A deeply distressing incident around charges of misconduct involving minor students against a principal of a government school in Uttar Pradesh’s Azamgarh has come to light. The perpetrator has been identified as a 55-year-old man named Aftab Ahmed and the shocking instance surfaced on 1st October. He is accused of engaging in inappropriate conduct with dozens of students at the institution, and has been arrested on the basis of complaint filed against him.
He served as the principal of a composite school located in Katghar village within the Sidhari police station area of Azamgarh. He subjected both boys and girls to illicit behaviour and made them hold his private part, according to the police complaint submitted by the parents of one of the victims.
Parents and guardians were left outraged and appalled by these alarming allegations. They pointed out that the horrific episode affecting their young ones had persisted for a while. Another instance of him carrying out similar actions emerged a few years ago. At that point, he resolved the conflict by expressing regret and apologising. However, he resumed molesting youngsters after some time.
Aftab Ahmed sexually harassed a 13-year-old pupil belonging to the scheduled caste community on the fateful day. He confided in his mother who took immediate action and arrived at the school to confront the offender along with the parents of other victims. He reacted aggressively when the family members showed up at the educational institution and refused to take responsibility for his abhorrent activities.
The anguished mother mentioned that he got into a heated argument with them. He insulted and abused them as well as challenged, “Put forth every effort. You won’t be able to do anything.” Notably, there are believed to be approximately a dozen students of both genders who have endured sexual violation at his hands with ages ranging from 10 to 13.
In an important development, the families of the targeted students have come forward as witnesses and have sought stringent action against the culprit. The authorities have registered a case against him under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 354 (outraging the modesty of a woman), 294 (obscene acts or words), and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), along with sections of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act.
The police have confirmed his arrest and that he would brought before the court to apply for remand. OpIndia has a copy of the complaint. The Superintendent of Police (SP) City of Azamgarh informed that the investigation was handed over to the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) of the area after a complaint was received. A case has been lodged against the principal under the appropriate legislation after the claims were established following an inquiry. Authorities have reaffirmed their commitment to conducting a complete probe and delivering justice to the victims.
The complete I.N.D.I. alliance, in collaboration with Congress and Rahul Gandhi, is fervently championing the cause of caste-based census and the principle of ‘proportional representation based on population.’ The caste census figures have been unveiled in Bihar, and amidst this backdrop, Rahul Gandhi has been persistently asserting that the Congress government had carried out a nationwide caste census, calling on the Modi government to disclose its findings. Rahul Gandhi continues to make such assertions, warranting a thorough examination and analysis of his claims and statements.
Rahul Gandhi’s Claim No. 1: Congress Conducted Caste Census, urges Modi Government to Make It Public
The Reality: Congress Did Not Conduct Any Such Census. Rahul Gandhi claims that caste-related statistics were recorded during the 2010-11 census. The Congress government remained in power until 2014. However, the census data was released in 2011. Therefore, the question arises as to when the process of caste-based census was completed. Under which rules was the caste census conducted? When was the notification issued for the caste-based census?
It’s worth noting here that the census is a continuous process governed by constitutional provisions. Officially, there hasn’t been a caste-based census conducted since 1931. Even if the Congress government had initiated such a census, why weren’t the figures released?
"कांग्रेस ने 2011 में जातिगत जनगणना कराई, उसमें हर जाति के लोगों का डेटा है, लेकिन मोदी जी वो डेटा लोगों को नहीं दिखाते"
Now, let’s discuss the notification regarding the 2010 census. In that notification, there is no mention of the OBCs anywhere. We are providing a copy of the format of that census here.
The format issued for the 2010 census (Image Source: census India, Government of India).
Moreover, the Congress’s reference to the 2011 Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) is inaccurate, as the figures from that census are not usable. The Central Government even submitted an affidavit to the Supreme Court in 2021 regarding this matter. In response to the Maharashtra government’s petition, the Centre stated in the Supreme Court affidavit that the caste/tribe data in the 2011 Socio-Economic and Caste Census is flawed and not suitable for use.
