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BJP targets INDIA over Udhayanidhi Stalin’s Sanatana remarks

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JAIPUR/NEW DELHI/CHENNAI : BJP leaders on Sunday took aim at Tamil Nadu sports minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, accusing him of “insulting Sanatana Dharma,” and used the opportunity to target the INDIA alliance, of which DMK is a part. While the BJP’s TN unit wrote to the governor seeking action against the DMK youth wing chief, an activist filed a police complaint against him in Delhi. 

Union home minister Amit Shah, speaking at a Rajasthan rally, lashed out at the INDIA alliance and accused the DMK and its ally, the Congress, of insulting Sanatana Dharma for vote bank politics. At an event on Saturday, Udhayanidhi said Sanatana Dharma is against social justice. Comparing it to dengue, mosquitoes and Corona, he said a few things cannot be merely opposed but must be eradicated. On Sunday, he said he stood by his remarks, clarifying on X (formerly Twitter) that he had not called for genocide against anyone as alleged by BJP’s Amit Malviya.

Leaders of DMK and Congress are talking about ending Sanatana Dharma just for vote bank politics. This is not the first time they have insulted our Sanatana Dharma. Before this, Manmohan Singh also said the first right on the budget is for the minorities, but we say that the first right is for the poor, tribals, Dalits and backwards. Today, the Congress says that if Modi ji will win, Sanatana will rule.” 

BJP president J P Nadda in Bhopal too urged the people to reject the opposition grouping, which is spreading “hatred, poison and attacking the country’s culture and tradition”. For his part, Udhayanidhi said on X that he is willing to confront any challenges or consequences that might come his way. 

Four months after ethnic violence, Manipur lies ‘forgotten’ by Centre, alleges Congress

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NEW DELHI: The Congress on Monday attacked the Centre over its handling of the situation in Manipur, alleging that four months after ethnic violence broke out, the state lies ‘forgotten’ by the Modi government.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that in the last four months, the world has witnessed “how the prime minister (Narendra Modi) has failed Manipur during its worst crisis”.

In a post on X, Ramesh alleged that “while the prime minister and his drum-beaters are obsessed with G20, four months after ethnic violence broke out on May 3rd, Manipur lies forgotten by the Modi government”.

The chief minister (N Biren Singh) has ensured that the Manipuri society is more divided today than ever before, he said.h

“The Union home minister (Amit Shah) has failed to put an end to the violence and ensure the recovery of arms and ammunition. Instead, many more armed groups have entered the conflict,” Ramesh said.

The prime minister ‘refuses’ to visit Manipur, lead an all-party delegation, or initiate any credible peace process, he said.

“Has he even met his own colleague from Manipur in the cabinet,” the Congress general secretary asked.

“In the midst of a humanitarian tragedy, there is a complete and total breakdown of the Constitutional machinery and trust between communities in Manipur,” he alleged.

His remarks come after the Manipur government shifted the last of 10 Kuki families comprising 24 members from Imphal’s New Lambulane area where they had been living for decades and did not move elsewhere even after the ethnic violence broke out in the northeastern state four months ago.

These families were taken to the Kuki-dominated Kangpokpi district on the northern side of the Imphal Valley early on Saturday, as they had become “vulnerable targets”, an official said.

The Kuki families alleged that they were forcibly evicted from their residences in the New Lambulane area to Motbung.

More than 160 people lost their lives and several hundreds were injured in early May after a Tribal Solidarity March was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur’s population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley.

Nagas and Kukis constitute little over 40 per cent and reside in the hill districts.

Afghanistan’s female cricketers plead with sport’s world governing body: Help us play again

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BRISBANE: Just over two years ago, Firooza Amiri was an 18-year-old batter for the Afghanistan women’s cricket team, ready to take on the world if given the chance.

But just like that, her world and that of millions of others in her country changed forever.

Now, looking for their place in international competition, they are pleading with the International Cricket Council and the Afghanistan cricket authorities to give them a place to play, despite the Taliban’s ban on women in sports and education.

