On Tuesday (May 2), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar informed that he is stepping down from the post of the party’s President.
He made the announcement during the launch of the new edition of his book ‘Lok Maze Sangati.’ The 82-year-old served as NCP’s President for 24 years between 1999 and 2003.
During the event, he said, “The people of Maharashtra have supported me and showed immense love and respect for me. NCP was formed in 1999. We all know how it was formed and what happened. I have dedicated 24 years of my life working as the chief of the party.”
#WATCH | "I am resigning from the post of the national president of NCP," says NCP chief Sharad Pawar pic.twitter.com/tTiO8aCAcK
“My public life began on May 1, 1960. It’s been 63 years today and I was part of the major ruling political events in the State for about 56 years. I won’t contest any more elections but will keep working for the betterment of the State and the nation. I won’t take any other responsibility hereafter,” Pawar added.
“After 63 years, I think I need to stop somewhere. After having the opportunity to serve the public for so many years of my life, you all may feel disappointed to know that I am resigning from the post of the national president of NCP,” he announced.
Congress attacks Sharad Pawar for supporting Adani Group
Last month, the veteran political leader drew the ire of the Congress party by extending his support to billionaire businessman Gautam Adani.
During an interview with NDTV, Sharad Pawar said, “When they raise issues that cause a ruckus across the country, the cost is borne by the country’s economy, we cannot disregard these things. It seems this was targeted.”
“An individual industrial group of the country was targeted, that is what it seems. If they have done anything wrong, there should be an inquiry,” he added. Sharad Pawar also questioned the demand for a JPC probe into allegations against the Adani group, saying that the probe by Supreme Court’s committee is more reliable.
A day after cricketers Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir once again clashed during an IPL match, Congress supporters tried to use the long-running feud between the duo to get some votes for the Congress party during the Karnataka Assembly elections. The latest war of words between the two Indian stalwarts came following the conclusion of the IPL match between Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on Monday, May 2.
The Congress supporters targeted Gautam Gambhir and alleged that the player had dragged politics into games after joining the Bharatiya Janata Party and Karnataka voters should teach Gambhir a lesson by not voting for BJP in the upcoming elections.
“Gautam Gambhir played for India. But after joining the BJP, he has degenerated into a standard political bully. What happened after yesterday’s IPL match was deplorable. Is it the forthcoming rout in Karnataka that is making BJP leaders froth at the mouth?” said the former national spokesperson of Congress, Sanjay Jha.
Gautam Gambhir played for India. But after joining the BJP, he has degenerated into a standard political bully. What happened after yesterday’s IPL match was deplorable.
Is it the forthcoming rout in Karnataka that is making BJP leaders froth at the mouth?
Further, one of the users named Archana Pawar also alleged that Gautam Gambhir had deliberately portrayed his arrogance on the field and had threatened Kannadiga’s pride. “Has Modiji given him right to do so? such player shud not be selected for any team. On May 13th, Karnataka will undoubtedly teach them a lesson,” she added in the tweet.
“BJP leader Gambhir has insulted 7 crore Kannadigas when he insulted our most beloved captain Kohli. Hope people of Karnataka give befitting reply to BJP on election day,” tweeted another supporter.
BJP leader Gambhir has insulted 7 crore Kannadigas when he insulted our most beloved captain Kohli ?
One of the Congress supporters also said that the BJP MP needed mental therapy and accused him of bullying Kohli. “This is Gautam Gambhir, BJP MP and LSG coach. This is how he is bullying and abusing Virat Kohli even after losing a match to him in his home ground. Gambhir needs some mental therapy,” the tweet read.
This is Gautam Gambhir, BJP MP and LSG coach.
This is how he is bullying and abusing Virat Kohli even after losing a match to him in his home ground.
Shantanu, another Congress supporter alleged that the BJP MP had issued threats to the Kannadigas pride RCB’s Virat Kohli. “A BJP MP threatening Kannadigas pride RCB’s Virat Kohli. The People of Karnataka are ready to teach them a lesson on 13th May,” he said.
A BJP MP threatening Kannadigas pride RCB’s Virat Kohli. The People of Karnataka are ready to teach them a lesson on 13th May.pic.twitter.com/RqMpNijZGj
Viewers witnessed some ugly scenes following the conclusion of the IPL match between Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) as star RCB player Virat Kohli and LSG mentor Gautam Gambhir engaged in a war of words. The duo has been fined 100 percent of their match fees for breaching the Code of Conduct during the match.
The altercation happened after RCB had bowled LSG out for 108 after scoring 126/9 in 20 overs, with KL Rahul batting through a leg injury in an unsuccessful attempt to take his side to victory. After the match ended, the two shook hands and things looked fine.
