Latest news with #Annapurna
Scroll.in
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Muslim residents forced to flee Pune villages after boycott calls, allege rights groups
Muslim residents of several villages in Maharashtra's Pune district have been forced to flee their homes and shut businesses in the past two months amid boycott calls by 'majoritarian forces', two human rights organisations have alleged. In a letter to the Pune divisional commissioner on June 30, the People's Union for Civil Liberties and the Association for Protection of Civil Rights also urged authorities to act against those creating a 'sense of insecurity' in Paud, Pirangut, Kolvan, Suatarwadi and the surrounding villages of Mulsi taluk. The two groups had conducted a fact-finding exercise in the district on July 2 after reports emerged that residents of the villages were threatened 'not to allow any Muslim to work or employ him/her in any business or profession or allow them to stay as a tenant'. The threats came after a Muslim boy allegedly desecrated an idol of the Hindu deity Annapurna in Paud village on May 2, according to the letter. 'Some residents of the village beat him up and handed him over to the local police,' it said, adding that a case was registered and the boy was arrested. Following this, political parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party, organised protests condemning the incident. The situation was brought under control by the police, the letter said, adding that a few local leaders and activists also made efforts later to settle the matter. However, placards and boards displaying notices banning Muslims from outside the village from entering the area began appearing in public places soon after, said the rights groups. They alleged that Muslim shopkeepers, traders and vendors were also forced to close their businesses, compelling a few establishments dealing in scrap material to shut down and leave the villages. 'Moreover, we are told that with the 'cooperation' of local police, the identity proofs are checked and verified to ensure that no Muslim other than permanent/local Muslim resident be allowed to live in the village,' the human rights groups claimed. They added: 'Because of such terrifying, chilling atmosphere, many Muslim persons/families have been forced to leave their respective villages and to seek temporary shelter to some other place – many have been made to go back to their native places in other states.' A few Hindus in the area also told the human rights groups that they had been told not to help anybody from the Muslim community, claimed the letter. 'This is certainly undesirable and affecting peace and harmony in the villages.' It further claimed that similar instances of a 'boycott call' of the Muslim community were seen in Pune city in the past three months. Residents have been urged to boycott businesses owned by Muslims and not to avail any service from them, it added. Such instances and messages circulating online have been brought to the notice of the police, the letter said. 'However, despite that, such appeals, affecting the harmony in society, are being made openly and intermittently and as if with impunity,' it added. In their letter, the People's Union for Civil Liberties and the Association for Protection of Civil Liberties urged the divisional commissioner to conduct an inquiry into the matter and take action to restore normalcy in the villages. They also asked the authorities to remove the notices calling for a boycott of Muslims. The groups asked the divisional commissioner to 'identify those anti-social elements who have been actively and deliberately threatening people due to their deep-rooted prejudices or for political reasons and to take necessary preventive action against them'.
Hans India
28-06-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
BJP dubs Congress' renaming spree as ‘names change sarkar'
Hyderabad: The BJP in Telangana dubbed the 18-month-old Congress-led government as a 'Name's Change Sarkar' for failing to deliver on its promises. Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Bandi Sanjay Kumar said 'Telangana Congress promised Change,' However, 'in 18 months, all it delivered was Name Changes.' On Friday, the Karimnagar MP, taking a dig at the State government for changing the name of the Rs 5 meal scheme named after 'Annapurna' to Indira Gandhi, said, 'Universities renamed. Hospitals renamed. Irrigation projects (were) renamed. Awards renamed. Flyovers renamed. Housing scheme renamed. Farm loan incentive renamed. Greening Drive (was) renamed. Departments renamed. Official residence renamed. Telangana Talli changed.' They 'Now, shamelessly, they've renamed the Rs 5 meal scheme from Goddess Annapurna, the divine giver of food, to Indira Gandhi. This isn't governance – it's an insult to Hindu beliefs. No real work. Just name work. And namesake work.' Medak Parliament MP M Raghunandan Rao criticized the Congress government, stating that after 18 months in power, it lacks the courage to evaluate its performance and address the promises made to the public. Instead, it seems to create a new name and narrative each day to distract the people from its shortcomings. The MP asked the GHMC Mayor to focus on civic issues rather than name-changing excrement. There are many unresolved issues in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) area. The supply of potable water is insufficient, and the drainage system is inadequate. Illegal constructions are occurring in newly developed colonies, ration cards are not issued, and new pensions are being approved. The promises made by the Congress party in the state have not been fulfilled. Many women are unable to access scooties, and numerous individuals have not received the promised financial assistance of Rs. 2,500. Additionally, unemployed persons are not receiving the Rs. 4,000 that was promised. Residents are submitting petitions regarding the lack of streetlights in the slums. There are also concerning reports of stray dogs attacking children, resulting in fatalities. Furthermore, sewage water has flooded several colonies. The GHMC Mayor should respond to such issues. 'Just naming the Annapurna canteen after Indiramma canteen has not yielded any results for GHMC.' He urged Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to stop changing the names of the schemes, reduce the hype surrounding them, and focus on fulfilling the promises made to the people before the elections. Telangana BJP Chief Spokesperson and Media In-charge N.V. Subhash condemned the decision to rename the popular 'Annapurna Canteens'—which serves subsidized meals to the poor—as 'Indira Canteens'. Calling it an 'unwarranted, insensitive, and politically motivated' move, the BJP termed the renaming as a direct affront to the sentiments of the Hindu majority, and yet another attempt to erase cultural symbols deeply rooted in India's civilizational identity. 'Annapurna is not just a name—it symbolizes Goddess Annapurna, the divine mother who nourishes the world.' He stated that the scheme had gained widespread goodwill due to its apolitical intentions. The GHMC is not a private trust, nor is it operated by the Congress Party. 'The use of public funds to glorify a single political dynasty reflects entitlement and autocracy,' Subhash remarked.
