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‘SC verdict against Constitution and Democracy,’ AAP alleges collusion between SC and PM Modi

OpIndia Staff
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‘SC verdict against Constitution and Democracy,’ AAP alleges collusion between SC and PM Modi

We have earlier reported on the Supreme Court’s verdict on an assortment of petitions pertaining to the power tussle between the Aam Aadmi Party government and the Lieutenant General of Delhi. The verdict, by and large, asserted the supremacy of the LG over the Delhi government on a variety of issues in the Union Territory.

Addressing a press conference, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal claimed that the verdict was against “Constitution and democracy” and that it would seek legal remedies. “If a government can’t even transfer its officers, how is it supposed to function? The party that has 67 seats doesn’t have the rights but the party that won 3 seats has those rights,” he said.

Kejriwal added, “What sort of democracy is this? Why is Delhi government not powerful? How can the opposition run the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB)? How can the government function without power?”

On the matter of Opposition alliance, Kejriwal stated that the Congress party has almost rejected such a possibility. He said that his party is lusting after an alliance with Congress because they are genuinely concerned about the country.


The Aam Aadmi Party’s official Twitter handle, too, mocked the Supreme Court with a Bollywood clip featuring Sunny Deol. In the famous court scene, Deol can be heard telling the Judge, “Tarikh par tarikh, tarikh par tarikh, tarikh par tarikh, tarikh par tarikh milti rahi hai … Lekin insaaf nahi mila my lord, insaaf nahi mila … Mili hai toh sirf yeh tarikh (We have just got dates… But we haven’t received justice my lord, no justice … All we have got are these date).”


Spokesman of the party, Sanjay Singh, has been insinuating on social media that the Supreme Court is colluding with Narendra Modi.


He said, “Does the Supreme Court not give a verdict without Modi ji’s permission? There was open corruption in the Rafale deal, the Central government lied in the Court but the SC was silent? Did the SC deliver a verdict or a joke in the CBI matter?”

‘He is an old man, keeps forgetting what to say,’ Former Bihar CM Rabri Devi on Mulayam Singh’s endorsement to Modi for PM in 2019

OpIndia Staff
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‘He is an old man, keeps forgetting what to say,’ Former Bihar CM Rabri Devi on Mulayam Singh’s endorsement to Modi for PM in 2019

The Samajwadi Party patriarch, Mulayam Singh Yadav’s statement in the 16th Lok Sabha, that he wished to see Narendra Modi back as prime minister has taken many a political leaders and commentators by utter surprise.

Amongst all others, Rabri Devi, the former CM of Bihar said Yadav’s statements have no relevance. “Unki umar ho gayi hai. Yaad nahi rehta hai kab kya bol denge. Unki boli ka koi mayene nahi rakhta hai. (Roughly translated as “He is old now. He can’t remember what to say when. His statements bear no relevance.”)


On a day when the opposition leaders had gathered in Delhi to try and stitch together a grand alliance to take on Narendra Modi in the upcoming general election, Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav created a political storm by praising the prime minister, and even wishing him a second term.

This remark was not received well by senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan as well who even said that words were put into Yadav’s mouth. “Bahut dukh hua hai ye sunkar. Ye bayan unke munh me daala gaya hai. Ye bayan Mulayam Ji ka nahi hai, ye bayan Neta Ji se dilwaya gaya hai, (I am upset after knowing this. These are not his words. Someone has put these words in his mouth.)”

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath said Samajwadi chief Akhilesh Yadav should accept the truth which his father spoke in Parliament.

“This is the truth, and truth always wins. What Mulayamji said in the Parliament is the truth, I am sure like Mulayamji, his son should also accept this truth,” Adityanath said.


Soon after Mulayam Singh’s remark posters thanking the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister were put up in Lucknow for his support to Narendra Modi as the next Prime Minister.

The 16th Lok Sabha session was the last session before the country goes into the 2019 general elections. At this important juncture, Mulayam Singh’s remark might prove to be a game changer, especially for his son, Akhilesh Yadav who like several others, including Congress President Rahul Gandhi and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, has been eyeing at the PM seat.

