On Friday, January 13, Shankar Mishra, is accused of urinating on a female co-passenger in an inebriated state while onboard Air India flight AI-102 on November 26, travelling from New York to Delhi refuted the allegations. He even claimed that the complainant who is an elderly woman suffers from ‘incontinence’.
Mishra told a Delhi sessions court that he did not urinate on the complainant woman and that she urinated on herself.
Mishra’s counsel Advocate Ramesh Gupta went a step ahead and called the investigation a ‘joke’ and claimed that the complainant woman’s seat was blocked and it was not possible for him (Shankar Mishra) to go there. Gupta further said that the complainant who is a Kathak dancer urinated on herself as 80 per cent of Kathak dancers have this problem.
“The woman has a problem with urinary incontinence. She urinated on herself. She is a Kathak dancer, 80 per cent of kathak dancers have this issue,” the accused’s counsel reportedly said.
Her seat could only be approached from behind, and the urine could not reach the seat’s front space in any case. “In addition, the passenger sitting behind the complainant made no such complaint,” Mishra’s counsel told the court.
Shankar Mishra’s counsel says – the complainant woman’s seat was blocked. It wasn’t possible for him (Mishra) to go there. The woman has a problem of incontinence. She urinated on herself. She is a Kathak dancer, 80% of kathak dancers have this issue.
In simple terms, urinary incontinence is the involuntary loss of urine. It occurs when the bladder muscles that control urine flow contract or relax involuntarily, resulting in leaks or unrestrained urination.
While responding to the claims made by Mishra’s counsel, the sessions court Judge said, “it is not impossible to go from one side of the flight to the other. Sorry, but I have also travelled. Anybody from any row could very well come around and go to any seat.”
The court also sought a diagram of the flight seating.
Sessions Court Judge says – It is not impossible to go from one side of the flight to the other. Sorry, but I have travelled as well. Anybody from any row can come around and go to any seat.
Accused Mishra’s counsel was arguing before a sessions court bench hearing Delhi Police’s revision petition challenging a magisterial court’s order denying Mishra’s custody on January 7. On Saturday, Delhi’s Patiala House Court sent Shankar Mishra to 14-day judicial custody. The court had denied Mishra’s custody to the police and instead agreed to judicial custody.
The Central government has held consultation meetings with all state governments as well as union territories and other stakeholders on the issue of identification of religious and linguistic groups, including Hindus, to grant minority status. The central government has given this information to the Supreme Court. Since then, 24 states and six union territories have submitted their views. In an affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court, the central government said that a reminder, in this case, was sent to six states and union territories on December 21, 2022.
In May 2022, the apex court had directed the central government to hold consultations with the states with respect to the issue of the identification of minorities, including Hindus, at the state level. Accordingly, the centre held meetings with the states and UTs.
The Minority Affairs Ministry told the supreme court that it has held consultative meetings with all the state governments and union territories, and other stakeholders including the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Law and Justice, the Ministry of Education, the National Commission for Minorities, and the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutes among others.
“The governments of 24 states – Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur, Odisha, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Nagaland, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat, Goa, West Bengal, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and six Union Territories of Ladakh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Chandigarh, Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Puducherry have submitted their views,” the ministry said.
According to the ministry, the remaining six state governments and Union Territories – Arunachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Lakshadweep, Rajasthan, and Telangana – are yet to submit their views. The ministry said that a reminder was sent to six states and union territories on December 21, 2022. The Ministry of Minority Affairs has given this information in an affidavit.
The affidavit said some states and Union Territories have requested additional time to hold wider consultations with stakeholders before forming their opinion on the issue. The affidavit has been filed in response to some petitions, including one filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay. Upadhyay’s petition had sought a direction to frame guidelines for the identification of minorities at the state level. The petition said that Hindus are a minority in 10 states.
