Mohammed Siraj sharpens his batting at Edgbaston
Protests in Dhaka After Durga Temple Demolished Amid Hindu Protests; India Condemns Govt's Inaction
In a disturbing development from Dhaka, Bangladesh, authorities bulldozed a makeshift Durga temple in the Khilkhet area despite protests from local Hindus. The demolition, carried out under the orders of railway authorities, took place with heavy security presence, including Army personnel from the Purbachal Army Camp, who forcibly removed protestors. The Bangladesh Sammilit Sanatani Jagran Jote, a collective of Hindu organisations, has called for mass protests at Shahbagh. In a statement, the group said, 'We are shocked and outraged by the state's communal behaviour.' India has strongly condemned the act, with MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal saying, 'Extremists clamored for demolition and the government allowed it under the guise of illegal land use.' India has held the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government responsible, especially as attacks on minorities rise post Sheikh Hasina's exile.#dhakatempledemolition #durgaMandirDhaka #hinduprotests #indiaBangladesh #minorityrights #shahbaghprotest #sanatanijagran #religiousfreedom #MEAstatement #BangladeshViolence #india #bangladesh #dhaka #durgatemple #toi #toibharat #bharat #breakingnews #indianews
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The Print
an hour ago
- The Print
RSS to Raj Bhavan via Goa BJP, now amid ‘Bharat Mata' image row—tracing Kerala Governor Arlekar's journey
At the heart of the controversy is an image of Bharat Mata holding a saffron flag, widely used by the RSS as a symbol of nationalism. However, the Kerala governor, who was associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) from his early days, is now facing allegations from both the ruling Left Democratic Front and the opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front of turning the Raj Bhavan into RSS office. Thiruvananthapuram: A strong advocate of the Konkani language and credited with making the Goa Assembly the first paperless legislature in the country, Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar is known for contributing significantly to the Bharatiya Janata Party's growth in his home state and achieving several firsts. While the governor insists on paying floral tributes to the image at every official event, including the ones conducted in the Raj Bhavan, the LDF and UDF see this as an attempt to convert the governor's official residence into RSS office. The issue escalated Thursday when Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan wrote to Arlekar, objecting to the use of the image at official events. Kerala Higher Education Minister R. Bindu Thursday accused him of attempting to popularise the 'RSS' Bharat Mata concept'. 'The governor is carrying along with him an image of the RSS version of Bharat Mata wearing a silk saree and holding a saffron flag, which is not accepted in independent India. It should be seen as a ploy to get wider acceptance for the RSS' Bharat Mata concept,' she told mediapersons. However, a senior official at the Raj Bhavan said the current issue was being blown out of proportion for political interests and asserted that Arlekar does not seek to create controversies. He added the governor has made it clear there will be no compromise on the Bharat Mata image. 'He is concerned about the row, but not worried about it,' the official told ThePrint. 'What image should be put up in the Raj Bhavan is decided by others. He is not asking anyone else to do the same or to pay floral tributes to the image.' 'He has been extending his hand to the state… If certain forces don't want that, what can he do,' the official said, adding the issue cannot be compared to typical tussles between Centre-appointed governors and opposition-led states because Arlekar has not hesitated to fulfil his Constitutional duties. 'There are no pending bills with him, nor has he failed in his constitutional duties,' the official said, adding Arlekar enjoys a good rapport with the Centre. Credited with BJP's growth in Goa Arlekar, 71, who was associated with the RSS from his early days, played a significant role in strengthening the BJP in Goa, working closely with former chief minister and Union minister, the late Manohar Parrikar. 