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Bajrang Punia says he is willing to take back his Padma Shri after govt suspended all activities of WFI, had returned it objecting to results of WFI election

OpIndia Staff
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Bajrang Punia says he is willing to take back his Padma Shri after govt suspended all activities of WFI, had returned it objecting to results of WFI election

Rebel wrestler Bajrang Punia welcomed the Sports Ministry’s action against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) announced earlier in the day on 24th December (Sunday). Reacting to media reports that the Sports Ministry has suspended all the activities of the Newly elected WFI body till further notice, Bajrang Punia hailed it as a ‘right decision’.

Speaking with AajTak, Bajrang Punia said that he was ready to take back his Padma Shri Award which he had returned as a mark of protest against the results of the WFI elections.

Punia had left his Padma Shri outside the PM’s residence on the pavement of Kartavya Path in New Delhi on 23 December. He wanted to hand it over to PM Modi, but as security prevented him from entering the PM’s residence, he left the award on the footpath and left the spot.

Responding to the recent development, he said, “The Ministry has taken the right decision. We were accused of being politically charged, they said we are divided by our region. It was portrayed like Haryana vs UP. Sir, we win medals for the country. They were threatening everyone. What, Brij Bhushan is bigger than the government?”

He added, “Our stand remains the same. Brij Bhushan and his people should not be part of the WFI. In every state association, he has his people.” 

Regarding the query of whether he would be willing to take back the Padma Shri award, Bajrang gave an affirmative response. He said, “We were awarded by the government because of some good things we did for the country. Definitely, we will do it (take it back). Trolls are calling us ‘desh drohi (traitor)’. Why? We have given our blood and sweat to the country. All these trolls are Brij Bhushan Singh’s supporters. Who are these trolls to label us?” 

Speaking to media persons, Sakshi Malik noted that she would give her response over the developments after holding a discussion with the team and other wrestlers as she was not sure whether the WFI body had been suspended or what the Sports Ministry has stated in its letter. However, she said that the decision is for the betterment of the athletes.

Reacting to the developments, Vinesh Phogat took to her official X account and shared Sahir Ludhianvi’s couplet.

While media has widely reported that the Sports Ministry has suspended the newly-elected executive of the Wrestling Federation of India till further orders, the fact is that the Sports Ministry has only suspended all activities of the federation, including junior championships announced by the WFI. It is notable that WFI is already suspended by the international wrestling body UWW, and therefore the question of the Indian govt against suspending it does not arise.

The sports ministry suspended all activities of the WFI saying that the federation violated several norms while announcing that Under 16 and Under 20 national championships will be held from 28 December in UP’s Gonda. The ministry found that required notice period was not given before holding WFI meetings, and the Secretary-General was not involved in the meetings.

The Newly-elected WFI President Sanjay Singh in his first response also noted that he has learned that the Sports Ministry has stopped some of the activity, however, he has not seen the order. 

‘Now you are a Hindu’: Muslim woman hounded by brothers, cleric after she went to CM Yogi’s Janata Durbar wearing saffron dupatta over niqab

OpIndia Staff
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‘Now you are a Hindu’: Muslim woman hounded by brothers, cleric after she went to CM Yogi’s Janata Durbar wearing saffron dupatta over niqab

A Muslim woman in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, faced harassment and humiliation at the hands of her family, religious leader and other co-religionists for putting a saffron stoll over her niqab. She showed up at the police commissioner’s office with a saffron dupatta covering her headscarf and narrated her ordeal in front of the media. She revealed, “I had gone to meet with the Chief Minister with concerns about harassment and property conflict. However, many people told me that I am now a Hindu and hence as per Sharia, I am not eligible for any assistance going forward.”

The victim is from the Moolganj area and notified the chief minister about her predicament on 23rd December while wearing the saffron dupatta. She disclosed that her brothers want to kick her out of the house because of a property dispute. Furthermore, the people in her neighbourhood harass her when she goes out. She complained about it to the authorities in 2022. She then visited CM Yogi after which the cops intervened. The photograph of the encounter became viral creating problems for her.

