Category: News

A live-tv debate turned unsightly when Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) MLA KP Vivekananda grabbed BJP candidate Kuna Srisailam Goud by the throat.

“KCR’s Party MLA assaults BJP Leader On Live TV debate In Telangana. Vivekananda attacking Goud by holding the latter’s throat is an act of timidity,” Telangana BJP chief G Kishan Reddy said in a statement.

Reacting to BRS MLAs behaviour and the incident that took place, BJP senior leader and OBC morcha chief K Laxman told ANI “When the TV debate is going on naturally opposition leader puts a lot of question, so answer the question and face it. But due to frustration and depression, as they (BRS) are losing ground, he (BRS MLA) physically assaulted a BJP candidate, this shows how BRS is in total depression.”

“They are now losing the battle so imagine how government machinery and money corruption taking place. This gentleman was questioned on land grabbing and corruption, so he lost his temper. We strongly condemn it and we demand that the police book a case and arrest the fellow, otherwise, the BJP will take legal action,” he added.

The BJP further demanded that the BRS MLA be disqualifed from contesting the election and asked the Election Commission to take action against him.

“We demand to disqualify him from the contest and we also will appeal to the election commission to take immediate action against him. This is a message to the people of Telangana that they (BRS) may cross any limit in the election. This happened in front of thousands of people in a TV debate, so you can imagine how the abuse of power of this ruling party BRS has been” K Laxman said.

Assembly elections in Telangana will be held on November 30 and counting of votes will take place on December 3.

Telangana is set to witness an intriguing triangular contest between the BRS, Congress, and BJP.

In the previous Assembly elections in 2018, the BRS won 88 of the 119 seats, hogging 47.4 percent of the total vote share. The Congress finished a distant second with 19 seats and a vote share of 28.7 percent. (ANI)

Champat Rai, General Secretary of Shri Ram Janambhoomi Trust on Wednesday said that the idol of Lord Ram will be installed at Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22 next year.

“Today along with members of Shri Ram Janambhoomi Trust we met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We have invited him (PM Modi) to come on January 22 to install the idol of Lord Ram in the in the Garbhagriha. He has accepted our request. He will be present on January 22. The date for ‘Pran Pratishtha’ on January 22 is confirmed,” Champat Rai said.

After meeting with the officials of Shri Ram Janambhoomi Trust, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his happiness.

PM Modi said he feels blessed and it is his good fortune that he will be witnessing such a historic occasion.

“Jai Siya Ram! Today is a day full of emotions. Recently the officials of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust had come to meet me at my residence. He has invited me to come to Ayodhya on the occasion of consecration of Shri Ram temple. I feel very blessed. It is my good fortune that in my lifetime, I will witness this historic occasion,” wrote PM Modi on X.

It is pertinent to note that the Supreme Court’s verdict in 2019 on the Ayodhya dispute paved the way for the construction of a grand Ram temple. Following the apex court verdict, the Centre set up Shri Ram Janma Bhoomi Tirtha Kshetra’ Trust to take all decisions regarding the construction of a magnificent Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

The construction of the temple has been progressing at a steady pace under the supervision of the Trust. The idol of Ram Lalla will be in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple.

The foundation stone for the construction of the Ram Temple was laid by PM Modi on August 5, 2020. (ANI)

India on Wednesday decided to resume visa services in Canada for four categories after a considered review of the security situation which “takes into account some recent Canadian measures in this regard”.

Entry visa, Business visa, Medical visa and Conference visa are four categories in which India has decided to resume visa services in Canada with effect from October 26.

India had in September “suspended till further notice” its visa services in Canada amid a diplomatic row following remarks of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about the suspected involvement of “agents of the Indian government” in the killing of a Khalistani separatist in June.

India had rejected the allegations as “absurd and motivated” and expelled a Canadian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move over Canada’s decision.

Last week, Canada pulled 41 diplomats from India, after New Delhi had conveyed its concerns over parity in diplomatic strength. Ottawa also halted its visa and consular services in Chandigarh, Mumbai, and Bengaluru consulates.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had said last week that India will resume issuing visas to Canadian citizens if it “sees progress” in the safety of its diplomats.

A press release by the Indian High Commission in Ottawa said on Wednesday that the High Commission and its Consulates General in Toronto and Vancouver, “were constrained to suspend visa services temporarily because of safety and security considerations”.

“After a considered review of the security situation that takes into account some recent Canadian measures in this regard, it has been decided to resume visa services for the following categories with effect from October 26, 2023: (a) Entry Visa (b) Business Visa (c) Medical Visa, and (d) Conference Visa,” the release said.

It said the emergency situations will continue to be addressed by the High Commission and the Consulates General as it is being done currently.

“Further decisions, as appropriate, would be intimated based on continuing evaluation of the situation,” the press release said.

