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With Amarinder Singh out of the way, Nehru-Gandhi family enjoys holiday in Shimla: Report

OpIndia Staff
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With Amarinder Singh out of the way, Nehru-Gandhi family enjoys holiday in Shimla: Report

Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi is headed for a vacation to Shimla along with her son Rahul Gandhi, according to a TOI report. The development comes not long after the resignation of Amarinder Singh as the Chief Minister of Punjab.

According to the report, the Gandhi family went to Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s residence which is situated at the outskirts of Shimla. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was already there in her Shimla Cottage where she was later joined by Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. Sonia Gandhi had apparently taken a flight to Chandigarh and then reached the cottage by road. Rahul Gandhi made his way to Shimla after taking part in the oath-taking ceremony of the new Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi.

The Gandhi family gathering in Shimla happens soon after the resignation of Amarinder Singh on Saturday. The former Punjab CM had told the media that he felt humiliated by the manner in which he was treated by the Congress party. Amarinder Singh had also said that he did not expect that the events would turn out that way because of his association with Sonia Gandhi and her children.

The news of the Nehru-Gandhi family vacationing in Shimla after his exit is unlikely to go down well with the former Punjab CM. This is not the first time, however, that Rahul Gandhi has been found holidaying on inappropriate occasions.

During the peak of the ‘farmer protests’ in December last year, he had gone to Italy to allegedly meet his grandmother. In 2019, a few months after the Congress party’s defeat in the Lok Sabha General elections, Rahul Gandhi had gone on a vacation to Bangkok in October. The same month, he also went for a trip to Indonesia.

England pulls out of Pakistan tour just days after New Zealand recalled its team over security concerns

OpIndia Staff
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England pulls out of Pakistan tour just days after New Zealand recalled its team over security concerns

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Monday said that the board has decided to withdraw both, men’s as well as women’s, teams from the upcoming tour of Pakistan.

This comes just days after New Zealand cricket board recalled its team touring Pakistan for first time in 18 years over security concerns.

As per ECB, the board convened a meeting over the weekend when the decision to not go to Pakistan was taken. “Earlier this year, we agreed to play two additional T20 World Cup warm-up games in Pakistan in October, adding a short women’s tour with double headers alongside the men’s games,” the ECB said in a statement. However, the ECB ‘reluctantly’ decided to withdraw both the teams.

“The mental and physical well-being of our players and support staff remains our highest priority and this is even more critical given the times we are currently living in. We know there are increasing concerns about travelling to the region and believe that going ahead will add further pressure to a playing group who have already coped with a long period of operating in restricted Covid environments,” The ECB said in a statement.

The ECB said that owing to this, touring under these circumstances would not be ideal for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, where performing well remains a top priority for 2021.

“We understand that this decision will be a significant disappointment to the PCB, who have worked tirelessly to host the return of international cricket in their country. Their support of English and Welsh cricket over the last two summers has been a huge demonstration of friendship.  We are sincerely sorry for the impact this will have on cricket in Pakistan and emphasise an ongoing commitment to our main touring plans there for 2022,” The ECB said.

Dilip Ghosh made national Vice-President of BJP, Sukanta Majumdar replaces him as West Bengal party president

OpIndia Staff
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Dilip Ghosh made national Vice-President of BJP, Sukanta Majumdar replaces him as West Bengal party president

West Bengal BJP leader Dilip Ghosh has been appointed the National Vice President of the party on Monday. He is an elected representative from the Medinipur Lok Sabha Constituency.

Sukanta Majumdar has replaced Dilip Ghosh as the new West Bengal BJP President.

Baby Rani Maurya, former Uttarakhand Governor, has also been made a national vice president of the BJP.

The decision to replace Dilip Ghosh as the state BJP president comes days ahead of the by-poll elections for the Bhabanipur Assembly Constituency. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is seeking reelection to the assembly after losing in Nandigram to Suvendu Adhikari. Priyanka Tibrewal has been nominated by the BJP for the by-poll election.

The party has been hit with a wave of defections to the TMC in recent days. Recently, Asansol MP Babul Supyiyo had joined the TMC. “Mamata Banerjee presented with a fantastic opportunity so that I could continue my public life in West Bengal and can resume my public life with grace and purpose… And I can continue singing. There’s going to be a lot of flak, a lot of memes… But the opportunity is worth the challenge,” Supriyo had said.

‘Not allowed to meet Saheb’: Asaduddin Owaisi to contest Gujarat polls, cries foul after not being allowed to meet don Atique Ahmed

OpIndia Staff
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‘Not allowed to meet Saheb’: Asaduddin Owaisi to contest Gujarat polls, cries foul after not being allowed to meet don Atique Ahmed

AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi has been denied permission to meet gangster Atique Ahmed, accused of 103 murders and currently serving jail time in Sabarmati jail in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. With an eye on next year’s Assembly Elections which the AIMIM has decided to contest, Owaisi is on a one-day trip to Ahmedabad. Owaisi had sought permission to meet Atique Ahmad at the Sabarmati Central Jail during his visit to the city.

