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Kathmandu, Sep 17 (IANS) At least 17 people were killed and five remain unaccounted for due to landslides in Nepal's Achham district, a local official said on Saturday.

Incessant rain since Friday morning triggered the overnight landslides, which swept away houses in three different parts of the district, the official told Xinhua news agency.

"Rescue teams have recovered the dead bodies of 17 people and rescued 11 injured people from the scenes," he said.

"The search for five missing people is ongoing," the official said, noting that the army and the police have been mobiliaed for the rescue operations.

Of the injured, three were in serious condition and have been airlifted for treatment in the neighbouring province.

--IANS
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By Brij Khandelwal
Agra, Sep 17 (IANS) Over a dozen reported cases of monkey attacks on unsuspecting tourists at Taj Mahal has created a scare and alarmed visitors. Though the security services have now woken up and are keeping a vigil, the sight of rampaging gangs of simians has become a major problem for the authorities in the Taj city.


The Archaeological Survey of India has put up hoardings and cut-outs to warn tourists to stay away from monkeys, as some tourists try to get friendly with the primates and pose for selfies. Officials said that they were trying to seek help from the Agra Municipal Corporation and some NGOs to round up the monkeys. But so far, no one has come forward with a solution. They say that the state Forest and Wildlife Departments are not supporting them or giving permission to catch the monkeys.

Locals have now demanded drastic action against violent and aggressive monkeys who have made life hell for people living in the old city areas.

Agra, these days, is living in the scare of bovine, canine, and simian menace. Even tourists have become victims. Two years ago, there was a hue and cry when a monkey snatched a new-born from the lap of a mother and killed the infant in Runukta village, 20 kms away.

The district authorities had then made a number of promises but nothing much happened. "The elected representatives have ignored the problem, but the condition is appalling as citizens live in constant fear of attacks from the monkey. Thousands of violent monkeys live in this area along the river Yamuna, as the faithfuls regularly feed them bananas and bread," the local MLA, Purushottam Khandelwal, expressed his helplessness.

Mukesh Jain, trustee of a local NGO Satya Mev Jayate, said: "We have been regularly approaching the authorities with our suggestions and even an offer to help financially, but for some strange reasons, the administration has been dragging its feet. Twice efforts have been made to shift some monkeys to forest areas, but the green activists have stalled the process of transfer."

The situation is grave. Estimates of the simian population vary from 20,000 to nearly a lakh. "Their population is more in the old city areas where terraces are contiguous. People are no longer able to enjoy terrace facilities as the monkeys have been regularly attacking women and children, in particular," Vijay Nagar colony resident Sudhir Gupta said.

The whole of Braj Mandal, from Mathura, Vrindavan to Goverdhan and Bateshwar in Agra is living under threat from simians who now resort to all kinds of tricks to snatch food or attack women and children. Their population has gone up phenomenally. During the pandemic lockdown, they became more violent as food supply was snapped.

Green activist Dr. Devashish Bhattacharya said: "The dwindling forest cover, and fewer fruit-bearing trees being planted has compounded the problem. The need is to develop forests and plant more fruit-bearing trees rather than ornamental ones. The monkeys too are a part of the ecological system, they too have some rights. Let us provide for them instead of cursing them."

Tourist guides are now warning visitors in advance to remain alert against monkeys. Last year a video went viral of a group of monkeys snatching a water bottle from a foreigner. A tourist, guide Ved Gautam said: "We always warn our clients of sudden bovine, canine or simian attacks in and around monuments in Agra."

For some time now, tourists have been avoiding lonely romantic walks along the pathways which are lined up with dense green foliage.

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel keep an eye on the monkeys. Two years ago catapults were used to shoo away the monkeys but after a furore by animal rights activists, catapults and sling shots disappeared. The CISF personnel and the staffers of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), are at their wit's end trying to cope with the simian nuisance. "Cats, dogs, monkeys, bees, are proving to be big safety menace in the Taj premises," said a local tourist guide.

Frequent attempts are made to contain the simian menace in Agra, Mathura and Vrindavan visited by thousands of tourists and pilgrims daily. A Former Divisional Commissioner engaged an NGO, Wildlife SOS, to round up 10,000 monkeys, but the plan did not materialise due to lack of permission from appropriate authorities. But now the situation is really alarming. Monkeys are seen in armies marching from one area to the other. The city has more than 50,000 monkeys.