The responses by stakeholders
The home ministry informed that court that it has no specific position on the matter, saying that, “the issue of the authority of the Parliament or the State Legislature to exclusively legislate on matters pertaining to minority communities is to be examined in consultation with the Ministry of Law and Justice”.
Ministry of education and the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions said in their responses that the identification of minorities at the district level is not legal, objecting to the plea made in the petitions.
West Bengal and Punjab governments said that only the states should have the right to identify and notify religious and linguistic groups as minorities. Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Assam, Manipur and Sikkim governments stated that states should be considered for the identification of minorities and the country should not be taken as a unit for that purpose.
However, Tamil Nadu added that only the population should be the ground for granting minority status, and other factors like actual or probable deprivation of the religious, cultural and educational rights and their socioeconomic status etc also should be considered.
Himachal Pradesh was the lone state to say that the entire country should be considered as a unit. If Himachal’s argument is accepted, Hindus won’t get minority status in any state.
Manipur govt said that any religious group which constitutes less than 50% of the population in a state should be recognised as a religious minority group of the state. Chhattisgarh stated that Section 2(f) of the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions Act may be retained in the present form.
Haryana and Maharashtra said that the Central Government can notify the minorities. Uttar Pradesh also said it has no objection if any decision is taken by the Central Government in the matter.
Mizoram argued that the matter of reservation is in the concurrent list, therefore both the states and the centre can make laws on the subject, and it should be left to both the concerned state and the centre.
Delhi said it has objection if the followers of Judaism and Buddhism are declared as minority communities by the Central Government. Delhi government also stated that that “the Central Government may declare ‘migrated minority’ status to the followers of Hinduism who are a religious minority in their origin state and are residing in Delhi after migration from their home state.”
On the other hand, Nagaland, Bihar, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh said that they prefer the status quo in the matter. Odisha opposed the petitioner’s prayer to remove any of the six notified minorities from the list or to declare any other community as a minority.
Meghalaya said it has no comments to make on the matter. Union Territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Chandigarh, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh said that they will follow the directions of the central government. Puducherry stated that the petition does not apply to union territories.
Arunachal Pradesh, J&K, Jharkhand, Lakshadweep, Rajasthan and Telangana are yet to submit their responses.
The petition
The petitioners have moved the court seeking directions to the central government to define the term ‘minority’ and also to specify guidelines to identify minorities at the district level. The Petitions also challenge the constitutional validity of Section 2(c) of the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992, which gives the Centre power to notify minorities. Earlier in March last year, the centre had said in the court that in the states where Hindus are a minority, they can be granted minority status.
However, later the centre said that while it has the power to notify minorities, a stand in this regard can be taken only after wide consultations with State Governments and other stakeholders to avoid unintended complications in future.
On Friday, 13th January 2023, 11 concerned Delhi police officers were suspended for carelessness during the Kanjhawala hit and drag case. This development came a day after the Union Home Ministry ordered Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora to suspend all police personnel positioned in three PCR vans and two pickets along the route where 20-year-old Anjali Singh was dragged and killed in the early hours of New Year’s Day. All of the suspended policemen are from the Rohini district of outer Delhi where the horrifying incident took place.
Two sub-inspectors, four assistant sub-inspectors, four head constables, and one constable are among those who have been suspended. Six of them were assigned to PCR and five to picket duty.
After an inquiry by Delhi Police Special Commissioner Shalini Singh found the officers guilty, the Home Minister asked the top policeman in Delhi to suspend them immediately.
The government also instructed that murder charges be included in the First Information report. The MHA has directed the Delhi Police to file murder charges against the five people involved in the horrible Kanjhawala death case, in which Anjali Singh, 20, died after being dragged by a car for roughly 12 kilometres in the early hours of January 1.
Notably, the defendants were previously charged with a culpable homicide that did not amount to murder, causing death by carelessness, and criminal conspiracy. The action followed the submission of a report by an investigative commission chaired by Special Commissioner Shalini Singh.
