Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati protests a notice from the Magh Mela administration regarding his use of the 'Shankaracharya' title, alleging discrimination and questioning the presence of multiple Shankaracharyas from Puri at the event.
Amid the row, the mela administration issued a notice asking Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati to explain how he was using the title of Shankaracharya of the Jyotish Peeth.
Actress-turned-seer Mamta Kulkarni has found herself at the centre of controversy following her recent remarks that underworld don Dawood Ibrahim 'is not a terrorist'.
The Maha Kumbh, billed as the world's largest gathering, concluded on Wednesday after 45 days, with lakhs of devotees taking a dip in the Sangam, the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and mythical Saraswati rivers. Despite a stampede that killed at least 30 people, millions continued to visit the Kumbh, seeking salvation through the ritual bath. The event saw a mix of faith, tradition, and technology, drawing pilgrims and tourists from across the globe.
The complainant also alleged that Narsinghanand used abusive language against the Ghaziabad police commissioner and the assistant police commissioner of Loni in a video.
The Bharatiya Janata Party leaders said the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case was a "slap on the face" of people who coined the term "saffron terror".
Narsinghanand has several cases against him, including for allegedly making a hate speech at a conclave in Haridwar in December 2021, and was out on bail.
The move drew criticism from the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad. Its president Mahant Ravindra Puri said that Mulayam Singh Yadav had always been "anti-Hindu and anti-Sanatan".
Judicial magistrate first class SV Metil Patil ordered his release on furnishing cash security of Rs 15,000.
While acknowledging that they needed strong allies for a chance in the assembly polls, AIADMK cadres seemingly prefer actor-politician Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam to the BJP, owing to the latter's 'communal agenda' and consequent hardline Hindutva image, explains N Sathiya Moorthy.
Amid the raging controversy regarding Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda, the Vokkaliga chieftains who according to a section allegedly killed erstwhile Mysuru ruler Tipu Sultan, a prominent seer of the community on Monday urged putting an end to the issue, citing lack of historical evidence in this regard.
Stirring up controversy, a Lingayat seer on Monday alleged that mutts (monasteries) are equally affected due to rampant corruption prevailing in Karnataka as they too pay a commission of 30 per cent to get the sanctioned grants released for them.
Joining the chorus against the film, the Samajwadi Party said the faithful are hurt by its "cheap and superficial dialogues" and that the film was part of an "agenda".
Ahead of the Maha Kumbh, a senior cleric has written to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressing fears that mass conversions of Muslims will take place during the event, while other community leaders have flagged the alleged demand raised by some Hindu seers' body to keep Muslims out of the mega gathering.
A court in the Chhattisgarh capital Raipur granted transit remand of controversial Hindu religious leader Kalicharan Maharaj, who was arrested by the state police for allegedly making derogatory remarks against Mahatma Gandhi at a conclave, to the Maharashtra police on Tuesday.
Controversial seer Yati Narsinghanand, an Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha functionary and her husband have been booked by the police for allegedly making inflammatory statements against a particular community, a police official said on Monday.
Opposing the Seer's bail application, prosecution lawyer K T S Tulsi informed the court that in the interrogation, which has been videographed, the seer "seems to be now realising that it was a mistake."
As a special investigation team began its probe into the recent Haridwar event where hate speeches were delivered against Muslims, a seer on Tuesday said he will 'personally' secure bail for anyone booked in connection with the case.
The president of the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad, Mahant Ravindra Puri, has demanded the evacuation of mosques built on ancient temples across India. Puri, who is also the president of the Mansa Devi Temple Trust in Haridwar, claims that around 80% of mosques in India are built on temples and that their domes resemble those of temples. He has appealed to Muslims to hand over such structures to Hindus and has called for the formation of a "Sanatan Board" to protect Hindu religious institutions. Puri also denied banning Muslims from attending the Maha Kumbh Mela, saying that they are welcome to visit and learn about Hinduism.
Following this a Veearashaiva-Lingayat seer -- Srisaila Jagadguru Channa Siddharama Panditaradhya Swamiji on Friday said ministers from his community should be considered for the CM's post in case there is a leadership change, while also pitching for them to be given priority in the event of creation of additional Deputy CM posts.
Our ancestors did jihad against Britishers, but yours penned 'love letters', Owaisi said in a jibe to Fadnavis.
Kanchi seer Jayendra Saraswati is among the accused in the case.
The Judicial Magistrate-I court in Kanchipuram had issued summons to the seer asking him to appear before the court to receive the copy.
The Uttar Pradesh government, citing a scientist, has asserted that Ganga water at the ongoing Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj is as pure as "alkaline water", debunking concerns raised by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) about water quality. The government claims that a scientist found no bacterial growth or decline in the water's pH level, despite millions of devotees bathing in the river. However, experts caution that the quality of the Ganga water is not static and can vary greatly depending on various factors.
The hospital said the seer was found to be critically ill with breathlessness, severe hypotension and massive gastrointestinal bleeding when he was brought.
A sessions court directed the Shankaracharya to furnish a personal bond for Rs 25,000 with two sureties for like amounts.
On his part, BJP Lok Sabha MP Narayan Rane, himself no stranger to controversies, got into damage control mode and sought to calm frayed nerves, saying he has chided his son over the remarks.
The Supreme Court today asked the trial court at Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu, not to frame charges against the Kanchi\nsankaracharya and the junior pontiff in the Sankararaman murder case till October 4
Kanchi Seer Jayendra Saraswathi, main accused in the Radhakrishnan assault case, and 11 others were today given copies of the chargesheet
Raghu has been charged with murder and conspiracy.
The warrant would be executed on April five, the judge said.
The junior seer has now be questioned twice in three days.
Narsinghanand was arrested in connection with the case on January 15, nearly a month after he organised a Dharma Sansad in Haridwar where alleged provocative speeches were delivered against Muslims.
The controversy has sparked reactions across states. The famous Mankameshwar temple in Uttar Pradesh has now banned offerings of 'prasad' bought by devotees from outside and said they can offer homemade 'prasad' or fruits.
Aseem Chhabra picks his top 10 Indian films of 2024, which includes films that have had theatrical releases or are streaming on OTT.
The TN government requested the SC Bench, headed by Chief Justice R C Lahoti, to hear the Special Leave Petition along with the appeal filed by the seer seeking bail in the Sankararaman murder case, which the court refused.\n
Sugunendra Tirtha Swamiji, the head of the Puthige math, who is to ascend the seat in January 2008 will not have a smooth run up as he has been facing stiff opposition from the heads of the other maths.
The state police have also prepared a Special Leave Petition to challenge Monday's high court order granting bail to the Shankaracharya in the Radhakrishnan assault case.
'We don't want him to get embroiled in any controversy,' Minister of State for Home Swami Chinmayananda said.
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