Kerala High Court Bans Arms Training By RSS Inside Sarkara Devi Temple

The Kerala High Court said that no mass drill or weapons training will be allowed on the premises of the Sarkara Devi Temple in Thiruvananthapuram District. The temple is under the management of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB).

The court's direction came when it was disposing of a petition by two devotees seeking an order to prevent the "illegal use and unauthorised occupancy" of the temple premises by the RSS and its members.

The High Court directed the police to provide necessary assistance for the strict compliance of an earlier TDB order banning RSS 'shakhas' (branches) and mass drills at the shrines managed by the board.

"No mass drill or weaponry practices (sic) shall be permitted on the premises of the said temple, which is under the management of the Travancore Devaswom Board. The Station House Officer of Chirayinkeezhu Police Station shall render necessary assistance to the Administrative Officer to ensure strict compliance of the prohibition...," Justices Anil K Narendran and PG Ajithkumar said in a recent order.

The TDB, which manages the temples in Kerala, had on May 18, issued a fresh circular asking officials to strictly follow its earlier order banning RSS 'shakhas' (branches) or mass drills in the shrines under it.

In that circular, the TDB said that stern action would be taken against officials who refuse to follow its 2021 order in the same regard.

The TDB had in 2016 issued a circular banning all types of arms training in the temple complexes by the RSS. Later, on March 30, 2021, the board reissued the circular asking officials to take action.

In 2016, the then Devaswom Minister, Kadakampally Surendran, had claimed that the RSS was trying to turn temples into storehouses of arms in Kerala and that the government had been receiving a large number of complaints in this regard.

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

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/I9lyOvu
via IFTTT

4 Key Takeaways From India's Dominating Win Over Pakistan In Asia Cup

At the end, it was worth the wait for Indian cricket team fans. A one-day match that spilled over to two days, due to rain in Colombo, provided the Rohit Sharma-led Indian cricket team an opportunity to test their mettle against world No. 2 ODI side Pakistan. And, they ticked the all right boxes. The India vs Pakistan Super 4 clash has always been billed as the 'Big One'. The special status of the India vs Pakistan match can be gauged from the fact that it was the only Asia Cup 2023 Super 4 match that was given a reserve day. Although controversial, the move helped the fans see a full India vs Pakistan ODI game over two days. 

Indian cricket team set Pakistan a massive 357-run target. The Babar Azam-led team could only notch 128 runs. 

India had some major takeaways from the match:

Firstly, after the India vs Pakistan match, KL Rahul's position as the No. 4 batter can be safely said to be safe. Playing an international game after a long gap, Rahul stepped up with the team under pressure. He scored a brilliant century and was involved in a record stand with Virat Kohli. he also kept the wickets. With this innings Rahul has shut up his detractors. 

Secondly, Kuldeep Yadav's form. India needs a bowler who can provide them the breakthroughs in  the middle overs. The Chinaman bowler proved that he is the answer to the problem by spinning a web around the Pakistan batters. He finished with a five-wicket haul on a pitch where pacers looked to have the upper-hand initially. 

Thirdly, the form of the Indian top-order batters. Sachin Tendulkar summed up this point beautifuuly in a post in X on Monday. "Congratulations to Virat and KL for their 100s. One big positive sign for #TeamIndia is that all our top 6 batters - Rohit, Shubman, Virat, KL, Ishan and Hardik have scored runs at various stages in the 2 matches. Well played! Keep it up," he wrote. With Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill to hitting classy half-centuries on Sunday, Indian top-order will feel more confident going forward.

Fourthly, and most importantly, the form of Virat Kohli. The master batter slammed his 47th ODI century and absolutely lorded over the Pakistan bowlers. He stayed unbeaten on 122* off 94 balls. If India are to do well in the Asia Cup and then the Cricket World Cup, Kohli's form will be crucial. He is a big match player and he proved that once again. 

India still need to do well in its remaining matches of the Asia Cup. But the signs are positive. 

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/vgAZFa6
via IFTTT

"Nehru Gave Away UN Security Council Seat To China On Platter": BJP

The BJP on Monday attacked the Congress, alleging that former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru had "given away" the UN Security Council's permanent seat to China "on a platter".

On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a renewed push for expansion of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and reforms in all global institutions to reflect the world's "new realities", as the G20 Summit drew to a close with the US, Russia and France praising the meeting's outcomes under Indian presidency.

"Today, while India, under the leadership of PM Modi is shaping the world, and the world is backing the country's bid for a permanent UNSC seat, which Nehru gave away to China on a platter...The unpatriotic deeds of the Gandhi family haunt our history, to date," the BJP said in a post on X.

