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Despite Congress ecosystem’s attempt to use Murli Manohar Joshi to target Modi, the veteran says Modi has blessings of the people

OpIndia Staff
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Despite Congress ecosystem’s attempt to use Murli Manohar Joshi to target Modi, the veteran says Modi has blessings of the people

BJP patriarch Murli Manohar Joshi cast his vote today in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s constituency, Varanasi, which went into polls in the last and seventh phase of the Lok Sabha elections.

The veteran leader while taking questions after coming out of the polling booth said that Modi has the voter’s blessings. Though he asserted that he was there to cast his vote and does not wish to talk about politics, when the journalists insisted, he said that the public will decide if there was development in the last five years or not and said that the Prime Minister has the support of his voters.


The BJP leader, at no point of time, appeared displeased with Modi or his government as the Congress ecosystem had earlier claimed, attempting to use the veteran leader to target PM Modi.

On the contrary, when a journalist questioned him about a new generation of BJP leaders ‘taking over’, Joshi jovially pointed it out that a new generation of journalists is taking over too.

In April 2019, just as the Lok Sabha election had commenced, a fake letter claiming to be written by senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi to BJP patriarch LK Advani criticising the state of the BJP under Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been circulated vigorously across the social media.

In that ‘fake’ letter, Murli Manohar Joshi’s name has been used to paint an unfavourable image against the BJP, especially against the Prime Minister. It says that Joshi had received offers from SP-BSP coalition to contest the elections. Since veteran leaders of BJP like Joshi and Advani were excluded from the party’s candidate list for the Lok Sabha elections, opposition parties and a section of media have been trying to claim a rift in the party by asserting that Modi-Shah duo has been sidelining other leaders of the party.

This ‘fake’ letter was extensively used by the Congress party trolls in an attempt to create a false narrative ahead of the second phase of 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Moreover, in 2017, the Congress had also dragged BJP’s veteran leaders like LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Sanjay Joshi, Keshubhai Patel and Anandiben Patel, in its attempt to malign Modi and Shah’s image, by alleging they were “victims” of Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah’s politics of dominance in BJP.

Congress’ spokesperson, Randeep Surjewala raked up the names of former BJP top guns alleging that Modi-Shah duo had sidelined the veteran leaders to rise to power.

Interestingly, Congress President Rahul Gandhi, who himself climbed the hierarchical ladder leaving behind many veteran Congress leaders, merely because of his family name, had castigated Modi for sidelining senior leader LK Advani, to make way for Amit Shah.

Gandhi had used Advani’s name to mount attacks on PM Modi and while attacking him he crossed the line of decency by using crass language for a senior leader like LK Advani. He had stated that LK Advani was hit with shoes and was cast away by PM Modi.

Bombs hurled and journalists assaulted in Bengal, but TMC writes to EC complaining against PM Modi’s Kedarnath visit

OpIndia Staff
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Bombs hurled and journalists assaulted in Bengal, but TMC writes to EC complaining against PM Modi’s Kedarnath visit

As the long process of general elections that started on April 11 winds up today, powerplay and political slandering seem far from being over. Even as West Bengal again manages to grab national headlines for political violence, poll malpractice and vandalism, the ruling party TMC is busy finding faults in PM Modi’s spiritual visit to the Kedarnath shrine.

The TMC has written to the Election Commission of India alleging that the PM’s visit to Kedarnath and the media coverage of it is a ‘gross violation of the model code of conduct’.


In the letter, the ruling party of Bengal has alleged that PM Modi’s Kedarnath visit is being widely televised by all channels, national and local, ‘even after the campaigning had ended on 17 May’. It also states that PM Modi addressed the media and declared that the masterplan for the site’s development is ready which is ‘morally incorrect’.

The letter alleges that every minute details of the visit are being televised and even the people are chanting “Modi Modi” in the background. TMC claims that it might influence voters.

The letter urges the ECI to immediately order to stop the telecast of PM’s Kedarnath visit.

