Tag: Delhi

  • Islamophobic residents protest allotment of flat to Muslim woman in India

    Islamophobic residents protest allotment of flat to Muslim woman in India

    Residents of a housing scheme built under the Gujarat government’s housing project have launched protests against the allotment of a flat to a Muslim woman in India, claiming that the locality is meant ‘only for Hindus’.

    The protestors told local media that if the allotment was not revoked, they would intensify their agitation and hold protests in other cities, including the capital, New Delhi.

    “Though I was given the house way back in 2018, there is no solution in sight. I currently live at another place with my son,” said the woman.

    The extremist Hindu protestors believe that houses cannot be allotted to members of minority communities because it is a locality of Hindu inhabitants and falls under the Disturbed Areas Act that puts a ban on the sale of property by members of one religious community to those from another community without the prior approval of the District Collector.

    “The protest by the residents have once again exposed the near-complete housing segregation in Gujarat where in a majority of places, Muslims don’t get any house for lease or for purchase,” highlighted the report by The Hindu.

  • Sania Mirza says Lahore and Delhi are quite similar

    Sania Mirza says Lahore and Delhi are quite similar

    An old interview of former Indian tennis player Sania Mirza has appeared online with host Kamiya Jani, where she discussed her marriage with Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik. The pair are now divorced and Malik has gone on to marry again.
    The interview, which took place in October 2022, sheds light on Sania’s experiences visiting Pakistan and the cultural dynamics of marrying someone from across the border.

    “We go there actually once a year because Shoaib’s family still lives there and obviously Izhan goes to meet them, and you know we do meet them every year, once a year, and they come here once a year,” Mirza said about visiting Pakistan.

    Discussing the differences and similarities between India and it’s neighbour, Sania acknowledged both aspects. Drawing on her South Indian background, she admitted feeling a cultural difference but highlighted the resemblance between Lahore and Delhi, saying, “If I was from Delhi, I wouldn’t feel that much of a culture shock. Because Lahore is a lot similar to Delhi. The way they speak, the way they eat, the things they eat, you know, all that kind of… Culturally, they’re just Punjabis, right? So it’s a little more similar.”

    Despite the similarities, she noted, “But they are different in some ways also. You can tell, I mean, at least I can tell when there is a Pakistani speaking or an Indian person speaking…to another person, they might not be able to tell but I can tell the differences.”

    In a surprising development, Shoaib announced his third marriage to Pakistani actor Sana Javed, leading to the revelation of his split with Sania. The newlyweds shared joyous pictures from their wedding ceremony on social media.

    Shortly after, Indian news outlet PTI confirmed that Sania and Shoaib had divorced. Sania’s father Imran Mirza disclosed to PTI that Sania took a khula from Shoaib, officially confirming the end of their relationship. Taking to Instagram, Imran addressed speculation about his daughter’s marriage, emphasizing the need for privacy and confirming their divorce.

  • Dhund nay kar dia safar mushkil

    Dhund nay kar dia safar mushkil

    A thick blanket of heavy fog has descended on different parts of Pakistan, severely impacting visibility and causing widespread transportation disruptions.

    Adverse weather conditions have compelled authorities to take precautionary measures, resulting in the closure of main highways and affecting air travel.

    The impact of the fog extends beyond Lahore, spreading as far as Mandi Bahauddin, Pindi Bhatian, Kot Addu, and Uch Sharif.

    Residents and commuters in these regions are urged to exercise caution and adhere to any instructions issued by local authorities.

    Sialkot and its surrounding regions, including Pasrur, Daska, and Sambrial, are grappling with reduced visibility levels, significantly disrupting traffic flow. Commuters are advised to stay informed about the latest weather updates and road closures to ensure their safety.

    The fog has not only affected ground transportation but has also disrupted air travel. Multiple flights have been canceled, and others delayed, impacting cities in Sindh and Punjab.

    The closures of major motorways, including the M2, M3, M4, M5, and M11, further compound transportation challenges.

