"Just Because I Am Close To Brij Bhushan...": Wrestling Body Chief Amid Row

Newly-appointed Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Sanjay Singh on Saturday lashed out at the protesting grapplers for "engaging in politics" and asserted that he is not a dummy candidate of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

Sanjay Singh, who was elected as the president of the WFI on Thursday, is known to be a close confidante of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who had been accused of sexual harassment by the country's top wrestlers such as Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia.

Sanjay Singh won most of the votes in the delayed polls, as outgoing chief Brij Bhushan gained indirect control over the national federation.

"Those who are athletes have already started preparing and those who want to engage in politics can do that. It is their personal matter, I will not speak about this.

"I have been in the federation for 12 years. Just because I am close to MP (Brij Bhushan) does not mean I am a dummy candidate. Is it a crime if I am close to him?" Sanjay Singh told reporters when asked about Sakshi Malikdeciding to quit wrestling after his election to the top spot.

Expressing her disappointment, a teary-eyed Sakhi Malik on Thursday announced her decision to retire form the sport following the wrestling body's elections. On Friday, Bajrang Punia, who is also a Olympic bronze medallist like Sakshi Malik, decided to return his Padma Shri to the government as a mark of protest.

A BJP Lok Sabha MP from Uttar Pradesh's Kaiserganj, Brij Bhushan stepped down as WFI president after being accused of exploitation by top female wrestlers in the country.

Meanwhile, Sakshi Malik said she is worried about the junior wresters who has been "calling me about the junior nationals".

The new body under president Sanjay Singh had on Friday announced that the U15 and U20 nationals will be held from December 28-30 in Gonda, Uttar Pradesh.

"I have given up wrestling but I am worried since last night. What should I do about those junior women wrestlers who are calling me and telling me that the junior nationals are going to be held from 28th and the new wrestling federation has decided to hold it in Nandani Nagar Gonda.

"Gonda is the area of ​​Brij Bhushan. Now imagine how the junior women wrestlers will go there to compete. Is there no place in this country to hold Nationals anywhere other than Nandani Nagar? I don't understand what to do." The WFI also said the senior National Championships will be held from January 28 in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar.

As a rule, a state association has to show interest in hosting Nationals.

On Thursday, Sanjay Singh was elected as the president of the WFI after the panel led by him won 13 of the 15 posts.

Earlier, Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat had demanded that no close associate of Brij Bhushan should enter the WFI.

The three top wrestlers had accused Brij Bhushan of sexually exploiting several women wrestlers. They had even contemplated throwing away their medals into river Ganga on May 30 in Haridwar but the farmer leaders had convinced them not to take the step. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Encounters Rising, Ghost Of 30-Year-Old Disappearance Haunts Punjab Police

At a time when Punjab has seen 11 encounters in two weeks, the ghost of an alleged forced disappearance and murder of an acting Akal Takht jathedar has come back to haunt the state police over 30 years later. 

Acting Akal Takht jathedar Gurdev Singh Kaunke had been taken in custody in December 1992, at the height of militancy in the state, and the police had said he had escaped from their custody a few days later. Villagers had, however, alleged that Kaunke had disappeared and was killed by the police in an encounter. 

An inquiry into the incident from 1998 has now surfaced which questions the police's claims and recommends a case against a policeman as well as further investigation into the incident.

The report has come to light days after a special investigation team informed the Punjab and Haryana High Court that an encounter which took place in 1994 was stage-managed. 

Arrest, Inquiry

It was alleged that the then station house officer (SHO) of Jagraon had picked up Kaunke from his home on December 12, 1992 but released him upon the insistence of villagers when his seven-day-old grandson died. The jathedar was rearrested on December 25, 1992, and implicated in the murder of a village youth. 

The police then claimed Kaunke had escaped from custody on January 2, 1993, after breaking a constable's belt to which his handcuffs were attached.

On June 7, 1998, then additional director general of police (security), BP Tiwari, began an inquiry into the alleged extrajudicial murder of Kaunke and submitted it to the government in 1999. The report was never made public, and no action was taken.

