Home Blog Page 2188

Under fire for spending Rs 45 cr for ‘renovation’ of his govt bungalow, Arvind Kejriwal joins wrestler’s protests at Jantar Mantar

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Under fire for spending Rs 45 cr for ‘renovation’ of his govt bungalow, Arvind Kejriwal joins wrestler’s protests at Jantar Mantar

Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister of Delhi, extended his support for the continuing protest by wrestlers over claims of sexual harassment against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president and Bharatiya Janata Party lawmaker Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on Saturday. He travelled to Janta Mantar in the national capital and urged people to take time off of work to support the disgruntled wrestlers and participate in their demonstration there.

“Those who love our country, whether they are from Congress, AAP or BJP and even if not affiliated with any party, must take off and come here to extend support to them (wrestlers),” the Aam Aadmi Party supremo stated standing alongside Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik, the three prime characters in the protest against the BJP’s member of parliament.

“Just think about the fact that there is someone so powerful that it took a week-long struggle and the intervention of the Supreme Court to get an FIR registered against him. If these children had not taken this head-on, wrong-doing would have gone on with our daughters,” he continued.

The CM remarked, “They are not fighting for themselves, they are fighting for the entire sports fraternity. My heart says their struggle will earn them success.” He also appealed to the central government to not ‘stop water and power’ from reaching the protest arena. “I will do whatever I can to help them as the chief minister of Delhi,” he assured.

Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra and former Indian cricket captain Kapil Dev have also come forward in support of the wrestlers.

However, the president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and former track and field athlete, PT Usha criticised them and noted, “Indian Olympic Association is having a committee for sexual harassment, instead of going to the streets they (protesting wrestlers) could have come to us earlier but they didn’t come to IOA. It isn’t good for sports not only for wrestlers. They should also have some discipline.”

Around four months after the arraignment of sexual harassment and hours after the Supreme Court heard the case, the Delhi Police filed two first information reports (FIR) on Friday night in connection with the allegations which named the six-time parliamentarian as an accused.

Following their first demonstration in January, the wrestlers have established camp in Delhi to assert their demands once again. The IOA and the government were able to appease the wrestlers by promising to look into their grievances.

The IOA established a seven-member committee under the leadership of M C Mary Kom to look into the charges before the wrestlers decided to end their protest. The union sports ministry had also suspended Vinod Tomar, the Additional Secretary of the Wrestling Federation.

Now, the wrestlers are contending that prior attempts made by the ministry and a probe by an oversight committee mandated by the government have not contributed to a resolution or assisted the victims.

The WFI chief has expressed his contentment with the court’s decision and voiced that he will cooperate in the investigation. “I am not only content with the decision but also I agree with it because I am a citizen of this country and the Supreme Court is the apex court in this country. We cannot disagree with or raise questions on the court. We welcome the decision of the Supreme Court,” he emphasised.

He also attacked the wrestlers for frequently switching positions. “Their demand changes every now and then. You should consider the agitation right from the beginning. At that time they demanded that the WFI president should resign. After that, they brought up the issue of sexual harassment. After that, they demanded that the government should conduct an inquiry,” he argued.

“Even if I resign, they will say that he is not favouring anybody by resigning, as anyways his term was already over. You tell them to start their practice and stop this protest, I send my resignation to you. If you are asking me to resign, I can resign, but not as a criminal,” he added.

Rs 45 crores of public exchequer spent on the renovation of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s official residence

A recent investigation by Times Now Navbharatfound that the official bungalow of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in Civil Lines was renovated at a cost of almost Rs 45 crore. The report, termed “Operation Sheesh Mahal,” said that Rs 44.78 crore of taxpayer funds were utilised for the renovations, raising questions about the Aam Aadmi Party’s commitment to promoting austerity.

The channel obtained documents that indicate the curtains at Arvind Kejriwal’s residence were priced at around Rs 5-8 lakh per piece.

According to the documents, 23 curtains were approved for installation at the residence of Delhi CM and AAP national convenor, with a total cost of Rs 97 lakhs.

Imported from Vietnam, the marble used for the renovation of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s residence cost around Rs 3 crores. The flooring was done using ‘Deor Pearl Marble’, known for its superior quality. Additionally, Rs 21,60,000 was spent on the chemical adhesive used to fix the marble.

The documents also reveal that a sum of Rs 40 lakhs was spent on installing six almirahs at the official residence of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.

