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Actor Prabhas to do Ravan Dahan during the iconic Luv Kush Ramlila at the Red Fort in Delhi

OpIndia Staff
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Actor Prabhas to do Ravan Dahan during the iconic Luv Kush Ramlila at the Red Fort in Delhi

According to reports, Telugu actor Prabhas will be in Delhi on the eve of Dussehra to burn the effigy of Ravan at the historic Luv Kush Ramlila at the Red Fort. Arjun Kumar, chairman of the Lav Kush Ramlila committee, confirmed this news. According to sources, in addition to Prabhas, several other actors from the south are expected to be gracing the Dussehra celebration this year.

Speaking about the reason why Prabhas has been chosen to be the guest, Arjun Kumar said, “Besides being a very popular name in the south film industry, Prabhas has been doing projects which are deep-rooted in our Indian history. He did Baahubali films and will be seen playing the role of Ram in his upcoming project, Adipurush. So, we felt he is the best choice to do Ravan Dahan this year.”

“Another reason we extended an invite to Prabhas is that because he is so popular, and actors from the South film industry have gained so much popularity all across India today. So, Prabhas is the biggest extension this year,” Arjun Kumar added. “While we are yet to invite other celebrities, and as of now, we are happy that Prabhas is coming. With him being present for the celebration, he will also attract a newer generation and younger people towards our culture,” he further added.

Arjun Kumar has stated that there will be three effigies, one for Raavan, one for Kumbhkaran, and one for Meghnaad, and Prabhas will shoot his arrow into the air to light each of them off. He also stated that this year’s effigies will be 100 feet tall. The Luv Kush Ramlila committee has also invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Draupadi Murmu, whose presence has not been confirmed yet.

It is worth noting that Prabhas is now promoting his upcoming film Adipurush, which is based on the Hindu epic Ramayana. In addition to Prabhas, Sonal Chauhan, Saif Ali Khan, and Kriti Sanon have been cast in key roles in the film. The film is produced by T-Series Films and Retrophiles, and was shot in both Hindi and Telugu at the same time. There will also be dubbed versions in Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada.

The movie, which is based on the legendary historical epic Ramayana, would star Prabhas as Raghava (Ram), Kriti Sanon as Janaki (Sita), and Saif Ali Khan as Lankesh (Ravana). Adipurush is set to release in theatres on January 12, 2023.

Shri Ram’s homecoming: Pran Pratishtha of Ram Lalla to be done in the newly built temple in Ayodhya by Makar Sankranti 2024

OpIndia Staff
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Shri Ram’s homecoming: Pran Pratishtha of Ram Lalla to be done in the newly built temple in Ayodhya by Makar Sankranti 2024

The idol of Lord Ram in Ayodhya, which has waited for close to 500 hundred years, will be returning to its rightful abode in January 2024, media reports say.

According to the reports, the construction of the new Ram Mandir will be completed by December 2023, and Lord Ram is expected to be seated in the Garbhagriha around the Makar Sankranthi festival in January 2024, months before the 2024 general elections.

Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, the body that is looking after the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, took the decision during a meeting held at the Faizabad Circuit House. As per sources, the construction of the sanctum sanctorum and one floor of the Ram Temple will be completed by December 2023. In the meeting, the Trust also decided to construct seven more temples within the temple premises. These smaller temples will be dedicated to various seers and rishis from the Ramayana such as Devi Shabri.

“The construction of the temple is expected to be completed by December 2023 and Lord Ram is expected to be seated in the sanctum sanctorum by the Makar Sankranti festival in January 2024,” general secretary of the trust, Champat Rai, said.

“The trust has also decided to make space for idols of prominent Hindu seers and the main characters from the Ramayana period in the temple complex,” Rai further added.

It is also reported that 40 per cent of the construction work has been completed so far, and the trust has estimated that the construction cost of the Ram Temple will be about Rs 1800 crore.

The date of installation is also in accordance with the announcement made by VHP earlier this year, when it said that the foundation stone of the sanctum sanctorum would be laid on June 1, and the deity would be installed in January 2024.

Ram Mandir construction began with PM Modi laying the foundation stone, temple to be built such as the first rays of Sun to fall on Ram idol

It is worth noting that the construction of the Ram Temple began on 5 August 2020, with Prime Minister Modi laying the foundation stone.

Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra (SRJBTK), the authority in charge of Ram Mandir’s operations, is supervising the temple’s construction. Former IAS Nripendra Mishra is the chairman of the construction committee.

