Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan condemns Israel's bombardment of Gaza
Sivagiri (Kerala) (PTI): Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday condemned Israel's bombardment of Gaza and said what the Israeli establishment is doing to the Palestinian people is an attack on humanity.
He was speaking after inaugurating the 91st Sivagiri pilgrimage here when he made the remarks.
"There were no Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus Christ, this time. There were no Christmas lamps or stars. How will they celebrate Christmas?" Vijayan asked.
He said when when one hears of Palestine, the images that come to mind are often of the Muslim faithful, but there is also a significant Christian community living in Gaza.
Speaking about Palestinians being unable to celebrate Christmas, which brings the message of peace, the chief minister said the social reformer saint Sreenarayana Guru, who founded the Sivagiri Mutt, had also spread the message of peace and harmony.
Emphasising the guru's teachings, which uphold universal humanity, he even went on to say that "if the light of the guru's message had reached that soil, the river of blood would not have flowed like this."
Sree Narayana Guru had propagated the message of 'One Caste, One Religion, and One God for Mankind.'
The 19th-century spiritual guru and social reformer was born into a backward Ezhava family in an era when people from such communities faced social injustice in the caste-ridden society of Kerala. He went on to herald a major change in society, being at the forefront of the movement for universal temple entry and against untouchability.
The event organised at Sivagiri was attended by dignitaries including Kerala Cooperation Minister V N Vasavan, ISRO chairman S Somanath, and SNDP Yogam General Secretary Vellappally Natesan.
It was presided over by Sivagiri Mutt head Swami Sachidananda.
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Ex-Army officer assaulted, robbed at gunpoint by woman he met through matrimonial website
Mathura(UP), Apr 5 (PTI): A retired Army colonel from Haryana has filed a police complaint here, alleging that he was held hostage, assaulted, looted and forced to participate in an "obscene video" at gunpoint with a woman he met through a matrimonial website, police said on Saturday.
The woman from Mathura, who was allegedly in on the plan to rob him, was working with other accomplices, the ex-armyman said in his complaint filed on Thursday.
According to Barsana Station House Officer (SHO) Raj Kamal Singh, Colonel Rajneesh Soni (retired), a resident of Gurugram, reported that he was contacted by a woman from Barsana on a matrimonial website in January. The woman allegedly agreed to marry him, and they began communicating.
The woman allegedly persuaded the colonel to visit Barsana on January 25, requesting that he visit the Radharani temple. When he arrived, she arranged for his stay at a guest house and took him on a tour of the area, including a visit to the temple, the complainant said.
After returning to the guest house, the woman and her accomplices allegedly told the colonel that her brother had been involved in an accident and they needed to leave immediately. They then led him to a waiting car.
"Once outside the town limits, the colonel alleges that he was attacked by the occupants of the car. They seized his phone, physically assaulted him, and forced him to contact relatives and friends to transfer money," the SHO said.
"He was then taken back to the guest house, where he was allegedly forced to participate in obscene videos and photographs at gunpoint. He was threatened that the videos would be made public if he reported the incident," the officer said.
The colonel has alleged that his purse, bag, gold chain, debit card and Rs. 12,000 in cash were stolen from the guest house.
After an unsuccessful attempt at locating the perpetrators himself, the colonel finally reported the incident to the Barsana police two days ago, he said.
"A case has been registered under relevant sections of the BNS and all facts are being investigated. Further action will be taken as per facts found in the investigation," the SHO said.
