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YouTuber Sakshi Joshi suffers a meltdown on Ram Mandir: Watch how she wanted the Modi govt to build a Ram temple in Ayodhya in 2018

Amit Kelkar
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YouTuber Sakshi Joshi suffers a meltdown on Ram Mandir: Watch how she wanted the Modi govt to build a Ram temple in Ayodhya in 2018

As the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Mandir approaches, the usual suspects are suffering from a meltdown that has become a hallmark of their conduct, besides being unabashedly hypocritical, since Modi rose to power in 2014. Any decision by the Modi government triggers a nervous breakdown among this lot of left-leaning ‘liberals’ who had grown accustomed to crumbs thrown at them by the previous regimes that, unfortunately for them, stopped after May 2014.

And since then, these usual suspects, many of whom claim to be ‘journalists’ but are nothing but shameless propagandists, have been ranting against the Modi government, hoping against hope that their routine but asinine outbursts against PM Modi would find some takers and help them take down the might of the Modi juggernaut that, at the present moment, seems to be unstoppable.

In this pursuit, one YouTuber, Sakshi Joshi, a former ‘journalist’ known for her shrill rhetorics against the Modi government, recently posted a video wherein she went on a bizarre rant against the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

Joshi sarcastically commented on the construction of the Ram Mandir, suggesting that people seem to believe all problems will magically disappear just because the temple is being built in Ayodhya. In a widely circulated video on social media, Joshi mocked the idea that contributing Rs 20 crores to build the Ram Mandir would miraculously solve all woes, jokingly claiming that God will even tackle inflation simply because the temple is under construction.

The clip is symbolic of the meltdown that the left-leaning liberals are having as the date of the Ram Mandir consecration ceremony, or the Pran Pratishtha of Ram Lalla, as it is accurately referred to, is just days away. PM Modi, among other dignitaries, will be attending the ceremony and witness the historic moment when Lord Ram will return to his rightful abode after an exile, this time of close to 500 years.

However, what is even more interesting is the fact that Sakshi Joshi is the same ‘journalist who, until 2018, was vociferously demanding that the BJP government at the centre build a Ram Mandir in Ayodhya as it was an ‘article of faith’ for her.

During a news segment in 2018, when Joshi was associated with News 24, the ‘journalist’ scornfully mocked a BJP leader, suggesting that the party had no genuine intention of constructing a Ram Mandir and was merely leveraging the issue as a political strategy to secure victory in the 2019 elections.

‘Despite having your government in the state at the centre, if you are not building the Ram Mandir, you are not speaking anything on the ordinance, then people would start thinking that you are only using Ram Mandir as a poll strategy to win elections,” Joshi said.

‘Bring an ordinance in the parliament and build a Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. We want to see a magnificent Ram Mandir in Ayodhya; it is an article of faith for us,” Joshi says in a conversation with a BJP leader in 2018, a video of which has now gone viral on the internet after her latest rant against the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha ritual in Ayodhya.

While being a hypocrite is second nature for such usual suspects, it reflects the deep hatred they harbour for Hindus who, for the first time in five centuries, will witness one of their holiest religious shrines restored to their original owner, Lord Ram. But like the last ten years have shown, liberals’ ranting and raving has little impact on the central government or the public, who continue to view them with suspicion and treat them as sellouts working in the interests of anti-Hindu forces.

January 22, 2024, will be a historic day, marking a pivotal moment that not only saw the return of Ram Lalla to his rightful abode but also served as an inspiration for generations of Hindus to persistently seek justice for their Dharma and their Gods.

‘You will not be able to reach there, will blow up with bomb’: Asghar Khan and his son threaten Gujarat youths going to Ayodhya on bicycles, arrested

OpIndia Staff
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‘You will not be able to reach there, will blow up with bomb’: Asghar Khan and his son threaten Gujarat youths going to Ayodhya on bicycles, arrested

On 17th January, a Muslim man and his son threatened to blow up two young people named Neil Patel and Dev Patel who were going to Ayodhya on their bicycles from Gujarat. When they reached the Sarangpur area of the Rajgarh district in Madhya Pradesh, an elderly man inquired about their destination. They replied that they were heading to the Ram Mandir. Hearing this, the man Asghar Khan threatened them that they would be bombed and wouldn’t be able to reach Ayodhya.

