PM Modi Warns Voters: Country will Reject Those Who Snubbed Ayodhya Temple Event

PM Modi Warns Voters: Country will Reject Those Who Snubbed Ayodhya Temple Event Country will reject those who rejected Ayodhya Ram temple consecration ceremony invite: PM Modi at Karnataka poll rally.

23-feet tall Goddess Kali idol coming up in Kerala's Pournamikavu temple

Thiruvananthapuram: A 23-feet tall (including peedam) Goddess Kali idol is all set to be sent to Pournamikavu temple in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday. Carved by famous sculptor Mukesh Bhardwaj, the 18-feet idol of the goddess made from Rajasthan Marbles exquisite single stone piece will be installed along with 12-ft tall idols of Goddesses Durga and Lakshmi (Raja Madhanghi Devi) at Pournamikavu temple in Chavadi Nada, Venganur. Accompanied by their respective Vahanas lion, tiger, peacock, swan these majestic idols will embark on a monumental journey from Jaipur to Trivandrum via road trailers, commencing on April 29. The idols will adorn the temple dedicated to Goddess Bala Thripura Sundari Devi, and renowned for housing the world's largest panchmukhi Ganesha idol and 51 Akshara devathas. The Pournamikavu temple stands as the sole pilgrimage in Bharat devoted to goddesses representing alphabets. Each alphabet is associated with its respective goddess, offering devotees the opportunity to seek blessings for educational and career advancement. Recently, a 17-foot Shani idol was installed in the temple another one of its kind in Bharat. The installation ceremony of Goddess Kali idol and that of Goddesses Durga and Lakshmi, will be akin to the Ram temple Pran Prathishtha ceremony, temple chief trustee MS Bhuvanachandran said. Preparations are underway to transport the towering 18.5 -foot single stone Kali idol, crafted from Rajasthan marble by sculptor Mukesh Bhardwaj , he said. Rajasthan marbles has been associated with pilgrimages like Ayodhya, Ujjain, Maheshwar, Dhar, Haridwar, Varanasi among others, said Jagadguru Suryaachaary Krishnadeonand Giri of Maharaj Murali Mandir, Dwarka, Gujarat. He said: The world's tallest Goddess Kali idol is all set to start a journey that will be a testament to devotion and craftsmanship from Jaipur to Trivandrum in Kerala via Chittor, Hyderabad, Hosur, Madurai, Nagerkoil, and that he will travel along.

Mahanadi emerges as poll issue as BJP, BJD fight in Sambalpur

SAMBALPUR: A fierce tug of war has ensued between the BJP and the ruling BJD in Sambalpur over the contentious issue of the Mahanadi river water. The BJP on Saturday launched a scathing attack on the ruling party, accusing it of inaction and neglecting Mahanadi river issue. The BJD responded by targeting Union minister and Sambalpur Lok Sabha candidate of BJP Dharmendra Pradhan. At a press meet by a Mahanadi ghat in Sambalpur, BJP leader Pramod Rath said, Mahanadi river is crying out for attention because of the apathy of the BJD government. No efforts are being made to keep the river water clean. Neither the river water is fit for drinking nor for bathing as all the waste water is being discharged into the river. The State Pollution Control Board has given D grade to the water quality of Mahanadi, he said. Even after ruling for so many years, the BJD has not taken any tangible step. They could neither build a barrage nor turn it into a green zone. The people of Sambalpur are visibly disgruntled over it, Rath added. The BJP further claimed that apart from the waste water of the city, all the small and big industries of Jharsuguda and Sambalpur districts discharge chemical waste water directly into the river. There is no system to treat the polluted water discharged from the industries. Moreover, the damaged anicut near Ayodhya Sarovar ghat in Sambalpur city has not been repaired for many years as a result of which all the weed and algae are coming along with water and later causing skin diseases when used for bathing, the saffron party asserted. Zonal spokesperson of BJP Manas Ranjan Baxi said the Chhattisgarh state and the BJD government birthed at the same time. But the plans of both the governments differ drastically. Government of Chhattisgarh has made good use of water by constructing many small and big barrages in PPP mode with zero displacement of people. On the other hand, after ruling the state for 25 years, the BJD government remembered Mahanadi river during the 2017 panchayat elections, he said adding, the government could not build even a small barrage on the river but is blaming the Centre, government of Chhattisgarh and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to hide its incompetence. In response, the BJDs Sanjay Baboo singled out Dharmendra Pradhan, charging him with orchestrating a deliberate campaign against the states interests on the Mahanadi river water dispute. Accusing Pradhan of attempting to sow discord for his own political gains, Baboo said, Everyone is aware how Pradhan in 2018 became an arbiter of Raman Singh government to pave way for his Rajya Sabha entry from Chhattisgarh. He supported all the activities in Chhattisgarh for his own interests and not the soil. Due to his anti-Odisha action, the lives of many, especially the people of Sambalpur have been affected. The union minister has never spoken to the government at the Centre about the Mahanadi river issue but conspired to destroy the Mahanadi tribunal. They are just indulging in petty politics instead of focusing on constructive solutions, he alleged.

Indigenously-built Vande Metro trial run to begin from July, say officials

NEW DELHI : Indian Railways will launch indigenously designed and developed Vande Metro trains and run more Amrit Bharat trains, officials aware of the matter said on Saturday. The Vande Metro train will have a very swift run between one major city to another covering a shorter distance of nearly 100 to 150 kms. Designed on the concept of European regional train, the first new train set of Vande Metro is likely to roll out from the railway manufacturing unit by July this year for test run on a selected route, an official of the railway ministry said, wishing not to be named. Non-AC high-speed Amrit Bharat passenger trains will run from one state to another covering a longer distance of over 1,000 kms. Orders for the manufacture of 50 Amrit Bharat trains, out of a target of running at least 400 in next few years, have been placed with the manufacturing units concerned, a senior railway ministry official said. The Vande Metro train has been designed in such a way that it would bring a new kind of revolution in metro journey because of its technically advanced swift acceleration-driven movement and comfortable accommodating facilities form one city to another situated within a distance of 100 to 250 kms, the official said. The first train set of Vande Metro, akin to the European concept of regional rail connectivity, will cater to intercity passenger services covering a distance of 100 to 250 kms at the maximum speed of 120-130 kmph, the official said. The prototype of first Vande Metro train set will have initially 12 air-conditioned coaches. After successful test run of Vande Metro train, the ministry will run more such trains in its 100 days of action plan from July this year onwards, the official said. The ministry is also planning to roll out 1,000 Vande sleeper trains in next 5 years connecting all cities, he said. Presently two sets of Amrit Bharat trains, connecting Darbhanga-Ayodhya-Anand Vihar terminal and Malda -Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminus (Bengaluru), are operational.

'They are electoral Hindus...': Meenakashi Lekhi on reports of Rahul Gandhis Ayodhya visit

Googlies & yorkers from the Indian political league

The Indian Premier League has unveiled a new paradigm this season. The players have blown away conventional strike rate mathnine teams have scored over 250 runs in 120 balls and there are 10 centurions already. Eerily, the Indian Political League is similarly upending existing templatesif records are being smashed on the ground, rhetoric is erasing the norms and boundaries of expression and assertion in E2024. The effects are in stark contrast. Those tuning in to the matches are thrilled at the blitzkrieg of strokes, while those tuned into the ricocheting rhetoric are dismayed and even the parish of believers is filled with a sense of disquiet. As on the field, there is no dearth of lofty shots, mystifying and mind-numbing claims which stretch credulity with googlies and yorkers galore. And mind you #2024Elections is yet in the power play stage, with only two of seven phases completed. The context is riveted by troubling questions awaiting answers and will hopefully trigger conscientious introspection on the stated and unstated intent of political contestants and quality of conversations in the worlds largest democracy. Here are a few observations and posers to catalyse contemplation on the state of the nation. Like the unthinkable and unexpected has transpired. Manifestos till date were essentially item songs stringing election campaigns. Surprisingly, manifestos have emerged as the theme song of mass campaign rallies. The Congress may not have quite expected the volume of interest in the idiom of its political promise; its Nyay Patra may have notched some traffic for downloads. The lather in the media has been about whether or not the Nyay Patra explicitly states the confiscation of private wealth for redistribution. What is troubling is the underlining of euphemismsmangalsutra, trespassers and those who birth many childrendeployed as instruments of identification resulting in polarisation. The Congress may argue about what is explicit but in a fast-evolving election cyclepolitics is scaffolded by perceptions of implicit beliefs. Like the shift in narrative and campaign messaging is stark. Following the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, the general belief was that 2024 is a done deal. February saw the unveiling of the Abki baar 400 paar slogan, with the BJP itself crossing the Rubicon of 350 on its own. The past weeks events havent altered perceptions about the trajectory, but it has triggered questionseven among the believerson the numerical destination. The question being discussed in living rooms is less about the character of political postulation and more about what caused the ratcheting of rhetoric. Popular theory defines this as a response to the low turnout of voters in the first phase and is overlaid on a rich tapestry of allusions of the geography of contests and location of strategic discussions that preceded the onslaught. The moot question is whether the blitzkrieg is being designed to ramp up voter turnout, or whether the ramp-up of messaging was aimed at galvanising the turnout of the cadre. There is no mistaking that the contest between the BJP-led front and the opposition is marked by an asymmetry in capacity and capability worsened by the Congresss affected articulation and struggle for space. The manifesto is decently detailed on some promises and patchy in parts. The declaration of a caste x-ray and a financial survey without explanation has opened up a can of claims and has been leveraged by the BJP. Unsurprisingly, the debate is focussed on inheritance taxwhich the BJP has highlighted and the Congress is laboriously denying following the utterances of family friend Sam Pitroda. The fact of inequality is a complex subject and has occupied the minds of philosophers ranging from David Hume and John Stuart Mill to John Rawls. History tells us that taxes on wealth and estate have been tried in India and discarded. Any attempt to address systemic inequities must start with the gaps in policiesfor instance, liberating agriculture from the curse of imperfect economic models. Sure, the caste census may illuminate the faultlines, but that informationsomething the UPA failed to make public in 2013is at best only a starting point. Tackling asymmetries of ability and opportunity require policy interventioninvestments in health, education and skilling. The redistribution debate is waylaid by definitions. The debate must focus on can, and should, wealth be corralled and redistributed, or should mitigation be funded by revenues garnered. That said, there is redistribution visible on Indias balance sheetin schemes and provisions of private goods. India spends over Rs 5 lakh crore on centrally sponsored schemes. The free ration to 81.3 crore , the health coverage to 50 crore, the provision of housing, the direct benefit transfers to farmers and women are all crafted from the receipts section and detailed in the budget. For a change, the reality of a two-speed, K-shaped economy and how Indians are doing has found space in the political theatre. The truth about Indias poverty is embedded in one statistical fact nearly half the workforce engaged in agriculture must depend on a sixthof the national income . This column has previously illustrated the political geography of Indias economy . There is no escaping the sectoral and geographic divergence and need for policy intervention. Finally, the Congress seems to possess a talent for self-goals and an uncanny knack of contributing to the BJPs campaign. In 2014, it was the chaiwala refrain, in 2019 it was the chowkidar chor hai slogan, and in 2024 its inheritance tax. India deserves bettera landscape of competitive ideas, not just an argument industry. SHANKKAR AIYAR Author of The Gated Republic, Aadhaar: A Biometric History of Indias 12 Digit Revolution, and Accidental India (shankkar.aiyar@gmail.com)

PM Modi Accuses INDIA Bloc of Divisive Politics

Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday continued his attack on the INDIA bloc accusing it of trying to create divide in the country and indulging in appeasement politics. Mr. Modi said the INDIA blocs only goal is to form a government and loot India. The PM held an election rally in Kolhapur to campaign for BJP candidate Sanjay Mandlik, who is contesting against Congresss Chhatrapati Shahu, descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Taking a dig at the INDIA bloc for its alleged divisive agenda, the PM said, The INDI alliance aims to sharpen and divide India into North vs South. The people from the land of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj will never support their divisive politics. Mr. Modi reminded the crowd that leaders of INDIA bloc did not attend the pran pratishtha of Lord Ram at the Ayodhya temple. INDI alliance is so deep in appeasement politics that they celebrate Aurangzeb in the land of the great Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. DMK has equated Sanatana with Dengue & Malaria, he said. The rally was also attended by Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde, deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union minister Ramdas Athawale. Mr. Modi said that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has worked towards permanent solutions to the problems in the last ten years while the INDIA bloc aims to facilitate systemic loo. The PM said, The Shehzada of Congress aims to impose an Inheritance Tax to loot the people of India. They aim to conduct a comprehensive investigation of a caste-based survey of resources.The I.N.D.I alliance aims to loot the people of India to fill their coffers. Claiming that the NDA has improved prospects and opportunities for common people through initiatives like Startup India, Mr. Modi said, Today India is the third largest startup ecosystem and the second largest mobile manufacturer owing to progressive policies undertaken by the NDA. Later, Mr. Modi also held an election rally in Goa where he attacked the Congress for spreading lies about EVM. He reiterated his charge of appeasement politics against the Congress. The 2024 election is the fight between two distinct ideals. The NDA works towards the development of the country while the INDI alliance is concerned only for their selfish objectives and welfare of their families, Mr. Modi said.

Ban KCR from poll campaigning for anti-Hindu remarks: VHP to EC

Hyderabad: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Saturday, April 27, filed a complaint with Telangana Chief Election Officer (CEO) Vikas Raj against Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) chief K Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR) for insulting Hindu traditions. The RSS affiliate group alleged that KCR disparaged the distribution of Akshatalu (sacred turmeric coated rice), Prasadam during the Ayodhya Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .

Opposition Slams Adityanath Over Starvation and Biryani Remarks

Opposition Slams Adityanath Over Starvation and Biryani Remarks Launching a scathing attack on the Congress, Samajwadi Party and BSP, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said the ''poor were victims of starvation'' and the ''terrorists were fed biryani'' when they were in power. The chief minister addressed separate election rallies in Sikandrarau for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Anup Pradhan from Hathras seat and Firozabad constituency candidate Thakur Vishwadeep Singh. ''The poor, farmers, women and youth were not in the agenda of the SP (Samajwadi Party), Congress and BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party). They only did vote bank politics, they committed the sin of dividing the caste and society,'' Adityanath said in Hathras. ''During their (opposition governments) time, the poor were victims of starvation and the terrorists were fed biryani. The farmers used to commit suicide and the corrupt people used to enjoy life of luxury, he added. Adityanath said the ''mafia used to wield power as patrons'', but work is being done today in the country and the state ''without any discrimination''. He claimed that more work was done under the BJP rule than what was done by the Congress, Samajwadi Party and BSP. Even in the meeting in Firozabad, the chief minister hit out at the Congress and the Samajwadi Party stating these people want to give permission for cow slaughter on the land of Ram and Krishna. Taking aim at the Congress, Adityanath said the people of 'Discovery of India' think that Ram and Krishna never existed. He said that on one hand the Modi government is giving free ration to 80 crore people of the country, on the other hand even the ration of even the poorest of the poor was wasted during the Congress rule. ''After Kashi and Ayodhya, we have moved towards Mathura,'' Adityanath said. Targeting the Samajwadi Party, he asked whether they have ever done anything for the development of Braj region. Taking potshots at Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Adityanath said that these people did not think anything outside their family and keep defaming caste in the name of nepotism. His sympathy is not with the poor but with the mafia, he added. Voting will be held in the third phase in Hathras and Firozabad on May 7.