Jaishankar had said that India-Canada relations are going through a “difficult phase” and New Delhi has problems with a “certain segment” of Ottawa’s politics.

“The relationship right now is going through a difficult phase. But I do want to say the problems we have are with a certain segment of Canadian politics and the policies which flow from that. Right now the big concern which people have is on visas. Some weeks ago, we stopped issuing visas in Canada because it was no longer safe for our diplomats to go to work to issue visas. So their safety and security was the primary reason we had to temporarily stop the issue of visas. We’re tracking it very closely,” he added.

“My hope, my expectation is that the situation would improve in the sense that our people would have greater confidence in being able to do their basic duty as diplomats. Because ensuring the safety and security of diplomats is the most fundamental aspect of the Vienna Convention,” Jaishankar said.

India has expressed its concern over Canada providing a “safe haven” to terrorists.

“We should look at the larger issue of terrorism. And not just terrorism, but also the fact that it is being funded and supported. And we know this for some time, from our western neighbor Pakistan. But the issue of safe havens and places to operate is being provided abroad, including in Canada. We would expect that, that is the main focus. The question is, do we have the political will to address terrorism?” MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi had said in a weekly media briefing last month. (ANI)

Citing the impact of US-China relations on world peace and development, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that Beijing is ready to work with Washington, to “properly manage differences”, contribute to each other’s progress and push for common prosperity, Chinese state media agency Xinhua reported on Wednesday.

Xi stated that China is willing to work with the US based on three principles of “mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation”.

“As two major countries in the world, whether China and the United States can find a right path of state-to-state interactions bears on world peace and development, and the future of mankind,” Jinping said.

He added, “Based on the three principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, China is willing to work with the US side to advance mutually beneficial cooperation, properly manage differences, and make joint efforts to tackle global challenges, contribute to each other’s progress, and push for common prosperity so as to deliver benefits to both countries and the whole world”.

In a congratulatory message to the annual Gala Dinner of the National Committee on US-China Relations, Xi applauded the committee’s longstanding dedication to the exchanges and cooperation between the two countries in various areas, Xinhua reported.

He also congratulated former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger on winning an accolade at the gala.

The Chinese president further voiced hope that the committee and friends from all walks of life will continue to concern themselves with and support China-US relations and play a constructive role in promoting the sound and steady growth of bilateral ties.

US President Joe Biden also sent a congratulatory message to the Gala Dinner of the committee, Xinhua reported.

Notably, tensions between the US and China have escalated on a variety of issues, including technology, espionage, economic competition, and military strength. Multiple close military encounters in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait, as well as a spy balloon incident in February and current accusations that China has operated a spy base in Cuba since at least 2019.

Earlier in August, in a scathing attack on China, President Biden had described Xi’s China as a “ticking time bomb” citing economic concerns. In June, Biden had even called Xi a “dictator”.

Both statements were denounced by Beijing.

In another major decision, the Biden administration imposed restrictions on US investment in high-tech areas in China and barred exports of advanced microchips.

Several US leaders including Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen have made visits to China in recent months in an effort to improve relations with China. (ANI)

In a major setback for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the upcoming elections in Telangana, former MLA Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy has decided to part ways with the party and asserted that he is witnessing a notable shift in Telangana’s political landscape.

He also said that he decided to rejoin the Congress party.

He asserted that the BRS is destined to face defeat in the forthcoming assembly elections, with the grand old party emerging victorious as the people of the state are with Telangana.

“Yes, I have taken the decision to join Congress again. I was an earlier Congress party MLA from from Munugode and I have observed that in this election, the mood of the people of Telangana is towards the grand old party. The political equations in Telangana have changed. This time, Congress will defeat KCR. This is one of the big reasons that I decided to join the party back,” he said while speaking to ANI.

Komatireddy’s statement comes shortly after his name was conspicuously absent from the BJP’s initial list of candidates.

Earlier, Komatireddy tweeted that “activists are my strength, fans are my breath and their aspirations are my ambition. Positions are not new to me. My decision is for people. Hoping that my decision to join Congress will be blessed by all my workers and fans.”

Rajagopal Reddy had won Munugode in 2018 on a Congress ticket. Later in 2022, he quit Congress and resigned as MLA only to join the BJP.

He contested the Munugode bypoll on a BJP ticket. However, he lost to BRS candidate K Prabhakar Reddy in a high-stake poll battle with a margin of 10,309 votes. Reddy was not seen in any BJP activities for quite sometime.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on October 9 announced that the Telangana Assembly polls are scheduled to be held on November 30. The counting of votes will be done on December 3.

Telangana is set to witness a triangular contest between the BJP, the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi, and the Congress in the upcoming assembly election.

