A few days ago, Jagdish Sewhani, President of the American India Public Affairs Committee had said in a statement that they are under process to procure the iconic NASDAQ billboard and other billboards at the Times Square in New York to beam Bhagwan Ram’s images during Ram Mandir Bhoomi Pujan. Now, reports have emerged that the ad company that manages the NASDAQ billboard has refused to provide them after Muslim organizations filed a petition against it.
According to a report, several Muslim groups including Indian Minorities Advocacy Network- ImanNet, Justice for All, Coalition of Americans for Pluralism in India CAPI, North American Indian Muslim Association NAIMA, Islamic Circle of North America -Social Justice ICNASJ and The International Society for Peace and Justice filed the petition and asked the ad companies that manage the billboards not to project the images on the LED billboards managed by it.
Branded Cities decided not to beam images
Dennis Levine of ‘Branded Cities’, the firm that manages the NASDAQ billboard has confirmed that they have decided not to give the said billboard for the 5th August event in India. Dr Shaik Ubaid, the President of ImanNet, said that it is an excellent victory for pluralism, human rights and rule of law. South Asia Solidarity Initiative, a political collective based in New York City, has announced that they will protest against the event on the site itself.
Aatish Taseer, the author whose OCI card was revoked last years for hiding details of his Pakistani father, also posted his opinion against the attempt by Hindu groups on display images from the Ayodhya event in Times Square. He said, “This is so repulsive.”
This is so repulsive. And it’s of the utmost importance that @NYCMayor speak out against the use of our public spaces becoming a Theater of the Grotesque for demagoguery and fascist propaganda. https://t.co/B5MZt6qnrT
On 5th August, PM Narendra Modi along with saints and prominent Hindu spiritual leaders will perform Bhoomi Pujan for the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. It will take around 3.5 years to complete the construction. The Supreme Court of India had passed the judgment in favour of Ram Mandir in November 2019 and asked the government to form a trust to manage the construction work and Temple.
With complete disregard for the sentiments of the Hindu community, one Communist politician named Dr Manisha Chakraborty and her fellow comrades have reportedly distributed beef during the occasion of Bakr Eid on Saturday in Barisal, Bangladesh. The 30-year-old is the member secretary of the district committee of Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (Bangladesh Socialist party).
Manisha went live on Facebook to describe her motives behind the ‘noble’ gesture. At the very onset, she said that the outbreak of Coronavirus had forced the poor people to cancel their celebration for Eid and how that she and her team were ensuring that the ‘downtrodden’ were not left behind.
We have sacrificed 5 cows here, reveals Manisha
“Aikhana panchti goru kurbani daowa hoyecha o seta ke process kora hoyeche (We have sacrificed 5 cows and processed the meat),” Dr. Manisha was heard as saying. She said that slaughtering 5 cows within such a short time was difficult but her comrades and the group of volunteers were able to pull off the uphill task. Manisha said that she had prepared a list of 50 such poor families in each of the 30 wards in the Barisal district who would be given 1kg of beef and 1 kg of rice for making pulao.
Informs that they fed 5000 people last year
Taking credit for the task, Manisha then pointed the camera towards the packets filled with cow meat to emphasise the hard work put by her team. She said that her team had been working tirelessly since 7 am in the morning, on the day of Eid. A man representing the party at the district level said, “Last year, we had fed around 5000 families… We have raised funds to purchase 5 cows and sacrifice it ourselves…We thank everyone who helped us in doing this.”
Plans to sacrifice 30 cows next year
“Agami kurbani te 30 ta ward e minimum 30 ta goru kurbani dibo (Next year, on Eid, we will sacrifice of minimum of 30 cows to feed the people in 30 wards of the district),” the politician shared her future plans. Invoking the example of Mir Jafar who was a traitor and betrayed Bengal’s king Sirajuddulah in the Battle of Plassey, he said “Conspirators have failed. History is a testimony to the fact that those who work for the people can only succeed.”
Manisha then took the centre stage and claimed, “We are one family. We share grief and happiness together… We mourn and celebrate together… Since everyone here devoted their time to make this possible, it truly exemplifies the meaning of sacrifice.”
