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Rahul Singh Chaddha’s prolonged Yatra is pointless and clueless, just like the megaflop Amir Khan movie

Sanghamitra
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Rahul Singh Chaddha’s prolonged Yatra is pointless and clueless, just like the megaflop Amir Khan movie

Rahul Gandhi has been walking. For months now, people flicking through newspapers and scrolling through gadgets among the drama-loaded Indian political news have been noticing that Rahul Gandhi has been walking. The mainstream media and a certain section of social media have been going gaga over it, for some unknown reason. Everyone has been watching Rahul Gandhi has been walking. But ask why, and there will be no answer. Nobody knows why is he walking.

Maybe that is the thing about Rahul Gandhi anyway. Nobody knows why he does what he does. Nobody knows why he keeps contesting elections despite losing again and again. The people of the country have made it very clear that they are not going to vote for Rahul. Whenever Congress does manage to win, it is because of the regional leaders and individual efforts by some dedicated MLAs who have been doing their party a huge favour by NOT antagonising the people of the country as their top leadership does.

Nobody knows why the so-called prince of the party goes away on vacations abroad after declaring major party campaigns. Nobody knows where he goes. Nobody knows why he kept screaming hoarse over non-existent scams and repeating the same dumb speeches like ‘Made in Jaunpur Pateela and Made in Chhatisgarh mobile phones‘ when everyone and their grandma knew they mean nothing, and are never going to bring votes for the party. Nobody knows anything about the point or purpose behind anything that Rahul Gandhi does.

Similarly, the Bharat Jodo Yatra has been another of the usual Rahul Gandhi ‘activity’. When the poor sincere leaders of Congress were desperately trying to salvage the fortunes of their party in Gujarat and running a spirited campaign in Himachal, because there were elections coming, the Prince was walking somewhere in the South, oblivious to all political ‘Moh Maaya’.

It is not that he is walking under great hardships. There are luxurious container vehicles fitted with every comfort imaginable that follow his entourage. He eats and sleeps well, and his comforts and clothing, security and health are very well taken care of, unlike the Laal Singh Chaddha he is trying to emulate. The beard is vanity because the container vehicles have toilets and everyone knows that he is not shaving only because he doesn’t want to.

Attached washroom and toilet inside the luxury containers that are being used for Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, image via Indian Express

Aamir Khan’s Laal Singh Chaddha was made and released with a lot of pomp and ceremony. As we all know by now, the actor is particularly fond of preaching and absolutely loves to give sermons. He probably thought that since his insufferable sermons have seen commercial success in the past, nobody would remember Forrest Gump, especially the unwashed Indians, and he can just make a scene-by-scene copy, throw in some India-Pakistan, “Hindu Muslim Sikh Isai” type of primary school assembly hall level preachings and can laugh all the way to the banks.

Sadly, Indians didn’t fall for his sermons this time around. The remake was a resounding flop. Those who did watch it, kept wondering what exactly was the point of the prolonged movie. What exactly was Aamir khan trying to do by destroying a Hollywood classic with his ridiculous expressions and insufferable sermons? However, one person probably watched it very seriously. Since almost all methods of “launching” Rahul Gandhi into Indian politics have been tried, and retried, again and again, his ‘advisers’ probably thought what is the harm in trying once more? Indians have a weak spot for pilgrimages, Yatras and marches anyway.

So Rahul began his walk, and has been walking in the news space since September 7. Every day, some obscure starlet joins him and walks a few steps with him. There are photographers around him to take nice photos. Everyone and their grandma in this country know that as an MP and the son of a former PM, he gets Z+ level security paid by the taxpayers. The starlets and wannabe actors consider themselves especially blessed if Rahul holds their hands, for some unknown reason. Then they go their own way and Rahul is again seen walking with another person in the next photo. Sometimes he holds hands, kisses and hugs people.

It is indeed a lot like relatives and family friends lining up to get clicked with the bride and groom at wedding receptions, people coming, smiling, getting clicked and moving on like bags on airport baggage belts. Wannabe starlets, out-of-job actors, rejected professional protestors, seasonal politicians, economic soothsayers on extended leave from Chicago, abusive stand-up comedians, everyone gets to come, smile and pose with Rahul Gandhi in his walk, like our neighbourhood wedding reception.

