People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), a terror organisation backed by Jaish-e-Mohammed, has vowed to attack the recently found lithium deposits in Jammu and Kashmir. PAFF, a frontal terror organisation linked to JeM in Pakistan issued a letter provoking the people of Jammu and Kashmir to oppose and stand against the usage of natural resources in Jammu and Kashmir.
According to the reports, the PAFF has been regularly threatening Indian security personnel, political figures, and civilians working in Jammu and Kashmir. It is said that the letter has been posted from Muzaffarabad city of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
The letter states that PAFF welcomes international partnerships for the development of Jammu and Kashmir and that it would not let any Indian firms plunder the region’s resources. Additionally, the letter features drone images. The terrorist group intended to convey that they are closely monitoring events in Jammu and Kashmir by utilising these images.
“People’s Anti Fascist Front wishes to reassure the Nation of Jammu and Kashmir that under no circumstances will we allow the Colonial Exploitation and theft of resources of Jammu and Kashmir. These resources belong to the people of Jammu and Kashmir and should be and will be used for the betterment of the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” the letter added.
“No Ugly Hindutva thief will be allowed to steal our resources and then kill us with the same. We will attack Indian Companies that dare to venture into the troubled waters of Jammu and Kashmir not only inside Jammu and Kashmir but also inside India and those who know us know that we will go to any lengths to fulfil our word,” it read further.
Further instigating the people of Jammu and Kashmir against the Indian government, the threat letter by PAFF read, “Brothers and Sisters do not think that these Hindutva rats will stop at anything less than our Genocide. Our Lands are being confiscated our homes and businesses are being bulldozed and our resources are being stolen so that they will be used to kill us only. Do we still have any choice except to rise against this tyranny?”
Notably, the Geological Survey of India revealed on February 9 that 5.9 million tonnes of estimated lithium deposits had been discovered in the Salal-Haimana area of the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir, marking the first time that lithium deposits had been discovered in India.
According to the reports, several global powers are interested in Jammu and Kashmir now that lithium has been discovered in Jammu. The Union territory may soon become India’s primary source of lithium, a commodity that is currently seeing huge demand across the world.
Reports also point out that as employment prospects increase, youngsters would be drawn away from Jihadi preaching and insurgency efforts, which is unacceptable to terrorist organisations like PAFF.
Recently, on January 6, the Center labelled PAFF, a front organisation for the outlawed terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), as a “terrorist” organisation under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
In a statement, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) stated that “PAFF frequently issues threats to Indian security forces, political figures, and civilians operating in Jammu-Kashmir from neighbouring states.”
On February 14 (local time), Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President of the United States Joe Biden, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Rishi Sunak and President of France Emmanuel Macron remarked on the historic multi-billion deals between Air India, Boeing, Airbus and Rolls Royce. The remarks came after India’s flagship carrier and part of the Tata Sons conglomerate Air India announced its plans to acquire widebody and single-aisle aircraft.
In an official statement, the White House said that President Joe Biden and PM Modi spoke to discuss the historic agreement of Air India to purchase over 200 American-made aircraft from Boeing. President Biden noted the deal would support over one million jobs in America across 44 states. They also discussed the importance of the strategic technology partnership between the two nations.
The White House’s official statement on Air India-Boeing deal. Source: The White House
In a tweet, PM Modi said, “Glad to speak with President of the US Joe Biden. Excellent discussion to review the ongoing and new initiatives to deepen India-US Comprehensive and Global Partnership further. We welcome the landmark Air India Boeing agreement, which will help create new opportunities in both countries.”
Glad to speak with @POTUS@JoeBiden. Excellent discussion to review the ongoing and new initiatives to further deepen India-US Comprehensive and Global Partnership. We welcome the landmark @airindiain–@Boeing agreement which will help create new opportunities in both countries.
In the official statement, PMO said that PM Modi and President Biden had a warm and productive phone call. Both leaders expressed satisfaction at the deepening Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership between the two nations that have resulted in robust growth in all domains. They welcomed the landmark agreement between the two companies as a shining example of mutually beneficial cooperation that will help create new employment opportunities in both countries. PM Modi also invited Boeing and other US companies to use the opportunities arising in India due to expanding civil aviation sector.
