On Saturday, 8th October 2022, Santokh Singh Sukh, the father of actress Shehnaaz Gill, filed a complaint against a man called Happy, who purportedly threatened to murder him before Diwali. The actor Shehnaaz Gill’s father got a murder threat over the phone on Friday. The caller, who revealed his name as Happy, allegedly threatened to murder Gill before Diwali.
Shehnaaz’s father received a call when he was traveling from Beas to Tarntaran. After abusing him, the callers threatened to murder him before Diwali by breaking into his home. Santokh has reported to the police about this.
While interacting with the news agency ANI, Santokh Singh Sukh said, “Today, we submitted a complaint to SSP Amritsar Rural. Yesterday I got a threatening call from a person named Happy who threatened to kill me before Diwali. I think they want to target me because I am a Hindu leader.”
Punjab | Today, we submitted a complaint to SSP Amritsar Rural. Yesterday I got a threat call from a person named Happy who threatened to kill me before Diwali. I think they want to target me because I am a Hindu leader: Santokh Singh Sukh father of actress Shehnaaz Gill pic.twitter.com/e19tz25Axj
Santokh Singh Sukh added, “If I feel unsafe like I am feeling now then I would leave Punjab and shift to Chandigarh or Mumbai. If no arrests are made in a few days, then I would leave Punjab.”
If I feel unsafe like I am feeling now then I would leave Punjab and shift to Chandigarh or Mumbai. If no arrests are made in a few days, then I would leave Punjab: Shehnaaz Gill’s father Santokh Singh Sukh pic.twitter.com/cxX5T8wQmr
Amritsar SP Jaswant Kaur said, “His complaint has been received. He already has 2 gunmen and today another gunman has been provided. We will trace the call and a thorough investigation will be done.”
His complaint has been received. He already has 2 gunmen and today another gunman has been provided. We will trace the call and a thorough investigation will be done: SP Jaswant Kaur, Amritsar pic.twitter.com/Iinp58f3qH
Santokh Singh Sukh had already been the target of a murder attempt prior to this. He joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in the year 2021. He was attacked by two unidentified persons on December 25. The attackers, according to the police, were from Amritsar. When the unknown armed men on a bike came, he barely escaped being murdered.
Shehnaz Gill is an actor, model, and singer. She works in television serials. She gained fame when she became the finalist in the television reality shows Bigg Boss 13.
Two cow smugglers named Kafil and Bilal, who had a reward of Rs 25,000 each on their heads, were apprehended by Noida Police following an encounter on Friday (October 7) night. The duo was reportedly wounded as a consequence of the police response to their open firing.
As per the police, Kafil and Bilal are history sheeters who have over a dozen cases registered against them in various police stations in Uttar Pradesh.
The Noida police took to its official Twitter handle on Saturday to inform about the incident. Additional DCP Noida Ashutosh Dwivedi, in a video byte, informed that both Kafil and Bilal were nabbed during an encounter between Sector-39 Noida Police and the duo.
थाना सेक्टर-39 नोएडा पुलिस व गोकशी करने वाले बदमाशों के बीच हुई मुठभेड़ में 25-25 हजार रूपये के 02 इनामी बदमाश कफिल व बिलाल को लगी गोली, घायल व गिरफ्तार, कब्जे से बिना नंबर प्लेट Wagon R कार, गोकशी में प्रयुक्त उपकरण व अवैध हथियार बरामद।
— POLICE COMMISSIONERATE GAUTAM BUDDH NAGAR (@noidapolice) October 7, 2022
Dwivedi further said that the police received information that Bilal and Kafil had come to Noida Sector-41 with the intention of stealing cows. Based on the tip-off, a team of Noida Sector 39 police went to nab them. According to the ADCP, the duo opened fire when they saw the cops. In retaliation, the Police also opened fire, and the two cow smugglers were wounded. The duo were arrested and sent to the government hospital where they are currently undergoing treatment.
The duo would be taken into police custody once they are released from the hospital. ADCP Ashutosh Dwivedi said that the police would be invoking the Gangster Act along with other relevant sections of the IPC against the accused.
ADCP Dwivedi also said that they have recovered sharp-edged weapons that were used to slaughter the bovines, illegal firearms, live cartridges and a car without a number plate from the accused’s possession.
