On 18 August 2025, students and local fishermen organized a sit-in protest outside the school in Samanthanpettai Fishing Village near Nagapattinam, urging authorities to construct a dedicated building for the village’s high school.
Originally established in 1931 as a municipal primary school, the institution was upgraded to a middle school and then to a high school in 2021. Currently, the school accommodates 189 students, 127 in high school and 62 in primary classes all within the same premises.
For the past four years, residents have been calling for a separate facility for the high school, citing overcrowded classrooms and the inability to implement smart classroom infrastructure due to limited space.
In support of this long-standing demand, students boycotted classes, and fishermen joined the protest outside the school. Discussions were held with Nagapattinam Taluk District Magistrate Nilayatakshi, who assured the protesters that a separate high school building would be constructed, though she noted that it would require time to complete.
Despite the assurance, both the students and fishermen continued their protest. According to District Principal Education Officer Ravichandran, the issue has been officially brought to the attention of both the District Collector and the state’s education department.
The demonstration had a significant impact on the local economy as well over 3,000 fishermen refrained from going out to sea, resulting in more than 250 boats remaining docked along the shore.
For decades, a favorite propaganda line of the Left and Congress ecosystem has been that Vinayak Damodar Savarkar bestowed upon himself the title Veer (brave) or Swatantryaveer (brave freedom fighter). According to this claim, Savarkar wrote his own biography under the pseudonym Chitragupta and slyly referred to himself with this honorific. This narrative has been gleefully repeated in Congress outlets like National Herald and then picked up by portals such as Wikipedia and the likes of The Wire & Scroll to brand Savarkar as vain and self-promoting.
But a closer look at the primary sources shatters this Goebbelsian lie.
The Origin of the Propaganda
The entire accusation hinges on a single book: The Life of Barrister Savarkar, published under the pseudonym Chitragupta. Leftist commentators insist that Savarkar himself wrote this work, and in the process “crowned himself” Veer.
Yet the very text proves the opposite. The original edition makes no reference whatsoever to the title Veer or Swatantryaveer. Not once.
The only time such a title appears is in a much later edition, published in 1986, decades after Savarkar’s death. There, in the preface written by Dr. Ravindra Vaman Ramdas, one finds the speculation: “Who was this Chitragupta, the author of The Life of Barrister VD Savarkar? The pen-picture of Paris appears that Chitragupta is none other than Veer Savarkar.”
In other words, the Veer title was not self-assigned by Savarkar but inserted in a retrospective preface written long after his death.
Additionally, Dr. Ramdas speculates that “Chitragupta” might have been Savarkar himself, (he uses the word ‘appears’) – this is his personal opinion, not a fact.
There is zero historical evidence that Savarkar wrote under this pseudonym. In fact, some scholars initially believed “Chitragupta” was C. Rajagopalachari, as the book was published in Madras (Chennai).
Evidence Proves Was Title Bestowed by Others
The propaganda also ignores the contemporary evidence that the title Swatantryaveer was already in circulation years before the Chitragupta biography.
In February 1924, Balarao Savarkar’s Ratnagiri Parva (authored under the pseudonym Kavi Vaishampaayan) and Wamanrao Joshi, dramatist of Ranadundubhi, both referred to Savarkar as Swatantryaveer.
On 15 August 1924, a biography of Savarkar written by Sadashiv Rajaram Ranade, with a preface by N.C. Kelkar (Tatyasaheb – a prominent freedom fighter and associate of Bal Gangadhar Tilak), consistently uses the title Swatantryaveer page after page. This book was published immediately after Savarkar’s release from Ratnagiri jail, when he was under strict political restrictions.
Image Source: QuoraImage Source: Quora
The Ghadar Party, a revolutionary group active in the US and Canada, referred to Savarkar as a brave leader in their 1917 Urdu publications demanding his release from British imprisonment.
