Journalist Rahul Shivshankar tweets misleading claims on Puttila group members' clash in Puttur
Bengaluru: Journalist Rahul Shivakumar falsely tweeted about the recent assault case between members of the Sangh Parivar in Puttur of Dakshina Kannada district. According to his tweet, a Hindu activist named Santosh was allegedly beaten up while distributing Akshatabefore the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha program. Rahul Shivakumar condemned this incident in his tweet and said, "A Hindu activist who was distributing Ram Mandir 'Akshata' attacked in Karnataka's Puttur. Santosh was attacked last night. He had finished distributing the Akshat and was returning home. Is Hindumesia getting a wide berth because the will to curb it has softened in the face of expedient appeasement politics?” he tweeted.
In fact, Dakshina Kannada District Superintendent of Police Rishyant has stated that there was a commotion between neighbors due to a land dispute. A complaint and counter-complaint have also been registered in this regard. Superintendent of Police Rishyant also requested that the public should not fall prey to any false or misleading messages.
According to the FIR registered at the police station, the complainant, Santosh, who was walking home after stopping his scooter near a park after a meeting on the distribution of Akshata was assaulted. The complaint further alleged that his mother Savita, who came out of the house after hearing the commotion, was also assaulted.
In response to this, a person named Keshav Naik has also filed a complaint that Santosh was trying to tear down the thorn fence around his garden. He said, “When I questioned about this, the accused abused me and threatened to kill me.”
Santhosh, who held a press conference in Puttur on January 17 in this regard, has made a self-declaration that there has been a dispute between our families for several years. Thus, it is clear that this incident took place due to a land dispute and not due to Hindu fear as alleged by journalist Rahul Shivshankar.
Alt News co-founder Muhammad Zubair, who did a fact-finding report on this, retweeted, “Hello @RShivshankar, What do you mean by 'Hindumesia'? Stop fear-mongering.
Both the parties involved in the tussle belonged to Hindutva organisations and neither of them wanted to stop the distribution of the Akshata as a result of ‘Hindumesia’. In reality, the two families involved in the incident have been at loggerheads for years over a civil dispute, and according to Santhosh’s testimony at the press conference, there was an altercation over who would distribute the Akshata. Also, SP Ryshanth stated that the fight between the neighbours had resulted in a civil dispute. A complaint and a counter-complaint were filed in the matter. The SP urged the public not to fall for false news or misleading messages.”
A Hindu activist who was distributing Ram Mandir 'Akshata' attacked in Karnataka's Puttur.
— Rahul Shivshankar (@RShivshankar) January 16, 2024
Santosh was attacked last night. He had finished distributing the Akshat and was returning home.
Is Hindumesia getting a wide berth because the will to curb it has softened in the face…
Hello @RShivshankar, What do you mean by 'Hindumesia'? Stop fear mongering.
— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) January 20, 2024
Both the parties involved in the tussle belonged to Hindutva organisations and neither of them wanted to stop the distribution of the Akshata as a result of ‘Hindumesia’. In reality, the two families…
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3rd T20I: A three-match 'audition' starts for Gill to find his game back
Dharamsala (PTI): The countdown to save his place in the playing XI begins for a beleaguered Shubman Gill, who is likely to get three matches against South Africa to prove his worth before the Indian team management switches to a ‘Plan B’ ahead of the T20 World Cup, starting in six weeks.
As India gear up to play the third T20I against the Proteas on Sunday in sub-10-degree temperatures in the lap of the ice-clad Dhauladhar range, things are suddenly heating up in the Indian dressing room, with the prolonged poor form of skipper Suryakumar Yadav coming under the scanner.
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Worse, his deputy Shubman Gill, who was pushed into the XI at the expense of a settled Sanju Samson, is not inspiring much confidence.
The South African pace attack featuring Anrich Nortje, Marco Jansen, Lungi Ngidi, Ottniel Baartman and Lutho Sipamla — has shown how to bowl on Indian tracks, and the HPCA Stadium strip, offering extra bounce and some movement off the surface, will certainly keep them interested.
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Among all T20 sides, South Africa, in terms of personnel, appears to have the requisite balance to win the trophy in the Indian subcontinent this time. Quinton de Kock’s return, along with the likes of Aiden Markram, Dewald Brevis, Donovan Ferreira, David Miller and all-rounder Jansen, gives their batting an intimidating look.
With only eight games, starting from the third T20I, left before the start of the T20 World Cup title defence, India's under-fire head coach Gautam Gambhir won't be able to afford, two out-of-form top-order batters in the starting line-up.
Being the skipper of the side, Surya will certainly have immunity going into the T20 World Cup despite being completely out of form for the past one year but same can't be said about Gill, who wasn't the original choice as an opener.
Gill's entry into the T20 set-up was a classic case of trying to fix something that ain't broken and things haven't looked good so far.
In this backdrop, Gill would need to bat out of his skin to prove that Ajit Agarkar-led committee wasn't wrong in throwing Samson under the bus for one bad series against England.
The stylish Indian Test and ODI skipper will have to find his T20 game and at least score in two of the three matches if he doesn't want Samson to get his rightful place back or for that matter, find Yashasvi Jaiswal, with a fabulous T20I strike-rate of 165, enter the fray during New Zealand series.
Lack of clarity
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While head coach Gambhir is too proud a person to admit but sending Axar Patel as a one drop batter during the second T20I was a "tactical brain fade" from the team's think-tank.
The kind misstep that was taken with Axar's promotion is unlikely to be repeated in the third game where skipper is expected to go back to No.3 where he has got a lot of success in his first few years at the international level.
Similarly, Shivam Dube being sent at number eight due to the shuffling of batting order was another poor call which would need course correction in the next game.
Is there a place for Kuldeep Yadav?
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Kuldeep Yadav is one bowler who has consistently troubled the Proteas batter but in an Indian team where batting till No. 8 is non-negotiable, the left-arm wrist spinner often finds himself getting the rough end of the stick.
At Dharamsala too, he might have to sit out as Kuldeep and Varun Chakravarthy, two non-batters can't be clubbed in the same T20 playing eleven as that would lead to compromise in batting depth.
While Arshdeep hasn't had a good series so far, it will be interesting to find if team management can find a place for Kuldeep in the playing eleven with Hardik Pandya sharing the new ball with Jasprit Bumrah.
The five-match series is currently tied 1-1.
Teams:
India: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, NT Tilak Verma, Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Sanju Samson (wk), Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar.
South Africa: Aiden Markram (captain), Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Donovan Ferreira, Marco Jansen, Lutho Sipamla, Ottniel Baartman, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, George Linde.
Match Starts at 7 pm.
