malkhan Singh was her daughter’s father.

Former minister Mahipal Maderna who is currently lodged in jail, told the media before his arrest that Sunil Gurjar showed him the sex CD in the first place. It was believed that Gurjar was behind the idea of making sex CDs of Bhanwari Devi, and he also made the arrangements to get it done. He rented a house in Ajmer for creating CDs, and Bhanwari Devi stayed there several times. 

CBI ran an extensive search of Gurjar in the Bhanwari Devi case, but he managed to avoid arrest for several months. Later, after prominent names echoed in the case, CBI postponed his arrest. It is believed that Sunil used contacts of his father, Govind Singh Gurjar, to avoid arrest.

Millions of diyas to light up Ayodhya as Ram Jamnabhoomi to have Deepotsava after five centuries

OpIndia Staff
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Millions of diyas to light up Ayodhya as Ram Jamnabhoomi to have Deepotsava after five centuries

Around 5,000 years ago, Bhagwan Ram returned home on Kartik Maas Amavasya from 14-year long vanvas (exile), and the people of Ayodhya lit diyas to welcome him. For millions of Hindus, Diwali not only connects them to the roots of Sanatan Dharma but also gives them a chance to connect with family members. While Hindu across the world will be lighting diyas, lights, and firecrackers, people of Ayodhya will experience never-like-before Diwali celebrations with over 5.51 lakh diyas in the city.

As per reports, state rural development department has brought together various self-help groups, many of which have women members, to create employment opportunities by manufacturing diyas. State govt plans to light up as many as 5.51 lakh diyas in Ayodhya during the Deepotsav planned from 11 to 13 November.

Ram Janmabhoomi to see celebrations after 500 years

Around 500 years back, the Bhavya Ram Mandir was replaced with a disputed structure often referred to as Babri Masjid. The people of Ayodhya were waiting since then for the return of Bhagwan Ram to the abode. In November 2019, the Supreme Court of India finally ruled in favour of the Hindus.

In August 2020, the construction of Ram Mandir started after Bhoomi Pujan by PM Narendra Modi. Several years of wait and supreme sacrifice by countless Karsewaks made it possible for every Ram Bhakt to experience the emotional moment of the first Diwali in 500 years at Ram Janmbhoomi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also take part in the festivities virtually.

A portal to virtually lighting Diyas in Ayodhya

Uttar Pradesh government is developing a web portal for the Ram Bhakts to facilitate virtual lighting of diyas on Diwali in Ayodhya. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, millions of Ram Bhakts will not be able to attend the first Diwali in 500 years in Ayodhya.

To make sure no Ram Bhakt feels left out, a web portal will provide the facility to virtually light up a lamp in Ayodhya. Before lighting the diya, the devotee will be able to choose earthen, brass, or copper diya and type of oil to light it. CM Yogi Adityanath is personally overseeing the preparations to ensure everything is on schedule.

5.51 lakh Diyas will lit up Ayodhya like never before

Since Yogi Adityanath took over charge as CM in Uttar Pradesh, Ayodhya breaks records of lighting diyas every year. This year, the city will experience the emotional rollercoaster ride with 5.51 lakhs diyas scheduled to be lit across the city. There are 10,000 volunteers working day and night to complete the preparations. Last year, 4,26,000 diyas were lit, which was a record in itself. In 2017, 1.17 lakh diyas were lit on Diwali in Ayodhya. 24 ghats have been marked for the celebrations.

An opportunity to the righteous path for women hooch peddlers

Women hooch peddlers of Barabanki took a giant leap of faith in Bhagwan Ram and adopted the righteous path this Diwali. It was an initiative of Barabanki police under which they reformed women hooch sellers of Chayanpurva under Ramnagar police station. The region is infamous for the production and sale of hooch that is a deadly concoction mostly brewed by women.

Arvind Chaturvedi, superintendent Barabanki police, said the initiative was started two months back as they began to encourage women to shift to alternative jobs like beekeeping and to produce wax candles. They trained women before the festive season to mold earthen diyas. Every woman will get Rs.5.50 per diya that they make deposited directly in their bank account.

Kanchan had been making the poisonous potion even after losing her husband to hooch to keep her kitchen running. She happily shifted to diya molding under the initiative. For Kanchan, it was no less than a miracle. Times of India quoted her saying, “A miracle is happening. Just two months ago, I was selling hooch and was a criminal in the eyes of law. Today, I am doing a pious job and my diyas will hail the homecoming of Lord Ram from exile.”

50-year old Sundara also left the illegal production of hooch and shifted to diya molding. She said, “My husband was disabled after consuming illicit hooch, but I continued to be in the liquor business to bear expenses of my two grandchildren, who study in Lucknow. Now, there’s a huge turnaround in our lives. I don’t have to go to jail or suffer police raids.”

