IPL 2019
25
April
Year : 05
Issue : 109
Modi’s ‘ghungroo’ barb at opposition over PM candidate
Judiciary in crisis but PM is silent: Ashok Gehlot
Taking a dig at the opposition, he said, anybody whose party is contesting even 20-25 seats, wants to become the prime minister.
Kamarpara : Often in the line of opposition fire over his foreign trips, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday said India’s might was being acknowledged globally because of his numerous visits abroad. Taking on the opposition for the criticism that he was seen more abroad than in the country during his tenure as the prime minister, Modi said, hardly five years back India found it difficult to get its voice heard, but now the world stands with it. “I read somewhere that Didi (Mamata banerjee) has said this chaiwala was busy making foreign trips all these five years, but today India’s might is being acknowledged everywhere because of these visits,” he said while addressing an election rally here in
Birbhum district. Taking a dig at the opposition, he said, anybody whose party is contesting even 20-25 seats, wants to become the prime minister. “Sab ghungroo bandhke taiyar ho gaye (everybody is decked up to take the hot seat),” he said, mocking them. Thanking the Election Commission for its efforts to hold free and fair elections, the prime minister said, “Didi, however, is angry with the poll panel because of this very reason.” He also claimed that after the three phases of polling it has become clear from news reports that the Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee’s “sun is about to set” in West Bengal. “If Didi has the power of goondas, we have the strength of democracy,” he added.
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contesting the Lok Sabha poll from Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh on the BJP’s ticket. Nisar Sayyad, who lost his son in the blast, moved the court last week, urging it to bar Thakur from contesting the election after the BJP fielded her from Bhopal, Digvijay Singh. He also where she is locked in a mentioned in his plea that a battle with Congress veteran petition seeking cancellation
“Must Find Out Truth”: Top Court On ‘Conspiracy’ Against Chief Justice New Delhi : The conspiracy angle in the sex harassment allegations against Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi has to be thoroughly looked into, a bench of the Supreme Court said today. The conspiracy allegation had come from Utsav Bains, a lawyer of the top court, who said in an affidavit that the Chief Justice was being framed in a false case that would force him to resign. “We want to know the veracity of the affidavit,” said a bench of Justices Arun Mishra, RF Nariman and Deepak Gupta, who are hearing the affidavit. “A serious issue has been raised. Not only about CJI, but someone is trying to get the benches. Three employees were dismissed. These employees combined together behind the conspiracy as per his affidavit. Bains says fixing game going on. It is a matter of great concern,” the court said. Utsav Bains, in his affidavit, said he was offered Rs. 1.5 crore by one Ajay to represent a former employee of the Supreme Court and arrange a press conference against the Chief Justice
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Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi has strongly denied the allegations, asserting that the independence of the judiciary is “under threat” and it was being made a “scapegoat”.
Gogoi at the Press Club. “We have to find out the truth. Is there any fixing going on here? The entire country will lose faith if we shut our eyes... In case this affidavit is false, we will not tolerate it,” the judges said. The unprecedented allegations against a top judge of the country have added to a series of setbacks the judiciary has been facing over the last year - starting with a press conference by four of the seniormost judges
where they spoke of their concerns. Later, an attempt was made by the opposition parties to impeach then Chief Justice Dipak Misra. Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi has strongly denied the allegations, asserting that the independence of the judiciary is “under threat” and it was being made a “scapegoat”. Yesterday, the full court, after a meeting, set up a three-judge bench to look into the allegations against Justice Gogoi.
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Madras HC lifts ban on TikTok video app Earlier this month, the Madras High Court had ordered the government to prohibit TikTok downloads, saying the app was encouraging pornography.
New Delhi : In a relief for Beijing-based developer Bytedance Technology Co., the Madras High Court’s Madurai bench Wednesday lifted the ban on its popular video app TikTok, reported ANI. Earlier this month, the Madras High Court had ordered the government to prohibit TikTok downloads, saying the app was encouraging pornography. Ti k To k i s u n o ff i c i a l l y banned in India from being downloaded and was pulled out from the Google Play Store and the Apple app store after the high court’s
order. The petition, which was filed in the high court called for a ban on the app, saying it put the lives of children in danger and exposed them to paedophiles. TikTok’s parent company, which is ByteDance (India) Technology Private Limited, had then filed an appeal in the Supreme Court against the ban. The top court had then said it would let the Madras High Court hear the case, and only listed the matter for April 22. On April 22, a Supreme Court bench consisting of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices
Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna ordered that the high court will hear and decide the prayer for vacation of the interim stay. Appearing for TikTok, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi has
Satpal Satti again: Will chop off hands of those who raise a finger at PM
New Delhi : Fresh from a campaign ban, Himachal Pradesh BJP chief Satpal Singh Satti courted another controversy on Wednesday after he said that anyone who dares to raise a finger towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi would have their hands chopped off. Satti made the remarks while addressing a rally in Mandi district. “Modi ji ki taraf agar koi ungli uthayega, hum log uski baaju kaat kar ke haath mein pakda denge.
Lok Sabha elections 2019: Court rejects plea seeking to bar Pragya Thakur from contesting poll
New Delhi : A special NIA court here on Wednesday rejected the application filed by the father of one of the victims of the 2008 Malegaon blast case seeking to bar BJP leader Pragya Singh Thakur from contesting the Lok Sabha election. Malegaon blast accused Thakur, who is currently out on bail, is
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ENGLISH DAILY MORNING REPUTED NEWS PAPER, AHMEDABAD EDITION
Editor : Kapilkumar M. Hirpara
Jodhpur : Congress veteran and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday questioned the prime minister’s silence on the allegations of sexual harassment against the chief justice of India and said the judiciary is in crisis but Narendra Modi is unfazed. Two days after the prime minister addressed his first poll rally in the Jodhpur Lok Sabha segment,, Gehlot targeted Modi for deflecting attention from “real issues , including the raging crisis in the Supreme Court. The Congress has fielded Gehlot’s son Vaibhav Gehlot against the BJP’s Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. Congress president Rahul Gandhi is trying to bring Prime Minister Modi back to issues, the chief minister said before embarking on a daylong campaign to canvass votes for his son.
