"It Refuses To Leave Me": Vijay Reviews Diljit's Amar Singh Chamkila

Diljit Dosanjh and Parineeti Chopra starrer Amar Singh Chamkila has been receiving love and praise from critics and audiences. The film also impressed actor Vijay Varma. He revealed how the film refused to leave his mind even after five days. The actor also thanked filmmaker Imtiaz Ali for this gift.

Vijay took to his Instagram stories on Monday and shared still of Parineeti and Diljit along with a note. He described the movie as one of the most "potent, poignant and extraordinary" he has seen.

"It's been 5 days since I watched chamkila and it refuses to leave me. It is one of the most potent, poignant and extraordinary film I have seen and I want to thank @imtiazaliofficial sir giving us this gift."

He also heaped praise on Parineeti and Diljit for their performance.

Vijay wrote, "Parineeti Chopra was delightful as she tapped onto such simplicity and genuineness. And Diljit Dosanjh bhai.. mere shabd kam pad jayenge aapki taarif ke liye. Dil jit liya. BRAVO!"

Helmed by Imtiaz Ali, Amar Singh Chamkila presents the untold true story of Punjab's original rockstar of the masses, who emerged from the shadows of poverty and rose to the heights of popularity in the eighties due to the sheer power of his music, angering many along the way, which led to his assassination at the young age of 27.

Diljit Dosanjh portrays Chamkila,' the top-selling artist of his era. Parineeti essays the role of Amar Singh Chamkila's wife, Amarjot Kaur.

Amar Singh Chamkila is streaming on OTT.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Vijay Varma recently appeared in Homi Adajania's Murder Mubarak, which hit theatres month on March 15. The movie features Karisma Kapoor, Sanjay Kapoor, Sara Ali Khan, and Pankaj Tripathi in significant roles.

Vijay Varma has finished shooting for their upcoming drama Ul Jalool Ishq.

Helmed by Vibhu Puri, the film also stars veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah and Sharib Hashmi in the lead roles.

The release date is yet to be disclosed. Ul Jalool Ishq is produced by fashion icon Manish Malhotra under his company, Stage5 Productions. The movie will also include music from Gulzar and Vishal Bhardwaj.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Man Uses PM's Name In Wedding Card, Poll Officials Visit His Karnataka Home

A groom found himself embroiled in controversy after his wedding invitation sparked debate over his political affiliation, police said on Monday.

Uppinangady police in Puttur taluk of Dakshina Kannada, responded to a complaint lodged by officials overseeing election code adherence.

The focal point of contention was the tagline in the wedding invitation. "The best present you will give the couple is electing Modi as PM once again," it said.

According to police, a complaint was lodged by one of the groom's relatives to the Election Commission regarding the tagline.

Based on the complaint, Election Commission officials visited the groom's residence in Puttur taluk on April 14. The groom explained that the invitations were printed on March 1, before the election dates were announced. He also clarified that the tagline expresses admiration for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and concern for the nation. The marriage took place on April 18.

Despite the groom's explanation, EC lodged a complaint with Uppinangady police on April 26, following which a FIR was registered.

Furthermore, the press owner responsible for printing the invitation is also under the scanner of the EC and the police.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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"My Personal Wish": SRK Wants This Big-Hitter To Play For India In T20 WC

Kolkata Knights Riders principal owner Shah Rukh Khan has endorsed the inclusion of his left-handed power-hitter Rinku Singh in the Indian team for the upcoming T20 World Cup, terming it his "personal wish". The 26-year-old Rinku burst into the limelight when he smashed five consecutive sixes in Kolkata Knight Riders' stunning last-over win over Gujarat Titans during IPL 2023. Rinku's name has been doing the rounds as far as selecting the 15-member Indian squad is concerned for the T20 showpiece, which will be held in the USA and West Indies across June. He has a strike-rate of 176 plus in 15 T20I for India with two fifties, Expressing his optimism for Rinku's World Cup prospects, Shah Rukh said during an interview on Star Sports, "Such amazing players are playing for the country. I am really looking forward to Rinku, Inshallah being in the World Cup Squad and some other youngsters from other teams also.

"Some of them deserve it so much, but my personal wish is that Rinku makes it to the team. I will be so happy. That will be the high point for me." With the KKR top-order doing the bulk of scoring so far this season, Rinku has not got many opportunities with the bat.

In his debut season however, the hard-hitting batsman from Aligarh amassed 356 runs in 15 matches, remaining unbeaten in seven of those games. His runs came at a strike-rate of over 175 but power-hitting is not his only talent, for he has the ability to remain calm in pressure situations.

The Bollywood megastar, who shares a great rapport with Rinku, is delighted at his rise after having faced many obstacles on his road to success.

Growing up in modest surroundings, Rinku's family struggled to make ends meet, with his father working as an LPG cylinder delivery man and his mother a housewife.

Despite the offer of a job as a sweeper, Rinku followed his passion for cricket, believing it would lead him to greater heights.

SRK said, "I just want them to feel happy and when I see these boys playing, I feel like I am living as a sportsperson myself. Especially players like Rinku and Nitish (Rana), I see myself in them. I feel really happy when they perform well."

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Watch: Dramatic Rescue Of Baby Stuck On Tin Roof Of Chennai Apartment

The terrifying sight of an infant sitting on the edge of a tin roof shocked residents of an apartment complex in Chennai's Avadi on Sunday, a viral video shows. The three-minute clip shows the dramatic rescue of the infant who fell from the fourth floor and landed on a sun-shade two storeys down. 

In the clip, recorded from the balcony of a resident, eight-month-old Harin Magi is seen sitting on her hands and knees near the edge of a roof cover on the second floor of a building.

Horrified residents scream for help as three men attempt to climb up from a first floor window to grab the child, the video shows. A group of people hold a bedsheet open at the ground floor just below the window to catch her incase she falls. A mattress is placed underneath the bedsheet to ensure the infant is not hurt.

As the nail-biting clip progresses, the infant shuffles closer to the edge of the roof cover, her legs almost dangling in the air. The screams grow louder as a man climbs out of the first floor window and stands on the railing to reach to child. Two other men hold him steady as he stretches his arm, grabs the infant and passes her to a man inside the apartment.

Avadi Police Commissioner Shankar told NDTV that the incident occured at VGN Stafford, a residential community in Avadi, when the baby fell while her mother Ramya was nursing her on the balcony.  

"She fell when the mother was nursing her. The video and the rescue are genuine. We have not received any formal complaint. The child is doing fine," he said.

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Indian Googled "How To Kill Instantly" Before Stabbing Ex Girlfriend In UK

The Hyderabad man who slashed his ex-girlfriend's throat before stabbing her nine times at a London restaurant in 2022 searched for ways to "kill a human instantly with a knife", his online search history shows.

