"Deploy Adequate Staff At Sabarimala": Union Minister To Pinarayi Vijayan

Union Minister G Kishan Reddy has written to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan requesting him to deploy adequate personnel and staff at Sabarimala temple to reduce the wait time of devotees.

In the letter, the Union Minister also requested Mr Vijayan to ensure basic amenities, such as food, water, sanitation, and medical facilities, are provided to devotees.

The Minister requested that the Chief Minister address the inconveniences faced by Lord Ayyappa devotees during their pilgrimage to the Sabarimala temple.

On X, Mr Reddy posted, "Wrote a letter to Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan to address issues and inconveniences being faced by the Lord Ayyappa devotees during their pilgrimage to Sabarimala. I also requested to ensure adequate staff and personnel, safe and secure passage, improved basic amenities, and medical assistance during their journey to Sabarimala."

In his letter to the Chief Minister, Mr Reddy wrote, "The Sabarimala Temple and the associated 40-day spiritual journey undertaken by the devotees of Lord Ayyappa are considered to be one of the most revered belief systems within the Hindu faith."

"You would be aware that every year close to a crore devotees visit Sabarimala, with a majority of them paying their respects to Lord Ayyappa during the Mandala season between November and January. Devotees from the Telugu states of Telangana, where I hail from, and Andhra Pradesh account for more than 15 lakh devotees," it read.

"It has come to my attention first-hand from Ayyappa Swami bhaktas and through various news reports of the severe inconveniences being faced by devotees due to long wait times at the Sannidhanam. The recent death of a young girl while waiting to avail of darshan has also caused much anguish and pain," the Union Minister said.

"It is of vital importance that the devotees availing of Lord Ayyappa's Darshan are provided a safe and secure passage without any inconveniences. The Government of India is ready to support initiatives in this regard," added the letter.

"I would also like to request that you consider permitting NGOs that are ready to provide assistance to operate on the temple premises and around the trekking path from Pampa to Sannidhanam," it stated.

Mr Reddy further requested a swift response and urged the Kerala Chief Minister to take all necessary action in the matter.

Earlier on Friday, alleging a lack of basic facilities in Sabarimala, Hindu Aikya Vedi held a protest march against the Kerala government in front of the Travancore Devaswom Board head office.

The protests came days after a surge in pilgrims strained the crowd management system in the hill temple, causing long queues and several hours of waiting for the pilgrims to get the Darshan.

However, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Wednesday that the situation at the Lord Ayyappa temple was under control and asserted that the government machinery was intervening diligently in temple matters.

A mismanagement-related situation erupted at Sabarimala following the sudden surge of pilgrims a few days ago. The hill shrine generally witnesses a heavy rush during the Mandalam-Makaravilakku season, which began on November 17 this year.

After the incident, the Kerala government has come under attack by opposition parties, including the BJP and Congress.

from NDTV News Search Records Found 1000 https://ift.tt/73FMqrT
via IFTTT

Mukhtar Ansari Gets Over 5-Year Jail Term For Death Threat To Coal Trader

A special court here on Friday sentenced gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari to five-and-a-half year's imprisonment for death threat to a coal trader in 1997.

Along with the imprisonment, the MP-MLA court of Ujjawal Upadhyay also slapped a fine of Rs 10,000 on Ansari after convicting him for threatening to kill Mahaveer Prasad Ranguta, the victim's counsel Vidhan Chandra Yadav said.

Mukhtar Ansari had threatened to blast Ranguta, a Varanasi resident, and his house in January, 1997, Mr Yadav said.

The court completed the hearing in the case on December 5 but reserved its judgment. The bench convicted Ansari and announced the quantum of punishment on Friday, he added.

Mukhtar Ansari attended the court proceedings via video conferencing from Banda jail, Mr Yadav said.

Mukhtar Ansari, who is an accused in several cases, is lodged in Banda jail since 2021 after being brought from a Punjab Jail.

According to information provided by UP police headquarters, Mukhtar has 65 cases, including that of murder, extortion, and criminal conspiracy lodged against him at several police stations across the state. He has been convicted in seven of these cases.

