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73-year-old from Kaushambi pens Lord Ram’s name 2.86 crore times, deposits in Shri Sitaram Naam Bank, here’s more about spiritual bank in Ayodhya

Siddhi Somani
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73-year-old from Kaushambi pens Lord Ram’s name 2.86 crore times, deposits in Shri Sitaram Naam Bank, here’s more about spiritual bank in Ayodhya

Ram Chandra Kesarwani, 73, of Kaushambi, has inscribed Lord Ram’s name more than 2.86 crore times on Ram naam booklets and deposited them at the International Shri Sitaram Naam Bank in Ayodhya. Kesarwani, who retired from the state irrigation department in August 2010, began writing Ram naam in April 2011 and has since continued to do so at least 5,000 times every day.

“A simple way to attain salvation is to write Ram naam in red ink and deposit it in the Sitaram bank,” Kesarwani was quoted as saying.

After opening an account (no. 21239) at International Shri Sitaram Naam Bank, Shri Ayodhya Puri, Kesarwani deposited Lord Ram’s name 2,76,82,924 times until August 28, 2023. He stated that he owned an additional set of booklets, in which he penned 8.96 lakh times the name of Lord Ram. 

Kesarwani shared his 13 years of experience, saying, “After retiring in August 2010, I met a Jaunpur-based family in April 2011, while visiting Rameshwar Dham. The family was extremely invested in writing Ram naam, which inspired me to do the same.” He went on to say, “I borrowed a booklet and a red pen from the family and started writing and have continued since then.” Kesarwani went on to elaborate, “I used to visit Ayodhya once in six months to deposit the filled booklet at the bank and ensured entry was made on my passbook”. He is also urging people to write Ram naam and has created accounts for four devotees at the spiritual bank in Ayodhya. 

The founder of International Shri Sitaram Naam Bank is Mahant Swami Natrya Gopaldas Ji Maharaj, while the branch manager is Puneet Ramdas Maharaj.

“It doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from, you can be a member of the bank if you have faith in lord Ram and are ready to follow rules laid down by the bank,” said Kesarwani.

The bank provides free books to devotees and keeps track of each one’s account. Every time someone deposits a booklet, it is recorded in the account. “Account holders are enthralled by Ram’s name, given the power hidden in the three-letter word and what it can do,” said the elderly man, who intends to deposit the Ram Nam booklet at the Ayodhya bank until he is able to write.

International Shri Sita Ram Naam Bank in Ayodhya

The International Shri Sita Ram Naam Bank is located in the Mani Ram Ki Chhawni locality in Ram Nagri Ayodhya Dham and has around 136 branches across India. Money has no value in this spiritual bank as the transactions are made in Prabhu Shri Ram’s name, transcending the material realm. This unique spiritual bank managed by ardent Ram Bhakts extends conditional loans to only Ram Bhakts which has to be returned in exactly 8 months 10 days. 

The devotees have to follow certain conditions and cross a certain threshold to open an account in this bank which maintains a ledger on counts of Ram Naam. 

As per the bank’s process, it gives a booklet and pen (preferably Red color which signifies love/devotion) as loans to people. The booklet is of 30 pages, containing 108 cells in which the devotees have to write ‘Ram Naam’ every day. The booklets have to be deposited in 8 months and 10 days during which the devotees have to write Shri Ram’s name 1.25 lakh times. 

This booklet is deposited in the individual’s account whose credits get reflected accordingly. Apart from Hindi, the devotees can write the name of Lord Ram in Urdu, English, Bengali, and other languages as well. 

Notably, after opening an account here, people need to follow some rules. The bank gives account holders red ink and a wooden pen called a kalam. Devotees can only write the name of Lord Ram between 4 am to 7 am. They have to write the name exactly 1.25 lakh times, completing this task within eight months and ten days. During this period, devotees are not allowed to eat non-vegetarian food, as well as food containing onion and garlic. However, the rules may vary as per different branches. 

