Quds Day growing in popularity

Record numbers are expected at this year’s rallies because the world has been awoken by the unspeakably horrific atrocities being perpetrated by the Zionist entity in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

Quds Day is commemorated all over the world, traditionally, on the last Friday of Ramadan; it is a day of international solidarity with the Palestinian people, named with the Arabic word for the capital of Palestine.

Quds Day was introduced in 1979 by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

I invite Muslims all over the globe to consecrate the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan as Al-Quds Day and to proclaim the international solidarity of Muslims in support of the legitimate rights of the Muslim people of Palestine.


Ruhollah Khomeini, Founder of Islamic Republic of Iran

Quds Day was a response to Jerusalem Day in which Jewish settlers go on a rampage around Al-Quds, which they call Jerusalem, chanting racist slogans, including ‘May your village burn’.

The Zionist entity heightened attempts to suppress Quds Day after the Gaza massacre in 2008-2009. The worldwide revulsion against the massacre led to a significant rise in support for the Palestinians and worldwide protest.

Quds Day is marked in over 80 Islamic and non-Islamic countries. In the West, these include the United States of America, Canada, Australia, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, France and Greece.

The Muslim unity displayed on Quds Day is a threat to the Zionist entity and its supporters and assets in the West and elsewhere. Accordingly, the Zionists have mobilized their assets to denounce Quds Day and to claim that its celebration exhibits extremism and anti-semitism.

In the UK, Zionist groups have been attempting to sabotage the event for more than 15 years.

In the US, Zionist entity assets have gone on the offensive. The Anti-Defamation League denounced Quds Day in 2016 as ‘a hateful demonstration of anti-Israel and anti-Semitic sentiment’. In 2022, it ludicrously labeled calls for the dismantling of Zionism as ‘genocidal ambitions’

In Germany, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, the domestic intelligence agency, published, in 2019, a deeply racist report on anti-Semitism in Islamist extremism.

The report specifically singled out Quds Day and denounced a huge range of Muslim political groups as ‘extreme’ and labeled them with the Zionist created notion of Islamic anti-Semitism.

The report openly states that German intelligence spies on peaceful and legal Muslim activists, so long as they’re defined as Islamist, a racist term which effectively covers any Muslim active in politics.

The temporary Zionist entity continues its onslaught of ethnic cleansing and murder in Gaza and throughout the region.

Complicit Western governments continue to try and repress pro-Palestine sentiment, however, this year Quds Day rallies are to take place at a juncture where support for Palestine is at a historic high as a result of the genocide in Gaza.

Gold prices in Hyderabad surge beyond Rs 70,000 mark, silver also hits record high-Telangana Today

On Thursday, the price of 24-carat gold soared to a record-breaking Rs 70,470 per 10 grams, marking a substantial increase of Rs 600 within a single day. This milestone represents the first time in a year that gold has breached the Rs 70,000-mark in the Hyderabad market.

Published Date – 4 April 2024, 01:40 PM


Gold prices in Hyderabad surge beyond Rs 70,000 mark, silver also hits record high


Hyderabad: The relentless surge in gold and silver prices in Hyderabad has reached unprecedented levels, with gold surpassing the Rs 70,000 per 10-gram mark. On Thursday, the price of 24-carat gold soared to a record-breaking Rs 70,470 per 10 grams, marking a substantial increase of Rs 600 within a single day. This milestone represents the first time in a year that gold has breached the Rs 70,000-mark in the Hyderabad market.

Just a day earlier, on Wednesday, the price of 24-carat gold per 10 grams stood at Rs 69,870 in Hyderabad. Simultaneously, the price of silver also scaled new heights, with 1 kilogram of silver retailing at Rs 85,300, witnessing a surge of Rs 1,300 within a day. This marks the first time in a year that the silver price has crossed the Rs 85,000-mark in Hyderabad’s market.


The upsurge in gold and silver prices can be attributed to US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s recent speech, signaling a dovish stance on interest rates. Powell’s remarks led to a retreat of the US dollar from a four-month high, subsequently bolstering the prices of precious metals.

Commodity market experts point to Powell’s speech as the catalyst behind the surge in gold and silver prices, anticipating potential interest rate cuts in the upcoming US Federal Reserve meeting scheduled from April 30 to May 1, 2024. Furthermore, the decline of the US dollar index from its recent peak has contributed to the bullish trend observed in bullion metal prices worldwide.

