1. Rajasthan Teen Slaps Muslim Man, Forces Him to Say ‘Jai Shri Ram’
A video purportedly showing a teenager slapping a 45-year-old Muslim man and forcing him to say "Jai Shri Ram" in Rajasthan's Sirohi district went viral, prompting a protest from the community on 6 February.
A video of the act, recorded and circulated by the accused, Vinay Meena (18), is doing the rounds on the internet.
In the three-minute clip, Meena is seen slapping Mohammad Salim 25 times and forcing him to say “Jai Shri Ram”, to which the victim responded: “Parvardigaar sabse bada hai (God is almighty).”
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2. Modi Says Patel Would’ve Kept All of Kashmir, Historians Think Not
Narendra Modi, on 7 February, invoked India’s first deputy prime minister, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, while criticising the Congress in the Lok Sabha for "dividing the country".
"If Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had been the first prime minister of the country, then the entirety of Kashmir would have been ours," the Prime Minister said, amid loud sloganeering in the Lower House.
While this was one of the most highlighted quotes from his speech, experts and commentators were quick to point out that Patel was not actually eager to have Kashmir acceded into India.
Srinath Raghavan, a former army officer and an expert on the historical aspects of India’s foreign and security policies, tweeted that, at one point, Patel was ready to offer Kashmir to Pakistan in return for Junagadh and Hyderabad's accession to India.
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3. ‘Kuldeep and Chahal Are Brave Bowlers,’ Says Virat Kohli
India dominated with both bat and ball to thrash South Africa by 124 runs in the third ODI in Cape Town on Wednesday. The Indians rode on skipper Virat Kohli's unbeaten 160 to post a total of 303/6 in their allotted 50 overs.
Wrist spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav then ran through the South African batting line-up with four wickets each as the hosts folded for 179 runs in 40 overs. India now lead the six-match series 3-0.
At the post-match press conference, Kohli said he has no words to explain Kuldeep and Chahal’s brilliant performances in the ODI series so far. He said that the opposition doesn’t seem to have any answer for them.
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4. Take Our #GiftAPad Challenge Now And Get the Conversation Going
There's no time better than this one to kickstart the conversation around menstrual hygiene.
A clean, healthy alternative to unsanitary products during menstruation is the need of the hour. Only 12 percent women in the country have access to sanitary pads on account of cost-related issues, low awareness and social taboos.
Do you agree that every woman should be given the means to be able to make a well-informed choice?
If yes, join us RIGHT NOW to take this discussion forward. To go beyond verbal affirmations. Gift a packet of sanitary pads to someone around you who needs it and pass on the message to at least 3 of your friends on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!
Read full story here.
5. Auto Expo 2018 Goes Green
Auto Expo 2018 is the biggest expo in India for all car and bike makers to showcase their products. This is the 14th edition of the expo, where 24 launches will take place. The entire Volkswagen Group – Skoda, Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche, Lamborghini, Ducati, MAN and Scania – has pulled out of the expo this year. Harley Davidson, Triumph, Royal Enfield and even Bajaj will not be present. This year, the auto expo focusses on environmental friendly vehicles.
New entrants lining up their vehicles are Kia Motors and BMW Motorrad. With India’s growing focus on electric vehicles, expect major brands and small start-ups to showcase their products in this segment.
Catch all the updates from ground zero here.
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