Maharashtra: No reviving practice of live worship of snakes, say animal rights activists
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The Hindu
20 minutes ago
- The Hindu
SUDA Chairman accuses BJP, BRS leaders of spreading false propaganda against Congress government over notices issued under Dam Safety Act
Satavahana Urban Development Authority (SUDA) chairman Komatireddy Narender Reddy has accused both the BRS and BJP local leaders of trying to defame the Congress government by resorting to false propaganda over the notices served by the competent authorities in Hasnapuram and Bathukamma Colonies near the Lower Manair Dam (LMD) here as per the Dam Safety Act of 2021. Talking to reporters after visiting the two residential areas here on Friday, the SUDA chairman said the notices were issued to the owners of the structures within 200 metres from the LMD by the authorities based on the survey conducted by the Central Water Commission Dam Safety Review Panel. The BJP leaders are attempting to blame the State government for the notices issued as per the Dam Safety Act, he alleged, saying, 'It is the BJP-led government at the Centre, which brought the Act containing stringent provisions.' It is a deliberate attempt to tarnish the image of the pro-poor Congress government, he said, reiterating that the interests of poor and marginalised sections will be protected under the Indiramma Rajyam. Mr. Reddy said the 'evil designs' of those who bent upon 'misleading' people will be exposed.
The Hindu
20 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Left wing activists, social media handlers tarnishing image of Dharmasthala, says BJP
The BJP said on Friday that it opposed social media handlers and Left wing activists 'tarnishing the reputation' of Shree Kshetra Dharmasthala using the SIT probe into the alleged burial of bodies in Dharmasthala village over a decade ago, as a shield. Addressing press persons in Mangaluru, Satish Kumpala, president, Dakshina Kannada unit of the party said that the BJP will launch an agitation if slander against Dharmasthala continued. He said that the party backed the probe by the SIT. But it will not tolerate 'outsiders insulting the Kshetra' using the investigation as a pretext. 'The party is urging the government and police to take action against those unnecessarily tarnishing the reputation of Dharmasthala,' he said. Mr. Kumpala said that the government should subject the complainant in the case to narco analysis test as it appears that there is no substance in his allegation as skeletal remains, as per media reports, were found only in one of the 13 sites excavated so far. 'Let the probe continue even if the complainant demands excavation in 25 more places. But people want to know on which basis is he making the allegation. Hence narco analysis test is required,' he said. Conspiracy Mr. Kumapala alleged that Left wing activists have conspired to tarnish the image of Manjunatha temple at Dharmasthala. 'Minister in charge of Dakshina Kannada Dinesh Gundu Rao has openly stated that the SIT was formed to probe the allegation (of burials) on the pressure by Left wing activists,' Mr. Kumapa said. There is a conspiracy to tarnish the reputation of Hindu places of worship, he alleged. The Union government should conduct a high level probe to unravel the conspiracy, Mr. Kumpala said. MLAs – D. Vedavyasa Kamath, Y. Bharat Shetty, U. Rajesh Naik – MLCs K. Prathapsimha Nayak and Kishore Kumar Puttur were present. Protest in Udupi Meanwhile, Kutyar Naveen Shetty, president, Udupi unit of the BJP, said in a statement on Friday that the government should control YouTubers and 'self-styled activists' from spreading false information on Dharmasthala. The police should register suo motu case against such persons, he demanded. Sri Dharmasthala Bhaktabhimani Vedike staged a protest in Udupi on Friday to seek investigation against those indulging in conspiracy to tarnish the reputation of Manjunatha temple and family of its 'pattadhikari' D. Veerendra Heggade. Speaking at the protest, in the premises of the office of Deputy Commissioner, Yashpal Suvarna, Udupi MLA, said that some 'Left-minded' people are trying to divide the Hindu society by spreading false information on Dharmasthala temple. People's patience should not be tested, he said. Kiran Kumar Kodgi, MLA, Kundapura alleged that some forces are trying to mislead the SIT probe. Raghupathi Bhat, former Udupi MLA, was also present.