New Indian Express
28-06-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Telangana BJP chief Subhash slams government for changing name of Annapurna Canteens
HYDERABAD: Strongly opposing the state government's decision to rename the popular Annapurna Canteens as Indira Canteens, the BJP state unit termed it a 'politically motivated' one. Criticising the decision, BJP state chief spokesperson NV Subhash said: 'Annapurna is not just a name. It symbolises Goddess Annapurna, the divine mother who nourishes the world. To replace such a sacred name with that of a political leader, and that too Indira Gandhi, whose regime imposed the Emergency — the darkest chapter of Indian democracy — is nothing short of an insult to Hindu traditions and collective national memory.' In a press statement issued here, Subhash called the government's decision an 'unwarranted, insensitive and politically motivated' move and a direct affront to the sentiments of the Hindu majority, and yet another attempt to erase cultural symbols deeply rooted in India's civilisational identity.
India Gazette
28-06-2025
- Business
- India Gazette
"Double engine sarkar is truly delivering for Andhra": Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu on revival of Vizag Steel Plant
New Delhi [India], June 28 (ANI): Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu on Saturday expressed his happiness over the revival of the Visakhapatnam Steel plant, the pride of Andhra Pradesh, which has resumed full capacity production with the restart of Blast Furnace-3 (BF-3), named 'Annapurna', symbolising abundance and prosperity. He credited the 'double engine' government for the project and stated that the steel plant has increased its capacity to produce over 20,000 tons of steel per day. Ram Mohan Naidu informed that the Vizag Steel Plant is currently working with all three blast furnaces. He asserted that the project showcases the NDA government's commitment to Vizag's industrial backbone steel plant and India's manufacturing strength. 'Vizag Steel, the pride of AP is back in action and now running at full capacity with the restart of Blast Furnace -3. With all three blast furnaces operational, the plant now produces 20,000+ tons of steel per day. This revival has been made possible through the Centre's 11,440 crore financial support, reflecting NDA strong commitment to Vizag's industrial backbone steel plant and India's manufacturing strength', Ram Mohan Naidu's 'X' post read. Further, Ram Mohan Naidu thanked the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy and Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu. 'The double-engine sarkar is truly delivering for Andhra Pradesh. Grateful to Hon'ble PM Narendra Modi, CM Chandrababu Naidu and Union Steel Minister HD Kumaraswamy for their leadership and continued support. Congratulations to all the hardworking employees of VSP for making this possible. From here on, there is no stopping, VSP will shine like a star', the 'X' post further read. On January 17, the Union Government announced that the Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved a package of Rs 11,440 crore for the revival of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL), which operates the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant. Visakhapatnam Steel Plant is the first shore-based Integrated Steel Plant in India. It is a producer of long steel products, catering to the requirements of the construction, infrastructure, manufacturing, and automobile sectors. Steel production is a core sector of the economy and is a key indicator of a country's economic development. The revival and continued operation of Vizag Steel Plant at its full capacity will ensure efficient utilization of public resources and help in achieving the objectives of National Steel Policy, 2017. (ANI)
CNBC
25-06-2025
- Business
- CNBC
Rubrik agrees to buy AI startup Predibase for over $100 million
Data management software vendor Rubrik said Wednesday that it's buying Predibase, a startup that helps with the deployment of artificial intelligence models. Terms of the deal weren't disclosed, but a person familiar with the transaction said Rubrik intends to pay between $100 million and $500 million. The person asked not to be named because the numbers are private. Rubrik is acquiring its way into the red-hot AI market. Cloud infrastructure providers are generating billions of dollars from renting out Nvidia graphics processing units for training and running models, while model developers Anthropic and OpenAI are growing rapidly by selling subscriptions to their chatbot services. Other companies with specialized software are bringing out dedicated AI tools. Rubrik, which went public last year, has built a business with over $1 billion in annualized revenue by backing up its customers' data so clients can quickly recover from cyberattacks. With Predibase, Rubrik can expand into helping companies operate cost-efficient models that draw on internal data. "We are an ambitious company, and we want to be a multi-product, multi-generational company," Rubrik CEO Bipul Sinha said in an interview. Predibase was launched in 2021 by a group of founders that included Travis Addair and Piero Molino, who both previously worked on AI tools at Uber that have since gained adoption outside the company. The startup employs 25 people and is based in San Francisco. Venture firms Felicis and Greylock Partners invested over $28 million in the company, and clients include Checkr, Marsh McLennan and Qualcomm. Predibase will operate as a separate unit after the deal closes, and will continue allowing customers to connect data stored in third-party systems from Amazon, Databricks, Google and Snowflake, in order to customize models. Predibase will also be able to consume data stored in Rubrik's Annapurna, which can incorporate data from external sources, Sinha said. From there, Predibase runs models on cloud infrastructure. Rubrik has nearly tripled in value since its IPO last year, as revenue has consistently surpassed Wall Street's projections.
