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The Hindu
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Pyar, Parivar, and Politics
Published : May 30, 2025 16:26 IST - 5 MINS READ Dear readers, Politics is a game of hard-nosed calculations. On the other hand, love—pyar, preethi, premam, kaadhal, or whatever you want to call it—has never really bothered with practicalities. So what happens when the messy impulsiveness of love collides with the cold pragmatism of politics? We got a glimpse last week, thanks to Tej Pratap Yadav. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief's eldest son—better known to fans and journalists as Teju—has always been the more colourful character in Lalu Prasad's political theatre. A former Minister in the Mahagathbandhan government, Tej Pratap recently set off a storm after a Facebook post (now deleted) claimed that he had been in a 12-year relationship with one Anushka Yadav. The post included her photo and, predictably, went viral. Tej Pratap is still technically married to Aishwarya Rai, the granddaughter of former Bihar Chief Minister Daroga Prasad Rai and daughter of six-time MLA and ex-Minister Chandrika Rai. Teju married Aishwarya in May 2018 in a lavish ceremony in Patna, the kind that blends dynastic pride with political math. The union was less about romance, more about reinforcing old-school ties between Bihar's heavyweight families—a vintage Lalu move, merging parivar with politics. The marriage has reportedly been rocky, the matter is in court, and a divorce is pending. But the new revelation of an old relationship sent Bihar's political circles into a tizzy. Opposition parties questioned the Yadav family's 'moral standing' and accused them of treating women as pawns. Tej Pratap, trying to douse the fire, claimed that his social media accounts had been hacked and the images manipulated to 'defame' him and his family. But the fire was already burning. Then came the most dramatic twist: Lalu Prasad himself took to social media to announce his son's expulsion from the party—for six years, no less—on the grounds that his actions went against the family's values and traditions. 'Ignoring moral values in personal life weakens our collective struggle for social justice,' Lalu declared. 'From now on, he will have no role in the party or family.' But Aishwarya did not seem to buy it. In a sharply worded response, she asked: 'Where was this commitment to social justice when I was assaulted and driven out of the house? Why did no one intervene then, when this so-called 12-year-old affair was already known to the family?' It is not the first time Tej Pratap has threatened to derail the RJD's plans. In 2019, he floated the Lalu-Rabri Morcha party to mark his rebellion during a family leadership tussle. By 2020, he was back in the fold, singing paeans to younger brother Tejashwi with the campaign slogan 'Tej Raftar, Tejashwi Sarkar' (High Speed, Tejashwi Government)—borrowed from a local singer named Pramod Premi Yadav. Teju also earned media attention for his antics: pouring water on a Shivalinga, walking the streets as a blogger, and playing the flute in Krishna's garb. Now, it is another role: the prodigal son, exiled for love. Of course, Tej Pratap is far from the first politician whose love life has become political lightning. I am reminded of Chander Mohan, the son of Haryana veteran Bhajan Lal, who disappeared in 2008, only to reappear claiming he had married senior lawyer Anuradha Bali after both had converted to Islam. He became Chand Mohammed; she, Fiza. The scandal cost him his post as Deputy Chief Minister. The love story unravelled in about 40 days. Fiza was later found dead in her home in 2012. Not every love story has had such a grim ending. The Rajiv and Sonia Gandhi saga and Akhilesh Yadav's marriage to Dimple despite Mulayam's early disapproval are happily-ever-afters. The interfaith weddings of BJP leaders like Sushil Modi (who married Jessie George, a Christian from Mumbai) and Shahnawaz Hussain (who wed Renu Sharma) tell of love outlasting opposition. And love triumphing over party ideology. Sushil Modi famously met Jessie on a train. Top RSS leaders Nanaji Deshmukh and Bhaurao Deoras were in attendance. Even Atal Bihari Vajpayee dropped in and reportedly encouraged Sushil to move from the ABVP to the BJP. Then there is Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Seema—three ceremonies (court, nikah, and Hindu rites) followed their Allahabad University romance. Manish Tewari of the Congress married Nazneen Shifa, a Parsi. The party's student wing, the National Students' Union of India, was their matchmaker. Dinesh Gundu Rao, a Brahmin from Karnataka, married Tabassum, a Muslim woman he met in college. Some unions fray over time. Omar Abdullah and Payal Nath's marriage ended in a long legal battle, with the Delhi High Court in 2023 refusing to grant a divorce. Sachin Pilot and Sara Abdullah (Omar's sister) married in 2004; they reportedly separated nearly two decades later, according to Pilot's 2023 election affidavit. And who can forget the 2015 buzz around senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh and TV anchor Amrita Rai? After intimate photos went viral, Singh publicly acknowledged the relationship. 'I have no hesitation in accepting it,' he said. Rai confirmed she had filed for divorce from her previous husband. There was trolling, but the couple stayed together, Rai even joining Singh on his 2017-18 Narmada Yatra. Romance in politics comes with its own manifesto: a mix of daring declarations, party discipline, courtroom drama, and some very public heartbreak. Which brings us back to Tej Pratap. Will love triumph? Will he return to the RJD fold? Or will the next twist in this pyar-parivar-politics triangle prove final? We'll keep watching. While you tell us what you think of our lovelorn legislators. Until the next one, Anand Mishra | Political Editor, Frontline We hope you've been enjoying our newsletters featuring a selection of articles that we believe will be of interest to a cross-section of our readers. Tell us if you like what you read. And also, what you don't like! Mail us at frontline@