Sriram Ambarla, a 25-year-old from Hyderabad attacked his ex-girlfriend Sona Biju, 23, at the restaurant where she worked after threatening to murder her if she did not agree to marry him.

When Ms Biju turned him down by saying that she "did not want to live by his rules", Ambarla grabbed her by the neck and began stabbing her. She survived the vicious attack but had to spent a month at a hospital in a critical condition.

Ambarla has been found guilty and sentenced to 16 years in jail in London.

During his sentencing hearing, the court was told that moments before Ambarla attacked, he searched online for “What happens if a foreigner murders someone in the UK”, “How easy is it to kill someone with a knife” and “How to kill a human instantly with a knife.”

“Jealous, possessive, and determined”

The 2022 attack came after Ambarla manipulated and physically and mentally abused Ms Biju for years, the court was told. The two began dating in 2017 after they met at a Hyderabad college.

However, the relationship quickly turned abusive, leading to their split around 2019 during which Ambarla used threats of self-harm to control Ms Biju. He repeatedly showed up at her house unexpectedly and tried to blackmail her into marrying him, the victim said. 

In 2022, both Ambarla and Ms Biju moved to UK in 2022 to pursue a master's degree at the University of East London but the abuse continued. Ambarla would regularly contact the restaurant she worked at to talk to her and order food in hopes that she would deliver it to his house.

Weeks after they moved, he visited the restaurant, where Ms Biju served him food, treating him just like any other patron. He sat there looking through his phone in an unsettling manner, she said.

Moments later, he approached her and repeated his offer to marry her or else he would kill her. When she refused, he took out a knife and stabbed her repeatedly. He told the police that he snapped when he overheard her talking about wanting to celebrate the breakup.

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Indian-Origin Candidate On How He Plans To Win London Mayoral Polls

Social service is down. Health service is down. Security is down. That's the London assessment by Tarun Ghulati, the Indian-origin candidate in the race to challenge Pak-origin Sadiq Khan from winning a third term as Mayor of London. The polls are scheduled for May 2.

The 63-year-old, standing as an Independent candidate among 13 contestants, wants to bring the smile and mojo back for London.

"The current incumbent, Sadiq Khan, has brought London to a standstill. Crime has never been worse. It's the most congested city in the world, the slowest city in the world, and you'll be surprised. 21 teenagers lost their lives last year and over 1,000 murders under his watch over the last eight years. And you know there's a need for a levelling up agenda," Mr Ghulati told NDTV in an exclusive interview, slamming his opponent, who has been London Mayor since 2016.

Safety on the streets of the city is among his major priorities, with visible community policing and more officers.

"I come as a voice for the people. I am an independent candidate for mayor. I was mugged on my own high street, so that's how bad crime is," he said.

Asked about how he plans to win, pat came the reply: "I will win this election if everybody comes out to vote". Mr Ghulati, who has a shadow cabinet in place, underlined that his family has been involved in public service over the last three centuries, adding he has been doing the same for 35-odd years.
 
"I'm going to bring in advisers from different communities so that they have all the answers. Because I've been going around the boroughs and I get to see new problems, different areas, different communities. I'll bring in those advisors which I've already formed a list of. They will again come in. Then I'm going to tackle crime with a fervour never seen before," he said elaborating his plans for London.

"We have got to make sure we bring the mojo back for London and the smile is back on the face of everyone. So I'm going to tackle like a good seasoned CEO. I have a dashboard. I'm going to look at it in a holistic basis," he said.

The businessman, who has been on the board of various companies, said his multicultural experience will prove to be an advantage for him.

"It's a great advantage, but none of the other candidates have that advantage. They make gaps. They don't understand cultural advances. I've lived across continents. I've lived in India where people thrive in harmony and live together. I've lived all over the world. That gives me a strength. It gives me knowledge. It gives me a know how, and it gives me the people to people interaction because that moment of truth is lost when you can't interact with people. The current politicians in the fray lack that," said the businessman, who also speaks many languages, adding that he will create funds and will not be limited by the 21 billion sterling budget.

"I've been a banker, a chairman. I've sat on several boards. I advise a lot of entities, including dealing with law enforcement. So I'm a strategic advisor to the global cyber life. So none of these people would talk of policing, understand policing like I do. So, as a chairman, I will bring in money. They make excuses to the people. The government is not giving us money. I want to. I view London as a global bank with different cultures and entities and communities. Come here and they thrive. This is one of the greatest financial centres in the world. And that's where I come from. I have the most experience of any one of them. They haven't seen budgets like this, most of them none of the independents, none of the political candidates. They're just playing with the sentiments of people," he said.

Asked if he has drawn from his Delhi experience to bring about changes here, he said: "I've taken a leaf out of Delhi's books, certainly, and India, where I grew up for the first 35 years, which has taught me to take all the religions and all cultures and all genders along."

The winning mayoral candidate will be responsible for all local issues affecting Londoners, from transport and policing to housing and the environment.

"I'm a person of Indian origin. I take a lot of pride in that all over the world. But I am a man of the world, having lived all over the world. So I'm a proud Londoner batting for London and I'll be the next mayor of London for the Londoners," said the businessman.

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IPL 2024: Gaikwad, Deshpande Star As CSK Thrash SRH To End Losing Streak

IPL 2024, CSK vs SRH Highlights: Skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad missed his second successive IPL century by a whisker, while pacers Tushar Deshpande and Matheesha Pathirana decimated the Sunrisers Hyderabad batting as Chennai Super Kings won their IPL home game by 78 runs at MA Chidambaram Stadium on Sunday. After Gaikwad scored a 54-ball 98 and shared a 107-run partnership with Daryl Mitchell (52) to give CSK a healthy 212/3, Deshpande (4/27) and Sri Lankan Pathirana (2/17) came up with match-winning bowling figures to dismiss SRH for 134 in 18.5 overs. Deshpande took the wickets of opener Travis Head (13) and Anmolpreet Singh (0) in his first over before getting rid of Abhishek Sharma (15) and captain Pat Cummins (5), while Pathirana got the dangerous Aiden Markram and Heinrich Klaasen to demolish SRH. (Scorecard | IPL 2024 Points Table)

Highlights of Chennai Super Kings vs SunRisers Hyderabad IPL 2024 match:

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Viral: Karan's Reaction After Seeing Bride Arti Singh Is Major BFF Goals

Actress Arti Singh married businessman Dipak Chauhan on Thursday (April 25). Several unseen glimpses from their wedding have been doing the rounds on social media. One of the videos capture Arti Singh's "jigar ka tukda" Karan Singh Grover, Bipasha Basu and their mother seeing her in a bridal look. Karan Singh Grover's emotional reaction to seeing Arti as a bride was just wholesome. He also gives a warm hug to her and refuses to leave her.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Arti Singh (@artisinghkishadi)

Karan Singh Grover was the perfect bridesman. The actor, dressed in all white, recently shared a video congratulating his best friend Arti Singh for the biggest phase of her life. The video features clips from the actress' wedding. In the video, Arti is seen walking down the aisle in a red bridal lehenga. Karan also lifted Arti during the jaimala ceremony. Sharing the video on Instagram, he wrote, "Jai mata di! May the rest of your life be as beautiful as your heart. Congratulations! Arti Singh and Dipak Chauhan. Love you sooooooo much!!!!

