Chandrababu Naidu vs Jagan Reddy Over Cancelled Tirupati Temple Visit

by Hansraj Agrawal | Sep 27, 2024 | top-stories

Chandrababu Naidu scaled up his attack on Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has hit back at YSR Congress president Jagan Mohan Reddy for claiming his government obstructed his visit to Tirumala. “He is spreading lies,” said Mr Naidu, adding no notices had been served to his predecessor blocking his temple visit. “Did anyone stop you from going? Show the notice if you have, to the media. Why are you spreading lies,” he lashed out.

Mr Reddy had said that all his party cadres and leaders were issued a notice that no permission had been given for the temple visit. His statement came after Mr Naidu’s TDP and its ally BJP demanded that Mr Reddy sign a declaration meant for non-Hindus before visiting the temple.

According to the rules of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, which manages the popular temple, foreigners and non-Hindus should declare their reverence for the presiding deity at the hill shrine, Lord Venkateswara, before their visit. However, faith declaration signboards have recently sprung up in Tirumala.

Addressing a pressing conference, the Chief Minister scaled up his attack on Mr Reddy, deepening the row that was triggered by his claim that animal fat was used to make laddoos which are offered as ‘prasad’ at the shrine during the previous YSRCP regime.

“People in public life should follow the traditions and do what needs to be done. Every religion has certain traditions. If you want to visit a place of worship, you need to respect those traditions. No one is above those beliefs and traditions. No one should disrespect the traditions of the gods and beliefs of the devotees and you can’t act in a manner that is humiliating to both,” Mr Naidu said.

Mr Reddy defended his proposed visit without signing a declaration, saying everyone in the country knows his religion and that he had visited Tirumala temple several times even before becoming the Chief Minister. He said though he reads the Bible within four walls, he respects Islam, Hinduism and Sikhism.

Pointing to the recent controversy sparked by his claim that the famed laddoos were made with adulterated ghee, Mr Naidu said, “Hindu sentiments have been hurt, and devotees are reportedly organising protests. If he visits Tirumala, these groups have indicated they will mobilize as well. Police are on duty to maintain peace and order. Why is he spreading false information on this issue? Every religion has traditions and principles that deserve respect.”

Last week, Mr Naidu alleged the use of substandard ghee and the presence of animal fat in the laddoos.

Mr Reddy retorted that Mr Naidu brought up the laddoo issue “to divert failures of his (Chandrababu Naidu) 100 days rule”. “To cover up his failures on the laddoo issue, he came up with the faith declaration issue. He intentionally planted seeds of doubts on the Laddu quality,” he said.

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Watch: Joe Biden Brings New Gun Control Law By Way Of US Presidential Order

by Hansraj Agrawal | Sep 26, 2024 | top-stories

Washington DC:

Weeks before his term as US President comes to an end, Joe Biden signed a new executive order today to address the problem of gun violence in the US.

“Join Vice President Kamala Harris and me as we deliver remarks on addressing the scourge of gun violence in America,” President Biden posted on social media website X.

“In order to end the problem of gun violence in America, we need to first talk about the problem of guns in America,” the President said, before he gave a sad and worrying statistic – that “The number one cause of deaths of children in America is gun violence – even more than disease or accidents.”

“It is sickening,” the President said.

Join @VP and me as we deliver remarks on addressing the scourge of gun violence in America. https://t.co/YFGOKtBV2Q

— President Biden (@POTUS) September 26, 2024

Earlier in the day, the President shared a post on his official X account stating that “Today, I’ll sign an Executive Order to crack down on emerging firearm threats like unserialized, 3D-printed guns and machine gun conversion devices.”

President Biden further said that the order will “Also direct my Cabinet to help improve school-based active shooter drills,” adding that “It is our job to do better.”

Data shows that the average number of civilian guns per 100 persons in America was 120.5 guns, which is more than double that of the next country on that list – Yemen (52.8 guns).

Today, I’ll sign an Executive Order to crack down on emerging firearm threats like unserialized, 3D-printed guns and machine gun conversion devices.

It’ll also direct my Cabinet to help improve school-based active shooter drills.

It’s our job to do better.

— President Biden (@POTUS) September 26, 2024

AMERICA’S GUN VIOLENCE PROBLEM

The United States has a serious gun violence problem, especially with an ever-increasing number of school and university shootings. According to a research conducted by the American Academy of Pediatrics last year, child gun deaths in the US have hit record highs.

