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‘Farmer’ protests: Arhtiyas in Punjab to shut down all mandis in state in protest after IT Dept conducts searches, claim persecution

OpIndia Staff
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‘Farmer’ protests: Arhtiyas in Punjab to shut down all mandis in state in protest after IT Dept conducts searches, claim persecution

Arhtiyas in Punjab, or commission agents or middle-men as they are called, are incensed after the Income-Tax department served notices to fourteen of the most prominent among and conducted searches at premises linked to six of them. They are so angry, in fact, that they decided to shut down all mandis in the state from Tuesday to Friday.

Their anger was evident when Sukhbir Singh Badal of the Shiromani Akali Dal spoke out against the government for the same and assured the Arhtiyas that they shall not be alone in their protest against ‘repression’. He also said that the raids were ‘malicious’.

The Federation of Arhtiya Associations of Punjab has also announced that the offices of the tax officials will be gheraoed and a “final plan of action” will be decided upon after consultation. Its president, Vijay Kalra, said that the action by the IT Department “was a pressure tactic to harass us as we are supporting the farmers’ protests”. He also claimed that his shop and his petrol pump were raided on the 18th of December.

The Arhtiyas are present in the ‘farmer’ protests at Singhu Border in large numbers. Kalra had recently told The Indian Express, “Initially, on November 26, when farmers started marching for Delhi after breaking the barriers, few arhtiyas had gone along with them. Later, from December 7 onwards, we started visiting the borders district wise and by December 16, arhtiyas from all the 22 districts of Punjab had visited Singhu border once. A second round of visits will start soon.”

“On December 7, close arhtiyas and labourers in 50 buses and 80 cars from Moga, Khanna, Ludhiana and Fatehgarh Sahib districts reached Delhi and stayed there for two days. We handed over eatables and other stuff that we carried along at our tent before walking to farmers’ stage at Singhu. The district units of ahrtiyas have been donating money ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 21,000 and sometimes more,” he added.

Ruldu Singh Mansa of the Punjab Kisan Morcha, commenting on the searches, said, “We stand in support of the arhtiyas. We have also decided to gherao Income Tax offices and protest against the action tomorrow. They should return whatever they have seized. They have been raided because they support us. They have helped us a lot, with rations and money. These laws have hit them as well. If they are implemented, arhtiyas will be destroyed.”

Amarjeet Singh Brar, the head of the association in Moga said, “The committee will hold a meeting with the Morcha on Monday or the day after in Delhi. We have over 400 arhtiya mandis in Punjab with nearly 28,000 licensed ahrtiyas and approximately 40,000 arhtiyas in total across the state.”

“If the I-T department penalises an arhtiya, we will contribute funds to help pay the penalty, and our support to farmers will continue. The Government must realise that this is a public movement, and targeting arhtiyas is a futile exercise,” he added.

Fact Check: Are the photographs of beautiful camel hair art in viral tweet really from Pakistan as claimed?

OpIndia Staff
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Fact Check: Are the photographs of beautiful camel hair art in viral tweet really from Pakistan as claimed?

A tweet showcasing three pictures of Camel hair art have gone viral on social media where it was claimed that the art of camel barbering captured in the photographs are from Pakistan. The tweet has received over forty-seven thousand retweets and has been quoted six thousand times. It had almost three hundred and fifty thousand ‘likes’ as of the time of writing this report.

The concerned tweet

But there is some misinformation contained in the tweet. The first photograph clearly has Bikaner etched across the body of the camel, which is a city in Rajasthan, India. delving through social media, we discovered that the photo had been shared before on the platform. Lord hanuman can be spotted in the art carrying the mountain for the Sanjeevani herb, which makes it very unlikely that the photograph was captured in Pakistan.

However, that did not tell us where the photograph was captured or where it is from. Delving further on the internet, we found the photograph mentioned in a thesis that was submitted at the National Agronomic Institute of Tunisia. According to the thesis, the photograph was captured by Osakabe Yasuo at the Bikaner Camel festival in India. ‘Camel Festival Bikar’ can also be spotted written in Hindi at the lower end of the art.

