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No, PM Modi is not planning to build a multi-cultural centre dedicated to all religions along with Bhavya Ram Mandir on Ram Janmabhoomi

OpIndia Staff
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No, PM Modi is not planning to build a multi-cultural centre dedicated to all religions along with Bhavya Ram Mandir on Ram Janmabhoomi

A report recently published in the Hindi news daily Amar Ujala claimed that it is PM Modi’s vision to build Ayodhya as a multi cultural centre embodying the Hindu concept of “Sarvdharm Sadbhav” which means “equal respect for all religions”.

Report published in Amar Ujala

The report stated that along with the development of a magnificent Ram Temple in Ayodhya, focus is also placed on developing the city’s other religious sites belonging to Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, Jainism and other religions. The report categorically mentions that PM Modi is keenly interested in the development of the 70-acre land along with the Ram Temple where the Prime Minister wants to build a cultural centre dedicated to the Hindu concept of ‘Sarvdharm Sadbhav’.

The report goes on to mention that the Sanskrit department has already created a report in accordance with PM Modi’s vision of turning Ayodhya into a multi-cultural centre. It cites retired senior IAS officer Nripendra Mishra, the man overlooking the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya, as a source to claim that PM Modi wants to transform Ayodhya into a touchstone of syncretic fulfilment.

The article goes on to cite the religious significance of Ayodhya for different faiths. “Muslims consider it to be the holy shrine of Prophet, Hazrat Noah and hundreds of top Sufi saints. While all 24 Tirthankaras of Jainism are descendants of Lord Rama, Ayodhya has the distinction of being the birthplace of five Tirthankaras including Adinath Rishabh Dev. The first Guru Nanak Dev of the Sikh community, 9th Guru Tegh Bahadur and 10th Guru Govind Singh meditated here at the Gurdwara Brahmakund. According to the legend, Lord Brahma did penance here for 5000 years at this place. Buddhists consider this Saket city of Kaushal district as a major centre,” the article read, describing the city’s rich cross-cultural moorings.

Multi-cultural centre at Ayodhya? IAS officer overlooking Ram Temple construction issues clarification

However, while the article claims that PM Modi is determined to see Ayodhya as a confluence of various religions, Nripendra Mishra has now clarified that the Prime Minister has no such aim. Rubbishing the reports that attributed him as a source for making such a claim, Mishra said that the media organisations have misquoted him to allege that PM Modi wants to see Ayodhya being transformed into a cultural centre for all religions.

“Only Ram Temple will be built in Ayodhya. PM Modi has no intention of building a monument dedicated to all religions in Ayodhya. Some newspapers had misquoted me to claim that PM Modi wishes to build a cultural centre for all religions in Ayodhya,” journalist Vikas Bhadauria quoted Mishra in a tweet.

Watch: Son of Shiv Sena MP abuses traffic police officer, threatens to get him fired from a job

OpIndia Staff
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Watch: Son of Shiv Sena MP abuses traffic police officer, threatens to get him fired from a job

In a video that has now gone viral on social media, Yogesh Raut, the son of Shiv Sena MP Vinayak Raut, was seen misbehaving with a traffic police officer. The incident took place in the Kanvalvi area in Konkan where an allegedly drunk Yogesh flouted traffic rules and threatened to expel the police officer.

“Yaa mp Raut ya cha mulgyani Mala shivi dili (The son of Vinayak Raut has abused me verbally)”, the police officer said. Yogesh Raut said, “Mi tuzhi naukri ghaalu shakto (I can make you lose your job).” Vinayak Raut is the Member of Parliament from the Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg Lok Sabha seat in Konkan.

Yogesh misbehaved with the traffic police officer after he was stopped by the officer for violating traffic rules.

