New Delhi:
Sonia Gandhi will attend the consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22, Congress sources said Friday afternoon. Mrs Gandhi, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, and the party’s leader in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, were all invited to the event, which has become the focus of the country’s political landscape ahead of a general election in less than four months.
Shenna Bellows, Maine’s Democratic secretary of state concluded that Trump, the Republican front-runner for presidential nomination, instigated a rebellion by disseminating allegations of voter fraud in the 2020 election and subsequently encouraged his followers to rally at the US Capitol in order to impede lawmakers from validating the election outcome.
“I do not reach this conclusion lightly,” Bellows wrote in a 34-page ruling, as Maine became the second state to block the former president from running again because of his actions before and during the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
“I am mindful that no Secretary of State has ever deprived a presidential candidate of ballot access based on Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment. I am also mindful, however, that no presidential candidate has ever before engaged in insurrection,” she said in the decision.
“The US Constitution does not tolerate an assault on the foundations of our government.”
The ruling exclusively pertains to the March primary election in Maine, however, it has the potential to impact Trump’s eligibility for the November general election.
This ruling is also expected to increase the urgency for the US Supreme Court to address concerns regarding Trump’s eligibility across the entire nation, under the constitutional provision known as Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, passed after the US Civil War to keep former confederates from serving in government.
Soon after the announcement was made, the Trump campaign said that it would challenge the “atrocious” decision.
“We are witnessing, in real-time, the attempted theft of an election and the disenfranchisement of the American voter,” Trump’s campaign spokesman Steven Cheung alleged in a statement that described Bellows as a “virulent leftist and a hyper-partisan Biden-supporting Democrat”.
“Democrats in blue states are recklessly and unconstitutionally suspending the civil rights of the American voters by attempting to summarily remove President Trump’s name from the ballot,” Cheung said.
Maine’s decision came days after Colorado’s supreme court on December 19 decided that the former president should not be allowed to appear on that state’s Republican primary ballot, which made him the first candidate in US history to be pronounced ineligible for the presidency over his insurrection support.
Trump has vowed to challenge the Colorado ruling to the Supreme Court, where he appointed three of the six justices, and criticized ballot challenges as “undemocratic.”
According to legal experts, the top court of the country, which has never ruled on Section 3, should step in to clarify what states can do but also argue that the clause should apply to Trump because of his role in trying to obstruct the peaceful transfer of power.
RHM/Press TV
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah kicked up a row Thursday after he claimed a difference between the Hindutva ideology and the Hindu faith. Addressing a Congress event in Bengaluru, he referred to “soft Hindutva” – seen as a political strategy to win moderate Hindu votes without losing those from minority communities – and asked, “‘Soft’ Hindutva? What is ‘soft’ and ‘hard’ Hindutva?”
“Hindutva is Hindutva. I am a Hindu. Hindutva is different and Hindu is different. Don’t we worship Ram? Are they (the BJP) the only ones? Haven’t we built Ram Mandirs? Don’t we sing Ram Bhajans?”
“People sing bhajans during the last week of December… I used to partake in that tradition in our village. This is practiced in other villages too. Are they (the BJP) the only ones? Aren’t we Hindus?”
The BJP’s CN Ashwath Narayan hit back swiftly, declaring Siddaramaiah and the Congress “never had any clarity of issues with regard to Bharat or Hindutva) and accusing them of “appeasement politics”.
READ | Congress Leader’s “Soft Hindutva” Remark Sparks Debate In Kerala
“Congress always practiced divisive politics… they don’t respect the law of land. Why get into these religious aspects? They have no moral rights to talk about Hindutva,” he insisted.
The comments echoed those the Karnataka Chief Minister made in February, when he was Leader of the Opposition. He said then, “Hindutva is against the Constitution. Hindutva and Hindu dharma is different. I’m not against the Hindu religion… I am a Hindu but I oppose Manuvad and Hindutva.”
READ | Congress’ Siddaramaiah Sparks Row With Hindutva vs Hindu Remark
“No religion supports murder… but Hindutva supports murder and discrimination.”
In January too he made that assertion – that he is a Hindu but opposed to Hindutva, and, while he had never opposed the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, he was opposed to using it for political gain.
READ | Hinduism, Hindutva Two Different Things: Rahul Gandhi
That Mr Siddaramaiah made these comments this week too is significant because the consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya is on January 22, less than four months before the general election.
Construction of the temple was one of the BJP’s biggest poll promises, fuelling Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rise to power in 2019. And it could all but ensure an unprecedented third term.