Mukhtar Ansari was a five-time MLA from the Mau assembly constituency. The gangster-turned-politician did not contest the 2022 assembly elections and his seat was won by his son Abbas Ansari from the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP).

Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh government assured the Supreme Court on Friday it will strengthen the security of Mukhtar Ansari inside the Banda jail, if needed, so no harm is done to him.

A bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and Sanjay Karol was hearing a plea by Mukhtar Ansari's son Umar Ansari seeking a direction to transfer his father to any prison outside Uttar Pradesh.

from NDTV News Search Records Found 1000 https://ift.tt/pGKLXJI
via IFTTT

Kerala Court Acquits Man Accused Of Raping, Killing 6-Year-Old 2 Years Ago

A court in Kerala on Thursday acquitted a man accused of raping and killing a six-year-old girl, who was his neighbour, at Churukkulam estate in this high range district two years ago.

The Fast Track Special Court acquitted the accused -- Arjun -- due to lack of conclusive evidence against him, a lawyer associated with the case said.

After the accused was acquitted, the angry family members were seen on TV channels hurling abuses at him and also expressing their dissatisfaction with the verdict.

The visuals also showed the police quickly removing him from the court complex apprehending an attack from the victim's family The defence lawyer alleged that the accused was framed in the case by the police by fabricating evidence against him.

After the verdict, the defence lawyer told media that "we have demanded a re-investigation of the case to find out the actual culprit".

The state police in a statement said it would be filing an appeal against the court's verdict.

Meanwhile, the Congress-led UDF opposition said the police and the prosecution failed to ensure the conviction of the accused.

Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the state assembly V D Satheesan said the verdict has shocked the conscience of the state.

Mr Satheesan contended that the failure of the police and the prosecution in the case was clear as day and therefore, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan should respond to this.

The court verdict in the case indicates that the government was not serious about child safety issues, he said and added that merely going in appeal was not a solution.

Mr Satheesan further said that the rape and murder of the child was confirmed in the post-mortem and the accused had confessed to the crime.

He also said that it was "mysterious" that the police ignored the request of the girl's family to book the accused under relevant provisions of the SC/ST Act.

Therefore, there needs to be an investigation as to whether there was any external interference which led to police and prosecution failing to establish the guilt of the accused, the LoP contended.

Mr Satheesan also alleged that the public suspects that the accused's DYFI connection may be the reason for destruction of evidence in the case.

The girl was found hanging inside her house on June 30, 2021, when her parents went out for work in a nearby plantation.

Police had initially registered a case of unnatural death but the autopsy report confirmed that the child was raped before she was hanged.

It seems like he had raped her many times in the past. However, on June 30, the child fell unconscious during his rape attempt and thinking that she was dead, he hanged her, police said.

from NDTV News Search Records Found 1000 https://ift.tt/CFyODBp
via IFTTT

Japanese Man Who Transformed Into A Dog Meets A Real One, What Happens Next

A Japanese man named Toco, went viral on social media as he transformed himself into a canine after shelling out more than $14,000 (Rs 12 lakh) for a custom-made collie costume. Now, a video of Toco meeting a real dog has gained popularity on the internet. In the clip, the real dog is seen barking after looking at Toco. A few seconds later, Toco is seen bending and coming towards the dog, seeming to extend a hand of friendship. However, the dog is not amused and continues to bark. The dog then takes a few steps back, barks while looking at Toco and removes itself from the scene. 

"Dog's reaction to seeing a realistic dog costume," reads the caption of the video.

Dog's reaction to seeing a realistic dog costume.
本物そっくりな犬の着ぐるみを見た、犬の反応 pic.twitter.com/oYKScYXkHe

— トコ（Toco） (@toco_eevee) December 10, 2023

Recently, Toco posted a series of images on Instagram that show him unsuccessfully taking on the Crufts-style agility course. His latest adventure shows the man dressed in Collie costume trying to leap over a set of hurdles in a garden. The photos show him failing at jumps and bumping into a hurdle pole. He wrote in the caption of the post, "When you become a dog, you want to try agility, don't you?" The reactions from Instagram users were mixed. While some of them appreciated Toto for trying his best, others slammed him.

