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Delhi: 70 students of a government school hospitalised after they fell ill following consumption of mid-day meal

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi: 70 students of a government school hospitalised after they fell ill following consumption of mid-day meal

On Friday, 25th August 2023, more than 70 students of a government school in the Sagarpur area of southwest Delhi complained of pain and vomiting after having their mid-day meal in the school. The children were then taken to the hospital and reportedly their health conditions were steady after treatment.

Approximately 70 students, ranging from classes 6 to 8, reported stomach discomfort and nausea following consumption of the mid-day meal on Friday. These students were subsequently admitted to both the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital and the Dada Dev Hospital with complaints of severe vomiting, drowsiness, and gastrointestinal issues, according to a top physician there.

DCP Manoj C said that at approximately 6 PM, the Sagarpur police station received a PCR call indicating that roughly 70 male students from classes six to eight experienced vomiting subsequent to consuming their lunch at Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya School, Durgapark in Sagarpur.

As per the school administration, the affected students were taken to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital and Dada Dev Hospital in Dabri. The Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) stated that the students experienced vomiting and stomach discomfort after consumption of puri, sabzi, and a soy drink served as a combined meal. DCP added, “When the students complained of pain, further distribution of food and drink was stopped.”

According to medical reports, it seems that the students were provided with a beverage at the school that had exceeded its expiration date, resulting in several children experiencing health complaints. However, they are currently receiving appropriate care and are under observation.

One of the doctors said, “Some of them are also severely dehydrated because of incessant vomiting. By Friday evening, we had discharged some of the children who had mild problems. For others, we are closely monitoring their condition.”

As stated by an official from the Delhi government, the mid-day meal supplier for the school has also been issued a show-cause notice. Additionally, the police have procured samples of both the food and beverages for the purpose of conducting tests. Further investigation in this case is underway.

Plea filed to protect Hindu symbols found at disputed Gyanvapi structure during ASI survey, hearing on August 28

OpIndia Staff
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Plea filed to protect Hindu symbols found at disputed Gyanvapi structure during ASI survey, hearing on August 28

On Friday, August 25, a plea was filed in the court of district judge Ajay Krishna Vishwesh to preserve and protect the religious symbols found during a scientific survey of the disputed Gyanvapi structure in Varanasi. On behalf of four Hindu women, senior Supreme Court lawyer Hari Shankar Jain has filed an application asking the District Magistrate of Varanasi to prepare a list of significant objects. The matter will now be heard on August 28. The court will also be hearing the Shringar Gauri case on August 28.

Sita Sahu, Rekha Pathak, Manju Vyas, and Lakshmi Devi, the four women litigants in the Maa Shringar Gauri case, have filed the said application with the district judge’s court. It has been said that all artefacts and objects discovered by the ASI during the survey in Gyanvapi should be preserved in a scientific manner to ensure they are not destroyed and could be presented as significant evidence in the future hearing of this case.

The application also names senior lawyers Vishnu Shankar Jain, Sudhir Tripathi, and Subhash Nandan Chaturvedi. The ASI survey has been ongoing in the Gyanvapi premises since August 4. Previously, when the survey was conducted by the advocate commissioners, many Hindu relics, sculptures, and other significant objects were reportedly found. The application stresses the importance of protecting the said artefacts.

Reports suggest that the court may direct the District Magistrate to preserve the important artefacts in the exercise of its powers under the Code of Civil Procedure. Additionally, when required, it can direct them to be produced in court.

As reported earlier, the ASI teams during the survey found many symbols related to the temple architecture, as claimed by the Hindu side. Sita Sahu, the petitioner of the Hindu side in the Gyanvapi case, had claimed that fragmented idols had been found in the basement. A four-foot idol, half of which resembles that of a human while the other half of the idol was reportedly found to resemble that of an animal, has also been found. The Hindu side has claimed that the purported idol is of Narasimha Avatar. The antiquities reportedly found during the survey include a two-feet long trident, images of symbols related to Hindu temples, and 5 Kalash (urns).

