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Indian Express
35 minutes ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Neither ran a parallel campaign nor indulged in factionalism: Ashu after AICC accepts his resignation
A day after the Congress leadership accepted his resignation as the working president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC), Bharat Bhushan Ashu said he neither ran a parallel campaign nor indulged in factionalism. He, however, admitted 'a breakdown in coordination'. 'I take my share of responsibility for failing to bridge the divide.' In a statement, Ashu said, 'My resignation was an act of taking moral responsibility for the defeat, and not any admission of guilt. I will continue to serve the Congress, but my fight for truth will continue.' The recent rumblings in the Punjab Congress have occurred after its candidate, Ashu, lost the Ludhiana West Assembly bypoll to the ruling AAP by over 10,000 votes. Throughout the campaign, the rift between Ashu and Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring was visible to all. Ashu-led faction, including former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, MLAs Pargat Singh and Raja Gurjeet Singh, extensively campaigned for him but 'excluded' Warring, leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa and other supporters. While Warring maintained that Ashu never 'invited' or asked him to campaign, Ashu said, 'I never stopped anyone from campaigning.' Ashu also inducted two local leaders from other parties — Karan Warring and Kamaljit Karwal — into the Congress allegedly against Warring's wishes. He also did not attend the joint press conference addressed by AICC Punjab affairs in-charge Bhupesh Baghel, Warring and Bajwa on June 16 to make a vote appeal for him, a day before campaigning ended on June 16. On the last day of campaigning, Warring and Bajwa also did not attend Ashu's roadshow. In a major blow to Ashu's camp, the AICC on Thursday accepted three resignations — Ashu's as PPCC working president, and Pargat Singh and Kushaldeep Singh Kikki Dhillon (both as PPCC vice-presidents), who had resigned taking 'moral responsibility' for the defeat. Pargat and Dhillon had resigned in solidarity with Ashu. Ashu posted on his Facebook page: 'Politics Demands Accountability — But Also Honesty. In public life, we are taught to own both success and failure with equal grace. I have always believed that if a resignation can help the Congress reflect, reset and reorganise, it should never be withheld. My resignation — now accepted by the high command — is an act of responsibility, not an admission of guilt. The Ludhiana West by-election result was disappointing. But reducing it to the actions of a few individuals is not only politically inaccurate, it is also internally damaging.' Claiming that he never indulged in any indiscipline, Ashu wrote, 'I neither ran a parallel campaign nor indulged in factionalism. Those who worked closely with me know the sincerity of my effort. Yes, there was a breakdown in coordination — and I accept my share of the responsibility for not being able to bridge that divide, despite trying.' Raising several questions on some of his party colleagues, he wrote further, 'This moment must not become one of blame, it must become one of course correction. We must ask: Why did the voter disengage? Why were proxies used to unsettle the campaign? Why did some treat this election as a platform to settle personal scores rather than serve the party?' Ashu, who spent over a year in jail after being arrested in an alleged corruption case after AAP came to power, wrote that even during his toughest legal battles, he 'stood alone but never against the party'. 'I have served the Congress with loyalty and conviction for over two decades — never seeking comfort, only duty. Even during the most difficult times, when I faced personal and legal battles, I stood firm, alone if needed, but never against the party. I paid the price for standing by the Congress when others benefited, and I did it with my head held high. And even now, I remain where I've always been: on the ground, with the people,' he wrote. The rift between Ashu and Warring deepened during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections when the party chose Warring to contest the Ludhiana seat, sidelining Ashu, who had recently been released on bail from an alleged corruption case, which was later quashed by the High Court. Warring went on to win the election. 'Punjab needs a Congress that is united in spirit, clear in direction, and strong in purpose. I sincerely hope the coming days bring reflection, not retribution, and that justice within the party is guided by values, not convenience. The fight for truth, for workers, and Punjab continues — and I will remain part of it,' Ashu added.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Squid Game 3's most hated character is, surprisingly, a beloved K-drama star no one expected: ‘Worst in history'
