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UP: Samajwadi Party MP Awadhesh Prasad’s son Ajit Prasad booked for assaulting and kidnapping a man in Ayodhya

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UP: Samajwadi Party MP Awadhesh Prasad’s son Ajit Prasad booked for assaulting and kidnapping a man in Ayodhya

In a major blow to Awadhesh Prasad, the Samajwadi Party MP from Faizabad Lok Sabha constituency, the Ayodhya Police have filed a case against his son Ajit Prasad, and six others on accusations of assault, kidnapping, and threatening a man.

After receiving a complaint from Ravi Tiwari, a resident of Paliya Risali village, the Kotwali police in Ayodhya filed an FIR against the six accused. In the FIR, it has been alleged that Ajit Prasad and other accused persons assaulted the man near the State Bank of India’s main branch in Faizabad town on the 21st of September over a land purchase dispute.

Speaking about the incident, Arun Kumar Singh, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Ayodhya said: “We have registered a case of assaulting, taking hostage and threatening the complainant. After investigating the CCTV camera footage, it has come to notice that the accused in five cars approached the complainant and took him with them. We are investigating further.”  

Interestingly, Ajit Prasad is expected to get the Samajwadi Party ticket to run in the coming Milkipur assembly byelection. The seat became vacant after its MLA, Awadhesh Prasad, was elected to the Lok Sabha this year.

Taking to X, BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya slammed the Samajwadi Party and said: “Faizabad MP Awadhesh Prasad, whom Akhilesh Yadav is holding close to his heart these days, his son Ajit Prasad “kidnapped” Ravi Tiwari and “beat him up”. As soon as SP won some seats, the incidents of rape and hooliganism did not stop. There is a saying in Uttar Pradesh – the vehicle which has the SP flag on it, has a goon sitting in it. This is proof of that.”

It is pertinent to mention that in August this year, SP MP Awadhesh Prasad’s close associate Moeed Khan and his employee Raju Khan were arrested over accusations of gang-raping a 12-year-old Other Backward Class (OBC) girl in Ayodhya and recording the incident to use as blackmail against her for more than two months. Moeed Khan, whos also a Samajwadi Party leader and other accused have been booked under sections of gang rape and POCSO Act

Pakistan: Russian ambassador and other foreign diplomats attacked in landmine blast, Islamic Republic continues to be unsafe place for tourists

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Pakistan: Russian ambassador and other foreign diplomats attacked in landmine blast, Islamic Republic continues to be unsafe place for tourists

On Sunday (22nd September), Russian ambassador to Pakistan Albert P. Khorev and other foreign diplomats came under attack during a visit to the Swat Valley in the northwestern part of the Islamic Republic.

As per reports, the convoy of the foreign dignitaries was hit by a landmine/ roadside bomb. The development was confirmed by Deputy Inspector General of Police Mohammad Ali Gandapur.

Albert P. Khorev and other foreign diplomats had attended a tourism forum, hosted by the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry. They were invited to promote tourism in Swat Valley.

In a statement, the Russian embassy in Pakistan informed, “On the way from Mingora to the hotel, the escort vehicle hit a landmine. Several police officers were injured. Members of the diplomatic corps were not harmed.”

Although the Russian Ambassador and other foreign diplomats were evacuated from the area, a police officer was killed in the deadly blast.

Swat district police officer Zahidullah Khan informed that four other cops were injured in the landmine blast.

The foreign dignitaries, who came under attack, belonged to Russia, Vietnam, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Indonesia and others.

The disturbing incident comes ahead of the 2025 Champions Trophy, which is scheduled to be held in Pakistan. The Pakistan Cricket Board has insisted that the country is safe for foreigners.

However, the landmine blast has reaffirmed fears of Pakistan being safe only for terror groups.