Due to provisions of the Wildlife Act, monkeys can not be attacked or rounded up without adequate safeguards and precautions. Plans to shift the monkeys to other areas have failed, as no district wants to shelter them.

Indeed, the state faces the biggest threat to peace in the form of exploding simian population in Agra and neighbouring religious shrines in Mathura district and Vrindavan. Pilgrims are almost daily attacked in Vrindavan. Usually, monkeys target spectacles or purses which are returned only when some eatables or cold drinks are offered to the monkeys.

Civic authorities seem helpless in tackling the menace. "We have written so many times to the Municipal Corporation but there has been no action," an ASI official said.

Agra Development Foundation Secretary, K.C. Jain has petitioned the Allahabad High Court, which has asked for detailed plans to contain the simian menace in Agra.

Jain requested everyone to plant fruit bearing trees this monsoon season. Jain said: "On one hand there is large scale deforestation, on the other hand, trees that are being planted are basically ornamental and can not support monkeys. The whole Agra region is infested with Vilayati Babool, Julie flora, with thorns. We have demanded government agencies clear these trees and plant fruit bearing trees to attract the simian population."

--IANS
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Bhopal, Sep 17 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday released eight cheetahs, which had become extinct in India, into special enclosures in Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh's Sheopur district.

On this occasion, Prime Minister Modi said, "Cheetahs had become extinct from the country in 1952, but for decades, no meaningful effort was made to rehabilitate them. Today, as we celebrate 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav', the country has started rehabilitating cheetahs with a new energy."

He said that tourists and wildlife enthusiasts will have to wait a few months before they can see cheetahs at KNP.

The Prime Minister said cheetahs - brought from Namibia - are being introduced in India under Project Cheetah, which is world's first inter-continental large wild carnivore translocation project.

"Bringing Cheetahs back to India will help in the restoration of open forest and grassland ecosystems and also lead to enhanced livelihood opportunities for the local community," the Prime Minister added.

He said, "Project Cheetah is our endeavour towards environment and wildlife conservation."

A special Jumbo Jet Boeing 747 carrying eight cheetahs landed at Gwalior airport this morning.

Several teams of wildlife doctors/experts will monitor the health condition of cheetahs who arrived in the state after 16 hours of air journey from Namibia, forest officials said.

Notably, the special event was scheduled for September 17 to mark Prime Minister Modi's 72nd birthday.

Madhya Pradesh houses six tiger reserves and 25 wildlife sancturies.

As per the All-India Tiger Estimation Report 2018, the state was home to 526 tigers, the highest for any state in the country.

However, with having tag of maximum number of tigers in the state, Madhya Pradesh also has registered maximum number of death of wild animals almost every year.

Madhya Pradesh Governor Mangubhai Pate, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan; Union Ministers -- Narendra Singh Tomar, Bhupender Yadav, Jyotiraditya M Scindia and Ashwini Choubey -- were among those present on the occasion.

The Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister on Friday had said, "We were a tiger state, a leopard state and now becoming a Cheetah state."

--IANS
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Hyderabad, Sep 17 (IANS) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said that some political parties feel ashamed to call September 17 Hyderabad Liberation Day as they still have fear of 'Razakars' in their mind.

Without naming anyone, he asked these parties to remove the fear from their minds, saying Razakars cannot take decisions in this country which became independent 75 years ago.

Shah made the remarks after hoisting the national flag and reviewing a parade at Parade Grounds in Secunderabad to mark erstwhile Hyderabad state's accession to the Indian Union.

The event was organised by the Union Ministry of Culture and was attended by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Karnataka Transport Minister B. Sriramulu and Union Minister for Tourism and Culture G. Kishan Reddy.

Hyderabad State, which comprised Telangana and parts of the present day Maharashtra and Karnataka, became part of India on September 17, 1948, about 13 months after the country gained independence.

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao stayed away from the event but hoisted the Tricolour at a programme organised by the state government, which is celebrating the occasion as National Unity Day.

Shah thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for deciding to organise official celebrations of September 17.

"I am not surprised. In fact, I am happy that as soon as he took the decision, all other parties announced that they will also celebrate the day. They are celebrating but with a different name. They are not calling it liberation as they still have fear of Razakars in their minds. I want to tell them to remove the fear asA Razakars can't take decisions in this country which became independent 75 years ago," he said.

