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Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma dubs KGF- Chapter 2 as ‘logic less film’, The Kashmir Files as ‘slow movie with no screenplay’

OpIndia Staff
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Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma dubs KGF- Chapter 2 as ‘logic less film’, The Kashmir Files as ‘slow movie with no screenplay’

Controversial filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has once again stirred the hornet’s nest through his critical remarks on major box office hits like ‘The Kashmir Files’ and ‘KGF- Chapter 2’.

In an interview with Bollywood Hungama, Ram Gopal Varma said, “Two films that have f**ked up everything are KGF – Chapter 2 and The Kashmir Files…The scary part of KGF – Chapter 2 is that nobody in Bollywood liked it.”

Varma claimed that a big Bollywood director told him that he could not watch ‘KGF- Chapter 2’ beyond 30 minutes, despite 5 attempts. He described the movie as an old 70s-era film, a concept that he believed was outdated.

He added, “It’s not like I didn’t like the film. I can’t get the right word. I would say, I was flummoxed. I was watching with my mouth open. Like, ‘F**k, what?”

“The so-called filmmakers look for logic. And when a logic-less film like KGF – Chapter 2 breaks all records, what the f**k do you do then?” Ram Gopal Varma added.

Screengrab of the Bollywood Hungama interview

The controversial filmmaker also made similar unsavoury comments about ‘The Kashmir Files’ and its director Vivek Agnihotri.

He remarked, “The Kashmir Files is no less. It’s made by an unknown director whom Bollywood never took seriously. Anupam Kher was the most known actor in the film. Yet, it ended up making Rs. 250 crores domestically.”

Ram Gopal Varma said, “The Kashmir Files was the slowest film ever made. It goes against whatever we, as filmmakers, learnt what not to be made. There’s no screenplay, no first or second act, no interval and no climax. And people are going gaga over it!”

“I don’t think that in the last 20 years, anybody would have seen a film more seriously than they saw The Kashmir Files,” he concluded.

The Kashmir Files made a mark despite the propaganda

The film ‘The Kashmir Files’ takes the viewers back to 1989, when due to rising Islamic Jihad, a huge conflict erupted in Kashmir, forcing the great majority of Hindus to flee the valley.

Most of the Kashmiri Hindu inhabitants migrated between February and March 1990 in the face of Islamic Jihad. More of them fled in the years that followed until just about 3,000 families remained in the valley by 2011.

The movie which was released on March 11, this year proved to be the biggest hit of the year. Though the film was praised all over the world, a section of Indian opposition parties and leftists tried to run down the film or discredit the story shown within.

While some directly called the film a pack of lies, others tried to target the BJP over the issue. Multiple theories were also peddled to discredit the film and its makers, but the public verdict muted all the criticism.

Anurag Kashyap and Taapsee Pannu’s ‘Dobaaraa’ tanks miserably after they urged audience to boycott the movie, struggles to reach Rs 6 crore mark

OpIndia Staff
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Anurag Kashyap and Taapsee Pannu’s ‘Dobaaraa’ tanks miserably after they urged audience to boycott the movie, struggles to reach Rs 6 crore mark

Taapsee Pannu’s latest Bollywood release named ‘Dobaaraa’ is struggling to make money at the box office. Though the movie which was released on August 19 this year was being promoted by the entire Left-Liberal ecosystem, it is struggling to cross the mere Rs 6-crore mark at the box office collections.

According to the reports, Dobaaraa is battling to stay afloat. Since its debut, the movie has underperformed at the box office, further failing to attract audience to the screens. It also competed against Laal Singh Chaddha and Raksha Bandhan at the box office. However, the subsequent two films have also underperformed.

On Day 1, ‘Dobaaraa’ earned only Rs 72 lakh while its collection progressively improved throughout its first Sunday in the cinemas. However, the figures have steadily declined since then. The film is presently fighting to break the Rs 6 crore mark at the box office. Citing the figures, it is believed that the film’s theatre run might conclude with a meagre Rs 6 crore.

Taapsee Pannu’s film directed by Anurag Kashyap was released only across 370 theatres on August 19. As reported earlier, it failed to garner popular support as it recorded a 2-3 percent occupancy rate on Day 1. Several early screenings of the film were also cancelled.

