Latest news with #ShriRam
News18
13 hours ago
- News18
Encroachment removed from govt-controlled temples land
Agency: PTI Last Updated: Indore, Jul 28 (PTI) Illegal encroachment in a government-controlled temple's land, worth more than Rs 150 crore, was removed on Monday in Indore, an official said. The encroachment occupied approximately 1.28 lakh square feet of land of the Shri Ram and Khedaapati temple in Pipaliya Kumar area. Officials said the action involved the demolition of illegal constructions and the removal of illegally sown crops with the help of the municipal corporation. According to officials, the temple land was sold by the land mafia through fake and illegal sale deeds. They said appropriate legal steps are being taken. PTI HWP MAS NSK view comments Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Time of India
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Detentions, protests & identity: Bengal's poll battle heats up
Stobdo hobe, Jobdo hobe (They will be silenced, they will be taken to task). Mamata Banerjee's war cry at TMC 's annual Martyrs' Day rally was aimed squarely at the BJP . Her tone this year was far more combative than last year, when the central focus had been the looming shadow of ED investigations into her party leaders. This time, the spotlight is on a far more emotive issue: Bengalis allegedly being targeted in BJP-ruled states. For a leader who thrives on street protests, who rose to power riding waves of popular agitation, Mamata seems to have found a powerful rallying point to recharge her cadre, counter anti-incumbency, blunt infighting, and deflect from stench of corruption now encircling the power echelons of the state. She launched 'Bhasha Andolan' from Tagore's land Bolpur on Monday against what she calls Bhasha Santras — linguistic terrorism. The BJP, anticipating trouble, has quietly adjusted its tone in Bengal. Jai Shri Ram chants have gone to the backburner, while Jai Maa Durga and Jai Maa Kali have found prominence. Days after Abhishek Banerjee's provocation, JP Nadda echoed Jai Bangla, while PM Modi tried to reassure sentiments in his Durgapur speech by giving his 'guarantee' to preserve 'Bangali Asmita'. The appointment of soft-spoken, bhadralok intellectual Samik Bhattacharya as state president is another strand of this new narrative. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Byron Sports Hub bryonsportshub Read More Undo Suddenly, Bengali sub-nationalism is at centre stage, just as linguistic identity battles are flaring up across the country, from Karnataka to Maharashtra. But in Bengal, the picture is more layered. Identity and language collide with questions of nationality, and the hot-button issue of alleged illegal migration from Bangladesh and Myanmar. Citizenship, culture, and the crackdown From Donald Trump to Viktor Orban, populist right-wing leaders have often piggybacked on the wave of immigration issue to win elections. In India though NRC stumbled and stalled, many BJP-led states are now reportedly acting on an MHA directive issued in May to states and UTs to invoke their statutory powers to detect, identify and deport illegal immigrants. Apart from the issue of security, the idea of preserving Bharatiya culture by protecting the demography of the nation has been a recurring theme in the words of leaders like Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma and West Bengal Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari. Sarma's reply to a post by Mamata Banerjee, where he vowed to fight for existence, has gone viral. His response to another lawyer in the same issue was even more eye-opening. This, along with the Election Commission's latest Special Intensive Revision (SIR) initiative, now announced for nationwide implementation after its controversial rollout in poll-bound Bihar, means citizenship,or the lack of it, has suddenly become a burning issue just months before the Bengal elections. TMC believes SIR isn't a routine exercise, but an NRC in disguise. Some estimates say more than 50 lakh names may be struck out in Bihar itself! TMC's allegation: It's about language TMC MP and chairman of West Bengal's Migrant Workers' Welfare Board, Samirul Islam told TOI that people are being targeted purely for speaking Bengali. An IIT Delhi alumnus, he claims to have seen documents of people with property deeds from as far back as 1922, yet branded as illegals and pushed back to Bangladesh. He alleges that not just Muslims, but Hindus too are being questioned and will face severe scrutiny in coming days. While 1.5 crore workers from other states operate freely in Bengal, some of the 21 lakh Bengalis working outside are being hounded, claims MP at the forefront of this protest. Regarding detentions and pushbacks, BJP so far has firmly rejected the claim, saying law enforcement is only hauling up people bearing a needle of suspicion. But many believe this narrative may not go unchallenged. In Odisha, 403 out of 447 alleged Bangladeshis had to be released after verification. Similar cases have been reported in the NCR. This gives ammunition to TMC's charge that innocents are being picked up