
Kerala Guv firm on Bharat Mata portrait; left govt boycotts Raj Bhavan event
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Kerala governor Rajendra Arlekar on Thursday said there would be no compromise on the presence of Bharat Mata portrait at Raj Bhavan.His statement came after Kerala agriculture minister P Prasad boycotted a World Environment Day celebration , jointly organised by the state and the Raj Bhavan, following reports that officials at the governor's office had allegedly insisted on displaying an image of Bharat Mata, commonly used in RSS shakhas, at the event. The statement, quoting the governor's speech at the Raj Bhavan during World Environment Day celebrations, said the minister had initially requested that the event be held at the Raj Bhavan.

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Deccan Herald
26 minutes ago
- Deccan Herald
Stampede politics, surrender barb, and a billionaire break-up!
Hello Readers! The week that went by was a tumultuous one in political circles. A victory parade turned into tragedy with political mudslinging taking precedence thereafter, a 'surrender-' barb opened up a Pandora's box while a Bharat Mata picture in Kerala's Raj Bhavan ruffled a few feathers. The week also saw the break-up of two-most influential personalities in the world of business and trade. Here's a quick recap of the week's action in DH Political Theatre.. Stampede did not take much time for ecstasy to turn into agony as Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) triumph and the resultant celebrations turned haywire last week with 11 lives lost due to a stampede near the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. But what followed after the stampede was sheer innuendo and political mudslinging which would put everyone into shame. While BJP, which is the principal opposition party in Karnataka, flayed the ruling Congress for giving the nod to victory celebrations at such a short notice despite being warned against the same by the police, the ruling party allowed the situation to go from bad to worse by suspending top police BJP flayed the Congress for turning the event into a virtual 'photoshoot' with most of their barbs aimed at Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar. Videos and photos showing family members of Congress leaders posing with RCB cricketers on the grand steps of the Vidhana Soudha added more fuel to the fire. Regional imbalance questions also popped up as to whether the government would have accorded a similar reception to a Ranji-Trophy-winning state team instead of arranging a grand welcome with pomp and splendor for a city-based franchise club , that too in front of the Vidhana Soudha. Though the government did do some knee-jerk action by ordering a CID probe and detaining four people, including RCB's marketing manager, the damage is beyond control. The suspension of top police officials including the city pole commissioner who netizens claim have been made a scapegoat, has drawn flak from many circles. As cricket fans became cannon fodder, questions like what was the need to organise an event at such a short notice despite police warning and measures about better crowd-control management will remain open to debate for far across the Vindhyas, a political slugfest broke out between the ruling BJP and opposition Congress after Rahul Gandhi alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi 'surrendered' following a call from US President Donald Trump during the India-Pakistan military conflict."A call came from Trump and Narendra ji immediately surrendered - history is a witness, this is the character of BJP-RSS, they always bow down," Rahul posted on taking potshots at the PM, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha also recalled the bravery of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1971 when she held her fort despite the US sending its Seventh Fleet. The Raebareli MP also went on say that India, under Indira Gandhi's astute leadership, held on its conviction and did not yield to US pressure at that was quick to pounce upon the 'surrender barb' and flayed Rahul saying his comments were an insult to the armed forces. While alleging that Rahul's comments undermined the success of Operation Sindoor, it also said that it makes one suspect if he is a "paid agent" of China and Pakistan. The saffron party also went on to add that it was the Nehru-Gandhi family which surrendered Indian interests. Governor vs since Arif Mohammed Khan was shunted out of Kerala Raj Bhavan, the equation between the state government and the governor had been reasonably good. But it looks as though the face off between the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government and the Governor is set to resume. In a latest twist, a political row erupted after Kerala's agriculture minister P Prasad boycotted a sapling plantation function at the governor's house on World Environment Day, apparently for using a photo of Bharat Mata carrying a saffron flag. The minister's contention was that gubernatorial offices should not be used as a platform to promote religious causes, in an apparent reference to the portrait, which is mostly used in RSS 'shakhas'.Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar refused to budge though and defending it by saying that the picture of Bharat Mata could not be removed as 'we can't not do away with the ideals for which we're living'. Though the function was moved out from the central hall of Raj Bhavan to the Durbar Hall inside the state secretariat, the damage had been done by that time as the LDF government stuck to its stand of boycotting the function unless the portrait was removed. The latest row happened close on the heels of another controversy over a programme of RSS ideologue S Gurumurthy on 'Operation Sindoor' being held at the Raj Bhavan, with both Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Opposition parties chiding Arlekar for what they called attempts to 'saffronise' the Raj Bhavan. It looks as though there is no end in sight to the Governor vs Govt face off in the left-ruled Kerala. Out of context!.'Misinterpreted', 'taken out of context' --- these are certain euphemisms that politicians usually use when they are in trouble after making controversial comments. It looks as though Tamil film icon Kamal Haasan, who nurtures political ambitions, is the latest to follow the trend. The 'Ulaganayagan' is in the eye of a storm following his comments that Kannada was born out of Tamil during an event to promote his film Thug Life, which he made in the presence of Kannada star Shiva Rajkumar. He faced heavy backlash from all quarters, with even Karnataka High Court pulling up the 70-year-old and asking him to apologise. But Kamal remained defiant and said that though there was no dispute or debate over the rich legacy of Kannada language, he would not apologise as demanded by Kannada outfits. But to calm down the issue, Haasan came up with a 'classic' justification, saying that his comments on Tamil and Kannada while talking about his association with thespian Dr Rajkumar's family have been 'misunderstood' and 'taken out of context.''It pains me that my statement at the Thug Life audio launch spoken out of gent affection for the legendary Dr Rajkumar's family, especially Shiva Rajkumar been misunderstood and taken out of context. My words were intended only convey that we are all one and from the same family and not to diminish Kannada any way,' Kamal said, in a belated attempt to douse the fire. After all, actors too can turn into good politicians, right?Billionaire break-up!.Across the globe, the week ended on high drama with dirty linen being washed in public by US President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk. The public feud between the two most influential figures in the United States reached a crescendo, with Trump suggesting that he may terminate US government contracts and subsidies given to Musk's companies after the latter blasted Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill' as fiscally reckless and a "disgusting abomination."When Trump met privately with White House officials, there was little to suggest that the US president was close to a public spat with Musk, the billionaire businessman who helped him win a second term in office. But things took a diabolic twist as Trump called Musk volatile and the latter retaliated through a barrage of posts on his own social media platform 'X'.As the public feud between the two billionaires escalates over the tax and spending bill, the Musk-Trump break-up also sent Tesla's stock price plunging while keyboard warriors went berserk with a wave of memes and viral one-liners across the world of concludes the (political) entertainment for this week folks! We will be back next week with more. Till then, stay tuned to Stage Left,DH Newsletters Team

