Youth urged to stay away from drugs
Sharing his own experiences, the actor said, 'At the peak of my career, due to unfortunate circumstances, I hit a low point in life. I got addicted to alcohol and was even driven to contemplate suicide. But I decided to fight back, reminding myself of the values instilled by my parents, who gave me a good education, taught me karate and the Bhagavad Gita. Slowly, I overcame my bad habits and re-established myself as an actor with the blessings of my fans.'
He added that substance addiction turns individuals into a burden on their families and society. Urging youth not to succumb to peer pressure, he called upon everyone to support the police's 'Sankalpam' programme and help in creating a drug-free so
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The Hindu
8 hours ago
- The Hindu
Organised crime is Haryana's biggest industry, claims Congress MP Randeep Surjewala
Congress Rajya Sabha member Randeep Singh Surjewala on Sunday (July 20, 2025) termed Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, who also holds the Home portfolio, a 'complete failure' and demanded that he step down, alleging that 'organised crime is the biggest industry in the State today'. Addressing a press conference in Chandigarh on the prevailing law-and-order situation, Mr. Surjewala alleged that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had turned Haryana, the land of the Bhagavad Gita, into the land of 'Gangs of Wasseypur', claiming that the State was ruled by 'mafias, guns, bullets and ransom' rather than by the Constitution. Asserting that crime cannot flourish without political patronage, Mr. Surjewala said the police functioned at the behest of the political leadership. Those in power, he alleged, were either 'weak', 'worthless' and 'incompetent' to govern or were offering shelter to criminal elements. 'In both cases, they should quit,' he said. Citing official figures, the former Haryana Minister claimed the deteriorating law-and-order situation was reflected not just in newspaper headlines but in official statistics. 'As per the National Crime Records Bureau, three people are murdered and five sexual offences are committed in Haryana daily. In 2024, 966 people were murdered and 16,743 crimes were committed against women, which means 46 women fell victim to these crimes every day. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, 4,137 people have gone missing, most cases being related to kidnapping,' he said. Mr. Surjewala further said that during a meeting of seven Directors General of Police in February this year, the State government admitted that 80 criminal gangs — including the Lawrence, Bhau, Kaushal Chaudhary, Goldy Brar, Rana and Vikas Gulia (Dubai) gangs — were active in Haryana. Blaming part of the situation on unemployment, Mr. Surjewala claimed that police officials had stated that these gangs, operating from India and countries such as Dubai, Canada, and Australia, were recruiting unemployed youth by offering amounts ranging between ₹5,000 and ₹20,000. Mr. Surjewala, who is also the All India Congress Committee general secretary, said a report compiled by him based on press reports from nine districts indicated a 'dangerous trend'. According to him, Faridabad had recorded 41 murders so far this year, followed by 38 each in Jind and Gurugram, 25 in Panipat, 21 in Kaithal, 20 in Karnal, 18 in Kurukshetra, 15 in Yamunanagar and 11 in Sirsa. 'It was a similar situation during the Indian National Lok Dal's rule in 2005, and has now even worsened,' he said. Comparing the situation with the previous Congress government, Mr. Surjewala said that prior to 2014, headlines were about sporting achievements, rising investments in the National Capital Region and Haryana's performance in development indices. 'After the BJP formed the government under Manohar Lal, the headlines changed to reports about paper leaks, corruption in jobs and atrocities on farmers. Under Nayab Saini, we are now reading about drug and sand mafias, an unbridled bureaucracy, and criminal extortion,' he alleged. Reacting to the allegations, Haryana BJP president Mohan Lal Badoli said the police had taken strict action against criminals and the process of arrests had been expedited. He added that action would soon be taken against those issuing threats from abroad.
News18
a day ago
- News18
Puja Pujara's memoir on life with husband Cheteshwar gets UK launch
Last Updated: London, Jul 19 (PTI) 'The Diary of a Cricketer's Wife' penned by Puja Pujara, capturing the journey of her husband Cheteshwar, found a hallowed introduction place at the Lord's Cricket Ground library and the author termed the book as 'something for everyone." In the book, Puja narrated the achievements and struggles of the India batter's international career that spanned between 2010 and 2023 from a wife's off-field perspective. 'It was a real honour to be invited to ring the bell at the Home of Cricket (during Day 3 of the third Test between India and England) and also present a copy of this memoir at Lord's," said Pujara after the formal presentation of the book at the library. The book also had a formal launch at the Nehru Centre in London on Friday. 'She has put together my entire journey, which even if I was writing an autobiography myself, I wouldn't have done that. She has captured all the moments, good and bad, very candidly," he said. In the book, Puja has tried to capture the cricketer's 'unique" journey from the streets of Rajkot to international cricket while also giving a glimpse into his character as 'stubborn, yet accommodating, secretive but with nothing to hide". 'The story is something for everyone. It's not just for cricket followers but anybody who picks up the book will find it interesting and will relate to some portion of the book in some way and get inspired," said Puja. During an in-conversation session at the Nehru Centre, she shared the strong influence of the 'Bhagavad Gita' on the couple's life – both on and off the field. 'Try and be in the present as present is everything and you can only control what is in your control – we try and relate to these teachings and practice it because the 'Gita' helps us stay more positive, be more present because you don't want to get into the negativity," said Puja. Asked about his future plans, Pujara said he is enjoying actively playing cricket and expects to be involved in the game in some form, whether it is commentary or coaching, in the longer term. Pujara's last international match was the WTC Final between India and Australia at the Lord's in 2023. 'Besides that, we both enjoy travelling and while I am actively playing cricket we don't get time for a long break, it's always more of a staycation than a holiday. So, we want to travel around the world whenever it is possible," shared the Saurashtra cricketer. Robert Lawson, Chief Executive and Secretary at the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), welcomed the addition of the new memoir to the Lord's extensive books' collection. 'It's a very courageous move by Cheteshwar Pujara himself and it's terrific that Puja feels so empowered to be able to write this and be an inspiration for everyone involved in the game, especially for women," said Lawson, as he received a copy of the book at the Lord's. 'When most of us look at cricketers, we only look at them as players on the field. But they have an important aspect of their lives outside of the playing arena and any focus on that deserves all the credit," said Sujit Ghosh, India's Deputy High Commissioner to the UK. The book, published by HarperCollins, is now available through Amazon in the UK. 'This is the first time a sportsman's better half has presented his story in her words," said Sachin Sharma of HarperCollins. PTI AK UNG view comments First Published: July 19, 2025, 15:15 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hans India
2 days ago
- Hans India
Youth urged to stay away from drugs
Vizianagaram: PopularTelugu film actor Suman urged the youth to stay away from drugs and avoid falling prey to addiction. He was speaking at the launch of the 'Sankalpam' anti-drug awareness campaign initiated by Vizianagaram District Superintendent of Police Vakul Jindal. Sharing his own experiences, the actor said, 'At the peak of my career, due to unfortunate circumstances, I hit a low point in life. I got addicted to alcohol and was even driven to contemplate suicide. But I decided to fight back, reminding myself of the values instilled by my parents, who gave me a good education, taught me karate and the Bhagavad Gita. Slowly, I overcame my bad habits and re-established myself as an actor with the blessings of my fans.' He added that substance addiction turns individuals into a burden on their families and society. Urging youth not to succumb to peer pressure, he called upon everyone to support the police's 'Sankalpam' programme and help in creating a drug-free so