Source: Thesis submitted at the National Agronomic Institute of Tunisia

The Camel Festival Bikaner is an annual festival that is held in January. It was held on the 11th and 12th of January in 2020 and is slated to take place on the 12th and 13th January in 2021. The festival is organized in honour of the ‘ship of the desert’ and is marked by events such as camel dances, camel races, neck shaking camel rides among others.

The other two photographs mentioned in the tweet, nevertheless, are from Pakistan. The other two photographs were captured by photographer Anas Hamdani and were published on Pakistani media outlet Dawn in 2015. They were captured at a camel market where buyers looks for animals to sacrifice for the occasion of Eid.

Thus, the circumstances in which the photographs were captured could not be more different. One was captured during a festival to honour the camel while the other was captured when the camel was being decorated before its impending sacrifice.

Karnataka: Andhra Pradesh farmer gets an all-time high price for his produce in Asia’s biggest chilli market in Byadagi

OpIndia Staff
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Karnataka: Andhra Pradesh farmer gets an all-time high price for his produce in Asia’s biggest chilli market in Byadagi

In the first, a farmer from Andhra Pradesh has managed to bag Rs 36,999 per quintal for his Dabbi variety chilli produce in Asia’s largest chilli market in Karnataka’s Byadagi town Thursday, making it the highest ever price received for the produce, reports TOI.

A humble farmer named Gulleppa hailing from Avuladatta village in Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh sold his produce at this record price to one Kishor and Company.

“It’s the first time I’m at the Byadagi chilli market to sell my produce and never expected this price. Last year, I sold my produce at Guntur market but didn’t get a good rate. I had invested Rs 10,500 per quintal for producing and harvesting,” said Gulleppa.

Prior to this, the same variety of chilli was sold at Rs 35,555 per quintal last week. This was, until now, the highest-priced bagged by any farmer for this particular variety of chilli. The same variety was sold at Rs 33,333 per quintal in 2019.

According to a report by TOI, the trade for the Dabbi variety chilli began last month in Karnataka’s Byadagi town. However, it did not pick up due to the gram panchayat polls. On Thursday when 60,957 bags of chilli arrived at the market, the Andhra Pradesh farmer managed to sell his produce at an all-time high rate.

Byadagi chilli has the second largest turnover among all chilli varieties of India

Byadagi chilli is a famous variety of chilli mainly grown in Karnataka. It is named after the town of Byadagi which is located in the Haveri district of Karnataka. The business involving Byadagi chillis has the second largest turnover among all chilli varieties of India with the annual sales of about Rs. 3 billion. This market attracts traders from all over Karnataka and from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.

Byadagi chillies come in two types: dabbi and kaddi. Byadagi dabbi, which is small and plump, is more popular for its colour, flavour and taste. Though it has more seeds, it is less spicy compared to the kaddi variety. This variety is best suited for masala preparation and oleoresin extraction. Many established food companies prefer this variety for their products. Among cosmetic products, it is mainly used in nail polish and lipstick.

Mamata Banerjee writes to govt to disburse money under Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme to her, a proposal denied before: Here is why

OpIndia Staff
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Mamata Banerjee writes to govt to disburse money under Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme to her, a proposal denied before: Here is why

Even after the central government summarily rejected West Bengal government’s proposal of routing the payments under PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme through the state government and not directly through the direct benefit transfer(DBT), CM Mamata Banerjee has again written a letter to the Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar requesting a transfer of funds under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme to her government and not to the farmers.

In the letter, Mamata Banerjee alleges that the West Bengal government still awaits the disbursement of funds to the state government for the onward transfer of the payments to the farmers of the state.

The West Bengal CM has also enclosed a copy of a letter dated 9 September 2020 to allege that her government had not received the funds from the central government even after demanding for the same earlier in September. The letter also mentions that the state government is already implementing a scheme of direct benefit transfer to the farmers, including sharecroppers with death benefit transfer.

“I once again request you to kindly arrange to transfer the requisite fund to the State Government, for onward disbursement “with full responsibility” to the farmer-beneficiaries of the state through State Government machinery. After disbursement, a list of beneficiaries will be sent to you for your information,” the letter read.