LSG opener Kyle Mayers then walked up to Kohli and started speaking something when Gambhir came and took Mayers away. A little while after this incident, visuals showed Gautam Gambhir animatedly speaking to Virat Kohli. Other players, including KL Rahul, and support staff were seen separating the two. Kohli was then seen having a lengthy chat with LSG captain KL Rahul.
Reportedly, this is not the first time that Kohli and Gambhir have come face to face in a heated exchange in an IPL match. Back in April 2013, the viewers first saw a tense face-off between the two veterans of Indian cricket during a match between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and RCB.
Following his dismissal in the 10th over of the RCB innings, Kohli turned towards the pavilion before turning back in anger after something was said by the opposition fielders. Soon, people saw dramatic scenes as Kohli and Gambhir charged toward each other aggressively.
Former Word Cup Winning cricketer Gautam Gambhir joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in March 2019. He cited PM Modi’s vision for the country as the reason for him joining the party.
Legislative Assembly elections are scheduled to be held in Karnataka on May 10, 2023, to elect all 224 members. The votes will be counted and the results will be declared on May 13, 2023.
On Tuesday, May 2, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) named Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Raghav Chadha in its second supplementary chargesheet in the Delhi liquor policy case. The leader, however, hasn’t been listed as an accused. His name has come up in a few statements in the supplementary chargesheet ED filed in the liquor scam case.
Notably, two more AAP leaders, Manish Sisodia and Satyendra Jain, have already been named in the chargesheet.
AAP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha's name also mentioned in ED's Delhi liquor policy case supplementary chargesheet.
Statement reads- …at Deputy CM Manish Sisodia’s residence, there was a meeting of Raghav Chadha, ACS Finance of Punjab Govt, Excise Commissioner, Varun Roojam,… pic.twitter.com/g4QOLSYnTF
The chargesheet states that C Arvind, Manish Sisodia’s PA, mentioned Raghav Chadha in his statement. In his testimony, C Arvind claimed that Raghav Chadha, the Punjab Excise Commissioner, an Excise Officer, and Vijay Nair attended a meeting at Manish Sisodia’s home.
It may be recalled that last month, the Central Bureau of Investigation summoned Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to question him in connection with the Delhi Liquor Policy scam case. The chargesheet also mentioned that Delhi’s new excise policy was the brainchild of AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal.
Senior AAP leader and former Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia has already been arrested in connection with the case. The AAP govt is accused of changing its excise policy to benefit select business houses.
The liquor policy was first proposed in September 2020 but came into effect in November 2021. It changed the manner in which alcohol was being sold in the National Capital, introducing private players in the market and marking the exit of government-owned liquor vendors.
While the objective of Excise Policy 2021-2022 was to end black marketing and the liquor mafia, the Delhi government soon came under fire over allegations of corruption. Chief Secretary of Delhi, Naresh Kumar, found irregularities and procedural lapses in the new liquor policy. Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena ordered a CBI probe on the recommendation of Naresh Kumar.
It was found that Manish Sisodia had waived off ₹144.36 crores on the license fee, to be paid by the private liquor vendors, under the garb of the Coronavirus pandemic. He had also waived import pass fee of ₹50 per beer case, causing loss of Delhi govt and benefiting liquor licensees.
Moreover, the changes to the Excise Policy were made without the final approval of the Lieutenant Governor and thus considered illegal under the Delhi Excise Rules of 2010 and Transaction of Business Rules of 1993.
The new excise policy was withdrawn by Delhi govt in July 2022. Following that, CBI booked Manish Sisodia, and several others in an FIR for irregularities in the implementation of the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-2022.
On May 4 and May 5, India will host the foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) at Goa. The Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, will attend the SCO meeting. Though Dr S Jaishankar and Bhutto will be in the same room for the meeting, he has categorically denied any chances of a discussion on the sidelines of the SCO meeting. On the other hand, Bhutto has also expressed no desire to meet with Dr S Jaishankar.
However, with such an opportunity, the well-wishers of Pakistan are turning up to guide the Ministry of External Affairs to take advantage of the situation. One such op-ed hoping for a meeting between India and Pakistan authored by Sudheendra Kulkarni was published on NDTV. His op-ed was shared by former Pakistani diplomat Abdul Basit where he wrote, “India desperately needs a bilateral meeting with Pakistan at Goa. Pakistan mustn’t oblige, for “breaking ice” is a farce that will only weaken Pakistan’s principled position on Kashmir. India needs to do some soul-searching. More of the same will not work.”
Tweet by Abdul Basit sharing the op-ed by Kulkarni. Source: Twitter
While some like Abdul Basit used the op-ed by Kulkarni to show India down and blame it for the acts of terrorism that Pakistan commits, others were celebrating the op-ed for essentially showing India its place for refusing to talk to a terror nation like Pakistan.