Her brothers stopped feeding her, took all of her belongings including sweaters and blankets and left her to fend for herself in the winter with just her dupatta. She unveiled that she was mocked for wearing the stoll and taunted that she had become like Yogi Adityanath. Her brothers instructed her to go to him because she is Hindu now. They threw her out of the house after assaulting her and she is currently living with her mother. Additionally, everything their father left behind, including the property, cash and jewellery was transferred into their names by her brothers.

The city cleric Abdul Quddus Haji initially promised to help her, however, when she called upon him on 29th November 2023, he claimed that she had converted to Hinduism after meeting with the chief minister in saffron. He ordered her to get out of the place. She added, “I told him that I have no resources to manage my expenses according to Sharia Law.” He hurled abuses at her, grabbed a stick and shooed her away when she pleaded for help to survive. Furthermore, the meagre assistance from her brothers was also discontinued. She was supposed to receive Rs 3000 and Rs 2000 from her two brothers respectively along with the fulfillment of her basic requirements like food and clothes.

Following the incident, she complained to Jamiat Ulema e Hind’s national president Arshad Madani and protested about the same, but he brushed her off and alleged that the city clergy would take care of this since it was a local problem. She also presented the audio of the conversation to the media.

The woman submitted a report to the police commissioner’s staff officer Ashok Kumar Singh who informed that the task of conducting the probe had been entrusted to Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP) Anita Singh. He proclaimed, “The woman and her brothers are already at odds. She has complained about it many times. The police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) and taken action.”

Meanwhile, the cleric has alleged that the accusations against him are false. “How can I even think of such a thing to stop her from going to meet the chief minister,” he asked.

Lost bastion Amethi, party reduced to 2 seats in assembly: As Congress relieves Priyanka Gandhi of her role in UP, here is how she performed

Shraddha Pandey
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Lost bastion Amethi, party reduced to 2 seats in assembly: As Congress relieves Priyanka Gandhi of her role in UP, here is how she performed

“Doosri Indira,” was the Congress’s encomium for Priyanka Gandhi Vadra after she was appointed General Secretary for Eastern Uttar Pradesh in 2019, and then for the entire state in September 2020. However, the Congress party’s dismal showing in the state elections under Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s leadership has demonstrated that she is not “Doosri Indira,” but rather another “Rahul Gandhi.”

Much like her brother, who failed to propel the Congress Party to power in the last Lok Sabha elections, and recent state elections in the Hindi heartland despite multiple ‘launches,’ Priyanka Gandhi appears to have failed to bring about the ‘magic’ she was expected to bring. Her performance has prompted the party to replace her with Avinash Pande, on December 23, as the party’s General Secretary in charge of Uttar Pradesh.

Priyanka Gandhi, on the other hand, will remain the party’s general secretary with no specific state assigned to her. What’s better than power without accountability though? Priyanka Gandhi’s removal from the party’s key post in Uttar Pradesh warrants an analysis of the party’s performance in the state under her leadership.

Congress loses party bastion Amethi in 2019 elections

Once hailed as “Amethi ka danka, bitiya Priyanka”, Priyanka Gandhi, despite undertaking a combative campaign in Amethi, could not garner enough support for her brother Rahul Gandhi who lost to Bhartiya Janata Party’s Smriti Irani. The BJP leader defeated the Gandhi scion in his bastion with Priyanka Gandhi leading the campaign. Smriti Irani’s spectacular win, with a margin of 55,120 votes in a Gandhi stronghold, was a major blow to the party and reflected the state’s mood against Congress. Both Priyanka and Rahul failed to sense the resentment prevailing in the people of Amethi.

While Rahul Gandhi more or less forgot Amethi after his 2014 win against Irani, she continued to visit Amethi to establish connect with the people and make her place in their hearts. Irani’s painstaking efforts helped her carve a path to victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections emerging as a “giant slayer”.

With her appointment as the party’s general secretary in charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka Gandhi began her first major role in active politics on a disappointing note.

Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections

The assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh last year were viewed as a litmus test for opposition parties ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, echoing the saying that “as Uttar Pradesh goes, so goes India.”