As the incident received widespread condemnation and outrage, forensic specialists from Gujarat were deployed to collect evidence and samples from the scene. According to Delhi Police, a team of five forensic specialists from the National Forensic Science University is visiting at the request of DCP (outer) Harendra K Singh, who is probing the case.
Five persons were apprehended soon after the event, while two more were apprehended for assisting in the crime. Deepak Khanna, 26, Amit Khanna, 25, Krishan, 27, Mithun, 26, and Manoj Mittal were detained on January 1, and two more males, Ashutosh and Ankush Khanna were subsequently arrested for allegedly hiding the accused.
The heinous crime occurred in Kanjhawala, outside of Delhi, in the early hours of January 1. A car hit the victim Anjali Singh’s two-wheeler, after which her clothes got tangled with the car and her body was dragged for around 10-12 kilometres from Sultanpuri to Kanjhawala.
Delhi police, investigating the case, had earlier revealed that the accused were aware of Anjali being trapped under their car within minutes after her scooter was hit by them. The accused had claimed that they were drunk and while they knew that they hit the scooter, they were not aware that their car was dragging the woman.
The Vasai Court in Maharashtra on Friday rejected the bail plea of TV actor Sheezan Khan, accused in the death case of his co-star and former girlfriend Tunisha Sharma.
The court observed, “Sheezan and Tunisha broke their relationship on December 15 after which she died of a panic attack. It has also been revealed that Sheezan was the last person to meet Tunisha before she died.”
“After the two parted ways, Tunisha got stressed and depressed,” the Court noted adding that the CCTV footage confirmed that Tunisha was last seen in Sheezan’s room.
“If Sheezan is released on bail at this time, his release could affect the case proceedings, that’s why Sheezan’s bail petition stands cancelled,” it added.
Sheezan Khan was reportedly dating Tunisha Sharma, who was allegedly found hanging at a TV serial set on December 24, a fortnight after the two allegedly broke up their few-months-long relationship.
Within hours of the actress’ demise, Sheezan Khan, who worked with the 20-year-old actor in ‘Ali Baba Dastaan-E-Kabul’, was arrested on charges of abetment to suicide.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
Experts have warned that the Western and Eastern Ghats, two ecologically fragile regions in India, could face a catastrophe similar to the land sinking incidents in Joshimath, if developmental activities are not halted, reportedThe New Indian Express.
Geologists and scientists have reported a rise in earthquakes, landslides, and flooding in the Western and Eastern Ghats, which they claim are being ignored by both the government and local communities.
They have called for the government to conduct a thorough geo-scientific mapping of the regions and to immediately put an end to the blasting of rocks for road construction, resorts, and other projects.
An environmental assessment must be done prior to kickstarting development projects: Experts
A senior geologist from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) stated that the government was warned about the sensitivity of the regions when it announced plans for river diversion and hydroelectric projects.
Despite these warnings, the government reportedly proceeded with the projects without conducting any assessments of the potential hydrological, geological, and environmental impacts.
The geologist also remarked that the situation in Joshimath, which also has an army base, has been handled more efficiently than it would be in the Western or Eastern Ghats.
Western Ghats being used for urbanisation, alleges geologist
Sreedhar Ramamurthi, a noted geologist told The New Indian Express that only 20% of the area in Joshimath needed to be developed for settlement. He also warned that small pockets of the Western Ghats are already being opened up for urbanisation and other activities and that there is a knee-jerk reaction from the government to address the issue.
He emphasized the need for detailed scientific assessments of the regions before it is too late, citing the example of Kerala, where flooding occurred when springs were obstructed.
He also noted that minor earthquakes occur every year in the Himalayan region and micro-earthquakes occur every day and that the same could be happening in the Western and Eastern Ghats without being detected.
Need careful examination to prevent a Joshimath-like catastrophe: Expert
Professor Soumitro Banerjee, of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) in Kolkata, also emphasized the need for detailed scientific assessments of the Western and Eastern Ghats.