The Ram Temple, and the Ayodhya infrastructure push, will undoubtedly be a major campaign platform for the BJP in 2024 – something the Congress, and the opposition knows it must counter.
Mr Siddaramaiah’s comments are being seen in that light – an attempt to retain favour with Hindu votes, at least the moderate ones, ahead of the Lok Sabha election, and that too in a state that has historically rarely voted for the same party in successive Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.
In that context, his comments are also being as course correction after his remarks on the hijab row in his state. Last week, a day after media reports claimed the hijab ban imposed by the previous BJP-led government had been removed, he said his administration had not issued any order.
The freshly released Praja Palana application form created a cloud of confusion, particularly for those without a white ration card, who now face the potential cessation of benefits under Rythu Bharosa.
Updated On – 01:21 PM, Fri – 29 December 23
Hyderabad: In a development causing widespread uncertainty, nearly 70 lakh farmers in Telangana find themselves at a crossroads as the fate of their financial assistance under Rythu Bharosa hangs in the balance.
The freshly released Praja Palana application form created a cloud of confusion, particularly for those without a white ration card, who now face the potential cessation of benefits under Rythu Bharosa.
Under the new directive, all Praja Palana applicants should mandatorily submit a copy of their Aadhaar card and white ration card to be eligible for five of the six guarantees of the Congress government. While it is clearly mentioned in the application that the existing beneficiaries of social security pensions need not re-apply, there is no such directive for the existing beneficiaries of schemes such as Rythu Bandhu, who are seeking financial assistance under the new Rythu Bharosa scheme.
Thus, confusion prevails over whether all farmers currently covered under Rythu Bandhu will automatically receive financial aid under Rythu Bharosa or if every farmer must submit a separate application for Rythu Bharosa during the ongoing Praja Palana from December 28 to January 6. Notably, only those farmers who possess a white ration card are eligible to apply for Rythu Bharosa currently.
This has left an estimated 70 lakh farmers in Telangana in a state of anxiety. The looming deadline adds pressure to an already complex situation, raising concerns for farmers of missing out on crucial financial support. The intricacies of this new process, coupled with the short application window, have raised more questions about the fate of the existing beneficiaries. The government’s move to require a separate application has stirred debates about the rationale behind the decision and its potential impact on the vulnerable farming community.
While the Agriculture Department officials were not willing to confirm or deny it officially, sources said the State government plans to impose a ceiling on the number of Rythu Bharosa beneficiaries to cut down its expenditure. Around 15-16 lakh farmers covered under Rythu Bandhu are likely to lose benefits under the new Rythu Bharosa scheme. However, farmers who do not have a white ration card but have less cultivation area might be covered under Rythu Bharosa through other means.
Ironically, the Praja Palana application form, which mandates submitting Aadhaar and white ration cards and seeks various other information, finds no mention of the bank account numbers which were being used to transfer benefits directly under Rythu Bandhu and social security pensions, among other schemes.
Lokesh said that during the tenure of NTR, the TDP government played a crucial role in bringing BC communities into the political fold, implementing a significant milestone by allocating 24 per cent reservation for them.
Updated On – 12:45 PM, Fri – 29 December 23
Guntur: Telugu Desam Party (TDP) National General Secretary Nara Lokesh emphasised the pivotal role of his party in securing rights of the Backward Classes (BCs) and asserted that the TDP has consistently stood by the BC community throughout its history while addressing the media in Andhra Pradesh’s Managalagiri on the eve of Jayahoo BC.
Lokesh said that during the tenure of NTR, the TDP government played a crucial role in bringing BC communities into the political fold, implementing a significant milestone by allocating 24 per cent reservation for them.
Subsequently, under the leadership of Chandra Babu Naidu, this commitment to empowerment was further strengthened, witnessing a transformation with an increased reservation of 34 per cent, Lokesh said.
Nara Lokesh highlighted that these achievements are indicative of TDP’s unwavering dedication to the upliftment of BCs and reiterated the party’s commitment to inclusive policies that benefit all sections of society.
“Even dalits are being attacked by this government. Words are different from action. The ruling party is alleging that they are supporting BC but in reality, they are cheating them. Foreign education scheme was to stopped for the BC,” Lokesh said.
“Once in power, we plan to remove 217 Government Orders affecting fishermen. It’s a clear part of our plan, and we’re committed to making it happen. Additionally, we’ve supported and encouraged 54 communities,” the party General Secretary added.
