"Congress Can Contest 300 Lok Sabha Seats, But...": Mamata Banerjee

Amid an internal discord over seat-sharing within the INDIA bloc, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee on Monday batted for the idea of regional leaders spearheading the fight against the BJP in specific regions, suggesting that Congress independently contest 300 Lok Sabha seats.

Ms Banerjee, the chief minister, also accused the CPI(M) of striving to control the opposition grouping's agenda, underscoring that no one confronts the BJP as directly as she does.

"I insist that particular regions should be left to regional parties. They (Congress) can fight on 300 (Lok Sabha) seats alone, and I will help them. I will not contest those seats. But, they are adamant about doing what they want," she said at an 'all-faith harmony rally' in Kolkata, which coincided with the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

Ms Banerjee's comments followed her assertion during a recent internal party meeting that the TMC is prepared to independently contest all 42 Lok Sabha seats in Bengal if not given "due importance".

"I have the power to take on the BJP and fight against it. But, some people don't want to listen to us about seat-sharing. If you don't want to fight the BJP, then at least don't give away seats to it," she said.

Without making a mention of the Congress, Ms Banerjee also criticised the party for delaying seat-sharing discussions in the state.

The TMC boss expressed her unwillingness to accept the Left Front led by the CPI(M) controlling the agenda of the INDIA bloc meetings.

"I suggested the name INDIA during a meeting of the opposition bloc. But whenever I attend the coalition's meetings, I find the Left trying to gain control. This is not acceptable. I cannot agree with those with whom I had fought for 34 years," she said.

"Despite such insults, I have adjusted and attended the INDIA bloc meetings," remarked Ms Banerjee.

In an apparent reference to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi being stopped in Assam from visiting the birthplace of Vaishnav saint Srimant Sankardeva, she said, "Just going to the temple isn't enough." 

She highlighted her proactive stance against the saffron camp, stating, "How many politicians today took on the BJP head-on? Somebody went to one temple and thought it was sufficient, but it was not. I am the only one who visited the temple, gurudwara, church, and mosque. When the Babri Masjid issue (demolition) happened, and violence was taking place, I was on the streets." 

Ms Banerjee's comments drew sharp reactions from both the Congress and the CPI(M).

"We cannot comment on the whims and fancies of the TMC leadership. Let them do whatever they feel like," Bengal Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said.

CPI(M) central committee member Sujan Chakraborty refuted the charge that his party was trying to control the agenda of the bloc's meetings as 'baseless'.

"It was the BJP that was against the INDIA bloc; now she has also become opposed to the alliance," said CPI(M) West Bengal secretary Mohammed Salim during a press conference.

Mr Salim said the fight is between "the communal and the communists".

The CPI(M)-led Left Front, Congress and TMC are part of the 28-party opposition bloc.

However, in West Bengal, the CPI(M) and Congress have aligned against the TMC and BJP.

Fissures within the INDIA bloc have come to the fore, particularly between its key allies, Congress and TMC, regarding seat-sharing for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, in West Bengal.

The TMC's offer of two seats based on Congress' 2019 Lok Sabha election performance was deemed insufficient by the latter, escalating tension between the two parties.

Congress' Chowdhury, a vocal TMC critic, has maintained that it wouldn't "beg" for seats from Bengal's ruling party.

In the 2019 elections, the TMC bagged 22 seats, Congress won two, and the BJP secured 18 seats in the state.

The Trinamool Congress had decided to abstain from a recent INDIA bloc virtual meeting, and emphasised the necessity for Congress to recognise its limitations in Bengal and permit the TMC to spearhead the state's political battle.

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

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H&M Accused Of Sexualising Children In New Ad, Drops It After Backlash

Fashion giant H&M has pulled a controversial advertisement for school uniforms after it was accused of sexualising young children, as per a report in the Independent. Several people said that it had a "highly inappropriate" caption. The campaign showed a picture of two primary school-aged girls in pinafore dresses with the caption, "Make those heads turn in H&M's Back to School fashion."

@hm @hmaustralia what is your intention with this sponsored Facebook ad? Little schoolgirls generally don't want to “turn heads”. The large numbers I engage with in schools want to be left alone to learn and have fun and not draw unwanted attention to their appearance 1/ pic.twitter.com/DDwv42GeNz

— Melinda TankardReist (@MelTankardReist) January 18, 2024

Many internet users reacted strongly against the advertisement. "What the h*** is going on? This is sickening, sexualising kids," said a user.

Another added, "The caption used in the ad seems highly inappropriate and insensitive. Brands should prioritize responsible advertising, especially when it involves children."

