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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

Modi’s ‘Melody’ diplomacy stuns the world

Overjoyed investors buy shares of a wrong company after the PM’s gift Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday gifting his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni 'Melody' toffees, reviving the light-hearted "Melodi" wordplay associated with the two leaders on social media. Meloni thanked Modi and shared a video on the social media in which she could be heard saying, “Prime Minister Modi brought as a gift, a very, very good toffee - Melody.” Modi, who was also seen in the video, burst...

Modi’s ‘Melody’ diplomacy stuns the world

Overjoyed investors buy shares of a wrong company after the PM’s gift Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday gifting his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni 'Melody' toffees, reviving the light-hearted "Melodi" wordplay associated with the two leaders on social media. Meloni thanked Modi and shared a video on the social media in which she could be heard saying, “Prime Minister Modi brought as a gift, a very, very good toffee - Melody.” Modi, who was also seen in the video, burst into laughter as Meloni jokingly referred to the "Melody" toffee while showcasing the gift. The hashtag "Melodi", a blend of Modi and Meloni's names, was coined by the Italian prime minister during the COP28 in Dubai in 2023 and later went viral on social media following the warm interactions between the two leaders at global events. Modi, who arrived in Rome on Tuesday, is on the final leg of his five-nation tour to the UAE, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Italy from May 15-20. Modi’s gift not only floored the social media, but also earned gushing gratitude from the manufacturer of the sweet candy, Parle Products, in Vile Parle, Mumbai. “Thank You. Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for taking Parle Melody to the global stage. A proud moment for all of us at Parle Products to see an Indian favourite being shared across borders,” said a social media post from @ParleFamily, a 97-year-old company. Parle Products describes Melody: “Parle Melody brings to you an irresistible layer of caramel on the outside & a delightful chocolate filling inside. Open & pop it in your mouth & relish the unique experience. It won't be too long before you start asking yourself the age-old question "Melody Itni Chocolaty Kyun Hai?”.” Cong Attacks Modi Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and several other Congress leaders also attacked Modi saying he continues his PR even when the economy is suffering. However, Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal hit back at Gandhi, accusing him of "hating India" and refusing to tolerate the "global respect" the country has garnered under Modi's leadership. Gandhi, who is on a visit to his constituency Raebareli and Amethi, said on X, "This isn't leadership, it's a gimmick." At a time farmers, labourers, traders and others in the country are all in tears, the prime minister is laughing and making reels while BJP folks are clapping along, the former Congress president said in his post in Hindi. "An economic storm is raging over our heads, and our prime minister is busy handing out candies in Italy!" he said. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge attacked Modi over issues of "rising" prices, unemployment, paper leaks, "dampening" investment and "sinking" Rupee, saying the prime minister continues his PR even as the economy is suffering. Shares turn sweet but the company was mistaken Shares of Parle Industries Ltd saw frenzied buying on Wednesday, surging five per cent to hit the upper circuit limit after Meloni posted the video. Investors wasted no time and flocked to the counter to buy the stock. Shares of the firm jumped to Rs 5.25 - the highest trading permissible limit for the day - on the BSE. On volume terms, 8.57 lakh shares of the firm were traded on the BSE during the day. But, there is a catch! Investors mistook Parle Industries for the maker of Melody toffees. Parle Products, the FMCG major, is the manufacturer of Melody toffees and is not listed on the stock exchanges. Parle Industries Ltd is a diversified commercial services provider, engaged in the business of infrastructure & real estate, and paper, waste paper and allied products. The history of swadeshi toffee is entwined with the country’s Independence and the company, House of Parle was founded in 1928 by Mohanlal Dayal Chauhan, a tailor from Pardi near Valsad, then part of the Bombay Province. As the country was flooded with imported sweets and confectionery, he decided to give it a ‘desi’ touch and flavour, and with a band of 12 workers, he launched the Parle products from a musty old warehouse near Vile Parle east station, when large parts areas of Vile Parle west were still marshes dotted with a few old bungalows and chawls. Later, he visited Germany to master the art of confectionery and returned with machinery worth Rs 60,000 to churn out simple sweets, toffees and locally flavoured Indian confections at affordable prices – willy-nilly challenging the imported British offerings. It was in 1983 that the chocolate Melody toffee. -WITH PTI

Rattled, Thackeray says ‘do not rely on lies’

Updated: Mar 21, 2025

Thackeray

Mumbai: Shaken by the sudden spotlight on the Disha S. Salian death case, Shiv Sena (UBT) President and ex-CM Uddhav Thackeray and his son Aditya Thackeray appeared at a loss for words to react to the development, but said ‘lies’ should not be relied upon.


