Nagpur: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said some of the statements made at a recent event titled ‘Dharam Sansad’, which kicked up a row, were not “Hindu words” and those following Hindutva would never agree with them.
He was speaking on the topic ‘Hindutva and National Integration’ at a lecture series organised by Lokmat Media group to mark the golden jubilee of its Lokmat Nagpur edition.
“The statements, which came out of the Dharam Sansad are not Hindu words, work or heart. If I sometimes say something in anger, then it is not Hindutva. The RSS or those following Hindutva do not believe in this,” he said.
The RSS chief was apparently referring to the Dharam Sansad held in Chhattisgarh recently, where Hindu religious leader Kalicharan Maharaj allegedly made derogatory statements against Mahatma Gandhi while eulogising his assassin Nathuram Godse.
Another ‘Dharam Sansad’ was held in Uttarakhand’s Haridwar in December, during which provocative speeches inciting violence against Muslims were allegedly made by participants. An FIR had been lodged under section 153A of the IPC (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language).
The Sangh chief said, “Even Veer Savarkar had said if the Hindu community gets united and organised, it will speak about the Bhagwad Gita and not about finishing or harming anyone.”
Speaking about whether the nation was on its way to become a ‘Hindu Rashtra’, Bhagwat said, “It is not about creating Hindu Rashtra. (Whether) You accept it or not it is (Hindu Rashtra) there.”
Bhagwat said the ethos that represents our Constitution was Hindutva, which was the same as national integration.
He said the concept of national integration didn’t need uniformity because “to be different is not being separate”.
The Sangh doesn’t divide people, but patches up differences, he said, adding, “We go by this Hindutva.”
Vijay Darda, chairman of the Editorial Board of Lokmat Media and former Rajya Sabha member, said the foundation of Lokmat’s Nagpur edition was laid by freedom fighter Jawaharlal Darda in 1971, which now had become a huge banyan tree.
The group will be organising several programmes till 2023 to mark the golden jubilee of the Nagpur edition, he said.
“We had organised an inter-religion conference, a rangoli contest and many other programmes as a part of the celebrations. Dr Bhagwat’s talk is also a part of it,” said Darda.
He said the RSS as an organisation was working not only in villages, but also at the international level, and comprised swayamsevaks (volunteers) who selflessly toiled in the shakhas firm in their nationalistic beliefs.
They believe whatever they do is in national interest, Darda said.
Don’t politicise ‘hijab’ issue, says Muslim Central Committee chief Haji K S Masood
Mangaluru: An appeal was made on Sunday to not politicise the ‘hijab’ (scarf) issue in pre-university colleges in Karnataka.
In a statement here, the president of the Muslim Central Committee and former MLC Haji K S Masood criticised the MLAs in the twin districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi for trying to derive political gains from the row.
He said the principal of a college does not have the right to disallow students into class for wearing hijab.
The principal should prove under whose orders he had told the students to not wear hijab.
The committee has written to the Karnataka Chief Minister Bommai, State Ministers and the Education Department seeking permission for girl students to wear hijab. An issue involving students should not be communalised, he said.
He also criticised Dakshina Kannada district-in-charge Minister V Sunil Kumar for his remarks on the issue.
The students have approached the court seeking safeguarding the rights guaranteed in the Constitution, Masood said in the statement.
Hijab row: Those unwilling to follow uniform dress code can explore other options: B C Nagesh
Karnataka Education Minister B C Nagesh
Bengaluru: Amid the raging row over wearing ‘Hijab’ in educational institutions in Karnataka, state Education Minister B C Nagesh on Sunday said students who are unwilling to adhere to the uniform dress code are at liberty to explore other options.
“Just as rules are followed in the military, the same is to be done here (in educational institutions) as well. Options are open for those who are not willing to follow it, which they can make use of,” Nagesh told reporters in Mysuru.
The minister appealed to the students not to become ‘tools’ in the hands of political parties.
The Bommai government had on Saturday issued a circular banning clothes which disturbed peace, harmony and, law and order in the educational institutions across the state.
On the circular, Nagesh said the government felt the need to clarify on this matter and issued a circular.
He also clarified that the students can to come to the school wearing Hijab, but inside the campus they have to place it in their bags.
Wondering why the problem emerged all of a sudden when students of all the faiths were coming to schools wearing uniform, he said everyone was learning and playing together with a sense of equality but never ever have religious differences cropped up.
According to Nagesh, trouble began in December when some children in Udupi were instigated to wear Hijab saying ‘Sharia’ (Islamic law) prescribes such dress code and they were duty-bound to abide by it.
