Brad Hodge trolled for dig on Kohli's commercial video
New Delhi: Former Australia batsman Brad Hodge found himself at the receiving end of social media troll Saturday after he took a dig at India captain Virat Kohli for featuring in a commercial for cosmetics along with Rishabh Pant.
Kohli and Pant recently starred in an advertisement for a company to promote face care products. The two brand ambassadors of the company were seen grooving about the benefits of the product. The advertisement went viral instantly with a lot of fans liking it.
Hodge joined the bandwagon and took a dig at Kohli.
"Amazing what people do for money," he commented on the advertisement video.
Hodge's comments did not go down well with a lot of Kohli's fans who slammed the former Kings XI Punjab head coach, reminding him of the infamous ball-tampering scandal of the Australian team in South Africa last year.
Several fans also referred to a video of Steve Smith dancing for some advertisements during the Indian Premier League.
The furore forced Hodge to clarify his comment with another tweet, saying he was not speaking in a negative tone.
"Amazing how brutal people are in response. So negative and glass half full. I was not speaking in a negative tone. I would do the same if asked and paid," wrote the 44-year-old Hodge who played six Tests and 25 ODIs between 2005 to 2008.
Amazing what people do for money
— Brad Hodge (@bradhodge007) May 16, 2019
Yeah. Anything for ?https://t.co/BMoTtYlCVn
— Nitesh Khandelwal (@k_nitzz23) May 17, 2019
Amazing what people do to win games #sandpaper
— King kohli⚔️ (@Kingkalyann) May 17, 2019
Don't know why Australian are getting worked over by an ad meant for indian people, they come every year in India and earn $ .
— Deval Shah (@DevalShah555) May 17, 2019
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.
CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