Denying permission for the same, Rohan Anand, Superintendent, Ahmedabad Central Prison said, “It is kindly intimated that as per the jail rules, meetings are permitted only with blood relatives or lawyers arguing the case. In light of the jail rules and the prevalent Covid epidemic, the permission for the meeting is regretfully denied.”

Expressing displeasure for not being granted permission to meet the dreaded gangster, Asadudding Owaisi hit out at the BJP government saying, “The people of Uttar Pradesh are also watching how we have been denied permission by the BJP government to meet Atique Saheb”.

Asked why he inducted gangster Atique Ahmad, accused in many criminal cases including murders and extortion, in his party, Asaduddin Owaisi defended the decision by saying that Ahmed is not convicted yet. “Let the court take the decision first”, said the AIMIM chief, once again evoking the ‘anti-Muslim’ or the ‘oppressed Muslim’ rhetorics, often peddled by Islamist apologists of the likes of Owaisi and left-liberals.

Owaisi said during a press conference that if a person’s name is Atique, Mukhtar, or Sahaab, he or she is presumed guilty unless proven innocent, whereas others are presumed innocent until proven guilty. These are the two analogies that illustrate how hypocrisy is being used.

Asaduddin Owaisi inducts mafia don Atique Ahmed and his wife Shaista Parveen into the party

Earlier this month, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi inducted mafia don Atique Ahmed (in absentia) and his wife Shaista Parveen into the party.

Ahmed, a five-time legislator and one-time MP, is facing over 100 criminal charges, including murders, kidnappings, illegal mining, extortion, intimidation, and fraud. In 2019, the Supreme Court ordered him to be transferred from Uttar Pradesh to Ahmedabad.

Police have taken action against his properties worth over Rs 200 crore so far. The Gangster Act was used to take these actions against Atique Ahmed. The Allahabad district government has attached Atiq’s and his accomplices’ properties in addition to demolishing the illegally constructed buildings by Atique and his associates.

Meanwhile, the Hyderabad MP and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi had defended the decision to induct the dreaded mafia and his wife into his party by alleging that the BJP too had several lawmakers (37% MLAs in UP Assembly and 117 MPs in the Parliament) with serious criminal charges pending against them. He claimed, “…If a politician is named Pragya, Ajay, Kuldeep, Sangeet, Suresh or Kapil, he or she will be a lokpriya neta. But those named Atiq and Mukhtar will be (called) bahubali.”

According to reports, AIMIM would contest 100 seats in Uttar Pradesh after forming an alliance with Om Prakash Rajbhar’s Bhagidari Sankalp Morcha. Janta Kranti Paryu, Apna Dal (Krishna Patel), Rashtroday Party, Rashtriya Bhagidari Party, and SSBP are among the parties in the coalition.

Taliban bans IPL 2021 broadcast in Afghanistan for showing anti-Islamic content

OpIndia Staff
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Taliban bans IPL 2021 broadcast in Afghanistan for showing anti-Islamic content

Taliban has banned IPL 2021 from airing in Afghanistan as it might showcase anti-Islamic content to its people.

Former media manager of the Afghanistan Cricket Board and Journalist M Ibrahim Momand hinted that the reason behind the ban was possibly anti-Islamic content being shown during the IPL broadcast. He said in a tweet, “Afghanistan national Radio Television will not broadcast the @IPL as usual as it was reportedly banned to live the matches resumed tonight due to possible anti-islam contents, girls dancing & the attendence of barred hair women in the Stadium by Islamic Emirates of the Taliban.”

According to reports, the ban was imposed and IPL telecast was halted from the start of the very first match since the restart played between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians.

Taliban is known for its strong opposition to any form of entertainment including sports, music, etc. During the previous Taliban rule that ended in 2001, the Taliban militants had turned stadiums into public execution venues. Despite past horrors with sports, Cricket became fairly popular in Afghanistan in the recent times with the absence of Taliban. But the return of Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and Taliban back in power would likely bring end to the sport. Bashir Ahmad Rustamzai, Afghanistan’s new director general for sports refrained from answering anything on the future of women playing sports in Afghanistan and said that the decision would be taken by top Taliban leaders.

On September 9, Cricket Australia issued a statement that said if the recent media allegations against Taliban led Islamist government in Afghanistan that it will not support women’s cricket were proved to be true than Cricket Australia will not host the Afghanistan men’s team for the proposed test match in Hobart.

