Uddhav Thackeray said Sena has been defamed due to the "betrayal". (FILE)Thane: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday inaugurated a medical camp in Maharashtra's Thane city on the eve of the birth anniversary of late Anand Dighe, a hugely popular politician considered the mentor of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.Anand Dighe's massive popularity made Thane one of the safest seats of the undivided Sena but Shinde's rebellion last June led to a vast majority of the rank and file in the region moving to the latter's Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena.Mr Thackeray's visit as well as the mega medical camp organised to commemorate Dighe's anniversary, which falls of Friday, are being seen as an attempt to rebuild the Shiv Sena (UBT) in Thane.He also paid floral tribute to Dighe at Anand Math, the de facto centre of the Sena movement in Thane for decades now.Speaking on the occasion, Mr Thackeray said Shiv Sena and Maharashtra have been defamed due to the "betrayal and defections" that took place, a reference to MR Shinde and 39 MLAs bringing down the Maha Vikas Aghadi government.Mr Thackeray said Thursday's visit was a brief one to take care of the "health of citizens here" but promised he would return to address a mass gathering to take care of the "political health of Thanekars"."I am satisfied that despite the present foul situation, the Shiv Sena has not moved away from its goal. I am proud of it. The Shiv Sena supremo (Bal Thackeray) has taught us that 80 per cent is social work and only 20 per cent political work. The real Sainiks are with us," he said.Those who left preferred to sell themselves, MR Thackeray said, with the crowd shouting "Rs 50 crore" when he asked them if they knew what was the sale price.Mr Thackeray said slogans centred around Rs 50 crore (taunting the BSS leaders) were being heard even in the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir, he claimed, adding a video of this was shown to him by party Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut."These slogans have travelled across the country. But in the process, Maharashtra has been defamed as well as the Shiv Sena. There is no need to mourn for those who have left because the real Sainiks will light the 'mashaal' (party symbol of Thackeray's faction)," he asserted.Thane Lok Sabha MP Rajan Vichare and Nationalist Congress Party MLA Jitendra Awhad accompanied Thackeray.Later, addressing a function at a Jain Temple, he said he had been introduced by one of the earlier speakers as an a "athithi" (guest) but he wanted to reiterate he was one of them.He added that his father had also visited this temple to seek blessings.Mr Thackeray said he had visited the renowned 'Shreenathji' (in Nathdwara in Rajasthan) eight days ago and now he was here to get blessings again.On one of the speakers at the function saying those assembled were willing to give their blood for him, Mr Thackeray said he just wanted their votes.PromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.comThe relationship between the Jain community and his father will be made stronger, for which he had come here to get the blessings of 'acharyas', the former chief minister said.(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)Featured Video Of The DayMalaika Arora And Arbaaz Khan Share A Hug After Seeing Off Son Arhaan At Airport
THANE: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday inaugurated a medical camp in Maharashtra's Thane city on the eve of the birth anniversary of late Anand Dighe, a hugely popular politician considered the mentor of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.Dighe's massive popularity made Thane one of the safest seats of the undivided Sena but Shinde's rebellion last June led to a vast majority of the rank and file in the region moving to the latter's Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena.Thackeray's visit as well as the mega medical camp organised to commemorate Dighe's anniversary, which falls of Friday, are being seen as an attempt to rebuild the Shiv Sena (UBT) in Thane.Speaking on the occasion, Thackeray said Shiv Sena and Maharashtra have been defamed due to the "betrayal and defections" that took place, a reference to Shinde and 39 MLAs bringing down the Maha Vikas Aghadi government.Thackeray said Thursday's visit was a brief one to take care of the "health of citizens here" but promised he would return to address a mass gathering to take care of the "political health of Thanekars". "I am satisfied that despite the present foul situation, the Shiv Sena has not moved away from its goal. I am proud of it. The Shiv Sena supremo (Bal Thackeray) has taught us that 80 per cent is social work and only 20 per cent political work. The real Sainiks are with us," he said. PTI
