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Play Agar as the second spinner alongside Lyon: Former Australian coach Darren Lehmann’s advice to win in India

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Play Agar as the second spinner alongside Lyon: Former Australian coach Darren Lehmann’s advice to win in India

Former Australia coach Darren Lehmann has revealed who he believes should partner Nathan Lyon and be the Aussies’ second spin option for their upcoming tour of India.

Next month marks the beginning of a four-match Test series in India, and spin is anticipated to play a significant role in determining which team will prevail and take home the prized Border-Gavaskar trophy and significant ICC World Test Championship points.

Lehmann oversaw the Australian squad that last triumphed in a Test match played on Indian soil in 2017. That victory came in Pune, where left-arm spin bowler Stephen O’Keefe took 12 wickets to shock the home team.

And Lehmann has urged Australia to follow suit this time around and give fellow southpaw Ashton Agar the nod at selection – ahead of leggie Mitchell Swepson and uncapped off-spinner Todd Murphy – to partner Lyon as the second spinner in India.

“Having been there, I’m probably more inclined to play finger spinners. It just gets through the air quicker and some spin and some don’t. The leg-spinners sometimes spin it too much, if that makes sense… (for finger spinners) some skid on and you get beaten on the inside and you get an LBW,” ICC quoted Lehmann as saying.

“That’s probably why they’re looking at a finger spinner. We certainly did that four years ago (2017) and Steve O’Keefe bowled India out basically on his own in one of the last Test matches to win there. That’s why I’d be looking at someone like an Agar, bat a little bit, bowl as that second spinner,” he added.

The series in India will be essential in determining who wins the World Test Championship and earns a playoff position for the one-off championship game at The Oval in June.

To advance to the final, Lehmann’s former team only needs to avoid losing the series 4-0 in India, and the former Australia coach is certain that his team has the balance to do so.

“I can’t believe there was talk of him (Swepson) not going, talk about balance of the side, if you get to pick 18 players, you want a pretty balanced squad. Most of the time we only take 15 (players) over there. They’ve got the extra spinners, there’s plenty of options, there’s no tour game, so they’ll work out the best option to win over there I’m sure. It does look like a pretty good squad. If it suits to play the leg-spinner as the second spinner, then good on him,” Lehmann added.

Australia Test squad for tour of India: Pat Cummins (c), Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Lance Morris, Todd Murphy, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson and David Warner.

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

PM Modi will have same fate Hitler, Mussolini, says Siddaramaiah, ex-Karnataka CM and Congress leader

OpIndia Staff
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PM Modi will have same fate Hitler, Mussolini, says Siddaramaiah, ex-Karnataka CM and Congress leader

As the Karnataka elections draw near, the Congress party has started throwing personal insults at PM Narendra Modi yet again, in their cynical bid to reclaim power. On Sunday, January 22, the party’s senior leader and the former Chief Minister of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah, taking a cue from his colleagues, compared the incumbent Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, to Adolf Hitler.

Siddaramaiah tried to draw between Indian PM Modi and the German dictator Hitler, Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, and Spanish dictator Francisco Franco. The Congress leader further stated that PM Modi’s leadership would last “only a few days more”.

“He is the Prime Minister, let him come. We don’t have any problems. However, if he says a hundred times that the BJP will come to power, I will make it clear that will not happen,” the Congress leader said.

“People will not believe it, but what happened to Hitler? For a few days, he walked around pompously. What became of Mussolini and Franco? He (PM Modi) will also walk around like this for a few days,” he added.

Siddaramaiah also went on an unhinged rant against freedom fighter Veer Savarkar, the perennial favourite target of Congress leaders and their supremo Rahul Gandhi. He added, “Hindu and Hindutva are entirely different. Savarkar was the one who invented the word Hindutva. He was influenced by the ideology preached by Adolf Hitler.”

Prior to this, Siddaramaih had also insulted Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai saying that he shivers like a “puppy” in front of PM Narendra Modi.

BJP reacts to comments made by Congress leader Siddaramaiah

In response to Siddaramaiah’s remark, BJP leader and Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai stated that he will take his statement positively. Bommai went on to say that a dog is a faithful animal, and he is likewise loyal to the people of Karnataka.

“This shows his (personality). I am not going to counter it. A dog is a faithful animal, I am faithfully serving the people of Karnataka. So even if they call me a dog, I will take the positive from it and will work for the people. I will not divide society and lie to the people like they have been doing,” CM Bommai told reporters when asked about Siddaramaiah’s comment.

