Archives for 2024

Chikkamagaluru (Karnataka) Actress Shilpa Shetty on Sunday donated a life-size mechanical elephant to Shri Jagadguru Renukacharya Temple here to celebrate the centenary birth ceremony of Shrimad Rambhapuri Veerarudramuni Jagadguru.

Launching the mechanical elephant called Veerabhadra, Karnataka Minister Eshwar B Khandre said that technology has made it possible for temples to have elephants without having to keep them in shackles.

Shri Jagadguru Renukacharya Temple at the Rambhapuri Peetha has decided never to own or hire live elephants.

Lauding the temple’s decision, Khandre, who holds the portfolios of Forest, Ecology and Environment said, “Many other temples and maths have requested me to donate an elephant. But as per the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, we cannot donate elephants to any other temple. Under these circumstances, new technologies have come, like the robotic elephant.” The elephant donation to the temple was facilitated by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India and Bengaluru-based animal welfare NGO, Compassionate Unlimited Plus Action (CUPA).

According to PETA India, the three-meter-tall mechanical elephant weighs 800 kg and is made of rubber, fibre, metal, mesh, foam, and steel, and runs on five motors.

The forest minister thanked PETA, CUPA and the actress on behalf of the forest department and Karnataka government.

“It’s the need of the hour, and they (elephants) have a right to live on this Earth.” Karnataka Energy Minister K J George and Member of the Legislative Assembly of Sringeri, T D Rajegowda were present.

Shri Jagadguru Renukacharya Temple is the first shrine in Chikkamagaluru district to have this technology.

Veerabhadra will be used to conduct cruelty-free ceremonies at the temple, helping real elephants stay with their herd in the jungle.

Appreciating the efforts of PETA India and CUPA in donating mechanical elephants to temples, chief swami of the Peetha, Rambhapuri Jagadguru, said, “We encourage more temples and maths to join us by welcoming a mechanical elephant.” According to PETA, most elephants held captive in temples and other places suffer from excruciating foot problems and leg wounds due to chaining to concrete for hours on end and many become frustrated and lash out, sometimes killing mahouts or other humans or animals.

Quoting figures from the Heritage Animal Task Force’s report, PETA said captive elephants killed 526 people in Kerala in a 15-year period.

PETA India had also facilitated the donation of a mechanical elephant to Irinjadappilly Sri Krishna Temple in Thrissur, Kerala, with the help of actor Parvathy Thiruvothu.

According to PETA India, now, at least 10 mechanical elephants are used in temples across south India, of which it has donated six.

Muzaffarpur (Bihar): A man was allegedly beaten to death on suspicion of stealing a tractor in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district, police said on Sunday.

The deceased has been identified as Shambhu Sahni.

He was rescued by police and taken to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

Two people, including the owner of the tractor, have been arrested in connection with the case.

Speaking to reporters, Aurai police station SHO Abhijit Alkesh said, “The incident took place in Yogiyan village on Saturday night when a person was allegedly beaten to death on suspicion of stealing a tractor.”

“According to villagers, Shambhu Sahni was beaten to death by the owner of the tractor along with others. Upon receiving information about the incident, police reached the spot on Sunday morning and took him to the hospital where he was declared brought dead,” he added.

Two people, identified as tractor owner Ganga Sahni, and Pukar Sahni, have been arrested in connection with the case, he said, adding the matter is being further examined.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah

Raipur: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said the Centre and the Chhattisgarh government were committed to eradicate the menace of Naxalism from the state before March 31, 2026.

When Chhattisgarh becomes free of Naxalism, the entire country will get rid of the menace, Shah said addressing the President’s Police Colour Award function at the Police Parade Ground in Raipur.

The Chhattisgarh police have made a significant achievement in the fight against Naxalism in the last one year, he said.

Shah also hailed the Chhattisgarh government’s rehabilitation policy for Naxalites and appealed to them to quit violence and join the mainstream.

“The state leadership, the chief minister, the home minister of the state have taken a pledge and the Government of India is also committed to your pledge. Together, we will completely eradicate Naxalism from Chhattisgarh before March 31, 2026. We all are committed to free Chhattisgarh from the clutches of Naxalism before March 31, 2026.,” he said.

When Chhattisgarh becomes Naxal free, the entire country will get rid of the menace, the Union minister said, adding it is the state police’s resolve to end Naxalism.

The President’s Colour is not just an award, it is a symbol of service, dedication and sacrifice and it reminds of the countless challenges that police have to deal with, he said.

