India's political landscape is ablaze with activity! From the ongoing debates surrounding the new farm bills and their impact on rural India, to the upcoming state elections shaping the national narrative, the stakes couldn't be higher. Key political figures are maneuvering strategically, with alliances shifting and power dynamics constantly in flux. The opposition's challenge to the ruling party is intensifying, sparking vigorous debates on crucial policy matters including economic reforms and social justice initiatives. Parliamentary proceedings are filled with heated exchanges, reflecting the deep divisions within the nation. This evolving political climate directly impacts the lives of every Indian citizen, influencing everything from economic opportunities to social welfare programs. Stay informed about the latest developments in Indian politics, from crucial legislative decisions to grassroots movements, by exploring Abtak.com for in-depth analysis and breaking news updates. Understanding the intricacies of our political system is crucial; stay engaged, stay informed, and stay ahead.
Thiruvananthapuram: President Droupadi Murmu will arrive in Kerala on Tuesday for a four-day official visit. She will reach Thiruvananthapuram in the evening by a special Air Force plane from Delhi and proceed by road to Raj Bhavan. On Wednesday, the President will visit the Sabarimala temple for darshan. Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) officials said that all arrangements have been made at Sabarimala for the visit. The President will reach Sannidhanam in a convoy of five four-wheel-drive vehicles and an ambulance via the Swami Ayyappan Road and the traditional trekking path. On Thursday, the President will unveil a half-length statue of former President K R Narayanan at the Raj Bhavan premises. Later, she will inaugurate the observance of the Mahasamadhi Centenary of Sree Narayana Guru at Sivagiri Mutt in Varkala. She will also attend the valedictory function of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations of St Thomas College, Pala, in Kottayam district. On Friday, President Murmu will participate in the centenary celebrations of St Teresa's College, Ernakulam, concluding her Kerala visit.
Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Friday pulled up the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) for removing the gold-plated copper coverings from the Dwarapalaka idols at Sabarimala without informing the Special Commissioner. A Division Bench comprising Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V and Justice K V Jayakumar, while considering the Sabarimala Special Commissioner's report, expressed concern over repair works being carried out in Chennai in violation of procedures and court oversight. Installed in 2019 with a 40-year guarantee, the gold-plated coverings developed defects within six years. Sponsored by d ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], October 10 (ANI): In a scathing attack on the Kerala government amid the escalating Sabarimala gold plating controversy, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader V Muraleedharan on Friday accused the state administration of betraying the trust of devotees and demanded the immediate dismissal of the Devaswom Minister along with the dissolution of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB). Muraleedharan said that the Kerala High Court's intervention in the matter was a "clear indictment" of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijay ...Read More >
Pathanamthitta: E D Prasad from Chalakudy has been selected as the new Melsanthi (chief priest) of the Sabarimala temple. The selection was made through the traditional draw of lots held at Sannidhanam around 8 am on Saturday. Prasad, a member of the Erannoor Mana in Chalakudy, is currently serving as the Melsanthi of the Areshwaram Sree Dharma Sastha Temple. The draw for the Sabarimala Melsanthi was conducted by Kashyap Varma of the Pandalam royal family. He is the son of Shailendra Varma from Thiruvalla Paliakkara Palace and Pooja Varma from Vailyakottaram Krishnavilasam Palace in Mavelikka ...Read More >
Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], June 27 (ANI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday offered prayers at the over 400-year-old Jagannath Temple in Ahmedabad on the occasion of Rath Yatra. He offered the 'mangala aarti' at 4 am and shared a heartfelt post on his official 'X' account, reflecting on his divine experience. 'On the sacred occasion of Rath Yatra, participating in the Mangla Aarti at Shri Jagannath Temple, Ahmedabad, is in itself a divine and extraordinary experience. Today, I joined the Mangla Aarti of Mahaprabhu and offered my prayers. May Mahaprabhu continue to bestow His blessing ...Read More >
BHUBANESWAR: Close to a million devotees from across the country and abroad converged at Puri as the annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra began with great religious fervour in Puri on Friday. Even the intermittent showers could not dampen the enthusiasm of the pilgrims as the crowd continued to swell to take part in the chariot pulling. Amidst reverberating sounds of musical instruments, chanting, recital of shlokas and performances by artistes, the festival got off to a vibrant start with all the rituals that mark the holy Trinity's annual sojourn. The thr ...Read More >