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of her bail was pending before the Supreme Court. Rejecting his application, Special judge for National Investigation Agency (NIA) cases V S Padalkar said lawyers were well aware that this was not the proper forum (for the plea). “This court has not granted bail...wrong forum has been chosen,” he said. Thakur’s lawyer J P Mishra submitted before the court on Wednesday that she was fighting the election for the “cause of ideology and for the “sake of the nation”. “She is contesting the election to condemn people who say there is Hindu terrorism,” Mishra said. Sayyad, in his application, said Thakur got bail on health grounds. If she is “healthy enough to fight elections in the crippling summers heat”, then she has misled the court, the complainant alleged. Responding to it, Mishra said, “Thakur has not misled the court. After the court’s order (on bail), she underwent an operation and was unable to walk in 2016. Her condition has improved now, but she has not fully recovered.”
(If anyone dares to raise a finger at PM Modi, we will chop off his hands),” Satti said. The Election Commission had barred Satti from campaigning for 48 hours last week due to
his speech in Ramshehar in Solan district on April 13, where he had cited a purported Facebook post to use the word “ma……d” while referring to Congress chief Rahul Gandhi.
sought a stay on the ex-parte order by the Madras High Court. Earlier, the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court had appointed Arvind Datar as amicus curae
Wife killed Rohit Shekhar, destroyed proof in 90 minutes
New Delhi : The Crime Branch probing the mysterious murder of Rohit Shekhar, on Wednesday arrested his wife Apoorva from his residence in South Delhi, an officer said. Additional Commissioner of Police Rajiv Ranjan said, “We have arrested Apoorva with the help of scientific evidence and FSL report. She confessed that she has murdered her husband and cited unhappy marriage as the reason.” “She entered
Pakistani Terrorist Who Wanted To Revive Militancy In Baramulla Arrested
Srinagar: A Pakistani terrorist who had been operating in Srinagar for the last two years and wanted to resurrect militancy in Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla district has been arrested, security forces have said. The police say the terrorist, Mohammad Waqar Ahmed, a Lashkar-e-Taiba operative, crossed the border in July 2017. He was presented before journalists at a press conference in Srinagar today. He is a resident of Mohalla Miana, Mianwai, in Pakistan’s Punjab, Senior Superintendent of Police Abdul Qayoom said. He was trained in Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. According to the police, Waqar was told that Muslims are not allowed to offer Namaz in Kashmir and are being persecuted, their houses are destroyed. The police said he
was an example how young people in Pakistan are being manipulated to join terrorism. Waqar has admitted that he found the conditions in the state to be nothing like what he had been told. The police said they have also learnt from him how terrorists are trained and pushed across the border from Pakistan to carry out attacks. Waqar, however, had not carried out any attacks so far, they said. “He was also trained for one month at the house of Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi (of LeT) in Rawalpindi and he met Lakhvi twice
(independent counsel) in the matter. At the time TikTok had issued this statement saying, “We welcome the decision of the Madras High Court to appoint Arvind Datar as Amicus Curae (independent counsel) to the court. We have faith in the Indian judicial system and we are optimistic about an outcome that would allow over 120 million monthly active users in India to continue using TikTok to showcase their creativity and capture moments that matter in their everyday lives.”
Jammu and Kashmir police say the terrorist, Mohammad Waqar, crossed the border in July 2017.
during that period,” Senior Superintendent Qayoom said. The joint press conference by the Army and the police was addressed by Lt Gen KJS Dhillon, Corps Commander of the Army’s Srinagarheadquartered 15 Corps, and Dilbag Singh, the Director General of Police (DGP). Dilbag Singh said, the last year had been a “success”, as far as anti-terrorism operations were concerned. 272 terrorists were killed by the security forces in the state last year, he added.
Rohit’s room on April 16 and executed the crime. She later destroyed the evidences. All this happened within one-and-half hours,” said the officer, adding that she initially tried to mislead the Crime Branch team.
Woam cop injured in Priyanka Roadshow
Banda : A woman constable was injured w h i l e d i s c h a rg i n g h e r d u t y We d n e s d a y i n a roadshow of Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi in the neighbouring Mahoba district. City Circle Officer Jatashankar Rai said Constable Khushi was injured when the front wheel of a vehicle in the Congress leader’s roadshow ran over her feet. Khushi has been admitted to the district hospital here, he said. She is posted with Local Intelligence Unit of the sate police, he added.
Woman Among Nine Suicide Bombers, Says Sri Lanka Minister as Death Toll in Easter Attacks Rises to 359 The police have reportedly detained 60 suspects in connection with the deadly attacks that ripped through Sri Lanka on Easter day.
Colombo : One of the nine bombers that detonated explosives in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday was a woman, deputy defence minister Ruwan Wijewardene told reporters on Wednesday. Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said the death toll had risen to 359 from 321 overnight, with about 500 people wounded, but did not give
a breakdown of casualties from the three churches
and four hotels hit by the bombers. In the ongoing investigations, the police have detained 60 suspects so far. Two days after the ghastly attacks which ripped through the island nation, the Islamic State group claimed the responsibility of the attack. Two bombers responsible for the serial attacks were the sons of millionaire businessman and spice trader Mohammed Yusuf Ibrahim. Indian intelligence sources told Firstpost that brothers – 33-year old Imsath Ahmed Ibrahim and 31-year-old Ilham Ahmed Ibrahim - had carried out the bombings at Cinnamon Grand and Shangri-La hotels in the capital city of Colombo.