Amid the ongoing health crisis of Covid-19 that has infected more than 4.8 million people and the US, China seems to have allegedly initiated one more attack. The officials in the US have warned residents of the states stretching from Washington to Virginia not to put any seeds in the ground that they haven’t ordered but came in the package from China. The officials said that these could be seeds of invasive species and have the potential to threaten crops or livestock.
The United States Department of Agriculture is collecting the seeds and testing them to see if they possess any danger to agriculture or the environment. The USDA is working on this new possible crisis with different agencies, including state departments and the Customs and Border Protection Department of Homeland Security.
Possible brushing scam
Brushing scams are those in which people receive unsolicited items from a seller to verify the purchase of a much expensive item to review. In such cases, the seller either sends an empty package or sends an item that has zero to little value. The reviews of the customers help the seller in boosting sales. The USDA believes that these packages are part of such scam. They said the packages appear to be coming from China. “[We are] aware that people across the country have received unsolicited packages of seed from China,” they added.
The USDA seems to have identified some of the seeds which include mustard, cabbage and herbs like mint, sage and rosemary. Seeds of flowers like rose and hibiscus were also identified.
States labelled packages as “agricultural smuggling.”
US states, including Washington and Alabama, have labelled these shipments as “agricultural smuggling.” The state agriculture departments have distributed photos in which they showed seeds of different shapes, sizes and colours found in the white or yellow packages.
The packages were wrongly labelled, and some of them had labels related to jewelry. Some of the packages had Chinese writing on them.
China asks US officials to return packages for investigation
Wang Wenbin, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, said in a statement that the postal service of China strictly abides by the restrictions and do not ship seeds. According to the checks by China’s postal service, the records on the packages appear to be fake. They have asked to send the packages back to China so that they can investigate.
The state officials have asked residents not to open the seed packets and inform officials immediately so that they can come and collect them for further investigation.
Seeds popping up in different countries
According to reports, the “mysterious” seeds have started to pop up in other countries as well. In the last one week people from the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand and Japan have received unsolicited seeds instead of or with the items they ordered. The Ministry of Agriculture in India have also been alerted about the possible biodiversity attack via China. Keshavulu kunosoth ice president of international seed testing association said in a statement that these seeds possess a threat to food security across the globe. The experts have so far identified 14 varieties of these seeds that include flowering plants like lavender.
Role of Taiwan in the case
Ontario Police tweeted a photo of a seed packet saying that if someone finds seeds in a package originating from Taiwan or China, they should not dispose of them or plant them. The receiver must call the Canadian food inspection agency immediately. Several reports claimed that the seeds originated from Taiwan and the Taiwanese postal service had to issue a clarification that the shipment was via China and not from Taiwan. They have also slapped a fine of around $3500 against the company that sent prohibited items via mail.
If you receive an unsolicited shipment of foreign seeds in the mail from China or Taiwan DO NOT plant or dispose of them. Call the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) at 519 691-1306 or 1 800 442-2342. Unsolicited seeds could be invasive & threaten our environment. ^kj pic.twitter.com/n5hvlFS1W8
Deteriorating relationships between the US and China
In the past couple of years, the relationships between Washington and Beijing have deteriorated over several issues, including Covid-19 pandemic that originated in China. The US has banned many Chinese companies amid trade war, including Huawei. Recently, Trump also announced that he might soon ban the Chinese app TikTok but later gave 45 days to Microsoft as they showed interested in buying the App’s business in four countries including the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
As the auspicious day of Bhoomi pujan of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya approaches, some of the Congress leaders, which until now were known for appeasing minorities, have decided to make a flip-flop and woo the Hindu voters. For a party which denied existence of Lord Ram, Gandhi scion and former Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s sister–Priyanka Gandhi issued a statement welcoming the Ram Mandir. In addition to Priyanka Gandhi, Former MP chief minister Kamal Nath and erstwhile Union Minister Manish Tewari also took to Twitter and conveyed their subtle support for the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra says Bhoomi pujan ceremony has become an occasion for national unity
Gandhi scion And UP General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra extended her support for the Bhoomi pujan ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. She issued a statement on the event, claiming it to be a cause for national unity, brotherhood and cultural congregation.