On Friday, 24 years after the report's submission, the Punjab Human Rights Organisation, a body formed in 1995 to investigate alleged human rights abuses in Punjab, got its hands on the report and shared it with the current Jathedar of the Akal Takht, Giani Raghbir Singh. 

Mr Tiwari concludes in the report, "Looking at all the circumstances, it is clear that then SHO and now Deputy Superintendent of Police Gurmeet Singh took remand of Bhai Gurdev Singh on December 25, 1992, from his home, and Kaunke never returned. The police not agreeing to this is not believable. It is also not believable that Kaunke was arrested on January 2, 1993, and he escaped after breaking the belt of the police constable to whom his handcuffs were attached during a firing incident between militants and a police party near village Kania."

The probe report recommended a case against then Jagraon SHO Gurmeet Singh for wrongful confinement and falsification of records and called for a further investigation into the incident. It also recommended investigating the role of other cops and raised questions on the police claim that Kaunke had escaped from custody.

Encounters

Punjab saw two encounters in a day on Thursday as part of its ongoing crackdown on gangsters. Four people were arrested in all, with one of them being shot in the leg as he opened fire at the police while trying to escape.

A day before that, an arrested gangster was killed in an exchange of fire with the Punjab Police in Amritsar while he was trying to escape.

These encounters were part of the 11 that the state has seen in just the past two weeks. 

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Rare Pics Of Black Tigers Found In Odisha Leaves Internet Amazed

Parveen Kaswan, an Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer who frequently shares fascinating facts about wildlife, recently took to X (formerly Twitter) to share pictures of 'pseudo-melanistic' tigers found in Simlipal, Odisha. On Friday, he posted the captivating images of this extraordinary tiger, along with details on its rarity and origins. Notably, the melanistic tigers - a rare gene pool on which the black stripes are far more prominent than the Royal Bengal Tiger's - are found only in Odisha. They are often referred to as 'black tigers' due to their dense and dark stripe patterns. 

"The black tigers of #India. Do you know there are pseudo- melanistic tigers found in Simlipal. They are such due to genetic mutation & highly rare. Such beautiful creature," Mr Kaswan wrote on X. 

Take a look at the pictures below: 

The black tigers of #India. Do you know there are pseudo- melanistic tigers found in Simlipal. They are such due to genetic mutation & highly rare. Such beautiful creature. pic.twitter.com/X1TEw8r1cD

— Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) December 22, 2023

In the following tweet, the IFS officer also provided a brief history of 'pseudo-melanistic' tigers in Similipal. He noted that the first confirmed record dates back to 1993 when a young boy of Pdagad village shot down a 'black' tigress with arrows in self-defence. He also said that it wasn't until 2007 that these tigers were officially discovered within the reserve, marking the beginning of a series of documented sightings.

"The first confirmed record of the now famous pseudo-melanistic tigers of Similipal came in 1993. On 21st July 1993 Salku, a young boy of Podagad village shot down a 'black' tigress with arrows in self-defense. The rare tigers were first officially discovered in STR in 2007. With time more were documented. They are due to rare genetic mutation and found in small population," Mr Kaswan wrote. 

Also Read | Flipkart Reacts After X User Reveals Her Unpleasant Experience With Delivery Agent

The IFS Officer shared the post just a day back and since then it has accumulated more than 147,000 views and over 4,000 likes. It even garnered numerous reactions from X users. While some called the images amazing, others called them gorgeous.

"Nature is amazing. Amazing creatures," wrote one user. "Wow. All their stripes ran together like ink. Very interesting & beautiful," commented another. 

"What a sight! Hope we will be able to conserve this amazing wildlife forever," added a third. "You are so lucky to be with such lovely creations of nature and God," expressed another. 

Meanwhile, Mr Kaswan's post comes after the Union Minister of State for Environment, Ashiwini Kumar Choubey, told the Rajya Sabha that there are a total of 10 "black tigers" in India, all exclusively found in Odisha's Similipal. As per the 2022 cycle of the pan-India tiger estimation exercise, the Similipal Tiger Reserve has 16 tigers, out of which 10 exhibit melanism, he said.

