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Dear minorities, liberal media is NOT your friend, you’re being played!

Ahmed Shariff
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Dear minorities, liberal media is NOT your friend, you’re being played!

“If you don’t read the news, you’re uninformed. If you read the news, you’re misinformed.” – anonymous (quote attributed to Denzel Washington and Mark Twain)

I address minorities in the title because when it comes to the majority, the media isn’t even trying to hide their hostility. Is it really that hard to wrap your head around the fact that media lies?

Let us not delude ourselves, all is not perfect in this country. The world is a grim, nasty place and incidents of intolerance and communalism do happen (perpetrated by all sides, mind you). I say this not to hate on India, but more as an acceptance of reality and an acknowledgement of our faults as a society. I am not downplaying these incidents and definitely not belittling the suffering of the victims. But here’s what you need to understand.

The truth: We are a fairly civilized country and the majority of the population are nice, normal people like you and me. They have a conscience and condemn these incidents like any decent human being would. You would know that if you spent less time reading fake news on the internet, and more time actually talking to people around you.

What media wants you to believe: “We are ruled by an evil, fascist, brahmanical tyranny!” Unfortunately for them, such incidents don’t happen often enough to support their theory. If there is a dip in the number of such incidents, any civilized, peace-loving person would see that as good news. But not these people. For them, it’s bad for business. “No incidents of communal tension? No problem, let’s make something up! The gears in our factory of hate and divisiveness need to keep turning!”

Notable recent examples:

1. “I got a semen-filled balloon thrown at me by a group of boys. Hindu festivals are an excuse to harass women!” Seriously? Like… seriously!?? Wasn’t the story exposed to be fake later on?

2. The communal twist given to the Kathua case. The masses have been so thoroughly brainwashed and so completely mentally enslaved, they instantly believed it without question when a headline said: “Hindu nationalists come out in support of rapists.” Media will cry crocodile tears over the little girl, but when it comes to pushing their narrative, they will happily throw a thousand girls like her under the bus.

3. Mind-numbingly stupid articles like “Rasam is a symbol of brahmanical tyranny” and “Bharatanatyam as an Object of Majoritarian Cultural Nationalism.” *facepalm* What next? Bananas! How about them bananas? Bananas are oppressive! Bananas are a phallic symbol of Hindutva male patriarchal oppression which is sexist, misogynist, capitalist, industrialist, photosynthesis, big words… blah blah blah… more big words…

Clearly, these fake stories are circulated with one intent – to scare the living daylights out of minorities! Anyone who dares question these narratives, even in a polite inquisitive manner, is subjected to a volley of insults and abuses – Bhakt! Paid troll! Sanghi! Sexist! Hindutva terrorist! Sensible minorities who are smart enough to see through this are called “Uncle Toms” – all bullying tactics. The same way how western SJWs call people how disagree with them “Nazis” and “Fascists” and “literally Hitler.” Indian liberals are basically just cheap copies of their western counterparts. Bunch of low-IQ wannabes trying too hard to fit in and be as cool as wypipo (slang used to refer white people) by using like words “woke” and “check your privilege” and the latest mental illness to hit the scene – “I am gender non-conforming.” Google it, it is BEYOND ridiculous.

Heights of wannabeism were displayed recently when a group of kids from Mumbai participated in #MarchForLives – a problem that doesn’t even remotely affect India since gun laws in India are way more stringent than in the US.

I know some of you are rolling your eyes while reading my rants here. Exactly. Glad you understand. Now, how about showing the same cynicism to everything you read on the internet!?

A few years ago in Bangalore, police arrested a man who was throwing nails on the busy Hosur road. Turns out he was a puncture shop owner and this was his idea of “business development.” The unholy nexus of politicians and paid media is like that puncture shop guy – create a problem, then sell the solution. Ever occurred to you that certain groups are backward because politicians want them to be backward? They want them to be permanently oppressed and permanent victims? You see, you can’t sell yourself as a problem-solver if there is no problem.

That’s the fundamental difference between liberals and conservatives. Leftist governments want to make a big show about helping minorities by giving free handouts, appearing magnanimous while spending other people’s money (spoiler alert: it’s your taxpayer money!)