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A post shared by karan singh grover (@iamksgofficial)

During her stint in Bigg Boss 13, Arti Singh opened up about her bond with Karan Singh Grover and referred to him as her "best friend." She also shared that she had saved his contact under the name 'Jigar ka tukda' (Piece of my heart) on her phone. She stated that before her entry into the Bigg Boss house, Karan gifted her one of his jackets and told her to wear it whenever she felt low. For the unversed, Arti and Karan have been friends for more than eight years now.

Several celebrities including Ankita Lokhande, Vicky Jain, Sana Makbul, Kishwer Merchantt and Yuvika Chaudhary among others attended the actress' wedding. Her Bigg Boss 13 co-contestants Rashami Desai, Devoleena Bhattacharjee, Vishal Aditya Singh, Mahira Sharma, Shefali Jariwala, Hindustani Bhau and Paras Chhabra were also pictured at the event.

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Siddaramaiah Sets Up Team To Probe Sex Scandal Involving JDS MP

A day after voting took place in the constituency, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has ordered the formation of a special investigation team to probe a sex scandal allegedly involving Hassan MP and Janata Dal (Secular) candidate from the seat, Prajwal Revanna. Mr Revanna, grandson of JDS chief and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, has left for Germany.

After videos depicting sexual acts began circulating in Hassan, some of which allegedly involved women being forced or filmed without their consent, the Karnataka State Commission for Women had, on Thursday, asked the chief minister to set up a special investigation team. 

Announcing the decision on Saturday, Siddaramaiah wrote in Kannada on X, "The government has decided to form a special investigation team in connection with the Prajwal Revanna obscene video case. Obscene video clips are circulating in Hassan district, where it appears that women have been sexually assaulted.

"In this backdrop, the Chairperson of the Women's Commission had written a letter to the government to conduct an SIT investigation. This decision has been taken in response to their request," he wrote.

Mr Revanna left for Germany on Saturday morning.

The JDS is in an alliance with the BJP and, earlier in the day, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar demanded answers from the ruling party at the Centre as well. 

"The allegations of sexual assault are not just on some random Hassan leader. (Karnataka BJP Chief) BY Vijayendra and others must answer. I read reports of them saying that the Women's Commission is trying to tarnish their image. The Commission has written a letter to the chief minister and the home Minister," Mr Shivakumar was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. 

On JDS leader and former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy's indirectly accusing him of involvement in the case, Mr Shivakumar said, "Let him bring up my name. I will expose him. Is he justifying sexual assault against women by talking like this?"

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Video: UP School Teacher Smashes Neighbour's Car With Brick, Attacks Family

A primary school teacher in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr broke into her neighbour's house on Saturday and bashed in the windows of their car, a CCTV video shows. 

In the clip that went viral on social media, Parul Sharma, a school teacher, is seen entering the parking area outside her neighbour Priya Goyal's house at 3 am with a brick in her hand. She flings the brick at the car's windscreen and pulls out a rock from a bag and throws it at the car. She then uses the rock to bash in all the windows of the parked vehicle.

Videos recorded by the neighbour's family show Ms Sharma continue her belligerent attack on the car even as the family wake up and confront her.  In one of the clips, she is accompanied by her elderly mother who does nothing to stop her. The school teacher continues to hurl abuses at her neighbours and tries to force open the door separating them.

In their complaint, the neighbours alleged that after she smashed all the car windows, Sharma broke a lock on the house's gate and attacked her family including her three-year-old son who sustained minor injuries. The family then informed the police. While it is not known what led to the attack, police said the two families have had an ongoing dispute. 

"A video of a fight between the neighbours in Bulanshahr's Kotwali Nagar has gone viral on social media. A case has been filed," senior police officer Shankar Prasad, said.

A case of trespassing, voluntarily causing hurt, damaging property and criminal intimidation have been filed against the teacher.
 

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"Obscene Batting": PBKS Set World Record, Chase Down 262. Full List Here

The cricket world was in shock as Punjab Kings set a new world record on Friday. Led by Jonny Bairstow's incredible hundred, Punjab Kings set a new world record for the highest run chase in the history of T20 cricket as they overhauled the 262-run target set by Kolkata Knight Riders with eight wickets to spare in the IPL on Friday. PBKS bettered South Africa's 259/4 against West Indies in March last year. In the IPL, Rajasthan Royals held the previous record for chasing down 224 against KKR at Eden Gardens recently, equalling the record they had set against then Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) in 2020 in Sharjah.

Highest targets successfully chased in Men's T20 cricket
262 - Punjab Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Kolkata, IPL 2024
259 - South Africa vs West Indies, Centurion, 2023
253 - Middlesex vs Surrey, The Oval, T20 Blast 2023
244 - Australia vs New Zealand, Auckland, 2018
243 - Bulgaria vs Serbia, Sofia, 2022
243 - Multan Sultans vs Peshawar Zalmi, Rawalpindi, PSL 2023

:Obscene batting," commented Kevin Pietersen,

Obscene batting
 

— Kevin Pietersen (@KP24) April 26, 2024

Talking about the match, sent into bat, Kolkata Knight Riders scored 261/6 but PBKS completed the chase with eight balls to spare.

KKR rode on a 138-run partnership between openers Phil Salt (75 off 37 balls) and Sunil Narine (71 off 32 balls).

The batters that followed the openers then consolidated the home team's position and took them to an imposing total.

In reply, PBKS too were off to a great start and scored 93 runs for the loss of Prabhsimran Singh's wicket in the powerplay.

Prabhsimran blazed away to a 20-ball 54 before getting run out. Bairstow continued his brutal onslaught to help PBKS pull off a stunning win. Bairstow (108 off 48 balls) was well-supported by the in-from Shashank Singh who smashed 68 in only 28 balls.

Brief scores: Kolkata Knight Riders: 261/6 in 20 overs (Phil Salt 75, Sunil Narine 71).

Punjab Kings: 262/2 in 18.4 overs (Jonny Bairstow 108, Prabhsimran Singh 54, Shashank Singh 68). 