    In addition to the transportation disruptions, the air quality in Lahore has deteriorated, earning the city the unfortunate distinction of being the most polluted in the world.

    Meanwhile, dense fog in various cities of Sindh and Punjab has led to operational challenges for flights. The Pakistan International Airliner (PIA) spokesperson emphasizes the importance of obtaining flight information from the PIA Call Centre before heading to the airport, considering the potential disruptions caused by the fog.

    Over the past week, a total of 32 flights destined for Faisalabad, Multan, Lahore, and other Punjab airports had to be redirected to Islamabad International Airport due to the prevailing fog conditions.

    “Severe fog ongoing in the country has affected PIA flights from Lahore, Multan and Sialkot airport,” the airline’s spokesperson, Abdullah Khan, said in a statement, adding the PIA apologized for any inconvenience caused due to these operational challenges.

    “Low visibility and intensity of fog pose difficulties in flight operations,” he added. “Flights from Lahore, Multan, and Sialkot may be canceled, changed or delayed due to fog.”

    Khan noted that flight operations were usually affected in these cities in winter.

    “All passengers are urged to obtain information about their flights from the PIA call center before heading to the airport,” he added.

    Unusual Winter Conditions Across Northwest India:

    Meanwhile, across Northwest India, including Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, a thick blanket of fog has descended, impacting visibility levels. Despite the fog, winter temperatures are milder than usual for this time of the year.

    The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reports that night temperatures in north-western states remain higher than normal, with at least 2-3°C above-normal readings in several regions. Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 7.8°C, one degree above normal, with daytime temperatures reaching 22°C.

    Meteorologists attribute the warmer winter to the absence of strong western disturbances, traditionally responsible for winter rainfall over North India. Additionally, global warming is increasingly influencing weather patterns throughout the year, delaying the onset of winter and reducing the intensity of cold waves.

  • ‘Every actor has the right to protect themselves’: Anil Kapoor wins landmark case against AI

    ‘Every actor has the right to protect themselves’: Anil Kapoor wins landmark case against AI

    Veteran Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor has won a landmark case preventing his image from being used in any manner by Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology.

    The actor filed a case with the Delhi High Court, after numerous morphed videos and emojis featuring his iconic phrase ‘jhakas’ from the 1985 film ‘Yudh’ went viral on social media.

    The suit had asked for protection for the actor’s personality rights including his name, image, likeness, voice against any misuse on social media, and listed various instances of how the actor’s attributes were being misused. After a detailed hearing, the court sided with Anil Kapoor by acknowledging his personality rights, and restrained users from misusing the attributes without his permission or consent.

    Speaking to Variety, Anil Kapoor said he was happy with the order.

    “I’m very happy with this court order, which has come in my favor, and I think it’s very progressive and great for not only me but for other actors also. Because of the way technology and the AI technology, which is which is evolving every day [and] which can completely take advantage of and be misused commercially, as well as where my image, voice, morphing, GIFs and deep fakes are concerned, I can straight away, if that happens, send a court order and injunction and they have to pull it down.”

    “It’s not only for me,” the ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ actor stressed. “Today, I’m there to protect myself, but when I’m not there, the family should have the right to protect my [personality] and gain from it in future.”

    “My intention is not to interfere with anyone’s freedom of expression or to penalize anyone. My intent was to seek protection of my personality rights and prevent any misuse for commercial gains, particularly in the current scenario with rapid changes in technology and tools like artificial intelligence.”

    AI is a central element to the SAG-AFTRA strikes in Hollywood. Anil Kapoor expressed solidarity with the ongoing strike.

    “This [the court order] should be great positive news for all of them to a certain extent. And I am always, completely with them in every which way, and I feel their rights should be protected, because everybody, big, small, popular, not popular, every actor has the right to protect themselves and their rights.”

  • Delhi University to remove chapter about Alama Iqbal from political science textbooks

    A chapter about Allama Iqbal in a book recommended for Political Science syllabus has been removed by Delhi University, after a discussion at the Academic Council meeting.

