News Analysis India

Tag: Ayodhya

  • COVID: Omar Abdullah tweets SOS from Ayodhya teacher’s family as district faces oxygen scarcity

    By PTI
    AYODHYA: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah took to Twitter to amplify the plea for medical assistance from the family of a COVID-positive school teacher in Ayodhya, which is grappling with a shortage of life-saving oxygen as the number of cases mounts.

    BJP MP from Faizabad Lallu Singh acknowledged that there is a shortage of oxygen in the district.

    The District Women’s Hospital has put admissions on hold due to the scarcity of oxygen.

    Chief Medical Superintendent (CMS) of the hospital Dr SK Shukla said three patients have died at the facility in as many days due to oxygen shortage.

    In his tweet, Abdullah shared a message from the family of Anand Pandey, 52, to help them find oxygen and a hospital bed for him.

    “Forwarded message: Dear Sir, Please help in oxygen cylinder and bed for patient in Ayodhya. Patient Name Anand Pandey Age 52 Location: AYODHYA Oxygen Level: 70 Puneet – 8115013333,” the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister tweeted on Monday.

    Pandey’s son-in-law, Puneet told PTI that his father-in-law has tested positive for COVID-19 and his oxygen levels are very low.

    “We have contacted the medical college in Ayodhya and government hospitals but there are no arrangements for oxygen in these institutes. We even contacted the public representatives and administrative officials but didn’t receive any help from anyone,” Puneet said.

    “We are not getting proper treatment. I am regularly begging politicians for oxygen but have to return empty-handed. When contacted, Faizabad MP Lallu Singh told PTI that he has spoken to the district magistrate regarding the shortage of medical oxygen.

    “There is very much a scarcity of oxygen. I talked to the district magistrate and we are trying to arrange oxygen,” he said.

    District Women’s Hospital CMS Dr S K Shukla said the facility stopped admitting patients on Monday due to a shortage of oxygen and oxygen tank regulators.

    “Three patients have died in as many days due to the lack of oxygen. In such a situation, admit your patients at your risk,” he said.

    “There are more than 2,400 COVID patients in Ayodhya district. There are beds but there aren’t enough oxygen regulators,” he said.

  • Donations for Ram temple: About 15,000 collected bank cheques bounce

    By PTI
    AYODHYA: About 15,000 bank cheques with a face value of Rs 22 crore, collected by the Vishva Hindu Parishad for the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, have bounced.

    According to an audit report of Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra, a trust set up by the Centre for the construction of the temple, said the cheques bounced due to lack of funds in bank accounts or some technical error.

    Trust member Dr Anil Mishra said banks are working to solve the issue of technical errors and they are asking people to make donations again. Among the cheques, around 2,000 were collected from Ayodhya.

    The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) had collected donations during a countrywide campaign between January 15 and February 17.

    Around Rs 5,000 crore was collected during the drive though the final figures are yet to be declared by the trust.

  • Judge Surendra Kumar Yadav who gave Babri case verdict is appointed ‘Up-Lokayukta’ 

    By PTI
    LUCKNOW: Retired judge Surendra Kumar Yadav, who gave the verdict in the high-profile Babri mosque demolition case, took oath as an ‘up-lokayukta in Uttar Pradesh on Monday.

    He took the oath of office after state Governor Anandiben Patel had given her accent to his appointment by signing the notification on April 6.

    “Yadav was appointed as third ‘up-lokayukta’ by the Governor on April 6. On Monday, Yadav was administered oath by Lokayukta Sanjay Mishra in the presence of other senior officers,” an official statement said here.

    The anti-corruption watchdog comprises the Lokayukta and three ‘up-lokayuktas’.

    As a judge of special CBI court, Yadav gave the verdict in the Babri mosque demolition case on Sep 30, 2020, acquitting all the accused including BJP veterans LK Advani, MM Joshi, Uma Bharti and Kalyan Singh.

    Yadav, who had to retire in 2019, was given an extension of one year by the Supreme Court in July same year to wind up the hearing in the around three-decade long case and deliver the order. The apex court had said that the extension would only be for the purpose of concluding the trial and delivering a verdict inthe case. The Supreme Court then fixed September 30, 2020, as the deadline for the trial court to pronounce its judgement.

    The other two up-lokayuktas are Shambu Singh Yadav, who was appointed on August 4, 2016, andDinesh Kumar Singh, who was appointed on June 6, 2020.

    The Lokayukta is from a non-political background and functions as a statutory authority probing into cases primarily related to corruption, government mismanagement, or abuse of power by public servants or ministers.

    (With ENS inputs)

  • Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra received donations of 1,511 crore so far

    By ANI
    SURAT: An amount of Rs 1,511 crore has been deposited in the account of Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra, the trust constituted to look after the construction and management of Ram Temple in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya, said trust treasurer Swami Govind Dev Giri on Friday.

