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Harsha Bhogle condemns Waqar Younis for Namaz comment but says he is ‘sure’ an apology is coming: Here’s why he is being naive

Cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle has condemned Waqar Younis for saying that watching Mohammad Rizwan offering the Namaz in front of Hindus during the India versus Pakistan T20 World Cup match was very special for him.

Harsha Bhogle said that it was one of the most disappointing things he had heard and it was terrible for Waqar Younis to say such a thing. Bhogle said, “For a person of Waqar Younis’ stature to say that watching Rizwan offering namaz in front of Hindus was very special to him, is one of the most disappointing things I have heard. A lot of us try hard to play such things down and talk up sport and to hear this is terrible.”

Source: Twitter

Harsha Bhogle stated further, “I really hope that a lot of genuine sportslovers in Pakistan are able to see the dangerous side to this statement and join in my disappointment. It makes it very difficult for sportslovers like us to try and tell people it is just sport, just a cricket match.”

The commentator said that he was “sure” Waqar Younis would apologise for the comment.

Here’s why Harsha Bhogle is being naive

While Bhogle appears to believe that sports lovers in Pakistan would see the bigotry in the comment by Waqar Younis, the truth of the matter is that it is an extremely mainstream opinion in the country. In the aftermath of Pakistan’s victory, their Interior Minister had said that it was victory for the Muslim world.

Furthermore, Shoaib Akhtar was present at the talk show when the former Pakistani pacer made the comment and Akhtar did not even flinch. Of course, prior to the match, Shoaib Akhtar had himself reiterated his faith in the two nation theory, the theory that led to the partition and the genocide of Hindus that followed, during a talk show with Harbhajan Singh.

This mentality among Pakistani cricketers is not new. Former captain of the Pakistan cricket team and the current Prime Minister of the country, Imran Khan, had said during his days as a player that he considered matches against India as a ‘Jihad’ waged for the cause of Kashmiri Muslims.

Imran Khan had said in the early 1980s, “Well, when we play against India, I don’t see this game as cricket. I think of Kashmir, and regard it as a jihad.”

Shahid Afridi had said proudly during a chat show that he had smashed his TV set after he found his daughter watching a Hindu ritual being performed on a show on Star Plus. Apart from that, Afridi has also claimed that India is committing atrocities against Kashmiris and used deplorable language for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. More recently, Afridi had said that “Taliban have come with a very positive mind.”

Thus, the comments made by Waqar Younis is consistent with the culture that manifests itself in the Pakistan cricket team. For Harsha Bhogle to expect an apology from Younis is naive in the extreme. While Younis might issue a half hearted apology before long, it is very much doubtful whether it would be motivated by any serious sense of guilt.

Persecution of minorities is also extremely normalised in Pakistan, often with state sanction. Hindu girls and Christians are often kidnapped and forcefully converted to Islam before marrying them off in a Muslim family. Despite international outcry, the persecution of minorities has continued unabated.

Japanese princess Mako marries commoner Kei Komuro losing royal status: Details

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Japanese emperor Naruhito’s niece princess Mako married her former classmate Kei Komuro in a low key wedding in Japan. The wedding meant that the princess Mako would now be considered as an ordinary citizen as per the customs and law in Japan where female imperial family members forfeit their royal status upon marriage to a commoner.

Mako was seen carrying a bouquet of flowers when she stepped out of her family’s imperial residence on Tuesday. She was also accompanied by her parents as the family bade goodbye to each other in the presence of a crowd of journalists.

Prince Akishino said in a statement that he approved of his daughter’s “unprecedented marriage” partly because the couple had “never wavered” in spite of facing opposition.

The princess had announced her engagement with Kei Komuro in 2017. They had met in the International Christian University in Tokyo back in 2012 and Mako had said that Kei had won her heart with “his bright smiles like the sun”

The couple however came under heavy scrutiny in Japan as members of the royal family are expected to be the guardian of traditions. The media then reported about an alleged money dispute between Kei Komuro’s mother and a former fiancé where claims of non-repayment of debt by Komuro’s family were floated. This damaged the public perception about the couple and the official explanation given out was that the couple needed time to arrange the marriage ceremony. The wedding was also postponed.