Before the caste census in Bihar, in 2015, the Congress government in Karnataka also conducted a similar census. However, the reasons why the data from that census was not released remain unknown. In such a scenario, it could be surmised that the top leadership of Congress may have suppressed those figures because they were not favourable to their cause.
Now, the question arises: did Congress refrain from releasing the caste census data because they feared losing their vote bank? If not, then why were these figures not disclosed until 2014? The sudden recall of this census by Congress raises political questions.
Under the leadership of Narendra Modi, the BJP, particularly under the NDA umbrella, has exhibited remarkable performance in general elections, both in 2014 and 2019. The divisive caste-based parties couldn’t make a dent in Narendra Modi’s electoral juggernaut. So far, the opposition has been unable to find a chink in Narendra Modi’s development and nation-first policies. In this light, it seems that the Congress is attempting to challenge Narendra Modi’s dominance in the name of caste-based divisions, even though it doesn’t appear feasible, no matter how many alliances it forms with caste-based and dynastic parties.
Rahul Gandhi’s Claim No. 2: Only 3 OBCs among 90 in Central Secretariat
Rahul Gandhi has been raising the issue of only 3 OBC officers among the 90 officials currently deployed in the Central Secretariat. In this regard, it is essential to ask him first how many OBC officers were appointed in the Central Secretariat during the UPA’s tenure from 2004 to 2014.
बिहार की जातिगत जनगणना से पता चला है कि वहां OBC + SC + ST 84% हैं।
केंद्र सरकार के 90 सचिवों में सिर्फ़ 3 OBC हैं, जो भारत का मात्र 5% बजट संभालते हैं!
इसलिए, भारत के जातिगत आंकड़े जानना ज़रूरी है। जितनी आबादी, उतना हक़ – ये हमारा प्रण है।
Now, let’s explore why the number is low and why it may not be fair to connect it directly to the government. To understand the context of this issue, we need to go back to the times of India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. BJP’s National President, JP Nadda, even raised this matter in Parliament. He mentioned that during Pandit Nehru’s tenure, the Kakasaheb Kalelkar report was commissioned. Following that, the Mandal Commission report was introduced during the eras of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi but wasn’t implemented. It finally came into effect in 1990, whereas during the times of Indira and Rajiv, this report remained largely neglected.
JP Nadda further stated that in 1992, the Supreme Court directed the provision of reservations for OBCs in services. Consequently, from 1995-1996 onwards, OBC-SC-ST reservations were initiated in All India Services. The current Cabinet Secretaries were appointed prior to 1992. However, in the coming years, we can expect an increase in the number of OBC Secretaries. This can also be understood by considering that Cabinet Secretaries are the highest-ranking senior officials.
Reaching the position of Cabinet Secretary isn’t something that can happen overnight. Over time, individuals gradually rise through the ranks to attain these senior positions, as JP Nadda emphasised in Parliament. Therefore, Rahul Gandhi’s claim that the Modi government isn’t appointing OBC individuals as Cabinet Secretaries lacks a solid foundation.
Rahul Gandhi’s Claim No. 3: Congress Advocates for the OBC Community’s Welfare
The truth behind Rahul Gandhi’s claim is that Congress has been one of the staunchest opponents of the OBC community. Whenever the question of reservations arises, the Mandal Commission is mentioned. Who commissioned the Mandal Commission? The answer is that it was established during the tenure of Morarji Desai’s Janata Party government in 1979, with its report being published in 1980. The question that arises here is why the Mandal Commission was not implemented during Indira Gandhi’s time from 1980 to 1984 or during Rajiv Gandhi’s term from 1984 to 1989.
In 1990, the Janata Dal government, supported by the BJP from the outside, implemented the Mandal Commission recommendations. In light of this, Rahul Gandhi’s claim has once again proven to be incorrect.
The reality is that the Congress government, by providing reservations to Muslims from within the OBC quota, essentially made a dent in the share meant for OBCs. In various states, including Karnataka and Maharashtra, the Congress government exceeded the prescribed limits for reservations. Even in these states, a portion of the OBC reservation (4%) was allocated to Muslims, a move that underscores the fact that the Congress government hasn’t acted in the best interests of the OBC community but has rather been their biggest adversary. This prompts us all to question whether Congress truly advocates for the welfare of the OBC community.
Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Divide and Rule’ Political Strategy: What Lies Behind It?
As straightforward as this question may seem, its answer is equally tangled. India’s population is undergoing rapid changes, and the game of converting Hindus to Islam and Christianity through various means has been ongoing for some time now. However, there is a catch in this scenario. Those who undergo religious conversion to become Muslims or Christians often continue to identify themselves as Dalits or OBCs on official documents.
To understand the meaning of this, it becomes crucial to know about a judgment from the Madras High Court related to demographic changes and reservations in Kanyakumari.
In early 2022, during the hearing of a case, the Madras High Court remarked, “Talking about religions, there is a demographic change observed in Kanyakumari. Hindus are no longer in the majority of the district since the 1980s. Although the 2011 census indicates that Hindus constitute the largest religious group with 48.5% of the population, this may differ from ground reality. It should be noted that a significant number of Scheduled Caste individuals have converted to Christianity but continue to identify themselves as Hindus to avail of reservation benefits.”
Since Congress has long been associated with the appeasement of Islamic fundamentalists and nurturing Christian missionaries, they are integral components of that ecosystem, which allowed Congress to maintain power for so many years and still serves their interests in anti-India global propaganda. In this context, the attempt is being made through a caste-based census to include those individuals who have already converted to crypto-Christians but continue to identify as Hindus to avail themselves of reservation benefits. Through caste-based census, they aim to integrate these individuals into various categories, thereby depriving genuine Hindu OBC-SC-ST communities of their rightful entitlements.
It’s worth noting that while a caste-based census was conducted in 1931, the census in 1951 omitted the caste column and counted only the population of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. This change was made because there was a mandate to provide reservations for these communities, and therefore, it was essential to determine their numbers accurately.
Indian Air Force (IAF) chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari received the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas twin-seater trainer aircraft from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Chief Managing Director CB Ananthakrishnan in Bengaluru on Wednesday.
“Today is a momentous day and a matter of pride for me to accept the first two-seater LCA aircraft. This day will go down in history as a really remarkable one that exemplifies the prowess of the Indian domestic aviation industry,” Chaudhari said speaking at the ceremony in Bengaluru.
The Air Force chief said that two LCA squadrons have already been set up and a contract has been signed for 83 additional LCAs.
“It is a matter of pride for us, in the Indian Air Force having set up two LCA squadrons already. We have now signed a contract for 83 additional LCA (Light Combat Aircraft) and we are moving forward to procuring 97 more LCAs. In the coming years, we will have a fleet of 220 LCAs in the inventory of the Indian Air Force,” the Indian Air Force chief said.
“I once again wish each one of you the very best to ensure that we in the Indian Air Force receive our orders on time and start flying them in a good period of time. My compliments to all the stakeholders and best wishes to all of you for a bright and successful future,” he added congratulating the aviation industry.
Speaking at the event Minister of State Defence Ajay Bhatt said, “Today is a historic day. I am very proud to be in HAL and to witness all agreements done here. We have handed over the first LCA twin-seater to IAF.”
On the Atmanirbhar push in the field of Indian aviation, Bhatt said, “Some years ago we were dependent on other countries for fighter jets. PM Modi wants India to do better in all fields. We are getting Atmanirbhar.”
The HAL handed over the first Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) twin-seater trainer version aircraft to the Indian Air Force (IAF) in Bengaluru on Wednesday.
HAL has an order of 18 twin seater from IAF and is planning to deliver eight twin seater in FY 2023-24. Further, 10 twin seaters would be delivered progressively by 2026-27. Further orders are also expected from IAF.
LCA-Tejas is the largest R-D program ever undertaken in India making its maiden flight in 2001 and has achieved various milestones since then. It is going to be the backbone of the IAF fleet in years to come and is slated to be produced in high numbers by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited in Bengaluru, as HAL has already received an order of 123 aircraft out of which 32 fighters have been supplied to IAF and two squadrons already operational with Indian Air Force (IAF) at Sulur, AF base.
