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“Khalasi is topping the charts and Aditya Gadhvi is winning hearts”: PM Modi after the ‘Gotilo’ famed singer recounted his meeting with Gujarat CM Modi

OpIndia Staff
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“Khalasi is topping the charts and Aditya Gadhvi is winning hearts”: PM Modi after the ‘Gotilo’ famed singer recounted his meeting with Gujarat CM Modi

The Coke Studio song Khalasi has become a huge sensation in the country, with countless reels and shorts made with the song as background music. The Gujarati song that became viral during the Navratri festival is sung by Aditya Gadhvi, who is now a national star. Today Prime Minister Narendra Modi appreciated the popularity of the song, saying that a recent interview with the singer brought back memories from a special occasion.

PM Modi tweeted, “Khalasi is topping the charts and Aditya Gadhvi is winning hearts for his music. This video brings back memories from a special interaction.”

The prime minister tweeted this quoting a clip of an interview with Aditya Gadhvi posted by the official handle of Modi Story. In the clip, the singer was seen talking about an occasion when he had met Modi when he was the CM of Gujarat.

Aditya Gadhvi said that when he was around 18-19 years old, one day CM Modi came to one of his programs. After the show was over, the CM the singer. He said that he was thinking that he will have to introduce himself to CM Modi. But when he reached the stage, Modi instantly recognised him, saying that he has achieved huge popularity in Gujarat.

Narendra Modi also asked him whether he has completed his studies in his characteristic style, said the singer.

The singer said, “My show was going on, and Modi Ji arrived, as usual, with claps and chants of ‘Modi Modi.’ After the show was over, my father asked me if I wanted to meet Modi Ji, and I said, ‘Yes, definitely.’ So now I was mentally preparing that I would have to introduce myself to him, but as I approached him, he extended his hand forward and said, ‘What is this, son? You have hoisted the flag of Gujarat. Do you study or not’?”

Talking about the PM, Aditya Gadhvi said that he wants to give India a place in the world, and can accept challenges. “He has an aim, that he has to take India to a certain place. In today’s time, if any personality accepts the changes, it is our PM Modi,” Aditya said. 

He also praised PM Modi for the Rann Utsav in Gujarat. “The vision he has is great. There is Rann, but what to do with it, so he started Rann Utsav, so that people visit Rann and connect with the culture of Kutch from all across the nation and the world.”

Talking about the slogan of PM Modi, ‘Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat,’ he said, “I used my music to convey this ‘Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat’ to the people.”

The Khalasi song was released by Coke Studio India in July 2023 and the peppy number has become a huge hit in the country. The song has been composed by Achint Thakkar.

Pakistan: Bomb explosion targeting police patrol in Dera Ismail Khan kills 5, injures 22

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan: Bomb explosion targeting police patrol in Dera Ismail Khan kills 5, injures 22

At least five people were killed and 22 others suffered injuries in a bomb blast that targeted a police patrol in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan about 350 km southwest of Pakistan‘s capital Islamabad. The instance transpired in Tank Adda in the city near a police van.

According to police officer Mohammad Adnan, the device went off near a police patrol in Dera Ismail Khan city. He claimed that the target was a car transporting Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Elite Force officers. He stated that it was not immediately evident if a nearby bombing or a suicide strike caused the fatality. The deceased and injured have been moved to the Dera Ismail Khan District Headquarters Hospital.

Prime Minister Anwaar ul Haq Kakar also expressed his sympathies to the bereaved families and vehemently denounced the explosion. He directed the appropriate authorities to provide the affected patients with the greatest possible medical care and declared that the fight against terrorism would go on until it was totally eliminated in the nation. He added, “Thanks to the sacrifices of the law enforcement agencies, we have been thwarting the evil intentions of terrorists.”

According to reports, there was heavy gunfire in the market close to Tank Ada (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) after the incident. The police did not disclose the nature of the explosion but they confirmed that rescue crews had arrived at the scene to begin relief work.

Terrorist activity in Pakistan has increased recently particularly in KP and Balochistan following the Tehreek-e-Taliban-e-Pakistan’s (TTP) termination of the cease-fire with the government in November of last year. Unknown gunmen opened fire on a police camp in Dera Ismail Khan on 31st October killing a policeman. Two troops lost their lives in an IED explosion in the South Waziristan district that same day.

At least 59 security officers were killed when terrorists detonated an explosive device in a packed mosque inside a well-guarded police facility in Peshawar earlier in January of this year.  Later, the death toll rose to over 100.

At least 12 Pakistan Army personnel died in July during different military operations in Balochistan’s Zhob and Sui regions. It was the largest number of terrorist assault fatalities that the military has recorded in a single day this year. Prior to this in February 2022, ten troops perished in a “fire raid” in the Kech area of Balochistan.