According to reports, Mako had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after her engagement with Kei got embroiled in a money scandal. The Imperial Household Agency had also blamed intense media scrutiny and the relentless attacks on social media to cause the deterioration of princess Mako’s mental health.

Princess Mako in her statement after the wedding said, “Kei is irreplaceable for me,” and also added, “For us, marriage is a necessary choice to live while cherishing our hearts.” The princess further noted that, “The flow of arbitrary criticism of Kei’s actions, as well as one-sided speculation that ignored my feelings, made falsehoods somehow seem like reality and turn into an unprovoked story that spread,”

As per reports, the couple would soon leave for the US which has drawn comparisons with British royals Meghan Markle and Prince Harry and the couple now considered as Japan’s Harry and Meghan.

Quinton de Kock out of South Africa team for refusing to take the knee, social media and former cricketers divided: All you need to know

Quinton de Kock opted out of the South Africa versus West Indies match after Cricket South Africa made it mandatory for players to take the knee before the match. In a follow-up statement, Cricket South Africa had said they had taken note of the cricketer’s stand to refuse to take the knee.

CSA had said in a statement, “All players had been required, in line with a directive of the CSA Board on Monday evening, to “take the knee” in a united and consistent stance against racism. This is also the global gesture against racism that has been adopted by sportspeople across sporting codes because they recognise the power of sport to bring people together.”

“After considering all relevant issues, including the freedom of choice of players, the Board had made it clear it was imperative for the team to be seen taking a stand against racism, especially given SA’s history. The Board’s view was that while diversity can and should find expression in many facets of daily lives, this did not apply when it came to taking a stand against racism,” the statement had read.

Commentators Pommy Mbangwa and Darren Sammy on Quinton de Kock

“I dare say Daren that cricket will take a back seat,” Mbangwa said. “I know it’s a big statement for me to make at a Cricket World Cup, I speak because the team concerned are South Africa, with a history of exclusion and racism. And for this as an issue to still be here, and to rear here, well it’s huge.”

He continued, “Excuse me for being political, because some will say it is being political, but I cannot shed my skin… I hope that the discussion at the very least can be had about how to be united about something everyone can agree on.. This is also in the hope that they can be in agreement in this regard.”

“I’ll say this with regard to Quinton de Kock. Freedom of choice is fair enough. I don’t know what to speculate on what the personal reasons are because I haven’t got those, but I hope the discussion is actually had,” said Mbangwa.

Darren Sammy said, “Sometimes I don’t understand why it is so difficult to support this movement if you understand what it stands for. There might be a lot of issues affecting the world. But I don’t understand why it’s so difficult.”

Social media divided on the issue

Former cricketer Michael Vaughan disagreed with Quinton de Kock not playing for South Africa in the T20 World Cup because he did not wish to take the knee. Vaughan said that it should be up to the individual.

A lot of people on social media agreed with Michael Vaughan.

Others, however, sided with CSA.

The move to take the knee has been a controversial issue in sports for quite some time. Even during the recently held Football Euro 2020 Championship, many countries had refused to take the knee. It had also led to fans booing their teams for the gesture.

‘Veer has asked me to buy him an army uniform for his birthday’: Father of 4-year-old boy, whose video of saluting a CISF official went viral

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A video of a little boy saluting security personnel at Bengaluru Airport has been winning the hearts on the internet. In the video, the kid is seen walking along with his father outside the airport, stopping right in front of a security vehicle to offer a perfect salute to the security personnel on board it. The security official reciprocates the heartwarming gesture made by the 4-year-old boy by performing a salute in return. 

The video, which reflects the deep respect and admiration that soldiers command in India, went viral shortly after it was shared on the internet. The video was first shared by a user named Abhishek Kumar Jha on Twitter, who claimed it was shot by one of his friends at the Bengaluru airport. The video was accompanied by the emotional number of “Teri Mitti” from the movie Kesari, which seemed to have further enhanced the feeling of patriotism in the clip. 