“Neighbours should never stop talking. you can change your friends, but not your neighbours.”
Kulkarni started his op-ed by saying, “Neighbours should never stop talking.” He reminded the current government of PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s statement that you can change your friends but not your neighbours. He talked about talks between the two neighbouring countries on different levels. He expressed his dismay at how cold the relationships have gone. Interestingly, he noted it would be a big moment of SCO meeting if Dr S Jaishankar even shakes hands with his counterpart from Pakistan.
Kulkarni was not pleased with the statement issued by Bhutto, where he said, “Pakistan’s continued commitment to the SCO charter and process along with the importance that Pakistan accords to the region in its foreign policy priorities”. He was shocked to see the statement that insinuated the SCO charter bars two member countries from having a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the SCO meet. Simultaneously, he was not happy with Dr S Jaishankar categorically saying, “It is very difficult for us to engage with a neighbour who practices cross-border terrorism against us.”
Let’s talk from personal experience. My last neighbour was a mess. They threw dead rats and garbage in my front yard every other day. Despite asking my then-landlord to intervene, as they were relatives, it did not stop. Till the last day, I faced one or other problems from the neighbours. I did try to have peaceful conversations with them, but it did not work out. Eventually, I stopped talking to or entertaining them, and things got better. Yes, we cannot change neighbours, but we can at least ignore them on every possible platform to ensure peace of mind.
The Kashmir issue
Kulkarni claimed while Pakistan’s eyes on the Kashmir issue bear no fruit for the economically-challenged country, the claims on Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) are “no less impractical”. He said, “The assertions by leading functionaries of Narendra Modi’s government that India will not rest until it takes back the lost territories of J&K are as unrealistic as many Pakistani politicians’ prophesy that the Indian side of Kashmir would someday become either independent or merge with Pakistan. India will never be able to wrest PoK back from Pakistan and Aksai Chin from China. Both LoC and LAC are now cast in stone.”
Kulkarni clearly showed zero faith in the leadership and military capacity of the country. It is to be remembered that equating the claims by India on PoK and Pakistan on Kashmir is in itself fallacious. Perhaps one could remind Kulkarni of Maharaja Hari Singh signing the Instrument of Accession at Amar Palace in Jammu on October 26, which India’s last Governor-General Lord Mountbatten accepted on October 27.
When Kulkarni says that India should forget about its claim on PoK, he fails to also mention the strategic importance of the Pakistan occupied area. Because of its location, PoK is of immense strategic importance. It shares borders with several countries – the Punjab and North-West Frontier Province provinces (now called Khyber-Pakhthunkhwa) in Pakistan to the west, the Wakhan Corridor of Afghanistan in the north-west, Xinjiang province of the People’s Republic of China to the north and India’s Jammu and Kashmir to the east.
One thing Kulkarni did get right is the fact that promoting Islamic extremism and terrorism in Kashmir and elsewhere has backfired on the neighbouring country, as Pakistan itself is facing terrorist attacks every now and then. However, he called out the Indian government for using Pakistan-sponsored terrorism for the near-total cessation of relations”.
Kulkarni questioned India’s stand on not holding a conversation with Pakistan. He gave the example of India conversing with China even after the Galwan conflict. Putting it parallel with the India-Pakistan conflict, he questioned why Dr S Jaishankar could not hold a bilateral meeting with Bhutto in Goa. It appears Kulkarni missed the point that Pakistan tirelessly sends terrorists to India. It does not comply with the ceasefire. Not only in Kashmir, but Pakistan has also been feeding drugs and weapons to Punjab. It has fuelled the Khalistan movement in Punjab to the extent that the likes of Amritpal Singh are now mushrooming, making Punjab a sensitive border state.
The not-so ‘undeniable gains’
Further, Kulkarni listed three “undeniable gains” of holding talks with Pakistan. He compared India’s trade numbers with China which stood at USD 136 billion, out of which imports stood at USD 100 billion approx, to trade numbers with Pakistan, which stood at merely USD 400 million. He ignored the fact that China manufactures many products that India uses. Pakistan hardly manufactures anything, except terrorism. The limited imports from the country include sports goods, pink salt, Multani clay and a few other products.
With such limited manufacturing capabilities and worsening economic conditions where the country cannot even provide ample electricity to its businesses, Pakistan is the only country gaining from Indo-Pak trade. Remember, Pakistan is not even able to provide food to its people. From flour to tomato, the prices have gone over the roof.