TMC, however, seems to forget that Narendra Modi is the Prime Minister and media will definitely follow him wherever he goes. There is no rule that says a Prime Minister cannot visit a temple hundreds of miles away from his constituency to practice his faith. Moreover, PM Modi had not given a single political statement, neither has he discussed elections and sought votes at any time during the visit.

It is also a sad irony that while West Bengal is in turmoils of rampant political violence and chaos, the ruling party deemed it fit to whine over PM Modi’s spiritual visit to a religious place far away from his constituency.

As on today, there are reports of polling malpractice, booth capturing, and even violent attacks on journalists in the state of West Bengal.


In Islampur, Raiganj, there are reports of journalists being attacked, manhandled and even bombs being hurled at them. The cars of some journalists have been smashed too. Locals have stated that the attack was a retaliation to the journalists reporting the incidents of voters being stopped from voting in a booth in Islampur.

other incidents of violence and vandalism have also been reported from Bhatpara, Barasat and other areas as well. Such was the lawlessness in the state that the ECI had to invoke section 324 for the first time in India’s electoral history for West Bengal when they ordered all campaigning to stop a day before the scheduled date.

Rajeev Kumar, the former Kolkata police chief for whom Mamata Banerjee had resorted to a dharna when CBI went to interrogate him, was sacked by the ECI, as well as the principal secretary Atri Bhattacharya. A number of BJP workers have been brutally murdered in the state and Mamata’S government had tried its best not to let BJP leaders campaign in her state, by cancelling permissions for rallies and not letting choppers land.

Congress’ Captain Amarinder violates Model Code of Conduct, tweets to urge people to vote for Congress

OpIndia Staff
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Congress’ Captain Amarinder violates Model Code of Conduct, tweets to urge people to vote for Congress

In a blatant violation of the Model Code of Conduct, Punjab Chief Minister and Congress leader Captain Amarinder tweeted to urge people to vote for Congress.

Captain Amarinder’s tweet, now deleted

In his tweet, Captain Amarinder urged the people of Punjab to choose between the BJP and Congress and to vote for ‘peace, progress and stability that only INC can deliver’. However, he soon deleted his tweet.

The Punjab state unit has been in the news for the wrong reasons during the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections. Captain Amarinder Singh and Navjot Kaur Sidhu, Punjab Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu’s wife, have been at loggerheads over Amritsar Lok Sabha seat candidature. Navjot Sidhu Kaur had alleged that Captain Amarinder Singh was responsible for her not getting the ticket to fight the Lok Sabha elections from the Amritsar seat.

However, Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh has dismissed the allegations levelled against him by Navjot Sidhu Kaur claiming that she was offered a chance to fight from Amritsar or Bhatinda but she refused to fight on both the seats. Singh added, “Ticket allocation is done by the Congress leadership in Delhi and they had denied her application to fight from the Chandigarh seat. Chandigarh doesn’t come under Punjab and thus I had no role in her rejection.” Singh also said that if given a choice, he would have recommended Pawan Bansal, the party’s chosen candidate for Chandigarh seat.

All 13 Lok Sabha constituencies in Punjab will cast their vote today in the seventh phase of polling. The counting will take place on 23rd May.

West Bengal marred by violence: BJP leader shot at, office vandalised and cars set ablaze in Bhatpara

OpIndia Staff
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West Bengal marred by violence: BJP leader shot at, office vandalised and cars set ablaze in Bhatpara

The Lok Sabha elections entered its last phase today. West Bengal’s scenario has been no different from the previous phases. Reports of severe violence before and during the last seventh phase of polls have started pouring in.

A night before the polls, clashes reportedly broke out between BJP and Trinamool Congress workers in Bhatpara district in North 24 Parganas, West Bengal after BJP leader Arjun Singh was allegedly shot at by Trinamool goons. Bombs were hurled and two vehicles were set on fire in Bhatpara which goes in to vote today. Assembly bypolls are also being conducted in Bhatpara constituency today.

