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Goa CM Pramod Sawant reverses ban on priests visiting homes for Ganesh Chaturthi puja

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Pramod-Sawant

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has scrapped his government’s Covid SOPs for the upcoming Ganesh Chaturthi season issued by the state administration, saying he does not agree with a specific guideline which bars priests from visiting homes to offer puja on the festive occasion.

The Congress on Wednesday slammed the BJP-led coalition government for the confusion ahead of the state’s most important Hindu festival, especially at a time when Covid cases have witnessed an increase in the neighbouring state of Maharashtra.

“I personally do not agree with some of the guidelines that were issued in the SOP, especially the one stopping priests from going to individual households for puja. Ganesh Chaturthi is the most important festival in Goa and such rituals are an integral part of it,” Sawant said, while announcing his decision to scrap the SOPs.

“While the expert committee may have suggested such curbs, I have asked the administration to withdraw the SoP immediately. Chaturthi must be celebrated with full fervour while taking all the necessary precautions, given the pandemic,” Sawant said.

The SOPs had urged families to use technology and social media platforms to perform puja on their own.

“The priest shall be prohibited [from] performing Ganesh Pooja by going to individual households, they may perform online pooja. Also the families should be encouraged to perform self puja using various technological means like YouTube, WhatsApp, etc,” the now cancelled SOPs also previously said.

The SOPs earlier issued by the state government had said that Ganesh Chaturthi ‘aartis’ and other allied programmes should be held via the online mode instead, especially when it came to public celebration of the festival, which the now-scrapped SOP said should be “preferably encouraged to conduct ‘Aarati’, ‘bhajan’, ‘kirtan’ and other religious programmes through online mode… or any other electronic media, instead of cultural programmes”.

The SOPs also said that organisers of public Ganesh celebrations “should give priority in organizing health camps including blood donation camps and through these programmes IEC activity may be carried out on corona, malaria, dengue and other diseases”.

The SOPs had also urged families to immerse the Ganesh idol — at the end of the festivities — in their own houses, instead of the standard custom where worshippers move out in groups to immerse Ganesh idols at the nearest water body like a lake, river or sea.

“However, if it is not possible, then only immersion should be carried out at the nearest immersion point. No processions shall be allowed while bringing the idols to the immersion point. No gathering after the immersion will be allowed,” the SOPs had said.

The Congress in Goa has slammed the government for the faux pas.

“Such an important SOP, connected to the majority of people who follow Ganesh Chaturthi in Goa. Such SOPs not passing through the CM is doubtful. Such a situation arises when the Goa administration is being run by bureaucrats,” party spokesperson Trajano D’mello said.

“In my opinion, this has been done essentially to divert the hurt feelings of every citizen of the state, due to the high prices that they are not in a position to celebrate with the same pomp and enthusiasm that Ganesh is celebrated all these years,” D’Mello added.

National News

IND vs SL, Asia Cup 2025, Super 4: When & Where To Watch As Final-Bound Team India Look To Finetune Their Shortcomings?

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Team India will meet Sri Lanka in their final match of Super 4 of Asia Cup 2025 as the Men in Blue will hope to finetune some of their areas ahead of the multi-nation tournament’s final. With Sri Lanka effectively out of the race for the final, it will be an inconsequential contest.

India stormed to the final after beating Pakistan and Bangladesh handsomely in Dubai. However, both the matches saw the Men in Blue drop plenty of catches, which could be concerning for the final. India’s batting experiments also almost cost them the game against Bangladesh; hence, Suryakumar Yadav and co. will want to stick with a stable batting line-up to ensure things don’t go awry.

Sri Lanka, meanwhile, were well in the game during both their Super 4 matches against Bangladesh and Pakistan. But the failure of their batting line-up to step up at crucial stages cost them a place in the final. The Island nation threw away the momentum against Bangladesh and failed to have any against Pakistan. After having Pakistan in a spot of bother at 80/5 in defence of 133, Sri Lanka began bowling erratically to let their opposition win by five wickets.

Surya Kumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (WK), Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh.

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel.

Charith Asalanka (c), Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera, Nuwanidu Fernando, Kamindu Mendis, Kamil Mishara, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Chamika Karunaratne, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Binura Fernando, Nuwan Thushara, Matheesha Pathirana, Janith Liyanage.

