As Delhi goes to the polls for the Assembly elections on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on the city’s voters to actively participate in the democratic process and said ‘first vote, then refreshment’. Taking to the social media platform X, PM Modi encouraged Delhi’s voters to embrace their civic responsibility with enthusiasm.
“Voting for all the seats in the Delhi Assembly elections will be held today. I urge the voters here to participate in this festival of democracy with full enthusiasm and cast their valuable vote,” PM Modi wrote in a post. He also shared a special message for first-time voters, saying, “On this occasion, my special wishes to all the young friends who are going to vote for the first time. Remember – first vote, then refreshment!”
Echoing the Prime Minister’s sentiments, Union Home Minister Amit Shah also appealed to the people of Delhi to prioritise voting.
HM Shah urged voters to cast their ballots with the hope of a better future for the city, highlighting several key issues.
“I appeal to my sisters and brothers who are going to vote in the Delhi Assembly elections to vote against false promises, polluted Yamuna, liquor shops, broken roads and dirty water,” he wrote on X.
HM Shah emphasised the need for a government with a strong track record of public welfare and a clear vision for Delhi’s development.
He added, “Today, vote in large numbers to form a government that has a strong track record of public welfare and a clear vision for the development of Delhi. Your one vote can make Delhi the most developed capital of the world. Vote first, then have refreshments.”
The Delhi Assembly elections will determine the makeup of the Legislative Assembly for the coming term, with the results to be counted on February 8.
–IANS
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 4 February 2025 recommended a book for Lok Sabha MPs to read, adding an unexpected title to their reading list – ‘JFK’s Forgotten Crisis’ by US foreign policy expert Bruce Riedel.
The book delves into political and diplomatic emergencies during John F. Kennedy’s presidency. This suggestion came amid PM Modi’s criticism of those questioning his government’s handling of the China border issue. His remarks also followed inquiries by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav during discussion on the Motion of Thanks to President’s Address in Lok Sabha.
Replying to the debate, PM Modi took the opportunity to indirectly target former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, a frequent subject of criticism by the BJP.
He claimed that the book revealed the “games” Nehru played with India’s foreign policy and security during his time in office.
Referring to Nehru’s tenure as both Prime Minister and the head of Foreign Affairs, PM Modi remarked: “If someone is really interested in foreign policy… they should read JFK’s Forgotten Crisis.” He remarked that the book contains references to Nehru and his interactions with then President Kennedy during a crisis, shedding light on the foreign policy tactics used by Nehru.
The PM’s reference to the book sparked a debate on social media and among foreign policy watchers.
Observers began analysing the book’s content, with some highlighting the instances mentioned in the book that involved Nehru.
One analyst, commenting on X, linked Nehru’s approach to foreign policy to the mindset allegedly shared by Rahul Gandhi, saying: “The details about Nehru, and what he used his position for, is the same mindset that Rahul Gandhi has inherited as a family. No wonder Rahul Gandhi speaks the same language as third grade trolls, including on foreign policy.”
Several excerpts from Riedel’s book were shared online, including one that depicted a tense moment during the Kennedy administration.
It describes how Nehru insisted that Jacqueline Kennedy stay in a guest suite at the Prime Minister’s residence, despite the embassy having arranged a separate villa. The suite, frequently used by Edwina Mountbatten, the wife of the last British viceroy of India, held personal significance to Nehru.
Some extracts from pages of Riedel’s book shared on X read: “The embassy had rented a villa for Mrs. Kennedy to stay in, but Nehru insisted after she arrived that she stay in a guest suite at the prime minister’s residence. It was the suite often used by Edwina Mountbatten, the wife of India’s last viceroy Lord Mountbatten, who had presided over the partition. A frequent visitor to India after independence, Edwina and Nehru were at least close friends, if not more. Jackie (Jacqueline Kennedy) was getting Nehru’s complete attention.”
The book also notes how Nehru seemed more interested in Jackie Kennedy than in President Kennedy, with JFK himself remarking that it was the “worst state visit” of his presidency.
Another passage highlights Nehru’s apparent interest in Pat Kennedy, JFK’s young sister, over the two men.
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The Kerala High Court has come to the help of a 24-year-old man who was the fourth accused in a Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances case when he was allowed to travel abroad for employment as the trial in the case will take a long time. The case against the young man was registered in 2018 and has been pending in a lower court since 2019.
The High Court took up the case on the report of a lower court judge that at least two years would be required for the disposal of the petitioner’s case. “This court is of the opinion that, if two years are required to dispose of the case, it will be unjust to deny the petitioner an opportunity to earn his living by working abroad,” the court observed.
