Page 27 - Religion Belief
Goa priest offers apology for hate-speech
The Goa Catholic priest, whose video of a hate-speech during a sermon against the BJP went viral, has "offered an unconditional apology" to the state administration, South Goa Collector Ajit Roy has said.
Goa priest apologises for remarks against PM, Shah, Parrikar
The Catholic priest who had allegedly made statements against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah and late Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar Tuesday tendered an "unconditional apology" after he was found guilty of violating the poll code. The priest, Fr Conceicao D'Silva, faced a probe by election officials after a video of his controversial speech went viral on social media. Stung by the remarks, the BJP had Sunday lodged a complaint against him with poll authorities. South Goa District Returning Officer Ajit Roy, in an order issued here, said DSilva, the Parish Priest of Our Lady of Snows Church, has admitted to making the statements during an inquiry conducted by Additional District Magistrate Agnelo Fernandes. "The Parish Priest has admitted that he had made statements. However, he regrets it and has tendered his unconditional apology for hurting sentiments of general public," Roy said. "As the priest has tendered an unconditional apology, the ...
Amid poll panel's gag order, Yogi to visit Ayodhya
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will visit the Ram Lalla temple in Ayodhya on Wednesday, amid the 72-hour ban on campaigning imposed on him by the Election Commission. Adityanath visited the famous Hanuman Setu temple here and offered prayers Tuesday, a day after the poll panel barred him from electioneering for three days for likening the ongoing Lok Sabha polls to a contest between 'Ali' and 'Bajrang Bali'. In Ayodhya, along with the makeshift shrine to Ram Lalla, the chief minister will also pray at the nearby Hanuman Garhi temple on Wednesday. In the evening, he will go to Devipatan, a temple of goddess Durga in Balrampur district, where he would stay the night. The chief minister reached the Hanuman Setu temple here Tuesday morning and got a rousing reception from his supporters amid slogans of "Jai Gorakhdham" and "Jai Bajrangbali ji". He, however, refused to take questions from the mediapersons, following the poll panel's gag order. He spent about 25 minutes at the
Notre Dame Fire: Pope Francis, PM Modi express solidarity with France
Pope Francis on Tuesday expressed solidarity with the people of France following the massive fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on Monday.The Pope wrote on his official Twitter handle, "Today we unite in prayer with the people of France, as we wait for the sorrow inflicted by the serious damage to be transformed into hope with reconstruction. Holy Mary, Our Lady, pray for us. #NotreDame"A deadly blaze engulfed the historic cathedral in France on Monday afternoon (local time), taking down the structure's famous spire, much to the horror of onlookers and world community alike.Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday conveyed his shock and sadness on the devastation caused by the fire, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar wrote on Twitter.In a letter written to the French President Emmanuel Macron, PM Modi "expressed India's solidarity with the President and people of France on this national loss."The cathedral houses a few of the most coveted relics in Christianity,
Kerala: Rahul Gandhi visits kin of late KM Mani in Pala
Congress president Rahul Gandhi visited the residence of late Kerala Congress (M) leader KM Mani and met the family members of the departed soul here on Tuesday.He expressed his condolences to Mani's family over the veteran politician's demise.Mani, a sitting MLA over the last 54 years, had passed away in Kochi on April 9 at the age of 86. He had served as a minister in the Kerala government for 25 years.He was suffering from COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) for several years and was undergoing treatment for chest infection in a hospital earlier this month.Mani was elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly for the first time in 1965 from Pala constituency of Kerala's Kottayam district.A founder member of Kerala Congress party, Mani later formed the Kerala Congress (M), a key coalition partner of the Congress-led UDF in Kerala.Soon after his death, the Congress president expressed condolences to Mani's family: "I'm sorry to hear about the passing of Shri K M Mani, a highly
PSIEC launches commemorative medallions to mark 550thbirth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev
State-owned Punjab Small Industries and Export Corporation (PSIEC) Tuesday announced the launch of commemorative medallions to mark the 550thbirth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism. PSIEC has made arrangement with the government of India's enterprise MMTC for the design and fabrication of the commemorative medallions, said corporation's general manager Sukhdip Singh Sidhu. The gold and silver medallion will be made available through 'Phuklari' stores of PSIEC located at Chandigarh, Amritsar, Patiala, Delhi and Kolkata. Besides, MMTC will also sell the commemorative medallions through its own outlets, Singh said. "PSIEC is also in the process of making available these commemorative medallions to the devotees and general public through e-commerce platform," he said. The prices of 5 gm and 10 gm gold coin were Rs 18,500 and Rs 37,500 respectively. The 50 gm silver medallion will be available at Rs 2,900. This is the 550th birth anniversary year of Guru Nanak Dev, ...
