Politics
BJP, RSS to take up Dharmapuram Adheenam issue in a big way in Tamil Nadu
The BJP and RSS in Tamil Nadu have raised objections to DMK government banning ‘Pattina Pravesam’, a ritual of carrying the mutt head of Dharmapuram Adheenam’ in a palanquin and termed it a “political” move.
In a statement on Thursday, BJP state president K. Annamalai said that there was politics behind the ban and it is also being questioned by the people.
Dharmapuram Adheenam, he said, existed even before the birth of DMK ideology, hence, the party would provide all its support to it.
Notably, on April 27, R. Balaji, Revenue Divisional Officer(RDO), Myladuthurai banned the ritual of carrying the head of the Mutt of the Dharmapuram Adheenam in Myladuthurai district of Tamil Nadu in a silver palanquin.
The ban was issued after Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi visited the mutt. This was following the concern raised by the Dravidar Kazhagar, the ideological arm of the DMK, that allowing ‘Pattina Pravesam’ would lead to law and order situations in the area.
The Adheenam is a Tamil word meaning a Shaivite mutt and the Dharmapuram Adheenam was to carry out the function on May 22 when it was banned by the state government. The current pontiff of the Dharamapuram Aadheenam Srilasri Masilamani Gnanasambanda paramacharya Swamigal took charge of the Mutt on December 13, 2019, and was carried on a palanquin to mark his taking charge as pontiff.
A similar ritual was organised by the mutt at Vaithiswaran Kovil near Seerkazhi when the pontiff was carried in a palanquin on December 24, 2019.
Annamalai said that the BJP will be at the forefront to conduct the ‘Pattina Pravesam’ and he was personally ready to carry the pontiff in the palanquin.
He also said that the same ritual was held even when the DMK leader late M. Karunanidhi, Stalin’s father, was the Chief Minister.
Other than the BJP, the RSS and other organisations owing allegiance to the saffron ideology will also be conducting massive protests across the state. A senior leader of the RSS while interacting with IANS said: “We will coordinate all the like-minded organisations as well as other Mutts and spiritual centres against the government decision. This is a calculated move of the DMK government against the Hindus and the rituals of the Hindus and cannot be allowed.”
Meanwhile, the Vaishnavaite Guru Mannargudi Sri Sendalangara Jeeyar has strongly come out against the ban by the DMK government. In a statement, he said: “I warn this Dharmadrohi and Desadrohi government of Tamil Nadu for their anti- Hindu works. If they interfere with the works of Hindu beliefs and temples there will be strong repercussions from the Hindus.”
Annamalai also said that Article 23 of the constitution on forced labour that was invoked by the Myladuthurai RDO was not applicable to the religious event. He said that pupils who are carrying the palanquins consider this as a divine service to the God.
Crime
Delhi woman alleges sexual harassment in moving car; records incident, FIR registered

New Delhi, June 30: A 24-year-old woman has accused a man of sexually harassing her inside a moving car in East Delhi’s Mandawali area.
According to her complaint, the accused (known to the victim) allegedly lured her out on the pretext of eating momos and later insisted on stopping for CNG before diverting the vehicle to a deserted stretch.
The woman alleges that the man began making obscene remarks and pressured her into having sex. He touched her inappropriately and wouldn’t let her get out of the car. She recorded the entire incident on her mobile phone and reported the matter to the police. Based on the complaint, Mandawali police registered an FIR against the accused under relevant sections of the BNS. The accused has been caught. Further investigation is underway.
In a disturbing video, the woman could be heard pleading with the man to let her go. The man, as seen in the video, makes unwanted sexual remarks, pushing the woman to a breaking point, NDTV reported.
She recorded the incident on her mobile phone during the alleged assault.
“If you even touch me, I’ll jump in front of a vehicle and end my life,” the woman is heard saying in the shaky video that is replete with cuss words and sexually suggestive remarks.
A month ago, a similar incident came to light in Pune. A female lawyer was sexually assaulted in a moving car. Police arrested three suspects in this case. Now, a similar incident has surfaced in the national capital, Delhi.
The man who sexually assaulted the woman is known to her. According to the complaint, he lured her out on the pretext of offering her momos and then attempted to exploit her in a secluded area. However, the woman recorded the entire incident on her mobile phone.
Earlier on June 29, the Delhi High Court cancelled the bail granted to a 57-year-old private school caretaker accused of raping a three-year-old girl on the premises in west Delhi’s Janakpuri area, and asked him to surrender on July 1.
Crime
Brutality at Mumbai shelter home: Caretaker booked for assaulting minors after they woke up late

