Politics
Srirangapatna’s is becoming Gyanvapi of Karnataka

As the controversy surrounding the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi continues, Hindu activists in Karnataka are all set to take a legal recourse on surveying and inspecting the Jamia Masjid, located in the historical town of Srirangapatna in Mandya district.
Aswathi.S., District Commissioner (DC) of Mandya, has already received a petition by the activists to carry out an inspection to verify if the Jamia Masjid was built on the ruins of a Hanuman temple.
“The DC has informed us that she has already sent out a request to the government. If the government does not respond, we are ready to approach the court,” C.T. Manjunath, state secretary of the Narendra Modi Vichar Manch, told IANS, adding that legal action will be pursued in coordination with Hindu organizations.
Jamia Masjid, built by the erstwhile ruler of Mysuru Tipu Sultan, has come in the eye of the storm as Hindu organisations have announced the congregation of 6 lakh maladhaari devotees of Lord Hanuman in Srirangapatna during the upcoming Hanuman Jayanti, raising law and order concerns.
The organisations have also sought a nod from authorities to conduct prayers in the mosque.
The mosque authorities have already made several appeals to the authorities to protect the shrine from Hindu activists.
Jamia Masjid also called as Masjid-i-Ala, is located inside the Srirangapatna fort. Built in 1786-87, the mosque has three inscriptions that mentions nine names of the Prophet Muhammad.
The mosque has two minarets and is built over an elevated platform. There are galleried balconies that separate each stage of the minaret. The mosque is two-storied and unlike other mosques, it does not have a dome.
The Jamia Masjid is administered by the Bengaluru Circle of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
Meanwhile, C.T. Manjunath explains that they strongly believe with evidence that the Jamia Masjid was built after razing down a Hanuman temple.
“B. Lewis Rice, a British historian, archaeologist and educationist in his report to the ASI mentions about Hanuman temple on Page number 61 in 1935,” he told IANS.
“Apart from this, Malabar Manual, Mysore Gazetteer by Lewis Rice, Tareeq-e-Tipu, Haider-e-Nishani also give enough proof of razing down of temples by Tipu Sultan. The sword of Tipu Sultan has an inscription on it which reads that it will go against those who do not follow Islam.
“It is not intolerant to ask for our temple. There are 7 lakh active mosques in the country. If Hindus were to be intolerant, this would not have been possible. Even Muslim nations do not have such a great number of mosques,” he adds.
Manjunath says that there is a board put up by the ASI which bans any activity in the mosque, but Tablighis arrive here every year for training.
“The idol if Goddess Annapoorneshwari is not found now. The idols and footprints of Hindu idols, religious symbols are chiseled out. The issue has been raised already,” he explains.
Hindu activists maintain that there are emblems of the erstwhile Hoysala kingdom inside the mosque. There is ‘Kalyani’ (traditional Hindu water body built inside temple premises) inside the mosque. Every pillar also has the emblem of ‘Gandubherunda’ (two-headed bird in Hindu mythology) and ‘Simha’ (lion).
Hindu activists believe that Hanuman temples are built in eight directions of the historical Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple in Srirangapatna town. The Jamia Masjid was also one among them.
Nanje Gowda, a senior journalist working for a reputed Kannada daily, countered the view and told IANS: “The famous, most sacred and ancient 9th century Sri Ranganatha Temple in Srirangapatna town which is located within 200 metres of Tipu Palace Lotus Mahal is intact. It has not been disturbed by either Tipu Sultan or his father Hyder Ali. In fact the temple premises have Hyder ‘mantapa’ (platform). Hyder Ali has generously contributed to the temple.”
Gowda fears that this would become a major issue in the region. “After hijab crisis, saffron shawls have reached almost all Hindu students. Anything can happen in the coming days,” he said.
Rishi Kumar Swamiji of Kali Mutt was arrested in January on charges of giving a call to demolish the Jamia Masjid.
He had demanded for it to be closed until it was decided whether it is a temple or a mosque.
“Even a Hindu child will get provoked after seeing the pillars, platforms for Nag devtas. I am a sage. How should I feel? I naturally felt pained on seeing what had happened to my temple. I have faith in law. Through this law, the Ram Mandir is being in Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh. I will get justice in the case,” Rishi Kumar Swamiji said.
“For Babri Masjid, the authorities have to dig land beneath the mosque and find proof. But, in this case the authorities in Srirangapatna city will just have to get documents of the mosque.”
The historical Srirangapatna is regarded as Karnataka’s Ayodhya by Hindu activists.
