Gujarat Patidar leader Hardik Patel quits Congress 2
Gujarat Patidar quota agitation spearheads Hardik Patel on Wednesday said he has resigned as the Gujarat Congress working president as well as from the party’s primary membership.
Patel submitted his resignation letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
”Today, after mustering courage, I am resigning from the party post and primary membership of the Congress. I hope my followers and people of Gujarat will welcome my step. I believe that I will be able to serve the state better after this step,” he tweeted.
आज मैं हिम्मत करके कांग्रेस पार्टी के पद और पार्टी की प्राथमिक सदस्यता से इस्तीफा देता हूँ। मुझे विश्वास है कि मेरे इस निर्णय का स्वागत मेरा हर साथी और गुजरात की जनता करेगी। मैं मानता हूं कि मेरे इस कदम के बाद मैं भविष्य में गुजरात के लिए सच में सकारात्मक रूप से कार्य कर पाऊँगा। pic.twitter.com/MG32gjrMiY
The demolition of Gyanvapi Mosque paves the way for BJP's win in 2024? 4
This is because a Varanasi Court on Thursday gave a historical decision in favour of a petition which claimed that there was a Hindu temple where the mosque is right now today. It has directed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for the comprehensive physical survey of the mosque complex and asked the state government to bear the entire cost of the survey.
Kashi Vishwanath Temple and Gyanvapi Mosque are adjacent to each other where thousands of Hindu devotees visit the temple while “namaaz” is also read alongside it. It was claimed that the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb ordered the demolition of the Hindu temple in 1669 to build a mosque in the same place. The Muslims denied such statements & said that there was no temple in place of a mosque. Later, a petition was filed to check the validity of these claims.
According to Hindu mythology, the Nandi bull is a companion of Lord Shiva who always points in the direction of ‘Shivalinga’. It points in the direction of the mosque. In other instances, some of the pillars of the temple can be seen which are attached to the walls of the mosque. This is taken as proof of the presence of the time back then in the year 1669. They want to fight for the centuries-old issues by ignoring the demolition of temples by the BJP government under the pretext of development. As much is being discussed about the Shivling found from the Vajukhana, there was no discussion about the dozens of Shivling found in the garbage heap of Kashi.
Is it because this Shivling was found from the mosque and all those Shivlings were excavated and thrown out from the temple? Dozens of Shivlings were found in Kashi even about three years ago. Not in the Wazukhana of the Masjid but in the debris. After the temple was demolished this shiv-lingas were thrown here and there. Thankfully no one debated the religion of those people who demolished those temples in PM Modi’s constituency in the name of progress.
These were the real Shivling, but no one questioned them, no one felt bad seeing them on the road and eventually they were broken into pieces and used in construction work. The fragmented Shivlings seen across Varanasi were not broken by Aurangzeb but the BJP government has got it broken in the construction of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor. In Kashi, there are Shivlings in every house, even today Shivling is found in the Gangaji. Not only this, very few people would know that there is a secret Kashi, 120 km south of Banaras, where Shivlings are scattered on the banks of the river. Today a Shivling has also been found in the Gyanvapi mosque.
The Gyanvapi Mosque is a Jama Masjid located in the heart of Varanasi, north of Dashashwamedh Ghat near Lalita Ghat along the river Ganga. The Allahabad High Court, however, ordered an interim stay on the Varanasi court’s directive to the ASI. And, there are a bunch of petitions before the Supreme Court that may have a bearing on the Gyanvapi Masjid-Kashi Vishwanath Mandir dispute.
After the Babri Masjid demolition, India suffered communal riots. BJP’s political survival is communal clashes and Hindu sentiments. Both can be achieved if one more mosque is erased in the same line of Babri, again people will be made to pay Chanda for the construction of the Shiva temple. Though all this will not happen soon, this topic will keep burning for a few years. Presently, people are not worried about inflexion, job crises and trailing economy because they are conditioned to Hindu Rashtra.