Partywise vote share stats in 2022 UP elections (Infographic via Election Commission)

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who was tasked with rebuilding the Congress party in Uttar Pradesh for the assembly election, presided over one of the party’s worst setbacks. It not only lost five seats in the state, falling from seven to two – Rampur Khas and Phephna- but its vote share also dropped to a dismal 2.33%.

It should be recalled that the Congress received roughly 12% of the votes in UP in the 2012 elections, while the BJP received 15%. In the ten years following that, the BJP has risen from 15% to 41%, while the Congress, led by Priyanka Gandhi, has fallen from 12% to 2%.

It is interesting to recall that right before the election in Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka Gandhi had launched a “temple run” in a bid to project herself as a “devout” Hindu. From visiting the Durgakunda Temple, to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, to observing the Navratri fast, Gandhi left no stone upturned to appear a Hindu with the ‘friendly’ media ensuring proper media coverage.

Back in 2019, it was reported that Priyanka Gandhi had said that her party had fielded such candidates in Uttar Pradesh that either they would win or would cut into the BJP’s vote. Contrary to Priyanka Gandhi’s approach, a true leader would focus on planning and ensuring their own victory rather than employing such tactics to bring down the opponent.

From moving from Delhi to Lucknow, walking shoulder to shoulder with those protesting against the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act, extending support to farmers’ protests, to holding aggressive protests all over the state seeking the resignation of CM Yogi Adityanath over the tragic death of the Hathras gang-rape victim, Priyanka Gandhi spared no efforts to attract support for the party against the BJP.

It is worth recalling the “Ladki Hoon Lad Sakti Hoon” campaign launched by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra with the intent of garnering support from the women voters in the state. Ironically, even the poster girls of this campaign ditched Congress and joined the BJP sensing that Congress’s ship was going to sink. While Priyanka Gandhi was busy undertaking “pink marathons”, the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government enjoyed the strong backing of the “silent voter” – the women. With a relatively improved law and order situation, women-centric welfare scheme including the distribution of free ration kits, and provision of LPG cylinders under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, Bank Sakhi Yojana etc, the BJP managed to bring real change and empowerment into the lives of the women.

Rahul and Priyanka were not seen at any party events in Uttar Pradesh for several months after the humiliating defeat. Rahul made an appearance in UP earlier this year when his Bharat Jodo Yatra passed through the state briefly. Taking no lesson from Smriti Irani who turned the wave in her favour even after defeat, Priyanka Gandhi in February last year blamed the the voters for the party’s humiliating defeat in the state. During an election rally in Amethi, she said that her brother was defeated in the family bastion because Amethi locals voted with their eyes closed. “You are responsible for your situation. You are misled and then vote with your eyes closed,” she told the public.

No leader can bring their party to power with such a delusional approach because Janta is Janardan and not some small kid who can be ‘misled’.

Priyanka Gandhi’s dismissal from a prominent position in Uttar Pradesh not only illustrates that the Gandhis are no longer willing to even challenge the invincible phenomenon – Narendra Modi – head-on, but also the Congress party’s lack of strong leadership.

Despite its ‘big brother’ attitude, Congress has high hopes for the unholy “INDI Alliance”. However, once accredited for bringing together the Samajwadi Party and Congress during the 2017 Uttar Pradesh elections, Priyanka Gandhi failed to make efforts to pacify Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav, a key ally in the INDI Alliance when he expressed his resentment over seat-sharing in Madhya Pradesh elections.

With Gandhis shying away from leading the Congress from the front and the internal rift in the INDI Alliance, the BJP-led NDA might secure a smooth return to power. However, since Gandhis remain supreme in Congress, they will continue to rule the ruins.

8 months after the controversy over high sugar content in Bournvita, the company reduces it by 14.4% – Everything you need to know

OpIndia Staff
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8 months after the controversy over high sugar content in Bournvita, the company reduces it by 14.4% – Everything you need to know

Cadbury India’s popular “health drink” for children, Bournvita” now comes with lesser added sugar per 100 grams. As per reports, the company has reduced the drink’s sugar content from 37.4 grams to 32.2 grams per 100 grams. In other words, there has been a drop of 14.4 per cent in the added sugar content. Bournvita has been surrounded by controversy over the added sugar content and misleading ads since food vlogger and social media activist Revant Himatsingka (foodpharmer) highlighted high sugar content in the product. Himatsingka called it “India’s victory” against the brand.

