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Aamir Khan starrer ‘Mogul’ shelved indefinitely after Laal Singh Chaddha’s box office failure: Report

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Aamir Khan starrer ‘Mogul’ shelved indefinitely after Laal Singh Chaddha’s box office failure: Report

T-Series, India’s largest music company, has reportedly shelved its upcoming project ‘Mogul’—Gulshan Kumar biopic starring Aamir Khan. Khan was going to play the character of Gulshan Kumar in the film but after the failure of ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’ at the box office, ‘Mogul’ director Subhash Kapoor decided to shelve the movie and move on to his next film ‘Jolly LLB 3’.

As per reports, Bhushan Kumar, son of T-Series founder Gulshan Kumar, was keen on bringing his father’s inspiring story of becoming a music mogul to the silver screen. Director Subhash Kapoor wrote the script for the movie, and actor Akshay Kumar was initially approached to play the role of Gulshan Kumar. The first poster of the film was released on March 15, 2017.

However, Akshay walked out of the movie because of differences in the script. Aamir Khan, who was initially also attached to the project as a producer, agreed to play the role after Varun Dhawan and Kapil Sharma reportedly turned down the offer.

Aamir’s team said the actor was about to start working on ‘Mogul’ after finishing the work on ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’. However, T-Series, the chief producer of the movie shelved the project indefinitely.

The decision to stall ‘Mogul’ comes in the wake of Laal Singh Chaddha’s failure at the box office. Aamir Khan starrer ‘Laal Singh Chaddha landed in soup after it faced boycott calls on social media platforms over the actor’s indiscreet comments made in the past. Khan had said that he and his wife were mulling over migrating outside India over “rising intolerance”, a comment that did not go down well with the audience, who chose to stay away from his latest film.

Users also called for the boycott of ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’ over Aamir Khan’s movie PK, wherein the actor had mocked Hindu Gods and beliefs. Consequently, LSC became Aamir Khan’s lowest opener in 13 years. Several theatres across the country cancelled the shows of Laal Singh Chaddha due to low occupancy.

Russia asks Indian companies to provide parts and services to their defence equipment customers amid Ukraine crisis and sanctions: Report

OpIndia Staff
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Russia asks Indian companies to provide parts and services to their defence equipment customers amid Ukraine crisis and sanctions: Report

The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has affected Russian defence export earnings as well as the country’s own military assets. Moreover, Russian defence firms are unable to fulfil the service commitment they have made to their overseas customers. Because of the distribution network crisis, the Russian defence industry has turned to the Indian arms industry to source spares and human capital for their clients as specified in their agreements.

According to a report by the Indian Defense News, ROSTEC, the Russian defence conglomerate in charge of Moscow’s weapons industry, is said to have contacted an unspecified number of Indian firms about supplying them with artillery, tanks, air-defence systems, and other exported equipment. There is also a demand for Indian engineers with technical knowledge of these mechanisms, as India has extensive experience in using, manufacturing and servicing Russian equipment.

According to open-source intelligence (OSINT), ROSTEC contacted the following Indian companies: Armoured Vehicles Nigam, Advanced Weapons & Equipment India, and Yantra India, all of which are indigenous public-owned enterprises with production lines throughout the country. However, Yantra India, Armoured Vehicles Nigam, or Advanced Weapons & Equipment India did not comment on this issue.

Over the last few decades, these companies have been known to manufacture Russian military material under licence from Russian companies. The Indian companies have supposedly been asked to assist Russian industries in honouring contract terms with their clientele as well as supplying the Russian military equipment in the ongoing military confrontation. The war has hindered ROSTEC’s supply network, with sources to their armed services and export equipment claiming a significant toll, particularly in Southeast Asia.

In addition, because of the sanctions levied by the United States and the European Union, South Asian and African clients appear reluctant to sign contracts with Russian industries. Regulations appear to have discouraged South Asian and African clients from entering into contracts, particularly those involving the maintenance of components that have already been supplied, as they panic about becoming barred from Western capital market segments. As a result, these countries also are turning towards India for spare parts and servicing of Russian military equipment.