Interestingly, the letter was issued by Mamata Banerjee today, i.e December 21, but it bears the date of 22 December 2020.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah slams Mamata Banerjee for non-implementation of PM Kisan scheme

The letter from Mamata Banerjee comes a day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah took a swipe at the West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee for not allowing the farmers of the state avail the benefits under the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme.

“23 lakh farmers from Bengal have requested online for PM-KISAN Samman Nidhi. Mamata di still prevents them by not giving them actual certification! She is not even sending a list of farmers to the Central govt,” Shah said.

Centre rejects Banerjee’s demand for routing the funds allocated under the scheme through the state government

West Bengal remains the only state which has not implemented this scheme that provides an annual support amount of Rs 6,000 to farmers in three equal instalments.

In September 2020, Mamata Banerjee had written a letter to the Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, asking him to disburse the amount meant for farmers under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme to the West Bengal government. The Centre had then rejected Mamata Banerjee’s demand of routing the money to the state government, categorically stating that the scheme is based on direct benefit transfer to farmers’ account and “routing money through the state government would be against the spirit of the scheme”.

“We are ready to pay farmers of West Bengal if the state government identifies and sends us the verified list of beneficiaries. This is a 100% central sponsored scheme and we can’t give money to the state government to distribute on its own,” an official privy to the matter had said then.

Actor Arjun Rampal submits backdated prescription to NCB for banned tablets recovered from his house, doctor confesses: Details

OpIndia Staff
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Actor Arjun Rampal submits backdated prescription to NCB for banned tablets recovered from his house, doctor confesses: Details

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), which has been trying to unmask the identities of people who are supplying narcotics to various people in the Bollywood film industry following the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, summoned actor Arjun Rampal for the second time Monday. While interrogating the actor, the department found that prescription submitted by Arjun Rampal, for the banned tablets recovered from his residence in November 2020, was a backdated one.

For the unversed, last month the NCB officials had raided Arjun Rampal’s residence and found tablet clonazepam which was banned under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act in 2018 after a massive smuggling racket was busted. Soon after, the actor and his partner Gabriella Demetriades were called for questioning by the NCB over the banned tablets. 

Meanwhile, following the revelation, NCB contacted and summoned Dr Rohit Garg, the senior psychiatrist, based in Delhi, who had written the backdated prescription for the actor. The department recorded his statement under Section 164 of the CrPC.

Wrote the prescription in ‘good faith’: Doctor who gave the backdated prescription to the actor tells NCB

The doctor confessed to writing the prescription in ‘good faith’ and said he was not aware of the NCB probe. He said that Arjun Rampal approached him through a family friend and he was unaware of the ongoing investigation. He assured full cooperation to the agency.

Speaking to mid-day, the doctor said: “The matter is sub-judice, so I won’t be able to share details with you. I have shared all the information with the NCB officers and I have recorded my statement in from of the magistrate. I will cooperate with the authorities for further probe in the case and will share whatever information is required from me.”

Arjun Rampal and his alleged link with the Bollywood-drug nexus

It is pertinent to note here that, actor Arjun Rampal was summoned last week, but he had written to the NCB seeking time till December 22, citing some ‘personal’ commitments. Earlier on November 13, the actor was interrogated for nearly 7 hours after the NCB raided his home and took away nearly a dozen electronic gadgets besides some banned ‘medical’ tablets.

The raid had come days after his girlfriend Gabriella Demetriades’ brother was arrested over allegations of being in touch with drug peddlers. The South African national was reportedly in touch with the drug peddlers arrested in connection to Sushant Singh Rajput death case.

As NCB delved into the case further, it arrested an Australian citizen named Paul Bartel. Bartel who was the 26th accused arrested in connection to the case by the central investigative agency also had links with actor Arjun Rampal. It was revealed that Bartel was in touch with Agisilaos Demetriades who is the brother of  Gabriella, the girlfriend of Bollywood actor and model Arjun Rampal.