Revant Himatsingka’s video on Bournavita

In April this year, Himatsingka highlighted high sugar content in a video on his Instagram profile. In the video, he claimed that the company added an “immune system” on their packaging after the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the product remained the same. Then, he talked about the content of the drink, which included cocoa solids, colour, liquid glucose, maltodextrin, and more. He then mocked the brand and urged them to change the tagline from “Taiyaari Jeet Ki” to “Tayaari Bimari Ki”. He urged the parents not to give their children such products and appealed to the government to take strict action against false claims.

Bournvita reacted to the controversy

As the video gained traction everywhere, Bournvita swung into action and claimed that Bournvita contains vitamins and minerals that help build immunity. They added, “Every serving of Bournvita has 7.5 grams of added sugar, approximately one and a half teaspoons. This is much less than children’s daily recommended sugar intake limits.”

They also sent a legal notice to Himatsingka warning him of court case if he did not delete the video. In a post on Instagram, Himatsingka informed his followers that he deleted the video due to the notice. He said, “I have decided to take down the video across all platforms after receiving a legal notice from one of India’s biggest law firms on 13 April 2023. I apologise to Cadbury for making the video. I did not plan or intend to infringe any trademark or defame any company, nor do I have the interest or resources to participate in any court cases, and I request the MNC to not take this forward legally.”

NCPCR notice to Bournvita

The matter did not stop here. On 27th April 2023, it was reported that the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) issued a notice to Mondelez International, India – the company that makes Bournvita asking them to remove all misleading ads. In the statement, NCPCR said that the commission took cognisance of the matter under Section 13(1)(j) of the Commission for Protection of Child Rights (CPCR) Act after they received a complaint against Bournvita.

The notice read, “The Commission in this regard observes that the product manufactured by your company is misleading the customers through its packaging and advertisements. The Commission observes that your product’s labelling, packaging, display, and advertisement claims are misleading to the general public. Further, your product’s labelling and packaging also fail to acknowledge the correct information regarding the content used in the product – Bournvita.”

The commission observed that Bournvita had bypassed the threshold of added sugar by using different labels, such as Liquid Glucose and Maltodextrin. Ideally, they should have been labelled under “added sugar” as per FSSAI’s Labelling and Display Regulations, 2020.

Wife harassing husband publicly, labeling him as ‘womaniser’ extreme cruelty: Delhi High Court

OpIndia Staff
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Wife harassing husband publicly, labeling him as ‘womaniser’ extreme cruelty: Delhi High Court

The Delhi High Court recently observed that publicly harassing, humiliating, and verbally attacking the husband by his wife is an act of extreme cruelty. A division bench of Justices Suresh Kumar Kait and Neena Bansal Krishna stated that reckless, defamatory, humiliating, and unsubstantiated allegations by one spouse, which have the impact of publicly tarnishing the image of the other, are nothing but acts of extreme cruelty.

Notably, the High Court made these observations while hearing an appeal under Section 19 of the Family Courts Act, 1984. The wife had moved the court against the judgment of the Additional Principal Judge, Family Court, which had granted divorce to the petitioner (husband) on the grounds of cruelty. 

While upholding the divorce granted to the husband on the grounds of cruelty by his wife, the Delhi High Court noted that in the present case, the wife’s act of harassing and humiliating the husband publicly and portraying him as a “womaniser” in his office is an act of extreme cruelty to him. 

The court noted, “Unfortunately, here is a case where the husband himself is being publicly harassed, humiliated, and verbally attacked by his wife, who had gone to the extent of levelling allegations of infidelity during his office meetings in front of all his office staff/guests. She even took to harassing the woman workers in his office and left no stone unturned to portray him as a womaniser in the office. This behaviour is but an act of extreme cruelty to the respondent/husband.”

