The farmers of Punjab have opened a protest front against the Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party government. Farmers protested in Amritsar on Saturday (30 March) against the state government’s decision regarding the market committee and burnt the effigy of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
During the demonstration, the protesters called him ‘anti-farmer’ and raised slogans against him. Farmers protesting near the Golden Gate in Amritsar said that they would fight against the dictatorship of Bhagwant Mann.
They said that the AAP government in Punjab has decided to dissolve 26 market committees, which is against the interests of farmers and labourers. They accused Bhagwant Mann of backstabbing farmers.
Amritsar: Farmer-labor organizations stages a protest against the govt's decision to dissolve 26 market committees led by Bhagwant Mann's govt. pic.twitter.com/cMEHlus7pd
One of the farmers said, “Farmers and labourers are burning the effigy of the Bhagwant Mann government. Bhagwant Mann’s government has backstabbed the farmers of Punjab. And has caused damage to us. The government dissolved 26 market committees in Punjab. They have handed over all the work to 9 corporates. In protest, we are burning the effigy of Bhagwant Mann.”
He added, “To save his government, Bhagwant Mann strangled Punjabis. I call upon the traders that if they want to stay in the market, then speak against the government. I will ask the market committee officials to come ahead against them. In due course, we will decide what decision to take against the Bhagwant Mann government.”
In another video, this farmer said, “We will also decide whether to allow the Aam Aadmi Party to enter the village or not if this notification is not cancelled. Along with this, we would like to tell the Bhagwant Mann government that if you do not withdraw this decision, then you will also have to face us.”
The farmer from Punjab said that the Aam Aadmi Party government has turned agro-markets into corporate yards. He said that the decision to buy, sell and store wheat for the year 2023-24 has been given to the corporate companies. He warned that the protest would now reach a climax in Punjab.
Notably, the Punjab state government has amended the Market Committees Act and dissolved the market committees to merge with various other departments. This has provoked the farmers of Punjab who are now accusing the Bhagwant Mann government of dictatorship and working against the farmers and labourers.
Former Chief Minister of Karnataka Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday claimed that the Congress party has given tickets to the family members of the ministers due to the lack of suitable candidates.
“The ruling party will split after the parliamentary polls,” Bommai said.
He told reporters that the Congress party would split within three months after Narendra Modi would take oath as the prime minister for the third time. It would have an impact on Karnataka also.
“The Dynasty politics has been there in the Congress party and it wasn’t new. But this time giving more tickets to the kith and kin of the ministers was for a different reason. The High command had asked ten ministers to contest in the parliamentary polls but they were not confident to win the election. When the national leaders asked them to suggest suitable candidates, they got the tickets to their sons, daughters, son-in-law, daughter-in-law and brother. This would not benefit the party at all as the voters have decided to vote for PM Modi,” he added.
Bharatiya Janata Party leader in Karnataka Basavaraj Bommai is contesting from the Gadag-Haveri Lok Sabha constituency in the Lok Sabha elections.
Further, the former CM said he would decide tomorrow when to file the nomination as Lok Sabha candidate.
Karnataka, which has 28 Lok Sabha seats, will vote in two phases on April 26 and May 7.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress and JD-S fought together against the BJP and the combine was decimated.
The BJP had won a record 25 seats; Congress and JD-S won just one seat each. The Lok Sabha Elections 2024 will be held in seven phases, starting on April 19. The counting of votes is on June 4.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
On Friday (29th March), ‘journalist’ turned Trinamool Congress MP Sagarika Ghose courted controversy for downplaying the plight of women in Sandeshkhali village of West Bengal.
During an interview with leftist propaganda outlet The News Minute, she was asked to speak about the unrest in Sandeshkhali. The interviewer Sudipto Mondal also tried his best to present the accusations of sexual violence against women as a routine political affair in Bengal.
“I mean you (Sagarika Ghose) have barely been nominated and you are in the middle of a storm because of Sandeshkhali. I will give you a second or two to talk about Sandeshkhali and how it is symptomatic of politics in Bengal and whoever comes over there does this kind of politics…It has become a nature of politics over there… How does your liberal self not get a little (rattled)?” Mondal was heard saying.
At the very onset, Sagarika Ghose attempted to trivialise the role of Trinamool Congress goons namely Sheikh Shahjahan and his accomplices Shibu Prasad Hazra and Uttam Sardar in the Sandeshkhali unrest.
