<p>Malayalam film S&nbsp;Durga&#39;s&nbsp;film director Sanal Kumar Sasidharan wrote a letter to IFFI director Sunit Tandon to &quot;schedule a screening date for his film&quot; amid complaints by lead actor&nbsp;Kannan Nayar that festival authorities are &quot;avoiding&quot; him.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>In a fresh series of complaints, Sasidharan writes that requests to screen his film at the film festival are not being taken seriously and that the authorities are &quot;yet to respond&quot;&nbsp;to him.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The film &quot;S&nbsp;Durga&quot;&nbsp;was earlier pulled out from the&nbsp;Panorama section of the 48th edition of the ongoing International Film Festival of India (IFFI) along with Marathi film &quot;Nude&quot;.</p>

<p>Sasidharan had then filed a writ petition in the Kerala High Court against the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-ib-ministry-explains-why-it-decided-to-drop-s-durga-and-nude-from-iffi-this-year-24219" target="_blank">Information and Broadcasting Ministry&#39;s decision to exclude his film from the festival</a>.</p>

<p>The<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/iffi-2017-kerala-high-court-orders-screening-of-s-durga-at-the-festival-24745" target="_blank"> court recently ruled</a> in his favour and ordered the ministry to screen the film at the nine-day-long festival, which runs till November 28.</p>

<p>Even after a positive ruling, Sasidharan claims that IFFI has not taken any action in screening the film and thus he wrote a letter to the director&nbsp;of the film himself.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The letter, along with the court order, was handed over to Sunit Tandon by lead actor Nayar.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Nayar told PTI,&nbsp;&quot;We didn&#39;t get any information from the I&amp;B ministry. I had approached Sunit Tandon but he is not responding and has been avoiding me. He said he is not the right person to talk about the issue. I feel they (IFFI and the ministry) are wasting time. I am here as a delegate and they are treating me really badly.&quot;</p>

<p>In the letter, Sasidharan wrote, &quot;I am the director of the film &#39;S Durga&#39;. I am writing to you to inform that my representative, Mr Kannan Nayar shall be handing over (copy of the same is attached herewith) the order dated 21/11/17 passed by the honourable High Court of Kerala in W P (C) 36600/2017 whereby your office was directed to exhibit my film &#39;S Durga&#39; in the IFFI presently held at Goa.</p>

<p>&quot;Kindly schedule a date for the screening for my film &#39;S Durga&#39;. Please let me know the date urgently so that I and my entire team can be present along with the censored version of the said film,&quot; Sasidharan wrote in the letter.</p>

<p>Sexy Durga follows the struggle of a modern couple who face a series of problems.&nbsp;</p>

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The Kerala High Court had recently ordered the I&B ministry to screen the film at the nine-day-long festival

Malayalam film S Durga's film director Sanal Kumar Sasidharan wrote a letter to IFFI director Sunit Tandon to "schedule a screening date for his film" amid complaints by lead actor Kannan Nayar that festival authorities are "avoiding" him. In a fresh series of complaints, Sasidharan writes that requests to screen his film at the film festival are not being taken seriously and that the authorities are "yet to respond" to him. The film "S Durga" was earlier pulled out from the Panorama section of the 48th edition of the ongoing International Film Festival of India (IFFI) along with Marathi film "Nude". Sasidharan had then filed a writ petition in the Kerala High Court against the Information and Broadcasting Ministry's decision to exclude his film from the festival. The court recently ruled in his favour and ordered the ministry to screen the film at the nine-day-long festival, which runs till November 28. Even after a positive ruling, Sasidharan claims that IFFI has not taken any action in screening the film and thus he wrote a letter to the director of the film himself. The letter, along with the court order, was handed over to Sunit Tandon by lead actor Nayar. Nayar told PTI, "We didn't get any information from the I&B ministry. I had approached Sunit Tandon but he is not responding and has been avoiding me. He said he is not the right person to talk about the issue. I feel they (IFFI and the ministry) are wasting time. I am here as a delegate and they are treating me really badly." In the letter, Sasidharan wrote, "I am the director of the film 'S Durga'. I am writing to you to inform that my representative, Mr Kannan Nayar shall be handing over (copy of the same is attached herewith) the order dated 21/11/17 passed by the honourable High Court of Kerala in W P (C) 36600/2017 whereby your office was directed to exhibit my film 'S Durga' in the IFFI presently held at Goa. "Kindly schedule a date for the screening for my film 'S Durga'. Please let me know the date urgently so that I and my entire team can be present along with the censored version of the said film," Sasidharan wrote in the letter. Sexy Durga follows the struggle of a modern couple who face a series of problems.

S Durga director writes a letter, complains IFFI 'not screening film', 'avoiding' him

<p>The police have arrested three people in connection with the murder of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rss-worker-hacked-to-death-in-guruvayur-24045" target="_blank">RSS worker</a>, Anandan in <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/after-rss-worker-murder-bjp-protests-in-kerala-24085" target="_blank">Kerala</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Anandan was an accused in a case relating to the murder of Fazil.</p>

<p>Among the three arrests, one includes a brother of Fazil.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The three arrests have been identified as Faiz, Karthik and Jitesh, a police officer said.</p>

<p>Anandan, 23-year-old RSS worker was murdered on Sunday.</p>

<p>BJP has blamed the CPI(M) for his alleged killing.</p>

<p>The CPI(M) on the other hand has denied playing any role in the killing of the RSS worker.</p>

<p>The victim was attacked when he was riding a motorcycle.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As many as 120 BJP workers have been killed in the state since 2001, BJP claims</p>

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Anandan was an accused in a case relating to the murder of Fazil. Among the three arrests, one includes a brother of Fazil

The police have arrested three people in connection with the murder of RSS worker, Anandan in Kerala. Anandan was an accused in a case relating to the murder of Fazil. Among the three arrests, one includes a brother of Fazil. The three arrests have been identified as Faiz, Karthik and Jitesh, a police officer said. Anandan, 23-year-old RSS worker was murdered on Sunday. BJP has blamed the CPI(M) for his alleged killing. The CPI(M) on the other hand has denied playing any role in the killing of the RSS worker. The victim was attacked when he was riding a motorcycle. As many as 120 BJP workers have been killed in the state since 2001, BJP claims

Three arrested in murder of RSS worker in Kerala

<p>The BJP had called for a hartal in Kerala a day after the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rss-worker-hacked-to-death-in-guruvayur-24045" target="_blank">murder of an RSS worker</a>, Anandan.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Several shops and business establishments were closed in Guruvayur and Manaloor towns in Thrissur district.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Roads were also seen empty.</p>

<p>Anandan, 23-year-old RSS worker was murdered on Sunday.</p>

<p>BJP has blamed the CPI(M) for his alleged killing.</p>

<p>The CPI(M) on the other hand has denied playing any role in the killing of the RSS worker.</p>

<p>The victim was attacked when he was riding a motorcycle.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He was an accused of the murder of a CPI(M) worker.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As many as 120 BJP workers have been killed in the state since 2001, BJP claims.</p>


Several shops and business establishments were closed in Guruvayur and Manaloor towns in Thrissur district

The BJP had called for a hartal in Kerala a day after the murder of an RSS worker, Anandan. Several shops and business establishments were closed in Guruvayur and Manaloor towns in Thrissur district. Roads were also seen empty. Anandan, 23-year-old RSS worker was murdered on Sunday. BJP has blamed the CPI(M) for his alleged killing. The CPI(M) on the other hand has denied playing any role in the killing of the RSS worker. The victim was attacked when he was riding a motorcycle. He was an accused of the murder of a CPI(M) worker. As many as 120 BJP workers have been killed in the state since 2001, BJP claims.

After RSS worker's murder, BJP protests in Kerala

<p>About 100 Keralites are suspected to have joined the Islamic State over the years, police said here today.</p>

<p>The Kerala Police has collected evidence in this regard, including over 300 voice clips and messages from WhatsApp, telegram messaging applications and other social media platforms, sources here told PTI.</p>

<p>The latest proof was an audio clip from a woman, wherein she can be heard informing her kin here about the death of her husband, who had joined ISIS.</p>

<p>The woman can be heard saying her husband Shajil was killed recently in the &#39;jihadi war&#39;. According to the audio clip, she and her two children are still in Syria, the sources said.</p>

<p>The woman can be heard telling her kin that many Keralite women, who have lost their husbands, and their children are in Syria, they said.</p>

<p>The voice clip was received by Shajil&#39;s brother.</p>

<p>Police have another audio clip from one Qayoom, whose photos in the ISIS uniform are available on the Internet, the source said.</p>

<p>Three men with suspected links with ISIS were arrested in the district on October 25.</p>

<p>The trio, who had left Kerala years ago, were suspected to have visited Syria and reportedly received training from the terror outfit, police said.</p>

<p>Police had also seized photocopies of tickets and visa, proving that they visited Syria, the source added.</p>

<p>The arrested were identified as Mithilaj, Abdul Razzak and Rashid, all of whom belonged to the district.</p>

<p>The National Investigation Agency is probing cases of disappearance of at least 21 people who had left Kerala under mysterious circumstances over a period of time and are suspected to have joined ISIS.</p>

<p>Among them, 17 are from Kasaragod and four from Palakkad. They include four women and three children</p>


The Kerala Police revealed that over 100 people from the state had joined ISIS over the years.

