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‘This is Tulsi Gabbard’: Former US Congresswoman announces the launch of her podcast

OpIndia Staff
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‘This is Tulsi Gabbard’: Former US Congresswoman announces the launch of her podcast

Former US Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard has announced the launch of her podcast after not attempting a re-election to the US House of Representatives from the second Congressional seat in Hawaii. On the 22nd of January, she released a video on YouTube announcing that ‘This is Tulsi Gabbard’ will be launched soon.

The first Hindu woman to be elected to the US House of Representatives says in the video, “Now, more than ever, during these dark and divisive and dangerous times, we have the opportunity to be a positive force, to help heal the divide, to treat each other with Aloha, with respect and love and better understand each other.”

Gabbard says that the show will attempt to transcend ‘sound bytes’ and instead, focus more on information and thought provoking discussions. She will also answer questions by her audience. “We will tackle the great challenges of our time together. We will go where others won’t, gain new perspectives and we will never shy away from the tough conversations,” she stated.

Tulsi Gabbard has made multiple appearances at the Joe Rogan Podcast and enjoys great popularity among both sides of the political divide. However, since she announced her run for the presidency, she has been accused of being Russia’s puppet, an apologist for Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and was targeted for her Hindu identity.

She lost favour with the Democratic party after she resigned her vice chairmanship at the Democratic National Committee in 2016 to endorse Bernie Sanders for the nomination of the presidential candidate from the Democrat party. Her anti-war position with regards to foreign policy has worked against her as well and in recent times, she has, on more occasions than a few, found herself at odds with the political establishment of her party.

While India administers over a million vaccine doses in a week, Pakistan awaits its ‘unsafe gift’ from China

OpIndia Staff
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While India administers over a million vaccine doses in a week, Pakistan awaits its ‘unsafe gift’ from China

India has administered a million doses of Chinese coronavirus vaccines to its frontline workers in just about a week. However, our neighbour next door Pakistan is still to get its first doses of vaccines delivered.

In April 2020, when the pandemic had just started to spread across the world, Pakistan PM Imran Khan had to inform his citizens that social media messages which claimed Allah has made Pakistanis such that coronavirus won’t affect them were fake. He had asked Pakistanis not to be afraid. “Aapne gabhrana nahi hai. It is our belief that life and death are in the hands of Allah,” he had said adding that the government will help the doctors and nurses in their ‘jihad’ against Coronavirus.

However, as rest of the world is already getting its coronavirus vaccine, Pakistan is yet to receive its first ‘gift’ from its friend China.

China promises vaccines to Pakistan

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi last week announced that China has promised to provide 5 lakh doses of coronavirus vaccine by January 31.

Pakistan has approved the emergency use of SinoPharm vaccine to be administered to its citizens. A Chinese doctor, Dr Tao Lina, had earlier this month said that SinoPharm vaccine developed by China is the ‘most unsafe’ vaccine with as many as 73 side effects. However, soon his social media post mysteriously disappeared from Weibo, a Twitter-like platform for China. Some of the side effects of SinoPharm vaccine listed by him were pain around the injection area, headache, high blood pressure, the loss of vision and taste, and urinary incontinence.

World Health Organisation is yet to consider China’s SinoPharm and Sinovac vaccine for emergency approval.

The second vaccine, Sinovac, has also had efficacy issues. As per reports, the last-stage trials of the Sinovac vaccine in Brazil noted that the vaccine’s efficacy is around 50.38% and not 78% as claimed by China. The true efficacy rate is still unclear. 

Interestingly, Turkey reported an efficacy rate for Sinovac at 91.25%, and Indonesia reported 65.3%. In its recent statements, Brazil said that the level of efficacy is greater in some cases compared to others. Because of such mismatch in numbers and uncertainty over the data available in the public domains, some countries have decided to put the vaccine under review and pause the rollouts. The scientists have urged the company to release more information.

Chinese vaccine maker CanSino offers deal to Pakistan

Meanwhile, Chinese vaccine maker CanSino has offered 20 million doses of coronavirus vaccine to Pakistan. It is apparently a single-shot vaccine and has promised preferential pricing to Pakistan. Other vaccines have dual dose and require specific temperature to store the vaccines.

