Latest news with #RamNavami
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Amit Shah says Mamata opposed Op Sindoor to ‘appease' votebank; TMC hits back, calls on Home Minister to quit over ‘failures'
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of opposing Operation Sindoor to 'appease' the Muslim votebank. Hitting back, Banerjee's Trinamool Congress denied Shah's accusation and called on the Home Minister to resign, taking responsibility for 'all the failures' that led to the Pahalgam terrorist attack. The attack in south Kashmir's Pahalgam killed 26 civilians on April 22. As part of India's response to the attack, the armed forces carried out Operation Sindoor on May 7, striking terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and PoK. Addressing BJP workers in Kolkata, Shah linked the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections with national security. He hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for 'deciding to carry out Operation Sindoor' and came down heavily on the TMC and Banerjee for 'appeasement', which he also blamed for infiltration from Bangladesh. He alleged widespread corruption in the state and also called the recent unrest in Murshidabad a 'state-sponsored riot'. On 'appeasement', Shah said, 'Didi started giving allowance to Imams, but court stopped it. Bangladeshi Rohingyas are infiltrating. They (the state government) do drama of procession on Ram Navami, but Durga Puja immersion is postponed. They give Ramadan leave for Muslim employees.' He also mentioned the ban on screening of controversial film Kerala Story in West Bengal. 'Most importantly, you (Banerjee) are opposing Operation Sindoor to please the Muslim votebank. Tell me, should this appeasement be allowed to continue?' Shah asked the crowd, urging them to resolve to 'uproot the Mamata Banerjee government' in 2026. He alleged that infiltration from Bangladesh was taking place with Banerjee's blessings. 'Bengali votes determine not only the future of Bengal, but are also linked to the nation's security, because Mamata Banerjee has opened the borders of our country for Bangladeshis. Infiltration is happening with her blessings… Only the BJP government can stop infiltration. If you want to stop infiltration, then you should bring the BJP (to power) in Bengal,' the Union Home Minister said. Operation Sindoor was a theme that Shah kept touching on in his speech. 'This is Narendra Modi's government, the BJP's government. I am saying that Operation Sindoor is not over,' he said. 'A few days ago in Pehalgam, terrorists sent by Pakistan killed our innocent citizens in front of their families after asking their religion. Tell me, should those terrorists sent by Pakistan be punished or not? Did Modiji decide to carry out Operation Sindoor or not? We did surgical strikes and air strikes. Now, with Operation Sindoor, we went 100 km inside (Pakistan) and destroyed their (terrorists') headquarters. Hundreds of terrorists have been killed.' 'This is causing pain in Didi's stomach,' Shah alleged. 'I request the mothers and women of Bengal to explain the value of sindoor to Mamata ji in the 2026 election. Mothers and sisters, do explain what it means to insult sindoor.' Reacting to Shah's statements, the TMC accused him of playing politics in the name of Operation Sindoor at a time when TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee is part of a multi-party delegation of MPs who have been sent to foreign countries to appraise governments abroad regarding the strikes in Pakistan. 'The Home Minister has come to Bengal and acts like a BJP worker, using cheap language against our CM. Would any Opposition leader be allowed to talk like this?… Divisiveness is his politics… He is talking about infiltration, can he say how infiltration took place in Pahalgam? He has failed as a Home Minister and must resign,' said TMC MP Sagarika Ghose. 'The Home minister has to take responsibility for all the failures, and must resign. He has alleged that we have spoken against Operation Sindoor, but we have not said anything against Operation Sindoor…,' said state minister Chandrima Bhattacharya. During his speech in Kolkata, Shah also criticised Banerjee for opposing the Waqf Amendment Act. The violence in Murshidabad district in April, on the issue of the Waqf amendment, was a 'state-sponsored riot', he said. 'The Home Ministry repeatedly asked for the deployment of the BSF (in Murshidabad). But the government here did not want the BSF. Because if the BSF had come, the Hindus would have been saved… I have no hesitation in saying that the way a minister of the Bengal government was involved in this riot, it was a state-sponsored riot,' Shah said. On the issue of development, Shah said the Modi government has done a lot for West Bengal. 