Members of Youth Congress Nagpur…

Members of Nagpur Youth Congress staged protest against former Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification as Member of Parliament from Lok Sabha amid ‘Modi surname’ remark. The protest was held at Chhatrapati Square in the city on Saturday morning where members raised slogans hailing Gandhi. 

When we spoke to Secretary, Maharashtra Youth Congress, Abhishek Dhawad, who led the protest, said, “It is an orchestrated attack on the democracy. And, BJP’s attempt to cripple the voice of Opposition by expunging Rahul Gandhiji is a testimony to the fact that the accusations hold weight and thus the BJP government needs to come clean.”

When asked about Gandhi’s accusation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi siding with business tycoon Gautam Adani, Dhawad quipped, “Adani’s meteoric rise couldn’t have happened without the former being hand in glove with the Centre. It’s the biggest scam in the history of mankind!”

Senior Congress leader and former Corporator Praful Gudadhe Patil, Nagpur District Secretary Mangesh Kamone, etc., marked their presence during the protest.  

Gandhi, on Friday, was disqualified as Lok Sabha MP, a day after a Surat Court convicted him in a defamation case regarding Modi surname remark. The notification disqualifying the Wayanad MP was issued hours after Gandhi attended the morning session of Lok Sabha.

Gandhi, in 2019, had remarked, “Why all the thieves, be it Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi or Narendra Modi have Modi in their names.”

Also read: Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification as MP bars him from contesting LS polls for 8 years?

Area in Satranjipura where raids were being conducted

National Investigation Agency – NIA – conducted searches at three locations in Nagpur in its ongoing probe into a case having suspected terror links with Islamic preacher Zakir Naik. The investigation that began at 4 am and concluded at 8 am during the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday, was carried out at Satranjipura and Hansapuri areas of the city. 

Acting on a tip off, the officials raided the residences of the accused for allegedly establishing a contact in Pakistan through their mobile phones. 

The NIA interrogated two people – Akhtar Raza Vald Moh and Ahmad Raza Vald Moh – living near Badi Masjid in Satranjeepura for allegedly chatting with a Pakistani person through WhatsApp. 

The NIA team released Abdul after issuing him a notice and confiscating his phone. The NIA team confiscated Abdul’s mobile phone.. Reportedly, a few days back, both the accused had an argument at an Iftar party that was organised at Badi Masjid so the Lakdganj Police had called them for questioning. 

Zakir Naik is an Islamic preacher, founder and president of the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) who faces multiple charges of money laundering and hate speech in India. Naik, who has been residing in Malaysia since 2017, is accused of instigating Muslim youth and terrorists in India and abroad to commit terrorist acts.

Also read: Dance enthusiasts, friends pay tribute in loving memory of Tiki Peters in Nagpur

Dance enthusiasts, friends and students came together and paid a heartfelt tribute in the loving memory of renowned western dance teacher late Benedict Peters fondly called as Tiki Peters. Moreover, the get-together also gave a chance to enthusiasts who wished to express their love for dance. The get together was held at Money Plant Terrace in Laxmi Nagar on March 13.

Hosts – businessman Dhananjay Sakharkar and Deputy Executive Editor at ABP Majha Sarita Kaushik – along with other guests, reminisced some memorable anecdotes of Tiki that lifted spirits of all as they went down the memory lane. 

Fondly remembering Peters, Sarita Kaushik told Nation Next, “Tiki was a dear friend for whom Dhananjay and I arranged this small get-together. He was a gifted teacher who danced like no one else. His moves were fabulous; no body could teach better than him. He had a commendable sense of aesthetics when it came to dance. I’m glad his elder sister and brother are equally talented and will continue Tiki’s legacy of excellence.”

Dhananjay, who had known Peters for nearly four decades, said, “My association with Tiki dates back to over 40 years. He taught  us many dance forms including Jive, Salsa, Disco, Ballroom, Waltz, Cha Cha Cha. More than anything else, Tiki was an exceptional human being – with amazing sense of humour! When Tiki passed away, Sarita and I arranged a small party where we served everything that he loved  – veg puff, macarons, cakes, soft drinks and of course music to dance! This was our small gesture for our dear friend who, I’m certain, was smiling from the heavens that evening!”

Tiki Peters, who was brought up in an Anglo-Indian culture – something that was predominant in city’s Mohan Nagar area, passed away in November last year. 

Also read: Inside the famous ₹1.3 crore worth gift bag given to Oscar nominees this year…