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Union Minister Smriti Irani slams Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal over a video of Gopal Italia on remarks to PM Modi’s mother

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PTI
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Smriti Irani,Union Minister,Gopal Italia video,BJP
Union Minister, Smriti Irani | Image: PTI

Lashing out at Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal over Gujarat AAP president Gopal Italia’s recent remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mother, Union Minister Smriti Irani on Friday said Kejriwal “falling to new lows is not surprising”. “With blessings of Arvind Kejriwal, AAP leadership in Gujarat maliciously attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 100-year-old mother. That Kejriwal could fall to new lows is not surprising…Her only crime is she gave birth to Narendra Modi. Your leaders and workers seek to punish and abuse her,” Irani told reporters here. Earlier, the Union Minister slammed Kejriwal in a Twitter post over Gopal Italia’s remarks.

A video of Italia had gone viral in which he is purportedly heard asking the women not to visit the temples and ‘kathas’ (sermons by Hindu priests) as they are “hubs of exploitation”. This comes days after he allegedly made a casteist remark against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in yet another viral video.

Amid political slugfest in the run-up to the Assembly elections in Gujarat, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday hit out at AAP over its state chief Gopal Italia’s recent remarks which have triggered reactions from BJP.

BJP national general secretary CT Ravi said that AAP has an old habit of doing drama, however, the party would not succeed in Gujarat. BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra slammed Italia over his remark. “Calling the Prime Minister a lowly person is against the democratic rules of the country; it is an insult to the country. Be it any caste, or any religion, no person can be lowly,” Patra had said at a press conference.

“An OBC Prime Minister who comes from a backward class, who comes from a poor and ordinary family, repeatedly calling him lowly, what is this abuse? Does the Aam Aadmi Party want to call the backwards-class people low? Anyone who rises from an ordinary poor family and becomes the Prime Minister is not lowly in the democratic process. No, it is against democratic values,” he had added. “The Aam Aadmi Party and Arvind Kejriwal are the people who said that they have come to change the character of India. If the democratically elected influential and hardworking Prime Minister is called lowly, and he is calling the PM lowly in that video, not once, but somewhere it shows the mentality of the Aam Aadmi Party,” he had stated.

AIMPLA appeals Karnataka government to withdraw its order on the hijab

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ANI
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Hijab, Karnataka High Court
Hijab, Karnataka High Court | Image : PTI

After the Supreme Court’s split verdict in the hijab case, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLA) appealed to the Karnataka government to withdraw its order on the hijab.

Requesting the Karnataka government to withdraw its order regarding a ban on hijab in educational institutions, the board said that if the government does so, the issue would dissolve.

“The education of women in the country, especially among Muslims, receives less attention, and hence the government should not support initiatives that create obstacles in the way of girls’ education,” the board’s statement said on Thursday.

Notably, Karnataka Government order had directed Government schools in Karnataka to abide by the prescribed uniform, and the private schools were directed to mandate a uniform as decided by their Board of Management.

On Thursday a bench of justices Hemant Gupta and Sudhanshu Dhulia pronounced a split judgement on the Hijab issue, as one upheld the Karnataka HC judgement,

Justice Gupta, upholding the Karnataka High Court judgement, said, “The essential religious practices of the followers of Sikh faith cannot be made the basis of wearing of hijab/headscarf by the believers of the Islamic faith.”

Justice Dhulia set aside the earlier judgment of Karnataka High Court on the hijab issue. “What constitutes Essential Religious Practices was left to the doctrine of that religion itself, said that “it may or may not be a matter of essential religious practice, but it still is, a matter of conscience, belief, and expression,” Dhulia said while hearing various appeals challenging an order passed by the Full Bench of the Karnataka High Court on March 15, which dismissed the pleas challenging the Government order dated February 5.