Swami Govind Dev Giri Maharaj of Ayodhya unveils Ramayana Trail in Sri Lanka

Swami Govind Dev Giri Maharaj, the treasurer of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, Ayodhya, arrived in Sri Lanka, to initiate a new era in the spiritual and cultural journey of the island country neighbouring India. He was accompanied by a team of top delegates from Shri Ram Mandir, Ayodhya. The invitation was extended []

Question existence of those who questioned existence of Lord Ram: CM Yogi's appeal to people

Question existence of those who questioned existence of Lord Ram: CM Yogi's appeal to people Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday appealed to the public to question the existence of those who had once questioned the existence of Lord Ram. In the public meeting organized at Tilak Inter College in Firozabad on Saturday, he not only enumerated the achievements of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government but also attacked Congress and the Samajwadi Party. He said, 272 seats are required to form the government, but whether it is SP or Congress, they are not fighting on that many seats alone. Congress says that Ram did not exist. That means India did not exist before this. People should question the existence of those who question the existence of Ram and Krishna. Enumerating the works of his party, he said, Highways, and expressways are being built in the country, and railway and metro facilities have increased. IIMs, IITs, AIIMS were also formed. There was a time when the Firozabad product was on the verge of closure. Central and state officials used to harass local artisans. As soon as we came to power, we dealt with it strictly. Today, One District, One Product of Uttar Pradesh is popular in the entire country. CM Yogi accused the Congress of taking away the ration but, today 80 crore people are getting ration. He said, SP had tried to withdraw the cases of terrorists who attacked Ayodhya, Sankat Mochan Mandir, judiciary, CRPF Camp Rampur. The court had to intervene. He asked the public whether they would vote for SP which is playing with the people and security system of the country? He further said, Ayushman Bharat cover is given to 60 crore people, Jan Dhan account of 50 crore people, who do not have treatment facility, they wrote me a letter and I make sure that they get the money in their bank accounts. CM Yogi claimed that the houses of the poor now had toilets. 10 crore poor people got free cylinders. It has been asked to provide free cylinders during Holi and Diwali. Electricity for 2.5 crore houses, houses for 4 crores. Did we see anyone's caste or religion? That's why the slogan of Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas was given. This is the concept of Ramrajya, said Yogi. Referring to the discussion on inheritance tax, he said Congress divided the country in 1947. Now they are saying that they will get every person's property surveyed and take half. Your forefathers did the hard work and will distribute it to those, Rohingyas and Bangladeshis. People by whom the population is being increased. They are playing with India's security. The rights of backward and scheduled castes will be robbed and SP will support them. Congress says that it will implement the personal laws of minorities. We have to see their intentions. Before their plans can succeed, they have to be brought to the right place with the power of votes. BJP removed Article 370 and has put the last nail in the coffin of terrorism. Will enforce UCC also when coming back in power, added Yogi. BJP has fielded Thakur Vishwadeep Singh as its candidate for the constituency while SP has filed Akshay Yadav. Polling in the Firozabad Lok Sabha seat is slated to be held in the third phase of general elections on May 7. (ANI)

Dhar LS Polls: Varying Views on Bhojshala Dispute's Influence

Dhar LS Polls: Varying Views on Bhojshala Dispute's Influence The people of Dhar Lok Sabha seat in Madhya Pradesh are divided on how the Bhojshala-Kamal Maula mosque dispute will play out in the polls, with a section believing it will give an advantage to one side, while another claimed factors like employment etc will take centre-stage. The Bhojshala-Kamal Maula Mosque is a medieval-era monument that Hindus claim is a temple of Goddess Vagdevi (Saraswati), while the Muslims say it is a centuries-old mosque. On March 11 this year, the MP High Court had directed the Archaeological Survey of India to carry out a scientific survey of the structure, which has been underway since March 22. As per an ASI order issued on April 7, 2003, Hindus are allowed to worship inside the Bhojshala complex every Tuesday, while Muslims are allowed to offer namaz at the site on Fridays. The scientific survey was ordered after an organization named 'Hindu Front for Justice' challenged this arrangement in the Indore bench of MP HC. Polls in Dhar Lok Sabha seat, which is reserved for Scheduled Tribes, will be held on May 13, while votes will be counted on June 4. ''For us, the Bhojshala is not an election issue but one that pertains to our culture. We want peaceful solution to the Bhojshala dispute like the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid issue in Ayodhya,'' local resident Anju Mittal told PTI on Saturday. Azhar Khan, another resident of Dhar, too claimed the issue will not play a role in the polls, adding that he wanted the focus to be on development of the region. ''We want brotherhood to remain in our city,'' Khan emphasised. However, shopkeeper Nuru Qureshi differed from Mittal and Khan and said the issue will be a decisive factor in the Lok Sabha polls and will give advantage to one side. Qureshi, who says he holds a 'Master of Social Work' degree, added that migrants of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and some other states are taking up jobs in units in the Pithampura industrial belt of Dhar, while youngsters from the area are unemployed. Archana Bansal, whose family runs a business, said proposed railway projects in Dhar will be the main poll issue since they will lead to development in this tribal pocket of the state. ''The Bhojshala dispute is also an important election issue. It will affect the electoral equation,'' she added. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has held this seat since 2014, while the Congress won it in 2009 and several times in the 1980s and 90s. An ASI application in the HC seeking 8-week extension to complete the survey of the structure will be heard on April 29.

Major child trafficking op: 95 kids illegally being taken to Bihar from UP rescued in Ayodhya

95 Children Rescued From Child Trafficking In UP

Ayodhya: As many as 95 children who were allegedly being transported from Bihar to Uttar Pradesh illegally were rescued by the Uttar Pradesh Child Commission on Friday. As per reports, children were being transported from Bihar to Saharanpur illegally and that they were in Gorakhpur and would go via Ayodhya. The children have been rescued [] The post 95 Children Rescued From Child Trafficking In UP appeared first on Pragativadi | Odisha News, Breaking News Odisha, Latest Odisha News .

Karnataka: Complaint against Tejasvi Surya for seeking votes on religion

BENGALURU: A case has been booked against Bengaluru South sitting BJP MP Tejasvi Surya for posting a video in X, seeking votes on the grounds of religion. The complaint was filed at the Jayanagar police station on Thursday. A case was booked against Tejasvi Surya on Thursday at Jayanagar police station under Section 123(3) for posting a video on X and soliciting votes on grounds of religion, Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Meena said on Friday. Surya posted a 40-second video on X, stating, Our generation was blessed to witness the majestic Surya Tilak on Bhagwan Shri Ram at Ayodhya on Ram Navami. A wait for almost 500 years & a wish of crores of Bharatiyas were fulfilled by PM Shri @narendramodi Ji. For Bharatiyata to survive, vote for BJP! Rs 4.8 crore seized in Cballapur The Flying Squad Team and District Returning officer for the Chikkaballapur constituency seized Rs 4.8 crore cash, allegedly meant to be distributed among voters. Based on a reliable tipoff, a house that falls under the Yelahanka assembly constituency and Chikkaballapur Parliamentary constituency was raided. Sources said a senior police officer received a WhatsApp message from Dr K Sudhakar, BJP candidate from the constituency. A case has been registered at the Madanayakanahalli police station under IPC sections 171B, 171C, 171E, and 171F. The police have registered the FIR. Meanwhile, the BJP filed six complaints against Congress and various individuals before the Chief Electoral Officer, Karnataka, as well as the ECI on Friday, over various allegations.

95 Children 'Illegally' Being Taken From Bihar To UP, Rescued In Ayodhya

The children who were rescued were between the age of 4-12

95 children illegally being taken to Bihar from UP rescued in Ayodhya

The News Mill

Rahul, Priyanka may visit Ayodhya for darshan of Ram Lalla after getting ticket for Amethi, Rae Bareli

LUCKNOW: With the Congress Election Committee (CEC) meeting slated for Saturday, and the second phase of voting for 88 seats across India including Rahul Gandhis Wayanad seat having wrapped up, all eyes are now on the electoral landscape of Rae Bareli and Amethi, the two bastions of the Gandhi family, in Uttar Pradesh, where the party is yet to announce its candidates. The meeting comes amid a fervent demand by Congressmen to field former party president Rahul Gandhi from Amethi and Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra from Rae Bareli. While the process of nominations for the key constituencies of Amethi and Rae Bareli commenced on Friday, and will continue till May 3, Congress insiders claim that the formal announcement of the names of the Gandhi scions is likely to be made after the CEC meeting. Highly-placed sources in the Congress also claim that both Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Rahul Gandhi are likely to visit Ayodhya to take darshan of Ram Lalla before heading to their respective constituencies of Amethi and Rae Bareli. The buzz around Rahul Gandhis candidature from Amethi also got weight from the fact that besides the renovation work at the Congress office, the guest house on the premises also got whitewashed and cleaned to host Rahul Gandhi, its most prominent guest. Moreover, sources also claim that after the announcement of his name, Rahul Gandhi may file his nomination from Amethi either on May 1 or 2. However, there is no official confirmation. Posters of Robert Vadra surface in Amethi amid speculation over Congress' candidate for LS polls 2024 A senior Congress leader hinted at the possibility of back-to-back nominations of both Rahul and Priyanka during the narrow window between May 1 and May 3. However, there was also strong speculation over the possible candidature of Robert Vadra, Priyankas husband, from Amethi on a Congress ticket. Vadra had even gone vocal about it claiming that the people of Amethi wanted him to represent them in the Lok Sabha this time. Even some posters backing his candidacy had surfaced across Amethi two days back. Rahul Gandhi made his political debut in Amethi in 2004 and won the seat thrice before he was defeated by the BJP's Smriti Irani in 2019. However, Gandhi managed to secure a Lok Sabha seat from Wayanad. While in Amethi, the BJPs sitting MP Smriti Irani is seeking a second term, in Rae Bareli, the ruling party is waiting for the Congress to announce its candidate before taking a decision. Rae Bareli has been the Congress stronghold for decades. Sonia Gandhi, who used to contest from Amethi prior to 2004, shifted to Rae Bareli, her mother-in-law Indira Gandhis bastion, leaving Amethi for son Rahul in 2004. However, owing to her medical condition, Sonia Gandhi decided to withdraw from electoral politics in 2024 and followed the Rajya Sabha route to Parliament. She was elected to the upper house in February this year from Rajasthan. Notably, Rae Bareli was the only seat in Uttar Pradesh where the Congress managed to win in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. There has been constant speculation whether the Congress bastions in Uttar Pradesh will get a Gandhi contender in this years Lok Sabha elections. Both the constituencies will vote in the fifth phase on May 20. Renovation of Rahuls Amethi house adds to candidature buzz

Congress intends to allow unrestricted cow slaughter: Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi

Congress intends to allow unrestricted cow slaughter: Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Training his guns on the INDIA bloc and its key constituent Congress on Friday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that these parties aim to grant minorities the freedom to consume 'food of their choice,' that is, they are talking about 'giving freedom to cow slaughter.' Addressing a huge election rally in Bilari, Moradabad, in favour of BJP candidate Parmeshwar Lal Saini, Yogi Adityanath said, 'Yeh besharm log humari gaay ko khaane ki chhut denge, jabki humara shashtra gaay ko vishwamata kehta hai' (These shameless people will allow our cows to be eaten, whereas our scriptures hail the cow as the mother of the world). They will hand over the cow to the butchers. Will India ever accept this? The Chief Minister also alleged that Congress wants to confiscate the properties of countrymen and women and redistribute them among Rohingyas and Bangladeshi infiltrators. The Chief Minister asserted that Congress talks about getting the property of the countrymen X-rayed. This implies that if someone owns a four-room house, they will grab two of them. Furthermore, the Congress suggests seizing women's jewellery as well. India will vehemently oppose such measures, he said. He further remarked that similar initiatives were undertaken during the UPA government's tenure from 2004 to 2014, aimed at undermining the reservations for SC, ST, and OBC communities. Referring to the Sachar Committee and Justice Ranganath Mishra Committee, he said that Congress wants to implement this and give 6 per cent of the backward caste reservation to Muslims. The Chief Minister accused the Congress of once again making schemes to divide the nation. Taking a dig at Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, he said, It has been heard that both the brother and sister wish to visit Ayodhya. When they were in power, they denied the existence of Ram, and now they claim Ram belongs to everyone. This reveals their dual character. We shouldn't place our trust in them. They will deceive whenever they find an opportunity. We don't desire a government tainted with deceit and corruption, but one that will lead India to greater prosperity, he added. The Chief Minister urged voters not to support those who hesitate to chant 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' and 'Vande Mataram,' as doing so would amount to honouring those who conspire against India. He further emphasized the necessity of electing a government committed to making India self-reliant and developed for the bright future of the upcoming generation. He noted that since the formation of the BJP government in UP, rioters have realized that their actions will be met with consequences. BJP's Lok Sabha candidate from Sambhal Parmeshwar Lal Saini, Anamika Yadav, Lok Sabha in-charge Rakesh Singh, coordinator Pankaj Gupta, Bhuvnesh Raghav, and BJP and RLD officials were present on the occasion. (ANI)

Expose BJPs Bid to Scrap Reservations: Revanth Tells SM Warriors

Hyderabad: The Congress will ramp up its social media presence in the state for the Lok Sabha polls. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy held a meeting with the party's social media warriors here on Friday. They were asked to spread information on social media platforms about the good work done by Congress to counter the false propaganda by the opposition parties and help Congress win 14 of the 17 seats. Addressing the gathering, Revanth Reddy credited the partys victory in the Assembly elections to its social media warriors. Who acted as a bridge between party and people, took Congress six guarantees to the people effectively and thwarted the false propaganda of BRS and BJP. We won the semifinals by defeating K. Chandrashekar Rao in the Assembly elections. Now we have to defeat Narendra Modi in the finals, he said. Comparing opposition parties to national cricket teams, he said, We defeated Bangladesh team (BRS) in the semi-finals. We have to defeat Pakistan (BJP) in the finals. The Chief Minister asked the social media warriors to take up an aggressive campaign against BJP's plans to scrap reservations being extended to SCs, STs, and OBCs if it wins 400 seats. BJP brought demonetisation, GST, and destructive farm laws despite resistance from opposition parties as it has a simple majority in the Parliament. Now, the BJP is seeking 400 Lok Sabha seats because it wants a two-thirds majority to amend the Constitution and abolish reservations. My warriors should alert people on the danger posed to reservations if BJP wins 400 seats, Reddy said. He called them to thwart the BJPs attempts to gain political mileage in the Lok Sabha elections in the name of religion. They are diverting people's attention from real issues such as unemployment, inflation, and huge debt burden by raking up the Ayodhya temple issue and raising Jai Shri Ram, Jai Hanuman slogans. Everyone believes in God. But the BJP is using religion to win elections. Social media warriors should alert people on these issues, Revanth Reddy stated.

6,366 Cases Registered for MCC Violations Across State

HYDERABAD: Police have registered 6,366 cases of violation of model code of conduct (MCC) guidelines across the state, including transporting liquor, since March 16 time it came into force for the May 13 Lok Sabha elections. Of them, 5,968 cases were related to the excise wing, 104 related to drugs, 274 IPC and 24 cases under the Representation of People's Act. Based on a video surveillance team's complaint, Adilabad police registered cases under Representation of People's Act against Adilabads BJP candidate G. Nagesh, for making an objectionable speech at a public meeting. Medak police registered cases against BJP mandal leader Bekonda Ramulu Netha, Papannapet for distributing calendars which had pictures of Lord Rama, party candidate M. Raghunandan Rao and that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. MCC violations March 28: Maheshwaram police book Anku Surender and E. Lalaiah of BRS for transporting Rs 10 lakh cash. April 22: Siddipet One Town book BRS leaders for distributing carry bags bearing pictures of K. Chandrashekar Rao, K.T. Rama Rao and Medak candidate P. Venkatram Reddy. April 13: Medak Town police registered cases against BJP leaders for distributing calendars having pictures of Ayodhya temple and Lord Rama, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Medak BJP candidate M. Ragunandan Rao. April 17: Afzalgunj police book BJP MLA T. Raja Singh and others for taking out a rally without prior permission.