Larsen & Toubro is the main contractor for the construction of the temple and the ramparts, while Tata Consulting Engineers has been hired as the project management consultant, while four other engineers four engineers Jagdish Aphale (IIT- Mumbai), Girish Sahastrabhujani (IIT-Mumbai), Jagannathji (from Aurangabad), and Avinash Sangamnerkar (from Nagpur) are also working voluntarily on behalf of the Trust.

The entire project is projected to cost between 900 and 1,000 crores to build and will be spread over 110 acres of land. The temple complex will also include a museum, a research centre, and an archival centre. By December 2023, the temple’s lower floor, which will house the sanctum sanctorum and a Ram Lalla idol, would be ready for worship.

Meanwhile, Acharya Satyendra Das, the head priest of the Ram temple, had said that the temple was being constructed in such a way that the first rays of the Sun fell on the idol of Lord Ram.

“The devotees are expecting a huge and beautiful temple. The temple is being constructed in such a way that when there is a sunrise, the first rays should fall on Lord Ram,” he said in May 2022. “The sanctum sanctorum is being made of red stone. The Chief Minister will visit here to place that stone. The prayers will go on for nine days. The red stones are being installed to give people peace.”

AAP replicating Punjab model in Gujarat? Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal accepts an ‘impromptu’ dinner invitation from an autorickshaw driver

OpIndia Staff
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AAP replicating Punjab model in Gujarat? Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal accepts an ‘impromptu’ dinner invitation from an autorickshaw driver

With Gujarat Assembly elections just months away, the Aam Aadmi Party seemed to have upped their PR stunts to strike an emotional chord with the citizens of a state it is desperately seeking to make inroads in, especially with the absence of a formidable opponent. To this end, they have relied on replicating the Punjab model, where Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal had accepted a dinner invitation made by an auto-rickshaw driver who later turned out to be a committed AAP worker.

A similar kind of PR stunt took place at a recent AAP meeting in Gujarat, where an auto-rickshaw driver invited Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal over for dinner. Kejriwal could not hide his enthusiasm at the invitation and agreed to have dinner at the said auto rickshaw driver’s house. The official Twitter handle of AAP shared the video of the interaction on the microblogging website, trying to create an impression that AAP is gaining popularity among the masses in Gujarat.

In the video, Kejriwal gloats over how auto rickshaw drivers in Punjab loved him, and now auto rickshaw drivers in Gujarat are also showering their love on him. He then goes on to ask at what time the auto-rickshaw driver will come to fetch him from his hotel and if his two trusted aides can accompany him to the auto driver’s house for dinner. The auto driver accepts Kejriwal’s request and agrees to collect him and his trusted aides from their hotel at 8 pm.

While the Aam Aadmi Party and Arvind Kejriwal would have us believe that the entire interaction was genuine and unscripted, the eerie similarity it bears with what had transpired at an AAP conference in Punjab, where an auto-rickshaw driver had invited the AAP supremo over to his place for dinner.

On 22 November 2021, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had dinner at an auto driver’s house in Ludhiana. As per his story, the auto driver had invited him for dinner, and Bhagwant Mann and Harpal Singh Cheema accompanied the Delhi CM. The alleged feel-good story being run by AAP’s leadership has a twist, though. According to Hindi daily Dainik Bhaskar, the auto driver, identified as Dilip Kumar Tiwari, has been associated with Aam Aadmi Party for a long time.

However, as per a Bhaskar report, Mahendra Kumar Tiwari, elder brother of the auto driver, was a long time member of AAP and has been attending party’s programs regularly. Dilip also attended these programs with his elder brother.

A carefully made video of the entire incident, with emotional background music and special effects, was shared by AAP’s social media handles, showing how the Delhi CM accepted the impromptu invite by a ‘common man’ auto driver for dinner.

After having the meal at Dilip’s house, Kejriwal praised the food and said it was the same as he likes, without chillies. The reports suggest after getting photographs clicked with the family members, Kejriwal and his team left in the Innova Crysta vehicle donning Delhi number that was, interestingly, already parked outside Dilip’s house before Kejriwal arrived.

With registering a stunning success in Punjab, Kejriwal and company seemed inclined to replicate every propaganda and PR tactic in Gujarat that it had employed in the north Indian state, including organising ‘impromptu’ dinner invites with seemingly ordinary folks but possibly linked to the party in some capacity.