The TDP is known as the birthplace of BCs, and has always been a financial and political supporter of BCs since the beginning of the party, he said.
During the TDP regime from 2014 to 2019, several social welfare schemes were introduced for BCs, including access to quality schools, Videsi Vidya, Pelli Kanuka, and PG fee reimbursement, he shared.
In an attack at the Jagan Mohan Reddy government, Lokesh said, “The YSRCP government has eliminated 27 Dalit welfare schemes. There’s been a lack of community development efforts during this administration. On my end, I’ve actively shared selfies and posts showcasing these initiatives.” Lokesh claimed that after the YSRCP came into power in 2019, many members of the Backward Classes (BCs) have reported being mistreated and persecuted. Some BC individuals have been killed and their voices have been suppressed, he added.
In addition, the YSRCP government has reduced the BC reservations in local body elections from 10 per cent to a lower percentage, Lokesh alleged adding that as a consequence, around 16,000 people from the BC community have lost the opportunity to contest in the elections.
“The YSRCP government has failed to provide irrigation water to farmers and subsidize loans to BCs, as well as assure the fisherman community. During my Yuvagalam Padayatra, I received many request letters from them. We have approached the Telangana High Court regarding the YSRCP Vyooham Movie, and the court has issued a stay on the movie until January 11, 2024,” he added.
Speaking about the ‘Jayaho BC’ initiative Lokesh said, “From January 4, the TDP party has planned a two-month program called ‘Jayaho BC’ to create awareness among the Backward Classes (BCs) about the injustices done to them during the YSRCP regime.” The first phase of the program includes visits to Parliament, assembly constituencies, and mandals to understand the difficulties faced by the BCs, he said.
Police, who traced the girl near Jubilee bus station on Thursday night, brought her to Karimnagar on Friday morning.
Updated On – 01:57 PM, Fri – 29 December 23
Karimnagar: A 12 year-old girl, who was reported missing from Bommakal flyover bridge in Karimnagar town on Wednesday, was found in Hyderabad.
Police, who traced the girl near Jubilee bus station on Thursday night, brought her to Karimnagar on Friday morning. Though the exact reason for her missing is not yet known, she reportedly went to Hyderabad after boarding an RTC bus in confusion.
A native of Utoor of Manakondur mandal, Kanukuntla Narsimham is working as head constable and staying in Karimnagar.
His daughter aged 12 years, who is studying Class XIII in a private school, went to her grandmother’s house in Peddapalli for Christmas holidays and returned back on Wednesday. Her grandfather accompanied her and ensured that she boarded the bus at Peddapalli bus stand in the afternoon and sent the details of the bus to her father.
Narsimham, who waited for his daughter at Mancheiral chowk, enquired with the conductor about his daughter as she was not found in the bus. Conductor and other passengers informed that she got down at Bommakal flyover-bridge.
Narsimham immediately rushed to the Bommakal crossroads and searched for his daughter. As he could not find the girl, he lodged a complaint with Karimnagar rural police station. Police, who began investigation by forming five special teams, found the girl in Hyderabad on Thursday night.
Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said the capital’s air defences were working intensively. (Representational)
Kyiv:
A wave of Russian attacks killed at least 10 people and wounded dozens across Ukraine, officials said on Friday, with the toll expected to rise.
“Almost 15 people were injured. Four were killed” in the central Dnipropetrovsk region, its governor Sergiy Lysak said, while other local authorities reported two dead in Kyiv, two others in Odesa; one dead in Kharkiv and one in Lviv.
AFP reporters in Kyiv heard several powerful explosions in the early hours of Friday and saw thick black smoke billowing from a warehouse.
“We haven’t seen so much red on our monitors for a long time,” said Yuriy Ignat, a spokesman for Ukraine’s air force, explaining that Russian forces had first launched a wave of suicide drones followed by missiles.
“There are people killed by Russian missiles today that were launched at civilian facilities, civilian buildings,” presidential aide Andriy Yermak said.
“We are doing everything to strengthen our air shield. But the world needs to see that we need more support and strength to stop this terror,” he said on Telegram.
Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said the capital’s air defences were working intensively and seven people had been hospitalised.
A metro station, whose platforms were being used as an air raid shelter, was damaged, he said.
Sergiy Popko, head of Kyiv’s military administration, said a warehouse with an area of around 3,000 square metres (32,300 square feet) was burning in the northern Podil district.
“There are many wounded, the number is being clarified,” he said.
In other districts of the city, an uninhabited multistorey block of flats also caught fire and a private house was damaged, Popko said.