UCC in India, a Modi Guarantee: Amit Shah

BHOPAL: Union home minister Amit Shah on Friday said that BJP will never allow Congress to reintroduce Muslim Personal Law and pledged to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the country, terming it a guarantee of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Addressing a rally in Piprai in Ashok Nagar district falling under Guna Lok Sabha constituency from where Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia is seeking election, Mr Shah accused the Congress of conspiring to impose Sharia (Islamic law) in the country through backdoor by implementing Muslim Personal Law and asserted that BJP would foil any such design by the grand old party. Read the Congress manifesto carefully. They have said that they will reintroduce personal law... They want to bring Muslim Personal Law. They want to bring back Triple Talaq... Can this country be run by Sharia? Mr Shah asked. He further said that Rahul Baba (referring to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi), you can do whatever you want for appeasement. As long as BJP is there, it will not allow personal laws. It is BJPs promise and guarantee of Modiji that we will enforce UCC in the entire country as we have done in Uttarakhand. Highlighting achievements of the Modi government, he said that PM Modi scrapped Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir on August five, 2019 in one stroke. In 2019, Article 370 was abrogated by the Modi government in just one stroke. Rahul Baba was scared and predicted rivers of blood would flow.. But, Rahul Baba, this is not Congress government.. It's the Modi government. Leave aside rivers of flood, a stone was even not hurled (in Kashmir) in the last five years, he said. Mr Shah said that the Modi government has combated terrorism and Naxalism in the country. He lambasted Congress for providing reservation on the basis of religion (in Karnataka) for appeasing its vote bank, and called it anti-other backward class (OBC). The decision to provide reservation on the basis of religion by Congress will hurt the interests of OBC, SC, ST and the downtrodden, he said. For Congress, Muslims have the first right over the country's resources. But, for BJP, the poor, Dalits, OBC and tribals have the first right over them, he said. He said that Congress sat on the Mandal Commission report that recommended reservation for OBC for years without implementing it. He detailed how Congress used to create hurdles in the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya, and added, Within five years, the Modi government laid the foundation of the temple and also held the consecration ceremony. Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi were invited to the occasion, but they did not turn up. Mr Shah appealed to the people to ensure victory of Mr Scindia in Guna, saying that Your every vote to Mr Scindia also goes to PM Mr Modi. Guna LS seat is considered a stronghold of Gwalior royal family of Scindia. Union minister Mr Scindia was elected from Guna four times since 2002 and lost the seat to BJPs K P Yadav in the 2019 LS polls by contesting as a Congress candidate. However, Mr Scindia quit Congress and joined BJP in 2020 and is seeking election from the seat as a BJP candidate. His father Madhavrao Scindia and grandmother Vijayaraje Scindia were also elected from the constituency earlier. The LS constituency has a sizable population of Yadav community. In a bid to placate the community, Mr Shah indicated that the sitting MP Mr Yadavs interests would be taken care of. Mr Shah also addressed an election rally in Khilchipur under Rajgarh LS constituency where Congress veteran and former chief minister Digvijay Singh is pitted against sitting MP Rodmal Nagar of BJP.

Buddha is considered Lord Vishnu's avatar, Buddhism established here but you do not believe in it, says Kharge, stirs fresh row

In the interview, Kharge, who is a follower of Buddhism, delved into the inauguration ceremony of Buddha Vihar in Karnataka's Gulbarga in 2009, which was established by the Siddharth Vihar Trust of which he is the founder-chairman. He said that the inauguration was attended by then President Prathiba Patil while drawing parallels with the inauguration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22 this year which drew criticism for allegedly not inviting President Droupadi Murmu.

Congress has Muslim League's agenda, says it will make separate law for minorities: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah criticized the Congress party during an election rally in Chhattisgarh, claiming that they intended to make a separate law for minorities, which he argued would be akin to functioning on the basis of Sharia law. He also criticized those who did not attend the consecration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, suggesting they were prioritizing vote bank politics over national interests. Shah pledged to protect the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, the prohibition of triple talaq, and the scrapping of Article 370.

BJP's Shah Takes Aim at Cong's Ram Temple Stance, Calls for Digvijaya's Political Retirement

BJP's Shah Takes Aim at Cong's Ram Temple Stance, Calls for Digvijaya's Political Retirement Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday slammed senior Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Digvijaya Singh for declining the invitation to attend the consecration of Ram Lalla's idol in Ayodhya, saying their move was guided purely by vote-bank politics. The BJP leader said the Congress neglected the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya for nearly 70 years and it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi who made it a reality and paved the way for consecration of Ram Lalla's idol on January 22. Campaigning in Khilchipur, which is part of Rajgarh Lok Sabha seat, Shah also mocked Congress candidate and former MP chief Digvijaya Singh and asked the gathering to give the latter's political career a ''grand farewell''. Shah recited the Urdu couplet ''aashiq ka janaaza hai, zara dhoom se nikle'' (it is a lover's funeral procession, let it move ahead grandly) to take a swipe at Singh, who is up against BJP's sitting MP Rodmal Nagar. ''Do you know why shehzada Rahul Gandhi and Diggi Raja (Digvijaya Singh) did not attend the consecration of Ram Lalla's idol at Ayodhya? Because they are afraid of their vote-bank and therefore, they should never be pardoned,'' he noted. Shah lashed out at the Congress for continuing with the Article 370, that granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, for a long time because of which, he said, terrorism flourished in the erstwhile state and people were unable to even hoist the national tricolour. The home minister pointed out that the Modi government not only abrogated the contentious constitutional provision on August 5, 2019, but also ensured the tricolour flew high on the country's head (J&K). Shah maintained the Modi government ended terrorism and Naxalism by entering their den ('ghar me ghuskar') and conducting a surgical strike inside Pakistan post-Pulwama terror attack. Rahul Gandhi, on advice of Singh, included in the Congress manifesto a promise that if a party-led government came to power at the Centre, it will ''introduce personal law in the country,'' the BJP's star campaigner claimed. Shah asked people whether controversial practices like instant triple talaq, banned by the Modi government in 2019, should be reintroduced, and criticised Singh for linking ''bhagwa'' (saffron) colour with terrorism. Hitting out at Digvijaya Singh, the Union Home Minister said, ''Tell bantadhar, we won't allow you to turn Rajgarh into a BIMARU (term used to describe socially and economically unwell areas) district.'' 'Bantadhar' is a term the BJP uses for Singh to allege that his 10-year rule as CM between 1993 and 2003 was all about development works getting stalled and wrecked. ''The time has come to give him a permanent farewell from politics. But I have a request. Aashiq ka janaaza hai, zara dhoom se nikle. Defeat him with a massive margin and make him sit at home,'' Shah told the gathering. Shah said Singh coined terms like ''bhagwa atankwaad'' (saffron terror), used 'saheb' while referring to Pakistani terrorist Hafiz Saeed. hugged Zakik Naik (Islamic television evangelist accused of brainwashing youths), opposed the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru as well as ban on PFI. Rajgarh along with eight other Lok Sabha seats will vote on May 7 in the third phase of Lok Sabha elections.

Amit Shah: PM Modi`s guarantee, Uniform Civil Code will be implemented in India

Amit Shah, during his rally amid Lok Sabha Elections 2024, chastised Rahul Gandhi and Digvijaya Singh for refusing to attend Ayodhya Ram Mandir consecration

SC verdict on EVM a vindication of our faith in institutions: PM Modi in Bihar rallies

SC verdict on EVM a vindication of our faith in institutions: PM Modi in Bihar rallies Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday asserted that the Supreme Court judgment on Electronic Voting Machines was a ''tight slap'' to the Congress-led opposition which must ''apologise'' for committing the ''sin'' of creating distrust against EVMs. The prime minister, who addressed back-to-back election rallies at Araria and Munger Lok Sabha constituencies in Bihar, also charged the opposition with trying to ''steal'' reservations meant for OBCs, SCs and STs ''for the sake of their favourite vote bank of Muslims''. ''When the Congress, the RJD and other INDI alliance parties were in power, the poor, backwards and Dalits used to be deprived of their votes through booth capture. With the introduction of Electronic Voting Machines, they are no longer able to play their old game. Hence, they committed the sin of creating distrust against EVMs,'' alleged the Prime Minister in Araria. ''But today, the highest court of the land has delivered a verdict a few hours earlier which comes as a tight slap to these parties'', said Modi, referring to the judgment by which pleas seeking cross-verification of votes cast through EVMs with VVPAT have been rejected. The prime minister also accused the Congress of having ''stolen'' reservations meant for the OBCs and transferring the benefits to Muslims in Karnataka, where the party is in power and wanted to replicate the ''conspiracy'' in the rest of the country, including in Bihar where its ally RJD has ''not spoken a word against'' the move in the southern state. ''Being an OBC myself, I know the hardships faced by the backward classes'', said Modi, adding ''In future, they may loot reservations for SCs and STs as well''. Claiming that the previous government headed by Manmohan Singh had given its ''assent'' for reservations to Muslims, the prime minister slammed the Congress and its ''ecosystem'' for ''trying to browbeat me, without success''. ''I will not allow reservations meant for SCs, STs and OBCs to be diverted for vote bank politics. This is Modi's guarantee'', he said. Reiterating that the Congress manifesto bore ''the imprint of Muslim League'', Modi said the party's ''injustice towards Hindus stands exposed''. ''I say the poor have the first claim on the country's resources. Congress, RJD and their allies say the first claim is of their vote bank. They want to steal your belongings, even mangalsutras of women'', he alleged. Modi also tore into Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and technocrat Sam Pitroda, without mentioning either of them by name, alleging ''the Shehzada (crown prince) of the Congress and his Guru do not want you to bequeath your property to your children. They have come up with the dreadful idea of imposing inheritance tax''. He also coined a slogan ''Congress ki loot, zindagi ke saath bhi zindagi ke baad bhi'', to allege that the opposition party wanted to rob people of their belongings during their lifetime and after their death, deprive their offspring of the same. ''The RJD is quiet on the Congress' plans to track every citizen's wealth and snatch away 50 per cent of it if the INDI alliance came to power. Both allies want to enjoy the loot'', charged the PM. In Munger, the prime minister also referred to the world-renowned Bihar School of Yoga and lashed out at ''those with a slave mentality'' for ''handing over to the foreigners what was an ancient discipline with origins in our land''. He also said, ''These opposition parties also display their slave mentality when they ridicule me for calling India the mother of democracy''. The Prime Minister also referred to Iqbal Ansari, the Muslim litigant in the Ayodhya title suit and his ''proud presence at the consecration of Ram temple,'' adding ''The Congress and INDI alliance refused the invite. It is time to teach a lesson to this arrogant lot''. Modi also underscored the need for a healthy voter turnout, in the backdrop of the same having been lower than usual in the first phase, saying ''On the polling day, the atmosphere should be festive, leaving behind the acrimony during campaign''. ''The current elections are crucial for the country's future with regard to its economic and defence capabilities. I urge the people, especially the youth, to come out and vote in large numbers,'' said Modi.

Shah: UCC Implementation in MP Fulfills BJP Pledge, Modi's Commitment

Shah: UCC Implementation in MP Fulfills BJP Pledge, Modi's Commitment Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said that while the Congress party's poll manifesto promises to retain religious personal law, it is the BJP's promise and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guarantee to implement a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the country. For the Congress, Muslims have the first right over the country's resources, but for the BJP, the poor, Dalits, Other Backward Classes and tribals have the first right, he said while addressing an election rally in support of Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, who is BJP's candidate from the Guna Lok Sabha seat in Madhya Pradesh. ''Read the Congress manifesto carefully. They have said that they will reintroduce personal law...They want to bring Muslim personal law. They want to bring back triple talaq...Can this country be run by Sharia (Islamic law)?'' Shah asked. Attacking Rahul Gandhi, he said, ''Rahul baba do whatever you feel like doing for appeasement. As long as BJP is there, no personal law will be introduced. This country will be run by UCC and the Constitution. This is our Constitution's spirit. We have implemented UCC in Uttarakhand.'' ''It is our promise and Modiji's guarantee that UCC will be enforced in the entire country,'' he added. PM Modi scrapped Article 370 on August 5, 2019 at once, Shah said. ''Rahul baba used to scare me saying rivers of blood will flow through Kashmir if Article 370 is abrogated. Rahul baba, this is not a Congress government, this is Narendra Modi's government. Leave aside blood, even a pebble could not be thrown there in the last five years,'' he said. PM Modi eradicated terrorism and Naxalism in the country, he said, adding that the Naxal menace in Madhya Pradesh was also eliminated by the government. ''For Congress, Muslims have the first right over the country's resources. But for BJP, the poor, Dalits, Other Backward Classes and tribals have the first right over them,'' he added. The Congress governments in the past kept sitting on the Mandal Commission's report that recommended reservation, Shah alleged. He also accused the grand old party of creating hurdles on the Ram temple issue for 70 years. ''But within five years, the Modi government laid the foundation of the temple and also held the consecration ceremony. Congress former presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi were invited for the event, but they did not have a time to attend it,'' Shah said. On the other hand, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav took his cabinet colleagues along to Ayodhya to take darshan of Ram Lalla, he added. In Guna Lok Sabha constituency, the Congress has pitted Yadvendra Singh Yadav against BJP candidate and Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. In the 2019 elections, Scindia lost the election as a Congress candidate to BJP nominee K P Yadav by a margin of over 1.21 lakh votes. Before losing the election from Guna last time, Scindia had won the seat four times since 2002. His father Madhavrao and his grandmother Vijayaraje had also represented the seat. When he was in the Congress, Scindia was considered close to Rahul Gandhi. But in 2020, he rebelled against the party and joined the BJP, resulting in the collapse of the Kamal Nath-led government in Madhya Pradesh.