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2 / Dt. 25/04/2019, Thursday, Ahmedabad Edition Editors’ Picks thursday, 25 april, 2019
The failure of Jet Airways as a case of market providence
More than 2,000 years before Jet Airways looked set to join the ash heap of airline history, Aristotle postulated horror vacui, the concept we understand as “nature abhors a vacuum”. While Hindu philosophers as well as those like Epicurus and Lucretius subsequently debunked the thought, it is a convenient way of looking at where the Jet imbroglio is headed. While Naresh Goyal may well choose to believe (and declare), that après moi le déluge, reality may be a bit more banal, even if it hurts his delicate sensibilities. Markets, especially free ones, tend to handle the loss of a single competitor with far greater equanimity than floundering protagonists themselves display when faced with their unfortunate demise. Examples abound of industries where the loss of one or even more participants has been swiftly followed either by existing players stepping up to the plate or newcomers seizing the opportunity. In aviation, of course, we have the oft-chronicled instance of how when the first set of private airlines like Damania Airways, Modiluft and East West Airlines collapsed in the mid-1990s, they were replaced quickly by newer players like Jet, Sahara, Air Deccan and of course Kingfisher. In turn, even as the last three were disappearing from the map, their place in the sky was being taken up by Indigo, Spicejet and GoAir. The airline business is at its core fairly straightforward, with the mobility of underlying assets a given. Planes, gates, pilots and other key resources can smoothly be transferred from one company to another. After all, in which other business can you slap a new name over an existing one overnight and operate as if nothing has changed? But even in a more complex sector like telecom services in India, the elimination of six of the nine companies that were present in the business even three years ago, hasn’t led to a shrinking of the market or even a paucity of choice for the customer. Indeed, if anything, with the business reduced to just three major competitors, there has been a bonanza for customers in terms of lower prices and greater data offerings. Far from leaving a hole that can’t be filled, the exit of a market leader often triggers a burst of fresh growth. Of course, the outcome could be different if the surviving players are caught napping just when the market is ready for take-off. In 2007, Nokia had a 50% share of the smart phone market. Today, its share is down to barely 1%, but the market for smart phones has grown exponentially. Myspace was acquired by Rupert Murdoch for $580 million in 2005 in an effort to leverage its hugely popular online community for his news business. Just four years later, Murdoch sold Myspace at a massive 90% discount, effectively killing it as a competitor. But instead of signalling the end of social media as a business, it marked the rise and rise of Facebook. Market leaders slip and fall due to complacency, mismanagement, circumstances beyond their control or simply because they have nothing new left to offer, and this cycle of boom and doom has gotten increasingly shorter. Indeed, the consolidation that has taken place in both telecom and aviation in India is the new norm for businesses across the world. In a recent piece in the Harvard Business Review titled “The High Price of Efficiency”, author Roger L. Martin points out that, “In more and more industries, profits are concentrated in a handful of companies. For instance, 75% of US industries have become more concentrated in the past 20 years. In 1978 the 100 most profitable firms earned 48% of the profits of all publicly traded companies combined, but by 2015 the figure was an incredible 84%.” So let’s ignore all the hosannas for Jet on social media. The truth is the airline has been underperforming for several years now. Its fate also reflects the - Kapilkumar M. Hirpara repudiation of its busiEditor ness model.
Sunvilla Samachar (English Daily)
the makers of Student of the year 2 launched the second song of the film titled Mumbai Dilli Di Kudiyaan, and talking at the launch of the song, Ananya Panday said that after watching Alia Bhatt’s Radha song from SOTY, Tara and Ananya were dying to do an Indian song.
Alia Bhatt’s Radha song is why Ananya Panday & Tara Sutaria wanted Mumbai Dilli Di Kudiyaan in the film Mumbai : After launching the trailer of Student of the year 2, and dropping the first song titled The Jawaani Song, today, the makers of SOTY2 launched the second song of the film titled Mumbai Dilli Di Kudiyaan, and soon after watching this Indian song, we were instantly reminded of the Radha song from Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan and Sidharth Malhotra’s Student of the year. As we all know, Radha Teri Chunari had gone on to become a cult song of the time, and just like all of
us, even Ananya Panday and Tara Sutaria were hooked onto Radha so much so that while filming for SOTY2, they begged and pleaded Punit Malhotra to include an Indian
song in the film. Talking at the song launch of Mumbai Dilli Di Kudiyaan, Ananya said, “Tara and I were dying to do an Indian song, especially after watching Radha. I told
them you guys have to put one here. It was amazing shooting an Indian song with Tiger and Tara.” Well, we hope that just like Radha Teri Chunari, even Mumbai Dilli Di Kudiyaan becomes a blockbuster song and is played at every wedding of the season. Student Of The Year 2 is the sequel to Karan Johar’s 2012 filmStudent Of The Year and SOTY marked the debut of Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan and Sidharth Malhotra. Student of the year 2 is directed by Punit Malhotra and the film will hit the screens on May 10, 2019.
Ami Trivedi to replace Disha Vakani in Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah? Mumbai : Ever since Disha Vakani aka Dayaben of Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah went on a maternity break, fans have been eagerly waiting for her to make a comeback. After waiting for almost one and a half years, the makers finally decided to move on and look out for a suitable replacement. Soon, social media started buzzing about actress Ami Trivedi being approached for Dayaben’s role. However, recently, when The Times Of India spoke to her, Ami denied the news. She said, “No, I have not been approached, but my friends have been telling me that I should take up the role and would suit the character. I have not been offered the role, nor the makers have tried to reach me out.” “It is a huge responsibility and would be difficult for any artist to fill into the big boots of Disha Vakani. I am sure any actor who replaces her would have to face bricks and stones at the beginning because Disha
has been associated with Taarak Mehta... for 10 long years and the audience love her. I can’t comment on your question till the time I am approached the show. Once the makers offer me the role, I will be in a better position to talk,” she added. Asit Modi, the producer of Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah recently confirmed replacing Disha Vakani said, “There are women who take maternity breaks and then resume work. We have given Disha leave and now we cannot wait more so will have to start looking for a new Dayaben. We will have to replace her, for the audience who have waiting for Daya’s return. And as it’s said, the show must go on.”
