The event brings to fruition the Bharatiya Janata Party's 'mandir' movement that defined its politics for three decades and took it to the heights of power.
'How can someone who has never been associated with the movement and never had darshan of Ram Lalla mediate on the matter of temple construction? We have gone to jail for it, faced house arrest and have been fighting court cases. Sri Sri does not qualify to mediate on the matter.'
The UP CM's visit comes a day after senior BJP leaders were charged with conspiracy in the Babri Masjid case.
The government on Wednesday named nine out of 15 members of the 'Shri Ram Janambhoomi Teertha Kshetra' trust constituted for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya as mandated by the Supreme Court. Here's all you need to know about the members of the trust who have been named so far.
Prayag Raj, who was so successful at his peak, ought not to have slid into oblivion, observes Deepa Gahlot.
Senior BJP leader and Patnagarh MLA KV Singh Deo and debutant from Nimapara assembly segment Pravati Parida took oath as deputy chief ministers.
A Pakistani court on Friday asked the secretaries of the interior and foreign ministries to respond to a petition seeking the release of two Indian prisoners who are languishing in jail despite having completed their terms. Justice Shujaat Ali Khan of the Lahore high court issued notices to the two officials in response to a petition filed by lawyer Awais Sheikh seeking the release of Indian prisoners Mangal Singh and Ram Das.
The results for bypolls to seven assembly seats in six states will be declared on Friday in what is being seen as a major test for the opposition's Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance against the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance ahead of the polls in five states later this year and Lok Sabha elections in 2024.
The seven seats -- Bageshwar in Uttarakhand, Ghosi in Uttar Pradesh, Puthuppally in Kerala, Dhupguri in West Bengal, Dumri in Jharkhand, and Boxanagar and Dhanpur in Tripura -- went to poll on September 5.
President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud, Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and several other famous faces were seen at polling booths, exercising their franchise in the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha polls on Saturday.
The members include senior lawyer K Parasaran, Jagatguru Shankracharya, Jyothishpeethadheeshwar Swami Vasudevanand Saraswati Ji Maharaj from Allahabad, Jagatguru Madhavacharya Swami Vishwa Prasannatheerth Ji Maharaj, Pejawar Math in Udupi, Yugpurush Paramanand Ji Maharaj from Haridwar, Swami Govinddev Giri Ji Maharaj from Pune and Vimlendra Mohan Pratap Mishra from Ayodhya.
'No COVID-19 positive person will be allowed when the bhoomi pujan happens on August 5 in Prime Minister Modi's presence.'
"I challenge BJP to prove corruption charges against me. If proved, I will resign from politics," said Hemant Soren.
Antaryami's parents Ram Murthi and Bhago Devi, sister Harjinder and some other members of the family began the strike at noon in their house in Dehlan village near Una.
Saturday's voting will mark the end to the marathon polling process that began on April 19 month and has already covered 486 Lok Sabha seats in 28 states and Union territories.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Vaundhara Raje -- who is expected to meet Gujjar leader Karori Singh Bainsla later today -- will reach an agreement over the community's demand for a Scheduled Tribe status, according to Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Prakash Javadekar.
BJP heavyweights Smriti Irani, Arjun Munda, Ajay Mishra Teni and Kailash Chaudhary were among the 13 Union ministers who tasted defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, as stunning losses in three Hindi heartland states forced the BJP to rely on allies to form the government.
Teams of National Disaster Response Force were trying to find out any person still trapped under the debris, officials said.
The second round of talks between the agitating Gujjar leaders and Rajasthan government, over the community's demand for Scheduled Tribe status, began in Jaipur on Friday, an official spokesperson said.The first round of talks between the Gujjar leaders and the state government was held on Monday in Bayana.The state government had constituted a joint delegation of politicians and senior bureaucrats under the leadership of Agrawal, who has been associated with negotiations.
Khalistani separatist Lakhbir Singh alias 'Rode', a designated terrorist under the Indian law, has died recently in Pakistan, where he had taken refuge after his uncle Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale was killed in 1984 during an army action, officials said on Tuesday.
Some speakers also blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government.
'Good sense will prevail even on those who are opposing it and together we will fulfil Paramhans's dream,'
'The BJP is in power at the Centre and in many states. It can easily go for the construction of Ram temple, otherwise it would be considered a liar and get thrown out of power,' the Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece Saamana.
Sri Ram Janmbhoomi Trust Chairman Nritya Gopal Das on Thursday welcomed the Allahabad High Court's verdict on the Ayodhya title suit, but said they would challenge the decision to provide one third of the disputed land to Sunni Central Waqf Board, in the Supreme Court.
Union Minister Mahesh Sharma said it is the "dream" of the people of the country that Ram Mandir is built as early as possible.
A court in Varanasi on Friday directed the Archaeological Survey of India to conduct a "detailed scientific survey" -- including excavations, wherever necessary -- to determine if the Gyanvapi mosque located next to the Kashi Vishwanath temple is built upon a temple.
Sources close to him said senior leaders are trying to persuade him to withdraw his resignation.
Banda chief judicial magistrate Bhagwan Das Gupta appointed Garima Singh, additional chief judicial magistrate (MP-MLA Court Banda) as the investigating officer in the case, the official said.
Embarrassed at the failure to realise their aim of building a bhavya (grand) temple for 'Ram Lalla' at the place called Ram Janmabhoomi despite six years of BJP rule at the Centre, the sants of the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas have found new issues to occupy them.
The Bharatiya Janata Party will ensure the swearing-in ceremony of the new Chhattisgarh cabinet under Vishnu Deo Sai on Wednesday will be a 'historic' event which will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP leaders and chief ministers, state chief Arun Sao said.
'It is necessary to have a person at the top who can make strict decisions without hesitation. Modiji has done that.'
'Besides Ayodhya, the BJP lost in nine other constituencies with a Ramayana imprint; it tasted success only in Thrissur.' 'In Rameswaram, K Navaskani of the Indian Union Muslim League won with a 44% voteshare in a 84% Hindu constituency.' 'In the 21 seats in the Ayodhya and Varanasi regions, both crucial to the Hindutva project, the BJP won just 7.' 'It won just 3 out of 12 seats around Modi's constituency,' points out Krishna Prasad.
Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.com does a deep dive into four elections when Narendra Modi resorted to anti-Muslim fervour and points out that Hindu-Muslim politics does not necessarily mean victory for the BJP.
Seventy-seven MLAs were present in the assembly during the voting.
The fresh initiative for settlement of the Ayodhya dispute, led by a former High Court judge, has been signed by more than 10,000 Hindu and Muslims.
It was called to discuss the future course of action of the temple movement.
Ram Janmabhoomi trust head Nritya Gopal Das tested positive for novel coronavirus infection. He shared stage with PM Modi.
Once Ram temple is built it will become a 'ghoshit (declared) Hindu Rashtra', a VHP leader told the gathering.