A similar incident at a Shia mosque in the Kocha Risaldar neighbourhood of Peshawar last year claimed the lives of sixty-three individuals. The TTP, which was founded in 2007 as an umbrella organisation for various extremist groups, broke off talks with the federal government and ordered its fighters to carry out terrorist strikes all around the nation.

The group is believed to be affiliated with al-Qaeda and has been held accountable for a number of lethal attacks in Pakistan which involved the 2008 bombing of the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad, strikes on military sites and a raid on army headquarters in 2009. At least 150 people, including 131 pupils, lost their lives when the Pakistani Taliban invaded the Army Public School (APS) in the northwest city of Peshawar in 2014. The attack was highly denounced and sent shockwaves around the globe.

According to information gathered last month by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), August witnessed the most number of terrorist assaults in a month in nearly nine years. There were 99 attacks nationwide, the most in a single month since November 2014, the study noted.

Mahadev Betting Scam: ED raids 5 locations in Chhattisgarh, recovers Rs 2.5 crores from the house of a ‘driver’ linked to the syndicate

OpIndia Staff
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Mahadev Betting Scam: ED raids 5 locations in Chhattisgarh, recovers Rs 2.5 crores from the house of a ‘driver’ linked to the syndicate

The Enforcement Directorate raided five locations in Chhattisgarh in connection with the Mahadev Betting App case on Friday (3rd November). The search operations were carried out at Durg, Raipur, Bhilai, Korba, and Raigarh. As part of the investigation, significant amounts of cash totalling crores of rupees have also been seized from multiple places.

According to the reports, the ED recovered Rs 2.5 crores in cash from the driver during the raid. The ED team is said to have conducted a raid at the home of Asif Dutt, also known as Bappa, in Bhilai’s Housing Board Block 15.

The money was recovered by ED late at night on 2nd November. A team of three to four ED officers arrived in vehicles at Asif Dutt’s home but nobody was at his home. The room was securely locked, so the ED team officers forced their way into the house by breaking the lock to conduct the raid and recover more than Rs 2.5 crore in 500 and 2000 denominations.

Dutt, also known as Bappa, was first recognized as a driver, but he is believed to be connected to the Mahadev app syndicate and is suspected of being the Mahadev app’s panel operator. He is currently on the run.

The process of counting the notes is currently underway. A separate note-counting machine has been purchased from the SBI Housing Board branch for this purpose. The ED believes the funds are linked to the online betting app Mahadev and were possibly intended for election expenses.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) additionally carried out search operations in Raipur. A significant sum of Rs 3.12 crore was discovered in a person’s vehicle at a Raipur hotel. The officer is currently questioning the owner of the vehicle.

The ED has also raided the homes of eight people involved in the betting business in Raipur, Raigarh, and Durg. The searches were conducted in three locations in Raipur: Walfort City, Swarnbhoomi, and Ashoka Ratna. The ED conducted searches at jewelry stores and petrol stations in these areas.

The Mahadev betting application was created by four people including key accused Saurabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal from Madhya Pradesh and it gradually replaced at least 10 similar illicit betting apps that were being used all over the country. Lotus 365 and ReddyAnna are a couple of the applications that were once part of the Mahadev betting fold.

As many as 34 Bollywood celebrities including actors, singers, dancers, etc. have come under the Enforcement Directorate ED scanner in connection with the scam. Raftaar, Sonu Sood, Hardy Sandhu, Sonakshi Sinha, Malaika Arora and Amit Trivedi some of the names. The agency also recently summoned actor Ranbir Kapoor in relation to the case after several Bollywood personalities attended and performed at the wedding ceremony of Saurabh Chandrakar.

NIA makes headway in Coimbatore bomb blast probe, arrests 15th accused Tahanaseer who helped mastermind Mubin to execute the attack

ANI
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NIA makes headway in Coimbatore bomb blast probe, arrests 15th accused Tahanaseer who helped mastermind Mubin to execute the attack

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday said it has arrested the 15th accused in the ISIS-inspired car bomb blast case in Coimbatore, in which a suicide bomber was killed when his vehicle laden with Improvised Explosive Device (IED) exploded.

This case was initially registered by the Ukkadam Police Station in Coimbatore city and subsequently handed over to the NIA, which officially re-registered it on October 27 last year.

The arrested suspect has been identified as Tahanaseer, a resident of Coimbatore.

NIA said that Tahanaseer conspired with other accused persons Jamesha Mubeen, the suicide bomber, and Mohammed Thoufeek to commit the terror attack, which took place in front of the ancient Arulmigu Kottai Sangameshwarar Thirukovil temple at Eswaran Kovil street, Ukkadam in Coimbatore on October 23 last year.