The minister further claimed that many children were asked to do so but a majority of them did not agree.
“In Udupi school where the incident occurred, out the 92 Muslim children only six girls came wearing Hijab and succumbed to the ‘poisonous seeds’. Other children came to the school wearing their school uniform,” he said.
Rejecting the Congress party’s charge that the BJP government does not want Muslim students to continue their studies, Nagesh pointed out that the Karnataka Education Act was not brought by the BJP but Congress, which had ruled for maximum years in the state.
The minister urged the grand old party not to create divisions in the society for political gains.
In December last year, some girl students started coming to a government school in Udupi district wearing Hijab, against the prescribed uniform norm.
In protest against the violation of dress code, a section of Hindu students also started coming to classes wearing saffron shawls.
Even before the matter could be resolved, the hijab-saffron shawl controversy spread to more pre-university colleges in the state. In Kalaburagi district headquarters town, Muslim girls led by the Congress MLA Kaneez Fathima staged a protest on Saturday demanding permission to allow female students in the schools and pre-university colleges to wear Hijab. The issue took a political turn with the political parties in the state indulging in mudslinging.
While the Congress backed the Muslim girls citing constitutional rights guaranteed, the BJP stood against wearing of ‘Hijab’ in classes with its state president saying the state government will not allow Talibanisation of the education system.
The Karnataka High Court on February 8 will hear the petitions filed by five girls studying in a Government Pre-university College in Udupi, questioning hijab restriction in college.
Centre wants to build 2nd airport for Kolkata, state not giving land: Jyotiraditya Scindia
Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia
Kolkata: Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Sunday said that the Centre has elaborate infrastructure development plans for West Bengal including a second airport for Kolkata, but the Mamata Banerjee government has not yet provided land for it.
Scindia claimed that he has been asking for a dialogue with the chief minister for six months for the purpose of setting up a second airport since the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) Airport has reached its capacity, but there has been no response from the other side so far.
“We want a new airport to be built in Kolkata, the existing one is at present running at maximum capacity and for several years, letters and views are being exchanged for a new site, but no concrete step has come from the state government,” he told reporters at a press conference here.
Maintaining that his ministry has elaborate plans for the development of civil aviation in West Bengal, Scindia asked how work for the proposed new airport would commence “until land is made available” to the Airports Authority of India.
“We are investing Rs 700 crore for the present (NSCBI) airport. A new technical block cum control tower will be made operational at a cost of Rs 300 crore,” he said, adding that a new taxiway is being built for Rs 265 crore.
The minister said that Rs 110 crore is being invested for connecting the Metro Railway with the airport terminal building.
A two-lakh square metre new airport needs to come up to cater to the rising number of passengers to and from this eastern metropolis, he said.
Scindia said that while the present airport has a throughput of 2.5 crore people, the new airport’s terminal building should have a throughput of 3.5 crore.
“At present, the airport has 8,600 passenger capacity per day, we want that a new terminal building is built with capacity for 10,000 to 11,000 passengers per day,” he said, maintaining that these plans can only be fructified if the state government cooperates and works together.
The West Bengal government has decided to construct a second airport in the vicinity of Kolkata, with an aim to decongest the NSCBI Airport, and Bhangar in neighbouring South 24 Parganas district is among the possible locations, an official had said last month.
The situation is similar for Bagdogra airport near Siliguri in north Bengal where the state government was dilly-dallying on handing over land for its augmentation, Scindia claimed.
“The central government has written to the state several times for early handing over of land, but there is no reply…. The (state) government is stuck in files,” he said.
He urged the chief minister to work in tandem with the Centre for development of the state.
“For the last six months I have been trying to hold discussion with the chief minister so that we can move forward on these important issues,” he said.
Claiming that there is lack of will in the Mamata Banerjee government, he said how the Centre alone can carry out these projects if the state does not come forward.
Asserting that Banerjee’s claim that the common man got zero in the Union Budget for 2022-2023 was far from the truth, Scindia said that the central government will infuse Rs 1.5 lakh crore in West Bengal alone in the next three years for infrastructure development.
Scindia claimed that the Trinamool Congress-ruled state’s rate of inflation was 8.7 per cent in 2020-21, while the national average was 6.2 per cent for the same period.
Full office attendance for all central govt employees from Monday: Union minister Jitendra Singh
Union Minister Jitendra Singh
New Delhi; Union minister Jitendra Singh has said full office attendance will be resumed for all central government employees from Monday.
The decision was taken in view of a decline in the number of coronavirus cases, he said on Sunday.