The court also directed the lower court to grant him permission to travel. The petitioner submitted that he was granted bail in March 2019 and that he had approached the trial court seeking permission to travel abroad for employment, which was turned down. It was then the petitioner approached the high court and got a favourable verdict.
The high court realised after getting a report from this lower court found out that there were 4,000 cases pending and there were over 1,000 cases that were five years old. Incidentally around 41,531 NDPS cases were registered in Kerala during the 15-month period ending June 2024. Ernakulum with over 6,000 cases led from the front followed by Malappuram district (5,906 cases) followed by Kozhikode (5,385 cases ). The lowest number of NDPS cases were registered in Pathanamthitta, with only 291 cases.
–IANS
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BJP leader H Raja was placed under house arrest after attempting to travel to Thiruparankundram, despite prohibitory orders issued in the area.
As BJP and Hindu Munnani members began their journey towards Thiruparankundram, police arrested several individuals at various locations. Hindu Munnani leader Kadeshwara Subramaniam was among those detained.
Raja, who tried to leave his residence in Karaikudi, Alagapuri, was stopped by Sivaganga SP Parthiban. The officer informed him that due to the prohibitory order, he would not be allowed to proceed and warned that he could be arrested as a precautionary measure.
Arguing with the police, Raja questioned the legal grounds for his restriction, stating that Section 144 had not been imposedin Maduraiitself. He insisted on his right to travel up to the Madurai border and challenged the legality of his detention. “If four or more people gather, the law applies, but I am traveling alone,” he asserted. He further said, “If I go with two people, your Madurai collector, your Madurai commissioner cannot touch Raja. But you people are preventing me from leaving here at my doorstep itself. How can you do it? Under which law? Has Tamil Nadu been given as a gift to the Stalin family? Does he think he can say whatever he wants? And you will follow his orders? If there are more than 3 people with me, you can arrest me. But along with me, there are only 2 people.”
Despite his protests, the police stood firm on their decision. Raja remained in his car for nearly an hour, refusing to leave. Eventually, officers placed him under house arrest, preventing him from joining the planned march to Thiruparankundram.
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Srimad Jagadguru Shankaracharya Kudali Sringeri Mahasamsthan Dakshinamnaya has announced a cash prize of ₹10 lakh for students who successfully complete higher Vedic studies in Rig Veda and Yajur Veda at the mutt’s gurukula.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, Shankaracharya Abhinava Shankara Bharati Mahaswamy stated that the initiative aims to preserve the ancient gurukula tradition and encourage rigorous Vedic education. The mutt has already commenced its gurukula activities to facilitate this.
The Shankaracharya explained that students will be trained in six core Shastras—Shiksha, Chandassu, Vyakarana, Nirukta, Jyothishya, and Kalpa—collectively known as ‘Shadanga’. Additionally, the curriculum includes Pratishakhya, along with Veda Samhita, Brahmana, and Aranyaka, making a total of ten granthas (epics).
Students who complete all ten granthas and pass the examination will earn the title ‘Dasha Granthi’ and receive a cash award of ₹5 lakh.
Those who continue their studies to the advanced level of Salakshana Ghanantha and pass the final examination will be awarded the title ‘Sadashagrantha Salakshana Ghanapathi’, along with a cash prize of ₹10 lakh.
10-Year Free Education Program
The gurukula course spans 10 years, with some students requiring up to 12 years to complete their studies. Education is provided free of cost, covering both Rig Veda and Yajur Veda branches.
The Shankaracharya emphasized that the primary goal of this initiative is to preserve and promote higher Vedic education for future generations.
In a large-scale crackdown, Tamil Nadu police have arrested thousands of people across the state as reported in Dinamalar to prevent their participation in a planned charity march to Thiruparankundram Hill. Several leaders of the BJP and Hindu Munnani, including senior BJP leader H. Raja and Hindu Munnani state president Kadeswara Subramanian, have been placed under house arrest.
The Hindu Munnani had organized the march to protest against alleged encroachments and reported animal sacrifices at Thiruparankundram Hill, a site revered as belonging to Lord Muruga. However, citing security concerns and the risk of communal tensions, the police imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 in Madurai for two days.
Statewide Arrests And Detentions
Police have conducted a sweeping operation across Tamil Nadu, placing Hindu Munnani and BJP leaders under house arrest and detaining thousands of workers who were attempting to reach Thiruparankundram.
Karaikudi, Sivaganga District – BJP leader H. Raja was placed under house arrest.
Tiruppur – Hindu Munnani state president Katheeswara Subramanian was arrested along with hundreds of supporters. A protest erupted in response, leading to road blockades.
Nellai – Hindu Munnani state secretary Courtala Nathan was arrested.
Coimbatore, Trichy, and Virudhunagar – Several BJP and Hindu Munnani functionaries were detained, with some locked up in private halls.
