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First Post
4 days ago
- Politics
- First Post
'Operation Sindoor a brilliantly chosen name': Tharoor recounts 'kill me too' cry of Pahalgam survivors
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor praised India's counter-terrorism response against Pakistan during his Washington visit and said that 'Operation Sindoor' was a 'brilliantly chosen name.' read more Tharoor, who is leading the multi-party delegation, made it clear that India's actions were based on the right to self-defence. PTI/File Photo Praising India's counter-terrorism action against Pakistan, Shashi Tharoor described 'Operation Sindoor' as a 'brilliantly chosen name', noting that the colour of sindoor is not very different from the colour of blood. Speaking at the National Press Club in the US, Tharoor explained, 'Sindoor is a vermilion mark worn by married Hindu women on their foreheads. It's a widely followed tradition, although many Americans may not be familiar with it. 'Some non-Hindus wear it too, usually for decorative purposes. But strictly speaking, sindoor is applied during the marriage ceremony and worn every day thereafter by married women.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD He continued, 'We were very conscious of these brutal terrorists who, by the way, shot men in front of their wives and children but spared the women. When one wife screamed, 'Kill me too', she was told, 'No, you go back and tell them what we've done.'' While addressing the Indian community in Washington, DC, Tharoor recalled this chilling moment from the recent Pahalgam terror attack, where a woman, after witnessing her husband's killing, pleaded to be shot too, only to be told to return and recount the horror. Tharoor used this incident to underscore the strong and unconditional support India has received from US lawmakers in the aftermath of the attack. 'There's been a very wide, impressive cross-section of legislators who met and spoke with us. Our purpose in coming was actually very simple: to lay out what we've been through in India over the past few weeks following the horrific terrorist attack in Pahalgam, and to seek understanding and solidarity with us on these measures,' the Congress MP said. 'The relationship with India matters deeply to all these people. The strategic partnership is real—we saw it in practice. There's always something happening. In fact, when our meeting at the Senate was ending, they had to rush off for a vote. But they made time for us and engaged in a very positive and constructive manner.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
News18
4 days ago
- Politics
- News18
'Brilliantly Chosen Name': In US, Shashi Tharoor Says India's Operation Sindoor Avenged Blood
Last Updated: Shashi Tharoor, leading an all-party delegation in the US, praised India's 'Operation Sindoor', calling it a symbolic and strategic response to the Pahalgam terror attack. Praising India's counter-terrorism strikes against Pakistan, Shashi Tharoor, in the United States, said 'Operation Sindoor' was a 'brilliantly chosen name" and noted that the colour of the ' sindoor ' (vermilion) is not very different from the colour of the blood. Speaking at the National Press Club in the US, Tharoor said, 'Operation Sindoor, actually, I thought was a brilliantly chosen name. ' Sindoor ', in case some Americans obviously don't know about this, is a vermilion mark that is applied to the centre of the forehead of married women in the Hindu tradition. It's widely practised." 'Some non-Hindus do it too, but more for decorative purposes, but strictly speaking, the ' sindoor ' is applied at the time of the marriage ceremony and is worn every day thereafter by married women." 'So, we were very conscious of these brutal terrorists who, by the way, shot men in front of their wives and children but spared the women and when one wife screamed out, 'Kill me too', she was told, no, you go back and tell them what we've done," the Congress MP said. 'That was why the women were spared, it was a horrendous, horrendous act. That ' sindoor ' had essentially been wiped off the foreheads of 26 Indian women, 26 I was gonna say Hindu women, but one of them actually was a Christian, but the ' sindoor ' had been wiped off the rest by these terrorists, and so we wanted first of all, to avenge that act of wiping off the ' sindoor '," Tharoor said. 'But, secondly, it's no accident that the colour of the ' sindoor ' is bright vermilion red, which is not far from the colour of blood, and in many ways there is a Hindi expression which says ' khoon ka badla khoon ' (a bloody revenge for someone's killing). Here it was ' sindoor ka badla khoon ', that is, blood in response to what they have done to the ' sindoor '," he added. Tharoor is leading the all-party delegation to the US. The delegation is visiting key global capitals as part of the government's big diplomatic outreach to highlight its stand on terrorism following 'Operation Sindoor'. During the interaction, Tharoor was asked about the number of aircraft India lost in the conflict with Pakistan, to which he responded, 'We're not military folks, and our military is the only ones who really keep track of all of these things." 'But, I think the important message that came out was whatever may or may not have happened in the course of a conflict, neither side, by the way, talks about losses very much, and that's partially because you know very well that operational details are very closely held with the senior military people," Tharoor said. 'But, I can tell you one thing, whatever may or may not have happened, what turned out to be the last night of the conflict, when India not only effectively struck 11 airfields of the Pakistani military, but there are commercially available, publicly available satellite pictures showing the extensive damage done," he added. 