The victims were on their way to attend the Pran Pratishta (consecration ceremony) of Lord Ram in Ayodhya which is scheduled to take place on 22nd January when they experienced the shocking assault in Sarangpur on Wednesday afternoon. Neil Patel said that Asghar Khan kept asking them about where they were going and everytime they answered Ayodhya. Khan got angry with this and said, “Go, but I am telling that you will not be able to reach there. Will blow up Ram devotees with bomb,” when they informed him about Ayodhya.

Asghar Khan’s son also joined him and they started hurling abuses at the duo and Dev Patel recorded the incident on his camera. Khan and his son also abused Lord Ram and his devotees.

The two youths reported the episode to the activists of the Hindu Jagaran Manch who were waiting a short distance away to greet them. They said that the father-son duo abused them and threatened to kill them for going to Ayodhya to visit the Ram Mandir. After hearing the entire incident, Mukesh Dubey, the district co-convenor of the Hindu Jagran Manch, took them to the Pachore Police Station, where a complaint was filed.

Pachore Police then took them to the Sarangpur Police Station, where a First Information Report was registered by the police based on the complaint. Sarangpur Police in charge Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that the FIR was registered at 9 PM on Wednesday. Asghar Khan and his son were then arrested by Sarangpur police on Thursday.

Murder of Air Force personnel in 1990: Key witnesses identify terrorist Yasin Malik as the shooter

ANI
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Murder of Air Force personnel in 1990: Key witnesses identify terrorist Yasin Malik as the shooter

 Senior Public Prosecutor for the CBI, Monika Kohli, on Friday said eyewitnesses have identified Yasin Malik, chief of the banned outfit Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), as the shooter in the killing of four Indian Air Force personnel in 1990.

“In the special TADA court, a hearing took place on January 18 regarding the killing of the IAF personnel. The CBI had summoned two witnesses. The witnesses narrated how the incident took place. The witnesses identified Yasin Malik and told the court that he was the one to have opened fire (at the IAF personnel),” Kohli told ANI.

“The witness also informed the court that Malik was also injured in the firing and received four bullet injuries,” she added.

She added that the next date of hearing in the matter has been scheduled for February 15 and 16.

On January 25, 1990, four IAF employees, including Squadron Leader Ravi Khanna, were killed by JKLF terrorists.

Malik, who is serving life imprisonment in Tihar Jail in a terror funding case, was charge-sheeted by the Central Bureau of Investigation before the TADA court in Jammu on August 31, 1990, in connection with the case.

Yasin Malik was sentenced to life imprisonment twice.

Nirmal Khanna, the wife of Squadron Leader Khanna, has been fighting for justice for her late husband.

In March 2020, a TADA court observed that there are “sufficient grounds for drawing presumption that the accused Yasin Malik” and others “prima facie have committed” the offence of killing Indian Air Force (IAF) officer Squadron Leader Ravi Khanna and three others.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Delhi Excise Policy scam: Court asks CBI for fresh status report on investigation, Manish Sisodia appears virtually from Tihar Jail

ANI
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Delhi Excise Policy scam: Court asks CBI for fresh status report on investigation, Manish Sisodia appears virtually from Tihar Jail

The Rouse Avenue court on Friday called for a fresh status report of the investigation from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the Delhi Excise policy case.

The CBI had earlier said that the investigation is continuing.

Former Delhi deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia was produced through video conferencing from Tihar jail.

Special CBI judge MK Nagpal closed the opportunity for accused persons to inspect documents at the office of CBI stating that sufficient time had been given.

The court also said that the matter should be listed for arguments to frame charges.

At this point, counsels for the accused persons said that CBI has not yet concluded the investigation. Thereafter, the court called for the status report so that the arguments on the charges could be commenced. The counsel also said that the status of investigation by the CBI was not cleared. Thereafter the court called for the status report.

The court has extended the judicial custody of Manish Sisodia and other accused persons till February 5, 2024.

Meanwhile, a fresh compliance report has been filed by the Investigating Officer stating search list is supplied.

As per the compliance report a set of DVDs containing charge sheets and relied upon documents to counsel for accused, the court noted.

The Court refused to direct the CBI to supply documents seized during a search at the residence and office of Manish Sisodia to him.

The court noted that the list of searches and documents at the residence and office is prepared and supplied.

Counsel for Sisodia submitted that they had received the search list but not the document seized during the search. He also submitted that the court should see whether the search was legal or illegal.

The court refused and said that there was no provision to supply the documents seized during the search. The issue of legality will be considered during the trial.