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday inaugurated a medical camp in Maharashtra's Thane city on the eve of the birth anniversary of late Anand Dighe, a hugely popular politician considered the mentor of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Dighe's massive popularity made Thane one of the safest seats of the undivided Sena but Shinde's rebellion last June led to a vast majority of the rank and file in the region moving to the latter's Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena. Thackeray's visit as well as the mega medical camp organised to commemorate Dighe's anniversary, which falls of Friday, are being seen as an attempt to rebuild the Shiv Sena (UBT) in Thane. He also paid floral tribute to Dighe at Anand Math, the de facto centre of the Sena movement in Thane for decades now. Speaking on the occasion, Thackeray said Shiv Sena and Maharashtra have been defamed due to the "betrayal and defections" that took place, a reference to Shinde and 39 MLAs bringing down the Maha Vikas Aghadi government. Thackeray said Thursday's visit was a brief one to take care of the "health of citizens here" but promised he would return to address a mass gathering to take care of the "political health of Thanekars". "I am satisfied that despite the present foul situation, the Shiv Sena has not moved away from its goal. I am proud of it. The Shiv Sena supremo (Bal Thackeray) has taught us that 80 per cent is social work and only 20 per cent political work. The real Sainiks are with us," he said. Those who left preferred to sell themselves, Thackeray said, with the crowd shouting "Rs 50 crore" when he asked them if they knew what was the sale price. Thackeray said slogans centred around Rs 50 crore (taunting the BSS leaders) were being heard even in the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir, he claimed, adding a video of this was shown to him by party Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut. "These slogans have travelled across the country. But in the process, Maharashtra has been defamed as well as the Shiv Sena. There is no need to mourn for those who have left because the real Sainiks will light the 'mashaal' (party symbol of Thackeray's faction)," he asserted. Thane Lok Sabha MP Rajan Vichare and Nationalist Congress Party MLA Jitendra Awhad accompanied Thackeray. Later, addressing a function at a Jain Temple, he said he had been introduced by one of the earlier speakers as an a "athithi" (guest) but he wanted to reiterate he was one of them. He added that his father had also visited this temple to seek blessings. Thackeray said he had visited the renowned 'Shreenathji' (in Nathdwara in Rajasthan) eight days ago and now he was here to get blessings again. On one of the speakers at the function saying those assembled were willing to give their blood for him, Thackeray said he just wanted their votes. The relationship between the Jain community and his father will be made stronger, for which he had come here to get the blessings of 'acharyas', the former chief minister said.
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao is all set to address a massive public meeting at Khammam on Wednesday evening. The meeting, scheduled to begin at 5 pm, will also be attended by national Opposition heavyweights, sending out a message to the BJP.All roads leading to Khammam are choked with traffic as thousands of vehicles with supporters of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) proceed to the venue. This is the first mega public rally of the CM, popularly known as KCR, since his party changed its name from the Telangana Rashtra Samithi.Before arriving in Khammam, KCR and the top Opposition leaders visited the Yadagirigutta in two helicopters to offer prayers at a temple. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav, CPI national general secretary D. Raja, state ministers Vemula Prashanth Reddy and Talasani Srinivas Yadav, MP Joginapally Santosh Kumar, and MLC K Kavitha were also present. KCR and the Opposition leaders will fly to Khammam from Yadadri in two choppers.On Chief Minister Sri K Chandrashekhar Rao’s invitation, all of them came to Pragathi Bhavan at 9.45 am on Wednesday morning.On this occasion, CM KCR hosted breakfast for the national leaders.#BRSforIndia #AbkiBaarKisanSarkar pic.twitter.com/hbe2soaoHk— BRS Party (@BRSparty) January 18, 2023The public meeting has been billed as a massive show of strength and a precursor to the formation of an anti-BJP alliance ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Telangana, where the BJP is trying to establish itself as an alternative to the BRS, will go to polls later this year.State minister T Harish Rao said BRS and the other party leaders would send a “loud and clear message to the BJP” that they were ready to face it and throw a challenge. “The entire BRS leadership including state and district level leaders will attend the meeting. At least five lakh people are expected to attend. It will surpass the meeting held at Karimnagar in 2001 when the TRS was launched,” said the minister.For the meeting, BRS leaders have mobilised cadre from the 10 Assembly constituencies of the former Khammam district and four other nearby districts.At the rally, KCR will outline his national vision for his party and announce farmer-friendly policies. Several leaders of farmer unions and associations will attend the meeting.BRS leaders said the transformation of the TRS to the BRS was drawing attention and response from all corners of the country as an alternative political force under the leadership of KCR.
