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We will try to score 500 runs says Pakistani cricket captain Sarfaraz Ahmed

OpIndia Staff
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We will try to score 500 runs says Pakistani cricket captain Sarfaraz Ahmed

In a press conference before their last World Cup match, Pakistani cricket captain Sarfaraz Ahmed said that the team would try to score 500 to qualify for the semis. Pakistan needs to win the match by a minimum of 312 runs to qualify for the semis, whether they score 400 or 500 or 600.

Pakistan needs to score a minimum of 400 runs to score batting first, and then they have to dismiss Bangladesh for less than 84 or score 350 and dismiss Bangladesh for 38 runs. If they bowl first then they will have no chance.

Sarfaraz Ahmed said,”Obviously we are here to win all the matches. We will do our best to win the last game as well. We will do our best, but we need to be realistic. If you score 600, 500 or 400 scores on a pitch, then you think you can get the other team out for 50? It will be tough, but we will still give it a try.


“The target is in front of us; there are no secrets that [we have] to score 500, 550, and then win by a 316-run margin. But if you look at the tournament then, realistically it is a 280-300 tournament.”

Sarfaraz also said that the turning point for their team in the World Cup was their loss against the mighty Australians. Pakistan was in winning a position at one stage in the match before Starc finished off their innings.

“The turning point was the loss against Australia. We were in a better position to win that game but lost the way in the middle overs. “And if you look at the pitches, they were not for free and open cricket, all the matches they were tough for batting, spin was there, and the ball was not coming on the bat.”


Currently, Pakistan is at the 5th position in Points table with 9 points; they need to win the match to have 2 points and also need to win an unrealistic margin to grab a place in the semis.

Gujarat Rajya Sabha bypolls: Congress MLAs return to Gandhinagar from ‘shivir’, voting underway

OpIndia Staff
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Gujarat Rajya Sabha bypolls: Congress MLAs return to Gandhinagar from ‘shivir’, voting underway

Voting for the Rajya Sabha bypolls in Gujarat is currently underway in Gandhinagar. The Congress MLAs who were whisked away to Banaskantha resort for a ‘shivir’ in a bid to stop horsetrading, returned to Gandhinagar this morning to cast their votes. The bypolls were necessitated after Smriti Irani and Amit Shah vacated their Rajya Sabha seats after they were elected from Amethi and Gandhinagar respectively.

Congress’ nervousness is understandable as close Sonia-aide and senior leader of the party, Ahmed Patel, had only barely managed to scrape through in the Rajya Sabha elections in 2017. Even then, the MLAs were taken to the resort in Karnataka owned by Karnataka MLA DK Shivakumar to prevent them from defecting to the BJP and cross-voting.

While Patel managed to retain his seat, Congress leadership in Gujarat received a lot of flak for abandoning the people who voted for them during one of the worst floods Gujarat faced even as they enjoyed luxury in Bengaluru. It drew more criticism as special chef was arranged for to provide Gujarati meals even as the rescue operations in Gujarat were carried out in their constituencies.

BJP has fielded External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Juglalji Thakor while Congress candidates are Chandrika Chudasma and Gaurav Pandya. The counting of votes will begin at 5 pm today.

Union Budget 2019: British legacy of budget briefcase dumped, Nirmala Sitharaman arrives with ‘Bahi khata’

OpIndia Staff
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Union Budget 2019: British legacy of budget briefcase dumped, Nirmala Sitharaman arrives with ‘Bahi khata’

The Union Budget is to be presented in the parliament today. Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who is India’s first female full-time Finance Minister, has arrived at the Finance Ministry at North Block with the Budget documents.


Nirmala Sitharaman, however, surprised all when she appeared without the usual leather briefcase that has become so symbolic with Finance Ministers arriving on Budget days. On her hands was not the briefcase but a traditional ‘Bahikhata’, wrapped in red cloth and tied with a gold string. The Indian national emblem shone brightly on it.

Chief Economic Advisor Krishnamurthy Subramanian explained the idea behind it. Speaking to media, Subramanian stated that it is the Indian way to store the ledger and account details in a four-fold red cloth. He stated that the FM carrying the documents in that manner represents our departure from the slavery of western thought. He asserted that in our country, it is not the budget, it is the ‘Bahi Khata’.

As explained by a report in Republic TV, the word Budget has been derived from the French term bougette which means a briefcase. The British tradition of ‘opening the budget’ and presenting the financial plans of the government had originated in the 1860s. Eventually, it trickled over to post-colonial India.

The budget will be presented at 11 am today in parliament.

Yet another fake ‘hate crime’, Kanpur incident of Muslim auto driver thrashed for not chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ is fake

OpIndia Staff
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Yet another fake ‘hate crime’, Kanpur incident of Muslim auto driver thrashed for not chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ is fake

On Thursday reports emerged that a Muslim auto driver in Kanpur, Aatib, was allegedly thrashed for not chanting Jai Shree Ram. It was reported that he was allegedly locked up inside a public toilet by three people for refusing to chant ‘Jai Shree Ram’ on Wednesday night.

