उत्तर प्रदेश के फ़तेहपुर दौरे पर पहुंचे ब्रिजेश पाठक ने कई अहम मुद्दों पर बयान देते हुए विपक्षी दलों पर तीखा हमला बोला. इस दौरान उन्होंने टीवी हॉस्पिटल काउंसिल स्थित रेड क्रॉस भवन का भी उद्घाटन किया. मीडिया से बात करते हुए उन्होंने पश्चिम बंगाल चुनाव, ईवीएम, पंचायत चुनाव और महिला आरक्षण बिल जैसे विषयों पर अपनी राय रखी. उन्होंने समाजवादी पार्टी और कांग्रेस पर महिलाओं की प्रगति में बाधक बनने का आरोप भी लगाया और बीजेपी की नीतियों की सराहना की.

ईवीएम मुद्दे पर विपक्ष पर निशाना साधा
डिप्टी सीएम ब्रिजेश पाठक ने कहा कि विपक्षी दलों का रवैया दोहरा है. जब वे चुनाव जीतते हैं तो उन्हें ईवीएम सही लगती है, लेकिन जैसे ही वे हार जाते हैं तो वे उसी ईवीएम पर सवाल उठाना शुरू कर देते हैं। उन्होंने इसे विपक्ष द्वारा अपनी हार छुपाने का बहाना बताया.

पंचायत चुनाव समय पर कराने का भरोसा
उन्होंने यह भी स्पष्ट किया कि पंचायत चुनाव तय समय पर ही कराए जाएंगे. सरकार इसके लिए पूरी तरह तैयार है. उन्होंने यह भी कहा कि जो भी मामले कोर्ट में लंबित हैं, उनका जल्द ही निपटारा किया जायेगा.

महिला आरक्षण बिल को ऐतिहासिक कदम बताया
महिला आरक्षण बिल पर पूछे गए सवाल के जवाब में ब्रिजेश पाठक ने कहा कि यह बिल 16, 17 और 18 तारीख को आएगा. उन्होंने कहा कि फतेहपुर की बहनें सड़कों पर उतरकर प्रधानमंत्री नरेंद्र मोदी को आशीर्वाद दे रही हैं. उन्होंने नारी शक्ति वंदन कानून को ऐतिहासिक बताते हुए कहा कि इससे महिलाओं को संसद और विधानसभा में बैठने का मौका मिलेगा.

विपक्ष पर महिलाओं की प्रगति रोकने का आरोप
ब्रिजेश पाठक ने समाजवादी पार्टी और कांग्रेस पर आरोप लगाया कि ये पार्टियां हमेशा महिलाओं की प्रगति में बाधा बनती रही हैं, जबकि बीजेपी उन्हें आगे बढ़ाने के लिए प्रतिबद्ध है.

अखिलेश यादव पर भी पलटवार किया
उन्होंने अखिलेश यादव के बयानों पर प्रतिक्रिया देते हुए कहा कि पिछली सरकारों में गुंडों और माफियाओं का बोलबाला था, लेकिन अब अपराधी या तो जेल में हैं या फिर प्रदेश छोड़ चुके हैं.

विकास के मुद्दे पर बहस की चुनौती
अंत में उन्होंने विपक्ष को विकास के मुद्दे पर खुली बहस की चुनौती दी और दावा किया कि आने वाले चुनाव में बीजेपी को भारी जीत मिलेगी.

PC: Christian Daily International

Egypt has once again attracted the attention of the archaeological world after researchers unearthed a large monastery complex dating back about 1,500 years. The site is located in the Nile Delta, an area already known for its layers of ancient settlement and religious history. Officials from Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced the discovery after years of ongoing excavation work. The remains offer a rare glimpse of how early Christian monastic communities lived, organized themselves, and adapted their locations over time. It is not just a building, but a structured complex with multiple rooms, communal areas and symbolic elements. Experts say the discovery could help fill gaps in understanding the early development of organized monastic life in Egypt. There is also a belief that this site reflects a change in religious lifestyle. From isolation to community. Silently preserved under layers of soil for centuries.

