OPINION | Why Rahul, Kejriwal avoided going to Maha Kumbh?-OxBig News Network

The successful completion of Maha Kumbh has brought the Sanatan Dharma to centre stage for the second time in two years.  Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi consecrated the idol of Ram Lala at the grand temple in Ayodhya, where celebrities from all spheres were invited. Maha Kumbh marked the assertion of the Sanatan faith by more than half a billion Hindus who came to Sangam on their own, as pilgrims. The Ram Lala Pran Pratistha event was ceremonial, but the Maha Kumbh was a grand event for all commoners. Celebrities and VIPs also came to Maha Kumbh, but they were practically lost among the multitudes of devotees. Crores of people came from all corners of India to the Maha Kumbh, which became a platform for the expression of deep faith. The coming of more than half a billion Indians to a single event has caused reverberations across the globe. While CM Yogi Adityanath gave a pay hike and bonus to sanitation workers, the Railways have promised to reward those staff who worked untiringly. There was no difference between the rich and poor at Maha Kumbh. Small shopkeepers earned handsomely from devotees, while the rich donated with abandon. There are examples of a tea vendor earning Rs 5000 daily, while those offering ‘Chandan Teeka’ for Rs 10 each earned up to Rs 65,000. Those selling tooth powder and ‘neem’ sticks earned up to Rs 40,000, while a YouTuber earned Rs 3 lakh by selling lemon tea to devotees. Some collected huge amounts of coins thrown by devotees in the river Ganga. Top corporate Coca Cola recycled plastic bottles and distributed 21,000 life jackets to sanitation workers and boatmen. Mankind Pharma hosted free medical camps, while Eveready gave away nearly 5,000 siren torches and batteries to the local police. Billionaire Gautam Adani provided free meals to nearly one lakh devotees daily. While top corporates and donors packed up soon after the Maha Kumbh was over, small and medium-level shopkeepers had tears in their eyes when they started packing up. They were worried about their earnings in the coming months. Experts say that Yogi’s claim about the Maha Kumbh providing Rs 3 lakh crore turnover to the state economy will surely benefit thousands for whom this event was a big source of earnings. Maha Kumbh will surely give a boost to UP’s economy, and Prayagraj will emerge as a top tourist destination. Now, let’s take a look at political fallouts: Both Modi and Yogi will get credit for the successful hosting of Maha Kumbh, while the opposition will be worried. Akhilesh Yadav took a lot of time to gauge the feelings of millions of devotees who were coming to Prayagraj. He initially raised questions, and when he found the crowds swelling, he went silently and took a holy dip himself. This was because he wanted to avoid anybody asking him later why he did not visit the Maha Kumbh. In Congress, there were two camps: Leaders like DK Shivakumar and Abhishek Manu Singhvi took their holy dip, but the Gandhi siblings were absent. I am surprised that Rahul Gandhi did not come to Maha Kumbh. Heavens would not have fallen if he had come and taken a holy dip in Ganga. If he thinks this was a personal matter, he must be prepared to face the political consequences for his absence. Arvind Kejriwal said on camera that he would go to Maha Kumbh after Delhi elections, but both he and his party lost the elections. This will give a handle to Yogi, who will be going to tell the people that leaders like Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal and Tejashwi Yadav are all “Chunaavi Hindus” (Election time Hindus). These leaders will find it difficult to respond to such a jab.

Why is Mamata’s nephew publicly swearing loyalty to her?

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had described Maha Kumbh as “Mrityu Kumbh” (Death Cauldron). On Thursday, Mamata Banerjee described the BJP’s Hindutva as “fake” and said the BJP guys are actually “Gerua Comrades” (Saffron Leftists). When the BJP made an issue about the cancellation of holiday on Vishwakarma by Kolkata Municipal Corporation, Mamata Banerjee challenged the BJP and asked how many holidays does the Centre give for Durga Puja, Kali Puja and Saraswati Puja? She then alleged that the BJP was adding names of people from Haryana, Gujarat, Bihar and Punjab in Bengal electoral lists. Mamata warned that she would not allow such a “formula” to be applied in Bengal, as was done in Haryana, Delhi and Maharashtra. She also alleged that the Election Commission was packed with pro-BJP people, and unless the EC works impartially, it would continue to face allegations. Meanwhile, Mamata’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee said he was not a “traitor” and he has no differences with his aunt. Abhishek said he was a disciplined party worker and he would never dream of joining the BJP. “I would rather die, but I will not leave Mamata Banerjee. Even if you slit my neck, I shall shout Mamata Zindabad.”, he said.  Why did the nephew say such things? Actually, for the last few days, rumours were rife that Abhishek Banerjee is trying to form a separate lobby in Trinamool Congress to grab the leadership. Rumours were floated that Abhishek may join the BJP because of his fear about his pending cases. But Abhishek has realized that one cannot challenge Mamata in Bengal, and his own existence depends on the goodwill of his aunt. This was the reason why the nephew swore his loyalty publicly for his aunt.

 A teacher is suspended for using cuss words against Bihar

Uploading videos on social media can cause problems to those who hurl abuses and insults. Deepali Shah, a female probationary teacher appointed at the Kendriya Vidyalaya in Jehanabad, Bihar, has been suspended. She posted two videos of herself on social media platforms where she used offensive language against Bihar and its people. A resident of Delhi, Deepali Shah crossed all limits of decency. In her videos, she described Bihar as “India’s worst region” and said she was willing to work in Bengal, Goa, Odisha, and even Ladakh and in the South, except Bihar. In another video, she was heard saying, “Bihar is not a place fit to live and the people here have no civic sense”. Samastipur MP Shambhavi Chaudhary has demanded that the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan must terminate her services. What Deepali Shah said about Bihar and its people is totally unjustified. She submitted an apology in writing to the local police, but since she has posted both objectionable videos on social media, she must tender an apology on social media too.

What is Trump offering for a Rs 44 crore Gold Card?

US President Donald Trump has come up with a new idea. If you have Rs 44 crore, you can get yourself settled in the US. In the Gold Card Visa scheme, those “aliens” interested in doing business in the US should buy a Gold Card for $ 5 million (Rs 44 cr) and settle in the US. Trump has said that his government has set a target of selling one million Gold Cards. He said America’s doors will be opened to nationals of all countries, including Russia, China and India. Details of this scheme will be made public soon. Till now, the US government had been following a policy of giving long-term visas to foreigners who invest  $ 1 million (Rs 8-9 cr). Other countries too have come up with similar offers. Turkey grants citizenship if one invests Rs 3.5 crore, and Greece offers citizenship for investments starting from Rs 2.25 crore. But Trump is a “pucca businessman”. He has upped the ante to $ 5 million. Those willing to invest Rs 45-50 crore in the US can dream of getting American citizenship.

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