Month: November 2024

Seven teams from the 4th Battalion of the NDRF, including two canine units (30 rescuers per team), have been mobilised in anticipation of heavy to very heavy rainfall predicted by the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in parts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry from 26 to 28 November.

According to the NDRF, the teams will be deployed in Karaikal, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, and Mayiladuthurai districts.

Meanwhile, the RMC, Chennai, on Tuesday reported that the depression over the southwest Bay of Bengal has intensified into a deep depression and is likely to develop into a cyclonic storm on Wednesday (27 November).

Chennai and its suburbs have been experiencing widespread rainfall since Tuesday morning. The IMD has forecast widespread light to moderate rains for the region, with occasional heavy downpours, continuing until Thursday (28 November).

“As of now, yesterday’s depression has intensified this morning into a deep depression. It is likely to further intensify into a cyclonic storm and move northwards, towards the Tamil Nadu coast,” S. Balachandran, Director of the RMC, Chennai, told ANI.

According to the IMD, the depression is very likely to continue moving north-northwestwards, intensifying into a cyclonic storm by 27 November. It is expected to move towards the Tamil Nadu coast, skirting the Sri Lankan coastline, over the next two days. Continuous monitoring is being conducted to track its movement and intensification.

The IMD has issued weather alerts for Tamil Nadu. A red alert has been issued for extremely heavy rainfall in three central districts on 26 November and two districts on 27 November. Chennai has been placed under a yellow alert for heavy rainfall from 27 to 29 November. Neighbouring districts, including Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, and Chengalpattu, are under yellow and orange alerts from 27 to 30 November.

Due to continuous rainfall in Chennai’s suburbs, streets are inundated with water mixed with sewage, leaving residents hesitant to step outside.

Authorities have declared holidays for schools and colleges in several regions, including Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, and Tiruvarur, in anticipation of severe weather conditions starting 26 November.

The IMD forecast for 26 November indicates heavy to very heavy rain at a few places, with extremely heavy rain at one or two locations in Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, and the Karaikal area.

On 26 November, heavy to very heavy rain is also expected at isolated places in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, Villupuram, Cuddalore, Ariyalur, Thanjavur, Pudukkottai, Sivaganga, Ramanathapuram, and Puducherry.

Isolated heavy rainfall is likely in Kallakurichi, Perambalur, Tiruchirappalli, and Thoothukudi districts on 26 November.

For 27 November, light to moderate rain is expected at many places, with thunderstorms and lightning at isolated locations across Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal.

On 28 November, light to moderate rain is likely at a few places, with thunderstorms and lightning at many locations in coastal Tamil Nadu and a few areas in interior Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal. (ANI)

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R Madhavan, who is at the 55th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa, expressed his excitement as his film ‘Hisaab Barabar’ premiered at the prestigious event on Tuesday.

Directed by Ashwni Dhir, the movie revolves around corruption and systemic injustice, with a story about a common man’s fight against financial fraud.

Speaking to ANI, Madhavan shared that it’s a matter of great pride for the film to premiere at IFFI and admitted he is “more nervous” now than he was during his first film.

“It’s a matter of great pride that it premiered at IFFI, which has gained a stature over the years. It’s just an aspiration film festival around the world… so congratulations to the entire team of IFFI, the government of Goa, and the Information and Broadcasting Ministry for having made it such a popular name,” he said.

“As far as the movie is concerned, I have always believed in high-concept stories. Sometimes I have been very lucky, sometimes not as much, but I have always stuck to the fact that I want to tell stories that the common man can relate to. So Hisaab Barabar is on that line,” he added.

“The nervousness doesn’t come down even after releasing 90 films. I am more nervous today than I was during my first film,” Madhavan confessed.

His co-star in the film, Kriti Kulhari also expressed her excitement about the film.

“It feels quite surreal, actually, and I’ve been waiting to see this film for a while. I haven’t seen anything of the film, not even a single shot. So it’s even more exciting for me,” she said.

As per the makers, in the film, Madhavan plays “Radhe Mohan Sharma, a meticulous railway ticket checker who discovers a small yet inexplicable discrepancy in his bank account. What starts as a minor issue soon spirals into a larger investigation, leading him to uncover a massive financial fraud orchestrated by a powerful banker, Micky Mehta (Neil Nitin Mukesh). As Radhe battles against systemic corruption, he also faces the complexities of his own personal life, realizing that relationships, unlike balance sheets, cannot be fixed with numbers alone.”