Mumbai, June 30: The police have registered a case against Rajesh Kumar, a 21-year-old caretaker at Swagat Ashram in Kandivali West in Mumbai, Maharashtra, for allegedly physically assaulting two minors. The accused allegedly grabbed an 11-year-old boy by the throat and repeatedly slapped him after the child and his brother woke up late.
The incident came to light after the two children fled the shelter home and were later rescued by the Dadar Railway Police. Police have launched an investigation into the matter.
According to the victim’s statement, the children had been staying at the ashram after their father passed away in September 2025. Their mother had admitted them to the institution in the hope of providing them with a better future and access to education.
The victim told police that at around 4 a.m. on June 8, he and his cousin were assigned the task of filling water at the ashram. After completing the work at around 5 a.m., they went back to sleep, intending to wake up again at 6 a.m. for kitchen duties. However, due to exhaustion, they failed to wake up on time.
Enraged by the delay, the caretaker allegedly threw a bottle at one of the boys. He then repeatedly punched the 11-year-old on his back. When the child turned around, the accused allegedly grabbed him by the throat and slapped him across the face several times.
According to the complaint, the victim told police that the children had been subjected to regular abuse and beatings at the shelter home. Fearing further violence, the 11-year-old and his 14-year-old friend decided to flee the premises.
After leaving the ashram, the victim borrowed Rs 100 from a vegetable vendor by mentioning the caretaker’s name. The two boys then travelled by auto-rickshaw to Kandivali railway station and boarded a local train to Dadar. They were reportedly planning to travel onward to Ahilyanagar to reach the victim’s mother.
An alert citizen noticed the boys wandering on Platform No. 13 at Dadar railway station and informed the Dadar Railway Police. The officers took the children into custody, counselled them, and uncovered the alleged abuse at the shelter home.
The police subsequently contacted the boys’ mother and informed the authorities at Swagat Ashram. After undergoing medical examinations, both children were shifted to a safe children’s home.
Following directions from the Child Welfare Committee, Mumbai City, the police registered a case against Rajesh Kumar. Further investigation into the alleged assault and the functioning of the shelter home is underway.
Business
MSC Group’s arm to invest around $1.4 billion for 49 pc share in Adani’s Vizhinjam port

Ahmedabad, June 30: Adani Ports on Tuesday said it has entered into a definitive agreement with MSC Group under which MSC’s container terminal operating and investing arm Terminal Investment Limited (TiL) will invest for 49 per cent interest in Adani Vizhinjam Port Private Limited (AVPPL), the concessionaire for Vizhinjam port.
The strategic collaboration represents the single largest foreign private investment in Indian port infrastructure and cements Vizhinjam’s emergence as a dominant transshipment gateway in the Indian Ocean region.
TiL will invest $1.397 billion, equivalent to its proportionate 49 per cent share in Vizhinjam port in total deal value of $2.85 billion.
“Vizhinjam port has emerged as a premier transshipment hub and ramped up at an unprecedented pace, becoming the first Indian port to earn the unique distinction of crossing two million TEUs within 18 months of operations,” said Ashwani Gupta, Whole-time Director and CEO, APSEZ.
“I am delighted to expand APSEZ’s long-standing partnership with MSC to Vizhinjam, as we prepare for the port’s next leg of journey. I am confident that our association will deliver enhanced supply chain efficiencies at a global scale and improve India’s access to key global mature and developing markets,” Gupta said.
The transaction is subject to customary approvals, including regulatory ones.
The strategic collaboration between APSEZ and MSC Group will deliver significant advantages for APSEZ, including enhanced volume visibility and accelerated ramp-up ahead of plan, driven by additional cargo volumes; a higher share of Bangladesh cargo, largely dependent on competing Southeast Asian transshipment hubs; strengthen presence on East Africa trade routes; and elevated relay cargo volumes.
TiL is one of the world’s largest container terminal operators and part of the MSC Group comprising a portfolio of more than 100 container terminals across five continents and a throughput of more than 70 million TEUs per annum.
Commissioned in December 2024, Vizhinjam port is India’s first deep-draft mega transshipment port with 1.6 million TEU capacity. The port is undergoing expansion that will increase capacity 3.5x to 5.7 million TEUs by December 2028, according to the company.
Vizhinjam port is strategically located just 10 nautical miles from the East-West shipping route connecting Europe, the Persian Gulf, and the Far East.
During FY26, Vizhinjam port handled 1.3 million TEUs. In its first year, Vizhinjam port handled 1.3 million TEUs and 615 vessels, becoming the fastest Indian port to cross the one million TEU milestone.
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