It is imperative to note here that CanSino vaccine is yet to declare its efficacy results from Phase 3 trials. CanSino and other Chinese developers had to reach out to other countries for Phase 3 testing trials. Eventually, CanSino started its late-stage trials in Pakistan, Russia, Argentina, Mexico and Chile.

CanSino has enrolled 17,500 participants few days back for Phase 3 trials in Pakistan. These results in Pakistan are likely to be the earliest results of CanSino’s protection against COVID-19.

Pakistan is world’s fifth most populous country but it is amongst the 51 countries which is yet to start immunisation program for its citizens.

Professor who translated Rahul Gandhi’s “don’t need army if farmers are strong” speech in Erode faints after the speech: Reports

OpIndia Staff
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Professor who translated Rahul Gandhi’s “don’t need army if farmers are strong” speech in Erode faints after the speech: Reports

In a bizarre incident, Muhammed Imran, the person who translated Rahul Gandhi’s speech at Erode in Tamil Nadu today, collapsed at the rally venue minutes after interpreting Gandhi-scion’s English speech into Tamil.

According to the reports, the 35-year-old Muhammed Imran, a professor, who was seen passionately translating the speeches delivered by Rahul Gandhi during his address to the party workers in Erode on Sunday fainted a few minutes of Rahul Gandhi’s speech. He has been taken to a nearby hospital.

It is not yet clear regarding the reason why the professor fainted at the Congress rally.

It is pertinent to note that Rahul Gandhi had delivered a dangerous speech in Erode, where he had suggested that if India’s farmers, workers and labourers were strong, India would not need to deploy army, navy and air force at borders, especially at Indo-China border. He had claimed that if the farmers and labourers were protected and empowered, China would not dare to intrude into Indian territories.

The report by Dinakaran said that after translating the speech delivered by Rahul Gandhi, the translator Imran lost his consciousness and fainted at the spot. Following the incident, he was rushed to a hospital.

Russian Government metaphorically spanks Shekhar Gupta’s The Print for peddling fake news, advises editors to focus on facts, not flashy headlines

OpIndia Staff
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Russian Government metaphorically spanks Shekhar Gupta’s The Print for peddling fake news, advises editors to focus on facts, not flashy headlines

The Russian Foreign Ministry has issued a statement on social media where it has metaphorically spanked Shekhar Gupta’s The Print for publishing fake news regarding the postponement of the India-Russia annual summit. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia (MFA, Russia) said that The Print’s “attempt to create a sensation from nothing failed and looked ludicrous and helpless.”

The MFA, Russia stated on Facebook that the media was informed that “even though the COVID-19 pandemic had changed the schedule of contacts and delayed the annual summit, it had not become an obstacle to the strengthening of friendly ties between our countries.”

In a statement, the Russian government said, “During the event, members of the media were informed about the well-known position of Moscow: Russia welcomes the commitment of its Indian partners to the promotion of inclusive formats of regional cooperation as opposed to the division that a number of other countries are trying to impose, as they build their policies in the spirit of containment.”

MFA, Russia hits out at Shekha Gupta's The Print for spreading fake news
MFA, Russia hits out at Shekha Gupta’s The Print for spreading fake news

Furthermore, the statement added that their Indian counterpart had raised the sensationalist report by The Print “emphasising that in 2020, the summit, with the mutual agreement of the parties, had not taken place due to the pandemic, and insinuations of any other kind were invalid.”

It added, “The Indian Foreign Ministry noted separately that the spread of false information about important bilateral relations was “particularly irresponsible.”” The report in question was published on the 23rd of December, 2020.

“The Print’s attempt to create a sensation from nothing failed and looked even more ludicrous and helpless amid dozens of other articles published following the briefing which described various aspects of Russian-Indian relations in a constructive and correct manner. We hope that The Print editors will draw the necessary conclusions and will from now on focus on facts, rather than flashy headlines aimed at attracting attention,” MFA, Russia stated.

Earlier, Rahul Gandhi had cited The Print report to target the NDA Government at the Center. Gandhi wrote, “Russia is a very important friend of India. Damaging our traditional relationships is short-sighted and dangerous for our future.”

