Kerala govt orders probe into children singing RSS song onboard newly inaugurated Vande Bharat
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Kerala government on Sunday ordered a probe into the reported act of the Southern Railway making school students sing an RSS song onboard the newly inaugurated Vande Bharat Express from Ernakulam to Bengaluru.
General Education Minister V Sivankutty instructed the Director of Public Instructions (DPI) to conduct inquiry and submit a report in this regard. In a statement issued by the minister's office, Sivankutty said the government views the incident with utmost seriousness.
Politicisng children at government events and using them to promote the communal agenda of any particular group is a violation of constitutional principles, he said.
"The Director of Public Instructions (DPI) has been directed to immediately conduct an inquiry and submit a report," he said.
The inquiry would examine whether there were any lapse in making students participate in the official event, he said adding that appropriate further action would be taken based on the findings in the report.
The government has a responsibility to uphold the secular and national values of the country and steps will be taken to ensure that these principles are protected, Sivankutty added.
However, Union Minister Suresh Gopi on Sunday justified the students singing RSS song onboard the newly inaugurated train. It was part of the innocent celebration of children, he told reporters in Thrissur.
"They felt to sing that song at the moment and they did so. Anyway, it's not an extremist song," the union mister of state for petroleum, natural gas and tourism added.
The probe ordered by the state government and the justification of the union minister came a day after the singing of an RSS song by a group of school students onboard the newly inaugurated Vande Bharat Express had drawn sharp reactions in Kerala.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday condemned the reported act of the Southern Railway saying that it deserves to be protested.
He had said that including the song of the RSS, which allegedly constantly spreads anti-religious hatred and communal divisive politics, in the official programme of the government is a violation of constitutional principles.
Sangh Parivar using the country's largest public sector undertaking, the Railways, for spreading their alleged communal political propaganda is unacceptable, the CM had said.
Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, V D Satheesan, had also spoken on the same lines and said that making students sing the RSS song as part of a government programme was "illegal and undemocratic".
He alleged that the BJP was trying to implement the politics of division as seen in north India, in Kerala.
The Southern Railway had earlier reportedly withdrew the social media post following widespread criticism against it.
On later Sunday, the Southern Railway again posted on social media platform 'X' the video of the song by the students along with its English translation.
"The students of Saraswathi Vidyalaya beautifully performed their school song during the inaugural run of the Ernakulam Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express," it had said in the 'X' post.
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SC to hear plea on air pollution crisis in Delhi-NCR on Dec 17
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Monday said it will list for hearing on December 17 a plea related to worsening air pollution levels in Delhi-NCR.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pamcholi took note of the submissions of senior advocate Aprajita Singh, who is assisting it as an amicus curiae, that though the preventive measures are there in place but the key issue was of their poor implementation by the authorities.
Singh said till this court directs something, the authorities do not comply with the protocols which are already there.
“This is coming up before a three judges bench on Wednesday. It will come up,” the CJI said.
Another lawyer referred to an application relating to the health issue of children, and said schools, despite the earlier orders, are holding outdoor sports activities.
“Despite the order of this court, Schools have found ways and means to have these sporting activities.. it is taking place. The CAQM (Commission for Air Quality Management) is again citing the order of this court,” the amicus also said.
“We know the problem and let us pass orders which can be complied with. There are some directions which can be forcibly imposed. In these urban metropolitan cities people have their own lifestyle. But the poor…,” the CJI said.
The amicus said the poor labourers are the worst ones to suffer.
Earlier the bench had said the plea against air pollution cannot be treated as a "customary" case to be listed only during the winter months only.
It had said the case will be taken twice in a month to find out short and long-term solutions to the menace.
Delhi on Monday choked under a thick blanket of smog, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) settling at 498, which falls in the higher spectrum of 'severe' category.
The air quality was 'severe' at 38 stations while it was 'very poor' at two stations. Jahangirpuri, which recorded an AQI of 498, recorded the worst air quality amongst all 40 stations.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board, an AQI between 0 and 50 is considered 'good', 51 to 100 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 'moderate', 201 to 300 'poor', 301 to 400 'very poor', and 401 to 500 'severe'.
The AQI in Delhi had climbed to 461 on Sunday and marked the city's most polluted day this winter and the second-worst December air quality day on record, as weak winds and low temperatures trapped pollutants close to the surface.