The statement released by Australian Cricketers’ Association said, “What is happening now in Afghanistan is a human rights issue that transcends the game of cricket. And while we would love to see players such as Rashid Khan play against Australia, hosting this Test match cannot be considered if that same opportunity to play the game is denied to Roya Samim and her teammates.” 

Reportedly Ahmadullah Wasiq, the deputy head of the Taliban’s cultural commission told the media “they might face a situation where their face and body will not be covered. Islam does not allow women to be seen like this.”

President of Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad Mahant Narendra Giri found dead, suicide note blames disciple

OpIndia Staff
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President of Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad Mahant Narendra Giri found dead, suicide note blames disciple

Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad president Mahant Narendra Giri was found dead in Baghambari Mutt in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj on Monday, September 20. A forensic team and a special team is investigating the matter. According to preliminary reports, the Mahant was found hanging.

According to reports, a suicide note has been recovered by the police. In the note, one of Giri’s disciples has been held responsible for the death, police said. 

On receiving the information of the death, IG KP Singh, DIG, along with other police personnel reached the spot and started the probe. The body of the deceased has been sent for post mortem.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad has expressed its condolences over the death.

It may be noted that the Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad president and his once disciple Swami Anand Giri had not been on good terms after the latter was expelled from the Niranjani Akhara over accusations of financial irregularities. Swami Anand Giri had accused Mahant Narendra Giri of completely ruining the Hanuman temple on the banks of Sangam and the ashram of Niranjani Akhara. Anand Giri had also referred to his mentor, Mahant Narendra Giri, as an opponent of Sanatan Dharma. He had accused the Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad president of constantly engaging in anti-religious activities and weakening Sanatan Dharma.

Currently, investigations are underway as police are trying to ascertain whether the death of the Mahant was a suicide or a murder.

Watch: Taliban brutally flogs a man in public for allegedly stealing a mobile phone

OpIndia Staff
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Watch: Taliban brutally flogs a man in public for allegedly stealing a mobile phone

A video has emerged on social media in which a man was seen getting flogged by Talibs for allegedly stealing a mobile phone. The video is said to be from this weekend. The man kept on screaming in agonising pain while getting publicly flogged. The incident took place in front of the education ministry in Kabul. He was struck multiple times on his shoulders with a whip while being tied to a traffic signal.

Ban on women from coming for work

From last Monday, the ban of women from coming out for work has come to effect. Though the Taliban had “promised” it would have a more moderate government compared to the 1990s, the reality is far different from what they had said. AFP quoted a woman who said she used to work as a senior officer at the ministry of foreign affairs. She said, “I was in charge of a whole department, and there were many women working with me… now we have all lost our jobs.”

The acting mayor also announced that all the posts that were held by the women in the municipal corporation would be soon filled by men. While male students and teachers have been asked to rejoin the schools, millions of girls and women’s academic futures remain in the dark. Reportedly, the ministry of women’s affairs has also been replaced with the ministry ‘for the propagation of virtue and prevention of vice’. Notably, during the 1990s, the said ministry was responsible for imposing Islamic rules in the country. It imposed the harshest Sharia punishments, including executions and amputations.

No meaningful employment for women

As the Taliban is increasing restrictions on women, Afghan women now fear that they will not have any meaningful employment. In the past 20 years, these women had fought for their rights and got a chance to secure a better future as lawmakers, judges, police officers etc. Though such employments were limited to large cities, things were getting better for women in Afghanistan. Now, with the Taliban back in power, the future seems bleak.

Strict Sharia laws

With strict Sharia laws being imposed in the country, such scenes of public flogging and even execution may soon become common in Afghanistan.

Watch: South Korean pop band BTS performs ‘Permission to Dance’ at UNGA

OpIndia Staff
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Watch: South Korean pop band BTS performs ‘Permission to Dance’ at UNGA

South Korean pop band BTS performed at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Monday. They performed their chartbuster ‘Permission to Dance’ at the event.

The South Korean band, which had received diplomatic passports from their president recently, was invited to speak at the UNGA. They also treated their fans to a performance. Jimin, J-Hope, Jin, Suga, RM, Jungkook, and V are some of the most widely loved popstars in the world currently.

It was the third time that BTS has attended the UNGA. The members spoke about how the Covid-19 pandemic has changed the world and raised awareness about climate change. Earlier, Deputy Secretary-General of the UN Amina J Mohammed welcomed them to the event.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in had earlier appointed BTS as “special Presidential envoy for future generations and culture”. President Moon Jae-In invited the K-pop boys-band to Cheong Wa Dae (Blue House), Seoul on September 14, Tuesday, where he met the members of BTS and asked them to be his special envoys at the UNGA meeting.

