Indian woman wins Rs 7 crore in UAE raffle
Dubai, Aug 20: A 34-year-old Indian woman in the UAE has hit a jackpot by winning a whopping USD 1 million in a raffle here on Tuesday, while another compatriot has won a luxury motorbike in the lottery game, according to a media report.
Beejal O, a Dubai-based Indian national, picked ticket number 4111, which happens to be her apartment number, the Khaleej Times reported.
"I'm truly speechless and I'm beyond grateful. I don't know how to thank Dubai Duty Free for this big surprise," said Beejal, a resident of Dubai for seven years and a regular participant in Dubai Duty Free (DDF) Millennium Millionaire promotion.
The first thought that comes into her mind, after winning USD 1 million, is charity, the report said.
Beejal bought the ticket while travelling to India on July 25. She is now is the 148th Indian national to win in DDF since its inception in 1999, it said.
Four more winners were announced in the Dubai Duty Free Finest Surprise Promotion. Jahanzeb Arif, a Pakistani national won a car.
Another car winner was Annie Espy Dias, a 40-year-old Portuguese national based in the UK.
Shaheen Sheik, a 28-year-old Indian national based in Dubai won a motorbike.
Earlier this month, An Indian farmer, who returned home after failing to find a job in Dubai, won over USD 4 million in raffle, the tickets of which he bought with the money borrowed from his wife.
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Mallikarjun Kharge accuses BJP of misleading house on Vande Mataram, defending Nehru
New Delhi: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday accused BJP leaders of misleading the Rajya Sabha over facts related to Vande Mataram. He asserted that the Congress requires no lessons from the ruling party on nationalism, patriotism, or the national song.
Kharge alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have repeatedly disrespected former Congress leaders, including India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.
Participating in a Rajya Sabha discussion on Vande Mataram, Kharge said the Prime Minister had “misled the House” regarding past correspondence between Nehru and Subhas Chandra Bose. He added that leaders who did not sing Vande Mataram during the freedom struggle are “now singing the national song”.
Kharge said BJP’s allegations against Congress leaders are “far from the truth” and demanded an apology. He argued that the country is facing serious issues, declining rupee value, unemployment and economic stress, which should be prioritised instead of unnecessary controversies.
He criticised attempts to “divert attention” by targeting Nehru, stating that such attacks disrespect not only Nehru but also national icons such as Rabindranath Tagore and Bose, as well as freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives.
Kharge claimed he has been singing Vande Mataram for 60 years and highlighted that the Congress has a long tradition of singing the national song at party conventions, making it an anthem of the freedom struggle. He noted that the Congress Working Committee, including Mahatma Gandhi, Subhas Chandra Bose and Madan Mohan Malviya, had decided to recite only the first two verses.
The Congress chief also accused non-Congress parties of failing to participate in the freedom struggle and said some had even “disrespected the Constitution” by burning copies alongside effigies of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.
He reiterated that Congress has always respected Vande Mataram, recalling that a special postage stamp was released during Indira Gandhi’s tenure to mark the song’s 100th anniversary.
