King Salman prays for Hajj pilgrims in traditional Eid al-Adha address

News Network

July 9, 2022

Riyadh, July 9: King Salman of Saudi Arabia today delivered his traditional greetings as the Muslim world celebrated Eid al-Adha.

In an address on Saudi state television, King Salman noted that the Kingdom had been able to increase the number of pilgrims this year to a total of a million — from inside and outside the country — due to positive efforts made in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said that precautionary measures were still being taken into account to ensure the safety of pilgrims.

The king prayed to Allah to accept the Hajj of all the pilgrims and praised the efforts of everyone involved in facilitating the annual event.

The pilgrims returned to Mina on Saturday after an emotional day on the plains of Arafat, performing prayers and supplicating to Allah. They will continue to perform the Hajj rites over the next few days, including the “stoning of the devil” ritual at the Jamrat complex.

This year's Hajj was the first time the number of pilgrims had reached a million since the pandemic. In 2020 when COVID-19 placed the entire planet into a standstill, the Kingdom allowed only 1,000 selected pilgrims to perform Hajj. In 2021, the number was raised to 60,000 fully vaccinated pilgrims.

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Vokkaligara Sangha threatens Congress: ‘Shivakumar must be CM or face backlash’

News Network

November 27,2025

Bengaluru: The Vokkaligara Sangha on Thursday issued a stern warning to the Congress, saying the party could face serious electoral repercussions if Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar is not appointed as Chief Minister.

The warning follows the public backing of Shivakumar’s chief ministerial ambition by top Vokkaliga pontiff Nirmalanandanatha Swami, who urged the Congress high command to honor his claim.

“The community supported Congress in the 2023 Assembly elections only because Shivakumar had a real chance to become CM. If he is cheated, we’ll teach the party a big lesson,” said newly elected Sangha president L. Srinivas. He added that Vokkaligas would organize protests under the guidance of community leaders.

General Secretary C.G. Gangadhar pointed out that Congress won more seats in the Vokkaliga-dominated Old Mysuru region due to Shivakumar’s influence, adding, “If Congress wants to retain power, Shivakumar should be made the CM.”

Outgoing president Kenchappa Gowda emphasized Shivakumar’s contribution to Congress’ victory. “Our community voted for Congress thinking he would become CM. Siddaramaiah has also served the party well, but Shivakumar should now be given a chance,” he said.

Former general-secretary Konappa Reddy appealed to Sonia and Rahul Gandhi to recognize Shivakumar’s loyalty and service, saying, “Congress is known to keep its promises. We hope it won’t break the promise made to him.”

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