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No, Cream Buns Don’t Have 18% GST, Annapoorna Hotelier’s Claims Exposed

By
The Commune
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No, Cream Buns Don't Have 18% GST, Annapoorna Hotelier's Claims Exposed

Recently, D. Srinivasan, Managing Director of Sree Annapoorna Hotel, stirred up controversy by questioning Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman about the GST regime. He highlighted the anomaly of an 18% GST on cream-filled buns compared to no GST on plain buns, urging the Minister to address this discrepancy, which he claimed was causing difficulties with customers. Although the issue quickly went viral and served as an effective marketing strategy, it turns out that the entire claim was misleading.

Since the video of hotelier D. Srinivasan confronting Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and later apologizing went viral, the cream bun has also gained significant attention, trending across the state. On 13 September 2024, the restaurant even shared a promotional video on Instagram featuring their cream buns, with the tagline, “That’s trending across India. Cream + Bun = Cream-Bun.”

Social media users and influencers are flocking to Sree Annapoorna Hotel to purchase the popular cream bun, following a recent controversy. Managing Director D. Srinivasan had highlighted that sweets are taxed at 5%, savouries at 12%, and cream-filled buns at 18%, while plain buns are exempt from GST. He humorously noted that customers often say, “Just give me the bun; I’ll add the cream and jam myself,” which elicited laughter from the crowd.

However, the situation has taken a troubling turn. Despite the cream bun being sold with only a 5% GST, it was inaccurately promoted as having an 18% GST. This discrepancy led to viral attention and coordinated videos from opposition parties like the DMK and Congress, criticizing the BJP’s GST policies. This misinformation campaign resembles a toolkit that suddenly appears and then vanishes, leaving those affected as the true victims. Netizens are now countering previous claims and ridiculing those who propagated the unverified narrative.

Critics argue that the video clearly shows the GST on cream buns is 5%, not 18% as previously claimed by the Annapoorna owner during the meeting with FM Nirmala Sitharaman. This incorrect information fueled an entire misinformation campaign. Since then, Sree Annapoorna and its owner have apologized for the incident, likely due to the provision of incorrect facts. The issue should now be considered closed. What was overlooked in the entire controversy is that the government was open to listening to business grievances, and the meeting was intended to address such concerns. It is unfortunate that only the sensational aspects were highlighted.

Background

On 11 September 2024, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met with entrepreneurs from various sectors, including small and micro industries, at the Kodisia campus in Coimbatore. The event, organized by Codisia and Lagu Udyog Bharati Industrial Organization, saw participation from business owners across Coimbatore, Tirupur, and Erode districts. Coimbatore South MLA Vanathi Srinivasan also attended the event, which provided a platform for the entrepreneurs to discuss their concerns and raise demands directly with the Finance Minister.

Entrepreneurs Present Demands

During the meeting, several entrepreneurs from diverse sectors voiced grievances regarding GST rates, loan schemes, and other pressing issues affecting their businesses. One of the key demands was from hoteliers, represented by Srinivasan, the chairman of Sri Annapurna Hotel, who highlighted the inconsistencies in GST rates. He pointed out that different rates were applied to items on the same bill, causing customer confusion and dissatisfaction.

“There is 5% GST on sweets but 12% on savouries, and 18% on cream-filled buns, whereas there is no GST on buns! Customers often complain, saying, ‘Just give me the bun, I’ll add the cream and jam myself,’“ said Srinivasan, leading to laughter from the crowd.

He emphasized the need for a uniform GST rate on food items, particularly in Tamil Nadu, where sweet and savoury items are consumed together.

Taking a dig at BJP MLA Vanathi Srinivasan, he said, “So please increase it uniformly for everything. Secondly, this MLA, madam, is from our constituency. She said in the North of India, they are eating too many sweets, so the GST has been fixed at 5% and 12% for savouries. I said no. In TN, we call it sweet karma coffee (sweets, savouries, and coffee). So please consider it, madam; please make it uniform.”

Srinivasan further criticized the complexity of the GST system, stating, “The computer crashes when we try to input different GST percentages in a single bill. Even the GST officials are confused, as all items have the same input but different tax rates. This inconsistency is causing issues for both shopkeepers and customers.”

In response, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman acknowledged the entrepreneurs’ concerns, stating that the government was working to simplify the GST system. She assured the attendees that she would bring these concerns to the GST Council, particularly the varying tax rates on food items. Sitharaman highlighted that GST, Customs, Income Tax, MSME, EOB, and Canara Bank officials had come from Delhi to address the grievances of the industrialists. “We will take steps to address each petition given,“ she assured, adding that 1,500 outdated industrial laws have already been removed, and 40,000 complaints have been resolved nationwide.

