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“Petty F**kers”, “Embarrassment to everyone”: Twitter users blast at Pakistanis for dragging IAF pilot Abhinandan into Ben Stokes’ press conference

OpIndia Staff
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“Petty F**kers”, “Embarrassment to everyone”: Twitter users blast at Pakistanis for dragging IAF pilot Abhinandan into Ben Stokes’ press conference

England achieved a thrilling 74-run victory against Pakistan in the first match of a test series played in Rawalpindi on Monday. As England triumphed and captain Ben Stokes faced media questions after the game, Pakistani journalists insulted Indian fighter pilot Abhinandan, who was captured by Pakistan after shooting down a Pakistani F-16 jet aircraft from his Mig-21 Bison.

A Pakistani journalist questioned Ben Stokes, “How was the tea?” in an attempt to humiliate and mock the Indian forces, echoing the same exact question they asked Wing Commander Abhinandan while he was in Pakistani custody.

It can be seen in the video how the Pakistani journalist, who could be identified by his terrible English accent, insinuates the question and answer to Ben Stokes.

But it was, in a sense, ironic that Pakistanis were inquiring about tea with Ben Stokes, given that the England team had little trust in Pakistani cooks and brought their own cook for their Pakistan tour. However, despite taking their own cook, they were still down with a bug on the eve of the first test match, with more than a dozen English players affected, a scathing indictment of poor hospitality services of a country known for harbouring Islamic terrorists that had led to its ostracism back in 2009.

Twitter users slam Pakistanis for dragging Abhinandan in Ben Stokes’ press conference, demand BCCI to get Asian nations to boycott Asia Cup

Following this, the Pakistanis present in the conference also insinuated an answer to Stokes saying that “the tea was fantastic.” A video of the conference has gone viral over the internet with Indians condemning and slamming Pakistan for such remarks.

Famous Twitter user Gabbar (@GabbbarSingh) wrote, “Such petty f*ckers. BCCI should convince all other Asian nations to boycott Asia Cup in Pakistan. And then not give Visas to their players for the World Cup.”

Another Twitter user wrote, “Yaha apaki pakistan team ki faad ke rakh di ben stokes & company ne lekin aap ko bas india ko, abhinandan ko troll karane ki padi hai. Isliye aapka pakistan itana picche ja raha hai as country.”

Yet another user asked India to respond to the “shamelessness” of Pakistanis.

Abhinandan Varthaman captured by Pakistan after he downed an enemy F-16 jet, released under duress from India

Notably, Abhinandan Varthaman was captured by Pakistani Forces after he ejected from his jet that shot an F-16 Pakistani fighter jet. However, Pakistan Army was forced to release him due to pressure exerted by the Indian side along with international intervention into the matter.

On 28th February 2019, then Pakistan PM Imran Khan announced that the country would release Wing Commander Varthaman as a ‘peace gesture’ and on 1st March 2019, he returned to India through the Wagah Border in Atari. While in Pakistani captivity, he was mentally tortured before being handed over to India. Wing Commander Varthaman was part of the Srinagar-based 51 squadron.

Uttarakhand: Nitin Bhandari murdered by Naushad and his family members for asking for his money back from Naushad, arrested

OpIndia Staff
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Uttarakhand: Nitin Bhandari murdered by Naushad and his family members for asking for his money back from Naushad, arrested

The police have solved the murder mystery of a Hindu youth Nitin Bhandari, which occurred on November 27, 2022, in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand. Three brothers have been charged with the murder, Azad, Naushad, and their minor brother, whose name is not revealed. They were apprehended on December 5th, along with their mother, Gulshan. During questioning, the accused admitted to murdering Nitin Bhandari over a financial dispute.

The incident came to light on December 3, Saturday, when Haridwar police were alerted that the body of an unidentified person had been discovered in a grain storage container kept in a house in Haridwar district’s Bhagwanpur.

The police said that Nitin Bhandari was hit with a sharp-edged weapon on his head by murderers and later dumped his body in the steel grain tank.

According to reports, Nitin Bhandari, a resident of Chodikh village in Pauri district’s Pabo block was working in a factory in Haridwar. Gulshan lived in the Idgah Colony of the Bhagwanpur police station area with her three sons, not far from Nitin’s residence. Nitin was a friend of Naushad. Naushad borrowed 2.5 lakh rupees from Nitin one day to buy a plot. Later, he refused to return the money, and as a result, Nitin and Naushad’s relationship became strained.