Both parties blamed each other for the attack. Trinamool Congress claimed that people from outside were brought into the area by the BJP who were allegedly behind the violence.

The two main candidates contesting in the constituency are Madan Mitra of the Trinamool Congress and Pawan Singh of the BJP.

Arjun Singh, the BJP leader who was shot at today, is the father of Pawan Singh. Arjun Singh had resigned from the Bhatpara assembly seat and had decided to contest as a BJP candidate from the Barrackpore Lok Sabha constituency.

Notably, Madan Mitra is an accused in the Saradha chit fund scam and had been released from Alipore jail three years back after staying in there for two years.

Moreover, Barasat constituency in West Bengal has also been marred by violence. BJP office in Kadampur district, Phulia, Barasat has been vandalised. Chairs and the temple in the office have been broken and the curtains were set ablaze. BJP has alleged Trinamool workers were behind the attack.


Bengal has been marred by political violence since the beginning of the Lok Sabha elections. BJP workers have been targeted by the Trinamool goons in almost all the phases of the ongoing polls. BJP worker Raman Singh was found dead in Jhargram, West Bengal. Two BJP workers Ananta Guchait and Ranjit Maity were reportedly shot at in Bhagabanpur in East Medinipur.

Sporadic incidents of similar violence were reported in the previous five phases in different parts of West Bengal.

A BJP worker named Prashant Sharma was brutally beaten up by some unidentified people in Frasor Road during phase 5 of the ongoing elections. Similarly, BJP candidate from Barrackpore, Arjun Singh, was reportedly attacked by goons associated with the Trinamool Congress. BJP District President in Hooghly, Pranab Mondal Saha, had alleged that he was thrashed by Trinamool goons while he was on his way to meet a fellow member of the party Khokon Biswas.

Moreover, there were reports of massive violence from Asansol in the fourth phase of elections. Crude bombs had been found at a polling booth in Krishnanagar, West Bengal and also bombs have been recovered from a polling booth in Santipur, Nadia district. 

Threats, intimidations, bomb attacks, proxy voting have also been recorded in some of the Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal during the third phase of Lok Sabha elections.

Similarly, TMC workers had clashed with BJP workers inside a polling booth in Chopra, Darjeeling.

Incidentally, the first phase of the Lok Sabha polls was no different for West Bengal, Where elections are often greeted with violent skirmishes and clashes between competing parties. Violence and rampant polling malpractice were reported from Cooch Behar and Alipurduar, that had gone to polls in the first phase of the elections.

Moreover, following the widespread violence observed during the ongoing elections in West Bengal, the Election Commission had taken the unprecedented step of cutting short election campaigning for the seventh phase of the Lok Sabha election in Bengal.

Here is what may have triggered Rajdeep Sardesai’s own colleague slamming him for being a pliant journalist

OpIndia Staff
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Here is what may have triggered Rajdeep Sardesai’s own colleague slamming him for being a pliant journalist

Prime Minister Modi has given several interviews during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, one of them being to channel Aaj Tak, the Hindi counterpart of India Today. The interview was conducted by three journalists, Anjana Om Kashyap, Rahul Kanwal and Shweta Singh. Anjana Om Kashyap, one of the Editors of Aaj Tak who conducted that interview interestingly took to Twitter today to castigate what appears to be her colleague, Rajdeep Sardesai.


Anjana sarcastically said that she knows of one journalist who conducts coaching for asking on air questions. He is the same journalist who himself could not ask questions beyond ‘saas bahu’ and he now goes around distributing certificates to other journalists. She also said that he was frustrated for having to wait outside the door and not being let in.

Anjana Om Kashyap did not name anyone in particular. It is likely that in the future, Anjana might be forced to distance Rajdeep from her scathing tweet, however, there are enough clued in the tweet itself to conclude that she was indeed talking about her colleague, Rajdeep Sardesai. In her tweet, Anjana mentioned an interview where the said journalist could not ask questions beyond saas-bahu. Rajdeep Sardesai had conducted an infamous interview of the then Congress President Sonia Gandhi where he had asked her several questions about whether she cooked for her mother-in-law (Indira Gandhi) or not, and if she did, what was it that she cooked.

