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Mathura: Court admits Krishna Janmabhoomi petition, to hear maintainability on 30th

OpIndia Staff
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Mathura: Court admits Krishna Janmabhoomi petition, to hear maintainability on 30th

On Friday, a plea was filed in the court of Civil Judge Senior Division Chhaya Sharma in Mathura district, by Supreme Court advocates Harishankar Jain and Vishnu Shankar Jain on behalf of Shri Krishna Virajman. In the petition, a claim has been filed on the land on which The Shahi Idgah Mosque stands next to Krishna Temple at Katra Keshav Dev, Mathura.

The hearing has been postponed till 30th September on which the court will decide the maintainability of the petition. It was supposed to take place on 28th September but the petitioners could not appear in the court.

What is the case?

The petitioners have asserted in the petition that Mughul invader Aurangazeb had demolished the Krishna temple in Mathura during his rule. The temple that stood at the birthplace of Lord Shree Krishna at Katra Keshav Dev was demolished in 1669-70. The existing Eidgah was built on the plinth of the Krishna Janmabhoomi temple. The petitioners have asked to court to transfer the ownership of 13.37 acres of land to Shri Krishna Virajman.

The agreement between Sri Krishna Janmasthana Seva Sansthan and Shahi Idgah Management Committee

Five decades ago, Sri Krishna Janmasthana Seva Sansthan and Shahi Idgah Management Committee agreed that the mosque would remain at the disputed land. The devotees have dubbed the agreement illegal and demanded the mosque should be removed. According to the petitioners, the land belongs to Shri Krishna Virajman.

Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Nirman Nyas

On the lines of Ram Mandir Trust, a group of around 80 saints from 14 states formed ‘Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Nirman Nyas’ for the sole aim of reclaiming land in Kashi and Mathura along with other temples. The group wants to connect to other seers to seek their support in the movement.

Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991

When PV Narasimha Rao was the Prime Minister of India, the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, was passed. The controversial law prohibits converting places of worship – like churches, mosques, and temples – into places of worship of a different religion.

To date, only the class action suit of Shri Ram Janbhoomi was allowed an exception. In November 2019, the Supreme Court of India passed the judgment in favor of Ram Lalla Virajman and gave the disputed land to Hindu organizations to build a Bhavya Ram Mandir. The judgment in the Ram Mandir case paved the foundation for reclaiming lands where temples once stood in India.

Bombay High Court plays the audio clip of Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut wherein he called Kangana Ranaut, ‘Haramkhor’. Read details

OpIndia Staff
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Bombay High Court plays the audio clip of Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut wherein he called Kangana Ranaut, ‘Haramkhor’. Read details

Actress Kangana Ranaut has been at loggerheads with the Shiv-Sena ruled Maharashtra government. Following a war of words between the actress and Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut, the BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) proceeded to demolish the office of Ranaut. The actress alleged the act was out of vengeance and then moved the Bombay High Court, seeking a stay on the demolition and compensation of ₹2 crores for damages.

During the hearing of the case, the Bombay High Court asked advocate Dr Birendra Saraf, to play the audio recording of Sanjay Raut, wherein he made misogynistic remarks against his client Kangana Ranaut. The Court’s direction came at the backdrop of advocate Saraf’s argument that the Maharashtra government conducted the demolition in response to the remarks of Kangana Ranaut.

Sanjay Raut had earlier referred to the actress as a ‘Haramkhor’ but later justified it by suggesting that it implied being ‘naughty’ in Mumbai’s lingo. Saraf pointed out the misogyny in the statement and how Sanjaya Raut wanted to teach the actress, a lesson. He also informed the Court how the Shiv Sena leader had rejoiced about the demolition in an editorial in Saamna.

Lawyer of Sanjay Raut defends his misogynist statement

Sanjay Raut’s lawyer, Pradeep J Torat, countered the allegations by claiming that Raut did not name Kangana in his statement. The Bombay High Court then asked Torat whether he was ready to record his statement that his client Sanjaya Raut did not make those comments targetting Kangana Ranaut. Justice Kathawalla asked, “Are you saying your client has not called her a haraamkhor ladki? Can we record the statement that you(Raut) have not called the petitioner ‘haraamkhor’? In response, Torat stated that he will file an affidavit, the following day.

