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Shashi Tharoor defends his Malayali Taliban comment amid row

Posting a small clip of Taliban exulting and the sudden utterance of the word “samsarikette” which means “Can I speak to them?” in Malayalam, Tharoor wondered if the Taliban may have recruited a few Malayali men.

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Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday defended his tweet in which he had assumed the presence of Malayalis in the Taliban in one of the celebratory videos of the group that emerged after the takeover of Kabul.

Shashi Tharoor, the Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram, had a question in his tweet. Posting a small clip of Taliban exulting and the sudden utterance of the word “samsarikette” which means “Can I speak to them?” in Malayalam, Tharoor wondered if the Taliban may have recruited a few Malayali men.

It sounds as if there are at least two Malayali Taliban here — one who says “samsarikkette” around the 8-second mark & another who understands him!, he wrote.

Given the fact that several Kerala men and women left the shores of India to fight for the Islamic State, the MP may have had a point. But did he upset Malayali Twitter? Well offcourse he did.

His tweet faced a major backlash on Twitter. Korah Abraham, a journalist tweeted: This is highly problematic. Making statements like this especially when the Right Wing eco system is going on a hate campaign against Kerala regarding people joining jihadist groups. And you being an MP from Kerala’s capital should be knowing better.

To which, the Congress MP replied in a tweet that he was approached by Kerala mothers whose daughters were stuck in Afghanistan after having been taken there by their misguided husbands. He had arranged a meeting with EAM SushmaSwaraj ji for a constituent to plead her case.

Tharoor had shared a video that was originally shared on a Twitter by a man named Ramiz. The Twitter user later clarified that there are no Kerala-origin fighters in the rank and file of Taliban. They are Baloch from Zabul province who speak Brahvi and Bravhi language is widely spokes among them. It is a Dravidian language which is very similar to Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam etc, Ramiz, who claims to be interested in conflict journalism, wrote.

To Ramiz’s explanation, Tharoor said that it is indeed interesting and only linguists can figure this out. But there have indeed been misguided Malayalis who joined the Taliban, so that possibility cannot be ruled out entirely, the MP wrote drawing wrath on social media.

However, Tharoor later shared a news article about Nimisha Fathima, a Keralite woman who landed in Afghanistan jail following the killing of her IS husband a couple of years ago, and wrote, I am sure all those who decried my tweet about the possibility of Malayalis in the Taliban will now notice the ones who were released from the government’s prisons today.

His comments had irked BJP leader Vinit Goenka who wrote: This is not a comedy show. It seems to be just tip of an iceberg. Congress and Left are ruining #Kerala under pseudo- secularism. In my book #EnemiesWithin I have highlighted the fact about how #Kerala is becoming a hot spot for recruitment of Islamic terrorist.

Taliban took over Afghan Capital on Sunday.

In other India news, Kareena Kapoor Khan revealed that her second child Jeh was part of the song in her upcoming film Laal Singh Chaddha co-starring Aamir Khan.

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Kerala bishop takes a jibe at PM Modi over Christmas celebrations amid crib vandalism by VHP in Palakkad

This was the first time a Prime Minister attended a program at the headquarters of the Catholic Church in India.

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A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi took part in Christmas celebrations organised by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, the metropolitan bishop of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church took a jibe at him. This followed incidents in which activists from the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal attacked a Christmas crib at a government school in Palakkad, Kerala.

The bishop of the Thrissur diocese shared a sarcastic and cryptic comment in Malayalam on his Facebook page directed at Modi and the BJP. His post read, “In some places, bishops are honored, and cribs are cherished. Here, cribs are destroyed. There must be a term in Malayalam for such behavior, right?”

These actions by local VHP activists, including the vandalism of a crib created by children in another Palakkad school, sparked widespread protests throughout Kerala. In response, the state government assigned a special police team to look into these incidents.

Additionally, the Communist Party of India (CPI), the second-largest partner in Kerala’s ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), strongly condemned Modi’s participation in the Christmas celebrations in New Delhi, labeling it as a “drama of political hypocrisy.”

CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam stated, “While the PM was preaching about Christ and His love to cardinals and bishops in New Delhi, his ‘sangh bandhus’ were disrupting Christmas celebrations in Nallepilly and committing blasphemy.”

