‘Sanatana Dharma’ spreads social evils, divides people; need to uproot it, uphold humanity: DMK youth wing chief

News Network
September 3, 2023

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DMK youth wing chief and Tamil Nadu Sports Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin’s call for “eradication” of Sanatana Dharma from the society billing it as being responsible for many “social evils” has triggered a major row with the BJP taking objection to his remarks and seeking clarification from the Dravidian outfit and its ally, Congress.

Speaking at a conference on ‘Eradicating Sanatana Dharma From the Society’ here on Saturday organised by the Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers, Artists Association, Udhayanidhi said Sanatana Dharma is a principle that divides people in the name of caste and religion and uprooting it will only lead to upholding humanity and human equality.

“The conference’s title is apt. I appreciate them for calling for the eradication of Sanatana and not merely opposing it. For instance, mosquitoes, Dengue, Malaria, and Corona, we should eradicate these, and not just oppose. Likewise, Sanatana should also be eradicated from the society. It is not enough if we merely oppose it,” Udhayanidhi told the event.

The word Sanatanam was derived from Sanskrit and it is against equality and social justice, the Sports Minister added.

BJP I-T wing chief Amit Malviya was the first to oppose Udhayanidhi’s statement by posting a short video clip of the DMK leader’s speech and sought to know whether this was agreed at the I.N.D.I.A. meeting in Mumbai on September 1.

“Udhayanidhi has linked Sanatana Dharma to malaria and dengue. He is of the opinion that it must be eradicated and not merely opposed. In short, he is calling for genocide of 80 per cent population of Bharat, who follow Sanatan Dharma,” Malviya wrote on X platform. “DMK is a prominent member of the Opposition block and a long standing ally of the Congress. Is this what was agreed in the Mumbai meet?” he asked.

In his response, Udhayanidhi said he never called for the genocide of people who are following Sanatan Dharma, but said he stands firmly by every word he had spoken.

“I spoke on behalf of the oppressed & marginalized, who suffer due to the Sanatan Dharma…Let me reiterate the crucial aspect of my speech: I believe, like the spread of diseases like Covid-19, Dengue, and Malaria by mosquitoes, that Sanatan Dharma is responsible for many social evils,” he added.

Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai also criticised Udhayanidhi, saying the state is a land of spiritualism and the best he can do is to hold a microphone in an event and rant his “frustration”.

“The only resolve that the Gopalapuram Family has is to accumulate wealth beyond the State GDP. You, your father, or his or your idealogue have a bought-out idea from Christian missionaries & the idea of those missionaries was to cultivate dimwits like you to parrot their malicious ideology,” he said.

To another tweet on X, Udhayanidhi said he was prepared to confront any challenges that came his way, whether in a court of law or the people's court.

“Stop spreading fake news. Bring it on. I am ready to face any legal challenge…I will say it today, tomorrow, and forever: Our resolve to stop Sanatana Dharma from the Dravidian land would not reduce even a bit,” he added.

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News Network
November 21,2024

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Shares of Adani Group companies lost about $28 billion in market value in morning trade on Thursday after US prosecutors charged the billionaire chairman of the Indian conglomerate in an alleged bribery and fraud scheme.

Gautam Adani's flagship company Adani Enterprises tumbled 23 per cent, while Adani Ports, Adani Total Gas, Adani Green, Adani Power, Adani Wilmar and Adani Energy Solutions, ACC , Ambuja Cements and NDTV fell between 20 per cent and 90 per cent.

Adani group's 10 listed stocks had a total market capitalisation of about $141 billion at 0534 GMT, compared to $169.08 billion on Tuesday.

US authorities said Adani and seven other defendants, including his nephew Sagar Adani, agreed to pay about $265 million in bribes to Indian government officials to obtain contracts expected to yield $2 billion of profit over 20 years, and develop India's largest solar power plant project.

Adani Green in a statement on Thursday said the US Justice Department had issued a criminal indictment against board members Gautam Adani and Sagar Adani and the Securities and Exchange Commission had issued a civil complaint against them.

The US Justice Department also included Adani Green board member Vneet Jaain in the criminal indictment, it said.

Adani Green's units had decided not to proceed with the proposed US dollar denominated bond offerings due to developments, it added.

"Investors will shy away from Adani Group stocks ... and that's what this sharp selling is signifying," said Saurabh Jain, assistant vice president of retail equities research at SMC Global Securities.

