‘Conspiracy’: Kerala won't protect activists led by Trupti Desai to visit Sabarimala

News Network
November 26, 2019

Kochi, Nov 26: A team of gender rights activists led by Trupti Desai, which was headed for Sabarimala to offer prayers at Lord Ayyappa temple was denied police protection on Tuesday amidst protests by devotees, members of a right wing outfit and BJP here, against their entry into the shrine.

The Kerala government dubbed Desai's attempt to visit Sabarimala as a "conspiracy".

As soon as the team of activists landed at the airport here, they went to the city police commissionerate seeking protection to proceed to the hill shrine.

However, police declined to grant protection to them, citing the recent Supreme Court decision to review its 2018 order permitting women in all age groups into Sabarimala.

A large number of Ayyappa devotees, activists of the BJP and Sabarimala Karma Samiti gathered outside the commissionerate chanting 'Ayyappa Saranam' mantra protesting against Desai's visit.

Activist from Kerala, Bindu Ammini, who had joined Desai's team at the airport was attacked by the rightwing group member using pepper spray when she came out of the office of the commissioner to take some papers from their vehicle, police sources said.

Visuals aired by TV channels showed her being attacked.

The man identified as Srinath Padmanabhan has been arrested, police said.

Ammini, who was admitted to the general hospital here, has been discharged after the treatment, her lawyer said.

The agitators ended the protest following assurances from police officials that the women activists would not be given protection to visit the temple.

Ammini and Kanakadurga were the two women activists who had offered prayers at Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple under police security last year following the Supreme Court permitting entry of women in all age groups into the hill shrine.

Reacting cautiously, the CPI(M)-led LDF government condemned the attack on Ammini but made it clear that no women in the age group of 10 and 50 would be given police protection to climb the holy hills unless they get an order from the Supreme Court in this regard.

Kerala Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran alleged conspiracy behind women's rights activist Trupti Desai's decision to visit Sabarimala.

"The government suspects a conspiracy behind Trupti Desai's decision to go to Sabarimala. She has come from Pune, a stronghold of the RSS and the BJP," the Minister told reporters in Thalassery.

Surendran alleged the move was to create trouble during a peaceful pilgrim season in Sabarimala.

Travancore Devaswom Board president N Vasu said the board was not informed about their plan to visit the temple.

Contending that the apex court has not stayed its 2018 order permitting women in the menstrual age group into the shrine, Ammini said theywould file a contempt of court petition in the top court against the state government for not providing them police security to visit the temple.

Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who argued the Sabarimala case in the Supreme Court, said the likes of Desai can only do excesses in the name of activism while the final verdict for Sabarimala temple was still pending before the apex court.

"At least the sentiment of people associated with the temple must be respected before final verdict assigns rights," he said in a tweet.

Leader of Opposition in Kerala Assembly, Ramesh Chennithala, alleged "conspiracy" by the CPI(M) and the BJP to "sabotage" the ongoing pilgrimage to Sabarimala temple.

"While Desai is having Sangh Parivar connection, Ammini is a supporter of the CPI(M). Both of them have come to climb Sabarimala hills. This is a move to sabotage Sabarimala pilgrimage," he alleged.

The senior Congress leader also urged the government to take steps to maintain peace and sanctity of the temple.

Comments

abbu
 - 
Wednesday, 27 Nov 2019

RSS.. DEVOTEESS SHOULD OBEY THE SUPREME COURT VERDICT....... AND ALLOW WOMENS TO VISIT SABARIMALA TEMPLE........... SAME AS THEY ARE ADVISING MUSLIMS TO OBEY THE VERDICT OF BABRI MASJID....... FIRST YOU ACCEPT THE VERDICT OF SABARIMALA AND THEN MUSLIMS  WILL ALSO ACCEPT

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News Network
July 31,2020

New Delhi, Jul 31: Air India has operated more than 2800 flights and flown over 3 lakh passengers worldwide till now under the Vande Bharat Mission.