– Maternity hospital struck –
In the central Shevchenko district, a residential building was damaged and there was also a fire in a warehouse with six believed to be injured, Popko said.
Klitschko wrote on social media that there appeared to be three people still under rubble of the warehouse while three others had been rescued.
The overnight attacks came days after Ukraine struck a Russian warship in the occupied Crimean port of Feodosia in a major setback for the Russian navy.
Drones and missiles struck at least five other Ukrainian cities on Friday, including Kharkiv in the northeast, Lviv in the west, Dnipro in the east and Odesa in the south, the cities’ mayors and police said.
“So far we have counted 22 strikes in different districts of Kharkiv,” the mayor, Igor Terekhov, said on television.
“There are currently seven injured in hospital. Unfortunately one person has died.”
In Lviv, governor Maksym Kozytsky said that “one person was killed and three wounded”.
In Dnipro, the mayor, Borys Filatov, said there were injured and dead. The health ministry said that a maternity hospital in the city had been “severely damaged”.
– Crucial US support –
In the southern port of Odesa, a high-rise building caught fire after being struck by debris from a downed drone, the city’s mayor said.
“As a result of another enemy attack, one of the high-rise buildings was damaged. The fire was promptly extinguished,” mayor Gennadiy Trukhanov said on social media.
Ukraine’s southern command said 14 attack drones had been destroyed in the south of the country and there were no casualties reported.
The attacks came after Kremlin on Tuesday acknowledged a Ukrainian missile attack had damaged one of its warships.
On Thursday, President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the United States for releasing the last remaining package of weapons available for Ukraine under existing authorisation, as uncertainty surrounds further aid to his war-torn country.
Zelensky had warned that any change in policy from the US — Kyiv’s main backer — could have a strong impact on the course of the war.
“I thank President Joe Biden, Congress, and the American people for the $250 million military aid package announced yesterday,” Zelensky said on social media.
In an interview published on Friday, Christian Freuding, a German general who oversees the German army’s support for Kyiv, said Russia was severely weakened but was showing greater “resilience” than Western allies had expected at the start of the war.
“We perhaps did not see, or did not want to see, that they are in a position to continue to be supplied by allies,” he told the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
The year 2023 ended on an embarrassing note for the Indian cricket team as it succumbed to an innings loss to South Africa in Centurion on Thursday. The match ended in just three days as the famed Indian batting was not match for South African bowlers. After South Africa put up 408 in the first innings, to take a 163-run lead, the Indian team was all out for just 131. After the match, Indian pace great Zaheer Khan analysed the loss.
“Nobody expected such a loss. Whatever is the issue, you need to sort that out quickly. In Test Cricket you have to score 350-plus. This is a lesson. You have to apply those lessons with the bat. The bowlers also need to learn their lesson. The way South African bowlers used the bouncers. They took a attacking and aggressive approach, Indian bowlers should take lesson from it,” Zaheer Khan said on Cricbuzz.
“You have to think about different approach. You have to apply yourself in a different way.”
Talking about the match, Nandre Burger‘s sensational spell combined with South Africa’s all-rounded performance secured a win by an innings and 32 runs for the Proteas against India in the first Test on Thursday at the SuperSport Park.
Burger with his lethal bouncers and precise line and length pushed India batters back against the wall.
A game that seemed to be headed for the fourth day was concluded on the third day itself. India batters were no match for South Africa pacers as the pace trio of Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen and Burger ran through India’s entire batting line-up.
Virat Kohli was the sole batter who knew how to churn out runs on a surface which proved to be too much for the rest of the batters.
After a dismal start to their second innings, South Africa struck India hard by removing Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahu in quick succession.
After Burger removed Ravichandran Ashwin for a golden duck, India’s fate was more or less sealed.
Jasprit Bumrah‘s runout following a brilliant effort in the field by Dean Elgar caused a mood of dismay. A brilliant review from the South Africa team saw Mohammed Siraj gloving the ball straight to the wicketkeeper.
Prasidh Krishna struggled hard but Jansen got the better of Kohli (76) which brought an end to India’s struggle within the first three days.
With ANI inputs
Topics mentioned in this article
Online air alert notification system was issued. (Representational)
Kyiv:
Russia launched a wave of missile strikes on Friday across Ukrainian cities, including the capital, authorities said as they raised a nationwide air alert.
The overnight attacks came days after Ukraine struck a Russian warship in the occupied Crimean port of Feodosia.
Explosions were reported in Kyiv, city mayor Vitali Klitschko said in a post on Telegram.