“Yeah, unfortunately, two weeks ago was the two-year anniversary of the Taliban and our BLACK DAY,” Amiri said in a message to The Associated Press, accentuating two words in capital letters.

Amiri and her family were from the oasis city of Herat, then the third-largest city in Afghanistan with an estimated population of about 500,000.

“It was a black day for me and all the girls of Afghanistan, the day our dreams were destroyed and all the efforts of many years of each of us were destroyed,” Amiri told the AP. “When Herat fell, we decided to go to Kabul and reach one of the foreign embassies. When we arrived in Kabul, we saw that Afghanistan had fallen completely to the Taliban and all the people were going to the airport to be able to leave the country, we did the same.”

From that point, the situation deteriorated.

“It was very painful for me when I saw that all the girls, journalists, and politicians of Afghanistan were going to the airport and were leaving their country,” Amiri said. “For me, the most terrifying moment of my life was when I saw that there was shooting everywhere, people were screaming and crying, and even a young man had been shot five times . . . that was the moment when we stopped going to the airport and I and my teammates went to a safe house.”

Another of Amiri’s teammates in Australia, Friba Hotack, was afraid her family would be targeted.

“Because my life was in danger, I separated from my family. I was in Pakistan for a month. I was afraid. I was very scared,” she told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio earlier this year.

“Our dreams were shattered from the day the Taliban came. Everything — bat, cricket equipment, we burned everything because of the fear. The day we came to Australia, those dreams came alive again. We started to want to play again. We wanted to have a team here, to play cricket here.”

Amiri and some of her former teammates are doing just that, playing in a suburban league in Melbourne. But that’s a long way from the level they’re determined to be competing on. The Afghan men’s team travels the world and plays at the elite level. The women’s team wants a chance to do the same.

So Amiri and her teammates sent an email to the sport’s world governing body in December.

“Could you please advise what the official stance is on our national playing contracts and future playing opportunities, noting that we are no longer living in Afghanistan?” they wrote.

“The funding provided by the ICC to the ACB for the women’s program — where has this money gone? And can it be redirected to an organization in Australia to invest in our development … so we can still represent our country on the international stage?”

Amiri added, “We mentioned that we had been safely moved to Australia and that we know the situation in Afghanistan but with your help and support . . . our hopes of representing our country remains alive. We are waiting for your leadership and your right decision.”

Amiri says no one from the Afghanistan Cricket Board or ICC has contacted them.

“We did not receive any help or even any hope from them, even though since 2017 they used the budget of men and women only for men and never supported the women’s team,” Amiri said.

The ICC, in an emailed statement to the AP, said the Afghanistan Cricket Board operates autonomously and cannot interfere.

“The ICC board remains committed to supporting the Afghanistan Cricket Board and are not penalizing the ACB, or their players for abiding by the laws set by the government of their country,” the ICC said.

“The relationship with players in any of the ICC’s member countries is managed by the board in that country, the ICC does not get involved. Similarly, the authority to field men’s and women’s national teams lies solely with the member board in any country, not with the ICC.”

Amiri said the Afghan women’s team took heart from Australia’s decision in January to cancel a limited-overs series against Afghanistan scheduled to be played in the United Arab Emirates, where the men’s team is based. Cricket Australia cited recent heavier restrictions on women’s rights by the Taliban government for not playing the three games in March.

The cancellation was evidence, Amiri said, that some countries were serious about the rights of women to represent Afghanistan in the international sports arena.

But she and some of her teammates don’t want the Afghan men’s team, which will play in the Cricket World Cup in India next month, to be banned from international cricket.

“In my opinion, banning the men’s team is not a good way to create a team for us,” Amiri said. “Because the people of Afghanistan are fans of cricket, and by banning the men’s team, in addition to the fact that the people of Afghanistan will be saddened by the women’s team, our effort is to be able to get the support of the Afghan people.”

Unfortunately, she said, players on the national men’s team have “refused to stand with us.”