Razakars were supporters of Hyderabad State's ruler Nizam and wanted the state to remain independent.

The Union Home Minister said unfortunately those who were in power for 75 years did not dare to celebrate Liberation Day because of vote bank politics.

"Many people made promises during elections and during movements but after coming to power they went back on their word due to fear of Razakars," he said.

Shah also remarked that those who feel ashamed to call it Liberation day should know that they are enjoying power because of the martyrdom of thousands of people. "If you are not paying them tributes, you are betraying them."

He also told the people of Telangana not to forget those who ignored the aims for which the state was formed.

Paying rich tributes to India's first Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel for deciding to launch 'Police Action' (Operation Polo) against the Nizam's army and Razakars to make Hyderabad a part of India.

"If Sardar Patel was not there, it might have taken many more years to liberate Hyderabad," he said and recalled that even after India became independent, there were no celebrations in the then Hyderabad State and for 13 months people were subjected to repression by Razakars.

He said Patel knew that until Nizam's Razakars were defeated dream of 'Akhand Bharat' will not be achieved and if a large area remain independent and excesses continue on people Gandhiji's dream of independent India will not be fulfilled

Shah recalled the supreme sacrifices made by many freedom fighters to liberate Hyderabad. He mentioned the names of Komaram Bheem, Ramji Gond, Swami Ramanand Teerth, M. Chenna Reddy and P. V. Narasimha Rao and other freedom fighters from Telangana, Karnataka and Maharashtra.

He also referred to various movements that were launched against Nizam's rule in different parts of the then Hyderabad State, the draconian laws made by the Nizam government to commit repression on people and a few incidents of killings committed by Razakars.

He said that the aim of Hyderabad Liberation Day celebrations is to inform the young generation of the liberation movement, sacrifices of great freedom fighters and inculcate a sense of patriotism among them.

Shah suggested to the universities in all three states to do research on the Hyderabad liberation movement and undertake documentation of the excesses that were committed on people so that the entire country knows the history of the freedom movement in this part of the country.

Addressing the event, the Maharashtra Chief Minister said September 17 is celebrated as Marathwada Mukti Din in the state every year.

He paid tributes to those who laid down their lives to liberate Hyderabad State and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah for deciding to officially celebrate the day.

--IANS
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By Purnima Sah
Beed (Maharashtra), Sep 17 (IANS/ 101Reporters) Every time Anandgaon village witnesses a wedding, Pardhis turn both hopeful and distressed. Their mere presence anywhere near the venue is enough to make people throw a fit. But once the guests recede, the real acts of desperation begin.


"We wait until the wedding is over. Before stray dogs could claim their share, we pounce on the dustbins hoping to grab some leftovers," says Sunita Govind Kare, portraying the sense of deprivation that chokes the members of the nomadic tribe, considered the descendants of Maharana Pratap.

Sunita belongs to a 200-member-strong Pardhi settlement on the fringes of Anandgaon, around 60 km from Kaij town in Beed district of Maharashtra. It has been over three decades since they occupied the 25-acre-plot, but they still bear the tag of dacoits, thieves, hunters and ‘a disease' by the dominant Marathas.

"The villagers want us to leave. False allegations are made against us. But where will we go from here," asks Bhagwat Motiram Kare, a resident of the settlement.

Pardhis are hired neither for harvesting sugarcane, a major crop in the region, nor for menial tasks. They grow soybean for personal consumption and try to sell the surplus. "But nobody buys from us. So we have to resort to begging, even for water. Stone-pelting, hurling of fireballs at night, abuse and sexual harassment of our women and children make matters worse," Bhagwat bemoans.

All these are exactly the reasons why Pardhis in Dhakephal, located 180 km from Kaij, settled on a remote patch. Trudging through a winding dirt road crossing agricultural fields and barren stretches will take one to the government land they had 'encroached' upon (atikraman, as they say) some 25 years ago in a bid to make a home for themselves.

"Back then, this place was a forest. We decided to settle here, as hunting is our preoccupation. It also kept us aloof from other village communities. As years passed by, green cover declined and demarcations blurred. We were slowly exposed to the villagers, who wanted to drive us out. They torture us to no end, but we will not leave," shares Rajjubai Vilas Kare, who begs door-to-door for sustenance.