According to the data, 4,752 children died from gun-related injuries in 2021, the latest year for which data was available, up from 4,368 in 2020 and 3,390 in 2019. In fact, gun violence has been the number one cause of death for children in the United States since 2020.

The study further showed that Black children accounted for around 67% of firearm homicides while white children made up about 78% of gun-assisted suicides.

As recently as a fortnight ago, at least four people were killed in a school shooting in Georgia. The suspect, now arrested, turned out to be a 14-year-old.

The US has seen hundreds of shootings inside of schools and colleges in the past two decades, with the deadliest resulting in over 30 deaths at Virginia Tech in 2007. The carnage has sparked pitched debate over the US gun laws and the US Constitution’s Second Amendment, which enshrines the right “to keep and bear arms.”

PRESIDENT BIDEN’S EXECUTIVE ORDER

In 2023, Vice President Kamala Harris was given charge of the department which looks into gun legislation. She was made responsible to help curb gun violence in America and to bring an end to the use of firearms in schools and other educational institutions.

Now, six weeks before the 2024 US Presidential election, President Biden has decided to bring in a legislation by Presidential Order – the highest authority in the US – to curb the menace of firearms and shootings at schools and colleges.

Under the order, the first part will focus on “emerging firearm threats”, including machine gun conversion devices – which turns a handheld gun or pistol into an automatic firearm or weapon. Such devices are already illegal, but since law enforcement agencies have found indiscriminate use of such equipment, the new legislation will ensure a crackdown on its availability.

The other threats that this legislation aims to tackle are unlicensed guns, or guns without serial numbers, that are 3D printed, which have a potential to go undetected even by scanners and metal detectors.

In the second part of the two-part Presidential order, Mr Biden has appealed to various departments, including the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of State and even the Department of Education and other key departments involved to jointly draft Standard Operating Procedures or SOPs to ensure that there are regular drills in schools and vulnerable locations where similar incidents have occurred.

Under this order, the law enforcement authorities in the US will also have to check the sale of guns, ammunition, and other automatic and sub-automatic weapons.

More details of the the Presidential order will emerge once Mr Biden signs it and it is ratified.

AN APPEAL BEFORE THE ORDER

Earlier this month, President Biden called for a complete ban on assault weapons. “As a nation, we cannot continue to accept the carnage of gun violence,” he had said.

He had also urged the US Congress to take strong action for gun control in the country. President Biden even reached out to Republican lawmakers, saying some of its leaders should “finally say enough is enough”, adding that “We have to do something together. Let’s ban assault weapons.”

He had acknowledged that these steps “won’t bring back those children,” however, it would “help save lives if we do the things we’re talking about.” He further said, “We can do if we do it together…and I really think we can.”

President Biden also called for thorough checks and balances over the sale of arms and ammunition, calling for detailed background checks. He also appealed to end the immunity for gun manufacturers as well as for parents who allow their children to have weapons to be held accountable.

RECENT SCHOOL SHOOTINGS

The school shooting in Georgia two weeks ago was the latest among dozens across the US in recent years, including deadly ones in Connecticut, Parkland, Florida, Newtown, and Uvalde, Texas.

So far, at least 385 mass shooting incidents have taken place in the US in 2024 alone, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which considers mass shootings as those in which four or more victims are shot. That’s an average of more than 1.5 mass shootings every day in the United States of America.

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Sanjay Raut Gets 15-Day Jail Term In Defamation Case By BJP Leader's Wife

by Hansraj Agrawal | Sep 26, 2024 | top-stories

Sanjay Raut, Rajya Sabha MP and leader of Shiv Sena (UBT), has been convicted in a defamation case and sentenced to 15 days in jail. The metropolitan magistrate in Mumbai’s Mazgaon has also fined Mr Raut Rs 25,000 in the case registered on a complaint by BJP leader Kirit Somaiya’s wife Dr Medha Kirit Somaiya. “The Court ordered 15-day imprisonment for Sanjay Raut and imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on him,” said Vivekanand Gupta, advocate for Dr Medha Somaiya.

Medha Somaiya had filed a petition against Mr Raut, accusing him of making baseless and defamatory allegations that she and her husband were involved in a Rs 100 crore scam related to the construction and maintenance of public toilets in Mira Bhayandar.

“The statements made by the accused to the media are per se defamatory. The statements have been made to malign my character in the eyes of the general public,” the complaint stated.