After the arrest of 27 years young master of indian revolutionaries at London in 1910, many of his core associates disappeared & continued Savarkar brothers “Abhinav Bharat” in the name of “Gadar party” in America.
The text reads, “Giving rebellious speeches at places like Nasik and Pune in India from January 1906 to May 1906
Since Veer Savarkar was in Europe during those days, a telegram was sent to London for him, and he was arrested at Victoria Station on 31 March 1910.
He was tried and finally a decision was given to send him back to India. Although according to English law, he could have been sent to India only in some way. His case should have been held in London. But who would listen to the pamphlets? The British themselves are law makers and give their own judgments. “Veer Savarkar” proved with a very strong argument that his case should be held in England only.
But no one listened to him. But the benefit of this was that his case was published in all the newspapers of Europe. The matter became international. The evils of the British rule in India started becoming famous in the whole of Europe. Finally, he was put on the ship “Moriya” to be sent back to India.
Seeing this cruelty, Veer Savarkar became very angry. He tried a few tricks, but nothing worked. When the ship reached Marseille, he got an idea and Savarkar went to the bathroom on the pretext of taking a bath. The guards were standing at every door unaware. Savarkar took off his clothes, applied soap on his body and came out forcefully from the small window.
– Savarkar teacher Guruvarya Chandrashekhar Sane”
This predates the Chitragupta biography by nine years, demolishing the claim that Savarkar invented the title for himself.
These written records demonstrate that the honorific was bestowed by peers and admirers, not by Savarkar himself.
How the Leftist Media Perpetuated the Lie
Despite clear evidence, left-leaning journalists and historians continued spreading misinformation. The most notorious ones include:
Ziya Us Salam (2018) – In his book Of Saffron Flags and Skullcaps, he vaguely claimed that Savarkar “is said to have added” the prefix ‘Veer’ himself, without providing any proof.
Pavan Kulkarni (The Wire, 2022) – Wrote an article titled “How Did Savarkar, a Staunch Supporter of British Colonialism, Come to Be Known as ‘Veer’?”, falsely asserting that Savarkar glorified himself in the Chitragupta biography. He writes, “A book titled Life of Barrister Savarkar authored by Chitragupta was the first biography of Savarkar, published in 1926. Savarkar was glorified in this book for his courage and deemed a hero. And two decades after Savarkar’s death, when the second edition of this book was released in 1987 by the Veer Savarkar Prakashan, the official publisher of Savarkar’s writings, Ravindra Ramdas revealed in its preface that “Chitragupta is none other than Veer Savarkar”.
National Herald (2020) – Published an article by Raju Parulekar, who misquoted the book’s title as ‘The Life of Veer Savarkar’ (the original was ‘The Life of Barrister Savarkar’), further muddying facts.
Wikipedia’s False Citation – The Wikipedia entry on Savarkar uncritically repeats the claim, citing The Scroll and National Herald – neither of which provides primary evidence.
How the Myth Was Weaponised
Despite the textual evidence, Leftist publications like National Herald, The Wire, Scroll, etc spun the story that Savarkar invented the title himself. Wikipedia and other portals lazily cite this secondary claim instead of examining the primary text.
The tactic is classic: repeat a distortion until it becomes accepted as “history.” What begins as a speculative remark in a 1986 preface is weaponised into a character-assassination tool, branding Savarkar as arrogant, vain, and self-glorifying.
The Left’s attempt to smear him with this falsehood only exposes their method: take a stray remark, twist it out of context, and repeat it endlessly until it masquerades as fact.
The truth is simple: Swatantryaveer was not self-assumed vanity – it was the recognition of a nation.
(This article was based on an X thread by Amit Schandillia)
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The Tamil Nadu Highways Department’s 3.2-km Teynampet-Saidapet flyover project has raised eyebrows due to its staggering construction cost of ₹195 crore per kilometre – nearly 50% higher than similar elevated corridors built by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
Cost Comparison: Teynampet-Saidapet Flyover vs. NHAI Projects
NHAI’s 6-lane Elevated Corridors (TN & other states): ₹120-130 crore/km
Let’s take a look at the costing of the recently completed flyovers in Tamil Nadu.