Supreme Court Relief For BJP's Navneet Rana In Caste Certificate Case

Supreme Court Relief For BJP's Navneet Rana In Caste Certificate Case

A Supreme Court bench comprising justices JK Maheshwari and Sanjay Karol, ruled in favour of Ms Rana.

New Delhi:

The Supreme Court today overturned the Bombay High Court’s decision to cancel the caste certificate of Amravati MP and BJP leader, Navneet Kaur Rana. This verdict comes as a big relief for Ms Rana, who is the BJP’s candidate for the Amravati Lok Sabha seat and is expected to file her nomination today.

A Supreme Court bench comprising justices JK Maheshwari and Sanjay Karol, ruled in favour of Ms Rana, stating that the High Court had erred in interfering with the scrutiny committee’s report on her caste certificate. The High Court had previously revoked Ms Rana’s ‘mochi’ caste certificate, alleging fraudulent procurement using fabricated documents on June 8, 2021. Additionally, it imposed a fine of Rs 2 lakh on Rana, asserting that records indicated her belonging to the ‘Sikh-Chamar’ caste.

Ms Rana, who clinched the reserved Amravati parliamentary seat in Maharashtra as an independent candidate in 2019, has recently joined the BJP and is poised to contest from the same constituency. Expressing her optimism ahead of filing her nomination papers, Ms Rana said this electoral opportunity represents a monumental occasion for both her and the constituents of Amravati.

“I have been working for the people of my region for many years. This is a big day for me and my constituency. This is the first time that voters in Amravati are getting a chance to vote for the nation-building, development and benefit of the nation,” she said, as quoted by news agency ANI.

“The people of my constituency are happier than me. They are happy that for the first time, the lotus symbol will appear on the ballot box. The people will directly support and vote for Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” she added.

Ms Rana entered politics following her marriage to BJP leader Ravi Rana. Initially aligning with the NCP, she contested her inaugural election from Amravati in 2014, but faced defeat.

Maharashtra’s 48 parliamentary constituencies will go to polls across five phases: April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, and May 20.

During the 2019 elections, the BJP secured victory in 23 out of the 25 seats it contested, while the unified Shiv Sena clinched 18 out of 23 seats it vied for. In the 2014 elections, the BJP claimed 23 seats and Shiv Sena 18. The NCP won 4 seats, whereas the Congress managed merely 2 seats.

Qomi pens letter to world Qur'an reciters on Quds Day

 Hujjat al-Islam (Mohammad) Qomi, the head of the Tehran-based Islamic Development Organization (IDO) and the chairman of the Council for the Promotion of Quranic Culture has penned a letter to the Qur’an reciters and Islamic scholars throughout the world on the occasion of the International Quds Day, which will be marked on April 5 on the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan.

“The last Friday of Ramadan this year is not only the most important occasion to show the resentment of the Islamic world towards the savage behavior of the enemies of God in Palestine, it can also be the beginning of the true and magnificent Muslims unity against the incarnate oppression and detested oppressor,” Hujjat al-Islam Qomi said in his letter released on Thursday. 

The senior Iranian cleric further noted to the Qur’an reciters throughout the world to seize the opportunity provided by the Quds Day to show their resentment and protest against “The animalistic and savage behavior of the Zionists, and their crimes against the women, mothers and children of Gaza.”

He recited a part of the Surah An-Nahl – Ayah 36 وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِي كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَّسُولًا أَنِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ وَاجْتَنِبُوا الطَّاغُوتَ (We surely sent a messenger to every community, saying, “Worship Allah and shun false gods (Taghut),” ) and called on the Muslims in the world to rise up against injustice and oppression.

Qomi went on to tell the revered reciters of Holy Qur’am and Islamic scholars and the people who observe the Holy Qur’an’s teachings in their lives that “Today’s Gaza is the manifestation of all the verses of the Holy Qur’an in which God the Almighty has spoken about the need for rising up against oppressors and respecting and protecting the lives of believers, and observing justice. “Today’s Gaza is a reminder of the hard but proud days of the first years of Islam,” he added.