The Supreme Court today asked the Varanasi administration where exactly the ‘Shivling’ (symbol of Lord Shiva) was found inside Gyanvapi mosque in the Uttar Pradesh city. The place, where the ‘Shivling’ was found, was sealed to avoid any law-and-order issues. The Supreme Court then told the Varanasi District Magistrate to ensure that if the ‘Shivling’ was found, the area should be protected, but without impeding Muslims from coming to the mosque for namaz. Muslim petitioners rejected the assertion, claiming it was a “fountain, not a Shivling”.
Meanwhile, a court in Varanasi has sacked a top official involved in the filming of the Gyanvapi mosque complex and has given a two-day extension to submit the report. The commissioner in charge of the job, Ajay Mishra, an advocate, was removed after lawyers representing the Hindu petitioners and the mosque respondents had a heated argument in court today over the findings of the filming being leaked to the media even before the report was submitted to the court.
Above all both, the Supreme Court judges hearing the Gyanvapi mosque petition are connected to the Babri mosque case. The two-judge bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and PS Narasimha is hearing a petition that challenges filming inside the Gyanvapi Masjid in Varanasi in a case involving claims that parts of a temple are inside the mosque complex. The Supreme Court is hearing a challenge to a Varanasi court-ordered video assessment of the mosque complex, including three domes, underground basements and the pond.
Interestingly, this is the first temple-mosque case being heard by the Supreme Court since the Ayodhya verdict in 2019 and both judges have a connection with the Ram temple case. Justice DY Chandrachud was one of the five judges who heard the Ayodhya temple-mosque case for 40 days in 2019 before delivering a historic judgment handing over the Babri site for the building of a Ram temple and ordering alternative five-acre land for a mosque. Justice PS Narasimha was the senior lawyer for the Hindu petitioners in the Ayodhya case. He represented Rajendra Singh, the successor of the original petitioner, Gopal Singh Visharad. Both judges, Justice Chandrachud and Justice Narasimha, are in line to become Chief Justice. By now we can easily guess the final verdict.
India rejects Pakistan's 'farcical resolution' on J-K delimitation 6
India on Tuesday rejected a ‘farcical resolution’ by the Pakistani National Assembly and said the country has no locus standi on matters that are internal to India. This statement was issued in response to media queries regarding the resolution passed by the Pakistan National Assembly regarding ‘Delimitation in the UT of J-K’.
“We categorically reject the farcical resolution passed by the National Assembly of Pakistan on the subject of the delimitation exercise in the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan has no locus standi to pronounce on or interfere in matters that are internal to India, including the Indian territories under Pakistan’s illegal and forcible occupation,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a statement. India once again reiterated that the entire territory of the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh has been, is and shall always remain an integral part of India.
Bagchi said the delimitation exercise in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is a democratic exercise based on the principles of extensive stakeholder consultation and participation. “It is regrettable that instead of putting their own house in order, the leadership in Pakistan continues to interfere in India’s internal affairs and engage in baseless and provocative anti-India propaganda,” the ministry added.
The MEA spokesperson once again said that Pakistan must immediately cease anti-India cross-border terrorism and shut down its infrastructure of terrorism, and stop the grave and persistent human rights violations in Pakistan occupied Jammu, Kashmir & Ladakh (PoJKL). The statement also asked Pakistan to refrain from effecting any further material changes in the status of PoJKL, and vacate the Indian territories that are under its illegal and forcible occupation.
Nana Patole weakening the MVA alliance in state accuses Congress Veteran 8
Nana Patole indicated a threat to the existence of the MVA government in Maharashtra. He believes that the NCP has backstabbed Congress and poached their tall leaders to NCP. While speaking to a newspaper Patole said NCP had backstabbed his party by allying with BJP for Gondia and Bhandara Zilla Parishad polls.
To which a veteran Congressman told Afternoon Voice, “Nana Patole is trying to become larger than what he is and that is not happening, moreover NCP and Sena are appreciated for their performance, Patole should make some positive efforts, by making false allegations he is weakening the MVA alliance and supporting the BJP.”
Meanwhile, Congress’s high command has not taken any decision to go against Sharad Pawar but they have decided to have a dialogue with the NCP supremo. In Bhiwandi Municipal Corporation, NCP took all the Congress corporators into its fold. Patole said, “NCP is making every effort to deteriorate Congress. Steps taken by NCP have in fact supported BJP at all levels. The Amravati District Central Cooperative Bank and the Bhiwandi Municipal Corporation or whether it was the allocation of funds, NCP had taken Congress for a trip.”