In his second “gain”, he explained how India’s adamant stand not to talk to Pakistan if the neighbour continues to sponsor terrorism has damaged SAARC, which is turning beneficial for SCO, which is a Chinese initiative. SAARC’s last meeting was held in Nepal in 2014. The next meeting was supposed to happen in Pakistan. Still, it did not occur as India refused to go to Pakistan for the meeting. Kulkarni conveniently ignored the fact that by cornering Pakistan on multiple platforms, India has strategically put the neighbour in a place where literally no one is listening to it.
Now would be a good time to remind Kulkarni why SAARC Summit did not happen in Pakistan in 2016. It was because of the Uri attack. Not only India but Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Maldives and Sri Lanka also pulled out of the 19th SAARC Summit scheduled to be held in Islamabad from November 15 to November 16, 2016. The doings of Pakistan led to the cancellation of the SAARC Summit. Blaming India for the mess is not the right thing to do.
Not to forget, in an op-ed for The Quint in 2016, Kulkarni drooled over Pakistan’s “love” for Bollywood and claimed not allowing Pakistani actors to work in Indian films was outrageous. Interestingly, he recalled an incident when he was in Lahore, and someone he talked to expressed anger towards the Indian entertainment industry as it was “propagating Hindu culture” in Pakistan. The person told Kulkarni, “Because your films are spreading Hindu culture among Muslims here. Your films show devi-devatas. They propagate Hindu social customs, which are anti-Islamic.” Still, he chose to side with the Pakistanis and called out the Indian government for now being a “soft power” in his 2-16 op-ed.
In his third point, Kulkarni claimed if India and Pakistan work together, they can bring peace to Afghanistan. He wrote, “Doesn’t Afghanistan present a good opportunity for our two countries to work together for peace, stability and common prosperity in the region? The undeniable truth is this: Neither Pakistan can succeed in keeping India out of Afghanistan, nor does India ignore Pakistan’s importance in securing a better future for Afghanistan. Therefore, instead of trying to harm each other in Kabul and incurring heavy losses in the process, our two countries should develop a convergent strategy to benefit our common civilisational neighbour – and also benefit ourselves.”
Did Kulkarni completely forget how there were reports that weapons and ammunition left by Americans were shifted to Pakistan soon after the troops left? Did he forget that Pakistan stopped India’s trucks for relief in Afghanistan for days? Did he forget how Afghanistan has repeatedly accused Pakistan of destabilising peace in the country?
It is evident that Sudheendra Kulkarni wishes to create a narrative in favour of India lowering its guard against a terror nation like Pakistan based on lies, misrepresentations and rhetoric, however, India, as one of the prime victims of Pakistan’s radical Islamism and its state policy of terrorism, must resist these overtures by Pakistan or its sponsors in India.
The senseless comparison of Israel and Pakistan
Kulkarni then insinuated that India should show Pakistan that it is more important to us than Israel. How naive can someone be? Israel is one of the best friends India can have. From supporting India in security to standing tall against all odds, Israel has repeatedly proved its worth to India. The same goes when it comes to standing with Israel on several matters. India has supported Israel in every possible way. Kulkarni wants Dr S Jaishankar to take Bhutto for a walk on a Goa beach just like PM Modi took then-Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu for a stroll. Indeed Bhutto can use some walk and lose a few kilos, but that does not mean India needs to do something in that matter.
Kulkarni noted there were around 15,000 Goans in Karachi in the 1950s. India and Pakistan should build something along those lines, he said. In a 2022 report, Tribune Pakistan noted there are 6,000 Goans in Karachi. Dear Mr Kulkarni, where did 9,000 Goans go? Did you try to find out? Maybe Kulkarni should concentrate on fielding a common candidate to defeat PM Modi in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as he said in a press conference in June 2022 instead of meddling with foreign affairs.
Sudheendra Kulkarni – a repeat offender and defender of India’s enemies
In 2020, Sudheendra Kulkarni parroted the Chinese line and undermined India while appearing on Chinese state media. He had underplayed Chinese aggression and declared that China is not a hostile power.
Sudheendra Kulkarni had made a shocking claim that China is not a ‘hostile’ power. He had then tried to balance it out by claiming that India too is not a hostile nation. As per reports, China has been in territorial conflicts with over a dozen countries. Even though the International Court of Justice has rejected its dubious claims, China continues to subvert the territorial rights of the nations surrounding the South China Sea, and had occupied Tibet, parts of Mongolia and regularly claims territories in Bhutan, India, Japan and even Russia as its own.
The Communist-run country has claimed fishing rights in the water near islands in Indonesian territory. Besides, China has had disputes with Laos, and Cambodia on ‘historical precedents and with Thailand over the Mekong River since 2001. China has disputes with Japan over Senkaku and Ryu Kya islands. Moreover, the expansionist country has staked claim to the whole of South Korea on some occasions. Besides, the Communist-controlled country also has disputes with North Korea over Mount Pek-tu and the Tuman River. Earlier, it was reported that China had occupied the Rui village in the Gorkha district of Nepal. Towards the end of the video, Kulkarni even encourages Indians to seek inspiration from China’s achievements, amidst the border standoff at the Line of Actual Control.