The court pointed out that trust, faith, and respect are the strongest pillars on which any marriage stands, adding that no person can reasonably be expected to put up with such disrespectful conduct of their “significant other” who lacks faith in her partner. 

It noted that any spouse not only expects their partner to respect them but also envisions that in times of need, such a spouse would act as a shield to protect their image and reputation.

The bench added, “Any successful marriage is built on mutual respect and faith. If either is compromised beyond a level, the end of the relationship is inevitable as no relationship can stand on half-truth, half-lies, half-respect, and half-faith.” 

The court also observed that the wife used the child as a weapon and alienated her husband from the child. The bench remarked, “In the present case as well, the child has not only been totally alienated but has also been used as a weapon against the father. Nothing can be more painful for a parent to see the child drifting away and being totally against the father. This assumes some significance in the light that the father never failed to provide as required for the child.” 

The court concluded, “To compound all her acts, she used the child as a weapon and has totally alienated him from the respondent. All these acts which happened in a span of about six years that they spent together, proved that the respondent was subjected to cruelty and harassment which is sufficient to create mental agony and trauma in his mind to the extent that he at times even thought of committing suicide. The acts of the appellant, as proved, can only be termed as acts of cruelty towards the respondent.”

In the present case, the couple got married in 2000 and they had a son in 2004. The husband alleged that it was falsely projected that the appellant/wife was an MBA but after marriage, he found out that it was not the case. When he enrolled her in various English-speaking schools and Finishing Schools, the wife only attended the classes for a few days, resulting in wasteful expenditure and financial strain. It was also alleged that the wife is of a suspecting nature and violently reacted publicly on the suspicion that her husband has an interest in the other women. 

The court had also highlighted that the other act of cruelty relied upon by the respondent was that the appellant/wife used to allege that the respondent/husband was impotent. She compelled him to go for Doppler’s Impotency Test in which he was found to be fit. Such allegations caused mental cruelty to the respondent. Accordingly, the High Court dismissed the wife’s appeal and upheld the divorce.

Verbal abuse of a person can’t be tried under SC/ST Act if such incident is not public: Allahabad High Court

OpIndia Staff
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Verbal abuse of a person can’t be tried under SC/ST Act if such incident is not public: Allahabad High Court

A person could only be tried under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act if their comments are heard in a “place within a public view” according to the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court. The court pronounced the ruling while overturning the criminal charges brought against a school owner.

“The verbal abuse by utterance of caste name of a member of Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe would not be an offence under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 (SC/ST Act) if such incident takes place within a house where no outsider is present,” Judge Shamim Ahmed declared presiding on an educationist’s plea to challenge criminal proceedings against him for allegedly hurling casteist abuse at a student’s father.

According to the court, a person is entitled to trial for the offence under Section 3(1)(s) of the SC/ST Act if the words were spoken in an open environment and within the presence of other individuals. The statements were made by the court while dismissing a case brought against a school owner. A parent claimed that the owner had deliberately failed his son and other students in 12th-grade examinations.

The complainant alleged that he was promised Rs 5 lakh by the owner and his associates to withdraw the case. He argued that the accused hurled insults at him by referencing his caste. Nonetheless, the bench found that he had not disclosed any information regarding the nature of the insults and that the accused had not mistreated him in public.

Given other rulings rendered by the Supreme Court in cases such as this one, the court noted, “An offence under the Act, 1989 would be made out when a member of the vulnerable section of society is subjected to indignities, humiliations, and harassment in any place within the public view.”

Moreover, it concluded that impartial witnesses were not even at the residence at the time of the purported occurrence and had not corroborated the allegations. “It is further observed that as per his case, respondent No. 3 (complainant) clearly stated in the FIR and in his statement recorded under Section 161 CrPC that whatever incident took place that took place inside his house, thus, it is not a place within a public view as no outsider was sitting in the room nor anyone has seen the alleged incident”, the court said.

The school owner had no involvement in the process, the court noted, and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) alone was in charge of student examination results.