Nitin went to Naushad’s house again on November 27 to ask for his money. The situation escalated after a heated argument. Naushad then threw Nitin to the ground and strangled him with a towel. Other members of Naushad’s family supported him in the criminal act as well. Naushad’s entire family slept alongside Nitin’s dead body for the entire night following his murder. The next day, the accused purchased a grain tank from the market, placed Nitin’s body inside, and waited for the appropriate moment to dispose of it.

As per media reports, Naushad’s entire family stayed with Nitin’s dead body for the next two days. However, when blood began to flow from the grain tank, the accused abandoned the dead body and fled after locking the home.

The police later discovered Nitin’s body during a raid of the house. Nitin’s family members were contacted using the information obtained from his company as well as a note discovered in the deceased’s pocket. The police began their investigation by filing a case based on a family member’s complaint.

During the investigation, the police tracked down the driver who had transported the accused’s goods. The pickup driver provided the number of a bullet bike from the booking details, which was incidentally registered in the name of one of the accused. The cops were able to find the accused’s contact details using this information.

The police also discovered that the landlord who had rented out his house to Gulshan and his family had not completed the verification. The police said that appropriate action will also be taken against the landlord soon. Further, during the probe, the police obtained certain mobile phone numbers with locations in Noida, Bulandshahr, and Rajasthan. The team raided these locations and tracked down the accused from different places, who then confessed to their crime.

The police recovered a pistol, mobile phone, deceased Nitin’s PAN card, ATM card, as well as Rs 1,10,000 cash from the accused. Gulshan, Azad, and Naushad have been sent to jail while the minor accused has been placed in a juvenile home.

Maharashtra: 19-year-old Shahanawaz Shah rapes his 5-year-old neighbour after luring her with chocolates, arrested

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra: 19-year-old Shahanawaz Shah rapes his 5-year-old neighbour after luring her with chocolates, arrested

The Palghar police in Maharashtra Monday arrested a 19-year-old youth identified as Shahnawaz Shah on charges of rape under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) provisions. The police revealed that Shahwanaz Shah has been accused of raping his 5-year-old neighbour.

The police said that Shahnawaz Shah, a resident of Vanjarwada, lured the child with chocolate while she was playing outside her house. He then took her to his house at around 2:30 pm on Sunday and raped her.

The accused allegedly threatened the child with death if she revealed the ordeal to anyone, said a Boisar police station official. The 5-year-old, however, went and narrated her ordeal to her mother who then approached the police to lodge a complaint against Shahwanaz.

“After she confided in her mother, the latter filed a complaint. The 19-year-old boy has been charged with rape and other offences under Indian Penal Code and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act provisions,” the official said.

Iranian activist calls out ‘propaganda’ by NYT, says Iran has not abolished morality police as previously reported

OpIndia Staff
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Iranian activist calls out ‘propaganda’ by NYT, says Iran has not abolished morality police as previously reported

Masih Alinejad, the Iranian journalist and activist Tuesday slammed The New York Times (NYT) for spreading fake news that the Iranian regime has disbanded the country’s morality police. Several media outlets including The New York Times had reported that Iran had abolished the morality police which enforces the Hijab law in the country, after months of protests triggered by the death of Mhasa Amini.

Denouncing western media outlets for disseminating misleading information, the activist claimed that media outlets such as NYT were assisting the Iranian fascist government in spreading propaganda.

“The false news spread by @nytimes claiming victory for the so-called abolition of the morality police hurts the ongoing revolution. I told @ABCNewsLive that when dictatorships like the Iranian regime are in trouble, they spread propaganda and obfuscation,” Tweeted the Iranian journalist.

She also shared a snippet of her interview with ABC News where she said, “We were shocked when we saw the title of New York Times saying this is a victory. What kind of victory? It was a total lie and disinformation. It was a propaganda move by the Islamic Republic. When dictators are shaken, they know how to use disinformation to mislead the rest of the world or to calm down the protesters within the society.”

The journalist, while criticising the Iranian government’s fascism and the media outlets that support it, stated that on the same day when news organizations like NYT reported that the morality police has been repealed, the Iranian government, in fact, shut down an amusement park in Tehran simply because an Iranian woman present was not wearing a veil.

