Saturday, January 3, 2026

Nitish Kumar has brought shame to the country: Modi

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Tehelka WebDesk
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A day after Nitish Kumar’s comments in the House on population control methods created a furore in political circles, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing an election rally in Madhya Pradesh’s Guna said the Bihar Chief Minister had brought shame to the country.

Modi asked the INDIA bloc leaders why they were silent on the Bihar Chief Minister’s statement.

“There were women sitting in the Vidhan Sabha and that INDIA bloc leader talked in the most vulgar manner, ” Modi said and slammed Nitish for being insensitive and asked how could his government save the honour of women if they did not respect them?

The National Commission for Women (NCW) chief Rekha Sharma, too, on Wednesday lambasted Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for his remarks in the state Assembly. She likened his comments to a “C-grade movie dialogue.”

In a press conference called shortly after Nitish Kumar issued an apology for his remarks, stating, “I apologise and take back my words…” Sharma expressed her disapproval of Kumar’s statement, describing it as reminiscent of low-quality film dialogues.

Asserting that the remarks had broader implications for women and society as a whole, the NCW chief highlighted the disappointing reaction of male MLAs in the House, who were seen laughing.

Sharma characterised Kumar’s actions and gestures as an “unfortunate and inappropriate” attempt at humour.

Furthermore, Sharma raised concerns about the Assembly Speaker not yet expunging Kumar’s statements from the record.

She demanded that the Speaker take action against the Chief Minister and ensure that his statements were expunged from the official records.

“National Commission for Women, vehemently condemns the recent statements made by Nitish Kumar in the Vidhan Sabha concerning women’s fertility and education and linking it to the population of the country. Such remarks are not only regressive but also egregiously insensitive to women’s rights and choices. Bihar’s Chief Minister should issue an apology to women across the country for these deeply offensive remarks, ” the NCW had posted on X on Tuesday.

PM Modi does not even know how to make tea,only know ‘jumlebazi says Bhagwant Mann

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Tehelka WebDesk
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Bhopal (MP) : Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday campaigned in favor of Aam Aadmi Party candidates for the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections. Both the leaders along with the AAP candidates held road shows in the assembly constituency Chachaura-Binaganj and appealed to the people to vote for the Aam Aadmi Party.

 While addressing the people during the road show, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann fiercely attacked BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said that Prime Minister Modi and BJP leaders only do ‘jumlebazi’. In the last nine and a half years of its rule, the Modi government has not done anything for the common people.

 Mann said that his promise of Rs 15 lakh turned out to be a ‘jumla’, two crore jobs promise turned out to be a jumla. He said that during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, PM Modi used to talk about selling tea, but I doubt that he does not even know how to make tea.

Mann accused the Modi government of worsening the condition of the country’s farmers and said that the farmers who feed the country are forced to sleep hungry today because of the failure of the Modi government . They (politicians) filled their own coffers.

 Seeing the huge crowd of people in the road show, Bhagwant Mann said that this is the sign of change in Madhya Pradesh. Just as people have gathered in large numbers in our road show in Madhya Pradesh today, there used to be a similar enthusiasm among people in Punjab and before that in the people of Delhi.

 He said that we have done a lot of work in Delhi and Punjab. When the AAP government is formed here, we will work here similarly too. Here also people will be given free electricity. We will build mohalla clinics for free and better treatment and build good government schools for the education of your children.

Eknath Shinde unveils Shivaji statue in Kashmir’s Kupwara

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Tehelka WebDesk
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A statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, a 17th-century Maratha king, was unveiled in Kupwara district of Kashmir, marking a new symbol of nationalism. The unveiling ceremony was led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and attended by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Maharashtra Cultural Affairs Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, Major General Girish Kalia, GOC, Vajr Division, and other senior army and civil officers.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is a historical figure known for his battles against Muslim Mughal rulers. However, he is widely regarded as a secular king who belonged to a marginalized caste.

Before the revocation of special status in 2019, Kashmir had limited statues installed in public places. One of the few existing ones was a bust of Major Somnath Sharma, a war hero who died while defending against tribal invaders from Pakistan in 1947.