On days she is lucky, she gets leftover rotis, and sometimes curry. "When we do not get anything, we chew on leaves!"

Stamp of disapproval

As per the 2011 Census, Pardhi population in Beed district stands at 5,556, while it is 2,23,527 in the whole of Maharashtra. Other major tribes in the state are Koli Mahadev, Dongar Koli, Gond, Raj Gond, Arakh and Advichincher.

According to Bhavna Menon, programme manager, Last Wilderness Foundation, the organisation tries to better the lives of Pardhis through education, livelihood and measures to improve social status, the tribe worked for the ruling kings, and later the British, before taking to hunting. "In 1871, the British outlawed them under the Criminal Tribes Act, along with 150 other communities, and stamped them as hereditary criminals. Although this Act was repealed in 1952 to bring Pardhis under the classification of nomadic denotified tribes, the stigma still continues," explains Menon.

Even social workers like Kaushalya Chandrakant Thorat had to face brickbats for trying to reach out to them a decade ago. Neither the dominant Marathas approved of her action, nor did the Pardhis welcome her when she finally made it to her destination.

"I did not stop visiting, despite incessant stone-pelting. After four months, they finally allowed me to teach their children. Slowly, the families entrusted me with their troubles," recounts Thorat, a field coordinator for Navchetana Sarvangin Vikas Kendra, Kaij. She is now associated with Pardhi bastis of Anandgaon, Dhakephal and Sonijawala.

With the NGO's intervention, Thorat was able to help Pardhis dig their own borewell. "But it dries up every summer, and the sarpanch does not care. Also, there is no sign of the permanent houses we were promised two years ago," says Sushila Sanjay Kare.

The power supply is not getting anywhere either. During the local polls last year, they were promised electricity, but little did they know it would mean a "string of wire with a small bulb, generating an exorbitant bill of Rs 10,000," Sushila says the panchayat disconnected the supply when they refused to pay. In fact, the sarpanch had got them connections only after some among them received their ID cards with Thorat's assistance.

Thorat has so far helped 70 Pardhis obtain their voter IDs, and another 12 their ration cards. "It is an exhausting process. They do not have birth certificates and have no idea about their age. I had to accompany them to the government offices and panchayat regularly to sort out such issues," she sighs.

The IDs did make a difference. In the last two years, the sarpanch has been visiting the 'outcasts' with an eye on the vote bank. On the ground, however, changes are far and few. Kamal Arjun Pawar has to walk 6 km back and forth, thrice a week, to enquire about his ration. "We are told to step out of the queue and return after everybody leaves. When our turn comes, the kotedar often says our ration has not arrived."

While refusing to comment about social stigma, the sarpanch, who wished to remain anonymous, acknowledges the fact that government schemes remain inaccessible to Pardhis. "These people are nomads, not all are included in the census. In such a scenario, can we expect any government scheme exclusively for Pardhis? I am not aware of any such welfare scheme," she says.

A few dominant caste members endorsed the sarpanch's views. "We do not want to be anywhere near Pardhis. They hunt during the day and steal at night. How can our women and children be safe around them? They are also very dirty, and by inviting them near our village, we will only invite ailments," say people of Maratha community.

Victims of distrust

Twelve years ago, Rajjubai lived through the worst days of her life when her husband Vilas Motiram Kare lost a leg and his ability to speak in a road accident. Panicked, Rajjubai rushed to Kaij government hospital, where the medical staff made her wait in the compound.

"When he lost consciousness due to pain and bleeding, I screamed for help. Only then did a medical practitioner attend to him. The doctor just bandaged the bleeding leg, handed over some pills and instructed me to take him home."

Rajjubai had to drag a subconscious Vilas all the way home, as walking was the only mode of transport available for her. "We are not allowed to board a bus, train or even a rickshaw," says Anjana Chagan Kare, another Pardhi woman.

In short, social stigma keeps them away from even health institutions. They neither receive immunisations nor are visited by ASHA workers. Approximately two weeks before childbirth, Pardhi women are isolated in makeshift huts and barred from making social and physical contacts. They have to handle all the chores on their own, besides dealing with the pain and process of birthing.

"We cut the umbilical cord and remove placenta," says Shildey, who has had four successful deliveries and two stillbirths.