The Telegraph had reported that Aatib was asked by the customers who hired his auto to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ after they refused to pay the fare. Congress mouthpiece Navjivan, had also reported how three youths mercilessly thrashed Aatib for refusing to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’. In fact, there were reports that communal tensions have escalated in the area because rumours were floated on WhatsApp that Aatib had died after being thrashed for not chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’.

However, the allegations that Aatib was forced to chant Jai Shri Ram are false. According to Police, the men who boarded Aatib’s auto were drunk and matters escalated when they refused to pay fare and got into a heated argument. However, Aatib was not forced to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ as claims made by Aatib. SP South Raveena Tyagi confirmed to OpIndia that the news of Aatib being forced to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ are false.

This is not the first time an alleged ‘hate crime’ has turned out to be someone crying wolf. In May this year, media had reported how one Barkat Ali in Gurugram was beaten up by some Hindu men in Sadar Bazar area and his cap forcefully thrown on the ground. He had even claimed that he was forced to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’. Prime-time debates happened around him since the incident took place right after Narendra Modi was reelected as Prime Minister with a thumping mandate. However, the CCTV recording revealed how it was actually a scuffle between few men and the argument turned into push and shoving in which his cap fell down. The CCTV footage showed how no one had deliberately removed his skullcap. And how even his initial complaint never mentioned that he was forced to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’.

Similarly, in June this year, a madarsa teacher named Mohammed Momin had alleged that he was abused and then run over by the car as he refused to chant Hindu religious slogans at Delhi’s Rohini Sector. However, eyewitnesses rubbished Momin’s allegations. A Police officer said, “The accounts given by some eyewitnesses of the incident do not substantiate the claims made by the victim but the investigation is underway”. CCTV footage from near the crime scene has also not been able to prove the allegations.

In yet another incident, former AIMIM leader who is now a leader of Majlis Bachao Tehreek took to Twitter to share that a Muslim man was beaten up in Karimnagar, Telangana. He alleged that the Muslim man was beaten up for not chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’. It was also shared by other social media users.

However, Commissioner of Police, Karimnagar, Telangana State, shared a video of the Muslim man where he clarified that he was beaten up over a personal issue and there was no communal side to it.

He mentioned how it took place over a ‘love story’. He was beaten up for allegedly harassing a teenaged girl over last few days. The police have registered a case against five persons who beat him up under various sections of the IPC.

You could read our detailed report on how a dozen ‘hate crimes’ turned out to be fake here.

Revealed: Dhoni’s secret of using different logo on bats during the Cricket World Cup

OpIndia Staff
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Revealed: Dhoni’s secret of using different logo on bats during the Cricket World Cup

In a grand gesture to all the bat owners who helped MS Dhoni in the different stages of his career, MS Dhoni using bats in the world cup with different logos on it.

In an interview to Mumbai Mirror, Dhoni’s manager, Arun Pandey revealed reasons for using different bat logos in World Cup games.

As per Pandey, “It’s a fact that he has been using different bats with different brandings, but he is not charging them. He wants to say thank to them for helping in various stages of his career.”

Most of the batsmen charge Rs 4 to 5 crores for bat sponsors. The first multi-dollar deal happened in 1996 when MRF signed Tendulkar as the bat sponsor. Since then, many bat companies signed cricketers all over the world to promote their brand name.

“Dhoni has a big heart. He does not need money; he has enough of it; he is using those bats as a goodwill gesture. BAS was with him from the beginning, and SG also was beneficial to him,” Pandey also said.

MS Dhoni, who is playing his last world cup, has won World T20 in 2007 and World Cup 2011 as an Indian captain. He is the only captain to win ICC World Cup, ICC World T20, ICC Champions Trophy and ICC Number One Test Team mace.

Delhi: Two youths, Maroof and Salman arrested after video of them vandalising shops with swords went viral

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi: Two youths, Maroof and Salman arrested after video of them vandalising shops with swords went viral

A video exposing free run of hooligans in the national capital has emerged. In the terrifying video, a man is seen waving sharp weapons and vandalising the stalls on the roadside.


According to reports, the video relates to an incident that took place on the night of July 2 in Welcome area of Delhi. The man in the video is armed with two weapons, a meat cleaver in his right hand and a long sword in his left hand. He is seen vandalising the food stalls on the side of the road. He hits the stalls with the weapons in his hand, kicks at a glass panel on a food stall, as the people standing there move aside. He also assaults a man who is seen coming out of a shop.

As per reports, Salman was also seen threatening the staff with a machete. As per the police, Salman was released from the jail just a month prior and was accused of extorting the shopkeepers. He even has four other criminal cases against him.