With PTI inputs

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UP Students Clear Exam With 'Jai Shri Ram' Answers, Professors Suspended

First year students at an Uttar Pradesh University aced the exam by allegedly writing 'Jai Shri Ram' and names of cricketers in the answer sheet. But then the law caught up.

Two professors at state-run Veer Bahadur Singh Purvanchal University in Jaunpur were suspended for allegedly extorting money from students in exchange of marks on answer sheets written with songs, music and religious slogans.

Student leader Divyanshu Singh had alleged in a letter sent to the Prime Minister, Chief Minister, Governor and Vice Chancellor that with the connivance of some officials of university, even the students who got zero marks were passed by giving them more than 60 percent marks.

Irregularities, exposed by an RTI response, were identified during the assessment of special bank copies, resulting in significant variations in marks upon re-evaluation.

"There was an allegation that students have been given more marks. So we constituted a committee. That Committee in its report said that students have been awarded more marks," said Vice-Chancellor Vandana Singh.

Asked about the religious slogans, she said: "Have not seen the copy with Jai Shri Ram answers but saw a copy in which I could not make out anything relevant based on which marks could be given to the student. The handwriting was not very clear."

The Raj Bhavan had written a letter to the Vice-Chancellor of the University and directed to take action in the matter.

NDTV has accessed the answer sheets where Jai Shri Ram appears in the middle of the answer about 'pharmacy as career'. In the same answer, appears the names of cricketers like Hardik Pandya, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

The examiners, Dr Vinay Verma and Manish Gupta, were suspended in the examination committee meeting on Wednesday.

"Teachers have been warned so that such a thing is not repeated. The committee has recommended termination for the involved teachers. But there's a model code of conduct is in place and further action will be taken once the poll code is lifted," said the Vice-Chancellor.  

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Dravid Told To 'Not Compromise' For T20 WC, Given Unique Bowling Options

As the deadline for India's T20 World Cup squad nears, former batter Navjot Singh Sidhu has advised head coach Rahul Dravid and selectors not to compromise with quality bowlers while picking the team. Sidhu feels that if the selectors do compromise with the bowling and pick one extra batter, the tournament will end in disappointment for India, who last won an ICC event back in 2013. While responding to a query, Sidhu advised Dravid and the selectors to pick three spinners and as many quality fast bowlers.

Sidhu also vouched for the improbable selection of Delhi Capitals (DC) pacer Khaleel Ahmed, and ignored star pacer Jasprit Bumrah.

"My straight advice to Rahul Dravid is that if you want to win this tournament, have five wicket-taking specialist bowlers, simple. The collapse of a team's character stems from the compromise point. You have three spinner in Bishnoi, Kuldeep and Jadeja, who picks himself. Mayank Yadav if he is fit, walks into this side. Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar, Mohsin Khan should be the fast bowlers. " Sidhu said on Star Sports.

The 60-year-old suggested that India should utilise their resources as playing extra batter won't win the Rohit Sharma-led side the World Cup.

"India have a lot of options and they shouldn't compromise and pick guys who can bat and bowl a bit. You think of all the World Cup winning captains, they would've gone for quality bowling options. That's the secret. If seven batters can't win you the World Cup, even the 8th cannot do anything," he added.

According to reports, the BCCI selectors will meet with head coach Rahul Dravid and captain Rohit Sharma to discuss the World Cup squad later this week.

The deadline for squad submission is May 1. The tournament kicks off June 2 in the Americas with India's opening game on June 5 against Ireland.

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Lowest Turnout More Than Your Highest: S Jaishankar On West's Poll Critique

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has hit out at the Western media, emphasising that they criticise our democracy because they think they are also political players in our election and not because they lack information.

Addressing a forum for nationalist thinkers in Hyderabad on Tuesday, the minister said, "I get a lot of these noises from the Western press and if they criticise our democracy, it's not because they lack information. It is because they think they are also political players in our election."

Mr Jaishankar said that in an article by the Western media, they asked why elections were being held amid a heatwave in India. "Now I read that article and I wanted to say listen, in that heat my lowest turnout is higher than your highest turnout in the best run," Mr Jaishankar said.

He added that these are games that are being played.

"These are politics. These are our domestic politics which is going global, global politics which feels they must now intrude in India. How can these chaps decide who should be ruling without consulting us?" he said.

"They (West) actually think they are part of our electorate... I think it's time today that we disabuse them and the best way that we do that, is by confidence," Mr Jaishankar stressed.

The minister emphasised the need to stand up to these kinds of attacks and criticisms and rankings and reports because they will question everything.

"They will question your election system, your EVM, your election commission, even the weather," he said.

"And one complaint is...it is so unfair, BJP thinks it's going to win very big," he said, adding that, in a kind of way, today, we are at a very important inflexion point.

Mr Jaishankar said that the decisions the government will be making are not just for the next five years, but will give our nation, our society, and our coming generations a very big vote of confidence.

"It is the guarantee, the guarantee is an expression of confidence. It is an expression of confidence based on what we have delivered for the last ten years," he added.

He highlighted how India has been regarded across the world in the past ten years, how the country is today preparing for the next 25 years is the mindset with which we need to approach the world.

Moreover, recalling the G20 Summit, Mr Jaishankar said that during the presidency, several countries wanted to connect to India.

"During our G20 presidency, a number of countries, but particularly this was an initiative called IMEC through Saudi Arabia, they wanted to connect India to Europe. Russia and Iran also want a connectivity passage to Europe. In the east, countries like Vietnam, and Cambodia, want a passage through Myanmar to India," he said.

Lauding India's prominence on the global stage, Mr Jaishankar said that there is a lot of interest in somehow accessing India, connecting to India and working with India

Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the minister said, "It is the combination of all of this and, as I said, the stature which the Prime Minister personally commands...I see that because I travel with him often."

Recalling when India got the G20 presidency, Mr Jaishankar said, "When we got our G20 chair presidency, it was on December 1, 2022. I think most of the world said, you know, I don't know where you guys got stuck. You know how this is going to happen. You are going to have a really difficult time managing this. And yet, actually, when the G20 summit met, within the first day, we were actually able to forge a consensus."

He further emphasised that when something happens, people can only see the final outcome and not the work done behind the scenes.

"It's worth thinking why? Because when something happens, we think it's natural. It's not natural. Something happens behind the scenes, you are only seeing the final production, but behind the scenes there is a lot of work," he said.