Once, when traditional remedies failed, Shildey walked seven km to the nearest primary health centre (PHC) carrying her child suffering from severe fever. She waited for hours outside the gate, only to be met with sheer disgust. The healthcare workers refused to touch the patient, calling both "a walking disease". "The doctor did not examine my child, but threw a medicine strip at me from a distance," she adds.

Thorat is least surprised by such reactions. "The PHC staff once told me they are worried about contracting diseases from Pardhis in case they visit the settlements for immunisation drives," she shares. Their worries mainly stem from the fact that Pardhis dwell in areas that stink of drainage waste, and their children mostly suffer from skin disease and breathing problems.

Thorat has made consistent efforts to educate Pardhi children, too. She bagged seats for five children, after persuading the zila parishad high school for six years. However, the children were not allowed to enter the premises; a further push gave them access into the school compound; eventually, they were allowed to enter classrooms, but with a condition to stay put in a corner till evening.

"Hey Pardhi, go beg! What are you doing in school, you thief!" Anjana shares how her children were frequently bullied.

(Mis)planning

As per a report from the Tribal Development Department of Maharashtra, development plans, housing facility, road access and subsidised vocational training among others, for Pardhis have been in place since 2011. It claims the community has benefited, but the reality is different.

"Under the three-year-old Pardhi Vikas Yojana, development plans are applicable to only those who own land. In areas with tribal concentration, we have provided roads, water, housing and electricity. Unfortunately, this scheme is not active at the moment and we do not know the reasons," says Shripad Mehetre, Assistant Project Officer, Aurangabad Tribal Development Department, while acknowledging the scheme's lapse.

Mehetre could not provide beneficiary data for the livelihood enhancement programmes for Pardhis. Another source from the same department says on condition of anonymity that "there is neither any budget consistency from the state government nor anyone available to conduct ground surveys on the tribe."

(The author is a freelance journalist and a member of 101Reporters, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters.)

--IANS
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By Amita Verma
Lucknow, Sep 17 (IANS) In December 2023, just months before the Lok Sabha elections in 2024, the sanctum sanctorum of the grand Ram temple will be thrown open to devotees.


As euphoria fills the air, the Gyanvapi dispute will also be simmering in the communal cauldron and Mathura will also be waiting to be served hot by then.

The BJP has got all its calculations in place and has finalised a perfect recipe for return to power at the Centre in the general elections.

Despite RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's advice to 'stop searching for a 'Shivling' under every monument', the BJP is forging ahead with its temple agenda.

Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, during the UP assembly elections, had tweeted "Ayodhya-Kashi jaari hai, Mathura ki tayyari hai" which was a clear indication of the party's game plan.

Soon after the court upheld the maintainability of pleas by five Hindu women this week, Maurya put out a pinned tweet that read "karvat leti Mathura, Kashi" (things are turning in Mathura and Kashi).

Later, however, he pointed out that the tweet was 'personal'.

According to party strategists, the BJP may not make an all-out effort to cash in on the situation in Ayodhya, Kashi and Mathura but the developments are bound to benefit the party - directly or indirectly.

"We are a Hindu-centric party and our leaders have fought for liberation of shrines that were demolished by invaders."

"For Ayodhya, we waged a long battle and now the dream of Ram temple is turning into reality. This is undoubtedly going to benefit us," said a senior party functionary.

The functionary, however, pointed out that the BJP had no direct involvement in the Kashi and Mathura issues.

Former union minister Uma Bharti said, "I pray that the courts will rule in our favour in Mathura and Kashi just as the SC did in the Ayodhya case because the structures that currently exist (Gyanvapi and Shahi Idgah) remind Hindus of how Muslim invaders destroyed our temples and oppressed us."

Interestingly, while the BJP in UP forcefully underlines the good governance factor and the welfare schemes of the Yogi Adityanath government that are reaching out to the poor, it also continues to emphasize on its pro-Hindu leanings.

Its leaders begin their speeches with 'Jai Shri Ram' and 'Har Har Mahadev' and have no qualms about donning saffron.

Yogi Adityanath's office put out more photographs of his offering prayers at various temples than those of his inaugurating development projects.

The idea is obviously to keep reiterating the fact that religion comes before everything else in his scheme of things.

A former BJP MP said, "If the governance factor provides a good base for the party, it is the Hindutva factor that comes as the icing on the cake. In fact, people have begun to rely more on Hindutva and I believe that it is this that will ensure our return to power in 2024."