Congress leaders have repeatedly made disparaging remarks against PM Modi

This is not the first time a Congress leader has insulted and personally abused Prime Minister Modi. From Sonia Gandhi’s “Maut Ka Saudagar” comment to Siddaramaiah’s latest Hitler jibe, Congress has a long history of attacking PM Modi personally.

One can recall how, in 2019, the year when PM Modi went on to become the first non-Congress PM to be elected for the second time after the completion of his five-year tenure, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s confidante Sam Pitroda had gone on to compare PM Modi to Hitler.

Pitroda had even questioned the fatality count of the Balakot airstrikes, which were carried out by the Indian Armed Forces to avenge the deaths of 40 CRPF members slain in a terror assault in Pulwama. He went on to raise fingers at PM Modi’s leadership by asking, “PM Modi represents strong leadership, even Hitler was very strong. Even the Chinese leader is very strong. Is this what India wants?” Pitroda implied that Modi and Hitler are similar and warned the country if they needed someone like Hitler to govern them.

Last year, veteran Congress leader and Gandhi family loyalist Subodh Kant Sahay courted controversy for wishing death upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a protest over the Agnipath scheme.

In a video aired by Times Now, Sahay could be heard saying, “I think Modi has surpassed all records made by Hitler. Even that dictator had started an army recruitment scheme (like Modi’s Agnipath)”.

“Modi Hitler ki raah chalega, toh Hitler ki Maut marega (If Modi treads the path of Hitler, then, he will die like him,” the Congress leader said.

Prior to that, Congress leader Sheikh Hussain said, “Jaise Kutte ki maut hoti hai waise Narendra Modi ki maut hogi (Modi will die a dog’s death)”. The remark had come while the grand old party’s senior leader was demonstrating outside the ED office in Nagpur to protest against the interrogation of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi by the agency.

Similarly, on July 12, 2022, Congress leader Alka Lamba took to Twitter to abuse Prime Minister Narendra Modi as she shared a report card detailing how India had “failed” in various aspects of the global index under Modi’s leadership since 2014. Drawing inspiration from Congress’ foul-mouthed leader Manu Shankar Aiyar, Lamba went on to refer to the Prime Minister of India as a ‘nalayak’ (incompetent) person.

Back in 2017, veteran Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar had called PM Modi a ‘neech aadmi,’ a casteist slur. At that time, the people of India gave a resounding reply to Aiyar by giving a historic verdict to PM Modi during the next election. It remains to be seen how the people of Karnataka now react to Siddaramaiah’s Hilter comment against Narendra Modi.

Parakram Diwas 2023: PM Modi names unnamed islands of Andaman and Nicobar after Param Vir Chakra recipients, including Major Vikram Batra

ANI
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Parakram Diwas 2023: PM Modi names unnamed islands of Andaman and Nicobar after Param Vir Chakra recipients, including Major Vikram Batra

Prime Minister Narendra Modi named the 21 largest unnamed islands of Andaman and Nicobar Islands after Param Vir Chakra awardees in a ceremony on Monday on the occasion of Parakram Diwas.

PM Modi also unveiled the model of the National Memorial dedicated to Netaji to be built on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Dweep, earlier known as Ross Islands. Union Home Minister Amit Shah was also present at the ceremony in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

The largest unnamed island was named after the first Param Vir Chakra awardee, Major Somnath Sharma, who lost his life in action on November 3, 1947, while repulsing Pakistani infiltrators near Srinagar Airport.

“These islands have been named after the 21 Param Vir Chakra awardees, viz. Major Somnath Sharma; Subedar and Hony Captain (then Lance Naik) Karam Singh, MM; 2nd Lt. Rama Raghoba Rane; Nayak Jadunath Singh; Company Havildar Major Piru Singh; Capt GS Salaria; Lieutenant Colonel (then Major) Dhan Singh Thapa; Subedar Joginder Singh; Major Shaitan Singh; CQMH. Abdul Hamid; Lt Col Ardeshir Burzorji Tarapore; Lance Naik Albert Ekka; Major Hoshiar Singh; 2nd Lt. Arun Khetrapal; Flying Officer Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon; Major Ramaswamy Parameswaran; Naib Subedar Bana Singh; Captain Vikram Batra; Lt Manoj Kumar Pandey; Subedar Major (then Rifleman) Sanjay Kumar; and Subedar Major Retd (Hony Captain) Grenadier Yogendra Singh Yadav,” PMO further stated.