Tirupati Laddu row: TTD says the temple never tested ghee for adulteration in its history, CM Chandrababu Naidu announces formation of SIT

OpIndia Staff
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Tirupati Laddu row: TTD says the temple never tested ghee for adulteration in its history, CM Chandrababu Naidu announces formation of SIT

Amid the row over animal fat found in ghee used to make the famous Laddu Prasadam of Tirupati Balaji temple in Tirumala, the temple administration on Sunday said that the ghee was never tested for adulteration in the history of the temple. Talking to the media, Executive officer of Tirumala Tirupathi Devastanam (TTD) Shyamala Rao said that they have started testing the ghee in the last three months, after which the matter came to light.

Notably, a test on ghee samples provided by TTD conducted by the National Dairy Development Board’s “Centre of Analysis and Learning in Livestock and Food” (CALF) laboratory in Gujarat showed the presence of beef fat, pig fat, fish oil and several types of vegetable oil, whereas ghee should contain only dairy fat. TTD has already started the process of blacklisting the suppliers.

Shyamala Rao said, “We established a system of testing ghee for adulteration in TTD for the first time in the last three months, never in the history of TTD we have tested ghee for adulteration in outside labs.”

He further added, “We don’t have the in-house capacity to test. It is the first time that we have started checking and we will continue that. If someone tries to supply any adulterated thing, we will naturally blacklist them and other legal actions will be taken. TTD also trying to establish an in-house lab which is going to be donated by NDDB shortly.”

The TTD Executive officer announced that purification rituals will be conducted in the temple to restore the sanctity. He said that adulteration was found in ghee supplied by earlier suppliers, and no adulteration has been found in ghee supplied by current suppliers, which include Alpha Milk Foods and Nandini Ghee.

The TTD had said that they decided to get the ghee tested after numerous complaints about the deteriorating quality and taste of the famous prasadam laddus. Shyamala Rao said that after he took over, the CM expressed concern on the ghee procured and the quality of the laddu which is considered to be very sacred and offered as ‘Prasadam’ to Lord Venkateswara Swamy.

He had said, “Any deviation in the quality will cause doing ‘apavithram’ (doing something which is not sacred). He wanted me to take steps to ensure that the sanctity of this temple is restored including getting pure cow milk ghee. We started working on that.”

Earlier he had said that the ghee suppliers took the advantage of the fact that TTD didn’t have labs to test ghee and it also didn’t get the product tested outside. Rao also noted that due to procurement based on lowest price bids, the suppliers quoted very low prices, which are very unviable to supply pure dairy ghee.

In the meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu, who first revealed the issue, has announced the formation of a special investigation team (SIT) to investigate the ghee procurement for Tirupati laddu. He also ordered an audit of procurement process of raw materials for all temples in the state.

Speaking to reporters, he said, “We are forming a Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising of officers of IGP and above posts. The SIT will submit a report to the government and we will take action based on that report so that such things are not repeated.”

Pakistan seeking $7 billion from IMF, they could have asked us, PM Modi has given more to J&K for PF package: Rajnath Singh in Jammu

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Pakistan seeking $7 billion from IMF, they could have asked us, PM Modi has given more to J&K for PF package: Rajnath Singh in Jammu

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said that Pakistan has asked the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a seven-billion-dollar bailout package, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given more than this for the PF package for J&K.

“Pakistan is requesting the IMF for a USD 7 billion bailout package. They could have asked India. PM Modi has given more than this in the PF package for J&K. They are in this condition because they domesticated snakes,” said Rajnath Singh while addressing a public rally in Jammu.

“We have done whatever we promised in the BJP election manifesto. We spoke about the abrogation of Article 370, and we did it as soon as we got the majority in centre. I feel pained by what Omar Abudullah said and did. He said that he won’t fight in elections till the J&K restores statehood, but now he is fighting from two constituencies. Parties like the PDP, NC, and Congress claim that they will give statehood to J&K. How will they? They do not have government in the centre. Without that, it is not possible. Politics should not be done to win in elections. It must be done to build a country,” Rajnath Singh said slamming J&K opposition parties.

“The defence minister of Pakistan has said that Article 370 can only be restored by NC and Congress. I want to ask NC and Congress if they are working as Pakistan’s proxy,” he pointed out.