Karnataka witnesses 38.23% voter turnout in 14 LS segments in the first half

Cricketing legend Anil Kumble, Ayodhya Ram Mandir`s Ram lalla sculptor Arun Yogiraj and former Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde were among prominent persons who cast their votes during the day

Religious Tourism spots like Varanasi and Ayodhya may soon outshine Goa and Agra

Religious Tourism spots like Varanasi and Ayodhya may soon outshine Goa and Agra By Nikhil Dedha Recent data shows that post COVID religious inclinations of Indians have become stronger resulting in an accelerated momentum towards religious tourism. According to the Ministry of Tourism data, last year 8.5 crores of tourists visited Varanasi(Kashi), around 4.5 crore people visited Prayagraj and more than 1.5 crores of people have visited Ayodhya Ram temple since the consecration ceremony. Many experts feel Varanasi will outdo Goa, Agra, and Shimla. During the COVID period when the temples were closed down, our Prime Minister thought let's make the temples a place where everybody would like to visit. So we came up with the idea of having the Kashi Vishwanath corridor. It has changed the entire tourism scenario of the state and in year 2023 we had more than 10 crore tourists said Preeti Srivastava, Deputy Director, Department of Tourism, Government of Uttar Pradesh to ANI. Government of Uttar Pradesh is promoting the new golden triangle of Prayagraj, Kashi and Ayodhaya as a golden triangle of religious tourism. Now everybody is benefiting. Even the small washerman, he's also getting business because he's washing the linen of the hotels. The vegetable seller, everybody is benefiting. The rickshaw pullers, the flower sellers and local Prasad shops. Now the new golden triangle is coming up that is Ayodhya, Prayagraj and Varanasi said Preeti. The transformative impact of projects like the Kashi Vishwanath corridor, has revitalized Varanasi's tourism sector, leading to a substantial increase in tourist footfall and allied economic activities. The surge in tourism has not only boosted local businesses but also generated substantial revenue for the state. As per the data by the Ministry of Tourism 1,439 million people participated in religious tourism in India during 2022, it is more than double from 677 million in 2021. In 2022, religious tourism destinations earned Rs1.34 lakh crore in revenue, up from Rs65,070 crore in 2021. In 2022, Varanasi had 82 million visitors, which is almost four times the number of visitors in 2019. This number accounted for almost 26% of all arrivals in 2022, compared to less than 4 per cent in 2019. Varanasi's tourist footfall has surpassed Agra, which is home to the Taj Mahal, and has made it the most visited city in Uttar Pradesh. PM Narendra Modi also mentioned in his address on the 103rd episode of radio program 'Mann Ki Baat' that Now more than 10 crore tourists are reaching Kashi every year. The number of devotees visiting pilgrimages like Ayodhya, Mathura, Ujjain is also increasing rapidly. Due to this lakhs of poor are getting employment. According to the industry experts the religious tourism sector is expected to generate a revenue of Rs 59 billion by 2028 and create 140 million temporary and permanent jobs by 2030. Under central government's Swadesh Darshan Scheme, an outlay of Rs 5294 crore has been allocated for the development of theme-based tourist circuits. A total of 76 projects have been sanctioned under the project which covers popular religious destinations across different states of India. These includes Buddhist circuit, Ramayana circuit and Krishna circuit. The Ministry of tourism has also started the Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD) scheme to improve the religious tourism experience by identifying and developing pilgrimage sites across India.(ANI)

Akshaya Tritiya 2024: Date, Yogas And Auspicious Timings

Astrologer Pandit Kalki Ram from Ayodhya said that Akshaya Tritiya is annually observed on the Tritiya Tithi of Shukla Paksha in the month of Vaishakh.

Will nix Muslim quota in Telangana, give it to SCs, STs, BCs: Amit Shah

SIDDIPET: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said that the BJP would revoke the Muslim quota implemented by the BRS and Congress governments in Telangana and extend it to SC, ST and OBC communities if it retains power at the Centre. Addressing a public meeting organised here in support of BJP Medak candidate M Raghunandan Rao, Shah alleged that the BRS and Congress colluded with each other to loot the state. Elect BJP candidates, Modi will free Telangana from corruption, he said. Shah exuded confidence that the BJP would win 12 of the 17 Lok Sabha seats in the state. Terming the Congress and BRS as two sides of the same coin, he urged people to make Modi the prime minister for the third consecutive time to ensure comprehensive development of Telangana and eradicate corruption in the state. Listing the abrogation of Article 370 in Kashmir, making triple talaq illegal and the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya as the achievements of the BJP government under Modis leadership, Shah said that the Centre overcame legal hurdles for the temple construction and celebrated its completion on a global scale. He alleged that during the 10-year rule of the BRS, corruption was rampant in the name of Kaleshwaram and Dharani portal while the four-month-old Congress government turned Telangana into an ATM for Delhi. The Congress and BRS are colluding with each other. That is why the Congress government is not probing the Dharani scam and Kaleshwaram irregularities, Shah alleged. He alleged that the Congress and BRS were against construction of the Ram temple and also criticised the two parties for failing to observe Telangana Liberation Day on September 17 as they were afraid of the AIMIM. BJP will win 12 seats in TG, 400 across country, says Shah He said that the BJP was not afraid of MIM and that is why the Union government officially celebrated Telangana Liberation Day. Expressing confidence in the support of Telangana people for Modi, Shah predicted that the BJP would win 12 seats in the state and 400 across the country. He urged the people to vote for Raghunandan Rao in Medak and strengthen the hands of Modi. Shah thanked the people for flocked to the meeting in large numbers despite the scorching sun. BJP leader Eatala Rajender, Raghunandan Rao, G Anjireddy and others were also present.

Meerut: Battle of perception with Ram chant in land of revolution

LUCKNOW: Yeh Arun Govil ji ka election hee nahin raha. Yeh Ram ki pratishtha ka election hai (This isnt an election for Arun Govil but for the prestige of Lord Ram). We will do everything to get a high voting percentage, is the common refrain among the BJP cadre in Meerut, the land of revolution, which is poised for a battle of perceptions in the Lok Sabha elections. Remember, the first war of Independence in 1857 began in Meerut. The constituency goes to polls on Friday. While the BJP is riding on the perception of Lord Ram to see Arun Govil, the silver screen Ram of 1987 TV serial, sail through, the Opposition INDIA bloc is confident that Samajwadi Party candidate Sunita Verma will pose a strong challenge because of her popularity among the Dalits and Muslims and her perception of being a good former Mayor. Muslims and Dalits constitute over 50% of electorate in Meerut, making it a formidable combination. The BSP, too, is a claimant of the same combo, with Mayawati giving the ticket to Devvrat Tyagi. Since all the three main candidates belonging to the majority community, the division of Hindu votes is inevitable. It is expected to put the BJP at a disadvantage. BJPs experienced MP Rajendra Agarwal had to make way for Govil. In 2019, Agarwal defeated BSPs Haji Mohammad Yaqoob with a thin margin of little over 4,700 votes. Govil, though tagged as an outsider by his rivals, is commanding attention and respect from the generation of viewers of the 80s, and also the section that got introduced to him via the telecast of Ramayan during the Covid period. Leading the campaign in a simple kurta-pyjama, he is striving to shed his outsider tag through his promise of making Meerut, which is his janmabhoomi (birth place), his karmabhoomi (workplace) and permanent abode. But SPs Sunita, who belongs to the Dalit community, dismisses Govil as a false Ram, claiming elections cant be fought on a past imagery. BJP has committed a mistake by fielding Arun Govil, who does not belong to Meerut. Lord Ram is in Ayodhya, not on roads seeking votes. There could have been some fight if the ruling party candidate hailed from the constituency. I see no challenge, says Sunita, the former BSP mayor of Meerut who switched over to the SP. It was after much flip-flop that Sunita got the ticket. Initially, Bhanu Pratap Singh was the nominee. He was replaced by sitting SP MLA from Sardhana Atul Pradhan who, was seeking the ticket for his wife. Pradhan was finally axed and Sunita chosen instead. However, BJP workers are confident of Govils win, hoping the Dalit-Muslim votes would be divided between the SP-Congress and the BSP. It is also depending on the Jat support from the RLD.

Polling Begins for Bypolls in Three Lok Sabha Seats of Chhattisgarh

Polling Begins for Bypolls in Three Lok Sabha Seats of Chhattisgarh Polling began Friday morning in Naxal-affected Kanker, Rajnandgaon and Mahasamund Lok Sabha constituencies in Chhattisgarh in the second phase of general elections.The polling comes days after 29 Naxalites were killed in an encounter with security personnel in Kanker district on April 16. Altogether 41 candidates, including former chief minister Bhupesh Baghel and former state home minister Tamradhwaj Sahu, are in the fray in a direct fight between the ruling BJP and opposition Congress. Of the eight assembly segments in Kanker Lok Sabha constituency, polling began in Antagarh, Bhanupratappur, Keshkal and Kanker assembly segments at 7 am and will end at 3 pm, an election official said. In four other assembly segments, Sihawa, Sanjari-Balod, Daundilohara and Gunderdehi, the polling began at 7 am and will conclude at 6 pm. In Rajnandgaon Lok Sabha constituency, except Manpur-Mohla assembly segment where polling is being held from 7 am to 3 pm, polling in all other seven assembly segments began at 7 am and will end at 6 pm. The polling time in the Mahasamund constituency is 7 am to 6 pm, except in nine sensitive polling booths under Bindranawagarh assembly segment, where it is being held from 7 am to 3 pm. In Kanker Lok Sabha constituency, extra vigil is being maintained by security forces in view of the Naxal threat, the official said. Of the 41 candidates, 15 are in Rajnandgaon, 17 in Mahasamund and 9 in Kanker Lok Sabha seat. There are 52,84,938 eligible voters, including 26,05,350 men, 26,79,528 women and 60 members of the third gender in the three seats. There are 7,363 service voters, 51,306 'divyang' (differently-abled) voters, 1,62,624 voters in the age group of 18 to 19 years, 16,643 in the age group of above 85 years of age and 498 voters above 100 years of age. Altogether 6,567 polling booths have been set up in the constituencies and of them, 330 will be 'Sangwari' (managed by women personnel) booths, 120 'adarsh' polling booths while 28 booths will be managed by 'diyangjan' and 117 by youth. While 23 polling booths have been categorised as vulnerable, 458 have been marked as critical, the official said. A total of 32,907 polling personnel have been deployed for the second phase. Helicopters were used to ferry 72 polling personnel for 9 polling booths of remote and sensitive areas of Kanker seat and 15 polling personnel in two polling booths of Mahasamund seat on Wednesday. The 6,556 polling teams were dispatched to their destinations through buses on Thursday, the official said. Voting for all the 11 Lok Sabha seats in Chhattisgarh is being held in three phases. Naxalite-hit Bastar (ST) constituency witnessed polling in the first phase on April 19. Seven seats will go to polls during the last phase in Chhattisgarh on May 7. The high-profile Rajnandgaon seat is seeing a contest between BJP MP Santosh Pandey and Congress' Bhupesh Baghel, former chief minister and incumbent MLA. The ruling BJP has dropped its sitting MPs in Mahasamund and Kanker seats and fielded former MLAs Rupkumari Chaudhary and Bhojraj Nag there respectively. Opposition Congress has fielded former state home minister Tamradhwaj Sahu in Mahasamund and senior leader Biresh Thakur in Kanker seat. Thakur lost the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Kanker. In 2019 Lok Sabha polls, BJP won 9 seats while Congress bagged two seats in Chhattisgarh. The high-octane campaign for the second phase of polls in Chhattisgarh saw acrimonious exchanges between the main rivals BJP and Congress over issues like corruption, Constitution and poll promises of the two parties. The saffron party's electioneering for the second phase saw rallies by prominent leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, while for the Congress, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra led the campaigning. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and party president Mallikarjun Kharge did not make an appearance in the campaign for the second phase of general elections in the state. Modi and Shah targeted Congress over its leaders remarks on the Constitution and on that partys leaders skipping the Ayodhya Ram temple consecration ceremony. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who addressed two rallies, mounted a counter offensive claiming her party was endeavouring to protect the interest of the poor while the BJP-led Central Government wanted to change the Constitution and curtail people's rights.

BJP Stands for British Janata Party, Says Revanth

Hyderabad: Dubbing BJP as the British Janata Party, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Thursday alleged that BJP was adopting the policy of 'divide and rule' and dividing people in the name of religion to win elections. He cautioned voters that if the BJP comes to power again, it will change the Constitution and abolish reservations for SCs, STs, and OBCs. He was speaking at a roadshow in Rajendranagar in support of the partys Chevella Lok Sabha candidate Gaddam Ranjith Reddy and Secunderabad Cantonment in support of Malkajgiri candidate Patnam Sunitha Mahender Reddy and Secunderabad Cantonment Assembly by-election candidate Narayanan Sri Ganesh. Addressing the gatherings, Reddy said that he BJP agenda is the same as that of the British. They wish to change the Constitution and abolish reservations. But Congress' agenda is to safeguard the Constitution and protect reservations. If you want social justice and reservations, ensure the Congress victory. Appealing to voters to elect Ranjith Reddy as Chevella MP with a big majority, he said, Ranjith Reddy is a good leader who works for the welfare and development of all sections. I need an MP like him for the speedy development of the constituency. Our Congress government will be in power in the state for the next 10 years. If Ranjith Reddy is elected as MP, we both will work in coordination and ensure speedy implementation of development works such as an extension of MMTS to Chevella and Vikarabad and Musi riverfront development to reduce pollution. Revanth Reddy said that if people elect an MP from opposition parties, they will only create hurdles for the Congress government in the state. He lashed out at BJP leaders for seeking votes in the name of Lord Ram, Lord Hanuman, and Ayodhya temple. We are also devotees of all gods. Gods should be in temples and bhakti (devotion) should be in our hearts. But BJP leaders are bringing gods onto the streets and begging for votes, Revanth said.

Etala questions motive behind Congress chargesheet against BJP

Finance minister Etala RajenderFinance minister Etala Rajender on Tuesday said that unemployment was a problem being faced by all governments today and not all problems should be looked at from a political angle. Finance minister Etala RajenderFinance minister Etala Rajender on Tuesday said that unemployment was a problem being faced by all governments today and not all problems should be looked at from a political angle. Hyderabad: BJP candidate from Malkajgiri Lok Sabha constituency Etala Rajender on Thursday said that the Telangana voters will file a chargesheet against the Congress on May 13, the polling day for 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana. Reacting to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy releasing a chargesheet against the BJP, Rajender asked Revanth Reddy to speak out whether the chargesheet against Prime Minister Narendra Modi is because he fully integrated Jammu and Kashmir with India and brought back peace in the valley by abrogating Article 370. Is it because Modi constructed a grand temple in Ayodhya as per the wishes of Indians? Was the chargesheet prepared since Modi constructed four crore houses for the poor? He asked Revanth Reddy whether the chargesheet is released against BJP for not indulging in Bofors Scam, Coal Scam and 2G Scam. He listed out several works carried out by the Modi government and asked the TPCC leader to file a chargesheet for excellent work carried out in the last 10 years.

Yogi Adityanath rakes up Ayodhya firing to attack Dimple Yadav amid mangalsutra row

Yogi Adityanath rakes up Ayodhya firing to attack Dimple Yadav amid mangalsutra row

People Eager for Modis Return, Reject Corrupt Era: Sangita Reddy

Hyderabad: Sangita Reddy, the wife of BJP Chevella candidate Konda Vishweshwar Reddy, said it was imperative for the voters to choose wisely as the outcome of the Lok Sabha elections would determine the fate of the nation and the prospects of the children. Speaking at Maheshwaram, Sangita Reddy said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was widely recognised as a global leader and would make the country a Vishwaguru. His tenure had seen a remarkable transformation across various sectors, spanning economic development, defence, manufacturing, and diplomacy. Modi's leadership during the Covid pandemic had garnered praise worldwide, she said. The construction of the Lord Rama temple at Ayodhya after a span of 500 years was a testament to his commitment to cultural and religious heritage. His efforts had lifted 400 million people out of poverty, she said. We are highly optimistic of Konda Vishweshwar Reddy securing a resounding victory with a substantial majority. This confidence stems from the remarkable support we are witnessing in favour of the BJP, she said.

Lok Sabha Election: Ayodhya ?

Lok Sabha Election: (Ayodhya City) (Ayodhya Lok Sabha Seat) (Ram Temple) ?