China banned Uyghurs from praying in mosques during Eid-ul-Fitr: Report

ANI
-
0
China banned Uyghurs from praying in mosques during Eid-ul-Fitr: Report

Chinese authorities banned most Uyghurs from praying in mosques, and even in their homes, during the Eid-ul-Fitr holiday, in many parts of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, as per the residents and the police, Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported.

During Eid, which fell on April 20-21 this year, people aged 60 and older were allowed to pray in a local mosque under heavy police surveillance, sources said.

China has since 2017, restricted or banned ethnic customs and religious rituals among the mostly Muslim Uyghurs in what they say is an effort to stamp out “religious extremism.”

Authorities in Xinjiang during Eid patrolled city streets and searched houses to prevent people from secretly praying inside their homes, according to sources, RFA reported.

An administrative staffer from Yarkowruk town in Akesu Prefecture said one mosque there was open for Eid prayers.

“Our police officers went to the mosque to watch the people. I don’t know if people needed permission to go to the mosque because I did not go there,” the employee said.

An officer at the local police station said that only one mosque was open for Eid prayers in Bulung town, Bay county, though only residents over 60 years old were allowed to pray if they wanted.

The government issued a notice that people younger than 60 could not pray on the Eid holiday, the officer said.

Only a dozen Uyghur elders in Bulung attended Eid prayers in a mosque as three police officers and several auxiliary police staffers observed and wrote down the Uyghurs’ names, said the officer from the town’s police station, according to RFA.

“The mosque was open yesterday, and we went there to surveil people,” the police officer said, adding that he told residents under 60 not to go to the mosque.

A woman from a residential area in Maralbexi county in Kashgar Prefecture said none of her neighbours or relatives held Eid prayers or celebrations.

“The mosque was not open,” she told RFA. “My husband is a policeman, and he went to work on Eid. There was no Eid-ul-Fitr prayer here. It was quiet.”

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

After suspending the account of news agency ANI, Twitter blocks the account of English news channel NDTV

OpIndia Staff
-
0
After suspending the account of news agency ANI, Twitter blocks the account of English news channel NDTV

On Saturday, 29th April 2023, Twitter locked the Twitter handle of English news channel NDTV. NDTV shared this information from its other handles named NDTV News Feed and NDTV India. In one of the tweets addressed to Elon Musk and Twitter, NDTV has called itself India’s most-followed English news handle.

A visit to the Twitter account of NDTV shows the error message “This account doesn’t exist. Try searching for another.”

NDTV News Feed tweeted, “We are working with Twitter to restore @ndtv account. Please follow NDTV News Feed for news alerts and updates.”

NDTV India tweeted, “Hi Elon Musk, Twitter has blocked @ndtv (India’s most-followed English news handle). The account has been run by journalists since 2009. Please help restore it. Many thanks, Team NDTV.”

Originally founded by Prannoy Roy, NDTV is now owned by Adani Group, after Adani Enterprises Limited acquired a 27.26% equity stake in NDTV from Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy. Before that, Adani Group had acquired 29.18% stack in NDTV after acquiring RRPR Holding Pvt Ltd.

Earlier in the day, two Twitter handles of India’s largest news agency ANI also faced a similar fate, as one account was blocked and another was suspended by Twitter. Twitter has cited the reason of being under the age of 13 for blocking the Twitter handle of ANI. So far, no such reason behind the blocking of the NDTV handle has surfaced.

It is notable that according to Twitter’s policy, a Twitter user should be at least 13 years old when opening up a Twitter account. This is in compliance with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) in the United States, which requires parental consent for online services to collect personal information from children under the age of 13.

Twitter doesn’t have a specific norm for news organizations to open accounts, but the platform encourages organizations to use verified accounts to distinguish themselves from fake accounts and impersonators. To obtain a verified account, news organizations must meet certain eligibility criteria, including providing a confirmed email address, phone number, and website URL. They also need to provide proof of identity and a clear explanation of their brand or organization’s mission.

Additionally, as with individual users, news organizations must comply with Twitter’s terms of service, which prohibit the spread of false or misleading information and other forms of abusive behaviour. Twitter also has specific guidelines for media organizations, which include providing transparency in reporting and avoiding the use of manipulated media or other deceptive tactics.

After Elon Musk took over as the CEO of Twitter, the verified Twitter handle that is a blue tick has been made a paid feature. Since Elon Musk took control of the social media company and reduced staff, users have reported a number of problems with Twitter, raising questions about the service’s viability with fewer engineers.