Kangana Ranaut’s lawyer accuses BMC of not following protocols

During the hearing in the Bombay High Court, Ranaut’s lawyer, Dr Birendra Saraf exhibited the photographs of the property that was demolished by the BMC. He had also submitted photographs of the property, prior to the demolition. Saraf informed the Court that the demolition order violated the orders of both the Bombay High Court and the Supreme Court of India, wherein it urged authorities from undertaking demolition activities in light of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Advocate Saraf stated that the actions of BMC were not in ‘consonance’ with Section 354A of the BMC Act (which allows for the civic body to demolish properties where construction work is continued in the absence of requisite permission). He cited cases where BMC had permitted property owners to retain the ‘entirety of floors’, following regularisation.

He argued that no construction was being undertaken at Kangana Ranaut’s property and that the BMC notice did not mention of any ongoing construction at the site. He added that even if new construction was being done at the property, yet, the civic body had to first issue a notice. Saraf highlighted that the aggrieved person was to be given an opportunity to produce the required permit and that demolition couldn’t be undertaken straightaway. He emphasised that the BMC did not act as per rules before undertaking the demolition work and invoked a provision that was ‘ex-facie not applicable’ in the case.

Face-off between Kangana Ranaut and Maharashtra govt

The faceoff between the Maha Vikas Aghadi government and Kangana was triggered after the latter had compared Mumbai to Pakistan Occupied Kashmir in the wake of Azaadi graffiti seen on the streets of the city, and the subsequent inaction of the Mumbai Police.

Since then, the ‘Queen’ actress has been subjected to threats of violence, and even derogatory words by Shiv Sena leaders. Sanjay Raut had called her ‘haramkhor ladki’ while Pratap Sarnaik had threatened to ‘break her mouth’. Even Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir Singh had joined the Shiv Sena-led government in bullying Kangana Ranaut and he was caught liking tweets wherein she was shamed.

In addition to the abusive tirade against Kangana, the Maharashtra government had also decided to launch a probe into the alleged consumption of drugs by actor Kangana Ranaut. Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh had said that the Maha Vikas Aghadi government will investigate Kangana for allegedly taking drugs

United States: Muslim girl disqualified from her high school volleyball match for wearing a hijab

OpIndia Staff
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United States: Muslim girl disqualified from her high school volleyball match for wearing a hijab

A controversy has erupted in the Tennessee state of the United States of America after a high-schopl athlete was disqualified from a volleyball match for wearing a hijab.

The incident happened on September 15 when Najah Aqeel, a freshman at Valor Collegiate Prep in Nashville, was training before the match when her coach told her that she has been barred from playing the match by the referee because of her headscarf.

Muslim girl was barred because she had not sought authorisation for wearing a hijab during the match

Citing a casebook rule mandating athletes who wear a hijab to have an authorization from the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA), the referee asserted that Najah was not granted the authorisation to wear a headscarf in the match. Najah, on the other hand, admitted that she had not sought an authorisation for wearing a hijab but claimed that it wasn’t an issue during her previous matches.

When given the choice of removing the hijab to play the match, Najah decided to sit out. Wearing hijab is an orthodox Muslim practice and conservative Muslim women strictly adhere to it only remove it either in front of their family members or in presence of other women.

Stating that she had the right to wear whatever she deemed appropriate, Najah said that she was appalled by the association singling out Muslim women for wearing a hijab of their own volition and which is also a custom ordained by their religion.

“I was indignant, sad and also shocked just because I had never heard of the rule before that. “The rule has no business being in the casebook. It singles out hijabis. I don’t see why I need the approval to wear my hijab when it is a part of my religion,” Najah said in an interview with CNN.

Disqualification of the Muslim girl prompts statewide demand for changes in the rules governing sports competitions

The disqualification of the girl from a volleyball match has prompted statewide outcry, with many organisations calling for the changes in the casebook rules that prevents hijab wearing girls from participating in volleyball matches.

Karissa Niehoff, executive director for The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFSH), an organisation which formulates competition rules for most US high school sports, said that the rules are not set in stone that exceptions cannot be made to accommodate special cases.

She also added that NFSH is going to introduce new language to its casebook in connection to religious headwear so that it will no longer be an issue in the future, unless it poses a danger to the player or other athletes.