Kareena calls son Taimur a terror, says Katrina Can’t Wait For Everyone to See Her he is exactly like dad Saif Ali Khan as Kumud Raina in Salman Starrer Bharat New Delhi : Actor Kareena Kapoor is doing well in life, both personally and professionally. The actor has enough good projects in her kitty like Takht and Angrezi Medium and balances it effortlessly with raising son Taimur. Talking about Taimur in an interview with Rajeev Masand, Kareena called him a terror, very naughty and exactly like his father (Saif Ali Khan). Sharing the new development, the actor said, “Now he is going through that phase where he says, ‘Mama, don’t laugh’, ‘Mama don’t cough’, everything we are doing and he says ‘Mama, don’t do that’. I think it’s because we are always like ‘Taimur, don’t do that’ so he is now picking it and telling us.” However, the actor remains concerned about not letting Taimur get used to the constant media attention and said that the little one has now started picking up words like ‘media’. She said, “He is so innocent that since he has been told that ‘you have to say hi and hello to everyone’, he is like ‘hi’ while
Actor Kareena Kapoor has spoken at length about bringing up son Taimur and revealed how the little one has now started picking up words.
waving to the media. They (paparazzi) say hello, they are very polite and are always at a distance. But they do constant kind of movement.” On being asked about how will she cope with him if he lands at a place with no media attention, the actor replied, “Obviously that’s a fear.” She said that the only thing they can do as parents is allowing him a normal life. “The only thing I can give him is for him to go out and play, walk the street, like we do,”
she said. She made it clear that they have decided to go on with their normal lives and the media should respect them. She said, “If they have got their photograph from a distance, they can go and do something else, go on and click Ranveer Singh. Why a two-and-a-half year old? Let him go and play. What he has to do?” She added that she can’t cover his face, cover his eyes because she doesn’t want him to grow in that fea”
worked for me. The character is an alcoholic and a victim of abuse, and I haven’t explored anything like her onscreen before”. She continued, “It’s exciting because I never thought I’d actually be doing a film around a book I’ve read and loved. I relate to the character because I’ve studied and worked in London, it’s my second home… I even know the tube maps inside out. I can’t wait to start shooting the film and relive those days and I hope people enjoy seeing me in a completely new avatar in this film.” she added. Talking about what made Parineeti the ideal choice for the film, director Ribhu said, “The character is edgy, dark, and gritty along with being extremely emotional. So it is great to team up with someone like Parineeti, who is an extremely sincere actor and a powerful performer.”
Maharshi will take place on 1st May at people’s plaza at Necklace road in Hyderabad
Mumbai : Salman Khan created quite a stir when he gave a glimpse of his five different avatars from Ali Abbas Zafar’s directorial Bharat, ranging from a teenager to an old man. The actor also introduced the leading lady of the film Katrina Kaif as ‘Madam Sir’ in his posters. On Tuesday, Katrina took to social media to talk about her character in the film and share her experience as she stepped into the shoes of Kumud Raina. “Kumud Raina 1975... I had the most incredible time working on this character, the whole journey has been the most exciting for me yet, after working with @ aliabbaszafar in three films. Cant wait for everyone to see the film,” she wrote alongside a picture of her. Previously the actress has worked with the Zafar in films like Mere Brother Kee Dulhan and Tiger Zinda Hai. Bharat being her third film with the director, it is an official adaptation of South Korean film Ode
to My Father (2014). The trailer of the film dropped on Monday in which she can be seen acing the role of a government official who is recruiting Salman for a job. The trailer also showed shows Salman’s thrilling time with his circus troupe, where he dances and performs stunts to please the audience. Later, in search of work, with Grover by his side, he meets Katrina, falls in love with her and starts becoming a family man.
However, a freak accident that follows in a minefield, where Bharat is posted as a worker, forces him to reflect on the promise he made to his father. The story is expected to move around the actor’s journey from being a circus performer to a fatal accident. Also featuring actors Tabu, Jackie Shroff, Sunil Grover, Disha Patani, Nora Fatehi and Aashif Sheikh in important roles, Bharat is slated to release this Eid on June 5.
traditional plough which is being pulled by two bulls. And with the superstar seen wearing that towel around his head, he looks like a modern farmer who
is cultivating land with love. And also this picture now summarises all the rumours that Maharshi is actually a social drama on the lines of Srimanthudu. While the
picture has given excitement to fans, there are some doubts haunting them if they have to see a Maharshi after Srimanthudu, like Aagadu after Dookudu.
Katrina Kaif took to social media to share her experience as she stepped into the shoes of Kumud Raina, the leading lady of Salman Khan starrer ‘Bharat’.
Parineeti Chopra to step into Emily Blunt’s Mahesh In Fields, Fans In Doubts pre release shoes for Hindi remake of The Girl on the Train the event of Set for a 2020 release, the Hindi remake of The Girl on the Train will star Parineeti Chopra and will be directed by Ribhu Dasgupta. Read on for details.
New Delhi : Bollywood actor Parineeti Chopra has been roped in for a Hindi remake of popular 2015 thriller, The Girl on the Train, Reliance Entertainment announced on Wednesday. Paula Hawkins’ 2015 runaway bestseller, The Girl On The Train was adapted into a Hollywood film by Steven Spielberg’s DreamWorks Pictures. Emily
Blunt, who starred in the lead, received a nomination for her performance at the 23rd Screen Actors Guild Awards, as well as a BAFTA nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role. Parineeti will play an alcoholic divorcée, who becomes involved in a missing
person’s investigation in the film, to be directed by Ribhu Dasgupta. Parineeti said in a press statement, “I want to do roles that audiences haven’t seen me in before and one’s that require a lot of prep and homework, which is why The Girl On The Train really
Mumbai : With template based songs and hype creating visuals, till date “Maharshi” looked like a routine entertainer with lots of over the top scenes. But now, to break that talk, the makers of the film have tried to give a new dimension to the film. And here it goes. The makers have now released a picture, which is said to be from the song ‘Padara Padara’ from ‘Maharshi’ to enthrall the cinema lovers. In this pic, Mahesh is seen ploughing the fields with a
3 / Dt. 25/04/2019, Thursday, Ahmedabad Edition
Sunvilla Samachar (English Daily)
No cricketer has served India as well as MS Dhoni, says Kapil Dev
India Well Equipped For World Cup, Will Be Totally Different From 1999: Rahul Dravid
New Delhi : Former India captain Kapil Dev has hailed MS Dhoni as one of the greatest serving cricketers that the country has produced. He added that the wicketkeeper-batsman remains among the biggest contributors to the sport. With everyone holding different opinions on Dhoni and his inclusion in the team even with youngsters like Rishabh Pant in the fray, Dev believes it should be left up to the veteran to decide when to retire. MS has come under criticism in recent few years for decline in his much touted power-hitting abilities. “I don’t have to say anything about Dhoni. I think he has served the country very well and we must respect him,” he said.
