Latest news with #Kesavan
India Gazette
3 days ago
- General
- India Gazette
BJP's CR Kesavan slams Rahul Gandhi, calls Congress party of
New Delhi [India], June 3 (ANI): BJP spokesperson CR Kesavan launched a blistering attack on Congress MP and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday, accusing him of cowardice and hypocrisy. He alleged that Congress has a legacy of appeasement and weak leadership. Responding to Rahul Gandhi's recent comments critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kesavan said, 'The Congress party, ever since Nehru's days, has been hyphenated with cowardice. Rahul Gandhi says don't be afraid, but he himself is afraid to release the contents of 51 cartons of letters written by Jawaharlal Nehru, which rightfully belong to the nation.' Questioning Gandhi's transparency and courage, Kesavan challenged him to make the letters public. 'Why is Rahul Gandhi being a coward and not disclosing what's in those letters? If he wants to talk about courage, he should revisit the 1923 Naba incident, where his great-grandfather Nehru admitted in his autobiography that he had deserted his colleagues and behaved like a coward,' Kesavan said. Taking a swipe at the Congress leader's international image, the BJP spokesperson cited former US President Barack Obama's autobiography, in which Obama allegedly described Rahul Gandhi as 'nervous' and having 'an unformed quality.' He also criticized the Congress-led UPA government's response to the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. 'Obama clearly says that the Manmohan Singh government resisted attempts to retaliate against Pakistan because the Congress party was afraid of anti-Muslim sentiment in the wake of the 26-11 attacks. Look at the cowardice of the Congress party and their appeasement politics.' Referring to recent military operations, Kesavan said Gandhi's remarks insulted the armed forces. 'Rahul Gandhi, with his statements and his bitterness for the Prime Minister, has only further insulted our armed forces and their courage, and he has also discredited Operation Sindhu. But regardless of what doomsday and naysayers like Rahul Gandhi may state, the entire world is lauding Operation Sindoor for striking a decisive blow at the root of global terrorism. Operation Sindoor and the valour of our armed forces under the leadership of Narendra Modi ji will be written in the golden letters of India's history,' he said. His remarks come in the wake of Rahul Gandhi's recent attack on the BJP-led government over alleged US mediation. Addressing Congress workers in Bhopal, Gandhi alleged that Prime Minister Modi 'surrendered' after receiving a call from US President Donald Trump. He contrasted Modi's reaction with former PM Indira Gandhi's stance during the 1971 India-Pakistan war. He also attacked the BJP-RSS, alleging that if slight pressure is exerted on them, 'they run away out of fear.' 'Now, I understand RSS-BJP well. If slight pressure is put on them, they run away out of fear. When Trump called Modiji-'Modiji kya kar rahe ho, Narender-Surrender and with 'ji hazooor', Narenderji followed Trump. In the 1971 war, Seventh Fleet (came from the US), Indira Gandhi said I will do whatever I have to do. This is the difference.' Rahul Gandhi also attacked the BJP-led government in a post on X. 'Since the Independence movement, they have this habit of writing letters of surrender.' 'Trump's phone came and Narendraji immediately surrendered. History is witness, this is the character of BJP-RSS, they always budge. India had bifurcated Pakistan in 1971 despite the threat by the United States,' Rahul Gandhi said in his post. 'The 'babbar sher' and 'shernis' of Congress fight the Superpowers, they do not bow,' he added. US President Trump has repeatedly claimed credit for stopping hostilities between India and Pakistan after New Delhi's effective response to Islamabad's aggression following precision strikes on terror infrastructure. India had conducted Operation Sindoor early on May 7 and hit terror infrastructure in Pakistan and PoJK in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. India effectively responded to subsequent Pakistan aggression and pounded its airbases. India and Pakistan agreed to stop military action following a call made by Pakistan's DGMO to his Indian counterpart. (ANI)
India Gazette
18-05-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
"Distorting truth, misrepresenting facts to malign forces": BJP's CR Kesavan hits back at Rahul Gandhi
Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], May 18 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National Spokesperson CR Kesavan on Sunday hit back at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his accusations against External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar that the government 'informed Pakistan' ahead of Operation Sindoor, calling the claim a distortion of facts and an attack on the armed forces. CR Kesavan alleged that Rahul Gandhi is 'distorting the truth and misrepresenting facts to malign our armed forces,' and demanded that the Congress MP delete his tweet and issue an unconditional apology. Speaking with ANI, Kesavan said, 'Rahul Gandhi's tweet is downright dishonest, deceptive and dangerous as Rahul Gandhi is distorting the truth and misrepresenting facts to malign our armed Gandhi should first withdraw and delete his tweet and tender an unconditional apology.' Referring to the May 11 press conference by Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lt General Rajiv Ghai, Kesavan emphasised that the Indian Army had attempted to inform Pakistan of its intent to strike terror infrastructure, only after the operation had already commenced. 'Rahul Gandhi's false allegations have been clearly deflated and debunked by the press conference on May 11th by DGMO Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai,' Kesavan said. Lt General Ghai had said that the compulsion of India to strike at the 'heart of terror' was communicated to the Pakistan DGMO, however the Pakistan side had 'brusquely turned down' the request. Kesavan further requested Rahul Gandhi to 'desist from desperate action to stay politically relevant.' 'Rahul Gandhi should desist from desperate action to stay politically relevant and immediately withdraw and delete his tweet and tender an unconditional apology for trying to peddle false propaganda.' Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi posted a video on X, in which Jaishankar was seen speaking to the media on Thursday following the inauguration of the Honduras Embassy in Delhi. In his X post, Gandhi alleged wrongdoing by the government, stating: 'Informing Pakistan at the start of our attack was a crime. EAM has publicly admitted that the GOI did it. Who authorised it? How many aircraft did our air force lose as a result?' India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 in response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that left 26 civilians dead. As part of the operation, Indian Armed Forces targeted terror infrastructure deep inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, eliminating over 100 terrorists linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen. Following the strikes, Pakistan retaliated with cross-border shelling and attempted drone attacks. In response, India launched coordinated airstrikes that damaged key military infrastructure across 11 Pakistani airbases. On May 10, both sides announced an understanding on the cessation of hostilities. (ANI)
Time of India
14-05-2025
- Time of India
Boy killed as car driven by minor overturns Near Maraimalai Nagar in Chennai
Chennai: A minor took a relative's car out for a joyride with three of his schoolmates only to crash the car near Maraimalai Nagar , killing a 17-year-old who was in the front passenger said the boys had driven to Vandalur from Chengalpet and were returning when the speeding car overturned after hitting a road identified the deceased as M Kesavan, a Class XII student, and said he was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash. All four boys were students of a private school near Vandalur that had closed for the summer holidays. Police said the underage driver was speeding and lost control of the car, which veered off the road before slamming into a median and overturning. Kesavan died on the spot in the impact. The three other boys were trapped inside and were rescued by passersby. The boys were admitted to Chengalpet Govt Hospital with minor injuries. Kesavan's body was sent for postmortem at the same hospital.A case was registered against the minor driver for causing death due to negligence. Police said they will register a case against the owner of the vehicle for letting a minor drive the the Motor Vehicles Rules introduced in 2022, parents or guardians can face up to three years in prison and a 25,000 fine if their child is found driving and is involved in an accident. Police said at least 12 parents have so far been arrested under this Nadu recorded the highest number of road accidents involving underage drivers last year, with 2,063 cases reported.