Archaeologists unearth 1,500-year-old monastery complex in Egypt’s Nile Delta

Excavations took place at the Al-Qalaiya archaeological site, located within Behera Governorate in the Nile Delta. Work at the site has been underway since 2023, being carried out by teams attached to the Supreme Council of Antiquities. The place itself is not new to historical interest, but this particular structure seems distinctive because of its scale and organization. It has been described as a major monastic center rather than a small isolated residence.Some researchers suggest that the setting may have supported both religious practice and community interaction, something not always seen in desert monastic sites to the south. The newly opened building has 13 rooms. Each location appears to have had a specific purpose. Some were used as personal living quarters for the monks. Other people appear to have shared spaces.It has indications of a kitchen area, storage rooms and sections that may support teaching or daily communal activities. A large hall with stone benches stands. The benches are decorated with botanical motifs. It probably served as a reception place for visitors or senior religious figures. The building follows a north-south alignment. Inside, a prayer hall faces east. A limestone cross has been set into one of the eastern walls. These details reflect common architectural choices associated with early Christian places of worship.

Evidence of daily life uncovered at Al-Qalaiya archaeological site

Archaeologists have found a variety of materials that point to everyday activities. Pottery fragments, ceramic fragments inscribed with Coptic writing, and remains of food sources such as bird bones and oyster shells were recovered throughout the site.A complete marble column measuring approximately two metres, along with the column tops and bases, was also uncovered. These elements show that the complex had both functional and decorative aspects. This place was not exclusively religious. It also supported practical life needs. Cooking, storage and maintenance all appear to have been part of the regular environment.

Murals and inscriptions found at Al-Qalaiya archaeological site

Wall paintings found at the site include depictions of monks wearing vestments typical of early monasticism. These paintings are accompanied by geometric patterns and floral motifs. The use of red, white and black braided patterns is common. Another image includes a representation of a flower with eight petals.An illustration in a painting shows two deer captured in a round shape. Scholars indicate that such depictions may hold deeper meanings, perhaps reflecting ideas of harmony and meditation.A piece of limestone located close to the entry point contains Coptic script. Initial interpretations suggest that it is a funerary stele, which refers to a person known as “Apa Kir, son of Shenouda”.

The evolution of monastery design at the Al-Qala’ya archaeological site

Researchers believe that the complex reflects a change in monastic life. Early monasticism often involved solitude, in which individuals lived in isolation. Over time, communities began creating shared spaces.This site appears to reflect that change. Individual rooms exist alongside community rooms and visitor areas. This may indicate a structured system where monks lived, learned, and interacted in the same organized environment.Hisham el-Leithy, a senior figure associated with the excavation, has described al-Qalaiya as one of the largest known monastic gathering sites associated with early Christian monastic history. The architectural features appear to experts to be consistent with the early stages of the monastery’s development.

Lieutenant Colonel Shrikant Purohit (file photo)

New Delhi: Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Shrikant Purohit, acquitted last year in the Malegaon blast case, has been approved for promotion to the rank of brigadier, sources said on Friday. In July 2025, an NIA court acquitted Purohit and six others, including former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur, in the case.Purohit had moved the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) after his acquittal and claimed that the prolonged trial had “adversely impacted” his career progress. He argued that the delay in the judicial process denied him a fair opportunity for promotion within the army hierarchy.Also read: Who is Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit? The military officer who faced terrorism charges and was released after being acquitted by the courtLast month, the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) put your retirement on holdHis petition seeking promotion and related service benefits was scheduled to be heard on March 31. The tribunal directed the Defense Ministry to put his retirement on hold until his statutory complaint is decided.At the time of his arrest in November 2008, Purohit was serving as a lieutenant colonel in military intelligence – the first case of a serving army officer being implicated in a terrorism-related case in the country.He spent nearly nine years in custody before being granted bail by the Supreme Court in September 2017.

