LIVE! Under fire, AAP min calls himself 'deeply religious'

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Fri, 07 October 2022

Under fire, AAP min calls himself 'deeply religious'

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23:26 No intention of making Hindi alone national language: Rahul

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said there was no intention of making Hindi alone the national language and threaten the identity of regional languages like Kannada.

Rahul Gandhi said this during his interaction with representatives of many educational institutions and teachers.

"There was a discussion with Rahul Gandhi about the identity of Kannada. Then, he said everyone's mother tongue is important. We respect all languages. Everyone has a right in the Constitution," said senior leader of the party and former Minister Priyank Kharge to reporters while briefing them on the Bharat Jodo Yatra.

"Therefore, he (Rahul Gandhi) clearly stated that there was no intention of making Hindi alone the national language and threatening the identity of your language (Kannada)," said Kharge, who is also Congress's State media cell in-charge.

He said those who participated in the interaction confirmed that they were not related to the Congress party, but were participating in the yatra to save the Constitution and said that it must start from the schools.

Rajeev Gowda, chairman of AICC Research Department, said most of the participants in the interaction raised the issue of problems in the education sector since the BJP government has come into power and the implementation of NEP (National Education Policy). -- PTI

Facing flak over his presence at a religious conversion event where Hindu deities were allegedly denounced, Delhi minister Rajendra Pal Gautam Friday accused the BJP of spreading "rumours" against him, and apologised to "anyone who has been hurt due to such propaganda".

The Delhi social welfare minister found himself in the middle of a controversy on Friday after a video went viral, showing him attending the event on October 5 when hundreds take a pledge to convert to Buddhism and not consider Hindu deities as gods.

The BJP launched an attack on Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, asking him to sack Gautam.

At a press conference, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia accused the AAP of hurting the sentiments of Hindus. "Gautam's comments highlight the hate the party has for the community," he said, adding the "comments were made at the behest of Kejriwal".

There was no official reaction either from the Aam Aadmi Party or the Delhi government, but sources in the AAP claimed the chief minister was "extremely displeased" with Gautam.

Gautam issued a statement in Hindi later in the day, accusing the BJP of spreading "rumour" against him and sought apology from "anyone who has been hurt due to such propaganda."

He said he learnt through media that the BJP was spreading "rumour" against him. "I am a deeply religious person. I personally respect all the gods and the goddesses and would not even dream of insulting any deity through any action or word of mine."

The minister said he raised the issues of education, health, employment, price rise and social equality in his speech at the event, but BJP leaders were spreading "rumour" against him.

"I am deeply hurt by this mischief of BJP leaders and seek apology with folded hands from anyone who has been hurt in any way due to such propaganda by the BJP," he said in the statement. -- PTI

The process for return of Indian students to China is underway, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Friday.

Thousands of Indian students were unable to return to China for over two years due to Beijing's COVID-19 restrictions.

India has been pressing China to facilitate the return of the Indian students so that they can resume their studies.

External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said the process of return of Indian students to China has been kicked off.

According to information, the return of Indian students to China is now underway, he said at a media briefing.

"Our mission in Beijing continued to press and pursue the Chinese side for completing the necessary formalities for enabling Indian students to return to China at an early date," he said.

"I would advise the students to stay in touch with their universities for carrying out procedures for obtaining a visa and returning to China," he said.

"Our mission and consulates in China stand ready to respond to students' requests for advice or facilitation to the best of their capabilities," he said. -- PTI

22:24 Gave Azad much more than he deserved: Cong

The Congress on Friday took a dig at its former leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, saying the party gave him much more than he deserved.

The attack on Azad came over remarks by Home Minister Amit Shah, who in an interview to Daily Excelsior, said, "Everyone has the right to contest, elections are to be fair and free but one thing is there Ghulam Nabi Azad is not among the three families."

Tagging a tweet by a Youth Congress office bearer who claimed that Azad is the most trusted man of Nagpur in J&K currently, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh tweeted, "He is the beneficiary of the Congress Party which over 50 years gave him much more than he deserved and much more beyond his capability."

Shah, at a public rally in Baramulla this week, had said that before delimitation, only the "three families" used to come to power, "but the delimitation by the Election Commission will result in your own representatives winning in the elections and then governing".

"Mufti and company, Abdullah and sons and the Congress have done nothing for the welfare of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, " he had alleged at the rally.

Azad had last month launched his new party -- Democratic Azad Party -- exactly a month after ending his over five-decade-long association with the Congress.

22:15 Juvenile tasked to kill Salman Khan arrested

The Delhi Police has apprehended two terror accused, including a juvenile, in connection with the May 9 RPG attack at Punjab Police headquarters in Mohali.

The juvenile was also tasked with "eliminating" actor Salman Khan, police said.

Apart from the juvenile, the Special Cell of the Delhi Police has arrested another man, identified as Arshdeep Singh, in connection with the recovery of an Improvised Explosive Device in Haryana on August 4, police said.

According to the police, the Lawrence Bishnoi and Jaggu Bhagwanpuria syndicate tasked the juvenile along with Deepak Surakpur (presently absconding) and Monu Dagar (in jail) with "eliminating" actor Salman Khan.

On May 9, a rocket-propelled grenade was fired at the Punjab Police's intelligence headquarters in Mohali.

During investigation, it was established that the attack was a conspiracy of the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), backed by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and local gangsters, a senior police officer said.

The police identified the attackers -- the juvenile who is a resident of Faizabad in Uttar Pradesh and Deepak, a resident of Surakhpur, Haryana, officials said.

"It was also established that the attack was orchestrated by gangster-turned-ISI stooge Harvinder Singh alias Rinda.

"Another fugitive -- Canada-based gangster-turned-terrorist Lakhbir Singh Landa -- had also joined hands with Rinda in sharing of manpower, logistics and resources," the officer said.

Rinda's name had already cropped up in the grenade attack at the Crime Investigation Agency office in Nawanshahr after the arrest of four suspected Pakistan-linked terrorists in Haryana's Karnal earlier this year, they said.

