KL Rahul and Athiya Shetty have shared the enchanting news of their daughter’s arrival, unveiling her name to the world for the very first time. The couple, celebrating Rahul’s birthday, introduced their baby girl named Evaarah, a name that encapsulates their joy and love.

Introducing Evaarah: A special moment for the new family

In a touching moment filled with pride and emotion, actor Athiya Shetty and cricketer KL Rahul shared the first picture of their little one. The heartfelt reveal quickly captured the affection of fans and followers, who flooded the couple with warm wishes and congratulations. Athiya, in her post, expressed her profound love, writing: “Our baby girl, our everything. 🪷 Evaarah/ इवारा ~ Gift of God.”

Earlier in March, Athiya had joyfully announced her pregnancy with a charming Instagram illustration of two swans accompanied by the message, “Blessed with a baby girl.”

The journey to parenthood

The couple exchanged vows in a private ceremony on January 23, 2023, at Suniel Shetty’s picturesque farmhouse in Khandala. A few months later, in November 2024, they marked another milestone in their lives with an adorable announcement about their impending parenthood, sharing a sweet post that read, “Our beautiful blessing is coming soon. 2025,” along with emojis of tiny feet.

Suniel Shetty’s heartfelt reflection as a grandfather

Suniel Shetty, Athiya’s father, expressed his joy as a newly minted grandfather in a heartfelt LinkedIn post. He articulated the paradox of life, emphasising how true contentment often lies in the simplest moments. He reflected on his journey, stating, “It’s funny how life works. You spend years chasing achievements, but real happiness stems from the simplest of things.”

He shared the indescribable joy of holding his granddaughter, acknowledging how those cherished moments eclipse all worldly pursuits. His reflections on family and legacy poignantly captured the essence of life’s most rewarding experiences.

Warm wishes from the celebrities’ circle

The joyous news has evoked an outpouring of affection from fellow celebrities and friends. Anushka Sharma, a close friend of Athiya, celebrated the occasion with a heart emoji on her post, while Sobhita Dhulipala remarked, “This is everything.” Samantha Ruth Prabhu also joined in, leaving a flurry of heart emojis to shower love on the precious new addition to the Shetty-Rahul family.

As KL Rahul and Athiya Shetty embark on this beautiful journey of parenthood, they are surrounded by love and support from their family, friends, and countless admirers.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Friday took aim at Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a government event in Ponneri, Tiruvallur district, invoking Modi’s own words as Gujarat’s Chief Minister to counter recent remarks about Tamil Nadu’s demands for funds.

Addressing a gathering, Stalin refuted Modi’s claim from a Rameswaram visit that Tamil Nadu leaders were “crying” for central funds regardless of allocations.

“With utmost respect, I remind the Prime Minister of his own stance as Gujarat CM, when he said states aren’t beggars pleading for Union handouts,” Stalin said.

He recalled Modi’s criticism of the Centre’s partisan fund allocations and accusations of Governors running “parallel governments” in opposition-ruled states. “When Tamil Nadu seeks its rightful share, how is it ‘crying’? I’m asserting our state’s rights, not groveling. I learned this from our leader Kalaignar [Karunanidhi],” Stalin asserted.

Minister S.M. Nasar, MPs S. Jagathrakshakan and Sasikanth Senthil, legislators T.J. Govindarajan, Durai Chandrasekar, S. Chandran, V.G. Raajendran, A. Krishnaswamy, K. Ganapathy, S. Sudharsanam, Collector M. Prathap, and senior officials attended the event.

Stalin also challenged Shah’s recent Chennai statement that Tamil Nadu’s demands were “diversionary tactics.” He posed pointed questions to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, “Can you exempt Tamil Nadu from NEET? Guarantee no Hindi imposition? Ensure our representation isn’t reduced post-delimitation? Specify the funds allocated to our state?”

Stalin emphasised that Tamil Nadu’s fight is for all states’ rights, citing the DMK’s landmark Supreme Court victory against Governor R.N. Ravi’s delay in approving Bills. “This historic ruling shows we act when the Centre fails,” he said.

Highlighting national awareness of Tamil Nadu’s struggle, Stalin dismissed Shah’s accusations of diversion, urging, “If our demands are distractions, why haven’t you addressed them clearly?” He underscored the state’s resolve to protect its interests, rooted in principles of federalism and justice championed by DMK’s legacy.

During the event, Stalin inaugurated over 6,700 completed projects worth ₹1,166 crore in Tiruvallur, laid foundations for 7,300 new initiatives, and distributed welfare benefits to 2.02 lakh residents.

In a significant development in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district, 22 Maoists, including nine women, laid down arms before security forces, expressing disillusionment with the Maoist ideology and its violent impact on tribal communities.

Among the surrendered, 12 were carrying a combined bounty of Rs 40.5 lakh. The surrender took place in the presence of senior officials from the police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). Sukma Superintendent of Police Kiran Chavan confirmed the development, highlighting the role of various government schemes and the updated rehabilitation policy in encouraging the cadres to give up arms.

Key Maoist figures among those surrendered

Those who surrendered include Muchaki Joga (33), deputy commander in the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) company no. 1 under the Maad division, and his wife Muchaki Jogi (28), a member of the same squad. Both carried a bounty of Rs 8 lakh each.

Other notable names are Kikid Deve (30) and Manoj alias Dudhi Budhra (28), area committee members of the Maoists, each carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh. Additionally, seven individuals carried a bounty of Rs 2 lakh each, while one was wanted with a reward of Rs 50,000.

According to officials, many of these Maoists were involved in several violent attacks against security personnel in the region.

Development schemes helped influence decision

Police officials said the surrender was influenced by the Chhattisgarh government’s ‘Niyad Nellanar’ (Your Good Village) scheme, which focuses on development in remote areas, as well as the newly introduced surrender and rehabilitation policy aimed at providing assistance to former Maoists.

All the surrendered individuals received an initial assistance of Rs 50,000 and will be rehabilitated under the government’s policy. Their surrender was made possible through coordinated efforts of the district police, District Reserve Guard (DRG), CRPF, and its elite CoBRA unit.

Growing trend of surrenders

The recent surrender is part of a larger trend. As per police records, 792 Maoists surrendered across the Bastar region, including Sukma, last year alone. This reflects a growing impact of state-led initiatives to counter insurgency through development and reintegration.