Hyderabad: AIMIM chief Assadudin Owaisi on Friday criticized calls for Muslims to stay indoors or cover themselves during Holi, asserting the community’s strength by saying, “We will not run, we are not cowards.”

“Some say if you’re so scared, you should not offer namaz and stay indoors. They say just like we have covered our mosques, we must cover ourselves also, or else stay indoors,” Owaisi said while addressing a gathering at Chowk-e-Masjid in Telangana’s Hyderabad.

His remarks were in response to statements by some officials advising Muslims to remain indoors if they did not want to be colored during Holi.

In Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal, Circle Officer Anuj Chaudhary had on March 6 suggested that those uncomfortable with colours should stay inside, a comment later backed by UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Several mosques in Uttar Pradesh were covered with tarpaulin on orders from the local administration to prevent any untoward incidents during Holi celebrations.

“Those who migrated to Pakistan were cowards. We will not run, we are not cowards. A Chief Minister said Jumma namaz can be offered at home as well… Who is he to tell us what we can and cannot do?” Owaisi added.

This year, Holi coincided with the second Jumma namaz (Friday prayers) of Ramzan on March 14. Security forces conducted flag marches and set up checkpoints to ensure peaceful celebrations across several states.

In UP’s Sambhal, Holi festivities and prayers were observed peacefully under tight security. Sambhal Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Vandana Mishra praised the cooperation among communities, saying that peaceful celebrations “sent a strong message of harmony.”

District Magistrate Rajendra Pensia also spoke about the cooperation of people in Sambhal, which was affected by violence in November last year.

“All are happy, and they are playing Holi by applying colours to one another. We are getting cooperation from everyone,” the District Magistrate said.

Circle Officer Anuj Chowdhary led a flag march along with other police personnel to ensure the law and order situation in the district.

Circle officer Chaudhary said the police monitored the situation through foot patrolling and drone surveillance.”We are conducting foot-patrolling and drone surveillance”, he told ANI on Friday.

Other than police, paramilitary forces also conducted a flag march in Sambhal, whereas the administration used drones to monitor the situation in the district properly. Earlier, Sambhal MP Zia ur Rehman Barq urged people of all communities to maintain peace and harmony ahead of the Jumma and Holi celebrations.

Gadag (Karnataka), March 14: At least seven school girls had to be hospitalised after a gang of miscreants threw chemical colour on them while celebrating Holi in Lakshmeshwar town of Gadag district of Karnataka on Friday.

According to preliminary information, four of the seven school girls are in critical condition. They are complaining of breathing problems and chest pain. They have been shifted to Gadag Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS), while the remaining girls are being treated at the local government hospital in Lakshmeshwar.

The incident has sparked outrage among the people and the parents of the victims have rushed to the hospital. Considering the seriousness of the matter, the police have started searching for the gang of miscreants.

According to the police, the school girls were waiting for the bus to go to school to take the exam at the bus stand near Suvarnagiri Tanda in Lakshmeshwar town.

Sources said a gang of miscreants came on bikes, stopped near the bus stand and started throwing colours on them. Meanwhile, the school bus arrived and the girls boarded it. The miscreants followed the bus on bikes and entered the bus and specifically targeted seven schoolgirls and poured chemical colours on them.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the chemical colours thrown by the miscreants contained cow dung, eggs, phenol and colour mixed together. The girls unknowingly swallowed some amount of the mixture, causing them to experience breathing problems and other symptoms.

The students fell sick and were immediately rushed to a hospital for treatment.

The scenes at the hospital were heartbreaking, with the girls suffering from breathing problems and severe chest pain. Senior police officials rushed to the hospital and assured the parents that strict action would be taken against the culprits.

The accused managed to escape on bikes and the police are gathering information from locals and other passengers on the school bus to nab them. More details are expected to emerge as the investigation progresses. The authorities are yet to issue any official statement on the matter.

Lucknow: Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday called the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath a “Tees Maar Khan”. He further stated that CM Yogi loves the number of thirty as he uses it in almost every case.

His reaction follows the decision by the local administration in Uttar Pradesh after which several mosques were covered with tarpaulin sheets ahead of the Holi festival. The move aims to prevent any untoward incidents and maintain communal harmony during the celebrations.

The SP chief stated that people from all the communities have always celebrated all festivals together.

Addressing a press conference, Yadav said, “I extend my heartfelt greetings on the occasion of Holi to people of the country. This is a festival of colours which brings joy and happiness. We wish that the Ganga-Yamuna tradition of our country flourishes and people lives together with brotherhood as they have lived since many years. People from all communities have celebrated all festival together. We are connected through festivals and businesses associated with it…”

“On the other hand, our Chief Minister is Tees Maar Khan, because he loves the number of thirty. The number of people died was 30, the economic activity amounted to Rs 30 crores… Nobody can give us the account of Tees Maar Khan except our Chief Minister…” he added.

Speaking on the issue of demolition, the SP chief said that the Supreme Court given directions from time to time but the government is not ready to listen. He further hoped that the Supreme Court would give justice in this matter.

“The Supreme Court has given directions various times. they have given many important observations on the bulldozer action from time to time. Still, the government is not ready to listen. I hope that the Supreme Court will give justice. Even the people are noticing that Constitution is not safe under BJP rule,” he said.

Hitting out further, the SP chief said that the BJP will lose “very badly” in the 2027 assembly elections of the state.

He said, “Many things are covered up to hide other things. CM Yogi is saying that the youth got employment by riding their bikes in Prayagraj. If it is so, the, when did government decide to use personal vehicle as commercial? Does this mean that now after 144 years these youths will get employment? No one lies more than the BJP and from time to time some of their allies also support them. They lost in 2024 Lok Sabha elections but they will lose very badly in 2027 elections.”