About 100 Keralites are suspected to have joined the Islamic State over the years, police said here today. The Kerala Police has collected evidence in this regard, including over 300 voice clips and messages from WhatsApp, telegram messaging applications and other social media platforms, sources here told PTI. The latest proof was an audio clip from a woman, wherein she can be heard informing her kin here about the death of her husband, who had joined ISIS. The woman can be heard saying her husband Shajil was killed recently in the 'jihadi war'. According to the audio clip, she and her two children are still in Syria, the sources said. The woman can be heard telling her kin that many Keralite women, who have lost their husbands, and their children are in Syria, they said. The voice clip was received by Shajil's brother. Police have another audio clip from one Qayoom, whose photos in the ISIS uniform are available on the Internet, the source said. Three men with suspected links with ISIS were arrested in the district on October 25. The trio, who had left Kerala years ago, were suspected to have visited Syria and reportedly received training from the terror outfit, police said. Police had also seized photocopies of tickets and visa, proving that they visited Syria, the source added. The arrested were identified as Mithilaj, Abdul Razzak and Rashid, all of whom belonged to the district. The National Investigation Agency is probing cases of disappearance of at least 21 people who had left Kerala under mysterious circumstances over a period of time and are suspected to have joined ISIS. Among them, 17 are from Kasaragod and four from Palakkad. They include four women and three children

About 100 Keralites suspected to have joined Islamic State: Kerala Police

<p>The Kerala Women&#39;s Commission has directed the Kottayam SP (Superintendent of Police) to inquire into and submit a report on Hadiya&#39;s condition.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Kerala Love-Jihad case: State Women&#39;s Commission has directed Kottayam SP to inquire &amp; submit report about present conditions of Hadiya.</p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/924091589286281217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Hadiya had said in a video released recently by Rahul Easwar that she was certain she would be killed soon.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;You have to get me out. I will be killed anytime...&quot; she had said in the video.</p>

<p>She had alleged in the video that her father was beating her.&nbsp;</p>

<p>??????<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/kerala-love-jihad-case-hadiya-says-father-beats-her-up-she-fears-for-life-22986" target="_blank">Also </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/kerala-love-jihad-case-hadiya-says-father-beats-her-up-she-fears-for-life-22986" target="_blank">read:</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/kerala-love-jihad-case-hadiya-says-father-beats-her-up-she-fears-for-life-22986" target="_blank"> &nbsp;Kerala &#39;Love Jihad&#39; case: &#39;I will be killed anytime... I am sure,&#39; says Hadiya in new video&nbsp;</a></p>

<p>Hadiya had converted to Islam and married a Muslim man, Shafin Jahan.</p>

<p>The Kerala High Court had annulled their marriage in May on a petition by her father, and had placed Hadiya in the custody of her parents.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Hadiya had then approached the Supreme Court, which ordered the NIA (National Investigation Agency) to probe whether their&nbsp;marriage had been an example of &quot;Love Jihad&quot;.&nbsp; &nbsp;</p>

<p>Hadiya had been known as Akhila before converting to Islam and marrying Shafin.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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Hadiya had said in a video released recently that she was being beaten by her father, and that she was certain she would be 'killed soon'

The Kerala Women's Commission has directed the Kottayam SP (Superintendent of Police) to inquire into and submit a report on Hadiya's condition. Kerala Love-Jihad case: State Women's Commission has directed Kottayam SP to inquire & submit report about present conditions of Hadiya. — ANI (@ANI) October 28, 2017 × Hadiya had said in a video released recently by Rahul Easwar that she was certain she would be killed soon. "You have to get me out. I will be killed anytime..." she had said in the video. She had alleged in the video that her father was beating her. ??????Also read: Kerala 'Love Jihad' case: 'I will be killed anytime... I am sure,' says Hadiya in new video Hadiya had converted to Islam and married a Muslim man, Shafin Jahan. The Kerala High Court had annulled their marriage in May on a petition by her father, and had placed Hadiya in the custody of her parents. Hadiya had then approached the Supreme Court, which ordered the NIA (National Investigation Agency) to probe whether their marriage had been an example of "Love Jihad". Hadiya had been known as Akhila before converting to Islam and marrying Shafin.

Kerala 'Love Jihad' case: State women's commission asks for report on Hadiya

<p>Two more persons suspected of having links to<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/kerala-youth-who-joined-islamic-state-reportedly-killed-in-afghanistan-18448" target="_blank"> the terror group Islamic State were arrested today,</a> police said.</p>

<p>With today&#39;s arrest, the number of persons apprehended in this connection so far rose to five.</p>

<p>Thalassery natives Hamza aka Taliban Hamza and Manaf were picked up this morning, Kannur district Deputy Superintendent of Police PP Sadananandan said.</p>

<p>&quot;Hamza, who has strong connections with the terror outfit&#39;s high command, was behind the recruitment of youths from the state for IS...He had worked in&nbsp;Gulf countries for more than 20 years,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>About six months ago, Manaf was prevented by authorities at Mangalore airport from leaving the country, the official said.</p>

<p>All the five suspects were put under surveillance for the last months, he said.</p>

<p>The accused have been charged under sections 38 and 39 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.</p>

<p>They will be produced before the Thalassery Sessions court later in the day, he added.</p>

<p>Three men hailing from Chakkarakkal and Valappattinam in the district were arrested yesterday, police said.</p>

<p>The National Investigation Agency has been probing cases of disappearance of at least 21 people who had left Kerala under mysterious circumstances over a period of time and are suspected to have joined the ISIS.</p>

<p>Among them, 17 were from Kasaragod and four from Palakkad. They include four women and three children.&nbsp;</p>


Thalassery residents Hamza aka Taliban Hamza and Manaf, police said, were arrested this morning

Two more persons suspected of having links to the terror group Islamic State were arrested today, police said. With today's arrest, the number of persons apprehended in this connection so far rose to five. Thalassery natives Hamza aka Taliban Hamza and Manaf were picked up this morning, Kannur district Deputy Superintendent of Police PP Sadananandan said. "Hamza, who has strong connections with the terror outfit's high command, was behind the recruitment of youths from the state for IS...He had worked in Gulf countries for more than 20 years," he said. About six months ago, Manaf was prevented by authorities at Mangalore airport from leaving the country, the official said. All the five suspects were put under surveillance for the last months, he said. The accused have been charged under sections 38 and 39 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. They will be produced before the Thalassery Sessions court later in the day, he added. Three men hailing from Chakkarakkal and Valappattinam in the district were arrested yesterday, police said. The National Investigation Agency has been probing cases of disappearance of at least 21 people who had left Kerala under mysterious circumstances over a period of time and are suspected to have joined the ISIS. Among them, 17 were from Kasaragod and four from Palakkad. They include four women and three children.

Kerala: Two more with suspected links to Islamic State arrested, total now 5

<p>The foster father of a missing 3- year-old Indian girl was today arrested and charged with first-degree felony injury to a child after he changed his story about the circumstances surrounding her mysterious disappearance over two weeks ago.</p>

<p>Wesley Mathews, 37, was arrested after the Indian- American changed his story about his adoptive daughter Sherin Mathew&#39;s disappearance from outside their home in suburban Dallas in Texas state.</p>

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<h5>Mathews has been charged with first-degree felony injury to a child</h5>
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<p>Mathews had previously claimed that Sherin went missing after he sent her outside their home at around 3 am on October 7 as punishment for not drinking her milk.</p>

<p>Yesterday, the Richardson Police announced that they discovered the remains of a small child in a tunnel beneath a road, expressing apprehension that it was &quot;most likely&quot; that of Sherin. They, however, did not confirm the identity.</p>

<p>&quot;He voluntarily arrived at the Richardson Police Station with his attorney and asked to speak with detectives. He provided an alternate statement of events from those which he had given previously, regarding the disappearance of Sherin,&quot; Richardson Police Department Spokesman Sergeant Kevin Perlich said.</p>

<p>The particulars of his statements that might have led to the charge have not yet been explained by authorities.</p>

<p>Mathews, who hails from Kerala, was booked into the Richardson City Jail on a USD one million bond.</p>

<p>The father was previously arrested and charged with felony endangerment to a child and was placed on electronic ankle monitoring. He surrendered his passport as a condition of making bond on October 9. He was later released.</p>

<p>First-degree felony injury to a child is punishable by up to life imprisonment or from five to 99 years in prison, US media reported.</p>

<p>Sherin, who has developmental issues and limited verbal communication skills, was last seen outside her family&#39;s backyard in Richardson city on October 7.</p>

<p>Mathews and his wife Sini reportedly adopted Sherin two years ago from an orphanage in Bihar.</p>

<p>The body of a small child was discovered in a culvert beneath a road with the help of search dogs. Police have not released any details about how the child died. The body was found about one km from the house of Mathews.</p>

<p>&quot;We are still awaiting a positive identification from the Dallas County Medical Examiners office for the child&#39;s body found yesterday, believed to be Sherin Mathews,&quot; Perlich said.</p>

<p>Child Protective Services took custody of the Indian-American couple&#39;s other biological daughter shortly after Mathews was arrested.</p>

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<p>Wesley Mathews, who hails from Kerala, was booked into the Richardson City Jail on a USD one million bond. (Others)</p>
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<p>Sini Mathews, the girl&#39;s mother does not face any charges. She was in the house at the time, but was reportedly asleep and unaware of what her husband was doing, police had said earlier.</p>

<p>Earlier in the day Mathews and his wife, Sini, attended a court hearing to determine whether they could regain custody of their 4-year-old biological daughter who was placed in protective custody after Sherin went missing.</p>

<p>But the judge at a Dallas County court decided that the older sibling of Sherin will remain in foster care for at least three more weeks.</p>

<p>The judge postponed custody hearing until November 13 to allow Mathews to hire a civil attorney.</p>

<p>The girl will remain in foster care until that hearing or until a judge orders a change in custody, said Marissa Gonzales, a spokeswoman for Child Protective Services.</p>

<p>&quot;We do have the names of some relatives who have expressed interest in taking care of her,&quot; Gonzales said.</p>

<p>&quot;We can begin looking into those relatives, but it is entirely up to the judge where she is placed,&quot; she said.</p>

<p>On Monday evening, people gathered near the culvert where police found the body of a small child.</p>

<p>Many people expressed shock at the father&#39;s second arrest.</p>

<p>&quot;Justice should be done for this little child,&quot; said Indian-American Anthony Sabu. &quot;This little child has gone through the worst things in her life. She was abandoned when she was born and this family adopted her, and this is not what we expected,&quot; Sabu was quoted as saying by NBC News.</p>

<p>Sherin&#39;s case also caught the attention of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.</p>

<p>&quot;We are deeply concerned about the missing child. Indian Embassy in US is actively involved and they keep me informed,&quot; Swaraj tweeted on October 19.</p>