The film, which is directed by Ashwni Dhir, also stars actress Kriti Kulhari.

Jio Studio presents an SP Cinecorp Production, ‘Hisaab Barabar’. Directed by Ashwni Dhir and Produced by Jyoti Deshpande, Sharad Patel and Shreyanshi Patel. (ANI)

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that the country’s Constitution is a vibrant, constantly flowing stream that is a guide for the present and future of the country.

Speaking at the Constitution Day celebrations in the Supreme Court, PM Modi said his government has taken steps for the welfare of people in line with the spirit of Constitution and is focusing on ensuring the ease of living for citizens.

PM Modi also said referred to the Mumbai terror attack in 2008 on this day and said the terrorist organisations challenging the security of India will get befitting reply.

“This is the 75th year of the Indian Constitution – it is a matter of immense pride for the country. I bow to the Constitution and all the members of the Constituent Assembly. We cannot forget that today is also the anniversary of the terror attack in Mumbai. Those who lost their lives, I pay my homage to them. I also want to reiterate the resolution of the country – every terrorist organisation challenging the security of India will get befitting reply,” he said.

He said there was a time when senior citizens had to prove by visiting banks that they are alive.

“The country is focusing on ensuring the ease of living for its citizens. Once, the senior citizens who used to get pensions were supposed to prove in the bank that they were alive. However, today, senior citizens have the facility of a Digital Life Certificate from their home. Around 1.5 crore senior citizens have benefited from this facility,” he said.

PM Modi urged people to live by the spirit of ‘Nation First’.

“Dr Rajendra Prasad in his speech in the constituent assembly said – India needs nothing but a group of 50 honest people who keep The country’s interest ahead of theirs…I tried to follow the dignity that the Constitution has asked from me, I haven’t tried to do encroachment,” the Prime Minister said.

PM Modi also referred to the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana which now also covers citizens above 70 years of age.

“Today it looks easy that people have access to tap water, but even after 75 years of independence, only 3 crore houses had this facility… in the original copy of the constitution, lord Ram, mother Sita…have their images in it. The images symbolising Indian culture are there so that they can keep us reminded about human values. These human values are the foundation of policies and decisions of today’s India,” he said.

PM Modi referred to challenge to the Constitution through Emergency imposed by the Indira Gandhi government. He also referred to scrapping of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir by his government in 2019.

“We have seen the Emergency in the country – our Constitution has faced this challenge that arose before democracy. It’s the power of the constitution, that today, in Jammu and Kashmir, Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Constitution is fully implemented,” he said.

PM Modi said India is going through a huge phase of transformation, and the Constitution of India is showing the path.

“Our Constitution has lived up to every expectation and need of the country. It’s due to the power of the Constitution that, today, the Constitution of Baba Saheb has been implemented completely in Jammu and Kashmir. For the first time, the Constitution Day was celebrated in Jammu and Kashmir Today, India is going through a huge phase of transformation, and the Constitution of India is showing us the path. It has become a guiding light for us,” he said.

“During the constituent assembly’s debate – Babasaheb Ambedkar had said – ‘Constitution is not a mere lawyer’s document. Its spirit is always the spirit of age’,” he added.

Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna presented a painting made by a prisoner, lodged in Tihar jail, to PM Modi during the Constitution Day celebrations.

The Prime Minister also released the Annual Report of Indian Judiciary 2023-24, on the occasion. (ANI)

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Launching a scathing attack at the Bharatiya Janata Party, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi on Tuesday alleged that the centre is hatching a “huge conspiracy” against the people of Delhi and trying to win the upcoming assembly elections through “unfair means.”

She alleged that the officials are being directed to delete the names of Aam Aadmi Party voters from the voter list. She urged the officers to come forward to record this and “expose this conspiracy”

“The central government is hatching a huge conspiracy against the people of Delhi. To win the elections through unfair means, it is misusing the government machinery and is starting the work of cutting the votes of the people of Delhi on a large scale. Under this conspiracy, 29 SDM-ADMs of Delhi were transferred on October 28, and after that, the officers were ordered to cut votes on a large scale. Now orders are being given to AERO-BLO from SDM offices. They are being given a voter list that contains the names of Aam Aadmi Party voters, and they have to delete them from the voter list,” CM Atishi said in a press conference on Tuesday.