"It's pretty tone-deaf to use the phrase 'Make those heads turn' with images of young girls in school uniforms. It feels like they missed the mark on what's appropriate for a back to school campaign," commented another person,

"Bit weird. Slightly odd pose and odd slogan for school uniform!" said a person.

A person said, "This is revolting H&M, take down the ad & investigate how the ad got approval."

"We are a culture lost to corporatism and pornification. This is sick," added an X user.

Another added, "This is absolutely creepy. Take it down."

Reacting to the same, the brand apologised and said that they had removed the ad and it was only live in Australia. "We are deeply sorry for the offence this has caused and will look into how we present campaigns going forward," the company said.

As per a BBC report, in 2023, Chinese-owned online marketplace Temu came under fire after it had launched an advert for sexualising a child. It showed a girl aged between eight to ten wearing a bikini in a pose that "was quite adult for a girl of her age", the Advertising Standards Authority said.

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Hemant Soren Summoned By Enforcement Directorate For Round 2 Of Questioning

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate again for questioning in an alleged money laundering case. He was questioned last on Saturday at his home in Ranchi. It was the first round of questioning -- he had skipped seven earlier summons.

This time, he has been asked to come to the zonal office of the agency between January 27 and 31.

Mr Soren has claimed that he is the target of a huge conspiracy.

"A conspiracy was hatched against me, but the final nail in the coffin of the conspirators will be put by us... We will not be scared, your leader will face the bullets first and keep your morale high," Mr Soren told the workers of his Jharkhand Mukti Morcha after his questioning by the ED on Saturday.

The case involves "huge racket of illegal change of ownership of land by the mafia" in Jharkhand, according to the Central agency.

The agency has so far arrested 14 people in the case, including 2011-batch IAS officer Chhavi Ranjan who served as the director of the state Social Welfare Department and deputy commissioner of Ranchi.

In November 2022, Mr Soren was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate in another money-laundering case linked to alleged illegal mining in the state.

The nine-hour questioning had followed several no-shows and an appeal in court by the Jharkhand Chief Minister.

Mr Soren has denied any wrongdoing in that case too and alleged a larger conspiracy to "harass a tribal leader". The Central agencies are targeting him because he was not towing the line of the Central government, he had claimed.

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Lost 'Atlantis' Continent Nearly Twice As Big As UK Found Off Australia

A long-lost continent that was nearly twice the size of the UK has been discovered off the coast of northern Australia. The vast landmass was home to up to half a million people around 70,000 years ago but is now submerged around 100 meters deep. According to Live Science, this Australian "Atlantis" comprised a large stretch of continental shelf that, when above sea level, would have connected the regions of Kimberley and Arnhem Land, which today are separated by a large ocean bay. 

Kasih Norman, an archeologist at Griffith University in Queensland, Australia, and lead author on the study, said, ''We reveal details of the complex landscape that existed on the North West Shelf of Australia. It was unlike any landscape found on our continent today.''

The study published in the journal Quaternary Science Reviews noted that the humans who lived there spoke similar languages and created similar styles of rock art to those living in the surrounding areas. It was a "vast, habitable realm" and a "single cultural zone" with similarities in ground stone-axe technology, styles of rock art, and languages, as per the study.

The study's models show the continent or vast archipelago off the northwest coast of Sahul may have supported between 50,000 and 500,000 people. Sahul, the ancient land bridge comprised not only Australia but also New Guinea and Tasmania.

To draw their conclusions, the researchers projected past sea levels onto high-resolution maps of the ocean floor. They found that low sea levels exposed a vast archipelago of islands on the Northwest Shelf of Sahul, extending 500 kilometres towards the Indonesian island of Timor.

"Our ecological modelling reveals the now-drowned North West Shelf could have supported between 50,000 and 500,000 people at various times over the last 65,000 years. The population would have peaked at the height of the last ice age about 20,000 years ago when the entire shelf was dry land. Many large islands off Australia's coast – islands that once formed part of the continental shelves – show signs of occupation before sea levels rose,'' the study said. 

However, at the end of this Ice Age, rising sea levels drowned the shelf, forcing its residents to flee. 

''Retreating populations would have been forced together as available land shrank. Rising sea levels and the drowning of the landscape is also recorded in the oral histories of First Nations people from all around the coastal margin,'' researchers added.

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'Jai Shri Ram' On Antilia: Mukesh Ambani's Mumbai Home Lights Up

Antilia, the iconic Mumbai residence of industrialist Mukesh Ambani, is decked up ahead of the historic 'Pran Pratistha' ceremony at the Ayodhya Ram temple tomorrow.