It is notable here that Kulkarni has long been a China apologist. In 2017, then the Modi government publicly shunned China’s Belt and Road Forum organised in Beijing to promote the One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative, raising concerns over the CPEC. However, Kulkarni had attended the event and had even criticised the Modi government there before Chinese and Indian media. “Whosoever has advised the PM, has given a piece of very, very bad advice”, Kulkarni had stated.
A Kerala court has granted bail to a 62-year-old man named Abdul Jabbar, who is accused of sexually assaulting a minor girl.
As per a report by Law Beat, the court made the observation that the accused man did not intend to commit any serious offence of sexual assault. The Special Judge drew the inference from the fact that the act of sexual assault occurred in a public place.
#JustIn: Kerala Court grants bail to 62 year old Abdul Jabbar who is accused of sexually assaulting a 9 year old girl. Special Judge observes that Abdul did not intend to commit any serious offence of sexual assault as the incident was alleged to have happened from a public place
Earlier on Friday (April 28), the Supreme Court of India commuted the death penalty, awarded to a 31-year-old man for murdering his sister Pooja and her lover Govind in 2017, to life imprisonment. At the time of the murders, the convict was 25 years old.
In the judgment, the court remarked he was “well-behaved” and without a criminal mindset. The verdict was given on the appeals filed by two convicts named Digambar (brother of the deceased) and Mohan (friend of Digambar).
While Digambar, who was given the death penalty, got his sentence reduced to life imprisonment, Mohan, who was given life imprisonment, did not get any relief from the court.
While passing the judgment, the Supreme Court noted that the only question was whether the murder case fell in the category of “rarest of the rare” cases where the convicts get the death penalty.
The bench observed the appellants do not have any criminal antecedents. The bench further observed the convict on death roll was a young man of around 25 years at the time of the crime.
In a vindication of the efforts taken by the Modi-led government to revive the Indian economy following the Covid-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Finance released the GST collection report on Monday and stated that the revenue collection for April 2023 was the highest ever at Rs 1.87 lakh crore.
“Gross GST collection in April 2023 is all time high, Rs 19,495 crore more than the next highest collection of Rs 1,67,540 crore, in April 2022,” tweeted the Finance Ministry on May 1. According to the official release, the government has settled Rs 45,864 crore to CGST and Rs 37,959 crore to SGST. Further, the total revenue of the Centre and the States in the month of April 2023 after the regular settlement is Rs 84,304 crore for CGST and Rs 85,371 crore for the SGST.
? #GST revenue collection for April 2023 highest ever at ₹1.87 lakh crore
? Gross #GST collection in April 2023 is all time high, ₹19,495 crore more than the next highest collection of ₹1,67,540 crore, in April 2022
“The revenues for the month of April 2023 are 12 percent higher than the GST revenues in the same month last year. The whopping collection has been led by a robust jump in collections in states like Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Haryana among others,” the Finance Ministry said in its report.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi commented on the momentous occasion and said that the GST revenue collection for April 2023 being the highest was great news for the Indian economy. “Great news for the Indian economy! Rising tax collection despite lower tax rates shows the success of how GST has increased integration and compliance,” he tweeted.
Great news for the Indian economy! Rising tax collection despite lower tax rates shows the success of how GST has increased integration and compliance. https://t.co/xf1nfN9hrG
Maharashtra collects maximum revenue, Uttar Pradesh crosses Rs 10,000 crore mark
The Ministry of Finance also provided bifurcation of the GST revenue collected by each state, further revealing that the maximum GST revenue collected was by Maharashtra, Rs 33,196 crore, marking a growth of 21 percent. This has been followed by Karnataka which has collected Rs 14,593 crore, Gujarat (Rs 11,721 crore), Tamil Nadu (Rs 11,559 crore), and Uttar Pradesh (Rs 10,320 crore).
Notably, this is the first time that the monthly GST revenue collection of Uttar Pradesh has crossed the Rs 10,000 crores mark. The state’s monthly collection for April 22 was Rs 8534 crores, hence the state recorded a growth of 21 percent in April 2023. Meanwhile, the maximum percentage-wise growth has been recorded by Sikkim at 61 percent. The GST monthly revenue collection by the state in April 2022 was Rs 264 crore and it has risen to Rs 426 crore this year.
GST Collection crosses the mark of Rs 1.75 lakh crores for the first time
It is worth noting that this is the first time that the gross GST revenue collection has crossed the mark of Rs 1.75 lakh crores. The GST revenue collection for March 2023 was Rs 1,60,122 lakh crores. The total amount of e-way bills generated in March 2023 was 9 crore, an increase of 11% above the 8.1 crore e-way bills produced in February 2023.
