West Bengal governor slammed for 'pushing' Sunil Chhetri during presentation ceremony
Kolkata, Sep 19: Two months into his stint as West Bengal governor, La Ganesan copped national criticism for pushing Indian football talisman Sunil Chhetri, in order to get clicked during the Durand Cup prize distribution ceremony here.
The 38-year-old Indian captain added an elusive Durand Cup title to his illustrious career when he led Bengaluru FC to their maiden crown in Asia's oldest football tournament following a hard-fought 2-1 victory over their Indian Super League rivals Mumbai City FC at the Salt Lake Stadium on Sunday.
But the prize distribution ceremony turned controversial when Chhetri was being pushed by Ganesan while the trophy was being handed over to the player in the presence of state sports minister Aroop Biswas.
Realising that he's not in the "photo frame", Ganesan pushed Chettri and the player obliged.
There has been no response yet from the champions Bengaluru FC or the governor's office, but the incident was widely slammed on various social media platforms.
"Disgraceful," wrote former India opener-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra wrote on his Twitter handle.
"Five seconds that show you everything that's wrong with Indian sport. It seems that they won the Durand Cup, not Sunil Chhetri and Bengaluru FC!," wrote Joy Bhattacharja, a former Kolkata Knight Riders team director.
Sivasakthi Narayanan opened the scoring for Bengaluru early in the first-half but the Islanders drew level through Apuia Ralte ahead of the break.
A magical Chhetri corner then brought up the winner as his delivery floated in with pace for Alan Costa to rise to the occasion and do the needful.
Chhetri has spoken about the importance of Durand Cup in his career.
"Two decades is a bit of a wait, but if it meant doing it in the blue of Bengaluru, then it was worth every season of trying," Chhetri tweeted, posing with the trophy with his wife Sonam.
"Durand Cup Champions - would have been a shame if an Army kid playing football professionally never had the chance to say this. Come on, BFC."
Disgraceful https://t.co/Tus6U5mKfA
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) September 19, 2022
Five seconds that show you everything that's wrong with Indian sport. It's seems that they won the Durand Cup, not Sunil Chhetri and Bengaluru FC! https://t.co/NdRsoKuKWK
— Joy Bhattacharjya (@joybhattacharj) September 19, 2022
Two decades is a bit of a wait, but if it meant doing it in the blue of Bengaluru, then it was worth every season of trying. Durand Cup Champions - would have been a shame if an Army kid playing football professionally never had the chance to say this. 😉
— Sunil Chhetri (@chetrisunil11) September 18, 2022
Come on, BFC! pic.twitter.com/Uw6itY2JKJ
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Suspected drones observed along IB in Jammu's Samba, being engaged: Army
Jammu, May 12 (PTI): Security forces are engaging suspected drones observed along the International Border in Samba district of Jammu region on Monday, an Army said.
This fresh incident of drone activity along the borderline comes barely hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first address to the nation following Operation Sindoor and the meeting of the DGMOs of India and Pakistan.
The Army, however, said there is no need to be alarmed.
“A small number of suspected drones have been observed near Samba in J&K. They are being engaged,” it said.
In the backdrop of the situation, several areas witnessed blackouts in Samba, Kathua, Rajouri, and Jammu.
Lights were switched off at the cave shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi and along its track as a precautionary measure, sources said.
On Monday, talks between the DGMOs were held during which issues related to the continuing commitment that both sides must not fire a single shot or initiate any aggressive or inimical action against each other were discussed, the Indian Army said.
It was also agreed that both sides would consider immediate measures to ensure troop reduction along the borders and in forward areas, it added.
The situation remained largely peaceful across Jammu and Kashmir, with no incidents of ceasefire violation reported along the Indo-Pak border Sunday overnight — marking the first calm night after 18 days of hostilities following the Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 people — mostly tourists — dead.
India and Pakistan on Saturday reached an understanding to cease all firing and military actions on land, air, and sea with immediate effect, following four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes that brought the two countries to the brink of full-scale war.
Eighteen days of intense hostilities following the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, which brought India and Pakistan to the brink of war, ended with a ceasefire that restored calm along the Line of Control, the International Border, and the hinterland in Jammu and Kashmir. The Army thwarted Pakistan’s Hamas-style kamikaze drone attacks during the escalation.
Since the night of April 24, hours after India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, Pakistani troops repeatedly targeted Indian positions along the LoC — beginning in the Kashmir Valley and quickly expanding to the Jammu region.
The latest hostilities began in the northern districts of Kupwara and Baramulla in the Kashmir Valley, before spreading southwards to Rajouri, Poonch, Akhnoor, and the Pargwal sector along the International Border in Jammu district. The firing affected five border districts — Baramulla, Kupwara, Poonch, Rajouri, and Jammu.
The recent round of cross-border firing further undermined the ceasefire agreement reached in February 2021, which has largely been seen as ineffective due to Pakistan’s frequent violations along the 740-km-long LoC.
The April 22 terror attack, which claimed the lives of 26 people — mostly tourists — in Pahalgam’s Baisaran valley, triggered a strong response from the central government.
The India-Pakistan border stretches over 3,300 kilometers, divided into three segments: the International Border (IB), spanning about 2,400 km from Gujarat to Akhnoor in Jammu; the 740-km-long Line of Control (LoC) that divides Jammu and Kashmir; and the 110-km-long Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL), which separates the Siachen Glacier region.
WATCH: OP Sindoor continues. Minutes after PM Speech.
— Rahul Shivshankar (@RShivshankar) May 12, 2025
A small numbers of suspected drones being observed near Samba in J&K. Being engaged . pic.twitter.com/jmGmRkmQ26