It is important to note that as per Sanatan Dharma, Shri Ram’s name is revered as the Ultimate truth and it is a way of spiritual enlightenment. The Ram Bhakts find solace and profound spiritual enrichment in scribbling, uttering, and remembering Prabhu Shri Ram’s name.

Bareilly, UP: Karni Sena leader arrested for carrying out cow slaughter, police say he wanted to blackmail a local Muslim

OpIndia Staff
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Bareilly, UP: Karni Sena leader arrested for carrying out cow slaughter, police say he wanted to blackmail a local Muslim

On Sunday (15th January), the Uttar Pradesh Police arrested 3 persons in Bareilly for their involvement in an incident of cow slaughter. According to the reports, among the arrested was a local leader of the ‘Karni Sena’. The incident came to light after the accused were discovered alongside a river attempting to slaughter a cow. 

The accused persons have been identified as Rahul Singh, believed to be the district ‘president’ of the Bareilly chapter of the Karni Sena, Mohammad Saeed Khan, Devendra Kumar, and Akram. As per the police, one more accused identified as Chand along with Rahul Singh was also involved in the conspiracy.

The Police commented on the incident and said that the accused persons were caught red-handed while they were trying to slaughter a cow alongside a River in the district. Singh, the district president of Karni Sena, was named as the key conspirator by the arrested accused. He is currently absconding.

“The Police had obtained information regarding the slaughter. The Police immediately reached the spot and caught the accused red-handed. The accused persons Akram, Saeed and Devendra were arrested along with weapons and remains of a cow’s carcass. upn interrogation they admitted that they had planned to use the carcass to blackmail a local person who has recently earned a lot of money. 3 are arrested, 2 more persons named Rahul Singh and Chand are wanted in this case,” one of the police officers said.

The arrested individual Mohammad Saeed Khan is a journalist and Devendra Singh is believed to be a senior member associated with the ‘Karni Sena’. Rahul Singh, named as the main conspirator, is the district head of the Karni Sena, as per the details and an image shared by journalist Sachin Gupta from Bhaskar.

“The accused had planned to trap one farmer from the village who had recently earned a lot of money after selling a plot of land. They had planned to slaughter the cow before throwing it into his farm and blackmailing him for a huge amount of money,” the police stated.

As per reports, the accused had tried to fire on the police. The police team responded by retaliatory firing. Weapons and cartridges have also been seized from the accused. One vehicle used for the transport of the cow, and remains of a cow were also seized.

The Police have recovered 1 pistol, a spent cartridge, 315 bore cartridges, one vehicle, and a piece of equipment used for the cow slaughter.

An FIR has been registered against the five people, including Rahul Singh, at the Bhojipura police station on Saturday (13th January) under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code, according to Superintendent of Police (Rural) Mukesh Chandra Mishra. SP Mishra stated that further inquiry into the case is underway.

As per reports, the Karni Sena has expelled Devendra and Rahul Singh both from the organisation.

‘Mulayam Singh Yadav did this for Muslim votes, Congress remained mere spectators’: Eyewitness to 1990 massacre of Karsevaks in Ayodhya recalls the horror

ANI
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‘Mulayam Singh Yadav did this for Muslim votes, Congress remained mere spectators’: Eyewitness to 1990 massacre of Karsevaks in Ayodhya recalls the horror

Om Bharati, a 75-year-old lady and eyewitness to the 1990 firing incident on Karsevaks in Ayodhya by the then Mulayam Singh Yadav government, recalled her experience when around 125 Karsevaks took shelter at her place to save themselves. The Pran Pratishtha of Ram Mandir on January 22 becomes special for her as she also received an invitation.

On November 2, 1990, the then Mulayam Singh government ordered police forces to open fire on the Kar-Sevaks.

Vishwa Hindu Parishad former President Ashok Singhal and 125 Karsevaks took shelter in Om Bharati’s house.

Upon receiving the invitation, she was very emotional and said that the dream of all Ram devotees had now come true.