“I appeal to all AERO-BLO that if any officer is pressurizing them to do this, then record it and send it to me, expose their conspiracy to kill democracy so that strict action can be taken against these officers,” she added.

The assembly elections in Delhi are scheduled to be held next year.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Assembly ‘Winter Session’ session is to be convened from November 29 to December 3.

Earlier on Monday, the Delhi BJP Manifesto Committee met under the chairmanship of party leader Ramvir Singh Bidhuri as the party prepares for the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections.

On the other hand, AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal launched the “Revdi Par Charcha” campaign last week, targeting the BJP and underlining his government’s welfare schemes ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections. (ANI)

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Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday demanded the replacement of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) with ballot papers, alleging that votes from “SC, ST, OBC and poor communities are being wasted.”

“Votes of people from SC, ST, OBC, poor communities are being wasted. Set aside EVMs. We do not want EVMs; we want voting on ballot paper…Let them keep the machine at their home, at the home of PM Modi or Amit Shah…Then we would know where you (BJP-NDA) stand,” Mallikarjun Kharge said while speaking at the Constitution Day program at Talkatora Stadium here.

The Congress Chief’s scathing remarks come on the heels of his party’s crushing defeat in the Maharashtra Assembly election, where the Mahayuti alliance swept to power in a landslide victory with the BJP emerging as the biggest winner with 132 seats out of 280 member Maharashtra assembly, while its allies–the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde and the NCP led by Ajit Pawar–won 57 and 41 seats, respectively.

While the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) managed to secure only 46 seats, with the Congress getting just 16.

“We should start a campaign on behalf of our party. We would like to urge everyone and all parties, under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, that we should take out a rally just like the Bharat Jodo Yatra that we want ballot papers,” he added.

Kharge also congratulated people for not giving an absolute majority for the BJP in the 2024 general election, unlike in those of 2014 and 2019.

“Today, they (BJP) are not in majority. They are a minority government. They have put one leg of TDP’s N Chandrababu Naidu and another leg of Bihar CM Nitish Kumar. PM Modi is walking using both of these legs. If anyone drags away one of their legs, the government will topple. I congratulate all of you that you people fought together,” he said.

He slammed the Modi government, accusing it of looting and giving undue favours to Adani, Ambani.

“You came (to power) and are looting and passing it on to Adani, Ambani and others like them. These people never thought for the nation…Modi and they think for each other. I am saying this because Adani had a major role in the elections in Maharashtra…Modi ji gave a lot of properties to him and he is unable to contain it. He is distributing it in elections on behalf of the BJP. They do not have any constitutional values. They lack institutional integrity. They do not have federal character,” he said.

Earlier in the day, Malikarjun Kharge said that there should be a two-day discussion on the Constitution Day so that people can know about the importance of the Constitution and are aware of their fundamental rights.

Speaking to ANI, Kharge said “Constitution Day was celebrated earlier as well, it is celebrated today as well and we want that there should be a two-day discussion on it so that people can know about the importance of the Constitution, their fundamental rights, secularism, socialism, equality. We can explain all these things to people through the Parliament, that is why we have written a letter and have also demanded that there should be a two day discussion in the Parliament. Rahul Gandhi has written to the Lok Sabha Speaker. I have written to the Chairman…” (ANI)

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Calling on the government to invest “much more” in infrastructure to handle the caseload in the judiciary, Former Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud highlighted that about 21 per cent of the posts are laying vacant in district judiciaries.

In an interview with ANI, Justice DY Chandrachud, who recently retired from the post of the CJI, pointed out that the Judge to population ratio in India is amongst the lowest in the world.

“We do not have the number of judges which you require in the district judiciary to handle the kind of volume of caseload which is coming into the district judiciary. So first and foremost, you have to increase the judge-to-population ratio by appointing more judges,” he said.

The former Chief Justice also emphasised on the need to identify and appoint more qualified people.

“Governments have to invest much more in infrastructure, which is not being done. Third, today, there is about 21 per cent of posts in district judiciaries that are lying vacant. The 27 per cent is a vacancy in the staffing pattern of the district judiciary. Now, that is something in a federal polity, which is handled by the high courts and by the public service commissions in certain states,” he said.

The former CJI also called for an “All India Judicial Service Examination” to fill the vacancies in the district judiciary.