Meanwhile, in August this year, the Japanese man stated that people are "misinformed" that he wants to live like a dog, as per a report in the New York Post. Discussing the costume, Toco stated that he wears the costume "maybe once a week, mostly at home". He said, "My desire to be an animal is like a desire to transform...a desire to be something that I am not." It is to be noted that the creators took 40 days to make the unusual garment but it has helped the man realise his dream of "becoming an animal."

The man has chronicled his entire journey on his YouTube channel. Although he has not revealed his identity yet in public, however, he admitted he always "had a vague dream of becoming an animal" ever since he was a child.

On his decision to become a collie, Toco had previously said, "I made it a collie because it looks real when I put it on my taste and costume. My favourite is quadrupedal animals, especially cute ones. Among them, I thought that a big animal close to me would be good, considering that it would be a realistic model, so I decided to make it a dog. Long-haired dogs can mislead the human figure. I met such a condition and made Collie, my favourite breed of dog."

from NDTV News Search Records Found 1000 https://ift.tt/2p1g8ix
via IFTTT

Vicky Kaushal's "Birthday Dance" Post For Meghna Gulzar Is Adorable

Vicky Kaushal wished his Sam Bahadur director Meghna Gulzar happy birthday Sam Bahadur style. The actor, soaring high with Sam Bahadur, shared a BTS video from the film sets. In the video, we can see, Vicky practising ball dance with the director. They can also be seen hugging each other during the shot. For context, Vicky (Sam Manekshaw) dances with his wife Sanya Malhotra (Silloo Manekshaw)  in the film. Vicky wrote an adorable note for Meghna Gulzar. It read, "Here's a little birthday dance with you Meghna... wish I could do it in person today! Everyday on set I'd try to be the most hard working person and everyday you'd beat me and everybody else to it. Will keep trying though... Happy Happy Birthday Sweetie... may you always keep inspiring people around you to give their absolute best!" Take a look at the post here:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Vicky Kaushal (@vickykaushal09)

Katrina Kaif also gave a shout out to Vicky's performance in the film. She wrote in an Instagram post,  "Maghna Gulzar, such a poetic beautiful classic film, was transported to another era .. you can see your passion to telling his story and attention to detail in every shot." She then went on to review her husband Vicky Kaushal's performance and wrote, "And SAM !!!!.....GRACE, HEROISM , GRIT. What a performance, flawless, I'm just astounded , you are too inspiring , true to your craft in the most brilliant integral way , was so proud to watch you shine your way across the screen . I've seen you this last year pour yourself into this film and transform into sam. A performance to be remembered." Take a look at the post here:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Katrina Kaif (@katrinakaif)

Sam Bahadur opened to stellar reviews. In his review for NDTV, film critic Saibal Chatterjee wrote, "One of the most striking aspects of Sam Bahadur is that it eschews flag-waving militarism while celebrating the bravery of India's soldiers. It treads gently and thoughtfully through the life-threatening minefields that infantrymen have to negotiate in the line of duty. There are battle scenes and punchlines aplenty in the film, but they do not overshadow the less flashy components with which the lively biopic is constructed."

Sam Bahadur is based on the life of India's first field marshal Sam Manekshaw. This is the second time that Vicky Kaushal has teamed up with Meghna Gulzar for a project. Earlier, they had worked together in the film Raazi, featuring Alia Bhatt. Sanya Malhotra plays the character of  Silloo Manekshaw while Fatima Sana Shaikh plays the character of Indira Gandhi in the film.

source https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/vicky-kaushals-birthday-dance-post-for-meghna-gulzar-is-adorable-4668304#publisher=newsstand

'Hand Them To Hindus': RSS Leader's Big Remark On Disputed Religious Sites

Muslims and people belonging to other religions should voluntarily hand over all disputed religious sites to the Hindu community, senior RSS leader Indresh Kumar said.

In an interview with PTI, he said Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat was very clear when he said "there is no need to find Shivling in every mosque".

