All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday slammed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) report after the Hindi-side petitioners claimed that a large Hindu temple existed before the construction of the Gyanvapi Masjid, located next to the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi, citing the report. Terming the organisation as “handmaiden of Hindutva”, Owaisi alleged that the report was based on conjecture and made a mockery of scientific study. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Owaisi said, “This wouldn’t stand academic scrutiny before any set of professional archaeologists or historians. The report is based on conjecture and makes a mockery of scientific study. As a great scholar once said ‘ASI is the handmaiden of Hindutva’.” Dig Deeper

Manipur, which has been in the throes of ethnic violence since May last year, showcased a unique, Imphal-based women-only market in its Republic Day tableau on Friday. The tableau also shows a woman collecting lotus stems from the state’s Loktak Lake, one of the largest such water bodies in the country’s northeastern region. ‘Ima Keithel,’ whose name in local language translates to ‘Mother’s Market,’ is located in the centre of state capital Imphal, and is the only market world run entirely by female traders. Established around 500 years ago, it hosts around 5000-6000 women vendors selling a variety of products, and prohibits the entry of their male counterparts. Dig Deeper

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Entertainment Focus

Padma Awards 2024 were conferred on the eve of Republic Day, with Chiranjeevi getting the Padma Vibhushan. “After hearing this news, I am speechless,” said the actor in a video he shared on X. Congratulations poured in for him from not just fans but also from Tollywood celebs and his family members, who took to social media to laud his achievement. Chiranjeevi is the ‘outsider’ who proved you do not need to be from a star family to make it big in the film industry. Reminiscing about that, his brother, actor-politician Pawan Kalyan shared a press note that read, “It has brought me immense joy that my elder brother Chiranjeevi, who made a place for himself in Indian cinema through sheer effort, has been conferred with the Padma Vibhushan.” Dig Deeper