<p>&quot;We are closely monitoring the Sherin Mathews case. We have established contact with the community and authorities,&quot; India&#39;s Consul General in Houston, Anupam Ray had tweeted.&nbsp;</p>


Wesley Mathews had previously claimed Sherin had gone missing after he sent her outside at around 3 am on October 7 as punishment for not drinking her milk

The foster father of a missing 3- year-old Indian girl was today arrested and charged with first-degree felony injury to a child after he changed his story about the circumstances surrounding her mysterious disappearance over two weeks ago. Wesley Mathews, 37, was arrested after the Indian- American changed his story about his adoptive daughter Sherin Mathew's disappearance from outside their home in suburban Dallas in Texas state. Mathews has been charged with first-degree felony injury to a child × Mathews had previously claimed that Sherin went missing after he sent her outside their home at around 3 am on October 7 as punishment for not drinking her milk. Yesterday, the Richardson Police announced that they discovered the remains of a small child in a tunnel beneath a road, expressing apprehension that it was "most likely" that of Sherin. They, however, did not confirm the identity. "He voluntarily arrived at the Richardson Police Station with his attorney and asked to speak with detectives. He provided an alternate statement of events from those which he had given previously, regarding the disappearance of Sherin," Richardson Police Department Spokesman Sergeant Kevin Perlich said. The particulars of his statements that might have led to the charge have not yet been explained by authorities. Mathews, who hails from Kerala, was booked into the Richardson City Jail on a USD one million bond. The father was previously arrested and charged with felony endangerment to a child and was placed on electronic ankle monitoring. He surrendered his passport as a condition of making bond on October 9. He was later released. First-degree felony injury to a child is punishable by up to life imprisonment or from five to 99 years in prison, US media reported. Sherin, who has developmental issues and limited verbal communication skills, was last seen outside her family's backyard in Richardson city on October 7. Mathews and his wife Sini reportedly adopted Sherin two years ago from an orphanage in Bihar. The body of a small child was discovered in a culvert beneath a road with the help of search dogs. Police have not released any details about how the child died. The body was found about one km from the house of Mathews. "We are still awaiting a positive identification from the Dallas County Medical Examiners office for the child's body found yesterday, believed to be Sherin Mathews," Perlich said. Child Protective Services took custody of the Indian-American couple's other biological daughter shortly after Mathews was arrested. Wesley Mathews, who hails from Kerala, was booked into the Richardson City Jail on a USD one million bond. (Others) × Sini Mathews, the girl's mother does not face any charges. She was in the house at the time, but was reportedly asleep and unaware of what her husband was doing, police had said earlier. Earlier in the day Mathews and his wife, Sini, attended a court hearing to determine whether they could regain custody of their 4-year-old biological daughter who was placed in protective custody after Sherin went missing. But the judge at a Dallas County court decided that the older sibling of Sherin will remain in foster care for at least three more weeks. The judge postponed custody hearing until November 13 to allow Mathews to hire a civil attorney. The girl will remain in foster care until that hearing or until a judge orders a change in custody, said Marissa Gonzales, a spokeswoman for Child Protective Services. "We do have the names of some relatives who have expressed interest in taking care of her," Gonzales said. "We can begin looking into those relatives, but it is entirely up to the judge where she is placed," she said. On Monday evening, people gathered near the culvert where police found the body of a small child. Many people expressed shock at the father's second arrest. "Justice should be done for this little child," said Indian-American Anthony Sabu. "This little child has gone through the worst things in her life. She was abandoned when she was born and this family adopted her, and this is not what we expected," Sabu was quoted as saying by NBC News. Sherin's case also caught the attention of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. "We are deeply concerned about the missing child. Indian Embassy in US is actively involved and they keep me informed," Swaraj tweeted on October 19. "We are closely monitoring the Sherin Mathews case. We have established contact with the community and authorities," India's Consul General in Houston, Anupam Ray had tweeted.

Missing Indian girl in US: Foster father arrested after he changes story

<p>Spurred by the spate of recent electoral victories, the Bharatiya Janata Party has become audaciously ambitious. It has begun to not just enter enemy territory with new-found confidence and aggression but also march into enemy strongholds within that forbidden territory.</p>

<p>On October 3, party president Amit Shah launched the Jan Raksha Yatra (March for People&rsquo;s Protection) in the Marxist bastion of Kerala &mdash; and from Kannur district which has been the centre of political violence. If the BJP&rsquo;s opponents thought this was another symbolic show to remind the people of the party&rsquo;s presence in this southern state, and no more, they were soon disabused of the notion when Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath arrived on wednesday to participate in the high-profile event.</p>

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<h5>Amit Shah claimed that more than 84 BJP-RSS workers had been killed in Kannur alone since 2001 by Left-supported individuals and organisations.</h5>
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<p>The message is clear. The BJP will play every card to enhance its footprint in Kerala. If the politics of polarisation needs to be resorted to, so be it. But polarisation does not happen in a vacuum; a context is necessary. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) rule has created a fertile ground for deep disaffection among large sections of the populace in the state and the BJP (along with the RSS which has had a strong presence for years) is set to exploit the situation.</p>

<p>Amit Shah claimed that more than 84 BJP-RSS workers had been killed in Kannur alone since 2001 by Left-supported individuals and organisations. One can quibble over the figure or the counter-claim that right-wing activists too have participated in political violence. But there cannot be a denial of the ground reality that the major victims have been the Rightists.</p>

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<p>The BJP believes that by ratcheting up public sentiment against such killings and other forms of violence, it can eventually create a conducive electoral environment in its favour. That is to be seen; for now, State Assembly elections are far away. But the Lok Sabha poll will be held in less than two years and the party hopes to harvest some advantage from its counter-aggression. To that end, the Jan Raksha Yatra is, arguably, the BJP&rsquo;s most determined effort so far in Kerala.</p>

<p>The Marxists have been dismissive of their opponent&rsquo;s drive, and they have been especially critical of the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister&rsquo;s presence, advising him to mend governance in his home state before condemning the Left rule in Kerala. But there is no doubt that the Left is worried.</p>

<p>Unlike the BJP which is ruling most parts of the country either on its own or with the help of allies, the Left Front, and especially the CPI (M), is facing an existential crisis. It has been driven out from its one-time stronghold, West Bengal, by Mamata Banerjee&rsquo;s Trinamool Congress. This was bad enough, but worse has followed. For all practical purposes, it&rsquo;s not even the main opposition there; the BJP has occupied that spot. Given that it has been marginalised in a state which it once ruled for three uninterrupted decades, the CPI (M)&rsquo;s salvation lies in Kerala where, in any case, it cannot presume invincibility since the Congress has been breathing down its neck. But the Congress is a friendly opposition when compared to the BJP.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The BJP&rsquo;s game plan is simple enough. Exploit the anger among the people over political violence against its people and the larger Sangh family, attribute such violence to the Marxists&rsquo; ideology of intolerance, link the incidents to minority appeasement politics of the Left, and arouse passions in the name of majority-victimhood. The more it can do this the more it would push the Left into the anti-majority-community trap. Yogi Adityanath is a perfect candidate to further this strategy in the deep south. He is charismatic and a crowd-puller. It helps that he is also considered a &lsquo;Hindu mascot&rsquo;.</p>

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<h5>If the BJP manages to enhance its presence in Kerala, it will be as much due to its perseverance as it will be on account of the Marxists&rsquo; obstinacy to change with the times.&nbsp;</h5>
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<p>There is something to be said in favour of striking when the iron is hot. Not only is the CPI (M) battling for political relevance, but it has also been facing embarrassment from within. A gentleman named Ritabrata Banerjee has been doing his bit in this regard. Once the blue-eyed boy of the Marxists and a Rajya Sabha MP, the highly visible Banerjee was expelled from the CPI (M) last month for &ldquo;grave anti-party activities&rdquo;. He claimed to have fallen foul with the senior leadership after he began to speak out in party forums against the &lsquo;Kannur cabal&rsquo; comprising among others, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and senior leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan.</p>

<p>In interviews to television channels, Banerjee gleefully tore into the Marxists, saying that he had been targeted by the party leaders for, among other things, saying &ldquo;Bharat Mata ki Jai&rdquo;. He added that certain party leaders whose wish prevailed had problems with his lifestyle &mdash; including the apple watch he wore and the foreign trips he undertook!</p>

<p>There is of course little need to make a martyr out of him or take all that he has said as unadulterated truth. Nonetheless, he seems to have underlined the basic problems the Marxists are confronted with, and are increasingly failing to effectively address: That the CPI (M) has lost its connection with the aspirations and demands of the new voter who not just abhors retributive politics but also frowns at dated ideological positions and defers with the party on issues of &lsquo;nationalism&rsquo;. If the BJP manages to enhance its presence in Kerala, it will be as much due to its perseverance as it will be on account of the Marxists&rsquo; obstinacy to change with the times.&nbsp;</p>

<p>There are two primary reasons for the BJP&rsquo;s focus on Kerala. The first is simply that it&rsquo;s a hard nut to crack &mdash; and Amit Shah enjoys nothing better than meeting such challenges head-on &mdash; even if it entails the use of techniques in the book and outside of it. In southern India, the party has a fighting chance in Karnataka where the Assembly election is due next year. It rules in alliance in Andhra Pradesh, and is contemplating various combinations to unlock Tamil Nadu. But whereas it&rsquo;s at the mercy of regional allies, both current and potential, to be relevant elsewhere in the south, in Kerala it hopes to be a dominant player, even if it stitches deals with regional outfits.</p>

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<p>The second reason stems from its own electoral performance in the past few years. In the 2016 Assembly election, the BJP-led NDA received over 14 per cent of the votes; it won one seat; and finished second in six others. Compare these to the five per cent vote-share in 2001, under five per cent in 2006, six per cent in 2011 &mdash; and a little less than 11 per cent in the 2014 Lok Sabha poll, and the cause for the BJP&rsquo;s optimism becomes obvious. A CSDS-Lokniti survey done for a leading national daily soon after the last Assembly poll informed that the BJP had cut into the support base of both the Left and the Congress. Interestingly, the party also managed to win over a small segment of the Christian votes.&nbsp;</p>