He assured that J&K’s statehood will be restored if people get the BJP government formed in the valley. Adding to that, he said, “It is not just me speaking that PM Modi has himself assured on J&K’s statehood restoration. 61 per cent of voting has been recorded in J&K, in the first phase of assembly elections, and it happened because of the abrogation of Article 370.”

Singh on Sunday addressed three public meetings in Poonch, Rajouri, and Jammu during his election campaign in the Union Territory.

Jammu and Kashmir is voting for its 90-member assembly in three phases. The first phase of voting took place on September 18. Notably, a voter turnout of 61.13 pc was registered in the first phase of polling in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls, which were held on 24 constituencies in seven districts on September 18.

Voting for the second and third phases in J-K will be held on September 25 and October 1, respectively. Votes will be counted on October 8.

Jammu and Kashmir is witnessing an interesting contest with several political parties and independents in the fray. NCP and Congress have forged a pre poll alliance in the UT. These elections, the first since the abrogation of Article 370, are being held after nearly a decade in the Union Territory.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu pledges temple cleansing across state after Tirupati Laddu controversy, criticises YSRCP

OpIndia Staff
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Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu pledges temple cleansing across state after Tirupati Laddu controversy, criticises YSRCP

On 21st September, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu announced that the state government would begin a cleansing process for all temples in the state. The announcement came amidst the ongoing Tirupati Laddu controversy, where animal fat like fish oil, beef fat and pig fat was found as an adulterant in the ghee supplied to the temple for Laddus.

Speaking to the media at the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) central office, CM Naidu said that decisions regarding necessary steps and their implementation are in progress. He added, “A decision will be made soon after consultations with Jeer Swamy, Kanchi Swamy, and other religious leaders in response to the Tirupati Laddoo controversy.” He reaffirmed that his government is committed to respect religious sentiments and vowed to take appropriate actions after consulting religious leaders.

Accusing the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) of being responsible for the controversy, CM Naidu stated that the party not only committed the crime but also engaged in diversionary politics.

He remarked, “How is it possible to get a kilogram of cow ghee at Rs 320?” and added that while making such decisions, the administration should have been careful, as Tirupati Temple is a world-famous sacred pilgrimage centre.

Tirupati Laddu Prasadam controversy

On 18 September Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu accused the previous YS Jagan Mohan Reddy administration of using animal fat in making laddus served at the renowned Hindu temple during his address at the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) legislative party meeting. “They (YSRC government) not only provided substandard food to the devotees, such as Anna Prasadam in Tirumala, but also used inferior quality ingredients to make Prasadam, which is offered to Lord Venkateswara. Instead of using pure ghee, they used animal fat,” he charged.

The chief minister further added, “Today, we are using pure ghee and cleansed the system in the temple. Quality of Prasadam and food have improved and steps are being taken to make further improvements.” His statement was eventually validated by the test findings. The conclusions drawn by the report revealed that there were residues of animal fat in the ghee used to prepare iconic Tirupati laddu prasadam. Furthermore, ingredients like soybean, sunflower, olive, rapeseed, linseed, wheat germ, maize germ, cotton seed, coconut, palm kernel fat, and palm oil were also used in making the laddus.

After that, a laboratory report emerged, which showed that ghee used by the Tirupati temple contained beef fat, pig fat, fish oil, and various types of plant-based oil, and the content of dairy fat was very low. The test was conducted by National Dairy Development Board’s “Centre of Analysis and Learning in Livestock and Food” (CALF) laboratory on behalf of Tirumala Tirupathi Devastanam. TTD had decided to test the ghee after receiving multiple complaints about the deteriorating quality and taste of its famous laddus.

TTD has already started blacklisting the suppliers of ghee after the report came out.