In a relief of sorts, a ruling ally Shiv Sena MLA came out in open support of the beleaguered Thackerays and the ex-CM expressed his gratitude.


The five-year-old incident concerning the unexplained death of Bollywood celeb manager Disha rocked the Maharashtra Legislature afresh with the ruling MahaYuti and Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi allies hurling accusations at each other.


“There is no substance in these allegations… The matter is in the court…let them say it there,” dared Thackeray, who served as the MVA CM from November 2019-June 2022 when the case had blown up.


“I am confident that the case would boomerang on them in the court,” Thackeray declared dismissively, with Aditya beside him.


Thackeray wondered “why the issue keeps cropping up only during the Legislature sessions”, and said there is nothing new in this.


“Every time the Legislature comes into session, this matter is raised… Why did it not come in the past couple of sessions… I am surprised. It keeps coming up but there is nothing new to it. Whatever Satish Salian’s lawyer claims, he should say it in the court,” said Thackeray sharply.


“Many generations of our family are in front of the public. We have no connection with this case at all. But if politics is being twisted and taken in the wrong direction, everyone will suffer. When you rely on lies, it will also backfire on you,” warned Thackeray.


During a brief interaction with the media earlier in the day, Aditya Thackeray said that “since the matter has gone to the court, I shall also submit whatever I have to say before the court”.


“For the past five years they have been trying to defame me. But they were exposed on all counts… Now, the matter has gone in the court… I will respond there,” said Aaditya, a former minister in the MVA regime.


“It is clear… The Aurangzeb issue has backfired on them… To come out of it, the Disha Salian issue has been raked up now… There is some kind of ‘power’ working behind the petitioner,” contended SS (UBT) Chief Spokesperson and MP Sanjay Raut.


Training guns on the Mahayuti government, Thackeray said that who is responsible for the farmers’ pyres burning continuously (suicides), and their families, women, daughters and sisters are suffering.


There have been many killings like that of Beed Sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh, his children are also demanding justice, asking: “What is the government doing to stop all this?”


Against the badgering from the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, a ruling Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad threw his weight behind the Thackeray father-son duo and Uddhav even thanked him publicly for the gesture.


Sparking a sensation, Satish Salian has filed a plea in the Bombay High Court on Monday, seeking a fresh CBI probe into the death of his daughter, Disha, 28, who died under mystery circumstances in Malad on June 8, 2020.


Five days later, on June 14, one of her celeb clients, Sushant Singh Rajput was found hanging at his Bandra rented home.


Salians were initially ‘satisfied’ with cops

It may be recalled that a few years ago, the Salian couple had said that they were satisfied with the police and other agencies’ probe plus pleaded publicly that the media and politicians should stop hounding or defaming their family. In March 2022, Satish and his wife Vasanti had written to the President of India, complaining that the (then) Union Minister Narayan Rane and his son Nitesh Rane (now, Maharashtra Minister), are ‘liars and virtually driving them (the Salians) to suicide”.


Drawing parallels with the Nirbhaya rape-cum-murder case of Delhi over a decade ago, the Salians pointed out that till now, that victim’s identity has not been revealed, but “Rane is blatantly taking my daughter’s name” repeatedly and saying that she was raped. Displaying signs of desperation, the Salians asked “whether the law of the land is not applicable to the Union Minister”, and pointed out how even after registering a (police) complaint against them, the “liars” Rane duo did not stop maligning the family’s name.


The Salians had made the same appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, (then) Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray, BJP’s (then) Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis and Bombay High Court Chief Justice, “to stop a few politicians from maligning our daughter’s name”.

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