‘Driving slow on highway riskier’, says lawyer of businessman Vikas Malu who is injured after Rolls-Royce going at 200 kph crashed on Delhi-Mumbai Expressway

OpIndia Staff
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‘Driving slow on highway riskier’, says lawyer of businessman Vikas Malu who is injured after Rolls-Royce going at 200 kph crashed on Delhi-Mumbai Expressway

On August 22, 2023, Vikas Malu, the Director and proprietor of Kuber Group, sustained injuries following a collision between the Rolls-Royce he was travelling in and a tanker. The incident occurred on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway. According to his attorney RK Thakur, Vikas Malu was deemed unfit to operate the vehicle, and therefore, his driver Tasbir was driving the vehicle.

Vikas Malu is the owner of Kuber Group, he has also been injured in the accident that left two dead, including the driver of the tanker. Malu is undergoing treatment at a hospital in Gurugram, and is scheduled for surgery on Monday. The car was travelling at a speed of 200 km per hour at the time of the accident.

Advocate RK Thakur said that Vikas Malu cannot walk properly so he cannot drive the car himself. The lawyer said that the statement of the driver driving the car was recorded by the police. 

Thakur contended that maintaining a slow speed on an expressway is “more dangerous.” Nevertheless, he also clarified that Malu had not given any specific instructions to the driver regarding driving at a faster or slower pace.

RK Thakur said, “Vikas Malu’s physical condition is such that he cannot drive. He cannot walk properly. How will he drive? Vikas has 7-8 drivers working for him and the Rolls-Royce was being driven by a driver named Tasbir.”

About Vikas Malu’s health condition, his lawyer said, “Vikas has an elbow injury and is hospitalised. He also has a problem in his spine that needs to be treated. He cannot even stand without someone’s support.”

Giving details about the accident, advocate RK Thakur said, “Vikas Malu, a woman known to him and the driver were in the car. Vikas left home at 10 AM and the accident took place at 11 AM. The Rolls-Royce car that met with an accident belongs to Vikas Malu. The petrol tanker came from the wrong side and took a turn in a way that before the driver could think, the accident happened.”

Notably, the oil tanker driver and his helper were killed in the accident. Senior police officials have indicated that the initial investigation suggests the responsibility rests with the driver of the Rolls-Royce, which was part of a 14-vehicle convoy.

The police said that on the highway, the Rolls-Royce unexpectedly surged forward, surpassing the other vehicles in the convoy ahead before ultimately colliding with a tanker that was taking a U-turn. Vikas Malu, accompanied by a woman named Divya and their driver, was inside the Rolls-Royce. Although all of them were successfully rescued, the car subsequently ignited in flames.

The last time Vikas Malu made it to the news was when actor Satish Kaushik died after a party at his farmhouse on 9th March 2023. Actor Satish Kaushik, who came from Mumbai on March 8, on the day of Holi, attended the afternoon party held at Vikas Malu’s farmhouse in Delhi. On the night of the party, the actor had chest pain and was taken to Fortis Hospital, but he died before receiving treatment.

Vikas Malu commands a prominent presence in the business community. The Kuber Group started the business with Khaini, but today the group is involved in a total of 45 different businesses. Kuber Group’s business is spread across 50 countries. Vikas Malu is a director in a total of 12 companies of the Kuber Group.

Touchdown point of Chandrayaan-3 on the moon will be called ‘Shiv Shakti’, announces PM Modi

OpIndia Staff
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Touchdown point of Chandrayaan-3 on the moon will be called ‘Shiv Shakti’, announces PM Modi

On Saturday (August 26), Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the touchdown point of the Chandrayaan-3 moon lander will be renamed as ‘Shiv Shakti.’ He made the announcement at the ISRO Telemetry Tracking & Command Network Mission Control Complex in Bengaluru.

While speaking about the matter, he said, “You know that there is a tradition to name the touchdown points in the scientific community. India has made the decision to rename the point on the moon where our Chandrayaan-3 landed.”

“The point where the moon lander of Chandrayaan 3 landed will henceforth be known as ‘Shiv Shakti’,” Pm Modi informed. His announcement was greeted with applause by the ISRO scientists.

