News Analysis India

Tag: Usha Thakur

  • MP Human Rights Commission acts over minister Usha Thakur calling for public hanging of rapists

    By ANI

    BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh Human Rights Commission (MPHRC) has taken cognizance of the statement of Tourism and Culture Minister Usha Thakur in connection with her inappropriate remarks about the Human Rights Commission and hanging rapists at the crossroads.

    The commission also sought a reply from Madhya Pradesh Chief Secretary in 15 days. MPHRC member Manohar Mamtani said that the reply should be given only through a responsible officer of the state government so that the seriousness of the governance can also be considered.

    Minister Thakur had said that rapists should be hanged at the crossings and should not even be cremated. Their dead bodies should be eaten by eagles and crows. She also said that such rapists had no human rights and if the Human Rights Commission interferes, no one should worry about it.

    She made the above remark while addressing a public gathering at Ambedkar Nagar, Mhow in Indore on November 13.

    Mamtani said that the commission found that while holding a respectable ministerial position in the government, the statement given by the minister was against the basic spirit of the Indian Constitution and against the Human Rights Commission. Her remark was inappropriate and objectionable, Mamtani added.

    Referring to the legal precedents of the Supreme Court and the provisions mentioned in Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, the Commission has said that everyone has fundamental rights. Prisoners also have fundamental rights. READ | ‘Rapists should be publicly hanged’, MP minister says it again

    BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh Human Rights Commission (MPHRC) has taken cognizance of the statement of Tourism and Culture Minister Usha Thakur in connection with her inappropriate remarks about the Human Rights Commission and hanging rapists at the crossroads.

    The commission also sought a reply from Madhya Pradesh Chief Secretary in 15 days. MPHRC member Manohar Mamtani said that the reply should be given only through a responsible officer of the state government so that the seriousness of the governance can also be considered.

    Minister Thakur had said that rapists should be hanged at the crossings and should not even be cremated. Their dead bodies should be eaten by eagles and crows. She also said that such rapists had no human rights and if the Human Rights Commission interferes, no one should worry about it.

    She made the above remark while addressing a public gathering at Ambedkar Nagar, Mhow in Indore on November 13.

    Mamtani said that the commission found that while holding a respectable ministerial position in the government, the statement given by the minister was against the basic spirit of the Indian Constitution and against the Human Rights Commission. Her remark was inappropriate and objectionable, Mamtani added.

    Referring to the legal precedents of the Supreme Court and the provisions mentioned in Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, the Commission has said that everyone has fundamental rights. Prisoners also have fundamental rights. READ | ‘Rapists should be publicly hanged’, MP minister says it again

  • ‘Want Hindus to idealize Muslims for ingraining religion staunchly among kids’: MP Minister Usha Thakur

    By Express News Service

    BHOPAL: A Madhya Pradesh minister who once demanded ban on entry of non-Hindus at Garba venues and accused Madarsas of breeding terrorism, has now asked Hindus to idealize Muslims for ingraining religious sanskar (sacrament) staunchly among children.

    “Ingraining dharmik sanskar (religious sacrament) with tenacity and staunchly  among Hindu kids is the responsibility of all family members, including mothers and sisters. If you want to learn staunch religious culture and practices, then idealize Muslims. One and all among them (Muslims), spanning from small kids to officials and traders will leave all their work, wear skull caps to offer namaz at stipulated time. But what do we (Hindus) do, we’re fond of building temples in villages, but dont love participating in Arti there,” said MP culture and tourism minister Usha Thakur said at a Gau Pujan event in communally sensitive Khandwa district on Tuesday evening.

    The video of her public utterances went viral on Wednesday. She is the minister in-charge of Khandwa district.

    Caught up in a controversy following the viral video, the minister explained that she didn’t imply learning dharmik kattarta (staunch religious practices), but getting inspired from Muslims on their religious discipline and commitment to their religious practices.

    Reacting to the minister’s viral video, state Congress spokesperson Narendra Saluja said, “I hope that bhakts don’t demand the sacking of the staunch RSS supporter minister and bulldozing her house for candidly praising the virtues of a particular community.”

    Thakur, the Mhow (Indore) MLA has been often in news for off the cuff remarks. She had in 2014, as the Indore-III MLA demanded ban on entry of non-Hindus at Garba venues.

    In 2020, she had demanded ending government support to Madarsas, accusing them of breeding terrorism.

    BHOPAL: A Madhya Pradesh minister who once demanded ban on entry of non-Hindus at Garba venues and accused Madarsas of breeding terrorism, has now asked Hindus to idealize Muslims for ingraining religious sanskar (sacrament) staunchly among children.

    “Ingraining dharmik sanskar (religious sacrament) with tenacity and staunchly  among Hindu kids is the responsibility of all family members, including mothers and sisters. If you want to learn staunch religious culture and practices, then idealize Muslims. One and all among them (Muslims), spanning from small kids to officials and traders will leave all their work, wear skull caps to offer namaz at stipulated time. But what do we (Hindus) do, we’re fond of building temples in villages, but dont love participating in Arti there,” said MP culture and tourism minister Usha Thakur said at a Gau Pujan event in communally sensitive Khandwa district on Tuesday evening.

