Congress leader moves over BJP's poster on Rahul Gandhi
Jaipur (PTI): A Congress leader has filed a petition in a court against BJP national president JP Nadda and party's IT cell incharge Amit Malviya over a social media post by the saffron party, showing party leader Rahul Gandhi as 'a new age Ravan'.
In his petition, general secretary of Congress' Rajasthan unit, Jaswant Gurjar, has pleaded that a case be registered against both BJP leaders under IPC Section 499 (false imputation against another person), 500 (defamation), 504 (intentional insult).
Gurjar has filed the petition at Jaipur Metropolitan Court-11. The court has decided to hear the arguments on the plea on October 9.
A photograph of Gandhi morphed as Ravan in a poster put out from the Bharatiya Janata Party's official handle on X has stirred a controversy, triggering strong criticism from the Congress, which has called it "unacceptable" and "downright dangerous".
"The petition has been admitted by the court and the hearing for the case has been scheduled on October 9," Gurjar said.
"The accused publicised the post deliberately with ill-intention on October 5 and the aim of the accused is to insult and to harm the goodwill of Congress and people associated with it and to make political gains," the plea said.
The petition said that the BJP leaders deliberately presented Gandhi as anti-Ram and anti-religion to instigate people against him.
The petitioner has pleaded before the court to get the statements of both the accused recorded and get the matter investigated.
The Congress party has protested against the poster at several places across the country.
The poster showed Gandhi with several heads, with the title "Bharat Khatre Mein Hai - A Congress party production. Directed by George Soros".
The post by the BJP accompanying the poster said, "The new age Ravan is here. He is evil. Anti-Dharma. Anti-Ram. His aim is to destroy Bharat."
Soros, a Hungarian-born American financier, philanthropist, and activist, had come under fire from the BJP after he made critical comments on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the wake of a report by US short-seller Hindenburg Research on the Adani Group.
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Mohammed Shami could be flown to Australia after taking 4 in 19 overs on Ranji comeback
New Delhi, Nov 14: The beleaguered Indian team could get the Mohammed Shami boost during the challenging Australia tour after the pace-bowling stalwart made an impressive comeback from injury by grabbing four wickets in a Ranji Trophy match on Thursday.
Playing his first red-ball game in more than a year, Shami, who represents Bengal, bowled four spells across 57 overs in Madhya Pradesh's first innings and returned with figures of 19-4-54-4.
His victims included MP skipper Shubham Sharma, all-rounder Saransh Jain and two tail-enders, with three of the four batters being bowled while one edged to keeper Wriddhiman Saha.
While this is great news for the Indian team, it is understood that the national selection committee will look at how his body holds up in the second innings as well and whether there is any swelling or pain at the end of the contest, being played at the Holkar Stadium in Indore.
If he ticks all the boxes, it is almost assured that he will join forces with pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah before the second Test, which will be a day/night affair.
The Ranji Trophy match ends on November 16 and he could join the squad before the first Test, beginning in Perth on November 22, but that could be cutting it too fine.
In case Shami goes, he will get to play a two-day day/night practice game against Prime Minister's XI.
More than the wickets he took on Thursday, the team management and national selection committee along with the BCCI's Sports Science & Medical Team want to check how his body holds up.
Shami, who has not played a competitive game after the ODI World Cup final on November 19 last year, had undergone an ankle surgery. Just when he was about to return for the three-Test series against New Zealand, the senior fast bowler developed a swelling in his knee delaying his comeback.
It is understood that despite naming an 18-member squad for Australia, the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee and the team management would include Shami the moment the BCCI's head of Medical and Sports Science team, Dr Nitin Patel, declares him fit.
A Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) source told PTI that national selection committee member Ajay Ratra had specifically come along with NCA medical team head Patel to watch Shami bowl. Their feedback will be sent to chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar, captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Gautam Gambhir before a final call is taken.
A BCCI source said, "Obviously, Shami was asked to play this game keeping in mind that the next round of Ranji Trophy will only start on January 23 after the Test season is over.
"So, the selectors had only one match to check his fitness. He has bowled 19 overs in multiple spells and fielded for most part of the 57 overs. He bowled 90 dot balls. But he will again have to bowl and field (in the second innings). Suppose he bowls another 15 to 18 overs in the second innings, that's a very decent amount of overs bowled.
"But the biggest test would be whether he again feels any pain after four days. If the NCA medical team green-lights his fitness, obviously he will join before the second Test," the BCCI source added.