“Simplicity, courage, restraint, sacrifice, commitment, are the essence of the name Deenbandhu Rama. Ram is with everyone, Ram is with everyone. With the message and grace of Lord Rama and Mother Sita, the Bhoomipujan ceremony of the temple of Ramlala became an occasion for national unity, fraternity and cultural congregation,” Gandhi tweeted.
सरलता, साहस, संयम, त्याग, वचनवद्धता, दीनबंधु राम नाम का सार है। राम सबमें हैं, राम सबके साथ हैं।
भगवान राम और माता सीता के संदेश और उनकी कृपा के साथ रामलला के मंदिर के भूमिपूजन का कार्यक्रम राष्ट्रीय एकता, बंधुत्व और सांस्कृतिक समागम का अवसर बने।
— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) August 4, 2020
On the expected lines, some of the liberals on social media were triggered after Priyanka Gandhi made her stand clear on the construction of Ram Temple. One of them questioned if the construction of Ram Mandir was a cause for national unity.
Twitter user raises question over Priyanka Gandhi’s support for Ram Mandir
Another Twitter user expressed his disenchantment with the Congress party, claiming Pandit Nehru would have been disappointed with the Congress party. The user said, “Our beloved country has crossed the threshold now and reached the point of no return. The slow death of justice, rule of law and secularism…”
Twitter user disappointed with Priyanka Gandhi’s support for Ram Mandir
MP Congress changes its profile picture with an image of Lord Hanuman and Kamal Nath
The official Twitter handle of Madhya Pradesh Congress posted a tweet informing about the change in their profile pic. Instead of Congress’ symbol, the MP Congress has an image of Lord Hanuman with the message “Shri Hanuman Chalisa Path’, along with the image of former MP CM Kamal Nath.
However, this did not sit well with the ardent Congress supporters and liberals, who were instantly triggered after the MP Congress posted the tweet announcing the change in its profile picture.
One of the disgruntled social media users took a jibe at Congress’s secular credentials by commenting: “Waah re Nehruvian Secularism”.
Twitter user on MP Congress’s tweet on Hanuman Chalisa
Another Twitter user who seemed thoroughly rattled by a sea change in Congress’ approach, cursed the party of paying for its deeds and eventually regretting for not throwing Kamal Nath to the “wolves” when they had the chance.
Twitter user on MP Congress’s tweet on Hanuman Chalisa
An Islamist masquerading as ‘liberal’, Md Asif Khan was dismayed that “Secular Congress” was celebrating the construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. He reiterated what has been alleged of Congress for some time now that they treat the Muslims as second class citizens.
Twitter user on MP Congress’s tweet on Hanuman Chalisa
A Twitter user who goes by the name Vinay Aravind was appalled that Congress is celebrating the construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. Quoting MP Congress’ tweet, he said, “This is unutterably pathetic”.
Twitter user on MP Congress’s tweet on Hanuman Chalisa
Manish Tewari quotes Mahatma Gandhi’s version of Hindu devotional song dedicated to Lord Ram
Another senior Congress leader posted a devotional song dedicated to Lord Ram on his Twitter account, prompting a litany of objections and protests from Islamists and Hindus alike.
भगवान रामचन्द्र जी महाराज के भूमी पूजन के शुभ अफसर पर सब वैष्णव जनो और महनुभवों को कोटी कोटी बधाई pic.twitter.com/R00cfIWwu0
While Islamists were irked by the former Union Minister’s subtle approval of the Bhoomi pujan ceremony of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, Hindus were agitated for getting the lyrics of the devotional hymn wrong.
An Islamist, flustered by Tewari’s Twitter post of a devotional Hindu hymn, raised aspersions on Lord Ram’s character for doubting the chastity of his wife Sita.
Islamist attacking Hindu God on Manish Tewari’s post
Hindus too attacked Manish Tewari for brazenly posting an adulterated version of the famous Hindu hymn. One of the Twitter users posted the actual version of the devotional song along with an image that highlighted the difference between the lyrics of the real song and the lyrics of the “Gandhian” song.