Missiles also struck at least five other Ukrainian cities, including Kharkiv in the northeast, Lviv in the country’s west as well as Odesa in the south, the cities’ mayors and police said.
“Today, at five o’clock in the morning, the fascists’ followers hit the peaceful city with S-300 missiles. 10 explosions rang out in Kharkiv. Specialized services quickly arrived at strike spots,” Kharkiv region police said.
Overnight attacks were also reported in Sumy and Konotop.
In southern Odesa, a high-rise building caught fire after being struck by debris from a downed drone, the city’s mayor said.
“As a result of another enemy attack, one of the high-rise buildings was damaged. The fire was promptly extinguished,” mayor Gennady Trukhanov said in a social media post.
The attacks came after Kremlin on Tuesday acknowledged a Ukrainian attack had damaged a warship in the occupied Crimean port of Feodosia in what Ukraine and its Western allies called a major setback for the Russian navy.
Ukraine has said its air force destroyed the Novocherkassk landing ship, with President Volodymyr Zelensky joking on social media that the vessel had now joined “the Russian underwater Black Sea fleet”.
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu informed “about the damage to our large landing ship” to President Vladimir Putin in “a very detailed report”.
Russia’s defence ministry said that the ship was damaged by guided aerial missiles.
Ukraine’s military said its air force destroyed the Russian naval ship in a missile attack on the eastern Crimean port.
On Thursday, Zelensky thanked the United States for releasing the last remaining package of weapons available for Ukraine under existing authorisation, as uncertainty surrounds further aid to his war-torn country.
Zelensky had warned that any change in policy from the US — Kyiv’s main backer — could have a strong impact on the course of the war.
“I thank President Joe Biden, Congress, and the American people for the $250 million military aid package announced yesterday,” Zelensky said on social media.
“To defend freedom and security not only in Ukraine and Europe but also in the United States, we must continue to respond to ongoing Russian aggression,” he said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Nitish Kumar was unanimously re-elected as President of Bihar’s ruling Janata Dal (United) at a meeting of the party’s national executive in Delhi on Friday afternoon. The Bihar Chief Minister was re-appointed minutes after aide Lalan Singh stepped down, ending weeks of frenzied speculation.
Speaking to reporters immediately after the meeting, Mr Singh shot down talk of a rift in the party, and said, “Anger? What anger? Why should I be angry? This is the first time I am hearing this word.”
Sources said Lalan Singh was removed because he was seen as being a little too close to the JDU’s alliance partner in Bihar – Lalu Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal – amid talk that RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, who is Lalu Yadav’s son and the Deputy Chief Minister, is being prepped to take over.
That buzz was dismissed by Tejashwi Yadav himself, who accused the opposition BJP of “planting stories” to destabilise the JDU-RJD alliance in the state. Mr Yadav’s reaction came after the BJP’s Sushil Modi – who was the Deputy Chief Minister till Nitish Kumar quit that alliance – claimed the JDU was spreading rumours about re-allying with the BJP to keep the RJD and Congress in check.
Officially, though, Lalan Singh told Nitish Kumar he wanted more time to focus on his constituency ahead of next year’s election. Mr Singh is a two-time Lok Sabha MP from Bihar’s Munger. Bihar Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary said, “Lalan Singh said he will be busy with elections… so wants to hand over post of party President to Chief Minister… and Nitish Kumar has accepted it.”
The swap at the top of the JDU, though, has raised eyebrows in many circles, with critics of the party pointing to Nitish Kumar’s mercurial temperament, specifically the manner in which he dropped the BJP as an ally in August last year. That was after the JDU fared badly in the 2020 election, winning only 45 seats, and Nitish Kumar returned as Chief Minister thanks to the BJP’s 74 seats.
The change in the JDU’s top leadership also comes months before the 2024 Lok Sabha election and speculation over Nitish Kumar’s prime ministerial ambitions in that race. The JDU boss was apparently passed over as a potential PM candidate for the INDIA opposition bloc earlier this month.
Nitish Kumar and the JDU played rubbished rumours of rifts within INDIA after that incident, when it was suggested the Congress chief, Mallikarjun Kharge, be the bloc’s prime ministerial candidate.
Sources have said Nitish Kumar was unhappy with Lalan Singh as he failed to project his name.
Mr Kharge was proposed by Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal. Publicly, Nitish Kumar has insisted has no such ambitions, and only wants to unite parties opposed to the BJP. “I felt no disappointment….no resentment,” he had said.