'There have been craters on the runway, there have been operational command centers that have been busted by these Indian bombs, and just yesterday, the Pakistanis publicly admitted that Indian strikes were so wide-ranging and effective they struck from as far as Hyderabad in South Pakistan to Peshawar in the northwest," Tharoor said. 'So, it looks very clear that whatever damage the Pakistanis believe they may have inflicted on India, it wasn't sufficient to prevent India from inflicting such extensive damage on Pakistan. So, they decided to request us to stop, which we were very happy to do," he added. The delegation led by Tharoor includes Shambhavi Chaudhary (Lok Janshakti Party), Sarfaraz Ahmed (Jharkhand Mukti Morcha), GM Harish Balayogi (Telugu Desam Party), Shashank Mani Tripathi, Tejaswi Surya, Bhubaneswar Kalita (all from BJP), Mallikarjun Devda (Shiv Sena), former Indian Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu, and Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora. The delegation arrived in the US after concluding their visit to Brazil, and also held a meeting with the US House Foreign Affairs Committee leadership in Washington, DC, HFAC Chairman Brian Mast, Ranking Member of the committee, Gregory Meeks, South and Central Asia Subcommittee Chair Bill Huizenga, Ranking members – Sydney Kamlager-Dove and Ami Bera, Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific Chair, Young Kim. As many as 26 people were killed and several others were injured in a terrorist attack in Baisaran valley of Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22. Among the victims were 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen. In response to the Pahalgam attack, the Indian Armed Forces launched 'Operation Sindoor' on May 7 and targeted terror infrastructures in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in the killing of more than 100 terrorists. India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire on May 10. ALSO READ | 'India Never Asked Trump To Mediate', Says Tharoor In US Amid Rahul Gandhi's 'Surrender' Remark Row About the Author Vani Mehrotra Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks. Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from politics to crime and society. Stay informed with the latest India news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! First Published: June 05, 2025, 09:48 IST
Hindustan Times
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Jagannath temple body to apply for patents on names
Amid the tussle between Odisha and West Bengal over naming of the Jagannath temple in Digha as Jagannath dham, the Jagannath temple management committee of Puri on Monday said it would apply for patent for expressions such as 'Srimandir', 'Jagannath Dham', and 'Mahaprasad'. The temple management committee which met in Puri on Monday said the Sri Jagannath Temple Administration would apply for patents of terms such as 'Srimandir', 'Jagannath Dham', 'Mahaprasad', 'logo of Srimandir', 'Shrikshetra', and 'Purushottam Dham'. It has been approved in a high-level meeting today,' said SJTA chief administrator Arabinda Padhee. 'Patenting these temple-related terms is a legal measure aimed at preserving the sanctity, heritage, and unique identity of the Jagannath Temple. This step is crucial to prevent the indiscriminate use of sacred terminology linked to Lord Jagannath,' said Arabinda Padhee, chief administrator of the temple. Last month, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated the Jagannath Temple in Digha referring to it as 'Jagannath Dham' sparking widespread criticism, as 'Dham' is a sacred designation traditionally linked to Puri, per Hindu scriptures and Adi Shankaracharya's designation of four Dhams (Puri, Badrinath, Dwarka, Rameswaram). Also Read | Attempts to encroach Puri Jagannath temple land will not be tolerated: Shrine authorities The Puri Shankaracharya and several others have argued that using 'Dham' for Digha undermines Puri's unique spiritual and cultural significance. The Digha temple allows non-Hindus and foreigners, unlike Puri's Hindu-only tradition, further fuelling objections. BJP leaders Sambit Patra and Suvendu Adhikari accused the West Bengal government of using the temple for political leverage ahead of the 2026 assembly polls. Though Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi this month wrote to Banerjee requesting the removal of the term 'Jagannath Dham' from the Digha temple's official name, the Bengal CM remains unmoved. Puri's king Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb on Monday urged the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) and the state government to take immediate action against the naming of the newly inaugurated Jagannath temple in Digha of West Bengal as 'Jagannath Dham'. 'The nomenclature used for the Digha temple has deeply hurt the sentiments of devotees. Terms like Nilachal Dham, Shreekhetra, Srimandir, and Jagannath Dham have always been exclusively associated with the sacred temple in Puri,' he said. Also Read | Suspension of Odisha Jagannath temple servitor escalates TMC-BJP row in Bengal The inauguration of the temple in Digha has already stirred a controversy after Ramakrishna Dasmohapatra, secretary of the Daitapati Nijog, the group of servitors that is responsible for some rituals during the annual Rath Yatra such as carrying the deities to their respective chariots, claimed that leftover wood not used in Nabakalabera was used for idols of Jagannath temple in Digha. Nabakalebar is a sacred ritual of Lord Jagannath, in which the old wooden idols of the four deities including Lord Sudarshan are replaced with new ones made of neem wood called Daru.
