Want Sourav Ganguly in BJP to clean bowl TMC: Ashok Dinda

News Network
March 24, 2021

Kolkata, Mar 24: Amid speculations that the BJP wants former India captain Sourav Ganguly to drive its fortunes in the upcoming West Bengal assembly elections, his former teammate and the saffron party's nominee from Moyna seat, Ashok Dinda, feels that the BCCI president would "clean bowl" the ruling TMC if he makes the much-anticipated move of joining the BJP.

Though Ganguly has been reportedly linked with the BJP since he became the BCCI president in October 2019, the most popular sports figure from West Bengal has not yet made any political commitments.

Well aware of Ganguly's leadership acumen, former West Bengal pace spearhead Dinda, who is fighting from the Moyna constituency in Purba Medinipur district, said the BJP desperately wants 'Dada' to join the party.

"Clean bowled hoe jabe (TMC will be clean bowled)... If he (Ganguly) joins, we are not looking at just crossing the 200-mark; even (full seats of) 294 is possible," Dinda, who has played 13 ODIs and nine T20Is, told PTI in an interview.

"Of course, we want Dada to join the BJP, because if he comes, it will be a landslide victory for us," he said.

West Bengal's second-highest wicket-taker after Utpal Chatterjee, Dinda was inducted into the BJP on February 24, almost three weeks after he called it quits having played for Goa in his last domestic appearance.

Dinda will contest against Trinamool Congress's Sangram Kumar Dolai, a sitting legislator since 2016.

Battling on a new pitch, Dinda said he wants 'Dada' to remain by his side even during his new innings.

"I want Dada to remain beside me, all my life. In good or bad times, he has always stood by me. Here, I have found another Dada (Suvendu Adhikari), but I want my cricket field's Dada to be with me as well," Dinda, who has 420 first-class wickets in a career spanning 14 years, said.

Asked whether he has spoken to Ganguly after joining politics, Dinda said, "It's been a busy few days. I have not been able to talk even to my family. But I know he is with me even if I have not spoken to him of late."

Ganguly, who is recovering from post-angioplasty after minor heart attacks, has recently played down the speculation of him joining BJP, saying, "We will see where it goes, what opportunities come in the way, we will take it from there."

A fiery pacer during his heydays, Dinda, who hails from Noichunpur village in Moyna seat, chose politics as he found it the best way to serve the people of Moyna.
"I have joined politics as this is the best platform to serve the people by being a part of the system. Honesty and hard work have always been my forte. I never made any false promises. I want to put in the same effort that had made me a cricketer," the 36-year-old said.

Moyna assembly constituency will go to polls in the second phase on April 1.

Dinda said though politics is a different challenge, but being a sportsperson, he is strong-willed.

"On the field, you have full control over your performance. Here you have to be with the people, understand their feelings, solve their problems. Rivals will try different means to stop you, but you have to keep working hard, so it's definitely challenging. Sports has taught me how to tackle pressure and be mentally strong," he said.

Asked what made him join the saffron party, he said, "BJP is a national party and one of the world's largest parties. It has a vision. It is not corrupt. It is a party with a vision and the only platform for doing social work and serving the people."

Dinda said like Ganguly has been his cricket idol, Adhikari is his mentor in politics.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has left her Bhowanipore seat in Kolkata to contest her former lieutenant and BJP candidate Suvendu Adhikari in Nandigram seat in the district, where an anti-land acquisition movement catapulted the TMC to power in the state in 2011.

Adhikari, a former minister in Banerjee's cabinet, joined the BJP in December last year at a rally of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Medinipur.

Dinda said Adhikari's party hopping is justified as he had no choice after being reduced to a "lamp post".

"If the party doesn't let you work and reduces you to a mere lamp post, it obviously becomes tough. Why deprive someone if he is willing to work? I have closely seen Suvendu da since the Nandigram days. There was bloodshed everywhere and how he worked to restore sanity. He will always be my idol in politics," Dinda said.

Dinda's vision is to turn his constituency to 'Sonar Moyna' (golden Moyna), with a primary focus on healthcare.

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News Network
November 15,2024

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Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has killed or captured 69 terrorists linked to the Israeli spy agency Mossad during a major counterterrorism drill in the country's southeast, its spokesman says.  

General Ahmad Shafaei, the spokesman for the “Martyrs of Security” drill, said Friday that a total of 23 terrorists have been killed and another 46 arrested in various clean-up operations ever since the IRGC Ground Force launched it in the Sistan and Baluchestan province on November 1.

Seven terrorists have also turned themselves in during the period.

“The undeniable fact about terrorists is that they rely on arrogant powers, particularly the intelligence service of the wicked and vicious Zionist regime," Shafaei said.

“Unfortunately, weapons and munitions at terrorists’ disposal are among the most sophisticated ones in the world. This accounts for their heavy dependence.” 

The official stated that several members of the disbanded terror teams were non-Iranian nationals, who had been hired by foreign intelligence agencies to carry out acts of sabotage and terror inside Iran.

In a most recent operation, six terrorists were arrested and four others were eliminated, three of whom were non-Iranians, he added. 

