A video has been doing the rounds on social media, showing India’s Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi, speaking during an event. In the viral video, Admiral Tripathi can be heard talking about India’s Operation Sindoor. He is heard saying that the Modi government stopped Operation Sindoor due to which some purported losses were suffered by the Indian Air Force during the operation.
“Sir, a few days ago, while addressing the Indian Navy on the deck of Vikrant (INS Vikrant), you had said that the Operation Sindoor is not over yet. And if needed, the Indian Navy might get the opportunity to open the attack next time. We were expecting that the government would allow us to take part in the fight (Operation Sindoor), but the government did not give us the command to join the fight. And this is the reason that the Indian Air Force had to incur losses,” Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi could be heard saying in the video. The video was widely shared by Pakistani propaganda handles on social media to mislead people and push an anti-India narrative.
A fact-check of the video by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) revealed that the video was doctored and that Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi made no such statement during his speech at the event.
?प्रोपेगेंडा से सावधान❗
कुछ पाकिस्तान-समर्थित अकाउंट्स डिजिटल छेड़छाड़ कर नौसेना प्रमुख एडमिरल दिनेश कुमार त्रिपाठी का वीडियो फैला रहे हैं, जिसमें दिखाया जा रहा है कि नौसेना प्रमुख #OperationSindoor के दौरान सरकार पर कार्रवाई रोकने का आरोप लगा रहे हैं, और दावा कर रहे हैं कि… pic.twitter.com/1Csn1LH7Uj
PIB posted the original video containing the actual words of Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi in which he can be heard praising the Modi government and hailing the Indian Navy’s defence capabilities.
“Sir, a few days ago, while addressing the Indian Navy on the deck of Vikrant (INS Vikrant), you had said that the Operation Sindoor is not over yet. And if needed, the Indian Navy might get the opportunity to open the attack next time. I want to say that with modern and state-of-the-art platforms like Udaygiri (INS Udaygiri) and Himgiri (INS Himgiri) make us capable of inflicting an opening knock-out punch on the enemy,” said Admiral Tripathi.
Operation Sindoor was launched by the Indian Armed Forces as a direct response to the deadly Pahalgam terrorist attack that claimed the lives of 26 innocent Hindus.
The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of the Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility for the attack.
In the following days, as India prepared for a war-like situation, the Indian Armed Forces planned a military strike on terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
US President Donald Trump imposed additional 25% tariffs on India, which came into effect on August 27, taking the total to 50% tariffs. The impact of these tariffs has been discussed in media for months. The additional tariffs were levied on India citing purchase of oil from Russia. There is a section in India that is constantly working hard to bolster the narrative of Trump and America in an attempt to pressurise Indian government even though it is hurting Indian interests.
As part of the same campaign, it is now being claimed that this tariff decision by Trump has had the biggest impact on India’s diamond industry and there is a possibility of a terrible recession, due to which thousands of jobs will also be at risk.
Surat is the center of India’s diamond industry. Diamonds are exported from here to the world including America and a business worth thousands of crores is done every year. It is not new knowledge that there is a huge recession in this industry in Surat.
Leading the charge of crediting Trump tariffs for this slowdown are media outlets like Reuters and BBC. Notably, their reporting is always suspect, especially on geopolitical issues affecting India. Later, Gujarati-Hindi media also picked up the issue and said Trump’s tariffs are creating this slowdown.
The BBC has published a report on the local industry in Surat. It shows the condition of diamond factories and says that many places used to employ a large number of people, but now the number has been reduced and employees have been laid off. The reason is that orders are not being received and due to this, the employees are not being paid. In addition, many jewelers are complaining that their salaries have been reduced, or they are being removed from work, the report adds.
The BBC report further states, “The direct impact of the tariff-induced recession has already started to hit workers.” Quoting some individuals, it said that the jobs of more than one lakh jewelers are at risk and their future is bleak.
Reuters, in its report, has focused on the diamond bourse in Surat, which is always a target of the media. Even though Prime Minister Modi inaugurated it some time ago, it has not yet fully started. Reuters has linked this to the tariffs and claimed that most of the offices are empty. The report claimed that orders have now decreased due to the increase in tariffs. In addition, it has also been said, quoting some individuals, that many industrialists are no longer willing to move their business to the diamond bourse.