India Today
22-05-2025
- Politics
- India Today
In Hindus, there's Moksh: Supreme Court on 'waqf is charity to God' argument
"In Hindus, there's Moksh," the Supreme Court remarked on Thursday as it heard petitioners responding to Centre's arguments in favour of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, development came a day after the Centre told the court that waqf is nothing but charity and is not an essential part of response to Centre's argument, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the petitioners, told the court today, "Waqf is a dedication to God, for afterlife. Unlike others, Waqf is a charity to God. Charity is to a community, Waqf is a dedication to God. This is for the future, for a spiritual benefit."advertisement To this, the Chief Justice remarked, "In Hindus, there's a concept of Moksha". Justice Augustine George Masih echoed the Chief Justice, referring to a similar provision in Christianity, saying, "we all try to get to heaven".Countering the Centre' argument, Advocate Rajiv Dhawan said that, according to the Vedas, temples are not an essential part of Hinduism. "There is a provision to worshipping nature. There are gods of fire, water and rain. There are mountains, oceans etc".Notably, the petitioners had earlier claimed that waqf is basically charity in the name of God, to which the Centre had replied that charity is integral to all religions."Waqf is an Islamic concept. But it is not an essential part of Islam... Waqf is nothing but just charity in Islam. Judgments show that charity is part of every religion and can happen for Christianity also. Hindus have a system of daan. Sikhs also have it," Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had said on is a fundamental principle of other religions also," Chief Justice Gavai said on Thursday, apparently intending to draw parallels between religions when it came to then raked up the provision paving the way for non-Hindus to be included in the Central Waqf Council and state waqf boards, saying that as far as the endowment of Hindu religious places is concerned, non-Hindus are not included in it."But as far as waqf is concerned, here also non-Muslims are not included in it. The reservation for four persons has been made for non-Muslims. In my opinion, even one is enough".
Hindustan Times
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Tirupati temple board clears plan for transfer, VRS to non-Hindu employees
HYDERABAD: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) on Tuesday decided to transfer non-Hindus who work at various institutions run by the board to other Andhra Pradesh government departments or ask them to opt for its voluntary retirement scheme, a senior board official said. TTD executive officer J Shyamala Rao told reporters that the trust board, which met at Annamayya Bhavan in Tirumala, had decided that its institutions should not have any non-HIndus on its rolls. TTD is the official custodian of Sri Venkateswara temple in Tirupati. 'The trust board approved the decision to take steps towards the transfer of non-Hindu employees working in the TTD to other government departments through alternative ways or by offering them Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS),' Rao said, while briefing reporters about the board's resolutions. According to the TTD records of 2021, the board had about 40 non-Hindu employees at its institutions. Tuesday's decision by the board comes months after TTD initiated disciplinary action in February this year against 18 non-Hindu employees for continuing to take part in non-Hindu religious activities. The order barred the 18 employees – all Christians who worked as lecturers, hostel workers, office subordinates, engineers, helpers, nurses and other paramedical staff in various institutions run by TTD – from attending all religious and spiritual events organised by the board. None of them worked in the main Tirumala temple that attracts nearly 70,000 devotees every day and is considered one of the main nodes of Hindu pilgrimage spots. At the time of joining TTD institutions, employees take an oath that they will follow the Hindu dharma and Hindu traditions only, and that they will not follow non-Hindu religious activities in compliance with Rule 9 (vi) of the Service Rules issued in No. 1060 Revenue (Endowments-1), dated October 24, 1989.