Russia’s United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) has specifically asked Indian companies, Krasny Defence Technologies (formerly known as Krasny Marine Services) and Crown Group, to provide the qualified expertise to both maintain and operate Russian arms and warships in multiple Southeast Asian countries. The Indian Defense News has reported that Lieutenant Commander Suresh Nanda (Retired), the son of a former Indian Navy Chief, Admiral S.M Nanda, heads Crown Group and has reportedly had connections with USC in India for many years.

India has already expressed interest in assisting Russian customers in South East Asia and Africa. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has expressed interest in maintaining and servicing the Malaysian Su-30 MKM fighter jets. HAL, as one of the leading manufacturers of Russian-origin Su-30 aircraft, recently claimed it could provide the RMAF with the appropriate help for the Su-30 MKM battle group, which is currently experiencing low maintainability due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. HAL signed a contract on August 18 to establish a facility in Kuala Lumpur.

Uganda in Africa also has signed a contract for the servicing and technical assistance of its Sukhoi Su-30MK2 fighter jets with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in India. According to the Ugandan news website The Independent, the MOU was executed on March 4, 2022, by Charles Lutaaya, commander of the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces, and the Indian High Commission in Uganda.

Up till now, servicing has been handled by United Aircraft Corporation of Russia, more notably the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Plant. Ugandan jets were refurbished at the facility after accidents in 2012 and 2016. Regarding the justification for the switch from Russian to Indian maintenance support, neither the Ugandan military nor HAL have made any statements. Six Su-30s were initially owned by the Ugandan Air Force, however one crashed in 2020, killing both pilots.

Girish Linganna, an Indian Defence Analyst, said, “India is one of the largest users of former Soviet and Russian equipment outside Russia and has immense expertise in maintaining Russian equipment. It has been building the Russian Su-30s in its Nashik plant. Coincidently, 11 Base Repair Depot (11 BRD) of Air Force Station at Ojhar, also in Nasik, has been overhauling the Mig-29s for a long and has accumulated a lot of indigenized parts for the aircraft. HAL manufactures RD-33 Series-3 Engine for the IAF Mig-29s. India can offer its services for the maintenance of Russian Su-30 and Mig-29 aircraft to operators in Asia and elsewhere. The Indian Air Force is also retiring its MiG-21s by 2025. India can offer spare parts and repair services to interested users around the globe.”

In the midst of the continuing geopolitical unrest, India is treading a fine line in its relations with Kremlin, as well as with the latter’s military and energy industries, while retaining its status as America’s key ally in Southeast Asia.

‘When I was on honeymoon, there was a lookout notice against me’: Bihar’s deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav in assembly

OpIndia Staff
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‘When I was on honeymoon, there was a lookout notice against me’: Bihar’s deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav in assembly

On Wednesday, 24th August 2022, Bihar’s deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav alleged that he was targetted by the central government using various agencies even at the time of his honeymoon. Tejashwi Yadav said that when he was on honeymoon, a lookout notice was put up for him. He also said that when Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya left the country after executing a big scam, there was no lookout notice for them.

Tejashwi Yadav was addressing the Bihar assembly house on the occasion of the confidence vote of the newly-formed RJD-JDU government led by chief minister Nitish Kumar in which the young RJD leader became the deputy chief minister. The RJD-JDU alliance won the confidence vote by voice voting. BJP MLAs walked out of the house during this voting.

Attacking the BJP accusing the party of misusing central investigation agencies against the opposition, Tejashwi Yadav said, “When we went on a honeymoon abroad, there was a lookout notice against us. But there was no lookout notice on Lalit Modi, Nirav Modi, or Vijay Mallya when they escaped executing a fraud of lakhs of crores. Do you mean to say that Tejashwi Yadav is the only thief and dishonest in the country?”