Madurai – A heavy police force was deployed, with vehicles heading towards the protest site being stopped and searched.
Security Measures And Police Deployment
To prevent the march, the Tamil Nadu government has deployed:
3000 police personnel led by Commissioner Loganathan.
Five Superintendents of Police (SPs), three Additional Deputy Superintendents of Police (ADSPs), and 13 Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs) from other districts.
Additionally, the Madurai Adheenam, a prominent Hindu monastery, was barred from leaving the mutt, effectively preventing their participation in the protest.
Hindu Munnani and BJP leaders strongly condemned the crackdown, alleging that the DMK-led government was suppressing their religious rights. They accused certain Muslim organizations of attempting to rename Thiruparankundram as “Sikandar Hill” and promoting religious violence.
“This is an outrageous attack on our right to worship. The police have stormed into the homes of our leaders and placed them under house arrest, stopping them from even visiting temples,” a Hindu Munnani spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, opposition leaders accused the police of acting under political pressure to curb Hindu organizations while allowing other religious groups to function freely.
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The Madurai bench of the High Court has granted permission to the Hindu Munnani organization to hold a protest in connection with the Thiruparankundram temple issue. The court ruled that the protest could take place from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM at Palanganatham near Madurai, subject to specific conditions.
The Hindu Munnani had originally sought permission to hold a protest at Thiruparankundram hill against alleged encroachments and the sacrifice of goats and chickens at the sacred site. However, authorities had denied permission, citing a prohibitory order under Section 144 due to tensions between two groups. The denial was also linked to the ongoing Vel Festival at the temple.
In response, Hindu Munnani filed an urgent petition in the High Court. A bench comprising Justices Jayachandran and Vandu Poornima heard the matter and ruled in favor of granting permission for the protest, while imposing certain restrictions to ensure public order.
The court emphasized the importance of freedom of speech and expression but stated that the protest should not disrupt religious harmony. It ruled that the protest should not take place at Thiruparankundram but at Palanganattham instead. Additionally, the following conditions were imposed:
The protest must be peaceful and should not include slogans or speeches that insult any religion or individual.
There should be no incitement to riots or communal tension.
The protestors are allowed to use only one microphone and speaker.
Necessary police security must be provided to maintain law and order.
This ruling follows the growing controversy over the Thiruparankundram hill issue, with Hindu Munnani alleging encroachment and religious violations at the sacred site. The court’s decision provides a legal framework for the protest while ensuring that tensions do not escalate.
A complaint has been lodged against the unauthorized use of a government-leased building in Kovvur town, East Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh. The building, which is meant to accommodate children from the Backward Classes (BC) in a residential hostel, has reportedly been used for religious activities, sparking concerns about the rights of the students residing there.
The hostel, which houses over 55 students from 3rd to 10th standard, is located near the BSNL office in Bapuji Nagar. However, according to a report published in Eenadu Telugu Daily, it has come to light that Christian prayer sessions and other religious gatherings are being held regularly within the premises, causing disturbance among the students.
Church activities in the BC Welfare Children Hostel, Kovvur, AP, violate Article 28(3) of the Constitution, raising grave concerns over safety, welfare of children & secular integrity of Govt's hostel system.
In a formal complaint addressed to the Chairperson of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Activist watchdog, Legal Rights Protection Forum, condemned this practice, highlighting its violation of the Indian Constitution. Specifically, Article 28(3) prohibits the imposition of religious activities on students in educational institutions receiving state funds.
The complaint raises alarm over the possibility of religious influence being used to target children for conversion, a practice that he argues threatens the secular nature of the country and the well-being of minor children.
The Legal Rights Protection Forum has called for an immediate investigation into the matter and for the government to take appropriate action to ensure the rights of the children are protected. The forum expressed concerns over the misuse of public property and the breach of constitutional rights concerning religious freedom in educational spaces.
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A formal complaint has been lodged with the South-Central Railway authorities regarding the illegal encroachment of railway land and the construction of an unauthorized religious structure near Malkajgiri, Secunderabad. The complaint, filed by the legal watchdog, Legal Rights Protection Forum, calls for immediate action to address the violation.
The land in question, located near Bala Saraswathi Nagar, close to Malkajgiri Police Station, has reportedly been occupied by unidentified individuals. According to local residents, construction of a mosque is underway on the encroached land, raising concerns about public safety, legal violations, and potential communal tensions.
Encroachment of Railway land & illegal construction of Mosque at BalaSaraswathy Nagar, near Malkajgiri PS, Secunderabad.