"Bhagwat's statement was aimed at putting an end to mutual conflict so that society can think and reflect while being free from hatred and violence,"  Mr Kumar said.

Indresh Kumar, who is the RSS' national executive member and patron of the Muslim Rashtriya Manch, said temples belonging to the followers of 'Sanatan' were demolished by foreign invaders.

"What Mohan Bhagwat said is very clear. There is no need to search, the truth is in front of everyone. Everyone should accept that truth," he said "Muslims and people belonging to other religions should come forward and hand over the disputed religious places of Hindus to the Hindu community," Mr Kumar added.

Indresh Kumar said there is an atmosphere of happiness not only in the country but across the world with the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

"Ram temple is for everyone...Ram temple (Ayodhya) is a national temple. Ram is for all and in everyone. India is a nation which accepts and respects all religions. Therefore, it is (right) to call it (Ram Temple) a national temple," he said.

from NDTV News Search Records Found 1000 https://ift.tt/Kgunh4y
via IFTTT

Fanboy Shah Rukh Khan's Aww-Dorable Birthday Wish For "Thalaiva" Rajinikanth: "Big Hugs From Me"

Shah Rukh Khan's birthday wish for superstar Rajinikanth is undeniably the best thing on the Internet today. Shah Rukh Khan, who is busy with the promotions of his upcoming film Dunki, wished the Jailer star on his 73rd birthday by sharing a snippet of himself from the song Lungi Dance from his 2013 film Chennai Express. In the picture shared, we can see Shah Rukh Khan bowing down in front of a poster of Rajinikanth. For the unversed, Lungi Dance, popularly known as Thalaiva tribute, is a special track in honour of Rajinikanth. Composed and sung by Yo Yo Honey Singh, the song played during the end credits of Chennai Express. In the song, Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone can be seen paying a tribute to Rajinikanth with their energetic dance moves.

In his birthday post for Rajinikanth, Shah Rukh Khan wrote, "Here's wishing the inimitable legend - @rajinikanth Thalaiva a very happy birthday! Big hugs from me (just one of the many “all the Rajini fans!”)…Lots of love sir and may you keep entertaining us for many years to come."

Take a look at the post below:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk)

It is without a doubt that Shah Rukh Khan is a big fan of superstar Rajinikanth. Prior to his film Jawan's release, the actor had revealed in one of his AskSRK sessions that he had watched superstars Rajinikanth, Allu Arjun, Yash and Vijay's films to prep for the film. It so happened that a fan asked Shah Rukh Khan about his Jawan prep. "Did you see a lot of movies revolving around your role in Jawan to better prepare for it," SRK was asked. He replied, "I watched a lot of films of Atlee. Vijay sir, Allu Arjun ji, Rajni sir, Yash and loads of other stars to understand the language of expression for the world that was being created. And yes then prepped for my own character too Jawan."

Read Shah Rukh Khan's tweet here:

I watched a lot of films of Atlee. Vijay sir. Allu Arjun ji. Rajni sir. Yash and loads of other stars to understand the language of expression for the world that was being created. And yes then prepped for my own character too. #Jawan https://t.co/F23f2YY2sU

— Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) July 13, 2023

Meanwhile, Superstar Rajinikanth celebrated his 73rd birthday on Tuesday. On X (previously known as Twitter), a picture of the superstar celebrating his birthday with family trended big on social media. It featured him cutting the cake with his wife Latha, daughters Aishwaryaa and Soundarya Rajinikanth and other members of his family by his side. Take a look at the post below:

#HappyBirthdaySuperstar ??❤️ pic.twitter.com/8leocX7d74

— Christopher Kanagaraj (@Chrissuccess) December 12, 2023

Rajinikanth will next be seen in Lal Salaam, which is being directed by his filmmaker daughter Aishwaryaa Rajinikanth. The superstar was last seen in Nelson Dilipkumar's Jailer.

source https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/fanboy-shah-rukh-khans-aww-dorable-birthday-wish-for-thalaiva-rajinikanth-big-hugs-from-me-4662149#publisher=newsstand