Opposition leaders slam Jay Shah over tricolour video
New Delhi, Aug 29: Video footage of BCCI secretary Jay Shah appearing to turn down an offer to wave the national flag after India beat Pakistan in a thrilling cricket match at the Asia Cup in Dubai on Sunday has sparked a controversy, with Opposition leaders taking a dig at him.
Several Congress leaders shared the video footage on social media and slammed Shah, who is Union Home Minister Amit Shah's son.
Tagging the footage of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary appearing to turn down an offer to wave the flag, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh tweeted in Hindi: "I have papa, keep the tricolour with you."
Congress leader Ajoy Kumar also tweeted the footage and wrote in Hindi: "Looks like the tricolour was of 'Khadi'... not of 'polyester'!"
Congress's Karnataka MLA Priyank Kharge asked why would Jay Shah refuse to wave the tricolour after India's victory against Pakistan.
"Any Indian would have done so reflexively. Did he want the Bhagwa Dhwaja or BJP flag?" he asked.
The Congress has been strongly criticising an amendment of the flag code under which the national flag can now be made of polyester and with the help of machines.
Shiv Sena's Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said "staying neutral as ACC (Asian Cricket Council) president doesn't at any point mean being disrespectful to any nation's flag, especially your own...."
In another tweet, Chaturvedi said the tricolour in hand is a symbol of the resolve and loyalty to the nation and to "dismiss" it in this way is an "insult" to the country's 133 crore population.
Tagging the video, Trinamool Congress (TMC) general secretary Abhishek Banerjee tweeted: "The prodigal prince knows not of national pride. Jay Shah not wanting to hold the national flag is symptomatic of the larger hypocrisy of the ruling dispensation. They indulge in theatrics, lack values. Excel in jumlas, lack patriotism."
Commenting on the video, TMC leader Derek O'Brien said: "Dear Amit Shah, please tell the nation whether this act infuriates you? Whether the act hurts your nationalistic sentiments? Or, will this act be forgiven only because he's your son?"
"We are not looking for excuses. We are looking for concrete answers. Sincerely, an angry Indian," he said.
TMC spokesperson Saket Gokhale said the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has argued that Jay Shah did not hold the tricolour because he was there as the ACC president and was following protocol.
"The same BJP hounded former VP Hamid Ansari when he (correctly by protocol) didn't salute the flag during Republic Day parade as he wasn't wearing headgear," Gokhale said.
Hardik Pandya came up with a special all-round effort as India held their nerves to pull off an exciting five-wicket win over Pakistan in the match.
Now why would @JayShah refuse to wave the tricolor after an India victory against Pakistan? Any Indian would have done so reflexively.
— Priyank Kharge / ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕ್ ಖರ್ಗೆ (@PriyankKharge) August 28, 2022
Did he want the Bhagwa Dhwaja or BJP flag? pic.twitter.com/UAHzfqmorJ
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Family of injured driver in murder of Suvendu's aide seeks exemplary punishment
Kolkata (PTI): The family of Buddhabeb Bera, the driver injured in the shooting that killed BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari's close aide Chandranath Rath, demanded exemplary punishment for those responsible and urged the new government to ensure such incidents do not happen in West Bengal.
Rath was shot dead in Madhyamgram near Kolkata on Wednesday night, triggering a political storm in the state. Bera, who was driving the vehicle at the time of the attack, sustained gunshot wounds and is currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital.
Family members said they learned about the incident through television and immediately left for Kolkata.
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"We came to know from TV reports that my nephew had been shot. We still do not know who carried out the attack or why it happened," Buddhabeb's uncle Biswajit Bera said.
"Our only wish now is that he recovers and returns home safely," he added.
Buddhabeb, 25, hails from Majnaberia village in the Chandipur police station area in Purba Medinipur district.
According to family members, he mostly stays in Kolkata for work and visits home occasionally during weekends.
Besides his parents, his younger brother, sister-in-law and several relatives have also travelled to Kolkata following the incident.
Demanding strict action against the perpetrators, the uncle said, "We want the government to conduct a proper investigation and identify those directly involved in the crime. They should be given exemplary punishment so that such incidents do not happen again in West Bengal and no other family has to go through this grief."
A neighbour, Ranjana Ghorai, also sought stringent punishment for those behind the attack.
"In our neighbourhood, we call him Sona. We want exemplary punishment for the people responsible for this incident," she said.
Rath's family members have demanded life imprisonment for the accused, while Adhikari has called for capital punishment for those involved in the killing.