The Iranian cleric further called on all Muslims to observe Surah An-Nisa  Ayah 4 when the Allah says “َمَا لَكُمْ لَا تُقَاتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَالْمُسْتَضْعَفِينَ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ وَالنِّسَاءِ وَالْوِلْدَانِ الَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا أَخْرِجْنَا مِنْ هَٰذِهِ الْقَرْيَةِ الظَّالِمِ أَهْلُهَا وَاجْعَل لَّنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ وَلِيًّا وَاجْعَل لَّنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ نَصِيرًا” “Why should you not fight in the way of Allah and the oppressed men, women, and children, who say, ‘Our Lord, bring us out of this town whose people are oppressors, and appoint for us a guardian from Yourself, and appoint for us a helper from Yourself’?” and asked the Muslims in the world to break their silence and turn out to show their support for Palestine as the least thing they could do as part of their Jihad in the way of God.

At the end of his letter, Hujjat al-Islam Qomi condemned some Islamic states that have remained indifferent to the appalling and dreadful condition of the people of Palestine in Gaza.

He further called on journalists and media activists to employ all their capabilities and potential and join hands with the people to shaken the bases of Zionism on Quds Day.

KI

Qomi pens letter to Qur'an reciters in world on Quds Day

 Hujjat al-Islam (Mohammad) Qomi, the head of the Tehran-based Islamic Development Organization (IDO) and the chairman of the Council for the Promotion of Quranic Culture has penned a letter to the Qur’an reciters and Islamic scholars throughout the world on the occasion of the International Quds Day, which will be marked on April 5 on the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan.

“The last Friday of Ramadan this year is not only the most important occasion to show the resentment of the Islamic world towards the savage behavior of the enemies of God in Palestine, it can also be the beginning of the true and magnificent Muslims unity against the incarnate oppression and detested oppressor,” Hujjat al-Islam Qomi said in his letter released on Thursday. 

The senior Iranian cleric further noted to the Qur’an reciters throughout the world to seize the opportunity provided by the Quds Day to show their resentment and protest against “The animalistic and savage behavior of the Zionists, and their crimes against the women, mothers and children of Gaza.”

He recited a part of the Surah An-Nahl – Ayah 36 وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِي كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَّسُولًا أَنِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ وَاجْتَنِبُوا الطَّاغُوتَ (We surely sent a messenger to every community, saying, “Worship Allah and shun false gods (Taghut),” ) and called on the Muslims in the world to rise up against injustice and oppression.

Qomi went on to tell the revered reciters of Holy Qur’am and Islamic scholars and the people who observe the Holy Qur’an’s teachings in their lives that “Today’s Gaza is the manifestation of all the verses of the Holy Qur’an in which God the Almighty has spoken about the need for rising up against oppressors and respecting and protecting the lives of believers, and observing justice. “Today’s Gaza is a reminder of the hard but proud days of the first years of Islam,” he added.

The Iranian cleric further called on all Muslims to observe Surah An-Nisa  Ayah 4 when the Allah says “َمَا لَكُمْ لَا تُقَاتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَالْمُسْتَضْعَفِينَ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ وَالنِّسَاءِ وَالْوِلْدَانِ الَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا أَخْرِجْنَا مِنْ هَٰذِهِ الْقَرْيَةِ الظَّالِمِ أَهْلُهَا وَاجْعَل لَّنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ وَلِيًّا وَاجْعَل لَّنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ نَصِيرًا” “Why should you not fight in the way of Allah and the oppressed men, women, and children, who say, ‘Our Lord, bring us out of this town whose people are oppressors, and appoint for us a guardian from Yourself, and appoint for us a helper from Yourself’?” and asked the Muslims in the world to break their silence and turn out to show their support for Palestine as the least thing they could do as part of their Jihad in the way of God.

At the end of his letter, Hujjat al-Islam Qomi condemned some Islamic states that have remained indifferent to the appalling and dreadful condition of the people of Palestine in Gaza.

He further called on journalists and media activists to employ all their capabilities and potential and join hands with the people to shaken the bases of Zionism on Quds Day.

KI

"Let Democracy Take Its Course": Plea To Remove Arvind Kejriwal Rejected

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal (File).

New Delhi:

The Delhi High Court has junked – for a third time – a plea seeking the removal of Arvind Kejriwal as Chief Minister after his arrest last month over corruption allegations. In a significant observation, a bench led by acting Chief Justice Manmohan said “let democracy take its own course”.

The court – a different bench of which will rule later today on Mr Kejriwal’s plea for interim relief in this matter – also refused to counsel Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on forcing the Aam Aadmi Party leader to relinquish his post. “He (Mr Saxena) doesn’t need our guidance. We are nobody to advise him. He will do whatever he has to, in accordance with the law,” the High Court said.