Gyanvapi verdict: Varanasi District Court rejects Anjuman Committee’s petition, says Hindu worshippers’ plea maintainable

OpIndia Staff
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Gyanvapi verdict: Varanasi District Court rejects Anjuman Committee’s petition, says Hindu worshippers’ plea maintainable

The District Court in Varanasi in its verdict on the suit in the Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri case has ordered that the suit is maintainable and that the facts and information presented by the Hindu side are acceptable in the court. The court rejected the application of the Muslim side challenging the maintainability of the case.

Talking to media reporters, Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain said, “The court has ordered in our favour. The suit is maintainable and the application of the Muslim side has been rejected by the court. The next hearing in the case will be held on September 22.”

As per reports, the Hindu side may now seek a court-mandated survey inside the disputed premises and demand an investigation into the Shivalinga found in the ‘Wazukhana’ area.

The verdict comes after a district court in Varanasi reserved its order in August on a plea brought by the Anjuman Islamia Masjid Committee, which challenged the maintainability of the Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri suit filed by five Hindu women. The Court heard arguments on the merits of a petition filed by five Hindu women seeking permission to worship at the Shringar Gauri Sthal in the disputed Gyanvapi complex of Kashi Vishwanath on a daily basis.

It is in this case that the Varanasi court ordered a video survey of the disputed complex on May 12 this year. Stunning revelations were made after the survey including the discovery of a Shivling in the Wuzukhana of the disputed Gyanvapi complex. Following the survey, Civil Judge (Senior Division) Ravi Kumar Diwakar ordered the sealing of the disputed Gyanvapi structure as requested by Advocate Hari Shankar Jain to safeguard the premises.

Ajay Mishra, the court-appointed commissioner entrusted with inspecting the Gyanvapi complex, stated in his report that there are stone sculptures of Hindu Gods and Goddesses on the walls of the disputed edifice. According to Mishra’s report, the stone carvings on the eastern and western sides of the so-called masjid are comparable, indicating that they were all part of a bigger edifice that was destroyed.

The present litigation regarding the disputed Gyanvapi complex is centred on five female petitioners. On April 18, 2021, Rakhi Singh, Laxmi Devi, Sita Sahu, Manju Vyas, and Rekha Pathak filed a lawsuit demanding the right to regularly worship and perform rituals at Shringar Gauri, Lord Ganesh, Lord Hanuman, and Nandi, as well as prohibiting opponents from harming the statues inside the disputed Gyanvapi structure.

Nonetheless, several cases have been brought in the Supreme Court, Allahabad High Court, and the local Varanasi Court regarding the mosque built in the 17th century by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb after demolishing the ancient Kashi Vishwanath Temple. The timeline of events and cases can be found here.

West Bengal: Bombs hurled, stones pelted at BJP rally against TMC government, cops remain mute spectators. Here is what we know so far

OpIndia Staff
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West Bengal: Bombs hurled, stones pelted at BJP rally against TMC government, cops remain mute spectators. Here is what we know so far

On Sunday (September 11), a BJP rally was attacked in Sitalkuchi in the Coochbehar district of West Bengal allegedly by TMC supporters. The purpose of the rally was to mobilise people for BJP’s upcoming campaign ‘Nabanna Abhijyan‘, which is scheduled to be held on September 13 this year.

As per reports, BJP was conducting a march to protest against the Mamata Banerjee-led-government in the state. When the rally reached the Sitalkuchi Bazar, the BJP workers came under a volley of stones.

Multiple crude bombs were hurled, the splinters of which left several protestors injured. The incident created a sense of unrest and panic in the area. Following the targeted attack, the BJP workers regrouped to continue with their protest march.

Instead of taking action against the attackers, the police stopped the BJP workers from protesting against the TMC government under the guise of law and order. While speaking about the matter, BJP leader Dilip Ghosh said, “The incident proves again that ‘jungle raj’ is prevailing in West Bengal and police are mute spectators.”

Although The Telegraph had claimed that no injured BJP workers needed hospitalisation, a report by The Free Press Journal said that 2 BJP workers were admitted to a district hospital.

BJP MLA Malata Rava Roy said, “We were holding a peaceful rally but it was disrupted by the TMC. It seems that being in the opposition is a crime in Bengal.”

Trinamool Congress cries foul

The TMC alleged that the BJP itself orchestrated the attack to get public attention. TMC has meanwhile dismissed the allegations levelled against them. The party has claimed that BJP staged the attack through ‘outsiders.’