Congress not probing scams under BRS regime, says Amit Shah

Hyderabad: Union Minister of Home and Cooperation Amit Shah on Thursday alleged that the Congress was not investigating scams that took place during BRS regime. Addressing a massive rally in Medak Lok Sabha constituency, he said whether it was Kaleswaram or land scam, Congress failed to probe them. He said in the last ten years, the NDA government solved longstanding problems faced by the nation. The Congress and BRS never wanted construction of Sri Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has abrogated Article 370 and integrated Kashmir with India forever, he said. According to Shah, the BRS and Congress are inundated with corruption here. The Congress made Telangana Delhis ATM. Both BRS and the Congress were hand in glove. Elect Modi for the third term and he will liberate Telangana from corruption, he assured. The Congress and BRS never celebrate the Telangana Liberation Day as they are afraid of Majlis. The BJP will celebrate the Telangana Liberation Day because it is not afraid of Majlis. The BJP has decided to abolish the Muslim reservation extended by the Congress and BRS and give it to the SCs, STs and OBCs. The people of Telangana have decided to elect the BJP candidates in every constituency. I want to assure the people of Telangana that the development of the entire Telangana is possible when there is a BJP in Telangana, he said.

Spiritual Tourism: An Emerging Catalyst Transforming Real Estate Growth in India

Ayodhya, Varanasi, Vrindavan, Haridwar, and Tirupati stand out and witnessing unprecedented growth in sipritual tourism

Headline - Amit Shah Accuses Congress of Exploiting Telangana for Delhi's Financial Needs

Headline - Amit Shah Accuses Congress of Exploiting Telangana for Delhi's Financial Needs Senior BJP leader Amit Shah on Thursday alleged that the ruling Congress in Telangana has made the state 'Delhi's ATM', within a short span of coming to power. The union home minister was addressing an election rally at Siddipet in the state in support of BJP candidate from Medak Lok Sabha constituency M Raghunandan Rao. ''In such a short time, Congress party has made Telangana 'Delhi's ATM'. Congress party is not investigating the corruption of TRS (BRS), whether it is Kaleshwaram (project) or land scam. TRS and Congress party, both are in cahoots. You make Modi ji PM for third term, Narendra Modi ji will liberate Telangana from this corruption,'' he said. Congress assumed power in Telangana in December last year after its victory in the Legislative Assembly elections. Claiming that the Telangana people are with Modi this time, he said the people of the state have decided to make BJP victorious in every seat. Telangana's comprehensive development can happen only if a BJP government is formed at the Centre, he said. Alleging that the Congress and the BRS were not at all in favour of building the Ram temple in Ayodhya, he said Modi, in five years, won the court case in the matter and performed 'bhumi puja' for the temple construction and also its consecration. Shah claimed that the BJP-led government at the Centre, in 10 years, has addressed problems that plagued the country for a long time. By abolishing Article 370, Modi has integrated Kashmir with the country forever, he said. He claimed that the BJP has decided to end the ''Muslim reservation'' facilitated in Telangana by Congress and BRS and make it SC, ST, OBC quota. He also alleged that Congress and BRS did not celebrate ''Telangana Liberation Day'' (September 17, 1948 when the erstwhile princely state of Hyderabad under Nizam rule merged with the Indian Union) due to ''fear of Majlis (AIMIM)''. BJP celebrates September 17 and it is not afraid of AIMIM, he said. Shah urged the gathering to ensure the BJP is victorious in 12 seats (of total 17) in Telangana. Every vote given to Raghunandan Rao would help in making Modi PM again, he said.

Lake County Hindu Mandir celebrates Ram Navmi

Geetha Patil CHICAGO: The Hindu Mandir of Lake County, Grayslake, a Chicago suburb, celebrated the first Chaitra Navaratri Devi Pujan, Kanya Pujan, and Ram Navami after the Pran Pratishta of Lord Ram Lalla at Ayodhya Ram Janmabhoomiwith immense zeal and devotion on Apr 16 and 17, 2024. Hundreds of devotees from Greater Chicago area attended []

Vote for BJP is a vote in favour of patriots, says Amit Shah

The Union Home Minister targeted Uddhav Thackeray, Sharad Pawar and Rahul Gandhi for insulting Lord Rama by skipping the Ayodhya Ram temple consecration

INDIA Bloc Considering 'One Year, One PM Formula', Says Modi

Asking people to vote for the BJP, Modi said their one vote has ensured that Indian economy jumped from the 11th spot to the 5th place in ten years and a grand Ram temple was built in Ayodhya after a wait of 500 years

I'm not interested in caste but in justice...: Rahul Gandhi

I'm not interested in caste but in justice...: Rahul Gandhi Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Wednesday that he was not interested in caste but in justice, adding that it's his life's mission and not a political issue. The Congress MP was speaking at 'Samajik Nyay Sammelan' organized here in Delhi. I am not interested in caste. I am interested in justice. It is not a political issue for me, it is my life's mission. While there can sometimes be a compromise on politics, there can never be any compromise on life mission, Rahul Gandhi said. He further said that Congress has always done revolutionary things like fighting for the country's freedom, bringing constitution and democracy, the Green Revolution, the White Revolution, bank nationalisation or abolishing the Privy Purses. Similarly, the caste census will be another revolutionary measure, he said. The Congress leader further said that after seventy years of independence, it was very important to assess where the country stands and what direction it should take from here. Gandhi said that the backwards, the Dalits, the Adivasis and the minorities together constitute about '90 per cent' of the country's population, and yet their representation in different sectors and institutions was nil or at best negligible. Take any institution, be it the media or the corporate houses, private hospitals, universities or even the judiciary, the representation from the 90 per cent population was either nil or quite negligible, he said. Referring to the Prime Minister's criticism, Gandhi pointed out that he had not yet suggested any solution but the only way to identify the problem like an X-ray and still the national media and Prime Minister Modi had started accusing him of dividing the people and the country. I don't think anybody should have any objection to an X-ray, he observed. He said, if you want to become a superpower and if you want to compete with countries like China, you can't do it without engaging the '90 per cent' population of the country which is still marginalised. Pointing out how marginalised this section of the population was, which includes the Adivasis, he referred to the inauguration of the new parliament building. He said, ideally the president, who is the head of the state should have been inaugurating it, but she was not let to do that as she was an Adivasi. Similarly, he added, no Dalits, backwards or Adivasis could be seen at the inauguration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. Gandhi said that including the caste census in the party's manifesto was the first step towards that direction. Note it down, no power can stop caste census from taking place, he said, asserting, It is not a political issue for me, but my life's mission. (ANI)

Gandhi siblings Ayodhya stop likely before Amethi, Raebareli visits: Sources

Gandhi siblings Ayodhya stop likely before Amethi Raebareli visits Sources

Fear Of Sonia Gandhi: Amit Shah Targets Uddhav Thackeray Over Ayodhya Event

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday lashed out at Uddhav Thackeray for not attending the 'Pran Pratishtha' of Ram Lalla at the Ayodhya temple and alleged that he turned down the invitation due to 'fear' of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi.

Revanth speaking out of fear of defeat: D.K. Aruna

Hyderabad : BJP national vice president D.K. Aruna flayed Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and said instead of delivering on his promises he was visiting the district to criticise her and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Chief Minister, she opined, had come six times to the district indicating that he fears Congress defeat in Mahbubnagar. Addressing the media, she said, Apart from abusing me the CM has entrusted the task to his acolytes also. The CM is on a temple spree and is making promises in the name of gods in view of the elections. They are trying to cheat the people. The CM has failed to keep his promise of farm loan waiver by December 9. The pledged `4,000 pension, allowance for women, unemployment dole for youth, `500 bonus for paddy have not been given and Congress has no right to seek votes. In contrast, Aruna opined the BJP was seeking votes on the basis of funds allocated by the Centre to Telangana for developing railway lines and national highways. We brought CAA, constructed a temple in Ayodhya, abolished Article 370, banned Triple Talaq and introduced 33 per cent reservation for women in legislative bodies. The Centre is giving mudra loans, free ration to the poor and is providing input subsidies to farmers. What is the state government doing? she asked. Reeling out pending payments to the state government employees, the Mahbubnagar candidate informed that the state has failed to give a matching grant of 40 per cent to the KGBV employees, four DAs are pending for constables and employees and the Chief Minister has not held any review at his level on the problems of employees. If I win, I can secure much-needed funds for the completion of railway works, construction of AIIMS and bringing a sainik school to the district. There is no way Congress is going to win 14 MP seats in the state. Revanth has taken a cue from KCR and is following his footsteps, she said.

Poll hustle bustle missing in Jammu as LS poll campaigning for 2nd phase nears end

SRI NAGAR: The poll-related hustle and bustle is missing in Jammu, where the election campaigning for second phase of polling for Jammu Lok Sabha seat is nearing to an end and contesting candidates are switching to door to door campaigning. The Jammu LS seat in J&K spread over four districts Jammu, Samba, Reasi and a lone Assembly constituency from Rajouri will go to polls in the second phase of polling on April 26. There has been low-key profile campaigning by the candidates of BJP, Congress and independents. About 22 candidates including BJPs two-time sitting MP Jugal Kishore and J&K Congress Working president Raman Bhalla are in the fray. Home Minister Amit Shah and Anurag Thakur have campaigned for BJP candidate while senior Congress leader Sachin Pilot and Raj Babbar campaigned for Bhalla. Barring the campaigning by two leaders for each candidate, both the BJP and Congress candidates have been left to fend off for themselves as the star campaigners stayed away from poll campaigning in Jammu. Ayodhya is not a poll factor in Jammu, the city of temples The contestants instead of holding bigger election rallies are focusing on small corner meetings and door-to-door campaigns to garner support. In the absence of big election rallies, big hoardings and posters of contesting candidates and parties are missing in Jammu. There is no poll-related hustle and bustle and major poll activity in the city. Only the occasional vehicles fitted with small public address systems pass by to announce the poll agenda of the candidate. On the final day of campaigning today, the BJP and Congress candidates will be holding roadshows to garner public support. There is near total silence. There is very little poll-related noise this time. It seems as if polls are not taking place. In the past there always used to be poll hustle and bustle many days before the polls. But this time around there is a lackluster poll campaign, said a Jammu resident, Chaman Lal, a driver by profession. A shopkeeper Jai Prakash agrees with Lal saying this is the first time in past few decades that Jammu is not witnessing usual poll-related hustle and bustle of the Lok Sabha polls this time. He said this is also because people are not showing much interest in the polls because of their economic activities. The business is down and people are more concerned about their livelihood rather than attending the poll events of the contesting candidates, said Prakash. With the poll campaign nearing its end, the contestants are now focusing on social media and door-to-door campaigns to put forth their point of view to gain voters' confidence ahead of polls. BJP candidate Jugal Kishore said the poll campaign this year has been lackluster because of measures taken by the Election Commission. The contesting candidates are not being allowed to move in huge convoys as they will have to face the wrath of the Election Commission. Besides, the polls and banners being erected by the parties are being removed by the EC officials, said a political leader. He said this has forced parties and contestants to go for low-key poll campaigning A total of 17,80,738 voters including 9,21,053 male voters and 8,59,657 female voters are eligible to vote. About 2,416 polling stations have been set up across the LS constituency.

Those who opposed Ram Mandir are now calling themselves devotees: BJP

NEW DELHI: The BJPs seven candidates for the Lok Sabha elections on Tuesday reached at different temples in their respective constituencies to offer prayers on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti. Collectively, the party leaders recited Hanuman Chalisa across 9,745 locations in the national capital amidst an attendance of lakhs of devotees and party supporters. Today, inspired by the devotion of Hanuman Ji, workers have reached every voter with the message of Modi Jis guarantee, a senior party leader said. Delhi BJPs Lok Sabha election in-charge Om Prakash Dhankhar participated in the recitation of the Hanuman Chalisa with workers at Hanuman Temple, Rajnagar, Dwarka, and state president Virendra Sachdeva at the Hanuman Temple, Connaught Place. Sachdeva said that Delhi has suffered from corruption for a few years, and development has reached a standstill. Todays collective recitation of the Hanuman Chalisa has been organised with the hope for the development and prosperity of Delhi, he stated. We have prayed for the good health of citizens. We have also prayed that Delhi gets rid of corruption and gets a leader who is a devotee of Lord Ram, Sachdeva said. He said that Delhiites and the people of the country have seen those faces who opposed the Ram Temple until 2022 and now call themselves Ram devotees. Notably, on April 21, the Delhi BJP, giving a saffron touch to its poll campaign, hosted a mega conclave of Hindu priests, saints and seers in the national capital and celebrated the Hindu New Year along with the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. The BJP has replaced its all candidates except Manoj Tiwari from the North East seat. They opposed Ram Mandir The Delhi BJP president said Delhiites and the people of the country have seen those faces who opposed the Ram Temple until 2022 and now call themselves devotees of Lord Ram.

Pak acknowledges Indias targeted elimination of terrorists: Yogi

LUCKNOW: Critical of the Congress and Samajwadi Party (SP) on handling terror incidents, UP CM Yogi Adityanath said that while Congress government conveniently looked the other way when ever a terrorist incident occurred, the Samajwadi Party, on the other, crossed all limits by having the audacity to withdraw cases against terrorists who attacked Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya and Sankat Mochan Temple in Kashi. However, the judiciary thwarted SPs intentions, he added while addressing public rallies in Amroha and Baghpat on Tuesday. The CM sought votes for BJP candidate Kanwar Singh Tanwar and RLDs Dr Rajkumar Sangwan respectively. The CM warned against the consequences of entrusting power in wrong hands, which, he claimed, could potentially fuel terrorism whereas endorsing the BJP would ensure a staunch approach to quelling terrorism emanating from across the border. Today, Pakistan acknowledges Indias targeted elimination of terrorists. While launching an attack on Congress candidate Danish Ali, a BSP turn coat, in Amroha, Yogi said that he was the one who had problem in chanting Bharat Mata ki Jai. Meanwhile, in Baghpat, Yogi claimed that Congress had promised personal law for a specific community thereby enforcing Shariat in the country. This indicates that Congress and INDI Alliance are a threat to the Constitution of India, he alleged adding all the INDI Alliance partners had come with their fake manifestos. They claim that they will remove poverty at once. When they are removed from power, they are reminded of removing the poverty. Both Congress and SP have had the history of grabbing properties, said the CM.

HC Tells Police To Consider Adding IPC Section Against BJP MLAs for Hate Speeches

Mumbai: The Maharashtra Police on Tuesday informed the Bombay High Court that criminal cases have been registered against BJP leaders Nilesh Rane and Geeta Jain for their alleged offensive speeches during the Mira Road violence in January 2024. While four FIRs have been registered against Rane, a separate FIR has been registered against Jain. The court asked the state government to consider if section 295A (acts to outrage religious feelings) of IPC should be added in the FIRs. The FIRs have been registered under sections 153A (promoting enmity between groups on ground of religion etc.), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke) and 506 (criminal intimidation) and other relevant provisions of the IPC. The police also told the court that 13 cases have been registered regarding the violence that erupted in Mira Road between January 22 and January 26. A division bench of Justice Revati Mohite-Dere and Justice Manjusha Deshpande was hearing a writ petition seeking action against MLAs Nitesh Rane, Geeta Jain, and T. Raja for allegedly delivering hate speeches and inciting violence. The court has directed the state to file an affidavit by June 12, and kept the case for further hearing on June 19. The affidavit must also state whether section 295A of IPC will be invoked against the accused. The bench was informed that four FIRs have been registered against Rane in Mira-Bhayander, Gowandi, Malvani and Ghatkopar police stations of Maharashtra. One FIR has been registered against Jain in Ghatkopar police station. The petitions had been filed against hate speeches and the violence that took place earlier this year in the Mira Road and Malwani areas, few days before the consecration of the Ram idol in Ayodhya.