The Government had declared January 23 as Parakram Diwas in 2021 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

Keeping in mind the historical significance of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands and to honour the memory of Netaji, Ross Islands was renamed as Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Dweep by the Prime Minister during his visit to the Island in 2018. Neil Island and Havelock Island were also renamed Shaheed Dweep and Swaraj Dweep.

“Giving due respect to the real-life heroes of the country has always been accorded the highest priority by the Prime Minister. Going ahead with this spirit, it has now been decided to name the 21 largest unnamed islands of the island group after 21 Param Vir Chakra awardees,” the statement from the PMO read.

The largest unnamed island is named after the first Param Vir Chakra awardee, the second largest unnamed island will be named after the second Param Vir Chakra awardee, and so on.

This step will be an everlasting tribute to our heroes, several of whom made the ultimate sacrifice to protect the sovereignty and integrity of the nation.

Meanwhile, PM Modi along with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Leaders of parties in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Members of Parliament, former Members of Parliament, and other dignitaries will pay floral tributes at the portrait of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in the Central Hall of Parliament House on the latter’s birth anniversary.

The portrait of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was unveiled by the then President of India N Sanjiva Reddy, in the Central Hall of Parliament House on January 23, 1978.

According to Lok Sabha Secretariate, it was recognised that the floral tributes could serve as an effective medium in spreading greater knowledge and awareness about the lives and contributions of these towering national icons among the youth of the country.

Accordingly, Parliamentary Research and Training Institute for Democracies (PRIDE), Lok Sabha Secretariat has launched the programme titled ‘Know Your Leaders’.

Born on January 23, 1897, Netaji played a crucial role in India’s freedom movement.

Subhash Chandra Bose established the Azad Hind Fauj. While there is a controversy over Bose’s death in a plane crash in Taipei on August 18, 1945, the Central government had in an RTI (Right to Information) in 2017 confirmed that he had died in the incident.

Last year, on the occasion of Netaji’s 125th birth anniversary, the Prime Minister unveiled the hologram statue of the freedom fighter at India Gate in Delhi.

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

France: Engineer loses one of his testicles after being hit by a cop during protests

OpIndia Staff
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France: Engineer loses one of his testicles after being hit by a cop during protests

A 26-year-old engineer lost a testicle after he was hit in the groin by a French police officer during demonstrations in Paris on Thursday (January 19).

As per reports, the victim was present during a demonstration against the French government’s plan to raise the age of retirement from 62 years to 64 years. It is estimated that about 1 million people took to the streets in protests.

The man was taking pictures of the confrontation between the cops and the protestors when he was reportedly knocked on the ground by a police offer. After finding him in a vulnerable position, another cop in riot gear charged at him and planted a blow on the victim’s groin.

The video of the incident, which was caught on camera, is now going viral on social media. The victim has been identified as one Ivan S. Following the incident, the 26-year-old was admitted to the hospital where his one testicle was surgically removed.

He has engaged the services of a lawyer named Lucie Simon and is now proceeding with a lawsuit for “voluntary violence that led to mutilation by a person vested with public authority.”

Simon informed that Ivan is still in a state of shock and is undergoing treatment at the hospital. “It was such a strong blow that he had to have a testicle amputated…This is not a case of self-defence or necessity. The proof is in the images we have and the fact that he was then not arrested,” she said.

The victim, through his lawsuit, hopes to put an end to violence perpetrated by the police. He is a resident of a French overseas region named Guadeloupe. Meanwhile, police chief (Paris) Laurent Nunez has ordered an inquiry into the matter.

A French government spokesperson named Olivier Veran has expressed ’empathy’ for the victim, adding that the circumstances that led to the police intervention needed to be understood.

SC to hear financial fraud accused Washington Post columnist Rana Ayyub’s plea against summons in money laundering case on Jan 25

ANI
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SC to hear financial fraud accused Washington Post columnist Rana Ayyub’s plea against summons in money laundering case on Jan 25

The Supreme Court on Monday said it will hear on January 25 the petition filed by journalist Rana Ayyub challenging the summons issued to her by the Ghaziabad court in Uttar Pradesh in relation to a Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) case registered against her by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). 