Malegaon blast

The blast occurred on September 29, 2008, when an explosive device strapped to a motorcycle detonated near a mosque in Bhikku Chowk area of ​​Malegaon, Maharashtra, killing six people and injuring 95 others.Originally, 11 people were accused in the case; However, the court ultimately framed charges against seven.This case was handed over from Maharashtra Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2011. The investigators examined hundreds of witnesses over nearly 17 years before acquitting all the accused of charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Arms Act and other provisions.Those acquitted along with Purohit and Thakur included Major (retd) Ramesh Upadhyay, Sudhakar Chaturvedi, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhankar Dhar Dwivedi (Shankaracharya) and Sameer Kulkarni.(With ANI inputs)

जिलाधिकारी सविन बंसल ने बताया कि मॉक ड्रिल के लिए जिले को नौ जोन और 23 सेक्टर में बांटा गया है। उन्होंने कहा कि इसके लिए जीआईएस मैपिंग और संसाधनों का सटीक आकलन आपदा के समय त्वरित कार्रवाई करने में सहायक होगा. इंसीडेंट रिस्पांस सिस्टम के तहत सेक्टर स्तर तक जिम्मेदारियां तय की गई हैं। प्रशासन ने शून्य जनहानि का लक्ष्य रखा है और सभी एजेंसियों को अलर्ट रहने के निर्देश दिए हैं.

एसडीएम ने अधिकारियों की बैठक में तैयारियों की समीक्षा की

कीर्तिनगर में उप जिलाधिकारी मंजू राजपूत ने विकासखंड के सभी विभागों के अधिकारियों के साथ अहम बैठक कर व्यवस्थाओं की समीक्षा की. बैठक में उप जिलाधिकारी ने स्पष्ट निर्देश दिए कि यात्रा शुरू होने में अब कम समय बचा है, इसलिए सभी विभाग आपसी समन्वय के साथ कार्य करें, ताकि बदरीनाथ धाम व केदारनाथ धाम जाने वाले श्रद्धालुओं को किसी प्रकार की असुविधा का सामना न करना पड़े.

उन्होंने कहा कि टिहरी गढ़वाल जिला चारधाम यात्रा का मुख्य प्रवेश द्वार है, इसलिए यहां की व्यवस्थाएं दुरुस्त रहना बहुत जरूरी है। राष्ट्रीय राजमार्ग से जुड़े अधिकारियों को सड़कों पर गड्ढों को तत्काल भरने, जल संस्थान व पेयजल निगम को यात्रा मार्ग पर पेयजल की निर्बाध आपूर्ति सुनिश्चित करने तथा स्वास्थ्य विभाग को चिकित्सा सेवाएं सुदृढ़ करने के निर्देश दिये।

प्रशासनिक तैयारियों को परखने के लिए आज मलेथा मुख्य चौराहे से नए पुल होते हुए कीर्तिनगर तक मॉक ड्रिल का आयोजन किया जाएगा. इस अभ्यास में सभी विभागों की भागीदारी सुनिश्चित की गई है, ताकि किसी भी आपात स्थिति से प्रभावी ढंग से निपटा जा सके।

