logo
Lalan Singh's Mutton Feast During Sawan Sparks Political Row In Bihar

Lalan Singh's Mutton Feast During Sawan Sparks Political Row In Bihar

India.com7 days ago
JDU veteran leader and Union Minister Lalan Singh has come under opposition fire after organizing a mutton feast during the month of Sawan, drawing sharp reactions from Congress, which has targeted the Centre and Bihar government by invoking Sanatan Dharma.
Sharing the video of this mutton party, Congress wrote, "Modi-Nitish's mutton party in the month of Sawan! Dharma ke contractors, drown yourself," as reported by Zee Bihar-Jharkhand.
There has been no response from RJD yet, and the BJP and JDU are completely silent on the controversy.
#BreakingNews #LalanSingh #Politics #Sawan | @theanupamajha @Chandans_live pic.twitter.com/Agb1gUyg6Q — Zee News (@ZeeNews) July 17, 2025
The mutton party was organized by Lalan Singh on Wednesday (July 16), after he had held a rally on the occasion of laying the foundation stone for road and bridge construction projects worth Rs 472 crore in Suryagarha, Lakhisarai. Thousands of people participated in the mutton feast.
Announcing the feast, Lalan Singh said that the food was ready and described it as a good meal. "There is also an arrangement for Sawan—Sawan food is available, and there is also an arrangement for those who are not observing Sawan," Zee Bihar-Jharkhand reported, quoting Lalan Singh.
Politics over mutton is not a new thing in Bihar. Last year, in the month of Sawan, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav cooked mutton and fed it to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, which created a lot of controversy. Apart from this, during the Lok Sabha elections, a video of RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav eating fish during Navratri went viral. However, at that time NDA leaders attacked it, calling it an anti-Sanatan act.
Sawan, also called Shravan, is a holy month in the Hindu calendar, considered extremely auspicious for the worship of Lord Shiva. During this time, it is customary for many Hindus to abstain from non-vegetarian food.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Trump hails ‘historic agreement' as Columbia prepares to pay $221 million to regain federal funding
Trump hails ‘historic agreement' as Columbia prepares to pay $221 million to regain federal funding

Indian Express

time19 minutes ago

  • Indian Express

Trump hails ‘historic agreement' as Columbia prepares to pay $221 million to regain federal funding

US President Donald Trump has hailed a new deal with Columbia University as a 'historic agreement', after the Ivy League school agreed to pay $221 million to the US government to restore access to federal research funding and resolve civil rights allegations. In a detailed statement on Truth Social, Trump said the agreement includes the rollback of Columbia's DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) policies, compensation for Jewish employees, and sweeping changes to campus governance and student admissions. 'Columbia has agreed to pay a penalty of $200 million to the United States Government for violating federal law, in addition to over $20 million to their Jewish employees who were unlawfully targeted and harassed,' Trump wrote. 'Columbia has also committed to ending their ridiculous DEI policies, admitting students based ONLY on MERIT, and protecting the civil liberties of their students on campus.' Columbia's deal with the Trump administration comes after the Education and Justice Departments froze or cancelled more than $400 million in federal grants in March 2025. With this agreement, the university will regain access to the 'vast majority' of that funding. In his Truth Social statement, Trump also warned that further action is forthcoming: 'Numerous other higher education institutions that have hurt so many, and been so unfair and unjust, and have wrongly spent federal money… are upcoming.' He credited Secretary Linda McMahon and Columbia's leadership, writing: 'I want to thank and congratulate Secretary Linda McMahon, and all those who worked with us on this important deal. I also want to thank and commend Columbia University for agreeing to do what is right.' Under the agreement, Columbia has pledged major institutional changes, including: However, Columbia has not admitted wrongdoing. Acting President Claire Shipman said: 'This is an important step forward after a period of sustained federal scrutiny and institutional uncertainty.' More than 70 students were disciplined following a May 2025 pro‑Palestinian protest involving a library occupation. US Education Secretary Linda McMahon described the Columbia agreement as 'a seismic shift'. Federal scrutiny under the Trump administration has affected Harvard, Brown, Princeton, Cornell, and Northwestern, with over $2 billion in grant funding frozen or reviewed. Deportation proceedings have also been initiated against international students involved in anti‑Israel protests. (With inputs from Reuters, AP)

North-eastern Railway projects faced losses of over Rs 200 crore from natural disasters in 5 years: Railway Minister Vaishnaw
North-eastern Railway projects faced losses of over Rs 200 crore from natural disasters in 5 years: Railway Minister Vaishnaw

Indian Express

time19 minutes ago

  • Indian Express

North-eastern Railway projects faced losses of over Rs 200 crore from natural disasters in 5 years: Railway Minister Vaishnaw

