Demolition Drive Clears Eight Illegal Colonies in Gurugram’s Sohna

Chennai, Jan 5 (IANS) Union Home Minister Amit Shah, on Monday, participated in the Tamil Nadu unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) ‘Modi Pongal’ celebrations held in Tiruchirappalli, marking the harvest festival with traditional fervour and strong political messaging ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.

Union Home Minister Shah arrived at the venue in Mannarpuram, where he was accorded a warm and ceremonial reception by the BJP leaders and party cadres.

Organisers said the event drew more than 2,000 participants, with women performing Pongal rituals in as many as 1,008 earthen pots as part of a coordinated cultural programme.

The celebrations were held under the slogan “Namma Ooru Modi Pongal Vizha”, reflecting the party’s effort to associate Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Tamil cultural traditions.

Dressed in a traditional white dhoti and shirt, Union Home Minister Shah took to the stage as thousands of BJP workers gathered below, participating in the symbolic preparation and offering of Pongal.

Party leaders said the programme was intended to highlight the BJP’s outreach to grassroots communities and its emphasis on blending governance with cultural identity in Tamil Nadu.

Earlier on Monday, the Union Home Minister undertook temple visits in Tiruchirappalli district.

He offered prayers at the Jambukeswarar Temple and later visited the Ranganathaswamy Temple, one of the most revered Vaishnavite shrines in South India.

During the temple visits, Union Home Minister Shah greeted devotees who had gathered in large numbers, shaking hands and exchanging brief words with members of the public.

Several Union Ministers accompanied Union Minister Shah during his visit, including Piyush Goyal, Arjun Ram Meghwal, Muralidhar Mohol, and L. Murugan.

Senior BJP functionaries from Tamil Nadu were also present.

Given the high-profile nature of the visit, extensive police security arrangements were put in place across Tiruchirappalli, particularly around temple premises and the Modi Pongal venue.

Authorities said the programme was held peacefully, with traffic diversions and crowd-control measures ensuring smooth conduct of the events.

The BJP views the Modi Pongal celebration as part of its broader campaign to strengthen its organisational base in Tamil Nadu by combining cultural outreach with political mobilisation.

–IANS

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Shamli (Uttar Pradesh), Nov 10 (IANS) One of the three men arrested by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) for alleged links to the Islamic State (ISIS) has been identified as Azad, a resident of Jhinjhana town in Uttar Pradesh’s Shamli district. His family has denied any knowledge of his association with any terror group and demanded a fair investigation into the case.

The Gujarat ATS had on Sunday arrested three individuals — Ahmed Mohiuddin Syed, Mohammad Suhel, and Azad — who, according to officials, had been under surveillance for nearly a year. The trio was reportedly apprehended while attempting to supply weapons.

Azad’s brother, Shahzad, who also spoke to the ATS after the arrest, said that Azad had gone to Budhana in Muzaffarnagar district three days ago.

“He had gone to Budhana, where his niece also lives. He had promised to bring her home. This afternoon, I received a call from the Gujarat ATS, stating that my brother had been arrested. When I asked them to contact him, they said they would speak in two to three hours. Since then, there has been no contact with Azad or the ATS team,” Shahzad told IANS.

He further said that no criminal case had ever been registered against his brother.

“If my brother is a traitor, he should be punished; if he is innocent, he should be released,” Shahzad added, urging authorities to conduct an impartial investigation.

Azad’s mother, Farmida, also expressed disbelief over the allegations. She said her son worked as a labourer while studying Quranic recitation at a madrasa in Budhana.

“He left home on November 6 or 7, saying he would bring his niece, his elder brother’s daughter, along with him. He never returned. He works as a tailor and a mechanic, while also studying. We don’t understand how the Gujarat Police arrested him. He used to go to the Budhana Madrasa on Thursdays and return home on Saturdays,” she told IANS.

Local social worker Maulana Irshad, who lives in the same area, described Azad as a hardworking youth.

“The boy was sincere and supported his family through hard labour. He studied at the Budhana Madrasa and even taught children there for some time. Due to inflation, his small business failed, so he planned to open a shop on a vacant plot near his house. How this incident happened and how he ended up there is for the investigation to determine,” Irshad told IANS.

“If he has done something wrong, the government should take strict action. But if he is innocent, he should be given justice after a proper investigation,” he added.

The Gujarat ATS has not yet disclosed specific details about Azad’s role in the alleged ISIS-linked network. The investigation is ongoing.

–IANS

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