New Delhi : The announcement of India’s 15-man squad for the 2019 World Cup has drawn a variety of reactions, with the exclusions of Rishabh Pant and Ambati Rayudu being among the most discussed issues. Rahul Dravid, a veteran of three World Cups in the India jersey – the 1999 edition as a promising batsman, the 2003 edition as vice-captain and then the 2007 edition as captain – has, however, backed the squad’s composition. “India has a very good, balanced team for this World Cup,” he was quoted as saying on the ICC website. “(The squad has) a lot of combinations, lot of options. It is a question of them performing in the tournament. You can always
“No one knows how long he wants to play and how long his body can continue to take the workload.” “But, there is no other cricketer who has served the country so well as Dhoni. We should respect him and wish him good luck. I hope that he wins this World Cup too.” With the World Cup set to commence on May 30, Dev, the 1983 World Cup
winning captain, understands how difficult it will be for Virat Kohli’s side to replicate that feat. But also praised the team and wished them luck. “This Indian team looks very good. However, it won’t be very easy. They have to play like a team. I hope that they will have no injuries. If they have a stroke of luck, they will definitely win,” he said.
argue one or two cases, one or two names. The team has been picked, (now) back it and hope they do really well,” said Dravid. England last hosted the Cricket World Cup in 1999, Dravid’s maiden appearance at the sport’s showpiece event. India had managed to qualify for the ‘Super Sixes’ stage in 1999, but had then finished at the bottom of the six-team table. Dravid, however, had been the highest run-getter at the World Cup.
Asian Athletics Championships: Swapna Barman, mixed relay team win silver; Sanjivani Jadhav settles for bronze on Day 3
New Delhi : Swapna Barman won the silver medal in Heptathlon event at the Asian Athletics Championships on Tuesday after scoring her season-best with 5993 points. India won three medals on Day 3 of the competition with India’s mixed relay team in 4X400m adding another silver and Sanjivani Jadhav winning bronze in Women’s 10,000m taking India’s medal tally to 13. The 22-year-old Swapna old opened the medal tally for India on Day 3. She finished with the silver medal behind Uzbekistan’s Ekaterina Vornina who scored 6198 points and missed breaking legendary Ghada Shouaa’s
meet record of 6259 points. Barman’s aggregate points was more than the 5942 she had logged while winning the gold in the last edition in 2017 but was less than the 6026 she had accumulated in the Asian Games in Jakarta last year. Barman, however, was not satisfied with the second place. She said after the finish, “Not very happy, I am not pleased with my result in Javelin Throw this morning. Preparation was not good, I am injury queen you know (laughs), had a problem in ankle. I really wanted to do better.” Barman, who also won gold at the Asian Championships in 2017, returned from the Asian
Games in 2018 with a gold. In the 4x4000m mixed relay team which was introduced for the first time in this championship, Mohammed Anas, M R Poovamma, V K Vismaya and Arokia Rajiv clocked 3:16.47 to win the silver medal, behind Bahrain. Sanjivani Jadhav clocked
Business
Uber restructures business; India now integrated with European region
New Delhi : In a major restructuring in India, the rides business of Uber India will now report to PierreDimitri Gore-Coty who as vice president currently heads the car hailing company’s Europe, middle east and Africa business from Amsterdam. At present, the India rides business reports to Asia Pacific region, headquartered in Singapore. Coty will now have an integrated portfolio of regions to oversee. It includes Uber’s Asia Pacific ride business which has India and south Asia, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, New Zealand and Australia, apart from his existing responsibilities. Amit Jain who earlier started the rides business in India and headed Uber India’s operations before moving up to become the head of the Asia Pacific business has
decided to quit the company. With this move the Asia Pacific rides business will be integrated with Coty’s existing portfolio. Explaining the changes at a time when the company has filed for an IPO Barney Harford, COO, Uber says: “After four great years, Amit Jain will be leaving Uber at the end of May to take a well-deserved break. Amit has been instrumental in growing our rides business— first in India from launch to category leadership, and
Mumbai : Ahead of the postal ballot for sale of assets by Hotel Leelaventure Ltd to Canadian fund Brookfield on 24 April, Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has put a pause on the hotel chain’s plans. In a stock exchange filling Leela said that they have received a letter from Sebi that the transaction should be put on hold till further directions from the regulator. Leela plans to sell assets of Hotel Leelaventure comprising key hotel properties in Delhi, Bengaluru, Udaipur and Chennai for 3,950 crore
to Canadian alternative asset management company Brookfield. The company had called for a shareholder approval on 24 April. Spokesperson for Brookfield and Leela declined to comment as the matter is subjudice. ITC is yet to comment on queries from Mint. As per the deal, promoters and affiliates would be entitled to a consideration of 300 crore from Brookfield on account of any intellectual property held by them and also for certain business expansion services that the
more recently across the Asia Pacific region. I’d like to thank him for his contribution and wish him every success in his future endeavours. I’m excited that Pierre-Dimitri Gore-Coty, one of our most experienced leaders, will take responsibility for our Asia Pacific rides business in addition to his current role leading our rides teams across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. I look forward to seeing Pierre work with our talented APAC teams to unlock opportunity markets such as Japan and South Korea, and continue our strong momentum in markets such as India and Australia. Uber remains deeply committed to the Asia Pacific region and under Pierre’s leadership will continue to invest in our people, products and partnerships.”
personal best of 32:44.96 to win bronze medal in women’s 10,000m. She finished behind Bahrain’s Shitaye Habtegebrel (31:15.62) and Japan’s Hitomi Niiya (31:22.63). India now have an overall of two gold medals, five silver medals and six bronze to its
tally. Dutee Chand stormed into the final of women’s 200m after winning her Heat clocking 23.33s. Earlier in the championships, Dutee finished fifth in the 100m finals despite shattering the National Record twice in Heats and semifinals respectively. Ajay Kumar Saroj progressed to the final of Men’s 1500m after finishing second in Heat (2) clocking 3:49.20. India finished 4th in 4X100m Relay (Women), clocking 43.81s. Suseentra, Veeramani, Kunnath and Dutee ran the race. The last baton exchange between Kunnath and Dutee took a long time, otherwise medal looked likely.