The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) is set to kick off its Assembly election campaign on January 18 in Khammam, where it has traditionally not fared well electorally. The BJP is looking to pose a tough challenge to the ruling party in Khammam this time.This will be the first public meeting of the BRS since its name change from the Telangana Rashtra Samithi. Assembly elections are due in Telangana later this year.At the Khammam meeting, Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, popularly known as KCR, will also outline his party’s plans in other states. The occasion is the launch of the second phase of “Kanti Velugu’’ — an eye check-up and screening camp. It will also be a show of strength as KCR will be flanked by his counterparts Arvind Kejriwal (Delhi), Bhagant Mann (Punjab) and Pinarayi Vijayan (Kerala), and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav.The BJP is also going all-in in Khammam. It is set to induct former Khammam MP Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, who is currently in the BRS, this week to shore up its organisation. This will put it in a position to challenge the BRS in the region. The undivided Khammam district — which was bifurcated to form the new Bhadradri Kothagudem district — has 10 Assembly segments. Srinivas Reddy won from Khammam on a YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) ticket in 2014, bucking a massive pro-TRS wave, but later joined the BRS. However, the KCR-led party denied him a ticket in 2019, preferring Nama Nageshwara Rao. An upset Srinivas Reddy who has a good support base in Khammam remained in the party but aloof. Reddy will take at least two former MLAs and local BRS leaders to the BJP. The 10 Assembly segments in the former Khammam district have always voted differently, often against the prevailing wave.In 2014, the TRS rode on a pro-Telangana sentiment to win 63 of 119 Assembly seats but managed to bag only one in the former Khammam district — Kothagudem. The Congress won four — Yellendu, Khammam, Palair, and Madhira (SC) while the YSRCP won Pinapaka, Wyra, and Aswaraopet (ST). The CPI (M) won Bhardrachalam (ST) while the Telugu Desam Party won the Sathupale (SC) seat.The TRS won the December 2018 Assembly elections in a landslide, sweeping entire districts, but in Khammam the party won only one seat — Khammam. The Congress won six, the TDP won two, and one constituency went to an Independent. However, except for the Congress’s Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, all the other nine MLAs subsequently joined the BRS.Khammam is known to be the testing ground for all political parties. On December 21, TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu addressed a public meeting here, hoping to revive his party in Telangana again. The BJP too is likely to hold a public meeting there once Srinivas Reddy joins.A day after the BRS public meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Hyderabad on January 19 to inaugurate a slew of projects and address a public meeting in Secunderabad. The PM will lay the foundation stone for modernisation of the Secunderabad railway station. Union Minister G Kishan Reddy said the PM would also flag off a Vande Bharat train between Secunderabad and Visakhapatnam. The BRS leaders from Khammam who will join the BJP will also meet the PM.
The pandas of Jagannath Puri in Odisha are often chastised for aggressively demanding daan and dakshina from pilgrims. They argue the temple is their mother — she feeds them through those who visit the temple. This idea that pilgrim spots are also commercial spots, and sources of livelihood for many, has often been a contentious issue, not just in India but around the world.In the New Testament, Jesus Christ drives out the money changers and dove sellers and other traders from the temple at Jerusalem, accusing them of defiling a sacred space. Recently, the Jain community held silent protest marches on learning that the sacred Shikharji mountains of Jharkhand and Palitana in Gujarat were being earmarked for tourism.While the Vatican in Rome is open to tourists, Mecca is not. And yet, the Hajj and Umrah have been monetised. As soon as consulting firms told the royals of Saudi Arabia that oil may not have a great future, they turned their attention to Mecca, and went out of their way to build some of the best pilgrimage infrastructure the world has ever seen. Every Muslim is expected to visit the House of God, or Kabbah, in this holy city, at least once in his lifetime — for this is where the Prophet Muhammad prayed, before him Abraham, and even before him Adam and the angels. The pilgrim needs food, transport, lodgings, and a bit of entertainment. Besides hospitality, he also needs banking and health services. This has created a vast number of jobs, and so, goodwill across the Islamic world. Thanks to 2.5 million annual pilgrims, Saudi Arabia’s revenue from religious tourism is expected to reach about $350 billion in 2030. What is India’s potential, considering there are so many pilgrim spots in India?Let’s take a look at the numbers. On the most auspicious day of the Mahakumbha Mela at Prayagraj, there can be over 50 million people. This happens every 12 years. In the remaining 11 years, during the annual Magh Mela, Prayagraj can witness up to half a million people seeking to take a dip in the Sangam. The Puri Rath Yatra in Odisha is witnessed by a million people on a single day. It once yielded a pilgrim tax of Rs 9 lakh as per Mughal and Company records, until the pilgrim tax was outlawed in 1840. The scale of pilgrimages in India — which are voluntary and not mandated by any religious authority — boggles the mind. The financial potential is huge. It would be foolish to ignore such an asset.India is a religious country, with hundreds of Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Islamic and Christian pilgrim spots dotting its mountains, plateaus, plains, and coasts. India is also a poor country. People need jobs. Tourism creates jobs. Religious tourism assures sustainable income. For many Indians, pilgrimage is the only tourism they can experience. Pilgrim spots are thus assets. And this has been realised long ago by the government and industry bodies like FICCI. So it makes sense to develop these pilgrim sites and provide the infrastructure that helps more pilgrims travel easily, and comfortably. This means roads, railways, airports, hotels, taxis, restaurants, hospitals, shops, entertainment zones, and even spiritual theme parks. Kashi Vishwanath has transformed. Ujjain has transformed. Amritsar has transformed. Puri has transformed. Ayodhya and Mathura will soon transform. Revenues of several crores are being generated from these sites, with hardly any gestation period. This is good, right?But what is the cost of such development? There are reports on the ecological impact of the infrastructure work