Diyas made of cow dung

The government-run gaushalas are preparing special diyas made out of cow dung. These diyas will be used in the celebrations, especially in the Ram Mandir campus. The Rashtriya Kamdenu Aayog, a government enterprise, started the national-wide project to develop cow-dung based products in view of Diwali in October. 33 crore cow-dung diyas were to be made under the project. At that time, it was announced that 3 lakh of these diyas would be used in Ayodhya.

Bollywood drug probe: NCB raids Arjun Rampal’s premises

OpIndia Staff
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Bollywood drug probe: NCB raids Arjun Rampal’s premises

Intensifying the Bollywood drug probe, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Monday raided the premises of actor Arjun Rampal. As per reports, the raid comes days after his girlfriend Gabriella Demetriades’ brother was arrested over allegations of being in touch with drug peddlers. The South African national was reportedly in touch with the drug peddlers arrested in connection to Sushant Singh Rajput death case.

As per reports, his driver has been taken into custody.

On Sunday, Bollywood film producer Firoz Nadiadwala’s wife Shabana Saeed was arrested by the NCB. Nadiadwala was not at home when the raid took place. He has also been summoned by the NCB. Earlier, NCB had summoned Bollywood actors Deepika Padukone, Sara Ali Khan and Shraddha Kapoor in the case.

Arjun Rampal’s name had also emerged in the Bollywood drug probe. A report by Dainik Bhaskar had stated that the top Bollywood actors under probe for drug abuse whose names start with ‘A’, ‘D’ and ‘S’ are Arjun Rampal, Dino Morea and Shah Rukh Khan respectively. Citing the NCB officer, Bhaskar report states that the drug peddler source told them that Arjun Rampal would take drugs to Shah Rukh Khan’s house. 

Last month, NCB had said that Rampal’s girlfriend’s brother is part of the drug syndicate that supplies drugs, and was in touch with other accused arrested in the case. During the raids, 1 strip of Alprazolam tablets was recovered. Following that, a room in Lonavala was raided where they recovered 0.8 grams of small round shaped black coloured sticky substance purported to be charas.

Following the recoveries, Demetriades was summoned by NCB questioning, where he confessed that he consumes cannabis leaves sometimes. He revealed that a rickshaw driver had supplies him the drugs. 

Tejashwi will defeat Nitish like Biden defeated Trump: Shiv Sena’s Saamana goes starry-eyed with Bihar-USA parallels

OpIndia Staff
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Tejashwi will defeat Nitish like Biden defeated Trump: Shiv Sena’s Saamana goes starry-eyed with Bihar-USA parallels

Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana is often known for making hyperbolic assertions. In its latest article, it seems to have taken its embellishments a notch further by drawing an analogy between the US Presidential elections and the Bihar Assembly elections. 

The Saamana editorial claimed that just like Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump in the US elections, similarly, Tejashwi Yadav will defeat the NDA alliance of BJP and JDU in Bihar. The assertion was made days after several exit polls suggested that Bihar might see a hung assembly, with NDA alliance and its rival Mahagathbandhan coalition racking up almost identical number of seats in the 243-seat Bihar Assembly elections. 

The article went to claim that just like the Americans took the ‘wise decision’ of removing US President Donald Trump out of the office, the people of Bihar have decided to vote out Nitish Kumar. 

Standing besides the wrong person is never our culture: Saamana

“Just like Americans have voted for their ‘independence’ by voting for Joe Biden, signs of independence is visible in Bihar too. The struggle of Biden and Tejashwi Yadav was against injustice, untruth, and hypocrisy. He seems to be successful,” the editorial said. 

The editorial also took a swipe at the BJP government and PM Modi for organising “Namaste Trump” event and appearing to back Donald Trump. “Standing beside a wrong person has never been our culture,” the article said.

Even before the Bihar elections results are out, Saamana preemptively proceeded to claim that Prime Minister Modi and Nitish Kumar could not stand in front of the RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav. 

‘Tejashwi Yadav wave sweeping Bihar’: Saamana

“False balloons were released into the air and they have now disappeared in the air. People took the election of Bihar into their hands. Tejashwi did not bow down before Prime Minister Modi and Nitish Kumar. A Tejashwi wave was sweeping Bihar, with large number of people attending his rallies,” the article said. 

The article further said, “The power of public is superior and omnipotent. Even the fears of the return of Jungle Raj were unheeded. People have made it clear that we don’t want your rule. First the NDA has to go. Later, if Jungle Raj returns, we will deal with it.”

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