The Print report had claimed that Russia had “expressed severe reservations on New Delhi joining the Indo-Pacific initiative and Quad, thereby tilting more towards the US.” Russian Ambassador to India, Nikolay Kudashev, had junked the report and said that it was “far from reality”.

Rahul Gandhi says if farmers and labourers are strong, India does not need to deploy armed forces at Indo-China border

OpIndia Staff
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Rahul Gandhi says if farmers and labourers are strong, India does not need to deploy armed forces at Indo-China border

Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, who is on a trip to Tamil Nadu ahead of the state assembly elections, said on Sunday that the workers, farmers and labourers in the country are being neglected at the expense of five-six business houses and claimed that the Indian labourers could replace the security personnel at the Indo-China border.

Addressing a rally at Erode, Tamil Nadu, the Gandhi-scion pushed for demilitarisation of Indian borders, especially along the Indo-China border saying that the government was using Indian Army, Navy and Air Force to protect India from China, however, it should use India’s farmers and labourers at the borders instead of Armed Forces at the border.

‘You are using the Indian Army and Navy to protect India from China. If you use India’s farmers, labourers and workers, you will not need the Army, Navy and Airforce at the borders,’ said Rahul Gandhi while interacting with the weavers’ community in Erode. The Kerala MP also said that he can guarantee that if India’s labourers, farmers and weavers were strong, they were protected and given opportunities, China would never dare to come inside India.

The Congress party, which has signed an MoU with the Chinese Communist Party, seems to be playing a dangerous game of politicising national security by calling to demilitarise the Indo-China border and instead deploy Indian farmers and labourers to protect the borders.

Continuing his political rhetoric, the Gandhi-scion said that if India’s small and medium industries were strengthened, then Chinese President will wear ‘Made in India’ shirt.

Attacking the Modi government, Rahul Gandhi made false claims saying that every act of the Indian government is to strengthen 5-6 businessmen and weaken India’s real strength i.e., the labourers and weavers of India.

“If India’s weavers, farmers, labourers are given opportunities then China would not dare to come into India. If India’s small-medium factories are strong, President of China will be wearing a ‘Made in India’ shirt, Chinese people will drive Indian cars, Chinese people will fly Indian planes,” Rahul Gandhi said.

Rahul Gandhi is currently on a 3-day tour in Tamil Nadu – Coimbatore, Tiruppur, and Karur.

Photograph of PM Modi landing in Kolkata goes viral, clocks over 1 million likes on Facebook in less than 24 hours

Dibakar Dutta
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Photograph of PM Modi landing in Kolkata goes viral, clocks over 1 million likes on Facebook in less than 24 hours

A photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which was uploaded from his official Facebook account on Saturday, clocked over 1.1 million likes in less than 24 hours.

The said photograph was captured after PM Modi reached the city of Kolkata to pay tribute to freedom fighter Netaji Subash Chandra Bose on ‘Parakram Diwas’. At the time of writing, the post has been shared 15,000 times with over 49,000 comments. “Reached Kolkata to pay tributes to Netaji Bose”, read the caption of the image posted from the official Facebook account of PM Modi. The Prime Minister was spotted in a white dress, with a shawl on his shoulder. PM Modi had reached Kolkata from Assam, where he had attended an event earlier in the day.

Screengrab of the Facebook post of PM Modi

PM Modi visits Kolkata on Parakram Diwas

Prime Minister Narendra Modi first visited the Netaji Bhawan, a memorial and research centre dedicated to the late freedom fighter, along with Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar, Bose’s grand nephews Sugato Bose and Sumantro Bose. Following this, he took part at an event along with West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee to commemorate the birth anniversary of Subash Chandra Bose.

While speaking at the Victoria Memorial Hall, PM Modi remarked, “I sometimes wonder how Netaji would have felt had he seen how a new and strong India is taking shape. From the LAC to LoC, the world is witnessing a strong India that was once envisioned by Netaji. India today is giving a befitting reply wherever attempts are made to challenge its sovereignty.”

