Gujarat confidential: Pitch & Palestine | Surat News
The FIR lodged against alleged pitch invader Wen Johnson has no mention of him wearing a T-shirt supporting Palestine or wearing a mask depicting the colours of the Palestine flag.
While videos and photos of Johnson on the field show him wearing the T-shirt with the Palestine slogan as he ran up to hug Virat Kohli during the ICC world cup finals Sunday, the ones circulated after the police detained the Australian national show him wearing a different T-shirt.
Johnson has been booked for criminal trespass and voluntarily causing hurt to any person being a public servant in discharge of his duty.
Politics Of Crowd
Spectators at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad have been facing criticism from some quarters for their behaviour during the final match between India and Australia. However, Gujarat BJP media cell co-convener Zubin Ashara came out in favour of the crowd at the venue.
On Monday, sharing two pictures on ‘X’, Ashara posted: “In 1996, the crowd in Kolkata set fire to Eden Gardens in frustration as India faced defeat in the Cricket #WorldCup semi-final.
In 1999, Sachin Tendulkar attempted to pacify rioters at Eden Gardens during a match against Pakistan. Fast forward to 2023, where liberals are unjustly criticising the peaceful crowd in #Ahmedabad.” Comparing the criticism for the Ahmedabad crowd with hate for Gujarat and Gujaratis, he added, “No matter what, their hate for Gujarat and Gujaratis remains constant!”
Debut Turf
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Speculations are rife that a change of candidate is on cards in Vadodara, currently held by two-term BJP MP Ranjan Bhatt. Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat and Union Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar who might contest his first Lok Sabha polls next year, is likely to be given the ticket from Vadodara, considered prestigious by the BJP after Prime Minister Narendra Modi won by a margin of over five lakh votes in 2014.
Jaishankar is known to frequent Vadodara and the adjoining Narmada district, where he has adopted four villages under the Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana.
“While we will only know when the party declares the candidates closer to the polls, it is likely that MEA Jaishankar will contest from here… There are other names that are in the discussions too, but Jaishankar seems the most probable,” a senior BJP leader said.