'The BJP was not that strong in Goa initially. In 1991, a few people, including Parrikar and Arlekar, joined the BJP from the Sangh and started working to strengthen the party base. Arlekar contested the 1991 Lok Sabha elections but didn't win. In 1994, we won four out of 40 seats in the Assembly. It was historic. In 1999, it became 10,' Sadanand Tanavade, a former Goa BJP president and a close friend of Arlekar, told ThePrint. Tanavade added that Arlekar's popularity also grew during his days in active politics as he led several agitations against then ruling Congress' alleged corrupt practices. Arlekar officially joined the BJP in 1989 and served the organisation in various roles since then. His father Vishwanath Arlekar was a state president of the Jan Sangh, the BJP precursor. Although he lost in his first attempt, Arlekar was elected MLA in 2002. In 2012, he was elected the speaker of the Goa Assembly and served for three years. 'He was the first speaker who ran the Assembly entirely in Konkani. He used to speak entirely in Konkani when he was presiding over the Assembly,' Tanavade said. He also oversaw the transition of the Assembly proceedings to paperless, the first such initiative in an Indian state. Tanavade said Arlekar was close to the party high command while in active politics and would always remain content with whatever responsibility the party assigned him and never lobbied for any post. 'He is a nice, down-to-earth person. He's a very good speaker. He can talk about anything, especially national integrity. His first priority is the nation,' Tanavade said. In 2021, Arlekar was appointed the Governor of Himachal Pradesh, and in 2024, he became the Governor of Bihar before being sworn in as Kerala Governor on 2 January 2025. The image controversy and more On the Republic Day this year, Arlekar praised Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for his clear vision for the state's development and expressed pride in the state. Their apparent bonhomie suggested a peaceful relationship between the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led state government and the Raj Bhavan, a welcome change from what it was when Arlekar's predecessor Arif Mohammed Khan was in office. However, the situation changed in earlier this month, 5 June to be precise. On Environment Day, Agriculture Minister P. Prasad boycotted an event at the Raj Bhavan over the display of a Bharat Mata portrait. Later, on 19 June, General Education Minister V. Sivankutty boycotted the Scouts and Guides Rajya Puraskar award ceremony, leaving the Raj Bhavan shortly after extending his wishes to the children and condemning the display of the image. The tussle escalated Wednesday as members of the CPI(M)'s Students Federation of India and the Congress' Kerala Students' Union protested outside the Kerala University where the governor had attended an event organised by a right-wing group that displayed the controversial image. The protests led to clashes as RSS-BJP supporters opposed them. About a month ago, Arlekar triggered a row by nominating 10 deans to the Kannur University, all from outside the university, in direct violation of the university statutes, which stipulate that deans must be professors from the university's own departments. Of the 10 people nominated, six were from institutions funded by the Union government, and the rest from outside the state. Subsequently, the Kannur University syndicate passed a resolution against the move. In December last year, while serving as Bihar governor, Arlekar sparked a row by saying that the British rulers left India not because of the freedom satyagraha but because they saw arms in the hands of native people. The comment drew criticism from opposition leaders who claimed the comments disrespected freedom fighters. Kerala BJP leader Anoop Antony Joseph claimed the ruling CPI(M) is trying to make it into controversy to distract from 'anti-incumbency' sentiment in the state and its loss in the recent Nilambur bypoll. 'It's also part of appeasement politics by both the LDF and UDF. The LDF doesn't have any development to show in the upcoming polls. So, it's easy for them to resort to religious appeasement. We saw the same in Nilambur by both LDF and UDF,' he told ThePrint. (Edited by Ajeet Tiwari) Also Read: 'Bharat Mata' portrait pits LDF against Kerala Governor, again. 'Turning Raj Bhavan into party office'
United News of India
2 hours ago
- United News of India
Siddaramaiah asked to choose between Ambedkar and Indira
Ranebennur, June 28 (UNI) In a scathing critique of the Congress-led government in Karnataka, former Chief Minister and BJP MP Basavaraj Bommai today questioned Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's commitment to constitutional values, asking whether he stood for Dr BR Ambedkar's Constitution or Indira Gandhi's version that oversaw the Emergency. Speaking at an event titled "The Untold Stories of the Dark Days of Emergency" organised by Citizens for Social Justice, Bommai alleged that an undeclared emergency was in force in the state and warned that the Congress government would meet the same fate as Indira Gandhi's regime. "The state is slipping into a police raj," Bommai said, adding, "This is not governance, this is appeasement politics