The video of little boy saluting at CISF official at the Bengaluru airport melts hearts on the internet

The video shared by Abhishek Kumar Jha has racked up 2200+ retweets and has been viewed more than 84,000 times. Before long, several social media users reposted the video and praised the little boy for melting their hearts with his gesture.

A Twitter user reacted to the video saying the boy has won our hearts.

Another Twitter extolled the little boy and praised his parents for imparting such an upbringing which values and acknowledges sacrifices made by our soldiers.

“Watched multiple time and its brought tears in my eyes every time. Lots of love for the family and their upbringing. Jai Hind,” another Twitter user replied to the video. 

The video also overwhelmed not just common people on the internet but also stirred army officers and politicians alike. Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar reposted the video on his Twitter timeline and lavished praises on the four-year-old. 

“At #Bengaluru airport – a young Indian snaps off a salute to our men in uniform. Respect and patriotism is learnt young,” he tweeted along with the hashtags #Respect and #JaiHind.

‘Outpouring over the video unexpected and overwhelming’: Father of 4-year-old Veer Arjun

The four-year-old boy in the video is Veer Arjun, son of Arjun MS, an entrepreneur who lives in Bengaluru. OpIndia got in touch with Arjun to get his comment on the video that is being widely shared online. He said the outpour to his son’s video was both unexpected and overwhelming. 

“It was just a random day we went to pick our relative at the Bengaluru airport. While we were waiting for the relative’s arrival, Veer was curious about the camouflage Tanker vehicle standing at the curbside close to the arrival gate. He requested me to take him closer to the tanker. After that it was his move to salute,” Arjun told OpIndia. 

When asked if his son has always been fascinated by the Armed Forces, Arjun responded in the affirmative, adding that he watches kids rhymes in which one of them is related to soldiers and armed forces. Arjun says his son has asked him to buy an Army uniform for him on his upcoming birthday. 

While the video, in unwritten language, narrates the love and respect of Indians for the security personnel (as they render security to the citizens by fighting with every perilous situation) it is clear from the video that even a little boy understands the sacrifice of the security personnel and thus wants to pay respect. And above all, the soulful number ‘Teri Mitti’ can be heard in the background which enhances the feel of patriotism in the clip

Times Now journo quietly deletes tweet after spreading misinformation about Pramod Muthalik’s statement

On October 26, Times Now special correspondent Imran Khan has quietly deleted his October 17 tweet in which he had spread false claims about Hindu activist Pramod Muthalik.

In his tweet, Khan had alleged in the video he had shared, Muthalik was talking about starting a new campaign to demolish Gadag Jamia Masjid. His tweet was based on the wrong translation of Muthalik’s speech that he had delivered in Kannada.

Apart from Imran Khan, several other media outlets and so-called intellectuals have published similar misinformation using the wrong translation of Muthalik’s speech.

Now-deleted tweet of Imran Khan. Source: Swati Goel Sharma

The misleading tweets were picked by media and anti-Hindu elements at the international level

While Khan had deleted his tweet without providing any explanation, other anti-Hindu and Islamic handles did not delete the misleading tweets. The anti-Hindu elements at the international level took it as an opportunity to defame Hinduism. It was shared by hatemonger and anti-Hindu journalist CJ Werleman, who is known for his anti-Hindu and anti-India views. He said, “Leader of Hindutva group Sri Ram Sena calls for violence against Muslims and the demolition of Jumma Mosque in Karnataka.”

Tennis legend Martina Navratilova, who has been posting anti-Hindu tweets for a long time, quoted Werleman and said, “Quite the democracy, eh? Trying to catch up to trump, I see. But then Modi and trump were pretty chummy from what I could see… will Modi speak up against this man and his rhetoric? I doubt it.…”

What Muthalik actually said?

In his speech in Kannada, Hindu activist Pramod Muthalik, seen with saffron head-gear, can be heard saying, “We had to fight for 72 years for Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. Finally, after 72 long years of struggle, Babri Masjid was removed, and we successfully built a Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.”