Shah expressed confidence that the Chhattisgarh police will discharge their responsibilities and will never step back from their duty.

“I am confident that from tomorrow the jawans of Chhattisgarh police will come out with the President’s insignia on their uniforms and their morale will increase manifold,” Shah said.

“The Chhattisgarh police have secured a significant achievement in the fight against Naxalism in the last one year…287 Naxalites were neutralised, around 1,000 were arrested and 837 surrendered in the last one year in the state, which reflects the momentum added to the fight against Naxalism. Fourteen top cadres (of Naxalites) were neutralised in the last one year in the state,” he said.

For the first time in four decades, the death toll of civilians and security forces in Naxal violence has been brought down to less than 100, Shah said.

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Naxalism has been curbed in the entire country in 10 years, he said.

A comparative analysis of the last 10 years (versus the previous decade) shows a remarkable 73 per cent decline in deaths of security personnel and 70 per cent drop in deaths of civilians in Maoist violence, he said.

The Chhattisgarh police along with various security forces of the country have prepared to put the “last nail in the coffin of Naxalism”, Shah said.

The Union minister also appealed to Naxalites to quit violence and join the mainstream.

“I would like to appeal to Naxalites that our state government has made a very good surrender policy and therefore they should quit violence. They should join the mainstream, move ahead on the path of development and also contribute to the development of Chhattisgarh,” he said.

The state government has been providing a good package to surrendered Naxalites and they should take its benefit, he added.

Shah said the Chhattisgarh police were also running a strong campaign against organised crime and narcotics.

“From January 1 to September 30 this year, 1,100 cases of narcotics were registered, 21,000 kg of ganja and around 1.95 lakh narcotic tablets were seized and 1,400 persons arrested in this connection,” he said.

Shah said in 1951, the first President’s Police Colour was awarded to the Navy and a minimum of 25 years of service is required to be eligible for this award.

Chhattisgarh, which was formed on November 1, 2000, has received this award before the completion of its 25 years. “I would like to thank the President for honouring Chhattisgarh police’s dedication, sacrifice and courage,” he said.

Shah said for the past five years, he has been in touch with the Chhattisgarh police on the issue of Naxalism.

“Your passion, your courage, your valour and your dedication….I can say with confidence that the Chhattisgarh police force is one of the bravest among all the police forces in the country,” he said.

“Whether it is strengthening law and order, carrying out the fight to make India Naxal free, taking forward the campaign of drug-free India, ensuring public safety or making the life of citizens easier, Chhattisgarh police have never been in the second place, they have always been in the forefront. It is a matter of pride for all of us,” he added.

Shah also paid tribute to the country’s first home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on the occasion of his death anniversary.

“It was Sardar Sahab who unified this country. When we got independence, people around the world used to imagine that more than 356 princely states would not be able to be united and would disintegrate into pieces, but Sardar Sahab’s indomitable courage unified this country,” he said.

“(Prime Minister) Modi ji’s firm determination completed Sardar Saheb’s unfinished work and Kashmir was united with India by abrogating Article 370,” Shah added.

Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, Deputy CMs Arun Sao and Vijay Sharma, state assembly speaker Raman Singh and Director General of Police Ashok Juneja were present on the occasion.

New Delhi, Dec 15: The blame game between AAP and the BJP over the issue of illegal Rohingya and Bangladeshi immigrants in Delhi intensified Sunday with Arvind Kejriwal accusing the Centre of “settling” them here and “failing” to secure the country’s borders.

The BJP hit back, alleging the AAP was peddling “false narratives” in the run-up to the Delhi Assembly polls and asking its national convener Kejriwal the “reason for sheltering these criminals”.

In a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi targeted Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri over his old tweets, alleging that settling “a large number of illegal Rohingyas” here was a “conscious decision” of the BJP-led NDA government while the minister accused AAP of indulging in “politics of diversion and half-truths”.

Rohingyas and Bangladeshis illegally settling in the national capital has become a major issue in the run-up to the Delhi assembly elections due in February 2025.

The BJP had approached the Election Commission alleging that these illegal immigrants have been registered as voters in Delhi “at the behest of AAP”.

The AAP supremo, in a statement, questioned why the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre settling Rohingyas in the national capital and robbing Delhiites of their rights and resources.

Referring to a purported remark of the Union home minister about the responsibility of governments in border states to stop infiltration, Kejriwal said, “If Amit Shah says states are now responsible for border security, is the Central government admitting its failure to protect India’s borders?”