The vehicle carrying the IED was being driven by the deceased accused, Jamesha Mubeen, with whom both Tahanaseer and Mohammed Thoufeeq were closely associated, said the NIA.

“Investigations revealed that Tahanaseer and Thoufeeq had visited the residence of Jamesha Mubeen, exactly one week prior to the attack, during which they conspired to carry out the act of terror.

“Scrutiny of Tahanaseer’s digital device also revealed that he was in possession of ISIS-inspired literature and had deliberately attempted to cover his tracks by deleting the incriminating material, by employing specific mobile-based application software and apps following the terror incident, in an apparent bid to evade the attention of law enforcement agencies,” said the anti-terror agency.

Investigations uncovered that the deceased accused, Jamesha Mubeen, was deeply inspired and motivated by the radical ISIS ideology, the agency said.

Jamesha Mubeen, prior to carrying out the terror attack, had sworn allegiance by giving “bayath” to Abu-Al-Hasan Al-Hashimi Al-Qurashi, the self-proclaimed Caliphate of ISIS at the time, said the NIA.

The NIA had previously filed two separate chargesheets in the instant case on April 20 and June 2 this year, before the NIA court at Poonamallee in Chennai against 11 suspects.

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

Afghan refugees deported from Pakistan: How Taliban, once propped up by Islamabad, has come back to bite it

Pragya Bakshi Sharma
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Afghan refugees deported from Pakistan: How Taliban, once propped up by Islamabad, has come back to bite it

Pakistan is deporting nearly 2 million Afghan refugees, many of whom have been residing in the country for over 30 years. Many of these Afghan migrants arrived in Pakistan after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979, then in the late 1990s when the Taliban first came to power and more recently in 2021, when the Taliban assumed control of the country.

Besides citing economic concerns, the ISI-controlled Pakistan establishment has accused Afghan refugees of terrorist attacks, street crimes and organised crime like drug trafficking.

What’s chilling is the fact that Pakistan is sending Afghan refugees – who escaped the Taliban rule, back to Afghanistan when it has been involved in the creation of the radical Islamist group. The Taliban has now come back to haunt Pakistan even as Afghan refugees pay the price.

How was Pakistan involved in building the Taliban?

The word Taliban translates to “students” in Pashto language. The group came into existence in the early 1990s in northern Pakistan after the Soviet troops withdrew from Afghanistan. Several Afghans who joined the Taliban were known to have received madrassa education in Pakistan.

The head of the new Taliban government formed in 2021 in Afghanistan, Mohammad Hasan Akhund, who is also on the UN sanctions list, had studied at a seminary in Pakistan.

Pakistan is known to be the Taliban’s principal benefactor and one of the only three countries that recognised the Taliban when they first took power in Afghanistan. The other two countries were Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Pakistan was also the last country to break diplomatic ties with the Taliban after the US invaded Afghanistan following the 9/11 attacks.

Pakistan had not only trained armed mujahideen to fight the invading Soviet forces in Afghanistan but also helped facilitate the transition of a ragtag militia group into the Taliban, which later went on to lay control of the country from 1996 to 2001.

Taliban became Pakistan’s link to terrorist outfits in central Asia like Al Qaeda. In return, the Taliban received cash incentives, arms and ammunition, and an unfettered passage through the porous borders between the two countries. Pakistan became a hideout for Taliban and Al Qaeda terrorists who were being chased by US-led NATO forces.

Pakistan also threw open Military hospitals to treat the Taliban terrorists who got wounded in their guerrilla war in Afghanistan or while crossing the border. Al Qaeda terrorist Osama Bin Laden’s refuge in the Pakistani backwater town of Abbottabad was a testimony to Islamabad’s resolute support of terrorism and its willingness to provide sanctuary to UN-designated terrorists and terror groups.

Even as the Western forces were busy routing the Taliban from Afghanistan, Islamabad, on the other hand, was occupied in the rehabilitation of the group. They provided assistance to sustain the Taliban, even as the terror outfit lost thousands of foot soldiers against the NATO forces.

Several US intelligence agencies and defence experts have been cautioning the USA against Pakistan, warning them that Islamabad’s interests were in conflict with the United States and that it was playing a dangerous double game, falsely claiming to help the United States in its war on terror while clandestinely extending moral, emotional and tactical support to the Taliban.

How Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan came into being

While Pakistan was falsely claiming to cooperate with the US and the NATO forces in combating the Taliban and Al Qaeda terrorist groups, it was faced with a homegrown demon, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Like the Taliban, the TTP too, was nurtured by Pakistan when it could no more aid the Taliban directly owing to US operations in Afghanistan.