EC Examines Congress Complaint Against PM Modi's Speech

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission of India on Tuesday said the poll body was examining the complaint filed by the Congress against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A complaint regarding the Prime Minister's speech has been received and is under consideration of the Commission, sources said. The opposition leaders, however, alleged that the ECI is dragging its feet as no action was taken on its previous complaints. The Congress in its complaint to ECI on Monday mentioned several circulars issued to the party, with regard to utterances during campaigns by the leaders and candidates, asking them to maintain decorum and not to use religion in campaigns. This is a very serious and uncalled for invasion and we hope and trust that the Election Commission, as it is on trial, irrespective of the status of the person will take appropriate action, said Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who was part of the Congress delegation that went to ECI. The CPMs Brinda Karat raised questions about the credibility of the ECI while terming Prime Ministers speech as a shocking statement. According to Karat, the Prime Ministers words violated Indian laws against inciting communal enmity and hate speech, yet the ECI has failed to take appropriate action. It is an absolutely shocking statement coming from the Prime Minister. It is almost unbelievable that the Prime Minister of a secular country like India should speak in those words quite frankly, he speaks as though a communal bigot speech. It is not befitting the Prime Minister of India. In the elections, to use such language is hate speech, extreme hate speech, Karat said. Former Maharashtra chief minister and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has questioned the impartiality of the ECI and accused it of different rules for different people. During the election campaign in Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana, Modi said Bajrang Bali ki jay and Union home minister Amit Shah had said if they are elected everyone will be taken for darshan of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya...yet we receive a letter from the election commission. Our party symbol is now Mashaal, we launched the Mashaal song for upcoming elections. When it was submitted to ECI, it asked us to remove two words Hindu ha tujha dharma and Jay Bhavani Jay Shivaji. ..I want to tell ECI, I will not remove it... Thackeray said on Sunday.

Why Raveri voters are pushing for a grand Sita temple

In Yavatmal-Washim, a unique election narrative unfolds around honoring Sita, advocating for a monumental temple akin to Ayodhya.

Congress considered itself greater than Lord Ram: PM in C'garh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on the Congress during an election rally in Chhattisgarh, accusing them of considering themselves 'bigger than Lord Ram' and engaging in divisive politics. He also highlighted the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya as a fulfillment of the country's hope and emphasized BJP's focus on the welfare of various sections of society.

Ola touches new milestone in Ayodhya, becomes first company to...

Ola founder Bhavish Aggarwal on LinkedIn shared the development, saying the company has installed a dedicated pickup zone.

Devotees throng Hanuman Garhi temple in Ayodhya on Hanuman Jayanti

Devotees throng Hanuman Garhi temple in Ayodhya on Hanuman Jayanti Thousands of devotees thronged Ayodhya's Hanuman Garhi Temple to offer prayers on the auspicious occasion of Hanuman Jayanti on Tuesday. In the visuals, devotees were seen standing in the queue, waiting for their chance to offer prayers. Several devotees also gathered at Hanuman Temple in Delhi's Connaught Place on the occasion to offer their prayers and seek the blessings of Lord Hanuman, known for his unwavering devotion, courage and strength. Hanuman Jayanti or Hanuman Janmotsav celebrates the birth of Lord Hanuman, an ardent follower of Lord Ram. This day falls on the full moon day (Purnima) of the Hindu lunar month of Chaitra, which typically occurs in March or April. The festivities are marked by colourful processions, cultural performances and the sharing of prasad. Meanwhile, the Delhi traffic police issued a traffic advisory in view of Hanuman Jayanti, guiding commuters to ensure a hassle-free journey. In a post on X, Delhi traffic police said, In view of Sunderkand Paath on the occasion of Hanuman Janmotsav by Marghat Wale Baba Hanuman Mandir Samiti on 23.04.2024, traffic restrictions and diversions will be effective. For commuters going towards Chatta Rail, Old Railway station, the Delhi police advised them to use Hanuman Setu Flyover to Kela Ghat to Chatta Rail to Old Delhi Railway Station route. For those coming from ISBT Kashmere Gate and going towards Old Delhi Railway Station, the police advised them to take a right turn from Salimgarh Fort to Y-Point to Hanuman Setu flyover to Kela Ghat to Chatta Ghat to Old Delhi Railway Station. Commuters coming from NS Marg/Old Delhi Railway station/GPO were advised to use Lothian Road to GPO to Kela Ghat to Ring Road to ISBT to Monastery to Nigam Bodh Ghat to opposite Hanuman Mandir to Outer Ring Road. As per the advisory, the police also issued some general instructions, advising people to avail public transport to help in decongestion of road, parking vehicles only at designated parking lots, and avoiding roadside parking. (ANI)

No one from Gandhi family visited Ayodhya: CM

Bhopal : Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav today attacked the Congress and said no one from Gandhi family visited Ayodhya for a darshan of Ramlala. CM Dr. Yadav was addressing the election rally after being present at the nomination of BJP candidate Mahendra Singh Solanki of Dewas-Shajapur Lok Sabha constituency. He said that Congress should... The post No one from Gandhi family visited Ayodhya: CM first appeared on Central India's Premier English Daily .

90 NRIs from 30 nations seek Ram's blessings in Ayodhya

Ayodhya prepares for the Chaurasi kosi yatra. 90 NRIs visit Ram temple, collect water from 156 countries for jalabhishek. BJP's Vijay Jolly leads. RSS's Ram Lal, VHP's Dinesh Chandra, temple trust's Champat Rai welcome the group.

Amitabh Bachchan Buys Land in Alibaug For Rs 10 Cr Months After Ayodhya Land Purchase: Report

Amitabh Bachchan has bought a new property in Alibaug, as per latest reports. The actor hasn't reacted to the news.

Ayodhya, Kashi target done, its Braj turn now, says Yogi

Oppn Conspire to Topple Cong. Govt, Says Revanth

Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Monday alleged that Opposition parties had hatched a conspiracy to topple the Congress government as they are unable to bear the successful implementation of five out of Six Guarantees within 100 days of coming to power. Revanth Reddy appealed to voters at election rallies in Adilabad, Nizamabad, and Malkajgiri Lok Sabha constituencies to thwart the conspiracies of the Opposition parties stating that if the Congress was defeated in the Lok Sabha polls or removed from power, it would be the people who will lose the benefits of Six Guarantees and welfare schemes of the Congress government. Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comments on Muslims, Revanth Reddy alleged that BJP leaders were trying to divert the attention of people from real issues concerning them such as unemployment, inflation among others by raising 'communal issues' to provoke one religion against the other. He said that even the family's property will be divided among the children following the due procedure and said statements made by Modi would not bring respect to a person of his stature who worked as Prime Minister and Chief Minister. He said that Modis comments were intended to divide the people on communal lines and said the legislation and the Constitution would not allow anybody to give one communitys assets or wealth to another community. He said such statements made by a person at the top would affect the secular fabric. He said the BJP was doing politics in the name of Lord Rama and the Ayodhya temple. He made it clear that he was proud of being a Hindu and he worshipped all Hindu Gods and Goddesses and village deities. Revanth Reddy said Hindus and Muslims support each other during their festivals. Hindus observe Peerilu in villages, while Muslims extend support to Hindus during Vinayaka Chavithi in Hyderabad. Some are using Gods for elections and political mileage. God should be in the temple. Bhakti should be in the heart and not in polling booths. This thought process is not good for our country, Revanth Reddy said. He said the Congress government would give irrigation water to the erstwhile Adilabad district by constructing the Pranahita Chevella project at Thummidihatti. He appealed to the people to vote for Congress candidates for the development of their respective districts. He said the Congress government will implement a crop loan waiver of up to Rs 2 lahks before August 15 and freshly took the oath on Goddess Basar Saraswati. He also promised to reopen the Adilabad unit of the Cement Corporation of India (CCI) under private management and to set up a university in the Adilabad district. The Kupti project will be constructed on the Kadam river to give water to the irrigation in Boath Assembly Constituency, said Revanth Reddy who criticised the BRS government for neglecting the construction of the project in ten years of its rule. He said the Kadam project was damaged due to the negligence of the previous government. He observed that former chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao was not interested in naming the Pranahita-Chevella Project after Dr B.R. Ambedkar or acknowledging the services of Vivek Venkatswamy. Revanth Reddy said Nizamabad candidate Jeevan Reddy would become Union agriculture minister in the I.N.D.I.A. government and would reopen the Nizam Sugar Factory before September 17 and set up a turmeric board if elected. Nizamabad farmers stand for self-respect, he said and equated them with Haryana and Punjab farmers who fought against the anti-farmer legislation. He pointed out that the Nizamabad farmers had taught a lesson to BRS MLC K. Kavitha who cheated them with false promises. Revanth Reddy said the order issued by the Centre had not said that a Turmeric Board would be opened in Nizamabad, and BJP MP Dharmapuri Arvind was cheating them with false claims.

Cgarh: Congress anti-Ram, anti-Sanatan: Nadda

Raipur: BJP national president J P Nadda on Monday termed Congress as anti-Ram and anti-Sanatan.Mr Nadda recalled that the UPA government-led by Dr Manmohan Singh had filed an affidavit in the court calling Lord Ram as a fiction and also questioned the silence of Congress over Tamil Nadu minister Udaynidhi Stalins offensive remarks against Sanatan religion comparing it with dreaded diseases such as Dengue and AIDS. Addressing three election meetings in Chhattisgarh, Mr Nadda said that Congress had spurned the invitation for the consecration ceremony of Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22 because of the partys concern for its vote bank.Congress has always been anti-Ram and anti-Sanatan, he said. He also accused Congress of patronising anti-national forces.Congress supremo Sonia Gandhi had cried when terrorists were killed in the Batla house encounter, Mr Nadda said.The BJP leader also launched a scathing attack on the INDIA bloc, calling it a group of political dynasties who are out to promote and protect their family members.When Prime Minister Narendra Modi calls for rooting out corruption, INDIA bloc leaders say save the corrupt, he said. He underlined various welfare measures undertaken by Mr Modi to uplift the weaker sections of the society such as women, farmers, dalits and tribals and said that the PM planned to create three crore Lakhpati didis (sisters) in the country. Mr Nadda said that the PM has changed the definition and style of politics in the country.Earlier, politics was done on the basis of religion and caste, he said and added that Mr Modi has destroyed it and introduced politics of development in the country. Mr Nadda addressed three rallies at Lormi in Mungeli district, Bhilai in Durg district and Chandkhuri in Raipur district in Chhattisgarh.Chhattisgarh is going to the Lok Sabha polls in three phases. While the first phase of elections was held on April 19, the next two phases are scheduled to be held on April 26 and May three.In the first phase, polls were held for Bastar (ST) Lok Sabha elections in the state .BJP had won nine out of 11 LS seats in the 2019 polls, leaving the Congress to bag the remaining two seats.

Ola Mobility starts operations at Ayodhya airport

The company has also deployed a dedicated team of representatives who would be available 24x7 to manage its operations at the airport and address customer queries in real-time.

Cgarh: Congress eyes revenues of mutts, temples: Amit Shah

Raipur: Union home minister Amit Shah on Monday expressed concern over the purported pledge made by Congress in its poll manifesto to make a survey of all properties in the country if voted to power in the ongoing general elections. Addressing an election rally in Kanker in Chhattisgarh, Mr Shah sought a clarification from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as to why his party wanted to make a survey of all properties in the country. Mr Gandhi must explain why Congress wants to make a survey of all properties in the country? he said.His concern over the issue came in the backdrop of a statement made by Dr Manmohan Singh, when he was Prime Minister, that minorities have the first right over the resources of the country. Congress got upset when Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) raised the issue, Mr Shah said.BJP always maintained that dalits, poor and tribals have the first right over resources of the country, he said. The Union minister said that Congress eyed revenues of mutts and temples in the country.Where will this money go? Remember Dr Manmohan Singhs words (on rights of minorities over resources of the country), he told the gathering. He said that Congress was always concerned about its vote bank and thats why the party pursued the appeasement policy.Congress leaders did not attend the consecration ceremony of Ram temple at Ayodhya because of the partys concern for its minority vote bank, Mr Shah said. He said that Mr Modi has ensured that the birthday of Ramlala, who had remained in a tent for the last 500 years, is celebrated in the temple in Ayodhya this time. For decades, Congress used to put all roadblocks in the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya, he said.Mr Shah said that Mr Modi has done in ten years what Congress could not do in the last 70 years. Mr Modi has transformed India during his ten-year-rule at the Centre, he added.While terrorism is eliminated in the country, Naxalism is going to be rooted out in the coming two to three years, he said. Mr Modi is such a leader who has a good track record of ten years and an agenda for the next 25 years for the country, Mr Shah said.Mr Shah also took a swipe at the warring workers of Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) of Lalu Prasad Yadav at the recent rally of INDIA bloc at Ranchi, saying that If the INDIA bloc partners can openly indulge in bickering, how do you expect them to unite the country?

Ola Cabs Launches Operations At Ayodhya Airport

Ola expands its operations to Maharishi Valmiki International Airport, catering to the increasing number of tourists visiting the holy city.

Modi Rekindles 'Wealth Redistribution' Allegations Against Congress

Modi Rekindles 'Wealth Redistribution' Allegations Against Congress Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday accused the Congress again of planning to redistribute peoples property if it is voted to power, but stopped short of saying that the wealth would go to Muslims. Addressing an election rally in western Uttar Pradeshs Aligarh, a constituency with a sizeable Muslim population, Modi accused the opposition Congress and the Samajwadi Party of following a policy of appeasement and yet doing nothing to uplift the socio-economic condition of the community. In contrast, he cited the enactment of a law against instant triple talaq and an increase in the Haj quota as moves during the BJP governments term to help the community. On Sunday, the prime minister had triggered a political row by claiming that the Congress manifesto promised redistribution of wealth after conducting a survey. Citing former prime minister Manmohan Singhs 2006 remark on Muslims having the first claim on the countrys resources, Modi said in Rajasthans Banswara that the Congress was set to hand over the wealth of others to infiltrators and those who have more children''. In Aligarh Monday, Modi repeated the point about redistribution of wealth, saying he wanted to alert people about the intentions of the Congress and the opposition INDIA bloc. ''The Congress shahzade (prince) says if his government comes, they will investigate who earns how much and how much property they have. Not only this, he further says the government will take over the property and redistribute it. This is what their election manifesto is saying,'' he claimed, referring to Rahul Gandhi. ''Just think, our mothers and daughters have gold. This is stridhan (womens property). It is considered sacred, even the law protects it. But now they are eyeing a change in law and snatching the property of our mothers and sisters, he said. These people have their eyes on their manglasutras, Modi added, accusing the opposition of trying to steal the gold women possessed. He claimed that the opposition planned to conduct a survey of the property owned by salaried people. If you own two homes, it will snatch one the Congress will go that far, he said. ''This is Maoist thinking... this is communist thinking. By doing this they have ruined so many countries. Now the Congress and the INDI Alliance want to implement the same policy in India, the prime minister said. But, unlike in the Rajasthan speech that triggered the opposition charge of hate speech, Modi stopped short of saying that the wealth will be distributed among Muslims. He also did not refer to Manmohan Singhs statement made nearly two decade back. He said the Congress and the SP followed a policy of appeasement without doing anything for the social and economic progress of Muslims, and also referred to the Pasmanda Muslims the backward sections among the community. The lives of a number of daughters were ruined due to triple talaq. We made a law against it and made the future of the daughters secure,'' he said. Attacking the opposition, he said the 'parivarwadi' people have created empires by looting people and not giving anything to the poor from their immense wealth. Now their eyes have fallen on the property of people of the country. The Congress considers it as their birthright to loot people's wealth,'' he charged. The PM said the people of Aligarh had put a lock on dynastic politics, corruption and the appeasement practised by the two shahzade. The reference was to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, who are fighting the Lok Sabha elections as allies. He referred to law and order in Uttar Pradesh and the security situation on the country's borders earlier when our brave sons were martyred every day. Today all this has stopped. Earlier, terrorists used to explode bombs, serial blasts took place. Even Ayodhya and Kashi were not spared. Bomb blasts used to happen every day in big cities, now there has been a full stop on serial bomb attacks,'' he said. ''What we did in 10 years is just a trailer, we have to do a lot of work, he said. The prime minister said he will work constantly for the country. Modi is born for 'mehnat' (hard work), not 'mauj' (enjoyment). Aligarh will vote on April 26 in the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections. UP has 80 parliamentary constituencies, the highest number among all states.

