CHHATRAPATI SAMBHAJINAGAR: BJP drew flak for fielding six members of the same family in Loha municipal council polls in Nanded, all of whom saw defeat. They were Gajanan Suryavanshi, the nominee for president, wife Godavari, brother Sachin, sister-in-law Supriya, brother-in-law Yuvraj Waghmare and his nephew’s wife Rina, who contested as corporator candidates. NCP won president’s post and secured 17 seats. tnn
CHHATRAPATI SAMBHAJINAGAR: BJP candidate Pramila Panchal was elected president of Mudkhed Municipal Council in Nanded by a single vote. The rival AIMIM candidate demanded a recount, but the margin remained one vote. “I bagged 779 votes. I realised the importance of a single vote during my election. I now understand the message ‘One Man, One Vote, One Value’ by social icon Dr B R Ambedkar,” Panchal said.
NEW DELHI: India hit out at Bangladesh and suspended visa operations at its mission in Chittagong on Sunday, amid a wave of protests there with an anti-India hue sparked by the death of radical activist Sharif Osman Hadi, which has seen the lynching of a Hindu man.Describing as “horrend-ous” the killing of 25-year-old Dipu Chandra Das, a garment factory worker beaten to death by a mob and set ablaze for alleged blasphemy, MEA slammed attempts in Bangladesh to draw false equivalence between protests targeting its facilities in that country and the one outside the Bangladesh mission in Delhi.India’s assistant high commission in Chittagong suspended visa operations over concern for safety of the centre’s staff and premises in view of angry protests, which saw demonstrators come close to the diplomatic facility on Thursday despite presence of Bangladesh security personnel.
Due to the recent security incident, Indian visa oper-ations at IVAC Chittagong will remain suspended from Dec 21, 2025, until further notice, the Indian Visa Appli-cation Centre (IVAC) said in a statement.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal in Delhi urged the interim govt in Dhaka to bring to justice the perpetrators of the “barbaric killing” of Dipu, leading Bangladesh to protest.“The incident should not be conflated with the security of minorities,” foreign affairs adviser Md Touhid Hossain said in Dhaka, adding, “He was a Bangladeshi citizen who was killed, and Bangladesh took immediate action. Several arrests have already been made.”He also claimed that the protests in New Delhi left the “Bangladesh high commissioner and his family feeling threatened”.The assistant Indian high Commissioner’s residence in Chittagong was pelted with stones by a mob on Thursday, the day Hadi died days after being shot in head by masked gunmen. Thursday also saw massive “anti-India” protests outside the assistant Indian high commissions in Khulna and Rajshahi, and on Wednesday, around the high commission in Dhaka.In an apparent attempt to suggest that the Bangladesh high commission in New Delhi faced a security threat of similar severity, media reports Bangladesh said a demonstration by “Hindu extremists” outside the facility over Dipu’s death in Mymensingh threatened its security, drawing a sharp rejoinder from the MEA.India trashed such claims as “misleading propaganda”. There was “no attempt to breach the fence or create a security situation at any time,” the MEA said, adding police dispersed the group after a few minutes and visual evidence of these events is publicly available. “We have noted misleading propaganda in sections of the Bangladesh media on the incident,” Jaiswal said.The MEA said about 20-25 youths had gathered outside the Bangladesh high commission on Saturday and raised slogans in protest against the “horrendous killing” of Dipu.“India continues to keep a close watch on the evolving situation in Bangladesh. Our officials remain in touch with Bangladesh authorities and have conveyed to them our strong concerns at the attacks on minorities,” Jaiswal said.Pictures of the two protests pointed out the contrast as angry protesters came in close proximity to the Indian facility in Chittagong, while a much smaller crowd stood in protest at a safe distance from the Bangladesh high commission.Exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen had on Saturday introduced another dimension to the horrific killing of Dipu, claiming on X that police had initially rescued him from the mob and asked if police with sympathies for extremists handed him back to the violent crowd determined to kill or they were overpowered. “They held a full-blown celebration — beating Dipu, hanging him, burning him — a jihadist festival,” she said.On Sunday, two more persons were held in the Mymensingh lynching case, taking the total arrests to 12.Internal situation has deteriorated in Bangladesh after the death of Haidi, a prominent face in 2024 anti-govt protests that led to then PM Sheikh Hasina abdicating & fleeing to India. Known for his anti-India utterances, he was a leader of radical group Inquilab Mancho & had shared a map of greater Bangladesh that showed India’s north east as part of his country.