In the Bhandara and Gondia ZP elections, there was non-cooperation and NCP paid no heed to the complaints of Patole. Instead, NCP joined hands with BJP’s alleged Congress leader. Patole said after the 2019 assembly elections that BJP had emerged as the single largest party, it could not have formed the government, Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena had decided to join hands and form the government. Congress had then not staked claim to the CM’s post. The Congress’s high command agreed to form the government as its main aim was to keep BJP out of power.
Former CM and Congress leader Prithviraj Chauhan said, “It’s time to work hard and connect the people ahead of BMC elections. we need to discuss people’s problems rather than getting into an internal scuffle.”
Hitting out at the BJP government in Karnataka over reports about the removal of a lesson on Bhagat Singh from a school textbook, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said it’s an insult to the sacrifice made by the iconic freedom fighter and demanded a rollback of the decision.
Taking to Twitter, the AAP national convenor said the country will not tolerate such insult to its martyrs, and asked the BJP why ”its people” hate Bhagat Singh so much.
Kejriwal’s reaction came a day after some organizations, including All-India Democratic Students Organisation (AIDSO) and All-India Save Education Committee (AISEC), claimed that the Karnataka government has omitted a lesson on freedom fighter Bhagat Singh and included a speech by RSS founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in a revised Kannada textbook for students of class X.
”Why do BJP people hate Amar Shaheed Sardar Bhagat Singh Ji so much? Removal of Sardar Bhagat Singh Ji’s name from school books is an insult to the sacrifice of the Amar shaheed,” Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi. ”The country will not tolerate such humiliation of its martyrs at all. The BJP government will have to take back this decision,” he added.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) called the removal of the chapter on Bhagat Singh from the Kannada textbook ”shameful” and demanded that the Karnataka government restore the lesson in the school textbook.
”SHAMEFUL. BJP’s Karnataka govt REMOVES chapter on Bhagat Singh Ji from School Books. Why does BJP hate Shaheed-E-Azam Sardar Bhagat Singh Ji so much? BJP must take back this decision. India will not tolerate such humiliation of our freedom fighters,” the party tweeted from its official Twitter handle. Karnataka Primary and Secondary Education Minister BC Nagesh has defended the inclusion of a speech by Hedgewar in a revised Kannada textbook for students of class X.
Nagesh has said the textbook does not contain anything about Hedgewar or RSS, but only his speech on what should be an inspiration to people, especially the youth, and that those who have raised objections have not gone through the textbook.
Most housing cooperative societies are a nuisance because it’s the lobby that rules. No one has a legal duty here or personal right to harass others. These committee positions are not given to them to rule but to execute the jobs. These members volunteer and take part in elections and obviously, they have their group backing and other people try to vote for a lesser evil. What everyone wants is a peaceful stay in their own abode. The case of harassment cannot be tolerated; it may become a ground for disciplinary action which may include expulsion. But the committee members generally use indirect methods to dominate residents.
For example, me and my friend who is also a female, are neighbours, we are single women. One of the society members rang my doorbell in the middle of the night and he was drunk. This was very scary, by the time I called my friend and alerted others he had just left the place. What if I would have opened the main door? Similarly, one drunk fellow from below her flat knocked on her door when she opened the door, he was in a rush to get in, but she smartly shouted at him and he realized his house is beneath her flat. Well, we made a complaint, and those days chairman was a lady of his gang. She checked the common camera of the lift and all and agreed that the man got out of the lift at late night hours but again the burden of proof was strapped to me to prove that a drunken man came to my house after he got out of the lift.
Well! both these men were from good families so somehow; we did not make an issue out of it. Since then, this alcoholic man has been avenging us. Unfortunately, he was holding a key position in the committee, and the groups got divided. The dogs started biting dogs. The earlier committee came on the radar of the new committee. There are legal issues, and the drama continued but the pain for us has not stopped yet. There is always noncooperation or overreactions. Fine I am strong enough to deal with my challenges, but imagine what must be the threat to single women residing in a housing society and particularly if she is not a member of any lobby or group. We feel unsafe and threatened. This is just an example, but imagine it from a larger perspective. Character assasination is another big issue.
