"Double Standards": Kerala Leader's Hijab Remark Sparks Outrage

'Double Standards': Kerala Leader's Hijab Remark Sparks Outrage

An influential Sunni body said the CPI(M)’s “double standards” have been exposed.

Thiruvananthapuram:

An alleged controversial remark made by a senior CPI(M) leader regarding the traditional headscarf worn by Muslim women in Kerala has landed the ruling party in soup with several religious outfits and scholars coming out against it.

While speaking at a recent event organised by an atheist outfit in Thiruvananthapuram, CPI(M) leader Anil Kumar reportedly said that it was due to the influence of the Marxist party that the women of the Muslim-dominated Malappuram district had abandoned “thattam”, the headscarf.

He also said Muslim women in the southern state should thank not Albert Einstein but the Communist party for not starving.

Irked by his remarks, “Samastha”, an influential Sunni scholars’ body, said the CPI(M)’s “double standards” have been exposed through this.

Abdusamad Pookkottur, a prominent leader of Samastha, alleged that apostasy was the crux of the Left party and that it was approaching minorities for votes.

IUML leaders K M Shaji and KPA Majeed also joined the scholars’ body in denouncing the CPI (M) over Anil Kumar’s statement.

In a hard-hitting Facebook post, Mr Shaji, a staunch critic of the Marxist party leadership, alleged that the party has prepared two teams-one to go among rationalists to speak against the believers and another to take part in the meetings of believers and praise them.

He asked the religious community whether they “still want to believe that Communism is innocent?”.

Mr Majeed also slammed the Left party through his social media handle, saying Anil Kumar’s remarks had exposed the real intentions of its leadership.

The IUML leader questioned the rationale behind linking free thinking with the abandonment of the headscarf.

He also alleged that the atheist event, in which the controversial speech was made, was organised by a “Sangh Parivar-sponsored” person.

“Our headscarf-clad children are enough to expose your (CPI-M’s) hypocrisy,” he added in the FB post.

IUML state general secretary PMA Salam accused the Marxist Party of ‘infringing’ on religious beliefs and wondered who had abandoned “thattam” in Malappuram.

Even those belonging to the current generation were wearing headscarves, he told reporters in Malappuram.

Meanwhile, independent LDF MLA and strong Left sympathiser K T Jaleel rejected Anil Kumar’s claims and said not wearing “thattam” could not be considered as a sign of progress.

“Presenting personal opinion as that of the party will lead to misunderstanding. The Communist Party has not turned any woman not wearing a head scarf in the state,” the former minister said in a Facebook post. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

US to announce another aid package for Ukraine this week

The Politico newspaper did not specify when exactly the new aid package will be announced. No further details were given.

On October 2, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at a briefing that the US would send a new military aid package to Ukraine “in the near future.”

According to the spokeswoman, this will be a “message” to Russia. She was commenting on Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov’s statement about the Western world’s growing fatigue with funding Kyiv, TASS reported.

Russia has repeatedly said that the generous military aid extended to Ukraine by the US and its Western allies only prolongs the war and adds to the suffering of the Ukrainian people.

Moscow has also asserted that by helping out Ukraine against Russia, the West is waging a “proxy war” against Russian forces.

Speaking last month, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said through their support for Ukraine, Western countries were directly fighting against Moscow.

MP/PR

Video: UP Woman Jumps In Front Of Running Train, Dies By Suicide

The incident was reported from Hapur railway station last evening.

Hapur:

A woman in Uttar Pradesh died after she jumped in front of a running train yesterday, the police said.

The incident was reported from Hapur railway station last evening.

The horrific incident was caught on a security camera at the railway station.

The video shows the woman getting down the platform onto the railway tracks. She appears to be crossing the tracks to reach the other side of the platform.

All of a sudden, the woman starts running towards the speeding train passing through the platform as people ask her to go back.

The woman then lies on the track in front of the train. Officials said the woman died on the spot after the train ran over her.

“An investigation has been launched into the incident and efforts are on to ascertain her identity,” they said.

Ayatollah Khamenei: Hostility with Islam more obvious than ever


Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei meets with a group of Iranian people and officials, as well as ambassadors from Muslim countries, and participants at the 37th International Islamic Unity Conference in Tehran on October 3, 2023.