<p>While these should cheer, and have cheered, the Rightist party and its supporters, the BJP may yet have a long road to traverse in Kerala. The moot question is: Will the party resort to dangerous social divisions to succeed electorally or moderate its stance and bank on inclusivity?</p>


Amit Shah comes up with a master plan to enhance BJP's dominance in Kerala

Spurred by the spate of recent electoral victories, the Bharatiya Janata Party has become audaciously ambitious. It has begun to not just enter enemy territory with new-found confidence and aggression but also march into enemy strongholds within that forbidden territory. On October 3, party president Amit Shah launched the Jan Raksha Yatra (March for People’s Protection) in the Marxist bastion of Kerala — and from Kannur district which has been the centre of political violence. If the BJP’s opponents thought this was another symbolic show to remind the people of the party’s presence in this southern state, and no more, they were soon disabused of the notion when Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath arrived on wednesday to participate in the high-profile event. Amit Shah claimed that more than 84 BJP-RSS workers had been killed in Kannur alone since 2001 by Left-supported individuals and organisations. × The message is clear. The BJP will play every card to enhance its footprint in Kerala. If the politics of polarisation needs to be resorted to, so be it. But polarisation does not happen in a vacuum; a context is necessary. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) rule has created a fertile ground for deep disaffection among large sections of the populace in the state and the BJP (along with the RSS which has had a strong presence for years) is set to exploit the situation. Amit Shah claimed that more than 84 BJP-RSS workers had been killed in Kannur alone since 2001 by Left-supported individuals and organisations. One can quibble over the figure or the counter-claim that right-wing activists too have participated in political violence. But there cannot be a denial of the ground reality that the major victims have been the Rightists. The Jan Raksha Yatra is arguably the BJP’s most determined effort so far in Kerala. × The BJP believes that by ratcheting up public sentiment against such killings and other forms of violence, it can eventually create a conducive electoral environment in its favour. That is to be seen; for now, State Assembly elections are far away. But the Lok Sabha poll will be held in less than two years and the party hopes to harvest some advantage from its counter-aggression. To that end, the Jan Raksha Yatra is, arguably, the BJP’s most determined effort so far in Kerala. The Marxists have been dismissive of their opponent’s drive, and they have been especially critical of the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister’s presence, advising him to mend governance in his home state before condemning the Left rule in Kerala. But there is no doubt that the Left is worried. Unlike the BJP which is ruling most parts of the country either on its own or with the help of allies, the Left Front, and especially the CPI (M), is facing an existential crisis. It has been driven out from its one-time stronghold, West Bengal, by Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress. This was bad enough, but worse has followed. For all practical purposes, it’s not even the main opposition there; the BJP has occupied that spot. Given that it has been marginalised in a state which it once ruled for three uninterrupted decades, the CPI (M)’s salvation lies in Kerala where, in any case, it cannot presume invincibility since the Congress has been breathing down its neck. But the Congress is a friendly opposition when compared to the BJP. The BJP’s game plan is simple enough. Exploit the anger among the people over political violence against its people and the larger Sangh family, attribute such violence to the Marxists’ ideology of intolerance, link the incidents to minority appeasement politics of the Left, and arouse passions in the name of majority-victimhood. The more it can do this the more it would push the Left into the anti-majority-community trap. Yogi Adityanath is a perfect candidate to further this strategy in the deep south. He is charismatic and a crowd-puller. It helps that he is also considered a ‘Hindu mascot’. If the BJP manages to enhance its presence in Kerala, it will be as much due to its perseverance as it will be on account of the Marxists’ obstinacy to change with the times. × There is something to be said in favour of striking when the iron is hot. Not only is the CPI (M) battling for political relevance, but it has also been facing embarrassment from within. A gentleman named Ritabrata Banerjee has been doing his bit in this regard. Once the blue-eyed boy of the Marxists and a Rajya Sabha MP, the highly visible Banerjee was expelled from the CPI (M) last month for “grave anti-party activities”. He claimed to have fallen foul with the senior leadership after he began to speak out in party forums against the ‘Kannur cabal’ comprising among others, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and senior leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan. In interviews to television channels, Banerjee gleefully tore into the Marxists, saying that he had been targeted by the party leaders for, among other things, saying “Bharat Mata ki Jai”. He added that certain party leaders whose wish prevailed had problems with his lifestyle — including the apple watch he wore and the foreign trips he undertook! There is of course little need to make a martyr out of him or take all that he has said as unadulterated truth. Nonetheless, he seems to have underlined the basic problems the Marxists are confronted with, and are increasingly failing to effectively address: That the CPI (M) has lost its connection with the aspirations and demands of the new voter who not just abhors retributive politics but also frowns at dated ideological positions and defers with the party on issues of ‘nationalism’. If the BJP manages to enhance its presence in Kerala, it will be as much due to its perseverance as it will be on account of the Marxists’ obstinacy to change with the times. There are two primary reasons for the BJP’s focus on Kerala. The first is simply that it’s a hard nut to crack — and Amit Shah enjoys nothing better than meeting such challenges head-on — even if it entails the use of techniques in the book and outside of it. In southern India, the party has a fighting chance in Karnataka where the Assembly election is due next year. It rules in alliance in Andhra Pradesh, and is contemplating various combinations to unlock Tamil Nadu. But whereas it’s at the mercy of regional allies, both current and potential, to be relevant elsewhere in the south, in Kerala it hopes to be a dominant player, even if it stitches deals with regional outfits. BJP may yet have a long road to traverse in Kerala. × The second reason stems from its own electoral performance in the past few years. In the 2016 Assembly election, the BJP-led NDA received over 14 per cent of the votes; it won one seat; and finished second in six others. Compare these to the five per cent vote-share in 2001, under five per cent in 2006, six per cent in 2011 — and a little less than 11 per cent in the 2014 Lok Sabha poll, and the cause for the BJP’s optimism becomes obvious. A CSDS-Lokniti survey done for a leading national daily soon after the last Assembly poll informed that the BJP had cut into the support base of both the Left and the Congress. Interestingly, the party also managed to win over a small segment of the Christian votes. While these should cheer, and have cheered, the Rightist party and its supporters, the BJP may yet have a long road to traverse in Kerala. The moot question is: Will the party resort to dangerous social divisions to succeed electorally or moderate its stance and bank on inclusivity?

BJP ambitious to gain majority in CPIM's Kerala

<p>An aggressive campaign by BJP in Kerala against the killing of its workers is not an exercise in isolation. It is a campaign for 2019 which BJP is taking through states in which it had no historic presence. In every state, slogans have differed but the aim has been the same and that being expansion of the organisational structure of the party. The political aggression is high but it isn&rsquo;t new as the exercise started immediately after Lok Sabha elections in 2014.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
BJP after its massive win in general elections started to disrupt existing political equations in the states. Instead of having an alliance with a local party in Haryana, BJP chose to go alone and formed the government. This story was repeated in states, such as Assam, Jammu and Kashmir and West Bengal. In states like Assam, BJP tasted success and in West Bengal, it was able to expand it voters base but electorally it got trounced.</p>

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<h5>How BJP expects to gain where more than 50 percent of the population is Christian and Muslim.</h5>
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<p>In both situations, BJP did get away by gaining something. Similarly, BJP wants to push the final frontier in Kerala as it did in JK and Assam, the two states where it was thought impossible for BJP to gain a foothold. BJP broke regional leaders and tapped into anxieties which cut across caste in the states. The exception being Kashmir valley where BJP despite its best effort could not open an account but instead swept Jammu.</p>

<p>The question then arises is how BJP expects to gain where more than 50 percent of the population is Christian and Muslim. BJP has been able to evolve a working relationship with the church in Goa but it still has a substantial Hindu population to bank upon. Kerala is a laboratory and a test case for BJP. In Kerala, not only BJP will have to reset and alignment between Congress and CPM, but will have to push the communist party to the margin. In this case, it is directly competing with CPM for the affections of the Ezheva community.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
The killings are not new. Kannur has been known as the killing field of Kerala. The activism for it at the national level is new. BJP has decided to lend national heft for regional gains. This has happened because BJP feels that Hindutva blended with OBC and Dalit politics will yield electoral results in the state.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
It can also be explained in the context of &lsquo;Sanskritisation&rsquo; which OBCs have undergone throughout India and have come to represent the core Hindutva politics in the North and the West. Most of these communities in 1960, 70s and 80s consolidated under socialist parties under the banner of &lsquo;Kisan&rsquo; politics, directly pitching itself against the Congress Party.</p>

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<h5>Even if campaigns in West Bengal or Kerala don&rsquo;t yield electoral numbers, BJP, at least, gets to dominate the political discourse and expand the party.</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

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<p>&nbsp;<br />
By end of the 1990s, the consolidated socialist front, however,&nbsp;fragmented into caste-based parties throughout India. BJP today dominates this political landscape. This development coupled with the fragmentation of Dalit votes has benefitted BJP immensely. Even in Kerala, under the rubric of Hindutva, BJP is actively pursuing backward and Dalit sections despite the antagonistic relationship it shared with these communities both at the social level and cultural level.</p>

<p>It is for this reason, Yogi Adityanath was the first person from north India to grace the yatra started by BJP President Amit Shah.</p>

<p>Similar, disruptions will continue in other states as well. BJP has already occupied the Opposition&rsquo;s space in Orissa. In Telangana, it doesn&rsquo;t want to move fast lest TRS allies with the Opposition. It is for this reason that despite political upheaval in Tamil Nadu, BJP is trying its best to stabilise the government.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
The North Indian states are already saturated. BJP intends to come to power by using the states which rejected them during 2014. It is for this very reason states like West Bengal, Orissa, Assam, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Kerala have become very important. BJP knows that in 2019 the road to Delhi will need to be paved in from South and East India and not North.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
For the Opposition, the job has become tougher. BJP has the movers advantage. They never expected BJP to continue into the election mode even after the Lok Sabha elections. BJP is making every election count. It tasted royal defeats in Bihar and Delhi. It realises that it takes very little to diffuse political momentum in a country like India. So even if campaigns in West Bengal or Kerala don&rsquo;t yield electoral numbers, BJP, at least, gets to dominate the political discourse and expand the party.</p>

<p>This is what BJP intends to do in Kerala. It is making every state election count to become the dominant party in the country, replacing Congress as the biggest and largest party with completely different ideological underpinning.</p>


BJP intends to come back to power in 2019 by using the states, such as Kerala which rejected them during 2014.