The American Muslim Advisory Council has asked for the invalidation of the rule that caused a Muslim volleyball player for a Nashville school to miss the match because she was wearing a hijab.

Andhra Pradesh: A list of Hindu temples that have been attacked in the recent months

OpIndia Staff
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Andhra Pradesh: A list of Hindu temples that have been attacked in the recent months

Attacks on temples in the state of Andhra Pradesh are increasing. In a short span, several temples have been reportedly vandalized by the miscreants. From destroying idols to burning century-old chariots, a lot has happened in Andhra Pradesh. Here is a list of five incidents that shook the Hindus irrespective of their geographic location.

Nandi idol vandalized in Chittoor

On 27th September, Gangadhara Nellore police station received the information about an attack on Shiva temple in Agara Mangalam village in Gangadhara Nellore Mandal of Chittoor district. As per the reports, the Nandi idol of the temple was vandalized on the night of 26th and 27th September by some miscreants. The pieces of the idol were found scattered nearby pedestal. The police have registered the case and trying to find out who was behind the attack.

Attack on Kasi Visweswara Swamy temple in Krishna

Some miscreants attacked the Kasi Visweswara Swamy temple at Makkapeta village in Vatasvayi Mandal, Krishna district, on the night of 16th September. As per the reports, the attackers damaged a portion of the Nandi idol installed in the 12-century temple. The caretakers came to know about the incident on the 17th morning when they opened the doors for daily darshan. The police have registered a case under Section 427, 457, and 153 (a) of CrPC and initiated a probe in the case. It is believed that the Kakatiya rulers installed the idol of Veerabhadra Swamy in the temple in the 12th century.

A day later, a Hanuman idol in a temple in Yeleswaram was vandalised. The high-value silver idols from the chariot of Kanaka Durga Temple in Vijayavada were stolen. The idols weighed 3.3 kgs each.

Century-old chariot burnt at Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple in Antarvedi

On 6th September, a century-old chariot was burnt down to ashes at Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple in Antarvedi. It is believed that the so-called fire accident was the result of a conspiracy. The government of Andhra Pradesh suspended the temple’s Executive Officer (EO) after the outrage and sanctioned Rs 95 lakh to build a new chariot. In the background of the chariot burning, Antarvedi saw a few mild cases of communal violence. The people associated with the temple alleged that while they were protesting, some outsiders pelted stones on the church that caused the tension.

Chariot of Sri Prasanna Venkateswara Swamy temple in Nellore

On 14th February 2020, the chariot of Sri Prasanna Venkateswara Swamy temple in Nellore was burnt down by some miscreants in the wee hours. The locals noticed the fire and called the authorities immediately. However, before anything could have done to control the fire, the chariot was turned into pieces of coal. Though there were initial attempts to call it an accident, the locals refused to believe that a fire accident could burn down the chariot. A probe was initiated in the incident to find the miscreants. 

Idols damaged in East Godavari district

On 21st January 2020, some miscreants damaged the idols of Hindu gods and goddesses and flex banners in Pithapuram city in East Godavari district. The reports suggested that they used hammers to disfigure cemented idols of Bhagwan Ganesha, Hanuman, Sai Baba, and Durgamata in the Bajranj temple located in the open shed Suravarapu street in Agraharam. They also destroyed various Hindu god flex banners installed in the open space along the roadside in nearby areas on the outskirts of Pithapuram town. The police registered a case in the matter and collected CCTV footage from the nearby areas.

Dear WebMD, this hideous decoction is neither chai nor latte. As an Indian, I am offended

Nirwa Mehta
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Dear WebMD, this hideous decoction is neither chai nor latte. As an Indian, I am offended

As I was mindlessly scrolling through my Twitter timeline, I came across this video of WebMD where they were talking about how to make ‘homemade chai latte’. As someone who has recently taken to ASMR YouTube videos for aesthetically cooked food (it is a pandemic and food is the only comfort one has, ok?), I stopped scrolling to check it out. Here is how it unfolded.