in Mecca, the carbon footprint created in the fragile desert ecosystem, but such conversations can easily be deemed Islamophobic. The same can happen in India, where politicians accuse activists of being Hinduphobic anti-development atheist Naxalites.But nature does not care for politics. Uttarakhand, holy since Vedic times as the place where Ganga moves from the mountains into the plains, is home to many sacred spots such as Kedarnath, Badrinath, Haridwar, Rishikesh and Joshimath. The area is ecologically fragile. And in recent times, there have been a series of calamities such as floods, earthquakes, and landslides, calling into question development activities, and the push for infrastructure.Politicians are still angry about temples broken centuries ago by invading Muslim warlords. But none of them is angry about the destruction of sacred groves known as the Devrais of Goa. These were for centuries out of bounds to farmers and pastoralists. They were believed to be the home of the Goddess. This ensured biodiversity. But these are being destroyed by mining activities and new infrastructure. Unlike well-organised Jain protests, protests to save sacred groves of tribal communities do not garner media attention. The subaltern holy spot is easy to ignore.India is a land created not by kings or merchants, but by pilgrims who followed sages to the isolation of mountains, or the fertility of river deltas, river confluences or river bends. These are where pilgrim spots are located. This is where mythological figures like Ram, Krishna, Shiva, and Durga performed magnificent deeds. This is where their power still throbs – power that people seek in their daily lives, which makes them want to visit these sites. This is encouraged by kings who realise the economic and political power of such movements. Let us not forget how the Kanwar yatra in the Gangetic region has been completely politicised, and how there are attempts to politicise the Varkari yatra in Maharashtra.Politicians care for power. For this they need people. Merchants care for wealth. For this they need markets. Neither care for nature. For them the pilgrims are sheep, and the tribal is a savage, easy to exploit and abuse. They milk the earth-cow ruthlessly, like Vena of the Bhagavata Purana. But they forget, the earth-cow will have the last laugh. As per Hindu lore, she will ask Parasuraman, Ram and Krishna to slaughter greedy kings. And if they fail, she will turn into the wild Kali and express her rage with disease and disasters and quench her thirst with blood.The writer is a mythologist and author of Pilgrim Nation (Aleph)
The pandas of Jagannath Puri in Odisha are often chastised for aggressively demanding daan and dakshina from pilgrims. They argue the temple is their mother — she feeds them through those who visit the temple. This idea that pilgrim spots are also commercial spots, and sources of livelihood for many, has often been a contentious issue, not just in India but around the world.In the New Testament, Jesus Christ drives out the money changers and dove sellers and other traders from the temple at Jerusalem, accusing them of defiling a sacred space. Recently, the Jain community held silent protest marches on learning that the sacred Shikharji mountains of Jharkhand and Palitana in Gujarat were being earmarked for tourism.While the Vatican in Rome is open to tourists, Mecca is not. And yet, the Hajj and Umrah have been monetised. As soon as consulting firms told the royals of Saudi Arabia that oil may not have a great future, they turned their attention to Mecca, and went out of their way to build some of the best pilgrimage infrastructure the world has ever seen. Every Muslim is expected to visit the House of God, or Kabbah, in this holy city, at least once in his lifetime — for this is where the Prophet Muhammad prayed, before him Abraham, and even before him Adam and the angels. The pilgrim needs food, transport, lodgings, and a bit of entertainment. Besides hospitality, he also needs banking and health services. This has created a vast number of jobs, and so, goodwill across the Islamic world. Thanks to 2.5 million annual pilgrims, Saudi Arabia’s revenue from religious tourism is expected to reach about $350 billion in 2030. What is India’s potential, considering there are so many pilgrim spots in India?Let’s take a look at the numbers. On the most auspicious day of the Mahakumbha Mela at Prayagraj, there can be over 50 million people. This happens every 12 years. In the remaining 11 years, during the annual Magh Mela, Prayagraj can witness up to half a million people seeking to take a dip in the Sangam. The Puri Rath Yatra in Odisha is witnessed by a million people on a single day. It once yielded a pilgrim tax of Rs 9 lakh as per Mughal and Company records, until the pilgrim tax was outlawed in 1840. The scale of pilgrimages in India — which are voluntary and not mandated by any religious authority — boggles the mind. The financial potential is huge. It would be foolish to ignore such an asset.India is a religious country, with hundreds of Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Islamic and Christian pilgrim spots dotting its mountains, plateaus, plains, and coasts. India is also a poor country. People need jobs. Tourism creates jobs. Religious tourism assures sustainable income. For many Indians, pilgrimage is the only tourism they can experience. Pilgrim spots are thus assets. And this has been realised long ago by the government and industry bodies like FICCI. So it makes sense to develop these pilgrim sites and provide the infrastructure that helps more pilgrims travel easily, and comfortably. This means roads, railways, airports, hotels, taxis, restaurants, hospitals, shops, entertainment zones, and even spiritual theme parks. Kashi Vishwanath has transformed. Ujjain has transformed. Amritsar has transformed. Puri has transformed. Ayodhya and Mathura will soon transform. Revenues of several crores are being generated from these sites, with hardly any gestation period. This is good, right?But what is the cost of such development? There are reports on the ecological impact of the infrastructure work in Mecca, the carbon footprint created in the fragile desert ecosystem, but such conversations can easily be deemed Islamophobic. The same can happen in India, where politicians accuse activists of being Hinduphobic anti-development atheist Naxalites.But nature does not care for politics. Uttarakhand, holy since Vedic times as the place where Ganga moves from the mountains into the plains, is home to many sacred spots such as Kedarnath, Badrinath, Haridwar, Rishikesh and Joshimath. The area is ecologically fragile. And in recent times, there have been a series of calamities such as floods, earthquakes, and landslides, calling into question development activities, and the push for infrastructure.Politicians are still angry about temples