An aggressive campaign by BJP in Kerala against the killing of its workers is not an exercise in isolation. It is a campaign for 2019 which BJP is taking through states in which it had no historic presence. In every state, slogans have differed but the aim has been the same and that being expansion of the organisational structure of the party. The political aggression is high but it isn’t new as the exercise started immediately after Lok Sabha elections in 2014. BJP after its massive win in general elections started to disrupt existing political equations in the states. Instead of having an alliance with a local party in Haryana, BJP chose to go alone and formed the government. This story was repeated in states, such as Assam, Jammu and Kashmir and West Bengal. In states like Assam, BJP tasted success and in West Bengal, it was able to expand it voters base but electorally it got trounced. How BJP expects to gain where more than 50 percent of the population is Christian and Muslim. × In both situations, BJP did get away by gaining something. Similarly, BJP wants to push the final frontier in Kerala as it did in JK and Assam, the two states where it was thought impossible for BJP to gain a foothold. BJP broke regional leaders and tapped into anxieties which cut across caste in the states. The exception being Kashmir valley where BJP despite its best effort could not open an account but instead swept Jammu. The question then arises is how BJP expects to gain where more than 50 percent of the population is Christian and Muslim. BJP has been able to evolve a working relationship with the church in Goa but it still has a substantial Hindu population to bank upon. Kerala is a laboratory and a test case for BJP. In Kerala, not only BJP will have to reset and alignment between Congress and CPM, but will have to push the communist party to the margin. In this case, it is directly competing with CPM for the affections of the Ezheva community. The killings are not new. Kannur has been known as the killing field of Kerala. The activism for it at the national level is new. BJP has decided to lend national heft for regional gains. This has happened because BJP feels that Hindutva blended with OBC and Dalit politics will yield electoral results in the state. It can also be explained in the context of ‘Sanskritisation’ which OBCs have undergone throughout India and have come to represent the core Hindutva politics in the North and the West. Most of these communities in 1960, 70s and 80s consolidated under socialist parties under the banner of ‘Kisan’ politics, directly pitching itself against the Congress Party. Even if campaigns in West Bengal or Kerala don’t yield electoral numbers, BJP, at least, gets to dominate the political discourse and expand the party. × By end of the 1990s, the consolidated socialist front, however, fragmented into caste-based parties throughout India. BJP today dominates this political landscape. This development coupled with the fragmentation of Dalit votes has benefitted BJP immensely. Even in Kerala, under the rubric of Hindutva, BJP is actively pursuing backward and Dalit sections despite the antagonistic relationship it shared with these communities both at the social level and cultural level. It is for this reason, Yogi Adityanath was the first person from north India to grace the yatra started by BJP President Amit Shah. Similar, disruptions will continue in other states as well. BJP has already occupied the Opposition’s space in Orissa. In Telangana, it doesn’t want to move fast lest TRS allies with the Opposition. It is for this reason that despite political upheaval in Tamil Nadu, BJP is trying its best to stabilise the government. The North Indian states are already saturated. BJP intends to come to power by using the states which rejected them during 2014. It is for this very reason states like West Bengal, Orissa, Assam, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Kerala have become very important. BJP knows that in 2019 the road to Delhi will need to be paved in from South and East India and not North. For the Opposition, the job has become tougher. BJP has the movers advantage. They never expected BJP to continue into the election mode even after the Lok Sabha elections. BJP is making every election count. It tasted royal defeats in Bihar and Delhi. It realises that it takes very little to diffuse political momentum in a country like India. So even if campaigns in West Bengal or Kerala don’t yield electoral numbers, BJP, at least, gets to dominate the political discourse and expand the party. This is what BJP intends to do in Kerala. It is making every state election count to become the dominant party in the country, replacing Congress as the biggest and largest party with completely different ideological underpinning.

Kerala violence is the pretext; 2019 election is BJP's  goal

<p>&quot;The entire cycle of violence has been generated by the RSS,&quot; CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury said on Wednesday in response to BJP President Amit Shah&#39;s Jan Raksha Yatra through Kerala.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;It is a case of the pot calling the kettle black,&quot; Yechury added.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The entire cycle of violence has been generated by the RSS: Sitaram Yechury, CPI(M) <a href="https://t.co/kN22wiZWC7">pic.twitter.com/kN22wiZWC7</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/915537220362149888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">It is a case of the pot calling the kettle black: CPM&#39;s Sitaram Yechury on BJP&#39;s Jan Raksha Yatra <a href="https://t.co/WACHQqTC6O">pic.twitter.com/WACHQqTC6O</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/915538210171772928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The Jan Raksha Yatra is a 15-day march through Kerala.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The yatra began on Tuesday at Payyanur -- chief minister Pinari Vijayan&#39;s hometown -- and will travel through Kerala before&nbsp;ending in Thiruvananthapuram on October 17.</p>

<p>The theme of the march is &quot;All have to live! Against Jihadi-Red Terror&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The march is meant to protest against the ruling CPM&#39;s alleged use of violence against BJP workers in the state.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The CPM and the BJP have waged a long battle in Kerala, with both sides losing a number of party workers to violence.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The yatra was on Wednesday joined by Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/watch-uttar-pradesh-cm-adityanath-joins-amit-shah-in-kerala-yatra-20982" target="_blank">WATCH: CM Adityanath hits out at Kerala govt over &#39;political killings&#39; during Amit Shah&#39;s yatra</a></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


BJP President Amit Shah's 15-day Jan Raksha Yatra is meant to protest against the ruling CPM's alleged use of violence against BJP workers in the state

"The entire cycle of violence has been generated by the RSS," CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury said on Wednesday in response to BJP President Amit Shah's Jan Raksha Yatra through Kerala. "It is a case of the pot calling the kettle black," Yechury added. The entire cycle of violence has been generated by the RSS: Sitaram Yechury, CPI(M) pic.twitter.com/kN22wiZWC7 — ANI (@ANI) October 4, 2017 × It is a case of the pot calling the kettle black: CPM's Sitaram Yechury on BJP's Jan Raksha Yatra pic.twitter.com/WACHQqTC6O — ANI (@ANI) October 4, 2017 × The Jan Raksha Yatra is a 15-day march through Kerala. The yatra began on Tuesday at Payyanur -- chief minister Pinari Vijayan's hometown -- and will travel through Kerala before ending in Thiruvananthapuram on October 17. The theme of the march is "All have to live! Against Jihadi-Red Terror". The march is meant to protest against the ruling CPM's alleged use of violence against BJP workers in the state. The CPM and the BJP have waged a long battle in Kerala, with both sides losing a number of party workers to violence. The yatra was on Wednesday joined by Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath. WATCH: CM Adityanath hits out at Kerala govt over 'political killings' during Amit Shah's yatra

Kerala: As Amit Shah marches, Yechury blames 'entire cycle of violence' on RSS

<p>The four-day Onasadya offerings, an elaborate vegetarian feast, began at Lord Ayyappa temple on Sunday as part of the Onam celebrations.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
The temple witnessed massive rush as several hundreds of devotees from all across South India gathered to pay their respects in the heavy rain.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="hi"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/sabarimala?src=hash">#sabarimala</a> Swamiye Sharan Ayyappa ?? <a href="https://t.co/9Z6qlmT30I">pic.twitter.com/9Z6qlmT30I</a></p>
&mdash; MegaFan C/O Kakinada (@Perthist_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Perthist_/status/904346943677018112">September 3, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The traditional ceremony began with the lighting of the lamp by thantri, the head priest Maheshwararu Mohanaru accompanied by melsanthi or chief-priest, Unnikrishnan Namboodiri at 11 am.</p>

<p>After the ceremony, the priests started offering Onasadya dishes, including sweets, on a banana leaf kept in front of a ceremonial lamp.</p>

<p>The feast continued till 2.30 pm. Offerings will continue till the festivities come to a&nbsp;conclusion on Wednesday. Ceremonial prayers known as Kalabhabhishekam, sahasrakalasam and laksharchana will be performed during the Onam festival days.</p>


The temple witnessed massive rush as several hundreds of devotees from all across South India gathered to pay their respects in the heavy rain.

The four-day Onasadya offerings, an elaborate vegetarian feast, began at Lord Ayyappa temple on Sunday as part of the Onam celebrations. The temple witnessed massive rush as several hundreds of devotees from all across South India gathered to pay their respects in the heavy rain. #sabarimala Swamiye Sharan Ayyappa ?? pic.twitter.com/9Z6qlmT30I — MegaFan C/O Kakinada (@Perthist_) September 3, 2017 × The traditional ceremony began with the lighting of the lamp by thantri, the head priest Maheshwararu Mohanaru accompanied by melsanthi or chief-priest, Unnikrishnan Namboodiri at 11 am. After the ceremony, the priests started offering Onasadya dishes, including sweets, on a banana leaf kept in front of a ceremonial lamp. The feast continued till 2.30 pm. Offerings will continue till the festivities come to a conclusion on Wednesday. Ceremonial prayers known as Kalabhabhishekam, sahasrakalasam and laksharchana will be performed during the Onam festival days.

