Hindus should ask religion of shopkeepers before buying anything from them: Minister Nitesh Rane
Ratnagiri, Apr 25 (PTI): Maharashtra minister Nitesh Rane on Friday said Hindus should ask the religion of shopkeepers before buying anything from them, controversial remarks coming in the backdrop of the Pahalgam terror attack.
Heavily-armed terrorists struck a prime tourist location in Pahalgam in south Kashmir on April 22, killing at least 26 people, mostly tourists from other states.
According to some of the survivors, terrorists asked name and religion of male tourists before shooting them. The survivors also said the assailants asked some of the tourists to recite the 'kalma' (an Islamic declaration of faith) and those who failed to do so were shot dead.
Addressing a gathering in Ratnagiri district's Dapoli town, minister Rane said, "They asked our religion before killing us. So Hindus must also ask their religion before buying anything. If they are asking your religion and killing you, then you should also ask their religion before shopping or buying anything. Hindu 'sangathans' (organisations) should raise such a demand."
Chances are some shopkeepers will not tell their religion or will just lie about their faith, the BJP leader said.
"Whenever you go for shopping, ask their religion. If they say they are Hindus, then tell them to recite Hanuman Chalisa, If they don't know how to recite Hanuman Chalisa (devotional hymn in praise of Lord Hanuman) then don't buy anything from them," he told the crowd.
Referring to Aurangzeb, Rane maintained the Mughal emperor did not spare even his father and brother.
"Look at Aurangzeb. He did not respect even his father and brother. If he did not respect his father and brother, then how can they respect you people?" he asked.
"If they are behaving this way about religion then why should we buy things from them and make them rich? You people will have to take a pledge that whenever you make any purchase, you should buy it only from a Hindu," Rane told the gathering.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
IMF approves USD 206 million emergency funding for cyclone-hit Sri Lanka's recovery
Colombo (PTI): The IMF has approved an emergency funding of USD 206 million under its rapid finance instrument to help Sri Lanka “address the urgent needs arising from the catastrophic Cyclone Ditwah and preserve macroeconomic stability”.
The cyclone caused widespread destruction in the island nation and left over 643 people dead.
In a statement issued on Friday, the Washington-based International Monetary Fund (IMF) said the disaster has created urgent humanitarian and reconstruction needs, generating significant fiscal pressures and balance-of-payments needs.
ALSO READ: PM arrives in Kolkata to unveil projects, address rally in Bengal''s Nadia
The emergency financial support provided by the IMF under the rapid finance instrument will help address these pressures, it said.
The IMF added that the cyclone devastation hit when the Fifth Review of Sri Lanka’s USD 2.9 billion bailout was nearing completion.
“Given the time needed to assess the economic impact of the cyclone and examine how an IMF-supported programme can best support Sri Lanka’s recovery and reconstruction efforts while preserving objectives and policy priorities, the Fifth Review has been deferred," it said.
"An IMF mission team will visit Sri Lanka in early 2026 to resume discussions,” it added.
The 48-month extended fund facility deal with the IMF in March 2023 carried hard reforms to Sri Lanka's welfare-based governance.
It was signed after Sri Lanka plunged into an unprecedented economic meltdown with its first-ever sovereign default.
Several hours before the IMF decision, the parliament here approved without a vote a supplementary estimate of LKR 500 billion, which the government said was required to restore the livelihoods of those affected by the disaster.