The toss for the Super 4 match between Team India and Sri Lanka in Dubai will take place at 7:30 PM IST, while the play will kickstart at 8:00 PM IST on September 26, Friday. Fans in India can catch the action on Sony Sports Network in India.

The live streaming of the same will take place on the SonyLiv App and Website.

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Entertainment

Aryan Khan lands in legal trouble again as Sameer Wankhede files defamation suit

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Mumbai, Sep 25: Aryan Khan, the son of Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan, has once again landed into troubled waters. In a new development, the IRS officer Sameer Wankhede has filed a defamation suit against Red Chillies Entertainment Pvt Ltd, owned by actors Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan, the streaming giant Netflix and other parties.

The lawsuit has been filed in the Delhi High Court. In his petition, Sameer has sought a permanent injunction against the web series and damages. The issue has emerged after Aryan took a dig at Sameer, who detained him from a cruise in Mumbai in October 2021 over the alleged possession of narcotics.

Sameer Wankhede has alleged that the recently released OTT series ‘The Ba***ds of Bollywood’, directed by Aryan, has shown false, malicious and defamatory content. He also alleged that the image of anti-drug enforcement agencies has been tarnished and shown negatively, thereby undermining public trust in law enforcement agencies.

The series features a sequence where a drug enforcement agency officer, bearing striking resemblance to Sameer, raids a party, similar to how the latter raided a cruise party in the October of 2021.

Sameer Wankhede has claimed that the webseries has deliberately biased and defamatory content against him. He also alleged that the Sameer Wankhede and Aryan Khan case is currently pending in the Bombay High Court and a special NDPS court in Mumbai.

He alleged that a character in the web series is shown saying, “Satyamev Jayate” and immediately after that the character is seen making an obscene gesture. It is an insult to the slogan which is part of the national emblem and is an offence punishable under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971.

It has also been alleged that the content of the series violates various sections of the Information Technology Act and the Indian Penal Code as it attempts to hurt national sentiments by using obscene and objectionable content.

In his suit, Sameer Wankhede has sought damages of Rs 2 crore, which he proposes to donate for the treatment of cancer patients at Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital.

The series is produced by Red Chillies Entertainment Pvt Ltd, and is available to stream on Netflix.

On 2 October 2021, the NCB, headed by Sameer, had raided a cruise ship off Mumbai during a party and alleged possession of drugs among some attendees. Aryan Khan, along with others, was arrested on charges under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

However, Aryan received a clean chit from the NCB, as the agency stated that no material evidence was found to connect him to the case, leading to the dropping of charges against him. The NDPS court had also asked Aryan’s passport to be given back to him after he was given the clean chit.

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Crime

Delhi court grants bail to businessman Samir Modi in rape case

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New Delhi, Sep 25: A Delhi court on Thursday granted bail to businessman Samir Modi, brother of former IPL chief Lalit Modi, in an alleged rape case.

The Saket Court allowed Modi to be released on a bail bond amount of Rs 5 lakh, ensuring his presence in future trial proceedings.

On Tuesday, the court reserved its decision on the bail plea after hearing arguments from both the complainant’s side and the defence.

The Delhi Police had opposed the bail application, arguing that the accused is influential and may pose a flight risk.

Samir Modi was arrested last week at Delhi’s IGI airport following a Look-Out Circular (LOC) issued against him.

He was taken into custody after a First Information Report (FIR) was filed at the New Friends Colony Police Station by a woman alleging a long-term relationship with Modi since 2019, and making accusations of sexual assault.

Modi’s legal team has consistently denied the allegations, terming them “false and concocted” and aimed at extortion.

In a press statement, his lawyers highlighted complaints filed by Modi himself in August, accusing the same woman of demanding Rs 50 crore in blackmail, and questioned the credibility of her claims.

It further questioned the credibility of the complaint, saying: “A detailed perusal of the alleged complaint will immediately show these claims of extremely serious and grave offences to be wild and scurrilous stories. Accusations refer to events alleged to have begun four years ago and continued thereon, which in itself speaks volumes about the nature and origin of this complaint and the complainant’s motives.”

The statement added that Samir Modi, who is involved in several business-related litigations, “has full faith in the judiciary of our country and agencies who will not only investigate but immediately bring closure to this matter”.

The Saket Court had earlier ordered in-camera hearings after the complainant’s lawyer urged for a closed-door hearing, stressing the sensitive nature of the case.

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