The Star
06-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
A hot meal with a show at Benihana, a famed US teppanyaki restaurant, now in KL
The man standing before me is dashing and presumably handsome – he's wearing a mask, so I can't be 100% sure, but if his face matches his charm, odds are high that he is. Fast as a flash, he adds hot oil to an even hotter teppanyaki grill, then sets it on fire. 'Fire in the hole!' he yells as flames flare up and flicker skyward, like something straight out of a television scene. When the fire dies down, he continues stirring, adding ingredients and talking. 'And now I'll add a little Japanese Coca-Cola to this,' he jokes as he drizzles some soy sauce over a sizzling, hissing concoction of rice, eggs and garlic, smoking on a hot teppanyaki grill. After the food is served, he asks, 'How did you enjoy the food?' 'Oh, it was very nice,' I chirp. 'You're very nice,' he says slowly and rather flirtatiously, before we both burst into laughter. This is the sense of banter, theatrics and culinary showmanship on display at the spanking new Benihana Malaysia, perched on the fourth floor of the upscale Suria KLCC. If the name Benihana sounds familiar, that's because it is. The culinary theatre on display features an exciting fire show that is sure to mesmerise diners. — ABIRAMI DURAI/The Star In the United States, Benihana has a storied history that dates back to 1964 when Rocky Aoki launched the first Japanese teppanyaki restaurant. The eatery, which opened in New York, became nationally acclaimed as culinary theatrics – and teppanyaki – were both unheard of at the time. The formula worked and Benihana has since grown and expanded its global footprint with outlets in Dubai, Singapore and the Caribbean, to name a few. A week ago, Benihana finally opened in Kuala Lumpur, under the stewardship of the Continuum Hospitality Group, which also operates restaurants like Cili Kampung and Stefania. 'We thought Benihana would be more of a fun dining experience, which I think a lot of people are looking for these days. This brand is nostalgic and it was very famous 30 to 40 years ago from all the American movies and sitcoms and stuff. 'And I think now that social media is so big it's a great time to bring the brand because people like being able to post online about their experiences,' explains Kesavan Purusotman, who leads Continuum Hospitality Group. Kesavan (left) and Kyran are the creative forces behind Benihana Malaysia. — Benihana Malaysia Kesavan and the group's director, Kyran Arusalm, decided to adapt a franchise model that was similar to the Benihana in Singapore. As a consequence, the theatrical elements so prominent at the tableside seating where diners get to watch the teppanyaki chefs in action, is limited to just 12 seats a slot. Each slot is for two hours and during this time, diners get to indulge in a multi-course kaiseki menu. The rest of the restaurant is taken up by a wide dining area that seats 60 people and utilises a fast-moving a la carte menu. Around the corner is a huge private dining room, which seats 40 and has a separate menu not available at the main restaurant. If you're going to Benihana for the first time, definitely pre-book your seats at the teppanyaki counter. After all, this is reflective of the true Benihana experience that shot the restaurant to fame. At the moment, there is a relatively long waiting list and seats at the counter have been booked out for two weeks solid. The teppanyaki counter is where all the action happens and is what transformed Benihana into a household name. — Benihana Malaysia This is also the part of the restaurant that Kyran and Kesavan say was the most challenging to execute. 'I think the hardest part was finding the teppanyaki chefs themselves. Because there are three aspects to it – cooking, action and interaction with customers. A chef that is able to do all three at once is very, very hard to come by. We actually had to send our chefs to Singapore for training,' says Kyran. Thankfully, the selected chefs tick all the right boxes. If you're lucky enough to bag a seat at the dining counter, opt for the Midori Kaiseki Course, priced at RM248 per person. The fried tofu highlights its smooth, silken qualities. Highlights from the menu include the Hot Appetiser, which features a slab of fried tofu with kombu. The tofu is silken smooth and wobbly to the touch and has a crisp outer skin that is complemented by the umami qualities of the kombu. One of Benihana Malaysia's signature items is the Beni Egg Roll, which is made right