Economic Times
an hour ago
- Economic Times
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge extends wishes on Eid-al-Adha
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday extended greetings on the occasion of Eid-al-Adha. ADVERTISEMENT In a social media post on X, Kharge said, "Eid al-Adha celebrates the noble values of selfless sacrifice, trust, and forgiveness. As we celebrate this joyous occasion, may we all unite to foster stronger fraternity and work towards a peaceful, harmonious, and just society. Eid Mubarak !" Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also extended wishes on the occasion and wished for love, peace, and prosperity in people's lives. "Eid al-Adha Mubarak to all! On this joyous occasion, may love, peace, and prosperity fill every home. Wishing everyone happiness, blessings, and a spirit of brotherhood," the Congress MP posted on X. ADVERTISEMENT Wishing for the joy, prosperity, and good health, Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal also extended greetings on the occasion. Venugopal posted on X, "May the Holy celebration of Eid-Al-Adha bring tonnes of joy, prosperity and good health for you and your loved ones! Let's once again embark on the path of compassion, brotherhood and unity that this divine festival stands for. Wishing everyone Eid Mubarak!" ADVERTISEMENT People across the country are celebrating Eid-al-Adha. Earlier today, people flocked in large numbers to the Ajmer Sharif Dargah to offer prayers on the occasion. ADVERTISEMENT Scores of devotees thronged the historic Jama Masjid this morning to offer prayers and celebrate Eid al-Adha. Dressed in traditional attire, worshippers came together in a spirit of devotion, unity, and celebration, marking one of the most significant festivals in the Islamic Mumbai, people offered Namaz at the Jama Masjid Mahim Dargah. ADVERTISEMENT People also offered Namaz in several other cities, including Sambhal, Gorakhpur, Thiruvananthapuram, and Bhopal. Eid al-Adha, also known as the Festival of Sacrifice, commemorates the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his son in obedience to God. The day is marked by prayers, charitable acts, and the ritual sacrifice of animals, with a message of sharing and empathy at its core. Eid al-Adha is called Id-ul-Adha in Arabic and Bakr-Id in the Indian subcontinent, because of the tradition of sacrificing a goat or 'bakri'. It is a festival that is celebrated with traditional fervour and gaiety in India. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)


Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
US lawmaker tells Pak delegation to eliminate 'vile' terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel A senior American lawmaker has told a visiting Pakistani delegation, led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari , that the country should do "all it can" to eliminate the "vile" terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed as well as ensure protection of religious Pakistani delegation met Congressman Brad Sherman here on Thursday, timing their visit to the US capital around the same time as a multi-party delegation of Indian parliamentarians led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor is in Washington all-party delegation is briefing key interlocutors about Operation Sindoor in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack and India's strong resolve to fight terrorism emanating from a post on X, Sherman said that he "emphasised to the Pakistani delegation the importance of combatting terrorism, and in particular, the group Jaish-e-Mohammed, who murdered my constituent Daniel Pearl in 2002".Terrorist Omar Saeed Sheikh was convicted of orchestrating the 2002 kidnapping and murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel said Pearl's family continues to live in his district and "Pakistan should do all it can to eliminate this vile group and combat terrorism in the region".Bhutto also landed in the US at the same time as the Tharoor-led met UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres with his delegation as well as Security Council Ambassadors in New York and later travelled to Washington in Pakistan's bid to internationalise the conflict with India as well as the Kashmir issue but instead got instructed to deal with terrorism emanating from its US lawmaker also told the Pakistani delegation that the protection of religious minorities in Pakistan remains an important issue."Christians, Hindus and Ahmadiyya Muslims living in Pakistan must be allowed to practice their faith and participate in the democratic system without fear of violence, persecution, discrimination, or an unequal justice system."Sherman further urged the Pakistani delegation to relay to their government the need to free Dr Shakil Afridi , who continues to languish in prison for helping the United States kill Osama bin Laden."Freeing Dr Afridi represents an important step in bringing closure for victims of 9/11," he is a Pakistani physician who helped the CIA run a polio vaccination programme in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province to collect DNA samples of bin Laden's was arrested by Pakistani authorities shortly after the American raid on bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad in May 2011. In 2012, a Pakistani court sentenced Afridi to 33 years in prison.