If Any member of the Housing Cooperative Society faces the problem of harassment by any other member of society or the staff of the management committee in the housing cooperative society shall initiate the actions against them. If some people feel they are doing more than others, the impartiality is breached, and the negotiation starts again. Upholding fair-mindedness is the solution but that rarely happens. Negotiating fairness is the hard part. Housing societies aren’t always the safe and trouble-free paradises we imagine them to be and do have their own share of woes and travesties, as does everything else in life. Some problems have a way of appearing, reappearing, and recurrent in the life of an average housing society resident. Some of the problems faced by cooperative societies are loud neighbours, tyrant committee members, careless services, and irresponsible committees. The houses are leaking, and the corridors are spread with garage but maintenance lacks. But for every problem, there is a foolproof solution. There are predefined components for which the member has to pay maintenance charges, such as water, service, common electricity, etc. However, in many cases, it has been observed that the managing committee bills members randomly and illegally for surplus charges under false pretexts, such as charges for keeping pets, using elevators for transporting new furniture, etc.
While getting into an agreement with the developer, in spite of checking the calculation of maintenance charges, i.e equal distribution, per sq feet calculation or hybrid charge. In spite of having society’s model bye-laws to be aware of the components to be legally paid, you are not charged incorrectly, bring it to the notice of the managing committee immediately. In case if the MC refuses to cooperate, you have the right to file a complaint to the Registrar and finally to the District Collector and now the police station.
It is no secret that corruption runs rampant where power is centralized. In the case of the managing committee of housing societies, certain dishonest members or office bearers misappropriate funds for personal benefit and some committee members pay no heed to such malpractice. Incidents such as misappropriating society’s funds and showing falsified statements, charging members with unnecessary bills, writing off pending dues from certain members, stealing funds from redevelopment loans, bribing officials for fraudulent expenses, etc. are commonly registered as complaints.
In many cases, the managing committee charges massive non-occupancy charges from unsuspecting residents even when the apartment is occupied by a close relation or is locked. Fraudulent/Incomplete Audits: Some societies appoint morally dishonest Auditors who turn a blind eye to the misappropriation of funds by the managing committee, taking a cut from the funds. Even if the Auditor is honest in reviewing the finance, thousands of societies in Mumbai and other cities do not submit the audited accounts to the authorities, resulting in de-registration and penalties. Mismanagement of financial statements and cash books results in ineffective audits. Bad bookkeeping on behalf of the committee prevents the auditors as well as the residents from a clear and fair view of the society’s financial undertakings.
Check any complaint board websites of almost any state in the country, you will find members complaining about disruptive neighbours such as loud music at ungodly hours, blaring stereos in cars, littering society premises, throwing food scraps from the pantry, feeding birds in balconies, children and sometimes adults playing cricket and other sports extremely noisily after prescribed play hours in gardens, members getting in scuffles with watchmen and other staff, tenants or even homeowners behaving in unsavoury and disrespectful ways, smoking and drinking in society premises, among others. The list is seemingly endless and even renewed with new complaints describing strange and uncivilized behaviour by the residents. There are problems and there are solutions. Problems are inevitable and concrete, finding solutions is Hercule’s task.
Mumbai CP announces dedicated police stations for housing society complaints 12
The chairman and office-bearers of a Ghatkopar-based housing society were booked after a resident pressed charge against them. Police commissioner Sanjay Pandey, in a Facebook Live session on Sunday, has now nominated an inspector from every police station to specifically cater to complaints concerning cooperative housing societies.
The member should submit a written complaint explaining the dispute/complaint in full detail to any office-bearer of the society. In the next committee (after the complaint is received), the Managing Committee reviews the complaint, takes a decision and communicates it to the member within 15 days. But if the committee itself lobbies or harasses the resident then they can approach the police station and make a complaint against the society office-bearers.
If the members do not receive any communication from the Committee within 15 days, they can approach any competent authorities for redressal of their complaints. A copy of the original complaint letter should also be attached to the escalation complaint.
RTI activist Shailesh Gandhi said, “I think the initiative is good, but they need to be accountable. The police should publish monthly reports on the complaints received and their follow up or else Initiatives like these become useless if they are not monitored properly.”