India Independence Day 2025 Live Updates: This will be President Murmu's fourth address on Independence Day eve, and will be streamed live across the nation. 79th Independence Day Celebrations Live Updates: India is gearing up to celebrate its 79th Independence Day on Friday, August 15, with full patriotic fervour. The day commemorates the nation's freedom from over 200 years of British colonial rule, which finally came to an end in 1947. On the occasion, President Droupadi Murmu will deliver her annual address to the nation on Thursday evening. This will be President Murmu's fourth address ...Read More >
KOCHI: Hardening its stance against the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) for sending gold-plated sheets of 'dwarapalaka idols' of the Sabarimala temple to Chennai for repair without following proper procedure, the Kerala High Court on Friday directed the TDB's chief vigilance and security officer (SP) to seize all the records related to the gold plating of the idols and other items since the date of original cladding. It also impleaded Unnikrishnan Potty of Bengaluru, who is sponsoring the repair, and Smart Creations of Chennai, which is undertaking it, in the case and asked the registry to is ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], October 6 (ANI): The General Secretary of Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam, Vellappally Natesan has heavily criticised Kerala's temple administration system, questioning whether "Devaswom Boards have become a curse." Criticising the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) for sending gold-plated panels from the temple's Dwarapalaka idols to Chennai for repair without informing the High Court, Natesan wrote in 'Yoganadam', the official mouthpiece of the SNDP Yogam, that such an incident is "deeply painful for Ayyappa devotees" and highlighted that the a ...Read More >
Patna, Aug 1 (PTI) Healthcare services were affected at AIIMS-Patna on Friday as resident doctors went on an "indefinite strike" in protest against the alleged high-handedness of Sheohar MLA Chetan Anand. According to a press statement issued by the Resident Doctors' Association (RDA), AIIMS-Patna, on Friday, "The RDA expresses deep disappointment and anguish over the lack of action by the administration following the violent and traumatic incident that occurred on Wednesday, when MLA Chetan Anand, his wife and their armed guards breached hospital security, physically assaulted staff, and thr ...Read More >
New Delhi: The country's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki has announced the rollout of its first made-in-India electric vehicle - the e-Vitara SUV - in a major boost to the green segment from its upgraded Gujarat plant, which is now set to become one of the world's largest automotive manufacturing hubs with a projected annual capacity of one million units. Crucially, this facility will serve as Suzuki's global production base for electric vehicles (EVs), exporting to over 100 countries, including advanced markets in Japan and Europe, which is aligned with India's vision of becoming a global aut ...Read More >
Kochi, Sep 12 (PTI) The Kerala High Court on Friday ordered immediate seizure of the entire records related to the gold-plating of the 'Dwarapalaka' (guardian deity) idols in front of the Sabarimala sanctum sanctorum, saying there were a lot of "unanswered questions" regarding it. The direction by a bench of justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V and K V Jayakumar came during hearing of a plea initiated by the court on its own with regard to the removal of the gold-plated copper coverings of the 'Dwarapalaka' idols located on either side of the Sreekovil without prior intimation to the Special Commis ...Read More >
Thousands of pilgrims, including foreigners, congregated in Digha, West Bengal, for the Rath Yatra festival. The Chief Minister, along with cabinet members, initiated the chariot procession of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra. Rituals commenced in the morning with 'Pahandi Vijay' at the newly-built Jagannath Dham Temple, followed by the idols being placed on the chariots amid devotional chants and festivities.Thousands gathered from different parts of the state to attend the Rath Yatra fe ...Read More >
Bareilly (UP), Jul 17 (PTI) A teacher from Bahedi district, who went viral recently after reciting a poem mentioning Kanwar Yatra, approached the police on Thursday stating a threat to his life from anti-social elements. A case has been registered at Bahedi police station based on a complaint from Dr Rajneesh Kumar Gangwar, a teacher at MGM Inter College in the district. According to Circle Officer Arun Kumar Singh, Gangwar's complaint says that ever since his recitation of the poem 'Tum Kanwad Lene Mat Jana, Gyaan Ka Deepak Jalaana' (You don't go get Kavad, light the lamp of knowledge inste ...Read More >