Houthi drone attack in sea: Indian Navy denies US claim that MV Sai Baba tanker is India-flagged, says 25 Indian crew members safe on the Gabonese flagged vessel

ANI
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Houthi drone attack in sea: Indian Navy denies US claim that MV Sai Baba tanker is India-flagged, says 25 Indian crew members safe on the Gabonese flagged vessel

Following a drone attack on two vessels in the Red Sea by the Iran-backed Houthi militants, which included MV SAIBABA, a crude oil tanker; the Indian Navy on Sunday said all 25 Indian crew members on board are safe, clarifying that it wasn’t an India-flagged vessel, as claimed by the US earlier, but one carrying a Gabones flag.

In an earlier statement, the US Central Command claimed that of the two warships that came under fire from Houthis, one was India-flagged.

The incident marks the 14th and 15th attacks on commercial shipping by Houthi militants since October 17, CENTCOM said in its statement.

“On December 23 two Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles were fired into international shipping lanes in the Southern Red Sea from Houthi-controlled areas of Houthi militants. No ships reported being impacted by the ballistic missiles,” US Central Command posted on X.

At the same time, between 3 and 8 pm (Sanaa time), the USS LABOON (DDG 58) was patrolling the Southern Red Sea as part of Operation Prosperity Guardian (OPG).

The USS LABOON successfully intercepted and “shot down unmanned aerial drones originating from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen that were inbound to the USS LABOON. There were no injuries or damage in this incident”, CENTCOM added in its post.

Later, at approximately 8 pm (Sanaa time), US Naval Forces Central Command received distress reports from two ships in the Southern Red Sea indicating that they were under attack.

“The M/V BLAAMANEN, a Norwegian-flagged, owned, and operated chemical/oil tanker, reported a near miss of a Houthi one-way attack drone with no injuries or damage reported. A second vessel, the M/V SAIBABA, a Gabon-owned, Indian-flagged crude oil tanker, reported that it was hit by a one-way attack drone with no injuries reported. The USS LABOON (DDG 58) responded to the distress calls from these attacks,” the US CENTCOM claimed in its post earlier.

The US Central Command underscored the gravity of the situation, emphasising that these attacks pose a threat to the safety and security of international maritime traffic.

“These attacks represent the 14th and 15th attacks on commercial shipping by Houthi militants since October 17,” the post added.

Since the Israel-Hamas war broke out on October 7, the Iranian-backed Houthis, along with other militia groups across the Middle East, have targeted US positions and assets.

Houthi forces in Yemen have been targeting commercial ships in the Red Sea, claiming the attacks as revenge against Israel, including seizing a boat last month in a raid.

India, a strong advocate for the free movement of commercial shipping, is monitoring these attacks.

Addressing a weekly presser last Thursday, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, “India has always been supportive of the free movement of commercial shipping so, that is something that we are interested in. We are, of course, monitoring the developments there.”

Bagchi noted that India is also part of international efforts to ensure free shipping.

“We are also part of international efforts to ensure free shipping, whether it be piracy or otherwise, India has been involved in it. So we will continue to monitor that,” he added.

Further highlighting Operation Prosperity Guardian by the US, the MEA spokesperson said that India has been part of efforts to ensure the safe transit of ships in the Arabian Sea.

“There was some communication regarding this task force operation…We have been part of efforts to ensure the safe transit of ships in the Arabian Sea and we value the free movement of commercial shipping,” he added.

The US and other naval forces operate in the Red Sea region to defend commercial shipping, but the new task force is expected to ramp up security.

Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a telephone conversation with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, with the two leaders sharing concerns over the safety of maritime traffic.

PM Modi reiterated the need for continued humanitarian aid for the affected people.

He further stressed an early and peaceful resolution of the conflict, including the release of all hostages, through dialogue and diplomacy.

In a post on X, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office stated, “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke today with Indian Prime Minister @NarendraModi. The two leaders discussed the importance of securing freedom of navigation in the Bab-el-Mandeb, which is threatened by the aggression of the Houthis, instigated by Iran.” 