The AIMPLA general secretary Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani said that Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia’s view on the hijab case was in line with the requirements of the Indian Constitution and personal freedom, and that his focused on promoting education of girls and on removing barriers in the way of that, which was “something to welcome.” “Due to the divided opinion of the judges, the issue will now be referred to the larger bench. The board has so far supported the pro-hijab side in the Karnataka High Court. When the matter reached the Supreme Court, the Board became a party to it, and presented its position with full readiness,” the Muslim Personal Law Board’s statement further read.

“The Board will continue to play its part in the fight of these young girls to carry on with hijab with full strength and willingness,” it added.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said “India has launched its indigenously developed 5G infrastructure and it is all set to share”

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PTI
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Nirmala Sitharaman, Finance Minister,5G,India
Nirmala Sitharaman, Finance Minister | Image : PTI

India has launched its indigenously developed 5G infrastructure and is ready to share it with other countries as well, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Thursday.

“The story (of India’s 5G) is yet to reach the public,” Sitharaman said in her interaction with students at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). “The 5G that we’ve launched in our country is completely standalone,” she said in response to a question.

“There could be some parts coming from, say, countries like (South) Korea, but (not) coming from somebody else. So complete indigenous technology that we can now provide 5G (to any country) who wants it,” she said. “So, our 5G is not imported from somewhere else. It’s our own product,” Sitharaman said.

The 5G services were recently launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in select Indian cities and are likely to cover the entire nation by 2024, she said. “On 5G, I think, we can be immensely proud of India’s achievements,” Sitharaman said.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said “It is our collective responsibility to prevent the risks from aggravating”

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PTI
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Nirmala Sitharaman,Finance Minister
Nirmala Sitharaman,Finance Minister | Image : PTI

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday called for collective responsibility to prevent the risks from aggravating. Sitharaman said that India’s efforts will be to encourage conversations that recognise “our inter-dependencies, our shared wisdom, and our collective aspiration” for a safe, peaceful and prosperous world.

Today’s global economy faces a confluence of challenges and “it is our collective responsibility” to prevent the risks from aggravating, the finance minister said in her speech during the closing session of the G-20 finance ministers and central bank governors here being held on the sidelines of the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

India will head the annual rotating presidency of G-20 next year. In her remarks, the finance minister said that India views the hosting of the G20 Presidency as an opportunity as well as a responsibility.

“Rebuilding trust in multilateralism is at the core of India’s thinking,” she told her G-20 colleagues. Sitharaman said that G20 finance ministers have always come together in the harshest global situations, set aside their differences, and worked towards a common goal of prosperity for our people. As such, she urged the finance ministers and central bank governors to continue working together with this sense of solidarity.

Leader Suvendu Adhikari said “They want to remove Hindus” over the Mominpur Violence

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ANI
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Suvendu Adhikari, leader of Opposition,West Bengal
Suvendu Adhikari | Image : ANI

Hitting out at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led government over the Mominpur violence, Leader of the Opposition (LOP) in the West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari on Friday alleged that the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) wants to remove Hindus from certain areas in Kolkata.

“They (TMC) want to remove Hindus from Mominpur, Iqbalpur and Khidirpur. This is Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s vote bank politics. Hindu vote is going towards BJP and CM Banerjee is taking minority votes by threatening and doing communal campaigns,” Adhikari told Agencies.

Earlier, Adhikari wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Governor La Ganesan demanding an urgent deployment of central forces in the region. “The Hindu community has come under attack in Khidirpore Mominpur area of Kolkata on the eve of Lakshmi Puja,” Adhikari, also the leader of the opposition, said in the letter. He said many shops and bikes belonging to Hindus were vandalised by hooligans and anti-social elements in the violence.

The onslaught has similarities to the Panchla violence which happened in June in the Uluberia area of Howrah district. At that time, the violence spread across West Bengal, especially in Nadia and Murshidabad districts,” Adhikari wrote.