The 27-storied landmark building this evening lit up with holograms reading 'Jai Shri Ram' in Hindi and diyas. The area around is decorated with lights and banners. 

#WATCH | Mumbai: Reliance Industries Chairman and MD Mukesh Ambani's house 'Antilia' decked up ahead of the Ram Mandir 'Pran Pratistha' ceremony in Ayodhya tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/mKoTRNWZSV

— ANI (@ANI) January 21, 2024

Mr Ambani, who heads the Reliance Industries, is among the top businessmen invited for the grand consecration ceremony of the Ayodhya temple tomorrow.

The event will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a host of prominent personalities, including industrialists, sportspersons, actors, etc.

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Watch: 100+ Teslas Put Up Light Show In Houston Ahead Of Ram Temple Event

Barely hours away from the grand inauguration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, enthusiastic devotees in Houston arranged an awe-inspiring and innovative Tesla car light show dedicated to Lord Ram.

Over 100 Tesla car owners, calling themselves "Ramji ki Gilahariyan of Greater Houston", gathered at Shri Guruvayurappan Krishna Temple for the light show on Friday evening, attracting hundreds of Ram Bhakts and passersby in the neighbourhood.

The Tesla show at Houston, America#JaiShreeRam #AyodhaRamMandir pic.twitter.com/REPmQSBZ1q

— SINGH___Jee (@BADALSINGH20450) January 20, 2024

The cars had a giant-sized Ram Rath in the backdrop, with a life-size temple oil painting, and loud music of "Jai Sri Ram" giving the place a divine look and feel of being at the temple.

Tesla Car drivers use a key feature wherein the headlights can be programmed to off and on at the same time.

Soon after the beautiful light show, they assembled at the temple for aarti, joined by other bhakts who sang resounding bhajans dedicated to Lord Rama and Krishna and distributed Prasad amongst the devotees.

According to the organisers of the Tesla Light Show, participating car owners had to register for the event in advance.

"We requested all the Ram Bhakts to register for the show, acknowledge and sign the waiver form, to provide vehicle plate numbers for security reasons. Everybody who registered got a magnetic decal or sticker for their car along with a screen-printed T-shirt of Ayodhya temple." The cars were lined up in such a way that when drones took pictures, an unusual letter of "RAM" in red illuminated the surroundings.

"Despite chilly weather and long workday, it was heartwarming to see the enthusiasm amongst hundreds of participants as well as attendees at the temple for this show," said Achalesh Amar from Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), one of the organisers of the event.

"Throughout the USA, we noticed unprecedented enthusiasm for these events. Since mid-January we (VHP) organised 51 massive car rallies in 21 states and 41 cities around the US and participation has been at its peak," he said.

"The Tesla light shows in Houston, DC and San Francisco, or rallies and rath yatras are a small gesture of love for the beginning of the celebration of the Ram Temple inauguration in India as the Hindu community has waited for over 25 generations (495 years) for this moment," said Umang Mehta, one of the active volunteers.

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

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"World's 1st Oxpressway": Akhilesh Yadav's Swipe At UP Government

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav today targeted the Yogi Adityanath government over stray cattle menace, terming a road in Uttar Pradesh "Oxpress way" after dozens of stray oxen were seen slowing down the traffic.

He also shared a video showing cars queued up behind the group of oxen, waiting the cattle to move aside.

ये है उप्र में बना दुनिया का पहला ‘ऑक्सप्रेस वे' (OXPRESS WAY)… जिसका उद्घोष है ‘आपकी जान, आपके हाथ'. pic.twitter.com/jrtvw6FdEd

— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) January 20, 2024

"This is the world's first 'OXPRESS WAY' built in Uttar Pradesh... whose slogan is 'Aapki Jaan, Aapke Haath'," he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Mr Yadav had been targeting the state government over stray cattle menace.

Last year, a farmer was forced to stay atop a tree for two hours to save himself from a bull attack, prompting the Samajwadi Party chief to claim that the police were needed to protect people from stray cattle.

"Today's 'Saand Samachar': To save his life from the bull, the farmer climbed the tree for two hours," he had posted online, adding that "Today's 'Saand Vichar': Now, a 'Saand Raksha Police' should also be formed in Uttar Pradesh."

The problem of stray cattle damaging crops and attacking people had become a major poll issue in the 2022 Uttar Pradesh polls.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, then campaigning in the state, had promised a new system to deal with stray cattle problems.

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