Advocate Shirish Shanbhag said, “You can make a complaint to the Police Station under Bye-law No. 1174(E)(i), for the misbehaviour with society’s members and their family. For these complaints, you have to follow up with the respective department from time to time. Having a police station is not enough, what we have is serious authorities to look into the matter.”
Advocate T Sudhakar told Afternoon Voice, “Most of the housing society committees are very inhuman, they take the electoral power to their advantage by dominating the residents. There is always a target and favouritism. It’s another level of politics. Even some residents are also not law-abiding and they create trouble. A dedicated police station is a better idea but it should not go in Lokpal way.”
A resident of Navi Mumbai said, “I have been living in a cooperative housing society since 2002 in Navi Mumbai. We have one committee member who is an alcoholic and womanizer but supported by many members being part of his lobby, he takes pride in misbehaving usually with any member of society. He causes every inconvenience and harasses members; I think this announcement is a relief to book such arrogant committee members.”
They should propose addressing major issues like leakages, and structural strength of the building. But in some societies, greater priority is given to events than buildings longevity and welfare. Residents steady maintenance money is put to misuse, said Rupal Mistry, resident of a society in Borivali.
Maria Rodrick, resident of the housing society in Shantivan Borivali said, “There are some cases which happened in our society, even many of society members have complaints against the committee because they take those limited period powers as supreme powers and dominate the helpless owners. They misuse their powers to feel powerful at the cost of residents, if they get punished at least the level of atrocities can come down.”
Rupali Shastri, a resident of Borivali, one of the housing societies said, “Singles and having no families become really the prey of Committee carnages. Even in general body meetings, the lobby has its proposers and seconders. Others hardly have any say, even if someone manages to talk to the lobby and silence them tactfully. These people are a blot of the democratic system. Let’s hope these dedicated police stations do some good. In our society, we have become catalysts because we are victims of committee atrocities and still have our individual voices which bother the lobby and their agents. So, they restrict our entry on the terrace, or they will hassle us for parking, some of the other ways they softly brutalize us.”
As many as 39 pilgrims have lost their lives en route since the commencement of the Chardham Yatra in Uttarakhand, as per an official on Monday. The official has presented high blood pressure, heart attack and mountain sickness as the reasons for the demise of the pilgrims.
“Most of the deaths of all the pilgrims have taken place on the travel routes. The cause of death of all has been high blood pressure, heart attack, and mountain sickness,” Uttarakhand Director-General Health Dr Shailja Bhatt told ANI. The health official informed us that the health check-up of the pilgrims is being done at various places on the travel routes besides Rishikesh.
“Pilgrims who are not medically fit are being advised not to travel,” she said. Earlier last week, the DG informed us that the health screening of the pilgrims now is being done at the points created on the travel routes.
Dr Shailja Bhatt informed, “Health screening of passengers has been started at Rishikesh ISBT registration site. A health screening camp has been set up at Pandukeshwar for the pilgrims of Dobata and Hina and Badrinath Dham on the Yatra route of Yamunotri and Gangotri respectively.” After the health screening, the passengers who are found to have any physical illness, are being advised to rest or go on the journey only after becoming fit for health, she said.
The yatra began with the opening of Gangotri and Yamunotri portals for devotees on May 3, on the occasion of Akshay Tritiya in the presence of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. While Kedarnath re-opened on May 6, the doors of Badrinath opened on May 8.
Maharashtra politics got propagated as Brahmins Vs Maratha and Dalits 15
From Nehru to Gandhi, there were a lot of political attacks on these leaders to create a narrative that suits their voters. The attacks are not limited to changing History even the leaders of other political parties are under attack. There were a series of obnoxious attacks on Rahul Gandhi, his mother Sonia and sister Priyanka. They made people believe the Gandhis’ are the most corrupt politicians in India. To propagate this narrative, BJP took the help of Anna Hazare’s agitation, Baba Ramdev’s protest, and Shri Shri Ravi Shankar’s influence. Collectively, they all created a storyboard and selectively attacked congress and its leaders. BJP called for Congress Mukt Bharat. Other parties haven’t yet called for BJP Mukt Bharat.