He further said, “Everyone knows that I, my family, my father, my brother, my sister got the punishment for creating equality, brotherhood, harmony in the society. But you should try to understand one thing, we are socialists. We are part of and lineage of socialist politics. We are not cowards. People sitting in Delhi do not understand Bihar. Bihari is not going to be scared.”

Tejashwi Yadav also spoke on the CBI raid at the under-construction Urban Cubes Mall in Gurugram’s Sector 71. According to reports, this mall belongs to Tejashwi Yadav, but he refuted it saying he does not own it. He said, “Raid a lot, don’t move from the mall. Unfortunately, this is how the country’s largest investigating agency is investigating. The mall does not belong to me. But they are unnecessarily naming me in this case. The name of the mall is Urban Cubes. On getting the details, it was found that the director of this company is Krishna Kumar. He hails from Bhiwani, Haryana. We have come to the assembly with the entire company’s documents. This mall has been inaugurated by a BJP MP.”

The investigative agency is conducting raids at various sites related to the RJD leader as it is probing an alleged scam that dates back to Lalu Yadav’s time as the UPA-I government’s minister of railways. On May 18, 2022, CBI filed a case against Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, and his daughters Misa Bharti and Hema Yadav. The CBI also named 12 others in this case who were given jobs in the railway zones of Mumbai, Jabalpur, Kolkata, Jaipur, and Hajipur.

Lalu Prasad’s family paid the sellers in cash for lands measuring 1,05,292 square feet in Patna. These lands allegedly belong to job seekers’ families and were transferred or purchased in exchange for group-D jobs on the railways. According to the FIR, the people were appointed based on forged documents without any advertisement or public notice. Tejashwi Yadav denied these allegations in his today’s speech in the state assembly.

West Bengal: Pregnant woman kicked in the stomach for refusing to hand over land to a builder, victim’s family names TMC leaders for the assault

OpIndia Staff
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West Bengal: Pregnant woman kicked in the stomach for refusing to hand over land to a builder, victim’s family names TMC leaders for the assault

In a shocking incident in West Bengal, goons allegedly linked with the Trinamool Congress Party kicked an eight-month pregnant woman in the stomach. This incident took place in north Kolkata’s Narkeldanga area on Sunday, 21st August 2022. The victim’s family had a dispute with a builder over a plot.

The injured woman is admitted to a hospital and undergoing treatment. The police have arrested eight people in this case but the victim’s family has alleged that the suspected key instigators including Beleghata MLA Paresh Paul and former councilor Swapan Sammadar are not yet arrested.

Shibshankar Das, the father-in-law of the aggrieved woman, said that a group of TMC supporters allegedly broke into their house in the Narkeldanga area of north Kolkata and assaulted him and his son Dipak. Shibshankar Das admitted that his family had a dispute with a builder over a plot. The family rushed to a nearby police station to seek help but instead of getting help, they were arrested.

The matter relates to a plot that is owned by four persons, including Shibshankar Das. One builder has come forward to build a multi-story building at the site, for which the other three owners have agreed but Das is refusing. The family said that they are facing harassment for refusing the consent, and they were attached for the same reason.

Shibshankar Das said, “When we returned home after securing bail from a court, we found that my daughter-in-law was badly beaten up by the goons. Others at home were also assaulted.” According to reports, MLA Paresh Pal, councilor Papia Ghosh, and former councilor Swapan Samaddar have been named in the incident. The woman has accused the people of the neighborhood of beating her. Bharatiya Janata Party’s Mahila Morcha protested at Narkeldanga police station in protest against the incident.

BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar visited the pregnant woman who is undergoing treatment at the hospital. He said, “I don’t know if the Hon’ble Chief Minister is ashamed or not, but I am ashamed. A pregnant woman was kicked in the stomach. Why are the police there? The ‘Gunda Raj’ is going on in Kolkata. Forceful intimidation and brandishing a firearm have become normal. The police and administration are working as a syndicate with the political goons.”