Shiv Sena member tonsures Nepali man’s head

On Friday, a Nepali man was tonsured and forced to shout ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and ‘Nepal PM Murdabad’ days after Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli stoked a huge political and diplomatic storm after claiming that Lord Rama was born in Nepal. The video of the incident was widely circulated on social media after a person named Arun Pathak, recorded and shared it on his Facebook profile. It is reported that Pathak was behind the shocking incident.

When we looked into the Facebook profile, it was revealed that Arun Pathak belonged to Shiv Sena, currently the ‘secular’ alliance partner of Congress party in Maharashtra. In his Facebook profile, one can see that he describes himself as a “disciple of Bala Saheb Thackeray”. In another image, the accused Arun Pathak was also seen with Uddhav Thackeray, the chief of Shiv Sena. Arun Pathak was also the district chief of Shiv Sena in Varanasi from 2000 to 2003. He is the chief general secretary and spokesperson of Shiv Sena in Uttar Pradesh state.

Delhi: Coronavirus positive children develop symptoms of rare Kawasaki disease

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi: Coronavirus positive children develop symptoms of rare Kawasaki disease

Hospitals in Delhi are witnessing coronavirus positive children develop symptoms of the rare Kawasaki disease, latest reports say. Kawasaki disease is caused by factors yet unknown and mainly affects children under the age of 5. The disease causes inflammation in blood vessels throughout the body. This particular disease can last up to five days and is not known to respond to medications.

Kalawati Saran Children’s Hospital in Delhi has reported five to six such cases with some of the symptoms of Kawasaki disease. All the children had tested positive for the Coronavirus. One child has also succumbed to the disease.

Dr Virendra Kumar, head of the department of paediatrics, Kalawati Saran hospital, told the Indian Express, “These are the most common symptoms which have been described all over the world. While other viruses can also lead to this syndrome, but as we are in the middle of the pandemic, it is likely that the disease is related to Covid-19.”

The doctor added, “We are not exactly saying they were infected with Kawasaki, but they had Kawasaki-like symptoms. The children had unexplained tachycardia and some of them were in a state of shock. All these positive cases were managed in the Covid care area.” Dr Rachna Sharma, in-charge of the paediatric intensive care unit at BLK hospital, believes that these symptoms are a consequence of an abnormal immune response to the Coronavirus infection.

She said, “This is not a direct effect of the virus but an abnormal immune response induced by it. This multisystem inflammatory syndrome also causes a lot of digestive issues, like there are children who are presented with just pain in the abdomen, vomiting and loose motions. If you do not recognise the symptoms early, then they may have a fatal outcome. Some children may also have kidney failure.”

The BLK hospital has seen two such cases. The Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, on the other hand, has seen six such cases. Dr. Sharma also said that in the “Covid multisystem inflammatory syndrome”, the heart is generally affected 50-60% of the cases and the child goes into shock.

Symptoms of the Kawasaki disease include high fever that lasts up to five days, rash or peeling skin between the chest and legs and often in the groin area, red eyes, swollen glands, swollen and bright red tongue (‘strawberry tongue’), joint pain, belly pain, and diarrhoea and vomiting. Asian children are known to be more susceptible to the disease and between genders, boys are 1.5 times more likely to contract the disease than girls.

There have been reports earlier that the Coronavirus could affect multiple organs even in adults. Long term lung damage was observed among some patients who have made a complete recovery from the disease. In addition, doctors had also warned that the Coronavirus could cause brain damage and heart damage. In this regard, it also ought to be mentioned that the Kawasaki disease is one of the leading cause of heart disease among children.

Earlier, a study in the New England Journal of Medicine had identified nearly 300 children in the United States who had developed the Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C). While the cause of the disease is not yet known, it was observed that many of these children had contracted the coronavirus or had been in the near vicinity of those who had. The MIS-C can be fatal but most children recovered with adequate medical attention. The MIS-C shares symptoms with toxic shock and the kawasaki disease.