One wondered what might have triggered this onslaught on her colleague and whether the clue was hidden in her tweet itself. Anjana mentioned in her tweet that this journalist likes to distribute certificates and is desperate to stand outside the door. It would stand to reason that perhaps the trigger for Anjana’s tweet was Rajdeep pontificating on national television about how journalists let themselves and their profession down by not insisting that the Prime Minister answer questions during BJP’s last press conference before result day, where Amit Shah answered questions from the media in the presence of PM Modi.


Rajdeep Sardesai was distressed after BJP’s press conference on 18th May and had asked his panellists whether the journalists should have insisted that PM Modi take questions and been more aggressive. He had derided all the journalists who asked questions at that press conference. Incidentally, Anjana Om Kashyap was one of the journalists present at the press conference who had got the chance to ask questions.

He had also tweeted about the press conference saying that it was a ‘press appearance’ and not a ‘press conference’ by the Prime Minister.


Interestingly, while trying to chastise other journalists, Rajdeep revealed his own ignorance on the matter. The press conference was a BJP one and not the Prime Minister’s press conference, to begin with. In fact, when a question was directed at the PM, he had passed that to Amit Shah, saying as a disciplined soldier of the party, he won’t speak in front of the president. By this, he had clearly indicated that he was merely present at the press conference, but it was a press conference of the BJP president, and the prime minister was present there as a BJP member.

It must be remembered that the press conference was held at BJP headquarters, not at a government venue. While earlier press conferences by prime ministers were held at government venues, not party head offices. For example, previous prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh had addressed press conferences at Vigyan Bhawan in 2010 and National Media Centre in 2014, he didn’t answer questions in Congress headquarters.

The allegation mounted by Anjana Om Kashyap doesn’t seem very off the mark. Rajdeep has for the longest time been a faithful soldier of the Congress party within the media. He lies regularly, demonises Modi and even has a long illustrious career of spreading propaganda. He has paltry respect for other journalists who don’t wish to behave like ruffians like himself (one recalls his punching fiasco at Madison Square Garden) and conduct interviews with dignity when it comes to PM Modi while he himself crawls in front of the Dynasty. 

With Anjana Om Kashyap’s tweet, the war within the India Today network is widely visible. Several people had wondered earlier whether the rest of the relatively sane journalists from the media group actually respect or even like to work alongside Rajdeep Sardesai who is massively biased and not the brightest cookie in the cookie jar. With Anjana taking on the propagandist, the answer to that question seems rather obvious.

US military F-16 fighter jet crashed in a building in California, it was carrying live ammunition

OpIndia Staff
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US military F-16 fighter jet crashed in a building in California, it was carrying live ammunition

A US military F-16 fighter jet crashed in a warehouse in California last Thursday. As per reports, it was returning to March Air Base in Moreno Valley after a routine training mission and crashed after its hydraulics failed. The pilot, thankfully, ejected safely.

The crash was recorded on a dashboard camera of a commuter on the highway.

As per reports, the F-16 was carrying live ammunition, the specifics of which could not be discussed because of security reasons. There was a minor fire after the crash and 13 people are reported to be injured.

The F-16 fighter jets have recently been in the news after Pakistan misused the jets by using them to escalate aggression post-Balakot air strikes carried out by Indian Air Force on the terror camps in Pakistan.

After India had struck terror camps by an airstrike deep inside Pakistani territory in Balakot, Pakistan had violated Indian airspace using F16 fighter jets. They had also attempted to target Indian military installations, a misadventure that was successfully thwarted by Indian airforce.

When Pakistan acquired F16s from the USA, it came with an end-use monitoring agreement that said that Pakistan could use the F16s to defend itself and its war, albeit a fictitious one, against terror. However, Pakistan could not use the F16s to escalate or for any form of aggression against a sovereign nation.

