Thursday, January 15, 2026

BJP chooses Mohan Majhi as Odisha CM

By
Tehelka WebDesk
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Bhubaneswar : The BJP central leadership has sprung a surprise by picking  tribal leader Mohan Majhi as  the first chief minister of the party in Odisha. The name of Majhi, the MLA from Keonjhar Sadar, was announced after the end of the Bjp legislature party meeting here.  The meeting was overseen by two central observers defense minister Rajnath Singh and Bhupendra Yadav.

Patnagarh MLA K V sinhgdeo and first time MLA Pravati Parida have been made Deputy chief ministers.  The party has, thus, sought to strike a balance by making a tribal the chief minister while giving the responsibility of one deputy chief minister to an experienced person lime Singhdeo and choosing a woman as well.

Several names were doing the rounds for the chief minister’s post for the last few days with Singhdeo, Suresh Pujari and state party chief Manmohan Samal being front runners. The speculation about Dharmendra Pradhan had ended after he was included in the Modi cabinet.

The party has also kept in view an important factor like providing equal representation to different regions of the state. While Majhi hails from tribal dominated Keonjhar district Singhdeo comes from western Odisha and Parida from the coastal belt. The swearing-in ceremony will take place tomorrow at Janata Maidan with Prime Minister himself in attendance.  The Prime Minister is expected to hold a roadshow in Bhubaneswar. 

The first Bjp government is being formed in tne state following the defeat of Naveen Patnaik led Biju Janata Dal in the just concluded elections.  This was party’s first electoral defeat since 2000 and brought Patnaik ‘s 24 year reign to an end. The BJP has invited Patnaik to the swearing-in ceremony. 

Sonia, Rahul, Priyanka in Raebareli today to thank voters

By
Tehelka WebDesk
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Lucknow:  Congress MP Rahul Gandhi will address an ‘Aabhaar Sabha’ (thanksgiving meeting) of party workers of Raebareli and Amethi in Raebareli on Tuesday.

Sonia Gandhi, All India Congress Committee General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi and Amethi MP K.L. Sharma will also address the meeting.

Tuesday’s meeting will be the Congress’s first such in the state following the declaration of the 2024 Lok Sabha poll results.

The party has decided to hold thanksgiving public meetings and take out thanksgiving yatras in all the 80 Lok Sabha seats from June 11 to 15 to thank voters for supporting the Congress-Samajwadi Party alliance candidates in the recently concluded Parliamentary polls.

INDIA bloc won 43 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, with Congress getting six and the Samajwadi Party securing 37 seats.

Rahul Gandhi won the Raebareli Lok Sabha seat defeating Uttar Pradesh Minister and BJP candidate Dinesh Pratap Singh by a margin of 3, 90, 030 votes.

K.L. Sharma wrested Amethi from Union Minister Smriti Irani, defeating her by 1, 67, 196 votes.

Amethi, considered a bastion of the Nehru-Gandhi family, fell in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections when Smriti Irani defeated Rahul Gandhi there by a margin of about 55, 000 votes.

Massive hunt for bus attackers in Jammu and Kashmir

By
Tehelka WebDesk
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A large-scale search operation is underway to capture the terrorists responsible for the attack on a passenger bus in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district, which left nine people dead and 41 injured, officials said. 

Teams from the National Investigation Agency (NIA), State Investigation Agency (SIA), and the Forensic Department have visited the scene of the attack to begin their investigation.

On Sunday, terrorists fired upon a 53-seater bus carrying pilgrims from Shiv Khori temple to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine near Teryath village in the Poni area. The bus subsequently fell into a deep gorge due to the gunfire.

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha visited the injured passengers at GMC and Narayana hospitals on Monday. He said that the terrorist attack was part of a malicious plan to create chaos in the Jammu region, a plan that will be thwarted. The Director General of Police (DGP), along with senior officers, including Army personnel, is scheduled to visit the site to gather firsthand information about the incident.

The Hurriyat Conference condemned the terrorist attack on the bus carrying pilgrims in Reasi district, expressing grief over the incident. “The Hurriyat Conference has and will always condemn all forms of violence against humanity. The loss of precious human lives is deeply disturbing,” the grouping said.