Significantly, the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act that was enacted by Parliament in 1991 with the specific purpose of preventing such legal suits or demands against historic religious structures -- apart from the Ayodhya issue -- is now being challenged before the Supreme Court.

The fact that a court has allowed such pleas could open the floodgates for similar cases being filed against other historic Islamic monuments. This, again, is what the BJP wants in the coming months.

The political landscape in Uttar Pradesh is already deeply divided by communal polarisation and the ruling BJP is eager to stoke the fires further for electoral gains.

The legal difference between the Varanasi and Ayodhya cases is likely to be lost on the ever-increasing cheerleaders of Hindutva.

Reclaiming the Gyanvapi and Shahi Idgah -- among sundry other Islamic sites -- for the Hindus has been a stated plank of the RSS-BJP combine for a long time.

There is jubilation in the BJP ranks and its cadres are already terming the Varanasi court verdict as a "victory for Hindus".

--IANS
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Lucknow, Sep 17 (IANS) The Ayodhya verdict has not dampened the Muslims and after the Varanasi verdict, the community is bracing up for a legal battle - howsoever long drawn it may be.

The Anjuman Intezamia Masjid (AIM), the Gyanvapi mosque management committee, has said that they will file a revision petition before the Allahabad high court.

Rekha Pathak, a woman plaintiff in the Gyanvapi mosque-Shringar Gauri case, has already filed a caveat in the Allahabad high court to ensure that her side would be heard before any relief is given to the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid when it files a revision petition against the rejection of its application in the matter by the Varanasi district judge on September 12.

AIM joint secretary S M Yasin said that the timing to file a revision petition in the high court by the panel of lawyers would be decided after going through the court order in detail.

AIM lawyer Merajuddin Siddiqui said that the AIM would challenge the court order that said that the suit is not barred by the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, The Waqf Act, 1995 and the UP Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Act, 1983.

The Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee (AIMC) said a committee of lawyers will study the district court's judgment and accordingly challenge it in the high court.

Muslim petitioners involved in the Gyanvapi mosque case said that they will consider approaching the Allahabad high court with their request to throw out a plea by a group of Hindu women to pray at a site at the mosque complex.

"There is always an option to move the high court. Our team of lawyers will study the judgment first, especially the ground on which our plea was rejected, and then will move the high court," Mohammed Touhid Khan, a counsel of the AIMC in the case, said.

Khan is also a part of the team that has been formed to study the judgment.

Muslim cleric and senior All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) member Maulana Khalid Rashid Farangi Mahali said the community respects the judgment of the district court and "the option to move the high court and the Supreme Court is open".

Athar Husain, secretary, Indo Islamic Cultural Foundation (IICF), a trust of the Sunni Central Waqf Board that is taking care of the construction of the mosque in Ayodhya's Dhannipur village, said, "Having complete faith in the Indian judiciary, all the law abiding citizens, including Muslims, believe that the applicability of the Places of Worship Act, 1991, will ensure that the character of no other religious place in India will be changed now, as this is a part of the Ayodhya verdict of the five-judge constitutional bench of the Supreme Court and it has to be accepted in totality by all Indians."

The AIMPLB has already termed the Varanasi district court's decision on the maintainability of the Gyanvapi mosque case as 'disappointing' and has urged the government to implement the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, with full force.

AIMPLB General Secretary, Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani, said the preliminary decision of the district judge's court was "disappointing and saddening".

Rahmani said in the midst of the Babri Masjid controversy in 1991, Parliament had approved that the status quo at all religious places, except the Babri Masjid, would be maintained as in 1947, and no dispute against it would be valid.

Then in the Babri Masjid case, the Supreme Court upheld the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, and declared it mandatory, he pointed out.

"But in spite of this, those who want to serve hatred and who do not care about the unity of this country, raised the issue of the Gyanvapi Masjid in Varanasi and it is a pity that the district judge's court ignored the 1991 law and allowed the petition," Rahmani said.

He added, "Now, this sad phase has come where the court has initially accepted the claim of Hindu groups and has paved the way for them. It is a painful thing for the country and the people."

--IANS
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New Delhi, Sep 17 (IANS) After the Varanasi court admitted the maintainability of the petition filed by five Hindu women, the Congress has maintained a safe distance from the whole controversy and has not reacted since the court order came. The Congress strategy is not to be embroiled in the controversy which will harm the party but focus on the real economic issues.

