'When the Chief Fell in Love', to release tomorrow
Mumbai: An unusual fictional romantic novel, "When the Chief Fell in Love: Kashmiriyat, Jamhooryiat, Insaniyat. Hindustaniyat," has sparked a guessing game on its underlying political message, its author Tuhin A. Sinha said here on Tuesday.
Scheduled to be released on February 14, Sinha unveiled the name and covered through social media network and kicked off a raging debate on the content and possibly, a political message, since he is the Bharatiya Janata Party's Mumbai spokesperson.
"The slogan - aKashmiriyat, Jamhooriyat, Insaniyat' was first coined by then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee in 2003 and it struck an instant chord with the people of Jammu & Kashmir. By adding 'Hindustaniyat' to the original slogan, I hope a new perspective is given to the burning issue (of J&K) in the present context," Sinha told IANS.
Giving a sneak peek into the storyline, Sinha said it revolved around the life and travails of Vihaan Shastri, India's young and dynamic defense minister who comes under attack after 20 soldiers are killed during a terror strike in Jammu & Kashmir.
While the country bays for bloody revenge, Shastri battles a strange distraction: Zaira Bhat, the woman he once loved, who suddenly returns to his life after 12 years, amidst a web of extraordinary situations and twisted quirks of fate.
The unfolding scenario is indeed extraordinary and sensitive -- for, he is the country's defense minister, and his long-lost love Zaira is the daughter of none other than the reviled Bilal Mohammad Bhat, Jammu & Kashmir's leading and most wanted, Pro-Pakistani separatist leader.
"The plot revolved around whether Shastri is capable of pulling off this a double coup -- can he win the love of his life and also save Jammu & Kashmir which is on edge," Sinha said.
Sinha's ninth book in his writing career which started in 2006, "When the Chief Fell in Love" (246 pages) is published by Fingerprint Publishing.
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Punjab CM condemns attack on Sukhbir Badal, lauds cops for prompt action
Chandigarh (PTI): Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann strongly condemned the attack on Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal, who was fired at while performing 'sewa' outside the Golden Temple on Wednesday morning, and directed police to investigate the incident.
The chief minister also lauded the promptness of the Punjab Police in nabbing the attacker.
The man missed Badal as he was overpowered by police. The audacious attack was captured on cameras of media persons who had gathered outside the Sikh shrine to cover the second day of Badal's penance for "mistakes" committed by the SAD government in Punjab from 2007 to 2017.
"Punjab Police prevented a major incident from happening today. It is the result of the promptness of the Punjab Police that the conspiracy to defame Punjab and Punjabis has failed," Mann said in a post on X.
"The police achieved great success by arresting the assailant on the spot with their promptness... I strongly condemn the attack on Sukhbir Badal ji. I have issued strict instructions to the police to immediately investigate the incident and submit a report," he added.
Police identified the shooter as Narain Singh Chaura, a resident of Dera Baba Nanak. After the attack, he was whisked away by security officials.
Television footage showed the shooter slowly walking towards Badal, who was sitting in a wheelchair due to a fractured leg, and pulling out a gun from his pocket. A police official in plainclothes standing near Badal quickly intervened and grabbed the attacker's hands. In the melee, a bullet hit the wall behind Badal, who escaped unhurt.