Bangladesh: Hindu temples in Khulna receive threatening letters saying they can’t organise Durga Puja if they don’t pay Tk 5 lakh, some committees decide to not organise Puja

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Bangladesh: Hindu temples in Khulna receive threatening letters saying they can’t organise Durga Puja if they don’t pay Tk 5 lakh, some committees decide to not organise Puja

Just a day after Hindu groups in Bangladesh apprehended attacks and harassment on Durga puja this year and made several demands with the interim govt, the harassment has already started. In Khulna, Islamists have threatened Hindu temples that they will not be allowed to organise Durga Puja if they don’t pay Tk 5 lakh.

Several Hindu temples in Khulna district has received anonymous letters threatening that they will not be allowed to celebrate Durga Puja if they don’t make the payment. The letters given to puja celebration committees associated with several temples said that if they don’t make the payment, there will be severe consequences.

The letter sent by post said that if they talk about this to administration or media, they will be beheaded. It also said that if the money is not paid, the recipient’s fate will be like what happened with Hanif’s project.

Notably, after the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government on August 5, Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbub Ul Alam Hanif’s house was looted for several days.

The Bengali letter mentioned in the top, “Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem”. After that it is addressed to “President/General Secretary”, with and underlined blank space to write the name of the temple by hand, followed by printed words “Puja Mandir”

The text of the letter said, “Listen, if you want to perform Durga Puja in 2024, you will have to pay a contribution of five lakh taka from each temple. Otherwise, you will not be able to organise puja in any way. As was done in Hanif’s project, your fate will be same. Keep all the money ready within a week. Give the money in a place in Kalinagar market as you will be told. Will inform you of the place later. If you tell these things to the administration, journalists or anyone else, remember that you will be cut like taro stem. Your family will also not be spared. Tell all other nearby temples secretly as we don’t know the names of all temples. There will be no benefit in the administration and the army tricking us, the money will have to be paid. In the name of Allah, if we don’t get money, we will cut you into pieces. We are watching you”

The letter is dated 7 September 2024.

The letters started coming to presidents and general secretaries of various Hindu temples and Puja Committees on Wednesday, raising concerns among the Hindu community in the Muslim-majority nation which has seen the rise of fundamental Islamists after the fall of Sheikh Hasina government.

The same computer-printed letter has been sent to various temples in yellow envelopes.

On Friday, four different temples in Khulna approached the Dakop police station, and accordingly, a general diary entry was made. Officer-in-Charge Sirajul Islam said, ‘GD was made from four temples on Friday regarding that flyer. We are investigating. Efforts are being made to protect the temple from our side. We are patrolling regularly from the police station along with the army team. The village police and union police officers are on round-the-clock patrol.

The general secretary of one of the temples said that after receiving the letter, they are very anxious and concerned about the matter. After receiving the letter on Wednesday, they held a meeting with the people in the area.

Many people in the meeting said that it would be better to not organise Puja this year. But at last, they decided to go with the rituals and celebrations together. After that, vigil in the area has been increased.

However, as per reports, some temple committees have decided to not organise Durga Puja due to the threat, while some others have decided to keep it low key.

Shekhar Chandra Goldar, President of the Kamarkhola Sarvajanin Durga Puja Celebration Committee of Dakop said that they have decided to not organise puja in view of the threat letter. He told Prothom Alo, ‘There was a discussion going on to do the puja on a very small scale instead of grandiose puja this year. But after receiving such letters, our members are no longer interested. This year we have to stop the puja.’

Vodafone Idea signs mega $3.6 billion deal with Nokia, Ericson and Samsung for network equipment to expand 4G coverage and launch 5G in key markets

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Vodafone Idea signs mega $3.6 billion deal with Nokia, Ericson and Samsung for network equipment to expand 4G coverage and launch 5G in key markets

Vodafone Idea Limited has secured a deal worth USD 3.6 billion (Rs. 300 billion) with Nokia, Ericsson, and Samsung for the supply of network equipment over the next three years.

This agreement marks the first step in the company’s three-year capital expenditure plan of USD 6.6 billion (Rs. 550 billion), according to its official filing.

