Kolkata, Jan 19: DMK president M K Stalin on Saturday said the upcoming general elections will be akin to the second freedom struggle for people of India to fight against the "radical Hinduism" of the BJP.

Stalin, speaking at TMC's mega opposition rally here, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is "afraid" of a few people, including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

"The next (Lok Sabha) elections will be the second fight for Independence. We will stop this poison of Hindutva and radical Hinduism from spreading. Our call is to defeat Modi and save the country," he said at the Brigade Parade Grounds here.

Criticising the central government, Stalin also accused it of working for corporate houses.

"If Modi is back in power, the country will go back 50 years," he said. Leaders of all the opposition parties, except the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the CPI(M)-led Left Front, are taking part in the rally.

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Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka School Education Department has issued a circular strictly prohibiting children from being made to dance to obscene songs in educational and cultural programmes.

It stated that such dances would negatively impact students' mental health and moral values. It will create indiscipline and harm the sanctity of education.

"All the Deputy Directors (Administration) of the state's School Education Department have been asked to take strict measures to prevent children or students from dancing to obscene songs in all government, aided and unaided schools in the state," the office of the commissioner of the School Education Department said in a recent circular.

"If it is found that children are being made to dance to obscene songs, appropriate action will be taken against the headmaster or management of such school," it added.

The department also listed certain measures in this regard, which include: strictly prohibiting children from being made to dance to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes; selecting songs that are inspiring, positive, instilling national pride in children and reflecting the greatness, dignity, values, culture, and morality of the state.

Stating that the school headmaster and management are responsible for selecting songs and dances for cultural programmes, it said, they should also ensure that students wear decent clothes in dance or cultural programmes.