Masih also asserted that the protests in Iran where people are facing guns, and jailtime are not just about the morality police, but the people want to topple the Islamic regime.

The New York Times on December 4, 2022, quoted senior Iranian official Attorney General Mohammad Javad Montazeri as confirming that Iran had abolished the morality police.

Sharing the link of its report where it quoted the Iranian official as confirming that morality police in Iran has been disbanded, NYT also Tweeted on December 4, “The decision, reported by state news outlets, appeared to be a significant victory for feminists who have sought for years to dismantle the morality police. Abolishing the force would have a major impact on Iran’s ability to police what women wear.”

Following this, many media outlets worldwide reported that the Iranian government has decided to abolish its morality police, a piece of news which has now been refuted by the Iranian journalist and activist Masih Alinejad.

‘Morality police NOT abolished, the statement was ambiguous ‘

It was later reported by some news outlets that the official whom NYT cited as saying the morality police will be disbanded has himself rejected the claims. “No official authority in the Islamic Republic of Iran has confirmed the closure of the morality police”, stated a media report.

Iranian officials later clarified that the statement was misconstrued by media houses and that the morality police was not established by the Islamic regime’s judiciary in the first place but was a special arm of the police, hence it was up to the police to intensify or ‘reduce’ their outreach.

Iranian women protest against the Islamic country’s draconian law of ‘Morality police’

Notably, Iran has been witnessing widespread protests against the Islamic regime.

The protests erupted on September 16 following the death of Mhasa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian of Kurdish descent who had been detained by morality police for allegedly violating sharia law.

According to the reports, the incident is said to have happened on September 13 when Amini, a native of Saghez, Iran, had travelled to Tehran for a pleasure trip. The woman was with her brother Kiarash at the entrance to the Shahid Haghani Expressway when the ‘Morality Police’ arrived and arrested Amini for a one-hour ‘re-education class.’

Following her death, widespread protests erupted in the Islamic nation protesting the Sharia laws and compulsory hijab for women. Women across the world supported the movement by chopping their hair and burning their headscarves.

What is the morality police which enforces the Hijab law in Iran?

The morality police, the formal name of which is Gasht-e Ershad or “Guidance Patrol”, were established in 2005 under hardline president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, to “spread the culture of modesty and hijab.” The police squad consisted of both male and female members that patrolled the streets and public places to monitor women’s attire. The Guidance Patrol teams arrest women they think are not appropriately dressed as per Islamic rules.

The women found violating the morality codes are slapped in the face and beaten with batons on the spot and pushed into police vans. They are taken to a correctional facility or police station, where they are lectured on how to dress appropriately and are released after recording the details. The detained women are also required to destroy their ‘inappropriate’ clothes if applicable.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister blames India for importing ‘cheap’ Russian oil. Here is how S Jaishankar responded to the allegations in the past

OpIndia Staff
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Ukraine’s Foreign Minister blames India for importing ‘cheap’ Russian oil. Here is how S Jaishankar responded to the allegations in the past

Dmytro Kuleba, the Foreign Minister of Ukraine, had stirred the hornet’s nest after he blamed India for purchasing Russian oil at the expense of the sufferings of common Ukrainians.

In an exclusive interview with NDTV, he claimed, “The opportunity for India to buy Russian oil at a cheap price comes from the fact that Ukrainians are suffering from the Russian aggression and die every day.”

“They are living in houses without heating, hot water and electricity. And this fact, we hope, should be appreciated by those who make decisions on purchasing Russian oil,” he further alleged.

Dmytro Kuleba claimed that the Ukrainian government is equally critical of all countries that are purchasing Russian oil in bulk. Later, he contradicted his own statement by applauding the decision to put a price cap ($60 per barrel) on Russian oil imports by the European Union and G7 countries.

A price cap does not imply the cessation of the supply of Russian oil but rather an agreement to ship oil using G7 and EU tankers if Russia sells at the said price cap (which is already higher than the price at which Russia sells its crude).

The Ukrainian Foreign Minister also asked India to amend its foreign policy and stop buying Russian oil as the money is allegedly being used to finance the ongoing war with Ukraine.