Whereas right-leaning folk are asking – after more than 70 years of independence, why are people still backward and need government handouts? There has to be a better solution. (spoiler alert: that solution is capitalism!)

But some people love playing the victim card. In my line of business, I was approached by a guy who said something like, “Look at them, denying us opportunities because we are Muslim.” My response: “Um… no, it’s because you’re supremely incompetent. Doesn’t matter what religion you are, I don’t blame those people for rejecting you. Sorry, I refuse to participate in the Oppression Olympics. I want ‘equal opportunity’ not ‘special treatment.’”

Here’s the truth about religious differences in India – nobody cares! Fanatics exist, but the average Indian is not too invested in religion, the topic is seldom raised in personal and professional interactions. People follow religion to varying degrees, but the vast majority don’t have their lives revolving around it. At the end of the day, we are all human and have the same human problems – health, job, money, instalments, relationship problems, etc. But despite our differences, we’ve found a way to get along. Let me put it this way – today in India, you see a group of people sitting at a table having a good time eating, drinking, talking, laughing – you won’t be able to tell who’s from what religion. Nobody really cares, we get along fine. But understand that this peace and harmony is not unconditional. We exist like this because we understand and respect each other’s boundaries. The guy sitting across the table doesn’t mind me eating stuff that his religion forbids – so long as I don’t stick my fork in his plate. In a multi-cultural society, we have to be sensitive, behave responsibly and not make inflammatory, ill-informed and irresponsible statements, just to get a few more eyeballs on our page. Don’t burn the nation for a few more likes and retweets on your social media.

In the end, dear reader, I ask you this question. What side are you on? There is the side that brainwashes you with fake news and teaches you to be hateful and divisive. And there is the side that says: let’s stop focusing on our differences, and instead, focus on the things that bind us together. Ignore the fake news narrative. Instead, talk to real people, have an open mind, listen to the other side – you will discover that the world is not as bad as the media tells you it is. Be aware of evil in the world, but don’t let it define you as a person.

“Manage your exposure to the horrors of the world. Do not over-expose yourself to the point where you get messed up. Do not cheese-grate your soul into vengeful scraps by constantly rubbing it against the worst aspects of the world.” – Stefan Molyneux

Biased partisan media fills you with hate and fear. And angry, scared people are easier to control and manipulate. Stop reading fake news! Snap out of it, Neo, take the red pill! Or you’ll never find out how deep this rabbit-hole goes.

Chidambarams charge-sheeted for undiclosed foreign assets

OpIndia Staff
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Chidambarams charge-sheeted for undiclosed foreign assets

Defence Minister of India Nirmala Sitharaman held a press conference today putting allegations of undisclosed foreign assets of former union minster P Chidambaram. The Income Tax department has filed chargesheets against him, his wife Nalini, son Karti and daughter-in-law Srinidhi under the Black Money Act. She urged Congress President Rahul Gandhi to come out and clarify the issue which he has been raising in the past.


She further informed that the amnesty scheme was brought in 2015 with September 30 as the deadline for disclosure of illegal assets. She alleged that Chidambarams have some 21 foreign bank accounts in many countries. Since the assets were not disclosed partly or fully and this can’t be a case of oversight by a former minister hence IT department will move forward in the investigation. She pointed out that such disclosure was not made either in 2009 or in 2016 affidavit.

On Friday, the Income Tax department had filed four charge-sheets against the Chidambarams for non-disclosure of assets held in foreign countries. The charge-sheets have been filed in a special court at Chennai under section 50 of the Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015. The IT officials informed that the charge-sheet has been filed as the case has reached its “logical conclusion”

Section 50 IT Act 2015 (Source : www.incometaxindia.gov.in )

She told the media that the Chidambarams have been charged for allegedly not disclosing immovable foreign assets such as one at Cambridge in UK worth Rs 5.37 crore, another property worth Rs 80 lakh in the same country and some assets worth Rs 3.28 crore in the US.

BJP President Amit Shah gave a tweet stating that the four charge-sheets have been filed for the assets amounting to USD 3 billion.