At the same time, the crash landing site of Chandryaan-2’s moon lander has been renamed as ‘Tiranga point.’

After a 40-day journey into space, the Chandrayaan-3 lander, ‘Vikram’, touched down on the lunar South Pole on Wednesday (August 23) evening, making India the first country to achieve this feat.

India also became only the fourth nation after the US, Russia and China to successfully conduct a lunar landing mission. After the landing of the Vikram lander, the Pragyan rover rolled out of it, which will visit the surrounding areas to study.

Chandrayaan-3 was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh’s Sriharikota on July 14 using a GSLV Mark 3 (LVM 3) heavy-lift launch vehicle. The spacecraft was placed in the lunar orbit on August 5 and since then, it has gone through a series of orbital manoeuvres before landing on the moon’s surface.

Nuh violence: Petition filed in the Supreme Court for NIA inquiry into the anti-Hindu violence in Haryana’s Mewat

OpIndia Staff
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Nuh violence: Petition filed in the Supreme Court for NIA inquiry into the anti-Hindu violence in Haryana’s Mewat

A petition seeking an NIA inquiry into the spate of anti-Hindu violence that rocked Haryana’s Nuh has been filed in the Supreme Court of India.

The petition was filed by advocate Shashank Shekhar Jha on behalf of Pradeep Bhandari and Ratan Sharda. The petitioners have demanded an NIA inquiry into the matter, transfer of trial cases outside Nuh, and audit of houses torched during the riots among other things.

“The present Writ Petition under Article 32 of the Constitution of India is being filed by the Petitioner to enforce fundamental rights, particularly the Right to Equality before the law (Article 14), Freedom of speech and expression (Article 19), Right to Life (Article 21) and Freedom of conscience and free profession, practice, and propagation of religion (Article 25),” the plea read.

The petition addresses the instances of unnatural fatalities and deliberate communal conflicts faced by the Hindu community in the Nuh district of Haryana, as well as neighbouring areas like Gurugram and Sohna. These successive events not only infringe upon the victims’ Freedom of Speech and Expression (Article 19) and Right to Life protected under Article 21, but are also deeply disgraceful, it said.

The plea also demands the court to order the administration to pay Rs 1 crore as compensation to the families of the victims who are dead and Rs 20 lakhs to the injured.

“As per the reports published in various media portals, a Muslim mob pelted stones on a peaceful religious procession organised by Hindus in the Nuh district of Haryana (a part of Mewat). The visuals from the site reveal how Hindus were forced to seek refuge at local temples and police stations as stones were pelted, open firing, vehicles set ablaze, shops looted, police stations targeted, and other public property vandalised,” the petitioner mentioned as one of the grounds for filing the plea.

Besides, the petition has also sought guidelines from the apex court on carrying out religious processions and festivals in order to avoid such events in future across the country.

Nuh Shobhayatra attack

On 31st July, a mob of hundreds of Islamist rioters attacked Hindu devotees participating in the Brijmandal Jalabhishek Yatra in Nuh, Mewat of Haryana. At least six people were killed as a result of the riots. During the investigation into the riots, OpIndia accessed over 25 FIRs and complaints that provided a clearer picture of what happened during the violence. Based on information available via FIRs, complaints and witnesses, it appeared that the attack was pre-planned. OpIndia came across several videos that were posted before the Jalabhishek Yatra instigating Muslims against Hindus.

Muslims have claimed the riots happened because of Bajrang Dal activist and Gau Rakshak Monu Manesar. Old videos of Manesar were circulated to instigate Muslims saying he was coming to Nuh that day. The video that was circulated the most was from October 2022. Detailed reports can be checked here.

Furthermore, a cyber crime police station was attacked in Nuh. Police officials were injured. Home guards were killed. One of the Bajrang Dal activists Abhishek was first shot by the rioters, then his throat was slit and his head was crushed leading to his death.

OpIndia’s exhaustive coverage of the Mewat Shobha Yatra Attack can be checked here.