— || Himanshu उपाध्याय || (@himanshu2904) August 4, 2020
Several others also pointed out that the version posted by Manish Tewari was not the true version but a distorted one.
Twitter user correcting Manish Tewari of the devotional hymn
One Twitter user was particularly agitated against Tewari for posting a distorted version of the prayer. He suggested Tewari to add “Ram” to namaz and see the repercussions of the same.
Twitter user abuses Manish Tewari for distorting the bhajan
Bhoomi Pujan ceremony of Ram Mandir
Preparations are underway in Ayodhya for the historic Bhoomi Pujan for the construction of the Ram Temple on August 5, 2020. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting Ayodhya for the ceremony on August 5. The ceremony will be graced by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath among several other invitees. Keeping in accordance with the coronavirus guidelines, the ceremony will be attended by not more than 200 people.
Pandit NR Vijayendra Sharma, who had suggested the Mahurat date- August 5, for the Bhoomi Pujan of Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir has been receiving death threats over the phone from various parts of the country. Pandit Sharma, who is a resident of Belgavi in Karnataka has said that the callers have been asking him to change the Bhoomi Pujan date or face repercussions. He confirmed that these callers did not reveal their identity.
Pandit NR Vijayendra Sharma received death threats from anonymous callers
He said the callers asked him as to why did he fix August 5 as the date for the Bhoomi pujan and why does he want to take part in the ceremony. Despite Pandit Sharma telling the callers that he was merely doing his duty, the anonymous callers threatened him with dire consequences if he did not change the date. “As a guru, I was only doing my duty”, said Pandit Sharma.
Though Panditji said that he is not taking the threats seriously, an FIR has been lodged at Belgavi’s Tilakvadi police station in this regard and a few police personnel have been deployed for his security.
Pandit NR Vijayendra Sharma, a gold medallist from the Banaras Hindu University, was approached by the organisers in February to set an auspicious date for the historic event. Pandit Sharma is closely associated with Swamy Govind Dev Giriji, who is one of the members of Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust. Reportedly, it was Pandit Sharma who had suggested former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee the date for the oath-taking ceremony as the prime minister.
According to reports, Pandit Sharma had initially suggested Akshaya Tritiya in April as the date for the Bhoomi Pujan, but because of the lockdown that was announced due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bhoomi Pujan could not be conducted on that date. He had then proposed four more dates- July 29, July 31, August 1 and August 5. According to Panditji, all the four dates were auspicious as it fell in the Sharavana Masa of the Hindu calendar. The PMO after due deliberations with stakeholders fixed August 5 for the said event.
“August 5 is apt for Vaastu Muhurta and ideal for Bhoomi pujan. The foundation has to be laid before 12 noon, after which Rahu Kala sets in,” Pandit Sharma had said.
Congress’ Digvijay Singh miffed with the Bhoomi Pujan date
Surprisingly, the date for the Ram Mandir’s Bhoomi Pujan had also bothered Congress senior leader Digvijaya Singh, who had taken to Twitter yesterday, to brazenly spread rumours, fear and unnecessary suspicion about the auspiciousness of the date selected for the historic event. He had contended that August 5, the date selected for Bhoomi pujan for the construction of the Ram Mandir, is inauspicious for the same. His antics were, however, not limited to this. He then went on to shamelessly drag HM Amit Shah into the conversation, insinuating that he and other BJP leaders have been tested COVID positive as a result of ignoring Hindu practices.
The much-awaited Ram Mandir’s Bhoomi Pujan to be held on August 5
The Bhoomi Pujan for Ram Mandir is scheduled to take place on August 5. The three-day ritual began yesterday with the Gauri Ganesh Puja. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to visit the holy city of Ayodhya to perform the auspicious event of Bhoomi pujan on the 5th.
As per reports, Prime Minister Modi will place a silver brick weighing 22.6 kg at the foundation site of the majestic Ram Mandir during the event. Five silver rocks denoting 5 Nakshatras will also be placed. The Prime Minister will be worshipping 5 silver rocks in the form of: Nanda, Jaya, Bhadra, Rikta and Poorna and install them in the foundation of the temple.