“Speaking for myself, I feel that one solution for the vacancies in the district judiciary is to have an all-India judicial service examination where the states would recruit, but there will at least be one all-India examination yearly, which will be held on schedule and the people on that, in that order of merit and applying reservations, of course, as applicable to every state would be selected by the states. So we have to find innovative solutions,” Justice Chandrachud said.

He also pointed out that this will require a constitutional amendment because, the recruitment and conditions of service of the judges to the district judiciary are, controlled by the governors.

Further, Justice Chandrachud emphasized that the Supreme Court is a court that deals with the problems of the poor and highlighted that in over the last two years of his tenure, the Apex Court had disposed of more bail applications than what was filed.

“The Supreme Court is not a court for the resourced. It’s not a court for the rich. It’s a court which deals with the problems of the poor. You have bench after bench of the Supreme Court dealing with bail applications of the smallest persons. In the last two years when I was a judge of the Supreme Court, 21,000 bail applications were filed. These are bail applications of common citizens. We disposed of 21,358 bail applications. Much more than what was filed. And those are bail applications involving small, many of them very ordinary citizens who have cases of cheating, cases under the NDPS Act, cases involving assaults,” he said.

Asked about the perception that people don’t get a fair hearing because of religious reasons, Justice Chandrachud said that it is not a correct perception.

“If you see the number of people across communities who are granted bail, and that has nothing to do with the religion of a particular person. But as I said, whether to grant bail in an individual case is for that bench or that judge to take at that particular point of time,” he said.

He also raised concerns about the reluctance to grant bail by district courts.

“The concern which I have, however, which I have made clear earlier, is that district courts today, there is a reluctance to grant bail. And the reason for that is this culture of mistrust in our society. Because district judges are worried about the fact that if I grant bail, will there be an allegation against me that I have done it for extraneous reasons? And I’ve always said that, we as judges of the superior courts have to protect our judges at the lowest of the pyramid,” Chandrachud said.

“If a judge in the district judiciary grants bail incorrectly, obviously it’s capable of correction by a higher forum. But let’s not then target judges who have granted bail,” he added. (ANI)

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut criticised and mocked Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party on Tuesday, saying being in alliance with Bharatiya Janata Party, they cannot decide on the candidate for Maharashtra Chief Minister and have instead become “sub-companies of BJP.”

“The CM will be decided by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and PM Narendra Modi. Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar cannot make decisions for their parties on their own. These two parties are slaves of Amit Shah and PM Modi and are sub-companies of the BJP,” he said at a press conference in Mumbai.

During the press conference, he also predicted that BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis will be chosen as the CM.

“Currently, the BJP has a majority, just short of a few seats, but yes I agree they have the power, if they don’t have majority then they can break Eknath Shinde’s and Ajit Pawar’s parties for the majority. They are experts on that, it is seen in Maharashtra before. According to me, Devendra Fadnavis will be the next CM,” Raut said.

Earlier, Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde resigned as Maharashtra Chief Minister and was appointed as the caretaker CM until the formation of the government.

However, the Mahayuti alliance is yet to decide on the person to lead the Maharashtra government.

Shiv Sena leader and state minister in the outgoing cabinet Deepak Kesarkar said that any decision taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be acceptable to him.

He (Eknath Shinde) will handle the work of the government. Mahayuti leaders will sit together and discuss and go to Delhi and then a decision will be taken,” Kesarkar said on Tuesday.

“CM Shinde has clearly said that whatever decision PM Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah take, it will be acceptable to him,” he told reporters.

When asked about if there is a favoured candidate, he said that there is no clear favourite to the CM’s post as of now as the party leaders discuss among themselves.

“All three leaders are discussing together, a good decision will be taken when they discuss with,” he told reporters.

Eknath Shinde has already told his supporters early morning on Tuesday that they should not congregate in Mumbai or anywhere else in his support.

“Out of love for me, some congregations have appealed to everyone to gather together and come to Mumbai. I am deeply grateful for your love. But I appeal that no one should come together in my support in such a manner. Once again it is my humble request that Shiv Sena workers should not assemble at Varsha bungalow (official residence of CM) or anywhere else,” said the X post by Shinde.

He also reiterated the strength of the Mahayuti alliance, saying that after the decisive victory, the alliance will stay together.

“After the great victory of Mahayutti, our government will be formed once again in the state. As a grand alliance, we contested the election together and are still together today,” the post said. (ANI)

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The recently retired Chief Justice of India, Justice Chandrachud has weighed in on the increasing levels of air pollution in the national capital Delhi, with many of its residents, including himself, opting to forgo their daily morning walks as a measure to safeguard against potential hazards to their health.