If there was one character fans had hoped would take a transformational turn, it was player 333, who many believed would be the game-changer and join forces with Gi Hun to flip the system. Turns out he did change, but in the worst possible direction. Im Si Wan's character has now surpassed every level of hate in viewers' minds, overtaking even the previous betrayers. Fans are frustrated, especially since the show's tagline, 'how low humanity can sink', seems to have been written just for this character, someone who was ready to kill his own child for prize money, right after his ex jumped to her death, disgusted by him. Im Si Wan, with his series of selfish, manipulative, and downright ruthless actions through the game, has easily become the most frustrating part of the entire season. But his Squid Game role also marks a major shift in his career, where until now, he had mostly ridden on the fame of playing good-boy roles in K-dramas. He's known for portraying kind, warm-hearted characters, barely speaking yet managing to express layers of emotion, which even earned him the nickname Mal Nun Gwang ('innocent-eyed lunatic'). So, for a section of fans, it was tough to watch him play villain. Especially the moment he tried to kill his own baby, that, for many viewers, was the final straw. Also read: Squid Game 3 ending: 7 burning questions answered in Netflix thriller finale; future possibilities explored 'I know it's just a show, but oh my god, why is it so hard watching him do such a ruthless job?' one person commented. 'The fallout of Seong Gi Hun's plan was devastating. The final games are more brutal than ever. Some of our favourite characters give in to their most animalistic, violent instincts. No one's safe,' another wrote. 'I have never hated a character in my entire life as much as player 333. He disgusted me. Sorry, I'm Si Wan—you weren't meant for this role,' said a third. #SquidGame3 #player333 Bro literally surpassed every existing character to become the worst character in the history of squid game. — Ruhiiii💫 (@ruhipreeran) June 27, 2025 Crypto Scam Background: Im Si Wan joined Squid Game in Season 2, and his character was introduced as a former YouTuber who used to scam the public with his crypto game. This was the reason why, in the first place, his girlfriend Jun Hee (Player 222) and Thanos (Player 230) lost a massive amount of money and ended up in the game. In the second season, Jun Hee got pregnant, with Myung Gi vowing to protect both. Murder of Hyun Ju (Player 120) In Season 3, Jun Hee was left disgusted and lost all faith in Myung Gi after he killed Hyun Ju in the hide-and-seek game. Hyun Ju had helped Jun Hee deliver the baby with elderly lady Geum Jaa, but was met with a tragic and betrayed end. Myung Gi's action was seen as cold-blooded and opportunistic, eliminating a strong character. Also read: Squid Game Season 3 ending explained: The truth about Gi Hun's fate, the mystery woman, and all survivors Following Hyun Ju's death, Myung Gi showed little to no remorse. He did the same when Jun Hee jumped to her death while trying to save Gi Hun and the baby. In the last game, when only Gi Hun, the baby, and Myung Gi were left, Myung Gi, despite being the baby's biological father, was ready to throw the baby off the platform just to ensure his win. This act sealed his status as truly deplorable. Though many were left disappointed by how the show ended, hoping for a happy closure, some believe it stayed true to its theme, raw and unsettling in the best way. The show has always focused on extreme capitalism and how it strips away human values, turning people into commodities for the rich to enjoy their misery. Gi-hun's final sacrifice — choosing to die to save the baby (Player 222), became the ultimate act of defiance against this system. His last words, 'We are not horses. We are humans. Humans are…' were aimed directly at the VIPs who saw the players as nothing more than toys for their amusement.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
Jofra and Jasprit, the speed guns without speed breakers destined to make cricket great again
England's foremost cricket pundit Nasser Hussain thinks Jofra Archer should sit out the Edgbaston Test but train with the team – bowling at nets, jogging during breaks, getting his body Test match ready. Last Sunday, Archer, England's very own Jasprit Bumrah, played a first-class game after 1,500 days. Finally, fit to play the longer format, he bowled 18 overs for Sussex and got a wicket. If you are a 150kph bowler with a sparkling red-ball history that was enough to get a Test recall. But Hussain advises caution, he wants Archer to press restart at Lord's, ironically the Test Bumrah is expected to return to, after his likely miss of the second Test that starts on July 2. At the Home of Cricket, the two diehard Test cricket lovers will terrorise batsmen and for once the lopsided bat-versus-ball contest will be even. Bumrah and Jofra have lost out a lot because of their passion and commitment towards Tests. They could have taken the easy way out, like many of their contemporaries who just focused on white-ball cricket, cut down on workload and earned a lot. But they haven't. Jofra sacrificed money, Bumrah the captaincy. When Jofra was recalled, BBC spoke to his close friend Saqib Mahmood. The two had roomed when they were dealing with similar injuries. 