The governance model of Rajasthan: Ashok Gehlot reveals how he was not ‘in talking terms’ with his Deputy CM Sachin Pilot for the past 1.5 years

OpIndia Staff
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The governance model of Rajasthan: Ashok Gehlot reveals how he was not ‘in talking terms’ with his Deputy CM Sachin Pilot for the past 1.5 years

In a shocking disclosure exposing the appalling system of governance in the state of Rajasthan, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday said that he was not in ‘talking terms’ with the Deputy Chief Minister of the state Sachin Pilot.

According to the reports, the Rajasthan Chief Minister Gehlot said he was not communicating with Sachin Pilot after the latter was plotting to topple his government since its formation in December 2018.

Speaking to a media, Gehlot stated that Pilot was just playing the victim card over Special Operation Group (SOG) notice to him. He also claimed that the people of Rajasthan had elected him as the Chief Minister of the state and would be willing to hug him and welcome Pilot back to the party despite he was not in good terms with the young leaders for over one-and-half years.

“A minister does not talk to his CM, nor seeks his advice and there is no dialogue. In a democracy, even arch-rivals talk. The beauty of democracy is dialogue. The news generated over the last one-and-a-half years is sufficient for a book,” said Gehlot.

With Gehlot disclosing about factionalism within the party, there are now questions being raised on the lack of governance arising out of non-communication over affairs of the state between the two senior-most functionaries of the government.

When Gehlot was asked why Pilot was not made the Rajasthan Chief Minister while other state’s PCC presidents in Punjab, Chhattisgarh and MP – Amarinder Singh, Bhupesh Bhagel and Kamal Nath respectively were made Chief Minister, he said that the decision was left to the high command.

“Most MLAs were in my favour and the situation in Rajasthan was different in comparison to other states. In Rajasthan, the people wanted me as CM,” said Gehlot.

Political crisis in Rajasthan

Speculations are rife that Rajasthan government may go the Madhya Pradesh way as the infighting between Congress leaders continue and Sachin Pilot reached Delhi on Saturday along with 20-25 Congress and independent MLAs.

Following the 2018 Rajasthan Assembly elections, a power tussle ensued between Congress old guard Ashok Gehlot and youth leader Sachin pilot for the coveted post of the Chief Minister. Eventually, Gehlot was made the CM, and Pilot was sidelined.

The divide between the two factions, within the State government, seemed to have widened over time. The rebel Congress leader has told Ashok Gehlot that ‘majority’ has to be proven on the floor of the House and not in the back garden of Gehlot’s residence. Sachin Pilot stated, “If they have numbers as claimed, then, why not do a headcount? Take them to the Governor instead of moving them to the hotel.”

Amidst celebration and fanfare, Lakshmi the Elephant returns home to Manakula Vinayagar Temple

OpIndia Staff
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Amidst celebration and fanfare, Lakshmi the Elephant returns home to Manakula Vinayagar Temple

On Saturday, the official Twitter account of Indu Makkal Katchi informed that Lakshmi the Elephant has returned to her home in Manakula Vinayagar Temple, a month after she was shifted to the Krishi Vigyan Kendra at Kurumamber due to the intervention of PETA and Animal Welfare Board. Lakshmi was adopted by the Temple after she was abandoned by her herd and has been living there since 1997.

When the Directorate of Forests and Wildlife demanded that the Temple provide all details of her well-being, the documents were provided except for her pending blood report. However, due to mounting pressure from PETA, the department ordered that Lakshmi be removed from her home. The forest officials have reportedly asked the Sri Arilmigu Manakular Vinayagar Devasthanam to provide a ‘wide enclosure’ for the animal.

Intervention by the Puducherry Chief Minister

Earlier, Chief Minister of Puducherry, V. Narayanasami, had directed the forest department to return Lakshmi the Elephant back to her home at the Manakula Vinayagar Temple in the Union Territory.

The development was confirmed by the IT cell of the Congress party on social media on Monday. Mr Subrat Goswami from Gurugram, who was involved in the efforts to bring Lakshmi home, had confirmed that the order for her return had been passed and following the completion of certain formalities, she will return to the Manakula Vinayagar Temple.