LCA Tejas is a 4.5 generation, all weather and multi-role fighter aircraft. The aircraft is designed to be a multi-role aircraft capable of taking up offensive air support, close combat and ground attack role at ease. It is also designed to undertake Ground Maritime Operations.
LCA Mk1A is the most advanced version of the LCA Tejas. It is equipped with AESA Radar, EW suite consisting of radar warning and self-protection jamming, Digital Map Generator (DMG), Smart Multi-function Displays (SMFD), Combined Interrogator and Transponder (CIT), Advanced Radio Altimeter and other features.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
Pro-Khalistan graffiti was found written on the walls outside a government office in Dharamshala, Kangra district, police officials said.
Meanwhile, the police took immediate action and painted the wall to remove the slogan. Notably, this comes three days before the start of ICC World Cup matches in Dharamshala. Dharamshala Police is investigating the matter.
#WATCH | Himachal Pradesh: Khalistan graffiti seen outside government office in Dharamshala, Kangra district. The police took immediate action and painted the wall to remove the slogan. Dharamshala Police is investigating the matter.
In a similar incident on September 27, Pro-Khalistan graffiti was found written on the walls at Delhi’s Kashmiri Gate flyover, after which Delhi Police registered a case in the matter.
A video came into notice on September 27, wherein certain visuals of defacement through graffiti were seen. As per the signage boards visible in the video, an extensive search was launched in the area of North District, and graffiti was found on the Yudhister Setu flyover coming from Seelampur towards Kashmere Gate, police said.
Meanwhile, the police registered the FIR under relevant sections of IPC and the Delhi Prevention of Defacement of Public Property Act.
(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 Tuesday, October 3rd, the tragic death toll at Dr Shankarrao Chavan Government Medical College and Hospital in Nanded in Maharashtra surged to 35, marking an alarming increase from the previous day’s count of 24 casualties. Among these unfortunate victims, there were 16 infants and 19 adults. Among the infants who succumbed to this unfortunate fate were twin boys, who were born underweight on Sunday and passed away on Monday.
Medical Education Minister Hasan Mushrif paid a visit to the Nanded hospital on Tuesday. Following discussions with medical professionals and administrative personnel, he acknowledged that the deaths were indeed a result of a shortage of doctors. In response, he stated that the government is in the process of devising a plan to address this deficiency by hiring doctors on a contractual basis until the regular recruitment process can fill the vacancies.
According to a report by ANI, Hasan Mushrif, the Minister of Medical Education in Maharashtra, questioned why the hospital had not used its remaining Rs 4-5 crores to purchase medicines. Mushrif expressed deep concern over the housekeeping issues and emphasized that the matter was being taken very seriously. He raised questions about the hospital’s delayed medication procurement despite having sufficient funds.
He said, “The issue of housekeeping is very serious, we have taken that seriously. They still have Rs 4-5 crores. Why didn’t they purchase medicines? Our committee will give an answer. We will bring the medical college staff here. Every person’s life is important to us, and children’s life is important to us and for this, we will work very fast. There is no issue of funding but why didn’t they purchase medicines on time, we allowed the dean to buy 40 per cent of medicines. We will investigate this.”
The minister added, “A Committee of doctors has been formed to investigate the whole matter and action will be taken against those who are found guilty in this matter. There was no shortage of drugs in this hospital. We are immediately increasing the beds in hospital. Till now, 31 people have died in this hospital.”
Mushrif was joined by Guardian Minister Girish Mahajan during his visit to Nanded. The meeting also saw the presence of former Chief Minister and MLA Ashok Chavan and Member of Parliament Pratap Chikhalikar. Following the discussions, Mushrif announced his intention to bring up the conditions of medical colleges and hospitals across the state, not just Nanded, at the forthcoming cabinet meeting.
In the Dr Shankarrao Chavan Government Medical College and Hospital, located in Nanded, Marathwada region, a total of 24 fatalities were recorded within a 24-hour period between September 30th and October 1st. Subsequently, between October 1st and October 2nd, seven more deaths were reported. This brought the overall count of casualties to 31 within a span of 48 hours.
