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Today’s Morning News 21 September 2024 Prime Time Today Breaking News, Live Updates[/caption]
Central Government to Investigate Animal Fat in Tirupati Laddu; Bombay High Court Stops Government's Fact Check Unit, Declaring It Unconstitutional
Good Morning! Yesterday's biggest headline revolved around the
Tirupati Laddu controversy. The
Central Government will investigate allegations of animal fat found in the sacred offering. Meanwhile, the
Bombay High Court has blocked the government's attempt to set up a
Fact Check Unit, calling it
unconstitutional.
But before we dive into yesterday's top stories, here are some
key events to watch out for today:
- Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Atishi will take the oath as the Chief Minister of Delhi. She will be the third woman to hold this position after Sushma Swaraj and Sheila Dikshit.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarks on a two-day visit to the USA today, where he will participate in the Quad Leaders Summit.
Top Stories from Yesterday
1. Central Government Seeks Report on Tirupati Laddu Controversy; TDP Claims Animal Fat Found in Laddu
The
Central Health Ministry has requested a detailed report from the
Andhra Pradesh government regarding the
Tirupati Laddu controversy. Allegations have surfaced that the laddu, considered a sacred offering at the
Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), contains
animal fat and fish oil. The controversy began when
TDP leader Chandrababu Naidu accused the ruling
YSR Congress of contaminating the sanctity of the laddu by using animal fat instead of traditional
ghee (clarified butter). Naidu stated that for the past five years, the temple's purity had been compromised, with
animal products replacing ghee in the laddu.
Naidu’s party,
TDP, claimed to have shown a
lab report that backs their allegations. However, the
YSR Congress Party has refuted the claims, asking the
High Court to appoint a committee to investigate the matter. The court will hear the case on
September 25.
The
Tirupati Laddu is prepared in the
300-year-old kitchen of the
Sri Venkateswara Temple in
Tirumala, where over
350,000 laddus are produced daily. The temple is also a major economic source, with the sale of the sacred offering generating
₹500 crores annually for the
Tirumala trust.
2. Government Cannot Set Up Fact Check Unit, Says Bombay High Court
The
Bombay High Court has ruled that the
Central Government cannot create a
Fact Check Unit (FCU) as it violates fundamental rights. The court struck down amendments made to the
IT Act that would allow the government to create a unit to check and control misinformation on
social media and
online platforms. The court declared these amendments
unconstitutional, saying they infringed on the right to
freedom of speech and expression.
The government had introduced this unit in 2023 to counter
false information spreading online. However, the
Editors Guild of India and
comedian Kunal Kamra had filed petitions against it, arguing that such a unit would curtail press freedom.
The matter had also reached the
Supreme Court, which issued a stay on the
FCU notification on
March 21, 2024, stating that the issue relates to
freedom of expression and must be carefully reviewed.
3. Rahul Gandhi Meets Family of Injured Youth from the USA During Haryana Visit
Rahul Gandhi made a surprise visit to
Karnal, Haryana, to meet the family of
Amit, a truck driver injured in the USA.
Amit had met Rahul during his visit to the USA and discussed the challenges faced by Indian youth abroad, including
unemployment in India. Rahul had promised to visit Amit’s family, and he fulfilled that promise yesterday.
During his visit to
Ghogharipur village,
Rahul Gandhi brought
ghee and churma, a traditional Indian dish. Amit’s mother,
Birmati, expressed her gratitude, calling Rahul’s visit an honor. She said, “The leader of the country visited our humble home; it’s a blessing.”
Last year,
Rahul Gandhi also surprised people in
Ambala by traveling in a
truck to understand the plight of truck drivers, covering a
50 km journey from
Ambala to Chandigarh.
4. Arvind Kejriwal Predicts AAP Will Play Kingmaker in Haryana Elections
Arvind Kejriwal,
AAP's national convener, addressed a public rally in
Yamunanagar, Haryana, where he predicted that
AAP will be a
kingmaker in the upcoming state elections. Kejriwal, who recently resigned as
Delhi’s Chief Minister, stated that AAP will play a pivotal role in forming the next government in Haryana. He also highlighted attempts by the opposition to
buy AAP’s MLAs, which he claimed failed.
