DYFI launches protest against BJP tying rakhi on anganwadi students
'On August 14, the CDPO instructed the teachers through a WhatsApp voice note that rakhis should be tied to the students as part of the Independence Day celebrations.
The rakhis, similar to those worn by Sangh affiliates, were tied to the hands of the children,' DYFI leader Lenin Raj told the TNIE. He said that six anganwadis in Elakamon, three in Idava, and two in the Varkala municipality conducted similar programmes on Wednesday. Adding that children, too, might have tied rakhis amongst themselves, the leader stated that DYFI sees the incident as an extension of the RSS saffronisation propaganda.
However, the CDPO refuted the allegations. 'My instruction was to tie rakhis to children, as many of them loved making tricolour rakhis, and were urged to wear one,' she told the TNIE. The officer said that she forgot to mention the term 'tricolour' in the voice note, which she sent to the teachers, and called it a 'fault' from her side.
Mentioning that the BJP leaders who tied these rakhis were the ward councillors, she said that no RSS leader was part of these programmes anywhere. 'I have no political interest in this,' she mentioned, adding that there will be only a maximum of five anganwadis where such an event happened. Meanwhile, BJP ward councillor Priya Gopan termed the controversy 'unwanted'. 'Who said that rakhi was part of RSS politics? There is no law that bans the tying of rakhis,' the Kannamba councillor told the TNIE.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
6 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Union edu min visits IIT-Delhi, interacts with students
Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday visited the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, where he interacted with undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral students, as well as innovators and researchers, officials said. He also announced that he would revisit the institute to review innovations being developed by students. Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan interacts with the students of IIT Delhi for the Prime Minister Narendra Modis vision of 'Samridhh Bharat' in New Delhi on Sunday. (ANI Photo) During his interaction, Pradhan engaged with students to learn about their aspirations, areas of research, technological challenges under pursuit, and their perspectives on national opportunities. 'During the interaction, the Education Minister underlined the importance of self-reliance… He stressed that the present moment offers a unique opportunity to emphasise the need for achieving self-reliance, ignite collective action for driving national priorities and fulfil the vision of 'Samridhh Bharat' by 2047,' said an official. Encouraging students to bring forward innovative ideas, Pradhan assured them that the government 'stands shoulder to shoulder with India's innovators and researchers for shaping a brighter future and for establishing India as a global hub of solutions.' He also underlined the crucial role of IITs as 'the bedrock of a self-reliant India.' 'After meeting these students, I can confidently say that by 2047, India will be a developed nation, in line with the dreams of the Prime Minister. I can see a golden future being created on the shoulders of our youth in the coming 20–25 years,' Pradhan said. Speaking on the occasion, Vineet Joshi, secretary, department of higher education, reiterated the Prime Minister's Independence Day message on the role of youth in making the country self-reliant. He added that the department is extending full support to higher education institutions in advancing innovation, strengthening research capacities and addressing national challenges.