The former Supreme Court judge in an exclusive interview with ANI noted that he is enthused to see people repose their faith in the judiciary system to find a solution to the menace that he attributes to “multidimensional issues” including farm fires and rise in vehicular traffic.

Speaking to ANI in an exclusive interview the former CJI said, “It’s great that people have this kind of faith in the court system. But I think when we deal with issues such as pollution in Delhi, the fact that, you know, everybody’s talking about it for a change in the last several years is, is part of the answer to the problem. Because the real problem arises when people just accept whatever happens in society as a new normal. And they don’t speak about it. They don’t write about it. They don’t talk about it. The very fact that everyone is engaged on this issue itself is the first step in finding a solution to this problem.”

The former CJI further said that the courts cannot take over the core policymaking role, which is for expert agencies to handle.

“Now, you know, the point is that there are two different aspects of the matter. First, you have the role of policymakers, namely the government, and the expert agencies of the government, and then you have the role of the courts. None can in that sense be complete without the other. When courts step into this area, obviously courts cannot take over the core policymaking role, which is for expert agencies to handle. What courts can ensure is to ensure that the processes are being undertaken. Are you applying your mind to this? For instance, we had the graded action plan. Now that was introduced as a result of the intervention of the court the sense that then we lay down processes and systems that if pollution crosses a certain level, these are the steps which you have to take. So you institutionalize processes and the response to pollution does not become ad hoc,” he said.

When asked if is there a need to have more judicial intervention in the matter, Justice Chandrachud said that “multidimensional issues” including farm fires, the number of vehicles in the city, new construction etc have to be taken into consideration.

“I also understand the limits of judicial review. And it’s very important for judges to understand the limits of their function. Because what happens very often is that when you step into a problem, particularly a problem as complex as this, which is not a problem relating to one source of pollution, like say, one thermal power plant, or one polluting industry, those are typically areas which courts can work on very well. But you are dealing with a problem which has multidimensional issues involved. You have farm fires, you have the number of vehicles in the city, you have new construction, you have changes in cropping patterns, and climate change in general as well. So these are issues in that sense which are extraordinarily complex. So courts have to step into the area, move the authorities along and tell them, hey, what are you doing?,” the former CJI said.

Pointing out that the judiciary has done a lot of good work in the environmental area in India, he said noting that the role of the courts is to nudge the authorites to take decisions.

“What are the steps that you are taking to deal with today’s problems? What are you envisioning for the next year? What steps do you want to take? So very often the role of judicial review is to push things along as opposed to merely taking decisions on your own. Another problem I think which we need to understand is that when courts take decisions, we are essentially not accountable to the people in a direct sense. Obviously, we are accountable to the Constitution. as judges. But so courts are not in that sense either accountable to the electorate or to the people at large. We, as judges, they perform roles of, you know, enforcing constitutional rights. Now, a lot of good work in the environmental area in India has been done by the judiciary,” the former CJI said.

Justice Chandrachud pointed out that Delhi is governed by a very different “constitutional distribution” of powers.

The former Supreme Court justice had previously said that he had stopped going out for morning walks on the recommendation of his doctor who, he said advised him to avoid morning walks due to the poor air quality, which could lead to respiratory issues.

Meanwhile, the national capital on Tuesday registered a “Very Poor” air quality index, which is a slight improvement from the past week which saw the city reeling under ‘Severe’ air quality, as per the Central Pollution Control Board.

At 7 am today, the Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 382, falling under the ‘very poor’ category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board.

The Directorate of Education of the Delhi Government had on November 25 issued directions to all schools in the national capital to follow CAQM’s order. This decision follows the Supreme Court’s order dated November 25 in the case of MC Mehta vs. Union of India, directing the CAQM (Commission of Air Quality Management) to review GRAP- 4 (Graded Response Action Plan) restrictions put in place to curb air pollution in Delhi-NCR,in light of their impact on education. The court emphasised the need to prioritise education while raising several concerns. (ANI)

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Congress MP Rajiv Shukla on Tuesday said that Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi along with a delegation of the Congress party has left for Sambhal.

The LoP’s visit comes after the stone pelting incident which took place when a team arrived to survey Shahi Jama Masjid on November 24.