Jammu- Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday reviewed the ongoing restoration work of the historic Mubarak Mandi complex, which was the power centre of the Dogra kings in Jammu, and stressed on enhancing its heritage appeal. The Mubarak Mandi Complex is one of Jammu's most significant architectural heritage sites and is envisioned as a comprehensive cultural centre, housing museums, conference venues and heritage hospitality services. Accompanied by Advisor Nasir Aslam Wani and MLA Yudhvir Sethi during the visit, the chief minister was briefed in detail on the multi-phas ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar, Dec 3 (PTI) President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday arrived in Odisha and unveiled a statue of Santali writer and educator Pandit Raghunath Murmu here. She also visited the Adim Owar Jarpa Jaher, a sacred place for Santals, in Bhubaneswar and offered prayers. The President was accorded a warm welcome at Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA), where she landed on a special aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) to commence her five-day visit to Odisha. She was received at the airport by Governor Raghubar Das, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and other dignitaries. People standi ...Read More >
Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], June 27 (ANI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday offered prayers at the over 400-year-old Jagannath Temple in Ahmedabad on the occasion of Rath Yatra. He offered the "mangala aarti" at 4 am and shared a heartfelt post on his official "X" account, reflecting on his divine experience. Also Read | Mounjaro KwikPen: Eli Lilly and Company's Type 2 Diabetes and Obesity Drug Gets Approval in India, To Compete With Novo's Weight-Loss Drug Wegovy. "On the sacred occasion of Rath Yatra, participating in the Mangla Aarti at Shri Jagannath Temple, Ahmedabad, is in its ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar, June 27 (UNI) President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi have extended their heartfelt greetings to devotees on the auspicious occasion of Rath Yatra. President Droupadi Murmu conveyed her wishes to the people on the occasion of the Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath and prayed for an atmosphere of peace, harmony, and brotherhood across the world. Taking to her official X handle, the President said, "On the occasion of the holy Rath Yatra, I extend my heartfelt best wishes to the devotees of Mahaprabhu Jagannath living in India ...Read More >
Gurgaon: MCG additional commissioner Yash Jaluka directed bulk waste generators (BWG) across the city to ensure proper disposal of waste by private agencies who are assisting them. Giving these instructions in a meeting held on Friday, he said it is often observed that BWGs hand over their waste to private agencies, which only sort valuable items and dump the remaining waste on roads, drains, vacant land or public places. This, he said, not only affects cleanliness of the city but also poses a threat to public health."Under the Solid Waste Management Rules-2016, it is the legal and moral respo ...Read More >
Jammu, Jul 18 (PTI) Senior officials of the Jammu and Kashmir government reviewed the arrangements for the smooth conduct of the 13-day-long Budha Amarnath pilgrimage in Poonch district that will begin on July 28. Deputy Inspector General of Police Tejinder Singh reviewed security in Poonch and stressed ensuring the safety of the devotees. "The first batch will depart from the Bhagwati Nagar basecamp in Jammu on July 28, moving towards the Mandi tehsil in Poonch in a regulated convoy amid full security arrangements," a spokesperson said. Jammu Divisional Commissioner Ramesh Kumar and Inspec ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], October 10 (ANI): In a scathing attack on the Kerala government amid the escalating Sabarimala gold plating controversy, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader V Muraleedharan on Friday accused the state administration of betraying the trust of devotees and demanded the immediate dismissal of the Devaswom Minister along with the dissolution of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB). Muraleedharan said that the Kerala High Court's intervention in the matter was a "clear indictment" of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijay ...Read More >
New Delhi, June 27 (SocialNews.XYZ) On the sacred occasion of Rath Yatra, President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the nation in conveying heartfelt greetings to the devotees of Lord Jagannath across the globe. The festival, marked by grand processions and deep spiritual fervour, is being celebrated with great devotion in various parts of India and by the Indian diaspora abroad. Taking to social media platform X, President Murmu wrote, "On the occasion of the sacred Rath Yatra, I extend my heartfelt greetings to the devotees of Lord Jagannath residing in India and abroad ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 1 (PTI) The opposition Congress and the BJP on Wednesday questioned why the gold-plated cladding of the 'Dwarapalakas' was removed in 2019 for renovation, why its weight was reduced when it was brought back to the shrine, and demanded a comprehensive probe into the matter. Both the BJP and Congress alleged that these actions took place with the knowledge of the government and the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB). Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, V D Satheesan, questioned why the cladding -- which had a 40-year guarantee after being gold-plated in 1990 -- ...Read More >