TMC MP Ssantanau Sen said, “It’s an excuse… there are no people in their rallies so they are alleging all this to stay in the limelight.” He further alleged, “TMC does not need to attack the BJP rally, as they’re a self-destructive party. TMC doesn’t have anything to do with it. We don’t instigate, they do.”

Udayan Guha, the TMC lawmaker from Dinhata, also said, “We were busy with Abhishek Banerjee’s public meeting in Malbazar. Why should we foment trouble in Sitalkuchi?”

When TMC goons attacked CISF personnel during the 2021 elections in Sitalkuchi

In April last year, in Sitalkuchi, a TMC mob attacked the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) during the fourth phase of elections in West Bengal after TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee asked her followers to gherao the central forces.

As per reports, the incident took place at the Jorpatki area of the Mathabhanga block in the Sitalkuchi Legislative Assembly of Cooch Behar district. Cooch Behar SP defended the CISF action against the lumpen elements, saying that the action was an act of self-defence.

He said that a mob of 300-350 men had attacked the CISF team and tried to snatch their arms which forced the team to open fire on the miscreants. Four people died after central forces opened fire at a polling booth in self-defence.

Gyanvapi case: Hindu side to seek ASI survey, carbon dating of Shivling if court verdict comes in their favour

OpIndia Staff
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Gyanvapi case: Hindu side to seek ASI survey, carbon dating of Shivling if court verdict comes in their favour

As the legal wrangling in the Gyanvapi mosque case continues, the Hindu side on Monday said it will seek an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) survey and carbon dating of ‘Shivling’ if the judgment comes in their favour. The Varanasi court is set to deliver its ruling on the maintainability of civil suits challenging the title of the Gyanvapi mosque and the land surrounding it.

The court had last month reserved the order till September 12 in the matter.

The matter pertains to the maintainability of the petition filed by Hindu women seeking permission to worship Hindu deities in the Gyanvapi mosque complex.

Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, representing the Hindu side, spoke to ANI about the future course of action if the judgment is delivered in their favour. “Today the court will deliver its judgment on the maintainability of the suit. 1991 Worship Act applies in our favour. If judgment comes in our favour, then we will seek for ASI survey, carbon dating of Shivling.”

Sohan Lal Arya, another lawyer representing the Hindu side said that the verdict will prove to be the first day of planting the foundation stone of Kashi Vishwanath.

“This is going to be a very happy day for the Hindu community of the world as the court will give its verdict at 2 pm and we have offered prayers for the ‘darshan’ of Lord Shiva in the morning,” said Arya, while radiating confidence in getting a verdict in his favour.

“After the verdict, we will have ‘darshan’. After the verdict comes in our favour, the people of Kashi celebrate by ringing bells and clapping. The people of Kashi will work to awaken the Hindu society,” said Sohan Lal Arya.

The police have tightened the security and imposed Section 144 in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi on Sunday, a day before the court was scheduled to pronounce the order.

Necessary measures have been taken by the police and more than 200 personnel are deployed in the regions that have mixed populations. Patrolling is underway to ensure no law and order situation arises on the judgment of the maintainability of a plea by five Hindu women seeking permission to worship the Shringar Gauri Sthal within the Kashi Vishwanath-Gyanvapi Masjid complex.

“A Varanasi court may pronounce judgment on a crucial matter. Section 144 was implemented in the city. Police force posted in areas where the mixed population resides. Patrolling is on. We are trying our best that no law and order situation arises,” said Police Commissioner, A Satish Ganesh.

‘145 days to go’: Congress’ message on Rahul Gandhi’s ‘container yatra’ shows that their ‘Idea of India’ does not include you

Nirwa Mehta
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‘145 days to go’: Congress’ message on Rahul Gandhi’s ‘container yatra’ shows that their ‘Idea of India’ does not include you

The Grand Old Party today put up a message on social media wherein it showed burning of the half-pants worn by RSS Swayamsevaks with a caption that read ‘145 days to go’.

Senior Congress leader and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi has embarked on a ‘Bharat Jodo’ (join India) yatra in a fleet of containers where he will travel across India with other Congress leaders and supporters ahead of 2024 general elections. Five days into this ‘yatra’ which was advertised as Congress’ move to ‘unite’ India, the party’s official social media handles have shared the above disturbing image which talks about complete annihilation of those associated with the Rashtritya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) by showing the half-pants the Swayamsevaks wear as part of uniform on fire.