The juvenile was also wanted in the murder of builder Sanjay Biyani on April 5 in Maharashtra's Nanded and the killing of gangster Rana Kandowalia outside a private hospital in Amritsar on August 4 last year, the officer said, adding that Kandowalia was the main shooter of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.

The United States on Friday asked its citizens to exercise "increased caution" while travelling to India due to "crime and terrorism" and advised them to not to travel to the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

In a new travel advisory issued on Friday, the US State Department reduced the India Travel Advisory Level to 2 on a scale of one to 4 with the latter being the highest.

The State Department in a separate advisory, a day earlier, had put Pakistan on Level 3 and asked its citizens to reconsider their travel especially its restive provinces due to terrorism and sectarian violence.

"Exercise increased caution in India due to crime and terrorism," said the State Department.

"Do not travel to: The union territory of Jammu and Kashmir (except the eastern Ladakh region and its capital, Leh) due to terrorism and civil unrest. Within 10 km of the India-Pakistan border due to the potential for armed conflict," it said.

According to the travel advisory, "Indian authorities report rape is one of the fastest growing crimes in India. Violent crime, such as sexual assault, has occurred at tourist sites and in other locations."

The advisory said that "terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, and government facilities.

"The US government has limited ability to provide emergency services to US citizens in rural areas from eastern Maharashtra and northern Telangana through western West Bengal as US government employees must obtain special authorisation to travel to these areas," said the travel advisory. -- PTI

India on Friday said the situation in eastern Ladakh has not returned to the stage of full normalcy as some steps are yet to be taken for it.

The comments of Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi came days after Chinese envoy Sun Weidong claimed that the situation in eastern Ladakh is "overall stable" as the two sides have moved from the "emergency response" that followed the Galwan valley clashes in June 2020 to "normalised" management.

"Some steps are required for full normalcy, we have not reached there," Bagchi said when asked about the Chinese ambassador's remarks.

The MEA spokesperson said India has been maintaining that it expects disengagement followed by de-escalation for the return of normalcy on the border, which could pave the way for normal ties between the two neighbouring countries.

"We have not reached there.... I would not like to say that the situation is normal. There have been some positive steps, but some steps are yet to be taken," he said.

Bagchi also referred to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's remarks last month that the disengagement at Patrolling Point 15 in eastern Ladakh was "one problem less" on the border.

Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari on Tuesday said the benchmark for the situation to become normal in eastern Ladakh would be to return to status quo ante prior to the standoff and a complete withdrawal of troops from all friction points.

Though the two sides have disengaged from Patrolling Point 15 (PP-15), there has been no progress yet on resolving the standoff in the Demchok and Depsang regions.

Following the eastern Ladakh standoff, India has been consistently maintaining that peace along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) is key for the overall development of its ties with China and the state of the border will determine the state of the bilateral relationship.

The eastern Ladakh border standoff erupted on May 5, 2020, following a violent clash in the Pangong lake areas.

21:09 ED attaches Amnesty's assets worth Rs 1.54 cr

Assets worth Rs 1.54 crore of a charitable trust linked to international human rights organisation Amnesty India have been attached under the anti-money laundering law, the Enforcement Directorate said Friday.

A provisional order for attachment has been issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), it said.

The order has been issued against the trust -- Indians for Amnesty International Trust -- in connection with a case linked to alleged violation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) by the India arm of the global organisation.

The federal agency, whose case stems from a CBI FIR against Amnesty India, issued a statement saying the Amnesty International India Foundation Trust (AIIFT) was granted permission under the FCRA, 2010 during 2011-12 for receiving foreign contributions from the Amnesty International UK.

"However, the same was cancelled and permission/registration has been denied," it said.

The Amnesty International India Pvt Ltd (AIIPL) and IAIT were formed in 2013-14 and 2012-13 respectively "to escape" the FCRA route and they carried out NGO activities with the funds sent in the guise of service export and foreign direct investment, the ED said.

"Investigation by ED found that upon cancellation of FCRA Licence of AIIFT, a new method was adopted by Amnesty entities to receive money from abroad and Amnesty International, UK sent Rs 51.72 crore to AIIPL in the guise of export of services and foreign direct investment," it said. -- PTI

The Central Bureau of Investigation has filed a chargesheet against former railway minister Lalu Prasad, his wife Rabri Devi and 14 others in connection with an alleged land-for-jobs scam during his tenure in the Railways, officials said on Friday.

Prasad's daughter Misa Bharti and a former general manager of the Railways have also been named as accused in the chargesheet filed before a special CBI court recently, they said.

The central agency had registered a preliminary enquiry on September 23, 2021 related to the alleged land-for-jobs scam in the Railways which was converted into an FIR on May 18.

Candidates were allegedly appointed as substitutes in group D positions within three days of applying in "undue haste" by Railway officials and were later, regularised when the "individuals themselves or their family members transferred their land", according to the agency.

The transfers were made through deeds in the name of Rabri Devi and daughters Misa Bharti and Hema Yadav, it alleged.

The agency has alleged that land measuring about 1.05 lakh square feet in Patna was acquired by Prasad's family members by making payments to the sellers in cash. -- PTI

Senior Congress leader and candidate for the party's presidential polls Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday said there is no such thing as "remote control" in his party unlike the Bharatiya Janata Party, where every president is selected through a "consensus".

In Ahmedabad to campaign for the election to the party's top post, Kharge asserted that if becomes the head of the grand old party, the remote control would be with him.

He was replying to a query about the BJP's claim that he would act as the "remote control" and "proxy" of Sonia Gandhi after being elected to the post.

"A lot of people say I am a remote control and work from behind. They say I will do what Sonia Gandhi will say. There is no such thing as remote control in Congress, people take decisions together. It is your thinking. A few people are creating this idea," Kharge said.

Attacking the BJP, he said, "How many times has the prime minister held (party president's) election? All the presidents were selected through consensus, and you are teaching me? Where is the remote control in the BJP? When I become president, the remote control will stay with me."

Decisions would be taken by "our committee, elected members, working committee and parliamentary board", he said, adding that he would try his best to ensure 50 per cent of organisational posts are reserved for those below 50 years of age.