“A review of the pandemic situation was done today and in view of a decline in the number of Covid cases as well as a decline in the positivity rate, it has been decided that full office attendance shall be resumed from tomorrow and employees at all levels, without any exemption, shall attend office on a regular basis with effect from February 7, 2022,” the minister of state for personnel said.
He said the heads of the departments shall, however, ensure that the employees wear face masks at all times and continue to follow Covid-appropriate behaviour.
The Centre had, on January 31, extended the work-from-home arrangement for 50 per cent of its employees below the level of under secretary till February 15.
“But after obtaining inputs from the relevant quarters and a review of the situation, a fresh office memorandum has been issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), informing that all the employees at all levels, without any exemption, will report to office from tomorrow, that is, February 7,” Singh said.
There will be no “work-from-home” option for any employee anymore, he added.
The personnel ministry had, on January 3, issued an order allowing work from home for 50 per cent of the employees below the level of under secretary till January 31 in view of a spike in the number of coronavirus cases.
1000th ODI: Rohit bosses easy chase after spinners set up India’s 6-wkt victory over West Indies
PC: @BCCI | Twitter
Ahmedabad: Skipper Rohit Sharma brought in a sense of calm with a sizzling 60 after India’s new spin combination of Yuzvendra Chahal and Washington Sundar laid the platform for an easy six-wicket victory over West Indies in the first ODI which also happens to be country’s 1000th.
First the hosts bundled out West Indies for a meagre 176 in 43.5 overs as spinners Chahal (4/49 in 9.5 overs) and Washington (3/30 in 9 overs) ran through their listless line-up and then skipper smashed 60 off 51 balls with hosts chased down the target in just 28 overs.
It is the 10th time in last 16 games that West Indies have failed to bat full 50 overs despite presence of senior players like Darren Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Nicholas Pooran to name a few.
After a brief middle-order wobble, Suryakumar Yadav (34 no) and debutant Deepak Hooda (26 no) added 62 runs without much pressure to take the team home.
Just like the skipper, India also missed batter Rohit in South Africa in equal measure and on his comeback, there were no signs of any hamstring niggle as he smashed 10 fours and a six, adding 84 with stand-in opener Ishan Kishan (28).
Virat Kohli (8) also started with two boundaries but was holed out in the deep while Rishabh Pant was unfortunately run-out at the non-striker’s end.
But Rohit was in his element, while young Kishan, played second fiddle to perfection.
The former toyed with the West Indies attack, as the hosts were on course for a comfortable chase with the team fifty coming up in the ninth over.
Rohit, who made a comeback to the team after an injury, was brutal on veteran Kemar Roach, hitting him for two fours and a maximum his trademark pull shot, as India fetched 15 runs off the 10th over and raced to 67/0.
By the time Alzarri Joseph (2/45) trapped him leg-before, India were on their way towards an easy win in a milestone game.
Earlier, Chahal and Sundar wreaked havoc on slow track as the West Indies batters made a beeline to the pavilion, save Jason Holder (57; 4×6) and Fabian Allen (29), whose 78-run stand for the eighth-wicket helped the team go past the 160-run mark.
Put into bat, West Indies lost opener Shai Hope (8; 2×4) cheaply after he was castled by Mohammed Siraj (1/26) in the third over as the visitors lost their first wicket for 13.
Hope had hit Siraj for two successive boundaries, but on the next his inside edge, while attempting a drive, shattered the middle and leg stump.
Brandon King (13;2×4) started with a boundary, and then was joined by one-down Darren Bravo (18 off 34 balls; 3×4), as the two tried to resurrect the innings, but could only add 31 runs for the second wicket.
Bravo struck two boundaries off pacer Prasidh Krishna (2/29) in the sixth over, as the visitors crawled to 28/1 after six overs. The duo mixed caution and aggression as West Indies was poised at 39/1 after 10 overs.
But Sundar pegged back the visitors by removing King and Bravo in the 12th over as the visitors slipped to 45/3.
Sundar first sent back King, who chipped it to short mid-wicket where Suryakumar Yadav took an excellent catch. And then he trapped Bravo in front of the wicket, using his straight and flat delivery.
Then it was Chahal, who took two wickets in two successive deliveries in the 20th over as he removed both hard-hitting batters Nicholas Pooran (18; 3×4), whom he trapped in the front. This was Chahal’s 100th ODI wicket.
Off the next ball, he cleaned up Kieron Pollard (O) with his googly that knocked the rival skipper’s off-stump. West Indies were in a spot of bother as they lost half the side for just 71.