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On CCTV, Lord Shiva Temple In Manipur Set On Fire

by Hansraj Agrawal | Sep 25, 2024 | top-stories

Residents and temple caretakers managed to douse the fire before it spread

Imphal/Guwahati/New Delhi:

A Lord Shiva temple was partially damaged after some people sneaked into the compound at night and set it on fire in Manipur’s Senapati district. Sources said the temple was attacked twice weeks apart, adding it caught fire in the second attack in the early hours today.

CCTV footage from the temple shows a burning log being thrown towards a door inside the temple’s courtyard.

In another footage, which locals said is from the first attack, a masked man is seen hiding behind a pillar for some time, before he ran away.

Residents and temple caretakers managed to douse the fire before it spread, a local civil society organisation told NDTV.

The Naga Peoples’ Organisation (NPO) and the Karong-Senapati Town Committee (KSTC) in a joint statement strongly condemned the attempt to burn the Shri Shri Pashupati Nath Mandir.

“… Senapati is a peace-loving town where everyone has been practising their religion. Any element which works to break the social serenity is highly condemnable,” the two organisations said in the statement.

They asked the police to catch the suspects immediately.

Sources alleged the arson was meant to create communal and ethnic tension.

Manipur Rajya Sabha MP Maharaja Sanajaoba Leishemba in a post on X condemned the attack on the temple.

“Strongly condemn looting and setting of Shri Pashupati Nath Mandir, Senapati, Manipur on fire at around 1 am of 25/9/24. Every responsible citizen should condemn such barbaric acts as an infringement on secularism. The culprit(s) should be booked at the earliest,” he said.

Strongly condemn Looting & setting of Shri Pashupati Nath Mandir, Senapati, Manipur on fire at around 1 am of 25/9/24.
Every responsible citizen should condemn such barbaric act bcoz it’s an infringement of Secularism. The culprit (s) should be booked at the earliest. @AmitShah pic.twitter.com/U2L0M4Q240

— Maharaja Sanajaoba Leishemba. (@MaharajaManipur) September 25, 2024

A police officer in Senapati told NDTV they have taken the matter very seriously as it seemed the suspects wanted to create trouble in the multi-ethnic district that has remained free from violence since May 2023.

The police are, however, yet to give a full statement on the matter.

Manipur has also not fully recovered from the ethnic violence that began in May 2023 between the valley-dominant Meitei community and the nearly two dozen tribes known as Kukis – a term given by the British in colonial times – who are dominant in some hill areas of the state. Over 220 people were killed and nearly 50,000 were internally displaced.

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PM Modi Returns To India After 3-Day US Visit – Full Coverage In Photos

by Hansraj Agrawal | Sep 24, 2024 | top-stories

New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today returned to India after concluding his three-day official visit to the United States. During his visit, the prime minister attended the Quad leaders’ summit and the UN General Assembly session. He also addressed the Indian diaspora at an event in New York and held multiple bilateral meetings with several heads of states. The prime minister also spoke at the ‘Summit of the Future’, organised by the United Nations.

PM Modi began his visit from Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, where his flight – Air India One – landed. He was welcome by a thousands of Indian-Americans who had gathered at the airport to greet him. From there, the prime minister went to Wilmington in Delaware, which is US President Joe Biden’s home city and state.

President Biden hosted the Quad leaders for the annual summit in his home city. 2024 was India’s turn to host the Quad Summit, but on a request by Washington DC, New Delhi agreed to host it next year.

PM Narendra Modi was greeted by hundreds of Indians who had gathered at the airport in Philadelphia. (PTI Photo)

JOE BIDEN HOSTS PM MODI AT HOME

President Biden hosted PM Modi at his home in Greenville, Delaware where the two leaders held bilateral talks to further strength the India-US strategic partnership. President Biden welcomed PM Modi on his arrival with a hug. He then help PM Modi’s hand and led him into his house.

Prime Minister Modi expressed his heartfelt gratitude to United States President Joe Biden for his warm hospitality. “Yesterday, President Biden took me to his home in Delaware, and his warmth and hospitality touched my heart. This honour belongs to 1.4 billion Indians, it’s your honour, your achievement, and the honour of the millions of Indians living here. I express my gratitude to President Biden and to all of you,” PM Modi said a day after meeting President Biden.