The TTP was Pakistan’s medium of assistance to the Afghan Taliban from its own soil until it came to bite Pakistan back.

The TTP came into being after 9/11 but became fully active after the Lal Masjid siege in Islamabad in July 2007. 13 radical and extremist terrorist groups within Pakistan united to form the TTP in an undisclosed place in South Waziristan Agency of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).

The group’s objective was to fight the NATO forces in Afghanistan and wage a “defensive jihad” against Pakistani forces. It aimed to eradicate Islamabad’s influence in FATA and neighbouring Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province in Pakistan, implementation of a strict Sharia in Pakistan and the expulsion of the coalition troops from Afghanistan.

On 23rd November 2008, the then TTP spokesman, Mullah Omer, had reportedly said, “The Taliban are present in Karachi and have links with the LeJ, Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) and other banned religious organisations.” The TTP is also known to have links with Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM), HuM and Harkat-ul-Jihad-e-Islami (HuJI).

Media reports on 5th January 2011, indicated that five terrorist groups had joined the TTP and were working under its umbrella TTP namely LeJ, SSP, JeM, HuM and Harkat-ul-Ansar (HuA). TTP spokesman Azam Tariq declared, “We have not forced anyone to join TTP, and the leaders and activists of the banned religious organisations have united themselves under the umbrella of the TTP on their own choice.”

Pakistan Taliban is responsible for some of the deadliest terrorist attacks in Pakistan, which the latter uses to victimise itself when it is responsible, directly or indirectly, for its creation.

Despite being backed by the Afghan Taliban, Pakistan, which decries TTP terror attacks on its soil, celebrated and even played a role in the return of the Taliban. After the Taliban’s return in August 2021, the TTP, equipped with more arms and ammunition, has perpetrated back-to-back terrorist attacks in Pakistan.

31st August 2023: 9 Pakistani soldiers killed in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa

At least nine soldiers were killed and 20 others were critically injured in a terror attack in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region. The incident took place in the Bannu district when a suicide bomber exploded himself. Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), according to the military, was responsible for the terror strike.

30th January 2023: Blast in Peshawar Police Lines mosque kills 28

A blast took place inside the Peshawar Police Lines mosque resulting in the death of at least 28 people. Around 150 were reportedly injured in the blast. Shortly after the attack, the Islamist terror outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the bombing.

December 2022: 6 Pakistani security personnel killed in attacks in Balochistan

TTP reportedly claimed responsibility for killing six Pakistani security personnel and injuring others in several attacks in the Balochistan province. It must be mentioned that ISIS-Khorasan owes its existence to the TTP. ISIS-K was formed by disaffected TTP terrorists, thanks to Pakistan.

Yet, Pakistan continued cheerleading for Taliban 2.0

No matter what Pakistan says, it cannot hide its true face and run away from its true identity, that of a terrorist state. Despite the TTP’s dance of death, Pakistan celebrated the return of the Taliban in Afghanistan even as the TTP had announced in 2020 that Pakistan was its agenda.

In 2021, the TTP had warned Islamabad to brace itself for an attack by come Taliban in Afghanistan. But the then Pakistan PM Imran Khan was heard praising the Taliban and called on the US for dialogue with the terrorist group. “Taliban are the best bet to take on Daesh,” the former Pakistani cricketer had said.

In August 2021, After the Taliban called Pakistan their “second home”, then-Pakistani Minister Sheikh Rashid confessed on a TV show that the Imran Khan-led government has indeed been the custodian of Talibani leaders.

“We are the custodians of Taliban leaders. We have taken care of them for long. They got shelter, education and a home in Pakistan. We have done everything for them,” declared Rashid

Foolishly counting on the Taliban to help combat the TTP threat, Pakistan had also decided to help the Afghan Taliban organise their army. A top-level Pakistan official revealed that the Pakistanis decided to send security and intelligence officials, including the head of the powerful Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency, to Afghanistan to help the Taliban reorganise their military.

When the Taliban was being challenged by the National Resistance Forces in Panjshir Valley of Afghanistan, the Pakistani Air Force was providing the radical group with drones to bomb the Amrullah Saleh forces.

US Defence Analyst Sarah Chayes in an interview with CNN on September 1, 2021, attributed the Taliban’s resurrection to the emotional and military support it received from Pakistan’s notorious intelligence agency ISI.

Chayes said that Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI used its resources cleverly to help topple the US-backed Ashraf Ghani government in Afghanistan.

Pakistan getting the taste of its own medicine

As mentioned above, the TTP has only been strengthened with the resurgence of the Afghan Taliban much to Pakistan’s distress. Pakistan has no one but itself to hold responsible what with planting the seeds of terrorism in its own soil and across the borders too.