West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar said that the TMC is a savage outfit and members of the party have lost all ethics. He said, “Those TMC leaders, who have been named in the case, were also accused of post-poll violence. The TMC has turned into a savage political outfit. They have lost all moral values and ethics which are followed in politics.”

Local TMC leader Swapan Sammadar said that the TMC had nothing to do with the incident. He said, “None of our party activists were involved in the assault. The allegations against us are baseless and politically motivated.” He also claimed that the arrest of eight people, including TMC supporters, exemplified police suppressing TMC workers. He said, “Some police officials are behaving in a way as if the TMC is no longer in power. as if they have become a law unto themselves.”

BJP’s Mahila Morcha protested outside the Narkeldanga police station and demanded a neutral investigation by the police in this case. The protestors said that their main complaint is against Paresh Paul and Papia Ghosh. The BJP members asked who should be held responsible for this foeticide. Meanwhile, the police have registered a case in this matter under section 354 of the Indian Penal Code. So far, eight people are arrested in connection with this incident.

YouTube channel of the Congress party deleted, party says it is probing whether it was a technical glitch or sabotage

OpIndia Staff
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YouTube channel of the Congress party deleted, party says it is probing whether it was a technical glitch or sabotage

The official YouTube channel of the Congress party got deleted on Wednesday. A visit to the channel shows the message that the page is not available.

While the cause of the YouTube channel going missing is not known yet, the Congress party said that it can be either a glitch or sabotage and the party is looking into the matter. Informing about the development, the Congress party informed through its official Twitter account that their YouTube channel ‘Indian National Congress’ has been deleted and that they are fixing it and have been in touch with Google/YouTube teams.

The Congress party added in the tweet, “We are investigating what caused this – a technical glitch or sabotage.”

The YouTube channel of the party mostly covers various events of the party and rallies and meetings attended by party leaders. Before its deletion, the channel had over two million subscribers, almost half of the subscribers of BJP’s YouTube Channel.

Thailand Constitutional Court suspends prime minister Prayuth Chan-ocha till the court decides whether his term has ended or not

OpIndia Staff
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Thailand Constitutional Court suspends prime minister Prayuth Chan-ocha till the court decides whether his term has ended or not

The constitution court of Thailand today temporarily suspended prime minister Prayuth Chan-ocha over allegations that he has continued in the post after the expiry of his term. The court ruled that the PM will remain suspended till it probes the allegation.

Opposition MPs had approached the court alleging that Prayuth should have resigned from his office as he has spent eight years in power. According to the constitution of Thailand, prime ministers can’t be on post for more than eight years. Prayuth Chan-ocha had become the prime minister following a coup in 2014, and therefore eight years have passed since then.

The former army chief had seized power in the 2014 military coup and then was re-elected in 2019 in a heavily restricted election. As the military leader, Prayuth had seized power in May 2014 after the coup and in August 2014, he had appointed himself the prime minister of the new military government. Therefore, opposition argues that his term as the PM started in August 2014 and it ended this week.

“The court considered the petition and supporting documents and deems the facts according to the request indicate reasonable grounds to suspect that there is a case as requested,” the court said in the judgement. It added that Prayuth is suspended as prime minister, effective 24 August 2022, by a majority vote of four out of five, until the court issues a final verdict.

Prayuth has been given 15 days to respond to the petition.

Deputy Prime Minster Prawit Wongsuwan will be the interim head of the govt for the time being. Wongsuwan is also a former army chief and a close aide of Prayuth.

Rejecting the claim of the opposition, the suspended PM and his supporters claim that his term has not ended as because the new constitution came into force only in 2017, and therefore his term as PM began in 2017. Some even claim that his term should be counted from 2019, when he had won an election and was re-elected to office.

If the court rules in Prayuth’s favour, he could stay in the office till 2025 or even 2027, while the next general elections in Thailand are scheduled for next year. However, polls show that majority of the people in the country want him to leave office, and protests against the PM as growing over various including his handling of the economy.