“I am very happy that I will see the Ram Lala Pran Pratishtha ceremony. But I can never forget the blood, pain and humiliation of my Karsevaks. Their only demand was to install Ram Lalla in his place, but for his political gains, the then Chief Minister ordered opened fire on innocent Karsevaks,” she told ANI.

“There was a government in Uttar Pradesh. The CM had given orders to open fire on the Karsevaks. My house was completely converted into a cantonment. I gave shelter to around 125 Karsevaks in my house and all the arrangements were made for them; brothers, mother and sisters were taking shelter in my house. But whenever they came out, they were shot one by one,” she added.

She also mentioned the Kothari brothers who were killed in the firing, becoming martyrs for the cause of Ram Janambhoomi Mandir.

“Kothari brothers also stayed at my place and as soon as they came out of my house, they were shot and killed,” Om Bharati said.

The eye-witness of the incident also slammed Congress for becoming a mere spectator.

“In Uttar Pradesh, the government did a lot of injustice to the Karsevak. Congress also remained a mere spectator, did not provide any help and even when the matter went to court later. They tried their best to stop the construction of Ram Temple but did not succeed,” she said.

Recalling the incident, Om Bharati said that the then Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, ordered to open the firing on Karsevaks just to please his Muslim vote banks.

“Mulayam Singh Yadav did this for Muslim votes. The Karsevaks were not doing anything, they were just sitting and chanting ‘Jai Ram-Shri Ram’. There was no question of Hindu-Muslim. It must be Mulayam Singh’s man who threw the stone from the rooftop. Why would KarSevaks have stones? The force should have found the person pelting the stones but instead bullets were fired at the Karsevaks,” she added.

She asserted that due to PM Modi and CM Yogi, Ram Temple is being built in Ayodhya today.

“Today these people (opposition) giving big statements on Lord Ram, who had never shown their faith in Ram. Due to the government of PM Modi and CM Yogi, Ram temple is being built in Ayodhya today, it is because of them all this has become possible today,” Om Bharati told ANI.

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

Uttar Pradesh: Hindu farmer leader killed by history sheeter Kale Khan while collecting funds for temple, police denies communal angle

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Hindu farmer leader killed by history sheeter Kale Khan while collecting funds for temple, police denies communal angle

On 14th January, a horrifying incident took place in Unnao, Uttar Pradesh, when a man identified as Kale Khan attacked a local farmer leader, Vinod Kashyap and his brother, Durga Shankar Kashyap, as they were collecting donations for an upcoming event at the village temple. Vinod succumbed to injury while receiving treatment at the hospital. The event was scheduled for 22nd January 2024 to mark the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Bhagwan Ram at Bhavya Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

The police, however, denied the communal angle in a statement on the incident. Police said the two groups got into a fight over money.

As per reports, the Kashyap brothers were in the Champapurwa locality. As per media reports, they were collecting funds for the event for the village temple. During this time, a known criminal in the area, Kale Khan, confronted the brothers with his associates. The altercation between them escalated quickly. Khan attacked Vinod with a sword. When Durga Shankar tried to intervene, Khan attacked him with the butt of his gun. Reportedly, after the incident, Kale Khan fired shots in the air and fled the scene.

The injured brothers were rushed to the nearby hospital, where Vinod was referred to Hallet Hospital in Kanpur. He succumbed to injuries while receiving treatment. Durga Shankar narrated the ordeal and highlighted that Kale Khan initiated the assault. He pointed out that Khan was irked by the ‘Jai Shri Ram’ chants. He subsequently chased and attacked them.

Locals blocked the Ganga bridge in response to the incident and demanded strict action against the accused. The situation in the area remained tense, and a heavy police force was deployed to maintain law and order. Meanwhile, Unnao Police registered a case based on the complaint of Vinod’s wife, Preeti Kashyap, against history-sheeter Kale Khan and his associates under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Inspector Ramphal Prajapati of Gangaghat police station confirmed that the investigation was underway. He assured that strict action would be taken against the perpetrator.