Unnikrishnan Potty, who allegedly sponsored gold plating of temple items in 2019, has been arrested from his Thiruvananthapuram residence. This comes after Kerala HC found that the items that Potty allegedly took for gold plating in 2019 had been missing gold. A Special Investigation Team probing alleged misappropriation of gold from the Sabarimala temple Thursday took Unnikrishnan Potty, who had sponsored gold-plating of temple items, into custody. Following directions from the Kerala High Cou ...Read More >
Pathanamthitta (Kerala), Oct 17 (PTI) A local court in Ranni here on Friday granted custody of Unnikrishnan Potty, the prime accused in the Sabarimala gold missing case, to the SIT probing the matter. The Judicial First Class Magistrate Court granted the custody of Potty to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) till October 30. The accused claimed he had been 'trapped' by somone. "Those who trapped me will come before the law," he told reporters while being taken out of the court. A person in the crowd gathered outside the court hurled a footwear at Potty as he was being escorted out of the ...Read More >
KOCHI: A month ahead of the Mandala festival season, the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple selected the melsanthi (chief priest) on Saturday. E D Prasad of Erannoor Mana at Mattathur Kunnu in Chalakudy has been selected the chief priest. M G Manu Namboothiri of Mayyanad in Kollam district will serve as the melsanthi of Malikappuram temple. The new melsanthis will assume charge on November 17, the first day of the Malayalam month of Vrischikam. The two-month-long Mandala Makaravilakku season will commence on November 17 and conclude on January 21. The melsanthis were selected through a draw of ...Read More >
Mumbai, Jul 18 (PTI) A three-storey chawl collapsed in the western suburb of Bandra here in the early hours of Friday, with at least 10 people feared trapped in the debris, civic officials said. As many as seven people have been rescued from the debris so far and admitted to the civic-run Bhabha Hospital, they said. According to preliminary information, chawl number 37 in the Bharat Nagar area of Bandra East collapsed around 5.56 am. Eight fire engines are at the spot along with teams from the Mumbai police and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's local ward machinery, an official from ...Read More >
Kochi, Sep 12 ( IANS) The Kerala High Court on Friday came down heavily on the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) for removing gold-plated copper coverings from the Dwarapalaka (guardian) idols at Sabarimala without informing the court-appointed Special Commissioner. A Division Bench of Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V and Justice K.V. Jayakumar, while hearing the Special Commissioner's report, expressed concern that the TDB bypassed procedure and court oversight by sending the ornaments for repairs to a Chennai-based firm, Smart Creations. The gold-plated coverings, guaranteed for 40 years when i ...Read More >
Malappuram (Kerala) | Leader of Opposition in the Kerala assembly, V D Satheesan on Tuesday accused the ruling CPI (M) of having an "unholy alliance" with the BJP and cited a message from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, which was read out at the recent Global Ayyappa Sangamam, as the latest example of this partnership. Continuing to criticise Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan over the Sangamam held in Pampa, he alleged that the Marxist party veteran tried to showcase a "pseudo devotion" during the event. "By showing pseudo devotion... by creating an impression of devotion, he tri ...Read More >
KOCHI: Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan on Thursday reiterated that the UDF and the Congress had taken the correct political stand by staying away from the CPM-backed Ayyappa Sangamam, saying the Opposition's role was to expose the government's "false bhakti." Addressing reporters in Kochi, Satheesan said the government's sudden display of devotion was only a desperate attempt to recover from the looming defeat in 2026. "It is the Opposition's duty to reveal the truth when the government tries to misuse Sabarimala politically. We had three clear questions: Will the government withdraw the ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram [Kerala], October 2 (ANI): The Sabrimala gold-plating controversy has intensified, with investigators struggling to trace key records linked to the 30.3 kg of gold and 1,900 kg of copper donated by industrialist Vijay Mallya in 1998 for cladding the sanctum sanctorum and wooden carvings of the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple in Kerala. Also Read | Mohan Bhagwat Says 'Pahalgam Attack Revealed India's True Friends' During Public Address on RSS 100th Anniversary (Watch Video). Devaswom Minister V N Vasavan, in response to ANI, said a detailed probe was underway under High Court sup ...Read More >