Hailing Sonia Gandhi, Kharge said she had made a renowned economist the country's prime minister (Manmohan Singh) rather than taking up the post herself or considering her son for it.

She hails from a family that has sacrificed its members for this nation and has even spoken of pardoning the killers of her husband, Kharge said.

He said if he becomes the party president, he would try to give representation to women, youth, Dalits, backward classes at every level of the party, and also appeal to state units to fight polls unitedly.

"I have jumped into the fray to save the ideology of my party, the ideology of Gandhi, Nehru and to strengthen the call for unity given by Sardar Patel," he said.

Asked about his competitor Shashi Tharoor, the veteran Karnataka leader said he was contesting the polls after colleagues and workers asked him to do so.

"When our workers, delegates and youth say you have to take leadership, then should I run away?" he asked.

He said the Congress faces many challenges, but has the capacity to face and overcome them bravely.

Kharge also recalled that after the flash floods in Kedarnath, Narendra Modi, who was then the chief minister of Gujarat, had called him seeking a special train to bring back the people from his state stuck in the Uttarakhand town.

"At that time, we had tried our best to help them and send them home at the government level. If we work together, then the country will progress," he asserted.

Kharge, who is here to meet Gujarat Congress delegates for the party polls scheduled for October 17, also hailed Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Yatra'. -- PTI

In a major decision ahead of the assembly polls a few months away, the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Karnataka on Friday decided to increase the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (SC/STs) quota in the state, by seeking a Constitutional amendment.

The decision has been taken by the government on the basis of the report of Justice H N Nagamohan Das Commission, which has recommended hiking the quota for SCs from 15 per cent to 17 per cent and for STs from 3 per cent to 7 per cent.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai made an announcement to this effect after chairing an all-party meeting that was attended by Congress and JD(S) leaders.

Noting that it was a "long-standing and a just demand" from the communities that the reservation should be based on population, he said, "The Nagamohan Das Commission's recommendations were discussed at the all party meeting today and has been approved. Before that it was discussed within our party (BJP) where it was decided to keep up our commitment for the welfare of SC/STs."

The Cabinet meeting will be convened on Saturday itself, where a formal decision will be taken in this connection, he added.

The Bommai government was under tremendous pressure from SC/ST lawmakers to implement the commission's report. Also, the 'Valmiki Gurupeetha' seer Prasannananda Swami has been on a hunger strike demanding the ST quota hike.

The opposition parties, especially the Congress had been attacking the government for the delay in implementation.

The commission had given its recommendations to the government in July 2020.

However, following a couple of judgements from the Supreme court regarding reservation, the government had constituted a committee under Justice Subhash B Adi on implementation of the recommendations as per law and Constitution, which too submitted its report subsequently.

The "real" Rahul Gandhi is emerging out of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, which completed a month on Friday, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said.

In an interview to PTI during the yatra in Mandya district, Ramesh described the foot march as the longest-ever undertaken by anyone and said it will help the Congress strengthen itself psychologically.

He also described the Congress president's election as a "side show" and the yatra as the main show.

"It's a transformation of the Congress party and it shows the real Rahul Gandhi coming out. I would not say it is the new Rahul Gandhi but the real Rahul Gandhi that is being seen," Ramesh said.

He said Gandhi's interactions with civil society, party workers and his super fitness are what comprises the "real Mr Rahul Gandhi".

"The biggest achievement is psychological. It's all in the mind. I think what the yatra has done is to show to the Congress party that we can do it.

"We are on the roads, on the streets, we are fighting the BJP. We are taking the battle to their camp. We are raising issues. We are not reacting. Now the BJP is reacting to us and that I think is the greatest contribution of the yatra. It's psychological rather than electoral," the Congress leader said..

Asked about the Congress president's election, he said the "houseful evening show is the Bharat Jodo yatra and the organisational election is a side show as far as I am concerned".

"The narrative setting show is not the Congress president's election but the Bharat Jodo Yatra," he added.

On a non-Gandhi all set to lead the party, he said Sonia and Rahul Gandhi have a special place in the Congress because of their contributions and legacy.

Ramesh said when Jawaharlal Nehru became the Congress president for the first time in 1928, Mahatma Gandhi wrote to him saying you are wearing a crown of thorns.

"It's a crown of thorns. I think it's certainly a historic moment as we are the only political party to hold elections for the post of the president in a fair, transparent and an impartial manner. But as I said it is a side show. The main show is the Bharat jodo yatra," Ramesh said.

Filmmaker SS Rajamouli's pre-Indian independence fiction RRR made an application to the Academy of Oscars for a consideration in the general category.

The blockbuster movie features Jr NTR and Ram Charan in the lead role.

"We applied to The Academy of Oscars consideration in general category. We wish our RRR family the best and thank them from the bottom of our hearts for making this possible. Here is to continue to win hearts and entertain audiences worldwide," a note on the RRR official twitter handle said on Thursday.

"We are honoured that RRR's overwhelming success represented Indian cinema on the global stage by creating milestones at the worldwide box office and uniting film buffs across the world by transcending linguistic & cultural barriers," it further said.

According to media reports, the movie which was released in March this year grossed over Rs 1,000 crore in collections worldwide.

Courtney Howard, a renowned film critic in a tweet said "#RRRmovie's RRRoad to the OscaRRRs being paved as we speak. You've never seen anything like this movie/ adrenaline rush. I sincerely hope Academy members get out there and see this one".

The flick will be competing in all categories including best motion picture (DVV Danaiah), best director (SS Rajamouli) and best actor (Jr NTR and Ram Charan) among others. -- PTI

The Gandhinagar-Mumbai Vande Bharat Express hit a cow near Anand station in Gujarat on Friday, resulting in minor damage to the train's nose panel, an official said.

A day before, the newly-launched semi-high speed train had hit four buffaloes and its nose cone had to be replaced.

The railway official said the train did not sustain major damage in the latest incident except a small dent on the nose cone panel.

The incident on Friday took place at 3.48 pm near Anand, about 432 km from Mumbai.