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says hostility towards Islam is more obvious than ever now, citing the desecration of the Holy Qur’an in the West as an evidence. 

“An example of it is insulting the Holy Qur’an – what an ignorant idiot does and a government supports it,” the Leader told a group of people, government officials, ambassadors of Islamic countries and guests of an international unity conference in Tehran Tuesday.

“This shows that the issue is not just the insult to the Qur’an and the scene of the act. Our issue is with the planners of this crime and hateful act. They think they can weaken the Qur’an, but they are wrong and they ruin themselves,” he said.

Ayatollah Khamenei suggested that Israel is behind the blasphemous act, saying the regime holds a spite toward Muslim nations. 

“The Zionist regime is full of hatred and anger, not only towards us, but also other countries. It is not like the Zionist regime is happy with the countries far and around it. They also hate Egypt, Iraq and Syria.

“Why? Because their goal was from the Nile to the Euphrates and this did not happen. These countries did not allow it for different reasons,” the Leader said.

“Of course, the Qur’an says, ‘Be angry and die of anger.’ That will be the case. They are dying now and by the grace of God ‘Be angry and die of anger’ is being realized in the case of the Zionist regime,” Ayatollah Khamenei added.

[This is a developing story.]

"Nitish Kumar Asked…": After BJP Tie-UP, Deve Gowda Claims INDIA Invite

HD Deve Gowda’s brief tenure as Prime Minister was at the head of a Janata Dal government in 1996-97.

Bengaluru:

The Janata Dal (Secular) rebuffed an approach by Nitish Kumar to merge with his Janata Dal (United) and join the INDIA opposition bloc, party patriarch HD Deve Gowda said today, two weeks after the Karnataka outfit allied with the BJP to contest next year’s general election.

Mr Deve Gowda said he was approached four months ago with a “Janata Freedom Front” proposal – to consist of ex-Janata Dal parties – but was told, “I don’t agree. I am not interested in national posts… am 91 and have seen how the Congress ditched me. I don’t want any experiments at this age. “

“… about three-four months back Nitish Kumar contacted me to form a front – JDU-JDS and even Samajwadi Party, with several groups of earlier Janata Dal wanted to form a Janata Freedom Front.”

“Nitish sent his party president and senior leaders to persuade me… but I did not agree. I told him, ‘if you feel like moving forward, then you can contact other parties’,” Mr Deve Gowda said.

Nitish Kumar’s JDU and the Congress are both in the INDIA bloc, as are a few other ex-Janata Dal parties, including the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Samajwadi Party.

The JDS outreach was likely part of several made to high-profile non-BJP leaders by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in his role as interlocutor for opposition unity ahead of the 2024 election.

Getting the JDS to come on board failed, Mr Deve Gowda seemed to indicate, due to tensions with the Congress. “They are thinking they will ‘finish’ JDS in Karnataka,” Mr Deve Gowda told NDTV. “Congress did no talking (with the JDS about INDIA).”

READ | “Have To Save Party In Karnataka”: HD Deve Gowda Defends JDS-BJP Alliance

Mr Deve Gowda also had sharp words for Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, “Congress’ Siddaramaiah… who I brought up in politics… said that if JDS comes, he will walk out.”

READ | “Are They Secular Now?”: Siddaramaiah’s Jibe At JDS Over Alliance With BJP

“I don’t want to discuss anymore. I have suffered,” he said as he chuckled over Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s 2018 jibe – that the JDS is the BJP’s ‘B team’. That jibe was repeated last week.

“No, RG gave ‘B team of BJP certificate’. Not (just) in last election but previous one also… “

READ |“BJP B-Team Now Officially Part of NDA”: Congress On Kumaraswamy’s Party

The JDS and Congress formed the government after the 2018 election. Mr Deve Gowda’s son, HD Kumaraswamy, was Chief Minister but they split soon after, after lawmakers joined the BJP.

Last month, the JDS joined the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance – in a move fiercely criticised by ex-allies Congress, which rushed to question its “secular credentials”.

READ |BJP, JDS Come Together In Karnataka Ahead Of Big 2024 Polls. NDTV Explains

The JDS was seen as nearing irrelevance after a third consecutive poor Assembly polls result; in the May election it won just 19 seats – down from 37 in 2018 and 40 five years earlier.

