Speculation rife after PM writes to Rajbhar
A customary congratulatory letter sent by PM Narendra Modi to Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) president Om Prakash Rajbhar on his son’s wedding has got tongues wagging. Political analysts take this as a sign of Rajbhar’s return to the NDA fold for the Lok Sabha polls next year. Rajbhar is basking in the attention. “Lok Saha elections are still a year away. It is too hasty to reach any conclusion. Discussions and guessing should continue,” he told reporters chasing him in the bustle of the wedding. SBSP allied with the BJP during the 2017 elections but it contested the 2022 polls with the Samajwadi Party.
Lucknow University ties up with Google, Meta
Lucknow University has planned ‘The Bharat Lab’ to be set up in collaboration with IT giants Google and Meta. “The plan is to create a symbiotic relationship between academia and industry to develop more effective products and strategies,” said a university spokesperson. The lab will gather data on consumption patterns and aspirations of consumers in tier-2 and tier-3 cities of India, using Google’s online advertising, search engine technology and cloud computing, and Meta’s platforms like Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.
Shaligram stones for Ram Lalla statue faulty
The two Shaligram stones, brought to Ayodhya from Nepal with great fanfare to be used for carving out the statue of Ram Lalla for the grand temple that is likely to be inaugurated in January next year, have been cast aside as faulty as they developed cracks. Though the temple trust has shortlisted new stones from Karnataka and Rajasthan now, the Nepal stones have not been totally discarded. According to a temple trust member, these rocks would be kept at the Ram Mandir complex itself so that devotees could worship them. They are devshilas and will be given full respect, he said.
Namita bajpai
Our correspondent in Uttar Pradesh
namita.bajpai@ newindianexpress.com