Sources say that with Hindu activists taking up the issue, the party is going to reap rich electoral success in the region which is presently considered as the bastion of regional party JD (S).
Srirangapatna town is located in Mandya district, considered as the heartland of the dominant Vokkaliga community. With Opposition leader Siddaramaiah, State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar pitching in against Hindutva ideology, experts say, it won’t be easy for BJP to reap political benefits here.
It also remains to be seen how the situation unfolds in the town, which will have a direct impact on capital Bengaluru.
International News
‘Modi’s War’: White House Trade Advisor Peter Navarro Blames India’s Oil Purchase For Ukraine-Russia Conflict

Washington, DC: White House Trade Advisor Peter Navarro has referred to the Russia-Ukraine conflict as “PM Modi’s war,” criticising India for purchasing discounted crude oil from Moscow.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Navarro blamed India for being the reason behind the US and Europe funding Ukraine against Russia’s aggression.
“Ukraine comes to us and Europe and says give us more money (for its war). Everybody in America loses because of what India is doing. Consumers and businesses lose, workers lose because India’s high tariffs cause jobs, income and higher wages. The taxpayer lose because we got to fund Modi’s war.” Navarro told Bloomberg.
He added, “The road to peace runs atleast partly through New Delhi.”
The White House trade advisor further termed India “arrogant” over prioritising its energy needs and advised it to “side with democracies.”
“The Indians are so arrogant about this. They say we don’t have higher tariffs. It’s our sovereignty. We can buy oil from anyone we want. India, you’re the biggest democracy in the world. Okay? Act like one. Side with the democracies,” Navarro said.
Navarro further attacked India for smoothening its ties with China, expressing his frustration over India’s growing relations with Moscow and Beijing, whom he labelled as “authoritarians.”
“You’re getting in bed with the authoritarians. China, you’ve been at quiet war with them for decades. They invaded Aksai Chin and all your territory. These are not your friends, folks. Okay? And the Russians, I mean, come on,” Navarro told Bloomberg.
Navarro’s remarks come after the 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods imposed by the Donald Trump administration came into force on Wednesday. Of the 50 per cent tariffs, 25 per cent are imposed because of India’s continued purchases of Russian oil and military equipment, which the Ministry of External Affairs has described as “extremely unfortunate” and reiterated its stand to protect its national interest.
“In an official statement, the MEA said, “The United States has in recent days targeted India’s oil imports from Russia. We have already made clear our position on these issues, including the fact that our imports are based on market factors and done with the overall objective of ensuring the energy security of 1.4 billion people of India.”
“It is therefore extremely unfortunate that the US should choose to impose additional tariffs on India for actions that several other countries are also taking in their own national interest,” the statement added.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has also responded to criticism of India by American officials for its energy ties with Russia, and said the US itself had asked New Delhi to help stabilise global energy markets by buying Russian oil.
Jaishankar called out the US logic to impose tariffs on India, despite China being the biggest purchaser of Russian oil and the EU being the biggest purchaser of LNG.
“We are not the biggest purchasers of Russian oil; that is China. We are not the biggest purchasers of LNG, that is the European Union. We are not the country which has the biggest trade surge with Russia after 2022; I think there are some countries to the South. We are a country where the Americans have said for the last few years that we should do everything to stabilise the world energy market, including buying oil from Russia. Incidentally, we also buy oil from the US, and that amount has increased. So honestly, we are very perplexed at the logic of the argument that you (the media) had referred to…” Jaishankar had said in response to a query during a joint press briefing with Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow.
Not just Indians but US politicians and economists have also responded to US efforts to strong-arm New Delhi.
Earlier, renowned economist Jeffrey Sachs had strongly criticised the US administration’s decision to impose steep tariffs on India, calling them “bizarre” and “very self-destructive of US foreign policy interests”.
In a recent interview with ANI, Sachs expressed concerns that these tariffs will undermine years of efforts to strengthen US-India relations. Sachs described the tariffs as “not a strategy, but sabotage” and the “stupidest tactical move in US foreign policy”, which has unified the BRICS countries like never before.
Nikki Haley, former US Ambassador to the United Nations, has emphasised the importance of treating India as a “prized free and democratic partner” in the global effort to counter China’s growing influence. In her opinion piece on Newsweek, she warned that damaging the 25-year momentum in US-India relations would be a “strategic disaster.”
She urged Donald Trump to “reverse the downward spiral” and hold direct talks with PM Modi. “The sooner the better,” she said.
