In a gesture of faith and philanthropy, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and his family donated Rs 44 lakh to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Nitya Annadanam scheme on Friday, March 21, 2025. The amount equals the one-day cost of providing free meals to devotees at the hill shrine.

The donation coincided with the birthday of Naidu’s grandson, Nara Devansh. Marking the occasion, the Chief Minister, accompanied by his wife N. Bhavaneswari, son and State IT Minister Nara Lokesh, and daughter-in-law Nara Brahmani, also participated in serving food to devotees visiting the temple.

The family arrived in Tirumala on the night of March 20 and had a darshan of Lord Venkateswara early on Friday morning.

TTD Chairman B R Naidu, Executive Officer J. Shyamala Rao, and Additional EO Ch. Venkaiah Chowdary received the Chief Minister at the temple entrance, offering traditional honours before escorting him into the sanctum sanctorum.

Following the visit, the CM was presented with theertha prasadams, the Telugu Viswavasu New Year almanac, a diary, calendar, and other temple-manufactured panchagavya prasadams. The ceremonial welcome also included vedasirvachanams by temple priests.

District Collector Venkateswarlu, Superintendent of Police Harshavardhan Raju, and several TTD board members were also present during the Chief Minister’s visit.

The Nitya Annadanam scheme, which provides daily free meals to thousands of pilgrims, has long been a key part of TTD’s services, and Naidu’s donation underlines his family’s continued devotion to the temple.

The Bihar Legislative Council descended into chaos on Friday as Opposition members, led by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), unleashed a fierce protest over a viral video allegedly showing Chief Minister Nitish Kumar speaking during the national anthem at a public event in Patna the previous day. The uproar, which forced the Speaker to adjourn the session until 2 pm, has ignited a political firestorm, with RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav accusing Kumar of tarnishing Bihar’s pride and prompting calls for his resignation.

The drama unfolded as soon as the House convened, with Tejashwi Yadav raising the issue of Kumar’s purported disrespect toward the national anthem. Despite the Speaker’s plea to defer the matter to Zero Hour, Opposition lawmakers erupted in dissent, drowning out proceedings with slogans and demands for accountability.

State Minister Vijay Chaudhary attempted to clarify the government’s position, but the relentless clamour from RJD benches rendered the session unmanageable, leading to its abrupt suspension.

Outside the Assembly, Tejashwi Yadav delivered a blistering critique of the Chief Minister. “Nitish Kumar ji is a senior leader I respect, but his actions yesterday have shamed every Bihari,” he told reporters, referencing the March 20 incident.

“For a sitting Chief Minister to disrespect the national anthem—perhaps a first in India’s history—is unacceptable. He’s made us all hang our heads in shame.” The former Deputy CM’s remarks struck a nerve, amplifying the Opposition’s narrative of Kumar’s faltering leadership.

The outrage extended beyond Tejashwi, with former Chief Minister Rabri Devi joining the fray. “If Nitish Kumar has lost his senses, he should vacate the CM’s chair—maybe hand it to his son,” she quipped sharply to the press.

Leading a vociferous demonstration at the Legislative Council’s portico, Rabri Devi and RJD MLCs demanded a public apology, chanting slogans like “Puppet CM, resign!” and “India won’t forgive this insult to the national anthem.” The protest underscored the deepening rift between the ruling Janata Dal (United) and its RJD rivals.

Adding fuel to the fire, RJD MP Misa Bharti questioned Kumar’s fitness to govern, pointing to both his physical demeanour and recent controversies. “Watching him during the anthem, he didn’t seem mentally or physically sound,” she told ANI.

“I ask PM Modi and Amit Shah: Are you comfortable leaving Bihar in such hands? He insults women and children daily—this isn’t leadership.” Bharti’s comments hinted at broader political implications, suggesting the BJP-led central government might need to reassess its alliance with Kumar’s JDU.

The viral clip, widely circulated on social media, has thrust Kumar into an uncomfortable spotlight at a time when his government already faces criticism over governance and coalition tensions.

Earlier, Yadav, sharing the video of Kumar, said: “At least please do not insult the national anthem, Hon’ble Chief Minister. You insult youth, students, women and elderly people every day. Sometimes they clap on Mahatma Gandhi’s martyrdom day and mock his martyrdom, and sometimes they clap on the national anthem!”

The District Judge Court of Sambhal has issued a notice to Congress leader and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, seeking his response or appearance on April 4, in connection with a complaint filed over his controversial remark that opposition parties were not merely fighting the BJP or RSS, but the “Indian state” itself.

Statement triggers legal action

The legal proceedings stem from a statement made by Rahul Gandhi on January 15, during the inauguration of the Congress party’s new headquarters ‘Indira Bhawan’. In his address, Gandhi said, “Our ideology, like the RSS ideology, is thousands of years old, and it has been fighting the RSS ideology for thousands of years. Do not think that we are fighting a fair fight. There is no fairness in this. If you believe that we are fighting a political organisation called the BJP or RSS, you have not understood what is going on. The BJP and the RSS have captured every single institution of our country. We are now fighting the BJP, the RSS and the Indian State itself.”

He also commented on the status of Indian institutions and media, suggesting that both were no longer functioning freely or fairly.

Revision petition leads to court summons

Advocate Sachin Goyal, representing complainant Simran Gupta, explained that a case was initially filed in the special MP/MLA court seeking registration of an FIR against Gandhi. However, the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) dismissed the plea citing lack of jurisdiction.

Following this, a revision petition was filed, after which the Sambhal District Judge accepted the complaint and issued a notice to Rahul Gandhi. The court has asked him to either appear in person or file a formal response on or before April 4.