A case has been registered by the police against the accused under the Arms Act. Accused Salman and Maroof have been arrested by Delhi Police. An inquiry has also been ordered by a senior officer in the case.

Former RBI governor Urjit Patel says before 2014, RBI and government was slow in tackling bank crisis

OpIndia Staff
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Former RBI governor Urjit Patel says before 2014, RBI and government was slow in tackling bank crisis

In his first remarks after resigning from the position of governor of Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Urjit Patel held banks, government and the RBI responsible for the spiraling crisis of bad loan mess and the following low capital buffers till 2014. Patel asserted the banks indulged in over-lending and the regulator (RBI) should have acted sooner to reduce the magnitude of the current NPA crisis.

Patel was invited at Standford University where he spoke about the areas of concern for the country’s banking sector including high non-performing assets (NPAs) especially at state-run lenders, and current capital buffers being “overstated” and insufficient to tackle the huge stress. He said, “There are multiple stakeholders responsible for the position we are in right now. Prior to 2014, all stakeholders failed in playing their role adequately. Banks, the regulator, and the government.”

After Narendra Modi came into power in 2014, Patel was appointed as the governor of RBI in 2016, and he had kickstarted asset quality review that led to the recognition that system was reeling from hidden stress. The introduction of bankruptcy laws was one of the moves to assuage the lurking stress. Patel contended these actions profoundly impacted the bank’s ability to fund the demands of the economy, where growth had been slumping.

Patel recommended the current government to stay on the course and enforce tough decisions in the face of difficulties. “Temptations to reset ‘back to the past’ should be forsaken, ” he urged. In addition, he cautioned that “episodic concerns” on stability are possible if there is “foot-dragging, or, worse, back-pedaling”. He also emphasized that short cuts and hiding the problem for future remedy will be futile and will only dealy unlocking of capital, and act as an impediment in the way of financing future investment efficiently.

Regarding NPA issue Patel said, “Matters related to ever-greening the NPA problem may surface again. Banks may be inclined to delay their decision making leading to the reemergence of the NPA crisis.”

He also aired his disappointment about the enforcement of the insolvency and the bankruptcy code, asserting it has “thrown up a worrying number of exceptions” and signs of “gaming” are evident as several major cases are held beyond the 350-day resolution window.

Speaking on the recent measures of forcing bank consolidation by the government, Patel voiced concern suggesting such mergers have “eroded” the value of the entity taking over weaker banks and called IDBI Bank a “highly problematic” organization, which was thrust upon LIC. He also added that the public sector banks have a high ratio of non-operating expenses to their earnings as compared to their private counterparts.

Kerala custodial death: Mother conducts protest march, HC orders probe against magistrate for sending a weak Rajkumar to judicial custody

OpIndia Staff
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Kerala custodial death: Mother conducts protest march, HC orders probe against magistrate for sending a weak Rajkumar to judicial custody

For the past few days, the CPM led Kerala government has come under severe criticism after Rajkumar, a 49-year-old man from Idukki, died after he was taken into custody by the police. Demanding justice, Rajkumar’s mother Kasthuri conducted a protest march today to the Secretariat, demanding CBI probe into her son’s death.


The protest was organised by Raj Kumar Action Council, which was formed to demand justice for Raj Kumar. The had demanded a CBI probe and action against several senior officers for their alleged involvement in the case.

“They could have taken my son to court. If he was proven guilty, they could have even sent him to life imprisonment. At least that way, we would have known that he was in jail and that he was alive”, said Kasthuri while she attended the protest today.

Protesters held up placards that read, “The police officers who murdered my son Rajkumar should be arrested and charged with murder.”

Rajkumar was a native of Kolahalamedu in Vagamon. On June 12, he was arrested by Nedumkandam police for a financial fraud case. As per this report, he was kept in custody for four days before which he was presented to the court on June 16, following which he was remanded to judicial custody. On June 21, he was admitted to the Peermedu taluk hospital and declared dead soon after reaching.

After the preliminary investigation was conducted, 4 officers from the Nedumkandam police station including the SI was arrested. Six others have been transferred after discovering irregularities.

Rajkumar’s autopsy report reveals that he died from pneumonia. It also revealed that he was brutally tortured and beaten up while he was in custody. As per reports, he was so weak that he couldn’t even walk to the court. The magistrate had to walk to his jeep after which he was kept in judicial custody.

After the post-mortem, the Kerala High court had asked for a detailed report on the procedure followed by the magistrate. The court has ordered a probe against the magistrate for sending Rajkumar to judicial custody despite being in such a weak physical condition.

Yesterday, the Crime Branch of the Kerala Police arrested two other officers in connection to the case. Sub Inspector K.A. Sabu and Civil Police Officer Sajeev Antony both testified to the prolonged torture and brutal interrogation of Rajkumar in police custody.