“Their only answer to us was that we are endangering our families by doing this,” Amiri said. “The Afghanistan Cricket Board has not done anything for the development of women’s cricket for years.”

With the second anniversary of the Taliban takeover just passed, Amiri can’t forget the turmoil.

“For me, every year this day is a reminder of all the moments that I experienced when I was 18, the age when we all (should) study and pursue our dreams,” she said. The entire world can see, she added, “That the girls in Afghanistan don’t have the basic right of society, which is education.

“It’s painful for me to imagine that if I was in Afghanistan, would I be alive or not?”

Afghanistan’s female athletes are receiving support from one of the country’s first female Olympians — Friba Rezayee, a judo competitor at the 2004 Athens Games. Rezayee has started a petition asking the International Olympic Committee to “recognize the Afghan female athletes independently, not the Taliban NOC (National Olympic Committee).”

The Afghan women’s team hasn’t had a chance to play international cricket, yet. Amiri remains optimistic.

“I would like to say thanks to Australia and all the people who have helped us to live safely,” she says. “We believe that magic will happen one day and we will represent our country on an international ground in the world.”

To further illustrate her point, the slogan on one of Amiri’s messaging apps says: “Gonna take more than a human to stop me from where I am meant to be,” and includes a muscle-flexing arm, a cricket bat and ball, and a flag of Afghanistan.

Mallikarjun Kharge set to be INDIA convenor, key role for regional leaders

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MUMBAI:  In the Mumbai conclave of Opposition alliance, Congress strongly pitched for party president Mallikarjun Kharge as INDIA convenor to which other parties agreed in principle. They also pitched for constituting a 11-member panel comprising regional party leaders.

“Besides, there will be other region-wise and state-wise committees that will coordinate with each other. The strategy will be decided in such a fashion that there is no clash of party interest. We have to work very smoothly,” said senior leader requesting anonymity.

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin, and  Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal also attended the dinner. Highly placed sources said in the meeting it was decided that INDIA has to take forward the agenda discussed in the Bengaluru meet with a clear vision. 

“Congress pushed for Kharge as the convenor while other parties agreed in principle. They said regional parties are a major force in Opposition alliance, so equal importance should be given to them as well. The regional parties should have more representations and therefore a 11-member committee should be constituted where all prominent regional party leaders will be members.

“While the sub-committee such as draft committee for common minimum agenda should be constituted with people who understand policies, those from other minor parties should be given representation too. There will be other committees for elections strategy, resources funding, media, etc,” said the senior leader. He said in the Bengaluru meeting, the Opposition came out with INDIA as the name for the bloc that surprised the BJP and was a great success by itself. “We want to work out such things that will continue to surprise the BJP,” he added.

INDIA bloc had planned to unveil the logo on Thursday, but was pushed to Friday as some partners had suggestions. A senior Congress leader said the party has asked to incorporate the welfare schemes that clicked in Karnataka and Delhi elections. Tackling inflation, generating employment, farm loan waivers, financial aid to pooor women and special welfare for SC/STs are some promises that are part of the common minimum agenda. 

Another leader said it was decided that contentious issues such as seat-sharing, fund-raising will be kept for last. “The Opposition leaders who always crossed swords have come at one dinner table thrice. A bonhomie has been created. We have to keep aside our ego, else 2024 Lok Sabha election will be the last election,” he said.

Key points

On Agenda

  • Mallikarjun Kharge as convenor 
  • Constitution of an 11-member committee with all prominent regional party leaders as members
  • Sub-committees such as draft committee for common minimum agenda to be constituted with people who understand policies
  • To give representation to minor parties, there will be other committees such as those for election strategy, resource funding, media management, etc

Promises

  • Incorporate welfare scheme that clicked in Karnataka and Delhi elections
  • Tackling inflation and generating employment
  •  Farm loan waivers, since there is a drought-like situation in many states
  •  Financial aid to poor women 
  •  Special welfare for scheduled caste and scheduled trib

State to present case before Supreme Court invite panel members to dams

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DK Shivakumar

BENGALURU: With Tamil Nadu’s plea for the release of 24,000 cusecs of water coming up for hearing before a three-judge bench in the Supreme Court on Friday, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister 
DK Shivakumar, who also holds the water resources portfolio, on Thursday said the state has complied with the directive to release water to the neighbouring state, and will explain the ground reality in the Cauvery basin to the Supreme Court. 

