
BJP questions Akhilesh Yadav's silence on cleric's remark about Dimple Yadav
The man poised to become New York City's next mayor, Zoran Mamdani, held a three-day, high-security wedding in Uganda. The 33-year-old married 27-year-old Syrian artist Rama Duwaji at his family's estate on Buziga hill, overlooking Lake Victoria. The celebration featured over 20 special forces guards and cell phone jammers. However, the event has drawn criticism from netizens and Ugandan locals, with some questioning the timing of such opulence during a national period of mourning for a top Supreme Court judge. The backlash has centered on the perception that the lavish festivities were insensitive. As one report noted, some felt the timing 'hit a sour note.' The son of filmmaker Meera Nair and academic Mehmood Mamdani, this celebration marks a significant personal milestone for the progressive firebrand as the world watches his political rise.

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Business Standard
28 minutes ago
- Business Standard
UP says Banke Bihari Temple ordinance for better administration
The Uttar Pradesh government informed the Supreme Court on Tuesday that its objective for enacting an ordinance for Banke Bihari Temple trust was aimed at better administration of the religious place at Vrindavan in Mathura. On August 4, the top court said it would keep in abeyance its May 15 nod to the ambitious scheme to develop the Shri Banke Bihari Temple Corridor at Vrindavan in Mathura for the benefit of devotees as key stakeholders were not heard. Appearing before a bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi, Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj said the 2025 ordinance had nothing to do with the pending litigation of ownership of the temple administration. "Let me clarify at the outset that the ordinance has nothing to do with the pending writ petition. There was a PIL filed for better administration of the temple before the high court and directions were passed," Nataraj said. He said the ordinance was issued for better administration of the temple which witnesses about two-three lakh devotees every week. The bench then told Nataraj that his arguments might be good, but could be made when the challenge to the ordinance is relegated to the high court. Nataraj handed over the proposal of the state government to the bench, which upon examination was found to be the same as suggested by the court on August 4. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the petitioners, urged the bench to be allowed to give a proposal and suggestions on the issue of administration of temple by August 8. The petitioners have challenged the validity of Uttar Pradesh Shri Bankey Bihari Ji Temple Trust Ordinance, 2025, for reportedly taking over the management of the ancient temple and the recall of the top court's May 15 order. On May 15, the top court allowed an impleadment application filed by the state while paving the way for a Uttar Pradesh government scheme to develop the corridor. It allowed the state's plea to utilise the funds of the Banke Bihari temple only for the purchase of a five-acre land around the temple to create a holding area. The top court, however, said the land to be acquired for the purposes of development of the temple and the corridor should be in the name of the deity or the trust. The bench posted the matter for August 8 while allowing the petitioners to give their suggestions on the issue. On August 4, the bench deprecated the approach of the state government in moving the court in "clandestine manner" and questioned the hurry for enacting an ordinance. The top court has said that it would appoint an interim committee headed by a retired high court or district judge to manage the affairs of the temple in the interest of lakhs of devotees besides including the main stakeholders in the managing committee. It asked Nataraj to seek instruction and submit a proposal for administration of the temple and clarified that the court was at present not adjudicating the constitutionality of the ordinance and the high court will look into it. The plea before the bench, filed through advocate Tanvi Dubey, of the management committee of the Thakur Shree Banke Bihari Ji Maharaj Temple in Mathura, challenges the ordinance, which vested the control of the shrine's administration with the state.
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Business Standard
28 minutes ago
- Business Standard
'Judges can't decide who's a true Indian': Priyanka after SC slams Rahul
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday came out strongly in support of her brother Rahul Gandhi, a day after the Supreme Court criticised him over his past remarks on the Indian Army. The top court had questioned his statement made during the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' in December 2022, where he claimed that China had occupied 2,000 square kilometres of Indian land. Priyanka Gandhi, speaking to journalists at the Parliament complex, said, 'With due respect to the honourable judges of the Supreme Court, they do not decide who is a true Indian. It is the job of the Opposition leader to ask questions and challenge the government.' She said, her brother would never speak against the Army. 'He holds the Army in the highest respect. So it is a misinterpretation (of his remarks),' she added. As the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi's role is to question the government, she said, adding that this responsibility should not be mistaken for disrespect. SC pulls up Rahul Gandhi During a press conference in December 2022, Rahul Gandhi said, 'Before I came to this press conference, I was having lunch with my friend and said I can bet that the media will not ask any question about China. They will ask about yatra, Sachin Pilot, Ashok Gehlot, everything but not China who captured 2,000 square km area of India, who martyred 20 jawans, who is thrashing our jawans in Arunachal. But the Indian press will not ask anything about this on me. Brother, desh dekh rahe hai. Don't think the country is not seeing.' Congress hits back with 'DDLJ' jibe Soon after the court's remarks, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticised the Modi government, accusing it of avoiding serious questions about the China border issue. In a post on X, he said the government has followed a 'DDLJ' approach — 'deny, distract, lie, and justify'. He noted that since 20 Indian soldiers were killed in the Galwan Valley clash in June 2020, the government has failed to give clear answers to the nation. In response, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) responded by accusing Rahul Gandhi of trying to 'strengthen China', while the Congress said it is only raising questions that matter to every patriotic Indian. [With agency inputs]


New Indian Express
an hour ago
- New Indian Express
Cleared by Telangana Cabinet, Ghose panel report to be tabled in Assembly
'Ex-CM ignored expert warnings, plunging state into `84K crore debt' Meanwhile, at a press conference at the Secretariat, Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy presented the findings of the Commission. He held KCR responsible for bypassing rules, ignoring expert warnings, and plunging the state into high-interest debt of `84,000 crore. 'As promised during elections, the government formed an inquiry commission on March 1, 2024, headed by retired Supreme Court judge and ex-Lokpal, Justice PC Ghose. Over nearly 16 months, the Commission collected information from the former chief minister, ministers, public representatives, IAS officers, and others. The Commission also summoned KCR, Harish Rao and Eatala Rajender, served them notices, and recorded their statements. After analysing all the information and statements, on July 31, 2025, the Commission submitted its 660-page report to the government,' Revanth explained. 'We had promised the people that a judicial inquiry would be ordered into the Medigadda barrage collapse. After coming to power, we formed a Commission headed by Justice Ghose, and now that report has been submitted,' Uttam said. 'It clearly says KCR acted not as chief minister but as an administrative head, issuing direct orders that bypassed institutional processes,' He added. Quoting from the report, he said: 'The Commission held that there was rank irregularity from the stage of conceptualisation of the project till the administrative approvals on March 1, 2016. These decisions were not those of the government, but of individuals.' Uttam said the decision to shift the barrage from Tummidihatti to Medigadda was taken solely by KCR, under the false pretext of water unavailability. 'The report says the reason for abandoning Tummidihatti does not appear sincere or honest,' he added. He recalled that even the then Union minister Uma Bharti had confirmed water availability at Tummidihatti, and the Central Water Commission (CWC) had approved the hydrology of the Pranahita-Chevella project in October 2014. 'But the KCR government wrote to the Centre saying there was no water, and that misrepresentation was found to be malicious by the Commission,' he said.