Latest news with #Shankaracharya
NDTV
6 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
"If Cow Statue Can Enter Parliament, Why Not A Living Cow?": Shankaracharya
Mumbai: Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand has said that a cow should have been taken into the new Parliament building at Central Vista during its inauguration. "If a statue of a cow can enter Parliament, why can't a living cow be taken inside?" he asked reporters on Sunday. The seer said the Sengol held by Prime Minister Narendra Modi while entering the new Parliament building showed a cow engraved on the sceptre. "A real cow should have also been taken into the building to bestow blessings. If there is a delay, we will take cows from all over the country and bring them to Parliament," he said, adding this would ensure the PM and the building receive blessings of a real cow. The Sengol is installed in the Lower House of the Parliament. He also demanded that the Maharashtra government immediately frame a protocol on cow felicitation. "The state has not yet declared how to honour the cow. It should finalise a protocol so that people can follow it, and also fix penalties for its violation," he said. The Shankaracharya demanded that every assembly constituency in India have a "Ramadham" — a cow shelter accommodating 100 cows. "A total of 4,123 Ramadhams will be built across the country. The shelters will focus on daily cow service, protection, and promoting indigenous breeds," he added. Those following the protocol while caring for cows would be financially rewarded. "A person taking care of 100 cows will receive Rs 2 lakh per month," he added. The Hindu pontiff further said that the Dharma Sansad has passed a congratulatory resolution in support of Hoshangabad MP Darshan Singh Chowdhary, who has demanded that the cow be declared as Rashtramata (Mother of the Nation). The Shankaracharya said people should support only those candidates who protect cows and work for legislation in their interest. "The present regime has not yet satisfied us. Cow slaughter must be completely stopped in India," he added. Addressing the language controversy, he said, "Hindi was first recognised for administrative use. The Marathi-speaking state was formed in 1960, and Marathi was recognised later. Hindi represents several dialects — the same applies to Marathi, which has borrowed from its dialects." The seer said any violence should be treated as a criminal offence. He demanded justice in the Malegaon blast case, stating that the real culprits must be punished. "It is ridiculous that the government is celebrating Amrit Kaal while cows who provide us with milk are being slaughtered. Those in government cannot be called our brothers unless they stand in support of cows," he said. PTI ND NSK ARU
India Today
6 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
Shankaracharya seeks cows' entry into Parliament: If there is a delay...
Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand has said that a cow should have been taken into the new Parliament building at Central Vista during its inauguration."If a statue of a cow can enter Parliament, why can't a living cow be taken inside?" he asked reporters on seer said the Sengol held by Prime Minister Narendra Modi while entering the new Parliament building showed a cow engraved on the "A real cow should have also been taken into the building to bestow blessings. If there is a delay, we will take cows from all over the country and bring them to Parliament," he said, adding this would ensure the PM and the building receive the blessings of a real Sengol is installed in the Lower House of the also demanded that the Maharashtra government immediately frame a protocol on cow felicitation."The state has not yet declared how to honour the cow. It should finalise a protocol so that people can follow it, and also fix penalties for its violation," he Shankaracharya demanded that every assembly constituency in India have a "Ramadham" — a cow shelter accommodating 100 cows."A total of 4,123 Ramadhams will be built across the country. The shelters will focus on daily cow service, protection, and promoting indigenous breeds," he following the protocol while caring for cows would be financially rewarded."A person taking care of 100 cows will receive Rs 2 lakh per month," he Hindu pontiff further said that the Dharma Sansad has passed a congratulatory resolution in support of Hoshangabad MP Darshan Singh Chowdhary, who has demanded that the cow be declared as Rashtramata (Mother of the Nation).Shankaracharya said people should support only those candidates who protect cows and work for legislation in their interest."The present regime has not yet satisfied us. Cow slaughter must be completely stopped in India," he the language controversy, he said, "Hindi was first recognised for administrative use. The Marathi-speaking state was formed in 1960, and Marathi was recognised later. Hindi represents several dialects — the same applies to Marathi, which has borrowed from its dialects."The seer said any violence should be treated as a criminal demanded justice in the Malegaon blast case, stating that the real culprits must be punished."It is ridiculous that the government is celebrating Amrit Kaal while cows who provide us with milk are being slaughtered. Those in government cannot be called our brothers unless they stand in support of cows," he said.- EndsMust Watch
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
‘Cow should have been taken to new Parliament during inauguration': Shankaracharya
Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand has said that a cow should have been taken into the new Parliament building at Central Vista during its inauguration. "If a statue of a cow can enter Parliament, why can't a living cow be taken inside?" he asked reporters on Sunday. "If a statue of a cow can enter Parliament, why can't a living cow be taken inside?" he asked reporters on Sunday. The seer said the Sengol held by Prime Minister Narendra Modi while entering the new Parliament building showed a cow engraved on the sceptre. "A real cow should have also been taken into the building to bestow blessings. If there is a delay, we will take cows from all over the country and bring them to Parliament," he said, adding this would ensure the PM and the building receive blessings of a real cow. The Sengol is installed in the Lower House of the Parliament. He also demanded that the Maharashtra government immediately frame a protocol on cow felicitation. "The state has not yet declared how to honour the cow. It should finalise a protocol so that people can follow it, and also fix penalties for its violation," he said. The Shankaracharya demanded that every assembly constituency in India have a "Ramadham" — a cow shelter accommodating 100 cows. "A total of 4,123 Ramadhams will be built across the country. The shelters will focus on daily cow service, protection, and promoting indigenous breeds," he added. Those following the protocol while caring for cows would be financially rewarded. "A person taking care of 100 cows will receive ₹2 lakh per month," he added. The Hindu pontiff further said that the Dharma Sansad has passed a congratulatory resolution in support of Hoshangabad MP Darshan Singh Chowdhary, who has demanded that the cow be declared as Rashtramata (Mother of the Nation). The Shankaracharya said people should support only those candidates who protect cows and work for legislation in their interest. "The present regime has not yet satisfied us. Cow slaughter must be completely stopped in India," he added. Addressing the language controversy, he said, "Hindi was first recognised for administrative use. The Marathi-speaking state was formed in 1960, and Marathi was recognised later. Hindi represents several dialects — the same applies to Marathi, which has borrowed from its dialects." The seer said any violence should be treated as a criminal offence. He demanded justice in the Malegaon blast case, stating that the real culprits must be punished. "It is ridiculous that the government is celebrating Amrit Kaal while cows who provide us with milk are being slaughtered. Those in government cannot be called our brothers unless they stand in support of cows," he said.
The Print
7 days ago
- Politics
- The Print
Cow should have been taken to new Parliament building during inauguration: Shankaracharya
The seer said the Sengol held by Prime Minister Narendra Modi while entering the new Parliament building showed a cow engraved on the sceptre. 'If a statue of a cow can enter Parliament, why can't a living cow be taken inside?' he asked reporters. Mumbai, Aug 3 (PTI) Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand on Sunday said a cow should have been taken into the new Parliament building at Central Vista during its inauguration. 'A real cow should have also been taken into the building to bestow blessings. If there is a delay, we will take cows from all over the country and bring them to Parliament,' he said, adding this would ensure the PM and the building receive blessings of a real cow. The Sengol is installed in the Lower House of the Parliament. He also demanded that the Maharashtra government immediately frame a protocol on cow felicitation. 'The state has not yet declared how to honour the cow. It should finalise a protocol so that people can follow it, and also fix penalties for its violation,' he said. The Shankaracharya demanded that every assembly constituency in India have a 'Ramadham'- a cow shelter accommodating 100 cows. 'A total of 4,123 Ramadhams will be built across the country. The shelters will focus on daily cow service, protection, and promoting indigenous breeds,' he added. Those following the protocol while caring for cows would be financially rewarded. 'A person taking care of 100 cows will receive Rs 2 lakh per month,' he added. The Hindu pontiff further said the Dharma Sansad has passed a congratulatory resolution in support of Hoshangabad MP Darshan Singh Chowdhary, who has demanded that the cow be declared as Rashtramata (Mother of the Nation). The Shankaracharya said people should support only those candidates who protect cows and work for legislation in their interest. 'The present regime has not yet satisfied us. Cow slaughter must be completely stopped in India,' he added. Addressing the language controversy, he said, 'Hindi was first recognised for administrative use. The Marathi-speaking state was formed in 1960, and Marathi was recognised later. Hindi represents several dialects- the same applies to Marathi, which has borrowed from its own dialects'. The seer said any kind of violence should be treated as a criminal offence. He demanded justice in the Malegaon blast case, stating that the real culprits must be punished. 'It is ridiculous that the government is celebrating Amrit Kaal while cows who provide us with milk are being slaughtered. Those in government cannot be called our brothers unless they stand in support of cows,' he said. PTI ND NSK This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Hindustan Times
01-08-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
No evidence: All 7 acquitted in '08 Malegaon blast case