He further informed that the two accused, Bilal and Kafil, have more than one dozen cases of theft and other crimes filed against them in various police stations in Uttar Pradesh. The duo, who originally belongs to the Hapur district in Uttar Pradesh had been living in Ghaziabad for the past few days.
In a similar incident, three cow smugglers identified as Zeeshan, Saddam and Qasim were apprehended by Ghaziabad Police after a fierce encounter in the month of May. As per reports, they were running away after stealing a cow in a Scorpio vehicle. The Police chased them, during which their vehicle collided with a tree. The Police asked them to surrender, but the smugglers opened fire. A constable reportedly got injured. In retaliation, the Police opened fire, and all three cow smugglers were wounded. The cow has been rescued safely.
The Kerch bridge connecting Russia and Crimea was destroyed in a bomb blast that struck a fuel train, causing the partial collapse of the sole road link connecting the Russian mainland to the Black Sea peninsula that Moscow annexed in 2014. Three people were killed in the blast, Russian authorities said.
Russian authorities say a truck bomb caused a fire and partial collapse of a bridge linking Russia-annexed Crimea with Russia. Three people were killed in the blast. The bridge is a key supply artery for Moscow’s faltering war effort in southern Ukraine. https://t.co/YlIayCyYCT
According to Russia’s National Antiterrorism Committee, a vehicle explosion on the bridge’s highway ignited seven fuel tanks on the train as it crossed the Kerch Strait Bridge early Saturday. According to the statement, the bridge is closed to traffic due to the partial collapse of two portions of the road bridge running beside the railway.
So yet, it’s unknown what triggered the explosion, and no one has taken responsibility. A social media video of the situation showed the train on fire and a portion of the road bridge collapsing into the water.
Crimea, the bridge, the beginning. Everything illegal must be destroyed, everything stolen must be returned to Ukraine, everything occupied by Russia must be expelled. pic.twitter.com/yUiSwOLlDP
The bridge, built on the directives of Russian President Vladimir Putin and opened in 2018, served as a vital transportation connection for transferring military supplies to Russian forces serving in Ukraine, notably in the south. The longest bridge in Europe spans the 19-kilometer Kerch Strait between the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.
The $3.6 billion project is a concrete reminder of Moscow’s claims on Crimea, as well as an important link to the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014. Despite the war in Ukraine, Russia insisted the bridge was safe and threatened Kyiv with retaliation if it was targeted.
Until further notice, authorities have halted passenger train movement across the bridge. Putin was notified of the incident and directed the formation of a government team to handle the situation. The speaker of Crimea’s Kremlin-backed regional parliament blamed Ukraine for the explosion but promised that the bridge will be restored as soon as possible.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat recently broached a sensitive topic that created quite a flutter on the internet, especially among the broad range of diverse non-left supporters, who took to social media to express their views on the matter. Speaking at a book release function in Nagpur, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat called for the discarding of concepts such as varna and jaati, adding that the caste system has no relevance in the present age.
Describing caste and varnas as the relics of the forgotten past, Bhagwat said everyone thinking in the interest of society should consign the social stratification system to the bins of history.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat calls for discarding the caste system and varna
“Concepts of ‘Varna’ and ‘Jaati’ (caste) should be forgotten… today if someone asks about it, everyone thinking in the interest of society should tell that ‘Varna’ and ‘Jaati’ (caste) system is a thing of the past and should be forgotten,” Bhagwat said.
Citing the book that was launched, Vajrasuchi Tunk, written by Dr Madan Kulkarni and Dr Renuka Bokare, the RSS ideologue averred that social equality was an integral part of the Indian tradition but was forgotten, which led to distortion and resulted in damaging consequences.
Mr Bhagwat, who has never minced his words, even on complex issues such as the caste system and alarming population explosion in the country, said that while the caste system and varna originally did not have discrimination and had its uses, they must be forgotten in the 21st century, underscoring the dynamism of Hinduism and Vedic faiths that embrace evolution with time.
The RSS chief said, “Everything that causes discrimination should go out lock, stock and barrel.”
He added that admitting mistakes is a sign of self-assurance and confidence, and one should not have problems accepting them. He said that previous generations made mistakes everywhere, and India was no exception.
“There should not be any problems accepting those mistakes. And if you think that by accepting that our ancestors made mistakes they will become inferior, that won’t happen because everybody’s ancestors made mistakes,” the RSS chief added.
