India News
Rahul Gandhi and the VIP mangoes of Uttar Pradesh
By Vikram Kilpady
Rahul Gandhi has been a target for the media from 2007 onwards when he was appointed party general secretary during the first United Progressive Alliance government led by Manmohan Singh. A constant stream of twitter abuse ended with people calling him Pappu and other pejoratives. While it was Jupiter’s escape velocity in 2013, a simile to illustrate the immense effort and force needed for Dalits to escape societal abuse under the caste system, this time he’s getting the stick for apparently not liking a certain mango, popular in Uttar Pradesh. Ergo, he is now The Man who Hates UP’s Mangoes!
The escape velocity comment was milked dry a year ahead of the 2014 elections when Narendra Modi led the BJP and the NDA to power thanks to the media’s eagerness to evict the Congress from its minority government perch. Gandhi’s harmless dislike for mangoes from Uttar Pradesh has now turned into another opportunity for TV channels to juice it up ahead of UP Assembly elections next year.
Here’s one case:
Please hear the voiceover repeatedly play up the word “bilkul” when Gandhi just said he doesn’t like, and NOT that he can’t stand or some other stronger word.
In the usual pre-presser banter, Gandhi said he likes mangoes from Andhra Pradesh and not UP, he said Langdas are doable but Dussehris are too sweet for his liking. But in the quote hungry world of TV news, that was enough. This morning he’s been charged with divisive regionalism by UP CM Yogi Adityanath. The TV media has spun the remark in such a way that any dislike of mangoes from UP and liking mangoes from elsewhere becomes regional chauvinism since Rahul Gandhi is now tied to the South only because Wayanad chose to send him to the Lok Sabha while Amethi chose Smriti Irani as its MP in 2019.
Maybe Yogi Adityanath could have just sent the Gandhi scion some choice UP mangoes to convince him otherwise, but present-day take-no-prisoner politics usually leaves such grace of the old times behind.
Like the Dussehris, Langdas and Ratauls, the last of which would bring Pakistani mango lovers into the picture. They too swear by their Anwar Ratauls, which are said to be a version of the UP original. Imagine Pakistanis and the UP CM on one side, defending their province/state’s produce against Rahul Gandhi. Sigh!
While we don’t know for certain if Rahul Gandhi is referring to the Banganapalle variety, which Andhra Pradesh touts as its best (he may well have been),the political significance of the state and its Telugu twin Telangana for the Congress cannot be ignored.
After all, it is only since the division of the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh into Telangana and the new Andhra, with Amaravati as its capital, that the Congress has warmed the opposition benches in the Lok Sabha.
A similar decimation of the Congress in Delhi happened when Gandhi’s brother-in-law Robert Vadra called Arvind Kejriwal mango man in reference to the aam aadmi. The Congress is still unrepresented in the Delhi Assembly after that quote.
Though Mani Shankar Aiyar’s chaiwala-neech comment backfired, social media has been serenading the Congress leader for his farsightedness in identifying the chinks in the BJP, given the depths plumbed in the Pegasus spying scandal.
It is indeed fortunate that Gandhi didn’t say he liked Alphonsos better, which would have brought in other mango loyalties into the picture. But given his complaint about UP mangoes, he may end up drinking a lot of Chausa/Dussehri/Rataul smoothies from the residence of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the Congress general secretary for UP. And the Langda faithful among the media could revisit their biases against Rahul Gandhi, who would now be praised for his good taste.
India News
PM Modi joins fitness influencer Ankit Baiyanpuriya in Swachhata Hi Seva campaign | Watch here
Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, PM modi shared a video of him doing the cleanliness work with the influnecer.
A day before Gandhi Jayanti, PM Modi participated with fitness influencer Ankit Baiyanpuriya in participated in the Shramdaan for cleanliness campaign as part of the Swachhata Hi Seva campaign.
Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, PM modi shared a video of him doing the cleanliness work with the influnecer. Sharing the video he wrote, today, when the country focused on Swachhata, Ankit Baiyanpuriya and he did the same! Beyond only hygiene, they included wellness and fitness in the mix as well. It is all about that Swachh and Swasth Bharat vibe.
PM Modi can be heard asking Ankit in the video that how the Swachhata mission will benefit his physical health. Ankit responds, it’s up to us to maintain our environment clean. They’ll stay in shape if it stays clean.
Ankit added that Sonipat’s residents have been emphasising hygiene.
Fitness influencer Ankit Baiyanpuria, a former desi wrestler from Bayanpur, Sonipat, has earned notoriety for his advocacy of conventional and regional training techniques.