Citing two tweets by Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri in 2022, Atishi alleged the Centre has settled a large number of illegal Rohingyas in different parts of the city by keeping the people and the Government of Delhi in the dark.

“This seems to be going on for the past several years. On August 17, 2022, Union Urban Development Minister Hardeep Puri published two tweets that clearly show that it is a ‘conscious decision and policy’ of the BJP government to settle these refugees in Delhi,” she alleged in the letter to Shah.

“From the post of Puri, it seems they were settled into EWS (Economically Backward Class) flats of Bakkarwala. These flats were meant for the poor people of Delhi. It appears that the rights and facilities meant for the people of Delhi are being given away to migrants,” Atishi said.

Puri hit back with an X post on Sunday saying, “Aam Aadmi Party continues with its politics of diversion, false narratives and half-truths. Facts and actual position on illegal Rohingya migrants were immediately clarified through a tweet on the same day which they selectively chose to ignore, and continue to do so.”

“No Rohingya migrant has been given a government house in Delhi. In fact, contrary to the drummed-up AAP rhetoric, they are actually the ones who play host to the illegal Rohingyas in Delhi, settle them in large numbers, give them electricity and water, and even pay them Rs 10,000,” he alleged.

Atishi claimed the Rohingya migrants in Delhi would not just cause law-and-order problems for Delhiites but also “take away their jobs” and strain the city’s limited resources.

Citing media reports, she claimed thousands of Rohingya migrants were crossing the India-Bangladesh border every day without any hindrance.

“This shows how the BJP government has completely failed to protect our borders. If this situation continues, is our country in a position to handle such a large number of refugees? The answer is NO. Then why is the BJP government not doing anything to stop this illegal migration?” she asked Shah.

The Delhi chief minister also asked how the immigrants, after crossing the international border, managed to reach Delhi thousands of kilometres away.

“Were these illegal immigrants transported to different parts of India by the BJP government in a systematic manner by keeping the people of India in the dark? How many Rohingyas did you transport and relocate to Delhi?” she posed.

Atishi said it was “most shocking” that the BJP-led Centre “settled” these Rohingyas in different parts of Delhi while the “party-appointed” lieutenant governor directed the Delhi Police to conduct a door-to-door survey to identify Rohingyas.

Last week, the Delhi LG Secretariat directed the chief secretary and police commissioner of Delhi to launch a two-month special drive to identify and take strict action against illegal Bangladeshi immigrants residing in the national capital.

She demanded Shah provide a complete list of Rohingyas settled in Delhi and emphasised that no illegal refugees should be settled in the city in future without consulting the people and the Delhi government.

However, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva accused the AAP leaders of “peddling diversionary tactics and false narratives”.

“In fact, it is the AAP that has facilitated the settlement of illegal Rohingya migrants in large numbers, providing them with electricity, water, and even financial support since they are their vote banks,” he charged.

The Aam Aadmi Party has “consistently sheltered” illegal immigrants to secure their “votes” and now they are attempting to create false narratives as it was exposed by the BJP, Sachdeva alleged.

He also said it is shameful that in addition to “betraying” the people of Delhi with their constant “lies and corruption”, now they are also “sheltering” illegal immigrants just “to fuel their hunger for power”.

Screengrab from the video

Pathanamthitta (Kerala): The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has issued show cause notices to four officials for allegedly facilitating “VIP darshan” for Malayalam actor Dileep at the Lord Ayyappa shrine in Sabarimala during the ongoing pilgrimage season.

TDB president P S Prasanth on Sunday said that the officials were served notices after lapses were identified, which reportedly disrupted the darshan of several devotees for a few minutes.

“Stringent action will be taken after receiving their explanations,” Prasanth told reporters at Sannidhanam

The incident sparked controversy after reports emerged that Dileep was granted special darshan at the Sabarimala shrine on Thursday, during the highly crowded Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season, which draws massive numbers of devotees from Kerala and neighboring states.

The Kerala High Court on Friday slammed the police and the TDB for providing “VIP darshan” to actor Dileep at the hill shrine on December 5 which “hindered” darshan of many devotees who had stood in line for several hours.

A bench of Justices Anil K Narendran and Muralee Krishna S questioned on what basis such privilege was given to the actor and directed that the CCTV footage of the same be submitted in the court.

The court took up the issue on its own based on news reports of the “special VIP darshan” given to Dileep, prompting the TDB to act against the officials.