According to the ANI report, Dr Shyamrao Wakode, the in-charge dean of Dr Shankarrao Chavan Government Medical College and Hospital in Nanded said that the deceased patients suffered from various ailments, including snake bites, arsenic and phosphorus poisoning, among others. Dr. Wakode cited challenges related to staff transfers, budget issues, and the procurement of medicines as contributing factors to the crisis.
Meanwhile, at the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, within the span of 24 hours until Tuesday morning, a distressing minimum of 18 deaths have been recorded. Among the deceased, there are also two newborn infants. The hospital is currently grappling with a shortage of medications, forcing patients to wander in search of medicines.
Hospital Superintendent Dr Vijay Kalyankar, on the other hand, asserted that the fatalities were not attributed to a deficiency in staffing or medications. The revelation of these fatalities has caused quite a stir, highlighting the dire situation in Maharashtra’s government hospitals.
Union Minister of State for Health, Bharti Pawar, has asked for a comprehensive report on the fatalities occurring in both hospitals. She said, “This is an unfortunate incident. We have spoken to the concerned authorities and sought an explanation. The situation at the Nanded hospital is grave. Further action will be taken after we receive a detailed report.” The government of Maharashtra is further looking into these issues at the government hospitals in the state.
The public health care system in Maharashtra has many loopholes, which were primarily exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The health infrastructure of the state crumbled entirely during the first 2 waves of COVID-19, with critical patients wandering from hospital to hospital for a bed, people gasping for oxygen and crematoriums running out of wood to cremate the deceased victims.
Despite the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic situation has significantly improved in recent months, the state government’s hospital and healthcare facilities have remained unchanged. In the last couple of years, several hospitals across Maharashtra reported incidents of mishaps, leading to the deaths of patients and hospital staff, underscoring the precarious state of health infrastructure in the state.
On 3rd October, the Banke district administration office imposed an indefinite curfew within the Nepalgunj sub-metropolis area effective from 1 PM. The curfew was imposed following reports of stone pelting incidents during a band organised by the Hindu groups over slogans raised during the Eid Milad procession on 1st October. Reportedly, the Islamists in the procession raised slogans such as ‘Sar Tan Se Juda‘. The public property was damaged during the procession. This is the first time in 26 years that communal clashes have been reported in Nepal. Following the reports of violence, the India-Nepal Rupaidiha border has been sealed. Videos of Islamists pelting stones at Hindus went viral on social media.
#WATCH : Video of Heavy stone pelting and #clashes reported in Banke district of #Nepalgunj during Nepal ban called by Resident Hindus against religious slogans 'STSJ' raised by muslim community during EidMilad procession.#Curfew clamped in Nepalganj. This is reportedly the… pic.twitter.com/xJfmox5J59
Chief District Officer (CDO) Bipin Acharya said in a statement that the administration passed the prohibitory orders over concerns about potential risks to the general public’s safety and disruption of peace in the area. CDO added that gatherings, rallies and unrestricted movement of the people would not be allowed in the areas between the Rapti River Bridge in the east, the road leading to Indrapur of Khajura in the west, Ranjha Chowk in the north, and the Jamunaha checkpoint in the south of Banke district. Furthermore, if anyone found in violation of the orders would face legal action.
District Administration Office of Banke issued a notice on 2nd October urging people to refrain from indulging in activities that might hurt religious sentiments. The administration also urged the public not to get into blame games on social media.
Anti-Hindu slogans in Eid procession
An X user, Treeni, shared a detailed thread on what happened in Nepal during the Eid procession. In the video shared by the X user, slogans of ‘Sar tan se juda’ and ‘Labaik labkail’ were heard.
After Bharat, it's now Nepal!
"Sar Tan Se Juda" & "Labaik… Labkail" slogans rock Nepal's Nepalganj, preceded with stone pelting, fire and arson.
Some unseen videos from Nepalganj violence in which Hindus – peacefully minding their own business – were attacked.
The procession was taken out from the Tribhuvan circle of Nepalganj. The Islamists in the procession indulged in arson and allegedly attacked Hindus. The videos were shared by Nepali Muslim pages on social media.