Ankit gained fresh notoriety earlier this year when he introduced the strenuous 75-day Hard Challenge to improve his mental toughness and self-control.
Ankit, who was raised by labourer parents, is well known on social media for his flawless training methods and distinctive routines that not only prioritise physical fitness but also encompass mental well-being with books like the Bhagavad Gita.
Ankit had to change his strategy in 2022 after dislocating his shoulder while participating in mud wrestling. He started documenting his fitness progress on Instagram.
He first learned about Andy Frisella’s 75-day Hard Challenge while learning fitness. In just 28 days, Ankit has accumulated more than 2.5 million followers! Ankit now has 4.9 million Instagram followers.
Leaders from all over the nation participated in the Shramdaan for Cleanliness session as part of the Swachhata Hi Seva campaign on Sunday after Modi urged citizens to participate in a cleanliness drive on October 1.
A number of Union ministers and MPs were spotted taking part in the nationwide cleanup effort for the Swachhata Hi Seva campaign, including BJP leader JP Nadda and Union home minister Amit Shah.
India News
Uttar Pradesh: Differently abled woman dragged on road by police constables in Hardoi, investigation underway
SP Keshav Chandra Goswami added that the circumstances of the incident are being investigated and erring officers will be punished if they are proven guilty.
In a shocking incident, a differently-abled woman was dragged on the road by police constables at Hardoi, Uttar Pradesh. An investigation has been ordered into the matter after the video went viral across the social media platforms. Reports said that Superintendent of Police, Keshav Chandra Goswami took cognisance of the matter and directed a departmental enquiry into the incident.
The viral video that went viral across social media platforms showed a woman being dragged on the road by two police officers. The horrific incident took place outside the office of Superintendent of Police on Saturday. The video showed the woman being escorted by two police officers to the police station.
In the video, one woman officer is seen holding the woman by her leg and then being dragged along the ground towards the police station. While walking, the woman sat down in protest, following which the officers dragged her away.
Reports said that the woman is differently abled and has come to the SP’s office with a complaint after a dispute with her husband. However, instead of lodging her complaint, she attempted to climb the wall of the Superintendent of Police office.
The disturbing video highlights the high-handedness and coarse attitude of Uttar Pradesh police in dealing with the public. Speaking about the harrowing incident, SP Keshav Chandra Goswami added that the circumstances of the incident are being investigated and erring officers will be punished if they are proven guilty.
Hardoi police asserted that Shilpa Kumar has been assigned to address the woman’s complaint. They added that one of the woman police officials involved in the matter has been suspended. In addition, the two accused PRD policewoman, who are seen in the video, have been taken off duty and an inquiry has been ordered against them. Social media users have heavily criticized the behaviour of the police officials and called for immediate actions.
India News
Swachhata Hi Seva: Home Minister Amit Shah cleans roads, participates in Shramdaan for Cleanliness program in Ahmedabad | Watch here
Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged citizens to take part in the campaign Ek Tareekh, Ek Ghanta, Ek Saath on October 1 at 10 am on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday took part in the Shramdaan for cleanliness program under Swachhata Hi Seva campaign in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Along with other leaders, the Home Minister can be seen cleaning a road in Ahmedabad. Beside Amit Shah, various political leaders from across the country joined hands and actively participated in the call for cleanliness drive by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Prime Minister urged citizens to take part in the campaign Ek Tareekh, Ek Ghanta, Ek Saath on October 1 at 10 am on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti. The initiative is a part of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan that conforms with Mahatma Gandhi’s vision for clean India.
Union Minister Piyush Goyal along with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla participated in the Swachhata Hi Seva campaign in Kota, Rajasthan. On the other hand, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde actively took part in a cleanliness drive in Mumbai and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also participated in the Swachheta Hi Seva campaign in Sitapur.
On Saturday, BJP President JP Nadda and Union Minister of State for Culture, Meenakshi Lekhi took part in the cleanliness drive at Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru stadium. At the event, Meenakshi Lekhi slammed the AAP government and stated that they are not working regarding the segregation of waste. Union Minister Raj K Singh also participated in the Clean India drive in the national capital.
Meanwhile, Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar took part in the campaign at Safdarjung Railway Station in Delhi. While participating in the campaign at Gurugram, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw affirmed that a 14 minute clean-up protocol has been prepared for the Vande Bharat trains today and will be carried out at 35 places.
At the 105th episode of Mann ki Baat, PM Modi stated that a major cleanliness event is scheduled for October 1 at 10 AM.
