Kushagra Rawat, Natraj continue to shine with gold medals at Asian Age Group Championship
Bengaluru, Sep 26: Kushagra Rawat triumphed in 400m freestyle to bag his fourth gold medal while Srihari Nataraj created a new meet record on his way to gold in 100m backstroke at the Asian Age Group Championship, here on Thursday.
Kushagra clocked 3:55.81s to finish ahead of Taipei's Chang Cheng Li Wei (3:56.82) and Abbas Omar (4:01.52) of Syria.
"The Championships has been good for me so far. I am swimming the 4x200m freestyle relay on Friday and I am confident the Indian team will win the race and I will get my fifth gold medal. I am happy with my timing though I feel I could have done better in 400m and 800m freestyle," he said.
"I was stuck at the 3:56 seconds mark for six months and I am happy that I have broken it, said the elated 19-year-old from New Delhi after winning the race.
Kushagra's idol, Sajan Prakash also made it to the top of the podium in the 200metres butterfly with a time of 2:00.38 seconds. He was followed by Wongcharoen Navaphat (2:01.16) of Thailand and Klzie Ayman (2:02.38) of Syria.
Nataraj enthralled the home crowd with his sensational sprint in the 100m backstroke for open category men. He created a new meet record clocking 55.06 while Atayev Merdan (55.28) from Turkmenistan settled for silver and Lau Shiu Yue (57.56) of Hong Kong won the bronze.
In the most-exciting race of the day, Indian duo of Virdhawal Khade and Natraj were edged out by Khurshidjon Tursunov of Uzbekistan who clocked 50.56 seconds to win the gold. Khade was close behind with a time of 50.68 while Srihari timed 50.91 seconds.
Earlier, the Indian men's 4x100m medley relay team comprising Nataraj, Sajan Prakash, Likith S P and Khade won gold.
The Indian team clocked 3:46.49 seconds to beat Thailand (3:48.89) and Hong Kong (3:53.99) respectively at the Padukone-Dravid Centre of Sports Excellence.
India withstood the challenge posed by Thailand and Hong Kong as they got off to a flying start thanks to Srihari Nataraj (56.55) in backstroke as he finished ahead of Hong Kong's Lau Shiu Yue (57.72) and Thailand's Kasipat Chograthin (58.41).
Sajan, diving in next for the butterfly dash, kept up India's lead with a time of 54.50 seconds while Thailand's Navaphat Wongcharoen clocked 54.50 seconds and Hong Kong's Cheung Yau Ming (56.60).
Likith SP, swimming breast stroke, was excellent as he extended the lead clocking fastest time of 1:02.47 while Thailand's Nuttapong Ketin timed 1:03.69 and Hong Kong's NG Yan Kin clocked 1:05.82 seconds.
Khade, who won gold in the 50m freestyle on Wednesday, ensured the first-place finish. He timed 53.00 seconds while Thailand's Tarit Thongchumsin clocked 52.29 seconds and Hong Kong's Fung Chung Ho 53.85 seconds.
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Campaign Against Hate Speech calls for action against Chandrashekar Swamiji for hate speech
Bengaluru: Campaign Against Hate Speech, a collective of lawyers, activists, and concerned citizens, has urged Karnataka’s Home Minister, Shri Parameshwara G, and Director General of Police, Dr. Alok Mohan, to take legal action against Chandrashekar Swamiji, the seer of Vishwa Vokkaligara Mahasamsthana Mutt. The demand follows an alleged hate speech made by the seer during a protest organized by the Bharatiya Kisan Union at Freedom Park on November 26, 2024.
The organization claimed that the speech was divisive and aimed at spreading communal hatred and enmity between communities. Chandrashekar Swamiji allegedly made inflammatory remarks, including false claims about the authority of the Waqf Board and a controversial suggestion that Muslims in India should be stripped of their voting rights. The speech, delivered to a large audience, has since been uploaded to YouTube by TV9 Kannada, amassing over 6,900 views.
The organization provided excerpts of the speech, which they say falsely accused the Waqf Board of arbitrarily taking over properties, including farmland, and asserted that minorities in Pakistan do not have voting rights. These remarks, they argued, not only mislead the public but also incite hostility against the Muslim community and misrepresent the functioning of the Waqf Board. The statement suggesting that Muslims should be denied voting rights was described as unconstitutional and harmful to the secular and democratic values of the country.
In their letter, the collective highlighted specific sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (formerly the IPC) that they believe the speech violates. These include provisions against promoting enmity between communities, making assertions prejudicial to national integration, and spreading false or alarming information intended to incite hatred. They also pointed out that comments on the video supported the seer’s views, reflecting the potential for real-world consequences stemming from the speech.
While Chandrashekar Swamiji has since issued a written apology, Campaign Against Hate Speech argued that it is insufficient. The apology has not been widely circulated, while the original speech continues to be shared online, further amplifying its divisive message.
The organization has requested legal action against the seer and restrictions on the offensive video. They have also called for a broader public awareness campaign to educate people about the legal and social consequences of hate speech. Additionally, they suggested that the upcoming winter session of the Karnataka Assembly address the growing issue of hate speech comprehensively.
The letter underscored the importance of preserving Karnataka’s identity as a “garden of peace for all communities,” as envisioned by Rashtrakavi Kuvempu. Citing Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s vision of democracy as a mode of “associated living,” they stressed that such remarks not only threaten a specific community but also undermine the foundational values of the nation.