The Black Money Act was enacted by the Modi government in its push to trace and bring illegal financial assets stashed abroad. The law carries a tax of 120 percent, penalty on undisclosed foreign assets and a jail term of upto seven years. Previously, such issues were dealt under Income Tax Act, 1961. The department had issued notices to Karti Chidambaram but he had challenged those on the grounds that he has already submitted the details to another tax authority and that “parallel proceedings” can’t be done against an individual under the same law. The High Court had dismissed his petition.

Meghalaya CM in talks with the centre to restart coal mininig

OpIndia Staff
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Meghalaya CM in talks with the centre to restart coal mininig

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, along with Advocate General Amit Kumar, has met Union Coal Minister Piyush Goyal to discuss about coal mining in the state. Chief Minister and Advocate General had also held a discussion with the officials in the Ministry of Coal such as Additional Secretary and Joint Secretary and the ministry has asked the state government to work on different modalities. A team from the ministry would also be visiting Meghalaya soon.

Earlier, the Chief Minister had met the ministry officials to discuss about the operational coal mining in the state keeping in mind the balance between economy and environment. He had setup a group of ministers to study the ban on coal mining in the state. Coal mining is unique and an important source of livelihood for many people in the state as miners, traders and transporters. According to some estimates, the ban has cost the state exchequer a loss of about Rs. 600 crore.

An interim ban was imposed on April 17, 2014, on the illegal rat-hole mining in the state by NGT on a petition by All Dimasa Students’ Union and the Dima Hasao District Committee. The commercial rat-hole mining in Meghalaya started in 1980s.

After opposing his invitation to the convocation, AMUSU seeks the President’s intervention in resolving the Jinnah controversy

OpIndia Staff
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After opposing his invitation to the convocation, AMUSU seeks the President’s intervention in resolving the Jinnah controversy

The Aligarh Muslim University Students Union (AMUSU) has written to President Kovind seeking his intervention on the matter of the Jinnah portrait at the University to put to rest the controversy surrounding it. The student body has also alleged in their letter that the state government has failed to take any satisfactory action thus far. According to them, the Aligarh District Administration has not acted yet on those who allegedly trespassed the university campus and engaged in violence on May the 2nd.

AMUSU President Mashkoor Ahmed Usmani, among other leaders of the students union, has sought an appointment with President Kovind over the matter. “We have high regard for the president and we hope his prompt intervention will ensure justice and fair play on this critical issue which we are presently facing,” Usmani said. He added that a similar letter was sent to Union HRD Minister Prakash Javdekar and that they were currently awaiting the responses to their letters.

AMUSU President Usmani also said that they were not defending Jinnah or his portrait. He said, “We’d again like to make it very clear that the students of Aligarh Muslim University are in no way defending Mohammad Ali Jinnah or his portrait.” Usmani also claimed that the Jinnah portrait controversy was a “hoax” manufactured by certain sections of the media along with the ruling party at the center.

Controversial former Vice President Hamid Ansari, who is known at attend programs organized by violent Islamist outfits, has also come out in support of the students of AMU over the Jinnah controversy. While supporting the call for a judicial probe by the AMUSU, Ansari also lauded the violent protests by the AMU students and said it was ‘commendable’.

Intriguingly, the student organization which is now seeking President Kovind’s aid had opposed tooth and nail his invitation to the annual convocation as chief guest by the university administration. AMUSU Secretary Mohd Fahad had said, which appeared to be a thinly veiled threat, “If any Sanghi or anyone associated with Gandhi’s assassination and demolition of the Babri Majid attend the convocation, they will not be treated well as we know how to deal with such elements.”

The University was mired in a controversy after BJP MP Satish Gautam wrote to the Vice Chancellor of the AMU demanding that the portrait of Jinnah be removed questioning the need for it on the University walls. Following the letter, clashes had ensued between students and activists who were demanding that the portrait be removed where numerous policemen got injured.