Despite Pakistan’s repeated plea to the Taliban government for assistance in combating the TTP, the Taliban has washed its hands off saying that Pakistan’s security problems are its own. But given the terrorist-backing state’s fundamental nature, it has chosen to target Afghan refugees for its variety of issues, most of which emanate from homegrown Islamic radicalism.

Maharashtra: Salman praises Tipu Sultan, shows Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj bowing before the Islamic tyrant, booked

Siddhi Somani
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Maharashtra: Salman praises Tipu Sultan, shows Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj bowing before the Islamic tyrant, booked

Recently, Maharashtra Police booked a person identified as Salman (full name unknown) for hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus and the Maratha community by posting ill photographs against Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj on Instagram. The accused had posted a video on 19th October praising Tipu Sultan, the Islamic tyrant who slaughtered the Hindus of Malabar and Kodagu, killed and converted lakhs of them.

The post also showed Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj bowing and joining hands in request before the Islamist tyrant. The video and the FIR lodged in the case have been obtained by OpIndia. In the video, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the pride of Maharashtra and the Maratha community could be seen bowing in front of Tipu Sultan.

The incident is said to have happened in the Sangli district of Maharashtra. FIR has been filed at Jat Police Station in Sangli.

FIR copy obtained by OpIndia

The video also praised Tipu Sultan and called the Islamist tyrant ‘Bharat ki Shaan’. The Police lodged an FIR in the case on 20th October based on the complaint filed by one Prasad Salunkhe, 21. In the complaint, Salunkhe mentioned that he was informed by one of his uncles about the video. Later on, verifying the reel, it was discovered that it was posted by Salman on his Instagram account having ID salman_sheikh.792.

The phone number of the accused was then obtained by the complainant. However, the calls were not answered by the accused. The complainant then managed to obtain the address of the accused and went there with his friends to find out why such a video was made and posted by the accused. On reaching his residence in Nadaf Lane, Sangli, the father of the accused informed the complainant that he (the accused) was not at home.

The complainant then took screenshots of the video and reached the police station to file an FIR in the case. The police took cognizance of the event and booked the accused under sections 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion), and 298 (uttering words, etc., with deliberate intent to wound religious feelings) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860.

FIR has been filed. Police are looking into the case.

After remaining silent on Hamas terror attacks in Israel, Irfan Pathan’s heart bleeds for children in Gaza

OpIndia Staff
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After remaining silent on Hamas terror attacks in Israel, Irfan Pathan’s heart bleeds for children in Gaza

On Friday (3rd November), former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan raised his ‘concern’ for the children losing their lives in Gaza amidst the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. He urged world leaders to unite and stop the “senseless killing”.

“Every day, innocent kids aged 0-10 in Gaza are losing lives and the world remains silent. As a sportsman, I can only speak out, but it’s high time for world leaders to unite and put an end to this senseless killing. @UN #StopTheViolence #GazaChildren,” Pathan posted (archive) on X with replies turned off.

While cricketer Irfan Pathan today spoke out for the Gazan kids losing their lives, he chose to maintain a deafening silence on 7th October when Palestinian terrorist group Hamas carried out a brutal attack on Israel killing 1400 Israeli civilians, slaughtering children, raping women and parading them naked.

Although days later, Irfan Pathan said in an X post that his heart goes out to all the innocent children and people getting hurt in the Israel-Palestine war, the cricketer-turned-commentator did not condemn Hamas. Forget condemning, Pathan did not even mention Hamas terrorists.

“My heart goes out for all the innocent ppl n kids who get hurt in the war. May peace prevail soon. #IsrealPalestineWar,” Pathan posted on 20th October.

Irfan Pathan’s post on Friday sparked a strong reaction from netizens who called out the cricketer’s hypocrisy of remaining silent when Hamas slaughtered Israelis but urging world leaders to come together to end “senseless killing” when Israel is fighting back with its declared intent to put an end to Hamas terrorism.

An X user named Varun Kumar Rana pointed out how the cricketer today is concerned about Gazan children but was dropping usual posts on 7th October when Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel. The X user wrote, “Irfan Pathan today Vs Irfan Pathan on October 7, the day Israel was attacked.”

Another X user “Bala” wrote, “Innocent Israeli kids were butchered, women were raped and paraded by Hamas on October 7 and Irfan Pathan remained silent. When life makes you Irfan, Be Irfan Khan not @IrfanPathan.”