“I think in every political party and every democratic political party, there may be individuals within the party system who are not part of a certain way of thinking. There are those individuals who perhaps commit mistakes,” she was heard saying.
“There are lumpen elements in every party. At the end of the day, we have to look at how a political party responds,” the Trinamool Congress MP said while conveniently forgetting how her party supremo dubbed the protests by women as a ‘minor incident.’
Sagarika Ghose justifies arrest of Republic TV journalist
On hearing that, Sudipto Mondal said, “How did the political party respond? You said that the guy has been arrested. You know that the law is taking its course but both of us can agree that there was a delay and prohibitory orders were imposed there (in Sandeshkhali).”
“As a result, journalists could not land up on the spot. Section 144 applied to anybody who wanted to go and find out what’s happening over there,” he added.
At that point, Sagarika Ghose went on a tirade against Republic TV and said that ‘propagandists’ are bound to face consequences. “No? Apply to who? Umm Republic TV. They are not journalists. They are propagandists. They spread hate. And they are not fair or accurate,” she brazened out.
“When a propagandist goes to a particular place and demands the freedoms of the journalist to practice hate and propaganda, he or she will invite consequences,” the self-declared crusader of free speech remarked. She then claimed that Republic TV was seeking to incite or inflame because they supposedly ‘profit from hate’.
It must be mentioned that the Sandeskhali police arrested a Republic TV journalist named Santu Pan on the directives of the Mamata Banerjee government. He had to spend 3 days in jail before being granted bail by the Calcutta High Court.
Sagarika Ghose passes off Sandeshkhali unrest as ‘local land dispute’
On 7th March this year, Sagarika Ghose tweeted, “Exhilarating experience on the women’s march today led by India’s only woman chief minister @MamataOfficial ahead of #InternationalWomensDay. A pleasure to meet @abhishekaitc on the march.”
“Meeting the women of Sandeshkhali was an eye-opener. They said local land disputes were being politicised by outsiders ahead of elections and Sandeshkhali’s own votes remained firmly with Trinamool Congress,” she brazened out.
Sagarika Ghose wasted no time in downplaying the unrest in Sandeshkhali village, which took place after scores of women took to the streets demanding justice for the atrocities committed against them by TMC goons.
She brushed off the raging controversy as a ‘local land dispute.’ OpIndia had reported the testimonies of several women of Sandeshkhali. They courageously narrated the sexual exploitation suffered by them at the hands of TMC leaders such as Sheikh Shahjahan and his aides Uttam Sardar and Shiba Prasad Hazra.
While illegal land grabbing by the Trinamool Congress was one of the concerns of the villagers, it wasn’t the crux of the issue. The former ‘journalist’ shrewdly dismissed key concerns of women’s safety and threats of gang rape received by the victims from her party leaders.
Interestingly, Sagarika Ghose mentioned that the villagers would continue to vote for the TMC. She however forgot to inform that the likes of Sheikh Shahjahan did not spare the women who voted for the party.
Besides denying the harrowing experiences of the women in Sandeshkhali as a ‘local land dispute’, Sagarika Ghose accused the ‘outsiders’ of politicising the issue. The use of the word ‘outsider’ to refer to the Opposition BJP in West Bengal is a well-thought-out move.
Since 2019, the TMC supremo Mamta Banerjee herself has blamed ‘outsiders’ for incidents of violence and unrest that took place in the State. The objective behind it was to evade responsibility for failing to provide safety and security to the residents of West Bengal.
It also served another purpose of creating a magnified sense of fear among the Bengali community that migrants from other states were somehow usurping their culture, language and safety.
The regionalism and eventual polarisation have yielded great results for the TMC in the 2021 West Bengal elections. Now, Sagarika Ghose is following in the footsteps of Mamata Banerjee.
Three Independent MLAs sat on a day-long protest outside the assembly premises in Shimla on Saturday, demanding that the Speaker accept their resignations.
MLAs Hoshiyar Singh from Dehra, Ashish Sharma from Hamirpur and KL Thakur from Nalagarah submitted their resignations to the Speaker on March 22.
All three MLAs were seen holding placards outside the library of the assembly. The placards read, “We have given our resignation from the membership of the Assembly voluntarily, without any pressure, in person to the Speaker of the Assembly. Please accept our resignation as soon as possible.”
Hamirpur MLA Sharma said that they are now planning to move court.