While Rahul Gandhi walks, Congress got swept out in Gujarat and Himachal is already showing signs of faction war among the party leaders. We all saw what happened in Punjab and how Rajasthan has Gehlot and Pilot playing the role of ‘Naaraz phupha’ alternatively. But somehow, the party Prince is untouched, unbothered about all that. He has been clicked walking, for some unknown reason. And quite frankly, the Indians have now reached a stage where they have finally learned to accept the fact that Rahul Gandhi is here to stay. Governments will come and go, Congress presidents will come and go, and elections will come and go, but Rahul Gandhi will be there in media space perpetually, still being hailed as the ‘youth icon’, still learning and still being projected as the future PM of India by people who have been clicked with him, to prove their proximity to the family.

Assam: Muslims trying to grab land in Dhing region, says Hindu family, CMO takes stock of the situation, directs probe

OpIndia Staff
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Assam: Muslims trying to grab land in Dhing region, says Hindu family, CMO takes stock of the situation, directs probe

On Tuesday, two families from the Dhing region of Assam’s Lahorighat city clashed as a Hindu family in the region stated that certain persons from the Muslim community were seeking to forcefully acquire land in the area. The incident was reported from the Dhing region of Morigaon district in Assam.

According to the Times Now report, the Chief Minister’s Office took cognizance of the incident and directed an investigation. The police security in the area was increased as a team-led Superintendent of Police began looking into the case. However, because it was a land problem, the District Admin Circle Officer was also contacted.

Meanwhile, local Muslim citizens came out in favor of the Hindu family, stating that it was a personal problem that would be resolved in full harmony. According to the SP, a Hindu household complained that a land-snatching effort was attempted by certain persons of the Muslim community. According to the police officer, an investigation is ongoing, and the circle officer is on the scene to assess the matter. The police presence has been increased in the area to avert any untoward incidents.

The circle officer who examined the area stated that they had visited the location and investigated the problem. “We will be looking into the land mapping. We have not reached any conclusion. Police are investigating the allegations”, he said.

Bihar Love Jihad: Muslim man pretends to be Samir Khanna, wears Kalawa to lure a Hindu woman into marriage

OpIndia Staff
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Bihar Love Jihad: Muslim man pretends to be Samir Khanna, wears Kalawa to lure a Hindu woman into marriage

Cases of Love Jihad continue to appear from the state of Bihar led by CM Nitish Kumar who in June ruled no need for an anti-conversion law in the state. In one such dreadful case of Love Jihad reported from the Siwan district of Bihar, a Muslim man pretended to be a Hindu to marry a Hindu woman.

According to the reports, the identity of the Muslim man who posed himself as Samir Khanna is yet to be ascertained. However, it has been confirmed that the Muslim man who owned a coaching centre where he taught English concealed his religious identity to marry a Hindu girl who was once a student at his centre.

The woman in the complaint filed at the Police station stated that the accused after the course offered her to be a staffer at the coaching centre to which she agreed. He, who posed himself as Samir Khanna respected and adorned all the Hindu rituals and the Hindu way of life.

She said that the accused also wore Kalawa which is a sacred thread worn on wrists by people from the Hindu community. Reports mention that the victim came to know about the original religious identity of the accused only after he married her in court and solemnized the wedding in March 2017.

Siwan SP Shailesh Kumar Sinha has taken the cognizance of the incident and has assured justice to the woman. He has also ordered severe inquiry into the matter. Further investigations in the case are underway.

Earlier, a similar case was reported from Katihar district of the state where one Taufiq Alam pretended to be Raj Rajput to lure a Hindu woman Julie Kumari into a love marriage. Once Julie knew the reality and resisted Taufiq, who was already married and had an 11-year-old daughter from his earlier marriage, he started forcing the victim woman to convert to Islam.

Notably, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar in June this year had said that there was no need for an anti-conversion law in the state. He also said that there was ‘complete harmony’ and members of different communities lived in peace within the state.