Arjun Rampal allegedly supplies drugs to Shah Rukh Khan

After Arjun Rampal’s name cropped up in the alleged Bollywood-drug nexus, reports emerged suggesting that Arjun Rampal allegedly supplied drugs to Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan. A report published by Hindi daily Dainik Bhaskar quoted a NCB (Narcotics Control Bureau) officer informing them that top Bollywood actors under probe for drug abuse whose names start with ‘A’, ‘D’ and ‘S’ are Arjun Rampal, Dino Morea and Shah Rukh Khan respectively. Citing the NCB officer, Bhaskar report stated that the drug peddler source told them that Arjun Rampal would take drugs to Shah Rukh Khan’s house.

Prior to this big Bollywood names like Deepika Padukone, Sara Ali Khan, Rakul Preet Singh and Deepika’s manager Karishma Prakash have emerged in the Bollywood-drug nexus. LAst month, during the interrogation, the NCB officials had confronted Deepika Padukone with the digital evidence gathered from Jaya Saha’s phone that showed the actor’s chats about procuring ‘maal’ for her. However, as per a report, Deepika had claimed that by ‘Maal’ she meant cigarettes and ‘Hash’ referred to the different brands of cigarettes.

Survey suggests 53% Indians supports new Farm Laws, call farmers protest ‘politically motivated’: Here is what the numbers say

OpIndia Staff
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Survey suggests 53% Indians supports new Farm Laws, call farmers protest ‘politically motivated’: Here is what the numbers say

As the ongoing farmers’ protest entered day 26 today, News18 Network has conducted a survey across 22 states to gauge the sentiments of the people of India regarding the Modi government’s new farm laws. According to the survey, a majority of Indians have put their weight behind the new farm laws finding it beneficial for the Indian farmers. Maximum opined that its high time that the agitation by the farmers is called off.

While 53.6 per cent respondents across the country stood in favour of the new farm laws, 56.59 per cent believed it was time for the farmers to call off their protest. 60.9 per cent agreed that the farmers can get a better price for their produce under the Modi government implemented new farm reform laws.

Image source: News18

As per the feedback collected from more than 2400 respondents, majority respondents, especially from agrarian states, like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, believed that the new farm reform laws brought by the Modi government would benefit farmers. Punjab being the only exception, where the response was a little muted, reports News18.

70 per cent people welcomed Modi government’s decision

While more than three out of five people News18 spoke to agreed that farmers would be able to get better prices under the new farm reform laws, 70 per cent welcomed Modi government’s decision to give farmers the choice to sell their produce outside APMC mandis was the right.

According to the data collected by News18, while almost 70 per cent people from all across all regions voiced support for reform and modernisation in agriculture, the highest support was recorded in southern states at 74 per cent.

Image source: News18

Further, the survey said that close to half the respondents (48.7 per cent) felt that the opposition to the farm reforms was politically motivated, and more than half (52.69 per cent) believed that the protesting farmers should not insist on repeal of the farm reform laws and must come to a compromise with the government, ending the month-long agitation. 53.94 per cent opined that the farmers should agree to the government’s written offer that MSP would continue.

Moreover, almost 63.77 per cent North Indians extended support for the new farms laws introduced, which was the highest number of respondents, followed by West India at 62.90 per cent. Respondents from all zones also support giving farmers the right to sell their produce outside APMC mandis, said the survey conducted by the news network.

Image source: News18

What are the farm laws? 

One of the biggest factors plaguing the growth of agriculture sector in the country is the inability of the farmer to find a market and to get a fair price to his produce. To address the issue, the erstwhile governments of different states enacted the Agricultural Produce Market Regulation Acts (APMC Acts), which authorised them to set up and regulate marketing practices in wholesale markets. 

The objective of these markets was to ensure that farmers get a fair price for their produce. However, with each passing year, the APMCs turned out to be inefficient with increasing cartelisation of middlemen, ban on private players to enter the trade, increasing corruption etc. 