Palanpur, Gujarat: Truck driver Bachal Khan who offered namaz on public road arrested after video went viral

OpIndia Staff
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Palanpur, Gujarat: Truck driver Bachal Khan who offered namaz on public road arrested after video went viral

On Saturday, January 13, the Palanpur police in Gujarat arrested a truck driver identified as Bachal Khan for flouting traffic rules. Khan was apprehended for stopping his truck at a busy crossroad on a highway on Friday, January 12 and offering namaz on the roadside.

The action against the truck driver was taken after a video of him went viral on social media, the police confirmed on Sunday.

“The video was shot by a passerby and went viral on social media, prompting police action,” the official said.

A case was registered against Bachal Khan under sections 283 (danger in public way), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharging duties) and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

This video is from Palanpur’s Aroma Circle, which suddenly went viral on social media on Friday. In the viral video, it can be seen that a white colour trailer truck is parked at a busy intersection. Sitting in front of this truck is a person offering namaz while seated on a mat. He is dressed in a sky-coloured kurta, lungi, and skull cap. As evident in the video, Bachal Khan parked his truck and prayed in the middle of the road, disrupting the traffic at a busy highway intersection.

Someone shot a video which went viral on social media, prompting police action.

Notably, before this, videos of people praying in several public places, such as gardens, large shopping centres, railway stations, airports, and schools, have come to the fore. These kinds of events have been increasing over time and Gujarat is not an exemption. Videos of Namaz being offered at the garden of Uparkot Fort in Junagadh as well as in MS University of Vadodara have surfaced earlier.

USA-India bilateral trade has crossed $200 billion, informs USISPF chief Mukesh Aghi

ANI
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USA-India bilateral trade has crossed $200 billion, informs USISPF chief Mukesh Aghi

 Highlighting the robust nature of the India-US relationship, Mukesh Aghi, President and CEO of the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), underscored that trade between the two nations has exceeded USD 200 billion.

Aghi emphasized collaborative efforts in areas such as engines, quantum computing, artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, and space partnerships.

“The relationship between India and the US is very strong. From a trade perspective, we already crossed USD 200 billion in trade,” he said.

“We are seeing a lot of effort happening, engines, on quantum computing, AI, cyber security, partnerships in space…,” he added.

“We’re seeing a substantial amount of collaboration and cooperation taking place between the two countries,” he said.

Discussing the India-United States Trade Policy Forum, Aghi noted a shift in its character and posture, moving away from contentious issues.

He said that discussions are now focused on improving trade, removing impediments, and exploring possibilities for lowering tariffs, rather than getting bogged down by specific trade disputes.

“The character and posture of trade policy forum has changed. It is no more contentious… We had six cases between the two countries in WTO, and they went away. You have political limitations on the US side because it can’t do a FTA. So there were discussions exploring how do you improve trade, remove impediments between the two countries, how do you explore lowering the tariffs. The discussion was what are the possibilities? Rather than getting stuck on raspberries and strawberries between the two countries,” he added.

Further, he was asked about any potential prospects for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two countries, to which, Aghi pointed out US administration’s lack of FTAs with any country and political limitations in the US.

“I think it’s difficult because the Biden administration has not done any Free trade agreement with any country. I know India can move very fast in that direction but political limitations in the US do not allow them to have that discussion,” he said.

Moreover, USISPF President Aghi discussed India-US Supply chain momentum and emphasised that companies are moving production to India, adding that 100 million people are affluent Indians and their purchasing power also creates a market opportunity for these companies.

He further highlighted that India becomes pivotal for their strategy as they have been seeing increased harassment of US companies in China and they want to be able to supply efficient goods, hence, companies are moving production to India.

“It is in the interest of the US companies to protect its assets and supply chain. What we are seeing is increased harassment of US companies in China. They want to be able to supply goods which are efficient and effective, so India becomes pivotal for their strategy… Gradually, companies are moving production into India. It’s not just about the supply chain, it’s also about trying to leverage the growing Indian market… 100 million people are affluent Indians… Their purchasing power also creates a market opportunity for these companies. So it is also supply chain and market opportunity which attracts these companies,” he said.