Wrote to the AGM @SCRailwayIndia seeking removal of the encroachment under provisions of Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants) Act, 1971. pic.twitter.com/194hmQOzkM
In the complaint submitted to both the Director and Secretary of Public Grievances at South Central Railway, LRPF emphasized the need for swift action under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants) Act, 1971, to remove the encroachment and prevent further illegal occupation. Images and a video clip of the ongoing construction were enclosed to support the claims made in the complaint.
The Legal Rights Protection Forum has urged authorities to take prompt measures to safeguard railway land from further encroachment and to maintain law and order in the region. It has also requested an acknowledgment of the complaint and updates on the actions taken in response.
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Dravidianist YouTuber Madan Gowri who is famous for peddling fake news and half-truths is at it again. This time he is trying to “educate” his followers and viewers with a very quick 11-minute summary of the Thirupparankudram Hill issue. But does he spell out the facts and narrate the sequence of events as they happened? Well, no prizes for guessing – like a typical Dravidianist, he skipped the most important bits and has peddled a narrative demonising Hindu Munnani as the reason for the “unrest” in the area.
In a video on his YouTube channel titled, “Madurai Thiruparankundram Issue Explained! 😟”, Madan Gowri talks about all things under the sun but leaves out the most important and contentious bits of information to pin the blame on Hindu Munnani and paint the Islamists who desecrated the sacred Hill as saints and guess what? The Ramanathapuram MP is nowhere in the picture.
In his 11-minute video, he talks about the alleged history of the imaginary character called Sikandar, the dargah and tries to establish that the dargah was in existence for centuries and that the temple and the dargah coexisted all these years. He alleges that a long-standing court case over land ownership between the temple and the dargah was settled in 1923.
He then talks about the goat sacrifice done by the Islamists and tries to cement this lie as a fact – he says that a festival is held annually at the hill, where goats are traditionally offered. However, the Hindu Munnani expressed opposition to this practice, claiming it is against their religious sentiments. This disagreement has led to a clash between the Hindu Munnani and those who want to continue the tradition.
He then justifies that the police are right in their approach to implementing section 144/curfew. But nowhere in the video does he talk about the Kasi Vishwanathar temple, the goat sacrifice, the eating of non-vegetarian food at the hill and how Navas Kani claimed the dargah was under Waqf land – he skips all these details and only focuses on the protest.
In a portion of the video, he says, “Hindu Munnani says this is not Sikandar Hill, you should not take these things up. The others are calling it Sikandar Hill because Sikandar’s dargah is present there. But these people (Hindu Munnani) are saying it is not Sikandar Hill and one should not take goats there because it disturbs our sentiments. So this is what has happened in recent times. Then, Hindu Munnani said there would be a protest, but the police said no don’t protest here, it will create unnecessary tension, and they didn’t give permission. So, if one wants to protest, they have to get permission. But herethe permission was deniedand yet Hindu Munnani says that even without permission they would protest.But if they protest without permission, it will create a problem because this is a sensitive topic, a religious topic. They are saying they will do it in front of the temple andthere is a dargah on top of the hill. So to avoid problems, section 144 was implemented in the Madurai district for today and tomorrow. So, I think I have told everything in 2000 years of history.”
Even in this video, if you notice, he peddles the same narrative as agmark seculars do – if there is a mosque or a dargah or the Islamist minority involved, it is a “sensitive” topic since it is a religious issue andideally it is the Hindus who must tolerate everything and do not take any action on what is their own.
You can watch the full video here:
What Actually Happened?
Tensions flared on 27 December 2024, when Madurai police detained a family attempting to bring goats and roosters to the hilltop dargah for ritual sacrifice. Led by Syed Abu Dahir, a 53-year-old from Malaiyadipatti, the family protested after being stopped at the base of the hill. Their detention sparked demonstrations by over 20 local Muslims in solidarity.
On January 5, 2025, another group of Muslim protesters gathered at the hill, demanding access to the mosque for prayers. When police denied their request, the situation escalated, resulting in a brief scuffle and several detentions.
Further unrest followed the announcement of an “Equality Feast” (Samaanbhojan) scheduled for January 18 at the hilltop dargah. Social media posts indicated plans for goat and rooster sacrifices during the event. Concerned about communal violence, authorities erected barricades and conducted searches to prevent livestock from being transported to the site. When protesters were informed that animal sacrifices were prohibited, clashes erupted between Jamath members and the police, disrupting the area further.
Compounding the issue, the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), an AIADMK ally linked to the banned group PFI, has been accused of orchestrating these sacrilegious acts to inflame tensions.
On January 21, 2025, controversy deepened when DMK Manapparai MLA Abdul Samad conducted an unauthorized survey around the temple, allegedly to assert control over the hill. The same day, IUML leader Navas Kani reaffirmed in an interview that the dargah falls under the Tamil Nadu Waqf Board’s jurisdiction, further fueling the conflict.
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