News Analysis India

Category: Politics

  • Shiv Sena: Why no Bharat Ratna for Savarkar: Shiv Sena (UBT) slams Centre

    The Shiv Sena (UBT) on Wednesday attacked the BJP-led Centre for not conferring Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian award, on Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar. Addressing a news conference, Sena (UBT) leader and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut called the Centre’s decision to honour former Bihar chief minister Karpoori Thakur with the award posthumously a political move.

    Since the Narendra Modi government took charge in Delhi (in 2014), 11 people have been conferred the highest civilian award, but Savarkar has not found a place on the list, said Raut.

    Thakur was named for the Bharat Ratna on Tuesday on the eve of the birth centenary of the fountainhead of OBC (other backward classes) politics in Bihar. Thakur, who passed away in 1988, was the first non-Congress socialist leader who became chief minister twice – first for seven months in December 1970 and later for two years in 1977.

    “Our position remains the same that Veer Savarkar should be given the Bharat Ratna. Karpoori Thakur is a leader of the OBC and we are happy that he has been named for the Bharat Ratna,” Raut said.

    Since it is a poll season, Bihar is important for the BJP, Raut said. Bihar, which sends 40 MPs to the Lok Sabha, is currently governed by Janata Dal (United) and Rashtriya Janata Dal. “BJP’s every step is for political selfishness. Key people who participated in the freedom struggle are honoured but why is Savarkar not conferred on Bharat Ratna? Why is BJP fleeing from conferring Bharat Ratna on him,” Raut asked. A polarising figure in modern Indian history, Savarkar is known as “Swatantryaveer” and is revered among several quarters in the country, especially Maharashtra, for his contribution to the freedom struggle.

    However, critics charge him as a hard-line Hindutva leader.

  • CBI summons ‘complainant’ Dehadrai in Moitra case

    CBI has summoned Supreme Court lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai on January 25 for recording his statement in connection with its inquiry against Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra in the alleged ‘cash for query’ scandal.

    Moitra was expelled from the Lok Sabha last month after the House’s ethics committee recommended her disqualification over her alleged involvement in the scandal. Dehadrai is the complainant in the case.

    In October, he had placed the evidence against Moitra before the Lok Sabha ethics committee. The committee’s recommendation against Moitra followed a complaint by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, who alleged that Moitra had accepted cash in exchange for asking certain questions in Parliament.Moitra has been accused of asking several questions in Parliament pertaining to the Adani Group of companies at the behest of rival businessman Darshan Hiranandani. Moitra is also alleged to have shared her Lok Sabha log-in credentials with Hiranandani.

    The Trinamool leader was found guilty by the ethics committee, which held that Moitra’s lapses called for “severe punishment”. Moitra has denied the accusations levelled against her.

  • siddaramaiah: ‘Don’t we have our own Ram temples in Karnataka?,’ CM Siddaramaiah asks declining to sponsor trips to Ayodhya

    Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday denied any plans from the government to sponsor devotees to Ayodhya even as the BJP is rolling out mega plans to send them in large numbers to the holy site in Uttar Pradesh.

    “Don’t we have our own Ram Mandirs in Karnataka? Aren’t the temples in our own villages those of Lord Rama, Sita, Lakshmana and Anjaneya?” the CM retorted when the media queried if the government had any plans to send people from the state for a visit to Ayodhya. His comments came in response to a question about BJP’s target to send three crore people to Ayodhya over the next three months.

    The BJP was indulging in politics over Rama, Siddaramaiah said, and added that the Congress worshipped the Rama that Mahatma Gandhi adored, not the BJP version of Rama.The BJP Karnataka unit has targeted to send more than 35,000 persons from all 224 assembly constituencies in the state to Ayodhya from January 31 to March 25. The trip will be for six days. The teams will include BJP workers and interested members of the public.

    BJP state president BY Vijayendra said 25 special trains have been arranged for the purpose. The participants will get an ID card with a QR code.