Commending the Air India-Airbus deal, France’s President Macron said in a tweet, “The contract that Airbus and Tata Sons signed this morning marks a new stage in India and France’s strategic partnership. Thank you, Narendra Modi, for your confidence in France and our industry.”
The contract that Airbus and Tata Sons signed this morning marks a new stage in India and France’s strategic partnership. Thank you @NarendraModi, for your confidence in France and our industry.
During the call with PM Modi, he said, “I am confident that our bilateral relations will touch even greater heights this year. Under India’s G20 Presidency, we will have more opportunities to work together. Once again, many thanks and best wishes to all of you.”
In a tweet, PM Modi said, “I thank my friend Emmanuel Macron for joining me at the launch of an important partnership between Air India and Airbus that will further strengthen the Indian aviation sector and create opportunities in both nations. This reflects the robust Indo-French Strategic Partnership.”
I thank my friend @EmmanuelMacron for joining me at the launch of an important partnership between @airindiain and @Airbus that will further strengthen the Indian aviation sector and create opportunities in both nations. This reflects the robust Indo-French Strategic Partnership.
During the call, the PM said, “The deal is a testament to the deepening relationship between India and France and the successes and ambitions of India’s civil aviation industry. Today, our civil aviation sector is an integral part of India’s development. Strengthening civil aviation is an important aspect of our National Infrastructure Strategy. In the last eight years, the number of airports in India has jumped from 74 to 147, almost double the increase. Through our regional connectivity scheme (UDAN), remote parts of the country are also getting linked via air connectivity, which is promoting the economic and social development of the people.” He added that in the next 15 years, the number of aircraft in India is estimated to be more than 2,000.
Prime Minister of the UK Rishi Sunak also reacted to the deal. In a tweet, quoting the reports of the deal, he said, “This is one of the biggest export deals to India in decades and a huge win for the UK’s aerospace sector. With wings from Broughton and engines from Derby, this deal will support jobs around the country and help deliver one of our five priorities – growing the economy.”
This is one of the biggest export deals to India in decades and a huge win for the UK’s aerospace sector.
With wings from Broughton and engines from Derby, this deal will support jobs around the country and help deliver one of our five priorities – growing the economy. https://t.co/Zs0Qqf37Yr
Nationalisation of Air India and how it lost its charm over the years
On January 27, 2022 Tata Sons officially took over Air India, AI Express and AI SATS after the government transferred 100% shares to Tata’s wholly-owned subsidiary Talace Pvt Ltd. Former chairman of the Tata Group shared an emotional message and wrote, “Welcome back, Air India”.
He wrote, “wrote, “Tata Sons winning the bid for Air India is great news. While it will take considerable effort to rebuild Air India, it will provide a very strong market opportunity for the Tata Group’s presence in the aviation industry.”
Notably, the story of Air India began in 1932 when JRD Tata laid the foundation of Tata Aviation Service, then known as Tata Air Mail. Tata’s fascination for the airline business began in 1927. In 1929, when Flying Club opened in Mumbai, he spent hours mastering the art of flying a plane. The first cargo flight under his company was flown by Tata himself from Karachi to Madras, on which he carried 25 KG of airmail. In just five years, his company made over Rs 6 lakhs worth of profits.
In 1938, he changed the name to Tata Airlines. Soon after World War II broke out, and British Government took control of all the aircraft owned by Tata. He regained control after WWII was over. In 1946, the company was renamed Air India.
In 1947, Tata laid down a proposal to the Congress government to acquire a 49 per cent stake in Air India Ltd with a provision to increase it by 2 per cent in later stages. Tata Group was to hold 25% ownership of the company while the rest was to be publicly traded.
Notably, Tata was not a fan of nationalisation. In a statement, he had said, “There is an overwhelming case against nationalisation of India airlines”. By 1948, the Nehru-led Indian government held a 49% stake in Air India Ltd. JRD Tata was unable to fathom the drastic move by Nehru, which was to wreak havoc on the airline industry and the empire he built.