Viswam further suggested that if Modi was sincere in his message during the CBCI event, he should visit Manipur this Christmas to promote love and peace, questioning whether the PM would be willing to go.

During the celebrations on Monday, Modi expressed concern over the attempts to incite violence and disrupt societal harmony. At the event hosted by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, he highlighted the need to strengthen the ideals of love, harmony, and brotherhood, in line with the teachings of Jesus Christ.

This was the first time a Prime Minister attended a program at the headquarters of the Catholic Church in India.

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No arbitrary addition or deletion in Maharashtra voter list: Election Commission to Congress

The EC made this statement while responding to Congress, which alleged arbitrary deletion of voters and addition of more than 10,000 voters in each constituency from the final voter lists.

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No arbitrary addition or deletion in Maharashtra voter list: Election Commission to Congress

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday asserted that there were no arbitrary additions or deletions of voters in the recently concluded Maharashtra assembly elections.

The EC made this statement while responding to Congress, which alleged arbitrary deletion of voters and addition of more than 10,000 voters in each constituency from the final voter lists. The Congress also claimed an inexplicable increase in voting percentages from 5 pm to the final voter percentage declared by the EC at 11:30 pm on the day of polling.

Speaking on voter turnout data, the election panel said it would not be correct to compare the 5 pm data with final figures. It also explained how the increase in voter turnout from 5 pm to 11:45 PM was normal, being part of the process of aggregation of voter turnout and how there can be bona fide but inconsequential differences in votes polled and votes counted.

The election body also stated that it is impossible to change actual voter turnout as statutory Form 17C giving details of voter turnout is available with authorised agents of candidates at the time of close of voting at the polling station itself. It added that the rule-based process was followed with transparency in Maharashtra electoral roll preparation and there were no irregular patterns in voter deletions in the state.

The EC also told the Congress that due process was followed, including the participation of Congress representatives in the preparation of electoral rolls. The ECI informed the Congress that all data, as demanded by the party, relating to electors for each Constituency in Maharashtra and Form 20 is available on CEO Maharashtra’s website and can be downloaded.

In its response, the EC assured collaboration on its meticulous, participative, and transparent processes. The Election Commission also underscored the importance of collaboration with all political parties and welcomed constructive suggestions.

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Ruckus between BJP, Congress councillors at Chandigarh civic body meet over BR Ambedkar

The BJP councillors countered by accusing the Congress of historically disrespecting Dr BR Ambedkar, especially during the tenure of India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. 

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Ruckus between BJP, Congress councillors at Chandigarh civic body meet over BR Ambedkar

A massive chaos broke out at the general meeting of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation as the Congress and the BJP councillors clashed over the legacy of DR BR Ambedkar. Reportedly, Anil Masih, the election officer who tampered with the ballot papers of the Chandigarh mayoral polls, targeted the Congress and accused Rahul Gandhi of being out on bail, citing the National Herald Case. 

This led to a heated exchange among Congress, AAP, and BJP members, culminating in a brawl.Subsequently, the Congress and AAP councillors passed a motion against Union Home Minister Amit Shah, calling for his resignation. The BJP councillors countered by accusing the Congress of historically disrespecting Dr BR Ambedkar, especially during the tenure of India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. 

Furthermore, the BJP also alleged that the Congress was attempting to tarnish Amit Shah’s image by selectively quoting his recent speech in the Rajya Sabha. The saffron party also launched an attack on Congress, accusing it of orchestrating a smear campaign against Amit Shah. 

Reports said that senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad led the charge, stating that the Congress was engaging in drama and hypocrisy by invoking Dr BR Ambedkar’s legacy for political gain. Addressing a press conference at BJP headquarter, Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the Congress, which always insulted BR Ambedkar during his lifetime, is now pretending to honour him. He added that the hypocrisy must stop. The BJP also demanded an unconditional apology from the Congress for its alleged historical mistreatment of Dr BR Ambedkar.

Responding, the Congress launched a weeklong nationwide initiative titled, Ambedkar Samman Saptah to commemorate Dr Ambedkar’s contributions. The party leaders and workers are holding marches and press conferences to highlight his legacy and demand accountability for Amit Shah’s recent remarks.

Meanwhile, Mayawati, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress were two sides of the same coin, alleging that both of the parties have been engaged in politics in the name of Babasaheb Ambedkar.

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