Kejriwal reiterated that he would only return as the
Chief Minister of Delhi if the people of Delhi re-elect him.
In the 2019 Haryana elections,
AAP contested 47 seats but did not win any. This time, the party is contesting all
90 seats.
5. Odisha Police Accused of Assaulting Army Officer and Fiancee
A disturbing case has emerged from
Bhubaneswar, Odisha, where an
army officer and his
fiancée were allegedly assaulted and harassed by
police personnel at the
Bharatpur Police Station. The couple had gone to the station after being chased by a group of thugs on
September 15. Instead of assisting them, police officers allegedly
beat up the army officer and locked him in a cell. When his fiancée protested, they reportedly
bound her hands and legs, assaulted her, and subjected her to
sexual harassment.
The woman later reported that a male officer had
kicked her chest,
removed her pants, and made
obscene gestures. The case is now being investigated by the
CID, and five officers, including the
Inspector in Charge, have been suspended.
6. PM Modi Accuses Congress of Disrespecting Ganpati
At a rally in
Wardha, Maharashtra,
Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the
Congress of being hostile towards the celebration of
Lord Ganesh. He claimed that after he performed
Ganesh Puja, the Congress became
uneasy. Modi also criticized the party for suppressing the
SC/ST communities and neglecting workers’ rights in the past. He highlighted the government's efforts to uplift these communities through initiatives like the
PM Vishwakarma Yojana, which has trained over
8 lakh workers in the past year.
7. Israel Conducts Second Airstrike in Lebanon, Hezbollah Commander Killed
In a major escalation,
Israel launched its
second airstrike in
24 hours on
Lebanon, targeting
Hezbollah positions. The first airstrike destroyed over
100 rocket launchers, and the second targeted a building in
Beirut, killing
Hezbollah's senior commander Ibrahim Aqil and
12 others. This strike is one of the largest since the
Gaza conflict began.
Hezbollah retaliated by firing
150 rockets at northern Israel, but most were intercepted by Israel’s
Iron Dome defense system.
Some Key Headlines:
National:
- Kolkata Rape-Murder – Junior Doctors End Protest After 41 Days: They will only attend to emergency cases in the hospital. They warned, if the government backtracks on its promises, they will go on strike again.
- Priyanka Gandhi said, "PM should respect elders": Instead of letting Nadda write the letter, Modi should have done it himself, as nothing is more important than courtesy.
- Controversial Comments by High Court Judge – Supreme Court seeks response: The HC judge referred to a Muslim area in Bengaluru as Pakistan. The HC has now placed a stay on the live-streaming recordings of the session.
- Supreme Court’s YouTube Channel Hacked: Videos promoting a US-based cryptocurrency were broadcasted live. YouTube has since taken down the channel.
- Mehbooba Mufti's Counter to PM Modi: The PDP chief stated that if the Abdullah family was following a Pakistani agenda, Jammu & Kashmir would have been a part of Pakistan.
International:
- Claim: Israel Planned the Pager Blast for 15 Years – Israel allegedly set up a fake company and planted 50 grams of explosives in a pager, detonating it via remote control.
- India denies reports of sending weapons to Ukraine: The Ministry of External Affairs reiterated that India's record is clean, and there has been no violation of any international rules.
Business:
- US Interest Rates Fall, RBI could follow suit: Rates could drop by half a percent to 6%, making loans cheaper. Stock markets are also witnessing a rise.
Sports:
- Chennai Test: India’s lead grows to 308 runs after Bangladesh was bowled out for 149 in their first innings. India currently at 81/3 in their second innings.
Now for something unique:
A
painting could be auctioned for a
record-breaking ₹793 crore. The auction is set for
November 19 in New York. The famous artist
René Magritte's work, depicting a beautiful
natural landscape, could surpass his previous record, where a painting sold for ₹571 crore in 2022.