Apart from that, the report has talked about the recession by quoting many small diamond businessmen. Apart from that, several other unnamed individuals have repeated the claims in the report.
After foreign media, articles have also been published in Gujarati media on this issue. Gujarat Samachar published an article on August 28 and claimed that Trump’s 50% tariff will put more than 50 thousand jobs in Surat’s diamond-textile industry at risk. The report claims that 30% of Surat’s diamond industry trade is with America, so Trump’s tariff could hit this industry hard,
What is the truth?
From a larger perspective, this narrative is going to help America. Surat is the economic capital of Gujarat and Gujarat is the home state of Prime Minister Modi. The diamond industry has flourished in Surat over the years. If negative rumours are spread that Surat’s largest industry has been badly affected due to tariffs and changing global equations, then it works in Trump’s favour that he is really hurting PM Modi and his home state. However, we have to see that many of these things are not being reported in systematic context or using complete facts, and are directly or indirectly helping to set a wrong narrative.
It is a fact that there is a slowdown in the diamond industry of Surat, but this situation is not new. This is the situation for almost the last one year. Detailed reporting about this slowdown in the diamond industry can be seen in many reports during the last eight-ten months. At that time, Joe Biden was the President of USA, and there was no discussion about tariffs in global politics.
So, if the BBC had gone to the diamond factories of Surat before Trump came, it would have seen the same situation. Because as mentioned earlier, the diamond industry has been in recession for a long time.
Secondly, it is not that the diamond industry will be affected insignificantly due to the tariffs of America, but it is also a fact that Indian diamond businessmen have the upper hand in this. Moreover, India has the option of other markets, America does not have other suppliers who can export diamonds at that scale. There is high demand for diamonds in America, which only the Indian diamond industry can meet.
As far as the Diamond Bourse is concerned, it has been questioned ever since its inauguration, because many offices have not been opened there yet. Whatever the reasons, it is a separate discussion, but the tariff and the fact that the offices in the bourse are not functioning have nothing to do with it. Even when the tariff issue was not there, Diamond Bourse’s situation was the same as it is now. The reality is that the government is making continuous efforts to keep this bourse running.
What do the experts say?
When OpIndia contacted experts associated with the diamond industry of Surat on this matter, they also said the same thing. Jagdish Khunt, president of the Surat Diamond Association, completely dismissed the reports of a terrible recession in the diamond industry due to the US tariffs and said that the media has fabricated most of these things.
Talking about the recession, Khunt said that Surat has been witnessing a recession for the last two years and it has increased during the past year. This has been the situation since before there was any tariff dispute. Talking about the impact of the tariffs, he said that the impact of the US tariffs on the diamond industry will be there in the short term, but in the long term, it will be manageable.
‘America is dependent on India, even if there is a loss, it will be short-term’
Talking about the reasons, he said that currently Surat is supplying diamonds to all the countries of the world. About 90% of the production of diamonds is being done only from India and America also knows that very well. Therefore, no country in the world is able to export that quantity of diamonds to America or fulfill its demand. Today, America is completely dependent on India for diamonds, no country can take India’s place. Therefore, if the tariff is increased, the loss will be to the common Americans and ultimately the demand for diamonds will increase and internal dissatisfaction will also arise.
He said that even if America remains firm on the tariffs, India will not suffer. Explaining the reason, he said that the loss will be compensated by sending the same diamonds that were being sent to America to other countries of the world. Talking about the importance of diamonds in America, he said, “Today, in India, gold is very important for weddings. Similarly, diamonds are important in America. If the locals there do not get diamonds, there is a possibility of protests or they will buy diamonds even at expensive prices. Because diamonds are a part of their social life.”
Explaining all these reasons, he said that the diamond industry is not likely to face any problem due to tariffs because the demand for diamonds is highest in America and only India can fulfill that demand. Therefore, America is completely dependent on India. But, it is not like that in India’s case. India is not dependent only on America. India sends diamonds to almost all the countries of the world. Even if it stops exporting to America, it can compensate by exporting more diamonds to other countries.