KOLKATA: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said seeing the Sangh through the lens of BJP would be a “big mistake”. Bhagwat, who tried to define “Hindus” and the “Indian society”, said the goal of the Sangh is organisation of Hindu society, but it is not aimed at opposing others.Speaking at Kolkata Vyakhyanmala, an interactive session to celebrate the centenary of RSS, Bhagwat said, “Many have a tendency to understand Sangh through the lens of BJP. That is a big mistake,” while trying to clearly separate the two.
“Swayamsevaks in Sangh work in varied fields. Some are in politics. Some are in the party in office (at the Centre),” he added, explaining the genesis and growth of the Sangh during his over an hour-long speech.Bhagwat said, “There are people who spread wrong narratives about the Sangh. Interpretation of the Sangh should be objective and not through secondary sources. The goal of the Sangh is organisation of the entire Hindu society, but it is not aimed at opposing others…If you see that Sangh is anti-Muslim, you can make (that) your opinion. But change your opinion if you don’t find that.”Stressing on the need for a political awakening in the state, Bhagwat said Congress was created as a means for political awakening and struggle for Independence. “There was a large-scale political awakening and people fought for this country. We got freedom…But there was another section which stressed on social reforms before Independence. The tradition started with Raja Ram Mohan Roy,” he said.Bhagwat said: “We have to organise society and not create any separate organisation within society.” Harping on diversity in “Hindu society”, Bhagwat said, “Hindu is not a name but an attribute and denotes a nature. Those who respect their motherland are Hindus. They could have different languages, rituals, attire or eating habits.”The RSS chief added that Muslims should understand that they might be different “in terms of worship”, but they are part of the unified entity in terms of “nation, culture and society”. Terming the proposed Babri Masjid a “political conspiracy”, he said, “It is neither in favour of Muslims, nor Hindus. It is happening for the votes”.Criticising efforts to construct a temple or mosque from the public exchequer, Bhagwat said the Somnath temple was built with money pooled in from society. “The govt did not fund that (Somnath temple). Ram Mandir was not built by the govt. The govt should not get into the construction of temples,” he said.
JAMMU: A court in J&K’s Reasi district dismissed a plea seeking an FIR against Vaishno Devi shrine board officials for the death of 35 pilgrims in a landslide on the tracks to the site on Aug 26, ruling that a natural disaster was responsible for the tragedy.The PIL urged the registration of a police case under BNS Sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 106 (causing death by rash or negligent acts) against the shrine board CEO and other officials for allegedly ignoring “adverse weather” warnings and red alerts in the state, which amounted to criminal negligence.JMFC Katra Sidhant Vaid nixed the plea, noting that the pilgrimage had been halted from time to time when required and SOPs were followed to ensure public safety. “The case of criminal negligence is not made out, and no cognisable offence is prima facie made out,” he said.The judge, however, clarified that the court’s observations would not have any bearing on the inquiry ordered into the mishap by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha days after the accident.Following the Aug 26 landslide, the Vaishno Devi pilgrimage remained suspended for 22 days.
Kerala government on Sunday strongly condemned reports that some private school managements imposed restrictions on Christmas celebrations and refunded money collected from students for the event.The government also warned that schools would not be allowed to be turned into “communal laboratories”.Such actions are unheard of in a state like Kerala, which has a high level of democratic consciousness and a long-standing secular tradition, it said.“No one will be permitted to introduce the north Indian models that divide people on the basis of religion or belief in Kerala’s educational institutions,” state General Education Minister V Sivankutty told reporters here.He said schools are spaces where children learn and grow together, cutting across caste and religion, and any attempt to sow divisive ideas among students is unacceptable.Festivals such as Onam, Christmas and Eid have traditionally been celebrated together in the state schools, helping children learn mutual respect, love and coexistence, he said.The decision of certain private school managements to cancel celebrations after collecting money and then refunding them was “cruel” and amounts to hurting children.All schools, whether aided or unaided, are bound by the Constitution of India, education rules and laws of the country, and have a responsibility to uphold values of secularism, Sivankutty further said.Warning of strict action against such practices, the minister said schools would not be allowed to function as spaces to serve narrow political or communal interests.“Imposing restrictions selectively on the celebrations of any one community amounts to discrimination and will not be tolerated,” he said.Sivankutty also reaffirmed that any move that undermines the dignity and tradition of Kerala’s public education sector would not be allowed.The minister further said instructions have been given to officials to conduct an urgent inquiry into the matter and submit a report.The General Education minister also said complaints have been received from students and parents regarding the conduct of compulsory special classes in some schools during the upcoming Christmas vacation. Such classes should not be conducted during holidays, he said.