Kerala: Family reaches out to Communist government after mosque bans them for ‘allowing women to sing and dance’ at family wedding

OpIndia Staff
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Kerala: Family reaches out to Communist government after mosque bans them for ‘allowing women to sing and dance’ at family wedding

In a bizarre incident, a Muslim family of Thrithala, Palakkad district in Kerala has been boycotted by a local mosque committee as women of the family posed publicly for photographs during a wedding function in the family and for organizing a musical programme at the event.

The wedding reception of Abdul Hai, a native of Aloor in Thrithala, was held in an auditorium in Edappal town of Malappuram district on December 28. On Monday, a month after the wedding, Abdul’s brother Danish Riyaz in his Facebook post has alleged that Aloor Mahallu has imposed a ban on his family after the wedding. The mosque committee has penalised Danish Riyaz and his family for not only hosting a wedding reception but also letting women pose for photographs and sing at the wedding, a practice they claim went against their mosque rules.

In his Facebook post, Riyaz has alleged that Mahallu committee (mosque committee) has boycotted his family citing four reasons as women and girls posed for photographs during reception function, children were dancing on stage, a musical programme with the orchestra was organized during the function and women and girls spoke at the function using a microphone.

He further added that the Mahallu committee is yet to lift the ban despite family members apologized before the committee. Demanding the Kerala government to take a proper step in the issue, Danish said that his family respects all believes and customs of the religion and traditionally follows all decisions of the committee.

“It was my brother’s wedding party and I knew that our Mahallu has some traditional rules which are not followed in most other parts of Kerala, including in our neighbouring village. We shifted the wedding reception to Viva Palace in Edappal, Malappuram, which is nowhere close to Aloor or the mosque to avoid any conflict with the Aloor Committee,” Danish wrote in a Facebook post.

Danish added that the mosque has boycotted the family completely and has also stopped collecting monthly maintenance free from the family. Further, the family has also been disallowed from entertaining the Ustads of the mosque for lunch, a practice held every three months.

The mosque has also summoned both Danish and his brother to inform about the punishment. Disturbed by the boycott, Danish has now decided to take full responsibility for the wedding reception, stating that his family was not aware of the arrangements made for the celebrations and hence, must be exempted from it.

Meanwhile, secretary of the Mahallu Committee Azees Aloor contended that there was no ban for the family instead there was only non-cooperation from the mosque committee. “We cannot agree with the violations of the instructions regarding the wedding functions, given by the committee. The committee has its own decisions as a religious institution and we cannot change it for a single person or a family”, he said.

’80 percent of Vatican Priests are gay’, new book blows the lid of rampant homosexuality within ‘homophobic’ Vatican

OpIndia Staff
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’80 percent of Vatican Priests are gay’, new book blows the lid of rampant homosexuality within ‘homophobic’ Vatican

According to a new book, 80 percent of priests at the Vatican are gay. The book by Frédéric Martel, In the Closet of the Vatican, that is a detailed account of homosexuality within the Catholic Church, is a “startling account of corruption and hypocrisy at the heart of the Vatican” according to its publisher, Bloomsbury.

Martel, a non-Catholic and a gay man himself, conducted around 1,500 interviews with clergymen and diplomatic officials while researching for the book. According to the Catholic Website The Tablet, 41 cardinals, 52 bishops and monsignors, 45 papal ambassadors or diplomatic officials, 11 Swiss guards and more than 200 priests and seminarians were interviewed. This piece of investigative writing is based on four years of research, including extensive interviews with those in power.

Cover of In the Closest of the Vatican (source: Amazon)

Martel’s research reportedly reveals that while some priests accept their orientation and maintain discreet long term relationships, there are others who take it to the extreme in living a double life through casual encounters and hire male prostitutes. There are still others who are in denial of it.

The book also asserts that more the homophobic a priest is, the more likely it is that he is gay. According to Bloomsbury’s promotional material, Martel’s book “reveals secrets” about celibacy, misogyny and plots against Pope Francis. It uncovers “a clerical culture of secrecy which starts in junior seminaries and continues right up to the Vatican itself”.