This Mothers’ Day, every mother would be ashamed of Gurmehar Kaur’s mentor

OpIndia Staff
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This Mothers’ Day, every mother would be ashamed of Gurmehar Kaur’s mentor

Healthy democracy is all about being critical of the elected leader. However, hate for Prime Minister Modi has made people forget basic human decency. Gurmehar Kaur’s mentor, Ram Subramanian, who has previously rooted for Prime Minister Modi’s assassination, didn’t even leave Modi’s mother out of his vile tweets. Today, being International Mothers’ Day, Subramanian tweeted how his mother should have considered abortion.


As if that was not enough, he followed it up with posting a picture of sand sculpture made by sand sculpture artist Sudarshan Pattnaik which featured Prime Minister Modi taking blessings from his mother, and called it ‘ugly’.


While there is no reason to dignify his crassness with a response, it is essential to know the kind of people who are trying to influence youth. Thankfully, he got called out by people for his hateful tweet by people across the political spectrum.


Ram Subramanian is supposed to be an ad filmmaker who has worked with top advertising firms like Ogilvy, Contract. But recently he seems to have started specialising in political agenda peddling and hate mongering.

A well known AAP supporter, he had openly volunteered to work for the party in the 2015 Delhi assembly elections and had shot to fame for being a mentor to minute-made celebrity Gurmehar Kaur who held a placard and proclaimed that ‘Pakistan didn’t kill her father, war did’. This had later exploded into a free speech under attack narrative after she was allegedly trolled and also supposedly received death threats. However, it came to light that the torch bearer of free speech had herself threatened and intimidated a group of young boys running a harmless meme facebook page.

Locals find bomb in TMC leader Arabul Islam’s house a day after he being sent to police custody

OpIndia Staff
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Locals find bomb in TMC leader Arabul Islam’s house a day after he being sent to police custody

Trinamool Congress leader Arabul Islam was dealt another blow when the day after his arrest in connection with the killing of a supporter of an independent candidate, it was reported that locals recovered handmade bombs from the leader’s house in Bhangar, in 24 Parganas South district.

Officers of Baruipur police district conducted a raid jointly with Kashipur and Bhangor police in the area around the house of arrested Trinamool Congress leader Arabul Islam and a large number of bombs and materials for making bombs which were stored underground in a mango garden near his house were seized.

The arrest on Friday was made as per chief minister’s instructions, and he was produced before the court and remanded in police custody for 10 days.

All this transpired after the shootout on the Save Land Livelihood Environment Protection Committee rally on Friday afternoon where a participant, Hafijul Molla, was shot dead.

Meanwhile, the supporters of the Jami Raksha committee put up roadblocks in many areas of Kashipur demanding the immediate arrest of Khude, Arabul’s brother, and all the persons involved in Friday’s attack in which a supporter of an Independent candidate backed by the Jami Raksha Committee was shot dead at Natunhat.

Arabul Islam cannot boast of an esteemed reputation in the past as well. Instances of he being involved in violence and of his arrests and expulsion have been reported several times in the past.

When it comes to politics in West Bengal, violence has often been the currency of choice for the political parties. They have resorted to brute force and coercion for attaining individual benefits. The party workers have often been caught on the wrong foot, breaking laws fearless of the repercussions. The upcoming Panchayat polls have turned West Bengal into a battlefield, with the Calcutta High Court suspending all the poll processes of West Bengal’s upcoming Panchayat elections. The order came in the backdrop of serious violence across the state with regards to the Panchayat polls. Besides violence, the TMC establishment has been accused of openly intimidating people by carrying out armed rallies.

Besides that, ahead of the West Bengal panchayat elections, voters are claiming that they are deprived of the Centre’s prominent schemes such as Ujjwala Yojana (gas connection) and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (house) to name a few.
Voters are of the view that they would keep development in mind before they exercise their electoral franchise. It’s time Trinamool keeps the murky politics aside and gets down to serious business.

Walmart’s Flipkart experiment is a very good sign for Indian consumers and entrepreneurs

manjeetsingh
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Walmart’s Flipkart experiment is a very good sign for Indian consumers and entrepreneurs

World’s biggest retailer company Walmart just acquired the majority stakes in India’s leading online retailer, Flipkart. Walmart agreed to pay $16-billion for a 77-percent stake in Flipkart. It is Walmart’s biggest deal ever. The country’s e-commerce market is expected to experience explosive growth in the coming decades, so any retailer should see it as a covetable prize.