The investment will be used to expand Vodafone Idea’s 4G population coverage from 1.03 billion to 1.2 billion, and to launch 5G services in key markets, as well as increase capacity to meet data growth demands, the filing noted.

“The company has retained its long-standing partners, Nokia and Ericsson, and has also brought on Samsung as a new partner,” the statement read.

Vodafone Idea said that this contract will enable the company to leverage cutting-edge equipment to enhance customer experiences.

“Moreover, the insights and expertise gained by these vendors in the Indian market over the last two years will help the company implement a more flexible and modular rollout plan, customising services for advanced technologies like 4G and 5G. The new equipment will also bring energy efficiency benefits, thereby reducing operational costs,” the company added.

Vodafone Idea stated that supplies from these new long-term agreements will begin in the upcoming quarter.

The company’s primary focus is to extend 4G coverage to 1.2 billion people across India, it said.

Following the recent equity raise of Rs. 240 billion and an additional Rs. 35 billion spent on spectrum acquisition during the June 2024 auction, the company has already implemented several “quick win” capital expenditure projects while finalising these long-term contracts.

These quick wins have primarily involved deploying additional spectrum at existing sites and establishing new ones.

“This has led to a 15 percent increase in capacity and expanded population coverage by 16 million, which is expected to be achieved by the end of September 2024,” it added.

Akshaya Moondra, CEO of Vodafone Idea Limited, said, “We are committed to investing in emerging network technologies to provide a best-in-class experience for our customers. We have initiated the investment cycle and are on the path of VIL 2.0. From here, VIL will stage a smart turnaround, enabling us to effectively participate in the industry’s growth opportunities. Nokia and Ericsson have been our partners since the beginning, and this is yet another milestone in that long-standing relationship. We are also excited to start our new partnership with Samsung and look forward to collaborating with all our partners as we transition into the 5G era.”

The company also noted that customer experiences have improved in certain regions where these rollouts have been completed.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Ziarul, who had done 6 Nikahs earlier, married 7th time with a Hindu girl by posing as Shankar Yadav, pressurized her to convert

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Ziarul, who had done 6 Nikahs earlier, married 7th time with a Hindu girl by posing as Shankar Yadav, pressurized her to convert

A new case of love jihad has come to light from Purnia district of Bihar. Here, 32-year-old Mohammad Ziarul, by changing his name, first trapped a Hindu girl in his trap and later married her. Ziarul introduced himself to the victim as Shankar Yadav. Ziarul had married 6 times before marrying the victim. There was also an attempt to convert the Hindu woman to Islam. After receiving the complaint on Wednesday (18th September, 2024), the police arrested the accused and sent him to jail.

According to media reports, the incident is from Sadar police station area of ​​​​Purnia district. A Hindu victim has lodged a complaint with the police in the case. In the complaint, the woman told that she met Ziarul in December 2023. Ziarul used to work as a labourer then. He came to work in the victim’s house under the name Shankar Yadav. It was here that both of them met, which later turned into a conversation. Within a few days, Ziarul trapped the girl.

During their meetings, Mohammad Ziarul said that he was a bachelor. He married the victim on 7th February 2024. After this, he had physical relations with the victim several times. From the month of August, the victim started suspecting Ziarul’s actions. He started pressurising the victim to wear a burqa.

Along with this, Ziarul also started advising the woman to keep fasts during Ramzaan and read namaz etc. Whenever there was azan, Ziarul would raise his hands for prayer. He started talking mostly in Urdu words. Ziarul also started beating the victim on every small thing. Sometimes, he also used to give advice to the girl about accepting Islam. To turn her doubt into belief, the victim searched for Ziarul, who had become Shankar Yadav. During that, she found his native village, which is in Barsauni police station area of ​​​​Purnia.

When she reached Ziarul’s village, she came to know for the first time that her husband was a Muslim. It was here that it was also revealed that Ziarul was already married. He already had a total of 6 wives, out of which he had divorced 2. Ziarul had married the victim for the 7th time. After his secret was revealed, Ziarul also threatened to kill the victim. Meanwhile, the victim’s family also came to know about Ziarul’s misdeeds.