The 4-lane Koyambedu flyover that was completed in 2021 cost ₹95 crore/km
The 4-lane Medavakkam flyover that was completed in 2022 cost ₹100 crore/km.
The 6.9km 4-lane Madurai-Natham Road also cost ₹100 crore/km.
Inflated project cost to accommodate bribery?
The average per km construction cost of 3.2 km Teynampet-Saidapet flyover project in Chennai pegged at Rs. 195 crore. Total project cost is Rs. 621 Cr.
State officials cite soil stabilisation (due to an underground metro tunnel), utility relocations on congested Anna Salai, and specialised construction techniques to reduce load on pillars. However, industry experts question the justification, as:
NHAI projects follow stricter design and higher standards but remain cheaper.
Even upcoming NHAI corridors (e.g., Maduravoyal-ORR, ORR-Sriperumbudur) are priced at ₹160 crore/km, still 18% cheaper than Teynampet’s ₹195 crore/km.
The Teynampet flyover’s budget has surged 29% in two years. It was pegged at ₹482 crore in April 2022, which increased to ₹525 crore in March 2023 and then jumped further to ₹621 crore in 2024.
Highways authorities argue that micro-piling, geosynthetic reinforcements, and metro tunnel safety measures inflated costs. However, critics point out that state-funded projects should typically be cheaper than NHAI’s PPP models, raising concerns over estimation accuracy and transparency.
While the Teynampet flyover promises to cut travel time from 40 minutes to 10, its exceptionally high cost compared to national standards has sparked debate over fiscal prudence in infrastructure spending. With 30% work completed, scrutiny over expenditure is likely to intensify.
The Supreme Court on Monday stayed a Madras High Court order that had reversed the discharge of Tamil Nadu Rural Development Minister I Periyasamy, his wife P. Suseela, and two sons – Palani MLA P. Senthilkumar and P. Prabhu – from 2012 disproportionate assets (DA) case and directed them to face trial.
A Bench led by Justice Dipankar Datta issued notice to the Tamil Nadu government on the petition filed by Periyasamy and his family, who had challenged the High Court’s April 28 ruling. The case has been tagged with another petition filed by the Minister that is already pending before the apex court.
The High Court, through a suo motu intervention by Justice N. Anand Venkatesh, had earlier set aside a 2017 trial court order that discharged the Minister and his family, and ordered that the DA case proceed to trial.
Periyasamy, represented by senior advocate V. Giri and advocate Ram Sankar, argued that the case was politically motivated and foisted on him during the AIADMK regime in 2012. He submitted that similar allegations relating to his income between 1996 and 2001 had been dismissed in 2017, with neither the High Court nor the Supreme Court interfering.
The petition contended that the prosecution had manipulated figures by duplicating calculations of income tax returns, thereby inflating the net income. It claimed that the Income Tax Department had already scrutinised and accepted the family’s returns, and that no undisclosed properties or money were found.
The case, registered by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) in 2012, accused Periyasamy and his family of amassing assets disproportionate to known sources of income. The Minister has insisted that his wife and sons are majors with independent earnings.
In March 2023, a Special Court for corruption cases had discharged him, citing lack of sanction under Section 197 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. However, the High Court later revived the case, ruling that the discharge was improper.
The apex court also noted that it had earlier, in April 2024, stayed proceedings in a separate corruption case involving Periyasamy. That case concerned the alleged allotment of a Tamil Nadu Housing Board plot in 2008–09 to a security officer of then Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, when Periyasamy was Housing Minister.
The Supreme Court will now hear both petitions together.
