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Pak boycott of T20 WC match: India shouldn’t have played after ‘Op Sindoor’, says Oppn; cowardice, hits back BJP

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New Delhi, Feb 2: Following Pakistan’s decision to boycott its high-profile T20 World Cup match against India, the Opposition on Monday termed the move the ‘biggest slap on the face’ of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Several Opposition leaders also questioned India’s participation in matches against Pakistan after ‘Operation Sindoor’. Meanwhile, the BJP said Pakistan’s decision was inconsequential and it was another example of its cowardice.

Speaking to media, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said Pakistan’s boycott exposed the failure of cricketing diplomacy.

“This is the biggest slap on the face of the BCCI. The BCCI is the most powerful and richest cricket body in the world and an influential member of the ICC. After the terror attack and ‘Operation Sindoor’, we repeatedly raised Pakistan’s role in promoting terrorism on global platforms. Families of the 26 people who lost their lives kept appealing that matches should not be played with Pakistan,” she said.

Congress MP Ujjwal Raman Singh echoed similar concerns, stating that Pakistan should have been stopped from playing India immediately after ‘Operation Sindoor’.

“At that time, we raised the question of why India was still playing Pakistan. Terror attacks were carried out, innocent people were killed, and it was a serious issue. Yet matches continued. Now Pakistan is pretending to be the victim, while our people suffered losses. The ICC should take strict action. In a way, Pakistan is slapping us in the face, and India should take a firm stand,” he said, adding that the ICC’s representatives appeared to be failing in enforcing discipline.

Congress leader Pratap Singh Khachariyawas said, “Pakistan is meaningless and acting irrationally. Pakistan is not loyal even to Imran Khan or to its own people, so how can it be loyal to India? What Pakistan says about India makes no difference, because India has defeated Pakistan every time.”

Samajwadi Party MP Rajeev Kumar Rai said India missed an opportunity to take a decisive stand earlier.

“It is our mistake. We should not have given Pakistan the opportunity to refuse playing against us. A better decision should have been taken immediately after ‘Operation Sindoor’.

Congress MP Tariq Anwar said, “It is unfortunate that Pakistan refused at the very last moment, just when the time had come to play the match. It’s against the norms. There are few days left, then they are taking this decision. This is wrong.”

Congress spokesperson Surendra Rajput said the situation raised serious questions for the ruling party and cricket authorities.

“India will not tolerate threats. Whoever wants to leave can leave. But the BJP and the BCCI will have to answer how a country like Pakistan, and even smaller nations like Bangladesh, feel confident enough to issue threats or boycotts against India. The BJP must respond clearly,” he said.

In contrast, BJP leaders dismissed Pakistan’s decision as irrelevant. BJP MP Damodar Agrawal said, “It is their matter whether they play or not. There is no need for any reaction from our side.”

BJP spokesperson Pratul Shah Deo criticised Pakistan’s history, calling the boycott another example of its cowardice.

“Pakistan has a long history of retreat. In 1947–48, when it intruded into Kashmir, the Indian Army pushed them back. The same pattern was seen in 1965. During ‘Operation Sindoor’ as well, history repeated itself. We will appeal to the ICC to ban Pakistan’s cricket team for violating ICC norms,” he said.

BJP MP Sanjay Jaiswal said Pakistan benefited financially from Indian viewership.

“It is better if they do not come. They earn revenue from Indian television channels. On their own, they will not even be able to pay their cricketers,” he said.

BJP MLA Ram Kadam said India’s strength had already been proven on and off the field.

“Our players have shown that even on Pakistan’s home ground, they are capable of defeating them. Whether in the sky or on the ground, India has taught Pakistan lessons. This is a transformed India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi that enters enemy territory and acts decisively,” he said.

BJP Maharashtra President Amit Satam said, “This is Pakistan’s nature. Over the past many years, Pakistan has always behaved in this manner, and every time they show the same nature.”

BJP State President Sanjay Saraogi stated that Pakistan’s global standing had weakened further after Operation Sindoor.

“Our brave soldiers entered Pakistan and destroyed terrorist hideouts, leaving them shaken. Pakistan has no status left. It would be better if they do not play with India,” he said.

BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal emphasised national security over sports.

“India is not concerned about this issue. The safety of our country is paramount. Pakistan creates chaos, and it does not matter whether they play or not,” he said.

BJP MP Naresh Bansal concluded by saying that Pakistan’s boycott would not affect India.

“This is their decision. If they do not play, we will still go ahead and play,” he added.

Crime

Teen kills his elder brother, sister-in-law, nephew with sharp-edged weapon in UP’s Gorakhpur

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Gorakhpur, June 22: A shocking incident has emerged from Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur district, where a 16-year-old boy allegedly murdered his elder brother, sister-in-law, and three-year-old nephew with a sharp-edged weapon. The gruesome crime reportedly took place around 3 A.M. in the wee hours of Monday.

Upon receiving information about the incident, police teams rushed to the spot and launched an investigation. The bodies were sent for post-mortem examination, while the accused was taken into custody. Senior police officials, including the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) and Superintendent of Police (South), visited the crime scene and conducted an inspection.

According to the police, preliminary investigations suggest that the murders were the result of a family dispute. The deceased have been identified as Amit Gupta, his wife Ranjana Gupta, and their son Reyan Gupta.

The Bansgaon police have registered an FIR based on a complaint filed by Amit Gupta’s father and have initiated legal proceedings against the accused. Police have also recovered the weapon allegedly used in the crime.

SP (South) Dinesh Puri said that police received information about the triple murder at around 3 A.M. Following the alert, local police personnel and senior officers reached the scene, and a forensic team was called in to collect evidence.

During the investigation, it was found that Amit Gupta, his wife Ranjana, and their son Reyan were sleeping in the same room when the accused allegedly attacked them with a sharp-edged weapon, leading to their deaths.

The officer said the complaint was lodged by the deceased’s father, after which the bodies were taken into custody and sent for post-mortem examination. The accused has been detained and is currently being questioned by the police.

Authorities believe that a family dispute may have triggered the crime, although the exact motive behind the killings is yet to be established. The incident has sent shockwaves through the locality, leaving residents stunned and creating an atmosphere of grief and fear in the area.

Police said further investigation is underway, and additional details are expected to emerge after questioning the accused and examining forensic evidence.

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Crime

NEET candidate in police custody after being caught using phone hidden in flush tank at exam centre in Hyderabad

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Hyderabad, June 22: In a shocking incident Hyderabad police apprehended an 18-year-old candidate appearing for the NEET re-test as he was caught allegedly using a mobile phone concealed inside a washroom flush tank at the exam centre to cheat.

The incident occurred on Sunday during the NEET re-examination at a government school in Ragannaguda under the Adibatla Police Station limits.

The candidate, a resident of Achampet, was apprehended at the examination centre located at ZPHS, Ragannaguda.

Police said he had allegedly planned the malpractice in advance by hiding the mobile phone inside the school premises before the examination began.

As per his plan to commit cheating, the student came to the school around 7 A.M. and placed a mobile phone in the washroom ventilator. He managed to access the washroom ventilator as it was adjoining the school compound wall. At 11 A.M., he entered the washroom and concealed the phone in a zip-lock cover before hiding it in a flush tank.

Although police security teams had thoroughly inspected the premises twice, once at 6 A.M. and again at 11 A.M., and conducted strict frisking of all candidates at the entrance, the phone hidden inside the flush tank remained undetected during the initial checks.

During the examination, the accused complained of stomach pain and requested to use the restroom. The washroom, which serves as the only common facility for the entire centre, is situated far away from the school building.

After the invigilator found that the student had spent an unusually long time in the toilet, he sent a few staff members to check about his availability. The accused was caught red-handed inside the washroom actively searching for answers on his mobile phone, police said.

Upon being alerted, the police team immediately seized the mobile phone used in the crime. A thorough inspection of the device revealed that he was using Google Chrome to search for answers, with no other active applications of concern besides Instagram. The accused confessed to the act during interrogation and is currently in police custody.

Following a formal complaint by the school administration, the police have registered a case under Section 318(4) BNS and section 10 r/w 3 Public Examinations ( Prevention of Unfair Means) Act -2024.

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National News

Sanjay Raut slams ‘notorious traitor’ Omraje Nimbalkar; claims Shinde being used to weaken Maha CM Fadnavis

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Mumbai, June 22: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP, Sanjay Raut, on Monday launched a scathing verbal assault against Lok Sabha MP Omraje Nimbalkar, labeling him a “notorious traitor” and also claimed that Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was being used to weaken Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Raut asserted that turncoats possess no ideological core, driven entirely by naked self-interest.

The outburst follows Nimbalkar’s decision to jump ship from the Uddhav Thackeray camp to join Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde-led faction, despite behind-the-scenes efforts by Thackeray loyalists to convince him otherwise.

Speaking at a press conference, Raut pulled no punches regarding Nimbalkar’s exit. He dismissed Nimbalkar’s request to his supporters to refrain from criticising the Thackeray family or Matoshree as mere hypocrisy.

“Do traitors ever have a stand? Those who abandoned Uddhav Thackeray are nothing but notorious betrayers. If Om Nimbalkar believes his father’s soul will bless him for this move, that is his lookout. He is now sitting thigh-to-thigh with the very individuals he spent years accusing. This is the absolute peak of shamelessness and greed,” roared Raut.

Raut went on to drop a bombshell, claiming that the party leadership has full knowledge of a financial transactional betrayal. He alleged that Uddhav Thackeray has received precise details regarding who accepted money on Nimbalkar’s behalf, including how and where an initial advance of Rs 15 crore was delivered.

He reiterated that breaking the Shiv Sena is equivalent to breaking the pride of Maharashtra, describing Eknath Shinde as a “contract killer” and alleging that he was working at the behest of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Turning his attention to the recent Nashik Legislative Council election results, Raut pointed at massive internal fissures within the ruling Mahayuti coalition as in Nashik, BJP rebel Gokul Gite dealt a humiliating defeat to the Shinde faction’s official candidate, Narendra Darade.

Raut revealed that despite massive pressure from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Eknath Shinde to make Gite withdraw, the alliance’s own electorate revolted. Raut disclosed that Gite had actively sought cooperation from the Thackeray camp.

“After discussing with Uddhav Thackeray, we extended our support, which directly propelled Gite to victory. The BJP voters themselves ensured Shinde’s candidate was defeated. This is a clear sign of internal outrage,” he claimed.

Raut further alleged a larger political conspiracy orchestrated by the central BJP leadership in New Delhi. He argued that the growing friction between the BJP and Shinde’s Shiv Sena is merely the beginning of a larger collapse.

According to Raut, Delhi is intentionally backing Eknath Shinde to systematically erode the political authority of Chief Minister Fadnavis.

“The bolstering of Shinde from Delhi is detrimental to Maharashtra,” Raut argued. “Shinde is being used to diminish the stature of Devendra Fadnavis. Concurrently, our Shiv Sena is being targeted to weaken Maharashtra’s collective bargaining power, ultimately to hand over Mumbai’s assets to a handful of favoured industrialists,” he alleged.

When questioned about his party’s stance in this escalating tension between the coalition partners, Raut concluded with a grim metaphor: “It’s not about choosing a side. We are looking at a choice between a ghost and a demon. But if this demon created by Amit Shah sits heavily on the neck of Devendra Fadnavis and threatens the state, we will step in and take an appropriate stand for Maharashtra.”

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