Meanwhile, the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday directed West Bengal Police to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the Mominpur incident. After the investigation, the SIT will have to submit its report in court. The Calcutta High Court has also directed the Kolkata Police Commissioner to take steps so that there is no further violence. The tensions flared up in Mominpur on Sunday after religious flags put up in the area for the Milad-un-Nabi festival were allegedly torn up, which soon turned violent with the vandalization of several vehicles and shops.

Reports said a group of people later in the night surrounded the Ekbalpore police station in protest against the violence and demanding the arrest of the accused. Some police personnel have been reportedly injured. Security has been tightened in the area since then. The West Bengal Police on Monday imposed section 144 in the Ekbalpur area of the state for two days. The two-day curfew (from October 10 to October 12), has been imposed amid the ongoing law and order situation in the region due to the violence that erupted in Mominpur and the ransacking of Ekbalpur police station on Sunday evening.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said “shameful act” on Mahatma Gandhi looks like asura idol at Durga puja pandal

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ANI
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Mamata Banerjee,West Bengal, Chief Minister
Mamata Banerjee, West Bengal, Chief Minister | Image: PTI

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday broke her silence on the Gandhi look-alike asura idol created during Durga Puja in Kolkata terming it a “shameful act”. The Chief Minister further said that she was disappointed but didn’t say anything because there could have been protests during Puja.

“During Durga Puja, an idol resembling Mahatma Gandhi was showcased in place of Asura. What punishment should be given to them? The public will reply to such a shameful act. I was disappointed but didn’t say anything because there could’ve been protests during Puja,” said Banerjee.

Durga Puja Pandal organised by the West Bengal unit of Akhil Bhartiya Hindu Mahasabha in Kolkata’s Ruby by-pass had an idol of ‘asur’ that resembled Mahatma Gandhi.

West Bengal Congress leader Koustav Bagchi had also filed a complaint with the Kolkata Police to file a Zero FIR in connection with the matter.

However, changes were made to the idol of asura following the intervention of the Kolkata Police. Chandrachud Goswami, who is the organiser of the puja and also the state working president of the Hindu Mahasabha, had admitted to portraying the asura as Mahatma Gandhi and said that they do not accept the “forceful” changes.

Speaking to Agencies today, Goswami had said, “The idol of Asura did resemble MK Gandhi, we do not deny it. It has been changed. We have not made the changes. We received a lot of calls. We have been made to change it forcefully. We do not accept the changes. Our freedom of expression has been curtailed.” Goswami had denied calling Mahatma Gandhi as the father of the nation, and said that the organisation would “spread the word about Gandhi’s activities” among people in the future.

“People should know that nobody called Gandhi the father of the nation. There is no such resolution passed in this regard. We do not consider him as the father of the nation because of these activities. What he did to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Bhagat Singh ji, has to be condemned. After pressure was put on us, Kolkata Police supported us and requested to make the change. So forceful changes have been made. We do not believe in this change. We will spread the word about Gandhi’s activities among people in the future. He is the person who divided our country,” the organiser said.

Thailand head coach Harshal Pathak said “Ongoing Semi-Final Women’s Asia Cup 2022 will inspire next generation cricketers”

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ANI
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Thailand,ICC,Asia Cup 2022
Thailand | Image: Twitter/@ICC

Thailand head coach Harshal Pathak feels that his side’s semi-final finish in the ongoing Women’s Asia Cup 2022 will inspire the next generation of cricketers in the country and raise awareness about the sport as well.

With a semis finish in this tournament, Thailand is excited about its cricket future.

After the match, both the teams posed for group pictures and some Thailand players sought India players for selfies. Restricting a formidable Indian batting line-up to 148/6 and batting out 20 overs against Women in Blue reflected the team’s progress.

Pathak also feels that this performance by the 12th-ranked T20I team worldwide is a big deal. “There will be more awareness among the public after the team does well.

If you think about the focus group of new cricketers, obviously they will be inspired.