In 1953, the Indian government decided to nationalise Air India and the airline industry. In his own words, Tata recounted, “(I was) indignant at how the government had treated the air transport industry.” Notably, Nehru did not consult the Tata group before nationalising the airlines. “(The government was) driven to the conclusion that there was no other way out except to organise [the airlines] together under the State,” Nehru claimed in a letter to JRD Tata.
In his remarks, Tata said, “My friend Nehru stabbed me in my back. I can only deplore that so vital a step was taken without giving us a proper hearing.” The once successful private player in the airline industry was reduced to a loss-making venture. With subsequent government interference and bureaucratic red tapeism, Air India ended up with an accumulated loss of ₹80,000 crores.
In his parting note, JRD Tata said, “And now the time has come to say goodbye. As we turn the last page and put away the book, regret or bitterness has no place in our hearts. Instead, we may find content in the thought that what we did was worth doing, that we set our standards high and would not lower them, that we never need part with our memories….” From being an excellent aviator to pioneering India’s first airline enterprise to losing his dream and hard work to the government, JRD Tata saw it all in his lifetime.
Tata’s announcement to buy a fleet of aircraft to expand its aviation business
According to an official release, the order comprises 40 Airbus A350s, 20 Boeing 787s and 10 Boeing 777-9s widebody aircraft, as well as 210 Airbus A320/321 Neos and 190 Boeing 737 MAX single-aisle aircraft.
The A350 aircraft will be powered by Rolls-Royce engines, and the B777/787s by engines from GE Aerospace. Engines from CFM International will power all single-aisle aircraft.
Commenting on the occasion, Tata Sons and Air India Chairman N Chandrasekaran said, “Air India is on a large transformation journey across safety, customer service, technology, engineering, network and human resources. A modern, efficient fleet is a fundamental component of this transformation. This order is an important step in realising Air India’s ambition, articulated in its Vihaan.”
On Tuesday, February 14, the Tripura unit of the Congress party lodged a complaint against Jan Ki Baat founder and CEO Pradeep Bhandari over the recently released opinion polls that predicted a victory for the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state.
Apparently, the opinion poll did not go well with the Congress leaders who filed a police complaint against Bhandari saying that despite a directive issued by the Election Commission on the broadcast of opinion and exit polls, the Jan Ki Baat opinion poll was released.
Congress leaders Dr Ajoy Kumar and Gaurav Gogoi along with party workers reached the local police station to file a complaint against Bhandari seeking action against him for allegedly violating the Model Code of Conduct and ‘false reporting’.
নির্বাচনের প্রাক্কালে নির্বাচন কমিশনের নিষেধাজ্ঞা সত্ত্বেও ওপিনিয়ন পোল করার অপচেষ্টার বিরুদ্ধে থানায় অভিযোগ করা হলো।
While addressing a press conference, the Tripura Congress in-charge Ajoy Kumar called Pradeep Bhandari a fraud and claimed that Bhandari did the same during the Bengal assembly elections as BJP won half the number of seats predicted in the opinion poll and TMC got double the seats the Jan Ki Baat poll had predicted.
“Such incompetent (Nikamma) and fraud who do such opinion polls for the sake of money should at least do some homework. Where will you go after March 2,” Kumar said.
Notably, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Gitte Kirankumar Dinkarrao issued a directive on February 10 regarding opinion and exit polls, as well as print advertising, for the impending state election scheduled to be held on February 16.
As per the directive issued by Tripura CEO, opinion polls are not permitted to be broadcast 48 hours before the polls. Beginning on February 14 at 4 pm, content, opinions, panel appeals, and remarks that could influence people were to be restricted. On February 15 and 16, print outlets will be able to run political adverts after seeking permission from the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) committee. From February 14 to February 27, neither opinion polls nor exit polls shall be allowed to release.
Interestingly, the directive barred the release or broadcast of exit and opinion polls from 14 February onwards, the Jan Ki Baat opinion survey was released on February 13.