“The core reason for India’s opportunity to save money on oil and solve its economic problems is not the fact that Europeans are not buying Russian oil. It’s the fact that Ukrainians are suffering from Russia’s war,” he continued.

“If you integrate this element into your thinking, of course, then, your foreign policy has to be adjusted,” Dmytro Kuleba told NDTV.

Past Response by S Jaishankar on the question of purchasing Russian oil

On March 31 this year, India’s Minister for External Affairs (EAM) S Jaishankar pointed out that European countries were the biggest importers of Russian gas and oil. He made the remarks during a discussion at the India-Uk Strategic Futures Forum.

While defending the decision to purchase Russian crude oil at discounted prices, the EAM emphasised that it was important for India to obtain good deals on energy supplies, at a time when global markets were volatile.

“It is interesting because we have seen for some time what looks almost like a campaign (against us) on this issue. When the oil prices go up, I think it is natural for the countries to go out into the market and look for what are good deals for their people,” he had remarked.

During a conversation with British Foreign Secretary of State Liz Truss, S Jaishankar emphasised that India purchased its majority of energy supplies from the Middle East. He pointed out that around 8% of the total oil imports were from the United States while less than 1% of crude oil purchases were from Russia.

He had added, “I am pretty sure if we wait two or three months and actually look at who are the big buyers of Russian oil and gas, I suspect the list would not be too different from what it used to be and I suspect we won’t be in the top 10 on that list.

Again on April 11, 2022, S Jaishankar gave a befitting reply to a reporter, who had tried to raise the issue of Indian oil purchases from Russia during the 4th edition of the India-US 2+2 dialogue.

“I noticed you referred to oil purchases. If you are looking at energy purchases from Russia, I would suggest that your attention should be focused on Europe,” he emphasised.

Dr S Jaishankar pointed out, “We do buy some energy, which is necessary for our energy security. But I suspect looking at the figures. Our total purchases for the month will be less than what Europe does in one afternoon. So, you might want to think about it.”

During the Raisina Dialogues conference in Delhi in April, S Jaishankar emphasised that India has a very clear position on the conflict in Ukraine and reiterated the need for urgent cessation of the war.

The Indian External Affairs Minister said, “When rules-based order was under challenge in Asia, the advice we got from Europe was- do more trade. At least we are not giving you that advice. We should find a way of returning to diplomacy and dialogue.”

While raising the question of Afghanistan he asked which part of the ‘rules-based order‘ justified the world’s actions in Afghanistan. S Jaishankar pointed out how the entire civil society in Afghanistan was thrown under the bus by the world last year.

In June this year, he again responded to concerns about India’s position in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and the global order during a talk at GLOBSEC 2022.

When asked about the Indian stand in the ongoing conflict, Dr Jaishankar stated that Europe must evolve out of the idea that its issues are international problems, but world problems are not Europe’s concerns.

“Europe has to grow out of the mindset that its problems are the world’s problems, but the world’s problems aren’t Europe’s problems. Today linkages are being made between China & India and what is happening in Ukraine. Come on guys, China & India happened way before Ukraine. It’s not a clever argument,” Jaishankar said.

When questioned if India’s purchase of Russian oil was financing the ongoing conflict, Jaishankar responded, “Tell me buying Russian gas is not funding the war? It’s only Indian money that funds, it’s not gas coming to Europe that funds. Let’s be a little even-handed out here.”

 

Pointing out and slamming the hypocrisy of the west over the issue, Jaishankar further said, “Look the whole narrative, it has gone up 9 times, it has gone up from a very low base…if countries from the West, Europe, US are so concerned why don’t they allow Iranian oil to come to the market, why don’t they allow Venezuelan oil to come to the market.”

It has now come to light that the decision to buy discounted Russian oil has benefited India to the tune of 35,000 crores.

The changing foreign policy of India

Against the backdrop of the Russia-Ukraine war, the west has been unhappy with India over the country’s position on sanctions against Russia.

Despite pressure from European countries and the USA, the Modi govt had refused to sever economic ties with Russia and has not stopped importing oil from the country. India also didn’t vote against Russia at the UN, choosing to abstain from voting instead.

In February this year, S Jaishankar clarified, “I don’t think these situations in the Indo-Pacific and the Transatlantic are really analogous and certainly the assumption in your question that somehow there’s a trade off and one country does this in the pacific so in return you do something else – I don’t think that’s how international relations work. We have, I think, are quite distinct challenges -what’s happening here, what’s happening in the Indo Pacific.”

