Kerala Tourism, Munnar get ready for rare flower show
Thiruvananthapuram, July 11: Kerala Tourism and the state's Munnar are all set for a rare spectacle - happening once every 12 years - when the hills at the hugely popular tourist resort will be carpeted with the blossoms of the 40-odd varieties of a tiny reddish blue flower.
The Strobilanthes kunthianus is locally called 'Neelakurinji', neela meaning blue and kurinji the local name for the flower.
The last time this marvellous spectacle occurred in 2006 and generally the time this phenomenal blooming begins towards mid July and ends in October.
Another attractive sight to the naked eye will be the majestic Nilgiri Tahr, the endangered mountain goat found in these area, ambling down the hills that are swathed in neelakurinji blossoms in all their grandeur.
The Kerala Tourism Department on Wednesday launched a microsite - www.keralatourism.org/neelakurinji - on blossoming of Neelakurinji, as there will not be an inch of space in Munnar with tourists coming in large numbers.
Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran launched the microsite which is rich in content and has detailed information regarding the tourist attractions on the way to Eravikulam National Park near Munnar, saying that it will help tourists explore more interesting facts about Neelakurinji and realise the real beauty of the place.
A 21-page e-brochure is also available on the site that enables tourists to get all the information about Neelakurinji. The e-brochure can be downloaded and be sent via WhatsApp.
Neelakurinji mainly blossoms abundantly at Rajamala, Eravikulam National Park, located along the Western Ghats.
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Two FIRs lodged against Mithun Chakraborty for 'provocative' speech
Kolkata, Nov 6: Two FIRs have been lodged against actor-turned-politician Mithun Chakraborty for allegedly making provocative statements during a BJP event in Salt Lake area near Kolkata last month, police said on Wednesday.
The complaints pertain to Chakraborty's speech on October 27 at the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC) in Salt Lake, during a BJP programme attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who was in Kolkata to launch the party's West Bengal membership drive.
The first FIR was filed at the Bidhannagar South police station based on a complaint by an individual, while the second was lodged at Bowbazar police station.
"We have started an investigation into the case," a senior officer of Bidhannagar police said.
Shah was also present at the programme, which was organised to kick off the West Bengal leg of the BJP's membership drive. Shah had also felicitated Chakraborty for being honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award this year.
Although Chakraborty was unavailable for comment, BJP state president and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar described the FIRs a result of "vendetta politics.".
Majumdar alleged that the TMC government "has once again used the police to unfairly target well-known actor and senior BJP leader Mithun Chakraborty".
He accused the chief minister of employing such tactics "to serve political interests" and claimed that the state government's actions were part of an ongoing attempt to discredit political opponents.
"There is nothing provocative in his speech. These are nothing but attempts to intimidate him by using police as a political tool," he said.
TMC leader Kunal Ghosh dubbed the BJP's allegations as baseless.
"The allegations of political vendetta are baseless. He shouldn't have made such provocative remarks. The law will take its own course," he said.
Chakraborty, who received India's highest film honour, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, earlier this year, had asserted on October 27 that the 'masnad' (throne) of West Bengal would belong to the BJP after the 2026 assembly elections, promising to do whatever it takes to achieve the goal.
While speaking at the programme, Chakraborty, a BJP leader, said, "In 2026, the 'masnad' will be ours, and we will do everything to achieve the goal."
In an apparent reference to TMC MLA Humayun Kabir's communal remarks aimed at BJP workers during the Lok Sabha elections, Chakraborty had allegedly made provocative remarks.
Chakraborty cautioned that no one should attempt to intimidate saffron party voters into abstaining from voting in the next assembly elections.
He called upon the booth-level workers of his party to resist any such attempts.