According to the Jan Ki Baat opinion poll, the BJP, which ended 25 years of Left rule in Tripura in 2018, would retain control of the state. The polling agency forecast a resounding victory for the Manik Saha-led Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state of Tripura in their survey, which included 10,000 respondents from all districts. According to the poll, the BJP would win between 30-35 seats in the upcoming Assembly elections, while the CPI(M) and its ally Congress, which failed to win any seats in the 2018 elections, could get 13–16 seats, or around half of what is predicted for the ruling party. The Tipraha Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance (also called Tipra Motha), meanwhile, might bag 13-11 sets as per the poll survey.
In an interview with ANI, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, on the question of the possibility of a hung assembly said that the constituencies in Tripura are small and “you will see that before 12 on counting day, the BJP would have crossed the majority mark.”
Amit Shah said Congress and CPI-M joining hands shows that they are not in a position to defeat BJP on their own and “it is a very good position” for the party.
“We will increase our seats and also our vote share in Tripura. Congress and the Communist party have come together as they have accepted that they can’t defeat BJP alone. We will form a government with full majority in the state,” Shah said.
A man was arrested for allegedly strangulating his live-in partner to death and storing her body in a refrigerator in Delhi’s Mitraon village, police said on Tuesday, adding that he married another girl the same day.
According to the Crime Branch unit, the accused was identified as Sahil Gehlot, 24, while the deceased was identified as Nikki Yadav. They were in a relationship for a few years. The police said that Sahil killed the victim and married another girl on the same day. The incident took place on the intervening night of February 9 and 10.
“The accused strangulated the deceased with the help of a data cable of his mobile in his car on the intervening night of 9/10 February 2023 and stuffed the dead body in a refrigerator kept at his dhaba at Mitraon village, Delhi. The accused and the deceased were in a relationship for the past few years,” Ravindra Singh Yadav, Special Commissioner of Police said.
The police said that they received the input about the incident on February 10 following which the team reached the Mitraon village in search of the accused who was absconding.
Sahil was apprehended from the Kair village crossing in the national capital by the police team.
The police said that he tried to mislead the team during the initial interrogation.
“But on sustained interrogation, he disclosed that he had killed his girlfriend in the intervening night of 9 & 10 February 2023 and kept her dead body in a refrigerator at his dhaba in a vacant plot situated on the outskirts of village Mitraon,” the police said.
Elaborating about the interrogation, the police said that Sahil and Nikki used to meet while going to their respective coaching centres in Uttam Nagar and became friends and later fell in love.
“In February 2018 the accused took admission in D Pharma in Galgotiya College at Greater Noida and the deceased also took admission in the same college in BA (English Hons.). Thereafter, both of them started living together in Greater Noida in a rented house. They became very close to each other and also travelled to several places such as Manali, Rishikesh, Haridwar, Dehradoon etc,” the police said.
“During Covid lockdown, they returned to their homes and after end of the lockdown, they again started living together in a rented house in the Dwarka area,” the police added.
The accused did not inform his family members about this relationship.
“His family was pressurizing him to get married with some other girl and finally in Dec. 2022, the engagement and marriage of the accused with another girl were fixed for 09.02.2023 & 10.02.2023, respectively. The accused did not inform the deceased about his engagement or marriage plans,” the police said.
However, according to the police, Nikki came to know about the marriage and confronted the accused leading to arguments between the two.
“The accused strangulated the deceased with the help of a data cable of his mobile phone kept in his car. Thereafter, he went to the dhaba owned by him and put her dead body in a refrigerator,” the police said.
He then married another girl.
The police are conducting an investigation to verify the accused’s claims during interrogation.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
Consulate General of India in Toronto on Tuesday (local time) condemned the defacing of Ram Mandir in Mississauga with anti-India graffiti.
It requested Canadian authorities to investigate the incident and take prompt action against the perpetrators. “We strongly condemn the defacing of Ram Mandir in Mississauga with anti-India graffiti. We have requested Canadian authorities to investigate the incident and take prompt action on perpetrators,” tweeted the Consulate General of India in Toronto. This is not the first time that a Hindu Temple in Canada was defaced with anti-India graffiti.
Earlier, a Hindu Temple in Brampton in Canada was defaced in January with anti-India graffiti triggering outrage among the Indian community.
The Indian Consulate General in Toronto condemned the vandalism at the Gauri Shankar Mandir stating that the act has deeply hurt the sentiments of the Indian community in Canada.