Today, while India, under the leadership of PM Modi is shaping the world, and the world is backing the country's bid for a permanent UNSC seat, which Nehru gave away to China on a platter… The unpatriotic deeds of the Gandhi family haunt our history, to date.

— BJP (@BJP4India) September 11, 2023

The UNSC has five permanent members -- the US, China, France, Britain and Russia.

Making a fresh pitch for expansion of the UNSC and reforms in global institutions, Modi had also said that in order to take the world towards a better future, it is necessary that the global systems are according to the present realities.

"Today, the United Nations Security Council is also an example of this. When the UN was established, the world was completely different from what it is today. At that time, there were 51 founding members in the UN. Today the number of countries included in the UN is around 200," Modi had said.

"Despite this, the number of permanent members in the UNSC remains the same. The world has since changed a lot in every aspect. Be it transport, communication, health and education, every sector has been transformed. These new realities should reflect in our new global structure," he had said.

A day after Prime Minister Modi's renewed push for expansion of the UNSC, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Monday echoed similar views and called for reform of the powerful UN body to reflect contemporary realities.

Brazil is the next chair of the G20 bloc. The president also said that his country wants the equality issue to be the "core issue" during its presidency.

On Sunday at a press briefing, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkiye would be "proud" if a country like India becomes a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

At the same time, Erdogan had said all non-P5 members should have an opportunity to become members of the Security Council by rotation.

In a joint statement on Friday, US President Biden had lauded India's G20 Presidency for further "demonstrating" how the G20 as a forum is delivering important outcomes.

Continuing to share the view that global governance must be more inclusive and representative, President Biden reaffirmed his support for a reformed UNSC with India as a permanent member, the joint statement said.

India has been at the forefront of the years-long efforts to reform the UNSC, saying it rightly deserved a place as a permanent member of the United Nations.

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

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/sditg2k
via IFTTT

In IMF Chief's Chandrayaan-3 Praise, An Interstellar Reference: Report

Several world leaders at the G20 Summit here congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the success of Chandrayaan-3, with IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva hailing India for achieving the feat "in a budget less than that of the movie Interstellar", according to sources.

During various sessions and meetings of the G20, many world leaders showered praise on India for its lunar mission and also lauded the successful launch of Aditya L1, India's first space-based mission to study the Sun.

While the British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak congratulated India and the entire world for Chandrayaan-3, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa hailed the country for the feat and recalled that he had watched a telecast of the lunar landing while taking a break during the BRICS meeting, sources said.

"I congratulate you on the Moon landing. But as an economist let me congratulate you for doing it in a budget less than that of the movie, 'Interstellar'. Bravo!" International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Georgieva was quoted by a source as saying at a meeting during the G20.

Chandrayaan-3 touched down on the lunar south pole at 6.04 pm on August 23 after a flawless 41-day voyage, in a giant leap for India's space programme.

The Rs 600-crore Chandrayaan-3 mission was launched on July 14 on board Launch Vehicle Mark-III (LVM-3) rocket.

The movie "Interstellar", a 2014 epic science fiction film co-written and directed by Christopher Nolan, was made at a reported cost of about Rs 1,400 crore.

During the G20 Summit, Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong said, "Congratulations on the Moon mission and also on Aditya L1 mission." Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth also congratulated India on the success of Chandrayaan and Aditya L1 missions, saying it displays the technological prowess of India and is an inspiration for "a voyage to the future".

At a bilateral meeting after the summit, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva congratulated PM Modi and India for the historic achievement of Chandrayaan-3's landing in the south polar region of the Moon as well as the successful launch of India's first solar mission, Aditya-L1, both important feats which mark remarkable milestones in space exploration.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, her Netherlands counterpart Mark Rutte and President of the Union of Comoros and African Union Chairperson Azali Assoumani also hailed India for its Chandrayaan-3 success during the G20 sessions.

In the G20 New Delhi Leaders' Declaration adopted on Saturday, the grouping said, "We also congratulate India on the successful landing on the Moon on 23 August 2023."

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

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/QkH7dPg
via IFTTT

G20: Delhi Declaration "Diplomatic Triumph For India," Says Shashi Tharoor

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Sunday hailed the New Delhi Declaration of the G20 members, saying it "undoubtedly" represents "a diplomatic triumph for India".

In an exclusive interview with ANI, Mr Tharoor said, "The Delhi Declaration is undoubtedly a diplomatic triumph for India. It's a good achievement because right until the G20 summit was being convened, the widespread expectation was there would be no agreement and, that, therefore, a joint communique might not be possible, and, that we might have to end up with a chairman's summary."