Furthermore, underscoring the Vibrant Gujarat Summit that happened recently, Aghi emphasised that it should be called Vibrant India and not Vibrant Gujarat anymore.

Noting that the US companies are excited about India, the market opportunity and also the de-risking supply chain from China, he said, “so for us, Vibrant Gujarat was very important…You don’t have to call it vibrant Gujarat anymore. You have to call it Vibrant India because you have over 100,000 people participating and 18 political leaderships coming down to the event.” 

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

Viral video shows passenger slapping Indigo pilot after flight delay: Know what happened

OpIndia Staff
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Viral video shows passenger slapping Indigo pilot after flight delay: Know what happened

On 14th January, Russian Indian actress Evgenia Belskaia shared a video on her Instagram stories of a passenger slapping a pilot at an Indigo who was announcing the flight delay. In her story, she wrote, “Today, my team was waiting for 13 hours on their flight, and one guy got fed up.”

X user Capt_Ck also shared a video grab of the story and pointed out that the announcement was being made by the new captain of the flight, who replaced the previous crew who crossed Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL). For the unaware, FDTL are regulations set by the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to ensure that the crew, including the pilot, get enough rest to avoid fatigue-related safety issues. The team on any plane has to change after an 8-hour shift. As the flight was delayed for over 13 hours, the previous crew had to step down, and a new crew was managing the floor.

In the video, a passenger wearing a yellow hoodie ran from the aisle in the middle of the announcement that the pilot was making and slapped him. The agitated passenger said, “Either fly the plane or open the gates,” hinting that the passengers were made to sit in the plane for a long time. While a co-passenger apologised profusely for the behaviour of the person in the yellow hoodie, one of the air hostesses broke down and said, “You cannot do this”, repeatedly.

As per reports, the Delhi Airport saw multiple flights getting delayed by hours due to harsh weather conditions. A total of 10 flights were diverted, and 100 were delayed. Some of the flights were reportedly canceled as well.

After the video went viral on social media, several X users condemned the actions of the agitated passenger and said this was not how things should have been handled. An X user, Suraj Balakrishnan, said, “There are a lot of things wrong with how Indigo is conducting their business currently, but there is ZERO justification for physical assault on an employee by a passenger.” He also demanded that the passenger should be blacklisted for life for attacking the pilot.

Following a delay on multiple flights, IndiGo issued a statement and said that the delays were because of the low visibility and dense fog conditions across northern states in India. The statement read, “This had a cascading effect on our operations throughout the day. Our staff kept passengers apprised of all delays and cancellations across airports and made every possible effort to facilitate the passengers. We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused to our passengers.”

Controversial Urdu poet Munawwar Rana dies at 71 after prolonged illness

OpIndia Staff
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Controversial Urdu poet Munawwar Rana dies at 71 after prolonged illness

Urdu poet Munawwar Rana on Sunday breathed his last at a hospital in Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow following a cardiac arrest. He was 71 and had been battling with a prolonged illness for the past several months. Rana was undergoing treatment at the PGI hospital in Lucknow.

Born on November 26, 1952, in Uttar Pradesh’s Raebareli, Munawwar Rana is known for his Urdu literature and ghazals.

In 2014, he was honoured with the Sahitya Akademi Award for his poem, ‘Shahdaba’. However, he had returned the award, alleging ‘intolerance’ in the country.

He also received other awards, including the Ameer Khusro Award, the Mir Taqi Mir Award, the Ghalib Award, the Dr Zakir Hussain Award, and the Saraswati Samaj Award, throughout his career.

It was alleged a few years ago that one of Rana’s most highly-acclaimed poems was stolen from Hindi poet Alok Srivastava.

Rana last made headlines in 2021 when he likened Maharshi Valmiki to Taliban. The UP Police booked him for his derogatory comments against Hindus by drawing false equivalence with radical Islamic organisation Taliban that has captured Afghanistan.

Rana went ahead to make a dastardly metaphorical statement to defend the Taliban. Rana had also threatened to leave Uttar Pradesh if Yogi was reelected as CM.