Reports that the recession was caused by tariffs are false
Bhavnagar Diamond Association President Ghanshyam Gorasia also shared the same thing in a discussion with OpIndia. He said that the effects of tariffs will definitely be there, but it has not caused and cannot cause a recession. He also gave the same argument that diamonds are very important in America, just like gold is in our country. Therefore, even if diamonds become expensive, they are important for the Americans and they will buy them, but if they don’t, India will be able to sell them to other countries. But here too, the loss is to America, because it will not be able to get diamonds from any other country except India.
Thakarshibhai Patel, who manages about 10-12 factories in the diamond industry in Surat, has also supported the statement of the presidents of both the associations. He said in a conversation with OpIndia that no one can deny that there is a recession, but that recession is not due to the American tariffs. He also said that the US tariff may have some effects, but that too only for a short period. Another factory owner, Laxmanbhai, has also said the same. Apart from that, some jewelers have also repeated this.
However, news about the recession was also published in Gujarati media reports in 2024. At that time, there was no tariff dispute. Therefore, it is proven that there is a recession in the diamond industry of Surat, but it is also proven that the recession has not come because of the US tariff. Rather, the diamond industries have even formulated a plan to sell to other countries as an alternative to the US tariff. However, many steps have been taken by the government in this regard. According to Jagdishbhai Khunt, both the state government and the central government are currently with the diamond industry and when needed, they always adopt a positive attitude for the industry.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will have meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba over the next few days during his upcoming visits to Japan and China.
He is visiting Japan on the invitation of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba for the 15th Annual India-Japan summit. During his two day visit, the two nations will focus on shaping the next phase in our Special Strategic and Global Partnership, which has made steady and significant progress over the past eleven years, and statement issued by the Prime Minister’s office said.
The PMO added, “We would endeavor to give new wings to our collaboration, expand scope and ambition of our economic and investment ties, and advance cooperation in new and emerging technologies, including AI and Semiconductors. The visit will also be an opportunity to strengthen our civilizational bonds and cultural ties that connect our peoples.”
PM Modi said in a post on X that focus would be on deepening the Special Strategic and Global Partnership and boosting economic and cultural linkages between the two countries. He will also be travelling to Sendai to visit a semiconductor factory. He said that this visit will highlight “the futuristic dimension of our cooperation in areas like emerging technologies, AI and semiconductors.”
From Japan, PM Modi will travel to China to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in Tianjin, at the invitation of President Xi Jinping. India is an active and constructive member of SCO. The PMO said in the statement, “During our Presidency, we have introduced new ideas and initiated collaboration in the fields of innovation, health and cultural exchanges. India remains committed to working with the SCO members to address shared challenges and deepen regional cooperation.”
PM Modi further said, “I also look forward to meeting President Xi Jinping, President Putin and other leaders on the sidelines of the Summit.” He further added, “I am confident that my visits to Japan and China would further our national interests and priorities, and contribute to building fruitful cooperation in advancing regional and global peace, security, and sustainable development.”
India and Canada have announced the appointment of new high commissioners to each other’s capitals, a move that signals a significant improvement in relations after strained ties and vacant diplomatic posts caused by former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
India has named Dinesh K. Patnaik, a 1990-batch Indian Foreign Service officer and currently Ambassador to Spain, as its new High Commissioner to Canada. A press release by the Ministry of External Affairs said, “Shri Dinesh K. Patnaik (IFS:1990), presently Ambassador to the Kingdom of Spain, has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to Canada.” The MEA added that he is expected to take up the assignment shortly.
The position had been lying vacant since October 2024, when India’s previous envoy Sanjay Kumar Verma and several other diplomats were withdrawn from Ottawa amid worsening tensions.
On the Canadian side, veteran diplomat Christopher Cooter has been appointed as High Commissioner to India, filling a post that had been unoccupied since March 2022, when former high commissioner Cameron MacKay’s tenure ended. Anita Anand, Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced today that Christopher Cooterwillbecome High Commissioner for Canada in the Republic of India.