broken centuries ago by invading Muslim warlords. But none of them is angry about the destruction of sacred groves known as the Devrais of Goa. These were for centuries out of bounds to farmers and pastoralists. They were believed to be the home of the Goddess. This ensured biodiversity. But these are being destroyed by mining activities and new infrastructure. Unlike well-organised Jain protests, protests to save sacred groves of tribal communities do not garner media attention. The subaltern holy spot is easy to ignore.India is a land created not by kings or merchants, but by pilgrims who followed sages to the isolation of mountains, or the fertility of river deltas, river confluences or river bends. These are where pilgrim spots are located. This is where mythological figures like Ram, Krishna, Shiva, and Durga performed magnificent deeds. This is where their power still throbs – power that people seek in their daily lives, which makes them want to visit these sites. This is encouraged by kings who realise the economic and political power of such movements. Let us not forget how the Kanwar yatra in the Gangetic region has been completely politicised, and how there are attempts to politicise the Varkari yatra in Maharashtra.Politicians care for power. For this they need people. Merchants care for wealth. For this they need markets. Neither care for nature. For them the pilgrims are sheep, and the tribal is a savage, easy to exploit and abuse. They milk the earth-cow ruthlessly, like Vena of the Bhagavata Purana. But they forget, the earth-cow will have the last laugh. As per Hindu lore, she will ask Parasuraman, Ram and Krishna to slaughter greedy kings. And if they fail, she will turn into the wild Kali and express her rage with disease and disasters and quench her thirst with blood.The writer is a mythologist and author of Pilgrim Nation (Aleph)
Two things became clear in the first week of this year. The BJP is going to use Hindutva as its main weapon in the next general election. And Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra appears to be causing concern at the highest levels of Narendra Modi’s inner circle. I base this bit of political analysis on a speech that the Home Minister made in Tripura. As reported on the front page of this newspaper last Friday, Amit Shah directed his remarks at ‘Rahul baba’ and said that he should ‘open his ears and listen carefully’ to the announcement that on January 1, 2024, the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya will be ready to welcome worshippers.This revelation was preceded by fulsome praise of Narendra Modi and a short history lesson. “From the time Babur destroyed it and left, from the time the country gained independence, these Congress people got it embroiled in courts – sessions court, High Court, Supreme Court again sessions court. One morning the Supreme Court order came. Modiji performed the ‘bhoomipoojan’ for Ram Lala’s temple and the construction work began.”When the second most powerful politician in India invokes Babur’s name in the same breath as he attacks the Congress Party for not building the temple, it tells us a few things. It tells us that the Ram Temple will open just weeks before the next general election. And making the announcement now means that we can expect a campaign in which temples and Hindutva will be used to deepen the fault lines that exist between Hindus and Muslims. Hindus will be reminded that there are terrible wounds in this country’s past. And Muslims will be reminded that Muslim invaders caused those wounds. Does it also tell us that Hindutva and historical grievances will be used to distract voters from dwelling on unpleasant subjects like high unemployment and high inflation? It is hard to say for sure because the Lok Sabha election is still 16 months away and who knows what changes could happen by then.It intrigued me that for the second time in the past few weeks, senior ministers of the Government of India have spoken directly to Rahul Gandhi. First it was the Health Minister who wrote a letter to him with the warning that unless Covid protocols were followed, the Bharat Jodo Yatra would not be allowed to go forward. To make the warning seem serious, senior BJP leaders appeared in Parliament that day wearing masks. This exercise has now been abandoned. This time it is the Home Minister who is talking directly to ‘Rahul baba’. Why? And why did the Home Minister choose to refer to him in the way in which ayahs address their wards?Could it be because there is growing concern in the highest echelons of the BJP about Rahul emerging as a mature leader who can no longer be mocked and jeered at? It has been a favorite pastime of BJP spokespersons to mock him in primetime TV debates as a man who is too juvenile and too much of a clown to pose any threat to the big leader. But there are signs that they are no longer as sure that their derision is working as well as it did in those pre-Yatra years when Rahul was hard to take seriously because he disappeared so often on mysterious foreign travels. And, because he was given to making muddled speeches about issues that he seemed not to fully understand.His speeches still sound very confused when he speaks on economic issues. He recently said that the only purpose of demonetisation was to take the people’s money and give it to Adani and Ambani. There was a great deal wrong with demonetization even if it was legal (as the Supreme Court has ruled) but it was not done to steal money from ordinary people and give it to the two richest Indians. Clearly, when it comes to economic issues the Dynasty’s heir has much to learn. This does not diminish the astonishing image makeover that Rahul has achieved with his Bharat Jodo Yatra.It is not possible yet to assess if the huge crowds he has drawn on his journey from Kanyakumari will vote for Congress. What it is possible to say is that Rahul’s political messaging has been appreciated even by people who do not count as Congress supporters. What it is possible to say is that Rahul’s personal stature has grown remarkably and there is no question that he has emerged as Modi’s main challenger. When the Home Minister mocks him as ‘Rahul baba’ he appears not to have noticed that the jibe is no longer effective.What it is possible to say is that millions of Indians are sick of religion being dragged into politics as it has been in the past eight years. What it is possible to say is that slowly but surely there is space being made in India’s political landscape for a leader who can pose a challenge to Modi. As someone who once said that the Bharat Jodo Yatra was a waste of time, I admit that I spoke too soon. But it may still prove to be a waste of time if immediate efforts are not made to revive the Congress Party’s crumbling organisational machinery. Unless this happens, Congress will not be able to take on Modi’s electoral juggernaut.