When Lakshmi, the Temple Elephant, was taken away from her home

Lakshmi the Elephant was taken away from her home after PETA and the Animal Welfare Board intervened in the matter and accused the Temple of violating the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. BJP leader Maneka Gandhi, too, was involved in the whole affair and she requested Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry Kiran Bedi and Directorate of Forests and Wildlife to remove the elephant from the temple and shift her to a ‘safer’ location.

At the time, Lakshmi the Elephant was forcibly removed from the Temple and shifted to the Krishi Vigyan Kendra at Kurumamber, where her health was reported to have deteriorated.

Pune emerges as one of top 3 districts in India in terms of active Coronavirus cases: BJP MLA Siddharth Shirole writes letter to Centre seeking intervention

OpIndia Staff
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Pune emerges as one of top 3 districts in India in terms of active Coronavirus cases: BJP MLA Siddharth Shirole writes letter to Centre seeking intervention

As the coronavirus outbreak in Maharashtra deepens, with Pune emerging as the latest coronavirus hotspot, BJP MLA from the Shivajinagar constituency in Pune, Siddharth Shirole has written a letter to the central government seeking intervention from them to ward off the looming medical infrastructure crisis.

In a scathing criticism of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra, Shirole said that the Maharashtra government has left Pune to fend for itself from the surging coronavirus spread. He has accused the government of gross negligence which has pushed the city on the cusp of a medical calamity.

“Pune is just a few days away from a catastrophe. The state government has failed on multiple levels and the citizens are left to fend for themselves. Hence behalf of every citizen of Pune, I seek your intervention and support from the Central Government to provide our city much needed medical infrastructure it needs including large COVID centre,” Shirole requested the centre in a letter marked to PM Modi.

Shirole questions Maharashtra government leadership’s negligence in Pune’s battle against coronavirus

“Leadership that is paramount in times of crisis is acutely missing. Honourable Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray ji has not made a single visit to Pune in the last 100 days either to oversee the preparedness of the administration or even to encourage the COVID warriors fighting on the frontlines,” the letter read.

Shirole has further added that the chief minister of the state has till date not called for an update or review meeting via phone/video conference with the elected representatives of Pune and with the ground authorities. Accusing the Maharashtra government of abdication of their duty, Shirole has claimed that even emails from his office have not elicited response from the establishment.

Pune in dire straits as coronavirus caseloads surge uncontrollably

The Pune MLA’s desperate appeal for centre’s help comes at a time when Pune has emerged in the list of top 3 districts in the country in terms of active coronavirus cases. Mortality rate and infection rate in Pune are particularly high and the state government has so far not envisioned any plans to develop a 10,000+ bed for COVID treatment centre.

The situation in Pune is woefully grim and the city is facing a shortfall of 200 ICU and 100 ventilator beds, which has led to entirely preventable deaths of many citizens, Shirole said. About 1280 people have already died in Pune of coronavirus and 29,583 out of 49,037 caseloads are still active in the city. Yesterday, Pune’s daily spike in coronavirus cases crossed Mumbai’s mark, underscoring that the city is fast devolving into a coronavirus hotspot. The fate of an overwhelming number of people hangs in balance as Pune faces a severe shortage of medical equipment and facilities and the Maha Vikas Aghadi government continues to turn a blind eye to the city’s crumbling medical infrastructure.

Coimbatore: Unknown miscreants desecrate three Hindu temples and set them on fire, damage Trishul in front of one temple

OpIndia Staff
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Coimbatore: Unknown miscreants desecrate three Hindu temples and set them on fire, damage Trishul in front of one temple

Unknown miscreants desecrated and set fire at three temples- the Makaliamman temple in Town Hall, Vinayagar temple at Railway Junction, Selvavinayagar temple in Nallampalayam, in Coimbatore on July 17 (Friday) night. According to the police, the unidentified criminals damaged properties, burnt clothes and tyres and a Trishul placed in front of one of the temples. Coimbatore city police initiated an inquiry into the incidents.