The matter was mentioned before a bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud by advocate Vrinda Grover saying the matter was listed today for hearing but the bench which was to hear the case was not sitting today. The matter was listed for hearing before a bench of Justices V Ramasubramanian and JB Pardiwala, which is sitting with CJI today. 

CJI said it will list the matter for hearing on Wednesday. 

In mentioning the matter, Grover said that the Ghaziabad court has issued a summons against Ayyub for January 27; therefore, the matter requires urgent listing. 

In October 2022, the ED filed a complaint against her before the Ghaziabad court over alleged violations in publicly raising funds. 

ED had registered the case on the basis of a complaint registered in September 2021 in Ghaziabad under provisions of the Indian Penal Code, Information Technology Amendment Act and Black Money Act against Ayyub. 

It was alleged in the FIR that she illegally acquired funds from the general public in the name of charity by launching fundraiser campaigns. 

It was alleged that Ayyub received foreign contributions without registration under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA). 

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

Pakistan struggles as power crisis hits, Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore face massive power outages after grid failure amid cost-cutting

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan struggles as power crisis hits, Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore face massive power outages after grid failure amid cost-cutting

On Monday, January 23, all cities in Pakistan experienced a power breakdown. As per reports, the countrywide power breakdown happened because of the decrease in frequency at the national grid. The Ministry of energy, in a tweet, said, “According to initial reports, the system frequency of the National Grid decreased at 7:34 this morning, which resulted in a widespread breakdown in the power system.”

Speaking to Geo News, Powe Minister Khurrum Dastagir said that the power generation units were shut down temporarily to save fuel costs. He said, “When the systems were turned on at 7:30 AM this morning one by one, frequency variation was reported in the southern part of the country between Jamshoro and Dadu. There was a fluctuation in voltage, and the systems were shut down one by one. This is not a major crisis.”

The Ministry reportedly started restoring some grid stations in Warsak and Tarbela. He added, “Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO) and some grids of Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) have already been restored.”‘

The power restoration in Karachi will apparently take time because of the complicated system. He said, “We provide K-Electric about 1,000-1,100 megawatts routinely, however, it will be restored within a few hours. It is not certain how long it will take to sort this issue. However, my target is to restore electricity in the country in the next 12 hours.” As per CNN, around 220 million people in Pakistan are currently without electricity.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered all the federal departments to reduce power consumption. Restaurants in the country were ordered to close by 10:30 PM and shopping centres were asked to close by 8:30 PM, putting already struggling businesses in a financially precarious position.

This is the second time Pakistan has seen such a massive power outage in the last three months. In October 2022, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Karachi, Multan, Quetta, and Faisalabad saw a major power outage as eight thousand megawatts went offline. However, that power outage was due to power line faults. Contrary to the previous incident, the current power outage was done to save fuel costs.

In a statement, Quetta Electric Supply Company (QESCO) said that the two transmission lines from Guddu to Quetta tripped, putting 22 districts of Balochistan in the dark. Islamabad’s 117 grid stations are also without electricity.

K-Electric spokesperson Imran Rana said in a statement that the company is investigating the issue and will update the situation. His statement came before Ministry’s statement clarifying the reason behind the power outage.

Notably, Pakistan is facing a major economic crisis. The country is facing fuel and food shortages. Following the floods in 2022, the already broken economy deteriorated amidst the political turmoil, further pushing Pakistan into a difficult position.

Sweden: Copy of Quran burnt during anti-Turkey protests, Islamic nations outrage

OpIndia Staff
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Sweden: Copy of Quran burnt during anti-Turkey protests, Islamic nations outrage

On January 21, a copy of Quran was reportedly burnt in Sweden during protests against Turkey outside Turkish Embassy in Stockholm, Sweden. Three different protests were happening in the city. One was against Turkey, the second was in support of Kurds, and the third was against Sweden’s bid to join North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). Following the Quran burning incident, sharp reactions came from Turkey and Pakistan. All three protests had permission from the Sweden police.

Rasmus Paludan, the leader of the Danish far-right political party Hard Line, was the one who burnt the copy of the Quran. Notably, he has burnt copies in the past as well. Paludan has Swedish citizenship. Reuters report suggests that in the police permit he obtained, it was mentioned that his rally was against Islam and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan’s attempt to influence freedom of expression in Sweden.

Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom expressed dismay over the incident and said, “Sweden has a far-reaching freedom of expression, but it does not imply that the Swedish Government, or myself, support the opinions expressed.” Earlier, Turkey had summoned the Swedish ambassador urging him to act against the protests.

Turkey, Pakistan and others condemned Quran burning

In a statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said, “We condemn in the strongest possible terms the vile attack on our holy book … Permitting this anti-Islam act, which targets Muslims and insults our sacred values, under the guise of freedom of expression is completely unacceptable.”

Sweden’s defence minister’s visit to Turkey was cancelled after the incident. In a statement, Turkey said the visit was cancelled because of an inability to control the protests.

As per Pakistan’s daily Dawn, Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif, PTI chairman and former Prime Minister Imran Khan, Punjab Chief Minister Parvez Elahi and OIC secretary general have condemned Quran burning incident.

Apart from Pakistan and Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Kuwait have issued statements condemning the incident. In a statement, the Saudi Foreign Minister said, “Saudi Arabia calls for spreading the values of dialogue, tolerance, and coexistence, and rejects hatred and extremism.”

In Istanbul and several other countries, Swedish flags were burnt in protest of the Quran burning incident.

Protest against joining NATO

Reportedly, Finland and Sweden applied to join NATO after Russia initiated military action against Ukraine. The proposal is pending as it requires all 30 members’ approval. Turkey, a member of NATO, has called for a clearer stance against Kurdish militants and terrorists for approval.

In 2022, Sweden and Finland signed a three-way agreement with Turkey to ensure it approves their membership in NATO. Though Sweden said it had fulfilled its parts of the memorandum, Turkey is demanding more, including the extradition of 130 individuals that Ankara has deemed as terrorists. 

A large group of people in Sweden are against joining NATO. They held a protest to show support for the Kurds. A spokesperson for Alliance Against NATO, Thomas Pettersson, said, “We will continue our opposition to the Swedish NATO application.”

Past incidents of Quran burning and aftermath

There have been several such incidents in the past of Quran burning that led to violence from pro-Islamic groups. In April 2022, the frenzied mob went on a rampage in the Swedish town of Linköping after Danish anti-immigration party Stram Kurs announced to burn a copy of the Quran the following day.

Amidst the ‘Allahu Akbar’ chants, the masked men attacked police vehicles and set them ablaze. According to independent researcher Hugo Kamman, a total of 4 police officers were injured during the attack. Two people have been arrested so far in connection to the case.

In July 2022, two women rammed into an anti-Islamic group leader’s vehicle, which turned upside down. The video had gone viral on social media platforms. As per reports, the woman allegedly attacked the man, identified as Lars Thorsen, after he burnt copies of the Quran. The incident occurred around 3 PM when Thorsen was driving toward Norway’s capital, Oslo, on July 2. Thorsen is the leader of the anti-Islamisation group ‘Stop the Islamisation of Norway’ (SIAN).

Australia: ISKCON temple desecrated with slogans of ‘Khalistan Zindabad’, third attack in two weeks

OpIndia Staff
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Australia: ISKCON temple desecrated with slogans of ‘Khalistan Zindabad’, third attack in two weeks

On Monday (January 23) morning, the Hare Krishna temple located at Albert Park in Melbourne city of Australia was attacked and desecrated by unidentified miscreants.

The temple, which has served as the centre of the Bhakti Yoga movement in Melbourne, is run by the International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).

In visuals shared on social media, it could be seen that the temple walls were defaced with anti-India slogans of ‘Khalistan Zindabad’ and ‘Hindustan Murdabad.’ The miscreants had also hailed slain Khalistani terrorist, Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, as a martyr.

While speaking about the matter to The Australia Today, ISKCON’s Director of Communication Bhakta Das said, “We are shocked and outraged with this blatant disregard for respect for the place of worship.” 

He further added, “A complaint has been filed with Victoria Police and CCTV footage is being provided to assist them in their pursuit of culprits.” A devotee of ISKCON named Shivesh Pandey had also raised concerns over the targeting of the Hindu community.

“In the last two weeks, Victoria Police has failed to take any decisive action against the people who are running their hate-filled agenda against the peaceful Hindu community. Every Hindu around me is so frustrated with authorities, you tell me what are we supposed to do?” he said.

Pandey further emphasised, “Shall we come out on the streets and then only the Victorian government and Victoria Police will wake up from their slumber?” This is the third attack on a Hindu temple in Australia in a span of just 2 weeks.