On Saturday, on the opening day of the G20 summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said a consensus had been built on the New Delhi G20 Leaders' Summit Declaration before formally announcing its adoption.

Prime Minister Modi, who chaired G20 sessions through the day, congratulated the Sherpas and ministers for working towards arriving at a common ground and eventually building a consensus among all G20 members and other stakeholders.

Tharoor further praised India for bringing all member states to a consensus on the New Delhi Declaration.

"The main reason (for lack of a consensus on the statement) was the big gulf between those who wanted a condemnation of the Russian war in Ukraine and those, like Russia and China, who wanted no mention whatsoever of that subject. India was able to find a formula to bridge that gap and that is a significant diplomatic achievement because when there is a Summit without a joint communique, it is always seen as a setback for the chairman," Mr Tharoor added.

On the conduct of the G20 summit under India's presidency, Tharoor said the government actually made it a 'people's G20', adding that it was also an attempt by the "ruling party" (BJP) to turn the mega huddle of world leaders into an "asset" for themselves.

"Things that were remarkable about the government's conduct of the presidency was that they did something that no previous G20 presidency has done. They actually made it a nationwide event, 200 meetings in 58 cities with huge amount of action, they converted the G20 into a sort of people G20. With public events, the university connect programmes, civil societies, all these things were done under our presidency. That is in some ways both a credit to India for taking a message of G20 to the entire people. But it was also an attempt by the ruling party to instrumentalize the G20 as something that would turn out to be an asset for them," Mr Tharoor said.

Prime Minister Modi, while announcing the conclusion of the G20 summit on Sunday, proposed to hold a virtual G20 session in November to review the suggestions and proposals made at the premier forum for international economic cooperation.

On that, Mr Tharoor said, "They have every right to do that, they are the ruling party. Many countries have hosted the G20 event, but never a ruling party has celebrated its leadership in such a way, the whole Vishwaguru concept, the posters of Mr Modi every 50 meters in Delhi. All of these are advertising the G20 as if it was the personal achievement of Mr Modi and the BJP government and that I think has raised some eyebrows."

Before declaring that the summit closed, PM Modi handed over the ceremonial gavel of the Group of 20 presidency to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. 

India assumed the G20 presidency on December 1 last year and about 200 meetings related to G20 were organised in 60 cities across the country.

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

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/ufB8da7
via IFTTT

US Open 2023 Final Live: Djokovic Leads 3-1 vs Daniil Medvedev In 1st Set

Novak Djokovic Vs Daniil Medvedev Live, US Open 2023 Men's Singles Final: Novak Djokovic has taken the early lead against Daniil Medvedev. Novak Djokovic will be looking to win a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title while Daniil Medvedev aims to add a second Grand Slam win to his kitty as they face each other in the US Open 2023 men's singles final. Medvedev defeated defending champion Carlos Alcaraz 7-6 (7/3), 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 to reach his fifth major final and stop the young Spaniard in his quest to become the first man to retain the title in New York since Roger Federer in 2008. Djokovic, on the other hand, made short work of  unseeded American Ben Shelton in straight sets.

Here are the LIVE Updates of US Open Men's Singles Final between Novak Djokovic vs Daniil Medvedev

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/RhUglj0
via IFTTT

Naveen Patnaik Skipped G20 Dinner Due To "Inferiority Complex": BJP Leader

A day after Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik skipped the G20 dinner hosted by President Droupadi Murmu, the opposition BJP on Sunday claimed that "inferiority complex" led him to take that decision.

The state government did not provide any reason behind Mr Patnaik's absence in Saturday's event.

"The CM's move has raised many questions. Patnaik appeared to have been guided by an inferiority complex," veteran BJP leader and Leader of Opposition in Odisha Assembly, Jaynarayan Mishra, said.

Mr Mishra said Mr Patnaik did not attend the event despite being invited by President Droupadi Murmu whom the BJD chief had referred to as "sister" during the Presidential elections.

"The CM must know the reason. But it appears that some form of inferiority complex might have pulled him back. He might have thought about what he would do there in the midst of great personalities," the BJP leader said.

Mr Mishra, however, asserted that the chief minister's decision to skip the dinner was good for Odisha.

He said, "At least, the state's prestige has been saved. He (Patnaik) has brought Odisha to such a level that it has now been known for poverty and crimes against women and all such things. Had he been there and someone had asked him about the per-capita income what he would have said?" 

Though the CMO and the ruling party were silent on Mr Mishra's allegation, BJD MP Amar Patnaik posted on X: "It is a matter of great pride that a replica of world famous Konark wheel was there (G20 meeting venue) and the Prime Minister received the guests with the wheel forming the backdrop."

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

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/xAqhgz2
via IFTTT