The Modi government recently introduced three bills to promote much easier trade for the farm produce and to provide a competitive market for the producers outside the existing APMC system. The three laws were: 

  1. The Farming Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020: This law aims at creating additional trading opportunities outside the APMC market yards to help farmers get remunerative prices due to additional competition
  2. The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020: This law relates a framework for contract farming through an agreement between a farmer and a buyer prior to the production or rearing of any farm produce. 
  3. The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020: This law aims to regulate the supply of certain food items only under extraordinary circumstances.

It is pertinent to mention that the farm laws are set of three laws that allow farmers to sell their products outside APMC act (most states make it compulsory for the farmers to sell at APMC mandis). It also allows farmers to directly have a contract with corporate houses.

That farm laws don’t do away with APMC, and if someone is not willing to trust markets outside the current system, they are free to stick to the ongoing system. It doesn’t do away with MSPs either. However, the prevalent narrative that seems to be motivated by political concerns falsely claims that APMCs and MSP are being done away with. 

They also allege that due to these laws, big corporations would have the upper hand in a deal with farmers, however, that again is a lie. In fact, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 ensure that a contract is agreed upon and gives the farmer the power to even cancel contracts.

With the protest entering its 26th day, the central government has tried to hold several rounds of dialogue with the farmers camping at the outskirts of Delhi. It has offered several concessions to address their fears and concerns, but the farmer unions have insisted on the repeal of the three laws, leading to a freeze in the talks.

‘I love you Sujata, my fight is with TMC, not you’: Read Saumitra Khan’s tearful message to wife after she leaves him, BJP both

OpIndia Staff
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‘I love you Sujata, my fight is with TMC, not you’: Read Saumitra Khan’s tearful message to wife after she leaves him, BJP both

Hours after BJP leader Sujata Mondal defected to the Mamata Banerjee-run-Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal, her husband and BJP MP Saumitra Khan announced that he has decided to send her a divorce notice. Sujata’s defection comes amidst political upheaval in the TMC party, ahead of the upcoming West Bengal elections.

Accusing the Trinamool Congress of destroying his family, Saumitra Khan said that he had decided to send her a divorce notice. He informed, “I will be sending divorce notice (to my wife). I will fight TMC. I want to tell TMC that you should be ashamed for breaking my family. There have been so many fights but I did not think this will happen.”

While breaking into tears, Saumitra said that his wife was misled by an astrologer who convinced her that she would get a high position, if she switched over to the TMC. He informed that she was over-ambitious and angry about not being given a ticket for Parliament, despite him trying to convince her that this was against the party rules. “Kailash Vijayvargiya, Amit Shah treated her like their daughter…I could have brought her back with my love. But, the way she has switched parties it has made it impossible for us to be together,” the BJP MP said.

Cannot break millions of dreams, clarifies Saumitra Khan

He lamented that they had not talked for the past 7 days and had only communicated over WhatsApp. Saumitra emphasised that even though politics has interfered with his private life, he would not become an obstacle in her decision. His plans of re-printing his marriage album in January next year has ended in vain. He said, “You can take my property if you want it. Otherwise, I will donate it to the public.”

“You were respected as a BJP MP’s wife. TMC can break families…Sujata Mondal Khan has got me votes and has been a part of my victory but I now release her from my name and surname,” he cried. Saumitra, however, clarified, “I love you, Sujata. My fight is not against you but Trinamool Congress. I cannot break the dreams of millions of people for one person.”

Saumitra determined to overthrow the TMC government

The BJP leader also professed his loyalty to the BJP and said that he could not have asked for more after being made the President of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (West Bengal). He also informed that the ruling dispensation has filed 36 fake cases against him after he won the elections, and he was forced to take a loan of ₹30 lacs.

Saumitra further emphasised that he would put his heart and soul in overthrowing the TMC government from West Bengal. While speaking about her exit from the BJP, he said, “I request my wife Sujata to stay well and fight out. You have made a mistake, Sujata. I want to tell Abhishek Banerjee, Sujata was my only weakness and now I will sacrifice everything for BJP”.

Sujata Mondol leaves BJP for TMC

As per reports, Sujata joined the TMC in Kolkata, alleging that the BJP did not give her respect and that the saffron party is now filled with ‘tainted’ people. “Now there are only opportunist and tainted people on the top. There was no respect in the BJP for me,” she had claimed.