Past incidents of temple attacks in Australia

On January 17, 2023, Khalistani supporters vandalised the historic Shri Shiva Vishnu Temple in Carrum Downs in Melbourne. The miscreants wrote anti-Hindu and anti-India slogans on the walls near the temple during the vandalization.

‘Target Modi’, ‘Modi Hitler’, and ‘Hindustan Murdabad’, read the slogans painted on the temples’ walls during vandalization. As per reports, the attack is said to have happened on January 16 days after Khalistan supporters allegedly attacked and vandalized BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Melbourne’s northern suburb of Mill Park.

Earlier on January 12, BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir, a Hindu temple in Melbourne, Australia, was desecrated by Khalistan supporters and damaged by painting anti-India graffiti on it. 

According to the reports, the walls of Melbourne’s iconic Swaminarayan temple in Mill Park’s northern suburbs were spray-painted with ‘Hindustan Murdabad,’ slogans.

Himanta Biswa Sarma pulls up Indian Express for taking a dig over Shah Rukh Khan’s 2 AM call

OpIndia Staff
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Himanta Biswa Sarma pulls up Indian Express for taking a dig over Shah Rukh Khan’s 2 AM call

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday pulled up Indian Express for taking a dig at him after he addressed Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan with ‘Shri’ while tweeting about his 2 AM call ahead of the release of his film Pathaan. Khan had called Sarma on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday after reports of protests against the release of Pathaan emerged.

In a tweet, Sarma said that his usage of ‘Shri’ for Shah Rukh Khan reflects the dignity of the office he holds as the chief minister of a state. He clarified that it was not him but Khan who called and introduced himself. Sarma further added that his assurance on law and order only reflects his constitutional duty and there is nothing to take a dig at it.

Sarma was responding to an article by Indian Express titled, “Politics | ‘Who is SRK to Shri SRK in only 24 hrs’: Opposition takes digs at Himanta Biswa Sarma”. In the article, IE wrote about how when Sarma tweeted and addressed Khan as ‘Shri’, opposition leaders pointed out how Sarma had just 24 hours priors said he is not aware of Khan.

While addressing a press conference earlier on Saturday, Sarma had said, “If someone files a case in a police station, we will take action immediately. I don’t know what this Pathaan-Wathaan is. I haven’t heard of it, I haven’t seen it. I don’t have time for this … Who is Shah Rukh Khan? Why should we worry about it, we have so many Shah Rukh Khans here. ‘Dr Bezbaruah’ (upcoming Assamese film) will be released, we might as well worry about that … Those who have made the film have also not said anything. I take everyone’s phone calls. Why should we worry? Shah Rukh Khan would have (called) if there was a problem … If Shah Rukh Khan calls, I’ll see what the issue is.”

Reportedly, members of Bajrang Dal entered Narengi, Guwahati and tore the posters. They raised slogans against the film as well. There have been multiple incidents of protests against the film across the country.

However, Khan called up Sarma and expressed concern over the protests, to which, Sarma assured law and order as the head of the state. Soon after Sarma’s tweet, opposition leaders took a dig at Sarma for having addressed Khan as ‘Shri’.

Backlash against Pathaan

Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone starrer spy-action film by Yash Raj Films, Pathaan, is scheduled for release on January 25. The movie has already made headlines multiple times for several wrong reasons. First, the song Besharam Rang allegedly hurt religious sentiments as Deepika was seen wearing a saffron bikini while romanticising with SRK in the song. Later, the second song, ‘Jhoome Jo Pathaan’, stirred controversy as the song was reused version of music director Vishal-Shekhar old song. Furthermore, netizens have alleged that many scenes of the film were copied or inspired by Hollywood films.

Hosts India blow a 3-1 lead as they crash out of the Hockey World Cup after losing a thriller against New Zealand

ANI
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Hosts India blow a 3-1 lead as they crash out of the Hockey World Cup after losing a thriller against New Zealand

New Zealand held their nerves to edge India in the penalty shootout at the Kalinga Stadium on Sunday, as the hosts crashed out of the 2023 Hockey World Cup.

Despite being ahead in the game, India missed the opportunity to build on a 3-1 lead in the third quarter, when New Zealand scored twice in the final quarter to tie the game at the end of the regular time, forcing a penalty shootout. 