Following the incident, the karyakarta’s of the Hindu organisation- Hindu Munnani and BJP gathered outside the temples and Saturday and sought legal action against the miscreants. Vanathi Srinivasan, BJP state vice president condemned the incidents and asked the Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami to take stringent action against those who indulged in the act.

Three Coimbatore temples vandalised and set ablaze

According to The New Indian Express report, miscreants burnt clothes and tyres at Magaliamman temple on NH road near Five Corners in Town Hall in the city. They also damaged the Trishul (trident) which is placed in front of the temple.

Coimbatore police revealed that the CCTV footage which was collected from the surrounding of Magaliamman temple showed a bike-borne man set fire and damaging the temple properties.

Similarly, some unknown criminals also burnt a tyre at the Vinayagar temple in front of Coimbatore Railway Junction. Though there is round the clock police patrolling at the Railway Junction premises, sources believe that the incident happened when the police personnel were not present there.

In another such incident, unknown persons set fire inside Selva Vinayagar temple premises near Nallampalayam on Friday night. 

The incident has caused panic amidst residents. Police personnel have been deployed outside the temples and an investigation has been initiated into the incident.

Incidentally, these incidents happened a day after a Periyar statue was desecrated in Coimbatore on Friday.

China forcing mass abortions and sterilization on Uighur Muslims is a stain of the century: US secretary of state Mike Pompeo

OpIndia Staff
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China forcing mass abortions and sterilization on Uighur Muslims is a stain of the century: US secretary of state Mike Pompeo

US State Secretary Mike Pompeo, speaking during a visit to Iowa on Friday said that China is imposing draconian measures to slash birth rates among ethnic Uighurs as part of a sweeping campaign to curb its Muslim population. Calling it a “stain of the century”, Pompeo slammed China for practising forced sterilization and abortion of Chinese Muslims in Western China.

“A few weeks back, I read a report about the Chinese Communist Party forcing mass abortions and sterilisation on Chinese Muslims in Western China. These are some of the most gross human rights violations we have seen and I have referred to it as the stain of the century,” Pompeo said.

“Today, China is working to take down freedom all across the world”, saying this, the US State Secretary highlighted how the Chinese Communist Party is not only crushing freedom in Hong Kong and threatening a free Taiwan but also trying to dominate the global communication networks. It’s threatening a free Taiwan. It’s trying to dominate world communications networks, including those right here in places like Iowa, added Pompeo.

Mike Pompeo said that while China was trying to crush the world’s freedoms, Pompeo said that the USA will “stay still”. He said that the US has slapped sanctions on China and travel restrictions on CCP officials.

Despite the “Chinese Communist Party isn’t too happy about it”, Pompeo said that the US is “revising Hong Kong’s – agreements with Hong Kong, as the Communist Party erodes the freedom for people in that place. We’re fighting too to stop China from stealing our intellectual property. You all work hard, you create value. We want to bring fairness too to our trade policies, as we’ve done in the Phase 1 trade deal”, furthered Pompeo.

Mike Pompeo called reports on China using forced sterilisation, forced abortion on minority Muslims as “shocking” and “disturbing”

Last month too, Mike Pompeo had labelled reports on China using forced sterilisation, forced abortion and coercive family planning against minority Muslims as “shocking” and “disturbing”. Referring to a report by a German researcher Adrian Zenz published by the Washington-based Jamestown Foundation think-tank, Pompeo had urged ll nations to join the United States in demanding an end to these dehumanizing abuses by the Chinese Communist Party.

Investigations have shown that the Chinese Government is taking draconian measures to slash birth rates of Uyghurs and other minorities as part of its cruel campaign to curb the state’s Muslim population, even as it encourages some of the country’s Han majority (China’s majority ethnic group) to have more children.