Pandian retires from active politics

By
Tehelka WebDesk
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Bhubaneswar: Bureaucrat-turned politician and caretaker chief minister Naveen Patnaik’s Man Friday VK Pandian on Sunday announced his retirement from active politics. In  a self-made video Pandian, who has been squarely  blamed for Biju Janata Dal’s defeat in the elections, said that his only intent  in joining politics was to help Patnaik and it was his shortcomings that he was not able to effectively counter some of the political narratives at the right time.

“I come from a very humble family and a small village. My dream since childhood has been to join IAS and serve the people. Lord Jagannath made it happen. Because of my family from Kendrapada, I came to Odisha. Since the day I set foot on the soil of Odisha, I have received immense love and affection from the people of Odisha. From Dharamgarh to Rourkela to Mayurbhanj to Ganjam, I have tried to work very hard for the people. 12 years ago, I joined the CM’s office,” he said.

“It was an honour to be working for Shri Naveen Patnaik; the experience and the learning I had from him are for a lifetime. His grace, leadership, ethics, and, above all, his love for the people of Odisha always inspired me. His expectation of me was to implement his vision for Odisha and we successfully crossed many milestones in health, education, poverty reduction, sports, investments, women’s empowerment, infrastructure, and also in temple and heritage projects,” Pandian added while giving details of the work he has done for the state under Patnaik’s guidance.

“Working for the youth, school, and college children gave me great satisfaction. My own childhood memories of studying in a convent school helped me to implement the honorable CM’s visions for school transformation under 5T. During COVID-19, we traveled to almost all 30 districts to ensure that the health infrastructure was ready to serve the people. At this time, we faced two super cyclones and we worked hard to save every precious life. I left the IAS taking voluntary retirement and joined the BJD to assist my mentor Shri Naveen Patnaik,” he said.

Asserting that he came to politics only to help Patnaik and had no desire for a specific political post or power he said,  “My only intent was to help him, as anyone would do for his mentor or family. I would like to set straight certain perceptions and narratives. Perhaps it has been my shortcomings that I have not been able to effectively counter some of the political narratives at the right time. I reiterate that I came to politics to help my mentor, Shri Naveen Patnaik, ahead of the gruelling elections and I had no desire whatsoever for a specific political post or power.”

“Therefore, I was neither a candidate nor was I holding any post in BJD. For the last 12 years, I have tried to work from early in the morning till midnight, keeping Naveen Babu and Odisha as my focus,” the BJD leader added. He also apologized to the people of Odisha and the BJD leaders saying that the party lost both Lok Sabha and Assembly elections as he could not counter the campaign narrative against him.

Sever BJP leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah targeted VK Pandian, who hails from Tamil Nadu, during their campaign in the state. Making it clear that he was a man of integrity Pandian said “ The biggest earnings in my lifetime have been the love and goodwill of the people of Odisha. My intent of joining politics was only to assist Naveen Babu, and now, consciously, I have decided to withdraw myself from active politics. I am sorry if I have hurt anyone on this journey. I am sorry if this campaign narrative against me has had a part to play in BJD’s loss.”

The announcement by Pandian is likely to be received by most BJD leaders with a sense of relief as they had held him solely responsible for the party’s electoral debacle. 

UpUrFit unveils sports & fitness focussed products range

By
Tehelka WebDesk
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New Delhi: UpUrFit, an India-grown start-up has launched the widest range of products focusing on sports and fitness enthusiasts to help them overcome exercise-induced pain and discomfort and to give them a more hygienic workout experience.

In total, UpUrFit which recently was adjudged as the most promising brand in what is touted as the world’s largest exhibition for sports, fitness, and wellness IHFF has launched eight products. These products include Cryo and Thermo Gel to assist pre-exercise warm-up and post-exercise cool down, Cryo Spray for sudden impact-induced pain, Thermo Spray for post-exercise muscle soreness, towel-sized body and face wet wipes for hygiene and immediate freshness, towel sized shampoo wet wipes for hair and scalp cleansing post workout and hygiene, a mist based SPF 50+ sweat-proof sunscreen to assist outdoor activity and an Epsom salt-induced body wash for muscle relaxation during the post-exercise bath. The company claims that there is no other India-grown brand that supports the sports and fitness community from the time they think of exercising till the time of completion of their exercise regimen and beyond. All products are developed, trialed, and manufactured in India.