Congress shared image of burning pants with caption how they want to ‘free country from shackles of hate’ and how step by step they will ‘reach the goal’ – within 145 days.

To put things in perspective, Congress leaders and supporters have often dehumanised RSS Swayamsevaks and even those who do not believe in the so-called ‘Nehruvian Idea of India’ (which is quite a farce), and celebrated deaths of those associated with opposing ideologies. They often use the term ‘Sanghi’ derogatory and wish death upon them quite casually.

In fact, Congress supporters online have often justified Nazi-like camps for ‘Sanghis’ once Congress is back to power. ‘Sanghi’ here is a not-so-subtle euphemism for Hindus. They are fully aware that using the word ‘Hindu’ could get them into trouble. Therefore, they give voice to their unbridled hate and morbid bigotry by using ‘Sanghis’ in place of Hindus. Sanghis is always used as an euphemism for Hindus by ‘liberals’ who very frequently make ‘cow urine’ jibes to mock ‘Sanghis’.

‘Liberals’ have normalised hatred against ‘Sanghis’ to such an extent that people in their ranks feel entirely comfortable with demonizing them and wishing violence upon them. 

‘Sanghis’ are so dehumanised that when RSS swayamsevan Narayan Dhabadkar, who had tested positive for Chinese coronavirus, gave up his bed so that another COVID-positive patient, a much younger man, could get it instead, mainstream media went on to ‘fact-check’ the claims. Despite Narayan Kaka’s daughter saying how his father made the ultimate sacrifice, of giving up his own life, for a complete stranger, she was ‘fact-checked’.

If Congress leaders, by some strange stroke of luck, do consider ‘Sanghis’ humans, they don’t even consider them ‘one of their own’. You see, they do not believe in concept of kinship. In fact, they also use the term ‘nationalists’ as a slur against ‘Sanghis’. Because being a nationalist is such a crime. Rahul Gandhi has quite often said India is not a nation but a ‘union of states’. According to the Congress’ view of India, India was formed in 1947. Except, India as a country existed much before.

So when ‘Congress’ don’t even consider ‘Sanghis’ human enough to be one of their own, it really should not come as a surprise that they wish them dead. Their concept of nation does not include the ‘Sanghis’ or those who identify themselves as Hindus (because if you do, you would be shamed as a Sanghi).

That Congress now wants to get ‘rid of Sanghis’, one wonders if this above message put out by the party which talks about ‘inclusivity’ harbours genocidal thoughts and intentions for ‘Sanghis’.

Their ‘Idea of India’ does not include you.

Which is why they wish death upon you.

DMK wants to keep poor ‘upper castes’ away from EWS reservation benefits, wants quota meant for economically weaker sections only for ‘lower castes’

OpIndia Staff
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DMK wants to keep poor ‘upper castes’ away from EWS reservation benefits, wants quota meant for economically weaker sections only for ‘lower castes’

DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam), the ruling party in Tamil Nadu, argued before the Supreme Court (SC) against including ‘upper castes’ in the 10% quota for economically weaker sections. DMK argued that including upper castes in the scope of the 10% reservation for economically weaker sections (EWS) on the basis of economic status would make a mockery of the policy intended to address the social backwardness of those who were subjected to social oppression.

Reservations are only constitutionally valid when made to achieve social equality and are not technically acceptable when made on the basis of economic concerns, argued the DMK, in a written submission presented to SC by R S Bharati, the party’s organising secretary.

“Reservations have been upheld by this Hon’ble court only on the ground that it is necessary to offset centuries of oppression and social ostracisation. Reservations are affirmative actions to narrow the social gap. Granting reservations to ‘upper castes,’ irrespective of their present economic status, is a mockery of the concept of reservations,” the submission read.

The DMK argued that economic backwardness could not be used to grant EWS quotas in jobs and educational institutions, saying, “Reservations are constitutionally valid only when made to achieve social equality and are not constitutionally valid when made on economic factors as per the judgments of this court.”

“It is well settled that reservation cannot be a poverty alleviation scheme. Reservation is meant to remedy the handicap of prior discrimination impeding the access of classes of people to public administration/education. It is a remedy or a cure for the ill effects of historical discrimination. What qualifies for reservation is backwardness which is the result of identified past discrimination and which is comparable to that of the SC and the ST,” the party further added in its submission.