Owing to the current Coronavirus outbreak, Hindu devotees have been urged to watch the historic and auspicious event on television. Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath has urged everyone to light diyas at their homes on August 4 and 5, and also said that the religious leaders should decorate temples, organise ‘deepotsav’ and conduct ‘Akhand Ramayan Path’ at temples.
US President Donald Trump has given 45 days to Microsoft Corp to complete the negotiations over the acquisitions of Chinese short-video app TikTok, said a Reuter’s report. Recently, Trump announced that his administration might ban TikTok. It is believed that the move came in the backdrop of stalled trade and escalated tensions between the United States and China. Covid-19 pandemic only fired up the tension between the two nations further.
TikTok claims that the app has around 100 million users in the US. If Microsoft manages to acquire the app, it will have a rare opportunity to stand in the competition with social media giants like Facebook and Snap. Though Microsoft owns a social media network LinkedIn, it is more of a social media platform for professionals.
Microsoft-Trump meeting delayed the ban
On Friday, Trump dismissed the idea of selling a major share of TikTok to Microsoft. However, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella discussed the issue with Trump that controlled the situation for a while. Microsoft, in its blog, said, “Following a conversation between Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and President Donald J. Trump, Microsoft is prepared to continue discussions to explore a purchase of TikTok in the United States.”
Microsoft further added that they would move quickly to discuss the matter with ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok. The discussions should be complete no later than 15th September 2020, which is the deadline provided by Trump. Microsoft will continue the discussion with the United States Government in the matter as well.
The preliminary proposal submitted by the two companies to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) involves a purchase of the TikTok services in the US, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. If the deal finalizes, Microsoft will own the operations in the said markets. Microsoft said in the post that they might invite other investors from America to buy a share on a minority basis.
Users can expect better privacy options
The purchase, according to Microsoft, will lead to a better app experience in terms of privacy, security and digital safety. The operation model will provide transparency to the users and appropriate security agencies of the governments of the said countries. Microsoft will ensure that the users’ data from these countries get shifted to the US and remains here only. Once the data is transferred to the US, it will be deleted from the servers outside the US.
Reuters said in its report that Trump changed his mind about banning the app after members of his Republican party advised against the plan. They said that banning TikTok may hurt his election campaign as the app is immensely popular among young voters. The US presidential elections are scheduled for November this year. The ban may also trigger a series of legal challenges that the US administration under Trump should rather avoid amid upcoming elections.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham thanked Trump in a tweet. He said, “Thank you, President Trump, for protecting American consumers from the Chinese Communist Party and bringing jobs back to the US. A win-win in the making.”
China blamed the US for witch-hunt
China Daily, a state-backed newspaper on Monday said that ByteDance had become a victim of a “witch hunt” from the US. The paper mentioned in its article that Washington failed to provide any evidence to support the allegations that TikTok posed a threat to national security.
The main issue in the deal will be separating TikTok’s technology from the infrastructure owned by ByteDance to dilute the security concerns raised by the US in connection with the personal data. There is a chance that the US government may give Microsoft and ByteDance some time to complete the transition and develop technology for TikTok that will detach it from ByteDance.
Some reports suggest that the valuation expectations for the app are more than $50 billion, but the US is building pressure for a lower price tag. As of now, according to Microsoft’s statement, these discussions are preliminary. There is no assurance that the deal involving Microsoft will materialize. The company will provide any further updates only after a definitive outcome to the discussions.
Aiman Rizwi, one of the prominent faces at the Shaheen Bagh ‘protests’ which took place to oppose the CAA which fasttracks Indian citizenship to persecuted religious minorities in neighbouring Islamic countries, has recently urged the fellow Muslims to pray for death of Home Minister Amit Shah. Rizwi also strongly believes that Coronavirus is a myth and propagated to conceal failures of Modi government.