However, the court pulled the jail authorities for not informing that Manish Sisodia would be produced through video conferencing.

On December 22, 2023, the court directed the CBI to depute sufficient staff to facilitate the inspection of documents at its headquarters.

The special judge had granted time to counsel of the accused till January 15 to inspect the documents at CBI Headquarters between 10 am to 7 pm.

The court had also directed the CBI to file a compliance report after the inspection of documents.

The court also directed the IO to provide Hindi or English translations of documents if any of them is in the local language of other states.

Counsel for one of the accused had submitted that there were some documents in other languages than Hindi or English.

Former Deputy CM Manish Sisodia is an accused in CBI as well as money laundering case.

In both cases, charge sheets have been filed against Sisodia and other accused persons.

Earlier the Supreme Court of India had dismissed the bail partition of Sisodia. His earlier bail applications were rejected by the High Court as well as the trial court.

Sisodia was arrested by the CBI on February 26. ED arrested him on March 9.

The ED alleged that proceeds of crime amounting to Rs 622 crore had been generated due to the activities of accused Manish Sisodia.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Leftists claim ‘Ram doesn’t belong to Bengal’: Read how Hindus of the state have been worshipping Bhagwan Ram in Temples, folklores and culture

OpIndia Staff
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Leftists claim ‘Ram doesn’t belong to Bengal’: Read how Hindus of the state have been worshipping Bhagwan Ram in Temples, folklores and culture

Mamata Banerjee has openly demonstrated her support for Muslims in the state. Added to this, her innumerable anti-Hindu remarks, wrath against Hindus raising the ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogans combined with the plight of the Hindu community during the 2021 West Bengal post-poll violence and the Chief Minister’s brazen whitewashing of the crime perpetuated by her goons, are sufficient grounds to believe that she has been openly pursuing pro-Muslim and anti-Hindu policies since she took over the reins of the state in her hands.

So much so that, recently, the West Bengal chief minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee announced that she would lead an ‘interfaith’ rally across Kolkata on 22 January, the same day the Ram Mandir will be inaugurated in Ayodhya.

Before this, Mamata dubbed the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha event a ‘gimmick’ of the BJP before the Lok Sabha polls, a blatant insult to the 500-year-long battle in which hundreds of Hindus had lost their lives to regain one of the holiest shrines of Hindus.

Nevertheless, Mamata Banerjee’s blatant anti-Hindu mentality cannot obliterate West Bengal’s rich Hindu tradition and cultural heritage. Despite being a multicultural region, the Hindu culture is the one that predominates in West Bengal.

Since the Ram Janmabhoomi campaign gained traction in the late 1980s, historians, politicians, and other members of the Left and the ‘pseudo-liberal’ cabal in Bengal have tried to spread a falsehood that Bhagwan Ram is alien to Bengal and that Bengalis have never worshipped the deity. This narrative was also promoted by Mamata Banerjee’s TMC and folks like Amartya Sen in an attempt to dissuade the general public from supporting the BJP.

Their misinformation campaign claimed that Bengalis had traditionally belonged to the Shakti cult and have been followers of goddess Shakti thus Bhagwan Ram had no place in the Bengali Hindu pantheon of deities worshipped and revered here.

Nonetheless, the centuries-old Ram Mandir in Ramrajatala, a neighbourhood in the Howrah district of West Bengal, stands tall as evidence of Bengali Hindus’ longstanding devotion to Bhagwan Ram. The presence of this Ram Mandir here for over three hundred years proves beyond doubt how harmoniously and syncretically the puja of Shree Ram and Maa Durga has persisted in Bengal throughout the ages.

As the nation gears up for the monumental Ram Lalla’s Pran Pratishtha event in Ayodhya here is some information on the temple of Lord Ram located in the heart of West Bengal for over three centuries and how the region and culture of that state are inextricably linked to the deity.

On January 18, X user @YearOfTheKraken shared a video by The Nation Vibes, which explained how the tradition of worship of Lord Rama has continued in West Bengal for centuries.

The video starts by explaining how the connection of Bhagwan Ram with West Bengal is not new but dates back to the 15th century. It explains how the famous chant ‘Hare Rama Hare Krishna’ has its roots in Bengal as it was written by none other than Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the 15th-century Indian Hindu saint from West Bengal.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is said to be the manifestation of Lord Rama. It is believed that though he is considered to be the combined avatar of Radha and Krishna by his disciples and various scriptures, all other incarnations of God, including Lord Rama, are contained within Lord Chaitanya.