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

Did TOI make a mistake and publish all photos upside-down on their front page – The truth of the viral photo

OpIndia Staff
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Did TOI make a mistake and publish all photos upside-down on their front page – The truth of the viral photo

On 24th December, the Times of India readers were amused and shocked as all the images on the print edition’s front page were upside down. The readers shared the photographs of the paper and questioned if it was a mistake or if they were missing something.

Source: X
Source: X
Source: X
Source: X

It turned out that the inverted images on the paper were part of a Colgate campaign. In a post on X, Times of India clarified and said it was clearly mentioned on the first page that it was an ad. The media house wrote, “Many readers have called or written to us pointing out that pictures have been carried upside down on the front page. This is not an error or technical glitch; it is part of an innovative advertisement, which becomes clear when you turn to the next page. We had also prominently mentioned that it was an advertorial on the top page.”

When checked, TOI mentioned it was an ad on the front page.

Source: TOI

The second page contained the Colgate ad with the Hindi tagline “Neend mein ho gaya na ulta-pulta! Neend Bhagao Taazgi Jagao”. It translates to ‘became upside down in sleep, Chase away sleepiness wake up freshness’. It is an advertisement for Colgate MaxFresh toothpaste, which promises freshness.

Source: TOI

While the readers were amused by the “mistake”, in reality, it was an “innovative way” to attract attention.

Sports Ministry suspends all activities of newly-elected WFI, says norms were violated in announcing the schedule of junior national wrestling championships

OpIndia Staff
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Sports Ministry suspends all activities of newly-elected WFI, says norms were violated in announcing the schedule of junior national wrestling championships

On 24th December, the Ministry of Sports, Government of India, ordered the suspension of all activities of the newly-elected Wrestling Federation of India, including the decision to announce junior national championships with “complete disregard for the existing rules and regulations”. The ministry’s decision came after the newly elected WFI President Sanjay Singh announced that the nationals for U-16 and U20 will start on 28th December in Nandini Nagar of Gonda in Uttar Pradesh. As per the ministry, the decision by the federation was taken against the provisions of the constitution of WFI as no prior notice was given to the wrestlers who will take part in the nationals.

The union sports ministry decided to step in after several state wrestling federations objected to the dates announced by the WFI.

However, the govt has not suspended the newly elected body, as claimed by most media reports, because the union govt has no authority to suspend an elected sports federation, as explained earlier. The sports ministry has suspended all activities of the WFI, including the decision to hold the junior events because it was announced in violation of the WFI’s own constitution.

‘WFI has been instructed to suspend all its activities till further orders,’ a press note issued by the union sports ministry said. The ministry also noted that WFI still stands suspended by the international wrestling body UWW. While it was expected that UWW would lift the suspension after the election of the new body, the same has not been done yet.

The ministry cited the provisions of the WFI constitution which says that a minimum notice of 15 days is needed to be given to call Executive Committee meetings, which can be reduced to 7 days for emergency meetings. Moreover, a quorum of ⅓rd of members is required. But these provisions were not met while announcing the dates, the ministry said.

The press note issued by the ministry to media houses said, “Shri Sanjay Kumar Singh, newly elected President of Wrestling Federation of India announced on 21.12.2023, the day he was elected as president, that U-15 and U-20 nationals for Wrestling will take place in Nandini Nagar, Gonda (UP) before the end of this year. This announcement is hasty, without giving sufficient notice to wrestlers who are to take part in the said nationals and without following the provisions of the constitution of WFI.”

The ministry said that the “decisions made by the newly elected executive body of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) demonstrate a blatant disregard for the established legal and procedural norms, violating both the WFI’s constitutional provisions and the National Sports Development Code.”

In the press note, the Sports Ministry said, “As per clause 3 (e) of the preamble of the constitution of WFI, the object of the WFI, among others, is to arrange holding of Senior, Junior and Sub Junior National Championships as per UWW Rules at places selected by the Executive Committee (EC).”

It added, “Such decisions are to be taken by the Executive Committee, before which agendas must be considered. As per Article XI of the WFI constitution, under the Heading ‘Notices and Quorum for Meetings’, the minimum notice period for EC meetings is 15 clear days, and the quorum is 1/3rd of representatives. Even for Emergency EC meetings, the minimum notice period is seven clear days with a quorum requirement of 1/3rd of representatives.”

