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.

Agartala, Sep 16: In a major narcotics haul, the Tripura Police have seized highly addictive methamphetamine tablets worth over Rs 40 crore and arrested a drug peddler on Wednesday.

Informing about the drug seizure, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha, in a post on his X, said, “A major breakthrough in our fight against drugs ! In a significant operation, North Tripura Police under Panisagar Police Station seized 50 kg of Yaba tablets valued at approx. ₹40 crore, a major blow to the illicit drug network.”

“This success reflects the unwavering commitment of our police and security forces to protect our youth and society from the menace of drugs and strengthens our mission towards a Nasha Mukt Tripura,” said CM Saha, who also holds the home portfolio.

Police said that the seized drugs were suspected to have been smuggled from Myanmar, and through Mizoram, the narcotics entered Tripura to be smuggled to neighbouring Bangladesh. Tripura shares a 109 km interstate border with Mizoram, and the 856 km international border with Bangladesh.

The methamphetamine tablets, also known as Yaba or “party” tablets, contain a mixture of methamphetamine and caffeine and are misused as high-dosage drugs in Bangladesh and neighbouring countries, besides India.

The drugs were banned in India. Various types of cough syrups containing codeine phosphate are also commonly misused and illegally smuggled into Bangladesh.

Mizoram and Manipur have emerged as major drug-trafficking corridors in the Northeast due to their long and porous international borders with Myanmar and proximity to the Golden Triangle, one of the world’s major illicit narcotics-producing regions. Six districts of Mizoram and five districts of Manipur share around 910 km of unfenced international border with Myanmar.

CM Saha had earlier said that his government follows a zero-tolerance policy towards the drug menace. “Law enforcement agencies must take all-out measures to curb drug-related activities,” he had said.

The Chief Minister also said that the state government has decided to set up drug de-addiction centres in all eight districts of Tripura, with Rs 20 crore earmarked for each centre. He said the Union Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) has already sanctioned Rs 198 crore to set up a special drug de-addiction centre at Bishramganj in Sepahijala district.