Further, April 20, 2023, witnessed the most tax revenue ever collected in a single day. On April 20, 2023, 9.8 lakh transactions totaling Rs 68,228 crore were completed. Notably, 9.6 lakh transactions took place last year (on the same day) worth Rs 57,846 crore.
Gross GST revenue collection for March was recorded at Rs 1,60,122 crore
The Ministry of Finance released a similar report on April 1 this year saying that the gross GST revenue collected in the month of March 2023 was Rs 1,60,122 lakh crore.
The government had last month settled Rs 33,408 crore to CGST and Rs 28,187 crore to SGST from IGST as a regular settlement. The total revenue of the Centre and the States in the month of March 2023 after IGST settlement was recorded at Rs 62,954 crore for CGST and Rs 65,501 crore for the SGST.
The income for March 2023 was 13 percent more than the income from GST in the same month last year. In comparison to the same month last year, the income from imports of products was 8 percent higher and the income from domestic transactions, which includes the import of services, was 14 percent higher during March 2023.
Stuartpuram, located in the Chirala district of Andhra Pradesh, is gaining a considerable amount of fame these days. It was once known as the ‘village of thieves’, but now it is making efforts to shed that image. The reason for the village’s newfound popularity is a film called ‘Tiger Nageswara Rao’, in which actor Ravi Teja is playing the lead role. Abhishek Agarwal, of ‘The Kashmir Files’ and ‘Karthikeya 2’ fame is the producer of the film. It will be Telugu actor Ravi Teja’s first pan-India movie.
Stuartpuram of Andhra Pradesh and ‘Tiger Nageswara Rao’: An interesting story
An entire set depicting the village of Stuartpuram has been created for the film. It was reported that it cost 7 crore rupees just to build this set. Posters of the film have also been released, which has increased people’s curiosity. The movie is based on a thief named ‘Nageswara Rao’, whom people called ‘Tiger’. He was considered the ‘Robinhood’ of his area. The locals say that he used to rob wealthy people who tortured the poor and then distribute the stolen wealth among the poor. Even today, Nageswara Rao’s village of Stuartpuram is known by his name. The people of Stuartpuram still hold memories of Tiger Nagashwara Rao. According to some accounts, he would help the needy and fight for their rights.
The village of Stuartpuram has an interesting history. During the time of British rule, it was established in the name of the member of the Madras Presidency, Herold Stuart, to settle thieves and robbers from various areas in one place. This made it easier for the Britishers to keep an eye on them. In the 1970s and for 15 years after that, Tiger Nagashwara Rao had a lot of influence in this village. He used to steal in the areas of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka, – 4 states of India today. He had to spend many years in jail after being arrested by the police, as he was involved in numerous cases of theft and robbery.
The police and social workers in the area, however, strongly disagree with those showing sympathy with ‘Tiger’ Nageswara Rao. They say that those who commit theft and robbery should be punished, because one should think about the pain of those whose money got stolen. According to them, punishment is necessary to discourage others from engaging in such kinds of illegal activities. A former police officer who took action against Tiger Nageswara Rao suggests that people should support the police and not criminals, although he acknowledges that not all police officers are honest.
According to ex-police officers who knew him, Nageswara Rao was an expert thief who used to break into houses at night to steal money, jewellery etc. Nageswara died in a police encounter in 1987. This incident had angered the locals so much that they came out on the road protesting against the police. In 1974, a bank robbery in Banganapalli created national headlines because it happened right in front of a police station.
Nageshwar’s brother Prabhakar had told BBC in an interview that there were 10 members in the gang responsible for this bank robbery, including both brothers. In those days, 35 lakhs was a large amount of money. With 14 kg of gold and 50,000 rupees in cash, all the robbers went to a nearby cremation ground, where they were supposed to distribute the loot among themselves. However, the police surrounded the village. Nageshwar managed to escape, but Prabhakar had to surrender.
Nageswara Rao was also involved in the Chennai jailbreak case. He was arrested in 1976 along with his brother Prabhakar. Prabhakar recalls that Nageswara Rao had then told him that he couldn’t stay in jail anymore. Today, things are changing in Stuartpuram, and children are studying outside while people are into better professions.
Talking to OpIndia, Abhishek Agarwal said that he loves producing films. He believes in promoting Indian history, culture, and heritage.
Brought up in North, gained superstardom in south: Ravi Teja the ‘Mass Maharaja’
As far as Ravi Teja is concerned, he is a well-known name among the Telugu audience In addition to being a popular face in the industry, he is known for his comic timing. He is also known as the “Mass Maharaja” in the South. 55 years old Ravi Teja is acting in a pan-India film for the first time.