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PMK President Anbumani Ramadoss Criticizes VCK Leader Thirumalavan For Labeling Party As Casteist, Questions Hypocrisy Of Anti-Alcohol Stance

By
The Commune
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PMK President Anbumani Ramadoss Criticizes VCK Leader Thirumalavan For Labeling Party As Casteist, Questions Hypocrisy Of Anti-Alcohol Stance

Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) President and Rajya Sabha MP Anbumani Ramadoss has criticized Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) leader Thirumalavan for labeling the secular PMK party as casteist. Ramadoss questioned how a party known for advocating reservations can be deemed casteist, and asked ideology behind Thirumalavan’s own party. He urged Thirumalavan to cease his propaganda and expressed support for his efforts to protest for complete alcohol prohibition in the state.

PMK President Anbumani Ramadoss met with journalists who had arrived at Madurai Airport for various programs organised by his party. During the interaction, he addressed several issues:

Anbumani Ramadoss, initially criticizing the ruling DMK’s policies, stated, “In Tamil Nadu, youth are dying due to drug abuse. What is the police doing about this? Is the Chief Minister aware of the situation?” Later, addressing the helicopter tourism program at Chennai’s ECR, he said, “Chennai, which is a major destination for migratory birds, sees one-third of the birds arriving in Tamil Nadu. Introducing a helicopter tourist site there would negatively impact these birds.”

When reporters inquired about the VCK chief’s decision not to invite the PMK to the alcohol prohibition conference, citing the PMK as a casteist party, Anbumani Ramadoss responded, “What’s his party then? Pattali Makkal Katchi is a party that was stated for providing social justice. Over 36 years, our leader, Doctor, has secured six reservations for us. Despite this, Thirumavalavan continues to disparage the party with so many achievement, which he should refrain from. We could also criticize his party disrespectfully,” he warned. “Stop with this.”

Anbumani Ramadoss further stated widespread support for alcohol prohibition, and the PMK welcomes anyone advocating for such measures in India. If Thirumalavan holds a conference on this issue, the PMK will support it, as prohibition aligns with the party’s fundamental principles. However, he stressed that the portrayal of the PMK as a casteist party must cease. Ramadoss also mocked the VCK, suggesting that while they are still in the early stages of addressing these issues, the PMK has a PhD-level expertise in protesting against liquor.

Anbumani Ramadoss also criticized Thirumalavan for his hypocrisy in aligning with the DMK, which owns many brewing distilleries, while aiming to ban alcohol. He suggested that Thirumalavan first address this issue to his DMK allies and invite Kanimozhi to his anti-alcohol conference. Ramadoss emphasized that if Thirumalavan is genuinely committed to eliminating alcohol, he should have engaged with the Pattali Makkal Katchi first.

He pointed out the contradiction in Thirumalavan’s stance, noting that while he advocates for alcohol prohibition, he campaigns alongside distillery owners like TR Baalu and Jagathrakshakan, who supply 40 percent of the liquor sold in Tamil Nadu government’s TASMAC shops.

In this context, Mukkulathor Pulipadai party leader also criticized VCK’s Thirumalavan’s anti-liquor conference, calling it a staged drama and a political stunt. Actor Karunas, who addressed the media in Madurai on Saturday, remarked, “He says there is no invitation to casteist and religious parties are not invited, but what was he been doing all this time? what is his parties fundamental ideology? Ramadoss’s party PMK is a recognised party by the election commission and his party also recognised by it, if Pattali Makkal Katchi is a casteist party means the what is Viduthalai Chiruthaigal katchi? if today he had joined someone called Arjun ready immediately had it become as a national party? what is this?”

 

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Singer Suchitra Says Vairamuthu Invited Her To His Home To Make Advances, Allegedly Gave Pantene Shampoo After She Came With Her Granny

By
The Commune
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MeToo Accused Vairamuthu Writes A Cryptic Post Taking A Dig At Singer Suchitra's Mental Health

Irony died a thousand deaths when #MeToo accused Dravidianist poet Vairamuthu, facing sexual harassment allegations from over 20 women, called for the formation of panels like the Hema Committee across states to address workplace harassment.

In light of this, singer Suchitra, known for her distinctive voice in playback singing and her contributions as a dubbing artist in Tamil cinema and infamous for the “Suchi Leaks” scandal of 2016, has fueled the controversy by asserting that lyricist Vairamuthu had sexually harassed singers, sharing her own experiences to support the claim.

