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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.

Crime

Who is Sahil? Monster mechanic who stabbed, stoned minor girl Sakshi to death in Delhi

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The Delhi Police on Monday arrested Sahil Khan who stabbed and killed 16-year-old girl named Sakshi in Delhi’s Shahbad Dairy area. The 20-year-old accused, stabbed her at least 20 times before hitting her on her head with a stone. The police arrested him from Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr city.

The girl was killed on a bustling street crowded with people, yet no one came to her rescue, as captured in the CCTV footage.

Who is  Sahil?

Here is what we know so far: 

  1. As per reports, Sahil is a mechanic by profession who repairs AC and fridge. 
  2. Sahil is on Instagram with username “sahi.lkhan3600” and has 56 posts, 405 followers. His bio on Instagram read, “#love you dark life; daru lover (alcohol lover); Yaaron ki yari; Sab pe Bhari; 5 July; Love you mom.” 
  3. His posts on Instagram suggest that he loves to drink and party hard. In many of his posts, one can see Sahil smoking hukkah and drinking alcohol with his friends.

4. Like any other person, Sahil also likes to make reels. Many of his reels on Instagram show him either performing solo or with friends. 

5.In one particular reel, captioned as “Judai” Sahil can be seen performing over a woman’s voice that says, “I just want to inform you that I am going to get married in a week. In barely six months, my child will also have a name.” To this, Sahil replies, “My best wishes are with you, if I remain alive, I will definitely come.” The brutal murder can also be seen acting in the reel with facial expressions.

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Lifestyle

Sonu Sood to help set up a school for underprivileged children in Bihar

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Sonu Sood recently met an engineer from Bihar’s Katihar who quit his job and started a school for orphaned children and named it after the actor and philanthropist.

Sonu will be providing a new building for this school and higher education to underprivileged children.

In February this year, Sonu was surprised to read about 27-year-old engineer Birendra Kumar Mahato quitting his full-time job to open a school for orphaned children, and that he named it after the actor. Moved by Mahato’s endeavour to provide free education and food to 110 children, the actor met Mahato and the children at the school which also functions as a shelter home.

The actor spent time with Mahato to understand the needs of the school, from ration to quality education, building awareness to bridging the education gap between rich and poor. By the end of the day, Sonu started work on new building for the school so that it can house more underprivileged children, and ensure there is food for every child.

“Increasing access to education is one of the best ways to combat poverty. We aim to educate children from the marginalised sections of the society so that they have a better chance at job opportunities.”

He added: “Higher education is something we are working on. The other important aspect is nutrition and overall well-being as this school is also a night shelter,” said the actor.

Currently, the actor is providing education to close to ten thousand students across the country .

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National News

Fresh violence in Manipur leaves 5 dead, including cop, hours before Amit Shah’s visit

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In Manipur, where ethnic violence has claimed at least 80 lives in the past month, new violence broke out yesterday, leaving at least five people dead, including a policeman, and 12 more injured. After alleged terrorists in the Serou and Sugunu area set fire to numerous homes with high-tech weapons, new violence broke out in different areas of the state.

Amit Shah, the Home Minister, is scheduled to visit the violence-struck state in a few hours. Yesterday, Chief Minister N Biren Singh said that ’40 terrorists’ had been killed by gunfire in the previous four days.

Multiple terrorists neutralised

CM Singh said, “The terrorists have been using M-16 and AK-47 assault rifles and sniper guns against civilians. They came to many villages to burn down homes. We have started taking very strong action against them with the help of the army and other security forces. We have got reports some 40 terrorists have been shot dead.”

The Chief Minister stated that the recent spike in violent attacks against citizens on the fringes of Imphal Valley was well-planned and is categorically condemned. Today’s visit by Home Minister Amit Shah to Manipur is on track and he has pleaded with the Kukis and Meiteis to keep things peaceful and seek to restore normal.

Violence triggered by Meitei community’s petition

General Manoj Pande, the Army Chief, visited Manipur on Saturday to assess the state of law and order. Last month, when tribal groups, mostly Kukis, demonstrated against the Meitei community’s petition to be classified as a Scheduled Tribe, which would grant them access to reservation privileges and forest areas, violence broke out throughout the state.

Tension over the displacement of Kuki people from the reserve forest area had caused a number of smaller agitations before the violence. In order to stop the violence from getting worse, the government has implemented curfews and internet bans in a number of locations.

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