Anti-Narendra Modi posters show him with Bollywood villainesses

June 28, 2012

Ahmedabad, June 28: Narendra Modi is likely to be in Delhi today to stand by PA Sangma as he files his nomination papers for President of India. Mr Sangma is the candidate of Mr Modi's party, the BJP.

Back home, in Gujarat, new posters critical of Mr Modi have appeared in Rajkot, 200 kilometres from the state capital of Gandhinagar. The Gujarat chief minister is lampooned - his face has been morphed with that of a woman, and is shown alongside Bollywood actors Shashikala and Lalita Pawar, whose careers were built on their vicious depictions of angry and conniving spoilers, determined to drive a wedge between the ingenue lead and her love interest.

The slogans on the posters suggest that like them, the Gujarat chief minister is creating fault-lines within his party.

Posters have been appearing against Mr Modi for the last few weeks - in cities like Ahmedabad, Nagpur, Lucknow and in Delhi, outside the BJP office. Nobody has accepted responsibility for them.

Those close to Mr Modi believe they are the work of a group loyal to Sanjay Joshi, who has long served as one of Mr Modi's least-favourite people. It was at the chief minister's insistence that Mr Joshi resigned first from the party's national executive, and then later, from the BJP.

The dissent against the chief minister has been peaking, worryingly for his party, just months ahead of Gujarat's election. Keshubhai Patel, a senior leader who was replaced as chief minister by Mr Modi, has been meeting with other Modi critics like Suresh Mehta. In a blog earlier this week, Mr Patel wrote that Gujarat today is worse than the Emergency. Mr Patel and others have accused the chief minister of being autocratic in his decision-making, and intolerant of any criticism.

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Indian Air Force’s Tejas fighter jet crashes during Dubai air show

News Network

November 21,2025

An Indian Air Force (IAF) Tejas fighter jet crashed on Friday, November 21, afternoon during its aerial demonstration at the Dubai Air Show, plunging to the ground at around 2:10 pm local time while performing a manoeuvre before thousands of spectators.

The IAF confirmed the incident, stating that a Tejas aircraft participating in the show had crashed and that further details were being gathered. An Air Force spokesperson said more information would be shared after initial assessments.

The crash sent thick black smoke billowing into the sky near the airport, causing panic among visitors, including families and children who had gathered to watch the display. Authorities have not yet confirmed whether the pilot managed to eject before the aircraft went down. Emergency response teams rushed to the scene, and officials have not released information on casualties or damage so far.

The Tejas is a 4.5-generation, multi-role fighter aircraft developed indigenously by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). Designed for versatility, it is capable of offensive air support, close combat, ground attack missions and maritime operations. The aircraft family includes single-seat fighters and twin-seat trainers for both the Air Force and Navy.

HAL describes the latest version, the LCA Mk1A, as the most advanced in the series, featuring an AESA radar, an upgraded electronic warfare suite with radar-warning and self-protection jamming, smart multifunction displays, a digital map generator, a combined interrogator–transponder system and a modern radio altimeter. These enhancements significantly improve the aircraft’s combat capability and survivability.

Further updates from IAF and UAE authorities are awaited.

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