Richa Chadha recently welcomed her first child, a baby girl with Ali Fazal. On Daughter’s Day yesterday, the actress celebrated with a series of photos from her maternity shoot. The previously unseen clicks taken in the ninth month of her pregnancy, see the actress flaunting her baby bump.

Richa opted for a stunning saree, draped aesthetically to showcase her baby bump painted with a beautiful design. She left her hair loose and let her beauty shine in a minimal makeup look. The actress captioned the post, “Maya Angelou said, ‘My mother shed her protective love down around me and without knowing why, people sensed I had value.’ You will always have value, lil girl. These photos were taken in month 9 of my pregnancy by @harshphotography11 . The sacred geometry symbols on my body have been painted by @avantika_1988 or @womenpow The flower of life on my navel, and the symbol of the divine feminine on my chest. Little did I know at the time that I would have a daughter. Woman. Sacred vessel of the universe, clones herself to make another in her image.”

She added, “Happy Daughter’s Day little girl. We will see these pictures together one day, where you posed inside and I was bursting at the seams… this one is for us, so outsiders can look but can’t speak.”

Check out the mesmerising photos here:

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s remarks on the death of a 26-year-old chartered accountant, allegedly due to work pressure, has sparked a row. The minister has said people need inner strength to handle pressure and this can only be achieved by divinity.

Several social media users, including leaders from the Opposition, have termed the remarks insensitive.

Addressing an event at a Chennai medical college, Ms Sitharaman referred to Anna Sebastian Perayil’s death without mentioning Ernst & Young, where she was working. “Our children go to colleges and universities for education and come out with flying colours. A company, without mentioning its name, it’s a partnership. There, a woman who had studied CA well (was) unable to cope with the work pressure. Two-three days ago, we received news — she died unable to cope with the pressure,” she said.

“What should families teach — whatever you study and the job you do, you should have the inner strength to handle that pressure and this can be achieved through divinity only,” she said. “Believe in God, we need to have God’s grace. Seek God, and learn good discipline. Your Atmashakti will grow only from this. The inner strength will come only with growing Atmashakti,” the Finance Minister added.

“Educational institutions should bring in divinity and spirituality. Then only will our children get the inner strength, it will help in their progress and that of the country. That is my strong belief,” the minister said, according to news agency PTI.

The remarks sparked a row, with social media users accusing the Finance Minister of making insensitive remarks without addressing the issue of toxic workplaces.

Priyanka Chaturvedi, Rajya Sabha MP from Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), hit out at the Finance Minister’s remarks.

Dear Nirmala Sitaraman ji,

Anna had inner strength to handle the stress that came with pursuing a gruelling Chartered Accountancy degree. It was the toxic work culture, long work hours that took away her life which needs to be addressed. Stop victim shaming and atleast try to be… pic.twitter.com/HP9vMrX3qR

— Priyanka Chaturvedi🇮🇳 (@priyankac19) September 23, 2024

“Dear Nirmala Sitaraman ji, Anna had (the) inner strength to handle the stress that came with pursuing a gruelling Chartered Accountancy degree. It was the toxic work culture, long work hours that took away her life which needs to be addressed. Stop victim shaming and at least try to be a little sensitive, am sure god will be the guide if you seek.”

CPI MP P Sandosh Kumar accused the Finance Minister of “belittling and demeaning everyday struggles of working people across the country”. “Over-work, inhuman working conditions, pervasive unemployment and lack of social security are creating stress and insecurity among workers, particularly the younger sections of our workforce across occupations. Instead of addressing these structural concerns, the finance minister’s advice to ‘rely on God’ is bizarre and insensitive,” he said in a statement.

Besides the Opposition leaders, several social media users found the remarks insensitive and said the government should address the toxic work culture in many organisations.

Anna Sebastian Perayil’s death has sparked a nationwide conversation on how toxic workplaces are affecting the well-being of employees.

The matter came to light after Anna’s mother Anita Augustine wrote to Ernst & Young India Chairman Rajiv Memani and said her daughter had died just four months after she joined the company and flagged a work culture that “seems to glorify overwork while neglecting the very human being behind the role”.

“Anna would return to her room utterly exhausted, sometimes collapsing on the bed without even changing her clothes, only to be bombarded with messages asking for more reports. She was putting in her best efforts, working very hard to meet the deadlines. She was a fighter to the core, not someone to give up easily. We told her to quit, but she wanted to learn and gain new exposure. However, the overwhelming pressure proved too much even for her,” she wrote.

Ernst & Young India has said it was deeply saddened by Anna’s death and was taking the family’s correspondence with the “utmost seriousness and humility”. In a statement posted on LinkedIn, Mr Memani said, “I am deeply saddened and as a father, I can only imagine Ms Augustine’s grief. I have conveyed my deepest condolences to the family, although nothing can fill the void in their lives. I would like to affirm that the well-being of our people is my top-most priority and I will personally champion this objective. I am absolutely committed to nurturing a harmonious workplace, and I will not rest until that objective is accomplished.”

The Union Labour Ministry has now launched a probe into the allegations of an unsafe and exploitative work environment. “Deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Anna Sebastian Perayil. A thorough investigation into the allegations of an unsafe and exploitative work environment is underway. We are committed to ensuring justice & @LabourMinistry has officially taken up the complaint. @mansukhmandviya,” Minister of State for Labour Shobha Karandlaje has said.

Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, has also highlighted the issue, saying that a bright and ambitious young professional’s life was “tragically cut short by toxic and unforgiving work conditions”. “I have promised Anna’s family my personal commitment, along with the full support of the Congress party, to ensure that this tragedy becomes a catalyst for change,” Mr Gandhi said.

The Lord Venkateswara Temple in Andhra Pradesh’s Tirupati was “purified” Monday amid the row over animal fat – fish oil, beef tallow, and lard (pig fat) – in ghee used to make the laddoos, or devotional offerings, ‘fed’ to the deity and given to devotees.

An army of priests performed a ‘maha shani homam‘ at the temple that is widely seen as one of the holiest sites in Hinduism. Temple officials said the ceremony will “ward off ill-effects of adulteration and restore sanctity of laddoos as ‘prasadam‘, and ensure devotees’ well-being”.

Syamala Rao, the Executive Officer of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam – the government trust that runs the temple – said rituals lasted four hours starting 6 am, with special focus on the kitchen that makes the laddoos. He also said the new system of procurement, of ‘pure cow ghee’, had been changed, and this had led to “improved taste of laddoos and other prasadam” from the temple.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu – whose Telugu Desam Party kickstarted the row last week, backed by a July 17 lab report from Gujarat indicating animal fat in ghee samples from the temple kitchen – has ordered a special police team to investigate this matter.

#WATCH | Andhra Pradesh: TTD (Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams) organised a Maha Shanti Homam in the wake of Laddu Prasadam row.

Executive officer of Tirumala Tirupathi Devastanam (TTD) Shamala Rao and other officials of the Board participated in the Homamam along with the… pic.twitter.com/Gkh7JFeljT

— ANI (@ANI) September 23, 2024

“Many not-so-sacred things were done over the last five years,” he said darkly, declaring non-Hindus would not be allowed on the temple management board.

Apart from the question of animal fat in ghee, Mr Naidu has also accused former TTD Chairperson, Bhumana Karunakar Reddy – an ex MLA with the YSR Congress of former Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy – over irregularities connected to temple management.

The temple’s ex EO, Dharma Reddy, a civil servant, was also accused; in April the centre extended Mr Reddy’s deputation from the Indian Defence Estates Service by six weeks.

The Chief Minister has also accused his predecessor, Mr Reddy, of favouritism in appointing senior temple management officials, a charge the YSR Congress leader has denied.

Amid the bitter squabbling and claims and counterclaims, Mr Reddy on Sunday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi denouncing Chandrababu Naidu as a “pathological liar” and accused the Chief Minister of hurting the beliefs of crores of people “for political objectives”.

READ | “C Naidu Habitual Liar”: Jagan Reddy Writes To PM Amid Laddoo Row

On the specific claim of animal fat in ghee, Mr Reddy said a tanker containing (the possibly adulterated) ghee had arrived at the temple in July but was rejected. “Robust practices in place for decades (at the) TTD could identify the questionable quality (of the ghee) …” he said.

READ | Suppliers Exploited Lack Of In-House Testing Facility: Tirupati Temple Body

“(at the temple) three samples are tested from every tanker, and only after (all) three pass is the ghee be used… if even one sample is substandard the tanker is rejected…” he explained.

The under-fire ex Chief Minister also red-flagged disclaimers in the lab report, which says the findings may be voided if “the milk fat… is obtained from cows which received an exceptionally high feeding of pure vegetable oils, cotton or palm oils…” and other similar preconditions.

Earlier, Mr Reddy criticised the “false report” and accused Mr Naidu of “using faith for politics“.

Meanwhile, Mr Naidu’s deputy, Jana Sena leader Pawan Kalyan, has set himself a 11-day fast as ‘penance’ and the Bharatiya Janata Party – with whom the TDP and Jana Sena are allied at the centre – has demanded a court-monitored Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry.

READ | Pawan Kalyan To Go On 11-Day ‘Penance’ In Tirupati Laddoo Row

Mr Kalyan began his ‘penance’ on Sunday at a Lord Venkateswara temple in Guntur district.

“If a church or mosque was involved… this would have caused a national uproar. Why are Hindus expected to not raise issues…” the Deputy Chief Minister asked.

The union government has also gotten involved; last week Health Minister JP Nadda has demanded a detailed report and Food Minister Pralhad Joshi said the issue of “desecration” of the Tirupati temple and the Hindu faith will be taken seriously, and “to its logical end“.

READ | Health Ministry Wants Report As Tirupati Laddoo Row Escalates

Also, a PIL, or public interest litigation, has been filed in the Supreme Court, seeking a special team to investigate the alleged use of animal fat in the ghee, which, it was argued, violated Article 25 of the Constitution, which guarantees all Indians right to freedom of religion.

NDTV Explains | How Are Tirupati Laddoos Made? How Are Ingredients Procured?

The temple kitchen makes around three lakh laddoos daily, with around 1,500 kg of ghee and vast amounts of cashew nuts, raisins, cardamoms, gram flour, and sugar used. Reports indicate the ghee was bought from a supplier in Tamil Nadu’s Dindigul.

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