Suchitra said, “He will call all the singers and speak like this, I will tell you his dialogues also, he will say, ‘Ma’am, your voice has a lust,’ then he will say, ‘I have gone mad after hearing your voice,’ and then he will say, ‘I’m falling in love with your voice.’ These are his dialogues. There is no singer who hasn’t received this phone call. I also got this phone call from him after the song ‘May month 98,’ and said, ‘there is lu.. in your voice’ which was a rubbish song. After hearing that song, who will feel love in the voice? If you watch TV, you may feel love for Reema Sen. I sang the song like a nervous rabbit, very frightened, and it was very high-pitched, too. The song was without any expression. If someone is giving flattery compliments from the wrong angle, we will come to know that something is wrong, right?”

Suchitra then recounted an incident where after receiving inappropriate flattery from #MeToo accused Vairamuthu in a phone call regarding the glamorous song, he invited her to his home to present her with a gift. However, she brought her grandmother along, which visibly shocked Vairamuthu. According to Suchitra, her grandmother confronted Vairamuthu, asserting that Suchitra was like a daughter to him and demanding that he behave responsibly. Vairamuthu, visibly anxious, sweated during the encounter. When her grandmother asked about the gift, Vairamuthu nervously retrieved two “Pantene” shampoo bottles. Suchitra claimed that Vairamuthu’s real intention in inviting her was not to give a gift but to make an inappropriate advance.

Following that incident too, Suchitra allegedly received calls from Vairamuthu, inviting her to his farmhouse for a recording session. However, she chose to disconnect the call after answering it. She remarked, “they are very lusty fellows brother. Until K. Balachandar’s death he was a lusty man. They are all like that this kind of nymphomaniac types are like that till their death.”

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Dravidian Poet Vairamuthu Accused Of Sexual Harassment By Multiple Women Says “Hema Committee Type Panels Should Be Formed In All States”, Chinmayi Slams

By
The Commune
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Dravidian Poet Vairamuthu Accused Of Sexual Harassment By Multiple Women Says "Hema Committee Type Panels Should Be Formed In All States", Chinmayi Slams

#MeToo accused Vairamuthu’s recent visit to the Communist Party of India (Marxist) office in Chennai, where he emphasized the necessity of establishing panels similar to the Hema Committee across the country, has come under scrutiny.

When asked about the Hema Committee Report, Vairamuthu stated, “This is crucial. The Hema Committee model should be adopted in key sectors across all states. Women seek safety not just in cinema but in all areas of life. They are being exploited and subjected to sexual abuse.” 

He also advocated for redefining the concept of womanhood to eradicate gender-based discrimination, asserting that true equality between men and women should be the goal. Hypocritically argued that “To end these issues, we need to move past traditional concepts of womanhood and manhood that create gender divisions. Both genders should be considered equal. The abuse of one gender by another highlights an imbalance, not weakness in womanhood.”

Vairamuthu also suggested that gender equality and empowerment training be integrated into school curriculums by the National Education Department.

Singer Chinmayi Sripada accused #MeToo accused lyricist Vairamuthu of hypocrisy after he called for the creation of panels similar to the Hema Committee for sexual harassment across India. Chinmayi Sripada, who has previously accused Vairamuthu of sexual harassment, highlighted that nearly 20 women have accused him of misconduct.

Chinnayi via her official X account remarked, “Anywhere else this Tamilian Harvey Weinstein would be investigated at the very least. Gangrape cases have evidence fudged and dont get justice in our country so wishing for justice is too much in India. Almost 20 women have named Vairamuthu, yet the shamelessness to platform him requires a special wiring.” She further expressed her hope that, “My deepest, most sincere prayer and wish is that the systems, societies and people that protect sex offenders have a painful loooooong drawn out end.”

Following the Hema Committee report, which uncovered a series of sexual assault cases involving female actors in the Malayalam film industry and highlighted a troubling pattern of harassment orchestrated by a powerful group of 10-15 men, the Tamil film industry has also attempted to revisit old cases. However, these efforts are being obstructed by entrenched networks within the industry.

Chinmayi Sripada, who remains engaged in a legal battle with Vairamuthu over her harassment claims, first raised her allegations during the MeToo movement in India in 2018.

