Akhil Ragged by Rana, Lakshmi!
New entrant Akhil Akkineni was ragged by seniors Rana Daggubati and Manchu Lakshmi during the recently held SIIMA 2016 in Singapore. During one of the occasions, all three – Akhil, Rana and Lakshmi Manchu- were on dais and that’s when Rana, Lakshmi took dig at Akhil’s relationship.
Rana has ridiculed at Akhil by asking him, “How old are you?”. Unknowing of Rana’s satire up in the store, Akhil replied, “I’m 22”. And pat came reply from Rana. “I’m 32. Am still single. I haven’t got one yet and is it necessary for you now?” Shocked with Rana’s sudden remark, Akhil kept quiet and threw a smile. Onlookers said that Akhil had difficult time trying to control his feelings has his face said to have turned red upon hearing Rana’s statement.
What’s more? Backing Rana, Lakshmi Manchu added, “I was in US. Soon after I returned, I was shocked to see in about Akhil’s love in a leading tabloid.” Apparently, Akhil couldn’t take this it in his stride as Rana made these comments in front of large gathering, audience at SIIMA.Akhil recently admitted that he is in love with a Hyderabad-based designer Shriya Bhupal, daughter of industrialist Shalini Bhupal.
‘Nani Sold Tickets in Black’
As the war of words between TDP leaders, ministers and Hindu saints, Peethadhipathis, activists intensify over demolishing of temples in the successor state of Andhra Pradesh without proper notice, one activist Siva Swamy breathed fire on Vijayawada MP Kesineni Nani. Following Nani’s alleged remarks on Siva Swamy that he has business interests in the construction of temples, Siva Swamy shot back at Nani and strongly retaliated his remarks. Siva Swamy alleged that Nani had sold tickets of bus passengers travelling from Vijayawada to Hyderabad in black and reached this stage.
Siva Swamy didn’t even spare cabinet ministers in Naidu government. Saying that few ministers finding fault with Hindu saints alleging business interests in the issue, Siva Swamy questioned the interests of politicians visiting temples before filing their nominations. “You visit temples before filing nominations and do pujas. Don’t you find that as business interest?”
“The issue should have been handled well. We weren’t against to the development. But the government hasn’t issued proper time. In Gujarat, all the stake holders were invited for talks, and after thorough discussion, government did it with care. The priests were asked to dismantle the idols and shift them to a sacred place as per rituals and then priests were asked to break down step by step, followed by government officials. None of this is followed in the new state of AP,” added Siva Swamy.
He said that the state government has retracted its decision and agreed for five demands of the Hindu activists as per which major temples would be rebuilt with the expenses of government in an ample space. Government would provide sufficient lands. Hindu activists further pointed out at the biased approach of government officials whereas a Dharga wasn’t even touched and given four months time, while temples were bulldozed overnight.The Hindu activists in unison have demanded CM Chandrababu Naidu an unconditional apology in the issue.
Bangladesh terror attack: Irrfan Khan, Taslima Nasreen condemn incident, but with opposing views of Islam
Last week’s Bangladesh terror attack, in which 20 foreign nationals and two police officers were killed by six terrorists in the Gulshan area of national capital Dhaka, seems to have both united and divided internationally-acclaimed actor Irrfan Khan and equally internationally-acclaimed author Taslima Nasreen.They are united in their condemnation of the attack, which has been claimed by the Islamic State group, also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (Isis) or the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil). However, while Irrfan has said Islam is a religion that has its roots in peace, mercy and caring for others, Taslima has said she has seen otherwise.
In a heartfelt Facebook post, Irrfan said the news of the Bangladesh attack has left a “horrific silence” within him. He wrote: “Quran ki aayeten naa janne ki wajeh se ramzaan ke mahine mein logon ko qatal ker diya gaya. Haadsa ek jagah hota hai , badnaam Islaam aur poori duniya ka musalman hota hai. Woh Islaam jiski buniyaad hi aman, reham aur dusro ka dard mehsoos kerna hai [sic].” Rough translation: “They killed people because they did not know the verses of the Quran. The tragedy happens at one place, but Islam and Muslims are given a bad name worldwide. That very Islam whose roots are in peace, mercy and empathising with others.”
The “Madaari” actor went on to add: “Aise me kya musalman chup baitha rahe aur mazhab ko badnaam hone de? ya wo khud Islaam ke sahi mayne(meaning) ko smajhe aur doosron ko bataye, ki zulm aur qatlo gharat(massacre) karna Islaam nehi hai. [sic]”Meaning: “Should Muslims sit quietly and let the religion’s reputation be tarnished? Or should they imbibe the true meaning of Islam and tell others that cruelty and massacres are not Islam?”On the other hand, controversial author Taslima Nasreen, in a blog post for Economic Times, pointed out how it was religion that was fuelling the terrorists in the Bangladesh attack. Nasreen, who has been issued a death threat by Isis, which is known in the Middle East by its Arabic acronym Daesh, wrote: “I was worried for my life for a while. But then, my concerns turned to the lives of the hostages at the Holey Artisan Bakery.”
Speaking about the perpetrators of the attack, the author said: “Those terrorists have nothing but religion. They behaved well with hostages in hijab and hacked non-hijabis — including two Bangladeshi Muslim women, Ishrat Akhand and Abinta Kabir — to death.”She went on to add: “Young men have been brainwashed with Islam at home, madrasas and mosques. They have been fed the belief that non-believers, non-Muslims and critics of Islam should be exterminated.”
However, her hardest-hitting words came later in the post, when she said: “People like to believe that Islam is a religion of peace. I, however, have witnessed the opposite since my childhood.The time has come for people to tell the truth and listen to it without equivocating: Islam and Islamic fundamentalism don’t have so many differences. Islam isn’t compatible with democracy, human rights, women’s rights, freedom of expression.”
Saudi Crown Prince seeks to assure Saudis after triple bombings: agency
Saudi Arabia’s crown prince and anti-terror tsar sought on Tuesday to reassure Saudis of the country’s security after suicide attacks targeting the holy city of Medina, the U.S. consulate in Jeddah and Shias in the city of Qatif.At least four people were killed in the attacks on Monday. No group has claimed responsibility but Islamic State has carried out a number of similar bombings in the kingdom in the past year, targeting Shia Muslims and Saudi security forces.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef bin Abdul-Aziz, who is also the Saudi interior minister, visited two security officers and a citizen wounded in the bombing in Jeddah, the state news agency SPA reported on Monday evening.“The security of the homeland is good, it is at its highest levels and thanks be to God it gets stronger every day,” SPA quoted Prince Mohammed as saying during the visit.
The attacks have rattled Saudis who are preparing to celebrate Eid al-Fitr from Wednesday following the month-long Ramadan when they fast from dawn to dusk.Militant attacks on Medina, home to the Prophet’s Mosque and the second-holiest site in Islam, are unprecedented. The Al Saud ruling family considers itself the protectors of Islam’s holiest sites Medina and Mecca.
Prince Mohammed has been credited for successfully ending a bombing campaign by al-Qaeda in Saudi Arabia between 2003-2006.“I know that terrorist operations are not a simple thing, and the minor impacts that you feel now will go away, God willing,” Prince Mohammed said, according to SPA. “I had been through this in the past and feel what you feel,” he added, referring to a suicide bombing he had survived in his office in 2009.
Saudi security officials say the group’s supporters inside the kingdom mainly act independently, depending on Islamic State based in Iraq and Syria for only limited logistical help and advice, making them harder to detect, but also less capable of mounting attacks on well-protected targets.