Former JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar and independent MLA Jignesh Mevani to join Congress: Reports

Jinit Jain
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Former JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar and independent MLA Jignesh Mevani to join Congress: Reports

Ahead of assembly elections in Gujarat, former JNU ‘student leader’ Kanhaiya Kumar and independent MLA Jignesh Mevani are all set to join the Congress party on October 2, an NDTV report said.

As per the report, the original plan was to induct the two leaders into the Congress party on September 28 but was deferred to October 2, which is the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

Sources quoted by NDTV, a media organisation considered to be close to the Congress party, have reportedly said the Mevani could be awarded the post of working president of the party’s state unit, the same post which was accorded to Hardik Patel in 2020.

The Vadgam MLA today posted a fawning tweet hailing senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party for electing a Dalit Sikh leader, Charanjit Channi, as the new chief minister of Punjab, possibly a hint towards his future in politics.

“The decision of appointing Charanjit singh ji as the CM of Punjab is a message that @RahulGandhi and @INCIndia have given. It will have tremendous impact amongst not just dalits but all the subaltern masses. For dalits, the move is not just brilliant but soothing too,” Mevani tweeted.

Along with Mevani, the former president of the JNUSU, Kanhaiya Kumar, is also expected to join the Congress party. Kumar had taken the plunge into politics ahead of 2019 general elections by joining the Communist Party of India(CPI) but neither him nor his political party had any impact in the Lok Sabha polls. Kumar contested the 2019 Lok Sabha election from his hometown of Begusarai in Bihar but suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the BJP’s Giriraj Singh.

As per sources, Kumar is expected to bring a few other left leaders along with him, underscoring the longstanding contention that Congress and the left are two sides of the same coin.

It is worth noting that Kanhaiya Kumar is one of the accused in the JNU sedition case where anti-national slogans were raised during an event in Jawaharlal Nehru University. In February 2016, the students of JNU had organized an event to mark the anniversary of terrorist Afzal Guru who had attacked the Indian Parliament. Many slogans challenging the Indian State’s sovereignty and calling for its balkanization were raised. At the event, slogans such as ‘Bharat Tere Tukde Honge’ and Afzal hum sharminda hain, tere katil jinda hain’ were reportedly raised.

Similarly, Jignesh Mevani too has troubled antecedents. He has been a virulent critic of Narendra Modi. In his attempt to target the Prime Minister, he has peddled fake news about reservations, was caught on camera trying to stoke caste conflict and spoken about Narendra Modi in an extremely disdainful manner. On hindsight, it’s quite understandable why people have rejected his brand of hateful politics and the Congress seems to have drawn inspiration from him and his ilk.

Whatever be the reasons underlying the accommodation of polarising figures such as Kanhaiya Kumar and Jignesh Mevani, the move nevertheless reveals that the Congress party has little confidence on its grass-roots workers and leadership in Gujarat and is relying on new recruits to power their assembly election campaign.

Shilpa Shetty’s husband Raj Kundra gets bail in pornography case, after spending two months in jail

OpIndia Staff
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Shilpa Shetty’s husband Raj Kundra gets bail in pornography case, after spending two months in jail

After spending over 60 days in jail, Raj Kundra has been awarded bail in the pornography case. He is the husband of actress Shilpa Shetty Kundra. The Magistrate court in Mumbai has granted bail to the businessman on a personal bond of Rs 50,000. Along with Raj Kundra, co-accused Ryan Thorpe was also granted bail by a court.

Raj Kundra, a British citizen, was arrested in July for allegedly creating pornographic content and distributing it via paid apps. 

Mumbai Police has opposed Raj Kundra’s bail plea

The Mumbai Police had opposed his bail application on August 10, claiming that he is a flight risk who may flee the country to avoid punishment. The Mumbai Police Department stated that Raj Kundra’s offences are serious and that the inquiry is still ongoing to determine all of the apps where the films were uploaded. The police also warned the court that if the accused is released on bond, he may conduct similar crimes by uploading obscene videos. Giving him bail would send a wrong message to the public and have a negative impact on the culture, Mumbai police had argued.

Police had added that the possibility that Kundra may try to destroy evidence while being out on bail could not be ignored.

Raj Kundra arrested in pornography case

On July 19, actor Shilpa Shetty’s husband, Raj Kundra, was arrested by Mumbai Police for his alleged role in creating and publishing pornographic films on some mobile applications. As per reports, he had appeared before the Property Cell of Mumbai Police’s Crime Branch for questioning, after which he was placed under arrest.

Raj Kundra and his associate have been booked under sections 420 (cheating), 34 (common intention), 292 and 293 (related to obscene and indecent advertisements and displays) of IPC besides relevant sections of the IT Act and the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act.

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