It’s worth noting that an interview with Anurag Kashyap and Taapsee Pannu went viral only days before the release of Dobaaraa, in which both of them poked fun at boycott calls for various films, including Aamir Khan’s Laal Singh Chaddha. Both of them made fun of people by encouraging them to make their film trend on social media and boycott it.

The film is an approved remake of Mirage, a 2018 Spanish film. Apart from Taapsee Pannu, the Anurag Kashyap-directed movie also stars Pavail Gulati in a key role. It premiered at the London Indian Film Festival 2022 and was later released theatrically across 370 theatres. Dobaaraa’s narrative focuses on a lady who is given the opportunity to save the life of a 12-year-old child who saw a death during a rainstorm 25 years ago. She accomplishes this by connecting via the television set during a similar storm in the present. Gaurav Chatterji and Shor Police have composed the film’s soundtrack.

Uttar Pradesh: Deoband Mufti issues fatwa against Muslim BJP leader from Aligarh for worshipping Lord Ganesha

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Deoband Mufti issues fatwa against Muslim BJP leader from Aligarh for worshipping Lord Ganesha

The Mufti from Deoband has issued a fatwa against BJP leader Ruby Asif Khan from Aligarh for worshipping and establishing Lord Ganesha in his house this Ganesh Chaturthi. The Mufti said that Khan’s conduct is unislamic. Ruby Asif Khan is the Mandal Vice President of BJP’s Mahila Morcha in Aligarh.

Deoband’s Mufti Arshad Farooqui said that Lord Ganesha is highly revered by Hindus and he is known to bring happiness and prosperity with knowledge, but in Islam, there is no idol worship. In Islam, no one is worshiped except Allah. Those who are doing this are against Islam. Those who worship an idol, same decree is issued against them which is issued for those who go against Islam.

In response, Ruby Khan has refused to bow down to the Mufti and blamed people like him for spreading discord in the society. Ruby Khan said that such clerics and muftis are not true Muslims and they just want to divide the country. Ruby also said that fatwas have been issued against her in the past as well, and just like the previous occasions, she does not care about the fatwa this time as well.

Ruby further said that such Muftis and Maulana are of extremist and jihadi mindset and that these people themselves want to discriminate. She said that these people do not talk about Hindustan while staying in India and if he was a true Muslim, he would not have talked like this. Ruby said that she has always been celebrating Hindu festivals and will continue to do so. According to Ruby, the cleric even got posters put up against her in the past but she only wants to maintain Hindu-Muslim unity.

Earlier, it was reported that Ruby Asif Khan has established a Ganesha idol at her home for seven days displaying great communal harmony. Ruby, a resident of ADA colony under Rorawar police circle, brought a Ganesh idol to her home and set it up with all rituals. “We will keep the idol for seven days before immersing it in water on September 6. I and my family do ‘puja’ every day as per rituals and offer ‘modaks’ to the Lord,” Ruby had said.

Assam government carries out major eviction drive in Sonitpur district to recover 330 acres of illegally encroached land

OpIndia Staff
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Assam government carries out major eviction drive in Sonitpur district to recover 330 acres of illegally encroached land

In addition to clamping down Madrasas having links to Islamic terror organisations, the Assam government has increased its efforts to eliminate illegal encroachment from government property. In one such endeavour, the Assam government carried out a large eviction drive in the Sonitpur district on Saturday to clear illegal encroachments from 330 acres of govt land.

According to sources, the drive is taking place along the northern bank of the Brahmaputra River in the No. 3 Chitalmari area of the Barchalla assembly constituency, which is now represented by BJP MLA Ganesh Kumar Limbu.

About 50 excavators, heavy machinery and a large number of workers have been deployed for the drive to demolish the house in the area. Reports suggest that eviction has been carried out peacefully since most of the residents residing there illegally, had already vacated their houses and left the place with their belongings after receiving the eviction notice around 8 months ago.

According to government records, 299 families were living in the area out of which 90 per cent have already left after they were served notices. “The eviction drive has been incident-free so far. There has been no law and order situation,” the officer, who is among those overseeing the exercise, said.