“Safeguarding the interest of Karnataka farmers is our first commitment. The Supreme Court hearing is tomorrow and there is a possibility the trial may be postponed. We will discuss with our legal team about filing an appeal in the Supreme Court,” said Shivakumar.

“It may appear as if there is water (in reservoirs) but let them come and see the situation, we cannot conceal it,” he suggested. “If there was adequate rainfall, there would be no objection to releasing water. We have respected such decisions in the past. We have invited CWMA officials to visit our dams and see the severity of the water problem and hope the authorities safeguard the interest of the state’s farmers.” “All calculations on water released to Tamil Nadu will be recorded at Biligundlu, and the water takes 4-5 days to reach there. Our counsels will present all this in their argument,” he informed.

Shivakumar said the state would also appeal before the SC, as it can raise its voice for its concerns, but has no power to question the utilisation of Tamil Nadu’s share of water and its crop pattern. Karnataka’s lawyers have been arguing the case competently, and are prepared for Friday’s hearing, but it could be deferred by 2-3 days, he added. 

Advocate-General Shashi Kiran Shetty, counsel in the SC Mohan Katarki, Additional Chief Secretary Rakesh Singh and Shivakumar’s technical adviser Jayaprakash were present. The minister said he would consult senior SC lawyer Shyam Divan who is representing the state.

Woman jumps off building with one-year-old son in Maharashtra both dead

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THANE: A woman allegedly jumped to death along with her one-year-old son from a high-rise in Thane city of Maharashtra in the wee hours of Friday, police said.

The incident was a fallout of a quarrel between the 26-year-old woman with her husband over a family matter, they said.

The victim, Priyanka Mohite, resided with her husband and their toddler son in a building located on the Ghodbunder Road, inspector (crime) Y S Awhad of Kasarvadavali police station said.

On the day of Raksha Bandhan, celebrated on August 30, the woman wanted to go to her sister’s place. But her husband advised her not to travel with their child. This resulted in a heated argument between the couple, he said.

As a result of the discord between them, she jumped to death along with their son from the balcony of their flat around 1:30 a.m. on Friday, he added.

On hearing the sound, other residents of the building came out. They saw the mother-son duo lying in a pool of blood and rushed them to a hospital where they were declared dead.

Their bodies were later sent to a government hospital for post-mortem and a case of accidental death was registered.

The police did not specify the number of floors in the building and on which floor the victim resided.

Movie, serial actor Aparna P. Nair found dead at her Thiruvananthapuram residence

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Aparna P Nair

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Film-TV actor Aparna P Nair (31) was found dead here late on Thursday. According to police, the body was found in her house at Karamana. A case of unnatural death has been registered. 

The actor’s mother and sister were reportedly present at the house when the incident occurred. She was rushed to a private hospital but was declared dead on arrival. Police have begun an investigation and have recorded the statements of the relatives. 

She also essayed roles in TV serials such as Chandanamazha, Aatmasakhi and Maidhili Veendum Varunnu. 

President Murmu approves renaming of Nehru Memorial as Prime Ministers’ Museum

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NEW DELHI: President Droupadi Murmu has approved the renaming as the Prime Ministers’ Museum, a  Union cabinet secretariat notification said.

The notification dated 30th August said: “In the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961, in THE SECOND SCHEDULE, under the heading “MINISTRY OF CULTURE (SANSKRITI MANTRALAYA)”, in entry 9, for the words ‘Nehru Memorial Museum and Library’, the following words shall be substituted, namely:-‘Prime Ministers Museum and Library”.