    According to Indian news organization ANI, the Vice Chancellor, Yogesh Singh, said that those who laid the foundation to break India should not be taught to students:

    “Iqbal wrote songs supporting the ‘Muslim League’ and the ‘Pakistan Movement’. Iqbal was the first to raise the idea of the partition of India and the establishment of Pakistan and said that instead of teaching about such people, we should study our national heroes.”

    The right-wing student movement Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad has welcomed the motion, saying Iqbal was a ‘fanatic theological scholar’ who was responsible for the partition of India.

    “Delhi University academic council decided to scrap fanatic theological scholar Mohd Iqbal from DU’s political science syllabus. It was previously included in BA’s sixth-semester paper titled ‘Modern Indian political thought. Mohammad Iqbal is called the ‘philosophical father of Pakistan’. He was the key player in establishing Jinnah as a leader in Muslim League. Mohammad Iqbal is as responsible for India’s partition as Mohammad Ali Jinnah is.”

  • TRIGGER WARNING: Woman left with 17 stitches in head after being attacked by father-in-law for wanting to work

    A 26 year old woman named Kajol from Delhi was seen being attacked by her father-in-law on Tuesday morning while she was heading for a job interview. The culprit was against her decision to get a job.

    According to police officials, Kajol wanted to work in order to help her husband Praveen Kumar support their family but the father-in-law was against her decision and wanted her to stay at home.

    According to the released footage which is now going viral on the internet, Kajol can be seen being approached by her father-in-law, who is holding a brick in his hand. When she tried to escape the attack, the father-in-law repeatedly hit her on the head with a brick.

    Kajol was taken by her husband to Sanjay Gandhi Hospital where she received 17 stitches on her head.

    Meanwhile, a case has been filed against the father-in-law by Kajol’s parents who live in Faridabad, according to the officials.

  • Sonam Kapoor thinks her best on-screen chemistry has been with Fawad Khan

    Sonam Kapoor thinks her best on-screen chemistry has been with Fawad Khan

    A video of Bollywood star Sonam Kapoor is resurfacing on social media, from her last appearance on Koffee With Karan.

    Koffee With Karan 6: Sonam K Ahuja appears with her stylish siblings Rhea Kapoor and Harshvardhan Kapoor | PINKVILLA

    In the video, the Neerja star is asked by the host Karan Johar that with whom she shares the best chemistry?, Sonam’s brother Harshvardhan Kapoor jumped in and took Fawad Khan’s name. The Delhi 6 star stated that she thinks the same and she loved her chemistry with Fawad. She concluded on a humorous note by saying that Karan sent him back to Pakistan.

    Fawad's latest statement about Sonam reveals his flirtatious side | Bollywood News – India TV

    Her statement left Karan shocked but he let it pass.

    Kapoor worked with Khan in Disney’s Khoobsurat. The film gave Fawad his first break in Bollywood, for which he even received a Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut.

    Sonam grabbed headlines earlier this year for her pregnancy and the unfortunate robbery at her Delhi residence did not take place in just a day, rather, the thieves gradually stole precious items over a span of 10-11 months.

    “The jewelry and cash were stolen in a span of 10-11 months, as and when the accused nurse got a chance,” a Delhi Police official told IANS.

    A complaint was lodged two months back, on February 23, regarding a theft at the residence of Harish Ahuja at Amrita Shergil Marg in Delhi. Notably, Harish Ahuja is the father-in-law of Sonam Kapoor.

    The Saawariya star’s father Anil Kapoor thanked Delhi Police on twitter for their successful investigation.

    Sonam Kapoor

  • Pakistan Blind Cricket Council needs permission to participate in T20 World Cup in India

    Pakistan Blind Cricket Council needs permission to participate in T20 World Cup in India

    Pakistan Blind Cricket Council (PBCC) has reportedly contacted the Pakistani government for the issuance of a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) so that the team can participate in the upcoming T20 World Cup for Blinds in India.