And his comments stirred a healthy debate online, with many on the non-left spectrum concurring with Bhagwat’s views, while others raised their scepticism with his stance, unlike the Left ecosystem where dissenting views and opinions often attract pejorative labels and calls for cancellation.
From raising suspicions and doubts over whether it is within the realm of possibility to abolish the caste system to the pernicious effects it may have on Hindu society, Bhagwat’s comments on Jaati and Varna evoked a panoply of opinions, with people extending support, raising alarm, expressing pessimism and much more.
While SM users lauded Bhagwat over his statement, they wondered how forgetting caste is possible with reservations and the SC/ST Act
Many who weighed in on the raging debate applauded Bhagwat for his progressive vision but said that abolition or at least reduction of caste-based reservation, which they argued contributed chiefly to casteism, is imperative to dismantle the caste system. Some even discussed the fate of the SC/ST Act in an event that we get rid of the caste system and varna.
Source: Twitter
Bhagwat caste
Some hailed Bhagwat for belling the cat and speaking against the caste system. A Twitter user who admitted that he has been a swayamsevak from his childhood days said that Bhagwat’s comments reflected the longstanding position of the RSS, which has always wanted society to progress in a direction where it is not fettered by the shackles of the caste system.
Source: Twitter
“So how do we align forgetting caste with caste-based reservations and SC ST atrocities act that reminds us of the state-sponsored discrimination every day?” commented another Twitter user.
Source: Twitter
From voicing caution to outright rejection, a section of social media reject the RSS chief’s comments on the caste system and varna
One social media user commented, “Let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater”, voicing concern that the removal of the caste system might also result in the elimination of something good.
Source: Twitter
But some were clearly displeased with Bhagwat’s comments and made no bones about their disapproval with his assertion that concepts of Jaati and Varna need to be forgotten. They contended that Jaati and Varna were a mark of symbolic identities and represented the lineage maintained by one’s ancestors and forefathers.
Source: Twitter
Another school of thought opposing Bhagwat’s stance argued that caste acted as a bulwark for Hinduism against the Abrahamic forces’ imperialism and played a pivotal role in its survival.
Source: Twitter
Yet another line of argument that opposed Mohan Bhagwat asserted that forgetting Varna-Jaati meant forgetting one’s identity and heritage, which ultimately attacks one’s Hindu identity.
Source: Twitter
Some discussed the nuances behind the issue of the caste system and the implications of the RSS chief’s comment
Internet discussion also veered toward more nuanced aspects of the matter, which is often drowned under the outpouring of either condemnation or approval. One Twitter user articulated the conundrum that society faces with respect to the caste system. Caste, he said, is deep-rooted and a part of identity and any attempts to remove it will result in vain. Instead, the focus should be on the removal of hatred that spawns from caste division and not the caste itself.
Source: Twitter
“Varna is defined by our occupation. Jaati defines our shared ancestry which helps knit people together. You can’t remove these two. What should be done is people should be made proud of their jati and varna but should be taught not to look down on others on this basis,” read a tweet from another user.
Source: Twitter
The gushing praises, the outright rejections, the contemptuous jibes, and the subtle nuances encompassed the disparate arguments proffered in the ongoing debate triggered by Mr Bhagwat’s comments on the caste system and varna exemplify how complex problems may not have binary solutions, and sometimes, seemingly contradictory stances may sound reasonable and rational in their own right, without cancelling the other.
On Saturday, a petition was filed in a Delhi court seeking a stay on the distribution of the forthcoming film ‘Adipurush’ in its current form, stating that the promo published by its makers has negatively affected and hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus by presenting Hindu Gods, Lords Ram and Hanuman, in an inaccurate manner.
Ever since the teaser of the movie was released on YouTube on October 2, it has become one of the most controversial teasers in Bollywood. Netizens have slammed the movie for very poor VFX quality that makes the characters look like cartoon characters, and for bad character design that makes Ravana and Hanuman look like Islamist invaders. The teaser also shows that the sets of the movie are inspired by video games and Hollywood movies a TV shows, and therefore, they do not look like how various places during that age are described in the epic Ramayana.
According to the reports, the petition, filed in Tis Hazari Court by Advocate Raj Gaurav, requests that the movie’s producer and director should erase the allegedly offensive elements of the preview from all social networking sites, including YouTube and Facebook. The lawsuit also seeks direction prohibiting the defendants from representing Lord Ram, Lord Hanuman, and Ravana in the manner represented in the offensive promo of the film in question. The film is scheduled to be released on January 12, 2023.