Noida Court grants bail to lawyer Bhaavya Roy, arrested for abusing a security guard and using casteist slurs against him

OpIndia Staff
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Noida Court grants bail to lawyer Bhaavya Roy, arrested for abusing a security guard and using casteist slurs against him

On Wednesday, a Noida court granted bail to advocate Bhaavya Roy, who was detained and taken into judicial custody after being charged with abusing security officers at her residential community at Jaypee Wish Town in Noida sector 126.

According to the reports, Richa Upadhyay, Chief Judicial Magistrate granted Roy’s bail application. The incident is said to have happened on August 21 when Roy abused her society’s security guard named Anoop Kumar. She called the security guard ‘Bihari’ and used other sexually filthy words for him.

Roy was intoxicated at the time of the incident, the video of which went viral over social media. In the video, she could be seen punching the guard, claiming that three other girls had also filed a complaint against him. She first grabbed the guard’s hand and later hurled abuses at him.

Meanwhile, the guard’s colleagues and the other security guards gathered at the spot and tried to pacify the situation. The viral video also showed her grabbing the guard’s collar and abusing him by calling him a ‘Bihari’. After the incident, the security guard identified as Anoop Kumar filed a complaint at Sector 126 police station.

Additional Commissioner of Police Bharati Singh also had taken cognizance of the event and confirmed that the woman had misbehaved with security personnel of the society. “Police registered a case based on the complaint of the security guard. Her vehicle has been brought to PS and she has been arrested”, she had said on August 21.

Bhaavya Roy was arrested on the very same day of the incident and was sent to 14 days of judicial custody. She was booked for offences under Sections 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) of the Indian Penal Code.

Kerala: CPI(M) MLA KT Jaleel brazens out his ‘Azad Kashmir’ remark after magistrate directs police to file a case against him

OpIndia Staff
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Kerala: CPI(M) MLA KT Jaleel brazens out his ‘Azad Kashmir’ remark after magistrate directs police to file a case against him

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) MLA KT Jaleel of Kerala justified his ‘Azad Kashmir’ remark after a district magistrate in Kerala directed the police to file a case against the leader based on the complaint given by a local RSS leader. KT Jaleel said that many other politicians have used the term ‘Azad Kashmir’ but he is selectively being targetted.

Accordingly, a case is registered in the Pathanamthitta police station against KT Jaleel under section 153B of the Indian Penal Code (Assertions prejudicial to national integration). This case is registered over his Facebook post in which he used the words ‘Azad Kashmir’ to describe Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK).

MLA KT Jaleel said, “There are many scholars & politicians who have used Azad Kashmir. Some people are trying to target me. Many Congress leaders and BJP leaders have criticized me harshly for using Azad Kashmir.”

The controversy erupted after MLA KT Jaleel called POK ‘Azad Kashmir’ in one of his Facebook posts when he visited Jammu and Kashmir. He wrote this post on 12th August 2022.

Calling PoK ‘Azad Kashmir’, he wrote, “The part of Kashmir, which was annexed to Pakistan, came to be known as ‘Azad Kashmir’. It is an area where the Government of Pakistan has no direct influence. Only currency and military aid are under Pakistan’s control. Azad Kashmir had its own army. When Zia-ul-Haq was the president of Pakistan, the unified army became the common army of Azad Kashmir. In short, the Government of Pakistan does not have any significant powers in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) administratively.”

The Thavanur MLA criticized the abrogation of Article 370 while describing Kashmir’s Occupied Territories as truly independent. It is notable that KT Jaleel is supposed to be a close ally and advisor of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Gurugram: CBI raids Urban Cubes mall allegedly owned by RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, the Bihar Deputy CM denies ownership

OpIndia Staff
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Gurugram: CBI raids Urban Cubes mall allegedly owned by RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, the Bihar Deputy CM denies ownership

On 24th August 2022, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted raids at a mall in Gurugram in Haryana. The Urban Cubes mall which was raided is reportedly owned by Bihar’s deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav. This mall is situated in Sector 71 and the CBI raid is in connection with the land-for-job scam in Bihar.