The video, published by The Nation Vibes and shared by @YearOfTheKraken, further talks about the famous Ram Mandir in West Bengal’s Ramrajatala area.

The Ramrajatala Ram Mandir is located in the city of Howrah, West Bengal, India. The temple is dedicated to Lord Ram. The idols of Bhagwan Ram and Sita are erected in the middle of the sanctum santorum in the temple with the idols of Lord Krishna and Lord Shiva standing on either side. Legend has it that Shri Ram spends four months here, from Chaitra to Shravan, and a vibrant mela (fair) is held there each year during this time. The mela, also called “Ram Puja,” is the longest-running fair in West Bengal. It begins on Ram Navami in the Chaitra-Vaishakh months and lasts till the final Sunday of the Shravan month.

This tradition of worshipping Lord Ram for four long months has been followed for the last 300 years.

The video shows a devotee narrating the history of this three centuries-old Ram Mandir. He says that it is believed that Ayodhyaram Choudhury, the zamindar of the area had a divine vision to worship Lord Ram. After toiling for days, he finally took up the task of building a Ram Mandir where devotees worship their deity with great reverence and devotion both morning and evening until today.

In fact, the name of the area where the Mandir is situated- Ramrajatala, also came from the presence of a Mandir dedicated to Lord Rama and the months-long worship undertaken by thousands of people every year at the temple. This tradition of worship of Lord Rama here has continued for almost three centuries.

The video further shows several Bengali devotees explaining the intricate link of Lord Ram with Bengal. One such devout Ram Bhakt is heard saying, “The worship of Lord Ram is just not limited to the Bengali community, in fact, the whole nation; the entire world reveres Bhagwan Ram. Ram is a mantra. Lord Ram represents the Indian culture and Sanatan Dharma.”

Notably, the centuries-old Ram Mandir in West Bengal’s Howrah’s Ramrajatala is just one of the testaments to the connection of the state with Lord Ram. In fact, in an interview given to Swarajya in 2020, Delhi University history professor Saradindu Mukherjee, said there are innumerable accounts in ancient and medieval Bengal of Bhagwan Ram being worshipped. “The Krittibas Ramayan written by the 15th century Bengali poet Krittibas Ojha is the best example of Ramayan’s intricate link with Bengal. Krittibas wrote the Ramayan about 200 years before Tulsidas,” said Mukherjee.

Notably, as one of eight distinguished historians and archaeologists who gathered and compiled evidence of a Ram Mandir at Ram Janmabhoomi, Saradindu Mukherjee has been a leading voice in Bengal in dispelling the myth that Lord Ram is alien to Bengal.

Bhagwan Ram has been the subject of numerous literary works in Bengali literature from antiquity to the present, according to Mukherjee. Meghnad Badh (the killing of Ravan’s son Meghnad) by Michael Madhusudan Dutta was regarded as one of Bengal’s best literary works during the British colonial era, he added.

“Nobel laureate Rabindranath Thakur, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, late 19th-century historian and ICS officer Ramesh Chandra Dutta and many others wrote poems and prose eulogising Shree Ram and about the Ramayan. Michael Madhusudan Dutta had said that studying the Ramayan is essential for anyone trying to understand Bharatvarsh,” said Mukherjee.

He continued by saying that Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay and Rabindranath Thakur had both said that the Ramayan is not a myth but a great epic that records actual events that occurred in ancient India.

“There are many popular proverbs and dictums around Bhagwan Ram and the Ramayan. All these prove that Bengali Hindus revered and worshipped Shree Ram just like Hindus in other parts of the country,” Mukherjee further told Swarajya.

Meanwhile, photographs of the idol of Lord Ram installed in the Garbhagriha of Ram Mandir surfaced on 19th January which exhibit its delicate and complex structures. The Ram Lalla idol was installed on the marble mandapa in the sanctum sanctorum on 18th January, ahead of the consecration ceremony on 22nd January. The first photo of the deity which was covered with a white veil was revealed during the placement ceremony on 18th January.

The idol is crafted from ‘Shyamal’ (dark) stone which shows Lord Ram as a five-year-old boy standing on a lotus composed of the same stone. The 150 kg and 51-inch idol, was sculpted by popular Mysuru artist Arun Yogiraj. An image of the idol was also shared by Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje who wrote, “The dream of decades has now become a reality.” However, it seems that the image was taken at the workshop, and not at the sanctum-sanctorum, as it is inside a shed.