The fact is, when the G20 met, there was a lot of respect in the rest of the world "for PM Modi personally and for Modi's Bharat", Mr Jaishankar stressed.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Salman, Alia Lead Celeb Roll Call At Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar Screening

Sanjay Leela Bhansali is all set to make his OTT debut with a web series titled Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar. Ahead of the release of the magnum opus on May 1, the makers held a star-studded screening in Mumbai on Wednesday night. The screening was attended by some of the biggest stars in Bollywood including Alia Bhatt and Salman Khan. The Tiger actor, who has worked with the ace director in the iconic film Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, was spotted arriving at the screening amidst heavy security. The actor was seen wearing a black shirt and jeans for the night. Alia Bhatt, who looked lovely in a white traditional outfit, was accompanied at the event by her mom Soni Razdan, and mom-in-law Neetu Kapoor. All three actors looked lovely as they flashed their brightest smiles for the camera. For the unversed, Alia Bhatt featured in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Gangubai Kathiawadi, which earned her the prestigious National Award last year.

Take a look at her pictures from the night:

Team Heeramandi also attended the screening in their traditional best. Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Sharmin Segal, mom-to-be Richa Chadha, Sanjeeda Shaikh, Taha Shah Badussha, and Fardeen Khan were seen posing on their carpet in style.

Aditi Rao Hydari's plus one at the event was her fiance Siddharth while Richa Chadha and Sonakshi Sinha's cheer squad included the former's hi-husband Ali Fazal and the latter's mom Poonam Sinha.

Father-son duo Shekhar and Adhyayan Sinha, who will both be seen in Heeramandi, were also spotted on the red carpet in their traditional best.

Other stars adding glamour to the event included Ananya Panday, Rashmika Mandanna, Mrunal Thakur, Shruti Haasan, Esha Deol, Rakul Preet Singh, Bhumi Pednekar, Huma Qureshi, Patralekhaa and others.

Male celebrities gracing the event included Vijay Varma, Vicky Kaushal, Karan Johar, Randeep Hooda, and Zayed Khan.

Veteran actress Rekha looked drop dread gorgeous in a yellow saree while celeb couple Sussanne Khan and Arslan Goni were seen twinning in black. Newlyweds Kriti Kharbanda and Pulkit Samrat were also seen marking their presence at the event.

Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar will be released on May 1. About the project, Manisha Koirala  said: “I waited 28 years for Sanjay to call me and it's been a pleasure. It's an honor to be working with that genius. A lot of hard work and pyaar mohabbat has gone into making Heeramandi. We have made the show with so much love, and we expect you all to love it.”

 The period drama features a stellar ensemble cast including Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, Sanjeeda Sheikh, and Sharmin Segal.

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Agency Defends Arvind Kejriwal's Arrest To Court. AAP Says, "Lie Machine"

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was arrested after he evaded nine summons and only after the High Court refused to grant him interim relief, the Enforcement Directorate has told the Supreme Court. Mr Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party alleged the Central agency was just a "machine churning out lies" at the behest of the BJP.

The court will hear Mr Kejriwal's petition challenging his arrest by the agency in the Delhi liquor policy case.

Today, the Enforcement Directorate filed an affidavit contesting it. In the affidavit, sources said, the agency has contended that despite issuing summons nine times, Mr Kejriwal did not appear for questioning. He was avoiding questioning, the agency had contended.

The Enforcement Directorate also said there was a possibility of around evidence tampering. As example, it said 170 cellphones were altered and destroyed by 36 persons during the period of the scam.

"The BJP wants to stop Arvind Kejriwal from election campaign... This is not an ED investigation, this is a BJP investigation," the party said.

AAP said the ED is working like a political ally of the BJP. the agency, it said, has not a shred of evidence against Mr Kejriwal and the other leaders it arrested.

The matter went to the Supreme Court earlier this month after the Delhi High Court validated Mr Kejriwal's arrest.  The top court, however, refused an early hearing and asked the agency to file its response to his petition by April 26. The court, was closed (for Eid) when the AAP leader approached it.

The matter will be heard next week.

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"Make No Mistake, This Is A Ban": TikTok Vows To Fight New US Law In Court

TikTok's CEO vowed Wednesday to fight in the courts to overturn a newly signed US law that could see the popular app banned due to allegations it is controlled by the China government.

The legislation gives TikTok nine months to divest from its Chinese parent company ByteDance or be shut out of the American market.

The US and other Western officials have alleged the social media platform allows Beijing to collect data and spy on users. It has 170 million users in the United States alone, many of them young.

Critics say TikTok is also a conduit to spread propaganda. China and the company strongly deny the claims.

"Make no mistake, this is a ban. A ban on TikTok and a ban on you and your voice," TikTok boss Shou Zi Chew said in a video posted on TikTok moments after President Joe Biden signed the bill into law.

"Politicians may say otherwise, but don't get confused. Many who sponsored the bill admit a Tiktok ban is the ultimate goal."

Chew called the move "ironic" given that the "freedom of expression on TikTok reflects the same American values that make the United States a beacon of freedom."

"Rest assured, we aren't going anywhere," Chew told the platform's users.

"We will keep fighting for your rights in the courts. The facts and the Constitution are on our side."

The ban measure was included in a $95 billion foreign aid package, including military assistance to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.

The bill, which could trigger the rare step of barring a company from operating in the US market, passed the Senate by a 79-18 vote three days after it cleared the House of Representatives with strong bipartisan support.

Under the bill, ByteDance would have to sell the app or be excluded from Apple and Google's app stores in the United States.

TikTok for years has been in the crosshairs of American authorities, who say the platform allows Beijing to snoop on users in the United States.

The bill passed by Congress also gives the US president the authority to designate other applications as a threat to national security if they are controlled by a country deemed hostile.

Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X, formerly Twitter, came out last week against banning TikTok, saying "doing so would be contrary to freedom of speech and expression."

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Revanth Reddy's Loan Waiver Promise With Bizarre Attack On KCR

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy today reiterated his promise to waive farmer loans upto Rs 2 lakh, "come what may",. Then came a bizarre addition -- "even if KCR (his predecessor K Chandrasekhar Rao) were to die by hanging in his farm house, I will waive farmer loans by August 15," he thundered.

Revanth Reddy was addressing a meeting in his Kodangal assembly constituency, which falls in his native Mahbubnagar constituency.

His comments come on the eve of Mr Rao, the chief of Bharat Rashtra Samithi, starting his Lok Sabha campaign. The journey begins tomorrow by a special bus.

Even before that, Mr Rao has been touring drought-hit districts, meeting with farmers in distress to tell them that they were much better off when he was Chief Minister. There was no shortage of water and farmers harvested plenty, he told them.

Revanth Reddy's promise of waiving Rs 2 lakh loans of farmers before August 15 was made two days ago in Bhongir. BRS leader and nephew of KCR, T Harish Rao, had asked yesterday whether Mr Reddy would resign if he was unable to fulfil his loan waiver promise.