Meanwhile, the Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had assured that justice would be served. He said, “No one has the right to keep a person in custody illegally and beat him to death. Such persons will no longer be there in the force. The government views the latest death seriously and we will take strict action against those responsible for this”.

However, the Opposition has alleged that this the fifth case of custodial death ever since the CPM party had come to power in 2016. Senior Congres leader Ramesh Chennithala said, “the police will always protect the police. This is a brutal killing. In the last three years, there have been five custodial deaths. There has to be a judicial probe”.

The Kerala Police had also earlier said that it suspected the unholy business nexus between local leaders of the CPI(M) and law enforcers had resulted in Rajkumar’s death.

Recently, former IPS officer Sanjeev Bhatt was sentenced to life imprisonment in a custodial death case while he was the ASP in Jamnagar, Gujarat in 1989.

Stone pelted at Hanuman temple in Muzaffarnagar to desecrate idol, one person named Musa arrested

OpIndia Staff
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Stone pelted at Hanuman temple in Muzaffarnagar to desecrate idol, one person named Musa arrested

Within days of the attack on the 100-year old Durga temple by a Muslim mob in Chandni Chowk area of Delhi, yet another incident of an attack on a temple has come to light in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh. According to a report published in Dainik Bhaskar, yesterday morning, a person belonging to the Muslim community pelted stones at the Hanuman temple in Khatauli police station area. The accused tried to desecrate the idol but failed. However, he managed to break the glass frame set up around the idol.

The accused was immediately nabbed and handed over to the police. Upon learning about the incident, members of a Hindu organization reached the temple and surrounded the police station demanding action against the culprit. The police have filed a case against the accused. According to CO Khatauli Ashish Pratap, the accused has been identified as Musa, a resident of Khurja in Bulandsheher. He had come to attend a jamaat in Khatauli. The police are investigating the case and trying to find out about his motive and reason for his visit to the area.

On the night of June 30, a mob had attacked Durga Mandir in Lal Kuan area of Chandni Chowk, Delhi, desecrating the idols inside the temple. The incident had flared up communal tension in the area. So far nine people have been arrested in connection with the incident.

International Court of Justice likely to pronounce judgment in Kulbhushan Jadhav case later this month

OpIndia Staff
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International Court of Justice likely to pronounce judgment in Kulbhushan Jadhav case later this month

Coming as a ray of hope for the former naval commander’s family, the verdict in highly anticipated Kulbhushan Jadhav case is likely to be pronounced by International Court of Justice (ICJ) later this month. This news was confirmed by Raveesh Kumar, official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

In a press conference on Thursday, Kumar announced ‘the decision on this matter will come in the next few weeks. There has been a cross-examination in the case. The International Court will decide on this. For now, the date has to be announced.’


According to reports, the verdict will likely come across in third week of this month.

The 47-year-old Jadhav was sentenced to death by the military court of Pakistan in April 2017 on alleged espionage charges. Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI had kidnapped Jadhav from Iran.

The MEA has reiterated India’s commitment to making all possible efforts to “secure and protect” the rights of Jadhav.

In February 2019, advocate Harish Salve had presented a strong case for Jadhav at ICJ and had argued that Pakistan’s case was weak.

Questioning the process adopted by the military court in Pakistan, which had heard Jadhav’s case and sentenced him, Salve said that the ICJ doesn’t need experts to help it decide whether military courts in Pakistan are due process complaint.

Taking a dig at Pakistan, he said that Indian nationals are not the kind whose nationality needs to be denied. Salve added that Pakistan is being used as a safe haven by terrorists and terror organisations like Hafiz Saeed, Al-Qaeda, JeM, Dawood Ibrahim etc.

Salve said there was no doubt that Jadhav is an Indian national, and as per laws, if a foreign person is detained by a country, consular access must be granted as per article 36 of the Vienna Convention.

Salve had informed the court that India has repeatedly asked for a copy of the judgment convicting Jadhav, and the charges against him but Pakistan still refused to share the documents.

Alleging that Jadhav has become a pawn in Pakistan’s tool to divert international scrutiny from itself, Salve had concluded his arguments by suggesting that time has come for the court to make Article 36 a potent weapon for protection of human rights.

India had first approached the ICJ on May 8, 2017, for egregious violation of the provisions of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, 1963 by Pakistan in the matter.

The court had on May 18, 2017, indicated provisional measures as requested by India and passed an order obligating Pakistan to not carry out the sentence that was awarded Jadhav through a farcical trial by the military court of Pakistan.

Pakistan claimed its security forces arrested Jadhav from Balochistan province on March 3, 2016, where he had reportedly entered from Iran. However, India maintains that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran where he had business interests after retiring from the navy. Jadhav’s sentencing had evoked a sharp reaction in India.

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