Indian Express
6 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Delhi Confidential: Seattle Warmth
Amid the frostiness in India-US ties over trade tariffs, senior Seattle functionaries hailed Indian-Americans at an event organised to celebrate India's Independence Day. On the day, the Tricolour was unfurled on top of the Space Needle, an icon of the city's skyline. Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell and other dignitaries acknowledged the contributions of the Indian-Americans in shaping Seattle's journey to become a tech hub in the Pacific Northwest. Claiming Space Off the political landscape for quite some time, former Union minister Uma Bharti was recently the chief guest at an event in Bareilly's Aonla Assembly segment where a statue of freedom fighter Avanti Bai Lodhi was unveiled. Organised by UP Cabinet minister Dharampal Singh, the event was attended by a number of senior Lodh community leaders, including Union Minister of State B L Verma and MP Sakshi Maharaj. The leaders highlighted the role of OBCs, especially the Lodh community, in strengthening the BJP. Sources said the event was aimed at seeking better political representation for the community at a time when Dharampal is being seen as among the probables for the UP BJP president's post. Desirable, Undesirable After assuming additional charge as the Delhi Police chief, S B K Singh assigned an unusual task to the Special CPs (law and order) of both zones — to list 'undesirable' individuals who get their photographs clicked with police officers. Insiders say Singh got to know that some shady individuals establish contact with police officers, get clicked with them and misuse such photographs to their advantage in unlawful activities. He also made it clear that any contact with such characters should be avoided and asked the Special CPs to prepare a list of such individuals and submit it to the Special CP (intelligence) by August 31.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Rooted in RSS ideology, NDA nominee CP Radhakrishnan known to be affable
Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance's nominee for the upcoming vice-presidential elections, was picked after detailed discussions with alliance partners, and the party's ideological fount, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), people familiar with the details said on Sunday. CP Radhakrishnan The 68-year-old BJP leader who is rooted in the RSS ideology is known in the party as a soft-spoken, non-controversial figure, who is also the only BJP leader from Tamil Nadu, to have been elected to the Lok Sabha twice in 1998 and 1999. (HT Photo) The 68-year-old BJP leader who is rooted in the RSS ideology is known in the party as a soft-spoken, non-controversial figure, who is also the only BJP leader from Tamil Nadu, to have been elected to the Lok Sabha twice in 1998 and 1999. Currently the governor of Maharashtra, a position he has held since July 31, 2024, Radhakrishnan, an OBC from the Goundar-Kongu Vellalar community, was born in Tiruppur in Tamil Nadu, where he went on to earn a bachelor's degree in business administration. People close to Raj Bhavan said the Maharashtra governor was sounded out about his possible candidature on Sunday afternoon, after which he paid a visit to the famous Siddhivinayak temple to seek blessings of the deity. Having cut his teeth in public life as an RSS Swayamsevak, he rose to become the state executive committee member of the Bharatiya Janasangh in 1974. His colleagues said his affability and ability to steer the party without conflict and controversy were the reasons why he was picked to head the state unit in 2004. Party leaders welcomed his nomination, describing him as an 'excellent choice for the role', because of his 'pragmatic, straightforward and clean image'. Although as governor of Jharkhand between February 2023 and July 2024, he locked horns with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha government over a host of issues, particularly concerning the tribal communities, his gubernatorial stint was not as combative as those of other BJP governors in non-NDA-ruled states or even his predecessor Ramesh Bais in Jharkhand or Bhagat Singh Koshyari in Maharashtra. A table tennis player and a long-distance runner, Radhakrishnan's elevation as governor in 2023 was seen as the party's attempt to create a new political order in the state unit. A man with friendly ties across the political divide, he was also called the 'Vajpayee of Coimbatore', for his conciliatory politics. But with the rise of K Annamalai, there was a stir in the party unit, which was attributed to testy relations between the old order and the young crop. The differences came to the fore when Radhakrishnan and Annamalai took a divergent stance on the issue of calling a bandh in Coimbatore against the ruling DMK. While Radhakrishnan gave the call for a bandh, the legal counsel for Annamalai told the Madras high court that no such announcement was made. His nomination for the VP's post is also being read as the party's attempts to strengthen its outreach and footprint in the southern region, particularly in Tamil Nadu where elections are due in 2026. His stint as a parliamentarian, his dyed in the wool RSS credentials and cordial ties with leaders across the political spectrum are seen as attributes that would help him steer the House of Elders as chairman. Although the NDA's strength in the Upper House is 132 members (of 240) and the alliance is expected to win the polls comfortably, the BJP is hopeful that the nominee will get support from other parties that are not part of the opposition's INDIA bloc. In an interview with Sansad TV, Radhakrishnan earlier said he never developed enmity with anyone in his political career and moved along with everyone. 'Some things you don't like can be avoided silently. That was my earlier day character. There was a bomb blast in Coimbatore. I was against the terrorist but not against Muslims. When some Muslims approached me, I went to the police and said that they must arrest only those who are connected with the blast. No one expected this. That's why I am called the Vajpayee of Coimbatore,' he said in the interview.