“The defendants have hurt the religious, cultural, historical, and civilizational sentiments of the plaintiff and other Hindus by the depiction of Hindu gods Lord Ram and Lord Hanuman in a very unwarranted and inaccurate way in the teaser or promotional video of their upcoming movie Adipurush. The defendants in the garb of free speech and expression cannot manipulate the basics of epic Ramayana which is part of plaintiff’s culture, civilization and spirituality and religion”, the plea read.
As per the petition, while the traditional picture of Lord Ram is of a serene and tranquil person, he is portrayed in the film’s trailer as an atrocious, revengeful, and furious person. Instead of a sacred thread, he is shown in one of the scenes wearing a leather strap, and instead of khadaun, he is portrayed wearing contemporary boots or footwear made of leather-like material. Furthermore, the petition contends that Lord Hanuman was shown wearing leather clothes rather than holy thread (janew) in the promo.
The appeal further stated that Ravana’s persona, represented by actor Saif Ali Khan, has been demonstrated to be cheap and horrible. Ravana was a devout follower of Lord Shiva who wore a tilak on his forehead and wore a golden crown, the plea read.
“It is submitted that the portrayal of Ravana in the promo teaser is so horrid that the sentiments of the plaintiff are hurt, he being a brahmin himself, even though Ravana has a villainous character in Ramayana even then he is to be treated with respect being a scholar of Vedas and a genuinely learned”, the plea was quoted.
It has so been urged that the promo be prohibited and withdrawn from the internet immediately due to the defamatory impact and outrage it would bring to Hindus. “That the defendants, if are not stopped from propagating hate towards Hindus with the objectionable depiction of Lord Ram and Lord Hanuman, might lead to much furor and uprising among the public at large and may also cause law and order situation in the country. Right now the objectionable promo has caused huge protests across the country and TV debates are laden with this topic”, the plea was quoted.
Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, is known as a pioneer in many fields, online payments, electric cars, and private space exploration, but he is also famous for one more thing- his tweets. The billionaire in conversation with Financial Times journalist Roula Khalaf got candid about his obsession with Twitter among several other things.
When asked about why a person like him who holds serious ideas would indulge in Twitter games, with much enthusiasm, Musk channelises Maximus from Gladiator movie and asks, “Aren’t you entertained?” Musk also confessed that he plays a fool on Twitter landing him into all sorts of trouble and that he somehow finds it therapeutic to express himself on Twitter. “I play a fool on Twitter and often shoot myself in the foot. I find it vaguely therapeutic to express myself on Twitter,” he told Financial Times.
The epic on-off $44 billion bid he made to acquire the platform may have demonstrated his “masochism”, he added, but he insisted that he is driven to establish “trusted” and “transparent” ideas and news-exchange forum in order to prevent the further rise of sites like Donald Trump’s Truth Social platform, which he called a “right-wing echo chamber.”
On October 4, Elon Musk took a u-turn and proposed to proceed with the initial bid of $44 billion to buy Twitter Inc. On Tuesday, the details were made public through security filings. The latest proposal asked for the dismissal of a lawsuit brought by the social media giant.
There is a possibility that the lawsuit, which has a hearing set for October 17, would harm not only Twitter’s brand image but also Musk’s reputation in the market for acting erratically. Notably, Musk had proposed to purchase Twitter and take it private in April. However, later he tried to back out owing to ‘improper disclosure of spam accounts or bots on the social media platform.’
Kanchan Gupta, the veteran journalist and senior adviser to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, took to Twitter on October 8, Saturday, to call out the Times of India (TOI) newspaper for its false and malicious report on the availability of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) in India.
In a series of tweets, the veteran journalist shared a screenshot of a TOI report dated October 7, 2022, titled “Pneumococcal vaccine shortage impacts jab schedule across India.” Alongside, he also shared some facts and figures to prove how TOI was disseminating false information about the shortage of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) in India to discredit the central government.
Kanchan in his first Tweet called out TOI for publishing the fake news. He asserted that TOI’s report alleging a shortage of PCV was ‘mendacious, misleading and motivated’.