'Along with development, Modiji did not forget the culture of Bengal. For many years, the people of Bengal have been demanding that Bengali be recognised as a classical language… Modiji recognised Bengali as a classical language,' he said, asking why Banerjee, despite having served as a Union minister under the UPA government, had not managed to bring this recognition to the language. 'Mamataji did not even have the manners to thank Modiji for this,' Shah said. Targeting the TMC government over post-poll violence in the state, he said, 'Hundreds of BJP workers were killed in Bengal during the elections and after Didi won. Didi, how long will you save them? Your time is up. The BJP will form the government in 2026.' He also criticised the TMC for claiming that the Centre was not releasing funds for the state. He said that the Modi government released Rs 8,27,000 crore to West Bengal in the last 10 years, and that this was four times what the Congress-led UPA government had released. He expressed confidence that the BJP would come to power in the state in 2026, and told party workers, 'There is just a little more left. You have crossed 40% (vote share), and just 4-5% is needed. Our government will be formed in the next election. In 2017, when I was the BJP president, I said that a BJP government would be formed here. That day has come. Go to every voter in Bengal day and night until 2026.' He ended with an appeal to the people of West Bengal: 'With folded hands, I appeal to the people of Bengal to give Modi a chance.'
India.com
3 days ago
- Politics
- India.com
Vote-Bank Vendetta: Political Row Erupts Over Influencer Sharmishta Panolis Arrest
A political row has erupted following the arrest of 22-year-old law student and social media influencer Sharmishta Panoli, with several leaders accusing the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government of practicing 'vote-bank vendetta.' Kolkata police arrested Panoli for allegedly making communal remarks while criticizing Bollywood actors for not speaking up on Operation Sindoor. West Bengal BJP president and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar termed Panoli's arrest as 'vote-bank vendetta' and a form of injustice. "Sharmistha Panoli, 22, law student, arrested for a now-deleted video and a public apology. No riots. No unrest. Yet Mamata Banerjee's police acted overnight, not for justice, but for appeasement. But when TMC leaders insult Sanatan Dharma, call Jai Shri Ram a gaali, mock Maha Kumbh, and push communal poison — there's no FIR, no arrest, no apology. This is not justice. This is vote-bank vendetta. India is watching," Majumdar said on X. Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari assured that the Nationalist Lawyers are taking up Sharmistha's matter and will provide her with the best legal defense. "Sharmistha Panoli, a 22-year-old law student and influencer, made a personal comment in wake of the Pahalgam Terrorist attack where Hindus were targeted selectively, which she later deleted and apologized for, yet was arrested by Kolkata Police from Gurgaon. @KolkataPolice, where is this same zeal when idols of Hindu deities are vandalized in West Bengal? When stone pelting happens on Ram Navami & Hanuman Jayanti Processions? I would like to assure everyone that the Nationalist Lawyers are taking up Sharmistha's matter, and the best legal defense will be provided to her. I hope that she will be free from the clutches of the vile & vicious Mamata Police," Adhikari said on X. Andhra Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan said Panoli had apologised for her remarks but was still punished, and he urged the West Bengal police to act justly. "During Operation Sindoor, Sharmistha, a law student, spoke out; her words regrettable and hurtful to some. She owned her mistake, deleted the video, and apologized. The WB Police swiftly acted, taking action against Sharmistha. But what about the deep, searing pain inflicted upon millions when elected leaders, MPs of TMC, mock Sanatana Dharma? Where is the outrage when our faith is called 'Gandha Dharm'? Where is their apology? Where is their swift arrest? Blasphemy must be condemned, always! Secularism isn't a shield for some and a sword for others. It must be a two-way street. West Bengal Police, the nation is watching. Act justly for all," Kalyan said on X. As per media reports, the Kolkata police have filed an FIR against the influencer under sections 196(1)(a) promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, caste, or community; 299 (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage the religious feelings of any class of citizens); 352 (intentional insult with the intent to provoke a breach of peace); 353(1)(c) (statements that incite public mischief) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Sindoor in retaliation for Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 innocent civilians were gunned down in cold blood. Under Operation Sindoor, India hit nine terror sites inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), killing 100 terrorists.