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Wayfair CEO Calls For Longer Work Hours: "Winning Requires Hard Work"

Niraj Shah, Indian-American Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of online furniture firm Wayfair, curated a special message for his employees after the company yielded profitable results. According to CNN, in his note to employees, Mr Shah not only encouraged employees to work hard and be ambitious but also asked them to do more work and blend "work with life". He told them to not shy away from working long hours and added that there was no historical evidence which showed laziness led to success. 

"Winning requires hard work. I believe that most of us, being ambitious individuals, find fulfilment in the joy of seeing our efforts materialize into tangible results," the CEO said in a note to employees earlier this month, as per CNN. "Working long hours, being responsive, blending work and life, is not anything to shy away from. There is not a lot of history of laziness being rewarded with success," he added. 

According to Fortune, Mr Shah also added that the idea staff should not work was "laughably false". "Hard work is essential for success, and a key part of getting things done," the CEO said, adding, "Everyone deserves to have a great personal life - everyone manages that in their own way - ambitious people find ways to blend and balance the two". 

In his letter, Mr Shah also encouraged Wayfair employees to think of the company money they spend as their own and negotiate prices. "Would you spend money on that, would you spend that much money for that thing, does that price seem reasonable, and lastly - have you negotiated the price?" he wrote. 

The Indian-American CEO told employees in his email that the company is back to being profitable. "Together we can win much faster than we are winning now if we all row in this direction together. Let's be aggressive, pragmatic, frugal, agile, customer-oriented, and smart," he said. 

Also Read | Ex CEO Of Tech Mahindra Shares Valuable Insights As He Announces Retirement From Corporate Life

Meanwhile, on the internet, users called Mr Shah's note "toxic". "He's basically saying if you don't work late then you're lazy. Long hours don't prove anything about productivity. It just means you worked long hours!" wrote one Reddit user. "I love when these CEOs talk about 'winning' as if the employees get absolutely anything out of the company's profitability," said another. 

"If you're actually being compensated for your time, sure. If you're making an average salary but dealing with corporate BS, move on," expressed a third. "I'll sacrifice the life in work-life balance when the paycheck reflects that it is worth it. I doubt it is for anyone he is giving this lecture to (that he probably thinks is SO inspirational).," added another. 

Notably, Mr Shah is not the first CEO to glamourise overworking. Earlier, Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy said that India's work culture needs to change and youngsters should be prepared to work for 70 hours a week if the country has to compete effectively on the global stage. He stated that India's work productivity is one of the lowest in the world and asked the youth the contribute towards building the culture so that India can compete effectively on the global stage. He also drew parallels with Japan and Germany, two countries that implemented extended working hours after the Second World War. 

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"Space Given To Separatists, Terrorists Core Issue With Canada": India

India once again asserted on Thursday that its "core issue" with Canada remains that of the space given to separatists, terrorists and anti-India elements in that country.

The comments by Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi came a day after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said India's ties with Canada may have undergone "a tonal shift" following the indictment of an Indian national in the US for plotting an assassination attempt on a Sikh separatist.

"Our position has been consistent. We have highlighted how we see the problem and frankly, the core issue remains the space that is given to extremists, terrorists and anti-India elements in that country," Mr Bagchi said.

He, however, chose not to make a direct comment on Mr Trudeau's remarks.

"I would not like to say whether they have noted a shift or not. Certainly, our positions have remained consistent and we would hope that they would take action on such extremist elements that are misusing freedom of speech and expression from their country," Bagchi said.

The ties between India and Canada came under severe strain following Mr Trudeau's allegation in September of a "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia on June 18.India designated Nijjar as a terrorist in 2020.

New Delhi rejected Mr Trudeau's charges as "absurd".

"I think there is a beginning of an understanding that they cannot bluster their way through this and there is an openness to collaborating in a way that perhaps they were less open before," Mr Trudeau said.

He said the US indictment appears to have convinced the Indian government to adopt a more sober tone. "There is an understanding that maybe, maybe just churning out attacks against Canada is not going to make this problem go away. We do not want to be in a situation of having a fight with India right now over this," Mr Trudeau said.