In the 10 minute video (now deleted), Rizwi could be heard saying that this time Amit Shah should die. “Aap dua karein ki vakai agar usko corona hua hai to jo ki nahin hai, lekin agar hua hai to aap sab dua karein ki Khuda kare ki yeh marr jaaye, (You should pray that if he has got corona, which he does not have, but if he does have, then pray that he dies)” she could be heard saying. Rizwi is casting aspersions that despite having been tested positive for coronavirus, Amit Shah may not really have caught the Chinese virus.
“We will believe in coronavirus if he dies. Because none of the BJP people or BJP-friendly media people have not died of coronavirus. But if a Muslim or a Dalit gets even a normal illness then they are dying,” she claims. She further claims that this news is a ‘conspiracy’ to divert attention.
“How did he get coronavirus?” she questions displaying her lack of knowledge on how infection really spreads. As evident, she is not wearing masks herself in middle of pandemic. Wearing a mask is one of the ways to contain the spread of Chinese virus. She claims that Amit Shah had been in hiding since past five months so it is a mystery on how he could catch coronavirus.
She further floats a conspiracy theory that Amit Shah caught coronavirus because the government wants to ‘hide’ the ‘fact’ that Muslims are being beaten up to death for not wearing masks. There is no such report to corroborate such incidents. The Tablighi Jamaat attendees, however, were found beating up medical and healthcare workers as they refused to get themselves tested after Nizamuddin Markaz emerged as a hotspot for the infection earlier this year. She further reiterates that coronavirus does not exist in India.
She further states how coronavirus is a conspiracy as none of the BJP leaders who have tested positive have died. Citing example of Sambit Patra and referring to him as ‘Gobar Patra’, Rizwi says that to hide the criticism the BJP is getting they have ‘created’ coronavirus to spread panic but no one is dying. “Sambit Patra, Zee News people, Jyotiraditya Scindia and even the ‘paaltu, chatukar‘ Delhi CM Kejriwal also went on a honeymoon in the guise of coronavirus. So now they were wondering who should we say is infected. If they would have said Modi is infected, then how will he go for the Shilanyas of Ram Mandir? Hence as per strategy, they made Amit Shah get coronavirus,” she says.
Referring to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath as ‘Taklu no. 2’ and ‘aatankwadi (terrorist)’, she claims that the coronavirus is created as a hype so that they can hide the fact that crores of Muslims are beaten, jailed and killed on Bakri Eid. Again, there are no such reports. She further attacks Yogi Adityanath and says that he will not go to the Shilanyas because he didn’t even go to his father’s funeral. When his elderly father passed away in April this year in middle of the pandemic, the Islamists had taken to social media to express glee. “He did not go to his father’s funeral because his father never met him. Why would anyone want to meet him? He killed his Guru to take his position,” she alleges.
“In few days he will return after his honeymoon as coronavirus does not exist. Not only in India but anywhere in the world,” she says. She further claims the leaders are sent on luxury trips under the guise of coronavirus. Rizwi then goes on to spread wild conspiracy theories on Rafale jets which are too bizarre to even make sense to mock her.
Rizwi, a regular face at the Shaheen Bagh ‘protests’ had earlier also claimed that coronavirus a farce. She was also upset at Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan for not calling out coronavirus as a conspiracy. She had also posted videos wishing death on ‘bhakts’ while using the ‘cow dung’ and ‘cow urine’ jibes.
The Bhoomi Pujan that is scheduled to take place in Ayodhya will witness a total footfall of 175 eminent guests. According to the trust, around 135 priests and Hindu spiritual leaders following several sects and traditions of the faith will participate in the said event.
The Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust constituted to build the majestic Ram Mandir in Ayodhya informed that due to the coronavirus pandemic, and other reasons, many eminent personalities may not attend the event.
Earlier, there were some media speculations and social media talks around former Home Minister Lalkrishna Advani not attending the event. Advani was one of the most prominent names in the Ram Janmabhoomi Movement and many believed that his attendance would have been very important, sending the symbolic message that the long struggle has finally become successful.
However, the Trust informed that it is neither advisable nor appropriate for people above 90 years of age to attend the event in person where there are so many COVID-19 cases. Also, there are some practical difficulties with travel and arrival due to the pandemic restrictions in place, the trust informed.
