New Delhi, Sep 16: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National President Nitin Nabin will undertake a two-day visit to Indore and Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh, from Thursday, September 17.

The visit comes amid BJP’s preparations to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi completion of 25 years in public service and his birthday under the party’s nationwide ‘Seva Sankalp Abhiyan’. The ‘Swamitva Scheme’ event in Indore is one of the key highlights of his visit to state.

Nabin will also light ‘Ashirvad Ka Diya’ at Ujjain’s Ram Ghat, leading the celebrations to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 25 years of public service.

Nabin is scheduled to arrive at the Devi Ahilyabai Holkar International Airport in Indore in the afternoon on September 17, where senior BJP office-bearers and party workers will welcome him.

After participating in local programmes, the BJP President will reach Gandhi Nagar Ground where he will take part in an event organised under the ‘Swamitva Scheme’.

During the programme, he will formally inaugurate the new statewide registration process under the scheme.

Towards the evening, Nabin will head to Ujjain, where he will participate in the ‘Maa Shipra Aarti’ at Ram Ghat.

As part of the ‘Seva Sankalp Abhiyan’, the BJP chief will light the ‘Ashirvad Ka Diya’ at the banks of the Shipra river, amid a large-scale devotional programme.

According to the BJP, lakhs of illuminated diyas will be lit up at the Ram Ghat during the programme, creating a festive and spiritual atmosphere along the banks of the river.

Nabin will also attend a ‘Bhajan Sandhya’ organised at the ghat.

On the second and final day of his visit to the state on September 18, Nitin Nabin will offer prayers at Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple, attend the sacred ‘Bhasma Aarti’ ritual at the renowned Jyotirlinga temple and also perform traditional worship rituals.

The two-day visit will combine BJP’s organisational and public welfare programmes with religious and spiritual engagements in Indore and Ujjain as part of the party’s nationwide activities marking Prime Minister Modi’s 25 years of public service.

Mysuru, Sep 16: Mysuru-Kodagu MP and royal scion Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar on Wednesday said the BJP was not opposed to Muslims and clarified that the party’s protest in T. Narasipura town was against remarks made by a police inspector regarding a procession in front of a mosque.

Speaking in Mysuru, Yaduveer said the BJP had staged the protest condemning the police inspector’s statement that a procession would not be allowed in front of a mosque.

“We are opposed to the T. Narasipura police inspector. For that reason, we have protested. We have not protested targeting Muslims,” he said.

Yaduveer said the BJP’s protest should not be portrayed as being directed against the Muslim community.

Responding to criticism over BJP leaders wearing shoes and slippers while holding Ganesh idols during the protest in front of the T. Narasipura police station, Yaduveer said the idols being carried by the protesters had not been installed.

“For installed idols, that kind of respect is given. The idols which we held were not installed. In that respect, it is not an issue of controversy. We were wearing chappals while protesting on the street,” he said.

Yaduveer also alleged that the police had defended Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar over the issue.

“I have observed that the police defended CM Shivakumar. If you defend such statements, what would be the public opinion?” he questioned.

Referring to the police inspector’s remarks at a peace meeting, Yaduveer said the language used by the officer was inappropriate.

He quoted the inspector as saying in Kannada, “If a procession is taken in front of the mosque, he will make them repent,” and, “If you people go there, you get charged up.”

Yaduveer questioned whether such language was appropriate for a police officer to use during a peace meeting.

“You ask anyone in society whether using such language in a peace meeting is right or wrong. If such language is used in a peace meeting, who is answerable?” he asked.

The BJP MP maintained that the party’s protest was against the police inspector’s alleged remarks and not against any particular community.

It can be recalled that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday (September 13) staged a protest in Karnataka’s T Narsipur over alleged curbs on a Ganesha procession, even as the district police said there were no restrictions on the route or the festival.

The protest was held after T Narsipur Police Inspector Dhananjaya warned Ganesha procession organisers against bursting crackers in front of a mosque on Link Road, reports said. The BJP interpreted the remarks as restrictions on the procession and demanded the inspector’s suspension.

Leader of Opposition R. Ashoka, Mysuru-Kodagu MP Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, MLA T.S. Srivatsa, former MP Pratap Simha and other BJP leaders joined the protest. Ashoka carried a Ganesha idol and led a march along the Link Road. The BJP leaders were later detained by the police and subsequently released.

Chennai, Sep 16: The Tamil Nadu government will launch the expanded Perunthalaivar Kamaraj Breakfast Scheme for students of Classes 6 to 8 on September 22, following the postponement of the programme that was originally scheduled for Thursday.

Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay will inaugurate the expanded scheme after returning from his official visit to London, where he is holding meetings aimed at attracting fresh investments to Tamil Nadu.

The programme was initially scheduled to be launched on Thursday, coinciding with the birth anniversary of social reformer Periyar. However, the government deferred the inauguration as the Chief Minister was unavailable due to his overseas visit.

Social Welfare Secretary Pallavi Baldev has written to all District Collectors informing them about the revised launch date and directing the administrations to make the necessary arrangements for implementing the programme.

The scheme will be introduced across Tamil Nadu, except in Chengalpattu and Tiruppur districts, where Assembly by-elections are currently underway. The exclusion of the two districts is understood to be linked to the Model Code of Conduct in force for the elections.

After the TVK government assumed office, the Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme was renamed the Perunthalaivar Kamaraj Breakfast Scheme in honour of former Chief Minister K. Kamaraj, who played a pioneering role in expanding school education and introducing welfare measures for students in Tamil Nadu.

The breakfast programme, which had initially covered children studying in primary classes at government schools, is now being extended to students from Classes 6 to 8. The expansion is expected to benefit a large number of pupils, particularly those belonging to economically disadvantaged families.

The government believes that providing nutritious breakfast to students before classes begin will improve attendance, reduce classroom hunger and help children concentrate better on their studies.

Officials have been instructed to ensure proper coordination among the Social Welfare Department, School Education Department, local bodies and school administrations.

District Collectors are expected to supervise preparations, including the identification of beneficiaries, supply of food materials, kitchen facilities, hygiene standards and the timely distribution of breakfast.

Detailed instructions regarding the inauguration and implementation of the expanded scheme are likely to be communicated to schools before September 22. Ministers, elected representatives and senior officials are also expected to participate in launch programmes organised in different districts. The statewide rollout will mark one of the government’s major education and child welfare initiatives since taking office.