The vacancies reflected the deep chill in bilateral ties that began in September 2023, when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused Indian agents of involvement in the killing of Khalistani separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India strongly rejected the allegations, but the fallout led to tit-for-tat expulsions of diplomats, a suspension of trade talks, and eventually the withdrawal of high commissioners.
While Ottawa refrained from naming a replacement for more than two years, New Delhi pulled back its envoy and senior officials last year citing both security concerns and reciprocal measures.
A shift began to take shape earlier this summer at the G7 Summit in Canada, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney agreed that both countries would reappoint high commissioners as a first step toward normalising relations. The appointments announced today are the outcome of that understanding and are being seen as a strong gesture of intent to rebuild diplomatic engagement.
Dinesh K. Patnaik brings with him more than three decades of diplomatic experience. Apart from serving as ambassador to Spain, Morocco, and Cambodia, he has also held senior positions in the Ministry of External Affairs, including as Additional Secretary in charge of international organisations and global issues. Known for his expertise in multilateral negotiations and cultural diplomacy, Patnaik has often been regarded as one of India’s more versatile envoys.
Christopher Cooter is a seasoned Canadian diplomat with a career including postings in Europe, Africa, and multilateral institutions. He has previously served as Canada’s Ambassador to South Africa, High Commissioner to Nigeria, and Deputy Permanent Representative to NATO. Cooter is known in Ottawa’s diplomatic circles as a skilled negotiator and a steady hand in sensitive assignments, qualities expected to be crucial in managing relations with India.
The long delays – nearly ten months on the Indian side and more than two years on the Canadian side – underscored just how deep the diplomatic tension had been. But with the return of full-fledged envoys, both sides are now expected to gradually resume regular consular services, business facilitation, and political dialogue. The move could also pave the way for renewed discussions on trade, education, and security cooperation that have largely stalled in recent years.
Trump’s tariff assault also may have played a role, as countries affected by the tariff are boosting relations among themselves to contain the damages of tariff.
The Hindu Population in Uttar Pradesh’s communally-sensitive Sambhal district has declined to 15% while Muslim population surged to 85% since 1947.
This alarming revelation has been made in the report submitted by the panel appointed to probe Sambhal violence case. The report was submitted to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
The 450-page report consists of details about the November 2024 Sambhal violence and also touches on the previous riots which took place in the city.
The report also mentions key details about the demographic changes in Sambhal, where, at one point, the Hindu community members comprised 45%, but their number has since decreased to 20%.
From 55% to 15%, Hindu population declined in Sambhal
According to the report, during independence, 55% of the population was Muslim and 45% Hindu in the Sambhal Nagar Palika area.
However, at the present time, the Hindu population has decreased to 15%, whereas the Muslim community has increased to 85%.
15 communal riots since 1947 and Hindu were always the victims
The report stated that a total of 15 riots took place in Sambhal since independence.
These riots occurred in 1947, 1948, 1953, 1958, 1962, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1990, 1992, 1995, 2001, and 2019.
The report also revealed that the Muslim-dominated Sambhal district has become a base for several terrorist outfits.
Hindus were primary target of 2024 Sambhal violence, police presence thwarted conspiracy
Moreover, the judicial commission found that historically, Turks and Pathans had violent clashes in this region.
After 1947, the local Hindus have been the “primary victims” of all the listed communal riots started by Muslims.
Even the Muslim mob violence in November 2024 was planned to attack local Hindus. However, the heavy police presence in Hindu-majority areas prevented large scale Hindu casualties.
Sambhal violence and police action
On 24th November 2024, violence erupted during a court-ordered Archaeological Survey of India survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal.
The violence had resulted in the deaths of four individuals and injuries to several others, including officials and locals. As local Muslims gathered outside the mosque and tensions escalated, police resorted to force and opened fire on the protesters, killing at least four men and several injured, including officials and locals.
The violence unleashed by Muslim mobs resulted in 12 FIRs and 80 arrests for pelting stones at police officers from rooftops. According to the charge sheet, there were 159 total accused in the case. It also mentioned that the weapons recovered from the site of violence and other places were manufactured in the United Kingdom, USA, and Germany.