In the previous Assembly election held in 2018, BRS managed to win 88 seats out of 119 and had a dominant vote share of 47.4 per cent. Congress came in a distant second with 19 seats. Its vote share was 28.7 per cent. (ANI)

NCERT on Wednesday said that “it is too premature to comment” on reports in sections of media concerning changing ‘India’ to ‘Bharat’ in its textbooks and noted that development of new syllabus and textbooks is in the process for which groups of domain experts are being notified by it.

NCERT said that since “the development of new syllabus and textbooks is in the process and for that purpose various Curricular Area Groups of domain experts are being notified so it is too premature to comment on the news being flashed in the media on the concerned issue”.

A high-level National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) panel, headed by historian CI Issac, had earlier recommended replacing ‘India’ with ‘Bharat’ in school textbooks.

The recommendations were made by the seven-member Committee for Social Sciences which is among the committees constituted by the National Council of Educational Research and Training to prepare position papers on various subjects.

However, NCERT Director Dinesh Prasad Saklani denied reports that the the proposal of the Social Sciences panel has been approved.

The high-level NCERT committee made its recommendations in the final position paper on social sciences.

Speaking to ANI over the phone, Issac said the “term India started being used commonly only after the establishment of the East India Company and the battle of Plassey in 1757”.

“We have unanimously recommended that the ‘Bharat’ should be used in textbooks for students across classes,” Isaac said.

Saklani said the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) is the official document for the curriculum.

“Nowhere in it, it is written that the name should be changed. These are rumours. No such thing is being done. Whosoever has claimed must show documents. We haven’t done it,” Saklani told ANI.

The panel chaired by Issac was among the 25 committees formed by the NCERT in December 2021 to prepare position papers on various subjects and themes.

A controversy had broken out over the panel recommendations with some opposition leaders alleging that “confusion” was being created as several institutions use ‘India’ in their names. (ANI)

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday released its fourth and final list of candidates for the upcoming Chhattisgarh Assembly elections, fielding party leader Rajesh Agarwal from Ambikapur constituency against state Deputy Chief Minister TS Singh Deo.

The party’s final list has four candidates including Sushant Shukla from Beltara, Dhaniram Dhivar from Kasdol and Dipesh Sahu from Bemetara.

The first phase of polling for 20 seats in Chhattisgarh will be held on November 7.

The BJP has now declared all 90 candidates in the state. The party’s first list of 21 candidates included Lok Sabha MP Vijay Baghel, who has been fielded against Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel in Patan in Durg district.

The second list had 64 candidates and the third list had a single name.

The Congress has also declared the names of all its 90 candidates.

After the first phase of polling on November 7, the remaining 70 seats in the state will go to polls on November 17. The counting of votes will be done on December 3.

Last week, the BJP released the list of 40 star campaigners for the first phase of the state polls.(ANI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Maharashtra and Goa on October 26 to unveil development initiatives and inaugurate the National Games.

He will inaugurate the 37th National Games being held in Goa for the first time.

The Prime Minister will reach Shirdi in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra around 1 pm and perform “pooja and darshan” at Saibaba Samadhi Temple.

He will also inaugurate the new Darshan Queue Complex at the temple.

At around 2 pm, the Prime Minister will perform the Jal Pujan of Nilwande Dam and dedicate a canal network of the dam to the nation.

At around 3:15 pm, the Prime Minister will attend a public programme in Shirdi, where he will inaugurate, dedicate to the nation and lay the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth about Rs 7500 crore in sectors like health, rail, road and oil and gas.

The new Darshan Queue complex at Shirdi, which will be inaugurated by the Prime Minister, is a state-of-the-art modern mega building envisaged to provide comfortable waiting areas for the devotees, a PMO release said.

It is equipped with several waiting halls with a cumulative seating capacity of more than 10,000 devotees.

It has provision of air-conditioned public amenities like cloakrooms, toilets, booking counters, prasad counters, information centre.

The foundation stone of this new Darshan Queue Complex was laid by the Prime Minister in October, 2018.

Prime Minister will dedicate to the nation the left bank (85km) canal network of the Nilwande Dam. It will benefit 182 villages from seven tehsils (6 in Ahmednagar district and 1 from Nashik district) by facilitating pipe distribution networks of water. The idea of Nilwande Dam was first conceived in 1970. It is being developed at a cost of about Rs 5177 crore.

During the public programme, the Prime Minister will launch the ‘Namo Shetkari Mahasanman Nidhi Yojana’.

“The Yojna will benefit more than 86 lakh beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana in Maharashtra, by providing an additional amount of Rs 6000 per year to them,” the release said.

Prime Minister will inaugurate and dedicate to the nation multiple development projects including Ayush Hospital at Ahmednagar Civil Hospital; electrification of Kurduwadi-Latur Road railway section (186 Km); third and fourth railway line connecting Jalgaon to Bhusaval (24.46 km); four laning of Sangli to Borgaon section of NH-166 (Package-I); and additional facilities at Manmad Terminal of Indian Oil corporation Limited.

Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone of the Maternal and Child Health Wing at Ahmednagar Civil Hospital.

During the programme, the Prime Minister will also distribute Ayushman cards and Svamitva cards to beneficiaries.

During his visit to Goa, the Prime Minister will inaugurate the National Games at Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Margao, Goa. He will also address athletes taking part in the Games.

The Games will be held from October 26 to November 9 and more than 10,000 athletes from across the country will compete in over 43 sports disciplines across 28 venues.

The release said that the sports culture in the country has undergone a sea change under the leadership of PM Modi.

“With the help of continuous government support, the performance of athletes has witnessed tremendous improvement at the international level,” it said.

National Games are being held in the country recognizing the significance of holding national-level tournaments for identifying top performers and further enhancing the popularity of sports, the release said. (ANI)

Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan Wednesday said that his country will deny visas to the UN officials after remarks by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that appeared to justify Hamas’ assault on Israel, The Times of Israel reported.

“Due to his remarks we will refuse to issue visas to UN representatives,” Erdan tells Army Radio.

“We have already refused a visa for Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths,” Erdan said. “The time has come to teach them a lesson.”

Guterres angered Israelis during a UN Security Council meeting on Tuesday when he said, “It is important to also recognise the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum,” claiming that “The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation.”

The Portuguese diplomat went on to say, “They have seen their land steadily devoured by settlements and plagued by violence; their economy stifled; their people displaced; and their homes demolished. Their hopes for a political solution to their plight have been vanishing.”

Hamas terrorists killed at least 1,400 Israelis and wounded more than 4,500 in a massive offensive launched from Gaza on October 7, which included the firing of thousands of rockets at Israel and the infiltration of the Jewish state by terrorist forces.

“Mr. Secretary-General, in what world do you live?” Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen rebutted as he addressed the Security Council. “Definitely, this is not our world.”

Cohen cancelled a private meeting with Guterres, he subsequently announced on X. “I will not meet the UN secretary-general. After October 7, there is no place for a balanced approach. Hamas must be erased from the world,” wrote the Israeli Foreign Minister.

In a post on X, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan called on Guterres to resign “immediately.”

“The shocking speech by the UN secretary-general at the Security Council meeting … proved conclusively, beyond any doubt, that the secretary-general is completely disconnected from the reality in our region and that he views the massacre committed by Nazi Hamas terrorists in a distorted and immoral manner,” Erdan said.

“His statement that ‘the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum,’ expressed an understanding for terrorism and murder. It’s really unfathomable. It’s truly sad that the head of an organisation that arose after the Holocaust holds such horrible views,” the ambassador said.

Erdan urged Guterres to resign “immediately,” while sharing a post that called on the Jewish state to “rethink its relationship” with the international organisation. (ANI)

Israeli Navy forces intercepted and thwarted an attempted infiltration by a group of Hamas terrorists from the Gaza Strip into Israel via the sea on Tuesday evening, The Israel Times reported.

The exact number of Hamas divers involved in the infiltration was not specified by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), but Hebrew-language media reports estimate it to be between five and eight individuals.

The infiltration attempt triggered alarms in the border communities of Zikim and Karmia, which have largely been evacuated following Hamas’ October 7 assault on southern Israel. Only essential personnel and local security teams remain in the area, which has been declared a closed military zone, as reported by The Times of Israel.

The IDF responded to the situation by deploying a fighter jet, which carried out an airstrike on a compound believed to be the launching point for the terrorists.

IDF Spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari confirmed that Navy forces, including naval commandos, were actively searching for any additional members of the terrorist cell in the sea. They had identified the Hamas cell entering the sea from a tunnel originating from Gaza City’s coast. Navy forces engaged the divers, resulting in their elimination.

Hamas claimed responsibility for the sea-borne attack attempt and stated that its members had clashed with Israeli forces after allegedly managing to infiltrate into Israel.

Later in the evening, another infiltration warning was sounded in Zikim, Karmia, and Netiv Ha’asara. However, shortly afterwards, the IDF Home Front Command declared the incident to be over, providing an all-clear signal.

The Israeli Navy has been successful in preventing multiple infiltration attempts via the sea, both during and following Hamas’s October 7 invasion of southern Israel.

Video footage released by the IDF last week showed members of the Navy’s Snapir unit repelling Hamas terrorists attempting to infiltrate via the sea on the morning of October 7. The IDF reported that dozens of Palestinian terrorists on speedboats and other vessels were killed during that assault.

Two days after the invasion, the Navy apprehended Muhammad Abu Ghali, the deputy commander of the southern division of the Hamas naval force, The Times of Israel reported. (ANI)