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PM Modi Is The Reason Behind Boom In Para Sports: Paris Paralympics Medalist Yogesh Kathuniya

By
The Commune
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PM Modi Is The Reason Behind Boom In Para Sports: Paris Paralympics Medalist Yogesh Kathuniya

Following India’s best-ever medal tally at a Paralympics event, silver medal winner Yogesh Kathuniya hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s contribution to Para-Sports, saying the success of the para-athletes can be attributed to him.

“Since Prime Minister Modi came into power, the boom in para sports, especially since 2016, can largely be attributed to his efforts. Whether it was after Rio, Tokyo, or Paris, his involvement has made sports more inclusive in a way that no one else has done. He has always helped us like a friend in good times and bad. He provides a lot of support through Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) and Khelo India,” Yogesh Kathuniya told IANS.

Indian thrower Yogesh Kathuniya won the silver medal in the Men’s Discus Throw – F56 event with a season’s best throw at the Paris Paralympics. Kathuniya, who also won the silver medal in the F56 category at the World Para-Athletics Championships in May, recorded the throw of 42.22m to take the silver behind Brazil’s Claudiney Batista dos Santos, who clinched gold a Paralympic record throw of 46.86m. The 27-year-old Indian had won the silver in Tokyo 2020 with a best effort of 44.38m while also finishing behind Batista dos Santos back then.

Kathuniya developed a rare neurological condition called Guillain-Barre syndrome when he was nine years old, and took up Para sports in 2017 when he was at college. While he tried several disciplines, he fell in love with discus throwing. Immediately, India achieved their most successful performance in Paralympic history at the Paris 2024 Games, securing 29 medals – seven gold, nine silver, and 13 bronze.

This achievement surpasses the 19-medal haul from Tokyo 2020, which included five golds. The record haul also meant that India crossed the 50-medal mark in their Paralympic history after taking their overall medal haul to 60 medals with 16 gold, 21 silver and 23 bronze medals.

–IANS

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Indian Biotech Startups Launch 11 Unique Products In Biosciences

By
The Commune
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The Indian biotech startups took centre-stage with unveiling 11 products at the ‘Global Bio-India 2024’ that showcased the country’s emerging talent in biosciences, it was announced on Saturday. The fourth edition of the event, organised by Department of Biotechnology (DBT) in the national capital, concluded after showcasing India’s biotech prowess. The theme highlighted the potential and opportunities in biotech innovation and bio-manufacturing and its impact on the bio-economy.

The ceremony also marked the launch of calls for proposals under the i4 (Innovation for Industry) and PACE (Promoting Academic Collaboration and Entrepreneurship) programmes, furthering the government’s commitment to fostering innovation. Professor V Ramgopal Rao, Group Vice Chancellor, Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani, emphasised the need for India to develop organisational models similar to the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) for other emerging technologies like nanotechnology and quantum technology. He also stressed the importance of fostering deep tech startups led by PhDs and academic faculty, urging institutions to encourage entrepreneurship.

The event demonstrated India’s potential in the biotech sector with evidence, both within the country and to the world, paving out a roadmap to leapfrog the Biotech innovation and Bio-manufacturing in the country, said the Ministry of Science and Technology. According to Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh, India’s bio-economy has experienced remarkable growth, skyrocketing from $10 billion in 2014 to over $130 billion in 2024, with projections to reach $300 billion by 2030. There are 30 breakthrough startups, paving the way for the future of biotech.

According to the minister, there are a billion reasons to invest in India. India has a 60 percent share of global vaccine production and the second-highest number of FDA-approved manufacturing plants outside the US. Opportunities for investments are available in biopharma, bio-agri, bio-industrial, bioenergy, services, and MedTech.

–IANS

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Lord Ganpati Being Put Behind Bars: PM Modi Castigates Congress For ‘insulting’ Hindu Deity

By
The Commune
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Lord Ganpati Being Put Behind Bars: PM Modi Castigates Congress For ‘insulting’ Hindu Deity

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched a blistering attack on the Congress party over the ‘arrest’ of Lord Ganesh idol in Karnataka and accused it of pursuing only one agenda – Appeasement. His condemnation of the Congress-led Karnataka government came over an incident in Bengaluru, where the cops locked the Lord Ganesh idol in a police van. As the pictures of Lord Ganpati from inside the police van surfaced, it created a wide uproar and outrage among the Hindu devotees.

