NEWSMAKERS OF THE WEEK
A NUMBER OF GODMEN HAVE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF INDIANS BLIND FAITH. THEY SUCCESSFULLY COMBINE RELIGION WITH POLITICS AND MATERIALISIM. THEIR POWER IS LEFT UNCHECKED AS THEY ARE A HUGE VOTE BANK. FOR US IT IS IMPORTANT TO MAINTAIN DISCRETION
RAM RAHIM SINGH
Self-styled godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and three of his aides were sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of a journalist, over 16 years ago. The Dera Sacha Sauda chief and three others — Nirmal Singh, Kuldeep Singh and Krishan Lal — appeared before the court through video conferencing as Ram Rahim is already serving a 20-year-sentence in Sunaria jail in a rape case.
MUKESH AMBANI
Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) became the first Indian private firm to cross `10,000 crore quarterly profit milestone, by maintaining robust growth momentum across petrochemicals, retail and Jio platforms. Mukesh Ambani, chairman and MD, RIL, said the Q3 FY19 results came in better than their estimates. The oil-to-telecom conglomerate reported an 8.8 per cent rise in its consolidated net profit in the third quarter.
AKASH ANAND
Akash Anand, 24, Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati’s nephew, was spotted accompanying her at two high-profile meetings. Speculation is rife that he is being groomed as a possible successor of the party chief. Currently, he holds no post in the party. It believed that in giving prominence to Akash, Mayawati is trying to attract Dalit youth ahead of the LS polls. Akash’s father, Anand, the younger brother of Mayawati, had been BSP’s vice-president till 2017.
RAJKUMAR HIRANI
Rajkumar Hirani, the director of several Bollywood hit films like Munna Bhai, 3 Idiots and PK, was accused of sexual harassment by a co-worker at his production house. She alleged that the filmmaker abused her during March-September, 2018, while filming Sanju. The filmmaker in a statement in which he said he was “shocked” when the claims were brought to his notice. He said he suggested the case be referred to a “committee or a legal body” but the complainant chose to go the media.
THERESA MAY
British PM Theresa May scrambled to put together a new Brexit strategy after MPs rejected her EU divorce deal, and insisted she could not rule out a potentially damaging “no-deal” split. Britain is in political turmoil and seeking solutions that could smooth its planned departure from the bloc after 46 years. Across Europe governments are putting plans to avoid logjams at ports and airports should London fail to find a Plan B.