PM Modi’s most retweeted tweet on Twitter

As per Twitter, the ‘light a lamp’ tweet by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the most retweeted tweet in the category of politics last year. Prime Minister Modi had posted pictures with a burning lamp and had also urged the public to follow suit to switch off all the lights of the house and stand in the balcony after lighting a lamp, switching on the flashlight of their mobile phone or holding a torch. He had said that this collective expression of purpose and togetherness would help the nation get through this time of crisis. His tweet was retweeted 118.4k times and had 513.2K likes.

Kerala: Bishop stokes controversy by recommending Church-backed candidate to CPI for assembly elections

OpIndia Staff
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Kerala: Bishop stokes controversy by recommending Church-backed candidate to CPI for assembly elections

A Catholic Bishop in Kerala has stoked controversy by recommending the Communist Party of India (CPI) to give election ticket to a church-backed candidate ahead of the upcoming legislative elections in the state.

As per reports, Bishop Jacob Manathodath wrote a ‘confidential letter’ on January 11 to CPI State Secretary Kanam Rajendran, endorsing the candidature of a Catholic industrialist named Issac Varghese. The Catholic Bishop assured the CPI leader that the Christians would support the Communist party if Varghese is handed an election ticket from the Mannarkkad constituency in Palakkad district.

Catholic Church distances itself from Bishop

The matter came to light after the letter was leaked to the media, thereby prompting people to question the political leanings of the Church and the Bishop. While speaking about the controversy, one Congress supporter Mathew Xavier said, “A bishop indeed has every right to choose his party, but interfering in the nomination of a political party with his recommendation is not appreciated.”

While brushing the controversy aside, the Deputy Secretary of Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council (KCBC), Father Jacob Palakappilly has said that the Church maintains adequate distance from all political parties. He said that it has been the long-standing position of the Church and Bishop Jacob’s comments are his personal views. Despite social media criticism, the Bishop did not explain the reason for writing such a letter.

Stance of catholic Church on Communist Parties

Ahead of the upcoming polls for 140 seat State Assembly, several political parties are reaching out to religious leaders in a bid to consolidate their vote bank. Traditionally, the Catholic Church has opposed the idea of Christians voting/supporting the Communist parties due to their underlying philosophy of atheism.

As such, Bishop Jacob Manathodath’s letter seems to be a deviation from the traditional political discourse of the Church. Christians constitute 18% of Kerala’s population and are believed to play a crucial role in determining the political fortunes of the new government. The Christians in the State have conventionally supported the Congress party.

‘No more Masjid in place of Mandir’: Bithoor BJP MLA intervenes to stop construction of disputed Mosque by police

OpIndia Staff
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‘No more Masjid in place of Mandir’: Bithoor BJP MLA intervenes to stop construction of disputed Mosque by police

Abhijeet Singh Sanga, BJP MLA from the Bithoor constituency in Uttar Pradesh, intervened in a dispute on Saturday and stopped the construction of a mosque being carried out with assistance from the local police. On learning about the matter. Abhijeet Singh Sanga reached the spot with followers and directed that the construction be stopped.

Sanga said, “In Dharmanagri Bithoor, some people were trying to build a mosque on the site of a temple, the local police itself was constructing it. On receiving the information, the illegal construction was immediately stopped by the local people with me.”

The Police officer present was taken to task by the Bithoor MLA. He said that it was the responsibility of the SO to convene both sides of the dispute and attempt to seek a resolution and compromise regarding the same.

The SO said that he was acting on the instructions of the higher authorities. Sanga said that he should tell his higher authorities that the MLA had arrived and was not permitting the construction. Sanga said that an attempt was being made to vitiate the atmosphere.

Abhijeet Singh Sanga that not a single Muslim in Bithoor had registered any concern regarding the matter. He says that some Muslims had also met him and said that they would abide by any decision that is taken over the dispute site.

Hindus say that the site is actually the Samadhi of Shivpuri Baba. The SO can also be heard saying in one of the videos that a case has been registered against an individual for issuing threats.

There have been communal tensions involving the site recently. Nearly three weeks ago, the construction in Bithoor was painted in white and green after which the other group re-painted the construction in different colours. A case had been registered, as per a Jagran report on the 18th of January, against unidentified individuals for attempting to incite communal disharmony by establishing a new practice of offering Namaz at the site and having it painted.