The Culture Ministry then said that it had decided to change the name of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library Society to Prime Ministers’ Museum and Library Society.

The decision was taken at a special meeting of the Memorial Museum and Library Society which was presided over by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who is the Vice-President of the Society.

This project was approved by Executive Council, NMML in its 162nd meeting held in November 2016. The Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya was opened to the public on April 21 last year.

During the inauguration, despite having received an invitation from the government, no member of the Nehru-Gandhi family was present for the function.

Three members of the Nehru-Gandhi family including Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi have served as Prime Ministers of the country.

The Culture Ministry release said that the Museum is a seamless blend that begins at the renovated and refurbished Nehru Museum building, “now completely updated with technologically advanced displays on the life and contribution of Jawaharlal Nehru”.

“Housed in a new building the museum then goes on to tell the story of how our Prime Ministers navigated the nation through various challenges and ensured the all-round progress of the country. It recognizes all the Prime Ministers, thereby democratizing the institutional memory,” the release had said. 

China won’t require COVID-19 tests for incoming travellers in a milestone in its reopening

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Taipei: China will no longer require a negative COVID-19 test result for incoming travellers starting Wednesday, a milestone in its reopening to the rest of the world after a three-year isolation that began with the country’s borders closing in March 2020.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin announced the change at a briefing in Beijing on Monday.

China in January ended quarantine requirements for its own citizens traveling from abroad, and over the past few months has gradually expanded the list of countries that Chinese people can travel to and increased the number of international flights.

Beijing ended its tough domestic “zero COVID” policy only in December, after years of draconian curbs that at times included full-city lockdowns and lengthy quarantines for people who were infected.

The restrictions slowed the world’s second-largest economy, leading to rising unemployment and occasional instances of unrest.

As part of those measures, incoming travelers were required to isolate for weeks at government-designated hotels. Residents were in some cases forcibly locked into their homes in attempts to stop the virus from spreading.

Protests in major cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Nanjing erupted in November over the COVID curbs, in the most direct challenge to the Communist Party’s rule since the Tiananmen protests of 1989.

In early December, authorities abruptly scrapped most COVID controls, ushering in a wave of infections that overwhelmed hospitals and morgues.

A U.S. federally funded study this month found the rapid dismantling of the “zero COVID” policy may have led to nearly 2 million excess deaths in the following two months. That number greatly exceeds official estimates of 60,000 deaths within a month of the lifting of the curbs.

During the years of “zero COVID,” local authorities occasionally imposed snap lockdowns in attempts to isolate infections, trapping people inside offices and apartment buildings.

From April until June last year, the city of Shanghai locked down its 25 million residents in one of the world’s largest pandemic-related mass lockdowns. Residents were required to take frequent PCR tests and had to rely on government food supplies, often described as insufficient.

Throughout the pandemic, Beijing touted its “zero COVID” policy and the initial relatively low number of infections as an example of the superiority of China’s political system over that of Western democracies.

Since lifting the COVID curbs, the government has been contending with a sluggish economic recovery. The restrictions, coupled with diplomatic frictions with the United States and other Western democracies, have driven some foreign companies to reduce their investments in China.

Mangaluru: 36-year-old man dies after drowning in pond in Talapady

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Talapady: A 36-year-old man named Harish, also known as Hari Prasad Acharya, reportedly drowned while swimming in a pond on Monday in Talapady.

Harisha was a resident of Durgipalla and worked as a welder.

He was unmarried and had a history of alcohol addiction, and he reportedly had not been at home for the past four days.

Harisha and his friends Yuvraj (Munna), Lohit, Naveen Devadiga, and Nitesh Uchil went to a nearby pond in a private layout for a swim. Unfortunately, Harisha allegedly drowned in the pond, leading to his death.

Fire brigade personnel arrived at the scene and retrieved Harisha’s body from the pond. The Ullal police transported the body for post-mortem examination. The police have initiated an investigation into the incident.

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