TN MP files defamation case against MLA Janardhan Reddy for linking him with Dharmasthala case
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Bengaluru (PTI): Tamil Nadu Congress MP Sasikanth Senthil on Saturday said he has filed a criminal defamation case against Karnataka MLA Janardhan Reddy in a court here for making allegations and linking him to the Dharmasthala case and rejected the claims as politically motivated and reckless.
Alleging that it was a "right wing coordinated attempt" as he opposes their politics, Senthil, who had served as an IAS officer in Karnataka in the past, including as Deputy Commissioner in Dakshina Kannada district, said that he also feels somewhere Tamil Nadu politics is being pushed in Karnataka.
Senthil asserted that he had no connection with the case and rejected the allegations.
Reddy, who is with the BJP, had last month claimed the entire Dharmasthala case was orchestrated through Senthil.
"Recently, the Gangavathi MLA, on the basis of some WhatsApp message, has taken my name accusing me of being scriptwriter and mastermind (behind allegations against Dharmasthala). Initially I felt -- should I respond to such childish comments?... But daily some story is being built up," Senthil said.
Speaking to reporters here, "In the public interest and my own right against defamation, I have taken action legally. I have filed a criminal defamation case against Janardhan Reddy, who had taken my name. Court has taken cognizance of it. He will be served a notice. He (Reddy) will have to come and answer to the court as to on what basis allegations were made against me," he said, adding that the hearing on the case will be on September 11.
He further warned that those making stories against him in connection with the case will also face criminal action.
Terming the Dharmasthala case as a coordinated effort to malign a sacred Hindu institution, Reddy had also alleged that the complainant, who is from Tamil Nadu, had "close ties" with Senthil.
Responding to a question, the Congress MP said, "Allegations are being made against me stating that I'm from Tamil Nadu and he (complainant) is also from Tamil Nadu. There was also a police officer here from Tamil Nadu. He is directly in opposition to me there... I don't know why his name has not come."
He further said, "I'm opposing right wing politics across the country, so I resigned from my job (as IAS officer). I had mentioned it in my resignation letter too. Keeping this in mind, I feel that politically motivated allegations are being made against me..."
A controversy erupted after a complainant, later identified as C N Chinnaiah and arrested on charges of perjury, claimed burying a number of bodies, including those of women with signs of sexual assault, in Dharmasthala over a period of the past two decades.
The SIT, formed by the state government, which is probing charges, has conducted excavations at multiple locations in Dharmasthala.
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Budget allocation to AYUSH Ministry sees 20% rise
New Delhi (PTI): Budget allocation for the AYUSH ministry saw 20 per cent increase, from Rs 3,671.82 crore (revised estimates) in FY 2025-26 to Rs 4,408.93 crore in FY 2026-27.
The government has also announced the setting up of three new All India Institutes of Ayurveda to strengthen research in the field.
Presenting the Union Budget 2026-27, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, "Ancient Indian Yoga, already respected in several parts of the world, was given a mass global recognition when the Prime Minister took it to the United Nations."
Stating that post-Covid Ayurveda has gained similar global acceptance and recognition, Sitharaman said exporting quality Ayurvedic products could help farmers who grow the herbs and the youth who process them.
To meet the global demand, she proposed setting up of three new All India Institutes of Ayurveda, upgrading AYUSH pharmacies and drug-testing labs for higher standards of certification ecosystem, making available more skilled personnel, and upgrading the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre in Jamnagar to bolster evidence-based research, training and awareness on traditional medicine.
Among the Centrally sponsored schemes, the allocation for the National AYUSH Mission has been increased from Rs 780.96 crore in FY 2025-26 to Rs 1,300 crore in FY 2026-27, registering 66.5 per cent hike.
The allocation for the All India Institute of Ayurveda has been reduced by 12 per cent.
Funding for the Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda has also declined from 279.24 crore to 219.05 crore.