‘Aditya Thackeray was planning to replace Uddhav Thackeray as CM when Uddhav was undergoing treatment,’ claims BJP MLA Nitesh Rane

OpIndia Staff
-
0
‘Aditya Thackeray was planning to replace Uddhav Thackeray as CM when Uddhav was undergoing treatment,’ claims BJP MLA Nitesh Rane

On Saturday, April 29, BJP MLA from Kankavli constituency, Nitesh Rane made a sensational claim about former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray and his son Aditya Thackeray. Rane has claimed that Aditya Thackeray was plotting to take to usurp the CM’s chair by replacing his father. 

Nitesh Rane claimed that when Uddhav Thackeray was undergoing cervical spine surgery, Aditya was planning to become the chief minister of Maharashtra. 

Rane claimed to possess CCTV footage of a meeting that took place at the Jaslok Hospital. It was allegedly stated at the time that Uddhav Thackeray might not fully recover. Nevertheless, Aditya was unable to carry out his plans since the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress, allies in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, were against it.

Nitesh Rane went on to claim that when Uddhav Thackeray was admitted to the hospital, “Aditya was busy enjoying in Davos with his friend Varun Sardesai.” He also said that Sanjay Raut should speak up and clarify whether this information is true or not.

Taking a jibe at Sanjay Raut, Rane said that “Raut should write about Aditya Thackeray’s marriage plans instead of making comments about others. He (Raut) should write about who and when Aditya will marry, who will do “Who will marry meow-meow (mimicking Aditya Thackeray’s voice).”

Notably, editorials written by Saamana newspaper’s executive editor Sanjay Raut regularly criticize the BJP and the BJP-backed Eknath Shinde government. Nitesh Rane responded to Raut’s criticism, through his recent remarks.

The Uddhav Thackeray faction, on the other hand, stated in response to Nitesh Rane’s accusations that his party and its leaders do not take Nitesh Rane seriously. Therefore, there is no point in responding to what he said.

Goa: NCB busts a drug cartel, Russian Olympic medallist among arrested with illegal drugs

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Goa: NCB busts a drug cartel, Russian Olympic medallist among arrested with illegal drugs

On Saturday, 29th April 2023, the Narcotics Control Bureau informed that it has busted an international drug cartel in Goa. The agency arrested an Indian national along with an Olympic medal-winning woman Russian swimmer and a former policeman. A large quantity of drugs has been recovered from them.

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has busted an international drug cartel in Goa and arrested two Russians. One of them is a 1980 Olympic silver medallist woman swimmer and the other is a former policeman. Along with this, an Indian has also been caught with drugs. The operation was carried out by the Goa unit of the NCB in the last two weeks, an NCB official said on Saturday.

Based on a tip-off that a Russian drug cartel was actively operating in Arambol and its adjoining areas in Goa, an operation was launched. According to intelligence inputs, a Russian woman named S Verganova was found involved in the supply of drugs. During the investigation, NCB also got information that a local person named Akash is also involved.

On April 14, Varganova was intercepted at Arambol, leading to the recovery of 2.5g of charas, 2g of methamphetamine and 0.3g of MDMA. During the investigation, the NCB said, it was learnt that a local named Akash was working on the direction of a Russian leader of the cartel.

On April 28, Akash was arrested at Arambol with 9 LSD blots, 30g of hashish, 1 MDMA tablet and Rs 28,000. During further investigation, it was revealed that Akash was part of a larger network and was acting on the instructions of a Russian person, who operated as the kingpin of the cartel. Surveillance was mounted around the Manderem area on the same day and a Russian national named Andre was arrested with 20 LSD blots.

According to NCB, during interrogation on the spot, Akash revealed that he was growing hydroponic weed at his local residence. Pots of hydroponic weed plants were recovered from his house. During the entire operation, 88 LSD blots, 8.8 grams of cocaine, 242.5 grams of charas, 1.440 kg of hydroponic weed, 16.49 grams of hash oil, 410 grams of hash cakes and various other narcotics were seized. Along with this, the NCB also recovered foreign currencies, fake documents, IDs and materials.

The arrested Russian woman S Verganova is a 1980 Olympic silver medallist in swimming, while Andre is a former Russian policeman. The latter has been operating a drug cartel in Goa for a long time. He had visited several cities to spread his network and was managing a well-spread network of street peddlers. Along with the Russian nationals, Indian citizen Akash has also been arrested and further investigation is underway.