After struggling for almost a decade in India, this is the best shot they had. The regulatory environment has made it difficult for Walmart and other international retailers to make inroads. Cultural differences between US market and Indian market was also a factor which Walmart was not able to understand. Moms-pops stores are the one who serves the mass population of India. So it was pretty difficult for Walmart and any other retailer to beat that.

Walmart is very strong in physical retail but has failed miserably in online commerce, an area where Amazon is miles ahead. Amazon is almost unbeatable in US e-commerce. They are king, queen, and prince there. With more than 400 stores in China and a partnership with online site JD.com, Walmart is “well-penetrated” in China. This leaves India for Walmart and this deal gives them a head start. Walmart is not going to win its battle with Amazon by taking baby steps or simply imitating Amazon’s playbook. It needs to act early and it needs to be aggressive – and buying Flipkart is just such a move. If you are the world’s largest company (by revenues), how can you not have a presence in India? So, from a strategic point of view, this deal makes a lot of sense. Growth in the Indian retail market and Flipkart’s ability to ride the India consumer wave, it is clear, are what Walmart is betting on in this deal.

India is a jewel of a market where Walmart has been eager to get in. Fastest growing economy, a growing middle class who values education and is increasingly mobile. In US Walmart only grows 2-3% a year but in India, it can grow at 10-15%, something not many countries in the world can offer. If all works well over time, Walmart/Flipkart will be a hugely important company in India. The turning point came when Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Walmart CEO Doug McMillon in the US. The PM asked McMillon to invest in India’s farm sector. That changed the mood, and India was back on Bentonville’s strategy board. Walmart’s India unit hired BCG as an adviser.

Flipkart has an established track record of success. Today, the company has around 30,000 employees, $7.5 billion annual GMV, 54 million active consumers and an annual turnover of $2.3 billion. In its latest fiscal year, it recorded $7.5-billion in gross merchandise volume, which represented growth of more than 50 percent over the previous year. So far they maintain the lead over Amazon India. By joining forces with Walmart, perhaps Flipkart can build on that lead.

This deal will be helpful for Walmart and Flipkart both. Flipkart has 100 million registered users and records more than eight million monthly shipments across Tier-I, Tier-II and Tier-III cities and towns and even rural India. Flipkart is dominating in many segments in India. In Fashion, Electronics they are market leaders and way ahead of Amazon. Ekart’s reach in India is astonishing. Phone Pe is very successful as an individual.  So, $16 billion isn’t too high to have a strong presence in a market that’s expected to reach $1.3 trillion in size in the next five years; this will also make India among the world’s five largest retail markets.

In India, Walmart has an opportunity to do what they’ve always been good at, which is bringing commodities at a reasonable price to the mass market. Walmart is a relentless innovator. In retail, Walmart has changed everything, like the way products are packaged and displayed, the way data about sales is analyzed (Walmart analyses sales for every product category in the US every single hour), the way its warehouses run, the way trucking systems operate. Walmart never stops asking questions like, “Are we selling the right thing, in the right place in the store, in the right package?” The innovation all goes to keeping prices low. And now they have the huge database of Flipkart to understand the notion of the Indian market.

Flipkart and Walmart offer each other a fascinating and valuable partnership. Flipkart needs expertise in selling a whole range of merchandise—how do you sell groceries online? Walmart has got money. So, Flipkart won’t have to go looking for investors anymore. Flipkart offers Walmart the online merchandising skill, which Walmart needs badly. Also, it offers an understanding of Indian consumers, in a way Walmart really understands: through data. Most importantly, this is Walmart’s chance to become a “store” for Indian consumers.

As a consumer, it’s important to remember that the low price isn’t always the best thing. Quality is as important as price, so you need to shop with awareness. Walmart will do what’s in its interest. Taking care of Indian consumers, workers will be the job of the Indian officials. Walmart follows the rules, but Walmart will always push to get the best deal…for itself.

