Pressing lotus button will mean dropping bomb on Pakistan: Uttar Pradesh Deputy CM
Thane: Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya has said voting in favour of the BJP will mean "dropping of a nuclear bomb on Pakistan".
He said the upcoming Maharashtra and Haryana Assembly elections are crucial as these will be the first polls in the country after the abrogation of Article 370, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir.
He was addressing a public gathering in support of BJP candidate Narendra Mehta from Mira Bhayander Assembly segment in Maharashtra's Thane district on Sunday night.
"By pressing the lotus button (BJP's poll symbol), not only Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Narendra Mehta will be benefitted, but it will mean that a nuclear bomb will by itself get dropped on Pakistan," Maurya said.
The entire world will closely watch the upcoming Assembly elections in these two states as it will indicate the real patriotism of Indians, the BJP leader said.
"These will be the first elections to be held in the country after the scrapping of Article 370, hence have immense importance. The results of these polls will reveal people's 'rashtra bhakti' (patriotism)," he said.
So, it is essential for every voter to exercise his/her franchise to make the "right choice", he said.
"The vote you cast will not be for Narendra Mehta alone, but it would be for the leadership of Prime Minister Modi and Chief Minister Fadnavis," Maurya told the gathering.
Taking a dig at the opposition, he said, "Goddess Laxmi does not sit on the palm of hand, bicycle or clock (in an apparent reference to poll symbols of Congress, Samajwadi Party and NCP respectively), but she sits on a lotus, which is a symbol of development."
He said leaders of the opposition Congress and NCP were pained when Defence Minister Rajnath Singh performed 'shastra puja' on the Rafale fighter jet, emblazoned it with an 'Om' and placed lemons under the aircraft's wheels.
He was referring to the last week's handover ceremony of the first Rafale fighter jet acquired by the Indian Air Force from France.
Maurya also said that BJP's rebels and detractors should not be under the impression that they will get 'sympathy votes'.
"They will not get a single vote in this election from sympathisers of the BJP," he added.
Polling in both Maharashtra and Haryana will be held on October 21 and counting of votes will take place on October 24.
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Zubeen Garg's drowning in Singapore highlights vessel operators' responsibility: legal experts
Singapore (PTI): The drowning of Indian singer-composer Zubeen Garg has brought the spotlight on rules and regulations that concern responsibilities of vessel operators when dealing with intoxicated passengers, according to a media report that cited legal experts.
A cultural icon in India’s northeastern region, 52-year-old Garg travelled to Singapore in September 2025 to perform at a live event. A day before his performance, he went on a yacht trip with a group of people. He drowned while swimming in the sea near Lazarus Island, which is a popular diving spot.
His death shook his home state Assam, where millions came out on the streets mourning. Later, police cases were registered against the organiser of the event, his manager and some others.
Nico Lee, managing director of the Triangle Legal law firm, told The Straits Times that Singapore has Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (Port) Regulations under which there are provisions to debar drunk passengers.
The owner, agent or captain of the vessel must not allow persons under the influence of alcohol or drugs onboard if they are intoxicated to a point where they endanger safety of the vessel, its crew or any person in it.
“In terms of civil liability, it could be argued that a yacht captain is negligent, as he owes a prima facie duty of care to guests on board under general negligence principles,” Lee was quoted as saying by the newspaper.
The singer and his entourage of about 15 individuals were partying on a chartered vessel, which they had boarded at Marina at Keppel Bay.
A death certificate issued by the Singapore General Hospital listed his cause of death as drowning.
An autopsy report suggested that Garg had 333 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood in his system, which was four times the legal limit for driving in Singapore and is likely to have impacted his coordination.
Citing Garg’s case, Lee said the circumstances were serious, as the controller of the vessel knew that the guest was intoxicated. Also, he may not have understood or processed a safety briefing for all passengers.
“That combination makes reliance on an ordinary briefing inadequate. If intoxication reaches a level that endangers the safety of the vessel or persons on board, the person in charge should not permit boarding at all,” he said.
According to Lee, the vessel’s operators could also have assigned a crew member to directly supervise him or ensure that he received a one-to-one explanation when he was capable of understanding.
Part of the responsibility could be attributed to the guest if he chose to enter the water and ignore instructions or behave dangerously despite the yacht owner or charterer’s best efforts, Lee said.
Vanessa Sandhu from Clifford Law LLP told The Straits Times that a key question is whether the yacht captain or operator owed a “duty of care” to the passenger and, if so, whether a breach of that duty caused the death.
“A yacht captain and operator generally owe passengers a duty to take reasonable care for their safety while on board, including swimming or water activities. This may include providing safety equipment and issuing appropriate safety instructions,” the daily quoted Sandhu as saying.
“However, the standard of care is an objective one, based on what a reasonable captain or operator would have done in the circumstances. It is not an absolute obligation to prevent all harm,” she said.
During the coroner’s inquiry, the operators of the vessel had said that no one had forced the singer to consume alcohol or enter the water, and that the entire entourage was informed on the yacht about the necessity of wearing life jackets before going for a swim.
A coroner’s inquiry on March 25 ruled Garg’s death as accidental drowning. On April 1, the police said that investigations into the singer's death had concluded, with no evidence of foul play.
However, in Assam, where seven persons were arrested in connection with Garg’s case, and some of them charged with murder, the matter is being heard in the court. All the suspects have denied any wrongdoing.