    PBCC’s Chairman Sultan Shah told Geo News, “We will only confirm our participation in T20 World Cup in India once we get the NOC from the government.”

    “We have already started preparing a strong team for the event,” Shah added.

    The third T20 cricket World Cup will be played in India from December 4 to 17, 2022.

    The second T20 cricket World Cup was also hosted by India in 2017. In the final, India won against Pakistan by 9 wickets.

  • UK PM Boris Johnson begins his India tour from Modi’s home state Gujrat

    British Prime Minister (PM) Boris Johnson arrived in India on Thursday for his first-ever visit. He is expected to offer his help to India cut reliance on Russian oil and defense equipment, reports Reuters.

    Johnson has begun his two-day tour from Indian PM Narendra Modi’s home state of Gujarat. On Friday, Johnson will visit New Delhi to meet his counter partner, where the two of them will have a take on certain topics including a new defense partnership and a free trade agreement.

    Western countries have urged Delhi to speak out against the war in Ukraine. India, which imports Russian oil and is the world’s biggest buyer of its weapons, abstained in a United Nations (UN) vote condemning the invasion and has not imposed sanctions on Moscow.

    However, Indian PM Modi has expressed concern over the killing of civilians.

    Earlier this month, the United States (US) President Joe Biden told Modi that buying more oil from Russia is not in India’s interest. According to Johnson’s spokesperson, “Johnson will not lecture Modi on the matter.”

    It is pertinent to mention that the United Kingdom (UK) has been at the forefront in providing military aid and support to Ukraine. Johnson recently visited Kyiv to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky. 

    Previously, the India trip has been twice postponed because of Covid flare-ups in each country.

  • ‘Brotherhood, humanity’: Sikhs open gurdwaras for Friday prayers after Muslims attacked by Hindu extremists

    ‘Brotherhood, humanity’: Sikhs open gurdwaras for Friday prayers after Muslims attacked by Hindu extremists

    After an official ban on Muslim prayers at open places in India’s Gurugram city near New Delhi, a local organisation taking care of gurdwaras, holy places of the Sikh religion, has announced opening the doors of a gurdwara for Muslims.

    Hindu extremists have been protesting against the Muslims’ act of offering Friday prayers at open places outside mosques for the last several weeks. As Muslims in larger numbers swarm to mosques to say their weekly Friday prayers, mosques mostly cannot accommodate these big numbers of worshipers and they have to use the open places outside the mosques to say their prayers.

    Keeping in view the protests by Hindu extremists, the local authorities in Gurugram city have stopped Muslims from using the open places outside the mosques to offer their Friday prayers and cancelled the permission letters issued earlier in this regard.

    Hindu extremists have also been disrupting the Muslim Friday prayers at open places by raising their religious slogans.

    Last week, Hindu extremists filled an open place with cow dung where Muslims were going to say their Friday prayers the next day. They said they wanted to turn that place into a volleyball court.

    Against this backdrop, an organisation associated with gurdwaras of the Sikh religion has come forward and announced opening a gurdwara in Gurugram so that Muslims can offer their Friday prayers there.

    Harteerath Singh, Community Development Director at Hemkunt Foundation, wrote on Twitter, “Gurgaon’s Sadar Bazaar Gurudwara is now open for our Muslim brothers to offer their daily namaz keeping in mind the recent events that took place in the city.”

    Despite of death threats, he said that he will “always stand up for truth and sewa (help).”

    https://twitter.com/HarteerathSingh/status/1461355592027496467?s=20

    In another tweet, he added: “The best part is tomorrow is Guru Nanak Dev jis Gurpurab and Friday namaaz too. What a spectacular sight it will be tomorrow- prime example of brotherhood and humanity!”

    Thousands of Sikh pilgrims will attend the 552nd birth anniversary commemorations in Kartarpur today. An 18-member delegation led by Indian Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh entered Pakistan from the Kartarpur corridor on Thursday.

    Prime Minister Imran Khan has also extended felicitations to Sikhs.