On August 5, Das shared the dais with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Adityanath, Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat at the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya.
Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel and Governor O P Kohli were also present at the meeting.
Attacking Narendra Modi for using Lord Ram's picture on the stage backdrop at a rally, Janata Dal-United chief Sharad Yadav on Tuesday charged that Ram Temple issue was BJP's hidden agenda and the party has chosen Varanasi as the epicentre to spread communalism in the country.
In a virtual rebuff to the Bharatiya Janata Party, which on Thursday harped on its commitment to construct a Ram temple at Ayodhya, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad said it was a religious issue and political leaders should stop talking about it 'to seek more votes'. "We totally disagree with it. The issue is not political and therefore they should not speak. It is a religious issue. Building a temple or mosque should not be decided by the BJP or the Congress," he said.
Controversial Bharatiya Janata Party MP Sakshi Maharaj on Sunday declared the Ram temple at Ayodhya will be built under the Centre's BJP government, which has "four more years to go", drawing sharp criticism from opposition Congress party.
TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to release the pending central dues to West Bengal before professing his love for the state. Banerjee also criticised BJP leaders and defended the 'Jai Bangla' slogan.
Janhvi Kapoor celebrated her 29th birthday with a visit to the Tirumala Venkateswara temple.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressed poll rallies in West Bengal, promising to tackle corruption and illegal immigration if the BJP comes to power. He criticised the current TMC government and outlined the BJP's plans for the state.
BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on Wednesday claimed that work on the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya would start before this year-end.
"Our stand is very clear from the beginning. The issue of Ram temple has to be settled either through negotiations or court order. Uniform Civil code will not be imposed and there would be no talk of ending section 370," Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar told media-persons in New Delhi, commenting on BJP's promise of enacting a legislation to construct the temple at Ayodhya.
Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday linked Congress leaders' protest in black clothes over the issues of price rise and unemployment to the party's "appeasement" politics to convey its opposition to the Ram temple foundation laying by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on this day in 2020.
'On the one hand it will appeal to pan-Hindu sentiment and on the other opposition to it could well strengthen support for the BJP among Hindu voters.'
A truck accident in Damoh district, Madhya Pradesh, resulted in the deaths of four people and injuries to five others after the truck collided with a motorcycle and an SUV.
The construction of the Ram Temple complex in Ayodhya, including the main structure, is estimated to cost around Rs 1,100 crore and is expected to be completed in three-and-a-half years, said the treasurer of the trust overseeing the project on Monday.
Terming this occasion as special, CM Yogi said that liquor shops should be kept closed in the state on January 22.
"The earlier design was made in 1988, now over 30 years have passed and so the footfall will increase with time. People are also very enthusiastic about visiting the temple so we thought its size should be increased. In view of this, the height of the temple has been increased from 141-feet to 161-feet," Nikhil Sompura said.
The programme, however, will be held as planned, maintaining all the safety rules for coronavirus.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has dismissed a plea from Sanji Ram, the mastermind behind the 2018 rape and murder of an eight-year-old in Kathua, refusing to suspend his life sentence.
A notification by the MHA said a trust by the name 'Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra' has been registered with its registered office at R-20, Greater Kailash Part-1, New Delhi, 110048. The ministry also said as directed by the SC, the UP government has already issued the allotment letter of a five-acre plot to the Sunni Central Waqf Board for construction of a mosque.
The Bharatiya Janata Party, for whom the temple town sharpened its Hindutva plank, is facing a challenge particularly from the Samajwadi Party in the ongoing state polls.
A standing committee of the Rajasthan Wildlife Board's has cleared a proposal to allow the mining of a special sandstone, much sought after by builders including those constructing the Ram temple in Ayodhya, from Bharatpur's Bandh Baretha sanctuary.
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday backed the BVishwa Hindu parishad's resolution for building a Ram temple in Ayodhya, saying its construction is like establishing the 'Indian identity'.
The support of every Ram devotee from all over the country will be solicited for the grand temple to be built at the birthplace of Lord Ram in Ayodhya, Rai said, adding that for this, Vishva Hindu Parishad activists will go from door to door, accompanied by venerated seers and others.
Without naming the BJP, Joshi added, "We are not begging for it. We are expressing our emotions. The country wants 'Ram rajya'."
Taking a dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party government, Hindu religious leaders have said that they will construct the Ram temple at the "Lord's birthplace" in Ayodhya without any political assistance if the Supreme Court gives order in their favour.
BJP leader Vinay Katiyar alleged that the issue was being delayed 'under pressure' from the Congress, which denied the charge.
On the prime minister's charge that the Congress was creating hurdles in the court's process, the Sena said, "Modi has to stop levelling allegations against the Gandhi family and the Congress. You were not given power to keep cribbing about such problems. The Congress and the Samajwadi Party were ousted because of their hurdles in the construction of Ram Temple. So, stop blaming the Congress now".
Bharti said she would 'embark on a pilgrimage to devote time for Ganga river and Lord Ram by leaving power'.
A property dealer in Jaipur narrowly escaped an attack when unidentified assailants opened fire on his vehicle. Police suspect the incident stems from an old rivalry and are investigating the case.
Rather than wasting time on rhetoric, emotions and drama, if Aakhri Sawal had engaged in a serious debate with more controversial questions and stronger arguments to counter them, it would have enriched the viewer as well as lifted the discourse, observes Utkarsh Mishra.
"There was a Ram temple in Ayodhya and it will exist there in the future, too, and with a grand look," he said.
The RSS also described Modi's comments as a 'positive step' towards the temple construction.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said he wants the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance to win 400 seats in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls to ensure the Congress does not bring back Article 370 in Kashmir and put a 'Babri lock' on the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
The newly appointed Uttar Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party president Surya Pratap Shahi visited the disputed site in Ayodhya on Friday and vowed to construct a Ram temple there, saying it was something related to the faith of crores of Hindus.
The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet has approved the expansion of the proposed temple museum in Ayodhya, contracting Tata Sons to develop and operate the project on a 52-acre site.
Mohan Bhagwat said the temple would be constructed in the same grandeur as it existed before, using the "same stones" under the guidance of those who were the flag-bearers of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement for the last 25 years.
Azam Khan, the president of the group said that they want to help the construction of the temple.
The carving work by artisans had been carried out uninterrupted since 1990 when Mulayam Singh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party was Uttar Pradesh chief minister.
'I'm sure the central government must have been thinking over the technicalities, that how to pave the way for construction of the temple.'
Instead of adversely affecting the interests of minorities, the Tamil Nadu CM said, a UCC would ensure all citizens are treated equally.