A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on Thursday acquitted all the seven people charged in connection with a bomb blast in Maharashtra's Malegaon town in 2008, saying the evidence against them did not inspire confidence and that it would be unsafe to base convictions on these grounds. Former BJP MP Pragya Thakur, one of the seven acquitted in the case (PTI) The high-profile order – which came nearly 17 years after six people were killed and 95 injured in the blast during the last namaz of the day at a public compound on September 29, 2008 – cleared former Bharatiya Janata Party lawmaker Pragya Singh Thakur, 55, and Lt. Col Prasad Purohit, 53, who was an officer with the Indian army. 'Terror has no religion, as no religion promotes violence,' said special NIA judge AK Lahoti while pronouncing the acquittal. The five others who were exonerated, beside Thakur and Purohit, were retired army officer Ramesh Shivaji Upadhyay, 73, Pune-based businessman Samir Sharad Kulkarni, 53, Purohit's purported close associates Ajay Eknath Rahirkar, 56, and Sudhakar Omkarnath Chaturvedi, 53, and Sudharkar Dhar Dwivedi, also known as Swami Amritananda Devtirth, 56, a self-proclaimed Shankaracharya. 'Mere suspicion cannot take the place of real proof,' the court said, adding that in the absence of any evidence, the accused persons deserve the benefit of doubt. In its order, the trial court said there was no evidence to show that Purohit had brought the RDX from Kashmir as claimed in the charge sheet. The court also found no evidence to prove that the bomb strapped to a motorcycle and seized from the spot belonged to Thakur. 'The sadhvi had become a sanyasi (ascetic) two years before the incident, and had distanced herself from all material possessions,' the court said while explaining why the two-wheeler's ownership could not be attributed to the former MP from Bhopal. The accused thanked Lahoti and their lawyers, and Thakur said that she was able to survive the ordeal only because she was a 'sanyasi' (ascetic). 'This is not my victory. This is no individual's victory. This is the victory of bhagwa (saffron), bhagwan (god) and Hindutva,' she said after the court explained the verdict in Hindi. Advocate Shahid Nadeem, who represented the blast victims, accused NIA of not prioritising their concerns, and said they would file an appeal in the high court after reviewing the judgment. The politically sensitive case was part of a larger bouquet of terror incidents in the late 2000s dubbed by investigating agencies at the time as 'saffron terror' cases. Almost every one of those cases – including the 2007 Samjhauta Express blasts, the 2007 Mecca Masjid blast and the 2007 Ajmer Sharif bombing – have since collapsed in court. The verdict also sparked a political controversy with the BJP demanding an apology from the Congress, which was in power at the Centre and in the state when the blasts and the prosecution began. Two RDX bombs strapped to the seat of an LML Freedom motorcycle went off during the 'eesha namaz' at 9.35pm on September 29, 2008 in the Muslim-dominated town, roughly 200km from Mumbai. Six died and 95 were injured. This was the second terror attack in Malegaon. On September 8, 2006, on the day of Shab-e-Baraat, four bombs had gone off at the crowded Hamidia mosque complex killing 31 and injuring 312 others. The blast was investigated by two different agencies – first by the Maharashtra Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) and then by the NIA from 2011. According to the ATS, the blast was the handiwork of an extreme Right-wing group led by Purohit, Upadhyay and Dwivedi. In its charge sheet, the agency claimed that Purohit, who at the time served in the Indian Army's Military Intelligence unit, had in February 2007 formed Abhinav Bharat, an organisation with an intention to convert India into a Hindu rashtra named Aryavart. It also arrested Thakur, a native of Lahar in the Bhind district of Madhya Pradesh, and two others in October 2008, alleging that the motorcycle belonged to her. On January 20, 2009, the ATS arrested 11 people and filed a charge sheet, invoking the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). In April 2011, the case was transferred to NIA, a specialised federal agency established after the 2008 Mumbai terror attack. Throughout this time, the accused alleged that the ATS case was fabricated and their statements were coerced after torture. In May 2016, NIA filed a supplementary charge sheet, exonerating Thakur and five other accused, and recommending their discharge from the case. NIA also dropped MCOCA charges against all the accused, citing its questionable application by the ATS. The court order on Thursday junked the ATS's argument, holding that the charge of the conspiracy being hatched at meetings of Abhinav Bharat could not be proved as the witnesses had turned hostile. Forty prosecution witnesses turned hostile during the trial. 'Key witnesses pertaining to the conspiracy have not supported the prosecution,' said the special judge. The court said the material from the blast spot was collected in the absence of experts. The court also disregarded the charge that Abhinav Bharat had collected funds from the public and used it to further its illegal activities. 'It is true that Purohit was the trustee and (Ajay) Rahirkar was its treasurer. But the evidence on record shows that Purohit had used the funds for his personal work like construction of a house, payment of insurance premium etc. There is no evidence to show that the funds were used for terror activities and therefore UAPA was not applicable,' the court said, and further stated that invalid and defective sections of the UAPA had been applied in the case. After the verdict was read out, celebrations broke out at the neighbourhoods of Thakur and Purohit. The BJP hailed the decision. 'The court verdict has exposed the conspiracy with supporting evidence. Congress leaders must now publicly apologise to Hindus for defaming them by associating them with so-called saffron terrorism,' said chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. The Congress criticised the BJP. 'They (the BJP) polarise everything, there was no good prosecution, good evidence was not collected, how should this matter be let go?' asked Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge.