masquerading as administration." Recounting his memories from the Emergency era, Bommai said he and BJP leader Ananth Kumar had mobilised student protests in Hubballi-Dharwad in 1975. He recalled how students were arrested and how Ananth Kumar was jailed while seeking their release. "We didn't understand politics back then, but we understood freedom," he said, warning that similar authoritarian tendencies were visible again. He recalled how the Supreme Court verdict against Indira Gandhi in the 1970s should have led to her resignation, but instead, she imposed an Emergency. Thousands were jailed, including Atal Bihari Vajpayee, LK Advani and Yediyurappa, with over 4,000 cases filed against RSS members alone. "It was said back then—'Indira is India, and India is Indira'. Today, Congress leaders chant 'Sonia Mata Ki Jai' instead of 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai'," he said, alleging a culture of political slavery in the Congress. Taking a dig at Siddaramaiah, Bommai accused the CM of abandoning his past opposition to the Emergency for political convenience. "Siddaramaiah fought against Indira Gandhi once, now he defends the very family that tried to crush democracy," Bommai said, referring to Rahul Gandhi's symbolic use of the Constitution. Bommai also pointed out that the words 'secular' and 'socialist' were added to the Constitution during the Emergency for political appeasement. He cited RSS leader Dattatreya Hosabale's recent comment backing Ambedkar's original draft and urged Siddaramaiah to clarify his stand. "Do you support Ambedkar's Constitution or Indira Gandhi's amendments?" Bommai asked. Calling the current situation in Karnataka an 'undeclared emergency,' he said those who speak on sensitive issues are instantly slapped with cases. "Karnataka is not a police state. People's power will prevail over state power as it did in 1977," he asserted. On the political front, Bommai predicted midterm elections in Karnataka by 2026. "The sins of bad governance are overflowing. BJP will return with a people's mandate," he declared. Praising the Modi government, he said it had lifted 25 crore people out of poverty in the last 11 years. "To make India developed by 2047, we must protect democracy and the Constitution's core," he added, calling this a 'second freedom struggle' to safeguard civil liberties. The event saw the presence of Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, former MLAs, BJP district leaders, and emergency-era political prisoners. UNI BDN GNK
The Hindu
3 hours ago
- The Hindu
Bangladesh reaffirms commitment to minority rights
Bangladesh has said that it remains firmly committed to safeguarding the rights of all communities and protecting places of worship but building religious structures on public land is not permissible "under any circumstance". The Foreign Ministry's statement on Friday (June 27, 2025) came a day after India denounced the reported destruction of a Durga temple in Dhaka and stressed the responsibility of Bangladesh's interim government to protect Hindus as well as religious institutions. The Ministry claimed that the temple in Dhaka's Khilkhet area was built on land owned by Bangladesh Railways, and its removal was carried out following due process to recover public land, the state-run BSS news agency reported. It alleged that the temple started as a makeshift pavilion, with organisers attempting to make the temporary structure permanent despite repeated reminders. On June 26, Bangladesh Railways proceeded with the "peaceful eviction of all unauthorised structures along the rail track in Khilkhet area," it said. "While the laws of the land ensure full protection to all places of worship without discriminating against any built-in conformity with law, it is not permissible for any to build any religious structure encroaching public land under any circumstances," the Ministry said. "Bangladesh remains firmly committed to safeguarding the rights of all communities, including protection of the places of worship," it added. During a briefing on Thursday, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "We understand that extremists were clamouring for demolishing the Durga temple in Khilkhet, Dhaka." "The interim government, instead of providing security to the temple, projected the episode as illegal land they allowed the destruction of the temple today," he said. 'This has resulted in damage to the deity before it was shifted. We are dismayed that such incidents continue to recur in Bangladesh,' he added. Mr. Jaiswal underlined that it is the responsibility of the interim government of Bangladesh "to protect Hindus, their properties, and religious institutions." The Hindu population in Bangladesh has been affected by a series of incidents against minority communities in the country.