He stated that these regions have a natural geology and are in need of careful examination before it is too late. He concluded by warning that the events in Joshimath could repeat in these regions if action is not taken immediately.
Rakhi Sawant, a motormouth celebrity known for remaining in the limelight with her indiscreet utterances and eccentric behaviour, was recently in the news after pictures of her wedding with longtime beau Adil Khan Durrani went viral on the internet.
But since then, the actor has remained under the spotlight because of numerous twists and turns in her wedding saga that would put contemporary Bollywood movies to shame. It all started with pictures of Rakhi Sawant and her beau going viral, with the claims that the duo had finally tied the knot.
Rakhi Sawant confirms she is married to Adil
Rakhi Sawant confirmed that the two got married in a low-key Nikah ceremony in May last year.
Rakhi Sawant took the internet by storm after she shared the pictures and videos of her wedding on her Instagram page.
Sharing images of her wedding, Rakhi wrote a caption that read, “Finally, I’m happy so excited and got married my love is 4 Ever unconditional love for you Adil.”
Soon after, pictures of Rakhi and Adil’s Nikahnama went viral on social media sparking a debate that Rakhi has converted to Islam. What prompted the discussion was Rakhi Sawant’s name on the Nikahnama, which was ‘Rakhi Sawant Fatima’.
As per the Nikahnama, the two got married on May 29 last year at her home in Oshiwara, Mumbai. The Nikah took place at 1:30 p.m., and the bride was given a meher (security deposit) of Rs 51,786. A Vakil (guardian) – Abdul Kadir Lokhandwala – and two witnesses, Kulsum Bi Naseeruddin Naik and Ahmed Riyaz Shaikh – were present at the Nikah. Apart from the Nikah, Rakhi Sawant and Adil Khan Durrani also had got their marriage registered. Rakhi had earlier reportedly converted to Christianity.
Nikahnama of Rakhi Sawant and Adil Khan Durrani (Image via Instagram)
While the social media was replete with congratulatory wishes for the couple, Rakhi’s husband Adil Khan Durrani initially called his Nikah ‘fake’, leaving Rakhi Sawant shocked and distressed, Adil Khan even stopped talking to Rakhi after she shared their wedding pictures on her Instagram page.
Rakhi Sawant revealed that she had asked Adil to either marry her or have no relationship at all, after which the two got married in May 2022. Adil, however, had asked Rakhi not to disclose their marriage for at least a year as it will be difficult for him to find a suitable groom for his sister as he is connected with the showbiz industry.
When asked about what prompted her to reveal her marriage all of a sudden, she said that after she returned from the BiggBoss Marathi season 4 house, she saw something on Adil’s phone which was beyond her tolerance levels.
Rakhi although said that she has no idea about why Adil has been denying their marriage, she claimed that Adil is under pressure from his family.
Rakhi while speaking to Telly Talk India broke into tears as she shared her ordeal and said, “I kept quiet for 7-8 months, and went to the BiggBoss Marathi show, however, after coming out of the BiggBoss house I saw something that was beyond my limit of tolerance. I was scared. I thought maybe such a case would not happen, as it has been happening these days. (Woh cases nahi hone chahiye jo aaj kal bahot saare ho rahe hain. Samaj rahe ho? Mujhe nahi pata Adil kyu deny kar raha hai,” Rakhi said.
Confirming her conversion to Islam Rakhi said, “I did ‘halal’ instead of ‘haram’. “Many people do ‘haram’ but I did ‘halal. Where am I wrong?.”
Rakhi went on to say, “My mother has been struggling for life in hospital, she has brain cancer, I am worried for her, I don’t know why is Adil denying our marriage, I have never had a moment of joy in my life even after marriage. I changed my name, I accepted Islam for you. (Adil) and have been doing everything according to you. I wanted to make our wedding viral but he asked me not to tell the media about it. I accepted his decision. The marriage certificate is there, Nikahnama is there, Maulana is conducting marriage rituals as seen in the video, then why is he denying the marriage.”