Modi govt planning to slash import duty of electric vehicles to 15% from 100% after Tesla proposal committing manufacturing in India, says report

OpIndia Staff
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Modi govt planning to slash import duty of electric vehicles to 15% from 100% after Tesla proposal committing manufacturing in India, says report

The long wait for entry of Tesla cars may be over as the Indian government is reportedly working on a new electric vehicle policy reducing import duty on imported cars. According to a report by Reuters, officials in the Modi government have said that the new policy could allow automobile companies to import fully-built electric cars to be imported at just 15% import duty, provided the companies promise investment in domestic manufacturing.

The report also claims that the proposal was made by Tesla, and that the govt is considering the same. “There is an understanding with Tesla’s proposal and government is showing interest,” Reuters quoted an official, saying that the official is familiar with the issue.

The import duty on fully-built cars at present is 100% for cars costing over $40,000, while it is 70% for the rest. This high tax makes imported cars prohibitively expensive. The price of the cheapest Tesla car, the Model Y, starts at $47,740 in the US, which means all Tesla cars arrack 100% import duty if imported as fully built.  

As per automobile websites, the price of Model Y is Rs 50 lakh in India, while Model S costs Rs 1.5 crore and Model X costs Rs 2 crore. Model 3 is slightly costlier than Model Y at Rs 60 lakh. However, if the report is correct and the govt indeed slashes the import duty to 15% against the promise of starting domestic manufacturing, Tesla and other cars not currently made in India will become much cheaper in the country, provided the automakers commit to starting Indian manufacturing of such cars.

However, the report stated that the govt will move slowly on the move as it can disrupt the market and upset local players like Tata and Mahindra which made substantial investments in electric cars. “This is going to go through a lot of deliberations even though the government is keen on getting Tesla. That’s because of the impact on domestic players,” the official was quoted as saying.

However, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told reporters that there is no proposal in front of her to reduce import duties on electric vehicles. Commerce ministry and Tesla has not commented on the issue.

It is notable that recently it was reported that Tesla is launching an affordable car costing around $24,000 which will be made in India. Tesla has expressed an interest in building a factory in India that would produce low-cost electric vehicles for the local market and for export. This was discussed during a meeting senior Tesla officials had with Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal last month.

Tesla’s senior public policy and business development executive Rohan Patel, and vice president for supply chain, Roshan Thomas, also met officials from the Invest India agency. At the same time, it was reported that Tesla has leased office space in Pune along with an Indian partner.

This comes after PM Modi met CEO Elon Musk during his US visit in June. After the meeting Musk had said that Tesla will enter India soon. He had said, “I am planning to visit India next year. I am confident that Tesla will be in India and we will do so as soon as humanly possible.

“I would like to thank PM Modi for his support and hopefully, we will be able to announce something in the future,” Elon Musk had further added.

At present Tesla has plants at two locations outside the US, China and Germany, and is building a plant in Mexico, which will manufacture a new mass-market car.

Tesla currently makes flagship Model S, Model X, Model 3, and Model Y and has started delivering the Cybertruck after a long delay. The company also makes an electric semi-truck named Tesla Semi. It is also working on the second generation of the electric sports car Roadster, and the rumoured Model 2, which could be the cheaper car to be made in India and Mexico.

‘He was in his house when Chandrayaan-3 landed on the moon’: Questions raised on Surat resident claiming to be an ISRO scientist who designed Chandrayaan-3

OpIndia Staff
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‘He was in his house when Chandrayaan-3 landed on the moon’: Questions raised on Surat resident claiming to be an ISRO scientist who designed Chandrayaan-3

Following the successful soft landing of Chandrayaan-3’s lander on the lunar surface, a particular individual hogged the limelight, particularly on social media in Gujarat, after he claimed he played a significant role in the development of Chandrayaan-3 design. This individual, Mitul Trivedi, said he had a crucial role in designing the Chandrayaan-3 that had successfully landed on the moon.

An audio recording of his dialogue with his teacher has also gained widespread attention across social media platforms. However, there are questions and doubts being raised over the authenticity of claims made by him.