This Indian startup is founded by entrepreneurs Munish Vig and Vikram Gunjal and is based out of Mumbai. Speaking on the occasion of their participation in the New Delhi chapter of IHFF which is underway at Pragati Maidan, co-founder Munish Vig said, “Post the pandemic, the global population focusing on sports and fitness has grown multifold. The fitness population is doubling every 4 (four) years. People are getting fitter and there is a huge gap between the fitness enthusiasts’ current needs and the available solutions. Hence, UpUrFit found it to be the perfect time to extend the Make In India initiative and launch UpUrFit in India. It is time that Indian fitness enthusiasts get world-class solutions to help them overcome their performance barriers of pain, discomfort, and hygiene. We have done in-depth research on what is available in countries that currently are much ahead of India in their fitness learning curve. Like in many other areas, India is growing fast on the sports and fitness front too. India’s winning of more than 100 medals in the recent edition of Asian games is a testimony of the fact that the Indian sports and fitness community needs the best solutions that exist globally.”

International brands have started looking very seriously at the Indian market. We are seeing recent launches of some foreign brands in India. Keen interest is being seen from sports celebrities for endorsement and investment in products from this segment. UpUrFit remains India’s first brand with the widest range of products from this segment. In its early days, UpUrFit has already won the confidence of leading Indian sports physiotherapists, gym chains and has partnered with some of the top sports teams from the financial capital of India as their activation and recovery partner.

Sonia Gandhi unanimously re-elected CPP Chairperson

By
Kavita
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New Delhi : Former Congress President Sonia Gandhi was today unanimously re-elected the Chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party at a meeting of the party MPs from Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

In her address after being re-elected as the CPP Chairperson, she thanked the Congress MPs and assured she will do her best.

Expressing confidence and satisfaction over the revival of the party, she pointed out, “many wrote our obituaries”.

Hitting out at Prime Minister Modi, she said, he had suffered a political and moral defeat as he had sought the mandate solely in his name to the exclusion of both his party and its allies.

“In reality, he has lost the mandate he sought and thereby lost the right to leadership as well”, she observed, while adding, “yet, far from taking responsibility for failure, he intends to get himself sworn in again tomorrow”.

Congratulating the newly elected parliamentarians she told them, “you have fought a tough election under the most challenging of circumstances. You have surmounted many obstacles and campaigned so very effectively”.

Ms Gandhi told them that their success had given the Congress a much greater presence in the Lok Sabha and a more effective voice in its proceedings, both of which will help give greater strength to the party’s participation. 

“Our numbers in Parliament have increased significantly”, she said, while adding, “not only is the Indian National Congress a large contingent in the Lok Sabha but we are bolstered by the strength of our INDIA partners, some of whom have themselves come back impressively”.

She told them that as members of the CPP, they have a special obligation to be “watchful, vigilant and proactive in holding him (the PM) and his new NDA government accountable”.

“No longer can and should Parliament be bulldozed like it has been for a decade now. No longer will the writ of the ruling establishment be permitted to disrupt Parliament, whimsically mistreat members or push through legislation without due and proper consideration and debate”, she said, adding, “no longer can and should Parliamentary Committees be ignored or by-passed like they have been since 2014.  No longer will Parliament be muzzled and stifled as it has been over the past ten years”.

Ms Gandhi said, the Indian National Congress has once again demonstrated its resilience. “It was up against a mighty and malevolent machine that was doing its utmost to destroy us”, she observed, while pointing out, “it tried to cripple us financially. It carried out a campaign against us and our leaders that was full of lies and defamation”. 

“Many wrote our obituaries! But under the determined leadership of Kharge Ji, we persevered”, she said while praising the leadership of Mr. Kharge, adding, “he is an inspiration to all of us.  His commitment to the party organisation and its ideology is truly extraordinary and we all have to learn from his example”.