Adil Khan who had shared no pictures or anything related to his Nikah with Rakhi Sawant, finally opened up on Thursday only to “neither confirm nor deny” his marriage with Rakhi.
In a video shared by a person named Waahid Ali Khan, Adil Khan Durrani said that he neither confirms nor denies the wedding and also sought 10 to 12 days to speak on the matter and put forth his side of the story.
“I neither deny nor accept the marriage, after 10 to 12 days I will get back to talk about this. I need ten more days after that I will come to press and give an episode on what all happened.”
Interestingly, Rakhi Sawant was also seen in the video, confirming that the two have been staying together.
Reacting to the news about Rakhi’s wedding and conversion to Islam, her brother Rakesh Sawant told Zoom Digital that “We all are tensed. Rakhi is the youngest in his family and has faced many sorrows in her life. Last time during BiggBoss, Ritesh Singh (Rakhi’s ex-boyfriend) tried to use her and caused her much pain and suffering that is why she had a proper wedding this time too as per Adil’s rituals.”
When asked about Rakhi’s conversion to Islam and changing her name to Fatima, he said, “Even we don’t know about this. These things are between husband and wife. However, if Rakhi has done this (converted to Islam) she must have deliberated upon it. (Rakhi ne agar ye kiya hai too much such samajhkar hi kiya hoga).
Commenting on Rakhi Sawant’s Nikah with Adil Khan Durrani, Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen who is known for her critical views towards Islam said that even Rakhi Sawant had to convert to Islam to marry a person who happens to be a Muslim.
Taking to Twitter Taslima Nasreen wrote, “Even Rakhi Sawant had to convert to Islam because she married a man who happened to be a Muslim. Like other religions, Islam must be evolved and accept marriages between Muslims and non-Muslims.”
Even Rakhi Sawant had to convert to Islam because she married a man who happened to be a Muslim. Like other religions Islam must be evolved and accept marriages between Muslims and non-Muslims.
Sawant’s lawyer, Falguni Brahmbhatt, has come out in the support of the act, claiming that her marriage was legal.
“It is not at all a fake marriage. First of all, a nikah was performed and all the procedures were followed and that nikah was also registered. There is a proper nikahnama. After performing nikah, there is a procedure in Mumbai that you have to register your marriage with the Municipal Corporation,” Falguni told IANS.
“So, Rakhi and Adil filled up the form with the Municipal Corporation, went to the office and registered their marriage. They also took the certificate of marriage. Thus, there is a proper nikahnama and marriage certificate and I don’t know why Adil is denying or shying away from the marriage. Maybe there are some personal reasons,” she further added.
Rakhi Sawant first shot to fame after her infamous row with singer Mika Singh. Since then, she has remained in the headlines for her eccentric take on matters and idiosyncratic behaviour. Rakhi also was a part of ‘Rakhi Ka Swayamvar’, a reality show broadcast on NDTV Imagine. Rakhi has been a part of 3 different seasons of the controversial reality show BiggBoss and its latest Marathi version.
Before Adil Khan Durrani, Rakhi had dated a UK-based NRI businessman named Ritesh Singh with whom she participated in BiggBoss season 15.
The two had claimed to be husband and wife, however, the two parted ways in February last year after, reports emerged that Ritesh Singh is already married.
Rapido, the bike-taxi operator, has confirmed that it has suspended operations in Maharashtra from 1 pm today (January 13) until January 20 on the instructions of the Bombay High Court. All services, including food delivery, autorickshaws, and bike taxis, are expected to be suspended. The Bombay High Court has required confirmation of the same by 1:15 pm.
