It was Indira Gandhi's birth anniversary when India lost World Cup final, says Assam CM
Hyderabad, Nov 22: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday gave a new twist to the ongoing political row over India's loss in the cricket World Cup final, saying that the final was played on Indira Gandhi's birth anniversary.
Sarma, who addressed an election rally here, alleged that the opposition parties are "in cahoots" with those opposed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He said he would like to tell the BCCI that it should ensure in future that a final match is not organised on the day which coincides with the birthday of a Nehru-Gandhi family member.
"That day India vs Australia World Cup match happened. We were winning every game. Lost the final. Then I came and saw. What was that day? Why we lost? We are Hindus and I go according to the day, etc. Then I saw the world cup final was played on such a day which was also Indira Gandhi's birth anniversary," he said.
"The World Cup final was held on Indira Gandhi's birth anniversary and the country lost. That's why, I want to tell the BCCI that if you have a world cup final game, make a calculation. That day should not be linked to the Gandhi family. Otherwise, the country will lose," he said.
He asked the gathering to search on the internet about the day the final match was played which happened to be Indira Gandhi's birth anniversary.
That's why he tells all and the BCCI to ensure that the final "should not be (held on) any birthday of Gandhi family," he said.
"Otherwise, there will be trouble," he said.
Indira Gandhi imposed Emergency in the country, he added.
Sarma, however, did not make any reference to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's comments of "PM means Panauti Modi".
A political row broke out on Tuesday with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi saying "PM means Panauti Modi", insinuating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi brings bad luck, with the BJP denouncing his comment as "shameful and disgraceful" and demanding an apology.
Prime Minister Modi attended the World Cup final in Ahmedabad.
Referring to the row over AIMIM MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi allegedly threatening a police official, Sarma asked the gathering whether anyone would have the courage to "abuse the police" if a BJP government is formed in Telangana.
Sarma, who was addressing the rally at Charminar here, said "appeasement politics" would come to an end in Telangana if a BJP government is formed once.
"I was surprised when somebody showed me this video in the airport. By watching that video, I felt whether democracy is functioning in the country or mughal or razakar rule is still going on in the country," he said.
He alleged that the Congress and the ruling BRS were working to appease one section of society as if others don't exist in the state.
Calling for a change of government in Telangana, he said a BJP government under the leadership of PM Modi should be formed in the state.
Referring to the conflict between Israel and Hamas, he asked whether Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra spoke against Hamas.
"Their fear is that if they speak against Hamas, then the Hamas inside the country would be unhappy with them," he claimed.
On the proposed law to end polygamy in Assam, he said they plan to bring it by February next year.
Sarma also said the name of Hyderabad can be changed as Bhagyanagar "in half an hour" if a BJP government is formed in Telangana though it appears to be a tough task now.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Air India resorts to cost-cutting ways amid 'tough times'; layoffs not anticipated
New Delhi/Mumbai (PTI): Hit hard by Pakistan airspace closure and Iran war, Air India has resorted to cost-cutting measures, including holding back annual increments for staff and asking them to cut discretionary spending as well as non-critical expenditures, warning of "tough times".
On Friday, Air India Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director (CEO & MD) Campbell Wilson told the staff it is going to be a "very, very difficult year" if things don't improve on the Middle East front.
A day after the loss-making airline's board discussed various cost-saving steps, Wilson, along with Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Sanjay Sharma and Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) Ravindra Kumar GP, addressed the employees during a townhall on Friday where the emphasis on the need to keep a close watch on costs.
With higher jet fuel prices due to the West Asia conflict and airspace curbs, the loss-making airline's expenses have spiralled in recent times and against this backdrop, Sharma also told staffers that FY26 has seen a softening in revenue amid heightened external uncertainties.
Calling for a relentless focus on costs in these tough times, Wilson urged employees to suspend discretionary spending, renegotiate rates where feasible, and defer non-critical expenditures.
"There must be a laser-sharp focus on eliminating wastage and leakages," he said.
Stressing the need to tighten the belt for a while, Wilson sounded optimistic that travel demand would rebound and the industry would continue on its upward path.
CHRO Ravindra Kumar told staff that the airline will proceed with variable pay for the last financial year and continue with planned promotions while noting that annual increments will be deferred by at least one quarter.
"We don't anticipate layoffs," he said.
At the airline's board meeting on Thursday, various cost-saving steps, including likely furloughs, were discussed. The Tata Group-owned airline has around 24,000 employees.
Generally, furlough refers to sending staff on unpaid leaves by companies during a tough financial situation.
During the townhall, CFO Sanjay Sharma said while strong revenue growth and fleet expansion drove financial momentum through FY25, FY26 has seen a softening in revenue amid heightened external uncertainties.
Air India has seen around 40 per cent CAGR (Compounded Annual Growth Rate) in revenue between 2022 and 2025, he added.
The airline was acquired by the Tata Group from the government in January 2022.
The Air India CEO mentioned the external challenges being facing the aviation industry as a whole, including the continued closure of Pakistan airspace that is expected to persist for the foreseeable future and geopolitical conflicts leading to disruptions and airspace closures across West Asia.
Wilson, who is set to step down later this year, also flagged a sharp depreciation of the rupee and a 2.5-3 times increase in jet fuel prices, and added that these factors have adversely affected travel sentiment and consumer confidence, as per the sources.
If the Strait of Hormuz opens, oil prices fall and consumer as well as business confidence come back, there is a decent chance of a solid recovery, Wilson said, adding that unless those circumstances happen, it was going to be "a very, very difficult year".
"I feel somewhat responsible that we ended up with probably the biggest surprise of the year in the external environment which was a full-scale war in our neighbouring region in the Gulf. That has had a huge impact on airspace," he said.
For Air India, Wilson said the situation is compounded by the fact that the airline cannot fly over the neighbouring country and has to take a much longer routing for any west-bound destination.
"Every airline is reporting that they are under some sort of financial pressure as a result of higher fuel prices and economic uncertainty. So, it is unfortunately not a great environment to be running an airline," the Air India CEO said.
The Air India Group -- Air India and Air India Express -- is projected to have incurred more than Rs 22,000 crore loss in the financial year ended March 2026.
At the townhall, Wilson also highlighted various initiatives, including completion of the retrofit of its legacy narrow-body aircraft and rapid network optimisation to redeploy capacity more efficiently.