‘Routine enquiry under FEMA, we have been completely transparent with the authorities’, says Byju’s after ED searches

ANI
-
0
‘Routine enquiry under FEMA, we have been completely transparent with the authorities’, says Byju’s after ED searches

The recent visit by officials from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) was related to a routine inquiry under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), according to Byju’s legal team spokesperson.

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) earlier today said it has conducted searches and seizure action at three premises in Bengaluru in the case of Raveendaran Byju and his company ‘Think & Learn Private Limited’ under the provisions of FEMA. Of the three premises, ED said two are Business and one residential. The company runs a popular online education portal under the name of Byju’s.

“We have been completely transparent with the authorities and have provided them with all the information they have requested. We have nothing but the utmost confidence in the integrity of our operations, and we are committed to upholding the highest standards of compliance and ethics,” Byju’s legal team spokesperson in a statement to ANI said.

The spokesperson added the company will continue to work closely with the authorities to ensure that they have all the information they need, and added it is confident that the matter will be “resolved in a timely and satisfactory manner”.

“We want to emphasize that it is business as usual at BYJU’S. We are committed to delivering high-quality educational products and services to our customers across India and the world,” the spokesperson said, adding that it remains focused on its mission to transform the way students learn.

Earlier, ED in a release said searches on Byju’s also revealed that the company has received foreign direct investment to the tune of Rs 28,000 crore (approximately) during the period from 2011 to 2023.

Further, ED said the company has also remitted Rs 9,754 crore (approximately) to various foreign jurisdictions during the same period in the name of overseas direct investment. 

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

Twitter restores ANI account after blocking it for ‘being under 13 years of age’, the other account ANI_News remains suspended

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Twitter restores ANI account after blocking it for ‘being under 13 years of age’, the other account ANI_News remains suspended

In a strange development on Saturday, 29th April 2023, a Twitter handle of the news agency ANI (Asian News International) was suspended and another was blocked. Twitter has cited the reason for blocking one account @ANI as being below 13 years of age in a mail. ANI’s Smita Prakash tweeted a screenshot of this mail from her Twitter handle.

In her tweet, Smita Prakash wrote, “So those who follow, there is bad news. Twitter has locked out India’s largest news agency which has 7.6 million followers and sent this mail – under 13 years of age! Our gold tick was taken away, substituted with a blue tick and now locked out.” Smita Prakash also tagged Elon Musk in her tweet.

When searching the account of ANI_News, the result shows the account is suspended.

And while searching for the account @ANI showed that it does not exist, which means it has been blocked by Twitter. While @ANI was removed for allegedly being underaged according to Twitter, the reason for suspending the other account @ANI_News is not known.

However, other Twitter handles of ANI like ANI Hindi, ANI Digital, ANI MP-Rajasthan, ANI UP-Uttarakhand etc. were running properly. More than five decades have passed since the establishment of ANI. ANI, which claims to be the ‘leading multimedia news agency of South Asia’, has more than 100 bureaus worldwide.

It is notable that according to Twitter’s policy, a Twitter user should be at least 13 years old when opening up a Twitter account. This is in compliance with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) in the United States, which requires parental consent for online services to collect personal information from children under the age of 13.

Twitter doesn’t have a specific norm for news organizations to open accounts, but the platform encourages organizations to use verified accounts to distinguish themselves from fake accounts and impersonators. To obtain a verified account, news organizations must meet certain eligibility criteria, including providing a confirmed email address, phone number, and website URL. They also need to provide proof of identity and a clear explanation of their brand or organization’s mission.

Additionally, as with individual users, news organizations must comply with Twitter’s terms of service, which prohibit the spread of false or misleading information and other forms of abusive behaviour. Twitter also has specific guidelines for media organizations, which include providing transparency in reporting and avoiding the use of manipulated media or other deceptive tactics.

After Elon Musk took over as the CEO of Twitter, the verified Twitter handle that is a blue tick has been made a paid feature. Since Elon Musk took control of the social media company and reduced staff, users have reported a number of problems with Twitter, raising questions about the service’s viability with fewer engineers.

Update: Later in the day, the Twitter handle @ANI was restored, and it became available on the platform with its follower count intact. “ANI’s Twitter account appears to be functioning now. Inconvenience regretted for the temporary outage,” the official handle of ANI tweeted after the account was restored.

However, the other Twitter account ANI_News remains suspended.