NEW DELHI: Air India Express Captain Virender Sejwal, who got into a brawl with a passenger, Ankit Dewan, at Delhi Airport’s Terminal 1 last Friday, has accused the latter of making “casteist remarks” and issuing “absolutely unfathomable threats to female members of his family including a child.” Issuing a statement on the pilot’s behalf on Sunday, his advocate Sonali Karwasra Joon said: “Ankit Dewan initiated the confrontation by verbally abusing Captain Sejwal without provocation and continued using abusive, degrading and threatening language even after being asked to stop. The situation escalated into a physical altercation in which Capt Sejwal was also hurt; he also sustained injuries during the scuffle. CISF personnel intervened promptly, repeatedly told Dewan to calm down and stop abusing, yet he refused to relent and continued his misconduct in their presence.”“The incident between the two passengers was resolved in the presence of CISF officials at the airport. Both parties ‘voluntarily signed a statement’ confirming that they did not wish to pursue any legal action. Contrary to misleading claims, Ankit Dewan signed willingly —there was no coercion or pressure involved. The CISF has publicly confirmed on ‘X’ that their officers acted promptly, offered the gentlemen the opportunity to file formal complaints, and that it was voluntarily declined. Allegations of any force or bias against CISF are incorrect and unfounded,” the pilot’s lawyer’s statement added.The captain, who has been grounded by AI Express pending a probe, has “full faith in authorities that he will not be denied justice and the incident will be looked at impartially considering all facts and without the overbearing social media narrative.” Captain Sejwal was travelling as a passenger and “was not on flight duty, nor was the incident connected in any manner to his professional responsibilities. It was a purely personal matter between two passengers,” it added.
NEW DELHI: Amid concerns expressed in certain quarters over the possibility of expansion of mining activities in the Aravali Hills and Ranges in the wake of its new uniform definition, Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav on Sunday said it was absolutely wrong to conclude that the mining is permitted in all landforms below 100 metres height as there has been no relaxation made at all in the Aravali.“Only 0.19% of the total 1.44 lakh sq km area of Aravali can be eligible for mining. The rest of the Aravali is protected and secure,” he posted on X. The Aravalli Hills and Ranges are among India’s oldest geological formations, stretching from Delhi through Haryana, Rajasthan, and into Gujarat. Only a very small area is under permitted mining leases and out of this small percentage, nearly 90 % of the mining activity is confined to Rajasthan, followed by about 9% in Gujarat and about 1% in Haryana. No mining activity is permitted in Delhi. Yaav said the Aravali range has been explained as all the landforms which exist within 500 metre of two adjoining hills of height of 100 metres or more. All landforms existing within this 500 metre zone irrespective of their height and slopes are excluded for the purposes of grant of mining lease, said the minister.He also clarified the issue in detail in response to a media query on the sidelines of the National Tiger Conservation Authority’s meeting at Unesco World Heritage Site Sundarbans. The question pertained to the recent Supreme Court’s acceptance of uniform policy level definition of Aravali Hills and Ranges specifically in the context of regulating mining.Yadav, however, emphasised that all the landforms enclosed within the lowest binding contour encircling Hills of height 100 metre or more irrespective of their height and slopes are excluded for the purposes of grant of mining lease.The Opposition parties had raised the issue in the Parliament during the concluded winter session, claiming that the definition would exclude most of the Aravali range from protection. In the wake of the SC’s Nov order of accepting the Centre-backed definition, Congress general secretary and former environment minister Jairam Ramesh called the move a severe blow to the Aravali ecosystem.“The Aravalli Hills extend from Delhi through Haryana and Rajasthan to Gujarat. Over the years they have been devastated by mining, construction, and other activities in violation of all regulations and laws. Now it appears that this sensitive and sprawling ecosystem will be subject to another severe blow,” Ramesh had posted on X.Referring to media reports, he had said, “This definition is meant to restrict mining but in reality will mean that 90% of the Aravalli Hills will not be counted as Aravalli any more. Evidently, the Supreme Court has accepted this revised definition. This is bizarre and will have very grave environmental and public health consequences. It calls for an immediate review.”Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot too opened a front against the SC recent move, blaming the Centre for pitching for that uniform definition. Yadav on Sunday, however, appealed to everyone to “stop spreading confusion” and even explained how the Rajasthan government has been following the definition since 2006.His ministry also explained that all Aravali range states/UT during deliberations agreed to adopt the uniform criterion of “100 metres above local relief” for regulating mining in the Aravalli region as had been in force in Rajasthan while unanimously agreeing to make it more objective and transparent.“All the landforms enclosed within the lowest binding contour encircling Hills of height 100 metre or more irrespective of their height and slopes are excluded for the purposes of grant of mining lease. Similarly, Aravali range has been explained as all the landforms which exist within 500 metres of two adjoining Hills of height 100 metre or more. All landforms existing within this 500 metre zone irrespective of their height and slopes are excluded for the purposes of grant of mining lease,” the ministry clarified.By defining Aravalli Hills as any landform rising 100 metres or more above local relief, along with their supporting slopes, the entire ecological unit is protected. This prevents piecemeal exploitation of slopes or foothills that are vital for soil stability, water recharge, and vegetation cover.”