Bench: Rapido confirms that the App is now inoperative on Maharashtra. For the convenience of customers who may have booked rides before 1 PM today, the petitioner may fulfill those obligations. This is only for the convenience of those consumers.#BombayHighCourt#Rapido
The decision came after the Bombay High Court ordered the suspension, citing the company’s failure to disclose material facts, including the fact that it lacks a licence to operate and has been functioning illegally.
The High Court also slammed the Maharashtra government for its uncertainty in framing a policy permitting bike taxis in the state, and said it has to clarify its stand one way or the other. The Bombay High Court division bench of Justices Gautam Patel and S G Dige recommended that the Maharashtra government seriously explore allowing bike taxi services in the state. The court had earlier said that the State cannot remain in limbo in the matter, and a decision has to be made.
The court was hearing Rapido’s plea challenging the state’s refusal to grant licenses to entities like it.
Appearing for the government, Advocate General Birendra Saraf on Tuesday told the court that as on date, bike taxis are not allowed to ply, as the government has not issued any no policy or guidelines for the same.
The AG insisted that if the petition is to be entertained, the petitioner is required to undertake that it will shut down its services first. The AG also informed the court that a committee has been formed to investigate the development of guidelines for bike taxis in the state. He also stated that prosecution against organisations such as Uber that operate bike taxis had begun.
“The government has in fact issued a show cause notice to one such aggregator company for plying bike taxis without licence. A carriage licence is required in such cases,” Saraf said.
“There has to be a comprehensive policy equal to all. Every company has to be on the same page. Either everyone is allowed to ply or everybody stops. In the absence of policy or safety guidelines, no such service should be allowed to ply. Plying under the radar cannot be allowed,” the court said.
The petitioner also alleged that the state is discriminating against it as other cab services like Uber are allowed to continue offering similar bike services. When the petitioner said that it has been granted licences in some states, the court asked it to submit the terms under which those licences have been granted. Two states have granted licences and two other states have granted provisional licenses for bike services.
Earlier in a hearing in the case, the High Court had expressed displeasure over the state government’s refusal to grant licences to Rapido and similar services, saying that two-wheeler tax services have various advantages like reduction in traffic congestion, pollution reduction and efficiency in transport. “Nobody seems to have applied their mind to the evident advantages from various perspectives including reducing traffic congestion, pollution reduction and efficiency in transport by allowing bike rider systems. We expect that these will be made subject to certain safety requirements that must be followed but that is hardly a reason for rejecting the entire proposal in this fashion,” the court had said.
On Friday 13th January 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the world’s longest river cruise ‘MV Ganga Vilas’ and tent city in his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi via video conferencing. He flagged off the world’s longest river cruise MV Ganga Vilas between Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh and Dibrugarh in Assam.
PM Narendra Modi flags off the world’s longest river cruise MV Ganga Vilas between Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh and Dibrugarh in Assam pic.twitter.com/nGH54SQpt9
The Prime Minister then inaugurated the Haldia Multi-Modal Terminal and the Community Jetty of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. He also inaugurated a ship repair facility and an elevated road at Pandu Terminal in Guwahati. In his address after the inauguration program, PM Modi said that the river cruise will create a new light of development wherever it passes. He said that similar arrangements for cruise tourism in the river waterways are being prepared across the country.
Union Minister for Ports, Shipping, and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath were present at the event. Bihar Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, and the Prime Minister attended the inauguration ceremony through video conferencing.
In his address, PM Modi said, “This Ganga Vilas Cruise will provide all kinds of facilities during the journey of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Bangladesh, and Assam. This cruise journey is going to bring many new experiences together. This Ganga Vilas cruise will pass through 25 different rivers and is also a great opportunity for those who want to experience the rich cuisine of India. That is, we will see a wonderful confluence of India’s heritage and modernity in this journey.”
About the river Ganga, PM Modi said, “The River Ganga is not just a stream of water for us, but has been witness to ascetics since ancient times. Mother Ganga has always nourished and inspired Indians. The Ganga belt lagged behind after independence. Lakhs of people migrated, and it was necessary to change this situation so we started working with new thinking. On the one hand, he worked for the cleanliness of Ganga through Namami Gange Project, on the other hand, we also worked on Arth Ganga and created a new environment of economic activity.”