The drive began around 5 am on Saturday, and because most occupants had already left, the structures are being demolished using excavators and other heavy machinery, the official added.

Another police officer stated that the area to be cleared has been divided into three sections and that demolition in one section had been completed by 9 am today.

Excavators lined up for the demolition drive

Around 1,200 security personnel, including Assam Police and paramilitary troops, equipped with anti-riot gear, have been stationed at the site to make sure no untoward incident happens during the eviction drive.

Ahead of today’s drive, entrance, patrols, and area dominance exercises were conducted by security forces on August 31. Some residents who had not vacated after getting the notice left the area in the last two days voluntarily after that exercise. They themselves demolished their huts and took away as many belongings as possible with them.

Assam govt carries out eviction drive in Lumding, recovers 1410 hectares of encroached forest land

Notably, last year on November 8, the Assam government carried out an eviction drive in the Lumding reserve forest in the Hojai district of Assam and recovered 1410 hectares of encroached forest land.

Reportedly, the Lumding reserve forest comprises an area of over 22,403 hectares, out of which 1,410 hectares were encroached upon by illegal settlers. According to Hojai Divisional Forest Officer Gounadeep Das, about 3,000 people from 670 families were living on the encroached land.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had informed that a total of 1500 families were evicted from the Lumding reserve forest.

Violence in Darrang district of Assam during anti-encroachment drive

Prior to this, an eviction drive conducted by the administration in Darrang district in Assam had turned violent after encroachers of the land attacked security forces. While 9 policemen were injured in the attack by the mob of illegal encroachers, 2 attackers were killed in retaliatory police firing.

The incident took place at the Dholpur in the Garukhuti area near the Sipajhar town in Darrang district in Assam, where the Himanta Biswa Sarma government was conducting an eviction drive of illegal settlers on land belonging to the government or other organisations like temples. When the eviction party reached the place inhabited by Bengali-speaking Muslims on Thursday, hundreds of people clashed with the police, attacking them with stones, machetes, pointed bamboo sticks etc.

Assam crackdown on Jihadi terrorists operating from mosques and madarsas

Besides, the Assam government has been clamping down on Jihadi terrorists operating from mosques and madarsas in the state. Recently, the Assam administration and police have demolished multiple Madarsas run and managed by clerics with links to Bangladesh-based terror outfit Al-Qaeda Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) and Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT).

Islamic outfit to file plea in HC seeking directions to disallow religious activities of ‘other communities’ in Eidgah Maidan after Ganesh Utsav ‘disturbed’ them

OpIndia Staff
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Islamic outfit to file plea in HC seeking directions to disallow religious activities of ‘other communities’ in Eidgah Maidan after Ganesh Utsav ‘disturbed’ them

The Islamic group Anjuman-e-Islam has claimed that it will file a contempt case against the Hubballi-Dharwad municipal corporation commissioner in the Karnataka High Court for allowing Ganesh Chaturthi festivities at the Eidgah Maidan in the Hubbali district of Karnataka. This comes after the Karnataka High Court granted permission for Ganesh Chaturthi festivities at the site.

Vice-president of Anjuman-e-Islam Altaf Nawaz said that the Muslim group will take the Hubballi-Dharwad municipal corporation commissioner to court for contempt. “We will be moving the high court seeking directions to disallow religious activities of other communities at the Idgah ground. Our organisation has been given the Idgah ground for a lease period of 999 years by the Supreme Court,” he said.

“Any other community using the ground for religious purposes will be in contempt of the court. Although we are not against the celebrations of other religious communities, this three-day Ganesh Utsav at the Idgah ground has really disturbed us,” he further added.

The installation of Ganesh’s idol at Hubbali Eidgah Maidan took place on August 31 after the Karnataka High Court approved Ganesh Chaturthi festivities there.

In a petition, Anjuman-E-Islam argued against the Dharwad Municipality’s approval of the site’s use for Ganesh Puja. The Court, however, rejected the argument, stating that the municipality owned the land and that Muslims could not forbid others from using it since they were permitted to worship there twice a year.