The newly unveiled statue stands at 10 feet and portrays the Maratha warrior king riding a horse. It has been erected at a Maratha Light Infantry Regiment camp in Kupwara, and the occasion was marked with special prayers conducted by a priest.

A joint effort between the Pune-based NGO Amhi Punekar and the 41 Rashtriya Rifles of the Indian Army (Maratha Li), the statue was welcomed with enthusiasm by numerous army personnel, who celebrated its arrival in Kupwara.

Lieutenant Governor Sinha praised the NGO for this “historic initiative” and expressed his belief that the statue would serve as a source of inspiration for the people and the brave soldiers of the army. He also called for the celebration of a Shivaji festival in Kupwara on November 7 every year.

Eknath Shinde, the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, noted the significance of erecting the statue in the same year as the 350th anniversary of Chhatrapati Shivaji’s coronation. Shinde, who is a Shiv Sena leader and a BJP ally, has shown particular interest in Kashmir, visiting the region in June to request land from LG Sinha for the construction of a Maharashtra Bhavan in Kashmir, a move that no other state has yet undertaken in Jammu and Kashmir.

Amarnath Shrine in Kashmir now accessible by vehicles

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Tehelka WebDesk
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The Amarnath shrine, situated at an elevation of 13,000 feet in the Jammu & Kashmir region, has seen the first-ever movement of four-wheelers to the cave temple. The sacred site, discovered by a Muslim shepherd named Buta Malik in 1850, was previously only accessible by non-motorized transport. 

Vehicles reached the cave shrine via the Baltal route in central Kashmir’s Sonamarg. This route, spanning 14 kilometers, is shorter than the 20-kilometer Pahalgam axis in south Kashmir’s Anantnag.

Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has built a network of roads to make the pilgrimage easier for devotees.

“The Border Roads personnel achieved a historic milestone with the successful arrival of the first set of vehicles at the holy cave,” a spokesman from the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) said. 

The BRO’s Project Beacon has played a role in the restoration and enhancement of the Amarnath Yatra tracks. 

Responsibility for maintaining these challenging pilgrimage routes was transferred to the BRO by the Indian government following the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution in 2019. The BRO has been tasked with widening and upgrading the tracks to ensure a smoother journey for pilgrims.

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, has announced another road project to connect the Amarnath shrine in Pahalgam. This project, with an estimated cost of around ₹5,300 crore, will involve the construction of a 110-kilometer-long Amarnath Marg, providing greater accessibility for pilgrims. The development of this road is expected to enable year-round access to the shrine for devotees.

The Amarnath Shrine Board had previously set up a committee, chaired by spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, to determine the suitable time frame for the pilgrimage. It recommended opening the yatra only after assessing the snowmelt in April-May, with the yatra typically culminating on the festival of Raksha Bandhan each year. The committee also imposed an upper limit on the number of daily pilgrims visiting the cave shrine, capping it at 16,000.

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said the BRO’s move has prompted concerns over the reckless urbanization of religious sites for political mileage, disregarding the ecological impact and the sacred ethos of Hindu pilgrimage.

“This is not history; it’s the biggest crime one can commit to Hinduism and its faith in nature. Hinduism is all about immersing in spiritual mother nature; that’s why our pilgrimages are in the lap of Himalayas. Turning religious pilgrimages into picnic spots for mere political gains is worthy of condemnation. We have seen the wrath of God in Joshimath, Kedarnath and yet we are learning no lessons, instead inviting a catastrophe in Kashmir,” PDP spokesperson Mohit Bhan said.

Delhi air quality in ‘severe’ category again

By
Tehelka WebDesk
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New Delhi : The air quality in Delhi on Tuesday morning again dipped to ‘severe’ category after improving very slightly.

On Monday evening, the air quality in Delhi-NCR improved slightly with an overall Air Quality Index (AQI) at 399, in the ‘very poor’ category, according to data from the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR).

However, on Tuesday the quality again fell into the ‘severe’ category. In the national capital, the Anand Vihar station remained in the ‘severe’ category with PM 10 at 500 and PM 2.5 also reached 500 while the CO was at 112 and NO2 at 123, both under ‘moderate’ category, as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

The AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’; 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’; 101 and 200 ‘moderate’; 201 and 300 ‘poor’; 301 and 400 ‘very poor’; and 401 and 500 ‘severe’.