Maharashtra government forms committee to study and collect information on interfaith and intercaste marriage couples: Details

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra government forms committee to study and collect information on interfaith and intercaste marriage couples: Details

The Maharashtra government has formed a committee to study and gather information on intercaste and interfaith marriages. The 12-member committee has been named as Intercaste/Interfaith Marriage-Family Coordination Committee. Headed by the state’s Women and Child Development Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha, the committee will comprise government officials along with people from the non-government sector.

This committee will gather and analyse information about couples in such marriages, as well as the women’s maternal families, to determine if they are estranged. The panel will contact the women’s families to inquire about the status of the marriage and to offer to counsel if the interfaith marriage was done against their will.  In addition, the committee will gather information on marriages performed in religious places and ascertain whether such marriages were registered.

The committee also intends to launch a platform to address issues that arise from such marriages.

It is also worth noting that the Maharashtra government is considering introducing legislation in the upcoming winter session of the state assembly to prohibit forcible religious conversions and ‘Love Jihad’ in the state. Reportedly,  the law will be modeled after the UP government, and those found guilty will be jailed for 3-5 years. If the victim is a minor or belongs to a scheduled caste, the punishment will be harsher.

In a press briefing, BJP MLA and Maharashtra’s Women and Child Development minister said that this initiative intends to prevent a repeat of the Shraddha Walkar murder case wherein the victim Shraddha was strangulated and chopped into 35 pieces by her Muslim live-in partner Aftab Amin Poonawala. 

“It’s frightening that Shraddha Walkar’s family was unaware she died six months ago… We don’t want another Shraddha Walkar, which is why the committee is being formed to ensure that women in such marriages are not separated from their families,” Minister Lodha said.

‘More job cuts next year’: WaPo announces layoffs post losing 500k subscribers in a year, employees outraged as publisher refuses to answer questions

OpIndia Staff
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‘More job cuts next year’: WaPo announces layoffs post losing 500k subscribers in a year, employees outraged as publisher refuses to answer questions

On December 14 (local time), The Washington Post publisher Fred Ryan announced during a meeting with the employees that the company would eliminate some positions in 2023. Some of these positions would be from the newsroom. Ryan added that steps were being taken to expand the company’s coverage areas. Notably, less than a week ago, it was reported that WaPo had lost over 500,000 subscribers since President Biden started his tenure.

Furthermore, the layoffs will be in a single-digit percentage, and it would not be affected in terms of overall headcount in the newsroom as WaPo would hire more people in other areas. Currently, there are over 2,500 employees in the company. WaPo’s report suggested that Ryan said the layoffs would be for the positions that are “no longer serving readers”. It is unclear if WaPo will continue to pay authors like Rana Ayyub, who are not regular contributors.

As per reports, Ryan informed the employees about the layoffs during a town hall meeting. Videos available on social media platforms show that Ryan stepped off the stage when confronted by the employees with follow-up questions about the same.

After the meeting, Washington Post Guild leaders expressed anguish over the “unceremonious announcement”. Furthermore, the leaders and employees were “outraged” as Ryan refused to take questions. A statement by the Guild read, “This behaviour is unacceptable from any leader, but especially the leader of a news organization whose core values include transparency and accountability. There is no justification for The Post to lay off employees during record growth and hiring.”

In its statement, WaPo said that the layoffs were part of a plan to “invest in coverage, products, and people in service of providing high value to our subscribers and new audiences. The Washington Post is evolving and transforming to put our business in the best position for future growth.”

After the town hall meeting, Ryan reportedly emailed the staff and explained the situation. As per The New York Times report, he wrote that he recognized that the announcement would “understandably generate a great deal of uncertainty across our organization.” NYT report further suggested that when President Trump was in office, WaPo’s digital subscriber base expanded; however, post his tenure, the company has struggled to expand it further.

WaPo’s report suggested that Ryan informed the employees in his email that the layoffs did not mean the company was scaling back its ambitions. However, “like any business, The Post cannot keep investing resources in initiatives that do not meet our customers’ needs,” he added.