The court was hearing a public interest litigation by the Hindu Sena, which sought direction to the Lieutenant Governor to direct Mr Kejriwal to resign. The petitioner was told to prioritise national interest over “personal issues” and, if it wanted to persist, to “raise this issue before another forum”.

The court dismissed similar pleas last week and in January (weeks before Mr Kejriwal was arrested).

READ | Court Dismisses Plea Seeking Removal Of Kejriwal As Chief Minister

Last week the acting Chief Justice said the removal of a sitting Chief Minister is outside the scope of judicial interference. “It is for the other wings of the government to examine, in accordance with the law, this issue,” the court said. And for the plea before that, a bench led by then Chief Justice Rajendra Menon made a firm statement, noting “prosecution is going on… he may be acquitted”.

Arvind Kejriwal was arrested March 21 in connection with the alleged liquor policy scam that has roiled the AAP weeks before the election. The opposition has condemned the arrest of a sitting Chief Minister and other senior political leaders, including the Bharat Rashtra Samithi’s K Kavitha.

Arguing for interim relief Wednesday, Mr Kejriwal’s lawyer questioned the timing of the arrests.

“Why this urgency? I am not talking about politics… am talking about law,” senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi said, arguing the arrest was meant to “demolish AAP before the first vote is cast”.

READ | “Undertrial Prisoners Have No Right To…”: Arvind Kejriwal Bail Hearing

Mr Kejriwal is the AAP’s biggest public face and crowd-puller.

After hearing Mr Singhvi and the counter by the arresting agency (the Enforcement Directorate), the High Court reserved its verdict for this afternoon.

Mr Kejriwal is currently in Delhi’s Tihar Jail; he has been remanded to judicial custody till April 15.

Alleged Delhi Liquor Policy Scam

The ED is investigating what it claims is an Rs 600 crore scam involving the now-scrapped liquor excise policy for the national capital. The agency believes the profit margins were revised arbitrarily to cover bribes paid for the allotment of alcohol sales licences, and that this money – amounting to Rs 45 crore at least – was used by the AAP to fund its Goa and Punjab election campaigns.

NDTV EXPLAINS | Why Enforcement Directorate Arrested Arvind Kejriwal

Mr Kejriwal and the AAP have vehemently denied all charges, and have accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party of manipulating central agencies, like the ED, to target and harass rivals before polls.

The BJP, in turn, has denied these claims.

The 2024 Lok Sabha election will be held over seven phases beginning April 19. The results will be declared on June 4.

NDTV is now available on WhatsApp channels. Click on the link to get all the latest updates from NDTV on your chat.

Hyderabad emerges as key destination for office leasing, driven by tech operators -Telangana Today

Office space leasing in Hyderabad soared to 2.0 million square feet (sq. ft.) between January and March 2024.

Published Date – 4 April 2024, 01:23 PM


Hyderabad emerges as key destination for office leasing, driven by tech operators 


Hyderabad: The office real estate sector in Hyderabad experienced a substantial uptick in leasing activity during the first quarter of 2024, as reported by CBRE South Asia Pvt. Ltd, a prominent real estate consulting firm in India.

According to the latest findings from CBRE’s ‘CBRE India Office Figures Q1 2024’ report, office space leasing in Hyderabad soared to 2.0 million square feet (sq. ft.) between January and March 2024, marking a remarkable 46 per cent year-on-year increase from the corresponding period in 2023. This surge in leasing activity signifies a robust demand for commercial spaces in the city.


Key sectors that fueled this absorption included technology, accounting for 43 per cent of the total uptake, followed by life sciences at 24 per cent, and flexible space operators at 18 per cent.

According to the report, notable transactions recorded in the city during this period include HCL leasing 330,000 square feet in Commerzone Wing 2, Table Space leasing 196,400 square feet in Mindspace West – Building No. 4A + 4B, and Alstom leasing 140,000 square feet in Laxmi Infobahn – T6 (Phase 1).

The report highlights that small-sized deals (less than 50,000 square feet) were prominent in driving office space take-up during Jan-Mar ’24. The IT segment notably accounted for 70 per cent of the total absorption, while the supply for the same segment stood at 34 per cent.

On a broader scale, the office sector in India witnessed a gross absorption of 14.4 million square feet during Jan-Mar ’24 across nine major cities, representing a marginal decline of 3 per cent year-on-year. Development completions totaled about 9.8 million square feet during the same period, decreasing by 10 per cent year-on-year, with the non-SEZ segment dominating the completions.