He pointed out, “In fact, if there was a connection, by that logic, you would’ve had a lot of European powers very early taking very sharp positions in the Indo-Pacific and we didn’t see that. We haven’t seen that since 2009.”

S Jaishankar had also lambasted Rahul Gandhi, who insinuated that Indian foreign service bureaucrats had become ‘arrogant’ under the Modi regime.

He said, “Yes, the Indian Foreign Service has changed. Yes, they follow the orders of the Government. Yes, they counter the arguments of others. No, its not called Arrogance. It is called Confidence. And it is called defending National Interest.”

North Korea publicly executes two teenagers for watching and distributing South Korean films: Report

OpIndia Staff
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North Korea publicly executes two teenagers for watching and distributing South Korean films: Report

The communist government in North Korea had publicly executed two teenagers for watching and circulating South Korean drama shows among their friends, media outlet Radio Free Asia quoted two eyewitnesses as confirming. The execution of the minors aged 16 or 17 was carried out in October this year, the report said.

According to the report, the teenagers were taken before the public, sentenced to death, and then shot down by a firing squad at an airfield in the city while residents in the area were forced to watch the execution.

“They said, ‘Those who watch or distribute South Korean movies and dramas, and those who disrupt social order by murdering other people, will not be forgiven and will be sentenced to the maximum penalty–death’,” a resident of the city of Hyesan, on the border with China, where the execution took place, was quoted by RFA as saying.

“Hyesan residents gathered in groups at the runway,” she said. “The authorities put the teen-aged students in front of the public, sentenced them to death, and immediately shot them.”

The students met in early October at a high school in North Korea’s Ryanggang Province, which shares a border with China, where they watched many Korean and American drama productions.

This is not the first time such atrocities have been carried out on people living in North Korea. The communist country strictly controls the lives of its citizens and all television and radios are tuned into state propaganda. If anyone is caught watching or listening to foreign broadcasts, they face harsh punishment.

Last year, a North Korean man had been sentenced to death for smuggling the South Korean Netflix series ‘Squid Game’ on USB through China and sold their copies after seven high school students were caught watching the show. 

A student who bought the USB from the smuggler is given a life sentence while six others who saw it with him have been sentenced to five years of hard labour. Teachers and school administrators are also fired and banished to work in remote areas in mines, the report said citing sources.

Indian billionaires Gautam Adani, Shiv Nadar, and Ashok Soota part of Forbes Asia’s Heroes of Philanthropy list

OpIndia Staff
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Indian billionaires Gautam Adani, Shiv Nadar, and Ashok Soota part of Forbes Asia’s Heroes of Philanthropy list

Indian billionaires Gautam Adani, Shiv Nadar, and Ashok Soota, as well as Malaysian-Indian businessman Brahmal Vasudevan and his lawyer wife Shanthi Kandiah, found a place on the 16th edition of Forbes Asia’s Heroes of Philanthropy list, which was published on Tuesday. According to Forbes, the unranked list “highlights top altruists in the Asia-Pacific region who demonstrated a strong personal commitment to philanthropic causes.”

Adani reportedly pledged Rs 60,000 crores (USD 7.7 billion) when he turned 60 in June of this year. The funds will be used toward healthcare, education, and skill development through the Adani Foundation, which was established in 1996. Every year, the charity assists over 3.7 million people in India. According to the press release, the promise placed him among India’s most generous benefactors.

Shiv Nadar, a self-made billionaire, and philanthropist is one of India’s most generous benefactors, has donated about USD 1 billion of his assets to different humanitarian causes through his namesake Shiv Nadar Foundation over a few decades. This year, he contributed Rs 11,600 crore (USD 142 million) to the foundation he founded in 1994 to create an equal, merit-based society via education.

Nadar, who co-founded HCL Technologies, has used his foundation to establish educational institutions like schools and colleges as well as to encourage art and culture. He stepped down from executive roles at the IT services company in 2021.

Ashok Soota, a tech billionaire, has contributed Rs 600 crore (USD 75 million) to the medical research fund he established in April 2021 to investigate aging and neurological disorders. He began SKAN, which stands for Scientific Knowledge for Ageing and Neurological Ailments, with a Rs 200 crore investment, which he has subsequently tripled. “There are only two kinds of people doing [medical] research in India. One is the people doing drug discovery, and the other is the people doing research in national and state-level institutions, which are starved for funds,” Forbes release read.