#FakeNews Alert!@timesofindia ‘report’ alleging shortage of pneumococcal vaccine (PCV) is mendacious, misleading and motivated. Facts: 👉70.18 lakh doses of PCV available with all States/UTs. 👉3.27 crore PCV doses supplied by Centre have been used January to September 2022. n1 pic.twitter.com/2WSHK8C0Bv
“#FakeNews Alert! @timesofindia ‘report’ alleging shortage of pneumococcal vaccine (PCV) is mendacious, misleading and motivated. Facts: 70.18 lakh doses of PCV available with all States/UTs. 3.27 crore PCV doses supplied by Centre have been used January to September 2022,” read his tweet.
In his second tweet, Kanchan Gupta shared some more data available in the public domain and lambasted the media outlet for publishing a story that is “ill-informed and provides erroneous information.”
The senior adviser to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting informed how contrary to the claims made by TOI, sufficient doses (70.18 lakh) of PCV are available in all States and Union territories and that Maharashtra had a sufficient stock of 3.01 lakh doses of PCV as on October 7, 2022. Coincidentally, the same day TOI published the report with claims that there is an acute shortage of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine meant for children in India.
The @timesofindia ‘story’ is ill-informed and provides erroneous information. 👉As on 7 Oct 2022, sufficient doses (70.18 lakh) of PCV are available with all States/UTs. 👉Maharashtra has stock of 3.01 lakh doses of PCV. 👉Available doses make it clear there is NO shortage. n2
Kanchan Gupta asserted that according to the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare data, 3.27 crore doses of PCV that were supplied by the Central government have been utilised by all States and UTs from January to September 2022. He further informed how Maharashtra has used 18.80 lakh doses of PCV during this period.
Moreover, 👉PCV supplies against procurement of the vaccine for 2022-23 have also commenced to all States and UTs. The @timesofindia and its readers would have been better informed had the paper cared to fact-check its false story before publishing it. n4
“Moreover, PCV supplies against procurement of the vaccine for 2022-23 have also commenced to all States and UTs. The @timesofindia and its readers would have been better informed had the paper cared to fact-check its false story before publishing it,” added Gupta.
Notably, in a report titled “Pneumococcal vaccine shortage impacts jab schedule across India,” Times of India stated that, in addition to a shortage of HIV and leprosy drugs, India was experiencing a Pneumococcal vaccine shortage. It bemoaned how the vaccine scarcity had disrupted the vaccination schedule of tens of thousands of children across the country for more than a month.
The archived version of the TOI report can be viewed here.
TOI, further through its report, attempted to establish how the shortage was only confined to the public sector and not the private sector where there was ‘adequate supply’, insinuating that the central government was being unfair and partial by distributing vaccine doses solely to the private sector in order to generate profits.
However, by citing some pertinent facts and data, Kanchan Gupta debunked the propaganda TOI was attempting to push in order to create panic among the people.
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, currently on his container-led Bharat Jodo Yatra, has ‘clarified‘ his position about industrialists after Rajasthan’s chief minister and senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot welcomed industrialist Gautam Adani for investments in Rajasthan during the Invest Rajasthan Summit 2022.
Rahul Gandhi gave this clarification on 8th October 2022. It is notable that Rahul Gandhi has been abusing industrialists for the last several years, accusing them of getting benefits at the cost of ordinary people during the Modi government. However, showing open defiance to the party leader, the Rajasthan CM has taken the opposite stand, talking in favour of industries and industrialists.
Praising business tycoon Gautam Adani and welcoming his investments in Rajasthan, CM Ashok Gehlot said, “Gautam Bhai was speaking about Gujarat. Gujaratis have always been very capable, even pre-independence. It had industrialization even before independence. Maharashtra-Gujarat has always been economically well off. I’ll speak about Rajasthan. The state faced drought and famine for centuries. There used to be migration. Gautam Bhai, one should appreciate the courage of Rajasthanis. Your state was in good condition, now we hear Gautam Adani is among the top two richest people in the world.”
A day after Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot came under fire for praising Gautam Adani, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi clarified his stand on it and said he is not against any corporate — his opposition is towards monopolisation.https://t.co/Ep3GbyjS78
Gehlot lavished these praises on the industrialist after Gautam Adani informed that he had invested over Rs 35,000 crore in the state and an investment of another Rs 50,000 crore is under implementation. Notably, Rahul Gandhi has often led the charge against corporate tycoons Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani. Ashok Gehlot complimented Gautam Adani at the Rajasthan Investment Summit on Friday, addressing him as Adani Bhai. He also complimented him on moving up to the second-place spot in the world’s wealth rankings.