Among Indian cities, Bangalore led in office leasing activity, followed by Delhi NCR and Hyderabad, collectively contributing to 65 per cent of the total leasing activity. The quarter saw significant expansion initiatives by corporates across these cities.

Anshuman Magazine, Chairman & CEO – India, South-East Asia, Middle East & Africa, CBRE, said, “In 2023, the Indian economy continued its growth journey despite rising interest rates and global macroeconomic challenges. This trend of Indian resilience is expected to persist in 2024 with a continued focus on infrastructure development, private investments, and ongoing reforms.The office sector witnessed meaningful gains in 2023, enhanced by a resurgence in occupiers’ sentiments and pent-up demand after a rise in return-to-offices. During 2024, occupiers would prioritise high-quality office space as they continue to facilitate portfolio expansion and consolidation.”

Looking ahead, the report forecasts continued demand from Global Capability Centres (GCCs) as a prime driver of office space leasing in India. It also anticipates a robust pipeline of high-quality office spaces entering the market.

2-Year-Old Rescued From 16-Feet Deep Borewell In Karnataka After 18 Hours

New Delhi:

A two-year-old boy who fell into a borewell in Karnataka was rescued after a 18-hour-long operation. Rescue operations had begun around 6.30 pm on Wednesday evening after the child fell into a 16-feet deep borewell in Lachayan village.

According to the police, the child fell into the borewell when he went out to play near his house. The boy is believed to have fallen head first. The matter came to light when someone heard the child cry and immediately informed the family.

Authorities had dug a pit about 21-feet deep parallel to the borewell using an excavator to rescue the boy.

It is still not known how the child is doing. A medical team is stationed at the spot with oxygen, and an emergency first aid medication including injections have been kept ready. An ambulance has also been kept on stand-by to shift the child to a hospital at Indi immediately once rescued.

Telangana: 30 monkeys found dead in water tank in Nalgonda

Officials suspect that due to scorching heat, monkeys may have entered the tank through the metal sheets for water but could not come out and drowned.

Updated On – 4 April 2024, 01:09 PM


Telangana: 30 monkeys found dead in water tank in Nalgonda


Hyderabad:  Around 30 monkeys were found dead in a water tank in Telangana‘s Nalgonda district on Wednesday.

Municipal workers pulled out the bodies of monkeys from the water tank near Nagarjuna Sagar under Nandikonda Municipality.


The water tank was being used to supply drinking water to about 200 families in Hill Colony and municipal staff had placed metal sheets on top of it.

Officials suspect that due to scorching heat, monkeys may have entered the tank through the metal sheets for water but could not come out and drowned.

After the recovery of the dead bodies of such a large number of monkeys, the area’s residents were worried about the impact on their health as they had been consuming the same water. They suspect that monkeys died 10 days ago while the same water was supplied to them for drinking. They demanded action against municipal officials for their negligence.

Maanvi enjoys ‘Munna Bhai MBBS’ lines: ‘Khavanu, peevanu, majja ni life’

Maanvi shared a sneak peek of Mediterranean cuisine on her Instagram stories, featuring hummus, breads, pickled vegetables, and more before indulging in the spread.

Published Date – 4 April 2024, 12:40 PM


Maanvi enjoys ‘Munna Bhai MBBS’ lines: ‘Khavanu, peevanu, majja ni life’


Mumbai: Actress Maanvi Gagroo has taken a few lines from Sanjay Dutt-starrer ‘Munna Bhai MBBS’ and implemented them on her London holiday.

Maanvi took to her Instagram stories and shared a glimpse into Mediterranean cuisine including Hummus, breads and some pickled vegetables, among many other things before digging into it.


The actress captioned it: “Khavanu, peevanu majja ni life.”

The line she used for the caption is from the carrom scene from the 2003 film.

The lines are “Carrom ramwanu, juice peevanu, majja ni life”. It was said by the character Rustom’s father, when he played Carrom with Munna, portrayed by Sanjay Dutt and wins it.

‘Munna Bhai M.B.B.S’, a satirical comedy drama directed by Rajkumar Hirani features late star Sunil Dutt in his final film role as the father to his real-life son. The film also stars Gracy Singh and Boman Irani.

Maanvi was last seen in the Bollywood film ‘Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan’ in 2020.