In January 2021, he took to social media to poetically incite a mob to violence. In the tweet which was deleted later, Rana gave a call to demolish the Parliament building and set the godowns for grains storage on fire.

In October 2020, Rana made a condemnable remark on the brutal beheading of French History teacher Samuel Paty by an Islamist terrorist. He supported the terrorist attack saying that he would have done the same.

A year after the Ram Janmabhoomi verdict, Rana made repugnant remarks against the then Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi saying “Even a prostitute in India charges more for selling herself than Ranjan Gogoi did.”

In May 2020, an old letter penned by poet Alok Srivastava addressed to Munawwar Rana went viral on social media in which he alleges the Urdu poet of stealing his couplet and brazenly garnering accolades for it.

This came after he called 100 crore Hindus as ‘animals’ and 35 crore ‘humans’ in India.

(With inputs from agencies)

BJP will emerge as the single-largest party, we have to give it a try to reduce its numbers so that its allies leave NDA: Shashi Tharoor

OpIndia Staff
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BJP will emerge as the single-largest party, we have to give it a try to reduce its numbers so that its allies leave NDA: Shashi Tharoor

On 13th January (Saturday), just a few months before the crucial 2024 Lok Sabha elections, senior Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor admitted that PM Modi is currently ahead in the race. He added that the opposition parties can try to bring down the seat tally of the Bhartiya Janata Party. The Congress leader argued that if the numbers can be brought down, BJP’s allies in the NDA might come into their camp. 

The Congress leader said, “I still expect that the BJP will emerge as the single-largest party. But I do believe their numbers can be brought down to a level where their potential allies required to form a government may no longer be willing to ally with them and may be willing to ally with us. So we have to give it a try.” 

He made these remarks during the ongoing Kerala Literature Festival (KLF) session, ‘India: The Future is Now,’ on Saturday. 

Regarding the seat-sharing conundrum in the I.N.D.I.A. bloc, he said India is a diverse country and he is perfectly prepared to live with the situation where they don’t have a “100 percent agreement in 100 percent of the states”.

Tharoor added that he only hopes to have “sufficient agreements” in as many states as possible so that “preventable defeats” can be avoided.

He argued that the opposition parties can come to an agreement that in one state they have one unified candidate against the BJP while another state might have two or three candidates. In which case, he said, “the voter has to choose the person they consider would best represent them”. 

He added, “That’s the best thing they can do, and if it so happens, and there is enough divergence of views, maybe the BJP candidate will win. But that’s democracy in our first-past-the-post system.” 

Citing examples of neighbouring states, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, he explained how the seat-sharing pattern of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc will vary from state to state.

He said, “In Kerala, it is almost impossible to imagine the two major opponents here of the INDIA alliance, namely the CPI(M) and the Congress, ever agreeing on seat-sharing, but right next door in Tamil Nadu, the CPI, CPI(M), Congress and DMK are all allied together and there is no debate, no dispute. They already fought the last election together. They are likely to fight this one too.” 

According to the Congress leader, the people of the country should vote for the best person in their constituency as only the people of Varanasi can vote for PM Modi. Notably, PM Modi is currently the Lok Sabha MP from the Varanasi constituency. 

He further added, “Everybody else has to vote for the best candidate in their places they think represent them well. And if they want to vote only to send Mr Modi that’s their choice, if they want to vote for somebody who will be an effective legislature and who has views that are congenial to them, that’s also their choice and I think we can do that.”

The 400 personalities including Controversial Historian William Dalrymple, Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi, American physician-author Abraham Verghese, author Perumal Murugan, and comedian Kanan Gill attended the Kerala Literature Festival, which concluded today on Sunday (14th January).

‘Branding Business houses as anti-national, fostering caste divisions and creating North-South divide’: Milind Deora lambasts Congress in letter explaining reasons for quitting party

OpIndia Staff
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‘Branding Business houses as anti-national, fostering caste divisions and creating North-South divide’: Milind Deora lambasts Congress in letter explaining reasons for quitting party

Taking to his official X account, Milind Deora on 14th January shared the reasons why he ended his 55-year-long association and resigned from the Congress party to join Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena earlier in the day. 