Today, it was Revanth Reddy's turn to retort and he asked if KCR would disband his party if he kept his word on waiving farmer loans by August 15.

"Your uncle knows better than you that Revanth does what he says and keeps his word," the Chief Minister said.

This is not the first time Revanth Reddy is talking about hanging Mr Rao. A few days ago, he said it would not be wrong to hang KCR and his son for the way in which they had allegedly looted real estate in Hyderabad.

On April 6, when Rahul Gandhi was in Tukkuguda, on the outskirts of Hyderabad, Revanth Reddy had attacked KCR, declaring that he would send him to jail. He would also build a 2BHK for Mr Rao in Cherlapally so he could cool his heels inside with his family, Mr Reddy said.

In 2015, just an year after KCR became Telangana Chief Minister, Revanth Reddy, then with the TDP, went to jail in a cash-for-votes scam. He had to come out on bail to attend his daughter's engagement ceremony. Revanth Reddy had vowed revenge against KCR when he came out of jail.

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"BJP Will Not Cross Even 220 Lok Sabha Seats": Siddaramaiah To NDTV

Two days before half of the state's 28 constituencies vote in the second phase of the Lok Sabha polls on Friday, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has claimed that, contrary to its aim of winning 400 seats, the BJP-led NDA will not cross even 220 and at least part of the reason for this will be that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not fulfilled his promises.

Speaking exclusively to NDTV on Tuesday, the Congress leader also said that the alliance between the BJP and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda's Janata Dal (Secular) is an "unholy one".

Responding to a question on people claiming that Siddaramaiah's personality is important in an Assembly election but PM Modi's image may have an edge in the Lok Sabha polls, the chief minister said, "What is the image that he (the PM) has? When he has failed to fulfil the promises he has made to the people of the country, how will the same image continue? I don't think there is a Modi wave in the entire country, and particularly in Karnataka."

On how he saw the Congress' prospects in his home turf of Old Mysuru, which had given the party the lone seat it had won in Karnataka in the 2019 elections - against the BJP's 25 - Mr Siddaramaiah said the situation was different at the time because emotional issues were projected. In these elections, he said, the PM has to list his achievements in his 10-year tenure, and also predicted that the Congress will win 20 constituencies in Karnataka.

Asserting that the INDIA bloc is not at a disadvantage despite not declaring a prime ministerial candidate, the Congress leader also said there is no threat to the stability of his government irrespective of the election results. Asked if the Congress would complete its term in the state regardless of who the chief minister would be, he answered in the affirmative and also expressed hope that the party would get another term.

"Instability will come only when the people are unhappy. Stability does not mean a government continuing for 10 years. People should also be socially, politically and economically empowered, only then can we say that the country is stable," he said.

Claiming that the alliance between the JD(S) and the BJP was an "unholy" one, the chief minister indicated that it was a result of the desperation of Mr Deve Gowda - whose party won only 19 of 224 seats in last year's Assembly polls - given that he had earlier criticised PM Modi on several issues, including communalism.

"People will never forget what HD Deve Gowda has said about PM Modi and they know why the parties have forged an alliance," Mr Siddaramaiah said.

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Former Professor At Chennai Academy Arrested For Alleged Sexual Harassment

Sheejith Krishna, a former faculty of Chennai's Kalakshetra Foundation, has been arrested today on allegations of sexual harassment by former students. A renowned dancer, Mr Krishna had resigned on his own from Kalakshetra and started his own dance academy. Sheejith Krishna's team is yet to respond on the allegations.

The former students, now settled abroad had moved the Madras High Court, alleged Mr Krishna had sexually harassed them when they were on campus between 1996 and 2001. The court had directed the Chennai Police Commissioner to act on the complaint. Confirming the arrest, a senior police officer told NDTV "The former students allege Sheejith used them".

Last year, the Kalakshetra Foundation sacked professor Hari Padman after an inquiry committee found him guilty of sexual harassment. He was also arrested.

Large sections of students had also taken to the streets alleging sexual harassment by faculty and repertory artists and they sought justice citing inaction by the administration.

Initially, the management and the National Commission for Women had denied any sexual harassment until the issue went to court. Around a hundred students, including male students, gave written complaints to the state women's commission.

An independent committee has given a set of recommendations that the Madras High Court has urged the institution to implement, calling its failure to address sexual harassment a "blight on Kalakshetra". The recommendations include a ban on entry of students into teachers' quarters except during community celebrations, a ban on "engaging repertory artists, curtailing obsession on performance and an emphasis on deep learning and polishing art form".

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Aligarh Muslim University Gets 1st Woman Vice-Chancellor In Over 100 Years

Naima Khatoon has been appointed as the Vice Chancellor of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), making her the first woman to hold the top post in over 100 years, sources said on Monday.

Naima Khatoon was appointed after receiving approval from President Droupadi Murmu, who is a Visitor to the University, they said.

Permission from the Election Commission of India (ECI) was also sought in view of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) being in place, they said.

"Naima Khatoon, Principal, Women's College, has been appointed as the Vice Chancellor of AMU for a period of five years. The ECI has stated that the commission has no objection from the MCC angle to the proposal related to the appointment of the AMU VC subject to the condition that no political mileage be derived from it," a source said.

Naima Khatoon, who completed her PhD in psychology from AMU, was appointed as a lecturer in the same department in 1988 before being elevated to professor in 2006. She continued there before being appointed the principal of the Women's College in 2014.

Founded in 1875, Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College became AMU in 1920, following the Aligarh Muslim University Act.

In September 2020, AMU completed 100 years as a university, becoming one of the oldest universities in India. The university has had no woman vice chancellor so far.

In 1920, Begum Sultan Jahan was appointed as the AMU chancellor. She continues to be the only woman to have held the post.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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"People Happy With PM, Will Win Congress Stronghold": Mohan Yadav To NDTV

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav expressed confidence today that the BJp will win all 29 seats in Madhya Pradesh. The big promise is the victory in Chhindwara - which has been a Congress bastion for around 40 years. This, he said, will be possible because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "track record".

Chhindwara is the constituency of former Chief Minister Kamal Nath, from where the Congress has fielded his son Nakul Nath. Even in 2014, when the BJP came to power across the country, Chhindwara had voted for the Congress. Ditto in 2019, when the party increased its numbers to 303.

This time would be different because of the "Modi-ki guarantee," Mr Yadav told NDTV in an exclusive interview with Editor-in-chief Sanjay Pugalia. 

"People have seen PM Modi's 10 year track record. We have people's support. There is no anti-incumbency factor against Modi," he said, citing last year's assembly election, in which the BJP won a massive victory despite a buzz about anti-incumbency.  

"We will win Chhindawara too. People are very happy with PM's work," he added.
 