The victim’s family then together beat up the accused. As soon as the matter came to light, Hindu organizations also started demanding action. On 18th September, the victim lodged a complaint against Ziarul with the police. On 19th September (Thursday), the police arrested the accused and sent him to jail. A fake Aadhar card in the name of Shankar Yadav was also recovered from Ziarul. During the arrest, a thread like Kalawa was found tied to his hand. Investigation of the case and other necessary legal action is underway.

Quad Summit: PM Modi and other leaders announces several initiatives to address development priorities of Indo-Pacific region

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Quad Summit: PM Modi and other leaders announces several initiatives to address development priorities of Indo-Pacific region

Terming the Quad as a “force of Global Good” the Quad leaders made a number of announcements to address the development priorities of the Indo-Pacific region and of the global community as a whole.

US President Joe Biden on September 21 hosted Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia, Prime Minister Kishida Fumio of Japan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Wilmington, Delaware, for the fourth Quad Leaders’ Summit. To take the Quad agenda forward, the Quad Leaders adopted the Quad Wilmington Declaration.

This year, the Quad announced executing tangible projects that benefit partner countries across the Indo-Pacific–including in the Pacific, Southeast Asia, and the Indian Ocean Region.

These include ‘Quad Cancer Moonshot’, a groundbreaking partnership to save lives in the Indo-Pacific region by combating cervical cancer.

Another initiative announced was the ‘Maritime Initiative for Training in the Indo-Pacific’ (MAITRI) to enable Indo-Pacific partners to maximise tools provided through IPMDA (Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness). It aims to support the concept of open science for space-based monitoring of extreme weather events and climate impact.

The leaders pledged a collective Quad effort to boost energy efficiency, including the deployment and manufacturing of high-efficiency, affordable cooling systems in the Indo-Pacific region.

An announcement was made for the first ‘Quad-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission’ in 2025 to improve interoperability and advance maritime safety and the ‘Quad Ports of the Future Partnership,’ which will harness the Quad’s collective expertise to support sustainable and resilient port infrastructure development across the Indo-Pacific.

Quad leaders also announced ‘Quad Principles for Development and Deployment of Digital Public Infrastructure’ in the region and beyond.

The leaders also announced a “Semiconductor Supply Chains Contingency Network Memorandum of Cooperation” to enhance the resilience of Quad’s semiconductor supply chains.

India also announced the establishment of a space-based web portal for Mauritius to support the concept of open science for space-based monitoring of extreme weather events and climate impact.

It announced a new sub-category under the Quad STEM Fellowship for students of the Indo-Pacific region to pursue a four-year bachelor’s level engineering programme at a Government of India-funded technical institute.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 5 lakh scholarship for Indo-Pacific students at the Quad leaders summit. This initiative will enable 50 recipients to pursue a four-year undergraduate engineering programme at a Government of India-funded technical institution.

Prime Minister Modi reaffirmed India’s commitment to the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad).

During PM Modi’s address to the Quad Leaders’ Summit held in Delaware, he described the grouping comprising of Australia, India, US and Japan as “Quick Unified Assistance Delivery,” and said that the regional body “is here to stay”.

During his three-day visit to the United States, PM Modi held bilateral talks with the Quad leaders- President of the US Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Prime Minister of Japan, Fumio Kishida.

While Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida extended support to PM Modi for his initiative to organise Voice of Global South Summits, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese termed India a “predominant power in the Indian Ocean”.

The Quad governments said they intend to work with their respective legislatures to deepen interparliamentary exchanges, and encourage other stakeholders to deepen engagement with Quad counterparts.

US Members of Congress announced the creation of a bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Quad Caucus.

In the coming months, Quad Commerce and Industry ministers will meet for the first time.

Quad Leaders also welcomed the leaders of the Quad Development Finance Institutions and Agencies deciding to meet to explore future investments by the four countries in the Indo-Pacific, including in health security, food security, clean energy, and quality infrastructure.