    The video of her public utterances went viral on Wednesday. She is the minister in-charge of Khandwa district.Caught up in a controversy following the viral video, the minister explained that she didn’t imply learning dharmik kattarta (staunch religious practices), but getting inspired from Muslims on their religious discipline and commitment to their religious practices.

    Reacting to the minister’s viral video, state Congress spokesperson Narendra Saluja said, “I hope that bhakts don’t demand the sacking of the staunch RSS supporter minister and bulldozing her house for candidly praising the virtues of a particular community.”

    Thakur, the Mhow (Indore) MLA has been often in news for off the cuff remarks. She had in 2014, as the Indore-III MLA demanded ban on entry of non-Hindus at Garba venues.

    In 2020, she had demanded ending government support to Madarsas, accusing them of breeding terrorism.

  • Gaushala, anganwadi coming up on plot freed from missionaries: Madhya Pradesh Minister Usha Thakur

    By PTI
    INDORE: Madhya Pradesh minister Usha Thakur on Saturday said a cow shelter and anganwadi were coming up on a 70-bigha plot that had been freed from the alleged illegal possession of Christian missionaries in Khurda in Indore’s Mhow area.

    Thakur, state culture minister and Mhow MLA, said the ‘gaushala’ and anganwadi on completion would be handed over to a women’s self help group (SHG) to run.

    Answering a query, she also said the prayers of thousands of women who had kept a day’s fast for the introduction of a uniform civil code in the country would be answered soon as it “would be introduced shortly”.

    She further termed the introduction of a uniform civil code as the “most vital thing for the unity, integrity and pride of the country”.

    Speaking on the dumping of chemical-laced industrial waste in Ajnar river, Thakur said a FIR had been registered in this connection.

    Officials had earlier said not just the river but even underground water sources in the vicinity had got polluted due to this incident.

    PTI HWP LAL BNM BNM 07102145 NNNN

  • Madhya Pradesh minister bats for ‘yagna’ to defeat COVID amid state’s preparations against third wave

    By PTI
    INDORE: Madhya Pradesh Culture Minister Usha Thakur has said ‘yagya’ is an ancient method of purifying the environment and claimed such a practice is being followed since ages to get rid of pandemics.

    Amid the ongoing second wave of COVID-19, Thakur on Tuesday appealed to people to perform “havan” (a fire ritual) at one time.

    “We appeal to all to perform yagya and offer aahuti (oblation) and purify the environment because performing this sacred ritual to eliminate pandemics has been a tradition since ages,” she told reporters.

    She claimed ‘yagya’ is a practice to purify the environment and it is “not bigotry or ritualism”.

    “So, let us all offer two aahutis each and purify the environment. The third wave of COVID-19 will not be able to touch our country,” she said.

    Thakur also said the state government was aware of the threat of a third wave of the viral infection.

    It is being said that this wave will affect children.

    The state is making full preparations to curb it, she added.

    “I am confident that we will be able to handle third wave of the pandemic properly because no problem can stay if we make joint efforts with good intentions. We pray to God that this wave may not cause hardships to people,” she said.

    Earlier, on March 7, Thakur had stressed on the need for adopting a Vedic lifestyle for protection against coronavirus, and claimed that “havan” of a cow dung cake can keep a house sanitised for 12 hours.

    Claiming that the second wave of COVID-19 has slowed down in Madhya Pradesh, state minister Dr Prabhu Ram Choudhary on Wednesday said that in view of the threat of the third wave, the government has started enhancing its basic infrastructure in the medical field.

    The health and family welfare minister was speaking to reporters after reviewing the coronavirus situation in Indore district.

    “In the last few days, the second wave of COVID-19 has slowed down in the state. The infection rate, which had climbed to 25 per cent in April, has now gone down to 13.87 per cent,” he said.

    “In order to deal with the threat of the third wave of the pandemic, the government is fully alert. We are trying to enhance the availability of medical oxygen, Remdesivir injections and other necessary material for the purpose,” the minister said.

    More than 100 oxygen plants have been sanctioned in the state and some of these units have even started functioning in eight districts, he added.

    On the slow pace of vaccination especially for the age group of 18-44, Choudhary said, “About 3.5 crore people fall under this category. We are ensuring availability of vaccines with the help of manufacturers and the central government to speed up the inoculation of this age group.”

    The minister said that around May 20, the state is likely to get a fresh stock of vaccines.

    However, despite repeated queries about how many variants of the virus were active in the state, he was unable to reply.

    “There is no laboratory available in Madhya Pradesh for the examination of the types of coronavirus. We have sent the samples to the labs outside the state for knowing about the virus variants,” he added.