India Gazette
3 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
Meat sale to be banned on Ram Path and Parikrama Margs in Ayodhya, says Mayor Tripathi
Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh) [India], June 1 (ANI): Ayodhya officials have begun action to ban meat sales along key religious routes like Ram Path and Dharma 14 Kosi Marg, issuing notices to shopkeepers after complaints were raised at CM Yogi Adityanath's Janata Darbar. Ayodhya Mayor Girish Pati Tripathi also informed that a liquor ban is also being planned. Speaking to ANI on Saturday, Mayor Tripathi said that discussions regarding the ban had been ongoing for a long time. 'It was under discussion for a very long time that the sale of meat be banned in Ayodhya. It was decided that the sale of meat must be prohibited on Ram Path,' said Tripathi. He added that steps would soon be taken to prohibit the sale of liquor in the same areas. 'We are sure that we will soon ban liquor sale too...,' he told ANI. Earlier, Food and Fertiliser Commissioner Manik Chand informed that the issue came to light during Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's Janata Darbar, when a complaint was lodged regarding meat shops in across Ram Path, Bhakti Path, Dharma Path and 14 Kosi Marg. Following the complaint, a team was formed to inspect the shops. Commissioner Chand confirmed that 22 meat shops were found running across these religious routes. 'A complaint was received during CM Yogi Adityanath's Janata Darbar that meat shops are running on Ram Path, Dharma 14 Kosi Parikrama Marg and Panchkosi Marg. We formed a team and inspected all the shops.', Commissioner Chand told ANI. 'All the meat shops are being issued notices, and they have been given a 7-day time limit to relocate their shops somewhere else. Action will be taken if they fail to do so... There are 22 meat shops on Ram Path, Bhakti Path and Dharma Path and 14 Kosi Marg... If there are any other shops, they will also face a similar procedure,' Chand said. Earlier in March, the Uttar Pradesh government, headed by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, had issued strict orders to shut down illegal slaughterhouses and enforce a ban on the sale of meat within a 500-meter radius of religious sites. A strict ban on animal slaughter and meat sales will be enforced on April 6, 2025, during Ram Navami. Under the UP Municipal Corporation Act, 1959, and the Food Safety Acts of 2006 & 2011, the Yogi government has directed officials to take strict action against violators. (ANI)
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Two Punjab gunrunners escape from Jaitapur police station
Khargone: Two Punjab-based gunrunners, who were under arrest with firearms, escaped from Jaitapur police station in Khargone district early on Saturday morning. Khargone superintendent of police Dharmraj Meena told media persons in the evening that the two accused, 19-year-old Veerpal Singh and 28-year-old Jagwinder Singh, residents of Jalandhar, absconded from Jaitapur police station at around 4 am. He stated that another crime case was registered against them and extensive efforts were underway to apprehend them by cordoning off the entire border area. He assured that they would be arrested soon. He disclosed that both were arrested on Friday near Gopalpura with two illegally manufactured firearms after which they were presented in court and police obtained a two-day remand. . Meena said, "The accused were kept handcuffed during police remand, the main gate of the police station was locked, and two constables were on duty while the remaining staff were engaged in night patrolling." He explained, "One of the accused, with thin wrists, slipped his hand out of the handcuffs, retrieved the handcuff key from the drawer and opened the restraints, after which the other accused escaped with the handcuffs on." According to CCTV footage, the duo escaped by crossing the fence behind the police station rather than using the main road. Police personnel initiated search operations within 20 minutes of learning about the escape. The SP clarified that no prior offence was registered against them in Punjab or within the district. He further revealed that the accused entered the area for the first time and acquired illegal firearms from a villager acting as a carrier, who reportedly dealt with