China’s cruelty against the indigenous Muslim Uighurs in Xinjiang

China’s campaign, over the past years in the far west region of Xinjiang, is leading to what some experts are calling a form of “demographic genocide”. It is believed that the state regularly subjects minority women to pregnancy checks, and forces intrauterine devices (IUDs), sterilisation and even abortion.

Additionally, China has detained more than one million Uighurs in so-called “reeducation centres” and has forced them to undergo psychological indoctrination programs — like studying communist propaganda and giving thanks to Chinese President Xi Jinping. However, the Chinese government claims that the camps are simply vocational and training centres intended to combat extremism and to teach detainees some useful and valuable skills.

In May US Congress had approved sanctions against China over the mass incarceration of Muslim Uighurs. “The Act holds accountable perpetrators of human rights violations and abuses such as the systematic use of indoctrination camps, forced labour and intrusive surveillance to eradicate the ethnic identity and religious beliefs of Uyghurs and other minorities in China,” Trump had said in a statement. 

China has long been oppressing the Uyghur Muslims in the state. In November 2019, some Chinese government official had revealed that the Chinese regime, in another diktat, had forced Uyghur Muslim women to sleep with govt officials to ‘promote ethnic unity’.

Earlier the Chinese police had imposed a dress code for Uyghur women, under which the Muslim women are not allowed to wear long dresses. In 2018, photos had appeared on social media showing police cutting dresses of Uyghur women for being “too long”.

Until now, China has, as such, not faced any repercussions for its draconian policies which are most heinously affecting the Uyghurs. Imran Khan’s double standards have compelled him to engage in delirious rhetoric against India regarding Kashmir but impeded him to condemn China’s actions against Uyghurs. He continues to call China the best friend of Pakistan and has maintained a carefully crafted mask of ignorance over the entire issue.

BSP supremo Mayawati demands President’s rule in Rajasthan, accuses Ashok Gehlot of malpractices

OpIndia Staff
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BSP supremo Mayawati demands President’s rule in Rajasthan, accuses Ashok Gehlot of malpractices

Weighing on the ongoing power tussle in Rajasthan, the Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati has asked for the imposition of President’s rule in the state and accused state government of indulging in illegal practices.

Shortly after the BJP sought a CBI probe in the allegations levelled by the Congress party that it has the audio tapes to prove that the BJP was conspiring to topple the Gehlot government in Rajasthan, Mayawati took to Twitter to blast at the Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot for flagrantly violating the anti-defection laws and betraying the BSP by inducting its MLAs into the Congress fold. Mayawati also alleged that Gehlot has committed illegal and unconstitutional acts by authorising the phone-tapping.

“Rajasthan Chief Minister first violated the anti-defection law and betrayed the BSP by admitting its MLAs into the Congress. He has also presided over the illegal and unconstitutional decision of commissioning the phone tapping,” Mayawati tweeted.

Amidst the political wrangling between the chief minister Ashok Gehlot and former deputy chief minister Sachin Gehlot, Mayawati said the Governor should recommend President rule in the state.

“The Governor of Rajasthan should take effective cognizance of the ongoing political deadlock, mutual disturbance and governmental instability and recommend imposition of President’s rule in the state so as to ward off threat to democracy,” said Mayawati in a subsequent tweet.

BJP demands CBI inquiry into phone tapping scandal

Earlier in the day, demanding a CBI inquiry into the alleged phone tapping scandal, the BJP alleged if the Congress government in Rajasthan had resorted to “unconstitutional” means to tap the phones of politicians.

In a press conference on Saturday, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra lambasted the Congress party for making false allegations of horse-trading against the BJP and posed serious questions over the sensational phone tapping controversy. At the very onset, Patra said, “We are witnessing the political drama unfold in Rajasthan. It’s a mixture of conspiracy, fabrication, fraud and violation of law. The political game that is being played in the State is a mixture of all these ingredients.”