CHENNAI: As Tamil Nadu’s main contenders – the DMK, ADMK and actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam – race to outdo each other with election promises ranging from refrigerators to Rs 8,000 appliance coupons for women and six free LPG cylinders a year, one player in the field has picked up a different script.Seeman, chief coordinator of the Nam Tamilar Katchi (NTK), dismissed freebies as an “insult” to the dignity of the people, and presented himself as a moral dissenter in an election shaped by welfare one-upmanship.It’s a familiar role for the 59-year-old. An outsider with no political friends in the Dravidian land, Seeman contests the election independently, insisting that an alliance would weaken both his politics and his cause. His basic proposal is simple, but central to his appeal: “Everyone has the right to live in Tamil Nadu. However, the right to rule belongs exclusively to us Tamils.”That message has helped Seeman carve out a distinct, if still electorally unfulfilled, niche in Tamil Nadu politics. Since making its electoral debut in the 2016 assembly elections, it has not won a single seat in the assembly or parliament. Nevertheless, NTK’s vote base has steadily increased. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the party contested all 40 seats in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry on its own and secured about 8% of the vote – up from 3.8% in 2019. Last year, the Election Commission had granted “recognized party” status to NTK.Seeman has continued to reject the alliance in principle. While campaigning in Coimbatore, he said that if parties with 1, 2 or 3% vote share could bargain for 20 or 30 seats – or even cash – his own leverage would have been far greater had he been willing to negotiate. But, he says that he is not in politics for money. He says, “I stand for my people.” This time too NTK has fielded its candidates in all 234 assembly constituencies.Born in Arnaiyur in Sivagangai district in 1966, Seeman made his name in Tamil cinema first as a director and later as an actor and then moved into full-time politics. He directed films including ‘Panchalankurichi’ starring Tamil actor Prabhu in 1996. However, over time, cinema gave way to activism as he became increasingly vocal on issues of Tamil identity, language, farmers’ rights, environmental protection and the plight of Sri Lankan Tamils.His support for the Sri Lankan Tamils ​​would define both his politics and his public persona. In 2008, as the Sri Lankan civil war was nearing its end, Seeman met LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, a figure he openly worships. Over the following years his image strengthened as a fierce Tamil nationalist. He spoke out strongly against the killing of Tamils ​​in Sri Lanka and was detained under the National Security Act in 2009 and 2010 for giving speeches in support of Prabhakaran. When he founded NTK on May 18, 2010 – the first death anniversary of the LTTE chief – its symbolism was unmistakable.Seeman has positioned NTK as a Tamil nationalist alternative to the two major Dravidian parties, DMK and ADMK. But his journey has hardly been linear. Once a staunch supporter of Dravidian icon Periyar EV Ramasamy, he now rejects the description of Tamil Nadu as “Periyar land”. Critic of the DMK and Congress on the Sri Lankan Tamil issue, he supported Jayalalithaa’s ADMK in the 2011 and 2014 elections before contesting as an independent in 2016.The first outing was disappointing. NTK fielded candidates in all 234 assembly constituencies and deposits were forfeited in almost every seat. Seeman himself finished fifth in Cuddalore. But the setbacks did not stop the party’s slow progress. Its vote share increased to 6.6% in the 2021 assembly elections, from 1.1% in 2016. Seaman continues to present that incremental growth as evidence that his politics are taking root even without the support of larger structures.Part of that appeal lies in the man’s style as well as his message. Seeman is a mesmerizing Tamil speaker whose speeches often draw crowds willing to brave the rain and stand for long periods of time to hear him. At a recent meeting in Ariyalur, hundreds of people did just that. The NTK chief takes a dig at his rivals who rely on texts and teleprompters, saying, “A leader must speak with purpose, not just on paper. He must speak from his heart.”In his speeches, Seeman attacks corruption, vote-buying and what he calls “dependency-creating freebies”. He promises quality education, infrastructure, government jobs, state-supported dairy farms and prohibition. He has made women’s representation a key part of the NTK’s pitch, giving women half the seats in the party and promising equal representation in government, which he says is their birthright.For supporters, this explains his hold on a growing segment of young voters. NTK youth wing coordinator Idumbavanam Karthik says, “People become his fans through his speeches. He built the party by articulating his principles and ideologies.”However, Seeman’s politics is also marked by contradiction and controversy. He has made inflammatory remarks against Christians and Muslims. In his meetings he declared that Tamils ​​were followers of ‘Shaivam’ and ‘Vaishnavam’ and not ‘Hindu’. Yet, at an RSS event he said that he would use Brahmins to break the Dravidian fort. In line with that proposal, he has fielded six Brahmin candidates this time.This contradiction may be at the root of Seeman’s politics. But in a state where politics has long been dominated by two Dravidian stalwarts, Seeman has ensured that he cannot be ignored as a fringe player.