Two things became clear in the first week of this year. The BJP is going to use Hindutva as its main weapon in the next general election. And Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra appears to be causing concern at the highest levels of Narendra Modi’s inner circle. I base this bit of political analysis on a speech that the Home Minister made in Tripura. As reported on the front page of this newspaper last Friday, Amit Shah directed his remarks at ‘Rahul baba’ and said that he should ‘open his ears and listen carefully’ to the announcement that on January 1, 2024, the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya will be ready to welcome worshippers.This revelation was preceded by fulsome praise of Narendra Modi and a short history lesson. “From the time Babur destroyed it and left, from the time the country gained independence, these Congress people got it embroiled in courts – sessions court, High Court, Supreme Court again sessions court. One morning the Supreme Court order came. Modiji performed the ‘bhoomipoojan’ for Ram Lala’s temple and the construction work began.”When the second most powerful politician in India invokes Babur’s name in the same breath as he attacks the Congress Party for not building the temple, it tells us a few things. It tells us that the Ram Temple will open just weeks before the next general election. And making the announcement now means that we can expect a campaign in which temples and Hindutva will be used to deepen the fault lines that exist between Hindus and Muslims. Hindus will be reminded that there are terrible wounds in this country’s past. And Muslims will be reminded that Muslim invaders caused those wounds. Does it also tell us that Hindutva and historical grievances will be used to distract voters from dwelling on unpleasant subjects like high unemployment and high inflation? It is hard to say for sure because the Lok Sabha election is still 16 months away and who knows what changes could happen by then.It intrigued me that for the second time in the past few weeks, senior ministers of the Government of India have spoken directly to Rahul Gandhi. First it was the Health Minister who wrote a letter to him with the warning that unless Covid protocols were followed, the Bharat Jodo Yatra would not be allowed to go forward. To make the warning seem serious, senior BJP leaders appeared in Parliament that day wearing masks. This exercise has now been abandoned. This time it is the Home Minister who is talking directly to ‘Rahul baba’. Why? And why did the Home Minister choose to refer to him in the way in which ayahs address their wards?Could it be because there is growing concern in the highest echelons of the BJP about Rahul emerging as a mature leader who can no longer be mocked and jeered at? It has been a favorite pastime of BJP spokespersons to mock him in primetime TV debates as a man who is too juvenile and too much of a clown to pose any threat to the big leader. But there are signs that they are no longer as sure that their derision is working as well as it did in those pre-Yatra years when Rahul was hard to take seriously because he disappeared so often on mysterious foreign travels. And, because he was given to making muddled speeches about issues that he seemed not to fully understand.His speeches still sound very confused when he speaks on economic issues. He recently said that the only purpose of demonetisation was to take the people’s money and give it to Adani and Ambani. There was a great deal wrong with demonetization even if it was legal (as the Supreme Court has ruled) but it was not done to steal money from ordinary people and give it to the two richest Indians. Clearly, when it comes to economic issues the Dynasty’s heir has much to learn. This does not diminish the astonishing image makeover that Rahul has achieved with his Bharat Jodo Yatra.It is not possible yet to assess if the huge crowds he has drawn on his journey from Kanyakumari will vote for Congress. What it is possible to say is that Rahul’s political messaging has been appreciated even by people who do not count as Congress supporters. What it is possible to say is that Rahul’s personal stature has grown remarkably and there is no question that he has emerged as Modi’s main challenger. When the Home Minister mocks him as ‘Rahul baba’ he appears not to have noticed that the jibe is no longer effective.What it is possible to say is that millions of Indians are sick of religion being dragged into politics as it has been in the past eight years. What it is possible to say is that slowly but surely there is space being made in India’s political landscape for a leader who can pose a challenge to Modi. As someone who once said that the Bharat Jodo Yatra was a waste of time, I admit that I spoke too soon. But it may still prove to be a waste of time if immediate efforts are not made to revive the Congress Party’s crumbling organisational machinery. Unless this happens, Congress will not be able to take on Modi’s electoral juggernaut.