Hindustan Times
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Allahabad HC adjourns hearing on plea seeking ASI survey of Gyanvapi wazukhana
The Allahabad high court on Monday adjourned hearing on a plea seeking an ASI survey of the wazukhana (ablution pond) area in the Gyanvapi mosque complex in Varanasi. The court set July 4 as the next date of hearing after being informed of an interim Supreme Court order restraining courts across the country from passing directions on lawsuits relating to religious places. Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal passed the order in a petition filed by Rakhi Singh who is one of the plaintiffs in the Shringar Gauri worshipping suit 2022, which is presently pending before the Varanasi's district court. The petition in the high court has challenged a Varanasi district judge's order refusing to direct the Archeological Survey of India to undertake a survey of the wazukhana area except the structure the Hindu side claims to be a Shivlinga and the Muslim side describes as a fountain in the Gyanvapi mosque complex. In her application before the Varanasi court, which was rejected on October 21, 2023, the primary contention raised by Rakhi Singh was that the survey of the wazukhana, excluding the Shivlinga, is necessary to ascertain the religious character of the property in question (Gyanvapi precincts). However, while rejecting her application, the district judge had observed in his order that the apex court vide its order dated May 17, 2022 had ordered to duly protect the area where the Shivalinga is stated to have been found and therefore it is not proper to direct the ASI to survey the area as it would violate the Supreme Court's order. In the order dated October 21, the district judge also noted that the particular area was also excluded from the ambit of the ASI survey ordered by his court vide an order dated July 21, 2023, passed in the 2022 suit. In her revision plea, petitioner Rakhi Singh has stressed that the survey of the wazukhana area is necessary in the interest of justice and it shall benefit the plaintiff(s) and defendants alike and come in aid of the court to arrive at a just decision in the 2022 suit. A scientific survey of the complex has already been conducted by the ASI and the report submitted to the Varanasi district judge. The survey was conducted in accordance with a July 2023 order of the district judge to determine if the mosque was built over a pre-existing structure of a Hindu temple.
Hindustan Times
26-04-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Temples: Crowds, chaos and clamour
Where will devotees find peace, if not in temples. In recent years, a religious resurgence has meant that more people are visiting prominent temples in their quest for spiritual solace. Concomitantly, the economies of many temples, especially the major ones, have grown. According to media reports, a survey by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), India's temple economy is estimated at ₹3.02 lakh crores, which is about 2.32% of the country's GDP. As faith brings in funds, temples are also expanding with many adding facilities for the devotees. What has remained unchanged, however, is the lack of scientific crowd management in most temples. The overstressed and untrained volunteers push and yell at common devotees, often ruining their spiritual experience at a sacred place. Many books on Hinduism have laid down etiquettes and customs for the devotees, which even include quiet recitation of mantras, slokas or chanting the name of deities in silence. But are there no such guidelines for volunteers, who yell and humiliate devotees even inside the sanctum sanctorum of sacred places like in Shirdi in Maharashtra. The pious come in droves from across the country to the temple but much of their time goes in pushing their way through the narrow enclosures, with the loud and angry commands of the volunteers adding to the confusion and chaos rather than regulating the crowds. Here is an example of the famous Kashi Vishwanath Temple, which has undergone a drastic change in its look and space. In early 2000, a group of devotees from south India hurriedly walked through the sleepy and serpentine by-lanes of Varanasi to reach the temple entrance before 2 am for Mangala Aarti at the Kashi Vishwanath temple. In all, there were about three dozen devotees. About a hundred cops manned the tiny crowd. Their loud voices pierced the stillness of dawn. The group did not understand Hindi and the cops were hardly accommodative. Cut to 2023. The Shiva temple had acquired a new grandeur and the Mangala Aarti in the beautiful ambience was blissful. However, the temple authorities had issued more tokens this time as they had enough open space. But, as soon as the