"The train's front portion has suffered a small dent," confirmed Sumit Thakur, chief public relations officer of Western Railway, adding that all the passengers were safe. -- PTI

US envoy to Pakistan, Donald Blome, visits PoK

18:24 India objects to US envoy's visit to PoK

India has conveyed its objections to the United States over the recent visit to Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir by the American Ambassador to Islamabad, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Friday.

India also took objections to the US ambassador to Pakistan holding some meetings in PoK.

"We have conveyed our objections to the visit," MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said at a media briefing.

The Election Commission has asked the Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena to respond by Saturday to the claim made by rival Eknath Shinde camp on the party's 'bow and arrow' symbol in view of the upcoming assembly bypoll in the state.

The commission's directive to the Thackeray faction came on Friday, when the Shinde faction submitted a memorandum seeking allocation of the 'bow and arrow' election symbol as the Andheri East assembly bypoll approaches.

In a letter to Thackeray, the Commission asked him to furnish comments along with requisite documents latest by 2:00 pm on October 8. -- PTI

Opposition leaders on Friday criticised the government for abstaining from voting on a draft resolution in the United Nations Human Rights Council on holding a debate on the human rights situation in China's restive Xinjiang region, saying India should speak for what is right and should not be afraid of its neighbour.

Senior Congress leader and Lok Sabha member Manish Tewari wondered why there was "so much diffidence on China".

"The Government of India will not agree to a Parliamentary debate on Chinese incursions. India will abstain at UNHRC on a resolution for debate on human rights in Xinjiang," he tweeted.

He alleged that the Ministry of External Affairs does not accord political clearance to Parliamentarians to visit Taiwan.

Trinamool Congress spokesperson Saket Gokhale tweeted, "Giving them our land and abstaining on holding them to account. What exactly is it that makes (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi so afraid of China?"

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen leader Asaduddin Owaisi wanted to know from the prime minister the reason for India's decision "to help China out in the UNHRC on the Uighur issue".

"Is he so scared of offending (Chinese President) Xi Jingping (Jinping), whom he met 18 times, that India can't speak for what is right?," he tweeted.

"From red eye to closed eye," tweeted Priyanka Chaturvedi, Shiv Sena leader, in Hindi.

India on Thursday abstained from voting on a draft resolution in the UN Human Rights Council on holding a debate on the human rights situation in China's restive Xinjiang region.

Human rights groups have been sounding the alarm over what is happening in the resource-rich north-western Chinese province for years, alleging that more than one million Uyghurs had been detained against their will in a large network of what Beijing calls "re-education camps". PTI

Mulayam Singh Yadav. File pic

17:13 Mulayam still critical, on life-saving drugs

Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav continues to be in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Medanta hospital in Gurugram and his condition remains critical, the hospital said on Friday.

He is being administered life-saving drugs, it said in a health bulletin. "Mulayam Singh ji is still critical and on life-saving drugs. He is being treated in the ICU (of) Medanta hospital, Gurugram, by a comprehensive team of specialists," the hospital said.

The bulletin was also shared by the Samajwadi Party's official handle on Twitter. Yadav, 82, was admitted to the hospital on Sunday. PTI

17:09 Japan film and music festival from Nov 4-6

To commemorate the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and India, the Japan Foundation, in association with the Embassy of Japan in India and PVR Cinemas will be organising the Japan Film & Music Festival across the four metro cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bengaluru.

The festival will kickstart in Delhi from November 4-6, followed by Mumbai from November 11-13, Chennai from November 25-27 and Bengaluru from December 9-11. The tickets can be booked through PVR Cinemas, October 19 onwards.

Representational image

16:58 Six Indian prisoners died in Pak in last 9 months: MEA

Six Indian prisoners died in Pakistan in last nine months and India has raised the issue with Islamabad, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday.

MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said the deceased included five fishermen. The situation is alarming. All the dead had completed their sentences, he said at a media briefing. It is the responsibility of Pakistan to ensure safety of Indian prisoners in that country, he said. PTI

File pic

16:48

As heavy rains with thunder lashed Mumbai on Friday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a yellow alert for the city and the surrounding districts of Thane, Palghar and the Konkan region for the next two days, an official said.

The IMD has forecast thunderstorm accompanied by lightning and light to moderate rains and gusty winds (30 to 40 kmph) very likely at isolated places for Friday and Saturday, the official said.

The city went under cloud cover and witnessed incessant rainfall from afternoon, with parts of the city witnessing heavy rains and thunderstorms, civic officials said.

The island city, eastern and western suburbs received average 1.05mm, 9.12 mm and 1.28 mm rainfall respectively between 11 am to 2 pm, a civic official said.

Eastern suburbs like Vikhroli received up to 35 mm rainfall in the four hour period, he said, adding that there was no report of major water-logging anywhere in the city.

Public transport services of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) and Railways remained unaffected amid heavy rainfall. The local train services on all three corridors are running normally, a Central Railway spokesperson told PTI.

In the last 24 hours ending at 8 am, Mumbai's island city, eastern and western suburbs had received 04.66mm, 02.69 mm and 01.39 mm average rainfall respectively, it was stated. -- PTI

16:35 Remote control with me not Sonia Gandhi: Kharge

In the city to campaign for the election to the party's top post, Kharge asserted that if becomes the head of the grand old party, the remote control would be with him.

He was replying to a query about the BJP's claim that he would act as the "remote control" and "proxy" of Sonia Gandhi after being elected to the post.

Hailing Sonia Gandhi, Kharge said she had made a renowned economist the country's prime minister (Manmohan Singh) rather than taking up the post herself or considering her son for it.

"She hails from a family that has sacrificed its members for this nation and has even spoken of pardoning the killers of her husband," Kharge said.

"I have jumped into the fray to save the ideology of my party, the ideology of Gandhi, Nehru and to strengthen the call for unity given by Sardar Patel," he said.

Asked about his competitor Shashi Tharoor, the veteran Karnataka leader said he was contesting the polls after colleagues and workers asked him to do so. "When our workers, delegates and youth say you have to take leadership, then should I run away?" he asked. -- PTI

The Reserve Bank on Friday said it will soon commence the pilot launch of e-rupee for specific use cases as it tests digital currency in India.