Video of Mitul Trivedi claiming to have designed Chandrayaan-3 goes viral, media organisations ru

An audio recording of a discussion between Mitul Trivedi and his teacher surfaced the day after the soft landing of Chandrayaan. In this conversation, both are heard conversing about the mission and its triumphant outcome. Mitul informs his teacher that he is situated at the ISRO centre. During the dialogue, he also asserts that he was the one who formulated the design for Chandrayaan. Mitul conveys to his teacher, “They (presumably ISRO) invited me due to the setback of Chandrayaan-2, some of my contributions hadn’t made it to the lander then… This time I succeeded.” He goes on to describe, “The landing is akin to a helicopter’s descent, with dust swirling around. However, this time there was minimal dust. The world faces challenges in this process, and we exploit these vulnerabilities to achieve success.”

Entering the spotlight, Mitul Trivedi also participated in interviews with multiple news channels. During a conversation with Zee 24 Hour, he expressed, “The weight of India’s entire nation rested upon us, and we pondered how we would confront our fellow citizens if this endeavour did not succeed. There can be no greater source of pride than India’s flag gracing the moon today.” Expanding on this, he added, “We’ve tirelessly worked day and night, without a pause for the last four days, starting from Monday.”

In addition to this, he delved into the modifications implemented in Chandrayaan-3.

In a conversation with another channel, he mentioned that he has now stepped back from Mission Chandrayaan and is dedicating his efforts to the upcoming project Aditya L-1. He also asserted that his design will be incorporated into this new project as well.

Neighbour claims Mitul Trivedi was in his house when the Chandrayaan-3 soft landed on the moon

On the other hand, these claims of Mitul Trivedi have been questioned. A report in the newspaper Sandesh claimed that Trivedi had no evidence or information to join ISRO. According to the report, when asked for proof, he said he could not disclose it saying he was on contract. Another question is that if Mitul was at the ISRO centre at the time of Chandrayaan’s landing (Wednesday evening), then how did he reach Surat the next day? However, Mitul said that he came on a flight from Bangalore in the morning but if the Sandesh report is to be believed, there is no Bangalore-Surat flight at 10 am on Thursday. While one of the residents of the society also told about Mitul being at home on Tuesday-Wednesday, the report added.

The report cited sources from ISRO-Ahmedabad, who stated that an individual named Mitul Trivedi from Surat has no affiliation with ISRO. Furthermore, a professor from SVNIT remarked, “ISRO maintains strict confidentiality, and making public statements like this raises suspicion.”

Additionally, a professor from Surat took to Facebook. Anurag Kadve’s profile asserted that Mitul Trivedi has no ties to ISRO, and the organization maintains a stringent policy regarding employee information, which is only officially accessible. He emphasized that such actions not only discredit genuine scientists but also mislead the public.

On Twitter, a user named Rajesh Modi shared a screenshot of a post from news agency PTI’s former Twitter handle and questioned, “Not a single channel in Gujarat or Surat has removed the video of his interview with Mitul Trivedi, so PTI should explain why they deleted this tweet.” It’s worth noting that PTI had initially shared an interview clip featuring Mitul Trivedi, but it has since been removed.

OpIndia also reached out to Mitul Trivedi for his perspective on the entire situation. He mentioned that he is in the process of providing clarification and that updated information will be forthcoming shortly. This article will be revised once their response is received.

‘Durga Puja is a secular festival just like a fair, not religious’, says Calcutta High Court rejecting ban on puja on public ground

OpIndia Staff
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‘Durga Puja is a secular festival just like a fair, not religious’, says Calcutta High Court rejecting ban on puja on public ground

Calcutta High Court on 25 August said that Durga Puja is not a religious festival, but it is one of the most secular festivals. The statement was made by Justice Sabyasachi Bhattacharyya as she issued a directive to Kolkata’s administration to allow a group to celebrate Durga Puja at a designated public space in the city.

The order came after organisers of a Durga Puja moved the High Court after the administration had refused permission to organise Durga Utsab 2023 in the New Town Mela Ground, a public ground used to hold various fairs in New Town. The assertion of the authorities that the petitioners lack the constitutional right to exercise their religion in public spaces such as parks, streets, and footpaths was rejected by the court.

