Biggest controversies of 2018: We are set to witness the first dawn of 2019 in a few hours’ time. As we welcome the new year, some would look for a fresh beginning after having found themselves in the midst of nasty controversies. 2018 saw the who’s who cutting across different realms make news for the wrong reasons. This included former Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, Union Minister MJ Akbar, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Indian cricket team captian Virat Kohli, film maker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Aussie cricketers Steve Smith and David Warner.

While the list of controversies is endless, here are 10 picks that make it to the list of top controversies in 2018:

1. Supreme Court judges’ press conference: Four senior Supreme Court judges — Justices J Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, M B Lokur and Kurian Joseph — held an unprecedented press conference on January 12 during which they launched an attack on then CJI Dipak Misra and raised questions on “selective” case allocation and certain judicial orders. This presser sent shockwaves across the judiciary and polity evoking sharp reactions from across all spheres. Misra’s term ended on October 1 and Ranjan Gogoi assumed charge as the CJI.

2. Me Too movement: The movement for women seeking justice against sexual assault and harassment at workplaces spread in India like wildfire. Bollywood actress Tanushree Dutta dropped the bombshell by accusing veteran actor Nana Patekar of sexually harassing her on the sets of the 2008 movie, Horn OK Please. Later, hundreds of women came out with their harrowing experiences. This led to the opening of a can of worms that stung senior journalist and Union Minister MJ Akbar and BCCI CEO Rahul Johri. While Johri was cleared of all charges, Akbar had to step down from the cabinet.

3. Rafale deal: Allegations of corruption in the Rafale deal rocked Indian politics with Congress using this as a tool to take a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP. Congress alleged that there were irregularities in the purchase of 36 Rafale jets from France. While the Supreme Court gave a clean-chit to the government on the issue, the BJP and Congress continue to spar.

4. Virat Kohli’s “Leave India” remark: Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli had a dream year with the bat and led the country to test match victories in South Africa, England and Australia. However, a video went viral in which he asked a fan, who was criticising Indian batsman and praising English and Australian batters, to leave the country. This remark drew sharp criticism. Later veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah blasted Kohli over his behaviour. Kohli chose to reply with the bat.

5. Yogi Adityanath’s name-changing spree: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath received jibes on social media after his government changed the name Allahabad to Prayagraj. He was also instrumental behind renaming of Mughal Sarai as Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhayay Nagar and Faizabad as Ayodhya. Ahead of assembly polls in Telangana, CM Adityanath said he was ready to rename Hyderabad as Bhagyanagar and Karimnagar district to Karipuram.

6. Farmers protest: A number of farmers’ protests over a range of issues gave the central government a tough time. From the streets of Maharashtra and Mumbai, Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border to Ramlila Maidan, the growing dissatisfaction among the agrarian community was evident from the sea of heads. The central government raised MSP for winter crops and state governments waive of farm loans.

7. Padmaavat release: Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s magnum opus ‘Padmaavat’ was released on January 25. The Ranveer Singh- Deepika Padukone starrer faced violent protest and was banned in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar and Gujarat. The law and order situation deteriorated in Gurugram and Rajasthan. However, the movie created a storm in the box office and collected over Rs 300 crore in India.

8. Ball-tampering scandal: Certainly the worst scandal to hit the cricketing world since Hansie Cronje-betting controversy, the incident took place at picturesque Newlands cricket stadium in Cape Town where rookie cricketer Cameron Bancroft was seen trying to tamper the ball to extract an extra amount of swing. Later, it was revealed that Captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner knew about the incident and it was a ploy. Both Smith and Warner are facing a ban slapped by Cricket Australia.

9. Kerala flood disaster fund: Scenic Kerala faced the wrath of nature as it was devasted by a deluge that left a trail of destruction. Controversy erupted over the donation. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan sought a special package of Rs 2,600 crore from the Centre for relief and rehabilitation. The Centre initially released financial assistance of Rs 600 crore to the Kerala government. This irked the state government. In the meantime, the UAE announced a multi-core package to the state. However, the central government declined that offer. Amidst this, Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma donated Rs 10,000 and posted a screenshot on Twitter. He was trolled.

10. The Accidental Prime Minister: The year ended with political controversy after the trailer of The Accidental Prime Minister was released and created a storm. The movie is based on the eponymous book written by former media advisor to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Sanjaya Baru, offering an insider’s view details of the relationship between the Congress, PM Manmohan Singh and the Gandhi family. A few dialogues and portrayal of members of the Gandhi family have irked Congress leaders. The movie is slated to be released on January 11.