Explore Business Standard
Former Union minister and BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad hit out at the Congress on Saturday, saying its leader Rahul Gandhi needs to change his tutor as he is unaware of facts, as he slammed the opposition party over Emergency. Participating in a debate in the Lok Sabha on 75 years of the Constitution's adoption, Prasad said the framers of the Constitution knew that the Indian heritage is secular in nature as mentioned in the "Rigveda". He said the original Constitution had pictures of Lord Ram, Lord Hanuman and Mughal emperor Akbar, but not of Babar and Aurangzeb. He said in a hypothetical situation, if the Constitution was framed today, the opposition would have protested the insertion of such pictures in it. Attacking the Congress over the imposition of Emergency in the country, the former law minister said lakhs of people were sent to jail and opposition leaders targeted. He said the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has reached here after facing lathis (sticks) and bullets
Dussehra was celebrated across the country on Saturday with revellers coming out in large numbers to witness the burning of Ravana effigies, marking a spectacular culmination of 10-day of festivities filled with rituals, songs, dance and processions. Effigies of the demon king, his brother Kumbhakarna and son Meghnad went up in flames at open grounds with the attending crowds erupting as the firecrackers from the burning effigies illuminated the night sky. Social media platforms were awash with colourful, celebratory posts with people wishing each other health and happiness. President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the festivities at the Red Fort Parade Ground where they were welcomed by the organisers of Sri Dharmik Leela Committee. The festival celebrates Lord Rama's vanquishing the 10-headed demon king Ravana, and symbolises the triumph of good over evil. Huge Durga puja pandals were set up across venues showcasing designs based on a variety of innovative
The Madhya Pradesh government will develop the places associated with Lord Ram and Lord Krishna in the state as pilgrimage sites, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has said. The government has also decided to construct welcome gates dedicated to these deities at the entry points of state capital Bhopal, he said. CM Yadav issued directives to this effect during a review meeting of the Culture and Tourism Department on Friday, an official said. "The Madhya Pradesh government will identify the places associated with Lord Ram and Lord Krishna in the state and develop them as pilgrimage sites," Yadav said. He directed the department to construct welcome gates dedicated to Lord Rama and Lord Krishna at the entry points of Bhopal city and also make plans to set up entry gates dedicated to Raja Bhoj, an 11th century king from the Paramara dynasty, and Vikramaditya, a legendary king mentioned in Indian literature. Yadav also gave directions to officials to build entry gates at the state boundarie
National Conference president Farooq Abdullah said on Sunday that Lord Ram belongs to everyone, not only Hindus. Abdullah was addressing the opposition INDIA bloc's Ulgulan Naya Maharally' in Ranchi. Without naming any party, he said, They are selling Lord Ram, claiming that they brought him. They do not know Lord Ram. He does not belong to Hindus alone but to the world. Ram is for everyone. But they have made Ram their own, claiming He is only theirs. Attacking the saffron party, Abdullah said that it got scared of the popularity of former chief minister Hemant Soren and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. They were put behind the bar without any fault, he said. Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21 in a money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy. He is lodged in Tihar jail. The ED also arrested Soren on January 31 in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged land fraud, immediately after his resigna
President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday greeted citizens on the eve of Ram Navami and asked them to imbibe the values of Lord Shri Ram to build a nation in line with the concept of 'Ram Rajya', where every person lives with dignity. "Ram Navami, celebrated on the auspicious occasion of the birth of Lord Shri Ram, guides us on the path of truth and righteousness. Maryada Purushottam Prabhu Shri Ram is an ideal of humility, fortitude and bravery," the president said in a message. Lord Shri Ram set the highest standards of selfless service, friendship and unwavering commitment to his word, she said. "The festival of Ram Navami is also an opportunity to reflect on our eternal values. Let us imbibe the values of Lord Shri Ram and pledge to build a nation where, in line with the concept of Ram Rajya, every person lives with dignity and the stream of development continues to flow in everyone's life," Murmu was quoted as having said in a statement issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday accused the Congress of making several attempts to stall the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya and for insulting Lord Ram by rejecting the invitation for the 'pran pratishta' ceremony. Addressing an election rally here, Modi also said that the Congress is immersed in the swamp of appeasement and can never come out of it. "The Congress made several efforts so that the Ram temple in Ayodhya is not constructed. But when the people of the country made such a beautiful temple by contributing every penny, and when the temple people forgave all your sins, and invited you for the 'pran prathistaa', you insulted Lord Ram by rejecting the invitation and expelled leaders, who attended it, for six years," he said. "Every family of the country contributed according to their devotion. The people of Pilibhit also gifted a huge flute to Ayodhya. But, the people of INDI alliance had hatred even before the construction of Ram temple and they have hatred
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya brought crores of people together and asserted that the collective strength of the country was visible around the time of the event. In the first Mann Ki Baat broadcast of this year, Modi said the governance of Lord Ram was a source of inspiration for Constitution makers. "And that is why on January 22 in Ayodhya I had talked about 'Dev to Desh' and 'Ram to Rashtra'," he said. The consecration ceremony in Ayodhya has brought crores of people of the country together, he said. "Everyone's feeling is the same, everyone's devotion is the same. Ram is in everyone's words, Ram is in everyone's heart," Modi said. During this period, many people sang Ram bhajans and dedicated them to Lord Ram, while on January 22 evening the whole country lit 'Ram Jyoti' and celebrated Diwali, he noted. "During this time, the collective strength of the country was visible which also forms the basis of our p
The extended timing to offer prayers at the new Ram temple in Ayodhya came into effect on Thursday with 'darshan' being allowed from 6 am as key roads leading to the temple town remained closed to regulate vehicular movement. Authorities have implemented strict security measures in Ayodhya amid a huge rush of people following the January 22 consecration ceremony. Rapid Action Force and Central Reserve Police Force personnel have been deployed outside the temple and roads from Basti, Gonda, Ambedkarnagar, Barabanki, Sultanpur and Amethi blocked 15 kilometres ahead of their borders with Ayodhya. On Wednesday, the temple management decided to let people offer prayers from 6 am to 10 pm, and allotted 15 minutes for 'aarti' and 'bhog' from 12 noon. Earlier, it was 7 am to 6 pm with a two-hour break in between. On Thursday, devotees started arriving in the temple town on the occasion of 'Paush Purnima' and thousands were seen taking a holy dip in the Saryu river. Ayodhya Commissioner Gau