Two days ago, heavy Islamic protests began at the Tribhuvan Chowk of Nepalganj with "Sar Tan Se Juda" slogans, arson, and then attack on Hindus.
There were videos of Khan allegedly inciting Islamists against Hindus. ‘Sar tan se juda’ slogans were raised in his presence, as per the videos shared by the X user.
Sharafat Khan shouted slogans against the Hindu community, entered the DM office and threatened Hindus.
Following the Hinduphobic procession and slogans, the Hindu group, The Omkar Family, called for Nepalganj Bandh.
The procession of the Omkar family left from the eastern gate of Bageshwari Mandir & passed through Setu Bik Chowk, Dhambozhi & reached BP Chowk.
As the protest was about to advance beyond the Chowk, Muslims started pelting Petrol bombs and stones from the roofs of their houses. pic.twitter.com/XYdz5um5vq
The attack on Hindus led to communal clashes in the area, after which prohibition orders were issued by the administration.
Pertinently, OpIndia reported in 2022 the gradual change in democracy underway in Nepal with mosques, madarasas, and other Islamic seminaries cropping up in a predominantly Hindu-majority country. The disproportionate change in democracy was meticulously catlogued by OpIndia, which can be read here.
Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly on Tuesday said that the country wants “private talks with India to resolve a diplomatic dispute” over the killing of Khalistan terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Reuters reported.
“We are in contact with the government of India. We take Canadian diplomats’ safety very seriously and we will continue to engage privately because we think diplomatic conversations are best when they remain private,” Reuters quoted Joly as saying to reporters. The statement by Joly comes after a report said India had asked Canada to withdraw 41 diplomats.
India has told Canada that it must repatriate the diplomats by October 10. Neither Joly nor Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded when asked if the report was accurate, as per Reuters.
There is a strain in India-Canada relations following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations regarding the Indian government’s ‘potential role’ in the fatal shooting of Khalistan terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Nijjar, who was a designated terrorist in India, was gunned down outside a Gurdwara, in a parking area in Canada’s Surrey, British Columbia on June 18.
Trudeau, during a debate in the Canadian Parliament, claimed his country’s national security officials had reasons to believe that “agents of the Indian government” carried out the killing of the Canadian citizen, who also served as the president of Surrey’s Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara.
However, India has outrightly rejected the claims, calling it ‘absurd’ and ‘motivated’.
Notably, Canada has yet to provide any public evidence to support the claim about the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The country has said it wants to “work constructively with India” regarding the allegations.
Trudeau on Tuesday said that his country was not “looking to escalate the situation with India,” adding that Ottawa wants to remain on the ground in New Delhi to help Canadians, Reuters reported.
“Canada is not looking to escalate the situation with India, will continue to engage responsibly and constructively with New Delhi. We want to be on the ground in India to help the Canadian families there,” Reuters quoted Trudeau as saying.
Trudeau had said last week that Canada is still committed to building closer ties with India, despite “credible allegations of the Indian government’s involvement” in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Canada-based National Post reported. India has rejected the claims as “absurd” and “motivated”.
Pointing to the increasing influence of India worldwide, Trudeau said that it is “extremely important” that Canada and its allies continue to engage with India.
“India is a growing economic power and important geopolitical player. And as we presented with our Indo-Pacific strategy, just last year, we’re very serious about building closer ties with India,” he had told reporters. “At the same time, obviously, as a rule of law country, we need to emphasize that India needs to work with Canada to ensure that we get the full facts of this matter,” National Post quoted Trudeau as saying.
(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 Wednesday, October 4, reports emerged that renowned music composer AR Rahman has sent a Rs 10 crore defamation notice to the Association of Surgeons of India. He has asked the association to withdraw the complaint against him within three days.
The defamation notice was in response to a complaint filed against him by the Association of Surgeons of India at the Chennai police commissioner’s office, which stated that the musician received an amount of Rs 29 lakh in 2018 for a concert that he never performed.
His attorney responded and refuted all of the charges and his team has asked for Rs 10 crore as restitution for the attempt to smear the world-famous music director. He addressed a legal notice to the Association of Surgeons of India seeking that they drop their complaint against him within three days. He dismissed all of the accusations and argued that there were third parties involved of whom his client was unaware.