This is also borne out by voteshare, he said. From 44 per cent, it went up to 48 per cent in the assembly election. The party had won 58 per cent votes in the 2019 Lok Sabha election, with 28 of the 29 seats. "We will definitely get more this time," he said.

The Congress, he added, is well aware of its imminent defeat. It became clear when they gave away the Khajuraho seat to the Samajwadi Party, he added. 

Asked about the issues and narratives for this election, Mr Yadav said the party has a "straight plan". 

"Like PM Modi says, double engine Sarkar -- like interlinking of river projects that will benefit the region. There are a lot of projects where we have benefitted from central government's help," he added.
 

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"No Warranty For Modi's Guarantee": Revanth Reddy On Congress's Chances

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has expressed confidence his party the Congress will win 14 of the 17 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

Mr Reddy became Chief Minister in December 2023 after the Congress defeated K Chandrashekar Rao's Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).

"Every medicine has an expiry date," Mr Reddy told reporters in Karnataka's capital Bengaluru during an informal interaction, adding Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lose the Lok Sabha elections 2024.

The Chief Minister did not tell whether his confidence comes from the party winning the assembly election in the southern state.

The BJP and its ideological mentor Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) have been against the well-being and development of southern states, the Chief Minister alleged.

"There is no warranty for Modi's guarantees," Mr Reddy said.

He dared the Opposition BRS to win even a single seat in the Lok Sabha elections.

The BJP may stand to gain from the votes that the BRS will lose, but the Congress will still be able to take at least 14 seats, Mr Reddy said.

He said the Congress party, unlike the BJP and the RSS that have been discriminating against southern states, has always been inclusive by appointing leaders from these states to key cabinet and party positions, even when the Congress had swept the Hindi heartland.

Though Mr Reddy criticised Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM of allegedly colluding with the BJP to polarise voters during election season, he admitted that in a city as Hyderabad where terror groups have tried to radicalise young Muslims, the presence of a political party as AIMIM helped in containing radicalisation.

Mr Reddy recently campaigned in Kerala too. He said the BJP will likely be restricted to a maximum of 20 among the 130 seats in the southern states. In the northern states, the BJP's numbers will decrease from what it had got in 2019.

The elections are being held in seven phases. Votes will be counted on June 4.

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Lived In A Hostel And Tried To Escape Mess Food? This Video Needs Your Attention

One of the biggest drawbacks of living in a hostel has always been surviving with limited (good) food options. Sounds relatable? Now, an Instagram user has thrown light on a similar situation by sharing a glimpse of his hostel food. Suganth dropped a video, wherein he was served a South Indian meal by his hostel mess. What was on the menu? Deep-fried "vadai" with coconut chutney and sambhar. In the clip, Suganth can be seen squeezing the sambhar-soaked vadai with his hand. But surprisingly, instead of sambhar, we could see a more-than-necessary amount of oil dripping from the vadai. TBH, the sambhar and the chutney look super watery. The text, on the video, read, "Hostel food," with a woozy face emoticon. Sharing the clip, Suganth in the caption wrote, "My Hostel Vadai..."

Also Read: Dietician Reveals Shocking Truth About India's Favourite Tea-Time Treat – Rusk Biscuits

Watch the full video of oil-loaded vadai below:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by 𝑺𝒖𝒈𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒉💙 (@life_of_suganth)

It seems the Internet could very well relate to Suganth. So far, the video has amassed more than 37 million views. Several people have also shared their experiences in the comments. 

A comment read, "Same problem with my company's food."

Many pointed out the health conditions that such food could cause, as a user said, "99 missed calls from a heart attack."

A few called it, "Dangerous food in the world."

Another jokingly commented, "Continue like this for 1 month taking oil out of wada then boom you will have an oil factory in your room and can give rations also."

"Cholesterol: I'm coming," wrote a person.

"There is some vada in your oil," joked another

Some claimed that the amount of oil that came out of the vadai was enough for them to prepare a proper meal, as a comment read, "I can cook kg chicken with that oil."

Another read, "What is this, it seems you can make 5 dosa using oil to come from that Vada."

Also Read: Viral Video Of Watermelon Chicken Biryani Leaves Internet Divided

Have you also experienced something similar?

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1st Time In History! SRH Go On Rampage vs DC, Score World Record 125 In...

The SunRisers Hyderabad batters came out all guns blazing against Delhi Capitals in the IPL 2024. Travis Head (89, 32b) and Abhishek Sharma (46, 12b) went on a rampage against DC at their home-ground as they threatened to slam new records with their batting. And they did break records. Thanks to their fiery knocks, SRH reached 125 in six overs. This is the first time in the history of T20 cricket that any team has reached 125-mark in the power-play of a T20 innings. 

For a team, which has slammed the two highest scores in the history of the IPL this year, there were high  expectations. But even by their own high standards, what SRH achieved on Saturday was beyond imagination.  

Highest powerplay scores in the IPL
125/0 - SRH vs DC, 2024
105/0 - KKR vs RCB, 2017
100/2 - CSK vs PBKS, 2014
90/0 - CSK vs MI, 2015
88/1 - KKR vs DC, 2024

SRH also broke their own record for best score in the first 10 overs of an inninsg in the IPL.

Highest scores after first 10 overs in IPL
158/4 - SRH vs DC, Delhi, today*
148/2 - SRH vs MI, Hyderabad, 2024
141/2 - MI vs SRH, Hyderabad, 2024
135/1 - KKR vs DC, Vizag, 2024

Talking about the game, Delhi Capitals (DC) skipper Rishabh Pant won the toss and elected to bowl first against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the 35th encounter of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 at the Arun Jaitely Stadium on Saturday.

The Hyderabad-based franchise have displayed good performance in the 17th season of the IPL. Currently, Pat Cummins' side is in fourth place on the points table with eight points and a net run rate of +0.502. SRH clinched a 25-run win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in their last match of the tournament.

"We're going to bowl first. Wicket looks pretty good, we would like to chase because we are playing more as a batting unit. We have more batters. Maybe there will be dew. The only thing we said is 'stay in the contest'. Yes they've been playing really good cricket but you can't let them get away with it. Ground doesn't matter, end of the day you have to play good cricket. We're looking to improve each and every match. Instead of Sumit, Lalit comes in. Instead of Ishant, who had a back spasm just 5 minutes back, Nortje comes in," Pant said after winning the toss.

SRH skipper skipper Pat Cummins said that they are going with the same team.

"We were thinking of having a bowl first as well, looks like a good wicket. The way the boys have been batting, we know teams are going to come hard at us. Same batting lineup, we'll have a look at the bowling a little later on," Cummins said.