Onam in Kerala: Heavy rush at Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple

<p>Sunny Leone landed in Kochi on Thursday and her obviously many fans there went berserk:&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SunnyLeone?src=hash">#SunnyLeone</a> fans ??<br />
<br />
When <a href="https://twitter.com/SunnyLeone">@SunnyLeone</a> was on the stage for inaguration function of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FONE4?src=hash">#FONE4</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/kochi">@Kochi</a> <a href="https://t.co/MwE9QtivAd">pic.twitter.com/MwE9QtivAd</a></p>
&mdash; snehasallapam.com (@snehasallapam) <a href="https://twitter.com/snehasallapam/status/898106667098808320">August 17, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&quot;My car in literally a sea of love in Kerala,&quot; Sunny wrote on Twitter.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">My car in literally a sea of love in Kochi Kerala!! Thanks <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/fone4?src=hash">#fone4</a> <a href="https://t.co/lLHTo8GyrC">pic.twitter.com/lLHTo8GyrC</a></p>
&mdash; Sunny Leone (@SunnyLeone) <a href="https://twitter.com/SunnyLeone/status/898110975722872833">August 17, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&quot;No words... Was so overwhelmed by the love &amp; support. Never will forget Gods own Country Kerala! Thank you,&quot; she added.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">No words...Can&#39;t thank the people of Kochi.Was so overwhelmed by the love&amp;support.Never will forget Gods own Country Kerala!Thank you <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/fone4?src=hash">#fone4</a> <a href="https://t.co/UTAnjlYvc5">pic.twitter.com/UTAnjlYvc5</a></p>
&mdash; Sunny Leone (@SunnyLeone) <a href="https://twitter.com/SunnyLeone/status/898088217370664961">August 17, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">So awesome!! Thank you Kerla!! <a href="https://t.co/J93ON76oly">https://t.co/J93ON76oly</a></p>
&mdash; Sunny Leone (@SunnyLeone) <a href="https://twitter.com/SunnyLeone/status/898107420408504320">August 17, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>While Sunny&#39;s comments were very straight-faced, the twitterati saw the funnier side of it all:&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Sunny Leone has gone to Kerala &amp; basically become Khaleesi. <a href="https://t.co/AMbASIyc9d">pic.twitter.com/AMbASIyc9d</a></p>
&mdash; Sahil Rizwan (@SahilRiz) <a href="https://twitter.com/SahilRiz/status/898099100960251904">August 17, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">So <a href="https://twitter.com/SunnyLeone">@SunnyLeone</a> came to Kochi.<br />
Men in Kerala came too. <a href="https://t.co/170ZfJoGcD">pic.twitter.com/170ZfJoGcD</a></p>
&mdash; Hakuna Matata (@TheFraudMallu) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheFraudMallu/status/898145932696363009">August 17, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>But still, the size of the crowds astounded just about everybody and before you knew it, people were asking you to retweet if you wanted Sunny as the next prime minister:&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">RT if you want Sunny Leone as next PM.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SunnyLeone?src=hash">#SunnyLeone</a> <a href="https://t.co/twovHn7DGi">pic.twitter.com/twovHn7DGi</a></p>
&mdash; Keerthi?? (@realkeerthi) <a href="https://twitter.com/realkeerthi/status/898158268870152192">August 17, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


'No words... Was so overwhelmed by the love & support. Never will forget Gods own Country Kerala! Thank you,' Sunny tweeted

Sunny Leone landed in Kochi on Thursday and her obviously many fans there went berserk: #SunnyLeone fans ?? When @SunnyLeone was on the stage for inaguration function of #FONE4 @Kochi pic.twitter.com/MwE9QtivAd — snehasallapam.com (@snehasallapam) August 17, 2017 × "My car in literally a sea of love in Kerala," Sunny wrote on Twitter. My car in literally a sea of love in Kochi Kerala!! Thanks #fone4 pic.twitter.com/lLHTo8GyrC — Sunny Leone (@SunnyLeone) August 17, 2017 × "No words... Was so overwhelmed by the love & support. Never will forget Gods own Country Kerala! Thank you," she added. No words...Can't thank the people of Kochi.Was so overwhelmed by the love&support.Never will forget Gods own Country Kerala!Thank you #fone4 pic.twitter.com/UTAnjlYvc5 — Sunny Leone (@SunnyLeone) August 17, 2017 × So awesome!! Thank you Kerla!! https://t.co/J93ON76oly — Sunny Leone (@SunnyLeone) August 17, 2017 × While Sunny's comments were very straight-faced, the twitterati saw the funnier side of it all: Sunny Leone has gone to Kerala & basically become Khaleesi. pic.twitter.com/AMbASIyc9d — Sahil Rizwan (@SahilRiz) August 17, 2017 × So @SunnyLeone came to Kochi. Men in Kerala came too. pic.twitter.com/170ZfJoGcD — Hakuna Matata (@TheFraudMallu) August 17, 2017 × But still, the size of the crowds astounded just about everybody and before you knew it, people were asking you to retweet if you wanted Sunny as the next prime minister: RT if you want Sunny Leone as next PM.#SunnyLeone pic.twitter.com/twovHn7DGi — Keerthi?? (@realkeerthi) August 17, 2017 ×

Sunny Leone goes to Kochi, which goes berserk

<p>A 23-year-old man from Kerala, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/kerala-breeding-ground-for-radicalised-youth-11200">who had left home to join the Islamic State last year</a>, has been killed, according to a message sent out to his family.&nbsp;</p>

<p>ANI identifies the youth as Marwan Ismail from&nbsp;Trikaripur.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/exclusive-islamic-state-of-mind-in-gods-own-country-11199">Also read: Islamic State of mind in God&#39;s own country</a></p>

<p>The one-line message that his family received said&nbsp;Marwan was &quot;martyred&quot; in a drone attack, ANI reported.</p>

<p>His family said he had left home to join the IS in 2016 as part of a group with 21 members.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He was suspected to be living in the&nbsp;Nangarhar province.&nbsp;</p>


23-year-old Marwan Ismail's family received a message saying that he was 'martyred' in a drone attack

A 23-year-old man from Kerala, who had left home to join the Islamic State last year, has been killed, according to a message sent out to his family. ANI identifies the youth as Marwan Ismail from Trikaripur. Also read: Islamic State of mind in God's own country The one-line message that his family received said Marwan was "martyred" in a drone attack, ANI reported. His family said he had left home to join the IS in 2016 as part of a group with 21 members. He was suspected to be living in the Nangarhar province.

Another Kerala youth who joined IS killed in Afghanistan

<p>Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday flagged off Kerala&#39;s first metro in Kochi.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="und"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KochiMetro?src=hash">#KochiMetro</a> <a href="https://t.co/yo1zYhzL4y">pic.twitter.com/yo1zYhzL4y</a></p>
&mdash; CMO Kerala (@CMOKerala) <a href="https://twitter.com/CMOKerala/status/875963242283020292">June 17, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The 13-km long stretch spans across Aluva and Palarivattom areas of the port city and will start operating from June 19.</p>

<p>PM Modi, took a brief ride in the metro prior to the official launch with dignitaries including Governor P Sathasivam, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu and India&#39;s &quot;Metro Man&quot; E Sreedharan.</p>

<p>Modi, who cut the ribbon at the Palarivattom station, shook hands with Vijayan and Sreedharan before proceeding to board the metro train.</p>

<p>During the journey, the PM waved at the crowd as Sreedharan and Kochi Metro Rail Ltd Managing Director Elias George interacted with him.</p>

<p>He later tweeted that the metro had &quot;several significant features, which make it a state-of-the-art project that will enhance Kochi&rsquo;s economic growth.&quot;</p>

<p>Hailed as India&#39;s first integrated multi-mode transport system, the inaugural ceremony was held at Kochi&#39;s Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium.</p>

<p>In his address, PM Modi stressed the need to bring about a &quot;paradigm shift&quot; in urban planning by adopting a people-centric approach and integrating land use and transport.</p>

<p>The prime minister, who began his speech in Malayalam, said he was happy to be part of the inauguration of the project. He said Kochi was selected as a Smart City in January 2016.<br />
<br />
&quot;I hope it will do even better in the days to come,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>Kochi, the queen of the Arabian Sea, was once an important spice trading centre. Today it is known as the commercial capital of Kerala, the prime minister said.<br />
Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) is a 50-50 joint venture of the Centre and the state government.</p>

<p>The Centre has so far released over Rs 2,000 crore for the project. The coaches reflected &#39;Make in India&#39; vision. They have been built by Alstom near Chennai and have an Indian component of around 70 per cent, he said.</p>

<p>The Kochi Metro Rail System has collaborated with Kudumbashree, the women empowerment self-help group initiated by the state government. It has also appointed as many as 23 transgenders for customer service operations and as ground staff.</p>

<p>Apart from a fleet of low-floor buses and autos plying as metro feeders,&nbsp;&nbsp;a&nbsp;water metro will soon join the Kochi Metro giving the city a multi-dimension mobility network, especially for people living in the backwaters.</p>

<p>The rooftops of all metro stations have been set up with solar panels in order to generate power.</p>

<p>A special provision for wheelchairs, special coaches for people with disabilities, multiple USB ports for charging mobile phones, and cushioned seats for the disabled and pregnant women are some key features of the metro.</p>

<p>The minimum fare has been capped at Rs&nbsp;10, while an end-to-end ride, from Aluva and Palarivattom or vice-versa costs Rs 40.<br />
<br />
Considered the fasted completed metro project in the country, the estimated cost of completion&nbsp;of the Kochi Metro is Rs 5,181.79 crore.</p>

<p><br />
&nbsp;</p>


The 13-km long stretch spans across Aluva and Palarivattom areas of the port city

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday flagged off Kerala's first metro in Kochi. #KochiMetro pic.twitter.com/yo1zYhzL4y — CMO Kerala (@CMOKerala) June 17, 2017 × The 13-km long stretch spans across Aluva and Palarivattom areas of the port city and will start operating from June 19. PM Modi, took a brief ride in the metro prior to the official launch with dignitaries including Governor P Sathasivam, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu and India's "Metro Man" E Sreedharan. Modi, who cut the ribbon at the Palarivattom station, shook hands with Vijayan and Sreedharan before proceeding to board the metro train. During the journey, the PM waved at the crowd as Sreedharan and Kochi Metro Rail Ltd Managing Director Elias George interacted with him. He later tweeted that the metro had "several significant features, which make it a state-of-the-art project that will enhance Kochi’s economic growth." Hailed as India's first integrated multi-mode transport system, the inaugural ceremony was held at Kochi's Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium. In his address, PM Modi stressed the need to bring about a "paradigm shift" in urban planning by adopting a people-centric approach and integrating land use and transport. The prime minister, who began his speech in Malayalam, said he was happy to be part of the inauguration of the project. He said Kochi was selected as a Smart City in January 2016. "I hope it will do even better in the days to come," he said. Kochi, the queen of the Arabian Sea, was once an important spice trading centre. Today it is known as the commercial capital of Kerala, the prime minister said. Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) is a 50-50 joint venture of the Centre and the state government. The Centre has so far released over Rs 2,000 crore for the project. The coaches reflected 'Make in India' vision. They have been built by Alstom near Chennai and have an Indian component of around 70 per cent, he said. The Kochi Metro Rail System has collaborated with Kudumbashree, the women empowerment self-help group initiated by the state government. It has also appointed as many as 23 transgenders for customer service operations and as ground staff. Apart from a fleet of low-floor buses and autos plying as metro feeders, a water metro will soon join the Kochi Metro giving the city a multi-dimension mobility network, especially for people living in the backwaters. The rooftops of all metro stations have been set up with solar panels in order to generate power. A special provision for wheelchairs, special coaches for people with disabilities, multiple USB ports for charging mobile phones, and cushioned seats for the disabled and pregnant women are some key features of the metro. The minimum fare has been capped at Rs 10, while an end-to-end ride, from Aluva and Palarivattom or vice-versa costs Rs 40. Considered the fasted completed metro project in the country, the estimated cost of completion of the Kochi Metro is Rs 5,181.79 crore.