“The celibacy of priests, the condemnation of the use of contraceptives, the cover-up of countless cases of sexual abuse, the resignation of Benedict XVI, misogyny among the clergy, the dramatic fall in Europe of the number of vocations to the priesthood, the plotting against Pope Francis – all these issues are clouded in mystery and secrecy”, says the promotional material of the book.

One of the most explosive claims in the book is about deceased Colombian Cardinal Alfonso López Trujillo. Trujillo, a former President of the Pontifical Council for the Family, is presented as both an arch-defender of the Church’s teaching on contraception and homosexuality while also using male prostitutes.

The book is to be released February 21, on the same day as Pope Francis’ sexual abuse summit. It will be released in 8 languages across 20 countries, and the book already available on e-commerce sites for pre-order.

2.86% savings : From scams to savings, how India changed under Modi

Abhishek Banerjee
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2.86% savings : From scams to savings, how India changed under Modi

Yesterday was the last working day for the 16th Lok Sabha. The next time the Lok Sabha convenes, we will have freshly elected members from every corner of the country, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and from Gujarat to Arunachal Pradesh. Over 500 million people will vote in the world’s largest democratic exercise. Makes you feel like part of something bigger, does it not?

Indeed, we have been having these elections at regular intervals (with one dark exception in the 1970s when the election was delayed by a year) for nearly seven decades now. Not many nations can boast of such a record, including many nations of Western Europe. Did you know that Spain and Portugal became democracies only in the late 1970s?

So what has changed in these five years of Modi sarkar?

On the last working day of Parliament, the CAG report on the Rafale deal was placed before the people. Their conclusion: 2.86% cost savings versus the 2007 deal that was negotiated by UPA government.

Note that the CAG compares the 2007 price versus the 2015 price in absolute terms. In other words, if the price negotiated for Rafale in 2007 was Rs 100, the NDA negotiated a price of Rs 97.14 in 2015.

This, of course, is *much more* than savings of 2.86%, because inflation means that Rs 100 in 2015 is worth much less than Rs 100 in 2007. That NDA’s deal should actually cost less in 2015 in absolute terms compared to the 2007 price negotiated by UPA is nothing short of spectacular.

Instead of apologizing, the Opposition actually went out and attacked the Modi government with a straight face.

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This does not even need to be debunked any more. The Supreme Court found nothing wrong with the deal. The CAG found nothing wrong with the deal. After two clean chits from two topmost independent constitutional authorities, if somebody just wants to make accusations and look ridiculous, so be it.

The political fight has moved on from how much was stolen to how much was saved. This is a new experience for us all. Even the smallest government contract in India often leads to relentless price escalation by corrupt officials who pay inflated amounts by looting the public treasury.

How refreshing is it to hear political parties argue over how much money was saved? Where is Achche Din?

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Who remembers how the UPA government shamed India by purchasing toilet and tissue paper at over 7 times the price? Who remembers how tissue paper dispensers costing just 9 British Pounds each were purchased at 64 British Pounds each, a 600% price escalation!!

Those who ran the UPA government now want a debate over whether the savings in Rafale was 9% or 3%!

Where is Achche Din?

Meanwhile, opposition friendly newspapers run “exclusive” stories trying to prove that the savings were actually ZERO.

ZERO? Why does that ring a bell?

Who remembers the (in)famous ZERO loss theory that the UPA floated in its defence after the 1.76 lakh crore 2G scam was exposed?

The Congress has gone from alleging ZERO loss when it was in power to alleging ZERO savings now that it is in the Opposition.

Where is Achche Din?

PM Modi’s government has completed five years in the Lok Sabha without a single scam. When was the last time this happened? In fact, has it ever happened before?

The word scam has disappeared from India’s political lexicon. Let us have more political arguments about which party can save more public money. A wonderful new beginning.