    “For the construction of the grand Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, the whole nation is donating funds. We aim to reach 4 lakh villages and 11 crore families across the country during our donation drive. We are conducting the donation drive from January 15 and it will continue till Feb 27. I am here in Surat as part of the drive. People are contributing to the trust. After 492 years, people have got such an opportunity again to do something for the Dharma,” Giri told ANI.

    “Till now, Rs 1,511 has been deposited in the account of Trust for the construction of Ram Mandir,” he added.

    Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust is conducting a mass contact and contribution campaign for the construction of the grand temple in Ayodhya, which began on January 15 and will go on till February 27.

    On November 9, 2019, a five-judge of the Supreme Court bench led by then Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi ruled in favour of Ram Lalla and said that the entire disputed land spread over 2.7 acres will be handed over to a trust formed by the government, which will monitor the construction of a Ram Temple at the site.

    In February 202, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the constitution of Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra, to oversee the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya.

    On August 5, 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi performed the bhoomi pujan for the construction of Ram Temple. 

  • Three booked for cheating through fake donation receipts for Ram temple construction

    By PTI
    BULANDSHAHR: Three men including a printing press owner have been booked for allegedly duping people on the pretext of raising funds for the Ram temple construction in Ayodhya against forged donation receipts, police said on Thursday.

    Bulandshahr’s Senior Superintendent of Police Santosh Kumar Singh said the racket came to the light after a bookbinder reported to the police that he had received several bundles of receipts for raising contributory funds for the construction of the Ram Temple for binding.

    He also told police that he suspected the receipts, printed in a city printing press, were fake and had been printed without authorisation, said he SSP.

    On the bookbinder’s complaint, police probed the matter and came to that the printing order had been given by two Khurja residents, Deepak Thakur and his relative Rahul, who were arrested.

    Police are also looking for the printing press owner, Ekhlaq Khan, who is presently absconding, the SSP said, adding he too would be arrested soon.

  • BJP raising funds for polls on pretext of Ram temple construction: Rajbhar

    Rajbhar also accused the state government of doing communal politics by its different treatments to alleged gangsters-turned-politician of different communities.

  • Canadian infra consultant, two Indian firms to draw blueprint for Greater Ayodhya

    Express News Service
    LUCKNOW: Two days after CM Yogi Adityanath visited Ayodhya and set a deadline on the ongoing infrastructural projects, the Ayodhya Development Authority (ADA) finalized three nodal firms, including a Candian company, to draw the blueprint for giving a makeover to the temple town as a world-class city.

    According to ADA vice-chairman Vishal Singh, Canada-based multi-national firm LEA Associates South Asia Private Ltd and two Indian firms — Larsen & Toubro and Kukreja Architects —  were entrusted with drawing a vision document, chart out the implementation strategy and integrated infrastructure plan for Ayodhya in coordination with each other.

    While the Canadian infrastructure firm was the brain behind the Tirupati Master Plan and Smart City, Kukreja Architects are credited with chalking out the blueprint for transit-oriented development of an unorganized urban sprawl in the Malaysian city of Banda Aceh with its successful spatial model.

    ALSO READ | Christian community donates over Rs 1 crore for Ram temple construction: Karnataka Deputy CM office

    On December 26 last year, the state government had put up proposals seeking requests from global and Indian consultants for drawing the blueprint of the Greater Ayodhya project. The firms were also sought to develop a vision document, implementation strategy, and integrated infrastructure development plan for the religious city which is witnessing the construction of the grand Ram temple complex over around 67 acres of land.

    Ayodhya Development Authority had zeroed in on eight firms including four Indian companies — Tata Consulting Engineers, Larsen & Toubro, Kukreja Architects, REPL — and four international consultants — LEA Associates South Asia, IPE Global, Meinhardt Group International Holdings, and Egis Group. The proposals were sent to the bidding evaluation committee under the chairmanship of state principal secretary, housing, Deepak Kumar, who selected three infrastructure consultants — LEA Associates South Asia, Larsen & Toubro, and Kukreja Architects on basis of quality and cost outlay.

    The three firms are entrusted with chalking out a roadmap touching all the aspects of making Ayodhya a world-class city. They would take care of town planning, transport, traffic, infrastructure, finance, economy, heritage, tourism, urban design, and renewable resources, said, vice chairman of AyodhyaDevelopment Authority Vishal Singh.

  • Ram temple fund drive to ‘expose’ RSS: Congress’ student wing rejects ‘soft Hindutva’ angle

    Express News Service
    JAIPUR: Caught in a row over its donation drive for the proposed Ram temple in Ayodhya, the Congress’ student wing NSUI has sought to reject ‘soft Hindutva,’ saying its campaign would “expose” RSS affiliates.

    The NSUI in Rajasthan has launched a fortnight-long drive — Re 1 Ram Ke Naam — to collect donations for the Ayodhya temple. The special drive would seek a token one rupee from each student in schools, colleges and universities across the state.