The Indian Railways has incurred losses worth over Rs 200 crore in the last five years due to the relentless impact of natural disasters such as floods and landslides on the projects in the Northeast. In a written response in Lok Sabha on Wednesday, Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the geological weakness of the Northeast is always accounted for at the stage of design and implementation of Railway projects. These projects are being carried out by the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) zone of the Indian Railways. 'Due to floods, landslides etc. in the last five years, some damage to railway tracks and structures took place in Northeast Frontier Railway which was assessed to be over Rs 200 crore. Geology of the North Eastern Region is such that it is prone to landslides,' said Vaishnaw. He added that for all major Railway projects in the hilly terrain (those in Manipur, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland), detailed geo-technical investigations and environmental impact assessments are carried out before going ahead with construction. 'These studies specifically assess slope stability, rock and soil characteristics, vegetation cover and hydrological patterns. Findings of these studies are used to anticipate the risk of landslides that can result from construction activities,' said the minister. According to Railway Ministry data, as of April 1, 2025, 12 railway projects (eight new lines and four doubling), totaling 777 km in length and costing Rs 69,342 crore, have been sanctioned for the region. Out of this, 278 km of length has already been commissioned at an expenditure of Rs 41,676 crore incurred up to March 2025. While the Bairabi-Sairang line, which connects Mizoram's capital Aizawl for the first time, is set to be operational, some of the key ongoing projects in the Northeast are the Dimapur-Kohima New Line (Dhansiri-Zubza) to connect Nagaland's capital Kohima, the Murkongselek-Pasighat new line, the Sivok-Rangpo new line to connect Sikkim to the national network for the first time and the Jiribam-Imphal new line. Dheeraj Mishra is a Principal correspondent with The Indian Express, Business Bureau. He covers India's two key ministries- Ministry of Railways and Ministry of Road Transport & Highways. He frequently uses the Right to Information (RTI) Act for his stories, which have resulted in many impactful reports. ... Read More

IIT Guwahati cites ‘student welfare' in first fee hike in 7 years; protestors call it unjustified, sudden
IIT Guwahati cites ‘student welfare' in first fee hike in 7 years; protestors call it unjustified, sudden

Indian Express

time19 minutes ago

  • Indian Express

IIT Guwahati cites ‘student welfare' in first fee hike in 7 years; protestors call it unjustified, sudden

The postgraduate and PhD students at IIT Guwahati have started a peaceful protest against a recent fee hike announced by the institute on Tuesday. The protest, currently in its third day, centres around what students describe as a sudden and significant increase in semester fees, with many claiming it was implemented without 'prior communication.' According to protesting students, the semester fee for the regular PhD scholars has risen from approximately Rs 34,000 to Rs 48,000, a sum they say exceeds the monthly stipend of Junior and Senior Research Fellows (Rs 37,000 and Rs 42,000 respectively). The incoming batch of PhD students is expected to pay Rs 91,000 per semester, up from Rs 58,000 last year. Students have raised concerns that this increase comes despite no visible improvements in campus infrastructure or fellowship amounts. Many allege that the hike includes new components like fest fees and welfare fund and an increased hostel fund, hostel rent and hostel maintenance fee, which they argue are unjustified. There are also increments in the student brotherhood fund, medical fees, an IIT Guwahati student said. 'Only one component of the fee structure has seen a marginal adjustment. All other increments remain well above 50 per cent, with some more than tripling,' another student seeking anonymity claimed. Another added, 'The hostel fund has skyrocketed from Rs 600 to Rs 2,200. Are students really expected to bear the financial burden of events they neither requested nor uniformly benefit from?' The administration maintains that the fee revision — the first in seven years — amounts to Rs 8,900 per semester for continuing students. 'This has been made to support enhanced student welfare and activities, including increased allocations for hostel-level events, cultural and sports festivals, and Gymkhana-led initiatives beyond just Inter-IIT participation,' stated a media statement issued by the institute on Wednesday evening. The statement added that an open-house meeting was held on July 17, lasting four hours, where detailed clarifications were shared. 'The student body was asked to submit their representation if they had any further concerns. No submission has been received so far,' the institute noted. However, students say that discussions so far have 'yielded no concrete results.' One protestor alleged that although the administration initially assured students that non-payment of fees would not impact registration, 'it later did not allow students with pending fees to register.' Tensions reportedly escalated when the director declined to meet protesting students on July 23. The protest has involved fee boycotts and the suspension of some teaching assistant duties. Students have also highlighted the weather conditions, saying many fell ill during the demonstrations in the humid Guwahati heat. 'The fact that no one is addressing this is making everyone angry, disappointed, agitated and upset,' one student remarked. 'There are also complaints that when some basic facilities in hostels are compromised, like hygiene in bathrooms, dilapidated condition of bathrooms, AC issues in departments, etc., how can the administration decide on increasing the fee for the amenities provided?' The institute emphasised that the protest group is 'small' and that 'the majority of the 8,400-strong student body is not participating.' It also stated that the group has 'bypassed the elected student body,' which is working on a formal proposal regarding the fee revision. 'The elected student body is not part of this protest and is also working through the proper channel for an amicable solution to the increased components of the fee,' the IIT Guwahati statement read. The administration concluded, 'The Institute remains committed to student welfare and encourages engagement through constructive and formal channels.' Mridusmita Deka covers education and has worked with the Careers360 previously. She is an alumnus of Gauhati University and Dibrugarh University. ... Read More

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store