Congress leaders when approached refused to speak and said that our priorities are different from that of the BJP. The people are groaning under inflation and unemployment which are the real issues. The Bharat Jodo Yatra is to bridge the gap between the different faiths and overcome the hatred propagated by the BJP-RSS, they added.

Political analyst Shakil Akhtar said "The whole issue is to keep the pot boiling. The Congress has spoken on the issue of Bilkis Bano and not giving a commentary on the court hearings is a good thing. However, the media should stop referring to Hindu- Muslim but call them petitioners and defendants."

The Congress hopes to counter the communal issue through the Yatra. Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi has said, "the Congress party through the Yatra is attempting to undo the damage done by the BJP in the last eight years. They have divided the country."

The party leaders are terming it as a "diversionary tactic" of the ruling BJP. The Congress wants strict adherence to the provisions of the 1991 Act in letter and spirit, saying that any kind of change in the status of places of worship would lead to a massive conflict.

Seeking maintenance of status quo at the places of worship, Congress General Secretary Ajay Maken had said in May when the issue came to the fore: "The matter is under the purview of the Supreme Court and we hope justice would be delivered as the case of the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute was decided on the basis of the Places of Worship Act, 1991, which says that the religious character of a place of worship shall continue to be the same as it existed on August 15, 1947."

Dubbing it a "political" move, the Congress says it is a "diversionary" tactic by the BJP to push the issues of inflation, unemployment and the falling rupee onto the back-burner.

Former Home Minister and senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram had said that the status quo at all places of worship should be maintained else it would lead to a conflict.

"Places of Worship Act was passed by the Narasimha Rao government with the lone exception of Ram Janmabhoomi. All other places should have status quo as any kind of change could lead to a huge conflict," he had said.

The Congress insists that the ideological differences with the BJP is core to the Congress politics and to fight for the people's cause is the key takeaway from the brainstorming session. But the party has now been put on test in the Gyanvapi row which could be a new controversy in political discourse. It now has to rethink its strategy on the issue.

Rajasthan's Congress Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had said, "the BJP policies are dividing the country and it is dangerous which can bring the nation to the verge of civil war. The Congress will not allow it and this yatra's focus is to counter polarisation."

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh had said that this Yatra will be a turning point in Indian politics and will mark a new beginning.

--IANS
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Mumbai, Sep 17 (IANS) As it is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday on Saturday, a string of Bollywood stars including Anil Kapoor have wished the leader.

Anil took to Twitter and shared two pictures with Modi. In the first photo, the actor is seen sitting next to the leader while in the second picture shows the two shaking hands.

He then wrote on the microblogging website: "A very Happy Birthday to the man who has put India on the world map in a way we could never have imagined."

Anil added: "The harbinger of acche din, the leader of our proud nation. May you live long and stay healthy! @narendramodi."

--IANS
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Bengaluru, Sep 17 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED)'s summons to Karnataka Congress President D.K Shivakumar in connection with the Rs 74.93 crore disproportionate assets case has thrown a spanner in the party's efforts to wrestle power from the BJP in the upcoming Assembly elections.

This has come at a time when Shivakumar has announced that he will mercilessly initiate action against MLAs who are not taking up a proactive role in 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' led by former party president Rahul Gandhi. He also stated that he would not share any information with Opposition leader Siddaramaiah regarding prospective candidates.

Shivakumar, who is aspiring for the chief minister's post, has also managed to get an upperhand in the party affairs against his competitor and Opposition leader Siddaramaiah

As per party insiders, with this development Siddaramaiah camp will have an upper hand.

The ED has taken up the case filed by the CBI against Shivakumar in 2020. The CBI had raided 14 locations in Bengaluru and other places. Adding to his woes, he will also have to attend an inquiry before the Income Tax department on September 27. Shivakumar was sent to Tihar Jail in connection with this case.

Sources are drawing similarities between AAP leader Satyendra Jain and Shivakumar case. Jain, who was the Health Minister between 2015 and 2017, has been sent to jail in a disproportionate assets case. The ED had arrested Jain's wife and associates and seized Rs 4.81 crore assets.

At a time when Assembly elections are fast approaching, ED notice to Shivakumar is also said to be a setback for the Congress party and might impact 'Bharat Jodo Yatra in Karnataka.

--IANS
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