Dubai: Sheikha Hend bint Faisal Al Qasimi, a princess from the royal family of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), responded strongly to a tweet by Sudarshan TV's Editor-in-chief, Suresh Chavhanke, regarding secularism. Chavhanke claimed that passengers were left waiting outside a bus in the UAE because the Muslim driver was performing prayers.

Chavhanke, known for his far-right extremist ideology, alleged that passengers had to endure the heat while the Muslim driver prayed inside an air-conditioned bus. In response, Sheikha Hend bint Faisal Al Qasimi shared a tweet from the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) that clarified the incident. According to the RTA, the bus was outside its operational hours at the time, and for safety reasons, no one is allowed to enter the bus before or after the scheduled trip.

Sheikha Hend bint Faisal Al Qasimi strongly criticized Chavhanke, emphasizing that the UAE is not a secular country and urged him to have accurate information. She supported the bus driver, stating that he was praying after work hours in a Muslim country that embraces religious tolerance. She further highlighted that the driver was not engaging in harmful actions such as evicting people from their homes or businesses, unlike certain neo-Nazis who continue to perpetrate such acts. She concluded by advising Chavhanke to learn how to respect others who do not share his religion or political beliefs, drawing from the principles of peace in her own faith.

Chavhanke has a history of making Islamophobic remarks, amounting to hate speeches, on his television channel and other public platforms. His inflammatory statements have the potential to incite disharmony and communal tension.

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Mumbai, May 16: Anita Goyal, wife of Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal who played a key role in the management of the now-grounded airline, died here on Thursday. She was 70.

Ailing for quite some time, she died at a private hospital in the city, sources said. She is survived by husband Naresh and two children, daughter Namrata and son Nivaan Goyal.

The last rites of Anita were performed around 2 pm at the Chandanwadi crematorium in Marine Lines area. Family members and friends including industrialist Anil Ambani, Bollywood actor Shabana Azmi and her lyricist husband Javed Akhtar were present at the crematorium besides some former employees of Jet Airways, sources said.

Anita had served as non-executive vice president and a board member of Jet Airways which was grounded in April 2019 amid acute liquidity crunch after flying for 25 years.

She was in charge of key areas of revenue management and network planning at the airline when it was operational.

A former employee who had worked closely with Anita Goyal told PTI that she was completely involved in the day-to-day functioning of Jet Airways.

"Anita also used to hold meetings with representatives of aircraft makers, Boeing and Airbus, as part of her role as vice president," he said.

The Goyals stepped down from their respective positions at the airline on March 25, 2019.

In 2023, both Anita and Naresh Goyal were named as accused in a money laundering case registered by the Enforcement Directorate. Naresh, once a high-flying tycoon, was arrested, and is currently on interim bail on medical grounds; Anita was never arrested.

Jet Airways is undergoing an insolvency resolution process but the final handing over of the bankrupt carrier to the winning bidder is facing legal hurdles.