Pakistan’s bold attempt to target Indian military installations was an act of escalation and aggression against a sovereign country and thus, was in contravention of the end-use monitoring agreement.

Pakistan had also tried to deny that F16s were used to breach Indian airspace, however, the Indian Armed Forces had recently held a press conference where they presented proof that the missile parts recovered by India in Indian territory were that of the AMRAAM missile which can only be used by an American made F16.

After the proof was presented, Pakistan again tried to lie and obfuscate claiming that the missile number in the evidence presented by India was of a lot sold to Taiwan. However, this was a lie. The lot was sold both to Pakistan and Taiwan and the specific serial number etched in the missile found by India was sold to Pakistan as evidenced by the contract details between America and Pakistan available on public domain.

Farhan Akhtar asks people not to vote for Sadhvi Pragya a week after polls, uses Bhopal Gas Tragedy as a cheap pun

OpIndia Staff
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Farhan Akhtar asks people not to vote for Sadhvi Pragya a week after polls, uses Bhopal Gas Tragedy as a cheap pun

Bollywood is not known for its intelligence but a significant chunk is regularly adamant to display the lack of it, especially on social media, more so when they try to make political points.

Farhan Akhtar, the son of lyricist and leftist Javed Akhtar, today deemed it fit to dispense some important political advice to the people of Bhopal. He told them who they should not vote for. Displaying the Bollywood special brainwaves, he stated that the people of Bhopal should save their city from another “full of gas” tragedy.

Farhan Akhtar via Twitter

How and why exactly Farhan Akhtar reached to the conclusion that a crass pun on the Bhopal Gas Tragedy that killed thousands and has been responsible for countless birth defects in children of the city for generations would be funny for the people who have lived through it, is something we may never understand, but then, the expectations from the Bollywood brand of politics was never very high, to begin with.

There was another problem in Akhtar’s tweet asking Bhopal not to vote for Sadhvi Pragya Thakur. They already have. As in, Bhopal has already voted in the 6th phase of elections, back on 12th May.

Twitter was quick to point it out to him.


The Akhtar family is politically vocal, however, the volume does not always translate into sense. Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi have been campaigning for Kanhaiya Kumar in Begusarai, like path-breaking actress Swara Bhaskar. Congress’ Bhopal candidate Digvijay Singh has also been praising Kanhaiya Kumar a lot.

Twitter users also pointed out the sheer insensitivity behind the tweet where Akhtar tried to use one of the worst industrial disasters in the world as a cheap pun.


Some people also tried to point it out that trying indirectly to help a Congress candidate while bringing out the topic of Bhopal Gas Tragedy may not be the sign of a very bright brain.

Akhtar, and for that matter, many of his Bollywood counterparts try a lot to make political points. However, the ignorance and on the top of it the sheer insensitivity of his tweet only proves that for the likes of him, it is all about the agenda they want to peddle, it is never about the electoral process or democracy. Even a devastating industrial disaster that made countless innocent people suffer is just the topic for a cheap pun for them.

Nasser Hussain believes that India has the best team to win the World Cup

OpIndia Staff
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Nasser Hussain believes that India has the best team to win the World Cup

Former England captain and commentator Nasser Hussain said on Saturday that team India has the potential to win the World Cup. The cricketer who played 88 ODIs for England and considered as one of the best English captain, is very much impressed with the current combination of team India.

In an ICC event talking to metro.co.uk, Nasser said, “They have every base covered.”

“They have the best batsman in world cricket right now in Virat Kohli. He’s backed up by various other batsmen, in particular, Rohit Sharma. They have good finishers in MS Dhoni and their bowling is very strong, with Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. They’re no longer a one-dimensional team – they have good seamers and good spin options.”

“They use the powerplay well with Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan. Those two go hard and go well and set it up for Kohli. They chase as well as any team in the world and they travel well in white-ball cricket.”

“In England, you need a varied bowling attack. You need your spin options but India’s real advance over the last two years has been in their seam bowling department.”