The three-day Ganesh Utsav at the Eidgah Maidan in Karnataka’s Hubbali district concluded on Friday, with the Ganesh idol installed at the site submerged at Sadashiv Nagar’s immersion point. The concluding procession was organised by the Rani Chennamma Maidana Gajanana Utsav Mahamandali. The organisers held a Mahamangalarthi (ritual) before the procession and auctioned off the jewellery and clothing used to embellish the Ganesh idol. The deity was then immersed in an artificial pond at Sadashiv Nagar.

Sanjay Bhadaskar, Mahamandali head and Vishva Hindu Parishad leader, supervised the procession, as did BJP leader Mahesh Tenginkai and members of the VHP, Sri Rama Sene, RSS, Somavamsha Sahasrarjun Kshatriya Sama, Hindu Jagarana Vedike, and the Hindustan Janata Party.

African students offer Namaz at GD Goenka University football ground, registrar directs them to use hostel room or Mosque after Hindu students protest

OpIndia Staff
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African students offer Namaz at GD Goenka University football ground, registrar directs them to use hostel room or Mosque after Hindu students protest

On August 30th, a group of around 20 students staged a protest against foreign students offering Namaz on the football ground at GD Goenka University located on Sohna-Gurgaon road. The protesters also registered a complaint at the University registrar stating that there should be no practice of any religion in an open space.

According to the reports, the protesters raised slogans like ‘Jai Shri Ram’, ‘Ek hi naara, ek hi naam, Jai Shri Ram, Jai Shri Ram’ and objected to Islamic prayers being offered in the open space. Notably, the students who offered Namaz in an open space belonged to African countries including Nigeria and Ethiopia.

The incident is said to have happened on Tuesday, August 30 for a brief period when around 8-10 foreign students offered Namaz on the football ground of the University. The students who staged the protest complained to the registrar that students should offer Namaz either in their hostel room or in the places of worship.

“If they want to study namaz, then they have to go to their allotted hostel room… especially outsiders are not allowed for worship namaz… they should go to a nearby mosque. There should be a class on Friday for all students and no one should get a proxy if they are going (to) worship namaz (sic)”, the complaint read.

The students also demanded different plates categorized as veg or non-veg in the hostel. “There should be no discrimination between Hindus and Muslims. But there should be different plates categorized as veg or non-veg in the hostel. The plates should not be mixed”, the complaint letter read.

The incident was immediately recognized by the registrar named Dr Dhirendra Singh Parihar who amicably settled the matter within 15-20 minutes. He also directed the foreign students to offer Namaz in their hostel rooms or at the place of worship and not in the University open spaces. The registrar meanwhile rubbished the rumours that the University had allowed a special room for students to offer Namaz.

“These rumours are baseless. The university does not discriminate between any communities. There has not been any conflict in the university in the past on these issues”, he was quoted. He meanwhile also added that those students who staged the protest were not associated with any political party.

Inspector Umesh Kumar, SHO Sohna City Gurugram while talking to OpIndia confirmed the incident and said, “During our routine patrolling, we went inside Goenka University. We had received information about the incident on phone. However, on reaching there we were told by the university administration that no such dispute had occurred. They said that it was their internal matter which had been resolved”.

According to the inspector, no written complaint has been received from any side. He also confirmed that there was a misunderstanding amongst the students and that the situation is completely under control now.

India overtakes the United Kingdom, becomes world’s 5th largest economy: Details

OpIndia Staff
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India overtakes the United Kingdom, becomes world’s 5th largest economy: Details

India has overtaken the United Kingdom to become the 5th largest economy in the world, reported Bloomberg. The development comes amidst a drastic surge in the cost of living in the UK.

As per the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) figures published by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), India achieved the feat in the last 3 months (October, November and December) of 2021. The lead over the UK was further extended in the first quarter of 2022.

“The UK’s decline down the international rankings is an unwelcome backdrop for the new prime minister, and comes in the final few days of Boris Johnson’s time in power,” the publication said.

The new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom will have to circumvent the nation through a period of growing inflation, followed by a phase of recession. India, on the other hand, is expected to perform better than its European and North American allies. The economy is likely to grow by 7%

In nominal cash terms, India’s economy stood at $854.7 billion as compared to the United Kingdom’s $816 billion on the last day of the first quarter in March this year.