The judgement read, “As is public knowledge, the Durga Puja Festival is not confined merely to the worship or religious offerings component of the incarnation of feminine power but also a melting pot of different cultures. Hence, there is as much an element of ceremony, cultural programmes, festivals and fanfare involved as religious worship.”

It further added, “In such a sense, the Durga Puja Festival is much more secular in nature than a pure religious performance of a particular community and cannot, thus, be narrowed down to being a mere ‘religious offering’ of a particular community.”

The petitioners wanted to organise Durga Utsab 2023 in the New Town Mela Ground which is used to host various fairs. The authorities, however, had refused to let them do so. The petitioners contended that the multiple concerns of the administration were merely poor justifications in order to deny them permission. They used Article 14 of the Indian Constitution as support for their argument that they had an equal right to perform a Durga Puja festival on the public ground.

The key distinguishing factor in the current case, the Bench noted after hearing arguments, is that the location where the petitioners want to hold the Durga Puja Festival is neither a street, a footpath or even a playground, but rather a specific area designated for holding fairs.

The court highlighted, “No intelligible or reasonable differentia has been made out by the authorities between a Durga Puja Festival and ordinary fairs or other festivals designated to be held on the Mela Ground. Both entail huge footfall and gathering of crowds including parking of vehicles of the people who come to visit.”

It disproved the notion that the Kolkata Police would suffer if the Durga Puja was permitted at the location. It maintained that such an allegation is “absolutely baseless” in light of the fact that multiple sizable Durga Pujas held by various organisations near one another are a typical occurrence throughout the entire state.

It further stated that a person’s residence or place of employment elsewhere should not prevent them from arranging a celebration on public property that has been set aside for such purposes.

The court pointed out, “Article 19 of the Constitution guarantees that all citizens have the right to assemble peacefully and without arms and to move freely throughout the territory of India. The specific purpose of such rights shall be frustrated if people are refused permission by public authorities on the ground of their residing elsewhere, unless there is a specific intelligible reason for such discrimination or a policy decision in that regard, also based on intelligible criteria.”

It was also observed that the petitioners had consented to pay all fees associated with holding the proposed festival as permitted by law and process.

The petitioners were represented by attorneys Tarunjyoti Tewari, Sandip Ray, Hiranmoy Debnath, Polly Banerjee, and Paramita Dey whereas the state was represented by solicitors Ratul Biswas and Chandan Kumar Mond.

Surat: WB resident Tohidul Haq becomes Rohit Sharma to live in a Hindu area after affair with Hindu girl, arrested with two fake Aadhaar cards

OpIndia Staff
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Surat: WB resident Tohidul Haq becomes Rohit Sharma to live in a Hindu area after affair with Hindu girl, arrested with two fake Aadhaar cards

On August 25, Friday, the Surat Police arrested a Muslim youth living in the city purportedly on a fake Aadhaar card showing himself to be a Hindu. The youth has been identified as Mohammad Tohidul Ajij Haq, originally a resident of West Bengal. The Surat police have recovered three Aadhaar cards from the accused, two of which are forged with one made in a Hindu name, Rohit Sharma.

According to local reports, the accused during interrogation, confessed that he had forged the government document in the Hindu name as he wanted to live in a Hindu area in the city. The police said that Mohammad Tohidul had an affair with a Hindu woman. After marrying her, the accused made a fake Aadhaar card in the name of Rohit Sharma so that they could live in a Hindu locality.

Prior to this, the accused had made another fake Aadhaar card in the name of Ahmed Khan to get a job in Spa. He paid a man named Kamraj Rs 1500 for forging the document.

During questioning, the accused said that he came to Surat seven years ago. He worked as a manager at various spas in the city. At first, he created a fake Aadhaar card in the name of Ahmad Aran Khan, thinking that he would be defamed if the spa got into any sort of controversy or legal entanglement.

Two years ago, he came in contact with a Hindu girl who worked with him. The two fell in love and married each other. After marriage, the girl expressed her inhibition in living in a Muslim-dominated locality. The accused said that he obtained a second bogus Aadhaar card, this time in the name of Rohit Sharma, to enable him to pass as a Hindu and make it easier to get accommodation in the Hindu neighbourhood.