“Today all three of us are sitting in protest. Unfortunately, democracy is being crushed here. The entire Himachal and country are watching it. We submitted our resignation on March 22 and it has not been accepted so far. We had given our resignation to the Speaker by email as well and we want them to accept it as soon as possible. We shall approach the court; if our resignations are not accepted, we shall move the court. Constitutionally, they have to accept the resignation immediately. The speaker is playing the role of the Congress party; he wants to delay the elections; that is the only reason we are protesting,” Sharma said.
Nalagarh MLA Thakur said that they’ll either go to the High Court or the Supreme Court.
“It is very unusual and unfortunate that we have to protest to accept our resignation in a democratic setting. They were alleging that we are under pressure, and we want to show them through this that we don’t have any pressure. We want the speaker to immediately accept our case. The speaker is not here; if he does not accept it, we shall approach the court. We shall consult it with the senior advocates and will decide whether to approach the Supreme Court or the High Court,” Thakur said.
Dehra MLA Singh said that they have decided to contest elections on the ticket of the BJP.
“This is the first time we are protesting to accept our resignation. I don’t know why they are delaying; I don’t know what the fear is. We have given our resignation willingly and we have done it after humiliation. This is the death of democracy; they are not accepting our resignation,” Singh said.
“They have been alleging horse trading, all of us are well to do; they have humiliated the MLAs; and the work of legislators has been stopped in all sectors. They don’t have any right to accept our resignation, we have decided to contest elections on the ticket of the BJP. If the party doesn’t give us a ticket, we shall serve the people as workers,” he added.
This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
The Department of Telecom has asked telecom operators to deactivate USSD-based call forwarding with effect from April 15, and provide the service using alternative methods. USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) service allows users to activate various services by just dialling an active code on their phones. For example, the service is often used for checking IMEI numbers and prepaid phone balances. However, after 15 April, USSD can’t be used to activate call forwarding.
As per the govt, this order has been issued to check frauds and online crimes that are operated through mobile phones. In an order issued on March 28, the DoT said that it has come to its notice that USSD based call forwarding facility, the *401# services for unconditional call forwarding services, is being misused for some unwarranted activities.
“In this regard, it has been decided by the competent authority that all licensees shall discontinue the existing USSD-based call forwarding services with effect from April 15, 2024, till further notice,” the notification said.
The users who have activated call forwarding using USSD will have to re-activate the service using alternate methods after 15 April. The order stated, “All existing subscribers who have activated USSD-based call forwarding service may be asked to reactivate call forwarding services through alternative methods to ensure that such services are not activated without their notice.”
Recently, a rise in cybercrimes using USSD-based call forwarding has been noticed, prompting the govt to stop the service. The criminals call people pretending to be customer service representatives or technical support staff from their telecom service provider. They claim that there is a problem with the SIM of the user or other similar issues related to the telecom network, and ask the telecom subscriber to dial the code *401# followed by a mobile number to ‘resolve the issue’.
By doing so, the victim unknowingly activates unconditional call forwarding on the phone number. This means all incoming calls are forwarded to the number of the fraudster. This can be used to intercept various sensitive information, like voice call based OTP.
Earlier in January this year, the Department of Telecommunications advised users to beware of receiving malicious incoming calls asking them to dial *401# followed by an unknown mobile number.
The union govt in recent times has issued several such advisories cautioning people about cybercrime. On 29 March, the Ministry of Communications issued an advisory against calls impersonating DoT, where the fraudsters threaten people to disconnect their mobile numbers. The DoT also issued an advisory about WhatsApp calls from foreign-origin mobile numbers (like +92-xxxxxxxxxx) impersonating government officials and duping the people.
Cybercriminals through such calls try to threaten/steal personal information to carry out cyber-crime/financial frauds. The DoT has advised citizens to report such fraud communications at the ‘Chakshu-Report Suspected Fraud Communications’ facility of the Sanchar Saathi portal. Such proactive reporting helps DoT in the prevention of misuse of telecom resources for cybercrime, financial frauds, etc.
The DoT has also advised citizens to report at the cybercrime helpline number 1930 or the cybercrime website in case of already a victim of cyber-crime or financial fraud.
On Saturday (30th March), AAP Minister Atishi Marlena held a press conference after another AAP Minister Kailash Gehlot was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the Delhi Liquor Policy scam case. Claiming victimhood, she alleged that the ED could call her next for questioning or arrest her, pre-empting ED’s possible actions in the case to cast aspersions.