Taking strong objection to Lord Ganpati’s idol being insulted and undermined in the Congress-ruled state, PM Modi said that it has crossed all the limits by putting the Ganpati behind bars. “Appeasement is the biggest objective of the Congress party. In Congress-ruled Karnataka, Lord Ganpati is being put behind bars. Lord Ganesh was packed inside a police van,” PM Modi said while addressing a poll rally in Haryana’s Kurukshetra on Saturday. PM Modi also accused the Congress party of ‘spoiling’ the religious fervour of Ganesh Utsav with its ‘dirty deeds’. “When the country is celebrating the Ganesh Chaturthi, Congress is trying to stall the celebrations,” PM Modi stated.

Notably, the ‘arrest’ of a Hindu deity happened in Karnataka’s Bengaluru as the cops acted against a demonstration by Hindu activists, protesting against the stone-pelting at the Ganesh idol procession in Mandya district, a day ago. Bengaluru police not only detained all 40 protestors but took away the Lord Ganesh idol and put it inside a police van.

BJP MP from Bengaluru South Tejasvi Survya shared the pictures of Lord Ganesh locked in a police van and expressed dismay over the incident. He accused the Congress govt of insulting Hindu deities and also belittling the faith of millions of Hindus. Notably, the Ganesh Chaturthi procession came under attack in Nagamangala town of Karnataka’s Mandya town on Thursday. As the devotees were taking Ganesh idols for immersion, members of other communities pelted stones. This led to communal tension between the two communities and further escalated into arson and vandalism.

–IANS

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RG Kar Tragedy: Junior Doctors At CM Banerjee’s Residence For Talks, All 30 Allowed In

By
The Commune
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RG Kar Tragedy: Junior Doctors At CM Banerjee's Residence For Talks, All 30 Allowed In

Hours after her dramatic visit to the site where junior doctors were protesting against the ghastly rape and murder of a junior doctor of Kolkata’s R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital to appeal that they resume work, and a fresh invitation from the government, a meeting between West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and a 30-strong delegation of the protesters began at her residence on Saturday evening. Minister of State for Health Chandrima Bhattacharya and Principal Secretary, Health, Narayan Swarup Nigam were also present at the meeting.

The bus carrying the delegation of junior doctors reached the Chief Minister’s residence at Kalighat in south Kolkata at 6.40 p.m. – 40 minutes after the scheduled time of 6 p.m. All the 30 members of the delegation were allowed entry to the Chief Minister’s residence although the email invitation sent earlier by Chief Secretary Manoj Pant to the West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Forum (WBJDF) had capped the size of the delegation at 15.

Accepting the invitation for talks, the junior doctors, however, argued that it was impossible to limit the delegation number below 30 since one representative from each of the 26 medical colleges in the state would have to be accommodated in the delegation. “A delegation of 30 representatives will be going there. Our agenda is to discuss the five points which we are demanding,” said a protesting junior doctor. One of their major demands is the suspension of the Health Secretary, the Director of Health Services and the Director of Medical Education. However, the doctors did not make it clear whether they will continue to insist on a live telecast of the meeting, but stick to the demand for transparency. On Saturday morning, the Chief Minister suddenly reached the spot of the sit-in demonstration by doctors and promised to consider their demands in a gradual manner provided the protesting doctors go back to their duties.

Greeted with the slogan “We want Justice” as she reached the protest venue accompanied by the state Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar, Banerjee had to wait for the slogan-shouting to abate so she could speak. Addressing them for five minutes, she said that she had come there as their “Didi” (sister), not the Chief Minister, in her last attempt to enter into “constructive dialogues” with the protesters. “Despite security issues, I have personally come here. I have come here not as the Chief Minister. I salute your protests. I am myself a product of the students’ movement. Last night, there was torrential rain. I feel sad about the manner you have been protesting for the last many days. Even I could not sleep,” she said. Claiming that she will try to consider the demands of the protesting junior doctors provided they rejoin duty, the Chief Minister said: “I will request CBI to ensure capital punishment for the guilty within the next three months. On my part, I will also take action against those who are guilty. I have come here just to say this,” she said.

“Remember, the next hearing at the Supreme Court is on September 17. I will not take any action against you. Please give me some time,” she said. In their immediate reaction, the protesting doctors said that while they welcomed the gesture of the Chief Minister, they were sticking to their demands on the issue. “The Chief Minister has invited us for discussion. Even we are ready for the discussion with open minds,” a protesting junior doctor said. The earlier meeting on Thursday convened at the state secretariat Nabanna failed as the state government refused to accept the junior doctors’ demand for the live telecast of the proceedings.