Indian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka Welcomes Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust Delegation

Indian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka Welcomes Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust Delegation India's High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha hosted top officials of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust and discussed ways in which India can support the development of the Ramayana Trail in the island nation. Jha met Swami Govind Dev Giri Maharaj, the treasurer of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust and his team at the India House here on Sunday. The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust is the body responsible for the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya ''High Commissioner @santjha hosted Swami Govind Dev Giri Maharaj, Treasurer of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust & his accompanying team at India House,'' the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka said in a post on X. ''Discussed ways in which India can support (the) development of #RamayanaTrail in Sri Lanka, promoting P2P (people-to-people) connect and economic growth,'' it said. Jha also joined the inauguration event of the RamayanaTrail Project in Sri Lanka, endorsed by Swami Govind Dev Giri Maharaj. ''May the #RamayanaTrail flourish as India-Sri Lanka friendship flourishes today! High Commissioner @santjha joined the inauguration event of #RamayanaTrail Project in Sri Lanka, endorsed by Swami Govind Dev Giri Maharaj, along with NSA @SagalaRatnayaka, cricket icon @Sanath07 & other dignitaries,'' the High Commission said in a separate post. The Ramayana is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and an important text of Hinduism. There are 52 sites on the Ramayana Trail in Sri Lanka.

Riteish Deshmukh And Genelia D'Souza Visit Ram Mandir In Ayodhya

In the picture, Riteish can be seen wearing a yellow kurta while his wife Genelia can be seen wearing a white suit.

Development, heritage are PM Modi's focus areas: CM Yogi

Development, heritage are PM Modi's focus areas: CM Yogi Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Monday that development and heritage are two of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's focus areas, saying that during the tenure of the Bharatiya Janata Party government at the Centre, the country has witnessed for the first time that development works are inseparably aligned with the aspirations of people. Addressing the media, the Chief Minister said, Unprecedented work has been done both in terms of development and heritage under PM Modi's leadership. Infrastructure is one area that gets maximum support from people, and the government's achievements are significant in this regard. The number of highways has doubled. Similarly, since 2014, the number of airports has increased from 74 to more than 150. During the Congress regime, there was only one AIIMS, which increased to six under Atal Bihari Vajpayee's prime ministership, and further expanded to 22 during PM Modi's tenure, he added. Notably, the proliferation of IITs, IIMs, and IIITs and the implementation of the One District, One Medical College initiative are emblematic of the new narrative of development, he elaborated. CM Yogi stated that for the first time in the country, respect for heritage has also been observed, citing the restoration of the Vishwanath Dham in Kashi, the grandeur of Mahakaal, Kedarnath, Badrinath, and Somnath temples, and the consecration ceremony of Lord Ram Lalla in Ayodhya after a gap of five centuries as glaring examples of this. Previously, accommodating 50 people simultaneously at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple was challenging. Now, even if 50,000 visitors arrive, there are no issues. Similarly, hosting 500 individuals in Ayodhya posed difficulties in the past, but today, even accommodating 5 lakh people presents no trouble, he said. CM Yogi stated that the harmony between 'Vikas' (development) and 'Virasat' (heritage) witnessed in the country today is attributable to the vision and determination of PM Modi's leadership. He expressed confidence that this support will turn into blessings, allowing the NDA to form a majority government once again under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (ANI)

Travel tips: This temple of Hanuman ji is very special, one has to cross 76 stairs to have darshan here.

There are religious places in almost every state of India. Every religious place has its own distinct history and beliefs. There are many temples where people come from far and wide to have darshan of God. Now when Hanuman ji's birth anniversary is being celebrated on 23rd April, you too can go to see Hanuman ji on this special day. Every year Hanuman Jayanti is celebrated on the full moon day of Shukla Paksha during Chaitra month. It is said that whoever worships Lord Hanuman on this day gets the desired boon. In such a situation, if you want to visit Hanumanji's temple, then there is a special temple in Ayodhya, where the belief is quite different. We are talking about Hanumangarhi located in Ayodhya, where Lord Ram had ordered his beloved devotee Hanuman ji to stay after returning from Lanka. A special idol of Hanuman ji is installed here. Everyone knows about Shri Ram Janmabhoomi located in Ayodhya, but many people do not know the history of Hanumangarhi. Actually, this is the same place where Lord Ram had ordered Hanuman ji to stay after returning from Lanka. It is counted among the special temples of Hanuman ji. The idol of Hanuman ji that rests in this temple is also very special. Here Hanuman ji is seated in red colour. There is also a special 'Hanuman Nishan' in Hanumangarhi temple. It is necessary to visit here before going to birthplace It is believed that when Lord Shri Ram gave this place to Hanuman to live, he had also given a promise that whoever comes to Ayodhya, he will first come and visit Hanumangarhi. From then till today everyone definitely visits Hanumangarhi before going to the birthplace. 76 stairs have to be climbed Talking about the layout of the temple here, you will have to climb 76 stairs to have the darshan of Hanuman ji. You will experience peace by going here. The image of Ram Rajya is visible in temples As soon as you go to this temple, you get to see the image of Ramrajya. The statue of Hanuman ji located here is always decorated with flowers and garlands. Along with this, the walls of Hanumangarhi temple are decorated with verses from Hanuman Chalisa. Even today, many people sit in the temple premises and recite Ram's name and Sundar Kand. (PC: ISTOCK)

Indians travelling more frequently, surge in searches for spiritual destinations: Report

NEW DELHI, Apr 22: Indians are travelling more frequently, with searches for spiritual destinations like Ayodhya, Ujjain and Badrinath soaring, according to a report unveiled on Monday. The MakeMyTrip India Travel Trends Report, which dives into travel behaviours based on insights from its base of over 100 million active annual users, reveals that since 2019, there has been a 25 per cent increase in the number of people taking more than three trips a year. This surge in travel [] The post Indians travelling more frequently, surge in searches for spiritual destinations: Report appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

Surge In Indians Travelling, Spiritual Trips In Demand: MakeMyTrip Report On Travel Trends

Searches for Ayodhya grew by 585%, Ujjain by 359% and Badrinath by 343% in 2023 as compared to 2022, the report said.

Indian Travelers Embrace Spirituality, Driving Surge in Spiritual Destination Searches

Indian Travelers Embrace Spirituality, Driving Surge in Spiritual Destination Searches Indians are travelling more frequently, with searches for spiritual destinations like Ayodhya, Ujjain and Badrinath soaring, according to a report unveiled on Monday. The MakeMyTrip India Travel Trends Report, which dives into travel behaviours based on insights from its base of over 100 million active annual users, reveals that since 2019, there has been a 25 per cent increase in the number of people taking more than three trips a year. This surge in travel is fuelled by a growing interest in spiritual journeys. Searches for spiritual tourism witnessed a 97 per cent increase in 2023 compared to 2021, according to the report. Tier-2 and tier-3 cities, in particular, are witnessing a surge in searches for destinations with religious significance. Searches for Ayodhya soared by a whopping 585 per cent in 2023 compared to 2022, as per the report. Similarly, Ujjain and Badrinath, saw search increases of 359 per cent and 343 per cent, respectively. The report also finds that weekend getaways continue to be a favourite, with Jim Corbett National Park witnessing a 131 per cent rise in searches in 2023 as compared to 2022. Hill stations like Ooty and Munnar are also popular choices, especially for those from the southern part of the country. The report also sheds light on international travel preferences, as Dubai, Bangkok, and Singapore remain the top three most searched destinations, while London, Toronto, and New York hold the fort for long-haul travel. According to the report, there is a growing interest in off-the-beaten-path locations, as searches for destinations like Hong Kong, Almaty (Kazakhstan), Paro (Bhutan), Baku (Azerbaijan), Da Nang (Vietnam), and Tbilisi (Georgia) have all seen significant growth in 2023. Moreover, family travel bookings are booming, with the report highlighting a 64 per cent surge in 2023 compared to 2022. Solo travel recorded a 23 per cent growth in bookings during the same period.

Record Number of Devotees Visit Ram Janmabhoomi Temple

Approximately 15 million people have paid their respects to Ram Lalla at Ayodhya's newly constructed Ram Janmabhoomi temple since the pran pratishtha (consecration ceremony) of the idol on January 22, according to Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust general secretary Champat Rai. Around 100,000 people visit the temple town daily to offer their prayers to Lord Ram Lalla. The pran pratishtha ceremony of the 51-inch-tall idol of Lord Ram Lalla, crafted by renowned sculptor Arun Yogiraj, took place on January 22 and was presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the presence of around 8,000 VIPs. Regarding the temple's future plans, Champat Rai announced the construction of a 14-foot-wide security wall around the Janmabhoomi temple, known as the 'Parkota. ' The ground floor of the temple, where the 'Pran Pratistha' of Ram Lalla took place, is complete, and work on the first floor is underway. A 14-foot-wide security wall called 'Parkota' will be constructed around the temple, Rai explained. The temple grounds will include several small temples dedicated to deities such as Lord Shiva, Lord Hanuman, Maharishi Valmiki, and Maharishi Vashishtha. Once the project is completed, the Ram temple will be able to accommodate 25,000 pilgrims at a time. Rai also noted that 600 plants in the temple's premises have been protected, and the temple is equipped with water and sewer treatment facilities, ensuring it is self-sufficient and minimizing the impact on Ayodhya residents. US National Security Advisor Postpones India Visit Amid Middle East Tensions Israel Weighs Response to Iran's Attack Amid Global Calls for Restraint UAE Crown Prince Orders Work-From-Home Amid Weather Concerns: Here's What You Need to Know

Irani advises Amethi residents to beware of Rahul Gandhi's divisive tactics

Irani advises Amethi residents to beware of Rahul Gandhi's divisive tactics Union minister and local MP Smriti Irani on Monday alleged that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will come to Amethi after April 26 and divide the people in the name of casteism and visit one temple after the other. Addressing roadside meetings during her election campaign in Bhetua and Bhadar areas here, Irani said, ''After the voting in Wayanad on April 26, Rahul Gandhi will come here to tell everyone that Amethi is his family and stoke the fire of casteism in the society here.'' She added, ''Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party rejected the invitation for the consecration ceremony of Lord Shri Ram in Ayodhya but he will be seen roaming around the temples in Amethi. So there is a need to be careful and alert.'' In a major upset for the Congress in 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Irani wrested Amethi from Rahul Gandhi, who had held the constituency for 15 years. The Congress has not yet declared its candidate from the seat but local party workers are rooting for Rahul Gandhi to contest again. The Union minister also alleged that Rahul Gandhi never raised issues of Amethi in the Parliament and was often missing from the House. She alleged that despite Rahul Gandhi being an MP for 15 years, 10 of them while there was UPA at the helm at Centre and UP under his ally (SP), still people in Amethi could not even get drinking water. People in Amethi could get drinking water supplied to their house only after Narendra Modi came to power, she claimed. It is the fifth day in Amethi of Irani, who is seeking a second term from the constituency on a BJP ticket.

Pics: Riteish Deshmukh-Genelia visit Ayodhya's Ram Mandir with kids

Pics Riteish DeshmukhGenelia visit Ayodhyas Ram Mandir with kids

Coordination between development and heritage is the identity of PM Modi: Uttar Pradesh CM Adityanath

Coordination between development and heritage is the identity of PM Modi: Uttar Pradesh CM Adityanath Amid the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the continuous development of infrastructure, saying that the number of Highways and airports doubled in India after 2014. Speaking to ANI, Yogi Adityanath said, India is the world's biggest democracy. For the first time in the country, it is being seen that we live with democratic values for the service of the public, and development work is done. The wonderful coordination between development and heritage is the identity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The work done towards this is wonderful. Elaborating on the work done by PM Modi in the past years, the Uttar Pradesh CM said, The issue on which we get good support from the public is infrastructure - the number of highways has almost doubled...Till 2014, there were only 74 airports but now, the country has more than 150 airports...Today there are 22 AIIMS in the country...Ending a 500-year-old wait, Ram Lalla is now placed at Ram Temple in Ayodhya...Today, 5 lakh people devotees are coming here at once but there are no problems...The public supports these issues. During the Congress rule, there was only one AIIMS while Atal Bihari Vajpayee has laid the foundation stone of 6 AIIMS. Now, the number of AIIMS has increased from 7 to 22 under the PM-led NDA government. Likewise, IIT, IIM, Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIIT), One District, One Medical College, and tap water to every household has become a foundation stone for developed India, he further said. The CM said, Earlier, not even 50 people were able to worship in Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi but now 50,000 people can worship in the temple. Similarly, 5 lakh devotees can offer prayers at Ram Temple in Ayodhya without any problem. Expressing confidence in winning by majority in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, Aditynath said, I believe that this support will transform into blessings to form the government under the leadership of PM Modi with an absolute majority. Uttar Pradesh, which sends the maximum number of MPs, 80, to Parliament, will vote in all seven phases. Voting for phase 1 was held on April 19 on eight seats. The counting of votes will be held on June 4. (ANI)

Andhra CM Jagan to file nomination on April 25, release manifesto in another two days

VIJAYAWADA: YSRC supremo and Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will file his nomination papers for Pulivendula Assembly segment on April 25, and release the party manifesto in another two days, said YSRC general secretary Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy. Speaking to mediapersons at Penamaluru on Sunday during his electioneering, he said, The ruling party candidates have started filing their nominations for the Lok Sabha and Assembly seats, and there have been no issues so far. Responding to former Union minister and Megastar Chiranjeevi endorsing the NDA candidates, Sajjala said, There is no surprise in Chiranjeevi extending his support to the alliance candidates, but it will not change the election outcome, which is the defeat of the TDP and its allies. It is not just Chiranjeevi, even if anyone supports the tripartite alliance, the outcome will not change. A clarity has emerged on the Andhra Pradesh political scenario, which is that there only exists one leader -- YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, and all others are a group of wolves, foxes and porcupines, he asserted. The YSRC leader said, The time has come for the people of AP to choose what they want. Do they want, who strives for the betterment of every section of the society and every walk of life or do they want Chandrababu Naidu and his allies steeped in deceit, backstabbing and anarchy? They need to take a right decision. Sajjala said more than 80% of the people of the State have benefited from the plethora of welfare schemes introduced and implemented by the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government for the past five years. Unable to face Jagan, Naidu has formed an alliance with others. Unfortunately, the alliance has no agenda, and they have allied only to get power, he observed. On Pawan Kalyan, the YSRC leader said, The JSP chief is an immature politician, and he does not understand why he floated the political outfit. As a leader, he lacks clarity and perhaps, he floated the party for the sake of Naidu. After the 2024 elections, there will be no Naidu or his TDP in the political scape. Pawan Kalyan and his party too will meet the same fate. There is no need to speak more about such an immature person, he added. The YSRC general secretary held a brief review meeting with Housing Minister Jogi Ramesh, who is contesting from Penamaluru, and party regional coordinator Alla Ayodhya Rami Reddy. He exuded confidence of winning Penamaluru Assembly and Machilipatnam Lok Sabha seats.