"As the extent and scope of such pilot launches expand, RBI will continue to communicate about the specific features and benefits of e-rupee, from time to time," the central bank said in a concept note on Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC).

The concept note also discusses key considerations such as technology and design choices, possible uses of the digital rupee, and issuance mechanisms, among others. It examines the implications of the introduction of CBDC on the banking system, monetary policy, and financial stability, and analyses privacy issues. PTI

Hundreds of people in the US city of Merced prayed with candles in their hands and tears in their eyes during a sunset vigil for the grieving Indian-origin Sikh family, including an eight-month-old baby, who was kidnapped and then killed by a former employee.

Bodies of 36-year-old Jasdeep Singh, 27-year-old Jasleen Kaur, their eight-month-old child Aroohi Dheri and the baby's uncle, 39-year-old Amandeep Singh were found on Wednesday evening in an orchard after they were kidnapped on Monday.

The family, originally from Harsi Pind in Hoshiarpur, Punjab, was kidnapped at a business in Merced County, California.

The city of Merced has organised a candlelight vigil for the family every night at 7 pm from October 6 to October 9.

The crowd that gathered in the stately downtown Bob Hart Square on Thursday came from all backgrounds young, old, Latino, Black, Sikh, white, wealthy, low income and stood in solidarity with the Singh and Kaur families at the vigil.

They chanted prayers in Punjabi, Spanish and English, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

There have been lives that have been taken, Lord, innocent lives, and we don't understand, Christian Life Center Pastor Ceasar Johnson boomed to the crowd as he wept openly. Comfort us, Lord, the report said.

Sukh Bela, a friend of the slain family, said he and the tightly knit Merced-area Sikh community will be leaning on their faith in the coming days and weeks.

But he added that the healing they hope to find will be made stronger by the support reflected in the sea of faces at Thursday's gathering. We're trying to hold true to three tenets of our faith, he told the crowd. Meditation... staying in high spirits... justice and prosperity for everyone. We thank you for being here, Bela said.

There was a huge memorial of candles, flowers, pictures and stuffed animals at the sunset vigil. Taken 2 soon, read one sign near an unopened package of a Barbie doll dressed in a pink party dress, the likes of which little Aroohi will never get to wear. Together we are stronger, read another sign.

The suspect in the killing of the family had once worked for the family's trucking business and had a longstanding dispute with them that got "pretty nasty" and culminated in an act of senseless killing, authorities and a relative said.

"Our family just lost four precious family souls," Jasdeep and Amandeep's cousin Sukhdeep Singh said. "Now, we're all shattered."

Family members, close friends and complete strangers shared warm embraces. Religious leaders said prayers, as a sea of candles burned brightly in the night.

The noise levels at the Dussehra rallies held by both factions of the Shiv Sena crossed the permissible limits, with Uddhav Thackeray's event at Shivaji Park being noisier, a report by an NGO here revealed.

The maximum noise level recorded at Thackeray's Shivaji Park rally was 101.6dB, while Ekanth Shinde's event at Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) witnessed noise level of 91.6dB, the report by NGO Awaaz Foundation stated.

The NGO and charitable trust submitted a noise-level monitoring report of the rallies held on Wednesday to Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar and sought "appropriate action in accordance with the Noise Pollution Rules".

Sumaira Abdulali, president of Awaaz Foundation told PTI that the permissible noise level is 55dB in Shivaji Park, which is a residential zone, while it is 65dB at Bandra Kurla complex, which falls in the category of commercial zone.

As per the foundation's report, 101.6dB was from drums on the road outside Shivaji Park, next to a school and nursing home, while the highest noise level 91.6dB at BKC was witnessed when Shinde was welcomed at the event.

The report further revealed that the speech made by former mayor Kishori Pednekar was the "loudest" in the Thackeray faction's rally at Shivaji Park and it recorded a maximum of 97dB, while Shinde's speech logged 89.6dB, which was the highest at the Bandra Kurla Complex.

In 2019, at the last event held at Shivaji Park before lockdown, the highest decibel level recorded was from Eknath Shinde's speech at 93.9dB, the report highlighted.

Shivaji Park is a residential zone and was declared a silence zone by a Bombay High Court order due to the presence of a school and nursing home. After the Noise Rules were amended in 2017, the State Government has not re-notified it as a silence zone. -- PTI

Two Indian Army personnel were killed and another sustained injuries during a field firing exercise involving a tank in Madhya Pradesh's Babina, officials said on Friday.

The two Army personnel were hit when the barrel of the T-90 tank burst, they said.

"During the annual firing at Babina Field Firing Ranges on October 6, a tank barrel burst took place. The tank was manned by a crew of three personnel. The crew was provided immediate medical aid and evacuated to military hospital in Babina," said an official.

"The commander and the gunner unfortunately succumbed to burn injuries. The driver is out of danger and under treatment," the official said. The Army has ordered an investigation into the incident. PTI

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena on Friday alleged that Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Dussehra rally was a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-backed event, and mocked him saying that he only "read out Modi-Shah Chalisa" during his speech.

It also dubbed the Shinde-led rebel faction as a "duplicate Shiv Sena".

In an editorial in Shiv Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana', the party claimed that the Shinde camp must have spent Rs 50 crore to Rs 100 crore on the Dussehra rally held at the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), as nearly 2,000 buses were booked to ferry supporters and over two lakh people who attended the event were given food.

"The rally at the BKC was one of the BJP-backed events. The amount spent must have been the same used for buying a couple of MLAs. The event was like a fashion show and a beauty pageant," it said.

Ever since Shinde and other Sena legislators rebelled against the party leadership, the Uddhav Thackeray faction has been targeting them saying that each of the rebel MLA took 50 'khoke' or boxes, meaning Rs 50 crore to switch loyalty.

"The rally was organised in the name of Shiv Sena, but it was more of a BJP event, because in his speech, the chief leader (Shinde) of the duplicate Shiv Sena, just read out the Modi-Shah Chalisa (heaping praise on Prime minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah)," it said in reference to Hanuman Chalisa.