In addition to a lower subscriber base rise, WaPo is reportedly struggling with the downturn in the advertising market. Media houses across the United States have recently seen a steep fall in revenue from advertisements. To add to the agony, WaPo recently announced it would close the print edition of its standalone magazine. The ten employees linked to the magazines would leave the company. The last issue of the magazine is planned for December 25.

In recent months, Chief Information Officer Shailesh Prakash, Chief Communication Officer Kris Coratti, Chief Product Officer Kat Downs, and Vice President of Audience Development and Analytics Beth Diaz have left the company. In addition to these key people, Managing Editor Steve Ginsberg has also announced his departure as he would join NYT as Executive Editor of The Athletic in January 2023. Reports suggest that employees at WaPo have raised questions about the company’s business strategies and work-from-home policy.

Following Ryan’s announcement about the layoffs, WaPo’s writers have approached Union, saying they wanted to join. The names listed by NYT who called the Union include Ashley Parker, Josh Dawsey, Jose Del Real, Shane Harris, John Woodrow Cox and Tyler Pager.

Apart from WaPo, CNN, Vox Media, and Gannett have reduced the workforce at their offices.

Hosting Osama Bin Laden, attacking neighbouring Parliament: What Jaishankar said in the UN in response to Pakistan’s Bhutto raising Kashmir bogey

ANI
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Hosting Osama Bin Laden, attacking neighbouring Parliament: What Jaishankar said in the UN in response to Pakistan’s Bhutto raising Kashmir bogey

Without naming any country, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar slammed the neighbouring state after Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari unceremoniously raked up the issue of Kashmir during a UN gathering in New York to discuss the issue of multilateralism.

Speaking in his national capacity, Jaishankar said the credibility of the UN depends on its effective response to the key challenges of our time be it pandemic, climate change, conflicts or terrorism. He continued saying, “while searching for solutions, our discourse must never accept the normalisation of such threats. The question of justifying what the world regards as unacceptable should not even arise.”

“That certainly applies to state sponsorship of cross-border terrorism. Nor can hosting Osama Bin Laden and attacking a neighbouring Parliament serves as credentials to sermonize before this council,” he said in an apparent reference to Pakistan.

Jaishankar’s response came after Bhutto raked up the issue of Kashmir during a meeting convened to debate the New orientation for reformed multilateralism (NORM) under India’s December presidency of UNSC.

Pakistan foreign minister said that UN Security Council (UNSC) is primarily responsible for maintaining international peace and security.

“Multilateral solutions under the umbrella of the security council offer the most effective approach to promoting peace and resolving conflicts. Parties to a dispute can not advocate multilateral process one day, multilateral reforms one day and insist on bilateral avenues the next and ultimately impose unilateral actions,” he said in a reference to Jammu and Kashmir without naming them.

Bhutto said Pakistan firmly believes that major security problems including those in its region can be effectively and peacefully resolved through the active involvement of the Security Council.

“Multilateralism should be based on universal and consistent adherence to the UN charter,” he added.

Amidst calls for India’s inclusion in Security Council Bhutto said “Adding new permanent members to UNSC will numerically reduce the opportunities for the vast majority of the UN member states to be present on the Security Council. We must adhere to sovereign equality of all, not superiority of some.”

This is not the first time Pakistan has used the UN stage meant for multilateral agenda to discuss its bilateral issues. India responds in equal measures and calls out its misuse of the UN stage.

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

Union Home Minister Amit Shah lays out a five-point action plan to resolve the Maharashtra-Karnataka border dispute

OpIndia Staff
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Union Home Minister Amit Shah lays out a five-point action plan to resolve the Maharashtra-Karnataka border dispute

On 14th December 2022, Union Home Minister Amit Shah called a special meeting of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on the Maharashtra-Karnataka boundary issue. Speaking to the media after the meeting, Amit Shah spoke to the media and outlined the five points for a solution to the dispute.

Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis from Maharashtra and Basavaraj Bommai from Karnataka and his home minister Araga Jnanendra Kumar were also present for the meeting. Amit Shah said, “There was a border dispute between the states of Karnataka and Maharashtra. I called the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra and the Chief Minister and Home Minister of Karnataka here today to find a solution to put an end to this dispute and to find a constitutional way out of it. Talks with both sides were held in a good atmosphere in the presence of officials of the Home Department of the Government of India. Both sides have played a positive role. It is generally agreed that disputes cannot be settled on the streets in a democratic process. A solution can only be found through constitutional means. Some decision has been taken in this regard.”

