Houston:

The governor of Louisiana signed a bill Wednesday requiring the Ten Commandments be displayed in every public school classroom in the conservative US state, reigniting the debate over separation of church and state.

The legislation, the first of its kind in the nation, mandates that the biblical text be on display starting in 2025 in all public school classrooms from kindergarten through state-funded universities.

“If you want to respect the rule of law, you gotta start from the original law given — which was Moses,” Jeff Landry, Republican governor of the southern state, said at the bill’s signing ceremony.

The law requires the Ten Commandments to be displayed as a poster or framed document “and shall be printed in a large, easily readable font,” the bill’s text reads.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) responded to the legislation by indicating it would take the case to court.

“The law violates the separation of church and state and is blatantly unconstitutional,” the organization said in a statement.

The First Amendment of the US Constitution forbids the establishment of a national religion or the preference of one religion over another.

The bill, HB 71, is the first of its kind to be signed into law, though similar bills have been drafted and put forth in other southern states within the US “Bible Belt.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Raipur:

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday promised free education in government schools and colleges in Chhattisgarh and Rs 4,000 a year for ‘tendu’ leaf collectors if his party retains power in the state.

Addressing an election rally in the Bhanupratappur assembly constituency in Kanker district, Mr Gandhi asked that if Prime Minister Narendra Modi brings up ‘OBC’ (other backward classes) in his speeches, why was he scared of a caste census.

A caste census will be conducted in the country if the Congress is voted to power, he added.

Bhanupratappur is among the 20 constituencies that will see polling on November 7 in the first phase of the Chhattisgarh elections. The second phase will be held on November 17.

“We are going to take a major step for you which we call ‘KG to PG’. From KG (kindergarten) to PG (post-graduation), free education will be provided in government institutions to students (if Congress retains power in state). They will not have to pay a single penny,” Mr Gandhi said.

Mr Gandhi promised that if the Congress forms the government in the state after polls, tendu leaf collectors will be given Rs 4,000 per year under the Rajiv Gandhi Protsahan Yojana. This is being seen as a major announcement from the Bhanupratappur seat, which is a part of the tribal-dominated Bastar region.

Pitching for a caste census, he said, “Narendra Modi ji uses the ‘OBC’ word in every speech but why is he scared of the caste census… OBCs have to become aware as they are being ditched.” Mr Gandhi also announced that the Congress would conduct a caste census in the country if it is voted to power in Delhi (at the Centre). “We have already made this promise for Chhattisgarh,” he said.

Key promises made by the Congress ahead of the last assembly polls have been fulfilled in Chhattisgarh, Mr Gandhi claimed. 

Objecting to the use of ‘vanvasi’ in place of ‘Adivasi’ for tribals, he said its use by the BJP is an insult to Adivasis and an attack on their culture, history and language.

During his speech, Mr Gandhi stopped briefly and walked to the other corner of the stage carrying a bottle of water apparently after someone fainted on the ground. He returned to the dais and asked if the person was alright. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Dharamshala:

The Dalai Lama on Saturday congratulated jailed Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi on winning the Nobel Peace Prize and said the award was also in recognition of the vital role women play in people’s lives. Mohammadi, 51, was awarded the prize on Friday in recognition of her tireless campaigning for women’s rights and democracy and against the death penalty.

In a letter to her on Saturday, the Tibetan spiritual leader said, “Today, the values of democracy, transparency, respect for human rights, and equality are increasingly recognised on every side as universal values, which can only benefit us all.”

“I have met and held discussions with previous Nobel laureates, including your sometime colleague, Mrs. Shirin Ebadi. I admire their efforts to overcome discrimination against women and improve society in a peaceful way. I believe that the award of this Nobel Peace Prize is also in recognition of the vital role women play in the lives of us all from the very day we are born,” the Dalai Lama wrote.

He said there is a growing desire for change in the world, a change that will see conflicts resolved through dialogue and non-violence.

“The foundation of such change will be kindness, compassion and human responsibility. I believe that this goal can be achieved through education based on a deeper appreciation of the oneness of humanity. Because we are so interconnected, this is a question of the well-being of us all,” he wrote.