Maharashtra
Virar Building Collapse: Death Toll Rises To 14 As NDRF And Emergency Teams Continue Rescue Operations

Palghar: The death toll has risen to 14 after a portion of a building collapsed in the Virar area of Palghar district, officials confirmed on Thursday. During the rescue operations conducted by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), two people were rescued, and one person sustained injuries.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has deployed two teams from its 5th battalion to the site.
Four-Storey Building Collapses in Virar
A section of the Ramabai Apartment, a four-storey building in Virar East, Palghar district, collapsed late Tuesday night, claiming two lives and injuring several others, officials said on Wednesday.
“14 people died when the rear portion of a four-storey Ramabai Apartments building located between Chamunda Nagar and Vijay Nagar on Narangi Road in Vasai collapsed yesterday. Rescue operations are underway,” NDRF said in a statement.
Further details are awaited.
In the initial manual and canine search, four people were pulled out; one was declared dead on site, and three were rescued alive. Tragically, a one-year-old child succumbed while being transported to the hospital.
Mumbai, Palghar NDRF Units Deployed
According to NDRF Deputy Commander Pramod Singh, “Two teams of the NDRF responded to the accident site–one from Mumbai and one from Palghar. As soon as the information was received at 12 am, the nearest team responded immediately.”
Emergency services, including the fire brigade and local police, are actively involved alongside NDRF teams. Authorities have set up barricades to maintain crowd control and are assessing the structural integrity of adjacent buildings. Several residents in adjoining buildings have been temporarily evacuated as a precautionary measure.
The incident occurred around 12:00 a.m., when the rear portion of the building collapsed onto an adjacent chawl, trapping multiple residents beneath the debris.
The rescued are receiving treatment at hospitals in Virar and Nalasopara, with some in serious condition.
Authorities are continuing their search to ensure no one remains trapped and are investigating the cause of the collapse further.
Maharashtra
Mumbai Weather Update: City Under Yellow Alert As Moderate Rains Continue, IMD Predicts Wet Spell Ahead

Mumbai: Mumbai experienced scattered rainfall in parts of the city on Thursday, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) maintaining a yellow alert. While the likelihood of very heavy showers on August 28 has been ruled out, the city may continue to receive intermittent spells. The day’s temperature is expected to hover between 26°C and 28°C.
Authorities have cautioned that if showers intensify unexpectedly, waterlogging could occur in low-lying areas such as Dadar, Kurla and Andheri, which are prone to flooding during heavy rainfall. The IMD has further indicated that Mumbai is likely to witness normal to above-normal rainfall during the August-September period, keeping the city on alert for sudden changes in weather conditions.
In the wider Konkan region, including Thane, Palghar, Raigad and Ratnagiri, the weather department has forecast moderate to heavy rain. Certain pockets may also experience extremely heavy downpours accompanied by strong winds blowing at speeds of 30-40 km/h. These conditions could pose challenges for both residents and commuters in the region, especially in areas vulnerable to flooding and landslides.
Looking at the city’s forecast for the coming days, the IMD has predicted a largely wet spell accompanied by cloudy skies. On August 29, Mumbai is expected to see moderate to heavy showers, with temperatures ranging between 27°C and 24°C. The following day, August 30, is likely to bring moderate rainfall, with the mercury fluctuating between 27°C and 25°C.
The rain activity is expected to continue into August 31, when showers are predicted with daytime temperatures reaching around 28°C and nighttime temperatures dropping to 25°C. On September 1, the city is set to receive more rainfall, with temperatures forecast between 28°C and 26°C.
-
Crime3 years ago
Class 10 student jumps to death in Jaipur
-
Maharashtra11 months ago
Mumbai Local Train Update: Central Railway’s New Timetable Comes Into Effect; Check Full List Of Revised Timings & Stations
-
Maharashtra11 months ago
Mumbai To Go Toll-Free Tonight! Maharashtra Govt Announces Complete Toll Waiver For Light Motor Vehicles At All 5 Entry Points Of City
-
Maharashtra11 months ago
False photo of Imtiaz Jaleel’s rally, exposing the fooling conspiracy
-
National News11 months ago
Ministry of Railways rolls out Special Drive 4.0 with focus on digitisation, cleanliness, inclusiveness and grievance redressal
-
Crime11 months ago
Baba Siddique Murder: Mumbai Police Unable To Get Lawrence Bishnoi Custody Due To Home Ministry Order, Says Report
-
Maharashtra10 months ago
Maharashtra Elections 2024: Mumbai Metro & BEST Services Extended Till Midnight On Voting Day
-
National News11 months ago
J&K: 4 Jawans Killed, 28 Injured After Bus Carrying BSF Personnel For Poll Duty Falls Into Gorge In Budgam; Terrifying Visuals Surface