Besides this mall, the CBI also raided many other places including Whiteland Corporation Private Limited located in the Worldmark building in Sector 65 of Gurugram. According to a report by ABP News, construction of the Urban Cubes mall was done by the Whiteland company. Tejashwi Yadav’s family owns a share in this company. Bihar’s deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav has denied that he owns the mall. He said that the mall does not belong to him and that a BJP MP inaugurated it.

The investigative agency is conducting raids at various sites related to the RJD leader as it is probing an alleged scam that dates back to Lalu Yadav’s time as the UPA-I government’s minister of railways. Raids are currently taking place at the homes of RJD MP Ashfaque Karim, Rajya Sabha MP Faiyaz Ahmad, RJD MLC Sunil Singh, EX MLC Subodh Rai, and Former RJD MLA Abu Dojana. The agency is simultaneously raiding 25 locations.

While it has been widely reported that Tejashwi Yadav owns the Urban Cubes Mall, the Bihar Deputy CM has rejected the claim. He said that he does not own the mall, adding that it was inaugurated by a BJP MP. Tejashwi Yadav said in the Bihar assembly today that he has enquired about the mall, and found that its director is one Krishna Kumar from Bhiwani in Haryana. He said that his name was being linked with the mall under a conspiracy by the BJP, and he has all the documents to prove it.

On May 18, 2022, CBI filed a case against Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, and his daughters Misa Bharti and Hema Yadav. The CBI also named 12 others in this case who were given jobs in the railway zones of Mumbai, Jabalpur, Kolkata, Jaipur, and Hajipur.

Lalu Prasad’s family paid the sellers in cash for lands measuring 1,05,292 square feet in Patna. These lands allegedly belong to job seekers’ families and were transferred or purchased in exchange for group-D jobs on the railways. According to the FIR, the people were appointed based on forged documents without any advertisement or public notice.

Jaiveer Shergill resigns as Congress Spokesperson and quits party, says leadership only listening to sycophants

OpIndia Staff
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Jaiveer Shergill resigns as Congress Spokesperson and quits party, says leadership only listening to sycophants

On August 24, Congress leader Jaiveer Shergill resigned from the post of National Spokesperson. He tendered his resignation to the Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi, in which he claimed that the vision of the decision-makers was no longer in sync with the aspirations of the youth.

He wrote, “I hereby resign from the post of National Spokesperson of the Panty. The primary reason being that the ideology and the vision of the current decision-makers of the Indian National Congress are no longer in sync with the aspirations of the youth and modern India.”

Shergill has confirmed to ANI that he has quit the Congress party too.

Source: Twitter

He added, “Furthermore, it pains me to say that decision making is no longer for the interests of the public and the Country, rather, it is influenced by the self-serving interests of individuals indulging in sycophancy and consistently ignoring on-ground reality. This is something I cannot morally accept or continue to work with. However, I shall forever remain indebted for all the opportunities the Party has granted me during my association with the Party.”

Hailing from Punjab, Shergill, who is a lawyer by profession, is considered to be one of the most prominent young Congress leaders. News agency ANI quoted him saying, “I’ve resigned from all posts in the Congress party. The primary reason for the resignation is that the decision-making in INC is no longer being done, keeping the interests of the public. It’s purely being influenced by a coterie who merely indulges in sycophancy.”

Anand Sharma’s resignation from Steering Committee

Shergill’s resignation came only three days after senior Congress leader Anand Sharma’s resignation from the chairmanship of the Steering Committee for Himachal Pradesh. In a letter to Sonia Gandhi, Sharma said he could not negotiate when it came to his self-respect, and he resigned from the post. Sharma said he was being ignored in the consultation process. He alleged that he was neither being consulted nor invited to the party meetings. However, he added that he would continue to campaign for the party candidates for upcoming elections. Sharma was appointed as Steering Committee Chairman on April 26.

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