Bloomberg emphasised, “The UK is likely to have fallen further since. UK GDP grew just 1% in cash terms in the second quarter and, after adjusting for inflation, shrank 0.1%. Sterling has also underperformed the dollar relative to the rupee, with the pound falling 8% against the Indian currency this year.”

The GDP calculations were made with the help of the IMF database and the Bloomberg terminal’s historic exchange rates.

It must be mentioned that India was ranked 11 just about a decade ago. The United Kingdom had held its position as the world’s 5th largest so far but has now slipped to the 6th position. India is surging on its plan to make the country, a $5 trillion economy. India has now taken the 5th spot, and is now behind the Unites State, China, Japan and Germany.

Earlier in 2019, British consultancy multinational, PwC, had predicted that India would overtake the United Kingdom in the rankings of the world’s largest economies. The UK is projected to fall two places to 7th with France expected to march ahead of them as well.

“India and France are likely to surpass the UK in the world’s largest economy rankings in 2019, knocking it from fifth to seventh place in the global table,” PwC’s Global Economy Watch report said. The report projected a 7.6% real GDP growth rate for India, 1.7% for France and 1.6% for the UK.

The report also remarked that although France and UK had often switched places due to roughly equal populations and levels of development, India’s climb in the rankings was likely to be permanent.

“India is the fastest growing large economy in the world, with an enormous population, favourable demographics and high catch-up potential due to low initial GDP per head. It is, therefore, all but certain to continue to rise in the global GDP league table in the coming decades,” the report stated.

Jharkhand Police knew Dumka Hindu girl Ankita was minor when burnt alive by Shahrukh Hussain, had over-written her age as 19: Reports

OpIndia Staff
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Jharkhand Police knew Dumka Hindu girl Ankita was minor when burnt alive by Shahrukh Hussain, had over-written her age as 19: Reports

Days after the Jharkhand Child Welfare Committee revealed that deceased Ankita Singh, who was murdered by her stalker Shahrukh Hussain, was a minor when she was burnt alive. Media reports now indicate that the Jharkhand Police already knew the fact that she was a minor and had deliberately mentioned her age as 19 in the Police report.

According to the reports, the Jharkhand Police had first mentioned in the complaint that the girl was 17 when she died and later had overwritten the same to make it 19. On Thursday however, the Police accepted that the girl was aged 15 at the time of the incident and added the sections of the POCSO Act against accused Shahrukh Hussain and Naeem.

It is believed that the Jharkhand Police while investigating the case made attempts to save the two accused from severe punishment under the POCSO Act. The officers deliberately changed the age of the deceased to make her look like an adult. Notably, deceased Ankita had also mentioned her age as 17 in her police statement.

It is alleged that the police tried to help the accused in the initial phase by mentioning the victim’s age as 19. However, the victim’s statement was recorded in the presence of the magistrate. The Police Headquarters now has directed the Dumka DIG to look into the matter and has ordered an inquiry related to the complaint of overwriting in age.

Earlier on September 1, the Jharkhand Police had accepted that the girl was 15 when she was murdered and had added relevant sections of POCSO to the case. This is after the Jharkhand Child Welfare Committee had taken cognizance of the incident and had revealed that Ankita who was studying in class 12 was a minor as per her birth documents and certificates. The CWC brought out the deceased’s class 10 mark sheet which mentioned her date of birth as November 26, 2006.

To note, 15-year-old Ankita Singh, was a resident of Dumka and was burnt alive by two accused named Shahrukh and Naeem. The accused allegedly poured the inflammable fuel on her from the window of her bedroom when she was fast asleep. She was taken to the hospital shortly after the incident and on August 28, she succumbed to her burn injuries.

Days after Ankita’s death, videos of her last words went viral over social media where she could be heard demanding painful death for the accused who set her on fire. “He should die the way I am dying today,” the Dumka girl had said who breathed her last at 2.30 am on Sunday.