The release added, “Further, in terms of Article X (d) of the Constitution of WFI, it is the Secretary General of WFI, who has been made responsible for carrying out the general business of the Federation, keeping the minutes of the meetings, maintaining all the records of the Federation, calling the meetings of the General Council and the Executive Committee. It seems the Secretary-General has not been involved in the said EC meeting, which was held without any notice or quorum.”

The ministry also reportedly said that “The newly elected body appears to be in complete control of former office bea, disregarding the Sports Code.” As per reports, the new WFI is still operating from former president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh’s official bungalow.

Earlier, several state wrestling federations had objected to the dates announced by the WFI for the union championships. Newly-elected WFI secretary-general, Prem Chand Lochab had written to new WFI president Sanjay Singh that “few states have objected to rescheduling and relocating of age group and junior Nationals”. He had said that the the grievances of state federations are genuine, and proposed that “the U20 and U15 National Wrestling Championships 2023 scheduled at Nandini Nagar, Gonda from December 28-30 may be postponed”.

Reportedly, the release did not mention anything about the opposition to the election of Sanjay Singh as chief of WFI. It is notable that opposing the election results, wrestler Bajrang Punia said he will give back his Padma Shri award, and Sakshi Malik took retirement from wrestling.

OpIndia had earlier explained how govt can’t interfere in the running of sports bodies, as that results in suspension by parent international bodies. However, WFI is already suspended by United World Wrestling for not holding elections in time. Moreover, the govt has only ordered the postponement of the championships announced by the WFI, and not suspended the WFI as reported by media, therefore it may not be considered an interference.

NOTE: This report has been updated with relevant information after it was first published

Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha: CPI(M) leader and I.N.D.I. Alliance member Sitaram Yechury turns down the invite  

OpIndia Staff
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Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha: CPI(M) leader and I.N.D.I. Alliance member Sitaram Yechury turns down the invite  

Sitaram Yechury, the general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), has reportedly chosen not to attend the Pran Pratishtha or consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla. The ceremony is scheduled for 22nd January of next year in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. His counterpart in the Communist Party of India, D Raja, who was also invited for the momentous occasion is likely to give it a skip as well.

The invitations were extended by Nripendra Misra, who is the chairman of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. Congress president and Rajya Sabha MP Mallikarjun Kharge, former party president and Lok Sabha MP Sonia Gandhi and leader of the party in the lower house Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury have also been invited to the auspicious program.

Former prime ministers Dr Manmohan Singh and HD Deve Gowda have also been sent an invite. The former prime minister’s staff denied Nipendra Misra’s request for a meeting with Dr Manmohan Singh because of his fragile health condition. Former Presidents Pratibha Patil, Ram Nath Kovind and the leaders of all political parties have also been invited to this historic function.

According to sources, invitations have also been extended to Aam Aadmi Party national convenor and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati.

Extensive preparations are in place in Ayodhya for the consecration ceremony which is expected to draw 8,000 people. Speakers at the event include Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat.

A significant number of people involved in the construction of the temple, including S N Subrahmanyan of the L&T Group and Natarajan Chandrasekaran of the Tata Group have also been invited by the trust. Despite the extensive preparations for the VVIP guests, Champat Rai, the general secretary of the Trust has been recommending pilgrims to pray at the closest temple rather than in Ayodhya on 22nd January in order to avoid overcrowding.

Attendees include the spiritual leaders of important temples like Kashi Vishwanath and Vaishno Devi, yoga guru Baba Ramdev, Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama, cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli, as well as representatives of constitutional and religious organisations. Actors like Rajnikanth, Amitabh Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit, Dipika Chikhlia and Arun Govil, film directors like Madhur Bhandarkar and businesspeople like Mukesh Ambani and Anil Ambani, along with renowned painter Vasudev Kamat and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Director Nilesh Desai are also invited.

The Vishva Hindu Parishad also reached out to veteran Bharatiya Janta Party leaders like Lal Krishna Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi for the event.

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