Delhi Confidential: Taking a leaf from Centre’s Kashi corridor, Karnataka CM plans ‘Tungabhadra Aarti’

River reverence: Taking a leaf from the central government’s moves to get Kashi-Mathura corridor developed ahead of Uttar Pradesh elections, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has announced “Tungabhadra Aarti”, which will be along the lines of Ganga Aarti. He has laid foundation stone for the construction of 108 yoga mantapas, which is part of the Tungabhadra Aarti project at Harihara in Davangere district. The Chief Minister has promised to develop the area as a top class pilgrim and tourist centre, which will include a walking path from Harihareshwara Temple, built in 1223-1224 by Polalva, a minister in King Veera Narasimha-II regime of the Hoysala empire. Those close to the Chief Minister say the move will not only make Tungabhadra Aarti as famous as Ganga Aarti, but also please the party’s Hindu vote-bank ahead of Assembly elections next year. Bommai has the backing of the party at the Centre, they say.

Cash code: A reference to “cash couriers” – who physically transport currency – in documents of the global Financial Action Task Force had Solicitor General Tushar Mehta explaining the concept of Angadia system to a Supreme Court bench comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar, Dinesh Maheshwari and C T Ravikumar, which is hearing challenges to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. Pointing to references about cash couriers, Justice Khanwilkar brought up the topic of angadias and said they are “very prevalent” in Mumbai, Rajasthan and Gujarat. “I think they originated in Gujarat,” he said. Confirming, Mehta said “angadias are from Gujarat and that, too, incidentally from a particular city”. Mehta explained that it was a system where one could transfer a large amount of cash without having to physically carry it. “If I want to transfer Rs 5 crore cash, I will hand it over to their office in Delhi. Their office in Ahmedabad will give a similar amount when the recipient approaches with a code,” said Mehta. Justice Khanwilar laughingly said the code is OTP, but Mehta said, “OTP is a new concept, code word has been used for many years.”.

India, idea: In the backdrop of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi articulating two Indias and the Constitution’s federal structure in Parliament recently, the RSS is coming up with a book timed with its centenary celebration in 2025, which will discuss its own idea of India. Sources in the RSS said the book will not only be about the organisation and its work but also explain what India means. The book aims to drive home the point that India was not formed by different nations coming together, rather was one since the beginning despite its diversity. The book will also have two versions – one for popular reading and other for researchers interested in understanding RSS’s idea of India.