At Delhi Technical University (DTU) station, the PM 2.5 reached 315 under ‘very poor’ category while PM 10 was at 411 under ‘severe’ category. The CO was recorded at 103, under the ‘moderate’ category.

The station at Dwarka sector 8 recorded PM 10 at 486 and PM 2.5 at 493 (‘severe’), while CO was at 119 and NO2 was at 132, both under moderate category.

However, at Dwarka sector-8 station the PM 2.5 was at 459 and PM 10 was at 457, both under severe category . The NO2 levels reached 113 and CO at 118, both under moderate category.

The air quality at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport T3 area was in the ‘severe’ category with PM 2.5 at 441 and PM 10 at 402 while the CO reached 58 in the ‘satisfactory’ category.

The PM 2.5 at ITO was recorded at 401, putting it in the ‘severe’ category while PM 10 reached 256, placing it under ‘poor’ category. The Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) was recorded at 168 (‘moderate’) on Tuesday morning.

At Lodhi Road, the AQI with PM 2.5 concentration was at 383 under the ‘very poor’ category, while PM (particulate matter) 10 was recorded at 357, also in the ‘very poor’ category while CO (Carbon Monoxide) was at 129 in moderate category.

Supreme Court’s decision in Punjab government-Governor case is a victory of democracy :AAP

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Tehelka WebDesk
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Chandigarh : The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab thanked the Supreme Court for its verdict in favour of the Mann government in the Punjab Government-Governor dispute and said that this decision is a victory of the people of Punjab and democracy.

Addressing the media at the party headquarters in Chandigarh on Monday, AAP Punjab chief spokesperson Malvinder Singh Kang launched an attack on the BJP government at the Center and said that the Constitution of India gives the right to rule the state to the representatives elected by the people,   But unfortunately, the Modi government is continuously trying to control the opposition ruled states through governors.

Kang said that the Modi government has damaged the dignity of the governor’s post by using it for political interference. This entire incident has hurt the dignity of Punjab Governor’s post too.

Kang said that the Supreme Court questioned the Governor’s lawyer that when the Punjab Government came to the Supreme Court, then the Governor passed the pending bills. He did not have any concrete answer to this.

Kang said that according to the Constitution, the Governor is the constitutional head of the state, but it is clearly written in the Constitution that the Governor is bound to work as per the advice of the Council of Ministers. Therefore the role of the elected government is more important.

Kang said that the way the Governor interfered in the daily functioning of the Punjab government and carried out political interference, Punjab suffered a lot because of that.

Kang also criticized opposition leaders for supporting the governor in his wrong decisions. He said that the opposition leaders have betrayed Punjab too.  All of them should apologize to the people of Punjab for supporting the Governor.

Rahul, Priyanka urge people in Chhattisgarh, Mizoram to vote for Congress

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Tehelka WebDesk
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New Delhi : Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday urged the people in Chhattisgarh to vote for the grand-old-party saying that it has delivered on the promises it made to the people of the state.

In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi said, “When you exercise your franchise, remember that once again in Chhattisgarh, Congress has a trustworthy government.”

Highlighting the party’s guarantee for the former party chief said, “Congress’s guarantee to Chhattisgarh: Loan waiver of farmers, buy 20 quintal per acre of paddy, Rs 10, 000 per year to the landless, Rs 3, 200 MSP for paddy, Rs 4, 000 bonus per year for tendu patta farmers, 200 units of electricity free, Rs 500 subsidy on gas cylinder, on tendu leaves 6, 000 per bag, free education from KG to PG, free treatment up to Rs 10 lakh housing for Rs 17.5 lakh families, Caste-based census.

“Whatever we say, we do it, ” he added.

Highlighting the party’s guarantee, Priyanka Gandhi said, “Brothers and sisters of Chhattisgarh have trust on Congress guarantees. We have shown by doing it. We have made Chhattisgarh a development model. In Chhattisgarh once again Congress’ ‘Bharose ki sarkar’.”

