QWrap: Bhansali Speaks on Jauhar; Track Budget 2018 With The Quint

1. Kasganj Clashes: Main Accused Arrested; Fake ‘Farhan Akhtar’ Tweet Creates Furore

The main accused in the murder of 22-year-old Chandan Gupta during the communal clashes in Uttar Pradesh’s Kasganj was arrested on Wednesday, 31 January, news agency PTI reported.

"Saleem, the main accused, has been nabbed," IG, Aligarh Range, Sanjeev Gupta told PTI.

As per a report on NDTV, Saleem, who has been accused of firing the shot that killed Chandan Gupta on Friday, runs a cloth store in Kasganj. The UP Police further told the news channel that Saleem either fired from his balcony or the roof.

Meanwhile, actor Farhan Akhtar found himself in the middle of a social media storm after a fake post surfaced justifying the death of a civilian in Kasganj violence. After people started abusing him and called him a jihadi, he issued a clarification on Twitter, saying he hadn’t made any communal statement.

(Read more about the accused’s arrest and Farhan Akhtar’s clarification.)

2. Not Endorsing Jauhar In ‘Padmaavat’, Clarifies Sanjay Leela Bhansali

While refusing to react to actor Swara Bhasker’s open letter condemning the alleged endorsement of the ancient practice of jauhar (self-immolation) in his film Padmaavat, filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali takes the opportunity to address the issue of jauhar to The Quint.

“Nowhere in the entire episode showing these fabulously brave women perishing rather than succumbing to the advances of the invader have I come forward to express my own approval of the practice of jauhar. In Satyajit Ray’s Devi, Sharmila Tagore’s character is seen as a victim of blind religious faith. It didn’t mean that Manikda (Ray) was endorsing blind faith.”

Further justifying the filming of the scene, he said, “It is the story, it is what happened…why must a filmmaker be answerable to socio-political interpretations for every action and reaction in his cinema?”

3. “Rashtra Manch is Pro-People,” Says BJP Leader Shatrughan Sinha

Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) leader and a strong critic of his own party's government, Shatrughan Sinha delivered a powerful speech at the launch of Rashtra Manch (National Forum) on Tuesday, 30 January. Rashtra Manch, an organisation he co-founded with fellow BJP leader Yashwant Sinha, aims to shed light on pressing issues of national consequence.

Speaking to The Quint's Neeraj Gupta, Shatrughan Sinha said, “The purpose of this organisation is to bring all political leaders worried about the prevailing state of affairs in the country, regardless of the parties they are affiliated with, on one common platform.”

(Read the full story here)

4. Track Budget 2018 With The Quint on 1 February

With the annual budget set to be announced on 1 February, expectations are on the rise.

A number of taxpayers The Quint spoke to had the same set of questions: Why is it that jobs are not being created despite promises every year? Why is growth in the number of jobs lacking behind the growth in population?

Asserting that unemployment has haunted India ever since Independence, BloombergQuint's Pradeep Pandya talks about the issue and its significance in the Budget in a simplified manner, with easy-to-relate real life examples.

Also, BloombergQuint's Markets Editor Niraj Shah tells us what to watch out for in Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's Budget speech on 1 February. Log on to The Quint for continuous updates on Thursday, 1 February.

(Click here for Niraj Shah and Pradeep Pandya’s analysis.)

5. Mallika Dua Speaks Exclusively to The Quint

Mallika Dua, who has never shied away from voicing her opinion against prejudices and injustices, spoke exclusively to The Quint and discussed a range of issues right from gender discrimination to the #metoo campaign.