a Sikligar of the region. It's notewaorty that after 2022 Ram Navami riots in Khargone, the then chief minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan had announced an upgrade of Jaitapur police post to a police station. On April 18, 2025, it was officially upgraded. Khargone: Two Punjab-based gunrunners, who were under arrest with firearms, escaped from Jaitapur police station in Khargone district early on Saturday morning. Khargone superintendent of police Dharmraj Meena told media persons in the evening that the two accused, 19-year-old Veerpal Singh and 28-year-old Jagwinder Singh, residents of Jalandhar, absconded from Jaitapur police station at around 4 am. He stated that another crime case was registered against them and extensive efforts were underway to apprehend them by cordoning off the entire border area. He assured that they would be arrested soon. He disclosed that both were arrested on Friday near Gopalpura with two illegally manufactured firearms after which they were presented in court and police obtained a two-day remand. . Meena said, "The accused were kept handcuffed during police remand, the main gate of the police station was locked, and two constables were on duty while the remaining staff were engaged in night patrolling." He explained, "One of the accused, with thin wrists, slipped his hand out of the handcuffs, retrieved the handcuff key from the drawer and opened the restraints, after which the other accused escaped with the handcuffs on." According to CCTV footage, the duo escaped by crossing the fence behind the police station rather than using the main road. Police personnel initiated search operations within 20 minutes of learning about the escape. The SP clarified that no prior offence was registered against them in Punjab or within the district. He further revealed that the accused entered the area for the first time and acquired illegal firearms from a villager acting as a carrier, who reportedly dealt with a Sikligar of the region. It's notewaorty that after 2022 Ram Navami riots in Khargone, the then chief minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan had announced an upgrade of Jaitapur police post to a police station. On April 18, 2025, it was officially upgraded.
Time of India
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Love in lacquer: Puppets tie the knot in Balasore temple
1 2 3 4 5 6 Balasore: With religious chants echoing through temple walls and the air thick with the scent of incense and tradition, a pair of lacquer-crafted puppets were wed in a ceremonial spectacle that blended folklore, literature and rituals. 'Jau Kandhei Bahaghara', a unique lacquer puppet wedding, unfolded in all its vibrant glory at Lokanath Temple in Balasore's Sahadevkhunta on Friday night. This time, the puppets called Aparthi and Gurei were inspired by the protagonists of the Odia short story 'Sua Muhara Patara' by Pranabandhu Kar. From the Mission High School ground, more than a 100 participants danced and drummed their way to the temple, transforming the town into a living stage of music, colour and heritage. Onlookers were treated to a rare medley of traditional art forms — Sahijatra from Puri, Ranga Dhol from Balasore, Pitula Nacha of Dubalagad, Paika Akhada from Manikhamba, Loudi from Bhadrak and tribal dances of Nilagiri. Inside the temple, the mood shifted to sacred solemnity. As the smell of incense curled into the night air, the marriage rites were conducted with reverence. Symbolic parents and priests played their roles — Bimal Panda for the groom, Pandit Bishwambhar Mishra for the bride. Neelamani Mandal and Umamani Mohanty performed the 'kanyadaan', representing Gurei's symbolic family. Aparthi's parents were portrayed by Pitambar Das and Mukantilata Das. Following the wedding, the puppet couple was taken back in a ceremonial procession to the school ground. Anju Saraogi, a senior member of the organising committee, said, "Construction of the puppets begins every year on Ram Navami, and the wedding date is chosen based on temple rituals. Each year, the puppet couple is named after mythological or literary characters to convey a cultural message." The festival will continue until Monday, featuring exhibitions, folk performances and traditional Odia cuisine, offering visitors an immersive experience of Balasore's cultural richness.