They are looking up to someone like [Naruemol] Chaiwai, Natthakan [Chantham] and Chanida [Sutthiruang],” ESPNCricinfo quoted Harshal as saying after the match. The coach said that he will speak to his team about this performance after a break and how they can grow further. “We will really evaluate what we have done well, what we want to achieve and how we are going to go about it. We have faced a lot of high-quality bowlers in different situations. We have to understand how we can play dominating cricket,” he added.

After two crushing defeats against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, Thailand stunned Pakistan by four wickets, followed it by wins over UAE and Malaysia.

It put them above Bangladesh in the points tally. After Bangladesh lost to Sri Lanka and their last game against UAE was washed out, the defending champions were eliminated from the tournament and Thailand entered the semis despite losing to India in their final league match.

Pathak is happy with the fight his team has shown. “I expected a little more at the start of the tournament. I was targeting going to the final. But I am very happy with the way the team bounced back after the two [early] losses. They have shown character. Adjusted and adapted well,” he said.

“We had better intent today compared to the first game against India. We got back into the game in the last ten overs with the ball. We took control after they got off to a good start. The bowlers did well, and [the captain] put some really good field settings. We had very good plans today,” he added.

He said that his coaching method has also changed as per the demands of the team and he does not need to go into details while explaining things to the players. “Cricket is not the main game in Thailand.

In India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, cricket is a religion. You pick up the game by watching around you, and the knowledge base keeps growing as you go through the system. Coaches need to tell the players about plans or fine-tune the mindset,” he said.

“For a developing [cricket] country like Thailand, a coach has to go quite deep to explain things. At the start of my stint with Thailand, I used to go into a lot of details. Now I have confidence that they can do a lot of things on their own.

Now we have to take it to the next level,” he said. Put to bat first by Thailand, India put up 148/6 on the board in their 20 overs. Shafali Verma (42) and captain Harmanpreet (36) played some valuable knocks for India. Jemimah Rodrigues (27) and Harmanpreet Kaur put up a crucial 42-run stand for the third wicket.

Sornnarin Tippoch was the pick of the bowlers for Thailand, taking 3/24. Nattaya Boochatham, Phannita Maya and Thipatcha Putthawong took one wicket each. India bowlers put up good performance and did not gave allow Thailand batters to settle. Skipper Naruemol Chaiwai and Nattaya Boochatham played decent knocks of 21 runs each, but it was not enough in the wake of lethal spells from Deepti Sharma (3/7) and Rajeshwari Gayakwad (2/10). Renuka Singh, Sneh Rana, Shafali Verma took one wicket each. Shafali Verma won the ‘Player of the Match’ award for her all-round performance as she scored 42 runs and took a wicket, playing a vital role in taking her team to the final

Aam Aadmi Party leader Gopal Italia arrested

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Afternoon Voice
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gopal italia, italia, aap, aad aadmi party, bjp, delhi aap
Aam Aadmi Party leader Gopal Italia arrested 9

Aam Aadmi Party leader Gopal Italia had appeared before the Commission’s office earlier in the day in response to a summons in the case. He was taken away in a police car minutes after he claimed Rekha Sharma, NCW chief, threatened to put him in jail. The Gujarat chief of the Aam Aadmi Party was detained from the National Commission of Women’s Delhi office this afternoon over a controversial video in which he was allegedly heard using derogatory language against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Mr Italia’s allegation came nearly an hour after Sharma accused Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers of creating a ruckus outside her office. This triggered another flashpoint between the AAP and BJP with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal attacking the BJP for being after Mr Italia.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia too slammed the BJP and said Mr Italia was detained because he belonged to a party that knows how to build schools. “They don’t know how to educate people and improve schools,” the senior AAP leader said.

The case pertains to a controversial video, reportedly from 2019, in which Mr Italia was allegedly heard using abusive terms, including “neech aadmi (lowly person)”, to describe PM Modi. The Commission had summoned him to its office today in the case, stating that his language was “gender-based” and “misogynistic”.