    The teams will leave in batches and one team will leave every second day.The party has fixed a fee of Rs 3000 per head. In some constituencies, however, local leaders are collecting below what the party has fixed as they will bear part of the cost. President of one mandal in Bengaluru, said they are collecting only Rs 1000 as a token payment. “We will bear the rest of the expenditure to be incurred on food, transportation and accommodation,” he said.

  • Lokpal-referred complaint against Mahua Moitra: CBI asks lawyer Dehadrai to appear before it

    New Delhi: The CBI has asked lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai to appear before it on Thursday in connection with its probe against former TMC MP Mahua Moitra in a Lokpal-referred corruption complaint against her, officials said Tuesday. Dehadrai, who was once close to Moitra, had levelled serious corruption allegations against the former MP which were strongly refuted by her, they said.

    The agency has asked Dehadrai to appear before the AC-3 unit of the agency at 2 PM on Thursday to record his version, they said.

    The CBI has started a probe into the allegations of corruption against Moitra on a reference from the anti-corruption ombudsman Lokpal. BJP MP Nishikant Dubey had approached the Lokpal with a complaint against Moitra over allegations that she had taken bribes to raise questions in Parliament.

    Last month, Moitra was expelled from the Lok Sabha after the House adopted the report of its Ethics Committee that held her guilty of accepting gifts and illegal gratification from a businessman to further his interest.

    Moitra has challenged her expulsion in the Supreme Court.

  • ram mandir: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee condemns Babri Masjid demolition

    Kolkata: Trinamool Supremo Mamata Banerjee slammed BJP for resorting to vote bank politics ahead of elections and dividing votes on the basis of religion, hinting at Ram Temple consecration ceremony on Monday. Banerjee condemned the Babri Masjid demolition and divisive politics and spoke about religious inclusiveness.

    The Trinamool Supremo kicked off a ‘harmony procession’ on Monday after offering puja to Goddess Kali at Kalighat Temple, on the day of ‘pran pratishtha’ in Ram Temple at Ayodhya.

    “When the election comes, a group of people try to sell the country for the sake of votebank. You (BJP without naming them) are doing politics in time of election…Where were they (BJP) when Babri Masjid was demolished and people died here. Many areas in Kolkata were burning. I provided relief to people voluntarily and helped both Hindu and Muslims. This is history and reality which youth must know,” Mamata Banerjee said while speaking at a public rally following the harmony procession.

  • Ram Mandir consecration: Here’s how Opposition celebrated the event in their own style – The Economic Times Video

    On January 22, 2024, the Ayodhya Ram Mandir Pran Prathistha ceremony took place, which was a momentous occasion. While the event was being celebrated, opposition leaders commemorated it in their own way. Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah inaugurated the newly constructed Ram Temple in Mahadevapura assembly, and Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee conducted an all-faith harmony rally in Kolkata.

  • Rahul Gandhi asked not to hold street-corner meeting and padyatra in Assam’s Morigaon

    Morigaon (Assam): Morigaon district commissioner on Monday asked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to refrain from holding a street-corner meeting and a padayatra as part of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra as miscreants may try to disrupt peace and tranquility in the district. “On the basis of intelligence inputs, the district administration apprehends the involvement of miscreants who may try to disrupt the peace and tranquility of the district by indulging in anti-social activities taking advantage of two major events happening on the same day – The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra and the Ram Lalla Pran Pratistha – simultaneously”, district commissioner Devashis Sarma said in a letter to the Congress functionaries.

    ”In the interest of Rahul Gandhi’s safety and security, who is a ‘Z plus’ protectee along with our responsibility to avert any probable law and order disruption in Morigaon district, we request that the party refrains from proposed street-corner meeting at the Bihutoli police point and padyatra from the Srimanta Sankardeva Chowk in Morigaon town”, the letter said.

    Earlier in the day, Gandhi was barred from visiting the birthplace of iconic Vaishnav saint Srimanta Sankardeva.