Amit Shah further said, “These decisions have been taken unanimously in today’s meeting. As home minister of the country, I also appeal to the opposition parties in both states that whatever the political opposition, it should not be made a political issue in the interest of other languages in the border areas. I hope the Congress, NCP, and Uddhav Thackeray’s group will cooperate in this matter.”

The decisions made in the meeting are as follows:

  1. No state will stake claim to each other’s state until the Supreme Court gives a verdict in this regard.
  2. Six ministers from both states, three each on both sides, will sit together and discuss the matter in detail.
  3. There are many other small points of disagreement among the neighbouring states. Such disputes are commonly seen in neighbouring countries. A solution to such issues will also be discussed by a committee of three ministers each that will discuss the two sides together.
  4. Both states have agreed to constitute a committee under the chairmanship of a senior IPS officer to ensure that the law and order situation remains normal in both states and that the traders or the common people from other linguistic groups do not have to face any kind of harassment. The committee will try to maintain law and order.
  5. Fake Twitter accounts also played a big role in this entire case. Rumours were spread over social media by creating fake Twitter accounts in the name of some top leaders. This kind of thing is serious because such tweets are working to provoke people’s sentiments. So a case will be registered against such fake accounts.

‘Balakot airstrikes sent a clear message to Pakistan that they will suffer more if they attack India’: Former Army General Manoj Naravane

ANI
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‘Balakot airstrikes sent a clear message to Pakistan that they will suffer more if they attack India’: Former Army General Manoj Naravane

Former Indian Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane (Retd) has said that the air strike by Indian Air Force targeting Jaish-e-Mohammed’s (JeM) advance training camp in Pakistan’s Balakot in 2019 was a clear message that if anyone tries to harm India, then they will suffer more.

When asked about the situation when you are dealing with a country which is a rogue nation and has nuclear weapons, General Naravane said in ‘Podcast with Smita Prakash’, “We hit them and they did come back the next day. We lost one aircraft and Commander Abhinandan was also caught down. It’s not that our action did not provoke a reaction”.

“But once again we have to see the larger picture and the larger picture is that we have demonstrated our will to strike. Again whether we struck any number of casualties, the number of terrorists who were killed is not important. The fact is that we have said that if you do something to us we will do something to you and that will be proportionate even more than what you have done to us. That is the message that is gone across and which is the important message. The larger picture and the message that has gone is that don’t try the stunts you will suffer more than we do,” he said.

Responding to another question that at the time of the Balakot attack, people’s narrative was that we have lost to Pakistan and people were criticizing the Army so ignoring doesn’t work all the time, the former Army Chief said, “On the larger scale it is important to win the information war and that has become very important in the time of interconnectivity and social media.”

“It is not enough to win the war on the ground, we have to win a perception war also and for that whole new ball game has to be done at a much higher and at the national level. It is not something that can be done at ground level when a battalion commander is saying something. It will have to be peace together and that narrative built will show that we actually won the war on the ground. Both these things have become very important,” he added.

The Balakot air strikes were conducted by the Air Force in response to the Pulwama terrorist attack on a CRPF convoy in which 44 personnel lost their lives.

On February 26, IAF fighter jets targeted JeM’s advanced training camp in Pakistan’s Balakot. Islamabad retaliated by attempting to target Indian military installations the next day. However, the IAF thwarted its attempts.

India, after the aerial strikes, had said that it killed a large number of terrorists. However, Pakistan said India’s claim was “reckless” while stating that it will respond “at the time and place of its choosing.”

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

Chaos at a blanket distribution event of Suvendu Adhikari in Asansol, three people trampled to death

OpIndia Staff
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Chaos at a blanket distribution event of Suvendu Adhikari in Asansol, three people trampled to death

Three persons died and several were injured in a stampede during a blanket distribution event at Asansol in West Bengal. BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari was distributing blankets among people on Wednesday when people started to push others causing a stampede, resulting in the tragedy.