PM Modi gifted an antique silver hand-engraved train model to Joe Biden. The train model was customised by inscribing “DELHI-DELAWARE” on the sides of the main carriage and “INDIAN RAILWAYS” on the sides of the engine in English and Hindi based on the standard format used on passenger trains in India. Crafted by artisans from Maharashtra, which is renowned for its rich heritage in silver craftsmanship, the model is made of 92.5% silver

PM Modi also gifted a Kashmiri pashmina shawl to First Lady Jill Biden.

After the meeting, Mr Biden took to social media website X and said the United States’ partnership with India is “stronger, closer, and more dynamic than any time in history”, adding that “Prime Minister Modi, each time we sit down, I’m struck by our ability to find new areas of cooperation. Today was no different.”

INDIA-US BILATERAL MEETING

INDIA’s GLOBAL ROLE

During the bilateral meeting, President Biden expressed appreciation for India’s leadership on the world stage, particularly Prime Minister Modi’s leadership in the G20 and the Global South, a White House statement said. The US President also praised the Prime Minister’s commitment to strengthen the Quad to ensure a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific.

“India is at the forefront of efforts to seek solutions to the most pressing challenges, from supporting the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic to addressing the devastating consequences of conflicts around the world,” the White House said.

President Biden, it said, commended Prime Minister Modi for his historic visits to Poland and Ukraine, the first by an Indian Prime Minister in decades, and his message of peace and ongoing humanitarian support for Ukraine. The statement was silent on the Prime Minister’s visit to Russia.

SEMICONDUCTOR PUSH

The White House said that the two leaders cheered the success of the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) in deepening and expanding strategic cooperation across key technology sectors, including space, semiconductors, and advanced telecommunications.

SPACE COOPERATION

In the space technology sector, the two leaders welcomed the progress towards the first joint effort by NASA and ISRO to conduct scientific research onboard the International Space Station in 2025.

DRONE DEAL, DEFENCE PACTS

The US president welcomed the progress in India completing the procurement of 31 General Atomics MQ-9B (16 Sky Guardian and 15 Sea Guardian) remotely piloted aircraft and their associated equipment, the White House said, adding that these will enhance the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities of India’s armed forces.

The two leaders recognised the progress under the US-India Defense Industrial Cooperation Roadmap, including ongoing collaboration to advance priority co-production arrangements for jet engines, munitions, and ground mobility systems. Prime Minister Modi and President Biden also welcomed efforts to expand defence industrial partnerships.

CLEAN ENERGY

PM Modi and President Biden welcomed the joint efforts to accelerate the expansion of safe and secure clean energy supply chains through US and Indian manufacturing of clean energy technologies and components.

“In its initial phase, the U.S. and India would work together to unlock $1 billion of multilateral financing to support projects across the clean energy value chain for renewable energy, energy storage, power grid and transmission technologies, high efficiency cooling systems, zero emission vehicles, and other emerging clean technologies,” the White House said.

The two leaders welcomed the India-US collaboration on a new National Center for Hydrogen Safety in India and affirmed their intent to utilise the new Renewable Energy Technology Action Platform (RETAP) to enhance collaboration on clean energy manufacturing and global supply chains.

GLOBAL HEALTHCARE

The two leaders celebrated the new US-India Drug Policy Framework, which will deepen the collaboration to disrupt the illicit production and international trafficking of synthetic drugs and precursor chemicals, and deepen a holistic public health partnership.

“The Leaders applauded the first-ever U.S.-India Cancer Dialogue held in August 2024, which brought together experts from both countries to increase research and development to accelerate the rate of progress against cancer,” the White House said.

In a joint statement issued by Indian and the US, the United States stated that it supports the call for a reformed UN Security Council and said it backs India’s bid for a permanent seat with veto power.

THE 2024 QUAD LEADERS’ SUMMIT

During his opening remarks at the Quad Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressed that a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific is the shared priority and commitment of the Quad countries. US President Joe Biden, Australian PM Anthony Albanese, and Japan PM Fumio Kishida were present at the meeting.

PM Modi pointed out the Quad summit is being held at a time when the world is surrounded by tensions and conflicts. “At such a time, it is important for all of humanity that the members of the Quad move forward based on shared democratic values. We are not against anybody. All of us support rules-based international order, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and peaceful resolution of all disputes,” he said.

To strengthen the fight against cervical cancer, India pledged a grant of USD 7.5 million to the testing, screening, and diagnosis of the disease in the Indo-Pacific region. Addressing the Cancer Moonshot event on the sidelines of the Quad Leaders’ Summit, PM Modi said the initiative would go a long way in providing affordable, accessible and quality health care to people in Indo-Pacific countries.