One “The Right Wing Guy” wrote, “Irfan Pathan waited for the right moment. He trolled Pakistan multiple times so that he can gain sympathy and get people to like him more. The problem is not that he thought about Gaza but the problem is that he did not stand again Israel earlier and not even mentioned about Israel now. If these killings are bothering you, it should not be one way. Israel kids should also matter the same to you. Why the comment section is off now? Because he know he is not right.”

Some X users also speculated if the former cricketer was paid for the X post in question.

A popular X user who goes by the username “Befitting Facts” wrote, “Irfan Pathan tweeted in support of Gaza. Clearly this was sent by someone else, he forgot to remove quote. Did he get paid for this?”

Another one posted, “Turns off replies, wants you to remain “silent” 2 Question for @IrfanPathan, -War is on 4th week, who from Gaza contacted him to post this tweet today? -How did they contact him?”

It is worth noting that this is not the first time that Irfan Pathan has posted in support of Palestine. “If you have even slightest of humanity you will not support what’s happening in #Palestine #SaveHumanity,” Pathan had posted back in 2021.

It is ironic that while cricketer Irfan Pathan is asking world leaders and tagging United Nations to put an end to the “senseless killing” in Gaza, a top Hamas terrorist Ghazi Hamad not only justified the brutal terror attack in Israel on October 7 killing thousands of civilians including children and the elderly and raping women parading them naked but also announced to repeat it until Israel is annihilated.

As Elvish Yadav is accused of throwing rave parties with ‘snake venom’, here is how the toxic saliva is abused in India

Dibakar Dutta
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As Elvish Yadav is accused of throwing rave parties with ‘snake venom’, here is how the toxic saliva is abused in India

On Thursday (2nd November) evening, the Noida police arrested 5 people for allegedly supplying snakes to YouTuber and Big Boss OTT 2 winner Elvish Yadav.

As per reports, the snakes were of endangered species and were used by Yadav for his videos on Instagram and YouTube. It is claimed that venom extracted from the snakes was supplied for ‘rave parties’, which were allegedly organised by Elvish the social media star.

The Noida police have recovered 9 snakes, including 5 cobras from the accused men. The reptiles were reportedly caught from different places and their venom was sold at exorbitant prices. “They used to collect a hefty sum of money for supplying the venom at parties,” the police said.

Elvish Yadav has meanwhile rubbished the allegations levelled against him. He hit out at Maneka Gandhi and ‘People for Animals (PFA)’, the NGO which filed complaint against the YouTuber.

The serious nature of the allegations has brought into focus the abuse of ‘snake venom’, a highly toxic saliva emitted by the fangs of the snakes, by humans.

In a research paper published by Aseem Mehra, Debashish Basu and Sandeep Grover in the ‘Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine’ in 2018, they reviewed the existing literature and case reports on the use of ‘snake venom’ in India for recreational purposes.

Screengrab of the research paper

The researchers found that the abuse of the toxic saliva was common in patients with a history of opioid (commonly called drug) abuse. The snakes commonly used for such intoxication include cobras, kraits, and green-coloured snakes.

The study found that those using snake venom would take the bite from the reptile either on their tongue or feet. “As was our patient, previously reported cases have also described the experience of snake bite to be associated with happiness, grandiosity, and excessive sleepiness,” the researchers noted.

They also noted one case of abuse [pdf] of snake venom at rave parties in Mumbai in 2015, which is similar to the allegations levelled against Elvish Yadav.

Screengrab of the research paper

“A 22 year old Muslim male sweeper educated up to the 10th standard was brought by hisbrother with a history of brown sugar chasing since the past 4 years with a daily consumption 2-3 Sachets/day. His last consumption was 5 days prior to admission. He attended a rave party in Mumbai Suburbs where he was administered a snake bite after chasing brown sugar on the tongue as everyone in the party was doing so. The snake was kept in a box with a hole on its top. The person had to keep tongue on the hole then snake would bite the tongue. After the bite he would have drowsiness and he would sleep for 12-14 hours. He had attended similar parties after that and would regular enjoythe effects of a snake bite,” the case read.

The study and review of existing literature on ‘snake venom’ abuse revealed that those using it belong to a ‘high socio-economic’ status. Most of them wanted to ‘get a high’, reported no fatalities (due to intake of too little venom) and no withdrawal symptoms as such.

“However, in occasional cases, patients developed the phenomenon of tolerance and indulged in more frequent snake bite trips,” the researchers noted. Most of the abusers felt little to no complication (besides jerky movement). The youngest patient was 18 years old and the eldest one was 52.

Study on snake venom abusers between 1990 and 2018, Mehra et al

“The review of literature suggests that occasional patients use snake venom as a substitute or additional agent to get high,” the researchers concluded. The abuse of snakes through hunting, and possession is illegal under various schedules of the Wildlife Protection Act, which was enacted in 1972.