After Union Home minister Amit Shah recently announced that the Ram temple in Ayodhya would be ready on January 1, 2024, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge Friday (January 6) questioned his credentials to declare the opening date of the temple.Shah’s statement, made in Tripura, was the first time a date was officially announced for the opening of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.A day later, at a rally in Haryana’s Panipat, Kharge said, “Are you the pujari of the Ram Temple/ Are you the mahant of the Ram Temple? Let the mahants, sadhus and sants talk about it. Who are you to talk about the opening of the temple? You are a politician. Your job is to keep the country secure, maintain law, and ensure food for the people and provide farmers with adequate prices.”Given Shah’s stature and position in the government and his party, any statement by him would carry weight. Kharge’s criticism is primarily in the nature of a political statement. Even so, whose job technically would it be to make an announcement about the temple? Which body is in charge of the construction, and who are its members? We explain. The Supreme Court, in its November 2019 verdict in the demolished Babri mosque case, had ruled that the 2.77 acres of disputed land in Ayodhya be handed over to a trust for the construction of a Ram temple. This trust was to be set up within three months. Accordingly, the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust (SRJBTKshetra) was set up by the central government.Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the formation of the trust in Lok Sabha on February 5, 2020.The trust has 15 members, of which 12 were nominated by the Government of India and three were selected in its first meeting, held on February 19, 2020.Champat Rai, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) international vice-president, is the general secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, while Mahant Nritya Gopal Das is the president. Swami Govind Dev Giri is the treasurer.Senior lawyer K Parasaran is the founder trustee member, while the other members include Swami Vasudevanand Saraswati, Swami Vishwaprasannatheerth, Yugpurush Paramanand Giri, Vimlendra Mohan Pratap Mishra, Anil Mishra, Kameshwar Chaupal, and Mahant Dinendra Das.The ex officio members (meaning their inclusion is on the basis of the office they hold) include Nripendra Misra, former principal secretary to PM Modi, Awanish K Awasthi, Advisor to the Uttar Pradesh CM, the District Magistrate (DM) of Ayodhya, and IAS officer Gyanesh Kumar.According to the trust’s website, the temple’s construction committee has seven members, with Misra as chairman. The other six are Shatrughan Singh, former Chief Secretary of Government Of Uttarakhand; Diwakar Tripathi, retired IAS officer and Managing Head, Hanuman Temple, near Lucknow University; Prof Raman Surie, retired dean, school of architecture, Delhi; KK Sharma, former DG, BSF; Anoop Mittal, former CMD, National Building Construction Corporation; and Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary, Comptroller & Auditor General of India.The trust approved the construction committee on November 11, 2020.In September 2022, Misra had said that the ground floor of the Ram temple would be ready by December 2023 and devotees would be able to offer prayers by January 2024, after ‘pran pratishtha’, or the installation of the deity.Misra had told The Indian Express, “While the ground floor that will house the sanctum sanctorum will be complete by December 2023, the first and second floors of the temple will be ready by December 2024, even as the entire carving work will be complete by the end of 2025.”According to the trust’s website, the temple will have a built-up area of 57,400 sqft, and a height of 161 feet. It will have three floors of 20 feet height each.Earlier this week, Ram temple chief priest Acharya Satyendra Das had “blessed” Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra. A day later, Champat Rai and Swami Govind Dev Giri both spoke in support of the Yatra.And a day after Ram temple votaries in Ayodhya backed Rahul Gandhi’s Yatra, Amit Shah, while targeting the Congress leader, announced the date for the Ayodhya temple’s completion.