This should be understood as an expanded version of Swachch Bharat Abhiyan. Like spitting or throwing garbage in public places, corruption was a bad habit that we had come to acquire as a nation. From the common person who gives bribes at the RTO to the common person who takes bribes at the RTO, from the small shopkeeper to the big business house, everyone thought that it is simply how things are done in India. And for certain political families, corruption had become a way of life. For generations. The bad habit had to end someday.

The only way to break this habit is by enforcing a period of prolonged hygiene, after which the right way of doing things will become the new normal. The new normal: don’t expect to see people throwing garbage on the street. Don’t expect to see people defecating in the open. Don’t expect politicians to be doing scams. Have we reached the point where this can simply be taken as the new normal no matter who comes to power? Or will Modi be voted back to enforce the political hygiene of the last five years? We will find out.

AAP Vs Centre: Supreme Court says Centre has absolute control over Delhi’s Anti-Corruption Branch

OpIndia Staff
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AAP Vs Centre: Supreme Court says Centre has absolute control over Delhi’s Anti-Corruption Branch

Three months after the Supreme Court reserved its right on an assortment of petitions challenging notifications issued by the Arvind Kejriwal led government amid the power tussle between the Centre and Delhi, the SC delivered its final judgement on Thursday.

A bench of justices AK Sikri and Ashok Bhushan pronounced their findings on nine petitions that were filed before the court in connection with the dispute. The hearing had concluded on November 1, 2018.

The issues, which the court ruled upon, were, as to who would have the control over services in Delhi administration, the power to set up the commission of inquiry, and control over the anti-corruption bureau.

Below are the key takeaways of the verdict delivered by the bench:

  • Two judge bench of SC delivers split verdict on whether the Delhi government or Centre has jurisdiction over appointment and transfer of bureaucrats in Delhi.
  • There was a difference of opinion among judges over control of services in Delhi.
  • Supreme Court two-judge bench have split verdict on the jurisdiction of Centre or Delhi government over appointment and transfer of bureaucrats in Delhi.
  • Justice AK Sikri holds, transfers of posting of Joint Secretary and above officers are in the domain of LG, while other officers fall under the Delhi government, however, in case of difference of opinion, view of LG to prevail. Anti Corruption Bureau to come under LG.
  • The bench unanimously decides that the Centre will have jurisdiction over Delhi’s anti-corruption bureau and upholds Centre’s notification.
  • SC says that Delhi’s elected government has the power to appoint a special public prosecutor
  • SC says that both elected government and Lieutenant Governor should work together in mutual respect for the welfare of people.
  • SC refers the issue to a larger bench to decide on whether the Delhi govt or LG should have jurisdiction over services in Delhi.
  • SC also holds in favour of Centre on power to set up Inquiry Commission and says that Delhi govt cannot appoint a commission under Commission of Inquiry Act, 1952.
  • Justice Ashok Bhushan dissents from Justice Sikri on the issue of ‘Services’ and says all the officers fall under the domain of the Central government.
  • SC asks the Delhi Government to sort out their differences with the LG. “Mutual respect for each other is an essential part of good governance and they must realise that they are supposed to work for benefits of common citizens”, said the bench to both the parties.

Finally, according to what Lawyer Ashwini Upadhyay told ANI, the Supreme Court took a decision on 6 issues. Amongst those 6, SC ruled in favour of the centre in 4 of them.

The final verdict on the legal battle of Centre Vs Delhi’s AAP:

While the Anti-Corruption Bureau, posting & transfer of Grade 1 & Grade 2 officers, Commission of Inquiry, falls under Centre’s jurisdiction, the Electricity department, Revenue department, posting & transfer of Grade 3 & Grade 4 officer will come under Delhi government. But in case of any difference of opinion, the LG’s decision will prevail.

While the issue over control of services has been referred to a larger bench, the SC said in its verdict that only the Centre has the power to set up an inquiry commission. This means that the Delhi government will not be able to probe the central government officers.

The partial verdict comes as a setback for the Delhi government which was hoping for more control over the governance of Delhi.

The Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had been at loggerheads with incumbent LG Anil Baijal and his predecessor Najeeb Jung. Kejriwal had accused both of them of preventing the functioning of his government at the behest of the BJP-led central government.

Earlier in October last year, the Delhi government told SC that it wanted its petitions relating to the governance of the national capital to be heard soon as it wants to quickly get rid of the stalemate, which is hampering administration in the city.

Modi Government to set up an Ordnance Factory Board near Amethi in Uttar Pradesh to produce 7.47 lakh assault Kalashnikov rifles

OpIndia Staff
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Modi Government to set up an Ordnance Factory Board near Amethi in Uttar Pradesh to produce 7.47 lakh assault Kalashnikov rifles

The Narendra Modi-led NDA government has cleared a proposal to produce at least 7.47 lakh Kalashnikov assault rifles by the Ordnance Factory Board and a Russian Joint venture firm for the Indian Army. The plant for the same will be set up near Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, reported ANI.

According to the ANI, the Centre on Wednesday evening cleared a proposal to set up a new plant at Amethi, Uttar Pradesh for the joint production of 7.47 lakh Kalashnikov series assault rifles. This decision comes after the Narendra Modi government had signed a deal for procuring 72,400 assault rifles for the Indian Army’s infantry from the US-based M/s Sig Sauer.

The joint venture is in response to Ministry of Defence (MoD)’s Request for Information (RFI) for procurement of 6,50,000 assault rifles of 7.62×39 mm calibre under ‘Make in India’ program.

Reportedly, an intergovernmental agreement for a joint venture between Russia’s Kalashnikov and Ordnance Factory Board is likely to be signed later this week. The joint venture is reportedly in response to Ministry of Defence (MoD)’s Request for Information (RFI) for procurement of 650,000 assault rifles of 7.62×39 mm calibre under ‘Make in India’ program.

The Indian Armed Forces are currently equipped with 5.56×45 mm INSAS Rifle. There is an urgent requirement of replacing the in-service 5.56X45 mm INSAS Rifle with a 7.62X51mm Assault Rifle which is compact, robust, modern in technology and simple to maintain in field conditions, the officials said.

The Indo-Russia deal comes days after the government signed a deal for procuring 72,400 assault rifles for the Indian Army’s infantry from the US-based M/s Sig Sauer. The Indian Army will receive a bulk  66,400 of the assault rifles. The Indian Air Force will get 4,000 while the remaining 2,000 would be given to the Indian Navy.

The assault rifles will be a game changer for the Indian Army especially for the troops deployed in areas on the border with China. The need for such rifles was repeatedly pitched in view of evolving security threats from both China and Pakistan.

The Sig Sauer assault rifles are renowned for their firepower as well as reliability in extreme weather conditions. The company which manufactures them claims that the assault rifles can be invaluable for troops using them for tactical operations.

These questions asked by Rahul Gandhi in the Parliament in last five years will stun you

OpIndia Staff
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These questions asked by Rahul Gandhi in the Parliament in last five years will stun you

Congress President Rahul Gandhi, in his five years as an Amethi MP in the 16th Lok Sabha, had not asked a single question in the Parliament. Neither did he try to introduce any private member bill in the Parliament. The third-time Lok Sabha MP did wake up in January 2019 to rake up the ‘Rafale’ issue and held 2 debates regarding the same. In total, he had participated in 13 debates in the Parliament.

It seems that the Congress President Rahul Gandhi, who keeps making headlines for something or the other that he comes up with to attack Prime Minister Modi and the BJP government, lags far behind when it comes to his own performance as an MP.

Rahul Gandhi, however, is not the only one who has asked zero questions in the Parliament. There are a total of 31 such MPs including some top names. Rahul’s mother and former Congress President Sonia Gandhi is also there in the list accompanied by SP Patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, Dimple Yadav wife of SP President Akhilesh Yadav, rebel BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha and JD(S) Supremo H D Devegowda.

