Just Stop Oil protestors briefly disrupt Ashes cricket test between England and Australia
London, June 28: Two protestors from the Just Stop Oil group ran onto the field at Lords and briefly disrupted play about five minutes after the start of the second Ashes cricket test between England and Australia on Wednesday.
The environmental activists tried to spread orange powder on the field but the England and Australia players intervened.
England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow tackled one protestor and carried the person about 50 meters (yards) before leaving him in the hands of security over the boundary hoardings. England captain Ben Stokes and Australia batter David Warner corralled the other protestor.
Some orange powder was released but only on the grass, away from the pitch.
Bairstow went to the England changing room to clean himself of some powder, Lord's staff quickly cleaned up what little orange fell on the grass, and play resumed about five minutes later.
Just Stop Oil protestors have disrupted other major sporting events in Britain this year. They held up the England team bus briefly during the test against Ireland in London this month, and have targeted Premier League soccer matches, the Premiership rugby final at Twickenham, and the world snooker championship in Sheffield.
The activists want the British government to stop new fuel licensing and production.
Bairstow picking up a pitch invader#Ashes pic.twitter.com/vCWCkXb3IA
— England's Barmy Army 🏴🎺 (@TheBarmyArmy) June 28, 2023
Good start to the 2nd test.
— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) June 28, 2023
Bairstow has done some heavy lifting already😂😂 #Ashes2023 pic.twitter.com/f0JcZnCvEr
England's Jonny Bairstow removes a Just Spoilt Brat activist from the pitch. #JustStopOil pic.twitter.com/6ydzW07IeK
— Paul Golding (@GoldingBF) June 28, 2023
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Choose faith or future: BJP alleges 'second-class treatment' of Hindus in K'natka CET row
New Delhi (PTI): The BJP on Saturday accused the Karnataka Congress government of being "anti-Hindu" and following double standards after students appearing for the Common Entrance Test (CET) were allegedly asked to remove their 'janeu'.
A political row erupted after five Brahmin students were allegedly forced to remove the thread, considered sacred and worn across the torsos, at a city college in during the CET on Friday.
Students alleged that the invigilators at Madivala asked them to remove their janeu/yajnopaveetha if they wanted to write the exam.
In a video post on X, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla lambasted the act.
"Is it a crime to be a Hindu in Karnataka? In Karnataka, students were stopped from entering the examination hall for wearing a janeu and were given a brutal option -- choose your faith or your future. This happened last year as well," Poonawalla alleged.
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He accused the Karnataka government of practising double standards and engaging in appeasement politics.
"In Karnataka, we have seen the politics of appeasement. Muslim reservation, a Muslim-only budget, and quotas and contractual work for Muslims. But Hindus have to remove their sacred thread if they want to take an exam, which even the courts have, by the way, allowed," he alleged.
He accused the Congress government of adopting a similar approach in other states where it is in power, while allowing hijab and burka in classrooms.
"It has happened in various Congress-ruled states. We have seen that the Congress party advocates the right to hijab and burkha within the classroom. They say this should be allowed. Even the courts have overruled it.
"But in the case of janeu, they want it to be removed. This is not the first time this has happened. In Telangana and other states, the tilak and mangalsutra were removed. But hijab is fine. This is the kind of second-class treatment being given to Hindus," he added.
Poonawalla said the Congress should rename itself from INC to "MMC -- Muslim League Maowadi Congress" or the "Islamic National Caliphate Party".
As the controversy took a political turn, the college suspended the invigilator pending inquiry. The government also ordered a probe.
The police registered a case and detained three staff members of Krupanidhi College who were in charge of examination checking for questioning, officials said.
A similar incident took place last year in Karnataka, following which the government directed that the candidates would not be asked to remove the janeu while appearing for the CET.