Pujya Shankaracharya ji and many sadhus will also not attend the event due to the Chaturmas rituals, the Trust informed. Former minister Uma Bharti had also earlier informed media that she will not attend the event at Ayodhya due to the pandemic.
Trust had appealed to people to watch the event on TV and celebrate with diyas at home
Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, the trust established for the construction of the temple, will organise the event for Bhoomi Pujan. The trust has also appealed to the general public, especially Hindu devotees to watch the event on TV and light diyas in their homes on the day to mark the historic and spiritual event.
There are certain practical difficulties in arrival of some guests due to Corona pandemic. Arrival of people who are aged above 90 years is not appropriate under present circumstances. Pujya Shankaracharya ji & many Pujya Sant have expressed inability to attend due to Chaturmas.
— Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra (@ShriRamTeerth) August 3, 2020
PM Modi, RSS chief to attend the event
The Bhoomi Pujan will be attended by the likes of tall leaders such as Mahesh Bhagchandka, PM Narendra Modi, Pawan Singhal, RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat, Nritya Gopal Das Ji Maharaj, UP CM Yogi Adityanath and Governor Anandiben Patel. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will first do Darshan Pujan at Shri Hanumangarhi temple, followed by Puja of Lord Ram at Ram Janmabhoomi. Following this, the Bhoomi Pujan and stage event will be conducted.
Hon’ble PM Shri @narendramodi will first do Darshan-Pujan at Shri Hanumangarhi Mandir, after which he will do puja of Bhagwan Shri Ramlalla at Shri Ram Janmabhoomi. It will be then followed by the Bhumi Pujan and the stage event
— Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra (@ShriRamTeerth) August 3, 2020
According to the Ram Janmabhoomi Trust, sacred soil from 2000 places of pilgrimage and water from over 100 rivers has been collected from the Bhoomi Pujan. Besides, auspicious material for the Puja has been sent by the Puja Shankaracharya and other Sants. Due to the limited invitees to the Bhoomi Pujan event to follow social distancing guidelines, the Ram Janmabhoomi trust has urged Ram Bhakts to organise Bhajan, Kirtan and Prasad distribution in villages and cities while following social distancing guidelines.
We call upon all Shri Rambhakts across the world to organise Bhajan, Kirtan and Prasad distribution in all villages and cities while taking all necessary precautions to prevent spread of Corona
— Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra (@ShriRamTeerth) August 3, 2020
Soil for Bhoomi Pujan collected from Dalit temples
On Thursday, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) informed that soil from Dalit temples all across India will be collected for Bhoomi Pujan in Ayodhya on August 5, reportedThe Economic Times. As per the report, the soil has been sent by Sant Ravidas temple (Kashi), Maharshi Valmiki Ashram (Sitamarhi), Valmiki Ashram (Central Delhi), and Tantya Bhil temple (Madhya Pradesh). Reportedly, the RSS is planning to build a Centre for training priests from all sections of the society in Ayodhya. “The SC community is an integral part of the Hindu society… This community has resisted conversions and fought the most to save cows. The Sangh is indebted to them,” conceded VHP spokesperson Vinod Bansal.
Silver brick to be placed at the foundation site
On August 5, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reportedly place a silver brick at the foundation site of the majestic Ram Mandir during the Bhoomi Pujan ceremony in Ayodhya. As per reports, the silver brick weighs 22.6 kg and costs around ₹15,59,000. Besides, the name of the PM Modi, date and time to be placed and the Holy chant of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ is written on the brick. As per the inscription, the brick will be placed at the site at 12:15:15 pm. The brick is inked with markings of Holy Swastika, and Hindu ceremonial adornments of Haldi, kumkum and kumkum infused threads.
On Sunday, the Cubbon Park police reportedly arrested a Congress worker from Karnataka for wishing death upon Home Minister Amit Shah, after he tested positive for the deadly Wuhan Coronavirus.
