Nepal, Oman qualify for next year's T20 World Cup
Kathmandu, Nov 3: Nepal and Oman on Friday qualified for next year's T20 World Cup set to be hosted jointly by the West Indies and the United States after entering the final of the Asia Qualifier here.
Oman defeated Bahrain by 10 wickets in the semifinals, while in the last four-match Nepal beat the United Arab Emirates by eight wickets.
The 2024 edition would be Oman's third-ever appearance in the competition, having previously featured in 2016 and 2021, where they failed to make it beyond the first round.
As for Nepal, it would be their second appearance in the event, with their only outing being in 2014, where they could not progress beyond the opening round.
So far, 18 sides have sealed their place in the 20-team tournament, with the remaining two slots to be filled up from the Africa Qualifier, set to be held in Namibia from November 20-23.
Qualified teams for T20 World Cup 2024: Hosts: West Indies and USA Top eight teams from the 2022 edition: Australia, England (defending champion), India, Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa and Sri Lanka Subsequent best-ranked teams: Afghanistan and Bangladesh Europe Qualifier: Ireland and Scotland East Asia-Pacific Qualifier: Papua New Guinea Americas Qualifier: Canada Asia Qualifier: Nepal and Oman. PTI AYG SSC SSC
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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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