randomly or with devious intentions. To make matters worse for BJP, Matua community members were reportedly detained in Maharashtra, and a Rajbanshi from Bengal received an NRC notice in Assam among others, adding fuel to Mamata's political fire. Matua and Rajbanshi factor In Bengal, Matuas in the south and Rajbanshis in the north are two key Scheduled Caste communities. Rajbanshis number around 4 million; Matuas over 3 million as per different estimates. Both were wooed by BJP's CAA promise and have largely supported the party in recent elections. Unsurprisingly, In 2021, BJP won 32 of 68 SC seats in the assembly elections. If the saffron party has to harbour any chances of winning Bengal in 2026, it needs to significantly better its tally among the SC-ST seats. Thus, TMC is going to town saying even Hindus especially the marginalised are not safe from this exercise. That narrative, say observers, could shift loyalties. Professor Subhamoy Maitra warns that even if only a few from these communities face harassment, the perception of being under scrutiny could hurt BJP. While SIR might have procedural merit, politically it may turn into quicksand, especially if Mamata succeeds in framing it as a witch-hunt. Also a lot will depend on the composition of people whose names get deleted after the SIR exercise is over, according to the social scientist. However, Maitra also believes BJP may be walking into a trap. He opines that the saffron party needs to highlight acts of omission and commission by the TMC, such as the ruling party's focus on doles, including Rs 10 lakh per booth as part of a community connect scheme. He argues that political discourse should return to development rather than swirl around identity politics and emotional appeals. The way TMC has resorted to blatant corruption needs to be effectively called out, Maitra concludes. Rohingya bogey or reality? Mamata recently has raised doubts about BJP's claim that India has 17 lakh Rohingyas saying global figures put their total population at just 11 lakh. TOI spoke to Dr. Sucharita Sengupta, who completed her PhD on statelessness and the Rohingya crisis in South Asia. According to her, there are no reliable estimates for how many Rohingyas are currently in India, though the best guess pegged the figure at around 40,000 in 2018. She debunks the common claim that Bengalis and Rohingyas are linguistically similar. In fact, most Rohingya youth she interviewed preferred Hindi or English. For many of them, India was never a destination, merely a transit. Yet, as fate would have it, they now find themselves stuck. Even if identified, Sengupta asks, where can they be sent? Neither Myanmar nor Bangladesh is likely to accept them. With no global framework for refugee repatriation, the situation remains a grey zone. The absence of an international charter for granting citizenship makes the issue even more precarious, she says. Unease within BJP Former Governor and erstwhile head of BJP in Bengal, Tathagata Roy, has claimed that Bengalis , both Hindus and Muslims are helping authorities and should actively participate in identifying Bangladeshi Muslims and Rohingyas. He reposes faith in Suvendu Adhikari's words that the party will protect the interests of Hindus who migrated from Bangladesh. However, not all in BJP are convinced. Khagen Murmu, MP from Malda North, a border district, says he is hurt that Bengali workers are being embarrassed and forced to answer questions in other states. 'Bangladeshi infiltrators are indeed in huge numbers. So I advise our state's workers to carry identity cards and avoid such embarrassment,' he said. When asked about Murmu's concerns, Roy told TOI that infiltration has been happening since the early 1980s. He acknowledged that with such extensive groundwork, some issues are bound to crop up, but added that TMC would try to blow them out of proportion. The BJP leadership and central government, he said, must handle this with political caution. The presence of riverine borders virtually makes effective patrolling extremely difficult, explained Roy when quizzed about why illegal immigration continues to remain a reality even after ten years of Modi government. TMC senses an opportunity, BJP pushes back For now, TMC is using the uncertainty as a potent election weapon. Sensing discomfort, BJP has stepped up its counter-offensive. The West Bengal unit has been posting videos of Bengalis living peacefully in Delhi and elsewhere. Meanwhile, the NCR has become a hotspot for detentions which has brought greater mainstream attention to the issue. In Gurgaon alone, 237 individuals have been detained. The eviction drive in Delhi's Jai Hind Colony in Vasant Kunj has been halted following a court order where light and electricity connection had been cut off by authorities. All of these incidents have been vehemently protested by TMC and the likes of Samirul have tried to help the affected families. As Bengal heads toward another high-stakes election, BJP is doubling down on nationalism, identity and security. Whether that boosts its base or backfires with bureaucratic overreach will depend on perception as much as fact.
