Category: India

‘Hinduism’ isn’t about what one wears or eats: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat

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Hinduism is not about what one should wear or eat but accepting others as they are, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said on Tuesday, in comments that are significant in the context of the current political and ideological debate over intolerance and moral policing. Interacting with diplomats, Bhagwat also spoke out against trolls, calling them aggressive, adding that their extreme expressions on the internet amounted to hitting below the belt. He also asserted that neither RSS nor BJP ran each other and despite interactions, the two organisations took separate decisions. In…

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Eat beef in your country and then come to India: Tourism Minister

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Newly sworn-in Union tourism minister K J Alphons has an advice for foreigners visiting the country: Eat beef in your own countries and then come to India. Asked whether cow vigilantism and restrictions on beef consumption in several states had affected India’s hospitality sector, the minister said on Thursday: “They [foreigner tourists] can eat beef in their country and come to India.” He was speaking on the sidelines of the 33rd annual convention of the Indian Association of Tour Operators in Odisha’s capital city. Alphons’s comment comes just days after…

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Dera HQ being searched, govt imposes curfew around Sirsa

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The Haryana government has imposed a curfew today in areas surrounding the Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters in Sirsa, which will be searched as per orders of the Punjab and Haryana high court. The curfew will remain in place as long as the search operations continue. Tight security arrangements are also in place to prevent the kind of violence that occurred on the day Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim was convicted of rape. Meanwhile, a Dera Sacha Sauda spokeswoman “appealed to the followers to maintain peace” during the operations. “Dera has…

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Take urgent steps to stop cow vigilantism: SC tells Centre & States

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The Supreme Court directed the Centre and states on Wednesday to take stern action to curb cow vigilantes by ensuring they don’t terrorise highways and sought the appointment of nodal officers in each district to coordinate measures against self-styled “gau rakshaks”. Stating that cow vigilantes should not be permitted to take the law in their hands or become a law unto themselves, a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Amitava Roy and A M Khanwilkar reminded the Centre of its stand that it did not support cow vigilante…

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Dera Chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim sentenced to 10 years jail for rape, breaks down in court

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Rape convict Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was on Monday sentenced to 10 years in jail by a special CBI court. The Dera chief apparently sobbed in the courtroom as he begged to be treated leniently and asked to be forgiven, reported Times Now. During the arguments before the sentencing, the prosecution said no leniency should be shown and demanded the maximum sentence for Gurmeet Ram Rahim. The defence argued that the Dera chief is a social worker who has worked for the welfare of people, so…

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Ram Rahim verdict leads to violent clashes in Punjab, Haryana; 25 Dera supporters dead

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Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh rape conviction triggers riots across Haryana, Punjab; Section 144 imposed in Noida; 25 dead Massive violence has followed the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh for rape. A special Central Bureau of Investigation court in Panchkula, Haryana held the Dera Sacha Sauda leader guilty of rape. The situation deteriorated soon after the conviction was announced and Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was taken into custody. There have been nearly 300 incidents of violence reported from across Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh. LATEST UPDATES: Sirsa,…

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Gurmeet Ram Rahim found guilty of rape, taken into judicial custody

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Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was found guilty of rape by a special CBI court in Panchkula, Haryana, on Friday. He was immediately taken into judicial custody; he will be sentenced on Monday. The Dera head was present in court when the judgment was read out. A rape conviction carries a minimum sentence of seven years and a maximum of 10 years. The court delivered its verdict in the case against the 50-year-old Dera chief after 14 long years and amid unprecedented security as thousands of Dera…

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Ensure no hindrance in animal sacrifice on Eid: Shahi Imam

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Asserting that Muslims were not in favour of sacrificing cows due to the religious sensitivities involved, Jama Masjid’s Shahi Imam said on Monday that he had urged the Centre to ensure no hindrance in the sacrifice of other animals on Eid-ul-Azha but got no response. Maulana Syed Ahmed Bukhari said he had written to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on the issue a few weeks ago but the Ministry had neither acknowledged nor responded to his letter. Eid-ul-Azha is scheduled to be celebrated on September 2. In his letter, the…

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If I cannot stop namaz on roads, I have no right to stop Janmashtami celebrations at police stations: Adityanath

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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Wednesday said that if he cannot stop the offering of namaz on roads during Eid, he has no right to stop celebration of Janmashtami at police stations, reported Indian Express. “Agar mai sadak par Eid ke din namaz padhne pe rok nahi laga sakta to mujhe koi adhikar nahi ki mai thano mein janmashtami ke parv ko rokun… koi adhikar nahi,” he said. He said everyone has the freedom to celebrate festivals in the country. “Hum sabke liye kahenge… Aap Christmas bhi manaiye… kaun…

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Venkaiah Naidu sworn in as 15th Vice President of India

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Former Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu was today sworn in as the 15th vice president of India. President Ram Nath Kovind administered the oath of office and secrecy to Mr. Naidu, 68, at a ceremony in the Durbar Hall of Rashtrapati Bhawan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, senior BJP leader L.K. Advani and other Cabinet Ministers were present on the occasion. Mr. Naidu was elected the 13th Vice-President of India on Saturday. Naidu polled a massive 516 of the total 760 votes, aided by cross-voting by Opposition MPs in the 15th vice-presidential…

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