However, reports suggest that legal troubles could be mounting for the AAP leader as she was the party’s In-charge for the Goa elections 2022. As per ED, ‘proceeds of crime’ worth Rs 45 crores generated from the Liquor policy scam were used during the state polls.
Atishi's letter to the EC accessed:
– 'Atishi was Goa in charge during Goa polls'
– ED: Liquorgate money allegedly used in Goa poll campaigning.
– ED: AAP major beneficiary of the Delhi Liquor Scam.
According to the Times Now report, Atishi Marlena was the party’s in-charge when the Liquorgate money was used in Goa poll campaigning, as claimed by ED. On 13th February 2022, Atishi Marlena addressed a letter to the Election Commission where she addressed herself as the party’s In-charge for the Goa polls, as per the letter accessed by Times Now. The elections ended on 14th February 2022 in the state which means that the onus is also on Atishi Marlena. If Arvind Kejriwal can be arrested for allegedly misusing and taking bribe amounts from the South Indian liquor lobby then certainly trouble is mounting for Atishi Marlena, the Times Now journalist Priyank Tripathi added.
The report pointed out that ED revealed before the court that AAP was the major beneficiary of the Delhi Liquor Scam and the ‘proceeds of crime’ generated from the Liquor scam worth over Rs 45 crore in cash were used in the Goa election campaign.
Notably, earlier this week, AAP Goa State President Amit Palekar and three others were also questioned by the ED at its office in Panaji for allegedly receiving ‘proceeds of crime’ for campaigning in the 2022 state polls. According to the Times Now journalist Tripathi, AAP had circulated the message that he was questioned by the ED because he was the state head of the party.
Tripathi further added that ND Gupta, AAP MP, and Kejriwal’s Personal secretary, has submitted a statement before the court that the National Convenor (Arvind Kejriwal) and state head of the party which was Atishi Marlena were aware of the financial transaction, Rs 45 crore, the alleged proceeds of crime which were used during the Aam Aadmi Party’s election campaign in Goa.
Earlier, Additional Solicitor General Raju said that Aam Aadmi Party is not a party but a “company” adding that every person responsible for the conduct of the company should be held guilty.
“Apart from personal liability, Kejriwal is also liable to be punished for vicarious liability. He is also responsible for the affairs of the AAP. He is responsible for the conduct of the party. He is the national convenor and responsible for the party at the national level. He is the brain behind the party and controls its major activities,” ASG said.
Under the legal doctrine of vicarious liability, Atishi Marlena who was reportedly the AAP’s Goa In-charge in 2022 could soon be facing troubles in this matter.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has prohibited former Indian cricket player Yusuf Pathan, the All India Trinamool Congress candidate from Baharampur in West Bengal, from displaying photographs of the national flag and the Indian cricket team’s 2011 World Cup-winning moments during his Lok Sabha election campaign.
The action was taken a few days after Congress party filed a complaint against him, saying that he has broken the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by using images of Sachin Tendulkar and other celebrities for campaign purposes in Baharampur. The complaint was filed on 26th March (Tuesday).
According to sources within West Bengal’s chief electoral officer (CEO) office, the poll panel thoroughly examined the allegation and determined that it possessed merit. The Election Commission of India (ECI) ordered, on 29th March (Friday), that Yusuf Pathan should take down all of these images and posters that were exhibited in the Baharampur Lok Sabha constituency. Additionally, he was asked by the ECI not to fly the national flag while running for office.
The election commission further stated that no political party should take advantage of the pride that every Indian felt in their country’s success in the 2011 World Cup in order to attract voters. Yusuf Pathan argued, however, that as he was a member of the victorious squad, he had every right to use photographs connected to the World Cup.
“I have a lot of followers who can put up my photographs of winning the World Cup anywhere. They have the right to do so. I have not gone anywhere to put up my posters. Now the legal team will see whether there is any violation. But I had won the World Cup through hard work,” the cricketer claimed on 28th March while talking to the media.
TMC workers began taking down the posters on Friday night, as instructed by the election panel. Yusuf Pathan played for the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led Indian squad that won the 2011 One Day International World Cup in India.
During the 2011 World Cup, Yusuf Pathan played in 6 matches, scoring 74 runs in the tournament at an average of 14.8, and took 1 wicket at a bowling average of 167.
