Attempting an image makeover, Narendra Modi on Monday wound up his three-day fast for communal harmony, claiming that his government made no distinction between minority and majority communities and skirted the issue of his being in the Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial race.
At least 25 persons, including activist Mallika Sarabhai, were detained as 2002 Gujarat riot victims were on Sunday barred from protesting against Chief Minister Narendra Modi on the second day of his fast for communal harmony.
Mohd Nadeem Zaid, 45, a resident of the Jama Masjid area, and Mohd Faheem Khan, 37, a resident of the Turkman Gate area, were arrested on Saturday night.
Spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on Monday asked members of the Muslim community not to protest against Vishwaroopam. "I will say the best thing is just laugh and let go, smile and let go. Because of some depiction of a community in some bad light or whatever way, people are not going to take it seriously and communal harmony will never be disturbed," said Shankar.
Shia cleric Maulana Kalbe Jawwad, naib imam of Idgah and member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, Maulana Khalid Rasheed Firangimahli, the main pujari of the Ram Janambhoomi temple in Ayodhya, Acharya Satyendra Das Mahraj, and Mahant of Janki Ghat in Ayodhya, Janmey Sharan, have asked people respect the verdict of the court and maintain communal harmony
The police condemned the unprovoked, unacceptable attack on an individual's religious identity and added that stern legal action is being initiated.
Delhi Jama Masjid Shahi Imam Syed Ahmed Bukhari called the killing an "act of cowardice" and "an act against Islam".
With the first phase of Assembly elections in Assam slated for April 4, and the second phase on April 11, it appears that the ruling Congress is all set to stage a comeback under the leadership of Tarun Kumar Gogoi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday inaugurated Abu Dhabi's first Hindu stone temple amid devotional chants and in the presence of spiritual leaders of the Swaminarayan sect.
Members of the mosque renovating committee told rediff.com said that Menon donated more than a crore rupees for renovating the Nuchiyad mosque.
The Union Home Ministry said that the IRF has been indulging in activities which are prejudicial to the security of the country and have the potential of disturbing peace and communal harmony and disrupting the secular fabric of the country.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati has appealed to the people to maintain communal harmony and peace, in the wake of the verdict of the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court in the Ayodhya title suit. Mayawati told a press conference on Thursday evening that the state government has written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on implementation of the high court's order.
The BJP enters challenging times where it has been given a task to hold onto the values of Ram in running the country as defined by Narendra Modi in Ayodhya, notes Sheela Bhatt.
"We have full confidence in the judicial system of the country. We appeal to the people to respect the verdict of the court and maintain peace and communal harmony in the country," the seminary's deputy vice-chancellor Maulana Abdul Khalique Madrasi said
"When lakhs of Muslims will assemble at the Eidgah on Saturday for the Eid namaz , they will also pray for peace and communal harmony across the country after the special high court bench declares its judgement in the long-pending Ayodhya case", Lucknow's Naib Imam and head of the city's oldest Islamic seminary, Firangi Mahal said on Friday.
The state home department, in a tweet, said the person was arrested in accordance with the law for carrying illegal firearms during BJP's march to the secretariat.
The spiritual head urged the government to legislate a special law and ban illegal slaughterhouses across the country.
The United Progressive Alliance government on Thursday declared that it will pursue a policy of 'zero-tolerance' towards terrorism from whatever source it originates and seek to reshape its relationship with Pakistan, which should confront terror groups inimical to India. Outlining ten broad areas of priority for the next five years, President Patil, in her address to the jt session of Parliament, said that security and preservation of communal harmony will be among those.
An Uttar Pradesh government spokesperson said a formal order for all eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route in the state was likely to be issued soon.
The volunteers are asked to keep an eye on posts which are against the sovereignty and integrity of India, against the defence of India, against the security of the state, against friendly relations with foreign states, content aimed at disturbing public order, disturbing communal harmony and child sex abuse material.
The way communal politics has become the only way to decide political discourse is unfortunate and bad sign for the future of democracy, says Syed Hassan Kazim
Asked about the BJP's claim that its performance in southern states will be exemplary, Tharoor said, "The claim of an 'exemplary' performance is yet another product of the BJP's propaganda mill."
Freedom fighter and former member of Parliament Shashi Bhushan died at a hospital in Delhi on Friday. He was 88.
A case has been registered against former Bharatiya Janata Party member of Parliament Ram Vilas Vedanti, who allegedly issued a 'fatwa' against Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam patriarch and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi.
The BJP and Congress steup up the heat ahead of polls
As the country's largest opposition political party with strong roots among the majority community, the BJP has a special stake in ensuring communal peace and harmony.
The main accused in the rocket propelled grenade attack at the Punjab police headquarters in Mohali was apprehended from Mumbai on Thursday, DGP Gaurav Yadav said.
Congress leader Digvijaya Singh is in trouble after a video surfaced on Thursday showing him sharing a stage with Islamic preacher Zakir Naik
The Rajasthan government on Friday constituted a Special Investigating Team to probe the terror attack on Khwaja Mohiuddin Chisti's dargah at Ajmer which had killed three persons and injured many more on Thursday. Union Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta said that the SIT will interact with central security agencies to find out which organisation had masterminded Thursday's blast. The blast had aimed at disturbing the communal harmony in the city, Gupta said.
The iftar will be attended by Shia cleric and religious leader Maulana Kalbe Sadiq, Christian priest Anand John, Sikh leader Gurcharan Jeet Singh and Sandip Pandey, Magsaysay award winner and convenor of National Alliance for People's Movement
The ban on Verma, second in the last one week, came into force at 6 pm on Wednesday. This means, he will not be able to campaign for the February 8 Delhi assembly polls any further.
On a visit to Jaipur with Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, Home Minister Shivraj Patil on Thursday said that India would fight terror at all costs and thwart the designs of terrorists to disturb peace and communal harmony in the country. "The nefarious designs of terrorists will be thwarted boldly and their attempts will be foiled," Patil told reporters after visiting the injured victims at the Sawai Man Singh Hospital, along with Gandhi.
As they watched pictures of ghastly incidents on their TV sets, Indians stood shocked and many who had their loved ones in Jaipur tried frantically to contact them. Condemning Tuesday's blasts, in which at least 60 people were killed and 200 injured, Indian National Overseas Congress appealed to all communities to maintain communal harmony.
As he completed one year in office on Thursday, the Chief Minister also gave a hundred out of hundred score for his government's performance.
The police arrested four men on Tuesday after they chanted Hanuman Chalisa at an idgah, a day after namaaz offered on the premises of a temple in Mathura triggered a row.
He was booked under IPC sections 153A (promoting enmity between groups on the ground of religion, class, etc), 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious belief), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 505 (public mischief).
Buoyed by Samajwadi Party's performance in the by-elections, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday said people of the state have shown the door to divisive and communal forces.
The Amarnath row had been solved after an accord was signed.
"Whether it is Togadia or (VHP president Ashok) Singhal's statement... the entry of VHP leaders should be banned in Rajasthan if communal harmony is to be maintained," he said.
BJP leader Uma Bharti secured a judicial relief on Tuesday when the Additional District and Sessions Court in Hubli upheld her discharge by a lower court in a 1994 criminal case.
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