“(Jasprit) Bumrah is a fabulous bowler who bowls at the start and at the death. (Bhuvneshwar) Kumar will be a real handful and their spinners are very good. I’d be very wary of India at this World Cup.”

The World Cup will begin from 30th May between the host nation England and South Africa. India will start their campaign on 5th June against South Africa exactly the same way they did in 1999.

Here is what PM Modi said after his Kedarnath visit when asked if he prayed for victory in 2019 polls

OpIndia Staff
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Here is what PM Modi said after his Kedarnath visit when asked if he prayed for victory in 2019 polls

On the seventh and final phase of polling, Prime Minister Modi has exited from the holy cave in Kedarnath where he was meditating since last night.

When asked whether he prayed for victory, he said he didn’t pray for anything. “No, nothing. I believe god has made us all capable. Capable enough to give, to contribute and not ask for more. Yes, I do pray that all my countrymen are blessed by the lord,” PM said.

Addressing the media after his exit, he charted out development plans for Kedarnath and Uttarakhand which include nature, environment and tourism.


PM Modi said he is grateful to the Election Commission to give this two-day break. “I am lucky that I got an opportunity to visit the land of spirituality. I have been getting such opportunities since a few years. These days I get to come to Kedarnath frequently. In 2013 when the cloudburst took place in Kedarnath, I had come here. In my heart I had a wish to do something. I could do very little as Chief Minister of Gujarat. But after I became the prime minister, Uttarakhand also formed a BJP government. You must have seen it is not easy to work here. The place is covered in snow for the major part of the year. However, when the work is at its peak about 800-1000 people are working. We have made a master plan on basis of which development work is on. When I have time I even review the progress.”

He further added that he wants people of our nation to see the country. “While, I don’t have any objection to them travelling to foreign countries but they should also travel to see the different places in our country,” he said.

PM Modi is contesting the elections from Varanasi where he seeks his second term. Varanasi goes to polls today.

TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu on a meeting spree with all prospective ‘mahagathbandhan’ Prime Ministerial candidates

OpIndia Staff
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TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu on a meeting spree with all prospective ‘mahagathbandhan’ Prime Ministerial candidates

Ahead of the last phase of polling for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has been on a meeting spree with the prospective Prime Ministerial candidates of the ‘Mahagathbandhan’ parties. So far, Naidu has met Congress president Rahul Gandhi, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav, and BSP supremo Mayawati. Interestingly, each one of these leaders secretly harbours the desire to lead the country as the next Prime Minister of India.

Naidu has been visiting leaders of the opposition parties in hope to strengthen an anti-BJP front. The unity of the Mahagathbandhan parties has been dismal so far with each party leader expecting to occupy the Prime Minister’s chair. Each leader of the grand alliance dreams to become the next PM knowing well this desire depends on how their party fares at the elections. The results of the 2019 elections are a few days away, and this is perhaps why Naidu thought it wise to warm up to each one of these leaders in the less likely event of Mahagathbandhan crossing the 272-mark.

The desperation among the opposition ranks to keep the BJP out of power this time, by hook or crook, is evident. Recently the news about 21 opposition parties were planning to write a letter to the President urging him to not call the single largest party to form a government at the centre emerged. The plan, however, was based on the hope that BJP alone won’t be able to conjure up 272 seats to stake a claim at the government.

Naidu has been studiously trying to discredit the credibility of the Election Commission of India by claiming that the EVMs were faulty. Right from the start of the elections, Naidu has been grumbling with the allegations of faulty EVMs, claiming that 30-40% of the EVM machines didn’t function properly in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections. To support his claim, he took a person out on bail for ‘EVM theft’ to the EC office to register his grievances.

Naidu has been non-committal in his choice of PM candidate from the Mahagathbandhan front, as he expressed his disapproval of Stalin’s endorsement of Rahul’s PM candidature. Moreover, Amit Shah has already declared that doors for return to NDA have been forever closed for him. It, therefore, explains why Naidu is scurrying away to the opposition leaders and endeavouring to cobble up a robust anti-BJP front.

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