“India is ready to share its experience and expertise,” PM Modi said, asserting that the grant was made under India’s vision of ‘One Earth, One Heath’.

The 2024 Quad Summit was the farewell summit for Joe Biden, who is not seeking re-election as President. It was also the final summit for Japanese PM Fumio Kishida, whose term as prime minister will end this year.

After the summit, when asked by reporters if the Quad will survive beyond November 2024, President Biden gestured by keeping his hand on PM Modi’s shoulder and said “long beyond 2024” – a post of which went viral on social media.

KEY BILATERAL MEETINGS

During his US visit, PM Modi engaged with several world leaders and held multiple bilateral meetings.

Apart from his bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also held bilateral talks with Australian PM Anthony Albanese and Japanese PM Fumio Kishida. These bilateral meetings were held in Delaware on the sidelines of the Quad Summit.

PM Modi held several other bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting in New York. These meetings included bilateral talks with the Prime Minister of Nepal, KP Sharma Oli, the President of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas; His Highness the Crown Prince of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Vietnam’s President To Lam..

ROUNDTABLE MEET WITH TOP TECH CEOs

While in New York, Prime Minister Modi held a roundtable meeting with the top American CEOs from the technology field. The meeting focused on innovation, collaboration, and India’s growing tech space. It was held at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel.

Hosted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) School of Engineering, the roundtable saw participation from leaders of companies specialising in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, semiconductors, and biotechnology.

The roundtable was attended by prominent CEOs like Google’s Sundar Pichai Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, IBM CEO Arvind Krishna, Adobe Chairman and CEO Shantanu Narayen, Lisa Su – Chair and CEO of AMD; and Noubar Afeyan – Chairman, Moderna.

Speaking about Artificial Intelligence or AI, the prime minister stressed that India’s policy is to promote ‘AI for All’, underpinned by its ethical and responsible use.

In a post on X, Prime Minister Modi said, “Had a fruitful roundtable with tech CEOs in New York, discussing aspects relating to technology, innovation, and more. Also highlighted the strides made by India in this field. I am glad to see immense optimism towards India.”

UNITED NATIONS’ ‘SUMMIT OF THE FUTURE’

On the third-and-final day of his US visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the ‘Summit of the Future’ at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The theme of the Summit was ‘Multilateral Solutions for a Better Tomorrow’.

During his speech at the forum, PM Modi said, “Alongside terrorism, new areas of conflict are emerging and it is high time that “global action must match global ambition.”

Pointing out that terrorism continues to be a serious threat to global peace and security, PM Modi said on the other hand, “cyber, maritime and space are emerging as new areas of conflict”

Talking of growing global concern over dangers from new and evolving technologies, especially artificial intelligence, PM Modi said, “There is a need for balanced regulation at a global level, for the safe and responsible use of technology.”

Expanding on his earlier statement that “this is not a time for war”, PM Modi said, “When we are discussing the global future, we must accord the highest priority to a human-centric approach while prioritising sustainable development,” adding that “We must also ensure human welfare, food and health security.” He also declared that India was ready to share her experience in poverty eradication and bridging the digital divide.

In his closing remarks, PM Modi said that, “The success of humanity lies in our collective strength, not in the battlefield and for world peace and development, reform is essential for global organisations”.

‘MODI AND US’ – THE MEGA DIASPORA EVENT

Besides his official engagements, Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with the Indian diaspora in the United States at a mega event organised at the Nassau Coliseum Arena in New York’s Long Island.

Tens of thousands of Indians gathered at the stadium. A packed house cheered on Prime Minister Modi as he took the stage to address Indian-Americans. The prime minister called them the “brand ambassadors” of India and thanked them for being the bridge between India and the United States. He credited people of Indian origin for their cultural and work ethos and for being rule-abiding citizens, saying it is primarily because of them that India gets the respect and recognition in the United States.

Calling India the new “land of opportunity”, the prime minister spoke about the achievements in India in recent years, informing the Indian community about the progress made by India in several industries as well as the development in social infrastructure.

Before ending his speech, the Prime Minister announced two more consulates that will soon open in the US – in Boston and Los Angeles.

Upon his return, the Prime Minister’s US visit was praised by all the allies in the NDA government – from Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP and Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) to Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha.

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Chandrababu Naidu vs Jagan Reddy Over Cancelled Tirupati Temple Visit

Watch: Joe Biden Brings New Gun Control Law By Way Of US Presidential Order