PM Modi inaugurates Kerala's first metro service in Kochi

<p>There are fresh reports of tension in&nbsp;Kerala where Jishnu Prannoy, a deceased engineering student&rsquo;s mother was arrested earlier today.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Jishnu Prannoy was a student of Nehru College of Engineering in Thrissur, Kerala. He was found hanging after being allegedly&nbsp;tortured by college authorities in January. Most accused in the case have not been arrested.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The family of the deceased believe that physical and mental harassment by the college authorities had led to Jishnu&#39;s&nbsp;suicide, his parents have demanded the&nbsp;arrest of all those who were involved, including Nehru College chairman Krishna Das. The parents have continued to protest, demanding the arrest of those responsible for their son&#39;s&nbsp;death. Mahija, mother of the deceased was forcibly removed and arrested today in front the state police headquarters after she continued her protest on the road and resisted police intervention.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to the police, the protesters continued even after a warning was issued by the security personnel. Police had earlier warned the protesters to stage any form of protest at least hundred&nbsp;metres away but they paid no heed and assembled at the headquarters at 10:15am(local time).&nbsp;</p>

<p>It is expected that all arrested would be taken to Nandavanam police camp where they will be let off on bail.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Both parties, Congress and BJP have now called for a strike in Thiruvananthapuram following police action on the parents of Jishnu Prannoy.&nbsp;</p>

<p>(WION)</p>


Jishnu Prannoy had committed suicide earlier this year after being allegedly tortured by college authorities

There are fresh reports of tension in Kerala where Jishnu Prannoy, a deceased engineering student’s mother was arrested earlier today. Jishnu Prannoy was a student of Nehru College of Engineering in Thrissur, Kerala. He was found hanging after being allegedly tortured by college authorities in January. Most accused in the case have not been arrested. The family of the deceased believe that physical and mental harassment by the college authorities had led to Jishnu's suicide, his parents have demanded the arrest of all those who were involved, including Nehru College chairman Krishna Das. The parents have continued to protest, demanding the arrest of those responsible for their son's death. Mahija, mother of the deceased was forcibly removed and arrested today in front the state police headquarters after she continued her protest on the road and resisted police intervention. According to the police, the protesters continued even after a warning was issued by the security personnel. Police had earlier warned the protesters to stage any form of protest at least hundred metres away but they paid no heed and assembled at the headquarters at 10:15am(local time). It is expected that all arrested would be taken to Nandavanam police camp where they will be let off on bail. Both parties, Congress and BJP have now called for a strike in Thiruvananthapuram following police action on the parents of Jishnu Prannoy. (WION)

Jishnu Prannoy suicide: After mother's arrest, Congress, BJP call for strike in Kerela

<p>In a video that has now gone viral a pastor from Kerala said women who &ldquo;arouse&rdquo; men by wearing jeans should be &ldquo;drowned with rocks tied to their bodies&rdquo;, DNA reported on Tuesday.</p>

<p>The video from Shalom TV&nbsp;was uploaded on February 25, DNA reported. The unnamed priest went on to say that the church or the Bible doesn&#39;t permit women to dress like men.</p>

<p>IndiaToday translated a part of his sermon as &quot;When I go for prayer meetings in some churches, especially during the Holy Mass, I feel like leaving because of some women who I see in front of me. I feel it&rsquo;s better to kick them out of the church premises. They will wear jeans, trousers, shirt or T-shirts, and will have a mobile phone in their hands. They wouldn&rsquo;t even tie their hair. They do this to get attention. I don&rsquo;t know why these &lsquo;things&rsquo; come to the church.&rdquo;</p>

<p>&ldquo;Here&rsquo;s my question to women: Did the Catholic Church give you permission to wear what men wear? Okay, let&rsquo;s keep the Church away. Did the Holy Bible give you permission?&quot;</p>

<p>&ldquo;Let me tell you what the Bible says. &lsquo;Men should not wear women&rsquo;s clothes, women should not wear men&rsquo;s clothes. If you do, you disregard God&rsquo;. Will you get mercy if you go against God and then act in the church as if you&rsquo;re more devoted than your mother?&rdquo;</p>

<p>&ldquo;Bible verses say, &lsquo;Those who provoke you into sin should be drowned in the depths of the sea, with a rock tied to their bodies&rsquo;. If you [women] arouse men, you&rsquo;re the sinner.&rdquo;</p>

<p>The channel is about to touch 20,000 subscribers on YouTube, DNA reported.</p>

<p>According to DNA, Kerala has recorded&nbsp;&nbsp;2,568 rapes in 2016 and&nbsp;several colleges in the state, and in neighbouring Tamil Nadu,&nbsp;have introduced rules that regulate women&rsquo;s clothing and jeans are the favourite target.</p>

<p>The priest had more advice on what women should wear:&nbsp;&ldquo;The best suited attire for women is churidaar, but these days, when Satan enters them, women throw away the &lsquo;dupatta&rsquo;. They walk around without shawls.&rdquo;</p>

<p>He also accuded&nbsp;women of tempting their brothers and fathers, and absolved rapists of &ldquo;such&rdquo; girls saying they were &ldquo;provoked&rdquo;.</p>

<p>(WION)</p>


The unnamed priest went on to say that the Church or the Bible doesn't give women the permission to dress like men

In a video that has now gone viral a pastor from Kerala said women who “arouse” men by wearing jeans should be “drowned with rocks tied to their bodies”, DNA reported on Tuesday. The video from Shalom TV was uploaded on February 25, DNA reported. The unnamed priest went on to say that the church or the Bible doesn't permit women to dress like men. IndiaToday translated a part of his sermon as "When I go for prayer meetings in some churches, especially during the Holy Mass, I feel like leaving because of some women who I see in front of me. I feel it’s better to kick them out of the church premises. They will wear jeans, trousers, shirt or T-shirts, and will have a mobile phone in their hands. They wouldn’t even tie their hair. They do this to get attention. I don’t know why these ‘things’ come to the church.” “Here’s my question to women: Did the Catholic Church give you permission to wear what men wear? Okay, let’s keep the Church away. Did the Holy Bible give you permission?" “Let me tell you what the Bible says. ‘Men should not wear women’s clothes, women should not wear men’s clothes. If you do, you disregard God’. Will you get mercy if you go against God and then act in the church as if you’re more devoted than your mother?” “Bible verses say, ‘Those who provoke you into sin should be drowned in the depths of the sea, with a rock tied to their bodies’. If you [women] arouse men, you’re the sinner.” The channel is about to touch 20,000 subscribers on YouTube, DNA reported. According to DNA, Kerala has recorded 2,568 rapes in 2016 and several colleges in the state, and in neighbouring Tamil Nadu, have introduced rules that regulate women’s clothing and jeans are the favourite target. The priest had more advice on what women should wear: “The best suited attire for women is churidaar, but these days, when Satan enters them, women throw away the ‘dupatta’. They walk around without shawls.” He also accuded women of tempting their brothers and fathers, and absolved rapists of “such” girls saying they were “provoked”. (WION)

India: Video of priest denouncing women who wear jeans to church goes viral

<p>The prime accused in the Malayalam actress abduction and rape&nbsp;case &#39;Pulsar&#39; Suni has been arrested by police in Ernakulam, Kerala, police said today.</p>

<p>The actress was allegedly raped&nbsp;and abducted&nbsp;by a gang of men last week on Friday night in her own car.</p>

<p>The accused men got into the actress&#39; car near Athani in Angamaly and assaulted her till the car reached Palarivattom in Ernakulam.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The men allegedly took photos and videos of her to blackmail her.&nbsp;According to the police, the actress was held in the car for an hour, after which, she was dropped near her residence at around 10:30 pm on Friday night.</p>

<p>One of the accused Sunil Kumar was apprehended by police and sent to jail. Kumar is now waiting&nbsp;for his bail plea to be taken up by the Kerala High Court on March 3.</p>

<p>The incident was roundly condemned by the film fraternity. Several actresses from the industry had taken to social media to express their horror and shock over&nbsp;the incident.<br />
&nbsp;</p>

<p>(WION)</p>


The actress was allegedly raped?and abducted by a gang of men last week on Friday night in her own car

The prime accused in the Malayalam actress abduction and rape case 'Pulsar' Suni has been arrested by police in Ernakulam, Kerala, police said today. The actress was allegedly raped and abducted by a gang of men last week on Friday night in her own car. The accused men got into the actress' car near Athani in Angamaly and assaulted her till the car reached Palarivattom in Ernakulam. The men allegedly took photos and videos of her to blackmail her. According to the police, the actress was held in the car for an hour, after which, she was dropped near her residence at around 10:30 pm on Friday night. One of the accused Sunil Kumar was apprehended by police and sent to jail. Kumar is now waiting for his bail plea to be taken up by the Kerala High Court on March 3. The incident was roundly condemned by the film fraternity. Several actresses from the industry had taken to social media to express their horror and shock over the incident. (WION)

