BJP has to be defeated completely to bring down fuel prices by Rs 50: Shiv Sena

Bengaluru, Jan 14: Adding to speculation over a possible power tussle in Karnataka, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Wednesday shared a cryptic message on social media platform X.

In a Kannada post accompanied by his photograph, Shivakumar wrote, “Even if the effort fails, the prayer does not fail.”

The post came a day after his brief meeting with senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at the Mysuru airport runway, where Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was also present.

According to sources, Gandhi spoke separately with Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar for a few minutes each, before holding a short joint interaction with both leaders.

A Congress leader said Siddaramaiah discussed preparations for the upcoming state Budget and the need for a Cabinet reshuffle during his interaction with Gandhi. The leader added that Shivakumar may have raised the issue of the government completing two-and-a-half years in office and the alleged promise of making him Chief Minister.

However, Siddaramaiah denied that any political matters were discussed during the meeting. Responding to speculation about a possible leadership change, he dismissed it as media conjecture, saying there was “no such issue within the party,” while adding that he would abide by whatever decision the party high command takes.

Chennai: The Madras High Court has strongly criticised the Tamil Nadu government for citing what it termed an “imaginary” law and order concern to delay the implementation of a court order permitting the lighting of the Deepam on the Deepathoon atop the Thiruparankundram hills in Madurai.

Upholding an earlier order passed by Justice G R Swaminathan, a division bench of Justices G Jayachandran and K K Ramakrishnan of the Madurai Bench dismissed the appeal filed by the state government and reaffirmed that the Deepam could be lit at the site during Karthigai Deepam.

The bench expressed displeasure over the government’s failure to implement the single judge’s directive, even after permission was granted for CISF personnel to accompany the petitioner, Rama Ravikumar, to the hilltop on December 3 to light the lamp. While allowing the ritual, the court clarified that the number of people permitted to climb the hill would be determined by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

The state government had objected to the single judge’s order, arguing that allowing people to climb the hill and light the Deepam could trigger law and order issues, as the Sikkander Badusha Dargah is located about 50 metres from the Deepathoon. Meanwhile, officials of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department went ahead with lighting the lamp at the Uchipillaiyar temple at 6 pm, following established tradition.

Rejecting the government’s stand, the division bench said the apprehension of law and order problems was an “imaginary ghost” created by the authorities for their own convenience and criticised the district administration for not complying with the court’s order. The judges observed that instead of raising unfounded fears, the administration should have used the judgment as an opportunity to foster dialogue and harmony between communities.

The court also noted that neither the state government nor representatives of the dargah had produced any evidence to show that agama shastra prohibited the lighting of the Deepam at the site.

The Thiruparankundram hill has historically been a symbol of communal harmony, housing the Subramaniya Swamy temple, the Kasi Viswanathan temple and the Sikkander Badusha Dargah for centuries. However, the site became a flashpoint in February 2025 after protests by Hindu organisations over allegations that Lok Sabha MP Nawaz Kani consumed meat on the hill. Despite the controversy, local residents continue to live in peace and mutual coexistence. 

US President Donald Trump has "greenlit" the bipartisan Russia Sanctions Bill, which could be used to penalise Moscow's trading partners, including India, China and Brazil, over their purchase of Russian oil, said Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a prominent defence hawk.

If passed, the Graham-Blumenthal sanctions bill would authorise the US President to levy up to 500 per cent tariffs on nations that knowingly purchase Russian oil or uranium and "fuel Russian President Vladimir Putin's war machine". The hard-hitting sanctions package is meant to economically cripple Moscow as the Trump administration continues to negotiate a deal to end the war that began with Russia's invasion of Ukraine. 

Graham said he met with Trump at the White House on Wednesday, during which the President extended his support to the bill that has been in the works for months. The development was also confirmed by a White House official while talking to the Associated Press.

"This will be well-timed, as Ukraine is making concessions for peace and Putin is all talk, continuing to kill the innocent," Graham said in a statement.

Graham said there could be a vote as early as next week, although it's unclear how likely that will be. The Senate is poised to take up a scaled-back government funding package next week that the House is currently considering, if the House passes it. The following week is a Senate recess timed to Martin Luther King Jr Day.

About The Russia Sanctions Bill

The bill, chiefly written by Graham and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, allows the administration to impose tariffs and secondary sanctions up to 500 per cent on countries that purchase Russia's oil, gas, uranium and other exports. Doing so is meant to cut off the source of financing for much of Russia's military actions.

The White House has previously insisted on some revisions and flexibility for Trump in the sanctions package, but it is not clear whether any changes were secured.

The legislation has dozens of co-sponsors in the Senate, as well as a companion bill in the House, drafted by Republican Representative Brian Fitzpatrick.

The Trump administration is currently trying to finalise a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine, now nearly four years old, with special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, as the U.S. president's chief negotiators.