'With Jof the easiest thing for him to have done is just gone purely white ball. He'd have been financially better off and had all of that. But I could always tell he wanted to play Test cricket. I just knew it,' Mahmood said. During the Headingley Test where he took five wickets, Bumrah, at a press conference, expressed his angst when asked about the constant speculation about his injury-ridden future. It's where India's MVP, a captaincy candidate till as recently as the Border Gavaskar Trophy at the end of last year, dropped a line that was about his regret at not being able to be India's long-term captain. It was a rare slip by the guarded professional who weighs every word he utters in public and even maintains a happy expression and positive tone when talking about 'dropped catches.' 'Mann tha, karna bhi tha, but Indian cricket se upar kuch nahi hai. (I wanted it and could do it but there is nothing bigger than Indian cricket),' he said, explaining how the high probability of missing games due to his workload saw him step back. He said it wouldn't be fair to the team, if they can't play all the Tests as it would impact continuity. Can we declare Jasprit Bumrah a national treasure already? 😅 #SonySportsNetwork #GroundTumharaJeetHamari #ENGvIND #NayaIndia #DhaakadIndia #TeamIndia — Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) June 22, 2025 Fast bowlers, the ones putting their body on the line to pursue real speed, are a different breed. Always risking career-threatening injury, they are known to live on the edge. They are cricket's fighter jocks, the proud men who walk around the dressing room with a swagger. The team's popular stars, the batsmen keep a distance from them, but they know their importance. In contrast, the pacers mock the team's star batsmen, they are to them what boyband artists are to hardened rock stars. Even when Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were in the team, no one fooled around with Bumrah. Jofra's mate Mahmood says there are a few no-go areas for him too. While the two trained, they would keep comparing his calf muscles. Jofra would have a retort that only those in 'Club 150' could possibly offer with a comeback line. 'What's the fastest you have bowled?' In a game in the early part of IPL, Jofra, turning up for Rajasthan Royals, took a serious beating. Against SunRisers Hyderabad, he went for 76 in four overs. It proved to be the most expensive IPL spell. Ishan Kishan and Travis Head were responsible for the nightmarish figures. 90 seconds of Jofra Archer being absolutely RAPID 🔥 Happy birthday, @jofraarcher 🎂 — England Cricket (@englandcricket) April 1, 2024 RR coach, the Kiwi speedster Shane Bond, saw how the game impacted Jofra. 'There's no doubt he was hurting a bit. I think that's a credit to how quickly he bounced back. He got back to the training ground, trained brilliantly, was really focused and knew what he wanted to do and had to do,' Bond told the BBC. By the end of the season, that spell was forgotten as Archer ended with 11 wickets. Bumrah too doesn't take injudicious batting adventurism kindly. In the 2024-25 BGT, the young Aussie opener Sam Konstas, their Ishan Kishan, riled Bumrah with his batting bravado. By the end of the tour, the Aussies were rethinking their opening options. The uncertainty over the fitness, and at times even about their pace, has resulted in the two getting targeted by fans. There was a time when it was said that Bumrah would miss India games because of his health but would get magically match-fit during IPL. Jofra too faced taunts during his long recovery and rehabilitation when ECB stood by him. There were comments that Jofra was on the longest paid holiday. Though, used to such sly sledges, there comes a point when it hurts. 'You try to not let it get to you but you can ignore 100 of them but sometimes that 101st is the straw that breaks the camel's back,' he once said. But Jofra would take criticism as motivation. Something that even Bumrah too is good at. Though the pacer now has legions of fans and is considered the team's rare match winner, his every injury coincides with some doomsday prediction. Bumrah, the other day, laughed at the regularity with which he gets written off. 'Everybody is free to write whatever they want. It doesn't matter to me. If those thoughts come into my mind, I will start believing it. I get dictated by what I believe in,' he says. 'I have played cricket on my belief since people have said 'no' to me all my life. First they said you wouldn't be able to play, next they said you will play for 6 months, after 8 months … now I have finished 10 years of international cricket.' And then he would get philosophical, he talks about barkat – the divine favour. 'I prepare the best I can and after that I leave it to the almighty. My barkat will decide how much I play,' he said. Here's hoping Lord's extends divine favour to the two men working towards making Tests great again.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Trump must put aside disrespectful tone towards Khamenei if he wants deal: Iran