  • Ayodhya gears up for historic Ram Mandir consecration

    The Ram idol will be consecrated on Monday (today), marking the beginning of the opening of the temple in Ayodhya at the birth site of the deity in a watershed moment for the Ram-janmbhoomi movement, Indian politics and history.

    A day before the event, Ayodhya was marked with festive anticipation and revelry by devotees, with men in fatigues from the state police force, CRPF and Rapid Action Force spread across the town in varying intensities. Lata Chowk and the road leading to the Hanumangari temple witnessed the thickest crowds of devotees. The road leading to the Ram temple was cordoned off.

    Ayodhya Ram Mandir Inauguration: Catch all the live action hereOn January 22, outsiders will not be allowed inside the town, unless they are attendees or have valid permissions.

    At the temple, marking the sixth day of pre-rituals, the idol of Ram Lalla was bathed in water from 114 kalash (urns).

    The idol was bathed with medicated water and water brought from various pilgrimage sites from India. The consecration on Monday will be carried out by PM Narendra Modi.

    The muhurat for the ritual on Monday is between 12:29:8 pm to 12:30:32 pm, leaving 84 seconds for the consecration. From about 10 am in the morning for over two hours until the muhurat, a ‘Mangal Dhwani’ (Divine Melody) will be played in the temple courtyard. “In our Indian tradition, on any auspicious festival, a ritual of mangal dhwani or playing traditional music before God has been laid down. In this context, the consecration of Lord Ram is a once-in-a-century moment of pride for every Indian and we will be playing instruments from all regions and states of the country,” Champat Rai, general secretary of the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra said.

  • Congress’ Acharya Pramod credits PM Modi for Ayodhya Ram Mandir,says ‘Agar PM Modi Na Hote…’ – The Economic Times Video

    Congress leader Acharya Pramod, who recently demanded his party to reconsider declining invite for Ayodhya Ram Mandir inauguration, has now credited PM Modi for the temple’s construction. Ahead of the Pran Pratishtha ceremony, Acharya Pramod said, “This is correct that Ram Mandir has been constructed by Supreme Court’s order, but if the country would have had different Prime Minister other than Narendra Modi, this verdict would not have been possible. I gave the credit of Ram Mandir’s construction and Pran Pratishtha ceremony to Prime Minister Modi.”

  • Ram temple consecration: Ram temple consecration: Uddhav sent invitation by speed post; Sanjay Raut slams govt

    Shiv Sena (UBT) president and former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray has been sent an invitation by speed post for the Ram temple consecration ceremony to be held in Ayodhya on Monday. Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut hit out at the government over the manner in which the Thackeray family has been treated.

    Maharashtra minister Uday Samant, who belongs to the Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, said speed post is used to ensure the invitation reaches faster and it has been done.

    However, Raut reacted sharply to the speed post invite saying, “You worship Lord Ram, and rule like Ravan (demon king). Lord Ram will curse you. All film stars are invited but the Thackeray family that has been closely associated with movement is treated in such a manner.” Uddhav Thackeray will be in Nashik for a two-day visit from Monday.

    He will offer prayers at the Kalaram temple there and perform a ‘maha aarti’ on the Godavari river bank on Monday.

    On Tuesday, he will participate in a day-long convention of his party in Nashik. The much-awaited Ram temple consecration will be held in Ayodhya city of Uttar Pradesh on Monday in a grand ceremony with Prime Minister Narendra Modi attending the rituals, following which the shrine will be opened for the public a day later. While more than 7,000 people are in the long list of invitees, the select list features 506 A-listers.

    Those attending the “Pran Prathishtha” also include people linked to the agitation for the temple at the Ram Janmabhoomi.

    Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan, business tycoons Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani, and sporting icon Sachin Tendulkar are among the prominent people to be invited.

    Almost all opposition leaders invited to the ceremony have declined to attend the ceremony, with the Congress calling it a BJP-RSS event.