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Evening brief: PM Narendra Modi's ‘mujra’ remark sparks row, Amit Shah counters Rahul Gandhi on Agnipath scheme & more
A shortlist of the biggest headlines, recommended stories, and a special collection of news items you should check out.
Leaders of the INDIA bloc on Saturday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for accusing the Opposition of “enslavement” and performing "mujra” for the Muslim vote bank. Addressing back-to-back rallies in Karakat and Patliputra Lok Sabha constituencies in Bihar, PM Narendra Modi said, “Bihar is the land which has given a new direction to the fight for social justice. I wish to declare on its soil that I will foil the plans of the INDIA bloc to rob SCs, STs and OBCs of their rights and divert these to Muslims. They may remain enslaved and perform ‘mujra’ to please their vote bank.” Mujra is a traditional form of dance that originated in the Mughal era in the Indian subcontinent. Reacting sharply to the prime minister's remarks, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera wrote in Hindi in an X post: “Today, I heard the word 'Mujra' from the mouth of the Prime Minister. Modiji, what is this state of mind? Why don’t you take something? Amit Shah and JP Nadda ji should get him treated immediately. Perhaps delivering speeches under the Sun has had too much of an effect on his brain.” Dig Deeper
Union home minister Amit Shah on Saturday alleged that a misconception is being spread about the Agnipath scheme, the short-term defence recruitment model unveiled by the Centre in 2022. Accusing Congress MP Rahul Gandhi of spreading falsehood, Shah said,"A misconception is being spread all over the country that after 4 years, 75% Agniveers will be left future-less and their life will be ruined... The scheme is that if 100 people become Agniveer, 25% of them would be permanently posted in the Army." “For the remaining 75%, BJP rules states have made a 10-20% reservation in their state police force. 10% reservation has been given in the central government's paramilitary force also. Other than the reservation, they will get a lot of relaxation in the selection process, like age, examination, and they also do not have to go through the physical tests,” the minister told ANI. Dig Deeper
The Latest News
HD Kumaraswamy claims Siddaramaiah's son's death in Belgium 'covered up'. Dig Deeper
EAM Jaishankar, NCW's Rekha Sharma got certificates for voting. Know why
Pune Porsche crash: Social media influencer booked for making ‘fake videos’ of teen accused. Dig Deeper
India News
ECI releases absolute polling numbers for five phases, slams ‘false narratives’ on voter turnout data. Dig Deeper
Cyclone Remal update: West Bengal, Odisha brace for impact; check landfall time, weather. Dig Deeper
Pune Porsche crash: Police say teen's family forced driver to take blame, offered money. Dig Deeper
Global Matters
NASA will soon provide advanced training to Indian astronauts for joint mission to ISS: Garcetti. Dig Deeper
Prince Harry, Meghan Markle cautioned against embarking on another ‘unofficial’ Royal tour. Dig Deeper
Did US embassy reject assistance call before killing of two Americans in Haiti? Trump calls it ‘a tragedy’. Dig Deeper
Entertainment Focus
Filmmaker Karan Johar turns 52 today. While he's best known for his legacy of romantic dramas, from Kuch Kuch Hota Hai to Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, he also often makes headlines for his love life or the lack of it. In a 2018 interview with Firstpost, Karan opened up on why he has given up on the idea of getting married. When asked if Karan thinks of getting married now that the law is more receptive, he refused. Karan has seldom discussed his love life directly. His 2016 directorial Ae Dil Hai Mushkil was, self-admittedly, his most personal film to date as it revolved around the concept of unrequited love. The film starred Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, Aishwarya Rai, and Fawad Khan. Dig Deeper
Sports Goings
The deadline to apply for the Indian cricket team's head coach role ends in two days. There has been no confirmation on the names of those who have applied for the high-profile job, but former India opener Gautam Gambhir appears to be the clear favourite at the moment. Gambhir was perceived as a strong candidate from the beginning anyway. His, after all, was the only prominent Indian name doing rounds. But after BCCI secretary Jay Shah clarified that the Indian cricket board did not approach any former Australian cricketer, ruling out the possibility of Ricky Ponting and Justin Langer landing the role, Gambhir's stocks have risen further. Dig Deeper
Trending
Ashneer Grover took to X to share a picture after his cast vote in Phase 6 of the Lok Sabha elections. He shared a photo of himself showing his finger marked with indelible ink. “Seems like 70% voting in tony Panchsheel Park (New Delhi constituency) at 1 PM. Uncle behind me - ‘Panchsheel Vaalo ko kya ho Gaya - pehli baar line dekhi hai voting ke liye (What happened to residents of Panchsheel Park, first time seeing a line for voting)’," he wrote. The picture he shared shows him looking at the camera. His wife, Madhuri Jain Grover, also took to Instagram Story to share a picture of her finger marked with voting ink. Dig Deeper
Lifestyle and Health
When it comes to travel, we love to keep it candid in all terms, be it the places to explore or the expenditure on impulse decisions while travelling. However, regret kicks in later on when we return, and we pledge to keep the next one well-planned to address any unforeseen experiences and expenditures. While we say 'well-planned', it entails several other elements throughout the travel journey and is not restricted just to budgetary and spot selection parameters. Trishal Rao, Chief Sales Officer, SKIL Travel, shared with HT Lifestyle some tips to consider while planning your next trip to keep it comprehensively efficient. Dig Deeper