‘Guddu Muslim was Ayush Chaudhary’: Ayodhya’s Hanumangarhi Mahant Raju Das says Atiq Ahmed converted his aides to Islam

OpIndia Staff
-
0
‘Guddu Muslim was Ayush Chaudhary’: Ayodhya’s Hanumangarhi Mahant Raju Das says Atiq Ahmed converted his aides to Islam

On Friday, April 28, the chief priest of Ayodhya’s Hanumangarhi Temple said that Umesh Pal murder accused ‘Bumbaaz’ Guddu Muslim was originally a Hindu named Ayush Chaudhary and was converted to Islam by slain mafia-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed. Mahant Raju Das also said that Atiq Ahmed used to convert Hindu youths to Islam and then incite them to carry out criminal activities at his command.

Speaking to ETV Bharat, Mahant Raju Das said, “People in the administration have admitted and taken note that 12 people were converted by Atiq Ahmed. Guddu’s name was Ayush Chaudhary, and Usmani was Vijay, so it is confirmed by the administration that Atiq used to convert people who worked for him. Guddu Muslim inclined towards such criminal activities and somehow came in contact with Atiq, who in turn gave him work such as smuggling of counterfeit currency, murder, you see how he was hurling the bomb.”

He also claimed that Guddu Muslim’s original residence is in the Gosainganj area of Sultanpur in UP.

Moreover, Mahant Raju Das talked about a video of Atiq Ahmed’s son Asad Ahmed, who was killed in an encounter in Jhansi earlier this month, wherein he was seen brutally thrashing a naked man. It is notable that Asad Ahmed was one of the accused in the Umesh Pal murder case.

In a video posted on his YouTube channel, Mahant Raju Das said, along with smuggling weapons in collusion with Pakistan’s ISI, smuggling counterfeit currency, loot, murder, and rape, Atiq Ahmed used to play the game of religious conversion as well.

He further claimed that the administration during its investigation has found that Atiq Ahmed had converted 12 people to Islam. “Guddu Muslim once used to be Chaudhary, similarly Vijay, today known as Usmani was once Vijay. Atiq Ahmed changed the religion of whoever worked with him or for him. Had he (Atiq Ahmed) been alive, many more cases against him would have come to the fore and several white-collar people would also have been exposed,” the Hanumangarhi Temple Mahant said.

Notably, it was earlier reported that Usman, who fired the first shot in the murder case of Umesh Pal and was later killed in a police encounter, was originally a Hindu man named Vijay Kumar. He was reportedly rechristened as Usman when he joined Atiq Ahmed’s gang. The UP Police is investigating the religious conversion angle in the matter. 

‘Fight if you can, or just die…’: When a DM said these words out of the fear of mafia Mukhtar Ansari and refused to send police to control Mau riots

राहुल पाण्डेय
-
0
‘Fight if you can, or just die…’: When a DM said these words out of the fear of mafia Mukhtar Ansari and refused to send police to control Mau riots

Mafias used to be so powerful in Uttar Pradesh that even the collectors were reluctant to take action. One such mafia that had a reign of terror in the state was Mukhtar Ansari. The ruling party often exerted pressure on the officials due to its vote bank politics. The officials were helpless and the public used to remain silent out of fear.

During the 1990s, jailed gangster Mukhtar Ansari, a resident of Yusufpur Muhammadabad in Ghazipur district turned Mau into his base, from where he used to carry out his illegal activities. During this time, Ansari joined Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and became an MLA in 1996. In 2005—three years after Ansari was reelected as MLA in 2002, the infamous Mau Riots erupted. 

It is said that Mau remained on fire during this riot for close to a month. Many Hindus were killed, countless homes were burned down, and shops were vandalized. Homes and lands were grabbed illegally. The government remained a mute spectator as the city continued to burn. This riot’s fire was so intense that the railway’s operation from Mau was suspended for the first time ever. Mukhtar Ansari, who made his criminal debut in 1988, when his name emerged in the Sacchidanand Rai murder case, is said to be the mastermind of the Mau riots.

A social activist from Mau named Chhote Lal Gandhi detailed the atrocities of the 2005 Mau riots in a conversation with OpIndia. Speaking to OpIndia, he said “Mukhtar Ansari meticulously planned the riots in October 2005. These Muslims used to claim that they would have made chutney out of Hindus if they got a free hand for three days.

Speaking on Mukhtar Ansari’s role in the riots, Chhotelal Gandhi said, “It was around 9:30 when Ansari was roaming in an open jeep. There was firing and arson happening when he arrived close to the Talha Bagh turn. Ansari ran with a pistol in his hand and a man was killed on the spot. The brother of the Yadav man killed there was subsequently taken to Lucknow by Mukhtar and his brother Afzal Ansari. A man who was seated next to Mulayam Singh there claimed that Mukhtar Ansari, like a peace ambassador, was pleading with everyone to uphold peace in Mau.

Chhotelal further asserted that “without Mukhtar Ansari, there would have been no riots, he wanted to stir up a riot in Mau even bigger than the Godhra riots.” He also said that during those days a ‘Khan’ was in-charge of the Mau police station, who under the pretext of Jummah, left the firearms locked inside the police station. It was an army soldier who stepped out for an outing with family, had asked the police to stop the rioters, however, the police personnel told him that “they are 5000 in number, they will loot everything. After this, the soldier snatched a gun and shot a rioter dead and injured another, following this Mau could be saved from a riot.”

When Muslims were setting Hindu homes on fire, Chhote Lal told OpIndia that he spoke to Amar Yadav, the district magistrate at the time, several times. “I told the DM many times that there was a riot going on here and used to reply, “Fight if you are fit to fight, otherwise just die. What should we do (Ladna hai to lado warna marr jao saalon…hum kya karein)?,” Chhotelal adds. The DM would say “Where all will we deploy the police”. In front of Mukhtar Ansari and his terror, the DM was absolutely inept and powerless.

Chhote Lal claims that during the riots, Mukhtar set fire to Hindu-owned shops worth roughly Rs 2 crore in Mau Bazaar. He desired that there be no Hindus in the market, only Muslim shopkeepers should be there. He added that Mukhtar Ansari at that time had the backing of Mulayam Singh Yadav and due to this, even the police were reluctant to take any action against him.

‘SC should not waste its time on issues like same sex marriage’s: Jain Muni writes to President

OpIndia Staff
-
0
‘SC should not waste its time on issues like same sex marriage’s: Jain Muni writes to President

The number of people speaking out against the legalisation of same-sex marriage in India, an issue being heard by the Supreme Court, is only on the rise. After a group of 120 eminent citizens, Jain Acharya Shiv Muni has also written to President Draupadi Murmu raising strong objections against the attempts to legalise same-sex marriages in India.

He stated that such a discussion is unnecessary at a time when India is dealing with numerous other issues. The primary issues, according to him, are poverty alleviation, equitable access to education, a clean environment, and population management. He added that the Supreme Court has been slow to address such issues.

Further, describing India as a country of various religions, castes, and sub-castes, he wrote that marriage between a biological man and biological woman has been recognised for centuries and that in such a situation, the institution of marriage is not only the union of two opposite sexes but also advancement for mankind. The Jain guru said that legal sanction to same-sex marriage will go against the ethos of India’s ancient values-based society.

He stated that homosexual rights had already been safeguarded in previous Supreme Court decisions. He stated that since same-sex marriage is a statutory right and not a fundamental right, it can only be safeguarded by Parliament enacting legislation.

Strongly objecting to giving legal sanction to same-sex marriage, he said that if it is included in the Special Marriage Act, there would be a need to redefine it completely, as existing it is exclusively for only men and women.

“Marriage is a social/legal institution,” he stated in the letter. It cannot be destroyed or transformed into a new form. Marriage is a remarkable institution in India that has weathered the test of time and has civilizational significance. Efforts are being made to impose Western practices in independent India. The Supreme Court’s time is being wasted on a fictional matter rather than completing outstanding cases. It is unjust,” Acharya Shiv Muni said, lambasting at attempts of legalisation of same-sex unions.

Notably, a group of 120 eminent citizens have also written to President Draupadi Murmu, objecting to attempts to legalise same-sex marriages in India. The highly accomplished individuals, ranging from ex-bureaucrats to retired high court judges dubbed the exercise as ‘unnatural’, ‘irrational’ and ‘highly objectionable’ in the letter written on Thursday (April 27). They were aghast over the onslaught against the cultural traditions and religious tenets of India and urged the apex court to refrain from demolishing the institution of marriage, which falls under the purview of the Legislature.

They requested President Droupadi Murmu to intervene and protect the Indian traditions, values and social fabric from being destroyed by ‘elitist progressiveness.’

Earlier, the Bar Council of India passed a resolution opposing the recognition of same-sex marriage, saying it is against the culture and socio-religious structure of the country.

1...2,1872,1882,189...7,596Page 2,188 of 7,596