He started his movie career in the year 1990 with an uncredited minor role in the film “Kartavyam”. It took him nearly a decade to get a lead role. He made his debut as a lead actor with the 1999 romantic drama “Nee Kosam”. He established himself with the movie “Itlu Sravani Subramanyam” just two years later. It’s also worth knowing that he spent his childhood in North India. He went to school in Jaipur, Delhi, Mumbai, and Bhopal.
On Saturday (April 29), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Yaduvansh Kumar Yadav courted controversy for his objectionable remarks against the Brahmin community.
While addressing his party workers in the Supaul district of Bihar, he claimed, “They (Brahmins) do not belong here. We (Yadavs) are the original inhabitants of this land.”
The RJD leader alleged that DNA testing has supposedly confirmed that Brahmins are outsiders and have descended from Russia and other European nations. “They have come here from Russia and are dividing and making us fight amongst ourselves. In this way, Brahmins are ruling over us,” he brazened it out.
RJD leader Yaduvansh Kumar Yadav made the above remarks on April 29, 2023 and not yesterday as reported earlier
Yaduvansh Kumar Yadav then went on to threaten the Brahmin community and called upon ‘Yadavs’ to kick them out of this country. “Like how they were once removed from Russia, we also need to chase them out and send them back to their original place,” he continued his anti-Brahmin rant.
It must be mentioned that Yadav is the National Secretary of Rashtriya Janata Dal and has served as a former MLA of Bihar.
In August last year, RJD chief Tejashwi Yadav mocked the Brahmin community during a war of words with BJP leader Giriraj Singh. While making a sly reference to the Shikha/ Lambi choti, he said, “Keeping a lambi choti does not make you knowledgeable.”
Screengrab of the tweet by Tejashwi Yadav
The Rashtriya Janata Dal has been infamous for appeasing the Yadav community and demonising the Brahmins. During the days of Jungle Raj, members of the Brahmin community suffered unspeakable atrocities at the hands of RJD goons. Tejashwi Yadav’s father, Lalu Prasad Yadav, had also been at the forefront of mocking Brahmins and Hindu rituals.
On Monday, Congress MLA from Bholath and chairman of the All India Kisan Congress Sukhpal Singh Khaira met the Punjab Governor, Banwarilal Purohit and accused one of the Punjab Cabinet Ministers of sexual misconduct. He also handed over the alleged objectionable video clips of the misconduct and demanded the expulsion of the said AAP Minister from the Ministry.
Sukhpal Singh Khaira tweeted about his meeting with the Governor however, he refused to expose the name of the Minister and also refused to make public the objectionable videos. Meanwhile, according to BJP’s Manjinder Singh Sirsa, the minister whose arrest has been demanded by the Kahira is Food and Supply Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak.
“Friends, I met the Hon’ble Governor Punjab today to hand over highly objectionable video clips of gross misconduct by AAP Minister of Punjab and sought their forensic verification and if genuine said Minister should be dropped from Bhagwant Mann cabinet & arrested,” Khaira tweeted.
Friends,i met the Hon’ble Governor PB today to hand over highly objectionable video clips of gross misconduct by @AamAadmiParty Minister of PB and sought their forensic verification & if genuine said Minister should be dropped from @BhagwantMann cabinet & arrested. @INCIndia
— Sukhpal Singh Khaira (@SukhpalKhaira) May 1, 2023
According to reports, this comes days ahead of the crucial Jalandhar parliamentary seat bypoll. With elections only 10 days away and a tense relationship with the Governor, the timing of these video excerpts has put AAP officials on edge. Khaira stated that the Governor had promised him that he would look into the situation.
Taking cognizance of the incident, BJP’s Manjinder Singh Sirsa also tweeted saying that “a highly obscene video of AAP Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak has been submitted to Governor Punjab.” He also said that the minister has tendered his resignation and that CM Bhagwant Mann would do a press conference on the same issue soon.
Highly obscene video of AAP Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak has been submitted to Governor Punjab. The minister has tendered his resignation & CM Bhagwant Mann would do a Press Conf of the same in morning.
Meanwhile, Punjab’s Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has said that no video of sexual misconduct has come to the knowledge of his office. He said, “His allegation against my minister Lal Chand Kataruchak, regarding employment of his relatives in his office staff is also baseless. Khaira should tell the media that if Kataruchak was indulging in any impropriety, why did his political alliance field Kataruchak as a candidate in the 2019 parliamentary elections.” Mann further alleged that Sukhpal Singh Khaira was in the habit of making baseless allegations only to remain in the limelight and draw political mileage.