She further alleged, “I don’t understand what kind of soap is it that is used to purifying the tainted leaders.” “I had fought for BJP and my husband…we got them a victory in the Lok Sabha polls. I think they have only been opportunists…” Sujata Mondal also said that the party had 6 CM candidates, 13 Deputy Chief Minister candidates and that there was a lack of clarity within the saffron party.

Kerala: Police bust rave party organised in a resort owned by CPI leader, huge stash of drugs found

OpIndia Staff
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Kerala: Police bust rave party organised in a resort owned by CPI leader, huge stash of drugs found

In a late-night raid on Sunday at a resort owned by local CPI leader in Kerala’s Wagamon, also spelt as Vagamon, the police confiscated large quantities of psychotropic drugs from the revellers.

About 60 people, including 25 women, were detained by the police following the crackdown. Some of those detained are alleged to be associated with the cinema and TV serial industry. A few of them are techies from Bengaluru, police revealed. So far, 4 people have been arrested in connection with the case.

The police informed that the details will be revealed after the completion of blood tests and other formalities. The rave party was held at a resort called Cliff Inn, owned by a former panchayat president Shaji Kuttikadan. The resort owner, a local CPI leader, is absconding, police said. Wagamon is a hill station located in Peerumade taluk of Idukki district, Kerala.

The Idukki police had reportedly received a tip-off that a drug party was going to be organised at the resort on Sunday evening. Acting on the intel, the resort was monitored by the police from the last two days.

Idukki police received a tip-off about a drug party being organised at CPI leader’s resort

As per reports, a contingent of 100 police officers was raised by the Idukki police, which also included female police officers. On Sunday night, officials of the Idukki police and a team of Narcotics Bureau conducted a raid at the resort and seized the drugs. They found that the party was organised by 9 people. The police said that they routinely receive intelligence inputs on rave parties being organised in remote parts of the state and they garner enough patrons through darknet chatting.

Banned drugs such as LSD, heroin, gum, marijuana, etc., were confiscated from the venue. LSD is amongst drugs that are known to induce the hallucinating effect. Consumers often experience visual and auditory hallucinations after consuming LSD. Other effects include twisted thoughts, feelings and altered awareness of one’s surroundings. Marijuana is a psychedelic drug used for both medicinal and recreational purposes.

Bengaluru: Nurse films hostel inmates while bathing to get her boyfriend to marry her

OpIndia Staff
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Bengaluru: Nurse films hostel inmates while bathing to get her boyfriend to marry her

A twisted story of a ‘kinky’ boyfriend and her girlfriend’s attempts to impress him have come to light in Bengaluru. As per the reports, 25-years-old Ashwini filmed the inmates to impress her 35-years-old boyfriend, Prabhu. Ashwini revealed this information during questioning after her arrest. She said that she was filming the inmates to make sure her boyfriend agrees to marry her.

Ashwini, a staff nurse at a private hospital, and Prabhu, her boyfriend, are now in police custody. Ashwini was arrested by police on December 5 after the security guards at the hostel found her mobile phone capturing a video of a woman in the bathroom. During the initial investigation, it was found that there were several nude videos of other colleagues in Ashwini’s mobile, which she had shared with Prabhu. Ashwini claimed that she had no idea for what purpose Prabhu used the videos.

D Devaraj, the deputy commissioner of police (Whitefield), said that it is a serious situation. “We had to act fast and find out if the videos were uploaded on social media platforms or were recorded to blackmail the women who had no idea they had been filmed.”

Police acted swiftly after learning about Prabhu

When Ashwini revealed what she did with the videos, the police acted swiftly and picked up Prabhu from Tamil Nadu. Police have confiscated the mobile phones and memory cards of both accused. As per the police, Prabhu had not circulated the videos further. Devaraj said, “Ashwini, from Tamil Nadu, is a divorcee. She wanted to marry Prabhu and recorded the videos on his demand to impress him,” Devaraj added. Police have booked Prabhu with allegedly abetting Ashwini to record the videos. The duo was sent to central prison after registering a case under IPC Section 354C (voyeurism). Initially police believed that she sent the videos to Prabhu to sell them.