The two factions of the Shiv Sena held mega rallies on Dussehra evening. While Thackeray addressed his rally at Shivaji Park in Dadar area, Shinde addressed a gathering at the BKC.

Thirty-nine Shiv Sena MLAs, 12 MPs have aligned with Shinde, along with 10 independents. On Wednesday, Uddhav Thackeray's elder brother Jaidev, his estranged wife Smita, and his nephew Nihar Thackeray were on the stage. Nihar is the son of late Bindumadhav Thackeray, the son of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray. "It is the BJP that wrote the screenplay. The gist of the main speech, dialogues, characters were written by it (the BJP)," the party said. The Shiv Sena said the Shinde faction was behaving as if it had merged with the BJP and that the supporters there were only short of chanting 'Modi-Shah'. PTI

14:34 Nobel Peace prize goes to 3 organisations

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize to human rights advocate Ales Bialiatski from Belarus, the Russian human rights organisation Memorial and the Ukrainian human rights organisation Center for Civil Liberties.

14:28 Rahul shares a fanboy moment

On Day 30 of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Rahul Gandhi shares this picture of a child in Karnataka, saying, "Banda Cool Hai (emoji with dark glasses)."

The Padyatra is covering a distance of 25 km every day. The march was aimed to cover as many as 12 states in five months. It will be in Karnataka for 21 days before moving north.

Sital Singh Dosanjh shot his daughter-in-law

14:14 PIO shoots dead daughter-in-law in California

A week of murders and mayhem in the US.

An Indian-origin man, 74, has been arrested in California for shooting dead his daughter-in-law at the parking lot of a Walmart store in San Jose last week, local police said.

74-year-old Sital Singh Dosanjh, the primary suspect in the incident that took place on September 30 has been arrested from his house in Fresno on October 1, San Jose Police Department (SJPD) said in a statement.

"During the course of the investigation, SJPD Homicide Unit Detectives determined that the suspect Sital Singh Dosanjh was the primary suspect in this homicide and obtained a warrant for his arrest. On October 1, 2022, the suspect was located and arrested at his residence in Fresno," the SJPD said. The suspect was subsequently transported to San Jose and booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail for homicide. -- ANI

13:56 Adani to invest Rs 65,000 cr in Rajasthan

Richest Asian Gautam Adani on Friday announced a Rs 65,000 crore investment in Rajasthan over the next 5 to 7 years in setting up a mega 10,000 MW solar power capacity, expanding cement plant and upgrading Jaipur airport.

The investment by ports-to-energy conglomerate that Adani heads also spans city gas infrastructure for retailing CNG to automobiles and piped gas to households and industries as well as laying transmission lines to carry renewable power.

Speaking at the Invest Rajasthan 2022 Summit, he said the Adani group already has a sizeable presence in the state. It operates a thermal power plant, has set up a solar park and supplies coal to the state's power-generating units.

Adani Group is investing Rs 50,000 crore to add 10,000 megawatts of renewable power generation capacity.

"This will be commissioned progressively over the next 5 years," he said, adding the group just a week back achieved commercial operation of the world's largest wind-solar hybrid power plant in Rajasthan. Besides, it is looking to double its cement manufacturing capacity following its acquisition of Ambuja Cements and ACC.

"While we already have three cement plants and limestone mining assets, a significant part of our capacity expansion will continue to happen in Rajasthan. We anticipate investing another Rs 7,000 crore to double our cement manufacturing capacity in the state," he said. The Group is also the operator of Jaipur airport which will be expanded, he said.

An Agniveer recruitment rally in the Jammu region

13:13 Thousands queue up for Agnipath recruitment in J-K

An Indian Army recruitment rally for Agniveers began in Jammu's Samba district on Friday.Thousands of candidates participated in the rally.

Rohit Singh, a candidate for Agniveer recruitment said, "Those who prepared well have been selected. I want to serve the country, am thus opting for the Army."

The Union Cabinet on June 14 approved a recruitment scheme for Indian youth to serve in the three services of the Armed Forces called 'Agnipath' and the youth selected under this scheme will be known as 'Agniveers'.

The Agnipath scheme allows youth to serve in the Armed Forces for a period of four years. The Agnipath scheme has been designed to enable a youthful profile of the Armed Forces. -- ANI

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has constituted a nine-member task force for monitoring cheetah introduction in Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh and other suitable designated areas, said the officials on Friday.

The committee members will focus on reviewing the progress and monitoring the health status of these Cheetahs.

"Upkeep of the soft release enclosures and protection status of the entire area. Adherence to the forest and veterinary officials' protocols, advice on Cheetah introduction in India to Madhya Pradesh forest department and NTCA on status of Cheetah with respect to overall health, behaviour and upkeep," read an official statement.

Earlier on September 25, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that based on the recommendation of the task force set up to observe cheetahs in Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park, it will be decided when people will be able to see the animals. -- ANI

The damaged nose of the Vande Bharat Express

12:19 FIR against owner of buffaloes hit by Vande Bharat

The Railway Protection Force (RPF) in Gujarat has registered a case against the owners of buffaloes that were hit by the Mumbai-Gandhinagar Vande Bharat express, in which the front portion of the train was damaged, officials said on Friday.

The nose cone cover of the driver coach of the semi-high speed train, which got damaged after hitting the buffaloes, was replaced with a new one in Mumbai, the Western Railway (WR) said in a statement.

The newly-launched Mumbai Central-Gandhinagar Vande Bharat train had hit the herd of buffaloes around 11.15 am on Thursday near Ahmedabad, when the train was on its way to Gandhinagar. Four buffaloes were killed in the incident, the officials said.

"The RPF has lodged a first information report (FIR) against the unidentified owners of the buffaloes that came in the way of Vande Bharat train between Vatva and Maninagar railway stations in Ahmedabad," WR's senior spokesperson (Ahmedabad division) Jitendra Kumar Jayant said.