Soota, who has a holding in Bangalore-based software services firm Happiest Minds Technologies, says SKAN has been collaborating with the Indian Institute of Science’s Centre for Brain Research on Parkinson’s disease studies and the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences on stroke research. SKAN awarded a Rs 20 crore grant to Soota’s alma mater, the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, in June 2021, to support cooperative research initiatives, establish a lab, and sponsor a professorship and three faculty scholarships.

Malaysian-Indian Brahmal Vasudevan, CEO and founder of Kuala Lumpur-based private equity firm Creador, and his lawyer wife, Shanthi Kandiah, help Malaysian and Indian communities through the Creador Foundation, a non-profit they co-founded in 2018.

They committed 50 million Malaysian Ringgit (USD 11 million) in May this year to assist develop a teaching hospital at the Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) Kampar campus in Perak state. “We are delighted that this has spurred others to join this cause, and it appears the project is now fully funded,” Vasudevan told Forbes Asia.

In May, the couple contributed 25 million pounds (USD 30 million) to establish the eponymous Brahmal Vasudevan Institute for Sustainable Aviation, which would pioneer technologies to help the aviation sector transition to zero pollution.

“We felt that the creation of this institute could hopefully make a meaningful impact on studying ways of reducing, if not achieving, zero pollution one day,” said Vasudevan.

Forbes Asia today unveiled the 16th edition of its annual Heroes of Philanthropy list, which highlights leading altruists in the Asia-Pacific region who demonstrated a strong personal commitment to philanthropic causes such as education and the environment, among others. The full list can be found here.

Swara Bhasker says ‘speaking up’ for values has cost her huge: How virtue-signalling and her own poor professional choices are causes of her undoing

OpIndia Staff
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Swara Bhasker says ‘speaking up’ for values has cost her huge: How virtue-signalling and her own poor professional choices are causes of her undoing

In a recent interview with the Times of India, Bollywood entertainer Swara Bhasker remarked that ‘speaking up’ for people and values has cost her severely in her career and that she sometimes struggles even to pay her EMIs on time. This interview followed after Swara participated in the Bharat Jodo Yatra with Rahul Gandhi.

In the podcast with journalist and author Harinder Baweja, Swara stated that the public and political culture has deteriorated and violence on the streets has normalised in recent times.

Swara Bhasker also admired Rahul Gandhi when she was asked about her participation in the Bharat Jodo Yatra. She said that she has been admiring Rahul Gandhi since 2018 and that he speaks for people and not ‘sensationalisation.’ She said that she joined the Bharat Jodo Yatra to lend solidarity with the movement.

Rahul Gandhi is a ‘resolved politician’

When the interviewer asked if Rahul Gandhi was a reluctant politician and was in politics because of his predetermined sir name, Swara Bhasker replied ‘No,’ explaining that it is all propaganda around his name in politics. Bhasker stated that she believes Rahul Gandhi is transforming the political culture of the country. She stated that Rahul Gandhi is a ‘resolved politician not fitting the narrative.’

Apparently, Swara Bhasker went into full fangirl mode for Rahul Gandhi, saying that there are more politicians needed who are like Rahul Gandhi. Showering more praises on Gandhi and covering up the failure of the Bharat Jodo Yatra to make up for the election in Gujarat, Swara defended that Rahul Gandhi dissociated his movement from elections because he wanted to speak up for overall transformation.

‘I am a competent actor’

On being asked if she is seen as a troublemaker, Swara Bhasker said that she faces such remarks often. She said that she is a far ‘competent actor’ but fails to come across such deserving opportunities. Smartly skipping mentions of her recent flops, Swara Bhasker stated that she has given many blockbuster movies and web series but she fails to get more work owing to her ‘openness in speaking up.’

“I’m a far better actor and a far more competent, and effective actor than the opportunities that come my way. I have a far better track record in terms of my career. I’ve been part of six or seven blockbuster films and like a whole bunch of web series shows, led them. I’ve never had bad reviews pretty much. There shouldn’t be a reason for me to feel like I don’t get enough work but clearly, I don’t,” she said.