“He denied getting a summons but his reply was ready. He also denied his presence in the video but in his reply, he accepted tweeting. He claimed it wasn’t him in the video,” said the women’s panel chief.

Earlier in the day, she claimed on Twitter that AAP workers were creating a ruckus outside her office. Tagging the Prime Minister’s Office and other police handles, she also shared a photo of a crowd holding banners. Nearly an hour later, Mr Italia claimed on Twitter the Commission’s chief was threatening to put him in jail and even called the police.

“The NCW chief is threatening to put me in jail. What else can the Modi government give to the Patel community. The BJP hates the Patidar community. I am a descendant of Sardar (Vallabhbhai) Patel. I’m not afraid of your prisons. Put me in jail. Even the police have been called. I am being threatened,” he said in a tweet.

Aam Aadmi Party leader Girish Soni told Afternoon Voice, “We respect every woman and there are a lot of rumours being created by the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and we have always worked to make sure women are not facing any issues.”

Mukesh Ahlawat, AAP leader said, “We respect every people and there is wrong information being spread by the opposition as they are not able to compete in competitive elections we have always maintained equality on all the people and we also respect everyone from all the communities.”

Dharampal Lakra, AAP leader said, “Even many people from our party belong to the Hindu community so we are not against any Hindutva and we have not defamed anyone and we respect every citizen of the country and BJP always issues on the name of the Hindu community and the tricks which are applied to divided people in the name of religion in politics is not right.”

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said “BJP has conceded it defeat before announcement of BMC polls

By
PTI
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Arvind Kejriwal, AAP
Image: Arvind Kejriwal, PTI

Citing a media report claiming the Delhi civic body’s law department is reworking the MCD Act to give the lieutenant governor more teeth, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said the BJP has conceded defeat in the municipal polls even before they have been announced.

Taking to Twitter, the chief minister exhorted Delhiites to not vote for the BJP and asserted that his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will emerge victorious in the civic polls whenever they are held.

“In a move that is likely to give more teeth to the Lieutenant ­Governor as an administrative entity, certain provisions of the Delhi Municipal Corporation (DMC) Act, 1957 are being changed, which, according to sources familiar with the development, would give Raj Niwas the final say on matters related to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD),” the media report stated. Reacting to the report, Kejriwal said, “This means the BJP has conceded defeat even before the MCD elections.” “Don’t waste your vote by voting for the party that has lost. After winning the MCD elections, the Aam Aadmi Party government will make Delhi a clean and beautiful city, and get rid of garbage mountains,” he said in a tweet in Hindi.

There was no immediate reaction from the civic body or the BJP.

The BJP ruled the three erstwhile municipal corporations in Delhi and the AAP was the main opposition party till the terms of the civic bodies expired in May.

Elections to constitute a new civic body, which comes under the BJP-led Centre, are yet to be held as an exercise for delimitation of municipal wards is underway.

Shares of HCL Technologies sees a 3 per cent rise in the September quarter

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PTI
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HCL
HCL ,Technology | Image : PTI :

Shares of HCL Technologies on Thursday jumped over 3 per cent after the IT services firm posted good financial performance in the September quarter.

The stock zoomed 3.19 per cent to settle at Rs 982.05 a piece on the BSE. On the NSE, it climbed 3.05 per cent to finish at Rs 981.05 apiece.

In volume terms, 2.44 lakh shares were traded on the BSE and over 96 lakh shares on the NSE during the day.

The 30-share BSE Sensex benchmark ended 390.58 points lower at 57,235.33 points on Thursday.

On Wednesday, HCL Technologies posted a 7 per cent rise in its consolidated net profit for the September quarter at Rs 3,489 crore, topping street expectations, and raised the full-year revenue guidance citing strong demand and deal pipeline despite macro concerns.

Amid widespread fears of global recession, HCL Tech on Wednesday said it clinched a “stellar quarter on all fronts”, delivering strong performance in the topline.

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