This builds on a previous meeting in 2022 between the heads of the Export Finance Australia, the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific, India Export-Import Bank, Japan Bank for International Cooperation, and US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC).

In response to the current clade I mpox outbreak, as well as the ongoing clade II mpox outbreak, the Quad said it plans to coordinate efforts to promote equitable access to safe, effective, quality-assured mpox vaccines, including where appropriate expanding vaccine manufacturing in low and middle-income countries.

In 2023, Quad partners announced the first-ever Open RAN deployment in the Pacific, in Palau, to support a secure, resilient, and interconnected telecommunications ecosystem. Since then, the Quad has committed approximately USD 20 million to this effort. Building on this initiative, the Quad announces an expansion of Open RAN collaboration to deliver trusted technology solutions.

The Quad plans to expand support for ongoing Open RAN field trials and the Asia Open RAN Academy (AORA) in the Philippines, building on the initial USD 8 million in support that the United States and Japan pledged earlier this year.

In addition, the United States plans to invest over USD 7 million to support the global expansion of AORA, including through establishing a first-of-its-kind Open RAN workforce training initiative at scale in South Asia, in partnership with Indian institutions.

Quad partners also welcome the opportunity to explore additional Open RAN projects in Southeast Asia.

Quad partners will also explore collaborating with the Tuvalu Telecommunications Corporation to ensure the country’s readiness for nationwide 5G deployment.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams board was altered for political gains: Pawan Kalyan says YSRCP government in Andhra Pradesh changed the temple board for politics

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Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams board was altered for political gains: Pawan Kalyan says YSRCP government in Andhra Pradesh changed the temple board for politics

Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan on Sunday said that the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams board was “altered for political gain” by the previous government after CM Chandrababu Naidu alleged that YSRCP govt used ‘animal fat’ in Laddu Prasadam given at Tirumala Temple in Tirupati.

The Janasena Party chief statement comes as he started 11 days ‘Prayaschitta Diksha’ at Sri Dasavatara Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Guntur as penance.

“Prasadam distribution has been ongoing for more than 100 years. But under YSRCP’s rule, TTD board was altered for political gain. The Sri Venkateswara Trust was established, leading to various scams. Worship protocols were changed, and over 300 temples were desecrated,” Kalyan said.

Kalyan further alleged that Ayodhya received ‘contaminated’ laddus from TTD during the YSCRP regime.

“I question whether authorities are following protocols in all temples. Fish oil, beef tallow, and pork fat have been found in prasadam. Even Ayodhya received contaminated laddus from TTD during the YSRCP regime,” Kalyan said.

“During the YSRCP regime, 219 temples were destroyed. I questioned the vandalism of these temples. We will not tolerate this, and strict action will be taken. What has the TTD board done in the past five years? Hindu devotees must speak out. What was once sacred has been desecrated. The guilty must face punishment,” Kalyan said.

“As I undertake this 11-day penance ritual, I apologize to Lord Venkateswara. We shouldn’t remain silent when Hindu temples are desecrated. If this happened in mosques or churches, the nation would erupt,” he said.

Earlier in a post on X, Pawan Kalyan announced that he will fast for 11 days to seek forgiveness from lord Balaji.

“I am deeply hurt on a personal level by the malicious attempts made to infuse impurity in the prasad of Sri Tirupati Balaji Dham, the center of our culture, faith, belief and devotion, and to tell you the truth, I feel cheated from within. Right now, I am taking a vow to seek forgiveness from the Lord and am taking a vow to fast for eleven days. In the latter part of the eleven-day Atonement Initiation, on October 1 and 2, I will go to Tirupati and have a personal darshan of the Lord and beg for forgiveness and then my Atonement Initiation will be completed in front of the Lord,” Pawan Kalyan tweeted on X.

The row comes days after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu claimed that substandard ingredients, including animal fat, were used in the preparation of Tirupati laddus, a sweet offered at the Sri Venkateswara temple in Tirupati, during the previous Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) government.

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