DMK said that the Supreme Court, in the Indira Sawhney case, had concluded that reservation for the backward classes strives to attain the societal goal of sharing services monopolised by a few of the forward classes. “Such affirmative actions have been upheld as the social and educational difference between the two classes furnished a reasonable basis for classification. The same cannot be said for the rich and poor. Indigence cannot be a rational basis for classification for public employment. Therefore, the present amendments fall foul of the ratio in Indira Sawhney, violate the Indira Sawhney ratio,” it stated.

Essentially, DMK said that social and educational differences in society arise only because of caste, and not because of differences between the rich and the poor.

A slew of petitions against the EWS quota has been filed in the Supreme Court. A five-judge constitution bench led by Chief Justice U U Lalit will begin hearing the matter on September 13.

The Modi government implemented the EWS Quota in 2019, after which a 10% reservation quota for members of the general category Economically Weaker Sections is being offered in public sector educational institutions and government jobs. It was passed to help the poor who were not safeguarded by the reservation policy for SCs, STs, and OBCs.

“Ae Bhai, Zara Dekh Ke Chalo”, Delhi Police uses the hilarious dropped catch by Pakistan fielders to spread awareness about road safety

OpIndia Staff
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“Ae Bhai, Zara Dekh Ke Chalo”, Delhi Police uses the hilarious dropped catch by Pakistan fielders to spread awareness about road safety

Pakistan cricket team’s fielding is a comedy at the best of times, unless you are a Pakistani supporter of course. Pakistan fielders continued to provide comic relief throughout the recently concluded Asia Cup as well with their ordinary efforts. One area where they excelled in providing comic relief was when they tried to take skiers, as their fielders inevitably kept crashing into each other.

Throughout the competition, whenever the opposition’s batsman hit the ball high in the air against Pakistan, inevitably there were two Pakistan fielders going for the same catch crashing into each other. Miraculously, till the finals, all those catches were caught. However, their luck ran out in the final when Asif Ali and Shadab Khan collided while trying to catch Sri Lankan batsman Rajapaksa, and worse, the ball ended up going for a six after the collision.

Those 6 runs combined with the 14 more Rajapaksa scored in the last over after the drop played a key role in getting Sri Lanka over the line as Pakistan were left to rue their chances. The comical dropped catch and the resultant six, when the ball wasn’t going for a six if no fielder had intervened, gave birth to a series of memes.

While netizens across the cricketing world were making fun of the two fielders for their combined efforts to turn a wicket into a six, even police departments decided to join the fun. Delhi Police decided to use the video of the collision between the two Pakistan fielders to highlight the importance of keeping your eyes open on the road, lest an accident like this happen.

Using the lyrics from the famous Bollywood song ‘Ae bhai, zara dekh ke chalo’ from the movie ‘Mera Naam Joker’, Delhi Police used the video of the dropped catch to stress the importance of keeping your eyes open on the road.

This is not the first time that a police department in India has tried to use cricketing mistakes to promote traffic rules. In 2017, after Jasprit Bumrah bowled an expensive No Ball in the Champions Trophy Final, Jaipur Traffic Police used that to caution drivers that they shouldn’t cross the line. However, Bumrah didn’t take too kindly to that and called them out multiple times through his Twitter account.

In the Asia Cup Final, Sri Lanka comfortably beat Pakistan by 23 runs in the end after scoring 170 runs, while Pakistan could only manage 147 runs in reply. The chief architect of Sri Lankan victory was Rajapaksa, who benefitted from that dropped catch.

Why does KCR need Owaisi’s permission to celebrate 17th September as Telangana Liberation Day, the day the murderous Razakars were ousted

S. Sudhir Kumar
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Why does KCR need Owaisi’s permission to celebrate 17th September as Telangana Liberation Day, the day the murderous Razakars were ousted

In his avatar as an agitator and activist for a separate state of Telangana, KCR was very vocal about wanting to commemorate 17th September as an official event of the state government. He wanted the government to call it “Telangana Independence Day”. He thundered and (logically) questioned that if Maharashtra and Karnataka have been commemorating this event as independence days, why should the then AP government also not do it? He thundered – Afterall, the capital of the then Hyderabad state is Hyderabad city; a large portion of the then Hyderabad state (that included current day Telangana, parts of Karnataka and Maharashtra) lies in the Telangana region now.