Maharashtra is also adopting a similar modus operandi. The ongoing attacks on Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray show how much the BJP is in turmoil. Changing history for the vote bank is only one part of the story. The other part of the story is that the Brahmanical entities are coming collectively, attacking Sharad Pawar and opposition leaders as part of revenge against Devendra Fadnavis losing power. As BJP has failed to deliver, they are now singing the song of old Indian culture, spreading false stories about leaders of the freedom struggle and of course, staging high voltage covert campaigns against minorities (and not giving tickets to minorities for Assembly and Parliamentary elections) for appeasing the majority vote bank.
Maharashtra is going through a different political agenda. Earlier it was the ruling party vs the opposition party. Since Devendra failed to possess power, they propagated it as the ruling Maratha leaders kept the Brahman leader out of power. These Brahman entities are dividing people on caste politics. All those upper casts, especially Brahman dominated organisations, are scheming and conditioning people, projecting them as Brahman leaders Vs others. Pawar, always cornered Fadnavis. In 2016, the politically dominant Maratha community launched an agitation to demand reservation in education and government jobs. Fadnavis convinced Prime Minister Narendra Modi to nominate Sambhaji Raje, a descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji, to the Rajya Sabha. Pawar latched on to this opportunity to mount an attack against Fadnavis, a Brahmin.
Earlier, a Chhatrapati used to nominate a Peshwa. Now, a Peshwa has nominated a Chhatrapati, Pawar said, in a clear caste bias against Fadnavis. Pawar’s statement left the Maratha community happy but deeply hurt by Fadnavis. How can a wounded Brahmin keep quiet? Ahead of the BMC elections, he is leaving no stone unturned to garner attacks against Pawar, but these attacks are going too personal and cheap.
Sharad Pawar was the happiest person when Devendra Fadnavis stepped down as the chief minister of Maharashtra on November 26 after holding the post for 80 hours. Having won 105 seats on its own, 40 shorts of the majority mark in the 288-member legislative assembly, Fadnavis was left in the lurch after Sharad Pawar’s nephew and NCP leader Ajit Pawar’s U-turn. BJP could win 105 seats because people voted in the name of the popular Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. Fadnavis has no role to play in it,” Pawar told a Marathi news channel on December 2.
This isn’t the first time Pawar has criticised Fadnavis, but he is now using the opportunity to dig the knife deeper. In another sharp attack against Fadnavis, he said, “He has contributed very little in the shaping of Maharashtra. The people have rejected his idea of projecting himself as well as his arrogance.”
You will find many Chitale like people who recently emerged with political views. They are making selective attacks on ruling party leaders. Why does Chitale, like small-time artists, have to make such derogatory posts? Who is fuelling them and why are they all of sudden actively making political attacks? We need to understand this new method of brainwashing. We all know who is a mastermind in vote polarisation, unprincipled defections engineering, talk more do less, misuse of central agencies, no action against unlawful actions of party workers, Accumulation of large funds from business houses in form of electro bonds by amending the law and using the fund to ensure a win in election and defections.
Two days ago, BJP uploaded an edited version of Sharad Pawar’s recent speech in order to portray him as a “Hindu hater”. However, some social media users pointed out it was an edited video and Pawar, in the speech made at an event on May 9 in Satara, was in fact referring to a poem by Jawahar Rathod that deals with casteism and untouchability. Pawar had told reporters he was reading lines from a poem that depicts the pain of the labour class but went to take a swipe at the BJP by saying those who wanted to spread disinformation were free to do so.
With this speech of Pawar, BJP made it Brahman vs others. The NCP chief accused the BJP of creating a “poisonous atmosphere” in the country by spreading “false propaganda”. Pawar and Fadnavis have several things in common, but Pawar started taking Fadnavis seriously only after he became chief minister. Pawar remains the youngest chief minister the state has had; he was 38 when he accomplished the feat in 1978. When Fadnavis took charge in October 2014 at the age of 44, he became the state’s second youngest chief minister. Also, before Fadnavis, Pawar was the last chief minister to have held the home portfolio between 1992 and 1995; it was the number two minister in the cabinet who was in charge in the interim.
