Smriti Irani is future president of India? Controversy Queen in soup again

November 25, 2014

New Delhi, Nov 25: Controversies seem to keep dogging Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani. Even before the "no German in classroom" fire could be doused, the minister's visit to an astrologer has once again pushed her into headlines.

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Ms Irani recently met a Rajasthan-based astrologer who reportedly predicted she would eventually become President of the country.  According to sources close to the actress-turned politician, the astrologer had rightly predicted that even if she lost the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, she would become a minister.

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Smriti Irani with former Indian president APJ Abdul Kalam at a function (file photo).

Along with her husband Zubin Irani, the minister had on Sunday gone to visit Pandit Nathulal Vyas at Karoi village in Bhilwara, Rajasthan. According to TV reports, in her four-hour long meeting with Vyas, Ms Irani reportedly asked several questions on her political and personal future and also thanked the astrologer for his correct prediction.

Already facing allegations of giving in to demands of right wing groups while formulating policies in her ministry, the development has only given fresh fodder to her detractors.

Not surprisingly, the minister was livid to find the visit making news. "I realize I contribute to your TRPs and I am glad I could be of help," she said sarcastically to reporters of TV channels seeking her reaction. "What I do in my personal life doesn't come under responsibility of media. I appreciate your efforts to keep me in the headlines," Ms Irani said.

There were varied reactions to the visit from the political class. While JD(U)'s Ali Anwar quipped that even those without hands had a destiny, Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut said astrology is a 'shastra'.

Congress leader Rajeev Shukla, however, gave a measured response. "I think 80% of politicians approach astrologers and astrologers approach them. So, why do you single out one lady? Let her go," he said.

Ms Irani has courted several controversies after assuming power as a union minister earlier this year. Within a few days after becoming a minister she had faced harsh criticism from opposition parties for providing false information over her educational qualification. She had made contradictory declarations when she contested Lok Sabha elections in 2004 and 2014.

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News Network
December 2,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 2: Mangaluru International Airport responded to a medical emergency late on Monday night. Air India Express flight IX 522, travelling from Riyadh to Thiruvananthapuram, was diverted to Mangaluru Airport after a passenger in his late 30s experienced a medical emergency on board.

The Airport’s Operations Control Centre received an alert regarding the passenger’s health condition. The airport activated its emergency response protocol, mobilising the airport medical team and coordinating with stakeholders including CISF, immigration, and customs. 

Upon landing, airport medical personnel attended to the passenger, assessed his condition, and arranged to shift him to a local tertiary-care hospital for further treatment. The passenger’s relatives accompanied the passenger, who incidentally received necessary medical care on board, which helped stabilise the situation.

Following the handling of the emergency, the flight departed for Thiruvananthapuram at 2:05 am on Tuesday.

"We appreciate the cooperation of all parties involved, and this incident reaffirms our ongoing commitment to prioritising passenger safety and readiness to respond to unforeseen emergencies with professionalism and care," the Airport spokesperson said. 

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News Network
December 5,2025

Mangaluru: In a significant step to curb online hate and intimidation, Mangaluru City Police have registered a suo motu case against multiple Instagram accounts accused of circulating alleged provocative and threatening content.

While monitoring social media activity on Tuesday, Kankanady Town PSI Anitha Nikkam identified the Instagram handle ‘team_targetttt_900’ for posting a hate message alongside images of lethal weapons. Another account, ‘team_nagara_900’, allegedly shared a threatening post targeting activist Bharath Kumdelu, tagging additional pages such as KARAVALI-OFFICIAL.

Several other accounts — including ‘immu_bhai.fan’, ‘target_boy_900’, ‘kings_of_manglore’, ‘team_target_boys.900’, ‘arshad_mangalore’, ‘target_ka19_ullal’, ‘team_target__’, ‘troll_tigersz_900’, ‘tr_group_900’, and ‘team_target_900’ — are also under scrutiny for spreading similar inflammatory material, police said.

Authorities have urged citizens, especially young social media users, to report suspicious pages and avoid engaging with groups that glorify violence or threaten individuals. Online hate can quickly escalate into real-world harm, and police stress that sharing or promoting such content can attract legal consequences.

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News Network
December 3,2025

arrival.jpg

Mangaluru, Dec 3: A group of Congress workers gathered at the Mangaluru International Airport on Wednesday to welcome AICC general secretary K C Venugopal, but the reception quickly turned into a display of support for Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar.

Venugopal arrived in the city to participate in the centenary commemoration of the historic dialogue between Mahatma Gandhi and Narayana Guru. The event, organised by the Sivagiri Mutt, Varkala, in association with the Mangalore University Sri Narayana Guru Study Chair, is being held on the university’s Konaje campus.

KPCC general secretary Mithun Rai and several party workers had assembled at the airport to receive Venugopal. However, the moment he stepped out, workers began raising slogans backing Shivakumar.

The university programme will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

This show of support comes just a day after Siddaramaiah remarked that Shivakumar would lead the government “when the high command decides.” The chief minister made the comment after a breakfast meeting at Shivakumar’s residence—another public display of camaraderie between the two leaders amid ongoing attempts by the party high command to downplay their leadership rivalry.

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