Gandhi who is out on bail in National Herald case has been attacking Modi and the BJP government over a number of issues ranging form Rafale deals to farmer loans. However, recently the attacks by Congress dynast went an all-time low when he used a courtesy visit to the BJP leader and Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to attack PM Modi on Rafale deals. Rahul made a false statement about having discussed Rafale deals with Parrikar during the short visit. Rahul’s false claims were condemned by Parrikar in a strongly worded letter in which the CM criticised Rahul for using the visit for “petty political gains”.

Dharna against helmets: Puducherry CM sleeps outside Raj Nivas, says Kiran Bedi should only be the ‘post office’

OpIndia Staff
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Dharna against helmets: Puducherry CM sleeps outside Raj Nivas, says Kiran Bedi should only be the ‘post office’

Puducherry CM Narayansamy has started protests against the Lt Governor of the Union Territory, Kiran Bedi. As per reports, instead of following Kejriwal’s footsteps where the Delhi CM had enforced his unwelcome presence inside the Raj Bhawan and had made himself comfortable on a sofa for days on end, the Puducherry CM spent the night outside the Raj Niwas, sleeping on the floor.

Narayansamy has alleged that Lt Governor Bedi has been abusing her power and interfering in the day to day activities of the government. The CM, along with his ministers, has taken to protesting outside the Raj Bhavan, wearing black clothes. He alleged that the Lt Governor is ‘forcing’ rules on the ‘law-abiding citizens’ of Puducherry by enforcing the use of helmets.

The CM demanded that the rule of compulsory use of helmets issued by the DGP S Sundari Nanda should be implemented in a phased manner and not on one go.

Narayansamy has alleged that the Lt Governor is yet to act on 39 pending issues which have been sent to her, including the release of funds, salary payments and approval of different projects.


Taking inspiration from Kejriwal, Narayansamy also alleged the Bedi is acting on behalf of the Prime Minister who has told her to create troubles for the state government.

He stated that Kiran Bedi’s only job is to be a ‘post office’ and sign papers.


Earlier, Lt Governor Bedi has stated that the CM has been delaying the enforcement of helmet rule in the Union Territory and due to that, the region has become very prone to fatal road accidents. She has also called for awareness campaigns and has interacted with people on the streets encouraging them to wear helmets.

Kiran Bedi has called Narayansamy’s dharna ‘unlawful’. She has stated that instead of waiting for a reply to his official letter sent on February 7, the CM has blocked the path to Raj Bhavan and has even prevented the staff from coming to office. She stated that a CM protesting against the implementation of the Motor Vehicle Act and lawmakers turning into lawbreakers is condemnable.


Bedi has stated that the implementation of helmet rules is as per orders by the orders of the Supreme Court and Madras High Court and the CM and his lawmakers protesting against it is a contempt of the court orders.

Earlier last month, several politicians, including BJP MP Anil Shirole had protested against the strict imposition of helmet rule in Pune. They had demanded that helmets should not be made compulsory but should be a personal choice.

Mamata miffed: Congress attacks Mamata over Saradha scam in Parliament, Mamata says, ‘Will remember’

OpIndia Staff
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Mamata miffed: Congress attacks Mamata over Saradha scam in Parliament, Mamata says, ‘Will remember’

Even as Congress President Rahul Gandhi extended Twitter-based ‘shoulder to shoulder’ support to West Bengal Chief Minister against CBI probe in Saradha chit fund scam, Congress leaders have continued to attack Mamata and TMC leaders over the scam. While Bengal Congress has ruled out any possibility of an alliance with TMC, Congress MP Adhir Chowdhury yesterday attacked Bengal Chief Minister in the Parliament and said that the TMC has looted people.

During a discussion on a bill to crack down unregulated schemes and chit funds, Chowdhary accused Mamata of being complicit in the Saradha scam. “Several lakhs of people were looted,” said Chowdhury.

This has not gone down too well with Mamata Banerjee, who was also in Delhi for another ‘United Opposition’ protest by chief ministers of other states like Delhi and Telangana. Banerjee, who later crossed paths with UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi tried to save the situation and said, “We are accusing each other, but we are friends.” However, a very visibly livid Mamata Banerjee was not buying it. “I will remember,” Mamata said.

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