The seven-day Vedic rituals at Ayodhya began on Tuesday (January 16) ahead of the much-awaited Pran Pratishtha event of the Ram Mandir on January 22.

‘Clashes not about the absence of a Palestinian state but about the existence of the Jewish state’: Netanyahu rejects Palestinian state in a post-war scenario

OpIndia Staff
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‘Clashes not about the absence of a Palestinian state but about the existence of the Jewish state’: Netanyahu rejects Palestinian state in a post-war scenario

In a press conference on Thursday (18th January) Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu minced no words in rejecting the prospect of a Palestinian state as he said that “Israel needs security control all territory west of Jordan adding that this contradicts the premise of ‘Palestinian sovereignty’.

Rejecting the calls by the United States for a two-state solution after the Israel-Hamas war, the Israeli Prime Minister said, “In any future arrangement … Israel needs security control all territory west of Jordan. This clashes with the idea of (Palestinian) sovereignty. What can you do? This conflict is not about the absence of a (Palestinian) state but about the existence of a state, the Jewish state.”

PM Netanyahu’s strong remarks came in response to questions over reports that he has told American officials that he is opposed to the idea of Palestinian sovereignty.

The Israeli Prime Minister further asserted that the country under his leadership will not stop until an absolute victory is secured in its war against Hamas terrorists. “Israel under my leadership will not compromise on less than total victory over Hamas, and we will win. I say this again: We are striving for total victory, not just ‘to strike Hamas’ or ‘to hurt Hamas’, not ‘another round with Hamas’ but total victory over Hamas,” PM Netanyahu said.

Moreover, he reiterated that the release of the hostages taken by Hamas is a primary goal of Israel which he opined could be achieved only through military pressure. He added that Israel aims at the complete destruction of Hamas and ensuring that Gaza never poses a threat to Israel again.

“We will continue to fight with full force until we achieve all of our goals: Returning our hostages, and I say – only continued military pressure will lead to their release. Eliminating Hamas and ensuring that Gaza never again constitutes a threat to Israel, that there will be no element in it that educates for terrorism, finances terrorism and sends terrorists against us….Total victory requires eliminating the terrorist leaders and destroying Hamas’s military and governing capabilities. Total victory requires returning our hostages home. Total victory requires that Gaza be demilitarized, under Israel’s full security control, with Israeli control over everything that enters Gaza. These are also the fundamental conditions for ‘the day after’…We will not finish the war before returning our loved ones home; we will not finish the war before total victory. Together we will fight, and with G-d’s help – together we will win,” PM Netanyahu said.

Meanwhile, the United States responded by stating that there is “no way” of resolving Israel’s long-term security concerns in the region, as well as the short-term challenges of rebuilding the Gaza Strip, without establishing a Palestinian state.

“We will continue to reiterate to the leadership of Israel, the Government of Israel, and to the people of Israel that these are the opportunities that they have, these are the challenges that they face, but there is no way to solve their long-term challenges to provide lasting security, and there is no way to solve the short-term challenges of rebuilding Gaza and establishing governance in Gaza, and providing security for Gaza, without the establishment of a Palestinian state,” US State Department spokesperson Mathew Miller said.

Interestingly, last week, Netanyahu rejected a proposal from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken that would have led Saudi Arabia to normalise relations with Israel in exchange for Jerusalem consenting to offer the Palestinians a road to statehood. However, Netanyahu maintained that his position would not preclude Israel from broadening the circle of peace to new Arab countries.

“This truth I tell to our American friends, and I put the brakes on the attempt to coerce us to a reality that would endanger the state of Israel,” Netanyahu said.

On Thursday, White House spokesperson John Kirby was asked about Netanyahu rejecting a Palestinian state in a post-war scenario for Gaza. To this Kirby said that the Biden administration sees it ‘differently’ adding that the US President would continue to push for a two-state solution in a post-war scenario.

“I would just tell you that nothing has changed about President Biden’s desire that a two-state solution is really in the best interest of not only the Israeli people but — but, of course, the Palestinian people. In fact, it’s in the best interest of the region. And we’re not going to stop working towards that goal. This is — this is not a new comment by Prime Minister Netanyahu. We see it differently. We believe that the Palestinians have every right to live in an independent state with peace and security. And the President and his team is going to continue to work on that,” Kirby said.