The West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee sought a severe penalty against Yusuf Pathan in a letter to the West Bengal CEO. They claimed that using banners and posters of the 2011 cricket World Cup winning team was a flagrant breach of the MCC. “This is to inform you that Yusuf Pathan has started using banners, posters and photos in different places in the said constituency. It clearly depicts the ICC Cricket World Cup (2011) winning moments and high profile cricket celebrities including the likes of Bharat Ratna Sachin Tendulkar and others,” the party charged.
Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the president of the West Bengal Congress and the party’s candidate for Baharampur, said that Yusuf Pathan was exploiting such images to portray the victory of the national cricket team as his personal achievement. The fourth of the seven polling phases for the Lok Sabha elections of 2024 is scheduled to take place in Baharampur on 13th May. 4th June is when the results will be announced.
As thousands of Muslims flocked to the streets in the Ghazipur district of Uttar Pradesh, broke barricades and created a ruckus to give a grand farewell to the dreaded gangster Mukhtar Ansari, recalling how cruel and brutal their ‘hero’ was, has become crucial.
Mukhtar Ansari, a convicted criminal in a murder and extortion case, and an under trial accused in several other criminal matters, died after a heart attack in the Banda jail on Thursday, 28 March. On 29th April 2023, the MP-MLA court of Ghazipur sentenced mafia Mukhtar Ansari to 10 years in prison in connection with the murder of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai. Ansari was already lodged in Banda jail when he was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for the brutal murder of the BJP MLA.
BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai was murdered in cold blood on the instructions of none other than Mukhtar Ansari on the fateful day of 29 November 2005. Owing to the sheer brutality of the murder, this day is still referred to as the ‘Black Day’ by Ghazipur residents. The spine-chilling murder of the BJP MLA was one of the most sensational murders in the history of Uttar Pradesh.
A volley of gunfire from AK-47 assault rifles killed Rai and six other individuals in Ghazipur. Reports suggest that as many as 500 bullets were fired from six AK-47s. This was the first time that AK 47 rifles had been used for murder in India, which until now had only been the weapon of choice for terrorists and the military around the world.
The police had recovered more than 400 bullet shells from the spot while 21 bullets were recovered from Rai’s body alone.
400 bullet shells recovered by police from the crime scene (Source: Hindustan Times)
Ansari plotted and executed Krishnanand Rai’s murder from jail, asked aides to chop off BJP MLA’s braid as ‘trophy’ and evidence of murder
It is said that Mukhtar Ansari not only got Rai killed, but also had his braid chopped off as a ‘trophy’ and evidence of the crime.
The task of chopping off the braid was given to criminal Rakesh Pandey. That was revealed after a voice call between Mukhtar and Don Abhay Singh emerged in 2020.
Importantly, Ansari was behind bars when BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai was murdered, which means that he planned and executed the murder from within the confines of jail. This itself speaks volumes about Ansari’s political connections and clout even when he was in jail.
Mukhtar Ansari and his brother Afzal Ansari were named as the primary conspirators in the FIR filed in the case. The police investigation also revealed the involvement of gangster Prem Prakash Singh alias Munna Bajrangi, a close associate of the Ansari brothers. It is said that Prem Prakash Singh alias Munna Bajrangi had led the attack on the BJP MLA.
Mukhtar and Afzal Ansari were found guilty of the murder by the trial court. The duo, however, approached the Allahabad High Court, which, in turn, ordered a CBI investigation into the case on May 23, 2006.
Later, the court trial was shifted outside Uttar Pradesh on Alka Rai’s plea on April 25, 2013.
One after another, every witness either turned hostile or turned up dead.
Due to a lack of evidence, the CBI court in 2019 released both Mukhtar and Afzal Ansari in the Krishnanand Rai murder case. Rai’s son took up the legal battle and approached the high court.
After years of legal battle, finally, on 29th April 2023, the MP-MLA court of Ghazipur sentenced mafia Mukhtar Ansari to 10 years in prison in connection with the murder of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai.
A detailed history of the mafia, his rise in crime and politics, and the eventual downfall under the Yogi Adityanath government can be read here.
Former DSP Shailendra Singh persecuted by Mulayam Singh Govt for recommending the arrest of mafia don turned politician Mukhtar Ansari under POTA
It is reported that Mukhtar attempted to obtain weapons capable of penetrating Rai’s bulletproof vehicle. It was a small machine gun he sought.