Born in ‘different India’

Swara Bhaskar recalled how a brand endorsement of her was cancelled as the brand stated that she brought disrepute to the brand by participating in the protests, which were violent at times, burning the CAA-NRC discourse.

Swara Bhasker stated that she was born in a different India as she was not trained to be bigoted when she was a child, implying that all the kids born presently get professional training in bigotry.

Again taking on her rant on Hindutva, Swara stated that she finds the ‘Right Wing’ discourse so misogynistic and sexist. Swara Bhasker, known very well for her anti-Hindu and anti-Modi remarks in the recent past, at last, invoked the ‘Muslim persecution’ element in her responses to a question. She hailed herself for speaking up for ‘Muslim Solidarity’ by narrating a story of herself getting praise from a Muslim in past.

Though Bhasker felt herself a capable performer, recent films in which she appeared were not favourably appreciated by audiences. Her film “Jahan Chaar Yaar,” which was released on September 16, 2022, tanked at the box office. The trailer for the film was so bad that it was practically forgotten after its release on August 22, 2022.

Swara Bhasker’s virtue signalling with poor professional choices the cause of her undoing

While Bhasker held forth on how the public and political culture deteriorated in India, adding that violence on the streets had become the new normal, she did not elaborate on how Islamists have been going on a rampage, indulging in violence, vandalism, and arson. It is worth noting that Bhasker, who is trying to project moral superiority by raising concerns about the violence-stricken streets of India, had supported Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair, who painted a target behind former BJP leader Nupur Sharma, galvanising Islamists across the country into launching ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ protests against the beleaguered leader.

Bhasker later backed Zubair after Sharma filed a complaint against the Alt News co-founder for sharing an edited version of her clip that led to Islamists issuing threats to her and her family. Instead of standing in solidarity with Sharma, Bhasker tried to dismiss her concerns and rationalise a preposterous explanation proffered by Pratik Sinha, another Alt News co-founder with a history of peddling fake news.

Instead of holding Islamists and violent protesters who took to the streets on the pretext of blasphemy against Prophet Muhammad, a concept which is alien to India and is characteristic of Islamist regimes in the Middle East, where the Muslim majority often use the false excuse of blasphemy to settle scores with minorities and whip up a communal frenzy against them.

Bhasker also berated Nupur Sharma on Twitter, indirectly giving a free pass to those who took to the streets against the former BJP leader for her remarks on Prophet Muhammad that were distilled from authentic Islamic hadiths. While slamming Sharma on the microblogging platform, Bhasker also used the occasion to needlessly politicise the issue and attack Navika Kumar and Times Now for providing their platform to the former BJP leader.

While Bhasker went hammer and tongs to criticise Nupur Sharma and side with Mohammed Zubair, she studiously avoided making critical remarks against the Alt News co-founder arrested for his Hinduphobic social media posts from the past. Instead of calling out Zubair for his derogatory posts against Hindu Gods and Goddesses, ironically the same charge that he accused Nupur Sharma of, Bhasker projected Zubair’s arrest as a “shameful witch-hunt” and demanded his release.

Weeks later, when Zubair was released on bail, Bhasker hailed Supreme Court for its decision.

The glaring hypocrisy in the above case highlights Bhasker’s virtue signalling and her utter disregard for her morals and ideals, which she selectively leans on for matters that are in convergence with her political ideology.

Bhasker also recently came out in support of actor Richa Chadha after she suffered a severe blowback on Twitter for her unwarranted comments mocking Indian braveheart’s supreme sacrifice during the Galwan clashes.

Bhasker’s unsolicited support for Chadha backfired as social media users condemned the actor for supporting a person who made a facetious comment on the Indian Army and undermined its ability to capture PoK.

Such hypocritical and anti-India stances have contributed to Swara Bhasker’s declining popularity among the masses, who saw her as a hypocrite who lectured the country on morality and ethics while not following them herself. Her alignment with anti-India forces has also played a part in diminishing her professional opportunities.

However, above everything else, Bhasker has fallen from the grace of the movie producers because of her own poor professional choices. She has been a part of movies that lack a coherent story, gripping screenplay, or entertaining masala that would attract people to the theatres. Producers do not want to plunk down their money on someone who is awful at their primary skill and then have the gall of pontificating to others on matters of socio-political import, only to end up exposing their own hypocrisy.