The Uttar Pradesh Police’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) had filed a chargesheet of over 4,000 pages in six of the 12 cases. Following the violence, the UP government constituted a three-tier judicial inquiry commission to investigate Sambhal violence. The commission is chaired by retired judge Devendra Arora, former DGP AK Jain and former IAS Amit Mohan Prasad.
OpIndia reported earlier how Samajwadi Party, notorious for its Muslim appeasement politics came out in support of Muslim rioters. In fact, SP MP Zia-ur-Rehman Barq and SP MLA Iqbal Mehmood’s son Suhail Iqbal have also been named in the chargesheet.
Russian oil is once again flowing into Central Europe after a sudden disruption to the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline after it was bombed multiple times in Russia by Ukraine. Russian oil supply to Hungary and Slovakia have restarted after both countries urged EU to prevent Ukraine from targeting it.
The Druzhba pipeline, its name meaning “friendship,” is one of the last living symbols of Europe’s Cold War dependence on Moscow. Stretching thousands of kilometres, it supplies crude to landlocked European countries such as Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic, which still lack easy alternatives despite years of EU efforts to diversify away from Russian oil. For them, the pipeline is a fragile necessity, politically uncomfortable, yet practically indispensable.
That contradiction became glaringly visible after Trump’s remarks over the attack on the pipeline. The U.S. president was furious that Kyiv would risk Europe’s fragile energy security by targeting Druzhba.
Druzhba pipeline was hit in Russia by Ukraine thrice in a week earlier this month. This had stopped supply of Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia, which are still importing large amounts of Russian oil.
Notably, while U.S. President Donald Trump has imposed an additional 25% tariff on India for importing Russian oil, he insists that these European countries keep receiving Russian oil. He had openly rebuked Ukraine for striking the pipeline, calling the attack reckless and destabilizing. He said that he was “very angry” over Ukraine for bombing the pipeline. Trump’s comments came in response to a note by Viktor Orbán, the Prime Minister of Hungary, calling the move unfriendly.
Trump wrote a handwritten note below Viktor’s comments, saying, “Viktor – I do not like hearing this. I am very angry about it. Tell Slovakia. You are my great friend.” His intervention underscored an awkward truth, while he sanctions India for buying Russian oil, he acknowledges that Russian oil is indispensable for Europe’s energy security.
The European Commission has also issued a statement, describing the Druzhba pipeline as an “important asset” that “should not be attacked.” While they didn’t mention recent attacks on it by Ukraine, Commission spokesperson Eva Hrcinova said the EU remains in contact with the Ukrainian side and “calls on all parties to the conflict to ensure the safety of critical infrastructure.”
She said that the Druzhba pipeline plays a key role in the EU’s energy security. However, she added that previous strikes on the pipeline have not had a significant impact on the region’s overall energy security.
After a video of a Congress-RJD rally in Darbhanga, Bihar, in which a person shouted vulgar abuses against Prime Minister Modi and his mother from the stage, the rally’s organiser and Congress leader, Mohammad Naushad, tendered a public apology.
In a video message, Mohammad Naushad admitted that an individual participating in the rally shouted expletives in the microphone from the stage against PM Modi and his late mother. Condemning the incident, Naushad offered an apology. “I condemn the incident and offer an apology for the incident,” said Naushad.
Congress first denied that PM Modi was abused.
Now Congress leader who organised the Rally in Darbhanga admits that PM Modi's Mother was abused from Congress stage.
Naushad said that the person who shouted the abuses was slapped by people present on the stage, and the microphone was immediately snatched from him. He said that the person was mentally unstable.
Speaking to India Today, Naushad said that he was not present on the stage at the time of the incident, and had left about 15-20 minutes before with Rahul Gandhi to attend a rally in Muzaffarpur. “I have contested elections twice from Delhi. For 20 years, I have been a party worker. We cannot do such a thing. Still, I apologise. Since we organised the program, I apologise,” Naushad said.
An undated video of the incident, showing a person using slurs like ‘Maderch*d’ against PM Modi, went viral on social media, attracting widespread outrage. Although no prominent leader was apparently present on the stage, the workers were heard raising slogans in support of Naushad, who is aspiring for a ticket in the upcoming assembly elections in the state.