The party general secretary also appealed to the voters in Mizoram saying, “My dear sisters and brothers of Mizoram, a vote for Congress party is vote for peace and progress. Come out and vote in large numbers to protect your culture, identity and your way of life.”

On Monday night, Rahul Gandhi also urged the voters in Mizoram and said, “To my brothers and sisters of Mizoram, when you go out to vote tomorrow, vote for Congress. We will protect your culture, language and traditions – That is my guarantee, ” he had said, attaching a video of his visit to Mizoram and a statement of CPP chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

Voting for 40-member Mizoram Assembly and 20 seats in Chhattisgarh began this morning amid tight security arrangements.

The remaining 70 seats in Chhattisgarh will go to polls on November 17. Counting of votes will take place on December 3.

Kejriwal calls high-level meeting amid worsening air pollution

By
Tehelka WebDesk
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New Delhi : Amid alarming air pollution in the national capital, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has convened a high-level meeting on Monday afternoon.

According to AAP leaders, Kejriwal will be chairing a high-level meeting to be attended by Environment Minister Gopal Rai and senior officials at Delhi secretariat at 12 noon to chalk out measures to control the rising air pollution.

On Sunday, the Delhi government announced to close primary schools till November 10.

Even the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on Sunday invoked Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in the entire Delhi- NCR with immediate effect, in addition to all actions under Stage I, II and III to prevent further deterioration of air quality.

GRAP is a set of measures drafted by the Centre’s CAQM to tackle air pollution. Stage IV is the highest level of pollution alert.

The eight-point action plan as per Stage-IV of GRAP is applicable with immediate effect in the entire NCR.

Under the action plan entry of truck traffic into Delhi is banned.

However trucks carrying essential commodities/ providing essential services and all LNG/ CNG/ electric trucks will be allowed.

There will also be a ban on the plying of Delhi – registered diesel operated Medium Goods Vehicles (MGVs) and Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) in Delhi, except those carrying essential commodities/ providing essential services.

The State Govt and GNCTD may take a decision on discontinuing physical classes even for classes VI – IX, class XI and conduct lessons in an online mode.

NCR State Governments / GNCTD can also ask public, municipal and private offices to work on 50 per cent strength and the rest to work from home.

The state governments may consider additional emergency measures like closure of colleges/ educational institutions non-emergency and closure commercial of activities, permitting running of vehicles on odd-even basis of registration numbers etc.

Hamas leaders rake up Kashmir in talks with Pakistani leader

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Tehelka WebDesk
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Senior Hamas leaders Ismail Haniyeh and Khaled Meshaal have mentioned that have equate Palestinian issue with Kashmir during a meeting  in Qatar with a Pakistani delegation led by Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman of Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Pakistan. 

They are quoted to have said that the alleged human rights abuses in Kashmir and Palestine serve as a litmus test for advocates of human rights.

The Hamas leaders have emphasized the importance of the Muslim world’s support for the Palestinian cause. 

Haniyeh told the Pakistani leader that the countries claiming to stand for human rights were sending ships filled with weapons to Tel Aviv. 

Hamas’ mention of Kashmir is certain to rile the Indian government which otherwise shares good relations with Palestinian Authority ruling the West Bank. India also supports the two-state solution to resolve the lingering Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 

Yogi is second most popular politician on X

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Tehelka WebDesk
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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has emerged as one of the most popular figures in Indian politics on the X (formerly known as Twitter), said a state government spokesperson.

He said that the recognition comes from the hashtag tracking tool, Tweet Binder, which has confirmed this trend.

According to the latest report by Tweet Binder, in October after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the politician whose social media account garnered the most attention on platform X is Yogi Adityanath.

Tweet Binder compiled its report by analysing the number of posts made by users on X in India from October 1 to 31, said the spokesperson.

According to Tweet Binder’s report, Prime Minister Modi’s social media account received the highest level of discussion on X in October.

Following closely behind, Yogi Adityanath emerged as the second most talked-about politician, the spokesperson said, citing the report.

In terms of overall engagement, only Prime Minister Modi, Indian cricketer Virat Kohli, and South actor Vijay are positioned ahead of Yogi. Yogi Adityanath has 2.65 crore followers on X.

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