Former VP Hamid Ansari praises students who protested for Jinnah’s portrait

OpIndia Staff
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Former VP Hamid Ansari praises students who protested for Jinnah’s portrait

Former Vice President Hamid Ansari on Saturday has issued a ‘statement of support’ for the students of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) on the issue of Jinnah’s portrait in the campus.

Hamid Ansari said he supports the demand of the AMU Students’ Union, for a judicial probe on the recent incidents in the University and he termed their demand as ‘justified’. The former vice president has reportedly written a letter to Aligarh Muslim University Students Union (AMUSU) president Maskoor Ahmad Usmani regarding the same.


In his letter, Ansari noted that he was present on the campus on May 2 where he was to be conferred the lifetime membership of the Aligarh Muslim University Students Union but it was cancelled due to the ruckus in the campus. Ansari alleges that the incident was orchestrated and even claimed threat as the protesters were very close to his guest house. Also, he supported the Students’ Union’s violent protest and said it was ‘commendable’.

Recently a clash erupted between students on the issue of Pakistan’s founder and Muslim leader Mohammed Ali Jinnah’s portrait  in the campus. Some sections of the students opposed and staged a protest against University authorities for placing the divisive leader Jinnah’s portrait. Violent clashes erupted between students organisations and AMU Student Union dominated by Muslim students, as AMU Student Union was in support of the controversial leader, Jinnah.

Hamid Ansari is not new to controversies. He earlier had issued a statement saying he is feeling insecure and uneasy as a citizen of the country. His statements were condemned by all sections of the society. Recently, post his retirement, he was seen in a programme organized militant Islamic organization Popular Front of India (PFI) which has been accused by the National Investigative Agency (NIA) of being involved in the controversial ‘love jihad’ cases in Kerala.

Fodder scam convict Lalu’s son’s wedding: crowd loots food, crockery

OpIndia Staff
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Fodder scam convict Lalu’s son’s wedding: crowd loots food, crockery

Things went out of hand at RJD supremo and fodder scam convict Lalu Yadav’s elder son, Tej Pratap Yadav’s wedding as unruly crowd breached the cordon separating the VIP pandal and started looting food and crockery. The wedding was taking place in the Bihar Veterinary College ground where people lost their cool when food was not made available to them. An angered crowd overturned the food counter. The organisers even had to resort to lathicharge to control the crowd.

Things went from bad to worse when people started carrying stuff from the venue along with the crockery. Crowd even broke some of the plates they were eating food in. Some party leaders tried to control the crowd, but failed. In fact, even the stage where Tej Pratap and his new wife put garland around each other too broke when too many people climbed it to wish the newly weds, resulting in minor injuries to some people.

While the organisers had said they were prepared to handle 7,000 guests, it appears they weren’t prepared for regulating such a crowd.

Interestingly, when Sushil Kumar Modi’s son was getting married in November last year, Tej Pratap had allegedly threatened to disrupt the wedding which also took place at the same venue.

Karnataka : Exit Polls indicate massive gains for BJP and a possible change in government

Anubhav
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Karnataka : Exit Polls indicate massive gains for BJP and a possible change in government

The voting in Karnataka concluded just a short while back. The campaign trail in Karnataka saw Bharatiya Janata Party, Indian National Congress and Janta Dal (Secular) among others fighting for the right to govern the state. In Karnataka state assembly out of the 224 constituencies, 173 are reserved for the general category, 36 for the scheduled caste and 15 for the scheduled tribe.

As with all elections, the exit polls indicate how a party may perform in that particular election. Exit polls often time in the past have been inaccurate and sometimes the results have been opposite of what the exit polls predicted but they do tend to show a trend.

Karnataka Exit Polls

 

As stated above, the exit polls from different agencies show a steady trend in favour of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). With all of the exit polls indicating a BJP win in Karnataka. Only Today’s Chanakya has shown BJP touching the required 113 mark, but all others have shown that the Bharatiya Janata Party will emerge as the single largest party in the state. If these exit polls are to be believed, Karnataka will soon witness a change in power.

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