Ashok Gehlot also said that big industrialists and their industries bring investment and employment, a fact Rahul Gandhi refuses to accept. The Rajasthan CM said, “Be it Adani, Ambani or Amit Shah’s son Jay Shah, we will welcome all. We want employment and investment”.
Be it Adani, Ambani or Amit Shah’s son Jay Shah, we will welcome all. We want employment and investment: Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot
The Bharatiya Janata Party referred to Gehlot’s praise for Adani as a “tight slap” on Rahul Gandhi in light of his apparent disagreement with the high command during the Rajasthan revolt. Rajendra Rathore, deputy leader of the opposition said, “Rahul Gandhi’s Congress party which constantly curses the central government in the name of Adani is now being kind to him. The head of Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot is providing valuable land to Adani group on concessional rates.”
While clarifying this in the press conference held during his Bharat Jodo Yatra, Rahul Gandhi said, “Mr. Adani has committed ₹60,000 crores to Rajasthan. No chief minister can refuse such an offer. In fact, it would not be correct for a chief minister to refuse such an offer.” When reporters were asking him a question about the contradiction between his statements against Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani in the past, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh stopped the reporters and told them to ask only about Bharat Jodo Yatra. But Rahul Gandhi interrupted and said that he will answer this question and clarify.
Mr Adani gave a proposal of Rs 60,000 crores to Rajasthan, no CM would refuse such a proposal. Rajasthan CM didn’t give any preferential treatment to Adani or use his political power to help his (Gautam Adani’s) business: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi pic.twitter.com/COkny4xN4P
Rahul Gandhi said, “My contention is in the use of political power to help certain chosen businesses. My opposition is to 2 or 3 or 4 large businesses being helped politically to monopolize every single business in this country. That is where my opposition is. I am in no way against the corporates, and businesses, but against the complete monopolization of businesses as that weakens the country. And today what we are seeing is a complete monopolization of all businesses. And that’s my problem.”
I oppose the fact that BJP govt has made 2-3 people the monopolist in every business in India, I am against this concentration of capital, I am not against business or co-operates: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi pic.twitter.com/sPp3tpBhQt
Rahul Gandhi added, “Rajasthan CM didn’t give any preferential treatment to Adani or use his political power to help his (Gautam Adani’s) business. The day they do that, I will stand in the opposition.”
‘The country is being run by crony capitalists’: Rahul Gandhi’s persistent tirade against Ambanis and Adanis
Rahul Gandhi frequently points the finger at Adani-Ambani in his talks, claiming that they jointly control the nation. Prior to the Lok Sabha elections in 2019, the former president of the Congress charged that Prime Minister Modi had supported his “two buddies,” Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani.
Rahul Gandhi insulted a female NDTV employee last month during his encounter with the media in Ernakulam, Kerala, as part of his current Bharat Jodo Yatra, continuing his rant against the leading businessman, because the contentious media outlet is being acquired by the Adani group.
Rahul Gandhi had said that only 2-3-4 big industrialists can do anything they want, like running ports and airports, working on agriculture, building silos, and other people don’t get any help from banks and the government.
Last year in December too, while addressing the gathering during a rally organized by Congress in Jaipur, Rahul Gandhi had said, “Airports, coal mines, supermarkets, wherever you see, only two people are visible. Adani Ji and Ambani Ji.” Interestingly, as reports emerged that the Rajasthan government had given land to Adani Group for the solar plant, Rahul Gandhi’s speeches against Adani started making rounds on social media platforms.
While the Rajasthan-led Congress government has invited Gautam Adani to the investment summit, Rahul Gandhi attacked the Adani group Chairman only last month, asking, “Who gives him money to develop businesses?”
कल मैं एक महिला से मिला, उनके किसान पति ने ₹50,000 के कर्ज़ के कारण आत्महत्या कर ली।
एक भारत: पूंजीपति मित्रों को 6% ब्याज पर कर्ज़ और करोड़ों की कर्ज़माफ़ी
दूसरा भारत: अन्नदाताओं को 24% ब्याज पर कर्ज़ और कष्टों से भरी ज़िंदगी
In the next five to seven years, the head of the Adani Group proposes to invest $65,000 crore in the state by building a 10,000 MW solar power facility, expanding a cement plant, and revamping the Jaipur International Airport. Rahul Gandhi did not hesitate to tweet against Adani on Friday when the businessman was making these announcements. Rahul Gandhi tweeted, “Yesterday, I met a woman. Her farmer husband died of suicide as he had a debt of ₹50,000. One Bharat: Loan to capitalist friends at 6% interest and loan waiver of crores. Second India: A life full of debt and hardships at 24% interest to Annadata. ‘Two Indias’ in one country, we will not accept it.”
