Adityanath 'changed' caste of King Mihir Bhoj for votes: Akhilesh Yadav
Lucknow(PTI): Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday accused the BJP of "changing" the caste of ninth-century ruler Mihir Bhoj and tampering with historical facts to secure the votes of a certain community.
This comes days after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath unveiled a 15-foot statue of the ruler in Gautam Buddh Nagar's Dadri, stoking a controversy that saw sections of Gurjar and Rajput communities stake claim over the king's legacy.
"It is taught in history that King Mihir Bhoj was a Gurjar-Pratihar. But the BJP people have changed his caste," Yadav said in a tweet in Hindi.
"This is condemnable. The BJP is deliberately trying to tamper with historical facts and divide society to secure the votes of a particular side," he said.
The SP chief added that his party stood for respect and honour for all sections of the society.
After unveiling the statue on September 22, Adityanath had said, "No foreign ruler was able to intrude India during the rule of King Mihir Bhoj. They were so frightened of him that nobody dared to attack India even 150 years after his rule until Mehmud Ghaznavi invaded and plundered the country."
"A community that forgets its past and traditions is unable to protect its geography also, and something like this has happened with us as well," he said then.
Soon after, a controversy erupted between sections of Gurjar and Rajput communities in Dadri over the king's legacy.
Later, a video surfaced purportedly showing a local community leader tampering with the foundation stone plaque of the statue and changing the prefix in the king's name.
Noting the rift between the two communities, Adityanath advised them against confining great icons within the boundaries of caste, saying their sacrifices were for the whole of India to cherish.
"Maa Panna Dai had taken Maharana to a safe place by sacrificing the life of her son. Not just the Gurjar community, but entire India should feel proud of her great sacrifice," he tweeted.
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Mangaluru International Airport earns ACI Level 4 accreditation for customer experience
Mangaluru (Karnataka), Jul 26 (PTI): Mangaluru International Airport has earned the prestigious Level 4 accreditation in Airport Customer Experience from Airports Council International (ACI), positioning itself among a select group of global airports recognised for excellence in customer-centric service, officials said on Saturday.
The accreditation, awarded on July 16, 2025, is valid for one year and follows the airport’s attainment of Level 3 accreditation in February 2024, they said.
According to a statement from the airport spokesperson here, the ACI programme is the first global initiative dedicated to advancing customer experience management in the aviation sector.
According to ACI, Level 4 accreditation demonstrates a strong foundation of customer-focused practices and a readiness for the strategic, enterprise-wide transformation required to reach Level 5 — the highest level of the programme.
Over the past year, the airport has implemented several key initiatives including the launch of the Adani OneApp and Digi Yatra, deployment of AI-based surveillance systems, smart cleaning robots, improved flight information displays, and free Wi-Fi kiosks. These upgrades have not only enhanced operational efficiency but also improved the overall passenger experience, it stated.
The spokesperson for the airport said, “This Level 4 accreditation is a testament to our team’s dedication to providing a seamless and memorable journey for travellers. We remain committed to being a modern and efficient gateway for the region.”
The airport’s strategy, customer insights, digital innovation, and governance were among the factors evaluated for the accreditation.