The consulate office in a statement said “We strongly condemn the defacing of Gauri Shankar Mandir in Brampton, a symbol of Indian heritage, with anti-India graffiti. The hateful act of vandalism has deeply hurt the sentiments of the Indian community in Canada. We have raised our concerns on the matter with Canadian authorities.”
Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown also condemned the vandalism and the Canadian authorities are investigating the incident. “This hateful act of vandalism has no place in our City or Country,” adding that he had raised his concerns over this hate crime with Peel Regional Police Chief Nishan Duraiappah,” Brampton Mayor tweeted.
“Everyone deserves to feel safe in their place of worship,” the Brampton Mayor said.
Earlier in September 2022, BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Canada was defaced by ‘Canadian Khalistani extremists’ with anti-India graffiti.
Chandra Arya, Member of Parliament, Canada tweeted, “Vandalism of Toronto BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir by Canadian Khalistani extremists should be condemned by all. This is not just an isolated event. Canadian Hindu temples have been targeted in the recent past by these kinds of hate crimes. Hindu Canadians are legitimately concerned.
Also, a statue of Mahatma Gandhi at the Vishnu Mandir in Richmond Hill in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) was defaced in July 2022.
In both instances, pro-Khalistan slogans were painted and the vandalization was promoted on social media by pro-Pakistan handles.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
Air India, India’s flagship carrier and part of the Tata Sons conglomerate, today announced that it had signed letters of intent with Airbus and Boeing to acquire both widebody and single-aisle aircraft.
According to an official release, the order comprises 40 Airbus A350s, 20 Boeing 787s and 10 Boeing 777-9s widebody aircraft, as well as 210 Airbus A320/321 Neos and 190 Boeing 737 MAX single-aisle aircraft.
The A350 aircraft will be powered by Rolls-Royce engines and the B777/787s by engines from GE Aerospace. Engines from CFM International will power all single-aisle aircraft.
Commenting on the occasion, Tata Sons and Air India Chairman, N Chandrasekaran, said “Air India is on a large transformation journey across safety, customer service, technology, engineering, network and human resources. A modern, efficient fleet is a fundamental component of this transformation. This order is an important step in realising Air India’s ambition, articulated in its Vihaan.”
He said that the AI transformation program offers a world-class proposition serving global travellers with an Indian heart. These new aircraft will modernise the Airline’s fleet and onboard products, and dramatically expand its global network.
The growth enabled by this order will also provide unparalleled career opportunities for Indian aviation professionals and catalyse accelerated development of the Indian aviation ecosystem.
According to an official release, the first of the new aircraft will enter service in late-2023, with the bulk to arrive from mid-2025 onwards. In the interim, Air India has already started taking delivery of 11 leased B777 and 25 A320 aircraft to accelerate its fleet and network expansion.
The acquisition of new aircraft, which will come with an entirely new cabin interior, complements Air India’s previously announced plan to refit its existing widebody B787 and B777 aircraft with new seats and inflight entertainment systems. The first of these refitted aircraft will enter service in mid-2024, as per an official release.
The Air India group currently comprises full-service Air India, as well as two low-cost subsidiaries Air India Express and Air Asia India which are in the process of merging. Its parent, Tata Sons, recently announced its intention to merge Air India with full-service airline Vistara, a joint venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines in which the former holds a 51 pc share.
In a steady state, subject to regulatory approval, the Group would comprise a single full-service airline, Air India, and a single low-cost airline, Air India Express.
Air India Chief Executive Office Campbell Wilson said, “Refreshing our fleet and positioning ourselves for growth is a key part of Vihaan.AI. And with this historic order, today will be remembered as a major milestone in the long, proud history of Air India, and in the journey of restoring this airline to greatness.”
“We still have a long road and much hard work ahead of us – not least to staff up for, and then fill, these new aircraft. But with this commitment to aircraft, this commitment to growth and this commitment to the future, we can now forge ahead with even greater confidence,” Campbell Wilson added.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
Chief selector of the Indian cricket team and former Test cricketer Chetan Sharma made shocking revelations in a sting operation conducted by Zee News Channel. Chetan Sharma stated that Virat Kohli “lied” when he informed the media before the South Africa tour that the then BCCI president Sourav Ganguly didn’t attempt to discourage him from resigning as T20 captain after the T20 World Cup in 2021.