अयोध्या जिले के महराजगंज थाना क्षेत्र में गुरुवार को उस वक्त सनसनी फैल गई जब अलना भारी रेलवे स्टेशन के पास रेलवे ट्रैक पर एक महिला का शव मिला. घटना की जानकारी मिलते ही स्थानीय लोगों में भय और दहशत का माहौल बन गया. मौके पर पहुंची पुलिस ने शव को कब्जे में लेकर उसकी पहचान कराने का प्रयास किया। कुछ देर बाद महिला की पहचान हुई, जिसके बाद परिजनों में शोक की लहर दौड़ गई. पुलिस ने पूरे मामले में आवश्यक कार्रवाई शुरू कर दी है और जांच जारी है.

रेलवे ट्रैक पर मिला महिला का शव
घटना गुरुवार की है, जब अलना भारी रेलवे स्टेशन के पास रेलवे ट्रैक पर एक महिला का शव पड़ा मिला. जैसे ही स्थानीय लोगों ने यह देखा तो उन्होंने तुरंत पुलिस को सूचना दी. सूचना मिलते ही पुलिस मौके पर पहुंची और स्थिति का जायजा लिया। शव की हालत देखकर यह स्पष्ट हो रहा था कि महिला की मौत किसी ट्रेन की चपेट में आने से हुई है।

पहचान के बाद महिला की पहचान उजागर हुई
पुलिस ने आसपास के लोगों और दस्तावेजों के आधार पर शव की पहचान कराने की कोशिश की. कुछ देर बाद महिला की पहचान पार्वती पाल (48) पत्नी कृष्ण कुमार पाल, निवासी तार गोहन, थाना महराजगंज, जिला अयोध्या के रूप में हुई। पहचान होते ही परिजनों को सूचना दी गई और वे मौके पर पहुंच गए।

परिजनों ने बताया कि वह सुबह से लापता थी
मृतका के पति कृष्ण कुमार पाल ने बताया कि पार्वती पाल गुरुवार की सुबह घर से निकली थी, लेकिन काफी देर तक वापस नहीं लौटी. जब वह घर नहीं पहुंची तो परिजनों ने उसकी तलाश शुरू की. इसी बीच उन्हें रेलवे ट्रैक पर एक महिला के कटने की सूचना मिली. मौके पर पहुंचकर उसने शव की पहचान अपनी पत्नी के रूप में की।

पुलिस ने कानूनी कार्रवाई शुरू कर दी
पुलिस ने पंचायतनामा की कार्रवाई पूरी कर शव को पोस्टमार्टम के लिए भेज दिया है. अधिकारियों का कहना है कि मौत का सही कारण पोस्टमार्टम रिपोर्ट आने के बाद ही पता चल सकेगा। फिलहाल पुलिस पूरे मामले की जांच कर रही है.

Israel sharply criticized Thursday’s comments Khawaja AsifTo question PakistanIts credibility as a neutral player in ongoing regional diplomacy. The response came after Asif posted a series of comments on social media targeting Israel. Responding to those statements, the PMO said, “Pakistan’s Defense Minister’s call for Israel’s destruction is outrageous.“ “This is not a statement that can be tolerated by any government, especially not one that claims to be a neutral arbiter of peace,” it said.The dispute comes at a sensitive moment, with Pakistan credited with brokering a two-week temporary ceasefire between the United States and Iran and preparing to host new peace talks over the weekend. This came after Asif described Israel as “evil” and a “curse to humanity” in his remarks, and called for “getting rid of European Jews”. Linking the ongoing diplomatic efforts to developments on the ground, he said, “While peace talks are going on in Islamabad, genocide is being carried out in Lebanon”. Asif had said, “Innocent civilians are being killed by Israel, first Gaza, then Iran and now Lebanon, the bloodshed continues.” “I hope and pray that those who have created this cancerous state on Palestinian land will get rid of the European Jews [sic] Burn in hell,” he added. Separately, Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister Gideon Sa’ar also condemned the comments, saying, “These are blatant anti-Semitic blood libels from a government that claims to mediate peace.” “Israel will defend itself against terrorists who swear by its destruction,” Saar said.