News18
3 days ago
- News18
On CCTV, Three Masked Men Rob Bengaluru Jewellery Store At Gunpoint
Last Updated: Three masked robbers barged into a jewellery shop in Bengaluru's Magadi Road, threatened the staff at gunpoint, and escaped with jewellery worth Rs 18 lakh. In a shocking incident, three masked robbers barged into a jewellery shop in Bengaluru's Madanayakanahalli area, threatened the staff at gunpoint, and escaped with 184 grams of jewellery, estimated to be worth Rs 18 lakh. The incident took place at the Ram Jewellers in Bhairaveshwara complex on Magadi Road on Thursday night. As the owner was preparing to shut the shop for the day, the masked robbers barged in, brandishing their firearms, and started looting the ornaments on the display table. One of the accused climbed on top of the table and began looting the jewellery from the wall cases. They also pushed aside the bank staff, whose screams alerted other shopkeepers. However, the robbers made off with the jewellery by the time anyone arrived to intervene. The entire incident was captured on CCTV. In a cinema-style #robbery onJuly 24 at Shri Ram #Jewellers in Madanayakanahalli on the outskirts of #Bengaluru city, masked men stormed into a jewellery shop & looted 184gms #gold at gunpoint (prima facie suggests toy gun) before fleeing the is on. @bngdistpol — Yasir Mushtaq (@path2shah) July 26, 2025 As per the video, the robbers managed to enter and rob the shop in a matter of 18 seconds. They had arrived in a Maruti Swift car. The accused, who reportedly brought a toy gun and a rope, escaped after placing the jewellery into six trays and stuffing them into a gunny bag. A case has been registered at the Madanayakanahalli police station. 'On the 24th night, an armed robbery case was reported in Madanayakanahalli Police Station, where 3 people barged into the jewellery shop around 10 pm. Within 15-16 seconds, they pushed aside people in the shop and took away 184 grams of jewellery," Bengaluru SP CK Baba told news agency ANI. He also mentioned that one of the accused used a toy gun to scare the bank staff during the robbery. 'Four special teams have been formed to nab the accused. We have clues, and we are working on it. Shortly, we will come back positively in this case," he further said. A few individuals are currently being questioned in connection with the case. view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Indian Express
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
From heat wave to green wave in UP: CM Yogi Adityanath
Uttar Pradesh exceeded its target of planting 37 crore saplings on Wednesday, with 37,21,40,925 planted across the state under the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam 2.0' campaign. The government had set a target of 37 crore saplings. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath joined the drive at Trivei Vatika on the Saryu river bank in Ayodhya, planting neem and peepal saplings dedicated to Lord Shri Ram, Mother Earth and mothers. He later inaugurated Harishankari Vatika on the Azamgarh expressway and also planted saplings in Gorakhpur. 'We have carried out the plantation of 204 crore plants in the past eight years, and more than 75 per cent of these are still surviving,' Adityanath said, citing data from the Union Ministry of Environment and Climate Change and third-party agencies, which he said confirmed the increase in the state's green cover. 'Now we have moved from heat wave to green wave,' he added. 'Eight years ago, the forest department did not have enough saplings. There were only five crore plants available for plantation in the first year. Today, with support from MGNREGA, private nurseries and inter-departmental coordination, we have 52 crore saplings available. This reflects how we have achieved more than ten times from our earlier position,' he added. Governor Anandiben Patel took part in the campaign in Barabanki, planting peepal, banyan and neem saplings, launching a short film and distributing Anganwadi kits, nutrition bundles and participation bundles. Deputy chief ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak led drives in Meerut and Lucknow, respectively, while Forest Minister Arun Kumar Saxena joined the efforts in Ayodhya-Gorakhpur. All cabinet ministers organised local plantation events in their districts. Under the 'Mega Plantation Drive 2025' conducted today, plantations spanned across forest land, defence and railway property, gram panchayats, expressways, roadsides, canals, industrial zones, institutions and private farmland. To ensure transparency and accountability, the Forest Department deployed an android-based plantation monitoring system and geo-tagged every sapling for precise tracking and a follow-up, as directed by the CM.
Scroll.in
25-06-2025
- Scroll.in
Muslim auto driver assaulted allegedly for refusing to shout ‘Jai Shri Ram' in Bengaluru
A 35-year-old Muslim auto rickshaw driver was assaulted by eight men for allegedly refusing to shout 'Jai Shri Ram' in Bengaluru on Sunday, The Hindu reported. Deputy Commissioner of Police Sajeeth VJ told The Indian Express that the complaint filed by the auto driver, Waseem Ahmed, did not mention any ' slogan-related provocation '. However, Ahmed told The Hindu that the assault took place after he refused to shout the slogan and that he had also mentioned this to the police in his statement. On Sunday, Ahmed and his friend Sameer were driving in his auto rickshaw. They stopped at a vacant site in Hegde Nagar after which the group of men sitting nearby confronted them, demanding to know their identities. 'While I was trying to reason with them, they realised I was a Muslim and started attacking me,' Ahmed told The Hindu. Ahmed alleged that the men demanded that he shout 'Jai Shri Ram', and when he refused, they allegedly 'got furious and started to punch and kick' him. Sameer had fled by then. Ahmed said that one of the attackers 'showed some mercy' and helped him escape. Ahmed filed a complaint at the Sampigehalli police station. The police sent him to hospital for a medical examination, The Hindu reported. A case was filed against the suspects for intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace, criminal intimidation, assault and wrongful restraint. According to a medico-legal case filed at the hospital, the assault left Ahmed with significant injuries, including potential internal damage and reduced hearing in his right ear, The Indian Express reported. The police are trying to ascertain the motive behind the attack, the newspaper reported. As part of the investigation, the police have recorded statements of witnesses, including a watchman from a nearby establishment. The witnesses did not observe the suspects as having forced Ahmed to shout anything, The Indian Express quoted an unidentified police officer as saying.