Over 1.5 crore people visited Ayodhya Temple since 'Pran Pratishtha': Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra official

Champat Rai mentioned 1.5 crore people visited Ram Lalla post 'Pran Pratishtha'. Over 1 lakh daily visitors seek blessings. 14-foot 'Parkota' security wall announced. 'Parkota' to have 6 temples including Agastya, Nishad Raj, Shabri.

Ayodhya Ram Mandir to have six more temples. Here are the details

Ayodhya Ram temple expanding with six more temples inside 'Parkota' wall. New temples include Maharishi Agastya, Nishad Raj, Ma Shabri. Additional structures to enhance the spiritual experience for visitors.

YSRC better placed in Bapatla Assembly seat

GUNTUR: Bapatla is set to witness a keen tussle as the YSRC is eyeing to win hat-trick, while the TDP is striving to make its mark. While YSRC has fielded sitting MLA Kona Raghupathi, TDP gave ticket to industrialist and philanthropist Vegesana Narendra Varma. Bapatla Assembly constituency comprises three mandals: Bapatla, Pittalavanipalem and Karlavaripalem. The segment was a bastion of the Congress. Majority voters in the segment belong to the Reddy community. However, YSRC succeeded in wresting the seat from the grand old party. Sitting MLA and former deputy speaker Kona Raghupathi has won two the segment consecutively in 2014 and 2019. The Kona family has a stronghold in the area with Raghupatis father Kona Prabhakar Rao was elected as MLA from the constituency three times in 1967, 1972, and 1978. Ex-minister and YSRC senior leader Gade Venkatreddy had tried hard to make his heir Madhusudhan Reddy as MLA, counting on the support from Reddy voters, who are high in number in the region. But the high command selected Kona for the third consecutive time to gain the support of Brahmin voters. The TDP suffered a setback when former TDP MLC Annam Satish Prabhakar, a strong leader in the region, after losing Assembly elections in 2014 and 2019, resigned from the TDP and joined BJP. However, later the party appointed Vegesana as constituency in-charge who has taken up various public outreach programmes to strengthen the party cadre at the grassroots level and build himself as a strong leader. With the BJP banking on the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya for securing votes, it will be interesting to witness whether Brahmin voters will go with Kona once again or choose the NDA. However, it looks like the YSRC is at an advantage in the segment as it fulfilled the long-pending demand of people with the formation of Bapatla district and established Bapatla town as the district headquarters. Additionally, the construction of a bypass road, medical college, and a 500-bed government hospital, infrastructure development, and welfare schemes are likely to play a significant part in the poll outcome. K Dinanath, a retired government officer and resident of Bapatla town, opined that the town has witnessed a lot of development over the last few years. The set up of government hospitals will help the rural people not to rush to Bapatla town for treatment and the construction of the bypass road will ease traffic woes in the town, he added. Lakshmi Priya, another resident, said that her family has benefited from schemes implemented by the YSRC government. Especially, my children are getting quality education in government school. However, with increasing population due to urbanisation of the town, sufficient water supply has become a major issue. Leaders should highlight this, she added.Sharing his perspective, A Ramanath, said TDPs Super 6 are much better than the welfare schemes being implemented by the YSRC government. Ive complete faith that Chandrababu Naidu will fulfil his promises and develop capital, if TDP comes to power in the upcoming elections, he added.

Delhi: Mega BJP show for saffron push

NEW DELHI: While AAP leaders, including Sanjay Singh and Chief Minister Arvind Kerjiwals wife Sunita Kejriwal were campaigning for the INDIA bloc in Jharkhand, the Delhi BJP, giving a saffron touch to its electioneering, hosted a mega conclave of Hindu priests, saints and seers on Sunday in the capital and celebrated the Hindu new year along with construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. The religious-cum-political event, just a month ahead of the polling day in Delhi, was hosted at the IGI stadium through the Mandir Prakoshth (BJPs temple cell). Senior BJP leaders, including Union Minister Piyush Goyal, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami, Delhi Lok Sabha Election In-charge Om Prakash Dhankar and Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva were among the top attendees along with all seven parliamentary candidates of the party. Hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Goyal said that he has worked to enhance Indias culture, faith, and heritage along with the countrys development. It is a matter of pride that India has entered an era, which is making it prosperous and developed, the Union Minister said. Notably, the entire venue, even the chairs, wore the saffron look as the organisers had placed thousands of saffron flags along with the seats and the name of Lord Ram reverberated through the speakers during the entire duration of the event. A big TV screen displaying Hum Hai Sanatani became the centre point of selfies and the speakers of the event encouraged the public to click their photos and upload it on social media so that everyone knows about the Hindu new year. The Uttarakhand CM, in his address, described all the saints and sages present as the guardians of Sanatan culture. Earlier, there used to be indifference regarding the celebration of Hindu New Year, which was mainly due to the government before 2014, which had no special inclination towards any Hindu festival, but now the promotion of Sanatan culture is happening. Lord Shri Ram has reached his grand abode from the tent, and we all have been fortunate to have his darshan, Dhami said. The Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said in the last 10 years, the country has seen that our culture, our traditions, which were under attack, have been protected by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The election of 2024 will decide the future of India, and along with that, we all will keep the foundation of a developed India of 2047, and with this resolution, we will leave from here today, Sachdeva said. In an apparent reference to the ongoing polls, Sachdeva, without naming his political rivals, said just like the Centre, Delhi should also have Ram devotees rule. The national capital will go to polls on May 25 in the sixth phase of Lok Sabha election with results on June 4.

'Opposition trying to save dynasties, BJP fulfils its promises': Nadda

MUMBAI: BJP president Jagat Prakash Nadda on Sunday launched an attack on the opposition parties, saying they were trying hard to save their dynastic politics. Be it the Sharad Pawar-led NCP(SP) or Uddhav Thackerays Shiv Sena (UBT), the opposition parties are now trying hard to save their dynastic politics, Nadda said, addressing a rally in Maharashtras Buldhana district. Nadda claimed the BJP provided a stable government in the last 10 years and crucial issues like the practice of instant triple talaq and the Ram temple construction in Ayodhya were resolved under Prime Minister Narendra Modis leadership. We also provided hundreds of thousands of homes to the homeless people and increased the reach of various government schemes, offering a comfortable life to the rural people, he said. The BJP-led government also came up with the Citizenship (Amendment) Act that now offers Indian citizenship to persecuted Hindus, Parsis and Christians (from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who have come to India), Nadda said. After Modi came to power, politics of the country changed and became more accountable to the people. In a way, it has become more responsible, the BJP chief said. Polling in the Buldhana and seven other Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra will be held on April 26. Meanwhile, addressing a rally in Malda, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that no one can stop implementation of the CAA in West Bengal. Mamata didi says she will not allow CAA in her state. Why is she trying to hoodwink the people of West Bengal? Singh asked. He said the CAA is not meant to take away anyones citizenship, but is a law for granting Indian citizenship to people displaced from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan on religious grounds. The defence minister said that India is treated with respect under the Narendra Modi-led government, unlike under previous dispensations. When we say something in an international forum, it is being listened to with respect, Singh said, adding that Modis pledge is to turn India into a developed country by 2047.

Ayodhya is not a poll factor in Jammu, the city of temples

JAMMU: The city of temples Jammu will vote in the second phase of polling on April 26. Going by the campaigning of various parties, the issues of development, Article 370 abrogation, peaceful border, taking away of statehood, unemployment are the key factors in the election. The consecration of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya has not found much traction in the ongoing parliamentary polls. The Jammu Lok Sabha seat is spread over four districts of Jammu, Samba, Reasi and an assembly constituency of Rajouri district. As many as 22 candidates are in the fray, but the main contest is between the BJP MP Jugal Kishore and Jammu and Kashmir Congress working president Raman Bhalla. The key contenders are busy organising small street-corner meetings to reach out to the common man. A total of 17,80,738 voters, including 9,21,053 men and 8,59,657 women are eligible to vote for in the constituency. Jammu & Kashmir: High number, yet women fail to make a cut in nomination The BJP has focused its campaign on the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A, the developmental works and public welfare schemes launched post Article 370 repeal, peaceful borders, the decline in militancy, and the end to stone-pelting. The Ram temple issue has also been raised by the party leaders during their campaigns but not very stridently. This is despite the fact that Jammu is known as the city of temples and temples can be found everywhere. We have focused on development. A lot of public-oriented development has taken place in Jammu and Poonch and people are happy. Their problems are being solved. People know that only Prime Minister Narendra Modi can take the country forward and make India Viksit Bharat (developed country), said BJP MP and candidate for Jammu seat Jugal Kishore. On construction of Ram Mandir, he said sentiments of people were associated with the Ayodhya temple and people also remember the construction of it, as well as the scrapping of triple talaq and repeal of Article 370. The Prime Minister inaugurated the Ram temple in Ayodhya in January this year. In 2019, the Supreme Court gave land to Hindus after a protracted legal battle followed by Babri Masjids demolition. The Congress, on the other hand, is focusing its campaign on the fallout of Article 370 abrogation including the snatching of statehood, rise in unemployment and crime. Our campaign focuses on the restoration of statehood, corruption during these years, unemployment and crime, said Congress spokesman Ravindra Sharma. A college teacher, Pankaj Kumar, said religion and politics should not be linked. The construction of Ram temple is very dear to us. It is our religious issue but the polls are not contested on religious lines but contested for roads, electricity, drinking water, development, and job generation, he said. BJP unlikely to contest 3 Valley seats, Shah drops broad hint at Jammu rally We want jobs for our youth. The government that comes into power should evolve such a system that provides employment to the unemployed youth so that they can live a decent life, Kumar added. Rohit Kumar said Jammu comprises a mixed population. Muslims and Hindus have been living in harmony for years and we dont want to hurt this relationship by unnecessarily giving hype to religious issues. He said no doubt the construction of Ram temple is a very historic development and sentiments of Hindu of every part of the country, including Jammu Muslims, are associated with it. When the Ram temple was built, the puja was held here in every area and Muslims also contributed in setting up of pandals and raised our religious flags on their homes to express solidarity with us, Rohit said. According to locals here, even during the land row agitation in 2008, there was communal harmony among Muslims and Hindus in Jammu. It is not the time to play politics on religion. We want our new MP to focus on eliminating the threat of drug addiction and crime by providing jobs to the youth. Jammu was marred by anti-government protests in the past three years, which dented the BJPs image. There were protests by job aspirants after at least three recruitment lists came under the scanner for reported scams. Rising electricity charges and the installation of faulty smart meters also sparked protests. However, the BJPs move to set up a Tirupati Balaji temple amid the scenic Shivalik forests in Majeen, Jammu, and running direct fast trains to Katra, which houses the famous Mata Vaishno Devi shrine, is perceived to have won back some Hindu votes.

Opposition parties trying hard to save their dynasties: Nadda

MUMBAI, Apr 21: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president J P Nadda on Sunday criticised the opposition parties, claiming they were trying hard to save their dynastic politics. Addressing a rally in Maharashtras Buldhana district, Nadda said the BJP provided a stable Government in the last 10 years and crucial issues like the practice of instant triple talaq and the Ram temple construction in Ayodhya were resolved under Prime Minister Narendra Modis leadership. Targeting the opposition, he said political parties earlier [] The post Opposition parties trying hard to save their dynasties: Nadda appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

Indian Envoy In Sri Lanka Hosts Ayodhya Ram Temple Trust Officials, Discusses Ramayana Trail

India's High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha on Sunday hosted top officials of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust and discussed ways in which India can support the development of the Ramayana Trail in the island nation.

INDIA Bloc Leaders Only Interested in Saving Their Dynasties: Nadda

Mumbai: BJP National President J.P. Nadda slammed the opposition INDIA bloc saying it protects arrogant and corrupt leaders and have come together only to save dynastic politics. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made political parties accountable to the people through his work in the last 10 years, he said. Addressing an election rally at Buldhana in Maharashtra, Nadda said that after Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power, the politics of the country became more accountable to the people. Modi has not only developed the country, but he has changed the definition and direction of the countrys politics, he said. Earlier political parties made tall claims in their election manifesto and forgot them after the election. What happened during the UPA government? They did corruption, promoted nepotism, enjoyed the cream and forgot the public. But the BJP government has delivered its promises, Mr. Nadda added. The BJP president further claimed that his party provided a stable government in the last 10 years and crucial issues like the practice of instant triple talaq and the Ram temple construction in Ayodhya were resolved under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership. We also provided hundreds of thousands of homes to the homeless people and increased the reach of various government schemes, offering a comfortable life to the rural people, he said. The opposition parties in the country are now trying hard to save their dynastic politics, be it the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) or Uddhav Thackerays Shiv Sena (UBT), Mr. Nadda said. Crediting the BJP-led government for the Citizenship (Amendment) Act that now offers Indian citizenship to persecuted Hindus, Parsis and Christians (from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who have come to India), Mr Nadda said, The Modi government is determined to make India the 3rd largest economy in another three years. The Modi government has planned many schemes to make the dream of a self-reliant India a reality.

BJP sure of winning all seven LS seats in Delhi: Piyush Goyal

BJP sure of winning all seven LS seats in Delhi: Piyush Goyal Prime Minister Narendra Modi has worked for the resurgence of India's culture and faith while making the nation prosperous, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said on Sunday and exuded confidence that the BJP would win all seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi. Addressing a gathering at the IGI stadium on the occasion of the 'Hindu Nav Varsh Function', he said it is a matter of pride that India has entered an era when work is being done to make the country prosperous and developed. ''The BJP is very sure that it will win all the seven Lok Sabha seats of Delhi,'' Goyal said. PM Modi has worked for the resurgence of India's culture, faith, and heritage. It is a matter of pride that the country has entered an era when the focus is on making it a prosperous and developed nation, the Union minister said. At the event, Uttrakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami alleged that the previous government at the Centre did nothing for the development of the country. It is Prime Minister Modi who implemented several schemes for the welfare of all communities, he said. ''Before 2014, no government did anything for Lord Ram. It is the BJP government which brought Lord Ram back to his palatial house in Ayodhya,'' Dhami said. ''Recent elections in Uttarakhand were peaceful and I am sure that the BJP will all five seats in the state by huge margins,'' he said. Polling in all five parliamentary constituencies in Uttarakhand was held in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections on April 19. Highlighting the development works in Uttarakhand, Dhami said, ''Work on ropeways in Kedarnath and Hemkund Sahib is almost complete while an elevated road from Delhi to Dehradun is being built. Once completed, it will take only two and a half hours to reach Dehradun.'' Besides Goyal and Dhami, senior BJP leaders, including Om Prakash Dhankhar, Virendra Sachdeva and Karnail Singh, also addressed the gathering. The party's candidates for all seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi were also present at the event. Voting in Delhi will be held in the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha polls on May 25.