As per reports, the man has been identified as one Anand Prasad. He lives in Ramamurthy Nagar in Bengaluru and serves as the Secretary of the IT cell of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC). While replying to a Twitter user (named 2020 +ve/-ve) condemning how people celebrated on learning about the news of Shah’s health , Prasad wrote, “Praying he doesn’t come out of this.” In another reply to Twitter user (@RJnaveed12) he wrote, “Mar jaa saaley tadipar“.
The distasteful comments by a Congress office-bearer had sparked demands for his arrest. Prasad was booked by the Karnataka police for promoting enmity between different groups under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) Section 153A.
Earlier, Home Minister Amit Shah had stated that he had shown initial symptoms of coronavirus and hence got himself tested. He said he is doing fine but on the advice of doctors he is getting admitted to hospital. He has urged those who came in touch with him in the past few days to get themselves tested. Union Minister Amit Shah is currently undergoing treatment at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram, Haryana.
DK Shivakumar appeals to Congress workers
The President of KPCC, DK Shivakumar has urged Congress workers to refrain from making derogatory posts against political leaders or target them using their health issues on social media platforms. “It is not in our culture to wish bad for others. Congress is a party that exemplifies brotherhood and humanity,” he tweeted.
I appeal to Congress workers not to make defamatory statements against any political leader, on matters of health and other issues on social media platforms.
It is not in our culture to wish bad for others. Congress is a party that exemplifies brotherhood and humanity.
Islamists express their glee over the health of Amit Shah
As soon as the news spread regarding Home Minister Amit Shah being tested positive for the coronavirus, Islamists jumped on social media platforms to not only mock Amit Shah and express their happiness but also to wish death upon him. A user celebrated that the news of Amit Shah testing positive for the coronavirus to claim that this was her ‘Eid’ moment. Another user dragged in Baba Ramdev’s immunity-booster kit ‘Coronil’ to joke about Amit Shah’s health and suggested that the Union Home Minister should use it to get cured of the infection.
In a bizarre incident, some unknown person had posted an ad on classifieds website OLX to sell the old Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23BN fighter aircraft, a reminiscent of Kargil War, displayed at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU).
The aircraft was gifted to the University by the Indian Air Force in 2009. The University has ordered a probe to find who is behind the advertisement. The plane was listed at the price of Rs.9.99 crore.
The post on OLX about the sale of aircraft installed in the campus is wrong. University has not taken any step to auction or sell it. We are looking into the matter. It’s an attempt to defame the university: Mohd Wasim Ali, Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) Proctor (03.08.2020) pic.twitter.com/ht5OR1O50h
Prof Mohammad Wasim Ali, the University proctor, has stated that any present or former student or University member is not involved in the ad that has been posted on OLX. ANI quoted him saying, “The post on OLX about the sale of aircraft installed in the campus is wrong. University has not taken any step to auction or sell it. We are looking into the matter. It’s an attempt to defame the university.” However, there are speculations making rounds that some AMU members might be behind the advert.
The OLX ad for the aircraft
When the information about the ad got viral on social media, the University informed the IT cell of the district administration, police and the classifieds website. The ad was later deleted from the website. The University administration said that they would take legal action against the person behind the mischief.
MiG-23 is part of the mechanical engineering curriculum at AMU
The AMU engineering students learn about the parts, technology and design of MiG-23. Prof MM Sufyan Beg, Principal of Zakir Husain College of Engineering and Technology, AMU said that aeronautical engineering is one of the subjects of mechanical engineering. Studying about the fighter jet is a part of the lab course of the curriculum.
Several decommissioned aircraft are installed in schools and universities
IAF has gifted several retired aircraft to many schools and colleges. The Modern School in Delhi has a Hawker Hunter (BA-241) installed at the premises. As per a Times of India report, AMU became the first University in Uttar Pradesh and seventh in India to receive a ground attack fighter plane of Indian Air Force in 2009 when the MiG-23 was installed in the premises.
28 years of service
The MIG-23BN, made by the Soviet Union in the 1970s, was introduced into the Indian Air Force on 24th January 1981. The fighter jet was decommissioned after 28 years of service on 6th March 2009. The IAF had used the aircraft in several crucial locations including Kashmir valley, Glaciers in Northern Ladakh and during the Kargil war.