aarti ended, the devotees pushed and jostled to enter the sanctum sanctorum from all the four doors, each trying to touch the Shivalinga. There was no volunteer to handle the crowds in the small place. Despite a long history of stampedes in temples in Nashik, Tirupati, Vrindavan, Vaishno Devi and Naina Devi, volunteers continue to recklessly push frenzied devotees through the narrow enclosures and streets, unmindful of the numbers they can accommodate. The plight of the common man is the same across temples in the North and the South – from Shirdi to Tirupati, from Kashi to Mathura. The devotees are ruthlessly pushed like herd of sheep in the melee; their prayers lost in the din created by the unmindful shouts of volunteers who forget they are in the temple precincts and not on the streets where they are managing a brawl. Fact is VIPs are few, the majority of the people come from diverse social ,linguistic cultures and economic backgrounds. They don't have money but their faith is in abundance. The good thing is that there's an effort to change the situation. The first-ever course on temple management in the country, starting from this academic year at the Sampurnanand Sanskrit University (SSU), Varanasi, will cover crowd management as a major subject. About 1500 aspirants have already registered for the one-year-course, which will cover temple management, right from its architecture, to construction, to the size and the installation of the idols as laid down in the scriptures. Bihari Lal Sharma, SSU vice chancellor, said the course will broadly cover the construction, operation, maintenance, cleanliness and administration of the temples. The students will be taught religious rituals, crowd management and financial management by combining the traditional knowledge with modern techniques.
Economic Times
22-04-2025
- Business
- Economic Times
Rahu Ketu Transit 2025 - Cancer: Shifts in career and family life call for reassessing personal aspirations and emotional security
Finance Live Events Health Family and Relationships Education and Learning Remedies for Rahu and Ketu Your professional life may take an unexpected turn. You may learn about secret opportunities. Rahu in the Eighth House can favour research work, psychology and occult studies. You can also do well in careers linked to medicine and finance. This transit will be auspicious for banking, insurance, or healing the Eighth House also surprises. Politics at work or sudden interruptions are possible. Avoid power struggles in the workplace. Ketu in the Second House can influence your speech. Your words will be misunderstood. Use your words wisely, particularly at work. Think before you speak. Strategic planning will take you to success even in transit is of both good and harm. Rahu in the Eighth House can give instant wealth. Inheritances, bonuses, or common property can be a source of funds. But instant loss can take place if you are not cautious. Don't invest money in speculative investments. Manage joint finances in the Second House may isolate you from wealth. You are not concerned about money at the moment. You shouldn't lose your focus on finances. Spend wisely. Keep an eye on savings. Household financial issues might be sensitive. Be practical and make rational choices instead of emotional extra care of your health. Rahu in the Eighth House can bestow hidden problems. You can have routine medical check-ups. Stress, worry, or endocrine imbalance could ensue. Ketu in the Second House may influence your digestion or throat. You may have low energy some neglect your emotional well-being. Do some yoga, meditation, or deep breathing. Spiritual practices will also help usher in peace and healing. Eat clean food and drink. Sleep whenever you're tired. Your mind and body require gentle care during this life can feel strained or far away. Ketu in the Second House can cause emotional distance in your home life. There can be misunderstandings. Communication can feel a little off. Rahu in the Eighth House brings up old secrets or unresolved family honest but courteous. Be gentle to loved ones. Do not let small issues become larger with silence. You should work on your relationships, even if it is challenging. Demonstrate love in small acts of kindness. That means the world is an auspicious time for deep learning. Rahu favours psychological, metaphysical, technological, and healing studies. You will get interested in esoteric knowledge or study. Concentration will automatically develop for deep in the Second House can struggle more with succinctly expressing ideas. You may not be as interested in learning through normal methods. You can utilise alternative approaches like audio learning. Routine and self-control will guide you back on track.1. Recite Rahu and Ketu Beej Mantras regularly to appease their energy.2. Offer water over a Shivalinga and worship Lord Shiva daily.3. For Rahu, give black sesame, iron, and charity food to the poor on Saturdays.4. For Ketu, feed street dogs. You can also give white-coloured food in charity.5. Do meditation and writing. You can do religious reading to attain inner transit is good for change, healing, and inner strength. You will not always be the boss, but that's not necessary. Have faith in the process. Release that which no longer serves you. Patience and awareness will make you wiser, calmer, and more powerful. Cancer, it's your time to heal and transform from by: Anand Sagar Pathak of For feedback, write to hello@