RPF inspector Pradeep Sharma posted at Vatva railway station said the FIR was filed under section 147 of the Railways Act, 1989, which deals with unauthorised entry into any part of a railway and misuse of its property.

"The FIR was registered on Thursday evening in connection with the incident in which four buffaloes were killed," he said.

The railway police have not yet been able to identify the owners of the buffaloes so far and efforts are on to do so, he said.

The incident had occurred in Punitnagar area near Vatva railway station on the outskirts of Ahmedabad city, Sharma added. The train's damaged nose cone cover made up of FRP (fibre-reinforced plastic) was replaced with a new one in Mumbai, the WR said in a statement.

"The nose cone cover of the train's driver coach along with its mounting brackets was damaged in the cattle-hit incident.

However, the vital parts of the train remained unaffected. The damaged nose cone was replaced at the Coach Care Centre in Mumbai Central," WR's chief public relations officer Sumit Thakur said. After the incident on Thursday, the train had covered the distance to Gandhinagar Capital station and back to Mumbai Central without the nose cover panel as there was no damage to it train's vital parts, he said. -- PTI

The Muslim community protests outside the madrassa

11:43 9 held for breaking into madrassa, performing puja

The Bidar police in Karnataka have booked nine people for allegedly trespassing into the Mahmud Gawan madrassa, a heritage site and performing puja during the Dussehra festivities yesterday.

"Members of the Muslim community staged a protest and the situation is under control," says Additional SP Mahesh Meghannavar.

A mob that was part of a Dussehra procession in Bidar allegedly broke into the heritage madrassa on Wednesday night, shouted slogans and performed a puja in a corner of the building.

Built-in the 1460s, the Mahmud Gawan Madrassa in Bidar is a designated heritage site under the Archeological Survey of India. The structure is also listed among monuments of national importance.

The mob broke the lock of the madrasa and entered it, the police said.

A videograb of the flogging in the Kheda district of Gujarat

11:24 Gujarat flogging: TMC files complaint with NHRC

The TMC has filed a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission in connection with the public flogging of Muslim men by Gujarat Police personnel, party spokesperson Saket Gokhale said on Friday.

He said it is "a matter of shame" that the NHRC hasn't taken suo moto cognizance of the matter.

Earlier this week, policemen publicly flogged some men who were part of a mob comprising members of the Muslim community who allegedly pelted stones at a garba event in Undhela village in Gujarat's Kheda district.

Purported video clips of the incident showed three men arrested for stone pelting being held against an electricity pole, one after the other, by a policeman and being flogged by another with a lathi.

"It is a matter of shame to see that National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) hasn't suo moto taken up the matter of Gujarat Police publicly flogging Muslim youth. But they shouldn't have the excuse of "no one complained". We All India Trinamool Congress filed a complaint with the NHRC today," Gokhale said in a tweet.

He also shared a copy of the complaint.

In the complaint filed by Gokhale on behalf of his party, he said there have been several viral videos on social media showing a group of Muslim men being "tied" to a pole in Undhela village of Matar Taluka in Kheda district, Gujarat.

"The police claimed that this was "punishment" to the Muslim men who were accused of stone pelting. The police basically decided to act as jury and executioner and unleashed inhuman brutality on a group of young men purely because they were Muslim," Gokhale said. -- PTI

As the ED launched fresh searches in connection with the alleged Delhi excise policy scam, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said hundreds of raids by central agencies to find evidence against his deputy Manish Sisodia have yielded nothing as he didn't do anything.

Time of hundreds of sleuths of the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is being wasted for "dirty politics", he said.

The ED launched raids at about 35 locations in Delhi, Punjab and Hyderabad earlier in the day in connection with its money laundering investigation into alleged irregularities in the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy, official sources said.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia is an accused in an FIR registered by the CBI in connection with alleged irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22.

"Over 500 raids, more than 300 officials have been working round the clock for three months to find evidence against Manish Sisodia. Nothing has been found because he has not done anything," Kejriwal said in a tweet in Hindi.

"Time of so many officers is being wasted for one's dirty politics. How will the country progress like this," he asked. The ED's case stems from the CBI FIR.

The ED has conducted more than 103 raids in this case so far. The excise policy came under the scanner after Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena recommended a CBI probe into it. He had also suspended 11 excise officials. -- PTI

10:54 Meet Kiren Rijiju's family

Union minister Kiren Rijiju shares this picture saying, "I'm happy that my dharam patni took our daughter to 'KARTAVYA PATH' to make her realize India's Grand-Vision &, to let her know our Constitutional duty &, moral responsibility towards our nation."

10:32 In Tharoor's Loss Lies His Win

The 136-year-old baby, argues Shyam G Menon, is taking a tiny step to tackling the biggest dread of old age: Change. Read the column here.

File pic

10:29 Delhi excise policy: ED conducts fresh raids at 35 locations

The Enforcement Directorate on Friday launched fresh raids in connection with its money laundering investigation into alleged irregularities in the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy, official sources said.

The searches are being carried out at about 35 locations in Delhi, Punjab and some places in Hyderabad, they said.

Some liquor distributors, companies and linked entities are being searched after the agency obtained some new leads in the case during questioning of various accused, the sources said.

The federal agency has conducted more than 103 raids in this case till now and had also arrested Sameer Mahandru, a liquor businessman and managing director of liquor manufacturing company Indospirit, last month in the case.

The money laundering case stems from a CBI FIR that had named Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia as an accused among others. -- PTI

With increasing oil prices weighing on traders' sentiments, the rupee plunged to an all-time time low of 82.22 against the US dollar in morning trade on Friday.

The traders are also monitoring US payrolls report which is expected today. Depending on this, the US Federal Reserve's stance on monetary policy could also be influenced. The rupee had closed at 81.88 in the previous session.

Government bond yields are expected to open higher on Monday, as concerns over debt supplies may resurface after weaker-than-expected demand at a debt auction on Friday. Bond prices and yields are inversely related.

10:03 Active Covid cases in country dip to 30,362

Remember Covid? Well, India logged 1,997 new coronavirus infections taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 4,46,06,460, while the active cases declined to 30,362, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday.

