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New Indian Express
24 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
Akhilesh Yadav sacks SP MLA Pooja Pal after she praised Yogi Adityanath for justice in husband's murder case
The Samajwadi Party on Thursday expelled MLA Pooja Pal for anti-party activities and indiscipline, days after she praised Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath for his zero-tolerance policy against crime and the resulting improvement in the state's law and order. The development came hours after Pooja thanked the Chief Minister for "listening to her when no one else did" over her husband's murder. Pooja Pal, whose husband Raju Pal was shot dead by Atiq Ahmed and his associate, had thanked Yogi Adityanath for zero-tolerance policy against crime that improved law and order in the state. The expulsion sparked a political uproar, with the ruling BJP accusing the opposition of being 'anti-Dalit.' In a statement in Hindi, Mr. Yadav said Pooja Pal 'is no longer allowed to attend any party programmes and will not be invited to them in the future.' The SP MLA had said that the UP CM gave her justice by bringing in policies like zero tolerance that led to the killing of criminals like Atiq Ahmed. Speaking at the UP Assembly during the 24-hour marathon discussion on 'Vision Document 2047,' Pooja Pal said, "Everyone knows who murdered my husband (Raju Pal). I want to thank the Chief Minister for bringing me justice and hearing me when nobody else did. The CM gave justice to many other women like me in Prayagraj by bringing in policies like zero tolerance that led to the killing of criminals like Atiq Ahmed. Today, the entire state looks at the CM with trust," she said.
Indian Express
24 minutes ago
- Indian Express
‘Are all vegetarians impotent?': BJP hits out at Sanjay Raut for criticism of Independence Day meat sales ban
The BJP Thursday attacked Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut over his remarks on the decision by several civic bodies in Maharashtra to close slaughterhouses and ban meat sales on Independence Day and sought an apology from him for allegedly calling vegetarians impotent. Accusing Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of curbing individual freedom over the choice of food, Raut had said, 'How can the government stop people from eating non-vegetarian food? Why are such restrictions imposed? Do they want to make people impotent?' Responding to Raut's comments, Fadnavis Wednesday said, 'Some people have started calling those eating vegetarian food as impotent. This foolishness must stop. Every individual has the right to decide what to eat and not eat. The Constitution has given the right to live to Everybody.' BJP media cell incharge Navnath Ban, in a press conference in Mumbai Thursday, demanded an unconditional apology from Raut. 'He has insulted Warkari, Dharkari, Malkari, Nath Sampradaya, and Bhagwat, who have strictly observed vegetarianism for centuries. Now, does Raut imply that all vegetarians are impotent?' asked Ban. The terms Warkari, Darakari, and Malkari are associated with the Varkari devotional movement, which centres on the worship of the presiding deity of the Pandharpur temple, Lord Vitthal. The BJP spokesperson said, 'Everybody has the right to do politics. They can attack the government. But when you blatantly call vegetarians impotent, it is disgusting. This is highly derogatory and insulting to these communities who have given immense contributions to society both spiritually as well as in battles.' 'Nath Sampradaya is known for its valour. They waged and won many battles against the invaders. If someone were to question vegetarian communities and call them impotent, the BJP will not tolerate it,' Ban added. 'Raut should issue an apology to all these communities immediately. Or else we will be forced to take to the streets,' Ban warned. He also criticised the Shiv Sena (UBT) MP for questioning the state government's development work. 'From Atal Detu, Coastal Road, BDD Chawl, Dharavi, Metro, Samruddhi Expressway… The list runs long. And these developments have transformed the face of Maharashtra,' he added. Nagpur, Kalyan-Dombivli, Malegaon and Jalgaon are some of the civic bodies in Maharashtra that have ordered closure of slaughterhouses and meat shops for 24 hours on August 15. The Kalyan-Dombivli civic body, the first to issue the notification, said the restriction will apply to all licensed butchers dealing in goats, sheep, chicken, and large animals, and would come into force from midnight on August 14.