"We want to be working on that trade deal. We want to be advancing the Indo-Pacific strategy. But it is foundational for Canada to stand up for people's rights, for people's safety and for the rule of law. And that is what we are going to do," he told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

Last month, US federal prosecutors charged Indian national Nikhil Gupta with working with an Indian government employee in an alleged foiled plot to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a Sikh extremist, on American soil.

Pannun, wanted in India on terror charges, holds dual citizenship of the United States and Canada.

On December 7, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said in Parliament that India has instituted an inquiry committee to look into the inputs received from the US in the case as the matter has a bearing on national security.

At the same time, he said there will be "no equitable treatment" to Canada's allegations as no specific evidence or inputs were provided to India by Ottawa.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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People Know Nation Is "On Cusp Of Take-Off": PM Modi On 2024 Polls

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has underscored the BJP's hopes for a third term in the 2024 general election, saying the people of India trust the party that brought them this far.

In an interview with Financial times, PM Modi said, "They realise that our nation is on the cusp of a take-off... They want this flight to be expedited, and they know the best party to ensure this is the one which brought them this far."

In the wide-ranging interview, the Prime Minister also spoke of India's foreign policy that in a world that is "interconnected as well as interdependent", job creation, comparisons with China and the government's focus on Make in India.

His government, he said, has shown steady improvement in job creation and focussing on efforts that would make India the next big destination for investment.

"We aspire to create conditions where everyone sees value in being in India to invest and expand their operations here," the Prime Minister told FT.

"We envision a system where anyone from around the world feels at home in India, where our processes and standards are familiar and welcoming," he added.

This path is expected to be smoothed by the country's upward trajectory in terms of relations with world powers -- including the improved relation with the US and the increasing suspicion towards Beijing. .  

"Our foremost guiding principle in foreign affairs is our national interest," PM Modi said. "This stance allows us to engage with various nations in a manner that respects mutual interests and acknowledges the complexities of contemporary geopolitics."

Regarding comparisons with China, where many feel India's growth spurt should be bigger than the current rate and concerns about corruption, administrative hurdles, and skills gap among the young, PM Modi said India cannot be compared to China.
 
"You have done a comparison with China, but it might be more apt to compare India with other democracies," he said.

"It is important to recognise that India wouldn't have achieved the status of the world's fastest-growing economy if the issues you've highlighted were as pervasive as suggested," he said. "Often, these concerns stem from perceptions, and altering perceptions sometimes takes time," he added.

Asked about Opposition allegations against his government that includes "targetting" of his detractors, PM Modi said there is a "whole ecosystem that is using the freedom available in our country to hurl these allegations" through media.

They have the right to do so, but "others have an equal right to respond with facts," he added.

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"Very Very Cool": Alia Reacts To Katrina's Merry Christmas Trailer

Katrina Kaif just dropped the trailer of her upcoming film Merry Christmas alongside Vijay Sethupathi and her friends from Bollywood cannot stop fawning over it. Alia Bhatt, who will be working with the actress in Farhan Akhtar's Jee le Zaraa, reacted to the trailer on Wednesday in the most adorable way. She shared the trailer on her Instagram story and wrote, "Okay this is very very cool. I am excited. Just must  Her reacted was also shared by Katrina on her feed.

Take a look at what Alia Bhatt had to say about Merry Christmas trailer:

Besides Alia Bhatt, Katrina Kaif's husband Vicky Kaushal and industry friend Varun Dhawan also reacted to the trailer. Vicky Kaushal wrote, "One of the best cut trailers. Can't wait for this this gem from the genius." Varun Dhawan, who has worked with director Sriram Raghavan in Badlapur wrote, "The twisted genius Sriram R is back."

Take a look at their reactions below:

The trailer of Merry Christmas was shared by Katrina Kaif on her Instagram feed alongside the caption which read, "Presenting the #MerryChristmasTrailer - Tamil. In cinemas on 12th Jan." Watch the trailer below:

Merry Christmas has been filmed in both Hindi and Tamil and marks Katrina Kaif and Vijay Sethupathi's first project together. Produced by Ramesh Taurani, Sanjay Routray, Jaya Taurani & Kewal Garg, and directed by Sriram Raghavan, Merry Christmas will be released on January 12.

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