"Air India under Vande Bharat Mission Operated more than 2800 flights and flown more than 3 lakh, 80 thousand passengers worldwide till now," Air India said in a tweet on Thursday.

The fifth phase of the Government of India's 'Vande Bharat' mission, aimed at evacuating Indian nationals stranded in various foreign countries owing to restrictions on air travel, will begin early next month, August 1.

"Under Vande Bharat Mission, we have already brought back more than 2.5 lakh stranded Indians from 53 commies," Air India had earlier said in a statement.

Over 7.88 lakh Indians stranded abroad due to coronavirus pandemic have returned under Vande Bharat Mission till July 22, Ministry of External Affairs had said.

The government started Vande Bharat Mission on May 7.

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Agencies
February 23,2020

Rajghat, Feb 23: The maternal uncle of Dr Kafeel Khan, who was recently arrested for allegedly making inflammatory statements during anti-CAA protests, was shot dead in front of his house at Bankatichak in Rajghat area, police said on Sunday.

Dr Nusratullah Warsi aka Dada (55), a property dealer, was shot dead on Saturday night at about 10:45 pm and an FIR against two people was filed in this connection on a written complaint of his family members.

According to police, it appears to be a case of murder due to monetary and property dispute and they are searching for both the accused.

Dr Kafeel Khan, suspended doctor of Gorakhpur BRD Medical College, was last month arrested under charges of giving a provocative speech during a protest against the CAA and NRC at Aligarh Muslim University and was later charged with the National Security Act.

Warsi on Saturday evening had gone to his lawyer Siraj Tariq's house, a few metres away from his own house, and was returning home on foot when a man shot him in his head, killing him on the spot.

"On the written complaint of family members, case of murder against one Imammuddin and Anil Sonkar has been registered and police has initiated probe and is searching for both the accused. Police met the women in their house and is interrogating them," Circle Officer VP Singh said.

Prima facie it appears to be a case of property and money dispute, he said, adding, three teams have been constituted to investigate the case and soon the accused will be caught.

Dr Kafeel Khan had last month raised apprehension in a Mumbai court about being killed in an "encounter" by the Uttar Pradesh police after claiming that he had been "falsely" implicated in the case by them.

The paediatrician had come to the limelight in 2017 when a controversy broke out after the death of over 60 children in less than a week at the BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, where he was posted.

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News Network
January 31,2020

New Delhi, Jan 31: Chief Economic Adviser K V Subramanian on Friday said India's GDP is expected to grow at 6-6.5 per cent next fiscal as the economic slowdown has bottomed out.

As per the first advance estimates released by the National Statistical Organisation (NSO), the country's economic growth is likely to hit an 11-year low of 5 per cent in the current fiscal ending March 2020.

The Economic Survey 2019-20, prepared by a team lead by Subramanian, has projected the GDP to expand in the range of 6-6.5 per cent during 2020-21.

The Indian economy has hit the bottom and it will see an uptick from here, he said in a media briefing post the Economic Survey.

Amidst a weak environment for global manufacturing, trade and demand, the Indian economy slowed down with GDP growth moderating to 4.8 per cent in the first half of 2019-20, lower than 6.2 per cent in H2 of 2018-19.

Based on NSO's first advance estimates of GDP growth for 2019-20 at 5 per cent, an uptick in GDP growth is expected in the second half of the fiscal, it said.

According to it, the uptick in second half of 2019-20 would be mainly due to ten positive factors like picking up of Nifty India Consumption Index for the first time this year, an upbeat secondary market, higher FDI flows, build-up of demand pressure, positive outlook for rural consumption, rebound of industrial activity, steady improvement in manufacturing, growth in merchandise exports, higher build-up of foreign exchange reserves and positive growth rate of GST revenue collection.

The survey also emphasised that merger of public sector banks may increase the financial strength of the merged entities, lower the risk aversion and result in lowering of lending rates.

Further, as the implementation of GST further settles down, the increased unification of the domestic market may reduce business costs and facilitate fresh investment.

Reforms in land and labour market may further reduce business costs, said the survey, presented a day before Sitharaman's Union Budget 2020-21.

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