A day after Donald Trump scoffed at Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's heated warning to the US to not launch future strikes, Iran's Foreign Minister said that the American President 'should put aside the disrespectful and unacceptable tone towards the Supreme Leader if he was genuine about wanting a deal'. Reacting to Trump's comments, Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi wrote on social media platform X: 'If President Trump is genuine about wanting a deal, he should put aside the disrespectful and unacceptable tone towards Iran's Supreme Leader, Grand Ayatollah Khamenei, and stop hurting his millions of heartfelt followers.' He added: 'The complexity and tenacity of Iranians is famously known in our magnificent carpets, woven through countless hours of hard work and patience. But as a people, our basic premise is very simple and straightforward: we know our worth, value our independence, and never allow anyone else to decide our destiny.' Speaking about the recent Iran-Israel military confrontation, Araghchi wrote, 'The Great and Powerful Iranian People, who showed the world that the Israeli regime had NO CHOICE but to RUN to 'Daddy' to avoid being flattened by our Missiles, do not take kindly to Threats and Insults.' The Foreign Minister also issued a warning, saying: 'If Illusions lead to worse mistakes, Iran will not hesitate to unveil its Real Capabilities, which will certainly END any Delusion about the Power of Iran.' On Friday, Trump, in remarks to reporters and later in an extended statement on social media, said the Ayatollah's comments defied reality after 12 days of Israeli strikes and the US bombardment of three key nuclear sites inflicted severe damage on the country's nuclear program. The president suggested Khamenei's comments were unbecoming of Iran's most powerful political and religious figure. 'Look, you're a man of great faith. A man who's highly respected in his country. You have to tell the truth,' Trump said. 'You got beat to hell.' The US President spoke a day after Khamenei insisted Tehran had delivered a 'slap to America's face' by striking a US air base in Qatar and warned against further attacks. Khamenei's pre-recorded statement, which aired on Iranian state television, was the first time that Iranians had heard directly from the supreme leader in days. Trump, however, in a social media post Friday, refuted all statements made by Khamenei. 'His Country was decimated, his three evil Nuclear Sites were OBLITERATED, and I knew EXACTLY where he was sheltered, and would not let Israel, or the U.S. Armed Forces, by far the Greatest and Most Powerful in the World, terminate his life,' Trump posted on Truth Social. 'I SAVED HIM FROM A VERY UGLY AND IGNOMINIOUS DEATH, and he does not have to say, 'THANK YOU, PRESIDENT TRUMP!' (With inputs from AP)
Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
When Salman Khan warned the makers of Shefali Jariwala's ‘Kaanta Laga': ‘Yeh sexy kaam kam karo…'
At a time when item numbers were still taboo for many Bollywood actors, Shefali Jariwala carved her own identity with 'Kaanta Laga'. Decades later, she's still known as the 'Kaanta Laga girl'. And now, tragically, with Shefali gone, it feels like we've lost a piece of the 2000s, a time when remix videos changed the face of Indian pop culture. An old video of Shefali has resurfaced, where she talks about never getting tired of the tag. In the clip, the host asks her, 'Aapko sab Kaanta Laga girl, Kaanta Laga girl bolte hai. Aap thak nahi gaye ho isse? (Everyone keeps calling you the Kaanta Laga girl, aren't you tired of it?)' Shefali shoots back, 'Sawal hi nahi hai,' and adds with full confidence, 'There can only be one Kaanta Laga girl in the world, and that is me. I love it and I want to be known as the Kaanta Laga girl till the day I die.' Also Read | Actor Shefali Jariwala passes away at 42 The remix version of 'Kaanta Laga', originally from the 1972 film Samadhi, featured Dharmendra and Asha Parekh. Sung by Lata Mangeshkar and composed by RD Burman, the song already had a legacy. But when the remix dropped in 2002, it shook the country so much that the censor board summoned the makers, accusing them of shaking the 'moral fibre' of the nation. Notably, not everyone back then was happy about the song's rebellious and bold visuals, including superstar Salman Khan. Surprisingly, just a month before Shefali Jariwala's passing, the video's directors, Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru, recalled the time when the Dabangg actor had personally warned them about it. In a conversation with Hindi Rush, the makers revealed how Salman told them, 'Main tumhe samjha raha hoon, yeh sexy kaam kam karo, achha nahi hota (I'm telling you—cut down on these sexy songs, it's not good). You have such pure minds, don't waste them on this stuff.' At the time of its release, 'Kaanta Laga' had caused an instant backlash. Before this, Radhika and Vinay had done videos with artistes like Falguni Pathak, Jagjit Singh, and Pankaj Udhas, still poppy in beats and disco-themed but in a more 'clean' format. But post-'Kaanta Laga', the scene changed, and Indian cinema got a flood of bold remixes like 'Kaliyon Ka Chaman' and 'Chadti Jawani'. But what's more ironic is that the remix idea itself came from Salman only. The directors recalled that they were once at his house when he was working out, listening to the Jhankaar Beats Kishore Kumar remix. That moment sparked the idea of doing something similar. Despite all the outrage, 'Kaanta Laga' made Shefali Jariwala a pop culture icon. She later went on to appear in Bigg Boss 13, hosted by the same Salman Khan who had once asked the makers to tone it down. Also Read | Shefali Jariwala Death Live Updates: Celebs mourn demise of 'Kaanta Laga' girl Shefali Jariwala is survived by her husband, Parag Tyagi, who is also an actor.