    Critics have termed the drive as a ‘soft saffron’ approach to win Hindu votes. The NSUI, however, claimed it was meant to send a message that “God needs devotion, not money”.

    The NSUI sought to clarify that its aim was to tell the people that Lord Ram belongs to everyone and that people of all religions have equal faith in the Hindu god.

    “We want to expose the way people are being looted by groups affiliated to the BJP and RSS. They are pressuring the public to donate money in the name of Lord Ram. Our campaign is meant to tell the people that God doesn’t need money but needs devotion. If you donate one rupee out of devotion, it is as much as those donating crores,” said NSUI Rajasthan chief Abhishek Choudhary.

    He charged RSS groups with looting Rs 14,000 crore from people in the name of bricks for the temple between 1989 and 2000.

    “They continue to collect funds in the same fashion,” said Choudhary.

    “They never gave any account of how those funds were used to promote their political agenda. They have done nothing but divide people in the name of Ram. But we want to say that Lord Ram is not their monopoly; he belongs to all 135 crore people of the country,” he said.

    The Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, responsible for building Ram Temple, is conducting a nationwide fundraising campaign since January 14 for the construction of a grand Ram temple estimated to cost around Rs 1,100 crore. RSS-affiliates are collecting funds.

    They say all funds are being collected through receipt books and every rupee will be well accounted for. RSS leader (prant pracharak) in Jaipur, Dr. Shailendra said, “Our aim is not to collect big funds but to connect every citizen with construction of the temple. We have coupons of `10 and people can pay digitally too,” he said.

  • VHP files FIR against Bhopal man for collecting funds for Ram Temple construction

    Express News Service
    BHOPAL: Amid the BJP-Congress war of words over the collection of donations for the construction of Ram Temple, Bhopal Police on Tuesday registered a case against a man for fraudulently collecting donations in name of funding construction of Ram Temple at Ayodhya.

    According to additional SP (ASP-Bhopal) Rajesh Bhadauriya, a case was registered at Ashoka Garden police station of MP capital under Section 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) against a local resident Manish Rajput for fraudulently collecting donations in the name of construction of Ram Temple at Ayodhya.

    “The case was registered against Rajput on the complaint of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) office-bearer YS Jadaun. In the complaint, Jadaun has mentioned that the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has mandated the VHP only for collecting door-to-door donations for Ram Temple construction in Ayodhya. But a Bhopal resident man Manish Rajput is collecting donations from commoners in the name of Ram Temple construction by issuing receipts of Ram Bhoomi Sankalp Society,” the ASP added.

    Earlier, on Tuesday, former union minister and senior Congress leader Kantilal Bhuria kicked up a political storm by raising questions about the BJP leaders engaged in the collection of donations for Ram Temple.

    “BJP leaders collected thousands of crores in the name of Ram Temple construction over the years in the name of Ram Temple construction. Where has that money gone? Now lower rung BJP leaders collect donations in the name of Ram Temple in the day time and consume alcohol out of it in the evening,” Bhuria said.

    Bhuria’s remarks triggered widespread protests across his native Jhabua district and adjoining Alirajpur district, with his effigies being burnt by BJP all across both the tribal-dominated districts on Tuesday.

    Bhuria’s controversial Ram Temple donation jibe on the BJP immediately drew sharp reactions from the ruling party in Bhopal.

    Reacting to Bhuria’s remarks, MP’s home minister Narottam Mishra said, “In ancient times when seers performed yajnas, demons tried to interrupt such yajnas. Bhuria’s statements indicate such devilish mindset only. What he (Bhuria) has uttered isn’t new, as he is speaking the language taught by his political mentor (Digvijaya Singh)”.

    Another cabinet minister Vishvas Sarang dubbed Bhuria’s statements as an insult to Lord Ram. “Bhuria’s statements have once again established that Congress always speaks against Lord Ram and Ram Temple”.

    Sensing the major political storm in the state ahead of the urban local body polls next month, Bhuria underwent into damage control exercise, saying, “My statements have been distorted, as I was only asking the BJP to give the account of what happened to the funds collected in Ram Temple’s name in the past.”   

  • Haryana CM Khattar contributes Rs 5.10 lakh for construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya

    By PTI
    CHANDIGARH: Haryana Chief Minister M L Khattar on Sunday gave a cheque of Rs 5.10 lakh to Sri Rama Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra for the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

    According to an official statement, Khattar gave the cheque amounting Rs 5,10,000 to the committee of ‘Sri Ram Janam Bhoomi Tirtha Shetra Nyas Nidhi Samparan Abhiyan’, Haryana.

    Secretary of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Dr Surendra Jain, among others were also present jon the occasion.

    A portrait of Sri Ram Janma Bhoomi Temple was also presented to the chief minister, the statement said.

    Sri Rama Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra trust has been set up to oversee the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya.