‘Education only weapon to defeat sanatana dharma'
Kamal Haasan
has re-ignited the debate on sanatana dharma saying that only education can defeat sanatana.
At an event on Sunday in Chennai organised by Agaram Foundation, an NGO founded by actor Suriya, Kamal criticised
NEET
and said laws can be rewritten only through education."Education
is the only weapon to break the shackles of dictatorship and sanatana dharma. Don't pick other weapons. If you take other weapons, the 'majority' will defeat you.
Majority morons will defeat, and knowledge will be defeated," he said. CPM MP Su Venkatesan was also present at the event.
Kamal said that the number of students helped by Agaram Foundation to join medicine has come down after NEET was implemented.
"Now can you understand why we oppose NEET? The law has made medical education inaccessible to poor students," Kamal said.
You Can Also Check:
Chennai AQI
|
Weather in Chennai
|
Bank Holidays in Chennai
|
Public Holidays in Chennai
BJP state vice-president Khusbhu Sundar said that Kamal's remarks were unwarranted. Khusbhu said everyone agrees to the first part of Kamal's speech that education was the biggest weapon of all, but the second part of his speech where he mentions sanatana dharma was uncalled for, she said.
Other BJP leaders criticized Kamal and said he was making such remarks to please chief minister M K Stalin.
In 2023, deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin's comments about sanatana dharma lead to petitions being filed against him in courts. The cases are still going on.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
24 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Abhishek Banerjee warns TMC workers over performance, flags NRC, SIR risks
Setting the course of the party's roadmap ahead of 2026 assembly polls, TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Tuesday issued a blunt warning to underperforming booth-level functionaries and mounted a fierce attack on the BJP and the Election Commission over the alleged exclusion of Bengali-speaking voters from electoral rolls. In a high-stakes virtual meeting with party leaders, Banerjee said booth presidents who fail to deliver will be replaced, and those indulging in politics of self-interest will face serious disciplinary backlashes. If you can't take responsibility, step aside, Banerjee was quoted as saying by a party insider who attended the meeting. A three-time MP from Diamond Harbour and Mamata Banerjee's nephew, Abhishek, who is widely seen as the de facto No. 2 in the party, was on Monday named the TMC Lok Sabha leader. According to several TMC leaders present at the closed-door virtual meet, Banerjee said, This election is not just about votes, it's about protecting our identity, our language, and our dignity. The BJP wants to brand every Bengali as Bangladeshi. We must fight back on the ground, in court, and before the Commission.. Banerjee referred to the Election Commission's ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process and warned that booth-level leaders must remain vigilant as Booth Level Officers (BLOs) visit households. Any negligence in this task will not be tolerated, a party MLA quoted him as saying. He told booth-level presidents to be alert. If BJP-backed BLOs or officials are manipulating the process, their names must be reported to the district presidents, who will escalate it to the top leadership, said a TMC leader. Citing the NRC notices issued to people in parts of North Bengal, Banerjee alleged that the BJP was using the backdoor through the Election Commission to delete names from the rolls. Even today, fresh NRC notices are being served. BJP is testing how far they can push. If they win, they will call everyone Bangladeshis, he said, according to a senior TMC leader. Referring to a Delhi Police communication that allegedly labelled Bengali citizens as Bangladeshis, Banerjee said, Why are Bengal's BJP MPs and MLAs silent on this insult?. Banerjee also targeted Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for his past remarks suggesting Bengali speakers could be sent to detention camps. These people oppose Durga Puja, insult Bengali language, and look at us with hatred, he told party colleagues. On the TMC government's flagship programme Amader Para, Amader Samadhan', Banerjee said it was the first-of-its-kind initiative since Independence and must be implemented in full sincerity. Abhishek said that the Rs 10 lakh allocated for each area must be spent strictly on local public demands. No interference will be tolerated from panchayat chiefs, councillors, or MLAs, said a party leader from South 24 Parganas. He urged MLAs to increase their outreach. Even if you can't fix problems right away, people want to be heard. Listen to them. That matters, he told them. Party insiders said Banerjee was especially critical of those more focused on proximity to senior leadership than grassroots work. He said, Those doing I-you politics will face very bad consequences. You are here because the party exists. Loyalty without performance means nothing. If the people reject us, none of us matters', said a senior party functionary. There are booths where we have lost repeatedly. Those in charge there don't deserve to stay on. Performance is the only criterion. This applies to everyone, Banerjee said, according to one MLA. He also attacked the BJP over financial deprivation, stating that over Rs 1.75 lakh crore due to West Bengal has been withheld by the Centre. Banerjee asked area presidents to hold regular booth-level meetings with at least 30-40 local residents to build public trust and counter the BJP's narrative. He made it clear that BJP is conspiring to deny people their right to vote. But if people can vote freely, BJP's deposit will be forfeited, said a district leader. In a final rallying call, Banerjee reminded the party of its past victories and future goals. We reduced the BJP from 18 to 12 Lok Sabha seats. Why can't we bring them from 77 to below 40 in the Assembly? Mamata Banerjee's single-engine government is stronger than all their double-engine failures. Let's prove it, a TMC leader quoted him. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India.com
24 minutes ago
- India.com
Mamata Banerjee Accuses Election Commission Of Planning SIR To Impose NRC In West Bengal
KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, on Tuesday, reiterated her allegation that the BJP-led Union government wants to impose the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in West Bengal through Election Commission of India's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. "A plan to slap NRC is being hatched in the name of conducting SIR. Ensure that your name is on the voter's list. Every individual must have his name on the voter's list. If anyone's name is excluded, then bring it to the notice of the concerned authorities. We will stand by those people. We will not tolerate if people are sent to Bangladesh after deleting their names from voters' list. Indian citizens shouldn't be branded as Bangladeshis," Banerjee said. Speaking to media persons after visiting flood-affected areas in Ghatal of West Midnapore district, the Chief Minister also added that it was the Election Commission of India that planned the idea of the EPIC card. "Who came up with Aadhaar cards? Crores of rupees were spent to make these cards. Why won't these cards, along with ration cards, be considered proof of citizenship? It is a planned game by the BJP government at the Centre with the help of the ECI. We do not tolerate this," CM Banerjee said. Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister once again criticised the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) for releasing its water to West Bengal and vowed to erect a dam and channel the water back to Jharkhand after coming to power post the 2026 state Assembly polls. "I come to Ghatal every time. This place witnesses floods everywhere. This time, the DVC has broken all records by releasing water. They do not dredge there. They have not dredged for 20 years. When it rains, water is released into Bengal. After the 2026 state Assembly polls, we will plan how to stop the release of water. It will cost money. But we will also build a dam and then release it somewhere else. We are fed up with taking this pain. This time we will also make a game plan," CM Banerjee said. The Chief Minister also hit out at the Union government for its alleged step-motherly attitude towards Bengal. "Earlier, the Union government used to give money to prevent the erosion of the Ganges. Now we have to do everything by ourselves. I have been telling the Union government about the Ghatal Master Plan for a long time. They have not done anything. It was supposed to be done by them. But we have already made a plan worth Rs 1,500 crore. The work has started. More work will be done after the monsoon season. A committee has been formed," she said. She again criticised the BJP for its stance on the Bengali language and Bengali migrant workers. "Now they (BJP) are saying that Bengali is not a language. Instead, they are demanding that I (Chief Minister) be arrested under the National Security Act for raising these questions. I am speaking in Bengali again. How dare they say that there is no language called Bengali," she said. Earlier on Tuesday, CM Banerjee told that West Bengal has registered a 12 per cent year-on-year growth in gross GST collections for July 2025. In a social media post, CM Banerjee said the state collected Rs 5,895 crore in GST revenue last month, up from Rs 5,257 crore in July 2024. "Glad to share that West Bengal has reported a robust 12 per cent year-on-year growth in gross GST collections for July 2025, recording a collection of Rs 5,895 crore, compared to Rs 5,257 crore in the same month last year, according to provisional figures just released by the Union government," she said. "Cumulative growth rate in our state's GST revenue till July is 7.71 per cent. This marks a steady improvement in business and consumption in West Bengal, which is a sign of good economic health," CM Banerjee added.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Bombay high court rejects bail application of former BJP MLA Ganpat Gaikwad in police station firing case
Kalyan: The Bombay high court on Tuesday rejected the bail applications of former BJP MLA Ganpat Gaikwad and three other accused in the sensational case of firing inside a police station on Shiv Sena politician Mahesh Gaikwad last year. Later, Mahesh Gaikwad held a press conference in Kalyan, welcoming the court decision. He urged that the case be transferred to a fast-track court, citing its seriousness, to ensure swift justice. According to the prosecution, on the night of Feb 2 last year, members of two rival political groups—supporters of Ganpat Gaikwad and Mahesh Gaikwad—gathered at the Hill Line Police Station in Ulhasnagar, seeking registration of criminal cases against each other. Around 9.30 pm, while Mahesh Gaikwad, who was the Kalyan president of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, was inside the cabin of senior police inspector Anil Jagtap along with two others, Ganpat and his associates entered the cabin. A heated argument broke out between the factions. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai As Jagtap stepped outside to manage the situation, Ganpat allegedly pulled out a concealed revolver and opened fire at Mahesh Gaikwad and his associate Rahul Patil. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like AI in video surveillance: game-changer or challenge? Axis Read More Undo He also reportedly aimed at Chainu Jadhav, an informant. Multiple bullets struck Mahesh, who collapsed on the spot. The prosecution further claimed that Ganpat then sat on Mahesh and struck him repeatedly on the head with the butt of the revolver. One of the co-accused, identified as Kene, allegedly entered the cabin later and fired four rounds at Mahesh, slapped Jadhav, and, along with another accused, identified as Patil, assaulted Mahesh's bodyguard and attempted to snatch his firearm. All four accused were arrested on charges of attempt to murder, unlawful assembly and conspiracy to create terror within the police station premises. The advocate appearing for Ganpat Gaikwad argued that the act was not premeditated and that Ganpat had no prior intention to visit the police station or harm anyone. However, opposing the bail plea, Mahesh Gaikwad's lawyers, Abhishek Kulkarni and Sagar Vakale, pointed to the gravity of the offence and supported the prosecution's claim with evidence such as CCTV footage and forensic reports. Justice Amit Borkar noted: "Considering the totality of circumstances, including the gravity of the offence, nature of the allegations, prima facie evidence such as CCTV footage, ballistic and forensic reports, and serious apprehension of tampering with evidence and influencing witnesses, the court is of the considered view that this case does not warrant the exercise of discretionary powers in favour of the applicant. " The judge said: "If ultimately proved, the offence is not only heinous but also reflects a complete disregard for the rule of law and public safety. The location of the offence—inside a police station—and the conduct of the accused raise serious concerns about obstruction of justice if bail is granted." The high court said the principle of parity, though well-settled in bail jurisprudence, is not an absolute or inflexible rule. It said it is a guiding consideration which must be applied judiciously and with caution. Merely because bail has been granted to one of the co-accused does not, by itself, create a vested right in favour of another accused to claim similar relief, said th ecourt. It said the court must be satisfied that the role, nature of allegations, degree of involvement, and surrounding circumstances of the applicant are identical or similarly situated to those of the accused who has been granted bail. It said engaging in such violent acts within the precincts of a police station, that too against a bodyguard, strikes at the very foundation of the rule of law. The court said it creates an atmosphere of fear and lawlessness and sends a wrong message that even the police machinery can be rendered helpless in the face of political power or group violence. It said such actions, if left unchecked or viewed leniently at the stage of bail, may seriously erode public confidence in law enforcement agencies and in the justice delivery system. "Therefore, looking at the nature and gravity of the allegations, the location of the incident, the role played by the applicants, and the potential impact on public confidence in the rule of law, I am not inclined to exercise discretion in favour of the applicants for grant of bail at this stage," the judge said.
