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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

Waqf Bill will not be stopped by threats: Jagdambika Pal on Muslim groups’ protest

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New Delhi, March 10: As protests by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) intensify against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which is expected to be presented in Parliament soon, Jagdambika Pal, Chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), reaffirmed on Monday that the Bill will be passed and not be stopped by threats.

To mount pressure on the BJP’s key allies — TDP and JD(U) — the Board has decided to hold a protest at Jantar Mantar on March 13 and is sending invitations to all the Opposition parties to take part in it.

It has warned that if the Bill is still passed, the Board will launch a nationwide movement.

Additionally, they will also approach the Supreme Court with the confidence that justice will be served.

Speaking with media, Jagdambika Pal said, “The Supreme Court is always an option, but should democracy function through threats or by the will of the people? Laws are made by elected representatives, not by threats or violent rhetoric.”

He further criticised the contradiction in the AIMPLB’s approach, where they threaten action while simultaneously seeking legal recourse.

Pal defended the government’s stance, saying that the Waqf Bill had been carefully considered by the JPC after extensive consultations.

“We listened to the AIMPLB for six months, giving them four hours to voice their concerns,” Pal said.

“As a result, we’ve now prepared a 400-page amendment, which addresses the needs of the country’s minorities. This law aims to support vulnerable groups, including the poor, women, orphans, widows, and economically backward Muslims.”

The amendments, according to Pal, ensure that the Bill will benefit those who need it most, making it a crucial step forward for marginalised Muslim communities. He made it clear that no threats would halt the process of passing the law.

Meanwhile, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind lent its support to the AIMPLB’s protest, accusing the government of forcing Muslims onto the streets to defend their rights.

Jamiat chief Maulana Arshad Madani expressed solidarity with the protest scheduled for March 13 at Jantar Mantar, stating that Muslims are being compelled to fight for their rights.

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Bihar BJP MLA says Muslims should only come out of their houses on Holi with big hearts

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Patna, March 10: Bihar BJP MLA, Haribhushan Thakur Bachaul, sparked a major political controversy with his statement warning the Muslim community not to step out of their homes on Holi or else not mind having colour being put on them.

His remarks have drawn sharp reactions, further fueling tensions after recent communal disputes in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh.

“Muslims should not go out of their homes on Holi, otherwise they will get coloured. There are 52 Jummas (Fridays) in the year and one Holi, so Muslims should remain indoors on this day. If they step out, they should show a big heart and not oppose if abir or gulal is applied on them,” Bachaul said.

Bihar’s political climate has intensified, with Opposition parties calling his statement divisive and inflammatory.

Many leaders have condemned the remark, accusing Bachaul of stoking communal tensions ahead of Holi.

Muslim leaders and community representatives have criticised the statement, calling it an attack on personal freedom.

Bihar Minister Jama Khan responded to Bachaul’s remarks by emphasising the need for unity and harmony among communities. He clarified that while Muslims traditionally avoid stained clothes during Friday prayers (Jumma Namaz), accidental colour during Holi should not be a cause for division.

“Bihar celebrates all festivals with brotherhood. No one should deliberately throw colour on Namazis, but if it happens accidentally, it is not an issue,” Khan said.

Former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi launched a blistering attack on the BJP over the issue.

She accused the BJP of trying to create communal divisions and warned that Biharis would reject them in the upcoming elections.

“The people of Bihar will teach BJP a lesson and throw them out of Bihar. If PM Modi has the courage then he should drive out the Muslims from Bihar and the country,” she said.

With Bihar’s political landscape heating up, this controversy is expected to be a major flashpoint in upcoming electoral battles. Given past incidents, statements like these may further polarise voters and impact social harmony.

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Telangana tunnel tragedy: Intense efforts on to trace remaining 7 missing men

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Hyderabad, March 10: Day after recovering one body from the debris, rescue teams continued intense efforts to search for the remaining seven people in the SLBC tunnel in Telangana’s Nagarkurnool district on Monday.

Rescue teams from various agencies were undertaking digging work at another point identified by the cadaver sniffer dog squad from Kerala.

Rat miners from Uttarakhand, miners from Singareni Collieries and personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were carefully digging around the point with mini-excavators.

The search operation continued for the 17th day in the last 70 metres of the 14-km-long tunnel, where the eight workers were trapped after a portion of the tunnel roof collapsed on a Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) on February 22.

Rescue workers on Sunday evening exhumed one body from the point identified by the cadaver dog squad.

The body was identified as that of TBM operator Gurpreet Singh. The 40-year-old hailed from Punjab and was working for Robbins Company, which supplies and operates tunnel boring machines.

The body was shifted to government hospital at Nagarkurnool and after completing medical and legal formalities was taken to his hometown in Punjab.

The seven people yet to be traced are Manoj Kumar and Sri Niwas from Uttar Pradesh, Sunny Singh from Jammu and Kashmir and Sandeep Sahu, Jegta Xess, Santosh Sahu and Anuj Sahu, all from Jharkhand.

The rescue agencies hoped that more bodies would be recovered soon based on the sniffer dog leads and the ground probing radar (GPR) scanning information provided by the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI).

The rescue workers continued to face challenges due to the debris of the TBM and the large amount of muck.

The TBM, which had a total length of 132.5 metres, was buried under silt and rocks in the February 22 incident.

The workers who were present in the front portion of the TBM were trapped while 42 others who were at the back end managed to come out of the tunnel.

The technicians from the South Central Railway (SCR) have so far cut the TBM into pieces for a length of about 60 metres.

The head portion of the TBM remained buried in the debris and the last 70 metres of the tunnel is still filled with 3 to 9 metres deep slush and other debris, posing a risk to the rescue workers.

While continuing dewatering and desilting, the rescue agencies were mobilising special equipment for the workers to carry out their work without the risk of being trapped in the slush.

Two cadaver dogs trained to locate missing humans and human bodies were brought from Kerala by a special helicopter three days ago.

According to officials, these dogs of the Belgian Malinois breed can detect smell even from a depth of 15 feet.

Indian Army, Navy, NDRF, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Singareni, SCR and other agencies are participating in the search operation.

The authorities on Saturday deployed robots for rescue operations in the tunnel as suggested by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy during his visit to the tunnel on March 2.

Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy announced the deployment of robotic technology to accelerate rescue operations.

Robots equipped with cameras, infrared sensors, and robotic arms have been deployed to assess conditions and aid extraction.

Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy expressed condolences over the death of Gurpreet Singh and announced Rs 25 lakh ex-gratia to his next of kin.

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