NEW DELHI: Congress MP P Chidambaram on Sunday launched a sharp attack on Centre’s move to replace the MGNREGA, calling the removal of Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the scheme the “second killing of Mahatma Gandhi.”Addressing a press conference in Chennai, Chidambaram said the Congress would continue to oppose the new law until the earlier employment guarantee framework is restored, reported PTI. “The party will expose this fraud by going from house by house, village by village, and our struggle will continue until this Act is repealed,” he said. Parliament on December 18 passed the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G Bill), which seeks to replace the 20-year-old MGNREGA and promises 125 days of rural wage employment annually.Reacting to the change, the former Union finance minister said, “According to me, it’s the second killing of Mahatma Gandhi. He was killed once on January 30,1948. They have killed him again — they have killed his memory again.” He added, “You can try to erase Gandhi and Nehru from official records, but they live in the deep consciousness of the Indian people, like the Buddha or Jesus. No government order can wipe them out.”The senior Congress leader argued that the new legislation reverses the nature of the employment guarantee by turning a legal entitlement into a discretionary scheme. “Under the original law, if a person demanded work, the government was legally bound to provide it. Now, people can only ask for work if the government first offers it,” he said.He also questioned the naming of the new programme, referring to the use of “Hindi words written in English letters,” and said titles such as “Viksit Bharat G Ram G” would be confusing for rural populations in southern states. “Even ministers may not understand what these names mean. The law now says that unless states use this exact name, they will not receive funds,” he said. The Congress leader further claimed that the scheme’s coverage would be curtailed, saying it would now apply only to “notified districts” chosen by the Centre, unlike MGNREGA’s national scope. He also alleged that responsibility for the funds was being shifted to states, warning that implementation would suffer if states lacked resources. “Four years ago, the allocation was Rs 1,11,000 crore. For the past three years, Rs 86,000 crore. Next year, it is only Rs 65,000 crore. Any cost above Rs 65,000 crore is the state government’s responsibility,” he fadded. Chidambaram said the rollback would hurt the “ultra-poor,” particularly women and daily wage earners. “The scheme is a safety net for 12 crore people who depend on daily wages. In Tamil Nadu, 90 to 95 per cent of workers are women; they will suffer the most,” he further said.He also dismissed the Centre’s claim of increasing workdays to 125 as “unrealistic,” noting that the national average currently stood at 50 days. Recalling that MGNREGA was passed unanimously in 2005, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had once described it as a “living monument” of the UPA’s failures. “Now the same government is dismantling it,” he added.
NEW DELHI: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday shared his views on live-in relationships while addressing a gathering in Kolkata. Speaking during the centenary celebrations of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Bhagwat said live-in relationships reflected an unwillingness to take responsibility. “You’re not ready to take responsibility. This isn’t right,” he told the audience.According to Bhagwat, those who do not wish to marry should choose a life of renunciation. “If you don’t want to get married, that’s fine. We can become sanyasis. But if you won’t even do that, and also won’t take responsibility, then how will things work?” he asked.Three children help ego managementBhagwat also spoke about how many children a couple should have. “The question of how many children a couple should have is a matter for the family, the bride and groom, and society. A formula cannot be given,” he said.However, Bhagwat said he had discussed with doctors, psychologists, and demographers, who said that marrying early between 19 and 25 years of age, and having three children, was beneficial for health.“I’ve gained some knowledge by talking to doctors, etc and they say that if marriage takes place early, between 19-25 years of age, and there are three children, then the health of the parents and children remains good,” Bhagwat said. He added that, according to psychologists, having three children also helps with ego management. “Psychologists say that having three children helps people learn ego management,” Bhagwat said.The RSS chief, however, also acknowledged that he was only sharing information he had received from others. “I am a preacher, unmarried. I don’t know anything about this matter,” Bhagwat said.
