PV Anwar to contest Nilambur bypoll
Anwar said CM Pinarayi Vijayan has asked the Opposition leader not to accommodate him as he is the bete noire for the CPM after he raised serious allegations against the LDF government.
"Shoukath, who has no chance of winning, was fielded against the LDF candidate. Satheesan has not yielded to words of the IUML, which is the second largest constituent of the UDF. IUML has reservations over the way Satheesan is handling things, but the party is maintaining silence due to political decency," he said.
He said Shoukath cannot represent the Muslim community as he had criticised the community through his films.
'He had insulted even the members of the Panakkad family,' Anwar said.
Anwar also lashed out against LDF candidate M Swaraj saying he is the greatest supporter of 'Pinaraiyism.' He even insulted CPM leader V S Achuthanandan to appease Pinarayi .
Anwar, on Saturday morning said that he would not contest the polls as he has no fund. However, later in the night he changed his stand expressing that people are approaching him with financial assistance and putting pressure to contest.
Anwar will file his nomination papers on June 2.
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Time of India
40 minutes ago
- Time of India
Eid-ul-Adha celebrated across country; Muslims pray at mosques
Eid-ul-Adha was celebrated across the country on Saturday with Muslims gathering at mosques in large numbers to offer prayers and later performing the traditional sacrifice of animals commemorating the faith and devotion of Prophet Ibrahim. Top leaders greeted people, especially Muslims, on the occasion. In a post in Urdu on X, President Droupadi Murmu said, "On the auspicious occasion of Eid-ul-Adha, I extend my heartfelt greetings and best wishes to all the citizens of the country, especially our Muslim brothers and sisters. This festival brings to mind the spirit of sacrifice, devotion and the importance of several noble principles. "Let us all pledge to work together for the society and the country on this sacred occasion with a spirit of self-sacrifice." Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Dermatologist: Avoid this Household Item (It's Speeding up the Aging Process) Blissy Learn More Undo Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar said the festival is a reminder of the power of sacrifice and the blessing of generosity. In a post on X, he said the values of selflessness and service that the festival upholds are timeless virtues that enrich the country's democratic fabric and strengthen the bonds of its diverse society. Live Events Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his best wishes on the occasion, saying, "May this occasion inspire harmony and strengthen the fabric of peace in our society. Wishing everyone good health and prosperity." One of the main Islamic festivals, it commemorates the willingness of Abraham, considered a prophet by Abrahamic religions, to sacrifice his son to obey the command of God, the prime minister said. Eid-ul-Adha was celebrated across Kashmir with people gathering at mosques in large numbers to offer prayers, officials said in Srinagar. The biggest such assembly was at the Hazratbal shrine, where over 40,000 people gathered for prayers, they said. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and former chief ministers Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti were among those who offered the prayers at Hazratbal. Smaller gatherings were reported at all Muslim places of worship across the valley, except for the historic Jamia Masjid in the old city, as the authorities refused permission to hold prayers at Eidgah. Thousands of sheep, goats and other animals were sacrificed across the valley according to the tradition, they said. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha greeted the Muslim community on the occasion. A police official said Eid prayers passed off peacefully, and there was no report of any untoward incident. Authorities in Srinagar barred Eid prayers from taking place at the Eidgah ground and the Jama Masjid in the old city, while Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq claimed that he was put under house arrest. In Jammu city, large crowds gathered at mosques and Eidgahs to offer special prayers across the ten districts of the region, with the largest congregation offering namaz at the Eidgah. Other smaller congregations were held at various mosques throughout Jammu, including the Mecca Masjid. Following the prayers, people performed the traditional sacrifice of animals such as sheep, goats and cattle, commemorating the faith and devotion of Prophet Ibrahim. Officials said all Eid gatherings passed off peacefully across the region. In the national capital, the Delhi Police stepped up security arrangements across the city to maintain law and order and ensure peaceful celebration of Eid ul-Azha, an official said. Elaborate deployments were made in sensitive areas, with the mobilisation of Rapid Action Force (RAF), paramilitary forces and local police teams to maintain law and order during the festivity. The official said open-air animal sacrifices, prayers in public spaces without permission, and the sacrifice of prohibited animals are not allowed during the festival. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar and other political leaders extended greetings on the occasion of Eid-ul-Adha. Muslims celebrated Eid-ul-Adha, also known as Bakrid, with pomp and religious fervour in Mumbai. Special prayers were held at masjids to mark the 'festival of sacrifice', and livestock were slaughtered at abattoirs and places designated by the civic authorities. In a post on X, Fadnavis wrote, "EidAlAdha wishes to all! Eid Mubarak." Gaiety blended with solemnity as a large number of Muslims in Bhopal offered prayers at mosques and the Eidgah to mark Eid-ul-Adha. A senior cleric said prayers were offered for the people of Palestine and the protection of India's borders from enemies. Shahar Qazi Syed Mushtaq Ali Nadwi and Maulana Hassan Khan led the prayers at Bhopal Eidgah and Taj-ul-Masajid, respectively. Wearing traditional attire and prayer caps, devotees, including children, gathered in large numbers to participate in special prayers. Jharkhand Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar and Chief Minister Hemant Soren extended their best wishes on the occasion. "Heartfelt congratulations to everyone on Eid-ul-Adha. I pray that you all remain healthy, happy, and prosperous," Soren posted on X. In Ranchi, a large number of people offered prayers at prominent mosques and Eidgahs. Elaborate security arrangements were made across the state in view of the festival.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
US lawmaker under fire for protesting Sikh prayer in Congress
The TOI correspondent from Washington: A racist Republican lawmaker known for making inflammatory statements is under fire after misidentifying a Sikh religious leader as Muslim and declaring he should never have been allowed to deliver the morning prayer in Congress in a country she falsely claimed was "founded as a Christian nation. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now " 'It's deeply troubling that a Muslim was allowed to lead prayer in the House of Representatives this morning. This should never have been allowed to happen. America was founded as a Christian nation, and I believe our government should reflect that truth, not drift further…' Illinois lawmaker Mary Miller said in a now-deleted post, after she had corrected the religious identity. The remark embarrassed the Republican Party beyond its racist MAGA base, particularly since it was a GOP Congressman who had invited New Jersey granthi Giani Singh to deliver the prayer. "I was proud to invite a Sikh chaplain to open the House with prayer this morning. The Sikh community is peaceful, generous, and deeply rooted in family and service, values we should all appreciate, no matter our religion," New Jersey Congressman Jeff van Drew said, adding, "as a Catholic, I take my faith seriously and I also believe part of being American is respecting other people's faiths too." Miller was also castigated by the Democratic Party, which is more representative of America's changing demographics. 'It's deeply troubling that such an ignorant and hateful extremist is serving in the United States Congress,' House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said on X. 'That would be you, Mary.' Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle and public intellectuals also called out Miller for falsely claiming the US was founded as a Christian nation, a more recent fiction promoted by racist MAGA hardliners. The US was not founded as an explicitly Christian nation, and the First Amendment to the Constitution protects freedom of religion. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In fact, the first Sikhs came to America around 1900, long before the forebears of many MAGA extremists. Early Sikhs settled down on the Pacific coast, and many of their descendants are now prosperous and politically influential farmers and business owners in California, a fact recognised by local lawmakers. 'I'm troubled by my colleague's remarks about this morning's Sikh prayer, which have since been deleted,' California Congressman David Valadao, a Republican, wrote on X. 'Throughout the country—and in the Central Valley— Sikh-Americans are valued and respected members of our communities, yet they continue to face harassment and discrimination. There are more than 500,000 Sikhs in the US, according to Sikh Advocacy groups, although the 2020 US census reported only 70,697 respondents identifying as Sikh. Many of them are in California's Central Valley, where some towns have had Sikh mayors and Punjabi is commonly spoken. The GOP also has at least two prominent Sikhs in leadership positions: Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and former Trump campaign legal advisor and US assistant attorney general for the civil rights division Harmeet Dhillon. Dhillon in fact delivered the closing invocation (antim ardas) at the Republican National Convention last year, triggering a backlash from MAGA fundamentalists, one of whom posted this on X: "ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE!! I have nothing but respect for Harmeet Dhillon but fire whoever invited her to pray to a foreign god, there is only one true God we pray to and his name is not whatever she said. His name is YAHWEH and his only begotten Son is Jesus Christ. "