“Rahul Gandhi and a delegation of the Congress party have left for Sambhal. He has directly left from the Parliament,” Shukla told ANI.

On Monday, Rahul Gandhi attacked the ruling BJP over the Sambhal incident, and accused the party of displaying “insensitive actions” in response to the violence, alleging that their actions were deepening divisions and fostering discrimination between Hindu and Muslim communities.

Meanwhile, a 12-member delegation from the Samajwadi Party is also scheduled to visit the affected area on Tuesday.

LoP Uttar Pradesh Assembly and Samajwadi Party leader, Mata Prasad Pandey said that they will go there to see the “atrocities caused by the Police.”

“We will also meet the family members of the youth who lost their lives in the incident. Do Police ever take responsibility for their actions? …These days Police keep both illegal weapons and the govt issued weapons. The Police use the other (illegal) weapon to fire,” Pandey said.

Earlier today, the market in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal opened after violence following the stone pelting incident which took place when a team arrived to survey Shahi Jama Masjid on November 24.Deputy Inspector General of Police Moradabad Range, Muniraj G said that the situation is normal in Sambhal today.

“The situation is normal in Sambhal today. The markets are operational and functionally normally. People should not worry; those innocent will not be penalised. Till now, 7 FIRs have been filed. We are identifying people based on video footage,” DIG Muniraj said.

Opposition members have been keen to raise the issue in the House and have targeted the Yogi Adityanath government over the violence.

The survey was part of a legal process following a petition filed by senior advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, who claimed the mosque was originally a temple. (ANI)

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Acting General Secretary of the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, Manindra Kumar Nath, on Tuesday, said that 2,010 incidents of attacks, including murder, molestation, and kidnapping, were reported against minorities in Bangladesh, affecting 1,705 families.

Speaking to ANI about the ongoing situation in Bangladesh, where the religious leader and spokesperson of the Bangladesh Sammilit Sanatan Jagran Jote, Chinmoy Krishna Das, was arrested by Bangladeshi police, Nath highlighted the widespread atrocities faced by Hindu, Christian, and Buddhist populations across the country. He noted that despite the scale of the violence, the interim government had not taken any steps to investigate or hold anyone accountable for these incidents.

“It is very unfortunate… We have seen that almost across all 64 districts of Bangladesh, there have been atrocities against Hindu populations and also against Christians and Buddhists. From that, we have gathered statistics through our organisation, which show that there were 2,010 incidents of attacks, including murder, molestation, and kidnapping, affecting 1,705 families from the community. Despite this, the interim government has not taken any steps to investigate or hold anyone accountable for these incidents,” Nath said.

Nath also pointed out that as a result of these atrocities, saints and monks have been protesting in various cities in the country, including Dhaka, Chattogram, and Rampur. These demonstrations, he noted, have faced attempts to disrupt them, with participants being abused and even injured during protests.

“As a result, even saints and monks have come forward to protest against these atrocities through various demonstrations. We have seen protests in Dhaka, in Chattogram, and a large demonstration in Rampur. There have also been attempts to disrupt these demonstrations, with people being abused during the protests. Even after Chinmoy’s arrest, there was another protest where people were injured,” he said.

Nath stated that the protests were aimed at advocating for eight key reforms for the Sanatani people. These reforms include demands for time off during religious festivities, investigations into the atrocities, and the right to pray in religious places. Nath stressed that these demands are basic and focused on creating an anti-discriminatory society.

He further criticised the interim government for not providing adequate representation for the minority communities and expressed concerns that the absence of such representation is hindering communal progress in the country.

“The reasons for the protest include an 8-point reform agenda for the Sanatani people, such as leave during festivities, the investigation into the atrocities, and the right to prayer in religious places. These reforms are basic demands, republican demands, and calls for an anti-discriminatory society. While the new government is introducing many reforms, unfortunately, there is no representation for the minority communities. By doing this, they are stalling the community progress in the country,” Nath said.

This came following the arrest of religious leader Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari at Dhaka airport on Monday, as reported by the Daily Star.

Meanwhile, responding to the arrest and denial of bail of Chinmoy Krishna Das the Ministry of External Affairs today, urged the Bangladeshi government to ensure the safety and security of Hindus.

“We have noted with deep concern the arrest and denial of bail to Shri Chinmoy Krishna Das, who is also the spokesperson of the Bangladesh Sammilit Sanatan Jagran Jote,” the statement said. (ANI)

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