Chahal was on a rampage as he then removed Shamarh Brooks (12), who edged to stumper Rishabh Pant, as West Indies was teetering at 78/6.
However, Holder and Allen tried to take the game deep. While Holder struck four sixes, Allen hit two boundaries, before Sundar lobbed a return catch of his bowling to send Allen back.
The team eventually was bundled out in 43.5 overs with Chahal removing last man Alzarri Joseph, to take his fourth.
The second ODI will be played at the same venue on February 9.
Music legend Lata Mangeshkar cremated with state honours
Mumbai: Singing legend Lata Mangeshkar, who enthralled millions with her divine voice for eight decades, was cremated with full state honours in Mumbai on Sunday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the luminaries from politics and entertainment industry present at her funeral at Shivaji Park in Dadar area in the evening.
Modi left the venue after offering her floral tributes. Floral tributes were also paid to her at Shivaji Park on behalf of President Ram Nath Kovind.
Lata’s brother Hridaynath Mangeshkar lit the funeral pyre of the singing legend, who died at 92 in a hospital here on Sunday morning after multi-organ failure.
Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, actors Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan, cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and MNS chief Raj Thackeray were among those present at the funeral.
The mortal remains of Lata Mangeshkar, draped in the national flag, were taken in a truck from her residence in south Mumbai to Shivaji Park for the last rites.
A large number of people thronged the roads from where the cortege passed as the melody queen embarked on her final journey.
Hijab row: Beary Academy chief Rahim Uchil gets threat call
Mangaluru: President of Karnataka Beary Sahithya Academy Rahim Uchil who supported the stance of the State government on the row over wearing of ‘hijab'(scarf) to colleges received a threatening call from an unidentified person.
In a police complaint, he said the person who called used abusive words over the phone and threatened to kill him.
The police have begun an investigation. Rahim Uchil told reporters here he was not scared of such threats.
Charanjit Singh Channi to be Congress CM face for Punjab polls: Rahul Gandhi
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi and party’s state unit president Navjot Singh Sidhu |
Ludhiana: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday declared Charanjit Singh Channi as his party’s chief ministerial face for the high-stakes Punjab Assembly polls.
Gandhi made this announcement while addressing a virtual rally here.
“People of Punjab said we need a CM from ‘gareeb ghar’ (poor family),” said Gandhi.
The other main contender for the party’s CM face was Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, a Jat Sikh face.
The party had taken feedback from its leaders and workers, and had also sought the opinion of the public on who should be its chief ministerial candidate through an automated call system.
Gandhi also lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he is not the PM but a “king”.
Have you seen him helping anyone on roadside, he asks.
BCCI announces Rs 40 lakh for U-19 team members, Rs 25 lakh each for support staff
New Delhi: The BCCI on Sunday announced cash reward of Rs 40 lakh for each member of the victorious Indian U-19 team.
The support staff will be paid Rs 25 lakh each.
India beat England in the U-19 World cup final in Antigua on Saturday for a record extending fifth title.
“They were impressive across departments and sealed India’s fifth World Cup. While their on-field performances were fantastic, the team also showed grit, determination and courage to bounce back strongly despite the Covid-19 cases in the camp,” said BCCI president Sourav Ganguly in a statement.
“I must also appreciate the efforts put in by the Head Coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar along with his members of the coaching group, support staff and VVS Laxman Head Cricket at the National Cricket Academy for the way they kept the team in good spirits and guided them to victory.
“We have the best structure in place for our age-group cricketers and some of the best coaches work closely with the boys.”
Six India players, including captain Yash Dhull, had tested positive for COVID-19 during the group stages of the tournament but the team overcame the crisis to lift the trophy.
“They had very little cricket in the run-up to the World Cup this time and despite that, India remained unbeaten,” Ganguly said.
“This is truly remarkable. The selectors have done an excellent job in picking the right team from a wide pool of cricketers. The boys have a long career ahead of them and I wish them the best.”
Asked to field first, India bowled out England for 189 after having them at 61 for six at one stage.
Bowling his medium pacers to deadly effect, Raj Bawa (5/31) ran through the English middle-order after the in-from left-arm seamer Ravi Kumar (4/34) laid the opposition low with two early blows.
India completed the chase with 14 balls to spare.
Secretary Jay Shah said: “India is the most successful side in the history of U19 World Cups and the fifth title is a testament to the robust system and structure we have in place for our age-group cricketers.
“The Board takes age-group cricket very seriously and works closely to ensure we remain fluid with our approach to suit the demands of the team amidst the pandemic.”
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