“Some things must remain sacred or we become Taliban”
Anand Mahindra takes on Pragya Thakur over Godse remark
Mumbai: Industrialist Anand Mahindra Friday said Mahatma Gandhi's legacy is "sacred" to us, and equated attempts to damage the same with the Taliban militia's acts of destroying statues in Afghanistan.
Mahindra's comments in a tweet come amid a controversy stoked by BJP's Bhopal candidate Pragya Thakur, a terror accused, praising Gandhi's killer Nathuram Godse as a patriot.
"For 75 years, India's been the land of the Mahatma; a beacon when the world lost its morality. We used to be pitied for being poor but we were always rich since Bapu inspired billions globally," the outspoken industrialist, who chairs the diversified USD 20 billion group, said.
"Some things must remain sacred. Or we become the Taliban, destroying statues that sustain us," he said, without naming Pragya or referring explicitly top her comments.
The tweet was retweeted by over 6,000 users in a matter of hours, including by Niti Aayog chief executive Amitabh Kant.
During an election rally in Madhya Pradesh, Thakur had Thursday said "Godse was a patriot, is a patriot, and will remain a patriot. Those who call him a terrorist should look within they will get a reply in this election."
The remarks, a reaction to actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan's comments calling Godse as the first Hindu terrorist, led to a widespread criticism, including from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Thakur, who is facing trial in the Malegaon blast case that killed six people, has apologised for the statement.
Economist Rathin Roy, a member of the Prime Minister's economic advisory council, questioned if an apology is enough and called on all the political parties to come out against her statements.
"I must speak as a citizen. She abuses martyr Karkare, celebrates the assassin of Gandhi. She is a Lok Sabha Candidate? Politicians from all parties not mobilising to end this? Apology is enough? Your silence is complicity. Act together to save the republic. If you can," he said on the micro-blogging site.
For 75 yrs,India’s been the land of the Mahatma;a beacon when the world lost its morality.We used to be pitied for being poor but we were always rich since Bapu inspired billions globally.Some things must remain sacred.Or we become the Taliban,destroying statues that sustain us
— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) May 17, 2019
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Three dead after drinking country liquor in Meerut, police initiate probe
Meerut (UP) (PTI): Three people died under suspicious circumstances after consuming country liquor in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. Preliminary probe has not confirmed if they died due to the quality of alcohol, officials said on Saturday.
All three vomited and had abdominal pain after drinking the liquor on Friday evening and were rushed to a hospital where they were declared dead. A post-mortem will determine the exact cause of death, they said.
According to the police, Baburam (60), a grocery shop owner, Jitendra (35), who worked at his shop and Ankit alias Daulat (40), purchased liquor in the evening from a government-authorised country liquor outlet and began drinking at the spot.
Shortly after drinking the liquor, the health of all three deteriorated, and they began complaining of vomiting and abdominal pain.
The three were rushed to a private hospital, where doctors declared Jitendra and Ankit dead, while Baburam passed away during treatment.
Additional Director General (ADG) of Police for the Meerut Zone, Bhanu Bhaskar, District Magistrate VK Singh, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Avinash Pandey, and District Excise Officer Pradeep Kumar reached the spot and initiated an investigation.
SSP Avinash Pandey said that preliminary investigations have not confirmed whether the liquor was "toxic or expired". The bottling date was found to be February 11, 2026, and other bottles from the same batch received no such complaints.
He added that a post-mortem will determine the exact cause of death. Personnel from the Health, Forensic, Surveillance, and Intelligence teams have been constituted to investigate the matter.
Following the incident, the family members created a ruckus at the hospital. Police said further action would be taken based on the findings of the investigation.
