Ram Temple Opening
PM to BJP: Don’t crowd Ayodhya on Jan 22
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has advised the BJP leaders against going to Ayodhya to attend the Pran Pratishtha of Ram Lalla on January 22. At a meeting of party’s national office-bearers on December 22, he suggested to the BJP leaders present that they go for a darshan after the consecration ceremony. The party leaders have instead been asked to remain in their home towns and organise live telecast of the deity’s installation ceremony at every polling booth in their area. The BJP plans to use the occasion to connect with the maximum number of people in the run-up to the Lok Sabha election. It is preparing to start a cleanliness drive across all temples and Teerth Sthans in the country. Party leaders are being assigned religious places and Teerths. The Swachchta Abhiyan will begin on the auspicious day of Makar Sankranti on January 14 and continue till the consecration day. On the day of Pran Pratishtha, BJP members will encourage people to light diyas at their houses and business establishments. The day will be celebrated like Diwali across the country by the BJP rank and file. The RSS, meanwhile, is engaged in Akshat (unbroken rice used in rituals) distribution. The Sangh plans to reach 20 crore households through the programme.
Tremors Within
Dropped as Gen Secy, Tariq Anwar may quit Congress
Tariq Anwar, who once ran the Congress as the closest aide to party president Sitaram Kesri, has been sulking after being dropped from the team of the party’s central office-bearers. He did not attend the meeting of the Congress Working Committee held after the organisational restructuring. Sources said Anwar is extremely hurt as he was the only general secretary to be removed by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in the rejig on December 23. They did not rule out the possibility of his resignation from the party’s primary membership. Anwar was once part of the famous trio ‘Amar, Akbar, Anthony’ which included Sharad Pawar, Anwar and P A Sangma. The three had protested the leadership of Sonia Gandhi over her foreign origin and walked out of the party along with their supporters to form the Nationalist Congress Party. According to sources, Anwar may return to the NCP.
INDIA at a Crossroads
SP’s sun-gazing & TMC, Sena’s grandstanding
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav’s announcement that he will not start the seat-sharing discussions until the sun goes into Uttarayan, which happens on Makar Sankranti on January 14, has thrown Congress’ timelines awry. The Congress was keen to finish these discussions before the start of its former president Rahul Gandhi’s Manipur-to-Mumbai Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra on January 14 this year. The five-member National Alliance Committee set up by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has had hectic consultations with the party’s state units regarding their expectations and the reasoning thereof. The committee will meet for three consecutive days starting tomorrow and finish all internal consultations by January 10. But Akhilesh’s insistence on an auspicious time for talks has upset the Congress plans. It has, therefore, decided to go into the tougher terrain and begin talks with Shiv Sena, TMC and AAP. Sources said barring the Samajwadi Party, all other INDIA partners will likely conclude the seat pact by January 14.