A delegation of 30 junior doctors reached the Secretariat but had to go back without any meeting. Meanwhile, the mother of the victim has claimed that she even wants a solution to the impasse, but after ensuring justice for her daughter. “The Chief Minister has claimed that anyone who is found guilty will be punished. There are many who are guilty. I want all of them to be punished,” she demanded.

–IANS

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VHP Hails Yogi Adityanath’s Statement On Gyanvapi, Criticises Mosque Claims

By
The Commune
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VHP Hails Yogi Adityanath’s Statement On Gyanvapi, Criticises Mosque Claims

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Saturday welcomed Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s remarks on the Gyanvapi dispute, stating that it is incorrect to persist with the claim that the site is a mosque. VHP National Spokesperson Vinod Bansal emphasised that the Chief Minister’s statement should be taken seriously and urged for a swift resolution.

VHP spokesperson Bansal reiterated that Kashi, home to the Gyanvapi complex, is a historic religious and educational hub, where Adiguru Shankaracharya gained enlightenment. The city, he said, is the sacred land of Lord Shiva and Lord Vishwanath. Highlighting the controversy, Bansal asserted that invaders had attempted to occupy this revered land of Lord Vishwanath Mahadev, and what some now refer to as a mosque is in fact the sanctum sanctorum of Lord Shiva. He stressed the importance of ‘liberating’ the site. According to Bansal, the site’s physical structure, including the walls and the lower dome, exposes the falsehood behind claims that it is a mosque.

He argued that, based on its architecture, history, and religious significance, there should be no doubt that the place belongs to Lord Vishwanath. “In this context, any insistence on it being a mosque is inappropriate,” he concluded.

Earlier, UP CM Yogi Adityanath expressed reservations with those assuming Varanasi’s Gyanvapi mosque as a place of Muslim worship and said that Gyanvapi was actually ‘Vishwanath’ (Lord Shiva). “Durbhagya se Gyanvapi ko log doosre shabdon mein masjid kahte hain…lekin who Gyanvapi saakshat Vishwanath Ji hain,” (Unfortunately, people describe Gyanvapi as a mosque, in other words, but it is Lord Shiva embodied), CM Yogi Adityanath said while speaking at a seminar in Gorakhpur on Saturday.

The UP-CM’s remark came a day after the Varanasi court’s order rejected the Hindu side’s plea seeking directions to the local District Magistrate (DM) to repair Vyas ji’s basement, which is located within the premises of the Gyanvapi mosque complex.

–IANS

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Eknath Shinde Slams Cong-Led Govt In K’taka As Mandya Cops ‘Hold Back’ Ganpati Idol

By
The Commune
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Eknath Shinde Slams Cong-Led Govt In K'taka As Mandya Cops 'Hold Back' Ganpati Idol

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday lashed out at the Congress government in Karnataka after the police in the neighbouring state’s Mandya town held back an idol of Ganpati during the procession and kept it in the police station.

He said that those doing politics over the collapse of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s statue at Rajkot Fort in Malvan were responsible for “creating hurdles” during Ganpati festival celebrations in Karnataka. Shinde spoke about the Mandya incident at a rally in Dharashiv in the Marathwada region. The rally promoted the state government’s flagship Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana.

Referring to the image of Ganpati idol that went viral on social media after being held back by Mandya Police as the procession was attacked by miscreants, sparking outrage against the Congress government, the Maharashtra Chief Minister said: “People doing politics in the name of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj are responsible for stopping Ganapati festival celebrations in Karnataka… the Congress government arrested Ganpati Bappa in Karnataka.”

The Karnataka Police are yet to verify the claims regarding the holding back of the Ganpati idol. “You (referring to Congress) do this with Lord Ganesha in Ganeshotsav. Where will you pay for this sin? After the fall of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s statue in Sindhudurg district, the opposition played politics on this issue. However, the Ganapati idol was arrested in Karnataka,” Shinde further said, criticising the Siddaramaiah-led Karnataka government. The Maharashtra Chief Minister also criticised Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s statement on the reservation. “My sisters will now do the work of sending these Congressmen home.”

Meanwhile, Shinde strongly defended the MahaYuti government’s decision to implement the Ladki Bahin scheme and other welfare and development schemes for women, youth, farmers, and other sections. He reiterated that the MahaYuti government if voted to power in the upcoming Assembly polls, will increase the current monthly financial aid of Rs 1,500 — provided to the eligible women beneficiaries — to Rs 3,000. “The Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana will not be discontinued. The government will increase financial assistance and make the sisters millionaires. If women are strong, then the country is strong. Women’s development is the country’s development,” the Maharashtra CM said.

–IANS

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