Indian-origin Pereira wins Singapore's first gold in Asian Games athletics in 49 years
Singapore (PTI): Singapore is celebrating its first athletic gold win in 49 years at the Asian Games with its Indian-origin sprinter Shanti Pereira winning the women's 200m final in Hangzhou, China.
Pereira clocked 23.03 seconds to finish the race on Monday at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium. This is the first athletics gold medal for the city-state since 1974, when sprinter Chee Swee Lee had won the women's 400m race.
China's Li Yuting took the silver with 23.28 seconds and Bahrain's Edidiong Ofonime Odiong came third at 23.48 seconds in the Monday race. Odiong's compatriot, Salwa Eid Naser, was disqualified for a false start.
Draped in a Singapore flag, the 27-year-old crouched down on the track and covered her face with her hands, before raising her arms in victory, reported Channel News Asia.
On Saturday, Pereira ended her country's nearly 50-year wait for a track and field medal at the Asian Games, after she clinched a silver in the women's 100m.
Pereira, whose 200m personal best stands at 22.57 seconds, then topped all three heats for the event the next day, with a time of 23.14 seconds.
This was her first Asian Games 200m final. At the last edition in 2018, she did not advance past the semi-finals.
The Singaporean has overcome much to get to where she is today, said the Channel report.
She first burst into the nation's consciousness at the 2015 Southeast Asian Games when she took gold in the 200m, clocked a personal best, and set a new national record. Her win also ended a 42-year gold medal drought for Singapore in a SEA Games sprint event.
In August, Pereira became the first Singaporean to make a World Championships semi-finals after a stellar showing in the 200m. She also met the qualifying mark for the event at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
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UP Cong holds statewide protest seeking probe into FIR against Swami Avimukteshwaranand
Lucknow (PTI): The Uttar Pradesh Congress on Wednesday staged a statewide protest demanding a fair and transparent inquiry into the FIR lodged against Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati and those who filed the complaint against him.
In a statement issued here, the party said memorandums addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi were submitted through district magistrates in all districts of the state.
Uttar Pradesh Congress spokesperson Manish Hindvi told PTI that the memorandums were handed over through the district administration in all 75 districts.
In the memorandum, the party alleged that Saraswati and his disciples were "unnecessarily harassed and humiliated" by police on the occasion of Amavasya and were prevented from taking a ritual bath (at the Magh Mela). It further alleged that some disciples were manhandled and taken to a police station.
The memorandum also claimed that an FIR was later registered against Saraswati, his disciple Swami Mukundanand Brahmachari and several unidentified persons in a sexual harassment case. It termed the case a "conspiracy" aimed at tarnishing the seer's reputation.
Citing Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution, the memorandum stated that these provisions guarantee religious freedom and the right of religious denominations to manage their own affairs.
It described the position of shankaracharya held by Saraswati as "one of the highest spiritual posts in Sanatan tradition" and alleged that the entire episode appeared to have been "orchestrated in a planned manner".
"We request that the background of the persons who got the FIR registered be investigated in a transparent manner by a retired high court judge and strict action be taken against them," the memorandum said.
It also sought a "fair and transparent probe" into the allegations levelled against Saraswati so that the truth could be established.
Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai had told reporters in Varanasi after meeting Saraswati that the party stood firmly with him.
The Congress said it would continue to press for an impartial inquiry into the entire episode.
On February 21, an FIR was lodged in Prayagraj against Saraswati and his disciple Mukundanand Brahmachari on charges of sexually abusing two persons, including a minor, over the past year at a gurukul and religious congregations, including the recently concluded Magh Mela.
Days after he was booked, Saraswati had said on Monday that he would not oppose his arrest and asserted that the "fabricated story" would be exposed sooner or later.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Saraswati alleged that criminals rule in Uttar Pradesh, level allegations and influence investigations, as he denied having any contact with the two persons for whose alleged sexual abuse he has been booked.
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