Pm Modi further said, “In 2014, there were only 5 national waterways in India, today work is being done to develop 111 national waterways in 24 states. Services are running on about two dozen of these waterways. With the amazing tent city built across the Ganga in Kashi, tourists and devotees from all over the country and the world have got another major reason to come and stay there.”
PM Modi added, “This new era of cruise tourism will give new employment-self-employment opportunities to our young friends in this sector. This will be an attraction for foreign tourists. Tourists from the country who used to go abroad for such experiences earlier, will also now be able to move to east and northeast India.”
PM Modi said, “This cruise will bring a new light of development wherever it passes. Apart from long river cruises between cities, we are also promoting shorter cruises in different cities. Such a system is going on in Kashi too. From budget to luxury cruises, attention is being paid to every type of facility.”
Measuring 62.5 m (length), 12.8 m (width), and 1.35 m (draft), Ganga Vilas is the first river cruise ship built in India, according to authorities. The ship has 18 suits, along with various facilities and amenities like a restaurant, spa, and sundeck.
Congress senior leader Rahul Gandhi’s ‘I have killed Rahul Gandhi’ statement during a ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ (BJY) press conference at Samana, Haryana on January 8 elicited humourous responses including one from AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi. Taking a swipe at the Congress scion’s remark, Owaisi asked, “If Rahul Gandhi has been killed,” who has been walking around in the Bharat Jodo Yatra… a Jinn?
Owaisi’s remark came while he was addressing a public meeting ‘Jalsa Halat-e-Hazra’ in Bahadurpura, Hyderabad on January 12, Thursday.
Around 1 hour and 7 minutes into the speech, the AIMIM chairman mocked Rahul Gandhi for making such ludicrous remarks at the age of 52. He stated that the senior Congress leader, who is 52 years old has said, “‘I killed Rahul Gandhi’.
Mocking Rahul Gandhi for saying that he has killed Rahul Gandhi, Owaisi asked, ‘if you have killed yourself, who are you, a Jinn?’ Owaisi said that if he had made the same comment, people would have said that he has drunk too much, or he might have had a seizure. But people are applauding Rahul Gandhi, and the media is glorifying him, Owaisi added.
Further mocking the Congress scion for saying that those who wear sweaters are afraid of cold, Owaisi appeared to make a startled expression, saying, “he is fifty years old and says he does not feel cold. Even the impoverished living on the streets are stunned by Rahul Gandhi’s ludicrous statement, said Owaisi.
Rahul Gandhi says he has killed Rahul Gandhi and the person we see is not Rahul Gandhi
Here it becomes important to recall that on January 8, during a ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ (BJY) press conference at Samana, Haryana, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi claimed that he had killed ‘Rahul Gandhi’ and the person we see is not ‘Rahul Gandhi’. During the QA session at the press conference, TV journalist Pradeep asked him if he believed that BJY helped in changing his image. In reply to his query, Gandhi said he had “killed” Rahul Gandhi.
Gandhi said, “Rahul Gandhi is in your head. I have killed him. He does not exist anymore. He is not in my mind. He is gone. Gone. The person you are seeing is not Rahul Gandhi. You are seeing him. You did not understand. Read Hindu Dharma a little. Read about Shiv Ji. You will understand. Do not get confused. Do not get confused. Rahul Gandhi is in your head. He does not exist in my head. Rahul Gandhi is in BJP’s head. He does not exist in my head. Why are you so confused? I do not care about the image. I do not have an interest in the image. You can keep the image you like. It concerns you, not me. I do not care. I want to do my work. Why are you so confused?”
