Gave up my job as an actor when I became MP: Smriti

November 24, 2014

New Delhi, Nov 24: Union Minister Smriti Irani, who rose to fame as a popular TV actor, said she quit acting after becoming an MP to focus on her responsibilities as a politician.Smriti Irani 1

"When I came to politics and became an MP, I gave up my job as an actor. If you want to be taken seriously for your political contributions, then you need to give it that much time.

"Only after I settled in my office as a member of Parliament did I put in the time, as much as I can, in my activities of arts and culture," the Minister for Human Resource Development told media persons.

The 38-year-old actor-turned-politician became a household name with her role as 'Tulsi' in producer Ekta Kapoor's television serial "Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi" in mid-2000. She will be seen in soon to release Abhishek Bachchan-starrer "All is Well".

Irani clarified that she took up the movie project before becoming a minister and rued that she was not finding any time for its promotion.

"It's not a new movie... and when I had the time nobody else did and now unfortunately we are just not getting to get our schedules together (for promotions)," Irani, who is member of Rajya Sabha from Gujarat, said.

"I am appreciative of Abhishek that he understands my time challenge and time constraint. Currently, I don't have time to even fix my broken arm," she said in a lighter vein.

Irani was one of the finalists of the beauty pageant Miss India in 1998 and subsequently appeared in several television shows such as "Thodi Si Zameen Thoda Sa Aasmaan", "Viruddh" and "Teen Bahuraaniyaan", before joining the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2003.

She holds the record of winning five consecutive Indian Television Academy Awards for Best Actress (Popular), four Indian Telly Awards, eight Star Parivaar Awards.

Irani became vice-president of the Maharashtra BJP Youth Wing in 2004. In the 2004 general elections for the 14th Lok Sabha, she contested unsuccessfully against Kapil Sibal from the Chandni Chowk constituency in Delhi.

In the recent Lok Sabha elections, she contested against Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi in Amethi but lost.

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News Network
January 29,2020

New Delhi, Jan 29: The Janata Dal (United) today expelled its vice-president Prashant Kishor and senior leader Pavan Kumar accusing them of "anti-party" activities.

Both the leaders have been attacking the party leadership over its pro-CAA stand.

The spat between Nitish Kumar and Kishor was out in the open yesterday when the former reminded the political strategist that he was inducted into the party on the recommendation of Union home minister Amit Shah.

It all began when Nitish, while talking to the media here, said, “I don’t have any problem if he (Kishor) wants to leave the party. But if he wants to stay, then he will have to follow the basic structure of the party.”

Varma had also questioned the JDU's alliance with the BJP in Delhi Assembly polls while Kishor has more than once voiced his differences with the party known on the issue of CAA and NRC.
 

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Agencies
February 14,2020

Lucknow, Feb 14: Uttar Pradesh doctor Kafeel Khan was on Friday booked under the National Security Act (NSA) over his alleged anti-CAA speech at Aligarh Muslim University on December 12, 2019.

The Uttar Pradesh slapped NSA on Kafeel Khan on Friday even as the doctor waited to be released from jail despite being granted bail on Monday in connection with his alleged inflammatory speech.

SP Crime Dr Arvind said that there were sufficient grounds to book the doctor under NSA.

The suspended pediatrician, Kafeel Khan, was arrested for allegedly delivering a controversial speech during Anti-CAA protests on December 12 at the Aligarh Muslim University or AMU. While he was granted bail on Monday, his family members claimed on Thursday that he was yet to be released.

Dr Kafeel Khan's brother Adeel Ahmed Khan had issued a statement saying that despite being granted bail Mathura jail authorities had not honoured the court's order.

Dr Kafeel Khan was arrested by the UP Special Task Force from Mumbai on January 29 for participating anti-CAA protest at AMU. A case was registered against him at the Civil Lines police station here for promoting enmity between different religions.

After his arrest in Mumbai, Dr Khan was brought to Aligarh, from where he was shifted to the district jail in neighbouring Mathura.

According to police, this was done as a precautionary measure in view of the anti-CAA protests on the AMU campus and at the Eidgah grounds in the old city. Police had said that the Dr Khan's presence in the Aligarh jail could have aggravated the law and order situation in the city.

The doctor was earlier arrested for his alleged role in the death of over 60 children in one week at the BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur in August 2017. Short supply of oxygen at the children's ward was blamed at that time for the deaths.

About two years later, a state government probe cleared Khan of all major charges, prompting him to seek an apology from the Yogi Adityanath government.

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News Network
July 12,2020

New Delhi, Jul 12: With the highest single-day spike of 28,637 new cases and 551 deaths being reported in the last 24 hours, India's COVID-19 count reached 8,49,553 on Sunday.

According to the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry, this includes 2,92,258 active cases, and 5,34,621 cured and discharged or migrated patients. The toll due to the disease has reached 22,674 in the country.

Maharashtra with 2,46,600 cases continues to be the worst affected state by COVID-19 in the country. The state has 99,499 active cases while 1,36,985 patients have been cured and discharged so far. The death toll due to the disease now stands at 10,116.

Tamil Nadu with 1,34,226 cases, including 46,413 active ones, is the next worst affected in the country. While the number of cured and discharged patients is at 85,915 in the state, the toll due to the disease is at 1,898.

The national capital has recorded 1,10,921 confirmed cases so far. However, the number of active cases in Delhi is at 19,895 and 87,692 patients have been cured and discharged so far. With 3,334 deaths being reported due to COVID-19 in the city. 

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