Former Australia all-rounder Andrew Symonds dies in a car crash 17
Former Australia cricketer Andrew Symonds, one of the finest all-rounders and a two-time World Cup winner, has died in a tragic car accident, leaving the cricketing world in shock.
He was 46 and is survived by his wife and two young children.
Cricket Australia has now lost three prominent figures in the past two months. Spin legend Shane Warne and former wicketkeeper Rodney Marsh had died within hours of each other in March.
According to a statement issued by Queensland Police, the accident happened in Hervey Range Road, about 50 km outside Townsville in northeast Australia on Saturday night. “Police are investigating a single-vehicle crash in Hervey Range, around 50 kilometres from Townsville that’s taken the life of a 46-year-old man last night,” the statement said.
“Early information indicates, shortly after 11 pm the car was being driven on Hervey Range Road, near Alice River Bridge when it left the roadway and rolled.
”Emergency services attempted to revive the 46-year-old driver and sole occupant, however, he died of his injuries.” An attacking batter, who could also bowl both medium pace and spin and an outstanding fielder, Symonds featured in 26 Tests, 198 ODIs, and 14 T20Is in a successful career between 1998 and 2009.
He helped Australia win the ODI world Cups in 2003 and 2007 and was one of the key members of Australia’s Test side in the 2000s.
“Australian cricket has lost another of its very best,” Cricket Australia chairman Lachlan Henderson said.
”Andrew was a generational talent who was instrumental in Australia’s success at World Cups and as part of Queensland’s rich cricket history.
”He was a cult figure to many who was treasured by his fans and friends. On behalf of Australian cricket our deepest sympathies are with Andrew’s family, teammates, and friends,” he added.
With the ball, he snared a total of 165 wickets in his international career, including 24 in Tests, 133 in ODIs, and 8 in T20Is.
One of his greatest moments on the cricketing field came when he blasted 143 off 125 balls after coming on to bat with Australia at 86 for four against Pakistan in the opening ODI of the 2003 World Cup.
Symonds scored 5088 runs, including six hundred, in his ODI career since making his debut in 1998. He also featured in 14 T20Is and averaged 48.14, besides playing in the IPL for now-defunct Deccan Chargers and Mumbai Indians in the final stages of his career.
Playing for the Chargers, he had slammed a 53-ball 117 not out against Rajasthan Royals in the inaugural edition.
He also hit 1462 runs with two hundred and 10 fifties after being picked for the Tests in 2004 against Sri Lanka.
He went on to hit a scintillating 156 against England in the Boxing Day Test in 2006-07 before making a career-best 162 against India in Sydney in 2008.
The Sydney Test, however, went on to become the most controversial moment of his career due to the ‘Monkey Gate’ scandal involving India spinner Harbhajan Singh.
Symonds, lovingly known as ‘Roy’, also had his share of controversies.
He was axed from the two ODIs during Australia’s tour of England in 2005 after he turned up drunk for a match against Bangladesh.
Three years later, Symonds missed a team meeting after going fishing in Darwin and was sent back home. Another disciplinary issue saw him being axed from Australia’s squad in England on the eve of the 2009 T20 World Cup, which ended his career with Cricket Australia canceling his contract soon after.
The off-field issues aside, Symonds will be remembered for his on-field exploits which also included a 34-ball hundred for Kent in 2004. He also held the record for joint-most number of sixes in a County Championship innings when he hit 16 maximums for Gloucestershire against Glamorgan in 1995. It stood for 27 years before being broken by England’s Ben Stokes last month.
He retired from all forms of cricket in 2012 and became a regular in the commentary box during Australia’s home season as well as in the Big Bash League. ”On behalf of Queensland Cricket, we express our deepest sympathies to his family and will do whatever we can to assist them,” Queensland Cricket chair Chris Simpson said.
”It is a shattering loss to those nearest to him and his wide circle of friends which extends to all corners of the cricketing world.
”His untimely passing will also resonate deeply with the many fans who were thrilled with his efforts with the bat, ball, and on the field. He stood out for his skill, courage, and determination, and the fans who saw him at his best will never forget his impact on a game.” ”We are all hurting and will miss him greatly. His former teammates will remember his loyalty to the playing group and recall the fun times with great fondness, and sorrow that he is gone.”