The Congress romped to victory in May, winning 135 of 224 seats to oust the BJP.

The BJP-JDS alliance has been questioned by some, including leaders within each party, but others see sense in allying with an outfit that still has sway in eight Lok Sabha segments and over Vokkalinga voters, including areas in which the Congress made inroads in the May poll.

Details about seat-sharing between the two have not yet been revealed. Mr Deve Gowda said these talks are to begin after Dussehra, which is on October 24. However, he was keen to underline his party remains secular and “won’t take lessons in so-called secularism”.

“We have enough experience… we know how to protect minorities and other marginalised sections. I don’t want to make tall claims but, in 60 years of my political career, I have done it to the best of my ability. We will never let down any minority group – not just Muslims.”

Distraction from ‘explosive’ findings of Bihar caste survey: Cong on raids on Newsclick journalists

Congress on Tuesday alleged that the raids on contributing journalists at Newsclick was a “fresh distraction”

Published Date – 02:00 PM, Tue – 3 October 23


Distraction from ‘explosive’ findings of Bihar caste survey: Cong on raids on Newsclick journalists



New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday alleged that the raids on contributing journalists at Newsclick was a “fresh distraction” from the “explosive” findings of the caste survey in Bihar and the growing demand for a caste census across the country.

Delhi Police’s Special Cell on Tuesday morning conducted raids at 30 premises connected with online portal NewsClick as well as its journalists’ houses, triggering outrage among scribes.

Congress’ media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said the early morning raids on contributing journalists at Newsclick comes as a “fresh distraction from the explosive findings of caste census in Bihar and the growing demand for caste census across the country”.

“When he faces questions from out of syllabus, he resorts to the only counter he has in his predictable syllabus – DISTRACTION,” Khera said on X.

Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate also slammed the government over the raids.

“Despite an army of sycophants, some journalists still dare to speak the truth.But the Prime Minister has a special problem with those who speak the truth and those who ask questions,” she alleged.

“So they will be raided, intimidated – but Saheb forgets that not everyone’s spine is missing as is the case with sycophants,” Shrinate said in a post in Hindi on X.

The Congress leaders’ remarks come a day after the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar released findings of its much-awaited caste survey months ahead of the 2024 Parliamentary elections, which revealed that OBCs and EBCs constitute a whopping 63 per cent of the state’s total population.

The Enforcement Directorate had earlier conducted raids at the firm’s premises probing its sources of funding. The Special Cell is now raiding the media firm on the basis of inputs provided by the central agency.

The Special Cell has registered a new case and started an investigation, officials said.

Hyderabad: Passing out ceremony for second batch of Agniveers held at Artillery Centre

The passing out ceremony for the second batch of Agniveers took place at the Artillery Centre

Published Date – 01:50 PM, Tue – 3 October 23


Hyderabad: Passing out ceremony for second batch of Agniveers held at Artillery Centre

The Passing out Ceremony for the second batch of Agniveers took place at the Artillery Centre, Hyderabad on 03 October 2023


Hyderabad: The passing out ceremony for the second batch of Agniveers took place at the Artillery Centre, here on Tuesday, in which more than 2,700 Agniveers were absorbed into the Regiment of Artillery. The batch was the largest course to be trained at any Regimental Centre.

The parade was reviewed by General Officer Commanding Telangana and Andhra Sub Area Major General Rakesh Manocha.

In his address, Major General Rakesh Manocha said the Agniveers were contributing significantly towards the betterment of the Indian Army.

The sense of discipline and camaraderie inculcated in them during their training would help them to serve the Army in a better way, and also facilitate them to have a bright future, the reviewing officer said.

Post completion of their 31 weeks of physically grueling and mentally demanding training, the Agniveers will now be joining their respective Artillery Regiments. The parade, along with the parents, was attended by various military and civilian officials.

SC defers hearing till Oct 9 on Chandrababu Naidu’s plea, asks AP govt to file documents

Supreme Court on Tuesday deferred till October 9 hearing on a plea by TDP leader N Chandrababu Naidu

Published Date – 02:10 PM, Tue – 3 October 23


SC defers hearing till Oct 9 on Chandrababu Naidu’s plea, asks AP govt to file documents



New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday deferred till October 9 hearing on a plea by TDP leader N Chandrababu Naidu challenging an Andhra Pradesh High Court order dismissing his petition to quash an FIR against him in the Skill Development Corporation scam case.

A bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Bela M Trivedi asked senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the Andhra Pradesh government, to place on record all materials which were produced before the high court in connection with the case.

Rohatgi said Naidu’s petition for quashing the FIR should be rejected as the question of section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act does not arise as the provision came in July 2018, while the inquiry into the case was started in 2017 by the CBI.

Senior advocates Harish Salve, Abhisehk Singhvi and Siddharth Luthra, appearing for Naidu, said all the allegations in the FIR pertains to the decisions, instructions or recommendations made by Naidu while being the chief minister of the state.

“This is nothing but a political case and the rigours of section 17A would apply in the matter,” Salve said.
Luthra said “they are roping him in FIR after FIR” and it is a clear case of regime change.

The bench said it will take the matter up next Monday.

Naidu, 73, was arrested on September 9 for allegedly misappropriating funds from the Skill Development Corporation when he was the chief minister in 2015, causing a purported loss of Rs 371 crore to the state exchequer. His judicial remand has been extended by the trial court till October 5.

The CID, in its remand report, alleged that Naidu “indulged in a criminal conspiracy with the intention of fraudulent misappropriation or otherwise conversion of government funds for his own use, disposal of property which was under the control of a public servant, besides engaging in cheating, forging documents and destroying evidence”.

Naidu, the Telugu Desam Party chief, had moved the top court on September 23, challenging the Andhra Pradesh High Court order dismissing his petition for quashing the FIR against him in connection with the alleged scam.

Thousands flee as fighting spreads to southern Sudan

The ongoing war in Sudan has spread to the country’s south, reportedly forcing thousands to flee following a series of attacks by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). 

According to local residents, RSF fighters launched an attack on the town of Wad Ashana, situated on the border between North Kordofan and White Nile states, using numerous armed vehicles.

“It was hours of terror,” said a witness who had sheltered with relatives after fleeing ten kilometers away from his hometown.

Accurate casualty figures from the Wad Ashana conflict are currently unavailable as witnesses spoke of unidentified “bodies lying on the side of the road”.

Footage posted to social media on Sunday by the RSF claimed to show fighters “taking over the Wad Ashana garrison in North Kordofan and advancing towards Kosti,” the last major town on the road to South Sudan.

Nearly 7,500 people have been killed in the war that erupted on April 15, according to a conservative estimate from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project.

Other towns in the country have also reported similar scenes with volunteers digging mass graves.

Activists and doctors on the ground have warned that the actual death toll is substantially higher than official figures indicate.

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), over 4.3 million people have been internally displaced leaving behind everything while living in schools due to the surge in violence.

Another 1.2 million refugees, returnees, and third-country nationals have already left Sudan for Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Central African Republic.

Last month, the UN warned that millions of people across Sudan are running out of food and are on the brink of famine as the war-torn Northeast African country is spiraling out of control.

Sudan’s army and the RSF have been fighting for six months over a power struggle between army chief, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and his former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who heads the paramilitary force.

JC Bose Fellowship awarded for University of Hyderabad professor

Balasubramanian Senthilkumaran has been awarded the JC Bose Fellowship of Science and Engineering Research Board (2023), Government of India

Published Date – 01:56 PM, Tue – 3 October 23


JC Bose Fellowship awarded for University of Hyderabad professor

UoH JC Bose award winner Balasubramanian Senthilkumaran

Hyderabad: Balasubramanian Senthilkumaran, a senior professor at University of Hyderabad (UoH), has been awarded the JC Bose Fellowship of Science and Engineering Research Board (2023), Government of India.

The fellowship was awarded in recognition of the outstanding performance of Senthilkumaran in the research area of Fish Molecular Endocrinology and Reproductive Biology.

The Fellow will receive a fellowship amount of Rs. 25,000 pm and a research grant of Rs. 15 lakh per annum, and is provided for a period of five years.

Prof. Senthilkumaran had made significant and innovative contributions in understanding the sex differentiation as well as gonadal development at various stages of the life cycle of bony fishes.

He is a pioneer in developing novel transient gene silencing in fish to understand their gene function. He is the one who developed the concept of “brain sex differentiation” in fishes.