Kerala: Pastor of a Pentecostal Church arrested under POCSO Act for sexually abusing a 13-year-old boy

OpIndia Staff
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Kerala: Pastor of a Pentecostal Church arrested under POCSO Act for sexually abusing a 13-year-old boy

On Friday (19th January), the Kerala police shared that they had arrested the pastor of a Pentecostal Church for sexually abusing a 13-year-old boy in Kattakkada. The 59-year-old pastor is booked under the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act. He was sent to judicial custody after presenting in a local court.

The incident took place on Wednesday (17th January) in the jurisdiction of the Kattakkada police station. The arrested accused pastor is identified as Raveendranath. He allegedly exploited the vulnerable 13-year-old victim boy who was abandoned by his mother.

The victim boy’s grandmother had gone to hospital and he was waiting for her to return when the pastor lured him under the pretense of hospitality. The pastor offered the boy cake. Then he showed him pornographic content on a tablet. He then sexually abused the boy, as per reports.

Upon receiving the complaint, the police filed an FIR and booked the pastor under the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act. Raveendranath was then arrested and presented before a local court. The court has sent him to judicial custody.

Pran Pratishtha: All five Supreme Court judges who delivered historic verdict in Ram Janmabhoomi case invited as state guests

OpIndia Staff
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Pran Pratishtha: All five Supreme Court judges who delivered historic verdict in Ram Janmabhoomi case invited as state guests

All the five judges of the Supreme Court who delivered the historic verdict in the Ram Janmabhoomi case have been invited as state guests for the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of the Ram Mandir on 22nd January.

Moreover, more than 50 jurists including former Chief Justices of India (CJIs) and lawyers have also been invited.

On 9th November 2019, the five-judge bench of the apex court put an end to the dispute that spanned centuries by handover the Ram Janmabhoomi land to Hindu parties paving the way for the Ram Mandir to be built at the birthplace of Shri Ram.

The 5-judge bench of the Supreme Court delivered a unanimous judgement in the Ram Janmabhoomi case. The top 5 senior judges decided after weighing the arguments presented by all sides for 40 days. The bench comprised the then CJI Ranjan Gogoi, former CJI SA Bobde, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and former Supreme Court judges Ashok Bhushan and S Abdul Nazeer.

Delivering the much-anticipated verdict, the then CJI Ranjan Gogoi said that this court must accept the faith and belief of worshippers. Further, the Supreme Court had said that Ram Janmabhoomi is not a juristic person but Shri Ram Lalla Varjaman is.

The Apex court had also ordered the union government to provide 5 acres of land at an alternate site at a prominent location in Ayodhya to the Sunni Waqf Board to rebuild the Babri Masjid which was demolished in 1992.

Invitations have been extended to political leaders, celebrities, sportspersons and other VIP personalities for the event on 22nd January.

The rituals leading up to the ceremony have begun and will culminate with Pran Pratishtha. The idol of Shri Ram has been installed in the sanctum sanctorum.

Watch: First images of 51-inch-tall Ram Lalla idol installed in Ram Mandir Garbhagriha released

OpIndia Staff
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Watch: First images of 51-inch-tall Ram Lalla idol installed in Ram Mandir Garbhagriha released

Photographs of the idol of Lord Ram installed in the Garbhagriha of Ram Mandir surfaced on 19th January which exhibit its delicate and complex structures. The Ram Lalla idol was installed on the marble mandapa in the sanctum sanctorum on 18th January, ahead of the consecration ceremony on 22nd January. The first photo of the deity which was covered with a white veil was revealed during the placement ceremony on 18th January.

The idol is crafted from ‘shyamal’ (dark) stone which shows the Lord Ram as a five-year-old boy standing on a lotus composed of the same stone. An image of the idol was also shared by Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje who wrote, “The dream of decades has now become a reality.” However, it seems that the image was taken at the workshop, and not at the sanctum-sanctorum, as it is inside a shed.

After the installation of the idol on the marble platform yesterday, workers gave the finishing touches to the platform today.

The 150 kg and 51-inch idol, sculpted by popular Mysuru artist Arun Yogiraj who has a family background of five generations of renowned sculptors was brought to the temple on the night of 17th January accompanied by the chanting of prayers and placed on the marble pedestal in the Garbhagriha in the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra in his presence.

The idol travelled to the Ram Mandir by a procession that stopped briefly at the temple of Hanumangarhi. According to accounts, four hours of religious rites and mantra chanting were performed while the deity was positioned on the marble podium. .