ICC’s “Perfect” Tribute On Sachin Tendulkar’s 46th Birthday
Sachin Tendulkar turned 46 on Tuesday and the International Cricket Council had a “perfect” tribute.
New Delhi : Sachin Tendulkar, the legendary Indian batsman, turned 46 on Wednesday. While wishes poured in from all over the world, the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) tweet clearly stood out. Sachin Tendulkar and Prithvi Shaw feature in a collage of pictures shared by the ICC on their official Twitter handle. In the first picture, Tendulkar can be seen giving an award to Prithvi Shaw, who would have been 12 or 13 years old at that time. The second picture is a recent one in which Prithvi Shaw, who made his international debut last year, can be seen posing with his batting idol. “Perfect pictures do not exi.wait, yes
they do!” ICC captioned the picture. Prithvi Shaw has often been compared with Sachin Tendulkar because of his flawless batting style and technique. Recently, Prithvi Shaw, who plays for Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League (IPL), met Mumbai Indians’ team icon Sachin Tendulkar and fans could not contain their excitement. So
New Delhi : Gold prices fell on Wednesday to hover around a four-month low touched in the previous session, as share markets rose and the dollar gained after strong U.S. housing data dampened concerns about an economic slowdown in the country. Spot gold was down 0.3 percent at $1,268.84 per ounce by 0328 GMT, having hit its lowest since the end of last year at $1,265.90 in the last session. U.S. gold futures were 0.2-percent lower at $1,270.70 an ounce. “The major factor that is pressuring gold prices is the strength of the dollar, which is also pressuring physical demand,” said Peter Fung, head of dealing at Wing Fung Precious Metals in Hong Kong. The dollar index hovered near a 22-month peak after data showed that sales of new single-family homes in the United States rose to a near 1-1/2-year high in March. The data eased concerns about a slowdown in
the world’s largest economy, right ahead of the release of U.S. GDP figures on Friday. The United States is expected to beat analyst estimates of a 2.1 percent rate of growth with the Atlanta Federal Reserve’s GDPNow model projecting growth anywhere between 2.2 to 3.4 percent. Such an event would lift global Gold and Silver,Spot gold,USsentiment and support the dollar, analysts said. Gold prices were also pressured as Asian shares tracked overnight gains on Wall Street, where both the Nasdaq and S&P 500 indexes marked record closing highs. Gold dropped to its lowest this year in the last session, nearly 6 percent away from its February peak of $1,346.73 an ounce. “Gold’s key support at $1,280 was taken out some time ago, while compounding the negativity further is the fact that both the 50-day and 100day moving averages have turned south as well,” INTL FCStone analyst Edward Meir wrote in a note.
basis of complaints filed by tobacco major - ITC Ltd and Life Insurance
Corporation (LIC). ITC alleged that the transaction violated provisions of related party transactions. LIC’s objections through the ministry of finance could not be ascertained i m m e d i a t e l y. “ W h i l e Sebi is examining the representations in view of paucity of time and interest of the investors in securities you are advised that none of the transactions proposed in the PBN (post ballot notice) of 18 March are acted upon till further directions from Sebi,” said Sebi in the letter to Leela.
far, Shaw has scored 262 runs in 11 matches at an average of 23.81 with 99 against the Kolkata Knight Riders being his highest score of IPL 2019. Whereas Sachin Tendulkar, who made his international debut at the age of 16 in 1989, is the leading run scorer in Tests, with 15,921 runs and One-day Internationals, with 18,426 runs.
IPL 2019: Confirmed list of players who will leave midway owing to National commitments
Only the New Zealand and Afghanistan players will be available for the whole tournament.
Gold slips towards fourmonth low as robust dollar, stock markets dent appeal
Sebi orders pause on Leela's deal with Brookfield
promoters have agreed to provide the investor. Sebi’s letter to Leela is on the
SPORTS ROUNDUP
New Delhi : The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2019 is reaching its business end with all the eight teams pretty much in the battle for a place in the top four. Although there were some concerns raised over the excitement towards the tournament before it began, it has become very evident that even the World Cup ballyhoo couldn’t restrict the fans from thoroughly enjoying
the grandiose T20 event. Chennai Super Kings have pretty much sealed a place in the final four, with a brilliant win over the 2016 champions Sunrisers Hyderabad. Delhi Capitals too are a couple of points away from getting into a safe position, with Sunrisers Hyderabad, Mumbai Indians, Kings XI Punjab and Kolkata Knight Riders fighting for the remaining two spots.
Although RCB and RR are mathematically alive, it’d take a miracle for them to reach the final four. Some bad news coming for all of these teams is the unavailability of a few players. While the English players have already left, some of the Australian and South African players will also be leaving soon, leaving a huge void in their respective sides. Only the New Zealand and Afghanistan cricketers, along with the cricketers from other countries who are retired or not in the World Cup squad, will be available for the entire tournament.
IPL 2019: KKR coach Jacques Kallis points out reason behind team’s slump in form
New Delhi : Kolkata Knight Riders made a grand start to the Indian Premier League season riding on the potent big-hitting form of all-rounder Andre Russell. But soon the other deficiencies in the squad were exposed and KKR now find themselves in a rut, which is seemingly becoming difficult to come out of. After their fifth consecutive loss, which has seen them topple down towards the lower end of the points table, KKR are looking to regroup in order to try and bring their campaign back on track. Former opener and current head coach Jacques Kallis it seems has identified the major area of concern for the team. KKR are seriously lacking in the fast bowling department with the attack being led by the young Prasidh Krishna, who has picked up a total of 2 wickets in 9 matches at an economy of over 9 runs per over. Andre
After their fifth consecutive loss, which has seen them topple down towards the lower end of the points table, KKR are looking to regroup in order to try and bring their campaign back on track.
