Here are the top 5 news updates of October 16, 2021:
In an apparent message to the G23, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi today said she is a full-time, hands-on party president and there is no need for leaders to speak to her through the media. Her remarks came days after Kapil Sibal, one of the leaders of the group of 23 who had written to Sonia Gandhi for organisational overhaul last year, demanded that an immediate meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) be convened and wondered who in the party was taking decisions in the absence of a full-time president. In her remarks at the CWC meeting, Gandhi asserted that every member of the party wants a revival of the Congress, but that requires unity and keeping the party's interests paramount.
A mob attacked an ISKCON temple in Bangladesh's Noakhali district on Friday and according to the community, one of its members was killed. "It is with great grief that we share the news of an ISKCON member, Partha Das, who was brutally killed yesterday by a mob of over 200 people. His body was found in a pond next to the temple. We call on the Govt of Bangladesh for immediate action in this regard," the official Twitter handle of the ISKCON community said. ISKCON in a further tweet said, "ISKCON temple & devotees were violently attacked today by a mob in Noakhali, Bangladesh. Temple suffered significant damage & the condition of a devotee remains critical. We call on the Govt of Bangladesh to ensure the safety of all Hindus & bring the perpetrators to justice."
Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Nawab Malik today brought new charges against the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and its zonal director Sameer Wankhede, who is also the chief investigator of the Aryan Khan drug case. In a series of tweets, the minister alleged that Wankhede uses his 'friend' as a 'panch (witness)' in different cases. Malik shared the details of some Fletcher Patel, who apparently was the panch in three cases of the NCB. To prove this Fletcher Patel's link with Sameer Wankhede, the minister shared Fletcher's Instagram photo with Sameer Wankhede's sister. Moreover, to prove that Fletcher and Wankhede are friends, he shared their pictures from a ceremony during Kargil Shahid Diwas.
Saurashtra batter Avi Barot, a former India Under-19 captain and a member of the Ranji Trophy winning team in the 2019-20 season, has died after suffering a cardiac arrest at a shockingly young age of 29. The player, who also represented Haryana and Gujarat in his career, died on Friday while being taken to a hospital after he felt unwell at his home in Ahmedabad. He is survived by his mother and wife, who is expecting the couple's first child. BCCI secretary Jay Shah took to Twitter and wrote: "Extremely shocked and saddened to learn of the untimely demise of Avi Barot. A bright young cricketer, who represented India U19, Saurashtra and Haryana has left us all too early. Condolences to his family and friends in this hour of grief."
India's batting stalwart and former captain Rahul Dravid is all set to take over as the national cricket team's head coach following the T20 World Cup in the UAE, having agreed to the BCCI's offer after initial reluctance. The 48-year-old Dravid, one of the greatest ever to have played for India, has been in charge of the national 'A' and U-19 set-up for the past six years and a lot of players such as Rishabh Pant, Avesh Khan, Prithvi Shaw, Hanuma Vihari, and Shubman Gill have come through the system prepared by him. He currently heads the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru and was in Dubai during the just-concluded IPL to meet his former teammate and BCCI President Sourav Ganguly and Board secretary Jay Shah for an elaborate discussion.