‘Those who are afraid of winter wear sweaters’
Another gem the Congress scion came up with during his ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra, was when he claimed that those who wear woollen clothes in winter are afraid of cold. Speaking to reporters earlier last year, Rahul Gandhi said those who wear sweaters are afraid of cold. His statement was in respect to a media query over why is he in a T-shirt during the Bharat Jodo Yatra even as a cold wave swept northern India.
#WATCH | Why is there so much disturbance because of the T-shirt? I do not wear a sweater because I am not scared of winter. I am thinking to wear a sweater once I start feeling cold: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi pic.twitter.com/Jky5DKPpKG
“I do not wear a sweater because I am not scared of cold. I will wear a sweater once I start feeling cold,” Rahul Gandhi said, alluding that people who wear sweaters are afraid of facing the cold and not because sweaters keep people warm in winter and help them protect against the cold, fevers and diseases.
Rahul Gandhi has been famous for making incoherent statements and silly gaffes. Here is a collection of his ‘pearls of wisdom’ from the ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra, which can be described as an assault on our common sense, to say the least.
Pakistan, facing a mammoth economic crisis, is reeling under inflationary pressure and a shortage of even basic goods like food and medicine and its economy is being kept afloat by the financial assistance of the international community, reported Al Arabiya Post.
The international community’s generous response by pledging more than USD 8 billion comes as a great relief for cash-strapped Pakistan which is fighting to rebuild in a climate-resilient manner after the devastating floods that killed 1,739 people and affected 33 million people last year.
At the opening session of the ‘International Conference on Climate Resilient Pakistan’ in Geneva, which was co-hosted by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, it sought USD 8 billion assistance from international donors over the next three years on January 9.
The break-up of the committed assistance shows that Islamic Development Bank contributed the largest USD 4.2 billion, followed by World Bank (USD 2 billion), the Asian Development Bank (USD USD 1.5 billion), France (USD 345 million), China and USAID contributing USD 100 million each, the European Union (USD 93 million) and Japan (USD 77 million). A total of USD 8.75 billion had been pledged so far, reported Al Arabiya Post.
However, many analysts argue that floods are a recent happening and the economic crisis could not be attributed only to this natural disaster. Islamabad has been mismanaging its economy for long.
Its populist regime of subsidies and doles despite sluggish growth and worsening revenues has increased the budgetary burden and fiscal deficit. The external debt of Pakistan also mounted over the years due to its mega projects under the CPEC, many of which were not feasible economically while some others are facing delays and cost overruns.
The country owes almost one-third of its external debt to China, which is facing criticism for its debt trap diplomacy globally. The Pakistan regime has always ignored the people of the country while spending huge amounts of money on acquiring military equipment.
It should have a ceiling on military expenditure and urgently resort to a transfer of money from the acquisition of arms, ammunition and military equipment to rebuilding an economy mismanaged and wrongly prioritized for long, reported Al Arabiya Post.
Pakistan is reeling under double-digit inflation with its consumer price index rising to 24.5 per cent in December 2022. Cost of food in Pakistan increased 35.5 per cent year-on-year during the same month higher than 31.1 per cent the previous month. The essential food items’ prices have soared beyond the affordability of the common man with onions recording a price rise of 43 per cent, tea 63.8 per cent, wheat 57.3 per cent, eggs 54.4 per cent, gram whole 53.2 per cent and rice 46.6 per cent.
Pakistan is facing one of the worst flour crises due to a shortage of wheat flour, pushing the price of wheat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Baluchistan to PKR 150/Kg. There are reports of stampedes due to the rush toward government booths supplying subsidized flour.
The massive decline in foreign exchange reserves has left no space for Islamabad to repay its external debt without moratorium or assistance. The State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) reserves hit USD 5.576 billion by the end of December 2022, which means last year Pak foreign exchange was depleted by USD 1 billion.
As of January 2023, the Public Debt of Pakistan was around PKR 62.46 trillion (USD 274 billion) which is nearly 79 per cent of the GDP of the country, reported Al Arabiya Post.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