A phone conversation about a light machine gun (LMG) purchase from an Army deserter for Rs 1 crore was intercepted in January 2004.
Next, on January 25, 2004, the banned LMG (light machine gun) and 200 live cartridges were seized during a raid by DSP Shailendra Singh in Chaubepur, Varanasi. He charged Ansari under POTA with severe anti-terror offences.
DSP Singh ended up paying a high price for carrying out his duties, facing political persecution by the then Mulayam Singh-led Samajwadi Party regime.
Interestingly, a day after Mukhtar Ansari’s death, ex-DSP Shailendra Singh released a statement slamming the then Samajwadi Party government for shielding Ansari. Singh was threatened and implicated in a false case by the Mulayam Singh government for recommending the arrest of mafia don turned politician Mukhtar Ansari under POTA.
It was earlier reported that Singh had been slapped with dozens of fake charges by the then Samajwadi Party government for acting against the now-deceased mafia don Mukhtar Ansari. Singh recollected how his career was ruined and the trauma his family had to face after the then-ruling Samajwadi Party government implicated him in false cases.
Sailendra Singh kept fighting against the establishment to prove his innocence until the BJP government led by Yogi Adityanath came to power in the state and filed an application in the court to withdraw cases against Shailendra Singh.
Soon after Yogi Adityanath came to power, the UP government filed a petition in the court to withdraw cases against Singh in December 2017.
On March 6, 2021, the court finally approved the state government’s plea to withdraw cases against the former DSP.
Celebrations at BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai’s house after Mukhtar Ansari’s death
Reacting to Ansari’s death, deceased BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai’s son Piyush Rai said that Mukhtar Ansari’s death is truly Baba Gorakhnath’s blessing for his family, maybe even some kind of Allah’s justice in the month of Ramzan.
There were celebratory fireworks at Rai’s house as the news of Ansari’s death came out.
“I have come to know that he has died in Banda jail. As the media is saying he [Ansari] has died due to a heart attack. I believe this is the blessing of Baba Gorakhnath. Justice has been served. Somewhere I think it is Allah’s justice in the holy month of Ramzan that a dreaded criminal like Mukhtar Ansari has died…” Piyush Rai said.
Meanwhile, Krishnanand Rai’s nephew Anand Rai has said that “the family of Mukhtar Ansari will now feel the pain that his family went through at the time of his uncle’s murder.”
Indian veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin slammed fans for going too far in the “fan war” between Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper Hardik Pandya and the franchise’s former five-time IPL-winning skipper Rohit Sharma.
Hardik Pandya moved to MI, a franchise that made him a star just last year. This came after spending two great years with the Gujarat Titans, a new franchise, during which he won them the title as a captain in its debut season back in 2022 and led them to the finals the next year. On his return to MI, he also replaced Rohit as its skipper.
While head coach Mark Boucher has clarified that the move is meant to help Rohit play with more freedom following some underwhelming seasons with the bat, many fans have expressed that MI and Pandya have betrayed Rohit. Ahead of the IPL season and while it is going on, fans of both players have engaged in online abuse against each other’s preferred players.
It has escalated to live action as well, with Pandya getting booed and abused during his side’s matches both online and on the field. In his YouTube channel, Ashwin said that both the franchise and the player have no role to play in this fan-war and the onus is on the fans to act responsibly. He questioned if there have been any instances of fan wars between players’ fanbases abroad and opined that the fan wars have gotten ugly.
“Neither has any role to play. Neither the franchise nor the player has a role to play in this at all. I think the responsibility and the onus lie on the fans,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
“Have you seen this happen in any other country? Have you seen Joe Root and Zak Crawley fans fight? Or have you seen Joe Root and Jos Buttler fans fight? It’s crazy. Have you seen Steve Smith and Pat Cummins fans fight in Australia? I have said this many times. This is cricket. This is a cinema culture. I know there are things like marketing, positioning and branding. I do not deny it. I do not believe in all this on my side but it is not wrong to indulge either. Fan wars should never go down this ugly route. One should remember which country these players represent–our country. So then what warrants a cricketer getting booed?” Ashwin added.
He questioned why a team should come with a clarification about a player and a captaincy saga when legendary cricketers like Saurav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, Anil Kumble and MS Dhoni, etc. have played under youngsters or each other’s captaincy. over the years.