The Madras High Court has directed the police not to initiate any harsh measures against Madurai Adheenam in connection with a case filed over alleged inflammatory and provocative statements. The controversy arose after he claimed that a road accident involving his vehicle was actually an assassination attempt, supposedly carried out by individuals wearing skull caps and beards, with a possible link to Pakistan.
The incident occurred while he was en route to attend the Saiva Siddhanta conference held in May at Kattankulathur, near Chennai. Following this, a petition was filed and a FIR registered by the Cyber Crime Wing of the Greater Chennai City Police lodged by advocate R. Rajendiran, on 24 June, citing various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). These include Section 192 (intentional provocation to incite riots), Section 196(1)(a) (inciting religious hatred), Section 353(1)(b) (spreading public mischief), and Section 353(2) (issuing false statements to fuel communal tensions).
Madurai Adheenam approached the High Court seeking to have the case quashed. The matter was heard by Justice Satish Kumar, who granted the police time until 15 September to submit their response. In the interim, the court ordered that no stringent action be taken against Adheenam.
The Hindu Munnani has strongly criticised the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department for allegedly enabling select individuals to bypass regular queues at the Arulmigu Subramania Swamy Temple in Tiruchendur by using the Shanmuga Vilasam entrance reportedly through VIP referrals or monetary influence. This has led to growing resentment among the general devotees and even sparked tension between pilgrims and police.
With the temple witnessing unusually high footfall due to a string of holidays including Independence Day, Aadi Krithigai, and Krishna Jayanthi crowd pressure peaked recently. On one day alone, over 1.2 lakh devotees visited the temple. Pilgrims queued from as early as 1 AM, standing in both the general and ₹100 special queues for hours before getting darshan.
However, frustration escalated when around 6:30 AM, a crowd of more than 500 devotees waiting near the Shanmuga Vilasam Mandapam observed a small group being allowed through a newly installed iron gate by security guards. When the rest were denied entry, tempers flared. The crowd reportedly forced open the barricade and surged into the mandapam. Police arrived shortly after and struggled for an extended period to disperse and control the situation.
Reacting on social media, Hindu Munnani condemned the HR&CE’s alleged misuse of the VIP darshan route, posting on X, “Long wait for darshan in Tiruchendur – Devotees protest… Yesterday, while the public was waiting in line for darshan at the Tiruchendur Arulmigu Subramaniya Swamy Temple, some members of the public noticed that a few people were being let into the temple for darshan through the Shanmuga Vilasam gate. The public demanded that they also be allowed in and attempted to enter the temple by jumping over the barricades. For some time now, there have been regular complaints from the public on social media, often accompanied by videos, alleging that officials from the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department make lakhs of devotees wait in line while only a select few are taken on a separate path for “VIP darshan.”
Yesterday, as people were waiting in line for darshan, they saw some people being allowed into the temple through the Shanmuga Vilasam gate. In response, thousands of people jumped the barricades and attempted to enter the temple, demanding to be allowed in as well. In the ensuing chaos, if anyone had been injured, who would have taken responsibility? A few months ago, a devotee who was waiting in line suffocated to death in this very same Tiruchendur temple. The public is now questioning why the HR&CE department has not taken any action against the individuals who are reportedly accepting money or VIP recommendations to escort a select few for darshan. They are also asking whether the officials themselves are complicit in this practice.
Devotees are asking whether appropriate action will be taken against the HR&CE officials who make devotees wait for hours, causing them hardship and provoking them to protest. Will action be taken against the HR&CE officials who make devotees wait for hours and provoke protests at Tiruchendur? Is it enough for Minister Sekar Babu to be called “Seyal Babu” (Active Babu), or will he actually take action?”
திருச்செந்தூரில் தரிசனத்திற்கு பல மணி நேரம் காத்திருப்பு – பக்தர்கள் போராட்டம்..