He further added, “In the same manner, I can challenge you that the Jama Masjid in Gadag was a Venkateshwara temple. Take out the documents, and you will have proof that there was a temple. Like Babri Masjid, which was built on a temple, Venkateshwara Temple was one of the many temples demolished during Tipu Sultan’s rule, and Jama Masjid was built at the spot. We have proof, and we should launch a struggle.” In his speech, he did not call for the destruction of Jama Masjid as liberal media had claimed.

China locks down Lanzhou city fearing a new Covid outbreak

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China has imposed lockdown on Lanzhou, the capital city of the Gansu province after a surge in Covid cases was detected in the city according to reports. The recent flare up of Covid cases is attributed to delta variant of the virus. Earlier 35,700 residents of the Ejin county of the Inner Mongolian region of China were asked to stay at home from Monday following rise of Covid cases in the region. Ejin county is being considered as the hot spot of the new outbreak.

The National Health commission of China had issued warnings that the outbreak around Inner Mongolia would worsen following the spread of cases to 11 provinces.

Lanzhou, a city with the population of four million residents reported six of the 29 new domestic infections. The Chinese authorities have stated that the residents of Lanzhou would be required to stay at home and officials to strictly control the “entry and exit of residents” and that movement would be limited to essential supplies or medical treatment.

The draconian measures of the Chinese government can be seen as a part of the China’s zero Covid-19 policy which rejects the idea of living with Covid and relies heavily on containment measures to curb its spread.

Notably, China has fully vaccinated about 75.6% of the population as mentioned by the National Health Commission spokesperson Mi Feng and also given booster shots to people.

It was reported previously that Bahrain, UAE witnessed a Covid-19 surge after using China-made Covid vaccines. Countries like Mongolia, Seychelles that took Chinese Covid-19 vaccines also experienced a surge in infections.

Beijing had also stated that it provided vaccines to other countries with no conditions attached. The statement was made in response to a story carried out by Associated Press about China forcing Ukraine to accede to its demands by threatening it to withhold its COVID-19 shipment.

Samsung heir fined SKW 70 million for drug abuse, had earlier served 20 months in prison for fraud

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On Tuesday (October 26), Samsung Group heir Lee Jae-Yong was convicted of drug abuse between January 2015 and May 2020 by the Seoul Central District Court.

As per reports, he had pleaded guilty to the illegal use of ‘controlled drug’ Propofol. The prosecutors said that Lee Jae-Yong took Propofol for ‘purposes other than medical treatments’ on 41 occasions at a plastic during the 5 year period. He reportedly administered the controlled substance at a plastic surgery clinic in Southern Seoul. Propofol is an anaesthetic medicine, the overdose of which can cause death as seen in the case of Michael Jackson.

Yong’s lawyer, however, argued that he took the drug for the treatment of ‘psychological stress’ owing to his father’s hospitalisation and mounting legal cases. The Seoul Central District Court fined him SKW 70 million (US$60,055) and directed an additional forfeiture of SKW 17 million (US$14580) under the Narcotics Control Act. Reportedly, users and administrators of controlled substances can both be prosecuted in South Korea. The Samsung heir was only fined and jailed since abuse of propofol is rare in the country.

Samsung heir and his run-ins with the law enforcement

The Samsung heir had earlier served a 20-month sentence for his role in bribery and embezzlement, involving the ex-President Park Geun-Hye. He was released in August this year. It was considered as one of the largest financial scams in South Korea. He was also involved in accounting fraud and stock price manipulation. Following his release from jail, Yong and Samsung vowed to invest $206 billion in chips and biopharmaceuticals in South Korea.

‘Very special for me’: Former Pakistan captain Waqar Younis says Rizwan reciting Namaz ‘in front of Hindus’ best part of win against India

Former captain of the Pakistan cricket team Waqar Younis during a talk show on a news channel on Monday said that it was very special for him when Mohammad Rizwan recited the Namaz in front of Hindus during the India versus Pakistan match at the T20 World Cup. Younis has also been the head coach of the team in the past.