On Friday, Surat SOG arrested him from the Rander town in the city and launched a detailed investigation into the matter. The authorities are currently attempting to determine where he obtained the fake Aadhaar cards and details of the people whom he is in contact with.

I am not saying that he is our leader: Sharad Pawar takes a U-turn after saying that Ajit Pawar is still an NCP leader

OpIndia Staff
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I am not saying that he is our leader: Sharad Pawar takes a U-turn after saying that Ajit Pawar is still an NCP leader

Sharad Pawar, the president of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), has reversed his earlier claim today that there is no split in NCP and his nephew and the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, Ajit Pawar still has the status of NCP leader. He stated, “I am not saying that he is our leader. It is okay for Supriya to say that. She is his younger sister. There is no need to draw political meaning out of it,” hours after his earlier statement.

The party’s working president Supriya Sule responded to a question about the status of her cousin on 24 August and said that he is a “senior leader and MLA of the party.” Afterwards, the controversy regarding the latter’s position inside the party surfaced.

Veteran leader Sharad Pawar was questioned about the aforementioned remark of his daughter to which he replied, “Yes, there is no question about it,” while talking to the media in his hometown of Baramati in Pune, Maharashtra. His comments led to a major political storm after which he issued the clarification in Satara, a few hours later. He voiced, “Supriya said it in the context that Ajit Pawar is her brother.”

He further continued that he had already given the junior Pawar one chance in 2019 and would not offer him another opportunity. Interestingly, Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar were sworn in as the chief minister and deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, respectively, in an early morning oath-taking ceremony at the Raj Bhavan in 2019.

The shocking political development confounded earlier predictions that Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) chairman Uddhav Thackeray would hold the former position. However, the partnership disintegrated soon enough and the Maha Vikas Aghadi eventually assumed power in the state.

He mentioned, “You must remember that once he took oath late at night. One of our colleagues was with him. That time we took a decision to take action. But later they explained that they were at fault and would not repeat it. So we gave them an opportunity. But now it is clear that no one can ask for another opportunity and we should not give that opportunity to him,” while referring to the incident.

However, the seasoned politician insisted that there wasn’t a division inside the party. He claimed that while some leaders did leave the organisation and adopted “different political stand,” it was not a schism. The Lok Sabha MP from Baramati also conveyed that she is not opposed to any specific individuals, only their policies and stance.

She noted, “We are in opposition in the state and the Centre also. Nine MLAs and two MPs have taken different decisions which are completely opposite to our thought process. So, as a party, we have asked them to clarify it. We have written a letter to the Vidhan Sabha speaker and the Lok Sabha speaker and stated that we do not support their decision. We are transparent about it. And we have been saying this since the first day.”

She added, “Maharashtra has accepted the leadership of Ajit Pawar. We accepted the leadership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee as well as Narayan Dyandeo Patil. So, whoever is good for the people, we embrace them.”

The Pawar family’s utterances are sending mixed messages, according to the party’s alliance partners Congress and the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT). “Sharad Pawar, Supriya Sule and Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar would be able to answer better,” noted leader of the opposition in assembly Vijay Wadettiwar who is from Congress.

Leader of the opposition in council Ambadas Danve of the Shiv Sena (UBT) observed, “In the rank and files, it is sending confusing signals.” Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut proclaimed that the NCP had split and there were two factions. “If there is no split, then who is Tatkare, who has been appointed by the breakaway faction as its state unit chief,” he asked and added, “The breakaway group has also removed Sharad Pawar as the national president of the party.”

Notably, 26 factions of opposition parties who have named their group as I.N.D.I.A. are scheduled to have a meeting in Mumbai on 31 August and Sharad Pawar is one of the senior leaders of the political alliance.

Ajit Pawar and other significant NCP MLAs and leaders including Praful Patel, Chaggan Bhujbal, Hasan Mushrif and Dhananjay Munde among others joined Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party alliance on 2 July which is at present running the government in the state. Notably, over 30 lawmakers sided with the junior Pawar’s move to be a part of the state administration.

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