Russell is again the star in the bowling department, with 7 wickets, but he has been used sparingly due to his injury problems. There is a gaping hole in the bowling attack as the pace bowling department lacks a leader and that is what has been the problem for the franchise according to Kallis. “The frustrating part of this season has been not taking wickets and if you don’t take wickets upfront you are under pressure for the whole innings,” ESPNCricinfo
quoted Kallis as saying. “I think we’ve probably taken 20-21 wickets in ten games, which has put us under a lot of pressure. Yes, your bowling unit is going to be under pressure, you can’t quite be as attacking, you almost have to be defensive when there are wickets in hand. So yeah, the key for us is taking more wickets upfront, and making life a little easier in the middle and end period,” he added. The other fast bowlers in the side include Kiwi Lockie Ferguson and Englishman Harry Gurney. Another big problem for KKR has been the patchy form of their star spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who has also struggled for wickets in the tournament so far.
4 / Dt. 25/04/2019, Thursday, Ahmedabad Edition
Sunvilla Samachar (English Daily)
Pepsi India Sues Nine Gujarat Farmers for ‘Rights Infringement’, Activists & Unions Extend Support Pepsi India has sued nine farmers for allegedly growing a variety of potato exclusively registered by the company for the manufacture of its brand of Lay’s chips.
Ahmedabad : Farmer leaders and activists in Gujarat have launched a protest against US food and beverages giant PepsiCo after it sued nine farmers in the state for illegally growing and selling a kind of potato exclusively registered by the company. PepsiCo claims it has sole rights to grow the particular variety of tubers for the manufacture of its Lay’s brand of chips. The nine farmers belong to the Sabarkantha and Aravalli districts of Gujarat, with each holding around three to four acres of land on
an average. Last week, a commercial court in Ahmedabad had directed the farmers — Chabilbhai Patel, Vinod Patel and Haribhai Patel — to stop growing and selling the potatoes till April 26, when it will next hear the case. The court has also sought a response from the three over the company’s claims of infringing on its rights. On PepsiCo’s request, the commercial court also appointed advocate Paras Sukhwani as court commissioner to conduct an inquiry into the dispute and prepare a report. Over 190 farmers, scientists, activists and unions from across the country have signed a protest letter in support of the sued individuals. “Potato-growing farmers have nothing to worry and we can’t allow such intimidation as we will fight against it in court as well as on the streets if
the company claimed. PepsiCo told the court that it found out about the farmers growing this variety in January this year. The company collected samples and sent them for verification to its in-house laboratory as well as the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the Shimla-based Central Potato Research Institute for DNA analysis. The results confirmed that the respondents were growing t h e r e g i s t e r e d v a r i e t y. needed,” said Ambubhai Plant Varieties and Farmers’ The court has appointed Patel, Vice President of the Rights Act, 2001 (PPV&FR Sukhwani to prepare an Bharatiya Kishan Sangh. Act). This variety was first inventory, take samples and PepsiCo India Holdings Pvt commercially used in India send them to the government Ltd told the court that it in 2009 and is under the laboratory and the Potato uses a registered variety of trademark FC5. The company Research Centre for further potatoes called FL 2027, has granted licence to a few analysis. It has also ordered which is a hybrid of FL farmers in Punjab to grow police authorities to provide 1867 and Wischip varieties, the variety on the buyback protection to Sukhwani, who to manufacture chips for its system. By growing these will conduct videography brand. The company is the potatoes without licence, and photography of the registered breeder of FL the farmers in Gujarat are proceedings. “We have 2027 under the Protection of violating its statutory right, come to know that around
SC orders former MP Ateeq Ahmad’s transfer to Gujarat jail
Ahmedabad : The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the transfer of former nine such potato-growing Parliament member Ateeq farmers from north Gujarat Ahmad to a high-security jail region have been sued by in Gujarat for allegedly having the multinational giant in a businessman kidnapped in the last two years, but we December and assaulting only came to know about it him in a prison in Uttar last week,” said Kapil Shah Pradesh’s Deoria, where he of the Vadodara-based Jatan was lodged. A Chief Justice Trust. “This is a very serious Ranjan Gogoi-led bench took issue as farmers are being a strong note of the incident sued to intimidate them.” and ordered a Central Bureau Shah said it was a matter of of Investigation (CBI) probe great concern as others could into the matter. According to be “similarly bullied by the First Information Report seed and food corporations (FIR) filed in the case, Ahmad through vexatious litigation ordered businessman Mohit in the assertion of plant Jaiswal’s kidnapping and breeder rights”. “The cases later assaulted him along are specifically with regard with his aides. Jaiswal was to a particular potato variety forced to transfer his business with a denomination of FL- to them. Ahmad, a five-time 2027, reportedly known as state lawmaker, has been jail FC-5 potato, for which the since February 11, 2017. He company claims to have was transferred to a Bareilly obtained exclusive PVP jail after the incident. The (Plant Variety Protection) Uttar Pradesh government rights in India in 2016 (valid admitted on April 11 that till 2031) from the authority,” Ahmad had indeed kidnapped and assaulted Jaiswal on he said.
December 26. It even acknowledged the tampering of CCTV cameras installed in the jail complex at the time of the incident. The Uttar Pradesh government has ordered suspension of five jail officials over the incident. They are facing departmental proceedings for their “prima facie” involvement in the case.
Rajkot : His mother died just eight days before the election. But this did not deter a grieving Vijay Patni to discharge his election duties. Patni, deputy collector of Surendranagar district was assigned the duty of assistant returning officer (ARO) of Wadhvan. He was in charge of 279 booths in the taluka. On April 15, his mother died due to age-related illness in Ahmedabad. Patni was even granted 15 days leave by district collector to complete the post-death rituals. However, the officials were pleasantly surprised when Patni returned to join the duty on April 20. His role includes issuing duty orders to people, dispatching of EVMs to the booths, train and manage the staff of around 2,000 people to see that election is completed peacefully and EVMs are sent back under the security at safe place after
democracy and it’s my duty towards the nation,” Patni added. Appreciating Patni’s gesture, Surendranagar district collector and election officer K Rajesh said, “In spite of being on leave due to a tragedy in the family, he came to discharge his duties to assisting the new ARO. We could complete the poll smoothly because of committed officers like Patni.”