He continued, “The State government was constituted in 2018. After Ashok Gehlot was sworn in as the Chief Minister, a situation similar to that of Cold War ensued within the Congress party. Yesterday, Ashok Gehlot conceded to the media that there was a communication gap between the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister (Sachin Pilot).”

Rahul Gandhi defends anti-Hindu Periyar, who broke Lord Ganesha’s Murthis and slandered Shri Ram

OpIndia Staff
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Rahul Gandhi defends anti-Hindu Periyar, who broke Lord Ganesha’s Murthis and slandered Shri Ram

Congress president Rahul Gandhi has heaped praises on renowned hatemonger EV Ramasamy, aka Periyar, after saffron paint was spilt on one of the latter’s statues in Tamil Nadu. In a tweet on Saturday, the scion of the Nehru-Gandhi Parivar commented, “No amount of hate can ever deface a giant.”

For the former Congress president, it was not enough to condemn the apparent act of vandalism. He had to go the extra distance and glorify the individual who is widely recognised as a rabid anti-Hindu ‘intellectual’. And it is understandable given the fact that the Congress party managed to cross the 50 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections due to support from Periyarists in the South. Thus, Rahul Gandhi was only returning the favour.

Furthermore, as the long history of the Congress party under Sonia Gandhi shows, there is not a single anti-Hindu activist or intellectual that the party will not support. During the years of UPA in power, Sonia Gandhi stacked up its National Advisory Council with activists that received foreign funds from abroad and drafted the virulently anti-Hindu Communal Violence Bill.

It also needs to be remembered that the Congress party under Rahul Gandhi has only carried forward the proud tradition of disrespect towards the Hindu Community that Sonia Gandhi had carefully cultivated. For instance, during Rahul Gandhi’s tenure as Congress president, Congress workers in Kerala slaughtered a calf in broad daylight to demonstrate their opposition towards an apparent beef ban somewhere in the country.

Under such circumstances, it is not surprising at all that Rahul Gandhi has chosen to glorify Periyar. The hatemonger from the South shares at least one daunting similarity with the Congress party under Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. Like the Congress party, Periyar harboured a deep seated antipathy towards Shri Rama as well.

Periyar has spread numerous canards about the Ramayana. All his lies were directed towards slandering the God who is considered Maryada Purshottam by Hindus. His lies ranged from accusing Shri Rama of being casteist to claiming that he killed and mutilated women. According to Periyar, the Hindu Epics Ramayana and Mahabharata were written by ‘cunning Aryans’ to erase the ‘Dravidian identity’. If one were to believe Periyar, Rama was part of a conspiracy to deny the throne to Bharata, who, according to him, was Dasaratha’s rightful heir.

Periyar also claimed that no ‘North Indian Brahmin’ died in the war against Ravana. He had further claimed that Rama had married women other than Sita for his sexual pleasure. He had also claimed that Lankan King Ravana was, in fact, a Dravidian King from South India. None of Periyar’s claims about the Ramayana has any truth in them, of course, but he made them anyway. The origins of most of these claims lie not in the Ramayana but in the virulent hatred that he harboured towards North Indians and Brahmins.

Apart from his hatred for Rama, Periyar also broke statues of Lord Ganesha. He had also burnt pictures of Shri Rama. Following his death, Periyarists also attempted to make ‘Ravana Leela’ an annual event, to coincide with Dussehra celebrations in rest of the country. Incidentally, Indira Gandhi had rebuffed the demands of Periyarists to abandon Ram Leela and urged them to avoid arousing sectarian sentiments.

However, the grandson of Indira Gandhi is siding with the very people Indira Gandhi had opposed throughout her life for mere petty politics. It also reflects the shift in the mindset of the Congress party under Rahul gandhi and his mother Sonia Gandhi, where the party actively supports everyone who speaks ill of Hindu Gods and Goddesses and hurts the sentiments of Hindus.

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