I have thoughts on this. (Contains spoilers, d-uh)

  1. Hmm. Spices. Nice masala chai with adrak.
  2. What. Tea bags? Who puts tea bags when you are brewing tea at home?
  3. Cardamom. Ew. I don’t like it in biryani, don’t like it in sweets, don’t like it anywhere. The only reason elaichi exists is to make you question your existence on same planet as elaichi.
  4. Cloves. Hmm. Sometimes on cold wintery mornings, I like to make myself this strong tea to feel warm. Cloves are good.
  5. WHAT THE HELL! STAR ANISE?! IS THIS CHAI OR BIRYANI!
  6. WHO PUTS THREE HUGE STICKS OF CINNAMON!
  7. Okay, ginger is nice. I love ginger. BUT WITH SO MANY OTHER OVERPOWERING SPICES, WHAT GOOD IS THIS GINGER!
  8. WHAT THE HELL! WHO PUTS COCONUT MILK IN TEA!
  9. AND MAPLE SYRUP! BIRYANI SE PANCAKES BANA DO!
  10. WAIT YOU DID NOT EVEN BOIL IT AND ARE STRAINING IT! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!

No, this is not how you make ‘chai latte’. What you made is neither chai, nor latte. That’s not even the proper colour. The Indian in me is offended.

This is how tea looks like.

How tea looks like. (image courtesy @nirwamehta)

This is how you make tea: (1 cup measurements)

  1. Little over half cup water + half cup milk, bring to a boil.
  2. Add 2 tea spoons of tea leaves of your choice
  3. Add a pinch of tea masala (Everest is personal favourite).
  4. Once the whole thing boils, grate in 1 inch ginger, 3-4 leaves of mint and Tulsi. (mint and Tulsi are optional)
  5. Let it boil till colour becomes like in above picture. IT HAS TO BE PERFECT BROWN TO BE TEA.
  6. Once it is nice brown colour, remove from flame.
  7. Add 1.5 tea spoon of powdered jaggery and mix.
  8. Drink your tea.

WebMD, please stick to what you are best at: Being the first search result for every time I Google my symptoms and telling me how I am going to die. Soon.

‘If I want to burn my tractor, what problem do you have’: Punjab CM Amarinder Singh defends Youth Congress workers

OpIndia Staff
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‘If I want to burn my tractor, what problem do you have’: Punjab CM Amarinder Singh defends Youth Congress workers

Hours after a tractor was burnt near India Gate in New Delhi by the Youth Congress cadres as a mark of protests against the recent agriculture sector laws, the Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh has come out in defence of these workers who engaged in the act. Responding to a question on the incident, the Punjab CM asked what problem existed if he wanted to burn his own tractor? 

Opposing the agricultural reforms of the Narendra Modi government, Singh also said that the state will approach the Supreme Court regarding the matter. It is pertinent to note that the Punjab CM has been holding a sit-in protest against the three bills relating to the agriculture sector passed in the just concluded Parliament session.

Ever since the Modi government passed the bills in the Parliament, the Congress party has been opposing and spreading lies and misinformation to score political goals.

Congress Youth Congress opposes the Farm Bills

Earlier in the day, as a part of this protest, Punjab Youth Congress workers brought a tractor on a truck and set it on fire shouting Bhagat Singh slogans near India Gate in New Delhi. Prior to this, Congress had gone on to support the nationwide strike called by the Bharatiya Kisan Union and several other organisations on July 25.

Most of the protests were seen in Punjab, where the ruling Congress government is joining the protests. Although the bills bring much-needed changes to the farm laws that are extremely beneficial for the farmers, which were proposed by the Congress party also when they were in power, now they are opposing the bills for political purposes.

Going by its penchant the Congress party has also been using the social media to spread canards against the Narendra Modi government.

You can read more about the recent agriculture Bills passed by the Parliament which got President’s assent here.

Clashes erupt between Azerbaijan and Armenia over breakaway region Nagorno-Karabakh, world leaders concerned

OpIndia Staff
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Clashes erupt between Azerbaijan and Armenia over breakaway region Nagorno-Karabakh, world leaders concerned

Deadly clashes erupted on Sunday between two former Soviet Republics—Azerbaijan and Armenia, over a longstanding territorial dispute for the turbulent Nagorno-Karabakh region, a strife-torn region that lies within the jurisdiction of Azerbaijan but is governed by ethnic Armenians. 

The recent flare-ups, worst since 2016, have raised the spectre of a fresh war between the two arch-enemies that have overlapping claims over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh. At least 23, including 16 military personnel, were killed in the clashes that took place on Sunday, rekindling concerns of stability in South Caucasus, a corridor for pipelines carrying oil and gas to the world markets.

Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia have declared martial law after Azerbaijan launched an aerial and artillery attack on Sunday, killing several of the military servicemen and injuring hundreds of others. 

Azerbaijan, on the other hand, has also imposed martial law, claiming its attack was in retaliation to shelling by Armenia that had reportedly killed five members of a single family.

Azerbaijan also claimed that it has taken control of seven villages of Nagorno-Karabakh. This initially denied but later Nagorno-Karabakh admitted of having lost “some positions” and acknowledged the loss of civilian lives, without delving into the details. 

Map of the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region with respect to surrounding nations, image via Caucasus Business Week

The violent confrontation between Muslim-majority Azerbaijan and Christian-majority Armenia threatened to draw in regional players—Turkey and Russia—increasing the possibility of snowballing a regional conflict into a global one. According to reports, Turkey has already deployed Syrian fighters in Azerbaijan to fight against Armenia.

International leaders and global organisations call for a truce between Azerbaijan and Armenia 

This likelihood of a zonal conflict devolving into a full-scale war was acknowledged by several international leaders, prompting them to call for an immediate ceasefire between the two countries. 

US President Donald Trump recognised the precarious nature of conflict and said in a Sunday evening press briefing that the United States is looking strongly at the situation and a lot of good relationships in the region to de-escalate the mounting tensions. 

US Senator Bob Menendez condemned the attack on Nagorno-Karabakh by Azerbaijan, stating that it is another act of aggression supported by Turkey and asked the Trump administration to terminate security assistance granted to Azerbaijan. 

The United Nations Chief Antonio Guterres said that he was concerned about the fresh resumption of hostilities between the two countries. Amidst the intensifying clashes, the UN Chief asked the two nations to “immediately de-escalate” and get into “meaningful negotiations”.

The European Union also called upon the two countries to immediately end hostilities and return to negotiating tables. Similar sentiments were also raised by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Pope Francis urged both sides to strike an armistice and resolve the matter through talks. 

History of violent conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over volatile Nagorno-Karabakh region

The dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh dates back to several decades when the then Soviet Republic merged the predominantly ethnic Armenian region of Nagorno-Karabakh with Azerbaijan in 1921.

However, the collapse of Soviet Union in 1991 provided an opportunity to the Armenian separatists to wage a war for seeking liberation from Azerbaijan. The ensuing war resulted in the deaths of 30,000 people and left thousands of others homeless.

Though a ceasefire was reached in 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia were locked in the territorial dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh region, frequently accusing each other of mounting attacks along their tense border. 

Recently, in April 2016, a violent confrontation between the two countries caused the deaths of 200 people. Azerbaijan has promised of reintegrating the territory back into its country while Armenia has pledged of doing all it could to defend the area. 

MP Special DG caught beating his wife in viral video says what he did was ‘not a crime’, gets relieved of duties: Read the details

OpIndia Staff
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MP Special DG caught beating his wife in viral video says what he did was ‘not a crime’, gets relieved of duties: Read the details

Additional Director General (ADG), Madhya Pradesh, Purshottam Sharma has been relieved of his duties after a video of him beating his wife went viral on social media on Monday. The order to that effect was issued by the State Home Department.

Home Department order [Source: ANI]

Purshottam Sharma has come out, defended himself and blamed his wife instead. “We have been married for 32 years, in 2008 she had complained against me. But the point is, since 2008 she has been living in my house, enjoying all facilities and travelling abroad on my expenses,” he said commenting on the video. Then he went to accuse his wife of stalking.

“If my nature is abusive, then she should have complained earlier. This is a family dispute, not a crime. I am neither a violent person nor a criminal. It is unfortunate that I have to go through this. My wife stalks me and has put cameras in the house,” said Purshottam Sharma.

The incident took place on Sunday when Sharma’s wife reportedly caught him in a compromising position with another woman. This led to a heated argument between the two. Moments later, Purshottam Sharma began assaulting his wife.

In the said video footage, Sharma can be seen beating his wife after putting her down on the floor. While there were two other men in the house, none of them did anything significant to stop the assault. The Special DG was heard yelling at his wife while she cried for help. The accused’s son has filed a complaint with the DGP and has sent a copy of the assault video. He has demanded strict action against Sharma for assaulting his mother.