How to be “Godi media”? Learn from American ‘liberals’

Abhishek Banerjee
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How to be “Godi media”? Learn from American ‘liberals’

“They built back better. From the moment that President Joseph Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris arrived at the reflecting pool beside the Lincoln Memorial on Tuesday night to the final note of the virtual concert that capped the inaugural rites and celebrations, it was clear that they, and those around them, were going to use every tool at their disposal to underscore their message of fresh starts and racial justice, help and healing.“

We Indians generally wish America well. It is good to know that America is building back better and so rapidly. So what exactly did President Biden build back? I can’t wait to find out what the author is talking about. Did he get a grip on Covid, put the American economy back on track, settle big issues of trade or diplomacy with China?

Would you believe they are talking about President Biden wearing a Ralph Lauren suit to his inauguration? Check it out, because this for real. It’s the New York freaking Times fawning over how Biden built back America (and better!) by wearing a designer suit. How is that an achievement? Don’t worry. Just be happy.

In fact, the top anchor on MSNBC said she cried so many tears of joy while watching the inauguration that she finished an entire box of tissues.

In recent years, Indian liberals have come to use the expression “Godi media,” a pejorative for what they see as Indian media promoting a personality cult around PM Modi. First of all, seriously? Second, do these liberals ever look in the mirror? How could they? For they are all but prostrated on the ground before five generations of a political dynasty. All their opinions lie somewhere on the spectrum between Rahul coming of age and Priyanka having her grandmother’s nose.

If you want to see “Godi media” done right, look at American liberals right now. I already told you about MSNBC and the New York Times. Here is something from a CNN vice-president:

“I mean those lights that are just shooting out of the Lincoln Memorial along the Reflecting Pool, it’s like almost extensions of Joe Biden’s arms embracing America.”

Have you ever wondered why liberals take all those “dear leader” jibes at PM Modi? Have you wondered why they call BJP supporters as “bhakts”? I have seen trenchant criticism of PM Modi from BJP supporters. Would Congress supporters dare to criticize Rahul Gandhi?

Now you know. It’s a classic case of projection. Liberals see their opponents as they themselves are. Fawning over their leaders in a way that would rival North Korean state television.

What good news did President Biden have for real Americans? As it turns out, very little. Instead, the President had this to say to his country:

“A lot of America is hurting. The virus is surging. We’re 400,000 dead expected to reach well over 600,000.”

What? So 200,000 more people are going to die? Is there any hope? Don’t count on it, because the president went on to also say:

“…there’s nothing we can do to change the trajectory of the pandemic in the next several months.”

Imagine the grim reality of being an ordinary American right now. Your government has given up on you. They say there is nothing they can do and 200,000 more people are set to die. You open the New York Times, the so called ‘newspaper of record.’ Or you turn on CNN, the biggest global name in news. The headlines are about the achievement of wearing a Ralph Lauren suit.

That’s liberalism. Common people don’t matter. Instead the New York Times questions the ‘morality’ of Melania Trump leaving the White House in Chanel suit, Dolce & Gabbana dress, Hermès bag!

You didn’t catch the problem there, did you? It turns out that Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana and Hermès are European brands. That makes Trump immoral while Biden is moral in his very American Ralph Lauren suit. If you are an American, you must be thrilled about this. The New York Times expects no less of you.

Okay, what about Biden’s brand new Rolex watch, which he bought specially for the inauguration? Isn’t Rolex a Swiss company? Never mind. Anyway, I know about this new Rolex watch because a number of equally reputable liberal outlets were fawning about it as well.

“When Joe Biden put his hand on the Bible, he was wearing a Rolex …. Biden thus joins a bipartisan tradition of presidents wearing Rolex. Dwight Eisenhower, Lyndon Johnson, and Ronald Reagan all had one.”

See? It’s a tradition for American presidents to wear American suits. And also a tradition to wear European watches. Anything Biden does is a glorious tradition.

When media and power come together in a tight embrace such as this, the common citizen becomes invisible. And nobody does this better than liberal elites. That’s why common citizens should be scared of rule by the liberal elite. Whether in India or in the United States.

