TIRUNELVELI l wednesday l november 26, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 14 l CITY EDITION Ethiopia volcanic ash cloud drifting towards China: IMD Ash clouds from volcanic eruption in Ethiopia reached the skies over Gujarat, Delhi-NCR, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana on Tuesday No impact on air quality or weather Flight operations disrupted “The ash cloud is drifting towards China and will move away from Indian skies by 7.30pm on Tuesday,” Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of Meteorology at the India Meteorological Department, said. He noted that the volcanic ash is present only in the upper troposphere and is affecting flight operations, but it has no impact on air quality or weather ■ ■ Air India announced it has cancelled 13 flights since Monday. Other carriers have also reported flight cancellations or delays Hayli Gubbi, a shield volcano in Ethiopia’s Afar region, erupted on Sunday, producing a large ash plume. The plume spread eastward towards the Arabian Peninsula and the Indian subcontinent 14 km The height to which the volcano spewed its ash plume CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI Renaissance of civilisation: pm Modi flags ‘dharma’ at Ayodhya Prime Minister Narendra Modi, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, UP Governor Anandiben Patel and UP CM Yogi Adityanath during the Dhwajarohan ceremony in Ayodhya | PTI temple trust Swami Govind Devi Giri, Uttar Pradesh GovPRIME Minister Narendra ernor Anandiben Patel, and Modi on Tuesday hoisted the CM Yogi Adityanath, also used Dharma Dhwaj (sacred flag) the occasion to outline the atop the Ram Temple in Ayod- roadmap for a developed India hya, marking its formal com- by 2047 saying the country pletion. Calling it a moment of must break free from ‘slave healing for “the wounds of cen- mentality’. Questioning the inturies” and an answer to fluence of the education the prayers of lakhs of system introduced by devotees, he said saffron Thomas Babington flag hoisted atop the Macaulay in 1835, he acWe have to spire of the temple was build an India cused him of pushing not just a flag but a symWestern sciences and inspired by bol of India’s cultural Ram Rajya. It literature over tradiis possible renaissance. tional Indian subjects. only when Reflecting on the sig“Around 190 years ago, nificance of the event, nation comes Macaulay laid the founbefore self he said: “Centuries of dation of mental slavery . wounds are healing, cen- Narendra Modi We gained Independturies of pain is finally ence but not freedom finding a comfort. That unwa- from inferiority complex. In vering resolve of 500 years is the next ten years, we will free attaining its ultimate fulfil- India from the mentality of ment as the flag fluttering atop slavery he added. ,” the temple would proclaim the Modi said the sacred flag— ideals of Lord Ram for centu- adorned with the Sun symbol, ries to come.” ‘Om’ and Kovidara tree—would Modi, flanked by RSS chief stand as a testimony to the triMohan Bhagwat, member of umph of truth over falsehood. N A M I TA B A J PA I @ Ayodhya Himanta says Zubeen was ‘murdered’ express news service @ Guwahati ASSAM Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said in the assembly on Tuesday that singer and cultural icon Zubeen Garg’s death while swimming in the sea in Singapore is a case of “plain and simple murder”. Sarma said “one person had murdered music icon Zubeen Garg while o t h e r s cooperated.” The singer Zubeen Garg died mysteriously on September 19 while swimming in Singapore, where he had gone to perform in the North East India Festival. Even as he was speaking in the House, opposition parties demanded a CBI probe, but the CM rejected it outright, asking them to keep faith in the SIT probe. `43K cr TN INKS 158 MoUs to create 1L jobs The MoUs were signed in the presence of CM MK Stalin at the ‘TN Rising’ conclave in Coimbatore on Tuesday. Stalin also inaugurated Semmozhi Poonga, set up at a cost of `208 cr, in the city | P6 Christian officer’s sack upheld u d ayan k i s h o r e @ New Delhi CALLING a Christian army officer’s alleged refusal to enter his regimental temple’s sanctum sanctorum as the “grossest kind of indiscipline”, a Supreme Court bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymala Bagchi on Tuesday upheld his termination. Earlier, the Delhi High Court had sanctioned Samuel Kamalesan’s termination on grounds of ‘indiscipline’. Kamalesan was commissioned in 2017 into the 3rd Cavalry Regiment. The SC bench, on a plea by the officer against his termination, said while he may be an outstanding officer, “he is definitely a misfit for the Army Leaders have to lead by ... example. You are insulting your troops.” Arunachal tangle continues between India and China J ayant h ja c o b @ New Delhi China on Tuesday rejected allegations that an Indian woman from Arunachal Pradesh was harassed by immigration officials during a layover at Shanghai airport, insisting that officers acted in accordance with the law. Pema Wangjom Thongdok, a UK-based Indian citizen said her three-hour layover turned into an ordeal after immigration personnel declared her passport “invalid” Pema Wangjom because it listed Arunachal Pradesh as her birthplace. Thongdok Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Thongdok had not been subjected to any compulsory measures, detention or harassment. Mao also reiterated China’s claims over Arunachal Pradesh, prompting a strong pushback from India, with the MEA asserting it remains an integral and inalienable part of India. On Thongdok’s experience, the MEA said Chinese authorities had still not been able to explain their actions, which it described as violation of international conventions. The bench pointed out that the officer had ignored even the advice of a local pastor, who counselled him and said entering a temple would not violate his faith. “You cannot have your private understanding of what your religion permits. That too in uniform,” it said. Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, appearing for Kamalesan, said the appellant’s fundamental right to practise a religion under Article 25 cannot be taken away “Where in the . Christian faith is entering a temple barred?” Justice Bagchi asked. “In your team, there are Sikh soldiers... (for whom) there is a gurdwara. A gurdwara is one of the most secular places. Is his tone and tenor not insulting all soldiers? We are surprised he doesn’t even follow the advice of the pastor,” CJI Surya Kant said. Army: He was adamant The Army had said the officer repeatedly refused to attend mandatory regimental parades and senior officers made “multiple attempts” to counsel him, but to no avail AIADMK veteran Sengottaiyan to join TVK, may get key post S KU M A RES A N & P SR I N I V A S A N @ Chennai/ Erode Smarting over his expulsion from AIADMK for his fight for unity former , minister and Erode strongman KA Sengottaiyan is expected to join actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) on Thursday . The Gobichettipalayam MLA is likely to meet Vijay on Wednesday to finalise his entry into the party He may be . appointed as one of the general secretaries of TVK, sources said. “He has decided to resign from his MLA post on Wednesday. He is currently in Chennai. He will soon join the TVK,” a close loyalist of Sengottaiyan said. Speaking to reporters in Coimbatore airport before leaving for Chennai on Tuesday Sengottaiyan said , the present AIADMK leadership “rewarded him” with expulsion for the hard work he had put in for the party during his 50-yearlong political career. “The expulsion had depressed me a lot,” he said.  P7 India To Face Pak In Colombo The T20 World Cup 2026 will begin on February 7. Defending champions India will take on Pakistan in a high-profile encounter in Colombo on February 15 more on P13