“Have no regrets”, Balika Vadhu director takes on his father’s business of selling vegetables as upcoming film projects get stalled

OpIndia Staff
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“Have no regrets”, Balika Vadhu director takes on his father’s business of selling vegetables as upcoming film projects get stalled

Coronavirus pandemic has changed the lives of many individuals. One such case is that of the director of the TV serial Balika Vadhu. Director Ram Vriksha Gaur has been selling vegetables in his hometown of Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh.

While speaking to the media, he stated that he had come to the district for a film recce. He was supposed to work on a Bhojpuri film, followed by a Hindi cinema, prior to the pandemic. Following the lockdown that was imposed in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic, it was not possible for the director to return back to Mumbai. He said, “The project we were working on was stopped and the producer said it would take another year or more to get back to work.”

Balika Vadhu director expresses no regrets in selling vegetables

As such, he took on his father’s business of selling vegetables on a handcart. “I am familiar with the business and have no regrets,” he was quoted as saying. Expressing hope that he will one day return back to Mumbai, he said, “I have my own house in Mumbai and I am confident that I will return one day. Till then, I am here doing what I can.”

Balika Vadhu director hails from a humble background

Ram Vriksha Gaur comes from a humble background. He travelled to Mumbai to began his career on the small screen with the help of writer Shahnawaz Khan. He informed, “I worked in the light department and then in the production department of TV serials. I became an assistant director in the production of many serials first, then worked as the episode director and unit director for Balika Vadhu.”

Reportedly, Ram Vriksha Gaur has also worked as an assistant director in several films featuring actors such as Randeep Hooda, Sunil Shetty, Yashpal Sharma, and Rajpal Yadav.

Columnist Sudheendra Kulkarni who used Jaswant Singh’s death to target Modi, had once insulted and left Singh in tears, senior journalist reveals

OpIndia Staff
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Columnist Sudheendra Kulkarni who used Jaswant Singh’s death to target Modi, had once insulted and left Singh in tears, senior journalist reveals

Ex-union minister Jaswant Singh passed away on Sunday at 6:55 AM after a cardiac arrest at Delhi’s Army Hospital (Research & Referral) where he was admitted in June. A close aide of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Jaswant Singh had served as India’s foreign minister, defence minister and finance minister in the former NDA government. Shortly after his death, several antagonists started using the parliamentarian’s death to target the Narendra Modi government. One such was the speech writer for former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee- Sudheendra Kulkarni.

In an article for the Indian Express, Kulkarni targeted the present BJP government by claiming that had Jaswant Singh recovered from the coma he would have “found the party he served for 4 decades, unrecognisable”, insinuating that under PM Modi, BJP has become depraved and corrupt. In his article, Kulkarni wrote that under Vajpayee’s leadership the party even respected people like Jaswant Singh, who frequently voiced his dissenting views in party forums, a virtue which is unthinkable in the new BJP under Modi and Shah.

Article written by Sudheendra Kulkarni

Soon, senior journalist Kanchan Gupta, who was also an official in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) when the NDA came to power, took to Twitter to call out the double standards of his colleague. Kanchan Gupta reminded how Sudheerna Kulkarni who has in his article heaped praises for Jaswant Singh, was the same person who had once spared no effort to humiliate the parliamentarian.

Kanchan Gupta recalled that in 2009 when the BJP leaders had gathered to finalise the election manifesto, Kulkarni abused Singh and called him a ‘fool who cannot count’. This left Singh humiliated and teary eyed. Eventually, the BJP lost the 2009 elections.

Sudheendra Kulkarni and his dubiouness

Sudheendra Kulkarni, who had extended support to Rahul Gandhi ahead of 2019 elections has been a very vocal Modi critic and Pakistan sympathiser. Recently, during the Ladakh standoff with China, Kulkarni had downplayed Chinese aggression and referred to the call to boycott Chinese products as ‘stupid’. In 2015 he was attacked by Shiv Sena activists for organising Ex-Pak minister’s book launch. Prior to that, in an article in 2013 Kulkarni had dubbed Modi, the then Gujarat chief minister as an “autocrat” who cares “two hoots” for the party. He had also called BJP’s then-president Rajnath Singh “foxy”. Kulkarni had also opposed the name of Narendra Modi as the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate.

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