The counsel pressed for an unequivocal apology from the association for tarnishing the Oscar-winning musician’s reputation in the legal notification and to make a reparation payment of Rs. 10 crores for defaming him. If they do not pay the compensation, the ‘Jai Ho’ composer is going to pursue legal and criminal action.
The allegation stemmed from the lawsuit that AR Rahman who had been paid the money to put on a concert presentation in 2018 never did so and has refused to refund it. According to the organisation’s statement, he was approached to perform at an event hosted by the Annual Conference of the Association of Surgeons of India (ASICON) 2018. He consented to the same on one of the three days of the gathering in exchange for an advance payment of the aforementioned amount. Furthermore, it was stated that there would be no return if the function was scrapped.
Later, however, ASICON allegedly terminated the gig and insisted that he give back the sum because the ticket price for the concert was higher. His manager Senthil Velan asserted that the organisers afterwards contacted them and told them to return the deposit following which a complaint was lodged against the record producer.
Music concert of AR Rahman in Chennai turns into a nightmare
Prior to this, the winning music composer received a lot of flak when his Chennai concert turned into a nightmare after the organisers reportedly oversold the tickets which led to overcrowding and mass molestation.
AR Rahman’s ‘Marakkuma Nenjam’ (Will the heart forget) gala took place in Chennai’s Adityaram Palace on 10 September which was marred by multiple molestation reports, a stampede-like situation and bogus tickets. Despite having valid tickets, many people were turned away because of the crowding.
Dearest Chennai Makkale, those of you who purchased tickets and weren’t able to enter owing to unfortunate circumstances, please do share a copy of your ticket purchase to [email protected] along with your grievances. Our team will respond asap?@BToSproductions@actcevents
Following the controversy, AR Rahman took to X (formerly Twitter) to inform that refunds would be initiated for those who could not attend the event despite purchasing tickets. He, however, did not address the allegations of mass molestation levelled by the victims.
Even by Prime Minister Modi’s hectic travel standards, it is unlikely that he will visit the same state in a span of 3 days. So, when his itinerary was announced for his visits to Telangana on October 1st and 3rd, it certainly created excitement amongst the cadre and inquisitiveness among the media. And true to the expectations, Prime Minister Modi made some explosive revelations and announced some critical projects that are bound to change the nature of discourse in Telangana politics.
On October 3rd, Prime Minister Modi revealed that Chief Minister KCR had approached him, after BRS’s loss in GHMC elections in the year 2020, with an offer to join the NDA in exchange for support in the GHMC council. He has also asked the media to check out the dates to validate his claim (the dates do check out. The results were declared on December 5th, and KCR met Modi on Dec. 12th). This offer was rejected by the Prime Minister and the BJP chose to sit in the opposition.
Prime Minister Modi has also told us that KCR informed him that he plans to make KTR the CM and wanted Modi’s blessings for the same. The timing of this revelation also checks out because there were multiple leaks to the media in January 2021 that the coronation of KTR is right around the corner. The idea had to be dropped by KCR owing to severe resistance from within the party and his extended family too.
The Prime Minister’s revelations have to be seen in the context of the growing narrative in the state that the BRS and BJP are friends and not foes! The mind really boggles at how the Congress party was very successful in spreading this narrative. The chief reason being cited was that despite multiple interrogations by the ED, KCR’s daughter Kavitha has not been arrested yet in the now famous Delhi Liquor Scam. The ED chargesheet does talk about a “South Group” of which Kavitha is a part, that arranged for 100 crores in bribes in exchange for licenses. The BJP cadre was finding it very difficult to counter this argument. And around the same time, the popular and vociferous BJP President Bandi Sanjay Kumar was replaced – thus adding more fuel to the narrative that this was done at the behest of a BRS-BJP understanding!