In 2021, Virat Kohli informed the media that he had been notified by the selectors that he would no longer serve as the team’s ODI captain. The sting operation surfaced on Tuesday, 14th February 2023.
Chetan Sharma said, “Any row between player and BCCI President is dangerous as it becomes players vs BCCI. Who is wrong is judged later, but it becomes an attack on BCCI directly. All players are warned that the harm from such things will come to players only.”
Chetan Sharma added, “Virat Kohli felt he lost the captaincy because of BCCI President. There were 9 people in the selection committee video conference, Ganguly may have told him ‘think about it once’. I think Kohli didn’t hear it, there were 9 others there including myself and all other selectors, BCCI officials – Kohli might not have heard him.”
Chetan Sharma further said, “The press conference before leaving for South Africa was about the team but why he brought the topic of captaincy I don’t know, maybe Kohli did it on purpose. The truth is that Kohli was lying, Ganguly told him to think over it. Why Kohli lied, no one knows till now. It became a controversy, it was Board vs Player. Why he lied, maybe he felt Sourav Ganguly played a big hand in Virat Kohli losing the white-ball captaincy. Don’t say that selectors were favoring Rohit Sharma. You tell people that Virat Kohli was not liked. It is exactly the reverse.”
Chetan Sharma said, “We have to decide who will play for India. We have to decide who is the future of Indian cricket. We call them and ask if they want to play cricket. We directly ask ‘Do you want to play or not’. You don’t want to play? Ok. Thank you. we don’t need you.”
About players taking injections for fitness, Chetan Sharma said, “Indian Cricket Team players take injections & get 100% fit even if they’re 80% fit. These are not painkillers. These injections contain Drugs which aren’t caught in Dope Test.”
Chetan Sharma further said that some star players are given a green signal from the NCA even when they are not fully fit, and then it gets onto the selectors to make a final call on the selection.
On the fourth anniversary of the 2019 Pulwama terror attack, ADGP Kashmir Zone Vijay Kumar revealed on Tuesday that all terrorists engaged in the deadly attack have been put to justice, except for four who are hiding in Pakistan.
Total 19 terrorists were involved in the 2019 Pulwama attack. Of which, 8 terrorists neutralised, 7 jailed & 4 terrorists in Pakistan: ADGP Kashmir Zone Vijay Kumar pic.twitter.com/lBAPtqJvkD
Speaking to the media, the ADGP said, “Total of 19 terrorists were involved in the 2019 Pulwama attack. Of which, 8 terrorists neutralized, 7 jailed, and 4 terrorists are currently in Pakistan.”
“7-8 local JeM terrorists left and 5-6 Pakistani terrorists including Musa Sulemani active in Pulwama will be neutralized soon. JeM has increased recruitment for the past 6 months now. Won’t let them flourish now in J&K,” he added.
ADGP Kumar also confirmed that currently, there are 37 active terrorists in Kashmir and no new terrorists have been recruited in Srinagar. He further said that out of the 37 terrorists only two, namely Farooq Nalli and Riyaz Chatri, are old while the rest have joined recently.
According to the ADGP, the police are not just busting terror modules but also cracking down on narco-terrorism and terror finance. “We have been able to recover Rs 41 lakh and recently in Baramulla, RS 26 lakh was recovered,” he said.
ADGP further stated that cases filed against OGWs (overground workers) participating in such actions are being resolved quickly. “The number of such cases has reduced from 1.600 in October last year to 950 at present and 13 convictions have also been secured so far”, he added
Pulwama terror attack
On February 14, 2019, a convoy of vehicles carrying Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel to Srinagar via National Highway 44 came under a suicide bombing attack.
22-year-old Adil Ahmad Dar, a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist from Kakapora in Jammu and Kashmir, rammed his explosive-laden vehicle into a bus carrying the CRPF personnel. 40 of our jawans were martyred in the attack.