One interesting thing to note from the study conducted by Aseem Mehra, Debashish Basu and Sandeep Grover is the testimony of their 33-year-old patient. He informed that snake bites for recreation were common in his home State of Rajasthan.

“According to the patient, often snake charmers give this kind of bite only to those people who are known to them and best to his knowledge no person had lost his their life after the snake bite,” they added. Some individuals are also reported to have used snake bite as a substitute for opioids.

References:

  1. Mehra, A., Basu, D., & Grover, S. (2018). Snake Venom Use as a Substitute for Opioids: A Case Report and Review of Literature. Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, 40(3), 269-271. https://doi.org/10.4103/IJPSYM.IJPSYM_216_17
  2. Umate, M. K., Khot, P., Salukhe, R., & Kale, V. (2015). Snake venom abuse in rave parties: A case report. Indian J Ment Health, 2, 227-9.

Saudi Arabia eyes $5 billion stake in Indian Premier League, Crown Prince MBS proposes to transfer it to a $30 Billion holding company: Report

OpIndia Staff
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Saudi Arabia eyes $5 billion stake in Indian Premier League, Crown Prince MBS proposes to transfer it to a $30 Billion holding company: Report

Saudi Arabia which has made substantial investments in professional sports clubs in various sports has now indicated interest in purchasing a multibillion-dollar share in the Indian Premier League, which is the richest tournament in international cricket, reported Bloomberg on Friday, November 3.

According to persons acquainted with the situation, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s advisors have discussed transferring the Indian Premier League into a holding company with a potential worth of up to $30 billion, in which Saudi Arabia would thereafter acquire a sizeable part. The individuals who wished to remain anonymous since the information is confidential claimed that the discussions took place during the de facto ruler of the kingdom’s September visit to India.

They added that in line with plans discussed at the time, the monarchy offered to invest up to $5 billion in the league and assist in spearheading its expansion into other nations much like the European Champions League or the English Premier League.

They disclosed that the Indian government and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the nation’s influential but discreet cricket body are expected to arrive at a decision on the arrangement following the 2024 Lok Sabha elections despite the Saudi government’s eagerness to move forward with a deal. Jay Shah, the son of Amit Shah, India’s Home Minister and a close ally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is in charge of the BCCI.

If a deal with the BCCI is eventually developed, it might be facilitated by Saudi Arabia’s formidable sovereign wealth fund which has supported many of the country’s other sports initiatives. However, no such decision is in place as of yet. 

Since the league’s launch in 2008, the IPL has combined Bollywood glamour, American-style marketing and the enthusiasm of India’s massive populace. The primary objective of the competition was to replace the traditional cricket structure with three or four-hour broadcast-friendly games that promote huge, risky swings and frequent sixes.

Numerous sponsors have expressed interest in the league such as Aramco and the Saudi tourism board. Furthermore, bidders last year spent $6.2 billion for the right to broadcast IPL games through 2027, notwithstanding the fact that the season only lasts eight weeks every spring. This equates to $15.1 million for each game which is somewhat less than the $17 million that US networks pay for each National Football League game and more than the Premier League.

Media rights agreements would be revised if Saudi Arabia chooses to invest in the tournament or makes any format modifications to it, as per sources with knowledge of the situation.

Saudi Arabia has spent billions of dollars on sports over the last few years and the head of the kingdom’s cricket organisation has stated that he hopes to make Saudi Arabia a popular destination for cricket players worldwide.

Ben Stokes, the captain of England cricket and one of the best players in the world, remarked, “You can’t compete with money, especially the money that Saudi Arabia is throwing around to certain people,” in an interview this year.

Notably, there are ongoing efforts to recreate the IPL formula abroad. The inaugural season of Major League Cricket, a US startup partially sponsored by Microsoft Corp. and Adobe Inc. CEOs Satya Nadella and Shantanu Narayen, respectively, came to an end in July. This league along with others in the UAE, South Africa and other countries hasn’t challenged the IPL’s hegemony in the commercial sphere.

Any investment in cricket by Saudi Arabia would follow large expenditures on other sports, mainly football and golf. The LIV Golf Tour which this year agreed to a shocking merger with the PGA Tour received support from the PIF.

Moreover, Saudi Arabia spearheaded the purchase of Newcastle United FC, an English Premier League football team and is currently preparing to host the FIFA World Cup in 2034. The kingdom has invested millions on players like Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal, Karim Benzema of France, and Neymar of Brazil as part of its attempt to become the most popular sport in the world.

The government has come under fire for allegedly “sportswashing” its human rights record and image as a result of this spending but the crown prince of the kingdom has stressed that the accords are primarily meant to strengthen the nation’s economy.