Waqar Younis complimented the manner in which the Pakistani openers batted and stayed on the crease until the very end to finish the match. He said that Pakistan has a history of choking in World Cup matches against Pakistan, which led the bookies to believe that India were the favourites to win the match even after scoring 151.

The former Pakistani pacer said, “The manner in which Babar and Rizwan batted, sensible yet aggressive, the strike-rotation, the look on their faces, it was amazing. The best thing, what Rizwan did, Mashalla, he offered the Namaz on the ground surrounded by Hindus, that was really something very very special for me.”

Earlier, Pakistani Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad had called it a ‘victory for Muslim world’. “I want to congratulate the whole of Pakistan on this resounding victory (against India in T20 Qualifier match). I salute the Pakistan team for decimating its arch-rival in an exemplary display of grit, determination and courage. Pakistan has showcased its righteousness before the Muslim world. This is the only India Vs Pakistan match that I could not attend owing to Ministerial work,” he said.

“The Pakistani team had the emotional support of all Muslims of the world, including Muslims of India. This is the victory of the Muslim world. Pakistan Zindabad. Islam Zindabad,” he concluded.

Before the match, Shoaib Akhtar, who was present at the talk show when Waqar Younis made the comment, had reiterated his belief in the two nation theory after Harbhajan Singh made a ‘we are one’ comment at a talk show.

Is Nawab Malik’s attack against Sameer Wankhede an attempt to extricate his son-in-law from a drugs case? Here’s what we know so far

NCP leader Nawab Malik on Tuesday, October 26, continued his relentless attack against Mumbai NCB’s Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede by releasing a letter he claimed to have received from an unnamed NCB official. 

Citing the letter, Malik alleged that Wankhede violated rules in as many as 26 cases. The Maharashtra Minister also accused Wankhede of illegally intercepting the mobile phones of some people through two private people in Mumbai and Thane.

“Here are the contents of the letter received by me from an unnamed NCB official.
As a responsible citizen, I will be forwarding this letter to DG Narcotics requesting him to include this letter in the investigation being conducted on Sameer Wankhede,” Malik tweeted along with attaching a picture of the letter. 

The letter claims current Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana instructed Sameer Wankhede and KPS Malhotra to frame Bollywood artists through any means necessary. The letter claims after filing the fake cases, Malhotra and Wankhede extorted crores of rupees and provided Asthana his share as well.

The letter also alleged that Wankhede used a lawyer as a middleman to collect funds and that he has a team of trusted aides that help in planting evidence against his quarry. It says money and jewellery seized during raids is used for purchasing drugs to plant as evidence. 

Anyone who refuses to follow Wankhede’s directives, the letter says, is sidelined and replaced by more docile officers. The letter claimed Arbaz Merchant’s friend Abdul had no drugs but the NCB planted it to have him arrested. The letter shared by Malik also cites various instances where people were allegedly framed by the NCB. 

Is Nawab Malik spearheading the campaign against Sameer Wankhede to extricate his son-in-law from drugs case?

Malik has been at the forefront of the smear campaign against Sameer Wankhede, continuously questioning his integrity and painting him as a corrupt officer. Interestingly, the letter shared by Malik also says that his son-in-law Sameer Khan was framed in a ‘fake’ drugs case by the NCB, giving an impression that the motive behind leading a spirited campaign against Sameer Wankhede and NCB could perhaps be an attempt to weaken the case against Khan. 

The letter says NCB falsely reported 200 Kgs of tobacco as cannabis to file a case against Sameer Khan. It is worth noting that Nawab Malik’s son-in-law Sameer Khan was arrested on January 13 this year by NCB in connection with a drug case and was granted bail on September 27, after eight months in prison.

NCB had arrested Nawab Malik’s son-in-law after it found an online monetary transaction between Khan and one of the accused in a probe into the Bollywood-drug nexus. The transaction took place on Google Pay between Sameer Khan and Karan Sajnani, which the NCB believes was a payment for drug purchase. Accordingly, he was issued summons to appear before the NCB on Wednesday. After detailed questioning, the NCB had decided to put him under arrest.