SC seeks Centre's reply on plea seeking entry of Muslim women into mosques to offer prayers
The Supreme Court Tuesday agreed to hear a plea seeking permission for Muslim women to enter mosques to offer prayers and asked the Centre to respond to it. A bench of justices S A Bobde and S A Nazeer told the petitioners' counsel that it would hear the matter only in view of the apex court's judgement in the Sabrimala temple case. "The only reason we may hear you is because of our judgement in the Sabarimala case. Otherwise you are not giving us satisfactory answers," the bench told the counsel appearing for petitioners Yasmeen Zuber Ahmad Peerzade and Zuber Ahmad Nazir Ahmad Peerzade. On September 28 last year, a five-judge constitution bench of the apex court, in its 4:1 verdict, had paved the way for entry of women of all ages into the Sabarimala temple in Kerala, saying the ban amounted to gender discrimination. Besides the Centre, the apex court also issued notices to the Ministry of Law and Justice, Ministry of Minority Affairs, National Commission for Women, Maharashtra State
Lankan Prez arrives at Tirumala Hills
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena arrived here Tuesday to offer prayers at the hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara near here, a temple official said. Accompanied by his wife Jayanthi Pushpa Kumari and other family members and Lankan officials, Sirisena landed at Renigunta airport, 20 km from here, at noon. Amid tight security, he reached the hills by road, the official told PTI. The president would take part in the 'Suprabhatha' ritual (recitation of Sanskrit hymns by priests to wake the Lord) and offer prayers to the presiding deity of Lord Venkateswara in the early hours Wednesday, the official added.
Rahul 'aprabuddha unlimited': Krishna
Former minister for external affairs S M Krishna Tuesday called Congress president Rahul Gandhi 'aprabuddha unlimited' (unintellectual unlimited) following a rap from the Supreme Court for wrongly attributing it to the Rafale case. "When somebody acquires a reputed position, especially in the case of the Congress president whose party has a history of 125 years, the sign of intellect should have been that the views are expressed cautiously after much deliberation. It's a sign of maturity. But today what we witnessed today is unintellectual unlimited," Krishna said at a press conference here. The former Karnataka chief minister, who played a long innings in the Congress before joining the BJP, said the opposition "lacked truth and evidence" before making allegations. "Whatever the allegations are being made against the prime minister lacks truth, gravity and documentation. For example, we can see how the Congress president has incurred the wrath of Supreme Court due to ..
Facing EC's gag order, Yogi visits Hanuman temple, offers prayers
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited the famous Hanuman Setu temple here and offered prayers Tuesday, a day after the Election Commission barred him from electioneering for 72 hours for likening the ongoing Lok Sabha polls to a contest between 'Ali' and 'Bajrang Bali'. The chief minister who arrived in the temple to a rousing reception by his supporters amid slogans of "Jai Gorakhdham" and "Jai Bajrangbali ji" refused to take questions from the mediapersons, following the poll panel's gag order. He spent about 25 minutes at the temple and was seen bowing before the deity and sitting with folded hands to recite "Hanuman Chalisa." Though he accepted greetings from the large numbers of morning worshippers present there on a Tuesday, the day dedicated to Lord Hanuman, with a smile, he refrained from interacting with them. Owing to the poll panel's gag order, the chief minister also stayed away from Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh's road show Tuesday before he filed the ..
Tumkur's Durga temple: where politics and religion regularly meet
The Hethenahalli Adishakthi Maramma temple holds a special place in the hearts of its many devotees who consider it sacrilegious to break a promise made in its premises -- a vulnerability that politicians have used to extract votes in exchange for cash, say locals. The 13th century Durga temple, where politics and religion regularly meet, even served as a "guarantee" for candidates allegedly involved in the "note-for-votes" scam in the 2018 Karnataka Assembly election. According to locals in this high profile constituency from where JD(S) chief and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda is contesting the Lok Sabha election, nominees of various political parties offered Rs 2,000 per family to vote for them in 2018. Voters were also given a picture of Durga, along with the money, on which they were asked to swear that they would vote for a particular candidate, residents said. In the 2018 Assembly polls, parties exploited people's faith by bringing them to the temple and making them take .
Small fire at flashpoint Jerusalem holy site
A small fire broke out at a guard's booth in the courtyard at the flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem but was extinguished and the site remains open, authorities said Tuesday. The blaze broke out on Monday evening around the same time as Paris's Notre-Dame cathedral burned. The fire was "quickly extinguished", Israeli police said, adding the cause was being investigated. The Waqf religious organisation which oversees the site said the fire burned a guard's room above what is known as the Marwani prayer room. It said the fire was caused by youths playing with fire, without providing further details. The Jerusalem compound is holy to both Muslims and Jews, who refer to it as the Temple Mount. It is considered the third-holiest site in Islam and the holiest in Judaism.