He thundered – if necessary, I will bring down the (then) Congress government in the state if they don’t commemorate 17th September. The method of delivery of this speech, and the strong tone in the emotion with which KCR delivered his speeches on this topic made everyone believe that he will prioritize this event as soon as he comes to power. 

Once KCR came to power in June 2014, everyone in the state waited for September 17th of that year to remember the gory, ghastly and deadly events leading to September 1948. KCR didn’t do anything that year. When questioned about this in 2015, he went bombastic on those who asked him that question. He now thundered – “Someone wants to call this as “liberation day”. Someone wants to call this an “integration day”. Whichever party wants to commemorate it in whichever manner, they can do so in their party offices. June 2nd is when the state of Telangana is formed and we will celebrate that day in a grand manner.”

In September 2019, KCR stood up in the Assembly and thundered once again. “What difference does it make if we commemorate 17th September or don’t? Will the country drown if we don’t commemorate?” He went on to repeat his 2015 statement on different people wanting to call this differently. And then he went on to explain that while he didn’t forget his original demand, it was only after he came to power in the year 2014 that he was made aware of the various circumstances and incidents during that period. KCR told us that the 2–4-year period after September 1948 was also a very dark period for Telangana, and therefore he decided that there is no point in raking up old happenings because everything is fine now. Yet again, the method of his delivery of this speech, and the soothing tone with which KCR delivered this speech made everyone believe that this topic has now been laid to rest by him. 

On September 3rd, 2022 the Government of India announced that it will be officially commemorating September 17th as Hyderabad Liberation Day. The Chief Ministers of Karnataka, Maharashtra and Telangana were also sent invites for the program. A few hours after this announcement came, the Telangana government announced that it will be commemorating 17th September as “National Integration Day” because it was the day on which the Telangana society entered into a democracy from an autocracy. From demanding a commemoration to dissing those who reminded him about to actually deciding to commemorate it – the circle was now completed by KCR! 

While folks were trying to make sense of the latest U-turn by KCR, came a tweet from AIMIM President, Akbaruddin Owaisi, that cleared the confusion once and for all.  

Owaisi Tweet

Basically, Owaisi had to give his permission to the Telangana government to commemorate this day. And then he also boasted that it took the government only 1 hour to accept his “recommendation”. This very clearly demonstrates the hold the Owaisi family has on the government. All these years, it looks like KCR only waited for this permission from the MIM to fulfil his own demand! This was the same allegation that the BJP had been making for nearly 25 years – that the previous governments were not commemorating this day out of fear of what the MIM will think. The MIM’s nod is necessary for even any development work to happen in the Old City of Hyderabad. The Owaisi brothers have themselves confirmed on multiple occasions that it doesn’t matter which party the CM belongs to; they all will have to toe the line of MIM only. Sr. Owaisi even claimed the steering of the car (referring to TRS’s symbol) is in MIM’s hand. 

It will be pertinent to ask why MIM’s permission is needed to commemorate this event. Because the murderous Razakar “army” was nothing but a militant wing of the MIM party. There are 100s of untold stories of the murderous atrocities committed by the MIM-Razakar combination. After the Indian Army successfully completed Operation Polo, which liberated Hyderabad state from the tyranny of the Nizam, their leader Qasim Rizvi was arrested in 1948. He was released in 1956. Before migrating to Pakistan upon his release, he handed over the reins of MIM to Abdul Wahed Owaisi. The current President of the AIMIM, Asaduddin Owaisi, is the grandson of Abdul Wahed Owaisi. The other grandson, Akbaruddin Owaisi has embodied well the original DNA of MIM (and is famous for his remarks that “If they are given 15 minutes, they will wipe out the 100 crore Hindus of the country”.)

It is now quite obvious why MIM does not want us to remember the events that led to September 1948. It is also quite obvious from Owaisi’s letter to the Government of India that he wants to focus only on the Sunderlal Committee report that focused on the situation in Hyderabad after the liberation was done. This selective reading and propagating of history are what the people have been continuously objecting to, for many years. With such a murderous history, how is it that the MIM party gets to decide what we the people should know and what we should not? 

Why did KCR, who thundered when out of power, have to wait for permission from MIM to commemorate the “journey from autocracy to democracy”? Why did it take an initiative from the Government of India for MIM to give permission to the Telangana government? These are important questions that will need to be discussed when talking about the importance of 17th September. India’s Home Minister hoisted the flag on September 17th, 1948. It took 74 years after that for India’s Home Minister to do the same. It is high time indeed that we know more about our history. 

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