In his letter, the Former Congress leader stressed that the current Congress party doesn’t resonate with what the party stood for in the past when he and his father joined the grand old party in 1968 and 2004, respectively. 

In a scathing criticism of the current leadership of the Congress party, in his letter, Deora pointed out that the party is creating a division on caste and an artificial North-South divide. 

The letter states, “The party that once initiated India’s economic liberalization now targets business houses as ‘anti-national.’ It has strayed from celebrating India’s diverse culture and religions, fostering division based on caste, and creating a North-South divide.”

Earlier in the day, Milind Deora asserted that opposing Modi is the only agenda Congress has. He said that if Modi says that Congress is a very good party, the Congress would oppose it.

Former UPA Minister Deora added that Congress has deviated from its ideological and organisational roots and now it lacks appreciation for honesty and constructive criticism. He added that the Congress party has not only failed to attain power but also it has failed to effectively serve as a constructive opposition at the center.

In the letter, he recalled the party’s losses in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections adding that he took responsibility for the failure in 2019 and resigned as party’s Mumbai President despite assuming the role just a month before the announcement of the dates. 

In his letter, he states, “I readily resigned as President of the Mumbai Congress, taking accountability for the party’s 2019 election defeat, even though I was appointed barely one month before the polling date. I felt that if I could accept accountability, I had every right to seek it.” 

During the establishment of the MVA in Maharashtra in 2019, I opposed the alliance with UBT, foreseeing its detrimental impact on the Congress. Despite personal gains taking precedence over ideology for both UBT and Congress, I consistently advocated for caution over four years.

Despite being sidelined, my commitment remained steadfast in upholding the enduring relationship my family shares with the Gandhi family and the party. For a decade, I tirelessly worked for the party in various roles without seeking personal position or power.

He stated that after 20 years in politics, he will strive to work for the benefit of Mumbai, Maharashtra, and India adding that Mumbai is his karmabhoomi, and India is his matrubhoomi. 

(In his post-resignation letter, Milind Deora comes down heavily on current leadership of Congress)

The letter adds, “The welfare of Mumbai’s citizens transcends political affiliations for me, leading to a significant political decision. I aim to utilize my productive years, administrative expertise, and political experience to serve all individuals, regardless of religion, caste, or economic status, as I have throughout my political career.”

Citing the humble backgrounds of PM Modi and Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde, Milind Deora emphasised that such transformation enriches India’s political landscape and affirms our egalitarian values.

The letter further states, “Today, we witness a humble chaiwala rising to become the Prime Minister of the world’s largest democracy and an autorickshaw driver serving as the Chief Minister of India’s second-largest state. This transformation enriches India’s political landscape, affirming our egalitarian values. Eknath Shinde Ji stands out as one of the most diligent and accessible Chief Ministers in the country. His understanding of Maharashtra’s underprivileged sections and tireless efforts to improve governance and infrastructure are commendable.”

Lauding CM Shinde’s leadership, he cited the progress and transformation in the state and Mumbai including swift execution and effective governance of crucial infrastructure projects like MTHL, Coastal Road, Mumbai Metro, and NMIA, fostering sustained growth and development. 

“His (Maharashtra CM) vision for a prosperous future for Mumbai and Maharashtra resonates with me, and I aim to support his endeavors. Similarly, the visionary outlook of Narendra Modi Ji and Amit Shah Ji for India inspires me to contribute to their national vision,” the letter added. 

He further stated, “Inspired by the legacy of Babasaheb Thackeray and through Eknath Shinde Ji’s Shiv Sena, I commit to representing Mumbaikars and all Indians, advocating for inclusive and development-oriented politics.” 

While some Congress leaders admitted that his departure was a setback for the party, many leaders mocked him claiming that they will raise lakhs of Milind Deoras.

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