In 2008, when Barack Obama was running for President, Chris Hayes, one of the biggest faces on MSNBC, had announced that he was so excited that he could feel a thrill going up his leg. Yes, he really said it on air. And nobody thought that was odd. That’s big media in embrace of big government. That’s when common people should feel a shiver down their spine.

From Rafale jets to Bangladesh contingent: Here is what will make 2021 Republic Day Parade special

OpIndia Staff
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From Rafale jets to Bangladesh contingent: Here is what will make 2021 Republic Day Parade special

In less than 48 hours, India will celebrate its 71st Republic Day. The national capital is getting ready to witness the military might in the parade and glorious history and culture via state tableaux. This year the celebrations would be different from what used to be because of the Covid-19 restrictions. However, a lot will be happening that you should not miss.

Things missing from Republic Day parade this year

No Chief Guest: This year, there will be no chief guest on the R-Day Parade. This will be the first time in 50 years that Republic Day celebrations will not have a chief guest. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was scheduled to attend the celebrations as a chief guest, but he had to cancel it due to increasing cases of Covid-19 in the United Kingdom. Before this year, the Republic Day Parade did not chief guest in 1966 and two times before that in 1952 and 1953.

Less number of spectators: Last year, 1,50,000 people were allowed to attend the celebrations along with 300 media persons. This year, keeping social distance norms in mind, the number has been reduced to 25,000 spectators and 200 media persons.

Small route and lesser events: This year, the parade route will be shorter. It will only go to the National Stadium at the C-Hexagon of India Gate. The tableaux will go to the Red Fort. The veterans’ Parade has been cancelled altogether. There will be no motorcycle stunts by army troops and the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel. Enclosure for school children have been removed from the program, and no children below the age of 15 will be allowed in the India Gate lawns.

Republic Day’s main attractions

To make this day special, there are a few things that will happen for the first time. Here is a list of the top attractions of the Republic Day Parade.

Rafale fighter jets: The Rafale fighter jets will take part in the Parade for the first time. They were inducted into the Indian Air Force last year in September.

Woman fighter pilot: This will be the first time a woman fighter pilot will participate in the Parade. Flight Lieutenant Bhawana Kanth, one of India’s first women fighter pilots, will be there with the Indian Air Force’s tableau showcasing mock-ups of Sukhoi-30 fighters, light combat aircraft (LCA), and light combat helicopter (LCH).

Upgraded Schilika weapon system: The Indian Army will display the upgraded Schilika weapon system. Only woman contingent commander Preeti Chowdhary will be leading the display. While talking to news agency ANI, Chowdhary said, “The upgraded Schilika to roll down Rajpath for the first time this year. It can track and shoot enemy targets up to 2 kilometers on the ground and about 2.5 kilometers in the air.” Preeti had marched in Republic Day celebrations in 2016 as a cadet. 

Bangladesh Armed Forces: A contingent of the Bangladesh Armed Forces comprised of 122 soldiers will take part in the Parade. Earlier, France and UAE had participated in 2016 and 2017 respectively. Notably, India will be celebrating 50 years of ‘Swarnim Vijay Jayanti’, marking the 50th anniversary year of India’s victory over Pakistan in 1971. East Pakistan was freed as a result of that victory resulting in the formation of Bangladesh.

Ram Mandir Tableau: One of the most interesting aspects of this year’s Parade will be Uttar Pradesh’s tableau that will feature a replica of the proposed Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. In November 2019, the Supreme Court of India had allowed the construction of Ram Mandir on the disputed land. The construction began in August 2020 and is expected to be completed by 2023-24.

Vijaynagar Tableau: The Karnataka tableau will display the Vijayanagar legacy at the Republic Day parade. As per the reports, this year’s tableau will feature all attractions of Vijaynagar from its foundation to its peak. The team that had created the tableau is led by award-winning art director Shashidhar Adapa. It will have a statue of Ugra Narasimha followed by Bhagwan Hanuman on the top of the Anjanadri hills.

Covid-19 restrictions: Due to Covid-19 restrictions in place, not only the number of guests has been reduced, the overall time and route of the celebrations have been reduced as well.

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