She praised Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra and the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, saying these were really historic movements which rejuvenated the Congress at all levels.

“Rahul deserves special thanks for his tenacity and determination to fight on in the face of unprecedented personal and political attacks”, she observed, while adding, “he also shaped our narrative of guarantees and protection of the Constitution very sharply”.

Farmer Unions Rally Behind CISF constable, Women’s Union Demands Apology from MP Kangana Ranaut

By
Tehelka WebDesk
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In a show of solidarity, farmer unions have rallied behind the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) constable who reportedly slapped newly elected Member of Parliament Kangana Ranaut at the airport. This collective support comes in response to Ranaut’s derogatory remarks about women participating in farmer protests, sparking outrage among farmer groups.

Leaders of various farmer unions, including Kisan Mazdoor Morcha and Punjab Kisan Union, condemned Ranaut’s comments and expressed support for the constable’s actions. Saran Singh Pandher of Kisan Mazdoor Morcha emphasized the need to understand the constable’s reaction, citing the gravity of insulting remarks towards one’s mother.

Meanwhile, women’s unions, led by Rajwinder Kaur, president of Mahila Kisan Union, have demanded an apology from MP Kangana Ranaut for her derogatory statement. Kaur, who witnessed Ranaut’s remarks firsthand at the Shambhu border, reiterated the importance of respectful discourse, especially from elected officials.

The incident has reignited tensions between political figures and farmer groups, with sentiments running high post-elections. Women’s organizations plan to visit the family of Kulwinder Kaur, the constable involved, extending unwavering support in solidarity. As the fallout from Ranaut’s comments continues, the demand for accountability and respect in public discourse remains at the forefront of the ongoing farmer protests.

PM Modi hails students, faculty on improved performance of Indian universities in world ranking

By
Tehelka WebDesk
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New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has praised the education sector for the improved performance of Indian universities as reflected in the QS World University Rankings 2025 and said that in the new term, a boost will be given to research and innovation.

“Over the last decade, we have focused on qualitative changes in the education sector. This is reflected in the QS World University Rankings. Compliments to the students, faculty and institutions for their hard work and dedication. In this term, we want to do even more to boost research and innovation, ” said PM Modi.

The Prime Minister said this while reposting a post by the CEO and Managing Director of QS Quacquarelli Symonds Ltd, Nunzio Quacquarelli.

In his post on X, Quacquarelli said, “Under Narendra Modi’s leadership, the last 10 years have seen continued improvement in the performance of Indian universities in QS World University Rankings. 46 institutions compared to 11 in 2015, a 318% increase in 10 years, the best amongst the G20. @PMOIndia”

The report said that over the past decade, India has increased its representation in the rankings by 318 per cent, the highest among the G20 nations. In 2015, there were only 11 institutions in the Rankings while in 2024 the number has risen to 46.

Engineer Rashid seeks interim bail from Delhi court to take oath as MP

By
Tehelka WebDesk
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Sheikh Abdul Rashid, also known as Er Rashid, has approached Delhi’s Patiala House Court seeking interim bail to take his oath as a Member of Parliament. Rashid, an independent candidate, won the Baramulla Parliamentary seat in north Kashmir, defeating former J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah by over two lakh votes.

Rashid is currently incarcerated in Delhi’s Tihar Jail, facing charges under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) in an alleged terror-funding case. His lawyer, Vikhyat Oberoi, said they are requesting either interim bail or custody parole to allow Rashid to fulfill his parliamentary duties.

Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jit Singh has requested a response from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and scheduled the next hearing for Friday, according to the Bar & Bench.

Previously, Rashid served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly, and his Lok Sabha campaign was managed by his sons, Abrar Rashid and Asrar Rashid.

40th anniversary of June 1984 Ghallughara marked at Sri Akal Takht Sahib

By
Swinder Singh Bajwa
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Amritsar : The 40th anniversary of June 1984 Ghallughara (massacre) by the then Congress government of India on Sachkhand Sri Harmandar Sahib and Sri Akal Takht Sahib was marked at Sri Akal Takht Sahib today. After the bhog (concluding ceremony) of Sri Akhand Path Sahib (uninterrupted recitation of Guru Granth Sahib), the raagi jatha engaged the congregation with Gurbani Kirtan. 