Days after Khan secured bail, the NCB arrested Khan and others in a separate case linked to the cruise ship off the Mumbai coast. Since then, Malik has stepped up his attack against the narcotics agency and Wankhede, raising doubts over his motivations to pressurise the central agency and one of its officers by accusing them of being involved in corruption and irregularities.

Malik had launched a scathing attack against Sameer Wankhede, accusing him of being a fraud. Earlier yesterday, Malik tweeted a picture of a document, allegedly related to Wankhede’s birth and claimed, “the forgery began from here”.

Malik had also alleged that Wankhede had extorted money from Bollywood stars earlier during the pandemic, a claim that is staunchly refuted by the embattled officer. Wankhede has alleged that his dead mother and other relatives are being targeted for scrupulously doing his duty.

Pakistani journalist Aroosa Alam calls Punjab HM, Navjot Singh Sidhu and his wife a ‘pack of hyenas’, says won’t come back to India

Pakistani journalist Aroosa Alam, who has been dragged in the political feud between the former Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh and the Congress party, has called Punjab Home Minister Sukhjinder Randhawa, PPCC chief Navjot Singh Sidhu and his wife (Navjot Kaur Sidhu) a “pack of hyenas” and vowed not to ever visit India.

Talking to The Indian Express from Pakistan, the journalist said: “I cannot believe that they can stoop so low. Sukhjinder Randhawa, PPCC chief Navjot Singh Sidhu and his wife (Navjot Kaur Sidhu) are a pack of hyenas. They are trying to use me to embarrass Captain. I want to ask them, are they so bankrupt that they have to invoke me for their political motives.”

The Pakistani journalist expressed anger after Punjab Home Minister Sukhjinder Randhawa, last week, called for a probe into whether Amarinder Singh’s Pakistani friend Aroosa Alam has links with the country’s notorious intelligence agency ISI. 

Alam said she was “extremely disappointed and disgusted with Punjab Congress politicians” and would “never come back to India” as she was “hurt and heartbroken”.

‘They are a deeply divided House. Now please fight your battle on your own’, Pakistani journalist slams Congress fro dragging her name

“I would like to inform them that they were trapped,” she said, despite the fact that she has “no business” commenting on the situation in the state. Their “enemy” suggested they invoke me. However, it will be counterproductive,” the Pakistani journalist added, not naming the ‘enemy’ she referred to.

“I have a message for them: Please grow up and put your house in order. Congress has lost its plot in Punjab. Who changes one’s general in the middle of a battle?” she said, referring to the ousting of Captain Amarinder Singh’s as CM months ahead of the Assembly elections.

“They are a deeply divided House. Now please fight your battle on your own, why are you dragging me into this Punjab Congress and government mess? Now that they have dragged me into it, I can only say ‘Your monkeys, your circus’,” said the piqued journalist.

The journalist further hit out at the Congress party by saying that they dragged her into the whole controversy just to embarrass Captain Amarinder Singh. “They realised that he is floating his own party and finish all their chances”, said Alam while talking to Indian Express.

“I sent him (Singh) pictures of various leaders from India whom I met in my life before even meeting Captain. I must say all this is the lowest low in Punjab politics,” she said.

Speaking to News18, Alam denied having links with the ISI. “The biggest democracy in the world is insulting a woman. I feel sad that my photo is being shared again and again. I too have a family, children and friends; I reiterate that I am innocent,” she said.

Captain releases picture of Aroosa Alam with Sonia Gandhi

On October 23, hours after Punjab Home Minister Sukhjinder Randhawa called for a probe into whether Captain Amarinder Singh’s Pakistani friend Aroosa Alam had links with the country’s notorious intelligence agency ISI, the former Punjab Chief Minister reminded Randhwa that Alam’s visa was cleared by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for 16 years.

Releasing a picture of the Pakistani journalist with Sonia Gandhi, Captain Amarinder also asked Sukhjinder Randhawa to first make up his mind about the probe instead of being ‘perturbed’ and ‘confused.’ “Why don’t you make up your mind on this so-called probe against Aroosa Alam?” he challenged.