After controversial 'hand' remark, Hegde mocks Dinesh Gundu Rao
Bengaluru, Jan 27: Union minister Ananth Kumar Hegde Monday referred to Karnataka Congress president Dinesh Gundu Rao as 'a guy who ran behind a Muslim lady', a day after he courted controversy over his remarks that 'the hand that touches a Hindu girl's body should not be there.'
The minister's barb targeted the Congress leader, whose wife is Tabassum Rao.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi has also slammed Hegde for his controversial remarks about the Congress leader's wife, saying he is "unfit" to be a Union minister and deserves to be sacked.
Gundu Rao had taken a potshot at Hegde for his reported comment at an event at Madikeri Sunday that the hand that touches a Hindu girl's body should not be there
He asked the (Hindu) community to be writers of history and not just its readers.
In response, Gundu Rao tweeted, "Wht are ur achievements after becoming a Union Minister or as MP? Wht are ur contributions for Karnataka's development? All I can say for sure,its deplorable tht such people have become ministers & have managed to get elected as MPs."
Hitting back at Rao, Hegde said "I shall definitely answer this guy "@dineshgrao's queries, before which could he please reveal himself as to who he is along with his achievements? I only know him as a guy who ran behind a Muslim lady."
Rao said, Sad to see "@AnantkumarH stoop to such low levels as to bring in personal issues. Guess it's his lack of culture. Guess he hasn't learnt from our Hindu scriptures.
Time hasn't run out, he can still try and become a more dignified human."
Condemning Hegde’s statement at Madikeri, Siddaramaiah Monday told reporters in Mysuru that the electorate has to decide whether Hegde was eligible to be a minister or not.
"Is he (Hegde) eligible to be a minister, who calls upon people to chop of hands and commit murder? Siddaramaiah asked.
Reacting to Hegde's remarks, Karnataka Home Minister M.B. Patil told reporters at Mangaluru that the union minister has the habit of making such speeches to 'incite communal passions.
Patil said Hegde does not deserve to sit in Parliament as he has no regard for Parliament or the Constitution.
"He had earlier even gone to the extent of saying that the Constitution should be changed. All these statements are made to create a communally charged up situation," Patil said.
Patil said Hegde would have to bear the brunt of his controversial statements in the coming Lok Sabha elections as the people would react against him.
The Home Minister was in Mangaluru en route to Puttur to attend a programme.
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Like Rohit and Virat, Sanju can''t be replaced: Rajasthan Royals skipper Riyan Parag
Jaipur (PTI): Rajasthan Royals skipper Riyan Parag on Thursday said Sanju Samson's void cannot be filled in his side, likening the challenge to replacing stalwarts like Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli.
Sanju, who led the Royals from 2021 to 2025, was traded to Chennai Super Kings in a pre-season move, with Ravindra Jadeja coming in as part of the deal.
"If you talk about Sanju bhaiya, we never think about replacing the kind of player he is," Parag told reporters in a pre-season press conference here.
"We can perhaps look for someone with a similar skillset or have someone bat in his position...
"It’s like there is no replacement for Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma... In the same way, there is no replacement for Sanju bhaiya because he is such a good player,” Parag said.
Having represented the franchise for 11 years across two stints, Sanju was RR's most successful captain and leading run-scorer, having guided them to the IPL 2022 final and the playoffs in 2024.
His stature has only grown manifold following a stellar T20 World Cup campaign, where he struck three successive match-defining half-centuries to power India to a historic treble and title defence.
India defeated New Zealand by 96 runs in the final with Sanju being adjudged the Player-of-the-Tournament.
Rajasthan Royals had a forgettable last season, enduring 10 defeats to finish ninth in the 10=team standings.
Parag, who has been picked as the captain following Sanju's exit, said RR lost far too many close matches last year and the 2008 winners need better strategy and planning.
“This year, the focus is to plan better and finish games, which we couldn’t do in the previous edition," he said.
"We need to plan well. Last year, there were about 5-6 games which we lost in the last over or even on the last ball. Had we been able to convert those, or had we calculated better, this question (if RR would try anything new) would not have been asked because we would have qualified (for knockouts) by winning those matches," he said.
"I think that in every T20 game, there are 3-4 decisions that you have to make which change the course of the game. If we take those small decisions with strategy and planning, this year will be different," Parag added.
He further expressed his gratitude to the franchise for keeping their faith in him despite several seasons of struggle.
"I was here when I was just 17 and I have seen all the ups and downs, though more downs than ups till now. I want to thank Rajasthan Royals for supporting me and understanding the cricketer I am,” Parag said.
Sangakkara backs Parag -- the skipper
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The Royals’ director of cricket and head coach Kumar Sangakkara said he has always “admired” Parag as a cricketer and he was picked as a skipper after a robust round of interviews with other candidates.
"It was about trying to find the best person who can lead the Rajasthan Royals. I (first) met Riyan when he was a teenager and have admired him as a cricketer. He's right (when he says) he has gone through a lot and seen a lot," Sangakkara said.
"The most striking thing for me was (to see) how reflective and mature he has become."
“To select a captain once Sanju decided to leave, it was very important that we explore all options. We had shortlisted some candidates that we had a very strict interview process for. Riyan knows the questions were hard. At the end of the day Manoj (Badale) and I sat down and it was evident that the right choice to lead Rajasthan was Riyan,” Sangakkara added.
