Hamid Ansari Cites Nehru On Communalism; BJP And Cleric Hit Out Over Remarks

A major political controversy has erupted following a skit performed at an event in Indore. The performance, which involved a mimicry of the Prime Minister and an incident involving an elderly lady, drew sharp criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party, which accused the organisers of insulting women and misleading the youth. In response, the Congress defended the act as satire and not a serious statement, while questioning past remarks against its own leadership. The incident comes amid ongoing debates over political satire, past skits on foreign policy, and remarks by the former Vice President that have triggered further political confrontation.

The Karnataka Assembly witnessed a political showdown between the Congress government and the Bharatiya Janata Party over the rendition of Vande Mataram. The assembly opened its session with the national song, where the Congress opted to stop after the first two stanzas. However, BJP legislators continued singing the full song inside the house. The BJP accused the ruling Congress of engaging in appeasement politics and failing to accord full honour to the national song, citing central government directives. Defending its stance, Congress highlighted historical precedents regarding the shorter rendition and challenged opposition members over their knowledge of the lyrics.

TVK Minister Nilamalai Kumar addressed the ongoing investigation into the sexual abuse of minors involving a Chennai-based granite baron. He stated that Chief Minister Vijay has instructed the police to conduct a thorough high-level probe without procedural lapses. Implicating the former administration, he alleged, "We straight away accuse the previous government and then chief minister, Mr. M.K. Stalin." Kumar questioned how the earlier intelligence team could have missed the incident and insisted that no officer could stall such an inquiry without top-level approval.

This news broadcast covers key national and international developments, beginning with the widening POCSO investigation involving granite industrialist R. Veeramani in Chennai. Following the recovery of pen drive evidence regarding the alleged sexual assault of minors in Teynampet, the Special POCSO Court rejected a closure report and directed a reinvestigation, leading to the arrest of Veeramani, Shanthi, and Mahendra Simon. The development triggered political debates between TVK and DMK representatives alongside demands for a CBI probe into earlier police handling of the case. In Karnataka, tensions escalated in the Assembly over the rendition of Vande Mataram, leading to confrontations between the ruling Congress and the opposition BJP. Additionally, the Supreme Court ordered a fresh Special Investigation Team probe into the 2012 Dharmasthala Soujanya case. Internationally, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni proposed restrictions on burqas, niqabs, and classroom quotas for foreign students, while India's medal tally reached six at the Asian Games in Japan.