West Bengal: As Mamata Banerjee’s nephew gets interrogated by ED, TMC leader Raju Sahani arrested by CBI in chit fund scam

OpIndia Staff
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West Bengal: As Mamata Banerjee’s nephew gets interrogated by ED, TMC leader Raju Sahani arrested by CBI in chit fund scam

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested Trinamool Congress (TMC) politician and Halisahar Municipality chairman Raju Sahani on Friday in connection with a chit fund scam. During the raids at Sahani’s home, the CBI confiscated Rs 80 lakh in cash. The CBI apparently tracked accounts in international banks and discovered documentation for properties worth Rs 2.75 crores.

An inquiry has been launched into the matter, according to officials. Raju Sahani is reported to have been arrested in connection with a Ponzi scheme probe. A shotgun with live bullets was also recovered from his home. Meanwhile, the CBI alleges that Sahani and others misappropriated money from a firm named Sanmarg Welfare Organization.

Notably, Sahani was arrested on the same day that Trinamool MP and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew and TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee was interrogated for seven hours by the Enforcement Directorate in the alleged coal pilferage scandal. Abhishek Banerjee is the Trinamool Congress’s national general secretary and the Lok Sabha member from Diamond Harbour.

The TMC is already under fire after the arrests of Partha Chatterjee and Anubrata Mondal by the Enforcement Directorate and the CBI, respectively. Partha Chatterjee was denied bail on August 31 by a PMLA special court and was placed in judicial imprisonment for 14 days. The PMLA court also extended the judicial detention of Chatterjee’s partner, Arpita Mukherjee, by 14 days.

In response to a request from the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is looking into the suspected money trail in the School Service Commission appointments scandal, Judge Jibon Kumar Sadhu approved the pair’s judicial custody till September 14.

Manipur mid-night drama: Nitish Kumar foxed as 5 out of 6 JDU MLAs merge with the BJP, only Mohammad Nasir left with the party

OpIndia Staff
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Manipur mid-night drama: Nitish Kumar foxed as 5 out of 6 JDU MLAs merge with the BJP, only Mohammad Nasir left with the party

Days after Nitish Kumar severed ties with the BJP in Bihar and formed a government with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), 5 MLAs of the Janata Dal United (JDU) joined hands with the saffron party on Friday (September 2).

The development came a day before the National Executive meeting of the JD(U) and has dented the ambitious plans of the Bihar CM to become the 2024 Prime Ministerial candidate for the ‘united opposition.’

The Janata Dal United had 6 MLAs in the 60-member Manipur Vidhan Sabha. In a late-night drama, 5 of them merged with the BJP government in the State, which is led by CM N Biren Singh.

The MLas include Khumukcham Joykisan Singh (Thangmeiband), Mohammed Achab Uddin (Jiribam), Thangjam Arunkumar (Wangkhei), Ngursanglur Sanate (Tipaimukh), and  L.M. Khaute (Churachandpur). Only 1 MLA, namely, Mohammed Nasir from the Lilong constituency, did not join the saffron party.

In a bulletin, Manipur Vidhan Sabha Secretary K. Meghajit Singh informed that Speaker Thokchom Satyabrata Singh has accepted the merger of JD(U) with the BJP under the 10th Schedule of the Indian Constitution.

The 10th schedule [pdf] of the Indian Constitution states “no member will be disqualified from the membership of the House where she/he makes a claim that she/he and any other members of her/his legislature party constitute a group representing a faction which has arisen as a result of a split in her/his original political party and such group consists of not less than one-third members of the legislature party concerned.”

The Opposition has cried foul over the political development that transpired in Manipur on September 2. Congress leader Ningombam Bupenda Meitei tweeted, “There will be a move to the High Court to disqualify them. Save the Constitution, Save Democracy.”

Nitish first formed an alliance with BJP in 2005 and won elections. He won the 2010 elections also in alliance with the BJP. In 2013 he snapped ties with BJP. In 2015, he joined hands with RJD and contested elections and formed a government.

However, in 2017, the alliance broke and he formed government again with BJP alliance. He then contested 2020 elections in Bihar with JDU-BJP alliance and won and now, 2 years later, he again decided to break alliance with BJP and will likely form government with the RJD.

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