Don't fall in love over Facebook: Hamid Ansari who spent 6 years in Pakistani jail tells youngsters
Mumbai, Dec 21: Having spent almost six years in a Pakistani jail, software engineer Hamid Nihal Ansari's advice to youth is simple: Don't fall in love over Facebook.
He should know. It was on Facebook that he fell in love with a girl from Pakistan, went there to prevent her 'forced' marriage and before he could meet her, was arrested and jailed.
That was six years ago. Thursday, as he reached his home in suburban Mumbai, he was in a reflective mood.
"Never hide anything from your parents. Only your parents stand by your side in testing times. And never resort to any illegal means to go to any place," Ansari told media.
His tale is a lesson for several youngsters, who have experienced a new wave of freedom with the world of internet and social media.
Asked what advice will he give to people who fall in love on Facebook, Ansari said, "Don't take (that) risk. Don't fall in love. Don't fall in love by trusting (what is on) Facebook."
As Ansari and his family reached their fourth-floor flat in Versova after their arrival from Delhi Thursday morning, they were greeted by their neighbours who had decorated the gate with Welcome Hamid written on it with a blue ribbon.
He said the news of his release came as a bolt from the blue. "At 6.30 am on Tuesday, the (jail) deputy superintendent came to me and said you have half an hour to be ready (for release).
"I was very excited and decided not to waste a single moment. I changed my clothes, put on my shoes and sat in the vehicle. The convoy was ready (for my journey)," he said.
Ansari was arrested in Pakistan in 2012 for allegedly entering that country from Afghanistan reportedly to meet a woman he had befriended online. Pakistan slapped espionage charges against him. He was repatriated on Tuesday and handed over to India at the Wagah-Attari border.
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Odisha: BJD suspends 6 MLAs for cross-voting in RS polls
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Bhubaneswar (PTI): The Biju Janata Dal on Saturday suspended six of its MLAs for cross-voting during the recent election to four Rajya Sabha seats from Odisha.
The suspended legislators were Chakramani Kanhar of Baliguda seat, Naba Kishor Mallick of Jayadev constituency, Souvic Biswal of Choudwar-Cuttack, Subasini Jena of Basta, Ramakanta Bhoi of Tirtol and Devi Ranjan Tripathy of Banki, an order by party chief Naveen Patnaik showed.
The suspension decision was taken at the opposition party's Political Affairs Committee (PAC) meeting presided over by Patnaik.
The six MLAs were issued a show-cause notice on March 17.
They submitted their replies on Friday evening, and those were found not satisfactory, said the BJD's chief whip in the Assembly, Pramila Mallik.
The ruling BJP won two of the four Rajya Sabha seats while the opposition BJD and a saffron party-backed Independent candidate bagged one seat each in the biennial polls held last Monday.
While the total number of BJP legislators and Independent MLAs supporting the ruling party was 82 in the 147-member House, the saffron party candidates secured 93 first preference votes, which was 11 more than its strength in the Assembly.
Of these 11 votes, eight were of BJD MLAs and three of Congress legislators, an official had said.
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