Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in an ‘X’ post on Thursday shared a video clip claiming that BJP National General Secretary Radhamohan Das Agarwal questioned the presence of Swami Vivekananda’s portrait during a state BJP functionary meeting.

Expressing outrage against the BJP, CM Siddaramaiah wrote in his post, "No matter how much the BJP and Sangh Parivar worship and hug Vivekananda for show, the incident that took place in today's @BJP4Karnataka executive special meeting is proof of how much impatience there is for Vivekananda in their hearts. BJP national general secretary Radhamohan Das Agarwal, on the stage in the program, questioned why there was a portrait of Vivekananda. They openly expressed their displeasure by questioning that. By insulting Vivekananda on his death anniversary, BJP has insulted the entire Hindu society.”

The Chief Minister further criticized Das for his actions, stating, "BJP National General Secretary openly expressed his displeasure by questioning what is the portrait of Vivekananda doing in the program. BJP has insulted the entire Hindu society by insulting him on the same day as Vivekananda's death anniversary.”

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"No matter how long the Sangh Parivar pampered Vivekananda, he still has not fully surrendered to the BJP and will not surrender in the future. Vivekananda preached brotherhood instead of hatred, scientific thinking instead of ignorance, interfaith coexistence instead of communal strife in the bedrock of Hinduism," added the CM.

Furthermore, he said, “At the Parliament of the World's Religions, Vivekananda, who addressed tens of thousands of people of different religions, cultures, and languages ​​from hundreds of countries addressing them as ‘My dear brothers and sisters,’ stated that Hinduism is universal human thought. But if BJP leaders open their mouths, they incite violence by saying hit, hit, and kill. These thoughts of Vivekananda are not palatable to the BJP, which sows hatred in the name of religious protection. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is no exception to this. For this reason, he (Das) dared to ask why there was a photo of Vivekananda in a meeting full of people.”

Meanwhile, CM Siddaramiah has demanded a public apology on the same platform from the Bharatiya Janata Party for allegedly insulting Vivekananda.

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Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): The IMD, along with its technical partners, will soon revise the criteria for declaring heatwave conditions in the country, as the present parameters do not suit India’s geographical conditions, according to official sources here.

Kerala, in particular, has faced difficulties in issuing heatwave warnings because of the limitations of the existing parameters.

Sources in the India Meteorological Department said the state experienced severe heat and humidity this summer and, for the first time, weather forecasts were made based on the anti-cyclone system that formed near the Karnataka–Maharashtra coast.

"We have never had an anti-cyclone system form closer to the South before, and this time we had to predict the weather based on it," a senior IMD official told PTI.

Anti-cyclonic systems are common over north-western parts of India, but this year one formed near the southern region, leading to unusually hot nights.

The anti-cyclone caused downward air movement, which pushed warm air towards the surface and prevented it from dispersing at night, the official added. As a result, Kerala recorded night temperatures 3 to 4 degrees Celsius above normal.

Because Kerala has experienced a steady temperature increase during the summer months for the last few years, changing the parameters for declaring heat waves would benefit the state, enabling the authorities to issue warnings more efficiently, the official added.

The IMD currently issues hot and humid weather warnings, although the situation warrants a heatwave warning, as the existing parameters do not allow the department to issue one.

At present, the IMD issues a heat wave warning in coastal areas when the maximum temperature reaches 37 degree Celsius or more with a temperature departure of 4.5 degree Celsius over the recorded maximum temperature.

For plains, the threshold is 40 degrees Celsius with a departure of 4.5 degrees Celsius or more from normal, while for hilly regions it is 30 degrees Celsius with a departure of 4.5 degrees Celsius or more.

Officials said the current heatwave declaration parameters also require these conditions to be recorded at two stations in the state to issue the warnings.

"In Kerala, we hardly get to record these conditions in two areas; moreover, we have severe heat stress that can easily cause a heat stroke. So we have decided to rework the heatwave declaration parameters and the changes will be implemented shortly. There will be a consultation with the Disaster Management Authority also before finalising the parameters," the official said.

Throughout Kerala, temperatures recorded this summer were three to four degrees Celsius higher than usual. The state also reported multiple cases of heatstroke despite regular warnings issued by the IMD and the state disaster management authority.

According to experts, Kerala has become a climate change hotspot, with a steady increase in atmospheric temperatures and erratic monsoons.

The IMD has also predicted a below-normal monsoon this year, as this is the first time two consecutive El Nino years are being witnessed.