நேற்று திருச்செந்தூர் அருள்மிகு சுப்ரமணிய சுவாமி திருக்கோவிலில் தரிசனத்திற்காக பொதுமக்கள் வரிசையில் காத்திருந்தபோது சண்முக விலாசம் வாயில் வழியாக சிலரை கோவில் தரிசனத்திற்கு அனுப்புவதை கண்ட பொதுமக்கள்… pic.twitter.com/HoPDh2VuBM
Heavy rain continued to lash Mumbai for the fourth straight day, throwing normal life out of gear as severe waterlogging disrupted daily activities across several parts of the city. In Vasai-Virar and Nala Sopara, floodwaters entered major roads, shops, and houses, creating chaos for residents.
As many areas were submerged, both pedestrians and motorists struggled to navigate, as traffic slowed down and accidents became a constant risk. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has cautioned that the situation may worsen, issuing warnings of heavy to very heavy rainfall over the next four days. Vashi recorded the maximum rainfall in the region, while Navi Mumbai too bore the brunt of the heavy downpour.
Amid the prolonged red alerts, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) directed schools to remain closed on Monday and Tuesday to ensure the safety of students. According to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) data, between 8.00 a.m. on August 18 and 7.00 a.m. on August 19, Mumbai’s central zone recorded 178.56 mm of rainfall, the eastern zone 190.50 mm, and the western zone 220.82 mm.
The heavy showers, coupled with poor drainage in low-lying areas, worsened the flooding situation. Large potholes, hidden under submerged roads, compounded the hazards and slowed vehicular movement further.
Public transportation, too, felt the impact. While suburban train services continued, both Western and Central lines were delayed by nearly 10 minutes due to water accumulation on tracks in vulnerable stretches. The disruption severely inconvenienced officegoers, students, and traders who depend on these services for their commute.
Earlier on Monday, the BMC had announced a holiday for schools and colleges after relentless rain battered the city. As forecasts predicted more downpours, Mumbai remains on edge, grappling with overflowing drains, inundated streets, and the looming fear of further disruption.
-IANS
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Russia proposed a bilateral meeting with Ukraine, followed by a trilateral meeting. In a news conference following his meetings with US President Donald Trump at the White House, Zelensky said on Monday that he is ready for “any format” of a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
He said that he would participate in the following trilateral meeting, depending on how the first meeting goes. Zelensky added that he does not know the details about the proposed bilateral meeting. He said that he does not want to impose conditions on the meeting because Putin would follow with his own conditions.
“I believe unconditionally we should meet and think about the further development of this path to the end of the war,” he said. Putin told Trump on Monday that he is willing to meet Zelensky, a person familiar with the call said. Putin told Trump, whom he met Friday in Alaska, of his readiness to meet Zelensky during a telephone call in a break from White House talks in Washington with European leaders, the person said on condition of anonymity. Trump said on Monday that he had started arranging a two-way peace meeting between Ukraine’s Zelensky and Russia’s Putin — to be followed by three-way talks involving himself.
“At the conclusion of the meetings, I called President Putin, and began the arrangements for a meeting, at a location to be determined, between President Putin and President Zelensky,” he said after hosting Zelensky and European leaders at the White House.
“After that meeting takes place, we will have a Trilat, which would be the two Presidents, plus myself.” Ukrainian President Zelensky on Monday gave an upbeat asessment of talks with US counterpart Trump and said they discussed security guarantees.
“We had a very good conversation with President Trump, and it really was the best one — or, sorry, maybe the best one will be in the future,” Zelensky said at an expanded meeting with European leaders. President zelensky and President Trump expressed hope that Monday’s critical talks with Ukrainian and European leaders at the White House could lead to trilateral talks with Putin to bring an end to Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Monday’s meeting comes after Trump met with Putin and has said that the onus is now on Zelensky to agree to concessions that he said could end the war. A group of European political leaders also meet with the US President after they were left out of Friday’s summit, and they are looking to safeguard Ukraine and the continent from any widening aggression from Moscow.
