As India marks 150 years of the national song Vande Mataram, the BJP has claimed former PM Jawaharlal Nehru asked for important stanzas, which hailed Goddess Maa Durga, to be dropped in 1937.
BJP spokesperson CR Kesavan, in a post on X, claims that “the Congress committed the historic sin and blunder of linking the song with religion”. Importantly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the move sowed the seeds of partition, adding that a “divisive mindset” is still a challenge for the country.
Congress President Mallikarjun Khadge defiantly declared that the Indian National Congress has been the proud flagbearer of Vande Mataram. Adding that it is “deeply ironic” that the RSS and the BJP, have never sung the national song or the National Anthem in their shakhas or offices.
SC directs all states and UTs to remove stray dogs
In other news, stray dogs are once again on the Supreme Court’s radar. India’s top court directed all states and union territories to remove stray dogs from the premises of educational institutions, hospitals, sports complexes, and more.
Further adding that they must be taken to “a designated shelter, after due sterilisation and vaccination in accordance with the Animal Birth Control Rules”. Importantly the three-judge bench directed that the stray dogs shall not be released back to the same location citing counterproductivity.
Technical snag at Delhi’s IGIA sees hundreds of flights delayed
Shift focus - Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) saw chaotic scenes after a technical snag in the air traffic control (ATC) system resulted in hundreds of flights being delayed.
Reports suggest that the information technology (IT) ministry believes this wasn’t due to a cyber attack but stemmed from a malfunction in the Automatic Message Switching System.
Dozens injured in a blast in Jakarta, Indonesia
Elsewhere, dozens of people, mostly students, had to be rushed to hospital after an explosion at a mosque in the Indonesian capital Jakarta. The incident happened during Friday prayers inside a school complex in North Jakarta with the city police chief saying the blast’s cause was being investigated.
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