A day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced that the Ram temple in Ayodhya will be ready on January 1, 2024, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge Friday hit out at him questioning his credentials to declare the opening of a temple.Kharge said Shah’s job is to ensure security of the country but he is instead talking about the temple. Addressing a rally in Panipat in Haryana along with Rahul Gandhi where the Bharat Jodo Yatra has reached, Kharge accused the BJP government of not fulfilling their promise of creation of jobs.“There is an election in Tripura. (Amit) Shah goes there and says Ram Temple is being constructed and its inauguration is on (January) 1st. Everybody has faith in God but why are you announcing it during the election?” Kharge asked.He added, “Are you the pujari of the Ram Temple. Are you the mahant of the Ram Temple? Let the mahants, sadhus and sants talk about it. Who are you to talk about the opening of the temple? You are a politician. Your job is to keep the country secure, maintain law and order, ensure food for the people and provide farmers with adequate prices.”Kharge said the government had promised to double the income of the farmers but it has not happened. “They talked about increasing the MSP. Did that happen?”The AICC president added, “They (BJP) are roaming around with a dagger, dividing society and pitting castes and religions against each other.” Kharge said Rahul’s Bharat Jodo Yatra is aimed at bridging that divide. “It is not for votes. This is in the national interest, this is in your interest, this is in the interest of the farmers, youth, women and the Dalits,” he said.Addressing a rally in Tripura’s Sabroom where the Assembly election is due in March, Shah Thursday criticised the Congress and Rahul over the temple issue and praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for expediting its construction.“Babur destroyed it and left and from the time the country gained Independence, these Congress people got the case embroiled in the courts – Sessions Court, then the High Court, then the Supreme Court, again back to the Sessions Court. Modiji came and then one morning, the Supreme Court order was out. Modiji performed the bhoomipujan for Ram Lalla’s temple and the construction work began,” he said while announcing that on January 1, 2024, the temple will be opened.
A day after Ram temple votaries in Ayodhya backed Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, targeting the Congress leader, announced that theRam temple will be ready on January 1, 2024.This is the first time that a date has been announced publicly for the opening of the temple under construction in Ayodhya.Addressing a rally in Sabroom in Tripura where Assembly elections are due in March, Shah criticised the Congress and Rahul Gandhi over the temple issue and praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for expediting its construction.“From the time Babur destroyed it and left, from the time the country gained Independence, these Congress people got it embroiled in courts – Sessions Court, High Court, Supreme Court, again Sessions Court. Modiji came. One morning, the Supreme Court order came. Modiji performed the bhoomipujan for Ram Lalla’s temple and the construction work began,” he said.“Friends, I have come to tell you one thing. In the 2019 elections, I was president of the party (BJP) and Rahul Baba was president of the Congress. Rahul Baba would say everyday ‘mandir wahin banayenge, tithi nahin batayenge (will build a temple there but will not tell you the date).”#WATCH | Congress hindered the construction of Ram Temple in courts…After the SC verdict came, Modiji began the construction of the temple…Ram Temple will be ready on 1st January 2024: Union Home minister Amit Shah in Tripura pic.twitter.com/d7lZ8eegwS— ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2023“Rahul Baba kaan khol kar sun lo, Sabroom walon aap bhi ticket kara lo (Listen, Rahul Baba, and people of Sabroom, book your tickets): On January 1, 2024, you will find a grand Ram temple ready in Ayodhya,” he said.Flagging off the Sabroom segment of the BJP’s Jan Vishwas Yatra, Shah said the BJP government has just shown a “trailer” of development in Tripura, and “the picture is still left”.He appealed to people to repose faith in Modi’s development model and promised to make Tripura the “most prosperous state” among small states in the country in the next five years.Targeting the Congress, he said Pakistani intruders would often cross the border and kill Indian soldiers during the 10 years when the Congress-led UPA government was in power. Ever since the BJP came to power, firm replies were given for the Uri and Pulwama terror attacks, he said.The BJP yatra started from Dharmanagar in north Tripura and Sabroom in the south. It will cover 1,000 km across all 60 Assembly constituencies over 8 days and include 200 meetings, 100 padyatras and 50 road shows.Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha said the ‘Chalo Paltai’ (Let’s change) slogan of 2018 (which ended Left Front rule in the state) was based on faith in good governance, which was delivered in the last five years. “Our government delivered good governance with support from the Centre. We are confident the BJP will return to power in all 60 seats,” he said.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah Thursday announced that the temple of Lord Ram in Ayodhya will be inaugurated on January 1, 2024.Addressing a public rally in poll-bound Tripura, Shah said that the Congress and CPI(M) had hindered the construction of the temple and put the issue in the jurisdiction of the court for long, news agency PTI reported. “… After the Supreme Court verdict came, Modiji began the construction of the temple,” he said.#WATCH | Congress hindered the construction of Ram Temple in courts…After the SC verdict came, Modiji began the construction of the temple…Ram Temple will be ready on 1st January 2024: Union Home minister Amit Shah in Tripura pic.twitter.com/d7lZ8eegwS— ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2023“Rahul baba, listen from Sabroom, that a mammoth Ram Mandir will be ready on January 1, 2024,” the home minister said. Shah, who has started his 11-state tour with poll-bound Tripura, on Thursday flagged off the party’s first election rath yatra in the state, asserting a message of “vikas” or development. The rath yatra was launched a day after the BJP state government announced a 84-point ‘Report Card’ of its performance under 10 major headings, claiming it had fulfilled all of its 2018 poll promises.The country is safe at the hands of Modi, he said. “Ten days after the Pulwama incident in Kashmir, Indian soldiers went inside Pakistan and carried out a successful operation under Modi’s leadership,” Shah added. With inputs from PTI