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Who is Zohran Mamdani? Meet the NYC mayoral race candidate with a Mira Nair connection
Six months ago, many New Yorkers did not know Zohran Mamdani's name. Now, he's in second place in the mayoral race. Mamdani, a progressive state assemblyman from Queens, has surprised the political world with his strong fund-raising numbers, populist proposals, and videos that have gone viral on social media. The 33-year-old has been making the case that he is the strongest candidate to beat the front-runner in the race, former Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, who has a well-funded super PAC supporting him. Born on October 18, 1991, in Kampala, Uganda, to acclaimed Indian filmmaker Mira Nair and noted academic Mahmood Mamdani, Mamdani moved to New York City at the age of 7. His middle name, Kwame, pays tribute to Ghana's revolutionary leader Kwame Nkrumah. He attended the Bronx High School of Science and went on to graduate from Bowdoin College in 2014 with a degree in Africana Studies. During his time at Bowdoin, he co-founded a chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, marking the start of his political activism. He became a naturalised US citizen in 2018. He was elected to the New York State Assembly for the 36th District in 2020, becoming the first South Asian man, the first Ugandan, and the third Muslim to hold that position. Mamdani is a practising Shia Muslim. He recently married Rama Duwaji, a Syrian-born illustrator whose work has been featured in publications such as The New Yorker and The Washington Post. As per a report by NYT, the self-described democratic socialist, Mamdani has pledged to tackle the city's affordability crisis with bold proposals, including rent freezes for nearly one million rent-stabilised apartments, free public buses, and city-owned grocery stores. He plans to fund these initiatives by raising taxes on the wealthy, a stance that has unsettled business leaders who support Cuomo. 'We live in the most expensive city in the United States of America, and it's a city that used to be one of dreams that is now just one of struggle,' he said on MSNBC this week. Known for his progressive vision, Mamdani has captured attention with his populist platform and viral social media presence. He has used his platform to push left-wing policies and shift the ideological centre of Albany politics, as he is now vying to become the city's first Muslim mayor. Mamdani, a millennial, is also drawing comparisons to Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who endorsed Zohran for mayor on Thursday for the upcoming June 24 Democratic primary. A post shared by Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@zohrankmamdani) 'Assemblymember Mamdani has demonstrated a real ability on the ground to put together a coalition of working-class New Yorkers that is strongest to lead the pack,' Ocasio-Cortez said as quoted by NYT. 'In the final stretch of the race, we need to get very real about that.' While only a few of the 20+ bills he has introduced have become law, Mamdani is recognised more for mobilising public opinion and supporting broader movements like Good Cause Eviction and Build Public Renewables. An outspoken advocate for Palestinian rights, Mamdani has also drawn controversy for his positions on Israel. Most recently, as per a report by NYT, a Republican city councilwoman from Queens, Vickie Paladino, sparked outrage by calling for his deportation, despite his citizenship, citing his political views and naturalisation timeline. Mamdani responded by denouncing the rhetoric as Islamophobic and emblematic of Trump-era politics, the report added. Thank you Sunset Park for rallying and canvassing with us on this beautiful Sunday afternoon. Always so proud to stand with my incredible colleagues in elected office, @alexaforcouncil and @marcelaforny. — Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) June 1, 2025 While former Governor Andrew Cuomo leads Mamdani slightly in current first-choice polling, ranked-choice simulations show Mamdani closing in by the final round. Backed by the Working Families Party and UAW president Shawn Fain, Mamdani's campaign has over 20,000 volunteers canvassing citywide. In a recent debate, he branded Cuomo 'corrupt' and called himself 'Donald Trump's worst nightmare — a progressive, Muslim immigrant.'