Soon after the video went viral, the Congress Party dissociated itself from the incident. Senior Congress leader Rashid Alvi condemned the incident and said that his party did not approve of such language.
राहुल गांधी और तेजस्वी यादव की यात्रा के मंच से प्रधानमंत्री श्री नरेंद्र मोदी जी की स्वर्गीय माताजी के लिए बेहद अभद्र भाषा का प्रयोग किया गया।
राजनीति में ऐसी नीचता पहले कभी नहीं देखी गई। यह यात्रा अपमान, घृणा और स्तरहीनता की सारी हदें पार कर चुकी है।
The BJP has demanded an apology from Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav as the incident happened during their parties’ rally. No statement has been made by Rahul Gandhi or Tejashwi Yadav regarding the incident.
Wearing saffron under the Congress government in Karnataka’s Bengaluru city is becoming dangerous. On the night of 24th August, Surendra Kumar, a migrant worker from Bihar in Kalasipalya locality, was assaulted merely because he was wearing saffron-coloured scarf on his head. When the manager of the company where he works, Harikrishna, attempted to step in, the Muslim assailants assaulted him and ripped his shirt.
According to the media reports, the accident occurred at approximately 9:30 pm on Sunday, 24th August, in the busy area of Bengaluru, Karnataka. Surendra Kumar, a labourer by occupation, was at work outside a transport company called Royal Travellers.
The moment he was engaged in work, three Muslim youths arrived. First, they insulted him and then asked why he was wearing saffron scarf, and ordered him to take it off. Shilendra had no time to understand anything when they pushed him down and started beating him.
Harikrishna, the company manager, who has been with the company for the past 15 years, arrived at the place after hearing the noise. He attempted to stop them, but the Muslim mob did not spare him either and beat him also, ripped his shirt, and abused him.
Manager Harikrishna, in-charge of loading and unloading at Royal Travels, filed a complaint with the police after the incident. “They shoved Shilendra Kumar after asking him why he wore a saffron towel. When I intervened, they abused and beat me up, and tore my shirt. They also asked me why my workers were allowed to wear saffron towels,” Harikrishna mentioned in the FIR.
Firstly, the police had made a non-cognizable report, means no arrest on an immediate basis can be made, and they had treated the incident as a minor rivalry. But the moment the video of the incident went viral on social media and Hindu organizations staged protests, the police action began. Police have filed a case and arrested three accused.
The three accused have been identified as mechanic M Tabrez (30), radium cutter Imran Khan aged 35, and A Aziz Khan (37), a real estate professional.
They have been booked under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Sections 115 (voluntarily causing hurt), 302 (uttering words, etc., with deliberate intent to wound religious feelings of any person), and 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace). Police added more investigation is ongoing and strict action will be taken against the culprits.
A Hindu man was brutally thrashed by a Muslim mob on Monday (25th August) in Kanwad village in Shirol taluka of Kolhapur, Maharashtra, on the suspicion of helping a Muslim girl elope with a Hindu man.
A Muslim family, along with several others, attacked the victim, Akshay Ashok Koli, and his family with stones and sticks, and vandalised his house. Koli was seriously injured in the attack, while five members of his family sustained minor injuries. As per reports, ten people, including two women, have been arrested by the Shirol police. They were produced before the Jaysingpur court and were remanded to two days’ police custody.
The incident happened after a girl from a Muslim family eloped with a person named Ganesh Bankar. The family of the girl suspected that Koli helped the girl run away. As a result, Javed Mujawar, his wife Umran, Asim Chilu, Sadiq Mujawar, Alam Mujawar, Nadeem Awati, Tohid Mujawar, Saad Buran, Lajam Mujawar’s wife and Said Ali Taral and 4-5 other individuals reportedly barged into Koli’s house and brutally beat up his mother, Sunita Koli, father Ashok Koli, cousin Seema Koli, cousin Sandeep Koli and younger brother Rishikesh Koli, leaving them injured. Akshay Koli sustained severe injuries and was admitted to a hospital for treatment.