The idol’s left hand has the pose of holding a bow, which has not been placed yet. However, an image of the idol taken outside the temple shows Ram Lalla holding a bow and arrow. This image also does not have the blindfold.

It is a stone statue and will transform into an idol after the Pran Pratishtha (consecration ceremony). The sculpture is going to remain covered until then. The blindfold that covers the idol’s eyes is scheduled to be taken off on the day of the Pran Pratishtha. The door of the sanctum sanctorum has also been covered with a curtain. Only a select number of priests would perform rituals till the consecration ceremony.

The Pram Pratishtha of the idol installed on the mandapa will be during the auspicious ‘Abhijeet Muhurta’ from 12.20 pm to 1 pm. Ganeshwar Shastri Dravid, a priest and Vedic scholar from Kashi will lead and manage a group of 121 acharyas who are in charge of executing the ceremonies preceding the major event. Laxmikant M Dixit from Kashi has been named as the principal acharya who is descended from the distinguished Kashi scholar Gaga Bhatt of the 17th century who headed the coronation of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj around 350 years ago in 1674.

Centre lays new rules for coaching centres, bars admission to students below 16, action to be taken against misleading ads, exorbitant fees

OpIndia Staff
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Centre lays new rules for coaching centres, bars admission to students below 16, action to be taken against misleading ads, exorbitant fees

The Ministry of Education has released new guidelines that prohibit coaching facilities from enrolling students who are less than 16 years old, making false claims, and promising a certain grade or mark.

The new guidelines call for a financial penalty of up to Rs 1 lakh or the termination of coaching institutes’ registration if they charge exorbitant prices or engage in other malpractices.

According to officials, the standards for regulating coaching institutes were developed to address the need for a legal framework and to govern the unregulated proliferation of private coaching centres.

The Ministry’s most recent recommendations were issued in response to government complaints about an increase in student suicides, fire events, a lack of facilities in coaching circumstances, and the instructional methodology used by them.

“No coaching center shall engage tutors having qualifications less than graduation. The institutions cannot make misleading promises or guarantee rank or good marks to parents for enrolling students in the coaching centers. The institutes cannot enroll students below 16 years of age. Student enrolment should be only after secondary school examination,” the guidelines said.

“The coaching institutes cannot publish or cause to be published or take part in the publication of any misleading advertisement relating to any claim, directly or indirectly, of quality of coaching or the facilities offered therein or the result procured by such coaching center or the student who attended such class,” it added.

According to the new criteria, coaching centers may not recruit any tutor or individual who has been convicted of a moral turpitude-related violation. The new standards state that an institute will not be registered unless it has a counseling system that meets the requirements of these guidelines.

“Coaching centers shall have a website with updated details of the qualification of tutors, courses/curriculum, duration of completion, hostel facilities, and the fees being charged,” the guidelines stated.

The new guidelines also instructed coaching centers to take steps to improve student’s mental health, citing intense competitiveness and academic pressure.

“They should put in place an urgent intervention strategy to provide targeted and ongoing assistance to kids who are in distress or stressed,” the guidelines said. According to the instructions, the competent authorities may take actions to guarantee that the coaching center develops and makes a counseling system easily accessible to students and parents.

“All students and parents may be given information about the identities of psychologists and counselors, as well as the times when they provide services. Trained counselors should be assigned to the coaching center to provide appropriate guidance and counseling to students and parents,” the guidelines noted.

Additionally, it stated that teachers “may undergo training in mental health issues to convey information effectively and sensitively to students about their areas of improvement”.

The rules outlining the framework for mental well-being come after a growing number of student suicides in Kota in 2023. The new standards require tuition costs for various courses and curricula to be fair and reasonable, and receipts for the fees charged must be made public.

“If the student has paid for the course in full and is leaving the course in the middle of the prescribed period, a student will be refunded from out of the fees deposited earlier for the remaining period on a pro-rata basis within 10 days,” the guidelines added.

“If the student was staying in the hostel of the coaching centre then the hostel fees and mess fee etc. will also be refunded. Under no circumstances, the fee based on which enrolment has been made for a particular course and duration shall be increased during the currency of the course,” it said.

To guarantee adequate supervision of coaching institutes, the Central government has proposed registering new and existing facilities within three months of the guidelines going into effect.

The state government would be in charge of monitoring the coaching center’s activities and inquiring about any coaching center’s compliance with registration requirements and satisfactory actions.

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