-IANS
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The Karnataka High Court has refused to quash the FIR lodged against a woman in connection with an alleged sexual assault on a minor boy and made a significant observation that the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences – POCSO Act is gender neutral, and the provisions of this act will apply to both men and women.
The bench headed by Justice M. Nagaprasanna passed the verdict in this regard dismissing the petition by 52-year-old woman in this regard on Monday. The sexual assault case was registered against her by the parents of the victim minor boy.
The petitioner contended that there is delay of four years in reporting of the crime. The counsel appearing for the petitioner further submitted that complaint under Section 4 and 6 has been registered for penetrative sexual assault and aggravated penetrative sexual assault under the POCSO Act.
The alleged crime occurred in 2020 and the FIR has been filed in 2025, the counsel highlighted. He further submitted that the victim is a 13-year-old school going boy and was a neighbour. To avoid the repayment, the petitioner has been set up in this case, the counsel argued.
The bench however, rejecting the submission observed that POCSO Act being progressive is intended to safeguard sanctity of childhood it is rooted in gender neutrality with its beneficent object being protection of children, irrespective of sex. The act is gender neutral.
The court further observed that even if there was a delay in filing the complaint (registering the crime), it cannot be used as a reason to cancel or dismiss the legal case, because the seriousness of the alleged offence and the fact that the victim is underage (or a minor) are more important considerations. The excuses about psychology and potency tests are not convincing and have no weight in today’s legal framework, the court maintained.
The court firmly rejected the claim that in sexual activity a woman only plays a passive role while the man is the active one and made it clear that such a notion is outdated, wrong, and cannot be accepted in law.
-IANS
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In a major crackdown on human trafficking, prostitution, orchestras and dance groups, Bihar Police rescued 112 minors and women from exploitation during a special state-wide campaign “Operation Naya Savera” conducted from July 31 to August 14.
The victims include 41 minor girls, 7 women, and 64 minor boys, said ADG (Weaker Sections) Amit Kumar Jain at a press conference held at Sardar Patel Bhawan, Police Headquarters in Patna on Monday. During the operation, 50 human traffickers, including 28 men and 22 women, were arrested, and 24 FIRs were registered.
Launched on the occasion of International Human Trafficking Prevention Day (July 30), the campaign targeted victims trapped in human trafficking, child labour, prostitution, orchestra and theatre groups, with a focus on rehabilitation.
As part of the drive, 19 orchestra/theatre groups were busted in districts including Patna (2), Kishanganj (7), Purnea (3), Rohtas (3), Madhubani (1), Araria (3), Saran (29), and Bettiah (1). 63 victims of child labour were freed from Patna (23), Sitamarhi (21), Vaishali (4), Katihar (3), Bagaha (1), Madhubani (3), Narkatiaganj railway station (2), and Sasaram railway station (6). The rescued victims also include 3 from Nepal, 13 from West Bengal, 4 from Uttar Pradesh, and one each from Odisha and Jharkhand.
ADG Jain further said that from January 2025 till now, police have registered 329 FIRs in trafficking-related cases across districts, rescuing 1,016 victims, including 217 minor girls, 77 women, and 722 minor boys. A total of 250 traffickers have been arrested and sent to jail under BNS provisions. Recognising exemplary efforts under the campaign, the Saran district was awarded the first prize, while Patna stood second.
In addition, the ADG highlighted ongoing initiatives of the CID Weaker Sections. “Since the establishment of a counseling cell in 2021, 157 applications related to family disputes have been received till August 17, 2025, of which 142 cases have been resolved, including 56 through mutual settlement,” Jain said.
A special helpdesk for trans women (bisexual women) has also been created at the police station level. The existing women’s helplines in 855 police stations will now function additionally as trans women helpdesks, guided by newly issued SOPs to ensure accessibility and speedy resolution of their cases.
-IANS
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In other words, the Veer title was not self-assigned by Savarkar but inserted in a retrospective preface written long after his death.
How the Myth Was Weaponised