Love affair that started with a ‘Wrong Number’

Ashwini and Prabhu came in contact in 2017 after he dialed the wrong number and ended up talking to Ashwini. They soon became friends, and later Ashwini showed interest in getting married. Prabhu initially agreed by later started avoiding after he learnt that Ashwini was a divorcee.

Police said that that was when Ashwini told Prabhu that she was willing to do anything for him. Prabhu told her to record of video of her colleague while bathing and send it to him. As time passed by, he started demanding similar videos. In his statement, Prabhu said that he derived voyeuristic pleasure while watching the videos and later deleted them.

‘Dada’ vs ‘Didi’ in 2021? Tracing Sourav Ganguly conundrum as Bengal heats up and BJP sets eyes on scoring 200 in state elections

OpIndia Staff
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‘Dada’ vs ‘Didi’ in 2021? Tracing Sourav Ganguly conundrum as Bengal heats up and BJP sets eyes on scoring 200 in state elections

Nehru fanboy Ramchandra Guha in his recent memoir did not hold any punches while going after BCCI President Sourav Ganguly. He called legendary cricketer ‘greedy’ but then, it could be a case of sour grapes as the alleged ‘historian’ had earlier resigned from the Committee of Administrators which was appointed by the Supreme Court to manage the BCCI.

There is another reason, however, which has earned the former captain of the Indian cricket team a lot of criticism from expected quarters. There have been persistent rumours for a long time that he would bite the bullet and join the BJP ahead of the elections in 2021. So far, he has not but that has not silenced speculations.

There are moments when the speculations are stronger than others but rumours of Sourav Ganguly joining the BJP have refused to die out. For instance, earlier in August, the former cricketer had returned the two-acre land at New Town he had received from the Trinamool Government to build a school. He had personally met Mamata Banerjee at Nabanna, the state secretariat, for the same but it was a remarkably quiet affair.

As late as November, senior Trinamool leader Sougata Roy made his displeasure known at the prospect of the BCCI president taking a dive in politics. “I would not be happy (if he joins politics). Sourav is an icon for all Bengalis, the only cricket captain from Bengal. He is also popular because of his TV show but Sourav has no background in politics, he would not be able to serve politics,” he told India Today.

Sougata Roy further said, “He does not know the problems of the country and its poor. He has no exposure to poverty, problems of labour.” These do not seem to be very plausible reasons as ‘Dada’ has massive popularity among Bengalis transcending class barriers. West Bengal also has a history of electing candidates from the entertainment industry, some in TMC itself. And Ganguly’s popularity beats theirs by a country mile.

His privileged background is unlikely to be a liability or an obstacle as he will have a sleek political machine at his disposal should he join the BJP. It is more likely that it will work in his favour as certain sections of the urban Bengali Hindu electorate will find Ganguly a more palatable Chief Ministerial candidate than others.

Sourav Ganguly himself is known to share a cordial relationship with Amit Shah and his son Jay Shah, who also happens to be the Secretary of BCCI. Dona Ganguly, the cricketer’s wife, a dancer of considerable pedigree by her own right, was seen performing at BJP Mahila Morcha’s Durga Puja in Kolkata.

Due to the political nature of the BCCI appointment, and the cordial relationship between Ganguly and senior leaders of the party, it is a subject of endless speculation that he might be the Chief Ministerial candidate for the BJP in 2021 Assembly Elections in West Bengal.

But it has also been reported that Sourav Ganguly has conveyed his disinterest in joining politics to the BJP. Home Minister Amit Shah, on the other hand, has been remarkably nonchalant about the prospects of him joining the party. Last year, he denied that the party had made any attempts to recruit the cricketer but admitted that ‘it would be good’ if he joined.

With momentum in BJP’s favour after Suvendu Adhikari jumped ship, it remains to be seen whether it is the final straw and Sourav Ganguly finally decided to take the plunge. A ‘Dada’ vs ‘Didi’ battle in 2021 will certainly be a very enticing prospect for any political observer.

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