Indian actress rape case: Prime accused arrested

<p>A popular Malayalam actress was abducted and molested by a gang of men late Friday night near Ernakulam town in Kerala, the Malayala Manorama reported.</p>

<p>The report said the men got into the actress&#39; car near Athani in Angamaly.</p>

<p>According to the report, she was assaulted till the car reached Palarivattom in Ernakulam. The men allegedly took photos and videos of her.</p>

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<h5>The actress was released after the men allegedly assaulted her, and took photos and videos of her</h5>
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<p>The actress was then released.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The actress&#39; former driver Martin was allegedly one of the attackers.</p>

<p>The Malayala Manorama reported that after the actress was released, she went to the home of a director -- seeking his help -- in Kakkanad.</p>

<p>She later spoke to the police and gave them a statement.</p>

<p>A case has been registered, with local goon Sunil Kumar listed as the main accused.</p>

<p>The actress&#39; former driver has been arrested.&nbsp;</p>

<p>(This report first appeared in DNA)</p>


The actress' former driver Martin was allegedly one of the attackers

A popular Malayalam actress was abducted and molested by a gang of men late Friday night near Ernakulam town in Kerala, the Malayala Manorama reported. The report said the men got into the actress' car near Athani in Angamaly. According to the report, she was assaulted till the car reached Palarivattom in Ernakulam. The men allegedly took photos and videos of her. The actress was released after the men allegedly assaulted her, and took photos and videos of her × The actress was then released. The actress' former driver Martin was allegedly one of the attackers. The Malayala Manorama reported that after the actress was released, she went to the home of a director -- seeking his help -- in Kakkanad. She later spoke to the police and gave them a statement. A case has been registered, with local goon Sunil Kumar listed as the main accused. The actress' former driver has been arrested. (This report first appeared in DNA)

Malayalam actress abducted & molested: Report

<p><strong>West Bengal</strong></p>

<p>The state-wide 12-hour strike called by the Left Parties to protest the demonetisation of Rs 1000 and Rs 500 notes began in West Bengal today, with normal life visibly unaffected in the first few hours. Government buses and other private vehicles were seen plying on the road.<br />
<br />
&quot;So far there has been no major incident, except a few small ones in the districts,&quot; a senior police official said. The strike call by the Left Front has been opposed by the ruling TMC in West Bengal. &quot;We oppose bandhs. We will take out a protest march (against demonetisation) on Monday,&quot; state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had said.<br />
<br />
The TMC said it was against putting people to more hardship when they are &quot;already facing a lot of problems owing to the scarcity of cash&quot;. Instead, the TMC will take out a rally from College Square to Esplanade today to protest against demonetisation, TMC general secretary Subrata Bakshi had said.<br />
<br />
The state government has ordered all its employees to attend offices today and tomorrow. Exceptions would be made only in case of bereavement, maternity leave, hospitalisation and other &quot;genuine reasons&quot;, a circular issued by the state finance department said.<br />
<br />
Over 3,000 police personnel have been deployed in the metropolis to tackle any untoward incident, Kolkata Police Additional Commissioner of Police (III) Supratim Sarkar had said.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Kerala</strong></p>

<p>The 12-hour strike called by the Communist Party of India (CPI(M))-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in Kerala, as part of the nationwide agitation by opposition parties against demonetisation and the resultant crisis being faced by the cooperative sector in the state, began this morning.<br />
<br />
In the early hours of the strike which started at 6 AM, autorickshaws were seen occassionally, providing some relief to people. Police vehicles were used to transport railway passengers and patients coming from far off places to the Regional Cancer Centre.<br />
<br />
Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and private buses are keeping off roads in most places. Some Sabarimala pilgrims who arrived at Kottayam by train complained that they were unable to leave for the Ayyappa temple as buses were not running. &quot;We have been waiting for hours. Though some private taxis are available, we cannot afford them as the fares are exorbitant,&quot; a man from Andhra Pradesh said.<br />
<br />
The tourism sector and vehicles of Sabarimala pilgrims have been exempted from the strike. Keeping in mind the peak tourist season, the government had decided to exempt tourists from the strike. It has issued instructions to all departments concerned, including police to take all possible steps to ensure that the tourism sector was not hit by the strike. Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran had also requested for exemption of tourists and tourist vehicles from the strike.<br />
<br />
German Cruise liner AIDAbella which had arrived in Kochi made a turnaround call at the Kochi port yesterday. At least 1000 tourists would be arriving at the airport today to embark the vessel, while some would be leaving it to explore various places.<br />
<br />
Tour operators were assured by Tourism Principal Secretary V Venu that the hartal would not affect the visitors. The opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) would be taking out a march to the Raj Bhavan here at 11 AM on the crisis being faced by the cooperative sector.<br />
<br />
Banks, newspapers, milk supply, hospitals and marriage functions would be exempted from the shutdown, LDF convener Vaikom Viswam had said in a statement.<br />
<br />
The LDF had announced the strike as part of the nationwide protest against the Centre&#39;s move of scrapping Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes.</p>

<p>(PTI)</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Left parties in both states have ordered strikes in response to the various hardships imposed by demonetisation

West Bengal The state-wide 12-hour strike called by the Left Parties to protest the demonetisation of Rs 1000 and Rs 500 notes began in West Bengal today, with normal life visibly unaffected in the first few hours. Government buses and other private vehicles were seen plying on the road. "So far there has been no major incident, except a few small ones in the districts," a senior police official said. The strike call by the Left Front has been opposed by the ruling TMC in West Bengal. "We oppose bandhs. We will take out a protest march (against demonetisation) on Monday," state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had said. The TMC said it was against putting people to more hardship when they are "already facing a lot of problems owing to the scarcity of cash". Instead, the TMC will take out a rally from College Square to Esplanade today to protest against demonetisation, TMC general secretary Subrata Bakshi had said. The state government has ordered all its employees to attend offices today and tomorrow. Exceptions would be made only in case of bereavement, maternity leave, hospitalisation and other "genuine reasons", a circular issued by the state finance department said. Over 3,000 police personnel have been deployed in the metropolis to tackle any untoward incident, Kolkata Police Additional Commissioner of Police (III) Supratim Sarkar had said. Kerala The 12-hour strike called by the Communist Party of India (CPI(M))-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in Kerala, as part of the nationwide agitation by opposition parties against demonetisation and the resultant crisis being faced by the cooperative sector in the state, began this morning. In the early hours of the strike which started at 6 AM, autorickshaws were seen occassionally, providing some relief to people. Police vehicles were used to transport railway passengers and patients coming from far off places to the Regional Cancer Centre. Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and private buses are keeping off roads in most places. Some Sabarimala pilgrims who arrived at Kottayam by train complained that they were unable to leave for the Ayyappa temple as buses were not running. "We have been waiting for hours. Though some private taxis are available, we cannot afford them as the fares are exorbitant," a man from Andhra Pradesh said. The tourism sector and vehicles of Sabarimala pilgrims have been exempted from the strike. Keeping in mind the peak tourist season, the government had decided to exempt tourists from the strike. It has issued instructions to all departments concerned, including police to take all possible steps to ensure that the tourism sector was not hit by the strike. Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran had also requested for exemption of tourists and tourist vehicles from the strike. German Cruise liner AIDAbella which had arrived in Kochi made a turnaround call at the Kochi port yesterday. At least 1000 tourists would be arriving at the airport today to embark the vessel, while some would be leaving it to explore various places. Tour operators were assured by Tourism Principal Secretary V Venu that the hartal would not affect the visitors. The opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) would be taking out a march to the Raj Bhavan here at 11 AM on the crisis being faced by the cooperative sector. Banks, newspapers, milk supply, hospitals and marriage functions would be exempted from the shutdown, LDF convener Vaikom Viswam had said in a statement. The LDF had announced the strike as part of the nationwide protest against the Centre's move of scrapping Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes. (PTI)

Demonetisation: Strikes begin today in West Bengal and Kerala

At least 15 men from India&#39;s southern state of Kerala are suspected to have joined the powerful Islamic State, fear their family members.<br />
<br />
The youths have been missing since July 8 from their home town Kasaragod.<br />
<br />
Family members said they were informed of their children&#39;s likely attachment with the militant organisation by one of their friends.<br />
<br />
They have written to state chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan asking him to investigate the matter.<br />
<br />
&quot;We are ready to take him back after proper procedure and verification by the police, otherwise&hellip;going to some foreign land to join some militant organisation&hellip; we don&#39;t need him here,&quot; said the father of one of the missing youths, Hamlin.<br />
<br />
Two other missing youths have been identified as Hafesudheen Theke Koleth and Azees Hussain.<br />
<br />
Islamic State has struggled to win over recruits in India, which is home to the world&#39;s third-largest Muslim population.<br />
<br />
Indian police arrested 29 men last year for establishing bases to recruit men to the Islamist militant group. All the men were charged with conspiracy to wage war against the state.<br />
<br />
A handful of Indians are also suspected of having travelled to Iraq and Syria to join Islamic State, where the group is fighting to install an Islamic caliphate.<br />
<br />
(Reuters)

Family members said they were told their children might have joined the militant goup by one of their friends.

At least 15 men from India's southern state of Kerala are suspected to have joined the powerful Islamic State, fear their family members. The youths have been missing since July 8 from their home town Kasaragod. Family members said they were informed of their children's likely attachment with the militant organisation by one of their friends. They have written to state chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan asking him to investigate the matter. "We are ready to take him back after proper procedure and verification by the police, otherwise…going to some foreign land to join some militant organisation… we don't need him here," said the father of one of the missing youths, Hamlin. Two other missing youths have been identified as Hafesudheen Theke Koleth and Azees Hussain. Islamic State has struggled to win over recruits in India, which is home to the world's third-largest Muslim population. Indian police arrested 29 men last year for establishing bases to recruit men to the Islamist militant group. All the men were charged with conspiracy to wage war against the state. A handful of Indians are also suspected of having travelled to Iraq and Syria to join Islamic State, where the group is fighting to install an Islamic caliphate. (Reuters)

Families fear 15 missing Indian youths might have joined IS

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