In regular time, India’s goals came from Lalit Upadhyay (17 minutes), Sukhjeet Singh (24 minutes), and Varun Kumar (40 minutes), whereas the Black Sticks’ goals came from Sam Lane (28 minutes), Kane Russell (43 minutes), and Sean Findlay (49 minutes).

India battled back to tie the score at 3-3 in the shootout thanks to a few outstanding saves from seasoned goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, and had two chances in the sudden death as Shamsher Singh missed the final shootout attempt to lose 4-5 in front of the home crowd.

India started the crucial match aggressively as they stormed into New Zealand’s circle in the first minute. The hosts lost possession but looked determined to take the lead as they made another penetration in the third minute through India number 11 Mandeep Singh, who made an excellent run into the Kiwi circle.

New Zealand made their first attack in the sixth minute through a long aerial pass but the hosts counterattacked quickly, coming perilously close to scoring the first goal, but the New Zealand defence stayed alert to avert any danger.

Nic Woods was issued a green card in the eighth minute, forcing the Kiwi side to play with a 10-man team for two minutes. Manpreet Singh too was issued a green card for carrying on to play even after the referee’s whistle to stop play.

The hosts face a goal threat in the 11th minute but India’s resolute defence made sure the ball did not go past them. India earned their first penalty corner PC) in the 13th minute with Harmanpreet sending the ball to the left of the goalkeeper but failing to find the back of the net.

New Zealand survived another scare in the dying minutes as the first quarter ended goalless.

Thrilling action ensued in the second quarter, with both teams creating chances in the initial minutes. India finally made the breakthrough in the 17th minute of the game with Shamsher sending the ball across to Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, who blasted the ball into the New Zealand goalpost to put the hosts ahead.

India secured two consecutive PCs in the 22nd minute but failed to convert them. However, India did score a goal on the rebound but New Zealand used their referral for it to be denied by the third umpire.

The 23rd minute saw India earn another PC but yet again the hosts failed to score as the chance went begging. Sukhjeet Singh extended India’s lead to two goals in the 24th minute, sending the rebound of Nixon into the goalpost.

New Zealand sprung into action in the final minutes of the second quarter as Sam Lane found the back of the net in the 28th minute to reduce India’s lead to one goal.

No goal was scored in the second quarter as the first half ended with India in the lead at 2-1.

The 40th minute saw India score its third goal through Varun Kumar on a PC. However, Kane Russell scored in the 43rd minute through a PC just before the end of the third quarter to keep New Zealand’s hopes alive. The third quarter ended with New Zealand trailing two goals to three.

New Zealand sprung into action in the final quarter as they hovered around the Indian circle. Sean Findlay found the back of the net in the 49th minute to level the score and keep their hope of reaching the final eight alive.

The hosts kept fighting and captain Harmanpreet Singh had the opportunity to convert a PC and put the hosts in the lead but missed the opportunity to score.

He attempted a drag-flick, but his effort was lackluster and the defenders were able to stop the ball before it could find the back of the net. The final quarter ended with both teams tied at 3-3, with the result pushed to be decided by a penalty shootout.

Harmanpreet scored on the first attempt to put India ahead. Kane Russell took the Black Sticks’ first attempt and levelled the score. Raj Kumar Pal scored for India while Findlay also found the goal to keep the score at 2-2.

Abhishek failed to put the ball into the net while Hayden put New Zealand ahead with a super goal on the third attempt with the hosts trailing 2-3. The fourth attempt saw players from both teams failing to convert their chances with India trailing at 2-3.

In a dramatic turn of events, Shamsher scored for India while Sam Hiha missed levelling the score at the end of five attempts.

The teams once again lined up for another round of penalty shootouts with New Zealand taking the first attempt.

Nic Woods missed to give India the opportunity to lead but Harmanpreet could not get past the New Zealand goalkeeper, with the score still level at 3-3. Findlay finally put the Black Sticks ahead in their seventh attempt but Raj Kumar Pal scored to tie the score at 4-4.

Hayden Phillips and Sukhjeet Singh both missed on the eighth attempt to make things more dramatic.

Lane scored the crucial goal to put New Zealand ahead at 5-4. All hopes hung on Shamsher but he failed to rally past the goalkeeper as India crashed out of the Hockey World Cup on home soil.

New Zealand will lock horns with defending champions Belgium on January 24 for a berth in the semifinals while India will face Japan on January 26 for the 9th-16th position in the tournament. 

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

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