"There are many Hussain Obamas here", Himanta Sarma's tweet trigger controversy
Assam: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stirred controversy on Friday with a remark following former US President Barack Obama's recent comments on the protection of Muslims in India. Sarma claimed that there are many "Hussain Obamas" in the country and stated that the state police would act according to its priorities. The opposition criticized the Assam Chief Minister's statement.
Sarma's remark came in response to a journalist's tweet regarding Obama's interview with CNN on Thursday, where the former US President mentioned the importance of protecting the Muslim minority in a predominantly Hindu India if he were to meet with US President Joe Biden.
The journalist Rohini Singh's sarcastic tweet questioned whether an FIR (First Information Report) had been filed in Guwahati against Obama for allegedly hurting sentiments. The tweet appeared to allude to the filing of FIRs against opposition leaders in Assam for their remarks in various parts of the country.
In reply, Sarma tweeted, "There are many Hussain Obamas in India itself. We should prioritize taking care of them before considering going to Washington. The Assam police will act according to our own priorities."
Sarma's comment followed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement at a joint White House press conference with President Biden, where he claimed that there is no discrimination in India based on caste or religion, as his government adheres to the Constitution, which is founded on the principles of democracy.
Opposition leaders reacted to Sarma's remark. Congress spokesperson and social media head Supriya Shrinate questioned the Indian government's stance on the matter and referred to Sarma's insinuation about President Obama being Muslim and the need to teach Indian Muslims a lesson.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi also criticized Sarma's tweet, implying that it confirmed the validity of Barack Obama's comments.
Trinamool Congress spokesperson Saket Gokhale highlighted the perceived contradiction between Prime Minister Modi's statement on non-discrimination and Sarma's remark, characterizing it as a veiled threat and exposing the alleged hypocrisy and lies of the Indian government on the international stage.
Barack Obama's comments in the CNN interview expressed concerns that India may face division if the rights of religious and ethnic minorities are not protected. He emphasized the need to safeguard the rights of ethnic minorities in India to prevent potential fragmentation within the country.
The controversial remark made by Chief Minister Sarma has sparked a heated debate, drawing attention to issues of religious tolerance and minority rights in India.
There are many Hussain Obama in India itself. We should prioritize taking care of them before considering going to Washington. The Assam police will act according to our own priorities. https://t.co/flGy2VY1eC
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) June 23, 2023
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IPL mega auction to be held in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia on November 24, 25: BCCI
New Delhi, Nov 5: The mega auction ahead of the Indian Premier League 2025 will be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on November 24 and 25, the BCCI announced on Tuesday.
This is the second successive year the auction is being held overseas as Dubai hosted the previous one ahead of the IPL 2024.
The player registration officially closed on Monday and a total of 1,574 cricketers (1,165 Indian and 409 overseas) have been signed up for the auction, which will clash with the third and fourth day’s play of the first Test between India and Australia in Perth, which begins on November 22.
Each franchise will be able to form a maximum squad of 25 players (including respective retained players), and a total of 204 slots will be up for grabs from the auction.
The list includes 320 capped players, 1,224 uncapped players and 30 players from the Associate Nations.
Among capped players, 48 are from India. Moreover, 965 uncapped players of the country will also be part of the auction.
This year’s auction will feature some high-profile India stars such as Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer and Arshdeep Singh.
The 10 franchises will collectively have around Rs 641.5 crore to spend for the available 204 slots.
Out of those 204 slots, 70 are earmarked for overseas players.
As of now, 46 players have been retained by the 10 franchises with cumulative expenditure of Rs 558.5 crore.
Each franchise was allocated Rs 120 crore to build their squads but after the retention process, which was announced on October 31, Punjab Kings have the biggest purse -- Rs 110.5 crore.
The Punjab outfit retained just two uncapped players -- Shashank Singh and Prabhsimran Singh for Rs 9.5 crore.
Rajasthan Royals, under Sanju Samson, have the smallest purse of Rs 41 crore after retaining six players.
The Kolkata Knight Riders have also retained six players but they have a remaining purse of Rs 51 crore.