Pune couple happy after SC notice to Centre on Muslim women's entry into mosques
A Pune-based couple, who petitioned the Supreme Court on allowing Muslim women to enter mosques, on Tuesday said they were happy at the apex court's decision to hear the plea. A bench headed by Justice S A Bobde issued notice to the Centre on Tuesday and asked it to respond to the plea filed by the Pune-based couple -- Zuber and Yasmeen Peerzade. Speaking to PTI, Zuber said, "It all started four years ago. We had given an application to a mosque in our locality seeking permission to allow women inside as we wanted to raise awareness among Muslim women about various issues." The mosque, however, declined the request stating that women were not allowed inside mosques. "From that moment, we started checking what the religion says (about this) and found that there is nothing in it which bars the entry of women inside a mosque to offer prayers," Zuber (48), a real estate dealer, said. After being turned down by several mosques, they decided to knock on the doors of the Supreme Court, Zuber
SC issues notice on plea seeking entry of women into mosques
The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued a notice to the Centre, National Commission for Women (NCW), Central Waqf Council, and All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on a plea seeking entry of women into mosques in order to offer prayers.The Supreme Court bench headed by Justice SA Bobde and comprising Justice S Abdul Naseer admitted the plea of a Pune-based Muslim couple asking to lift the prohibition on entry of Muslim women into mosques.The apex court said, "the only reason we may hear you is because of our judgment in Sabarimala temple".On September 28 last year, the Supreme Court had lifted the ban on the entry of women aged between 10 and 50 years into the premises of Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala, Kerala.The petition filed before the top court also sought direction to declare the prohibition on entry of Muslim women into mosques in the country as "illegal and unconstitutional" because it violates the fundamental rights of women.During the hearing, the court asked the ...
Tumkur temple assumes key role in poll season
The Hethenahalli Adishakthi Maramma temple is again in discussion in this high-profile constituency, from where JD(S) chief and former prime minister HD Deve Gowda is contesting the ongoing Lok Sabha polls, as the shrine served as a "guarantee" for the candidates who had indulged in the "note-for-votes" scam in the 2018 Karnataka Assembly election. Regarded as one of the most sacred temples in the region, people consider it almost blasphemous taking a false oath here. According to the locals, nominees of various political parties had offered Rs 2,000 per family to vote for them in 2018, but the voters were also given a picture of goddess Durga, along with the money, on which they were asked to swear that they would vote for a particular candidate. Many people in this village, located at a distance of nine kilometres from Tumkur city, are expecting a repeat of the 2018 story in the general election. "The temple was built in 1235 and it is famous for curing small pox. Those with ...
Yogi visits Hanuman Temple after EC imposes campaign ban on him
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Tuesday visited the Hanuman Setu Temple here and offered prayers, a day after the Election Commission imposed a nationwide campaign ban on him for 72 hours for his "provocative" communal remarks. Adityanath took part in 'puja' and after spending about 20 minutes in the temple, he left without taking any question from the media. The Election Commission on Monday imposed a nationwide campaign ban on Adityanath for 72 hours for his speech at a rally in Meerut, where he compared the Lok Sabha elections to a contest between 'Ali', a revered figure in Islam, and 'Bajrang Bali', a name for Hindu god Hanuman. Following the EC orders, the chief minister will also not participate in the road show of Home Minister Rajnath Singh who will file his nomination papers Tuesday.
Pope Francis stands with France over Notre-Dame fire: Vatican
Pope Francis stands with France and is praying for Roman Catholics and Parisians alike after a devastating fire raged through the iconic Notre-Dame cathedral in the heart of the city," the Vatican said Tuesday. "The pope is close to France, he is praying for French Catholics and for the people of Paris in face of the terrible fire which has ravaged Notre-Dame cathedral," the head of the Vatican press office Alessandro Gisotti wrote on Twitter. "He offers his prayers to those trying to face up to this dramatic situation," he added.
SC issues notice to Centre on plea seeking entry of Muslim women into mosques to offer prayers
The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to hear a petition seeking permission for Muslim women to enter mosques to offer prayers. A bench headed by Justice S A Bobde issued notice to the Centre and asked it to respond to the plea filed by a Pune-based couple. The bench told the counsel appearing for the petitioners that it will hear the matter because of the apex court's judgment in the Sabarimala temple case. "The only reason we may hear you is because of our judgment in the Sabarimala temple case," it said. On September 28 last year, a five-judge constitution bench headed by then chief justice Dipak Misra, in its 4:1 verdict, had paved the way for entry of women of all ages into the Sabarimala temple in Kerala, saying the ban amounted to gender discrimination. In the current petition, the couple has sought the apex court's direction to declare as "illegal" and "unconstitutional" the practice of prohibiting the entry of Muslim women into mosques to offer prayers. Referring to ...
EC cracks whip, bars Yogi, Mayawati, Azam, Maneka
After Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the Election Commission (EC) on Monday barred Union Minister Maneka Gandhi and Samajwadi Party leader Mohammed Azam Khan from campaigning in the Lok Sabha elections for 48 houres and 72 hours, respectively.
After Yogi, Mayawati, EC bans Azam, Maneka from campaigning
The Election Commission Monday barred SP leader Azam Khan and Union minister Maneka Gandhi for 72 hours and 48 hours respectively for their controversial remarks. Khan was under the poll panel's lens for making derogatory remarks against BJP candidate from Rampur, Jaya Prada, while Gandhi had told Muslims to vote for her as they will need her once the Lok Sabha elections are over. Earlier in the day, the EC had barred UP chief minister Adityanath for 72 hours and BSP leader Mayawati for 48 hours for their religious comments.