Food and Supply Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak is also charged by Khaira in a separate complaint to the Governor of “gross misuse of his official position by appointing his son, a close relative, and his political aide as members of his official staff,” a charge that the minister categorically denies. By employing his son Robin Singh as his telephone assistant, his sister-in-law’s son Vikas Deviyal as his special assistant, and Sahil Saini, a close political associate, as his chef, Kataruchuk appeared to be abusing his position of authority, according to Khaira.
The claims have been refuted by Kataruchak, who asserts that he has not appointed any employees in violation of the Constitution. “For the past 11 months, my telephone attendant is Sandeep Kumar from Sarna and my cook is Lekh Ram Sunar from Dinanagar. They are working for almost a year. Khaira’s allegations that I am appointing my relatives/aides in my staff are totally baseless. I would like to appeal that Khaira likes to sensationalise things for political gains. I have not done anything that is illegal or unconstitutional,” he claimed.
Earlier, Congress MLA from Bholath had written to CM BHagwant Mann seeking dismissal and arrest of Food and Supply Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak. He had alleged that Kataruchak misused his official position and appointed his near and dear ones to important positions.
Viewers witnessed some ugly scenes following the conclusion of the IPL match between Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) as star RCB player Virat Kohli and LSG mentor Gautam Gambhir engaged in a war of words. This is not the first time that the two have come face to face in a heated exchange in an IPL match as the decade-long feud continues to simmer.
Back in April 2013, the viewers first saw a tense face-off between the two veterans of Indian cricket during a match between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and RCB. Following his dismissal in the 10th over of the RCB innings, Kohli turned towards the pavilion before turning back in anger after something was said by the opposition fielders. Soon, we saw dramatic scenes as Kohli and Gambhir charged toward each other aggressively.
As tensions escalated, Rajat Bhatia, who also hails from Delhi like Kohli and Gambhir, stepped in to pull the two apart. Later, the umpires took Gambhir away as Kohli headed to the pavilion.
Talking about the incident recently, Gambhir said, “I am absolutely fine with it and I expect him to be like that. I am like that. I like that contest, I like people who are competitive. MS Dhoni is a competitor in his own way, Virat is a competitor in his own way. Sometimes when you are leading the side, you have to do it even if you don’t want to do it because you want your team to play the way you want. As a leader, sometimes you are not thinking about personal relationships with the other guy but just because you are leading a team, you have to do it.”
Even though Gambhir said he was fine with the incident, he always seems to have a little bit more aggression while playing against RCB since then. In the 2016 IPL, at the Eden Garden, during a match between KKR and RCB, Gambhir threw the ball aggressively at the end where Kohli was standing well within his crease, prompting the umpires to once again have a word with the former Indian opener.
The long-running tensions seem to have finally peaked during this edition of the IPL. Following LSG’s last-ball win against RCB at their home ground in Bengaluru, Gambhir motioned to the crowd to keep quiet. Irked by the chants of the RCB crowd, Gambhir wanted them to quieten down after their team’s defeat. This gesture was obviously not well received by Virat Kohli as we saw from his reaction in Lucknow yesterday.
Kohli, who is always usually charged up in the field, was especially fired up as Lucknow lost one wicket after another. Kohli was celebrating each LSG wicket like it was a World Cup final as Gambhir watched solemnly from the dugout. Taking a dig at Gambhir’s gesture, Kohli even asked the crowd not to be quiet but to chant RCB’s name as he pointed at the RCB logo on his jersey.
A fired-up Kohli had an argument even with the Afghanistan player Naveen-ul-Haq who was batting at number 10 for Lucknow. While the youngster must be wondering what wrong did he do for such a big star to go after him, little does he know that he was just collateral damage of this long-running feud.
Following the conclusion of the match, with RCB winning by 18 runs, Kohli was engaged in words with the West Indian Kyle Mayers when Gambhir came and pulled Mayers away. That is when Kohli and Gambhir got into their war of words even as the other players and support staff stepped in to separate the duo.
KL Rahul, who was struggling to walk after suffering a serious injury, had to try and resolve things between his team’s mentor and his long-time international teammate. Following the incident, KL Rahul and Kohli were engaged in a long chat.
With both Kohli and Gambhir still very much involved in the IPL, it is unlikely that we have seen the last of this rivalry. The organisers and broadcasters must be hoping for another match between their respective teams this season in the playoffs so that they can get absolutely bumper ratings as everyone tunes in to watch the two face-off once again.
While the two can not see eye to eye these days, Kohli and Gambhir were teammates for several years. In fact, they helped India win the World Cup in 2011 and even put on a crucial partnership to bring India back into the match after the quick wickets of Tendulkar and Sehwag. Gambhir even gave Kohli his Man of The Match award once after India beat Sri Lanka with their twin centuries. However, fair to say that those days of camaraderie are long in the past.