in front of you with a crab stick and then rolled tightly and topped with Japanese mayonnaise. This is one of the highlights of the eatery and it is a creamy, eggy vixen that is plump and filling and utterly satisfying from start to finish. From the kaiseki menu, diners will get to choose seafood items like grilled cod or grilled scallops, both of which are delicious. — ABIRAMI DURAI/The Star Part of the meal also involves choosing two seafood options like Hokkaido scallops, large prawns or wild-caught cod fish. The scallops are particularly memorable – voluptuous and silken with soft, tender flesh within and a lovely caramelised carapace on the surface. The cod fish meanwhile is lovely and buttery with an unctuous underbelly and a firm yet tenderly yielding countenance. The wagyu steak features tender, melt-in-the-mouth meat cooked to perfection. — Photos: ABIRAMI DURAI/The Star The kaiseki menu also allows you to choose one meat and in this instance, the Japanese A4 wagyu steak is an excellent option. The meat is grilled to your preferred doneness and I had it medium rare. The wagyu has a sturdy, burnished crust that succumbs to meat that is pink and flush in the centre and pliant and malleable to the touch on the palate, lending itself to a melt-in-the-mouth textural odyssey that engenders pure, unvarnished pleasure. The burnt onion soup is delicious from start to finish. — ABIRAMI DURAI/The Star One of the mainstays in the Benihana global universe is the Beni Onion Soup, which features a charred onion flower immersed in a soup rife with rich allium flavours. This is a soup whose murky looks belie just how tantalisingly good it is – a sumptuous affair whose nourishing nuances make it a surprising comfort dish. The garlic fried rice is one of the show-stopping offerings at Benihana. — ABIRAMI DURAI/The Star A dish that has become legendary at the restaurant is the Garlic Fried Rice, which is a fantastic voyage through grains and garlic with fluffy bits of egg added in for good measure. The entire dish is built around garlicky goodness interspersed and embedded into the molecular structure of the rice and fried to golden goodness with bits of smoky crust intertwined in this configuration, giving it an unforgettable addictive quality. End your meal with the wonderful qualities of the Japanese milk pudding with black syrup. For dessert, there is a Japanese milk pudding topped with sweet pools of Japanese black syrup drizzled all over it. The pudding is a cloudy, fluffy affair that is velvety soft and enhanced entirely by the black syrup which is sweet and toffee-esque with divine molasses undertones. Moving forward, Kesavan and Kyran are keen to expand the Benihana empire in Malaysia and plans are already afoot to execute this. 'There will be another Benihana outlet for sure. Maybe not this year or anytime soon, but it will happen for sure,' says Kyran. Address: 4th floor, Suria KLCC, 50088 Kuala Lumpur
Time of India
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
'Big talk, no action': Cong's neta stirs row with toy Rafale
VARANASI: Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai on Sunday criticised the central govt's "big talk and no action" against perpetrators of the Pahalgam terror attack , saying that they purchased Rafale fighter jets , but those are lying in hangars with "nimbu mirchi" (lemons and chillies) hanging on them. Displaying a toy plane with Rafale written on it and with lemons and chillies hanging on it, Ajay Rai said, " Terrorist activities have increased in the country, and people are suffering from it. Our youth lost their lives in the Pahalgam terror attack... But this govt, which talks a lot, says that they will crush terrorists - they brought Rafale, but they are in their hangars having chillies and lemons hanging in them. When will they take action against terrorists, those who support them, and their backers?" BJP neta CR Kesavan condemned the "reprehensible" action by the Congress neta, which he said was "trying to lower the morale and resolve of our armed forces." "The Congress Party and its leaders are being disloyal to India and our people, and the Congress leaders are deliberately trying to defame and demoralise our brave armed forces. The deplorable statements by Ajay Rai, UP Congress chief, from where Rahul Gandhi is MP, are most condemnable. Congress leaders are reprehensible, repeat offenders who are repeatedly dishonourably trying to lower the morale and resolve of our armed forces. But the Congress party's sinister ploy will not be successful..." Kesavan said.