Nikki Haley, a former US ambassador to the UN, will run for president of the US in 2024. The Indian-American politician of the Republican Party announced this in a video message on Tuesday 14th February 2023. Nikki Haley will contest against fellow Republican candidate Donald Trump, who served as president from 2017 to 2020 but lost power to Democratic Party candidate Joe Biden. Nikki Haley is the former governor of South Carolina state in America.
Nikki Haley said in her video message, “I’m Nikki Haley and I’m running for president. It’s time for a new generation of leadership — to rediscover fiscal responsibility, secure our border, and strengthen our country, our pride, and our purpose.”
She added, “Republicans lost the popular vote in seven out of the last eight elections. This trend has to change. The Washington establishment has failed us over and over and over again.”
Nikki Haley was born in Bamberg, South Carolina, and went on to become the first woman and Indian-American to serve as governor of the state. She would create history once more as the first woman and the first Asian-American to be the party’s nominee for president in 2024 if she gets the nomination.
The Confederate flag was removed from the grounds of the statehouse during Haley’s six-year term as governor of South Carolina after nine people were killed by a white supremacist in a racially motivated shooting at the Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston in 2015. This action earned her national attention.
Propagandist ‘comedian’ Kunal Kamra has expressed his disappointment as he saw no comedian defending Tanmay Bhat who was removed from Kotak Mahindra Bank’s advertisement. On 14th February 2023, Kunal Kamra tweeted, “I can’t believe no comedians are siding with victim Tanmay Bhatt he has faced so many atrocities in life & still counting. Sad day for the comedy world over. Shame on the Indian comedy scene.”
I can’t believe no comedians are siding with victim Tanmay Bhatt he has faced so many atrocities in life & still counting. Sad day for comedy world over… Shame on indian comedy scene https://t.co/o5CVrxe5Ui
After being called out for supporting a controversial ‘comedian’, Kunal Kamra went into damage control mode, stating that his tweet was meant as sarcasm.
Self-described comedians and fact-checkers often resort to such means where they lean on ‘sarcasm’ when caught on the wrong foot. Kamra, too, appeared to manage the backlash by claiming that his tweet lauding the controversial AIB ‘comedian’ known for his vulgar and derogatory jokes was sarcastic.
Kotak Group withdraws its ad campaign featuring Tanmay Bhat
On February 12, Kotak Mahindra Bank’s digital banking handle Kotak811 withdrew the campaign featuring controversial former AIB comedian Tanmay Bhat after it received a backlash on social media. In a tweet, Kotak811 said, “We at Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd. do not support or endorse the views of actors made in their personal capacity that harm or offend any individual or group. We have withdrawn the campaign.” The ad campaign also featured comedian Samay Raina.
We, at Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd. do not support or endorse the views of actors made in their personal capacity that harm or offend any individual or group. We have withdrawn the campaign.
Kotak811 launched the campaign on January 30. Considering Tanmay’s controversial history, the netizens did not take the idea of taking him for the drive. Kotak811 and Kotak Mahindra Bank’s Chairman and Managing Director, Udit Kotak, were called out on social media for using him for the campaign. As a result, the Bank withdrew the ad campaign.
As none of the comedians was seen backing Tanmay Bhat, propagandist Kunal Kamra ranted on social media saying that Tanmay Bhat is a victim. In fact, Kunal Kamra himself is an accused in a case of contempt of the court. After the recent Gujarat assembly elections were declared in which BJP secured a landslide victory, he tweeted that he will be able to perform in certain cities of Gujarat only in his next life. Many Twitter users roasted him for this tweet.
Just like Kunal Kamra, Tanmay Bhat who was a founding member of the controversial comedian group All India Bakchod (AIB), has been in the limelight for the wrong reasons on several occasions. Tanmay Bhat has a history of making derogatory and problematic tweets. He not only insulted legendary singer Late Lata Mangeshkar at one point but also made casual jokes about child sexual exploitation.
His group AIB was infamous for making controversial jokes, and it was closed down after one of its members was accused of sexual harassment. Notably, the other members, including Bhat, were aware of the accusations before they were made public, but they decided not to act strictly upon them. The accusations were made public in the wake of the MeToo movement that swept the country in 2018.