The Print
20 minutes ago
- The Print
NaMo Lakshmi to Amma Canteen—the schemes that saved DMK's ‘Ungaludan Stalin' in Supreme Court
The top court on Wednesday set aside the high court's 31 July interim order restricting the state government from launching any welfare schemes in the name of any living personalities, and from using party insignia in such schemes. The Supreme Court said it was a common practice and that political battles should not be fought in courts. At the centre of the controversy was the implementation and publicity of the Tamil Nadu government's 'Ungaludan Stalin' (With You, Stalin) scheme launched in July. AIADMK MP Shanmugam approached the Madras High Court, objecting to the fact that the scheme was named after the incumbent chief minister, M.K. Stalin, and was being advertised with pictures of the DMK's party symbol. New Delhi: At least six welfare schemes are named after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, two after former Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, and 29 are either named after former Tamil Nadu CM J. Jayalalithaa or advertised with her photograph. These schemes, listed in an application filed by Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK, prompted the Supreme Court to rule in the state government's favour Wednesday, giving the party a shot in the arm ahead of next year's assembly elections. The DMK had approached the Supreme Court challenging the high court order in an application filed on 5 August. It submitted almost three dozen such examples, at both the central and state levels, of government schemes named after political leaders, or their photos being used to advertise schemes. They included the 'NaMo Lakshmi Scheme', the 'NaMo Saraswati Yojana', 'NaMo E-tab', 'NaMo Lakshmi Scheme', and 'Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Jan Aushadhi Pariyojana'. The DMK argued that several of these union government schemes have been named after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's political moniker 'NaMo'. It also attached photographs of 'Modi Ki Guarantee' advertisements. In another affidavit filed in the Madras High Court on 3 August, the DMK said that the AIADMK was in alliance with the BJP as a part of the NDA, and that 'the BJP Party has spent several thousand crores on advertisements of Union Government schemes, particularly projecting the name and photos of the incumbent Prime Minister'. 'From Covid vaccination certificates to railway tickets, the photographs and name of the incumbent PM are printed,' it said. The affidavit added that the union government has launched a scheme called 'Bharatiya Jan Pariyojana', which abbreviates to BJP. 'This scheme's colours are saffron and green, reflecting the colors of the ruling party,' it said. 'Political battles' In its application before the Supreme Court, the DMK had also listed down various schemes announced by AIADMK during Jayalalithaa's time in the name of Amma, under various government orders. They included 'Amma Canteen', 'Amma Mineral Water Plant', 'Amma Baby Care Kit', 'Amma Cement Supply Scheme', 'Amma Seeds', 'Amma Call Centre', 'Amma Parks', 'Amma Bio-Fertilizers', 'Amma Salt', and 'Amma Laptop'. The application also listed the 'Jagananna Vidya Deevena' and 'Jagananna Amma Vodi' schemes, named after Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy in Andhra Pradesh. The Supreme Court sided with the Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday and noted how common it is for schemes to be floated in the name of political party leaders. 'The naming of schemes in the name of political leaders is a phenomenon which is followed across the country. When such schemes are floated in the name of all leaders of political parties, we do not appreciate the anxiety of the petitioner to choose only one political party and one political leader,' the bench comprising Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai, Justice K. Vinod Chandran and Justice N.V. Anjaria observed, while setting aside the Madras High Court order. The Supreme Court noted that the lawmaker rushed to the HC within three days of making a representation to the Election Commission of India (ECI), instead of waiting for a response and that he made sweeping, unsubstantiated allegations against the ECI, which, the SC said, were misconceived. The apex court reiterated that 'political battles should be settled before the electoral roll and courts should not be used for this'. It imposed costs of Rs 10 lakh on Shanmugam. 'At the cost of public funds' In his petition before the high court, Shanmugam had asserted that the latest scheme, named after Stalin, was just a rebranding of the 'Assured Maximum Service to Marginal People in All Villages' scheme launched by Tamil Nadu in 2013. 'The present scheme Ungaludan Stalin is substantially identical in structure and purpose, and is definitely not a new scheme introduced by the State government. At best it is a rebranding and renaming of an earlier scheme in order to portray a false picture as though it is the brainchild of the present Hon'ble Chief Minister, whose name the scheme carries,' the petition asserted. He told the high court that renaming the scheme after a political figure in an election year is 'clearly an attempt to garner personal publicity for a politician and his political party at the cost of public funds'. Shanmugam asserted that this was a direct use of party insignia in state-funded publicity, which, it said, was prohibited through judicial and electoral guidelines. The Madras High Court passed an interim order on this petition on 31 July, observing, 'Therefore, we are inclined to pass an interim order to the effect that while launching and operating government welfare schemes through various advertisements, the name of any living personality, photograph of any former Chief Minister/ideological leaders or party insignia/emblem/flag of respondent No.4 (DMK) shall not be included,' the high court had ordered. (Edited by Sugita Katyal) Also Read: Two realities of NEP: Sensory classrooms & hi-tech labs, to kids sitting on floor & no teachers
