With an eye on the Lok Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party raked up the Ayodhya Ram temple issue on Saturday in a bid to boost the party's morale in Uttar Pradesh where good performance in the past had helped it capture power at the Centre.
The ruling alliance partner sought to know what prevents the BJP from making use of its absolute majority in the Lok Sabha to start construction of the temple in Ayodhya.
The UP CM's visit comes a day after senior BJP leaders were charged with conspiracy in the Babri Masjid case.
Janhvi Kapoor celebrated her 29th birthday with a visit to the Tirumala Venkateswara temple.
'Muslims should not justify demolition of temples by foreign invaders.'
Demanding removal of Ram temple's mention from the Bharatiya Janata Party manifesto, Sant Mahasabha, a body representing various sadhus and saints, has threatened to sit on fast-unto-death.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath criticised the ruling TMC in West Bengal, alleging corruption, extortion, and the rise of 'mafia rule' have led to an 'identity crisis' in the state.
Bharatiya Janata Party General Secretary Amit Shah's visit to the make-shift Ram temple at Ayodhya and his announcement that a grand temple should be built there drew sharp reactions from other parties which accused the main opposition of raking up the issue for electoral gains.
After the incident took place on Sunday evening, the body of a man was found about 200 metres from the clash site in Kidana village, and the police are trying to ascertain if he was killed as part of that violence, Kutch (East) Superintendent of Police Mayur Patil said.
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.
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal have announced that they will mark the day as Shaurya Diwas and Vijay Diwas (day of victory) and have asked the people to light earthen lamps as on Diwali.
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.
The Manch said it is making efforts to make Muslims aware of the 'truth' that Lord Ram is at the centre of faith for Hindus, while the Mughal emperor Babur does not claim similar space for them.
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.
Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury accused the ruling dispensation of resorting to diversionary tactics.
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.
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.
He promised a grand city inspired by Cambodia's sprawling Angkor Wat, in the state if his party comes to power.
He said the wait for the court's verdict on the long-pending issue has been too long.
Sharma exuded confidence that the BJP will get over 265 out of 403 seats in the state assembly.
The ancient Shiv Mandir is located at Bisrakh village, believed to be the birthplace of Ravana, the antagonist to the hero of Lord Ram in the epic Ramayana.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has said that while British and French colonialism are often discussed in history, there is little mention of 'political Islam', which, he claimed, has inflicted the greatest blow on the Sanatan Dharma.
BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain was replying to questions by mediapersons on what the party had to say on RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's comment that the Ram Mandir movement had helped BJP but the Sangh was not looking for help from anyone to run its movement.
Dr S Q R Ilyas, head of the BMAC and a senior member of the board, feels that the Sangh Parivar should not have raked up the Ram temple issue. In a candid chat with rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa, Dr Ilyas said the recent proclamation by the RSS, VHP and BJP was a desperate measure to rake up the issue of Hindutva once again
Hitting back at the Shiv Sena, Maharashtra Bharatiya Janata Party leader Devendra Fadnavis on Monday said the Uddhav Thackeray-led outfit's Hindutva is merely on paper and finds mention just in speeches, while it was his party men who faced bullets and lathis during the Ram Janmabhoomi movement.
After clamping down on its yatra on the Ayodhya issue, the Uttar Pradesh government on Monday banned Vishwa Hindu Parishad's proposed 'Sankalp Diwas' stir on October 18 to press for a parliamentary legislation on building Ram temple, fearing a communal flare-up.
Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh has criticised Bharatiya Janata Party leader Lal Krishna Advani for raising the contentious Ram temple-Babri mosque row before the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.
In his annual Vijayadashmi address, the RSS chief also spoke about "urban maoism", the Sabarimala row and the need to strengthen the country's borders.
Bhagwat presented Sangh's views on a number of contentious issue while answering wide-ranging written questions on the last day of the three-day conclave, including on matters like inter-caste marriages, education policy, crimes against women, cow vigilantism.
If the PM gives the historic opportunity of laying the foundation stone of the Ram temple to a Dalit girl, it will send a transformational message to the Dalits in India and will give them a sense of belongingness, says Dr Sudhir Bisht.
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.
Uttar Pradesh's tableau at this year's Republic Day parade was adjudged the best and awarded by Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday, said the Defence Ministry.
Party spokesman Satyabrata Chaturvedi accused the BJP and Sangh Parivar of raking the issue for electoral gains.
The Shankaracharya said the sadhus will begin their march to Ayodhya from Allahabad after Basant Panchami, which falls on February 10.
'The Centre has brought an ordinance on triple talaq. Its duration is of six months. If it is made into a law, then we will challenge this in the Supreme Court.'
The three-day celebrations began on Saturday with a recital of Yajurveda and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath performing an 'abhishek' on the Ram Lalla idol.
Union Minister Mahesh Sharma said it is the "dream" of the people of the country that Ram Mandir is built as early as possible.
'This evidence is important to solve the dispute.'
This act of aggression comes in the wake of heightened tensions in the area, where celebratory processions and commercial establishments have been the target of violence.
"The BJP stands fully committed for the construction of a grand Ram temple at Ayodhya... Litigation is also pending for resolution of this dispute, which may not offer a perfect solution because one party would lose and the other may win. Today, I appeal to the Muslim community to be generous towards the sentiments and feelings of Hindus and facilitate the construction of a grand Ram temple," he said in his presidential address at the two-day national council of the BJP.
