India condoles former UN chief Kofi Annan's death
New Delhi, Aug 18 : India on Saturday condoled the death of former UN Secretary General and Nobel laureate Kofi Annan with President Ram Nath Kovind expressing his condolences to the former Ghanaian diplomat's family and the UN community as a whole.
"Sorry to learn of the passing of former Secretary General of the United Nations Kofi Annan," Kovind said on the Rashtrapati Bhavan Twitter handle.
"My condolences to his family and to the UN community," he stated.
Annan, 80, died on Saturday in Switzerland after a short illness, with his wife and three children by his side.
"It is with immense sadness that the Annan family and the Kofi Annan Foundation announce that the former Secretary General of the UN and Nobel Peace Laureate, passed away peacefully on Saturday 18th August after a short illness," his family said.
Annan was the first black African to take up the role of the world's top diplomat, serving two terms from 1997 to 2006. He later served as the UN special envoy for Syria, leading efforts to find a peaceful solution to the conflict.
He also led a UN commission to investigate the Rohingya refugee crisis in Myanmar.
The Myanmar government led by Aung San Suu Kyi supported Annan's recommendations on the crisis in the country's Rakhine State.
Annan was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize jointly with the UN in 2001 "for their work for a better organised and more peaceful world".
His tenure as the UN chief coincided with the Iraq war and the HIV/Aids pandemic.
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Ramdev's ‘sharbat jihad’ remark sparks controversy, claims funds used to build mosques, madrasas
Haridwar: Yoga guru Ramdev has landed himself in a controversy by using the term “sharbat jihad” in a viral video, where he claimed that a company selling sharbat is using its earnings to build mosques and madrasas, while promoting Patanjali’s rose sharbat.
In the video, which was posted on the official Facebook page of Patanjali Products and has garnered over 37 million views, Ramdev is seen promoting Patanjali’s rose-flavored beverage. He contrasts it with an unnamed competitor’s product, saying: "If you drink that sharbat, there will be masjids and madrasas made. But, if you drink Patanjali's gulaab sharbat, then gurukuls, Acharyakulam, Patanjali University, and the Bharatiya Shiksha Board will be made.”
While he did not mention any specific brand, media reports have speculated that the comments may be directed at Hamdard’s Rooh Afza.
The caption accompanying the video took the messaging further, warning viewers about what it described as “toilet cleaners being sold as soft drinks.” Referring to this as “sharbat jihad,” Ramdev likened it to “love jihad” and “vote jihad,” and said people must protect themselves from it.
The remarks have sparked backlash on social media, with some users accusing Ramdev of communalising consumer choices. One comment read: “Looks like he’s eyeing a political role now, suddenly remembering mosques and madrasas.”
Meanwhile, many users asked Patanjali to reveal the total number of gurukuls and universities they have opened so far.