The Hindu
24 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Independence Day: Memorials in Thiruvananthapuram that are reminders of India's struggle for independence
On the occasion of the 79th year of India's independence, here is a look at how the freedom movement swept through Thiruvananthapuram, then a part of Travancore and the monuments built in memory of freedom fighters as a reminder of their sacrifice. These are living stories of courage and resilience. 'The fight was spearheaded by Travancore State Congress formed in February 1938 to work towards responsible governance. The Congress was up against not just the British but also the then Dewan, CP Ramaswamy Iyer, who resorted to brutal measures to crush the agitations,' says historian Malayinkil Gopalakrishnan. Remembering the bloodshed Neyyattinkara witnessed the death of eight people, including a homemaker, when the British army opened fire on a march protesting the arrest of several Congress leaders, including the then Congress head, NK Padmanabhan Pillai on August 31, 1938. Leaders who were killed were Athazhamangalam Raghavan (Veeraraghavan), Kalluvila Podiyan, Nadoorkolla Kuttan Pillai, Varuvilakom Muthan Pilla, Maruthur Vasudevan, Kanchampazhinji Kuttappan Nair, and Varuvilakom Padmanabhan Pillai, besides a woman, Kali. In 2020 a memorial was unveiled at Athazhamangalam, the native place of Veeraraghavan. Funded by the Municipal Corporation, it is a relief sculpture depicting the police firing. It has been made by an artists' collective Neyyar Varamozhi. The town is also home to Madhava Mandiram, the house where Mahatma Gandhi stayed on January 1, 1937, on his way to Kanyakumari. Located at Ooruttukala, it is now a museum. The cot Gandhiji used, a charkha and brass urn that contained his ashes are kept here. Historic venue At Vattiyoorkkavu stands the memorial remembering the first conference of the Travancore State Congress held on December 22, 1938. In spite of a ban on public meetings by the Dewan, hundreds marched to the venue to listen to their leaders. Designed by Rajasthan-based Malayali artist Thomas John Kovoor, it is a mountain-shaped structure standing on 25 cents. 'The structure has three layers, representing the states of Travancore, Kochi and Malabar, with the map of Kerala on top of it. Special bricks made from the sand collected from regions where major struggles for freedom took place were used to construct it,' says a former official with the Department of Archives, which manages the memorial. Drawings of landmark agitations are done on the structure. Four bronze figures are installed around it. 'Metaphorically they stand for freedom, nationality, fraternity and women's role in the fight for independence,' he adds. Plans for a mural around the memorial hit a roadblock due to paucity of funds. However, the landscaped space around the memorial is now place for people to unwind. Rising up in arms In September, 1938, Kallara and Pangode villages, around 45 kilometres from Thiruvananthapuram, witnessed protests that have made it to the list of 39 agitations listed by the Government of India as the movements that paved the way for India's independence. A police outpost preserved as a heritage structure at Pangode and the martyrs' memorial at Kallara look back at the outbreak of strong protests by farmers over exorbitant taxes levied by the authorities on spices and other commodities. They had the support of those protesting the Dewan's rule, which eventually led to tumultuous scenes at Kallara market. When Kochappi Pillai, one of the leaders, was arrested and tortured at the Pangode Police Outpost, people confronted the police with arms and ammunition and blocked the route to Thiruvananthapuram. Even though he was released the next day, a mob lynched a policeman on the same day. They marched to the outpost and started firing. In the crossfire that followed, two protestors, Plankeezhil Krishna Pillai and Cheruvalam Kochu Narayanan Achary, were killed. The incident came close on the heels of the riots in nearby Kadakkal over illegal toll collection. For the martyrs Martyrs Column at Palayam is a significant landmark. It was built by the first elected government of Kerala led by Chief Minister EMS Namboothiripad in memory of those who laid down their lives in India's first war of independence in 1857. The structure is said to be designed by Prof JC Alexander, who designed several other prominent buildings in Thiruvananthapuram, and was unveiled by President Dr Rajendra Prasad on August 14, 1957. 'Balikudeerangale', the popular revolutionary song written by Vayalar and composed by Devarajan has a connection with the memorial. The spirited song that celebrated the revolutionaries was the opening song of the function held at VJT Hall (now Ayyankali Hall) in connection with the 100th anniversary of the revolt of 1857. It was originally written for a meeting of the AITUC but was later chosen to be played at the function. On fire Rajendra Maidan at Pettah is named after a boy who got shot when the army opened fire at a gathering on June 13, 1947. They were protesting against the Dewan's decision that Travancore would become an independent state without joining the Indian Union. 'While some say that he was killed in the firing along with two others, it is also heard that he sustained a head injury and succumbed to it a few years later,' Gopalakrishnan says.