The Prime Minister’s revelations have certainly come as a boost for the party cadre, but his announcements on October 1st in Telangana were no less significant and were equally narrative-setting in nature. Until the year 2021, Telangana was the highest turmeric-producing state in India. The people of Nizamabad district had a demand for nearly 15 years that a Turmeric board be set up in Nizamabad so that the turmeric farmers here get better opportunities and rates to sell Turmeric. There is this farmer who took a vow in the year 2011 that he will walk barefoot till the Turmeric Board is set up in Nizamabad. KCR’s daughter, Kavitha fought the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Nizamabad promising them that she will bring the Turmeric board. She failed to do so (among her many failures) and she eventually lost the 2019 election to BJP’s Dharmapuri Arvind.
D. Arvind signed a bond paper to the people of Nizamabad that he would resign if he failed to bring the Turmeric Board and also a good MSP for Turmeric. Though the central government announced the setting up of a Spices Board regional office in Nizamabad, it didn’t cut any ice with the voters. As has been the trend with the Modi government, where long pending issues are resolved quickly, Prime Minister Modi has announced on October 1st, the setting up of the National Turmeric Board in Nizamabad. This took the BRS by surprise because they were all busy making jokes about how Arvind failed to get the Turmeric board and how his bond paper was now a joke. With this announcement, one of the key demands of thousands of farmers in Nizamabad stands fulfilled. In fact, the setting up of a Turmeric board in general has been a demand even in the states of Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. This is the first time in 36 years that a board is being set up specifically for a product.
The second major announcement was of setting up a Central Tribal University in Telangana. You may be wondering what is so major about setting up a university. This university was promised in the AP Reorganisation Act of 2014 bought by the UPA. Despite swift approvals from the Modi government, the BRS government delayed land acquisition. And yet BRS started shouting from the rooftops that it is the Modi government that is doing grave injustice to Telangana by not granting the university! After 9 years of dilly-dallying by the KCR government (nicely captured in this thread), the Central Tribal University has finally become a reality.
The Prime Minister had to make repeated mentions of the Congress party (both in his speeches and tweets) in these two days because it was important to remind people of the corrupt and inept Congress party. These steps were necessitated also because of both the stagnating fortunes of the BJP and the rise of the Congress in Telangana.
No one in Telangana was ready for the political bombshells or the administrative surprises. It is now up to the state BJP unit to take this message forward. Will these get converted to votes? Time will only tell!
A British intelligence report has made a shocking revelation that at least 55 Chinese sailors are believed to have died after Beijing’s nuclear submarine got caught in a trap set up for British subsurface vessels in the Yellow Sea.
A “chain and anchor” trap was encountered by the submarine, according to a confidential UK intelligence report. The said confidential report suggests that 55 Chinese sailors, including the captain and 21 officers, may have died due to a “catastrophic failure” in the oxygen systems of the vessel which resulted in the poisoning of the whole crew.
Reportedly, the captain of the Chinese PLA Navy submarine ‘093-417’ and 21 other officers were among those killed.
Meanwhile, China has denied that the incident transpired. In addition, China has also turned down foreign help for the trapped submarine.
According to the UK report, an onboard accident happened on August 21 during a mission in the Yellow Sea, killing 55 crew members, including officers, officer cadets, petty officers, and sailors. The cause is hypoxia, which is said to be triggered by a system failure on the submarine.
The submarine collided with a chain and anchor impediment deployed by the Chinese Navy to trap US and allied submarines, causing system failures and a six-hour battle to surface. The crew was poisoned after the onboard oxygen system failed catastrophically. There is yet to be independent corroboration of the incident. China disputes open-source speculation. Moreover, even Taiwan denies these claims.
“This resulted in systems failures that took six hours to repair and surface the vessel. The onboard oxygen system poisoned the crew after a catastrophic failure,” the report reads.
A British submariner, speaking anonymously about the incident, offered insight into the potential air treatment failures that could lead to such dire situations.
Certain countries’ advanced CO2 absorption and oxygen generation capabilities, he highlighted in a Daily Mailreport, may not be as readily available to others, compounding the vulnerabilities at sea.
Reports suggest that the Type 093 submarines, which have a 351-foot length and are among China’s modern and quietest fleets, entered service within the last 15 years when the incident took place, rendering it all the more serious.
The alleged sinking happened off the coast of China’s Shandong Province, and if proven, the scenario could have repercussions for maritime policies as well as global ties.