"This could hurt the credibility of the group and maybe borrowing costs will rise," he said.

The indictment comes nearly two years after US shortseller Hindenburg Research alleged that Adani had improperly used tax havens and was involved in stock manipulation, allegations the conglomerate denied.

Also in early Asian trading on Thursday, Adani dollar bonds slumped, with prices down 3c-5c on bonds for Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone. The falls were the largest since the Adani Group came under a short-seller attack in February 2023.

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News Network
November 13,2024

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New Delhi: The Supreme Court took a firm stance on ‘bulldozer justice’ today, affirming that the Executive cannot bypass the Judiciary and that the legal process must not prejudge the guilt of an accused. In a significant judgment, the bench led by Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan set new guidelines for demolition practices, responding to petitions challenging the controversial bulldozer actions taken against individuals accused of crimes.

The rise of this practice, termed 'bulldozer justice,' has seen authorities in various states demolish what they claim to be illegal structures belonging to accused individuals. However, multiple petitions questioned the legality and fairness of this approach, bringing the matter before the court.

Justice Gavai highlighted that owning a home is a cherished goal for many families, and an essential question was whether the Executive should have the authority to strip individuals of their shelter. “In a democracy, the rule of law protects citizens from arbitrary actions by the state. The criminal justice system must not assume guilt,” stated the bench, underscoring that due process is a fundamental right under the Constitution.

On the principle of separation of powers, the bench reinforced that the Judiciary alone holds adjudicatory powers and that the Executive cannot overstep these boundaries. Justice Gavai remarked, “When the state demolishes a home purely because its resident is accused of a crime, it violates the doctrine of separation of powers.”

The court issued a strong warning about accountability, stating that public officials who misuse their power or act arbitrarily must face consequences. Justice Gavai observed that selectively demolishing one property while ignoring similar cases suggests that the aim might be to penalize rather than enforce legality. “For most citizens, a house is the product of years of labor and dreams. Taking it away must be an action of last resort, thoroughly justified,” he said.

In its directives under Article 142 of the Constitution, the Supreme Court established new demolition guidelines. These include:

Mandatory Show-Cause Notice: No demolition should occur without first issuing a show-cause notice. The person served has a minimum of 15 days or the duration stated in local laws to respond.

Transparency of Notice Content: The notice must include specifics about the alleged unauthorized construction, the nature of the violation, and the rationale for demolition.

Hearing and Final Order: Authorities are required to hear the response of the affected individual before issuing a final order. The homeowner will have 15 days to address the issue, with demolition proceeding only if no stay order is obtained from an appellate authority.

Contempt Proceedings: Any breach of these guidelines would lead to contempt proceedings. Officials who disregard these norms will be personally accountable for restitution, with costs deducted from their salaries.

Additionally, the court mandated that all municipal bodies establish digital portals within three months, displaying show-cause notices and final orders on unauthorized structures to ensure public transparency and accountability.

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News Network
November 12,2024

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The Palestinian Hamas resistance movement says its fighters have killed at least 20 Israeli soldiers in northern parts of the besieged Gaza Strip in just two days, in retaliation for the occupying regime’s genocidal war on the Palestinian territory.

In a statement on Monday evening, Hamas said that fighters of its military wing, al-Qassam Brigades, “killed at least five occupation soldiers” in northern parts of the coastal territory earlier in the day.

It added that Hamas fighters also killed 15 Israeli soldiers in the war-ravaged region on Sunday.

The resistance movement’s “qualitative operation … confirms once again the failure of the criminal Zionist entity to suppress and eradicate the Palestinian resistance, which continues to direct qualitative strikes against its terrorist soldiers,” Hamas further said on its Telegram channel.

Palestinians have increased their resistance operations in the face of intensified Israeli aggression in northern Gaza that has claimed the lives of more than 1,000 over the past weeks.

“Our valiant resistance is waging a war of attrition with the criminal enemy, inflicting daily losses on its soldiers and vehicles, and all of [Israeli prime minister Benjamin] Netanyahu’s bets and dreams of achieving any of his goals are failing,” the Gaza-based resistance movement added.

Hamas also vowed that Israel’s ongoing crimes and aggression against Gaza would be met with increased resistance and painful strikes, which will continue until the aggression against Palestinians ends and the regime fully withdraws from the blockaded territory.

As the war in Gaza enters its 14th month, the Health Ministry reports that Israeli attacks have killed at least 43,603 Palestinians and wounded 102,929 others.

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