World Bank raises India’s GDP growth prediction for 2022-23 to 6.9%, up from 6.5% predicted earlier

OpIndia Staff
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World Bank raises India’s GDP growth prediction for 2022-23 to 6.9%, up from 6.5% predicted earlier

The World Bank increased its estimate of India’s GDP growth to 6.9 percent for 2022-23, up from the 6.5 percent predicted previously. The World Bank has raised India’s GDP growth prediction for the current financial year due to the country’s strong economic performance.

According to the World Bank’s latest India Development Update, retail inflation is expected to be 7.1% in 2022-23. The report, on the other hand, has shown a deteriorating external environment. The report indicated that spillovers from the United States, the European Union, and China have an impact on India. Furthermore, the bank sees India as one of the fastest-growing big economies.

According to Dhruv Sharma, Senior Economist at The World Bank, India’s GDP has recovered pretty well from the past year’s downturn. The story of the recovery has been primarily driven by healthy domestic demand. He stated that India is more resilient now than it was ten years ago and that all initiatives undertaken in the last ten years have assisted India in navigating global headwinds.

“Rupee has depreciated by just about 10% over the course of this year. India has not fared that badly compared to other emerging markets,” Sharma said.

In addition, India, according to Auguste Tano Kouame, is tremendously ambitious. He stated that the government has done a number of things to strengthen the economy and is working hard to make it more vibrant.

The Reserve Bank of India predicts the Indian economy to grow by 7% in the fiscal year 2022-23, down from 7.2 percent before. India’s GDP increased by 6.3 percent in the September 2022 quarter (Q2FY23), compared to 8.4 percent in the same quarter the previous year. 

In the June 2022 quarter, the Indian economy grew by 13.5%. (Q1FY23). The RBI’s Monetary Policy Committee forecasted GDP growth of 6.3% from July to September 2022.

Income Tax officials conduct raids at the offices of real estate giant Vamsiram Builders in Telangana

OpIndia Staff
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Income Tax officials conduct raids at the offices of real estate giant Vamsiram Builders in Telangana

On Tuesday, the Income Tax Department conducted searches at the residence of promoters of the renowned real estate company Vamsiram builders in Hyderabad, Telangana. The IT officials also raided the office premises of the promoters in Hyderabad, Vijayawada, and Nellore in the neighboring state of Andhra Pradesh.

According to the reports, the Income Tax agency raided the homes of Subba Reddy, chairman of Vamsiram Builders, and his brother-in-law Janardhan Reddy on Road No. 45 in Jubilee Hills. Raids have been launched in as many as 15 locations. Devineni Avinash, currently a member of the YSR Congress party, is also under the scanner. Devineni Avinash’s name has cropped up in shady financial transactions related to a development project.

Vamsiram Builders, which captured valuable properties in prime strategic spots like Banjara Hills in the center of Hyderabad, has over 80 high-profile projects to its name in the region. It has been alleged that the ongoing I-T raids are part of the Central government’s attempt to put pressure on the ruling BRS party ahead of the state assembly elections next year.

The number of I-T raids has increased in the state in recent times. Earlier in November, the residence of BRS Minister Malla Reddy in Hyderabad was also raided by IT officials. The IT investigators also verified Reddy’s tax records and the educational institutions he and his family members possess.

The residence of Minister Gangula Kamalakar was also raided by the ED officials as part of a money laundering probe into an alleged granite fraud. Recently, the CBI also launched the searches, under sections of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), at the offices and residential premises of several granite companies and the residence of Telangana Minister Gangula Kamalakar in Karimnagar.

It was reported that illegal funds routed from a Chinese corporation owned by an individual implicated in the leaked Panama Papers to Telangana-based granite enterprises were discovered when the properties of several granite exporters, including minister Gangula Kamalakar, were investigated.

In 2022, many infra companies like Phoenix group, Sumadhura, Vasavi, and Sahithi were also searched by IT officials. Reports mention that the companies raided by the IT officials are believed to be the major financiers of the ruling BRS.

In the current case, the IT officials are looking into the financial transactions of the Vamsiran Builders. As per the reports, the company has undertaken more than 80 projects in two states including the construction of luxury villas and commercial projects. The IT officials are inquiring about the financial transactions of this company.

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