Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin responded to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s accusation of ‘nepotism’ within his party, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), saying that DMK indeed functions as a family-run party, considering all of Tamil Nadu as Karunanidhi’s family. Prime Minister Modi had earlier criticised the DMK-led party, emphasizing his commitment to national welfare over dynastic politics. Udhayanidhi questioned whether having a family equates to obtaining a license for corruption or seizing power for personal gain. Udhayanidhi’s father, MK Stalin, currently serves as DMK chief and Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister, succeeding his grandfather M Karunanidhi, a towering figure in Dravidian politics. Tamil Nadu’s 39 Lok Sabha seats will be contested in the first phase on April 19, with the DMK-led alliance aiming to replicate its 2019 electoral success. Dig deeper

Ayodhya, revered as the sacred dwelling of Lord Ram, is gearing up for an extravagant celebration of Holi this year. Chief priest Acharya Satyendra Das of the Ram Janmabhoomi temple affirmed that the festival of colours will be commemorated in a grand manner to honour the deity. Expressing his sentiments, Das highlighted the significance of the occasion, drawing parallels to Lord Ram’s divine presence in Ayodhya. He emphasized that the fervor surrounding this year’s Holi is unparalleled, attributing it to the recent pran pratishtha ceremony. Devotees are anticipated to flock to the temple to offer gulal and a variety of delectable delicacies to Lord Ram, with prasad to be distributed among all. The auspicious atmosphere is further enriched by the recent inauguration of the Ram Mandir, attracting a surge of devotees since its unveiling by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 22. Dig deeper

The Latest News

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India News

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Ayodhya set for grand Holi celebrations post-Ram Mandir ‘pran pratishtha’. Temple’s chief priest shares details Dig deeper

Global Matters

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Entertainment Focus

Sabrina Carpenter bid a touching farewell to Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, where she served as an opening act, with an emotional Instagram post. Their association, dubbed the Taybrina Era, began with Sabrina’s excitement over attending a Taylor Swift concert in 2009. Over the years, they shared numerous moments, including Sabrina presenting Taylor with a VMA and joining her at the Grammys after-party. Last year, Sabrina joined Taylor on The Eras Tour, performing across Latin America. Despite a weather delay in Sydney, Taylor ensured they sang together, delighting fans with a medley of White Horse and Coney Island. Dig deeper

Sports Going

During the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) match between Rajasthan Royals and Lucknow Super Giants, a peculiar incident unfolded at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. Just two balls into the game, the play came to a halt for nearly seven minutes due to a spidercam error. The cable wire of the spidercam snapped and fell onto the outfield, disrupting the match. Former cricketer Rohan Gavaskar, in commentary, confirmed the incident. Play resumed after engineers rectified the issue. Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson won the toss and elected to bat first against Lucknow Super Giants, who named Quinton de Kock, Marcus Stoinis, Nicholas Pooran, and Naveen as their four overseas players. Dig deeper

That’s all we have at this hour in our evening briefing. Catch you tomorrow morning.