According to a FIR filed in the case, Ateeq Ahmad ordered businessman Mohit Jaiswal’s kidnapping and later assaulted him along with his aides.
Taj hotel in Ahmedabad by mid 2020; it Vadodara: patients Despite mourning, Wadhvan ARO will be located on Sindhu Bhavan road chose to be voters cancels leave to join poll duty
Mumbai : The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), South Asia’s largest hospitality company today announced the signing of a Taj hotel in Ahmedabad. This will be the fourteenth IHCL branded hotel in the state of Gujarat. Commenting on the signing of this agreement, Puneet Chhatwal, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, IHCL said, “We are delighted to partner with Sankalp In to introduce the iconic Taj brand in Ahmedabad.” Located on Sindhubhavan road, close to SG road, the hotel is spread over 1.4 acres of land. Slated to open in early 2020, it will have 315 rooms, an all-daydiner, a speciality restaurant, a tea-lounge along with large banqueting and conferencing
first, beat all odds
spaces to cater to the growing market needs. Additional facilities will include a spa, swimming pool and a fitness centre. Kailash R. Goenka, Director, Sankalp In said, “Ahmedabad is the economic powerhouse of Gujarat and one of the major industrial
Vadodara : Voters at Vidya Vihar School in Ellora Park were surprised when an ambulance drove inside the campus on Tuesday morning. Few minutes later they saw an elderly patient, Pravinchandra Desai, coming out in a wheelchair, to cast his vote. Desai, 67, is not alone. Many more patients beat their illnesses cities in the country. We are to reach the polling centre proud to partner with IHCL in ambulances of several and welcome its luxury brand private hospitals of the – Taj to the city.” The first city to exercise their rights. city in Gujarat to be listed as Desai was operated for a a UNESCO World Heritage leg injury on Monday, but City, Ahmedabad has grown was frightened this may to be the commercial and make him miss voting on Tuesday. “I am thankful cultural hub of the state. for the hospital staff’s but for whose help this would not have been possible for me. I had lost hopes of being able to vote, but due to the ambulance service I could do s o , ”
Heat wave likely to make comeback from April 26 Ahmedabad to see Orange level warning initially which might escalate to Red level alert
said Desai, all smiles after casting his valuable vote. And so did Harshwardhan Pydi, a 20- year-old, who too is admitted in the same hospital as Desai, and was taken to Ganganagar Primary School in Gorwa so that he could exercise his right. A 94-year-old gynecologist of the city, Dr Usha Gupte, too reached the school near Gotri pond in an ambulance to exercise her right beating all odds. At New Era School in Tarsali, Sunil Patil, who had recently recovered from swine flu, reached the polling booth armed with paramedical staff and oxygen cylinder! “Even one vote can change the future of a country, even if it is from an ailing person,” said Patil, between laboured breaths as he is still battling breathing problems.
completion of poll. Patni said, “I was aware that it would be extremely difficult for someone else to manage this role all of a sudden. So I joined the duty. For the record, Amrut Patel is the ARO, but I joined the duty to assist him and see that the election is completely smoothly.” “We are still mourning my mother ’s death. But election is a festival of
First Indian Female Racer to race in formula 4 and Red Bull Athlete Mira Erda participated in FIA Formula 4 SEA Championship in round 2 at Malaysia over the weekend
Ahmedabad : Heat wave is likely to make a comeback in Ahmedabad and some other places after two day with it initially being in ‘orange alert level’ and later rising to ‘red alert level’. The met bulletin has predicted no large change in maximum temperatures for two day but from April 26 it would rise by 2 to 3 °C. A met official today said that on April 26 to 28 the maximum temperature in Ahmedabad is likely to remain above 44 °C (orange level) and after that for the next two days it might go up beyond 45 °C ie red
alert level. Today Amreli with 43.2 °C was the hottest while Ahmedabad at 41.9 °C (1.5°C above normal ) was second hottest. Yellow level general warning alert is sounded when maximum temperature crosses 42°C mark. The High temperature warning of the met department was as following – April 26, 27 and 28 – Heat wave conditions very likely to prevail at isolated pockets in the districts of Gujarat Region namely Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Banaskantha,
Ahmedabad : The Red Bull Athlete said, “It was my first ever international race in Formula 4. And I only had 7 laps of practice before getting into the qualifying. I kept improving every race. And the target was to get atleast
Sabarkantha, Vadodara and in the districts of Saurashtra- Kutch namely Kutch, Rajkot, Surendranagar, Amreli.
one podium before the end of weekend. In the last race I finally managed to lead amongst the ladies and finish in top 10 and got my first ever international podium. A good way to start my 2019 racing season” At the Sepang F1 International Circuit, Mira Erda finished 12th in Race 1, 13th in Race 2, 12th in Race 3 and finished 10th overall (1st amongst the ladies) in Race 4 of FIA Formula 4 SEA Championship Round 2 in Malaysia
Mira began racing when she was nine years old. Her first race came after just 25 days of training as she competed in the 2010 JK Tyre National Rotax Max Championship in India. Later that year, she participated in her first international race at the Plus Yamaha SL International Challenge in Malaysia. She managed her first podiums and race wins in 2011, also winning the award for Best Improved Driver of the Year. Through consistent performances, she made her way to the JK Racing Championship 2014 to become the youngest Formula 4 girl driver. Continuing to improve every year, Mira became the Formula 4 Rookie Champion of the Year 2016 and was honoured by FMSCI, the governing body for motorsports in India, with the Outstanding Woman In Motorsports award. In 2017, she became the first Indian woman to race in the Euro JK series, one of the highest classes of Formula racing in India.
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