With ANI inputs

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Repolling At 11 Manipur Polling Stations After Gunfire, EVMs Destroyed

Manipur chief electoral officer on Saturday announced repolling at 11 polling stations in the Inner Manipur Lok Sabha constituency on April 22.

The decision follows a directive from the Election Commission to declare the polls held at these stations on April 19 as null and void and schedule fresh polling.

The affected polling stations are Moirangkampu Sajeb and Thongam Leikai in the Khurai constituency, four in Kshetrigao and one in Thongju in Imphal East district and three in Uripok and one in Konthoujam in Imphal West district, the official said.

Incidents of firing, intimidation, destruction of EVMs at some polling booths and allegations of booth capturing were reported from conflict-hit Manipur that recorded a turnout of 72 per cent in the two Lok Sabha constituencies - Inner Manipur and Outer Manipur - on Friday.

Earlier in the day, the Congress had demanded repoll in 47 polling stations alleging that booths were captured and elections were rigged.

Manipur Congress president K Meghachandra said the party had lodged a complaint with the Chief Electoral Officer demanding repoll in 36 polling stations in the Inner Manipur constituency and 11 in the Outer Manipur constituency.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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UP Man Books Cab From Salman Khan's Home Under Gangster's Name, Arrested

A 20-year-old man has been arrested for booking a cab from Bollywood superstar Salman Khan's home in the name of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, said police on Friday.

According to Mumbai police, the accused has been identified as Rohit Tyagi, a 20-year-old man from Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh.

Sharing details, police said that the accused had booked a cab in the name of Lawrence Bishnoi from Galaxy Apartment, the house of actor Salman Khan, to the Bandra Police Station.

"When the cab driver reached Galaxy Apartment at Salman Khan's house and asked the watchman there about the booking, the watchman who was stunned at first, immediately informed about the booking to the nearby Bandra Police Station," said police.

Acting on the same, Bandra Police of Mumbai interrogated the cab driver and tracked the information about the person who booked the cab online.

"The person who booked the cab turned out to be a 20-year-old student from Ghaziabad, identified as Rohit Tyagi," said the police.

The police further said that during the investigation it was revealed that the accused had booked the cab in the name of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi as a prank.

The police registered a case against the accused and arrested him from Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh.

He was thereafter brought Mumbai and presented before the court after which he was sent to the custody of Bandra Police for two days.

Further details into the matter are awaited.

Earlier, on Tuesday, Kutch Police arrested the two accused persons and handed them to the Mumbai Crime Branch. Later, a city court sent the two accused to the custody of the Mumbai Crime Branch until April 25 in connection with the firing incident.

The accused, identified as Vicky Gupta (24) and Sagar Pal (21) from Bihar, were presented before the court after a medical examination.

The two men, who came on a motorbike, fired four rounds outside the Galaxy Apartments, where the actor resides, around 5 am on Sunday morning and fled.CCTV footage showed that both accused sported caps and carried backpacks.

The clip also showed them firing in the direction of the actor's home.

After the arrest of the accused, Kutch DSP AR Zankant said preliminary investigations revealed that the accused were in contact with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.

Notably, since November 2022, Salman Khan's security level has been elevated to Y-Plus after threats from gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar.

The actor was also authorised to carry a personal firearm and has also acquired a new armoured vehicle for added protection.

On Monday, Salman's brother Arbaaz Khan issued a statement on the family's behalf, saying they all have been affected due to the 'disturbing' firing incident.

He also shared that the family was fully cooperating with the Mumbai Police in the ongoing probe into the incident.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Warning Of "Weather Wars" Amid Debate Around Cloud Seeding And Dubai Rain

A leading weather experts has warned of "weather wars" between countries if cloud seeding gets out of hand. In a statement, Johan Jaques, a senior meteorologist at environmental technology company KISTERS, has warned if unintended consequences when technology is used to alter the weather. The comment comes as theories claiming Dubai's torrential rainfall was caused by cloud seeding are doing the rounds on the internet. The practice, in which planes inject clouds with chemicals, was introduced in the 1940s especially in areas with little rainfall, or in case of prolonged dry spell.

But several experts don't agree with the theory that cloud seeding was responsible, and the theory has caused a debate in the community.

Still, Mr Jaques thinks there could be diplomatic consequences and subsequent "weather wars" is cloud seeding is allowed to proliferate.

"Cloud seeding aims to enhance and accelerate the precipitation process. Especially in areas which have not seen any rain over a long time, such intense precipitation can lead to infiltration excess flow, with potential flash floods as a result," the meteorologist said in a statement, as per Newsweek.

"The Dubai floods act as a stark warning of the unintended consequences we can unleash when we use such technology to alter the weather. Additionally, we have little control over the aftermath of cloud seeding. Where exactly is it going to be raining effectively? Using techniques such as cloud seeding to bring much-needed rainfall in one area can cause flash floods and droughts in another," Mr Jaques further said.

There is no evidence to suggest that rain in Dubai was caused by cloud seeding. A UAE government agency that oversees the process has denied that any such operations took place before the storm.

The UAE state news agency late on Wednesday carried a statement from President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan saying he had ordered authorities to assess the damage and provide support to families impacted by the storm.

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Preity Zinta Breaks Silence On Viral 'Will Bet Life To Get Rohit' Quote

Rohit Sharma is now a hot topic in IPL 2024. Since, he was replaced by Hardik Pandya as Mumbai Indians captain there has been speculation over his future with the franchise. While there have reports claiming he might leave the five-time IPL champions ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, there has been no official confirmation. In the midst of this an alleged quote of Punjab Kings co-owner Preity Zinta went viral. In the quotes, social media handle claimed that Zinta said, she would 'bet her life' to get Rohit Sharma in her team. 

Preity Zinta has now broken silence on the quote and has said it's fake.   

"#Fakenews ! All these articles are completely fake & baseless. I hold Rohit Sharma in very high regard & am a big fan of his, but I have NEVER DISCUSSED him in any interview nor made this STATEMENT !

"I also have a lot of respect for Shikhar Dhawan & he being currently injured , makes these articles appear in very poor taste. These articles are a perfect example of how misinformation is picked up without any verification & circulated online. I humbly request all Media to refrain from circulating this & embarrassing all concerned parties ?? All I want to say is that we have a great team currently & our only focus is to win games & make the most out of #IPL2024  Thank you. @PunjabKingsIPL"

#Fakenews ! All these articles are completely fake & baseless. I hold Rohit Sharma in very high regard & am a big fan of his, but I have NEVER DISCUSSED him in any interview nor made this STATEMENT ! I also have a lot of respect for Shikhar Dhawan & he being currently injured ,... pic.twitter.com/VYbyV4eqHU

— Preity G Zinta (@realpreityzinta) April 19, 2024

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