According to reports, the incident occurred at Ramkrishnadanga in Asansol in West Bardhaman, where the opposition leader had arrived for a public event. In this event, 5000 blankets were to be distributed to economically weaker people. Suvendu Adhikari launched it by distributing some blankets, which went smoothly.

After that, he left the venue to visit the district office of BJP, and the main blanket distribution started, and that is when the tragedy started. When people were moving towards the stage to collect blankets, suddenly some of them started to rush and push people in front of them. The people who rushed thought that there were not enough blankets for all the people gathered at the event, and that’s why they wanted to collect them as soon as possible.

This created a huge chaos, which ultimately turned into a stampede. Several people fell to the ground and others stepped over them to go forward. Three people were killed in the trampling, while many others were injured.

It is being reported that the three victims include a 12-year-old minor girl and two women. Two of them were taken to Asansol District Hospital, while one was taken to a private hospital. All three were declared brought dead by the doctors.

At least five persons have been seriously injured, four of whom are being treated at Asansol District Hospital.

TMC launched an attack on BJP after the incident, alleging that the event was organised without police permission. TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh blamed Suvendu Adhikari for the incident, and alleged that the BJP organised an “illegal rally” without police permission.  Reportedly, Asansol police commissioner also claimed that the BJP had not taken any permission for the programme.

Kunal Ghosh also questioned the BJP leadership for handing over the reins of the party in the state to a ‘madman’. He said that Adhikari should apologise for the incident, questioning why he should not be held responsible for the accident.

‘Machis kis ke haath mein thi?’: Nirmala Sitharaman gives a befitting response to Mahua Moitra, questions her on post-poll violence in Bengal

OpIndia Staff
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‘Machis kis ke haath mein thi?’: Nirmala Sitharaman gives a befitting response to Mahua Moitra, questions her on post-poll violence in Bengal

On 14th December 2022, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman gave a befitting response to Trinamool Congress Party’s MP Mahua Moitra, a day after the latter took a ‘machis jibe’ at the government and questioned the public mandate given to it. Nirmala Sitharaman tore into Moitra, saying it is not about who holds the matches, but it is about who uses the matchstick in what way.

While speaking in Lok Sabha during the winter session of the parliament, Nirmala Sitharaman said, “Machis kis ke haath mein hai? (In whose hands is the matchstick?) I don’t want to elaborate too much on it because it is probably that she just wanted to spice up the questions and issues she raised, which I think in different ways I have tried to answer. But it is a matter of concern, Sir. Because who gave the matches is not the issue. Because in a democracy people elect the leader. We don’t need to undermine the people by saying who gave the matches in their hands. The people have given it.”

Nirmala Sitharaman added, “All that matters is how a matchstick is used by a person when it is in his or her hands. Recently, BJP had a fantastic victory in Gujarat. What was the post-election environment there? Peacefully the new government came to power and was sworn in. Compare it with what happened in West Bengal post the state government election. Who had the matchstick there and how it was used then? And that is the real question. When we had a matchstick, we gave Ujjwala Yojana – a gas cylinder. We also gave electricity, PM Kisan Yojana, etc. We ran Swachh Bharat Mission.”

“When you had matchsticks, at that time, arson, looting, and rape took place. You set the houses of our workers on fire. A Union Minister, Mularidharan’s vehicle was attacked. Even a union minister was not safe post-election in Bengal. JP Nadda’s vehicle was attacked during the campaign. Murlidharan’s vehicle was attacked after the elections. So not who was given the matches, but who used it in what way should be considered,” said Sitharaman, responding to Moitra over her tirade against the Centre.

Earlier, TMC MP from Krishnanagar in West Bengal Mahua Moitra ranted and raved against the central government during the question hour and took a matchbox jibe saying, “What the country needs is an elected government which plays hard morality, hard legality, and hard economics. I urge this government and the finance minister to take control of the economy. And I urge the people of India to take control over who they give the reigns to rule this country. The question is not who lit the fire, the question is who handed the matchbox to a crazy person? This is a question that India needs to answer.”

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