On October 26, ten members of Iran's law enforcement forces were killed in a terrorist attack in the Gohar Kuh district of Taftan in the Sistan and Baluchestan province.

The so-called Jaish al-Adl terrorist group claimed responsibility for the assault, which was one of the deadliest in the province in recent months.

The group has carried out numerous terrorist attacks in Iran, primarily in Sistan and Baluchestan.

Its tactics include the abduction of border guards as well as targeting civilians and police stations within the province to incite chaos and disorder.

In January, Iran launched a military operation during which the headquarters of the Pakistan-based terrorist group was targeted in missile strikes, destroying its infrastructure.

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News Network
November 19,2024

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In the wake of the tragic drowning of three students at a resort near Ullal on the outskirts of Mangaluru city, the tourism department in Dakshina Kannada is set to implement comprehensive safety guidelines for properties with swimming pools or beach access. This initiative aims to ensure guest safety and prevent similar incidents in the future.

New Safety Mandates for Resorts and Homestays

Rashmi S.R., deputy director (in-charge) of the tourism department, announced, “We will instruct all homestays and resorts to enforce precautionary measures, especially those with pools or direct beach access. Properties must ensure 24/7 supervision, particularly during guest hours. This tragedy highlights the importance of having trained personnel on-site.”

Key Safety Guidelines

The district, home to around 150 homestays and 130 resorts, will see the following measures enforced:

  • Clearly displaying pool depths.
  • Installing adequate safety equipment, such as life buoys.
  • Employing trained lifeguards at all times.
  • Establishing clear pool operating hours.
  • Reviewing and implementing standard operating procedures (SOPs) for pool and beach usage.

Booming Beach Tourism Calls for Vigilance

Manohar Shetty, president of the Association for Coastal Tourism (ACT), Udupi, highlighted the growing popularity of beachside resorts, particularly during peak seasons. Properties in Udupi, often fully booked with tourists from Bengaluru, Mysuru, Kodagu, and Shivamogga, face increasing pressure to maintain safety standards.

Udupi district boasts 22 beachside commercial properties catering to this rising demand.

Shetty emphasized, “Authorities must scrutinize safety measures and carefully evaluate guidelines before issuing new resort licenses. Panchayats should rely on the Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act when handling such cases.”

Long-Term Solutions for Water Safety

Recognizing the need for a cultural shift in water safety, Shetty proposed integrating swimming lessons into school curricula. This move would not only equip students with essential skills but also encourage safe participation in water-based activities.

A Safer Tomorrow for Coastal Tourism

As the tourism sector thrives, Mangaluru’s proactive approach underscores its commitment to visitor safety. The tragic incident serves as a wake-up call, propelling the industry towards stricter regulations and better preparedness, ensuring that coastal vacations remain both enjoyable and safe.

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News Network
November 18,2024

Advisors to US President-elect Donald Trump have instructed his allies and associates to refrain from using the inflammatory language they previously employed when discussing issues related to migrants and the deportation of asylum seekers, in a bid to avoid “looking like Nazis.”

US media reports said that Trump’s associates had been asked to stop using the word “camps” to describe potential facilities that would be used to accommodate migrants rounded up in deportation operations across the country.

The reports said the US president-elect’s allies had been ordered to stave off such charged terms as they would bring to mind “Nazis,” and be used against Trump.

“I have received some guidance to avoid terms, like ‘camps,’ that can be twisted and used against the president, yes,” one Trump ally told American monthly magazine Rolling Stone.

“Apparently, some people think it makes us look like Nazis.”

The presidential advisers also cautioned surrogates and allies to keep racist terms, which have dogged Trump’s campaign, out of their remarks.

They said with Trump’s heated rhetoric that used to compare undocumented immigrants to “animals” and his slight that they are “poisoning the blood of our country,” detractors did not need to reach too far to find parallels to Nazi Germany.

Stephen Miller, who Trump tapped to be his deputy chief of staff of policy, specifically used the word “camps” to describe holding facilities that he hoped the military could put together for immigrants.

Tom Homan, who served as the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and is chosen by Trump to be in charge of the US borders, was no stranger to such language.

“It’s not gonna be a mass sweep of neighborhoods,” he said in an interview earlier this week. “It’s not gonna be building concentration camps. I’ve read it all. It’s ridiculous.”

Becoming a little more forthright about the new government’s aggressive deportation plans, Homan likened the early days of the Trump administration to the initial invasion of Iraq in 2003.

“I got three words for them – shock and awe,” he said. “You’re going to see us take this country back.”

Trump made immigration a central element of his 2024 presidential campaign but unlike his first run, which was mainly focused on building a border wall, he has shifted his attention to interior enforcement and the removal of undocumented immigrants already in the United States.

People close to the US president and his aides are laying the groundwork for expanding detention facilities to fulfill his mass deportation campaign promise.

The businessman-turned-politician deported more than 1.5 million people during his first term.

The figure do not include the millions of people turned away at the border under a Covid-era policy enacted by Trump and used during most of Biden’s term.

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