Even though the blockbuster RRR was not picked as India’s official Oscar entry for 2023, the makers of the hit RRR are promoting it in 14 categories as part of the “For your consideration (FYC)” campaign. Last Friday at the Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles, RRR’s Oscar campaign was properly unveiled. Variety has shortlisted the song ‘Naatu Naatu’ as a probable nominee for the Best Original Song Oscar.
Among the many categories in which RRR has been submitted are Best Picture (DVV Danayya), Best Director (Rajamouli), Best Actor (Jr NTR and Ram Charan), Screenplay, Original Song, Score, Editing, Cinematography, Sound, Production Design, and VFX, to mention a few. Best Supporting Actress nominee Alia Bhatt and Best Supporting Actor nominee Ajay Devgn will also compete. The Best Original Song nominee is “Naatu Naatu.”
On October 6, the creators announced the news to the RRR fanbase through Twitter with an emotional statement. The note reads, “We applied to The Academy of Oscars consideration in the general category. We wish our RRR family the best and thank them from the bottom of our hearts for making this possible. Here is to continue to win hearts and entertain audiences worldwide.”
RRR, directed by SS Rajamouli, is a fictitious narrative based on the lives of two Telugu liberation warriors, Alluri Seetharama Raju and Komaram Bheem, respectively played by Ram Charan and Jr NTR. The epic drama has been well appreciated in India and worldwide, notably in the United States, where renowned performers and directors have flocked to local theatres to enjoy it. The film is now receiving a great deal of attention in Japan. The film is regarded as one of the most successful of the decade. The box office gross for the epic action drama is estimated to be around Rs 1150 crore.
The film RRR, which was released in theatres in March 2022, became one of the biggest successes in Indian cinema history. However, it was not without criticism from the Indian left, who accused the film of promoting “Hindutva.” The film’s Hindu iconography and imagery infuriated Indian liberals, as did the major characters’ names, Ram and Sita. Despite the fact that the names were chosen after a historical occurrence in which Rama Raju fell in love with a girl named Sita, finally adding her name to his name after her tragic death.
On Saturday, Iranian actress and model Mandana Karimi slammed Hindustan Times for misquoting her in the news article related to filmmaker Sajid Khan joining Bigg Boss season 16. Recently, the actress expressed her displeasure towards the makers of the TV show Bigg Boss for inducting Sajid Khan as a contestant in its 16th season.
Karimi, who had accused Sajid Khan of harassment during the MeToo movement, said that there was no respect left for women in the film industry and that the makers of the show were supporting sexual predators. However, Hindustan Times happened to report that the actress had decided to quit Bollywood after Khan joined Bigg Boss 16.
“Mandana Karimi quits Bollywood after #MeToo accused Sajid Khan bags Bigg Boss 16: This is no place to work, it has no respect for women”, the title of the news article read including her opinion on Khan being inducted in Big Boss. “For people, life has become like if it’s going to benefit me and I can make money, who cares? The industry is a place where someone is someone’s mum, boyfriend, girlfriend, or husband. It’s like, you scratch my back and I will scratch yours”, she said in her interview.
Mandana Karimi also added that she has no desire to work in the Bollywood industry anymore. “I didn’t go for any auditions. I don’t want to work in Bollywood. I don’t want to be associated with an industry where there is no respect for women”, she said. However, the news organization misreported that the actress didn’t desire to work in Bollywood after Sajid Khan joined Bigg Boss 16.
The actress took cognizance of the incident and slammed the newspaper for misquoting her. “Shame! @htTweets“, she tweeted while sharing her conversation with the newspaper’s journalist.
Mandana Karimi alleged in 2018 that when she had gone to meet Sajid Khan for the movie Humshakals, he had asked her to remove her clothes. He had allegedly told her, ‘If I like what I see, you might get the part’. Along with Mandana, several other celebrity women have expressed their displeasure towards the makers of Bigg Boss for inducting Sajid Khan as a contestant in Bigg Boss 16. The list includes model Urfi Javed, author Mohua Chinappa, film critic Sucharita Tyagi and singer Sona Mohapatra.