“I do not understand. If you don’t like a player and boo a player, why should a team come out to issue a clarification? We act like this has not happened before. (Sourav) Ganguly played under Sachin (Tendulkar) and vice versa. These two have both played under Rahul Dravid’s captaincy. These three have played under Anil Kumble and all of them have played under Dhoni. When they were under Dhoni, these players were cricket jambhavans (giants). Dhoni too played under Virat,” he said.
Ashwin said that the fans need to get their act together and enjoy their favourite players without putting the other player down.
“We need to get our act together. You know what the problem is? We are all happy to sit in our houses, look outside and have someone else to pick up the trash. We do not want to bother doing it ourselves. We should correct ourselves first. This is real-time sports. Real-time sports have real-time emotions. How we go beyond that, counter it and find a balance to play cricket is what this is all about,” said Ashwin.
“A real sport can never be compared to cinema. Heroes and hero-worships are great. I am all for it. Enjoy what you like about your favourites but not at the cost of putting another player down. This is one thing I would love to see disappear from the face of the earth in our country,” Ashwin concluded.
Meanwhile, MI have started their season with two losses in two games against the Gujarat Titans (GT) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). Their next match is against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in their home arena of Wankhede Stadium on April 1.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
A special POCSO court in Mehsana in Gujarat has sentenced Azam Khan Siddiqui to 20 years in jail for luring away a 17-year-old Hindu girl from Ladol in Vijapur and raping her in Pune. The court also ordered the accused to pay Rs 15,000 as compensation to the victim. The matter came to light in September 2023. Azam Khan has been lodged in jail since then.
The Ladol police had registered an FIR in this regard on 1st September 2023, under sections 363, 366, 376(2)(N) of the IPC and the POCSO Act. Subsequently, the charge sheet was filed in the court on 26th November 2023. Later, at a hearing in the POCSO court, a total of 13 witnesses were presented by the prosecution, including the medical officer who conducted the medical check-up of the minor victim girl and the PSI who filed the FIR. Apart from this, 49 documentary evidence were also given by the prosecution and the testimony of the victim and her parents was also recorded. A copy of the court order is available with OpIndia.
The victim, in her testimony, told the court that one day the accused Azam Khan messaged her at night and asked her to leave the house the next day in the morning. She said that despite opposing this message, Azam Khan continued the message and despite her refusal to go, the accused forced her to elope with him. She then left home at 5 a.m. and the accused met her at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital. After reaching the railway station, they boarded a train and reached Pune. She informed the court that Azam Khan took her to a rented house there.
The victim said that the accused raped her three times at night. The next day at 6 a.m., the police came and caught them and brought them to Ladol police station. where her statement was recorded.
While delivering the verdict, the court said that in this case, if the victim has given consent because she is of minor age, then it is not to be taken into consideration as per the provisions under sections of the POCSO Act. Further, the victim said in her testimony that the accused took her to Pune and forcibly entered into physical relations.
The court convicted Azam Khan Siddiqui under sections 363, 366, 376, 376(2)(n) of the IPC and section 6 of the POCSO Act. While awarding the sentence, the court said that the accused committed the crime despite knowing that the victim was a minor. At a time when there is a significant increase in the number of such crimes in society day by day, it is also necessary to take into account the adverse impact on society, the court said.
The court sentenced Azam Khan to 20 years of imprisonment and a fine of Rs 5,000 under the POCSO Act, a 2-year sentence and a fine of Rs 2,000 under IPC 363, as well as a five-year sentence and a fine of Rs 3,000 under IPC 366. He will have to serve all these punishments simultaneously.
The incident took place in Mehsana in September 2023. A 17-year-old Hindu girl from Vijapur was lured away by the accused Azam Khan Siddiqui who took her to Pune and raped the victim. On 1st September, after the minor’s family complained that their daughter was kidnapped by an unidentified person, the police took immediate action given the seriousness of the incident and arrested Azam Khan from Pune in Maharashtra within a few hours.
The accused Azam Khan Siddiqui hails from Uttarakhand. He had come in contact with the minor victim girl five months before the incident took place. He befriended her with the help of a social media app. Then he brainwashed the minor, lured her, and called her to meet him at Kalupur railway station in Ahmedabad. He then took the victim to Pune where he forcibly committed rape three times. Now the court has sentenced him to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment.