What the victim said
According to Akshay Koli, his father called him around 7:30 pm on the day of the incident, informing him that a Muslim mob had attacked their house. Hearing this, Koli immediately rushed to his house. When he reached near his house, he was first attacked by Javed Mujawar, who grabbed his collar and beat him with a chain. “When I was near my house, on my way, first of all, Javed Mujawar came ahead to stop my bike midway using a stick. Javed grabbed me by my shirt’s collar and pulled out a chain and started beating me,” Koli said.
According to Koli, there were around 150-200 people in the mob and the entire street in front of his house was jammed. He said that it looked like a planned attack. Some people in the mob dropped the cylinder that was kept inside Koli’s house several times to cause an explosion.
He added that he was later attacked by Asim Chulu and another individual, who hit him in the head. He said that Mujawar and his relatives repeatedly punched and kicked him on the head and genitals. When Koli’s two brothers, sister and father asked the people in the mob as to why they were beating him, the mob attacked them too. “They hit my father with a stone. They hit him in his leg with the stone so hard that it is almost fractured,” said Akshay Koli.
Koli said that he sustained 9 wounds after being constantly hit on the head. His brothers somehow managed to pull him out of the clutches of the mob and rushed him to a hospital. The mob kept chasing them till the hospital. One person from the mob caught him outside the hospital and hit him on his bleeding wound, saying that he (Koli) had abused his father.
The mob stood outside as Koli received treatment at the hospital. Koli said that he and his brothers could not go to the police station as the violent mob waited outside the hospital for them. He added that he would not have been alive had his brothers not saved him from the mob. Koli demanded that the culprits should be tried for attempt to murder.
The Madras High Court has put a stop to the Tamil Nadu government’s plan to use temple money for building marriage halls. The court said this move was completely against the law because temple funds can only be spent on religious purposes, not for commercial projects.
On 19th August, a division bench of Justice SM Subramaniam and Justice G Arul Murugan repealed five government orders approving the construction of marriage halls on temple property.
These orders were issued between 2023 and 2025 and pertained to temples such as the well-known Arulmigu Dhandayuthapani Swami Devasthanam at Palani, Petitioner Rama Ravikumar had filed the case, challenging that the government was misusing temple assets.
In the Tamil Nadu State Assembly, HR&CE Minister P.K. Sekarbabu had announced that the state would construct marriage halls in 27 temples. The project was estimated to cost Rs. 80 crore, taken from surplus temple funds. The plan was that these halls would later be rented out.
But the petitioner objected strongly, saying that temple money cannot be diverted for such purposes. According to the HR&CE Act, 1959, temple resources can only be used for maintaining temples, conducting festivals, feeding the poor, or helping needy devotees. Using the money for halls meant for rent, he argued, was like running a business with funds given by devotees for religious reasons.
He also pointed out that in some cases, the halls were planned more than 100 km away from the temples that provided the money, and that the projects didn’t have the proper statutory approvals. This, he said, reduced space for devotees and violated the basic idea of how temple resources should be managed.
State government’s defence
The Tamil Nadu government, however, defended its move. The Additional Advocate General told the court that marriage is a religious activity in Hinduism, and so the construction of halls from temple funds should be considered a religious purpose. He also argued that these halls would help Hindus conduct weddings at a lower cost, and said that loans taken from temple funds would be repaid according to rules.
High court’s judgement
The High Court was not convinced. The judges said that while marriage may be a sacred bond, it cannot automatically be called a “religious purpose” under the HR&CE Act. They also pointed out that there was no element of charity in the project since the halls were meant to be rented out for a fee.
The court stressed that temple funds are not government property. Devotees give money, jewellery, and land to temples with the belief that it will be used for maintaining the shrine and performing rituals. Using this money for government-driven projects, the judges said, was a clear misuse.
The bench also reminded that the utilisation of Surplus Funds Rules, 1960, had been ignored. These rules require a transparent process, including public objections and strict limits on how much money can be diverted.
Declaring the government’s actions “illegal and unconstitutional,” the court cancelled all five orders. It also said that any loss or misuse of temple money should be recovered from the officials responsible.
The court cited previous decisions, such as a 2025 Supreme Court ruling prohibiting the use of temple funds for shopping complexes, to clarify that such a commercial venture cannot be justified as “religious purposes.”