I.N.D.I. Alliance continues to crumble: CPI(M) calls off alliance with Congress, Bihar CM blames grand old party of neglecting opposition bloc

OpIndia Staff
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I.N.D.I. Alliance continues to crumble: CPI(M) calls off alliance with Congress, Bihar CM blames grand old party of neglecting opposition bloc

The I.N.D.I. Alliance’s future is becoming increasingly questionable. Recently, news emerged of the gap between the Samajwadi Party and the Congress, two major parties in the bloc, caused by the collapse of a seat-sharing arrangement for the Madhya Pradesh assembly polls. Now, in a stunning double whammy, two more INDI bloc members, CPI(M) and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar have expressed their discontent with Congress.

On Thursday, November 2, the Communist Party of India-Marxist [CPI(M)] decided to call off its proposed alliance with the Congress and declared that it would be going solo in the November 30 Telangana Assembly polls. The decision came after Congress failed to respond to its demand for two seats, which are the Wyra and Miryalaguda seats in Telangana.

Miffed with Congress for not being able to honour its commitment on Wyra and Miyalaguda seats, CPI(M) on Thursday announced that there will be no alliance with the Congress for the elections. The Party added that it plans to contest 24 seats solo. Out of these, CPI-M state Secretary T. Veerabhadram on Thursday, announced 17 constituencies where the party will field its candidates and said that they would announce the remaining constituencies and the candidates in a day or two.

The left party, miffed by Congress’ betrayal, also went on to declare that they were willing to contest the poll together with CPI if the party agreed.

The CPI, meanwhile, has decided to wait for two more days for the Congress to announce its final list.

Criticizing the Congress’s approach, Veerabhadram asserted the party had no plans to ally with the CPI-M.

The CPI-M had first sought the constituencies of Paleru and Bhadrachalam, but the Congress had proposed Wyra and Miryalaguda instead, he recalled. Subsequently, the Congress decided to keep the Wyra constituency and assured that it would provide Miryalaguda and an additional Hyderabad seat.

CPI(M) leader Narasingh Rao also slammed the grand old party saying that Congress does not seem serious about the alliance.

Under the seat-sharing agreement, the Congress had committed to reserve two seats each for CPI and CPI-M. However, they were unable to agree on which seats ought to go to the Left parties.

According to reports, Congress has already declared a list of 100 out of 119 candidates in Telangana. While it offered the Hyderabad Old City seat to CPI (M), the leftist party rejected the same as it would have been a tough fight against Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM.

Congress not interested in I.N.D.I. Alliance: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar takes a dig at the grand old party

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar Thursday, launched an attack on the grand old party by blaming it for lack of progress in preparing for the 2024 Lok Sabha election. Speaking at a CPI rally in Patna, Nitish claimed that the I.N.D.I. Alliance had failed to make any significant headway as Congress has prioritized the five-state elections over the future of the Opposition bloc.

“INDIA alliance was formed but nothing much is happening. There are Assembly elections in five states. The Congress party is more interested in those. We were all working together to take forward the Congress party but they are not worried about all this right now. They are busy with the five-state elections,” Nitish said addressing the gathering.

The JD(U) chief further said, “We agreed to assign Congress the leading role. But it appears they will call the next meeting only after they are through with the state elections.”

I.N.D.I. Alliance partners Congress and Samajwadi Party fighting over the seat-sharing formula in MP

CPI(M) and JD(U) are not the first I.N.D.I. Alliance members who are having an issue with Congress, the party that is leading this unholy nexus formed with the sole aim of taking on BJP in the upcoming 2024 general elections.

Lately, I.N.D.I. Alliance partners Congress and Samajwadi Party (SP) have been fighting over the seat-sharing formula for the state assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh slated for next month. Akhilesh Yadav accused the Congress of ‘betrayal’ and fielded 33 candidates in Madhya Pradesh. In retaliation, the leaders of the grand old party and the likes of UP Congress Chief Ajay Rai and Former MP CM Kamal Nath made verbal attacks against the SP party Chief.  

Additionally, Yadav also launched attacks on Congress for asking a nationwide caste census asserting that it was being done only for political benefit. While participating in the Lok Jagran Abhiyan program in Hardoi, he asserted that it is a ‘miracle’ that Congress is ‘now’ asking for a caste census.

On its part, the Congress unit in Uttar Pradesh challenged the SP Chief on his home turf by putting up posters portraying ‘Ajay Rai as CM’ and ‘Rahul Gandhi as PM’. It was seen as a tit-for-tat move as just three days earlier SP had installed posters in Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow showing Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav as the future prime minister of India.

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