The death toll climbed to 5,28,754 with nine fatalities which includes three deaths reconciled by Kerala, the data updated at 8 am stated.

The active cases comprise 0.07 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate increased to 98.75 per cent, the ministry said. A decline of 1,920 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. -- PTI

PS. Doctors say that one of the reasons for the drop in cases is because people with symptoms do not undergo a Covid test and pass it off as flu.

Baby Aroohi dies of exposure

09:51 Sikh family murders in US: Suspect was employee

The suspect in the killing of an Indian-origin Sikh family, including an eight-month-old baby girl, had once worked for the family's trucking business and had a longstanding dispute with them that got "pretty nasty" and culminated in an act of senseless killing, authorities and a relative said.

Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke said the bodies of 36-year-old Jasdeep Singh, 27-year-old Jasleen Kaur, their eight-month-old child Aroohi Dheri and the baby's uncle, 39-year-old Amandeep Singh were found on Wednesday evening in an orchard after they were kidnapped on Monday.

The family, originally from Harsi Pind in Hoshiarpur, Punjab, was kidnapped at a business in Merced County, California.

"The primary suspect in the kidnapping and murder, Jesus Manuel Salgado, is a former employee who used to drive for the victim's trucking company. They had a disagreement and parted ways," a relative of the deceased family was quoted as saying by the NBC Bay area.

The relative also revealed that baby Aroohi Dheri was left for dead and died from exposure, the report said.

Warnke also said that he believes there might be a second person involved in the kidnapping and killings, but investigators are still collecting evidence.

"If that person is watching, might as well turn yourself in," Warnke was quoted as saying by NBC Bay area. "Our detectives are like bulldogs. They're not going to give up. Once we find or determine that there was in fact a second person, they're going to go after and go after hard," he said.

The longstanding dispute between Salgado and the victims "got pretty nasty," Warnke was quoted as saying by KTVU television station.

09:44 US issues advisory against travel to Pakistan

The US has urged its citizens to reconsider travel to Pakistan, especially its restive provinces, due to terrorism and sectarian violence.

In a travel advisory issued on Thursday, the US State Department urged its citizens not to travel to Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) provinces, including the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), due to terrorism and kidnapping.

"Reconsider travel to Pakistan due to terrorism and sectarian violence. Some areas have increased risk," it said, putting the advisory to Level 3.

Level 3 travel warning is issued when a long-term or serious situation puts travellers and visitors at risk, and non-essential travel to the destination should be avoided. The advisory also recommended Americans not to travel in the immediate vicinity of the Line of Control (LoC) due to terrorism and the potential for armed conflict.

The Varanasi court is likely to pronounce its verdict on Friday in connection with the plea filed by the Hindu side seeking carbon dating of the structure they claimed to be a 'Shivling' found inside the Gyanvapi Mosque.

The court had reserved the order in the Gyanvapi Mosque-Shringar Gauri case on September 29 after hearing both sides' arguments. The bench of Varanasi District Judge Ajay Krishna Vishwesh will deliver the order.

The Hindu side had claimed that a 'Shivling' was found in the premises near the 'wazukhana' during the videography survey of the mosque premises, which was ordered by the court.

However, the Muslim side said that the structure found was a 'fountain'. The Hindu side had then submitted an application on September 22 that sought a carbon dating of the object they claimed to be 'Shivling'. -- ANI

08:43 Putin's nuclear threat is no joke, warns Biden

United States President Joe Biden spoke of nuclear 'Armageddon' in a warning about the escalation in Russia's war in Ukraine during a speech on Thursday.

Biden warned of the 'assault' on American institutions and talked of the threat of Russian President Vladimir Putin using nuclear weapons, at the New York home of James Murdoch, the son of media baron Rupert Murdoch.

"We have not faced the prospect of Armageddon since Kennedy and the Cuban missile crisis," Biden said in New York City.

At a fundraiser for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Biden said Putin is 'not joking when he talks about the use of tactical nuclear weapons or biological or chemical weapons'.

This is because, Biden said, 'his military is -- you might say -- significantly underperforming'.

"I'm trying to figure out, what is Putin's off-ramp?" Biden said.

"Where does he find a way out? Where does he find himself in a position that he does not only lose face but lose significant power within Russia?"

According to a pool report, Biden told attendees at the event, "I don't think there is any such a thing as the ability to easily use a tactical nuclear weapon and not end up with Armageddon."

Putin has renewed his nuclear threats as he announced the annexation of Ukrainian territory, some of which Russia doesn't control, and with the call-up of 300,000 reservists to reinforce his flagging invasion.

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin had threatened to use a nuclear weapon in Ukraine if Russian 'territorial integrity', sparking deep discussion in the West.

"Those who are trying to blackmail us with nuclear weapons should know that the wind can also turn in their direction," Putin said, adding: "This is not a bluff." -- ANI

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who attended a programme at Shri Panchkhand Peeth in Rajasthan, on Thursday said over 50 per cent of work on the under-construction Ram Mandir in Ayodhya has been completed.

He said 'Shri Panchkhand Peeth' always played a leading role in all social and religious movements.

Addressing the programme at Shri Panchkhand Peeth, Rajasthan, CM Yogi said, "Mahatma Ramchandra Veer Ji Maharaj and Swami Acharya Dharmendra Ji Maharaj were the ones who contributed selflessly towards the country. The 'Peeth' also played a crucial role in ensuring public participation in various campaigns led by the saints for the welfare of the country."

During the Chadarposhi ceremony of Swami Somendra Sharma, Adityanath said that Acharya Dharmendra had a deep connection with Gorakshapeeth for three generations.

"Acharya ji always had a sense of belonging, my deepest respect to him," he said.

While addressing the 'Sant Samagam', Chief Minister Yogi said, "India's Sanatan Dharm gives utmost importance to the protection of our gau matas (cows)."

He further said, "Dedicated efforts were made to realise the dream of Ram Mandir for which the movement started in 1949. Resultantly, today, over 50 per cent of work on the Ram Mandir, which was also a dream of Acharya Ji, has neared completion." -- PTI

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