On this occasion, while giving a message to the Sikh community, Jathedar of Akal Takht Sahib THE HIGHEST Sikh temporal seat  Giani Raghbir Singh expressed Qaumi (community’s) sentiment towards all the martyrs of June 1984 Ghallughara including Sant Giani Jarnail Singh Khalsa Bhindranwale, Bhai Amrik Singh, General Shabeg Singh, Bhai Thara Singh and others and called the Sikh community to move forward by making the wounds of this Ghallughara a strength. He said that not releasing the Sikh prisoners and not punishing the perpetrators of the November 1984 Sikh genocide even after 40 years is an unfair treatment of the Indian government towards the Sikhs. Therefore, instead of repeatedly pleading to Delhi for the political, geographical and economic rights of Panth and Punjab, there is a need to flourish Khalsa’s humility based rule’s Sikh politics.

Jathedar of Akal Takht Sahib, referring to Sikh history, said that Sikhs played a leading role in the country’s freedom struggle against the British, but the promises made by the leaders of our own country were forgotten after independence. Even the government officials were issued orders to keep a suspicious eye on the Sikhs, terming them as a ‘criminal tribe’.

Jathedar said that after a fierce struggle, the Sikhs got the Punjabi state, but Punjab was deprived of the rightful river waters, the capital Chandigarh and many Punjabi speaking areas. The Sikhs were forced to start the Dharam Yudh Morcha on these issues of Punjab and the Anandpur Sahib Resolution to strengthen the federal structure of state. The Jathedar said this effort of Sikhs was crushed by the policy of repression and to avenge the opposition of the Akali Dal during the Emergency, the egoistic and tyrannical Prime Minister Indira Gandhi made the military enter Sri Harmandar Sahib on June 1, 1984, on the occasion when the Sikh Sangat was observing martyrdom day of fifth Sikh master  Sri Guru Arjan Dev and brutally killed Sikh men, women, children and elderly by firing bullets. He said that this attack of June 1984 is the third Ghallughara for the Sikh community and its pain and wounds will never be erased from the Sikh subconscious.

Giani Raghbir Singh also remembered the martyrs of June 1984 Ghallughara and the sacrifices of the Dharmi Faujis (Army soldiers who left barracks in protest against military action at Central Sikh shrine) who left the barracks. He said that the secret plan of Indira Gandhi to commit the genocide of Sikh youth under ‘Operation Woodrose’ could not succeed due to the rebellion of Dharmi Faujis.

Marking the current crises of the Sikh community, the Jathedar emphasized the need to set a community agenda based on the welfare-of-all philosophy of Sri Guru Nanak Dev. The Jathedar said that collective efforts should be made to give a positive direction to the politics which is void of true values of righteousness and hard-working honest earning culture and to tackle the challenges like loss of Sikh values, environment, health, mother tongue and education from Punjab, the birthplace and homeland of Sikhs. He appealed to Sikhs to be bearers of high character taking guidance from proud Sikh history and said that serious efforts should be made to protect the future generations of the Sikh community from drugs.

On this occasion, family members of martyrs Bhai Ishar Singh, Bibi Satwant Kaur, Bhai Manjit Singh, Beant Singh, Bhupinder Singh Bhalwan and others were honoured by Akal Takht Sahib.

The SGPC President Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami, who attended the annual congregation of June 1984 Ghallughara, said that the oppression of the Sikh community by the Congress government in the month of June 1984 can never be forgotten. He said that Sikh history is a witness to the fact that the Sikh community has always responded to the oppression of opposing forces and tyrannical governments. He said that the martyrs of June 1984 are the wealth of the community. In response to a question, the SGPC President said that the government instead of apologising in the Indian Parliament for the Ghallughara, conspiracies are being hatched to weaken the community’s institutions. He said that the Sikhs are always targeted deliberately by governments, while the contribution of Sikhs to save the country’s culture is a part of history. He also said that the perpetrators of the June 1984 attack and the Sikh genocide of November 1984 were not punished, due to which there is resentment in the community. 

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